Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Kenzo Kids deploys its unique style in store-in-stores and international boutiques

    Kenzo Kids deploys its unique style in store-in-stores and international boutiques

    Kenzo was revitalised by its 2011 change in creative direction, with the arrival of Opening Ceremony founders Carol Lim and Humberto Leon at the helm. The change has also benefitted the label’s children’s line, Kenzo Kids, for which the Kidiliz group (ex-Zannier) has held the licence since 2006. In fact, in a very competitive childrenswear market, Kenzo Kids has recorded annual growth fluctuating between 20 and 30%.

    The reason for its success? An urban style coupled with strong iconography – in the form of the tiger and eye brand motifs – which has proved appealing to a wider and more international clientele. “Under Antonio Maras, the Kenzo Kids style was closer to Catimini – fresh and feminine. Now it’s more on-trend so our network has changed. We are more international, in the department stores, in pure-player, designer-oriented stores,” explains Anne Michailidis, Head of Sales and Marketing of the three designer brands under Kidiliz.

    Resulting in the Kenzo Kids line being distributed at 750 sales points worldwide and even the opening of its own first monobrand boutiques. The first opened in Singapore in February (next to Paul Smith Junior) and others are planned for Hong Kong and Dubai. In Europe, the line is present in the form of stores-in-stores, expressing the world of Kenzo Kids across 30-square-metre spaces. Some 20 openings are forecast this year, including at La Rinascente in Milan. In France, the line is stocked at Printemps and at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, with a network set for further development.

    Another ‘new’ feature: the line is aimed at boys as much as at girls, whereas previously the line was oriented almost exclusively towards girls. “Since winter 2016 we have had as many girls’ garments as boys’, and customers come to us for both, which is rare for children’s labels,” explains Michailidis.

    Every season some 350 Kenzo Kids items are available, from children aged 0-16 years. The price range is from around 50 euros for garments such as T-shirt to 200 euros for more ‘inspirational’ pieces from the runway. “We work directly with the parent company, we attend the show, we visit the showroom and keep the strongest design elements and use it to up our childrenswear savoir-faire,” says Laetitia Orlandi, head of collections at Kenzo Kids, who adds that her objective is to create for Kenzo Kids its own style world without imitating the adult version. In ‘kid format,’ the famous Kenzo tiger is surrounded by new friends including a little wolf with an extraordinarily long nose, and the Kenzo eye gives a mischievous wink.

  • Tata Aims to Build on Recent Truck Gains in Thailand

    Tata Aims to Build on Recent Truck Gains in Thailand

    Indian automaker Tata is moving production in Thailand as part of a company reset that aims to increase its Thai sales 83% this fiscal year to roughly 3,000 units.

    With a 10-year contract up at the Thonburi Automotive Assembly Plant in the south of Bangkok, Tata has signed a renewable 5-year pact with the Bangchan General Assembly plant, 20 miles (34 km) west of central Bangkok.

    Since its opening in 1970, Bangchan has been the home to assembly operations for 14 brands.

    Production will begin at Bangchan after the installation of assembly equipment at a cost the Bangkok Post puts at TB500 million ($14.5 million). The facility will have a capacity of 8,000 Tata Xenon pickups and 2,500 Tata Super Mint pickup trucks in a 1-shift operation.

    Tata says Xenon production will launch in September.

    The automaker says its Tata Super Ace line will be assembled in both right-hand and left-hand drive versions.

    To help reach its local sales target, Tata says it also will introduce more models to local showrooms.

    Tata Thailand CEO Sanjay Mishra says sales grew 19% year-on-year in the 2016 fiscal year ending March 31. “Fiscal year 2016 marked Tata’s best retail performance in Thailand ever,” he says in a statement.

    “Fiscal-year 2017 is a big step for the company’s future – we are making announcements for exciting new models as well as assembly upgrades and initiatives, new investment for the Super Ace Mint small truck and emerging opportunities that will deliver profitable and sustainable growth in Thailand.”

    Sales of Xenon pickups, the automaker’s core product in the Thai market, rose 38% to 1,398 units last year, The Nation newspaper reports.

    “With the major-change Xenon pickup to be launched in Q4 of this year, we expect to deliver 2,100 units of the new model – 1,800 domestic and 300 export – 500 units of the Super Ace Mint truck for a market share of about 10% for this type of car, 300 units of the Ultra and 100 units of heavy trucks this year,” Mishra says.

    “Our goal is being a full-range trucking solution provider, and we will be the only player in the entire commercial-vehicle segment.”

    Lees ook:

  • Yum China buys majority stake in delivery firm Daojia

    Yum China buys majority stake in delivery firm Daojia

    Yum China Holdings said this week it has purchased a controlling stake in Daojia, a food delivery firm, in a bid to improve the restaurateur’s outgoing food business.

    The operator of US chains Pizza Hut and KFC in China, Yum China has been in talks with Daojia since November, where it was reported by Reuters that the fast-food giant was willing to buy Daojia for up to $200 million.

    Terms of the deal to buy the majority stake in the holding company of DAOJIA.com.cn were not disclosed, though details will be finalised by the close of May.

    Yum China, with over 7,663 restaurants in China, currently offers home-delivery from more than 4,400 of its outlets.

    Commenting of the majority stake purchase, Yum China Chief Executive Micky Pant said delivery is one of the firm’s main future drivers of growth for the brand in China.

    “Digital and delivery are long-term strategic drivers of our business, and I am pleased to build on our technological know-how and capabilities in this high growth area,” said Pant in a statement.

    The company added that in the first-quarter, delivery sales accounted for 12% of total sales.

    Daojia, founded in 2010, is an online food delivery service provider focusing on orders in large cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

    Yum China is a licensee of Yum Brands and has exclusive rights to KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. Yum China also owns the Little Sheep and East Dawning restaurants.

    In February, Yum China said it plans to open approximately 600 new stores annually across mainland China, in a mass rollout that will see the fast-food attempt to outpace rival restaurateurs and boost same-store sales

    Lees ook:

  • Vietnam sees rise in mobile e-commerce

    Vietnam sees rise in mobile e-commerce

    By January 2017, Vietnam was home to almost 47.2 million mobile internet users, half of the country’s population, according to the report “Vietnam Digital Landscape 2017” by We Are Social.

    Some 39 percent of the population have purchased products or services online, of them 29 percent have placed at least one online order via a mobile device.

    The total value of the country’s e-commerce market was estimated at about 1.8 billion USD in 2016, the report said.

    The 2017 Vietnam e-Business Index by the Vietnam e-Commerce Association (VECOM) shows that the internet has been a great tool for local enterprises in cross-border trade.

    They can communicate with overseas partners via the internet and can access online public services, for example, e-customs and e-certificate of origin.

    It also found that 45 percent of domestic enterprises own a website but only 19 percent of the websites are compatible with mobile devices, down from 26 percent in 2015.

    To succeed, domestic firms must catch up with mobile e-commerce trends to maintain a competitive edge over the others, said VECOM Vice President Nguyen Ngoc Dung at the Vietnam Mobile Day last weekend.

    Dung suggested that selecting a suitable domain name should be the first step in building a reliable online presence for a business as a domain name is not simply an address on the internet but is closely attached to the enterprise’s operations and branding.

    A mobile-friendly website will draw more customers to the brand name and improve its competitiveness, he added.

    For those who wish to reach out to the global markets, the domain name “.com” indicates credibility thanks to its popularity and stability over the past 18 years, said Executive Director of Mat Bao Corporation Huynh Ngoc Duy at the event.

    Sharing this view, Nguyen Tu Hong Quan, Director of the Nhan Hoa software company, noted that many international companies, including those listed in the Fortune 500, use “.com” for their website, aiming to reach new customers outside their regions.

    Lees ook:

  • Off-White opens second Hong Kong store, launches capsule line

    Off-White opens second Hong Kong store, launches capsule line

    Cult luxury streetwear brand Off-White continues its retail expansion in Asia with the opening of its second location in Hong Kong. Helmed by designer Virgil Abloh, the newest Hong Kong store opened last month, with the announcement of capsule collection – to be exclusively available at Off-White stores in Hong Kong – breaking news this week.

    The two-tiered, 746-square-foot space is designed by Virgil Abloh himself, and boasts an industrial finish with a concrete bottom floor and exposed interlocking metal rods that make up the ceiling. The factory setting is juxtaposed against gold countertops and fixtures, and a mint green curtain and matching carpet on the top floor.

    Marking the brand’s second Hong Kong location, Off-White has dropped a 10-piece capsule collection to coincide with the store debut.

    The Hong Kong collection features both men’s and women’s apparel and accessories, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, jeans, denim cut-off shorts, as well as socks, backpacks and a handbag; the latter features a strap with Off-White’s signature slant line pattern and an additional pink strap. The other collection pieces come stamped in a moniker ‘X’ arrow design and a 3D line pattern.

    Launching in 2013, under the helm of Virgil Abloh, Off-White has continued to expand its retail presence rapidly. With a specific focus on Asia, Off-White has two mainland China locations, including one in Shanghai’s I.T. department store and one in Beijing’s Galeries Lafayette.

    It currently operates ten stores around the world in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, London and Toronto. Off-White is planning a New York store this year.

    Lees ook:

  • Decathlon to open first Hong Kong stores in August

    Decathlon to open first Hong Kong stores in August

    Decathlon will open its first Hong Kong store this year, with plans for two locations – one in Mong Kok and the other in Causeway Bay.

    The French multibrand sports retailer will bow its first Hong Kong stores in Mong Kok Grand Plaza Basement and Causeway Bay Park Lane, according to a post on Decathlon Hong Kong’s Facebook account.

    While store specifics or dates have not been given, Decathlon Hong Kong said the openings would take place in August.

    “Finally, your new sports stores open in August,” said a post on Facebook.

    Decathlon first entered Hong Kong in 2015 with the launch of country-dedicated website and e-commerce platform.

    In February 2017, the French group reported a 12% lift in revenues during 2016 (+4.4% on a like-for-like basis), reaching 10 billion euros, excluding taxes.

    Earlier in the year, it launched sub-brands Itiwit — a paddle-board line, and Subea — an underwater sports brand, to bolster its current sporting goods offering

    A recent report published by corporate finance advisory firm Capitalmind pinned the global sporting goods market at $388 billion in 2015, up 5%. The report said Intersport, Decathlon and Foot Locker currently dominate the sporting goods distribution market worldwide.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Security issues challenge the digital future

    Security issues challenge the digital future

    A panel discussion at CommunicAsia2017 titled “Diversifying Your Business Model Through Creative Partnerships” veered straight into the critical subject of security at the outset.

    Juniper Networks’ CTO Kireeti Kompella declared that security issues will “only going to get worse unless we do something about them.”

    Failure to develop effective security solutions will hold back the development of the upcoming 5G digital landscape before next generation networks can begin to deliver new services through creative collaboration, he said.

    “We all know about SDN (Software Defined Networks), but I talk about the Self-Driving Network or the Self-Defending Network,” said Kompella, describing a network in which security was embedded and automatic.

    He said the sheer scale of the IoT means that human intervention cannot effectively counter the growing number of security threats and intrusions.

    “Humans are going to lose if you don’t have Artificial Intelligence on your side,” he said.

    Beyond security, Ericsson’s Magnus Ewerbring, CTO, Asia-Pacific, named “integrity” in addition to security as one of the key issues for the industry in the IoT era. By this he means issues around trust, privacy, fraud and data protection.

    “IoT will be both consumer and industrial, and security is important, but integrity will also be key,” he said, adding that “traditional operators enjoy integrity, trust and faith” from their customers.

    The panel, comprising representatives from carriers, vendors, and analysts, then wrestled with ongoing challenges to the traditional carriers’ business models.

    Whether they are providers of “dumb pipe or smart pipe,” and while internet giants like Facebook are highly dependent on them, Facebook and other OTT players were not significant sources of revenue for carriers.

    Rohit Talwar, futurist speaker, Fast Future, told the conference that many carriers “like to find a reason not to innovate” and were too focused on “boxes.”

    “Facebook and Google don’t want boxes,” he said. “They want the people who create intellectual property. They are selling people who create IP.”

    Helen Wong, director of network product technology & strategy for Asia Pacific, Verizon, countered by saying that the new technologies of virtualization and cloud-based services-by their very nature-meant that carriers are finding partnerships which were “beyond boxes and vendors.”

    Mike van den Bergh, CMO, PCCW Global, said his company actively collaborates with new players in areas from tap-and-go payments to smart housing.

    “They all deliver revenue to us,” he said. “Everything in the cloud is part of wider partnerships to deliver next generation services.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Hitachi aims to become leader of Thai elevator market by 2020

    Hitachi aims to become leader of Thai elevator market by 2020

    Hitachi’s elevator and escalator distributor in Thailand is projecting aggressive sales growth to restore its top position in the local market in the next three years.

    Michael Tang, vice president of Hitachi Elevator (Thailand) Co., who has taken on a new role as head of its sales and marketing unit, said the company aims to increase its market share to 25 percent in 2020 from the current 17 percent in pursuit of market leader Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

    Hitachi was the market leader before the Asian financial crisis in 1997, which caused sales to decrease, Tang said.

    To attain the goal, the company needs to achieve annual sales growth of 20 percent on average and is seeking to sell 1,000 units this year, up 18 percent from 850 units in 2016. Of the 2017 total, elevators are expected to account for 70 percent and escalators 30 percent.

    Thailand’s elevator and escalator market, totaling about 5,500 units last year, is expected to grow 3 to 5 percent this year thanks to business expansion in the real estate and retail industries as well as public utility development in the country.

    Demand for home elevators will grow significantly in the next one to two years due to the rapidly aging population in Thailand, Tang said.

    The company forecasts that demand from the private sector, especially department stores and hospitals, will increase as government spending on infrastructure projects will motivate them to invest more, boosting the sales ratio of that sector to 65 to 80 percent in 2020.

    Hitachi expanded the annual capacity of its Thai plant from 1,500 units to 2,500 units last year and opened a regional training center in the country early this year to train and educate engineers from other Asian countries as well.

    The Japanese company plans to continue selling Thai-built products in overseas markets, expecting to boost the Thai arm’s revenue from exports to 60 percent of the total in 2020 from 10 percent at present.

    Lees ook:

  • Malaysia’s AirAsia again tries to take off in Vietnam

    Malaysia’s AirAsia again tries to take off in Vietnam

    After failing three times, Malaysian discount air carrier AirAsia is once again trying to crack the growing, but well-protected, Vietnamese airline market

    Vietnam closely guards its airline market, dominated by state-run Vietnam Airlines and local discount carrier Vietjet Air, but growth potential is such that it is attracting yet another bid by AirAsia, its fourth since 2005.

    AirAsia’s latest strategy is to team with Thien Minh Group, a pioneering local travel agency founded in 1994 by Tran Trong Kien, the current chief executive officer. TMG, whose Buffalo Tours is one of the best known travel brands in the country, also operates hotels and a travel booking website. The company also began offering seaplane flights four years ago.

    AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes is said to have first met TMG’s Kien in late 2015. The two have since explored ways to collaborate in Vietnam. Determined not to repeat AirAsia’s previous failed attempts, the two companies carefully studied strategic options as well as how to integrate the companies’ different corporate cultures, Kien said.

    The companies plan to jointly set up a low-cost carrier in Vietnam, with the first flight planned for spring 2018. Deploying medium-range passenger aircraft, such as the Airbus A320 and A321, the venture will target domestic and international routes not served by Vietnam Airlines or Vietjet Air.

    Kien said there are still niche routes where they see strong demand, such as direct flights between Tokyo and Nha Trang.

    Failed attempts

    AirAsia first attempted to enter the Vietnamese market in 2005 through a proposal to support Vietnam’s Pacific Airlines, predecessor to Jetstar Pacific Airlines, but lost to rival Qantas Airways. The next bid, in 2007, was a proposed joint venture with a state-owned shipbuilder that was rejected by the government. Its most recent deal, this time to acquire 30% of Vietjet Air in 2010, was signed by the two companies but again grounded by the government.

    Vietnam’s heavily protected airline market has so far resisted outside penetration by foreign newcomers.

    However, it still remains attractive to AirAisa, which is determined to grab a piece of the market owing to the large growth potential compared to other Southeast Asian countries, according to an executive at a Japanese airline company.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Lazada Singapore moves warehouse operations to SingPost hub

    Lazada Singapore moves warehouse operations to SingPost hub

    Lazada, a huge online shopping destination in Southeast Asia, and Singapore Post Limited, the country’s postal and eCommerce logistics service provider, announced that Lazada Singapore has moved its warehouse operations to SingPost Regional eCommerce Logistics Hub in Tampines Logistics Park.

    With investments by Alibaba in both companies, the move allows Lazada and SingPost to leverage on each other’s strengths to meet rising eCommerce demand in Southeast Asia. This combination of strengths in eCommerce and logistics will enable both companies to be in a leading position in the industry to serve a wider spectrum of customers, both in Singapore and the region. This also emphasises Lazada’s aim to work together with the wider eCommerce ecosystem in Singapore.

    “Moving Lazada Singapore’s entire warehouse operations to the SingPost Regional eCommerce Logistics Hub is the next natural step as we seek closer integration with our partners to better serve the needs of Singapore customers,” said Alexis Lanternier, CEO of Lazada Singapore. “With the recent launch of 99SME, our local sellers have access to more than 3.5 million monthly visitors in Singapore. Moving forward, we can help them expand and sell regionally.”

    SingPost Regional eCommerce Logistics Hub consolidates and integrates both warehousing and delivery hub capabilities into one building. With an integrated, end-to-end solution housed in one building, SingPost is able to provide Lazada with improved efficiency, resulting in a faster turnaround time.

    Lanternier added: “This also adequately prepares us for the Great Singapore Sale starting 6 June, and we are bringing in more brands than ever before, local and global. Customers can shop more with the confidence that their orders will be processed and delivered faster.”

    Sam Ang, executive vice president of SingPost, and CEO of Quantium Solutions International said: “Technology plays a big part in our Regional eCommerce Logistics Hub, increasing productivity and efficiency. This collaboration sees Lazada’s eCommerce platform and SingPost’s end-to-end logistics capabilities coming together and it will result in scale and efficiencies for both of us.”

    “Better still, these efficiencies will help the SME eTailers that are connected with the Lazada platform to strengthen their competitiveness in the eCommerce market domestically and internationally. We look forward to working with Lazada and supporting them as they grow in Singapore,” added Ang.

  • Only 57% of consumers feel rewarded with their loyalty programmes

    Only 57% of consumers feel rewarded with their loyalty programmes

    And here are three ways on how financial firms can improve their loyalty services. A research from Collinson Group research revealed three things ways on how financial services loyalty programmes could be improved.

    Three in five, or 60% of respondents in Singapore said they want a simpler user experience, whilst 52% noted that they would want the ability to combine points with cash. Forty-nine percent indicated that they want a larger selection of rewards.

    “This indicates that usability and accessibility of rewards are top of mind for financial services loyalty programme members,” Collinson Group said.

    The study said the two of the strongest categories of reward that are most popular with global financial services customers are travel and leisure.

    It added, “In Singapore, customers consistently place a high value on benefits such as airport lounge access, concierge services and unique social and cultural leisure experiences. Collinson Group research reinforces that customers value products and experiences offered outside of company core inventory as part of a financial services loyalty programme.

    Meanwhile, the research also revealed that only 57% of bank and financial service loyalty programme members in Singapore feel rewarded for their custom. Customers are looking for more opportunities to earn loyalty currency and more choice when redeeming their points.

    Here’s more from Collinson Group:

    Reward and recognition are becoming increasingly important for customer retention and revenue growth. As regulators encourage greater competition in the financial services market, new competitors emerge and consumers are given more opportunities to compare and switch services. Brands must consider how best to remain attractive to this sophisticated set of consumers who have a greater access to information and are always after the best value for money.

    The Collinson Group research with 2,250 consumers across the United States, United Kingdom, Singapore and the UAE revealed that more than three quarters of respondents (77 percent) look for loyalty programmes with a greater choice of rewards. Furthermore, four in five respondents (82 percent), said that the value of a programme decreases when there is only a limited range of rewards available.

    An enhanced redemption experience is delivered through a programme that offers the customer the ability to redeem in retail outlets and leisure stores, as well as an e-commerce platform. Survey respondents were clear that the value of a loyalty programme decreases if points cannot be redeemed in physical retail outlets, with 49 percent in Singapore agreeing.

    Chris Rogers, Director at Collinson Group said: “Traditional financial services models continue to evolve, with a focus on improved digital services and experiences, but a key area brands need to consider is how they recognise and reward existing customers. Other sectors such as travel and retail are demonstrating new ways of offering more personalised, timely and relevant rewards.

    “A key element in enabling this is providing customers with more ways to earn and redeem loyalty currency. Offering the opportunity to ‘spend’ points against non-financial products such as travel, leisure or more altruistic rewards is increasingly attractive to programme members. The chance to redeem points in physical stores such as retailers and to part-pay with loyalty points and cash all make programmes more relevant and therefore more valuable to consumers.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Alibaba sues maker of fake Wuliangye spirits for RMB 123,000

    Alibaba sues maker of fake Wuliangye spirits for RMB 123,000

    Alibaba Group said Wednesday it has sued a seller of fake spirits, seeking RMB123,000 (US$17,835) in damages.

    The Shanghai Xuhui District People’s Court previously found defendant, Xu Wenqiang, had violated Yibin Wuliangye Group Co. Ltd.’s “Wuliangye” liquor trademark and ordered him to pay the brand owner RMB70,000 (US$10,150) for economic losses and expenses.

    Alibaba’s civil suit comes on top of that, with the group saying Xu violated trading rules on its Taobao e-commerce platform by infringing on the intellectual property rights of a trademark owner. The complaint also seeks damages for economic losses, legal and other costs and loss of goodwill.

    According to the lawsuit, Xu, who first registered to sell on Taobao in 2009, was nabbed after the trademark owner recently bought a bottle that claimed to be 52 percent Wuliangye crystal liquor for RMB508 ($73.65) from the vendor online. Upon inspection, Yibin Wuliangye Group determined from the quality of the logo, packaging, bottles and anti-counterfeiting labels that the product was fake.

    Wuliangye, literally “Five Grains Liquid” in Chinese, is a premium spirits brand made from millet, corn, wheat and two kinds of rice. A 500-milliliter bottle in the company’s Taobao storefront starts at RMB299 (US$43.36) and can run up to RMB1,798 (US$260).

    Alibaba Executive Chairman Jack Ma recently called for tougher counterfeiting laws, stronger enforcement and stiffer penalties.

    The Alibaba lawsuit is the latest in its drive to protect brands and cause pain for counterfeiters by seeking heavy damages through the court system. The group previously sued makers of fake Swarovski watches and a Mars brand of cat food.

    In its latest legal filing in the Shanghai Songjiang District People ‘s Court, Alibaba showed the same fervor for protecting domestic brands and trademarks. The lawsuit also dovetails with a rise in purchases of wine and spirits on Alibaba platforms, as China’s burgeoning middle class seeks premium spirits, both imported and domestic.

    Last year, Alibaba held its first-ever 9.9 Global Wine & Spirits festival, an online shopping promotion that proved wildly popular among consumers.

    And earlier this month, Alibaba’s Ma signed a memorandum of understanding with Argentina to bring the countries foods and wines to China via Alibaba e-commerce platforms.

    Lees ook:

  • Bonus plan a win-win for customer and operator

    Bonus plan a win-win for customer and operator

    n unnamed customer of new Singapore mobile operator Circles.Life likes the service so much that he has referred over 600 new customers, thus earning himself 100 GB of free data, said Donald Chan the firm’s international director.

    Chan outlined his company’s business model and strategy in a keynote on Day One of CommunicAsia2017 and included details of their data bonus plan-their cornerstone of customer retention.

    He described Circles.Life as Asia’s “first fully digital telco”–from customer acquisition to service delivery. Customers communicate with the company through their iOS-or-Android app, and 95% of queries are resolved via this channel.

    The only aspect of the experience which is not digital is SIM card delivery (via courier) to the customer two days after ordering.

    To drive retention, Circles has a bonus plan where customers who recruit new customers earn 200MB of data. The company maintains a leader board, and the current top rank is held by a customer who has recruited 600 others.

    Circles has no contracts-customers for the post-paid service engage on a month-to-month basis.

    The pricing plan, said Donald Chan, is like “buying a pizza” and deciding on the toppings later.

    The base plan is S$28 per month with 4GB of data, with up to 20GB of extra data for S$20 per month.

    Customers can go into the Circles app and determine settings on voice and data use, alerts and caps.

    Chan said Circles, which uses the M1 network in Singapore, was a “niche player” designed to appeal to “tech-savvy younger consumers who want control and flexibility.”

    He said the company was looking to expand to “three-to-five” other regional markets in the next five years.

    Circle’s proprietary operating system, which is “plug-and-play,” is easy to connect to any other MNO, limiting the cost of starting up in new markets.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Big money flowing into Vietnam stock market

    Big money flowing into Vietnam stock market

    The liquidity has improved considerably with trading value of VND4.5 trillion in each trading session. One month ago, Nguyen Huu, an investor, decided to buy Sacombank shares (STB). “If I make a bank deposit, I would get an interest rate of a maximum 7 percent for six months. Meanwhile, with the investment in STB, I expect profit at 15-20 percent at minimum,” he said.

    Huu bought STB when the share price was at VND9,500 per share. And if he had sold the shares some days later, he would have made a profit of 10 percent.

    According to Nguyen Duc Hung Linh from the Saigon Securities Incorporated (SSI), the cash flow to the stock market mostly comed from big investors who prepare in financial capability and have big targets.

    The VN Index has for the first time in the last nine years has regained the 700 point threshold, while the trading value has reached VND4.5 trillion per daily trading session and foreign investors’ portfolio value has reached the highest peak.

    On May 15 morning, the stock market witnessed a record morning trading session with VND3.1 trillion worth of shares were traded. Investors were excited when seeing 56 shares hitting the ceiling price level.

    On May 16, the trading volume increased to VND3.659 trillion, an increase of 18 percent, the highest trading volume in the history of the Vietnamese market.

    “There is so much money from new sources and new investors who are more hot-headed than old investors,” the representative of a closed-end fund said.

    Nguyen Tri Hieu, a renowned banking expert, at a workshop on the stock market held some days ago, commented that this was good news for Vietnam, but investors have been advised to be cautious.

    “The index has been escalating rapidly. If the trend continues, I think the VN Index would reach the 740 point threshold or even higher,” Hieu said.

    Tong Minh Tuan from VCB Securities commented that the most important thing is that the stock market has more good commodities this year to offer.

    “Foreign funds are very excited and they have taken action. I think the market would be even more busy towards the end of the year,” Tuan said.

    Other analysts also commented that they were optimistic about the market in 2017-2018, because there would be more good shares on the market once the state divests from several profitable companies.

  • DHL: Machine learning to mitigate supplier risks

    DHL: Machine learning to mitigate supplier risks

    DHL introduced a new integral part of its Resilience360 supply chain risk management platform called DHL Supply Watch. The extension of DHL’s early warning system uses machine learning and natural language processing to detect disruptions in a company’s supply base before they cause financial losses or long lasting reputational damage.

    With Supply Watch, DHL Resilience360 is adding a broad range of new risk categories to the system’s existing portfolio to monitor supplier risks on a company level, including financial indicators, mergers & acquisition, environmental damages, supply shortages, quality issues and labor disputes, using publically available data found by monitoring of online and social media sources.

    Lees ook: