Adolfo Dominguez: unable to dodge the downturn

Spanish fashion retailer Adolfo Dominguez is feeling the impact of the consumer downturn in its home market. As sales decline and the company deals with rising costs, new store openings and further international expansion plans are set to be scaled back in the year ahead.

Published By Datamonitor

Aldi: a Lidl bit of trouble in Spain

Published By Datamonitor

Caprabo: supermarket chain well positioned to face downturn

Caprabo has revealed stagnant sales for 2007. However, in the midst of downturn in Spain, the company's focus has shifted to the future: it is integrating more and more into parent company Eroski, and stores are being re-branded under the Eroski banner.

Published By Datamonitor

Carrefour: au revoir and adios Mr Duran

Carrefour, Europe's largest retailer, has announced that Lars Olofsson, a Nestle executive, will replace Jose Luis Duran as the group's chief executive. As the call for change sounds across the world, Carrefour's key investors, disheartened by the group's dwindling share price, have ousted the group's chief just as some of Mr Duran's strategic decisions appear to be having the desired effects.

Published By Datamonitor

Carrefour: divestment of Portuguese hypermarkets

Just two weeks after acquiring Tengelmann's hard discount operation in Spain, Carrefour is making further amendments to its store estate by divesting its hypermarket operations in Portugal. However, Carrefour will retain its hard discounter Minipreco in the country. This is a sound move, as Carrefour's hypermarkets have seen falling sales densities across the EU for a number of years.

Published By Datamonitor

Carrefour: in search of profit through Spanish private label range

Europe's largest retailer, Carrefour, has announced the launch of its value private label range in Spain. The entry level products will meet the high demand for private label goods as well as local produce among Spanish shoppers. Moreover, it will help Carrefour to minimize the impact of deflation on its margins, boosting group profits and improving customer perceptions of the brand.

Published By Datamonitor

Carrefour: partnership raises online expectations

While shoppers in the UK and France have taken to buying their groceries online comparatively readily, their Spanish counterparts have proved more reluctant. The success of Carrefouronline in Madrid is therefore all the more impressive. The company has now expanded its logistics operations with Tibbett & Britten, marking a partnership that could prove powerful enough to fuel further growth.<BR /><BR />

Published By Datamonitor

Commercial fuel retail: fuel cards lead the way in Europe

Published By Datamonitor

Continental counterparts catching up with Britain's love of ethnic food

The traditionally British love affair with ethnic food is now spreading across Europe. Sales of packaged ethnic foods are predicted to hit E7 billion in Europe by 2009. In Spain, where gastronomic variety is a source of national pride, the value of packaged ethnic foods is expected to treble. This could mean that curry-loving Britain may soon be knocked off the top spot in the ethnic food stakes.

Published By Datamonitor

Cortefiel: launching standalone stores in competitive UK market

Spanish fashion retailer Cortefiel plans to boost its presence in the UK through opening standalone stores in a deal with Brand Empire, a subsidiary of property company Land Securities. While the UK will join the company's already large international footprint of 60 countries, it faces tough competition from familiar foes such as Zara and Mango, which are bolstering their store numbers in the UK.

Published By Datamonitor