Mumbai

The internet has flattened competition for retailers, big and small, and that means you have to build a personal connection with each shopper rather than compete for their wallets based on price. As competition in e-commerce continues to grow, global marketing campaigns have to become more tactical and focused. Here's how retailers can do that:

Gap will enter India next year in partnership with textile company Arvind Lifestyle Brand, opening 40 outlets across the country as part of its global expansion strategy. The brand plans to open about 40 franchise-operated Gap stores in India, the company said in a statement. The first two Gap outlets are expected to open in Mumbai and Delhi by next year. 

Destination Maternity has opened its first freestanding store in India, located in the largest mall in the country. Ed Krell, CEO of Destination Maternity, commented, "We are very excited to announce the opening of the first Destination Maternity store in India. Mahindra Retail has done a great job opening Motherhood shop-in-shops within their own Mom & Me stores, and the launch of a Destination Maternity freestanding store is the natural next step for expanding our presence in India."

NEW YORK, MAY 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Iconix Brand Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICON) and Reliance Brands Limited, a part of the Reliance Industries Group, the largest private sector company in India, announced today the completion of the formation of their joint venture company in India, Iconix India. The partnership marks the next step in a global expansion strategy for Iconix, which currently has other similar partnerships in Greater China, Europe and Latin America. Iconix India will be based in Mumbai and will follow a similar business model to that of Iconix in North America, which focuses on growing royalty

Iconix Brand Group reported that its fourth quarter net income rose 23 percent on increased sales. The company also announced it was forming a joint venture with Reliance Brands Limited, a part of the Reliance Industries Group, to expand in India. 

New Delhi, India -- A Monday report by Bloomberg said that an Indian governmental panel recommended easing market-entry restrictions, making Wal-Mart Stores’ and Carrefour SA’s path into the India retail market potentially much easier. Citing a finance ministry official as its source, Bloomberg reported that a panel of New Delhi bureaucrats recommended on Friday that overseas companies be allowed to own up to 51% of stores that sell more than one brand if they invest a minimum of $100 million. “It would get in new players to the market -- you’d have more efficiencies coming in,” Abhishek Ranganathan, a