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.

  • Starbucks to stop using disposable plastic straws

    Starbucks to stop using disposable plastic straws

    Starbucks has announced plans to eliminate plastic straws globally by 2020.

    According to a statement released by the brand, Starbucks’ focus on adapting to consumer trends has led it to take notice of the “tremendous momentum” of the global movement to eliminate plastic straws.

    “Going strawless is the right thing to do for our environment, our partners and our business,” the statement read.

    The brand plans to introduce strawless lids and alternative-material straws in its 28,000+ stores around the world. The lids are already available in more than 8000 stores throughout North America for certain menu items. Straws made from alternative materials will soon be available on request for its Frappuccino beverages.

    Starbucks is the largest food and beverage retailer to make such a commitment, which will eliminate more than 1 billion plastic straws per year from Starbucks stores.

    Lees ook:

  • Hai Di Lao will open first London store

    Hai Di Lao will open first London store

    Chinese hot pot chain Hai Di Lao will open its first UK restaurant at the Trocadero in Piccadilly Circus, London.

    In a deal facilitated by real estate firm Savills, the brand has signed a 15-year lease of an almost 10,000sqft site. It is the chain’s first venue in Europe and follows the opening of its New York restaurant in Times Square.

    Savills’ leisure team associate director Richard Thomas said “Hai Di Lao is a globally recognised brand with fans of the concept worldwide… the chain already has its sights set on expansion both in the UK and across Europe and we are very pleased to have secured this prime spot for its flagship restaurant.”

    To date, Hai Di Lao has opened 310 locations around the world.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Jollibee makes debut in Macau

    Jollibee makes debut in Macau

    The popular Filipino fast food franchise Jollibee has opened its first restaurant in Macau.

    Long queues are seen from as early as 7am outside the Jollibee Macau store, with many of those in line being Filipino nationals. A large Jollibee mascot entertained diners as they waited to be served.

    Macau has a strong population of Filipinos working in the casino and f&b sectors.

    The company opened its first restaurant in Milan earlier this year, and also added a venue in Canada where the brand has plans to open 100 stores within five years. Further expansions into the UK, Malaysia, and Indonesia are also in the works.

    Jollibee currently operates in several countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, as well as Hong Kong and the US.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Vietnam can import beef from Brazil again, says Deputy PM

    Vietnam can import beef from Brazil again, says Deputy PM

    Vietnam will consider importing beef from Brazil again if food safety conditions are ensured, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue has said.

    At the recent Vietnam-Brazil Trade and Investment Forum attended by around 100 enterprises in Sao Paulo, Brazil, he also said Vietnam could become the top importer of corn and soybeans.

    A quality control scandal in Brazil early last year led to 20 countries, including Vietnam, suspending the import of Brazilian meat. Many countries have since resumed imports after receiving explanations and commitments from the Brazilian government.

    It was said the forum that Brazil will also increase import of coffee, catfish and shrimp from Vietnam.

    Hue noted that in 10 years of trading and investment relations, import-export turnover of Vietnam and Brazil has reached $4 billion, most of it from agricultural products.

    Vietnam’s imports from Brazil in 2017 reached $1.8 billion, according to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Soft drink firms make big money, pay small taxes in Vietnam

    Soft drink firms make big money, pay small taxes in Vietnam

    Business has been sweet for the four major companies that dominate Vietnam’s soft drinks market, but they pay a relative pittance in taxes.

    The big 4 in Vietnam’s sweetened beverage market are: Coca-cola Vietnam, an arm of American Coca-cola, Suntory Pepsico, a fully foreign owned joint venture between U.S. PepsiCo Inc. and Japan’s Suntory Holdings Limited, URC Vietnam based in the Philippines, and Vietnamese firm Tan Hiep Phat.

    High consumption in Vietnam has boosted revenues for these firms, Suntory Pepsico leading the way.

    Truong Tuyet Mai, deputy director of the National Institute of Nutrition, said in June that Vietnamese people are forecast to consume over 5 billion liters of sweetened drinks in 2018, nine times more than in 2000, and the figure is estimated to reach 11 billion by 2025.

    According to Vietnam Association of Liquor, Beer and Beverages, a Vietnamese person currently consume more than 23 liters of soft drinks per year and the figure will keep rising in the future.

    To date, Vietnam has not imposed a special consumption tax on sweetened drinks, collecting just corporate income tax. The tax paid by firms making the sweetened drinks has, therefore, been quite modest, compared to their revenues.

    Economist Vu Dinh Anh said on Friday that “there might be two reasons for the low income of these companies: one is transfer pricing and the other is the high expenditure on advertisement.”

    As for advertisement, it is easy to understand that those companies have to spend a big sum each year on all media channels for their products, Anh said.

    Vietnam used to put a cap on the spending for advertisement but that policy is no longer applied, said Anh.

    Those two reasons might result in the low income and lead to the low corporate income tax payment, he added.

    The Ministry of Finance has proposed a 10 percent special consumption tax on different type of beverages, including sweetened drinks.

    If passed, the proposal will go into effect in 2019.

    Lees ook:

  • Liang Sandwich Bar chain opens at VivoCity

    Liang Sandwich Bar chain opens at VivoCity

    New “Asian-style sandwich” chain Liang Sandwich Bar launched in Singapore on Saturday, with an outlet in VivoCity mall’s B2 level.

    A second store is scheduled to open in Raffles City next month.

    Besides the two Singapore stores, Liang Sandwich Bar expects to have built its network in Malaysia to 18 stores by the end of August as it plots an aggressive expansion strategy. It launched there last December.

    The Chinese fast-food brand uses various popular sandwich fillings with Taiwanese-style scallion pancakes in place of bread. One hundred free sandwiches were given out over the course of the weekend as a promotion for the new VivoCity store.

    The Taiwanese brand has more than 12,000 outlets worldwide throughout Asia and North America. It is endorsed by a highly prominent figure in Chinese entertainment, Mandopop rap artist Jay Chou.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Starbucks debuts nitro cold brew in India

    Starbucks debuts nitro cold brew in India

    Starbucks has introduced a new generation of coffee in India with Nitro Cold Brew on tap. Using the highest quality coffee beans, the Nitro Cold Brew unfolds an irresistible coffee experience where time meets texture. With each cup 48 hours in the making, the Nitro Cold Brew is a super-smooth, naturally sweet coffee that cascades from the tap with a velvety, creamy texture which customers can see and taste.

    Nitro Cold Brew marks Starbucks next chapter of coffee innovation offering customers an elevated coffee experience through its newest take on its signature Cold Brew. In today’s fast‐paced world where everything is instant and on‐demand, Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew allows customers to enjoy small-batch, slow-steeped coffee like they’ve never tasted it before. After handcrafting the Cold Brew recipe, baristas perfect the pour by pulling the tap and allowing the Cold Brew coffee to mix with nitrogen to deliver an entirely new cold coffee experience. Nitro Cold Brew is cold right out of the tap and served unsweetened without ice.

    Starbucks also offers the refreshing Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. Made with Starbucks® Cold Brew over ice and topped with a house-made vanilla sweet cream, the sweet cream floats on top of the beverage before slowly cascading down for an eye‐catching effect.

    “At Starbucks, innovation is always brewing. We take great pride in partnering with customers in their journey of coffee exploration. We are pleased to introduce Starbucks® Nitro Cold Brew in India, taking our Cold Brew craft to a whole new level,” said Veetika Deoras, Head – Marketing, Category and Digital at Tata Starbucks Pvt. Ltd. “It is a sensorial coffee drinking experience, and one that has the potential to redefine the language of coffee in India.”

    Starbucks Cold Brew is available across all Starbucks stores in India. Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew is currently exclusively available in 5 stores across India: Mumbai, Kamala Mills | Bangalore, Jaya Nagar | Delhi, Green Park | Noida, DLF Mall of India | Kolkata, Park Mansions.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Vietnam H1 seafood exports up 12.3 pct

    Vietnam H1 seafood exports up 12.3 pct

    Seafood export value rose 12.3 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2018 to reach $4 billion, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

    Shrimp led the export earnings with $1.6 billion, followed by catfish and tuna. Catfish export value experienced the most significant increase by reaching $1 billion, a 21 percent increase over the same period last year.

    Except for the European Union (EU), catfish exports to other markets saw positive growth, especially China and the United States. VASEP expects catfish exports increase dramatically throughout the year.

    The U.S. remained the biggest importer of Vietnamese seafood at $620 million in the first six months, followed by Japan and China. Mexico was the fastest growing market with $50 million, an increase of nearly 77 percent over the same period last year.

    Previously, the EU “yellow card”, a warning to Vietnam seafood about export bans if it failed to tackle illegal fishing, had disrupted tuna and other seafood exports in the first 3-4 months of the year, causing total exports to the European market to slow down. However, exports to this market are forecast to rebound in the second half of the year.

    Vietnam ranks among the top ten seafood producers in the world, according to the FAO, the U.N. food and agriculture organisation.

    Vietnam exported $8.32 billion worth of seafood last year, an 18 percent growth over 2016, said the VASEP.

  • Starbucks to increase number of cashless stores in Korea

    Starbucks to increase number of cashless stores in Korea

    Starbucks Coffee Korea Co. said Monday it will increase the number of cashless stores to over 100 across South Korea this month amid rising use of credit cards and mobile payment systems in the tech-savvy country.

    Earlier in April, the coffee giant began a test run of three cashless stores in major office districts in and around Seoul.

    The proportion of cash transactions at these stores has since dropped from 3 percent to 0.2 percent, according to the joint venture between Starbucks Coffee International Inc. and South Korean retail giant Shinsegae.

    The company will turn 100 more outlets into cashless stores from July 16 in addition to the three under the trial system.

    Starbucks said the decision is part of its broader digital innovation drive as cash payment has been constantly declining at stores in South Korea, from 31 percent of the total in 2010 to 15 percent in 2013 and 7 percent last year.

    “South Korea has a high utilization rate of credit cards and mobile payments. That coupled with the country’s well-established digital infrastructure enabled our latest expansion decision,” Starbucks Korea CEO Lee Seock-koo said in a statement.

    The total daily average amount of electronic financial transactions came to a record 581.53 billion won (US$521.6 million) in the first quarter of this year, up 13.2 percent from a quarter earlier, according to government data.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • US to import Vietnamese mangoes

    US to import Vietnamese mangoes

    The United States is completing procedures to approve import of Vietnamese mangoes, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Censky said at a meeting in Washington D.C. on Tueday.

    The U.S. will also start importing star apples form Vietnam soon, Censky told Vietnamese Deputy Minister Vuong Dinh Hue, who is on an official visit to the U.S.

    Censky proposed that Vietnam considers importing fruits like blueberry and several citrus varieties from the U.S.

    At the meeting, Hue said that the U.S., as one of Vietnam’s top trade partners, should increase its agriculture cooperation with Vietnam towards supporting low emission production models.

    He also suggested that the U.S. considers importing grapefruit and other fruits from Vietnam.

    Vietnam’s exports to the U.S. last year reached $41.61 billion, an increase of 8.2 percent in over 2016. Fruit exports of $102 million accounted for just 0.2 percent of total export to the U.S., according to Vietnam Customs.

    The U.S. was Vietnam’s third largest trade partner last year, behind Korea in second place and China at the top.

  • BreadTalk sets expansion plan for China, Indonesia

    BreadTalk sets expansion plan for China, Indonesia

    BreadTalk Group is expanding through new joint ventures in China and Indonesia.

    Using a wholly owned subsidiary, Shanghai BreadTalk Gourmet, the Singapore-listed food chain operator has formed a joint venture with Ge Ying to operate BreadTalk bakeries in Chongqing, China.

    “This strategic partnership combines BreadTalk Group’s wealth of experience in managing and developing franchisee relationships with Ge Ying’s strong understanding of Chinese consumers’ preferences,” BreadTalk Group said in a statement.

    Ge Ying has been managing the BreadTalk brand of bakeries in Tibet for the last six years. “With proven track records, the group is confident of his team’s capabilities to lead the growth plans for Chongqing, China.”

    BreadTalk Group will hold a 30 per cent stake in the joint venture, which will potentially expand across southwestern China.

    Tan Aik Peng, BreadTalk Group’s bakery division CEO said adopting a joint venture approach rather than a franchising agreement was in line with the group’s long-term direction of increasing directly owned outlets in Mainland China.

    “Our strong product development and innovative brand promotion, coupled with Mr Ge Ying and his team’s proven track record in BreadTalk operational management and strong local knowledge will create a win-win situation for us in Chongqing. Looking ahead, it will serve as a good foundation for us to build a strong southwestern China base in Chongqing, enabling us the opportunity to penetrate further into other southwestern markets like Yunnan and Guiyang provinces.

    “We are fully committed to the Chinese bakery market in which we have full confidence to meet the discerning tastes of the Chinese consumers,” concluded Peng.

    Toast Box expands into Indonesia

    Meanwhile, through its BreadTalk International subsidiary, the company has formed another joint venture in Indonesia.

    It has a 70 per cent stake in BTG – Pura Indah Berkat Venture, with partner Pura Indah Berkat, which operates the Toast Box brand and chain of outlets in Indonesia.

    The first Toast Box outlet is scheduled to open this year in central Jakarta. Currently, PIB manages a Toast Box outlet at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Terminal 3.

    In a statement announcing the venture, Peng described Indonesia as “a strategic and important market for the company” and that the Toast Box format is “highly relevant” to Indonesian consumers.

    “We are confident that with our insights and experience from operating Toast Box in Singapore and other regions, our consumers will be able to enjoy our quality Nanyang coffee, toast products and local delicacies in Indonesia,” said Tan.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Texas Chicken Malaysia to open new stores

    Texas Chicken Malaysia to open new stores

    Fast-food chain Texas Chicken Malaysia has opened its first outlet on the Southern Peninsular with its new store in Johor Bahru’s City Square Shopping Mall.

    The new outlet, Texas Chicken’s 48th restaurant nationwide, is managed by local franchisee Envictus International Holdings Limited (Envictus Group), which plans to open further locations within the region shortly. It already operates outlets in Klang Valley, Selangor, Penang, and Negeri Sembilan.

    According to Envictus chairman Dato’ Jaya Tan, “The Johor Bahru City Square is the kind of location every restaurant dreams of. The new Texas Chicken will be right in the heart of the city, close to corporate offices, local and international colleges, and just minutes from the customs and immigration checkpoint between Malaysia and Singapore”.

    Executive VP of international business for Texas Chicken Tony Moralejo said this was an opportunity that was “identified and cultivated by a veteran franchisee”.

    The new restaurant should seat 111 guests with a retail space of 1123sqft.

  • Costa Coffee China sales grows

    Costa Coffee China sales grows

    UK’s Costa Coffee says sales in China have underpinned solid growth in its Asian operations.

    Costa has 459 stores in China, where sales rose 4.9 per cent in the first half year as Chinese continue to boost their coffee consumption.

    The company plans to open a further 100 stores in China before Christmas and is expanding its range to suit local tastes, after items such as Cold Brew and Character Roast performed well.

    Costa is also steadily expanding its network in other Asian markets, including Singapore where it has about 10 outlets, and Cambodia.

    Globally, Costa Coffee achieved a 5.2 per cent rise in first-quarter sales, helped by new store openings and the popularity of its Costa Express machines. However, like-for-like sales in its UK home market fell 2 per cent, reflecting the challenges faced by most retailers on high streets currently.

    Costa’s parent, brewer Whitbread, is considering options to spin the business off in a separate listing, but has reportedly since been courted by private equity firms seeing an opportunity to grow the business internationally.

    TPG, Bain Capital and CVC could pave the way for a sale of the brand realising as much as £3 billion.

    In the UK, Costa Coffee has 2467 stores, a mix of company-run and franchised stores. As it encounters trouble on high street locations, the company is shifting focus to high-traffic locations such as airports and petrol stations.

  • Vietnamese coffee maker gets an energy boost

    Vietnamese coffee maker gets an energy boost

    Vinacafe Bien Hoa (HoSE: VCF) is placed among the top three instant coffee producers in Vietnam, alongside Trung Nguyen and Nestle.

    After reaching its peak in 2014, however, the company’s coffee segment went through a stiff drop in revenue which was recorded at VND1.7 trillion ($74.6 million) last year, a decline of VND300 billion year-on-year and VND550 billion compared to the record high in 2014.

    Its portion of revenue generated by instant coffee has plummeted from 80 percent to 50 percent.

    This trend is not unique, as revenues of Trung Nguyen, its major rival, have stayed flat in the last three years at around VND3.8 trillion ($166.8 million).

    According to several market research firms, the market share of caffeine drinks is now being eaten up by energy-boosting alternatives to coffee, like energy drinks and bottled tea.

    This trend has helped Vinacafe offset sluggish sales of instant coffee. It introduced the coffee-flavored energy drink under Wake-up brand in 2014. The new product quickly gained popularity in a market dominated by Thailand’s Red Bull, PepsiCo’s Sting and local Number 1.

    Revenue of Wake-up 247 has gone up four-fold in three years. Last year, it was recorded at more than VND1.2 trillion ($52.7 million), an in crease of 55.5 percent from 2016. The gross profit of the energy drink was VND557 billion, corresponding to a gross profit margin of 45.5 percent, higher than the figure of coffee by 12 percentage points.

    Vinacafe has targeted VND3.1-3.3 trillion in revenue this year, a 5 percent year-on-year decline. However, it aims at higher post-tax profit of VND450-500 billion, up 21-35 percent from 2017.

    To achieve these targets, the company will focus on rebuilding its instant coffee brands by relaunching some products with new makeovers. For the energy drink, it seeks to expand production and distribution.

    At the general meeting last April, Nguyen Tan Ky, general director of Vinacafe, said the company has changed its distribution model to secure a two-digit growth rate in face of stiff competition.

    Its products are now sold through a nationwide network of its parent company Masan Beverage, a wholly owned subsidiary of consumer goods giant Masan Consumer under Masan Group.

  • Tsui Wah Mainland coming for some help

    Tsui Wah Mainland coming for some help

    New stores in Mainland China helped mitigate a tough consumer market in Hong Kong for listed restaurant-operator Tsui Wah Group.

    The company ended the year with 70 restaurants – a net increase of five in Mainland China, one in Hong Kong and an unchanged three in Macau.

    Total revenue reached HK$1.84 billion (US$234.5 million)for the year to March 31, down by a marginal 0.3 per cent with a 4.3 per cent decline in Hong Kong offset by a 7.8 per cent increase in Mainland China. Profit attributable to shareholders fell 11.4 per cent to $80.77 million.

    Chairman and executive director Lee Yuen Hong said the retail market in Hong Kong experienced “a progressive improvement” during the period, however, selling and distribution expenses as well as property rental and related expenses had increased, which presented challenges to the group’s results.

    “The PRC market benefitted from rising purchasing power amongst the general population, and the revenue from the group’s branches in Mainland China also correspondingly increased.”

    Tsui Wah launched two new self-developed brands last year: Beat Bakery, which uses flour imported from Japan with healthy eating as its core theme, and Nijuuichi Don, featuring Japanese fast-food.

    The group also opened a new restaurant concept, Maomao Eat, which serves authentic Hong Kong-style snacks in the Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Arts, in Central. “Maomao Eat also incorporates vegetarian elements in its menu by partnering with Green Monday, a non-profit organisation that promotes a healthy diet and sustainable living,” he said.

    The company opened eight new Tsui Wah branches in Hong Kong and Mainland China, three in Shanghai, and three in the south.

    Tsui Wah also sealed a partnership with Singapore’s Jumbo Group to open and operate a Hong Kong-style Cha Chaan Teng under the Tsui Wah brand. Hong said the restaurant, which opened in mid-June, leverages off Jumbo’s strong presence in Singapore.

    “The group is confident this joint venture will be successful and will enable Tsui Wah and its products to establish an excellent international reputation among the 5.6 million residents of Singapore.”

    Lees ook: