Noting that Claire's opened 25 stores in Europe during the last year, Wilson said: "We're going to open significantly more in the next year." In order to expedite this, Wilson also plans to beef up the company's executive base and will be looking for management with "pan-European expertise."

Industry leaders, including Apple, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson, have struck a deal with the European Union to introduce the one-size-fits-all charger by January 1, 2010, offering a solution to one of modern life's chief frustrations.

As the number of cell phones has exploded over the past few years, so have the number of chargers -- generating mountains of waste technology as users change or upgrade handsets. Now the cell phone industry has agreed to standardize its chargers, making all handsets compatible with a micro-USB plug already standard on handsets such BlackBerrys.

Last year an estimated 1.2 billion cell phones were sold worldwide, according to University of Southern Queensland data reported by industry umbrella group GSMA (Groupe Speciale Mobile Association), generating up to 82,000 tonnes of chargers. With concerns over the level of waste generated by redundant or outmoded chargers, European legislators had, prior to Monday's agreement, considered forcing manufacturers to adopt universal technology.

The Council, which groups together national fashion associations in western Europe, surveyed German clothing makers and found an average of 35 percent of their deliveries to Russia would be unsold this summer. Casualties of Russia's downturn have included outlets of Diesel SpA and Stella McCartney, and Kommersant has reported that the local franchisee for Hong Kong sportswear maker Sprandi International Ltd. closed 37 outlets in Moscow and St. Petersburg after its bankruptcy in May.

"Many important German fashion suppliers have deleted between 20 percent and 30 percent of Russia's fashion retailers from their customer records, because they don't meet the basic conditions of doing business any more," Doepfer said in an interview at last week's CPD fashion fair in Dusseldorf.

In a case brought by L'Oreal SA, Justice Richard Arnold ruled that EBay can't be held responsible for the actions of seven EBay sellers who sold counterfeit cosmetics that infringe L'Oreal's trademarks. While ruling in EBay's favor on some issues, Arnold referred other matters to a European Union court for clarification of European law.

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Henry Carr, L'Oreal's lawyer, said at a hearing in March that EBay's attempts to stop the sale of counterfeit goods are "ineffective," and, since EBay is paid for listing the items, it profits from the sale of fake goods. EBay argues that it is a host for the sales, and not responsible for the items sold. L'Oreal, the world’s largest cosmetics maker, sued EBay in five European countries, claiming the site profits from sales of fakes and goes too far by asking brand owners to help police auctions.

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EBay's victories this month follow earlier losses in France when it was ordered to pay compensation to Hermes International and LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA in similar cases.

Stores in countries such as France and the U.K. are adopting the aggressive price-cutting tactics of their U.S. counterparts in the hope of stimulating stingy consumers. French stores, which are reeling from an 18.3 percent drop in women's apparel business in February, are capitalizing on new regulations that allow for soldes flottantes — or floating sales — for two weeks each year in addition to the two legally allowed sale periods during January and June.

It's the first time in umpteen years French retailers can hold additional sales on the dates of their choice. The only stipulation is they be at least a month after the official January and June sale periods, which the law cut to five weeks from six previously.

In the U.K., meanwhile, dismal February same-store sales results, which fell 1.8 percent, aren't expected to see significant improvement when the March figures are released Thursday. British stores such as Marks & Spencer and Selfridges, which, like their counterparts in continental Europe used to restrict themselves to biannual sales, are offering heavy markdowns year-round on everything from furniture to women's and men's fashions. U.K. retailers have recently benefited from the weakness of the pound against the euro, with Harvey Nichols launching an advertising campaign aimed at attracting more tourists.

In France, meanwhile, low-cost players like Kiabi and Cache-Cache, fashion chains including Gap and Etam plus La Redoute and e-boutiques such as Kookai have offered discounts of up to 80 percent under the new sales regulations.

Retailers in countries from the Baltic states to the Ukraine, many of which are reeling from currency devaluations and significant current account deficits, are reporting lower sales. "The crisis is being felt very strongly here and is affecting absolutely every segment," said Irma Marcinkiene, a spokeswoman for Apranga, which runs franchises including Emporio Armani, Ermenegildo Zegna and Hugo Boss in cities like Riga, Latvia; Vilnius, Lithuania, and Tallinn, Estonia.

Apranga reported a 27 percent fall in February turnover, to 7.6 million euros, or $10.3 million at current exchange, compared with the previous year. The figures include results from its mass-market brands such as Zara, Mango and Mexx. In Poland, turnover at Paradise Group, which runs 13 shops including Burberry, Emporio Armani and Kenzo, remained constant at around 10 million euros, or $13.5 million, in 2008, although sales had expanded 20 to 30 percent annually in previous years, said chairman Mariusz Kaczmarczyk.

Eastern Europe is experiencing similar problems as Russia, which early last year was still considered an El Dorado for luxury goods, and enjoyed a boom after the deprivations of the Communist era and the unstable Yeltsin years. But as the financial crisis has taken hold, the closures of a number of boutiques, including Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, have been announced.

Tiffany architects and designers will preserve the building's original façade and create a modern and gracious interior.

“Opening our first store in Amsterdam is another indication of our optimism about Tiffany's substantial long-term growth potential throughout Europe,” said Melvyn Kirtley, group vice president, Tiffany & Co. Europe. “Our prominent location in Amsterdam's most desirable shopping area provides us with the ideal environment for introducing everyone to Tiffany's heritage of design, craftsmanship and outstanding service.”

The new store features signature details of Tiffany's famous New York flagship store, including brushed stainless steel and custom furnishings.

The maker of Jimmy Dean sausages hired Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to help examine a sale, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter that it didn't name. The unit's products account for 15 percent of Sara Lee's sales and include Sanex deodorant and Kiwi shoe polish, the newspaper said.

Ernesto Duran, a spokesman for Sara Lee in Utrecht, Netherlands, declined to comment on a possible sale. "It's our policy to always wait on any relevant matter for the business until we have something to announce and then to do it through official channels," he said in a telephone interview.

The Italian city lives on tourism, but some fear it could die of it too. Each year 15m people traipse through its narrow streets and along its canals. The tourists bring money but also problems - at peak season the city virtually grinds to a halt.

Venice authorities hope the new website will help to address the problem. In the past, the city has toyed with ideas of entry quotas or an admission charge to control the number of visitors.

The highest water levels in more than 20 years paralysed services. Elderly residents were carried to high ground and some people took to the piazzas in inflatable dinghies.

As the water retreated it left a layer of sludge and debris. There were fears of more flooding, with another surge into the city from the Adriatic predicted today as high tides coincide with bad weather. Temperatures in the past few days have barely risen above freezing.

"Venice is completely paralysed," one official said. "We are submerged." Massimo Cacciari, the Mayor of Venice, advised residents and tourists to avoid moving around unless it was unavoidable. "Anyone thinking of coming should think again," he said. "These are exceptionally high waters. Don't venture out unless it is necessary."

Driven by strong winds and heavy rain, the water rose to just over 5ft above sea level, the highest acqua alta since the 5ft 2in (1.6m) of 1986. The tide monitoring centre gave warning that the levels could yet reach a 30-year high.The water reached 6ft 4in above sea level in 1966, causing devastation to homes, shops and historic monuments and artworks.