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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.

  • Vietnam suffers most phishing attacks on small businesses in Southeast Asia

    Vietnam suffers most phishing attacks on small businesses in Southeast Asia

    Vietnam led Southeast Asia in the number of phishing attacks targeting small enterprises in the first half of this year. There were more than 1.6 million attacks on small and medium-sized enterprises with 50-250 employees in the region, up 39 percent from the same period last year, Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab said a report it released on Tuesday.

    Vietnam accounted for 464,300, followed by Indonesia (406,200) and Malaysia (269,500). Singapore had the least number of attacks, but the number of cases was up 60.5 percent. On a global scale, Brazil topped followed by Russia, France, Columbia, and the U.S.

    The most common scams included using information about the novel coronavirus as bait, swindling people by offering to sell masks, seeking donations for vaccine research, and offering relief payments.

    The report also mentioned several other common phishing tricks such as evaluating job performance, important announcements from administrators, requesting emergency password checks, and urgent press releases.

    Yeo Siang Tiong, Kaspersky’s general manager for Southeast Asia, said the surge in attacks in Southeast Asia was due to the fact many companies let employees work from home since the end of March, resulting in a large number of users clicking on an infected link or attachment.

    Vietnam recorded 2,017 cyber attacks on its information systems in the first half of 2020, down 27.1 percent year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Information and Communications’ Department of Information Security.

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  • Vietnam suffers most phishing attacks on small businesses in Southeast Asia

    Vietnam suffers most phishing attacks on small businesses in Southeast Asia

    Vietnam led Southeast Asia in the number of phishing attacks targeting small enterprises in the first half of this year.

    There were more than 1.6 million attacks on small and medium-sized enterprises with 50-250 employees in the region, up 39 percent from the same period last year, Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab said a report it released on Tuesday.

    Vietnam accounted for 464,300, followed by Indonesia (406,200) and Malaysia (269,500). Singapore had the least number of attacks, but the number of cases was up 60.5 percent. On a global scale, Brazil topped followed by Russia, France, Columbia, and the U.S.

    The most common scams included using information about the novel coronavirus as bait, swindling people by offering to sell masks, seeking donations for vaccine research, and offering relief payments.

    The report also mentioned several other common phishing tricks such as evaluating job performance, important announcements from administrators, requesting emergency password checks, and urgent press releases.

    Many companies let employees work from home since the end of March, resulting in a large number of users clicking on an infected link or attachment.

    Vietnam recorded 2,017 cyber attacks on its information systems in the first half of 2020, down 27.1 percent year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Information and Communications’ Department of Information Security.

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  • Thai retailers downsizing, refocusing e-commerce

    Thai retailers downsizing, refocusing e-commerce

    Thai F&B and experiential retailers are likely to open fewer stores or downsize in scale for the remainder of the year following an unprecedented hit to the industry brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

    The sobering view of Thai retail’s prospects for the remaining months of this year came out of a new CBRE research report conducted in May, finding a high degree of uncertainty for the foreseeable future.

    “What we have been seeing in the past three months are brand-new challenges that took everyone by surprise,” said CBRE Thailand head of advisory & transaction services – retail Jariya Thumtrongkitkul.

    “For around two years, we have been saying that those who cannot adapt quickly enough to the shifting retail landscape will not survive, but this is on another level. Retailers have to change their business operations not only to match the drastic drop in footfall but to accommodate a new way of shopping.”

    According to the Bank of Thailand, figures from the May retail sales index show a year on year drop of 34 percent, much of which is attributable to a decline in the sale of vehicles and fuel. While final figures are as yet unavailable, a general drop is expected in the sales number for both food and non-food retailers in the territory for the period in question.

    Adaptive strategies from both landlords and retailers have attempted to restore a healthy business outlook, including flexible rental terms and various sales and marketing strategies such as longer grand sales events and frequent mall activities.

    The CBRE report suggests that eventually, resizing existing rental space will emerge as an increasingly important approach for tenants to become more cost-effective. It expects that e-commerce penetration will no longer be optional but a must for Thai businesses to survive.

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  • Apple Korea makes US$84 million offer to ease anti-competitive concerns

    Apple Korea makes US$84 million offer to ease anti-competitive concerns

    Apple’s South Korean unit has offered 100 billion won (US$84 million) worth of programs for consumers and mobile phone carriers, in an effort to address concerns about the company’s alleged violation of competition law.

    Apple Korea has been under probe by the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) over allegations that it had required the country’s three mobile operators — SK Telecom Co, KT Corp and LG Uplus Corp — to pay the cost of television advertisements and warranty service for its iPhones.

    The KFTC has said Apple Korea holds a clear advantage over local mobile carriers and that handing over the cost of advertisements is only another means to squeeze their profits.

    Under the programs, Apple Korea promised to spend $33.7 million to build a research-and-development center for local small and medium-sized firms in the smartphone-manufacturing sector.

    Another $21 million will be spent to give consumers 10-per-cent discounts on repairs and a smartphone insurance service, the KFTC said.

    Apple Korea will spend another $21 million to set up an education center to train professionals in the sector of information, communication, and technology, the KFTC said, and give mobile carriers more say in sharing their advertising costs and approving their ads.

    Song Sang-min, director-general handling the issue at the KFTC, said such measures are expected to help reduce the advertising burden on mobile carriers.

    Apple Korea had unilaterally ordered mobile carriers to set ad costs, but the measure will help Apple Korea and mobile carriers discuss how to share such costs, Song said.

    The KFTC said relevant parties will discuss whether to accept Apple Korea’s proposal by October 3.

    If relevant parties decide to accept the measures by Apple Korea, the KFTC will finally endorse them.

    South Korean law allows a company accused of anti-competitive practices to state a correction scheme without deliberating whether those practices violate the country’s competition law.

    In a statement, Apple pledged to step up cooperation with its business partners and consumers in South Korea.

    “We are looking forward to deepening our relationships in Korea by enhancing support for education, small businesses and facilitating future generations with new skill sets,” the statement said.

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  • AirAsia’s 1Q e-commerce sales leap 118%

    AirAsia’s 1Q e-commerce sales leap 118%

    Budget airline AirAsia Group Bhd saw revenue from its e-commerce platform, AirAsia.com, rose 118% year-on-year in the first quarter of this year as it rolled out new offers, promotions, flights and hotel bundle packages.

    “As travel continues to gradually resume, more activities are authorized… which in turn will support the growth of our non-airline business divisions, particularly in the lifestyle, e-commerce and media verticals,” said AirAsia.com chief executive officer Karen Chan in a statement today.

    AirAsia anticipates that its airline and ancillary revenues will gradually stabilize as non-airline revenues become a key driver of growth and business priority.

    “In the future, we foresee our non-airline revenues will outperform our airline performance which is why our focus is on offering innovative products that encompass travel, lifestyle, e-commerce and media verticals, in both the B2B and B2C segments,” said Chan.

    “While Asean is our home and domestic travel is our short-term focus, we look forward to the reopening of international borders to realize the potential of AirAsia.com,” she added.

    In anticipation of international borders reopening soon, Chan said AirAsia is in final stages of discussions with key international airlines to connect their European and MEA networks directly with AirAsia’s vast Asean network.

    “These strategic partnerships will complement our existing partnership with Kiwi.com, which provides a virtual interlining and connectivity optimization engine to offer a one-stop-shop, best-price-guaranteed service for our customers.”

    The airline wants to position AirAsia.com as a leading one-stop travel and lifestyle e-commerce platform in Asean, offering products from flights, hotels, travel activities, shopping and more.

    Chan said AirAsia has always regarded Asean as its playground, connecting its 640 million people to 160 destinations across Asia and the Pacific. “But with the pandemic still at large and continued restrictions to cross-border travel, we are looking at creative ways to overcome these limitations.”

    For now, the focus for AirAsia.com is to promote domestic travel until international borders reopen and travel restrictions are relaxed.

    “Given AirAsia’s dominant market position (with over 73% market share in capacity in Malaysia), we are using our position of strength to stimulate domestic air travel where there is demand.

    “Going back to our DNA which is all about making travel affordable for everyone, we will continue to innovate with more exciting products, leveraging on our one-stop travel shop ecosystem and focusing on our business divisions which are most relevant given current market conditions,” said Chan.

    “Based on our recent market survey, close to 45% of travelers want to travel immediately post lockdown. Flight searches on our website have increased by more than 150% post-hibernation period and as of June 2020, AirAsia.com receives 1 million daily active users.

    “Our domestic travel promotions have been very well-received. We sold over a million seats group-wide in July and we continue to ramp up capacity. With restrictions on activities being lifted, we hope to achieve a load factor of 70%-80% by the third quarter of 2020,” she said.

    Chan noted that the aviation industry, being one of the heaviest impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, is undergoing a period of consolidation — fare rationalization will be a natural outcome.

    “We continually review our products and innovate to best meet our customer’s needs, at unbeatable prices. We survived for 18 years in a hyper-competitive industry and became the leader of the low-cost carrier segment by providing the best prices, best Asean connectivity and best customer experience.”

    Under its recently-launched Unlimited Flight Pass in Malaysia and Thailand, AirAsia sold more than 200,000 passes and has received many requests for the product to be introduced in other markets.

    “We are closely monitoring the domestic travel situation in all of our markets (that AirAsia operates) and are looking forward to extending the Unlimited Flight Pass to other markets such as Indonesia and the Philippines when flight restrictions have eased,” said Chan.

    To date, AirAsia.com partners close to 400 hotel chain properties and over 100 independent hotels across Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

    In Malaysia, AirAsia.com is working closely with the Malaysian Association of Hotels to collaborate with more hotels, and hopes to increase its partnerships with independent hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang, as well as Sabah and Sarawak.

    AirAsia shares closed up one sen or 1.52% at 67 sen today, bringing a market capitalization of RM2.24 billion. A total of 11.91 million shares were traded.

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  • Microsoft says that Apple’s punishments against Epic will hurt game developers and players

    Microsoft says that Apple’s punishments against Epic will hurt game developers and players

    Microsoft is taking sides in the court battle between Epic Games and Apple. As you might recall, Epic added a screen to its hit game Fortnite that allows players, even those who installed the game from the App Store, to pay for in-app purchases from the developer’s own in-app payment system. Payments made through Epic’s own payment system bypass Apple’s system from which the tech giant takes a cut of 30%. The so-called 30% Apple Tax is being investigated by regulatory agencies in the U.S. and Europe who will determine whether it is anticompetitive.

    For now though, the battle between Apple and Epic is solely over whether Apple has the right to punish Epic by removing Fortnite from the App Store and closing Epic’s developer account. That will leave it unable to provide updates to iOS and Mac users although those who have already installed the game on their iPhone can continue to play. Apple says that it will allow the game to return and give the developer its account back, but only if Epic shuts its in-app payment portal. Epic has sued and seeks a temporary restraining order (TRO) that would block Apple from removing Fortnite and closing Epic’s developer accounts until the issue can be adjudicated.

    Microsoft filed a declaration with the court on Sunday in which a Microsoft senior engineer said that closing Epic’s developer account would prevent it from offering its Unreal Engine. The latter is a game engine for developers and is a framework for the creation of 3D graphics. It is licensed to game developers in return for 5% of sales although that fee is waived if a game is published in the Epic Game Store. Starting last May, Epic waived its portion of the fees for games developed in Unreal Engine until a developer earns his first million dollars. A declaration is a written statement sworn to be true under penalty of perjury by any person who has knowledge about the issues in a court case.

    Kevin Gammill, Microsoft’s general manager for Gaming Developer Experiences, said in the declaration that “If Unreal Engine cannot support games for iOS or macOS, Microsoft would be required to choose between abandoning its customers and potential customers on the iOS and macOS platforms or choosing a different game engine when preparing to develop new games. Gammill went on to say that, “Apple’s discontinuation of Epic’s ability to develop and support Unreal Engine for iOS or macOS will harm game creators and gamers.” And the Microsoft GM points out that there are very few alternative gaming engines with the same functionality and a large number of features.

    Epic says that the punishments imposed by Apple will produce an impact affecting more than the Unreal Engine. Epic’s vice president of engineering, Nicholas Penwarden, says that the developer has received “numerous inquiries and expressions of concern” from companies that have licensed the Unreal Engine.

    Besides filing the suit against Apple, Epic has filed a similar suit against Google. The latter’s Android app storefront, the Google Play Store, also takes a 30% cut of in-app payments for Google. The difference is that while iOS users are locked into using the App Store to find and install apps, Android users are allowed to sideload apps from third-party app stores.

    Apple’s strategy in court is to show that Epic has created this problem by itself and that it can be easily fixed by following the agreement that Apple has all developers sign. Apple has threatened to close Epic’s development account on August 28th. On the same date, the developer will lose access to iOS and Mac developer tools.

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  • Top Chinese retailtech enterprises revealed

    Top Chinese retailtech enterprises revealed

    Notable Chinese retailtech firms are small in size, heavy on IT personnel, and largely located around the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Yangtse Delta region, according to a new report.

    The study was released by international audit, tax, and advisory firm KPMG in partnership with the China Chain Store & Franchise Association to identify the top 50 high-growth retail tech enterprises in China. It recognizes firms that work to bring forward digitalization, intelligence and integration.

    The findings showed that consumer technology applications are more concentrated on front-end interaction with consumers, marketing and transactions, consumer operation, and smart technology companies.

    Most of the companies shortlisted for the report had no more than 300 employees.

    Technical personnel accounts for more than 60 percent of human resources in more than half of these firms, and about half of the companies have been operating for less than five years.

    “The association and KPMG have worked together to release the list of China’s leading 50 retailtech enterprises, after spending six months studying the founding team of candidate enterprises on a one-by-one basis over six criteria, namely: technology and business model innovation; empowering reform of the traditional retail sectors; financial health; valuation and capital market recognition; target market acceptance and potentials under market segmentation; team capabilities and corporate innovation mechanism; and business model innovation and sustainability,” said China Chain Store & Franchise Association secretary-general Kevin Peng.

    At the end, 64 representative Chinese retailtech firms were shortlisted, including 50 leading enterprises and 14 emerging enterprises.

    “We hope this list can offer some references to chain stores and retail brands so that their digital transformation journey can be smoother and more successful.”

    “The retailtech industry is treading the same path of evolution as China’s commerce, the two have formed a synergy for mutual growth,” said KPMG China partner and head of consumer retail Jessie Qian.

    “Enterprises in technological innovation and retail industries have worked hard to accumulate a wealth of technological applications and real-life cases, which can serve as a role model for enterprises building their own digital capabilities.”

    “The retail industry is innovating and reforming in the face of digitalization as consumers are changing their lifestyle,” said KPMG China partner and advisory head of consumer and retail sector, Michael Mao. “New retail technologies and the retail businesses are increasingly integrated, as new consumption needs are being explored and new operational models are emerging.

    “During the transformation, retailtech enterprises, especially start-ups, have played an indispensable role and they are upgrading themselves when engaging with their end-users. Many technological enterprises have evolved from software vendors of a single solution to business partners working with their end-users to develop solutions tailored for specific scenarios, others not only provide technical support for hardware and software but also assist retail enterprises in integrating technological transformation at the IT level with internal reform and optimization of organizational structure.”

  • AirAsia.com, Agoda announce strategic partnership

    AirAsia.com, Agoda announce strategic partnership

    AirAsia.com, Asean’s fastest-growing travel and lifestyle e-commerce platform, and Agoda, the world’s leading digital travel platform, have announced a strategic partnership to spur travel activity in Southeast Asia and strengthen AirAsia’s super app offering.

    The partnership between the two major online travel service providers in the region harnesses the synergistic strengths of both digital platforms, it said in a statement here, today.

    Through the sharing of flight and hotel inventories, travelers will gain access to a more extensive multi-product selection, enjoy greater convenience and benefit from superior value.

    Initiatives from the collaboration include travel bundles, membership privileges, as well as joint product marketing. Customers of AirAsia.com can now enjoy more variety with over 600,000 Agoda properties, combined with AirAsia’s great value fares by booking through SNAP — offering flight and hotel packages with the best price guaranteed.

    The partnership with Agoda is part of AirAsia group-wide strategy to revitalize travel in anticipation of the reopening of borders in Southeast Asia in the near future, AirAsia Group group chief executive officer (CEO) Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said today.

    “We are taking the opportunity during this downtime to work innovatively with strategic partners like Agoda, so that we can better serve our guests’ travel and lifestyle needs. There are more strategic ventures in development, which we look forward to announcing when the time is right.”

    Agoda CEO John Brown said: “The public’s appetite for travel is still strong, and we believe that our collaboration with AirAsia will help take the hassle out of travel by helping travelers easily find great value deals as they venture out again.”

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  • Fancl Asia sale could fetch US$1bn for Hong Kong owner

    Fancl Asia sale could fetch US$1bn for Hong Kong owner

    Fancl Asia distributor CMC Holdings is reportedly looking to sell the business in a deal that could be worth as much as US$1 billion.

    According to a Reuters report, Hong Kong-based CMC, owned by Chris Chan, has engaged Morgan Stanley to approach private-equity investors and other prospective buyers for the business, which operates more than 200 stores in Greater China and Southeast Asia. The company effectively accounts for the majority of the Japanese cosmetics company’s brick-and-mortar business outside its home market.

    Fancl Asia achieved pretax earnings of about US$65 million in 2018 and last year, on turnover of between $250 million and $300 million. Asia represents a significant growth opportunity for cosmetics companies, accounting for 53 percent of the world’s skincare market and is projected to achieve 5 percent annual growth in the coming years.

    According to a Reuters source, Fancl Asia will be sold via a two-part auction process, with initial bids scheduled to be received by the end of September.

    Morgan Stanley, CMC, Fancl and Chan all declined to comment to Reuters which did not identify its source due to confidentiality reasons.

    About 80 percent of the sales by Fancl Asia are in Greater China, where retailing has been seriously affected this year due to Covid-19-related lockdowns.

    Sources have confirmed any sale of the business would not affect the distributorship contract with the Japanese skincare specialist brand, which has six years to run in China and 10 in the rest of Asia.

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  • TikTok to battle executive order banning U.S. firms from having transactions with the app

    TikTok to battle executive order banning U.S. firms from having transactions with the app

    Short-form video app TikTok will begin a legal challenge to President Donald Trump’s campaign to ban the popular app in the states. TikTok has over 100 million users in the U.S. and has been installed over 2 billion times worldwide from the App Store and the Google Play Store. Favored by teens, TikTok has given bored kids something to do while stuck at home during the pandemic. Content on TikTok lasts 15 or 60 seconds and includes members lip-syncing to hit songs, dancing, doing comedy bits, and protesting hot button issues.

    An executive order signed by Trump on August 14th ordered TikTok’s Chinese based parent DanceByte to sell off its U.S. operations in 90 days. In his order, Trump said that there is “credible evidence that leads me to believe that ByteDance … might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States.” Some U.S. companies that have announced an interest in buying the app’s U.S. operations include Microsoft, Oracle, and Twitter. Apple was rumored to have an interest in TikTik but later denied it. Trump has hinted that any purchase of TikTok by a U.S. company might need to include a payment to the U.S. government adding up to a “substantial portion” of the transaction amount. Considering that TikTok’s value has been estimated at a figure as high as $150 billion, the U.S. portion of the business alone might generate a large sum for the U.S. government.

    TikTok plans on challenging an earlier executive order signed by the president on August 6th that requires Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to draw up a list of transactions involving ByteDance that should be banned after 45 days. The order relied on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and thus deprived it of due process. TikTok also will challenge the White House’s defining TikTok as a national security threat.

    However, even if ByteDance is able to challenge the August 6th order, it will still have to divest itself of TikTok’s U.S. operations or face a ban. That’s because the August 14th order does not face a judicial review. Under the earlier order, U.S. companies could be blocked from advertising on the site, TikTok employees in the states might not be allowed to get paid, and landlords might even be forced to evict TikTok workers from any property they leased or rented to them. Additionally, the U.S. could force TikTok to be defended by attorneys from outside of the country.

    Earlier this month, TikTok said that it might fight back against the Trump administration by arguing that the executive order was rushed out, blindsiding the company. Normally, a company being targeted by the Feds receives a subpoena and has a confidential meeting with the DOJ. Where TikTok plans on filing its lawsuit as soon as Monday is unknown. While the company previously said that it would explore its legal options, employees were said to be considering their own separate lawsuit.

    If TikTok is banned in the U.S., there could be some backlash by users of voting age who might feel compelled to vote this November. Meanwhile, other apps have already started to debut features similar to TikTok. For example, Instagram has already launched Reels, and a new app similar to TikTok called Clash was released months ahead of expectations.

    For those wondering whether the president has the authority to issue the executive orders, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that a 1977 law allows the president to regulate interstate commerce to safeguard the country from unusual events. McEnany said, “The administration is committed to protecting the American people from all cyber threats.” She noted that apps like TikTok “collect significant amounts of private data on users.”

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  • The Rolling Stones planning retail store opening on Carnaby St

    The Rolling Stones planning retail store opening on Carnaby St

    Legendary British rock band The Rolling Stones are opening their first flagship store in London next month.

    The RS No. 9 Carnaby exclusive fashion and merchandise store is launching in Soho, a destination famous for its association with 60s-era rock music culture. The shop will open in partnership with music & fashion merchandising label Bravado and jointly curated by the two parties.

    “Soho has always encapsulated Rock ’n’ Roll so Carnaby Street was the perfect spot for our own store,” said the Rolling Stones.

    “We are confident this exciting project that our friends at Bravado have created will be an unrivaled experience for everyone to come to London and enjoy.”

    “With this innovative partnership, the Rolling Stones add yet another cultural touchpoint to their rich legacy,” said Bravado CEO Mat Vlasic.

    “RS No. 9 Carnaby is the result of years of planning and decades of building one of the world’s most recognized brands. It creates a destination where fans can connect and immerse themselves in the music, style and spirit of one of the world’s most iconic and beloved bands.”

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  • Malaysian retail on the recovery track

    Malaysian retail on the recovery track

    Malaysia’s retail sector is projected by the government to reach 80-per-cent recovery this year, up from the current 70 percent.

    Statistics department figures showed improved employment numbers during the recent period since the lifting of Malaysia’s movement control order to counter Covid-19. The country’s unemployment rate was down by a record 5.3 percent month on month during May, but was recently measured at an improved 4.9 percent.

    “Subject to the second lockdown, the [retail] sector will be normalized, with local consumption to be the growth driver for the country,” said Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed following a private conference with retailers. The Edge reports he also urged Malaysians to support home-grown products.

    Around 90–95 percent of mall retailers are back in business within the country, as mall footfall hit 80 percent of levels recorded prior to the coronavirus outbreak.

  • Updates to Google Maps add more detail to countries and city streets

    Updates to Google Maps add more detail to countries and city streets

    Google has been continually improving the Google Maps app and today some new visual improvements for the app were announced. The changes add more detail to the imagery giving the user more information when taking a virtual drive through an area, or when planning a visit. One update to Google Maps brings a more natural look to an area being viewed on the app. As Google notes, “Exploring a place gives you a look at its natural features—so you can easily distinguish tan, arid beaches and deserts from blue lakes, rivers, oceans and ravines. You can know at a glance how lush and green a place is with vegetation, and even see if there are snow caps on the peaks of mountaintops.”

    This can be achieved through Google’s high-definition satellite imagery that covers 98% of the global population. Add to that a new color-mapping algorithmic technique and Google Maps becomes more vibrant showing better details and more realistic colors that make it easier to understand the environment of a specific area. The color mapping technique starts by using a computer to pick out natural features found in satellite images looking specifically for “arid, icy, forested, and mountainous regions.” These areas are analyzed and assigned different colors using the HSV color model. As an example, Google says that it would use dark green to signify an area with a densely covered forest. A lighter shade of green could be used to show an area of “patchy shrubs.”

    The update to Google Maps leaves the app with “one of the most comprehensive views of natural features on any major map app—with availability in all 220 countries and territories that Google Maps supports. That’s coverage for over 100M square kilometers of land, or 18 billion football fields!” Google states that the “This update is visible no matter what area you’re looking at—from the biggest metropolitan areas to small, rural towns.

    Besides helping users visualize the natural conditions of a country and region, Google Maps will soon be delivering more detailed street information that not only shows the correct scale of a road but will also include the correct shape of it. Correct placements of sidewalks, crosswalks, and pedestrian islands will appear, important information for those in a wheelchair or pushing a stroller. It also is helpful to people taking solo walks due to the pandemic. In the coming months, the detailed street maps will roll out in New York, London and San Francisco with more cities added over time.

    The more natural images will start rolling out this week and can be viewed by zooming out on the app. Google Maps Platform developers will soon be able to use the new look for their maps. You can install Google Maps on your iOS device from the App Store and download it on your Android device by snagging it from the Google Play Store.

    As Google continues to add more and more features to Maps, Apple is also buying working on its mapping app. In June 2018, Apple announced that it was building Apple Maps from scratch and would use its own mapping data instead of using third-party providers like TomTom. Specially designed Apple vehicles have driven 4 million miles to capture more detailed and refined views for users. While Apple tries to catch up with Google, the latter continues to be the unquestionable leader in navigation for mobile device users.

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  • Pacific Airlines gets new CEO

    Pacific Airlines gets new CEO

    The board of Vietnam Airlines has named a new CEO for subsidiary Pacific Airlines, formerly Jetstar Pacific.

    Dinh Van Tuan, 50, has taken from Nguyen Thuong Hoang Hai, who quit for personal reasons. Tuan was earlier the director of Vietnam Airlines’ operations center, and has served in various capacities at the carrier since 1996.

    Jetstar Pacific became Pacific Airlines on August 1 and got a new logo as Vietnam Airlines, which owns a 68.86 percent stake in it, seeks to buy another 30 percent stake from Australia’s Qantas.

    The first joint-stock airline in Vietnam was set up in 1991. In its 29 years, it has only reported profits for four years. It has major expansion plans, with the current fleet of 18 aircraft set to be increased to 50 by 2025.

  • MerryMart set to open it’s first drive-thru store

    MerryMart set to open it’s first drive-thru store

    Philippines grocery chain MerryMart will launch its inaugural drive-thru outlet in Iloilo City in January.

    MerryMart’s new drive-thru is in part a response to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The firm is planning to deploy this concept in multiple locations at various major thoroughfares.

    The firm’s owner, Edgar “Injap” Sia II, launched an IPO several months ago on the strength of his achievements in the fast-food franchising sector via the Mang Inasal restaurant chain, which was eventually purchased by Jollibee a decade ago. MerryMart’s concept takes its cues from Sia’s innovations in the former business.

    Funds from the IPO are being used for network expansion.

    The MerryMart stores will be serviced by distribution centers operated by sister business DoubleDragon as the firm expands nationwide. The firm currently has nine branches and is aiming to run 1200 outlets within the decade with total revenues of US$2.46 billion.

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