Retail

  DUBAI / Reuters Amazon.com Inc has agreed in principle to buy Dubai-based internet retailer Souq.com, one of the best-known names in the Middle East’s online shopping market, sources familiar with the deal said. Souq.com, which sells consumer electronics, fashion, household items and other goods, lays claim on its website to being the largest e-commerce site in the Arab world. …

  Bloomberg Terrorist attacks in France and the decline of the pound are drawing tourists to London and Rome, bolstering French handbag maker Hermes International SCA as it bounces back from weakness in the domestic market and China. Hermes reported a 10 percent increase in full-year profit, citing a lift in sales from the pound’s fall in the wake of …

  DUBAI / Emirates Business ‘MallfortheWorld’ announced that consumers in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar will now have access to over 150 of the leading retailers in the US through its app, marking its foray into the Middle East. MallfortheWorld is the parent company of the award-winning global e-commerce giant MallforAfrica. Growing at a steady rate, the app is available …

  Bloomberg Kraft Heinz Co., rebuffed recently in its bid to buy Unilever, is investing $200 million in an expanded corporate social responsibility program that includes a pledge to fight malnutrition and decrease its environmental footprint. The Kraft Heinz announcement comes about a month after the company pulled a $143 billion bid to buy Unilever, saying it didn’t want to …

  Bloomberg Alibaba’s bringing its teeming Taobao internet marketplace to Singapore. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Lazada Group SA are teaming up to sell select Taobao products direct to shoppers in the affluent island-state, striking their first partnership since the Chinese company took control of Southeast Asia’s largest e-commerce operator a year ago. Lazada is launching a dedicated website that …

  Bloomberg Bebe Stores Inc., a women’s apparel chain with locations across the US, is planning to shut its stores and seek a turnaround as an online brand, according to people familiar with the situation. The company is trying to close the locations without filing for bankruptcy, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the efforts aren’t …

  Emirates Business Cathay Pacific enhanced its website – www.cathaypacific.com – with an all-new online booking experience, providing customers with greater convenience, more choices and making it even easier to use. The airline’s customer-centric ethos puts the needs of passengers at the heart of every decision it makes as it strives to provide an exceptional experience at all stages of …

  Bloomberg Apple Inc. introduced a revamped version of its most popular-sized iPad at the most affordable price ever, and a shiny red iPhone 7, whose sales will help to combat AIDS. Apple unveiled a new 9.7-inch iPad with a brighter Retina display starting at $329, and a special edition red-aluminum finish iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, part of …

  Emirates Business Geneva-based luxury watch brand Roger Dubuis, recognised for its remarkable dynamism and ability to strike a balance between traditional watchmaking expertise and avant-garde design, is set to open a flagship store in Knightsbridge’s Harrods in March. The choice of Harrods confirms Roger Dubuis’ accession in the world of Haute Horlogerie and is an important step for the …

  Bloomberg Vodafone Group Plc agreed to merge its Indian unit with Idea Cellular Ltd., joining forces with a local partner to confront a raging price war in the world’s second-largest mobile-phone market. The European carrier will own 45.1 percent after selling a 4.9 percent stake to billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birla’s holding companies, according to a stock exchange filing on …