The collapse of the vast German retail group Arcandor, threatening 43,000 jobs, erupted into a bitter fight on Wednesday 10 June as politicians gear up for a national election in less than four months.
German retailer Metro on Wednesday 10 June denied a press report it was thinking about selling to an Italian investor the combined department store group it hopes to create with insolvent Arcandor's Karstadt chain.
Upmarket online fashion retailer Net-A-Porter.com reported a more than 230 percent rise in 2008 profit after developing strong relationships with luxury fashion houses and new and existing clients.
The world's second-largest sports goods maker Adidas plans to keep marketing spending stable despite the global downturn, contrasting moves at bigger rival Nike.
Gap Inc, which operates the Banana Republic, Old Navy and its namesake chains, said it plans to remodel about 50 Old Navy stores in 2009 and open about 40 new franchise stores internationally.
Luxury groups are turning to films, the Internet and private dinners to attract customers as they search for more cost-effective ways to advertise to fight falling sales.
Liz Claiborne Inc is seeing signs of stabilization in retail, its chief executive said on Wednesday 10 June, but reaffirmed his expectations for weak sales throughout most of the year.
Upscale retailer Neiman Marcus posted a third-quarter net loss on Wednesday 10 June as sales continued to slide as consumers spend less on higher-priced items in the recession.
A steady stream of retail failures is likely to continue in the coming months and 2007 consumer spending levels may not be seen again, a specialist in turning round struggling retailers said.
J.C. Penney Co Inc is more optimistic about its fourth quarter than the rest of its fiscal year, hoping new styles and affordable prices will help it win more sales than it did in the dismal 2008 holiday season.
Upscale jeweler Tiffany & Co would have to see at least a five percentage point improvement in U.S. same-store sales in order to call business better, as jewelry remains one of the trickiest things to sell in the recession.
Italy fashion house Mariella Burani shares hit a one-year low, down more than 4 percent, as they continue to be hit by refinancing plans, weak first-quarter results and its Asian exposure.
Van Cleef & Arpels has not seen an improvement in trading in recent weeks and does not expect sales to rise this year even though it will open eight boutiques.
Retail sales fell in May, as stores struggled to match strong gains booked last year, a survey by the British Retail Consortium showed.
Bahrain's Investcorp said on Tuesday 9 June it planned to buy stakes in homegrown Middle Eastern luxury goods companies as part of a wider plan to invest $650 million in the region in the next two years.
