Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • KT expands reach of AI-powered smart city solution to SEA

    KT expands reach of AI-powered smart city solution to SEA

    South Korea’s KT has announced plans to expand the reach of its self-developed AI technology with the launch of services for hotels and smart cities in Southeast Asia.

    The operator will introduce customized AI solutions for the market, starting with Vietnam.

    KT last month entered an agreement with Vietnam’s largest construction company Hoa Binh Construction Group (HBC) JVC for the provision of AI-powered hotel and apartment services in Southeast Asia. The partners have also agreed to subsequently co-operate on smart building and city projects in major metros in the region.

    KT used its platform to launch the first hotel in South Korea to offer AI-assisted room services in July – a Novotel Ambassador hotel in Seoul – and plans to open three more smart hotels across Seoul by 2020.

    The company’s hotel AI service platform is a customization of KT’s GiGA Genie AI powered smart home media hub, which launched in 2017 and now has more than 1 million subscribers in South Korea.

    “It’s a big first step for KT’s AI platform to reach out to the world, thanks to the partnership with HBC,” KT marketing group senior vice president Lee Pil-Jai said. “With great success in South Korea, we will step up efforts to localize our AI hotel service and smart city solutions for Southeast Asia and beyond.”

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  • Cashmaster Launches QR-Connect in APAC – New Integration Software Solution for Cash Management

    Cashmaster Launches QR-Connect in APAC – New Integration Software Solution for Cash Management

    Cashmaster Asia today announced the Introduction of Cashmaster QR-Connect, a QR code application providing enhanced software functionality for its Cashmaster One range of count-by-weight cash counting devices that offers an innovative, simple solution to integrating with back office or POS systems. When installed, count data is presented as a QR code on the display of the Cashmaster One device that can be scanned by a standard POS scanner or the camera of a mobile/tablet device.

    The count data is instantly transferred to the POS or other system. The QR code avoids the need for USB or ethernet cable connectivity between the POS and the Cashmaster Cash counter – effectively providing wireless transfer of the cash count (including vouchers/coupons in addition to notes and coins) as well as other information for process traceability, such as cashier ID and till ID.

    In a connected world, a deeper level of integration and seamless transfer of data to the POS is a growing requirement for Cashmaster’s clients. Its customers are looking to remove multiple levels of manual processing of data across their businesses in order to: reduce opportunities for errors; speed up the processing of data; give more real-time information that businesses can use to make better, faster decisions; and provide greater accuracy and accountability to their enterprises. Integration can be seen also as a key component in a loss prevention strategy.

    No matter the level of operation, these solutions provide data in a format that can be easily digested by cash management and analytics programs for big, medium or small companies. As competition increases, the rewards of deploying Cashmaster One and Cashmaster QRConnect can show directly in bottom line improvements. Gordon McKie, Group CEO of Cashmaster, commented, “Companies are under intense pressure to maximise income and improve efficiencies, while at the same time motivating staff. It’s a complex dynamic that Cashmaster understands; it has also been a powerful imperative for us in designing the intuitive technology for cash management that helps clients achieve those goals.

    “Solutions can be tailored to customers’ specific needs, from simple off-the-shelf tools requiring minimal customer resources to implement, to working with customers’ IT teams in providing more complex solutions. With a proven quick return on the initial investment to boot.”

    Cashmaster is a global company that specialises in the design and manufacture of count-by-weight cash counting devices using the most advanced touch-screen technology. The company has more than 30 years’ experience in creating innovative and reliable cash handling solutions for a wide range of international clients including supermarkets, convenience stores, retail, banking, fast-food restaurants and coffee shops.

    Website: www.cashmaster.com

    All trade enquiries for Cashmaster One:

    Tel (Hong Kong): +852 9334 8578; E-mail: jcheung@cashmaster.com

    Tel (UK): +44 (0) 1383 416 098; enquiriesasia@cashmaster.com

     

  • Lion Air to Serve Umrah Flight from Kertajati Airport

    Lion Air to Serve Umrah Flight from Kertajati Airport

    Managing Director of Lion Group, Captain Daniel Putut Kuncoro Adi said that his company will serve the first umrah flight from Kertajati Airport, Majalengka, on Saturday, October 13. Lion Air will use Boeing 737-800 Max8 made in 2018 with the capacity of 176 passengers. “Our hope is it the flight will increase. We are ready to serve every day. For now, we start with one flight in a week,” Daniel said. The flight route is from Kertajati to Madinah, and the return flight is from Jeddah to Kertajati.

    “We start with once a week flight frequency. Up to this year’s Umrah season, the slot is already full,” he said at Gedung Sate, Bandung, Tuesday, October 9

    Daniel said that Lion Air has planned to replace the aircraft with a larger one. “We have an Airbus 330 with a capacity of 440 passengers, then a Boeing 747 with a capacity of 500 passengers,” he said.

    Samira Ali Wisata’s Managing Director, Fauzi Wahyu Muntoro, said his Umrah travel agent DGI (Dini Group Indonesia) could get 90 people in a month, to depart from Kertajati Airport.

    President Director of West Java International Airport (BIJB) Virda Dimas Ekaputra said that Lion Air agreed to serve the Umrah flight from Kertajati Airport twice a week.

    West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said the Umrah flight service from Kertajati Airport had long been awaited by the West Java people.

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  • First humanless retail store launched in Malaysia

    First humanless retail store launched in Malaysia

    The way Malaysians buy and sell products is set to be disrupted with the introduction of a revolutionary humanless retail technology called BingoBox Retail Technology. Launched recently, the state-of-the-art, BingoBox Retail Technology is the brainchild of Scientific Retail Sdn Bhd (Scientific Retail), a joint venture between a group of visionary Malaysian shareholders and BingoBox, the pioneer of the humanless and cashless convenience store in China and the world.

    In an effort to bring added value to Malaysian retailers and consumers, Scientific Retail has further enhanced the technology. BingoBox Retail Technology offers retailers an exciting, cost-efficient and practical avenue to market and sell their products. The easy availability and accesses-ability of the 24-hour unmanned store will provide consumers a simple and seamless shopping experience. Furthermore, smart entrepreneurs are also invited to create novel ideas leveraging on this technology to spearhead new business ventures.

    Ng Seong Ping, Chief Executive Officer of Scientific Retail alongside honoured guests Chen Zilin, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BingoBox China; Shairan Huzani Husain, Managing Director of Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd and Shell Timur Sdn Bhd; Christopher Tiffin, Chief Executive Officer of Boost; and Remus Shai Meng Choon, Chief Executive Officer of Ximplicity Sdn Bhd officiated the launch of BingoBox Retail Technology.

    During the launch event, Ng said, “We at, Scientific Retail, were inspired by the growth and success of BingoBox, which launched its flagship store in June 2016. To date, BingoBox has been successfully installed in over 400 locations throughout China. We believe that this technology coupled with local enhancement will be ideal for the Malaysian market and we are delighted to be the first partner outside of China to introduce this technology.”

    “The cashless and unmanned store has many advantages including cost savings, improved convenience, and greater security. It also provides accurate data analytics, enabling business owners to understand consumers’ preferences, subsequently allowing them to customise their offerings to appeal to the targeted market segments.”

    “Our technology can cater to all types of businesses and across industries, from fashion to F&B, traditional retail to consumer electronics. The flexibility of this platform also allows unmanned stores to be placed at diverse locations including high rise residential and commercial towers, educational institutions and transportation hubs, amongst many others,” he added.

    “We have generated a lot of interest from various sectors for this technology, and we are looking forward to seeing about 500 retailers using our technology in Malaysia by the end of 2019. As a socially responsible corporate citizen, we are also committed to supporting small-sized brick-and-mortar retailers to grow its business and gain a competitive edge via BingoBox Retail Technology.”

    BingoBox Retail Technology features a highly advanced image recognition system that can auto-detect products. It also has sophisticated monitoring and interactive systems, including facial recognition, patented artificial intelligence and theft prevention. All these will come together cohesively to provide unparalleled convenience and seamless experience for consumers. In addition, Scientific Retail is able to provide consultancy services, end-to-end setup, which include external and internal fabrication, as well as 24-hour monitoring services and remote ‘face-to-face’ customer support, with a touch of a button, for consumers.

    Shairan Huzani Husain, Managing Director of Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd and Shell Timur Sdn Bhd, said, “We are delighted to be the first in our industry to offer this innovation to all Malaysians. Customers are at the heart of everything that we do; inspiring us to enhance our products and services to make life’s journeys better for all. This partnership allows Shell customers access to our Select store at any time of the day. Additionally, the cashless transactions provide added convenience which we hope will continue to keep them happy and satisfied.” Shell Malaysia is the

    Scientific Retail also collaborated with Malaysia’s leading e-wallet provider, Boost, to create a seamless mobile payment experience for users. Chris Tiffin from Boost, said, “We are pleased to work with Scientific Retail in creating an integrated payment system that works seamlessly with BingoBox Retail Technology. We have always focused on bringing convenience to our more than three million consumers and this partnership is yet another example of how we aim to achieve our goal of digitizing cash. This integration with BingoBox Retail Technology will allow consumers to shop and pay conveniently using one mobile app for a better user experience.”

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  • aCommerce Forms Strategic Partnership with Fluent Commerce to Advance Omnichannel Strategy

    aCommerce Forms Strategic Partnership with Fluent Commerce to Advance Omnichannel Strategy

    aCommerce, Southeast Asia’s leading brand ecommerce enabler, and Fluent Commerce, the cloud-native order management company that allows omnichannel retailers to out-convenience competitors and offer their customers flexible fulfillment options, have signed a strategic partnership to bring together the best of ecommerce and omnichannel order operations.

    Under this partnership, Fluent Commerce will provide the smart omnichannel management and unified ecommerce that retailers and brands are looking for. aCommerce will act as a system integrator for retailers and brands in Southeast Asia, enabling them to provide a seamless experience to their consumers, regardless of online or offline channels.

    “The relationship with aCommerce is an acknowledgment of the imperative for retailers to provide an innovative experience for their ever more sophisticated customers, such as same-day delivery and collect in store options,” said Jamie Cairns, Channel Sales Director at Fluent Commerce. “By working together we’ll grow and unlock new opportunity for our clients by enabling them to rapidly deploy an end to end, unified commerce strategy. We’re certainly very excited by this combined proposition, which is unique in the region.”

    “Despite the ample growth of ecommerce in the region, Southeast Asia’s retail scene is largely happening offline. Combining the strengths of aCommerce and Fluent Commerce enables us to help retailers and brands execute New Retail strategies by leveraging technology to digitize and connect offline stores,” comments Mandy Arbilo, Group Director of Direct-to-Consumer Ecommerce at aCommerce. “By partnering with Fluent Commerce, we will be able to provide convenience, choice of delivery or pickup, return anywhere options, and up-to-the-minute inventory visibility.”

    Currently, aCommerce is working with leading Singaporean retailers to expand omnichannel and New Retail capabilities. The Southeast Asian leading ecommerce enabler will offer this service in Malaysia by March 2019.

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  • Brooks Brothers Selects Manhattan Active Omni to Elevate Global Omnichannel Commerce

    Brooks Brothers Selects Manhattan Active Omni to Elevate Global Omnichannel Commerce

    Brooks Brothers, the oldest clothing retailer in the U.S., selected  Manhattan Associates Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH) to improve contact centre operations and deliver a seamless omnichannel shopping experience for customers worldwide. New York-based Brooks Brothers is deploying Manhattan Active Omni to fuel its “buy anywhere, get anywhere” customer experience platform across its full network of 300 retail locations.

    Brooks Brothers selected Manhattan Active Omni, which marries order management and store fulfilment applications on a single platform, to deliver superior product fulfilment across all channels. No matter how customers choose to shop, they expect their purchase experience to be positive, quick, and unified. The Manhattan Active Omni solution will provide Brooks Brothers associates with a 360-degree view of customer information and access to the company’s full network of inventory, enabling them to deliver a truly seamless omnichannel experience.

    “Brooks Brothers has been a leading provider of apparel for 200 years, and we take great pride in both the quality of our products and the customer experience we deliver,” said Todd Treonze, CIO, Brooks Brothers. “The Manhattan Active Omni platform will enable us to increase the level of service we provide by expanding our ‘buy anywhere, get anywhere’ offerings on a global scale and significantly improve the customer journey across channels. Working with Manhattan Associates will help us ensure that all our customers enjoy the type of shopping experience they desire, one that reflects the quality they have come to expect from Brooks Brothers.”

    A cloud-native, versionless and fully extensible offering, Manhattan Active Omni is always current and able to seamlessly scale to meet Brooks Brothers’ future needs. In addition to fuelling omnichannel growth, the platform will also help Brooks Brothers scale its flourishing uniform business.

    “Meeting the transformative demands of today’s omnichannel shoppers is perhaps the most significant challenge confronting modern retailers,” said Eddie Capel, president and CEO, Manhattan Associates. “Manhattan Active Omni helps iconic brands, like Brooks Brothers, remove boundaries across channels and capture the network-wide insight they need to consistently deliver high-level customer experience and maintain valuable brand loyalty.”

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  • Platinum Jewellery Continues Strong Growth from The Global Wedding Industry

    Platinum Jewellery Continues Strong Growth from The Global Wedding Industry

    Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank will marry on 12 October at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in the United Kingdom, just months after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle signified their love with platinum jewellery, the metal of choice for love gifting.

    The tradition of men wearing wedding rings is said to have started in early 20th during the World Wars, as a way for soldiers to be reminded of their wives and family. However, male royalty typically do not wear wedding bands. Breaking with royal tradition, Prince Harry chose to signify his love and union to actress Meghan Markle with a platinum wedding band. According to the official website of the British Royal Family, both Prince Harry’s wedding band and Meghan Markle’s tiara were set in platinum.

    The current Royal family has a tradition of wearing wedding jewellery set in platinum. Queen Elizabeth’s engagement ring was designed by Prince Philip, with a 3ct diamond set in platinum. Princess Eugenie’s mother, Duchess of York, wore the York Tiara on her wedding day, a platinum piece by Garrard, with leaf and flora motifs.

    Historically, platinum is associated with the best jewellery houses and designers this is due to its strength, never-fading white colour and long-lasting value, platinum is preferred for bridal jewellery setting in many markets, and a platinum crown is the securest way to hold a diamond or gemstone.

    Platinum Guild International (PGI)’s consumer marketing and educational programmes develop awareness and appreciation for platinum’s unique qualities as a precious metal for fine jewellery. Known as pure, rare and eternal, the metal has often been associated with love-gifting, and preferred in the wedding market.

    “Around the world we see key growth and increased popularity for platinum jewellery with relation to the global wedding market. The younger generations see platinum as a metal of love. Looking at the acquisition of wedding bands as well as beyond to love-gifting occasions, platinum is the predominant metal of choice when it comes to precious jewellery to say I love you,” says Huw Daniel, CEO of Platinum Guild International.

    In the United States, the 5th consecutive year of growth for platinum jewellery consumption at 11% in 2017 mainly comes from strong sales in bridal jewellery including engagement rings and wedding bands.

    In Japan, platinum holds an astonishing 92% share of the engagement ring market and 82% share of wedding rings and is continued, dominating the bridal jewellery category.

    In China, platinum is associated with eternal love and has been doing very well in the bridal category and the market has grown 22% between 2014 and 2016 in Tier 1 to 3 cities.

    For young India, PGI is tapping into modern couples’ desire for jewellery that better represents the bonds of love in a modern relationship between equals. Platinum has become the metal of choice among today’s young Indian consumers shaping the country’s culture and fashion.

  • CapitaStar Singapore unveils new promo event with big prize

    CapitaStar Singapore unveils new promo event with big prize

    Calling all shoppers in Singapore! CapitaLand’s multi-store, multi-mall rewards programme, CapitaStar presents a month-long celebration filled with hundreds of attractive deals for members to enjoy across 15 CapitaLand malls in Singapore. CapitaStar fulfils the ultimate shopping fantasy with the inaugural SuperStar Shopper Challenge, where participants can embark on a S$1,000 shopping spree and stand to win the grand prize of 10 million STAR$® (worth S$10,000).

    CapitaStar SuperStar Shopper Challenge Qualifiers: 5 to 21 October 2018 | Finals: 10 November 2018 Flag-off Location: Bugis+, L2 Atrium

    Join the CapitaStar #SuperStarShopper Challenge and be one of the 20 finalists to go on a S$1,000 shopping spree across participating CapitaLand malls using the CapitaStar App

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  • Mastercard Takes HongKong’s Education Sector into New Milestone

    Mastercard Takes HongKong’s Education Sector into New Milestone

    Mastercard is bringing cashless payments to Hong Kong’s education sector through a seamless FinTech and EduTech platform, which enables the city’s first-ever integrated education app with multiple in-app digital payments.

    Through an exclusive partnership with local education app developer GRWTH, Mastercard will bring hassle-free, fast, safe, and convenient cashless payments experience to schools and parents. The enhanced app integrates digital payments, account reconciliation, student profiles, home-school communication, as well as school administration into one single platform.

    The partnership addresses the pain points faced by parents in daily school payments situations, such as spending a lot of time preparing cash or issuing checks, keeping track of expenses that are often paid in small amounts, and students missing out opportunities to join school activities due to losing cash or checks. All school expenses can be settled via the in-app digital payments function, thereby eliminating the need to deal with cumbersome cash or checks. Parents can also easily track their school payments anytime, anywhere, giving them greater peace of mind.

    Schools also benefit from saving massive administrative time and costs that come with handling the complex payment procedures. Teachers can also save time spent during class manually collecting payments from students. The app offers an exclusive backend reconciliation system, which provides a direct and convenient way to keep track of payments. This includes simplifying reconciliation procedures via transaction categorization and real-time transaction tracking as well as report generation. It relieves the pressure for schools in handling school expenses, allowing more quality teaching time.

    “We are proud to partner with Mastercard to attain our goal of enriching the life of our children through technology. GRWTH links up students, school administrators and parents and provide them with powerful and innovative tools for better home-school communication and organization,” said Adam Chan, co-founder and CEO, GRWTH. “By connecting the education, finance and technology sectors, we aspire to push forward the development of digital payments in Hong Kong.”

    “We are excited to turn a new chapter for the Hong Kong education sector. By bringing together EduTech and FinTech, Mastercard aspires to alleviate the pressure of handling large amounts of cash and checks for schools and parents, not only by providing them with fast, safe and convenient cashless payments experiences but also by helping them devote more time and energy into students’ growth and development,” said Helena Chen, managing director, Hong Kong and Macau, Mastercard. “Through Mastercard’s technology, we can truly lay the foundations for the future of our next generation, and push forward the development of Hong Kong as a smart city.”

    As the exclusive partner, Mastercard provides a one-click, secure digital payments solution. Parents simply need to store their Mastercard card details only once to enjoy the seamless, one-click experience for all future payments. To provide even more convenience, the new in-app payments service is not only available for Mastercard credit and debit cardholders, but also to Mastercard prepaid cardholders. With the world’s fastest and most reliable global payments network, Mastercard cardholders can enjoy the same robust, multi-layered security protections that comes with paying with a Mastercard.

    GRWTH has recently launched the service to 10 schools in Hong Kong as part of a pilot program* and plans to gradually expand the service to all kindergartens, primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. “Our school aspires to bring changes to the education sector by leveraging technology and innovation. We are excited to be one of the 10 pilot schools to introduce a cashless payments option for parents,” said Chu Tsz Wing, chief principal, St. Hilary’s Primary School & VNSAA ST. HILARY’S SCHOOL.

    Apart from its in-app payment function, the GRWTH app includes tools for home-school communication and school administration, and will soon integrate the ability to pay vendors such as extra-curricular activities and school service providers, allowing parents to make instant and direct payment. The “GRWTH Community” is made up of over 100 NGOs and commercial organizations in Hong Kong. Parents can choose personalized extracurricular activities for their children based on the multi-intelligence analysis function in the app’s talent pool. The GRWTH app is available for free download via Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

    *The 10 pilot schools are:

     Buddhist Lim Kim Tian Memorial Primary School

     Buddhist Wing Yan School

     ELCHK Ma On Shan Lutheran Primary School

     Fung Kai No.1 Primary School

     Gloria Creative Kindergarten and Gloria Creative Kindergarten (Sheung Shui)

     Lok Sin Tong Leung Wong Wai Fong Memorial School

     N.T.W.J.W.A. LTD. Leung Sing Tak Primary School

     St. Edward’s Catholic Primary School

     St. Hilary’s Primary School and VNSAA ST. HILARY’S SCHOOL

     The ELCHK Wo Che Lutheran School

  • XPO Logistics to Deploy 5,000 Collaborative Warehouse Robots in North America and Europe

    XPO Logistics to Deploy 5,000 Collaborative Warehouse Robots in North America and Europe

    XPO Logistics, Inc., a leading global provider of transportation and logistics solutions, today announced plans to deploy 5,000 intelligent robots throughout its logistics sites in North America and Europe. The robots, which are designed to collaborate with humans, will supplement XPO’s existing workforce and support future growth. XPO has a strategic partnership with robotics manufacturer GreyOrange Pte. Ltd. that makes XPO the exclusive logistics provider for use of its robots in North America, the United Kingdom and eight European countries.

    Bradley Jacobs, chief executive officer of XPO Logistics, said, “We’ve developed our logistics technology to integrate the latest intelligent automation and adapt it at lightning speed. This allows us to dramatically improve fulfillment time and cut costs. The addition of 5,000 collaborative robots will make our logistics operations safer and more productive in picking, packing and sortation. These are important benefits for our customers – particularly in the e-commerce and omnichannel retail sectors, where order speed and accuracy are essential ways to compete.”

    The autonomous robots are part of a modular goods-to-person system that also includes mobile storage racks and fulfillment stations. Each robot can move a rack weighing approximately 1,000 to 3,500 lbs., bringing it to a station where a worker fulfills up to 48 orders simultaneously. The entire process is controlled by XPO’s proprietary warehouse management system. This high-speed, flexible solution supports same-day and next-day deliveries by shortening order-to-shipment times and helping workers minimize walk-time and manual errors.

    XPO’s latest robotics implementation is part of the company’s planned $450 million investment in technology this year. Other recent innovations include the XPO Direct shared-space distribution network, voice integration with Amazon Echo and Google Home to track the last mile delivery of heavy goods, and the XPO Connect digital freight marketplace with multimodal infrastructure.

     

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  • IFC and Alipay Announce 10×1000 Tech for Inclusion Programme to Inspire Technology Leaders

    IFC and Alipay Announce 10×1000 Tech for Inclusion Programme to Inspire Technology Leaders

    International Financial Corporation (“IFC”), a member of the World Bank Group, and Ant Financial Services Group (“Ant Financial”), the world’s leading tech company and the operator of Alipay, jointly announced the 10×1000 Tech for Inclusion programme at the 2018 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group. The initiative will include a comprehensive programme that embraces interactivity and the exchange of ideas to provide training to 10,000 tech experts in emerging markets from both public and private sectors over the next 10 years.

    Alibaba Group founder and Executive Chairman Jack Ma said that the programme aims to build an interactive and open platform to increase support for tech leaders and skilled individuals who are working to alleviate poverty and make basic financial services more broadly accessible in Indonesia, which will be the first stop of the programme within emerging markets.

    “I believe that investing in people is investing for the future. Cultivating talent is one of the most significant things the Alibaba ecosystem can do. My hope is that emerging markets will benefit from the individuals that are nurtured under this new 10×1000 Tech for Inclusion programme and be able to embrace a brighter future through the digital economy,” said Ma, who is an adviser to the Indonesian government steering committee for e-commerce.

    The 10×1000 Tech for Inclusion programme will seek support from local public and private sector partners in emerging markets. A series of Techfin workshops will be held across China and various countries. The workshops will aim to inspire tech leaders and local talent to become “drivers for change” in the digital era, promoting technology inclusion and global sustainability.

    “Technology offers the largest dividend of the digital era bringing unprecedented opportunities for financial inclusion,” said Eric Jing, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ant Financial. “Individuals with talent in technology are the drivers for change who can inspire innovation that will lead to a better collective future. Now is the time for Alipay to share its knowledge and experience in digital financial services to broaden the tech communities and ecosystem within emerging markets.”

    IFC and Ant Financial have partnered on initiatives to extend micro-credits to small- and women-owned businesses in China and over the past year have driven collaboration on inclusive digital finance, green digital finance and business-environment enhancement. In 2016, Ant Financial signed onto the World Bank Group Universal Financial Access 2020 goal and committed to increasing access to financial services for 100 million underserved individuals.

    Philippe Le Houérou, IFC CEO, said, “Digital finance is transforming the financial landscape, creating new markets, empowering consumers and putting banking in the hands of unreached millions worldwide for the first time. The joint programme will further deepen knowledge and create new opportunities for digital financial services to expand financial access and improve lives.”

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  • Vietjet Sends Aid to Earthquake and Tsunami Victims in Indonesia

    Vietjet Sends Aid to Earthquake and Tsunami Victims in Indonesia

    In response to the devastating events that hit Indonesia recently, Vietjet kicked into action to provide aid relief for the earthquake and tsunami affected victims. A special flight VJ2611 themed “Love connection” landed in Jakarta (Indonesia) yesterday carrying nearly 7 tons of relief aid which included canned foods, blankets and basic necessities.

    The flight not only transported Vietjet’s relief cargo, but also symbolised the love and empathy of Vietnamese people towards those affected by the recent events.

    This was an emergency response initiative conducted by Vietjet within the span of three days, in which the airline’s leaders and employees sought to quickly organise the flight, handle technical preparations, complete the flight permit, as well as launch a voluntary donation campaign throughout the airline to make the flight possible.

    On the evening of 28 September, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Sulawesi, triggering dozens of aftershocks and a tsunami that devastated the coastal areas of Palu and Donggala. Authorities estimated at least 1,300 people were killed and the death toll is expected to rise. Around 16,700 people have been displaced and 2.4 million people are in need of humanitarian aid.

    In 2013, Vietjet operated two flights which transported relief cargo as well as brought Vietnamese victims home safely after super typhoon Haiyan destroyed many cities in the Philippines. The airline also organized many relief flights to Vietnam’s central region after the floods, and initiated a “Spread the Love” campaign offering free flights to bring underprivileged people home to celebrate the Lunar New Year holidays.

    Volunteering and charity work has become a part of Vietjet’s DNA and corporate culture as the airline continues to share the love and support disaster-hit victims and underprivileged people.

  • British Designer Louise Trotter Named Creative Director for Lacoste

    British Designer Louise Trotter Named Creative Director for Lacoste

    British fashion designer Louise Trotter is Lacoste’s new Creative Director, the brand informed in a statement this Thursday. She is the very first woman to hold this role at the French label best known for its crocodile logo. Her first collection will be showcased at the next Paris Fashion Week.

    “We are very happy to welcome Louise in our team. Her visionary approach to lines and materials and her expertise in designing highly technical pieces, are valuable assets to strengthen the positioning of our collections”, said Thierry Guibert, CEO of Lacoste Group, in a statement.

    “I’m looking forward to joining a French brand with such a unique heritage. The brand managed to stay fresh and modern in throughout the last 85 years thanks to its unique combination of sports and fashion. I’m proud to be able to contribute to the next chapter of its history”, added Trotter.

    Trotter replaces the Portuguese designer Felipe Oliveira Baptista who parted ways with Lacoste in May. She stepped down from the role of Creative Director at British luxury label Joseph in July, after nine years. Before Joseph, Trotter held the same position at Jigsaw.

  • MarlMarl Sanjo-Street Kyoto Open door

    MarlMarl Sanjo-Street Kyoto Open door

    Acclaimed for its abstract world view, MARLMARL, with Atsushi Suzuki / TANSEISHA as the designer, is one of the most dynamic brands of original baby clothing in Japan today, and is   continuing to expand in both domestic and overseas markets. MARLMARL worked on interior design for the brand in conjunction with the opening of a new branch in the Sanjo-street district of Kyoto, Japan’s historic capital.

    Kyoto’s Sanjo-street, featuring an attractive urban landscape characterized by a mixture of old and new, is a place where traditional architecture and modern architecture stand side by side. In these surroundings, we had to draw up a plan for the interior of a modern building highlighted by enormous and remarkably eye-catching arches. So, while honoring Kyoto’s historic landscape, we came up with a design concept that would integrate the brand’s abstract world view with the surrounding cityscape.

    Using the brand’s neutral tones and drawing on the motif provided by the building’s arches, we continued the arches inside the store, keeping the lines as simple as possible in combination with a monotone coloring to integrate the cityscape with the brand’s abstract world view. The imposing arches of the building and the light arches of the interior serve as complementary expressions, imbuing the space with a bright and airy impression befitting of a baby clothing brand.

    View the gallery below to join the mini tour to the store :

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  • Luxasia revealed expansion plan to Australia and NewZealand

    Luxasia revealed expansion plan to Australia and NewZealand

    Luxasia, the leading omnichannel partner for beauty and luxury lifestyle brand distribution, retail, and e-commerce in Asia Pacific, has announced its expansion plans into Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) through the acquisition of a majority stake in fragrance and beauty distributor, Pacific SMM. This brings the expanding company’s regional presence to 14 countries, in line with their strategic plan to delight consumers with an omnichannel beauty experience and transform the beauty landscape in Asia Pacific.

    “We are excited by the immense potential of our partnership, given that Australia and New Zealand are mature beauty markets,” said Dr. Wolfgang Baier, Group CEO, Luxasia. “By combining Pacific SMM’s extensive market knowledge in ANZ with Luxasia’s end-to-end brand distribution and channel management competencies, Luxasia is well-poised to bring its repertoire of beauty brands to the ANZ market speedily and successfully.”

    Luxasia’s acquisition of the majority stake in Pacific SMM will be completed in October 2018, and would be renamed to Luxasia Oceania Pty Ltd. The newly established company aims to build upon Pacific SMM’s current setup with experienced team members, innovative retail concepts, e-commerce best practices, as well as an efficient back-office and supply chain management. Adding to the currently fragrance-heavy offering of Pacific SMM, Luxasia aims to bring ANZ consumers more skincare and cosmetics brands.

    “We have great admiration for the Luxasia team’s consumer-centric approach in brand distribution, having worked closely with them for several years across numerous brands,” said Mr. Nicholas Gorick, Managing Director, Pacific SMM. “Leveraging our collective strengths, we are confident that Luxasia Oceania will be a dominant force in ANZ’s beauty industry.”

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