Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Furla growth report slowing down

    Furla growth report slowing down

    Italian handbag label Furla has posted a 5.8 per cent rise in sales for the first half of the year, down from 23.5 per cent growth during the same period last year.

    Furla sales growth in Asia has similarly slowed, showing a 27 per cent growth in the Asia-Pacific region as opposed to last year’s 63 per cent increase. Furla recently assumed direct control of retail distribution in the greater China region.

    Furla generates 23 per cent of its sales in Japan against 7 per cent in the US. Revenue growth for Japan was 9.5 per cent, while growth for the US market was 24.2 per cent. E-commerce sales are up 24.1 per cent.

    Furla’s GM Alberto Camerlengo said: “For us, 2018 is a year of consolidation.” He described the firm’s plans to strengthen its delivery organisation via the adoption of a more advanced IT system as better suited to the company’s increased size.

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  • Amazon, Flipkart clock Rs 15,000 crore in just 5 days of festive sale

    Amazon, Flipkart clock Rs 15,000 crore in just 5 days of festive sale

    E-commerce companies in the country are estimated to have raked in sales worth Rs 15,000 crore in about five days of their festive sales with giants like Amazon India and Flipkart claiming stellar show across categories like smartphones, large appliances and fashion.

    RedSeer Consulting in its report said e-tailers had a better “sales performance over the five festive days from October 9-14”, generating about Rs 15,000 crore (around US$ 2 billion) in sales. This translates into about 64 per cent year-on-year growth compared to US$ 1.4 billion (around Rs 10,325 crore) generated in the 2017 edition.

    “The industry witnessed a higher growth this time compared to the last year. This was driven by multiple drivers, key being a larger shopper base from tier II (and beyond) cities. Affordability and loyalty schemes introduced by e-tailing players also played a huge role in converting the visitors into shoppers,” RedSeer said.

    Amazon India Senior Vice President and Country Head Amit Agarwal said their ‘Great Indian Festival’ sale in the first 36 hours alone nearly surpassed the numbers it registered during the same period last year.

    “The event exceeded our most aggressive plans across all the categories…more than 80 per cent of the new customers came from small towns, and we received orders from 99 percent of the serviceable pin-codes in the country in just four days,” he further said.

    He added that smartphone sales accounted for the largest portion in terms of value, while fashion was the biggest in terms of the units shipped.

    “Fashion was also the biggest category in terms of acquiring new customers with 63 percent orders coming from Tier II and III cities… We also saw 2 out of 3 customers using schemes like exchange, EMIs and bank offers,” he said.

    Interestingly, Amazon’s Hindi Website, which was launched recently, saw 2.4 times new customers coming and shopping on the platform as compared to a non-sales day.

    Arch rival Flipkart said its latest edition of the Big Billion Days sale has “smashed all the existing records to set new benchmarks for the entire Indian retail industry”.

    “Flipkart has recorded over 70 percent share of entire Indian e-commerce market in the 5 day-BBD’18 sale, matching scale with global marquee retail events…Gross merchandise value (GMV) grew 80 percent over the last year, whereas units grew by close to 2X year-on-year,” a Flipkart spokesperson said.

    Walmart-backed Flipkart claimed to be cornered 85 percent share in online fashion market and 75 percent share in large appliances category during the sale, while three-in-four smartphones bought between October 10-15 in India were on Flipkart.

    The spokesperson said there was almost 50 percent growth in number of new customers coming in, while one out of two shoppers used payment schemes like EMIs and bank offers.

    Flipkart pointed out that it saw close to 25 million people visiting its app on one of the sale days. This is the first mega shopping event being organised by Flipkart after Walmart acquired 77 percent stake in the company in a US$ 16 billion deal earlier this year.

    Paytm Mall, which is backed by investors like Alibaba and SoftBank, said over 12 million items were sold on its platform, led by categories like mobile phones, consumer electronics, fashion and groceries.

    It added that it had registered five times increase in transactions and sales compared to regular days with over 60 million visitors coming to the platform during the week-long sale. Also, over 2 lakh shopkeepers participated in the sale. ShopClues, which crossed the 1.5 million-order mark, said over 75 percent of its orders came in from tier III and IV towns, especially, from states like Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Gujarat, and Punjab.

    For Snapdeal, new buyers account for about 38 percent of all the orders placed during the sale so far. Paytm Mall kicked off its festive sale from October 9, while the others began a day later. While the first leg of the sale ended on these platforms on Sunday and Monday, more offers are expected to be rolled out as Diwali approaches.

  • Sales, profit soar for Levi Strauss & Co in Asia

    Sales, profit soar for Levi Strauss & Co in Asia

    Levi Strauss & Co Asia boosted operating income by 30 per cent in the latest quarter as sales rose 10 per cent and margins improved.

    Asia proved to be the US-headquartered denim retailer’s best-performing of three geographical regions, even after excluding a $4 million unfavourable change in currency year on year.

    In Europe, operating profit rose 25 per cent on sales up 17 per cent and in the US income rose just 4 per cent on sales up 9 per cent in the three months to August 26.

    Levi Strauss & Co Asia sales increased across all channels – wholesale, retail and online – and the strong operating profit performance came despite increased direct-to-consumer investments across key markets.

    Chip Bergh, president and CEO at Levi Strauss & Co, said the result marked the fourth consecutive quarter of double-digit sales growth, at 11 per cent worldwide, after adjusting for unfavourable currency movement.

    “This growth was broad-based across virtually every part of our business, including all four brands, men’s, women’s, tops and bottoms, and all regions and channels, with results that put us among the top performers in the industry.”

    The company had 65 more company-operated stores at the end of the third quarter of this year than it did a year ago. Wholesale revenues grew 8 per cent, reflecting improved sales in all regions.

    Globally, Levi Strauss & Co’s gross margin for the quarter was 53.2 per cent of net revenues compared with 51.8 per cent in the same quarter of last year, reflecting the benefit from achieving more direct-to-consumer sales.

    Operating income for the third quarter of US$159 million was up 8 per cent year on year.

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  • New CDFG flagship at Grand Lisboa Palace in Macau

    New CDFG flagship at Grand Lisboa Palace in Macau

    Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (SJM) and China Duty Free Group (CDFG) announced that they have entered into a binding Memorandum of Understanding to open a CDFG flagship store at Grand Lisboa Palace in Macau.

    Grand Lisboa is SJM’s future integrated resort on Cotai, Macau. It is expected to open in the second half of 2019.

    CDFG will be the anchor tenant, operating 7,500sq m in a prime first floor retail space at the Grand Lisboa Palace, marking the Chinese travel retail giant’s downtown debut in Macau.

    CDFG, established in 1984, is China’s leading duty free retailer, and is a subsidiary of the travel giant China National Travel Service Group Corporation Limited (CNTS).

    CDFG has over 200 stores across China, the most duty free outlets in a single country within the travel retail sector.

    CDFG’s Macau flagship store will be in Grand Lisboa Palace’s much-anticipated 53,000sq m retail mall themed “Fantasy Garden”, which will cover the first and second floors of the development.

    Building on CDFG’s long-term relationships with top-tier luxury brands, its Macau flagship store at Grand Lisboa Palace will carry a diverse mix of perfumes and cosmetics, watches and jewellery, apparels, shoes and accessories, travel-related products, and other categories.

    “Macau is an integral part of the Greater Bay Area, welcoming 32.61 million visitors in 2017, amongst which 90.3% were tourists from Greater China.” said Charles Chen, CDFG’s President.

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  • President and CEO of Vietjet honored with ASEAN Entrepreneurs Award 2018

    President and CEO of Vietjet honored with ASEAN Entrepreneurs Award 2018

    President and CEO of Vietjet, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao was recently honoured as one of two winners of the ASEAN Entrepreneurs Award 2018 for her significant contributions in bolstering the economic trade exchange between South Korea and ASEAN at the 19th World Knowledge Forum held in Seoul, South Korea.

    The awards ceremony was co-organized by the ASEAN – Korea Center and Maekyung Media Group, one of the most influential media groups in Korea.

    Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Lee Hyuk, Secretary General of the ASEAN – Korea Center said, “We are very delighted that President and CEO of Vietjet, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao was selected as one of two winners of the ASEAN Entrepreneurs Award 2018. This is an acknowledgement of Vietjet’s high-quality operation, its creative services and meaningful contributions during the past few years. I firmly believe that the award will serve as a springboard for Vietjet to promote its business and to expand its presence in Korea as well as make greater contribution to the economic and trade cooperation between ASEAN and Korea.”

    On delivering the Vietjet story at the Forum, Vietjet Vice President Nguyen Thi Thuy Binh said, “Vietjet commenced its debut flight connecting Vietnam and South Korea in 2013, and since then, it has been our great pride to have positively contributed to the development of travel and trade exchange between the two countries. As of 2017, the passenger turnover to and from both countries reached over five million passengers, a triple increase compared to that of 2013. The number of airlines commencing routes in the Vietnam to South Korea network increased from three in 2013 to ten in 2017. There were around 750 flights per week, eight times higher than that of 2013. Vietjet itself carried more than two million passengers, many of whom were first–time air travellers. Realising people’s flying dreams has certainly been our greatest pleasure.”

    Established in 2000, the World Knowledge Forum gathers over 200 political heads, business leaders and prominent public figures to discuss pressing global issues and seek ways to promote a balanced prosperity of the global economy.

    This year, the forum had the pleasure of hearing from world renowned speakers which included the likes of Janet Yellen, Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (2014-2018); Kersti Kaljulaid, President of Estonia; Wang Zhenghua, President of Spring Airlines; and many other outstanding speakers.

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  • Telenor Pakistan and Telenor MicrofinanceBank join hands with BISP

    Telenor Pakistan and Telenor MicrofinanceBank join hands with BISP

    Continuing their pursuit to the shared mission of empowering the Pakistani society, Telenor Pakistan and Telenor Microfinance Bank have partnered with the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) to facilitate its beneficiaries across Pakistan in several ways that include creating business opportunities, granting microcredit, and extending support in education and health in the long run.

    As per the agreement, Telenor Pakistan and Telenor Microfinance Bank will select BISP beneficiaries as potential retailers for GSM & Financial products. Telenor Pakistan will give the chosen beneficiaries a unique opportunity to become retailers of its GSM products and services and thus improve their source of livelihood. Telenor Pakistan will pilot this initiative in Chakwal District among 20,000 beneficiaries, which will be later scaled to 34 Districts with a reach to 1.2 million people. Moreover, Telenor Pakistan will enlist BISP as a partner for its CSR contributions, be it in kind or cash, to help support beneficiaries in emergency situations or natural disasters.

    Through the partnership, Telenor Microfinance Bank will reach out to the beneficiaries identified by BISP to assess their credit worthiness and provide them with micro-loans. In the process, the Bank will also educate customers on the uses of m-Wallets, handling and repaying of the micro-loans, and graduating to higher loan amounts. Customers will also be offered a term-life insurance product with natural and accidental death cover of PKR 100,000 including pre-existing conditions.

    “We are pleased to have joined hands with Telenor Microfinance Bank and BISP to extend the best of our contributions to the deserving citizens,” said Haroon Bhatti, Chief Business Officer, Telenor Pakistan. “All three of the agreement partners including Telenor Pakistan, Telenor Microfinance Bank, and BISP share the vision of an empowered Pakistan where every citizen has access to opportunities and solutions to improve means of their livelihood and provide a better lifestyle to their family. The partnership also aims to fight unemployment as more people will be able to start their own business.”

    “This partnership is of great significance to us as it enables the underserved by providing them access to flexible micro-loans.” said Khurram Malik, Head of Branchless Banking, Telenor Microfinance Bank. “Driven by our mission of empowering societies, we will continue to lead in innovating financial solutions to the people of Pakistan and contributing to the country’s vision 2025.”

    “Running this unmatched poverty alleviation program in Pakistan since 2008, we have helped millions of deserving families fight inflation and enhance their purchasing power,” said Secretary, BISP Mr. Omer Hamid Khan. “We are pleased to partner with the country’s leading digital services and microfinance players to empower the BISP beneficiaries in more innovative ways. We are thankful to both parties for finding ways to help the deserving create their own sources of livelihood and gain access to formal financial solutions which will work to boost financial inclusion nationwide. We hope that the collaboration goes a long way and yields results that beat expectations.”

    In the long run, the partnership may also cover Telenor Pakistan’s Safe Internet Program as well as the e-Education project. In the Safe Internet Program, Telenor educates girls and boys on using Information Communication Technology (ICT) and the Internet responsibly in a safe manner. In the e-Education project, Telenor provides free-of-cost international-standard digital educational content to primary schools in order to improve conceptual understanding of science and other subjects.

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  • New Product Debuts on Tmall to Reach 20million in 2018

    New Product Debuts on Tmall to Reach 20million in 2018

    Alibaba Group’s Tmall, China’s largest B2C marketplace for brands, has fast become the “go-to” platform for Chinese consumers who want access to new gadgets and products from around the world.

    In 2017, 12 million products debuted on Tmall, a number expected to exceed 20 million this year, as global brands respond to the array of innovation capabilities available to them.

    “Inspiring millions of Chinese consumers to pursue better lives, Tmall aims to help every brand speed up its product R&D, innovation process and time-to-market, reducing the risks faced by introducing a new product. This also allows more new categories and products to feature in Chinese consumers’ lives at a much faster pace,” said Tmall President Jet Jing.

    By marrying the platform’s valuable consumer insights with analytical and research capabilities, Tmall Innovation Centre (TMIC), the dedicated retail innovation arm of Tmall, is focused on improving the effectiveness and efficiencies around launching new products. TMIC has collaborated with 81 leading enterprises over the past year, covering 600 individual brands. The household names which have already benefited include P&G, Unilever, L’Oréal, Estee Lauder, Shiseido, Mars and Samsung.

    TMIC has announced an alliance with 10 leading research and data technology firms to extend the capabilities of the ecosystem. Through this, TMIC is now joining with the industry to provide brands the necessary insights and analysis to supplement their research and development around new products, which will shape their China strategy. Partners include global market-research firms, The Nielsen Company, Ipsos, Kantar TNS, GFK and Euromonitor International, along with Kantar Worldpanel, which specializes in consumer panels and insight, and AdMaster, a Chinese marketing data technology company.

    This alliance pairs TMIC’s consumer reach and insights with the methodology and knowledge of its partners. Solid models will be built that cover the end-to-end process of product development, from R&D to precision marketing.

    Statistics from Alibaba have shown that brands working with TMIC have managed to cut the length of their product development cycle in half, at the same time mitigating the risks of misjudging consumer tastes and preferences.

    For example, with TMIC’s discovery of younger women’s preference for mouthwash products with flower and fruit flavors, Listerine, Johnson & Johnson’s oral care brand, will launch two mouthwash products in China during this year’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival targeting women. Using the insights from TMIC, Listerine have only needed around five months to complete the “idea-to-shelf” journey.

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  • Worldpay extends real-time payouts to over 50 countries

    Worldpay extends real-time payouts to over 50 countries

    Worldpay, Inc., a global leader in payments, has announced the launch of new dynamic payout solutions that give multi-national eCommerce businesses more choices to disburse funds to partners and customers – quickly, easily and across country borders. Worldpay’s dynamic payout solutions combine the enhanced Worldpay Bankout solution, which now delivers 154 direct bank disbursement destinations (up from 65), and Worldpay FastAccess – enabled by Visa Direct.

    With these versatile payout options, partners and customers need no longer wait for days to receive funds or refunds as they now can obtain them via card in near real-time – through mobile wallet or directly to a local bank account.
    Bankout is an ideal solution for businesses needing to make a large number of global payments to – or on behalf of – their customers and suppliers. With 89 new local markets, Worldpay now provides seamless cross-border payouts for businesses in local currencies without the expense of making multiple international bank transfers.

    Dynamic payouts allow businesses to make faster, seamless card-based payouts in near-real time within a maximum of 30 minutes. Building on its launch in the United States last year, FastAccess is now available to Worldpay customers in over 50 new markets across Europe and Asia.

    A wide-range of industries benefit from these new flexible payout solutions. For example, travel and tourism companies and marketplaces can pay out funds to accommodation vendors or disbursements to travellers in a variety of countries and currencies; gaming businesses can provide near-instant payouts to customers; insurance companies can save costs by replacing local checks with bank transfers; and marketplaces can allow independent sellers to retrieve funds more quickly.

    Shane Happach, executive vice president, Head of Global Enterprise eCommerce at Worldpay, Inc., said: “As more and more companies send payments at lower values, cross-border, it will become a competitive differentiator to send quicker payouts to consumers and inexpensive disbursements to vendors and suppliers. It is estimated that by 2025, the sharing economy will generate Europe-wide revenues worth over €80bn and facilitate nearly €570bn of transactions4. At the heart are seamless, transparent, secure payouts, which can be made via card, mobile wallet or bank transfer in any currency, anywhere in the world.”

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  • Theory Expands Footprint in China with Tmall Debut |

    Theory Expands Footprint in China with Tmall Debut |

    New York-based clothing label, Theory, known for its minimalist, precisely tailored wardrobe essentials, has opened its first online store in China on Alibaba’s Tmall e-commerce platform and its dedicated site for high-end shoppers, Tmall Luxury Pavilion. The stores offer all items in Theory’s womenswear and menswear collections available in its brick-and-mortar stores, including its newest Good Wool and autumn-winter 2018 lines. Offline, the brand currently counts 33 stores across 17 cities in China, a number it expects to double in three years.

    “Tmall’s partnership with Theory is a milestone in our continued market leadership in China as the premier B2C platform for fashion. We will empower Theory through our unparalleled data-driven consumer insight and New Retail technology to serve and discover fashion consumers across China, as well as build lasting relationship with customers,” said Jessica Liu, president of Tmall Fashion and Luxury.

    As part of the partnership agreement, Theory and Tmall will work more closely to leverage consumer insights and offer personalized New Retail experiences, starting with providing the same bonus points, sales benefits and exclusive birthday perks to Theory’s hundreds of thousands of VIP loyalty club members, both online and offline, for a more-seamless shopping experience across all channels.

    Tmall also provided the brand with marketing support, such as promoting its popular merino wool and cashmere clothing on Tmall Cashmere Category Day, an online-to-offline, multi-brand marketing event that ran from Sept. 24 to 26. The category is specially highlighted because of growing popularity of cashmere goods among the 30-40 age group on the platform, with the most rapid sales growth coming from younger consumers under 30 years old, the e-commerce platform said.

    “We will continue to roll out similar campaigns with Theory. At the same time, the brand has already merged its online and offline membership system to ensure the most complete set of rewards and services for its customers across all its online and offline channels,” said Anita Lyu, vice president of Tmall Fashion.

    Owned by Japan’s apparel giant Fast Retailing, Theory has pioneered a new category in the market now known as contemporary fashion — garments and accessories with designer aesthetics and premium quality, but sold at more-affordable price points. Contemporary fashion labels include Massimo Dutti, Charles & Keith and H&M Group’s COS.

    Aside from Theory, Fast Retailing also owns fashion brands, including Austrian contemporary label Helmut Lang, Los Angeles-based demim brand, J Brand and French lingerie brand, Princesse tam.tam, as well as premium fashion brand Comptoir Des Cotonniers. Two of its brands, Uniqlo and GU, have already opened flagship stores on the Tmall platform.

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  • What research says about Indonesian mother’s buying behaviour?

    What research says about Indonesian mother’s buying behaviour?

    As Southeast Asia’s largest nation continues to grow in numbers with 2.44 births on average per female, both Indonesian-bred and global retail companies are allocating massive budgets to target the next generation of shoppers by understanding the mothers and soon to be mothers of today.

    ecommerceIQ, the leading market research firm dedicated to ecommerce insights and data in Southeast Asia, shares findings from its report: “Digital Mom and Baby Shopper Profile in Indonesia” with a select group of brands on the preferences, household income, age, average basket size, etc. of its female shoppers across the archipelago.

    The conference was held on October 11th, 2018 in Jakarta and welcomed guest speaker,  Wenny Damayanti,  Head of Marketing Baby Care PT Softex Indonesia, and Agni Pratistha, Indonesian actress, former Miss Indonesia, and a mom of two.

    The Top Online Destination preferred by Indonesian Women

    The research reveals 66% of Indonesian shoppers have purchased from the Mom & Baby category online due to the practicality of ecommerce such as convenience and variety of brands. Lesser time consumption and convenience have been cited by the respondents as key drivers.

    45% of Indonesian females chose Shopee Indonesia as the top online destination for ecommerce purchases due to a wide product selection. Lazada comes in second (34%) and Tokopedia and social media trail behind at 7% and 5%, respectively.

    Originated as a Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) ecommerce platform, Shopee has the advantage of a wide product selection. The Mom & Baby category is also Shopee’s most popular category in Indonesia as reflected through its recent campaign known as the Mom & Baby Super Deal campaign that was organized as a form of Shopee’s gratitude for the trust given by mothers in Indonesia.

    “Indonesia is filled with more than 260 million people and has the fourth highest birth rate among all Southeast Asian nations.” commented Sheji Ho, aCommerce Group Chief Marketing Officer.

    “There is a massive opportunity for brands to deliver a satisfying and more importantly, trustworthy digital experience. Shoppers today have more access to information online to help them make informed purchasing decisions, it’s not enough to have a picture of your diapers – What are others saying about your product? Which influencer is backing your product? This all matters.”

    “Because more women are joining the workforce while also being full-time mothers, the demographic highly values convenience. Ecommerce players just need to deliver it to them.”

    Other key takeaways from the survey:

    • 64% of new mothers are shopping online;
    • 57% of women are buying goods from the Mom & Baby category once a month, spending less than 500,000 IDR (USD 33.50) per purchase online;
    • The largest spending from females online? is allocated to Baby Clothing (51%) and Baby Gear (25.5%)
    • A wide variety of products (34.4%) is crucial to attracting more shoppers as they
      likely have not formed a strong affinity for a brand yet and open to testing products;
    • 64% of Indonesian mothers start their online shopping journey by going directly to e-marketplaces, but Google and Facebook / Instagram remain powerful tools for product discovery.

    Download the full report here.

    The Digital Mom and Baby Shopper Profile in Indonesia was a survey conducted by ecommerceIQ in February 2018 and collected a total of 1,144 responses from females in Indonesia.

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  • UNIQLO and Alexander Wang Collection Launched

    UNIQLO and Alexander Wang Collection Launched

    UNIQLO announced a new collaboration with top New York fashion designer Alexander Wang. The line brings Alexander Wang’s signature design and styling to UNIQLO’s HEATTECH functional apparel – LifeWear that has kept people warm and comfortable in winter since its debut in 2003.

    About the new collection, Alexander Wang said, “When I look into expanding into additional categories, I seek out partners that really can innovate the product we make and how our fans can access it. UNIQLO are the ideal partners for this collection of innerwear because we share an appreciation of functionality and utilitarianism, and I am thrilled our collaboration has resulted in developing a new HEATTECH line; the perfect place to pick up from where we left off ten years ago.”

    Yuki Katsuta, Group Senior Vice President of Fast Retailing and Head of UNIQLO R&D, commented, “Alexander first collaborated with UNIQLO ten years ago on the UNIQLO Designers Invitation Project. At the time he greatly impressed me with his ability to identify trends. I hope that consumers can enjoy this new dimension in HEATTECH, which takes our long-selling line beyond its innerwear origins by augmenting its functionality with Alexander’s inspiring design.”

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  • Vietjet Inks Financing Agreements for Fleet Expansion Worth US$1.2billion

    Vietjet Inks Financing Agreements for Fleet Expansion Worth US$1.2billion

    Vietjet signed and exchanged an aircraft financing agreement with Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance Company Limited (MUL) – a member of Japan’s leading finance group Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), and France-based banking group BNP Paribas. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and several high-ranking Japanese and Vietnamese dignitaries. The agreement paves the way for MUL and BNP Paribas to finance Vietjet’s acquisition of up to five brand new aircraft, worth US$614 million, according to the manufacturer’s listed price.

    Additionally, Vietjet also signed a Memorandum of Understanding valued at US$625 million according to the manufacturer’s listed price with France-based banking group Natixis and some Japanese equity underwriters to facilitate the financing for five additional aircraft.

    These deals were made under a financing plan for Vietjet’s future ownership of the aircraft.

    The acquisition of these aircraft is part of a new-and-modern aircraft contract signed earlier between Vietjet and Airbus, including A321neo aircraft, which incorporates the latest in engine design, advanced aerodynamics and cabin innovations. According to the aircraft manufacturer, A321neo engines offer a significant reduction in fuel consumption — at least 16 percent from day one and 20 percent by 2020 — as well 75% reduction in noise and 50% in emissions.

    All aircraft financed will be delivered to Vietjet in the last quarter of 2018 or early 2019.

    Speaking at the signing ceremony, Vietjet’s Vice President Dinh Viet Phuong said, “The critical financing agreements signed once again confirms the confidence of leading Japanese financiers in Vietjet as the airline prepares to launch new routes to Japan soon. Also, these deals will greatly contribute to Vietjet’s plan for fleet expansion and network growth in the coming time, thus helping to better connect Japan and Vietnam. We are proud to have leading and renowned financing partners accompany us on the airline’s growth path. Together we are all fully committed to bring greater added values to the community.”

    Under the terms of the agreement, Vietjet and all financing partners will also work together to share best practices for the operation and management of the airline, boosting effectiveness and encouraging sustainable growth.

    Vietjet currently operates the latest generation narrow body aircraft fleet, which has helped the airline achieve an impressive operation performance rating of 99.66% for technical reliability.

    The airline’s flight safety performance and ground operation indicators are also amongst the top in the region while operating costs are among the lowest in the world.

    Vietjet was recently listed by Airfinance Journal as one of the world’s 50 best airlines for healthy financing and operations, achieving a better ranking than many of the world’s most prestigious airlines.

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  • The theme for Uniqlo’s UTGP 2019 T-shirt design contest is… Pokemon!

    The theme for Uniqlo’s UTGP 2019 T-shirt design contest is… Pokemon!

    Now on its 13th year, UTGP 2019 will accept entries via smartphones and tablets to enable as many as possible to take part. The competition’s Grand Prize winner will receive USD $10,000; other winners will also receive cash prizes. All winning designs of the contest will be featured in Uniqlo Spring/Summer 2019 collection, with t-shirts being avialable for men, women, and kids.

    The competition will be judged by the following:

    • Tsunekazu Ishihara, President of The Pokémon Company
    • Ken Sugimori, Managing Director of Game Freak Inc.
    • NIGO® （UT Creative Director）

    The top three winners will be awarded in a ceremony in Tokyo, and they’ll be able to watch the 2019 Pokémon World Championships in Washington, DC. Entries can be submitted on October 23 until December 2, 2018 (10:59 PHT) at the official UTGP 2019 website.

  • Deliveroo for Business Celebrates 2nd Birthday in Hong Kong with Revamped Services

    Deliveroo for Business Celebrates 2nd Birthday in Hong Kong with Revamped Services

    Winning over hungry office workers to achieve a sensational 75% year-on-year growth in Hong Kong, Deliveroo for Business is now being revamped to give business customers even more delectable benefits. Companies that sign up for an account with Deliveroo for Business between today and December 31, 2018, will get a special ‘new joiners treat’ to celebrate.

    Deliveroo for Business provides bespoke food delivery services to over 7,000 corporate customers around the world, with office orders arriving for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in as little as 15 minutes. Erasing the time and hassle of traditional workplace meal expensing, Deliveroo for Business lets workers make one-click meal payments using their set budget allowance, instead of saving and submitting a stack of receipts at the end of the month. Finance teams can view the office’s monthly mealtime spending in one single spreadsheet, rather than sorting through hundreds of expense forms.

    Special catering orders are a cinch with Deliveroo for Business. A dedicated team is ready to assist with all kinds of events; from a simple internal lunch for 40 colleagues to a three-day convention with hundreds of guests. Either way, everyone will leave with a full and happy stomach.

    Deliveroo for Business is now being extended in Hong Kong to add a host of new features and services, offering even more chances for people to eat amazing food not just in their homes.  Deliveroo seeks to be the definitive food company, offering people food whenever and wherever they want it, and this is a vital part of the company achieving that vision.

    New services which will be available for businesses in Hong Kong to take advantage of include:

    • Hotels: Deliveroo for Business offers a hotel room service so that hungry travelers can select whatever dishes take their fancy and place the order via the hotel, with food arriving in under 30 minutes. This is a fantastic opportunity for visitors to explore Hong Kong’s local culinary scene from the comfort of their hotel and gives business travelers another delicious option when they don’t have the time to run out and grab a bite to eat. Madera Groupin Hong Kong is already using the service, with a second-edition menu coming soon, and Deliveroo expects more hotels to come on board soon.
    • Events: Deliveroo for Business now offers catering services for large-scale events. In Hong Kong, the team has catered for 300-person breakfast conferences and most recently the ICON APAC Annual Conference at the Hyatt. Around the world, the team catered the largest drone racing championship in the world last August and will be catering their first wedding this December in London. Deliveroo for Business in Hong Kong is now taking bookings for catering Christmas parties.
    • Fruit Baskets & Snacks: Businesses will be able to use Deliveroo to arrange for regular deliveries of fruit and snacks to their offices, fueling workers with healthy foods.

    Brian Lo, General Manager of Deliveroo Hong Kong, said, “Deliveroo for Business is reinventing the way people interact with food at work, as more and more companies pinpoint food as a key retention tool in an increasingly competitive employment market. We’re delighted to bring even more great food to busy workers in Hong Kong, who are famous for eating lunch ‘al desko’. Our new range of services for hotels, events and more expands Deliveroo for Business even further to fuel more opportunities for businesses to give their best to employees, guests, and customers.”

    Mr. Lucas Lai, Head of Madera Hospitality Management of Madera Group said, “As a hotel group with a reputation for offering guests a warm and caring stay, we understand the need to anticipate their desires and provide the utmost levels of comfort and convenience. Working with Deliveroo is a fantastic way to offer even more dining options to our guests, putting a world of yummy cuisine at their fingertips and providing an even better experience every time they stay with Madera.”

    In Hong Kong, lunchtime orders are by far the most popular amongst business customers (70%), who order for team meals, lunchtime learning sessions, internal training and client meetings. Asset management companies, financial service firms, and international law firms account for the majority of business users. Business customers love to order from Chinese and Cantonese restaurants the most, with sushi, Vietnamese and healthy salads rounding out the top 10 cuisine preferences by spending. The legal profession eats the most healthily, with their top two most-ordered restaurant types being salad and vegetarian.

    Deliveroo for Business launched in September 2016 following a huge trend of office workers ordering Deliveroo to their desks, tired by the same lackluster choices on offer for lunch. The launch also helped businesses who are looking for new ways to retain talent. Currently, the service is being used by 7,000 companies in 12 markets, including Hong Kong.

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  • Major trade mark victory for Alfred Dunhill in China

    Major trade mark victory for Alfred Dunhill in China

    Alfred Dunhill has announced it has won a major victory in a long-running trademark battle in China. In a ground-breaking decision, the luxury brand has been awarded RMB 10 million (USD 1.47 million) after the Foshan Intermediate People’s Court, Guangdong Province, ruled that rival menswear brand Danhuoli was guilty of both trademark infringement and unfair competition practice.

    In a rare move for Chinese courts, the judge also deemed that the individual responsible for the company was personally liable for the infringement, giving extra teeth to the court’s decision and strengthening China’s growing reputation for intellectual property protection.

    The trademark infringement centred around Danhuoli’s illegal imitation of the ‘long tail mark’ of Alfred Dunhill’s globally recognised logo.

    Danhuoli had originally registered the ‘Danhuoli’ trade mark in plain font, but had for several years used the mark in a manner bearing striking similarities to Alfred Dunhill’s signature elongated lettering and black and white colour palette.

    The budget clothes company had also established a shadow company named ‘Dunhill Group’ in Hong Kong, to manage corporate business activities for the brand. Alfred Dunhill had previously been successful in shutting down the shadow company in Hong Kong; however, it had continued to trade across the Chinese mainland.

    Danhuoli operates more than 200 franchisee stores across 61 cities in China, claiming to generate annual turnover of RMB 100m (USD 14.7m).

    The case represents a landmark trade mark victory in China for any global brand, given the scale of the damages awarded. The RMB 10 million awarded is significantly larger than the average ruling in trade mark infringement cases in China.

    The ruling is another key milestone in China’s continued crackdown on IP infringement. Over the past decade China has made significant strides in developing and enforcing a robust IP rights regime, bringing the Chinese IP landscape in line with other developed systems in the US and Europe.

    Alfred Dunhill were supported by international IP consultancy Rouse and its Chinese law firm partner, Lusheng Law Firm.

    Commenting on the ruling, Andrew Maag, CEO at Alfred Dunhill said:

    “Today’s ruling demonstrates Alfred Dunhill Ltd.’s unequivocal resolve in tackling infringement of our IP rights in China and globally. Our system of IP management and enforcement is second to none. With the support of Rouse and Lusheng Law Firm, we’ve secured a fair and proportionate ruling.”

    Luke Minford, Global CEO of Rouse, said:

    “This win for Alfred Dunhill is just reward for all their hard work protecting their brand in China. The decision should reinforce to other brand owners that China is finally getting serious about protecting foreign brands.”

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