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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.

  • ‘1000 Won Coffee’ Is Getting Much Popular In South Korea

    ‘1000 Won Coffee’ Is Getting Much Popular In South Korea

    The South Korean retail industry suggest that the popularity of “1,000 won coffee” is constantly growing. People are fond of it as it is brewed directly from the coffee machines and they get the opportunity to taste it while shopping at the convenience stores.

    The costs of basic necessities including foods are rising in South Korea, but to the coffee lovers, “1,000 won coffee” is always unique, delicious and worth drinking. According to 7-Eleven officials, instant brewed coffee was first introduced to the industry in 2015. Between 2015 and 2017, approximately 45 million cups of Americano from its brewed coffee brand Seven Café were sold (cost 1,000 won per cup).

    Another convenience store brand in South Korea managed by the GS Company, GS 25 also sold approximately sold 64 million cups of instantly brewed coffee directly from the machines in 2017. In 2016, the number was at 23 million. On the other hand, South Korea’s largest chain store (having more than 10,000 convenience stores), CU sold instant brewed coffee (at the rate of 1,200 won per cup) over 60 million cups in 2017. In 2016 and 2015, CU’s figures were 45 million and 25 million respectively.

    Traditional banana-flavored milk replaced

    One of the 7-Eleven officials, Lee Na-ra said that the brewed coffee ranked first in 2017 beating the traditional banana-flavored milk that was on the top. The result was same in all the 7-Eleven stores across the nation. Presently, the brand not only has a major presence in the Republic of Korea, it has over 9,000 stores spreading across the nation. The first 7-Eleven was unveiled in 1989 in Songpa-gu in Seoul with a franchise license under the Lotte Group.

    The 7-Eleven Lee Na-ra further said that the brand only utilizes high-quality coffee beans that are imported from various nations such as Ethiopia, Brazil, and Columbia. The workers roast the coffee beans separately at the factory before making it ready for brewing and offering to the customers.

    Why office workers drink instant brewing coffee frequently?

    To the office workers, the instant brewing coffee acts as an energy booster. They tend to drink several cups of coffee every day. Another reason for drinking it frequently is that its price is quite cheap. An office worker named Kim Dong-in said that since the price is about one-third compared to coffeehouse chains like Starbucks, he prefers to drink it three to four cups a day.

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  • Singapore firms eye Vietnam food industry

    Singapore firms eye Vietnam food industry

    Many Singaporean firms are interested in investing in food, agriculture, and dining services in Vietnam as they forecast that these sectors will thrive in the near future amidst broader ASEAN integration.

    The statement was made by Andy Yun, Secretary General of Singapore Manufacturing Federation, representing more than 3,000 members operating in automation, biology, construction, heavy industry and more, during the second Vietnam – Singapore business exchange held in the island state last week.

    Yun described Vietnam as a major market in the region with huge potential in agriculture and the food industry. Meanwhile, Singaporean enterprises are strong in technology, supply chains and logistics – a supplementary factor to the bilateral partnership.

    Nguyễn Văn Thân, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, led a delegation of over 100 Vietnamese firms, many of them start-ups, to the event.

    He said many Singaporean enterprises actively connected with Vietnamese ones at the event, proving that bilateral cooperation potential is huge.

    Accounting for over 97 percent of the total, Vietnamese SMEs contribute nearly 40 per cent of the gross domestic product, 33 per cent of industrial production value, 30 per cent of export value and attract more than half of the workforce, he said.

    Singapore is now the sixth largest trade partner of Vietnam in the world and the second largest in ASEAN. Vietnam is also the 12th largest trade partner of Singapore. Two-way trade has grown 12-15 per cent annually over the past years.

     

  • Chatime Malaysia sues Tealive

    Chatime Malaysia sues Tealive

    Chatime Malaysia Sdn Bhd yesterday issued a legal letter to Loob Holding Sdn Bhd for the misrepresentation and defamation on Chatime implying that the brand had been replaced and renamed as Tealive.

    Chatime Malaysia group managing director Aliza Ali said Loob Holding had deliberately misrepresented and misled the public that Chatime had been renamed and is now operating as Tealive in Malaysia.

    It said this was done through headlines on the Loob Holding website, particularly two headlines “Chatime renamed as Tealive” and “Tealive replaced Chatime” that falsely indicate that Chatime was renamed to Tealive.

    “We have given them a considerably long grace period of one year to rectify the issue, unfortunately Loob Holding’s website still holds the two headlines ‘Chatime renamed to Tealive’ and ‘Tealive ganti Chatime’, with a new headline that reads ‘Tealive replaced Chatime’,” said Aliza.

    She said this was published as recent as February 2018; all of which have led the public to believe that Chatime has ceased to exist as a result.

    “These misleading statements from Loob Holding have cost us our goodwill and our brand, as such we felt obliged to address the confusion and safeguard Chatime’s reputation in both Malaysia, as well as at an international level,” said Chatime Malaysia executive director Widayu Latiff.

    A year after taking over the Chatime market in Malaysia as its master franchisee, Aliza said that it is now taking on necessary steps to protect the brand, which may include legal proceedings.

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  • The Artist Belgian brewery plans to expand in Asia

    The Artist Belgian brewery plans to expand in Asia

    Belgian craft  brewery The Artist has opened its first outlet in Asia – in Hong Kong – to test its concept before entering other markets around the region.

    The 3500sqft Artist House in Causeway Bay’s Fashion Walk shopping centre, promises an immersive experience, selling Belgium-brewed craft beer, craft beer cocktails and other beverages. It also has its own in-house micro-brewery and hydroponic aqua-farm allowing customers to make their own beer. Amateur brewers can even add their own photographs to their beer bottles.

    Co-founder Benjamin Cox says the venue can be used for events and customers can experience a 360-degree virtual-reality tour of the original brewery in Belgium.

    The company decided to launch its brand in Hong Kong due to the fact that the city is a unique platform in Asia.

    “From a testing perspective, Hong Kong allows young brands to confront their new offering with a diverse crowd of very demanding consumers. This allows us to improve, develop and sharpen our offering to prepare the brand for a wider Asia expansion,” said Cox.

    “Hong Kong’s key advantage is its international business environment and mindset which allows easier implementation and early stage execution. We will use the city as our regional base to expand in other Asian places such as Japan, Mainland China, Taiwan and Korea, among others.”

    Associate director-general of investment promotion, with InvestHK, Dr Jimmy Chiang, said the opening of The Artist House offers a new craft beer experience to local and regional customers.

    “Hong Kong people love craft beer and the city has a high number of international and Mainland Chinese visitors. It is the best place for the company to promote its brand in the region.”

  • Infested Chinese Garlic Imports Kick Up a Stink in Indonesia

    Infested Chinese Garlic Imports Kick Up a Stink in Indonesia

    Indonesia has impounded more than 200 tons of garlic imported from China, warning that a microscopic worm infestation found in the shipment could put at risk plans by the Southeast Asian country to boost its own garlic crop.

    Since coming to power in 2014, Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has pursued self-sufficiency policies to protect farmers, but efforts to rely on domestic supplies of everything from beef to rice have at times caused shortages and price spikes.

    Chinese food imports have previously proved sensitive in Indonesia. In 2016, Beijing’s embassy in Jakarta expressed alarm at media reports accusing China of using a “biological weapon” against Indonesia, after four Chinese nationals were arrested for planting imported chilli seeds contaminated with a bacteria.

    The 232 metric tons of garlic were imported from China in mid-February and after arriving at Jakarta’s port were shipped to the island of Sumatra, the Ministry of Agriculture said.

    This could be “very damaging to our garlic farming when we are trying to achieve self-sufficiency,” the ministry said in a statement on March 12.

    Despite being certified as free of pests in China, samples of the shipment contained ditylenchus dipsaci, a microscopic worm that infects onions and garlic, the ministry said.

    The nematology department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln describes the worm as “one of the most devastating plant parasitic nematodes.”

    When quarantine officials reported the discovery to the importer, the garlic had already been sent to North Sumatra, the agriculture ministry said.

    The controversy even stirred a heated debate in parliament this week when a member of Jokowi’s ruling party called for a police investigation.

    Soetrisno, the chief executive officer of Tunas Sumber Rejeki, the company that imported the garlic, could not immediately be reached for comment.

    The Chinese embassy in Jakarta declined to comment.

    The garlic is currently being stored at a warehouse in Belawan Port, Sumatra, that has been sealed by police and the quarantine agency.

    Banun Harpini, the head of quarantine at the agriculture ministry, said on Wednesday the importer would be blacklisted. It was not immediately clear what other penalties would be levied.

    Indonesia plans to be self sufficient in garlic in 2019 by increasing the growing area for the crop by more than 70,000 hectares, but this may be an ambitious target since last year the country imported 434,000 tons of garlic, more than ten times the amount grown domestically.

    This year, the agriculture ministry expects 392,000 tons will be imported, mostly from China and India.

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  • Ewein joins Bangkok coffee vending machine venture

    Ewein joins Bangkok coffee vending machine venture

    Ewein Bhd is looking to undertake the “Smart Mobile Coffee Vending Machine Project” in Bangkok, Thailand, as part of its strategy to expand its e-commerce division overseas.

    The project will see the installation of smart mobile coffee vending machines in 30 locations in Bangkok.

    While Ewein did not give details of the project, other examples of smart mobile coffee vending machines use a smartphone to see the environmental data as well as to control the amount of coffee, sugar, and coffee creamer which are mixed into a cup of coffee. The machine and the phone exchange their data via Bluetooth, providing a more personalised service.

    The company said in a filing with the stock exchange that its 89%-owned subsidiary Ewein Ecommerce Sdn Bhd today entered into a memorandum of agreement with Yingyos Charubusapayon and Chai Yangruay to collaborate and jointly establish a joint venture (JV) company in Thailand for the project.

    The JV, in which Ewein Ecommerce will own a 40% stake, will have an authorised and paid-up capital of up to 5 million baht (RM629,000).

    Ewein Ecommerce’s participation in the project will be financed through internally generated funds.

    “The board is optimistic that the Bangkok project will contribute towards profitability of Ewein.”

    On Bursa Malaysia today, Ewein fell half a sen or 1.4% to 35.5 sen on 387,000 shares done.

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  • Epiphany Cafe plans to invade Asia

    Epiphany Cafe plans to invade Asia

    A rural New Zealand donut maker is set to expand into Asia, initially targeting the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

    Epiphany Cafe started just two years ago as a single family-owned store in the Waikato city of Hamilton, in the heart of New Zealand’s largest dairy-farming region. Since then it has expanded to five stores in Auckland and Hamilton under a franchise model it is now looking at expanding into other New Zealand towns and cities before heading offshore.

    “We believe there is a need we can fulfil in Asia,” GM for sales and marketing, Suzanne Gaier, said in an interview published on Stuff.co.nz.

    Gaier hopes to have the first Asian stores operating within 12 to 24 months.

    “Our idea is also to bring our core staff members from New Zealand into Asia and inject Kiwiana that way too. The whole idea is to take our Kiwi brand over there and be the Fonterra of sweet treats… as well as provide Kiwi expats with a little slice of home.”

    Epiphany Cafe developed its donut recipe over six months and now boasts 29 flavours regularly rotated.

  • NeNe Chicken Malaysia opens second store at The Starling Mall

    NeNe Chicken Malaysia opens second store at The Starling Mall

    Fast-food chain NeNe Chicken Malaysia has opened its second outlet, in Petaling Jaya.

    Located at The Starling Mall, the new restaurant can accommodate 120 customers with an outdoor seating area.

    NeNe Chicken Malaysia MD Raymond Wong said the chain would focus on expanding its menu and locations in upcoming years.

    The chain opened its first outlet two months ago at Genting Highlands.

    NeNe Chicken is known for its signature flavours such as Bulgogi, Freaking Hot and Spicy Fried Chicken.

    The chain also aims to open in East Malaysia by the end of this year.

    Established in 1999 in Korea, NeNe Chicken currently has stores in Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

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  • Vietnam Prime Minister meets New Zealand’s milk firms

    Vietnam Prime Minister meets New Zealand’s milk firms

    Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said his Government encouraged foreign firms in milk production and processing to expand production, upgrade technology and apply energy-saving solutions in the country.

    He said this during his meeting with the representatives of some milk companies in New Zealand in Auckland on March 13 as part of his official visit to the country.

    During his reception for Lukas Paravicini, chief executive of Fonterra Cooperative Group Ltd – the leading milk exporter of New Zealand, Phúc said Việt Nam appreciated the cooperation of the firm with its Vietnamese partners. He highlighted the development of Việt Nam’s dairy and nutritional food market, saying the 93-million-strong market was considered one of the most attractive market groups in the world.

    Talking about the vast opportunities brought by the newly signed Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, Phúc expressed hope that Fonterra and other enterprises in New Zealand would fully tap those opportunities to increase investment in Việt Nam with the aim of expanding their market to other ASEAN member nations.

    He said the Vietnamese Government would promote investment in developing the dairy sector as well as create favourable conditions for enterprises to foster production in the field, contributing to generating more jobs and improving social welfare.

    On his part, Paravicini affirmed his firm’s interest in the Vietnamese market and said Fonterra had cooperated with many Vietnamese dairy firms.

    He said the group was providing dairy material for Việt Nam’s dairy, beverage and nutritional food companies and was selling high-quality products in the Vietnamese market.

    Fonterra pledged to further boost cooperation with Vietnamese enterprises, broadening its investment for production and business in Việt Nam, Paravicini said.

    The same day, Phúc received Kim Willoughby, director of Deosan Company, and Victor Trương, director of Richmond Company.

    Expressing their pleasure to meet the Vietnamese leader, the representatives of the two companies said they had worked with a number of Vietnamese partners with the intention of assisting Vietnamese firms in producing and processing dairy, contributing to improving the capacity of Vietnamese dairy companies.

    Willoughby spoke highly of the development potential of leading dairy businesses in Việt Nam, such as Vinamilk and TH True Milk. He said Deosan had cooperated with Vietnamese farmers processing milk and planned to invest in the dairy industry in Việt Nam.

    He also said Deosan would support Việt Nam’s dairy farms by providing suitable products and services, such as milking equipment and consumer goods, veterinary services, farm design management and quality management.

    Phúc said he highly valued Deosan’s assistance to Vietnamese dairy companies and affirmed that the Vietnamese Government always supported business and cooperation with local firms.

    Việt Nam is developing its dairy-processing industry in a modern and comprehensive direction, aiming to improve its competitiveness for regional and global integration, Phúc said.

     

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  • GNC plans big expansion in India

    GNC plans big expansion in India

    Health and wellness brand GNC India is planning major expansion by increasing its availability to 4000 stores by 2020.

    The retailer will partner with pharmacy chain Guardian Healthcare Services, its master franchise in the market, to distribute GNC products to 1000 retail outlets this year, and boost its business to multiple channels, encompassing retail, e-commerce and distribution.

    GNC India will also market and sell its full product line through the company’s website and via other e-commerce players.

    “We are very excited about our expansion plans in India, where there is significant opportunity for growth,” says Ken Martindale, GNC’s CEO.

    “Guardian is an established player in India’s health and wellness industry and we believe the strength of our two companies will position us as one of the leaders in this attractive and fast growing market.”

    According to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry in India 2017 report, India’s nutraceutical market is currently estimated to be US$4 billion in 2017 and expected to grow to $10 billion in 2022.

    GNC arrived in India in 2004 and is currently available at 50 of Guardian’s stores.

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  • BreadTalk to take Taiwan’s Wu Pao Chun bakeries into China

    BreadTalk to take Taiwan’s Wu Pao Chun bakeries into China

    BreadTalk Singapore says it has formed JVs with a Taiwan company to run bakeries in China.

    BreadTalk subsidiary Shanghai Star Food F&B Management has partnered with Wu Pao Chun Food of Taiwan to run Wu Pao Chun outlets in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. Shanghai Star will hold 80 per cent of the Shanghai JV and can own up to 40 per cent of the Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou JVs.

    Both companies expect to form JVs for co-operation in Singapore and Hong Kong later.

    BreadTalk owns 1000 retail stores in Singapore, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand.

  • Offer for OldTown extended to March 20

    Offer for OldTown extended to March 20

    Jacobs Douwe Egberts Holdings Asia NL BV (JDE) has extended the closing date of its takeover offer for OldTown Bhd to March 20.

    According to a circular issued by CIMB Investment Bank Bhd, the terms and conditions of the offer remain unchanged and the level of acceptances of the offer stood at 83.75% on March 9.

    OldTown received a takeover notice from JDE in December last year at an offer price of RM3.18 per share. The offer was supposed to close today.

    Earlier, JDE said it has secured irrevocable undertakings from shareholders holding 51.45% and is looking to procure the remaining shares with an eye to delist and privatise OldTown.

    JDE has agreed to pay a good faith fee of US$3.48 million (RM13.6 million) or 1% of the total offer price to OldTown.

  • New Deal Means a New Majority Owner for Smashburger

    New Deal Means a New Majority Owner for Smashburger

    In $100 million deal, Jollibee Foods Corp. will acquire an additional 45 percent of Smashburger, the Denver-based burger franchise that has more than 360 restaurants. The companies announced the deal Tuesday and it’s one that increases Jollibee’s ownership stake in the chain to 85 percent. The Philippines-based restaurant company first bought a 40 percent stake in Smashburger in October 2015 for $100 million, a deal which then valued the chain at $335 million.

    Tom Ryan, co-founder and CEO of Smashburger, called Jollibee an “invaluable strategic partner.”

    “Our momentum in 2017 around improved guest experience, iconic and record-setting product launches, and innovative marketing provide JFC a tremendously strong brand to enter the North American market,” said Ryan in a statement. “Our entire team couldn’t be more excited to grow the Smashburger brand and share the great tastes of Smashburger with the world.”

    Ryan took over as CEO in December 2016 following the exit of Mike Nolan after just nine months. Nolan had replaced Scott Crane, who stepped down in April 2016.

    Since Ryan’s move to chief executive, Smashburger has focused on developing new menu items, such as its Triple Double Burger, and expanded its marketing efforts. The company in 2017 also launched Smash Pass, a subscription-model consumer frequency program.

    With the expanded Jollibee partnership, Smashburger CFO Bradford Reynolds said growth in Southeast Asia is a focus.

    “This reinforced strategic partnership with JFC will allow Smashburger to continue to focus on growth in both existing and new markets including the opportunity to bring our great tasting burgers, fries and hand-spun shakes to Southeast Asia,” said Reynolds. “We look forward to building upon our successful relationship to further bolster the brand as an international leader in the better burger segment.”

    Smashburger’s footprint extends to 38 states and nine countries. Jollibee Foods operates the largest foodservice network in the Philippines, with 2,875 restaurants in the country as of December 31, 2017. In addition to its 1,062 units of the Jollibee brand, it has Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal and is a Burger King franchisee with 93 units. It also operates restaurants in Australia, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Kuwait, Macau, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam.

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  • Resurgent McDonald’s plans 200 openings in Japan’s burger battle

    Resurgent McDonald’s plans 200 openings in Japan’s burger battle

    Fast-food chains in Japan are launching the biggest expansion wave in decades and adopting strategies that would have been unthinkable in the early 2000s, when hamburgers were a prime symbol of deflation.

    McDonald’s Holdings (Japan), the biggest player, is emerging from a prolonged slump and on Tuesday announced it is planning the first net store increase in a decade this year. Burger King, the world’s second-largest hamburger chain, aims to triple its Japanese locations to 300 by 2022, spending 5 billion yen ($45.5 million) in the process.

    McDonald’s saw a 4.5-fold increase in group net profit for the fiscal year through December, logging a record 24 billion yen. It aims to open 150 to 200 new locations in the next three years. Factoring in closings, it expects a net increase of around 100.

    “Over the last several years, we were focusing on optimizing our existing store portfolio,” President Sarah Casanova told reporters. “Now, it’s time to look to opportunities to grow with new restaurants.”

    The number of McDonald’s locations in Japan peaked in 2002 and has been decreasing since. The chain now has 2,900 restaurants after a net decrease of about 1,000.

    Opening new restaurants might seem like an odd move in a country where the birthrate is falling and consumers are holding back on dining out. The hamburger business, however, is one of the few bright spots in an otherwise bleak restaurant industry.

    It helps that chains like Burger King and McDonald’s are globally recognized. Japan is welcoming record numbers of tourists — 28.6 million last year — giving the restaurants a steady stream of fresh customers looking for familiar flavors in an unfamiliar land.

    Burger King Japan, the U.S. chain’s local operation, will open most of its 200 new restaurants in large cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. Target locations include shopping center food courts and suburban spots with room for drive-thrus. Open-kitchen interiors will allow customers to see their Whoppers being cooked.

    Burger King also intends to offer a home delivery service, countering McDonald’s Japan’s move to expand deliveries in partnership with Uber Eats last year.

    This is Burger King’s second crack at the Japanese market. The chain left the country in 2001, after a slump. It returned in 2007 with support from such companies as Lotte, but its store count remains far behind McDonald’s Japan’s 2,900.

  • Hong Kong’s Tsui Wah to open outlets in Singapore

    Hong Kong’s Tsui Wah to open outlets in Singapore

    Singapore listed restaurant business Jumbo Group has signed a JV agreement with Kang Wang Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tsui Wah Holdings, to take the Hong Kong-style Cha Chaan Teng under the Tsui Wah brand into Singapore.

    It will be a 49:51 JV between a Jumbo subsidiary and Kang Wang. It has also entered into a franchise agreement with Tsui Wah International Patent, which will give the JVC the right to use the Tsui Wah trademarks and trade names in Singapore.

    The Tsui Wah Group has about 70 outlets in Hong Kong, Macau and China, and this will be it first entry into the South-east Asian consumer market.

    Jumbo says it will fund its share of investment of S$244,998 (US$186,400) in the JVC using internal resources. The agreement covers an initial 10 years.

    Founded in the Mongkok neighbourhood in 1967, the brand is known for its fishball noodles, bottled Hong Kong milk tea and crispy bread drizzled with condensed milk. At the end of January, it had 32 outlets in Hong Kong, 35 in China and three in Macau. Despite a dip in revenue, the group managed to grow its first-half profit, according to its interim results.

    “This is part of our strategy to grow our network of restaurants, and to further strengthen our foothold in Singapore,” says Jumbo group chief executive/executive director Ang Kiam Meng.

    The location of the first outlet has yet to be revealed.

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