Carrefour: international spread pushes French grocer forward

Following a difficult H1 2008, Carrefour, the world's second largest retailer, appears to have found its footing, with its global multi-format single brand strategy beginning to bear fruit. Despite an improved performance at home, countries as far afield as China and Brazil are the group's real growth drivers, and international prospects are high as Carrefour prepares to tackle Russia.

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Carrefour: new Brazilian champion

Carrefour has taken the top spot in Brazil after acquiring discount - hypermarket operator Atacadao for E825 million. The acquisition makes eminent sense, as it complements the retailer's presence in the country and enables the French giant to rebrand some of its underperforming outlets. Looking ahead, Brazil - and other emerging markets - should deliver strong sales uplifts for Carrefour.

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Carrefour: secures Argentinean connection

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Cautious consumer holiday spending amid economic recovery

While the 2008 holiday season was marked by the global economic slowdown, declining real estate valuations, inflation and weak employment levels, the retail sector is more positive about this holiday season due to signs of global economic recovery. Despite increased confidence, however, it remains unlikely that consumers will increase their spending levels drastically this winter.

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Cencosud to expand further in lucrative Peruvian market

Like many of its Chilean rivals, Cencosud is focusing investment on Peru to help reduce its dependence on its mature domestic market. The Peruvian retail sector is appealing due to consumers' increased access to credit, high spending, and promising growth; however, Cencosud's existing grocery business must be refined if it is to remain a dominant player.

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Department stores: see brighter future as growth rate doubles

Department store retailing, a concept that seemed to be heading for terminal decline globally only a few years ago, now has a brighter future. Following a period of consolidation, investment and expansion in both mature markets and fast developing economies have given a new lease of life to the sector. Verdict Research forecasts that this sector's growth rate will double over the next five years.

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Deutsche Post DHL shifts its focus to the business-to-consumer distribution market

Deutsche Post DHL, having recently retreated from the domestic express market in the UK and France, is still very much focused on the business-to-customer channel. As more companies turn their attention towards this promising sector, this shift in the express market is creating a competitive playing field. Helping customers enhance their online presence will be key to consolidating market share.

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E-commerce market in Latin America grows by 40% during 2009

According to a study conducted by AmericaEconomia Intelligence for Visa, e-commerce in Latin America experienced explosive growth of 39.2% during 2009, reaching a value of $21.7 billion. Given the generally poor standard of delivery networks in the region, there is an opportunity for integrators and logistics firms to make gains in the market by offering high-quality services.

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Facebook "Wants" to strengthen its e-commerce credentials

Facebook has started trialing "Collections," its latest attempt at tapping into the e-commerce market. The service directs users to retailers' websites instead of acting as a sales channel, making this a more viable option than previous f-commerce attempts. However, such is the fickle world of Facebook that retailers should approach this new channel with a degree of skepticism.

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Gap: expansion opportunity lies south of the border

Gap is set to boost its presence in Mexico after signing a franchise agreement with the leading Mexican department store chain, Liverpool. The US clothing giant aims to ramp up its international presence through franchise agreements and close the gap on its key rivals Inditex and H&M, which have both expanded abroad extensively in recent years.

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