Executive Summary

• This week’s note “From the Desk of Deborah Weinswig” discusses the emergence of retail loyalty programs and how companies are increasingly using customer data to craft personalized offers.
• The Nordstrom family is exploring a bid to acquire the department store chain that bears the family name in a deal that would turn the publicly traded company into a private venture.
• In a bid to increase its online presence, Swedish furniture retailer IKEA plans to begin testing the use of third-party websites to sell its furniture next year.
• With an eye on gaining new sales channels and more exposure to developed markets, Brazil’s Natura entered exclusive talks to acquire The Body Shop from L’Oréal with an offer that values the British chain at €1 billion (US$1.1 billion).