Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • WhatsApp working on showing when your friends update their status right in your chat list

    WhatsApp working on showing when your friends update their status right in your chat list

    WhatsApp is on the updates accelerator once again and is working on another feature to make your life easier. WABetaInfo has unearthed a feature to display your status update directly on the Chats page in WhatsApp for Android, and this handy feature is currently under development.

    Roughly a month ago, the company was reported to be working on a similar feature for iOS. But WhatsApp has not forgotten about Android users. We now see the social media platform is working on displaying status updates in the chat list for WhatsApp Android as well.

    So far, the feature has been spotted during a WhatsApp desktop beta, and it is under development for Android and iOS.
    The thing with WhatsApp status updates is currently that they are, in a way, quite invisible. You need to know specifically to look for someone’s status update, in order to find it. When this new feature is completed, you will be able to see who published a new status update directly in your chat lists. That way, you won’t miss important status updates from your friends.

    This feature was first spotted, as we already mentioned, on the desktop version of the popular chat app. Here’s a screenshot preview from when the change was first spotted:

    According to WABetaInfo, if you chose to click on the chat cell, WhatsApp will open the conversation, and if you click on the profile pic of the contact, the app will show you the status update itself. On this screenshot, the first contact has published a status update. It seems that it will look quite like someone who has published a story on Instagram, for example.
    Reportedly, the feature cannot be disabled from WhatsApp Settings, so once it becomes official, you are probably stuck with it. The publication, however, is not currently giving any time frame for the release of this quite useful feature. Android and iOS users will both have to wait for now until they can enjoy being up to date with all your chat friends at a glance (and a tap — but way easier than what it is now!).

    For those of you who are curious about the process: we know that once the feature is developed, it comes first to those chosen ones before making its way to the general public. With that being said, it might be some months before we see the feature live.

  • Vietnam to promote electronic bills via lottery

    Vietnam to promote electronic bills via lottery

    Vietnam is set to use lottery prizes to promote the use of electronic bills as the country seeks to boost digital transformation.

    Since April, seven billion electronic bills, or 93 percent of the total, have been recorded, and starting July 1 all businesses in the country will have to utilize electronic billing, Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc told the National Assembly on Wednesday.

    To promote electronic bills, the ministry will use lottery service Vietlott to award random people using the electronic billing code submitted to the national database whenever a customer purchases a product or service.

    Promoting electronic bills is among Vietnam’s latest efforts to create an e-government as its leaders have vocalized the need to digitally transform the country to boost economic growth.

    Deputy Head of the General Department of Taxation Dang Ngoc Minh said earlier this month that tax payers can now scan a QR code to have tax bills delivered to their smartphone within 10 seconds.

  • EU Sets Women Boardroom Quota at 40 Percent

    EU Sets Women Boardroom Quota at 40 Percent

    After ten years the EU has reached a landmark decision to achieve corporate gender equality. The move will put pressure on Swiss companies both in the EU and at home.

    The EU is introducing a legally binding 40 percent quota for women in non-executive positions and a 33 percent quota for women in executive roles of companies operating in the European Union from mid-2026, it said in a press statement late Tuesday.

    Currently, only a third of boardroom members in the EU are women and the number of female senior managers is lower, it said. The new directive aims to help companies listed on EU stock exchanges accelerate their progress in reaching gender equality.

    While Swiss companies listed in the EU will have to comply with the new European law, companies listed in Switzerland are being put «indirectly» under pressure to follow suit by this decision, Fabienne Meier partner at executive search firm Knight Gianella & Partner, said.

    Last year Swiss law determined a 30 percent quota for women on the board of directors of Swiss listed companies within five years and a 20 percent quota for women in executive management positions within ten years.

    For Meier, the boardroom targets are realistic, but the pool of female talent for the executive level is too small, as it was not nurtured enough in the past. Some sectors will struggle to close the gender gap as they look for top female executives with (rare) technical profiles, she said.

    The Commission first proposed gender balance on company boards in November 2012, but it has taken ten years for all decision-makers to reach an agreement on the matter with some member states previously opposing binding measures at the EU level.

    Although 60 percent of current university graduates are female, women are underrepresented in high-level positions and progress is very slow. Countries with national quotas have the highest share of women sitting as board members of listed companies, according to the statement.

  • A German Bank Wants its Customers to go Cashless

    A German Bank Wants its Customers to go Cashless

    In a country where cash has been king for decades, Deutsche Bank will stop allowing customers to pick up cash at its counters.

    There is a German adage that Geld Stinkt Nicht, which translates into money doesn’t stink, and helps to explain the country’s strong, and perhaps a stereotypical, preference for cash over the years. Deutsche Bank is seeking to change that.

    In tapping into another German trait, that of frugality, Lars Stoy, who heads domestic retail banking operations of Germany’s largest commercial bank said at an investor conference that «In the future, I don’t want to offer cash in the branches anymore, because holding cash incurs costs.

    While not specifying a timeline for the changes, Stoy said that cash would only be offered in a few large centers and that generally, he wants to further reduce the number of branches in Germany.

    The main task of the branch is sales along with “advising customers on investments, mortgages, to a certain extent on consumer loans and insurance. Once that is the case, then the branches will be profitable again, Stoy said.

    Moreover, the plans are in response to changes in customer behavior, with the trend toward cashless payments significantly increasing, while at the same time demand for personal advice is also on the rise, Stoy said.

    In terms of cash supply, Deutsche Bank will maintain a nationwide network of ATMs adding that money can also be withdrawn at supermarkets or gas stations.

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  • Sunbutter Skincare becomes world’s first certified palm oil-free sunscreen

    Sunbutter Skincare becomes world’s first certified palm oil-free sunscreen

    The innovators behind Australia’s first reef safe sunscreen is packaged in reusable and recyclable tins and Australia’s first vegan surf zinc, SunButter Skincare, have announced they will become the first sunscreen company in the world to be certified palm oil free.

    Working closely with International Palm Oil Free Certification Trademark (POFCAP) SunButter has removed palm oil from its supply chain ensuring none of the ingredients used in any of its sunscreen or skincare products is derived from palm oil.

    “At SunButter we’re all about protecting people and the planet and if we’re including palm oil as an ingredient then we’re not protecting the planet, we wanted to make sure we live up to our ethos and mantra,” said SunButter Skincare Founders Sacha Guggenheimer and Tom Hiney.

    Typically, consumers won’t see ‘palm oil’ listed as an ingredient on the back of their sunscreen bottle, it’s usually hidden behind the name caprylic/capric triglyceride, cetostearyl alcohol, glycerin and glyceryl caprylate.

    “Sadly, it’s super complicated, because palm oil and palm oil derivatives are disguised under hundreds of different names,” said Hiney.

    To complicate things further, finding transparency when it comes to supply chains is difficult and this might partly explain why no Australian company is currently able to say that their sunscreen is certified as free of palm oil.

    “It’s really about encouraging brands to go palm oil free and support other palm oil free brands, we’ve been fortunate enough to go to Sumatra and see the devastating effects palm oil plantations have on the planet from deforestation and the disruption of soil carbon to the decimation of local animal populations, so talking about this certification is a great exercise in raising awareness about the use of palm oil in the cosmetic industry,” said Guggenheimer

    SunButter encourages consumers to do their research, looking for items with a ‘palm oil free’ logo from the POFCAP, Orangutan Alliance, Go Palm Oil Free or POI Approved, which means they’re certified (rather than just labelled as ‘palm oil free’ by the company, which can be inaccurate and misleading).

    “While the palm oil issue is a big one, there is a string of organisations doing really good work to get us back on the right path, and it’s important that we take personal responsibility and become more conscious in our buying habits as the less demand there is for products containing palm oil, the fewer products “While the palm oil issue is a big one, there is a string of organisations doing really good work to get us back on the right path, and it’s important that we take personal responsibility and become more conscious in our buying habits as the less demand there is for products containing palm oil, the fewer products containing palm oil there’ll be on the market.” said Hiney.

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  • Snack chain Aji Ichiban closes all Hong Kong stores

    Snack chain Aji Ichiban closes all Hong Kong stores

    Hong Kong snack food franchise Aji Ichiban has closed all of its stores in the territory after suffering significant losses as Covid-19 caused a slump in overseas visitors, The Standard reports.

    The company’s website and phone numbers were reported not to be working since Monday, which is presumed to have been the chain’s last trading day. A spokesperson told The Standard the company might resume its operations in future if circumstances change.

    Despite its Japanese name, the snack food chain was established in Hong Kong by Lai Chan Yuk Hing and Lai Hin Tai. The brand opened more than 90 stores in Hong Kong and expanded its business internationally with more than 150 franchised shops, including in the US, the Philippines and Canada. However, most of its international stores have been closed since 2013.

    Aji Ichiban is known among tourists for its wide selection of dried snacks, such as beef jerky, dried apricots, Skittles, chocolates, nonpareils, spicy dried fish, plum tablets, nuts, chilli olives, fried and shredded squid.

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  • Apple Maps Have Now Improved Driving And Navigation Functions

    Apple Maps Have Now Improved Driving And Navigation Functions

    Apple Maps have also received small update at WWDC 2022. Apple announced that its mapping service will soon support multi-stop trips and users will be able to plan their route on the Mac version of the app and send it to their iPhone. Apple has also announced that the Maps app will get an updated look in a number of cities providing a 3D view.

    Apple revealed at WWDC that multi stop routing lets you plan up to 15 stops in advance. There is also Siri integration that makes it easy to add stops to the route when you’re already on the road.

    There are new public transit features as well in iOS 16. Now more than the fare, users will be able to add transit cards to the Apple Wallet. Users can also reload the transit card balance without leaving the Maps app.

    The redesigned maps app debuted first in 11 countries first in 2021. Now another 11 countries are being added which include France, Switzerland, New Zealand, but there is no India in the updated list.

    The redesigned 3D City feature offers more detailed roads, landmarks and other locations. Apple is adding Las Vegas, but is also adding Miami, Chicago and Sydney.

    Apple is offering an application programming interface which will allow third party apps to integrate its maps. Apple showed off how Zillow had integrated the new immersive view while browsing homes.

    Apart from this, Apple announced a major update for CarPlay which now supports multiple screen sizes and multiple screens going beyond the infotainment system adding support for the functions of the instrument cluster. Apple announced that cars by big automakers like Renault, Ford, Mercedes, Volvo and Honda will be launching vehicles based on this system later next year.

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  • GoMechanic Introduces Extended Warranties For Car Owners In 60+ Cities

    GoMechanic Introduces Extended Warranties For Car Owners In 60+ Cities

    Auto after-sales service and spare parts startup, GoMechanic has rolled out extended warranty packages for vehicles owners in India across 60+ Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities. The company says it is offering five warranty packages to customers – Authorised Warranty, 360-degree Protection, Engine Warranty, Suspension Cover and Brake Warranty. Prices for the warranty packages start from as little as ₹ 200 per month or ₹ 999 per year and will cover crucial systems such as the engine, suspension, brakes and more along with consumables and labour costs and wear and tear. The extended warranty packages have a cover for 1 year or 10,000km whichever is earlier.

    “Our Extended Warranty plan is for users looking for hassle-free car ownership. It offers a flexible and affordable approach to users to handpick the type of warranty that suits them. Whether they are a mile muncher or an occasional driver, whether it’s a new or pre owned car- we have the required Extended Warranty plan for them,” said Rishabh Karwa, Co-Founder, GoMechanic.

    GoMechanic says that its warranty covers are valid for all Indian car brands and models with each car requiring to undergo an “exhaustive set of checks” before being approved for extended warranty cover.

    Focusing on the 5 warranty packages, Authorised Warranty covers 25 car systems and 650+ car services and is described by the company as being similar to a Manufacturer Extended Warranty. The 360-degree Cover Warranty covers a broader 35 car systems along with “over 800 car services” and includes free pick-up and drop services. The company says that this package offers bumper to bumper cover.

    Suspension Cover as the name implies is focused solely on the suspension of the vehicle while the Engine warranty and rake Warranty covers the named parts respectively. GoMechanic says that its extended warranty cover will also include roadside assistance in and around locations where the company is present.

    Currently, interested vehicle owners can apply for extended warranties across 60+ cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Agra, Amritsar, Bhopal, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Kanpur and Meerut.

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  • Global Enterprise WLAN Continues Strong Momentum

    Global Enterprise WLAN Continues Strong Momentum

    The enterprise segment of the worldwide wireless local area network (WLAN) market continued its strong growth in the first quarter of 2022 (1Q22) with revenues increasing 17.1% year over year to $1.95 billion, according to results published by the International Data Corporation (IDC).

    The 17.1% annualized growth builds on the enterprise WLAN market growing 20.4% in 2021 compared to 2020. Growth in the enterprise WLAN market continues to be driven by the latest Wi-Fi standard, known as Wi-Fi 6 or 802.11ax. Wi-Fi 6 access points made up 70.3% of the revenues in the Dependent Access Point (AP) segment and accounted for 59.3% of unit shipments within the segment. Wi-Fi 5 products, also known as 802.11ac, made up the remaining balance of Dependent AP sales.The consumer segment of the WLAN market declined 3.6% in 1Q22 with the quarter’s unit shipments declining 2.2% on an annualized basis. Adoption of Wi-Fi 6 continues in the consumer segment of the WLAN market too: In 1Q22, Wi-Fi 6 made up 31.4% of the market’s revenues, up from 28.2% in the fourth quarter of 2021.

    “In the first quarter of 2022, enterprises around the globe continued to invest in WLAN technology as a key component of their network and digital transformations. Meanwhile, the Wi-Fi 6 standard continues to be a significant driver of growth in the enterprise WLAN market as enterprises deploy in the newest Wi-Fi technology,” said Brandon Butler, Research Manager, Network Infrastructure at IDC. “After a rocky macroeconomic environment over the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the enterprise WLAN market continues to be resilient as organizations invest in wireless connectivity.”

    From a geographic perspective, the enterprise WLAN market grew across most regions of the world. Growth was particularly strong in Asia/Pacific, where the market in the People’s Republic of China grew 55.6% year over year in 1Q22. In the broader Asia/Pacific region (excluding Japan and China) (APeJC), the market increased 22.3% in the first quarter; Japan’s market declined 4.8% in 1Q22.

    The enterprise WLAN market in the US rose 8.8% year over year in 1Q22. Canada’s market declined 2.5%, while the market in Latin America rose 27.6% in the quarter. In Western Europe the market grew 20.6% in 1Q22; in Central and Eastern Europe the market grew 2.1% in the quarter and in the Middle East & Africa, the enterprise WLAN market rose 19.5% year over year. At the country level, Germany was the largest market in Western Europe, making up 21.2% of the region’s revenues. In Germany, the market grew 37.6% year over year in the first quarter, propelling growth for the broader Western European region.

     

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  • US waives tariffs on Vietnam solar panels

    US waives tariffs on Vietnam solar panels

    Joe Biden has waived tariffs on solar panels exported from Vietnam and three other Southeast Asian countries for two years amid rising demand for renewable energy in the U.S.

    The tariff exemption will also apply to panels from Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand and serve as a “bridge” while U.S. manufacturing ramps up, the White House stated Monday.

    Solar energy is among the fastest growing sources of new electric generation in the United States, and Southeast Asia made up around three-quarters of solar modules imported to the U.S. in 2020, the White House said.

    Vietnam has risen as a solar power hotspot in recent years thanks to the government’s incentive feed-in tariffs to attract investors.

    In the first four months this year, solar plants accounted for 10.9 percent of total power production, according to state-owned utility Vietnam Electricity.

    Hong Kong-based Jinko Solar, one of the largest solar panel manufacturers in the world, received an investment license for its $498 million project in northern Vietnam last year and launched its plant in January.

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  • Rumors, manipulation plague Vietnam markets

    Rumors, manipulation plague Vietnam markets

    Vietnam’s stock and corporate bond markets are heavily affected by rumors and sophisticated manipulation, which pose the need for more transparent and thorough regulations, a minister has said.

    Many tickers have been pushed up to new peaks without improvement in business results, with many companies failing to submit their earnings in time, Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc informed the National Assembly in a recent report.

    “The stock market is still in an early stage of development and is therefore heavily affected by investor sentiment. Rumors, fears of cash flow and inflation pressure have caused the market to plunge recently.”

    Vietnam’s benchmark VN-Index hit this year’s bottom on May 16, the lowest in 11 months. The plunge came after VN-Index increased by nearly 36 percent last year as one of the best performers globally. The number of new stock accounts opened last year alone equaled that of the previous 10 years.

    But the market turned bearish in April and has struggled to recover since.

    Phoc is also concerned about risks faced by a speeding corporate bond market.

    Many amateurs who fail to meet government criteria have cheated to secure bonds, made possible by the violations of commercial banks and stock brokerages, he said.

    One typical example involves property developer Tan Hoang Minh, whose chairman Do Anh Dung was arrested in early April on suspicions of “fraudulent appropriation of assets,” he added.

    Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Nguyen Thi Hong called for more thorough solutions to prevent future violations.

    In the long run, the government needs to make the corporate bond market a key capital mobilization channel for the economy, she added.

    Phoc said changes will be made to tighten regulations on bond issuances, listed on a dedicated market for corporate bonds.

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  • Rice export prices continue to drop

    Rice export prices continue to drop

    Average rice export prices fell for a second straight month to US$415-420 a ton, resulting in a marginal year-on-year decline in revenues for Vietnam despite higher volumes.

    The country exported 2.86 million tons for $1.39 billion in the year to date, up 10.3 percent in volume but down 1 percent in value, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

    Global prices have been falling due to abundant supply, with Thai 5 percent broken rice becoming $5 per ton cheaper at $445.

    The Philippines remained Vietnam’s top market, importing 915,000 tons for $422.2 million, up 28.3 percent and 11 percent.

    But domestic prices rose slightly in early June as there was a drop in supply between the winter-spring and summer-autumn crops.

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  • FJ Benjamin to manage Cole Haan in Singapore, Malaysia

    FJ Benjamin to manage Cole Haan in Singapore, Malaysia

    Singapore-listed fashion retail group FJ Benjamin has added American footwear label Cole Haan to its portfolio, starting retailing and distributing the brand in Singapore and Malaysia from next month.

    Under the partnership, FJ Benjamin will roll out a series of Cole Haan brick-and-mortar stores in the second half of the year and a local e-commerce site for the brand. The move follows FJ Benjamin’s acquisition of luxury skincare brand MZ Skin’s rights in three Southeast Asia markets announced last week.

    “As an established manager of global fashion brands, FJ Benjamin is confident that we can deliver what the Cole Haan brand stands for and take it to the next level of growth in these two markets,” said Nash Benjamin, group CEO of FJ Benjamin.

    Cole Haan will join FJ Benjamin’s portfolio of more than 20 brands including Guess, Marc Jacobs, Superdry and Rebecca Minkoff. The Singapore retailer currently operates 158 stores.

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  • Watsons and L’Oreal launch Hong Kong-wide recycling program

    Watsons and L’Oreal launch Hong Kong-wide recycling program

    L’Oreal Hong Kong has partnered with Watsons and recycling social enterprise V Cycle to launch the recycling program ‘Beauty for the Future’.

    The campaign aims to encourage customers to recycle their empty cosmetics and skincare containers – from any brand – at Watsons stores.

    Customers can hand over their washed beauty containers including foundation bottles, mascara wands, skincare tubs, and lipstick tubes, at any Watsons store in Hong Kong in exchange for rewards on the platform MoneyBack.

    People can also return the empties to any of L’Oreal Hong Kong’s more than 100 free-standing outlets or department store counters. V Cycle will break down the wastes, sort them by material, and work with local partners to turn them into new raw materials once they’ve been gathered.

    The scaled-up campaign’s target is to collect 250,000 containers in the year following the formal launch – equal to the height of two Mount Everests when piled.

    “Our goal is to meet it head-on with the first cross-brand recycling programme involving 18 of our beauty brands in 2021,” said Eva Yu, president & MD of L’Oreal Hong Kong.

    “With the scaled-up recycling campaign as part of our ‘L’Oreal for the Future’ sustainability program, we want to further inspire and influence how our consumers think and what they do about packaging wastes – not as something to toss out, but as a resource that can be recycled and used again, and sustainably, reducing the impact on our environment. Our partnership with Watsons and V Cycle will help make this a reality.”

    L’Oreal Hong Kong and Watsons have collected over 6300 beauty containers and diverted them from landfills during the trial program launched between April to May.

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  • Uniqlo owner to raise prices on fleece products due to weak yen

    Uniqlo owner to raise prices on fleece products due to weak yen

    The owner of Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo said on Tuesday it will raise prices on some goods this fall, reflecting increasing cost pressures from the weak yen and logistical hurdles.

    Prices on fleece goods and down jackets in the fall/winter product lines will go up by 1,000 yen (US$7.54), a spokesperson confirmed, after an earlier report by the Jiji news service. The company is also increasing the use of recycled polyester in its fleece products to keep costs down.

    Consumer prices are surging in Japan after decades of deflation, driven by the yen’s drop to a 20-year low against the dollar and soaring energy costs.

    Fast Retailing has competed on low-cost basics like socks and underwear for decades, but its executives have warned recently that rising production costs would necessitate price hikes.

    Founder Tadashi Yanai in April railed against the decline in Japan’s currency, saying there was “absolutely no merit” in a weak yen.

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