Retail News CRM

Category: General

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest General Retail news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Twitter just experienced a major outage

    Twitter just experienced a major outage

    If you have been unable to access Twitter, don’t panic. The problem is not your internet connection or your phone. Apparently, Twitter just experienced some kind of outage and was down for everybody for about an hour. The downtime affected the web version of Twitter and its mobile apps. The web version showed an error message, and the mobile apps displayed an in-app notification saying that the latest Tweets couldn’t be loaded.

    According to Downdetector — a platform that shows the status of various websites and services in real time — sometime around 8:00 a.m. Eastern time, Twitter users began reporting that they were unable to connect. However, just a few minutes ago, all the error messages the social media platform had been showing disappeared, and it is now running without any issues. So, you can once again access Twitter on your iPhone, Android phone, or via your favorite web browser.

    The social media has not yet issued a statement, and there is currently no information on what caused the Twitter outage. If it does, we will let you know what forced Twitter to take a short nap. The last time Twitter experienced such a dramatic problem was back in February. Back then, the social media platform said in a statement that the cause of the issue was a “technical bug that briefly impacted how Tweets were loading for people on Twitter.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Steel prices drop 8th time in a rowd

    Steel prices drop 8th time in a rowd

    Steel prices have dropped for the eighth time in a row since mid-May with a total decline of nearly 13 percent.

    Biggest steelmaker Hoa Phat Group brought its prices of rolled steel and rebar steel down for the eighth time last weekend, bring prices down by VND2.4 million ($102.61) since mid-May.

    Other steelmakers like Viet Nhat, Viet Y, Kyoei and Pomina have also brought down prices in the last two months.

    VND million per tonne (VND1 million = $42.75)Hoa Phat steel pricesCB240 steelD10 CB300 steelMay 1May 17May 27Jun 1JunJun 19Jun 27Jul 81617181920May 27● CB240 steel: 17.64

    The decline of steel prices came amid weaker demand and falling input prices.

    Domestic steel demand in the first five months dropped by 6 percent year-on-year, according to stock brokerage SSI Research.

    Steel production in April and May fell by 32 percent year-on-year, it added.

    SSI Research said the rising prices of construction materials have delayed infrastructure projects, which could be part of the reason why steel prices have dropped.

    Tightened policy on property development has also affected steel prices, it added.

    Hot-rolled coil prices have dropped by 15-20 percent in China and the U.S. in the last three months due to declining construction and manufacturing activities.

    Prices of coke, one of the input materials for steel, have dropped by 36 percent from its peak in March, while prices of iron ore have fallen 13 percent in the last three months, SSI Research said.

    Another brokerage, VNDirect, expects steel consumption to recover next year thanks to public investment and recovery of the residential property market.

  • Fertilizer imports from Russia rise by 60 percent

    Fertilizer imports from Russia rise by 60 percent

    Vietnam imported US$86.8 million worth of fertilizer from Russia in the first five months, up 60 percent year-on-year.

    Russia accounted for nearly a 10th of Vietnam’s total fertilizer imports at 180,000 tons, second only to China, which accounted for nearly 40 percent, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

    Bui Minh Truong, chairman of Swissfertz Vietnam, a leading NPK fertilizer importer from Russia, said Vietnam could import 300,000-400,000 tons a year from the European country if transportation becomes easier.

    Then, fertilizer prices would drop in Vietnam, reducing the burden on farmers and consumers, he added.

    The Russian consul general in HCMC, Timur Sadykov, said trade between the two countries, which grew by 26 percent in the first half of this year, would have more favorable terms in the second.

    “Russia and Vietnam have just launched a maritime trade route between Vladivostok and Hai Phong, and the two are negotiating a railway route via China.”

    Fertilizer prices have fallen in Vietnam recently due to lower global prices and demand since it is the harvest season.

    There is a high chance prices would go back up when the cropping season begins, besides which the prices of coal and gas, the two main materials for fertilizer production, have shown signs of rising.

    Lees ook:

  • AirAsia launched food delivery and ride-hailing in the Philippines

    AirAsia launched food delivery and ride-hailing in the Philippines

    Malaysia-based multinational low-cost airline AirAsia has expanded its portfolio by including two new businesses set to launch in the Philippines’ capital, Manila, by the end of 2022.

    AirAsia Super App will soon operate a ride hailing and food delivery service after it already secured a franchise from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for its ride-hailing service.

    The app officially launched in the Philippines in April 2021 and expanded its services to other Asian markets, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand.

    The platform offers a full suite of services and comes with an integrated rewards programme and a mobile app. It offers affordable flight and hotel bookings, ecommerce capabilities, food and parcel delivery, ride hailing, financial and health services, as well as on-demand education, among others.

    The super app AirAsia aims to boost digitalisation in the APAC region while setting the tone for a cashless economy and catering to the underbanked population category.

    Lees ook:

  • New chicken welfare standards raised across Australia and New Zealand

    New chicken welfare standards raised across Australia and New Zealand

    Restaurants across Australia and New Zealand are being encouraged to sign on to a new set of standards that aims to provide better welfare for chickens raised for meat.

    The New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCE) has established The Better Chicken Commitment, a set of welfare standards prohibiting the use of abnormally fast-growing poultry breeds killed at just six weeks old in favour of healthier breeds that grow naturally. It also ensures that the chickens have more space, natural lights, enrichments, and “less suffering” at slaughter.

    SPCE consulted the non-profit global organisation, World Animal Protection (WAP), in developing the new chicken welfare standards, together with Animals Aotearoa and The Humane League, and is supported by nine national and global animal welfare organisations.

    Rochelle Flood, campaigns manager for WAP in Australia and New Zealand, said this is a huge opportunity for the region to step up and raise the bar for chicken welfare.

    “Right now, millions of chickens are suffering from chronic pain and organ failure, often unable to move freely, collapsing under the weight of their unnaturally large bodies,” she said

    “Compassionate consumers deserve a higher welfare choice at the checkout, and it’s time for the industry to align with consumer expectations.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Cebu Pacific announces seat sale for 7.7

    Cebu Pacific announces seat sale for 7.7

    Cebu Pacific announced its 7.7 seat sale on Wednesday.

    In an advisory, the budget airline said travelers can avail of a P188 one-way base fare for domestic flights.

    The booking period is from July 7 to July 11, 2022, with a travel period from September 1, 2022 to January 31, 2023.

    Alongside the domestic flight sales, Cebu Pacific is also offering a special international seat sale for as low as P499 one-way base fare for the same travel period.

    “This includes flights to South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Bangkok, among others,” the airline said.

  • Fishermen stranded ashore as fuel costs surge

    Fishermen stranded ashore as fuel costs surge

    Vo Quang Phuc of Quang Nam Province has left his vessels ashore for the last two weeks even though it is the main fishing season now.

    His two vessels typically make 16 trips a year, but this year they have only done four, and all of them resulted in losses, with diesel prices double that of last year.

    The 43-year-old man works as a porter for VND300,000 ($12.84) a day, but he does not get called very often and still has a VND1.7 billion debt on one of his boats.

    He has not received any government support to cope with rising fuel costs, and in his village, only the elders work as fishermen. Most of the younger generation have dumped the vocation for other jobs with more stable income.

    “We fishermen are facing great difficulties.”

    Phuc’s vessels are among 45,800 nationwide, roughly half the country’s fishing fleet, that have stopped operating this year over high fuel costs.

    Diesel costs have nearly doubled year-on-year to around VND30,000 per liter. With fishing vessels consuming about 330 million liters per month, fisherfolk’s incomes have been severely impacted, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs said in a recent report.

    Hoang Van Minh from the central province of Quang Binh is one of them, docking his fishing vessel for two months now.

    Minh has seen an increase of 30 percent in fuel costs, while the catch is less than previous years, which means he loses money on all of his fishing trips.

    Half of the vessels in his village have stopped operating, and only one in 10 report some profit, he added.

    Minh works as a wood worker for VND300,000 a day.

    His son needs VND1.5 million soon to pay for his tuition and Minh does not know how he can afford that.

    Quang Binh has 1,200 offshore fishing vessels, of which 350 of not being used.

    The number of unused vessels will rise further as fuel costs rise faster than catch prices, said Le Ngoc Linh, head of the province’s seafood department.

    Some fishermen are even selling their vessels to make ends meet.

    Pham Van Suc in Quang Nam sold his offshore vessel recently and bought a smaller boat to transport people in Da Nang City.

    “Many of my customers are fishermen who are now going into the city every day to work as gardeners. They only return to their ships at night to protect them.”

    Lees ook:

  • Cebu Pacific resumes flights to Australia

    Cebu Pacific resumes flights to Australia

    Budget carrier Cebu Pacific said on Sunday it has expanded its Asia Pacific footprint with the resumption of its flights to Australia.

    With the easing of travel restrictions in the Philippines and Australia, Cebu Pacific has resumed its thrice weekly flights between Manila and Sydney.

    “With this route resumption, we are pleased to fly once again to and from this destination after more than two years. We know that many are excited to visit Sydney’s attractions like the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Bondi beach, Taronga Zoo and many more,” said Xander Lao, Chief Commercial Officer at Cebu Pacific.

    He added: “This also allows Filipinos to reunite with friends and family. We will continue working on boosting seamless connections across our network to address demand.”

    Sydney requires arriving tourists to present printed copies of their Covid-19 Vaccination Certificate upon check-in. Travelers must also complete and submit their Digital Passenger Declaration form at least 72 hours before departure.

    Coming home, boosted Filipinos no longer need to take a Covid test pre-departure.

    As countries continue to reduce Covid-19 measures, Cebu Pacific plans to revitalize its international network. Its domestic network has already been restored to 100 percent of its pre-pandemic capacity.

    Last month, the airline announced that it will ramp up its flights to Singapore from Manila and Cebu.

    In an advisory, Cebu Pacific said it will double the daily frequency of its Manila-Singapore operations starting July 1, while its thrice weekly Cebu-Singapore route will reopen on July 15.

    “We are delighted to continue ramping-up our international flight frequencies, not only in Manila, but also in Cebu. We know majority of the traveling public have been looking forward to travel internationally again, especially since a lot of countries have eased their restrictions. We continue to work towards the expansion of our international network while we maintain operating over 100 percent of our pre-pandemic domestic capacity,” Lao said.

  • AirAsia eyes Sabah for route expansion

    AirAsia eyes Sabah for route expansion

    Philippines AirAsia will introduce more direct flights to Sabah and is considering establishing a hub in Sandakan as part of its expansion ambitions.

    The airline is currently studying the potential for direct routes to Kota Kinabalu from Puerto Princesa and Davao in the Philippines. A possible connection between Zamboanga and Sandakan is also on the list of possible direct routes, according to an assessment in a media statement released by the Sabah Tourism Board.

    State Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said Sabah welcomed the plan, which would help both countries in terms of economic spillover.

    “One of the Sabah Maju Jaya plans is to ensure Sandakan Airport is upgraded to the international airport. We should explore additional direct routes into the state.

    “Tawau, being a gateway to Semporna, might potentially serve as an operational hub too. So, whether it’s Sandakan or Tawau, we’ll let them study the viability,” he said.

    Jafry was speaking at a recent press conference on the joint collaboration between the Philippines AirAsia and Sabah Tourism Board (STB)

    Also present were Assistant Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister cum STB chairman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of State Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Sr Yusrie Abdullah; STB deputy chairman Datuk Dr Jelani Hamdan; STB chief executive officer Noredah Othman; Philippines AirAsia chief executive officer Ricky Isla; and Philippines AirAsia SuperApp managing director Ray Berja.

    The press conference was in conjunction with the familiarisation trip to Sabah for the Philippines media.

    Speaking on the strategic partnership between STB and Air Asia, Jafry said the board is now finalising a collaborative technical campaign to encourage Filipinos to visit Kota Kinabalu.

    Ricky stated that Philippines Air Asia now flies twice weekly from Manila to Sabah, with plans to expand frequency.

    “We want to sustain the travel momentum, and for Sabah, we are not just looking at beaches but eco-tourism and agro-tourism, which are educational.

    “We are looking into the prospect of opening a new destination in Sandakan, which has one of the highest Filipino populations in Sabah, as part of our expansion plan,” he said

    Meanwhile, STB chief executive officer Noredah Othman said Manila has the potential to serve as another hub to attract international visitors and also to attract expatriates living in the Philippines.

    Although having certain similarities, she said Sabah and the Philippines each have unique contrasts that both sides should explore.

    Pre-pandemic, Noredah said the state of Sabah received 4.2 million visitors in 2019, with a promising rise in arrivals since the reopening of borders after two-year hiatus. Chinese visitors contributed the most arrivals in 2019, followed by South Koreans and Europeans.

    Lees ook:

  • AS Watson injects US$115 million into its O+O experience

    AS Watson injects US$115 million into its O+O experience

    “We are mindful that digital transformation is not just about how much investment we put in technology or how many more digital devices we put in the stores,” said Manila Ngai, group COO of AS Watson Group and CEO of AS Watson Asia and Europe.

    “It is also about a genuine revolution in the organisation culture – the way we think, the way we work, and the way we communicate and serve our customers.”

    The investment comes after the brand expanded its ‘TechLab’ experience centre in Shenzhen, alongside its existing centre in the Netherlands. The centre features shopping technology such as unmanned stores, smart shelves, interactive games and facial recognition.

    “Retail is evolving very quickly. What took a decade to develop in the past would now happen in two years,” Ngai added.

    “Therefore, we need to build agility in the organisation, and to empower our people with data insights in real-time, cloud-based dashboards is key to fast and smart decision making. O+O continues to be AS Watson’s core strategy and technology is the critical engine for future growth.”

    The Hong Kong-based retailer is serving more than 5.5 billion customers via its O+O platforms.

    Lees ook:

  • AirAsia X Eyes A Return To New Zealand

    AirAsia X Eyes A Return To New Zealand

    AirAsia X, the medium to long-haul affiliate airline of AirAsia Aviation Group, is launching flights to Auckland, New Zealand, via Australia. The announcement is the latest from the Kuala Lumpur International (KUL) based airline, which will offer seats to several new destinations as it returns from a significant restructuring.

    The Malaysian airline resumed operations earlier this year and currently serves Seoul and New Delhi from its base in Kuala Lumpur.

    AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail has confirmed that the carrier aims to restart flights to Australian destinations Melbourne and Perth, as well as a route to Auckland, New Zealand, via Australia.

    Adding a round-trip leg to New Zealand from Australia is quite a common practice. The flights are able to use fifth-freedom rights to carry on to New Zealand as opposed to parking the plane at an Australian airport for the day. Qatar Airways, for instance, flies to Auckland via Adelaide on one of the OneWorld carrier’s Boeing 777-300ERs. AirAsia X did not mention which airport would see the stopover service carry on to New Zealand.

    The airline previously operated flights to Auckland via Gold Coast Airport in Queensland but cut the Auckland leg of this service in February 2019. AirAsia X also launched direct flights to Christchurch in 2011 as the island was recovering from severe earthquake damage and donated a six-figure sum to help with restoration. The 11-hour flight lasted less than a year before being cut in early 2012.

    AirAsia X briefly restarted Sydney flights on Valentine’s Day of this year. The service only continued until April, however. Flights are now scheduled to resume in September of this year. The carrier previously flew from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney, carrying one million of some 2.4 passengers flying between the two countries in 2019.

    The airline has also now scheduled flights to resume to Tokyo Haneda on the 14th of July. The service will join the resumption of Osaka, also in Japan, in October. The Osaka flights will then continue to Honolulu before returning. Flights to Sapporo, the capital of the mountainous northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, will resume in December.

    The airline still has several next generation Airbus jets on order as it seeks to rebuild its network. Photo: AirAsia x

    AirAsia X also announced it intends to resume its London service, which will operate from Kuala Lumpur to London Gatwick via Dubai. The carrier initially launched the route to London Stansted Airport in 2009 using Airbus A340s before pulling it in January 2012. The service will include a layover in Dubai and launch in conjunction with a service to Istanbul.

    The airline’s fleet currently consists of twelve Airbus A330-300 aircraft, which seat 365 in economy class and 12 passengers in business class. AirAsia X currently has orders for twenty of the Airbus A321 family, alongside fifteen A330-900s for its upcoming long-haul service.

    Simple Flying previously reported that AirAsia X had canceled part of its sizeable outstanding order with Airbus. AirAsia X, the largest customer for the A330-900, has confirmed the cancellation of 63 A330neo orders, equaling a fifth of outstanding orders for the type. The airline also canceled ten A321neo aircraft orders, according to the latest available data from Airbus.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Grab adds heatwave surcharge on motorbike services

    Grab adds heatwave surcharge on motorbike services

    Grab has become the first ride-hailing firm in Vietnam to announce a new surcharge on its motorbike services starting Thursday.

    The surcharges are VND5,000 (20 U.S. cents) for each GrabBike trip and GrabFood order in some localities including HCMC, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Da Nang and Can Tho.

    GrabExpress services in HCMC and Hanoi will attract a surcharge of VND3,000 for each delivery.

    The surcharge will be applied “during extremely hot weather”, Grab said on its website without disclosing further details.

    The Singapore-based ride hailing firm is the first to roll out surcharges for hot weather conditions. Earlier, a surcharge of VND10,000-15,000 has been applied for late nights and the Lunar New Year holiday.

    In early March this year, Grab had raised all fares by VND500-2,500 to aid drivers coping with surging gasoline prices.

  • Twitter Blue now lets you customize Twitter’s navigation bar on Android

    Twitter Blue now lets you customize Twitter’s navigation bar on Android

    Twitter Blue subscribers on Android have received a new feature. Well, when you think about it, it’s not that new, but finally, Android users can personalize the navigation bar of the Twitter app, just like Apple users. In November 2021, Twitter released the custom navigation option for Twitter Blue, but until now, it was only available on the iOS version of the Twitter app.

    If you are unfamiliar with the custom navigation feature, it allows you to remove those nav tabs you don’t frequently use. By default, the bar has five buttons: Home, Explore, Spaces, Notifications, and Messages. But with the custom navigation option, you can hide the ones you don’t want, thus clearing the clutter to a minimum of two.

    For example, you might not be a big fan of Spaces, Twitter’s live audio conversations. So, if you are a Twitter Blue subscriber, you can simply go to the custom navigation option located in the app settings and hide that button.

    Twitter Blue is available only in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand for Android, iOS, and Web. It has a price tag of US $2.99, CAD $3.49, AUD $4.49, or NZ$ 4.49 per month. It offers some features that are unavailable to free Twitter users, such as the ability to undo a tweet, read ad-free news articles from a network of select publishers, and customize your Twitter app the way it suits you best.

    Lees ook:

  • 2 new casinos proposed for foreigners

    2 new casinos proposed for foreigners

    The Ministry of Finance is backing proposals by Da Nang City and Khanh Hoa Province to license two new casinos meant exclusively for foreigners.

    The casinos would be built at entertainment and resort complex Sun World Ba Na Hills in Da Nang City and Hon Tre Island in Khanh Hoa Province, it said in the proposals it has forwarded to the government.

    The two locations have large tourism potential and are especially attractive to foreign visitors, it added.

    Da Nang has no major casino yet, while Khanh Hoa has received approval to build a casino and resort complex in KN Paradise in Cam Ranh, and construction is ongoing.

    But the ministry refused to back a proposal to build a casino by the central province of Binh Thuan, deeming its tourism potential low and pointing to its lack of port or airport.

    The ministry also recommended the extension of a trial program allowing Vietnamese to gamble at the Phu Quoc Casino until 2024.

    With gambling considered a “social evil” in Vietnam, locals have only been allowed to enter the casino since the end of 2018 in a trial program originally meant to last three years.

    But the finance ministry is now seeking to extend it since casinos were hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic in the last two years.

    The Phu Quoc Casino saw revenue grow by 9.5 percent in 2019 and 2020 before falling by 10 percent in 2021.

    Vietnam has nine casinos, including three major ones on Phu Quoc Island in Kien Giang Province, Quang Nam Province and Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province.

    All nine lost money last year.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Cebu Pacific Resumes Sydney Flights With Its Airbus A330neo

    Cebu Pacific Resumes Sydney Flights With Its Airbus A330neo

    Another international airline has returned to Sydney, with Cebu Pacific resuming its popular flights between Sydney and Manila on July 1. Cebu Pacific had carved out a niche in Australia by offering a low-cost alternative to Qantas and Philippine Airlines before the pandemic but paused its flights in March 2020. Now the airline is back with thrice-weekly return flights.

    The return of Cebu Pacific is another step forward for Sydney Airport, which lost a lot of carriers at the pandemic’s start. Most, but not all, have returned or planned to return and the airport is keen to get as many former airlines back as possible. In 2019, the most recent year of uninterrupted flying for airlines, 776 660 people flew on the Australia – Philippines country pair, with airlines offering 3,429 nonstop flights. Cebu Pacific competed with Qantas and Philippine Airlines on the country pair, with the low-cost carrier snagging 35% of the market in terms of passenger numbers.

    Landing in Sydney on a wild and wet Saturday morning, Cebu Pacific was the last of the three carriers to resume flights between Australia and the Philippines.

    “With this route resumption, we are pleased to fly once again to and from this destination after more than two years,” said Cebu Pacific Chief Commercial Officer Xander Lao. “We know that many are excited to visit Sydney’s attractions. This route also allows Filipinos to reunite with friends and family.”

    It takes around eight and a half hours to cover the 3,879 miles (6,243 kilometers) between the two cities. The flights down to Sydney are overnight services, while flights up to Manila are civilized daytime journeys. At 23:20 every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, a Cebu Pacific Airbus A330-900 will operate flight 5J39 to Sydney (SYD), arriving at 09:50 the following day. Heading up to Manila (MNL), 5J40 will depart Sydney at 11:20 every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday and touch down in Manila at 17:50 on the same day.

    While Cebu Pacific generally undercuts its competitors on this route, you’ll be on the receiving end of an authentic medium-haul low-cost flying experience. Cebu Pacific fits 436 passengers on its A330-900s in a standard 3-3-3 layout across the entire plane. This is an impressive number of passengers, but there won’t be much room to move during your eight-plus hours in the air. Baggage, seat selection, and meals are all add-ons.

    Cebu Pacific’s return to Australia coincides with that country dropping the last of its COVID-related travel restrictions. The longstanding policy of checking vaccination certificates and current status before boarding an Australia-bound flight ends this week. Australia is also axing its previously compulsory but deeply flawed digital passenger declaration app in favor of returning to the low-tech but infinitely preferable hard copy arrival declaration. It marks a return to pre-pandemic arrival processes in Australia.

    Meanwhile, the Philippines is open to all fully vaccinated international tourists as they can present proof of complete COVID-19 vaccination and at least one booster shot. However, there do remain some domestic travel restrictions and guidelines imposed by the national and local governments to help control the spread of COVID-19 within the Philippines.

    Lees ook: