Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Marriott eyes 20 new hotels, resorts in Vietnam

    Marriott eyes 20 new hotels, resorts in Vietnam

    International Marriott wants to open 20 more hotels and resorts in Vietnam to further tap the country’s great tourism potential, said its chairman and CEO Anthony Capuano.

    The potential is due to its geographical location and unique culture, which makes many tourists want to return to the country, Anthony Capuano said at a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi on Wednesday

    The U.S.-based hospitality company, which currently manages 16 hotels and resorts under eight brands such as JW Marriott, Le Meridien and Sheraton, plans to open more of them in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang City, and Phu Quoc Island.

    Chinh said Vietnam advocates rapid and sustainable tourism development, considering it an important economic sector, and his government creates the most favorable conditions for investors.

    He said Marriott should expand its investment with large projects that are appropriate for Vietnamese conditions and attractive to international tourists, collaborate for training and developing high-quality human resources, connect Vietnamese tourism with the rest of the world, and diversify tourism products and supply chains.

    Capuano promised him that Marriott would cooperate in these areas.

    Founded in 1927, the world’s largest hotel chain has 8,000 properties with nearly 1.5 million rooms in 139 countries and territories.

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  • Coca-Cola raises outlook amid revenue growth

    Coca-Cola raises outlook amid revenue growth

    The Coca-Cola Company has raised its full-year guidance after its net revenue expanded 8 percent to US$12 billion for the third quarter.

    The US-headquartered company saw net revenues increase in most of its markets, including Europe, Middle East & Africa (10 percent), Latin America (24 percent), and North America (6 percent). Meanwhile, revenues in Asia Pacific declined 2 percent.

    Revenues of global ventures and bottling investments were up 15 percent and 4 percent, respectively.

    Global unit case rose 2 percent and operating income grew 6 percent, with earnings per share up 9 percent to $0.71.

    “We delivered an overall solid quarter and are raising our full-year topline and bottom-line guidance in light of our year-to-date performance,” said James Quincey, chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company.

    “Our leading portfolio of brands, coupled with an aligned and motivated system, positions us to win in the marketplace today while also laying the groundwork for the long term.”

    The company expects to deliver organic revenue growth of 10-11 percent. For comparable net revenues, it anticipates a 4 percent currency headwind based on the current rates and including the impact of hedged positions.

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  • Coles posts higher sales as more customers prefer to eat at home

    Coles posts higher sales as more customers prefer to eat at home

    Coles saw higher sales in the first quarter of FY24, attributed to more customers preferring to eat and have entertainment at home to cut back on discretionary spending.

    Group sales rose 3.6 percent yearly to $10.25 billion, attributed to growth in both the supermarket and liquor segments.

    “During the quarter, we continued to focus on providing our customers with more value at the checkout through our ‘Great value. Hands down’ campaign, as well as everyday prices, weekly specials, and personalized Flybuys, offers,” said Leah Weckert, CEO at Coles.

    “We added several features to make it easier and faster for customers to find value through our digital platforms.”

    Supermarket sales jumped 4.7 percent to $9.19 billion, while liquor sales inched 1.8 percent higher to $851 million. Sales from other businesses hit $214 million during the quarter.

    “Our expanded Exclusive to Coles brand portfolio across food and liquor has never been more important, while collectible campaigns have also provided value to customers. Pleasingly for customers, availability continues to improve, and inflation in key categories is moderating,” said Weckert.

    Coles opened one new store and closed one during the quarter.

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  • Danish jewelry maker Pandora to build $163M crafting facility in Vietnam

    Danish jewelry maker Pandora to build $163M crafting facility in Vietnam

    Denmark’s Pandora will start work on a jewelry crafting facility in Vietnam in the first quarter next year at a cost of US$163 million.

    The facility, in the southern industrial hub of Binh Duong, is scheduled to become operational in 2026, Michael Zinck Jensen, project head of Pandora Production Holding in Binh Duong, told Deputy Minister of Construction Bui Xuan Dung Monday.

    It will come up in the Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park and employ 7,000-9,000 workers.

    But it is having difficulty acquiring construction permits, and he expected the Ministry of Construction to speed up the process, Jensen said.

    Dung said he has tasked a unit with assisting the company to complete all paperwork.

    Pandora sells its jewelry in over 100 countries and reported revenues of $3.76 billion last year.

    It has 15 stores in Vietnam, mostly in malls in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

    Another Danish giant, Lego, began building a $1 billion toy factory in Binh Duong in the last quarter of last year.

    The first made-in-Vietnam Lego bricks are set to be launched in the second half of next year.

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  • Vietnam eyes stronger cooperation with US

    Vietnam eyes stronger cooperation with US

    Vietnam and the U.S. should further promote the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership more effectively and substantively, focusing on economic cooperation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

    The PM made the statement at a reception in Hanoi on Wednesday for Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of State Emily Blanchard, who is on a working visit to Vietnam.

    The two sides reviewed outstanding achievements in the bilateral ties, agreeing that the Vietnam – U.S. relationship has witnessed comprehensive, stable and substantive developments, bringing practical benefits to both countries and contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

    They emphasized the significance of the upgrading of the Vietnam – U.S. relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in September, saying that this will bring opportunities and practical benefits to both countries.

    PM Chinh suggested the U.S. side continue cooperation with Vietnam in energy transition, climate change response, tourism and people-to-people exchange, handling of post-war consequences, and enhancement of national governance capacity, and increase scholarships to Vietnamese students.

    He highly valued the U.S. government’s decision to consider recognizing Vietnam’s market economy status, urging the U.S. side to complete this process soon.

    The two sides need to continue efforts to promote connection between their economies, promote harmonious and sustainable trade exchange, and facilitate investment cooperation between the two sides’ businesses, he said.

    The PM proposed the U.S. continue to open the market to Vietnamese goods such as textiles, footwear, and electronics, and limit anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tax measures and other unnecessary measures on Vietnamese exports, especially farm produce, wooden products and items that directly impact jobs and livelihoods of people.

    He affirmed that the Vietnamese Government will always accompany, support, and create an open, transparent, safe, and healthy business and investment climate for U.S. businesses to operate effectively in the country.

    Blanchard agreed with the PM’s proposal on the need to concretize and effectively implement the new relationship framework between the two countries, especially promoting the above-mentioned key areas.

    She highly valued of Vietnam’s outstanding achievements in economic growth, macroeconomic management, and inflation control, expressing her belief that with the increasingly improved investment and business environment in Vietnam, the country will attract more U.S. investors in the time to come.

    There remains room for the two sides to expand cooperation further, she said, promising to continue to contribute to promoting and deepening the Vietnam-U.S. relations.

    The U.S. is willing to share its experience in economic policy as well as how to coordinate to respond to fluctuations in the global economy effectively, she stated.

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  • JD Logistics rolls out express parcel service in Hong Kong, Macau

    JD Logistics rolls out express parcel service in Hong Kong, Macau

    JD Logistics is strengthening its presence and operations in the Greater Bay Area by expanding its self-operated express delivery business in Hong Kong and Macau via JD Express.

    The enhanced delivery network will comprise several operations centres and offer intra-city and cross-border express delivery between Hong Kong, Macau, and China.

    In Hong Kong, the company promises expedited intra-city deliveries as fast as 4 hours and nighttime extended delivery hours until 10:00 PM. In Macau, intra-city packages can arrive as soon as the following day.

    JD Logistics has provided B2B and B2C warehousing and distribution logistics solutions across Hong Kong and Macau for over five years, and the company’s newly launched self-operated express delivery services will enable online shoppers in Hong Kong and Macau to enjoy the same convenience found in the mainland.

    “With our recent expansion of delivery services into Hong Kong and Macau, we are proud to bring JD Express’ quality service, honed over a decade, to these regions for the very first time,” said Wei Ma, General Manager of JD Logistics Express Business Hong Kong.

    “With a humble and practical approach, we are committed to providing our customers in both cities with a reassuring and worry-free express delivery experience.”

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  • Prada works with Amazon to nab Chinese counterfeiter

    Prada works with Amazon to nab Chinese counterfeiter

    Prada Group and other luxury retailers collaborated with Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU) to provide information to Chinese authorities, resulting in a case against a counterfeit items seller who pleaded guilty.

    “We are firmly committed to eradicating the sale of counterfeit goods to protect our brands and to ensure that our products meet the level of quality, craftsmanship and care that people expect from us,” said Francesca Secondari, general counsel and chief legal officer at Prada Group said.

    Amazon’s CCU detected the attempted counterfeiting back in 2021, followed by an investigation. Amazon provided the evidence to the relevant regional Chinese enforcement agency to lodge a criminal case against the accused.

    The defendant has been sentenced to three years in prison and obliged to pay a $25,000 fine.

    All the counterfeit products found in the defendant’s inventory will be destroyed and revenue from selling such items will be forfeited.

    “The guilty plea is a significant win for Amazon’s CCU, but more importantly it’s a win for all of those who share our commitment to tackling the industry-wide issue of counterfeiting,” said Kebharu Smith, director at Amazon’s CCU.

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  • Lenovo reveals new MotoAI personal assistant for Motorola smartphones

    Lenovo reveals new MotoAI personal assistant for Motorola smartphones

    At the Lenovo Tech World ’23, the Chinese company revealed a bunch of new AI features and flexible hardware that are already in development or in the concept phase.

    Among the many interesting technologies announced by Lenovo earlier today such as foldable and rollable devices in both the smartphone and PC categories, there’s one that seems to be almost ready for primetime, the MotoAI.

    The newly revealed MotoAI is a personal assistant already in development at Lenovo. Aimed at both PCs and smartphones, the MotoAI is supposed to never stop learning and features a foundational model personalized to the user, yet it still protects privacy.

    More importantly, Lenovo’s MotoAI has a large knowledge base that adapts continuously to patterns and usage with natural voice or text interaction capabilities.

    According to Lenovo, users will be able to engage with their personal MotoAI assistant to answer questions, draft messages, schedule tasks, and do other activities that can involve the use of such an AI-powered tool.

    Another interesting aspect about Lenovo’s MotoAI is that unlike other similar products that run cloud-based operations, this one can process data and run tasks locally on-device, which should translate into enhanced data privacy for the user.

    Promising to be a more dynamic, personal and helpful over time personal assistant, MotoAI is supposed to power all Motorola smartphones in the not-so-distant future, so we’ll probably be hearing more about Lenovo’s AI-powered tool in the coming months.

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  • DHL Supply Chain earmarks €350m for Southeast Asia network

    DHL Supply Chain earmarks €350m for Southeast Asia network

    DHL Supply Chain plans to invest EUR350 million in Southeast Asia over the next five years to expand its warehousing capacity, workforce and sustainability initiatives.

    With this investment, DHL Supply Chain will increase its current 1.6 million square meters of warehouse space in Southeast Asia by 25 percent, or 400,000 square meters. This is part of a series of strategic investments by DHL Supply Chain over the past year, which have already added up to EUR1.35 billion globally. These included investments in infrastructure, hiring and development, as well as automation, digitalization and sustainability in India, Latin America and Southeast Asia.

    “Companies are looking at diversifying their supply chains. Southeast Asia, with its efficient work environment and effective trade agreements such as the China-ASEAN FTA, stands to benefit the most.

    “These are strategic investments we take – despite the generally softer market environment – because we invest in the future growth of our business and strongly believe in the strategic expansion and diversification of our regional businesses,” said Oscar de Bok, CEO, DHL Supply Chain.

    The company added that it will continue to develop its warehouse management systems (WMS) and introduce technology in selected markets, such as auto-stores, automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) for pallets and large goods, and automated guided vehicles (AGVs).

    “We are not just increasing our capacity, but we are building logistics centers that can cater to future demand for our customers through robotics and sustainability initiatives,” noted Javier Bilbao, CEO, DHL Supply Chain Asia Pacific.

    For example, he highlighted the upcoming fifth facility in Penang – PLH5, which will feature state-of-the-art automated pallet storage and retrieval system and goods-to-person robotics technology to handle small parts picking.

    Looking ahead, the contract logistics unit shared a broader strategy to nurture talent and meet evolving customer demands in automation, digital analytics, electric vehicle (EV) handling, reverse logistics, and solution design. It also plans to double its EV fleet in Southeast Asia over the next five years.

    DHL Supply Chain is also championing sustainability in the sector as it committed to having carbon-neutral facilities for all new buildings, like what it has done in its facilities in Singapore and Malaysia.

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  • Vietravel Airlines appoints new CEO

    Vietravel Airlines appoints new CEO

    Nguyen Minh Hai, who was the CEO of Bamboo Airways for two months earlier this year, has been appointed new CEO of Vietravel Airlines.

    He replaced Vu Duc Bien, who has been running the company since its foundation in 2020. Bien quit for personal reasons.

    Hai has 25 years of experience in the aviation industry. He was previously deputy CEO of Vietnam Airlines and CEO of Cambodia’s Angkor Air.

    Hai was appointed CEO of Bamboo Airways in May and was expected to bring the company to profitability, but he quit in July.

    He is set to face difficulties managing Vietravel Airlines, which has been struggling to expand since its maiden flight early in 2021.

    Its fleet size is limited at four jets and its routes are few. The company is still looking for a strategic investor to quickly expand.

    The airline recently appointed former German vice-chancellor Philipp Rösler as a director to help expand its international network.

    It plans to issue shares to increase its charter capital from VND1.3 trillion (US$52.88 million) to VND2 trillion in the near future and to enlarge its fleet and expand its routes.

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  • YouTube Music rolls out new AI playlist art generator feature

    YouTube Music rolls out new AI playlist art generator feature

    YouTube Music has made significant strides recently in its efforts to compete with the likes of Spotify and Apple Music to become your de facto music app. In an effort to communicate to its users all the recent changes the app has gone through, Google took to its official YouTube Blog today to share the list.

    Amongst all the features that have been either slowly or quickly rolled out throughout the year, there was one standout feature listed that begins to roll out today: the ability to create customized covert art for your playlists with the assistance of AI. This feature is reminiscent of the AI wallpapers Google recently rolled out on Android 14 works by using a pre-determined data set to generate unique artwork. Currently, when a playlist is created on YouTube Music, a collage of the cover art from the first few songs on the playlist automatically became the cover.

    YouTube Music has made significant strides recently in its efforts to compete with the likes of Spotify and Apple Music to become your de facto music app. In an effort to communicate to its users all the recent changes the app has gone through, Google took to its official YouTube Blog today to share the list.

    Amongst all the features that have been either slowly or quickly rolled out throughout the year, there was one standout feature listed that begins to roll out today: the ability to create customized covert art for your playlists with the assistance of AI. This feature is reminiscent of the AI wallpapers Google recently rolled out on Android 14 works by using a pre-determined data set to generate unique artwork. Currently, when a playlist is created on YouTube Music, a collage of the cover art from the first few songs on the playlist automatically became the cover.

    The feature will began its rollout today as an experimental feature, but only for English-language U.S. users. It will be pretty straightforward to use, as it will provide you with a variety of themes and options to create a one-of-a-kind cover for your playlists. YouTube Music eventually plans to expand the feature to other regions and languages in the future.

    In addition, YouTube Music will also be launching a new feature called “Speed dial,” which will make it easier to listen to your favorite songs and artists. It will appear on the Home tab as a section at the top that will show your most listened-to music. Having this section will allow you to easily and quickly jump back into the songs you have on repeat.

    YouTube Music has also introduced many helpful features throughout the year. YouTube says that two billion people come to the platform every month to listen to their favorite music, so it’s a tall order to implement features that fit everyone’s tastes and needs.

    However, features that improve discovery of new music, personalization, and the sense of community, are always a welcome addition. Here’s hoping the generative AI playlist artwork feature rolls out quickly for everyone so we can all customize our music experience even further.

    The feature will began its roll out today as an experimental feature, but only for English language U.S. users. It will be pretty straightforward to use, as it will provide you with a variety of themes and options to create a one-of-a-kind cover for your playlists. YouTube Music eventually plans to expand the feature to other regions and languages in the future

    In addition, YouTube Music will also be launching a new feature called “Speed dial,” which will make it easier to listen to your favorite songs and artists. It will appear on the Home tab as a section at the top which will show your most listened to music. Having this section will allow you to easily and quickly jump back into the songs you have on repeat.

    YouTube Music has also introduced many helpful features throughout the year. YouTube says that two billion people come to the platform every month to listen to their favorite music, so it’s a tall order to implement features that fit everyone’s tastes and needs.

    However, features that improve discovery of new music, personalization, and the sense of community, are always a welcome addition. Here’s hoping the generative AI playlist artwork feature rolls out quickly for everyone so we can all customize our music experience even further.

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  • WhatsApp takes privacy a step further by testing a way to completely hide locked chats on Android

    WhatsApp takes privacy a step further by testing a way to completely hide locked chats on Android

    WhatsApp is rolling out a new update through the Google Play Beta Program that includes a new feature to hide locked chats. The feature is currently in development, but it is expected to be available to all users in a future update.
    WhatsApp officially rolled out the Chat Lock feature back in May as a way to keep your most sensitive conversations private. When you lock a chat, it will be protected by a password or biometric authentication. This means that only you will be able to open and read the chat, even if someone else has access to your phone.

    However, as spotted by WaBetaInfo, WhatsApp is now taking this one step further by adding a new feature to hide these locked chats altogether, which will make it even more difficult for someone to access them. This addition is now live on the latest WhatsApp beta for Android, version 2.23.22.9.

    Without the feature enabled, anyone with access to your phone could still be able to see that you have locked chats and may be able to guess the password or biometric authentication. However, when the feature enabled, the list of locked chats is completely removed from the chat list, making it almost impossible for someone to even know that you have locked chats without having your secret code.
    The option to turn this feature on is accessible within the app’s settings, with a clear “Hide locked chats” toggle in the Chat lock settings section. Once turned on, users will need to enter their secret code into the search bar to unlock the locked chat list.

    This new feature will improve user privacy by making it more difficult for anyone with access to the phone to even realize that locked chats exist. This is especially important for users who have sensitive or confidential conversations that they want to keep hidden from prying eyes.

     

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  • Pampers launches ‘biggest innovation’ in diapers in five years

    Pampers launches ‘biggest innovation’ in diapers in five years

    Procter & Gamble’s (P&G) diaper brand Pampers has revamped its Swaddlers product – and included an innovation it hails as its biggest innovation since 2018.

    Swaddlers now feature a new blowout barrier that helps prevent leaks and blowouts.

    “We created the new Blowout Barrier to give parents peace of mind and help do away with what was always considered a parenting rite of passage,” said Marty Vanderstelt, SVP at P&G’s North America Baby Care.

    P&G claims that the product also has features that lock wetness away from the skin and keep the diaper in place even as the baby moves.

    The product has been launched in the US ahead of a global rollout.

  • Shrimp exports to US surge in September

    Shrimp exports to US surge in September

    Shrimp exports to the U.S. in September increased 23% compared to the same period last year, marking the third consecutive month of positive growth.

    The 23% growth in September was also the highest compared to the previous two months, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

    However, in the nine months of 2023, shrimp exports to the U.S. reached $520 million, down 23% compared to the same period.

    The bigger export is due to higher consumption in the U.S. market. The International Monetary Fund raised its U.S. growth projection for this year by 0.3 percentage points, compared with its July update, to 2.1%. It hiked next year’s forecast by 0.5 percentage points, to 1.5%, according to CNBC.

    Vietnam’s shrimp exports to all markets reached $2.5 billion in the first nine months of this year, down 26% from 2022.

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  • JD Logistics rolls out express parcel service in Hong Kong, Macau

    JD Logistics rolls out express parcel service in Hong Kong, Macau

    JD Logistics is strengthening its presence and operations in the Greater Bay Area with the expansion of its self-operated express delivery business in Hong Kong and Macau via JD Express.

    The enhanced delivery network will comprise several operations centres and offer intra-city and cross-border express delivery between Hong Kong, Macau, and China.

    In Hong Kong, the company promises expedited intra-city deliveries as fast as 4 hours and nighttime extended delivery hours until 10:00 PM. In Macau, intra-city packages can arrive as soon as the next morning.

    JD Logistics has provided B2B and B2C warehousing and distribution logistics solutions across Hong Kong and Macau for over five years, and the company’s newly launched self-operated express delivery services will enable online shoppers in Hong Kong and Macau to enjoy the same convenience found in the mainland.

    “With our recent expansion of delivery services into Hong Kong and Macau, we are proud to bring JD Express’ quality service, honed over a decade, to these regions for the very first time,” said Wei Ma, General Manager of JD Logistics Express Business Hong Kong.

    “With a humble and practical approach, we are committed to providing our customers in both cities with a reassuring and worry-free express delivery experience.”

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