Executive Summary

• This week’s note “From the Desk of Deborah Weinswig” discusses what Amazon’s 10-K form, filed last week, reveals about its international progress, non-e-commerce growth and third-party sales.
• Simon Property Group, the largest mall owner in the U.S., has been grappling with how to deal with an onslaught of store closures and CEO David Simon said in a call with analysts that the company was “concerned about a few” retail bankruptcies that may occur in the first quarter.
• U.K. total retail sales grew 2.2% year over year in January, the strongest growth since June, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor. Comparable sales increased by 1.8% year over year, driven by strong food sales and price inflation.
• Alibaba-owned e-commerce company Lazada announced that it will integrate RedMart, a Singapore-based e-grocer, into its platform on Mar. 15. The move is part of Lazada’s efforts to grow its supermarket business in Southeast Asia.