Webvan: maybe the beginning of the end

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Webvan: crashing into oblivion

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Watsons: competition in Chinese personal care retail space heats up

Competition in the Chinese personal care retail space is increasing, with Watsons and Mannings both expanding rapidly. The two drugstores offer the right mix of variety, quality, brand image and value for money, but future success will depend on their ability to continue evolving with the ever-changing consumer preferences in this dynamic market.

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Waterstone's: time to go it alone?

The sale of Waterstone's by HMV - to its founder or to another party - looks highly probable. While at one time Waterstone's and HMV were both leading players in relatively small retail sectors reinforced by strong links between books, music and video, the synergies have now withered and separation seems to be the best way forward.

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Waterstone's: battle for control

Tim Waterstone has acted on his long-held ambition to reacquire the Waterstone's chain of bookshops he founded, reportedly offering GBP280 million to acquire the business from HMV - with the condition that HMV does not acquire rival bookseller Ottakar's. However, HMV is keen to acquire the chain to reinvigorate its book-selling business.

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Waste not wanted: proactive environmental management in the retail supply chain

Retailers are under growing pressure to cut packaging waste, with around 56% of respondents to a Datamonitor survey saying that packaging has a medium to very high influence on their shopping choices. Looking to capitalize on this feeling, the Designing Out Waste consortium of leading UK retailers is now pushing the government to revise regulation to encourage recycling and reductions in refuse.

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Warranty Direct: low price guaranteed

Warranty Direct, a leading UK extended warranty provider, has gone on the offensive in the run-up to the Christmas shopping season. Its survey highlights that the time is ripe for direct insurance providers to make their presence known. Consumer apathy is the biggest hurdle to overcome, but Warranty Direct is in a good position to do exactly that.

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Walt Disney: advertising a healthier approach

The Walt Disney Company's announcement that it has established new food guidelines that focus on healthier eating options appears to be a sharp turnaround for the company, which has in the past allowed its image to be used on numerous high fat and sugar products. Nonetheless, the move, however late, can only be applauded.

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Walmart: trialing online grocery delivery in California

Walmart has launched its Walmart To Go grocery home delivery service in a bid to gain a share of rising online spend and to counteract falling domestic sales. Although high levels of car ownership and the vast size of the US make it difficult to offer such a service nationally, the rise of online retailing along with a maturing market make the trial an imperative move for Walmart.

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Walmart expands card presence with equity stake in prepaid provider Green Dot

US retail giant Walmart recently acquired a minority share in prepaid card provider Green Dot, whose cards are sold in 50,000 locations in the US and remains one of the key market players in the US prepaid space. Green Dot may provide Walmart with a foothold in the US financial services sector, despite the retailer being previously denied a banking license.

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