Card Only At
Noodle Night Market – we came across an advertisement for the Noodle Night
market which is a very successful food market held on the banks of the Yarra
each year and drawing huge crowds. The postscript said that it was a plastic
only market which is an interesting comparison with our own Winter Night Market
where many food stalls had “Cash Only” signs. They have probably both got it
wrong when it comes to consumer convenience.
Developments
In Fresh Food – a very interesting article by the ABC documents the changes
that are happening in fresh food in Australia and the competition from Amazon.
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2017-11-04/amazons-pending-arrival-forces-online-retailers-to-compete/9115098
The Rise Of
Daigou Stores – an article by Gary Mortimer of Queensland University in Inside
Retail takes a look at the rise of daigou stores that tap in directly to the
Chinese Market from Australian storefronts. - https://www.insideretail.com.au/blog/2017/11/06/chinese-personal-shoppers-have-created-a-new-type-of-retail-store-in-australia/
Amsterdam
Fights Tourists – Amsterdam has 850, 000 residents but gets 18m visitors annually
and the city is concerned that they are clogging the system. Specific concerns
include the changing pattern of retailing away from local needs and more to
tourist needs (that sounds familiar for QVM). An Amsterdam Marketing
spokesperson said - "We are an open and tolerant city and we want to stay
that [way] but we need people who are going to add something to the city and
not just use the city,"
Shopping
Centres Provide Online Pick-up Facilities – Westfield and Stockland have been
active in providing postal and courier pick-up facilities within their centres.
In a tie-up with Couriers Please, pick-up and return facilities, called
POPStations, will be provided within centres for the use of participating
retailers. Interestingly we have a report from the US that Target are insisting
on a “No package pick-up facilities” clause in their shopping centre leases. Earlier
this year, German grocery chain Lidl negotiated lease agreements that blocked
"the operation of pickup facilities" by rivals like "Wal-Mart and
Amazon" near its planned store on Long Island in New York.
Marks &
Spencer to Correct “Drifting” Business – this article in the Guardian examines
the famous department store’s response to poor performance by limiting their
exposure to clothing sales and re-examining their food concepts. - https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/nov/08/marks-and-spencer-speeds-up-shut-down-of-clothing-scales-back-simply-food
Solomon Lew,
Myer War On-going – The battle for the boardroom for Myer is always going to be
full of accusations and counter accusations, and if you are into the intrigue,
and don’t mind sifting through possible mis-truths, this article may be of
interest - http://www.smh.com.au/business/retail/solomon-lew-calls-for-former-myer-boss-terry-mccartneys-return-20171108-gzh61b.html
Retail
Apocolypse – Warning, this article on US retailing by Bloomberg doesn’t make
for happy reading and certainly points the finger at un-manageable debt levels
for major retailers - https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/markets/america%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98retail-apocalypse%E2%80%99-is-really-just-beginning/ar-BBEKzj5?ocid=News
One-liners –
1. ARA says latest retail sales figures “extremely frightening” in lead up to Christmas.
2. Ralph Laurens Asian sales rise slightly.
3. Sears to close 63 more stores.
4. Adairs plans new international website.
5. Alibaba becomes the world’s biggest e-commerce company.
6. Michael Kors says turnaround efforts beginning to take hold.