Just when you thought the internationals had taken a break on local entries for the rest of the year, a South African homewares chain has landed on Australian shores today. In this week’s Inside Retail PREMIUM, Claire Hibbit chats to its CEO to get the low down on the new store and its Australian expansion plans.

Myer just managed to scrape together growth in the first quarter of the year, but what’s the outlook for the rest of the year? We compare David Jones and Myer’s fortunes ahead of 2014.

Can you smell that? Yep, it’s Christmas. With Christmas revenue counting kicking off yesterday, department stores around the world have begun their assault on our wallets and heartstrings with their latest and greatest television commercials. And after that little warm up, Dave Audley of Experian delves a little deeper into the festive spirit to take a look at Australian online retail in the lead up to Christmas, comparing 2012 to now.

Expansion is the name of the game for two Aussie chains gearing up for growth, and a brand new swimwear label is taking a seasonal approach with an offering in the US.

In international news, Robert Stockdill gives us a first look at H&M’s new Times Square store in New York, opened just today.

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