Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Korean consumers get cynical

    Korean consumers get cynical

    Korean consumers are becoming cynical about store pricing as they are increasingly exposed to cheaper international online marketplaces and have experienced months of sales and promotions by bricks-and-mortar outlets.

    K-Sale Day, Korea’s Black Friday, Korea Grand Sale are just some of the events that have taken place recently as retailers and government seek to boost consumer spending. This slumped in the wake of an outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in late May when people avoided crowded places in an attempt to avoid infection.

    One consequence of that was that more consumers went online for not only essentials like groceries, but also for big ticket items and discovered that these could often be acquired relatively cheaply and with a straightforward delivery process, Inside Retail Asia reported.

    “As more consumers learn they can easily buy products at a much cheaper price via online vendors, offline shops are more frequently conducting discount events to retain their customers,” according to Jun Mi-young, a professor at Seoul National University.

    “The experience of buying foreign brands at discounted prices has created a healthy dose of cynicism about department stores’ pricing policy,” he added.

    Inside Retail Asia highlighted one example – the price of a kitchen knife set slashed by almost 60% in a sale but still more than the price charged by several online shopping malls on any given day.

    And as bricks-and-mortar sales start earlier and last longer, it noted, “they become less important and easier for consumers to ignore”.

    That said, the retail discount events have had some short-term impact, as government data shows that the 22 retailers that joined its own Black Friday Korea campaign saw their sales rise 20.7% year-on-year to 719.4bn Won (US$634.9m) during the two-weeks of the event.

    But “squeezing margins is not a sustainable business model”, Jun pointed out.

    “As the rise of digital shopping has become an inevitable trend in the retail industry, offline sales channels should seek ways to provide better in-store experiences and quality service,” he said. Data sourced from Inside Retail Asia; additional content by Warc staff

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  • Asia’s new shopping hotspots (and their must-have products)

    Asia’s new shopping hotspots (and their must-have products)

    Cashed-up Asian shoppers are switching their retail allegiances from long-time favorites Hong Kong and Singapore, and it’s not just for a change of scenery.

    Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are the new regional hotspots for selective shoppers, experts say, because they offer a mix of attractive exchange rates and must-have products.

    The Americas and Europe are still the world’s two largest luxury hubs, with 34 and 33 percent of the market respectively, according to the Altagamma 2015 Worldwide Markets Monitor report by Bain & Company. The report calculates market-share based on the value of the luxury goods purchased.

    Asia holds 28 per cent of the global personal luxury goods market, but the regional distribution is changing.

    “Hong Kong, mainland China and Macau have taken a hit, losing spend to Japan and Europe,” Joel Stephen, senior director and head of retailer representation for Asia at commercial real-estate player CBRE, said, adding that China’s corruption crackdown had also hurt the level of spending.

    “Singapore and Taiwan have also seen a drop in mainland Chinese luxury spend. There is still tourism, but a lot of the HNWI’s [high net worth individuals] from mainland China are traveling further afield.”

    While still largely driven by local shoppers, Taipei’s retail sector got a boost when the government eased visa restrictions and brought in a more consumer-friendly tax system. High-end department stores such as The Breeze Centre in the Taipei 101 area are an example of the stores capitalizing on the trend.

    Shoppers are also taking advantage of the weak yen, which is giving them greater purchasing power in Japan.

    “Chinese and, to a certain extent, Singaporean shoppers prefer to buy luxury goods when travelling where there are more opportunities to purchase them at lower prices,” said Amrita Banta, managing director at luxury-focused adviser Agility Research & Strategy.

    Japan is more popular with mature customers, while younger shoppers are heading to South Korean capital Seoul, Banta said.

    Seoul’s famous TV dramas and K-pop stars have as much, or more, influence on shoppers as traditional advertising campaigns for luxury brands. A recent example: Jimmy Choo shoes worn by Gianna Jun on the TV show “My Love from Another Star” sold out in stores across Asia.

    But Banta said old favorites Hong Kong and Singapore could make a comeback as Europe becomes more expensive, and Asians grow increasingly wealthy.

    “We see the Asia Pacific retail environment becoming increasingly competitive as shoppers will head back into stores in the region due to the price changes in Europe,” Banta says.

    Here’s what cashed-up shoppers are hunting for:

    Sulwhasoo ‘Timetreasure’ Renovating Serum – Seoul

    A price tag of hundreds of dollars for a 50ml bottle of anti-aging serum doesn’t stop moisturizer addicts from flocking to South Korea. Beauty products are a serious business for the country, with the rest of the world taking notice of all the products Korea has to offer.

    Moynat boutique – Hong Kong

    The trunk-maker’s first boutique outside of France sits in Central’s Landmark in a 400-square foot space. One of its prized offerings is the limited edition mini Réjane, a crocodile bag with diamonds on its clasp priced at $124,300.

    Café Dior – Seoul

    This year, the French designer fashion brand set up shop in Gangnam, offering a six-floor experience called House of Dior. The boutique has a glass-walled café upstairs – Café Dior is a culinary representation of the label, with a menu designed by French pastry chef Pierre Hermé.

    Hermès Petit H – Tokyo

    Works created from upcycled parts makes for a unique Hermès piece. Using leathers and textiles known in their products to create something new, Petit H is a pop-up series that lasts only a few weeks in locations such as Japan’s Ginza store, designed to promote recycling in a very high-fashion way – offering bags, wallets, necklaces and even a life-size fawn. This limited time offering drew design fanatics to Tokyo. It’s now set up in London.

    Taipei 101 – Taipei

    What once was the tallest building in the world still has one of the most highly regarded retail spaces on its first five floors. The sixth floor is where the VIP club is, which requires a purchase of over $44,000 in the one day to gain entry. Once in, you’ll have access to a private showroom with the latest in luxury items, private dressing rooms and Chanel spa products.

    Three Michelin stars – Tokyo

    Culinary experiences and Japan go hand-in-hand, from imported chefs such as Joël Robuchon gaining widespread appeal for modern French cuisine, to local chef Yoshihiro Narisawa’s fusion of European cooking styles with local ingredients.

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  • L’Oréal CEO says Q3 slowdown in Asia is ‘temporary’

    L’Oréal CEO says Q3 slowdown in Asia is ‘temporary’

    The L’Oréal chairman has stated that despite a market that slowed in the third quarter in Asia and in Travel Retail, L’Oréal Luxe has “strengthened its worldwide position with significant gains in Western Europe, in Asia, Pacific, in the Middle East and in Latin America.”

    His statement accompanies the release of the firm’s nine-months sales results which reveal a temporary third quarter slowdown for L’Oréal Luxe in Asia; strong e-commerce sales (projected at +€1bn in 2015); a slowdown in travel retail; and ‘significant’ sales and profit growth.

    According to Agon, despite these results, the ‘Consumer Products Division’ is performing well in India, Australia and Thailand. In China, growth at L’Oréal Paris is reportedly accelerating, while Magic is undergoing a transitional period.

    Market ‘turbulence’ in Asia

    The active cosmetics division is also said to be ‘growing strongly’, thanks to the success of La Roche-Posay.

    Kiehl’s, Yves Saint Laurent and Giorgio Armani are contributing to the dynamism of L’Oréal Luxe, in a context of slower third-quarter growth in Hong Kong and Travel Retail Asia.

    Roche-Posay is renewing its expert franchise for oily skin with the launch of Effaclar K(+). The company adds that the brand is continuing to post double-digit growth in all geographic Zones, with ‘outstanding performances’ in France, Brazil and China. The successful international roll-out of SkinCeuticals is continuing.

    “L’Oréal Luxe experienced a temporary slowdown as a result of market turbulence over the summer in Asia, in Hong Kong and in Travel Retail. By geographic zone, North America’s growth is gradually increasing and Western Europe confirms its positive trend. In the third quarter, the New Markets have been hampered by the difficult Brazilian market, market turbulence in Asia and the taking over of agents’ contracts in the Middle East. In China, sales growth is in line with earlier quarters,” says Agon.

    Finally, the chairman said that currency fluctuations actually had a positive impact of +8.3% and if September-end exchange rates (€1 at $1.12) are extrapolated up to December 31, then the impact of currency fluctuations would be +6.7% for the whole of 2015.

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  • How Agencies Are Adapting to China’s E-Commerce Boom

    How Agencies Are Adapting to China’s E-Commerce Boom

    This week, Saatchi & Saatchi China announced it was bringing on 48 hires from a local e-commerce services provider called Bysoft. It’s the latest example of how international agencies are adjusting their offer to cater to China’s e-commerce boom.

    In China, now the world’s largest e-commerce market, almost anything can be bought online – from exotic imported produce to cheap locally made clothing, from iPhones to Cadillacs. Online purchases are a greater percentage of retail in China than anywhere else. This year 15.9% of retail will be via digital, according to eMarketer. In the U.S. that figure is just 7.1%.

    Given China’s rapid embrace of e-commerce, “marketers and agencies are having to adapt at warp speed to build capabilities and potential capabilities in this area,” said Greg Paull, Hong Kong-based principal of agency-management consultancy R3 Worldwide.

    Agencies are trying different tactics. WPP China CEO Bessie Lee told an investors’ conference last week that two WPP companies, Kuvera and Salmon, were doing “a very hard-core e-commerce service. What does that mean? It means managing the e-commerce storefront for our clients, finding warehousing, managing warehousing, finding logistics partners for our clients, doing CRM (and) customer service for our clients for their online stores.” The agencies do marketing but are also distributors and store managers for clients, Ms. Lee said, adding: “So this is new money that we probably never had before.”

    Like many agencies, Dentsu’s Carat is expanding its e-commerce team. When Chinese internet giant Alibaba hosted its massive one-day online shopfest on Nov. 11, logging $14.3 billion in merchandise sales, Carat had a 28-hour war room for clients including Mondelez, handling everything from media optimization to brand-shop management to product replenishment to competitor tracking. China’s e-commerce boom also factored into a new partnership between Dentsu’s Carat, Mondelez and internet giant Tencent to work together on data, research and content.

    The company that Publicis Groupe-owned’ Saatchi hired staff from, Bysoft, has cast itself as a one-stop solution that includes digital marketing and operations, with a warehouse and fulfillment system for brands, and a client list including Adidas and Durex. Two of the hires were Cyril Drouin, Bysoft’s CEO, who takes charge of Saatchi’s China e-commerce strategy, and Christine Wang, Bysoft’s managing director. (Saatchi says it wasn’t an acquisition of Bysoft, but a recruitment of talent from the company.)

    Did you know 40%+ shoppers impulse buy and 71% in-store phone usage is checking prices? Gain deep understanding of consumer behavior and why this enables digitally-centric brands to gain advantage.

    Learn more

    Bysoft, founded in 2003, is one of dozens of standalone e-commerce agencies to pop up in China; many promise brands a range of services from marketing to operations, which is attractive to some brands. Alibaba-backed Baozun handles digital marketing, store operations, customer services and warehousing and has clients including Nike and Burberry. It had a $110 million initial public offering on the Nasdaq this year.

    The Chinese e-commerce market is fast-changing and complex, with different platforms than elsewhere – not only Alibaba’s marketplaces, but also online superstore JD.com and many verticals. Many brands are still figuring out their strategy, and the big question is how agencies will eventually fit into the landscape.

    “Are marketers going to push their business into a standalone e-commerce agency or into the existing creative digital agencies?” Mr. Paull asked. The argument in creative agencies’ favor is that “in the end an e-commerce customer is still a customer, and the work needs to be treated with same brand integrity you would treat any other work.”

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  • Uber wants to deliver everything, not just people

    Uber wants to deliver everything, not just people

    Uber is not a taxi company, it’s a delivery company. And whether its cars are moving human beings or, as they are already in the US, physical products (and no, it’s not just cats and ice cream), what it’s really delivering is information about how to make cities more efficient.

    Jo Bertram, regional general manager for the UK, Ireland and Nordics at Uber, told that the company’s ambition to provide on-demand delivery for restaurants and businesses will reduce congestion in cities, and cut the time between ordering a product and receiving it.

    “Our mission is to make getting anything in your city more convenient, affordable and reliable than picking it up yourself,” she said.

    So far Uber has tried a limited number of delivery experiments in London, mainly for PR but also to test its infrastructure. In New York however it has already launched UberRush, a full-scale delivery service that lets restaurants and shops send products on-demand, for a relatively low cost.

    Bertram said Uber’s task is to apply what it has learned providing taxis in 350 global cities (including Bogata, Nairobi, Bangalore and 12 in the UK) to other forms of urban infrastructure. “We already provide the ability to get a car at the touch of a button,” she said. “Now imagine if you could use that same network of drivers and allow you to also get other things.”

    Don’t miss

    For businesses, on-demand delivery provides a competitive edge that bigger rivals might not be able to match, Bertram said. It also gives them the chance to scale more quickly, as they are able to reach customers who would otherwise be too far away to buy their product. Finally it provides “customer loyalty and satisfaction” Bertram said. “To get something within an hour? That’s pretty amazing.” It also means travelling long-distance to a one-stop superstore isn’t necessary. “Customers can think about buying local,” she said.

    “We believe it’s a positive thing for the city in which we operate.”

    What’s next is not necessarily transitioning delivery to robots, self-driving cars or drones, she said, but being able to combine multiple deliveries into one trip — vastly reducing the cost. That’s the concept between the UberPool ride-sharing service, and the concept is increasingly applicable to deliveries too.

    “Imagine if you could combine UberPool and UberRush?” she said, under a slide labelled “One More Thing”. With clever match-making tech, the price of instant delivery could be dramatically reduced.

    Eventually Uber drones might be possible, she admitted — but autonomous delivery is “five to ten years off” even if you assume questions around insurance and liability are settled, which they are not. Regulations — as Uber has seen constantly in regard to its core taxi product — are also a potential headache.

    “It’s almost impossible for us to think ahead,” she said. “But we’re always looking at pushing the boundaries of the services we offer.” But one prediction is possible — that “by 2025 there will be no need to own a private car”.

    “We’re able to start solving, or helping to solve some of the really big transportation problems in our cities,” she said.

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  • Hugo Boss’s sales suffer amidst the falling Chinese economy

    Hugo Boss’s sales suffer amidst the falling Chinese economy

    Hugo Boss has recently announced that it is anticipating challenges in the Chinese and US markets, which will have a negative impact on sales next year. While a decline is expected, the brand plans to continue investment in its stores and online platform.

    The German fashion retailer* announced in a presentation for its investor day that 2016 sales growth is likely to be lower than its long term target for a high single-digit increase, adding that it would only reach 2020 targets for a core earnings margin of 25% if the overall market recovered.

    These results come just a year after one of Hugo Boss’ main brands BOSS opened two new flagship stores in Hong Kong.

    Earlier this month, Burberry recorded a 9% increase in pre-tax profits, while still in the midst of a “challenging” trading environment due to China’s suffering economy. The British brand said sales at stores open for a year or longer have been affected by the Chinese climate, especially those in Hong Kong, a major shopping destination for mainland visitors.

    Up until its recent economic downturn, Hong Kong was viewed as China’s shopping centre, housing the world’s luxury and most expensive retailers. However, failing sales have led to cuts in rents and ultimately struggling retail sales, following years of luxury growth in the region.

    Both Boss and Burberry have faced a declining demand in China as well as an overall decrease in luxury retail spending. Burberry is poised to downsize its biggest store in Hong Kong, while it has been suggested that French house Louis Vuitton will also be assessing sales performance in its 8 China stores in second-tier cities.

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  • Yue Yuen sales rise on retail rollout

    Yue Yuen sales rise on retail rollout

    The world’s largest branded athletic and casual footwear manufacturer and retailer Yue Yuen Industrial says retail and wholesale sales of sportswear in Greater China rose 19.6 per cent in the first nine months of this year, due to an expanding store network.

    Yue Yuen operates more than 6000 retail stores and concessions across Greater China under its own name as well as the international brands it manufactures for.

    Total sportswear sales reached US$1.7 billion compared to US$1.456 billion in the same period last year. Other factors in the growth were the company’s efforts to increase efficiency and a better merchandise selection.

    Sales of athletic shoes were up by 3.4 per cent and sales of casual shoes were down by 5.6 per cent. The total volume of shoes sold increased by just 1.1 per cent to 231.4 million pairs for the period.

    Hong Kong listed Yue Yuen designs and makes shoes for brands including Nike, Crocs, Adidas, Reebok, Asics, New Balance, Puma, Timberland and Rockport as well as operating its own network of retail stores under the YY Sports brand, through subsidiary Pou Shen.

    The increased athletic shoes and sportswear sales helped boost Yue Yuen’s overall revenue by 5.8 per cent to US$6.3 billion and gross profit by 9.1 per cent to $1.422 billion. Total net profit attributable to owners of the company was $285.6 million, up 36.6 per cent year on year, according to figures filed with the stock exchange.

    Pou Shen, which opened 771 new points of sale during the nine months, increased its gross profit by 32.5 per cent to $566.5 million due to management’s strategy to concentrate on the retail business, improved operating efficiency, and better procurement of inventory.

    YY Sport instore wide

  • 11street plans monthly ‘Love 11 Day” discounts

    11street plans monthly ‘Love 11 Day” discounts

    Malaysian online marketplace 11street plans a new mobile shopping app – and a monthly ‘Love 11 Day’ when it plans to launch surprise, snap deals and giveaways.

    The Korean-headquartered online retailer says it is now ranked a top 40 website in the country and its online marketplace now has more than 7 million products on offer.

    11street CEO Hoseok Kim has unveiled an RM11 million giveaway running until December 31. Shoppers can redeem daily offers of deals and coupons with up to 90 per cent discounts.

    Kim said the 11th day of every month was chosen for the promotion because of its symbolic similarity to the company’s brand name.

    Meanwhile, Kim says almost 50 per cent of traffic to 11street is now from mobile devices.

    According to Nielsen, the growth of connected devices have paved the way for a positive increase in the eCommerce sector with 47 per cent of Malaysians using their smartphones to shop online.

    “Today, the 11street mobile shopping app is already one of the most popular apps in Malaysia. Listed as one of the top three shopping apps on the Malaysian Google Play store, we are pleased by this achievement as we have always placed great importance in offering a convenient mobile shopping experience for all users.”

    11street Malaysia - Love 11 day

    He says in 2016, 11street will strengthen its focus to serve mobile shoppers through a two pronged approach by providing more curated content with an improved user interface and user experience designs, along with additional personalised features for greater customer experience. 11street will also be offering more mobile exclusive value deals and discounts.

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  • Fossil and wearable tech business

    Fossil and wearable tech business

    Fossil Group is to buy Misfit, an innovator in wearable technology and connected devices.

    The $260 million acquisition will enable Fossil to expand its addressable market, offering consumers both traditional timepieces and fashionable connected accessories. Misfit brings to Fossil a scalable cloud and app platform, a world-class software and hardware engineering team, a native wearable technology brand and a pipeline of innovative products.

    “We have a significant opportunity to add technology and connectivity across our platform of watches and accessories,” said Kosta Kartsotis, Fossil CEO.

    “With the acquisition of Misfit, Fossil Group will be uniquely positioned to lead the convergence of style and technology and to become the fashion gateway to the high-growth wearable technology and connected device markets.”

    Fossil Group is a global design, marketing and distribution company that specialises in consumer lifestyle and fashion accessories, including men’s and women’s fashion watches and jewellery, handbags, small leather goods and accessories, sold under 16 brands including Skagen. It sells through department stores, specialty retail stores and specialty stores in 150 countries, and has 600 of its own stores.

    Fossil says Misfit has already solved many of the biggest challenges with wearable accessories, including battery life.

    The deal will enable Fossil to expand its wearable market with new distribution channels, new products, new brands and new enterprise partnerships, including music, fitness, healthcare and digital entities.

    Misfit founder, Sonny Vu, said the two companies will now be able to introduce products that “blend Misfit’s seamless, intuitive technology and user experience with the design, style and branding that is the hallmark of Fossil Group”.

    Vu will serve as president and chief technology officer of connected devices for Fossil Group and will become a member of the company’s executive leadership team.

    Misfit was cofounded in 2011 by Vu and John Sculley, former CEO of Apple and Pepsi, and Sridhar Iyengar, co-founder and former CTO of AgaMatrix.

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  • Mobile payment race intensifies

    Mobile payment race intensifies

    From smartphone-makers to retail firms, more companies are jumping on the mobile payment bandwagon in a bid to take the initiative for hassle-free digital payments.

    As there is no single dominant player or set of standards yet, the mushrooming mobile payment market is flooded with more than 20 related applications in Korea and may look like a hodgepodge of technologies for some.

    Many industry officials, however, had a positive outlook on the fledgling market, anticipating that the mobile payment systems would further proliferate and one day kill plastic cards.

    “There will be a tenfold increase in the mobile payment services next year, and it is highly likely considering the great growth potential with most websites requiring online payment solutions,” forecast Park So-yeong, chief executive of electronics payment PayGate and chairperson of the Korea Fintech Forum, an organization for the financial technology sector.

    She added that the market needs a set of standards in order to enhance convenience for consumers, and small retailers that may want to adopt the contactless payment technology in the coming years.

    Users try to use mobile payment system Samsung Pay. (Samsung)

    Some said that the growing number of mobile payment apps ironically cause inconvenience due to the lack of standardized technologies, arguing new payment services will come and go until the emergence of strong market leaders.

    “Even Kakao, operator of Korea’s most used mobile messenger, has not been able to rule the mobile payment market,” said an industry source, adding that the firm’s KakaoPay takes up less than 10 percent of payments on Baedal Minjok, the largest food ordering app in Korea.

    Other mobile payment services providers include retail colossuses Shinsegae and Lotte, as also Internet giant Naver and LG Electronics.

    The Korean mobile payment market more than quintupled to 5.7 trillion won ($4.9 billion) in the second quarter this year from 1.1 trillion won in the first quarter of 2013, according to state-run statistics organization Statistics Korea.

    Highly considered as one of the potential market leaders, Samsung is gaining momentum to win the mobile payment race.

    After U.S. tech giant Apple launched contactless mobile payment system Apple Pay last year, Seoul-headquartered Samsung Electronics rolled out its own system in August.

    Despite its somewhat belated start, Samsung Pay has been garnering quite an upbeat response from reviewers and users around the world.

    Accumulative payments crossed the 100 billion won mark with the number of Samsung Pay subscribers exceeding 1 million in two months since its launch in Korea.

    Samsung Pay is often said to have a competitive edge over Apple Pay thanks largely to its better compatibility with the Magnetic Secure Transmission and Near Field Communications technologies.

    Apple Pay allows users to make purchases only with NFC terminals while Samsung Pay is compatible with both magnetic swipe and NFC terminals.

    “Some even say Samsung Pay is the last hope for the Korean tech giant’s mobile business unit, which is being squeezed hard between Apple in the premium handset segment and Chinese upstarts in the low end,” a market official said.

    The tech behemoth is also beefing up partnerships with credit card firms and banks to allow Samsung Pay users to use ATMs with the mobile service.

    Some of the global financial firms include Chase, Visa, American Express and MasterCard.

    Local investment firm BNK Securities anticipated the shipment of Samsung smartphones equipped with Samsung Pay worldwide will reach 22.5 million units — 11.4 million in Asia and 11.1 in North America — next year.

    The increasing popularity of the Samsung payment solution and the expanding mobile payment ecosystem has become a boon for Samsung’s partners and component makers for biometric sensors — used in smartphones to authenticate users.

    Among the beneficiaries are the Korea Information Certificate Authority, which develops user authentication solutions, and Amotech.

    KICA provides fingerprint identification solutions for Samsung Pay and the latter supplies chip modules used for the payment system.

    KICA’s share price doubled to 21,000 won in the two months that Samsung Pay was released, and is now hovering between 12,000 won and 14,000 won.

    It is also expected that Samsung would install its payment solutions in a variety of its products, including smart TVs, mid-range and low-end smartphones, running on the Tizen operating system.

    The Tizen OS has been jointly developed by a group of global tech firms including Intel.

    Fingerprint scanners will be more widely deployed in budget Samsung smartphones to beef up security of the mobile payment app.

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  • Introducing Indonesia`s Newest VVIP Helicopter

    Introducing Indonesia`s Newest VVIP Helicopter

    Member of Cimmission I of the House, TB Hasanuddin, said that PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI) has produced new choppers NAS 332 a.k.a. EC 225 Super Puma Mark II. Even better, EC 225 Super Puma Mark II has been used by 32 head of states as a executive chopper.

    However, Hasanuddin said that the Airforce, instead of using Super Puma, purchased Westland AW 101 Merlin, notably of use by four countries.

    AgustaWestland-AW101-VVIP

    “Why can’t we be proud of our products?” said Hasanuddin.

    AW101 will arrive next year and will be for VVIP guests, including President Vice President, and state guests. “The chopper is in the airforce’s plan and strategy of 2014-2019. It is not for president [Jokowi]. It is for VVIP guests, including president, vice president, and state guests,” said Air Marshall Dwi Badarmanto.

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  • CP All supermarket has the lone laugh in drought hit Thailand

    Sales have tumbled at everything except one of Thailand’s prominent supermarkets as the most terrible drought season in 10 years strikes at the heart of the cultivating sector – the foundation of the rustic economy – and disappoints arrangements to open more stores in the regions.

    CP All is the only supermarket in Thailand to register a rise in same-store-sales growth, when the company reported a growth of 1.6 percent in Q3. Big C Supercenter, Thailand’s second-largest hypermarket chain after Tesco PLC, endured a 5.2 percent slide in Q3 same-store sales growth (SSSG) from a year prior, the most among its associates. About portion of Big C’s business originate from the inside Thailand where shoppers are worried about dry spell, low product costs and a feeble financial standpoint, investigators say. Tesco’s Thai unit does not report quarterly SSSG numbers.

    Big C, lion’s share claimed by Casino Group in France, has lessened its pace of extension like numerous different wary retailers. That is in sharp differentiation to the part’s forceful development arranges only a couple of years back.

    CP All, owned by billionaire Dhanin Chearavanont, is taking an alternate tack. The administrator of Thailand’s 7-Eleven stores is progressing with its extension, mostly to counterbalance slower deals at existing stores. That methodology is by all accounts working – same-store sales rose 1.6 percent in Q3. CP All was additionally the main retailer with any development in deals. The organization arrangements to open no less than 600 store a year to expand the aggregate number of stores to 10,000 by 2018.

    Analysis says retailers’ profit has bottomed in the second from last quarter, with government measures set up to invigorate utilization in the final quarter. That feeling is reflected in a pickup in purchaser trust in October, the first ascent in 10 months. In any case, the street to recuperation may be long, as general utilization could be dragged around falling homestead livelihoods one year from now. Climate forecasters say dried conditions could hold on through 2017. The agrarian area is the nation’s biggest business, representing 32 percent of Thailand’s work power.

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  • HKTDC Design Gallery Wan Chai relaunched

    HKTDC Design Gallery Wan Chai relaunched

    The Hong Kong Trade Development Council has unveiled a revamped HKTDC Design Gallery shop at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

    HKTDC executive director Margaret Fong was joined by famous Hong Kong actor Moses Chan and many of the city’s top designers at an opening ceremony yesterday.

    The store was created to promote products invented back in 1991.

    The diverse variety of products on offer highlights the extraordinary creativity of Hong Kong designers in areas ranging from jewellery, watches, electronics and fashion to home products, gifts and children’s items.

    The revamped HKTDC Design Gallery Wan Chai shop showcases nearly 5500 innovative products from more than 230 Hong Kong designers and brands in eight distinctly designed zones.

    Hong Kong designer brands feature in DG Discover; handbags and accessories in DG Vogue; environmentally friendly products in DG Green; baby and children’s products in DG Mini; home goods and gifts in DG Delights; electronic and digital goods in DG Smart; high-end luxury products such as jewellery, watches and leather and cashmere goods in DG Luxe; and collaborative creations by Hong Kong designers and international brands that combine the best of East and West in DG Plus.

    Featuring minimalist geometric shapes and a circular motif, the design of the revamped HKTDC Design Gallery shop creates a vibrant atmosphere to engage customers and elevate brand image. Light wood colours, grey gradients and black linear accents are used to create a comfortable, contemporary environment. The DG Luxe zone is distinguished from other areas of the shop by the use of dark wood colours and deep grey fabric lining.

    At the opening ceremony, Fong said that thanks to the support of local residents, visitors and traders, the shop has been attracting more than 1 million customers each year.

    Apart from new Design Gallery shops in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Wuhan and other mainland cities, Fong also spoke about the HKTDC’s strategy of collaborating with department stores and lifestyle shops to set up “shops in shops” in Hong Kong and on the Chinese mainland, to bring the best Hong Kong brands to more customers.

    Fong said the HKTDC is also establishing online shops on leading Hong Kong eCommerce platforms such as ShopThruPost, YesStyle and Zalora, as well as Taobao, Tmall and JD.com on the Chinese mainland, in an effort to develop eCommerce opportunities for Hong Kong businesses.

    Between now and December 2015, customers who make a one-time purchase of HK$300 or more at any HKTDC Design Gallery shop in Hong Kong will be entitled to lifetime membership with the DG Club. Members are entitled to a special shopping discount and can earn points to redeem for exclusive gifts or instant cash rebates. To celebrate the re-launch of the HKTDC Design Gallery Wan Chai shop, members will be awarded double points for purchases made between 16 and 18 November 2015.

    The HKTDC Design Gallery Wan Chai Shop is located on the ground floor of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Harbour Rd, Wan Chai.

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  • CAPA names Dubai’s Griffiths top Asia CEO

    CAPA names Dubai’s Griffiths top Asia CEO

    The first CAPA Asia Pacific Airport CEO award has been given to Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths for his ‘outstanding strategic thinking and innovative direction for the growth of their business and the industry.’

    The award was presented by CAPA Executive Director Peter Harbison in Singapore on 23 November, with Griffiths singled out for ‘successfully managing Dubai through a massive expansion programme and completing an unprecedented runway improvement project’.

    “In 2014 Mr. Griffiths oversaw one of the largest ever runway improvement projects, which required Dubai to operate with only one runway for three months,” said Harbison. “Despite the runway closures, Dubai was able to overtake Heathrow in 2014 as the world’s biggest international airport as passenger throughput increased by 6% to 70.5 million.”

    Paul Griffiths - Dubai Airports CEO

    Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths.

    Now in its thirteenth year, CAPA’s Aviation Awards for Excellence are intended to reward airlines and airports that are not only successful, but have also provided industry leadership in ever-changing environments.

    In its tribute to Griffiths, CAPA noted that much of the UAE’s economic success comes from the performance and growth of Dubai International where he became CEO of Dubai Airports in 2007.

    He has since managed the airport’s successful launch of T3 (2008) and is now in the process of overseeing a $7.8bn expansion plan, including Concourse D which will open in 2016 providing 32 additional gates.

    This will increase Dubai’s passenger handling capacity from 75m to 90m. Griffiths is also heading up the ongoing operation and development of Dubai World Central (DWC), which will eventually become the world’s largest airport with an ultimate capacity of 240m passengers.

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  • Ever-Glory in sales slump

    Ever-Glory in sales slump

    Nasdaq-listed, Chinese fashion retailer Ever-Glory International Group has reported a third quarter plunge in same store sales of 21 per cent.

    Wholesale sales fell 10.9 per cent with total company revenue down 15.3 per cent to US$118.6 million.

    Wholesale sales fell the most in Mainland China, Germany and Japan and in European markets in general.

    The company operated 1188 stores at the end of September, compared to 1137 a year earlier.

    Gross profit decreased 4.4 per cent to $32.3 million, compared to $33.8 million last year, with gross margin up 310 basis points to 27.3 per cent compared to 24.2 per cent last year.

    Gross profit for retail business increased 3.6 per cent to $22.4 million. Retail gross margin increased 1130 basis points to 47.5 per cent from 36.2 per cent.

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