Metro AG appoints Media-Saturn COO Pieter Haas as Management Board member in charge for Media-Saturn and Business Innovation, effective from Q2 2013.

The move extends the Metro AG board to 5 members and underlines the "high strategic significance" of Media-Saturn for the Group.

"We are pleased that, with Pieter Haas, we are able to welcome a proven expert of the Media-Saturn business on the Metro AG Management Board," supervisory board chairman Franz Markus Haniel says.

Haas joined Media-Saturn Continue reading...

Darty appoints a new CEO-- Régis Schultz from French furniture and electrical retailer BUT, who starts leadership duties from 1 May 2013.

Schultz was BUT CEO since 2008, where he led "major" product offer and store format renewals. He was also CEO at Kingfisher DIY business B&Q. Back in the day Schultz was also 16th best tennis player in France.

He takes over from Finance Director Dimonic Platt, who was interim CEO after the September 2012 stepping down of Thierry Falque-Pierrotin due to shareholder Continue reading...

Dixons Retail-owned PIXmania bids farewell to brick-and-mortar retail in Spain, France, Belgium and Portugal in order to concentrate efforts on its online operations.

The retailer blames the closures on the current state of the market, which, as CEO Phil Birbeck puts it "forced [PIXmania] to reassess its goals." Fiscal H1 2013 saw Dixons paying off a £45.2 million writedown in the "goodwill value" of the struggling retailer, whose sales dropped by -15% Y-o-Y for the period.

Dixons took full of Continue reading...

HMV Canada owner Hilco UK rescues HMV after it buys the bank debts (reportedly for around £40 million) of the ailing entertainment retailer.

Hilco does not actually own HMV now-- but it has the power to effectively take control of the retailer. Rival bidders for HMV would also need Hilco agreement.

According to the Financial Times HMV net debt currently reaches £120m, following the holiday trading period.

HMV administrator Deloitte says "the administrators will work closely with [Hilco], as Continue reading...

Chinese CE retailer Gome exits Hong Kong retail-- it will close 6 HK stores on February 1 and its flagship Causeway Bay store on March 16, the South China Morning Post reports.

The closures affect around 100 employees.

Following the breaking of the news, the retailer insists the Hong Kong Gome stores "do not form part of the [Gome] Group" and the move does not impact Chinese group operations.

A Gome statement to the South China Morning Post simply describes the move as "a change of direction Continue reading...

Apple VP of retail and potential division SVP candidate Jerry McDougal resigns, the company confirms to AllThingsD, as the search for a new head of Apple retail continues.

Replacing McDougal is 15-year Apple veteran and VP of finance Jim Bean.

The company gives no reasons for McDougal's resignation, and unnamed sources only say he wants to "spend more time with his family."

“Retail has an incredibly strong network of leaders at the store and regional level, and they will continue the excellent wo Continue reading...

Another UK retailer enters administration in the first days of 2013-- entertainment chain HMV, following the refusal of suppliers to answer a request for £300 million in funding.

Deloitte (fresh from the Comet failure) takes over administration duties.

The retailer faces a potential banking agreement breach, and is in discussion with banks and key stakeholders. As a result HMV shares are out of the London Stock Exchange.

HMV stores will continue trading, even if over 4000 jobs are at risk Continue reading...

Camera retailer Jessops is the first retail casualty of 2013-- administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) shut down all 187 stores with the loss of around 1370 jobs.

The Jessops online store is also down, and further job losses will take place at the Leicester head office.

Founded in 1935 by Frank Jessop, the retailer broke down after a poor holiday season and growing competition from the usual suspects, online retailers and supermarkets.

Customers also increasingly prefer smartphones to cameras Continue reading...