International Strategy

Ace Hardware Corp. plans to spin off its international division at the beginning of 2011 in an effort to help foster growth overseas.

Swedish furniture giant IKEA plans over the next three years to double its annual spending on products from South Asia to $1.31 billion, and is pressing the Indian government to relax investment regulations so it can launch its retail superstores in the country, its CEO told reporters.

While store-based international expansion has been the privilege of the biggest multichannel brands, online retailers can expand another way: through international e-commerce.

Responding to the call for a doubling of exports over the next five years through the National Export Initiative, officials with the U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Department of Commerce are leveraging their strategic partnership to launch a business plan aimed at empowering American businesses interested in exporting as a pathway to growth. A partnership agreement signed at Postal Service headquarters today establishes an outreach strategy between representatives of the Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration and U.S. Commercial Service, and the Postal Service's Global Business team.

As Americans' love affair with shopping cools, retailers are venturing overseas in search of growth. Bloomingdale's and Crate & Barrel each opened their first store outside the U.S. in Dubai this year. Abercrombie & Fitch just opened its first store in London. Sears has begun shipping tools and clothing to 90 countries. Macy's is looking at going into China. And Target, the discount chain that for a decade has resisted Wall Street pressure to expand internationally, revealed this spring that it wants to open stores outside the U.S. and is looking at Canada, Mexico and Latin America.

Editor’s Note: This is the second of a three-part series on becoming more adept and adapting to the multichannel world. Part one appeared in our February issue, and part three will appear in our September issue. The world of direct marketing is changing quickly. Whole new analytical tools, benchmarks and ratios have become commonplace in measuring success. You must think cross-channel if you’re to be customer-centered. And above all else, if you’re a stand-alone cataloger or retail store operator, the corporate atmosphere is forcing you to rethink your internal culture. The opposite of a multichannel approach is a channel-centric one, where one channel dominates

The 34th annual Direct Media Client Conference and Co-op held last week in White Plains, N.Y., offered attendees some timely perspective on how catalogers are approaching, and trying to survive, an uncertain economy. Ed Mallin, president of infoUSA’s Services Group, seemed to sum up the theme of the conference best when he said the shift to the digital world is “the most dramatic shift … and it’s not going away.” Mailers need to acknowledge and understand how the Web is changing their businesses, and adapt to the new realities of the Web world. Below are the most noteworthy takeaway pointers from the

Brand recognition is a critical element of success for any company today, both home and abroad. That target audience includes more than just those who speak English. Foreign language-speaking customers also evaluate your brand based on the material you’ve provided in their languages. To ensure you maximize your investment in translation and avoid embarrassing translation errors, here are three ways to help you effectively reach all of your prospects. 1. When searching for a translator, find one that ensures the use of professional translators, along with a quality-control process to guarantee that your translation is accurate. 2. Your translator should understand

With many Web options available, overseas expansion for multichannel marketers might not be as daunting as it once was. John Lazarchic, vice president of e-commerce for multichannel pet supplies retailer PETCO, laid out a multistep plan to attract business from foreign customers during a Feb. 13 session at the eTail conference in Palm Desert, Calif. 1. Choose a comparison shopping engine and marketplace site, because … * they capture large audiences; * when used effectively, they can significantly impact traffic and sales; * you compete with the many online businesses that compete on price, and they’re all most likely using such search engines; and

Given the multicultural landscape in America today, it’s no surprise catalogers are stepping up their marketing efforts to multicultural audiences. The increased market potential for online shopping around the globe is another factor not to be overlooked. As a result, catalog companies across a myriad of industries in the U.S. and elsewhere are searching for better and more creative ways to make their catalog-based online store appealing to multicultural audiences. How can this be accomplished? Catalogers can enhance their prestige and generate more traffic to their catalog-based online store by sponsoring a culturally-diverse digital art exhibit on their Web site, engaging multicultural audiences