Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • Apparel retailer Bossini reveals customer data hack

    Apparel retailer Bossini reveals customer data hack

    Hong Kong-based apparel retailer Bossini says its database of loyalty program members and online customers was hacked earlier this month.

    The company says the information accessed without authorization on or around June 3 included customers’ names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, gender, age range and month of birth.

    “The leaked files do not contain any information on the identification card numbers and credit card numbers or payment information of these customers,” the company said in a statement released under the name of its chairman Bess Tsin.

    “Upon discovery, we took immediate action to contain the event and commenced a detailed investigation with the assistance of a leading cybersecurity firm. With the steps taken, we believe that the data breach situation has been contained.”

    Customers with concerns about the breach have been invited to email Bossini at the address customerservices@bossini.com for further information.

    Tsin said that for customers to complete a purchase on its website they are directed to a secure third-party payment gateway. No credit card information is stored by Bossini during any transactions either instore or online.

    Bossini has reported the data breach to Hong Kong police.

    “We will continue to monitor the security of our systems and take further steps as necessary and as of now, to the best of our knowledge and that of our cyber security adviser, we have substantially secured the company’s systems,” said Tsin.

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  • Geely Automobile Steps Toward Mainland China Listing

    Geely Automobile Steps Toward Mainland China Listing

    Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd said its board has approved a preliminary proposal to list new renminbi shares on mainland China’s Nasdaq-like STAR board, sending its Hong Kong-listed shares up as much as 7% on Thursday.

    The Zhejiang-based automaker is currently listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with a market capitalization that exceeded HK$120 billion ($15.48 billion) in morning trade.

    Geely Automobile and sister company Volvo Cars, which parent Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co Ltd bought from Ford Motor Co in 2010, are planning to merge and list in Hong Kong and possibly Stockholm – as well as on the mainland, if Geely Automobile’s latest proposal receives final approval.

    Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, led by billionaire Li Shufu, has a number of other investments including owning 9.7% of Germany’s Daimler AG, 49.9% of Malaysia’s Proton, and a majority stake in British sport car brand Lotus.

    Luxury EV brand Polestar is gearing up to take on Tesla in China, while Alibaba-backed Xpeng also has its sights set on the U.S. brand.

    Geely Automobile in a filing late on Wednesday said the proposed renminbi shares would be listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s STAR board and would not involve the conversion of existing shares. It said its board will hold further talks on the size of the issue.

    Funds raised will be used for “business development and general working capital of the Group,” it said, without elaborating.

    “We believe such proceeds are likely to be used for the Volvo merger, although Geely cannot explicitly state it before the merger approval by disinterested shareholders,” said analyst Shi Ji at Haitong International.

    “It is a good way for the company to raise funds as valuations in the A-share market are usually higher than the H-share market,” Shi said, comparing mainland and Hong Kong markets.

    Geely Automobile plans to introduce six models under the Geely, Lynk&Co and Geometry marques this year. It sold 1.36 million cars in 2019 and targets sales of around 1.4 million vehicles this year. It reported profit of 8.19 billion yuan ($1.16 billion) last year.

    Last month, it raised HK$6.48 billion from a share placement.

  • Zoom changes its mind giving a big win to its non-paying subscribers

    Zoom changes its mind giving a big win to its non-paying subscribers

    Last month, video-conferencing app Zoom announced that its acquisition of Keybase would allow it to offer end-to-end encryption. That means that those on the sending and receiving end of a Zoom video session would be able to escape scrutiny by law enforcement and hackers. But at the time, Zoom said that only those paying $14.99 a month for its premium tier of service would be in line for what is called E2EE (end-to-end encryption).

    Zoom said that it was unable to offer E2EE to its free users in case the app was used to help run an illegal business and the FBI or other law enforcement needed to cut into a Zoom conference to gather information. At the time a company spokesman said, “Zoom does not proactively monitor meeting content, and we do not share information with law enforcement except in circumstances like child sex abuse. We plan to provide end-to-end encryption to users for whom we can verify identity, thereby limiting harm to these vulnerable groups. Free users sign up with an email address, which does not provide enough information to verify identity.”

    But a blog post today revealed a change in Zoom’s thinking. The company wrote that “Today, Zoom released an updated E2EE design on GitHub. We are also pleased to share that we have identified a path forward that balances the legitimate right of all users to privacy and the safety of users on our platform. This will enable us to offer E2EE as an advanced add-on feature for all of our users around the globe – free and paid – while maintaining the ability to prevent and fight abuse on our platform.”

    To make this work, free/basic Zoom users will have to follow a one-time process that includes verification of a phone number via a text. Zoom said, “Many leading companies perform similar steps on account creation to reduce the mass creation of abusive accounts. We are confident that by implementing risk-based authentication, in combination with our current mix of tools — including our Report a User function — we can continue to prevent and fight abuse.”

    Zoom says that an early beta of the end-to-end encryption feature will start next month. The app is available from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

  • New York fashion label Sies Marjan closes its door

    New York fashion label Sies Marjan closes its door

    New York-based luxury fashion label Sies Marjan has shut down its operations after five years in business.

    Although the brand was backed by billionaire investors, Sies Marjan was financially affected by the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.

    “What we have worked on has been a dream come true,” said Sander Lak, creative director of Sies Marjan. “Thank you to everyone who has given their time and talent to Sies Marjan over the years.

    “We have built a singular brand whose legacy is not just in the clothes and collections but within each person who contributed along the way.”

    Named after Lak’s parents, Sies Marjan made its debut at the New York Fashion Week in 2016 and became famous for its colourful palette.

    The luxury brand successfully secured funding from billionaires, Howard and Nancy Marks, with an estimated net worth of US$2.2 billion. However, Sies Marjan faced a setback after its major stockist Barney New York went bankrupt last year.

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  • HSBC Singapore Spared as Overhaul Resumes

    HSBC Singapore Spared as Overhaul Resumes

    The bank’s said that the city-state remains a growth market and will continue to hire talent in its bid to become the leading international bank.

    Singapore will not be affected this year by the bank’s restructuring exercise that is expected to see it shed some 35,000 employees globally, people familiar with the matter said.

    The bank said plans to hire more than 400 retail and private banking customer-facing employees by 2023 also remains on track.

    Since 2018, HSBC Singapore has grown its headcount by 10 percent and has invested in our premises, digital capability and propositions in order to grow our customer base and market share,» a spokesperson said, the newspaper reported. «These investments and growth ambitions will continue.

    Yesterday, HSBC lifted its moratorium on job cuts to about 15 percent of its workforce, announced in March at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    HSBC chief executive Noel Quinn, who unveiled the overhaul in February, told the bank’s 235,000 global staff in a memo that the exercise is even more necessary today.

    The British lender is currently at the center of a controversy over its support for Beijing’s new security law for Hong Kong, the bank’s most important market.

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  • McDonald’s sales figures show marked improvement as Covid-19 lockdowns eased

    McDonald’s sales figures show marked improvement as Covid-19 lockdowns eased

    Newly released McDonald’s sales figures have shown a marked global improvement for the business sequentially from late March through May despite the continuing impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

    The information released ahead of the firm’s second-quarter earnings announcement, showed sales steadily improving throughout the period however they still remain negative compared to last year’s figures.

    Comparable McDonald’s sales figures across international markets for both April and May were heavily impacted by temporary restaurant closures in the UK and France, and to a lesser extent Italy and Spain. The firm saw strong drive-thru performance in Australia, and negative comparable sales in Germany, Canada and Russia.

    Sales in international licensed markets were primarily impacted by temporary restaurant closures across nearly all regions, most notably in Latin America. The results reflected continued negative comparable sales in China and positive comparable sales in Japan.

    The vast majority of markets are operating with drive-thru and delivery with limited menus and hours.

    A breakdown of figures for international licensed markets was not provided by the firm.

    “Our strong foundation and the unique advantages of the McDonald’s System, including a high percentage of drive-thru restaurants and investments in delivery and digital, have enabled us to adapt to the changing landscape presented by the Covid-19 outbreak,” said McDonald’s president and CEO Chris Kempczinski.

    “The steps we are taking in response to the pandemic and to accelerate recovery while continuing to serve the great and familiar taste of a meal from McDonald’s, will position us well for the next phase of this crisis.”

    The report shows 95 percent of McDonald’s restaurants around the world are currently open to serve customers.

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  • BMW Introduces New Service And Repair Packages For BMW And Mini Cars

    BMW Introduces New Service And Repair Packages For BMW And Mini Cars

    BMW India has introduced new service maintenance packages for BMW and Mini cars in the country. There will be multiple options for the same, based on duration/mileage. ‘Service Inclusive’ offers a range of service packages that cover maintenance, inspection, and wear and tear. BMW offers another range of services called ‘Repair Inclusive’, which takes care of standard warranty extension. Customers just need to make an upfront payment and can avail a wide variety of services. Customers can choose packages according to their usage and needs. The prices of the service/maintenance package will be pre-fixed. The customers have the option of extend or renew the ‘Service Inclusive’ package as well.

    Arlindo Teixeira, acting President, BMW Group India said, “BMW Group India aftersales products and services have a simple aim – Empowering customers to enjoy the journey, mile after mile, year after year. With Service and Repair Inclusive, our customers have complete peace of mind. They don’t have to waste a moment thinking about the cost of maintenance or wear and tear because they know they own the best coverage for their BMW or MINI. It’s all there with Service and Repair Inclusive: the expertise of our service specialists, the use of Original BMW Parts, and the great feeling of knowing their car is in the very best of hands. With new additional benefits, we will continue to offer the best-in-class value while our exceptional service standards will continue to create an unmatched ownership experience.”

    BMW offers three Service Inclusive packages which are Oil Service Inclusive, Service Inclusive Basic, and Service Inclusive Plus. Each package has a different gamut of services that can be availed. Customers can pick anyone for a duration/mileage of their choice starting from 3 years / 40,000 km and extend it up to 10 years / 200,000 km.

    The base oil service package includes only the oil change and oil-related services of the cars and is meant for people whose usage is quite low. The service inclusive basic package includes regular maintenance such as engine oil service, top-ups, a replacement for air filter, fuel filter, microfilter, spark plugs, and brake fluids. The service inclusive plus includes replacement of items that are commonly susceptible to wear and tear such as brake pads, discs, wiper blades, clutch, and all. This is in addition to all the services offered by service inclusive basic.

    Customers can purchase Service Inclusive for their existing cars as well, where the package begins from the date of purchase and not from the date when the warranty starts. For customers with high usage, service packages are available in the business portfolio.

    With ‘Repair Inclusive’, the standard warranty on a vehicle can be extended even after the initial period of 24 months for unlimited mileage, up to a period of 6 years. The cost for all necessary repairs is covered within the agreed mileage/duration. In case of change of ownership of the car, Service and Repair Inclusive are easily transferable as well.

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  • Standard Chartered Gets Nosy With Job-Seekers

    Standard Chartered Gets Nosy With Job-Seekers

    A Singapore-based banker was surprised to be asked highly personal questions when he applied for a job at the U.K. lender. Standard Chartered’s reasoning is unconventional.

    The London-based bank’s procedure for job applicants is pretty standard: an employment portal with listings for hundreds of job vacancies. Standard Chartered, which employs roughly 75,000 people overall, has a strong presence in Asia – and dozens of job openings in Singapore.

    This led by a reader to apply for a job in strategic partnerships for digital ventures, the applicant said. The person was surprised to be asked a series of intensely personal questions as part of the online application.

    These included their ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation.

    Like most developed nations, Singapore bans questions on personal circumstances because it can give rise to discrimination. A spokeswoman for Standard Chartered said the bank complies with international standards of fairness and equal opportunity in its hiring.

    The questions, she noted, are designed to foster corporate diversity and to foster an integrative workplace. Hiring managers are not informed on how applicants responded to them, the spokeswoman said. The responses are only used to underpin Standard Chartered’s diversity efforts with data, she said.

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  • BNP Paribas Exits Onshore Wealth Business in India

    BNP Paribas Exits Onshore Wealth Business in India

    The French lender will exit the domestic wealth management business in India but stressed that it remained committed to Asia.

    The bank will exit the market in order to focus on areas where its global footprint and diversified business strengths allow it to provide clients with more value-added services, a spokesperson for the bank said.

    BNP Paribas Wealth Management in the market has around $14.5 billion in assets under management (AUM), according to media reports in India. In the broader Asia Pacific region, the bank has $98.3 billion in AUMs.

    The bank said that a number of role should be affected but that it was seeking redeployment opportunities for staff within the group. Existing onshore India clients will be transferred Sharekhan – a wholly-owned subsidiary – which will provide brokerage and investment services.

    This decision is unrelated to the current pandemic and has no impact on our continued wealth management growth strategy in Asia, which remains an important growth engine for our global franchise, the bank added.

  • Singapore electronics upcycler Reebelo raises US$1.25 million

    Singapore electronics upcycler Reebelo raises US$1.25 million

    Singaporean refurbished-electronics marketplace Reebelo has raised a US$1.25 million seed round led by June Fund, with participation from Antler.

    The funds will be used to speed the firm’s expansion by supporting new marketing and operations hires as the business extends further into Asia-Pacific markets.

    “We are strong believers and investors in circular commerce,” said June managing partner David Rosskamp, who is joining Reebelo’s board. “What it ultimately stands for is a different form of consumption, with a more sustainable and often fairer way. Reebelo’s team is following this mission with passion and focus.

    “Supporting Reebelo to build up a central electronics trading infrastructure ideally mirrors our investment theses, and we are happy to invest at an earlier stage than we usually do.”

    The firm acts to reduce consumer-electronics waste and has a strong sustainability focus, selling checked and refurbished devices at prices up to 70-per-cent less than brand new models. It also purchases second-hand devices to be refurbished and resold.

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  • Indonesia’s Fabelio raises US$9 million for future expansion

    Indonesia’s Fabelio raises US$9 million for future expansion

    Indonesian online furniture retailer Fabelio has raised US$9 million in a Series-C funding round led by Taiwanese venture firm AppWorks.

    The investment now boosts Fabelio’s total funding above $20 million, with the firm on track to closing the funding round by the end of the year, with a public offering scheduled for 2022.

    “We have not decided on the destination for the IPO,” a source from Fabelio said, “but the main consideration is the scale of the business. Of course, we will consider raising from private markets as well”.

    Other investors participating in the round are Endeavour Catalyst and MDI Ventures, backed by Telkom Group, as well as Aavishkaar Capital.

    The new funding will assist in the firm’s expansion push by bolstering its supply-chain network with further logistics hubs and experience centres.

    “Our main focus will be to improve our product categories and improve delivery times,” said Fabelio co-founder and CEO Marshall Tegar Utoyo

    “Additionally, we are seeing more US and Chinese companies are setting up operations in Indonesia, opening up opportunities for global trade and manufacturing. These market trends, combined with their efforts, will enable us to win a larger market share in this exciting $6.7 billion home furniture market in Indonesia.”

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  • DC Super Heroes Cafe Quits in Singapore

    DC Super Heroes Cafe Quits in Singapore

    Comic book-themed DC Super Heroes Cafe is to close down in Singapore after five years.

    The company posted a message on Facebook this week telling fans its store at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands will not reopen after the Covid-19 retail trading restrictions are lifted this Friday, deciding to end its tenancy during the city’s circuit-breaker period.

    While the company’s other cafe, at Takashimaya in Orchard Road, will reopen on Friday it will soon transition to another brand, not yet revealed, “in the very near future”.

    “It’s been a super-fun, wonderful and memorable five years!,” the cafe said on Facebook. “However, all good things must come to an end.

    “We would like to thank you dear heroes and past customers for your incredible support. We will close this cafe page in due time.”

    The news was greeted with more than 110 comments, largely expressing sadness over the closure and reminiscing about family events held there.

    The DC Super Heroes Cafe at SM Megamall in Manila, the Philippines, has also been affected by lockdowns relating to the Covid-19 pandemic. That store has been selling merchandise online while closed but will soon reopen in the mall once government trading restrictions are lifted.

    The cafe concept was inspired by films, TV series, animated movies and comic books featuring characters licensed to DC Comics. The cafe concept was created by Almerak Corp, in partnership with Warner Bros Consumer Products.

    The Philippines cafe opened in June 2018.

  • Lamborghini Urus Gets A New Pearl Capsule Design Edition

    Lamborghini Urus Gets A New Pearl Capsule Design Edition

    Italian Supercar marque Lamborghini’s first SUV in the market, the Urus has just got a new design edition to its name. The Pearl capsule edition aims to make the Urus even more appealing than before by using dual color tones outside and inside the car along with black accents at several places. The Urus Pearl Capsule is available on Urus model year 2021, alongside an extended range of colors and features following the first full year of Urus production in 2019.

    The customer has the option to choose from three base colors. These are Verde Mantis (green), Arancio Borialis (orange) and Giallo Inti (yellow). This base color is complemented well by the use of gloss black paint which has been applied on the lower bumpers, locker covers as well as the roof. The 23-inch taigete alloys get a shiny black color to match with the base color accent. To match the exterior paint the two-tone theme is carried forward into the cabin as well. Base colour accents and stitching is seen at many places like seats, cup holders, dashboard and grab handles.

    The 2021 Model year Urus also features an optional park assist feature

    The Lamborghini Urus Pearl Capsule models also gets logo embroidery on the seat, carbon fiber and black anodized Aluminium details and the optional fully-electric seat that features airy perforated Alcantara. It continues to run on a 4.0 litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine which offers a maximum power output of 650 bhp at 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 850 Nm at 2,250 – 4,500 rpm. It accelerates from 0-100 kmph in just 3.6 seconds and hits a tops speed of 306 kmph. For the time being the car is being sold in Europe, USA and China.

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  • Shiseido Beauty Square concept store starts in Tokyo

    Shiseido Beauty Square concept store starts in Tokyo

    Shiseido opens its new concept store Beauty Square in Tokyo’s Harajuku district today.

    Located on the first floor of the With Harajuku commercial complex, the 793sqm Shiseido Beauty Square will offer digital experience-based features and a salon, besides its cosmetics ranges.

    Shiseido describes the new retail space as “a spot offering experience and communication to discover, enjoy, and share beauty”.

    Beauty Square is divided into four zones – Go-live, Brand, Installation, and Salon.

    Located at the entrance, the Go-live Zone features a large LED display and signage showing live streaming, video programs, and promotional content.

    The Brand Zone ranges a variety of Shiseido products, covering makeup, skincare and hairstyling.  Brands on sale include IPSA, Cle de Peau Beaute, The Ginza, Shiseido Professional, Dolce＆Gabbana Beauty, Nars, BareMinerals, and Laura Mercier.

    A large 4×4 meter LED screen and moving headlights are installed at the Installation Zone which will host events, including digital content and pop-up stores.

    Colorful spheres and motifs “represent the diversity of beauty, constantly change in light and image in sync with body movement and time,” the company explains.

    Here, customers can experience virtual avatar content using Zepeto, an app developed by Naver which allows users to create 3D avatars. There are more than 15 million users of Zepeto in Japan, who at Shiseido Beauty Square can customize their avatars with their favorite makeup and fashion.

    In the Installation Zone, customers go through a virtual experience projecting their avatar character in the store’s special virtual space, taking pictures with friends and avatars of famous brand ambassadors.

    Zepeto actively launches various features and new content, starting from the virtual space, and will provide users with new experiences daily.

    The Salon Zone (above) offers personalized makeup and hairstyling with Shiseido’s beauty artists

    In addition to Beauty Square, the With Harajuku complex also houses a restaurant called Shiseido Parlour The Harajuku on the 8th floor and a beauty academy Sabfa on the second floor.

    Sabfa conducts training for beauty professionals who have a cosmetology license, but in the new stores, training will be expanded to those without a license as a means to nurture more leaders in the profession.

    The new Shiseido parlour restaurant overlooks the forest surrounding the Meiji Shrine. The interior was supervised by Kazuya Ura and the menu features a mixture of French and Japanese cuisine.

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  • Struggling Bossini issues another turnover and profit warning

    Struggling Bossini issues another turnover and profit warning

    Troubled apparel retailer Bossini has issued another profit warning after reviewing 11 months of its trading year.

    In a filing with the Hong Kong stock exchange, Bossini says it expects that the loss attributable to shareholders for the period to May 31 was between US$38 million and $42 million.

    The company attributed the loss to the adverse impact of social unrest and the subsequent arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic along with impairment provisions on property, plant and equipment

    Bossini reported a loss of $12 million during the six months to December – more than triple the $3.3 million loss of the same period a year earlier. Sales were down 20 percent to $90 million.

    The company is subject to a takeover offer from a Chinese company controlled by retired Chinese athlete Li Ning, who plans to expand the business in Mainland China.

    A venture called Viva China will buy 1.09 billion shares in Bossini, paying just $6 million for 66.6 percent of Bossini’s issued capital, effectively buying out the family interests of Bossini’s founder Law Ting-pong.

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