International Strategy

Three retailers have been named "geniuses," and it may not be who you expected (well, at least one of the companies). L2, a business benchmarking service, awarded Nordstrom, Macy's and Sears "genius status," the highest honor of a five-tiered ranking system in its recent Digital IQ Index: Department Stores. Macy's and Nordstrom have been ranked highly in the past, however, I have to admit, I was surprised to see ailing retailer Sears join them at the top of the list. Over the last few months, we've heard reports of Sears closing multiple storefronts as well as management issues. Just this past week it was reported that the company probably won't last past the 2016 fiscal year. So how did Sears earn the title of "genius"?

Rakuten agreed to buy U.S. rebates website Ebates in Japan's largest e-commerce deal on record as the operator of the country's biggest online mall seeks overseas growth through acquisitions. Rakuten will pay about $1 billion for all of Ebates, it said in a regulatory filing. San Francisco-based Ebates offers cash rebates to customers who buy products from the website's retail partners. The deal comes after Rakuten has announced 18 acquisitions since the start of last year, and the cybermall operator said in June it's open to more large-scale buys following its bond debut. 

The Harris Tweed Authority (HTA) has settled a dispute with Crate and Barrel over its labeling of a design of chairs. Euromarket Designs Inc. offered for sale a Harris Tweed Chair and Harris Herringbone Chair on its Crate and Barrel website. The products however weren't made from Harris Tweed, a fabric hand-woven on the Western Isles and protected by U.K. law. The HTA said it has secured a "monetary settlement" and assurances the items wouldn't be marketed as Harris Tweed.

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. 

Quick: Which are the best places in the developing world to set up shop? Did you guess Chile? Uruguay? Kazakhstan? All three figure among the top 10 locations for retailers, according to the 2014 Global Retail Development Index put out by A.T. Kearney. The ranking takes into account a country's wealth, logistical and regulatory environment, and overall riskiness to "persons, property and principles." The idea is to select those countries that have just enough of all of the above. Too little and it's tough to do business. Too much and it's tough to stand out. 

J.Crew, the retail chain that's opening its first Asian stores this week, plans to expand its international push with outlets in continental Europe and will be scouting for locations in Paris. The company plans to open stores in mostly capital cities worldwide to boost brand awareness, said CEO Millard "Mickey" Drexler. The company currently has no presence in continental Europe. J.Crew has been expanding overseas and the Hong Kong stores are part of its plan to open outlets abroad this year, including one in London and about four in Canada after opening three in the U.K. in 2013.

In an effort to tap into the $532 billion global marketplace for housewares and home furnishings, Williams-Sonoma, the San Francisco-based omnichnannel retailer, took its business beyond its domestic borders. In a session yesterday at NetSuite's SuiteWorld conference in San Jose, Calif., Rob Bogan, vice president of international systems for Williams-Sonoma, discussed the brand's experiences going global.

Sears is considering selling its Canadian operations as the retailer continues with efforts to turn around its business. Its stock rose almost 4 percent in Wednesday premarket trading. The retailer, which runs its namesake stores and Kmart locations, said that it is looking at strategic options for its 51 percent interest in Sears Canada. The Hoffman Estates, Illinois-based company said this includes the possible sale of its stake or the entirety of Sears Canada.

Chico's is looking to establish a Canadian footprint, and plans in late August to open three boutiques in Ontario. The Chico's brand was founded in 1983 as a boutique selling Mexican folk art and cotton sweaters from a store on Florida's Sanibel Island. Today, Chico's sells exclusively designed, private-branded clothing for women. "We couldn't be more thrilled for the opening of the first Chico's boutique in Canada," said Cinny Murray, Chico's brand president. "I'm so excited to bring the women of Canada fabulous Chico's fashion; this is an incredible growth opportunity for our brand."
 

A year ago last week, more than 1,100 factory workers died when the eight-story Rana Plaza building in Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed into a heap of bricks and fabric bolts. Those investigating the rubble after the tragedy found clothing labels from Western retailers in the ruins of the building, which had been home to a handful of factories operating with varying levels of safety and scrutiny. This time last year, as the death toll continued to climb, Canadian fast-fashion brand Joe Fresh was one of the first to act, sending representatives to Bangladesh to investigate the building's collapse.