globalEDGE NEWSLETTER
Retail
In light of the holiday season, we felt it appropriate to highlight the retail industry this month. From everyone here at globalEDGE, Happy Holidays!
Meet France-based Carrefour. This international retailing giant has actually created its own brands, Firstline and Bluesky, which specialize in household products. When in a Carrefour store, shoppers must choose between a Carrefour, Firstline, or Bluesky coffeemaker. Self competition!? What better way for a company to stay on its game?
The business of retail is the last step in the process of getting products to consumers. There are many kinds of retail establishments: department stores, discount giants, category killers, specialty stores, or e-tailers such as Amazon which sell goods online. Technology has shifted the retail industry greatly in the last two decades from the traditional prevalence of department stores shopping malls, and mom-and-pop stores. With the growth of the internet, many people now shop online from the comfort and convenience of their homes. Additionally, mass merchandising stores such as Target and Wal-Mart have also received more consumer traffic because of their convenience to shoppers, as they allow them to find all of their desired goods in one store. The downturn in the global market will perpetuate this trend, as consumers are expected to do more of their shopping at mass merchandising stores because of their numerous bargains. Additionally, e-tailers should also see an increase in sales, as people will search online for better deals rather than going from store-to-store.
Whether it's a trip to the mall to buy new clothes, to the supermarket for groceries, or to the drug store for cough drops, nearly every citizen in the world is an active participant in the monster industry known as retail. As the holiday season comes upon us, stores begin preparing for what, for many of them, is the crème-de-la-crème of the fiscal year, and a large chunk of their yearly profits. Despite a rise in sales from last year, the outlook for the retail industry is dim. An article by VOA News elaborates on this. Everything isn't all gloom-and-doom, though. There is hope on the horizon for retailers.
Stores Magazine is a useful retail industry resource; in addition to news, the magazine provides buying guides, many "Top 100" lists, webinars, special reports, a retail calendar, and content from the current issue. For example, "Top 250 Global Retailers" gives insight into retail industry strategy and risk management, as well as showing the involvement of different retailers across the globe. Some content is free and some requires a subscription.
Category: Retail Resources
Provides links to a great number of reports, surveys, and opinions written up concerning the health, growth, job outlook, etc. in the retail industry, as well as an extensive news archive.
Category: Retail Resources
This module was created in cooperation with the U.S. Commercial Service and is the fourth chapter of the book A Basic Guide to Exporting. In this module, we will cover: How to formulate a marketing strategy; researching foreign markets; researching the market through government agencies; researching the market through development agencies; and researching the market by region. A case study on the company Vellus Products is also included.
Category: Online Course Modules
Globalization101 provides interviews with experts in academia, public policy, and business on topics of globalization. Issues include the World Bank, FTAA, and Agricultural Trade. The videos are downloadable and recent selections provide individual clips for each question and answer.
Focus: International Business, Economics, Business Law
Category: Video Depositories
"Understanding India: The New Frontier for American Business" by Gunjan Bagla
Executive Briefing: India presents a huge untapped business opportunity for American executives. But many myths hinder the success of Western companies in India. Five common fallacies ranging from outsourcing, to finance, to marketing, are cleared in this article.
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