Retail

Bloomberg L’Oreal SA got more revenue from Asia than from western Europe for the first time last quarter as the region’s surging demand for luxury products continued to resist the drag of a slower Chinese economy. The shift for the maker of products like Maybelline mascara and Acqua di Gio Armani cologne is the latest example of how French companies …

Bloomberg In naming Corie Barry chief executive officer, Best Buy Co hands the reins to the architect of its current growth strategy, widely considered to be one of the retail industry’s most remarkable turnarounds. Barry, chief financial and strategic transformation officer, will replace Hubert Joly in June after almost seven years at the helm. In her outgoing role, she oversaw …

Bloomberg On a recent weekday at the newly opened Champion store in Philadelphia’s Center City, the brand’s oversize red, white and blue “C” is everywhere: across the chest of thick cotton sweatshirts, down the sides of track pants and on the front of baseball caps. A couple of 20-somethings sift the clothing racks during the lunch hour. They drift through …

Bloomberg Mall owners have sung the praises of “experiential retail,” touting it as the saviour of a sector battered by store closures and the shift to online shopping. It turns out the buzz may be a bit overblown. A study by location-data firm Thasos Group shows that malls with a Tesla showroom, Apple store, Eataly or Starbucks Roastery don’t have …

Bloomberg It’s not Black Friday — it’s Way Day. In a second-annual event, online home-decor retailer Wayfair Inc is offering its lowest prices of the year. The company promises “Black Friday-low prices on thousands of popular home furnishings, décor, housewares and home improvement products as well as free shipping.” Sales could be notably better than last year, according to Piper …

Bloomberg Two of the world’s biggest water companies are thinking outside the bottle about how to hydrate consumers as environmental campaigners take aim at the enormous amount of plastic waste the industry produces. Danone’s Evian plans to start selling an in-home water appliance featuring a balloon-like container that cuts down on plastic use, while Nestle SA is working on an …

Bloomberg UK retail billionaire Mike Ashley is lashing out after losing a fight with US hedge funds over department store chain Debenhams Plc. The retail magnate, who made British headlines for substandard working conditions at his sporting goods chain, has been blasting Debenhams management and making legal threats since lenders took control, wiping out his roughly 30 percent stake. The …

Bloomberg Steinhoff International Holdings NV said its struggling French furniture retail unit Conforama raised about 316 million euros ($357 million) to help fund the business amid a mounting debt load. The fundraising took place as the South African retailer announced Deputy Chief Executive Officer Alexandre Nodale, who is also CEO of Conforama, is giving up those roles. Sales at Conforama …

Bloomberg Tyson Ventures has already made splashes buying stakes in alternative protein companies. Now, the venture capital arm of giant Tyson Foods Inc is betting the meat industry will beef up its food-safety platforms. The unit is investing in Clear Labs Inc, a food safety testing company that uses a robotic platform to detect pathogens like salmonella. The technology shortens …

Bloomberg Blue jeans are having a moment. At least that’s what J Crew Group Inc is hoping as it considers bringing its Madewell business to the public markets in the wake of rival Levi Strauss & Co’s own $623 million offering. Madewell, the denim focussed starlet of the J Crew family, could go public as soon as the second half …