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.

  • Thumbs up for 7-Eleven Thailand draught beer

    Thumbs up for 7-Eleven Thailand draught beer

    Convenience store chain 7-Eleven Thailand is not breaking the law by offering beer on tap as long as it is poured by cashiers rather than customers, and beer brand names or logos are not visible.

    Debate is raging after 7-Eleven outlets on Bangkok’s Yaowarat Road in Chinatown introduced a draught beer service, but an official says a beer dispenser worked by store staff members is fully within the law.

    Deputy-director Dr Asadang Ruayajin of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), which works under the umbrella of the Public Health Ministry, says an inspection of the stores in question – after receiving a petition to do so – shows the dispensing machines have labels attached to obscure the beer brands’ logos, which complies with the Alcohol Control Act.

    The department has been watching about 10 stores but has not found any transgressions.

    Coconuts Bangkok offers a backstory to the protest, following a video of draft beer being poured from a 7-Eleven automatic machine went viral on the Facebook page Thai Smile.

    Thai netizens got just a little too excited about the new Leo beer-pouring machine,” it reports. But when an official visited the store the beer machine was covered with a big white cloth hiding the beer logo. Also, customers need to pay at the cashier where IDs can be checked.

  • Vikings Group expands on buffet concept

    Vikings Group expands on buffet concept

    Buffet restaurant chain Vikings Group has expanded its offering with a venture in Pasay City that offers a smorgasbord of activities including massages, billiards, karaoke and mahjong – plus buffet dining, of course.

    Beside the Esplanade Seaside Terminal at SM Mall of Asia, the Marina Bay Spa and Lifestyle Club offers 20 massage rooms, foot reflexology and mani-pedi services, body scrubs, hot and cold baths, sauna, steam room and a ganban’yoku (traditional Japanese-style room with heated stone “beds”).

    “The owners wanted to come up with something Manila has not tasted yet,” says spa manager Erlene Chichirita. “You feel like you’re in a hotel – that’s the concept, bringing out the amenities of a hotel and putting it together in a more approachable and modern setting.”

    Two feature services are the Marina Signature Massage and the Crystal Chakra Healing Touch. GM Nenita Cabrera says the signature massage has a Filipino touch, while the chakra therapy uses healing stones matched to the client’s zodiac sign.

    The therapists, who use gongs in the room to signal the start and end of a massage session, were trained by the spa service manager who has had eight years of spa experience in the Maldives.

    Two features of the spa are the relaxing lounge and buffet dining room. The lounge is like a theater with reclining chairs and LED screens. Buffet dining is an inclusion with massages.

    There is also a fitness studio where there will be classes like yoga, Pilates, TRX suspension training, boxing and Muay Thai, with personal trainers available.

    A lifestyle club component is available, with membership granting access to the club’s gym, salon, entertainment space with private KTV rooms, mahjong room, infinity pool and conference rooms.

    With a glass wall feature, the infinity pool is surrounded by relaxation spaces where guests can watch the Manila Bay sunset.

  • Starbucks bucks trend, closes online store

    Starbucks bucks trend, closes online store

    Global coffee giant Starbucks has closed its online store in the US, bucking the broader trend in retail to invest in the growing e-commerce industry.

    Starbucks announced the decision to customers in late August and officially closed the online store on 1 October.

    The coffee chain is operated in Australia by the Withers Group, which also runs 7-Eleven. The local website provides information about various Starbucks products, but does not sell any items.

    Starbucks initially launched its online store in the US in 2011 as an additional sales channel for its coffee, syrups and sauces, mugs, coffee machines and other coffee-related products. It also offered a subscription service for customers to receive regular coffee orders through the website. This service was discontinued on 1 September.

    While customers can still buy Starbucks coffee and other merchandise in the company’s coffee shops and at certain grocery stores, the company’s syrups and sauces are no longer available for purchase.

    “We cannot guarantee availability of any product in stores, but we know you will find many choices to enjoy. You can purchase your favorite coffee and Starbucks merchandise in your local Starbucks,” the company wrote in a note to customers.

    “You can also purchase coffee on the Starbucks App for in-store pickup. And you can find Starbucks coffee to enjoy at home in your local grocery aisle. Syrups and sauces will no longer be available for retail purchase.”

    The online store closure comes as major retailers in the US, like Walmart, are ramping up their investment in e-commerce.

    But the move should not be seen as a wholesale repudiation of digital retail. If anything, Starbucks is more focused than ever on getting customers to make purchases through its mobile app.

    The company has implemented a ‘digital flywheel strategy’, involving customer acquisitions, spend-based rewards, personalised offers and convenient ordering, to make the app more sticky.

    At the same time, the company’s leadership has previously spoken about the need for retailers to create unique in-store experiences to survive.

    Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson referred to a “seismic shift” in retailing in the company’s most recent earnings call, and chairman Howard Schultz indicated a few months earlier that he had soured on digital sales.

    “Every retailer that is going to win in this new environment must become an experiential destination,” Schultz told investors in April. “Your product and services, for the most part, cannot be available online and cannot be available on Amazon.”

  • OUE Limited takes new approach to retail

    OUE Limited takes new approach to retail

    Singapore’s Downtown Gallery has introduced three retail concepts that prioritise shopper experiences, pioneered by retail property developer OUE Limited.

    OUE Social Kitchen offers Singapore’s first communal cooking kitchen in a retail space; OUE Re:Store is an automated deli service that serves heritage food using an efficient order and pick-up system; and OUE Beauty Bar features a beauty dispensing machine.

    OUE Social Kitchen has more than 10 kitchen spaces styled by appliance brand Smeg. Users have access to an in-house chef and helpers, with cooking tips being provided on request.  Communal dining is encouraged, so the dining area can be used free for hosted meals or to interact with other users. Customers can book a space using the OUE Downtown Gallery’s smartphone app.

    OUE Re:Store allows customers to use the app to place a food order along with a preferred pick-up time. This enables CBD diners to skip lunch-hour queues. The menu was designed by chefs KF Seetoh, Malcolm Lee, Sau del Rosario and William Wongso, and offers Filipino, Indonesian, Peranakan and Singaporean dishes. Free of preservatives, the meals are packed in a four-section bento box.

    Opening this month, OUE Beauty Bar uses interactive technology and features four beauty vending machines along with a standalone virtual assistant display. Each vending machine has a touchscreen display enabling shoppers to browse, explore and choose from more than 140 skin and makeup staples. These self-service kiosks offer skincare and cosmetics from global brands including Clarins, Nars and Shiseido. Product information, videos and samples are also available.

    “We have created a version of what we imagine retail experiences will look like in future,” says OUE senior VP for retail, marketing and leasing Patrina Tan. “We will continue to invest in creating new connection points and culling real-time feedback so we can introduce better customer experiences.”

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  • Lady M cake walk comes to sticky end

    Lady M cake walk comes to sticky end

    Daigou (contract buyers) were on to a sweet thing, thanks to the popularity of the new Shanghai branch of New York luxury cake company Lady M, but border authorities have pulled the rug from under their feet.

    It all started because Shanghai residents were unwilling to queue up for hours to buy the gateaux and pastries at the Lady M outlet in IFC Mall, which opened a month ago. However, they were willing to pay well for daigou to bring in the sweet treats from Hong Kong, where there are two Lady M outlets (in Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui).

    So people assisting the Daigou were reportedly paying people to queue at the Shanghai store so as to encourage the parallel trade.

    The shop even had to close for a day shortly after opening because the crowds it attracted were seen as a possible safety hazard, and waiting areas needed to be provided.

    Shanghai customs officers were quick to become wise to the daigou cake courier service, and have warned on its official WeChat account that cake from abroad must not be for commercial use.

    “If you really want to enjoy the cake, be it in Hong Kong, Singapore or the US, enjoy it there directly,” says the post. “As regards bringing it back, you’d better drop the idea.”

    Meanwhile, the Shanghai Lady M shop has changed its takeaway policy. It has introduced a “lottery” system through its WeChat booking site, with winners being able to buy up to six slices of cake at any one time. Three time slots have been designated for takeaways.

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  • Central Group buying Dean & Deluca rights outside US

    Central Group buying Dean & Deluca rights outside US

    Thailand’s Central Group is set to acquire the Dean & Deluca chain of deli-cafes outside the US from Thai luxury property developer Pace Development for US$50 million.

    The deal is in the due diligence process, says Pace, which acquired the chain through its subsidiary Pace Food Retail for $140 million in 2014. Dean & Deluca was founded in the US in 1977.

    Under the agreement, the Thai retail giant will be licensed to run and expand the business outside the US while Pace retains ownership of the brand, runs the chain in the US and owns the right to produce and distribute consumer products under the Dean & Deluca trademark.

    Pace CEO Sorapoj Techakraisri says Central Group has the financial resources, expertise and knowledge to handle the day-to-day business of the stores, logistics and licensee relationships.

    “Having Central as a partner will give Dean & Deluca healthy growth globally,” he says.

    Pace, which develops luxury residential properties, has reported operating losses for five consecutive quarters, reaching THB1.7 billion ($50.9 million) last quarter.

    Currently, the company is developing four projects worth THB34 billion in total, including the Ritz-Carlton Residences Bangkok.

    The original Dean & Deluca was an iconic delicatessen in New York which continues to trade to this day. In Thailand, Pace converted the concept into more of a cafe business, before expanding outside Thailand, including in the Middle East, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore and the Philippines. It was pursuing an aggressive expansion strategy in Asia.

  • Genki Sushi owner buying into rival

    Genki Sushi owner buying into rival

    hinmei, which owns Japanese restaurant chain Genki Sushi, will buy a one-third stake in bigger rival Sushiro Global Holdings from European private equity firm Permira.

    Permira has agreed to sell its stake in Sushiro Global, which it bought from Japanese private equity firm Unison Capital in 2012, to Shinmei.

    Permira, which paid about ¥80 billion (US$708.5 million) for Sushiro, boosted the value of the company by cutting costs on fish ingredients by using its global network.

    The market for Japan’s conveyor-belt sushi market is expected to grow by about 25 per cent to ¥625 billion this year from ¥500 billion in 2012, according to research firm Fuji Keizai.

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  • SaladStop! heading for Korea

    SaladStop! heading for Korea

    Established eight years ago, Singapore food brand SaladStop! is about to launch into Korea.

    It opens in Seoul next month, about the same time as its first non-Asia location, in Barcelona. The brand has 19 outlets across Singapore, 12 in the Philippines, three in Jakarta and four in Tokyo.

    Co-founded by Adrien Desbaillets and his father Daniel, SaladStop! Is still a family affair. At 36, Adrienne is president while Daniel, 67, is director and chairman. Daniel’s sister Katherine handles marketing while her Paris-born husband Frantz Braha is business development manager, spearheading overseas franchising.

    The Desbaillets are Swiss citizens who put down roots in Singapore 22 years ago. Daniel was previously a hotel executive. When Adrien returned to Singapore after working in China for a hotel investment company, he planned a chain of nutrition-conscious quick-service restaurants.

    However, the says affordable, wholesome and nutritious were three options rarely found together in one meal, and he guessed that expats like himself were “craving a good salad”.

    Father and son opened their first store in Marina Square, working with corporate chef Tony Tan.

    All overseas locations have more or less the same core combos, but franchise holders modify them to suit local preferences.

    In Singapore, the next stage of growth is a mobile app.

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  • Foody Vietnam sold to Singaporean firm

    Foody Vietnam sold to Singaporean firm

    Online restaurant directory Foody Vietnam has sold a majority stake to consumer internet group Sea Limited.

    Worth about US$64 million, the transfer was announced on a NYSE listing by Sea.

    Foody, which also accepts meal bookings and runs a delivery service, has announced that foreign entity Airview Investment of Singapore has taken an 82 per cent shareholding.

    Sea says it has acquired a Vietnamese food-delivery platform to help expand its payment platform AirPay, launched in Vietnam in 2014.

    “We intend to pursue strategic investment and acquisition opportunities in order to grow our user base, deepen our market penetration and further expand our offerings, including complementary services and products,” says Sea.

    Foody Vietnam was founded in 2012. Sea, valued at $3.75 billion, has already invested in Foody, as series-B investor in July 2015.

  • Triple O’s to expand in Hong Kong

    Triple O’s to expand in Hong Kong

    To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Canadian burger chain Triple O’s plans a five-year expansion that includes four more outlets in Hong Kong.

    Created by restaurant chain White Spot in 1997, Triple O’s already has six locations in Hong Kong since arriving in 2004, and this month will launch in Macau.

    “We are looking for more growth in all of our markets,” says White Spot/Triple O’s president Warren Erhart. “Asia has some of our top locations. Our restaurants in Pacific Place and Shatin do more sales on a per-unit basis than any of our stores in British Columbia.”

    The brand’s 67 locations include two in Singapore.

    While other US fast-food chains adapt their offering for international market, Triple O’s has done little to change the original Canadian taste for Hong Kong consumers, says Triple O’s owner/franchisee Cynthia Suen. She says one of the key points that led her to bring the chain to Hong Kong was the familiarity of the product, driven by the heavy flow of Hong Kong residents travelling and moving to Vancouver since the 1970s and 1980s.

    Suen says she might consider taking Triple O’s to China, with the blessings of Erhart and White Spot owner Peter Toigo. It depends on the success of the Macau outlet.

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  • Jollibee Kauswagan Diversion 20th store for city

    Jollibee Kauswagan Diversion 20th store for city

    Fast-food giant Jollibee has opened its 20th branch in Cagayan de Oro City – the drive-through store Jollibee Kauswagan Diversion.

    It is beside a gas station along San Pedro Street, and close to the villages of Bayabas, Bonbon and Kauswagan.
    The store is also the 126th Jollibee fast-service restaurant in Mindanao.

    Its blessing and inauguration was attended by Jollibee executives and Cagayan de Oro politicians.

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  • The BonBonist bringing sweet touch to Pacific Place

    The BonBonist bringing sweet touch to Pacific Place

    Offering more than 70 different sweets and chocolates, The BonBonist will launch in Pacific Place next month.

    It is the brainchild of French confectionery expert Olivia Niddam, the former GM of French chocolatier Jean-Paul Hevin Hong Kong.

    Presented in 10 themes, each with a virtual character, the treats are sourced from all over Europe, ranging from low-fat Guilt-Free Gloria to Sour Ninja Nino.

    Customised packaging is available, and customers can mix and match to suit themselves, or for gifts or corporate occasions.

    There will also be festive-season specials.

    Niddam has had more than 10 years’ experience in France, Hong Kong and Japan, and has also worked for confectionary brand L’Eclair de Genie.

    “The BonBonist combines luxury, sophistication and playfulness,” she says.

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  • Passion Delivery doubles offering in two months

    Passion Delivery doubles offering in two months

    Within two months, the number of suppliers and products trading through new Thailand online marketplace Passion Delivery has doubled.

    Directly connecting customers with local producers and importers of artisanal food and drink products, cookware and healthy lifestyle goods, the platform has increased its range from 600 products from 25 suppliers to more than 1200 products from 45 suppliers.

    Co-founder/CEO Ian Soo says the increased choice has inspired more than 1000 people to create accounts.

    “We always knew that people passionate about cooking want as much choice as possible,” says Soo. “Orders grow every month, proving this.”

    Passion Delivery is achieving an average basket size of more than THB2400 (US$70) an order.

    Soo, with wife Sara, founded the business in 2014 after being frustrated by the lack of availability of quality, locally produced food products and ingredients in Bangkok.

    “We’d seen a lot of great food and met some really passionate producers at local farmers’ markets,” says Sara Soo, “but we found it difficult, if not impossible, to find their products in shops. We thought that other people must share our frustration, so we created Passion Delivery.”

    It started as a specialist online order and delivery business from their home, offering just 25 products from three suppliers.

    Eventually, the marketplace was launched as a virtual shop window, connecting customers with suppliers, who fulfil and deliver the orders.

    Passion Delivery plans to expand the marketplace to 4000 products with 2500 customers by year-end.

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  • Maxim’s Caterers wins exclusive Starbucks rights

    Maxim’s Caterers wins exclusive Starbucks rights

    Multibrand restaurant company Maxim’s Caterers has been fully licensed to run Starbucks Coffee Company business in Singapore.

    Maxim’s has been a long-time strategic partner of Starbucks, and the new agreement gives it the exclusive rights to develop and run the brand’s coffee stores in Singapore.

    “We’re pleased to take another step in our ongoing growth aspirations in Asia by transitioning the Singapore business to Maxim’s Caterers, our trusted business partner with a successful track record in delivering the Starbucks Experience and developing our iconic brand,” says Starbucks International group president John Culver, who oversees channel development.

    “Starbucks remains committed to growing in Singapore, an important market where we will build on 20 years of proudly serving customers.”

    Starbucks opened its first store at Liat Towers in Orchard Road and now has more than 130 outlets.

    “Our partnership with Starbucks is 17 years strong, and we are proud to deliver the Starbucks Experience to customers in Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam and Cambodia,” says Maxim’s chairman/MD Michael Wu.

    Maxim’s now operates more than 210 Starbucks stores in Cambodia, Hong Kong, Macau and Vietnam and has a payroll of nearly 2900 employees.

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  • Asia’s first Jamie’s Deli opening at Harbour City

    Asia’s first Jamie’s Deli opening at Harbour City

    British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver will open the first Asia branch of his casual concept, Jamie’s Deli, in Hong Kong next month.

    A fast-casual delicatessen, its menu will feature fresh, sustainably sourced dishes including salads, artisan pizzas, sandwiches and pastries, available for dine-in or takeaway.

    Jamie’s Deli will debut inside Harbour City, under the same roof as the Kowloon branch of the chef’s flagship brand, Jamie’s Italian.

    Since launching in England last year, Jamie’s Deli has opened in three European airports. The menu reflects the philosophy of the Jamie Oliver empire (encompassing global restaurants, cookbooks, charity campaigns and television shows broadcast in more than 50 countries): fresh and simple Italian cooking at an affordable price point.

    While Jamie’s Italian is about pizza and pasta, Jamie’s Deli offers healthier fare. It starts with breakfast (coffee and a bun, featuring the Full Monty with grilled sausage and balsamic onions), and at midday offers a deli lunch box with the customer’s choice of hot sandwich accompanied by seasonally rotating salads.

    An all-day menu includes a superfood salad full of grains and seeds, lemon-and-herb baked salmon with fresh dill, slow-cooked meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce, and a hot pastrami with slow-cooked corned beef and melted cheese.

    Jamie’s Deli and Jamie’s Italian in Hong Kong are managed by Big Cat Group, which also runs three Jamie’s Italian restaurants in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and plans to open several more outlets throughout Hong Kong and Greater China in the next five years.

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