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.

  • Biggest Zoo Coffee opens in Philippines

    Biggest Zoo Coffee opens in Philippines

    Korean chain Zoo Coffee has launched its third and largest outlet in the Philippines, at Ayala Vertis North.

    Zoo Coffee stands out for its jungle-themed interiors and staff wearing safari costumes.

    The menu includes the popular Korean iced dessert bingsu, waffles, sandwiches, hotdogs, and cakes.

    Katrina Balolan told ABS-CBN News that the coffee chain plans to open two more branches within the year – at Robinsons Malls and another Ayala mall.

    The company is also opening a barista academy to train people, as well as upgrading its logistics and supply chain to support future store openings.

    Zoo Coffee opened its first branch in Philippines at Alphaland Makati Place in June 2016, followed by the second one at SM Megamall.

    Established in 2009, Zoo Coffee has 100 stores in its home country South Korea.

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  • Hennessy XO and Marc Newson reunite at Changi

    Hennessy XO and Marc Newson reunite at Changi

    Moët Hennessy has joined forces with DFS Group and Singapore Changi Airport for a second time to launch a new Hennessy X.O 2018 limited edition decanter by designer Marc Newson.

    The decanter, which features a transparent gift box, is exclusive to the travel retailer at Changi,  ahead of its worldwide premier in July.

    Departing travellers can delve into the world of Hennessy X.O and Marc Newson in DFS outlets across the terminals and secure one of the decanters.

    In addition they can scan a QR code on the product to view an immersive video and interact virtually with Marc Newson himself.

    RE-INTERPRETED BOTTLING

    In crafting the bottle for the limited edition, Newson blends subtle gold with hues of rose to create a ‘dynamic, steamlined variation on the decanter’s iconic shape that breaks with conventions and gives it a wholly unexpected twist’.

    The LVMH wines and spirits house first collaborated with DFS and Changi for the iconic Hennessy X.O Decanter in 2017.

    Moët Hennessy Managing Director Travel Retail Asia Pacific Vanessa Widmann, commented: “We are very excited to partner with DFS Group and Changi Airport for a second time in a row to build on the successful Limited Edition launch of 2017 and introduce this year’s Hennessy X.O Limited Edition by Marc Newson. With its impactful design, I strongly believe that the limited edition makes for the perfect gift for travellers.”

    Brooke Supernaw, DFS Group Senior Vice President Spirits, Wine,  Tobacco, Food and Gifts added: “DFS is proud to partner with Moët Hennessy on this very special release that perfectly combines modern design with exquisite taste. We look forward to offering our travelling customers at DFS, Singapore Changi Airport exclusive access to this fine product until the end of June.”

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  • World Cup boosts South Korean convenience stores revenue

    World Cup boosts South Korean convenience stores revenue

    South Korean convenience stores saw their sales more than double in some categories as tens of thousands of South Koreans took to the streets to cheer on their national football team in the first game of its World Cup campaign.

    BGF Retail Co, which operates the country’s largest convenience store chain, CU, said sales of major products at its stores from 6pm Monday to midnight soared as South Korea faced Sweden in their 2018 FIFA World Cup Group F opener.

    Sales of beer surged 124.8 per cent, with revenue from ice cream and water jumping 121.9 per cent and 120.2 per cent, respectively, from the previous week.

    GS Retail Co, which operates GS25, said sales of beer skyrocketed 274.6 per cent on Monday compared with the same day the previous week.

    Police estimated some 17,000 fans joined the mass street cheering in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square. Another 6000 fans are estimated to have gathered at Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall.

    South Korea fell to Sweden 1-0. Its next game, against Mexico, will take place in Rostov-on-Don on Saturday.

  • ASEAN the next big fish for Vietnam’s seafood industry

    ASEAN the next big fish for Vietnam’s seafood industry

    Almost unnoticed, ASEAN is emerging as big market with big potential for Vietnamese seafood, industry insiders say.

    Vietnam exported $612 million worth of seafood last year to ASEAN countries, 9.2 times the $66 million in 1998.

    Local media reports have cited the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) as saying that last year, Vietnam exported seafood to all nine countries in the regional bloc.

    Of these, Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore were the largest importers. Thailand bought $248 million worth of seafood from Vietnam last year, accounting for 40 percent of total export value to ASEAN countries. Seafood export to Thailand reflected the regional intake, multiplying nine times in the last 20 years.

    Philippines, in the second place, imported seafood worth $132 million, a 2,000-fold increase over the paltry $63,000 in 1999.

    Export of sea fish to ASEAN countries reached $289 million last year, making it Vietnam’s main seafood export item to the regional bloc. Squid and octopus came in second at $71 million, more than 10 times the $7 million in 1998.

    The surge and potential of the ASEAN market notwithstanding, Vietnamese businesses have kept their main focus trained on the traditionally top markets for seafood export – the U.S., Japan, China and South Korea.

    These four countries account for 52.7 percent of total export value of Vietnamese seafood last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

    In the first four months this year, China recorded a strong year-on-year growth of 28.8 percent in seafood imports from Vietnam. China is also the largest importer of Vietnamese pangasius fish, and potentially of shrimp in the future, a VASEP report says.

    The association has urged local businesses to look at ASEAN as the next potential market, saying establishment of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015 has created an opportunity for Vietnam’s seafood industry with significant tax incentives.

    Moreover, ASEAN population is estimated to reach 790 million in 2050, creating a considerable demand for food. VASEP estimates that seafood consumption in the bloc will increase from 24.5 million tons in 2015 to 37 million in 2030, and per capita seafood consumption will grow from 38.4 kilograms per person a year to 51.5 kilograms in 2030.

    Vietnam exported $8.32 billion worth of seafood last year, a growth of 18 percent over 2016.

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  • Little Sheep restaurant debuts in Singapore

    Little Sheep restaurant debuts in Singapore

    No Signboard Holdings has signed a 10-year franchise agreement to develop and operate the Little Sheep restaurant chain in Singapore.

    Little Sheep is a Chinese hot-pot eatery which has its origins in Inner Mongolia. It has since grown to more than 280 outlets across China, the US, Canada and Japan, the vast majority of them franchised.

    Singapore-listed No Signboard, which has also just taken full control of Danish Breweries less than a year after it bought a controlling 80 per cent interest, plans to open one Little Sheep outlet a year for the next five years before deciding on a longer-term opening rate.

    No Signboard executive chairman and CEO Sam Lim believes the Little Sheep restaurant concept has great potential in Singapore.

    “Given the popularity of hot pot restaurants among Singaporean consumers over the last couple of years, we are confident that this venture would be a great success for the group.”

  • Confectioner Sugarfina to debut at Harbour City

    Confectioner Sugarfina to debut at Harbour City

    Californian luxury confectioner Sugarfina is to open its first store in Asia – in Hong Kong’s Harbour City mall.

    Sugarfina is being brought to Hong Kong by Upper East Holdings, which launched Lady M in Hong Kong in 2015 and plans to open several Sugarfina stores in the territory.

    Upper East founders Stephen Yeung and Tammy Wu says the new 900sqft Sugarfina Hong Kong boutique will give shoppers “a taste of candy heaven” with a selection of packaged confections for every occasion, from hostess gifts to Lunar New Year gifts to the trademark Sugarfina Candy Trunk which holds 20 Candy Cubes.

    The store will be designed to encourage Instagramming, featuring Sugarfina’s signature aqua and white colour scheme and photogenic merchandising.

    Sugarfina describes itself as a disruptor in the US$200 billion global confectionery market for creating luxury treats for adults, including a cocktail candy collection with Champagne Bears, Single Malt Scotch Cordials, and Rose All Day Bears whose popularity led to a waiting list of more than 18,000 customers in the US.

    The boutiques feature a collection of candies artfully displayed in modern Lucite cubes, including an area dedicated to “top shelf” candies – exotic, premium offerings from around the world such as Golden Truffle Eggs from Italy and interlocking chocolate wedding rings from Greece.

    “We’ve been dreaming of expanding Sugarfina globally since the early days of the brand,” said Rosie O’Neill and Josh Resnick, co-founders and co-CEOs of Sugarfina.

    “Hong Kong is the window into Asia and Upper East Holdings is the ideal partner to establish our brand in the region. We’re excited to partner with them to bring Sugarfina to life in one of the most vibrant cities in the world.”

    Wu and Yeung say they were “mesmerised” by Sugarfina’s sophisticated concept and innovative candy flavours when visiting stores in New York, where they used to live.

    “It’s exciting to introduce a fresh concept to the sweet tooths of Hong Kong. We have always been passionate about finding the perfect luxury confections experience to bring over from the US and we look forward to working with the creative minds of Sugarfina.”

    To mark the Sugarfina Hong Kong opening, Sugarfina has created a two-piece Candy Bento Box exclusive to the store, inspired by the Hong Kong trams. The gift box will include Sugarfina’s Rose All Day Bears & Fuji Apple Caramel candies.

    Harbour City is the first step in the retailer’s larger global expansion strategy, with O’Neill and Resnick planning partnerships in other foreign markets.

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  • KFC Singapore bans plastic for dine-in customers

    KFC Singapore bans plastic for dine-in customers

    KFC Singapore is jettisoning plastic straws and drink-cup lids in its restaurants in a sustainability initiative it says will cut 17.9 tonnes of single-use plastic waste in a year.

    Dine-in guests of its 84 restaurants in Singapore will not be served lids and straws from June 20, but they will be supplied with takeaway orders.

    “We acknowledge the strain that single-use plastics put on our environment and are taking steps to do our part in endeavouring a change,” said KFC Singapore GM Lynette Lee in a statement.

    “We recognise that every little bit counts and are proud to be the first fast-food restaurant in Singapore to champion this movement, one straw at a time.”

    Lee says the company will also investigate more biodegradable packaging for its products.

    KFC Singapore’s move comes at the same time as Starbucks in Hong Kong starts to phase out disposable plastic items, although the items will be available on request.

    And McDonald’s has confirmed it is looking at more environmentally friendly disposable items in its stores.

  • Starbucks to close 150 stores in the US

    Starbucks to close 150 stores in the US

    Seattle-based coffee chain Starbucks announced it will close 150 underperforming company-operated stores next year, up three times from the usual rate of 50 closings a year.

    The need for closures was mostly driven by slowing sales in the US, the company stated.

    The global coffee chain said affected stores are those located mostly in urban areas that are already densely populated with Starbucks locations.

    The company also said it expects one per cent growth in global same store sales for the third quarter, lowering its previous guidance.

    Kevin Johnson, Starbucks president and CEO, said the company’s recent performance does not reflect the potential of their brand.

    “While certain demand headwinds are transitory, and some of our cost increases are appropriate investments for the future, our recent performance does not reflect the potential of our exceptional brand and is not acceptable.” Johnson said. “We must move faster to address the more rapidly changing preferences and needs of our customers.”

    Johnson said they have taken several actions to streamline the company over the past year, positioning it to increase their innovation agility as an organisation and enhance focus on their core value drivers which serve as the foundation to re-accelerate growth and create long-term shareholder value.

    The coffee chain closed about 8,000 stores on May 29 to offer about 175,000 employees mandatory anti-bias training after two black men were arrested at a store in Philadelphia while waiting for a friend.

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  • Korean sandwich chain Isaac setting up Business in Singapore

    Korean sandwich chain Isaac setting up Business in Singapore

    Korean sandwich chain Isaac will open its first store in Singapore next month.

    Over the last 15 years, Isaac has built a network of more than 700 stores across South Korea and expanded into Taiwan, Macau and – most recently – Malaysia, where it has a store across the causeway in Johor Bahru. Now it is heading further afield, with a takeaway store planned for Plaza Singapura’s basement 2.

    Isaac serves toasts with variations including the popular Korean dish bulgogi, steak ham, chicken, double cheese potato, shrimp and ham and cheese, with prices starting at S$2.85. It also serves juices and coffees.

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  • Vietnam’s Coffee King Makes a Public Appearance

    Vietnam’s Coffee King Makes a Public Appearance

    CEO of Trung Nguyen Coffee put in an unannounced appearance and asked company staff to ‘revolutionize’ themselves. The CEO of Vietnam’s top coffee brand, Trung Nguyen, put in a surprise appearance at a company event on Saturday, after “disappearing” for almost five years.

    Dang Le Nguyen Vu, known as the Coffee King of Vietnam, had stayed away from public eye amidst a lengthy divorce process with his wife that is yet to end.

    Vu, who had nurtured Trung Nguyen Coffee and taken it to 60 international markets, amazed participants at the company event by turning up without prior notice.

    “Brothers and sisters, you have to start by revolutionizing yourselves,” he said in a short speech.The CEO exhorted Trung Nguyen’s leaders and staff to do everything differently from other companies in the world.

    Trung Nguyen must aim to become the number one coffee brand in the world, establishing its presence everywhere, he said.

    Vu said he had spent the last five years meditating up in the mountains and now had answers to “all the questions in this world.”

    The unannounced appearance of Vu has gathered a lot of public and media attention, particularly because his wife, Le Hoang Diep Thao, recently accused four leaders of Trung Nguyen Coffee for misusing their power to manipulate her husband’s company while he was away.

    Thao, who owns another coffee brand, King Coffee, said that incorrect information had been spread on social media to slander her husband, who was too sick to appear in public.

    “These leaders did this to manipulate Trung Nguyen for their personal gain,” she said.

    The divorce proceedings between Vu and Thao, who used to be the deputy director of Trung Nguyen, had also caught public attention in 2015, when they took each other to court, each accusing the other of obstructing the company’s operations.

    Vu and Thao have also been embroiled in a lengthy and costly legal battle for years over the ownership of Trung Nguyen Group, which has a charter capital of VND1.5 trillion ($65.8 million).

    Thao was a minority shareholder of the company until Vu ousted her in 2015.

    The court has not officially settled the divorce petition.

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  • Omotesando Koffee Opens First Store in Bangkok

    Omotesando Koffee Opens First Store in Bangkok

    Upscale Tokyo cafe Omotesando Koffee may have closed its original location in Japan – but it survives in other markets and will soon be launched in Bangkok, Thailand.

    The cafe has been signed up by Siam Piwat to take space in Siam Paragon shopping centre, amidst up-market furniture stores on level 3.

    In Tokyo, Omotesando Koffee was renowned for serving espresso-style coffees from a 3m x 3m space inside a Japanese house. It closed in 2015 when the building was demolished.

    Founder Eiichi Kunitomo has opened a new cafe in the same spot (but new building) under the name Koffee Mameya.

    Omotesando Koffee has outlets in Hong Kong and Singapore and another store is planned for the UK after the Bangkok opening.

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  • Fatburger and Buffalo’s Express expanding Restaurants in Indonesia

    Fatburger and Buffalo’s Express expanding Restaurants in Indonesia

    Fat Brands will open five more outlets of co-branded restaurant chain Fatburger and Buffalo’s Express in Indonesia.

    Set to open in Bali and Jakarta, the co-branded chain will be operated by Fat Brands’ local partner Global Food Indonesia.

    “We’ve loved every aspect of growing in the Indonesia marketplace. Fatburger and Buffalo’s Express are thriving members of their respective communities, and we can only continue to grow on this strong foundation,” said Andy Wiederhorn, CEO of Fat Brands.

    The Hollywood burger chain and sister wing brand are best known for their juicy, made-to-order burgers and wings.

    The brands have more than 200 locations in 32 different countries with recent openings in Southern California, Canada, and Japan.

    More restaurants will open in the near future.

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  • KFC Singapore finally Drops Plastic Straws in Restaurants

    KFC Singapore finally Drops Plastic Straws in Restaurants

    KFC Singapore is jettisoning plastic straws and drink-cup lids in its restaurants in a sustainability initiative it says will cut 17.9 tonnes of single-use plastic waste in a year.

    Dine-in guests of its 84 restaurants in Singapore will not be served lids and straws from June 20, but they will be supplied with takeaway orders.

    “We acknowledge the strain that single-use plastics put on our environment and are taking steps to do our part in endeavouring a change,” said KFC Singapore GM Lynette Lee in a statement.

    “We recognise that every little bit counts and are proud to be the first fast-food restaurant in Singapore to champion this movement, one straw at a time.”

    Lee says the company will also investigate more biodegradable packaging for its products.

    KFC Singapore’s move comes at the same time as Starbucks in Hong Kong starts to phase out disposable plastic items, although the items will be available on request.

    And McDonald’s has confirmed it is looking at more environmentally friendly disposable items in its stores.

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  • Kiki pop-up store adds Buzz to Centrepoint in Orchard Road

    Kiki pop-up store adds Buzz to Centrepoint in Orchard Road

    A pop-up store selling KiKi products, including four flavours of its Taiwanese noodles, has launched at the Centrepoint in Orchard Road.

    It is part of a collaboration between Buzz Convenience Store and KiKi Fine Goods Singapore and will open daily for two to three months. Products available at the 205sqft KiKi pop-up store include Mala Paste and Sichuan Pepper Powder as well as noodle packets in four flavours.

    Buzz was the first retail chain to bring the noodles to Singapore on February 1. The noodles are promoted by Taiwanese actress Shu Qi, and have been promoted as a healthier alternative because they are sun-dried, unlike many other types of instant noodles which are fried.

    Visitors to the pop-up store on June 16 can join a tasting session with Singaporean chef John See, who will be cooking the Aromatic Scallion and Sichuan Pepper noodles.

    Meanwhile, the food director for upcoming movie Crazy Rich Asians will be at the store the same afternoon.

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  • Cash boost for Wineries in the Philippines

    Cash boost for Wineries in the Philippines

    Online marketplace startup Winery Philippines has raised an undisclosed amount in a new round of financing.

    It says it will use the cash to boost its sales and marketing efforts and grow its customer and vendor base. The second round of funding, backed by a consortium of private investors, gives the company a seven-digit USD valuation, tripling its value a year after its initial funding round.

    Winery Philippines was conceived in 2016 by a group of wine lovers who wanted to improve access to quality wine for Filipinos, the company says. It has become a curated online wine marketplace that sells product from boutique wine importers.

    According to company data, retail wine revenue in the Philippines is expected to increase annually by 9 per cent to reach US$400 million in 2021.

    Winery Philippines founder/MD Chris Urbano says that while venture capital has poured into Chinese wine and spirits marketplaces over the past five years, smaller but promising markets like the Philippines are still off the radar for many investors. “Our backers see the chance to establish early market leadership amid thinner competition, higher margins and a small but profitable and fast-growing segment.”

    Most of Winery Philippines’ customers are in Metro Manila, but Urbano says it is growing order volume from provincial areas and second-tier cities.

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