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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.

  • Facebook uses scare tactic to get iOS users to opt-in for tracking

    Facebook uses scare tactic to get iOS users to opt-in for tracking

    Researcher Ashkan Soltani disseminated a tweet on Friday about Facebook’s plan to take on Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature. ATT sends out a prompt from third-party apps asking whether users want to opt-in to being tracked through their travels on other apps and online. This information is collected and used to send out personal advertisements and also to collect personal data.

    The prompts just started rolling out last Monday with the release of iOS 14.5 and while the data might be too early to be considered significant, 47% of those responding to a survey by app figures said that they chose to allow themselves to be tracked by third-party apps. Before the update dropped, estimates called for 32% of users to allow tracking while 68% were forecast to opt-out.

    When Apple first announced that it was going to launch App Tracking Transparency, one company, in particular, went totally bonkers. Facebook published two newspaper ads complaining that ATT would kill small businesses since it would reduce the reach that these firms get from online advertising. Of course, let us not forget that Facebook took in $84 billion last year from online ads.

    Do you really believe that Facebook was concerned about the future of small businesses with ATT enabled? The social media firm and its beleaguered Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg were probably more concerned about the future of Facebook; the latter is an advertising company more than it is a social media app.

    Some companies have been trying to find ways to gently guide iOS users to allow themselves to be tracked even though Apple has a number of rules and guidelines that companies must follow when creating their ATT pre-prompt and prompt, or face getting booted out of the App Store. One amazingly blatant prompt gives users just one choice-to allow themselves to be tracked.

    What Facebook is doing, according to Soltani, is using “scare tactics” to get Facebook and Instagram users to choose to be tracked. Images of pre-prompt notifications that are reportedly being considered make it sound that by withholding permission to be tracked, both social media apps might have to charge users for access.

    The text on Facebook’s and Instagram’s pre-prompt pages say, “This version of iOS requires us to ask for permission to track some data from this device to improve your ads. Facebook and Instagram go on to say that thanks to the information it receives from tracking users, it shows ads that are more personalized while keeping Facebook (and Instagram) free of charge.” The insinuation is crystal clear: if you decide to disable tracking, you eventually might have to pay to use Facebook or Instagram.

    Last week we told you about the guidelines that Apple had developed for ATT prompts, such as banning those that bribed users to allow tracking. While it is not yet known whether Facebook/Instagram will use these exact screens, if they do, both would seem to be permissible under Apple’s rules.

    We can see where Facebook might simply be explaining a business decision that it could have to make. On the other hand, Black’s Law Dictionary says that a Bribe is “the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or another person, in charge of a public or legal duty.” Facebook has not made a definitive offering, but as we said, the insinuation is clear.

    Back in March, Facebook CEO Zuckerberg reversed his stance, saying that Facebook might actually benefit from ATT and stated that “It’s possible that we may even be in a stronger position if Apple’s changes encourage more businesses to conduct more commerce on our platforms.” In other words, ATT could end up delivering more traffic to Facebook’s platforms.

    However, it appears that Facebook has reverted back to its adversarial position in a note to advertisers written last week. The note says, “As more people upgrade to iOS 14.5, opted-out users will automatically be excluded from certain targetable audiences, which may result in decrease of audience sizes.”

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  • Aldi Australia targets food in drive to eliminate waste to landfill

    Aldi Australia targets food in drive to eliminate waste to landfill

    Aldi Australia has taken another step toward more sustainable local operations, announcing it is committing to zero waste to landfill by 2025.

    The plan, according to Aldi, is to first focus on reducing food waste to landfill by 2023 by expanding segregated waste collection at stores and doubling food donations across its business, while executing on closed-loop recycling opportunities within Aldi’s supply chain.

    The commitment follows Aldi’s plan to power its operations entirely with renewable energy, and trials of instore recycling services to help consumers to reduce their waste footprint for items such as coffee capsules and soft plastics, as well as harder to recycle items such as batteries.

    “Every present and future action is taken to achieve our zero-waste commitment has been carefully considered to ensure the solution is both viable and impactful,” said Aldi Australia corporate responsibility director Daniel Baker.

    “Our commitment will see the business reduce the amount of waste created and reuse or recycle materials to cease unnecessary waste from being sent to landfill. It is our intention that, collectively, these actions will make a difference.”

    Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said she is hopeful Aldi’s commitment will have a flow-on effect across its supply chain and through to consumers.

  • Vietravel posts $3 mln loss in Q1

    Vietravel posts $3 mln loss in Q1

    Tourism company Vietravel has already posted a loss of VND72.8 billion ($3.15 million) this year, or 81 percent of the loss it suffered in the whole of last year.

    Revenues fell nearly 65 percent to VND277 billion as the Covid-19 outbreaks in the first quarter hit travel.

    Its accumulated losses as of the end of March were over VND102 billion, or higher than its equity.

    The company targets an increase of 411 percent in revenue to VND6.24 trillion this year and a pre-tax profit of VND10 billion.

    In the first quarter it spent nearly VND59 billion on its new carrier, Vietravel Airlines, which began operations at the end of last year.

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  • European companies in Vietnam say confidence en route to pre-pandemic levels

    European companies in Vietnam say confidence en route to pre-pandemic levels

    The Business Climate Index of European companies in Vietnam has climbed back to near pre-pandemic levels amid the economic recovery.

    It rose 10.3 percentage points in the first quarter from the previous quarter to 73.9 percent, according to a survey released by the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham).

    This is the fourth straight quarterly increase since the index plunged to a historic low of 26.7 points in the first quarter of last year due to Covid-19.

    “The Business Climate Index confirms once again that Vietnam is open for business,” EuroCham Chairman Alain Cany said.

    While countries continue to struggle with the impact of Covid, Vietnam has ensured that companies could continue to operate as close to normal as possible, and this is driving the confidence of European business chiefs, he added.

    Sixty-seven percent of respondents said their business outlook for the second quarter is either “excellent” or “good”, up 12 percentage points from this quarter.

    Forty-one percent expected their payroll to expand in the second quarter.

    “The fact that more business leaders are anticipating a rise in their headcount and investment plans are a vote of confidence in Vietnam’s long-term prospects,” Thue Quist Thomasen, CEO of YouGov Vietnam, which conducted the survey, said.

    Over 60 percent of EuroCham members have benefited from the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement since it came into effect in August last year.

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  • Doors open wider for Vietnam exports to the US

    Doors open wider for Vietnam exports to the US

    A large demand for agricultural produce and electronics products as well as rising e-commerce potential give Vietnamese exporters greater opportunities in the U.S. market, experts say.

    The U.S. is a market with much potential for Vietnamese companies, especially as Vietnam has been able to keep the Covid-19 pandemic under control, said Nguyen Huu Tien, director of the HCMC Investment and Trade Promotion Centre.

    The U.S. was Vietnam’s largest export market in the first four months with the value of shipments surging 50 percent year-on-year to $30.3 billion.

    Top export categories included machinery and equipment, textile and garment, and computers and electronics.

    Last year, Vietnamese exports to the U.S. ranked third in Asia after China and Japan.

    Ken D. Duong, director of international law firm TDL, said that traditional categories such as agriculture produce and fisheries were posting strong figures despite the pandemic.

    U.S. companies have stopped purchasing some hardwood products from China and are looking for alternative markets, he said, adding that last year, many Vietnamese companies were able to take advantage of this and got large orders.

    Many Vietnamese-Americans are looking for suppliers in Vietnam to export products to the U.S., he added.

    There are a lot of opportunities for electronics export because a number of American and Taiwanese firms have established factories in Vietnam to research and develop internet of things products.

    “There are signals that indicate that Vietnam could become a hub for researching and manufacturing advanced tech products,” Duong said.

    Amazon Global Selling Wednesday announced a new campaign in partnership with the Vietnam e-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency (iDEA) that would help Vietnamese sellers sell more products on Amazon.

    But other experts said there were challenges that Vietnamese exporters face, such as trademarks. They cited the latest example of a Vietnamese rice brand, ST25, which won an international contest as the world’s best variety, being trademarked by a U.S. company.

    Duong said that usually it costs $1,000-1,800 to register a trademark in the U.S. Around 50 percent of mid-sized Vietnamese companies in the U.S. register their brand and the ratio is just 10 percent for small firms.

    Vietnamese suppliers need to understand U.S. regulations on intellectual property to step up in the global supply chain, he added.

    Dang Hoang Hai, head of the iDEA, said that as many Vietnamese sellers are reluctant to export their products to the U.S. via e-commerce, his organization will provide more training to help hundreds of small and medium companies sell their products on Amazon.

    Although there has been speculation about the U.S. rejoining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), U.S. officials have said that this would not happen in the short term.

    Mary Tarnowka, executive director of American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, cited a report by a Fulbright University professor to show that U.S. President Joe Biden will not consider signing another free trade agreement until the middle of his term.

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  • Unilever plans $3.6 billion buyback as China and home cooks boost growt

    Unilever plans $3.6 billion buyback as China and home cooks boost growt

    Unilever announced a 3 billion euro ($3.6 billion) share buyback and said it was confident of hitting sales targets this year after demanding from home cooks and China helped it to beat first-quarter sales expectations.

    Shares in the maker of Dove soap and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream climbed as much as 4 percent on Thursday after it joined rivals such as Nestle and Procter & Gamble in reporting strong sales of food and cleaning products respectively in the pandemic.

    Underlying sales jumped 5.7 percent in the three months to the end of March, topping analysts average forecast of 3.9 percent, according to a company-supplied consensus.

    “These are encouraging numbers,” said Steve Clayton, portfolio manager of Hargreaves Lansdown’s Select UK Shares funds. “Unilever gains much of its strength through the group’s diversity.”

    The company said it was confident of delivering full-year underlying sales growth within its mid-term target range of 3-5per cent, with the first half around the top of the range.

    It also forecasts a slight increase in underlying operating margin this year, despite double-digit inflation on some raw materials, such as soybean oil and tea.

    Like several rivals, Unilever said it would need to raise prices to mitigate the impact.

    “Unilever price movement is typically in the 1-3 percent range historically, and that is where we expect to be this year,” Chief Executive Alan Jope told journalists after the company raised prices by 1 percent in the first quarter.

    Unilever, which makes about 60 percent of revenues in emerging markets, said underlying sales growth there reached 9.4 percent in the quarter, led by double-digit increases in China and India following strict lockdowns the previous year.

    Pitkethly said easier comparables than last year, a return of sales to cafes and restaurants in places like China, and the US retailer restocking of high-end beauty products underpinned its confidence for the rest of the year.

    Underlying sales in the group’s food and refreshments business, whose brands include Hellmann’s mayonnaise and Knorr soups, jumped 9.8 percent in the quarter, helped by strong demand for home consumption in North America and Europe.

    The company noted the devastating surge in Covid-19 infections sweeping India, another key market, but said it was not seeing any material impact on its business from that so far.

    “We’re looking forward to continued growth in Q2,” Jope said, pointing to the group’s success in digitized ordering, increasing manufacturing capacity, and bringing more inventory close to retail.

    Unilever also said it was making good progress in separating its slower-growth Elida beauty and tea businesses, which could lead to sales or spin-offs.

    Elida beauty will consist of brands predominantly sold in Europe and North America, including Q-Tips, Caress, Tigi, Timotei, Impulse and MonSavon, which together generated revenues of around 600 million euros in 2020, the company said.

    The moves are part of Jope’s plan to jump-start growth, which has lagged peers in recent years, partly because of an outsized focus on emerging markets that have performed unevenly.

    In February, Jope said Unilever would focus more on high-growth categories such as plant-based foods, beauty products and nutritional supplements, and aim to appeal more to younger consumers.

    He said the priority was to grow existing businesses, rather than make acquisitions, but added on Thursday that the share buyback should not be seen as a lack of appetite for deals.

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  • Pandora launches new home screen widget for iPhones and iPads

    Pandora launches new home screen widget for iPhones and iPads

    Pandora is making some interesting changes to its iOS app. If you’re using the streaming service’s app on an iPhone or iPad, you should soon notice a new home screen widget that features many customization options.

    With the latest version of the iOS app, you’ll now be able to choose from 3 sizes of the new Pandora widget, which will allow you to view and play up to 7 of your most recently played songs, albums, stations, playlists, and podcasts directly from the home screen.

    To start customizing your Pandora experience make sure to update the iOS app via the App Store. Then, long-press the home screen and hold until you get the “+” icon displayed. Simply search for Pandora and select one of the three sizes available. When you’re done, tap “Add Widget” and your home widget should be accessible on the fly.

    The new home screen widget for iPhones and iPads requires iOS 14 or newer, but that shouldn’t be a concern for most users.

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  • New guidelines from Google aim to fix listings of Android apps in the Play Store

    New guidelines from Google aim to fix listings of Android apps in the Play Store

    In a post published today on the Android Developers Blog, new guidance has been created to help developers give the Play Store the information it needs to make sure that their apps get attention from Android users. Images, video, descriptions and even the app name itself play an important role in determining whether an app stands out from among the millions of apps and games available in over 190 countries.

    Google says, “Google Play is increasingly showing more of your assets front and center, surfacing graphic assets and descriptions right on Apps and Games home. To make sure that the store listing assets are giving users ensure that your store listing assets can help users anticipate your in-app or in-game experience and drive meaningful downloads, we are pre-announcing a policy change for app metadata and introducing new guidelines on Store listing preview assets.”

    The changes being made to app metadata will limit the title of an app listed in the Play Store to 30 characters. Google also does not want graphic images and texts to promote an app’s ranking in the Play Store. For example, an icon that says “#1 stock market app” is a no-no. Text and graphic elements can not be used to promote a deal, and capitalized letters are out unless it is part of how a company stylizes its name.

    There are also new preview asset guidelines for feature graphics, screenshots, videos, and short descriptions. Google says it wants to know whether the preview assets accurately represent the app or game and whether they deliver enough information to help users reach a decision about installing the app. The preview assets cannot use buzzwords like “free” or “best,” and must focus on “providing meaningful information” about the things that make your app or game unique.

    The guidelines will be valid starting in the second half of the year. Google says that “Assets that don’t meet our guidelines may be ineligible for promotion and recommendation on major Google Play surfaces like Apps and Games home.”

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  • Telegram to launch long-awaited group video call feature in May

    Telegram to launch long-awaited group video call feature in May

    Telegram will be finally adding a group video call feature to its portfolio next month. Yesterday, the company CEO Pavel Durov posted a short video showing the upcoming feature in action.

    ”Speaking of video calls, we will be adding a video dimension to our voice chats in May, making Telegram a powerful platform for group video calls,” wrote Durov.

    Telegram is a bit late to the group video chat party, as competitors such as Zoom, WhatsApp, Messenger Rooms, Hangouts – already reap the benefits of the global pandemic and lockdown situation worldwide.

    The company announced plans for a group video feature a whole year ago and despite the delay, the feature could boost Telegram’s popularity and help compete with the aforementioned platforms.

    Group video calls on Telegram will support Screen sharing, encryption, noise-cancellation, as well as desktop and tablet, and smartphone devices. We’ll have to wait and see whether Telegram will join the best video conferencing apps out there with its new feature.

  • Bamboo Airways hikes capital yet again

    Bamboo Airways hikes capital yet again

    Private carrier Bamboo Airways has increased its charter capital by 28 percent to VND16 trillion ($695 million), the highest in the industry.

    Since it was set up in May 2017 with a capital of VND700 billion, this is the airline’s seventh hike.

    Its chairman, Trinh Van Quyet, said this month the airline is considering an initial public offering of shares in the U.S. this year to raise $200 million.

    It is expected in the third quarter, with the company likely to offer a 5-7 percent stake.

    It also plans to expand its fleet from 30 aircraft to 40.

    Last year, Bamboo Airways carried over seven million passengers to account for a 20 percent market share, and hopes to increase it to 30 percent this year.

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  • Coles embraces AI for fresh produce management

    Coles embraces AI for fresh produce management

    Coles has partnered up with Finnish tech provider RELEX, to replace manual ordering systems for fresh fruit and veg with AI-enabled, cloud-based tech designed to improve efficiency and reduce waste.

    The technology will be rolled out in all 850 Coles stores throughout the country, and in seven fresh produce distribution centers.

    The RELEX platform will integrate with Coles’ existing in-house analytics system, which has already been rolled out to provide forecasting for other non-fresh categories, chief information officer Roger Sniezek said in a statement.

    “This will enable an improved customer offer by not only taking into account past purchases but also factoring weather and local community events into the forecasting algorithms,” he said.

    This move from Coles is just the latest example of Australia’s grocery behemoths embracing a new, tech-enabled future of retail.

    Last week, Woolworths announced it has paid $223 million to increase its stake in data analytics business Quantium from 47% to 75%, while also ramping up its use of the technology to help shape its strategy and interact with customers.

    Woolies has also recently made a multimillion-dollar investment into Melbourne startup Marketplacer, through its venture capital firm W23. And, Marketplacer is set to build its new online empire.

    This is all part of a broader shift in the sector, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking to SmartCompany last week, Marketplacer co-founder and chief Jason Wyatt said the pandemic was a “catastrophic event that forced behaviors to change overnight”.

    For retailers, that meant perfecting — or even creating from scratch — their e-commerce offerings overnight. And, as the economic impact continues, it’s never been more important to know your customer and remain competitive.

    However, Kevin Gunn, Coles’ executive general manager for central operations and transformation, said centralizing the supermarket chain’s replenishment model has been on the cards for more than a decade.

    Fresh produce is one of Coles’ “most complex supply chains”, he explained in a statement, with short shelf life, seasonality, price elasticity, and diverse growing seasons presenting a suite of unique challenges.

    Using AI technology is intended to help the grocery giant expand the range and availability of produce, and simplify processes for both internal teams and suppliers.

    But, Gunn also pointed to the environmental benefits. Centralised ordering should reduce waste on existing products, and minimize waste on new ranges, “which is important to us as Coles aims to become Australia’s most sustainable supermarket.”

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  • Airport ground services firm targets $4.1 mln profit

    Airport ground services firm targets $4.1 mln profit

    Its revenue target is VND795 billion, a 7 percent rise. The targets were announced at the company’s annual general meeting on Tuesday.

    It is set to benefit from the start of the new Vietravel Airlines by leading tour company Vietravel last January and the gradual resumption of international flights from July.

    “Many countries including Vietnam are considering issuing vaccine passports to resume international flights, which will enable the aviation industry to recover,” the company’s chairman Dang Tuan Tu, said.

    Last year the company reported revenues of VND746 billion, a 53 percent decline, and profits of VND88 billion, down 74.5 percent as international flights were grounded and tourism came to a standstill.

    The average number of flights it served per day last year was 70 percent down from the normal 350.

  • Consumer Confidence in Gold Returns

    Consumer Confidence in Gold Returns

    While gold investment demand fell in the first quarter, this was mitigated by the strength of retail purchases of bars and coins, as well as gold jewelry.

    Gold-backed exchange-traded funds saw 177.9 tons of outflows in the first quarter of 2021 – a 23-percent drop year-on-year – amid rising Treasury yields, according to the World Gold Council’s Gold Demand Trends Q1 2021 report, published on Thursday.

    At the same time, these outflows were mitigated by a 339.5-ton increase in retail gold purchases (36 percent y-o-y), influenced by price-driven «bargain-hunting» and widespread concern over growing inflationary pressures, the report said. Overall overall global gold demand from January to March was on par with the preceding quarter at 815.7 tons.

    We are beginning to see the green shoots of recovery, so there’s a natural pullback,» the World Gold Council’s Andrew Naylor said about the slowing pace of institutional investment in gold. However, he noted the ETF market is still buoyant, and that Asian ETFs have actually seen net inflows because of the stronger retail market participation in the region.

    The Singapore-based head of central banks and public policy noted that there is still a strategic case for investing in gold. «There is still a lot of uncertainty, and there is a likelihood of an inflationary environment with the extension of government balance sheets,» Naylor said.

    As for retail consumers, a more positive economic environment, coupled with a lower gold price, is prompting renewed interest, Naylor said. Bar and coin demand had its best quarter since 2016, growing 36 percent year on year, while jewelry demand enjoyed a post-Covid rebound of 52 percent.

    Naylor said that despite the growing interest in cryptocurrencies and digital assets among investors, he does not see them as competing as they play different roles in portfolios.

    Cryptocurrencies do have a role in the asset allocation mix at the moment, but they’re not gold. They’re a risky asset, and you would probably want to balance that with a risk mitigator such as gold, Naylor said.

    Naylor reiterated the case for investing in gold, whether in a high or low-interest rate environment: its role as a risk diversifier, unique demand profile, and how it helps risk-adjusted returns of a portfolio.

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  • What Can Retailers Learn from the Online Casino Industry?

    What Can Retailers Learn from the Online Casino Industry?

    Since the start of the 2010s, in-person retail has been steadily eclipsed by online shopping. The comparison graph paints a damning picture for in-person retailers and shows just how quickly the internet overlapped them. Moving online isn’t specific to the retail industry, however. Other industries, such as the casino one, have also managed to thrive online. What can the online casino industry show retail about its inevitable move online?

    Niche Nature of the Internet

    One of the main benefits of shopping online was that more niche retailers could thrive. Those offering something that appeals to large groups who are spread out across the country found their target audience. If they existed in one city, they may not gain the footfall necessary to remain viable. Spreading out online opens the potential customer base and allows niche retailers to survive.

    The online casino industry itself reflects the niche nature of internet retailers. Most sites offer a selection of slot games. Some of these are appealing and popular, such as those based on franchises. Others are more esoteric, so would appeal to a smaller group of people. But as the games are inexpensive to create and can be marketed to a wide range of people, it is worthwhile to offer something niche. Niche customers are often willing to spend more and be more loyal than those who can find what they want anywhere they go.

    Source: Pexels

    Convenience of the Internet

    The internet also makes shopping far more convenient. No matter how retailers square it, it’s easier to order something online while sitting on the bus or waiting for dinner to cook than it is to visit a multitude of stores.

    The online casino industry has similarly embraced convenience for its customers. Being able to engage on mobile devices as one would on a desktop device means that there are a wider range of customers to use the online casino sites. In an age where everyone is time-poor, anything that purports to save users’ time is considered a plus.

    The Bargains of the Internet

    The internet has a wider range of retailers and therefore they are more competitive with one another. The customer ends up benefitting as their custom is fought over. This usually looks like a slew of bargains, special offers, and retailers attempting to price each other out. The reason the internet allows this better than physical retailers is simply because it’s easier to compare prices when you can just flick to another tab. Plodding to another store to see if you could save marginal amounts just isn’t done.

    The online casino industry uses a similar tactic to appeal to increasingly savvy customers. As we can see with the welcome bonus offered by Royal Panda, for instance, customers are enticed to use the site. With a bonus of no deposit cash and free spins on certain slot games, those who are wanting to play anyway would be swayed by the generosity. The site will then develop goodwill with the customer which can be leveraged into a strong relationship.

    The Future of Retail

    Retail doesn’t have to just throw its hands in the air and give in to the overwhelming surge of the internet. Some things cannot be purchased online, and people do still enjoy physical experiences. In the UK, discount retailer Primark doesn’t offer online sales, so its stores are always busy. It has no closer rivals so can do so. Wedding clothes and things that provide a tactile experience, such as shoes, are also better bought in person. So, retail should consider excelling where the internet can’t, so all aspects of the industry are fulfilled.

    The internet makes shopping easier and online casino continues to thrive. The latter can give the former influence in how it has transformed a physical industry into one that does best online. Retailers should look to a hybrid approach of the two to succeed in the future

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  • Japan’s retail sales rise at fastest pace in five months

    Japan’s retail sales rise at fastest pace in five months

    Japanese retail sales rose 5.2 percent year-on-year in March, representing the fastest pace of growth in five months as consumer demand returned after suffering a huge hit due to the coronavirus pandemic last year, according to a report.

    The world’s third-largest economy’s retail sales gains beat the median market forecast of 4.7 percent growth with the fastest rise since a 6.4 percent jump in October and the first positive growth seen in four months. Compared with the previous month, retail sales rose 1.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis.

    Fashion items were one of the categories driving growth in March and department stores saw particularly strong gains, posting a 19.3 percent jump in sales.

    This said, Japan’s slow vaccine rollout and a resurgence of Covid-19 cases, leading to new state of emergency declarations last week, are expected to weigh on consumption in the near term.

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