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.

  • Burger King unveils ‘touchless’ hamburger ordering concept

    Burger King unveils ‘touchless’ hamburger ordering concept

    Burger King has unveiled a new ‘touchless’ concept store, designed to meet the challenges of business during a pandemic and adapt to the future “new normal”.

    The US store features physically contactless experiences such as mobile ordering and curbside pick-up areas and drive-in and walk-up order areas.

    “In March our in-house design and tech team accelerated new restaurant design plans and pushed the limits of what a Burger King restaurant could be,” said Josh Kobza, COO at Restaurant Brands International.

    “We took into consideration how consumer behaviors are changing and how our guests will want to interact with our restaurants. The result is a new design concept that is attractive to guests and will allow our franchisees to maximize their return.”

    Designed in-house, the store is expected to provide multiple ordering and delivery modes and highlight a physical footprint 60-per-cent smaller than a traditional Burger King restaurant.

    A ‘drive-in’ service allows customers to park under canopies doubling as solar power harvesting panels and place orders by scanning a QR code from the Burger King app. For mobile and delivery orders, customers can pick up their orders at coded food lockers.

    To reduce its physical footprint, the store features a “suspended” kitchen and dining room located above the drive-thru lanes. Orders will be delivered from the suspended kitchen by a conveyor belt system, and each lane has its own pick-up spot.

    “The designs we’ve created completely integrate restaurant functionality and technology, said Rapha Abreu, global head of design at Restaurant Brands International. “We designed the interior and exterior spaces like we had a blank sheet of paper, designing without preconceived notions of how a Burger King restaurant should look.”

    Burger King’s first new design stores will be built next year in Miami, Latin America and the Caribbean.

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  • Beer companies enjoy recovery

    Beer companies enjoy recovery

    Better second-quarter figures could indicate that the most challenging period for beer makers this year could have ended, a report says.

    Vietnam’s biggest brewer Sabeco saw a year-on-year revenue fall of 21 percent in the second quarter, smaller than the 47 percent recorded in the first quarter, according to a recent report from top brokerage SSI Securities Corporation.

    Its SAB shares’ prices have risen 66 percent from the lowest point it had reached this year on March 24 to VND191,500 ($8.26) Monday.

    The SSI analysts expect Sabeco sales to improve in the second half of the year if a nationwide social distancing campaign is not imposed as had happened in April.

    They also estimate that Sabeco’s revenues rise 23 percent over this year to VND33.3 trillion ($1.4 million) in 2021.

    A similar trend can be seen at the Hanoi Beer Alcohol and Beverage Jsc (Habeco), the report said. Its year-on-year revenues fell just 12.9 percent in the second quarter, compared to 50.6 percent the previous.

    Prices of Habeco’s BHN shares have risen 28 percent from its bottom on April 8 to VND52,400 ($2.2) Monday.

    However, the SSI analysts also said that beer consumption in Vietnam will take years to recover to levels recorded before the pandemic and imposition of tougher fines for drunk driving in January this year.

    Beer consumption in the first half of this year fell 12.7 percent year-on-year, according to a report by market research firm Nielsen. However, production in May rose 60 percent from the monthly average between February and April, it added.

    Vietnam consumed more than 4.6 billion liters of beer last year, up 10 percent from 2018, according to SSI.

  • Yum China confirms US$2.5 billion Hong Kong listing

    Yum China confirms US$2.5 billion Hong Kong listing

    Yum China Holdings, the parent of the Pizza Hut, KFC and other restaurant chains in Mainland China, has confirmed it will list on the Hong Kong stock exchange, raising up to US$2.5 billion.

    The company’s stock will continue to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, with Hong Kong a secondary listing.

    In a statement, the company said it would use the net proceeds from the listing to “expand and deepen” its restaurant network and to invest in digitalization and supply chain, food innovation and value proposition, and high-quality assets.

    Yum China is the nation’s largest restaurant operator based on last year’s sales figures and at the end of June it had 9954 restaurants in more than 1400 cities and towns.

    The exclusive licensee of US part-parent Yum! Brands’ quick-service restaurant brands, which also include Taco Bell, the company has also invested in local chains Little Sheep, Huang Ji Huang, East Dawning and Coffii & Joy. Yum China is also partnering with Lavazza to explore and develop the Lavazza coffee shop concept in China.

    In its announcement, the company said it would offer 41,910,700 new shares of common stock at an offer price of not more than HKD468, based on the closing price of the stock on the last trading day on or before Friday (September 4) in New York. The shares will be listed on the Hong Kong exchange under the stock code 9987.

    The offer opened today and will close at noon Friday, Hong Kong time.

    Goldman Sachs (Asia) is the sponsor, joint global coordinator, joint bookrunner and joint lead manager for the offering, while Citigroup Global Markets Asia, CMB International Capital Corporation and UBS Group are acting as joint global coordinators, joint bookrunners and joint lead managers.

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  • Seoul cafes face new trading restrictions as Covid-19 returns

    Seoul cafes face new trading restrictions as Covid-19 returns

    South Korea is restricting operations of restaurants, bakeries and franchised coffee chains in the greater Seoul area in an effort to contain a new outbreak of Covid-19. Under the plan that lasts until next Sunday, restaurants and bakeries can operate until 9pm, and only takeaway and delivery will be permitted from 9pm to 5am.

    For Seoul cafes, only takeout or delivery will be permitted regardless of operating hours, as cluster infections traced to coffee shops have been reported.

    Customers visiting coffee chains for takeaway must follow quarantine measures, such as making entry logs, wearing masks, and keeping a safe distance.

    The move is part of the government’s strengthened virus curbs in Seoul and the surrounding areas, home to half of the country’s 51 million population, as the country is struggling to curb spiking virus cases.

    On Sunday, the country reported 299 new Covid-19 cases – a drop below the 300 marks for the first time in five days – but health authorities remain on high alert as the triple-digit daily increase continued.

    Instead of raising the level of social distancing to the highest Level 3, the country unveiled stronger and “tailored” virus curbs last Friday for vulnerable groups and risk-prone facilities, a move widely viewed as ‘Level 2.5’.

    The government has been cautious about raising the social-distancing guidelines to Level 3 from the current Level 2 due to the far-reaching impact on the economy.

    In line with the stricter social distancing guidelines, cafe workers are putting store chairs upside down to indicate they operate only for takeaway or delivery.

    Some customers who frequent such coffee joints to study or read books have shifted to bakeries that operate normally until 9pm.

    Meanwhile, South Korea began to suspend the operation of indoor sports facilities, including fitness centers and billiard halls, in the wake of virus infections at indoor sports centers.

    The government also expanded no-assembly orders from large academies to almost all cram schools in the wider Seoul area. Only online lectures will be permitted.

    To protect the elderly from the risk of infection, visits to nursing homes, and facilities will be banned.

    Health authorities will also make one-third of all employees at government agencies and public institutions work from home. They also recommended private companies take similar steps.

    In mid-August, the government raised virus curbs to Level Two in the Seoul region for two weeks and expanded it across the nation starting last Sunday.

    Health authorities extended the current step for one more week in the wider Seoul region, as the number of new infections has not shown signs of easing.

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  • Investors fail in plans to increase Vinamilk stake

    Investors fail in plans to increase Vinamilk stake

    Vietnam’s sovereign fund and two Singaporean investors failed to acquire stakes in dairy giant Vinamilk this month as they had planned. A subsidiary of the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) was unable to buy 225,000 VNM shares, or a 0.01 percent stake, due to “market volatility”, according to a Vinamilk statement on Friday.

    SCIC is the largest shareholder in Vinamilk with a 36 percent stake. F&N Dairy Investments Pte Ltd failed to buy 17.41 million shares, or nearly 1 percent, between July 17 and August 14. It already owns 17.69 percent.

    Another company, Platinum Victory Pte Ltd, too failed to buy a nearly 1 percent stake and its ownership stays at 10.62 percent. Both Singaporean companies have registered again to buy in September. They have been seeking to increase their stakes in Vinamilk repeatedly since early 2018 but in vain.

    Vinamilk saw first-half pre-tax profit rise by 3 percent year-on-year to over VND7 trillion ($302 million). CEO Mai Kieu Lien said earlier the company had stocked ingredients so that it could have an advantage when the trade is disrupted by travel bans. The company, which holds half the Vietnamese dairy market, last year acquired a majority stake in a competitor, Moc Chau Milk, and has recently announced plans to set up a cafe chain in Vietnam and increase its investment in a Laotian subsidiary.

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  • KFC most favored fast food chain in Vietnam

    KFC most favored fast food chain in Vietnam

    American chain KFC is the most frequently visited fast food restaurant chain in Vietnam, with 45 percent of respondents visiting its stores often, a new survey found. It is followed by South Korea’s Lotteria with 17 percent of 600 respondents, and American restaurant chains Pizza Hut and McDonald’s both at 6 percent, according to the survey by Ho Chi Minh City-based market research firm Q&Me.

    Top reasons cited for favoring KFC were: delicious food (66 percent); convenient location (63 percent); suitable for family and the youth (60 percent); and variety on the menu (56 percent).

    The survey found 87 percent ordering food online from fast-food chains. Of these, KFC was the most ordered from at 52 percent, followed by Lotteria (30 percent) and Pizza Hut (21 percent).

    “Now” was the most popular delivery app for fast food online orders with 24 percent of the respondents opting for it, followed by GrabFood (20 percent). In Vietnam since 1997, KFC now has 135 outlets, mainly in HCMC and Hanoi, Vietnam’s two biggest metropolises, while Lotteria has around 200. Market research firm Euromonitor said in a recent report that international players dominate the limited-service restaurant market in Vietnam, since local independent chains are mostly small family-based businesses with insufficient resources to take on the big players.

    But, as a whole, fast food chains are experiencing slower growth. Market observers have said one of the reasons could be that the eating habits of Vietnamese are changing, with health being prioritized over convenience.In 2018, there were 7,000 fast food outlets in Vietnam, a relatively insignificant number considering there are around 540,000 food and beverage businesses comprised of 430,000 street vendors, 80,000 restaurants and 22,000 cafes and bars, according to Dcorp R- Keeper, a global company which provides technological solutions to food and beverage businesses.

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  • JD teams with brands to launch an organic alliance

    JD teams with brands to launch an organic alliance

    JD’s online supermarket JD Super has formed an organic alliance with brands trading on its platform.

    More than 10 companies, including domestic and international ones, have joined the alliance, including Milk Deluxe, Bellamy’s, Abbott, Anchor, and Gerber.

    Under the alliance, JD Super and other members will work together with government bodies, channel merchants, and inspection institutes to collectively build an “organic traceability” mechanism, which records information about product life cycles, according to JD.

    “JD hopes to establish an organic industry ecosystem through the optimization of industry standards for organic products as well a wide range of support for organic brands to grow their appeal among Chinese consumers,” the company said in a statement.

    JD Super will also support the organic alliance’s members with organic labeling and to develop the platform.

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  • TWG Tea plans opening 20 online stores this year

    TWG Tea plans opening 20 online stores this year

    TWG Tea is expanding its digital footprint with more than 20 new online stores scheduled to open this year.

    TWG Tea’s online stores will be rolled out across Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe on third-party marketplaces, including Amazon, Zalora, and Lazada. The company said more products will be exclusively launched online, including its Autumn Haute Couture Tea blends, New World Tea and Destiny Tea.

    “We know that even during this pandemic, demand for TWG Tea is high,” said Maranda Barnes, co-founder of TWG Tea. “With this in mind, we went the extra mile to reach out to consumers through some of their preferred third-party online platforms in each of our markets.”

    “Rather than solely concentrating on expansion through brick-and-mortar locations, these new digital shopfronts are now quickly becoming an integral part of our global expansion strategy and are allowing us to provide an integrated luxury e-retail experience to customers around the world,” she said.

    TWG Tea operates 68 ‘Tea Salons’ and boutiques in 19 countries and has nine online ‘flagship stores’.

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  • R&B Tea expanding in the Philippines 

    R&B Tea expanding in the Philippines 

    Singapore-based Koufu Group is taking R&B Tea to the Philippines with Shakey’s Pizza.

    Under the franchise agreement, Shakey’s will sell selected R&B Tea drinks in Shakey’s and Peri Peri stores in the first year of business, and subsequently open at least five stand-alone R&B Tea outlets in the Philippines.

    “This marks our second milestone this year, following the acquisition of Deli Asia Group, despite the challenging market conditions from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Pang Lim, executive chairman, and CEO at Koufu.

    “We have carefully considered the market trends and found the conditions in the Philippines to be favorable, with a growing receptiveness towards the bubble-tea culture in recent years.”

    R&B Tea is one of Asia’s most popular bubble-milk tea brands, operating more than 1000 outlets across China, the US, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia.

    “This co-branding initiative is likewise in line with our renewed focus on out-of-store consumption, enhancing sales through these channels with minimal additional investment and maximizing the use of our existing assets,” said Vicente Gregorio, president and CEO of Shakey’s.

    Gregorio is confident the bubble-tea sector can create a third pillar of growth for Shakey’s.

    Shakey’s is the Philippines’ largest casual dining restaurant brand

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  • Destination Group launching Boom Boom Burger

    Destination Group launching Boom Boom Burger

    Destination Group is to introduce a new burger joint Boom Boom Burger, as part of a broader expansion plan in Thailand. Located at Sukhumvit Bangkok, the first Boom Boom Burger store is scheduled to open on Tuesday (September 1).

    Besides the burger, Destination Group also has plans to launch a pizza chain soon. Earlier this year, Destination brought the US burger brand Big Boy into Thailand, the brand’s first destination in Southeast Asia. Launching with a delivery service only, it will roll out food trucks and kiosks in Bangkok from October.

    The group aims to open Thailand’s first full-scale Big Boy outlet early next year and then expand to 20 to 25 branches during the next three years, Gary Murray, founder, and CEO of Destination told the Bangkok Post newspaper.

    The expansion plan in Asia will cost Destination about US$25 million, according to the company.

    Destination said it is also finalizing a licensing agreement with a Mexican casual-dining brand.

  • BreadTalk launches cafe chain concept, Butter Bean

    BreadTalk launches cafe chain concept, Butter Bean

    BreadTalk is launching a cafe chain concept called Butter Bean in Singapore, with the first outlet opening at Funan Mall.

    Centred around the traditional Singaporean Nanyang coffee concept, Butter Bean offers a menu of coffee-based beverages and reimagined Singaporean dishes made without pork or lard, including toasts, baked goods, mains, and sandwiches.

    “We aim to present traditional Nanyang Coffee in an engaging manner that appeals to the younger generation’s evolving lifestyle,” said Vincent Lim, regional GM at BreadTalk Group. “Our outlets are also designed as a social space centered on good vibes, conversations and connection.”

    The Butter Bean at Funan Mall houses 45 seats and features yellow and marble interiors together with a ‘Cherry to Cup’ wall mural designed by 8EyedSpud. The store also offers contactless service where customers can order and pay by scanning a QR code.

    The first new Butter Bean opens this Friday (August 28), followed by a second store at Vivo City next month.

    According to Singapore blog Hook Coffee, Nanyang coffee, usually served at Kopitiams, is traditionally viewed as a cheaper variety of coffee beans because when the coffee scene took off, not everyone had money to buy ‘the good stuff’. People would add palm oil, butter, margarine and/or sugar into the coffee to enhance the flavor.

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  • Malaysian Starbucks operator posts loss due to Covid virus outbreak

    Malaysian Starbucks operator posts loss due to Covid virus outbreak

    Malaysian F&B franchise operator Berjaya Food Berhad, which operates Starbucks, Kenny Rogers Roasters, and Jollibean in the territory, has reported a loss of US$1.82 million for the last financial year.

    The firm’s Malaysian stock-exchange filing attributes its losses to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which saw movement control orders in effect within the country between March and June.

    “Even though the group’s sales were recovering at a fast pace when Malaysia entered into the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) phase which started on 10 June 2020, the group still recorded a much lower sales in the current quarter under review,” the company reported in the filing.

    The period hardest hit corresponds with a contraction of 17.1 percent of Malaysia’s total GDP, the worst since 1998.

  • Korean restaurant chains cry foul over Covid-19 rules

    Korean restaurant chains cry foul over Covid-19 rules

    South Korean restaurant chains are accusing the government of using “discriminatory countermeasures” in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

    Recent edicts to prevent the spread of the latest outbreak in the country have seen the closure of buffet and family-style restaurants, while still allowing cafes to operate. Prominent chains CJ Foodville, Shinsegae Food and Elandeats have expressed their dissatisfaction with the discrepancy, which has involved multiple outlet closures and necessitated the dumping of fresh food.

    “The largest number of coronavirus cases was confirmed at Starbucks coffee shop(s), but I don’t understand why restaurant chains are targeted,” a family restaurant worker told the Korea Times. “Starbucks closed its relevant branches for a few days and then they reopened them.”

    The restaurant chains had previously instituted anti-Covid-19 precautions, such as checking the temperatures of customers and enforcing social distancing.

    The Korea Times quoted one CJ Foodville official as saying: “It is our obligation to follow the government’s regulations, but we hope people don’t continue to think that our restaurants are high-risk after things get better.”

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  • Yum China opens first Taco Bell restaurant in Beijing QSR

    Yum China opens first Taco Bell restaurant in Beijing QSR

    Yum China has launched Beijing’s first Taco Bell store, in the Liangmaqiao district.

    The Taco Bell Beijing store offers the brand’s nachos and tacos along with exclusive local selections for Chinese customers such as a rice bowl, seasoned bone chicken and taco pizza.

    “The Beijing store reflects Taco Bell’s reputation as a culture-centric, lifestyle brand that provides Mexican-inspired food with bold flavors,” the company said in a statement.

    Taco Bell Beijing features colorful art walls, illustrating local’s landmarks and culture. The restaurant also houses an open kitchen, allowing customers to see food cooking and preparing process. Mobile pre-orders and takeaway are available in this new store.

    “The new store integrates Taco Bell’s signature food and spirit into the local community,” said Joey Wat, CEO of Yum China. “We believe that there is a growing appetite for Taco Bell, and we will continue to review and refine Taco Bell’s service model and offerings for the Chinese market.”

    Since entering the country in 2016, Taco Bell has opened 11 stores across China, including those recently launched in Shenzhen and Ningbo.

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  • Yi Fang Fruit Tea increasing its global expansion pace

    Yi Fang Fruit Tea increasing its global expansion pace

    Taiwanese tea brand Yi Fang Fruit Tea is expanding its retail network globally despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

    The founder of Yi Fang, Ko Tzu-kai, said the brand will open more stores in northern California where consumers are seeking healthier beverage options. More stores will follow later this year in Dubai along with European countries, including Paris and Sweden.

    Yi Fang operates more than 170 branches outside Taiwan, including Japan, China, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. The brand aims to reach 200 stores by the end of this year.

    According to UDN, since July, Yi Fang has opened more than 12 outlets across regions including Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Canada. Yi Fang’s offshore sales account for about 40 percent of the brand’s revenue.

    Last year, the brand was forced to close more than 30 outlets in Taiwan after its announcement to support China’s “one country, two systems” policy triggered a boycott in the country.