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Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Skechers takes control of Philippines operation

    Skechers takes control of Philippines operation

    Skechers parent, The Comfort Technology Company, has transitioned the operations of the footwear brand in the Philippines from its third-party distributor, Trendworks International, to Skechers USA Philippines.

    The company said the move is to maximize the brand’s growth in the region. Trendworks International will continue to sell Skechers products through the end of this year.

    In addition, Skechers USA Philippines will expand the brand’s presence in the country, opening 10 to 12 additional concept stores during the first half of next year, including those in key department and specialty stores such as Planet Sports and The SM Store.

    “The Philippines has immense potential for Skechers, and with our dedicated team focused on growth and delivering the integrated capabilities of Skechers,” said David Weinberg, COO at Skechers USA. “We believe this step accelerates that potential.

    “With Skechers’ appealing lifestyle collections, groundbreaking comfort innovations and our corporate support, we believe the Philippines can become a key market for us in Southeast Asia.”

    According to Suzette Pasustento, country manager for Skechers USA Philippines, the company is currently under the first phase of re-establishing the brand in the market, including setting up new offices in Manila and opening a distribution centre. The company has also opened its first new store this month.

    “With this new dedicated approach, we will be able to reach more of the 100 million men, women and children in this country and offer them a wider selection of great Skechers products through expanded channels,” said  Pasustento.

    “In 2022, we will introduce new product categories, open more retail locations and expand our door count with new retailers, as well as launch a comprehensive marketing campaign.”

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  • AirAsia sets best performance

    AirAsia sets best performance

    Airasia Philippines has recorded its best performance yet since the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, its officials said yesterday.

    Topping the list of AirAsia’s most preferred domestic flights within the peak Christmas travel period between December 20 to January 05 are Manila to Caticlan with 24 percent of total passenger booking, Manila to Tacloban with 15 percent, and Cebu to Manila with 14 percent.

    The recently resumed Hong Kong to Manila route, meanwhile tops the list of the airline’s current international flights.

    “We believe that it is important we enable our kababayans to travel to see their loved ones this holiday period to help boost their morale and make their Christmas celebrations even more special after almost two years of battling and living in a global health crisis. We look forward to increasing our flight frequencies and broadening our destinations as the situation improves. But for now, we are thankful to be among the preferred airlines of Filipino travelers,” AirAsia Philippines Spokesperson Steve Dailisan said.

    Dailisan said the significant rise in flight bookings is attributed not only to the relaxing of protocols but also to the longing of Filipinos to be with their families this Christmas season — some of whom have not seen each other for almost two years

    He said they continue to by strict safety protocols mandated by the government and as advised by medical experts

    “Guests are asked to follow implemented stringent safety measures on ground and in flight, such as physical distancing and the wearing of face masks,” Dailisan said.

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  • Food poisoning and protests shut Foxconn plant building iPhone 12 5G in India

    Food poisoning and protests shut Foxconn plant building iPhone 12 5G in India

    News that the Foxconn factory near the city of Chennai in Southern India has closed means that iPhone production in the country will be negatively impacted. The plant churns out iPhone 12 models and factory workers have suffered through a bout with food poisoning which will leave the assembly lines shut down for the remainder of the week. With 150 employees in the hospital, the healthy workers started to protest the incident which also disrupted production.

    A senior official at the directorate of industrial safety and health in Tamil Nadu (which calls Chennai it’s capital) said, “The factory has been shut since Saturday and will be shut till coming Sunday.” Confirming the shutdown, two more senior state officials reiterated that the plant is not running.

    Protesters were arrested after blocking an important highway following the food poisoning incident. Yesterday, those arrested were released. While the factory, as we noted, currently produces the iPhone 12, Apple has been testing iPhone 13 assembly at the facility, and with the factory closed, that testing has been stopped.

    The decision to close the plant was made by Foxconn according to a police officer from the office of the Superintendent of Police in Kancheepuram. This police officer also said that employees at the factory who have been complaining for months about food poisoning and other issues should lodge their complaints with the state labor ministry.

    According to Navkendar Singh, India research director at market research firm IDC, “The impact on Apple is expected to below as it is a lean period … until at least February. In (the first half of 2022) we expect sales to pick up from new product launches and much-needed easing of supply chain issues.” Besides the iPhone, the factory also manufactures the Amazon Fire Stick and some devices for Xiaomi.

    This is the second incident in India over the last year that saw worker unrest at a factory that builds Apple products. Last December, a Wistron factory hosted a riot when 2,000 workers complained that they did receive their wages, and the incident caused $60 million in damages.

    India is the second-largest smartphone market in the world after China and the three contract manufacturers building the device for Apple, Foxconn, Wistron, and Pegatron, have budgeted $900 million over five years to make iPhone units in the country. But because India is a developing market, Apple has focused its Indian production of the iPhone on less expensive older models.

    Apple also plans on building some iPad tablets in India as the country, along with Mexico and Vietnam, have become alternative supply chain centers for Apple as the company seeks to lessen its reliance on factories in China. Apple is afraid that with tensions between the U.S. and China so high, getting access to factories based on the mainland won’t always be a sure thing.Those employees working on the assembly lines usually pay some of their wages for room and board in facilities found near the factory. The riot last year started when Wistron promised an engineering graduate Rs 21,000 ($285) per month, but instead, he was paid Rs 16,000 ($217) the first month which was reduced to Rs 12,000 ($163) over the last three months.

    Considering that Foxconn workers, like the ones toiling for Wistron, are paying their employer for food, the fact that many of them contracted food poisoning was enough of an issue to spark the protests that shut down the highway near the factory, and the factory itself.

    Apple had to get involved in last year’s riot because of the damage to the equipment at Wistron’s factory. This year, it appears that Foxconn was able to keep its production facilities intact.

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  • Ducati MotoE Electric Race Bike Unveiled

    Ducati MotoE Electric Race Bike Unveiled

    Ducati has taken the wraps off its new MotoE project earlier than expected revealing the new V21L electric race bike at the Misano World Circuit. The electric race machine will power the grid in the MotoE World Cup starting in 2023. Ducati announced its intent to be the supplier for the series earlier this year and this marks the Italian motorcycle maker’s foray into the electric vehicle space. The Ducati V21L gets the basic shape of the Italian bike maker quite similar to the concept sketch. It features a double-sided swingarm with an under-braced design and progressive shock linkage.

    The tail is a self-supporting cabin fibre unit with a solo seat. You can also see a small oil-cooler at the bottom of the bike’s front with a tapped radiator above it. Power and performance figures have not been revealed, so we will have to wait a bit to know more about how to battery management system works on the race machine. Other cycle parts though do look familiar with the Ducati V21L getting Ohlins suspension and Brembo brakes. The wheels come from Marchesini.

    Speaking at the unveil, Roberto Canè, Ducati eMobility Director said, “We are experiencing a truly extraordinary moment. I find it hard to believe it is a reality and still not a dream! The first electric Ducati on the track is exceptional not only for its uniqueness but also for the type of undertaking: challenging both for its performance objectives and for its extremely short timescales. Precisely for this reason, the work of the whole team dedicated to the project has been incredible and today’s result repays us for the efforts made in recent months. We are certainly not finished yet; indeed, we know that the road ahead is still very long, but in the meantime, we have laid a first important ‘brick’.”

    Michele Pirro, Ducati test rider: “Testing the MotoE prototype on the circuit was a great thrill because it marks the beginning of an important chapter in Ducati history. The bike is light and already has a good balance. Furthermore, the throttle connection in the first opening phase and the ergonomics are very similar to those of a MotoGP bike. If it weren’t for the silence and for the fact that in this test, we decided to limit the power output to just 70 per cent of performance, I could easily have imagined that I was riding my bike.”

    The new Ducati V21L electric race bike will take over from the Energica Ego Corsa race bike that powers the grid currently. It will be interesting to see how much of a step up is the new bike in terms of performance.

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  • Phishing attacks are deceiving Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp users

    Phishing attacks are deceiving Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp users

    In an attempt to stop ongoing phishing attacks, Meta, formerly known as Facebook, filed a federal lawsuit in California court. Meta says that the attackers were trying to steal the login credentials of Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp users.

    The attackers created fake login pages that looked like Meta’s social media platforms to obtain Meta’s users’ login credentials. The goal was to deceive the users into entering their credentials, like usernames and passwords.

    Here’s what Jessica Romero, Meta’s director of platform and litigation, said about the phishing scheme: “Reports of phishing attacks have been on the rise across the industry, and we are taking this action to uncover the identities of the people behind the attack and stop their harmful conduct.”

    According to Meta’s lawsuit blog post, the phishing scam included more than 39,000 fake websites. In order to mask their attack, the deceivers used a relay service that redirected the internet traffic to their phishing pages while simultaneously concealing their real location and identities. The relay service also masked the online hosting providers of the defendants.

    In a statement about the case, Meta noted that phishing assaults have increased since March and that Meta has suspended thousands of URLs to such phishing sites. Although Meta doesn’t know who made the phishing sites, the lawsuit, according to Meta, is another step in its actions to protect people’s safety and privacy. The filed lawsuit by Meta shows the position of the company against those trying to abuse its platforms.

    In its blog post about the lawsuit, Meta stated that it would continue to fight the phishing attacks that try to deceive its customers and that it shares the phishing sites with other platforms so that they can block the attackers as well.

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  • BNP Paribas Left With Cash After U.S. Exit

    BNP Paribas Left With Cash After U.S. Exit

    BNP Paribas is exiting its U.S. retail business providing its expansion plans with a financial boost. The French bank is selling its U.S. Bank of the West – for $16.3billion to Bank of Montreal, it said in a statement Monday

    With the sale proceeds BNP Paribas could be on the lookout to buy a smaller tech company, the British newspaper writes, citing analysts who added that no deal was imminent.

    It will concentrate on expanding its business in Europe, the report says. In this context, an acquisition in Switzerland could also be an option.

    Last month BNP Paribas spotted a deal with Credit Suisse: the Swiss lender, which suffered more than $5 billion in losses on Archegos’ unwind earlier this year, offloaded its prime brokerage clients to its French counterpart.

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  • UBS Accepts Verdict for French Subsidiary

    UBS Accepts Verdict for French Subsidiary

    UBS is accepting convictions against its French subsidiary while keeping its legal options open in a tax dispute with French authorities for the group.

    UBS will pay a 1.9 million euro ($2.1 million) fine to French authorities. Last week’s French court ruling against Switzerland’s largest bank entailed a guilty conviction over tax offenses and money laundering, a 3.75 million euro fine plus 800 million euros in damages, and a 1 billion euro corporate bail.

    While the banking group is appealing against these convictions, it has accepted the verdict against its French subsidiary UBS (France).

    In a media statement from December 13, UBS (France) was acquitted of money laundering, but convicted of unlawful client solicitation for which the bank will now pay a 1.9 million euro fine.

    The bank highlighted in Monday’s media release that it’s current approach allows it to analyze the situation and weigh its options in the «best interest of its stakeholders,» which means that the group could still withdraw its appeal.

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  • Mobile wallet MoMo says valuation tops $2 bln after funding

    Mobile wallet MoMo says valuation tops $2 bln after funding

    Vietnam’s biggest e-wallet company, MoMo, said it had raised $200 million from four investors led by Mizuho Bank, pushing its valuation above $2 billion.

    The consortium of investors also comprised Ward Ferry Management and existing shareholders Goodwater Capital LLC and Kora Management, MoMo said in a statement Tuesday.

    The exact valuation of the company was not revealed but according to Nguyen Manh Tuong, co-founder of the Ho Chi Minh City-based startup: “We focus on performance not valuation, but we crossed $2 billion valuations after this round.”

    The company has previously said it intended to go public by 2025.

    Momo is Vietnam’s largest e-wallet by users and aims to double the number of users to 50 million in the next two years, the company said in January.

    Financial technology has gained more traction in the country of nearly 98 million people during the Covid-19 pandemic, with retailers going online and consumers seeking contactless payment options.

    The latest funding round would support the growth of MoMo as an all-in-one smartphone application or “super app” which offers multiple services, which have proved successful in countries like China and Indonesia.

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  • Garment export won’t decline next year

    Garment export won’t decline next year

    Vietnam’s garment and textile exports next year is set to remain the same as this year even in the worst-case scenario where the Covid-19 pandemic prolongs, an association forecasts.

    Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) anticipates export would reach $39 billion next year, the same as this year, if pandemic impacts are major and linger until the end of the year.

    In the more optimistic scenarios that the pandemic is controlled by the second quarter, export could reach $41 billion, and by the first quarter, $43.5 billion, it stated.

    The association made its forecast as export this year expanded 12 percent from last year and 0.3 percent from 2019, indicating a recovery to pre-pandemic level.

    “This could be considered a great effort of Vietnam’s garment industry amid signs of slower global economic growth,” VITAS chairman Vu Duc Giang told a recent meeting.

    Truong Van Cam, deputy chairman of the association, said one positive sign is that major markets like the U.S., E.U. and Japan have reopened.

    Another supporting factor is that Vietnam has changed its Covid-19 fight policy from “zero Covid-19” to living with it, he added.

    In order to achieve the mentioned figures, vaccination is key, Cam said.

    Two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine should be the minimum requirement for staff to return to work, while third dose vaccinations for workers should begin, he urged.

    Fiscal and monetary policies should be more accessible and be effective for two or three years, he added.

    “Garment and textile needs an overall strategy so Vietnamese companies can export products under their own brands,” he said, adding that a plan should be made for development until 2030.

    Vu Thanh Tu Anh, dean of Fulbright School of Public Policy and Management in Ho Chi Minh City, said digital transformation has now become a must for sector survival as the Covid-19 pandemic has forced global corporations to increase the flexibility of their supply chains.

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  • Miniso to rebrand US stores as $10 N’ Under banner to attract Gen Z

    Miniso to rebrand US stores as $10 N’ Under banner to attract Gen Z

    As Chinese discount retailer Miniso opened its 5000th store this week, the company said it would rebrand all of its US stores $10 N’ Under.  The 5000th store is located in Boston, and was one of four US stores to open on the same day. In a statement, the company said its expansion in North America was among its fastest rollout internationally.

    While the company has built a presence in 100 markets since its 2013 debut, the bulk of its network is in Greater China. Expansion in other countries has seen mixed results, but the company says its US strategy of using the $10 N’Under banner is winning over Gen Z consumers.

    “The strong market response towards our $10 N’ Under stores validates our strategy to cater to Gen Z who place a premium on value: they want trendy, quality products at an affordable price,” said Andrew Xie, GM at Miniso North America.

    Existing US Miniso stores will be rebranded by the end of this month, by which time the retailer expects to have 100 stores operating across the country.

    Xie says store deco will be unique to certain US locations. “For instance, its SoHo pop-up in New York City features a wide variety of plush toys and pillows exuding warmth and comfort.”

    Elsewhere in the world, the company plans to continue to expand, but in the statement said it would “proactively respond to changes in different markets” suggesting it is aware its offer may not suit all regions. Outside China, it has stores in the UK, Italy, Spain, India, Mexico, Singapore, Vietnam and Australia, offering products ranging from homewares cosmetics, toys and food.

    Next year it plans to expand its offer to attract Gen Z shoppers, adding scented products, plush toys, and “fun accessories”. “Miniso will localise its product portfolio based on market trends to meet local consumer needs,” said overseas VP Vincent Huang.

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  • McDonald’s Yagoona store reopens, 50 years since first restaurant unveiled

    McDonald’s Yagoona store reopens, 50 years since first restaurant unveiled

    McDonald’s is stepping back in time and reopening Australia’s first restaurant in Yagoona. Celebrating 50 years since the very first Macca’s opened its doors in December 1971, the new McDonald’s Yagoona will open on Friday and adopt its original 1970s prices. From 11 am to 1 pm on opening day the humble hamburger will be just 20 cents each, with a limit of four per customer, so you’ll need to get in quick to take advantage of the deal.

    Celebrating 50 years since the very first Macca’s opened its doors in December 1971, the new McDonald’s Yagoona will open on Friday and adopt its original 1970s prices

    The interior of the restaurant will reflect the original décor from half a century ago with a historic timeline on the wall, images of the 1971 restaurant, and a Happy Meal display with iconic toys from across the years.

    ‘We are incredibly proud to reopen McDonald’s Yagoona and recognize its important part of our history,’ Chief Executive Officer for McDonald’s Australia Andrew Gregory said.

    ‘Everything our customers know and love about McDonald’s Australia started at Yagoona from Happy Meals and birthday parties to first jobs and community contribution.

    The interior of the restaurant will reflect the original décor from half a century ago with a historic timeline on the wall, images of the 1971 restaurant, and a Happy Meal display with iconic toys from across the years

    ‘The reopening celebrates 50 years of supporting our customers, people, and communities in Australia. We look forward to once again serving the local community and welcoming back customers from the 70s, 80s, and 90s.’

    The new restaurant will operate 24 hours a day and feature a McCafé, dual-lane drive-thru, dedicated delivery partner room, and PlayPlace.

    In addition to the 20 cent hamburger, McDonald’s Yagoona will also sell $1 cheeseburgers and $2 coffee from December 17 to January 7 as part of a special promotion for customers.

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  • Starbucks store in Korea is dedicated to disability inclusion

    Starbucks store in Korea is dedicated to disability inclusion

    Starbucks Korea has added a new location to its chain of Community Stores in the country, reaffirming its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

    The store is Starbucks Korea’s first to focus on a design that creates an inclusive space and what the retailer describes as impactful programming to support members of the disability community in Seoul.

    A portion of proceeds from sales through the store will go to support the local nonprofit Heart Heart Foundation, which advocates for inclusion and awareness of people with disabilities, and support for local artists from the disabled community.

    “It is very meaningful that our store, which is an inclusive space for all, has been dedicated as a new Community Store for inclusion, furthering disability-inclusion awareness in Korea,” said Elena, assistant store manager, who is hard of hearing.

    “I feel very proud as a partner. I hope to create meaningful opportunities to build connections through the many activities we will be launching at our store.”

    Since the opening of the store, Starbucks has employed new partners with disabilities under the partnership with the Korea Employment Promotion Agency for the Disabled.

  • Champagne to pop sales record as demand flows again

    Champagne to pop sales record as demand flows again

    France’s Champagne producers are preparing to toast record annual sales, an unexpectedly brisk turnaround from last year’s pandemic-related troubles that is making them confident they can withstand the onset of the Omicron variant.

    Sales in 2021 are expected to top 5.5 billion euros ($6.2 billion), above a previous peak of 5 billion euros two years ago before the coronavirus pandemic, Jean-Marie Barillere, president of Champagne industry group UMC, said.

    “It’s been huge and so unexpected that we’ve seen some breakdowns in the supply chain, like in all sorts of other products at the moment,” he said.

    The rush to enjoy the famed sparkling wine again could leave some Champagne lovers short during the year-end festive period.

    Champagne was already showing the biggest out-of-stock level among major grocery categories in French supermarkets in early November, according to retail data specialist Nielsen.

    In his specialist champagne cellar in central Paris, Benoit Melendez is also seeing deliveries from some suppliers dry up.

    “My fear is not to be able to satisfy customers who are looking for specific things and not by December 31.”

    The pinch on supplies does not represent an underlying shortage, with champagne producers holding large reserves that can be tapped to blend gradually for new bottles.

    The pressure on availability has contributed to the spectacular 2021 sales, with prices being revised upwards by some producers during the year, according to Melendez.

    The revival in Champagne demand is part of a broader economic upturn as consumers emerged from lockdowns imposed during previous waves of the pandemic.

    Economists and investors are, however, wary that the Omicron variant will cause activity to stall again, particularly in Europe where some governments have introduced new lockdown measures.

    However, Barillere sees a readiness to celebrate at home, nurtured during the pandemic, sustaining Champagne demand even if venues are shuttered again, a view shared by Melendez.

    “Since the vaccines and the end of summer, people have been saying we’ll have to live with this and that means simply living,” Melendez said.

  • Instagram adds three new features in time for Christmas

    Instagram adds three new features in time for Christmas

    Instagram keeps on adding new features – such as the ability to post a 60-second video as a Story, and the planned content creators subscription service that is coming up soon. Now, just in time for the holiday season, the Facebook-owned company is adding three new features to the basket – Playback, Reel Visual Replies, and Profile Embed.

    Instagram head Adam Mosseri shared the news on his Twitter account, along with a cool short video to explain the new features in more detail. The new features are rolling up as we type, so be sure to check for updates and update your Instagram app when the new version hits your region.

    Now, back to the new features. The first one is called Playback and it’s pretty self-explanatory. It’s a way to relive old memories in form of Instagram stories. You must have at least three of those posted in order for Instagram to suggest you this feature, and it could contain up to 10 stories in total. The Playback feature will probably vanish after 2022 rolls in but Instagram could bring it back again next year.

    Next in line is Reel Visual Replies – this feature allows creators to take a comment and feature it in a 60-second Reel. In practice, this feature should increase engagement, and give creators a new tool to answer questions, and create more content. The Reels Visual Replies option can be found near the comment reply icon.

    The last new feature is called Profile Embed, and it’s the ability to embed an entire profile everywhere, thus offering a snapshot to their Instagram universe. While the first two features are already rolling out globally, this one is US-only.

  • ZTE chosen by China Telecom in core router centralized procurement

    ZTE chosen by China Telecom in core router centralized procurement

    ZTE has been selected by China Telecom in the operator’s core router centralized procurement 2021, with the core router ZXR10 T8000 gaining a market share of 30% in the CR-A1 (single device) section, and winning the CR-A2 (cluster) section with the highest score in the overall ranking.

    The purchased equipment will help China Telecom build its super core nodes for the operator’s 163 backbone network.

    China Telecom, with the aim of building new information infrastructure based on cloud-network synergy, adheres to the ideology of “network as a basis, cloud as the core, and cloud-network integration”. China Telecom is carrying out the overall network architecture optimization of the MAN and the 163 backbone network, to improve the network capability and capacity, increase network utilization, and build efficient new cloud networks.

    ZTE provides ZXR10 T8000-18 core router, a large-capacity, high-performance platform, which is safe, reliable, and easy to maintain and expand to transport integrated services and support the full-service operation of China Telecom.

    As a high-end flagship router of ZTE, the ZXR10 T8000 core router has been operating stably for ten years and has been deployed in 26 provinces, including autonomous regions and municipalities, in China. In China Telecom’s first batch of core routers and switch centralized procurement in 2019, ZTE obtained the largest shares in both the single device and cluster sections.

    In the operator’s core router centralized procurement in 2020, ZTE won the second-largest shares in sections CR-A1 and CR-A2 to build the international egress nodes of the 163 and CN2 backbone networks. In November 2020, ZTE deployed the equipment in the Shanghai Information Park, Node I of ChinaNet, serving as the international ingress/egress communication hub of ChinaNet. In May 2021, the ZXR10 T8000 obtained a share of 30%, ranking ZTE second-place in the P equipment section in China Telecom’s CN2-DCI network expansion centralized procurement 2020.

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