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Happy New Year Cross-Atlantic Insight is back from its Christmas hiatus and we’d like to wish all our readers a very happy new year; we hope 2011 will be your best yet. While we were away we composed a roundup of the biggest Cross-Atlantic Insight stories of 2010 for your reading pleasure—please click here to take a look. For a more thorough review of 2010, click here to read our special Year in Review digital supplement. back to top International study indicates huge potential for mobile retail A new ForeSee Results report on mobile shopping shows that UK consumers are willing to shop by mobile and are closing the gap on their US counterparts. Read more here... back to top Amazon creates 950 jobs in Scotland Amazon.co.uk is creating 950 jobs in Scotland across two distribution centres. The majority of the jobs, 750 positions, will be based at a fulfilment centre in Dunfermline, and an additional 200 posts will be created at Amazon’s existing facility in Gourock. The new build replaces Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Glenrothes, and will see all permanent staff transfer to the new site—which will be its largest fulfilment centre in the UK. back to top Manutan moves to centralise customer database France-based b-to-b direct marketer Manutan, which operates Rapid Racking and Key in UK, is creating a single marketing database platform to share information across all its business units. The new centralised customer database, developed by Blue Sheep, will allow for bespoke and trigger campaigns to be designed and carried out through direct mail, email, telephone, or through a combination of channels. back to top ELF secures investment ELF Cosmetics, a US-based online seller of beauty products whose USP is its low price points (around £1.50 per item in the UK), has received investment from TSG Consumer Partners in exchange for a minority stake. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Following the investment, ELF plans to expand its international business beyond the 17 countries in which it already operates. It also intends to extend its retail presence, building on the partnerships it has with US retailers Target and Dollar Central. back to top PPR sets up ecommerce unit France-based PPR, the parent company of the Redcats mail order business including La Redoute and Vertbaudet, has created an “e-business development unit” that will coordinate the company’s ecommerce activities. PPR appointed Fabien Sfez to head up the group and oversee digital growth strategies. back to top EBay buys Brands4Friends EBay has acquired Germany-based secret-sales website Brands4Friends. The online auction site paid £128.9 million ($200 million, €150 million) for Brands4Friends’ German business as well as its equity interests in UK shopping club SecretSales.com and its Japanese operation, brands4friends.jp. back to top 3 Suisses invests in upgrade French mail order business 3 Suisses, which includes the Blancheporte, Becquet, and Quelle 1 titles, is investing more than €70 million (approximately £60 million, $93 million) in a modernisation programme that will see it transform the business into one that is more focused on online operations. Investment will be made in IT systems, logistics, and customer relations amongst other areas of the business. back to top Happy New Year International study indicates huge potential for mobile retail Amazon creates 950 jobs in Scotland Manutan moves to centralise customer database ELF secures investment PPR sets up ecommerce unit EBay buys Brands4Friends 3 Suisses invests in upgrade • Performance-based digital marketing agency 7thingsmedia has opened a US office establishing a platform for its UK clients seeking opportunities overseas. • Global office products supplier Office Depot is to acquire Sweden-based Svanstroms Gruppen. Office Depot has been active in the Swedish market since 2004. • TV-shopping channel Sit-Up TV has relaunched its portfolio of websites on Munich-based Hybris’s ecommerce platform. • Dental, medical and veterinary supplies marketer Henry Schein, which operates in more than 200 countries, has acquired Australia-based Provet Holdings, a wholesale distributor of veterinary products. brought to you by Subscribe to Catalogue e-business Read more international articles Contact us Send us your stories Follow us on twitter our partners

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