Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Sephora Asia appoints Alia Gogi as its new president

    Sephora Asia appoints Alia Gogi as its new president

    Alia Gogi has been appointed as the new president of Sephora Asia, succeeding Benjamin Vuchot who will move to a new, yet-to-be-announced role with parent company LVMH.

    “Alia joined Sephora China as chief merchant nine years ago and has been key to transforming our SEA business,” said Chris de Lapuente, CEO of Sephora.

    “She brings to Sephora Asia a wealth of experience acquired from working at Sephora China and Sephora SEA, proven leadership skills, a true passion and intuition for prestige beauty products, as well as a tremendous hunger for driving the business above and beyond.”

    Alia Gogi joined Sephora China as a chief merchant in 2011 and has served as MD Southeast Asia since 2018. Sarah Boyd, currently Southeast Asia VP of markets, will take over Alia Gogi’s former role to oversee Sephora Southeast Asia.

    Under Benjamin Vuchot’s leadership, Sephora’s business has almost doubled in the region within three years, according to the company.

    “He leaves Sephora with the strongest Sephora Asia organization we ever had,” said de Lapuente.

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  • 7 Web Design Best Practices to Improve Your eShop

    7 Web Design Best Practices to Improve Your eShop

    In order to have a successful eShop, your website must follow certain best practices that will put you way ahead of your competition and provide your website traffic with better user experience.

    The rule of thirds

    The rule of thirds originates from photography and is a type of composition in which an image is vertically and horizontally evenly divided into thirds. When it comes to website design, the rule of thirds proves to be useful as it allows UX and UI designers to strategically allocate website content to improve conversions.

    This is a commonly used tool that helps by creating balance and a well-structured composition for your website. The rule of thirds allows you to highlight elements and will automatically catch the attention of your consumer if placed in the right sweet spots.

    Human face effect

    Adding a human face to your website is a powerful tool that shouldn’t be underestimated.

    Humans are unconsciously looking for familiarities all the time, and by using the face of a human on your website that your visitors can relate to, you can create an emotional connection with your visitors and exude trust and authority.

    Besides making them trust your service, the emotional connection you leave them with is an effective tool for making your visitors remember you. Humans remember better after an emotional reaction has been created. Nowadays, websites like This Person Does Not Exist allow you to easily find human faces… generated by AI.

    If you can strategically manage to place a face on your website that will trigger emotions or guide their line of sight, that will completely transform your website’s UX.

    Simple navigation

    Creating a website that is simple and easy to navigate should be your top priority.

    It is one of the main factors that will determine whether your visitors have had a good user experience or not. User experience is crucial for your company, and if you intend on attracting traffic and generating sales on your website, you should consider making your website simple to navigate before anything else. That’s where UI (user interface) and visual design are important to make sure that the navigational structure allows the user to find relevant information and content fast.

    It will determine whether or not they will visit your website again.

    Loading times

    Your website loading speed can have a huge impact on the engagement of your visitors and therefore the number of conversions you’ll make.

    If it takes more than 2 seconds for your page to load, it could potentially cost you sales and missed revenue as people would bounce off your page and look for your service elsewhere, reported Akamai back in… 2009. What about now?

    Steps you can take to speed up your loading time could be limiting the use of images, use a content delivery network (CDN), minimise HTTP requests, reduce and combine files, loading JavaScript and CSS files asynchronously, and clean up plugins and files you don’t use.

    Colours & contrasts

    You can use colours and contrasts to fully enhance the visual look of your website, both for to make it more appealing to the eye and keeping your visitors’ interest, but also for the 4% of the population who suffer from colour-blindness.

    Using colours and contrast the right way can help you bring out elements and make the overall navigation of your website easier, which will ultimately improve your website’s UX and conversion rate. It is important to keep it simple and choose colours that complement each other. You wouldn’t want yellow writing on a white background, but choosing a black background with white writing can really help bring out the text.

    Call to action & visual elements

    Call to action buttons on your website are essential elements you’d want to bring onto your design. It provides users with a clear direction of what their next step should be when browsing around your website, and by visualising it (by for example using colour and contrasts) and using strong verbs, it is an effective tool that can lead to great user experience and conversions through easy accessibility.

    It is important to take the placement of the elements into mind as well. You would want to place them in a very prominent and strategic area where your visitor will notice them.

    Responsive design

    Internet users are going to be accessing your website through a wide range of devices including mobile phones, tablets, desktop computers, laptops and other.

    If you want to provide your users with the best shopping experience and maximise your website conversions, you need to make sure that your website has a responsive design and note that Google provides tools for you to check whether your website is mobile-friendly.

    Having a successful website in a competitive and saturated market can prove to be quite difficult. However, making sure that you follow best practices like having a responsive website design and a fast loading website will put you ahead of your competition. This will not only result in a lower bounce rate but will likely increase your website’s UX and conversion rates.

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  • Centara donates 10,000 room nights to medical heroes

    Centara donates 10,000 room nights to medical heroes

    Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, continues its support of the country’s medical workers with the launch of its “10,000 Thanks” campaign dedicated to the heroes working tirelessly for the wellbeing of the people. 

    As a token of heartfelt gratitude for the healthcare heroes in the ongoing fight against COVID-19, Centara is donating 10,000 room nights for doctors and nurses to enjoy a complimentary one-night stay for two guests at any Centara Hotels & Resorts property in Thailand or overseas. 

    In recognition of their continuing hard work and the challenging circumstances in which doctors and nurses have been working, Centara is offering frontline medical staff across the country a chance to take a much-deserved break, completely free of charge, to recharge and reconnect with their loved ones.

    “10,000 Thanks” can be redeemed across the group’s five existing brands – Centara Grand, Centara, Centara Boutique Collection, Centra by Centara, and COSI – in destinations across Thailand and overseas, including a number of resort destinations such as Pattaya, Hua Hin, Phuket, Krabi and Samui as well as urban destinations such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Udon Thani and Hat Yai.

    The free night offer is reserved for medical front line professionals who are doctors and nurses with Thai nationality or currently residing in Thailand only.

    Coinciding with Thailand’s lifting of all restrictions in July following months of phased re-opening, the “10,000 Thanks” offer can be booked between 1stJuly – 30th December 2020 for stays within the same period. 

    Centara is also extending appreciation to all other workers across the medical industry with an offer of 25% off every rate across the group’s entire portfolio spanning 18 destinations. “25 for heroes” bookings can be made on www.centarahotelsresorts.com between 1st July – 30th  December 2020with no restrictions on travel period. 

    The “10,000 Thanks” and “25 for heroes” medical personnel campaigns are the latest in a series of initiatives launched by Centara Hotels & Resorts to help communities and individuals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

    Since April 2020, the group has partnered with charities and government organisations to provide 1,500 food boxes to support at-risk communities, and offered hotel rooms in Centara Grand at CentralWorld and Centara Muscat Hotel Oman to host healthcare staff and people in need. Centara’s Help the Heroes’ campaign also aims to support those in need with donations going to the Chaipattana Covid-19 Aid Fund (and other pandemics) and Thai Red Cross Society.

    “Thailand has not seen community transmission of COVID-19 for over a month now, and there’s no question of the importance the role our country’s healthcare heroes play in keeping us healthy and safe. As restrictions in the country start to ease, we invite doctors and nurses to enjoy a much-needed holiday on us, as a humble token of our immeasurable appreciation of their selfless efforts,” said Thirayuth Chirathivat, CEO of Centara Hotels & Resorts.

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  • Alibaba Cloud and Unilever to Usher in Next-Generation Digital Marketing Initiatives

    Alibaba Cloud and Unilever to Usher in Next-Generation Digital Marketing Initiatives

    Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group – is partnering with Unilever, one of the biggest multinational consumer goods companies, in a pioneering strategic initiative that will enable Unilever to action on next-generation digital marketing campaigns.

    In the partnership, Unilever will be able to utilize Alibaba Cloud’s trusted artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud-based technologies to optimize its omni-channel, online and offline demand generation activities. With intelligent analysis, Alibaba Cloud’s solutions can help to unlock detailed insights into Unilever’s customers buying patterns and behaviors. The data-driven business intelligence could help Unilever accelerate the creation of new and precisely targeted digital marketing campaigns. It could also enable Unilever to predict more precisely and quickly respond to changing customer buying habits across multiple platforms.

    Taking Unilever’s digital marketing to the next level, Alibaba Cloud’s solution can support optimized brand experience for consumers’ purchasing journey through Unilever’s online stores in Taobao and Tmall. The data intelligence provided by Alibaba Cloud can be easily translated into consumer insight, pivotal in enabling Unilever to expand its current and future product offerings in line with customer needs.

    The insights into anticipated and current customer demand, will also benefit Unilever’s supply chain, as well as optimize its route to market. A range of technologies from Alibaba Cloud underpin the data intelligence analysis, which include machine learning and AI to spot customer and market patterns:

    Dataphin, a unified PaaS platform for intelligent information processing and management; Analytic DB, Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) managed database cloud service that can process enormous amounts of information in realtime; and Quick BI, an intelligent business analysis suite that generate business insights for enterprise users. With the strategic partnership, Alibaba Cloud will empower Unilever to leverage these technologies in the future.

    Fang Jun, VP Data and Digital, Unilever China: “Customer buying patterns are ever changing; when and where they buy has caused marketing to become even more agile and precise in order to stay relevant and reduce marketing waste. The use of Alibaba Cloud’s cutting-edge technology will ensure that our customers enjoy even more value from their relationship with the Unilever brand, through relevant campaigns and activities based on true insights into their buying preference.”

    “In the online, always connected world, getting customers’ attention is an ongoing challenge for marketers, so understanding what their customers want has never been more important. For marketers to keep on top of customers’ ever-changing needs and habits, the ability to understand their shopping habits is essential for keeping the brand messaging relevant for each customer,” said Selina Yuan, president of international business, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence. “Alibaba Cloud’s solutions have the ability to unlock the customer insights needed, and are set to ensure Unilever continues to succeed and build brand loyalty with its customers amid a constantly evolving and complex market place.”

    The Unilever and Alibaba Cloud collaboration was announced at the Alibaba Cloud Global Summit, in which “China Gateway 2.0” was also launched. The program, that Unilever is part of, hopes to help Alibaba Cloud’s partners and customers to accelerate their growth in China by capitalizing Alibaba Cloud’s local business expertise, technologies and matured ecosystem.

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  • NYX shutting down all of its Malaysian stores

    NYX shutting down all of its Malaysian stores

    NYX Cosmetics is to close its retail operations in Malaysia after three years in the market. According to a report by Marketing-Interactive, the US cosmetics firm – a L’Oreal subsidiary – has permanently closed outlets in Suria KLCC, Sunway Pyramid, and Midvalley Megamall as of last month, three years after opening its flagship store at IOI City Mall Putrajaya. That outlet, as well as those in Fahrenheit 88 and Genting, will be shuttered by the end of this month.

    The NYX flagship featured interactive beauty bars and a digital community wall. It also displayed digital images and social media content throughout the store.

    “We sincerely thank you for all the love, energy, passion, and enthusiasm from our fierce beauty junkies community,” read the brand’s Facebook post announcing the departure from the Malaysian market. “There were many incredible moments with lots of glitters, color, and amazing makeup artistry.”

    The store will continue its e-commerce operations in the territory through to the end of September.

    However, the brand will not exit the market completely. It is understood it will still be available in Sephora stores and potentially other multi-brand channels.

  • Government to sell its shares in Vietnam’s largest brewer

    Government to sell its shares in Vietnam’s largest brewer

    The government plans to sell its 36 percent stake in the country’s largest brewer, Sabeco, this year. The Saigon Beer Alcohol Beverage Corp (Sabeco) is one of 139 enterprises in a new list in which the government’s stakes will be sold by sovereign fund State Capital Investment Corporation.

    The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has been instructed to transfer the government’s stakes in these enterprises to the SCIC by August 31. The government had sold a 53.59 percent stake in Sabeco to ThaiBev for over $5 billion in 2017.

    The news puts paid to speculative claims made by some media outlets in early June that MoIT was seeking to reacquire Sabeco shares from ThaiBev due to “unexpected pandemic effects.”

    At the end of 2019 the maker of Saigon Beer had assets estimated at VND 26.96 trillion ($1.2 billion) and owner’s equity of VND20.07 trillion ($870 million).Sabeco recently scaled down its revenue target for this year by 37 percent to VND23.8 trillion ($1 billion) and post-tax profit target by 39 percent to VND3.2 trillion ($138 million), the lowest in six years.

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  • Axa IM Adds Japan Assets to Portfolio

    Axa IM Adds Japan Assets to Portfolio

    The acquisition forms part of the firm’s wider long term strategy on behalf of clients to invest in residential asset classes it believes are supported by strong demographic drivers.

    Axa Investment Managers (IM) – Real Assets has added to its €20 billion portfolios of residential assets under management spread across 15 countries, with the purchase of a multi-generational and multi-sector residential tower in Nagoya, Japan for ¥20 billion ($186 million).

    The newly built Grade A residential tower is located within walking distance of Nagoya’s central business district in a newly redeveloped area. It comprises 430 residential units and 130 co-living units, as well as 66 units comprising a mix of pure residential for the elderly together with care or nursing service options.

    Laurent Jacquemin, head of Asia-Pacific at Axa IM – Real Assets, said the deal «proved particularly attractive given the city’s continued investment in improving local infrastructure coupled with its growing population, both of which underpin the potential for us to generate stable income.»

    The acquisition is the firm’s fourth residential investment in Nagoya and its 12th in Japan, where it has invested more than ¥16 billion in residential assets on behalf of clients. Its previous deal was also for a residential tower in Nagoya, completed in November.

    Axa IM said the Nagoya residential market lacks affordable residential stock for rent that’s suitable for families, while demand is likely to continue to rise in line with robust economic growth and infrastructure investment.

     

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  • Gobear Taps Cloud Banking Platform

    Gobear Taps Cloud Banking Platform

    The financial services start-up with big regional ambitions is collaborating with both Mambu as it accelerates its lending business across Asia.

    Cloud banking service provider Mambu’s lending architecture will form the core system of Gobear as it expands to the Philippines in 2020, with additional markets to follow, it announced in a statement on Monday.

    Mambu’s partnership with Gobear was established after a recommendation from long-term Mambu partner CredoLab, which provides Gobear with alternative credit scores based on smartphone metadata, the announcement said.

    Having access to responsible credit should be a financial right for all. Tapping into fintech solutions like Mambu’s and CredoLab’s brings us one step closer to making this a reality for the region’s 296 million unbanked or underbanked, Mike Singh, GoBear’s chief lending officer, said.

    Founded in 2015, Gobear operates a platform for insurance, banking and lending products. It operates in seven markets in Southeast Asia and has registered more than 55 million site visitors.

    In May, Gobear acquired Singapore-based AsiaKredit, which provides financial products to the underserved in the Philippines with a mobile app that boasts over 1 million loan applications

    Earlier this month, Gobear added $17 million from long-term investors Walvis Participaties and Aegon, bringing its total funding to $97 million.

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  • SGX to Offer Taiwan Index Futures

    SGX to Offer Taiwan Index Futures

    The bourse said this will help global investors to gain exposure to a broad representation of large and mid-cap Taiwan stocks, while meeting fund managers’ diversification objectives.

    Singapore Exchange (SGX) will launch a futures contract based on the FTSE Taiwan RIC Capped Index (FTSE Taiwan) on July 20, it announced on Wednesday.

    The index is broad-based and diversified, and covers nearly 80 percent of Taiwan’s listed companies by market capitalization, providing strong correlation with other major Taiwan benchmark indices, SGX said.

    Michael Syn, Head of Equities at SGX, said that the future contract aims to cater to the rising demand from U.S. and European investors for access and investment exposure to Taiwan.

    Taiwan is the seventh-largest economy in Asia and occupies a key position in the global industrial and technology value chain.

    SGX expects to receive certification from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to offer the contract in the U.S. shortly after launch.

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  • Wirecard Assessing Singapore Services

    Wirecard Assessing Singapore Services

    The firm is at the center of one of the region’s biggest corporate accounting scandals in recent years, having admitted that €1.9 billion is missing from its financial accounts. Wirecard has informed the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) that it is assessing if it can continue providing its services in Singapore, which include credit card payments and usage of its pre-paid cards, following its parent company’s insolvency filing in Germany.

    MAS is closely monitoring the operations of Wirecard, the regulator said in a statement on Tuesday, noting that the company has complied with directions to hold customers’ funds in segregated accounts with banks here.

    DBS is seeking details from Wirecard if it can continue to use its services, and will transition to other service providers if necessary, while UOB and OCBC merchant partners use payment gateways by Mastercard and Visa and not Wirecard.

    The German payments processor, once seen as a rising star in the fintech world, has come under intense scrutiny over its alleged improper accounting conduct, which came to a head on June 18, when it was supposed to report its full-year-2019 and first-quarter-2020 results after three delays.

    However, auditor EY said it could not find sufficient audit evidence of the missing €1.9 billion in the firm’s balance sheet.

    This led to the resignation of CEO and largest shareholder Markus Braun on June 19, and his arrest several days later by German authorities on suspicion of market manipulation and false data.

    The Singapore Police Force’s (SPF) Commercial Affairs Department (CAD), which deals with white-collar crimes, started criminal investigations into Wirecard’s operations in the country in February 2019.

    MAS said on Monday that it was working with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) and CAD to scrutinize other possible aspects of the case.

  • MSC Mediterranean Shipping has upgraded myMSC with a new online Instant Quote function

    MSC Mediterranean Shipping has upgraded myMSC with a new online Instant Quote function

    MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company has upgraded its e-business platform myMSC with the addition of a new online Instant Quote function. Customers wishing to use this tool will be able to quickly and easily get shipping rates for container bookings.

    Currently, the majority of MSC’s bookings are carried out offline, and it can take some time to complete a booking. Using Instant Quote, customers can generate an online quote in seconds, with just a few simple clicks, 24/7 online.

    They then have the option to instantly complete the booking with the generated quote on myMSC. Alternatively, they can save the quote or forward it to multiple contacts for booking at a later stage. The automated quote generation also reduces room for human error, further improving the efficiency of the process.

    The Instant Quote function is currently only available for shipping trade routes from North America to Europe and from Asia to Europe, with plans for the addition of more trades over the course of 2020.

    “The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the trend towards digitalization within the industry and the importance of engaging customers through multiple platforms, including through e-business. As such, this upgrade of myMSC is a clear illustration of our continuing efforts to invest in digital business transformation with the aim to improve efficiency and transparency, and to give our customers more options,” said Andre Simha, Chief Digital & Information Officer at MSC.

    The launch of Instant Quote is expected to significantly boost the number of MSC’s online bookings, and further unlock the value of myMSC as an e-business platform for customers.

    Using Instant Quote

    Customers will first need to login to myMSC at myMSC.com, or to sign up for an account if they do not have one yet. Upon login either through the desktop version or the myMSC iOS/Android app, customers can access the Instant Quote function.

    By selecting the starting and ending points of the shipment and the equipment size, customers can see the options for shipping rates. Details such as the shipping window, estimated transit time, routing and the charges included in the quotation will be clearly displayed.

    The tool can be used for bookings of standard-sized (20 and 40 feet) and High Cube (40 and 45 feet) dry containers. For locations where intermodal services are available, customers can opt for end-to-end rates from the origin to destination.

    MSC has ensured a seamless integration of the Instant Quote function into myMSC, and a smooth overall user experience for customers. This new function adds on to the list of e-business tools available in myMSC, such as ability to do e-bookings, retrieval of documents such as booking confirmations and arrival notices, oversight of bookings via a dashboard, creation and submission of Shipping Instructions, submission of Verified Gross Mass (VGM), tracking of shipments and receiving of notifications.

     

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  • Vietjet honoured for “the Operating Lease Deal of the Year”

    Vietjet honoured for “the Operating Lease Deal of the Year”

    New-age carrier Vietjet has been honoured as the winner of “the Operating Lease Deal of the Year” for its 10 Airbus aircraft operating lease in 2019. The title is listed in the Annual Global Awards of the world’s prestigious aviation and aerospace finance industry magazine,Airfinance Journal.

    The deal, which was signed between Vietjet and Novus Aviation Capital in July 2019, covers five aircraft (three A321s and two A321neos) delivered in 2019 while the five remaining aircraft are scheduled for delivery this year.

    The award recognised Vietjet’s benefits from the transaction including the flexibility in financing structure, attractive pricing of the lease, repeat documentation, and aircraft delivery schedule.

    “The award is an acknowledgement of Vietjet’s relentless efforts in aircraft financing activities, which sets a strong base for the airline’s sustainable investment and development of new and modern fleet in the coming years,” said Ho Ngoc Yen Phuong, Vietjet Vice President and CFO.

    Vietjet was also previously listed in the Top 50 airlines for healthy financing and operations for two consecutive years of 2018 and 2019 by Airfinance Journal. It is the only Vietnamese carrier in the list, which showed the airline’s positive finance and growth indicators amongst top airlines worldwide.

    Published for more than 40 years, Airfinance Journal is a leading financial publication in the global aircraft and aviation business, headquartered in London. The Journal includes the latest news, analysis and data relating to the financing of aviation industry globally, covering airlines, airports, banks and financial institutions, leasing companies and others.

    Vietjet has been awarded the highest ranking for safety with 7 stars by the world’s only safety and product rating website, AirlineRatings.com. The airline has also been named as Best Low-Cost Carrier by renowned organisations such as Skytrax and CAPA in recent years.

  • Cebu Pacific to lay off more employees

    Cebu Pacific to lay off more employees

    Budget carrier Cebu Pacific will be laying off more employees across the board, as the airline industry reels from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. At least 30% of the 4,000-member workforce, or around 1,200 employees, could be affected by “layoffs or voluntary separation.”

    When asked for confirmation, Cebu Pacific communications director Charo Logarta Lagamon sent a statement confirming what the airline called “rightsizing.”

    “Cebu Pacific is undergoing a transformation process that aims to ensure the long-term sustainability of the business, given the expected changes in travel demand and consumer behavior. We expect travel recovery to happen over a longer period, with COVID-19 negatively impacting the aviation industry,” she said in a statement sent to Rappler.

    “The rightsizing of Cebu Pacific will be necessary to fulfill our commitment to provide affordable and accessible air transport services to every Juan in the years to come.”

    Layoffs will affect employees “across functions, roles, and departments,” Lagamon said. She added that the details have yet to be finalized.

    To stay updated on news, advisories, and explainers, check out our special coverage page, “Novel Coronavirus Outbreak.”

    This is the latest blow to the airline industry as demand for air travel plunged after the coronavirus spread across the world earlier this year, from the ground zero of the outbreak in Wuhan, China.

    Domestic flights in the Philippines resumed only in June when the capital region was placed under modified enhanced community quarantine, but these remained limited. Physical distancing must also be in place during flights, forcing airlines to leave half of the plane seats vacant.

    Back in March, Cebu Pacific laid off 150 newly hired cabin crew when Metro Manila was first placed under lockdown. Cebu Pacific executives had voluntarily taken pay cuts at that time.

    On June 18, the budget carrier’s ground handler 1Aviation Groundhandling Services Corporation announced that over 1,000 employees were laid off.

    Other airlines have been badly hit as well. In late February, flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) terminated some 300 employees to avoid further losses.

    AirAsia Philippines had to slash jobs by 12% too, laying off 260 employees.

    In a bid to help the industry, Philippine aviation authorities deferred charging airport fees for the year, including landing, takeoff, and parking fees.

    The Air Carriers Association of the Philippines estimated that the industry needs some P8.6 billion in government subsidy per month to survive.

  • TAT joins AirAsia to stimulating domestic tourism with new aviation safety standards

    TAT joins AirAsia to stimulating domestic tourism with new aviation safety standards

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) joined Thai AirAsia for a special activity taking place on the Bangkok-Krabi route on 29-30 June 2020, aimed at rebuilding confidence and revitalizing domestic tourism. This was done by bringing together medical workers, tourists, business operators, and the media in a trip showcasing the readiness of airline, venues, travel destinations, hotels, and restaurants, to provide safe and hygienic service.

    Governor of TAT, Yuthasak Supasorn, pointed out that domestic travel will be an important mechanism to jumpstart the economy at both the local and national levels, adding that this event will highlight traveling under the new normal, which focuses on adherence to healthcare advice, encouraging travelers and businesses alike to adapt and rehabilitate tourism.

    The TAT’s goal for this activity is supporting domestic tourism and promoting awareness of various safety practices for traveling, visiting sites, and staying in accommodation so that travelers can prepare accordingly.  The authority assures that measures being promoted are straightforward and that everyone will be able to travel conveniently in the new normal.

    Representatives from different sectors were invited to join in the activity, including medical professionals, travel companies and travel groups, all given the opportunity to experience present-day tourism using the concept “BEST, wherein B: Booking – covers before, during and after travel planning, travel companions, pre-booking and social distancing; E: Environment – covers environmental conservation and social responsibility; S: Safety – covers information for decision making as well as health and hygiene and T: Technology – incorporating the use of technology to facilitate contactless tourism and greater physical distancing.

    CEO of Thai AirAsia, Santisuk Klongchaiya remarked that travel and domestic spending in the nation is crucial at this time to stimulate the economy and tourism sector, affirming AirAsia’s support for TAT.

    From July onward, the airline will be resuming service to all 23 of its domestic destinations, including regional connections Chiang Mai-Hat Yai, Chiang Mai-Pattaya (U-Tapao), Hat Yai-Pattaya (U-Tapao) and Khon Kaen-Hat Yai for a total 25 routes, flying 68 return trips a day in support of travel and business.

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  • South Korean retail sales up after Covid-19

    South Korean retail sales up after Covid-19

    South Korean retail sales rose by 2 percent during May, largely due to increased online shopping, according to the new Ministry of Trade figures.

    The year-on-year increase was strongly influenced by purchases of food and sanitary items online due to the effect of social-distancing requirements related to the coronavirus pandemic.

    The ministry polled 26 major retailers in both online and offline categories to collect the data, which showed combined sales of US$9.65 billion last month, an increase of over $9.506 billion during the same period last year.

    Online platforms saw a 13.5-per-cent revenue rise during the period, with online sales of food increasing almost 39 percent, and daily items and furniture going up 22.7 percent. Offline shopping – with the exception of convenience stores – continued to show a decline, with a 6.1-per-cent drop in sales.

    Year-on-year sales figures for last year showed an increase of 4.8 percent over 2018.

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