News brief

A make-up session at Wal-Mart ?
Eager to differentiate from online retailers, Wal-Mart will offer a service-backed presentation of its exclusive
10 June 2018
Taco Bell moves to self-service orders in Brazil
Active in Brazil since 2016 via a master franchising agreement with Carlos Wizard Martins, the Taco Bell restaurants (owned by Yum Brands) signed with the Brazilian software company Linx to equip...
10 June 2018
Ikea is planning a Latin America foray
In late May 2018, the Swedish furniture retailer Ikea said it would open its first South American stores by 2020 in Chile, Colombia and Peru via a franchising agreement with Falabella...
10 June 2018
U.K. big firms have to publish worker-to-boss pay gaps by law
From 2020, U.K.-listed firms with more than 250 employees will be legally required to publish the gap between the salary of their C.E.O. and the average salary of a U.K. worker. “We...
10 June 2018
Electronics. Media Markt and Fnac-Darty create a purchasing alliance
Ceconomy from Germany (Saturn and MediaMarkt, sales of € 22,2 billion in 2017 including 10.5% online) and its French rival Fnac-Darty have signed a strategic alliance, focusing on purchasing...
10 June 2018
Views at the Viva Technology show
“Grocery retailers are not doing well and are simply watching a ship sink until it really is too late” said an expert at the Viva Technology Conference. “They keep cutting costs...
10 June 2018
Will Casino test R.F.I.D. at Monoprix supermarkets ?
Monoprix (Casino Group) is considering testing R.F.I.D. for non-food aisles (home decoration and fashion) in partnership with the Retail Reload start-up. The decision could be made in September...
10 June 2018
U.K. Primark rolls out in-store beauty services
After having launched “PS” as a private label for make-up and beauty care, the value retailer Primark is making a bold push into new services. Primark, which does not operate online...
10 June 2018
Who is Hema’s new owner ?
It is another private investment company. They follow two previous owners, the private equity groups KKR and Lion Capital. The Belgian buyer, named Core Equity Holdings, was created in 2017 by...
10 June 2018
Wal-Mart withdraws from European operations
This almost US$11 billion deal is now completed. The American retailer Wal-Mart, owner of Asda since 1999, concluded in late April 2018 the merger of the 3rd biggest British grocer by sales with...
6 June 2018
Sport. How China became a focus for European outdoor retailers
The Rossignol outdoor sporting goods manufacturer (turnover of €243 million last year via its brands like Dynastar, Look, Rossignol and Risport), is entering a new expansion phase for China...
2 June 2018
Omnichannel. When will retailers fully match consumer demand ?
According to a study from Boston Retail Partners called “Customer Experience: Unified Commerce”, covering responses from 500 U.S. retailers in March and April 2018 (from all retail...
2 June 2018
How Egypt aims to slow population growth
In May 2018, the Egyptian government announced “Two children is Enough” family planning, an investment of €4.7 million, creating a target of 2.4 children per woman. The reason is...
2 June 2018
Textile. When Ethiopia goes organic
Textile factories have flourished in Ethiopia lately, with a population of 100 million, and 65% under 20 providing labor at 20% of Chinese costs. The Ethiopian government is boosting investment...
2 June 2018
Why China dramatically cuts import tariffs on consumer goods
Eager to boost domestic consumption at 64.5% of China’s G.D.P. in the first 9 months of 2017, Beijing will cut import tariffs from July 1, 2018, on a range of consumer products. For clothes...
2 June 2018
Apparel. Etam takes a step back in China
In May 2018, the fashion retailer Etam Development announced the end of the clothing business in China. This was its 2nd largest market by sales, which generated 30% of its total business in 2016...
2 June 2018
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Most viewed articles of the month on mind Retail
What readers clicked on the most last month.
What readers clicked on the most last month.
1
Electronic labels: Hanshow accelerates breakthrough and signs with a leading British retailer
While the leader in electronic labels, Vusion exceeded €1.47 billion in revenue in 2025, rival Hanshow is stepping up a global offensive, winning a strategic account in the U.K. and a new POC for...
27 February 2026
2
Conflicts in the Middle East: what impact on the supply chain and European retail?
With US and Israeli strikes on Iran triggering a major crisis on February 28, 2026, retailers already have to face the closure of strategic trade routes, rising freight costs and import...
3
BNPL: Between healthcare and retail, Scalapay accelerates a P.O.S. offensive with two major signings
Building on a strong foothold in fashion, Scalapay is strengthening in-store penetration targeting players in the healthcare sector. According to our information, the Italian BNPL unicorn has...
25 February 2026
4
Regulatory: With 200,000 Digital Product Passports issued, Darty scales up
While the European Commission is set to vote on delegated acts to specify requirements for home appliances, Darty is accelerating a Digital Product Passport (DPP) push by integrating new products...
11 March 2026
5
Profound raises US$96 million in Series C funding, becoming a first GEO unicorn
Founded in 2024 in New York by James Cadwallader, GEO startup Profound raised US$96 million on February 24, 2026, in a Series C round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, including Sequoia Capital...
25 February 2026
6
Agentic commerce : After Stripe, Mirakl partners with JPMorgan Payments
On March 10, 2026, Mirakl and JPMorgan Payments (JPMP) unveiled a partnership to deploy agentic commerce by combining the Mirakl Nexus agentic orchestration platform with the U.S. bank’s...
16 March 2026