Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • BMW X5 Launch Details Revealed

    BMW X5 Launch Details Revealed

    We had exclusively reported that BMW will be launching 12 new models in India this financial year. The Bavarian carmaker will be beginning with the launch of the 2019 BMW X5 and will be launching the all-new SUV in Indian on May 16. The new-generation BMW X5 is spawned by the same CLAR platform which also underpins several other BMW models like the 5 Series, 7 Series and the X3. Upfront, the new BMW X5 gets a wide BMW kidney grille with single-piece surround. The new model is also equipped with BMW’s latest LED headlights which have new blue X-shaped beam what split the light inside the headlights. At the side, there is not much change in the design to point out, however, the new X5 has grown in dimensions which is quite apparent when you look at it from this angle. It also gets the new LED tail lamps which have a three-dimensional layout and is sharply sculpted at the edges.

    The cabin of the new BMW X5 is equipped with a 12.3-inch all-new digital instrument cluster with a control display. The layout of the cabin is also in-line with other new BMW models with a revamped central console which integrates the controller and the new gear knob along with the new driving mode selector. The design of the air-con vents too has been tweaked. Moreover, it gets the four-zone climate control system and the panoramic glass roof which is 30 per cent larger than the outgoing model.

    The current BMW X5 is sold in India only in the 30d iteration, however, the new model is also likely to be offered with petrol variants. The diesel will be the same 3.0-litre, turbocharged, six-cylinder unit which develops 335 bhp and 450 Nm of peak torque. The petrol in the 540i variant is also likely to be the 3.0-litre, turbocharged, six-cylinder unit. Both the engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and also get the xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system as standard. The BMW X5 range in some of the global markets also gets a 4.4-litre V8 engine which makes a whopping 456 bhp and a heavy peak torque of 650 Nm. However, we are not sure if BMW will consider it for our market. BMW engineers have also shared that the new X5 also has better off-road abilities than before while keeping its handling prowess intact. In terms of safety features, the BMW X5 gets the collision warning and pedestrian warning system. It is also offered with an Active Cruise Control system as an optional feature.

  • Subway Launching online ordering platform

    Subway Launching online ordering platform

    Fast food chain Subway is planning to launch a mobile app and website to support online ordering by mid-2019. A Subway spokesperson told that the company is in the final stages of testing the platform before launching it in Australia.

    “Our app will allow our guests to order their favourite sub, salad or wrap from the convenience of their office or home, for collection at their local Subway restaurant,” the spokesperson said.

    “We are also looking at further opportunities to integrate our ‘Fresh’ sites with both social media and our app in the near future.”

    Subway recently unveiled a brand refresh to modernise its offerings and a new website that highlights key supplier stories and educates customers about the chain’s fresh ingredients. According to Subway, the “Real Fresh” website aims to give guests a look behind the scenes at some of the 80 local growers and suppliers who support the business from all over Australia.

    Ben Miles, senior manager for brand marketing at Subway, said the sandwich chain is a strong supporter of Aussie produce.

    “We’re committed to supporting farmers, growers and producers around the nation,” Miles said.

    “We wanted to shine a light on the incredible work they do, bringing the fresh factor to our restaurants multiple times a week.”

    Miles said many of the company’s customers are unaware that their fresh vegetables are sliced and prepared in-restaurant before serving, so this information is also shared on the site.

    “Subway was the pioneer of freshly prepared sandwiches,” he said. “We estimate we’re one of the largest national purchasers of fresh produce in Australia.”

    “Our guests understand that the provenance of our ingredients is important, and we’ve been making considerable changes to our menu to deliver the best possible quality ingredients for our subs, salads and wraps.”

    Subway supply partners include local Echuca tomato business, Kagome and Minto-based bakery, Suprima. It has also partnered with South-East Queensland farms.

    Subway’s Real Fresh website was recently awarded a Gold Ava Digital Award, an international competition recognising excellence in website design.

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  • Home-and-living brand Jiyoujia debuts in Singapore

    Home-and-living brand Jiyoujia debuts in Singapore

    Alibaba’s e-commerce platform Taobao has launched its home-and-living channel, Jiyoujia in Singapore.

    Marking the brand’s first foray into an overseas market, products are on show at Taobao Home store at NomadX store.

    “Singapore is an important market for Taobao, and we continue to witness strong and sustained demand for the home-and-living category here by shoppers,” said Mickey Xiong, country director for Southeast Asia, at Taobao.

    “In fact, the home-and-living category is our fastest-growing segment here.”

    Jiyoujia also launched its Home Lab portal, one week after its debut in China. Using the portal, curated sets of Jiyoujia products are recommended to customers, promoted through interactive digital showcases. Surfers can hover over each item for more information.

  • Gmail users can now customize swipe actions on iPhone

    Gmail users can now customize swipe actions on iPhone

    Google has just made it official that iPhone users of its ever-growing Gmail email app can now customize a number of swipe actions. The update is clearly meant to enable Gmail users to execute certain actions faster than before, but Google also mentions the addition of the new feature matches the brand new mobile redesign of the app that added many new productivity improvements.

    You’re probably wondering what type of actions you’ll be able to customize in Gmail on iOS, so here is the full list: Archive, Trash, Mark as read/unread, Snooze, and Move to. These actions can now be executed using a single swipe gesture, but you’ll have to configure them first.

    Here is how you can do that: head to Settings / Swipe action, then, choose the swipe options that better fit your usage style. You can choose to swipe left or right on an email to archive it or directly move it to trash, but there are other options available too.

    Besides adding customizable swipe actions, the latest update makes it possible to use the same actions to sort your notifications. Whenever you want to snooze emails, you can now long press on a Gmail iOS notification or use 3D Touch, and then click on “Snooze” directly to pick the date and time when to snooze the email until.
    Keep in mind that while the update has been released on March 28, it will take more than 15 days to arrive on all iPhones out there, so if you don’t see the new feature yet, you’ll have to wait a while.
  • New Milestone for Hong Kong as a Financial Center

    New Milestone for Hong Kong as a Financial Center

    The Hong Kong Monetary Authority has granted the first virtual banking licenses to three institutions. According to their business plans, these banks will launch their services within six to nine months.

    The three banks that received a license are Livi VB, SC Digital Solutions and ZhongAn Virtual Finance to operate in the form of a virtual bank. The granting of these banking licenses takes effect today, according to a media release on Wednesday.

    According to their business plans, these three newly licensed virtual banks intend to launch their services within 6 to 9 months. After the granting of the above banking licenses, the number of licensed banks in Hong Kong will be increased to 155.

    Reinforcing Hong Kong’s Position

    The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is making good progress in the processing of the remaining 5 virtual bank applications, according to further information.

    «It is a major milestone in reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as a premier international financial center. I believe that virtual banks will not only help drive fintech and innovation but also bring about brand new customer experiences and further promote financial inclusion in Hong Kong», Norman T.L. Chan, CEO of the HKMA, said.

    Targeting the Retail Public and SMEs

    I believe that virtual banks will have to offer innovative and customer-centric services in order to attract customers. Moreover, in targeting the retail public and SMEs as their main client base, virtual banks should help promote financial inclusion in Hong Kong, he added.

    The U.K. market, where neobanks and digital-only challengers have been around for a while, shows there’s a big chance new players will grab a significant chunk of new financial services revenue in the near future in Hong Kong, but that doesn’t mean all is lost for traditional banks here, Fergus Gordon, a managing director at Accenture who leads its Banking practice in Asia Pacific and Africa, said.

    Some Consolidation Expected

    Virtual banks will need some years to establish themselves, then there will likely be some consolidation among some of the players, and in the meantime, traditional players should continue to rapidly reconfigure their branch networks to become more focused on experiences and use technology to make the transition from digital to physical and back much more seamless, he added.

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  • New Honda Accord For ASEAN Markets Revealed

    New Honda Accord For ASEAN Markets Revealed

    The tenth generation Honda Accord has been revealed for the ASEAN markets and the all-new sedan is more compact than its predecessor while offering more generous cabin space. Interestingly, the new generation ASEAN-spec Accord is similar to the North American version in design that has been on sale since 2017. The latter model has usually been bolder and sportier in terms of appearance, and it’s nice to see the ASEAN model borrowing those traits. This is also the version of the new Honda Accord that India will get, possibly by next year.

    With respect to dimensions, the 2019 Honda Accord is shorter in length, while the wheelbase has gone up over the ninth generation version. The new Accord is 13 mm shorter at 4920 mm, while the wheelbase stands at 2830 mm, up by 54 mm. The new version is also 10 mm wider than the previous gen Accord while the roofline has been lowered by 15 mm that lends a coupe-like appearance.

    The tenth generation Honda Accord gets an imposing design language with the thick chrome bar on the grille with the giant ‘H’ in the centre. The car gets full-LED headlamps with daytime running lights and the fog lamps too are LED equipped. The coupe roofline takes prominence at the sides with a chrome lining running through, and also gets the diamond cut alloy wheels. The rear sports the new C-shaped LED taillights that we first saw on the new generation Civic globally and the boot comes with an integrated spoiler for the sporty appearance.

    Inside, the ASEAN-spec 2019 Honda Accord gets a familiar treatment with the flat-bottom, multi-function steering wheel, floating infotainment system and a semi-digital instrument console. The seats are upholstered in leather and are finished in brown, creating a nice contrast over the black dashboard. The leather upholstery also extends to the door panels and centre console in the car. Like the current version, the new Accord is loaded on tech and comes with climate control, electric sunroof, heads-up display, front and rear parking sensors, 360-degree camera, cross traffic monitoring, wireless smartphone charging, Honda Smart Parking Assist System with auto parallel and perpendicular parking. The car also gets the Honda Sensing Suite that adds a bunch of safety aids to the sedan.

    The all-new Honda Accord will be offered with two engine options including the 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine that churns out 188 bhp and 243 Nm of the peak torque, while there is also the 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol motor that is paired with electric motors on the hybrid version. The combined output on the new Accord Hybrid is rated at 213 bhp. It is the hybrid version that India is likely to get and will replace the current Accord Hybrid already on sale here.

  • Microsoft’s foldable ‘Surface Phone’ could be back

    Microsoft’s foldable ‘Surface Phone’ could be back

    The foldable Microsoft device that was dubbed “Project Andromeda” and believed to be the Surface Phone, was put on hold last summer by Microsoft. But a recent patent published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) spotted by Windows United (via MSPoweruser) focuses on the hinge that could be used on the device. The hinge will allow the Surface Phone to be used like a laptop in landscape orientation; one display on top would be used as the screen with the bottom display used as a virtual QWERTY keyboard.
    The hinge also allows the display to rotate a full 360 degrees, and lets the user turn the device into a mobile phone. An illustration that was part of the patent application shows how a user can open the fold just a tad to see notifications and reminders. In general, the illustrations show how complex the hinge is, something that can be deduced just by reading some of the application.

    “The present concepts relate to devices, such as computer devices, that use hinge assemblies that can rotationally lock first and second device sections relative to a hinge axis, such as a first hinge axis related to the first section and a second hinge axis extending refers to the second section.

    Some of the present hinge assemblies may be considered to be provided with a pop-up feature in that the hinge assembly can automatically open the hinge from a closed position when activated by a user. Alternatively, or in addition, some of the existing hinge assemblies may provide a path for a conductor through the hinge assembly that exposes the conductor to only a single axis of rotation during rotation of the first and second portions.”-Microsoft patent application

    Late last year technology writer Brad Sams said that Microsoft’s plan is to release the foldable product near the end of this year. However, Sams says that it will be larger than previous renders showed, and may not be pocketable after all. Still, if the device offer telephonic capabilities and uses a version of Windows 10, it could be a big hit for the gang in Redmond.
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  • Volkswagen To Improve Production With Amazon Cloud

    Volkswagen To Improve Production With Amazon Cloud

    Volkswagen on Wednesday said it has teamed up with Amazon Web Services to link up and integrate the data from 122 VW Group plants, machines and systems, as a way to improve its production systems and processes. Amazon will help Volkswagen join up its plants and supply chain with over 30,000 locations and 1,500 suppliers using a data platform known as the “Volkswagen Industrial Cloud”, the company said in a joint press release with Amazon.

    The cloud platform could be made available to other car manufacturers and specific negotiations with major industrial companies interested in migrating to the Volkswagen Industrial Cloud are already underway, VW and Amazon said.

    The cloud helps VW to detect supply bottlenecks and process disruptions early as well as to optimize the operation of machinery and equipment.

    Amazon’s machine learning analytics and production know-how will be extended to the requirements of the auto industry, VW and Amazon Web services said.

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  • 2020 Mercedes-AMG A35 Sedan Breaks Cover

    2020 Mercedes-AMG A35 Sedan Breaks Cover

    Mercedes-Benz dropped the curtains on the Mercedes-AMG A35 performance sedan ahead of its public debut at the Paris Motor Show in October this year. The sprightly luxury compact sedan gets the Affalterbach treatment sharing its underpinnings and powertrain with the A35 AMG hatchback, albeit now gets that small boot, making it slightly more practical. The good bit is that the A35 AMG sedan retains the performance of the hatchback churning out an identical 301 bhp from the same motor.

    Visually, the Mercedes-AMG A35 sedan looks similar to the hatch, complete with the bold grille with the massive logo up front, and the sweptback LED headlamps. The wheelbase too remains the same at 2727 mm, while the extended boot is met with a coupe-like roofline that adds to the striking appeal of the model. The rear sports twin exhaust and a lip spoiler integrated into the boot, while the wraparound LED taillights are distinctive and light up the boot’s appearance, quite literally.

    The cabin too is a direct lift from the A35 AMG hatchback. The sedan comes with the AMG flat-bottom, multi-function steering wheel and the extended digital cockpit with the split screen setup for the infotainment system that also uses the MBUX system. The A35 AMG comes with five driving modes, which changes the colour scheme inside the cabin according to the mode you select.

    With respect to performance, the Mercedes-AMG A35 uses 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine that churns out 301 bhp on offer. The motor is paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, while there are wheel-mounted paddle shifters for manual shifts. The A35 also comes with 4MATIC All-Wheel Drive system that sends power to the front wheels but can distribute power to the back as well for a 50:50 split. Furthermore, the A35 comes with individual braking for each wheel, while the suspension is adjustable and can be tuned for comfort on the streets or for attacking corners on a race track.  The performance sedan can do the 0-100 kmph sprint in 4.7 seconds, which is the same as the hatchback.

    The Mercedes-AMG A35 is slated to hit a number of markets by the end of this year including the US. However, it’s not clear if Mercedes-Benz will be bringing the performance sedan to India.

  • With Apple News+ available, Texture will close on May 28th

    With Apple News+ available, Texture will close on May 28th

    Now that Apple has launched its Apple News+ magazine subscription service, AppleInsider says that the company plans on shutting down the Texture app on May 28th. The app, known as “the Netflix of magazine publishing,” was acquired by Apple last year and immediately rumors started about Apple using the service to launch a premium paid tier of Apple News. Of course, the rumors were true, and earlier this week Apple announced Apple News+. The latter offers over 300 magazines, The Wall Street Journal and the L.A. Times. After a one-month free trial, Apple News+ automatically renews at a price of $9.99 each month.
    Meanwhile, Apple has posted this news on the Texture website, saying “Goodbye Texture. Hello, Apple News+.” A link is included that allows iOS users to sign up for a free one month trial. Right now, in fact, iOS users with a Texture subscription can simply transition over to Apple News+. Android users with a Texture subscription aren’t as lucky since there is no Apple News+ app available for that platform. Android users might want to consider Magzter, available in the Google Play Store. The app is offering one year of unlimited access to over 5,000 magazines for $49.99, a $50 savings off the regular price.
    Apple is aiming to do $50 billion in services revenue by 2020, doubling the $25 billion that the unit grossed in 2016. With over 100 million active iPhone units, this is how Apple tries to combat sluggish iPhone sales in key markets. Consisting of Apple Music, Apple Pay, AppleCare+, the App Store, iTunes and more, the race to hit $50 billion will be helped by the trio of new subscription services that Apple announced last Monday: A
  • Chili’s Singapore closing Down

    Chili’s Singapore closing Down

    American grill & bar Chili’s Singapore has quietly closed all three remaining outlets in the city.

    ““As of 24th March, we have closed all of our restaurants in Singapore. It’s been a wonderful 10 years serving our loyal community. Thank you for all the great moments and memories we shared,” the company posted on Facebook.

    A fan responded: “We are thankful for the past 10 years that they have been with us and for all the burgers, steak and fajitas they’ve served us.”

    Chili’s opened its first branch in Singapore in Tanglin Mall in June 2009. The other three outlets were at Resorts World Sentosa, Clarke Quay Central and JCube.

    The restaurants served Southwest American cuisine with Mexican flavours, craft burgers and baby back ribs, alongside fajitas and enchiladas.

    Established in Dallas in 1975, Chili’s had expanded to 32 countries worldwide.

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  • 2020 BMW 1 Series Details Revealed

    2020 BMW 1 Series Details Revealed

    The 2020 BMW 1 Series is all set to be revealed but before it does, the company  is still testing the car at the BMW proving ground in Miramas, Southern France. Of course, it’s taken 5 years of development before this to change to the modern BMW front-wheel drive architecture.  The company says that the front wheel drive layout will improve the driving dynamics of the cars and it will be agile too. A crucial element for the car’s agility is ARB technology (actuator contiguous wheel slip limitation) known from the BMW i3s, which we’ll get to see for the first time in a car with a combustion engine.

    The ARB technology will be standard on the 2020 BMW 1 Series and will feature a slip control system positioned directly in the engine control unit instead of in the control unit for the DSC function (Dynamic Stability Control). BMW Performance Control will also be part of standard equipment on the 2020 BMW 1 series. This will help enhance the torsional stiffness of the body structure by the targeted use of additional struts such as a standard rear-end boomerang strut.

    Under the hood of the 2020 BMW 1 series will be a powerful 4-cylinder motor for the top of the line model. The BMW M135i xDrive will feature the most powerful  2-litre 4-cylinder engine from the BMW Group BMW TwinPower Turbo technology. This engine churns out 302 bhp and it gets a reinforced crank drive, new pistons and cod rods, a larger exhaust turbocharger as well as optimised fuel injection valves.

    Inside, BMW says that the 1 Series has more to offer thanks to the new front-wheel drive architecture with transverse engines and a low centre tunnel. Legroom for rear-seat passengers has increased by 33 mm and headroom at the back by 19 mm. Access to the rear compartment is now easier and luggage compartment capacity has increased by 20 litres to 380 litres. The company will reveal more details closer to the reveal of the car

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  • Ford To Exit Russian Passenger Car Market

    Ford To Exit Russian Passenger Car Market

    Ford Motor Co’s Russian joint venture Ford Sollers will close two assembly plants and an engine factory in Russia, exiting the country’s passenger vehicle market. The move is part of a restructuring that will see Russia’s Sollers assume control of the venture, which is currently led by the U.S. automaker, the companies said in a statement on Wednesday. Industry sources told Reuters this month that Ford was considering closing Russian plants as it was reviewing operations in unprofitable regions.

    The U.S. carmaker said the closures would lead to “significant” job losses, without giving details. A restructured Ford Sollers will focus on commercial vehicles, while passenger vehicle production will cease by the end of June, the companies said.

    “The new Ford Sollers structure supports Ford’s global redesign strategy to expand our leadership in commercial vehicles and to grow the business in Europe in those market segments that offer better returns on invested capital,” Steven Armstrong, president, Ford of Europe, said in the statement.

    Ford was the first international carmaker to launch vehicle assembly in Russia, opening a plant in St Petersburg in 2002. In 2011, it set up a joint venture with Sollers in which Ford and Sollers each hold a 50 percent stake, but Ford has controlled the business since buying up preferred shares.

    Sales of new cars in Russia are expected to rise 3.6 percent this year, marking a slowdown from last year, according to an estimate from the Association of European Businesses lobby group.

    “The Russian passenger vehicle market has been under significant pressure in recent years, with recovery slower than expected and a shift to lower-priced passenger vehicle segments,” Ford said.

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  • February Down for Hong Kong retail spending

    February Down for Hong Kong retail spending

    Hong Kong retail spending shrank in February according to data from Mastercard.

    While the official figures will not be released  by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) until next week, Mastercard SpendingPulse, which measures consumer spending across all payment types, including cash, found that retail sales contracted by 3.2 per cent year on year in February.

    However, Hong Kong retail spending data is always affected in January and February by the changing timing of Lunar New Year, which is why C&SD advises both January and February figures should be counted together before comparing with previous years.

    According to Mastercard, which did not amalgamate January and February data for a fair comparison with last year, the drop in February retail sales was seen across the board, with clothing, grocery, health & beauty, jewellery and furniture all experiencing a year-on-year decrease.

    “After an impressive 21-month growth trend, we have seen a decline in retail sales in Hong Kong, particularly around Chinese New Year, due to various reasons ranging from the unusually warm winter to consumer confidence,” said Sasha Krstic, executive VP, services – Asia Pacific at Mastercard.

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  • Newly revamped Sunshine Plaza To Welcome Retailers Again

    Newly revamped Sunshine Plaza To Welcome Retailers Again

    A number of retailers have opened their first stores in Queensland at the newly revamped Sunshine Plaza, which this week celebrated the completion of its $440 million redevelopment.

    The centre’s redevelopment has added over 34,000sqm of additional retail space, expanding it from 73,000sqm to over 107,000sqm.

    The redeveloped shopping centre has welcomed the region’s first David Jones store with over 8000sqm floor space, a 6500sqm Big W, H&M, Sephora, Lululemon, Kathmandu, JB Hi-Fi, Mecca, Seed Heritage, Sheike and approximately 60 other specialty stores.

    The shopping centre’s new high ropes course, outdoor children’s play areas and Cornmeal Promenade dining options are scheduled to open by mid 2019.

    Sunshine Plaza is owned jointly by the GPT Group and Australian Prime Property Fund Retail and is managed by Lendlease. GPT and Lendlease commenced with the expansion of the centre in 2016 and was initially scheduled to be completed before Christmas 2018. But, according to GPT, it has been delayed stating it has been impacted by significant wet weather during the third period.

    “Locals and Queenslanders living further north will no longer need to travel to Brisbane for all their shopping and lifestyle needs — it’s all here, located in one of Australia’s most desirable tourism destinations; the Sunshine Coast,” said Gary Horwitz, Lendlease managing director.

    Sunshine Coast Mayor, Councillor Mark Jamieson said the expansion of Sunshine Plaza represents a significant capital investment in the region and for the retail industry.

    “The calibre of retail outlets will encourage our residents to shop within our region and spend locally,” Jamieson said.

    “Our residents and visitors now have more retail options locally, as well as access to a substantial number of new employment opportunities. This is great news for our economy and great news for our community.”