What: The retailer won 4 awards for mall of the year, brand transformation of the year, store of the year and supermarket of the year

Why it is important: More than 200 projects from 15 countries across Asia have been submitted.

Awards

Mall of the year for THE MALL LIFESTORE NGARMWONGWAN

Brand transformation of the year for THE MALL LIFESTORE NGARMWONGWAN

Store of the year for THE MALL LIFESTORE NGARMWONGWAN

Supermarket of the year for GOURMET MARKET THAILAND

The Mall Group wins big at 2021 Retail Asia Awards 

What: Peter Fabricius, formerly CFO of Magasin du Nord, is appointed CEO.

Why it is important: The new owners of Magasin du Nord did not come with the idea to challenge what had been built so far by the existing team, and the appointment of Mr Fabricius show the trust placed in the existing strategy.

Following the purchase of IADS member Magasin du Nord by Peek & Cloppenburg, "changes in the continuity" are taking place at the top management. Peter King leaves the CEO seat to Peter Fabricius, who joined Magasin du Nord in 2005 and was appointed CFO in 2009. Mr King remains in an advisory position to Magasin du Nord.

Peter Fabricius appointed CEO of Magasin du Nord

What: SM Markets, the supermarket business of SM, is ''Here to Serve' the needs of the local economy as it increases support for food businesses carried in its stores.

Why it is important: Restaurants remained closed due to the long and strict lockdowns. SM supports the community by carrying its partner restaurants' products in its stores (ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat meals).

SM Markets supported its micro, small and medium (MSME) suppliers' operations. It worked closely with its supply chain partners as well to keep its shelves stocked and enhanced its product range to provide essential items for its customers.

SM Markets' "Here to Serve"

What: The Retail Design Institute has named 25 winners in its 50th annual design competition.

Why it is important: Retail projects opened in 2020 (January 1 through December 31) were competing and represent design achievement in categories ranging from pop-up stores to fine dining. This year's competition attracted submissions from 62 retail teams around the globe.

The winning projects make up the Institute's "Class of 2020" — projects represent the "best of the best" stores opened in 2020. The Institute's annual "class" represents the best of the best regardless of store format or retail merchandise/service classification.

El Palacio de Hierro renovated Perisur store

Institute's 50th International Design Competition Winners Announced

What: SM Markets (the mother brand of SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket, and Savemore Market) will serve more communities around the country as it expands its presence online.

Why it is important: SM Markets online (https://smmarkets.ph/) is currently available in 70 branches in Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao and key cities in Luzon and Visayas. It is targeting to be available in 100 locations covering most of the key areas in the country by the end of 2021.

SM Markets Online showcases all basic necessities as well as select premium or specialty items. Pick-up or delivery and cash or card payment options are available to customers. SM Markets is also available through the ShopSM Super App recently launched in September through Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. SM Markets Online also provides multiple payment options including GrabPay.

SM Markets also bolstered its omni-channel presence with its recent partnership with GrabMart allowing customers to have their orders delivered in just an hour. It is also looking at tapping other digital platforms to provide a more personalized shopping experience as well as expanding its collection points across its store portfolio.

SM Markets increases digital presence

What: Galeries Lafayette will install a free roller dance track with cult music from Disney+.

Why it is important: Galeries Lafayette extends their Christmas celebration inviting customers to enjoy a wacky toy adventure in the heart of a cosmic Christmas village.

The roller-skating track will be installed on the 4th floor of the Paris Haussmann location. The area will be a life-sized playground inviting visitors of all ages to dance and roller skate to music from Disney+ films and series.

Galeries Lafayette Haussmann to install a free roller-skate dance track

What: Marcin Winkler, until recently head of digital at Avon, has taken the position of general manager for the retailer's new Polish branch.

Why it is important: Breuninger just launched its online store in Poland. Marcin Winkler will be responsible for the company's expansion in Central and Eastern Europe.

Until September this year, Marcin Winkler was the head of digital department and a member of the management board at Avon Cosmetics Polska. He worked here for three years. During this period, he managed Avon's digital transformation. He was responsible for the development and implementation of the company's digital strategy, managed e-commerce activities in B2B and B2C channels and performance marketing. He joined Avon from Azagroup, where he spent nearly two years as vice president.

Beruninger's general manager

What: SM Prime Holdings, one of the leading integrated property developers in Southeast Asia, opens SM City Daet on 15 October, its newest and first mall in Daet (Province of Camarines) Norte. This is also the Company's third mall in the Bicol Region, which will add 47,000 square meters (sqm.) of gross floor area (GFA) in its mall portfolio.

Why it is important: SM City Daet will have three levels of shopping, dining and entertainment destinations and opens with more than 70% of space leased.

SM City Daet will also have SM Foodcourt, Cyberzone, wellness, specialty, sports and hobbies shops to offer further selections to its diners and shoppers. This new mall will also provide parking space for various types of vehicles for enhanced mall experience. Meanwhile, the SM Cinema and other amusement centres will be open to the public once allowed to operate.

SM Prime to open new mall

What: Falabella seeks to boost female leadership and cut the pay gap between men and women as part of its inclusive culture. The retailer will increase women's participation in executive and managerial positions by 40% by 2022.

Why it is important: Falabella is working on various initiatives to promote women leadership and an inclusive culture. In addition, they are also reinforcing benefits to give them a work-life balance. To fully achieve inclusion in the work environment, Falabella is tasked with constantly updating its policies and procedures, as well as enhancing measures to attract talent.

Falabella indicated that the idea is to give women the same opportunities that men have and reduce wage gaps. He also stated that of the company's almost 3,000 executives, only 36% are women, so they want to increase gender participation in jobs to 40% by 2022.

Falabella seeks to boost female leadership 

What: El Corte Inglés, Enagás and Ilunion launch a sustainable logistics project with social impact.

Why it is important: This collaboration will materialize through Llewo, a company owned by Enagás and Ilunion, which is specialized in social and eco-sustainable logistics management in Spain.

Llewo will assume the last mile logistics of El Corte Inglés in a series of selected locations, and will progressively expand the distribution coverage to the entire national territory. Thanks to this alliance, more than 150 direct jobs will be generated, among people dedicated to distribution and warehouse management.

El Corte Inglés is committed to both sustainable logistics and the diversity and employability of disadvantaged groups. This alliance is a first step in a long-term collaboration for both companies.

The goal is to work together to evolve and grow the last mile from a sustainable and social point of view.

These types of alliances are framed within the policy of commitment to society developed by El Corte Inglés, and in the spirit of closeness that it maintains with the concerns of citizens.

El Corte Inglés launches a sustainable logistics project 

What: From 20 September to 3 October, Polanco store welcomed a Miss Dior pop up store.

Why it is important: The pop up involved a 360° marketing activation with a dedicated hashtag on Instagram, an immersive experience, a Miss Dior coffee shop and a limited edition dessert coming as a GWP.

What: The 34 stores in Chile, Colombia and Peru received the international certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), a distinction granted by the U.S. Green Building Council (Usgbc), an organization that aims to promote sustainable construction and development.

Why it is important: The company also works so that the waste from its activities, services and products does not reach landfill, with a focus on recycling and reuse to reduce greenhouse gases. Falabella is also promoting a culture of reduction, use and recycling of waste among all employees.

The retailer displays specific information so that customers know Falabella's commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency.

In addition and as previously announced, 240 of its stores and facilities in Chile and Peru will be supplied with renewable energy by the first half of 2022.

Falabella accounts for 34 certified sustainable stores 

What: Falabella continues to bet on the development of the business in Latin America, as the Chilean company declared that it will finance the expansion of Pismo, the Brazilian payment processing startup, "through participation in a round of capital raising."

Why it is important: This new investment is part of the fund that Falabella set to invest in different ventures in 2021. The Chilean company plans to continue deepening and creating alliances with technological start-ups to improve its value proposition.

Pismo is a company that has a presence in Brazil, the United Kingdom and the United States and with the collection of USD 108 million from Falabella the company estimates to expand its operations in the other parts of Latin America.

Falabella buys Brazilian payment start-up 

What: As of 1 December 2021, Prof. Michael Cesarz will be appointed as the new Chief Real Estate Officer of the Breuninger Management Board. He replaces Ulrich Wölfer, who is leaving the company at his own request.

Why it is important: The new executive will be in charge of the operation and further development of all Breuninger locations including the Breuninger Shopping malls, the Breuninger sales outlets and the Dorotheen Quartier. In addition, there is the planning and implementation of new major projects, such as the Goldbach Quartier in Sindelfingen, the Mobility Hub in Stuttgart or the expansion of the Breuninger logistics center in Sachsenheim.

With Prof. Michael Cesarz, who completed his architectural studies at RWTH Aachen University, Breuninger was able to win over a proven real estate expert. Prof. Cesarz has many years of experience in the field of real estate and has held leading positions at Metro Group and Majid Al Futtaim in Dubai, among others. Most recently, he was CEO of thyssenkrupp -MULTI®-, a company of Thyssenkrupp Elevator AG.

As of December 1, 2021, the Breuninger Executive Board will thus consist of Holger Blecker (Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Executive Board), Marcus Weller (Chief Financial Officer), Sandra Hartmann (Chief Merchandising Officer), Benjamin Fuest (Chief Sales Officer), Dr. Frank Postel (Chief Technology Officer), Dr. Felix Kreyer (Chief Customer Officer) and now Prof. Michael Cesarz (Chief Real Estate Officer).

Change in the Breuninger management

What: Reinaldo Solari, the former president of the retailer, has died at the age of 96. Undoubtedly, an outstanding professional who helped Falabella to take off internationally.

Why it is important: The executive assumed the direction of the group with his nephew, Juan Cúneo Solari in 1980. Both launched CMR, Falabella's credit card, and boosted international expansion in Peru, Argentina, Brazil and Colombia.

Reinaldo Solari from Falabella dies

What: The retailer creates an experiential showroom where professionals will be shown El Corte Inglés' toys as well as the latest trends. The immersive showroom will then be replicated this Christmas in some stores.

Why it is important: El Corte Inglés has completed the reorganization of its own brand of toys, which went from several labels to a single brand, "El Corte Inglés". In addition, the packaging and design of these toys has been renewed following current trends.

All products can be found in store and some additional ones are only available on the web and app. This year new categories are added such as children's scientific toys, crochet stuffed animals, rag dolls... Toy references are reviewed every year and production is based on trends and new developments that exist in the market. A review process in which the areas of quality, creativity, marketing and purchasing work together.

With an eye on sustainability, the company pays special attention to the production of toys. El Corte Inglés has an extensive development in sustainable toys of its own brand, which has become a key pillar in this year's strategy.

El Corte Inglés toys' private brand

What: The "Valentino: Re-Signify Part Two Beijing" interactive experience, which follows a first event in Shanghai, will be unveiled on 16 October and will be open to the public until 7 November at SKP in Beijing.

Why it is important: In addition to the interactive experience covering a 43,200 square feet space, Valentino is also launching an excluisve SKP capsule collection.

For the event at SKP, the curators worked to showcase three Valentino pillars, the V logo, the atelier and the signature stud. Clothes from the Act Collection, the couture and the archive will be on display with the art creating "an optical illusion, a reflection, a mirage," said Valentino, playing with "light, shadows, darkness and the way in which the light interacts with materials and with the surfaces."

The curators worked with 18 artists, including, in addition to Zhen and Amaro, Cao Fei; Liu Shiyuan; Cheng Ran; Shen Xin; Xu Wenkai/Aaajiao; Wu Rui; Azuma Makoto; Yeesookyung; Robby Müller; Robert Del Naja; Nick Knight; Pajama; Jacopo Benassi; Jonas Mekas, and Alessandro Teoldi and Caroline Hu, who created two dresses together with Piccioli, developing the flower theme dear to the Italian designer.

In Mainland China there are 27 Valentino directly operated stores and five franchised units. The brand sees new opportunities in China in cities such as Shenzhen in 2022; Wuhan in 2023, and Guangzhou.

SKP & Valentino

What: The retailer unveiled the first store in Cusco.

Why it is important:  Such opening required a USD 6.5 million investment and offer a total surface of 5,826 square meters.

This store includes led screens, self-checkout counters, kiosks for consumers to get the best online shopping experience. Sales associates will be equipped with mobile devices, which will help them to offer a faster and more personalized experience to customers.

The store plans to create 150 jobs directly and more than 100 jobs indirectly.

Falabella opens its 31st store in Peru

What: Three weeks after the presentation of the renewed site, the marketplace has seen growth in the main categories, construction, security and gardening being the most successful ones, with a 200% growth in sales.

Why it is important: The new e-commerce platform has experienced exponential growth in both sales and visits.

The categories that has increased its sales the most are construction and hardware, with a growth of 294% in sales, followed by security (242%) and gardening (238%). Food and beverages grew 179%, pets 108%.

Fiscal support with the three withdrawals from pension funds allowed by the Chillean government and the end of quarantines are support the overall consumption. During the second quarter of the year, Falabella achieved the highest online sales in its history, with a GMV (Gross Merchandise Volume) of USD 1,212 million and an annual growth of 38%, which translates into almost 10 million home delivery orders in the region. For its part, during the same period of time, the marketplace reached USD 238 million, equivalent to a growth of 15% per year. The GMV of the company reaches USD 4.1 billion in the last 12 months.

The renewal of Falabella.com: What are the best-selling categories?

What: The new logistic centre will help the company reducing its delivery times by 70%, meaning that deliveries in Lima may be in less than 24 hours and 48 hours in the interior of the country.

Why it is important: It has been three years since the Falabella group bought the marketplace Linio.com. Since then, both companies established synergies and reinforced their online power. The goal is to unify all the brands of the group (Sodimac, Tottus, Falabella and Linio) as it's already the case in Chile.

The new 9,200 sqm warehouse will also allow companies selling through falabella.com marketplaces to benefit from logistics facilities, from product storage to national distribution.

According to Linio, it is expected to triple the volume of current shipments and reduce delivery times to the interior of the country by 70%, going from four days on average to only 48 hours. It is also estimated that 85% of deliveries will be made in less than 24 hours in the capital. Until January the marketplace was gathering 1,600 'sellers'. It now accounts for more than 2,000 (in addition to the Falabella brands).

NEWS Linio, part of the Falabella group, opens a new warehouse in Peru

What: IADS members have been nominated on various shortlists at World Retail Congress' World Retail Awards.

Why it is important: The awards spotlight individuals, teams, and brands that excelled in 2020, despite the difficult situation.

Check out the nominees and their categories below.

World Retail Awards Shortlist

What: In addition to contactless payments through a QR code, Fpay will allow consumers to make free money transfers to cell phone contacts. Users of the application will also be able to manage debit and credit cards from the app, providing flexibility to organize payments and purchases.

Why it is important: Fpay will allows users to make purchases with a QR code in physical and online stores of the Falabella Group (Falabella, Tottus, Sodimac, Linio, Fazil and Sodimac.com) and associated stores, such as Passline, Amphora and Footlose, among others.

The application is available for free on the App Store & Google Play, and users can accumulate extra CMR points while using it. Fpay is also available in Chile and soon in Colombia.

Falabella's digital wallet adds new features in Peru

What: The concept launches ahead of Beijing Winter Olympics (4 to 20 February 2022). It will also be put on display as a part of the SKP exhibition at the China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing.

Why it important: Sport competitions are a great opportunity to drive additional traffic and turnover in stores thanks to animations and related merchandise. Related to this topic, your association will ask members what they will do for the FIFA Soccer world championship happening end of 2022.

Following a series of outdoor-themed pop-ups with dedicated collections on offer across the world, the brand unveiled its latest "Prada on Ice" pop-up in Beijing's SKP's atrium. It will then be rolled out to other locations across the world.

Mannequins were reconfigured into athletic poses to showcase the special collection, which includes sports accessories like skis, snowboards, sledges and snowshoes; accessories such as ski goggles, ski boot bags and sleeping bags, and performance garments including oversize patterned polyester jackets, double-printed jersey outfits and mountain-inspired cashmere sweaters.

'Prada on Ice' Lands on SKP Ahead of Beijing Winter Olympics

What: Breuninger kicked off its virtual season with the second edition of the online format "Shop the Look"

Why it is important: Breuninger is betting on digital events to connect with their customers as well as extend the omnichannel offer seamlessly.

On 9 September, Breuninger kicked off the autumn and winter 2021 season virtually in a digital fashion show. The location of the show was at the Mercedes-Benz Museum Stuttgart and was moderated by Rabea Schif and Lisa Banholzer.

All styles could be bought in the online shop at breuninger.com while they were broadcasted on the fashion show. In addition, every viewer can interact live with the Breuninger fashion experts via a chat function.

The virtual fashion show follows another fashion event held by Breuninger on the weekend of September 3rd and 4th where Breuninger offered a weekend long event hosting seven fashion shows on a floating open-air runway on the water at the Düsseldorf flagship.

Breuninger presents the autumn / winter highlights 2021