Philippines / Bloomberg San Miguel Corp. President Ramon Ang gave up his telecom ambitions by agreeing to a $1.5 billion deal that raises money for his energy, infrastructure and other businesses’ expansion. Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. and Globe Telecom Inc. acquired the telecommunications business of San Miguel Corp. for about 70 billion pesos ($1.5 billion), including debt, according ...
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Mickey Mouse helps China buck economic doom and gloom
Shanghai / Bloomberg China’s slowing economy isn’t putting the brakes on tourism. Shanghai Disneyland attracted almost 1 million visitors to its public areas weeks before the $5.5 billion theme park officially opens June 16. And tourism spending is likely to triple by 2020 after industry investment jumped 42 percent last year, the government says. “The Chinese consumer is spending ...
Read More »Luxury brands struggle to attract Internet generation
San Francisco / AFP Seducing hyper-connected “Millennials†poses an increasing challenge for luxury brands, which find their markets slowing as young, skeptical consumers force them to rethink strategies. Goldman Sachs estimates that 92 million Americans are in the Millennial generation — born between the early 1980s and the 2000s — surpassing the famed cohort of postwar Baby Boomers who are ...
Read More »Tesco tries to charm shoppers it angered
London / Bloomberg A weekly letter from Tesco Plc’s U.K. chief executive officer, posted in break rooms of the retailer’s 3,500 domestic stores, praises employees who go out of their way for customers. Recent examples include everything from fixing a motorist’s flat tire to collecting corporate memorabilia for a fan. During its rise to the top of British grocery ...
Read More »PVH jumps after profit forecast surges
New York / Bloomberg PVH Corp., the maker of Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger apparel, jumped as much as 7.6 percent after raising its full-year profit forecast and reporting first-quarter earnings that beat analysts’ estimates. Adjusted earnings will probably be $6.45 to $6.55 a share during the 2016 fiscal year, the New York-based company said in a statement. That’s ...
Read More »Philips electronics to rake in €750mn in IPO windfall
The Hague / AFP Dutch electronics giant Philips set a price of 20 euros per share, a day ahead of a highly anticipated IPO of its lighting arm, and said it was expecting to raise 750 million euros. “The total number of offered shares is 37.5 million, representing 25 percent of the shares,†the Amsterdam-based Philips said in a statement. ...
Read More »ZTE to open 23 flagship stores to drive smartphone sales
Shanghai / Bloomberg ZTE Corp., China’s second-largest maker of networking gear, plans to open 23 flagship stores by the end of this year to drive sales of its smartphones and consumer devices. About 20 outlets will be created in major Chinese cities while the company plans one each on Germany, Russia and Mexico, said Adam Zeng, chief executive officer ...
Read More »M&S stocks fall as plan to revive clothing hits profit
London / Bloomberg Marks & Spencer Group Plc chief Steve Rowe’s strategy to reboot the retailer’s moribund clothing business got a cool reception from investors, with the stock falling the most in seven years amid concerns the plan will hurt short-term profits and doesn’t address some key decisions. The company will reduce styles to de-clutter its stores, cut prices ...
Read More »Huawei files lawsuits against Samsung
Beijing / AP Chinese tech giant Huawei said on Wednesday it has filed patent infringement lawsuits against South Korean mobile phone rival Samsung in the United States and China, in a case that highlights the rise of Asian competitors as technology creators. Huawei Technologies Ltd. said it wants “reasonable compensation†but gave no financial figure for its claim against Samsung ...
Read More »Retailers fuel a warehouse boom to keep up with Amazon
Washington / Bloomberg The first thing online clothing reseller ThredUp did after clinching a new round of funding last year? Hunt for strategic warehouse space to get the goods to its customers as fast as possible. Amazon.com has spoiled them for anything less. Within six months, ThredUp’s chief executive officer, James Reinhart, had signed leases on two additional warehouses. ...
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