Consumer and Retail

Photo

Retail M&A seen restarting with a bang

LONDON (Reuters) - Retail mergers and acquisitions look to have dried up for at least another nine months, according to speakers at the Reuters Retail and Consumer Summit, but once the credit crunch eases and consumer trends are more predictable, buyers are poised for dealmaking.

Continue Reading

New focus on customer service as economy slows

NEW YORK (Reuters) - As high gasoline prices and tighter credit lead people to curb their shopping, consumer products companies are renewing their focus on customer service but broadening the concept to try to engage buyers in new ways to win sales.

Retailers say impending holiday gloom overdone

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. consumer spending may have slowed, but the gloom already being cast over the impending holidays is overdone, retailers and clothing makers ranging from Best Buy Co Inc to Toys "R" Us to Perry Ellis International Inc said this week. | Video

Clothing makers more flexible than shoe makers

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. consumers, who are now paying more for everything from airline tickets to bagels, may soon notice that prices for their shoes are rising more quickly than prices for their clothes.

Online play seen more key for 2008 holiday season

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Online sales are expected to play a more critical role for retailers during the holiday season as U.S. shoppers juggle gift-buying with record-high prices for heating fuel and gasoline. | Video

Clothing makers see fashion in color, detail

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Looking for the next big thing in fashion? You may have to wait a little while longer.

Retail companies mull tactics ahead of holidays

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ahead of what could shape up to be a brutal holiday season for U.S. retailers, companies are mulling once frowned-upon tactics like selling wares in discount stores to banking on licensed brands, hoping to squeeze every dollar out of cash-strapped shoppers.

Trying to hide price hikes with trends, fabrics

NEW YORK (Reuters) - How do manufacturers or retailers mask a price increase these days? They bury it amid talk of high-tech fabrics, better quality clothes or the latest hot brand or product. | Video

Whirlpool sees housing weak into '09

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Whirlpool Corp , the world's biggest appliance maker, said on Wednesday that it expects the U.S. housing downturn to extend into 2009 as many newly built homes sit waiting for buyers. | Video

Distressed retailers' assets can be hard sell

NEW YORK (Reuters) - As tightening credit and slow consumer spending fuel a rise in the number of U.S. retailers liquidating their assets, distressed chains are now finding that even their real estate can be a hard sell.

Borders CEO: slowdown "pervasive"

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The chief executive of Borders Group Inc said on Wednesday the slumping U.S. retail environment is the most pervasive he has seen in 35 years as a retailer.

Speakers

Reporter's Notebook

» More from Summits Blogs

Upcoming Summits

Summit Date Category
Islamic Banking and Finance Feb 15 - 18 Country Summits
Travel and Leisure Feb 22 - 24 Hotels/Casinos
Private Equity and Hedge Funds Mar 1 - 3 Financial Services/Exchanges
Global Mining and Steel Mar 8 - 10 Mining
Food and Agriculture Mar 15 - 18 Mining
Canadian Oil Sands Mar 22 - 23 Energy
Funds Mar 23 - 24 Financial Services/Exchanges
Global Exchanges and Trading Mar 29 - 31 Financial Services / Exchanges
Financial Regulation Apr 26 - 29 Financial Services / Exchanges
» Download Summit Calendar