CARREFOUR IN TALKS TO REPLACE CEO

PARIS—Struggling French retailer Carrefour SA is in the home stretch of hiring clothing boss Georges Plassat to replace chief executive Lars Olofsson, according to people close to the situation.

Mr. Plassat could sign on to succeed Mr. Olofsson as early as next week, according to these people. Mr. Plassat is the head of French apparel group Vivarte SA, in which he is also a shareholder.

Negotiations between Mr. Plassat and the recruiting committee of Carrefour's board have been held up over Mr. Plassat's ties to Vivarte, according to these people, and the talks could fall apart. Mr. Plassat became a stakeholder in Vivarte when it was taken over by private-equity fund Charterhouse in 2007.

Carrefour and Vivarte declined to comment. Mr. Olofsson also declined to comment.

Top 20 Most Valuable Global Retail Brands 2011

นับจากปี 2009 ซึ่งทาง WPP Brandz ได้ทำการวิเคราะห์และประเมินมูลค่าของแบรนด์รีเทล ซึ่งในปี 2009 ถ้าจำกันได้ก็นับว่าเป็นปีที่สหรัฐกำลังมีวิกฤติซับไพล์มอยู่พอดีพฤติกรรมการจับจ่ายอาจจะไม่ปกติไปบ้าง (ก็แหงล่ะคนตกงาน จะให้ใช้จ่ายปกติได้ยังไง) ปีนั้น Walmart มาอันดับหนึ่งทิ้งห่าง Amazon อยู่พอสมควร สามปีผ่านไปปีนี้ Amazon จัดหนัก ชนะไปแค่สามร้อยกว่าล้านเหรียญเท่านั้นเอง

มาลองดูกันนะครับว่าแบรนด์รีเทลที่ทรงคุณค่า 20 อันดับประจำปี 2011 มีแบรนด์ยี่ห้อไหนบ้าง

รายงานฉบับนี้จัดทำร่วมกันระหว่าง Millward Brown, Kantar Retail (Commentary by WPP companies)

ถ้าขยันและมีคนสนใจจะแปลรายงานในหัวข้อที่น่าสนใจนะครับ

This third annual WPP BrandZ study of the Top 20 Most Valuable Global Retail Brands considers many of the salient forces acting on retailing today anddistills key themes that help explain events andanticipate the future.

BIG CHANGES IN CHINA CHALLENGE FRENCH RETAIL GIANT CARREFOUR

The world's second largest retailer, Carrefour, insists it is not pulling out of the massive Chinese market. Still, a closer look at the French company's struggles offers a window into how quickly things can change when doing big business in today's China.

BEIJING – “Big” is the operative word for both French-owned retail giant Carrefour, and the People’s Republic of China. So when rumors began circulating last month that Carrefour was planning to pull out of China and hand over its operations to the local China Resources Group conglomerate, it made some big waves.

Carrefour immediately denied the rumors, and the public relations spokesman of Carrefour China told the Economic Observer that the company will maintain its rhythm of opening 20 to 25 new branches per year.

Yet behind the rumor lies the truth that Carrefour China has seen much better days. Since July 2010, it has shut down six of its stores. One source close to Carrefour pointed out that the retailer has been suffering from severe staff turnover and increasing pressure on its cost control.

STARBUCKS ผุดโมเดลใหม่ นำร่อง "สาขา" ปันกำไรเพื่อสังคม

Photo: Carlos Aguilera on Flickr.com

"สตาร์บัคส์ คอร์ป" ประกาศแบ่งผลกำไรจากยอดขายสาขาที่เปิดให้บริการในสหรัฐอเมริกา 2 แห่งให้กับองค์กรไม่แสวงหากำไรในนิวยอร์กซิตี และลอสแองเจลิส เพื่อชดเชยรายได้ จากกรณีที่รัฐบาลสหรัฐมีแผนตัดลดงบประมาณให้การสนับสนุนด้านเด็กและการศึกษาลง

สำนักข่าวรอยเตอร์สรายงานว่า สาขานำร่องที่สตาร์บัคส์เลือกให้มีส่วนในโครงการแบ่งปันผลกำไรเพื่อสังคมครั้งนี้ตั้งอยู่ในย่าน "ฮาเร็ม" (Harem) ในนิวยอร์กซิตี และเขตเครนชอว์ (Crenshaw) ในนครลอสแองเจลิส โดยบริษัทตั้งเป้าจะขยายไปสู่สาขาอื่น ๆ ในอนาคต ทั้งนี้ บริษัทจะให้การสนับสนุนพันธมิตรซึ่งเป็นองค์กรไม่แสวงหากำไรที่ตั้งอยู่ในย่านดังกล่าว แต่ละแห่งจะได้รับเงินสนับสนุนอย่างน้อย 100,000 เหรียญสหรัฐในปีแรก

STEVE JOBS LEAVES BEHIND RETAIL LEGACY

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Steve Jobs did what many retail CEOs only dream of accomplishing -- he turned discretionary items into necessities.

In a challenging economy, when retailers were simply trying to figure out how to unload T-shirts, shoes and food without resorting to drastic discounts, Jobs sold iPhones, iPads and iPods as if they were water in a barren dessert.

WAL-MART LOOKS ABROAD FOR GROWTH

Photo Source: http://www.tmonews.com

Over the past several months,  Wal-Mart's (WMT) stock has not enjoyed the same momentum shared by many of its retail peers. Wal-Mart, which closed around $56 per share on January 21, is up 12.3% since the end of August. That performance pales in comparison to the S&P Retail Index's astonishing 27.1% jump during the same period. Sluggish U.S. results have certainly played a role in weighing down Wal-Mart's stock price, as a weakened basic-needs consumer, and increased competition from dollar stores, have led to six consecutive quarters of same-store sales declines and only nominal operating margin expansion. However, we believe Wal-Mart's domestic troubles may be distracting from what could be one of retailing's more significant international growth stories.

Although we anticipate U.S. issues will eventually be resolved through merchandise mix adjustments and new store formats, Wal-Mart's international operations will likely be the company's primary growth engine going forward. This segment represents approximately 25% of Wal-Mart's revenue, and 21% of its operating income, and we expect it to average nearly 9% revenue growth annually, and generate more than one third of overall revenue over the next decade, compared with just above inflationary growth domestically (combining Wal-Mart U.S. and Sam's Club). Additionally, these estimates could prove to be conservative, as Wal-Mart has established footholds in several rapidly developing economies across the globe.

Ahold Outperforms Again in 4Q, but Stock Offers Little Upside; Carrefour, Delhaize Better Values

Photo http://www.raymondpeil.com 

Ahold slightly undershot our revenue forecast in the fourth quarter, but robust same-store sales figures give us confidence in our 2011 projections and suggest our thesis--that Ahold's shrewd capital allocation should allow it to outperform its peers in the near term--remains intact. We are reiterating our fair value estimate, which implies limited upside to the stock.

After adjusting for exchange rates and an extra week in 2009, fourth-quarter 2010 net sales increased 5.5%. The company's domestic market of the Netherlands together with the Czech Republic and Slovakia were the key drivers, with identical sales growing 4.0% in these markets. The U.S. segment, which represented 80% of total net sales in the fourth quarter, was slightly less positive, with identical sales up 1.9%, or 0.9% excluding gasoline. 

TESCO SILENT ON VIETNAM ENTRY TALK

Picture Source: http://www.cartridgeworld.com.vn 

UK retail giant Tesco has stayed silent on a report that it is looking to enter Vietnam.

According to a report in The Independent today (12 January), Tesco is understood to be weighing up an entry into the Vietnamese market. A move would make the south-east Asian country Tesco's 15th overseas market.

At an investor summit focusing on Tesco's operations in Asia in November, the retailer cited the continent as having a "large and growing population and increasingly prosperous consumers". Tesco pointed to Asia as being "a powerful driver of long-term growth and returns" for the company.

Vietnam has a current population of around 87m, Tesco's presentation noted, and a "modern grocery distribution" market worth GBP4bn at present.

However, when contacted by just-food today, Tesco declined to comment on "rumour or speculation".

According to Euromonitor's Retailing in Vietnam report, retailing is considered one of the most attractive industries in the country.

Among the major players in the Vietnamese retail industry, Saigon Coop, Hapro Mart and G7 are the three most active, with "high ambitions to strongly resist the competition posed by international players", the report noted.

The sector, however, remains small. Retail sales in Vietnam are forecast to increase from VND373.73bn (US$19.2m) in 2009 to VND469.66bn by 2014.

Reliance Retail Ltd, Tesco Plc, Metro AG and Bharti Walmart Pvt. Ltd

Companies such as Reliance Retail Ltd, Tesco Plc, Metro AG and Bharti Walmart Pvt. Ltd plan to open at least 20 cashand carry stores in 2011-nearly trebling the number of such outlets in the country.

India's nascent cash-and-carry business will grow substantially this year as companies look to gain a foothold in the market on expectations that the government will open up the lucrative multi-brand retail sector to foreign investment. Cash-and-carry wholesale stores sell only to other businesses rather than to end-consumer. While the government allows 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in this segment, it is yet to allow global retailers to sell directly to end-consumers through multi-brand outlets. Last week, Carrefour SA, the world's second largest retailer, entered India by opening its first cash-and-carry store in New Delhi. Companies such as Reliance Retail Ltd, Tesco Plc, Metro AG and Bharti Walmart Pvt. Ltd plan to open at least 20 cashand carry stores in 2011-nearly trebling the number of such outlets in the country. Germany's Metro, the first global retailer to start a wholly owned subsidiary in India in 2003, currently runs five cashand- carry outlets in the country.

CARREFOUR CARTS INTO INDIA VIA DELHI BYLANES

Image via Wikipedia

NEW DELHI: Shahadara is an unlikely place for a multinational supermarket chain but the world's second largest retailer, Carrefour, has chosen the chaotic, not up-market but vibrant east Delhi neighbourhood as its entry point to the vast Indian wholesale retail market. The French retail group on Thursday announced the opening its first cash-andcarry or wholesale outlet in Shahadara.

Government regulations only allow foreign retailers in the wholesale segment and prohibits FDI in the multibrand retail. There is stiff opposition from small shop owners and kirana stores and political parties to further open up the retail sector to foreign players.

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion had recently floated a discussion paper on the issue of opening up of the retail sector and some policymakers have backed the idea of allowing greater foreign participation in the retail sector.

The worlds largest retailer, Wal-Mart, had entered into a joint venture agreement with Bharti Enterprises and opened its first wholesale store in Amritsar. It plans to open other stores in the next three years. Germany's Metro entered the country's wholesale retail segment in 2003 and has stores in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai and Kolkata.

Carrefour to test supermarket/food hall concept store

Photo Source: http://indianrealproperties.blogspot.com

French supermarket giant Carrefour announced yesterday that it is testing two new convenience store concepts in France, including Carrefour City Café - a combination supermarket and food hall.

Carrefour City Café stores will offer over 700 takeaway food products including sandwiches, snacks, products that are ready to eat or heat, cold drinks and pastries. The 100-150 square metre stores will also offer a dining area and Wi-Fi. The first outlet will open in Bordeaux on 16 December.

The French retail giant is also testing the Carrefour Express concept in cities and rural area. The stores will provide a top-up shopping offer and will be open from 8am -9pm and on Sunday mornings.

The 100-250 square metre stores will offer 3,500 products including the Carrefour Discount and Organic Selection lines. The first outlet will open in Poiters in January with a second store due to open in Paris in February.

just-food is the world’s leading portal for the global pre-packaged food and retail industries. Its daily mix of breaking news, views, analysis and research serves over 100,000 food executives each month. http://www.just-food.com/

MATAHARI SAYS LOTTE IS AMONG 4 RETAILERS INTERESTED IN BUYING CONTROL

Photo Source: mediaindonesia.com

PT Matahari Putra Prima, Indonesia’s biggest retailer by market value, said four companies, including South Korea’sLotte Shopping Co., are interested in acquiring a controlling stake. Matahari shares rose as much as 10 percent.

Bank of America Corp.’s Merrill Lynch unit is facilitating discussions with four retailers that may “explore the modes of investment” that may include a stake sale, Matahari said in an e-mailed statement. Its stock jumped 7 percent to 1,690 rupiah at the 11:30 a.m. trading break in Jakarta, headed for the highest close since it was listed December 1992.

A purchase would give the buyer control over the biggest rival to Carrefour SA in Southeast Asia’s largest economy, which is forecast to expand at least 6 percent this year. Matahari’s hypermarket business has annual sales of about $1 billion that will probably grow 22 percent this year, the statement said.

“More people tend to shop in convenient stores and the majority of Indonesia’s population are in their productive age, which is what attracts retailers,” said Betrand Raynaldi, an analyst at PT eTrading Securities in Jakarta. Matahari’s hypermarkets "own a large market share in Indonesia and their stores are strategically located," he said.

OVERSEAS GROWTH TO HELP OFFSET TESCO SLUGGISH UK

Photo Source: http://londonsupermarkets.blogspot.com

(Reuters) - Solid sales growth overseas is likely to help Tesco (TSCO.L) offset sluggish performance in its main British market when the world's third-biggest retailer publishes a third-quarter trading update on Tuesday.

Analysts think Tesco's sales growth from British stores open at least a year has lagged its rivals, partly because it sells more discretionary non-food goods, items where shoppers have cut back amid worries about rising taxes and unemployment.

Half-year results from electricals group Kesa (KESA.L) on Wednesday and music and books retailer HMV (HMV.L) on Thursday, as well as a trading update from computer games firm Game Group (GMG.L) on Wednesday, are likely to underscore tough conditions for UK non-food specialists, exacerbated by recent bad weather.

TESCO EYES EXPANSION IN CENTRAL EAST EUROPE

Photo Source : thisislondon.co.uk

(Reuters) - Tesco, the world's No.3 retailer, plans to almost double selling space in central and eastern Europe over five years, including a step up in growth of smaller format stores and hypermarkets, it said on Tuesday.

The British group, on the third and final day of a trip with analysts to Asia, said it was aiming to have 4.1 million square metres of selling space in its central and eastern European markets by 2014-15, up from around 2.2 million now.

It also has high hopes for a hypermarket refurbishment programme, saying that average weekly sales at four recently refitted stores were up 19 percent, with average weekly customer numbers up 14 percent.

TESCO AIMS TO QUADRUPLE CHINA REVENUE IN 5 YEARS

Photo Source : telegraph.co.uk

(Reuters) - Tesco (TSCO.L), the world's No.3 retailer, plans to quadruple revenue in China to about 4 billion pounds over the next five years by more than doubling its number of hypermarkets to more than 200.

The British group said on the second day of a trip with analysts to Asia that its expansion in China would deliver significant levels of profitability and returns, although it did not provide figures and target dates.

Tesco runs 82 hypermarkets and four "Lifespace" shopping malls stretching along eastern China.

A business of over 200 hypermarkets would be similar in size to Tesco's estate of largest "Extra" stores in its main British market, where it dominates the retail landscape.

การถอยร่นของ CARREFOUR

Lars Olofsson-led Carrefour is seriously considering to exit the markets 

where it can not hold  leading positions

เช้าวันจันทร์ (15 พ.ย.) หนังสือพิมพ์ไฟแนนเชียลไทม์สของประเทศอังกฤษ เป็นสื่อฉบับแรกๆที่รายงานข่าวเกี่ยวกับการขายกิจการคาร์ฟูร์ในประเทศไทยให้กับกลุ่มคาสิโน กรุ๊ป ซึ่งเป็นผู้ค้าปลีกรายใหญ่จากประเทศฝรั่งเศสเช่นเดียวกัน ด้วยมูลค่าการซื้อขาย 868 ล้านยูโร หรือราว 1,180 ล้านดอลลาร์สหรัฐฯ พาดหัวของสื่ออังกฤษสั้นง่ายได้ใจความว่า "การล่าถอยของคาร์ฟูร์" (Carrefour's Retreat) พร้อมยิงคำถามเหมือนแทงใจผู้ค้าปลีกรายนี้ว่า "ตลาดเกิดใหม่ ใครยังต้องการอีกหรือ?"

ไฟแนนเชียลไทม์ส ระบุว่า ประเทศไทยซึ่งคาร์ฟูร์ตัดสินใจจะถอนยวงธุรกิจออกไปนั้น เป็นตลาดซึ่งมีตัวเลขคาดการณ์ว่า การจับจ่ายใช้สอยสินค้าอุปโภคบริโภคของประชาชนจะมีอัตราขยายตัวถึง 8% ในระยะ 2-3 ปีข้างหน้า ถือเป็นตลาดที่มีแนวโน้มเติบโตสูง เช่นเดียวกับตลาดมาเลเซียและสิงคโปร์ ซึ่งเป็นยุทธภูมิค้าปลีกถัดจากไทยที่คาดว่าคาร์ฟูร์กำลังจะถอยทัพออกเช่นกัน โดยก่อนหน้านี้ภายในระยะ 7 ปีที่ผ่านมา คาร์ฟูร์ถอนการลงทุนออกมาแล้วจาก 8 ประเทศ ซึ่งรวมถึงเกาหลีใต้ รัสเซีย และเม็กซิโก

อย่างไรก็ตาม ข่าวระบุว่ายักษ์ใหญ่ค้าปลีกอย่างคาร์ฟูร์มีเหตุผลทางยุทธศาสตร์ที่จำเป็นต้องล่าถอย นายลอร์ส โอลอฟสัน ประธานคณะเจ้าหน้าที่บริหารของคาร์ฟูร์ ชี้ชัดเกี่ยวกับเรื่องนี้ว่าขนาดของธุรกิจในประเทศนั้นๆ เป็นกุญแจสำคัญต่อการทำกำไร หากตลาดประเทศใดก็ตามที่คาร์ฟูร์ไม่อาจเป็นเบอร์หนึ่ง บริษัทก็จะพิจารณาถอนการลงทุนออกไป 

Tesco reveals strong sales in Asia

Photo Source : http://www.newstatesman.com

Supermarket Tesco has revealed strong sales growth in South Korea, China and India as the chain continues its expansion in overseas markets.

The Cheshunt-based group now generates 31% of sales and 22% of profits from international operations, compared with 10% and 5% respectively 10 years ago.

In South Korea, which is Tesco's biggest market outside the UK, like-for-like sales growth in the nine weeks to October 31 accelerated to 6.7%, compared with 6% in the previous quarter and 0.6% in the period prior to that.

Sales from stores open more than year in China were up 8.3% in the nine weeks after rising 9.3% in the previous quarter.

CARREFOUR SET TO BUILD ON ITS STRENGTH IN MALAYSIA

Hypermarkets in Malaysia
Source: http://www.btimes.com.my 

PETALING JAYA: Carrefour's decision to remain in the Malaysian market was based largely on its significant market share, a prospective position in the market that can be further improved, and professional and motivated teams that run its operations in the country, said its chief executive.

Lars Olofsson said the French hypermarket chain was ready to build on these strengths and invest the necessary means to consolidate and improve its position here.

The world's second-largest retailer in the world behind US' Wal-Mart had earlier said it was looking to sell its over 40 stores in Thailand, 23 in Malaysia and two in Singapore.

On Thursday, it shot out a statement saying that it cancelled plans to sell its stores in Malaysia and Singapore after a strategic review.

Wal-Mart Seeks Re-Entry Into Indonesian Market

Wal-Mart, absent from Indonesia since 1998, is hoping to reestablish itself here by purchasing Matahari Putri Prima’s hypermarket and supermarket business in a deal that could be worth $1 bilion.

Jakarta. After an absence of over a decade in Indonesia, Wal-Mart, the world’s biggest retailer, has reportedly entered the bidding for Matahari Putra Prima’s hypermarkets and supermarkets, assets said to be worth as much as $1 billion. 

Wal-Mart is stepping up international growth after more than a year of declining US same-store sales at its big-box stores. 

Sources said on Thursday that Wal-Mart had hired Barclays Capital to advise on the deal. 

Matahari is selling Hypermart, the nation’s second-biggest hypermart chain after Carrefour Indonesia, to focus on its core health care and property assets. 

A banker said he expected the sale to fetch between $800 million to $1 billion. 

CARREFOUR TO OPEN ECO STORE IN SPAIN

Carrefour has opened a new eco-friendly Dia outlet in Spain, and has also added two other stores under its other banners in the country.

The launch of the new ‘eco’ Dia outlet comes after the success of another such format in 2008. Carrefour said the new outlet will see CO2 emissions being reduced by 25%, and the measures will be gradually rolled out to all outlets. The main features of the new concept are more efficient frozen cabinets, an optimised lighting system and the use of a better and less polluting gas for its air conditioning/heating system.

Meanwhile, the group has also opened two new outlets in the country, in the towns of La Roca and Stiges. The ‘Carrefour Express’ outlet in La Roca is the first of the group’s convenience stores in Spain to be opened inside a fuel service station, while the Stiges outlet is under the ‘Carrefour Market’ banner.