Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • FedEx Announces Winners of Small Business Grant Contest in APAC

    FedEx Announces Winners of Small Business Grant Contest in APAC

    FedEx Express announced the winners of the first-ever FedEx Small Business Grant Contest in Asia Pacific.

    In Hong Kong, B-Free Technology Ltd., a local technology innovator, was awarded the grand prize of approximately US$20,000 (HK$150,000). After hearing about a disabled youngster who had been confined to his home for eight years as he could not negotiate the five stairs at the lobby of his building, the company founder came up with the award-winning B-Free Chair to help the disabled to navigate stairs and regain mobility. The grant from FedEx will allow the company to further research and develop its next-generation wheelchair, the B-Free Ranger, and expand into the European market.

    The winner of the Singapore contest was RedWhite Apparel Pte Ltd, a long distance cycling bib shorts company that was awarded the grand prize of approximately US$18,000 (S$25,000) to assist in its plan to go global. RedWhite Apparel was launched in 2014 by Amreet Singh and Yuvaraman Viswanathan whose passion is cycling ultra-distances of 200 kilometers or longer. Frustrated by bib shorts that were uncomfortable and didn’t provide adequate support, they set out to make their own high-performance but affordable long-distance bib shorts for modern cyclists. Going global has been RedWhite Apparel’s goal since the company was launched, and it already has a presence in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Taiwan. The founders plan to use the grant to help secure wider distribution and expand into Australia, Europe and USA.

    “SMEs account for 98 percent of all businesses in Asia Pacific and are a vital part of the regional economy. However, according to a recent FedEx study, only 36 percent of APAC SMEs are exporting despite there being a great opportunity to sell to markets beyond their own borders,” said Karen Reddington, president, FedEx Express Asia Pacific. “Through the Small Business Grand Contest, FedEx aims to support small businesses looking to branch out into new markets and help them fulfill their global aspirations. Both in Hong Kong and Singapore, we were highly impressed by the quality of entries we received. The contest serves as a showcase for the dynamism, innovation and creativity of the SME community in both markets and we hope it will inspire the wider business community and budding entrepreneurs.”

    The contest was open to all for-profit small businesses that met entry criteria around the number of employees in the organization and the length of time the companies had been established, among others.  In October, eligible SMEs were first required to register online and outline their business plans to go global.  Selected finalists then progressed to the final judging stage in November.

    First rolled out in the U.S. three years ago, this year marked the first time that the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest was held in other regions of the world. In addition to Hong Kong and Singapore, the contest took place in Brazil.

  • Kerry Logistics to Operate Inland Ports in Myanmar

    Kerry Logistics to Operate Inland Ports in Myanmar

    Kerry Logistics announced that its subsidiary, KLN (Singapore) Pte Ltd, has been awarded concession to operate inland ports in Yangon and Mandalay, two major commercial cities in Myanmar.  The awarding ceremony organised by the state-owned Myanma Railways under the auspices of the Ministry of Rail Transportation of Myanmar was held at the Sule Shangri-la Hotel, Yangon.

    In a bid to seize new opportunities for cross-border trade upon entering the ASEAN Economic Community, the government of Myanmar is committed to developing the railway transportation potential and promoting mass cargo transportation in the country. The inland ports will serve as container and cargo terminals linked by railway to major routes in the country, and as hubs for the exporters, importers and domestic logistics service providers of cargoes in and out of Yangon and Thilawa Ports, as well as for cross-border cargoes from neighbouring countries such as China and Thailand.

    Commenting on receiving the concession, George Yeo, chairman of Kerry Logistics, said, “We would like to thank the Ministry of Rail Transportation of Myanmar for its trust in us, and are pleased to be offered the opportunity to contribute our expertise in terminal logistics operations to benefit the development of Myanmar.  Railway transportation is an essential backbone in support of Myanmar’s economic development, both within the country and with nearby regions. Given Kerry Logistics’ presence in ASEAN, our goal is to further strengthen the linkage among countries in the region and seek accelerated growth by developing an integrated Greater Mekong Region platform covering Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos.  The inland ports in Yangon and Mandalay form a vital part in pursuing such an integration.”

    With its expertise in terminal logistics, strong foothold and experience in the ASEAN region, and commitment to the development of Myanmar, Kerry Logistics will work in close cooperation with the Ministry of Rail Transportation of Myanmar to strengthen the country’s rail transportation capabilities and expand its network both domestically and within Southeast Asia. This partnership is expected to create 400 job opportunities and facilitate industry expertise sharing in the country.

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  • DRB-HICOM Asia Cargo Express Launches New Aircraft Livery

    DRB-HICOM Asia Cargo Express Launches New Aircraft Livery

    DRB-HICOM Asia Cargo Express (ACE) has officially launched its new livery and logo for its air freight services at KLIA.

    A wholly owned subsidiary of KL Airport Services Sdn Bhd (KLAS), and a member of the DRB-HICOM Group, ACE currently offers air cargo services between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak with emphasis on reliability, safety and quality.

    ACE, which was acquired by KLAS in February 2015, is the main service provider for Pos Malaysia, for its courier and mail services between the Peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak, which currently plies Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Miri and Kota Kinabalu.

    According to DRB-HICOM Group Managing Director, Dato’ Sri Syed Faisal Albar, the services offered by ACE is part of a strategic move by DRB-HICOM Group to provide the regional market with an intermodal logistics solutions and total supply chain management.

    Aiming to be the premier air cargo carrier in the region, plans are in place for ACE to grow its fleet and extend its services to other major ASEAN cities. Currently ACE operates two Boeing 737-400F aircraft, each with a capacity of 18.5 tonnes of cargo and a flying radius of 4.5 hours.

    The IATA 2015 air cargo report forecasts a positive five years outlook with 4.1 per cent compounded annual growth rate.  ACE, with the addition of the third freighter aircraft this year, will be able to extend its services beyond Malaysian shores, contributing to the growth of DRB-HICOM’s logistics business.

    Group Chief Executive Officer of KLAS Group, Mohd Rani Hisham Samsudin added: “KLAS Group is moving towards becoming a fully integrated logistics service provider providing an end-to-end supply chain management solution. Through ACE alone, we target a revenue of not less than RM100 million each year, primarily from increasing our aircraft utilisation and expanding its operations throughout the region,” said Mohd Rani.

    The launch was officiated by the Minister of Transport, Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai. Present at the event was the Chairman of DRB-HICOM Berhad, Brig. Gen. (K) Tan Sri Dato’ Sri (Dr.) Haji Khamil Bin Jamil, Group Managing Director of DRB-HICOM, Dato’ Sri Syed Faisal Albar, Senior Management of DRB-HICOM Group, as well as ACE’s current and potential customers.

    DRB-HICOM has five logistics services companies under its umbrella which include Pos Malaysia, KLAS, Konsortium Logistik Berhad, ACE and DRB-HICOM Auto Solution.

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  • Equinix launches data hub service

    Equinix launches data hub service

    The ways in which enterprises assemble their network infrastructure have been evolving rapidly as the industry-wide shift to the cloud accelerates. This week Equinix offered another piece of its ongoing response to that shift, unveiling a new Data Hub service that lets enterprises store their data next to the clouds they use but keep control over it.

    Equinix already has Cloud Exchange, providing connectivity to an ecosystem of cloud providers, as well as Performance Hub, which gets the enterprise WAN into the data center.

    This new offering simply bundles the space and power needed to house big data in a pre-configured package and with partners lined up to help with the particular storage technology.

    The idea is to let folks put their data as close as possible to the cloud services that use it, while at the same time not ceding control or access to it.

    That might be for compliance reasons, it might be to leverage a common data store from multiple cloud providers, it might be simply for data protection or replication, or simply to keep latency as low as possible for things like IOT.

    It’s all part of the industry shift toward caring where data actually is on the internet. From low latency trading, to sovereignty issues, to the caching of content at the edge, to small cells, to proximity to renewable energy, the recurring theme in this era of internet infrastructure has been the old real estate saying, ‘location, location, location’. It’s a quite different theme from the prior decade, in which everything was about achieving scale.

  • Fujitsu switches on Tatebayashi Data Center

    Fujitsu switches on Tatebayashi Data Center

    Fujitsu has commenced operations at its new Tatebayashi Data Center. The newly opened Annex C, featuring optimized air conditioning systems and operating environment, meets Japan’s highest environmental performance standards.

    Fujitsu built the facility with a particular focus on support for hybrid clouds to support burgeoning demand, as well as for robust security and resiliency to disasters.

    Fujitsu is using the data center as the core facility for its digital business platform MetaArc, which supports the digital business of customers, and is helping to bring greater dynamism to the businesses of its customers.

    By optimizing the air conditioning systems, operating environment, and the ICT equipment environment, the new annex increases the use of outside air for cooling to roughly 7,000 hours per year, from roughly 3,250 hours for previous data centers.

    In addition, Fujitsu developed a new architectural structure and air conditioning method that maximizes the use of natural convection for airflow, thereby reducing the amount of electricity used for air conditioning and other equipment by approximately 60%. It is designed to achieve power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 1.20, the most efficient level in Japan.

    In addition to connections with other Fujitsu data centers throughout Japan and Fujitsu’s cloud services, the new annex uses standard equipment for closed networks to enable connections with third-party clouds, thereby providing fast support for hybrid cloud usage needs.

    The new annex is equipped with three different types of server rooms to meet diverse customer needs. The Standard rooms are high-quality server rooms equivalent to Tier 3. The Cloud rooms are for the exclusive use of clouds and use new air conditioning methods and support high integration and high power supply capacity.

    Thirdly, the FISC-compliant rooms are for customers in the financial services industry. The new annex complies with the Center for Financial Industry Information Systems (FISC) security standards, and uses an electricity distribution system with a UPS with reliability that exceeds Tier 4 standards.

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  • Seezar Soesan plans more Gloria Jean’s

    Seezar Soesan plans more Gloria Jean’s

    Australia-based coffee retail chain Gloria Jean’s is planning to open more outlets in Myanmar through its local franchisee Seezar Soesan.

    It already has two branches in Yangon, one in Myanmar Plaza, which opened in January, and the other in Yangon’s new international airport terminal, which opened in March.

    Seezar Soesan COO U Kyaw Htin Latt says the company plans to continue as sole operator for the next two years, but may allow other interested firms to open branches after that.

    Other coffee outlets in Myanmar include Espressonite Myanmar, Nervin and Ya Kun.
    Seezar Soesan has business interests in such areas as IT, trading, construction, agriculture, consultancy and media services.

    Part of Australia’s largest multi-food franchiser Retail Food Group (RFG), Gloria Jean’s Coffees has nearly 800 outlets in 39 markets worldwide.

  • Inmarsat to debut GX Aviation this year

    Inmarsat to debut GX Aviation this year

    Inmarsat has announced it will use its new Global Xpress (GX) satellite fleet to provide in-flight connectivity services for the airline industry.

    The company will launch its Global Xpress Aviation offering this year, and has already arranged to serve initial customers including Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Jazeera Airways.

    Inmarsat’s GX network entered commercial service in December. It currently includes three Ka-band satellites with sufficient capacity to meet existing and near-term demand for Airlines.

    A fourth GX satellite has already been commissioned, and is completing construction and testing by Boeing. Inmarsat said it will build on this capacity to meet more long-term demand.

    Inmarsat has also contracted Airbus Defence and Space to build the first two satellites for its sixth-generation fleet, the first of which is due for delivery by 2020.

    The new sixth-generation satellites will support both the Ka-band and L-band. Inmarsat expects to use the Ka-band payload to augment the capacity of the GX network in busy regions, and use the L-band capacity for a new generation of aviation safety services.

    Inmarsat is also building the European Aviation Network, which will integrate a satellite network with an LTE-based ground network provided by Deutsche Telekom. Aircraft will automatically switch between satellite and terrestrial connectivity.

  • Telstra conducting network review after outages

    Telstra conducting network review after outages

    Australia’s Telstra and vendor partners Ericsson, Cisco and Juniper have assembled a team of engineering experts to conduct an end-to-end review of its network after the company experienced three mobile network outages in two months.

    During a recent speech at the CommsDay summit, Telstra Operations COO Kate McKenzie said the company has already implemented changes based on reviews of the network to increase the capacity and path diversity of critical signaling channels.

    The company also plans to shortly augment the capacity of the HLR front end that managers customers’ subscription data.

    While the review is underway, Telstra Operations is working under a heightened awareness plan including requiring executive-level review of any changes planned for the mobile and core IP networks.

    “Our network is resilient and we are determined to get the best advice from around the world to help ensure that it stays that way. Our focus is on ensuring our network is the best available and rebuilding our customers’ trust by meeting their expectations every day,” McKenzie said.

    Telstra has offered its customers two separate free data days as compensation for the outages, including one last Sunday. McKenzie revealed that its mobile customers consumed 2.68Tb of data by the end of the day, three times the amount downloaded on a normal weekday and 46% downloaded during the last free data day in February.

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  • RayBan Manila marks first Asian pop-up

    RayBan Manila marks first Asian pop-up

    A new Ray-Ban Manila pop-up store is the eyewear brand’s first in Asia.

    The pop-up, at the Greenbelt shopping centre in Makati, will showcase the Ray-Ban Aviators range.

    Originally designed for US military pilots in 1937, Ray-Ban Aviators is one of the leading global brands in the premium eyewear category.

    “We’re trying to recreate everything here in the Philippines. We’re the first (in Asia) from Ray-Ban,”  Vincent Teotico, Ray-Ban’s assistant marketing manager, told Manila Bulletin.

    The Ray-Ban Hub – the first flagship store in New York City inspired the Pop-Up Concept Store, both having an urban feel, with neon lights and fun activities inside.

    Asked about setting up a permanent store in the Philippines, Teotico said this would be possible depending on the turnout of their latest move in the Philippine market.

    Ray-Ban’s Pop-Up Concept Store will only be around until July on the ground floor of Greenbelt 5 in Ayala Center, Makati City. Ray-Ban products are also available at optical stores such as Eye Society outlets in Jupiter St and SM Aura in BGC.

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  • Malaysia malls target Vietnamese

    Malaysia malls target Vietnamese

    Representatives of Malaysia malls have been in Vietnam trying to drum up business via tour operators.

    But the Malaysians will face an uphill battle luring Vietnamese – Bangkok is only an hour away from Ho Chi Minh City and probably the best-serviced destination in the region, with at least seven airlines offering hour-long flights daily between the two cities.

    Retail and tourism representatives from Malaysia met with tour organisers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to introduce a campaign aimed at enticing Vietnamese to visit Malaysia to shop.

    Three specific annual sales campaigns were also being promoted by the group, including officials from the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (Tourism Malaysia) and Secretariat Shopping Malaysia(SSM).

    At an associated travel mart, 14 representatives of 10 malls and retail groups met with travel agencies to seek possible co-operation, reports TuoitreNews. In the delegation were representatives of such groups as the Batu Road Retailers Association, Fahreinheit88, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur and Sunway Putra Mall.

    Tourism Malaysia deputy-director general Chong Yoke Har says the sales campaigns are the 1Malaysia Super Sale for all of March, the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival, from June 15 to August 31, and the 1Malaysia Year-End Sale, on the last two months of the year.

    Tourism Malaysia has also introduced Miss Shophia, the new shopping symbol for Malaysia and designed to help international tourists find shopping experiences.

    Shopping accounts for most of Malaysia’s tourism revenue. As of the end of September last, tourist spending rose 2.9 per cent from a year earlier to RM15.3 billion (US$3.8 billion), or 30 per cent of the total tourism revenue of RM51 billion.

    Last year, 229,626 Vietnamese tourists visited Malaysia, a 19 percent decline from 2014, when they spent about RM560.1 million. Chong is hopeful more Vietnamese will return to Malaysia for shopping as the two countries are relatively close and there are nonstop flights.

    Meanwhile, Bangkok is closer, accommodation is cheaper and shopping malls targeting foreigners and tourists are clustered close together and well served by public transport.

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  • K-beauty spreads worldwide

    K-beauty spreads worldwide

    The ‘K-beauty’ market is expanding its sphere of influence beyond Asia, and reaching out to other global markets.

    According to Aju News, a Korean newspaper, Korean cosmetics brands are exploring new markets worldwide. As the global interest in K-pop and K-dramas is rising, women all over the world are now looking at K-cosmetics.

    Amore Pacific has been eyeing the international market since the 1990s. After establishing factories in France and China, the company continued to expand its influence worldwide, with products now being sold in the U.S., Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Canada, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, and Japan, generating global sales of 1.26 trillion won.

    Able C&C’s cosmetics brand Missha is following the lead, spreading K-beauty all over the world. Missha stores can now be found in Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Venezuela, Turkey and Spain. The Brazilian market in particular is expected to generate strong sales growth, as reports show that the local cosmetics market is the fourth largest in the world.

    LG Household & Health Care’s The Face Shop is focusing on the Middle Eastern market, opening 55 stores in five countries – Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman and Armenia.

    Cosmetics brands are using a number of different marketing strategies to aggressively target overseas markets.

    In areas where natural ingredients and safety are important, such as Europe and the US, businesses are attracting customers with their ‘natural’ brands. Some brands promote elements of Korean tradition to attract western consumers. Many are ‘blending in’ with the locals through collaboration with local businesses.

    To boost overseas expansion, the Korea Trade Promotion Corporation (Kotra) is taking steps to boost sales of Korean cosmetics through American and Chinese online shopping sites.

    Kotra will host a ‘K-beauty summit’ to help Korean cosmetics brands export their products. The agency’s ‘online export incubating program’ will be introduced, and is expected to help businesses sell their products through Amazon.

    Kotra is also seeking to secure new trading opportunities in China in collaboration with the online shopping site TaoBao, operated by Chinese eCommerce behemoth Alibaba. The two parties plan to host a K-beauty expo in China during the first half of the year.

    Innisfree store in Shanghi

    The cooperation with TaoBao is only the start, as Kotra is also planning to work with other online shopping portals such as JD.com.

    Officials at Kotra emphasise the importance of making inroads in the American and Chinese markets to prolong the popularity of the K-beauty trend. They expect to draw the attention of young consumers who are sensitive to fashion and style trends and familiar with online shopping.

  • Shakey’s Philippines sold to investment groups

    Shakey’s Philippines sold to investment groups

    Philippines conglomerate Century Pacific Group has partnered with Singapore’s sovereign investor GIC to buy the parent of Shakey’s Philippines, the pizza restaurant chain.

    The tie-up will acquire majority of of the business from the Prieto family, which will continue to hold a minority stake in International Family Food Services (IFFSI), the owner and operator of the Shakey’s Philippines.

    “We are excited about this opportunity to invest in Shakey’s as we are believers in the potential of the continued growth of the Philippine middle class,” Century Pacific president Christopher Po said in a statement.

    The transaction also includes the acquisition of Philippine franchise for US artisan pizza Project Pie as well as Bakemasters, one of Shakey’s suppliers of bakery products.

    The acquisition of Shakey’s, which had about 170 stores in the Philippines at the end of 2015, is the second partnership between Century Pacific’s controlling Po family and GIC. In May 2014, the Singaporean fund converted a P3.4 billion ($73 million) loan into a 10 per cent stake in Century Pacific Food, the group’s canned goods maker.

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  • Thailand unveils Digital Thailand plan

    Thailand unveils Digital Thailand plan

    Thailand’s Cabinet has approved a 20-year Digital Thailand development program that seeks to transform the nation into a global digital leader.

    Government spokesperson Major-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said that the first phase of the plan would focus on six areas – infrastructure, economy, society, government, human resource development and trust.

    The first 18 months will be of digital foundation followed by digital inclusion and full transformation.

    Major General Sansern said that in ten years, thanks to this plan, Thailand will be a developed country and a global digital leader.

    Elsewhere Thailand’s National Reform Committee has recommended that police be given full powers to censor and shut down websites without a court order as part of its reform of online media to ensure all media is legal and moral.

    Other key recommendations include using big data analytics to identify networks of perpetrators on social media networks and centralization of power with the Police Technology Crime Suppression Division instead of the ICT Ministry.

    The NRC also recommended that computer crimes be divided into crimes on computers and data, and crimes using computers.

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  • Campaign encourages more Japanese SMEs to invest in the Philippines

    Campaign encourages more Japanese SMEs to invest in the Philippines

    Japanese SMEs are being enticed to invest in the Philippines, where labor cost is competitive and a majority of workers are English-speaking.

    Spearheading the campaign are Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) and Resona Bank, a bank for small and medium enterprises in Japan’s Kansai and Osaka areas. To date, 55 Japanese firms have established their facilities in the Philippines following the tie-up agreement they entered into in 2012.

    Japanese companies which have established their facilities in Philippines affirmed the advantage of the competitive cost of Philippine labor with the added benefit of Engish-speaking skills that enable easier training and work atmosphere.

    In their latest campaign, RCBC’s Japanese Business Relationship Office first senior vice president Yasuhiro Matsumoto recently accompanied Trade Secretary Adrian Cristobal Jr.  to a Philippine Investment Opportunities Forum in Osaka, Japan.

    Attended by 350 corporate clients, the forum was organized by the Resona Foundation for Asia and Oceania with co-organizers Osaka Prefecture Government, the Osaka Municipal Government, the Kansai Economic Federation, the Osaka Foundation for Trade and Industry, and the Osaka Chamber of Commerce Industry. This was also supported by JETRO, Resona Bank and the Kinki Osaka Bank.

    Matsumoto highlighted the success secrets of companies operating in the Philippines. As RCBC’s key senior officer focused on Japanese clients, Matsumoto had seen and supported the entry and growth of Japanese companies, specially in export processing zones.

    Matsumoto further cited the growing spending power of the Filipino consumer as shown by the surge in business by a range of consumer-focused companies in food, beverage, and middle-end retail outlets that are supplanting the formerly ubiquitous low-end sari-sari stores in the urban centers. With the second largest population in ASEAN, with a young average age, the Philippine potential for investments is huge, he said.

     

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  • South Korea’s online shopping keeps double-digit growth

    South Korea’s online shopping keeps double-digit growth

    Online shopping in South Korea maintained a double-digit monthly growth as consumers increasingly prefer purchases online rather offline amid widespread penetration of smartphones, a government report showed Monday.

    Combined retail sales, including those online and offline, reached 29.18 trillion won (25.46 billion U.S. dollars) in February, up 2.9 percent from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea.

    Online shopping jumped 22.7 percent from a year earlier to 4.69 trillion won in February, while mobile shopping through smartphones surged 54.0 percent to 2.39 trillion won.

    The figures showed consumers preferring purchases in cyberspace to visiting offline stores in one of the world’s most Internet-connected country.

    In 2015 when the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak weighed down on South Korea’s private consumption, online shopping posted a double-digit monthly growth. Mobile shopping through smartphones surged more than 40 percent every month last year.

    In February, online sales of bags, cosmetics, furniture and leisure items recorded a double-digit increase compared with a year earlier.

    Main items purchased through mobile phones in February were baby products, shoes, clothing and cosmetics, which accounted for about two thirds of total mobile shopping in February.

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