Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Asian expansion contributes to loss for Mulberry

    Asian expansion contributes to loss for Mulberry

    Expansion into Asia has weighed on British luxury bag label Mulberry’s bottom line, but the company is confident the foray will bear fruit.

    Mulberry reported a pre-tax loss of £5 million in the year to March 30, a sharp contrast to a £6.9 million pre-tax profit the previous year.

    The other major contributor to the loss was the collapse of British department store House of Fraser which cost it £2.1 million and worsening the impact of a “challenging” UK domestic market. Sales fell 2 per cent to £166.3 million.

    During the year, Mulberry opened new business subsidiaries in Japan and South Korea along with new stores in New York and Dubai as it focuses on international markets for sustained future growth. Revenue from overseas rose 7 per cent for the year, compensating in part for a 6 per cent drop in domestic sales. Online sales rose 27 per cent

    “The group has delivered results in line with expectations and is making good progress in advancing its international strategy and direct to customer model whilst managing a challenging UK market,” said CEO Thierry Andretta.

    “Looking ahead, we anticipate that international and digital sales will continue to grow whilst UK retail trading conditions are expected to remain uncertain. The group plans to invest further in its new Asian entities during this development phase, enhance its global digital platform and optimise the UK network,” he said.

    Sales in the 11 weeks to June 15 were up 13 per cent.

    Chloe Collins, senior retail analyst at GlobalData, said Mulberry needs to seek new and inspiring ways to attract new customers via increased social media and marketing campaigns.’

    She said Mulberry’s expansion of its lifestyle-product offer – it launched its first eyewear range last year – and its plans to increase the depth in its range of trainers are a wise move to capitalise on the trend for athleisure and competing with the likes of Isabel Marant and Golden Goose.

    “However, it must be careful that this does not distract design focus from its core handbags offer, where developments and upgrades are still necessary to maintain shopper appeal.”

    She said teaming up with fast-growing technology platform Farfetch for a new digital concession in April, will help Mulberry increase its reach and bolster sales, both in the UK and internationally.

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  • Google Assistant brings back handy parking location functionality

    Google Assistant brings back handy parking location functionality

    Google’s industry-leading virtual assistant can be of great help not only when you’re actually behind the wheel, but also to remind you where you’ve parked your car at the end of a nice day walking around town. There are in fact a number of ways in which Google Assistant can lend a hand with locating your parked vehicle, and one feature, in particular, has caught our attention after first being spotted.

    That’s because this was apparently a thing back in the Google Nowadays of 2014, going away for some reason several years ago only to recently return in modernized fashion. You don’t have to actually do anything to get your digital assistant to estimate where you probably stopped driving and started walking.

    Based on your location history, your Android phone will let you know where you may have parked, and although the feature is unlikely to wow you with its accuracy, the fact it can loosely determine the whereabouts of your car with absolutely no effort on the user’s part is pretty cool… and a little scary. Of course, if you happen to often forget where you’ve parked or need perfect precision from this Google Assistant skill, you can always manually save your exact location by saying “Ok Google” and one of several magic phrases before leaving your vehicle behind.

    That’s especially useful if you want to keep a record of your precise parking spot in a crowded lot, but otherwise, the automatic feature is likely to prove fairly convenient as well. Particularly if you forget both where you parked and to manually command your voice assistant to save the location of your car, in which case this could prove an outright life-saver.

    As always, not everyone appears to have gained access to the newly added revived functionality straight off the bat, so for the time being, it might be wise to continue using the manual parking location reminder.

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  • Omega China makes E-commerce debut

    Omega China makes E-commerce debut

    Swiss timepiece maker Omega has launched its first e-commerce initiative in China.

    Omega China has opened a new pop-up store in the Tmall Luxury Pavilion, an online platform for premium brands under Alibaba Group.

    Pre-sales for Omega’s new Seamaster Aqua Terra Beijing 2022 limited-edition wristwatch will be exclusively available on the pop-up site between June 15 and August 7. The watch will be available in physical stores later on. Just 2,022 watches have been made to mark Beijing’s upcoming Winter Olympics.

    The Pavilion has recently overhauled its site with more personalised offers and recommendations, introducing a brand-generated content feed and online magazine.

    “We want to step up our offerings in terms of creative experiences, trending product feeds and style tips from fashion editors to help young users find items and brands they love,” said Tmall Luxury Pavilion head Lili Chen. “The Pavilion revamp enhances the discovery journey and shopping experience for our customers, while helping luxury brands better express their brand vision, aesthetics and new creations.”

    Omega joins 133 brands on Tmall’s Luxury Pavilion, including rival brands Tag Heuer and Zenith, along with Versace, Stella McCartney, Moschino, and others.

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  • Upcoming free app for the Apple iPad might turn you into the next Michelangelo

    Upcoming free app for the Apple iPad might turn you into the next Michelangelo

    Adobe announced that its drawing and painting app for the iPad originally called “Project Gemini,” will be known as Adobe Fresco when it launches later this year. Fresco is an old technique used for hundreds of years that involves painting on wet plaster. It requires the artist to complete the painting before the plaster dries. That type of “spontaneous creativity” is at the center of Adobe Fresco. The app will first be available for iPads with Apple Pencil support, which means that users can unleash their creativity wherever they are. Eventually, Fresco will be offered for other stylus supporting touchscreen devices.

    The app uses Adobe’s AI-based Sensei platform for the Live Brushes feature. This allows users to “paint” on the app using watercolors and oils and experience the same response as a painter would in real life. Adobe says that those using the app can even paint with virtual water to dilute colors. The company has gone to the trouble of determining how certain paint pigments interact on different types of surfaces and has recreated these experiences for the Adobe Fresco app.

    Brushes used in Photoshop can also be employed in Adobe Fresco and users have access to digital brushes from the artist and digital brush creator Kyle Webster. The app is equipped with vector brushes to allow the artist to “create clean, crisp, and infinitely scaleable lines and shapes.” And users will be able to create their own brushes thanks to Adobe Capture.

    “Drawing is fundamental to developing creative literacy. It is most people’s first connection to creativity, and every great painting, sculpture, film, or building began with a drawing. And today, more than ever, it’s essential for everyone to develop creative literacy. As artificial intelligence takes over more and more repetitive and mundane tasks, creativity is the unique human quality that sets each of us apart and helps us succeed.

    Connecting brain and hand through drawing unlocks creative magic. To forge that connection, a digital generation needs a digital tool, which is why we’re developing a powerful and sophisticated drawing and painting application.”-Adobe

    While Fresco will have professional features like layers, masking, and selection, Adobe points out that the app has what it calls a “streamlined” interface that even children can use. And Fresco users will be able to move their project between the app and Photoshop seamlessly. The art can also be exported to PDF where it can be edited using Adobe Illustrator.

    Whether you’re a professional artist or just sketch for a hobby, Adobe Fresco is all about creating. The app will be free and if you’re an iPad user, you can submit a request to try the beta version of the app by registering here.

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  • Kerry Logistics Forms Joint Venture with Spain’s National Postal Service Correos

    Kerry Logistics Forms Joint Venture with Spain’s National Postal Service Correos

    Kerry Logistics Network Limited (‘Kerry Logistics’; Stock Code 0636.HK) is set to capitalise on the growing potential of China’s e-commerce exports by joining hands with Spain’s national postal service Sociedad Estatal de Correos y Telégrafos, S.A. (‘Correos’) to establish a joint venture (‘JV’) to provide end-to-end cross-border e-commerce solutions from China to worldwide destinations, in which Kerry Logistics holds a majority interest.

    Leveraging Kerry Logistics’ broad experience in origin sortation, line haul and Customs clearance, and Correos’ years of expertise in the postal services, the JV aims to bring service experience to the next level for customers including marketplaces and e-tailers.

    Cross-border e-commerce exports from China recorded a 67% year-on-year increase in 2018, amounting to RMB56.12 billion, according to China’s General Administration of Customs.

    To fulfil an increasing emphasis on e-commerce parcel security and compliance, a world-class sortation centre will be set up in Southern China under the new JV, equipped with an automated sorting system and stringent parcel screening and security controls to ensure speedy parcel handling and full compliance. The facility, targeting to open in 2019 Q4, will occupy an area of over 200,000 sq ft and have a sorting capacity of 500,000 parcels per day.

    William Ma, Group Managing Director of Kerry Logistics, said, “The JV combines the diverse capabilities of its two partners, each complementing the other to refine the process of e-commerce parcels handling and deliveries. As China’s cross-border e-commerce exports grow, we are determined to prepare ourselves for seizing emerging opportunities. Utilising our deep understanding of customers’ needs both in China and abroad, Kerry Logistics is confident in meeting the rapidly growing international demands through working closely with Correos.”

    Juan Manuel Serrano Quintana, President of the Board of Directors of Correos, said, “The new partnership with Kerry Logistics presents a unique opportunity for Correos to capture the outbound e-commerce parcel deliveries from China, which is the largest trade and economic partner for Spain in Asia. It also offers a way forward for Correos to create a sustainable business model to meet the growing demand in the booming e-commerce business and the ever-changing customer needs.”

    The fast-changing logistics landscape in China called for innovation and flexibility in order to capture and serve new and emerging business models and brands. Kerry Logistics will continue to broaden and deepen its reach in China selectively.

  • Salesforce Brings the Customer Data Platform to the World’s #1 CRM

    Salesforce Brings the Customer Data Platform to the World’s #1 CRM

    Salesforce, the global leader in CRM, today unveiled its Customer Data Platform (CDP) with the next generation of Customer 360. New platform services will enable companies to unify disparate customer data throughout their entire organization and then personalize every engagement based on a single view of the customer. Customer 360 will go beyond traditional CDP capabilities and extend the power of CRM with consumer-scale data management and activation.

    “Customers today will not settle for fragmented experiences, and companies recognize that creating a single view of the customer is imperative to earning their loyalty,” said Bret Taylor, President and Chief Product Officer, Salesforce. “With Customer 360, we continue to extend our platform in new ways, empowering brands to unify data and personalize customer engagement at scale.”

    Customers Expect a Level of Personalization They’re Not Getting

    Most of the interactions that customers have with brands today are disconnected and therefore underwhelming. The latest Salesforce Connected Customer report finds that 78 percent of customers expect consistent interactions with a company regardless of the department they’re dealing with, yet only 50 percent of companies tailor their engagement based on a customer’s past interactions.

    The challenge for companies is that they are swimming in a deluge of customer data. Many are trying to unify data from legacy systems, disconnected channels, multi-channel attribution and elsewhere. They also need to adhere to regulations like GDPR and adapt to new channels like voice and chatbots. In this reality, delivering personalized and integrated engagement is difficult, and customers often pay the price. A retailer is unlikely to know that the customer who just contacted customer service for a broken product is the same one that also just received a promotional email for that same product.

    The Next Generation of Customer 360 Delivers Integrated Customer Engagement

    At Dreamforce 2018, Salesforce introduced Customer 360, which allows companies to connect Salesforce apps and create a unified customer ID to build a single view of the customer. Additionally, by extending the power of Customer 360 with MuleSoft, companies can connect any app, data source or device across any cloud and on-premise. Today, Salesforce is expanding Customer 360 with new advancements that will make it easier to bridge fragmented customer data across the entire organization and enable companies to deliver integrated customer engagement at scale.

    The next generation of Customer 360 will enable:

    • Data Unification and Consent Management: Brands will be able to unify all of their customer data to create rich customer profiles. This includes known and unknown data such as cookies, customer first-party IDs and more. With Salesforce’s consent management framework, companies also have the ability to easily gain customer consent wherever they engage–from email marketing to digital advertising.
    • Advanced Audience Segmentation: Segmentation capabilities will allow companies to identify specific groups of people to engage with in real-time based on demographics, engagement history and all other customer data available. For example, a company will be able to build an audience of female shoppers interested in running shoes based on information gathered from a combination of web browsing activities across several retail sites, marketing email interactions, previous purchases and more.
    • Personalized Engagement Everywhere: Once a brand knows what audience segment they’d like to reach, it can then activate the customer data across marketing, commerce, service and beyond. This means companies won’t skip a beat, reaching customers and prospects across channels like ads, email, social, mobile and web that are all integrated to deliver a continuous experience with the brand.
    • Optimization Based on Einstein Insights: With artificial intelligence, companies will be able to analyze and understand how and when to engage with customers to drive customer loyalty and improve business performance. Customer profiles are continuously updated based on their behaviors – as customers click on an ad, browse an ecommerce catalog, buy a product and open an email. This allows brands to leverage AI to drive the most relevant mix of product and channel recommendations to optimize channel engagement and customer satisfaction.

    “Enterprises are having a difficult time capturing all of their customer data in one place. With so much data coming in from dozens of sources, it’s hard for companies to keep track of it all, let alone use it to their advantage to deliver the connected experiences that customers want,” said Sheryl Kingstone, Research Vice President & General Manager at 451 Research. “A lot of solutions out there claim to solve these common challenges, but miss the mark. What Salesforce is announcing today is a strategic step forward in helping companies truly understand their customers through a single lens and engage with them one-on-one across marketing, commerce, service and beyond.”

    “Pacers Sports & Entertainment hosts hundreds of games, concerts and events each year for millions of fans in Indiana. Since teaming up with Salesforce, we’ve been able to improve fan engagement and build loyal relationships” said Todd Taylor, CMO, Pacers Sports & Entertainment. “We can now reach fans with the content most important to them, deliver personalized customer service and analyze how best to engage to keep them happy and involved alongside the entertainment experiences that we deliver. Customer 360 is a breakthrough innovation that we’re excited to adopt as we continue to grow the relationships we have worked hard to create with our fans.”

  • Amazon is making Alexa easier to use

    Amazon is making Alexa easier to use

    Imagine being able to arrange a night out in advance through Alexa by engaging in a naturally flowing conversation with the virtual assistant. This is what Amazon showed off last week at its re: Mars conference when it unveiled a preview of Alexa Conversations. Found in Amazon’s Alexa Skills Kit, Conversations allows developers to combine voice apps in order to streamline certain functions.

    Amazon showed off what Conversations could do at the conference by showing a clip of a woman using Alexa to purchase a movie ticket, reserve a table at a nearby Chinese restaurant, and order an Uber to pick her up. The whole process took less than a minute. Amazon says that this “night-out” scenario is the first of many that will allow users to quickly move from one voice app to another inside one conversation. The Conversation feature is designed to reduce the number of interactions it takes to get things done. For example, with the “night-out” scenario, approximately a dozen instructions were required to arrange the whole evening compared to the 40 or so that it would have taken without the new capability. And to make Alexa even more conversational, the virtual assistant can order an Uber by saying “Get me a ride,” instead of “Alexa, launch the Uber skill.”

    Last year, Amazon introduced Follow-up Mode so that users can ask Alexa to handle multiple tasks without having to repeat the “Alexa” hotword every time they want to add a task or request. This can be enabled by opening the Alexa app on your phone and swiping to the right to reveal the app’s menu. From there, go to Settings > Device Settings and tap on the appropriate device. Scroll down to Follow-up Mode and toggle it on. This should make asking Alexa to do multiple tasks a lot easier and quicker. Google launched something similar to Continued Conservations for Google Assistant. This allows users to continue a conversation without having to continually say “Ok, Google.”

    “If you make customers repeat information again and again and again, you are forcing them to believe that they are talking to a dumb entity, and if that’s the rapport you’re building with them from the get-go, the chances are they’re never going to delegate higher order tasks to you, because they will never think you’re capable of solving higher-order problems for them.”-Sanju Pancholi, Alexa AI senior product manager, Amazon.

    Eventually, Amazon could add different Skills for Alexa that will allow users to order food to be delivered, buy a present, or view content at home. Alexa currently is on over 100 million devices and users have more than 90,000 skills that can be enabled for the platform. With 325,000 developers using the Alexa Skills Kit, we can expect many more Skills to be available in the future.

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  • Nintendo’s Dr. Mario World coming to Android and iOS

    Nintendo’s Dr. Mario World coming to Android and iOS

    Nintendo’s next mobile game is coming sooner than we expected. The Japanese company has just announced that Dr. Mario World will be making its debut on Android and iOS no later than July 10, and, more importantly, it will be free to play. Obviously, there will be in-app purchases, but those will be entirely optional

    Dr. Mario World is a match-3 puzzle type of game with a twist where players must match capsules with viruses. Basically, you’ll have to match three objects of the same color vertically or horizontally to clear them, using Dr. Mario’s virus-busting skills.

    At first glance, this might sound rather trivial, but you’ll find that each puzzle configuration of viruses must be cleared using a limited number of capsules, so you’ll have to plan ahead to be successful.

    Other iconic characters in the Mario universe will be available in the game, including Dr. Peach, Dr. Bowser, and other. Assistants like Goomba, Koopa Troopa, and Buzzy Beetle will help the doctors with additional skills.

    According to Nintendo, the game will feature “hundreds of stages over many different worlds,” which sounds like a lot of fun. Also, you’ll be able to play together with friends and family, or even have fun in versus mode. You can now pre-register for Dr. Mario World on Google Play Store and App Store for free.

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  • Luxury restaurant Lawry’s wins significant Rent Reduction

    Luxury restaurant Lawry’s wins significant Rent Reduction

    High-end US restaurant Lawry’s The Prime Rib, will pay 80 per cent less rent for its new location than the previous tenant who vacated the premises three years ago.

    The leased 6500sqft venue is located on the third floor of The Galleria in Central on the corner of Queen’s Road and Ice House Street, with a HK$150,000 (US$19,155) per month rental, or HK$23/sqft.

    News of the rent deal was broken by a local Chinese-language news media outlet and has not been verified. However it appears to suggest the reduction reflects an overpricing of the previous tenant’s deal rather than a true reflection of the decline in retail rents in premium Hong Kong retail strips, especially given the site has been empty for three years.

    The restaurant Lawry’s is considered a heritage dining brand with premium locations in several US cities, as well as a presence via franchisees in Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan. A point of difference is that food is taken to diners’ tables on silver carts as part of a theatre experience.

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  • Burger Fuel New Zealand Restaurants performing well

    Burger Fuel New Zealand Restaurants performing well

    Burger Fuel said its stores in New Zealand have been performing well, posting a 2.6 per cent increase in sales on the previous year.

    Burger Fuel, which has 56 restaurants in New Zealand, said sales have increased from last year but growth was less than what the company would have liked for the period.

    Company chair Peter Brook and group CEO Josef Roberts said in a statement they will continue to focus on the opening of new restaurants in NZ for FY19 and update the market as the year progresses.

    They said, however, that they will only undertake new openings if they can achieve both the right locations as well as the accompanying franchisees.

    At this stage, the company said they are not undertaking third party home delivery, as over time they believe it will negatively affect both the brand and individual store profitability.

    “This decision may have impacted our growth numbers, however we remain committed to a no delivery policy at this stage,” Brook said.

    The company is in the process of changing from a single-brand international company to a multi-brand New Zealand company. The move was announced last year.

    “This transition is going well and we are pleased that we have managed to absorb all the costs associated with this transition, as well as the costs to develop the new brands and provide an acceptable profit for FY19,” Brook said.

    “We will continue to focus on the opening of new restaurants in NZ and we look forward to updating the market with these new openings as the year progresses.”

    Burger Fuel Worldwide posted a $1.2 million net profit for the year ending March 31, a turnaround from the previous year’s $463,000 net loss, as it transitions to a new business model.

    Sales decreased 15 per cent to $21 million, mostly reflecting the sale of the company-owned store in the United States to founding director Chris Mason in March last year, while expenses dropped 22.7 per cent to $19.2 million.

    “This internal change lowers revenue from our proprietary product manufacturing operation but will ensure that this business unit becomes more financially efficient,” the company says.

    Total system sales, including both company-owned and franchised stores, fell 2.9 per cent to $102 million.

    There were 78 Burger Fuel stores operating worldwide and two new outlets in New Zealand, one for each of the company’s new concepts, Shake Out, a new burger concept developed in-house, and Winner Winner, the chicken concept purchased by BurgerFuel Worldwide in December 2017.

    Of the BurgerFuel stores, 56 are in New Zealand.

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  • Toys“R”Us Asia brings smiles to kids and families in China through their record-breaking Children’s Day Toy Festival

    Toys“R”Us Asia brings smiles to kids and families in China through their record-breaking Children’s Day Toy Festival

    Celebrating Children’s Day with families and kids across China, through a vast offering of experiential offsites, special promotions and exclusive toy ranges, Toys”R”Us Asia announces a record-breaking Y-o-Y sales growth of over 25% in China, on the first weekend of June.

    The strong business results for Toys”R”Us Asia in China on June 1 can be attributed to millions of happy in-store customers, as measured through a record-breaking number of transactions. Kids and families got to enjoy a significant increase in exclusive product ranges offered through Toys”R”Us China’s vast network of over 180 permanent stores and over 100 experiential offsites, set up specifically to celebrate Children’s Day.

    Nicholas Green, Managing Director of Toys“R”Us China, said, “Toys“R”Us is the ultimate destination for kids of every age. Our top priority is to support families with fun and interactive shopping experiences so they can access the very best products for entertainment and learning. The recent record-breaking business results for Toys“R”Us China over the weekend of International Children’s Day is a strong sign that customer demand in this market is on the rise and is a testament to the company’s success and growth, both in the offline and eCommerce space. We plan to open over 50 new stores in China in 2019 alone, and we are confident that our offering to customers will only continue to strengthen.”

    Andre Javes, President and CEO of Toys“R”Us Asia, commented, “In the coming year, Toys“R”Us Asia is planning to open over 65 stores across Greater China, Japan and South East Asia, to meet the growing demand for imaginative and educational play. We will be rolling out even more immersive experiences and inspiring content to showcase the infinite possibilities of toys – offering up the most relevant toy choices for every development stage of childhood.”

    At the end of the previous fiscal year, Toys”R”Us Asia posted strong business results, as well as growth in their STAR CARD loyalty program and several investments in new stores, store renovations, eCommerce and IT infrastructure.

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  • TKO Gateway to host a Scent and Taste Lab

    TKO Gateway to host a Scent and Taste Lab

    Link’s TKO Gateway will host a Scent and Taste Laboratory, showcasing around 30 food scents from June 22 to July 21.

    The HK Foodie Zone – designed by local designer Jacqueline Chak, winner of the DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award, presents signature local delicacies, including pineapple buns, mini egg puffs and curry fish balls, using scented candles and aroma essence oils.

    The lab creates and exhibits food scents across five different themes – Hong Kong Delicacies, Fresh Fruits and Spices, International Cuisine, Signature Beverages and Sweetie Desserts. An Aroma Bazaar and two redemption programmes for portable aroma diffusers and food lane cash coupons will also be held during the campaign period.

    In addition to offering these olfactory experiences, the Scent and Taste Laboratory includes 2D cartoon-like decorations and furnishings to present an Insta-worthy spot for customers.

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  • Helloworld expands New Zealand Activities

    Helloworld expands New Zealand Activities

    Travel retailer Helloworld Travel has announced a number of new businesses have joined, or will join, its New Zealand retail network, broadening operations in the region.

    Agencies Gilpin Travel, Barlow Travel, and Atlas Corporation have joined the network with a combined total transaction value of $130 million.

    Additionally, the NZ Travel Brokers – which command a $125 million total transaction value – along with other “significant agencies” have committed to join from June 2019.

    “The New Zealand acquisitions and network expansion has given our NZ business the size and resulting economies of scale to assist the Group to achieve our targeted EBITDA to revenue of 25 per cent in FY20,” Helloworld Travel chief executive Andrew Burnes said.

    “The team in New Zealand has done an outstanding job of building a strong value proposition which in turn has attracted these new agencies to our networks.”

    The total annualised TTV added to the business is approximately $300 million, bringing the networks total size to 580 agency members in New Zealand – including 280 travel brokers.

    The travel business is continuing discussions with several other former members of First Travel Group.

    Helloworld also acquired sports travel retailer the Williment Travel Group recently, further broadening its offering.

    “The Williment team and their breadth of product and experience across a wide range of sporting codes and in event management adds a new dimension to our New Zealand business, and will allow us to open up the amazing offerings Williment has to the market via our Helloworld network members,” Burnes said.

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  • Countdown Started to offer paper bags at checkout

    Countdown Started to offer paper bags at checkout

    Countdown will begin selling recyclable paper bags at checkout, as the government ban on the sale and distribution of single-use plastic bags takes effect on July 1st. The paper bags will cost 20 cents each, and be made of Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper.

    “We’re really pleased to see single-use plastic carrier bags banned in New Zealand,” Countdown general manager of corporate affairs, safety and sustainability Kiri Hannifin said.

    “Bringing your own bags is a behaviour change that New Zealanders are really getting behind, and it’s always our first preference.

    “We’ve recently started accepting BYO containers in our deli, meat and seafood counters in selected stores and we’re hoping to roll this out nationwide shortly too.”

    According to Countdown, the move away from single-use plastic bags at the supermarket has meant 350 million fewer plastic bags are entering the New Zealand waste stream each year.

    The new legislation applies to all retailers in the country, and includes all single-use plastic bags under 70 microns thick.

    Retail NZ interim chief executive Greg Harford welcomed the legislation, stating that it is good for the environment and for the country.

    “Retailers large and small have been working hard over time to reduce or eliminate the number of plastic carrier bags being issued, and the formalisation of the phase out will ensure that there is a level playing field right across the retail sector,” Harford said.

    Countdown confirmed it has started work on a programme to look at the ways the supermarket uses plastic, the types being used and why, as well as alternatives that could be adopted that would be suitable for New Zealand’s waste infrastructure.

    “This includes reducing plastic where possible, trialling different bag options in bakery, installing produce misting systems to remove the need for packaging on fruit and veges, and supporting the return of the soft plastics recycling scheme in a number of Auckland stores,” Hannifin said.

  • Hong Kong restaurant Mott 32 Opens in Singapore

    Hong Kong restaurant Mott 32 Opens in Singapore

    Hong Kong restaurant Mott 32 will open at Marina Bay Sands by the end of this year.

    Operated by MBS and Maximal Concepts, the 7000sqft space will occupy the space of Italian restaurant Nostra Cucina on level B1 at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, which will close within the next two months.

    The space will be designed by Joyce Wang Studio, which is also behind the Hong Kong flagship.

    Set to offer lunch and dinner daily, the menu will feature signature Mott 32 items such as its apple wood-roasted Peking duck and deluxe dim sum, and some dishes with Singapore flavours.

    The restaurant will also have a bar serving Asian-style cocktails.

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