International Strategy

China's Singles Day is a strange little holiday created in the '90s by university students who thought the date 11/11 looked like four solitary stick figures. Somehow, it's evolved into the country's largest e-commerce shopping event, with Western brands eager to cash in. And for good reason: Last year's Nov. 11 was so big the transactions overloaded banks, and Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba logged $3 billion in sales — two times what U.S. retailers achieved on Cyber Monday. China's e-tailing fest exploded out of nowhere. Alibaba launched the holiday just five years ago with 27 brands.

Wal-Mart plans to open as many as 110 stores in China between 2014 and 2016, as well as several new Sam's Club locations there. The new stores will employ as many as 19,000 people. Wal-Mart also plans to open 30 stores and close 25 underperforming stores in China, where it currently operates 400 Wal-Mart locations and 10 Sam's Club locations, by year's end. The retailer also aims to remodel about 45 Chinese stores this year, 55 next year and 65 during the following year. 

Although deciding to go global can be quite a daunting commitment for a business, there really hasn't been a better time to benefit from international e-commerce than now. Recent research by Rakuten, LinkShare and Forrester Consulting shows that over the last 12 months, a staggering two-thirds (68 percent) of online shoppers bought something from outside their home country. Learning how to maximize this trend for customers buying from the comfort of their own sofa can result in a big return on investment. Here are a few simple tips on how to make jumping into the unknown a walk in the park:

Luxottica executives announced that over the next three years, the Italian eyewear company will be investing $250 million in its North American business units. The company plans to open hundreds of new Lenscrafters stores, triple the size of Target Optical retail businesses, and upgrade Sunglass Hut stores located in Macy's and shopping malls. This investment is part of Milan-based Luxottica's goal of growing U.S. retail business by 20 percent to $3 billion by 2016. Currently, sales in North America account for 60 percent of the Italian company's total sales, making North America a vital market for the company.

Savvy shoppers across Britain are anxious to see if their Asda grocery deliveries will arrive on Friday, after cashing in £50 ($80) vouchers accidentally issued by the supermarket. The Wal-Mart-owned chain launched a deal on Thursday which gave shoppers £50 off online grocery orders. Bargain hunters were quick to take advantage of the offer, adding £50 worth of goods to their basket, paying only for the delivery charge. News of the deal went viral on Twitter — with hashtags including #AsdaGate and #SupermarketSweep becoming popular — and Asda's website crashed as a result of the traffic.

Inspectors came and went from a Wal-Mart-certified factory in Guangdong Province in China, approving its production of more than $2 million in specialty items that would land on Wal-Mart's shelves in time for Christmas. After the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh in April killed 1,129 workers, the world's biggest retailers agreed to tighten inspection standards and upgrade safety measures. But unknown to the inspectors, none of the playful items, including reindeer suits and Mrs. Claus dresses for dogs, that were supplied to Wal-Mart had been manufactured at the factory. 

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.