Retail

Bloomberg The UK competition regulator has started a review into Amazon.com Inc’s bid to buy a slice of fast-growing food delivery startup Deliveroo, adding to the e-tailing giant’s antitrust woes around the globe. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on its website it’s investigating the purchase of rights and a minority shareholding in Roofoods Ltd, which does business under …

Bloomberg Two of Europe’s biggest consumer-goods companies signalled a slowdown in China, whose consumers have driven global demand for everything from baby formula food to shampoo. Nestle SA said sales in the country were flat for the first nine months, while Unilever said business there “slowed a little” in the latest period. Nestle shares fell as much as 1.6% in …

Bloomberg Indonesia is all set to make halal labeling mandatory for consumer products and services from this week, but the high cost of securing the license and absence of clear guidelines mean millions of local producers are still without certificates. The compulsory labeling will first apply to the food and beverage products and services from October 17 before being gradually …

Bloomberg Hold on to your smartphone — the holiday price wars between Walmart Inc and Amazon.com Inc are heating up. Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, has introduced a programme to temporarily lower the price consumers pay for some items on its marketplace site, where third-party vendors pay Walmart a fee to list their goods. The merchants selling on the site, …

Bloomberg Authentic Brands Group LLC is in talks to buy luxury chain Barneys New York Inc for $268 million and open 41 Barneys shops in Saks Fifth Avenue stores, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. Authentic Brands would close most existing and planned Barneys stores, including potentially the flagship Madison Avenue location, said the person, who asked …

Bloomberg Bed Bath & Beyond Inc shares soared after the company named Target Corp’s head merchant Mark Tritton as its new chief executive officer. Analysts were broadly encouraged by the announcement given Tritton’s successful tenure at Target. Loop Capital’s Anthony Chukumba cited the new CEO’s “retail/consumer pedigree” and merchandising and private label development “experience and expertise.” Morgan Stanley’s Simeon Gutman …

Bloomberg Once you crack the profit code for delivering hot pizzas in the Arctic, where blocks of cheese arrive on nuclear icebreakers, expanding into more hospitable climes like Britain and Nigeria is as easy as pie. Or so says Fyodor Ovchinnikov, the freshly crowned franchise czar of Russia and soon, he’s betting, beyond. From a single basement oven in his …

Bloomberg Walmart Inc’s Greg Foran, the architect of the revival of its US stores, is departing to run an airline in his native New Zealand, leaving a big hole at the world’s largest retailer on the cusp of the holiday season. John Furner, 45, was named to replace Foran, according to a statement. A close friend of Chief Executive Officer …

Bloomberg Hugo Boss AG plunged to a nine-year low after the German suitmaker cut its full-year outlook on weakness in the US and Hong Kong, casting doubt on CEO Mark Langer’s turnaround efforts. The guidance reduction comes two months after the suitmaker previously lowered its outlook, citing weak sales to tourists and pricing pressure in the US Now the anti-Beijing …

Bloomberg As fashion franchises like Forever 21 struggle globally amid changing shopping habits and competition from e-commerce, Uniqlo-owner Fast Retailing Co has managed to turn around a second clothing line into a profit driver. Its more experimental and stylish GU brand is expected to be a highlight of its full-year earnings to be reported. The sister brand, which sells at …