Retail News CRM

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.

  • Japan’s Maruya opens first overseas store

    Japan’s Maruya opens first overseas store

    Osaka-based drugstore Maruya has made its international debut in Hong Kong with its first store in Sheung Shui, a prominent ‘border town’ notorious for parallel traders.

    The drugstore will feature imported Japanese goods including cosmetics and daily necessities, at the same price as in its Japanese stores. Additionally, consumers can also make customized requests for specific medicine and the retailer will offer an independent quotation and arrange the logistics and delivery direct from Japan.

    Amidst the low consumer confidence during the coronavirus crisis, the brand’s website strongly emphasizes its quality assurance and its Japanese authenticity.

    For an opening promotion, Maruya is offering complimentary surgical masks with purchases.

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  • Apple might soon let you unsend iMessages

    Apple might soon let you unsend iMessages

    According to rumors, Apple is testing a bunch of useful iMessage features that could potentially make it to iOS 14. One of those will reportedly let you retract already sent messages, with some fine print visible to both the sender and the recipient indicating that a message has been retracted from the conversation thread.

    How is that different from simply deleting a message you’ve sent over iMessage? Simple – that one deletes it just for you and for none of the recipients. Retracting, however, essentially allows you to “unsend” the message, deleting it from both your and the recipient’s respective chat threads. A godsend feature that could potentially save you from for those times when your brain tricks you into sending gibberish or… the most embarrassing of situations. Oops!

    Another new iMessage that’s allegedly in the testing face will let you tag or mention specific contacts in a Slack-like manner by using the @ sign. Upon typing that one with your keyboard, your iPhone will suggest a list of contacts for you to choose from and mention. The tagged individual will reportedly be alerted even if they disabled alerts for the specific chat thread, which more often than not applies to group conversations.

    But that’s not all: it seems iMessage could score even more features. In particular, a “/me” command is reportedly being tested. It would allow you to share custom status updates inside the chat thread, which is similar to what Skype and Slack allow you to do. There would also be typing indicators for group chats, which is becoming a common trope of most messaging clients, especially ones with desktop clients. You will seemingly be able to mark the last message in a conversation as “unread” even after opening it.

    All of these point out that Apple is very likely preparing to improve the Messages app with a slew of features that will make it a direct competitor to Slack and Skype, two predominantly work-oriented messaging services. Most of these will most likely make it to the Mac version of Messages as well, allowing Apple to take on Slack and Skype on the desktop as well.

    When will these features be released, if at all? Supposedly, at the next WWDC developer summit, provided that it doesn’t get canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak that’s sweeping around. And that one could be the least of Apple’s problems right now.

    However, evidence of cross-platform support is still nowhere to be seen, but let’s be honest – it might never happen.

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  • Uncertainty looms over WWDC 2020 as Santa Clara bans mass gatherings

    Uncertainty looms over WWDC 2020 as Santa Clara bans mass gatherings

    Apple might suffer yet another blow after the Public Health Department in Santa Clara issued a ban on mass gatherings in the County for at least three weeks, effective March 9. The culprit is again the coronavirus, with 43 confirmed cases in the area until now and one death, leading to the ban.

    WWDC is one of the biggest events on Apple’s calendar, gathering thousands of developers in San Jose, California, every June. The company announces the exact dates of the event in late April but with the ban in place, we might have to wait a bit longer. It’s worth noting, that in the worst-case scenario of the event being canceled, the expected announcements of iOS 14, iPadOS 14, macOS 10.16, watchOS 7 and tvOS 14 will probably happen in one form or another.

    The COVID-19 outbreak has already lead  the cancelation of many international events and forced companies to opt for online product announcements in order to avoid the spread of the disease and protect their employees. The 2020 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona was among the first victims: after major companies withdrew from the event, the GSMA canceled the conference altogether. Facebook, Microsoft, and Google have scrubbed the live parts of their conferences as well, choosing to live-stream the important stuff instead.

    In the past few years, Apple has transformed the WWDC event from one happening almost behind closed doors to a full-blown live conference with one-on-one sessions between developers and engineers, with key announcements streamed live on the internet. The Santa Clara ban explicitly forbids any gathering of 1000 or more people, which limits Apple’s options concerning the WWDC organization. The company remains silent on the matter, and it’s still not clear if the event will take place at all.

    Apple has some space left for maneuvering and can use Apple Park’s studios to live stream the session part of the event, while the keynote might still be held live at the Steve Jobs Theater if the proper health checks are in place for all the attendees. The Lab sessions will be a hard gig to replicate, with online Q&A sessions maybe the next best thing. Apple is already suffering financial losses from the coronavirus outbreak after 42 retail stores in China closed doors, contributing to a serious plunge in iPhone sales in the country.

  • Google updates Google app with a shortcut for Chrome incognito mode

    Google updates Google app with a shortcut for Chrome incognito mode

    The Google app’s default option for browsing incognito has been around for nearly a year. However, the feature contained one major flaw that made going incognito meaningless – when clicking on a search result from the incognito tab, the window that opens is not incognito and all activity is saved to your Google account’s history.

    However, according to Android Police, Google is going to provide a solution to this issue. Some users have noticed a new option added to the Google app – the possibility to open a new Chrome incognito tab.

    Apparently, the feature is a shortcut which reportedly will lead you to Chrome to browse in incognito there. When tapping on the option, you get the usual disclaimer for an incognito window, advising you that data might still be visible to carriers, websites and employers or schools.

    Unfortunately, this is another server-side update from Google, as the one for Google Photos, and it cannot be manually installed, even if you have a beta version of the Google app. So, we will wait and see when this feature will be rolled out to all the users.

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  • Hong Kong food-delivery companies join WWF campaign to combat plastic use

    Hong Kong food-delivery companies join WWF campaign to combat plastic use

    Hong Kong food-delivery companies, Deliveroo and Foodpanda, have joined WWF’s Plastic Action Initiative (PACT) to help reduce single-use plastics.

    According to PACT rules, both companies have to follow sustainable requirements including setting up a default opt-out option for single-use plastic cutlery and creating a program for its merchants to improve packaging material.

    “At WWF, we recognize the effectiveness of business at influencing change, so it is really encouraging to see that businesses are taking responsibility to rein in the plastic crisis,” said Laurence McCook, head of oceans conservation of WWF Hong Kong. “PACT is only a starting point to catalyze actions.”

    With the partnership of the two companies, PACT initiative aims to clear unsustainable packaging by 2025 and set up a more circular economy for plastic in the city.

    “We see the commitment to WWF’s PACT initiative to be a crucial step towards building a more sustainable future for the food delivery industry,” said Brian Lo, GM of Deliveroo Hong Kong. “It is fundamental for not only us but the entire F&B industry to rethink our approach when it comes to packaging and products.”

    After the PACT signing, Deliveroo has collaborated with WWF to offer co-branded paper bags for customers ordering from its Editions sites.

    Meanwhile, Foodpanda has committed to activating online formats, promoting the initiatives for PACT. The CEO of Foodpanda Hong Kong, Arun Makhija, said that since 2018, the company has been taking steps towards driving a more sustainable delivery service by having customers opt-out of tableware. “This year we are committed to do more.”

    Both companies have eliminated 60 tonnes of plastic last year and aim to boost that to 130 tonnes in 12 months after joining PACT.

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  • Facebook in legal battle with Australia over alleged user data breach

    Facebook in legal battle with Australia over alleged user data breach

    Last year, Facebook received a penalty of $5 billion by the American Federal Trade Commission for sharing personal information via a survey product called “This Is Your Digital Life”, which disclosed users’ Facebook data to a political consultant Cambridge Analytica. Now, an Australian privacy regulator is filing a lawsuit against the tech giant over the same survey, which this time is said to have shared the data of more than 300,000 Australians.

    The lawsuit is filed in regards to 311,127 users’ personal data being unlawfully shared, with the users not being aware of their data’s disclosure. According to Reuters, the lawsuit didn’t request any specific amount in damages, however, each breach of the privacy law can amount to around $1.1 million penalties at most. So in total, if each of the 311,127 instances is taken into consideration, the penalty facing Facebook could be up to a maximum $348 billion.

    The disclosed personal information could be used for monetization and political purposes and is considered a serious interference with the privacy of Australian individuals. However, Facebook did not provide any comment on the issue.

    Overall, until now, allegedly Facebook has unwillingly shared information of over 87 billion users via the aforementioned survey tool. According to the Australian lawsuit, Facebook was not aware of what data it shared with the program, but this is still considered a failure to protect user data.

  • Google Maps gets a smart new feature perfect for travelers

    Google Maps gets a smart new feature perfect for travelers

    If you’re a frequent traveler who’s always looking for a new place to eat, you might really appreciate this subtle-but-powerful new feature baked into Google Maps.

    New to Google Maps is integration with Google Lens, the powerful image recognition system first introduced in 2017. With the latest update to Maps, the software will enhance listings for restaurants with more information on the menu.

    We already know how competent Google Lens is at identifying text and symbols in images, but this new feature will take things a step further with more information. When user-uploaded pictures include a shot of the menu, the software will kick in and give you more context to help you decide what to eat.

    The interface will give you the option to ‘Explore dishes’. It can identify the most popular items, find images for dishes, or even translate foreign menus to give you a better idea of what a dish will look like.

    The exciting thing about this is that it happens without any work from the restaurant’s end. As long as a reasonably clear photo of the menu exists in Google’s database, your phone should be able to generate these options and context information.

    As you might expect from how heavily it relies on Google services, the feature is only available on Android for now, but like most Maps features, it’ll likely make its way across to the iOS pond before too long.

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  • Pet Lovers Centre flourishes in the Philippines

    Pet Lovers Centre flourishes in the Philippines

    The Philippines’ Robinsons Retail will open its fifth Pet Lovers Centre (PLC) this year following its strategy of broadening its retail focus beyond fashion.

    The latest pet shop is scheduled to open in the third quarter of this year in Robinson Place Palawan.

    Pet Lovers Centre has grown after Robinsons Retail Holdings secured the license from the Singapore-based pet store chain last October with the first shop opening in Robinsons Galleria in Metro Manila.

    The store has selections from local and international brands that caters for different pets and their needs. It also has a section dedicated to aquarium hobbyists, featuring tropical fish, ornamental shrimp, freshwater aquatic plants and nano-tanks.

    Christine Tan, senior marketing manager, Pet Lovers Centre, said that nowadays pet owners see the company they buy supplies from as part of their ecosystem. The brand’s rapid expansion in the Philippines attests to the fact that PLC is resonating with pet owners there.

    “The PLC brand is about an award-winning shopping experience that translates the love and passion for pets into true value. We do this by offering pets and pet lovers quality products and services, highly accessible care and fun experiences.”

    She added that this includes the widest and freshest range of products pet owners can find with prompt, friendly and helpful service as well.

    Other Pet Lovers Centre stores are located in Robinsons Magnolia Mall and UP Town Center in Metro Manila and Robinsons Galleria in Cebu City.

    The pet retail and service chain was founded by David and Robert Ng in 1973 and has a network of more than 100 stores across Southeast Asia.

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  • CP Group wins Tesco Asia business

    CP Group wins Tesco Asia business

    Tesco has accepted a US$10.6 billion bid for its Asian businesses from a consortium of companies controlled by Thai billionaire Dhanin Chearavanont.

    The deal, which remains subject to regulatory approval and Tesco Group shareholder approval, will be completed in the second half of this year.

    The price represents an earnings multiple of 12.5 times and marks a significant premium on analysts’ estimates of the business being worth about $9 billion.

    The CP Group entities which will buy the assets – Tesco Lotus in Thailand and a joint venture with Sime Darby in Malaysia – are CP Retail Development Company, Charoen Pokphand Holding Co, CP All Public and CP Merchandising Co. CP All runs the vast network of 7-Eleven stores across Thailand.

    Assuming shareholder approval for the deal, Tesco plans to return around £5 billion (US$6.59 billion) to shareholders via a special dividend.

    “This sale releases material value and allows us to further simplify and focus the business, as well as to return significant value to shareholders,” said outgoing Tesco CEO Dave Lewis.

    In a statement, Tesco said the disposal will “further de-risk the Tesco business by reducing indebtedness through a £2.5 billion pension contribution (in the UK) that, along with other measures, is expected to eliminate the current funding deficit and significantly reduce the prospect of having to make further pension deficit contributions in the future”.

    The deal announced today effectively sees CP Group buy back the Lotus operations in Thailand, which it sold to Tesco in 1997 to raise cash during the Asian Financial Crisis.

    CP also owns the Sam Makro grocery warehouse business with 130 stores, along with more than 11,000 7-Eleven stores.

    In winning the Tesco business, CP Group beat rival local bidders Central Group and TCC Group. The decision was reached quickly by the Tesco board given final binding bids closed on February 29.

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  • Walter Mart expands network in Luzon, Philippines

    Walter Mart expands network in Luzon, Philippines

    Luzon supermarket operator Walter Mart has added six new stores to its network this year and the company has also ventured online.

    The Philippine firm says online retailing is its way of expanding its customer base beyond its physical stores across Metro Manila.

    Rosemarie D Caalam, Walter Mart Supermarket GM, said that the expansion would further boost Walter Mart’s presence in Luzon. The company has no plan yet to expand in another area however she stressed it will continue to provide the community’s needs.

    Caalam was commenting during the opening of ‘I Love Philippines’, a program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and part of the government’s Go Local project.

    Walter Mart Supermarket has now 41 stores in Metro Manila, Central, and South Luzon. The chain operates its anchor stores such as the Walter Mart Supermarket, Walter Mart Cinemas, Abenson Appliances, Homeplus Furniture, Electroworld, and SB Furnitures.

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  • AirAsia offers six million promotional seats

    AirAsia offers six million promotional seats

    Asia’s leading low-cost carrier, AirAsia, is offering guests six million promotional seats, including zero-fare seats, to many popular destinations in Malaysia as well as overseas.

    AirAsia said customers can enjoy the promotional seats for travel beginning March 8, 2020, to July 1, 2021.

    “Booking is open for the public from March 9 to March 15, 2020, while booking for BIG members and BigPay begins on March 8,” it said in a statement today.

    It said BIG members can enjoy discounted domestic flights from as low as RM12 one way to fly from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bahru, Penang, Langkawi, Alor Setar, and Kota Bharu.

    BIG members can also enjoy fares as low as RM71 one way when they fly AirAsia X from Kuala Lumpur to overseas destinations, including Fukuoka, Seoul, and the Gold Coast.

    Besides Japan, South Korea and Australia, international destinations covered under the promotion include Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, and Taiwan.

    Meanwhile, free seats are available when one books a SNAP (flight plus hotel) package from RM129 per person.

    airasia.com chief executive officer Karen Chan said AirAsia understands the current sentiments of its customers so it provides ample opportunity for people to book in advance for an affordable getaway with the travel period up to July 2021.

    “The best way to snap the lowest fares and best value travel deals is to plan ahead and book early as with this latest BIG Sale 2020,” she said.

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  • Crypto Trading In Different Countries

    Crypto Trading In Different Countries

    Cryptocurrency is an acceptable legal tender anywhere in the world. “Anywhere in the world”, does not mean you take ‘cash’ crypto to a pawn shop to get whatever you want. It is an e-currency. Hence, by “anywhere in the world”, it means digital businesses that are run from locations based anywhere in the world. According to a resourceful material on https://insidebitcoins.com/bitcoin-trading, the topmost countries in the world that accept crypto trading, include the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia.

    Crypto Trading in the UK

    Several UK-based platforms allow bitcoin as the legal trading currency. Many of those platforms are regulated by certain guidelines. For most, of all, FCA act as the primary regulator. Most of the UK-based platforms allow different deposit methods, all of which can be linked within a short time. In fact, either deposit is made via euro or pound, or bitcoin, you can also cash out in any of the currencies as well, when you make transactions that can bring money. Binance and Plus500 are the topmost UK online brands where you can make bitcoin trading if you are in the UK. However, Binance is not an actively-regulated site by the FCA; hence, it does not allow trading CFD products, rather the actual bitcoin transaction. 

    In the United Kingdom, cryptocurrency trading can be done by common transactional exchanges between a seller and a buyer, or you can invest in other cryptocurrency trading systems that will give you return on investment. 

    Crypto Trading in the United States

    In the United States, trading bitcoin can happen through different methods. The most widely accepted methods are to make sales and purchases on platforms that allow crypto trading and investing in a cryptocurrency trading platform, based in the US. Interested traders of bitcoins buy bitcoin assets on approved websites and they make trades accordingly, not by price or equivalence with other currencies. Some huge risk-takers afford to go for bitcoin trading robot and they wait to get their returns on investment after a while.

    Certain states in the United States, such as Las Vegas are more liberal and permit online casinos that allow residents within the states to gamble and earn returns in bitcoins. This allows them to gamble and cash out their profits in cryptocurrency or any other means allowed by a specific casinos.

    Crypto Trading in Canada

    Canada is like the United States; similar trading rules and methods apply to both. 

    Crypto Trading in Australia 

    Gradually, bitcoin is becoming an acceptable trading means for online-based businesses. Sadly, bitcoin and PayPal are barred as transaction means in certain regions of the country. Nonetheless, by using Plus500, you can link your PayPal account and fund your Plus500 account. Funds are transferrable between PayPal and the Plus500 platforms. Then, you can use trade with your Plus500 account. With your Plus500 as a major funding source, you can now purchase bitcoin CFDs as instructed. Australians are also able to trade with bitcoin trader robot, maximizing their bitcoin profits and cashing out the equivalent value of their profit.

    Crypto Trading in New Zealand

    Like Australia, New Zealand is gradually embracing cryptocurrency trading. Thus, there are still many platforms where cryptocurrencies cannot be used. Nonetheless, by setting up a funding account source on the Plus500 platform, with PayPal, it becomes possible to trade on several platforms using your Plus500 account. Same conditions are applicable to Australia and New Zealand.

    Crypto Trading in Germany

    Bitcoin trading in Germany is quite technical. Bitcoin trading faces a lot of negative pressures in Germany, but it is not impossible to trade bitcoin. For the few platforms that allow bitcoin trading, verification processes are always rigorous. By leveraging certain global platforms, folks in Germany can make bitcoin trades via credit and debit card, ACH bank transfer, and other transfer means. Berlin accepted Bitcoin, early enough. Most of the cryptocurrency adoption rate from Germany source from Berlin.

    The challenge with cryptocurrency in Germany is that it is not ruled as a financial instrument, even though about 29% of Germans think cryptocurrency is worth investing in, according to a survey by German retail bank Postbank.

    Germany also has bitcoin ATMs where people can make certain bitcoin transactions. Furthermore, there are certain companies where people can transact bitcoins and companies to invest in. You don’t have to necessarily look for a German platform, you can check out global bitcoin trading platforms that are eligible for German citizens. 

     

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  • Google Assistant loses this fun feature on March 23

    Google Assistant loses this fun feature on March 23

    Google Assistant has long featured celebrity voices, but you might want to use them while you still can.

    John Legend’s Google Assistant cameo first debuted in April of 2019, becoming the first celebrity to virtually lend his voice to devices all over the world. The singer’s smooth tones were a big hit among fans, and though Google said the option would be temporary, they didn’t specify a date.

    Or until now, at least, because the Pixel makers just announced that it will be gone come March 23. So after just under a year, the first celebrity voice on Google Assistant will be gone. It’s a good reminder that, as Google warned from the start, these cameos are not permanent. The company also debuted a second celebrity voice from actress and producer Issa Rae back in October. Her voice is still available for now, but we assume it might be gone in six month’s time as well.

    Whether you’ll miss the Legendary voice or not, the good news is that Google will still do everything it used to. Just with a more robotic voice.

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  • Twitter cracks down on hate speech with new policy

    Twitter cracks down on hate speech with new policy

    Twitter is taking a sharper stance against the multitude of hate speech finding its way onto the platform with a stricter set of policies that go into effect now.

    As with any social media platform, it isn’t difficult to find any number of controversial or bigoted messages on Twitter. The platform evidently recognizes that such hate speech is a significant issue in our society that doesn’t just end at digital prejudice.

    Twitter took to its company blog to update its users on new policies, which are focused on three types of bigotry, which are described as “dehumanizing”. These include hateful speech based on age, disability, and disease.

    For example, Twitter says it will remove messages that claim disabled individuals are not human, or that certain age groups don’t deserve rights. Accounts linked to these Tweets may also be suspended.

    These policies seem quite timely in the midst of the novel coronavirus outbreak, which has unfortunately caused a surge in racism and xenophobia. It’s also worth noting that Twitter has already taken action against hate speech in other topics, such as race, religion, and others.

    Twitter’s new policies take effect today, but Tweets will still need to be reported before being deleted. Previous Tweets that go against the guidelines are also required to be deleted, but Twitter has said no suspensions will take place for Tweets from the past.

    In any case, the new policies seem to be a positive step forward in making the Internet a better place for everyone.

  • Lunar New Year timing boosts Singapore retail sales in January

    Lunar New Year timing boosts Singapore retail sales in January

    Excluding motor vehicles, Singapore retail sales in January rose by 0.6 percent, but it will be another month until the effects of the growing coronavirus crisis on tourism and domestic consumer spending is evident.

    Including vehicles, Singapore retail sales in January decreased by 5.3 percent year on year, but this as much reflects changing criteria for vehicle ownership certificates of entitlement in the city-state as an economic trend. Month on month, retail sales were down by 0.5 percent excluding vehicles.

    Online retail sales in January comprised about 5.8 percent of the total. The major categories here were computer & telecommunications equipment, where online accounted for 25.9 percent of total category sales, furniture & household (10.9 percent) and supermarkets & hypermarkets (7.8 percent).

    Overall retail sales of furniture & household equipment declined by 16 percent in January, while sales of optical goods & books fell by 9.4 percent.

    However, sales by supermarkets & hypermarkets, food & alcohol, and apparel & footwear grew by between 6.4 percent and 8.7 percent, due partly to increased spending during the Lunar New Year.

    January saw 9.1 percent growth in sales of food & beverage services, again due mainly to the timing of Lunar New Year, which was earlier this year. On a seasonally adjusted basis, sales of food & beverage services increased by just 0.8 percent in January.

    The value of food & beverage services in January was estimated at S$963 million. Of that, online sales comprised about 9.8 percent.

    Turnover of restaurants, fast-food outlets, and food caterers increased by between 8 percent and 16.4 percent in January, again fuelled by increased spending due to the Lunar New Year.

    Sales by cafes, food courts & other eating places fell by 2 percent.

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