International Strategy

The tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza clothing factory in Bangladesh in April that killed more than 1,200 people has brought greater pressure to increase garment building safety and worker protections. A number of European fashion companies have signed an accord to address workplace safety, but most U.S. retail firms haven't signed the pact. The factory fell just days after it was considered unsafe, but employees were told to come to work anyway.  

Amazon.com launched a new marketplace in India that's open to third-party sellers in that country. This is the first local Marketplace launch since 2011, when Amazon launched its Marketplace in Italy and Spain. Amazon is offering cash on delivery in addition to electronic payments, and its Indian marketplace will allow "sellers of all sizes" to list on the site through the Selling on Amazon and Fulfillment by Amazom programs.

Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M said on Tuesday that some of its clothing was produced in a Cambodia factory where 23 people were injured in an accident on its premises Monday. The Stockholm-based retailer also said its orders had been placed at the factory without its knowledge, highlighting the lack of control some of the world's biggest brands may have over their supply chains. Garment factories in Cambodia and other countries sometimes subcontract orders from retail brands to

Gap got an earful Tuesday during its annual shareholder meeting about not living up to its reputation as a socially responsible company. The San Francisco retailer received over 20,000 calls and plenty of hate mail from disgruntled customers around the world who are angry over its failure to sign onto an international agreement calling for building safety in Bangladesh, where recent factory accidents killed 1,100 workers. Another 50 protesters from labor groups like Global Exchange and International Labor Rights Forum picked outside the retailer's shareholder meeting.

Wal-Mart said it won’t accept an agreement “at this time” to improve fire and building safety in Bangladesh that’s supported by labor monitoring groups and signed by several retailers this week. Instead, in the wake of the deadly Rana

Three weeks after a building collapse in Bangladesh that killed more than 1,100 workers, the retailing giant H&M, the largest purchaser of garments from that country, agreed on Monday to sign a far-reaching and legally binding plan that requires retailers to help finance fire safety and building improvements in the factories they use in Bangladesh.

Best Buy is leaving the European market. The company is selling its stake in a joint European venture with U.K.-based consumer electronics retailer Carphone Warehouse Group for cash and stock worth about $775 million (USD). Best Buy will also pay Carphone 29 million pounds (about $45 million) related to existing agreements that will be terminated when the deal closes. The U.S. retailer also said that it will incur an approximately $200 million asset impairment charge related to the stake sale.

U.S. office supplies retailers Office Depot and Staples are having a tough time in India, and are either on the verge of shuttering their stores or selling them off, according to The Economic Times. Indian player Reliance Retail is closing down all four outlets of Office Depot, while Staples is looking at selling off 49 percent of its stake. Staples has a cash-and-carry arrangement with Future Retail, which operates the supermarket chains Big Bazaar and Pantaloon.

Staples is bringing its branded products to Japan through a wholesale distribution relationship with Jointex, a leading office products wholesaler and division of Plus Corp., a manufacturer of stationery and office furniture based in Tokyo. A wide range of Staples' brand products, including technology accessories, writing instruments and supplies such as notebooks and binder clips with unique designs are now available to small business customers in Japan via delivery and retail stores. 

Vitapath, a subsidiary of U.S.-based Vitamin Shoppe, has opened its first two Canadian stores in the greater Toronto area. The company expects to expand its retail stores under the Vitapath banner across Canada, with additional locations expected to open later in 2013.