Retail

  London / AFP German discount supermarket group Lidl announced plans to create 5,000 new jobs in London as part of a major investment programme in Britain, where it is enjoying rapid growth. The food retailer said it will open 250 shops in the capital after unveiling a three-year, £1.5 billion ($1.9 billion, 1.8 billion-euro) investment plan last year that …

  Mexico City / AFP US retail giant Walmart said it plans a fresh $1.3 billion investment in Mexico, where it was hailed amid US President-elect Donald Trump’s tough line on foreign trade and keeping jobs in America. The American company plans to build new distribution centers and expand existing ones “which will create more than 10,000 new jobs,” said …

  Bloomberg Lululemon Athletica Inc. soared the most in more than eight years after third-quarter earnings blew past analysts’ estimates and sales showed signs of strengthening as the yogawear maker heads into the holiday season. Profit in the quarter was 47 cents a share, excluding some items, the Vancouver-based company said in a statement. Analysts estimated 43 cents on average. …

  Bloomberg WeChat lets users text friends, post selfies and pay a gas bill with a smartphone. From now, the blockbuster Chinese app, known as Weixin Pay in China, can also be used to buy a Java Chip Frappuccino. Starbucks Corp. said it will accept the payments system at about 2,500 of its cafes across China, enabling customers to complete …

  Bloomberg McDonald’s Corp. shrugged off Brexit by announcing plans to switch its non-U.S. tax base to the UK, ditching tiny Luxembourg where its fiscal arrangements are under attack from European Union regulators. In an apparent vote of confidence in the U.K., the hamburger giant said it’s creating a new international holding company based in Britain, which decided in June …

  Bloomberg When Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Vice Chairman Charles Munger lamented the mistakes made in the company’s first 50 years under Warren Buffett, he cited the failure to buy Wal-Mart Stores Inc. stock early enough in the retailer’s history. Judging by recent events, Buffett doesn’t think Wal-Mart is such a great idea for his company’s next half-century. Berkshire said last …

  Bloomberg After turning Starbucks Corp. into the world’s largest coffee chain, Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz will hand the reins to a lieutenant who could solidify its role as a technology company. Kevin Johnson, a 33-year veteran of the tech industry who became Starbucks’ chief operating officer last year, will take the helm from Schultz on April 3. The …

  Gaza City / AFP Coca-Cola formally has opened its first factory in the Gaza Strip, the company announced, in a move that could create hundreds of jobs in the beleaguered Palestinian enclave. The bottling facility had been partially open for several months but began full operations after a ceremony Wednesday. The $20-million (19-million euro) investment is the company’s first …

  Bloomberg Walt Disney Co. ceased doing business with one Chinese toymaker and put another on notice following reports of labor violations. Disney, the world’s largest entertainment company, said in a memo posted on its website that it would no longer allow the Dongguan Qing Xi Juantiway Plastic Factory to make products featuring the company’s characters. The violations had been …

  Bloomberg Breitling, the Swiss watchmaker known for aviation-themed timepieces worn by actor John Travolta, is weighing a sale, according to people familiar with the matter. The process is still in the early stages, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the deliberations are private. The most likely suitors are luxury-goods companies rather than private equity firms, …