It’s all happening for Xavier Simonet this week. Starting his tenure as the new of CEO of Kathmandu, straight off the bat he was met with a takeover offer from Briscoe Group. This story kicks off Inside Retail PREMIUM this week.

And speaking of takeovers, rumour has it this week of a private equity play for Woolworths. We examine what a potential takeover could mean for Australia’s largest retailer.

Cotton On has made a move into the homewares category in a bid to shift its brand image. Will this put it on an even keel with the likes of H&M and Zara, both of which have previously made similar moves? Claire Hibbit reports on this this week.

Elsewhere in Inside Retail PREMIUM this week, we look at Retail Food Group’s novel expansion plans for Gloria Jean’s;  a new Alibaba e-commerce platform enabling fast access to China for Australian merchants; and Guylian Belgian Chocolate Cafe’s nationwide push.

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