Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Nespresso Hong Kong launches coffee selection at K11 Musea

    Nespresso Hong Kong launches coffee selection at K11 Musea

    Nespresso Hong Kong has launched a new boutique at K11 Musea featuring more than 50,000 square feet of green walls.

    The walls are meant to serve as a reaffirmation of the brand’s commitment to sustainability by unveiling their collaboration with the Nature Discovery Park at K11 Musea to offer planting workshops to members of the public.

    The new 452sqft boutique is Nespresso’s fifth retail store in Hong Kong. The space features sustainable elements, such as table-tops made of used coffee grounds from the Nespresso factory in Switzerland, wood sourced from reforestation programmes, and a capsule recycling collection point where guests can drop off their used capsules.

    A new set of “Hong Kong Selection” coffee assortment is available exclusively at the new boutique to celebrate its opening, featuring five well-loved coffee capsule flavours by Hong Kong consumers.

    The Nature Discovery Park will also showcase Nespresso’s latest Re:Cycle bike created in collaboration with Swedish bike brand Vélosophy. Nespresso has globally launched a limited quantity of 1000 city bikes made from recycled aluminum coffee capsules, designed to illustrate the potential of recyclable aluminum and to inspire customers to recycle their capsules.

  • Hong Kong retail sales crash by steepest rate on record

    Hong Kong retail sales crash by steepest rate on record

    Hong Kong retail sales crashed 23 percent in August as extradition-bill protests saw stores shuttered and visitors staying away.

    August’s decline was the worst month on record, even worse than September 1998 when the Asian Financial Crisis hit.

    According to the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) the value of retail sales was provisionally estimated at HKD29.4 billion, down 23 percent year on year, following a revised 11.5 percent decline in July.  After netting out the effect of price changes, retail sales in August fell by an estimated 25.3 percent.

    “Apart from the weak consumer sentiment amid subdued economic conditions, the plunge in August mainly reflected the severe disruptions to inbound tourism and consumption-related activities caused by the local social incidents,” said a government spokesperson.

    “Retail sales will likely remain in the doldrums in the near term, as the worsened economic outlook and local protests involving violence continue to weigh on consumer sentiment and inbound tourism.”

    For the first eight months of this year, sales are down by 6 percent.

    Worst hit in August, understandably, was the tourist-reliant luxury goods sector, with sales of jewelry, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts down a massive 47.4 percent – proving widely discussed anecdotes of retailers suffering a 50 percent decline in sales during the month.

    Sales by department stores plunged 29.9 percent and of cosmetics by 30 percent. Apparel sales were down by 33.4 percent and both by optical shops and of footwear and accessories by 26 percent. Sales of Chinese drugs and herbs fell 25.5 percent.

    Electrical goods sales fell by 15.4 percent, and miscellaneous consumer goods by 20.1 percent.

    However, categories shopped mainly by local residents were significantly less affected: sales of food, liquor and tobacco were down by just 0.3 percent, books, newspapers and stationery by 2.5 percent and furniture and homewares by 7.4 percent. Supermarket sales were up by 1.9 percent and fuels by 0.4 percent.

    August marked the third consecutive month of disruption due to protest action. Sales for the three months combined fell by an estimated 12.4 percent quarter on quarter.

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  • Marina Bay Sands Epicurean Market coming back in December

    Marina Bay Sands Epicurean Market coming back in December

    The culinary event Marina Bay Sands Epicurean Market, is making a three-day comeback this December.

    The market will start with a series of in-house specials on December 13 before opening its doors to its weekend gala at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre in the next two days.

    Chef of Waku Ghin, Tetsuya Wakuda, said the Marina Bay Sands Epicurean Market is an opportunity for him to discover new cultures and experiences as he meets people sharing a common passion for food.

    “I’m looking forward to not only leading a masterclass, but also welcoming guests to the launch dinner at Adrift, and sharing plenty of delicious bites over the weekend,” said chef David Myers of Adrift. “Alongside our new executive chef at Adrift, Peter Smit, we will be honing in on our Californian Izakaya roots with a selection of dishes that will not only showcase some beautiful produce, but also pack a punch in flavours,” said chef David Myers of Adrift.

    This year, customers will experience signature fare from more than 50 booths, including Marina Bay Sands’ newest European-inspired patisserie Origin + Bloom.

    In its sixth edition, the Marina Bay Sands Epicurean Market will feature a world-class bar offering the best mixes from 12 bars across Sands restaurants, including Mott 32 from Hong Kong, which will offer patrons a preview of its signature cocktails before it opens in early 2020.

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  • Croquant Chou Zakuzaku opens in Singapore

    Croquant Chou Zakuzaku opens in Singapore

    Japanese bakery brand Croquant Chou Zakuzaku will open its first store in Singapore next month.

    The Croquant Chou Zakuzaku Singapore flagship store will take over its sister brand’s outlet Bake Cheese Tart at Ion Orchard.

    The new Japanese store will offer its first Croquant Chou, a crunchy stick-shaped cream puff filled with fresh cream, and its soft-serve ice cream made with Hokkaido milk and coated with croquant chunks, Zakuzaku Soft.

    “We are honoured to be able to open a flagship store in Singapore. We have been eyeing to open the store for a long time in a trendy location, and have finally been able to do so in Ion Orchard,” said Hajime Kikuchi, director at Croquant Chou Zakuzaku. “We hope that Croquant Chou Zakuzaku can become a brand that is loved by Singaporeans who are interested in high quality sweets and dessert items.”

    Since opening its doors in Lumine Est Shinjuku in 2014 , Croquant Chou Zakuzaku has expanded to more than 30 outlets in five countries, with its tagline “All the good stuff in one hand”.

     

  • Lanmodo Introduces The World’s First Automatic Car Tent

    Lanmodo Introduces The World’s First Automatic Car Tent

    Founded in 2015, Lanmodo has revolutionised the car tent market with its one of a kind car umbrellas which carry a host of additional benefits.

    For most car owners, the vagaries of weather often breed harsh and unwelcome consequences on the car’s paint finish. These consequences are particularly severe for dark-coloured vehicles whose paint’s susceptibility to rough treatment is more readily apparent.

    In 2017, the company launched the world’s first automatic car tent, which has been recently followed by several variants.

    Automatic car tent

    The Lanmodo automatic car tent is a portable and very versatile car garage. Up until its introduction, the market was only dominated by car covers which would blanket the vehicle. The other option that car owners had was to put up a garage.

    Now, the company has introduced this automated tent which comes in two standard sizes; the 3.5m x 2.1m (small size) which covers most saloons, small cars and hatchbacks and the 4.8m x 2.3m (large pro-four season automatic car tent) for the bigger vehicles such as SUVs and Pick-up trucks.

    This is the first time a car tent features a battery which powers the tent’s remote deployment. As it turns out, Lanmodo has also optimised this battery for other uses as well.

    In a bid to add value to the product, the company has incorporated a USB charging port for recharging electronics such as laptops and phones on the go.  The battery is reported to deliver up to 40 umbrella deployments under a single charge.

    Semi-automatic car umbrella

    As the name suggests, the semi-automatic car umbrella is manually operated and does not feature remote deployment. It, therefore, requires no recharge as it is not battery powered. Aside from that, all the other features are similar to its automated cousin; meaning it can also support the camping tent option.

    These innovative features are sure to cement the company’s position in the car gadget market, coming at a time when global trade has opened up. Not only does the company appear to target the ordinary run-of-the-mill car owners, but its market also includes the off-road nature enthusiasts who will no doubt take advantage of the camping tent extension option that the product offers.

    As it turns out, the company caters for the shipping costs- a welcome reprieve for the overseas customers. According to the company’s representatives, the only time the overseas clients may be forced to pay over and above the purchase price is when their country’s custom’s duty exceeds the set threshold.

    Optional

    In a deliberate move set to liberate consumers, even more, the company has made most of the product’s features optional, meaning purchasers can opt not to purchase some of the bonus features and stick to the traditional basic car tent.

    As would be expected, the price of the product varies per the specifications that a customer goes for. For now, there only appears to be three colour variants; Navy, Silver and Black, but it is hoped that more colourways shall be in the offing soon.

    Protection levels

    All the car tents come with a 201D Oxford cloth canopy, which offers cool shade for those living in sunny areas. The umbrella brings temperatures in the car up to 35ºC lower than under the hot sun and is said to boast of a working environment ranging from -40ºC to 60º. The tent is said to feature protection against other elements such as winds and can hold even with winds of up to 40Km/hr.

    Should the product hold up to this promise, the company shall have managed to meet the needs of a broad spectrum of environments, ranging from the hottest of summers to the most frigid of winters.

    The tent’s support structure, made of a mixture of fibreglass and metal, as well as the plastic tent base, are said to protect the surface of the cars from abrasion.

    Looking out for its European and American clientele, the company also included the snow shake off feature in the automatic tent. This has seen consumers being able to shake off accumulated snow off the cover remotely; thus eliminating the need to brush off snowflakes off their car or umbrella manually.

    With this car tent, you can make a road trip around the US during the NFL season, even during the cold winter season.

    Price

    Depending on the client’s selection, the product’s price range varies from $239-$799 plus a 1year warranty.

    Conclusion

    So far, the product seems to be receiving raving reviews. While the fact that the product can seamlessly move from the extremes of summer to the extremes of winter without compromising on its delivery is impressive, its true test shall be its staying power in a dynamic market.

    The fact that it incorporates all the other added features such as phone charging capabilities is a bonus. Consumers can only hope that the company has even better deals moving

    forward.

     

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  • Ingenico launches full suite of Chinese payment options for e-commerce players

    Ingenico launches full suite of Chinese payment options for e-commerce players

    Ingenico is one of the very first international payment service providers (PSP) to support all use cases for WeChat Pay, including the capability to integrate into WeChat Official Accounts and Mini-Programs. This is a crucial advantage that allows the 1.1 billion WeChat users to complete their purchase without leaving the WeChat environment.

    Additionally, Ingenico offers an upgraded Alipay integration to its customers, enabling these businesses to reach the vast majority of online consumers in China, while also allowing them to offer real-time payments, both on desktop and mobile devices. Furthermore, Ingenico supports UnionPay’s (UPI) SecurePay and ExpressPay solutions as part of a comprehensive payment solution designed to cater to a greater range of local payment preferences in China. Through Ingenico, merchants can offer Chinese Yuan (CNY) to consumers via these payment methods, which is critical for conversion and customer experience.

    The new China is a huge opportunity for western businesses. It is the world’s largest and most dynamic e-commerce market and a pioneering force in a digital and mobile culture. In total, it has an internet penetration rate of 57%, representing 25% of internet users worldwide. However, it is a more challenging market to operate in than many others, as the unique domestic e-commerce ecosystem often demands specific solutions tailored to local preferences.

    “Our long-time presence and activity in China means that we are perfectly positioned to partner with merchants wanting to access the truly local consumer market. Our expertise here, combined with this new set of payment capabilities, will allow international merchants to reach Chinese consumers that were previously difficult to access,” explains Gabriel de Montessus, SVP Global Online (Retail BU) for Ingenico Group. “Our merchants will be able to offer all the relevant local Chinese payment methods in local currency denomination as part of their digital experience, which will help increase conversion.”

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  • Axiata eyeing new partnerships just two weeks after Telenor deal ends

    Axiata eyeing new partnerships just two weeks after Telenor deal ends

    Two weeks after the abrupt cancellation of the mega-merger proposal between Axiata Group Bhd and Telenor, President and CEO of Axiata Group Jamaludin Ibrahim has made it clear that the company would begin focusing on forming partnerships with competitor markets, namely those within Indonesia and Malaysia, in the next three to five years.

    Axiata is one of Asia’s leading telecommunications conglomerates and Malaysia’s largest wireless carrier, serving over 300 million customers from India to Cambodia, so it’s no surprise that the company is still looking to pursue other mergers as a major operating strategy.

    “Consolidation is key to future-proof us in the medium term given the challenges in the industry,” Jamaludin said. “The cancellation of the merger does not deter us from looking at other possibilities.”

    Although he did not reveal who these potential partners may be, it was reported that Axiata and CK Hutchison had already organised informal discussions about a joint venture for their businesses in Indonesia.

    Earlier in the month, Axiata had abandoned talks with Telenor to merge their Asian operations and create an entity that could have seen them generate over $13 billion in sales alone, due to complexities related to the deal.

    The company is currently refocusing its business target and operational efficiency. “We believe that profit and cash aren’t good enough because the industry is slowing down,” Jamaludin said.

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  • ZTE launches industry’s first 5G NB-IoT-based joint home appliances standard

    ZTE launches industry’s first 5G NB-IoT-based joint home appliances standard

    ZTE, a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet, together with China Telecom and Haier AC, has today released the industry’s first 5G NB-IoT-based shared air-conditioner centralized control standard.

    This standard specifies the technical requirements of centralized control of shared air-conditioner, setting a benchmark for the centralized control operation of the shared economy in the home appliance industry. It is another breakthrough in the wake of the joint release of the industry’s first shared air-conditioning technology standard based on NB-IoT in September 2018 by ZTE, China Telecom Shanghai Research Institute, Haier AC and other partners.ZTE, China Telecom and Haier AC carried out a comprehensive evaluation and pre-commercial verification of the shared air-conditioner centralized control model at University of Shanghai For Science and Technology. China Telecom and ZTE provided indoor and outdoor wireless network coverage to ensure stable and reliable signal quality, data transmission, and service applications in the centralized control area. The centralized control based on NB-IoT wireless network can effectively address the problems of traditional centralized control, such as difficult engineering, complex cabling, and overwhelming maintenance.

    With the release of the shared home appliance industry standard, the NB-IoT network can realize the centralized control of temperature, mode and switch of the shared air conditioners, hence the wide application in campus, apartment and hotel scenarios.

    ZTE has always been exploring continuous innovations in the field of IoT. Based on its self-developed IoT platform and its leading edge in the 5G field, ZTE has created a series of end-to-end 5G+ integrated industry solutions in various fields, including 5G+ Smart Campus, 5G+ Industrial Park, 5G+ Smart Water Control, 5G+XR Cloud Coordination, 5G+ Cloud Education, 5G+ Smart Stadium, Smart Home, and Internet of Vehicles. By integrating the cutting-edge technologies, such as big data and AI, with the IoT, ZTE is committed to promoting the incubation and deployment of innovative IoT solutions.

    “We have been exploring the opportunities in each industry with our industry partners to create values by virtue of our experience and capabilities in the ICT field,” said Mr. Yin Gang, vice president of ZTE Corporation. “We’re happy to join hands and connect closely to build a bright future together.”

    ZTE is a provider of advanced telecommunications systems, mobile devices, and enterprise technology solutions to consumers, carriers, companies and public sector customers. As part of ZTE’s strategy, the company is committed to providing customers with integrated end-to-end innovations to deliver excellence and value as the telecommunications and information technology sectors converge. Listed in the stock exchanges of Hong Kong and Shenzhen (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), ZTE sells its products and services in more than 160 countries.

    To date, ZTE has obtained 25 commercial 5G contracts in major 5G markets such as Europe, Asia Pacific, MEA (Middle East and Africa), etc. ZTE commits 10 per cent of its annual revenue to research and d

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  • Thai Airways adds a sixth weekly flight between Brussels and Bangkok

    Thai Airways adds a sixth weekly flight between Brussels and Bangkok

    Thai Airways is very pleased to announce the launch of its 6th weekly non-stop flight Bangkok – Brussels  – Bangkok every Monday.

    As from 28th of October 2019, THAI will operate 6 non-stop flights per week on the route Brussels – Bangkok and return, all operated by Airbus A350-900 including Royal Silk Class (Business) and Economy Class.

    TG934 BKK 00:30 - 07:40 BRU A359 12-4567
    TG935 BRU 13:30 - 05:35+1 BRU A359 12-4567

    Tickets on the new Monday flight can be booked as from today via https://www.thaiairways.be or via any travel agent in Benelux.

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  • Singapore Airlines To Trial Business Class Dine On Demand

    Singapore Airlines To Trial Business Class Dine On Demand

    For decades Singapore Airlines has been known for being one of the best airlines in the world, though I can’t help but feel like they’ve somewhat been resting on their laurels. I feel like the airline used to be super innovative, but is less innovative nowadays:

    • For the most part, I don’t find Singapore Airlines’ new cabins to be that cutting edge, and their business class seat hasn’t evolved that much in the past decade
    • Their meal services in business class are good, though nothing special
    • I will say that their cabin crew are consistently exceptional, and they’re one of the best parts of flying with the airline

    This is due to customer feedback, though Singapore Airlines is careful to note that they want to make sure they develop a system that works before fully implementing this.

    Part of that will be ensuring that flight attendants can deal with the increased work required from dine on demand while maintaining high levels of customized service.

    Is Business Class Dine On Demand A Good Thing?

    On the surface, the addition of dining on demand sounds like a good thing. Especially for an airline like Singapore Airlines, where I sometimes can’t figure out the flow of their meal service.

    But I’ve also sometimes in the past noticed that I don’t always think a dine on-demand system is best. Sure, in an ideal world dine on demand is great, but there are some downsides:

    • It significantly increases the workload for the crew, and will make them more stressed, and perhaps not provide the same level of service
    • If you’re like me and are a sensitive sleeper, I find that the sounds, lights, and smells, from people dining throughout the flight, can make it much harder to sleep

    So while I’m generally in favor of dine on demand, there are also some downsides that are at least worth acknowledging.

    I’d note that quite a few airlines have done dine on-demand trials in business class, but ended up deciding against it. Take Emirates, for example — they trialed it for a while, but then decided not to implement it on a widespread basis (meanwhile both Etihad and Qatar offer dine on demand).

    Bye Bye Lobster Thermidor?

    Singapore Airlines offers a “Book The Cook” menu, where you can order from a much larger menu before your flight. One of the most popular options is their lobster thermidor dish.

    It looks like that may not be on the menu forever in its current form:

    “Like everything, the Book The Cook programme evolves. The lobster thermidor is a perennial favourite but we’re looking at opportunities to modernise that, whether it be a lobster thermidor-type of dish or something similar and lobster- themed which is a little bit more modern, a little bit more healthy perhaps.

    People like lobster, but we’re moving to an environment where people are becoming more health-conscious so maybe the creamy lobster dish is not the right one… maybe a beautiful grilled lobster with fresh asparagus or veggies might be another alternative, as long as we maintain the integrity of the dish.”

    Bottom Line

    I’ll be curious to see what kind of a dine on-demand trial Singapore Airlines runs, and how successful it is. Generally, I’d say dine on demand would be a positive development, though assuming it allows the crew to maintain their high service standards.

    As someone who struggles to sleep without perfect conditions, I’m also generally somewhat apprehensive about dine on demand, though I realize that’s mostly just my problem.

  • AirAsia X Eyes Flights To California

    AirAsia X Eyes Flights To California

    AirAsia X’s ambitions to fly to mainland North America aren’t new. AirAsiaX has long talked about using their A330neos and Tokyo’s Narita airport as a starting point for flights to California. With the first of the aircraft now being delivered, the low-cost carrier breathed new life into the story at an aviation conference yesterday, Monday, September 23, 2019.

    AirAsiaX’s Muhammad Sharir was discussing the route at the Routes Online annual conference in Adelaide, Australia. Mr Sharir says the flights to the US mainland could start as soon as 2021, but was coy about where the flights would originate from or where they would fly to. Quite possibly because they haven’t sorted that out yet.

    Not yet a truly long haul carrier

    AirAsiaX has some form as a long haul low-cost carrier. It started flights to both London and Paris around ten years ago. But the economic downturn doomed the flights and within a few years, the flights were canceled.

    From their Kuala Lumpur hub, AirAsiaX now gets as far afield as Australia, Japan, China, South Korea and Hawaii. Strictly speaking, medium-haul rather than long haul but AirAsiaX wants to get back into the long haul business.

    2021 is the proposed starting date for California flights, because Mr. Sharir said that’s when the A330neos they need to operate the route would be delivered and ready to fly. AirAsia X has confirmed orders for 78 A330neos.

    Oakland out of favour

    Oakland, California, has long been on AirAsiaX’s horizon. As Edward Russell notes, AirAsia X held a media event at the airport back in 2012 and wheeled out a plane painted in a local sports team’s colors. All very nice, but AirAsia X flights never appeared on the arrivals board at Oakland.

    It seems Oakland has lost some of its allure for AirAsiaX, their preference swinging towards Los Angeles. But The Points Guy story thinks San Francisco is the most preferred option for the first AirAsia X North American flights.

    North America via Honolulu?

    It also offers the rather delicious option of pinging out of Honolulu on the back of existing Osaka-Honolulu AirAsia X flights.

    Whilst not a nonstop transpacific flight, it would make AirAsiaX the first low-cost carrier to offer a transpacific service. At this time, low-cost carriers coming from both east and west directions all terminate and coalesce at Honolulu. You could, technically, do the crossing on say, Southwest to Honolulu and then AirAsiaX on the last leg – which sounds like a lot of fun.

    California flights via Honolulu are an interesting scenario for AirAsia X. Photo: AirAsia.
     

    It would also see an Asian based low-cost carrier give the US low-cost incumbents a run for their money on the Hawaii-US mainland routes. The reaction at Southwest’s Dallas HQ would be priceless to see.

    While this is an interesting scenario, nonstop flights out of Japan remain a live option. AirAsia X currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Narita. Those flights could continue onto the US mainland. It is also worth noting that AirAsia X has a history of announcing flights to North America that don’t eventuate. Whilst they do have the aircraft being delivered capable of making the flights, the 2021 starting date is still a while off and no routes have been announced

    It will be a case of wait and see.

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  • Nadja Swarovski and celebrities honour Karl Lagerfeld with a white shirt

    Nadja Swarovski and celebrities honour Karl Lagerfeld with a white shirt

    Nadja Swarovski is celebrating Karl Lagerfeld’s memory and legacy by joining a global community of creative talents to reimagine his most iconic design: the white shirt, to be showcased during Spring/Summer20 Paris Fashion Week.

    Curated by Carine Roitfeld, a creative visionary and a longtime friend, the project is partnering exclusively with Farfetch, with all proceeds donated to the ‘Sauver la Vie’ charity initiative, which funds medical research at the Paris Descartes University and which Lagerfeld supported for many years.

    Alongside Nadja Swarovski, a host of artists, actors, models, designers and friends have been invited to create their own version of his iconic white shirt, including Amber Valletta, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastien Jondeau and Alessandro Michele. Of his signature garment, Lagerfeld once said: “If you ask me what I’d most like to have invented in fashion, I’d say the white shirt. For me, the white shirt is the basis of everything. Everything else comes after.”

    The Swarovski shirt features cuffs that shimmer with a galaxy of Hotfix stones, as well as crystals hidden inside the placket of the classic fly-front design. In a nod to the playful wit that characterized the work of this giant of the fashion world, Lagerfeld’s image is captured on the reverse of the shirt in a pixelated transfer of 6000 crystals.

    Seven of the project’s designs will each be replicated 77 times and went on sale on Karl.com and Farfetch.com yesterday at €777 per piece.

    The number seven was chosen as it was the designer’s lucky number and represented many elements in his life: his favorite arrondissement in Paris (the 7th), and the name of his bookshop and publishing house (7L). The original shirts went on display at a private exhibition at the Maison Karl Lagerfeld this week and will tour selected Karl Lagerfeld stores worldwide from next week.

    “It is an incredible honor to have been asked to pay tribute to Karl,” said Nadja Swarovski, a member of the Swarovski board. “It was also highly intimidating to attempt to create something aesthetically acceptable in honor of one of fashion’s best talents. Nonetheless, my team and I had a great time completing and realizing our design ideas in his honor. Long live King Karl!”

    Holli Rogers, chief brand officer of Farfetch, described the tribute as “amazing”.

    “The huge level of support that has been pledged by some of the world’s most exciting tastemakers is a testament to Karl’s legacy and the impact he made globally. We are excited to give Farfetch customers the opportunity to own these limited-edition pieces, that will forever be a wonderful tribute to Karl, whilst simultaneously giving back to the ‘Sauver la Vie’ charity, a worthy cause so close to Karl’s heart.”

    Favorite memory

    Nadja Swarovski recalls working with Karl lagerfeld on the jeweler’s Atelier Swarovski collection.

    “We met in his office and he immediately started sketching, flinging them into the air as he worked. In the end, the floor was covered with sketches and three remained on desk, which were the pieces we went on to create,” she recalls.

    “It was inspiring to be around him as he worked. I was also delighted when he agreed to participate in the creation of a jewelry piece to empower the young debutantes of the Vienna Opera Ball. He totally embraced the concept, creating a majestic traditional tiara with a modern twist, featuring a local reference of the Danube river in large, sapphire blue crystals.”

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  • Chinese tourists are embracing ‘themed travel’

    Chinese tourists are embracing ‘themed travel’

    Themed travel is a fast-growing trend among Chinese tourists – with more than two in three from mainland cities prepared to try it as a hobby.

    Themed travel is a relatively new tourism category identified by markers, including concepts such as health and wellness, wedding photography and self-drive tours.

    “Having new experiences is important when it comes to traveling,” explains Saskia Zhao, travel and leisure analyst at Mintel China Reports. “In light of this, companies in China’s travel industry are moving beyond simply offering traditional travel products and are introducing themed travel to the market.

    “There are two ways in which themed travel is commonly defined in China: by travel method, for example, self-drive tours, or travel itinerary, for example, photography or wedding theme. Our research shows that hobbies and in-depth travel experiences are what’s motivating Chinese consumers to try themed travel,” she said.

    “To appeal to these consumers, customization and offering experiences of superior quality are key. The focus of innovation in themed travel can be expanded from new routes and destinations to selling hobby-based experiences like food and outdoor activity tours. This will also allow consumers to meet with like-minded individuals, seeing how socialization is another key driver for the themed travel market.”

    Research by Mintel suggests a desire for new experiences seems to be what’s driving interest in the category.

    Three in five urban Chinese respondents (of 3000 surveyed online aged 20-49) say they are motivated to try themed travel because it would make a suitable hobby (66 percent) and is an in-depth travel experience (64 percent). Opportunities for socializing is another driver with 45 percent of respondents saying the desire to meet people with similar interests is a reason why they would like to try themed travel.

    Popularity of self-drive tours

    While still a relatively new concept, self-drive tours are picking up in China. According to Mintel research, 52 percent of urban Chinese respondents have taken the more common self-organized tour (eg excluding RVs and self-drive tours) for their personal leisure travels in the last 12 months*, while 49 percent say that they have taken self-drive tours. Self-drive tours are especially popular among the post-80s generation with 57 percent of respondents having tried this way of themed traveling. This is followed by 48 percent of post-90s and 41 percent of post-70s consumers.

    Health-and-wellness-themed travel

    Finally, Mintel research reveals an opportunity for travel suppliers with health and wellness-themed travel. As many as 74 percents of Chinese respondents cited enjoying a slower-paced lifestyle as the most important reason to try health and wellness-themed travel; while 67 percent associate health and wellness-themed travel with a nice environment and being beneficial to physical health, respectively.

    For health and wellness-themed travel, the top activities consumers are willing to pay more for include hot springs (67 percent) and body-care services, such as massages or a spa, (63 percent).

    “Healthy lifestyles are trending in China, opening up an opportunity for travel suppliers to explore health and wellness-themed travel,” said Zhao.

    “Consumers say that enjoying a slower-paced lifestyle is important when it comes to health and wellness-themed travel – likely because they long to relieve the stresses of daily life.

    “Companies in the health-and-wellness travel space can also motivate consumers with claims such as improving physical health and living in pure and healthy environments that are free from pollution. When premiumising their health and wellness-themed travel offerings, companies should look at capitalizing on natural elements such as hot springs and forest ‘oxygen zones’, as well as self-indulgent experiences like spas,” Zhao concluded.

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  • Rituals in Hong Kong doubles down on growth

    Rituals in Hong Kong doubles down on growth

    Following its debut flagship in Times Square this summer, the second store of Dutch bath-and-body label Rituals in Hong Kong launched yesterday at IFC.

    The brand plans to open two more stores in the city this year, along with its first travel-retail venture in South Korea.

    Two decades after its launch, the concept of “slowing down” which Rituals’ promotes as the founding pillar of the brand, was probably a little ahead of its time. Now, however, the ‘mindfulness and wellness’ trend is both well established and growing.

    Raymond Cloosterman, founder and CEO, told Inside Retail Asia that Rituals in Hong Kong has received a positive reception since its launch there: “The people of Hong Kong have really embraced our ‘slow-down’ ethos, promoting the importance of self-care for body, mind and spirit. We look forward to making Rituals accessible to new audiences in Hong Kong as we expand in the future.

    “Besides this there is a clear, strong positioning and tangible consistency in everything the brand presents, from product to packaging to our retail concept. And the quality for an affordable price is another cornerstone of our strategy.”

    Digital plans and future growth

    With a historic presence in concessions, especially in travel retail, Rituals has more recently been focusing on expanding with standalone stores. In Asia Pacific, it plans to continue developing this model with more than 10 new travel-retail locations to open this year.

    While a European brand, the roots and ideology of Rituals was inspired by Eastern philosophy.

    “Asia was always in the long-term global vision for Rituals and we are so happy and proud to have opened our first store in Hong Kong,” Cloosterman said. “You can almost say it’s where Rituals was really founded, since the ideology of the brand is very much inspired by honoring Eastern philosophy.”

    To embark on its Asia expansion, Rituals had opened up a new regional head office and warehouse facility in Hong Kong. Now it is turning its focus to digital engagement as well.

    “Hong Kong is a true metropolis as well as a leader in the digital retail experience,” Cloosterman told Inside Retail Asia. “To be at the centre of it provides a great opportunity for Rituals to launch our brand.

    “We are constantly working on our digital proposition as it is one of our four pillars aside from Domestic Retail, Travel Retail and Wholesale.”

    The brand will also be launching its own e-commerce store soon, along with a Rituals app that provides guided meditations and yoga classes.

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  • Uniqlo Introducing clothes made from recycled plastic bottles

    Uniqlo Introducing clothes made from recycled plastic bottles

    Japansese fashion retailer Uniqlo and Toray Industries have created apparel made from recycled down and fabric from polyester fibres made with recycled PET bottles.

    The technology partnership will lead to clothes made from recycled plastic bottles going on sale next year in Singapore and other Asian markets.

    Used Ultra Light Down pieces will be collected by Uniqlo stores and go through extraction process run by Toray-developed system. Materials then will be cleansed for use in new down merchandise. The collection program started this month initially only in Japan. Some down products from the 2020 Fall/Winter season will use the recycled material.

    “Uniqlo is committed to improving the sustainability of society,” said Tadashi Yanai, Uniqlo’s founder and chairman.

    “To this end, we will soon begin our new initiative with Toray that promotes the use of recycled materials. Through such an important partnership, we can continue to offer high-performance, high-quality, and sustainable clothing to all customers around the world.”

    President of Toray Industries, Akihiro Nikkaku said that the companies challenged themselves to seek solutions for global social issues as they believe that ‘materials can change our lives’.

    Next year, Uniqlo will produce Dry-Ex pieces of clothing that combine high-value-added polyester fibers derived from reclaimed PET bottles – clothes made from recycled plastic.

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