Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Investing in the Stock Market for Beginners: 9 Tips for Success

    Investing in the Stock Market for Beginners: 9 Tips for Success

    Thanks to technology, the stock markets have changed over the last couple of decades. Now, anyone with a smartphone, computer, or tablet can find a broker and make investments. Although it’s good that more people can access investment opportunities and make a profit, there are zero guarantees that an investor’s strategy will pay off. To have success investing in the stock market, you need to understand how it works.

    Education Comes First

    Before you do anything, you have to spend time educating yourself. This means learning the industry language and finding a suitable strategy. There are plenty of resources online for education, but you need to be aware that not all information online will be accurate. To avoid misinformation, it’s important to use a resource that has amassed plenty of positive reviews.

    Choose the Right Platform

    To interact with the stock market, you have to choose a platform. There are countless options out there and they all boast the best features and prices. With this in mind, when finding a stock trading platform, you have to carry out research to make sure that the features align with your goals. Additionally, you can verify the authenticity of a trading platform by checking reviews and official certifications.

    Use a Demo Account First

    Once you’ve found a trading platform that suits your needs, it’s a good idea to use a demo account before depositing real money. A demo account is attached to the live market and lets you trial your strategy using all of the features. If you’re making more losses than gains, it’s a good indication that you need to revisit your strategy to make adjustments.

    Starting Small

    After familiarizing yourself with your chosen platform and making sure that your strategy shows promise, it’s time to start investing with real money. Even though higher investments have the potential to bring back higher returns, it’s always a good idea to start small. As a benchmark, you shouldn’t be investing any more than 10-15% of your post-tax income.

    Diversify Your Portfolio

    Investing always comes with a risk, and this is much higher if all your portfolios are focused on the same market or asset. For example, if you only have investments in startup tech companies that are renowned for their volatility, you stand to lose. Whereas, if you have investments in startup tech, utilities, and commodities, it’s unlikely that every investment will fall at the same time.

    Focus on Long-Term Investments

    Creating a successful investment strategy involves determining long-term or short-term goals. In some cases, short-term investors can get carried away with unrealistic expectations for financial growth. Additionally, there’s plenty of research to demonstrate that short-term investors lose money because they’re competing against professionals and automated algorithms. When you first get started, it’s a good idea to focus on a long-term goal. Doing this allows you the flexibility to learn, lose, and rebuild your portfolio.

    Prepare for the Dip

    The stock market faces bull and bear runs, which influence the rise and fall of prices. At some point during your trading life, the value of your portfolio will fall on the dip, so you need to be prepared. Many rookie investors allow FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) to creep into their trading strategy, which leads them to pull out of a position at a loss. However, if you prepare yourself mentally, you can make your way through the dip and wait for the market to recover; it almost always does.

    Stay True to Your Strategy

    Once you’ve created your strategy and started investing, it’s important to remain true to your rules. For example, if you’ve made it a rule to withdraw at no more than 15%, make sure you don’t get greedy by riding the highs. In most cases, the dip will be much harder, and you’ll be left waiting for it to rise again.

    This doesn’t mean you can’t ever change your strategy. Personal and market circumstances will change, and your current strategy may not be favorable. If this is the case, you should take the time to rebalance your portfolio and get started under your new strategy.

    Use Stop Loss and Profit Tools

    Before you open a position, always determine the profit you’re aiming for and the loss you’re willing to take. By doing this, you can set up stop loss and take profit commands, which are common tools provided by most trading platforms. By putting these in place, you don’t need to stay glued to your portfolio or the market charts because the withdrawal will take place automatically, allowing you to focus on researching new positions.

    Investing in the stock market is a great way to reach financial targets, but you need to know how everything works. Start by educating yourself, choosing a suitable platform, trialing your strategy, and starting with a small investment.

    Lees ook:

  • Coles opens its first automated distribution centre in Redbank, Queensland

    Coles opens its first automated distribution centre in Redbank, Queensland

    The first Australian Automated Distribution Centre (ADC) using global leading Witron technology is the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese MP, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Coles Group Chairman James Graham, and Coles Group CEO Steven Cain are officially opening the ADC at Goodman’s Redbank Motorway Estate in Queensland this morning.

    This is the first of two Witron facilities to open here and comes after Coles Group’s biggest investment into technology in the company’s 109-year history. More than one billion dollars is being invested – with the second ADC opening in Kemps Creek, NSW in 2024.

    The ADCs are designed to create safer and more sustainable outcomes for team members and suppliers and better on-shelf availability for customers.

    The state-of-the-art facility in Redbank is located 30 kilometers southwest of Brisbane and will service 219 Coles supermarkets in Queensland and Northern New South Wales, as far north as Port Douglas and as far south as Laurieton in NSW.

    When operating at full capacity, the site can process up to four million cases per week, the equivalent of 32 million units sold in stores.   For a year, this is around 1.6 billion sales units.

    Chief Executive Officer Steven Cain said today is one of the most significant moments since Coles was founded in 1914 and five years in the making.

    “Modernising our operations is how we improve efficiency and availability in our stores and deliver higher service levels for our customers, team members and suppliers,” Mr. Cain said.

    “Our new ADCs can process twice the number of cases and hold twice the number of pallets compared to one of our current DCs. The ADCs enable us to reduce our total footprint, leading to a more productive and sustainable business model.”

    “Over 90 percent of the cases processed in these automated distribution centres will be processed fully by automation or ergonomically which will be a step-change for the safety of our team as it eliminates almost 18 million kilograms of manual handling in the supply chain each week once the ADC is running close to full capacity.”

    Coles Group Chairman James Graham AM said he would like to thank all those involved for their dedication to this very important project.

    “I’m proud of our team, partners and suppliers who’ve worked together for over five years to create this state-of-the-art facility. Over 3,000 people came together, contributing more than 2.5 million work hours to plan and design the facility, construct the building and install and commission the automation,” Mr Graham said.

    The Redbank ADC has LED and sensor lighting to reduce energy consumption and is fitted with a 180,000 litres of harvested rainwater storage for toilet flushing and landscape irrigation. There are plans for 3.5-megawatt solar installation, which will be among the largest rooftop solar solutions in the Coles network. To minimise food waste, the edible food that can’t be sold in the ADC will be donated to Coles community partner SecondBite.

    The Hon. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese MP said this world-leading technology will help advance supermarket supply chains.

    “This technology is not only a first for Australia, but also a win for the state of Queensland.  As we’ve seen during the pandemic and natural disasters, resilient supply chains are essential to feeding our nation and providing Australians with essential supplies,” Prime Minster Albanese said.

    “Coles is one of the biggest employers in this country and its team was pivotal in ensuring food security during challenging times. A facility like this one in Redbank shows how retailers and manufacturers can look to the future to improve the productivity, safety and sustainability of their operations for all Australians.”

    Queensland Premier the Hon. Annastacia Palaszczuk MP welcomed the significant investment in the strong Queensland economy.

    “The decision to invest in and build this Australian-first facility here in Queensland is a testament to the strength of the Queensland economy,” Premier Palaszczuk said.

    “Coles’ investment will drive productivity growth in Queensland while ensuring food security to one of the fastest growing regions in the country.”

    “It’s great to see Queensland lead the way with the arrival of world-leading technology at the Redbank Distribution Centre. The distribution centre will be powered by renewable electricity provided by Queensland’s publicly owned energy company CleanCo.”

    WITRON Logistik + Informatik CEO Helmut Prieschenk said Coles has partnered with the market leader in warehouse automation systems for major food retailers globally.

    “We have been engaged to build 93 automated distribution centres in 13 different countries, with the latest for Coles being the largest ambient system Witron has ever built,” Mr. Prieschenk said.

    “Witron will work with Coles to provide a technology focused, multi-disciplinary team for day-to-day operations, technical expertise and maintenance support.”

    Witron Founder Walter Winkler is extremely proud, that together with Coles, a powerful logistics platform has been created.

    “This ADC is for the benefit of the entire supply chain and will help the Australian grocery market by introducing the very best technology, and last but not least it creates great value to the Coles business,” Mr Winkler said.

    Coles thanks its partners and consultants Goodman Group, Richard Crookes Constructions and TMX Global for developing, building and managing the complex project to completion.

  • 7-Eleven Australia owners ready to sell

    7-Eleven Australia owners ready to sell

    The entire 7-Eleven business is for sale in Australia – just months after the iconic convenience store increased the price of its famous $1 coffee.

    Chairman of 7-Eleven Holdings Michael Smith said that on Monday shareholders decided the business was ready for new ownership.

    ‘The business has great momentum and a compelling strategy for growth across convenient food, the continued transformation of our total merchandise offer, digital and format innovation, and new stores,’ Mr Smith said.

    The entire 7-Eleven business in Australia, which comprises of about 750 stores nationwide, is up for sale (pictured, 7-Eleven store in St Kilda, Melbourne)

    Mr Smith reassured 7-Eleven customers claiming business is as ‘usual’ as the sale process is in its early stage and is expected to take several months.

    ‘Across our network of stores, it’s business as usual, and our focus is on our customers and being the first choice in convenience retailing in Australia’.

    Majority owner Russell Withers commented on behalf of 7-Eleven shareholders explaining the business started in 1977 with one store in suburban Melbourne.

    Mr Withers said the chain now boasts around 750 stores across Victoria, New South Wales, ACT, Queensland and Australia.

    He added that the chain processes 250 million transactions annually and employs more than 9,000 people across its corporate and franchise network.

    Chairman of 7-Eleven Holdings Michael Smith (left) said shareholders decided the business was ready for new ownership. Majority owner Russell Withers (right) said 7-Eleven has an ‘exciting outlook for growth

    However, the Withers and Barlow families decided the time was right to sell the chain to new owners with a view to future growth and success.

    ‘The company has made significant progress in recent years on a number of fronts and is performing well under a highly credentialed management team, with an exciting outlook for growth,’ Mr Withers said.

    The sale comes just months after the iconic convenience store increased the price of its famous $1 coffees and Slurpees. From October 4 last year, the price of a regular 7-Eleven coffee doubled to $2 and the stores large Slurpees increased to $1.50.

    A spokesperson from 7-Eleven confirmed the price of Australia’s favorite service station drinks rose due to inflated operational costs.

    ‘The changes are a result of increasing input costs for our products,’ 7-Eleven told Daily Mail Australia.

    The affected coffee varieties included the shop’s standard $1 coffee and its hot chocolates, iced coffees and ice cream coffee melts. The first 7-Eleven store opened in Melbourne’s Oakleigh in 1977, and opened the business’s first 24 hour store in 1978.

    The sale comes just months after the iconic convenience store increased the price of its famous $1 coffees (left) and Slurpees (right). From October 4 last year, price of a regular coffee doubled to $2 while Slurpees increased to $1.50

    7-Eleven is the largest convenience retailer on the eastern seaboard of Australia, with an estimated market share of about 38.5 percent.

    The business also claims to be the largest independent fuel retailer on the eastern seaboard, selling Mobil-branded fuel. he Withers and Barlow families brought the 7-Eleven brand to Australia after signing an area license agreement in 1976.

    The Withers Group also secured the Australian rights to Starbucks, bringing the coffee chain back to Aussie shores in 2014.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Meta’s ad platform experiences huge glitch wiping out some customers’ advertising budgets

    Meta’s ad platform experiences huge glitch wiping out some customers’ advertising budgets

    Facebook advertisers say that they experienced a strange glitch last weekend forcing them to pay as much as twice the usual ad rates. These advertisers were charged rates as high as hundreds of thousands of dollars for ads they claim that no one was able to view even though Facebook parent Meta denied this. This happened at 2 am last Sunday and for a brief period Meta removed all ads from its network and at the same time, it barely spoke with its advertising customers.
    The glitch affected mostly advertisers on Facebook, although some Instagram advertisers were also affected. A Meta spokesman said, “A technical issue that has now been resolved caused ad delivery issues for some advertisers.” Last Sunday not only did advertisers notice that they were being charged more than Meta was supposed to charge them for ads, but they also spent more money that budgeted for specific campaigns.
    Amazingly, complete advertising budgets were wiped out in just a few hours. And the ads were not being shown to any more users than usual and didn’t even drive more clicks despite all the money being drained from advertisers’ accounts. And as we mentioned earlier, some advertisers said their ads were not being viewed.
    The Meta spokesman added that the issue “resulted in some miscalibration for advertising campaigns that were focused on optimizing for certain sales objectives. This caused faster campaign spending, resulting in more variable costs. We do not have evidence that we charged customers for ads no one saw. If no impression occurred, the advertiser would not be charged.”
    Typically, a company might lay out money for a two-week ad campaign. Say the company budgeted $5,000 for the campaign. Meta would control exactly how much money would be spent and when it would be spent. Advertisers would have access to metrics showing how well the ad campaign was working but wouldn’t know anything beyond that. They can look at a status page that shows them when Meta’s systems are down.
    Meta allows the platform to spend 25% over the daily amount budgeted by each company. The Meta spokesman said, “We do not have evidence of exceeding this 25% increase on daily budgets amid the technical issue on Sunday, however.”
    The advertisers affected by the glitch were forced to make a tough decision. They could temporarily pause their ad campaigns or keep the status quo and hope that Meta would straighten things out. For small companies that depend on these ads to generate business, the problem could be a major one. Advertisers dislike making a big fuss and noise because Meta and Google own 50% of the digital advertising market.
    Long-time advertising consultant Barry Holt, who has a decade’s experience managing Facebook advertising campaigns, said, “We shouldn’t have to take action when Facebook has a bug. But for the small business who don’t have an ear at Facebook, there aren’t a lot of options. Meta is just counting on advertisers to bend over and take it.” Holt adds, “Meta is extremely opaque and always has been. All we get is a generic explanation that ‘we are aware of an issue.’ That’s better than nothing, but it’s not enough.”
    Meta has admitted that the events of last Sunday did happen and promised to initiate its “normal refund policies.” But as the ad consultant notes, this is not a quick, smooth, and painless process. “You can burn hours and resources complaining and begging them for refunds and credits. Sometimes it works, but it may not be worth the investment,” Holt said. “And when the restitution comes, it can be months later.”
    Media strategist Eric Seufert wrote in a tweet last week, “Meta’s ad platform experienced an irregularity today that saw many advertisers’ campaigns dramatically increase spend with poor performance. Meta’s communications about this situation with advertisers have been woefully inadequate. This is unacceptable and insulting.”

     

  • Google News smartphone app gets limited Material You makeover

    Google News smartphone app gets limited Material You makeover

    Google’s Material You design language has been used to update several Google apps including some very popular ones such as Google Maps, Gmail, and Google Photos. Now the Material You look is coming to the Google News smartphone app. The changes include a pill-shaped indicator highlighting the tab you selected at the page’s bottom. The dynamic theming feature, which changes the color of the app’s interface to match the dominant color of the wallpaper being used on an Android device, is not working yet as the app defaults to a blue color for accents.
    The tablet version of the Google News app has already been through the Material You makeover which added a navigation rail on the left-hand side with buttons for Headlines, Newsstand, Following, and For You. The same blue pill used to highlight the selected tab being viewed on the smartphone version is used to highlight the selected tab on the navigation rail.
    Remember that the Material You additions to the smartphone version of the Google News app has yet to be disseminated to everyone. It did hit the Google News app running on my Pixel 6 Pro running QPR3 Beta 3 but if you haven’t received this app version, you will soon.
    There is no indication from Google when the rest of the Material You features will be available to the Google News app. The app briefs you on top stories, shows you local news from your area, takes deep dives into stories with multiple perspectives, and even shows you stories based on your interests. If you want the Google News app on your Android phone, you can tap on this link to install it from the Play Store. Apple iPhone users c
    Lees ook:

  • Laptop prices drop further

    Laptop prices drop further

    Electronics retailers have cut laptop prices by millions of dong (VND 1 million = $42.62) this year, but have been unable to spur sales as consumers remain wary of spending.

    The price of a MacBook Air M1 was cut by VND3 million since early January to VND17.9 million (US$758.5) in April. It is down by VND11 million since its launch in January 2021.

    The prices of newer Apple laptops like the MacBook Air M2 have also fallen quickly, coming down within seven months of launch from VND32.9 million to VND26.4 million now.

    The manager of an Apple distributor said prices had to be slashed to cut inventories and ensure cash flows.

    The inventory in the market is equivalent to 8-12 months of sales, according to the manager.

    Laptops sales were high in the first four months of 2022, with MacBook Air M1 accounting for more than 50% of revenues.

    But this year, consumers have tightened their purse strings, causing the market to plunge, the manager said.

    Laptops running on Windows have also seen prices decline.

    Electronics retail chain The Gioi Di Dong has cut the prices of Chuwi LarkBook X N5100 to VND5.7 million from VND12.8 million and MSI Gaming GE66 Raider 11UH i7 to VND38 million from VND78 million.

    Retailers said profits from laptops were down 40-50% year-on-year in the first four months.

    According to Nguyen Lac Huy, the manager of a CellphoneS store, retailers have had to slash laptop prices due to high interest rates, abundant supply, low cash flows, and weak demand.

    The leading PC distribution company manager said most people bought laptops and desktops in 2021-22 when they needed them to work or study online during Covid.

    Now, especially with the economic downturn, they are no longer buying new devices, he said.

    According to research firms Gartner and IDC, global computer shipments fell by 30% in the first quarter to usual levels as life returned to normal after the pandemic.

    According to Bao Viet Securities Company, the laptop segment’s profit in the first quarter of 2023 it decreased by 39.1% year-on-year.

    It forecast sales to drop further in the second quarter, rise sharply in the third and decrease slightly in the fourth.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Durian prices plunge 40% in a month

    Durian prices plunge 40% in a month

    Ri6 durian prices grown in the Mekong Delta have plunged by 30-40% to VND50,000-55,000 ($2.13-2.34) per kilogram from early April.

    Prices in the localities of Tien Giang, Ben Tre and Can Tho, where most of the fruit is grown, have plummeted 70% since early February.

    Vendors say that prices have fallen because Chinese buyers have reduced purchases.

    “There is a large supply of Ri6 durian. Some farmers harvest hundreds of tons daily,” said vendor Linh in Tien Giang.

    She added that the Chinese buyers she knew were not rushing to buy more as durian in Thailand and the Philippines were also starting to ripen for harvest.

    Thailand has long been exporting large quantities of durian to China, while the Philippines obtained permits to export to this country earlier this year.

    China is also growing its own durian to meet domestic needs. The country has over 93 hectares of the fruit on Hainan Island.

    Laos has agreed to set aside 30,000 hectares of agricultural land to grow durian specifically for the Chinese market, equivalent to around 27% of Vietnam’s durian farming area.

    Vietnamese durian was the fastest-growing export to China among fruits in the first two months of this year, rising by 291% year-on-year to $56.9 million.

    The country’s farming area reached 110,000 hectares by the end of last year after the country was allowed to export the fruit to China officially. This exceeded the government’s plan by nearly 47%.

    Two main types of durian grow in the region, Ri6 and Monthong.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • iPhone imports cost Vietnam $1.6B

    iPhone imports cost Vietnam $1.6B

    iPhone imports cost Vietnam US$1.61 billion last year, equivalent to 46% of all phone imports.

    According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, total imports were up 10.5% to $3.5 billion, with Samsung, Oppo, and Xiaomi accounting for most of the rest.

    Samsung imports cost $940 million, and that of Oppo, $442 million.

    Almost $18 worth of components were also imported, and South Korea and China accounted for 93% of phone and part imports.

    Many Apple distributors said the more expensive an iPhone model, the higher the demand.

    According to the ministry, some 210.5 million phones worth VND663.7 trillion were manufactured in Vietnam last year, down 9.1% in volume but up 15.1% in value.

    Exports fetched the country $33.32 billion, with Samsung alone accounting for $31.42 billion.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Airlines buying planes for more int’l flights

    Airlines buying planes for more int’l flights

    Vietjet, Bamboo Airways and Vietravel Airlines are buying additional planes to open more international flights this year as the travel industry recovers from Covid.

    Vietravel Airlines, the youngest carrier in Vietnam, said it will receive three aircraft in the next quarter of this year to launch more international routes.

    The airline currently operates two routes between Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City and Thailand’s Bangkok, and between Khanh Hoa Province’s Cam Ranh and South Korea’s Daegu.

    Bamboo Airways said it will obtain 6-8 planes from now through the end of the year, and an additional 10 planes in the 2024-2025 period.

    Vietjet Air will also receive 10 new planes this year, including three Airbus A321 ACFs this week, increasing its total to 87 by the year’s end while opening new routes to India, Japan and South Korea.

    Vietjet, which currently has 77 aircraft, including 5s A330s, 54 A321s and 18 A320s, operates over 100 domestic and international routes.

    Earlier this year, the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam asked the Ministry of Transport to allow domestic carriers to increase the size of their fleets to meet the market’s recovery needs.

    As of January, six domestic airlines were using 225 aircraft, nine less than the pre-pandemic level in early 2020.

    According to the administration, an average aircraft transports 250,000 passengers per year.

    With the domestic market forecast to reach 45.5 million passengers in 2023, the number of aircraft serving the domestic market alone is only 182.

    And to serve 13.6 million international passengers this year, airlines need 57 more planes.

    So analysts say that the total number of domestic airlines’ aircraft should increase to 230 in the first months of this year, and to 250 by the end of the year.

  • Vietnam Airlines posts profit in Q1

    Vietnam Airlines posts profit in Q1

    Vietnam Airlines posted a pre-tax profit of VND19.3 billion ($822,500) in the first quarter after losses in 12 consecutive quarters. The airline saw revenue doubling year-on-year to VND23.64 trillion, the highest quarter record since Q1 2020.

    It is near the pre-pandemic levels of 2019. The state-owned carrier however still posted a post-tax loss of VND37.3 billion.

    The pre-tax profit, however, is still considered a strong signal of recovery after the carrier plunged into major financial difficulties due to Covid-19.

    The airline said that in the first quarter of this year, the domestic market recovered, and China lifted its Covid-19 restrictions, which resulted in a surge in passenger numbers.

    There was also high occupancy on flights to the United States., Europe and Australia, it added.

    The company served 5.1 million passengers in the first quarter, up 63% year-on-year. A weaker U.S. dollar and lower-than-expected fuel prices also helped reduce costs.

    But Vietnam Airlines, which operates Pacific Airlines and Vietnam Air Services Company, still sees high risks in the future as the domestic market remains 40% lower than pre-pandemic.

    It added that global geopolitical tensions will likely still affect the aviation industry in 2024.

    Lees ook:

  • April’s consumer price index down

    April’s consumer price index down

    The consumer price index (CPI) in April decreased by 0.34% month-on-month, but increased by 2.81% year-on-year, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

    In the first four months of this year, the index rose by 3.84% y-o-y, mainly due to increases in prices of education, housing and construction materials, culture, entertainment and tourism, food, and electricity.

    In April, seven out of the 11 groups of main consumer goods and services witnessed price decreases, and the remainders saw rises.

    Notably, a 0.38% fall in the price of food and catering services caused a decline of 0.13 percentage point of the CPI.

    Gold prices in April were up 2.04% m-o-m, but down 1.09% y-o-y. In the January-April period, the prices rose by 0.66% y-o-y.

    Meanwhile, the USD price in April fell 0.89% m-o-m, but rose by 2.5% y-o-y, leading to a y-o-y increase of 3.21% in the first four months of this year.

    According to the GSO, this month, core inflation increased by 0.13% over the previous month, and by 4.56% over the same period last year. On average, in the first four months, it increased by 4.9% y-o-y, higher than the overall average CPI (3.84%).

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Miniso opens new flagship store in Times Square, NYC

    Miniso opens new flagship store in Times Square, NYC

    Chinese discount variety store Miniso will open a flagship store in New York City next month, a move it describes as its biggest milestone since its foundation in 2013.

    The new store, located on the first floor of 5 Times Square, will offer customers almost 2000 different products.

    The new flagship will feature an updated design and nine distinct zones, including licenced collections, blind box collectibles, toys, plushies, fragrances, accessories, makeup tools, snacks, and gifts & stationery.

    According to Miniso, the overall design will be simple and clean, concentrating on licenced products from international brands like Sanrio, Hello Kitty’s parent, which will be included in the window design for the store’s launch. Miniso says it plans to bring more brand collaborations to the US market, including Peanuts, Barbie and Mario Bros.

    “The opening of the Times Square store is a crucial step towards our transformation and upgrade,” said Jack Ye, founder and CEO of Miniso.

    “Times Square is the Crossroads of the World and a hub of business, entertainment and culture. By making a physical presence in one of the busiest pedestrian areas, Miniso appeals to New Yorkers and visitors worldwide and responds to consumer demands for attractive, fun, useful, and affordable products.”

    Miniso unveiled its new worldwide strategy earlier this year, stating that it will convert into a lifestyle superbrand that brings joy to clients worldwide.

    In addition, the Chinese retailer also disclosed to expand into four new markets: Panama, Angola, Trinidad and Tobago, and Latvia, at the beginning of this month.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Apple opens second MixC store in Shenzhen, China

    Apple opens second MixC store in Shenzhen, China

    Apple will open its second MixC store in Shenzhen, China, as part of its strategy to strengthen its local footprint.

    Apple said the new store has a Padang Light stone floor and a timber veneer-clad wall sourced responsibly and locally in China, maximizing visibility within the store.

    The store will feature the latest Apple products and accessories and an Apple Pickup station that combines the online and in-person purchasing experiences for Chinese customers. Apple said the dedicated area allows customers to order online and conveniently pick up their devices in-store.

    “At Apple, we’re constantly innovating to deliver the best possible experience for our customers, and our incredible team members in Shenzhen can’t wait to welcome them when doors open,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior VP of Retail.

    The addition of Apple MixC Shenzhen marks the 55th Apple Store location in the area and the fourth in China’s Guangdong province. Apple has welcomed 22 million visitors to Shenzhen since Apple Holiday Plaza Shenzhen, the city’s first Apple Store, opened its doors in 2012.

    The new store employs approximately 150 trained retail team members who speak ten languages, including Chinese, Cantonese, English, Japanese, Korean, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, and sign language.

    After Europe and the United States, China is Apple’s third most important market. According to Bloomberg, Apple gained its most quarterly market share in China earlier this year, outpacing Covid outages and a global economic downturn.

    Apple disclosed plans to open its first company-run retail presence in Mumbai, India’s financial powerhouse, at the beginning of this month.

    Lees ook:

  • Apple will reportedly allow Apple Watch to pair with multiple devices

    Apple will reportedly allow Apple Watch to pair with multiple devices

    When you buy a new Apple Watch, it must be paired with an iPhone. While one iPhone can be paired with multiple Apple timepieces, one Apple Watch cannot be paired with multiple Apple devices. But a Twitter tipster who made a great call last year says that the rumor mill is actively cranking out fresh speculation for mass consumption. This rumor says that Apple is developing software updates allowing an Apple Watch to pair with multiple Apple devices, including an iPhone, an iPad, and a Mac.
    Currently, an Apple Watch cannot pair with an iPad, but with the timepiece paired with an iPhone, a user can use his Apple Watch to help him view Apple Fitness+ workouts on an iPad that uses the same Apple ID. And those with an Apple Watch can unlock their Mac computers, view passwords, authenticate apps, and verify the user’s identity to complete an online Apple Pay transaction.
    “Apple Watch will sync across multiple iOS/iPadOS/Mac devices, and will no longer be tied to one single iPhone.” The tipster says that while he doesn’t know how Apple will implement this, he does know that in a future update, Apple will allow the Apple Watch to sync with more than one Apple device. Also unknown is which Apple Watch models will have this new feature and when it will be introduced.
    For example, the tipster says he is unsure whether Apple will include this new capability with watchOS 10, iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS 14, all due out later this year, or if it will be delayed until then the 2024 updates.  The tipster, @analyst941, made a great call on the Dynamic Island before the feature was announced last year giving him some legitimacy.

    Recently, @analyst941 posted not to give up on seeing solid-state buttons replace the mechanical buttons on the two upcoming premium iPhone 15 models, contradicting more well-known analysts such as Haitong Tech’s Jeff Pu, and TFI International’s Ming-Chi Kuo. Pu and Kuo both say that Apple will stick with the physical buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra. But @analyst941 wrote that the two models “will still have capacitive touch buttons, {and that] contrary to rumors, the development team is working too closely with new hardware to turn back now.”

    The tipster also recently tweeted a list of new features he expects to see on iOS 17. Apple will discuss iOS 17 on June 5th, when the keynote will be held for the WWDC 2023 Developer’s Conference. The new iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad operating systems will be released in September.

     

  • YouTube Music introduces feature to share your listening habits with your friends

    YouTube Music introduces feature to share your listening habits with your friends

    YouTube Music is set to add a new feature where profile statistics can be now made public. Enabling this will allow users to view their own and other users’ music listening habits and preferences on the platform.

    With this new feature, users will be able to view their own public profile, which will include information such as their top artists, top tracks, and recently played songs. Additionally, they can view other users’ public profiles, which will display their listening habits and preferences, as well as any playlists they have created and shared for up to two years.

    The public profile statistics will also include information about the user’s activity on the platform, such as the number of playlists they have created, the songs and artists most listened to, the music videos most viewed and the playlists most listened to on repeat. This information will be displayed on a public profile page, accessible to anyone who searches for the user on the platform.

    While this new feature may seem like a simple addition, it has the potential to transform the way users engage with each other on the platform. By allowing users to view each other’s music preferences and habits, it will create a sense of community among users and may even lead to the discovery of new music and artists.

    It is important to note that this feature will only be available to users who have opted in to making their profile public. Users who prefer to keep their listening habits private can choose to keep their profile hidden from public view.
    The feature is not yet live for everyone and the link to the help article is not yet live. However, the feature seems to be rolling out to a limited amount of users at this time. If you wish to access your own public stats, open your YouTube Music app and navigate to “Settings”, then navigate to “Privacy and Location”, then “Channel Settings”. If the setting is available to you, you should then see the “Enable public stats” toggle.
    The addition of public profile statistics to YouTube Music is a significant development for the platform as it has been steadily and adding new features to compete with the likes of Spotify and Apple Music. It has the potential to create a more interactive and engaging user experience, while also

     

    Lees ook: