Retail

Bloomberg In the environmentalist mantra “reduce, reuse, recycle,” almost all of the attention has been paid to recycling. Now some of the world’s biggest consumer brands are trying to shift the focus to the second R, with a programme that provides products in reusable containers that can be returned for a refund. The durable packaging programme, called “Loop” — a ...

Bloomberg Lowe’s Cos, looking to gain an edge on Home Depot Inc, is teaming up with the National Football League (NFL) in a sponsorship deal that kicks off in its competitor’s hometown. The chain is now the league’s official home-improvement retail sponsor, capitalising on the run-up to next month’s Super Bowl in Atlanta. Lowe’s will place billboards along the city’s ...

Bloomberg Patek Philippe, the closely held maker of $10,000-plus Calatrava watches, may be coming up for sale, according to analysts at Berenberg who cited industry talk. The 180-year-old Swiss watchmaker could fetch 7 billion to 9 billion euros ($8 billion to $10 billion), analysts led by Zuzanna Pusz wrote in a note. Patek Philippe has been owned by the Stern ...

Bloomberg US fast-food chain Taco Bell Corp is planning a spiced-up expansion in Thailand as the company grows its global footprint. The firm expects to open 40 restaurants in Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy by 2023, Liz Williams, the president of its international division, said in an interview. The first is due to open in Bangkok on January 24 and flavors ...

Bloomberg Shoprite Holdings Ltd shares tumbled as an update from Africa’s biggest grocer highlighted the pressures customers face in core markets such as South Africa and Angola, along with the effect of weaker currencies in many countries across the continent. South African supermarket sales rose 2.6 percent in the six months through December, compared with gains of 7.8 percent in ...

Bloomberg America’s largest wedding gown retailer emerged from bankruptcy, just weeks after it first sought protection from creditors. David’s Bridal Inc shrunk its debt load by about $450 million and is now owned by lenders including Oaktree Capital Group. The company, which filed for bankruptcy in November, was looking to exit bankruptcy quickly to avoid scaring off brides that might ...

Bloomberg While Chinese shoppers may not be buying much Tiffany jewellery in New York City these days, it appears they’re happy to open their wallets in Beijing. That’s a trick Apple Inc. hasn’t been able to pull off. Tiffany & Co, whose overall holiday sales fell flat, reported double-digit sales growth in mainland China in the final two months of ...

Bloomberg Debenhams Plc is in talks with landlords to negotiate rent cuts as the UK department-store chain seeks to ease the burden of its store portfolio, FT reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter. British Land Co and Intu Properties Plc have the largest exposure to the retailer, the newspaper reported, citing data from Colliers International. FT said Debenhams ...

Bloomberg You walk into a shiny, new two-floor Sears store in a buzzing, bright shopping center in one of the world’s busiest cities, passing designer garb encased in pink LED lighting while the scent of Bulgari and Cartier perfume wafts past. Shoppers browse for XOXO handbags and Levi’s 501 jeans under large chandeliers and golden baroque flourishes. Sears stores here ...

Bloomberg Values of UK shopping centres and high street stores could be reduced significantly after property agents were told to reflect the seismic changes sweeping the retail industry, the Sunday Times reported. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors told valuers to be “aware of the potential for significant changes in value” in retail properties, the newspaper reported, without saying where ...