International Strategy

Footwear brand Crocs has undergone significant organizational and management changes in the last 18 months as it works to reverse years of stagnant sales and declining profits. Founded in 2002, Crocs impressively reached $1 billion in sales within its first 10 years of operation. However, that growth trajectory has slowed considerably in recent years. The…

When Japan's cheap-and-cheerful clothing brand Uniqlo raised its prices in 2014, it was an endorsement of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's efforts to stimulate a lacklustre economy: with confidence high, even purveyors of affordable jumpers became price setters. But as Abe's expansionary policies struggle to rekindle growth, Uniqlo has reversed those rises, lowering prices last year and…

When you think of millennial brands, Carter's, the manufacturer and retailer of baby apparel and accessories, doesn't immediately spring to mind. Yet that's just what Carter's is, catering to new and expectant moms who more often than not fall into the coveted millennial demographic. In fact, 80 percent of all babies are born to millennial…

Sherwin-Williams, which has long claimed to "cover the Earth" with its paints, is buying rival Valspar for about $9 billion in a move that it says will expand its reach in Asia and Europe. Sherwin-Williams said Sunday that it's paying $113 a share in cash, a 35 percent premium to the closing price of Valspar's stock…

The striking down of the existing Safe Harbor transatlantic data-transfer agreement has been all the talk of late. And while an agreement was finally reached – a new framework to be known as the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield – there are likely still hurdles to overcome before everything is finalized. Despite reaching this agreement, there may…

As a U.S.-based e-commerce company, Fanatics’ sweet spot has been in selling sports apparel branded by American teams. But the company has been eyeing European soccer team apparel as its next big opportunity, and has acquired a U.K.-based company to help it break in. Fanatics has paid $17 million to acquire Kitbag, currently owned by Findel,…

Lowe's is expanding its footprint in Canada with a $2.3 billion acquisition of the home improvement retailer Rona. It's Lowe's second run for the company. Lowe's made a $1.9 billion bid for Rona in 2012, but that deal never went through. Chairman and CEO Robert Niblock said in a written statement Wednesday that the acquisition gives Lowe's…

Venus Fashion, a retailer of swimwear and fashion, was looking to grow its brand by taking it international. But in order to meet the needs of international customers, the retailer first needed to get a logistics plan in place to efficiently ship its products to foreign lands. In episode 20 of Total Retail Talks, Paula…

It can be tempting for merchants enjoying a measure of e-commerce success to consider charting a course for overseas expansion. After all, the size and growth rates of international markets can put those of maturing domestic markets to shame. While U.S. online commerce is forecast to average gains of 10 percent through 2019, nascent markets…

eBay announced a deal to help Chinese businesses export their products overseas, revealing it signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Tianjin Municipal Government designed to further cement eBay China's reputation as an industry leader in retail exports. The idea is to continue flooding eBay's U.S. and European marketplaces with goods from China. In conjunction…