Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/617826
he MORe GLOBAL, The MORe COMPLeX: The COunTLess retailers expanding abroad these days confront this reality daily, at times enduring some harsh lessons in international diplomacy along the way. Learning curves are long, selling laws vary, and there are always cultural and language nuances, not to mention quirky zoning laws, regional prod- uct needs and idiosyncratic work ethics. expansion philosophies, too, vary by geography. "The American model is, 'Let's meet and get this done,' while european retailers tend to be more studi- ous," said Michael hirschfeld, co-leader of the JLL national retail tenant services group. either way, international expansion is risky, even for such established retailers as Target, which expanded heavily into Canada, only to have to close its 133 stores there early last year, following some missteps in site selection, pricing and cultural cognizance. There are some retailers, however, that have consistently conquered foreign markets over the years, usually on the strength of clear brand identification, strong local partnerships, good old-fashioned homework and, sometimes, counter- intuitive thinking. Below we highlight six such world-beaters. ☛ T Top of The world The perils are many for reTailers venTuring abroad, buT They were no maTch for These six global conquerors By Steve McLinden J a n u a r y 2 0 1 6 / S C T 29 i l l u s T r a T i o n : p e T e r M c d o n n e l l / l i n d a r e p s