Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Antony Morato forays into India

    Antony Morato forays into India

    Antony Morato India has opened its first exclusive store, in Palladium Mall, Mumbai.

    The Italian menswear brand has tied up with Gurugram-based Iconic Fashion Retailing for its India journey.

    Covering more than 160sqm, the store features furniture and interiors designed in line with the brand’s aesthetic codes. It reinterprets traditional materials and industrial elements with a contemporary approach. Founded in 2007 and led by Raffaele Caldarelli, Antony Morato has stores in Europe, Asia and South America, and offices in Germany, Spain and France.

    Antony Morato merchandise is also sold in Iconic stores across India, with 18 outlets spanning key cities such as Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Delhi, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Noida and Udaipur.

    The brand is also available online in India via Jabong and Myntra.

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  • CIMB pledges RM75m to train talent to meet digital ambitions

    CIMB pledges RM75m to train talent to meet digital ambitions

    CIMB Group Holdings Berhad has pledged RM 75 million over the next three years to the CIMB 3D Academy, to enhance the digital quotient in all job roles; to enable the group’s digital transformation; and to build an agile, innovative, tech-savvy workforce across the board.

    The Academy – premised on digital, data and disruption – is aimed at helping CIMB embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) to propel its digital ambitions via a group-wide people development initiative.

    The group aims to equip its 36,000-strong workforce – across all levels and categories – with digital knowledge and skills appropriate to their jobs, by end-2019, through an estimated two million staff learning hours.

    The group-wide people development initiative’s competency framework will be anchored on various pillars including digital world awareness; agile & entrepreneurial thinking; and data science & analytics / data-driven decision making.

    CIMB Group CEO Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz said in a statement today, “As a leading ASEAN universal bank, CIMB has always prioritised our most valuable asset, our people. With the 4IR fast eclipsing existing digital revolution, we want to make CIMB the most powerful incubator possible for the development of talent, to propel the Group’s next growth phase. In tandem with the digitisation of our core with a data-first principle, the CIMB 3D Academy is a crucial component to help us develop a workforce with the right skillset to help achieve our digital ambitions.

    Through the Academy, our staff will be trained for agility, adaptability, creativity and an open mind to, among others, think like an entrepreneur and disrupt conventional thinking, in order to identify and reap opportunities to improve the Group’s value proposition for our 13 million customers and stakeholders across Asean.”

    The Academy will spearhead digital training with the goal of enhancing the group’s business powered by improvements in competency, mindsets and relationships within the workforce. A core group of roles to be developed include emerging ones such as agile leader, agile coach, scrum master, scrum product owner, and tech geek. Other digital-centric roles include data
    scientist, data engineer, data analysts, design thinker, UI/UX designer, as well as digital marketer.

    The 3D modules, which will be conducted primarily through a digital and interactive platform, will be developed both in-house and by external curriculum developers.

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  • Le Saunda sales continues to fall

    Le Saunda sales continues to fall

    It has been a year of losses for fashion group Le Saunda Holdings, which designs, develops, makes and retails women’s and men’s footwear handbags and accessories.

    Total Le Saunda sales fell by 17.2 per cent for the year ended February 28, reaching RMB1.13 billion (US$176 million), while consolidated gross profit dropped by 18.1 per cent to RMB743.5 billion.

    During the year, the retail channel through department stores in Mainland China remained feeble, says the group. Both topline Le Saunda sales and like-for-like sales fell. The group recorded a gross profit of RMB743.5 billion, a decline of 18.1 per cent, while the gross profit margin shrank to 65.8 per cent, down 0.7 points.

    The company sells in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, its major proprietary brands being Le Saunda, Le Saunda Men, Linea Rosa, Pitti Donna and CNE.

    ‘Many challenges’

    During the year, the group initiated a series of promotional and brand marketing campaigns to mark its 40th anniversary. It also launched online leisure brand Pitti Donna.

    Le Saunda says the growth of total retail sales on consumer goods slowed down in China during the year, still presenting many challenges for traditional retail businesses.

    “In particular, the rapid development of e-commerce posed the greatest threat, and the fierce competition among traditional retail businesses resulted in extensive close-downs and tenancy surrenders.

    Because of the economic challenges, the group adjusted its strategy to close down low-profitability stores and re-adapted the e-commerce model. At the end of the year, the group had a retail network of 687 stores in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, a net reduction of 109 outlets. The number of self-owned stores dropped by 101, while the number of franchised stores decreased by eight.

    At year-end, there were 493 core brand Le Saunda stores and 35 Le Saunda Men stores,
    representing net reductions of 70 and 17 stores respectively. There were two fewer stores for its high-end fashion brand Lina Rosa, taking the total to 72 stores, while there was a 21 drop in CNE stores, ending up with just one.

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  • Strong year of growth for SPAR with global sales

    Strong year of growth for SPAR with global sales

    SPAR International, the world’s largest food retail voluntary chain, has seen strong, continued growth with retail sales announced today of €34.5 billion for the year ending December 31st 2017. The results, which represent a year-on-year increase in retail sales of 5.3% on a constant currency basis, were announced at the 63rd International SPAR Congress in Bangalore, India.

    Performance highlights during the year include:

    • A year-on-year increase of 232 additional stores, bringing the total number to 12,777 stores globally equating to over 7.4 million m2 of sales area across all SPAR formats.
    • SPAR maintained its ongoing strategic focus on growth and international expansion and now operates across 48 countries worldwide. In 2017 SPAR was launched in five new countries – Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Qatar, Ukraine and Belarus.
    • In the Eurozone SPAR recorded sales of €16.2 billion, an increase of 4% on 2016. SPAR Austria’s €650 million investment reaped rewards with a recorded domestic growth of 4.4% in 2017. Other standout performances include SPAR Netherlands (+7.7%), SPAR Spain (+5.5%) and SPAR Ireland (+4.8%). SPAR UK’s retail sales grew to €3.2 billion a 4% increase in local currency equivalent.
    • Central and Eastern Europe had an outstanding year growing 17% to combined sales of €5.2 billion. A key highlight was the 59% growth in sales of SPAR in Croatia as a consequence of the acquisition of the Billa store network in the country. SPAR Hungary also saw strong growth in retail sales of 8.8% in constant local currency equivalent.
    • In Russia, SPAR continues to win market share both with strong like-for-like growth as well as overall year-on-year increase of 18.8%.
    • In Africa and the Middle East SPAR grew its presence in 15 countries, recording strong growth of 8.5%, to achieve a consolidated regional turnover of €5.7 billion. In 2017, SPAR South Africa increased its turnover by 7%, to €4.83 billion in constant currency values.
    • SPAR now has a presence in six countries in the Asia Pacific region. SPAR China is expanding by transferring international best practice and multi-format stores in major cities of Southern and Northern China and the total number of stores grew to 408. SPAR Thailand is now firmly established in the market with over 30 stores opened in its first year of operation and SPAR Australia had an exceptional year of growth with sales growing by 14% in 2017.

    Speaking on the publication of the 2017 results, Tobias Wasmuht, CEO of SPAR International said, “2017 was an extraordinary year of growth for SPAR Worldwide, with sustained growth across all 48 markets where SPAR operates. Our strategy launched in 2016 entitled ‘SPAR: Better Together’, is showing strong signs of benefitting our SPAR country operations internationally, as we reap the significant economies of scale and synergies of our growing international presence and expansion. Over a two year period we have added 600 new stores and 500,000 m² of sales area and as a consequence have grown by €3.2 billion in revenue.

    “A key focus throughout 2017 has been to grow our presence through targeted expansion, and to drive retail development through expanding our multi-format retail strategy. Operationally we are stronger as a result of investments in the supply chain and are generating more value through better buying and leveraging our growing scale in procurement.

    “In Europe, pan-European trends of smaller households, aging populations and urbanisation have contributed to a growth in smaller store format channels. We are witnessing a renaissance in modern neighbourhood retailing across the continent and the channel is continuing to grow in strength and importance.

    Increasingly we are seeing global trends of health and wellness becoming the new norm as highlighted by the fast roll out of the award-winning SPAR Natural concept in Spain, Italy, Russia, Middle East, South Africa and India.

    “A further commonality across SPAR Worldwide in 2017 was the investment of SPAR on a major scale in responsible retailing. Our commitments and initiatives across the world, whilst tailored to community specific needs, are strongly focused on health, community, the environment and sourcing responsibly.

    Wasmuht concluded “SPAR’s ability to take a tailored approach to individual markets – be it adapting and evolving in existing markets or seamlessly integrating into new markets – sets it apart in the retail space. SPAR is increasingly attractive to regional retailers who seek to benefit from the scale and agility of SPAR to fast track their development in the face of growing international competition. The outlook for 2018 and beyond is positive. As SPAR grows internationally we create a continuous cycle of reinvesting that growth in resources which in turn makes us stronger and better together.”

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  • Global Wedding Market Expected to Drive 2018 Platinum Jewellery Market

    Global Wedding Market Expected to Drive 2018 Platinum Jewellery Market

    Platinum Guild International (PGI) published the findings of its 2017 Platinum Jewellery Business Review revealing that wedding markets around the world have become strongholds for platinum jewellery across China, Japan, the U.S. and newly emerging in India. Compiled by independent platinum market experts and industry analysts, the survey reports strong consumer retail sales growth in the wedding segment for 2017, even outperforming gold in some areas.

    “We saw growth for platinum jewellery with relation to the wedding market in all four of the key markets in 2017. This trend is mostly tied to a strong preference for platinum among younger consumers to express love, together with a robust global economy and historically low platinum prices, indicates growth potential in the platinum jewellery sector in 2018,” says CEO Huw Daniel of Platinum Guild International.

    In China, despite continuing market challenges at the total market level, PGI has seen strong growth in platinum acquisition in the core bridal category. According to a consumer study covering 55 cities in Tier 1 to 3, platinum bridal acquisition volume has increased by 22% compared to 2014. Platinum has become the dominant precious metal for wedding rings. China annual brand tracking survey shows that consumers strongly associating love with platinum and far ahead of other metals. Bridal jewellery is a gateway purchase leading to subsequent platinum jewellery purchases for anniversaries, birthdays and milestone occasions, which provide opportunities for growth to be further explored in 2018.

    For young India, PGI has created a distinct positioning for platinum versus gold, tapping into modern couples’ desire for jewellery that better represents the bonds of love in a modern relationship between equals. Through the Platinum Days of Love Campaign, platinum has become the metal of choice among today’s young Indian consumers shaping the country’s culture and fashion. The market is led by love-gifting with local organised retailers finding footholds for platinum within the gold-dominated wedding category. The introduction of a new branded segment, Platinum Evara, a modern platinum jewellery collection gifted to the bride and groom before the wedding day has carved out a distinctive niche for platinum and created a new jewellery segment for the industry.

    In  Japan where platinum has a strong presence, platinum holds an astonishing 92% share of the engagement ring market and 82% share of wedding rings. Platinum is expected to continue dominate in bridal jewellery in the coming years.

    Strong results for platinum in bridal are also mirrored in the West. In the United States, the economic recovery and a bullish consumer sentiment has benefited the total jewellery industry, leading to the 5th consecutive year of growth for platinum jewellery consumption at 11%. The growth mainly comes from strong sales in bridal jewellery including engagement rings and wedding bands. In 2018, additional growth is expected to derive from initiatives promoting the use of platinum crowns that hold diamonds more securely, regardless of the choice of metal for the rest of the ring, along with increasing demand from the self-purchase category, which is likely to generate 8-11% of total growth in the U.S.

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  • Edotco signs landmark deal with Ooredoo Myanmar Limited, expands business model to provide energy services

    Edotco signs landmark deal with Ooredoo Myanmar Limited, expands business model to provide energy services

    edotco Myanmar (edotco MM), an integrated telecommunications infrastructure services company in Myanmar today signed with Ooredoo Myanmar Limited (OML), a telecommunications service provider to take over energy assets and management on 1,250 telecommunications tower sites across the country. This milestone agreement marks a significant step for edotco in Myanmar, where it will now be able to provide and manage energy for all tenants on these sites. The consolidation of systems is set to not only enhance operations but also create energy and environmental efficiencies.

    “This is a significant shift in business model for edotco in Myanmar as we move from providing tower services to tower plus power services. By operating and maintaining the overall power management systems, we will be able to optimise energy systems and energy pass through management at the sites. Apart from that, edotco will provide remote monitoring which will boost operational efficiency by allowing us to address energy management issues as and when they occur, helping to reduce network downtime” said Vijendran Watson, Country Managing Director for edotco Myanmar.

    In addition to increasing operational and energy efficiencies, through sharing energy systems with all tenants edotco will simultaneously improve community relations by reducing noise and environmental pollution caused by multiple operators owning individual diesel generators on sites.

    “We benefit from energy efficiencies, lower downtime and improved experience at both an operational and environmental level through improved overall performance of the power systems at the sites. This partnership with edotco allows us to focus on meeting our operational and customer’s needs with confidence that edotco will be efficiently managing all our energy needs on these sites” said Vikram Sinha, Chief Executive Officer, OML.

    “Across the countries in which we have a presence, our efforts go beyond the provisioning and maintenance of telecommunication infrastructures. We see an opportunity to increase efficiency through our solutions that place a strong emphasis on energy management, which is a crucial requirement by network operators today. As a socially responsible business, we are committed to championing solutions that reduce the impact on the environment and communities surrounding our towers” said Suresh Sidhu, Chief Executive Officer, edotco Group.

    edotco MM, part of Malaysia’s edotco Group, has been working closely with local partners to advance the telecommunication industry since 2015, following the acquisition of Myanmar Tower Company. Today, edotco owns and operates more than 1,500 tower sites across the country with OML as their anchor tenant.

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  • Historic Zhuhai Sugar Factory to be reborn into Cultural and Leisure Park

    Historic Zhuhai Sugar Factory to be reborn into Cultural and Leisure Park

    A disused sugar factory in Zhuhai’s Jinwan District is set to be revitalized into an integrated cultural, tourism and leisure park. Woods Bagot’s master plan both celebrates the proud heritage of Zhuhai’s once prosperous sugar industry, while creating a future for the Hongqi Zhen Sugar Factory site.

    The former factory began production in 1960 and was once a key pillar of Southern China’s sugar plantation and processing industry. As the local economy evolved over the following decades, the industry declined, leading the Hongqi Zhen Sugar Factory to close its doors in 2003.

    Due to complete in three phases over the next 10 years, the 78,877-square metre development will feature a boutique hotel, a chocolate factory, a wedding venue and start-up offices, a sugar industry museum as well as a diverse F&B and retail offering.

    Charlie Chen, Studio Leader – Urban Design, Woods Bagot, said, “It is a privilege to create a place where a whole community can capture and celebrate their proud industrial history. At the heart of our strategy is a desire to inspire and engage the diverse people that will enjoy the site – from locals and former factory workers to tourists, families and children alike. The result will be a showcase of old and new, and provide Zhuhai with a rich cultural landmark for generations to come.”

    Different thematic zones will provide contrasting sensory experiences for visitors, from the energetic retail street and creative workshop spaces to the tranquil wedding lake and wetland boardwalk. Murals, façade installations and sculptures will engage, educate and commemorate the past along the way.

    A central park will form the core of the site, with other landscape features including a floral garden walk, a sculpture garden, a farming experience as well as scenic waterscapes and wetlands adapted from existing ponds and former industrial waterbodies.

    Woods Bagot’s strategy will retain and repurpose as many existing structures as possible, and then introduce new buildings and landscapes that complement their industrial aesthetic. As part of this process, over 40 existing structures were carefully assessed for their heritage value, scale and spatial quality.

    The former-factory’s red brick chimney towers will provide a visual landmark at the highest point of the site, with newer buildings rising only 2-3 storeys to create a harmonious synergy and differentiate them from the taller historic buildings.

    Harmony with the local environment will be encouraged through a sustainability strategy which will include solar roofs, rainwater harvesting, geothermal heating and cooling and the promotion of low carbon transport options, including bikes and scenic water taxis.

  • MC Payment launches ‘Moonie’, a newtoken-based wallet app, at Artbox Singapore 2018

    MC Payment launches ‘Moonie’, a newtoken-based wallet app, at Artbox Singapore 2018

    Mobile Credit Payment Pte. Ltd (“MC Payment” or the “Company”), an established blockchain and unified payments enabler in Asia Pacific, announced that it launched token-based wallet app, Moonie, for use at Artbox Singapore 2018.

    Artbox Singapore, held from 25th to 27th May and 1st to 3rd June 2018, is Singapore’s largest pop-up creative market. Available for use on both iOS and Android devices, Moonie users will experience seamless transactions, enjoy discounts and earn additional Artbox tokens that can be redeemed at the stalls. Consumers are able to top up their Moonie accounts with Artbox tokens at the event via Artbox’s presenting sponsor.

    Commenting on the launch, Mr Anthony Koh, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MC Payment said, “The launch of Moonie, especially in a high transaction volume environment such as Artbox Singapore 2018, underscores MC Payment’s technological expertise and initiative to build the foundation of a true cashless society in Singapore and the region.

    For the past 13 years, MC Payment has been driving efficiency in the Asian Pacific payments landscape. Our recent acquisition of iFashion Group and initiatives such as Moonie build on our core competencies of unifying payment platforms and developing proprietary technologies which provide retailers and consumers access to financial innovations that are being rapidly adopted globally.

    Millennials in particular represent a large group of consumers, both online and offline, and are reshaping retail transactions. They are astute, well-informed, technologically savvy and reaching their prime spending years. We are leading this transformation by building advanced payment options and presenting them in an easy-to-use and secure interface.”

    Mr. Jeremy Khoo, CEO of iFashion Group added, “We continue to push the boundaries of how technology can become an enabler in the retail industry and in the evolution of payments. With this year’s Artbox, we wanted to explore new and novel ways for consumers to transact with merchants, hence the creation of Moonie. This was our pilot and case study for this vision and we continue to explore more innovative solutions. It is a potentially game-changing mode of transaction, and we hope to rollout more of such innovations to improve the quality of experience for consumers and merchants in Asia.”

  • FOX Networks Group Asia Acquires Hottest Feature Films At Cannes

    FOX Networks Group Asia Acquires Hottest Feature Films At Cannes

    FOX Networks Group Asia (FNGA), Asia’s leading pay-TV network, shone brightly amongst the stars at the 71st annual Cannes Film Festival earlier this month, walking away with pan-Asian broadcast and streaming rights to some of the festival’s hottest feature films.

    Held from 8 to 19 May 2018 on the picturesque French Riviera, the Cannes Film Festival is one of the year’s most important events for acquiring best-in-class content, as distributors and studios from around the globe compete for rights to the festival’s most promising films. This year, in order to continue serving Asian viewers with the most compelling stories and cinematic content, FNGA secured the rights to broadcast and stream buzz-worthy movies, such as The Kingkiller Chronicle, 355, Ironbark, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

    These films will be available on FOX Movies Asia and FNGA’s video-streaming service FOX+. FOX+ provides Asia with an unrivalled combination of hit TV series, blockbuster films from the East and West, live sports and thrilling documentaries; all in one place, accessible from any device, at any time and in high definition.

    Acquiring the most talked-about movies is nothing new for FOX Movies Asia, the number one Hollywood movie channel in South East Asia since January 2016.

    In recent years, FOX Network Group Asia has earned a reputation for snagging the best of the best at Cannes. Bringing viewers in Asia a stunning range of stories from top Hollywood names and creative independent producers, previous Cannes acquisitions such as Arctic, The Spy Who Dumped Me, and Robin Hood.

    Keertan Adyanthaya, Executive Vice President, Content & Marketing, APAC for FOX Networks Group said, “As the number one entertainment provider in Asia Pacific, FNGA’s top mission is to deliver the best content and ignite imaginations. We’re constantly searching for new opportunities to bring viewers in Asia the funniest, most thrilling, most dramatic and most emotional stories. By acquiring blockbuster epics, laugh-out-loud comedies and thoughtful independent products at Cannes this year, FOX Movies Asia is maintaining the title of top movie channel in the region and making good on its promise to continually bring viewers in Asia the very best range of premium entertainment. Combined with our video-streaming service FOX+, we are equipped to give viewers’ access to the best and latest content first, whenever and wherever they want it.”

     

  • Global Savings Group is bringing Cuponation to New Zealand

    Global Savings Group is bringing Cuponation to New Zealand

    The Global Savings Group (GSG), a leading global provider of Commerce Content Solutions, launches its premium discount code portal CupoNation in New Zealand.

    The Global Savings Group, founded in Munich in 2012, is currently operating over 100 digital portals and tools in 23 countries around the world. Its portals connect commerce to content, offering product discovery, recommendations, deals, and discounts, which, in turn, help consumers to make smarter shopping decisions by connecting them to relevant offerings, provided by their favorite retailers and brands.

    The CupoNation brand is already present in 20 markets around the globe. In Asia Pacific it has already been launched in Singapore (2013), Australia (2014), Malaysia (2016), and in Indonesia (2018). By launching in New Zealand, the GSG is continuing its growth strategy in Asia Pacific, Oceania, and beyond.

    Igor Shapiro, Managing Director Asia Pacific and Oceania, says “We are constantly exploring growth opportunities that allow us to offer savvy shoppers worldwide the best deals and discounts, helping them to save on purchases from their favourite retailers. New Zealand has a rapidly growing economy with a fast-growing e-commerce market. Thus bringing our service to New Zealand, and adding a globally proven commerce content solution to the local ecosystem, is a logical step for us.”

    The Google Consumer Barometer Survey shows that 86 percent of New Zealand’s population accesses the internet daily for private reasons, spending on average about 6 hours a day online via any device. Almost every tenth online shopper in New Zealand searched for coupons and promotions, helping to make their online purchase decision, the Google Consumer Barometer Survey reveals.

    Marko Stricevic, Operational Lead Asia Pacific and Oceania adds, “CupoNation is gaining popularity in the Pacific markets. We will not only bring value to the local online shoppers but also retailers and brands will profit. We see promising market potential and high spending potential. Our aim is to generate significant value by attracting savvy shoppers to their portals, thereby increasing consumer base and revenues. We are confident about becoming the leading discount code portal in New Zealand in the next months.”

    Although online shopping is still only a small proportion of the retail market, making up roughly 7.6 percent of total retail, online retail is growing rapidly in New Zealand. According to BNZ’s Online Retail Index, annual national online spending is estimated at $4.2 billion (excl GST) (US$ 2.96 billion). Last month New Zealanders spent about $200 million (US$ 140 million) on domestic retailers and $150 million (US$ 105 million) on international retailers.

    A recent survey of the International Post Corporation found that China (32%), USA (24%), and Australia (20%) are the leading countries for New Zealanders to purchase abroad. Spending on overseas sites was especially strong in November 2017, particularly in electronics, reflecting a greater awareness of international retail events like Black Friday and Singles Day, that are heavily penetrating local retail markets.

    Andreas Fruth, Managing Director and Co-Founder of the Global Savings Group, adds “We want to create connections to transform global digital commerce. Our aim is to help millions of consumers around the world to make better shopping decisions and advertisers to establish direct links to their consumers, by providing aggregated access to audiences across portals and markets. By launching CupoNation in New Zealand, we are strengthening our position in the Asian Pacific markets as well as further improving our position as a global leading provider of commerce content solutions.”

  • PC Gamers set to clash at Pakistan’s biggest PC gaming tournament ‘GameBird LAN Clan’

    PC Gamers set to clash at Pakistan’s biggest PC gaming tournament ‘GameBird LAN Clan’

    Telenor Pakistan, through its gaming platform GameBird, is inviting all PC Gamers from Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi to battle it out at Pakistan’s biggest PC gaming tournament ‘GameBird LAN Clan’.

    ‘GameBird’ is the first Gaming Brand of the country that connects developers and gaming enthusiasts to boost and vitalize the gaming ecosystem in Pakistan. In order to bring greater enablement to online players, GameBird recently introduced STEAM Wallet Codes in Pakistan where users can buy games and make in-game purchases on STEAM through their mobile balance. The service is currently available for Telenor users only.

    The tournament, marked by unmatched thrill and excitement will host two major games on STEAM platform i.e. DOTA 2 and CSGO, and will be carried out in three stages; Online Qualifiers, Lan City Qualifiers and the Final Lan Event which is set to take place in the country’s cultural capital Lahore,.

    Qualifying players from Karachi and Islamabad will travel to Lahore to participate in the final event. GameBird will entirely sponsor the cost of the qualifying players’ accommodation and travelling to make their trip a joyful experience. Once locked and loaded, the gamers will be contesting with tooth and nail for the big pool prize of PKR. 500,000 at the final event.

    “We are super excited to organize the biggest gaming event of the country.” said Durdana Achakzai, Chief Digital Officer at Telenor Pakistan while speaking about the tournament. “This will be a historic occasion where PC Gaming enthusiasts will clash for the crown of the best players in the country. Just like many other fields, Pakistan has unmatched talent in the online multiplayer gaming space. However, this sort of a country wide tournament requires suitable support of platforms to help make its mark on a larger level. We have kick started this venture with the backing of a major telco. Telenor Pakistan being the top proponent of digital technology and innovation attempts to fully utilize the opportunities in this field. We are undertaking initiatives to provide a conducive environment for game development and export to supplement the growth of the country’s digital industry.”

    The ‘GameBird LAN Clan’ is the first installment of the series of tournaments GameBird is planning to organize for gamers in the country.

    GameBird is an e-Sports platform for gamers and gaming app developers in Pakistan. The platform host Events, Tournaments, Broadcasts, and provides Reviews and Plays of different games. Gamebird is geared for more initiatives in mobile & PC gaming (tournaments, community meet-ups, etc.) in the near future.

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  • Net1 Ready to Support Broadband Internetin Rural Area of Indonesia

    Net1 Ready to Support Broadband Internetin Rural Area of Indonesia

    Net1 Indonesia is ready to support the government in accelerating the provision of internet connections in rural areas, especially in frontier, outermost and least (3T) developed regions of the country. Net1 Indonesia’s mission to spread the internet access in the rural area is in line with the government nine agenda priorities or often referred to Nawa Cita, which mentions developing Indonesia’s rural area within the framework of Republic of Indonesia.

    One of the pillars of those points is realizing the availability of telecommunication infrastructure and network connectivity in the regions. Currently, the Government, through the Ministry of Communications and Informatics, is spurring the availability of internet network for rural areas. According to data from the ministry, currently 73% of villages/sub-lower districts already have internet connection based on 3G technology.

    Meanwhile, the LTE 4G network only 55%. By 2019, the government is targeting to provide 3G-based internet for more than 83,000 villages. Another target for the upcoming year is covering total of 514 districts/cities by 4G LTE network. So far, only 64% of them have access to 4G LTE.

    “The advantage of Net1 4G LTE network is running at 450 Mhz frequency, which is perfect for rural area geographic character, with large area but low density. The characteristic of low-frequency is not pursuing the access speed, but covering the larger area,” said Larry Ridwan, CEO of Net1 Indonesia, in a discussion forum on Universal Service Obligation (USO), held by Indonesia LTE Community (ILC), at Balai Kartini Exhibition and Convention Center, Jakarta (24/05).

    Net1 Indonesia can serve the markets or areas that geographically are difficult to reach and economically are very costly by other operators. Most of 450 Mhz 4G LTE operators in other countries also operate in special areas, such as suburban and rural areas or targeting a very segmented market, such as corporations (mining, plantation, fishery), Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and others.

    Larry added that the biggest challenge in deploying internet networks in rural areas is the varying of geographical conditions, ranging from mountains to coastal areas, with scattered populations. This kind of conditions is requiring a large investment for operators. Meanwhile, observed from the business side, developing telecommunication infrastructure in rural area with less population is less profitable.

    However, this condition will not break Net1 Indonesia’s spirit to continuously supporting the government’s program in rolling out the Internet network for rural areas. “Net1 4G LTE Network at 450MHz is able to reach 50-60 Km, even up to 100 Km, from a base transceiver station (BTS), so it is suitable for archipelago country like Indonesia which has 16,056 islands. In terms of infrastructure investment in developing the site, it is certainly more efficient,” revealed Larry.

    Therefore, Net1 Indonesia can reduce the investment of building 4G LTE network for rural areas more efficiently and effectively. Investment can be pushed much lower. So far, Net1 has deployed 4G LTE service in 19 Provinces spread across Indonesia. A total of 306 districts/cities have accessed Net1 4G LTE network, consisting of 25,279 villages. Overall, 126,299,415 populations have been reached by Net1 Indonesia.

    Net1 Indonesia has also cooperated with a number of local governments in district and province level throughout Indonesia. The local governments cooperate with Net1 Indonesia to provide data broadband access for societies in sub urban and remote areas in their domain. Among others, Musi Banyuasin Regency, West Halmahera Regency, Talaud Islands Regency, Tual City, Siau Tagulandang Biaro (Sitaro) Islands Regency, Sangihe Islands Regency, Teluk Bintuni Regency and Kaimana Regency, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to working together building 4G based communications infrastructure with Net1 Indonesia.

    The cooperation with a number of local governments that have been started since 2017 is a first step for Net1 Indonesia to be able to meet the needs of data access for up to 260 million Indonesian populations who lives in more than 14.000 islands.

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  • Ted Baker Launches First-EverTravel-Retail Boutique In Changi Airport

    Ted Baker Launches First-EverTravel-Retail Boutique In Changi Airport

    Ted Baker opens up a new location in Changi Airport Terminal 2 Departure Transit Lounge – its first-ever travel-retail boutique in Changi Airport which invites jetsetters to browse and buy at leisure.

    To immerse yourself in the Ted Baker experience, pull up to the stylish bar-styled interior which is an evocative fusion of one part Singapore Sling and two parts British Dry Gin, mixed liberally with Ted’s signature style of apparel for him and her, and topped off with exclusive offerings.

    REMINISCENT OF ENGLISH GIN PALACES

    An open-concept boutique, this destination is a standing invitation to experience Ted’s iconic British wit.

    Infused with splashes of Ted’s quirky tongue-in-cheek humour and creative attention to detail, it features design touches of English gin palaces, polished copper distillery aesthetics, juniper berries (from which gin is distilled), and luxurious lounge finishes.

    In a nod to its premium location at Changi Airport, Ted Baker also takes inspiration from the Changi Butterfly Garden in the unique store design. Butterfly motifs and soothing touches of greenery lend an outdoor-garden atmosphere to the boutique, complementing the contemporary and transatlantic charm of its offerings.

    Eco-conscious travellers can also take heart that energy efficient fittings in the store design aid in Ted Baker’s environmentally-conscientious operations.

    EXCLUSIVE RETAIL ITEMS AVAILABLE HERE

    Shoppers at this boutique can expect an array of exclusive items not available at any other physical store in Singapore. These include travel luggage, leather accessories, stationery items, scarves, sunglasses and swimwear.

    With its wide and diverse selection of apparel and accessories as distinctive as your destination, this boutique is a breath of fresh air, and a jaunty reminder that a trip to anywhere begins at Ted Baker.

    The pictures of the store can be viewed below :

  • Panerai opens new boutique in Beijing at Wangfu Central

    Panerai opens new boutique in Beijing at Wangfu Central

    Watchmaker Officine Panerai has opened a boutique in Beijing’s Wangfu Central (WFC) at the Wangfujing shopping area.

    Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola collaborated with the company on the 56sqm boutique. Her work with the brand dates back to 2011, and she also designed the Bond Street store just launched in London as well as the 840sqm mega-booth at this year’s Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva.

    Inspired by the main characteristic themes of Panerai, such as its Florentine origins, its link to the nautical world and Italian heritage, Urquiola has used veined Italian marble “calacatta luccicoso”, burnished brass, bronze and a special “reeded” glass, undulating and transparent, as clear reference to the world of the sea.

    A large wall clock welcomes visitors to the boutique, recalling one of the most iconic Panerai dials: that of Luminor Marina, with the characteristic small seconds counter at 9 o’clock and numbers and dial particularly bright.

    Officine Panerai now has 10 boutiques in China and 75 worldwide.

     

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  • Samsung loses patent case retrial

    Samsung loses patent case retrial

    A U.S. court has ordered Samsung Electronics to pay $538.6 million in damages for infringing the design and utility patents of iPhones in early Galaxy models in a retrial of a case that dates back seven years.

    The retrial jurors in the Northern District of California on Thursday awarded Apple $538.6 million in damages after five days of deliberations – $533.3 million for violating design patents and $5.3 million for violating utility (technical) patents.

    The amount is $140 million more than the $399 million Samsung had agreed to pay – equivalent to all profits from the sale of the infringing smartphones – before it asked the Supreme Court to order a lower court to retry the case.

    Samsung already paid $548 million in damages to Apple in December 2015 that included the $399 million.

    In 2012, the Korean tech giant was found liable for infringing three of its U.S. archrival’s iPhone design patents – the rounded corners, the rim that surrounds the front face, and the grid of icons that users view – and two technical patents, which affect the way some features work. But the two companies have long disputed the amount of damages to be paid.

    Samsung has not decided whether to appeal the retrial verdict, which would prolong the already lengthy legal battle.

    “Today’s decision flies in the face of a unanimous Supreme Court ruling in favor of Samsung on the scope of design patent damages,” Samsung said in a statement. “We will consider all options to obtain an outcome that does not hinder creativity and fair competition for all companies and consumers.”

    Apple said in a statement it was pleased that the members of the jury “agree that Samsung should pay for copying our products.”

    “This case has always been about more than money,” the iPhone maker said, adding, “we believe deeply in the value of design, and our teams work tirelessly to create innovative products that delight our customers.”

    “Samsung is now going to consider its options,” wrote Florian Muller, an intellectual property analyst who writes a closely followed patent blog Foss Patents. “Those options are post-trial motions and, possibly, another appeal.”

    The legal feud between the two biggest smartphone rivals began in April 2011 when Apple sued Samsung for violating its patents and copying the design of its iPhone, seeking $2.5 billion in damages.

    Samsung was ordered to pay $1.05 billion in damages by jurors in 2012, which was reduced on appeal to $930 million. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit stripped another $382 million from that, saying the iPhone’s appearance could not be protected through trademarks, to $548 million in December 2015.

    A year later, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered a lower court on Samsung’s petition to reconsider the $399 million in damages on unanimous opinion that damages for design patent infringement can be based only on the part of the device that infringed the patent, not on the entire product.

    Samsung argued then that it should only have to pay $28 million in damages for profits from the components of its Galaxy phones that copied Apple’s patents.

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