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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.

  • Saigonese spend $11.5 a month on convenient food and drinks

    Saigonese spend $11.5 a month on convenient food and drinks

    Each Saigon resident spends $11.5 on average per month on convenient foods and drinks, a consumer research firm says. The product groups most often chosen by consumers are non-alcoholic drinks, nutritional beverages, confectionery and snacks like instant noodles, sausages and pies, according to a study on Saigon consumers’ out-of-home (OOH) spending.

    The study was recently done by Kantar Worlpanel, an international company dealing in consumer knowledge and insights.

    On average, Saigon residents make around 8 or 9 out of home trips for these products a month.

    This study also shows that product selection and external spending patterns are clearly differentiated by gender. Women, especially students, often spend money on milk tea, while men and the seniors prefer coffee. Consumption of carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks and bottled water are highly skewed towards teenagers.

    Coffee shops and tea shops are the most popular places, chosen by 45 percent for those going out for OOH drinks, most of whom are aged 30-39. The remaining channels are convenience stores, restaurants, supermarkets, shopping malls and traditional channels such as markets and pavement shops.

    Previously, market research firm Decision Lab had published a report on spending trends of target groups born in 1995 and later (Generation Z). It is estimated that Vietnam has more than 14.4 million people in this age group, with above 56 percent of them having no income or earning less than VND3 million ($129.12) per month.

    Despite the modest income and large dependence relying on their families, average monthly OOH spending by this generation is VND892,400 ($38.41), almost four times that of the average Saigon resident, the report said.

    On average each month, the total amount spent by this age group on eating and drinking was nearly VND13 trillion ($559.56 million).

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  • China’s cheese tea bakery Nayuki opens in Singapore

    China’s cheese tea bakery Nayuki opens in Singapore

    The cheese tea bakery, which draws inspiration from the Japanese philosophy of ‘Kaizen’ (a dedication to continuous improvement), opened to Singapore shoppers on December 8. Marking its debut international store opening, Nayuki has teamed up in a joint venture with BreadTalk Group for its officially opening in Vivocity.

    Vivocity store has been designed to reflect Nayuki’s philosophy: sophisticated and comfortable with seating and premium ingredients such as fresh fruit and tealeaves.

    “When it comes to shop design, we work with different designers, artists and some influential KOLs [key opinion leaders],” Peng Xin, Nayuki’s co-founder said in an interview.

    Singaporeans can now enjoy Nayuki’s signature “fruit tea and soft euro bread pairing” concept featuring the famous Supreme Cheese Strawberry tea and Strawberry fresh cream bread combo.

    In addition to the café’s breads and teas, the outlet also stocks cold brew teas, as well as selling an exclusive edition of its award-winning Alisan Mountain Dew Tea.

    Founded in Shenzhen, Nayuki was launched in 2015 from an appreciation of tea-drinking culture, something that has been known to China for centuries.

    To keep the tradition alive among the younger generation, Nayuki seeks to make tea drinking appealing through a stylish and modern tea concept, and effectively retailing it to millennials.

    And it’s proven successful. With over 100 stores across China across some 13 citie, Nayuki has garnered a cult following with celebrities and international lifestyle brands alike opting to partner with it.

    China is the largest market for tea drinking globally, with 13% of the world’s consumption taking place in China, according to Euromonitor. However, teeing up with BreadTalk Group and entering Singapore is the next step forward in global expansion, according to Peng.

    “Singapore is an important market. We chose Singapore to learn how to meet international standards – and then we can go global,” said Peng.

    Founded in 2000, the BreadTalk Group Limited is a Singaporean multinational food and beverage corporation headquartered in Paya Lebar, Singapore.

     

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  • Ramyeon Korea set to cross the $400 million export mark

    Ramyeon Korea set to cross the $400 million export mark

    Exports of ramyeon are sure to exceed $400 million this year, a state food agency reported Wednesday. Shipments of ramyeon totaled $385 million as of the end of November, up 11.2 percent from the same period last year, according to Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade.

    The figure is already more than the total for 2018. Given the sum so far, the monthly average exports are $35 million, suggesting that exports will $400 million by end of this year. South Korea broke the previous threshold of $300 million just last year.

    Ramyeon remains popular in the United States and in Southeast Asia, while China’s boycott of Korean products due diplomatic disagreements has weakened, according to the agency.

    Related data showed Korea exported $8.56 billion worth of agricultural and fisheries products in the first 11 months of the year, a gain of 2.6 percent from last year.

    By country, exports to Japan were the highest, at $1.94 billion, followed by $1.38 billion to China, $980 million to the United States and $530 million to Vietnam.

    The figures indicate a 0.3 percent fall for Japan but increases of 1.2 percent for China, 0.2 percent for the United States and 1 percent for Vietnam.

    Exports of farm and livestock products rose 2.4 percent to $6.37 billion, and those of fisheries goods were up 3.1 percent to $2.2 billion.

  • Vietnamese prefer fresh food by far to processed items

    Vietnamese prefer fresh food by far to processed items

    Vietnamese citizens spend three times more on fresh food than fast-consumer moving goods (FMCG), a new survey says. A family in urban Vietnam spends about VND1.1 million ($47.12) on fresh food a month, according to the recent survey by market research firm Kantar Worldpanel Vietnam.

    The survey polled over 2,000 households in Hanoi, the central city of Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and southern Can Tho City, and over 1,000 households in various rural areas across Vietnam.

    Fruits top the spending category in fresh food, accounting for 19 percent of the total, while vegetables come second at 11 percent. The rest goes to meat, seafood and rice.

    The traditional market remains the favorite shopping outlet for Vietnamese people, accounting for 85 percent of total spending on fresh food.

    Vietnamese people spend VND930,000 ($39.81) per week on fresh food at traditional markets, mostly on meat and seafood.

    Although locals spend only VND220,000 ($9.42) per week on fresh food at supermarkets, the figure shows a 28 percent growth over last year. Most of the supermarket spending is on fruits and processed food.

    Fresh food and FMCG make up the majority of Vietnamese people’s spending at 26.8 percent last year in the cities and 25.9 percent in rural areas.

    With rising incomes, Vietnamese people, especially in the cities, have been spending more on education and health, the report finds.

    The share of spending on education by urban families increased from 10.8 percent in 2012 to 12.9 percent last year, while spending on health grew from 3.5 percent to 3.9 percent in the same period.

    The report also finds that Vietnamese consumers accord top spending priority to food safety, health and environmental issues/disease.

    The majority of survey respondents, 96 percent, are confident that their spending capability will be stable or increase in upcoming months, and 86 percent expect the Vietnamese economy to be stable or grow stronger in the near future.

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  • How Pizza Hut is mixing technology with pizza

    How Pizza Hut is mixing technology with pizza

    Yum! Restaurants-led Pizza Hut is betting big on technology. The brand is investing technology at each every step from taking orders to delivery of the pizza. Elaborating more on the same, Managing Director, Pizza Hut (India Subcontinent), Yum! Restaurants, Unnat Varma said, “We are using technology in sorting out our kitchens. So kitchens are becoming better in terms of layout, efficiency, optimising labour. Apart from this, we are also using technology to schedule riders to make sure that pizzas reach hot and fresh to the consumers.”

    “To ensure a seemless experience to the customers we have again using technology. We have a new online experience for customers, it is one of the best friction-less experience. From getting customer’s location to ordering the pizza, the entire process has been reduced to a four-step journey,” he added.

    The brand is also not shying away from using drones to deliver the pizzas in the near future.

    “We are closely watching the drone delivery space. However, there is no current successful model. There has to be regulation, approval from the Government that drones can fly in the air space and to understand that how does it work for food as food is very atypical, it cannot loose temperature and it has to be accurate, it has to reach in a certain stipulated time and it has be delivered straight. We will host the space, we are very open, we are transforming ourselves digitally and technologically, if this space helps us unlock some future possibilities, we will definitely go ahead with it,” Varma revealed.

    Enhancing Customer Experience

    To add to the overall consumer experience, the brand has been constantly improving its products.

    According to Varma, “These days the customer experience is always around product and product excellence and there we have been making a continuos effort to make our product more delicious, fresh and hot but in addition to that it is about the entire experience – how fast customer can place the order, how fast cusotmer can locate our store, can we give cusotmers a great value deal, can we understand their requirements, can we customise, can we help them earn and let them use some loyalty points in the future.”

    Expansion Plans

    Pizza Hut India plans to open over 200 more outlets in India by 2022 to expand its retail footprint. Currently, it operates 422 stores in the country.

    “‘Pizza Hut is a very democratic brand, it is used by segments of the consumers in the market, so our attempt is to go to as close to consumer as possible, it could be going after the shoppers in the shopping mall or it could be going close to residential areas, or going to captive locations where we have people working, so we are open to all kind of opportunities that exist. We are even open to open our outlets at airports and railway stations too,” asserted Varma.

    The pizza chain runs a franchise model in the country, where investments for opening new outlets mainly comes from franchise partner.

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  • Starbucks opens immersive coffee destination in New York

    Starbucks opens immersive coffee destination in New York

    “We designed the Roastery as the pinnacle experience around all-things-coffee, and there is nothing else like it in the world. With premium coffees, teas, mixology and the iconic Milanese Princi Bakery, it serves as a Starbucks brand amplifier and a platform for future innovation,” said Kevin Johnson, CEO, Starbucks. “Beverages such as Draft Nitro, Cold Foam and the recent launch of Juniper Latte all began at the Roastery and have since been introduced to Starbucks locations around the world. It is the ultimate Starbucks Experience and an unforgettable way to connect with our customers.”

    Starbucks has a long history in New York. In 1994, Starbucks chairman emeritus, Howard Schultz, who was born and raised in Canarsie, Brooklyn, opened the first Starbucks store in the city on Broadway and 87th Street on the Upper West Side. Nearly 25 years later, there are 350 Starbucks stores across the five boroughs in the city where Starbucks employs approximately 5,000 partners (employees). The Roastery employs nearly 300 people, including roasters, baristas, commessas and mixologists.

    “Like most people I first experienced Starbucks as a customer, where I would go to my store at 195 Broadway in the Financial District in New York City and order a tall latte which was the perfect way to start my day,” said Raul Adorno, Managing Director Reserve Roastery New York. “I look forward to welcoming my fellow New Yorkers and visitors from all around the world when we open the Roastery on Friday. You will be amazed.”

    At its core, Starbucks Reserve Roastery New York is a working coffee roastery, where every day Starbucks Master Roasters, who have trained for years in the craft of coffee roasting, will be small-batch roasting Starbucks rarest single-origin coffees and blends called Starbucks Reserve. Those coffees then get served fresh at the Roastery or shipped to select Starbucks stores around the world. That functional purpose, as well as the history of industry and manufacturing in the meatpacking district, is reflected in the design of the space.

    “New York is a hub to the world,” said Liz Muller, Chief Design Officer of Starbucks. “It’s an unbelievable place with such history. The meatpacking district has a fantastic history of industry, and the neighborhood has an electric energy; it is alive. We’ve designed a space where the excitement and dynamic activity of the neighborhood is mirrored in the Roastery. We want our customers to come in and feel very inspired.”

    Unique Food and Beverages

    Coffee Bars – There are two coffee bars at the Roastery, which in total offer seven brewing methods, including pour over, Chemex, coffee press, siphon, espresso, Clover and cold brewing.

    Upon entering the Roastery, visitors can visit the coffee bar on the main level, where baristas, called coffee masters, are crafting classic espresso beverages such as cappuccino, latte, cortado and specialty drinks such as whiskey barrel-aged cold brew, sparkling citrus espresso, nitro hopped apricot cold brew and rotating specials like the cardamom latte.

    Arriviamo Bar – For the first time in the U.S., Starbucks will debut the Arriviamo Bar inspired by the Italian tradition of aperitivo. This craft cocktail bar is located inside the Roastery where expert mixologists will serve cocktails and spiritfrees curated by award-winning mixologist Julia Momose featuring coffee and tea. Specialty cocktails include the Nocino Notte, made with cold brew coffee, barrel-aged gin and black truffle salt, and the Triomphe, made with Teavana/MC Darjeeling de Triomphe Tea, gin, dry Riesling, aquavit, passionfruit sparkling water and orange saffron bitters. The Arriviamo Bar will also serve a selection of beer, wine and classic cocktails

    Princi – Inside the Roastery is the Milanese boutique bakery Princi from founder Rocco Princi, with on-site baking of fresh breads, Pizzas, cornetti, focaccias, desserts and more.

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  • Food delivery start-up Swiggy raises US$ 1 billion from venture funds

    Food delivery start-up Swiggy raises US$ 1 billion from venture funds

    Leading food ordering and delivery start-up Swiggy has raised US $1 billion (Rs 7,000 crore) venture funds from existing investors led by Naspers, to strengthen its technology and hire talent, it said on Thursday. “Swiggy will use the funds to bring more quality food brands closer to consumers and address gaps in supply through delivery-only kitchens, as well as hire talent and strengthen the technology,” the city-based app provider said in a statement.

    The Series H round of funding, led by Naspers, also includes the participation of existing investors DST Global, Meituan Dianping and Coatue Management.

    The funding round saw the participation of new investors Tencent, Hillhouse Capital and Wellington Management Company, the company said.

    The firm will also use the capital to hire talent, especially for machine learning and engineering roles across mid and senior levels, as well as strengthen its technology backbone.

    “The company will focus on building a next-generation Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven platform for hyperlocal discovery and on-demand delivery,” it added.

    Inclusive of the latest round, Swiggy said it has raised a total of US$ 1.26 billion (Rs 8,825 crore).

    In June, the food-tech start-up raised US$ 210 million (around Rs 1,500 crore) from multiple investment firms, including Naspers, DST Global in Series G funding and US$ 100 million (around Rs 700 crore) in Series F in February from multiple investors.

    Details of the promoters’ equity holding in their firm after the latest round of funding are not made public by the company.

    “As we add more firepower to our vision of elevating quality of life for urban consumers by offering unparalleled convenience, our global investors also share our purpose and have made a significant investment in our future,” Swiggy’s Chief Executive Sriharsha Majety said in the statement.

    Founded in 2014, Swiggy claims to have 50,000 restaurant partners across 50 cities, including New Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata and Pune, and receives about 25 million food orders a month.

    The company, which has over 4,000 employees, reported an operating revenue of Rs 442-crore for fiscal 2017-18.

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  • India rice rates hit more than three-month high, Chinese rules weigh on Vietnam

    India rice rates hit more than three-month high, Chinese rules weigh on Vietnam

    Rice export prices in India rose to their highest in more than three months as a key producing region hiked procurement rates for domestic paddy. Top exporter India’s 5 percent broken parboiled variety was quoted at $375-$382 per tonne this week, the highest since Sept. 7.

    The central state of Chhattisgarh, a leading rice producer, raised the minimum paddy buying price to 2,500 rupees per 100 kg, from 1,750 rupees earlier this week.

    “Importers are not ready to pay a higher price. Exports are likely to slow down in coming months,” said an exporter based at Kakinada, in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

    Prices of Vietnam’s 5 percent broken rice declined for the fifth straight week to $385 a tonne as activity remained muted, traders said.

    “Prices fell further because we are concerned that China’s move to impose stricter conditions on Vietnamese rice will have a long-term impact,” a trader based in Ho Chi Minh City said.

    “It’s not clear if China is buying more from Cambodia and Myanmar to compensate for the possible declining shipments from Vietnam.”

    Another trader said supplies from Vietnam will increase from late next month when the winter-spring harvest begins.

    In Thailand, benchmark 5 percent broken rice prices were quoted at $390-$391 per tonne, free on board Bangkok, versus $385-$393 a week ago, as the market is expected to remain quiet until well after the New Year period.

    “This is a reasonable level as we’re nearing the end of the year. There is not much overseas activity and we’re also in the harvesting season,” a Bangkok-based trader said.

    Meanwhile, Bangladesh, which emerged as a major importer of rice in 2017 due to stock depletion following floods, has stepped up efforts to procure more rice locally after output of the staple grain improved, a food ministry official said.

    “The response from farmers is very good and the procurement drive will be continued,” the official said.

    The country’s production for 2018/19 is expected to recover to 34.7 million tonnes, up 6.3 percent year-on-year, according to estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture attaché in Bangladesh.

    The South Asian country has procured more than 1.3 million tonnes of rice locally so far in the current season to build state reserves.

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  • Jollibee buys out Smashburger with big deal

    Jollibee buys out Smashburger with big deal

    Jollibee has taken full ownership and control of US fast-food chain Smashburger after acquiring an 85 per cent stake in February. The Philippine company said it paid US$10 million to acquire the remaining 15 per cent of the company and that it has made management changes.

    Tom Ryan, Smashburger founder and CEO, will take on the additional title of chief product development advisor at Jollibee Foods Corporation globally, focusing on strengthening taste and quality aspects across key brands and enhancing their relevance across global markets.

    Jose “Pepot” Minana has assumed the role of Smashburger president, including daily operations, collaborating on strategy and brand direction, and lead the continuing integration of Smashburger into the Jollibee Foods portfolio.

    Smashburger has 351 stores and accounts for 7 per cent of Jollibee’s global sales which totalled $3.4 billion last year.

  • Vive cake boutique launches hot beverages this winter

    Vive cake boutique launches hot beverages this winter

    Embracing the joyous holiday season, celebrity-loved Vive Cake Boutique launches a selection of luscious winter drinks specially curated by Founder, Ms Vivien Lau, to pair with VIVE’s delectable sweet treats. A selection of premium organic teas sourced from Taiwan are also introduced to add to its repertoire of beverages.

    “The holiday season is one that inspires the sharing of love and joy between family and friends,” says Vivien Lau. “Our new hot drinks are ‘warm, comforting and the perfect thing to cozy up with as the weather gets colder. Pair them with our signature cakes; it is soul-warming.”

    The new non-alcoholic So Grape-ful (HK$68), is a sophisticated yet whimsical libation designed to emulate mulled wine. Made with grape juice, tangy orange and lemon zest, a dash of cinnamon, cloves, and star anise, this warm drink not only brings to mind a winter wonderland classic, but also inspires a sense of playfulness with its presentation in a classic Christmas bauble sitting in a Martini glass.

    Lovers of sweetness and tradition will enjoy the classic S’mores (HK$50) concoction. A classic hot chocolate topped with roasted marshmallows, featuring butter cake crumbs, the smooth and satisfying drink conjures the classic Christmas moment shared by family and friends in front of a fireplace.

    The chilly winter season need not only be a time exclusively for indulgences. VIVE introduces a repertoire of three organic premium teas personally sourced by Vivien Lau from Taiwan, unrivalled for its high quality teas.

    Each of these teas is recommended to be paired with VIVE’s repertoire of signature desserts. The long-lasting, mellow sweetness of the Golden Honey Black Tea (HK$42) which invokes a scent of honey, floral, fruity, and milky aroma is recommended to be paired with Berry Jolly (HK$58), a layered sponge cake with mascarpone mousse and strawberry fillings. The slight astringency of black tea will make that mascarpone mousse really sing.

    The sweet, floral, and honey-fragrant Oriental Beauty Tea (HK$42) with its unique flower and honey aroma is best paired with the Berry Almond Tart (HK$48), made with seasonal fruits set atop an almond cake base and a crisp, sweet tart shell.  The tea is light enough to not overpower the fruits, but flavorful enough to make this simple sweet treat shine.

    Tea lovers who fancy the classic clean and grassy aroma with a tinge of roast, will love the mellow and brisk taste of Alpine Roast Oolong Tea (HK$42), which leaves tea drinkers with a lingering sugar cane sweetness. This tea is best paired with Treasure Hunt (HK$58), a rich caramel glazed cake, layered with dark chocolate sponge, caramel & chocolate mousse, set on a crunchy base.  The fragrant florals of lightly oxidized oolongs will bring out the fruity and earthy flavors of dark chocolate.

    Tea-ophiles may also take these naturally grown, chemical-free teas home with them. Tea connoisseurs may enjoy Golden Honey Black Tea for a natural caffeine boost, Alpine Roast Oolong Tea, and Oriental Beauty Tea at the comforts of their own homes. The packaged tea box with priced HK$218, including 15 individual tea bags (each flavour of 5), is a perfect personal or corporate gift.

    Vive Cake Boutique has proved a roaring success story since being launched with online orders in 2014 by founder and creative director Vivien Lau, who discovered her passion and talent by chance, making her first cake for a friend’s birthday. Her signature ‘handmade with love’ cakes, cupcakes, macarons, cookies, confectioneries and tailor-made cakes for weddings and special occasions, are all made from scratch from finest ingredients sourced from all over the world.

    VIVE’s widespread acclaim includes Time Out’s listing among the “crème de la crème of Hong Kong’s bespoke dessert makers” – with a massive celebrity and socialite following including Aaron Kwok, Charlene Choi, Gillian Chung, Niki Chow, Sharon Chan, Miki Yeung, Ella Koon, Myolie Wu and more.

  • Hyundai Department Store offers higher price rice

    Hyundai Department Store offers higher price rice

    Hyundai Department Store is hoping to cash in on Korea’s growing preference for premium rice with Hyundai Rice House, its new chain rice stores. Hyundai Rice House, which opened inside four existing Hyundai Department Stores on Wednesday, offers around 20 different types of high-quality rice unfamiliar to the average rice eater, such as Youngho Jinmi and Golden Queen No. 3.

    Despite changing tastes in Korea that are seeing a growing preference for Western food and an overall decrease in demand for rice, premium rice is growing in popularity.

    Hyundai Department Store reported a 3.1 percent decrease in its rice sales growth figures through November this year compared to the previous year, but sales of premium rice such as Koshihikari and Hitomebore have increased by 15.7 percent over the same period.

    Hyundai is pulling out all the stops to satisfy Korea’s budding rice connoisseurs, and the new stores will also sell bags of rice that contain different varieties mixed together in combinations chosen by a “rice sommelier.”

    The expert, accredited by the Corporation of Rice-Cooking of Japan, will also visit stores once every month to conduct “rice taste consulting” for customers to help them find rice that best suits their tastes and nutritional needs.

    The department store is also going to stock more small bags of rice to address the increase in one or two-person households in the country.

    Hyundai will continue to increase its rice lineup next year by introducing other Korean regional specialties produced only in small quantities.

    “[We] planned Hyundai Rice House to target customers who want to eat well even for one meal as the convenience food market continues to expand with the increase of one and two-person households,” said a Hyundai Department Store official.

    Customers will have to shell out more cash for the pricey rice as the average cost is 15 to 25 percent higher than the existing rice sold at the department store.

    The specialty store is located at Hyundai Department Store’s branches in Mok-dong, western Seoul; Pangyo, Gyeonggi; Ulsan and Busan.

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  • Vietnam to work on cheaper premium Japanese beef

    Vietnam to work on cheaper premium Japanese beef

    Vietnamese businesses are racing to raise upmarket Japanese cattle at home to produce cheaper Wagyu beef. Beef from cattle raised in Vietnam is 2-4 times cheaper than imported ones. Two years ago, Huy Long An Limited Company in the southern province of Long An imported thousands of Wagyu cattle, from which the famous Japanese beef is produced.

    Vo Quang Huy, the company’s director, said his company has signed a deal with Japan’s Sawai Farm to develop a farming model for Wagyu beef in Vietnam.

    “We are selling the beef on a trial basis to hotels and restaurants. The product will hit the markets in 2019, when production is stabilised. Although it’s difficult to raise them (Wagyu) in Vietnam, they’re worth a lot,” Huy said.

    He said a kilo of Wagyu beef can sell for VND700,000 ($30) to VND1 million ($42.84) a kilogram.

    Like the Huy Long An company, the Kobe Beef Vietnam company has also been breeding Wagyu cattle in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. Nguyen Tri Vu, general director of the company, said he imported genetic material for the Japanese breed from the U.S.

    The company is currently rearing 420 cows, and on average sells one every week. Each cow is worth VND200-250 million ($8,567- 10,708), many times higher than that of other cow breeds in the market today. Each kilogram of ‘Viet Wagyu’ sells for VND2-4 million ($85.67- 171.34) per kilogram.

    “This beef is mostly sold to restaurants, hotels and gourmets, mainly in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Lat. This is a premium breed. It costs VND150,000 ($6.43) a day to feed one cow. They are also fed some materials that have to be imported, hence the high price,” Vu said.

    Local beef now costs from VND100,000-500,000 ($4.4-22.02) per kilogram.

    Other Japanese farms have also announced their intention to start raising cattle in Vietnam.

    Speaking on the potential of the market, an agriculture expert said that demand for Japanese beef was increasing, but among those with high earnings.

    Import prices are relatively high, with the cheapest around VND1 million (($42.84)) per kilogram and the most expensive nearly VND19 million ($815.89), and the average ones at VND9 million ($386.47) per kilogram. On the other hand, beef from cattle raised in Vietnam have very competitive prices.

    However, if the local breeders do not establish good brands, they could lose market share to products of no clear origin, he said

    Vietnam’s cattle industry is failing to meet the country’s increasing demand for beef, forcing local consumers to turn to imported products, the expert added.

    Last year, the country imported more than 262,300 live cattle, and nearly 42,000 tons of beef and buffalo meat valued at more than $410 million, according to the Animal Husbandry Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

    The deputy director of the department, Tong Xuan Chinh, said Vietnamese people’s diets have changed drastically in recent years, and they’re now eating more beef and buffalo meat.

    Average consumption has doubled to 5-6 kilograms of beef and buffalo meat per year in the past decade, but the cattle industry has been unable to keep up with the rise in demand. Local supplies of beef and buffalo meat only meet 80 percent of the current demand, he said.

  • Cafe Leitz opens in Raffles Hotel Singapore

    Cafe Leitz opens in Raffles Hotel Singapore

    German photography brand Leica has reopened at Raffles Hotel with a line of wristwatches and a cafe. The opening debuts Leica’s Cafe Leitz in Singapore, based on its German flagship and serving a variety of coffees and petit fours. The store, launched on the site of the brand’s original Singapore location, features a new experiential retail concept that showcases Leica’s iconic cameras while drawing visitors towards its first line of digital watches in Southeast Asia.

    Leica enters the watchmaking industry alongside a pewter and silver collaboration jewellery line with Royal Selangor exclusive to Leica Store Raffles, featuring subtle references to the Leica camera. The store hosts a gallery space for classic Leica photography.

  • Haidilao hot pot debuts in Vietnam

    Haidilao hot pot debuts in Vietnam

    Chinese hot-pot chain Haidilao is to open its first outlet in Vietnam. The outlet is located on the second floor of the 68-story Bitexco building in Ho Chi Minh City. Without revealing the opening date, the company has been recruiting office staff and restaurant crews for its Vietnam debut. Hai Di Lao Viet Nam Holdings Company was established in August, headquartered in Hanoi.

    Founded in 1994, Haidilao serves Sichuan-style hot pot integrating features from all over China. Until now, the chain has opened 29 restaurants overseas, including in Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the US.

  • South African restaurant chain Barcelos to add 12 restaurants in India by FY’20

    South African restaurant chain Barcelos to add 12 restaurants in India by FY’20

    South African restaurant chain Barcelos is looking to add 12 more to its kitty in India by the end of 2019-20 as part of an expansion plan, a senior company official said. The company has one restaurant each in Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Chennai and two in Mumbai.

    “We plan to add 12 more restaurants across the country by the end of next fiscal year,” Rohit Malhotra, Business Head India, Barcelos said.

    According to a report: The new restaurants would be in Bengaluru, Pune, Goa, Chandigarh, Kochi, Puducherry, Mumbai, among others, he added. The company is also planning to rename all its big restaurants (area of 1,500 square feet or above) by March next year, Malhotra said.

    Barcelos is also looking to open between 10 to 12 smaller outlets in food courts in the country. Such outlets will have area between 300-500 square feet, he added.

    When asked about the business model Barcelos follows in India, Malhotra said: “All the outlets are franchise owned. Barcelos works through franchise model in India.”

    Regarding investments to expand Barcelos’ presence in the country, he said it will be mainly on research and development for menus, supply chain, marketing and training.

    Barcelos started operations in 1993 in Pretoria in South Africa. The company is present in 22 countries, Malhotra said.