RETAIL/CONSUMER GOODS

Kristina Keneally, Premier of New South Wales, has made a visit to Shanghai’s Bright Foods Store to see for herself how NSW’s Hunter Valley wine is doing in the Chinese market, currently the fourth biggest export line for Australia’s wine.

Sales figures for Australian supermarket chains Coles and Woolworths (ASX: WOW) will be studied over the next two weeks to measure the effect of the marketing war waged between the two in the last six months.

Cotton On, the clothing firm based in Victoria, has paid back about $300,000 to thousands of workers that have been underpaid.

International fast-fashion brand Zara is heading for Australia next year, according to parent Inditex, one of the world's largest retail clothing group based in Spain.

A sluggish morning trading affected Australia's stock market S&P/ASX 200 Index as it declined 0.3 percent to 4,397.50 as of 12:48 p.m. in Sydney. New Zealand's NZX 50 Index shed off 0.3 percent to 3,004.56 in Wellington.

DuluxGroup Limited has performed solidly on its own in its ASX (Australian Securities Exchange) debut on Monday.

The ARA (Australian Retailers Association) has given out a warning to retailers to speed up the new award salary payments, as the Fair Work Ombudsman starts its rounds on randomly picked stores across Australia.

Australia's S&P/ASX200 was little changed at 4,396.40 as of 10:41 a.m. in Sydney. New Zealand's NZX 50 Index was little changed at 3,005.38 in Wellington.

Australia’s surfing RTW retailer, Billabong has announced plans of acquiring a California-based “progressive” clothing label, RVCA, for an amount yet to be disclosed.

Australia's biggest liquor maker Foster's Group Ltd is expected to continue selling its wine unit even as it has returned to growth after more than a year of decline.

Healthcare and industrial products maker Ansell Ltd has created four global business units as a result of its company-wide review, and consequent efforts to grow through acquisitions.

National Australia Ltd.'s bid for AXA Asia Pacific Holdings faces a new setback as the regulator shelved its decision until September.

Auckland International Airport Ltd. will invest NZ$27.7 million ($19 million) buying a 25 percent stake in Queenstown Airport, which has the nation's fourth-largest number of international visitors.

Sigma Pharmaceuticals Ltd is considering an updated acquisition offer of 55 cents cash per share, from South African bidder Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Ltd.

Harvey Norman Holdings is set to deliver a cheque for more than $55 million today to seal the deal involving its takeover of more than 30 branches in the Clive Peeters retail chain.

Brand-new car sales struck a record monthly high in June, with private buyers returning to the market.

Motorola announced on Thursday that the company would be divided into two separate entities by next year, with one division focusing on handset developments and the other training its attention on professional safety equipments.

Household goods retailer Harvey Norman will acquire most of the branches of its falling competitor Clive Peeters for $55 million. Clive Peeters receiver and manager Phil Carter announced this morning that details are still being finalised, with the number and location of the stores to be disclosed next week.

Grocery and liquor wholesaler Metcash is acquiring Franklins supermarket chain for $215 million, increasing 85 branches in New South Wales.

Shanghai-based Bright Food is on its way to signing a contract with Australian conglomerate CSR over the sale of the latter's Sucrogen. Reports suggested a settlement could be reached as soon as today.

Australia's largest brewer Foster's Group Ltd could save up to $150 million (US$130 million) by putting its Abbotsford plant in Melbourne on sale, Merrill Lynch analysts said.

Apple contractor Foxconn has started instituting precautionary and even bizarre measures to protect its workers and business in the aftermath of reported nine suicides this year at the company’s giant facility in southern China.

Department stores operator Myer Holdings has expressed confidence on Monday that it is en route to a previously established full year earnings guidance of $3.33 billion amidst anticipated sales slow downs as the company enters a much challenging fourth quarter.

Beverage giant Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd (CCA) has informed company shareholders that it is currently trading on solid grounds as it reaffirmed its previous sales guidance while projecting at the same time that the company is most likely headed to single-digit growth for the first half of 2010.

Curtain manufacturer and retailer Kresta Holdings Ltd has reported Wednesday of an expectedly higher full year 2010 result following a five percent surge of up to $29.5 million on its third quarter sales for this fiscal year alone.

Samsung Group announced Tuesday that it is set to invest a total of $US20 billion in healthcare and green energy sectors by 2020, which would create thousands of new jobs as company chairman Lee Kun-Hee hinted that governments around the world are channelling billions to sustainable energy over concerns on the planets dwindling resources.

Consumer electronics retailer JB Hi-Fi reaffirmed its sales guidance Friday of close to $3 billion even as its March and April sales failed to hit marked expectations and reflected the dwindling effects of government stimulus programs and increasing interest rates.

Shopping centre giant Westfield Group has reconfirmed its 2010 guidance on Tuesday and revealed of new development projects in Australia and the US that could reach $1 billion even as slowed down sales and lacklustre growths were seen on the company’s local and worldwide operation.

A survey made by consumer credit company Veda Advantage showed that applications for residential mortgage fell in the first quarter after the government's first home owner's grant was reverted to its pre-financial crisis levels.