RETAIL TRADE – AUSTRALIA

DJs set to join great Aussie food fight

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 22 : 25-Jun-15

South Africa-based Woolworths Holdings is believed to be planning to build a presence in Australia’s food and grocery sector, via its David Jones subsidiary. The group intends to revamp the food halls in David Jones department stores, and the strategy may also include establishing stand-alone food stores to compete with local grocery retailers Coles and Woolworths Limited. Meanwhile, Woolworths Holdings is said to be looking at selling two of its stores in the Melbourne and Sydney CBDs.

CORPORATES
WOOLWORTHS HOLDINGS LIMITED, DAVID JONES LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, THOMAS DUX GROCER, JONES THE GROCER, MARKS AND SPENCER PLC, NM ROTHSCHILD AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD, COUNTRY ROAD LIMITED, JP MORGAN AND COMPANY INCORPORATED, FOODCHAIN BY DAVID JONES

Guylian’s sweet spot for growth

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 24-Jun-15

Guylian currently has three chocolate outlets in Sydney, but the group intends to pursue national expansion. Patrick Freriks, the operations director of Guylian Belgian Chocolate Cafe, says the aim will be to have 30 outlets across Australia within four years. He stresses that the chocolate cafes will offer a different range of Guylian products to those available in supermarkets.

CORPORATES
GUYLIAN BELGIAN CHOCOLATE CAFE, LOTTE CONFECTIONERY COMPANY LIMITED, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW

Aldi hits back at claims of shirking tax

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 24-Jun-15

Discount grocery chain Aldi says it fully complies with its Australian tax obligations, and has advised that its local income tax bill for the year to 31 December 2013 totalled $A81.6m. The German-owned group was responding to comments by Wesfarmers CEO Richard Goyder, who had questioned whether Aldi was paying sufficient tax in Australia. Aldi boasted local sales of $A6bn in 2014, which was around 13 per cent higher than previously, and it is gaining market share at the expense of its rivals.

CORPORATES
ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, ALDI EINKAUF GMBH & CO OHG, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, IGA, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, GOOGLE INCORPORATED, APPLE INCORPORATED, MICROSOFT CORPORATION, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED

The ALDI effect: Australia’s changing supermarket scene

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 22-Jun-15

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that German supermarket chain ALDI has increased its share of the Australian market from 3.1 per cent to 11.6 per cent over the last 10 years. The survey also shows that n 35.1 per cent of Australian grocery buyers aged 14+ shop at ALDI in an average four weeks, including more than 47 per cent of grocery buyers in both Victoria and New South Wales. Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine says with the planned entry of Lidl to Australia, supermarkets are likely to focus more on customers than ever – understanding who they are, their needs and drives, and how to communicate with them and engage their loyalty.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, LIDL GMBH & CO KG, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, IGA

Woolies investors fear more pain before gain

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 12 : 19-Jun-15

Fund managers and shareholders are concerned about the possible actions that will be taken by the successor to Woolworths CEO Grant O’Brien in a bid to turn around its fortunes. These include reduced profit margins and asset writedowns. Ben Gilbert of UBS is concerned that Woolworths may seek to combat falling sales by instigating a grocery price war, while Sheridan Hure of Aurora Funds Management warns that Woolworths’ shares may keep falling.

CORPORATES
WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, AURORA FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED, ALPHINITY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, NIKKO ASSET MANAGEMENT GROUP, EGON ZEHNDER INTERNATIONAL, STANDARD AND POOR’S (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, BIG W DISCOUNT STORES, MASTERS HOME IMPROVEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD

Metcash sinks auto sale proceeds into groceries

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 16-Jun-15

Australian-listed Burson Group will pay $A275m for Metcash’s automotive division, whose brands include Autobarn and Midas. The proceeds of the transaction will be used to bolster Metcash’s balance sheet and invest in its grocery business. Meanwhile, Metcash’s 2014-15 underlying net profit was down 17.4 per cent at $A193m, and it has posted a net loss of $A384.2m. EBIT was 16.7 per cent lower at $A325.1m.

CORPORATES
METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, BURSON GROUP LIMITED – ASX BAP, AUTOBARN PTY LTD, MIDAS MUFFLERS, AUTOPRO SERVICES PTY LTD, INDEPENDENT GROCERS OF AUSTRALIA, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, MORGAN STANLEY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, DEUTSCHE BANK AG

Shoes of Prey steps away to LA

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 37 : 16-Jun-15

Online retailer Shoes of Prey will pursue growth in markets such as Asia, Europe and the Middle East, according to co-founder Jodie Fox. However, the US is the Australian company’s primary target for expansion, and as a result it will relocate to Los Angeles. Shoes of Prey’s three co-founders and 20 employees will move to the US, while a number of employees will continue work out of the Sydney office.

CORPORATES
SHOES OF PREY PTY LTD, NORDSTROM INCORPORATED, DAVID JONES LIMITED

Supermarket war delivers welcome boost for advertising

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 15-Jun-15

Grocery wholesaler Metcash has launched a new national marketing campaign with the slogan "It Pays to Shop Independent". Metcash has joined Coles and Woolworths in ramping up its advertising budget amid fierce competition in the supermarket sector. Meanwhile, Metcash is tipped to post a 2014-15 net loss of about $A400m when its financial results are released on 15 June 2015.

CORPORATES
METCASH LIMITED – ASX MTS, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, INDEPENDENT GROCERS OF AUSTRALIA, CITIGROUP PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN CONSUMERS’ ASSOCIATION

Myer C-suite poised to slash asset values

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 23 : 11-Jun-15

The market capitalisation of department store group Myer Holdings is $A795m at present, but the value of its intangible assets exceeds $A930m. Bradley King of Armytage Private suggests that Myer’s new management team could opt for intangible assets and inventory writedowns, while he says a capital raising may also be an option. Recent additions to Myer’s management ranks include new CFO Grant Devonport.

CORPORATES
MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, ARMYTAGE PRIVATE LIMITED, TOLL HOLDINGS LIMITED, VILLAGE ROADSHOW LIMITED – ASX VRL, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, BT INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED – ASX BTT

Retailers duck for cover as global chains battle it out

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 18 : 10-Jun-15

International fast-fashion retailers H&M and Forever 21 will shortly open stores in Sydney’s Pitt Street Mall. The growing presence of offshore retailers has forced Australian rivals such as Just Jeans and Sussan to relinquish space in the prestigious shopping precinct, and experts warn that local retailers’ sales are likely to be adversely affected by the growing competition in the sector. Forever 21 boasts more than 700 stores worldwide, and it will open about 70 outlets in 2015.

CORPORATES
HENNES OCH MAURITZ AB, FOREVER 21 INCORPORATED, ZARA, JUST JEANS PTY LTD, PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV, SUSSAN-SUZANNE GRAE, GLUE, TOPSHOP, COTTON ON, SUPRE PTY LTD, SES, VALLEY GIRL FASHIONS PTY LTD, SHARAF RETAIL, AGENT PROVOCATEUR