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Category: Food

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Food and Food & Beverage news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Flash Coffee opens Singapore flagship

    Flash Coffee opens Singapore flagship

    Singapore-based Flash Coffee has announced plans to rapidly expand across Asia after securing $15m investment from investors including DX Ventures, Global Founders Capital, and Conny & Co. In a press release, the coffee chain said it intended to debut in Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam in 2021.

    First launching in January 2020, Flash Coffee currently operates 50 locations across Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia. Despite opening amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the company reports the majority of its stores are profitable.

    Flash Coffee says it is currently opening three new outlets per week and plans to increase the rate to 10 stores per week in order to achieve its target of 300 additional stores across the Asia by end of 2021.

    “Our dream is to have a Flash Coffee every 500 metres in all major Asian cities,” said Flash Coffee CEO David Brunier. “We will also build a regional HQ in Singapore and expand our regional tech hub in Jakarta to 50 people to support our vision of fully leveraging technology to improve customer experience, proactively drive growth and significantly increase operational efficiency.”

    The value-focused coffee chain deploys a similar ‘new retail’ model popularised by China’s Luckin Coffee. Customers can order drinks for pick-up via an app and online, with the brand stating its intention to ‘digitise today’s offline-dominated coffee industry’. Like Luckin Coffee, Flash Coffee is also seeking to catalyse growing demand for premium coffee and aspirational hospitality concepts among Asia’s growing young middle-income demographic.

    There is undoubtedly vast untapped potential for domestic and international coffee chains alike across East Asia. World Coffee Portal data shows the region’s branded coffee chain market grew 5.1% in 2020 to exceed 74,500 outlets, with 13 out of 17 markets achieving outlet growth during the period.

    China is, however, curiously absent from Flash Coffee’s intended growth markets. East Asia’s second-largest branded coffee shop market after South Korea grew 2.1% to exceed 21,400 outlets in 2020, with consumers already highly familiar with app-based transactions, pick-up and beverage delivery. 86% of Chinese consumers surveyed by World Coffee Portal in 2020 indicated they have previously ordered coffee for delivery, with more than half doing so 2-3 times per week.

  • HCMC restaurants, coffee chains struggle to reopen

    HCMC restaurants, coffee chains struggle to reopen

    Immediately after HCMC lifted its lockdown this month, beverage chain The Coffee House introduced Fresh Bottle, a new glass bottle designed for easy delivery of its best-selling drinks.

    This and other delivery-friendly products such as instant coffee and canned drinks are the solutions the company came up with to “survive and overcome difficulties,” CEO Le Ba Nam Anh said.

    “We have reopened 40 percent of stores in big cities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Bac Ninh, Hai Phong, but we have yet to reach pre-pandemic capacity due to social distancing in each city.”

    He still has to pay rents, salaries and for ingredients, because everything was ordered two quarters in advance, and the cash flow imbalance is a big challenge, he added.

    HCMC began allowing businesses to reopen on Oct. 1 after four months of lockdowns, but coffee chains and restaurants are still struggling to return to pre-pandemic levels of business due to difficulty in hiring people and people’s reluctance to spend.

    The city has allowed eateries to resume delivery services from Sept. 8 after suspending them for nearly two months.

    Pho 79, a high-end Vietnamese-style restaurant chain, plans to function at 15 percent capacity starting on Oct. 15 as it expects demand to be low.

    “Over 70 percent of our employees have left for their hometowns,” Huynh Huu Thanh Phuong, chairman of the chain, said.

    “We do not have enough ingredients [for cooking], and demand has been falling”.

    Phuong plans to increase to 30-50 percent capacity before year-end, but expects revenues for the whole year to be 70 percent down from last year.

    “We are waiting for authorities to lift more restrictions. We are also concerned about the possibility of another resurgence in Covid-19.”

    Other restaurants are unsure whether it is even the right time to reopen.

    “It’s bad to remain closed, but it’s hard to reopen as the more we sell the more we lose,” Ly Nhat Hieu, owner of three high-end restaurants, said.

    He has been waiting for the city to reopen since closing for five months has cost him nearly VND2 billion ($86,206).

    But a shortage of employees makes it difficult for him to restart now: many have left for their hometowns, some have started their own eateries or work as delivery persons to make a living.

    “It is hard to find people for difficult positions such as head chef and station chefs. It is not easy for people to return to the city.”

    The food and beverage industry has been among the biggest victims of the fourth wave of Covid, which began at the end of April.

    With over 2,000 new cases found every day, the city continues to impose restrictions to prevent another outbreak.

    But with over 70 percent of the adult population vaccinated, the highest rate in the country, industry insiders have reason to expect that the difficulties will soon be over.

    The Coffee House plans to build a new store model specializing in takeout and delivery in Ho Chi Minh City, and plans to replicate this in other localities across the country next year.

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  • A2 Milk faces lawsuit over allegations of providing misleading forecasts

    A2 Milk faces lawsuit over allegations of providing misleading forecasts

    A2 Milk Co Ltd said on Wednesday Australian law firm Slater and Gordon has filed a class action lawsuit against the dairy firm on behalf of investors who bought its shares over a nine-month period when it issued multiple earnings downgrades.

    Shares of a2 Milk, which had plunged 62% during the nine-month period from August 2020 to May 2021, fell as much as 5.3% to NZ$6.450 following the news and were on track for their worst session in more than a month.

    The class action alleges that a2 Milk engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct in breach of the Corporations Act, and also breached continuous disclosure rules in posting four downgrades between September 2020 and May 2021, Slater and Gordon said in a statement.

    The downgrades came amid Australia’s souring ties with top trade partner China since 2018 and subsequent disruptions in the “daigou” channel, where Chinese shoppers buy products from outside China and resell it in the country. The channel accounts for a major portion of a2 Milk’s revenue.

    “There was a strong basis to allege that the company provided misleading guidance and was obliged to correct the market’s understanding of its financial position at a much earlier time,” Slater and Gordon Class Actions Practice Group Leader Kaitlin Ferris said.

    A2 Milk, which has lost nearly half its value since December, denied any liabilities and said it would “vigorously” defend the proceedings.

    The lawsuit, which was filed in the Supreme Court of Victoria, comes months after media reports concerning a potential class action by the law firm.

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  • McDonald’s targets net zero emissions by 2050

    McDonald’s targets net zero emissions by 2050

    McDonald’s said it aims to bring its greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050.

    It’s a higher bar than the Chicago-based fast-food chain set three years ago, when it pledged to cut emissions linked to restaurants and offices 36% by 2030. Since then, emissions have dropped 8.5% below 2015 levels, the company said Monday.

    McDonald’s said it will work with the United Nations Race to Zero campaign, which includes cities, regions, investors and more than 3,000 businesses targeting net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest, as well as the Science Based Targets Initiative.

    The company said it will increase emissions reductions already underway and give teams in different regions some control over the strategies used to hit the net-zero target, like renewable energy, regenerative farming and sustainable packaging.

  • Youfoodz launches high-protein spinoff brand: Fuel’d

    Youfoodz launches high-protein spinoff brand: Fuel’d

    Ready-made food provider Youfoodz has today launched a new high-protein meal range under the sub-brand FUEL’D.

    The range, aimed at male buyers looking for larger portion sizes and higher protein levels, is available now across the P&C channel as well as supermarkets and will see a shift in packaging featuring a darker design skewed towards the male market.

    To appeal to this demographic, Youfoodz partnered with F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo.

    Lance Giles, Youfoodz founder and CEO said: “Getting to have Daniel Ricciardo join the Youfoodz family is a genuine privilege. It’s not every day you get to work with a world class athlete like Dan. We’re all big fans and can’t wait to see what the future holds for him and us.”

    The Australia and New Zealand market for ready-made meals is forecast to be worth $3.5 billion by 2022.

    The new FUEL’D range contains 14 different ready-made meals and retail for $10.95.

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  • Indian coffee platform to launch brick and mortal network

    Indian coffee platform to launch brick and mortal network

    E-commerce coffee platform, Something’s Brewing, is planning to roll out brick-and-mortar stores across India with its first offline store set to open next month.

    Something’s Brewing’s first physical store will open its doors to the public in Bengaluru on October 1. The launch is part of a plan to move offline, expanding its physical presence in the country. The company has initially raised about US$677,000 for the expansion plan.

    According to CEO of Something’s Brewing, Abhinav Mathur, next year will see the opening of 30 brick-and-mortar stores across the country through franchising and self-operated models. Estimated to cost around US$33,800 to set up, Something’s Brewing store will be designed as a space where coffee lovers can brew different kinds of roasted and blended coffee before purchasing.

    Euromonitor International estimated the value of India’s coffee and retail chains market at Rs 2,579 crore, or approximately US$350 million, in 2018. The market is led by Cafe Coffee Day and Tata Starbucks.

    Founded in 2019, online platform Something’s Brewing offers coffee equipment and products from more than 40 brands, including Baratza, CoffeeSock, Ratio and Bellman.

  • Starbucks launches Asia’s first Greener Store

    Starbucks launches Asia’s first Greener Store

    Starbucks has expanded its Green Store initiative into Asia with the first store opening in Shanghai, focusing on reducing waste and repurposing foods.

    Greener Store Shanghai is the Chinese mainland’s first Starbucks store to use recycled and lower-impact building materials such as wood reclaimed from the renovation of other Starbucks stores.

    The store features a bar made of modules which allows the store to adjust the layout by adding, removing or replacing them for different functions, such as ordering, beverage production and food display. At the ‘end of life’, modules that meet reuse standards can be refurbished and used again, hence reducing waste.

    Meanwhile, its signature green aprons are made from recycled Starbuck PET cups using advanced plastic-to-textile technologies. According to the company, each apron achieves approximately 1kg of carbon reduction in its lifecycle.

    Greener Store Shanghai will also host ‘Sustainable Coffee Classrooms’ with coffee masters selected from across the market, covering different sustainability practices adopted by Starbucks throughout the entire coffee supply chain.

    The store is the first in the country to recycle its coffee grounds for use as fertiliser. After composting, they can be used in suburban farms and shopping mall gardens. Customers can also take coffee grounds back home for free.

    In addition, Greener Store Shanghai marks the world’s first Starbucks store to host sustainability-themed exhibitions, where artists will be invited to give coffee grounds and other materials a new lease of life. Called the “Circular Lifestyle Lab,” the exhibition features sustainability-themed art installations made from recycled materials.

    The store provides coffee grounds straws and cutlery made of biodegradable materials while encouraging customers to bring their own reusable cups or tumblers. Half of the menu is plant-based food, including 15 new food items and two limited-time offer beverages. Oatmilk will be used as the default option for most beverages.

    First introduced in 2018 in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund, Greener Store Framework has more than 2300 stores across the US and Canada. Starbucks aims to build and retrofit 10,000 Greener Stores globally by 2025.

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  • Starbucks giving 2 million reusable cups away across Asia Pacific

    Starbucks giving 2 million reusable cups away across Asia Pacific

    Starbucks is giving away 2 million reusable cups across the Asia Pacific on Tuesday as part of its global commitment to reduce the waste footprint by 50 percent by 2030.

    The initiative, starting Tuesday, coincides with the coffee chain’s 50th anniversary. Starbucks’ new campaign aims to encourage its customers to use reusable cups when buying beverages and shift away from single-use plastics.

    The Starbucks limited-edition 50th anniversary cups will be first rolled out across selected Asia Pacific markets before expanding across the region in the coming months. The coffee chain said on September 28 alone, it expects to reach more than 2 million customers across the Asia Pacific region.

    “As we mark our anniversary milestone, this reusable cup is our gift to customers and our invitation to join Starbucks on our journey to becoming a resource-positive-company,” said Sara Trilling, president at Starbucks Asia Pacific.

    “This step is only one part of many more to come. Together with our customers, we’re constantly innovating new ways to scale more sustainable solutions across the region.”

    The offer will be available at participating stores, as well as select Mobile Order & Pay and delivery channels, across Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan, with an India offer on October 2.

    Customers are encouraged to bring back their cups when they next visit Starbucks to enjoy benefits and redeem additional offers.

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  • Messina moves into Hong Kong selling Gelato

    Messina moves into Hong Kong selling Gelato

    Hong Kong restaurant group Black Sheep is taking Australian gelato brand Messina to the ‘dessert-obsessed’ Hong Kong community.

    Messina’s first Hong Kong store will be located on historic Pottinger Street. The launch also marks Black Sheep Restaurant’s first collaboration in more than five years.

    “We are passionate about gelato and consider ourselves connoisseurs, but knowing good gelato and being able to make it on a large scale are two different things,” said Syed Asim Hussain, co-founder of Black Sheep Restaurant.

    “When we think someone else can do it better than we can, that is when we look for a partner.

    “We were blown away by not only Messina’s gelato but also by their work ethos, which is very much in line with our own. The amount of pride and detail that they achieve at every level is really inspirational.”

    Founded in 2002, Messina is known for its assortment of freshly-churned gelatos available in an array of signature flavours and rotating specials. Currently, Messina operates 22 stores across NSW, VIC and ACT.

  • Yum China and Lavazza plan 1000 cafes across China

    Yum China and Lavazza plan 1000 cafes across China

    Italian coffee chain Lavazza is set to increase its store network in China to 1000 by 2025 through scaling up its existing joint venture with fast-food operator Yum China.

    The joint venture –in which Yum will be Lavazza’s exclusive distributor in Mainland China, will also receive an initial US$200 million funding from both companies for its future growth.

    The expansion plan will see more Lavazza store openings in higher-tier cities with different store formats. As of last month, Lavazza China operated 22 stores across Shanghai, Hangzhou, Beijing, and Guangzhou. It aims to double the store number by the end of this year.

    “The potential for coffee in China is vast; there is a lot of unexplored white space,” said  Antonio Baravalle, CEO of Lavazza Group. “As the largest restaurant operator in China, Yum China is the best partner to further grow the Lavazza brand in this market given its deep understanding of local consumers and market dynamics.”

    The joint venture will also ​​market, sell, and distribute Lavazza’s retail products in Mainland China, including coffee beans, ground coffee, and coffee capsules.

    Lavazza entered China last year with Yum China, with stakes of 35 percent and 65 percent respectively. Lavazza’s first China store, its first international presence, was launched in Shanghai in April last year. The company said sales to its members accounted for about 50 percent of the sales for the first half of this year.

    “The recent progress of Lavazza cafes in China has been encouraging and reaffirms our belief that our partnership is well-positioned to capture the significant coffee opportunity in China with accelerated store network development,” said Joey Wat, CEO of Yum China.

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  • Rocket Internet-backed Flash Coffee plans Asia-wide rollout

    Rocket Internet-backed Flash Coffee plans Asia-wide rollout

    The tech-enabled coffee chain, Flash Coffee, is accelerating its Asian expansion plan, making its Hong Kong debut this month and committing to opening its first stores in Japan and South Korea later this year.

    Launched last year, Flash Coffee already operates more than 100 locations across Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The chain aims to increase its network to more than 300 stores, expanding its footprint into Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines next year.

    The Hong Kong launch follows Flash Coffee’s Series A funding round led by tech investment firm White Star Capital last April where it successfully secured US$20 million from a range of investors, including Rocket Internet, whose subsidiaries include Global Fashion Group and HelloFresh.

    Located at Golden Centre in Sheung Wan, the chain’s first Hong Kong store is – like its others – designed to “fit the needs of the ‘new normal’ and cater to a bustling lifestyle”. Customers can order through a mobile app and pay before picking the order at the store or have it delivered. Meanwhile, Flash Coffee connects its customers and baristas through individualized consumer and barista mobile apps, matching the order with a nearby pick-up outlet.

    The chain also offers a digital coffee loyalty program on the app, offering gamified challenges and personalized rewards.

    “Hong Kong is already recognized as a city that is willing to embrace technology,” said Jonathan Tsao, MD at Flash Coffee. “Over the past few decades the city has also built up a reputation for its love of premium coffee – but so far, this has only been available at premium prices.

    “Flash Coffee intends to shake things up, by offering a new coffee culture built around technology, affordability, and digitally-driven customer-focused solutions.”

    The launch of Hong Kong’s first Flash Coffee store will be followed by a series of new store openings in Causeway Bay, Mong Kok and Wan Chai by the end of next month. The coffee chain aims to reach 50 stores in the territory by mid-next year.

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  • Uncle Ben’s reinvented under new Ben’s Original branding

    Uncle Ben’s reinvented under new Ben’s Original branding

    Mars Food Australia has revealed the new brand identity for Ben’s Original ready-to-heat rice products, following the retirement of the Uncle Ben’s brand.

    The new packaging features the same orange background and navy-blue font. The rice products are available in 28 flavors, are ready in 90 seconds, and taste the same as the old product range.

    Bill Heague, GM at Mars Food Australia, said the change marks not only a new packaging but also a memorable moment for Ben’s Original: the company has shared its new purpose, committing to investing a portion of its profits over the next five years to contribute to Australia’s disadvantaged communities.

    “This is not just a name and packaging change. We believe everyone deserves to feel welcome, heard, and have access to nutritious food,” said Heague. “That’s why we have committed to funding initiatives that help improve social inclusion and create meals, experiences, and opportunities that offer everyone a seat at the table. We are currently in discussions with a number of community groups in Australia and we look forward to announcing a new partnership early next year.”

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  • Five Guys opens first Australian outlet

    Five Guys opens first Australian outlet

    US burger sensation Five Guys opens its first Australian restaurant, for takeaway only, on 20 September in Sydney’s Penrith.

    Master franchisee Seagrass Hospitality is opening the long-awaited fast-food brand at the Penrith Panthers Leagues Club on the busy Mulgoa Road.

    Robby Andronikos, brand manager of Five Guys Australia, said “It’s been an incredibly fun journey to bring the Five Guys opening to this point. A massive team effort from Five Guys, Seagrass BHG, and the multiple Australian producers and businesses working in partnership to launch this brand with the exacting standards required.

    “I’m excited to finally be able to open the doors to our first store in Penrith with many more Australian restaurants on the horizon already planned.”

    Seagrass BHG has five brands in its portfolio, including Ribs&Burgers, Italian Street Kitchen and The Meat & Wine Co.

    What started as a family-run burgers and fries restaurant in 1986 is now a global franchise with sites across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

    The next planned expansion beyond the Australian market will be into New Zealand.

    The Murrell brothers who founded the business has a no freezer, no microwave policy – all burgers and fries are made fresh every day.

    Lean mean patties are made every day on site, while the bread is baked fresh five days a week in a locally contracted bakery.

    Chad Murrell said “From the beginning, we wanted our customers to know that we put all our money into the food. That’s why the décor is so simple; only red and white tiles. We don’t spend money on décor, or guys in chicken suits. We’ll go overboard on food.

    “By maintaining a simple ethos, coupled with highest quality ingredients, we continue to follow through on the vision since 1986.”

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  • Cult British water brand Dash heads Down Under

    Cult British water brand Dash heads Down Under

    Dash, the UK drink brand, is making a foray into the Australian soft-drink market with the launch of its renowned ‘wonky fruit’ infused sparkling water.

    Featuring just three ingredients – water, bubbles and wonky fruit – the drinks are sugar-free, zero-calorie and no sweetening is added. As part of the plan to reduce food waste, Dash uses fruits and vegetables that are wonky, bent, curved, knobbly, misshapen, and imperfect – but still delicious.

    Created by Jack Scott and Alex Wright in 2017, the idea came from when the two founders – who have farming backgrounds – saw produce that didn’t meet “beauty standards” going to waste. Dash also says it is on a mission to create a ready-to-use and sustainable drink to encourage people to have a greener lifestyle.

    This expansion of Dash marks the first time the company has produced locally outside the UK. The sparkling water is available at 700 Woolworths stores, and at 800 independent retailers across the country.

    “We noticed that the Australian market is backing the seltzer category in a similar way to the US and UK,” said Jack Scott, co-founder of Dash Water. “Many independent retailers, and Australian supermarkets, are focused on sustainable practices that align with our values as a B-Corporation. We wanted to bring a fresh perspective to the market by continuing to infuse local spring water with delicious wonky fruit, just as we do in the UK. Expanding Dash in Australia gives us the opportunity to expand the business and enter into new and exciting markets.”

    With the slogan “Dash judges on taste, not looks”, the water range can be found in different flavors – raspberry, lemon and cucumber – with an RRP of $8 for a box of four 300ml cans.

  • Seafood companies fear lack of raw materials as Covid hits farm output

    Seafood companies fear lack of raw materials as Covid hits farm output

    The decline this year in shrimp and fish farming in the Mekong Delta threatens to cause a serious shortage of raw materials for processors in the coming months.

    “We have increased shrimp prices, but many farmers are still worried that Covid outbreaks will affect prices later, and so have reduced their production,” Le Van Quang, general director of Minh Phu Aquaculture Group Joint Stock Company, said.

    Speaking at a conference held online on Friday to discuss how to restore processing and exports of agricultural and aquatic produce, he forecast a big shortage in the next three months, and said businesses would be unable to meet foreign orders.

    In Tien Giang and An Giang provinces, farmers have been unable to sell their fish, shrimp and crab harvests for months due to Covid-19 restrictions.

    Many processing plants have been running at 30-40 percent of capacity as stay-at-work requirements cause a labor shortage.

    Nguyen Hoai Nam, deputy general secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said the government should come up with policies to encourage shrimp farmers right now so that they could harvest in November to enable exports.

    He also wanted it to prioritize Covid-19 vaccination for seafood companies’ workers so that normal production could resume.

    The southern provinces and Ho Chi Minh City could be divided into three in terms of likely resilience if certain epidemic prevention measures are adopted after September 15, he said.

    The first, where the infection rate is lowest, includes Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, Ben Tre, and Vinh Long provinces. Businesses in this shrimp processing hub are expected to return to 60 percent of capacity by October and 80 percent by year-end.

    The second, where the epidemic is gradually being controlled, includes An Giang, Kien Giang, Tra Vinh, and Dong Thap provinces and Can Tho city, and here the rates would be 50 percent and 70 percent.

    The area with the highest risk of infection, including Long An, Binh Duong and Tien Giang and Ho Chi Minh City, would recover to 40 percent and 60 percent.

    Vietnam’s seafood exports were worth $5.5 billion in the eight months of 2021, a year-on-year increase of 6 percent, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters & Processors (VASEP).

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