Our client commissioned a high-level overview of the global retail market seeking information on countries where the retail industry was growing and the business environment was potentially attractive. Some specific questions of interest included:
Where are current and long-term economic outlooks positive for higher-end (not luxury) retail?
Are there any political, economic, or industry barriers to entering countries of interest?
The goal was to identify a small set of countries worthy of further review.
ENGINE presented its findings in a lively discussion of pros and cons for the different countries. The client saw high market growth as the best opportunity for short-term growth, but also a need for professional business practices, protection of priority design, and openness to imported U.S. fashions.
Based on the client’s business culture and aspirations, ENGINE recommended two specific countries that could be first used to generate experience developing international processes and business models and then act as stepping stones for further international expansion into other regional countries. After further review, the client agreed with ENGINE’s recommendation and successfully established operations in one of the two countries.