Retail

China millennials drive sales of luxury brands

Bloomberg Millennials feel better about their future earnings than older consumers and spend more on luxury goods. That’s according to a survey of more than 3,000 consumers across China, Europe and the US by UBS Group AG. Eighteen to 35 year olds have contributed 85 percent to growth in the luxury market last year and will represent 45 percent of ...

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Amazon enters bed market with basic foam mattress

Bloomberg Amazon.com Inc. is taking a stab at the mattress business, joining the competition against startups such as bed-in-a-box pioneer Casper Sleep Inc. and retail rivals including Walmart Inc. The AmazonBasics foam mattress, starting at $130, was spotted by TJI Research, which monitors the e-commerce giant’s growing list of more than 120 private label products, including kitchen goods, batteries, clothing ...

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Aldi gains in US grocery war

Bloomberg Attention grocers: Aldi is coming for your customers. The German discount chain that’s blanketing the US with its no-frills stores was the choice of almost one in five shoppers who recently switched grocers, according to Morgan Stanley research. That’s more than Costco, Target, Kroger or Amazon-owned Whole Foods, highlighting Aldi’s growing appeal. Aldi’s US encroachment mirrors what it’s already ...

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Home Depot expands same-day delivery to win shoppers

Bloomberg As part of an ongoing $1.2 billion supply-chain upgrade, Home Depot Inc. has started same-day delivery across the US to help it stay relevant with consumers’ need-it-yesterday mentality. The home-improvement chain had already been using trucks to deliver large items such as building materials from stores in a day or so. Now, aided by startups Roadie Inc. and Deliv ...

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Amazon intruding on Shopify turf, says CEO Tobias Lutke

Bloomberg The head of Shopify Inc. said Amazon is encroaching on its turf — and it’s confident it can compete. “They are creating products now that help small businesses market their products better which is frankly the space we are in,” Tobias Lutke, chief executive officer of Ottawa-based Shopify, said in an interview with BNN Bloomberg TV at a tech ...

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Britain’s struggling Debenhams takes design tips from your clicks

Bloomberg Going viral may soon be a requirement for products to get prime placement in a Debenhams store. At its “store of the future” northwest of London in Watford, England, Debenhams Plc is leveraging an online community of beauty-product enthusiasts to drum up foot traffic. The merging of online and in-store shopping experiences is the latest effort to transform the ...

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Sears CEO urges immediate action to stave off bankruptcy

Bloomberg Sears Holdings Corp. is reviewing a proposal by Chief Executive Officer Eddie Lampert to keep the retailer alive by restructuring its debts and selling real estate. Plans outlined in regulatory filings include cutting debt by about 78 percent to $1.2 billion and extending near-term maturities, with annual interest savings of 80 percent. The proposal came from ESL Investments Inc., ...

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Unilever to appease investors over its ‘Dutch office’ move

Bloomberg Unilever is campaigning to convince a growing number of dissenting UK shareholders that the company’s plan to consolidate its headquarters in the Netherlands has merit. The Anglo-Dutch consumer giant’s move to Rotterdam will have “great benefits” for UK investors, Chief Financial Officer Graeme Pitkethly said in a Tuesday interview with the BBC Radio 4 station, noting that they would ...

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Next beats UK heat as it raises ‘18 profit outlook

Bloomberg Next Plc raised its sales and profit outlook for the year, a rare bright spot in a season of woe for UK retailers struggling against soaring summer temperatures and the threat of Amazon.com Inc. The apparel chain had warned in August that a boost to summer sales in early summer would wane as the season dragged on. Instead, the ...

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Washington REIT explores sale of retail portfolio

Bloomberg Washington Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) is exploring the sale of its retail portfolio, according to people familiar with the matter. The D.C.-based REIT is working with an adviser, which has contacted potential buyers, said the people, who asked not to be named because the information is private. The portfolio could fetch roughly $800 million, one of the people ...

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