The Weekly News Update is a weekly roundup of business news from around the Asia-Pacific region, covering Fusion Consulting's core industry practices: chemicals, consumer & retail, financial services, industrial & logistics, information & communication technology, life science and media & leisure. If you have colleagues or friends who may be interested in subscribing, please forward this email to them and copy knowledge@fusionc.com.    Major retail company expansion in Asia-Pacific  British hypermarket Tesco is the overall leader in our Retail Business Vitality Index,  thanks to its geographical presence, revenue performance and steady innovation in  the region; America's Wal-mart runs a close second, and among Asian retailers,  drugstore Watsons leads the pack. Request your free copy here.

Consumer & retail

India - Government may consider FDI in specific retail sectors Source: The Press Trust of India, 10 February 2008 The Indian government may allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for specific sectors such as electronic and sports goods in retail if an expert study going into the issue foresees no impact on the neighbourhood mom and pop stores. The Indian Council of Research in International Economic Relations (ICRIER) is conducting a study on retail to understand the impact of big retail on the small shops. Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said that opening sectors like electronics, sports goods, pharmacy and confectionery to FDI would not have an impact on the neighbourhood stores but would instead drive the Indian industry. Malaysia - Retail sales damper Source: Business Times Malaysia, 11 February 2008 Retail sales in Malaysia was estimated to have grown by 8% in 2007, translating into RM64.2 billion (US$19.8 billion) in total sales. As higher living costs and stagnant salaries weigh on consumer confidence, retail sales is forecast to grow slower than initially thought in 2008. Retail Group Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. has cut its sales growth projection to 7% from 8% earlier. The one percentage point cut could result in total sales for the year coming in at RM68.7 billion (US$21.2 billion), a RM610 million (US$188 million) shortfall. The numbers exclude big-ticket items like houses and cars. Thailand - Unilever launches new Breeze Source: The Nation, 7 February 2008 Unilever Thai Trading has removed its normal-formula Breeze liquid detergent from all shelves and replaced it with a newly launched super-concentrated liquid detergent called Breeze Excel Small & Super. Liquid detergent currently accounts for 8% of the Bt12.5 billion (US$386 million) detergent market. Standard powder detergent represents 48% and concentrated formula products, 44%. The concentrated-detergent segment grew 12% in 2007, followed by the liquid segment at 5% and the standard segment at 3%. Overall, the detergent market grew 7% in 2007.     View an example of our experience in this industry. Back to list of articles.  Visit our website to sign up for free intelligence on Asian markets.

This Weekly News Update is a free newsletter, providing a round-up of the week's Asia-Pacific news from our core industry practices. If you have colleagues or friends who may be interested in subscribing, please forward this email to them and copy knowledge@fusionc.com.

Fusion Consulting is a business intelligence consultancy providing clear strategic advice on Asia-Pacific markets. With offices in Shanghai, Singapore and Hong Kong and 400 industry consultants in 16 countries, we conduct custom research and consulting to help companies understand their markets, compete more effectively and grow into new areas of opportunity. Email more@fusionc.com or visit www.fusionc.com for more information.