The Myer family has announced that it will enter the baby goods market.

The family will invest up to £3 million with the Headline Group ahead of the latter’s move to roll out the leading British maternity brand, Mothercare, in Australia.

The announcement of the substantial investment coincides with the news that Headline has moved to acquire Babies Galore, the struggling baby retailer, in a move that will see 13 new stores added to the group’s operation, with forecasted revenues set to reach as much as £65 million.

Managing director of Headline Group, Brent Dennison, said that negotiations with the Myer family had been going on for some time. These discussions revolved around what would be considered the most ideal time to invest in the group, and how the cash injection would be best utilised. The Headline board of directors will now feature an appointment from the Myer family.

Famous for its in-store trained midwives in the UK, the Mothercare chain opened its first Australian store in March in Melbourne, with a further 10 stores launched since then. With the addition of the Babies Galore outlets, which will be converted to Mothercare over the next 18 months, the group will total 31 dedicated Mothercare stores, while also operating the 29 Early Learning Centre stores around the country. Mothercare Plc has been so impressed with the roll-out of the new stores this year  that they invested around £8 million in July with the Headline Group, obtaining a 25 per cent stake in the process.

Being part of a group has been called more effective than the NHS when it comes to losing weight.

That is the verdict of one leading UK nutritionist should argues that GPs would be better of referring obese patients to group-focused weight-loss schemes instead of the national health provider.

The Medical Research Council’s Dr Susan Jebb found in a new study that sufferers who joined the popular WeightWatchers programme lost on average twice as much weight compared to those with individual GP care. Although the study was partially funded by WeightWatchers, Dr Jebb stressed that all similar group programs were likely to be just as effective. The National Obesity Forum has also said that NHS patients could benefit from group help, while the NHS is trialling pilot schemes with WeightWatchers, the recognised leading weight loss company.

Jebb and her colleagues spent over a year studying test patients referred to WeightWatchers meetings by GPs in Northampton, while also running similar projects in both Germany and Australia. The GPs referred half of their patients to the group program, leaving the remainder as a comparative group where they were generally provided with information and appointments with healthcare professionals. At the end of the 12 months, the WeightWatchers patients came out best, losing on average close to 7kg (15lbs), whereas the GP-led group lost on average3kg (6lbs).

While 3kg may not seem like a significant amount, ask anyone who has ever tried to lose weight and they will tell you that the slightest change can make all the difference, especially to diabetics or those with weight-associated illnesses. Ultimately, it appears the weekly meetings and group accountability is the better motivator.

Europe’s second-biggest clothing retailer, Hennes & Mauritz, is set to open in the southern hemisphere.

H&M has announced that it is currently investigating the possibility of new stores for Argentina, Brazil and Australia, as it looks to become involved in the emerging market growth in the region. Such a launch would also enable it to compete on the same stage as its bigger rival, Inditex.

Karl-Johan Persson, H&M’s executive officer, said that both Argentina and Brazil were interesting options. Persson, speaking from his base in Stockholm, also said that Australia was another attractive option, saying that the company was confident of beng successful in the both regions.

H&M currently operates 2,000 stores – all of which are north of the equator. The primary reason for the lack of entry into the southern hemisphere market to date has been the supply logistics associated with seasonal differences. Inditex, which has roughly double that of stores for H&M globally, launched in Brazil in 1999. The largest economy in Latin America saw retail growth of 15.7 per cent in March 2010, which means it is moving at five times the speed of H&M’s largest market, Germany.

The Swedish retailer has grown its operation by 14 per cent in the past five years and remains confident that continued growth will be met through the southern hemisphere launch. Shares in the company have risen by an additional 15 per cent so far this year, with a market value close to $50 billion.