RETAIL TRADE – AUSTRALIA

Woolworths denies Myer interest

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 27-Oct-17

Solomon Lew’s Premier Investments acquired a 10.8 per cent stake in department store chain Myer earlier in 2017, but the value of his investment has fallen by 35 per cent over the last six months. This has prompted Lew to launch a range of attacks against its board and its "new Myer" strategy. South African firm Woolworths Holdings has denied rumours that it was planning to launch a takeover bid for Myer at around the time that Lew made his investment. Lew in turn refutes suggestions that his investment was made to stop a possible Woolworths bid.

CORPORATES
PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, WOOLWORTHS HOLDINGS LIMITED, DAVID JONES LIMITED, COUNTRY ROAD LIMITED, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, TREASURY WINE ESTATES LIMITED – ASX TWE

Wesfarmers’ Scott eyes the long game

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 24 : 26-Oct-17

Grocery giant Coles has reported an 0.3 per cent decline in sales for the September quarter, to $A9.4bn. Same-store food and liquor sales increased by just 0.4 per cent, down from 0.7 per cent growth in the previous three months and well below the forecasts of some analysts. Wesfarmers’ incoming MD Rob Scott remains upbeat about the outlook for Coles, forecasting that it will return to sales growth in the second half of 2017-18. Meanwhile, Kmart has reported same-store sales growth of 4.9 per cent, but Target has posted a 6.4 per cent decline.

CORPORATES
COLES GROUP LIMITED, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TARGET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, OFFICEWORKS SUPERSTORES PTY LTD, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, VIVA ENERGY AUSTRALIA LIMITED

The Athlete’s Foot wins for customer satisfaction

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Oct-17

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that The Athlete’s Foot had Australia’s most satisfied shoe store customers in August 2017 with a customer satisfaction rating of 87.1%, an increase of 3.9% on a year ago. Close behind are Spend Less Shoes with a customer satisfaction rating of 85.9% and Williams The Shoemen on 83.9% – both of these shoe stores improved their customer satisfaction ratings from a year ago. Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine says achieving high customer satisfaction results is a vital metric for retail businesses looking to maximise customer retention in an increasingly competitive marketplace, and the arrival of giant US retailer Amazon is set to add further pressures for existing retailers.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, THE ATHLETE’S FOOT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SPENDLESS SHOES PTY LTD, WILLIAMS THE SHOEMEN

Rebel is Australia’s top sports store for customer satisfaction

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 23-Oct-17

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that Rebel Sports is Australia’s leading sports store with a market-leading customer satisfaction rating of 88.4% in August 2017, up 2.7% from a year ago. It is followed by Sports Power (86.8%) and Sportsco (75.8%). However, they have both achieved greater increases in their customer satisfaction ratings than Rebel over the past year. Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine says Rebel Sports’ victory in August builds on consecutive wins in the annual Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards in 2015-16, and Rebel Sports will be aiming for a "threepeat" in the Sports Store category at the 2017 annual Awards.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, REBEL SPORT LIMITED, SPORTS POWER, SPORTSCO PTY LTD

Debenhams sets up shop in Australia

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 18-Oct-17

Pepkor will open the first Debenhams department store in Melbourne on 24 October, and Pepkor executive Graham Dean says the store format it has chosen has not been used by Debenhams before, nor has it been seen in Australia. Dean, who used to work for Myer, says the traditional "big-store" format that department stores are known for are no longer viable. Pepkor intends to open 10 Debenhams stores in Australia under a franchise agreement with the UK retailer.

CORPORATES
PEPKOR, DEBENHAMS RETAIL PLC, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, HARRIS SCARFE HOLDINGS LIMITED, DAVID JONES LIMITED, JP MORGAN AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Kaufland bid a shock to industry veteran

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 10-Oct-17

Businessman Roger Drake says Australia’s supermarket sector is the most competitive it has been in four decades. Competition is set to intensify with confirmation that Kaufland will enter the local market. It recently paid $A25m for a 3.6-hectare site in Adelaide, and Drake says he had expected the German group’s first store to be in Sydney or Melbourne. Drake notes that independent greengrocers appear to have been hit harder by Aldi’s entry to the South Australian market than the Foodland stores that he owns in the state.

CORPORATES
KAUFLAND STIFTUNG & CO KG, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, FOODLAND AUSTRALIA LIMITED, DRAKE FOODMARKETS, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BIG W DISCOUNT STORES, CBRE PTY LTD

Myer leads David Jones for satisfaction

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Oct-17

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that department store group Myer had a customer satisfaction rating of 88.6% in August 2017, ahead of David Jones on 85.1%. Myer has improved its customer satisfaction rating by 2.4% points over the last year, while David Jones showed a decline of 1.5% points. A year ago, David Jones had a satisfaction rating of 86.6%, marginally ahead of Myer (86.2%). The survey also shows that David Jones has its highest customer satisfaction rating among "Pre-Boomers" (those aged 71+) with 89.7%, compared with 87.6% for Myer. Meanwhile, Myer has its highest satisfaction rating (91.0%) among "Generation X" (aged 42 to 56), compared with 86.5% for David Jones.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, DAVID JONES LIMITED

Daigou retailer sells well on ASX debut

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Original article by Jessica Sier
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 6-Oct-17

So-called "daigou" retailer AuMake performed strongly on its sharemarket debut on 5 October. AuMake, which raised $A6 million from the issue of shares at $A0.08 each, traded as high as $A0.235. Founders Joshua Zhou and Lynn Zheng own 17 per cent of AuMake, while CVC is its biggest institutional investor. AuMake currently has six stores in Sydney and generates over $A13 million a year in revenue.

CORPORATES
AUMAKE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED – ASX AU8, CVC LIMITED – ASX CVC, ITM CORPORATION LIMITED, AUGEND LIMITED, TITAN ENERGY SERVICES, WECHAT, BELLAMY’S AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX BAL, THE A2 MILK COMPANY LIMITED – ASX A2M

Pizza Hut must pay weekend penalties

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 2-Oct-17

The Fair Work Commission ruled on 29 September that the national workplace agreement between Pizza Hut and the Shop Distributive & Allied Employees Association be terminated. The termination was made at the request of the SDA, but both it and Pizza Hut were not aware of the decision when asked for comment. The decision means Pizza Hut workers revert to the relevant award. As a result, their normal hourly rates will be reduced, but they will now receive full weekend and evening penalty rates.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, PIZZA HUT AUSTRALIA, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, ALLEGRO FUNDS PTY LTD, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, RETAIL AND FAST FOOD WORKERS UNION

Lew’s plans stir Myer investors

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 29-Sep-17

Anton Tagliaferro of Investors Mutual says Myer Holdings’ shareholders are keen to know Solomon Lew’s intentions with regard to the department store group. There is speculation that Lew could nominate himself or a director of Premier Investments for the Myer board at its upcoming annual meeting. Retail industry veteran Terry McCartney has been touted as a potential nominee. He was appointed to the Premier Investments board in April 2016, and he was the MD of Myer Grace Bros from 1996 to 2000.

CORPORATES
MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV, MYER GRACE BROS, COLES MYER LIMITED, JUST GROUP LIMITED, JUST JEANS PTY LTD, SMIGGLE PTY LTD, PETER ALEXANDER SLEEPWEAR PTY LTD, PORTMANS PTY LTD, DOTTI, INVESTORS MUTUAL LIMITED, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, AURIAS DIAMONDS, ZAO SUAL HOLDINGS, MCCARTNEY RETAIL SERVICES