DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

One-litre bottles of extra-virgin olive oil are selling for as much as 14.5 euros ($15.77) in some supermarkets, propelling olive oil into the category of products retailers fit with security tags, alongside spirits, cosmetics and appliances. "Olive oil has become an ideal product for them to steal." STC, a Spanish company providing anti-theft solutions to retailers, saw a 12-fold increase in orders this summer from supermarkets for devices to protect olive oil bottles, managing partner Salvador Canones told Reuters. Spanish police have also uncovered thefts of olive oil from mills and in October arrested two people as part of an investigation into the theft of 56 tonnes of extra virgin olive oil. Among the world's biggest consumers of olive oil, they have already significantly cut back: sales volumes of extra-virgin olive oil fell by 17% in the 12 months to September, according to NielsenIQ.

Persons: Jon Nazca, Ruben Navarro, Navarro, Tu, " Navarro, Salvador Canones, Corina Rodriguez, Helen Reid, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Tu, STC, Reuters, Spanish, Thomson Locations: Olive, Malaga, Spain, Rights MADRID, Spain's Andalucia, Carrefour, Madrid, Spanish

☆ 'Dupes' clothing, perfume craze lures holiday shoppers as major brands fret
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Katherine Masters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Hashtag searches for dupes of major brands - including Skims underwear and Deckers' (DECK.N) Ugg boots - have been viewed millions of times on TikTok. Graphic shows pictures of four original products and their original prices under named brands compared with the prices of their 'dupe' counterparts. Newer technologies like the Google Lens app allow people to take photos of items they like and find similar products for sale. In other cases, dupe sellers opt to replicate the look of higher-priced originals with cheaper materials to maximize profit. However, experts say dupe sellers have grown increasingly skilled at avoiding brand logos and other design features that could infringe existing patents or copyrights.

Persons: Lauren Maginness, Shannon Stapleton, Maginness, Estee, Tom Ford, Dupes, “, ”, Penny Pincher, Leslie Ghize, Doneger Tobe, Calvin McDonald, Ian Taplin, Juozas Kaziukenas, Kaziukenas, Maria Boschetti, Mike Scheschuk, Birkenstock, Katherine Masters, Dorothy Kam, Vanessa O'Connell, Rod Nickel, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Abercrombie, Fitch, Scout, Walmart, Department, Nordstrom, Circana Inc, COMMERCE, Wake Forest University, eBay, Google, HK, Amazon, New, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Hong Kong, TikTok, Los Angeles, Zara, Italy, New York

[1/5] Several volunteers give Spanish classes to migrants outside the Las Raices Camp in La Laguna, Spain, November 5, 2023. The mix-up shows just how overwhelmed the Spanish archipelago is, Canary Islands president Fernando Clavijo told Reuters, after a record 32,000 migrants came so far this year. At Tenerife's Las Raices adult migrants' centre in San Cristobal de La Laguna, Camara and his friend from the voyage, 16-year-old Modou Lamin Jarju from Gambia, sat around with dozens of other west Africans. Reuters GraphicsOne of the most strained of the eight Canary Islands is El Hierro, its population of 9,000 more than matched by the arrival of 11,000 migrants this year. At its largest minors' centre on a recent day, some 300 children ate breakfast on a basketball court before Spanish lessons.

Persons: Borja Suarez, Moussa Camara, Camara, Classing, Fernando Clavijo, Fran Morenilla, Salaoum Colley, Amparo Morales, Clavijo, El Hierro, Corina Pons, Horaci Garcia, Charlie Devereux, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: REUTERS, CRISTOBAL, LA LAGUNA, Reuters, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Las, Amnesty, Canaries, San Cristobal de La Laguna, Camara, Thomson Locations: La Laguna, Spain, Guinea, Europe, Islands, Spanish, Almeria, Canary, San Cristobal de La, Jarju, Gambia, El Hierro, European Union, Africa, Senegal

☆ Adidas sees Samba shoes driving more interest from retailers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Helen Reid | Thomson Reuters | London-Based Reporter Covering The European Retail Sector Through A Global Lens. Focusing On Companies Including Adidas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Inventory levels were down 23% year-on-year at 4.85 billion euros ($5.18 billion), a little more than expected, Adidas said. Adidas' gross margin for the quarter was up 0.2 percentage points at 49.3%, helped by reduced freight costs and fewer discounts. "Adidas' competitive position compared to Nike is improving," said Robert Schramm-Fuchs, portfolio manager at Janus Henderson, which holds Adidas shares. "Adidas needs to earn back the shelf space, but I think they have the right product to do it," he said. Adidas' sales in Greater China grew by 5.7% in currency-adjusted terms, a slowdown after growth of 16.4% in the second quarter.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Bjorn Gulden, Kanye West, Ye, Spezial, Gulden, Robert Schramm, Fuchs, Janus Henderson, Schramm, Adam Cochrane, Miranda Murray, Helen Reid, Maria Sheahan, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, Catherine Evans Organizations: Adidas, REUTERS, Apparel, Nike, Deutsche Bank . Currency, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, United States, North America, Greater China, Berlin

[1/5] Garment workers come out of a factory during lunch hours at the Ashulia area, outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 8, 2023. A panel of factory owners, union leaders and officials agreed to the increase unanimously, said Siddiqur Rahman, the owners' representative. "We continue to recommend that the government of Bangladesh adopt an annual minimum wage review mechanism to keep up with changing macroeconomic factors," the letter said. In addition to the wage increase, the government has said that workers would be given a 5% annual increment. Babul Akter, president of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, urged global brands to pay more, saying: "There could be some problems for the owners to cope with the increased salaries."

Persons: Mohammad Ponir Hossain, Siddiqur Rahman, Rahman, Inditex, Hugo Boss, Fazlul Hoque, Hoque, Levi Strauss, Armour, Sheikh Hasina, Akter, Abdus Salam Murshedy, Murshedy, Krishna N, Ruma Paul, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Rights DHAKA, Reuters, Inc, Knitwear Manufacturers, Association, Labour, Abercrombie & Fitch, Adidas, Puma, Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, Envoy Group, Walmart, Hasina's Awami League, Das, Thomson Locations: Dhaka, Bangladesh, DELHI, China, Zara, Ukraine, New Delhi

☆ Zalando cuts 2023 sales forecast as demand stays weak
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Helen Reid | Thomson Reuters | London-Based Reporter Covering The European Retail Sector Through A Global Lens. Focusing On Companies Including Adidas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Zalando packaging from an online delivery is seen discarded in a cardboard box in Galway, Ireland, August 27, 2020. Zalando now expects 2023 revenue to fall between 0.5% and 3%, having previously guided to a 1% decline at worst. An unusually warm September weighed on sales of autumn and winter clothes, Zalando said, exacerbating the impact of weak consumer sentiment. Gross merchandise volume - a measure of sales on the platform by Zalando and partner brands - fell by 2.4% from a year ago. The company's market value has dropped over the past two years as shoppers, freed from pandemic restrictions, returned to stores and ordered fewer clothes online.

Persons: Clodagh, Zalando, Clément Génelot, Bryan Garnier, Zalando's, Génelot, Gross, Helen Reid, Christian Schmollinger, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Galway, Ireland, Paris, Germany, Austria, Switzerland

☆ Adidas and Puma eye chances in soccer's fashion moment
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Helen Reid | Thomson Reuters | London-Based Reporter Covering The European Retail Sector Through A Global Lens. Focusing On Companies Including Adidas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

One Premiership team has hired a creative director to expand its apparel offering, while Adidas in September launched an "exclusively off-pitch" apparel collection for some of the big-name teams it sponsors. "The love-in between football and fashion is only just beginning," said Richard Busby, CEO at sponsorship consultancy BDS Sponsorship. In August, Crystal Palace hired Kenny Annan-Jonathan as creative director focused on apparel. "We are experiencing hype around football jerseys and general designs influenced by football culture across streetwear and fashion," said Puma's global creative director Heiko Desens. "There's a risk of tension with existing fans whenever you start moving beyond the core culture," said Athens Kallithea's president and creative director, Ted Philipakos.

Persons: Asanka Brendon Ratnayake, Kim Kardashian, Richard Busby, Mary Earps, Busby, Kardashian, Germain, Mia Regan, Kenny Annan, Jonathan, GlobalData, Heiko Desens, Puma, popstar, cleats, Pele, Rihanna, Graham Renwick, Prada, Ted Philipakos, Philipakos, Helen Reid, Catherine Evans Organizations: Soccer Football, FIFA, England, Soccer, LONDON, Adidas, Puma, Nike, Greek, Athens Kallithea, Paris Saint, Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Premier League club, FOOTBALL, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Manchester United, Real, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Italy's Venezia FC, Athens Kallithea's, Premier League, Bundesliga, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, Spain, Australia, Sydney, Brazilian, Real Madrid, Italian, Athens

REUTERS/Arriana McLymore/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMADRID/LONDON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Zara owner Inditex (ITX.MC), the world's biggest clothing retailer, has agreed to buy recycled polyester from U.S. start-up Ambercycle, the companies said on Wednesday. As fast-fashion retailers face pressure to reduce waste and use recycled fabrics, Inditex is spending more than 70 million euros ($74 million) to secure supply of Ambercycle's recycled polyester made from textile waste. Under the offtake deal, Inditex will buy a "significant" portion of Ambercycle's production of recycled polyester, which is sold under the brand cycora, over three years. Textile-to-textile polyester recycling is in its infancy, though, and will take time to reach the scale required by global fashion brands. The Ambercycle deal marks the latest in a series of investments made by Inditex into textile recycling start-ups.

Persons: Arriana, Inditex, Zara Athleticz, Javier Losada, Corina Pons, Helen Reid, Cynthia Osterman, David Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Infinited, Thomson Locations: Zara's Soho, New York City, U.S, MADRID, LONDON, Zara, Los Angeles, Circ, Spain

☆ IKEA sticks with China despite slowing economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Helen Reid | Thomson Reuters | London-Based Reporter Covering The European Retail Sector Through A Global Lens. Focusing On Companies Including Adidas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Yves Herman Acquire Licensing RightsMALMÖ, Sweden, Oct 12 (Reuters) - China is still a key growth market for budget furniture retailer IKEA despite the world's second-largest economy showing signs of strain, executives at the biggest IKEA store owner said on Thursday. The company has 37 IKEA stores in China, out of a total of 537 locations worldwide. Ingka Group overall saw 697 million visits to its IKEA stores in the 2023 financial year, up 7.4% from the previous year. The rate of increase was much higher in China, Brodin said, as stores reopened and shoppers returned. China's sheer size makes it a key opportunity, said Tolga Oncu, head of IKEA Retail at Ingka Group.

Persons: Yves Herman Acquire, Jesper Brodin, Brodin, Ingka, Tolga Oncu, Oncu, Helen Reid, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, IKEA, Ingka Group, Ingka, Reuters, IKEA Retail, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Sweden, China

☆ What are global firms with presence in Israel doing after Hamas attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Following are the steps taken by the companies ranging from airlines to banks:TRAVELSeveral Asian, European and U.S. airlines have suspended direct flights to Tel Aviv. Delta Air Lines (DAL.N):The airline said it continues to monitor events in the region and has made the decision to cancel Delta-operated Tel Aviv flights through Oct. 31. Goldman Sachs (GS.N):The bank's employees at its office in Tel Aviv have been asked to work from home, a spokesperson said. TECHNvidia (NVDA.O):The world's largest maker of chips used for artificial intelligence and computer graphics said it had canceled an AI summit scheduled for Tel Aviv next week. CONSUMER AND RETAILH&M (HMb.ST):The clothing company said its local franchise partner has temporarily closed all stores in Israel.

Persons: Amir Cohen, El, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Gautam Adani's, Jensen Huang, PHARMA Eli Lilly, Lilly, Priyamvada C, Mehr Bedi, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Khushi, Jaiveer Singh, Samrhitha, Helen Reid, Sriraj Kalluvila, Shounak Dasgupta, Shinjini Organizations: Gaza, REUTERS, Palestinian, Hamas, Tel Aviv . Delta Air Lines, Royal, Chevron, JPMorgan Chase, Reuters, Bank of America, Bloomberg News, FedEx, TECH Nvidia, Tel, Inditex SA, PHARMA, Thomson Locations: Sderot, Israel, U.S, Tel Aviv, Royal Caribbean, Haifa Port, Zara, Bengaluru, London

"Matched with the NFL, which we all know is driving the biggest TV ratings and interest across the entire sports landscape... Swift's appearance also preceded a nearly three-fold increase in sales in a 24-hour window for Chiefs home games on StubHub. [1/2]Sep 24, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Taylor Swift reacts while watching the Kansas City Chiefs vs Chicago Bears game during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. "Taylor Swift being at NFL games is gold dust for the league," Scott said. But Swift, whose fame far eclipses that of Kelce's, brings a megawatt starpower that is virtually unprecedented - even in the NFL.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Swift, Travis Kelce's, Donna, Adam Budelli, Aaron Rodgers, Roku, Denny, Tom Scott, Scott, Joe Namath, Pro Bowler, Kelce, Amy Tennery, Helen Reid, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Super Bowl, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL, National Football League, Chicago Bears, Chiefs, Jets, Reuters, Bears, Arrowhead, Trippant, Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, of Fame, Sports, Super, Apple, Thomson Locations: New York, East Rutherford , New Jersey, Kansas City, Kansas City , Missouri, USA, London, Frankfurt

☆ H&M blames warm weather for September sales slide
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Helen Reid | トムソンロイター | London-Based Reporter Covering The European Retail Sector Through A Global Lens. Focusing On Companies Including Adidas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

H&M, whose biggest rival is Zara owner Inditex (ITX.MC), said September sales would be down 10% year-on-year measured in local currencies. That compares with Inditex reporting sales between Aug. 1 and Sept. 11 that were up 14%. Operating profit in the Swedish group's third quarter jumped to 4.74 billion crowns ($431 million) from a year-earlier 902 million. The year-ago figure included a one-off cost of 2.1 billion crowns for the group's exit from Russia, which also accounted for four percentage points of the 10% September sales decline. H&M announced a share buyback programme starting on Wednesday, planning to buy back up to 3 billion crowns of stock by March 31 next year.

Persons: サマリー, Inditex, Vera Diehl, Nicolas Champ, LSEG, Richard Chamberlain, Anna Ringstrom, Helen Reid, Jan Harvey, Mark Potter Organizations: Union Investment, Barclays, RBC, HK, Tmall Locations: STOCKHOLM, Zara, Swedish, Russia, JD.com, China's Xinjiang, Alibaba's

☆ Adidas tests upper limit of running market with $500 shoe
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Helen Reid | Thomson Reuters | London-Based Reporter Covering The European Retail Sector Through A Global Lens. Focusing On Companies Including Adidas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Adidas, its bigger rival Nike and other sports brands, have been locked in a "supershoe" war for years, since the first running shoes containing a thick, shock-absorbing foam and carbon fibre plate helping athletes run more efficiently, were released. At $500 a pair, the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 cost $225 more than Nike's equivalent Alphafly 2, raising the question of how many amateur runners will swallow the extra cost. "The price tag is just insane," said Harry Swinhoe, founder of Grove Lane Runners, an amateur running club in southeast London. "This is a shoe optimized for speed, versus durability," Adidas said. Assefa broke the world record by more than 2 minutes to finish in 2 hours, 11 minutes and 53 seconds.

Persons: Ethiopia's Tigist, Harry Swinhoe, Bjorn Gulden, Assefa, Helen Reid, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Adidas, Nike, Evo, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Lane, London

☆ Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos have topped a list of mega-billionaires enjoying an eye-watering wealth jump in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Joseph Wilkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos have topped a list of billionaires who saw the biggest wealth increases in 2023. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. Musk saw the steepest jump in net worth with a $99 billion increase to $236 billion, cementing his position as the world's richest person. 2 on the list of wealth gainers, with a $61.9 billion increase in his riches to $108 billion. Nvidia CEO Huang's wealth surged by $22.2 billion in 2023 as the chipmaker's stock rocketed 187%, outperforming every other stock in the S&P 500 index.

Persons: Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Nvidia's Jensen Huang, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Musk, Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison, Steve Ballmer, Michael Dell, Amancio Ortega, Ortega Organizations: Bloomberg, Google, Service, Meta, Nvidia Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ French supermarkets to demand food groups cut prices by up to 5%
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Helen Reid | Thomson Reuters | London-Based Reporter Covering The European Retail Sector Through A Global Lens. Focusing On Companies Including Adidas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

French retailers have criticised consumer goods giants like Unilever and Nestle for price hikes they say are unjustified. The government has also put pressure on the consumer goods makers to cut prices. "We should probably be able to demand that the big (consumer goods) groups cut prices by between 2% and 5%," he said. Consumer goods firms are likely to face increased pressure across Europe to cut prices, industry experts say. Lawmakers also asked about buying alliances, which some supermarkets use to negotiate prices jointly with peers at the European level, and whether they enable retailers to evade French regulations on pricing.

Persons: Sarah Meyssonnier, Les Mousquetaires, Thierry Cotillard, Cotillard, Mousquetaires, Jan, Alexandre Bompard, Lawmakers, Systeme, Dominique Schelcher, E Leclerc, Philippe Michaud, Miloud, Leclerc, Michaud, Helen Reid, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, Unilever, Nestle, Carrefour, Senate, REWE, Thomson Locations: Carrefour, Montesson, Paris, France, Portugal, Spain, Europe, Greece, London

United Parcel Service's (UPS) newly launched electric delivery truck is seen in Compton, California, U.S., September 13, 2023. Collectively, zero-emission delivery startups have raised around $1 billion so far, according to Pitchbook and data collected by Reuters. H&M, the world's second-largest fashion retailer, said it is scaling up a number of zero-emission delivery initiatives "through a variety of partnerships like the one... with Liefergrun." "Some customers are pushing very, very hard for as many zero-emission deliveries as possible," Hoed said. DHL's Zou said zero-emission delivery startups are not a threat, but added "we are always keen to look at them either for a commercial partnership or working together."

Persons: Lisa Baertlein, Germany's Liefergrun, Niklas Tauch, Tauch, Yin Zou, Tristan Thomas, DutchX, Marcus Hoed, Hoed, DHL's Zou, Sven Etzelsberger, Thomas Goldsby, Goldsby, Rob King, Zedify, King, Nick Carey, Ben Klayman, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, LOS, Reuters, FedEx, Deutsche Post DHL Group, United Parcel Service, Mercedes, Benz, DHL, Deutsche Post DHL, Amazon, Foods, IKEA, University of Tennessee, UPS, Thomson Locations: Compton , California, U.S, New York, Berlin, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Europe, Manhattan, Philadelphia, California

☆ H&M looks out of sync with shoppers’ reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The H&M clothing store is seen in Times Square in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 15, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Sept 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - H&M (HMb.ST) CEO Helena Helmersson is feeling the heat. H&M has probably been operating under the illusion that it could maintain pricing power while consumers are being hit by inflation. Its $120 billion rival Inditex (ITX.MC), whose Zara brand is considered more upmarket than H&M, has started to pause price increases. Right now, H&M trades on the same 20 times forward earnings multiple than Inditex.

Persons: Mike Segar, Helena Helmersson, “, That’s, Shein, Inditex's, Lisa Jucca, George Hay, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, RBC, X, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York, U.S, Swedish

☆ Deliveroo lacks tasty recipe for takeover call
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Sept 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Deliveroo’s (ROO.L) valuation makes it a plausible takeover target, but Chief Executive Will Shu has a weak hand in negotiating any deal. Activist investor Sachem Head Capital Management has built a stake in the London-listed food delivery company, Bloomberg reported late on Wednesday. Share prices of Deliveroo rose nearly 5% on Thursday morning. That’s below the 1.5 times average of rivals Delivery Hero (DHER.DE), Just Eat Takeaway.com (TKWY.AS), HelloFresh (HFGG.DE) and DoorDash (DASH.N). Lastly, Delivery Hero and Amazon’s 5% and 12.5% stakes could complicate any deal.

Persons: Will Shu, LSEG, Uber, Karen Kwok, BoE, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Head Capital Management, Bloomberg, X, Treasury, Thomson Locations: London

Spanish farmer Miguel Moreno was an early adopter of so-called cover crops. Spain's drought-hit olive oil production slumped to 663,000 tonnes last year, less than half the average of 1.45 million tons recorded in the previous four harvests, according to the government. In January, it began subsidising farmers who use cover crops as part of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). She said the company was pushed both by customers such as Walmart in the U.S. and by regulation to buy olive oil from producers using sustainable practices. Ecology professor Manzaneda is also coordinator of EU-funded project SOIL O-LIVE and is testing methods for coaxing Albacete's degraded earth back to health.

Persons: Chiclana de Segura, Jon Nazca, Andrea Ronca, Miguel Moreno, Angel, Dcoop, Gonzalo Delacamara, Emilio Gonzalez, Antonio Manzaneda, Manzaneda, Olive, Syngenta, Luis Miranda, Domingo, Marco Trevisan, Dean, Simone Rech, Catalonia's Cava, Sebastiano Conti, Charlie Devereux, Antonella, Corina Pons, Keith Weir, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: REUTERS, Companies Southern, VILLANUEVA DEL ARZOBISPO, Farmers, European Union, of Nutrition, Plant Science, IE, Water, University of Cordoba, University of Jaen, European, Walmart, Swiss, Syngenta, EU, TECH, Smart, Milan Polytechnic, University of Brescia, of Agricultural Sciences, Catholic University of Piacenza, Thomson Locations: Olive, Chiclana, Jaen, Spain, ROME, Italy, Madrid, European, France, Germany, Mantua, Andalusia, European Union, U.S, ITALY, Treviso, Venice, Sicily

☆ Unity discovers how real the revenue struggle is
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Edgar Su Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Unity Software (U.N) is finding out just how hard the revenue game will be. The $14 billion company’s new plan to climb out of an unprofitable hole makes sense, but also faces considerable pushback. The strategy seeks to impose fees on video-game developers after certain revenue and install thresholds are met, eliciting a harsh response on social media on Tuesday. Unity may retain its customers, as switching suppliers can be a pain, but deeper-pocketed rivals such as Epic Games may see an opportunity to pounce. Silicon Valley’s revenue struggle is real.

Persons: Edgar Su, Robert Cyran, BoE, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Unity Software, Apple, Unity, X, Treasury, UBS, Thomson Locations: Pico, Singapore, Asia

☆ Inditex can afford to start sharing its cash pile
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An employee arranges clothes at one of the largest Zara stores in the world, in Madrid, Spain, April 7, 2022. REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Marta Ortega is facing a test on Inditex’s (ITX.MC) bulging cash pile. In the same period, Inditex delivered 2.5 billion euros of net profit, up 40% year-on-year. Still, growing profits mean its cash pile will only get larger. Net cash is expected to balloon to 12 billion euros by year-end, LSEG data show.

Persons: Juan Medina, Marta Ortega, Massimo Dutti, Inditex, Ortega, Inditex’s, Aimee Donnellan, BoE, Lisa Jucca, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Reuters Graphics Reuters, X, Treasury, UBS, Warner Bros Discovery, Thomson Locations: Zara, Madrid, Spain, Asia

☆ Zara owner Inditex profit jumps 40% as price rises slow
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Zara owner Inditex on Wednesday beat expectations with a 40% jump in half-year net profit despite the world's biggest fast fashion company slowing the pace of its price increases. The company posted a net profit of 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) for the six months to July 31, outpacing a 2.38 billion euro market forecast according to data from LSEG. Inditex sales rose 13.5% to 16.9 billion euros and a gross margin of 58.2%. With a big share of its costs in euros, Inditex said it expects currencies to have a -3.5% impact on sales this year, worse than the -2.5% impact it expected previously. Inditex was among the first fashion retailers to raise prices in response to surging inflation early last year.

Persons: Inditex, Bernstein, William Woods, Richard Chamberlain, Steven Meisel, Linda Evangelista Organizations: Zara, Bank of America, Royal Bank of Canada, Reuters Locations: Zara, New York, LSEG, Madrid, United States, Spain

☆ Rising US gas prices are both good news and bad
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Sept 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Ignore the glowing signs at U.S. gas stations, and the country's inflation fight is going well. The bad news about costlier refueling is also the good news. Transportation costs jumped 2%, but that was likely linked to the price of energy. He said in July that tumbling gas prices weren’t enough to declare victory over inflation, and that the core gauge was still worryingly high. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Ben Winck, BoE, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Reuters, of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, X, Treasury, UBS, Warner Bros Discovery, Thomson Locations: Asia

☆ Citi’s big restructuring has a familiar ring to it
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jane Fraser CEO, Citi, speaks at the 2023 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 1, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Jane Fraser is trying to make history. Citigroup’s (C.N) boss said the shake-up she unveiled on Wednesday is the most “consequential changes” to the organization in 20 years. Citi shares gained less than 2% in a flat market following her presentation at the Barclays Global Financial Services conference. The bottom line is that an investor who put $10 into Citi 20 years ago would have just $1 today.

Persons: Jane Fraser, Mike Blake, Michael Corbat, Vikram Pandit, ballyhooed, Fraser, Corbat, BoE, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam, Aditya Sriwatsav Organizations: Citi, Milken, Global Conference, REUTERS, Reuters, Barclays Global Financial Services, JPMorgan, X, Unity, Treasury, UBS, Thomson Locations: Beverly Hills , California, U.S, Asia

Inditex shares have risen around 64% over the past 12 months as the world's biggest clothing retailer successfully passed cost increases on to shoppers and reported record profit margins. But after several U.S. retailers including Macy's and Foot Locker warned of weak consumer spending, fears of an economic slowdown have come back into focus. "I think companies will be more disciplined and will reduce pricing where they think they can gain volumes," said Fabio Di Giansante, portfolio manager at Amundi, which holds shares in Inditex. In the six months to July last year, Inditex's sales increased by 25% and profits climbed by 41% - but that was in comparison with a period marked by COVID-19 lockdowns around the world. According to Bernstein analysts, Inditex's key rival H&M (HMb.ST), set to report third-quarter sales on Friday, has pushed through more price increases than peers over the past year.

Persons: Inditex, Locker, Inditex's, Fabio Di Giansante, Geoffroy De Mendez, De Mendez, Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Bernstein, Amundi's Di Giansante, Helen Reid, Corina Pons, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Macy's, Inditex . Bank of America, Thomson Locations: MADRID, Zara, Amundi, Inditex ., U.S, London, Madrid

Search resuls for: "Inditex"

25 mentions found