Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Broadband access equipment revenue hits $3.4b in Q4

    Broadband access equipment revenue hits $3.4b in Q4

    The market was bullish in last year’s fourth quarter for broadband access equipment revenue, according to a report, but Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP) spending declined.

    Dell’Oro Group announced on Monday that broadband access equipment revenue hit $3.4 billion, growing 8% year over year in last year’s fourth quarter compared to the same quarter in 2017.

    Increased shipments of GPON optical line terminals (OLTs) and DOCSIS 3.1 customer premises equipment (CPE) counteracted a decline in CCAP spending.

    “FTTH deployments globally continue to show strength,” said Dell’Oro’s Jeff Heynen, research director, broadband access and home networking, in a prepared statement.  “Both 2.5 Gbps GPON and 10 Gbps EPON equipment marked year over year increases, particularly in China. The gains on the telco side helped to offset surprising weakness in cable CCAP spending, as MSOs delay new capacity purchases while they determine how to move forward with distributed access architectures (DAA).”

    Among other capabilities, DAA will give the cable industry a better starting point for virtualized networks and software-defined networking. At last year’s SCTE Cable-Tec Expo, SCTE President and CEO Mark Dzuban said during a panel discussion that the cable industry needed to do a better job of defining DAA in order to launch it at scale.

    Total cable access concentrator revenue was down 18% year over year, mainly due to a slowdown in CCAP license purchases in North America. Cisco, Arris, Casa Systems and Harmonic are among the leading CCAP vendors.

    The total number of DSL port shipments grew 16% year over year with VDSL ports increasing 13% and G.fast ports increasing by a whopping 232%, according to Dell’Oro.

    PON OTL shipments grew 6% over the same timeframe, driven by strong demand for 2.5 Gbps GPON units in China and across the entire Asia-Pacific region.

    Overall, Dell’Oro’s fourth-quarter 2018 Broadband Access Quarterly report said that 2.5 Gbps GPON, 10 Gbps EPON and Gfast equipment all saw increased spending in the quarter.

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  • Oboz delivers profit growth for Kathmandu

    Oboz delivers profit growth for Kathmandu

    Kathmandu saw strong sales and profit growth in its recently acquired footwear business, Oboz, in the first half of FY19.

    The US-based footwear brand, which the outdoor retailer acquired in April 2018, generated NZ$29.2 million (A$28.4 million) in sales in the six months to January 31, 2019, a 38.6 per cent increase on the previous corresponding period. This led to a 77.1 per cent increase in earnings before interest and tax to NZ$4.7 million (A$4.6 million).

    In a statement about its first-half earnings, Kathmandu said Oboz was the fastest growing footwear brand in its stores and the fastest growing major hike footwear brand at REI, the biggest outdoor retail chain in the US.

    The Christchurch-based retailer reported NZ$3.7 million (A$3.6 million) in group EBIT from its North American business for the first half of FY19, after accounting for consolidation adjustments and Kathmandu’s initial wholesale costs.

    “[We] are beginning to build international Kathmandu brand equity through authentic outdoor wholesale channels,” Kathmandu’s chief executive Xavier Simonet, said in a statement.

    “International growth remains a very important priority.”

    Across the group, the retailer reported a 13 per cent increase in sales in the period to NZ$232 million (A$225.5 million), and a 9.4 per cent increase in gross profit to NZ$141.9 million (A$137.9 million).

    Excluding NZ$1.1 million abnormal income relating to the GST treatment of reword vouchers, normalised EBIT increased 10 per cent on the previous corresponding period to NZ$19.8 million (A$19.2 million), and net profit after tax increased 7.3 per cent to NZ$13.2 million (A$12.8 million).

    While Kathmandu saw strong same-store sales at the start of FY19, it experienced softer trading conditions in Australia and New Zealand over the Christmas and Boxing Day period.

    However, a focus on less promotional discounting, resulted in an increase in gross profit margin from 63.4 per cent in the first half of FY18, to 64.2 per cent in the first half of FY19.

    “Despite sales being below expectation, it was pleasing to see an improvement in retail gross margin,” Simonet said.

    The outdoor retailer  saw operating expenses increase 4.3 per cent at constant exchange rates in the half, with incremental expenses arising from Oboz and Kathmandu’s North American business totalling NZ$7.3 million (A$7.1 million).

    Kathmandu had NZ$130.1 million ($126.5 million) in inventory at January 31, 2019, which includes NZ$6 million  (A$5.8 million) to support its international business and early deliveries of core styles for the Autumn and Winter seasons. Clearance stock is in line with last year.

    Simonet noted that the full-year result is dependent on the key promotions to come, referencing the retailer’s successful second half last year.

    “Kathmandu is on a journey of transformation,” he said, adding that the company aims to shift from being a  leading Australasian retailer to a brand-led, global, multi-channel business.

    Profit growth in the core Australasian business will be used to fund investment for future growth.

    “While we are focused on driving growth for our core Kathmandu business in Australia and New Zealand, we are also step by step diversifying our channels, brand and markets, particularly through Oboz which has delivered strong growth,” Simonet said.

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  • Apple introduces Apple Card: Daily Cash, no fees

    Apple introduces Apple Card: Daily Cash, no fees

    Apple has announced a brand new service: Apple Card. Starting this summer in the US, users will be able to sign up for a real Apple credit card that’s going to reside within the Wallet app. Requesting a virtual Apple Card living in your iPhone will be very easy, as you’ll be able to do it straight from your device. Issuing a new Apple Card shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. Once issued, your Apple Card should be right there in your Wallet app.
    What’s even cooler is that users will also be able to request a physical credit card, which will be made of titanium and have the user’s name laser-etched. No card numbers, CVV, or expiration dates will be printed on the card, making it that much more secure.
    Apple is creating Apple Card in partnership with Goldman Sachs. As it’ll be using the Mastercard payment network, the card will be accepted worldwide. Card support is going to be handled by Apple directly in a delightful new way: through Apple Messages. Just text Apple with your questions or requests, and the company will respond right there, in Messages. Apple Card will be available this summer in the US. Unfortunately, the company isn’t revealing any details regarding a future international rollout of the service.

    Daily Cash

    With Card, Apple is introducing a welcome new take on the cash back program. It’s called Daily Cash for a reason: you’ll be receiving your cash back amount daily, and you’ll be free to spend it again through Apple Pay, put it towards your Apple Card balance, or send it to family or friends through Apple Messages.
    Customers will be receiving Daily Cash to the tune of 2% on all of their Apple Card payments outside of Apple’s ecosystem. When it comes to Apple’s own stores, like Apple Stores, iTunes or the App Store, the Daily Cash amount will be 3%. And for purchases made using the physical Apple Card, the Daily Cash amount will be 1% of the purchase value.

    Apple helping you have a better financial culture

    Apple is building a number of new features around Apple Card, designed to help you have a better understanding of your spending. For starters, it’ll help you track your purchases more easily by using machine learning and Apple Maps in order to ‘translate’ the names of merchants in your purchases log. You are probably familiar with how merchant names often appear fairly cryptic when you view then through your bank’s web portal or mobile app; with Apple Card, Apple will make sure to have them all clearly labeled so that you’ll immediately know which transaction was made with whom.
    Color coding will also help with the organization of your transactions: products from distinct categories such as Food and Drinks or Shopping and Entertainment will be assigned a different color so that you can immediately find the ones you’re looking for. This, in tandem with the new weekly and monthly spending summaries, Apple hopes will give you a better vantage point over your overall expenditures.
    What’s more, Apple Card will include a tool to help users pay less interest by making their options more transparent. It’ll be suggesting a range of payment options and a handy calculator that estimates the interest cost on different amounts, so that each users can pick the option that suits their budget the best.

    Physical Apple credit card made of titanium

    Apple knows that for customers to fully embrace its payment service, it needs to be universally accepted. So, to let you deal with those merchants that don’t support Apple Pay yet, the company is creating a real, physical credit card with the signature Apple minimalist design. The company hasn’t released some of the technicalities, such as if it’s going to charge you for issuing such a card, but at least we know how it’s going to look like.
    No card numbers, expiration dates, or CVV numbers will be present on the card, making for an extremely clean look, with only the Apple logo and the holder’s name laser-etched onto the titanium piece. Your card’s numbers are, of course, still available: you’ll just have to look them up in the Wallet app on your iPhone.
    Thy physical Apple Card seems like a very appropriate product for international users, where Apple Pay support is still widely lacking, but the company seemingly has no immediate plans to launch Apple Card in markets other than the US at this time.
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  • Apple takes on Netflix and cable with TV+ streaming service

    Apple takes on Netflix and cable with TV+ streaming service

    Hours before the “It’s show time” event, Apple began streaming a Car Play footage of someone driving from Los Angeles to Cupertino, in a not-so-subtle hint that we are about to see a lot of Hollywood honchos arriving for the announcement of its new Apple TV+ video service against formidable competition. Existing cable packs plus original content – it marks the first time Apple is jumping into a new and established industry in, well, forever. –

    The Apple-goes-Hollywood move is just the next in a long line of reorientations of Apple as a service company, concocted a few years back when CEO Tim Cook started to prepare for the inevitable commoditization of the bread-and-butter iPhone product. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook loves to brag at conference calls with investors that the revenue and profits from its “services” business is growing leaps and bounds, far outstripping the revenue growth in the iPhone department. The App Store alone is now a Fortune 100 company by itself, raking in more than, say, the whole McDonalds franchise.

    On the hook for billions of losses, however, after streaming services like Netflix or Spotify balked or circumvented the 15%-30% cut Apple takes from subscriptions sold via the App Store, the team from Cupertino decided to futureproof its revenue stream from services by taking the fight directly to the competition. Last year, streaming subscriptions outpaced cable, and Apple just went in, announcing its own TV+ video service.

    Apple TV+ streaming and Channels service price, features, markets, and platforms

    Instead of outing an actual TV set, Apple now aims to become an alternative to cable by mixing shows from renowned names like HBO or Showtime with dozens of its own TV+ original series, all from the comfort of the new Apple TV app, online or offline. With the new Channels service there, Apple will bundle your existing subscriptions, and personalize and curate the shows you might like, gleaning from the subscriptions or preferences you already have shown by renting iTunes movies and TV shows. Those will now also be folded into the new Apple TV app, coming in May.
    The Apple TV channels will sport such juggernauts like HBO, Starz, SHOWTIME, CBS All Access, Smithsonian Channel, EPIX, Tastemade, Noggin and some new ones as MTV Hits, with more down the pipe. All of this can be accessed within one app – Apple TV – no separate logins any more.

    TV+ and Channels will be available from the new Apple TV app

    The service would be reaching 100+ global markets and will be available not only on Apple iOS devices but also coming to the Mac, Roku streamers, and even Samsung, LG, Sony or Vizio smart TVs. How much? Well, separate subscriptions for HBO or Showtime will run you $9.99/month each, and you can subscribe with a single click. The Apple TV+ release date is scheduled for some time in the fall, with an “ad-free” price yet to be announced.

    With an installed base of more than a billion potential viewers who are used to paying for media, Apple could immediately become the next big thing on the trendy “what to watch” block. Unlike Netflix, however, whose stratospheric rise is fueled by copious amounts of debt, Apple reportedly took a more measured approach, earmarking “just” a billion for testing the original content streaming waters. Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, piled on today:

    We’re honored that the absolute best lineup of storytellers in the world — both in front of and behind the camera — are coming to Apple TV+. We’re thrilled to give viewers a sneak peek of Apple TV+ and cannot wait for them to tune in starting this fall. Apple TV+ will be home to some of the highest quality original storytelling that TV and movie lovers have seen yet.

    That’s not to say that the team from Cupertino is not ambitious, though – Eddy Cue is on record saying that they want to acquire or produce shows on the level of Game of Thrones, and, knowing Apple’s money, they could very well do so. For comparison, HBO spends two billion on original programming, and Apple could easily double or triple the amount invested if the shoe fits.

    Netflix is way ahead with $11 billion earmarked for spending on own shows and content this year, though there is a lot of fluff in it, while Apple usually takes a more targeted approach when it comes to quality, regardless of what one might think about shows like Planet of the Apps. In any case, it will have way fewer movies and TV shows than the rest of the competition at launch, though, as you can see from the stats below, having the most content doesn’t make for the most popular such service.

    Apple TV+ new original shows list at launch

    Apple has already poached plenty of entertainment industry names, too, so it finally seems bent on building a proper media empire. Here are all the shows Apple said its streaming service will be launching with:
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  • Coles scores exclusive deal with the world leader

    Coles scores exclusive deal with the world leader

    Supermarket giant Coles has entered into an exclusive services agreement with the world’s leading online grocery platform, Ocado, to double its home delivery capacity in Australia by the end of the 2023 financial year.

    Over the next four years, the supermarket will spend $130 million to $150 million on the construction and development of the project, which will give the retailer access to Ocado’s online grocery website, automated single-pick fulfilment technology and home delivery solution.

    As part of the deal Ocado will install and maintain equipment for Coles in new automated customer fulfilment centres outside Sydney and Melbourne, which are expected to be operational by the 2023 financial year.

    Each centre has an estimated sales capacity of between approximately $500 million and $750 million per annum.

    The new deal is expected to offer customers a seamless digital customer experience, greater range, improved product availability and freshness, as well as more regular delivery windows. The partnership means increased network capacity at a lower cost to serve and is expected to double Coles’ current home delivery capacity.

    “Ocado is singularly focused on online grocery shopping, and as a result, has become the leading solution provider in the world. We are delighted to be partnering with them to make life easier for Coles’ customers here in Australia. Ocado’s ongoing investment and retail partnerships around the world will help us continue to improve our offer into the future,” Coles CEO Steven Cain said.

    Customers outside of metropolitan Melbourne and Sydney will have access to Ocado’s website, whereby orders will continue to be fulfilled by the existing store-based network, which will continue to evolve over the coming years.

    “We are delighted to partner with Coles,” Luke Jensen, CEO of Ocado Solutions, said. “Already a leading player in online grocery retailing in Australia, we are proud that they have chosen the Ocado Smart Platform to take them to the next level. Our flexible, scalable and modular solution will help them bring new levels of convenience, choice and value to Australian consumers. The Australian market is changing as consumer needs evolve and our platform will enable Coles to lead this transformation in a profitable and sustainable way.”

    Ocado CEO Tim Steiner said he is delighted to be working with Coles “to reshape the food retail landscape in Australia”.

    Ocado has over 15 years’ experience in grocery market innovation and recently signed a deal with British retailer Marks and Spencer to boost its online grocery experience.

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  • Shanghai La Chapelle Fashion seeking profitability

    Shanghai La Chapelle Fashion seeking profitability

    Shanghai La Chapelle Fashion warns it will report an operating loss for last year, for the first time in its trading history.

    In an update to a profit warning issued last December, the company says total revenue dropped by about 2.5 per cent last year and costs accelerated.

    “Revenue from La Chapelle and Puella, which are our main women’s wear brands, is estimated to have decreased by approximately 11.94 per cent and 13.35 per cent year-on-year, respectively, and the growth in sales of the women’s wear brand Candie’s and that of children’s wear and men’s wear brands could not make up for the decrease in sales of La Chapelle and Puella,” the company said in a regulatory filing.

    With a slowdown in consumption growth and a decline in customer flow at physical stores, La Chapelle’s sales at brick-and-mortar stores in the second half of last year were lower than expected. As a result, revenue in the third and fourth quarters decreased by 7 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively, year on year.

    The company also reported a continuing decline in revenue from concessions at department stores. Last year, that revenue was estimated at about RMB4.893 billion (US$729 million), down 7 per cent, and department stores’ share of total sales fell from 50.4 per cent to 48 per cent year on year.

    In the second half of last year, the company closed down 179 loss-making and inefficient stores, and launched a joint-venture “franchise and trusteeship cooperation business model”. It ended the year with 9269 stores.

    The company estimates it will post a net loss attributable to shareholders of about RMB156 million, representing a decrease in net profit attributable to shareholders of the company of RMB654 million (US$23.256 million).

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  • AirAsia apologises for ‘Get off in Thailand’ advert

    AirAsia apologises for ‘Get off in Thailand’ advert

    AirAsia has apologised after its advertising campaign was labelled “harmful” in Australia. The advert containing the phrase “Get off in Thailand” was posted around the city of Brisbane to promote the airline’s direct route to Bangkok. Collective Shout, a grassroots campaign movement against the objectification of women claimed that the advert was promoting sex tourism in Thailand.

    Thailand has over 123,530 sex workers, according to a 2014 UNAids report.

    Melinda Liszewski, a campaigner at Collective Shout spotted the adverts on a Brisbane bus and posted the image to social media.

    She accused the airline of “promoting sex tourism.”

    A spokeswoman for Air Asia told the BBC: “AirAsia takes community feedback extremely seriously and the airline sincerely apologises for any inconvenience caused from recent concerns raised.

    “AirAsia can confirm the advertising campaign has ended and we instructed our media partners to have the advertising removed as soon as possible today from all locations.”

    One of the adverts was spotted at Brisbane Airport. It has confirmed on social media that its removal “is a priority.”

    Brisbane City councillor Kara Cook branded the campaign an “absolute disgrace” and said “it should never have appeared on our city’s streets.”

    She wrote on Twitter: “Council should be responsible & accountable for the ads on their buses.

    “I wrote to the LNP this morning demanding these buses be taken out of circulation. This shouldn’t have happened.”

    In response to the criticism, Brisbane City Council said that the Advertising Standards Board regulates advertising acceptability. It directed complaints to the board.

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  • SFFA and RPB Asia Announce Inaugural SG Food TechWeek

    SFFA and RPB Asia Announce Inaugural SG Food TechWeek

    s part of this year’s Speciality & Fine Food Asia (SFFA) and Restaurant, Pub & Bar Asia (RPB Asia) 2019 trade shows held from 17 – 19 July 2019 at Suntec Singapore, we are pleased to announce the inaugural SG Food Tech Week.

    Held over three days, SG Food Tech Week, developed in consultation with Edelman Predictive Intelligence Centre, will bring together the top minds in food and beverage technologies and consultancies with policy makers to uncover key challenges and opportunities in this space.

    The keynote session and panel discussions will focus on topics like block chain and its impact on supply chain management, big data trends and smart manufacturing and how to balance the power of predictive technologies with consumer privacy.*

    Themes for each session will also be co-curated by SFFA and RPB Asia’s panel of Industry Ambassadors to ensure that the content is relevant and tailored to the specific needs of participants.

    In addition, start-ups and SMEs in this space will also be invited to showcase their latest technologies in the second installment of the highly successful investor pitching series PITCH!. The competition will focus on spotlighting the latest technological solutions and innovations that tackle pressing hospitality challenges, streamline workflow and address the need for sustainability in various food production processes. PITCH! will be split into two different tracks focusing on hospitality and production solutions on day one and sustainability on day two, providing contestants with valuable face time with industry heavyweights, investors and mentors.

     

  • Telenor Pakistan and Alibaba Cloud come together to provide cloud-based services

    Telenor Pakistan and Alibaba Cloud come together to provide cloud-based services

    Telenor Pakistan, the country’s leading telecom and digital services provider has partnered with Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, to become the authorized distributor of Alibaba Cloud products and services in Pakistan.

    The signing took place at Telenor Pakistan headquarters ‘345’ where Dr. Alex Li, General Manager, South Asia of Alibaba Cloud and Sardar Mohammad Abubakr, Chief Digital & Strategy Officer at Telenor Pakistan, sealed the partnership.

    Through the partnership, Telenor Pakistan will be selling Alibaba Cloud’s suite of business solutions to local enterprises across the country. The collaboration will allow customer organizations to protect their business critical applications and data with world-class security as they choose to migrate to Alibaba Cloud.

    In today’s increasingly digital world and exploding data needs, organizations are fast moving to cloud services instead of buying and managing physical servers to have their data management and security needs met. Processing data in the cloud also means that as the business grows, it can keep up with increased traffic.

    Alibaba Cloud provides cloud computing products in computing, database management, networking, security, and storage that can be deployed globally. The service delivers superior results in all product capabilities ranging from computing, user & network management, and security & compliance to scaling, developer services, enterprise integration and management tools.

    Telenor Pakistan’s partnership with Alibaba Cloud will provide a gateway to facilitate the cloud market in the country and in a fast evolving landscape, enable businesses to robustly manage their data management and digital transformation needs” said Sardar Mohammad Abubakr, Chief Digital & Strategy Officer at Telenor Pakistan.

    “We are happy to partner with one of Pakistan’s top digital service providers for distribution of our suite of cloud products and services in the country,” said Dr. Alex Li, General Manager, South Asia of Alibaba Cloud. The partnership will further our vision of fostering the development of cloud market in Pakistan and help the country move faster towards its digital transformation goals,” he added.

    Through this partnership Telenor Pakistan will be providing Alibaba Cloud’s services exclusively to its business customers to further their scale, accuracy in analytics and business security.

     

     

    # # #

     

     

     

    Press Contact

    Anam Abbas

    Corporate Communications, Telenor Pakistan

    press.center@telenor.com.pk

     

     

    About Telenor Pakistan

    Telenor Pakistan is 100% owned by Telenor Group and has a footprint spanning throughout the country. With a subscriber base of over 44 Million, it is the second largest mobile operator in Pakistan. Telenor launched its operations in Pakistan in 2005 and has a workforce of over 1,600 employees. For more information, please visit: www.telenor.com.pk

     

    About Alibaba Cloud

    Established in 2009, Alibaba Cloud (www.alibabacloud.com), the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, is among the world’s top three IaaS providers, according to Gartner, and the largest provider of public cloud services in China, according to IDC. Alibaba Cloud provides a comprehensive suite of cloud computing services to businesses worldwide, including merchants doing business on Alibaba Group marketplaces, start-ups, corporations and government organizations. Alibaba Cloud is the official Cloud Services Partner of the International Olympic Committee.

     

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  • Third Decathlon Hong Kong store will be its largest in HK

    Third Decathlon Hong Kong store will be its largest in HK

    The third Decathlon Hong Kong store set to open in June will be the French sports retailer’s largest in the territory yet.

    Scheduled to open on June 15, the 72,000sqft store will be located at Sheung Tak Plaza in Tseung Kwan O.

    What sets apart the new store is that half the space is outside, a 36,000sqft combination of practice spaces where customers can try out sports products and footwear for themselves. Decathlon says the practice area will cover 70 sporting disciplines, including badminton, tennis, basketball, hiking, football, running, yoga and even a ski-testing area.

    “At Decathlon, we want to make sure sport is accessible to the many through high-quality products at competitive prices, with the outdoor terrace providing a place for sports users to play and really test our products before they buy,” said Decathlon Hong Kong chief Marc Zielinski.

    “We are all aware of the importance of exercise for better mental and physical health but at the same time, we understand sports engagement can be a heavy financial burden to some,” he said.

    The new store will feature multiple 50” LED screens promoting Decathlon’s range of more than 13,000 products.

    Customer engagement among sports people will be encouraged with advice and training for various codes, including in-store classes.

    Decathlon Hong Kong launched in August 2017 with a store in Causeway Bay, adjacent to Ikea, and another in Mong Kok. The company has more than 1500 stores worldwide and plans to make its debut in the US in the coming months.

  • JK Tyre Enters Limca Book Of Records With India’s Largest Off-Road Tyre

    JK Tyre Enters Limca Book Of Records With India’s Largest Off-Road Tyre

    Defining upsizing in an all new way, tyre maker JK Tyre has entered the Limca Book of Records with India’s largest off-road tyre. The 40.00-57 VEM 045 was launched in 2014 and stands at 12 feet tall while weighing around 3.4 tonnes. Before off-roaders get their hopes up about upsizing their SUVs, the VEM 045 has been specifically developed for the country’s biggest rigid dump truck that has a payload capacity of up to 240 tonnes.

    Commenting on the occasion, JK Tyre and Industries Ltd – Marketing Director, Vikram Malhotra said, “JK Tyre has been at the forefront of driving innovation in the Indian tyre industry and recognition from the Limca Book of Records is clearly reflective of our unwavering efforts in that direction. The VEM 045 has been widely appreciated for its sturdiness and functionality over these years. We are thrilled and further encouraged to introduce more such category-defining products and solutions in the future.”

    The JK Tyre VEM 045 is sold alongside a range of tyre options from the tyre maker. The company has been the pioneer of developing radial tyres in India and last year inaugurated a new and massive research and development centre in Mysore, Karnataka, which will be consolidating all of the company’s efforts globally to develop new products. JK Tyre’s range comprises passenger vehicles as well as industrial and mining segments.

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  • Telenor Pakistan CEO to lead Telenor Group’s Emerging Asia Cluster

    Telenor Pakistan CEO to lead Telenor Group’s Emerging Asia Cluster

    Telenor Group today announced that effective 1 April, 2019, Irfan Khan, CEO of Telenor Pakistan, will assume additional leadership role as Telenor Group Executive Vice President and Cluster Head for Emerging Asia, joining Telenor Group’s Executive Management Team.

    “Irfan Khan is a valued leader within Telenor Group and has an accomplished history at Telenor Pakistan. I am pleased that he will take lead over our important growth markets in the Emerging Asia Cluster, in addition to retaining his role as Chief Executive Officer of Telenor Pakistan,” says Sigve Brekke, President and CEO of Telenor Group. “I am confident that Irfan will continue to lead our dedicated and talented teams to success, connecting the cluster’s more than 130 million customers with services that matter to them and creating value for our shareholders. I’d like to also thank Irfan’s predecessor in this role, Petter-Børre Furberg, for his leadership and achievements across our Asia region over the last several years.”

    In becoming Head of Telenor Group’s Emerging Asia Cluster, Irfan Khan will join Telenor Group’s Executive Management Team and will report directly to Telenor Group President and CEO, Sigve Brekke. Petter-Børre Furberg will become CEO of Telenor Norway and step out of Telenor Group’s Executive Management.

    Irfan Wahab Khan was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Telenor Pakistan on 1 August 2016. He had served in the position of Deputy CEO and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Telenor Pakistan since April 2013. He has been with Telenor for 14 years and was the first employee in Telenor Pakistan when he started as Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Affairs Division in 2004. Since then he has served in various positions within Telenor Group both in Asia and Europe, including Vice President Devices and Vice President – Head of Asia Distribution. Mr. Khan is also a Board Member of Telenor Microfinance Bank.

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  • SkyPixel Announces Winners Of Its 2018 Aerial Storytelling Contest

    SkyPixel Announces Winners Of Its 2018 Aerial Storytelling Contest

     SkyPixel, one of the world’s most popular aerial photography community, announced the winners of its 2018 Aerial Storytelling Contest. Co-organized with DJI, this year’s contest attracted over 30,000 submissions from professional photographers, videographers, aerial enthusiasts and content creators from 141 countries.

    The Video Category grand prize winner Ain Raadik shared a collection of adventures from his travels across New Zealand, Japan & around his home in Australia. “For me drones are an incredible film making tool that help me to further share the ideologies behind my work through new and unique perspectives,” said Raadik. “Instead of staying put in one place, my life stories are being told through accumulating explorations of new places with my Inspire 2. Passions for film making, testing physical limits and exploring new locations are all heavily influential factors behind my work. And I hope everyone would find their own passion in life and stick to it.”

    The grand prize winner in the Photo Category Deryk Baumgartner used his Mavic Pro to capture the sun-bathed monastery rising out of fog, framed by the ribbons of water on Mont Saint Michel in northern France. “I was sitting on a rock fighting with stubborn wind and thick rain for the whole morning. The sun came up when I was just about to stand up and go home,” Baumgartner said. “This photo tells a simple story of you and me. Stick to it for a little longer in life when you are just about to fold, the silver lining would often unveil itself.”

    In addition to the Grand Prize Winners, there were also First, Second and Third Prizes in the travel, sports, urban life, nature and creativity categories. From football match on Lofoten islands to morning prayer in Bagan to the dazzling traffic in Bangkok, the winning submissions captured amazing stories that took place in different parts of the globe.

    This year, the judging panel included a jury of award-winning directors, photographers and influencers, including Toby Strong, famous documentary photographer who has won many Emmy and BAFTA awards, and Ben Nott, one of Australia’s most prestigious DP and an ACS member.

    Every year, SkyPixel organizes aerial photo and video contests to call on creators around the world to share their artwork and stories captured from above. This contest marked the inaugural celebration for both photographers and videographers to come together in a single event.

  • Adidas Test to Sell Shoes Made of Ocean Plastic was So Successful

    Adidas Test to Sell Shoes Made of Ocean Plastic was So Successful

    Adidas has spent the last four years curbing ocean pollution by recycling plastic beach waste into shoes – and because their customers have been so eager for the product, the company is kicking it up a notch. Adidas produced more than five million pairs of recycled plastic waste shoes in 2018, and they plan to incorporate the waste into at least 11 million this year.

    The upcycled plastic waste is made into a yarn which has since become a key component of the upper material of Adidas footwear. In addition to shoes, the company has also used it to make the first ever football jerseys made from recycled materials.

    The sporting goods manufacturer first started making the shoes in collaboration with environmental group Parley for the Oceans back in 2015. They developed the slick kicks using plastic waste intercepted on beaches, such as the Maldives, before it can reach the oceans. The Parley shoes are recreated from editions of their UltraBoost shoe, and a new version of their Adidas Originals shoe.

    And, in 2016, Adidas stores stopped using plastic bags.

    “We also continue to improve our environmental performance during the manufacturing,” said Gil Steyaert, who is responsible for global operations. “This includes the use of sustainable materials, the reduction of CO2 emissions and waste prevention.

    “In 2018 alone, we saved more than 40 tons of plastic waste in our offices, retail stores, warehouses and distribution centers worldwide and replaced it with more sustainable solutions.”

    Additionally, Adidas is committed to using only recycled polyester in every product and application where a solution exists by 2024. As a founding member of the Better Cotton Initiative, Adidas meanwhile sources only sustainably produced cotton.

    Recently, Adidas signed the Climate Protection Charter for the Fashion Industry at the UN Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland—and agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% before 2030.

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  • Habitat by Honestbee expands choices

    Habitat by Honestbee expands choices

    Habitat by Honestbee has added two new outlets to its 15 existing eateries.

    The first, Hama Hama, is a seafood bar with Asian-centric small plates and a seasonal sharing menu, with oysters at its core.

    The second new offer is B Bar, located near the liquor aisle and serving classic drinks along with cocktails featuring local and Asian flavours. Mocktails are also available.

    Honestbee, the online grocery-delivery service, opened its 60,000sqft Habitat last November.  The full-scale supermarket hosts more than 20,000 Asian and global foods and ingredients as well as daily essentials, which can be purchased both online and offline.

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