Mike Ashley’s Frasers Says It’s Taken Control of Hugo Boss
The British retail group has pushed its stake in the German apparel brand above 50 percent in a move that will turn Hugo Boss into a subsidiary of Frasers.
Retail
Analysis and advice from the front lines of the retail transformation.
Blake Nordstrom, Top Officer of Nordstrom Stores, Dies at 58
Nordstrom headed a triumvirate of brothers that ran the luxury apparel store chain that their Swedish-American family founded and led its efforts in discount retailing and innovative customer service.
Sears May Stay Alive With Rescue Bid Cobbled Together by Lampert
The chain's chairman, Eddie Lampert, made a last-minute, $4.6 billion bid to buy the retailer out of bankruptcy.
Four Focus Points for Retail Investors in 2019
From trade-war effects to Amazon’s latest incursions, here are things to keep an eye on.
Retail Stocks Jump Most in 8 Years on Signs of Strong Spending
The S&P 500 Retailing Index climbed 5.6 percent the day after Christmas, seeing its biggest one-day gain since the spring of 2010.
Report: US Holiday Shopping Season Was Strongest in Six Years
Sales in the 2018 US holiday shopping season rose 5.1 percent to over $850 billion, the strongest in six years, according to a Mastercard report.
Online Clothing Retailers Hunt for Better Fit to Cut Costly Returns
Almost a third of shoes and clothes from brands like Adidas and Zalando are bigger or smaller than the size on the label indicates, according to fitting models.
Landlords Embrace Pop-Up Shops to Revive the American Mall
Signing retailers to long leases — and hoping they don't declare bankruptcy — is fast becoming an outdated formula.
UK Retailers Get Black Friday Boost as Sales Surge
Following two months of declines, the volume of goods sold in stores and online jumped 1.4 percent in November.
European Retail Storm Casts a Shadow Over US Holiday Shopping
Even previously high-flying, online-only retailers are vulnerable to deteriorating consumer sentiment, shows a profit warning from Asos.
Nordic Sports Retailer XXL Shares Plunge More Than 40 Percent
Shares of European retailers have been under pressure recently after warnings of poor performance by the likes of ASOS and Sports Direct.
No Christmas Cheer for Fashion Firms in Never-Ending Sales
Most retailers have responded by expanding their traditional summer and new year sales to year-round promotions, even in the crucial Christmas period when they have previously counted on shifting stock at full price.
UK Retail Malaise Pressures Bonds Amid Holiday Shopping Season
The industry’s crisis deepens in the run-up to the Christmas holiday.
THE NEWS IN BRIEF
Shein Agrees to Pay $100 Million to Settle US FTC Probe
The settlement, equivalent to 44 percent of the ultra fast-fashion company’s second-quarter profit, is the latest blow amid regulatory and tax crackdowns in Europe and the US that have hampered Shein’s growth.
UK Retail Sales Fall 0.4% in September, More Than Forecast
Sales fell in September as above-average temperatures hit demand for autumn clothing.
David’s Bridal Plans Spinoff and IPO of AI Wedding Planning Platform Pearl
Pearl, a subsidiary of David’s Bridal, will own David’s Bridal and license its intellectual property back to the bridalwear brand. David’s Bridal CEO Kelly Cook will serve as Pearl’s CEO.
EBay Will Lay Off 9% of Workforce
The online marketplace is looking to simplify operations and shift resources to its fastest-growing areas, Reuters reported.
Vinted Faces Influx of Suspected Looted Goods After French Riots
The company has ‘taken immediate action to identify and remove listings linked to the looting,’ and has ‘stepped up monitoring of suspicious listings,’ a Vinted spokesperson said in a statement. ‘When our rules are breached, we act against the accounts involved, up to permanent bans.’
Zara Billionaire Owner Ortega Buys $550 Million Chicago Tower
Pontegadea Inversiones SL acquired the 51-story One North Wacker in the city’s business district in one of the biggest US office deals this year.
Joe Corré’s Light House Club Launches Pop-Up Spaces for Emerging Designers
Independent creatives can apply to utilise pop-up spaces at Light House to sell merchandise and meet with clientele.