178 special expansion plans and new retail concepts ›...

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1380 locationgroup research | Retail Market Study 2014

178

Special Expansion Plans and New Retail Concepts

LUXURY BRAND’S EXPANSIONMajor luxury brands have slowed down retail expansion in 2013Gucci announced in 2013 that the company has focused on enlarg-ing and refurbishing existing stores, much like its sister brand within Kering (former PPR Group), Bottega Veneta. Both Gucci and Bottega Veneta opened flagship stores in Milan in 2013 and intend to target wealthy tourists from Asia, Russia, and South America.

Italian luxury menswear house Ermenegildo Zegna has also decreased the number of new openings planned for 2013. China is no exception when it comes to opening new stores as many luxury fashion brands has been taking a more conservative approach.

Some brands including Gucci and Bottega Veneta have already opened men’s-only stores in China and other major brands are likely to follow suit, particularly Dior and Ralph Lauren. Chanel has been also focusing on enlarging and refurbishing flagship stores rather than opening new ones.

Despite the recent acquisition by Qatari, Valentino has also been taking a more cautious approach, focusing on expanding its Red Valentino line, especially in shopping malls, and remaining more conservative when it comes to its main line.

Ralph Lauren plots retail expansionRalph Lauren wants more stores for its brands. Taking a cue from the changing dynamics of consumer spending from the emerging markets, the company has also been eyeing a retail expansion that would see freestanding stores for its Polo, women’s Blue Label, Denim & Supply and children’s businesses, both in the US and abroad.

The change did not lessen the presence of Ralph Lauren freestand-ing stores, which are more focused on the high-end luxury Black and Purple collections. While the firm will continue to seek choice locations for Ralph Lauren stores, the additional freestanding stores will provide a broader availability of sites to cull from to better reach the consumer.

Gucci resort Campaign 2013

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1381locationgroup research | Retail Market Study 2014

Ralph Lauren Campaign 2013/14

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Silvian Heach continues expansion strategySilvian Heach continues its expansion strategy and has targeted Germany and France. It also aims to strengthen its presence in Russia, where the company registered earnings totalling 1.9 million Euro, up 60% compared to the previous year. The brand currently operates five mono-brand stores in Russia. Foreign markets account for 23% of the company’s total revenue, and it expects to increase its revenue by 30% within the year.

Berluti opened 20 stores in 2013Following the recent opening of a 160-square-metre store in Hong Kong, Berluti has announced plans to open a further 20 stores across the globe in the next 12 months. This most recent opening, in the Elements shopping centre in the Kowloon district, means Berluti now has two stores in Hong Kong. In London, the brand also boasts a store and a concession in Harrods. In 2013, however, Berluti planned on upping its presence in the major luxury capitals of Paris, New York, Shanghai, and Tokyo.

The opening in Hong Kong Elements was the brand’s eleventh international store. Other Berluti boutiques are located in Paris, London (Conduit Street and Harrods), Kuwait City, Tokyo, Osaka, Shenyang, Beijing, Tianjin, and Prince’s Building Hong Kong.

Founder of Jimmy Choo to start own line, with plans for new storesMadame Mellon has ventured out on her own with Sky News confirming that the Queen of shoes and founder of the Jimmy Choo Empire has been putting the finishing touches to a global chain of upmarket retail outlets as the showcase for a new life-style brand.Berluti flagship store, Paris

Valentino winter Campaign 2013

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Tamara Mellon, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder of Jimmy Choo

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There are plans in the works to open flagship stores in the next couple of years in Brazil, Hong Kong, Qatar, and Singapore. The stores will be in addition to the ones in London, New York, and Los Angeles.

Mellon was seeking 16 million pounds from investors which included Michael Spencer, the former Conservative Party treas-urer, and Tory Burch, the US-based fashion entrepreneur who is a close friend of hers.

Tiffany & Co unveiled 15 new outlets in 2013Multinational luxury jewellery retailer, Tiffany & Co, unveiled 15 new stores in 2013 with seven of them being in the Asia-Pacific market. Five of the stores are located in the America, with three others in the European market.

The retailer also shut doors on one of its Japanese outlets, giving the company net 14 new outlets for the 2013 fiscal. New outlets, according to the company, would help realise 6–8% growth in sales for the fiscal net earnings set to increase by 6–9%.

Valentino invested 250 million EuroItalian luxury label Valentino, owned by Mayhoola, an entity indirectly controlled by Shaikha Mozah, First Lady of Qatar, has approved the company’s new strategic development plan. The company will invest 250 million Euro and increase its retail presence worldwide, mostly with directly operated stores, of larger size and greater visibility.

Valentino will also increase its accessories line, with a special focus on bags and shoes. The company operates 80 mono-brand stores

worldwide, 20 of which have been renovated and redesigned under the new interior concept. It aims to renovate all retail units by 2014.

Jitrois pursues international expansionPrivately owned French fashion house Jitrois, known for its excep-tional leatherwear, has announced plans to open 15 mono-brand stores, worldwide by 2014. After having opened a flagship store in Beijing in 2012, Jitrois opened in 2013 mono-brand stores in Berlin and Hong Kong, as well as pop-up stores in Aspen and Vail (US winter holiday destinations). For 2014, Jitrois is opening its US flagship store on Madison Avenue in New York.

Vertu aimed to open 49 new mono-brand boutiques worldwide by the end of 2013Following the acquisition of Vertu in 2012 by EQT Partners, the luxury mobile phone maker based in the UK has been pursuing an aggressive international retail expansion, focusing on mono-brand boutiques.

By the end of 2013, Vertu has opened 49 new mono-brand boutiques, bringing the total number of boutiques from 71 to 120. Vertu has been also seeking to catch up with major players in terms of tech-nology, having launched the Vertu Ti this spring, an Android powered luxury smartphone with Sapphire crystal touchscreen – entirely handmade in England.

Richemont to open 50 boutiques by March 2014Luxury company Compagnie Financiere Richemont plans to open circa 50 boutiques around the world in the year to March 2014 after it scaled back its store-opening programme in 2012.

Jitrois Campaign

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Bernard Fornas, Co-CEO of Richemont SA

The Geneva-based company has 1,740 shops around the world, 1,014 of which it operates itself with the remainder operated by franchisees. Having their own stores is important for luxury com-panies as it allows them to respond quicker to customer demand, and also keep the retail profit margin.

The company’s management became more conservative after sales growth in the fashion, accessory, and writing instruments busi-nesses was slower than had been hoped.

A plan for the Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery business to open many small shops in China had been changed to focus on larger stores. Some stores in China, estimated by analysts to be Richemont’s third-largest market, were being relocated because of the evolution of shopping centres in the country.

Prada pursues retail expansion with 80 stores in 2013Prada Group has confirmed it would pursue the retail expansion of its Miu Miu brand in China, despite the changing market con-ditions. As for the Prada brand, 75 to 80 new stores were opened in 2013, with a focus on Asia, Gulf countries (GCC) and North America. In 2012 alone, Prada Group invested 265 milion Euro in retail expansion.

Sasha Pivovarova for Prada Campaign 2013

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Christian Dior Campaign 2013

After announcing the opening late in 2013 of its largest worldwide store in Milan covering over 5,000 square metres in Galleria Vit-torio Emanuele (the site of Prada’s very first store), Prada also confirmed the acquisition of a historical palace in Florence for 70 million Euro. Details of Prada’s future opening in Florence have not yet been announced.

Zegna to go globalZegna’s presence grew globally in 2013 with more stores opening in Asia Pacific, Americas, and significantly in Europe. The years 2012 and 2013 were characterised by a rebalancing of the retail investments.

In Europe, the brand will open in Barcelona, make a re-location in Geneva, arrive in London on Sloane Street and in Venice it will open a Z Zegna space. Great energies will also be invested in the Gulf area with two spaces in Abu Dhabi, a boutique in Baku, one in city of Kuwait, one in Doha, one in Istanbul, and one in Beirut.

LVMH to step up expansion plansLVMH, the world’s largest luxury goods group, is stepping up its global expansion plans despite fears of a slowdown in demand for its products. The Paris-based group behind Christian Dior perfumes,

TAG Heuer watches, and Louis Vuitton handbags, posted profits close to six billion Pounds (five billion Pounds) for 2012, and said like-for-like sales were up 9%. Bernard Arnault also outlined plans to step up expansion of its brands, saying: “LVMH intends to further strengthen its global leadership position in high-quality products.”

Fourth-quarter sales rose 8%, an improvement on the previous three months, but far behind the double-digit growth that luxury brands enjoyed in previous years. Mr. Arnault said the group’s brands con-tinued to gain market shares globally, and its flagship Louis Vuitton label reported double-digit revenue growth during the year.

FASHION BRAND’S EXPANSIONAmerican Eagle continues global growth strategyAmerican Eagle Outfitters has exited its agreement with Dickson Concepts International Ltd. and will assume operation of six stores in China. The termination of the agreement is part of the retailer’s long-term global expansion strategy and focus within this market. American Eagle also opened company-owned stores in Mexico and licensed stores in the Philippines beginning February 2013, and has licensed stores in Japan, Russia, Eastern Europe, Israel and the Middle East. Currently, the retailer has an international presence in 13 countries and ships online to 77 countries.

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Marimekko continues its international growth with the main thrust on retailer-owned storesMarimekko has been expanding its operations in all its main mar-ket areas. In Northern Europe, the company is expanding its network of company-owned stores, while in North America the main thrust is on developing shop-in-shop partnerships with local department stores. In the Asia-Pacific region, the focus for expansion is on China and Japan.

Marimekko is undergoing a dynamic phase of internationalisation. In 2013, the goal was to open a total of 15 to 24 new Marimekko stores and shop-in-shops. Of these, four to six stores would be Marimekko-owned and the remainder would be retailer-owned stores and shop-in-shops.

In Northern Europe, the aim was to open four to six new compa-ny-owned stores in 2013: two to three in Finland and two to three in Scandinavia. Sales in the region were also underpinned by the expansion of Marimekko’s online retailing to Sweden. In addition, there were plans to open three new shop-in-shops in Finland.

Marimekko’s long-term strategic aim in North America is to expand distribution through high-class department stores and specialist retailers as well as to open new Marimekko stores.

After takeover, HBC plans international expansion for SaksHudson’s Bay Co., which has completed the deal to buy Saks Fifth Avenue, is looking at expanding the US luxury retailer with possible stores in Europe and Asia. HBC president Bonnie Brooks, who spent

Lane Crawford Campaign

Minna Kemell-Kutvonen, Creative Director and Lynn Shanaha, President

of Marimekko

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11 years revitalising Hong Kong-based retailer Lane Crawford before joining the Bay in 2008, has said Asia holds the greatest potential for global growth.

The timing for the Canadian store openings is still being worked out, but the company said it would come within two years.

Givenchy to strengthen expansionGivenchy, the LVMH-owned label, which currently has 20 compa-ny-owned stores and 53 franchises, has announced intentions to open an additional 26 shops by 2014. The major expansion, as helmed by Sebastian Suhl, the label’s CEO, will allow the brand to continue on their route towards high revenue.

New York, Las Vegas, and Miami can expect to be among the first-ever Givenchy stores stateside. Rome, Milan, London, China, and Japan are also part of the worldwide expansion plan. In addition, Stuhl has also announced his intentions to create a new position for an American-based president within the company.

Inditex said global expansion plans on trackZara owner Inditex, the world’s largest clothing retailer, showed signs of leaving behind months of tepid sales growth as a budding European recovery boosted pre-Christmas trading and it said global expansion plans remained on track.

Inditex struggled in 2013 to match a sparkling 2012, when its abil-ity to push out small collections using a slick supply chain proved particularly successful.

Inditex chairman Pablo Isla said “global space growth is on track” and that it would add between 8% and 10% of net new selling space in 2013, despite a strategy to shut smaller stores while opening or refurbishing larger outlets.

TJ Maxx owners plan to open more storesTJX Cos Inc, the owner of the low-price TJ Maxx and Marshalls chains, reported higher fourth-quarter results and said it planned to expand its chains abroad and domestically in 2013. TJX, whose websites do not currently let customers shop, began testing e-com-merce towards the end of 2013.

That, along with store expansion, puts TJX “well on the road to being a 40 US Dollar billion-plus company,” said Chief Executive Carol Meyrowitz. TJX thought the market can support 2,400 to 2,600 stores in its combined Marshalls and T.J. Maxx chains, or 100 to 200 more than its previous estimate.

There are 1,943 stores now. It also thinks the Canadian market is big enough for about 430 stores. TJX currently has 324 stores there.

Pablo Isla, Chairman of Inditex

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Bao Bao Wan wearing Givenchy and Sebastian Suhl, CEO of Givenchy

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Gocco reaffirmed its commitment to worldwide expansionThe kidswear chain Madrid Gocco continued to grow in international markets. The company wanted to focus its expansion in three geographic areas: Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. In parallel, Gocco continues to focus on the Spanish market, in which they currently have the largest presence. The company opened four new stores during the second quarter of 2013 in the country.

J.Crew outlined expansion plansThe company has been driving store growth, with 46 openings seen in 2013, including 17 Madewell, 13 factory outlet and 16 J.Crew units, among them the first J.Crew in Europe, opening on London’s Regent Street in the fourth quarter.

The company would also roll out additional stores in Europe and launch stores in Asia but has not yet specified any locations beyond London. Internationally, the company operates four J.Crew and two factory outlets in Canada. In 2012, 17 Madewell, 14 J.Crew and eight factory outlet units opened in the US, as well as the Canadian units.

New York & Company closed 30 stores in 2013The US-based specialty apparel chain New York & Company out-lined its plans to close a minimum of 30 stores in the 2013 fiscal. On the higher end, the closure could affect 36 outlets alongside remodelling 10 to 15 existing locations. The retailer ended the first quarter of the 2013 fiscal with net sales declining while merchan-dise margin remain relatively flat.

Strong expansions plans drove another successful year at MangoSpanish retailer Mango has reported a 20% growth in annual rev-enue compared to 2012 to 1.69 billion Euro. Spain represented 16% of the Mango’s global activity, with exports at 84%.

Europe continued to be company’s main market despite a recent push to open stores outside of the continent, in Russia, CIS coun-tries, the Middle East and Asia for example. The chain has opened its first stores in Pakistan and Burma.

In total, Mango opened 197 stores in 2012, 17 of which were in Spain. To date the company has 2,600 points of sale in 107 coun-tries. In 2013, the firm looked to invest in locations in Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Mongolia, and Zimbabwe bumping that figure up to 111 countries, making Mango Spain’s most global fashion brand.

Gitanjali planned expansion driveGitanjali Group said it has been looking at expanding further domes-tically and internationally. The jeweller planned to add 300 new stores to its existing 104 in India. It would target second- and third-tier cities for new locations.

Overseas, 250 new stores will be opened, particularly in the US and Japan. Gitanjali owns and operates Rogers and Samuels in the US. It also has a presence in China, Japan, Italy, the Middle East, and other countries through tie-ups and acquisitions.

T.M.Lewin stepped up international expansion

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Miranda Kerr for Mango Campaign 2013

T.M.Lewin stepped up international expansionThe quality business wear retailer opened new stores in Europe, Australia, South East Asia, and Africa. With just under 100 stores across the UK and dedicated websites in Europe, Australia, and the US, T.M.Lewin is already one of the world’s leading retailers of professional business wear.

In April 2013, the British shirt maker and tailor celebrated a new era of rapid international expansion, with the opening of further stores abroad, in far-flung destinations as Australia, Indonesia, and Ghana.

March 2013 saw a third T.M.Lewin store open in Prague, with another store opening in May. Australia welcomed a new Melbourne store in early April 2013, which joined the existing flagship T.M.Lewin store in Sydney and added to an Australian portfolio, that also includes the 10 Myer department concessions, with an additional nine openings by the end of May.T.M.Lewin now also has 21 stores across South East Asia with a further five-year expansion plan that will see them opening their doors to customers in other markets in the region.

India is another area of rapid international growth. Having signed an exclusive deal at the end of 2012, B.M.I Pte Ltd now acts as sole distributor and franchisee to the brand across the Indian subcon-tinent. They will be building a network of dedicated T.M.Lewin boutiques in shopping centres and department stores over the next five years.

Steady growth continues in West Africa, where T.M.Lewin is already a well-established brand. A new store in Accra, Ghana opened in March, with more stores to follow this year in Nigeria as part of an ambitious five-year international plan.

Indian jeweller planned global expansionIndian jeweller Malabar Gold and Diamonds has been planning a global expansion as it seeks to achieve 220 stores by 2015. The expansion plan was announced during the opening of its 89th store, in Chennai, India. The jeweller is eyeing business growth in South Asia, Middle East, Europe, and the US. Malabar Gold and Diamonds, a part of the conglomerate Malabar Group of Companies, offers a wide variety of gold, diamond, pearl, and platinum ornaments.

J.Crew makes global pushJ.Crew Group Inc. has seen plenty of room for expansion. The retailer has planned to open more stores in the US, even in markets where it already has a presence; ramped up growth in Canada, where it has eight stores; opened a handful of units in London, the first of which on Regent Street bowed in 2013, and unveiled locations in Hong Kong and Tokyo.

The expansion plans come as J.Crew’s sales continued to grow in double digits in the first quarter of 2013 even as profits were pres-sured by markdowns and higher expenses. Including its Madewell and Crewcuts nameplates, J.Crew now operates 302 full-price stores, 107 factory outlets and three clearance centres at the end of the quarter, up from 276 stores, 96 outlets and three clearance centres compared to 2012.

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UK fashion retailer Phase Eight plans 120 overseas outlets by 2014UK-based fashion retailer Phase Eight plans to have 120 outlets and concession concepts outside of its home-market by the end of 2014 as part of a global expansion strategy.

Expansion is primarily aimed at Australian and Southeast Asian markets to leverage the strong sales performance witnessed in the regions. In addition, the chain is also looking to expand its business in other European markets such as Scandinavia.

The expansion is part of company’s plans to realise 25% of its overall turnover from foreign business. The fashion retailer launched 50 international store and concession by the end of 2013. Phase Eight currently operates stores in Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, and the Middle East.

One Green Elephant on expansion pathJapanese denim label One Green Elephant is expanding into the BRICS countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, but not with flagship stores at this point. From the beginning of 2013, the label is represented in 1,500 POS in 21 countries. The label has 2,000 POS worldwide by the end of 2013. Its main market is Europe. The next countries on the expansion path of One Green Elephant will be Australia and New Zealand.

Gap announced global expansion planContinuing to deliver on its global growth plans, Gap Inc. announced that it has introduced Gap brand to Paraguay and Hungary through new agreements with existing franchise partners Neutral for Par-aguay and Gottex Brands for Hungary. Additionally, the company announced plans to open the first stand-alone Banana Republic stores in Mexico.

By the end of 2013, Gap Inc. expected to have a presence in eight Latin American countries, including Chile, Panama, Colombia, Mex-ico, Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, and Brazil with expectations to add a brand presence in Costa Rica in the near future.

Jones Group to close 170 stores, cutting 8% of jobsThe Jones Group Inc., owner of Jones New York, Nine West and other clothing brands, said it plans to shut 170 underperforming stores and lay off about 8% of its global workforce to shore up profits.

The company said its plan to close roughly 170 US stores by the middle of 2014 has already been underway and included the 50 store closings announced at the end of 2012. Once those stores are closed, Jones Group said it expects to operate a smaller and more productive chain of domestic stores, with outlet stores comprising a significantly higher percentage of the overall retail portfolio.

Nine West Campaign 2013

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Agent Provocateur Campaign 2013/14

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F&F on growth pathF&F, the clothing brand sold exclusively in the UK by Tesco, has announced plans to open more than 50 new franchise stores over the next five years in new markets across the Middle East and in Kazakhstan, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. F&F will work with two of the world’s leading franchise operators to open new stores, extending the relationship with existing partner Al Hokair and announcing a new partnership with Dubai-based Al Futtaim.

Agent Provocateur profit doubles with global expansion Agent Provocateur has opened more than ten new stores in the past financial year and says it plans to continue growing its inter-national business.

The company now has 88 boutiques worldwide after opening eleven stores, including boutiques in Milan, Hong Kong, Sydney and Mon-treal, during the financial year 2012/13.

Agent Provocateur, which is backed by private equity firm 3i, announced its profit before tax more than doubled, from 1,665,000 Pounds in financial year 2011-12, to 3,797,000 Pounds in the last financial year as it dramatically expanded its global business. Total sales for the women’s lingerie retailer increased by 24.5%, while like-for-like sales increased by 5%.

In the company’s annual report, the directors announced they planned to continue the global expansion of Agent Provocateur. Since the 30th March 2013, Agent Provocateur has opened a further 12 stores, including boutiques in Beijing, Mexico City and three boutiques in Paris. The company has further plans for boutiques in Chengdu, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto and Calgary in early 2014.

Agent Provocateur also announced that their new range, designed in collaboration with Penelope and Monica Cruz, which launched in July 2013, had been “very successful”.

Swedish H&M eyes global expansionHennes & Mauritz AB, the Swedish retailer known to many as H&M, is on a quest to expand globally, with India and accessories as two key components of its expansion plan. The company will invest 130 million US Dollar to open 50 stores in India.

In March 2013, the company opened its first H&M store in Chile, and store openings in Lithuania, Estonia and Serbia were planned for autumn. More store openings are planned for the US and China, and US customers will get to shop H&M online for the first time.

Premium fashion retailer LK Bennett plans overseas expansionThe regular endorsement of one of the world’s most famous women has helped keep British premium womenswear retailer LK Bennett in good shape.

Once again, the Duchess of Cambridge was sporting LK Bennett’s nude patent-leather platforms at the Royal Family celebration of the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. The attention seems to be going in LK Bennett’s favour.

Kate Middleton wearing LK Bennett

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Doug McMillon, new President and CEO of Walmart

In March 2013, the retailer reported pre-tax profits of 9.3 million Pounds for the previous year, up from five million Pounds the pre-vious year.

Royal fans aside, LK Bennett’s healthy figures are also down to favourable exchange rates as well as its focus on international expansion.

The retailer has expanded into the US, France, the Netherlands and the Middle East in recent years. On top of its 61 UK shops, it oper-ates 46 overseas outlets and there’s plenty more on the agenda to keep the number growing.

While the retailer has no plans to expand its UK base, it does intend to increase its global presence, particularly in Asia and the US. It started with the opening of four concessions in Bloomingdale’s department stores in 2010, and followed up with seven standalone stores, including a New York flagship, and a dedicated US website. The retailer intends to deepen its presence in the US with a further 10 stores in the next few years.

OTHER CATEGORIESThailand’s Central Group plans big local and international expansionThe Central Group of Companies has been poised to explore new business and investment opportunities in Thailand and elsewhere in ASEAN. A minimum of THB 30 billion (one billion US Dollar) has been earmarked for expansion during each of the next three years, the group announced in February 2013.

Internationally, the group will open its first Central Department Store in Indonesia in 2014 and a new La Rinascente Department Store in Rome in 2015, with new outlets for its fashion business in the works for Singapore and China. Central is also looking for opportunities to open its own restaurant brand in Indonesia, Myanmar and Singapore.

Wal-Mart said its smaller stores make inroadsWal-Mart Stores Inc. said its smaller-format stores are making inroads against competitors like dollar stores, supermarkets and pharmacies, and that the locations will play an integral role in the company’s future. Wal-Mart considers smaller formats to be below 60,000 square feet.

This fiscal year, Wal-Mart will open its largest amount of smaller format stores to date, being about 115. The Neighborhood Market and Express locations will account for about 40% of stores the retailer opens. While smaller-format stores are a growing part of Wal-Mart’s strategy, they are still in their nascent stages. About 90% of Wal-Mart’s fleet remain supercenters and large stores. Super-centers are still a great growth vehicle for Wal-Mart from a dollar perspective, with plans to add about 125 in 2013.

Asda plans global expansion of GeorgeAsda had “invested heavily” in developing the George brand. The retailer’s international growth strategy is focused on three key areas: franchising, online expansion and leveraging its relationship with Wal-Mart.

Asda will also ramp up its store presence overseas. In April 2013, George opened a franchise store in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, followed by a second in Amman, Jordan, in May. Further shops in the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar opened in late 2013. In 2012, George opened its first overseas stores through franchise partners Azadea Group in Abu Dhabi.

Dunkin’ brands announces strong global growth in 2013Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc., the parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, announced strong global expansion results in 2013 for both brands.

For the full year, the company’s franchisees and licensees opened a combined total of 790 net new Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants and Baskin-Robbins shops globally, again making Dunkin’ Brands one of the fastest-growing franchise companies by unit count in the quick-service restaurant industry.

The company also announced that in 2014 its franchisees and licensees plan to open 685 to 800 net new Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins locations on a global basis.

LG to expand retail stores in emerging marketsLG Electronics has been expanding the number of its retail stores in emerging markets as it seeks to increase smartphone market share and gain a stronger global presence in consumer electronics. The company planned to increase the number of overseas retail stores from more than 3,000 currently and open new stores in India, the Middle East, and Africa.

The number of LG brand shops grew by as much as 20% in 2013, the company said, and they would display and sell the South Korean

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company’s products, including smartphones, television sets, and home appliances.

AT&T eyes chances for growthAT&T is interested in buying a European carrier for growth. With the US market about to get more competitive, AT&T is looking at markets in Europe where it can upgrade technology and roll out new services and pricing strategies. AT&T has been studying potential acquisi-tions, and could strike a deal soon. In particular, AT&T is looking at the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands.

While the US carriers have largely remained insular, many of the largest carriers overseas, such as Vodafone and Telefonica, have assets in multiple countries. With growth starting to slow in the US, it is natural for AT&T to look abroad.

Thomas Cook closed 195 shops and cut 2,500 jobsAround 2,500 jobs were axed at holidays group Thomas Cook after it revealed plans to close 195 of its high street travel agencies. The job losses – 16% of its 15,500 workforce in the UK and Ireland - impacted workers across its retail network as well as administration and back- office staff.

The moves were being made as part of a restructuring and to slash administration costs. Having recently shut 149 stores, Thomas Cook is left with 874 travel agencies across the UK.

The Westin Birmingham – one of 11 hotels the brand opened in 2013

The Container Store goes globalUS storage and organisation products retailer, The Container Store, is expanding its international e-commerce reach to countries includ-ing India, Japan and Australia. Previously only accessible to con-sumers in the United States and Canada, The Container Store’s online product offerings are now available to shoppers in Australia, India, Mexico, Germany, France, Japan, Switzerland, Russia and the UK, in collaboration with global e-commerce solutions Borderfree.

Toys”R”Us set development planToys”R”Us has unveiled its global growth with the planned open-ing of more than 100 stores, including new locations, the relocation and conversion of 14 stores to its side-by-side format, and 22 new licensed stores. The openings represent the net addition of over 900,000 square feet of retail space to the company’s store port-folio.

Toys”R”Us’ most significant expansion plans are in China, where it has already begun operating several of 22 new stores opened in 2013. By the end of 2013, the company operated 51 stores in 27 cities throughout China.

Debenhams plans expansion strategyDepartment store Debenhams has vowed to speed up its transfor-mation into a global business after booming demand from the Middle East helped boost annual sales.

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John Lewis, United Kingdom

The group, with 62 overseas franchised stores in 24 countries, would open more stores to chase an international department store mar-ket worth around 324 billion Pounds. It planned to open ten new overseas stores in 2013 with a further 17 set to open in the next three years mainly in the Middle East and Far East. It has a long-term target of 150 stores potentially including China but has ruled out a move into the US.

International sales in the year 2013 to 31st August climbed 3.7% to 522 million Pounds. Overall group sales climbed 2.5% to 2.78 billion Pounds as its new “Life Made Fabulous” campaign helped it gain market share. In 2013, it also planned to modernise more stores including new restaurants to encourage shoppers to stay longer and improve its click and collect services.

Dondup plans global expansion by 2016Dondup plans to expand globally. The fashion brand currently reg-isters 70% of its revenue from Italy. The brand plans to increase its presence in international markets through a series of operations and store openings.

During the last edition of the Paris Fashion Week Dondup presented its S/S 2014 collection inside their newly opened pop-up store in the Les Marais area. The inspiring location caught the attention of international buyers and press.

Part of the brand’s further expansion strategy is a series of inter-national openings that will take place in 2016. In September 2013, they opened their first mono-brand store in Kazan, in Russia, a country where they expect to grow significantly. By the end of 2015, they will open at least two mono-brand stores in Germany. After this they plan to expand first in the Japanese and Chinese market, and then in the US.

Lewis to open ten new offices as part of worldwide expansion planLewis has announced a new global expansion plan. The plan includes opening ten new offices over the next two years, with a focus on key growth countries, including BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) and MIST (Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey) regions.

In parallel with the ’10 Offices Plan’, the employee-owned agency has recently launched a number of initiatives to drive organic and inorganic growth across the globe. This includes acquisitions, senior recruitment and additions to its global services portfolio.

The plan for ten new offices is already underway with the early 2013 launch of Lewis Bangalore. The recruitment for new leadership positions for these offices is already underway. Lewis expects to announce at least two more new offices in the current quarter.

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Taj Mahal Hotel, India

HOTEL EXPANSIONWestin opened eleven new properties in 2013, bringing the brand’s total to 200 hotelsStarwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced that its Westin brand opened its 200th hotel in 2013, driven by robust international demand and the phenomenal success of the brand’s distinct well-be-ing positioning. Westin opened 11 new hotels in 2013, the vast majority outside the US in fast-growing markets including China, India, Singa-pore, and Panama.

In line with global growth trends, The Westin brand has been experi-encing a surge in new hotel openings across Asia Pacific. Seven new Westin hotels opened in Asia Pacific in 2013, increasing the brand’s portfolio to nearly 50 hotels in the region by end of the year. Fuelling the brand’s growth in the region is the rapid economic growth in China’s second and third-tier cities. New Westin hotel openings in China in 2013 include The Westin Haikou, The Westin Sanya Haitang Bay Resort, The Westin Chongqing Liberation Square, and The Westin Qingdao.

Westin also made its return to Singapore with the opening of The Wes-tin Singapore Marina Bay in late 2013. In India, The Westin brand has added one hotel to its portfolio in 2013 – The Westin Chennai Velachery.

Ritz-Carlton Hotel to add 20 hotel projects through 2016The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. has announced a major expan-sion and development initiative that will bring the total number of properties in its portfolio to 100 hotels and resorts around the world by 2016. Ranging from Morocco to Japan and Israel to India, this plan will

expand the brand to urban capitals and emerging tourist destinations, some of which are a first for the JD Powers luxury hospitality leader.

During 2012 and 2013, The Ritz-Carlton has opened three iconic prop-erties, including Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Puerto Rico, The Ritz-Carlton, Abu Dhabi a beach front resort in the capital city of The United Arab Emirates, and the brand’s first hotel in the stunning European city of Vienna in Austria.

The 2014 schedule follows with a record number of new openings including Kyoto, Japan; Nanjing, China; Rabat, Morocco; Cairo, Egypt; Manesar, India and Bali, Indonesia. By 2015, The Ritz-Carlton anticipates that it will open world-class luxury hotels and resorts in Cabo San Lucas; Oman, Muscat; Bali, Indonesia; Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam; Tunis, Tunisia and Haikou, China.

Tata’s Indian Hotels Company plans to have 156 hotels globally by 2017Tata group hospitality firm Indian Hotels Company plans to open 34 new hotels globally to take the tally to 156 hotels with a total of nearly 20,000 rooms by 2017. The company which currently has 122 hotels said it will mainly follow a management contract model that would be asset light for the future expansion.

This expansion includes the launch of its 105th hotel at Surajkund in Faridabad. The new 287 rooms hotel property is under its upper upscale brand, ‘Vivanta by Taj Hotels and Resorts’, taking the number of prop-erties under the Vivanta brand to 28. Currently around 20% of the

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The new brand called Moxy Hotels

company’s portfolios are under the management contract and 80% are on various levels of equity and joint ventures. In future, the group tries to make over 80% growth through management contracts.

Apart from increasing its presence in the country the company is also looking at overseas expansion. The hospitality major currently operates in four categories ranging from the luxury brand Taj, upper upscale brand Vivanta by Taj Hotels and Resorts, upscale/mid-market hotels and resorts under the Gateway Hotel brand and economy hotels under the Ginger brand.

Enrique Razon eyes global casino expansionBloomberry Resorts chairman Enrique Razon Jr. is an ambitious man and he’s parlayed that ambition with the kind of ‘go-get-it’ attitude that has earned him the distinction of being the Philippines’ third- richest man.

The success generated by Solaire Manila since it opened in early 2013, is reportedly doing better than expected, has Razon thinking of expand-ing his casino business. And he doesn’t mean expanding in the Philip-pines. He wants to expand overseas, similar to the strategy his family used in the global growth of ICTSI.

The billionaire knows that it has a long way to go before it can be con-sidered on equal footing with the likes of Las Vegas Sands, Genting, and SJM Holdings.

For starters, he still has to get his finances in order after spending 700 million US Dollar to build the first phase of Solaire Manila with another 450 million US Dollar in expenses on tap for the resort and casino’s own expansion plans in the coming years.

NEW RETAIL CONCEPTSMarriott, Starwood Capital unveiled new hotel brandsThree new hotel brands were announced, including one from Marriott that focuses on Europe; and two from Starwood Capital, the real estate investment company headed by Starwood Hotels founder and ex-CEO Barry Sternlicht; those brands will put three new hotels in New York City.

Marriott’s new brand, called Moxy Hotels, has set a target of 150 fran-chised locations in Europe over the next decade. The first one is due to open in Milan early 2014, with future expansion focused on Germany, Austria, the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.

Meanwhile, Starwood Capital Group said that three of the first hotels in its two new brands will be in New York City. One new brand is called Baccarat Hotels, named after the renowned French crystal producer that is majority owned by a subsidiary of Starwood Capital. The first Baccarat hotel is expected to debut in New York City in 2014.

That property, the Baccarat Hotel & Residences New York, will be on West 53rd Street across from the Museum of Modern Art – a 50-storey glass tower with 114 guest rooms including 26 suites, and 61 private residences. Additional Baccarat hotel locations are planned for Rabat and Marrakech, Morocco; and Dubai. The second Starwood Capital brand is called 1 Hotels. The first properties in the 1 Hotels group will include the 1 Hotel & Residences South Beach in Miami, opening in early 2014; the 1 Hotel Central Park, at 58th Street and Sixth Avenue in New York City, opening in the spring of 2014; and the 1 Hotels Brooklyn Bridge, also in New York, opening in 2015. The first international location will be in Marrakech, Morocco.

Swarovski launched new fascia Cadenza at Westfield StratfordCadenza, which launched in Austria in January 2013, opened a further three London stores in 2013. It has been working hard to secure 1,000-square-foot locations in premium shopping centres and key high street locations.

The new chain stocks collections from more than 50 designers, includ-ing established names such as Valentino and Roberto Cavalli, as well as emerging brands, such as Mawi London. The new format followed the launch of lola&grace, Swarovski’s chain for younger consumers. Its first store was also opened at Westfield Stratford. The chain aims to offer a mix of contemporary and vintage design using Swarovski crystals and pearls.

H&M’s new brand & other Stories targeted upmarket shoppers in EuropeEurope’s second-largest clothing retailer, started selling its newest brand in stores and online simultaneously for the first time in the com-pany’s history. The “& other Stories” brand of women’s shoes, bags and accessories went on sale in the spring of 2013. It is available at seven new stores in European cities: London, Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, Milan, Paris, and Stockholm.

& other Stories started out as a beauty product some years ago. But as the team worked on the beauty brief, they could not help but add new

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Kat Razon and her father Enrique Razon, the Chairman of Bloomberry Resorts

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items to the concept. They added accessories, then shoes, and finally clothing as well. Finally, it was decided to simply make a brand new chain of stores.

The Swedish retailer is diversifying with a sixth brand after falling behind larger competitor Inditex in the race for the price-sensitive consumers. The brand will offer ready-to-wear, bags, shoes, beauty and accessories at a price point similar to that of H&M and COS.

Gas launched new global retail conceptGas has been opening a series of stores globally according to its new retail concept. Their first new flagship store was opened in Madrid, inside Grand Plaza 2 shopping mall, on December 2012 and now it continues with Tokyo, Chandigarth, and Bilbao. Their other openings took place on 23rd March in Cat Street, a trendy area of Tokyo, on 9th April in the Elante Mall shopping mall of Chandigarh, India, and on 24th April in the city centre of Bilbao, in Calle Astarloa 1. The new concept

Nicole Meyer for Guess Campaign 2013

is very versatile and flexible and works with the different spaces’ char-acteristics by mixing new technologies with natural materials, present-ing leather seats, glass and chestnut wood elements.

A semicircular denim wall made from concrete exalts the brand’s denim image. The atmosphere is welcoming and intimate. The store has been branded with a deep blue colour, a colour that resonates with the brand identity. The company’s retail distribution based upon franchising will focus on expanding in Europe, India, China, Russia, and Japan.

Guess by Marciano changed nameGuess by Marciano has shaken things up by changing its name to Marciano Guess. “The change marks our desire to reposition the line as Guess’ most exclusive collection with a contemporary and clean image, all whilst remaining loyal to the brand’s roots”, com-mented the company.

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