1 美国主要零售商在英国真能成功吗.doc

1. Will Major US Retailers Ever Make It Big in Britain? 美国主要零售商在英国真能成功吗?After taking a brief hiatus to weather the recession, an invasion of Britain by some of America’s best-known retail brands – including Best Buy, Banana Republic and Forever 21 – is back on the march. And early reports from the front line in the land of shopkeepers indicate that, unlike with earlier attempts by US retailers to break Britain, British consumers are welcoming the invaders with open arms – and wallets. That’s not always been the case. While the British public has long had an appetite for American fast-food vendors, the record of US retailers who have tried to make it big in Britain is mixed. But the latest arrivals enter the market as already established brands with built-in consumer awareness, thanks to the dominance of US culture in media and online. And they satisfy British shoppers’ desire for “something new”, says analyst Natalie Berg, of London-based consultants Planet Retail. “They all bring a cult aspect” to the UK high street. Best Buy – America’s largest consumer – electronics chain – kicked off the latest rush into the British market in May, when it opened its first-ever UK store. The 4,650-sq-m big-box outlet in the London suburb of Thurrock is the first of eight to ten stores Best Buy expects to open in the country this year. And it has proved an impressive beachhead: in terms of sales volume, that first weekend was the chain’s biggest opening weekend in its 27-year history. “We had strong expectations,” says Paul Antoniadis, CEO of Best Buy UK (who won’t reveal how much they took in over those first three days). “But the actual delivery was brilliant.” For some US stores, this will be their first foray into the UK Following in Best Buy’s footsteps isCalifornia-basedForever2, which specializes in cheap, trendy clothes for young women and will open its first UK branch in Birmingham, northern England, in November. But for others, now is the time to expand on past success. Hollister, which is owned by Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) had proved extremely popular in Britain since it launched its first surf-shack-chic store in London in 2008. Hollister rode the recession like it was the perfect wave. Despite the economic downturn, it opened 11 more store across the UK over the past two years, most recently in April. As a result, A&F reports that average sales volume for Hollister’s British stores is six times the level of its US stores. Meanwhile, Gap-owned Banana Republic, which debuted in London in 2008, opened its second and third stores in the city in December 2009 and April this year. Even in what was a tough year for retailers of all nationalities, Banana Republic’s total UK net sales in fiscal 2009 hit $24 million, up from $23 million a year earlier. What’s the attraction? Britain boasts an overall retail market worth around $415 billion – a tempting target. The UK is also a good launchpad for further expansions into continental Europe. Moreover, thanks to growing online sales, US retailers no longer have to blanket Blighty with shops to achieve full market penetration. They can open a few flagship stores in key cities, and back them up with a strong web presence, which in turn reduces overheads and risk. The internet also provides a strong prelaunch marketing tool: Best Buy set up a UK website back in January that featured blogs, forums and advice, and used social-networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to build anticipation for the Thurrock launch. And there’s a new, post downturn draw too: cheaper rents. UK retail rents have historically been sky high, particularly in London. Now many landlords – hit by a raft of vacancies – are willing to bargain. While the invasion is off to strong start, US retailers shouldn’t consider Britain a sure thing. UK retailing is a highly mature market that’s brutally competitive, particularly now as retailers battle to entice credit-crunched shoppers back into shops. “It’s probably not a great time (to enter the British market),” says Sarah Peters, an analyst at British retailing consultants Verdict Research, “But I’m not sure if there is ever a good time.” Indeed, Britain’s retailing landscape is littered with the bones of successful US retailers who stumbled badly when they crossed the Atlantic. Limited Brands, in conjunction with British fashion chain Next, failed in an attempt in the 1990s to transplant Bath & Body Works to Britain. And Whole Foods Market, which opened a massive food emporium in London in 2007, lost around $52million in the British capital last year, thanks in part to formidable competition from mainstream British supermarket chains that are already well stocked with organic groceries. If this latest flock of US retailers does well in the UK, it will likely be because they offer British shoppers something completely different. Forever 21, for example, will face resistance from established, strong domes。