International Strategy

While dozens of e-commerce firms have recently sprung up to capitalize on India's growing internet use, they have a problem. Indians are not yet comfortable with shopping on the web, while many of them remain unwilling to use credit cards online. Therefore the Indian retailers have gone to great lengths to gain customers. Customers may pay in cash on delivery, and the company fields delivery squads to ensure shipments get to customers quickly.

Tapping into a global marketplace is at the top of many retailers to-do lists for the end of 2011 and beyond. This has been made possible in large part by e-commerce. Discussing what retailers can expect along with strategies to optimize success was Ulric Jerome, general manager of European cross-channel retailer Pixmania.com, during a session yesterday at the National Retail Federation's Shop.org Annual Summit in Boston.

Groupon has begun offering discounts on products sold over the web in the U.K., thrusting the internet-coupon company into closer competition with the likes of Amazon and eBay.

Gap has opened its first Banana Republic store in Russia, in Moscow's AfiMall City. In related news, the company will open its first Gap store in Belgrade, Serbia today.

H&M has announced plans to enter Bulgaria, with its first location opening in the capital of Sofia in March 2012. H&M also opened its first stores in Romania and Croatia this year. Additionally, the company plans a net addition of approximately 250 stores for the 2010-2011 financial year, with China, the United Kingdom and the United States slated to be the largest expansion markets.

Grocery giant Tesco said it's pulling out of Japan, which means shuttering 129 small, leasehold-owned stores in Tokyo, which employ 4,000 people. The country is the smallest of Tesco’s international retail businesses and the weakest for sales growth in the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

Office Depot is expanding into the Caribbean as part of its franchise agreement with Benmore International. The company has opened a store in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It plans to open three additional locations in the Dominican Republic in 2012.

The Yankee Candle Company, a manufacturer of premium scented candles, today announced the opening of its first company-owned retail stores in Canada. The company currently operates 528 stores in the U.S. As part of the company's global expansion efforts, Yankee Candle will open a total of five stores in the greater Toronto area before Sept. 16, 2011.

Best Buy U.K. today unveiled a site for use on smartphones as it aims to improve its multichannel presence. The retailer, which launched its first big-box store in the U.K. in April 2010, has had a disappointing first year as the electricals sector continues to struggle during the ongoing economic downturn.

Groupon's joint venture in China has closed offices in some cities and laid off hundreds of employees, raising questions about the online coupon company's strategy in a big market ahead of its planned initial public offering.