Global retail expansion has been saved
Analysis
Global retail expansion
A recipe for creating shareholder value?
Given the mature state and slow growth of the North American retail environment, global expansion has become one of the hottest growth strategies explored by leading retailers. Gaining access to new customers and untapped markets offers an alluring opportunity to drive new sales growth. Before developing their global strategy, however, retailers should understand their unique value proposition, operational capabilities, and organizational structure.
Deloitte analyzed 87 North American-based specialty retailers over a 10-year time frame. The companies evaluated present a mix of domestic and international exposure and fall within a variety of retail segments including apparel, home improvement, automotive, computer, and electronics, home furnishing and specialty stores.
Deloitte also analyzed the retailers across several different financial metrics including enterprise value, total shareholder return, earnings, and EBITDA margin, expecting to find that retailers with a global footprint generally outperformed those that remained domestic. Instead, the analysis yielded surprising results that could carry significant implications for retailers considering international expansion.
