International Strategy

Ann Taylor, a division of New York-based Ann Inc., plans to open its first-ever international stores in Toronto. The two stores are slated to open in fall 2012. The new boutiques will be designed to feel like a stylish, modern home for an intimate shopping experience. Currently the company operates 274 stores across the United States. 

Macy's will start selling some of its private brand merchandise directly to shoppers in China through a deal with an online retailer there. Macy's products will be available via a branded section on Omei.com, a newly established China-based online retailer of in-season luxury and fashion brands operated by VIPStore Co., a Chinese e-commerce firm and parent company of Omei.com. In addition, Macy’s has made an equity investment of $15 million in VIPStore. Macy’s joins other venture capital providers, including Intel Capital, in acquiring a minority stake in the company. 

Rakuten, a Japanese e-commerce company, is leading a $100 million investment in Pinterest, with participation from existing investors Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners and FirstMark Capital, as well as a number of angel investors. Many people may still be unfamiliar with the Rakuten brand, but it's an international e-commerce powerhouse that sees itself competing with Amazon.com. Rakuten owns Buy.com, Rakuten Ichiba in Japan, PriceMinister in France, Play.com in the U.K., Tradoria in Germany, Rakuten Brazil, Rakuten Taiwan, TARAD in Thailand and Rakuten Belanja Online in Indonesia, as well as e-book publisher Kobo.

Silver Jeans Co., the Canadian-based retailer that's gained a reputation for high quality and well-fitting jeans in the midluxury denim market, announced the expansion of Silver Jeans Co. branded stores in the United States. The announcement marks the start of a global retail strategy for the brand and the creation of a new retail division within the Silver Jeans Co. corporate structure. Silver Jeans Co. will focus on a multidoor plan in the U.S., with the first new store project to open in early 2013. 

Retailers are using multiple channels to establish more direct connections with consumers, according to the findings of a recent survey from global cloud commerce solutions provider Digital River. Consistent with the shift to multichannel strategies, the survey indicated respondents are increasingly connecting with customers via multiple touchpoints. Nearly 80 percent of respondents said they were currently using transactional websites, followed by social commerce (55 percent), app stores (50 percent), in-product commerce (50 percent), subscription sales (48 percent) and mobile commerce (48 percent).

Tiffany & Co. has taken a major step to controlling its destiny in the United Arab Emirates by restructuring its joint venture agreement with retailer Damas Jewellery. Damas, based in the U.A.E., is an international jewelry and watch retailer. Under the new partnership agreement between the two companies, all of the operational, merchandising and sales, and marketing management for the five Tiffany & Co. stores in the U.A.E. will be transferred from Damas to Tiffany. Previously, Tiffany sold its merchandise on a wholesale basis to Damas, which operated the Tiffany & Co. stores. 

Canada is a land of dissatisfied online shoppers. From high-end fashion to hardware, Canadians are the poor e-commerce cousins to Americans in just about every way: higher prices for poorer selection; shipping costs are often more expensive; and for items ordered from abroad, duty and customs-related charges can drive up total costs.

Destination Maternity has opened its first freestanding store in India, located in the largest mall in the country. Ed Krell, CEO of Destination Maternity, commented, "We are very excited to announce the opening of the first Destination Maternity store in India. Mahindra Retail has done a great job opening Motherhood shop-in-shops within their own Mom & Me stores, and the launch of a Destination Maternity freestanding store is the natural next step for expanding our presence in India."

Garnet Hill, an apparel and home decor retailer, announced plans to expand its product offerings to international consumers in more than 100 countries. By partnering with FiftyOne Global Ecommerce, Garnet Hill fortifies its position as a large and growing brand with international scale. In response to an overwhelming demand for its products cross-border and overseas, Garnet Hill engaged with FiftyOne to introduce its offerings to a global audience while staying true to its trusted brand. 

Wolverine Worldwide announced the formation of a joint venture with Tata International to market footwear and apparel in India. The new joint venture will initially be responsible for the wholesale distribution of Wolverine Worldwide's Merrell and Caterpillar footwear brands. The formation of this joint venture is a direct result of the efforts of Wolverine Worldwide's International Group, which was formed in January 2011. Entering into a joint venture provides Wolverine Worldwide with a more meaningful ownership stake and near-term brand impact than its traditional licensee or distributor business model, and reflects the importance of this fast-growing market to the company.