General
A new proposal by Dutch State Secretary for Health Paul Blokhuis describes a package of far-reaching anti-smoking measures. Blokhuis and anti-smoking pressure groups want to create a completely smoke-free generation, with major consequences for smokers and businesses.
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Decathlon, which currently operates fourteen sports stores in the Netherlands, plans to double the number of stores in the long term. The French group targets both city shops and peripheral stores, evenly distributed.
American department store chain Sears is suffering from heavy debt and considers all options, including a thorough reorganisation or even bankruptcy. The company's situation will become clearer later this week.
Former EU ambassador Michel Arrion is appointed as the new head of the ICCO, the International Cacao Organisation. The Belgian's mission is to deal with the challenges of the industry, such as deforestation and child labour.
Bankrupt American toy store chain Toys “R” Us will probably be brought to life again: the planned sale of the trademark rights was cancelled and creditors now want to establish a new retail group.
The ties between China and Africa are becoming ever closer. Next up is the Nigerian Mall for Africa, which now also offers Chinese products to 17 African countries, expanding from its current British and American range.
Dutch chain Hema has opened its first store outside of Europe, in Abu Dhabi. With this store, the chain wants to test which products are successful in this new market.
The department store is a monument, very much like a church or museum, explains Vittorio Radice. It is about experience, not products. The product comes and goes, the store remains.
Amazon has launched yet another new physical store concept in New York. Amazon 4-star's is a curated non-food store, where the online retailer sells only the highest-rated products.
Jack Ma, founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, is withdrawing his promise of creating a million jobs in the United States. Ma is doing this to respond to the escalating trade war between China and the US, which is entering a new phase next week.
The rumour has been around for a while and now Orchestra's top executive Pierre Mestre has confirmed it: he intends to take over the French branch of toy chain Toys'R'Us and become France's absolute number 1 on the children's market.
Is Amazon getting an unjust advantage from the data of online retailers selling through its marketplace? The European Committee has started a preliminary investigation to find out, according to European commissioner Margrethe Vestager.
After making his company one of the largest retailers in the world, Alibaba founder Jack Ma will step down on the 20th anniversary of his company next year. He wants to dedicate himself to improving education and has appointed his pupil Daniel Zhang as his successor.
The German department store chains Karstadt and Kaufhof have finally tied the knot. After months of negotiations, the banks have given their blessing. However, there is no question of a romantic honeymoon: 5 000 jobs will be cut.
As part of a programme to counter disappointing results, the Dutch Blokker chain renews its product range in Belgian stores. To disposes of items that will not be part of the new range any more, the chain will open pop-up outlets called 'Black Blokker'.
As a child she was impressed by the perfume sellers at Vroom and Dreesmann, later she started working at V&D and Karstadt. The love for department stores remains, says Debbie Klein in our interview series 'A Love for Department Stores'.
