Retail

  Bloomberg Carrefour SA’s plan to sell shares in its Brazilian unit got a boost as the retailer’s sales in the country surged, flying in the face of record unemployment and a weakening economy. Revenue in Brazil rose 5.6 percent on a like-for-like basis in the first quarter, outpacing the 1.4 percent gain in group sales, the French grocer said …

  Bloomberg UK retail sales fell the most since 2011 last quarter as consumers started to feel squeeze from faster inflation. Retail sales dropped 0.7 percent from a year earlier on a like-for-like basis, the British Retail Consortium said on Tuesday, noting that the timing of the Easter holiday — which this year falls in April — may be distorting …

  Bloomberg Starbucks Corp. will provide Chinese workers with health insurance that extends coverage to their parents, a unique offering by the coffeehouse chain that may be used by more than 10,000 people to treat cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. The plan is a response to traditional values in China, the company said, as children often care for their parents …

  Bloomberg JD Sports Fashion Plc shares soared to new highs after the U.K. sportswear retailer extended its record of confounding analysts’ expectations, helped by flourishing partnerships with suppliers including Nike Inc. and Adidas AG. The stock rose as much as 10 percent in London after the company reported an 81 percent jump in annual pretax profit to 244.8 million …

  Emirates Business Etisalat entered into a strategic agreement with Miral, the entity responsible for the development and promotion of Yas Island as a destination for leisure, business and entertainment, to provide visitors with Public WiFi. The service will be available to both UAE residents and tourists with international mobile numbers, and accessed through the ‘UAE WiFi by Etisalat’ network. …

  Bloomberg Investors will be looking for updates from Prada SpA on its recovery momentum when it reports annual earnings this week, as a drop in bearish bets removes the potential for a share-price boost resulting from a short squeeze. The Italian luxury-goods maker, which said growth resumed in January after reporting a nine percent drop in annual sales at …

  Dubai / Emirates Business My Perfumes, a renowned name in the sphere of premium fragrances, announces the opening of its new showroom in Deira Gold Souq. Inherited with a rich legacy of serving the royal families in the region for two decades now, My Perfumes is set to broaden its reach and let the magic of its premium range …

  Bloomberg JAB Holding Co. agreed to buy Panera Bread Co. for about $7.5 billion, adding a fast-growing US bakery chain to a food empire that spans coffee, bagels and doughnuts. Panera investors will receive $315 per share in cash, the companies said in a statement on Wednesday. That’s 20 percent higher than the closing price on March 31, the …

  Bloomberg Ivory Coast’s biggest online retailer will enable consumers to buy goods from international markets for the first time next month as it seeks to tap a shopping boom in one of sub-Saharan Africa’s fastest-growing economies. Jumia, an internet platform whose investors include Berlin-based Rocket Internet SE and Goldman Sachs Group Inc., is expanding its Ivory Coast operation by …

    Bloomberg A European Union probe into McDonald’s Corp. is entering its final stages after officials gathered information on whether the Big Mac maker unfairly benefited from a hefty tax break in Luxembourg, according to people familiar with the case. The European Commission may be moving ahead with a decision in the McDonald’s case before the EU’s summer break …