Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Arvato gears up for Asia

    Arvato gears up for Asia

    Arvato has designated Singapore as the new Asia-Pacific headquarters for its supply chain management (SCM) Solution Group. To facilitate this, the company has relocated its existing sites in the country to a single 80,000 square feet unit. Raoul Kuetemeier has stepped up from his previous general management role in China to Head of Asia.

    “We see an increasing demand for SCM solutions that integrate China and other Asian countries and markets. The new headquarters helps us to establish a strategic footprint in the region,” said Kuetemeier. “With our resources pulled together, we also enhance the efficiency of our highly customized SCM strategies and strengthen our leading position as a SCM solutions provider in Asia’s high-tech and entertainment sector.”

    Arvato’s new premise in Changi International Logispark, one of Singapore’s most established logistics clusters, is furnished with an office, warehouse and assembly area where Arvato will carry out increased volumes of regional logistics and value-added services for its clients. The location is prime for its proximity to the Changi airport as well as freight forwarders and expressways. This way, it complements Arvato’s global operational network.

    As part of his new responsibilities, Kuetemeier will focus on streamlining the operations and sales activities for the Arvato SCM Solution Group in the Asia Pacific region. In his new role, he oversees more than 600 employees across Singapore, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Bangkok, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

    Kuetemeier joined Arvato in 2004 where he played a key role setting up new facilities in Germany and Austria. Prior to his current position, Kuetemeier was based in China for eight years. He has a proven track record of supporting multi-national clients to develop their strategic supply chain strategies in Europe and Asia.

  • Renault, Nissan buy French tech firm to develop mobility apps

    Renault, Nissan buy French tech firm to develop mobility apps

    Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co announced on Tuesday they would buy French software development company Sylpheo as they compete with global automakers and tech firms to develop new services including ride hailing and car sharing.

    The French and Japanese automakers said that the acquisition, under which they would absorb Sylpheo’s 40 engineers and consultants, would boost their software development and cloud engineering expertise.

    “The Sylpheo team of software developers and cloud engineers joining the Alliance will have a unique opportunity to work on our next generation of connected cars and other advanced technologies,” said Ogi Redzic, Renault-Nissan’s senior vice president of Connected Vehicles and Mobility Services.

    “They will be playing a critical role in this new era of tremendous change for the global auto industry.”

    Automakers from Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) to General Motors (GM.N) have been investing in software firms and mobility start-ups to position themselves for the rise of autonomous driving, ride-sharing and other connected services which threaten the traditional vehicle ownership model that has dominated the past century.

    Sylpheo will develop the applications for the alliance’s connected car service platform, a Renault spokeswoman said. She said the acquisition was part of the alliance’s recruitment push to hire 300 technology experts to better compete in the fast-growing mobility services sector.

    These services will be integrated with autonomous driving technologies. In July, Nissan launched a suite of semi-autonomous driving functions in one of its Japanese minivan models which enables the vehicle to drive on single lane motorways and navigate congestion.

    The two companies plan to launch more than 10 vehicles with autonomous drive technology by 2020. Nissan is aiming to develop autonomous multiple-lane driving functions, including lane changes, by 2018, and functions for full urban driving, including intersection turns, by 2020.

    Lees ook:

  • GSMA details industry’s impact on UN SDGs

    GSMA details industry’s impact on UN SDGs

    The GSMA has published the first research into the global mobile industry’s contribution towards helping the UN achieve its sustainable development goals (SDGs).

    Prepared by Deloitte, the report also details several industry commitments and explores ways the industry can strengthen its impact on the goals.

    According to GSMA director general Mats Grannyd, the report will establish a benchmark for the industry’s progress in contributing to the goals and can serve as a blueprint for other industries to follow.

    The UN last year established a set of 17 goals for countries to achieve by 2030. These include eliminating poverty and hunger, achieving gender equality, building sustainable cities and communities and transitioning to affordable and clean energy.

    The report finds that the mobile industry impacts all 17 goals to varying degrees, with the greatest effects being felt in the goals covering industry, innovation and infrastructure, as well as no poverty, quality education and climate action.

    For example, the mobile industry has given more than 400 million people access to financial services through their phones in 90 countries. The industry has committed to developing new mobile money products for unbanked consumers in developing markets.

    On gender equality, 18 operators with a combined 90 million customers have so far joined the Connected Women Commitment Initiative, which aims to close the gender gap in the use of mobile internet and mobile money services.

    Another UN SDG involves promoting decent work and economic growth. The GSMA noted that the mobile industry added $3.1 trillion in economic value to the global economy last year, representing 4.2% of global GDP, and directly or indirectly supported 32 million jobs.

    New industry commitments include elevating the mobile industry’s focus on humanitarian assistance, partnering with the UN Secretary-Gernal’s Special Adviser to create a roadmap for ongoing engagement with the goals and advocating sustainability principles linked to the goals.

    “As an industry, we are focused on connecting everyone and everything to a better future,” Grannyd said.

    “In February, the mobile industry was the first to unite in supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and this report reiterates our commitment to ensuring that connectivity plays a key role in helping achieve the 17 goals by 2030.”

    Lees ook:

  • Globe deploys CEM suite from NICE

    Globe deploys CEM suite from NICE

    Globe Telecom has become the Philippines’ first operator to implement NICE’s Total Voice of the Customer (TVOC) suite to help improve the customer experience.

    The operator has deployed the suite across seven of its customer-facing touchpoints, including the contact center, retail centers, self-service points and outbound calls.

    NICE TVOC combines instant solicited feedback with interaction analytics for insight into the drivers of customer satisfaction.

    This improved visibility has given Globe the ability to take immediate action for recovery, when necessary, as well as to identify best practices to be shared with all service representatives. Insights from the TVOC solution are being used to bring company services in line with customer expectations.

    TVOC is the latest addition to the portfolio of NICE enterprise solutions Globe has implemented, which also include applications for workforce management, interaction analytics and quality optimization.

    “Seeing that telco is a very dynamic space to be in, it is important for us get as much insight as we can about our customers so we can engage them at their ‘moment of truth’ and deliver real impact,” said Rebecca Eclipse, chief customer experience officer at Globe Telecom. “Eventually, this will be our competitive edge, as we can quickly identify opportunities to better serve our customers and immediately take action.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • PT Telkom launches pay TV content and ad platform

    PT Telkom launches pay TV content and ad platform

    Indonesia’s PT Telkom, through satellite business unit Metrasat, has launched a new content and advertising solution designed to support the pay TV industry in Indonesia.

    Metrasat, itself a subsidiary of Telkom’s PT Multimedia Nusantara division, has announced the launch of Mediahub.

    The Mediahub project was initiated due to the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission’s regulations restricting foreign commercial advertisement on the foreign channels aired on local pay TV channels in Indonesia.

    MediaHub is the first solution specifically designed to help content providers, advertising agencies, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics of Indonesia, the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission and pay TV operators develop safe and convenient local content, as well as increasing revenue and optimizing cost efficiency.

    It aims to address practical solutions as a content aggregation and distribution service, helping the industry face ever-increasing distribution and monetization challenges. With its playout and ad-insertion system, MediaHub allows selected content to comply with national broadcasting regulations while distributing it in any format required by pay TV operators.

    MediaHub’s proprietary plug-and-play system means it is the only pay TV ad network to support local content developers.

    “Telkom is pleased to launch an integrated solution that not only caters to the telco industry, but is designed to create significant new value for the content and advertising industry in Indonesia,” said Telkom director of enterprise and business services Muhammad Awaluddin. He said the launch is in line with Telkom’s mission of transforming from a telco to a “digico” (digital telecommunications).

    “TelkomMetra focuses on adjacent business supporting the Telco Business and believes that the content industry will grow significantly in the years to come,” added TelkomMetra CEO Teguh Wahyono.

    “However, it will require support from efficient aggregation and distribution services. TelkomMetra will support the content industry by delivering contents effectively and efficiently while complying with Indonesian regulations. We expect local content to grow even more while global content will continue to honor and support Indonesian culture.”

    Lees ook:

  • Makansutra brings Singapore street hawker food to Manila

    Makansutra brings Singapore street hawker food to Manila

    Singapore food culture company Makansutra has created what it describes as one of the most modern but retro looking heritage food halls in Manila.

    Founded in 1997 by entrepreneur-photojournalist, KF Seetoh Makansutra aims to celebrate and promote food culture through food guides, online content, eateries, specialised events, projects and TV shows. Now it has brought 11 stalls and a refreshment and snack station to a 14,000 sqft prime retail space in the SM Megamall.

    “It has been a year coming, fraught with complex building issues, ingredients sourcing problems, lack of proper local equipments and expertise… among others,” explained Seetoh. “But Makansutra Hawkers has now launched in Manila.”

    Five famous hawkers and street food restaurants from Singapore and Malaysia made their international debut there: Geylang Claypot Rice, Alhambra Padang Satay, HK Street Old Chun Kee, Jin Ji Braised Duck and Kway Chap and the iconic Donald and Lily from Malacca. All, except for Geylang Claypot Rice which is a stall requested by show host Anthony Bourdain for his Bourdain Market in New York, were featured at the recent World Street Food Congress held in Manila.

    Makansutra

    The other stalls were new hawkers licensed under Makansutra and trained by the hawkers in the team. There’s Mian Ji (fried Hokkien prawn mee and soup version), Baoji Xiang (Chicken rice and paper wrapped chicken), Ah Tee (oyster omelette and carrot cake), Adam’s Ribs ( bak kut teh), and Curry Flurry (roti prata, fish head curry and nasi briyani).

    “The hawker centre’s design is a throwback to the era when street food was de rigueur and was like a treat, back in the 1960s and 1970s. We used corrugated zinc sheets for a ceiling and plain polished concrete floor with graffiti on the walls, construction beams smack in the middle of the eatery and the furniture don’t match,” explained Seetoh.

    Makansutra Hawkers is located on the second floor of SM Megamall Building A in Mandaluyong City. It is open from 10am to 10pm.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Pokemon Go device launched in Japan

    Pokemon Go device launched in Japan

    Hundreds of people have stood in long lines outside Japanese stores to buy the Pokemon Go Plus device.

    In Osaka, around 700 people waited outside a Pokemon Centre shop to buy the device when the store opened at 0800, two hours earlier than usual.

    Pokemon Go Plus allows Pokemon Go players to interact with the mobile game without looking at the phone.

    “(Using the peripheral gear), Pokemon hunting will speed up because I don’t have to stare at the (Smartphone) screen. I want to get them (Pokemon monsters) one after another,” said Kana Sugiura, 29, who was waiting outside the store, to Japanese news agency Kyodo.

    Pokemon Go Plus is a gadget similar to a wristwatch but attached with a clip that connects to the game.

    The device, which costs around US$35 (A$47), is connected to the mobile phone via Bluetooth, and through a led light (green or blue) and vibrations notify the player when there is a ‘poke stop’ or a Pokemon nearby, which can then be captured by pressing the device button without any need for the phone.

    The peripheral add-on is available from Friday in most countries – including Australia, said game developer Niantic in a statement.

    Lees ook:

  • New roadmap issued for Singapore retail

    New roadmap issued for Singapore retail

    Guidelines aimed at spurring new life into the Singapore retail industry have been launched by the government.

    Its Retail Industry Transformation Map (ITM) follows the release of a food services roadmap as the city-state’s economy slows.

    According to Spring Singapore, an agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry responsible for helping Singapore enterprises grow, the launch of the Retail ITM takes into consideration such challenges as fewer business travellers, lower spending per individual, and consumer shifts from brick-and-mortar to eCommerce. Consumers have also turned to foreign eCommerce sites to find a wider variety of goods at lower prices.

    “Retailers can look to expand their markets locally and internationally through e-channels,” says Spring Singapore, which encourages retailers to adopt an omni-channel strategy to better reach out and support targeted end-to-end consumer needs across both online and offline channels.

    Singapore has about 21,000 retail establishments which contribute nearly 1.4 per cent to GDP and employ about 3 per cent of the total workforce.

    Aside from optimising productivity, the ITM also aims to focus on innovation and the adoption of new technologies to drive competitiveness. It will also work on the industry’s flexibility to adapt to evolving trends in jobs and skills.

    Strong industry partnerships and internationalisation are considered key elements in pushing the industry’s transformation.

    Doubts over sale

    Meanwhile, the future of the Great Singapore Sale (GSS) could be in jeopardy after 23 years of helping bolster the city’s reputation as an international shopping destination.

    After three years of falling sales during the GSS, the organiser, the Singapore Retailers Association(SRA), and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) are about to look at the annual event’s direction.

    “We need to discuss if there is a point in continuing it, or whether there is a need to reformat it,” says SRA president R. Dhinakaran after official sale figures confirm that efforts this year to arrest the slide have failed (this year the GSS ran for 10 weeks from June to the middle of last month).

    Singapore Department of Statistics figures released last week show a 3 per cent fall in July retail sales, excluding motor vehicles. This follows a similar dip in June’s figure.

    Orchard Road Business Association (ORBA) executive director Steven Goh believes it is time to reformat the event. He says it should be held when Singaporeans are not away during the school holidays.

    He urges retailers to come to a consensus on saving their best deals for the GSS. “That way, it will be really one-off and impactful.”

    Singapore is also competing with similar events in the region, such as the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival, usually from June to August. Started in 2000, the nationwide promotion includes contests, prizes and street food.

    Launched the same year, the Korea Grand Sale runs from August to October, and January to February each year. It features celebrity performances and opening-day events at the country’s airports.

    Lees ook:

  • Aeon Mall inviting foreign firms to be tenants

    Aeon Mall inviting foreign firms to be tenants

    Aiming to add variety in the face of intensifying competition, Japanese retail giant Aeon Mall is inviting foreign businesses to sign on as tenants in Japan.

    Aeon Mall, which has about 150 shopping centres across Japan, will aim to have its first new-look location open next spring. A new dedicated department includes two staff members assigned to Chinese businesses and three to businesses from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Tenants from other areas, such as Europe and the US, are also sought.

    A broad range of sectors is being considered, including restaurants, apparel, home products and services. As well as major chains, Aeon is interested in small businesses in the tourism sector.

    Aeon Mall is negotiating arrangements with more than 30 companies already. By inviting multiple tenants all at one time, the company seeks to recreate the feel of an Asian-style “restaurant alley”, for example.

    aeon-mall-japan

    Targeted candidates include foreign companies interested in doing business in Japan but hesitant because they lack knowledge of the market. To help deepen their understanding, Aeon will offer tours of its malls in Japan and abroad.

    Japan’s shopping centre market grew 4.5 per cent last year to 31 trillion yen (US$302 billion), according to the Japan Council of Shopping Centers, but was treading water on an existing-store basis.

    The market’s medium- to long-term outlook is also dim with the shrinking Japanese population and the rise of online shopping.

    “Mass-producing the same type of shopping mall will not lead to substantial growth going forward,” says Aeon Mall president Akio Yoshida. The company last year opened a more experience-focussed mall with an athletic track and racetrack.

    Lees ook:

  • Coach Tmall flagship abandoned

    Coach Tmall flagship abandoned

    The official Coach Tmall flagship shop has been abandoned.

    Luxury bag brand Coach Inc says it will replace its shop on Alibaba Group Holding’s business-to-consumer sales site by selling directly through its own website and on its WeChat account, the social-media app run by Alibaba rival Tencent Holdings. Coach has offered coupons and launched a media campaign on WeChat.

    A Coach spokeswoman says the company wants to consolidate resources and will continue to look for innovative ways to leverage digital and social platforms.

    Alibaba says Coach products are still available on TMall from other merchants.

    Selling shoes, purses and accessories, Coach was one of the first US luxury brands to launch an official store on the TMall. It started with a temporary pop-up store from December 2011 to January 2012, opening a full store in 2015.

    Early this month, nearly a dozen trade groups wrote to Alibaba complaining that it was not doing enough to combat counterfeits. And the loss of Coach comes as Alibaba faces added scrutiny from a US trade agency as to whether it should be added to a list of marketplaces that are known for selling counterfeits.
    Alibaba’s Taobao consumer-to-consumer marketplace was on the list years ago, but was removed in 2012.

    Meanwhile, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE’s Guerlain has just opened a flagship store on TMall, and MakeUp Forever and Sephora, two other brands under the LVMH umbrella, also have TMall stores. Also, the cosmetics unit of Salvatore Ferragamo will launch its store later this month.

    Lees ook:

  • Huawei unveils newest security solution for SDN

    Huawei unveils newest security solution for SDN

    Huawei has unveiled its latest SDN security solution which promises to “guarantees the security of enterprise tenants’ applications hosted on the cloud”.

    Based on the core component Agile Controller, the solution virtualizes hardware security devices and offers a variety of services for online subscription.

    The automated security deployment capability also greatly improves cloud service protection efficiency.

    While more and more enterprises are using cloud services to reduce costs and improve flexibility, enterprises seldom consider security before this change. As storage, computing, and network resources all become virtualized, manual configuration and adjustment of security resources can no longer adapt to quick service development in a flexible and cost effective way.

    Moreover, cloud-based service deployment eliminates network security boundaries. Virtual networks, especially the virtual machine (VM) layer, urgently need effective security protection.

    As common threats have evolved to advanced persistent threats (APTs) that can hide for a longer period of time and are more difficult to detect, traditional APT defense methods also need to adapt to software-defined network (SDN)environments.

    “As more services are migrating to the cloud, the boundary of security threats becomes blurred,” said Liu Lizhu, GM of Huawei Enterprise Network Product Line’s Security Gateway Domain.

    “Data center services are facing more severe security risks after SDN technology is used, as such no companies, regions, or organizations are free from such risks. Huawei Software-defined Security Solution will guarantee innovative, scalable, and efficient cloud services for tenants and help enterprises accelerate business transformation and upgrade.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Huawei, ZTE launch pre-5G network components

    Huawei, ZTE launch pre-5G network components

    Huawei and ZTE have both announced the launch of pre-5G products to help operators prepare for the new technology.

    ZTE released its new Pre5G MIMO 2.0 product at the China International Information and Communication Exhibition in Beijing yesterday.

    The new product is aimed at the high-end market to help operators in developed countries meet the challenges of surging traffic demand and limited spectrum resources, by improving single-station spectral efficiency.

    ZTE announced it has started pre-5G network deployment for more than 20 operators in China and other counties.

    Huawei meanwhile unveiled what it said is the industry’s first 5G-oriented mobile edge computing (MEC) offering, MEC@CloudEdge.

    The vendor said the technology is designed to equip today’s mobile networks to meet the requirements of extremely low latency, content localization and ultra-high bandwidth that will need to be met in the 5G era.

    It relies on a cloud-based network architecture to optimize the user experience during activities such as augmented and virtual reality and ultra-HD video streaming

    “MEC@CloudEdge is the first 5G-oriented MEC solution emanating from our R&D labs. It uses new technologies that will enable operators to deploy 5G-oriented networks for sustainable development and to achieve best user experience and faster service innovation,” Huawei president of cloud packet product line Dai Jisheng said.

  • GM Korea to sell 10 Chevrolet Aveo compacts online

    GM Korea to sell 10 Chevrolet Aveo compacts online

    GM Korea said on Sept. 19 it will sell 10 units of its new Chevrolet Aveo compacts via Auction, a local online shopping site affiliated with eBay Korea, on Sept. 26.

    This is the first time in Korea that a carmaker has decided to sell vehicles online.

    Even though the unprecedented online car sale seems more like a marketing activity, industry watchers say other carmakers could follow suit considering consumer reaction, especially among youngsters who prefer online shopping rather than visiting physical shops.

    “Through the collaboration with Auction, we hope to appeal to female drivers in their 30s and 40s, the new Aveo’s target customers,” a GM Korea official said.

    In August, Ticket Monster, a daily-deal site, stirred controversy after it sold 20 Jaguar XF sedans via its website without consulting the carmaker’s UK headquarters. Jaguar Land Rover Korea at the time hinted at a legal action for damage to its brand value and creating confusion.

    The retail price of the Aveo is 17.79 million won (US$16,000). GM Korea plans to offer diverse benefits to those who purchase the car online, including online cash points worth 5 million won.

     

    Lees ook:

  • Philippines raises 100 bln pesos through retail T-bond sale

    Philippines raises 100 bln pesos through retail T-bond sale

    The Philippines raised 100 billion pesos ($2.1 billion) from the sale of retail treasury bonds, the government said on Monday.

    The nine-day public offer for 3.5 percent 2026 bonds closed on Sept. 16.

    Proceeds from the sale will be used to finance the government’s plan to increase infrastructure spending.

    ($1 = 47.9100 Philippine pesos)

     

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Retail sector jobless rate rises to 5.4pc

    Retail sector jobless rate rises to 5.4pc

    Retail sector jobless rate rises to 5.4pc

    The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, said today that on a year-on-year comparison, Hong Kong’s unemployment rate was 0.3 percentage point higher, with employment dipping for the 16th consecutive period.

    He was responding to the June to August period when both the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate and the underemployment rate was unchanged at 3.4 percent and 1.4 percent.

    Cheung said the retail sector was particularly hard hit by the fall in tourist spending and lackluster local consumption, with its unemployment rate up by 0.9 percentage point over a year earlier to 5.4 percent.

    Lees ook: