LONDON / Reuters British discount retailer Poundland expects to return to underlying sales growth this financial year after its last one was hit by disruption from the acquisition of a rival and the addition of more than 200 stores, it said on Thursday. The company, which sells everything from washing detergent to boxes of chocolates to packs of batteries …

  Paris / Bloomberg Casino Guichard-Perrachon SA, the French grocery retailer targetted by short seller Carson Block, reported higher first-quarter sales in its home market, easing pressure on Chief Executive Officer Jean-Charles Naouri. Revenue in France rose 2.8 percent to 4.55 billion euros ($5.1 billion), Saint-Etienne, France-based Casino said on Thursday in a statement. Analysts predicted 4.52 billion euros. French …

  HONG KONG / Reuters In a bid to increase its retail footprint, McDonald’s Corp is targeting private equity firms, including Bain Capital, MBK Partners, TPG Capital Management and Chinese state-backed conglomerate China Resources (Holdings) for its planned sale of 2,800 restaurants in North Asia, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The US fast food giant is adopting a …