Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • China Mobile Hong Kong moves 5G innovation center

    China Mobile Hong Kong moves 5G innovation center

    China Mobile Hong Kong has relocated its 5G innovation center – known as the Hong Kong Open Lab – to Hong Kong Science Park.

    The relocation is aimed at accelerating the development of Hong Kong’s 5G ecosystem and catering to the needs of local business partners.

    China Mobile first founded its 5G innovation center in Kwai Chung in 2016, and opened the center in March last year.

    The new Hong Kong open lab will provide a larger space to allow the company to develop a 5G network environment and larger co-working space for local partners to trial 5G network applications and conuct 5G research and development.

    China Mobile will also use the relocated lab to continue its 5G+ Project aimed at complementing Hong Kong’s existing 4G networks with 5G infrastructure, and to promote the adoption of various applications for 5G technology.

    To mark the relocation, China Mobile Hong Kong showcased various 5G applications including an autonomous vehicle, an intelligent robot controlled over 5G in real time, drone technology, and live streaming of high-resolution photos and video.

    “We are very excited for the expansion and relocation of the China Mobile 5G Innovation Centre and Hong Kong Open Lab to the Hong Kong Science Park, and for the opportunity to join the local innovation and technology ecosystem in there to further develop 5G mobile service applications and carry out the 5G+ Project,” China Mobile Hong Kong director and CEO Sean Lee said.

    “We will continue to complement the existing 4G network with 5G infrastructure, to promote 5G technologies along with new communication technologies — for example, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud, Big Data and Edge Computing — to develop comprehensive 5G ecosystems in accomplishing the digitalization of lives for Hong Kong citizens and to enter the new era of 5G together.”

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  • Starbucks opens its largest store in Singapore

    Starbucks opens its largest store in Singapore

    Starbucks Singapore has opened its largest store yet.

    Operating in Jewel Changi, the two-storey flagship store will serve a mix of quality coffee experiences and localised offerings.

    Upon entry, visitors are greeted by a layered wooden storefront, inspired by the textures of coffee-farm landscapes. At the front and centre of the store stands a sprawling coffee bar shaped like a coffee bean. It is designed with cross-sectional honeycomb patterns carved on the wooden material for added texture.

    “Our Starbucks Jewel flagship store brings to life our vision for the Starbucks brand in Singapore – with the depth of our coffee expertise, our strength in store design and experience, and our pipeline of meaningful product innovations to elevate the customer experience – this is the epitome of our coffee leadership in Singapore,” said Starbucks Singapore GM Patrick Kwok.

    Beyond the exclusive local menu at the flagship, the space pays tribute to the whole coffee journey in the duplex’s lush indoor landscaping, polished interiors and artisanal woodwork. The bar features the VA388 Black Eagle Espresso Machine – a familiar sight at the World Barista Championships – which allows the barista full control over the consistency and precision in every aspect of a coffee, from bean ratio to brewing time and water temperature.

    To reinforce the local touch to the menu, Starbucks Singapore has also partnered with homegrown ice-cream parlour Udders. Dessert fans can take their pick from a series of coffees paired with ice cream, including a classic affogato.

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  • JHP designs the first Hyundai Duty Free store

    JHP designs the first Hyundai Duty Free store

    Hyundai Department Store has opened its first ever downtown duty free store on top of its flagship in Seoul, South Korea.

    The 14,250sqm outlet was designed by JHP after an international design competition to help them integrate the duty free shopping experience into the city. It offers three floors of shopping for a selection of international luxury brands across the beauty, fashion, F&B and technology industries.

    The unique store features rich natural finishes, textured surfaces and filtered light to integrate a sense of the excitement of Seoul into the store.

    Hyundai’s duty-free store is expecting to generate KRW670 billion (US$593 million) in sales revenue this year and more than KRW1 trillion ($885 million) in 2020.

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  • Vietnam telcos ready to pilot mobile money

    Vietnam telcos ready to pilot mobile money

    Vietnamese operators MobiFone, VNPT and Viettel have all submitted proposals to participate in pilot mobile money services.

    Vietnam’s prime minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has directed the telecommunications ministry and the State Bank of Vietnam to develop a project that will allow operators to pilot mobile money services not linked to customers’ bank accounts.

    The three operators have submitted applications to launch mobile money services that will allow customers to transfer money using mobile phones, including Vietnam’s unbanked population.

    According to the report, the operators believe they have the capital, infrastructure and user base necessary to launch mobile money services and contribute to the development of non-cash payment in Vietnam.

    The market could represent a promising avenue for expansion for the operators – Vietnam’s fintech market is set to reach $8 billion in 2020, with digital payment solutions accounting for around 89% of the market. Meanwhile only around 40% of the population have bank accounts, but mobile penetration is well above 100%.

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  • Kipling opens Two New Stores in Singapore

    Kipling opens Two New Stores in Singapore

    Kipling Singapore is opening two concept stores this month – one at the new Jewel Changi shopping centre, the other at Ion Orchard. The openings come as the Belgian accessories brand refreshes its logo and shifts direction towards what it describes as “closer to its origins, one that is cool, gender inclusive, and authentic to Kipling’s roots”. In a statement, Kipling Singapore says refreshed bag designs will appeal to a larger target group – “millennials of both genders”.

    Both new stores feature product zones with an ‘icon wall’ showing off Kipling’s most popular products and the Jewel Changi store includes a space displaying bags for travellers.

    The Ion Orchard store features a ‘Make It Personal’ corner, where shoppers can customise their bags by adding charms, straps, key rings and stencils.

    The Jewel Changi Kipling store opened last week, while the one at Ion Orchard will open on Friday (April 26).

    Paying tribute to Kipling’s history, monkey elements will feature in all new stores globally, including a monkey mural painted in collaboration with local artists from each city.

    “The monkey murals capture and tell their stories as a bridge between the city and customers,” said a Kipling Singapore spokesperson.

    In Singapore, the brand collaborated with local artist and illustrator Tiffany Lovage for its mural at Jewel Changi Airport, and with popular local Singaporean art collective Tell Your Children at Ion Orchard.

    Headquartered in Antwerp, Kipling is owned by US-listed VF Corporation, whose other brands include Eastpak, Jansport, Napapijri, Reef, Vans, The North Face, Lee, Wrangler, 7 For All Mankind and Timberland.

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  • First Aid, Delivered: Deliveroo Provides Riders With Red Cross First Aid Training

    First Aid, Delivered: Deliveroo Provides Riders With Red Cross First Aid Training

    Deliveroo riders are well loved in Hong Kong for delivering great food direct to people’s doors, and now many riders and walkers will also have the skills to deliver first aid to members of the public in an emergency – thanks to first aid training rolled out by the leading food delivery platform in April.

    Deliveroo will provide over 150 riders in Hong Kong with access to 13 first aid training classes. Administered by the Hong Kong Red Cross. The courses will equip Deliveroo riders and walkers with life-saving skills that can benefit the Hong Kong community in which they live and work. Participants in the training sessions will gain skills and confidence in dealing with emergencies, including scenarios such as finding someone unresponsive, badly injured or unable to breathe. cardiopulmonary resuscitation instruction and an introduction to automated external defibrillators will also be provided.

    Brian Lo, General Manager of Deliveroo Hong Kong, said, “I’m proud of our riders in Hong Kong for consistently going above and beyond in bringing the best food from local restaurants direct to hungry diners. Our riders are a force for good, and we hope that through this initiative, Deliveroo can help tackle the problem of people not receiving life-saving first aid in advance of emergency services getting to the scene. We’re delighted to equip riders with first aid skills and knowledge that will serve them in life, in their careers, and for the good of Hong Kong.”

    The training programme in Hong Kong is part of a global initiative from Deliveroo, which will see a total of 3,000 riders receive first aid courses. The first aid initiative was created after research commissioned by the British Red Cross in January 2018 showed that just 5% of adults in Britain have the skills and confidence to provide first aid in emergency situations.

    In Hong Kong, various groups including The University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Medical Journal have found evidence that the public lacks first aid knowledge and skills, which affects their willingness to offer assistance in an emergency situation. However, the research also shows that when training courses are provided, there is significant improvement in people’s willingness to provide first aid.

    Mr. LEUNG Yiu-wah, Chairman of First Aid Advisory Panel, Hong Kong Red Cross said, “First aid is an extremely valuable skill, enabling you to provide assistance in a crisis or time of need. While many people may feel unqualified to provide help in an emergency situation, having a knowledge of first aid means you can make simple yet impactful interventions. We encourage everyone in Hong Kong to enhance their own first aid education.”

    Chun-ming, a 25 year old rider with Deliveroo in Hong Kong, said, “Being a Deliveroo rider puts me in all corners of Hong Kong, at all times of the day. You never know what’s going to happen, so I think it’s quite useful to have an understanding of how to help out if I do come across a medical emergency involving members of the public. Hong Kong is my home, and as a member of the Hong Kong community, I’m proud to be able to enroll in this first aid course and potentially make a difference for others.”

    The first aid training programme for riders comes off the back of other recent Deliveroo initiatives in support of the Hong Kong community. In February, Deliveroo collaborated with St. James’ Settlement and restaurant partner LAO ER by Crystal Jade to host a festive Chinese New Year tea gathering event for elderly people in Hong Kong who live alone. Deliveroo also offered 100 free meals to domestic helpers last December, as a holiday treat to recognise their valuable role for families in Hong Kong.

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  • Lululab unveils the first AI Beauty Store at Dubai Mall

    Lululab unveils the first AI Beauty Store at Dubai Mall

    Beauty AI startup Lululab has unveiled its unmanned virtual retail space “AI Beauty Store” in the giant Dubai Mall.

    Lululab is the developer of Lumini, an AI-based skincare assistant that provides individually tailored skin-care solutions. It offers a smart-shopping experience through the store, which combines AI and big-data technology, on the ground floor of the popular French department store Galeries Lafayette.

    The service is made up of three steps: self-skin analysis by the customer; recommendation of products that best satisfy the customer’s skincare needs; and provision of an outcome report via mobile.

    By taking a single selfie with the multispectral camera at the Lumini kiosk, customers can receive an accurate analysis of their skin’s top layer condition and a list of recommended skin care products based on the result, making it unnecessary for them to wander around the shopping mall searching for random skin care products. They can also receive discounts for the recommended products.

    “AI Beauty Store offers many tourists from all over the world who visit Dubai Mall the opportunity to enjoy a revolutionary shopping experience,” said Lululab CEO Yongjoon Choe. “By establishing skincare-related big data, we will be providing sophisticated and individualised services.”

    Based on its collaboration with Galleries Lafayette, Lululab plans to accelerate its entry into the Middle Eastern and global beauty markets.

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  • Godiva New York City store a launchpad for Global Dominance

    Godiva New York City store a launchpad for Global Dominance

    The Godiva New York City store not only presents the newest store look, it serves as a launching pad for the brand to expand into new product categories, part of the brand’s larger global strategy in achieving a fivefold growth plan in the next six years. By the end of the year, 10 more cafes are slated to open in New York State, and the plan is to launch more than 400 locations in the Americas.

    “This is a very pivotal time for Godiva as we transition to align with the ever-changing consumer behavior,” said Godiva Chocolatier CEO Annie Young-Scrivner. “We have an aggressive growth plan for the next six years, which includes expanding our footprint of 2000 cafes worldwide with a focus on growth in the Americas.”

    Godiva’s cafes have seen international success, with locations currently open in Japan, China, Belgium and the Middle East. In February, the company sold its retail and distribution operations in four markets – Japan, South Korea, Australia and the future rights to develop New Zealand – to private equity company MBK.

    The overall concept has shifted with the Godvia New York City location, featuring a refreshed design and a wide array of new menu items that will shape and be replicated in the course of expansion over the next few years.

    “Godiva’s plan to open more cafes is a smart move from a customer loyalty perspective,” said Clarus Commerce CEO Tom Caporaso, a loyalty program expert with 20 years of experience. “One of the greatest assets that brick and mortar brands like Godiva have is their physical real estate, and adding a refreshed component to the in-store experience will create renewed excitement for both long-standing and new customers.

    “The chocolatier has already established itself as a premier brand for special occasions, but these eateries now also allow it to be a staple in its customers’ everyday lives. This will help create a deeper, more meaningful connection to the brand, and build consumer loyalty over time.”

    The Godiva New York City store not only presents the newest store look, it serves as a launching pad for the brand to expand into new product categories, part of the brand’s larger global strategy in achieving a fivefold growth plan in the next six years. By the end of the year, 10 more cafes are slated to open in New York State, and the plan is to launch more than 400 locations in the Americas.

    “This is a very pivotal time for Godiva as we transition to align with the ever-changing consumer behavior,” said Godiva Chocolatier CEO Annie Young-Scrivner. “We have an aggressive growth plan for the next six years, which includes expanding our footprint of 2000 cafes worldwide with a focus on growth in the Americas.”

    Godiva’s cafes have seen international success, with locations currently open in Japan, China, Belgium and the Middle East. In February, the company sold its retail and distribution operations in four markets – Japan, South Korea, Australia and the future rights to develop New Zealand – to private equity company MBK.

    The overall concept has shifted with the Godvia New York City location, featuring a refreshed design and a wide array of new menu items that will shape and be replicated in the course of expansion over the next few years.

    “Godiva’s plan to open more cafes is a smart move from a customer loyalty perspective,” said Clarus Commerce CEO Tom Caporaso, a loyalty program expert with 20 years of experience. “One of the greatest assets that brick and mortar brands like Godiva have is their physical real estate, and adding a refreshed component to the in-store experience will create renewed excitement for both long-standing and new customers.

    “The chocolatier has already established itself as a premier brand for special occasions, but these eateries now also allow it to be a staple in its customers’ everyday lives. This will help create a deeper, more meaningful connection to the brand, and build consumer loyalty over time.”

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  • Microsoft to bring its best car racing game to Phones

    Microsoft to bring its best car racing game to Phones

    Microsoft has just announced that its best car racing franchise will make its debut on mobile later this year. The game is called Forza Street and seems to be part of Microsoft’s best-selling racing franchise, and, more importantly, will be free-to-play.

    As a matter of fact, Microsoft confirmed Forza Street is now available as a free-to-play title for Windows 10 users, so if you don’t want to wait for the mobile version, you can start playing right away after you download it from the Microsoft Store.

    Forza Street takes players to the streets of Miami where they can enter the ultimate street racing scene to win the car collection of their dreams. Simply pick an event, choose your car, and race for fame.The game allows players to collect and upgrade iconic cars, from classic to modern sport and retro supercars. Microsoft promises “streamlined controls,” but the best thing about Forza Street is that you’ll be able to race anytime, anywhere, assuming you have an Internet connection. You can even squeeze in a quick one-minute race while waiting for your bus, or get immersed in an endless story with multiple ways of achieving victory.

    It’s quite interesting to see Microsoft giving a damn about mobile gaming, not to mention that the Forza series includes some of the best arcade racing games of all time. Hopefully, Forza Street will follow in the footsteps of its predecessors – Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon, and provide an immersive car racing experience.

  • First 5G smart hotel launched in China

    First 5G smart hotel launched in China

    InterContinental Shenzhen, Shenzhen Telecom Engineering and Huawei have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to create the world’s first 5G smart hotel.

    By introducing the hotel industry’s first end-to-end 5G network with integrated terminals and cloud applications, the project will enable InterContinental Shenzhen to provide guests with an innovative luxury experience and open the door for digital transformation of entire hotel industry through 5G technology.

    Shenzhen Telecom is deploying Huawei’s 5G network equipment in the InterContinental Shenzhen to achieve continuous indoor and outdoor 5G coverage, which will serve as the platform for a new generation of hotel services.

    Guests will experience 5G hotel applications through 5G smartphones and customer-premises equipment (CPE) terminals, including 5G welcome robots, 5G cloud computing terminals, 5G cloud games and 5G cloud virtual reality (VR) rowing machines.

    For the project’s kick-off ceremony, Shenzhen Telecom and Huawei jointly deployed a 5G Digital Indoor System on the hotel’s first floor and in the presidential suites.

    In the hotel lobby, guests can access the 5G network through CPEs or their smartphones to experience high speed 5G downloads and uploads. Service efficiency is improved with 5G intelligent robots that provide services including guest information, destination guidance, and delivery.

    The presidential suites covered by the new network provide guests with 5G hotel services such as cloud VR rowing machines, cloud games and 4K movies.

    Dr. Peter Zhou, chief marketing officer of Huawei Wireless Solution, said: “5G is here – from the 4K ultra high-definition live broadcast of CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala early this year to today’s 5G entertainment and business transformation of the InterContinental Shenzhen’s presidential suites, 5G technology has penetrated into different industries.”

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  • Tiffany Cafe in Tokyo marks first for New York jeweller

    Tiffany Cafe in Tokyo marks first for New York jeweller

    Jeweller Tiffany & Co is launching its first Tiffany Cafe in Tokyo.

    The new Tiffany @ Cat Street concept store is located on the top floor of the Tadao Ando-designed Bank Gallery, in the Harajuku district. It follows the launch of the brand’s Blue Box Cafe in New York in November 2017.

    The lower five levels house a more futuristic-looking Tiffany fitout than the brand uses elsewhere, including a variety of areas for jewellery customisation designed to appeal to the young creative market who frequent the district.

    The Tiffany Cafe in Tokyo also includes a jewellery vending machine and photo booth, expected to be a popular background for social media images.

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  • Apple may be prepping to make your iPad a “Sidescreen”

    Apple may be prepping to make your iPad a “Sidescreen”

    Apple loves to talk about the displays it has in its devices, be it the color gamut, refresh rate, lamination to minimize the space between the glass and display tech, etc. Apple is very proud of its displays, no doubt about it. Apple has also been working to integrate iOS devices with Macs a bit more with features like Handoff. Now, Apple is rumored to be bringing a new interesting feature for those with iPads and Macs.

    According to new reports, Apple is working on a new feature codenamed “Sidecar” which will allow Mac users to set up their iPad as a second display to extend their desktop. The feature is said to be coming in Mac 10.15, although it may also need iOS 13 on your iPad to work properly. The option will be triggered via the Mac by hovering over the green “maximize” button on a Mac window. The benefit is pretty easy to see: what’s on your Mac screen will be duplicated on your iPad allowing you to use the touchscreen to manipulate and annotate as needed.

    The details will be made more clear at WWDC in June, but there are some questions that need answering in terms of this Sidecar feature. First of all is whether it will be wireless or not. It seems likely that Apple would want it to be wireless and not need to worry about a USB cable, but at the same time Apple is very fond of its dongle business. Also, it doesn’t sound like this will be a way to extend your Mac desktop like a second display could be. It sounds more like a mirroring feature, but being able to extend a desktop onto an iPad would be pretty nice too.

    Lastly, there’s the question about what will happen to the current solutions that offer similar capabilities, like Luna Display. Apple has a history of duplicating features that users got from apps, and the fate of those apps is usually not too good.

  • iPhone XE might be the true compact Apple phone

    iPhone XE might be the true compact Apple phone

    The iPhone SE was originally launched over three years ago, and officially discontinued in 2018. With its 4-inch display, the SE was a tiny offshoot in a world of ever-increasing screen sizes. And even though it struck success on its own terms—perhaps relative to the size of its footprint, but success nonetheless—the iPhone SE never got a second chance.

    Rumors about a successor to Apple’s tiny iPhone have been floating around basically since the first model came out. Alleged factory drawings, screen protectors, and even cases from a major brand were leaked online, all suggesting that the launch of the iPhone SE 2 was just around the bend. Unfortunately for people who wanted a smaller phone, the bend came and went and there was no sign of the SE 2. In fact, it seemed, Apple had no intentions of reiterating the concept of an ultra-compact phone with high-end specs.

    There’s a new light of hope, however, as a new report claims that Apple is actually working on a spiritual successor to the SE, dubbed the iPhone XE. The publication claims that it has a source “closely associated with Foxconn’s manufacturing facility in India,” where it’s getting the information from.

    According to said source, the iPhone XE will feature an iPhone XS-style design with a 4.8-inch OLED display, topped of with a notch. It will also have Face ID, just like its larger brethren, but no glass back. Instead, the XE will reportedly sport an aluminum back (just like in the good ol’ days), which means no wireless charging.

    PC Tablet’s source further claims that the new ultra-compact iPhone model will sport a single main camera, equipped with a 12MP sensor and an f/1.8 lens. As far as internals go, the report says that the iPhone XE will be powered by Apple’s A12 Bionic chip, but provides no other details.

    Another interesting tidbit is that the report claims that the new iPhone model will be made made in India, at a manufacturing facility of Apple’s manufacturing partner, Wistron. Though we haven’t been able to confirm all the claims made in this report, the fact that it comes from an Indian publication, combined with the claim that the information is coming from a source in Foxconn’s manufacturing facility in India, as well as the plethora of rumors that Apple is considering to start flagship production in India, give some credibility to the report.

    If the iPhone XE is, indeed, a real project that’s slated for release later this year, then we should hear a lot more about it in the coming weeks and months. Until then, are you excited at the premise of a much smaller iPhone model, or are you just fine with what’s currently on offer? Tell us in the comments below!

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  • Supermodel Gigi Hadid Named for McDonald’s role

    Supermodel Gigi Hadid Named for McDonald’s role

    Supermodel Gigi Hadid is facing criticism over her recent promotional Instagram post for McDonald’s.

    A photo of Hadid eating McDonald’s French fries at the Coachella music festival provoked a considerable backlash in the comments feed, with many observers taking issue with her partnership with a fast-food chain considered by many to be synonymous with obesity and poor health, considering her Instagram account is followed by 47 million people.

    Hadid’s photo caption, captioned “Pre festival with @mcdonalds yesterday fed & hydrated, thanks friends!” caused many to question her wisdom in choosing sponsors.

    One popular comment liked by more than 3600 people read “I really do not understand why you would promote McDonalds. In fact, it utterly baffles me why an intelligent, well informed and influential person like yourself would what to be affiliated with such a company. Surely it can’t be for the money? There are so many other ways to be ‘fed and hydrated.’”

    The comments have been said to reveal McDonald’s still has significant PR hurdles to overcome regarding the nutritional content of its offering, despite recent moves to become seen as a “modern, progressive” burger chain.

    As one comment put it, “Awful partnership Gigi. McDonald’s is poison.”

  • A&W Singapore makes a Huge Comeback

    A&W Singapore makes a Huge Comeback

    American fast food chain A&W Singapore is making a comeback this week at Jewel Changi.

    The chain made its original debut in the city back in 1966 with an outlet at Dunearn Road, burt closed all five outlets in 2003, exiting the market.

    After the Jewel Changi return, a second outlet will be opened by June, and a third next year, however the locations have yet to be revealed.

    “After opening here, we wanted to be able to scale [at] such a speed it would ease the crowd at the first outlet,” said Kelvin Tan, A&W International’s director of marketing and communication.

    A&W Singapore also intends to apply for halal certification to cater to the big Muslim market in Singapore.

    “The Muslim community formed a very big chunk of our business (in the past) and I think right now we will continue to respect and recognise that this particular market is very important to us,” Tan said.

    And directly by A&W Restaurants, A&W Singapore’s menu also incorporates regional favourites such as the “golden aroma chicken” from A&W’s Malaysian and Indonesian outlets, and the “waffle sundae” from A&W outlets in Thailand.