Blog of laurent Dusausoy, it's all about branding and brand equity

You, as a retailer, you want to develop your brand abroad.  The question is to know where to expand your business, in what region of the world. Atkearney, a leading global management consulting firm publish a yearly report regarding the retail industry. In this report countries are ranked depending 4 items:

- market attractiveness

- country risk

- market saturation

- time pressure.

The Global Retail Development Index™ is an annual study that ranks the top 30 developing countries for retail expansion worldwide. The Index analyzes 25 macroeconomic and retail-specific variables to help retailers devise successful global strategies and to identify developing market investment opportunities. The GRDI is unique because it identifies today's most successful markets and those that offer the most potential for the future.

The highlights of the 2014 GRDI include:

• Chile ranks first for the first time. Years of economic and political stability have helped the country build one of South America's most sophisticated retail environments. The past year brought several major investments in malls, new entries by international retailers, and expansions by local leaders.
• China moves back into second place this year. Even as the economy slows and conditions become more difficult for foreign retailers, the huge and growing market is impossible to ignore.
• Sub-Saharan Africa continues to show momentum with three ranked countries, including newcomer Nigeria. GDP growth of 5 percent, rising household incomes, fast urbanization, and a growing middle class give this region massive retail potential.
• Regional players are flexing their muscles, using their proximity as a competitive advantage to steal share in neighboring markets. Chile’s Falabella and Cencosud have begun aggressive growth plans to widen their footprint across Latin America, and UAE-based LuLu Hypermarkets and Majid Al Futtaim have begun expanding in the Gulf region. South African retailers Shoprite and Woolworths have spearheaded Sub-Saharan Africa’s shift to modern retail.

See the report (clik to the link below):

THE 2014 GLOBAL RETAIL INDEX