Retail News CRM

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.

  • Pork imports surge 382 percent

    Pork imports surge 382 percent

    Vietnam has imported 141,140 tons of pork and related products in 2020, up 382 percent year-on-year, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has reported.

    The import value in 2020 increased 503 percent to $334.44 million, it said.

    The rising pork imports are attributed to the low domestic supply caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, African swine fever, and the central Vietnam floods, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

    Brazil is the largest pork supplier with 24.5 percent of the total pork import value, followed by Russia with 24.1 percent and the U.S. with 13.7 percent.

    Over 800 enterprises from 19 markets have been allowed to export pork to Vietnam, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Malaysians get a taste for in-car dining during lockdowns

    Malaysians get a taste for in-car dining during lockdowns

    Diners in Malaysia can now enjoy restaurant meals from the safety and comfort of their vehicles after an eatery started a drive-in service for people eager to eat out during a COVID-19 lockdown.

    The Southeast Asian nation is in its fourth week of nationwide restrictions imposed as it grapples with a surge in coronavirus infections that has pushed the cumulative total to more than 230,000 cases, with more than 800 deaths.

    In Cyberjaya, a satellite city on the outskirts of the capital Kuala Lumpur, customers drive into the parking lot of Padi House restaurant and order from laminated menus through the vehicle windows.

    Each set meal comes on a customized tray that fits in the narrow space between the driver seat and steering wheel.

    “I work at the bank so its not a suitable environment for me to eat. I prefer to go out and sometimes we need a change in scenery so that I can enjoy my food, even in a car,” said Nor Shekin Nor Razali, who had lunch with a colleague on Thursday (Feb 4).

    The restaurant has closed its dine-in service and, like most eateries in Malaysia, had been offering takeaways only.

    Owner Leow Kim Ngan said the inspiration came from airline meals after business dropped 80per cent due to the pandemic.

    “It’s very challenging, we have to think of a new way to find more income,” said Leow.

    Malaysia is currently at its peak of infections, averaging more than 4,600 new cases per day.

    Infection numbers have been climbing steadily since the end of September. A second nationwide lockdown, which bans social activities and inter-state travel, is due to end on Feb 18.

    Lees ook:

  • Foodpanda opens 150th Pandamart cloud grocery store

    Foodpanda opens 150th Pandamart cloud grocery store

    Foodpanda has launched its 150th Pandamart in Asia and prides itself as Asia’s largest grocery cloud store with a network rolled out across 40 cities.

    Pandamart, an on-demand service primarily to deliver groceries and household essentials, leverage technology, and data intelligence for its accessibility, variety, and speed. From determining its location to the products carried in each store and inventory are arranged within the space for maximum picking efficiency, so groceries and household essentials can be efficiently packed and delivered to consumers within 25 minutes.

    Foodpanda Director of New Verticals, Abhishek Sahay shared,“Launching 150 pandamart across 40 cities in the midst of a pandemic was no easy task, but foodpanda realized the critical importance in bringing our consumers what they really needed quickly and safely, especially during times of movement constraints,” he noted.

    In Malaysia, pandamart became an essential service when the Movement Control Order (MCO) went into effect earlier this year, with grocery orders increasing by almost 70 percent in the single month of January 2021. Recognizing the importance of supporting local food producers, pandamart worked with local partners to source more than 60 percent of products in Malaysia, offering consumers with more locally SMEs produces and a local grocers.

    To meet fast-changing consumer needs and preferences, foodpanda has invested to grow quick commerce offerings. Beyond its core food delivery vertical, foodpanda is accelerating the rollout of pandamart and foodpanda shops in partnership with retailers, to offer consumers greater convenience, speed and variety.

    Currently, Foodpanda covers eight markets in Asia includes Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

    “Now that we’re operating in eight markets, our goal in 2021 is to take pandamart into more cities within our existing markets, plus launch pandamart in all 12 operating markets by the end of 2021,” Abhishek commented.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Pizza Hut, KFC sales shrink in China as Covid-19 locks restaurants out

    Pizza Hut, KFC sales shrink in China as Covid-19 locks restaurants out

    Running restaurants in China is tough when a big part of the population stays home to avoid catching the coronavirus.

    Yum China , operator of KFC and Pizza Hut in the country, gave a glimpse of the current predicament in results posted after the U.S. close Wednesday. It has temporarily closed more than 30% of its restaurants in China, and business has been bad even for the ones that remain open. Sales during the Lunar New Year holiday were down 40%-50% compared with last year, excluding newly opened outlets.

    The company, which was spun off from Yum Brands in 2016, said it may report operating losses for this quarter—and even for the full year if the trend continues. Yum China’s New York-listed shares fell 3% in after-hours trading.

    KFC and Pizza Hut aren’t the only chains that have had to shut restaurants because of the outbreak, which has infected nearly 30,000 and killed more than 500 so far. Starbucks and McDonald’s have also temporarily closed some of their outlets in China. The former, in particular, could get hurt as customers opt to stay at home instead of chilling out in its coffee shops.

    Yum China could soften the blow with its delivery business, which accounted for nearly a quarter of its revenue last quarter. It said it would also try to reduce its costs. Some of these—food, labor, advertising and rent—are variable, but the company will still incur substantial fixed costs through the closure period.

  • Another gloomy year forecast for tuna exports

    Another gloomy year forecast for tuna exports

    Vietnam’s tuna exports declined by 9.8 percent in 2020 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and are showing no signs of recovery.

    Analysts point to two reasons for the continuing slump: the unpredictability surrounding the pandemic and intense competition from low-priced Chinese canned tuna in its largest market, the U.S.

    Besides, consumers prefer tuna with the blue MSC label representing certification of the sustainable fishery by the Marine Stewardship Council.

    Tuna exports were worth $649 million last year, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers. Vietnam exports the fish to 108 markets.

    Vietnam’s largest markets after the U.S. are the E.U., Canada, Southeast Asia, and Israel.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Seafood processor Vinh Hoan buys 51 pct stake in snack company

    Seafood processor Vinh Hoan buys 51 pct stake in snack company

    Seafood processing company Vinh Hoan Corporation has bought a 51.29 percent stake in the Sa Giang Import-Export Corporation.

    It bought 3.56 million shares from the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) at VND97,500 per share in a deal worth almost VND350 billion.

    SCIC had planned to auction the shares in July 2020 at a starting price of VND111,700 ($4.80), but failed to attract investor interest.

    Sa Giang makes ready-to-eat foods such as prawn crackers and instant noodles and newer products such as crackers made from crab, fish and squid.

    It mainly exports its products to Europe, especially Germany and the Netherlands, and some Asian countries.

    Last year it reported revenues of VND310 billion and a net profit of VND31 billion.

    The company has convened an extraordinary general meeting at the beginning of February to dismiss some members.

    Lees ook:

  • Starbucks global sales fall despite Chinese boost

    Starbucks global sales fall despite Chinese boost

    Starbucks Corp. slumped in late trading on Tuesday after reporting a sales decline that was deeper than expected and the departure of Chief Operating Officer Roz Brewer.

    Global same-store sales, a key gauge of restaurant success, fell 5% in the fiscal first quarter. That’s worse than the estimated decline of 4.2% compiled by Consensus Metrix. A 5% drop in the U.S. was just ahead of estimates, while a 5% gain in China beat expectations.

    The results show the company is facing an uneven road back following the deep impact of the global pandemic. Despite the continued weakness in many markets, strength in China and overall same-store sales that are better than the previous quarter suggest it’s past the worst.

    Brewer’s exit, however, shows a substantial shakeup is underway in the coffee giant’s C-suite. Starbucks announced earlier this month that Chief Financial Officer Pat Grismer is leaving the company due to retirement. He will be replaced by Rachel Ruggeri, senior vice president of finance for the Americas.

    Brewer is leaving to become chief executive officer of Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.

    In spite of the management changes, Starbucks sees performance turning around quickly from here, and the current quarter’s results will be bolstered by a year-ago comparison with the start of the pandemic when commerce was the most restricted.

    In the second quarter, U.S. same-store sales will grow 5% to 10%, the company said. Comparable sales in China will nearly double, the company said, although the result will be skewed by the pandemic comparison.

    Starbucks reported fewer transactions overall, but customers spent higher amounts, continuing a trend established earlier in the pandemic. Revenue fell 5% from the prior year.

    The U.S. and China are the company’s two largest markets, and together making up 61% of its global portfolio, with 15,340 and 4,863 stores, respectively, it said. Starbucks opened 278 net new stores in the quarter, underscoring how the company is looking to aggressively expand in spite of the global upheaval caused by Covid-19. The company also reported a 15% increase in members to its loyalty program.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Paris Baguette opens its largest Singapore store

    Paris Baguette opens its largest Singapore store

    Best known for its Paris Baguette bakery franchise, SPC Group has opened four food brand stores in Singapore. The group is planning to make Singapore as its third axis of global growth after China and the United States.

    The group opened the new stores at Jewel Changi, a commercial complex connected to Changi Airport in Singapore, on April 17. The four food brands include Maison de PB, the first high-end brand of Paris Baguette; Coffee@Works, a special tea and coffee brand; and Shake Shack, a burger brand.

    Jewel Changi is a seven-story lifestyle complex built as part of the Singaporean government’s Chingi Airport development projects.

    Maison de PB serves not only bakery products but also various meals that go well with bread such as “Beef On The Stone” and “Signature Seafood Pasta.”

    Coffee@Works has opened its first overseas store at Jewel Changi. Currently, it operates a total of 12 stores in South Korea. Shake Shack has also opened the first store at the complex after it obtained a license for business operation in Singapore in October last year. Singapore is the third-largest market in SPC Group’s global operations.

    Paris Baguette has 12 stores in Singapore, including the one at Jewel Changi. Although the number of stores in Singapore is less than the 14 in Vietnam, sales in Singapore, which came to 14.90 billion won (US$13.13 million) last year, are nearly three times higher than those in Vietnam.SPC Group is seeking to establish a holding firm in Singapore. It is planning to build a base in Singapore, which is considered a hub of logistics, finance, and business in Asia, and expand its business to neighboring Southeast Asian countries.

    The group is also seeking to build a Halal certified production facility to target Muslims and the global Halal food market. It will establish the facility in the Southeast Asian region in order to target Muslim countries, including Indonesia and Malaysia, and will set the exact time and place in the future.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Gordon Ramsay to open first restaurant in Malaysia

    Gordon Ramsay to open first restaurant in Malaysia

    Multi-Michelin starred chef Gordon Ramsay is to open Malaysia’s first Bar & Grill concept in Kuala Lumpur this year.

    Located at Sunway Resort in Selangor, Bar & Grill will feature a varied all-day menu, including Gordon Ramsay’s signature dishes such as Beef Wellington and Sticky Toffee Pudding. The restaurant is scheduled to launch this June.

    Featuring contemporary interiors, the restaurant design will “create an inviting ambiance, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing views of the lagoon, and a private dining room, setting the stage for intimate events,” Sunway Resort KL said on its website.

    The restaurant will also mark the brand’s first outpost outside the original Mayfair outlet.

    Gordon Ramsay, who holds seven Michelin stars, has a collection of acclaimed restaurants in the UK, Europe, and the US. He is also the star of popular shows such as Kitchen Nightmares, Hell’s Kitchen, and MasterChef US.

  • How new player joined Vietnam’s food delivery battle

    How new player joined Vietnam’s food delivery battle

    Joining the market later than competitors, Baemin, a food delivery application of South Korean unicorn Woowa Brothers, concentrates on rider training and supporting food stores.

    Tuan, 28, from HCMC, is on his way to the headquarter of Baemin in District 3 to take part in a training course. He said, by the end of the course, he would have had to take an entrance exam before being granted an account as a Baemin rider. Before that, during the online application process, Tuan also had to undergo a pre-qualification exam before attending the intensive training.

    Most riders joining the Baemin network have to pass two entrance exams, a paradox compared to other food delivery businesses today.

    “We want to leave a good first impression on our customers with Baemin’s well-mannered and polite rider team,” said Nguyen Trung Thanh, COO of Baemin Vietnam, Woowa Brothers’ leading online food delivery service.

    Right after taking the lead in South Korea, Woowa Brothers expanded its market to Vietnam, where more than 40 percent of the population is of working age, loves technology and is quite familiar with Korean culture. However, Baemin still joined the Vietnamese market later than many other competitors.

    The boom in delivery applications has resulted in a shortage of riders and problems with service quality. Therefore, Baemin chose its own path by starting with careful training of its rider team in each market then gradually expanding within the city where the demand for food delivery is up to 90 percent (according to market research company GComm).

    Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi are two typical examples of Baemin’s approach. “In Vietnam, FoodTech is still a very new market, so companies in this field have to invest a lot in building their own delivery team and putting them into operation,” Thanh noted.

    Baemin focuses on building professional food delivery services, its professionalism helping it succeed in a short period.

    According to a recent survey, although Baemin only appeared in Vietnam from mid-2019, it quickly caught up with Gojek, another application in food delivery, in its proportion of users (up to 46 percent). Baemin also takes up 16 percent among the most frequently used apps.

    According to the report, GrabFood is said to be popular among the old while Baemin suits younger generations.

    Investing in rider partners is not enough in Baemin’s long-term development strategy in Vietnam.

    “In Korea, where third-party logistics infrastructure is already developed, Woowa Brothers focuses on customer care, advertising and tradition,” said Thanh.

    “However, in Vietnam, it is a completely different story.”

    In addition to delivery resources, Baemin also has to pay attention to connecting with partners participating in its platform by providing flexible payment methods, with the most important being accompanying partners in the transition of the business model into an online format.

    According to Thanh, in new markets like Vietnam, restaurants, and stores, especially traditional ones, are yet to grow accustomed to online sales. Thus, during this period, the most practical thing is generating a revenue stream.

    Baemin’s strategy is to send staff to guide restaurant owners on how to achieve greater profits. At the same time, the company has also developed a department to timely respond and make payments so restaurant owners could continue to operate.

    “These are very basic steps, but they create real value from which the restaurant has the confidence to establish a closer relationship with us,” Thanh emphasized.

    In the coming time, Baemin plans to help restaurant owners create products suited to online business models. According to Thanh, this would allow transformation from a pure traditional restaurant to an online model in order to gradually expand with increasing revenue.

    “More than anyone, Baemin understands that the success or failure of a company depends greatly on its partners. Although Baemin is newly launched in Hanoi, brand awareness of customers here is much higher than in Ho Chi Minh City. It may be a new city, but the market has heard a lot about us,” Thanh said.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Heytea unveils convenience-store-like concept in Singapore

    Heytea unveils convenience-store-like concept in Singapore

    Chinese milk-tea brand Heytea has launched a retail concept resembling a convenience store in Singapore.

    The store, which is also the brand’s first outlet in the city’s south, is located at VivoCity and features bright orange and grey striped frontage, illustrating “the fun and quirky store concept”.

    The store also has large glass windows so customers can see how staff are making their orders. Besides teas, Heytea VivoCity also offers pastries, croissants and muffins.

    An “Order On The Go” service is available for customers to avoid queues.

    Founded in 2012 in China, Heytea operates more than 260 outlets in China and four outlets in Singapore. Three other outlets are located at Ion Orchard and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Rice exports rise despite stockpiling amid pandemic

    Rice exports rise despite stockpiling amid pandemic

    Vietnam’s rice exports grew by 9.3 percent last year to $3.07 billion though it stockpiled the grain to ensure food security after Covid-19 broke out.

    But volumes were down 3.5 percent to 6.15 million tons since the country stopped exports for over two weeks in March and April to ensure adequate domestic supply amid the pandemic.

    The average price rose by 13.3 percent from the previous year to $499 per ton, the highest in years, the Ministry of Industry and Trade reported.

    Vietnamese farmers and exporters are focusing on quality and getting higher prices by meeting import standards in markets like the E.U., South Korea and the U.S., it said.

    Eighty-five percent of the country’s exports last year were considered to be of high quality, according to the General Statistics Office.

    In 2019, Vietnam was the world’s third-largest rice exporter behind India and Thailand with shipments of $2.81 billion. Its biggest buyer was the Philippines.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Shrimp exports to rise 15 pct

    Shrimp exports to rise 15 pct

    Vietnam has advantageous conditions to increase shrimp exports by 15 percent year-on-year to top $4 billion in 2021, industry insiders say.

    Global demand has remained stable while other shrimp exporting countries have not recovered from pandemic impacts, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

    China is the biggest shrimp producer in Asia, yet it lacks shrimp supply for processing and consumption.

    Vietnam’s shrimps will benefit from tariff cut under new-generation FTAs that the country has signed.

    However, Vietnamese shrimp exported will have to face strong competition from India, where low production costs make its export prices more competitive, according to the Agro Processing and Market Development Authority.

    China has imposed import restrictions based on quality, quarantine, and procedural issues which can result in a plunge in shrimp exports to the neighboring giant.

    Shrimp exports are set to increase by 12.4 percent in 2020 to $3.78 billion despite the major impact Covid-19 has had on the seafood industry.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Starbucks partners with Pokemon Go in Asia

    Starbucks partners with Pokemon Go in Asia

    Pokemon Go is excited to announce that they are partnering with Starbucks and that its stores in select Asia markets are transforming into PokéStops and Gyms in Pokémon GO.

    Adventurous Pokémon GO trainers in Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand can visit nearby Starbucks locations to discover Pokémon, join battles with their Pokémon teams, and pick up their favorite Starbucks treats to enjoy on-the-go. With the health and well-being of customers top of mind, the app’s increased range and additional features for socially-distanced connection will help Pokémon GO and Starbucks fans enjoy the world of Pokémon in more exciting ways.

    “Starbucks and Pokémon GO both represent important gathering spaces for community, both online and offline,” said Erin Silvoy, vp product and marketing, Starbucks Asia Pacific. “Starbucks is excited to offer our customers in Asia more ways to connect with the world of Pokémon GO, and for Pokémon GO trainers to enjoy the premium Starbucks Experience on their adventures.”

    “Niantic’s mission is ‘Adventures on foot with others,’” said Gary Chang, APAC business development lead at Niantic. “In partnership with Starbucks, we can bring our shared values of health and well-being together in this exciting experience for customers and trainers.” Since introducing the world to a new genre of mobile gaming – location-based AR games – Niantic has been working with brick-and-mortar brands like Starbucks across the world to offer customers new experiences focused on movement and exploration.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Taco Bell prepares to debut in two Southeast Asian markets

    Taco Bell prepares to debut in two Southeast Asian markets

    U.S. fast-food chain Taco Bell plans to double its international footprint with Asian markets as the main driver for overseas growth as awareness about Mexican cuisine grows, a senior executive said on Wednesday.

    The Mexican-inspired Yum! Brands subsidiary, which has 7,000 restaurants in the United States, will bring its overseas store count to “over 500 units this year with a goal of getting to a thousand units internationally in the next few years,” Liz Williams, President of Taco Bell International, said in an interview.

    Taco Bell retreated from Singapore in 2009. It returned to Japan in 2015 after withdrawing in the 1980s.

    “Consumers weren’t ready in terms of awareness and the brand wasn’t positioned right at the time,” she said.

    But thanks to a “heightened awareness” of Mexican food, broader palettes and brand exposure by millennials from more travel and technology, at least half of the new units will come from the Asia-Pacific region, she said.

    Taco Bell, which sells tacos and burritos, was also adding new flavors and items for local markets citing that its signature sauce was modified for its new store in Thailand, which will open on Thursday.

    “We’ve amped them up significantly,” Williams said, because research showed the sauce was not hot enough for Thai palette.

    Vinegar notes were also dialed down, which were said to be unpopular with locals, Williams said.

    Taco Bell, with franchise partner Thoresen Thai Agencies Pcl plans 40 stores in Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy by 2022.

    Last year it doubled store count in India to 32 and signed two franchise agreements for 110 new stores across Australia and New Zealand by 2024.

    Lees ook: