The Wall Street Journal

European Consumers Remain Confident Despite Attacks and Looming Downturn

European Consumers Remain Confident Despite Attacks and Looming Downturn

Consumers will ease off spending as the European economy slows in coming months, say economists and retailing executives. Some governments are preparing for it: The French budget, being presented to the National Assembly Tuesday, is expected to contain a stimulus package. And it's still too early to draw definitive conclusions about the long-term effects...
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Internet Sites Have a Toehold Over U.S. Shops for Climbers

American rock and ice climbers have grappled with limited equipment selection and relatively high prices for years; many take advantage of trips to Europe to stock up on specialized equipment at lower prices. Until the arrival of Internet shopping, the American and European climbing markets remained largely isolated from each other.
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Zara’s Scours World For Trends, Then Makes Clothes

"I've seen millions of plants, but never one like Zara's," says Jose Luis Nueno, a professor of retailing at IESE, the graduate business school at Spain's University of Navarre. Mr. Nueno carried out a four-year study of sales at Zara. "In terms of technology and industrial production, they are way ahead." Zara takes only four...
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