Retail

Bloomberg Bankrupt retailer Forever 21 Inc asked a bankruptcy court to approve plans to sell “substantially all” of its assets to a buyer who might keep the chain in business. Forever 21 is in “substantial, round-the-clock negotiations” with a potential stalking-horse bidder, which would set a minimum price for the fashion chain while it continues to seek bids for alternative …

Bloomberg In Moscow, online orders delivered in just 15 minutes by bicycle signal what the future of shopping may hold. Russia’s largest technology company, Yandex NV, is getting groceries to Moscow homes within a quarter of an hour, free of charge. Its new online service, called Lavka, has spread small warehouses across the capital stocked with about 2,000 items and …

Bloomberg Cosmetics maker Kose Corp slashed its full-year profit outlook by 19%, citing a decline in tourists to Japan because of the novel coronavirus outbreak in China. The Tokyo-based company also cited a stronger yen and a consumption tax hike in October as reasons for the expected decline in its financial performance. Kose cut its net income projection to 30 …

Bloomberg As the flat white trounces black tea, Lipton owner Unilever is weighing a sale of one of its best-known brands. The Anglo-Dutch giant initiated a review of its global tea business, which includes the more than century-old label and generates sales of almost $3.3 billion. The move comes after the company’s slowest quarterly growth in a decade. Unilever is …

Bloomberg Hennes & Mauritz AB appointed Helena Helmersson as the first female chief executive officer of the fast-fashion pioneer, taking over from founding family scion Karl-Johan Persson, who struggled to contain competition from cheaper rivals and online platforms that revolutionised shopping. Helmersson was previously head of operations, and Persson moves to the supervisory board after more than a decade, where …

Bloomberg Swatch Group fell to the lowest in a decade as Switzerland’s largest watchmaker faces a triple whammy from Hong Kong protests, competition with smartwatches and viral outbreak in China. Operating profit fell for the first time in three years, dropping 11% to $1.1 billion. Analysts expected 1.09 billion francs. The shares fell as much as 4.1% on January 30. …

Bloomberg De Beers sold the most diamonds since April in a sign the industry is starting to recover from a slump in demand last year, though the market will require more evidence of a sustained rebound. The Anglo American Plc unit sold $545 million of diamonds in its first sale of the year, traditionally one of the strongest buying periods …

Bloomberg J Sainsbury Plc said it will spend 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) on a plan to reach net zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2040. The UK grocer intends to halve plastic packaging by 2025, reduce food waste and lower its water usage, according to a statement on Tuesday. It will also install LED lights in stores, use more electric vehicles …

Bloomberg Lucky’s Market, a Colorado-based grocer that bills itself as offering “organic for the 99%,” filed for bankruptcy after it began closing most of its stores. About 3,000 jobs are at stake. The company listed assets of as much as $500 million and liabilities of at least that amount in a bankruptcy petition filed in Delaware. Lucky’s operated 39 stores …

Bloomberg For already-suffering Japanese retailers, the rapidly spreading novel coronavirus could further dent business by keeping away one of their few growing groups of patrons: Chinese shoppers. China’s efforts to control the coronavirus have led to a ban on all tour groups heading overseas, and shut down transportation in multiple large Chinese cities. Limiting the movement of would-be Chinese customers …