International Strategy

U.S. fashion retailer J.Crew will open its first Canadian store in a Toronto shopping center in August, marking its first international foray. The company joins a number of other U.S. retailers expanding north in a bid to take advantage of Canada's relatively robust economy and eager-to-spend consumers.

Williams-Sonoma, a specialty retailer of high-quality products for the home, announced today that Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, West Elm and Williams-Sonoma will offer international shipping, joining PBteen in its partnership with FiftyOne Global Ecommerce, a provider of international e-commerce services and infrastructure to U.S. retailers. Customers in more than 75 countries will now be able to shop online for Williams-Sonoma products.

Disney Store added magic to Canada last month by opening two innovative shopping experiences in Mississauga, Ontario and Burnaby, British Columbia. The Canadian locations feature interactive areas incorporating state-of-the-art technology.

Debenhams and Sears are understood to be in early discussions about Debenhams opening concession or franchise areas in Sears outlets across the U.S. The U.K. department store retailer currently has around 60 franchised stores around the world and has a plan to increase this number to 100 as it looks to expand beyond its domestic market.

Target plans to spend more than it had forecast this year on its entry into the Canadian market as it nails down more of the best retail locations sooner than expected. The retailer said it will be able to “clarify” within weeks the number and locations of the first 100 to 150 stores it will open in Canada.

Wal-Mart said that profits jumped almost 4 percent last quarter, even as the retail chain's U.S. sales dipped for the eighth straight quarter.

Vente-privee.com, a French company that created the online private-sales model later adopted by sites like Rue La La and Gilt.com, is entering the U.S. through a joint venture with American Express.

Foxlink, a subsidiary of Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn, plans to build new stores in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Korea. The plans would double the number of Apple-exclusive Foxlink stores in Asia from 50 to 100. 

Wal-Mart announced today that it's reached an agreement to acquire a minority stake in the holding company of Yihaodian, a fast-growing e-commerce company in China. The transaction is expected to close within 60 days.

Groupon's latest battlefields are in the East, where it faces an uphill battle in China and is the underdog in Australia. Groupon's latest tactic to gain ground: acquire burgeoning deal site Crowdmass.