Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • 50th Anniversary Edition BMW R Nine T/5 Unveiled

    50th Anniversary Edition BMW R Nine T/5 Unveiled

    BMW has completed the 50th anniversary of the /5 Series motorcycle models, as well as 50 years of BMW Motorrad production in the Berlin Spandau factory. To celebrate both anniversaries, BMW Motorrad has introduced an exclusive BMW R Nine T/5 anniversary model. The R Nine T/5 uses the BMW R Nine T model as a base and incorporates several historical aesthetic touches, in addition to modern bits. The BMW R Nine T/5 anniversary model uses the classic silver and black finishes throughout the bike, as well as classic chrome on the mirrors, exhaust manifold, and rear silencer. The double seat with chrome decorative elements and white piping evoke the historic predecessor.

    The retro touch of the BMW R Nine T/5 is further accentuated by fork gaiters, spoked wheels and aluminium finished wheel hubs for the classic old-school look, as well as standard fork gaiters. Modern gizmos include standard ABS, ASC (automatic stability control) with heated seats and handlebar grips. There’s also the elaborate use of high-end details such as fork bridges and footrests in forged, clear anodised aluminium. The R Nine T/5 continues to be powered by the same 1,170 cc, twin-cylinder engine which puts out 110 bhp at 7,750 rpm and peak torque of 116 Nm at 6,000 rpm. Prices and availability are yet to be announced for the special edition motorcycle.

    The original BMW R50/5, R60/5 and R75/5 marked the beginning of a new production era at BMW’s new motorcycle operations in Berlin in the 1960s. The first /5 models went on to become popular choices for the customer well into the 1970s, with more than 12,000 motorcycles leaving the factory by 1970. When the /5 series was discontinued in 1973, BMW had built a total of 68,956 motorcycles in Berlin, and in that same year, the company celebrated “50 years of BMW Motorrad” with the manufacture of the 500,000th BMW motorcycle.

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  • Bonjour Holdings warns of loss ahead

    Bonjour Holdings warns of loss ahead

    Bonjour Holdings says it expects a loss in the half year to June as protests took their toll on the city’s retail sector.

    Last year, Bonjour Holdings reported a profit of HK$7.4 million in the six month period.

    In a stock-exchange filing, the company did not release an estimate of the level of loss it anticipates, with the preparation of final results still incomplete.

    Chairman and executive director Wilson Ip Chun Heng said the board believes the reversal of fortune is mainly attributable to the weak sales performance brought about by both local and global factors, including the US-China trade war, the depreciation of RMB, and the demonstrations and social unrest in Hong Kong which occurred in June.

    “Moreover, the implementation of the e-commerce law in China at the beginning of the year has severely hit the mainland “Daigou” (surrogate shopping) which has, to a certain extent, adversely affected our group’s turnover in the short-term.”

  • Volkswagen To Build New Plant In Turkey

    Volkswagen To Build New Plant In Turkey

    German carmaker Volkswagen is planning to build a multi-brand production plant in Turkey, a German trade magazine reported on Friday without citing sources.

    Automobilwoche said Volkswagen supervisory Board on Thursday made the decision to build a plant near the city of Izmir, adding that Volkswagen’s subsidiary Skoda will be one of the brands to be produced there.

    In April, Czech daily Hospodarske Noviny reported that Skoda was choosing between Bulgaria or Turkey as the site for a planned new plant.

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  • Panerai reopens Macau Galaxy boutique

    Panerai reopens Macau Galaxy boutique

    Italian high-end watchmaker Panerai has opened its renewed Galaxy boutique in Macau.

    The 42sqm store joins the existing locations in Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace and is located at the Galaxy Macau resort on Cotai Strip, where the most prestigious local hotels and entertainment areas are based.

    The concept of the design and materials used for the Panerai area reflects its Italian tradition with an underwater theme. Panerai supplied the Italian Navy with precision instruments for many decades, in particular its specialist diving corps.

    Panerai now has 87 boutiques throughout the world, three of which are in Macau.

  • Vive Cake Boutique Embraces Summer with Loveable Summer Drinks

    Vive Cake Boutique Embraces Summer with Loveable Summer Drinks

    Celebrated patisserie, Vive Cake Boutique, welcomes the summer season with the introduction of a whimsical and creative line of summer drinks and artistic sweet treats from 15 July to 30 September.

    “We are delighted to launch this refreshing summer menu of drinks and cakes embracing the playful colours, flavours, and vibe of the sunny season,” shares Founder, Ms Vivien Lau. “Our guests are invited to delve into VIVE’s summer wonderland through their senses.”

    Inspired by the look-feel of classic summer, VIVE’s line of summer cakes embody the lighthearted emblems of the season. Flamingo Floatie (HK$55), a pink treat designed to emulate a flamingo-style floater, is made with vanilla sponge, jasmine jelly, and oolong chocolate mousse; light yet satisfying flavours.

    The heat of summer is depicted in the cute Mini-Cone (HK$58), a mini version of VIVE’s signature uni-cone cake, featuring an upside-down “ice-cream” cone which appears to have perfectly “fallen” on the plate.  Easy on the eyes with its pink scoop of ice cream and golden-coloured cone, the cake is made with vanilla sponge, mango compote and yuzu mousse.

    Ice pop fans will love Limesicle (HK$55), a vanilla sponge cake with lime jelly filling coated in yogurt mousse,  and pink coloured white chocolate glaze, with sprinkles, emulating a “drip”.

    For something truly unique, the insta-worthy Coco-Aloha (HK$58) is unbeatable. Presented as a “coconut shell” drink with a small golden straw, the vanilla sponge cake with pineapple filling and coconut mousse looks real enough to drink.

    Guests are also invited to enjoy VIVE’s twist on a “slushie” with Pineapple Slushie (HK$65), a refreshing pineapple drink, featuring chunks of pineapple, presented in a classy whisky tumbler. The citrusy drink is topped off with a sprig of mint, lending it a sophisticated mocktail feel.

    For a fun, playful, and Instagrammable drink, diners may opt for VIVE’s Watermelon Mojito (HK$68). Made with fresh watermelon, mint, and lime, the cooling beverage is presented with a wedge of watermelon on a popsicle stick.

    Add a little bit of sparkle to one’s day with Grapefruit and Lime Soda(HK$65), a zesty, bubbly summer drink made from grapefruit puree, lime, andsoda water.

    Vive Cake Boutique has proved a roaring success story since being launched with online orders in 2014 by founder and creative director Vivien Lau, who discovered her passion and talent by chance, making her first cake for a friend’s birthday.

    Her signature ‘handmade with love’, cupcakes, macarons, cookies, confectioneries and tailor-made cakes for weddings and special occasions, are all made from scratch with less sugar and finest ingredients sourced from all over the world.

    VIVE’s widespread acclaim includes Time Out’s listing among the “crème de la crème of Hong Kong’s bespoke dessert makers” – with a massive celebrity and socialite following including Aaron Kwok, Charlene Choi, Gillian Chung, Niki Chow, Sharon Chan, Miki Yeung, Ella Koon, Myolie Wu and more.

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  • Michael Kors launches on Tmall Luxury Pavilion

    Michael Kors launches on Tmall Luxury Pavilion

    US fashion brand Michael Kors is to launch a digital flagship store on Alibaba’s Tmall and the Tmall Luxury Pavilion.

    The launch marks Michael Kors’ first e-commerce channel in China, apart from its own site, offering consumers the full line of clothing sold offline, as well as a selection of handbags and footwear. The brand said Tmall would be its main destination for debuting products in China, including new items that will be exclusive to the platform – not sold anywhere else in the world.

    John D Idol, chairman and CEO of Capri Holdings, the parent of Michael Kors, Versace and Jimmy Choo, said consumers are becoming more digitally engaged with luxury shopping in China and Tmall Luxury Pavilion is the perfect venue for the Michael Kors brand to communicate its vision.”

    The label will hold a series of events in the coming months, including during New York Fashion Week in September, to celebrate the flagship’s grand opening. On Chinese Valentine’s Day, on August 7, Michael Kors will launch a capsule collection featuring graffiti-inspired clothing, handbags, footwear, jewellery and wristwatches, samples of which are pictured below

    “Michael Kors is an iconic, beloved brand and we are delighted to partner with it as it looks to accelerate its momentum in the Chinese market. This collaboration will bring both exciting products and elevated shopping experiences to the more than 700 million Chinese consumers on our platforms,” said Jiang Fan, president of Taobao and Tmall.

    Launched in 2017, Tmall Luxury Pavilion now offers more than 115 brands, ranging from apparel and beauty items to watches and luxury cars, including Chanel, Bottega Veneta, Valentino, Burberry, Tod’s, Versace, Stella McCartney, Moschino, Gentle Monster, Giuseppe Zanotti, MCM, Maserati, and LVMH-owned Rimowa, Guerlain, Givenchy, Tag Heuer and Zenith.

    Tmall wants to double that number by the end of next March.

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  • Riccardo Tisci makes magic at Burberry

    Riccardo Tisci makes magic at Burberry

    Burberry is hailing the success of new creative director Riccardo Tisci as its June-quarter same-store sales grew by 4 per cent.

    Sales growth in China was up by the mid-teens, with Asia Pacific overall nudging 10 per cent.

    “This was a good quarter in our multi-year journey to transform Burberry,” said CEO Marco Gobbetti. “We increased the availability of products designed by Riccardo, while continuing to shift consumer perceptions of our brand and align our network to our new creative vision. The consumer response was very promising, delivering strong growth in our new collections.”

    The company described the response to Tisci’s designs as “excellent”, his collections delivering strong double-digit percentage growth compared to prior-year equivalent collections, and in line with Burberry’s expectations.

    The proportion of new product increased to around 50 per cent of the brand’s offer in mainline stores by the end of June.

    ‘‘Burberry’s transformation plan under new CEO Marco Gobbetti is starting to pay off,” observed Chloe Collins, senior retail analyst at GlobalData.

    She said much credit is due to Tisci, whose collections “offer a fresh and edgy revamp of the brand’s classic and neutral designs”.

    Burberry’s adept use of social media was also a factor in the recovery, with celebrity influencers such as Rihanna and Irina Shayk continuing to expand the brand’s reach and drive engagement with consumers.

    “Burberry must continue to invest in its social platforms to fight off other luxury players such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton, which are focusing on the channel to target younger shoppers. Burberry should more heavily promote its Instagram checkout feature to drive sales, as well as increasing brand engagement via marketing events.”

    Meanwhile, Burberry’s review of its retail network has seen 23 stores reconfigured to the new creative vision and led to a 2 per cent reduction in selling space, through the closure of non-strategic sites. Of 38 smaller stores selected for closure, nine have now been shuttered and in the wholesale space, Burberry is continuing to rationalise space in non-luxury US resellers.

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  • Daiso launches its first Threeppy shop in Singapore

    Daiso launches its first Threeppy shop in Singapore

    Japanese discount retailer Daiso will launch its Threeppy store at Funan mall on Sunday.

    Japanese discount retailer Daiso will launch its Threeppy retail store at Funan mall on Sunday (July 14).

    Known as the ‘premium’ version of Daiso, the first Threeppy outlet in Singapore and Southeast Asia will offer kitchenware, household goods, and stuffed toys, among other items, with prices starting at US$5.80

    The new brand is hoping to attract family shoppers in Singapore with women in their 20s to 40s their main target.

    Daiso currently operates 22 Threeppy shops in Japan, and plans to add 30 stores every year.

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  • Vietjet Recognised as One of the “Best Companies to Work for in Asia 2019”

    Vietjet Recognised as One of the “Best Companies to Work for in Asia 2019”

    Vietjet has been recognised as one of the best employers in Asia at the ” HR Asia – Best companies to work for in Asia 2019″ awards. Held in Ho Chi Minh City and organised by Asia’s leading human resource magazine, HR Asia Magazine, the awards recognise Vietnamese companies with the best working culture.-

    The HR Asia Awards is a prestigious regional award that evaluates and recognises companies with excellent working environments throughout Asia and has been held annually in various Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan. Other companies in Ho Chi Minh City such as HDBank and Sun Group also received the award this year. HR Asia carries out in-depth surveys with senior executives and HR managers at leading Vietnamese companies to evaluate their HR policies, recruitment and strategies put in place to cultivate excellent working environments, among other factors to determine the winners of the award.

    Speaking about the award, Vietjet Managing Director Luu Duc Khanh said: “Our company’s greatest asset is our employees, and thus, we take great pride in creating a work environment and culture that fosters success. Vietjet’s success is contributed to by the performance of each employee and team work and this award is especially exciting as an employee survey is used as part of the evaluation. We will continue our commitment to investing in employee well-being and engagement in order to ensure our further success.” 

    The new-age airline Vietjet has not only created a “revolution” in the aviation industry by offering flying opportunities for millions of passengers all around the region and the world, but has also offered countless opportunities to its staff with a young, dynamic working environment, good benefits and good HR policies.

    Vietjet has been honored to be the best employer brand in Asia for many consecutive years and one of the top 50 airlines worldwide by Air Finance Journal for financing and operations. The company has also been recognised with many other domestic and international awards. 

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  • Mastercard Further Extends Payment Network with Acquisition of Transfast

    Mastercard Further Extends Payment Network with Acquisition of Transfast

    Mastercard announced the completion of the acquisition of Transfast, a global payments company with significant cross-border network reach. Mastercard originally declared the intent to buy Transfast on March 8, 2019.

    The acquisition builds on Mastercard’s strength in payments and drives improved transparency and certainty in cross-border transactions, enabling people and businesses to send and receive money beyond borders with greater speed and ease.

    Transfast will enable Mastercard to continue servicing the growing needs of consumers and businesses as well as governments and merchants in cross-border transactions.  It builds on Mastercard’s strategy to offer choice to its customers through the expansion of the Mastercard global network. This move adds to Mastercard’s leading position in meeting business, government and consumer payment requirements, whether it’s business to business, person to person or other payment flows.

    Stephen Grainger, Executive Vice President, Mastercard comments:

    “Today’s announcement is an exciting milestone for Mastercard in helping to further build democratised access to predictable and faster payments globally. People and businesses expect certain and predictable real-time payments that keep pace with modern life and everyday demands, and now, with reach into 90% of global GDP flows, Mastercard is in a prime position to support their cross-border requirements.”

    Increasingly, people and businesses across the globe want timely, reliable and cost-effective ways to pay and get paid. The acquisition allows Mastercard to service businesses and organisations across a wider variety of sectors with different needs. This includes businesses paying suppliers and employees across borders. 

    Samish Kumar, CEO, Transfast comments:

    “This is a pivotal day for Transfast as we embark on the natural next step in our journey. Mastercard’s global reach complements our own network across over 100 countries, and together we will grow within the account-to-account payments space, helping organisations improve operational efficiencies and supporting wider economic growth. Alongside Mastercard, we look forward to developing new innovations and products to support people and businesses to predict and plan when they pay people and get paid, enabling them to thrive.”

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  • Ajisen China sales on the up

    Ajisen China sales on the up

    Ajisen China has reported a 4.8 per cent improvement in same-store sales for the June quarter.

    The Hong Kong-listed fast-casual restaurant operator combined sales in its local operations with those in the mainland and did not comment on the respective markets this reporting period.

    Overall sales for the restaurant business rose by 6.4 per cent, reflecting network expansion.

    The sales growth is a marked turnaround from the same period a year ago, when it reported a 10.8 per cent sales decline in Hong Kong and 1.8 per cent drop on the mainland, citing stiff competition in the restaurant and catering sector, especially in Mainland China.

    Ajisen China operates Ajisen Ramen restaurants under licence to the Japanese brand owner.

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  • Ford To Lay Off Around 200 Workers At Canadian Plant

    Ford To Lay Off Around 200 Workers At Canadian Plant

    Ford Motor  will lay off about approximately 200 employees in September at a Canadian manufacturing plant in Oakville, Ontario, with the possibility of more layoffs in January, the company said on Friday. Ford employs approximately 4,600 workers at the Oakville plant. “We have been arguing as a local for the past several weeks trying to persuade the company from somehow avoiding this scenario, but to no avail,” Dave Thomas, president of Unifor Local 707, in Oakville, Ontario, said in a note to members that was posted on the union’s website on Wednesday.

    “As always, it’s based on a business decision and it all comes down to dollars and cents,” he said.

    Ford attributed the layoffs to slowing sales of the Ford Flex and Lincoln MKT, both of which are produced at the Oakville plant.

    In addition, the Ford Edge is no longer being sold in some European markets, which the company also pointed to as a reason for the Oakville layoffs.

    “We have a longstanding practice of matching production with consumer demand,” Kelli Felker, Ford’s manufacturing and labour communications manager, said in an email.

    The plant will slow production as of Aug. 1, cutting one shift and reducing hours, Thomas said.

    Robert Gibson, spokesman for Ontario’s minister of economic development, said the provincial government is disappointed to learn of the layoffs.

    “We want the employees in Oakville to know that our government stands with them and their families,” Gibson said in an email to Reuters. “We will work with our partners to continue to fight for good jobs in Oakville and support the affected families.”

    Ford had announced a 10% cut to its global white-collar workforce in May, eliminating 7,000 jobs.

    The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker also announced intentions to slash 12,000 European jobs by 2020.

    Canadian auto sales in June were down 7.2% from a year earlier, the latest drop in a 16-month decline.

  • Vietjet Announces New Routes and IncreasesFlight Frequencies to Phu Quoc

    Vietjet Announces New Routes and IncreasesFlight Frequencies to Phu Quoc

    Vietjet has announced its plans to launch new routes and increase flight frequencies to and from Phu Quoc, one of Vietnam’s top beach destinations.

    The announcement was made on 29 July 2019 at the Kien Giang Investment Promotion Conference, titled “Kien Giang – Potential and opportunities for investments and sustainable development.” More than 500 industry and organizational leaders, investors and leading private enterprises attended the conference; Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and senior leaders of the Vietnamese Government were also present at the event.

    Vietjet detailed its plans to operate two new domestic routes: Phu Quoc – Da Nang and Phu Quoc – Van Don. The new routes will operate at a frequency of seven flights per week from the end of this year and the middle of next year respectively. Two new international routes (air charters) were also announced: Phu Quoc – Chengdu (China) and Phu Quoc – Chongqing (China), with three round-trip flights per week starting from the end of 2019.

    The flight frequencies of two international routes Phu Quoc – Hong Kong (China) and Phu Quoc – Incheon (South Korea)will also be increased to six flights per week and fourteen flights per week respectively from the coming winter months to meet the increasing travel demands of Phu Quoc’s peak season.

    Since Vietjet’s first flight to Phu Quoc in 2012, its flight networks have continued to expand, connecting Phu Quoc to many other countries and cities in the region. Speaking at the conference, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his support for investors and leading companies such as Vietjet in contributing to the economy of Kien Giang province.

    To celebrate the announcement of the new routes to Phu Quoc, Vietjet is offering 85,000 tickets from only S$0* for travelers to fly to Phu Quoc, the famous island of Kien Giang province. Promotional tickets are available for purchase from now until 31 July 2019 and are applicable for travel from 5 September 2019 to 31 December 2019 for domestic routes connecting Phu Quoc to Hanoi, Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City, and 5 September 2019 to 25 June 2020 for international routes connecting Phu Quoc to Hong Kong and Incheon.

     

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  • Giordano International sales plunge again

    Giordano International sales plunge again

    Giordano International is set to report a second successive quarter of heavy sales decline.

    The casualwear retailer warned shareholders yesterday that underlying sales may fall by about 28 per cent, driving a 38-per-cent decrease in profit attributable to shareholders for the six months ended June 30.

    Chairman and CEO Peter Lau said the board believes the decrease was largely confined to the Greater China Region, and “primarily attributable to the weak retail environment and poor market sentiment in those regions stemming from the Sino-US trade war”.

    A factor in the profit figure was the adoption of new Hong Kong financial-reporting standards applicable to leases, which took effect on January 1 this year.

    The company will announce its interim results next month.

    In April, Giordano announced that sales in Greater China plunged by 17.7 per cent during the first quarter, dragging group-wide sales down by 10.8 per cent, or 8.5 per cent on a constant-currency basis.

    In a stock-exchange filing on the eve of the holiday weekend the casual apparel retailer blamed the downturn on “uncertainty stemming from the Sino-US trade dispute and abnormally warm weather”.

    Giordano sales in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam remained stable during the first quarter, and in the fledgling Middle East market rose by 10 per cent to HK$80 million, slightly compensating for the heavy impact of China.

    By market, Mainland China sales fell from $378 million to $295 million, in Hong Kong and Macau from $248 million to $225 million and in Taiwan from $201 million to $161 million. In the rest of Asia-Pacific, they declined from $422 million to $398 million.

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  • China boosts Uniqlo parent

    China boosts Uniqlo parent

    Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing’s healthy online sales and strong performance in overseas markets, particularly in China, have helped boost its third quarter results.

    The Japanese retailer said its online sales saw a 16.1 per cent year-on-year increase in the three months to May 31 to ¥19.0 billion (US$176.1 million), increasing their proportion of total sales from 7.8 per cent to 9.1 per cent.

    For the three months from March to May 2019, Uniqlo’s international segment reported strong results, with revenue expanding 15.3 per cent year-on-year and operating profit expanding 14.9 per cent year-on-year over that period.

    Uniqlo continued to achieve significant year-on-year growth in both revenue and profit in Mainland China, and achieved double-digit growth in both revenue and profit in Southeast Asia and Oceania on the back of strong sales of its summer range.

    But Fast Retailing’s less-than-stellar domestic sales have overshadowed the company’s strong performance in its e-commerce and international segments, indicating that Japan’s market still has a huge influence on the retailer’s results.

    The company’s domestic sales saw a 0.5 per cent decline brought about by shifting a sales event to June.

    On the profit front, the retailer’s operating profit declined by 7.5 per cent year-on-year on the back of a higher selling, general and administrative expense ratio, and a lower gross profit margin, which was dampened by its decision to bring forward discounting of leftover Spring Summer inventory.

    China continues to be one of the main engines driving overseas expansion, with sales in the country rising in the double digits.

    The retailer said Uniqlo so far hasn’t been hurt by the trade war between the US and China, and sales there were strong even in the face of a weaker yuan.

    Uniqlo Europe reported a decline in profit caused by unseasonal weather patterns and political uncertainty. However, within that region, Russia continued to perform strongly and report expanding revenue and profit.

    In terms of new-store activity, Uniqlo opened its first store in the Netherlands in Amsterdam in September 2018, as well as its biggest Southeast Asian global flagship store in Manila, Philippines in October 2018, and its first store in Denmark in Copenhagen in April 2019.

    Fast Retailing said it is planning to focus its efforts on expanding its global e-commerce operation and its Uniqlo international and GU casual fashion brands to meet its medium-term vision to become the world’s number one apparel retailer.

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