Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Samsung issues recall of Galaxy Note 7 globally

    Samsung issues recall of Galaxy Note 7 globally

    Samsung Electronics is recalling about 1 million units of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone sold globally after a series of reports on battery explosions since its launch on Aug. 19.

    The company said all the phones will be exchanged with new ones regardless of battery functions. Considering inventories, the recall will affect some 2.5 million Note phones produced, it added.

    Samsung Electronics mobile chief Koh Dong-jin apologizes at a press conference held in Seoul

    “We have concluded that defective battery cells have caused the recent explosions. Among 1 million units sold, 24 have been found to have faulty batteries,” said the company’s mobile chief Koh Dong-jin at a press conference held in Seoul on Sept. 2.

    “Even though our investigation is ongoing, we have decided to exchange all the phones considering growing safety concerns among customers,” he said.

    Samsung has suspended shipments of the big-screen Note phone since early this week after several reports in Korea and abroad claiming that the phone exploded while charging. No injuries have been reported.

    The recall is expected to start from Sept. 19 in 10 countries, including Korea and the US.

    In Korea alone, some 400,000 preorders have been made.

    Koh declined to reveal the cost of the planned recall, saying: “It is a huge amount. But we have decided to do so for the safety of our customers.”

    Considering the retail price of Korea at 988,900 won (US$881), the company is recalling an estimated 2.5 trillion won (US$2.2 billion) of Note phones.

     

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  • AirAsia’s Tune Labs, rewards program startup ZAP form JV

    AirAsia’s Tune Labs, rewards program startup ZAP form JV

    Tune Labs, a venture capital vehicle formed by AirAsia founders Tony Fernandes and Kamarudin Meranun, has entered into a joint venture with top Philippine rewards and loyalty program ZAP.

    The partnership will see AirAsia BIG, the loyalty program for AirAsia and the Tune group of companies, leverage on ZAP’s platform to allow BIG members to earn and redeem points from daily purchases at physical stores with just a mobile number.

    Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tune Labs was launched last April 2015 as a startup incubator and accelerator program aimed mostly at the Southeast Asia region. Its goal is to identify, fund and nurture early stage companies in the travel, finance and retail sectors.

    The advanced AirAsia BIG loyalty program will be launched in the third quarter of this year tartegeting over 100 partner establishments in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia before expanding to neighboring countries in Southeast Asia. Partners will include restaurants, services, and retail shops in commercial centers.

    AirAsia BIG has over 17 million members across the Asia-Pacific region and was recently named Loyalty Programme of the Year at the 2016 Loyalty & Engagement Awards.

    AirAsia BIG CEO Eddy Leong said customer loyalty is a large part of AirAsia’s success and the joint venture is part of their retail strategy.

    “ZAP is the tech partner to help AirAsia BIG achieve our goal of having loyal customers earn BIG points and redeem for their flights faster and easier than ever, by rewarding members’ everyday life,” Leong said.

    According to ZAP CEO Dustin Cheng, the partnership will fast-track ZAP’s expansion through the region.

    “The joint venture allows us to leverage on millions of AirAsia’s customers,” Cheng said. “Our goal in ZAP has always been to empower merchants of all sizes with an easy-to-use loyalty and CRM platform.”

    Founded in 2012, as a mobile number-based loyalty program for brick-and-mortar merchants, ZAP is one of 26 digital tech startups funded by Kickstart Ventures Inc, a wholly-owned venture capital subsidiary of Globe Telecom Inc.

    ZAP today caters to over 300,000 members and works with close to a thousand partner establishments within Metro Manila in the Philippines.

    Kickstart president Minette Navarrete said the ZAP co-founders have the high energy and agility to expand across the region, and the joint venture capitalizes on AirAsia BIG’s scale and ZAP’s growth momentum.

    “AirAsia and the Tune group of companies are among Southeast Asia’s success stories, with an ethos we truly admire. The ZAP founders have proven their ability to effectively drive customer and revenue growth, and adoption of a technology platform in a high-touch retail environment,” Navarrete said.

     

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  • Furla reports 38% H1 travel-retail sales increase

    Furla reports 38% H1 travel-retail sales increase

    Italian luxury leathergoods brand Furla has reported a 38% travel-retail sales increase in H1 2016.

    Furla currently has 223 travel-retail points of sales in 52 countries, the most recent openings in Bucharest Henri Coandă International airport and Singapore Changi airport terminal two with Lagardère Travel Retail.

    Following record results in 2015 in terms of sales and profitability, the Furla Group overall has continued growth in the first half of 2016 registering €194m ($217m) in sales versus €151m in H1 2015, an increase of 28%.

    This increase is equal to +27% at constant exchange rates and proves Furla Group’s growth is well distributed worldwide thanks to increases in sales ranging between +22% and +34% in all geographical areas where the brand is present.

    The Furla Group now counts 425 mono-brand stores, up from the 415 units registered at the end of 2015. Around 50% of these mono-brand stores are composed of property and franchising points of sale.

    Counting multi-brands and department stores, the Furla Group is present in more than 1,200 other locations worldwide. It is directly present in more than 100 countries with its products.

    Furla Group, recently opened new mono-brand stores in locations such as Citic Mall in Shanghai, Mira Mall in Hong Kong, GUM in Moscow and in Nice. In the second semester of 2016, the Furla Group plans to open new stores in London (Brompton Road) and in Paris (Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré).

    Japan remains its strongest market, representing 26% of total sales in the semester with a 30% increase just like the US. In Europe, sales excluding Italy—that alone is responsible for a 34% sales increase—have increased by 26%. Asia/Pacific sales have risen 22%, equal to almost 20% of the total sales for the Group. Like-for-like sales have also surged significantly with well-balanced results across all regions.

    In 2016, Furla Group, which boasts a 1,500-strong workforce, intends to increase investments in areas that already appreciate the brand and where the Group sees even more potential: marketing, communications, digital and e-commerce markets.

    Furla Group general manager Alberto Camerlengo said: “We’re extremely proud of our results for the first half of the year. The Furla Group continues to grow exponentially both geographically and across the different product categories, continuing to assert itself on a global level as one of the leading Brands in all markets.

    “The quality, freshness and innovative aspects of our products are recognised all over the world and we have been able to achieve these results thanks to the commitment and dedication of our team. We will continue to work towards new growth goals, opening new distribution channels, reinforcing existing relationships and focusing on new projects for the future.”

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  • Volkswagen sets up shop in Malaysia to handle direct sales here

    Volkswagen sets up shop in Malaysia to handle direct sales here

    Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) Sdn Bhd will be the official distributor of Volkswagen cars in the domestic market.

    VPCM is managed by European automotive retail specialist, Porsche Holding Salzburg, the car distributor said in a statement.

    The announcement comes after a series of consolidation exercises within Volkswagen Malaysia over the past six months.

    Alin Tapalaga, one of two managing directors to lead VCPM, said the company would be increasing the Completely Knocked-Down model line-up, and continue to import Completely Built-Up models into the country.

    Moving forward, Volkswagen Group Malaysia will concentrate its business interest in Malaysia on the Audi brand, as well as its vehicle assembly operation in Pekan, Pahang.

    Meanwhile, VPCM is introducing a five-year manufacturer warranty for all Volkswagen cars purchased from today, while launching the new Jetta and all-new Passat within the next few months.

    The Volkswagen franchise in Malaysia was previously handled by DRB-Hicom Bhd.

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  • Wine Australia store launched on Alibaba

    Wine Australia store launched on Alibaba

    Australian wines are set to get a big boost in China from e-commerce giant Alibaba Group’s latest venture.

    An online “flagship store” featuring Australian wine has been launched on Alibaba’s business-to-consumer platform Tmall.com.

    Alibaba’s online retail sites cater to 434 million Chinese consumers, and the group generates half of China’s online wine sales.

    The new store on Tmall, supported by Wine Australia and operated by Chinese online retailer Vinehoo.com, will initially stock 10 brands from eight Australian wine regions, followed by another 20 brands in coming months. The first brands to be featured include Brokenwood, Coriole, John Duval, Pikes and Voyager Estate. Wine Australia does not select the brands. Wine Australia chief executive Andreas Clark said Alibaba was a significant player in Chinese e-commerce — a massive company with great reach. “The muscle they can bring, potentially, to further increasing Australian wine sales is vitally important,” Mr Clark said.

    China’s food and wine culture is still evolving, he said, and more Chinese consumers are looking online for premium products.

    “Our support of Tmall’s flagship Australian wine store helps us capitalise on this growing interest in Australian wine and gives us the opportunity to further reinforce the message with consumers that wines of Australian provenance are of the highest quality,” Mr Clark said.

    Alibaba’s managing director for Australia and New Zealand, Maggie Zhou, said Australian wines are considered world-class, and come at varied price points, so the opportunity to sell to China’s growing middle class is significant. Mainland China is now Australia’s second most valuable export market after the US.

    Total Australian wine exports to mainland China in fiscal 2016 rose 50 per cent to $419 million. Exports of wine priced at $10 or more per litre grew 71 per cent to $169m.

  • Nagra, Samsung debut TVkey USB device

    Nagra, Samsung debut TVkey USB device

    Nagra, a Kudelski Group company, has launched the TVkey USB device, the direct-to-TV security solution for pay TV operators that allows consumers to sign up for pay TV services directly on selected new Samsung TVs, while meeting all key MovieLabs requirements for Enhanced Content Protection (4K UHD, HDR, early release).

    With TVkey, consumers will be able to enjoy premium content in 4K UHD quality directly on new TV sets through a simple sign-up process and with a single remote control unit.

    The TVkey approach offers a fast, secure and low entry barrier route to market for pay TV operators launching 4K services directly to new consumer TV sets.

    The cost optimized form factor of TVkey USB devices will enable innovative and low-touch consumer logistics including bundling the device with the TV set. Such an approach can radically simplify the customer acquisition process with pay TV services working straight out of the box.

    Through a simple sign-up process, either via a TV app, a web portal or a call center, consumers can easily sign up for a pay TV service package. Operators can also use free preview periods in order to entice consumers into becoming loyal customers. And because no additional set-top box or installation is required, the customer acquisition costs and CAPEX can be dramatically lowered.

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  • AirAsia to lease two aircraft from Indonesia AirAsia Extra

    AirAsia to lease two aircraft from Indonesia AirAsia Extra

    AirAsia Bhd has entered into a wet lease agreement with PT Indonesia AirAsia Extra (IAAX) to lease two Airbus A330 widebody aircraft for US$12.9mil (RM52.5mil).

    In a filing with Bursa Malaysia on Tuesday, AirAsia said one aircraft would be leased from Sept 16, 2016 till March 15, 2017 for US$9.8mil (RM39.9mil).

    The other’s lease would be from Oct 1, 2016 till Nov 30, 2016 for US$3.1mil (RM12.62mil), it said.

    AirAsia said the leasing was due to operational requirements.

    “The lease of the aircraft is in the form contained in the agreement which shall include the flight crew, all maintenance of the aircraft and insurance,” it said.

    AirAsia said the agreement provided up to additional six crew sets daily to AirAsia’s manpower supply.

    “Additionally, extra capacity from the A330s allows AirAsia to rationalise its network by reducing flight frequencies, which results in lesser crew requirement,” it said.

    It said the additional capacity from A330s will also allow for AirAsia to overcome slot constraints in some airports as well as enable AirAsia to better manage its network.

    “For routes with low load factor, AirAsia could reduce frequency, thus reducing fixed costs required to operate them. Whereas additional capacity could be added for routes with high load factor to capitalise on the high demand,” it said.

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  • IOC eyes petroleum retailing in Myanmar

    IOC eyes petroleum retailing in Myanmar

    The state-run firm currently has marketing subsidiaries in Sri Lanka, Mauritius and West Asia. IOC, as part of its overseas expansion, is set to come up with its first international product pipeline to Nepal.

    “We have submitted a bid to start retail outlets and also to set up LPG plants in Myanmar,” said Anish Aggarwal, director (pipelines) of IOC, on the sidelines of a summit organised by Project Management Institute.
    The concept of this pipeline was first proposed in 2006 as a joint venture between IOC and Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC). However, it never took off as NOC was not keen on the project.
    “We are awaiting the statutory clearance from the Nepal government. Once it is in place, the project can be commissioned with in 30 months,” Aggarwal added.

    India exports $1.1 billion worth of petroleum products to Nepal annually.

    It was in 2015 that IOC signed a memorandum of understanding with NOC to lay the pipeline between Raxaul in Bihar to Amlekhganj in Nepal at a capacity of 1.3 million tonnes per annum. The project would cost about Rs 275 crore and cover 41 km.

    Currently, all petroleum products are trucked from IOC’s depot in Bihar to Nepal. The project includes expansion of the Amlekhgunj Amlekhganj depot.

    Thirty-nine km out of the 41-km pipeline lie in India. Currently, IOC supplies petroleum products to Nepal from Haldia, Barauni and Karnal refineries.

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  • Sony Pictures acquires Zee’s Ten Sports

    Sony Pictures acquires Zee’s Ten Sports

    Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) and its affiliates have entered into definitive agreements to acquire TEN Sports Network from Zee Entertainment Enterprises and its subsidiaries for $385 million.

    The TEN Sports channels being acquired include TEN 1, TEN 1 HD, TEN 2, TEN 3, TEN Golf HD, TEN Cricket, TEN Sports that operate in several countries including the Indian sub-continent, Maldives, Singapore, Hong Kong, Middle East, Caribbean.

    TEN Sports holds broadcast rights to major cricket boards (South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe). In addition, Ten Sports holds rights to wrestling (WWE), football (UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, French League, English Football League Cup), tennis (WTA Events, ATP events), golf (European Tour, Asian Tour, Ryder Cup, US PGA Championship, LPGA Tour, Professional Golf Tour of India and Golf Channel Block), athletics (Asian Games, Commonwealth Games), motor sports (Moto GP) and cycling (Tour de France) events.

    “The acquisition of TEN Sports Network will strengthen SPN’s offering for viewers of cricket, football and fight sports, complementing our existing portfolio of international and domestic sporting properties,” said NP Singh, CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India.

    “It also aptly demonstrates SPN’s commitment to providing a broad range of sporting entertainment to fans across India and the sub-continent,” said Singh.

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  • Telkom launches innovation services in Indonesia

    Telkom launches innovation services in Indonesia

    Multimedia Nusantara (TelkomMetra), a unit of Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom), has launched innovative service MediaHub to support the content and advertising industry in Indonesia.

    “Telkom is offering an integrated solution, not limited to telecoms but also takes part as the platform that delivers value to content that is delivered through its main connectivity business,” said Muhammad Awaluddin, director of enterprise and business service at Telkom Indonesia.

    MediaHub is said to be the first one to facilitate content providers, advertising agencies, Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo), the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) and pay TV operators in developing safe and convenient contents.

    The service will also support in a new way of generating revenue and cost efficiencies for content providers and pay TV operators.

    Supported by over than 20 years of experience in playout technology from SmartCast, MediaHub through Metrasat, provides practical solutions as content aggregation and distribution services to overcome the obstacles over content distribution and its monetization in Indonesia.

    As a partner for the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission, MediaHub with its playout and ad-insertion system enables the selected content in dedicated feed to comply the regulation of broadcasting in Indonesia and ready to distribute them in any required formats to pay TV operators.

    Through its plug and play system, MediaHub provides efficient process to be the only pay TV ad network to support content business and local productions.

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  • Indonesia to overtake Brazil and Mexico as 4th largest smartphone market in 2020

    Indonesia to overtake Brazil and Mexico as 4th largest smartphone market in 2020

    Global prospects for wearable electronics continue to be strong with retail value sales projected to grow by 138% to become a US$45 billion dollar industry in 2021, remaining the worlds second best-selling product behind smartphone

    Euromonitor International’s new data released Tuesday on the global consumer electronics industry also said new products like smart wearables and wireless speakers and innovations like Ultra HD and convertible laptops resonate with the shift in consumer preferences.

    These products command higher retail selling prices, helping boost profit margins of manufacturers and retailers, says Head of Consumer Electronics at Euromonitor International, Wee Teck Loo.

    While wearable electronics demand is growing, Emerging markets like India and Indonesia provide plenty of untapped opportunity for smartphones due to the huge pool of feature phone upgrades.

    Indonesia is projected to overtake Brazil and Mexico as the fourth largest smartphone market reaching almost $1 billion dollar sales in 2020, adds Loo.

    The top-10 smartphone markets in 2021 are projected to be: 1. China 2. India 3. US 4. Indonesia 5. Brazil 6. Russia 7. Mexico 8. Japan 9. Philippines 10. United Kingdom

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  • India is world’s third biggest startup hub

    India is world’s third biggest startup hub

    India is the third biggest home to tech startups, following the US and the UK, a study indicates.

    The study, conducted by Assocham in association with Thought Arbitrage Research Institute, also indicates that Bengaluru hosts the largest share of technology startups in the country, followed by Delhi NCR and Mumbai. Hyderabad and Chennai are also popular destinations for prospective tech entrepreneurs.

    “In the technology driven startups, India has moved up to third position with the US occupying the top position with more than 47,000 and the UK with over 4,500. India’s tech startups were to the tune of 4,200 up to 2015,” the report states.

    India also figured among the top 5 largest hosts in the world, along with China (10,000 each) in terms of the total number of startups, comprising both tech and non-tech areas. US leads with 83,000 startups.

    IT hub Bengaluru is host to 26% of domestic tech startups, followed by Delhi NCR (23%) and Mumbai (17%). In the ‘catching up’ category were Hyderabad (8%), Chennai and Pune (6%).

    “The disruptive innovation in technology and process is creating newer Indian startups and foreign investors, including some of the well-known venture capital funds, are showing immense interest in these startups,” Sunil Kanoria, President, Assocham said.

    The awareness that a startup is a vehicle of rapid growth through technological disruption and innovation, has to spread across the economy, the report said. Otherwise, if any small traditional business is treated as a startup, then the ecosystem will never develop properly, it added.

    The study recommended that aligning ‘Startup India’ with ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’ campaigns had the potential to expand the domestic ecosystem for new entrepreneurs.

    It also suggested tax exemption for research and experimentation to encourage fresh ideas without fear of failure. Recommending a Stanford University model in various Indian universities, the Assocham-Thought Arbitrage paper said courses on creation of small businesses should be encouraged in campuses.

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  • M1 adds three managed security partners

    M1 adds three managed security partners

    Singapore’s M1 has added three cybersecurity vendors to its list of managed security partners, as part of efforts to enhance its suite of cloud-based cybersecurity offerings.

    The three vendors are Red Sentry, Palo Alto Networks and Proficio, who join Trend Micro, Blackberry and Radware as partners in M1’s cybersecurity solutions suite.

    Red Sentry will provide cyber security consultancy services including vulnerability assessment and penetration testing while Palo Alto Networks will offer its next-generation firewall.

    Proficio will provide a 24/7 network monitoring service, courtesy of its recently opened security operations centre (SOC) in Singapore. The cloud-based services are hosted out of M1’s data center in Singapore.

    The offerings are available to M1’s business fiber broadband customers, with SMEs expected to benefit most from the cybersecurity suite’s pay-as-you-use model.

    According to M1’s chief corporate sales and solutions officer Willis Sim, customers who sign up for services in the cybersecurity solutions suite need only deal with a single M1 client servicing representative, regardless of the number of services subscribed to.

    To encourage uptake, M1 is offering promotional packages for early adopters. Registered businesses who either recontract or sign up for 24-month business fiber broadband contracts will be offered free VSA and three months subscription to Palo Alto’s virtualized next-generation firewall.

    A free 12-month subscription to Proficio’s SOC service will also be offered to customers on 24-month contacts.

    Customers will be able to opt out of any managed security service at any time without incurring financial penalties.

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  • Myanmar’s Golden 11 taps eSites to power fiber nodes

    Myanmar’s Golden 11 taps eSites to power fiber nodes

    Myanmar wholesale telecoms infrastructure provider Golden 11 will deploy a hybrid power system from Flexenclosure to support the deployment of fiber transmission nodes in remote areas.

    Golden 11 constructs fiber networks, towers and data exchange facilities across the nation. The company will use Flexenclosure’s eSite technology to power and integrate the company’s fiber network where needed.

    The eSite hybrid power system is designed for base station sites in areas where grid power is unreliable or unavailable, using any available combination of battery, grid, renewable and genset power sources.

    The eSites Flexenclosure is providing for the contract have dedicated space for fiber transmission equipment, which will allow Golden 11 to take advantage of the technology.

    “In the remote areas of Myanmar where grid power must be complemented with innovative power solution to ensure resilience and permanence of telecommunication services, we needed a tried and tested solution to ensure consistent power for our network transmission nodes,” Golden 11 director of service delivery Clement Larroque said.

    “With Flexenclosure’s strong local team in place and eSite proven in the Myanmar market, they were the clear and undisputed choice for us.”

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  • Indonesian house in Russia`s Vladivostok opened

    Indonesian house in Russia`s Vladivostok opened

    Indonesian Ambassador to Russia and Belarus Wahid Supriyadi has opened Indonesian House in the easternmost Russian city of Vladivostok to promote Indonesian products.

    The opening of the Indonesian House took place on the sidelines of Eastern Economic Forum, the second largest economic forum in Russia, the embassy said in a press statement released on Tuesday.

    Supriyadi said the Indonesian House is the second of its kind held in Vladivostok after his predecessor, Djauhari Oratmangun, opened the first such an event in 2015.

    Unlike the first Indonesian House which focused on coffee commodity, the second Indonesian House focused on promoting furniture, antique goods and interior products for hotels and restaurants, he pointed out.

    On the occasion, the ambassador held talks with 20 local businessmen who have done business and are interested in doing business in Indonesia.

    In his address to the opening of the Indonesian House, Supriyadi praised businessmen in Vladivostok for their desire to make investment and do business in Indonesia.

    “This is the right momentum. Since President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) visited Sochi last May, businessmen from both countries have shown high interest to do business. The Indonesia Festival held on August 20-21 proves it (the high interest),” he said.

    Despite the sluggish global trade, bilateral trade between Indonesia and Russia in the first quarter of this year rose 17 percent, while the number of Russian tourists visiting Indonesia in the January-June 2016 period also increased 17.5 percent, he said.

    Since the first Indonesian House was opened in 2015, Indonesias export of furniture and antique goods to Russia reached US$23 million.

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