Weekly Insights Apr 29, 2016

Executive Summary

• The success of the dollar stores has been one element of the recent discount boom in US retail. This week, we crunched some numbers on the biggest dollar stores to assess how much share they have taken in the core grocery category.
• JCPenney announced that it will open 60 additional Sephora shops in its department stores, including a 3,000-square-foot Sephora flagship set to open inside the Salinas, CA J C Penney in November. The partnership began in 2006 and was later extended to include e-commerce. Sephora is now a significant presence on JCPenney’s website.
• French supermarket chain Leclerc has returned to Paris, which it exited 25 years ago. Its new 21,528-square-foot store, which opened on April 20, is located in the city’s burgeoning Rosa Parks neighborhood.
• Zalora, a fashion-focused e-commerce site backed by Rocket Internet, is selling its businesses in Thailand and Vietnam to retailer Central Group, according to multiple sources. The deal is said to be agreed on in principle and currently subject to paperwork and red tape.