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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.

  • 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.

  • Hong Kong protests against I.T Group

    Hong Kong protests against I.T Group

    Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay was yesterday the center of the largest and most disruptive protest activity since the outbreak of Covid-19, forcing stores to close and shoppers seeking shelter from tear gas.

    And they revealed a new target: Hong Kong-listed apparel retailer I.T Group and its founder Sham Kar Wai.

    Angered by moves in Beijing to impose new national security laws on the territory, thousands of protesters took to the streets yesterday, ignoring social-distancing practices and unconcerned that the gathering had not been authorized by police.

    About 180 people were arrested after police fired tear gas and pepper spray and used one of its water cannons to shower groups gathered on Hennessy Road and surrounding streets.

    I.T Group’s A Bathing Ape store on Lee Garden Road had all of its feature windows smashed, with piles of glass fragments covering the footpath.

    Around the corner, its Commes de Garcons store received similar treatment. As during last year’s protests when retailers perceived to be pro-Beijing had stores targeted, nothing was stolen.

    Images of the damaged I.T stores were circulated on Twitter along with explanations why the company is now a target. Sham Kar Wai has been identified by the protest movement as “pro-Blue” after photographs were circulated allegedly showing him attending a police social event.

    “…This has absolutely NOTHING to do w/Comme des Garcon. If anything, I admire Rei Kawakubo A LOT!,” a person identifying themselves as Chloe tweeted, referring to the damaged store. “Her inspiration is often driven by freedom and rebellion. On that note I hope Dover St Market and CDG would stop their partnership with Sham Kar Wai’s I.T.”

    In a long stream, the person also shared internal memos instructing I.T staff to urgently remove stock from shelves from the US brand Awake NY after it posted messages last year supporting protests via tweets on its own channel:

    Meanwhile, across town, live television broadcasts showed several people in restraints being escorted from the Harbour City shopping centre in Kowloon, some by plainclothes police.

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  • AirAsia India resuming domestic flight operations on Monday

    AirAsia India resuming domestic flight operations on Monday

    Domestic flight operations are all set to resume in a calibrated manner from Monday (May 25). AirAsia India is also resuming domestic flight operations tomorrow, the carrier informed on Sunday,

    In a tweet AirAsia India said, “AirAsia India is resuming domestic flight operations tomorrow, i.e. 25.05.2020. Passengers undertaking travel to any state are required to read, understand, and comply with the health and other protocols prescribed by the destination State / UT for airline travelers.”

    Note that the government has fixed upper, lower fare limits for the next three months to ensure there is no overcharging by airlines in view of an expected rush of passengers and heightened demand for tickets.

    It is worth mentioning that IndiGo, SpiceJet, AirAsia India and Vistara started taking bookings for flights starting May 25. The government had announced on May 17 that domestic flight operations will remain suspended until May 31. However, a day later, the union civil aviation minister had said the decision to allow flights is also up to state governments.

    On May 20, Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri surprised people by announcing that the government will allow domestic passenger flights to resume from May 25 in a calibrated manner.

  • Facebook Shops enabling retailers to sell directly to consumers

    Facebook Shops enabling retailers to sell directly to consumers

    Social commerce is about to get a whole lot more social, with Facebook announcing the launch of its business-to-consumer marketplace offering Facebook Shops.

    The new platform began rolling out in New Zealand yesterday and will be progressively rolled out across international markets during the coming months.

    Shops will leverage the co-owned ecosystem of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp to make it easy for customers to find the products they want, wherever they are, and be able to get in contact with the business selling if they need more information.

    Businesses will be able to set up a partly-customizable storefront within Facebook, which can be accessed through Facebook, Instagram, or through stories or ads.

    In the US, customers will be able to check out directly within Facebook – though this feature has yet to make it to Australia and New Zealand.

    “Over the past three months businesses of all sizes have been forced to change their business models and adapt to selling online,” Facebook Australia and New Zealand MD Will Easton said.

    “We’ve accelerated our development of new products, giving businesses better means of connecting with consumers, and helping businesses who don’t have an online presence to drive sales online.”

    Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg says Shops will be free for businesses to access.

    “Our business model here is ads, so rather than charge businesses for Shops, we know that Shops are valuable for businesses. They’re going to – in general – bid more for ads and we’ll eventually make money that way.”

    And later this year the business will expand Shops into its live-streaming features, in which a business can tag products that will be on display before starting a stream to make them purchasable when going live.

    Facebook is already working in collaboration with e-commerce partners such as Shopify, BigCommerce and WooCommerce to enable businesses an easier time getting their Facebook Shop up and running.

    Shops is the latest push by the social media giant into the world of commerce, building off the strengths of its customer-to-customer Marketplace offering.

    And according to industry firm UBS the drive toward online shopping will only become more important for businesses in a post-Covid-19 world.

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  • Apple is reportedly livid as iOS 14 leaks earlier than usual

    Apple is reportedly livid as iOS 14 leaks earlier than usual

    Even though the final version of iOS 14 isn’t expected to drop until September, Motherboard reports that leaked versions of Apple’s mobile operating system have been in the hands of some hackers, bloggers, and researchers since February. Unlike past leaks which consisted of segments and screenshots of the upcoming iOS release, in this case an entire version of the software has leaked.

    How the leak happened isn’t clear, but the report indicates that someone was able to get his hands on a developmental iPhone 11 with a version of iOS 14 dated last December. As you might expect, another person purchased the phone with the software for thousands of dollars. After the phone changed hands, the buyer was able to isolate and remove iOS 14 from the phone and he passed it along to hackers and jailbreakers (which for Apple has become ballbreakers).

    Motherboard brought a copy of the leaked software to the cybersecurity firm SIXGEN. Ryan Duff, Director of Cyber Products at the firm noted the final version of iOS 14 could be much different, but the amount of information that leaked out of Apple was impressive. Duff stated that “It gives insight into a decrypted copy of the iOS file system months before release so it could be very useful. It’s pre-release, lots could change, but it’s a trove of information. I can’t say this will give an easy jailbreak or anything like that, but it’s way more information about an upcoming iOS than we ever see normally.” At least one other cybersecurity firm has this version of iOS 14 in its possession and is studying it.
    There is a hashtag on Twitter for those who trade in leaked Apple software and hardware and it is #AppleInternals. For obvious reasons, no one uses their real name when working out a deal, but the Apple software and hardware that changes hands is usually legitimate. And the existence of this marketplace doesn’t make Apple employees feel good. One employee said succinctly “that sucks” after hearing about the iOS 14 leak for the first time. Others have reportedly been offered the leaked software but stayed away from it because they were concerned about what Apple’s response might be.
    The motherboard did check with three people who claim that they had a copy of iOS 14. One of the three said, “There’s a network of people who have access to such things.” And some of those looking to sell a copy of iOS 14 are doing so right out in the open. One Twitter user posted under the #AppleInternals hashtag, “Looking for iOS 14? Send me a DM.” He shared a copy of the OS with Motherboard and the latter was able to verify that the three people who had the software all have the same version.
    With the first public beta of iOS 14 expected to be released on June 22nd, this is the earliest that an iOS build has leaked. The copy that has been circulating is dated December 10th, 2019, and has been offered on the internet since February. And Apple is ready to crack down on those who are involved in leaking iOS 14. Will Strafach, a former jailbreaker who founded iOS security app Guardian Firewall, explains how laser-focused Apple is on the situation. “Shit is wild,” said Strafach. “I feel a bit bad for whoever is messing around as Apple does not take kindly to this.”
    Apple does have a history of seeking retribution in situations where it has been unable to keep its unannounced software or hardware under wraps. In 2011 a man named Sergio Calderon found an iPhone prototype on the floor of a San Francisco bar. Apple not only sent the cops to Calderon’s house to track it down, it reportedly had members of its security team dress as San Francisco cops to find the device. Calderon claimed that one of the cops threatened him and it was later discovered that the man wasn’t a cop after all but a member of Apple’s security team.
    Apple has declined comment about the iOS 14 leak.
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  • Job portal Mybrands launched in Singapore

    Job portal Mybrands launched in Singapore

    Retail-solutions consultancy IDA’SG is launching a niche job portal for fashion, beauty and lifestyle retail firms in Singapore.

    Called, MyBrands SG, the platform will launch on July 3 and is designed to enhance skill matching in the city’s retail industry.

    “With the launch of Mybrands.sg, we hope to help brands become more effective and efficient with managing all their hiring needs using a single touchpoint,” said IDA’SG MD Angeline Yap. “Our algorithm has been tried and tested in Japan and we are confident that it will produce results in Singapore as well. Essentially, we want our clients to be able to fill a role in the shortest time possible, with quality candidates who have the right skill sets for the job.

    “Mybrands will initially be launched in Singapore and we plan to expand the services across Asean and the rest of Asia Pacific region in the near future.”

    The platform features customizable resume templates for jobseekers and cash rewards for successful candidates who complete their probation as well as those who refer friends to the platform.

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  • WhatsApp update will close vulnerability that leaves messages unencrypted

    WhatsApp update will close vulnerability that leaves messages unencrypted

    Apple iPhone users that rely on WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption might not realize that there is an opening that could allow a hacker to read their messages. According to the WhatsApp FAQ page, WhatsApp messages that are backed up in iCloud are not protected by the app’s end-to-end encryption. However, an update is coming to shut this vulnerability. A WhatsApp iOS beta includes a change that “enables the encryption of chat histories hosted on iCloud, including media” through the settings on the WhatsApp app.

    If WhatsApp decides to go ahead and include the feature in an upcoming update to its public iOS app, authorities, hackers, and even Apple will be shut out from reading your unencrypted text messages. Essentially, the update would extend the end-to-end encryption available from WhatsApp to messages being stored in iCloud. And at the same time, WhatsApp is working on the same protection for its chat backups on Android.

    Just as WhatsApp chats backed up in iCloud aren’t covered by end-to-end encryption, neither are the chats that Android users back up on Google Drive. The new feature could be available on the WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.20.73 and is called “Protect Backup,” which pretty much is self-explanatory. Until it becomes part of WhatsApp for Android and iOS, just keep in mind that despite the end-to-end encryption found on the app, if you back up your chats to iCloud or Drive, you are leaving them vulnerable to being read. There isn’t any evidence that this has been exploited, but it is something that every WhatsApp user should be aware of.

    It appears that WhatsApp’s iOS users are more excited by the coming addition of support for QR codes. This is a feature that will allow users to create personal QR codes to help others find them. QR code support will also be available for Android totin’ WhatsApp users soon.

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  • Agoda axes staff as Covid-19 virus outbreak decimates bookings

    Agoda axes staff as Covid-19 virus outbreak decimates bookings

    Asian online travel agency and metasearch engine Agoda has shed 1500 staff in a major downsizing brought on by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

    The cuts equate to more than a third of the company’s regional payroll believed to be 4000.

    The move is a “last resort”, according to CEO John Brown, who has personally pledged to waive his own salary for the rest of the year while the travel industry plummets globally. Another senior staff has also faced 20-per-cent cuts in salaries.

    “Before getting to this decision we took aggressive measures and every opportunity to reduce costs across the business,” said Brown. “Staff reductions will always be the last resort, but we have had to make this very difficult decision. The truth is that while we are seeing some signs of recovery in our core markets in Asia-Pacific, the impact of Covid-19 on the travel industry is deeper and will be more prolonged than we could have envisaged.”

    The announcement was made during a virtual town hall with employees this week and formalized in an email to all staff.

    According to Brown, most staff cuts are in the firm’s customer experience group, as well as in product, IT, finance, partner services, marketing, and the Rocketmiles program. The CEO said this will be the first and last cut in staff.

  • Google Search gets dark mode settings toggle for iOS and Android

    Google Search gets dark mode settings toggle for iOS and Android

    A tweet from the Google SearchLiaison reveals that starting today and for the remainder of the week, Google will be disseminating an update for the Google Search app for Android 10, iOS 12, and iOS 13. By default, the app will follow the system-wide setting of your phone. So if your iOS or Android device is set on dark mode, that is how the app will appear by default.
    You can override the default settings.
    Let’s say that you have your Android phone set on dark mode system-wide but for some reason, you like the look of the Google Search app in light mode better. You can change this by going into the app’s settings to make the adjustment. On Android 10 or on iOS 12/13 you can open the Google Search app and tap the three-dot More tab at the bottom right corner of the screen. From there, tap on Settings > General, scroll down to Theme, and change the setting. This will not affect your system-wide settings. While our Pixel 2 XL received the update, it has not yet hit our Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max.
    Dark mode inverts the UI on the phone from dark text on a white background to white text on a dark background. It prevents the user and any passersby from having their retinas melted by the blaring white background light during the night or in a dark room. It also helps extend battery life a little on phones with an AMOLED display. That’s because such panels create the color black by turning off pixels in the appropriate location. Pixels that are turned off don’t use the phone’s battery, so the more black on the screen, the less energy the phone is consuming.
    If you haven’t received the update yet, check back in later during the week. Remember, Google says that it will be rolling out the update for the rest of the week.
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  • World’s first cloud-native, versionless retail WMS launched

    World’s first cloud-native, versionless retail WMS launched

    A new cloud-native enterprise-class Warehouse Management Solution (WMS) has been succesfully launched in Asia. The all new Manhattan Active®  WMS is the world’s first versionless WMS that never needs upgrading. 

    The new Manhattan Active WM provides an almost limitless ability to automatically scale up to meet fluctuations in demand, delivering new levels of speed and unifiying every aspect of retail distribution.

    Adapt to meet demand

    Across Asia, online order levels grew to record highs following COVID-19 stay at home government directives and many retailers were simply unable to keep up with demand and struggled to find the right inventory to fulfil new orders. The common cause for these issues is that the retailers’ own WMSs were telling them that they had stock to sell, but because of the massive volumes going through their distribution centre (DC), often by the time that orders were ready to pick-and-ship, the inventory was no longer available. This false record of inventory arises when an older WMS is in place that does not update inventory levels in real-time.

    Retailers in Asia need to upgrade to a versionless WMS that models demand and instantaneously updates inventory details to ensure an accurate picture of stock on hand for sale and shipment every time.

    “With today’s fast changing market, we needed a warehouse management solution with more frequent and easier access to updates and new features. We also needed a solution that could help us better respond to unexpected peaks in demand, like we’ve been experiencing recently. Frankly, we wanted to ensure our IT investments are focused on delivering innovation to our customers and our team members,” said Miles Tedder, chief operating officer of Pet Supplies Plus.

    Never need to upgrade

    “Manhattan Active Warehouse Management will give us a distribution solution that adapts as quickly as our customers’ needs, with frequent and easy access to the latest technologies and new features,” said Miles. “This solution takes care of all of the system and software maintenance, allowing us to focus all our energies on serving our customers.”

    Manhattan Active WM includes completely redesigned user experiences, allowing management team members to quickly visualise, diagnose and take action anywhere in the retail supply chain.

    “We’re delivering a WMS that is always current and never needs to be upgraded, yet is still fully extensible. We’re delivering all new modern mobile experiences for every user who logs in. And, we’re delivering an architecture that expands automatically as volumes ramp up, and that embeds machine learning right into the core of the application,” said Brian Kinsella, Manhattan’s senior vice president of Product Management.

    Unify your supply chain

    With Manhattan Active WM, all functions, including labour management and slotting optimisation, have been streamlined and re-engineered to create a single, unified distribution application. Manhattan Active Warehouse Management uses machine learning to orchestrate DC automation and the human workforce. The solution’s embedded warehouse execution system (WES) also coordinates the work between any combination of automation, robotics and labour.

    “The new Cloud architecture, new user interface, and significant advancements in optimisation and employee engagement are wonderful. Any one of these improvements would have been impressive. Incorporating all of these enhancements in the new release is astonishing for a product of this scope,” said Steve Banker, vice president of Supply Chain Management for ARC Advisory Group.

     

     

     

     

     

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  • All AirAsia Credit Accounts extended to 2 years automatically

    All AirAsia Credit Accounts extended to 2 years automatically

    With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, most people will have to put their travel plans on hold. AirAsia has recently announced that they are giving all customers the option to retain the value of their flight booking with a Credit Account which can be redeemed within 730 calendar days (2 years) from the issuance date.

    For those that have redeemed their credit account earlier, it appears that the low-cost-carrier is extending the validity automatically for all guests that are affected by the COVID-19 travel restrictions. In the initial announcement, guests that have received their credit earlier were required to request for an extension but now we are told by a reliable source that no further action is required.

    If you have an upcoming flight and if you haven’t done anything yet, you would still need to request for credit via the AVA chatbot. Your booking reference code and BIG ID number will be required. If you’ve received the credit in May 2020, it will be valid until May 2022. Since AirAsia typically opens up most of its seats for booking a year in advance, you could possibly use it for trips in 2023.

    During the early phase of the outbreak, AirAsia had initially offered 365-days validity for account credit. Earlier this month, the airline has doubled the validity period to 730 days to provide greater flexibility to its guests. Cash refunds are not available which is similar to Malindo, Malaysia Airlines and Firefly.

    AirAsia’s 2-year credit validity is longer than most airlines in the industry. Most airlines are offering travel vouchers or credit that are valid until 31st December 2020 or up to 1-year.

    Apart from requesting for credit, AirAsia is also offering all guests the option to make unlimited flight changes. This is applicable for any new travel date on the same route before 31st October and you can change unlimited times without additional costs subject to seat availability.

    These options are available for guests that book via AirAsia’s online channels. For those that have made group bookings via travel agents are urged to contact their respective agents for further assistance.

    For those that have purchased the limited RM499 unlimited pass, AirAsia has also extended its travel validity to 30 Junxte 2021.

  • Chaos, privacy fears as Bangkok malls reopen doors

    Chaos, privacy fears as Bangkok malls reopen doors

    As Bangkok malls reopened in line with relaxed lockdown rules, Thais are being forced to download a tracking app to enter properties, sparking privacy concerns.

    Consumers rushed to return to shopping as usual from Sunday following two months of restricted movement, with most venues requiring the use of hand disinfectant and fask masks as a condition of entry as well as instituting temperature checks on all mall-goers. In some malls, consumers were photographed and registered before being allowed entry, and in other cases entry to individual stores was controlled by a QR code scanning system.

    Customers and retailers were asked to concede to restrictions on the number of shoppers allowed in retail spaces and an alcohol ban on in restaurants. Robots measuring customer temperatures were seen roving around some crowded food courts, as tables were divided by plastic and cardboard barriers to enforce social distancing.

    Disposable plastic gloves were provided to customers while shopping at some malls, with UV machines being used for the sanitation of shopping bags.

    “We are pleased to see Thailand’s success in handling this crisis which enables us to resume operations,” said The Mall Group CEO of The Emporium and Executive Committee Kriengsak Tantiphipop, “but, for us as for our clients, this comes with a strong sense of responsibility and a need to adapt to the new normal.”

    The nationwide mall reopening saw lengthy queues outside popular venues in Bangkok and in the provinces even before opening hours, with overcrowding forcing some businesses to temporarily close, overwhelmed by the number of shoppers. The Ikea store in Bang Na closed its doors as a means to control high shopper traffic, while Future Park Rangsit monitored consumer numbers based on scans of a QR code upon entry.

    Major mall operator Central Pattana reopened all 33 branches of its shopping centers nationwide under tight density control measures, limiting crowds to one person per five sqm. The owners of Bangkok malls reopened are continuing to offer rental discount rates to tenant stores over the next three to six months, with customer traffic in the early phase of the reopening expected to be just 25–40 percent of normal.

    According to a report in the Bangkok Post, some customers faced difficulties registering their details on an app designed to boost safety by reporting on store congestion. An average of 4635 people were using the app per minute. The app, named “Thai Chana” (“Thailand Wins”) is designed to be used by the Thai government to trace social contacts in case of a new outbreak of the coronavirus. The government will send messages via the app if a coronavirus case is discovered in a specific venue.

    One foreign consumer described the app to Inside Retail Asia as “shocking” reflecting widespread concern about the tracking feature of the app. However, government authorities rushed to assure consumers the app would only be used to identify people who potentially came into contact with a Covid-19 infected person if a patient was identified as having been in a store.

    Bangkok malls reopened following a slowing down of Thailand’s outbreak, with only three new cases announced on Sunday, and total cases just cresting 3000. The impact of the virus and subsequent lockdown is expected to see the Thai economy contract by more than six percent.

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  • AirAsia Indonesia extends flight operation suspension until May 31

    AirAsia Indonesia extends flight operation suspension until May 31

    Low-cost carrier AirAsia Indonesia has extended the suspension of flight operations in Indonesia until May 31. Previously, the airline had announced it would suspend flight operations within the country until May 7.

    Following the latest decision on the suspension of operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was announced on Friday, earlier plans to resume limited flight operations from Surabaya in East Java to two Malaysian cities, namely Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru, on May 18 have been shelved.

    According to a statement, the company will gradually begin QZ-coded scheduled flights on selected international and domestic routes starting on June 1, in response to the extension of large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in several regions.

    Passengers affected by the suspension are advised to look for the latest information on airasia.com or the carrier’s app.

    All AirAsia Indonesia passengers will be required to wear face masks throughout their flight, from check-in to baggage collection at their destination airport. The company also urged them to bring a spare face mask and hand sanitizer.

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  • Facebook buys GIPHY for $400 million

    Facebook buys GIPHY for $400 million

    Facebook announced yesterday that it is acquiring GIPHY. The latter started in February 2013 as a search engine for GIFs and it was apparent that co-founders Alex Chung and Jace Cooke were on to something after they attracted one million users during GIPHY’s first week. Soon, GIPHY was allowing users to post, embed, and share GIFs on Facebook.

    Half of GIPHY’s traffic comes from Facebook-owned apps with Instagram making up 50% of that figure. The other apps include WhatsApp, Messenger, and the Facebook app. After the transaction closes, people will still be able to upload GIFs, and developers and partners will still have access to GIPHY’s APIs. More importantly, GIPHY’s creative community will still be able to create the usual “great content.”

    While Facebook didn’t announce the price of the transaction, Axios says that GIPHY cost Facebook $400 million. In 2014, Facebook closed on its purchase of messaging app WhatsApp; that purchase was paid for in Facebook stock and was originally valued at $19 billion. By the time the deal closed, a rally in Facebook’s shares brought the price of the transaction to a stunning $21 billion. A couple of years before, Facebook purchased Instagram for $1 billion in what turned out to be one of the biggest steals in the history of technology.

    Facebook says, “By bringing Instagram and GIPHY together, we can make it easier for people to find the perfect GIFs and stickers in Stories and Direct. Both our services are big supporters of the creator and artist community, and that will continue. Together, we can make it easier for anyone to create and share their work with the world…GIFs and stickers give people meaningful and creative ways to express themselves. We see the positivity in how people use GIPHY in our products today, and we know that bringing the GIPHY team’s creativity and talent together with ours will only accelerate how people use visual communication to connect with each other.”

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