RETAIL TRADE – AUSTRALIA

Dollar’s fall lifts retailers’ spirits

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Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 21 : 10-Dec-14

The latest Deloitte Access Economics retail forecasts study shows that the sector can expect higher margins during the 2014 Christmas period, due to the fall of the Australian dollar against the US currency. The overall sales growth figure for the calendar year is tipped to be 5.4%, compared with 3% on average per annum since 2010. The Australian National Retailers Association (ANRA) also forecasts turnover in the second week of December to reach $A7.6bn. However ANRA CEO Anna McPhee notes that retail sector margins have declined in the past three years

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL RETAILERS ASSOCIATION LIMITED, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Catalogues hit the mark with shoppers

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 9-Dec-14

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 53 per cent of Australians aged 14+ read one or more store catalogues in an average week during the year to September 2014. Some 56 per cent bought a product as a result of seeing it in a catalogue. The survey also shows that 41 per cent of Australians read supermarket catalogues in an average week, and 58 per cent of these people buy items from the catalogues. Meanwhile, 38 per cent of readers buy something from a chemist’s catalogue, followed by liquor store catalogues (33 per cent)

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, DICK SMITH HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX DSH, WESFARMERS BUNNINGS LIMITED, IKEA TRADING PTY LTD

Shoes of Prey closes $6.5m Series A round with Khosla Ventures

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Original article by Caitlin Fitzsimmons
BRW – Page: online : 3-Dec-14

Australian online retailer Shoes of Prey has raised $US5.5 million ($A6.5 million) in new venture capital. Companies and individuals that participated in the funding initiative included Khosla Ventures, Blackbird Ventures, Bonobos CEO Andy Dunn, ThirdLove co-founders David Spector and Heidi Zak, Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes, and Bill Tai from Southern Cross Venture Partners. The new funds will be used to finance expansion in the US and to construct a new factory in China

CORPORATES
SHOES OF PREY PTY LTD, SOUTHERN CROSS VENTURE PARTNERS PTY LTD, ATLASSIAN SOFTWARE SYSTEMS PTY LTD, KHOSLA VENTURES, BLACKBIRD VENTURES PTY LTD, BONOBOS INCORPORATED, THIRDLOVE

Woolies defies critics with profit guidance

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Original article by Andrew Fraser
The Australian – Page: 21 : 28-Nov-14

The stock of retailing sector group Woolworths on 27 November 2014 closed 2.16% higher at $A31.75, following comments made by chair Ralph Waters at its AGM. He told investors that the company was maintaining its forecast of 2014-15 net profit growth between 4% and 7%. CEO Grant O’Brien also noted the improving performance of the Dan Murphy’s liquor stores chain, Masters hardware joint venture and New Zealand supermarkets division. Waters sought to discount the competitive threat potentially posed by rival Aldi

CORPORATES
WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, MASTERS HOME IMPROVEMENT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, DAN MURPHY’S, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION, TESCO PLC, J SAINSBURY PLC, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX

Australia’s online shoppers more likely to buy local

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 26-Nov-14

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 38 per cent of Australians aged 14+ bought one or more products via the internet in an average four-week period in the year to September 2014. Some 64 per cent of these people used Australian websites, while 39 per cent shopped at overseas websites. Books and ebooks are the most popular items bought from overseas online retailers, while tickets to movies and other events are the items most frequently purchased from Australian sites

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED, THE BOOK DEPOSITORY LIMITED, AUSTRALIA POST

Harvey unfazed by ‘first strike’

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Original article by Eli Greenblat
The Australian – Page: 23 : 26-Nov-14

The remuneration report of retailing group Harvey Norman at its 25 November 2014 AGM was rejected by 282.5 million stockholder votes and approved by just 90 million. The resulting "first strike" under Australian executive pay laws has been labelled irrelevant by chair Gerry Harvey, who also owns 30% of the business and cannot vote that bloc. The salary increase of over 40% for CEO Katie Page had triggered a recommendation for a "no" vote by proxy advisory firm Ownership Matters. Meanwhile Harvey Norman will source $A120.7m in fresh capital from existing investors at $A2.50 a share

CORPORATES
HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, OWNERSHIP MATTERS PTY LTD

Vacuum cleaner doyen has Alan Bond moment

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 20 : 26-Nov-14

Vacuum cleaner retailing chain Godfreys is preparing for an IPO, with a listing date of 10 December 2014 and an issue price per share of $A2.75. It aims to raise $A78m, down from an initial target of as high as $A103m for the company with 209 stores. A stake of 8% will be held by CEO Tom Krulis and one of 20.2% by the current owner and original co-founder in 1936, John Johnston. The latter reacquired the business for a rumoured $A100m in 2011, having sold it for $A300m in 2006 to private equity firms Pacific Equity Partners and Unitas Capital

CORPORATES
GODFREYS, PACIFIC EQUITY PARTNERS PTY LTD, UNITAS CAPITAL PARTNERS PTY LTD, NOMURA AUSTRALIA LIMITED, INVESTEC AUSTRALIA LIMITED, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

Wesfarmers off to good start: Goyder

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Original article by Sue Mitchell, Julie-Anne Sprague
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 20 : 21-Nov-14

Wesfarmers chairman Bob Every has told the group’s annual meeting that its total shareholder return has significantly outperformed the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 over the last decade. MD Richard Goyder said the conglomerate’s retail operations have generally performed well so far in 2014-15, particularly the Coles and Bunnings businesses. Goyder also downplayed speculation that the cashed-up group could pursue acquisitions. Wesfarmers shares closed $A0.79 lower at $A42.10

CORPORATES
WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WESFARMERS BUNNINGS LIMITED, TARGET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, PACIFIC BRANDS LIMITED – ASX PBG, AUSTRALIAN FOOD AND GROCERY COUNCIL, HEALTHSCOPE LIMITED – ASX HSO, JB HI-FI LIMITED – ASX JBH, ORICA LIMITED – ASX ORI, COATES HIRE LIMITED, ELDERS LIMITED – ASX ELD, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, THE GOOD GUYS, THE MUIR ELECTRICAL COMPANY PTY LTD, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, COSTCO WHOLESALE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, TESCO PLC, MORRISONS, ASDA GROUP PLC, PERTH CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE

Big retailers warn of chill to competition

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Original article by Katie Walsh
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 19-Nov-14

An Australian National Retailers Association (ANRA) submission to the Harper review of competition law has expressed concern about the proposed "effects test". It warns that this would adversely affect competition and would have no long-term benefit for consumers. The ANRA has supported some of the other recommendations of the review, while small retailers say the proposal to deregulate trading hours will ultimately increase the dominance of retail giants Coles and Woolworths

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL RETAILERS ASSOCIATION LIMITED, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, WESFARMERS BUNNINGS LIMITED, HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, INDEPENDENT GROCERS OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN CONSUMERS’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN TAXI INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

The Iconic offers last-minute delivery

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 21 : 5-Nov-14

The Iconic has responded to consumer demand by delivering goods to customers on Saturdays. The online clothing retailer also hopes to increase sales by offering same-day delivery on weekdays until Christmas Eve. MD Adam Jacobs notes that the online retail sector is enjoying growth of 14-15 per cent, and he expects this growth to continue. He also expects The Iconic to become profitable much more quickly than most e-commerce businesses

CORPORATES
THEICONIC.COM.AU, INTERNET SERVICES AUSTRALIA 1 PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA POST, STAR TRACK EXPRESS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION