Content about Germany

By Greg Kefer, keferg@gtnexus.com

The latest study on the risk posed by supply chain disruptions by Deloitte just hit the news. Executives were surveyed regarding feelings (or fears) about their exposure to unexpected events in their global supply chains. As you can imagine, most feel unprepared and report disruptions have become more costly. Negative outcomes in the global supply chain like costly margin erosion and demand change are all too common for most companies.

London -- Three cities in Germany are ranked the top five European markets for commercial real estate investment, according to a report by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Munich took the top spot in the report, “Emerging Trends in Real Estate Europe 2013,” followed by Berlin, London, Istanbul and Hamburg. The ranking of 27 cities across Europe was based on respondents’ expectations for market performance in 2013.

New York -- More and more retailers are using digital technology to enhance the physical store experience and engage customers. In the latest example, Adidas has taken window shopping to a new level with an interactive digital window concept that connects with consumers’ smartphones, making it easy to shop at any time without an app or scanning various QR codes. Consumers shopping for the latest fashion items are using time during a six-week pilot test at the Adidas NEO Label store-front in Nürnberg, Germany.

Armonk, N.Y. -- Hypermarket chain Real, part of Metro Group, worked with IBM to launch a new electronic coupon system throughout its 320 German stores. This first-of-a-kind digital coupon system, developed with IBM Research scientists, enables consumers to use their mobile phones to find and redeem e-coupons as they shop in stores. It delivers a convenient and personalized service to shoppers, even if they left their paper coupons at home.

Canton, Mass. -- Dunkin' Donuts announced Monday that it has signed a franchisee agreement to expand the brand's presence in Germany.

The new franchisee group, consisting of local businessmen Sadi Sanlav and Mo Rahimi, plans to develop at least 15 new Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in the Frankfurt, Rhine-Main area of Germany over the next five years.
 

Duluth, Ga. -- Airport retailers around the globe are missing out on valuable opportunities to generate more revenue from time-starved and mobile-enabled travelers, according to a recent survey by NCR Corp., a leading provider of airline and airport self-service, retail, wayfinding and mobile solutions.

Atlanta -- CDC Software Corp. announced Tuesday that Hamburg, Germany-based Hermes Fulfilment, part of multichannel retailer Otto Group, is using the cloud-based CDC e-commerce platform to help deliver e-commerce and multichannel retail services to its global customers.

Already, Hermes Fulfilment is using CDC e-commerce to power the online storefront of Wolford, a global manufacturer and marketer of upscale hosiery, lingerie, and ready-to-wear items. CDC e-commerce’s platform is initially being used in Wolford’s online ordering system.

New York City -- Amazon.com said Thursday it is buying Lovefilm, a European movie rental service akin to Netflix, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Lovefilm operates in the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Much like Netflix, it is a subscription-based service through which people can rent movies by mail or watch them on TV or any other device with a high-speed Internet connection. The company also offers TV shows and games.