Wal-Mart: fight prices but befriend suppliers

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Tesco looks to the East for growth but must not neglect the UK

Competitive pressures are mounting in Tesco's domestic market and with growth in the UK set to become far more subdued, aggressively pursuing growth in its Asian operations is a sensible strategy for the grocer. However, Tesco must ensure that the emerging avenues of growth in the UK are exploited to the same extent as those provided by the exciting opportunities in its key growth region.

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Specialty spirits: China is the most promising market

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Soft drinks: Japanese bottled water sales will hit 7.9 billion in 2003

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Seiyu: striving for profit under Wal-Mart

With seven years of retail deflation, followed by three years of only mild inflationary pressure, trading in the Japanese market has been difficult over recent years. Furthermore, competition in the grocery sector, to which Seiyu is highly exposed, has been particularly intense. However, not all of Seiyu's problems can be put down to economics: many stem from attempts to 'Wal-Martise' the company.

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Re-valuing the luxury market in Japan

High-end wines in Japan are now being sold in supermarkets and department stores at reduced prices, while Cartier plans to launch a new collection in the country at a considerably lower price point than its conventional range. Japan's fully matured luxury market, coupled with recession-driven frugality, has necessitated this kind of re-evaluation of how to market high-end goods in the country.

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Rakuten: Chinese expansion won't solve problems

Is online shopping coming of age? Rakuten, a leading online shopping group in Japan, certainly thinks so. With the market showing classic signs of maturity, it is now looking to China to beat the slowdown in domestic demand. Though this seems sensible, Rakuten's business model will be hard to replicate in overseas markets.

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Polo Ralph Lauren: revenues still growing, but for how long?

Polo Ralph Lauren reported marginal revenue growth for the year ended March 28, 2009. Despite weak like-for-like sales and the strength of the dollar denting revenue from abroad, online sales continued to grow and, combined with wholesale growth from new product lines and new store openings, the company managed to end the year relatively unscathed considering its exposure to the ailing US market.

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Mycal: the sun sets, but also rises

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Mycal: land of the falling supermarket

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