Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Asahi Beverages acquires South Australia’s Never Never gin brand

    Asahi Beverages acquires South Australia’s Never Never gin brand

    Asahi Beverages has purchased Never Never, a premium distillery in South Australia’s McLaren Vale region.

    The acquisition is expected to help the distillery expand its reach, offer better support and offerings for existing customers and consumers, and help grow the Australian gin market.

    Never Never was established in 2016 by three friends – George Georgiadis, Tim Boast, and Sean Baxter – who began distilling gin from an Adelaide shed. Since then, the company has gained popularity among bartenders and gin enthusiasts with its award-winning gins, such as Triple Juniper and Oyster Shell.

    Georgiadis, MD and co-founder of Never Never, said the partnership would allow the brand to realise its vision of growing in the country’s gin market.

    “Our values have been crucial in building our brand and align incredibly strongly with the values and culture of Asahi Beverages,” he added.

    Never Never’s three co-founders will remain in their roles and continue to oversee day-to-day operations, ensuring a smooth transition and maintaining the brand’s unique identity.

    “Adding a high-quality, Australian-made gin to our range plugs an important gap in our offering and complements our leading multi-beverage portfolio,” added Danny Celoni, CEO of Carlton & United Breweries (CUB), Asahi’s alcohol division.

    “We can’t wait to start offering this product to our customers and through our distribution network to help this internationally-recognised Aussie gin achieve the scale it deserves.”

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  • Shopee races past other e-commerce rivals

    Shopee races past other e-commerce rivals

    Shopee continued to dominate Vietnam’s e-commerce market with a 67.9% share in the first quarter, followed by TikTok Shop with a 23.2% market share.

    Lazada and Tiki are in third and fourth places at 7.6% and 1.3%, according to a new report by e-commerce intelligence firm YouNet ECI.

    Around 766.7 million products were sold, an increase of 83.2%.

    The figures far exceed experts’ forecasts of around 35% growth in the e-commerce market.

    The surge in online shopping aligned with the overall recovery of the retail sector, which grew by 8.2% during the quarter, according to the General Statistics Office.

    At a recent TikTok Shop event, the platform revealed that some 2.8 million small, medium and micro-sized businesses are currently selling on it.

    The number of merchants with steady sales tripled last year, while livestream sessions and short videos got 12 times more views, it said.

    Purchases made through the search feature on TikTok Shop increased 32-fold, indicating that people are actively looking for products on the site rather than buying randomly after seeing their videos while scrolling.

    Nguyen Phuong Lam, head of market intelligence at YouNet ECI, expected the e-commerce market’s annual sales to grow 25% this year to $16.8 billion in 2025.

    Shopping combined with entertainment, or “shoppertainment,” would be worth $8.1 billion then, he said.

    This is because Gen Z-ers, the group that accounts for over 73% of online shoppers, highly favor this form of shopping and have a habit of following new trends started by online content creators, he explained.

    TikTok Shop, a video-based platform, is ideally suited to capitalize on the shoppertainment trend, he added.

    But competition is imminent with Shopee recently launching Shopee Video, a feature that allows sellers to interact with buyers just like on TikTok Shop.

    It is also offering promotions to incentivize its users to watch videos.

    According to Amanda Murphy, head of commercial banking, the e-commerce development is helping speed up the growth of Vietnam’s digital economy, South & Southeast Asia at lender HSBC, and Ahmed Yeganeh, HSBC Vietnam’s head of wholesale banking.

    Vietnam’s digital economy growth has been topping Southeast Asia for the last two years, and it would continue to do so until 2025, they said.

    The country is forecast to have 67.3 million smartphone users, or 96.9% of its Internet user population, by 2026.

    A survey by the lender showed that 60% of businesses operating in Vietnam plan to invest in technology and digitization, especially digital payments, e-commerce and artificial intelligence, to improve efficiency and meet customer expectations.

    For enterprises embarking on digitization, experts recommend a focus on cost control and capital management.

  • TikTok, Facebook, and other foreign service providers pay $575M in taxes

    TikTok, Facebook, and other foreign service providers pay $575M in taxes

    According to the General Department of Taxation, foreign service providers, including Google, Facebook, and TikTok, have paid VND14.572 trillion (US$575 million) in taxes.

    Data from the General Department of Taxation indicates that currently, 94 foreign service providers are registered to pay taxes through the electronic portal, and the cumulative tax amount from March 2022—when the electronic portal for foreign providers became operational—totaled VND14.572 trillion, an increase of more than VND3.5 trillion compared to the end of last year.

    The list of foreign service providers who have declared and paid taxes includes Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, Netflix, and Apple.

    Authorities are implementing a variety of short- and long-term strategies to enhance tax management for domestic and cross-border e-commerce. Furthermore, tax agencies are continuing to review, audit, inspect, and address violations that fail to comply with regulations.

    The department said another approach is for tax agencies to work with various ministries and sectors to prevent tax revenue losses and ensure financial security.

    Data released last week indicates that the tax sector now has access to bank data for 121 million personal accounts, approximately two-thirds of the 183 million personal payment accounts registered by the end of 2023, and over 9 million corporate accounts across 96 commercial banks.

    Using this data, the tax authority will identify online businesses that have not declared and paid taxes for further action. Recently, many online sellers have been mandated to pay additional tax.

    The tax authority plans to collaborate with the Ministry of Public Security to hasten the adoption of citizen identification documents as tax identification numbers, in accordance with the Tax Administration Law.

    The agency is also exploring the use of electronic identification for organizations and individuals engaged in tax declaration and payment transactions, aimed at preventing tax evasion in e-commerce.

    In 2023, the e-commerce channel paid VND97 trillion in taxes, marking a 14% increase from 2022.

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  • Vietnam coffee farmers boost irrigation but running low on water, says report

    Vietnam coffee farmers boost irrigation but running low on water, says report

    farmers in Vietnam, the world’s largest producer of robusta coffee, have sharply increased irrigation use in the country’s main producing regions amid excessive dryness, but they are now running low on water, a report said on Monday.

    So far this season, many farmers have used irrigation as much as seven times already, compared with five times usually in a normal season, and they are seeing the need to irrigate coffee trees for an eighth time if they have water, said J.Ganes Consulting LLC in notes from a crop tour in Vietnam.

    “The severe water deficiency and extreme temperatures have caused nutrient imbalances for the trees,” said soft commodities analyst Judith Ganes, president of J.Ganes Consulting, adding that wells used by the farmers to get water for irrigation are running low.

    The report says that the hot and dry environment has favored the spread of pests such as cochinilla in some farms. That insect can hurt flowers and small fruits in the trees, leading to lower agricultural yields.

    An intense heat wave is sweeping through Southeast Asia, and maximum temperatures measured in several parts of northern and central Vietnam ranged from 40.2 to 44.0 degrees Celsius (104-111°F), the country’s national weather agency said on Sunday, adding that temperatures will not subside until Wednesday.

    Vietnam’s weather was the latest factor behind record high prices for robusta coffee . The market was already hot due to below-average production for Vietnam and Indonesia in the last crop, and now the climate conditions have not been favorable for the development of the new crop.

    The report regarding one of the main coffee-producing regions in Vietnam said, “The incidence of cochinilla in Gia Lai is extensive and not yet under control. The speed at which cochinilla can spread is very fast, and so this situation is very concerning.”

    Ganes said there is forecast for rains coming in May, which could relieve the dryness.

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  • Hanoi apartment prices up 38% in 5 years

    Hanoi apartment prices up 38% in 5 years

    Hanoi apartment prices have risen by 38% from 2019 and prices have shot up even in buildings that are 5-10 years old, according to the Ministry of Construction.

    Many projects sell at over VND60 million ($2,367.80) per square meter, rising to even VND150 million in some places, it said in a recent report.

    The smallest apartment (40 sq.m) at Heritage West Lake to the northwest of West Lake is priced at VND3.8 billion.

    A 30-square-meter unit at Masterise West Height in the southwest of the city starts at VND1.8 billion.

    “Apartments continue to attract interest from buyers with residential needs and medium- and long-term investors,” the ministry said.

    Prices have been rising rapidly since the end of last year due to a widening gap between supply and demand. In the last six months, many projects have seen prices rise by 20-25%.

    According to property consultancy CBRE, prices on the secondary market jumped by 17% year-on-year in the first quarter, the highest increase ever recorded.

    The average price of old apartments is VND36 million per square meter. But no new apartment projects were launched during the first quarter.

    The Ministry of Construction wants the city People’s Committee to identify and punish speculators who have been driving up property prices.

    But analysts called it a futile quest and suggested it should be tackled with policies such as imposing taxes for ownership of multiple properties.

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  • Sacombank assures no loss on $141M loan to Bamboo Airways

    Sacombank assures no loss on $141M loan to Bamboo Airways

    Sacombank has assured that it will not lose the VND3.58 trillion (US$141 million) it has lent to Bamboo Airways, citing that the loans are secured by high-value assets.

    The loans used to be secured by its shares and assets of property developer FLC, its former owner, Sacombank CEO Nguyen Duc Thach Diem said at its annual general meeting Friday.

    But when new owners took over the airline, the bank persuaded them to pledge high-value properties in HCMC instead, and the loans are now classified as “qualified debt,” meaning they have the lowest risk of turning into bad debts, she said.

    “It is certain that Sacombank will not lose the money it has lent to Bamboo Airways,” she said.

    Sacombank decided to invest in the airline, which has been going through major restructuring after being sold by FLC.

    In February the bank’s former deputy CEO, Phan Dinh Tue, took over as chairman of the airline.

  • Taxi firm Vinasun’s profits down by half

    Taxi firm Vinasun’s profits down by half

    Taxi firm Vinasun’s profits plummeted by 58.5% to VND22 billion ($868,000) in the first quarter, a near two-year low, according to a company disclosure.

    The Ho Chi Minh City-based company said profits dropped because it had to spend money on “supporting drivers and partners.”

    Revenues were down 15% to VND278.6 billion.

    The company aims to hire experienced drivers by paying better this year, and buy 700 new cars, mostly Toyota hybrids.

    It plans to study the possibility of using three-wheel electric vehicles.

    It targets revenue of VND1.1 trillion this year, down 9% from last year, and profits of VND80.5 billion, down by half.

    Despite slashing its payroll in recent years the company expects to face challenges to its recovery this year.

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  • Skype rolls out update with new features for both Android and iOS

    Skype rolls out update with new features for both Android and iOS

    If your company uses Skype for communication – or you simply can’t let go of the iconic messenger – you’ll be thrilled to learn about its most recent update: build 8.118!

    This update brings improvements for all users regardless of the platform Skype’s been used on: Android, iOS and desktop.

    Overall, the update gives Android users more control over their camera. With in-chat camera customization, Skype will remember your last used settings, including whether you prefer the front-facing camera or the rear camera, even if you switched in-between.

    Finding specific chats is also easier now with chat sorting. A new bottom sheet has a new filter menu through which you can sort chats by recent messages, unread messages, or active conversations.

    For Apple users, notifications and in-app messages now synchronize faster. Tapping a notification now instantly brings you to the relevant message thread, with preloaded messages ready to view.

    In-chat Camera Customization That Remembers

    Embrace the personal touch with Skype’s latest Android update – your chat camera now remembers your last used settings, ensuring your best side is always ready for its close-up.

    • Selfie-Ready: Love the front cam? Skype now defaults to your preference in chat, saving you a click.
    • Stick with Your Pick: Flipped? Set it once and Skype’s chat camera keeps it just so for next time.
    • Snap Back to It: Revisit the chat and your camera’s just as you left it, for seamless sharing

    Streamlined Chat Sorting

    Finding your focus in Skype chats is now sleeker and more intuitive with our new bottom sheet design.

    • Filter with Flair: Tap and unveil a modern, user-friendly filter menu right in your chat list.
    • Customized Chat Visibility: Easily toggle between seeing recent chats, unread messages, or active conversations.
    • Design that Delivers: Enjoy a fresh look with essential features at your fingertips – designed for the way you communicate on mobile.

    Skype Desktop’s GIF Picker Gets a Speed Boost!

    Our latest desktop update means finding the perfect GIF is quicker than ever.

    • Speedy Selection: Wave goodbye to waiting; your GIF picker is now turbocharged for instant fun.
    • Slick Browsing: Glide through categories with a smoother experience, no more loading lags!
    • Optimized Performance: Enjoy quicker, crisper GIF rendering to express yourself in a flash.

    iOS Lightning-Fast Message Sync from Notification click!

    Goodbye lag, hello instant chat! We’ve turbocharged Skype for iOS.

    • Instant Message Sync: Notifications and in-app messages now sync up faster than ever. No more waiting!
    • Preloaded Chats: Messages are fetched in the background, ready when you are. Tap a notification, and your message is right there!
    • Smooth Experience: Our behind-the-scenes tweaks ensure a more responsive and satisfying Skype.
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  • Pattern Unveils ‘Shelf’ – Advanced Inventory and Warehouse Management for Ecommerce and Marketplaces 

    Pattern Unveils ‘Shelf’ – Advanced Inventory and Warehouse Management for Ecommerce and Marketplaces 

    Leading global ecommerce and marketplace accelerator Pattern, today announced the release of ‘Shelf’ – a powerful new inventory and supply chain technology that provides Australian brands with unparalleled visibility and control of their products across all ecommerce and wholesale channels.

    Incorporated within Pattern’s ecommerce acceleration tech suite, Shelf helps brands create new supply chain efficiencies, while also improving inventory accuracy, real-time tracking and enhancing demand forecasting.

    Shelf also offers brands an evolutionary leap on traditional inventory and warehouse management solutions. It does this through an integrated approach to inventory and marketplace management, along with seamless connections with major platforms such as Shopify, Amazon, eBay, and Catch.

    “Brands are selling across more channels than ever before. In a complex sales ecosystem, it is critical that brands have accurate visibility of their stock to make informed business decisions and meet customer demand,” said Sean Walsh, Director at Pattern Australia.

    Australian brands have an enormous opportunity for growing sales through emerging marketplaces with Pattern’s ‘Marketplace Consumer Trends Report – 2024, revealing that 94% of consumers planned to shop on marketplaces like eBay, Amazon and Catch in the year ahead.

    “In an environment where marketplaces like Amazon are attracting a growing share of sales, brands must have inventory and supply chain systems in place tailored to these emerging channels. Shelf incorporates uniquely pre-configured connectors that simplify marketplace selling and inventory management. This is a critical feature for brands looking to broaden their online footprint and access and service new customer bases via marketplaces,” commented Walsh.

    Shelf provides brands 100% visibility of each unit of inventory through the lifecycle, from order to receipt at the delivery address. Its real-time inventory tracking allows brands to effectively communicate accurate delivery updates across multiple sales channels, enhancing customer communication and increasing buyer satisfaction. Accurate inventory visibility ensures correct stock levels are maintained and overallocation or out-of-stock situations are avoided, to prevent costly wastage and lost sales situations. Prior to the development of the Shelf technology this was a challenge at scale. Through optimising warehouse space and improving inventory turnover, Shelf can also assist brands with reducing storage costs. Additionally, Shelf’s ability to efficiently plan picking and put-away routes within the warehouse minimises time and resources by 40%, creating opportunities for brands to save on operational costs.

    “Shelf is more than just an inventory solution; it’s a growth enabler for brands,” said Walsh. “Pattern has observed the challenges brands face in managing inventory and warehouse operations when scaling their ecommerce presence across multiple channels, including marketplaces. Shelf addresses these challenges head-on with powerful supply chain tools. These help brands meet customer demand and operate successfully, no matter what ecommerce sales channel they are doing business through.”

    Pattern is the category leader in global ecommerce and marketplace acceleration. For more information, visit https://au.pattern.com/

     

     

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  • Changi Airport Group awards OUE tender for lease and development of new hotel at Changi Airport Terminal 2

    Changi Airport Group awards OUE tender for lease and development of new hotel at Changi Airport Terminal 2

    Changi Airport Group (CAG) and SGX Mainboard-listed OUE Limited (OUE) announced today that OUE has been awarded the tender by CAG for the lease and development of a new hotel to be located at Changi Airport Terminal 2 (T2). The new hotel, Hotel Indigo Changi Airport, is expected to be completed and fully operational by 2028.

    Mr Lee Seow Hiang, Chief Executive Officer of CAG said, “The hotel concept proposed by OUE was the most compelling and promises to be the first zero-energy hotel in Singapore, and possibly the first for an airport hotel in the world. With travel demand continuing to soar and passenger traffic growing beyond pre-Covid levels, the new hotel will elevate the hospitality offerings at Changi Airport. It will serve our visitors well with its differentiated facilities and convenient access to T2. We congratulate OUE on being awarded the tender and look forward to a close partnership in the coming years to bring the idea for Hotel Indigo Changi Airport to life.”

    Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director Mr Brian Riady of OUE said, “We are very honoured to be awarded this opportunity to develop a new hotel at Changi Airport, a globally renowned aviation hub that is synonymous with innovation and excellence. We look forward to continuing our long-standing partnership with CAG, and to introducing fresh and innovative hospitality concepts to visitors of Changi Airport.”

    The 255-room, 163-metre-long hotel will feature innovative design elements and modern facilities, including a rooftop day club, bar and infinity pool offering panoramic views of the runway, airport boulevard and skyline. With layers of lush rainforest and hanging epiphytes stretching over seven storeys, its design will be centred around the concept of a “Floating Forest.” The new hotel will complement the existing hotels on Changi Airport’s landside including YOTELAIR at Jewel Changi Airport and the award-winning Crowne Plaza Changi Airport located at Terminal 3, which is also owned and leased by OUE Group.

    With sustainability as a core component, Hotel Indigo Changi Airport aims to achieve operational energy neutrality by incorporating sustainability features such as solar photovoltaic panels, hybrid cooling systems, naturally ventilated corridors and rainwater-harvesting technology aimed at reducing environmental impact while enhancing overall guest comfort and well-being.

    “By combining energy-efficient design with low-energy operations while maximising on-site solar energy generation, Hotel Indigo Changi Airport marks a major milestone for OUE as we continually strive to find more sustainable ways to conduct our business,” said Mr Riady.

    The tourism sector in Singapore has seen a rebound from pandemic levels and is expected to continue to attract visitors as the country remains a key destination for leisure and MICE. In 2023, Singapore visitor arrivals surged 115% to 13.6 million from 6.3 million the year before with tourism receipts estimated to be between S$24.5 billion and S$26.0 billion. The strong tourism recovery is expected to continue, with both international visitor arrivals and tourism receipts to climb further in 2024, according to the Singapore Tourism Board”

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  • Korean Air to launch new route to Macau

    Korean Air to launch new route to Macau

    Flights depart from Incheon International Airport at 9:15 pm and arrive at Macau International Airport at 11:55 pm. The return flight departs from Macau International Airport at 1:10 am the next day and arrives at Incheon International Airport at 6:00 am. The flight time is approximately 3 hours and 40 minutes.

    Macau, a special administrative region of China, offers a unique blend of Chinese and Portuguese cultures. With its mild winters, it is considered a great travel destination year round. Visitors can explore exotic streets, historic buildings and the vibrant skyline as well as enjoy many activities such as night bus tours and fountain shows.

    Macau’s proximity to Hong Kong, accessible within an hour by ferry or bus, offers further travel convenience. Korean Air also operates four daily flights between Seoul Incheon and Hong Kong.

    In response to growing travel demand, Korean Air is restoring services and exploring new markets to strengthen its China network. The airline has resumed three weekly flights between Seoul Incheon and Zhangjiajie and four weekly flights between Seoul Incheon and Zhengzhou from April 23 and 24, respectively.

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  • Honda recalls 221 of its most expensive motorcycles for faulty fuel pump

    Honda recalls 221 of its most expensive motorcycles for faulty fuel pump

    Honda Vietnam is recalling 221 of its two most expensive motorcycles, the CBR1000RR Fireblade and Gold Wing, for faulty fuel pumps that could cause their engine to stall.

    The 74 CBR1000RRs and 147 Gold Wings were manufactured in Japan between September 2017 and March 2023 and imported to Vietnam.

    Due to changes in production methods, the faulty fuel pump impeller could get deformed, preventing fuel from flowing into the engine, Honda Vietnam said.

    This could make starting the engine difficult and potentially cause the vehicle to shut down, it said.

    While no accidents have been reported in Vietnam due to the defect, the company advised owners to bring their vehicles to authorized dealers to get them fixed, a task that should take around an hour.

    The recall started on March 29 and will go on for two years.

    CBR1000RRs were once previously recalled in April 2022 for faulty oil cooler pipes that could overheat and melt, causing oil leakages.

    The CBR1000RR is currently priced at VND1.05 billion (US$41,400) and the Gold Wing at VND1.23 billion ($48,500).

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  • WhatsApp is working on an option to stop notifications when someone reacts to your status updates

    WhatsApp is working on an option to stop notifications when someone reacts to your status updates

    WhatsApp is introducing a new feature that will allow users to manage notifications for reactions to their status updates. This means that in the future, you’ll be able to choose whether or not you want to receive an alert when someone reacts to your WhatsApp status update.

    For those unfamiliar, WhatsApp statuses are temporary updates that disappear after 24 hours, similar to Instagram Stories. Users can share photos, videos, text, and voice notes as their status. They can also react to other users’ statuses with emojis. With this new feature, in the latest version of WhatsApp Beta for Android (v2.24.9.29), users will now have the option to disable notifications for these reactions, giving them more control over the alerts they receive on the platform.

    This change comes amid a growing trend of messaging apps giving users more control over their notification settings. Many users find constant notifications to be distracting and overwhelming, and they appreciate the ability to customize their experience. With this update, WhatsApp is following suit and offering its users more control over how they use the app.

    It’s important to note that this feature is still under development, so it’s not yet available to all WhatsApp users. However, the fact that it’s being tested suggests that it could be rolled out more widely in a future update. So, if you’re someone who finds status update reaction notifications to be annoying, you may soon have the option to turn them off.

    This new feature from WhatsApp is a welcome change for users who want more control over how often their device pings them with notifications. It gives them the ability to customize their settings and avoid being bombarded with alerts for every reaction to their status updates, especially in cases where there are many contacts to keep up with.

  • Nescafe and Arnott’s launch White Choc Tim Tam-inspired coffee

    Nescafe and Arnott’s launch White Choc Tim Tam-inspired coffee

    Nescafe and Arnott’s have teamed up to launch another Tim Tam-inspired drink, Nescafe White Choc Mocha.

    The new flavour combines creamy coffee with the white chocolate taste of Tim Tam biscuits.

    “Nescafe is always looking for ways to delight and surprise our consumers,” said Olga Starus, head of marketing – coffee, at Nestle.

    “Following the overwhelmingly positive response to the Nescafe Mocha inspired by Tim Tam range, we decided to take this collaboration of two iconic brands up a notch with this rich, velvety white chocolate twist.”

    Nescafe White Choc Mocha inspired by Tim Tam will be available with an RRP of $7.60 for a box of eight sachets at Woolworths stores nationwide.

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  • Puma to launch compostable shoes after a two-year pilot project

    Puma to launch compostable shoes after a two-year pilot project

    After two years of testing, sports giant Puma is ready to launch its compostable shoes dubbed Re:suede 2.0.

    Puma will create 500 pairs of the commercial version of the sneaker, which went online available for purchase on puma.com/eu and Zalando Plus this week. The commercial version was created to reflect the experiment’s findings and the volunteers’ feedback.

    Puma produced 500 special pairs of its Suede trainers using materials such as Zeology-tanned Suede – chosen for their propensity to degrade – as part of the project, which was completed late last year.

    Volunteers wore the Re:suede trainers for six months before returning them to Puma, where they were transformed into compost at Puma’s composting partner’s specially equipped industrial composting facility.

    “Re:suede 2.0 is an important step towards finding viable end-of-life solutions for our footwear,” said Anne-Laure Descours, Puma’s chief sourcing officer.

    “While we are excited about this progress, we will continue to innovate with our partners to determine the infrastructure needed for a scalable long-term solution, essential for achieving meaningful impact in waste reduction.”

    The Re:suede project and the polyester recycling programme Re:fibre were developed as part of Puma’s “Circular Lab,” an innovation hub directed by the company’s innovation and design professionals that aims to shape the company’s circularity programs for the future.

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