Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Spark launches flexible pricing broadband plan

    Spark launches flexible pricing broadband plan

    New Zealand operator Spark has moved to differentiate its broadband offerings by launching a new unlimited fiber broadband plan that offers consumers discounts on months they use less data.

    The company’s “Unplan” branded fiber broadband plan offers unlimited bandwidth for NZ$85 ($55.50) per month.

    But on months where consumers use less than 60GB of data this price reduces to NZ$65, and for months where 60GB to 120GB of data is consumed it reduced to NZ$75.

    An entertainment plan is also available for an additional NZ$10 per month that comes with 6 months of free Netflix and a subscription to the Spark-owned Lightbox SVOD service for the life of the plan.

    The offer is also available via Spark’s fixed wireless broadband service, but restrictions will apply on usage of over 300GB of data in a single month of regular usage of 180GB in an average month.

    “We think it’s a fairer way of offering broadband, as it reflects our customers’ needs. This is the first broadband plan in New Zealand that flexes to reflect customers’ data usage – and it has the potential to save our customers a lot of money,” Spark consumer lead Joe Goddard said.

    “It’s also the first plan that’s only available on new generation broadband options of wireless broadband and fiber.”

    Lees ook:

  • Telenor, PT&T interested in Philippines third telco bid

    Telenor, PT&T interested in Philippines third telco bid

    At least six companies have purchased the bid documents related to the selection process for the Philippines’ third telco.

    A representative of the nation’s telecoms regulator NTC told local media on Tuesday that Telenor and three local ventures, as well as another company that has asked not to be named, had purchased bid documents for the selection process.

    Local fixed line operator Philippine Telegraph and Telephone (PT&T) has affirmed its interest in joining the fray by purchasing the documents.

    The fixed line operator has evaluated the terms of the bid documents and found them acceptable, and believes it has a strong chance of winning as the only local company that can satisfy the requirements, PT&T’s CEO James Velasquez told the publication.

    More potential applicants may purchase bid documents in the coming days.

    Bidders will have until between November 5 and November 7 to submit their bids for the beauty contest style selection process, and the winning applicant could be announced by as early as the same month.

    Any overseas company winning the license will need to partner with at least one local company to comply with the nation’s limits on foreign ownership of telecoms operations.

    Lees ook:

  • AirAsia lends helping hand to Sulawesi victims with #ToIDwithLove fund

    AirAsia lends helping hand to Sulawesi victims with #ToIDwithLove fund

    AirAsia has launched a relief fund to offer support for Palu which was struck by an earthquake and tsunami on 28 September this year.

    The #ToIDwithLove fund will be collecting donations until 31 October 2018 and all donations will be chanelled to Yayasan Arkom Indonesia to help rebuild homes and improve disaster resilience in affected areas. AirAsia will match the total public collection, which will be announced in January 2019.

    Additionally, the airline will also carry out phased onboard cash collections, beginning with AirAsia Malaysia, followed by AirAsia Thailand, AirAsia Indonesia, AirAsia X Malaysia, AirAsia X Thailand and AirAsia X Indonesia flights until the end of the month. More airlines in the group will follow suit.

    Those who wish to donate may do so online via AirAsia Foundation, the airline’s philanthropic arm, at airasiafoundation.com/relieffund.

    Group CEO Tony Fernandes said it has been an “incredibly tough year” for Indonesia, which has been beset by one deadly disaster after another.

    “Our hearts go out to all those who have suffered unimaginable losses as a result. As an ASEAN airline, we share a close bond with the communities we serve, and we want to do our part to help those in need. Through this donation drive, we hope to raise enough money to make a positive contribution to rebuilding efforts, so please give freely. Every dollar counts,” he added.

    Prime Minister of Malaysia Dr Mahathir Bin Mohamad recently called for ASEAN countries to help Indonesia as it begins the task of restoration following the cataclysmic earthquake and tsunami in Central Sulawesi. In response, Astro Malaysia and Maxis also kickstarted a campaign to help raise funds to Tabung Bencana Gempa Bumi & Tsunami Sulawesi, making a joint contribution of RM5 million.

    Lees ook:

  • Blockchain Yet to Prove Its Use to the World according to Jack Ma

    Blockchain Yet to Prove Its Use to the World according to Jack Ma

    Alibaba chief Jack Ma thinks blockchain tech is pretty meaningless – unless it helps us transform the manufacturing industry and protect the environment.

    In a keynote at World Artificial Intelligence Conference in China, the star entrepreneur shared his beliefs that budding technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) have yet to prove their utility to the world.

    For the record, while he did touch on blockchain, Ma focused his speech on some common misconceptions about AI and what role the technology can play in the future.

    Although the entrepreneur stopped short of revealing whether and how Alibaba intends to integrate blockchain into its services, it appears the company is no stranger to distributed ledger tech (DLT). Indeed, reports suggest Alibaba and IBM hold 90 percent of all DLT-related patents worldwide.

    “The data age is major opportunity for manufacturers to reform the industry,” Ma said at the conference. “But blockchain and IoT will be meaningless tech unless they can promote the transformation of the manufacturing industry, and the evolution of the society towards a greener and more inclusive direction.”

    Still, it turns out that wasn’t enough to stop Alibaba – and fellow Chinese tech giants Baidu and Tencent – from banning all cryptocurrency-related activities from its platform. A search for the two forums named “Digital Currency Bar” and “Virtual Currency Bar” shows that they have been temporarily closed in accordance with relevant laws, regulations, and policies.

    On the other hand, Alibaba and Tencent are cracking down on cryptocurrency transactions on their mobile payment services.

    WeChat, Tencent’s social media, messenger services, and mobile payments app, banned a series of cryptocurrency media outlets for spreading hype in violation of Chinese law.

    Now, Tencent has said in a statement that the company will also ban cryptocurrency trading on WeChat. The company will monitor daily transactions in real-time and block any cryptocurrency trading related activity.

    Alibaba Group’s Ant Financial said that it will take similar measures on its mobile payments app Alipay. The company will restrict or block all accounts that indulge in cryptocurrency trading.

    Lees ook:

  • Webscales must team with telcos on atmospheric satellite projects

    Webscales must team with telcos on atmospheric satellite projects

    The summer of 2018 brought different fates to moves by Facebook and Google to offer broadband services using high-flying drones and balloons (atmospheric satellites) to the unserved in remote rural areas.

    GlobalData, feels that webscales need to partner with telcos globally to address the affordability challenge of reaching out to the unconnected in rural markets with atmospheric satellites.

    Atmospheric satellites fit in the space between true satellites commonly used for communications and ground-based networks. Their theoretical advantage over satellites is much lower cost. Launching a balloon or a drone and equipping it with a radio base station represents a much cheaper way of covering large swaths of land. Considering one-third of the world population remains unconnected, the lower costs associated with balloon- or drone-based coverage is compelling.

    However in June 2018, following several setbacks over a period of four years, Facebook abandoned developing its own high-flying solar-powered drones (Aquila project) for delivering internet. However, the California-based social media giant said that it will focus on working with partners like Airbus on high altitude platform station (HAPS) system, which is capable of beaming down high-speed internet.

    On the other hand Alphabet, the parent company of another social media company, turned its Project Loon balloon broadband initiative into an independent company and announced its first commercial project with partly-state owned Telkom Kenya in July 2018. The partners plan to launch balloon-based 4G/LTE services commercially to parts of central Kenya, starting from 2019.

    Loon’s pilot with Telkom Kenya may provide the clearest test of whether atmospheric satellites can really work. This puts pressure on Loon to demonstrate it has a viable technology.

    “Things get more complicated when the practical challenges of covering the unconnected masses with drone- or balloon-based mobile signals are considered,” GlobalData telecom technology and software analyst Emir Halilovic said.

    “For starters, the potential customers for services provided from atmospheric satellites are not concentrated in one part of the world; rather, they are spread across remote, rural, or tribal areas, in many different countries and continents.”

    Truly addressing this group would require the participation of multiple operators in dozens of countries. Moreover, most of the unconnected usually do not live outside areas where they can get mobile service; they just cannot afford a mobile plan. Drones and balloons do little to address the ’affordability’ challenge.

    Halilovic concludes: “Still, there are reasons to continue to pursue atmospheric satellites to provide coverage to the underserved rural communities, which could use internet connection to improve access to medical services in isolated locations, for example. Another use case for atmospheric satellites is quick restoration of communication services in natural disasters. Telcos should therefore continue to test atmospheric satellites to support development of such services.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • SBI Ripple Asia’s Moneytap Opens in Japan

    SBI Ripple Asia’s Moneytap Opens in Japan

    Japanese banks has power over more than 80% of Japan’s money-related resources. Presently, those banks have started utilizing a purchaser driven retail installments application controlled by Ripple’s blockchain innovation. A consortium of 61 Japanese banks are presently utilizing Ripple’s blockchain innovation.

    The application is called MoneyTap. With MoneyTap, Japanese banks can perform less expensive, less demanding exchanges between themselves. The framework replaces Japan’s decades-old clearing house framework and is relied upon to promptly bring down expenses and conduct less demanding exchanges among Japan’s biggest monetary organizations. Any Japanese client can download the MoneyTap application today for iOS or Android. Purchasers can utilize it to finish free exchanges. We can consider it the Venmo of Japan.

    The news was affirmed by Ripple. Amid Ripple’s Swell meeting, the organization affirmed that three monetary establishments were at that point utilizing Ripple’s XRP-fueled xRapid innovation to encourage less expensive, less demanding universal exchanges. Swell’s Japanese savings association was first declared not long ago. Back in March, the organization declared that SBI Ripple Asia would utilize Ripple’s blockchain innovation to encourage residential bank movements in Japan.

    ALSO READ:  Esports Gold ICO Investors Lock-in Ethereum Price

    The installment convention is MoneyTap. The application will empower constant, round-the-year residential cash exchanges between ledgers utilizing xCurrent, Ripple’s venture blockchain arrangement, as indicated by the SBI Ripple Asia site. The application can process installments utilizing a straightforward QR code. You can likewise enter the beneficiary’s telephone number to send installment. The MoneyTap application is accessible on the two iOS and Android.

    Be that as it may, three banks have particularly declared help for Ripple’s MoneyTap application, including Suruga Bank, SBI Net Sumishin Bank, and Resona Bank. Each of the three banks intend to utilize MoneyTap and xCurrent to encourage zero-cost exchanges between them.

    ALSO READ:  Taiwanese Airline, Far Eastern Air Transport, Accepts Bitcoin

    Clients will pay to utilize the installment exchange convention is the point at which they’re asking for an arrival of assets. In that circumstance, members will be required to pay a little expense. Other than that circumstance, notwithstanding, MoneyTap will be free for Japanese saving money clients to utilize.

    In the interim, outside of Japan, Ripple has cooperated with Banco Santander to dispatch One Pay FX, which is likewise controlled by xCurrent.

    Lees ook:

  • Naver unveils cutting-edge location tech for smarter mobility

    Naver unveils cutting-edge location tech for smarter mobility

    From indoor navigation using augmented reality to ultra-high definition mapping technology for autonomous driving, South Korean internet giant Naver is developing a range of location-tracking technologies it believes will form the backbone of new offline services in the future.

    Some of these technologies were unveiled Thursday at Naver’s annual developer’s conference Deview 2018 held in Seoul, organized to showcase the Korean portal site operator’s future tech development direction each year.

    Stressing “location” as the most important cue for context in a physical space, Naver Chief Technology Officer Song Chang-hyun said Naver’s in-house research lab is developing and testing out an array of location and mobility-based technologies that will serve as the backbone of new, real-world services
    “If technology can fix mobility problems in the physical space, it will inevitably lead to the development of new services. And the underlying platform technology for any location and mobility problem is mapping,” Song said in a keynote speech during the conference.

    In line with this vision, Naver plans to open source the Naver Maps Enterprise application programming interface to developers next month. The soon-to-be-free mapping API includes including point of interest data and navigation data, which most smaller ICT firms find difficult to build and maintain.

    The Korean internet giant also introduced for the first time the eXtended Definition & Dimension Map, or xDM, platform which includes high-dimension mapping, localization and navigation technologies to guide people and self-driving vehicles in not just outdoor, but also indoor settings.

    For instance, Naver utilized its xDM platform to build an AR navigation system that guides people through indoor spaces without GPS access, using just a smartphone camera. On a smartphone, walking direction signs and messages would be overlaid on top of real-life pathways as captured by the camera.

    The company also showcased the latest updates in its robotics technology development, which had taken center stage at last year’s Deview conference.
    This service is slated to debut soon, via a partnership with Incheon Airport. This week, Naver signed a memorandum of understanding with the airport’s operator to launch an indoor AR navigation app that would guide airport passengers to their respective destinations inside the airport.

    “We plan to open source our xDM platform in the form of API and SDK so that they can be used for various location-based service development and mobility research in the future. We plan to continue improving xDM so it can grow into Korea’s top location and mobility platform,” Song said.

    In addition, Naver Labs is developing technologies for self-driving cars, including a high-definition map that combines high-definition aerial maps and mobile mapping devices to build intricate, real-time maps even in crowded urban centers where GPS access is partly blocked out.

    M1, an autonomous indoor mapping robot that creates intricate 3D maps while moving by laser-scanning its surroundings with a 360-degree camera, and Around, a self-driving robot that navigates itself by accessing M1’s mapping data via the cloud, are undergoing commercialization procedures via a partnership with Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings.

    Aircart, an electric book cart equipped with a module that amplifies human power to make pushing the cart significantly easier, is preparing for commercial deployment at local libraries in partnership with Samsong Caster.

    Naver’s robotics lab is also continuing research and development efforts with Seoul-based Korea Tech Co. to develop robotic cable-driven arms with humanlike sensitivities called Ambidex. Weighing just 2.6 kilograms, the robot’s core motors are placed near the torque and transfers power down to the lower arms and fingers via flexible, lightweight cable wires.

    Looking ahead, Naver plans to showcase its fleet of robots at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January next year, marking its first-ever attendance at the global electronics conventio

  • Samsung launches Galaxy A9 with rear quad camera

    Samsung launches Galaxy A9 with rear quad camera

    Samsung Electronics on Thursday unveiled the world’s first smartphone with four rear cameras, packed with new features to capture moments more effectively.  The Galaxy A9 debuted at a launch event held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, highlighting the first rear quad camera built for a world driven by visual communication.

    “Building on our legacy in smartphone camera development, we’re introducing next-generation technology across our entire Galaxy portfolio to give more consumers the opportunity to experience cutting-edge innovation,” said Samsung smartphone chief Koh Dong-jin. “We’re excited to deliver on this promise and debut world-leading smartphone camera technology with the Galaxy A9.”

    The Galaxy A9 with a 6.3-inch AMOLED display is packed with Samsung’s best camera innovations, Koh added.

    The rear quad camera, with four lenses on the back of the smartphone, allows users to get close, with a 2x optical zoom feature for detailed close-up shots even from far away.

    The 24-megapixel main lens captures clearer and brighter images in both bright and low-light conditions, while the ultrawide lens and the scene optimizer allow users to shoot scenes more like a professional.

    In addition, the camera’s AI Scene Recognition feature allows users to identify subjects and adjust settings accordingly for the best photo, in an instant.

    The Galaxy A9 comes with a 3,800-milliampere-hour battery, allowing an all-day performance. The new phone also provides 128 gigabytes of storage and up to 512 gigabytes of expandable memory for storing high-quality images and visual content.

    It will be released globally starting in November, in unique colors: Caviar Black, Lemonade Blue and Bubblegum Pink.

    The A9 also boasts a sleek and ergonomic design that fits in one hand with a curved back made of 3D glass for a luxurious comfortable feel, the company said.

    Smartphones with five cameras are becoming a major trend in the market.

    LG Electronics unveiled the V40 ThinQ smartphone with three cameras on the rear and two on the front on Thursday.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • UPS Expands My Choice Service in Asia to Facilitate Intensifying E-commerce Demand

    UPS Expands My Choice Service in Asia to Facilitate Intensifying E-commerce Demand

    Today announced the global expansion of UPS My Choice service to 96 additional countries and territories, bringing the total to 112 served. With the entrance into countries and regions in Asia Pacific, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, Caribbean and Central and South America, Middle East and Oceania, and an expansion in Europe, this package-delivery management service has the ability to help more busy consumers and consignees around the world to track, schedule, and redirect their packages—just in time for the peak holiday shipping season.

    In Asia Pacific, UPS My Choice will be introduced in 13 markets, including Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. This expansion, the largest since the service was launched seven years ago, comes as membership in UPS My Choice crosses the 52 million-member mark worldwide. This combination of scale and geography provides shippers a distinct advantage as cross-border shopping increases.

    Every UPS My Choice user will have access to e-mail and text notifications that a delivery is on its way, a day before delivery alert and a delivery notification. In countries and territories where technology allows delivery change options, users can route packages to another address, opt to hold the delivery or reschedule for delivery on another day.

    The expansion, which takes UPS My Choice service far beyond the original 16-country-and-territory footprint, comes in two phases: The first brought the service to 48 additional locations worldwide over the summer. Phase two, which includes another 48 countries and territories, begins this month.

    This service expansion is reflective of the impact e-commerce is having on global and intra-Asia trade. According to the 2018 global UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper™ study, consumers in Asia are increasingly shopping beyond their own borders to buy from overseas retailers, with 55 percent of respondents indicating that they had made one or more international e-commerce purchases within the three months prior to the survey. Among those, 77 percent were purchased from retailers based in Asia.

    “While UPS has offered package tracking for more than a quarter of a century, we know that consumers today expect even more flexibility, control and convenience,” said Ross McCullough, President, UPS Asia Pacific Region. “The expansion of UPS My Choice into Asia, and other regions of the world, will equip both shippers and consumers with the tools they need to keep businesses and personal schedules running more smoothly, leading to a happier and easier transaction for everyone involved. With a new member signing up for UPS My Choice every four seconds, it’s easy to see that the benefits are valuable to online shoppers.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Philip Morris to begin selling Korean-made heated tobacco unit

    Philip Morris to begin selling Korean-made heated tobacco unit

    Philip Morris Korea Inc. said Thursday that it will begin selling its tobacco sticks, called Heets, produced at its factory in South Korea later this month.

    To this point, Philip Morris Korea imported Heets for sale in South Korea.

    Philip Morris Korea has expanded its production facility in Yangsan, the first facility in Asia to manufacture heated tobacco units for its tobacco heating device IQOS. Yangsan is a city located about 420 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

    The share of Heets, tobacco sticks exclusively for IQOS, was reported at 8.1 percent of South Korea’s total tobacco market in August.

  • Snapchat adds new ad features for retailers

    Snapchat adds new ad features for retailers

    On the back of a tie-up with Amazon, which saw Snapchat commence the testing of visual search shopping, the U.S. social media firm has now debuted three advertising routes for retailers to use.

    The first, coming out of its initial test phase, is called Shoppable Snap ads, which are made available through Snapchat’s self-service ad-buying platform. Previously known as Collection ads, advertisers can now create shoppable collections of products.

    That leads to the second new function, where brands can import their product catalogs and instantly create ads from assets already available.

    Brands can also use their imported product catalog feed to create Story Ads and Snap Ads as well. It is designed much like the shopping links already used by Instagram and Facebook, allowing users to tap on a product image and view more information about it.

    Thirdly, Snapchat pixel is designed to hone in on Snapchat users who visit a site, allowing brands to see what types of pages the users visit.

    Looking forward, Snapchat will team up with more than 40 new partners with digital ad experience, to help advertisers create ads with e-commerce, direct response and data-driven capabilities.

    The news comes as Snapchat continues to garner a strong following, especially among younger consumers.

    A report by research firm eMarketer said Snapchat is expected to add 1.2 million new teen users by 2022.

    In comparison, rival social media firm Facebook, is expected to lose 2.2 million users, said the report.

    For the recently ended second quarter, Snapchat’s global revenues grew 44 percent reaching $262 million. Snapchat predicts current third-quarter revenues to fall between  $265 million to $290 million, up 27 percent to 39 percent from a year earlier.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Lotte’s Shin returns to work after early release

    Lotte’s Shin returns to work after early release

    Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin returned to the office on Monday, getting back to work immediately to resolve issues that were put on hold while he was imprisoned until Oct. 5.

    Shin was spotted heading to his office on the 18th floor of Lotte World Tower in Songpa District, southern Seoul, Monday morning without responding to questions from reporters.

    The 62-year-old Lotte head’s return to work comes just eight months after he was sentenced to 30 months in prison in February for bribing former President Park Geun-hye. On Friday, the Seoul High Court replaced the prison sentence with four years of probation.

    On his first day back, Shin was scheduled to meet with top executives for business updates, including heads of Lotte Group’s four main business units and Vice Chairman Hwang Kag-gyu, who was the de facto leader of the conglomerate during Shin’s vacancy.

    “We plan to speed up examinations of business agendas that were put on hold in order to normalize the company’s management,” a Lotte spokesman said.

    Shin was a core decision maker for multiple large-scale projects inside the group, and his imprisonment put a halt on many of those plans. Earlier this year, Lotte was looking into investing a total of 11 trillion won ($9.6 billion) in domestic and foreign companies, but the decisions had to be postponed.

    Among the large-scale construction projects waiting to restart is Lotte Chemical’s massive oil complex in Indonesia, in which the company planned to invest 4 trillion won by 2023. This was the largest ongoing investment when Shin was detained in February. Lotte finalized procedures in purchasing land for the site last year, but its construction was indefinitely postponed.

    Another problem left to untangle is the Lotte World project in Shenyang, China. The ambitious 3-trillion-won plan to build a mall, theme park, hotel and residencies inside one complex was stopped during construction by Chinese officials in November 2016. The apparent reason was safety violations, but it was thought to be part of unofficial sanctions on Lotte for having approved a land swap with the then-government for the deployment of the U.S.-led Thaad antimissile system.

    Lotte’s organizational reform also has a chance of moving forward now that Shin is back in control as he can mediate between Korean and Japanese shareholders. Since 2016, Shin has led efforts to cut cross-shareholding among affiliates and rearrange them under Lotte Corporation, a Korean holding company.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Samsung sets quarterly profit, revenue records

    Samsung sets quarterly profit, revenue records

    Samsung Electronics once again set quarterly records for profit and revenue thanks to high demand for the semiconductor chips needed to propel today’s key technologies.

    However, Korea’s biggest company is facing challenges as its current portfolio is heavily dependent on computer chip sales. Its smartphone business is struggling as sales of its flagship Galaxy S9 smartphone sales failed to reach expectations.

    According to Samsung Electronics’ guidance report on third-quarter performance, released on Friday, the company’s revenue grew 4.7 percent compared to a year ago to 65 trillion won ($57.5 billion) while its operating profit expanded by 20.4 percent to 17.5 trillion won. It is a new record for both quarterly revenue and operating profit. The earlier market consensus on Samsung Electronics’ operating profit was between 16.8 trillion won and 17.1 trillion won. Compared to the previous quarter, revenue was up 11.1 percent and operating profit was up 17.7 percent.

    Although the guidance report did not give details on the earning performance of each business, market experts believe the company’s record-breaking performance was due to the company’s semiconductors.

    Brokerage firms estimated that Samsung Electronics made roughly 25 trillion won in revenue in semiconductors in the third quarter, up 24 percent from last year’s 19.9 trillion won.

    The operating profit of the memory business is estimated to have increased by 36 percent to 13 trillion won, which would be an all-time record.

    DRAM revenue is believed to have surged 47 percent year-on-year to around 14 trillion won while NAND flash was up more than 8 percent during the same period to 7 trillion won.

    “The recent starting of additional production line manufacturing DRAM and NAND flash of the company’s memory plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, is said to have contributed to the robust sales of the company’s memory chips,” said Doh Hyun-woo, NH Investment & Securities analyst.

    The company’s display business is estimated to have improved sharply in the third quarter as well, contributed by Apple’s release of the latest iPhone, equipped with organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, in September.

    While the liquid-crystal display (LCD) business revenue is estimated to have dropped 28 percent, OLED business is estimated to have increased 35 percent year-on-year to over 7.5 trillion won. LCD prices have recently been falling on the attacks of low-price competition from Chinese companies. The overall display revenue is estimated to have increased 14 percent to around 9.5 trillion won.

    On the contrary, Samsung’s mobile communication business is believed to have suffered. Sales of the Galaxy S9, which was released in the second quarter, are middling, and the company is believed to have spent a large amount on marketing the Galaxy Note9, which was released in August. This likely had an effect on the company’s operating profit.

    In the third quarter, market analysts believe the mobile business dropped 9 percent to 25 trillion won, while operating profit fell nearly 30 percent year-on-year to 2.3 trillion won compared to the 3.3 trillion won recorded a year ago.

    The company’s dependency on its semiconductor’s business is becoming an increasingly large concern.

    “While the third quarter guidance report is positive in that it exceeds earlier market consensus, heavy dependency on semiconductor performance is a negative [for Samsung Electronics],” said Kim Yang-jae, analyst at KTB Investment & Securities. “[Samsung Electronics] is facing a slowdown on earnings momentum, as DRAM prices has been falling since the fourth quarter.”

    DRAMeXchange, a computer chip market research firm, estimated that DRAM and NAND flash prices will fall in the fourth quarter compared to the third quarter due to difference between supply and demand. When compared to the third quarter, DRAMeXchange projected a 5 percent drop in the fourth quarter, sharper than earlier estimates of a 1 to 3 percent decline.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Uniqlo Opens Biggest Southeast Asian Store in Manila

    Uniqlo Opens Biggest Southeast Asian Store in Manila

    Uniqlo opened its largest Southeast Asian store yet on Friday, in Manila’s Glorietta 5 shopping centre.

    The store spans two floors with more than 4000sqm in retail space. The Japanese fast-fashion brand’s 15th global flagship, it has been likened to its stores in Paris, Oxford Street in London, Orchard Road in Singapore and on New York’s Fifth Avenue.

    “The new store offers local and international customers a huge shopping area and a world-class immersive shopping experience featuring large visual displays and state-of-the-art design concepts,” said Uniqlo in a statement.

    “As with other global flagship stores, it will also showcase the full lineup of LifeWear for men, women, kids and babies.”

    Uniqlo Philippines has been running a nationwide campaign as a lead-up to the store’s launch, called ‘Our Future Is Here’. The fast-fashion retailer has been inviting customers to nominate Filipinos who they believe are leaders in sports, film, music, culture, design, and other disciplines, influencing the nation’s future.

    As part of that campaign, an installation from local artist Leeroy New takes centrestage on the store’s second floor.

    “The great success of Uniqlo Philippines is thanks to our customers here,” said John Jay, president for global creative at Uniqlo’s parent, Fast Retailing.

    “The Our Future Is Here campaign is an exciting opportunity to deepen our connection with the city of Manila through our global flagship store, to engage communities and celebrate the innovators who will shape its future.”

    Opening its largest Southeast Asian store in Manila is testament to the Uniqlo brand’s strength in the Philippines.

    The store’s ground floor features the brand’s basics range including its Airism and HeatTech ranges, while the second floor hosts Uniqlo U and Uniqlo UT t-shirt collaborations.

    Lees ook:

  • NSK Hypermarket Malaysia to open in Cyberjaya in 2020

    NSK Hypermarket Malaysia to open in Cyberjaya in 2020

    Retail and wholesale chain NSK hypermarket is set to open in Cyberjaya by the end of 2020, with the signing of a tenancy agreement between Setia Haruman Sdn Bhd and NSK Property Sdn Bhd.

    NSK will rent a 13-acre piece of land located at the centre of Cyberjaya from Setia Haruman for 15 years. The 250,000 square feet hypermarket is targeted to open for business in the last quarter of 2020 and will initially operate from 7am to midnight daily.

    The hypermarket will cost RM35 million to build and operate retail and wholesale business, making it the first of its kind in Cyberjaya.

    “Our hypermarkets in Selayang and Kuchai Lama, operate 24 hours and we believe there is a growing need to have 24-hour hypermarkets to meet the needs of the people who wants the flexibility of shopping at any hour of their convenience. This can also be a possibility here as we see many 24-hour facilities mushrooming in Cyberjaya,” NSK executive chairman CB Lim said in a statement.

    Setia Haruman executive chairman Ahmad Khalif Mustapha Kamal said the opening of NSK hypermarket in Cyberjaya is yet another milestone in the growth and development of Cyberjaya’s ecosystem, which has many amenities that cater to the needs of its community from education, sports and recreation, 24-hour outlets and more.

    “With the opening of a public hospital and MRT in 2020 and 2022 respectively, we are confident many more businesses will open in the near future and this will enhance the liveability of Cyberjaya at large. We aim to make Cyberjaya, THE ideal place to work, live, study and play,” he said.

    Lees ook: