Europeans hunting for bargains on clothes and consumer electronics would have found the lowest prices in Britain last year, a study showed.

British luxury goods group Burberry met forecasts with a 4 percent fall in first-quarter underlying revenues and said it was taking market share in a tough trading environment.

French consumer prices over 12 months fell by 0.5 percent in June, official data has shown, marking a deflationary step for the second month running but showing a monthly rise of 0.1 percent.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the world's biggest retailer, is preparing to hold a meeting to announce the development of an index that will be used to measure the environmental impact of the products it sells in its stores.

Excess selling space and rising costs have combined with the economic downturn to hit returns in Britain's retail industry and more store groups could go out of business, consultants Deloitte said.

Britain's biggest sporting goods retailer Sports Direct International Plc posted a 9 percent fall in full-year core earnings and scrapped its final dividend as it seeks to reduce its debt burden.

South Africa's retail sales fell again in May, boding ill for second quarter GDP and supporting the case for another interest rate cut.

US retail sales rose for the second consecutive month in June, by 0.6 percent, Commerce Department data showed in a report stronger than expected.

Bankrupt outdoor clothing retailer Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc's two key creditors are looking to liquidate its stores and cash in on the brand in a string of licensing deals.

Most U.S. consumers believe the economy is not getting any worse, but that does not mean they are willing to open their wallets wider than they were three months ago.

Mexican retailers group ANTAD said its members' same-store sales fell in June, breaking a brief recovery in the previous two months, partially hurt by one weekend day less compared with the same period of 2008.

British outdoor goods retailer Blacks Leisure Group Plc posted a further fall in sales in its latest trading period but said it was confident of securing new funds from its lender.

Swedish fashion chain Hennes & Mauritz reported a bigger than expected 5 percent year-on-year fall in sales at established stores in June.

Mall-based women's apparel retailer Bebe Stores Inc said it will convert its existing Bebe Sport stores into PH8, a new retail concept, in November.

Workers in South Africa's gold sector rejected the latest offer for a pay raise of between 8 percent and 10 percent and vowed to soon escalate the dispute, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said.