News brief

In the U.S.A., Kroger and Albertsons begin targeted store closures
On June 20, Kroger (2024 revenue: US$147 billion, up by 1.5% year-on-year via 2,731 stores) announced closure of 60 unprofitable stores in the U.S.A. by the end of 2026. After posting sales of...
1 July 2025
Central Retail invests US$1.4 billion in omnichannel strategy in Thailand and Vietnam
On June 24, the subsidiary of Thai conglomerate Central Group, Central Retail Corporation (revenue for the year ended March 2025: US$7.3 billion, up 5.7% year-on-year) unveiled a major US$1.4...
1 July 2025
Omnibus Directive takes another step towards deregulation
On June 23, European Member States adopted a common position on the Omnibus directive. This follows the Commission’s postponement of CSRD and duty of care in April 2025. With agreement...
30 June 2025
European retail: distress levels not seen since the 2009 financial crisis
According to the Weil European Distress Index published on June 26, 2025, the retail sector is now the most distressed in Europe. With a distress index of 8.7% in May 2025, European retail...
30 June 2025
Footwear: 80% of Asian sourcing weakened by the effects of climate change
With the Digital Product Passport set to impose greater transparency and traceability on textile production chains from 2027, Scott Kelly, an Economist at Risilience, warned on June 23, 2025, of...
27 June 2025
DHL to invest €500 million in the Gulf by 2030
On June 11, Germany’s DHL (2024 revenue €84.19 billion, up by 3% year-on-year) announced a €500 million investment by 2030 in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to...
27 June 2025
Co-op U.K. and Coop Alleanza stop buying from Israel amid geopolitical pressure
Eager to “support peace,” the British Co-op announced on June 24 that it would stop buying from 17 countries, effective at the end of the June. The cooperative (turnover 2024...
27 June 2025
Divestitures, restructuring: BHV and El Corte Inglés seek a second wind
In mid-June, El Corte Inglés department stores published annual results for the year ending February 2025. After deciding in April to abolish the executive committee, the retailer reported...
25 June 2025
Ahead of an I.P.O., Reliance is reorganising a luxury division to increase capitalisation
According to The Economic Times on June 25, Reliance Industries integrated the luxury subsidiary Reliance Brands (85 brands, including Burberry, Bottega Veneta and Tiffany & Co.) into a main...
25 June 2025
In Saudi Arabia, Chinese platforms JD.com and Meituan are battling in the delivery market
After 5 months of wrangling in China, JD.com and Meituan are battling for the Middle East food delivery market. On June 18, JD.com (2024 revenue: $158.8 billion, up by 6.8%) launched same-day or...
24 June 2025
In China, KFC equips managers with an AI voice assistant
In China, on June 20, 2025, Yum China (2024 revenue: US$10.65 billion, 2.5% after a rise of 14.1% in 2023) announced the launch of an AI-integrated voice assistant in several KFC restaurants. As a...
24 June 2025
After RFID, Decathlon rolls out mobile checkout in all stores
After pioneering self-checkout via RFID, Decathlon (2024 revenue: €16.2 billion, including 20% online, up by 5.2% after 4.4% in 2023) announced on June 23 the launch of Orisha Commerce, a...
24 June 2025
Blackstone acquires Kolkata’s South City Mall for US$377 million
In India, with the buyout of developer South City Project on June 17, the US investment fund Blackstone has acquired Kolkata’s South City Mall. The transaction, carried out with the...
23 June 2025
An additional US$14.8 billion to boost the South Korean economy?
In South Korea (population in 2024: 30 million), the government proposed on June 19 a second budget of US$14.8 billion to stimulate consumption in the country, which has been sluggish for a year...
20 June 2025
Malaysian company Mr.DIY opens in South Africa
South Asian D.I.Y. discount retailer Mr.DIY (2024 revenue: US$984 million, up 6.7% year-on-year, via 5,000 stores in Asia and Europe) is preparing to sell in Africa with a first store in South...
20 June 2025
Stand-alone checkout systems: 365 Retail Markets acquires Cantaloupe for US$884 million
In the U.S.A., Cantaloupe (2024 revenue: US$268.8 million, up by 10.2%), a manufacturer of self-checkout systems competing with Diebold Nixdorf, among others, has been acquired by competitor 365...
20 June 2025
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