International Strategy

Gap has opened its first store in South Africa. The expansion in the region comes as the company is closing stores in North America and opening outlets in other emerging markets. 

Floors Direct announced the launch of a new national retail website, floorsdirect.com.au, the first one-stop timber flooring store for online consumers in Australia. The new website enables consumers to review timber flooring products, compare pricing, and order and pay online from the convenience of their home or business.

Destination Maternity, the maternity apparel retailer, today announced the expansion of its business in South Korea with the launch of a dedicated South Korean e-commerce site. South Korean consumers will now be able to shop online for A Pea in the Pod, A Pea in the Pod Collection and Motherhood Maternity brand maternity clothing and accessories. The site will be operated by Destination Maternity's South Korean franchise partner, Agabang & Company, and will provide a fast, easy shopping experience for consumers with convenient local shipping.

A South African court today has largely dismissed an appeal from its government and unions to roll back approval for Wal-Mart's $2.4 billion acquisition of Massmart, ending months of uncertainty about the status of the deal.

Skechers announced that it's transitioning its business in Japan from a third-party distributor to a new wholly owned subsidiary, Skechers Japan. With plans to double its business in Japan over the next three years to five years, the company will make a full-scale entry into the market starting with its 2012 autumn/winter collection of performance and lifestyle footwear for men, women and children.

Sears Canada is closing three of its stores in Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa as the struggling retailer continues to contend with deteriorating sales and shrinking market share.

Luxury fashion retailer Net-a-Porter has acquired the Hong Kong-based designer fashion website Shouke.com, a move which will enable the British online retailer to enter the lucrative Chinese market. 

Gap plans to expand in Latin America after its first namesake store in the region topped sales expectations. The Gap store in Santiago, Chile, which opened in October, was among the leading franchise performers out of 200 stores worldwide, said Stefan Laban, managing director of strategic alliances for Gap.

Amazon and eBay are steadily putting together the building blocks of their operations in India, potentially making the country a battleground for their contrasting business models. 

China is a premier expansion destination for U.S. retailers. The meteoric rise of the Chinese middle class is estimated to produce a national disposable income in excess of $2.7 trillion over the next decade and a consumer base eager to burn yuan on U.S. products. Breaking into Chinese markets isn't easy, however.