Retail

Bloomberg Unilever is rolling out new products such as Dove shower foam to boost sales as it struggles to raise prices on longtime mainstays like Hellmann’s mayonnaise. The Anglo-Dutch consumer-product giant introduced five new brands in its personal-care division in 2017, including Hijab Fresh, a hand and body lotion aimed at Muslim consumers, and soaps formulated for babies. That helped …

Bloomberg Tesco Plc named Booker Group Plc Chief Executive Officer Charles Wilson to lead its British and Irish operations, elevating a potential successor for the leading role at the UK’s biggest retailer. The appointment of Wilson, 51, creates a strong No. 2 to CEO Dave Lewis. Before engineering a $5.2 billion sale to Tesco, Wilson transformed the food and drink …

Bloomberg Estee Lauder Cos.’s online sales and China push are helping maintain its growth streak. The New York-based seller of Clinique and Aveda products saw sales surge across most of its brands in the latest quarter, with skin care, makeup and fragrances all posting double-digit gains. Revenue advanced on a regional level too, led by a 33 percent climb in …

Bloomberg As short sellers swoop on Marks & Spencer Group Plc, value investors are pinning their hopes on a man with a history of turning around struggling businesses. Archie Norman, 63, a former lawmaker who joined the iconic British retailer as chairman in September, is credited with leading the Asda supermarket chain from near bankruptcy in the early 1990s to …

Bloomberg Whole Foods Market’s lower-priced offshoot chain, whose future was questioned after Amazon.com Inc. took control of the company in 2017, is cautiously plowing ahead. The business, known as 365 by Whole Foods Market, opened its latest store this week in Brooklyn—its first location on the East Coast. And the division is still signing leases and plans to open at …

Bloomberg Alibaba Group Holding Ltd led a $300 million investment into India’s biggest online grocer Bigbasket, signaling that the region’s segment is firing up. Hari Menon, Bigbasket’s co-founder and chief executive officer, said the investment values the company at $950 million—just $50 million under the $1 billion valuation that would have earned it tech unicorn status. “We wanted a strategic …

Bloomberg Back in the last century, Ralph Lauren built a business empire by sketching out a national fashion identity with each design. In recent years, though, the influence of his preppy styles has waned. Sales have fallen steadily as shoppers moved on to casual wear, fast-fashion or even upstart preppy brands. Now, the 78-year-old designer is trying to make a …

Bloomberg Hennes & Mauritz AB reported its biggest drop in profit in six years, adding pressure on Chief Executive Officer Karl-Johan Persson, who is trying to right the ailing Swedish clothing chain after recent slipups. Operating profit fell 14 percent to 20.6 billion kronor ($2.6 billion) in the 12 months through November, H&M said in a statement. Analysts expected 20.4 …

Bloomberg Swatch Group AG reported an increase in profit for the first time in four years as Switzerland’s largest watchmaker boosted its share in the intensely competitive low-end timepiece market thanks to growth at Tissot and its namesake plastic brand. Swatch said it has had a “massive gain” in market share in the basic and midrange segments. The company sells …

Bloomberg Amazon.com Inc.’s foray into health care won’t be the first time it has disrupted an entire industry by starting with an effort inside the company. Amazon Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos is teaming up with fellow billionaires Warren Buffett and Jamie Dimon to revamp health care for the 2.4 million workers and dependents of the companies they run. The …