Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Apple Hong Kong IFC Store Adds Third Floor

    Apple Hong Kong IFC Store Adds Third Floor

    Apple Insider reveals that the iPhone maker is working to develop a third floor for its first Apple store in Hong Kong, which originally opened in 2011. Located at the International Finance Center (IFC), the tech giant’s signboard outside the new floor claims that it will be opening “soon,” even though no official dates have been disclosed as yet.

    Apple Inc.’s ongoing attempts to expand its retail stores all around China have been increasingly evident after it rolled out new stores in Dalian, Beijing, Chengdu, and most recently, Nanning on December 12. It seems that this expansion plan is part of the tech giant’s agenda to launch at least 40 Apple Stores in China by 2016.

    Even though the tech giant has launched a number of other stores in Hong Kong following its IFC-based outlet, it seems that Apple is interested in renovating its first store in the area. The company is working to create a separate staircase entry to the floor rather than extending the existing one, further creating a grander feel to the present outlet.

    We believe that the company’s recent attempts to integrate its retail branches with genius bars and workshops is part of its on-going renovations to recreate a new style of store interior under the leadership of Apple’s Chief Designer, Jony Ive and Apple’s Retail and Online Stores’ senior VP, Angela Ahrendts. This may help the iPhone maker create a theme of architectural consistency between all outlets and operate distinctively against its competitors.

    Since this Apple Store outlet is located in the city’s Central District and hangs over one of its busiest roads, we believe that the store expansion will help Apple lure in more customers. It also seems that the renovation will soon end, as speculation states that lights have already been switched on inside the space, possibly hinting at its upcoming opening. Judging by the company’s popularity in Asia, which has led to its drastic expansion plan; providing customers with three floors full of Apple products will surely work as a great marketing push for the tech giant in Hong Kong.

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  • Charming Charlie opens first Philippines store

    Charming Charlie opens first Philippines store

    The first Charming Charlie in the Philippines is scheduled to open Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015. The Houston-based women’s jewelry and accessories retailer has opened as many as 55 U.S. stores each year, and expanded to Dubai in 2015.

    The first Charming Charlie in the Philippines is scheduled to open Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015. The Houston-based women’s jewelry and accessories retailer has opened as many as 55 U.S. stores each year, and … more.

    Houston-based women’s jewelry and accessories retailer Charming Charlie has spread its footprint across the Pacific Ocean.

    This past Saturday, the retailer’s first Philippines location opened at Bonifacio High Street Central Square, a shopping district in the capital city of Manila.

    Charming Charlie worked with distributor Stores Specialists, Inc. a member of SSI Group, to expand to Manila, according to a company statement. Additional growth is planned in Manila and in Cebu in 2016.

    “The Philippines is a fast growing territory with an increasing population of young adults and proven track record for American brands, so entering Southeast Asia following our Middle East expansion made perfect sense for the brand,” Charlie Chanaratsopon, founder and CEO, said in a statement. “SSI Group is the premier partner in the Philippines and we believe their local expertise will allow us to bring our incredible value and fun shopping experience to customers throughout the region.”

    This past summer, the retailer opened two locations in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

    Charming Charlie has 350 retail stores across the United States, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and the Philippines.

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  • Qianhai Chow Tai Fook mall opens in Shenzhen

    Qianhai Chow Tai Fook mall opens in Shenzhen

    The new Qianhai Chow Tai Fook mall opened its doors in Shenzhen on Monday – selling Hong Kong sourced goods to mainlanders at prices said to be cheaper than in Hong Kong.

    Officially named the Qianhai Chow Tai Fook Global Goods Shopping Center, the 19,000 sqm mall is a joint venture between jeweller Chow Tai Fook and two investment partners.

    A total of 21 retail brands opened stores in the first phase of the development opened yesterday, including beauty products chain Sa Sa, fast fashion brand Giordano and CRCare. They are joined by a range of food and infant formula retailers.

    More stores will join the development when stage two opens next summer.

    The HK$423 million shopping centre has been built inside the Shenzhen special economic zone, taking advantage of tax concessions and allowing mainlanders to buy Hong Kong sourced goods without crossing the border.

    Shenzhen has a population of 20 million creating a huge potential catchment for the development.

    Adrian Cheng Chi-kong, executive director of the Qianhai Chow Tai Fook mall, said it will not be competing with the border shopping mall planned for the Hong Kong side of the border, explaining the two properties will cater for different clienteles.

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  • India’s Specialty Restaurants plans 24 new ‘fun’ eateries

    India’s Specialty Restaurants plans 24 new ‘fun’ eateries

    Fine dining operator Speciality Restaurants says it will focus on its ‘fun dining’ brands as it rolls out 24 new eateries over the next two years.

    The group currently operates 123 restaurants, a mix of fine dining destinations branded Mainland China and Oh! Calcutta, and what it terms ‘fun’ brands – Mainland China Asia Kitchen, Cafe Mezzuna and Hoppipola.

    Executive Anjan Chatterjee says from now on the company will more or less equally split its capital investment evenly between the two channels – fun and fine dining.

    “At least 50 per cent of restaurants we open in 2016 and 2017 will be fun dining. The vertical will help us maintain leadership in the fine and casual dining restaurants and confectioneries market. Over the years, we have developed a dedicated client base that is sophisticated and appreciates fine dining. But there is another group that is as important who want an informal atmosphere and a fun dining experience,” he said in an interview with the Times of India at the opening of a new Asia Kitchen restaurants at the Acropolis Mall.

    “They are young customers with disposable incomes. We have developed brands for them and will now expand this vertical.”

    The company is also pursuing opportunities to expand overseas.

    With two restaurants in Bangladesh and two in Tanzania, it is about to open its first outlet in Doha. Chatterjee is seeking locations for new restaurants in London and New York.

    Specialty Restaurants also has a small collection of quick service restaurants – one each trading under the brands Zoodles, Shack, Kibbeh and Kix.

    Chatterjee believes consumer dining preferences are changing.

    “Traditionally, people went to a restaurant and had their fill. But the trend has changed. They have become small eaters for health and economic reasons. Food is expensive and people don’t want large portions that will lead to wastage or a doggy bag. For instance, if a portion of mocha chop contained eight pieces, we have now introduced a regular portion that has four pieces. The regular size is good for two. If there are three or more, customers have the option of ordering one more. It is good on the pocket too and will encourage customers to come back more often. We don’t want price to be a barrier,” he said.

    Specialty Restaurants has already introduced regular portions at Mainland China and Oh! Calcutta.

  • Prada Philippines re-opens expanded Makati boutique

    Prada Philippines re-opens expanded Makati boutique

    Prada Philippines has reopened its high profile boutique in the Greenbelt Ayala Center in downtown Makati, Manila.

    The expanded and renovated store inside the prestigious mall was designed by architect Roberto Baciocchi, covers a total area of approximately 200 sqm on a single level. It houses women’s and men’s leather goods, accessories and footwear collections.

    pradaThe high-impact external facade is composed of an interplay of light-boxes, completed by a backlit white canvas curtain enclosed in a crystal box. The internal facade echoes the motif of the exterior and features two large entrances and a series of display windows.

    The first entrance, defined by the signature black-and-white marble chequered flooring – a legacy of Prada’s identity worldwide – opens up on an area dedicated to the women’s leather goods collections.

    A portal leads to a second space, where the women’s footwear collections is displayed. The entire area devoted to women is characterised by green fabric- clad walls with cut-in polished steel and crystal display niches. Steel and crystal tables with coloured display shelves and green velvet sofas complete the furnishing.

    The second entrance and the space dedicated to women both lead to a regularly-shaped area housing the men’s leather goods and footwear collections. Ebony floorboards and walls, crystal and polished steel display cases and chocolate brown carpeting define the space. Display counters with coloured saffiano leather detailing and light coloured leather sofas enhance the atmosphere.

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  • Blink Digital devises a ‘confidential’ digital campaign for KFC

    Blink Digital devises a ‘confidential’ digital campaign for KFC

    Award winning digital agency, Blink Digital devices an innovative route for launching a new product by food giants KFC. Creating a departure from the usual route, they have launched KFCConfidential.com – an exclusive website which can be accessed only by one person at a time, for 30 seconds only. The website is created for the launch of KFC’s new product which is yet to be announced. 150 visitors who access the website will stand a chance to win private passes to KFC’s exclusive pre-launch event slated this week.

    The agency conceptualized this innovative approach keeping in mind the market trends and consumer engagement habits. The idea of a ‘secret supper invitation’ for something yet to be introduced was daring, innovative and found an instant connect with the consumers.

    The website has already recorded over 28,000 users waiting in line for over 5,100 hours to access the website – the maximum time spent waiting by a single user currently stands at 70 minutes at the time for drafting this release!

    Dooj Ramchandani

    We are committed to delivering campaigns that are driven by deep human truths. As experiences are becoming increasingly ubiquitous, consumers are on a constant lookout for newer ways of engagement. With KFC Confidential, we followed a philosophy of ‘less is more’. Instead of bombarding consumers with product advertisements, we decided to keep this campaign aspirational and use a pull approach rather than a push one. The website has no product images; in fact, it doesn’t even have the product name. The response it has received so far has been tremendous.” said Dooj Ramchandani, Co-Founder & Creative Director, Blink Digital.

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  • Bangkok retail rents hold firm despite competition

    Bangkok retail rents hold firm despite competition

    Bangkok’s retail market is now “the most competitive it has ever been” – yet there is another 1.1 million sqm of retail space under construction.

    When complete, by the end of 2017, that will bring the total completed supply of mall space in the Thai capital to nearly 8 million sqm – all in a market currently characterised by weak consumer sentiment and slow retail sales growth.

    But despite the intense competition, a leading property expert says Bangkok retail rents – in malls, anyway – are holding firm.

    In a column (which you can read in full here) written for the Bangkok Post Spectrum magazine CBRE Thailand MD Aliwassa Pathnadabutr, says the proliferation of new brands setting up shop in Bangkok, and the expansion of existing branded chains is fuelling unprecedented competition in the city.

    “In the upcoming festive season, we expect to see major retail developers competing with heavy promotions and retail events in a bid draw consumers and capture their holiday spending,” Pathnadabutr asserted.

    “The expansion by retail developers in the CBD and suburban areas, entry of new local and international retailers, combined with a challenging economic outlook and weak consumer sentiment is all adding up to the mix.”

    Pathnadabutr says the recent openings of EmQuartier and Central Embassy have intensified competition for existing CBD malls like the high-end Gaysorn, and the giant CentralWorld and Paragon centres.

    “As the major retail centres are chasing after the same group of consumers, retail events and promotions have become ubiquitous leading to a cut-throat competition and heightened promotion campaigns, particularly gearing up to the festive season where consumer spending typically peaks.”

    Expansion and development of suburban centres – like the Future Park Rangsit expansion which marked its soft opening in the last fortnight – may draw customers away from the CBD malls, although Pathnadabutr expects their impact to be limited and growing tourist base will keep the numbers up in the larger centres.

    Despite the competition, retail rents have held their own in Bangkok, according to Pathnadabutr.

    “It is often difficult to measure retail rents as there is a big range even within a single development. Prime retail rents in Grade-A downtown shopping centres range from THB1800 to 4500 (US$50 – $125) per sqm per month for ground floor spaces and THB1200 to 2380 (US$33 – $66) per sqm per month for suburban malls.

    “This level has been maintained throughout 2015 despite the growing competition.”

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  • Apple’s Next Chinese Retail Store Opens in Nanning on December 12

    Apple’s Next Chinese Retail Store Opens in Nanning on December 12

    Apple has announced that its 28th retail store in China opens Saturday, December 12 at 2:00 p.m. local time. The store will be located in the MixC shopping mall at 136 Minzu Avenue in Nanning’s Qingxiu District.
    The new store will be open between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time on Monday-Thursday and Sunday, with extended hours on Friday and Saturday, and offer traditional Apple Store services, including the Genius Bar, Workshops and JointVenture.Apple has aggressively expanded its retail footprint in China under the leadership of Angela Ahrendts, having opened new stores in Beijing on November 28, Chengdu on November 21 and Dalian on October 24. Apple has also opened retail stores in Chongqing, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Nanjing and Tianjin over the past year.

  • Postal Savings Bank of China has raised investment

    Postal Savings Bank of China has raised investment

    Postal Savings Bank of China has raised $7bn from a global group of 10 investors including JPMorgan, an affiliate of Alibaba, and Temasek, valuing the state-owned lender at $41bn ahead of a float that could come as soon as next year.

    The sale of 17 per cent equity marks the largest private fundraising by a Chinese financial institution, and its international collection of investors will be seen as a signal Beijing is more open to outside funds to help with its slow-moving plans to reform its state-owned enterprises.

    Postal Savings Bank is China’s biggest unlisted lender and its sixth largest commercial bank in terms of assets. It has more than 400m retail customers and nearly 40,000 branches, many of them in rural areas where until recently the only alternative was putting money under the mattress.

    A similar pre-float sale of a $17bn stake last year in the retail operations of Sinopec was sold largely to domestic investors — so-called friends and family — in spite of interest from international groups, denting hopes at the time that China was serious about bringing in outside expertise and funding.

    Lu Jiajin, Postal Savings Bank president, on Wednesday described the placement as an “example of mutually beneficial co-operation between China and the world”.

    He added: “This indicates that the world has . . . confidence in China’s financial systems and [the] stability and profitability of China’s banking industry”.

    The international investors are UBS; JPMorgan; Singapore’s Temasek investment fund and DBS, the city-state’s biggest bank; Canada Pension Plan Investment Board; and the IFC arm of the World Bank.

    CPPIB is committing $500m. Mark Machin, head of international business and president of Asia for CPPIB, said the investment met the fund’s strategic goals of investing in less-developed regions of China and increasing exposure to the Chinese consumer.

    Chinese banks have come under pressure in a rapidly shifting landscape, and face challenges including rising bad loans and competitive pressures from the country’s interest rate liberalisation agenda.

    Hong Kong-listed shares in the country’s big four state-backed banks — ICBC, Bank of China, China Construction Bank and Agricultural Bank of China — have dropped at least 17 per cent this year.

    “This isn’t a sector bet, it’s an investment in this bank,” said Mr Machin, adding that Postal Savings Bank’s focus on consumer lending helped isolate it from some of the bad loan issues faced by corporate lenders.

    Ant Financial, the payments affiliate of Alibaba; rival internet Chinese giant Tencent; China Telecom; and insurer China Life have also committed funds.

    A filing with the Hong Kong stock exchange showed China Life is putting up $2bn and its stake will not be more than 5 per cent — implying a valuation of $41bn for Postal Savings Bank.

    Pre-IPO funding rounds are increasingly being used as a way of establishing baseline valuations and demonstrating support for a company before it approaches the public markets.

    JPMorgan said its agreement with Postal Savings Bank covered “multiple levels of collaboration” between the two sides.

    An executive at one of the companies involved in arranging the deal said: “They have reached out to strategic partners who can help them professionalise rather than just have passive investors”.

    Mr Lu said Postal Savings Bank wants to establish itself “as a 100-year bank with steady operations and excellent risk management”.

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  • Johnnie Walker unveils Singapore Airlines exclusive

    Johnnie Walker unveils Singapore Airlines exclusive

    Diageo’s Johnnie Walker House has launched Johnnie Walker Blue Label The Casks Edition, a Scotch whisky and bottle design available exclusively through Singapore Airlines. The ‘richer and more intense’ Johnnie Walker Blue Label The Casks Edition is a higher strength whisky than the main line liquid, and is bottled at 55.8% ABV.

    Johnnie Walker House, the ‘international network of luxury whisky embassies’, paired the whisky with a new bottle design based on the airline’s cabin crew uniform.

    The ‘Singapore Girl’ wears a sarong kebaya, designed by French couturier Pierre Balmain in 1968. The same shade of blue is used on the Johnnie Walker Blue Label The Casks Edition bottle design, which also features the airline’s signature batik print etched in silver.

    “It brings us great pleasure to work with Singapore Airlines, a company that shares our appreciation for the contemporary but at the same time, a great respect for heritage and progress,” said Lawrence Law, global general manager for Johnnie Walker House.

    “This partnership with Singapore Airlines provides an opportunity for consumers to buy a product that they cannot find anywhere else – an example of our continuing commitment to bringing our most successful innovations to consumers within the world of travel.”

    Mr Foo Chai Woo, Singapore Airlines divisional vice president sales and marketing added: “We are proud to be able to exclusively offer our customers the opportunity to purchase this special release in-flight via Singapore Airlines KrisShop. Having our Singapore Girl’s signature sarong kebaya batik motif reproduced on the bottle of the world’s leading luxury Blended Scotch Whisky is an honour and we are thrilled to have been selected as the first Johnnie Walker House airline partner.”

    Concessionnaire DFASS’s John Garner, president Asia and Middle East, said: “We are delighted to bring this exclusive Johnnie Walker Blue Label offering to KrisShop, for Singapore Airlines passengers. This has been a fantastic collaboration with all three parties actively involved from early ideation to getting it in-flight.

    “We believe that through this strong partnership, we will be able to provide more innovative offerings to Singapore Airlines and their passengers alike.”

    Johnnie Walker Blue Label The Casks Edition is available to purchase through Singapore Airline’s inflight retail store, KrisShop, from 1 December. Customers can pre-order via www.krisshop.com/JW.

    The whisky carries an RRSP of S$378 (US$270) for the 75cl bottle.

    Diageo’s partnership with Singapore airlines follows the publication of Generation Research data which shows that the global inflight retail market declined 6.7% in the first half of 2015.

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  • Lenovo launches Moto 360 (2nd Generation)

    Lenovo launches Moto 360 (2nd Generation)

    Lenovo is bringing the new Motorola Moto 360 smartwatch to the local market, making it the first time that the Chinese company is launching a Motorola product in Singapore.

    The second generation Moto 360, which was announced at IFA 2015 in September, is available in two sizes and will go on sale from Dec 15 at retail stores Newstead and Challenger, and from online retailer Lazada.

    The 46mm silver and cognac leather version will retail at $549. The 42mm rose gold and blush leather model is retailing at $499, while the 42mm black and black leather model is priced at $479.

    The circular device is one of the latest smartwatches to run Android Wear. It comes with 4GB of storage, and the larger version houses a 400 mAh battery, while the smaller one has a 300 mAh battery.

    Lenovo, which bought Motorola Mobility in 2014, had previously focused on launching its own devices for the local market.

  • Thailand’s farmers left high and dry

    Thailand’s farmers left high and dry

    One would not think it from the holiday bustle in Bangkok’s glittering shopping malls, but the rest of Thailand is bracing itself for a lean year.

    A rainfall deficit has left a series of reservoirs that are crucial sources of Thailand’s dry-season water at between a third and half of their capacities.

    Experts say the capital itself may run short of tap water.

    The countryside is already suffering as many people need water for their livelihoods. And the pinch is being felt more widely as spending shrinks because there is no cash available.

    Big C, Thailand’s second-biggest hypermart chain and a major retailer in smaller towns, saw total third-quarter revenues decrease by 4.6 per cent over the same period last year.

    Early last month, Siam Commercial Bank said disappointing retail industry figures were a “reality check” and that “consumers, particularly low-income consumers, have been under fiscal strain”.

    Big C’s revenue decrease was “driven by a retail sales decline”, wrote Ms Warunee Kitjaroenpoonsin, director of corporate affairs at Big C Supercenter PCL, in an e-mail. “The third quarter was also impacted by slow private consumption, high household debt levels and a slow global economic recovery.”

    Rural Thailand accounts for half of the population. From rubber to rice, embattled farmers are facing a perfect storm of water shortage, low commodity prices and an economy which, hit by domestic political uncertainty, is forecast to grow just 2.9 per cent this year.

    Thailand’s ratio of household debt to gross domestic product, at 84.2 per cent last year, was 45 per cent higher than in 2003.

    The National Economic and Social Development Board believes the figure may reach 87 to 88 per cent by the end of this year.

    The farmers are the deepest in debt. It is also the poorest farmers who have the highest debt, said Dr Nipon Poapongsakorn, a distinguished fellow of the Thailand Development Research Institute Foundation.

    “Most of the debt is from the formal sector – buying of fridges and television sets on instalment, for instance,” he explained.

    “The government has had several loan schemes so they (the farmers) are heavily indebted. And the 20 per cent poorest farm households owe 124 per cent of their income.”

    The ongoing El Nino-induced rainfall deficit and drought projected to continue into next summer will reinforce the problem of ballooning household debt, which analysts have been warning of for some years, said Dr Nipon.

    Thailand’s farmers must rely on non-farm income – trading or odd jobs or remittances from working members of the family, perhaps in Bangkok – to meet their debts.

    As much as 60 per cent of the average rural family’s income is from non-farm sources, Dr Nipon said. While that has helped, it has made the farmers vulnerable to slowdowns in the larger economy – which is what is happening now.

    Ms Meena Chaimongkol, a 46-year-old single mother, owns 2.5ha of land in Huay Khaokam, a village near Phayao in the lower north that is part of the 22 provinces affected by the water deficit.

    She said she has lost 70 per cent of the family’s padi crop this year because of erratic water supply.

    She has resorted to going to Bangkok once a month to buy used clothes to mend and sell locally. But that exposes her to an economy that is not doing much better.

    “Most farmers are able to pay debt from non-farm income,” Dr Nipon said. “But then, when the economy slows down, they have no money.”

  • Philip Morris: Singapore’s ban on tobacco display won’t curb smoking rate

    Philip Morris: Singapore’s ban on tobacco display won’t curb smoking rate

    Philip Morris Singapore said the forthcoming ban on the display of tobacco products at retail outlets will have no impact on the smoking rate in Singapore.

    The comment by the leading tobacco company in Singapore was in response to the announcement by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Wednesday (9 December) that retailers selling tobacco products will no longer be allowed to display such items near the cashier counters of their outlets from 2017.

    The ban on point of sale display (POSD) will take place after the Tobacco (Control of Advertisement and Sale) Act has been amended, MOH said. The amendments will be tabled in parliament, whose opening session is in January 2016.

    “The POSD ban aims to protect the health of Singaporeans. By removing tobacco products from the public’s line of sight, we want to prevent our youth from picking up the smoking habit, and to help individuals who are trying to quit smoking,” said MOH in a press release.

    In an email statement to Yahoo Singapore, Philip Morris Singapore said based on its experience in working with countries that have similar regulations, there has been no clear evidence of a decrease in the smoking rate of these countries after such a ban took effect.

    “From the retail perspective, this will bring significant operation burdens to retailers. From our perspective, it will stiffen competition…when all products are hidden, how can you compete?” said a Philip Morris spokesperson, who declined to be named.

    “You can’t scientifically demonstrate with evidence that it (POSD ban) will reduce smoking rate,” he added.

    Iceland, Canada and Thailand are some of the countries in the world that have imposed a ban on POSD.

    PMI is one of the leading tobacco companies in Singapore, owning brands such as Marlboro and L&M, according to Euromonitor International.

    Retailers will be given a 12 months grace period after the ban has been gazetted, to give them “time to effect the changes and smoothen the transition process” so that they can comply with the rules, MOH said.

    “Support from the community and businesses is crucial in our fight against tobacco use. Retailers can help create the right environment for Singaporeans who are trying to stay away from cigarettes,” it added.

    On Wednesday morning, Senior Minister of State for Health and Environment and Water Resources, Amy Khor, attended a meeting with tobacco retailers to inform them of the implementation of the new guidelines.

    The Health Promotion Board (HPB) has also prepared a brochure to assist tobacco retailers in implementing the ban.

    Since 2013, MOH, HPB and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) have had a total of 14 dialogue sessions on the POSD ban.

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  • Zalora Wins Big with 12.12 Online Fever 2015

    Zalora Wins Big with 12.12 Online Fever 2015

    Zalora, Asia’s online fashion destination enjoyed strong support from fashion consumers across their eight markets – Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Taiwan – with over six times the volume of any previous day. A Zalora-led initiative, 12.12 Online Fever aims to drive the e-commerce industry across the region, bringing to consumers some of the best deals that will encourage online purchase, hoping to convert traditional consumers into e-consumers. This year 32% of 12.12 Online Fever shoppers are first-time Zalora customers.

    As Zalora is committed to giving customers the best online shopping experience, the team prepared for the surge of volume of orders to make sure that deliveries are fulfilled within the fastest time possible. To ensure timely packing and delivery of orders, so that excited customers can get their hands on their latest fashion purchase, Zalora increased manpower in operations working 24/7 in order to ship 100% of the packages received in its warehouses within 24 hours. This resulted to having 30% of packages delivered to customers within the next day and more than 50% of packages by end of day Monday, 14 December, across the region.

    The number of fashion thumb shoppers also increased, comprising 78.5% of shoppers who shopped through their mobile devices on Saturday 12 December compared to 21.5% who shopped on their desktops. This is in line with the changing consumer behaviour and the growing trend of consumers in the region shopping heavily through their mobile devices. The number of customers who shopped on Zalora through mobile had a 250% increase from last year.

    Female consumers had a strong showing as they cover 74% of shoppers during 12.12 Online Fever

    but the men did a lot of shopping too as they contribute 26% of the shoppers. The most popular categories for both male and female are apparel, footwear and accessories. Favourite brands among women include Rubi, Mango, Dorothy Perkins and Something Borrowed while Sperry, Herschel, Onitsuka Tiger and TOPMAN were popular brands for men. Zalora’s eponymous label was popular across markets and to both male and female shoppers.

    Netizens were also talking about 12.12 Online Fever in their social media posts, a few of them commending ZALORA’s quick delivery service and alerting their friends to join in. 12.12 Online Fever received more than 1.6 million of impressions on popular social media sites Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

    Zalora Group CEO, Michele Ferrario shared, “12.12 Online Fever 2015 was a great success not only for ZALORA but for all the partners we worked with to make this initiative possible and for consumers who got their favourite fashion brands on great price point. We thank everyone who supported us. As Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan are enjoying immense economic growth, we wanted to engage consumers and help boost the growth of e-commerce in the region. This online sales day will give them a push, sparking consumer spending by offering their favourite items at the best prices. Last year’s record sales attested that such a cyber event resonates well with consumers in the region, and we are happy that we managed to engage more consumers this year!”

    This year’s 12.12 Online Fever also saw an increase in number of partners with a total of 376 partners across the region covering different industries from food, home, entertainment, travel to beauty. Through large-scale online sales days such as 12.12 Online Fever, ZALORA aims to boost online retail consumption expenditure, while providing reassurances about the e-commerce sector and building trust with customers.

    12.12 Online Fever is an initiative to rally e-commerce players in the region to come together on one day and create Southeast Asia’s version of Cyber Monday. Southeast Asia is experiencing rapid

    economic growth, urbanisation and technology adoption, with 12.12 Online Fever, Zalora is bringing down barriers by making it more accessible for people in this region to buy fashion online where e- commerce is still in its infancy stage in many parts of Southeast Asia.

  • Huawei Mate 8 goes on sale; sold out in China on first day

    Huawei Mate 8 goes on sale; sold out in China on first day

    The Huawei Mate 8 finally went on sale in China on Dec. 9 after its unveil on Nov. 26 and seems to have sold out at many Chinese retailers on its very first day. The flagship phone will be unveiled to the international market at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) at Las Vegas, Nevada in January 2016.

    The Huawei Mate 8 carries a 6-inch LCD display and is available in RAM configurations of 3 GB and 4 GB. In China, the 3 GB/32 GB model of the Mate 8 costs CNY 2,999 (AU$644 or US$470) while the 4 GB/64 GB model comes in at CNY 3,699 (AU$795 or US$580).

    There is also a 4 GB variant with 128 GB internal storage capacity. This model costs CNY 4,399 (AU$ 946 or US$690). And finally, the premium and exclusive champagne edition comes with hefty price tag of CNY 6,888 (AU$ 1,473 or US$1,075), reports GSM Arena.

    The smartphone is available at over 2000 retail outlets across China. Users can also visit Huawei’s official online store, Vmall Mall, JD.com, Suning Tesco, Gome and Amazon, among other online retailers. International availability and pricing details are expected to be announced at CES 2016.

    Huawei is believed to be manufacturing one million units of the Huawei Mate 8 per month, according to earlier reports. The company is hopeful its latest flagship will surpass the previous records set by Mate 7, which sold seven million units in one year.

    The all-metal Huawei Mate 8 sports the latest Kirin 950 octa-core processor with a Mali T880 GPU; a 4000 mAh battery and a 16 MP rear camera with LED flash. The device runs on the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS.

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