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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.

  • Thai super-star singer Ying Lee’s concert in the sky spices up Thai Vietjet’s inaugural Bangkok – Khon Kaen flight

    Thai super-star singer Ying Lee’s concert in the sky spices up Thai Vietjet’s inaugural Bangkok – Khon Kaen flight

    Thai Vietjet today inaugurated its maiden flight VZ210 from Thailand’s capital airport of Suvarnabhumi to Khon Kaen, the country’s commercial and political centre in the Northeastern region. Celebrating the new service, Thai Vietjet gave passengers a memorable surprise with a ‘Ying Lee’ concert in the sky, complete with a full team of dancers and cabin crew, along with nice corporate souvenirs.

    In celebration of the new route, the airline also launched a mega promotion from just THB 5 for a one-way ticket (approx. US16 cents) (*) for booking throughout the five golden days of 1st – 5th August 2020 at their website or Vietjet Air mobile app. The special promotion tickets are applied for all Thailand domestic flights of Thai Vietjet traveling during 1st August – 30th September, 2020.

    Aiming to facilitate domestic travel in Thailand, Thai Vietjet has constantly increased its flight frequency and destinations from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. Currently, the carrier serves 8 flights/day to Phuket/Chiang Mai, 3 flights/day to Chiang Rai, 2 flights/day to Udon Thani/ Krabi/ Hat Yai/ Khon Kaen in which the flight frequency for Suvarnabhumi – Hat Yai service will be increased to 3 flights/day from 15th August 2020. The airline will also inaugurate the Suvarnabhumi-Nakhon Si Thammarat flight on 6th August 2020. It has also introduced on-line check-in service for domestic passengers traveling out of Suvarnabhumi airport for more convenience.

    The new route Bangkok- Khon Kaen marks the airline’s 7th route from its Suvarnabhumi hub and is operated 2 flights daily, with a flight duration of around 1 hour 5 minutes per leg as per the schedule below:

    Flight No. Departure from Suvarnabhumi Arrival at Khon Kaen Flight No. Departure from Khon Kaen Arrival at Suvarnabhumi
    (Local time) (Local time)
    VZ210 07.30 08.35 VZ211 09.05 10.15
    VZ212 15.45 16.50 VZ213 17.20 18.30
  • AirAsia aiming to launch Muslim-friendly services including packages to perform Haj and Umrah

    AirAsia aiming to launch Muslim-friendly services including packages to perform Haj and Umrah

    AirAsia Group Bhd is aiming to launch Muslim-friendly services including packages to perform the Haj and Umrah.

    In the low-cost carrier’s management discussion and analysis in its Annual & Corporate Governance Report 2019 released July 29, AirAsia co-founder and group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said the airline was actively assessing the prospects of a number of products that cater to niche travel.

    “For example, we aim to launch Muslim-friendly services including packages to perform the Haj and Umrah.

    “We are also looking to enter the medical tourism space, a rapidly growing segment where we would be able to provide the full complement of visas, travel, accommodation, and insurance,” he said.

    He said the idea was to provide complete end-to-end services and experiences for travelers, who only need to search and click for what they want on their mobiles or laptops.

    Fernandes said while AirAsia adhered to its low-cost model to be able to grow our network and offer an ever-increasing range of exciting destinations for guests, it was not able to fully cushion itself from the vagaries of the operating environment.

    “Natural disasters, viral outbreaks, economic downturns, geopolitical upheavals – all of these can, and do impact travel,” he said.

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  • Loft launches in Shanghai

    Loft launches in Shanghai

    Japanese lifestyle specialty store Loft has opened its first directly owned overseas store, ‘Xujiahui Loft’ in Shanghai.

    Located at Metro City, the Xujiahui Loft Shanghai occupies a 1046sqm area. It features more than 12,000 products including Loft’s exclusive lines as well as limited-edition items commemorating the store’s grand opening and pre-sale goods.

    The Xujiahui Loft features ‘Loft Apartment’ where 18 Chinese independent designers will offer their originality in items such as stationary, mobile phone cases, and bags. Participating creators include Caro.Ni, eve.yin, Zengxiaoe, SummerBee and Square Studio.

    Moreover, there will be exclusive collaborative products based on Chinese cheese-tea brand Heytea’s popular drink “Mango Cheezo (mango cheese tea)” and Loft’s image colors, as well as a photo spot, according to the company.

    Loft in Shanghai will also house a pop-up pottery market “Hasami Porcelain Market,” displaying a wide selection of pottery items centering on Hasami porcelain from Nagasaki Prefecture, and “I’be one” pop-up store featuring Japanese characters themed products.

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  • Hidden code reveals Chat Heads for Google Assistant

    Hidden code reveals Chat Heads for Google Assistant

    One of the new features coming to Android 11 is “Bubbles.” This feature allows you to multitask from anywhere on the phone. Similar to the Chat Heads feature found in the Facebook Messenger app, with “Bubbles” you can continue to engage in a chat while looking at another app without having to switch back and forth between the Messages app and, for argument’s sake, a sports app.

    For example, let’s say that you are texting your girlfriend but at the same time you’re following your favorite team on ESPN. Instead of having to move from app to app, a floating avatar will appear on ESPN. It shows the image of your girlfriend, the icon of the Messages app, and a preview of her message. The message turns into a blue dot on the “Bubble.” Tap on it and it expands to give the user the full capabilities of the Messages app. That means that the user can access video, photos, emoji, Assistant suggestions, and other Messages feature.

    Version 11.21 of the Google app includes two new strings of code. One string name that cites a “Chat Head” tutorial goes on to say, “Tap to talk to your Assistant.\nDrag to move or dismiss.” The second string of code says, “Assistant Chat Head dismissal area.” 9to5Google enabled the Assistant Chat Head on the aforementioned version of the Google beta app. It is the current Assistant logo against a white background.

    Now you might be curious as to why on earth would you need a Chat Head for Google Assistant. Messages, you can understand, but a digital assistant, well that’s another story. But if you are using Google Assistant, the conversation that you’re having is with the digital assistant and you might want to ask a follow-up question to a response you’ve received from it. Instead of switching from another app to do so, with Chat Heads, you can remain on the other app while Google Assistant’s Chat Head responds to your inquiry.

    Right now, tapping on the Assistant’s Chat Head merely reveals the current Google Assistant panel at the bottom of the screen. When the final version of Android 11 drops, we’d expect to see the Chat Head expand as it does for Messages with a full-sized page sporting an optimized UI.

  • China stands out in tough LVMH first half year

    China stands out in tough LVMH first half year

    China proved a standout market in every product category for luxury-goods retail group LVMH in the first half-year.

    While sales in Europe and the Americas suffered from long-drawn-out disruption due to Covid-19, there were signs of a recovery in Mainland China.

    LVMH group sales fell by 27 percent to €18.4 billion during the half and by 38 percent in the second quarter.

    “Asia has seen a marked improvement in trends, with a strong rebound in China in particular,” the company noted in its results filing, noting the trend was particularly notable in the second quarter.

    Profit from recurring operations amounted to €1.671 billion euros for the first half of 2020 and operating margin stood at 9 percent. “The profitability of Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Moet Hennessy remained at a high level,” the company said.

    “LVMH showed exceptional resilience to the serious health crisis the world experienced in the first half of 2020,” added Bernard Arnault, LVMH’s chairman and CEO. “Our maisons have shown remarkable agility in implementing measures to adapt their costs and accelerate the growth of online sales.”

    LVMH’s flagship fashion & leather-goods business group reported a 24-per-cent decline in organic sales for the half-year, but China recorded “a very strong recovery in revenue in the second quarter”.

    Sales of perfumes & cosmetics fell by 29 percent, with the company’s larger brands showing good resistance despite an overall decline in the makeup market. In China, LVMH singled out the Fresh skincare brand as enjoying strong momentum.

    Sales of watches & jewelry fell by 39 percent in the first half of 2020. “Confronted in January with the decline of the Chinese market, then with the closure of other markets from mid-March, Bulgari quickly took advantage of the recovery in China in the second quarter,” the company reported.

    However, watch brands TAG Heuer and Hublot were hit by declining orders from retailers due to lockdowns.

    In the company’s selective retailing division, sales were down by 33 percent. Sephora showed good resistance during the pandemic, the brand growing market share in its main markets, in part due to a solid omnichannel strategy. However, the DFS travel-retail business saw sales decline in most destinations due to the suspension of international travel.

    The wines & spirits business group saw sales decline by 23 percent in the first half.

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  • Revenge shopping and getting personal

    Revenge shopping and getting personal

    Shanghainese women purchasing luxury goods in the post-Covid-19 era are making conscious choices in consumption – with a tendency towards revenge shopping amongst younger buyers.

    The insights were revealed in new research by local luxury intelligence agency Gusto Luxe. The firm’s latest report analyses trends in luxury shopping among Shanghai’s women, highlighting several factors with implications for how brands should position and communicate in the market.

    “It’s fascinating to understand the deep impact of the pandemic on Chinese luxury consumers, said Gusto Intelligence research director Lee Folland. “It also offers opportunities for brands to further explore how Chinese luxury consumers expect a specific category and brand to engage in this new environment.”

    For the survey, Gusto interviewed 20 women in Shanghai aged between 20 and 55 years old via LookLook Mobile Ethnography (a product of Spark Ideas), all qualified luxury buyers who spent a minimum of US$5000 on jewelry within the past year, of which more than $2000 was on a single item.

    According to the data, cooking classes, interior decoration, home improvements, and fragrances are top of mind among Shanghainese women in the luxury market. The women interviewed indicated a desire for more personalization on digital platforms and placed high importance on wellness, beauty and vitality. They have a heightened interest in what brands are doing to minimize environmental and social impacts and exhibit greater pride in Chinese Brands.

    For the time being, travel outside of China is not on the cards with the continuing impact of the pandemic.

    “From live streaming to the future of private events to how to leverage relationships with SAs, this study unveiled great clues into what luxury buyers truly desire, as seismic shifts are occurring in the luxury retail landscape,” said Spark Ideas founder & CEO Malinda Sanna.

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  • Google Pay expands to 25 new banks in 14 countries

    Google Pay expands to 25 new banks in 14 countries

    Apple Pay and Google Pay compete with each other for world dominance, while other services like Samsung Pay and LG Pay struggle to keep up. If you’re using an Android or iOS smartphone in the US, the chance is your bank already supports either of the two big mobile payment systems. However, if you live in Europe, Apple Pay and Google Pay could offer more coverage than they do right now.

    However, both companies are making efforts to bring their mobile payment services to larger audiences. As of last week, Google Pay covers 25 new banks in 14 different countries.

    Here is the list of banks that now support Google Pay: Queensland Country Bank (Australia), Moorwand Limited, Lunar (Denmark), Moorwand Limited (Finland), Augsburger Aktienbank, Curve, Netbank, Penta (Germany), Flow S.p.A. Societa Benefit (Italy), Revolut Technologies Japan (Japan), Moorwand Limited, Lunar, Sparebanken Sogn og Fjordane (Norway), Idea Bank, SGB (Poland), Commercial Bank Garant-Invest Bank Joint Stock Company, Commercial Bank Sinko-Bank, Industrial Agricultural Bank, Joint Stock Commercial Bank IRS, Joint Stock Company First Investment Bank, JSC Kuban Trade Bank (Russia), Ceskoslovenska obchodna banka (Slovakia), Aplazame SL (Spain), Marginalen Bank, Moorwand Limited, Lunar, Volvofinans Bank AB (Sweden), Yapeal (Switzerland), Moorwand Limited, Weatherbys Bank, and Whim (United Kingdom).

    To start using Google Pay, you need to download the app from the Play Store if you don’t already have it on your phone. Then, follow the step-by-step guide to add your cards and start using Google Pay.

  • AuMake says Covid-19 fast-tracked digital and buy-now-pay-later plans

    AuMake says Covid-19 fast-tracked digital and buy-now-pay-later plans

    Daigou business AuMake said the closure of its physical stores fast-tracked the company’s online development, launching the Broadway Online platform which gained significant momentum during the quarter.

    The store closures, part of the government’s restrictions to help stem the spread of the coronavirus, has also given the company time to look into developing payment platforms that would support Chinese buy now pay later services to penetrate a younger Asian customer demographic.

    AuMake said since the launching of its Broadway Online platform in February, more than 10,000 unique Asian-based consumers have visited, with over 3,000 unique visitors in the last two weeks of June alone.

    The company said the growth of the Broadway Online platform, alongside a renewed focus on the promotion of new higher-margin products through the existing AuMake online platform, delivered an 87 percent and 21 percent increase in gross margin and gross profit respectively over the previous corresponding period.

    Broadway Online continues to grow with 6 percent unique visitor growth three weeks into July, the company said.

    According to AuMake, to improve its customer experience, its in-store and online payment platforms have been developed to support Chinese owned buy now pay later providers Alipay and Tencent.

    Customers can use Alipay’s buy now pay later Huabei feature which allows purchases to be paid using credit facilities, including interest-free or daily incurring interest loans. Huabei has over 190 million users, 93 percent are less than 35 years old.

    Tencent is also in the final stages of developing its “Fenfu” credit feature, which will offer similar credit facilities to Huabei, and can be used by its 1.1 billion customer base, AuMake said.

    “The buy now pay later option is revolutionizing the way consumers shop globally, including in China, and will be available to AuMake’s in-store customers as well as its growing 40,000 online customer database,” the daigou company said. “BNPL will assist AuMake to penetrate a younger Asian customer demographic, including the Free Independent Travellers segment which is anticipated to grow post-Covid-19.”

    For the quarter ending June 30, 2020, AuMake posted a 70 percent drop in total group revenue from the previous corresponding period to $4.0 million due to the impact of Covid-19 on temporary physical store closures and the drop of inbound tourism to Australia.

    Total group gross profit was at $0.73 million, down 63 percent from the previous corresponding period, delivering a gross profit margin of 18.3 percent, an increase of 25 percent on the same period last year.

    Online sales were up 21 percent on the previous corresponding period to $2.3 million with gross profit of $0.47 million, delivering a gross margin of 20.4 percent, an 87 percent increase from the same period last year.

    The company said its cash at the bank was $8.2 million with no debt.

    AuMake said its operational cash outflow was $1.3 million for the quarter, including significant investment in online growth and in-store customer experience on re-opening.

    “While Covid-19 has undoubtedly impacted the revenue profile of the business during the June quarter, AuMake has minimized this by materially reducing all non-core expenditure,” said AuMake executive chairman Keong Chan. “At the same time, we are increasing our investment in long term growth drivers, enhancing our online offering and in-store customer experience.”

    According to AuMake, its strong financial position allows the business to continue to invest in the acceleration of online growth and to modernize in-store customer experience with significant changes to store layout, presentation, and product category expansion.

    “The company will continue to focus on operational readiness ahead of the return of Asian students and tourists,” the company said.

    AuMake’s physical stores were closed temporarily at the end of March because of government restrictions related to the health crisis.

    The store closures resulted in the company reducing its workforce by 70 percent despite the company receiving support through JobKeeper and rent assistance.

    AuMake reopened its stores on May 11.

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  • King Power Thailand sales axed 50 percent

    King Power Thailand sales axed 50 percent

    Thai duty-free retailer King Power is anticipating a drop in sales revenues of 50 percent in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

    The firm has attempted to drum up business while international travel is largely frozen via an online sales strategy, but it has not been able to offset the steep fall in business with online revenues contributing just 10 percent of total business, far short of the hoped-for 20 percent.

    Just two King Power outlets out of 11 nationwide have reopened since the Covid-19 outbreak.

    “Despite the huge sales drop, we don’t have any plans to lay off any of our 11,000 staff,” said King Power CEO Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha. “Instead, we assigned them to sell King Power products via their own social media accounts and via King Power online.”

    Aiyawatt is a participant in the Thai government’s Thailand Smiles with You campaign, promoting the nation’s image and economic prospects during global recovery via the English Premier League team Leicester City FC, which Aiyawatt chairs.

    “As Thais, we are proud to cooperate with the government in mitigating the adversity and supporting projects that will both, directly and indirectly, benefit our country’s economic and social wellbeing,” said Aiyawatt, “hoping that it will lead us through this crisis safe and sound”.

    The campaign will see the phrase “Thailand Smiles With You” on Leicester City football team jerseys and signboards throughout the 2020–21 season.

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  • Budget airline AirAsia’s future in ‘significant doubt’

    Budget airline AirAsia’s future in ‘significant doubt’

    The future of Asia’s biggest budget airline, AirAsia, is in “significant doubt”, auditor Ernst & Young has said. Shares in the Malaysian-based airline fell by more than 17% on Wednesday after being halted earlier in the day.

    The airline’s founder and chief executive is tycoon Tony Fernandes, who also co-owns Queens Park Rangers (QPR) football club in the UK.

    The world’s airlines have been hit hard by the sharp fall in passengers due to strict coronavirus travel restrictions.

    Ernst & Young highlighted the airline’s huge debts in a statement to the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange late on Tuesday.

    It said AirAsia’s current liabilities already exceeded its current assets by 1.84bn ringgit ($430m; £340m) at the end of 2019, before the start of the pandemic.

    The Asian carrier’s financial performance and cash flow have been further hit by the grounding of its planes amid tight travel curbs and lockdowns.

    This slump and AirAsia’s financial performance “indicate the existence of material uncertainties that may cast significant doubt on the Group’s and the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern,” Ernst & Young said in its unqualified audit opinion statement.

    On Monday, AirAsia reported a record quarterly loss of 803.8m ringgit. The budget airline started suspending flights in late March.

    “This is by far the biggest challenge we have faced since we began in 2001,” Mr Fernandes said in a statement.

    “Every crisis is an obstacle to overcome, and we have restructured the group into a leaner and tighter ship.”

    “We are positive in the strides we have made in bringing cash expenses down by at least 50% this year, and this will make us even stronger as the leading low-cost carrier in the region,” he added.

    AirAsia said it was in talks over joint ventures and collaborations that may result in additional investment. It has also applied for bank loans and is weighing proposals to raise additional capital.

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  • Covid-19 drives broad shift in shopping behaviour

    Covid-19 drives broad shift in shopping behaviour

    The coronavirus pandemic has had a lasting impact on the shopping behavior of global consumers, according to new research by Adobe.

    The figures show that despite the lifting of lockdown restrictions in many countries worldwide, customer shopping habits and brand interactions have not returned to pre-coronavirus norms.

    According to the survey, 67 percent of responding consumers remain concerned about the pandemic’s impact on personal health (73 percent), jobs (40 percent) and the economy (36 percent). Millennial consumers registered far greater levels of concern than any other respondent age group.

    “The outbreak of Covid-19 has accelerated a broad shift in APAC consumer behaviors and attitudes that have been in the making for some time,” said Adobe MD Southeast Asia Simon Dale. “It is clear from the results of the study that brands that are nimble in pivoting to this digital ‘new norm’ will be able to create deep and enduring brand resonance while helping their customers feel truly supported. Marketers will need to pay close attention to their customers and ensure that they adapt their CX strategy to address different groups with relevant messages, more so now than ever.”

    Close to 100 percent of consumers expressed patience with those restrictions that remain in place, while just 61 percent agree with full lockdown measures – Chinese consumers being notably content to wait things out.

    Other findings showed increasing consumer concern with the way businesses treat staff (77 percent), while just 54 percent of consumers think firms care for the wellbeing of their employees. A high proportion of consumers think it important for brands to mirror the state of the world in their marketing collaterals in response to Covid-19 and have a duty to proactively offer help or provide special offers to customers in this era.

    Despite a sharp growth in online shopping and widespread anticipation of a permanent shift in consumer behavior towards e-commerce adoption, 70 percent of consumers reported a preference for purchasing grocery items in person, particularly in Australia.

    To respond to these and other nuances in customer preference, the majority of organizations are transforming their long-term strategy in case this period lasts for more than a year (79 percent), and are also changing their approach to future marketing efforts (82 percent).

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  • WhatsApp upcoming feature lets you use the same account on multiple devices

    WhatsApp upcoming feature lets you use the same account on multiple devices

    WhatsApp is testing new features all the time and we often learn about them before release. One of the important features that we hope to see coming to WhatsApp is the option to use the same account on multiple devices.

    A new report coming from WABetaInfo confirms WhatsApp is now testing this new feature that allows users to have the same WhatsApp account on up to four devices. In that regard, a new UI that will manage all linked devices is now in the works at WhatsApp.

    The new UI is meant to enable users to add new devices to their WhatsApp account or remove them if they need to. To add new devices to your WhatsApp account, you must use a code that will sent to you via SMS or WhatsApp Chat. The procedure hasn’t been finalized since the feature is still in the works, but it’s probably the easiest and most secure way at the moment.

    The new option to add multiple devices on the same WhatsApp account is not yet available in any of the beta versions of the app, but the new Linked Devices UI does show up in one of the beta iterations.

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  • Montblanc launches at Shanghai Plaza 66

    Montblanc launches at Shanghai Plaza 66

    Montblanc has launched a flagship boutique and a pop-up store in Shanghai, China. Located at Shanghai Plaza 66 on Nanjing Road, the store features a wide collection of Montblanc’s luxury goods, including travel bags, backpacks, watches, and accessories.

    The Shanghai Plaza 66 boutique features a modern design with black and gold elements.

    The Shanghai Plaza is also a location where Montblanc chose for its worldwide launch of M-Gram 4810 Collection. The CEO of Montblanc China, Daniel Chang, unveiled some photos of the pop-up store on his LinkedIn feed.

    Located in the main atrium, the pop-up store features a blue navy as the store’s theme color. A giant letter ‘M’ is displayed at the entrance of the store with the brand’s name in white on top. A large digital screen is installed on the side of the store, presenting videos of Montblanc’s products.

    The Montblanc’s pop up resembles a modern museum with a wide range of Montblanc items displayed on the wall.

    To promote the campaign, large banners are hung inside the mall, showing a photo of Montblanc’s global brand ambassador Chen Kun with the brand’s tagline ‘What moves you, makes you’

    The Shanghai Plaza 66 flagship’s facade was also re-designed, featuring the blue navy with ‘M’ pattern. Montblanc China also hosted the Montblanc 2020 Light Show in Hangzhou to promote the brand’s new collection.

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  • Google Messages gets new features including some from Apple’s Messages app

    Google Messages gets new features including some from Apple’s Messages app

    On Wednesday, Google finally announced a feature we told you was being tested for Google Messages since back in May. Now when Android users receive a chat message, a video, or a photo, they can respond to it in a second. A long press on the message will show a box with animated love, laughter, surprise, sadness, anger, and dislike emoji. The reactions are available on those handsets that have chat features enabled. That is just one change out of a series of five new features now available for the Google Messages app.

    For example, if you have Smart Reply enabled, you can now send an animated sticker instead of using your words. The stickers will show up as you are texting so the perfect one will be ready right away for your use. The suggested stickers are currently available in English only.

    Ever want to personalize a conversation by including a photo that you marked up just for the occasion? Google has a media editor built into Messages. Simply take a photo using the in-app camera and type text or use brushes to paint on the image. You can share these with friends and family so you need to do your best to make them witty.

    Why type a message when you can say it better? Holding down the microphone button inside the compose bar will now allow you to record and send a voice message instead of having to type out a text.  Now let’s say that you’re engaging in an exchange of texts with someone and you want the conversation to continue as a video. Tapping the video call button at the top right of the app will activate Google Duo and allow you to see in real-time the person you have been chatting with.

    Make sure that you have the Google Messages app installed if you want to use all of these new features. Some carriers have their own messaging app, so check to see whether your phone has Google Messages installed. It can be downloaded on your Android phone. To make it your default messaging app, install it on your device, and go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Advanced > Default apps. Make sure that Google Messages is listed as the default SMS app on your phone.

  • Why Production Monitoring Makes Sense for Your Business

    Why Production Monitoring Makes Sense for Your Business

    Global quality control company HQTS’ Production Monitoring service helps your supply chain be as efficient as possible. Production Monitoring is an end-to-end service for monitoring the production process. It gives customers greater control and insight into the entire manufacturing process with no unwelcome surprises.

    It’s crucial for importers to ensure product quality during production and reduce the incidences of delayed shipping and quality defects.

    The manufacturing process is becoming fragmented with increased outsourcing which represents a bigger challenge for buyers to manage. The goal should be to minimize quality issues at the start of production and have a sound quality process that detects and resolves defects throughout the production process.

    Production Monitoring is different to inspections in that it is employed throughout the entire production process from sample evaluation to loading supervision. It’s a comprehensive way to ensure products adhere to production timelines and meet shipping deadlines offering a full view into the process rather than the general snapshot that comes with inspections.

    It minimizes the risk of delayed shipments by confirming production schedule, monitoring the full manufacturing process from receiving materials to shipping according to quality requirements.

    The service helps to not only ensure products arrive on time, but also cuts out the chance of reworks, renegotiations, or returns. Problems can be solved at a stage when they are still manageable too and Production Monitoring also offers technical support to improve supplier quality management.

    The seven stages of Production Monitoring are Supplier Selection, Product Development, Production Planning, Initial Production, During Production, End of Production, and Shipping.

    HQTS has also recently expanded its offering to include a new During Production Monitoring service. The new service is based on a three-module customisable structure allowing for a more agile approach.

    The Process Monitoring Module includes Warehouse Monitoring, IQC Monitoring, Critical Components Monitoring, Production Line Monitoring, 4M1E Monitoring, and Packaging Process Monitoring.

    The Sampling Inspection Module (DPI) includes Material Sampling inspection, Semi-finished Product Sampling Inspection, On-Site Test, First Article Inspection, Finished Product Sampling Inspection, and Packaging Sampling Inspection.

    The third part is a Follow Up Module which offers an NPI Follow Up and Corrective and Preventive Action.

    HQTS will begin to work directly with suppliers to ensure clients’ quality needs are clearly communicated and met, allowing them to have more control over their production process.

    About HQTS

    HQTS provides quality control inspections, factory audits, supplier evaluations, consumer product testing, production control and management, and quality control consulting throughout greater Asia. Backed by the industry knowledge and experience of nearly 1,500 professionals, in more than 20 countries, HQTS is well-suited to be your partner in quality.