Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • CSA, partners launch call for innovation on security threats

    CSA, partners launch call for innovation on security threats

    The  Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) and partner TNB Ventures have launched a Cybersecurity Industry Call for Innovation inviting industry providers to develop solutions for specific cybersecurity challenges. The initiative is being conducted in collaboration with five participating organizations – Ascendas-Singbridge Group, PacificLight Power, Singapore LNG Corporation (SLNG), SMRT Corporation (SMRT) and Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). The Call for Innovation consolidates and articulates the cybersecurity needs of these organizations into challenge statements that industry solution providers are invited to address through innovative solutions.

    There are two categories of challenge statements. The first category is “Advanced Protection and Detection” to help end-users avoid, defend against, and detect cyber attacks. This includes intelligent solutions that are able to detect intrusions into Operational Technology (OT) systems.

    The second category is “Advanced Security Operations” to help end-users reduce their vulnerabilities through better management of their systems. This includes solutions to increase the efficiency of patch management processes and management of Internet-of-Things (IoT) and Cloud systems.

    The submission period for the Call closes on 18 December 2018. Solution providers whose proposals are shortlisted will be invited to discuss their proposals in greater depth with the participating organizations for potential co-innovation, adoption and test-bedding.

    Selected solutions that fulfill the eligibility criteria may also be awarded with POC funding of up to S$500,000 ($363,000) under CSA’s Co-innovation and Development Proof-of-Concept Scheme.

    Teo Chin Hock, Deputy Chief Executive (Development), CSA said: “The cyber threat landscape is evolving rapidly. To build our cyber defenses and at the same time grow the industry, innovation is important. We are glad to have our partners on-board our first Cybersecurity Industry Call for Innovation. We hope to help them strengthen their cyber resilience, and at the same time, provide opportunities for solution providers to catalyze cutting-edge solutions here for commercial adoption.”

  • Australia launches fourth Mobile Black Spot round

    Australia launches fourth Mobile Black Spot round

    The Australian government has opened applications for the fourth round of the national Mobile Black Spot program, designed to improve mobile coverage in regional and remote Australia. Mobile network and infrastructure providers have been given until December 10 to submit their applications for taking part in the program to install mobile base stations at designated locations. Construction is expected to commence early next year. The government has allocated A$25 million ($17.8 million) in funding for the latest round of the program, which is designed to subsidize the deployment of base stations in unprofitable areas.

    The program has a focus on public interest premises, including economic centers, emergency services, health and educational facilities, local government facilities, as well as community and non-profit organizations.

    Co-funding is provided by state and local governments, the market’s mobile operators Optus, Telstra and Vodafone, businesses and local communities.

    Locations for the deployment were nominated by local and state governments and federal politicians, but local communities can still seek funding for locations not on the database.

    Under the first three rounds of the A$220 million federal government program, 867 new base stations are being delivered at a total cost of A$680 million.

    Lees ook:

  • DHL MENA launches new e-com campaign for merchants

    DHL MENA launches new e-com campaign for merchants

    DHL Express, the world’s leading international express service provider, is set to launch its global campaign ‘Where Everything Clicks’ in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, to guide online merchants to navigate and access the booming and lucrative global e-commerce marketplace. DHL Express aims for the campaign to reach companies ranging from start-ups to large enterprises, advising merchants on how to optimize their websites for international sales and to create a competitive advantage via shipping options offered. DHL helps sellers traverse an increasingly global landscape, in which buyers progressively make purchases from international websites.

    The campaign reveals purchasing habits of online shoppers, including always important delivery preferences, and shows merchants how to use this information to increase sales.

    ‘Where Everything Clicks’ includes a rich database of how-to videos, white papers, customer insights, and trend videos that inform merchants and business about evolving consumer behaviour.

    A 2017 study by KPMG reports that consumers across Middle East and Africa were the most likely to import consumer products bought online, almost 50 percent of purchases, showcasing  the rise in cross-border shopping that is driving international retail trade.

    The survey also revealed ‘Enhanced Delivery Options’ as one of the key company attributes that contribute to deciding where shoppers choose to buy online.

    The study findings illustrate that companies must continually innovate to improve and shorten delivery times, to satisfy increasingly demanding consumer expectations.

    “The MENA region is witnessing rapid growth and change in e-commerce trends. Cross border e-commerce presents strong growth opportunities that is yet to be tapped into by many businesses in the region,” said Nour Suliman, CEO MENA, DHL Express. “With the proliferation of online trade, a product in one corner of the world today is now easily accessible to customers at the opposite end in just a few clicks. This has allowed online merchants to access markets and customers from around the globe.”

    Faysal Elhajjami, DHL Express MD, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said: “We recognise that our customers’ success is closely tied to their buyers’ satisfaction with the delivery experience and the delivery options offered. With ‘Where Everything Clicks’ campaign we want to showcase to business across KSA  how an international express shipping option can increase e-commerce value helping merchants boost revenue and tap into new markets.”

    Geoff Walsh, UAE Country Manager, DHL Express said DHL would be particularly focusing on SMEs and start-ups. “We aim to support local ecommerce start-ups by providing them with tailor made solutions that will allow them to easily address potential global consumers, therefore improving their e-commerce proposition within the current market,” he said. “The ‘Where Everything Clicks’ campaign highlights how an international express shipping option can increase e-commerce value helping merchants boost revenue and tap into new markets.”

    DHL has developed services that enhance customer experience and support web merchants as they access new markets. Using advanced market intelligence tools, DHL can quickly identify shopping sites that receive traffic from international locations, identifying potential sales outside of the seller’s core market. DHL can compare website engagement metrics and suggest service enhancement via addition of a cross-border express delivery option.

    With DHL’s On Demand Delivery, buyers are notified proactively via email or SMS about a shipment’s progress. Receivers can schedule delivery for another day, arrange delivery to a nearby DHL Service Point or an alternate address, and even request that a shipment is held during vacation. DHL Express offers On Demand Delivery in over 100 countries, with about 50 more coming this year.

    Lees ook:

  • Softbank said to pick banks to lead $27b mobile IPO

    Softbank said to pick banks to lead $27b mobile IPO

    Japan’s Softbank has reportedly selected the banks that will serve as lead underwriters for the IPO of its domestic mobile business. The operator has picked banks including Nomura Holdings, Mizuho Financial, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank to underwite the offer for around 3 trillion yen ($26.82 billion) worth of shares, citing unnamed sources. This would make the IPO the largest ever, beating Alibaba Group’s $25 billion IPO from 2014.

    According to the sources, Softbank currently plans to start marketing the IPO next month and could list shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange by mid-December, but this timing is subject to change.

    Softbank’s founder Masayoshi Son is seeking to squeeze value from its telecoms assets to raise funds for his Vision Fund, which aims to raise $100 billion from global investors every two to three years to invest in promising startups and emerging technologies.

    The operator is expected to market most of the shares on offer to Japanese investors.

    Lees ook:

  • SK Telecom launches IoT-based cattle healthcare service

    SK Telecom launches IoT-based cattle healthcare service

    SK Telecom has developed a new IoT-based solution which allows farmers to monitor the health of their cattle in real-time using Semtech’s LoRa devices and wireless radio frequency technology (LoRa Technology). Dubbed “LiveCare”, the product is a LoRa-equipped biocapsule which is implanted into a cow’s gastrointestinal tract to monitor a variety of health indicators. The new service will see biocapsules packed with a communication module connected to the operator’s LoRA-based IoT network. The smart biocapsule is then injected into the stomach of a cow, monitoring body temperature and potential hydrogen levels, with data recorded and then sent to a central server as well as cattle farm owners via a smartphone or computer.

    Thus, ranchers can monitor the data transmitted from the devices for anomalies in a cow’s body temperature and other vitals to detect the onset of disease, estrus and to forecast delivery of calves.

    The LiveCare device is shielded from being tampered with by outside conditions due to its strategic position inside the cow itself. This solution is expected to drastically improve the quality of life for the cow and by extension the cattle as a whole on the dairy farm.

    “Our unique solution lets farmers know immediately when a cow’s health is compromised. It takes the guesswork out of farming and lets the rancher focus on preventing cattle disease,” said Taehee Moon, project leader for the small farm project group of SK Telecom. “Healthier cows mean more milk can be produced and dairy farms can focus more on growing their business.”

    According to SK Telecom, a trial run on a South Korean farm using the technology showed an increase in annual milk harvest of 1,200 liters per cow, an increase of $1,100 in income per cow for the farmer and an additional $400 in savings for each estrus successfully planned using the LiveCare solution.

    SK Telecom plans on extending its services to provide automatic notification to ranchers of contagious disease as well as location tracking in the near future.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • BMW Wants Its Electric Cars to Look More Boring

    BMW Wants Its Electric Cars to Look More Boring

    BMW has decided that despite all the new engineering under the skin of the new 3 Series, the styling of the all-important sedan would only be very mildly updated. At the Paris Motor Show, the Bavarians also displayed a concept of their next i car, the electric iX3 SUV shown above. As far as its exterior goes, the i division’s next move feels like a 180 degree turn from the futuristic i3 city car and i8 plug-in hybrid.

    Indeed, it seems that BMW will dedicate its time to making sure its kidney grilles can keep growing. Indefinitely.

    Now, BMW Design Director Adrian van Hooydonk says that’s all on purpose. Van Hooydonk said that as electrified models get more and more popular, there will be no reason to make i BMWs look unique: Electric mobility will spread through our entire vehicle range in quite a short space of time—to the point that electric or plug-in hybrid is just another option box you tick as you order the car. The fact is that BMW customers want a dynamic car, whether it is a battery-electric vehicle or not, and so there’s is increasingly less reason to make these kinds of cars look different.

    This means BMW will go down a similar route as Audi with its e-tron or Mercedes-Benz with the EQ C—advanced electric vehicles with styling that’s almost exactly the same as their conventional cars. It’s a big shift from BMW’s previous strategy of making its electric cars look decidedly futuristic, and wholly distinct from its other offerings. Notably, Jaguar is committed to making its electric vehicles stand out—look at the I-Pace crossover, with its radical proportions making the most of Jag’s new electric car skateboard platform.

    BMW lost its head of exterior design, Karim Habib, to Infiniti in 2017. Since then, Jozef Kabaň has been responsible for BMW’s core line, while Domagoj Dukec is in charge of the i and M models. Their boss, Adrian van Hooydonk, joined BMW in 1992, becoming head of Designworks USA in 2001, and replacing Chris Bangle as Director of BMW Group Design in 2009. See you at his anniversary party in 2022.

  • Garuda to open direct route from Singapore to Belitung Island’s Tanjung Pandan

    Garuda to open direct route from Singapore to Belitung Island’s Tanjung Pandan

    National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has strengthened its regional network by introducing a new direct route from Singapore to Tanjung Pandan on Belitung Island, according to a press release. Set to begin on Oct. 29, the flight will be available four days a week, using the Bombardier CRJ-1000 with 96 economy class seats. Garuda Indonesia commercial director Pikri Ilham Kurniansyah said the new service is aligned with the airline’s commitment to help develop tourism in Indonesia. Moreover, the new route is to support Indonesia’s 10 priority destinations aside from Bali, which includes Tanjung Kelayang on Belitung Island.

    “The direct flight is part of the company’s strategy to expand its international network, as well as an effort to strengthen connectivity in Southeast Asia,” Pikri was quoted as saying.

    He went on to say that Singapore is one of the busiest international hubs and also close to Indonesia.

    “With a less-than-an-hour direct flight from Singapore, Belitung is a perfect short getaway destination,” said Pikri.

    He is also confident that the new route would improve the growth of trade and business in Tanjung Pandan and its surroundings, especially since it is a special economic zone and one of the 10 priority destinations.

    Tanjung Pandan is said to have beautiful beaches and being developed to be the “next Bali”.

    Garuda’s Singapore-Tanjung Pandan route will depart from Singapore’s Changi Airport at 5:20 p.m. local time every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. A Sunday flight from Changi is also available, which departs at 5:30 a.m. Arrival time at Hanandjoeddin International Airport in Tanjung Pandan is 5:50 p.m. for Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and 6 p.m. for Sunday.

    Meanwhile, all flights from Tanjung Pandan to Singapore depart at 2:50 p.m. and arrive at 4:20 p.m. local time.

    Garuda Indonesia now serves 84 flights every week to and from Singapore to Indonesian cities. Singapore-Jakarta flights are available nine times every day, the Singapore-Surabaya route has one flight daily and Singapore-Denpasar has two flights daily.

  • Tigerair Taiwan announces Cebu-Taipei flights with seat sale

    Tigerair Taiwan announces Cebu-Taipei flights with seat sale

    Tigerair Taiwan said it would start flying between Cebu City and Taipei on Dec. 1. Taiwan’s only low-cost carrier said it would offer a 2-day seat sale for the new route starting Monday. Tigerair will use the new Mactan-Cebu International Airport and will compete with the Philippines’ largest carrier, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia in the Cebu-Taipei route.

    “Tigerair Taiwan’s presence in Cebu shall give Filipinos more access to fun, affordable, and memorable flights to Taipei. We look forward to this development before the year ends,” said Tigerair Taiwan spokesperson Bernard Hsu.

    Tigerair flight IT537 will depart Taipei for Cebu every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. The return flight, IT538, will depart Cebu every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.

  • Original Ice Creams to expand to new cities in India

    Original Ice Creams to expand to new cities in India

    Delhi based ice-cream start-up Original Ice Creams founded by ex- defence personnel Vinay Gaur has announced robust business expansion plan and growth strategies. Original Ice Creams, a newly launched ice cream start-up had started its operations in the early months of the year 2018 and in July, 2018 got a funding of Rs 30 million from Maverick Group. The company is now deepening its presence in most of the parts of Delhi NCR. Their newly launched outlets are set up at Indirapuram Laxmi Nagar, V3S Mall, Nirman Vihar, Laxmi Nagar, Shahdara, and Noida Sector 137 in Delhi NCR.

    Catching pace with the ice cream market, Original Ice Creams are extensively focusing on deploying a state-of-the-art ice cream technology which would allow its products to be softer and creamier than other competitor ice cream brands. Also, to make their consumers familiar with the brand this ice cream start-up is planning to come up with all possible formats to grow its brand presence and visibility in the market. For achieving this, they are tailoring in insights such as growing their presence and existence through the combination of traditional and modern selling methods by setting up various retail counters, exclusive ice cream parlors and numerous push carts as well.

    Original Ice Creams while aiming to cement as India’s highest retail seller of pure and authentic fruit flavored ice cream is taking effective and efficient steps to make Original Ice Creams soon diversify to many more cities of India – enabling the brand familiarity and growth. The brand is also focusing to help people make better food choices that satiate their sweet tooth in the healthiest, tastiest and most nutritious manner.

    Vinay Gaur, Founder Original Ice Creams said,“ With an enticing selection of flavors to choose from, Original Ice Creams is eyeing to grab most of the Northern and Western part on the country covering Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, Haryana, Rajasthan by the end of financial year 2018-2019. The ice cream brand is focusing to tap all the formats in these targeted regions as well. We are looking for new ways to take forward our business by launching our umbrella of franchising in different parts of the targeted market segment.

    “Each of our outlet turned out to be profitable within 45-60 days of its establishment. Apart from 4 running outlets, we are planning to add 10 more before Diwali. Moreover, each of our outlets saw a growth of 100 percent monthly and we are able to achieve breakeven within 2 months of setup itself. The first round of funding which we had received in July month we have utilized that in our expansion to NCR and soon we are planning to invest in freezers, brand building and visibility and for opening outlets in other cities of north India,” stated Gaur.

    Additionally, Original Ice Creams will soon let customers enjoy milkshakes with fresh fruit pieces.

    Lees ook:

  • Dunkin’ Donuts Thailand expects growth after rebranding

    Dunkin’ Donuts Thailand expects growth after rebranding

    Dunkin’ Donuts Thailand operator Mudman will revise branding next year in line with the preferences of white-collar workers and millennials.

    The change follows the rebranding of the US master business, which will be shortened to “Dunkin’” next year. The brand is commonly referred to by its abbreviated name amongst customers.

    Mudman’s CEO Nadim Xavier Salhani said the new branding signals there is something new there in term of products, store design and a new way to serve our customers.

    Prior to the rebranding exercise, the firm will modernise its stores and expand its menu. The brand has already shifted focus to the coffee business this year, resulting in an overall sales increase of 10 per cent.

    Dunkin’ Donuts Thailand strategy is for coffee to make up 30 per cent of its takings in the near future, with 12 new Dunkin’s stores planned to open next year. There are currently 290 branches throughout Thailand.

    The coffee market is widely expected to have the potential for massive growth in Thailand.

    According to Salhani, the future of the doughnut business in Thailand may not be as positive as in the past because people are more concerned about health and the market is very competitive. “This is why we are offering more coffee products.

    “With our offensive business plan, we want to become a serious coffee player in Thailand,” he said. “When people think of Dunkin’, we hope they think of coffee.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Alibaba’s Jack Ma opens tech institute in Indonesia

    Alibaba’s Jack Ma opens tech institute in Indonesia

    Jack Ma, executive chairman of China’s Alibaba Group Holding, plans to open an institute to train thousands of tech entrepreneurs in Indonesia, where he is already an adviser to the government on e-commerce.

    Ma did not say when the Jack Ma Institute of Entrepreneurs would launch, but said the aim was to train 1,000 tech leaders a year over the next 10 years.

    “We’re giving a lot of opportunities for young Indonesian people to learn,” Ma said after meeting Indonesian ministers on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings being hosted by Indonesia.

    The co-founder of Alibaba, China’s biggest e-commerce firm, said it is important for Indonesia to invest in human capital because “only when people improve, when people’s minds change, when people’s skills improve, then we can enter the digital period”.

    Indonesia has a shortage of trained engineers in technology and the institute will also train hundreds of developers and engineers on cloud computing to help make Indonesian businesses more digital-savvy.

    The country is a key market for Alibaba, whose cloud computing arm Alibaba Cloud launched a data center in Indonesia in March.

    Ma said his company would continue to invest “not only on e-commerce, but also cloud computing, logistics and…infrastructure” in Indonesia, while also helping local businesses to grow.

    Indonesian Communications Minister Rudiantara stated last month that Indonesia was partnering with Ma to look into ways to harness Alibaba’s businesses to increase its exports, particularly to China.

    McKinsey estimated in a report released on Aug. 30 that the value of Indonesia’s e-commerce market will surge to at least $55 billion (£42 billion) by 2022 from $8 billion in 2017.

    Last week, Ma told a panel discussion at the IMF and World Bank meetings that “the internet is designed for developing countries”, with “great opportunities in Africa” also.

  • Discounts and free gifts with the launch of MR DIY e-store on Shopee

    Discounts and free gifts with the launch of MR DIY e-store on Shopee

    Hardware and home improvement retailer Mr DIY has launched an e-store on Shopee. Mr DIY’s head of marketing Andy Chin said Shopee has grown tremendously in the past year, and is quickly becoming the online shopping destination of choice for shoppers in Malaysia and across the region.

    “We are excited to bring even more exciting deals and promotions for our launch and 10.10 Festival, and we are confident that it will be a great success.”

    Discounts and promotional gifts are being offered to mark the launch, which coincides with the first anniversary of the e-commerce platform.

    Lees ook:

  • Paytm Mall sees 3X jump in transactions during festive sale

    Paytm Mall sees 3X jump in transactions during festive sale

    E-commerce platform Paytm Mall said it has seen a three-fold jump in transactions during the first four days of its festive sale, driven by categories like mobile phones, laptops and groceries.

    According to a report: Paytm Mall claimed that its platform has already received 50 million visitors this month and the increased traffic has contributed to higher sale for the Alibaba and SoftBank-backed entity.

    “We have received an overwhelming response…with over 50 million visitors coming to the platform. Categories such as mobile phones, laptops, appliances, consumer electronics and groceries continue to be hugely popular among the buyers,” Srinivas Mothey, Vice President, Paytm Mall said.

    He added that the platform has witnessed over 30 percent increase in the gross merchandise value (GMV) during the first four days of the sale (October 9-12).

    “Interestingly, during this sale we have also seen a lot of buyers coming from tier II and III cities who are first time buyers…EMI and bank offers have helped in 3X growth in transactions during the sale period,” Mothey said.

    Paytm Mall said it has partnered with leading brands and will jointly invest upwards of Rs 250 crore in cashback, Paytm Gold and other offers during its festive sale.

    Paytm Mall’s larger rivals Flipkart and Amazon India have been exchanging warring words and both have claimed they are ahead of the other, helped by record-breaking sales across categories like smartphones, large appliances and apparel during their annual festive sale.

    According to RedSeer Consulting, e-commerce companies in India have achieved US$ 1.5 billion (Rs 11,085 crore) in the first 2.5 days of the festive sale — led by sale of 4.6 million units of smartphones (translating into US$ 800 million), large appliances (US$ 170 million) and fashion (US$ 120 million).

    It added that the industry is on track to reach the US$ 3 billion-mark — twice that of last year — by the end of the five-day festive period. Players like Flipkart, Amazon India, Paytm Mall and ShopClues have lined up attractive offers and discounts across categories to woo customers.

    Lees ook:

  • Pretzelmaker Asia opens first store in Manila

    Pretzelmaker Asia opens first store in Manila

    Global Franchise Group has opened a new Pretzelmaker location in the Philippines, the brand’s first location in Asia. Through a master franchise agreement with Vavel Foods, Pretzelmaker’s handmade pretzel products will available at Festival Mall Alabang in Metro Manila. Vavel plans to open 14 additional Pretzelmaker locations throughout the Philippines.

    President and CEO of GFG Chris Dull said Pretzelmaker’s first location in Asia is symbolic of the popularity of pretzels and the rise of snacking internationally. “We look forward to working with Vavel to open more stores across the Philippines.”

    The store officially opened on October 1 and will be open during regular Festival Mall hours.

    Pretzelmaker Philippines GM Migo Ochoa said: “We decided to open Pretzelmaker in the Philippines because the delicious hand-rolled pretzel products far surpass the competition and we knew customers would love them. As demonstrated by the success of our Grand Opening, the community is very excited to have a Pretzelmaker at the mall and we are very happy to be providing a new twist on snacking options for busy shoppers.”

  • Louboutin focuses more on kids

    Louboutin focuses more on kids

    For many women, investing in a set of Christian Louboutin shoes is the ultimate luxury-good rite of passage. A pair of the heels will set you back hundreds of dollars, but that’s a small price to pay to rock the famous red sole. Now, because it’s 2017 and the world is #extra, the brand has announced it’s branching out into making teeny tiny versions of their favourites with the help of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop lifestyle brand.

    The shoes are set to launch in November. The Loubibaby collection includes red, blue, pink and gold Mary Janes.

    Each shoe features a handmade ribbon bow, the brand’s signature red sole, and is guaranteed to turn any child into the chicest baby on the block.

    The baby shoes will retail for US$250 and will be available exclusively on Goop from 16 November.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook: