Retail

Bloomberg Walmart Inc is selling most of Japanese retailer Seiyu to KKR & Co and Rakuten Inc in a deal that values the supermarket chain at 172.5 billion yen ($1.6 billion), as the US giant retreats from its two-decade attempt to crack Japan’s retail market. Under the agreement, private equity fund KKR will become the majority owner with a 65% ...

Bloomberg Ian Babcock used to take the bus from his home in northern Michigan to get groceries, a trip that was inconvenient before the pandemic made it dangerous. For the last several months, he’s been using his food-stamp benefits to get groceries delivered by Amazon. “It potentially is a lifesaver for me,” he said. Babcock is among one million-plus US ...

Bloomberg Burberry Group Plc is betting there are still enough consumers who would be willing to pay more for its trenchcoats and purses, even amid the pandemic. The company said it will reduce markdowns, a measure that may hurt second-half sales though should improve long-term profitability. The stock rose as much as 5.8% after first-half sales declined less than expected ...

Bloomberg Australian household spending surged by a record last quarter, led by cafes and clothing and footwear stores as Covid restrictions in much of the country were unwound, underscoring the central bank’s contention that economic growth “increased solidly” in the period. Quarterly retail volumes advanced 6.5% in the three months through September, after declining 3.5% in the prior quarter, the ...

Bloomberg Target Corp this month discontinued its subscription service model as shoppers increasingly look for more convenient and flexible delivery options. “The majority of our subscription guests have shifted away from regular deliveries to enjoy the speed and flexibility of our same-day services,” said spokeswoman Jacqueline DeBuse. The company didn’t disclose how much revenue it generated with subscriptions. It’s quite ...

Bloomberg Mytheresa.com, the luxury online retailer specialising in women’s clothing, is planning a US listing in early 2021, people with knowledge of the matter said. The fast-growing German e-commerce company is working with advisers on preparations for a potential initial public offering, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. It plans to ...

Bloomberg Billionaire Mukesh Ambani obliterated rivals in India’s telecommunications sector by selling $2 data plans and free voice calls. Four years later, he’s deploying a very similar tactic — cutthroat pricing — to gain an edge in the country’s increasingly competitive e-commerce space. As India hits the peak of its biggest shopping season, the festival of Diwali, the tycoon’s retail ...

Bloomberg Coty Inc soared after the maker of Covergirl and Sally Hansen reported sales declines that abated from the previous quarter. Revenue excluding the company’s Wella business, which is being sold, fell 20% to $1.1 billion in the quarter ended on September 30. Including Wella, the decline was 13%, compared with a drop of 56% in the previous quarter. Chief ...

Bloomberg Two of the top beauty products subscription services are merging. Ipsy has agreed to buy Miami-based rival BoxyCharm Inc, a pairing that will create a combined business with more than 4.3 million subscribers and $1 billion in revenue this year, according to the company. Ipsy and BoxyCharm will operate as separate brands in a merged company called BFA Industries, ...

Bloomberg Ocado Group Plc raised its profit forecast as the pandemic boosts demand for online groceries, and agreed to buy two robotics companies for about $287 million. The company said it expects full-year earnings to exceed $77 million before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation. The previous target was for Ebitda of more than 40 million pounds. Ocado said its joint ...