Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Deliveroo Presents Hong Kong’s First Rider Restaurants Award

    Deliveroo Presents Hong Kong’s First Rider Restaurants Award

     Celebrating the collaboration between riders and restaurants, the backbone of Hong Kong’s food delivery industry, Deliveroo has launched the new Rider Restaurants Award. This is a first-of-its-kind initiative, promoting the spirit of hospitality and asking riders in every Hong Kong district to vote for their favourite restaurants to work with.

    The unique teamwork between riders and restaurants is fundamental to Deliveroo’s mission to bring a huge variety of delicious food direct to people’s doors. In the first ever Rider Restaurants Award, riders in Hong Kong have voted for their favourite restaurants based on criteria such as the courtesy and friendly attitude of staff, order preparation time, and being offered extra hospitality touches such as a glass of water or access to a phone charger.

    Brian Lo, General Manager of Deliveroo Hong Kong, said, “The Rider Restaurants Award are yet another fantastic way for Deliveroo to support the thriving growth of food delivery in Hong Kong. We’re thrilled to shine the spotlight on the symbiotic relationship between Deliveroo riders and restaurants, recognizing their joint efforts to bring fresh, tasty meals to people in Hong Kong, fast. With Deliveroo, restaurants get more customers, riders get well-paid and flexible work, and everyone can enjoy more access to great dining options.”

    A total of 975 votes were received, representing nearly half of the Deliveroo fleet. Key findings include:

    • Amongst winning restaurants, the average prep time from when an order is received to when it’s ready for delivery is 7.6 minutes
    • 20 out of the 23 winning restaurants offer an order prep time under 10 minutes
    • Cheung Hing Kee Shanghai Pan-fried Buns (Central), Marugame Seimen (Kowloon Bay) and Pak Don (Yau Tong) boast the fastest order prep times, at 4.6, 4.9 and 5.3 minutes, respectively
    • In terms of how long riders must wait once they arrive to a restaurant, on average, 83.8% of riders enjoy 5-minute-or-less waits across all winning restaurants
    • McDonald’s (Wan Chai) wins on snappy service, with more than 96% of riders saying their wait time is under 5 minutes
    • All winning restaurants offer a wait time of under 5 minutes to at least 60% of riders

    Drawing top scores from Deliveroo riders, the winning restaurants in Deliveroo’s first Rider Restaurants Awards received their trophies from Deliveroo this week. They are:

    Hong Kong Central:

    • La Rotisserie
    • McDonald’s
    • Eric Kayser

    Hong Kong Island East

    • The Night Market
    • Ki’s Roasted Goose Restaurant
    • McDonald’s

    Hong Kong Island South

    • Viet’s Choice
    • GCX
    • Tam’s Shop
    • Meen & Rice
    • Shanghai Lao Lao

    Hong Kong Island West

    • Cheung Hing Kee Shanghai Pan-fried Buns
    • BEP Vietnamese Kitchen

    Kowloon Central

    • Dumpling Pro
    • King of Sheng Jian

    Kowloon East

    • Marugame Seimen
    • PakDon Yau Tong
    • Viet’s Choice

    New Territories East

    • California Pizza Kitchen
    • KTS

    New Territories West

    • Crystal Jade Jiang Nan
    • FOODBOX

    Furthering the company’s commitment to support Hong Kong’s burgeoning food delivery industry and bring added value to partners and customers wherever possible, Deliveroo collected a number of learnings during the awards process. These have been collated into a list of insights on which restaurant hospitality practices make the biggest difference to riders. These practices can deliver a higher quality of service and a better experience for riders, restaurants and customers alike. Key points from the winning restaurants include:

    • Treating riders and walkers with the same level of warm, welcoming service as customers
    • Encouraging hospitality training for staff, e.g. courses conducted by the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency
    • Double checking orders for delivery to ensure they have been correctly prepared
    • Being ready to give prepared meals to riders as soon as they arrive

    Brian Lo added, “Leading the Riders’ Restaurants Awards has been an amazing opportunity to learn more about how restaurants in Hong Kong can deliver the best hospitality experience, whether interacting with guests in person or working with delivery riders to reach hungry customers at home. In Hong Kong’s highly competitive F&B market, cultivating the right service philosophy can help restaurants stand out from the crowd and win lasting loyalty from guests – whether they’re eating in or ordering takeaway from Deliveroo.”

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  • Kiwis confused about sustainability talks

    Kiwis confused about sustainability talks

    Despite the growing support for sustainable business practices in New Zealand, most Kiwis say the way businesses talk about their social and environmental commitments is confusing.

    That is the finding of the latest Colmar Brunton “Better Futures” survey, which asked 1000 consumers about their attitudes and behaviours around sustainability and environmental record.

    Eight-three per cent of respondents said the way businesses talked about their social and environmental commitments was confusing, which is 11 per cent more than the previous survey found.

    At the same time, there is still too much “greenwashing”, or companies jumping on the bandwagon to gain consumer support, without really being sustainable.

    “Those are two aspects of the same issue,” Francesca Lipscombe, New Zealand Ecolabelling Trust general manager, said.

    “On the one hand, companies get away with unsupported claims which may not breach the Fair Trading Act but they’re still misleading and unhelpful.

    “On the other hand, companies who are genuinely doing the right thing don’t promote their good works enough.”

    According to the survey, only two brands got more than 1 per cent recognition as being sustainable brand leaders: the Malcolm Rands-founded ecostore, named by 5 per cent of people, and Fonterra, which scored 3 per cent awareness.

    “New Zealand organisations do a much better job of communicating their sustainability efforts internally than they do of letting the public know,” Lipscombe said.

    At the same time, there is ample opportunity for sustainable brands to communicate their actions to consumers, since 86 per cent of Kiwis surveyed said it was important to work for a socially and environmentally responsible company, up from 72 per cent in 2018.

    “Even more tellingly, 90 per cent of respondents – up from 83 per cent last year – said they would stop buying a company’s products or services if they heard about the company being irresponsible or unethical,” said Lipscombe.

    Another strong finding from the survey was the emergence of plastic waste as the issue consumers are most concerned about.

    Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) rated it the number one problem, compared with 63 per cent last year.

    The survey also found eight out of 10 Kiwis had dispensed with single-use plastic supermarket bags in favour of reusable options – a huge jump on last year’s figure – 30 per cent, while 85 per cent agreed that reducing disposable packaging in general was the right thing to do.

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  • First UFC Gym opens at CityLink Mall, Singapore

    First UFC Gym opens at CityLink Mall, Singapore

    UFC Gym Singapore has opened its first branch at CityLink Mall.

    The gym has been opened under a franchise agreement with local operator NF Fitness, which is planning to expand to 15 gyms during the next decade.

    “We will have access to best-qualified coaches, as well as top-notch gym-training equipment,” said Barnabas Huang, UFC Gym Singapore’s MD.

    The gym aims to combine MMA and fitness, including functional workouts (Daily Ultimate Training, TRX Suspension Training), MMA classes (boxing, kickboxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay thai) as well as group fitness classes (Zumba and yoga).

    It has gained more than 300 members since pre-sales began in January and about 1500 more are being targeted.

    UFC Singapore may face competition from other MMA academies in Singapore, such as Evolve MMA, Juggernaut Fight Club, Fight G and Impact MMA.

    The American gym chain already has more than 160 gyms in more than 14 countries.

  • Athleisure trend boosts Yue Yuen sales in 2018

    Athleisure trend boosts Yue Yuen sales in 2018

    Yue Yuen Industrial, the world’s largest manufacturer of athletic, athleisure, casual and outdoor footwear, boosted revenue by 6.3 per cent last year.

    Yue Yuen makes shoes for a raft of brands, including Geox, Levi’s, Rockport, Carters and Pony. Its subsidiary Pou Sheng operates a network of some 5500 directly operated stores and 3000+ sub-distributor stores, predominantly on the mainland.

    For the year to December, the Group recorded revenue of US$9.695 billion, with gross profit up by 4 per cent to $2.446 billion. However, profit attributable to shareholders fell 40.9 per cent to $307.1 million, mainly due to operating deleverage within the manufacturing business, a reduction of the non-recurring gain for the year, and higher finance costs.

    Yue Yuen said revenue attributed to footwear manufacturing (including athletic shoes, casual/outdoor shoes and sports sandals) declined by 1.5 per cent to $5.39 billion, whereas the volume of shoes produced increased by 0.4 per cent to 326 million pairs. The average selling price decreased by 2 per cent to $16.53 per pair, compared with the previous year.

    The group’s athletic footwear category outperformed all other categories as a result of the global athleisure trend, accounting for 79.2 per cent of footwear manufacturing revenue last year. Casual and outdoor shoes accounted for 19.1 per cent of footwear manufacturing revenue.

    The group’s distribution sales are derived primarily from Pou Sheng, involving in retail operations for international sporting goods brands in the Greater China region. Last year, the revenue attributable to Pou Sheng grew by 23.3 per cent to $3.422 billion.

  • Jollibee Malaysia makes debut

    Jollibee Malaysia makes debut

    Jollibee Malaysia has opened its first outlet – in the beachside city of Kota Kinabalu. CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong said opening in Malaysia marked a new chapter for the group.

    “We invite Malaysians to come and see for themselves why people line up for hours.”

    Jollibee Foods head of international business, Dennis Flores, said Jollibee is beloved throughout Asia, because it appeals to diverse tastes and cultures.

    “This has propelled us to become the fastest-growing Asian restaurant company, and we are thankful for the overwhelming support. It drives us to do better for our customers, and to continue to serve delicious food with our signature warm service.”

    The Jollibee Malaysia opening follows the brand’s recent expansion into London and Manhattan as its rapidly expands its global store network to surpass 4300.

    After making its debut in the capital of Sabah, Jollibee Malaysia plans further outlets in major cities across the country.

  • The Alley Singapore to open two more outlet stores

    The Alley Singapore to open two more outlet stores

    Taiwanese bubble tea chain The Alley Singapore is opening two outlets in mid-April.

    The first of a new global concept called The Alley Luxe is set to open in Cineleisure. The concept carries what the brand describes as its finest collection of beverages on a curated menu distinctive to Singapore.

    The outlet will offer European baked treats such as croissants, ‘cruffins’ and Kouign-amann. Customers can opt for take-away, or dine-in while enjoying a view over Orchard Road.

    The Alley Luxe

     

    The second outlet will be launched in Jewel Changi Airport about the same time.

    Having opened its first outlet in 2013, The Alley now has more than 300 stores around the world.

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  • PopSquare pops up at Mong Kok

    PopSquare pops up at Mong Kok

    AI pop-up store platform PopSquare is now installed at TOP Mall in Mong Kok.

    The kiosk, which stocks a variety of fashionable and designer international products targeted at young adults and couples, uses big data and AI technology to collect customer responses to products on sale.

    The Mong Kok PopSquare kiosk features a new interactive game – “Grab Grab Fun” – via the kiosk’s touch screen. The game serves to draw customer attention and increase engagement while building a customer database for future marketing and product pre-launch testing initiatives.

    PopSquare rotates at different locations from time to time to extend its reach to potential consumers.

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  • Myer axes 50 management staff and fresh marketing lead

    Myer axes 50 management staff and fresh marketing lead

    Myer has cut a further 50 positions from its store management and store support team, including group general manager of marketing Andrew Egan. The cuts are the second round of large scale lay-offs for the department store in the last eight months, with over 30 executive positions cut last August, in order to reduce costs and barriers between the business and its customers – bringing the total number of executives lost within the last year in the realm of 80.

    “We have to place the customer first, in every decision we make and every action we take,” a Myer spokesperson said.

    “From doing a thorough review of our entire store management structure and a further review of the store support office… as a result of this, a number of administrative and management roles will be leaving the business to align our structure more closely with our customers.”

    No customer facing team members have been affected by the cuts.

    According to the spokesperson, this will enable the business to operate in a more efficient manner, improving the financial performance and shareholder value delivered.

    Myer recently posted a rise in net profit for the first half FY19, increasing 3.1 per cent to $41.3 million, signalling that the brand’s customer-first turnaround strategy has some legs.

    The retailer improved store layouts over the half-year, and launched the ‘My Store’ marketing campaign, which chief executive John King said had been received well by customers.

    Despite this, Egan, who led the launch of the ‘My Store’ campaign, as well as the department store’s recent Christmas campaign, has been let go in this recent round of lay-offs.

    “We thank Andrew for his contribution to Myer and particularly to our marketing and advertising team,” the spokesperson said. “We wish him all the best for the future.”

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  • Asos’ US warehouse struggles to cope with demanding customers

    Asos’ US warehouse struggles to cope with demanding customers

    UK digital fashion store Asos said its new US warehouse struggled to cope with demand last quarter, hitting sales there and causing delayed shipments. Asos CEO Nick Beighton said the unexpected high demand in the Atlanta warehouse caused a significant short-term despatch backlog, which has now been cleared.

    “As our Atlanta warehouse went fully online, demand far exceeded our expectations,” Beighton said.

    “While very encouraging for the longer term, this caused a significant short-term despatch backlog which we have now cleared. These delayed shipments will be recognised in P3 and US trading is now regaining momentum.”

    The upsurge in US demand caused Asos to cancel marketing and promotions, Beighton said. These will now run in the second half of the financial year. The online fashion retailer posted a 13 per cent increase in group sales for the latest quarter with retail gross margin improving by 40bps.

    “We continued to outperform in the UK with sales growth of 14 per cent,” Beighton said.

    Sales in Europe were up 12 per cent, although, according to Beighton, France and Germany, the two largest markets, continue to be challenging.

    “Our ROW segment returned to good growth of 20 per cent after a disappointing Q1,” he said. “Our retail gross margin guidance for the year remains.”

    Beighton said Asos will be increasing investment in price and marketing in the second half, particularly in France and Germany.

    “Given the actions we are taking together with an improving US performance, we believe the group will deliver stronger growth in the second half,” he said.

    “Consequently we remain confident that we will meet guidance for the full year.”$

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  • Pandora asked to fix refund policies

    Pandora asked to fix refund policies

    Jewellery retailer Pandora has been told by the consumer watchdog to amend its refund and warranty policies in Australia following complaints from some of their customers.

    The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said they have received complaints from customers who were told by Pandora sales staff that they do not offer refunds to faulty products and that its own warranty policy applies instead of the protections afforded to consumers under Australian Consumer Law (ACL).

    According to ACCC Commissioner Sarah Court, the jewellery retailer acknowledged they may have misled customers about their legal rights.

    “Pandora has acknowledged that it may have misled customers about their consumer guarantee rights to refunds when there was a major fault with their product,” Court said. “They also have admitted that by doing so they likely breached the Australian Consumer Law.”

    Court said consumer rights to a repair, replacement or refund cannot be excluded, restricted or modified by a business’ warranty policy.

    “If consumers have purchased a product that has a major fault, they can request a full refund from their place of purchase,” she said.

    The ACCC has accepted a court-enforceable undertaking from Pandora to review its consumer rights policies and staff training after Pandora acknowledged it is likely to have contravened the ACL by making misleading representations to consumers about their consumer guarantee rights.

    The ACCC’s investigation showed that Pandora’s website contained confusing or inaccurate information on consumer guarantee rights under the ACL.

    It also noted that information on Pandora’s website about its product warranty failed to include mandatory text that states that consumers are entitled to a replacement or repair, and in some cases a refund, if their goods are faulty.

    The ACCC said Pandora has undertaken to arrange for an external review of its policies and procedures relating to exchanges, repairs and refunds, to ensure customer claims for refunds and other remedies are dealt with appropriately and in accordance with the ACL.

    “Pandora will also conduct a review of its ACL compliance program and improve its staff training and complaints handling systems,” Court said.

  • Debenhams warns shareholders could lose investments

    Debenhams warns shareholders could lose investments

    Struggling department store chain Debenhams said shareholders could lose their entire investment as a result of some of the restructuring options it is considering. The 200-year-old retailer said it is trying to refinance its debt, restructure its estate after a series of profit warnings and seek a cash injection of up to £200 million (A$373.1 million) from existing lenders at it tries to fend off a bid by Sports Direct’s Mike Ashley. Ashley had offered a £150 million loan to Debenhams, but as part of the deal, he would have to be in charge of the chain.

    The department store retailer said certain restructuring options “would result in no equity value for the company’s current shareholders”. Lenders have until this Thursday to approve Debenhams’ cash call, which it says will allow it to restructure. The company had warned its shareholders that some of their restructuring options could see their investment wiped out.

    Last Friday, Debenhams posted an announcement on the London Stock Exchange, confirming that it has received a proposal from Sports Direct International in connection with a proposed acquisition of Magasin du Nord, conditional upon Mike Ashley being appointed as the CEO of Debenhams.

    “This proposal comes without any commitment to participate in the wider financing solution,” Debenhams said.

    The department store chain said the board has responded to Sports Direct directly, that, as with all other proposals received to date from Sports Direct, it does not address the company’s funding and restructuring requirement, while balancing the interests of all stakeholders.

    “Magasin is a key part of the Debenhams group, is cash flow generative and a meaningful contributor to group profits,” Debenhams said. “As such, Magasin is an important part of any lending proposition and therefore any broader solution that protects value for the group.”

    “Further, there are obvious concerns with the proposal that Mike Ashley becomes CEO of Debenhams given that Sports Direct owns our direct competitor House of Fraser.”

    Debenhams said the board has remained open to engagement with Sports Direct throughout its refinancing process and has provided clear guidance on what would represent workable solutions that would allow Sports Direct to participate while also protecting the interests of other stakeholders.

    But, according to Debenhams, this guidance has been repeatedly ignored by Sports Direct.

    Debenhams said it continues to make progress with its refinancing and restructuring discussions with existing lenders, noteholders and other stakeholders.

    “The board remains open to constructive involvement from Sports Direct and other stakeholders in this process.”

    Magasin du Nord has been put up for sale by Debenhams last year and Sports Direct offered to purchase the business . Under the proposal, Debenhams would have a 12-month option to buy it back at the price it was sold.

    Debenhams would also have the right to continue to market the business, gaining the benefit from any uplift above the initial sale consideration were it sold to a third party in that 12 month period.

    In connection with the above, it is proposed that Ashley would become a director and the CEO of Debenhams to assist Debenhams through its restructuring process.

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  • Second UNIQLO and alexander wang Collaboration Collection to Feature New AIRism Fabric

    Second UNIQLO and alexander wang Collaboration Collection to Feature New AIRism Fabric

    UNIQLO, the Japanese global apparel retailer, announces that it will begin rolling out a Spring/Summer 2019 collaboration collection with alexanderwang from Friday, April 12. The full collection will be available online and at Orchard Central Global Flagship Store, while selected items will be available in all stores. This second partnership with alexanderwang builds on the LifeWear commitment to making life better, bringing together the exceptional functionality of UNIQLO’s innovative AIRism fabric with alexanderwang’s sleek styling.

    Speaking ahead of the launch, Alexander Wang said, “Working with UNIQLO on the second season of the collaboration felt like there was a mutual understanding of not only aesthetics but of each other’s work ethic. It was easier coming together this time round to accomplish a similar goal from various touch-points. Innovation has always been at the forefront of our design and creative process, and functionality serves a huge purpose in the way our customers and I dress. Therefore, through the influence of innovation, technology and functionality, this special AIRism collection was born.”

    Keeping women comfortably stylish

    The collection adds new value to LifeWear by combining the year-round comfort of functional AIRism apparel with the signature alexanderwang look. Five of the 11 women’s items employ the sheerest-ever AIRism fabric, developed to feel like a “second skin.” During summer, women can enjoy camisoles and slips featuring a fabric so smooth, light and comfortable that they almost forget they are wearing them. Another fabric used in the women’s collection is a proprietary, new, seamless type of AIRism that is designed for both indoor and outdoor use. This new AIRism fabric is supportive but not constrictive, and is a perfect material for bras and even shorts to maintain comfort.

    First-ever cotton blend AIRism for men

    Men’s items include T-shirts and tank tops that incorporate a new fabric comprising a premium cotton finish and an AIRism interior. The fabric feels smooth and comfortable and is sufficiently thick so these innerwear items can also serve as regular outerwear. The men’s boxer briefs also use this fabric to enhance comfort on hot summer days. As seen in the previous season, the waistband is also adorned with the collaboration logo that wearers could casually show.

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  • Renault Kwid To Cost More From April Onwards

    Renault Kwid To Cost More From April Onwards

    Renault announced a price increase on the Kwid range by upto 3 per cent. The revised prices will be effective April 2019. The company has said that the price increase is on the account of rising input costs. The rest of the range remains unaffected as far the price hike is concerned. The Kwid range starts at ₹ 2.67 lakh going all the way up to ₹ 4.63 lakh  and come April 1, 2019, we’ll see a hike in these prices.

    The 2019 range Kwid continues to get the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system which is available only on the RXT(O) and Climber variants of the car, but it now gets new connectivity options in the form of Android and Apple Carplay. It also has a ‘Push to talk’ button allowing for ease in operations and better accessibility to all applications like music, videos, navigation all of which can be seamlessly used through your smart phone.

    One can also enjoy videos on the MediaNAV display through the new video playback option, just by connecting any USB device. The other segment-first equipment that the updated Kwid offers is a Rear view camera assist through sound warning with colour guidelines which is standard across all variants. The rear view camera does make it easier to park the car in tight parking spots. Renault has also introduced a rear arm rest only on the Climber edition for extra comfort and convenience. In addition, the AMT variants of the new Kwid come equipped with Traffic assist which helps the vehicle to crawl forward in slow moving traffic and also prevents it from rolling back on slopes.

    As far as safety equipment goes, the 2019 Kwid features Anti-Lock Braking System with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (ABS with EBD), Driver airbag and Driver & Co Driver Seat belt reminder, speed alert; all of which are standard across variants.

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  • Google Maps is rolling out a new feature allowing public event creation

    Google Maps is rolling out a new feature allowing public event creation

    Google Maps is a staple not only for Android users but for many iPhone and PC users as well. Its rich functionality is just as helpful when you’re on the go as it is when you’re relaxing at home and want to explore another city, whether that’ll be through satellite pictures or Google Street View.  It’s no secret that the majority of the information that can be found on Google Maps has been added by the users themselves. Business owners add the locations of their offices, stores, restaurants and everything else you can think of. On the other end, customers get to add their comments, ratings and pictures to each place they’ve visited. Recently Google also introduced some of the features of Waze to Google Maps, allowing users to mark speed traps and car accidents.

    Now, even more power to add content is coming to the people, as Google has added the option for users to add public events. The new feature was noticed by SlashGear and the way it works is described on the Google Maps support page. You can add an event either from your Contribute tab, where you’ll see a new “Add a public event” button (you might need to scroll down a bit to see it) or from the Events tab. After that, you get to fill out the standard set of information: type of the event, location, time and description.

    Once you post an event, it will appear at the selected location for everyone to see, so be careful what you post. Google has a set of steps on its website for deleting public events you’ve created, but at least for us, the “Delete this event” button mentioned on the support page was nonexistent.

    It seems there’s some more work to be done on this feature, which is likely why it’s not actually available to everyone right now. We haven’t been able to pinpoint exactly who has access to it, but it appears to be just some Android users for now. If you have the Events tab on the Your contributions page, then you’re part of the early adopters.

    A new wave of unique events is coming

    Either way, this feature is a good way for people to promote more casual events that aren’t tied to a specific commercial location. For example, you might need people for a game of basketball or fellow hobby enthusiasts to join your RC car race. Or maybe you’re a street performer that has something new to show and you want to organize a premiere.

    Utility companies or city administrations can also make use of these public events to let people know when certain streets will be closed, Google has added a “Parade” category for a reason. Another helpful category is Volunteering & activism. You’re planning to clean up an area as part of the now trending #trashtag challenge? Set up a public event and gather helpers in no time.

    We see, however, a potential for this feature to be abused and people creating fake events to draw a crowd somewhere. There is a “send feedback” button for the created event that lets you report if there’s anything wrong with it. Perhaps Google will use such feedback to limit the rights of people that create fake events.

    Hopefully, there won’t be much of that going on and people will use the feature for its intended purposes. It will probably take a while before it becomes popular and we get to see more interesting events around us. Once the option to add one is available to everyone, however, it will be a matter of time before you start noticing them around.

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  • Prime members can get Amazon’s Fire tablets at massive discounts

    Prime members can get Amazon’s Fire tablets at massive discounts

    If you’re in the market for a significantly cheaper tablet than the likes of Apple’s 2018-released iPad Pros or the last two Surface Pro generations, the Amazon Fire 7, Fire HD 8, and Fire HD 10 should be at the top of your wishlists. By no means powerhouses, these three typically deliver some of the best possible bang for your buck starting as low as $50.

    Even better, they’re frequently on sale at hefty discounts, recently reaching as high as 30 percent off the list price of a kid-friendly Fire 7 variant. Unfortunately for parents thinking of introducing their children to mobile technology, the Fire 7, HD 8, and Fire HD 10 Kids Editions are not marked down this time around. But if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can get the regular Fire HD 10 for a whopping 50 bucks less than usual.

    That represents a 33 percent price reduction that brings the 10-incher down to its lowest retail cost in several months. The same $50 discount applies to the 64GB configuration as it does to the entry-level 32 gig version, both of which pack a respectable 2GB RAM and quad-core processor clocked at up to 1.8 GHz. The 10.1-inch screen delivers decent 1920 x 1200 resolution while helping the battery last an excellent 10 hours of mixed use between charges.

    Naturally, the Amazon Fire HD 8 is both smaller and slightly lower-end, with a slower quad-core chipset, 1.5GB RAM, and 1280 x 800 display in tow, but the same winning 10-hour battery endurance rating. The 8-incher can be had at $30 off with a Prime membership in 16 and 32GB configurations, the former of which is thus discounted by a sweet 37 percent or so.

    Finally, the ultra-low-end Amazon Fire 7 is getting the smallest markdown of the trio, but it’s actually dropping to its lowest ever price, also as an exclusive Prime offer. The $15 discount applies to both 8 and 16GB variants, the latter of which is however listed as “temporarily out of stock” at the time of this writing. The 7-incher comes with a modest screen, 1GB RAM, and only up to 8 hours of battery life, but just like its bigger brothers, it supports hands-free Alexa interaction.

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