Author: Mintel Group Ltd.
Last saved by: HTTP server

European Retail Briefings - September 2008

HIGHLIGHTS: SEPTEMBER 2008
Grocers
Multi-sector retailing
Clothing retailing
Department stores
Electrical stores
NEWS ANALYSIS
 BAKERS (RETAIL)
UK: Thorntons reports FY profit rise
 CO-OPS (RETAIL)
UK: Co-op
… announces plans to sell off 107 Somerfield stores
… installs mini-banks in 250 stores
… signs Bryan Robson as sponsor
…plots £50m drive to promote ethical approach
 GROCERS
Australia: Woolworths FY profits up
Czech Republic: Rewe gets approval for Plus acquisition
Europe: Auchan to open more stores in Portugal
France: Carrefour H1 profit rises
France: Casino reports solid H1 results
Ireland: Superquinn
…attracts interest
…sees bids mount
Japan: Seven & I to launch discount concept
Netherlands: Ahold struggles in Q2
Netherlands: Schuitema to cut 20% of all jobs by end-2009
Netherlands: Super de Boer posts H1 profit and LFLs rise
Russian Federation: X5
…to retain Karusel brand for its hypermarkets
…resolves Formata issues
…H1 profit grows
…predicts FY gross sales to reach $10bn
UK: Aldi
…joins BRC
…enters mainstream
… signs £10m advertising deal with TV chef
UK: Asda
…in milk price war with Tesco
…frets over Christmas despite rise in LFLs
…kick starts mobile price war
…to open 5 new Living stores before end 2008
… stops using celebrity advertisers
UK: Lidl to launch Express format
UK: Morrisons
…sees H1 profits jump 12.8%
…launches schools initiative
…'Crunch Bunch'
UK: Sainsbury’s
…pushes own-brand goods to entice beleaguered customers
…subject of takeover rumours
…to open first in-store dentist
…hires former Coronation Street actress
…pushes own-brand goods to entice beleaguered customers
UK: Tesco
…unveils plans for cash&carry business in India
…announces 2bn carrier bags saved since 2006
…looks to raise £500m from sale of stores
…in £605m sale and leaseback deal
…profits from local produce
…to open pensioner-friendly store
…"must go green," says CEO
…reviews £80m media account
US: Ahold's Stop&Shop reaches "amicable" agreement with Whole Foods
US: Supervalu adds premium private-label line
US: Whole Foods to scale down size and number of new stores
 CLOTHING RETAILING
Italy: Benetton sees flat H1 profits
Japan: Fast Retailing to expand in Russian and Indian
Spain: Zara posts 9% rise in Q1
UK: Arcadia
…adapts sites for US launch of Topshop
…owner predicts "double dip" in 2009's high street sales
UK: Fat Face owner buys chunk of debt
UK: Matalan accused of squeezing suppliers
UK: Moss Bros puts Cecil Gee up for sale
UK: Next reports 12% fall in H1 profit
UK: Primark predicts good H2, FY results
UK: SRG unveils first new-look Suits You store
UK: Urban Outfitters to bring Anthropologie to Regent Street
US: Gap Q2 LFLs drop, profits surge
US: TJX posts 5% rise in Q2 LFLs
US: Urban Outfitters sees H1 lift
 FOOTWEAR RETAILING
UK: Faith shoes bought by Kinnaird
US: Footlocker swings to Q2 profit
 MASS MERCHANDISERS
US: Target's Q2 hit by consumer cutbacks
US: Wal-Mart
…posts higher Q2 profit
…Marketside goes purple
 MIXED GOODS RETAILING
UK: Argos' and Homebase' Q2 LFLs disappoint, Homebase value lowered
UK: Mothercare appoints Nield as group marketing director
UK: Woolworths
…rejects Iceland offer
…chairman remains open to discussions
…shareholder says no to takeover offer
…attracts Iceland's CEO
… appoints new chief executive
 MULTI-SECTOR RETAILING
France: PPR
…sparkles in H1
…rumoured to be considering sale of Conforama
Germany: Arcandor
…posts Q3 loss
…mail order subsidiary to start selling drugs
UK: Boots launches drive-through pharmacy
UK: HMV
…to open new-format store in Liverpool
…reports rise in 18-week sales
UK: John Lewis
…chairman vows not to axe jobs
…curtails expansion plans amid tightening market conditions
…posts fall in H1 profit
UK: M&S
…to cut redundancy benefits, triggers fear over jobs
…to bring forward Q2 trading statement
…suspends redundancy whistle-blower
…waters down controversial changes to redundancy terms
…fires staff member who leaked redundancy change details
…responds to criticism over sacking of 'whistle-blower' employee
…promotes restaurant quality for nights in
US: Sears Q2 profit falls
 HEALTH AND BEAUTY RETAILING
Germany: Celesio posts worse-than-expected Q2 profits, issues profit warning
UK: Body Shop returns to ethical heritage
US: CVS to buy Longs stores
 DEPARTMENT STORES
Australia: David Jones predicts stellar H2 results
UK: Beales reports 6% decline in 43-week sales
UK: Debenhams hands customer mag to Frost Publishing
UK: General Trading Company to relaunch in spring
UK: Harrods signs up West End musical
UK: House of Fraser sees sales rise
UK: Liberty losses widen in H1
US: Dillard's losses grow in Q2
US: JC Penney posts poor H1 results
US: Kohl's
…chief to depart?
…Kohl's H1 sales edge up
US: Macy’s posts drop in Q2 profit, lowers FY sales forecasts
US: Nordstrom reports H1 sales drop
US: Saks
…acquisition offer fails to tempt Baugur
…suffers in Q2
 ELECTRICAL RETAILING
UK: DSGi
…reports flagging Q1 sales
…says that consumer demand has "switched off”
…has acquisition proposal refused
UK: Kesa
…reports plunging Q1 sales at flagship chains
…overhauls Comet website
 CARPET RETAILING
UK: Floors-2-Go administrators sell 80 stores
 DIY RETAILING
US: Home Depot suffers in Q2
 FURNITURE RETAILING
Sweden: Ikea forecasts record FY sales
UK: MFI
…considers merger in midst of ongoing troubles
…acquisition row settled for £8m
UK: Strategic Retail reveals FY loss
 HOME SHOPPING
UK: Asos chief bucks downturn, netting £352,000 in pay & bonuses
UK: Findel's sales edge ahead
UK: Shop Direct
…faces strike prospect
…quells staff concerns with revised pay deal
US: Amazon to debut in Middle East
 GARDEN CENTRES
UK: Wyevale appoints COO
 TOYS AND GAMES RETAILING
US: GameStop sees LFLs surge in Q2
 JEWELLERS
UK: Signet posts H1 profits
US: Tiffany Q2 buoyed by international sales
 BOOKS AND STATIONERY RETAILING
UK: Waterstone's hands digital ad account to LBi
US: Barnes & Noble
…misses Potter effect in Q2
…refutes rumours of Borders acquisition
US: Borders narrows Q2 loss
 MISCELLANEOUS SPECIALIST RETAILING
UK: Halfords chairman steps down
ECONOMIC NEWS
China: Retail sales up in July
Czech Republic: Retail sales slow in June
Germany: Retail sales remain flat year-on-year, fall month-on-month
Spain: Retail sales fall in July
Swiss: Retail sales grow in June
UK:
…BRC reports drop in August LFLs
…CBI: August suffers from wet weather and disappointing sales
…ONS: July retail sales remain positive
MARKET ANALYSIS: CLOTHING RETAILING
 THE EUROPEAN CLOTHING MARKET
Figure 1: Europe: Estimated consumer spending on clothing by country, 2006-07
 CLOTHING SPECIALISTS’ SALES
Figure 2: Europe: Clothing retailers’ sales, 2006-07
Leading retailers
Figure 3: Europe: Top 20 leading clothing retailers, 2007
Consolidation?
Seppälä and Lindex
Matalan
Emerging markets’ domestic players
European market shares
Figure 4: Europe: Leading clothing retailers market shares, 2007
 GROWTH OF ONLINE
Fashion e-zines
Social networking
Multi-channel?
 CONSUMER EXPENDITURE
Figure 5: Europe: Total consumer expenditure (current prices), 2003-07
 THE FUTURE
Clothing specialists
Hypermarkets and department stores
Online
COMPANY PROFILE: GRUPO INDITEX
Figure 6: Grupo Inditex: Sales as share of clothing specialists’ sales in Europe, 2003-07
Strategic evaluation
Recent history
Financial performance
Figure 7: Grupo Inditex: Group financial performance – continuing operations, 2003/04-2007/08
Figure 8: Grupo Inditex: Sales growth by type, 2003/04-2007/08
Figure 9: Grupo Inditex: Estimated sales in key European markets, 2004/05-2007/08
Figure 10: Grupo Inditex: Consolidated sales by geographic region, year to January 2004-08
Figure 11: Grupo Inditex: Sales performance by fascia, 2003/04-2007/08
Store portfolio
Figure 12: Grupo Inditex: Outlet and country numbers, 2003/04-2007/08
Figure 13: Grupo Inditex: Outlet numbers by fascia, 2003/04-2007/08
Figure 14: Grupo Inditex: Outlet data by fascia, 2003/04-2007/08
Figure 15: Grupo Inditex: European outlet numbers by country and fascia, January 2008
Figure 16: Grupo Inditex: Breakdown of proportion of company owned and franchise stores, by fascia,
Figure 17: Grupo Inditex: Expansion plans, 2008
Retail offering
Market positioning
Zara
Massimo Dutti
Bershka
Figure 18: Grupo Inditex: Company websites, 2008

This report is supplied in accordance with Mintel's terms and conditions.  
© Mintel Group Ltd.