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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.

  • Best Asian Bookmakers

    Best Asian Bookmakers

    Are you a gambler? You need to sign up with the Asian bookmakers. Here you will never fall short of the services you need in betting. If you are not a resident of Asia, you should not be worried because the Asia bookmakers are not limited to the residents of the region. Many of the Asia bookmakers will accept fiat currency from different countries. Get high betting limits, huge and fast payouts, and a faster verification process. The welcome bonuses offered by Asia bookmakers are unparalleled with any other betting site. 

    This article will provide you with some of the best Asian bookmakers you need to sign up due to tremendous benefits.

    SBOBET

    Sbobet is one of the best Asian bookmakers in the Asian market and around the world. It has gained an exceptional reputation over the years for winning several awards and titles consecutively. It operates in many countries and accepts different fiat currencies. Sbobet bookmaker offers many Asian handicap options for you to bet and with the best odds geared for your unparalleled winnings. They have a welcome bonus of $200 on your first deposit. Sbobet has a large bet limit.

    1XBET

    This bookmaker offers you exceptional betting opportunities with greet advantages. It provides you with many matches and live betting options from the best leagues that ease prediction. They have some of the bests odd that are meant for you to make high winnings. 1xbet has huge payouts for W-D-W and secondary markets, which has contributed to its rapid growth. They have featured many innovations and offer a wide range of promotions. With 1xbet, you earn yourself a $100 bonus on the first deposit.

    PINNACLE

    The greatest asset and advantage of signing up in pinnacle is the highest odd compared to the other bookmakers; they offer some of the best odds in the betting market. They have a payout of up to 97.7%, which is huge enough. Pinnacle has no limit for staking as well; there is no limit of maximum winning per bet. They have one of the best 24/7 customer services and make a perfect option for winning players.

    UNIBET

    They offer some of the best betting odds for football. They have considerably high payout rates with a wide variety of betting options they provide to customers. Unibet offers free withdrawals. They have multi-language support services to accommodate every gambler around the world.

     

    BETWINNER

    Despite betwinner being a new Asia bookmaker, it has had accelerated growth due to offering high odds on Asian handicap markets. They have an enticing welcome bonus of 100% and weekly promotions by reloading bonuses every Thursday. Betwinner accepts transactions with many fiat currencies and cryptocurrency. The transaction with cryptocurrency is fast and straightforward, making it an excellent option for those not willing to use fiat currency.

    888 SPORT

    This is one of the best Asia bookmakers with high sports betting odds. They have fast and high cash payouts. 888sports is an excellent option for e-sports betting professionals. They give a welcome bonus of up to $30; however small, it is not a significant disadvantage considering their vast odds. 

     

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  • South Korean retail sales rise as Covid-19 crisis eases

    South Korean retail sales rise as Covid-19 crisis eases

    South Korean retail sales rose by 3.9 percent year on year during April.

    The nation’s retail industry in general has benefitted from increasing demand in the e-commerce sector brought on by changes in consumer behavior in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, despite a major hit to offline retailers.

    Figures released by Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy showed combined South Korean retail sales by major companies hit US$8.74 billion last month, up from $8.39 billion during the same period last year.

    Offline retailers experienced a 5.5 percent drop in sales during the same month, compared to last year’s results.

    While sales from department stores, large supermarkets, and convenience stores dropped 14.8 percent, 2.6 percent, and 1.9 percent respectively, online retailers selling food and daily necessities saw sales increase by 16.9 percent.

    Total sales of food products increased by 56.4 percent during the month, while clothes sales dropped 8.8 percent.

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  • 7-Eleven Malaysia sales surge on store network expansion

    7-Eleven Malaysia sales surge on store network expansion

    7-Eleven Malaysia sales grew by 6.1 percent in the first quarter of this year, largely on the back of 34 new store openings.

    Total sales grew by US$8.2 million during the quarter to $142 million and profit attributable to shareholders rose by 1.9 percent to $2.6 million. Same-store sales were up 1.9 percent.

    CEO Colin Harvey said the company’s strategic roadmap of strengthening assortment, supply chain, operational excellence, store base and digitally enabling the organization continues to bear fruit.

    “Despite challenging conditions ahead due to the Covid-19 pandemic, our continuous discipline in executing our strategic roadmap as well as leveraging and seeking out opportunities from our recent corporate acquisitions whilst remaining flexible to adapt to market changes shall ensure that 7-Eleven remains the nation’s preferred convenience store choice,” he said.

    The company’s revenue growth was driven by new stores, higher same-store sales and better consumer promotion activity. Revenue from fresh food grew by more than 13 percent and from tobacco by more than 7 percent.

    Despite the strong first quarter, Harvey says the group will be impacted by the Covid-19 crisis with stores in its malls closed and others operating under restricted hours during the country’s Movement Control Order

    7-Eleven Malaysia now has 2419 stores across Malaysia.

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  • You can now save tweets as drafts and schedule them for later

    You can now save tweets as drafts and schedule them for later

    Twitter is becoming a lot more user friendly. Quite recently, a threaded interface was rolled out to make conversations more manageable. And now, the microblogging website has announced two nifty features.

    When you are in the middle of writing a tweet and have to leave it midway for some reason, you can now save it as a draft. Just tap ‘X’ and then select ‘Save’ to ensure the unfinished tweet is not discarded. To access it later, select Unsent Tweets and you will be able to view all your drafts.
    This feature is also available on the mobile app. However, for now, it doesn’t seem like drafts are synced between the app and the website.
    Also, for tweets to be saved as drafts, you should use the popup composer. We think Twitter will refine the feature further in the coming days.
    Twitter also lets you schedule your tweets now. Just tap on the calendar/clock icon and then select the date and time on which you want the tweet to be sent.
    As pointed out by Neowin, tweets can be scheduled for up to 18 months and you can time multiple tweets at once.
    While an average user might not find much utility in this feature, it will be incredibly useful for marketers and social media managers.
  • Google Voice is now available in Gmail for G Suit members

    Google Voice is now available in Gmail for G Suit members

    Google is making things easier for G Suit subscribers who use Google Voice. The company is rolling out an update that integrates the voice call service into Gmail, letting users make and receive calls without the need to switch tabs.

    Google announced the new feature on its official blog, adding a nifty little GIF image, showing the integration in action. G Suit users will get a similar panel to the one they’re used to in other Google Voice iterations. The new feature appears in desktop browser versions of Gmail, but there are new functionalities in the mobile app as well.

    You can now transfer calls to a suggested contact or manually added number in a few steps. Call transferring is available in Voice on Android, iOS, and the web. Google is already rolling out the call transfer option and will start adding Google Voice to Gmail in the following days.

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  • Central Retail takes full control of FamilyMart Thailand

    Central Retail takes full control of FamilyMart Thailand

    Central Retail has taken full control of the FamilyMart Thailand business, a precursor to expanding the network in the country.  Currently, FamilyMart has just 1000 convenience stores, largely centered in the capital city of Bangkok. That’s a fraction of the 14,000-odd stores under CP All-owned rival 7-Eleven.

    “The acquisition of all the shares of FamilyMart is in line with Central Retail’s strategy to strengthen our Central Retail & Service Platform, reaffirming our leading position in the retail business, as well as to increase our potential in offering full-scale services through customer-centric omnichannel,” said Central Retail CEO Yol Phokasub.

    He said the company plans to continue expanding the FamilyMart Thailand store network but did not provide any further details.

    Central Retail has run the FamilyMart Thailand business in partnership with Japan FamilyMart Co since 2012, through a company called SFM Holdings. Central held 50.65 percent of the shares in SFM and its Robinsons department store division 0.35 percent. Yesterday, Central bought the remaining 49 percent from the Japanese company.

    Phokasub says the deal strengthens the power of Central’s food and convenience-store businesses at a time when Thailand’s food market is thriving.

    “Over the past eight years of operating FamilyMart convenience stores, CRC has always been committed to improving the business model and expanding stores to offer convenience to consumers through products and services, with unique selling points to meet the needs of consumers in all areas. It has become a lifestyle & food destination with ready-to-eat meals, beverages, Arigato fresh coffee, and open spaces for everyone to come mix and mingle 24 hours a day,” he said.

    Under Central Retail’s leadership, the FamilyMart Thailand concept has expanded into other areas of convenience, including installing 24/7 coin-operated washing machines in some stores.

    During the Covid-19 crisis the chain launched vending machines both inside and outside stores, serving ready-to-eat meals, beverages, and snacks.

    The company also recently partnered with delivery-service Grab to allow customers to purchase products from FamilyMart remotely

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  • Macau retail sales down with 45 percent in first quarter

    Macau retail sales down with 45 percent in first quarter

    Macau retail sales plunged 45.1 percent in the first quarter of this year to around US$1.41 billion according to the territory’s Statistics and Census Service.

    The huge fall followed the effective closure of the border with Mainland China and the resulting the absence of people venturing to Macau for gambling, shopping and conventions due to the Covid-19 crisis.

    The worst-hit Macau retail category was watches and jewelry, down by 57.5 percent, with department-store sales down by 56.4 percent.

    Adult apparel sales fell by 52.9 percent and leather goods by 51 percent.

    The only retail category to increase sales during the quarter was supermarkets, which surged 14 percent, reflecting the trend towards people preparing food and eating at home to ensure social distancing.

    According to the service, the value of Macau retail sales during the March quarter dropped by 45.8 percent compared with the preceding three months.

    When gathering retail sales data the Macau government polls businesses on their expectation of trade for the future. After March’s experience, 80 percent of retailers said they expected a decrease in sales during the current June quarter and 13.3 percent expected sales to remain stable. Just 6.2 percent expected an increase.

  • Li & Fung completes delisting

    Li & Fung completes delisting

    Hong Kong-headquartered supply-chain solutions company Li & Fung formally delist this afternoon (May 27) ending a 28-year tenure as a public company.

    The family that founded the company 114 years ago will retain effective control of the business holding 60 percent of the voting shares. However Singapore-based warehousing and logistics company GLP will hold 100 percent of the non-voting shares, giving it an effective 67.67 percent financial ownership of the business.

    “We move forward with the next chapter of our transformation as a private business while maintaining our commitment to our staff, customers, suppliers, business partners, and the community of Hong Kong, who have together served as the foundation of Li & Fung for the past 114 years,” said Li & Fung group chairman Spencer Fung in a statement.

    Group CEO Spencer Fung described today as “the start of a new journey” for the company as it focuses on achieving a fundamental transformation of the business.

    “While there will be challenges to manage, Li & Fung will benefit greatly from our partnership with GLP. Our commitment to our retail and supply-chain partners remains as strong as ever.”

    He said the company would continue to transform the business, which operates a sourcing and production platform in 50 countries, to meet “ever-changing consumer demands in a complex global environment”.

    GLP co-founder and CEO Ming Mei said the two companies share a vision to create the digital supply chain of the future.

    “I am confident that with its commitment to long-term transformation, Li & Fung will build upon its position as the global retail supply chain leader. I also look forward to exploring the areas where we can deepen our partnership and develop shared opportunities between logistics networks and technology innovation for our customers.”

    The delisting formally occurs at 4pm Wednesday (May 27) and Li & Fung says checks to shareholders would be sent out on or before June 1.

    GLP, described as “a leading global investment manager and business builder in logistics, real estate, infrastructure, finance, and related technologies” operates in Brazil, China, Europe, China, INdia, Japan and the US with some US$89 billion in assets under management in real estate and private equity funds.

  • Hong Kong’s Landmark mall launches ‘e-chat ’ retail initiative

    Hong Kong’s Landmark mall launches ‘e-chat ’ retail initiative

    Hong Kong’s Landmark mall has launched the city’s first luxury “e-chat shopping” service on its mobile app.

    The service is an enhancement of Landmark’s online shopping concierge that enables customers to select, reserve or purchase their favorite items online via WhatsApp, enabling one-on-one communication with in-store sales staff

    Users of the app can receive fashion advice, trend tips and other assistance via the online concierges while browsing more than 500 items available from more than 48 of Landmark’s luxury fashion and lifestyle tenants. Participating brands include Fendi, Bottega Veneta, Tory Burch, Chopard, De Beers, Roger Vivier and R Sanderson.

    Orders and payments can be made directly online, with purchases available for collection in-store or delivered directly to shoppers’ homes or choice of destination in Hong Kong within 48 hours.

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  • Hong Kong retail at a life or death state

    Hong Kong retail at a life or death state

    Hong Kong’s retail industry is facing “a crucial, life-and-death moment of survival” according to the city’s main retail body the HKRMA, which has sent an open letter to chief executive Carrie Lam seeking government support.

    “Since the social unrest from June last year until the recent coronavirus pandemic, the retail industry has taken a hit for nearly a year,” Hong Kong Retail Management Association chair Annie Yau Tse told Lam in the letter.

    “The operating environment has become increasingly difficult,” she wrote, and even though the government has repeatedly offered relief measures to address immediate urgencies, the situation is still dire.

    Tse said HKRMA research projects 16,000 retail stores will close across the territory this year. That follows 14 months of negative sales growth, a brief respite, then a 40-per-cent-plus plunge during the Covid-19 crisis in February and March.

    “The industry is facing the biggest crisis in its history. Monthly rent is a retailer’s largest expense and the association has relentlessly called on landlords to reduce the rent in these difficult times.”

    While real-estate developers and individual landlords have shown support of varying degrees, the majority of the rent-reduction methods, scope and term do little to alleviate the losses already incurred “and neither is it enough to support a retailer’s continued operations,” she said.

    “In addition, recent responses and attitudes of landlords have become more indifferent and tougher than before.”

    Tse called on Lam to take action to force a suspension of rental payments for at least nine months, citing countries including Great Britain, Australia, and Singapore where laws were implemented during the Covid-19 crisis to ensure landlords take temporary action to help retail tenants recover. Restricting landlords from taking legal measures or taking back store premises for at least nine months would allow retailers to continue to trade and to recover, she advocated.

    “Hong Kong is the world’s most expensive place to rent. The income of many industries, especially those tourist-related, has contracted significantly, but store owners still face extremely expensive rent.”

    Tse also called for broader economic policies from the territory’s government to maintain a sustainable business environment.

    “Although HK’s economy has always been market-leading, the current economy is weak. Investments, consumption and exports have fallen sharply, the worst ever rate recorded in history.

    “Even if the global pandemic comes to an end, it is expected Hong Kong’s economy will still need at least half a year to gradually step out of the abyss.”

    The association believes that if high rents cannot be resolved in a timely manner, even with government funds and related relief measures, mass closures and layoffs are inevitable.

    “In the end, it will not only be a waste of government resources but also create an irreversible situation in the economy”.

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  • AirAsia enhances digital self check-in prior to flights resumption

    AirAsia enhances digital self check-in prior to flights resumption

    AirAsia has rolled out a number of additional safety procedures prior to the resumption of its flights, including enhanced digital self-check-in procedures.

    AirAsia check-in kiosks at airport terminals have been designed to perform contactless transactions by scanning QR codes of flight bookings from mobile devices or printed boarding documents. Guests only need to check-in online to generate a code, which will activate the kiosks automatically.

    “We look forward to flying with our guests as soon as circumstances allow it. With the hope that the global community is on its way to recovery, we continue to put in place measures that will safeguard the health and wellbeing of our passengers and crew. One way AirAsia is doing this is by maximizing the power of technology in line with our vision of becoming a fully digital company,” AirAsia Philippines Chief Executive Officer Ricky Isla said.

    To initiate a contactless transaction at kiosks, guests are advised to check-in first on the AirAsia.com website or mobile app. The generated QR code on their mobile device or printed document after checking-in may then be scanned at the kiosk, which will always be on “active mode” to read QR codes. Scanning a QR code will automatically print boarding passes and baggage tags without having to touch the kiosk’s screen.

    Guests may seamlessly self-check-in on the AirAsia.com website and mobile app 14 days up to 1 hour before the scheduled departure time.

    AirAsia’s mobile app will also see an enhancement soon where guests can scan their passports via the app itself, facilitating more streamlined user experience and a seamless and contactless self-check-in process. There are also plans to progressively add other features such as travel visa scanning capabilities in the near future.

    Meanwhile, measures that will be strictly enforced as part of the safety procedures include physical distancing at check-in and boarding queues.

    Guests will be required to have their body temperature checked by airport or airline personnel. Protective gear such as face masks will also be required inside the aircraft, and all passengers will be encouraged to practice high personal hygiene throughout the flight.

    Guests who experience symptoms related to Covid-19 during a flight are advised to seek assistance from cabin crew, who have been trained to handle inflight medical situations. Flight crew who attend to guests with said symptoms will be placed under home quarantine for 14 days in compliance with government guidelines.

    Protective equipment will be provided to ground and cabin crew while all aircraft will be furnished with antibacterial sanitizers compliant with the Bureau of Quarantine.

    All AirAsia aircraft, which are fitted with hospital-standard High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, will also be sent for thorough disinfection after each flight with the use of disinfectant approved by the Bureau of Quarantine and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

    AirAsia is complying with advice and regulations from the local government, civil aviation authorities, global and local health agencies, including the World Health Organization.

    AirAsia continues to closely monitor the situation and reserves the right to announce further policies according to the latest developments.

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  • LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault buying stakes in Lagardere

    LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault buying stakes in Lagardere

    LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault will buy a stake in Arnaud Lagardere’s publishing and media group Lagardere Capital & Management (LCM).

    The transaction between the two French billionaires is expected to see Arnault pick up about a quarter of LCM’s share capital, according to a Reuters report.

    Lagardere’s portfolio includes numerous global travel retail stores, many of which are in Asia. In Hong Kong it is in a joint venture with China Duty-Free running key airport concessions for liquor & tobacco and it has a license to roll out the Thai-based Dean & Deluca cafes in airports in Europe and Asia.

    According to a statement released by LVMH and Lagardere, the move is set to “strengthen the corporate structure and financial capacities of LCM”.

    “The family groups led by Bernard Arnault and Arnaud Lagardere will act in concert with regard to Lagardere SCA”.

    Lagardere has recently been resisting attempts by leading shareholder Amber Capital to extend its influence over the firm by replacing the firm’s supervisory board. The moves are partly in response to criticism of the firm for its overly broad range of business interests and flagging stock exchange performance.

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  • Google tests useful Search related feature for Android YouTube app

    Google tests useful Search related feature for Android YouTube app

    It appears that Google is testing Google Search integration with the Android version of the YouTube app. An example posted by a Redditor shows YouTube search results for “open beer with knife,” a talent that could come in handy if you are living alone during the pandemic and your openers are all dirty. The results come back with some useful and not so useful videos to watch.

    Underneath the videos there is a section that says Result from the web which essentially is a result of Google Search. In this case, it brings up an article from Lifehacker titled “Open a Beer Bottle With a Butter Knife.” Underneath the title, there is a short description of the article. As Android Police points out, this integration isn’t listed in the “YouTube test features and experiments” page on the Google Support website. And a quick search showed that our Pixel 2 XL running Android 10 does not yet have this feature.

    As you know, Google owns YouTube and integrating Google Search into the Android YouTube app is a sure-fire way to generate more clicks and advertising revenue for the company. During the first quarter, which covers January through March 2020, Google Search generated $24.5 billion in revenue for a year-over-year gain of 11.6%. While the integration does help out Google financially, is there any benefit to users? Sure. Those interested enough to search for videos on a subject matter will be happy to find more information about it on Google Search.

    Although Google is currently testing this feature on the Android version of the YouTube app, there is no reason why Google Search integration can’t also be found on the iOS version of YouTube.

  • AirAsia extends credits for 2 years

    AirAsia extends credits for 2 years

    AirAsia customers with flights that had been scheduled to depart between March 23 and July 31, 2020 can now choose between a credit with a 2-year validity, or unlimited changes for flights departing up to Oct 31, 2020.

    AirAsia has also extended all credits previously issued for COVID19 related disruptions with validity for up to 2 years.

    The unlimited flight changes option means that customers can change their booking to any new travel date before Oct 31, 2020, on the same route, for an unlimited number of times, without any additional cost, subject to seat availability.

    The credit can be redeemed within 730 calendar days from the issuance date. The travel date of the new booking can fall on any date within the published flight schedule on AirAsia’s website.

    The two options are only applicable for direct online bookings made via airasia.com.

  • AirAsia India starts domestic flight bookings for 21 destinations

    AirAsia India starts domestic flight bookings for 21 destinations

    Low-cost carrier AirAsia India has started bookings for 21 destinations ahead of the resumption of domestic flights from Monday.

    In a release, the airline said it would strictly follow the SOPs (standard operating procedures) and guidelines laid out by the regulatory bodies to enable safe travel.

    AirAsia flights are open for booking for travel to all its 21 destinations where it flies to in the country, the release issued on Saturday said.

    “We are appreciative of the government working collaboratively with all stakeholders to define the new protocols to help open up domestic flying in a calibrated manner keeping the health and safety of passengers and the airline crew in focus.

    “The new SOPs and guidelines will pave the way for ensuring and instilling a sense of confidence amongst passengers,” Sunil Bhaskaran, AirAsia India Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, said.

    Among other measures, the airline would facilitate regular disinfection procedures to control or kill infectious agents using the cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting products approved by the public health authority and aircraft manufacturer.

    According to the release, passengers would have to mandatorily web check-in, complete their self-declaration form, and download the Aarogya Setu app before they arrive at the airport. They have also been advised to report two to four hours prior to the departure time to allow enhanced health and safety processes to take place.

    Reverse zone boarding process starting from the rear of the aircraft would be followed, it added.

    Commercial flight services remain suspended since March 25 when the nationwide lockdown to prevent the spreading of coronavirus infections was imposed.