Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Bucking Bull opens new concept in Watertown Brand Outlet

    Bucking Bull opens new concept in Watertown Brand Outlet

    Fast food franchise,Bucking Bull, has opened a new restaurant in Watertown Brand Outlet in Perth, aimed at moving the roast food retailer into the casual dining scene.

    Bucking Bull, which has 30 stores across Perth, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Townsville, Melbourne and northern NSW, said the initiative was a ‘coming-of-age’ for the brand in its 18th year of business, with the new restaurant offering a more extensive dine-in menu, and also the first licensed Bucking Bull.

    “This move just makes a lot of sense for Bucking Bull, and not just because the market is evolving,” said Dean Vella, executive director.

    “When you think of tradition, slow cooked food, you naturally think of enjoying this with family or friends in a relaxed, chilled environment,” he said.

    Vella said it is their mission to bring the Bucking Bull dining experience full circle with emphasis on sharing and socialising

    The new 150sqm restaurant seats 80 people and features rustic urban textures, natural lighting and a feature wall by local Perth artist, Daek Williams.

    “We’re really extremely excited with the response so far,” Vella said.

    “The encouraging reaction from customers is really important to us, especially as we look at the prospect of opening similar style casual dining restaurants in dining precincts around the country.”

    Alison Bunn, Watertown Brand Outlet’s centre manager, welcomed the food retailer to Perth’s only brand outlet shopping and food centre.

    Bucking Bull is part of the Aktiv Brands group along with Skewerz Kebabz.

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  • World’s largest online retailers ranked on site usability

    World’s largest online retailers ranked on site usability

    The world’s largest online retailers, including Walmart, Sephora and Starbucks, have been ranked according to the health and usability of their websites.

    Released by e-commerce monitoring company, Shoppimon, the inaugural OSHU (Online Site Health & Usability) Index compares the performance of leading e-commerce sites across a variety of KPIs, including site speed, server downtime, business downtime (% of time a purchase cannot be completed on the site), and technical issues.

    The inaugural Index compares online stores within nine vertical industry categories: apparel, automotive supplies, beauty, consumer electronics, department store, food & beverage, health & wellness, home & garden, and jewelry.

    Seven of the nine categories were represented in the top 10 top-ranking sites overall, with auto parts company Summit Racing, mattress company Saatva Mattress, subscription beauty business Birchbox, auto manufacturer Toyota and grocery company Whole Foods Market rounding out the top five.

    Notably, no jewelry or consumer electronics sites made it into the top 10.

    Roy Rosinnes, CEO and co-founder of Shoppimon pointed out that no site in the top 10 had business downtime of more than 0.1 per cent and all had 0.0 per cent server downtime during the period evaluated.

    “Top performing online stores on the Shoppimon OSHU Index like Summit Racing, which earned the top spot on our inaugural ranking, are able to maintain lightning fast speed with minimal downtime and disruption for shoppers,” Rosinnes said.

    “With a full load time of 0.36 seconds and zero business downtime, Summit Racing deserves kudos for providing a great brand experience for consumers as well as maximizing bottom line sales.

    Shoppimon said it will update the OSHU Index monthly to help educate site owners and operators on best practices in running a stable, profitable online store.

    Here are the Top 10 Shoppimon OSHU Index Overall Winners for September 2017:

      1. Summit Racing, OSHU Score: 99.10 (Category: automotive supplies)
      2. Saatva Mattress, OSHU Score: 98.67 (Category: home & garden)
      3. Birchbox, OSHU Score: 98.66 (Category: beauty)
      4. Toyota, OSHU Score: 98.25 (Category: automotive supplies)
      5. Whole Foods Market, OSHU Score: 98.24 (Category: food & beverage)
      6. Dollar Shave Club, OSHU Score: 98.08 (Category: health & wellness)
      7. J.Crew, OSHU Score: 97.47 (Category: apparel)
      8. JCPenney, OSHU Score: 97.45 (Category: department store)
      9. Nuts.com, OSHU Score: 97.14 (Category: food & beverage)
      10. lookfantastic, OSHU Score: 97.13 (Category: beauty)

    Top OSHU Index Vertical Category Winners for September 2017

    Below are the Top 3 winners per category, based on OSHU Index, with their relative OSHU Scores.

    Apparel

    1. J.Crew, OSHU Score: 97.47
    2. ASOS, OSHU Score: 96.94
    3. Talbots, OSHU Score: 96.78

    Automotive Supplies

    1. Summit Racing, OSHU Score: 99.10,
    2. Toyota, OSHU Score: 98.25,
    3. Tire Rack, OSHU Score: 95.47

    Beauty

    1. Birchbox, OSHU Score: 98.66
    2. lookfantastic, OSHU Score: 97.13
    3. Beauty Bay, OSHU Score: 97.02

    Consumer Electronics

    1. Fitbit, OSHU Score: 95.77
    2. Samsung, OSHU Score: 95.56
    3. Apple, OSHU Score: 93.70

    Department Store

    1. JCPenney OSHU Score: 97.45
    2. Marks & SpencerOSHU Score: 96.86
    3. SearsOSHU Score: 96.62

    Food & Beverage

    1. Whole Foods Market, OSHU Score: 98.24
    2. Nuts.com, OSHU Score: 97.14
    3. SodaStream, OSHU Score: 94.97

    Health & Wellness

    1. Dollar Shave Club, OSHU Score: 98.08
    2. iHerb, OSHU Score: 97.09
    3. Weight Watchers, OSHU Score: 95.06

    Home & Garden

    1. Saatva Mattress, OSHU Score: 98.67
    2. Wayfair, OSHU Score: 95.09
    3. RH, OSHU Score: 94.34

    Jewelry

    1. Ritani, OSHU Score: 96.83
    2. Tiffany & Co., OSHU Score: 94.16
    3. Zales, OSHU Score: 92.81

    OSHU Index Insights on Amazon

    Amazon is noticeably missing from the overall Shoppimon OSHU Index, because unlike companies such as ASOS or Bloomingdale’s that run e-commerce sites like the online equivalent of a brick and mortar retail store, Amazon behaves as a huge online mall – with many independent, and separately managed stores, open for shoppers to visit 24/7.

    Shoppimon did monitor a small sample of Amazon stores to determine if Amazon’s “gold standard” in customer experience extends to its onsite shopping performance. The Amazon stores Shoppimon evaluated received an average OSHU Score of 92.08, nearly 4 points ahead of the average score of the full index, but 6 points behind OSHU’s Top 3. Shoppimon plans to expand its sample size of Amazon stores in the future to better understand how Amazon is performing.

    Here are the Top 3 Amazon stores:

    1. Summit Racing, OSHU Score: 99.10,
    2. Saatva Mattress, OSHU Score: 98.67
    3. Birchbox, OSHU Score: 98.66
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  • AirAsia Japan to launch operations on 29 October

    AirAsia Japan to launch operations on 29 October

    The reborn AirAsia Japan will commence services on 29 October with a service from its Nagoya hub to Sapporo, two years after receiving its air operator’s certificate.

    The carrier says in a statement that it will operate twice-daily on the route, which FlightGlobal schedules data shows it will compete against five other carriers, including Jetstar Japan, All Nippon Airways and Skymark Airlines.

    “We are honoured to be the first airline to be based in Nagoya’s Chubu Centrair International airport and we are committed to connecting as many guests as possible at low fares to AirAsia’s extensive network, as well as bridging communities and cultures for the benefit of the local economy,” says chief executive Osamu Hata.

    AirAsia holds a 49% stake in AirAsia Japan, while shareholders Rakuten, Octave Japan Infrastructure Fund, Noevir Holdings and Alpen hold the other 51%.

    This is the Malaysian budget carrier’s second attempt into the Japanese market, following the October 2013 breakdown of its joint venture with ANA Holdings. The shell of that first carrier was used to launch Vanilla Air shortly after.

    The new carrier was granted its AOC in October 2015, and had planned to launch services during the northern spring of 2016. The launch was however repeatedly delayed, and Jetstar Japan has in the meantime announced plans to start a base at Nagoya in 2018.

    Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that AirAsia Japan has two Airbus A320s in its fleet.

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  • Hermes Singapore transforms artfully into ‘home’

    Hermes Singapore transforms artfully into ‘home’

    In a special exhibition, the Hermes Singapore flagship store at Liat Towers has been transformed to spotlight the luxury French brand’s collection of home furnishings and bespoke creations.

    Described as a “gallery of whimsy and surprise”, the Through The Walls exhibit was crafted by set designers Jean-Christophe Vaillant and Herve Sauvage. It shifts the focus from the brand’s iconic scarves and Birkin handbags to tableware, lighting, wallpaper and furniture.

    Leather, a reminder of Hermes’ start as a saddlemaker, is used imaginatively, as is bamboo crafted with carbon fibre and steel to form seats. The centrepiece of the installation is a closet for scarves that resembles a leather wallet from the outside and stores up to 130 pieces.

    Hermes co-deputy artistic director Charlotte Macaux Perelman says Singapore is an ideal location for the exhibition given the brand’s presence in the city since the 1970s. “We have never had a home-furnishings event here or really highlighted our home collection,” she says.

    It took two weeks to transform the top two levels of the store to showcase more than 120 objects from the Hermes home universe, including the brand’s new Lien d’Hermes collection.

    The retail space has been reworked as a “home” to give an appropriate setting for the objects.

    A feature is the stairwells of the store where wallpaper from the collection has been ripped and layered decoupage-style. In one corner, a dining table looks as though it had been pushed through a wall while elsewhere a coffee table appears to have fallen through the roof.

    There are even such whimsical touches as sounds: a cat meowing, a door closing, birds’ wings flapping. But the deconstructed world starts in the store windows, where neon signs for the event are framed by plates broken in half.
    “As a brand, our pieces are undoubtedly quite traditional and rigorous, but we like to introduce fantasy as well, especially in things like our textiles, wallpaper and tableware,” says Perelman.

    Through The Walls runs until October 29.

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  • Japanese operator plans 50 Myanmar noodle restaurants

    Japanese operator plans 50 Myanmar noodle restaurants

    Japanese noodle restaurant operator Toridoll Holdings plans to open 50 outlets in Myanmar with a local joint venture partner.

    The Myanmar noodle restaurants, in partnership with YKKO, will target the nation’s growing middle class.

    The first has already opened in Yangon, selling bowls of noodles for as little as US48 cents, with serving sizes to suit budgets and appetites. Ingredients are sourced locally and from neighbouring Thailand to minimise overheads.

    Toridoll, based in Kobe, already operates about 900 eateries in Japan and another 380 across 30 offshore markets, including Vietnam, the Philippines, China, Cambodia and Indonesia. Japan’s perpetually shrinking population has prompted the company to look abroad for growth – it has ambitious plans to operate 4000 restaurants abroad in 2025.

    Meanwhile,

    YKKO is an abbreviation of its the name of its first restaurant, Kyay-Oh, which opened in Yankin.

  • HP develops POS solution for retailers

    HP develops POS solution for retailers

    HP has developed a point of sales solution aiming to reimagine how technology can transform the in-store experience for customers.

    HP ElitePOS supports several use cases including interactive signage, employee attendance, and self-service applications like a customer check-in and access to additional product offerings in the “endless aisle”.

    For retailers who want a clean and clutter-free counter space, or who need greater versatility in the placement of their point-of-sale terminal, the display can be separated from the input/output (I/O) base for maximum placement versatility.

    With point-of-sale devices increasingly targeted by hackers, security continues to be top of mind for the retail industry. According to Verizon’s 2016 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 64% of breaches in the retail industry that contained data loss were caused by point-of-sale intrusions.

    “As the retail and hospitality industries undergo a revolutionary shift, the point-of-service device will be a critical hub in delivering the in-store experience for customers,” IDC VP of retail insights Leslie Hand said.

    “But with this rapid transformation in digital business also comes increased threats, in the form of targeted attacks and malware. Retail POS systems, including the new HP ElitePOS, must be able to balance the growing needs of the customer and the brand while also acting as a guardian of the  sensitive information that passes through the device on a daily basis.”

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  • Huawei unveils APAC enterprise cloud strategy

    Huawei unveils APAC enterprise cloud strategy

    Huawei has announced its newest enterprise service strategy designed to support companies undergoing cloud transformation in Asia Pacific.

    The enterprise cloud strategy will focus on four key areas including cloud innovation, creating a digital platform, supporting smart operations and enabling businesses.

    As enterprises embrace digital transformation, they will face a new set of challenges across strategy, planning, requirement analysis, business integration, application system evaluation, technology selection, roadmap design, deployment, operations & maintenance (O&M) management, and information security.

    Cementing the company’s commitment to becoming an industry cloud enabler and strategic partner to enterprises in Asia Pacific, Huawei is investing $500 million globally in the development of cloud-based professional services, a cloud platform and cloud ecosystem. This will provide customers with end-to-end cloud transformation service solutions enabling them to build, use, and manage their cloud platforms effectively.

    To drive this strategy forward, Huawei will continue to increase its investment in the development of service solutions and Global Service Centers (GSC), as well as tools, platforms and verification labs for professional services. In the next five years, Huawei will also focus on research and development of industry clouds, increasing their annual investment by more than 50%.

    Additionally, to meet enterprise demand for ICT talent in the cloud era, Huawei will provide a new certification scheme to train ICT architects, ICT developers and industry-specific ICT experts. By 2021, it is estimated that more than 150,000 cloud and industry-specific ICT professionals will have been certified by Huawei.

    Huawei has made strategic investments and works with partners to build a cloud network that has global coverage, providing complete solutions that help Chinese companies go global, as well as help companies outside China enter the Chinese market.

    One of these partners is Orange Business Services (OBS), who has launched a global public cloud offering together with Huawei, that includes consulting, auditing and managed services for cloud infrastructure and applications.

    Named Flexible Engine, the new IaaS/PaaS platform is offered in combination with specialist support (‘Cloud Expert Services’) to assist enterprises in their migration to the cloud, featuring optional managed services to run applications. The suite of services will equip enterprises with the technology to digitally transform their business operations and support businesses in their expansion plans across China, Southeast Asia and Europe.

    The services run on the strength of OpenStack technology, an open-source software platform for cloud computing. Open standards and interoperability are key to meeting the demands for large, scalable public cloud solutions by delivering economies of scale and avoiding the danger of propriety lock-in.

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  • Optus Satellite to provide NBN satellite services

    Optus Satellite to provide NBN satellite services

    Optus satellite, a subsidiary of major Australian operator Optus, has announced its first foray into providing satellite services over the National Broadband Network (NBN), via a partnership with Southern Phone.

    The partners are now providing Sky Muster satellite broadband services to customers in regional and rural areas.

    NBN plans to use satellite broadband services for the roughly 3% of the of the population – mostly in rural and remote areas – that won’t be covered by fixed line or fixed wireless NBN services.

    Southern Phone is a regional telecommunications service provider based in New South Wales. The company’s managing director David Joss noted that only 80,000 of the expected 240,000 Sky Muster satellite broadband services have been connected to date, leaving a significant potential market.

    “We see this service as a viable and effective alternative to a traditional NBN connection. For some consumers, this will be the first time they’ve been able to connect to a broadband service,” Optus Satellite VP Paul Sheridan added.

    “This new partnership will help us connect with even more regional customers and importantly, make sure that those customers are able to have the same level of support that a customer in a metro area would.”

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  • Dolce & Gabbana net profit soars, revenues up 9%

    Dolce & Gabbana net profit soars, revenues up 9%

    Dolce & Gabbana closed the financial year 2016/17 on March 31, 2017 with a turnover of 1.296 billion euros, a 9% increase on the previous year, according to the balance sheet consulted. D&G Srl, which controls the group, obtained a 57.6 million euro dividend from Dolce & Gabbana Holding.

    The latter oversees Dolce & Gabbana Trademarks, owner of the group’s brands, and Dolce & Gabbana Srl, in charge of the label’s operations in Italy and abroad.

    D&G’s consolidated balance sheet showed a net profit of 80 million euros, around four times higher than the 17.93 million achieved by the company in 2015/16, and an EBITDA of 168 million euros.

    This result is due largely to an increase in sales, particularly in Italy, which represents 24% of total turnover, with the rest of Europe making up 27%, the Americas 13%, and Japan 6%.

    Dolce & Gabbana’s strong presence in its domestic market has led the firm to further its initiatives abroad.

    On 4 October , the brand organised a runway show in the Isetan Department Store, Tokyo, for which the creative duo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana designed a special collection.

    In the same month, the label also opened its first outlet store in Mexico, in the Premium Outlets Punta Norte mall, in the northwest of the country.

    For the holiday season, the brand has plans for a large-scale operation with London-based luxury department store Harrods. These will include the launch of exclusive products, as well as a number of in-store interventions organised by Dolce & Gabbana from 2 November to 28 December, such as in stores-in-stores, a Christmas tree, window displays and a traditional Italian market.

    Breaking down the brand’s results by distribution channel, Dolce & Gabbana’s wholesale increased 8.7% in 2016/17, retail grew 7.1% to 769 million euros, while licensing revenue fell 9.2% to 61.2 million euros.

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  • M1 launches data-centric mobile plans

    M1 launches data-centric mobile plans

    Singapore’s M1 has expanded its data-heavy mySIM mobile plans to bundle the offers with handset subsidies.

    M1 launched a range of SIM-only plans in 2015 that offered large data allocations for customers who do not need a new handset.

    Building on the popularity of this plan, M1 has unveiled the new mySIMe bundled mobile plans, which start at S$40 for 5GB of local data, 100 minutes of voice calls and 100 SMS. M1 has also introduced a S$70 plan with 15GB of data and a S$90 plan with 30GB.

    The high-end S$118 plan meanwhile offers unlimited local data, SMS and voice, while a S$15 add-on can provide unlimited voice calls for the three other plans in the range.

    In addition, a S$10 Data Passport add-on will allow customers to use their local data bundles across 56 destinations worldwide, and a S$12 per month add-on will allow customers to share their plan bundles across up to three lines – this is not available for the unlimited plan.

    Our SIM-only mySIM plans have proven to be popular with our customers. We are now giving them the option to get their favorite smartphone or tablet at a more affordable price with the mySIMe plans,” M1 CMO P Subramaniam said.

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  • Infiniti Motor Company aims to rev up retail

    Infiniti Motor Company aims to rev up retail

    With a chance to boost retail innovation in Hong Kong, Infiniti Motor Company has partnered with venture capital firm Nest to launch Infiniti Lab Global Accelerator 3.0 under the theme “The Future Consumer”.

    Infiniti has invited seven high-potential startups, two from Hong Kong and the others from Canada, Germany, Mexico, Sweden and the US, to its global headquarters to develop technologies to enhance the customer journey. The program will involve testing, evolving and refining their technologies to win over investors and industry leaders.

    The Hong Kong startup ventures are ActiMirror and Cove.

    “These exciting startups will have access to the Infiniti network of executives and ecosystem partners, and benefit from intensive business coaching and mentoring as well as exposure to established investors across Asia,” says Nest CEO Lawrence Morgan. “We have created a bespoke 10-week program for our startups and look forward to working with these high-potential businesses.”

    Chance to pitch

    Following the program will be Demo Day on December 13 at which the entrepreneurs will pitch their ideas to a panel of investors. They also have a chance to pitch their business cases to key decision makers from Infiniti and the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

    “We are dedicated to supporting top entrepreneurial talent around the world and helping bring their ideas to life through comprehensive startup programs and world-class partnerships,” says Infiniti Motor Company GM for global business transformation Dane Fisher.

    To launch the venture, Infiniti hosted a panel discussion about the future consumer and using emerging technologies to  improve the customer experience. As well as Fisher, Visionaries 777 head of business development David Castaneda, Bluebell Group digital director Benoit Lavaud, and Red Ant Asia regional director Elisa Harca, Regional Director, Red Ant Asia discussed how disruptive technologies such as AI, Big Data and VR will transform consumer experience.

    Headquartered in Hong Kong, Infiniti is represented in 50 international markets. Launched in 1989, it offers a range of premium automobiles built in China, Japan, the UK and the US. The brand is known for its design and innovative driver-assistance technologies. Last year it became a technical partner of the Renault Sport Formula One team.

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  • Second Crystal Jade Jiang Nan restaurant opens

    Second Crystal Jade Jiang Nan restaurant opens

    Crystal Jade Jiang Nan has a new sister restaurant at Yoho Mall II in Yuen Long, opening on the first anniversary of the Wanchai flagship restaurant in Tai Yau Plaza.

    With two semi-private VIP rooms seating up to 10 guests each, the new venue can accommodate 130 diners and features an open-plan design that is visible to passers-by in the shopping arcade. Features include partition screens at varying angles, with artifacts, timber, glass and low-level vintage lighting.

    As well as Jiang Nan cuisine, the new restaurant offers handpicked wines and teas.

    Jiang Nan cuisine is marked by its delicacy and complex cooking processes. It fuses southern Chinese characteristics of freshness, crispness and tenderness with northern Chinese saltiness, vibrant colours and richness. The region’s cuisine is also famed for small dishes paired with teas.

    From Singapore, Crystal Jade Culinary Concepts Holdings has restaurants in 14 shopping malls in Hong Kong, including the airport. Internationally, the brand has reached 25 cities in 10 countries, including China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines and the US.

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  • Queensland Officeworks sale sets record low yield

    Queensland Officeworks sale sets record low yield

    A newly developed Officeworks in Queensland has been sold on what is understood to be a national record low yield for an Officeworks store.

    The 1,661sqm Officeworks store at North Lakes in Brisbane’s high-growth northern corridor has pre-sold on a 10-year lease-back for $7.093 million, reflecting a record 4.8 per cent yield.

    Savills’ Peter Tyson and Jon Tyson handled the marketing and sale on behalf of Officeworks Limited to a private Melbourne-based investor with Joel Wald of MMJ Real Estate acting for the buyer.

    Tyson said Officeworks North Lakes attracted intense buyer interest nationally with more than 180 separate enquires and multiple offers.

    “This was a very hotly contested offering, resulting in what is believed to be a new national benchmark yield for a freestanding Officeworks,” he said.

    “New single tenant investments with long lease security and blue-chip covenants such as Officeworks are highly sought after by the marketplace due to their bond-like attributes.”

    Officeworks developed the new store with parking for 57 cars on a 4,029sqm high profile corner site on Flinders Drive in the North Lakes Business Park.

    “Officeworks viewed the location as strategic as the new store will join a growing list of retailers lining up in the North Lakes precinct,” Tyson said.

    “These retailers include Queensland’s only Costco Wholesale outlet, Queensland’s biggest Bunnings Warehouse, as well as Ikea’s recently opened store in the nearby Westfield North Lakes regional shopping centre.”

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  • Tod’s Landmark introduces new store concept

    Tod’s Landmark introduces new store concept

    Just opened, Tod’s Landmark flagship introduces the brand’s new store concept to Hong Kong.

    Covering 255sqm, the luxury leather brand’s two-storey boutique features steel vitrines with silver and taupe saddle-stitched leather panels, suspended showcases, high-gloss ceilings and travertine marble floors.

    A cocktail party to mark its opening was attended by its brand ambassador, Chinese actress Liu Shi Shi, wearing the latest Tod’s styles. Other guests included socialites and celebrities such as Gaile Lok,  Jason Chan, Jennifer Tse, Kathy Chow, Pakho Chau and Sarah Song.

    A highlight of the evening was a demonstration by an Italian artisan flown in to showcase the craftsmanship of Made in Italy with the label’s latest icon bag, Tod’s Sella.

    Every Tod’s product is handmade in Italy. The group has six shoe factories and two for leather goods, and also uses a handful of specialised laboratories.

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  • Sbarro Bangladesh opens eight restaurants in one hit

    Sbarro Bangladesh opens eight restaurants in one hit

    Sbarro Bangladesh franchise partner Khan Bahadur Foods has opened eight restaurants in Dhaka.

    It was the first time the US fast-food chain has opened eight locations simultaneously in one city. Sbarro is the first New York-style pizzeria in Bangladesh. With its franchise partner, the brand has opened several locations in Bangladesh over the past two years. Khan Bahadur MD Mayeen Chowdhury says more stores are planned.

    “Mayeen and his team are excellent ambassadors of Sbarro in Bangladesh, as shown by their proven success over the past few years,” says Sbarro CEO David Karam.

    Since opening as an Italian salumeria in Columbus, Ohio, in 1956, Sbarro now has more than 600 restaurants in 26 countries.