Welcome back to your first day at work. Here are the stories you missed in between Christmas pudding and New Year bubbles.
1. Honey Birdette sees 500 customers queuing for US debut
Honey Birdette's first US store, located in Westfield Century City Los Angeles, saw more than 500 shoppers queue for the opening in late December. The store includes exclusive and limited-edition merchandise, whiskey bar carts and a 'press for champagne' button. The intimate apparel retailer operates 57 Australian stores, three UK sites and has plans to expand across major US cities.
2. Kathmandu takes a hit over the festive break
After a record-breaking sales run, outdoor retailer Kathmandu posted "disappointing" trading results over the traditionally lucrative holiday period. Year on year, same store sales fell 1% for the 22 weeks ending December 30. “Following strong same store sales growth in Q1, we are disappointed in trading results in Australia and New Zealand over the Christmas and Boxing Day period,” Kathmandu chief executive Xavier Simonet said.
3. Pandora Australia gets a new chief
Pandora has announced Phil McNutt (pictured) as its new MD for Australia and New Zealand. McNutt takes over from Mikael Kruse, who is moving to Germany to take up the role as MD for Northern Europe. Pandora Asia Pacific president Kenneth Madsen welcomed the new recruit. “Phil is an enthusiastic, hands-on career retailer who has held executive roles in North America, Asia and over the past 11 years served as president of Sunglass Hut Australia and New Zealand, overseeing the business doubling in size.”
4. Western Australia plastic ban goes live
As of January 1, the use of plastic bags in Western Australia has been banned. Retailers can no longer offer customers lightweight plastic bags when shopping in stores, with substantial fines and operational penalties for law breakers. The ban applies to all facets of retail, from supermarkets to fashion retailers.