Retail

  Bloomberg The number of small and medium-sized British businesses selling over Amazon.com Inc.’s marketplace soared by more than 25% in 2021, faster than in Germany, France or Italy. Some 85,000 smaller UK enterprises now sell on Amazon, responsible for more than 950 million product sales — or 1,750 per minute, the Seattle-based tech giant said in a statement. More …

  Bloomberg Australian retail sales climbed for an eighth straight month in August, indicating the nation’s cashed-up households are coping well with rapid interest-rate increases to tackle escalating inflation. Sales advanced 0.6% from July, exceeding economists’ forecasts for a 0.4% gain, Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed. Retailers have posted higher sales every month this year. The rise was driven …

  Bloomberg Traveloka has secured $300 million in new financing from investors including BlackRock Inc., as Southeast Asia’s biggest online travel startup counts on a post-Covid rebound to expand in the region. The Jakarta-based company said in a statement it struck a deal for financing with investors including Allianz Global Investors and the Indonesia Investment Authority. The size of the …

  Bloomberg Dozens of lawsuits are challenging the long-standing belief that pregnant women can safely take acetaminophen, an over-the-counter drug used in Tylenol and generic pain medications. Women have filed 87 complaints in seven states against sellers of store-branded pain relievers, including Walmart Inc., CVS Health Corp. and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. Citing new studies linking the drug to increased …

  Bloomberg Amazon.com Inc. is encouraging customer service employees at some US call centers to work from home, signalling the company’s preference for remote work in certain roles that would help save money on real estate, according to people familiar with the matter. The shift is part of a plan to close multiple call centers around the country, including one …

  Bloomberg Cartier, the French maker of upscale watches and jewelry, plans to open as many as 10 stores in the US in the coming years — another sign that European luxury brands are betting American demand will remain robust. The company, owned by luxury conglomerate Richemont, is likely to turn a temporary shop in Palm Beach, Florida, into a …

  Bloomberg Prices in British shops hit a fresh record high, heaping more pain on consumers grappling with soaring energy and housing bills. The British Retail Consortium said shop price inflation accelerated to 5.7% in September, topping the previous 5.1% record increase in August. This is highest level of inflation since the index began in 2005 as retailers pass on …

  Bloomberg Swedish fashion retailer H&M is considering charging for online returns amid a series of efficiency measures to reduce surging costs. The company is trying out the fees in Norway and the UK in coming days, embracing a measure that rivals have turned to as well, Chief Executive Officer Helena Helmersson said. “We are testing it as a possible …

  Bloomberg Amazon.com Inc. announced a pay increase for hourly workers in the US that it says will take average starting wage for most front-line employees in warehousing and transportation to more than $19 an hour. The company’s minimum level of $15 an hour for all hourly workers in the US remains unchanged. For jobs in Amazon’s customer fulfilment and …

Bloomberg Next Plc issued its second profit warning this year due to soaring inflation and a devaluation of the pound which has undermined consumer confidence. The British clothing and housewares chain said that profit for the year will total £840 million ($905 million), compared with previous guidance of £860 million. Full-price sales in the second half are expected to drop …