International Strategy

Skechers announced that it's transitioning its business in Japan from a third-party distributor to a new wholly owned subsidiary, Skechers Japan. With plans to double its business in Japan over the next three years to five years, the company will make a full-scale entry into the market starting with its 2012 autumn/winter collection of performance and lifestyle footwear for men, women and children.

Sears Canada is closing three of its stores in Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa as the struggling retailer continues to contend with deteriorating sales and shrinking market share.

Luxury fashion retailer Net-a-Porter has acquired the Hong Kong-based designer fashion website Shouke.com, a move which will enable the British online retailer to enter the lucrative Chinese market. 

Gap plans to expand in Latin America after its first namesake store in the region topped sales expectations. The Gap store in Santiago, Chile, which opened in October, was among the leading franchise performers out of 200 stores worldwide, said Stefan Laban, managing director of strategic alliances for Gap.

Amazon and eBay are steadily putting together the building blocks of their operations in India, potentially making the country a battleground for their contrasting business models. 

China is a premier expansion destination for U.S. retailers. The meteoric rise of the Chinese middle class is estimated to produce a national disposable income in excess of $2.7 trillion over the next decade and a consumer base eager to burn yuan on U.S. products. Breaking into Chinese markets isn't easy, however.

Iconix Brand Group reported that its fourth quarter net income rose 23 percent on increased sales. The company also announced it was forming a joint venture with Reliance Brands Limited, a part of the Reliance Industries Group, to expand in India. 

After one false alert claiming a Feb. 18 opening for Apple's new Amsterdam retail store, the company's first in the Netherlands, new reports claim that the grand opening is apparently set for March 3. 

French luxury products group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA will soon enter the retail jewelry business in India. LVMH may also introduce products from joint venture De Beers diamond jewelers in India.

The Collective Brands' Performance + Lifestyle Group, which owns globally recognized brands such as Sperry Top-Sider, Saucony, Keds and Stride Rite, announced that it's signed new agreements with partners in 10 countries to continue the rapid international expansion of several of its brands.