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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.

  • Facebook launches faster, cleaner Messenger app for iOS devices

    Facebook launches faster, cleaner Messenger app for iOS devices

    It will probably take a lot of time for Facebook to integrate all its services into a single app, and we don’t even know if it will eventually succeed. But every major endeavor starts with a small step, and today Facebook made one.

    The social network giant has just announced it has launched a brand-new Messenger app for iOS devices, which is cleaner, smaller and faster. The new Messenger for iOS is just 1/4 the size of the previous app and contains just 360,000 lines of code, down from 1.7 million.

    Because of that, the app will load twice as fast and will consume a lot fewer resources while it’s running. Another important aspect is that Messenger for iOS is now simpler than ever. Facebook reduced the contact list from 40 versions to just one.

    Although the app has been rebuilt from the ground up, some features might be temporarily unavailable, but Facebook promised to bring them back as soon as possible, so if you notice that something is missing, then you’ll have to wait for developers to add it.

    Facebook has already started the rollout of the new Messenger for iOS, but it will take a few weeks for the app to appear for everyone, so give it time if you don’t see it in the App Store yet.

  • Microsoft’s Your Phone app possibly getting Drag and Drop

    Microsoft’s Your Phone app possibly getting Drag and Drop

    Microsoft’s Your Phone app has been growing in popularity over the past several years. The app offers a link between your Windows 10 PC and your Android smartphone (requires a phone with Android 7 or newer), providing useful features for managing your phone.

    Recently, Microsoft added support for RCS messaging for selected Samsung smartphones. Now, a Tweet by Aggiornamenti Lumia suggests that a new feature may be coming soon: Drag And Drop from your PC to your smartphone.

    We do not know whether the rumored Drag and Drop feature will be officially released or when, and whether it will be exclusive to selected Samsung devices.

    Other features of the Your Phone app include reading and sending text messages from your PC, as well as managing your notifications and calls. The functionalities available only for select Samsung devices are Content Transfer and Phone Screen, which allows you to interact with Android apps and phone content while visualizing your smartphone’s screen on your PC.

    You can find whether your phone is supported on Microsoft’s Your Phone app help page which offers a list of supported phones for every referenced app function.

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  • Hong Kong retail sales down in January

    Hong Kong retail sales down in January

    Hong Kong retail sales slumped 21.4 percent in January, further than the 19.4 percent of December – but the worst is yet to come.

    The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) provisionally estimated Hong Kong retail sales at HK$37.8 billion (US$4.86 billion) but cautioned that the timing of Lunar New Year – on January 25 this year and February 5 last year – may have lessened the statistical impact of January’s data.

    “Retail sales continued to record a sharp fall in January, notwithstanding the possible boost from the Lunar New Year, which fell in late January this year but early February last year,” said a government spokesperson.

    This hints at a bleak outlook for February’s Hong Kong retail sales, given the advent of the coronavirus which saw inbound tourist numbers drop by 98 percent in what should have been one of the best trading months of this year.

    The coronavirus hit just as the peak Lunar New Year holiday season kicked off, a time when thousands of mainlanders traditionally head across the border to holiday and shop. Sales during the month were already affected by the anti-extradition protests which had been running since June last year.

    Sales of jewelry, watches, and clocks slumped by 41.6 percent in January, with medicines and cosmetics down 32.3 percent and apparel by 28.9 percent. Department-store sales were down 27 percent, books, newspapers, stationery, and gifts by 25.9 percent and optical goods by 23.9 percent, furniture, and fittings by 22 percent, footwear, and accessories by 21.6 percent and electrical goods by 20.4 percent.

    Sales of Chinese drugs and herbs fell by 16.2 percent and of food, alcohol and tobacco products by 6.8 percent.

    The only categories to buck the downturn were sales in supermarkets, up 10.2 percent, and of fuel, up 12.3 percent.

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  • Shanghai retail sales slowly returning to normal after coronavirus outbreak

    Shanghai retail sales slowly returning to normal after coronavirus outbreak

    Roughly a third of the 11,000 stores in Shanghai that closed for the coronavirus outbreak has opened for business.

    Among the reopening stores is Starbucks’ largest global outlet, Starbucks’ Reserve Roastery, which attracted daily queues before the epidemic. The store, which counts as a tourist attraction in its own right, opened just one of its doors on Wednesday – although its air conditioner remains off.

    All 57 Starbucks stores in the area have been working with officials to protect staff and customers as the outbreak continues. Half of the Reserve Roastery tables have been removed to keep customers at a distance from each other.

    “Well on the way to containing COVID-19, Shanghai is gradually returning to normal,” reported local English-language media Shine News. However, it said local residents are still taking precautions to protect themselves from infection.

    “I feel like a vegetable after being stuck at home for so many days,” said one elderly customer. “I miss these butter cookies so much. But I’ve learned from the news that we should take protective measures, so I’m wearing a mask and gloves.”

    “It’s always of vital importance to keep a balance between epidemic control and resumption of business, so we have to provide a good service,” said Jing’an Market Regulation director Chen Ping.

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  • AirAsia X cuts 2019 loss despite revenue decline

    AirAsia X cuts 2019 loss despite revenue decline

    AirAsia X narrowed its operating loss to MYR90.1 million ($21.3 million), despite a decline in passenger numbers which affected its total revenue.

    The loss posted in 2019 is an improvement to the MYR204 million loss made in 2018.

    Revenue for the year ended 31 December 2019 declined 4% to MYR4.4 billion, as the number of passengers fell 8.3% to 6.07 million due to capacity cuts it undertook, and weaker travel demand in the first nine months of 2019.

    Total expenses fell 5.8% to MYR4.05 billion, on lower expenditures related to fuel, user charges, and other operating expenses.

    Unit cost without fuel were 1.9 cents, and including fuel, this was 2.5% lower year-on-year to 3.1 cents. While RASK was unchanged at 3 cents, RPKs were down 3%. Seat load factor was flat at 81%, and that seat capacity declined 2%.

    Net loss, however, swelled to more than MYR489 million, on significant increases in finance costs and the adoption of a new accounting standard on leases.

    As of 31 December 2019, the company’s cash and cash equivalents stood at nearly MYR308 million, up from the MYR253 million last year.

    Overseas units in Indonesia and Thailand saw a mixed performance. Indonesia AirAsia X cut its losses while Thai AirAsia X reversed its previously profitable streak.

    Indonesia AirAsia X reduced its operating losses by more than half to MYR36.7 million, after ceasing scheduled services for charter and wet-lease operations at the start of 2019. Revenue for the year stood at MYR76.6 million, while loss before tax was MYR47.3 million.

    Thai AirAsia X posted an operating loss of more than MYR137 million for 2019, reversing the operating profit of MYR48.7 million in 2018. Revenue grew 17.3% to MYR1.79 billion, while loss before tax came in at MYR86.5 million.

    AirAsia X’s Malaysia chief Benyamin Ismail says the airline has seen “significant improvements” in its business performance, as it focused on improving yields in core markets. It also began a Kuala Lumpur-Singapore service to support the route’s strong demand, as well as Kuala Lumpur-Tokyo Narita.

    In its outlook detailed in an investor presentation, AirAsia X plans to cancel unprofitable routes such as Jaipur, Lanzhou and Tianjin, and explore route suspensions as it tries to overcome the challenges from the coronavirus outbreak.

    It notes that China represents a third of its capacity, and this “poses [a] severe impact” on the company. An “aggressive” capacity management will be made in the first half of 2020, with more than 600 flights cancelled in March.

    To stimulate air travel demand and boost its short-term cashflow, it will also conduct aggressive promotions and waive off fees for its FlyThru transfer service.

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  • Tesco executives mull final bids for Thai, Malaysian businesses

    Tesco executives mull final bids for Thai, Malaysian businesses

    Tesco executives and advisors will this week start evaluating offers for its Thai and Malaysian businesses following Friday’s deadline for binding offers.

    However, with the asset valued somewhere in the region of US$9 billion, there is no certainty any of the bids will be accepted. A decision is expected this month.

    Tesco has yet to confirm how many bids were received, but analysts expect a three-way battle between some of Thailand’s largest companies: CP Group, controlled by Dhanin Chearavanont, Central Group, controlled by the  Chirathivat family, and TCC Group, controlled by property and beer magnate Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi. Another potential bidder is petroleum group PTT which is expanding its Cafe Amazon network regionally and has an interest in diversifying from its core petrol-retailing business.

    Tesco operates about 2000 supermarkets and convenience stores in Thailand and a further 74 in a Malaysian joint venture with Sime Darby Group.

    For Central Group, which last month raised US$2.5 billion in an IPO of its retail business, the Tesco operation would have substantial synergies with its supermarkets and convenience-store business.

    CP Group, meanwhile, has an interest in effectively buying back the Thailand operations, which evolved from the supermarket business it sold to Tesco in 1997 to raise cash during the Asian Financial Crisis. CP owns the Sam Makro grocery warehouse business with 130 stores along with the Thai 7-Eleven franchise which now numbers more than 11,000 stores.

    In the half-year to August 24, the Tesco businesses in Thailand and Malaysia achieved sales of $3.3 billion and an operating profit of $219 million.

    Exiting the Southeast Asian business may come with complications. Thailand’s government has already flagged its interest in a sale to existing local entities, commenting that the deal must not violate anti-monopoly laws.

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  • Central Retail to invest US$575 million on expansion this year

    Central Retail to invest US$575 million on expansion this year

    Thailand’s Central Retail Corporation achieved 8 percent revenue growth last year to US$7.1 billion and an 11-per-cent boost in profit to $394.7 million.

    CEO Yol Phokasub said the improvement reflected “robust platforms” in every country in which it operated: Thailand, Vietnam and Italy.

    “We increased market share in every product category, including fashion, food and hardlines, whilst we also grew our customer base in each market with our strong eco-systems,” he said.

    Central Retail is on track to achieve a five-year goal of achieving 8-10-per-cent average annual income growth and earnings growth of 10-11 percent.

    This year, Central Retail is investing $575 million into expanding its business in its three core markets, exclusive of mergers and acquisitions.

    In Thailand it plans to open three Robinson Lifestyle stores, seven Thai Watsadu stores and 3 Baan and Beyond stores, as well as expanding its food and specialty-store networks.

    In Vietnam it will open six supermarkets under the existing Big C banner and its new brand Go!

    It also plans to refurbish some existing stores and open more outlets under its LookKool, Kubo and SuperSports banners.

    In Italy, it will refurbish its department stores in Florence and Rome, and focus on leadership in the lifestyle-luxury segment of the market.

    “After many uncertainties in both the global and Thai economies this year, whether from the strong Baht, the COVID-19 epidemic, reduced tourist arrivals or declining consumer confidence, Central Retail must exercise caution in its business operations, closely monitor various issues and use technology to manage costs effectively,” said Phokasub.

    “Our multi-category and multi-format platforms give us flexibility and adaptability to rapidly changing and volatile situations. This offers us an advantage and a good opportunity to reach customers, providing them with new experiences through our robust omnichannel platforms.”

    Central Retail achieved sales growth online of about 56 percent last year.

    “This year, we forecast sales through the omnichannel platforms to account for over 10 percent of Central Retail’s sales,” he said.

  • Retail, e-commerce biggest marketers in Vietnam

    Retail, e-commerce biggest marketers in Vietnam

    Retail and e-commerce accounted for nearly a quarter of online marketing in Vietnam last year as players compete for more customers.

    The category claimed 23.9 percent of $1.26 billion spent on online ads in the country, Ho Chi Minh City-based advertising company Adsota reported.

    It was followed by fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) with 12.9 percent and automobiles with 6.7 percent.

    Vietnam digital advertising spending by industryRetails & e-commerceFMCGAutomobilesFinancial servicesTourismTelecomTechnologiesOthers

    “Figures indicate the resources e-commerce businesses are willing to invest in digital advertising in recent years, linked to the “money burning” race of Shopee, Lazada, Sendo and Tiki,” the report stated.

    Rising expenditure follows Vietnam’s growing market of internet users. The country ranked 14th in the world in its number of smartphone users at 43.7 million last year, a rate of 44.9 percent.

    In a number of app downloads, Vietnam ranked second to Indonesia in ASEAN and seventh globally. The most popular app categories in Vietnam are games, photography and social.

    Vietnamese spend 2 hours and 33 minutes on social networks, 17 minutes higher than the world average, according to U.K.-based We Are Social.

    Vietnam’s online advertising expenditure is set to reach $1.4 billion in 2022.

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  • Carrefour China achieves its first quarterly profit in seven years

    Carrefour China achieves its first quarterly profit in seven years

    Carrefour China has achieved its first quarterly profit in seven years according to the Tian Rui, CEO of Suning Group, which bought the former French hypermarket group last September.

    During the past five months, the Carrefour China business has improved its operating efficiency through the digital transformation of its stores and the accelerated integration with the Suning ecosystem.

    Tian Rui says post-acquisition, Carrefour China’s management team focused on consumer needs and strengthening marketing, operations and membership management. The business was integrated into the Suning FMCG’s supply chain, strengthening the range and supply of merchandise.

    And the company’s stores and product offering were integrated into the Suning Convenience Store app on February 6. Since then, the average daily order volume of Carrefour Flash Delivery has increased by 202 per cent month on month. On February 21, the average daily order volume was up 329 percent month on month.

    This digital transformation has seen the 209-strong store network deliver goods to customers living within 3km of a store within one hour, and for those within 10km of a store within half a day.

    “Carrefour China is the core business of Suning FMCG matrix. In 2020, we will accelerate store upgrades, supply chain construction, and other ecological integration with Suning to recreate the glory of Carrefour like seven years ago,” said Tian Rui.

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  • 7-Eleven Malaysia hits all time sales record

    7-Eleven Malaysia hits all time sales record

    7-Eleven Malaysia set a full-year sales record last year after revenue rose 6.4 percent to $33.76 billion.

    Much of the growth came from network expansion, but same-store sales rose 2.5 percent, despite declining cigarette sales. The company opened 165 new stores last year, 41 of those in the last quarter, taking its network to 2411. Other factors were higher footfall and an increase in the average transaction. Fresh-food sales grew more than 28 percent year on year.

    Profit attributable to shareholders was up 5.4 percent.

    7-Eleven Malaysia CEO Colin Harvey said the company had kept costs in check, reducing them from 29 percent of turnover to 28.4 percent, despite an increase in the minimum wage.

    “We are confident that continuous implementation and improvement of our strategic roadmap in strengthening the key areas of assortment, supply chain, operational excellence, store base and digitally enabling the organization will continue to deliver positive results despite challenging headwinds,” he said.

  • 80% of Casual Workers Say Negative Media Coverage Influences Their Job Choices

    80% of Casual Workers Say Negative Media Coverage Influences Their Job Choices

    Humanforce, a Sydney based global provider of workforce management solutions, has revealed that negative media coverage can impact Australian retailers’ ability to attract casual workers.

    Eighty percent of respondents in Humanforce’s casual worker survey stated that media coverage of a company underpaying staff would influence if they would work with that employer.

    Humanforce Founder and MD, Bruce Mackenzie, said the survey highlighted how negative media coverage can have long-lasting and costly effects on retail businesses.

    “There have been a number of cases recently involving local businesses underpaying their casual workers,” Bruce said. “Negative media attention makes it harder for any business to attract the best casual workers. This comes at a substantial cost considering a reliable and talented casual worker pool is what supports the success of many Australian retailers.”

    The survey also showed that there’s no hiding negative media coverage from potential casual workers, with 66 percent of respondents stating they would conduct an online search to research a new casual employer. And a further 64 percent said they would ask for word of mouth recommendations from current or previous employees before taking a casual job.

    From March 1st, new clauses aimed at reducing wage-theft come into effect for casual employees covered by a Modern Award with an annualised salary clause, that will require more stringent record-keeping and overtime control measures.

    “By international standards, Australia’s workforce awards and regulations are incredibly complex, which leads to errors,” Bruce said. “And, with the introduction of new practices for payroll aimed at minimising underpayments and non-compliance with awards, retailers operating without workforce management solutions will face increasing challenges in this area.”

    Workforce management solutions can help retailers navigate the complexities of managing casual workers. They help to automate and remove errors when it comes to time and attendance, rostering and scheduling, payroll, as well as managing awards and compliance.

    “While workforce management solutions can support retailers to meet award requirements, it is critical the systems are configured and customised to specifically meet Australia’s workforce awards and regulations. Off-the-shelf solutions from global software vendors are not positioned to interpret Australian awards.  Humanforce, as an Australian-based workforce management solutions provider with local expertise, knowledge and a development and support team on the ground here, is uniquely placed to assist local business with fully customisable solutions for the Australian market.”

    Beyond an employer’s media reputation, the casual worker survey highlighted some incentives that retailers can offer to attract causal staff. When assessing casual jobs and employers, respondents prioritised businesses that offered guaranteed shifts (60%), a positive and fun work culture (54%), wage incentives (52%), flexibility (47%), employee rewards (45%) and premium wages (41%).

    Find out more about Humanforce.

    Methodology

    Humanforce surveyed 500 Australians on their perspectives on casual work in the Q4 period of 2019 via the Zoho Research Platform.

  • Facebook will ban and remove ads promising cure for the coronavirus

    Facebook will ban and remove ads promising cure for the coronavirus

    While governments are working hard to limit the coronavirus outbreak and to protect their citizens’ health, Facebook is working to protect people from misinformation in regards to the current public health situation.

    The tech giant will now ban ads promising a cure for the coronavirus, or ads that attempt to create a sense of urgency about the situation, which, as defined by a Facebook spokesperson, means implying of limited supply or other ways to urge people to buy coronavirus related products right away.

    The social media platform will also remove content containing conspiracy theories that have been flagged by health organizations, along with claims that create confusion in regards to available health resources.

    A lot of social platforms are experiencing surges of misinformation regarding COVID-19, which can prove to be harmful to people. Facebook used fact-checkers to suppress false news or misinformation in its news feed, and now it has decided upon completely removing such content from the platform.

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  • Google further improves Gmail’s security on all platforms

    Google further improves Gmail’s security on all platforms

    Gmail is already a safe email app, but it’s far from being perfect and Google is aware of that. The most recent update introduces a brand-new technology that Google is still refining, which further improves malicious document detection.

    Google’s security technology is using deep learning, a term that’s been tied by many software developed in the last couple of years. In a fairly technical blog post, Google explains how the new changes will affect Gmail and what other improvements are expected to be added in the future.

    First off, Gmail already protects its users from malicious software that’s usually transmitted via Office documents, but thanks to Google’s new technology, the app can do that even better. Google launched a new scanner at the end of last year, which is supposed to increase the detection of Office documents packed with malicious scripts by 10 percent.

    According to Google, nearly 60 percent of the malware targeting Gmail users is represented by malicious documents, which is why the Mountain View company is so determined to find a way to prevent these emails to reach your Inbox.

    Gmail’s new scanner is an extra layer of security and will run at the same time with the already existing detection capabilities. Google’s approach to the problem seems to be the development of multiple scanners, each dedicated to particular tasks and working in parallel to find and remove all malicious content targeting Gmail users.

    These scanners use artificial intelligence, another piece of technology that’s been the cornerstone of developing faster and better software. Google will continue to use artificial intelligence with the purpose of protecting Gmail users’ inboxes, so this is probably a taste of what’s to come.

  • Vietnam says no more drinking scenes in movies

    Vietnam says no more drinking scenes in movies

    Scenes of actors drinking alcohol in films will be restricted under a new decree guiding the alcohol law.

    Cinemas will only show actors drinking if they are playing historical characters or acting in scenes that criticize alcohol addiction, Decree 24, which took effect on Monday to guide several provisions of the Law on Preventing Alcohol’s Harmful Effects, lays down.

    Movies are not allowed to admire or praise individuals and organizations achieving success by producing alcohol or doing any business related to alcohol.

    In June last year lawmakers approved time restrictions for advertising liquor on television and radio. According to the decree, advertisements for alcoholic drinks will be banned from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and immediately before and after and during children’s programs.

    Decree 24 relaxes it slightly and permits beverages with an alcohol content of under 5.5 percent and made by sponsors of regional, continental or global sporting events held in Vietnam to be advertised between 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

    Producers of drinks with less than 15 percent alcohol must add warnings saying drinking alcohol can lead to traffic accidents, affect the fetus and those under 18 are not allowed to drink under the law.

    If an advertisement appears on TV or radio, the warning must be read out aloud at a speed equivalent to that of other content.

    If it is advertised on a website, social media or print publications, the warning must make up at least 10 percent of the advertisement’s content and be in a color that makes it easy to read.

    A ban on advertising hard liquor has been in place for long.

    The new drunk driving law, which came into effect on January 1, doubled existing fines and revokes driving licenses for up to two years.

    There are fines for the first time for cyclists and electric bicycle riders, and anyone caught driving under the influence will have to pay VND400,000-600,000 ($17-26).

    Motorcyclists and car drivers could be fined VND6-8 million and VND30-40 million (VND1,730) and lose their licenses for 22-24 months.

    The country consumed some 4.6 billion liters of beer in 2019 after rising 10 percent from 2018, but growth could fall to 6-7 percent this year due to the tough new penalties, top brokerage SSI Securities Corporation (SSI) said last month.

  • Malaysia’s 99 Speedmart starts in Singapore

    Malaysia’s 99 Speedmart starts in Singapore

    Malaysian convenience-store chain 99 Speedmart has opened three mini-market stores in Singapore.

    According to IGD, the 99 Speedmart stores in Singapore follow the same concept as Malaysia’s stores and range in size from 250 to 500sqm. They trade from 10am to 10pm daily.

    Besides normal grocery items, shoppers also can find Malaysian products displayed closer to the back of the stores.

    In Malaysia, 99 Speedmart operates more than 1500 grocery stores.

    “The retailer’s success is driven by low prices, carrying a narrow range of top-selling brands and great store visibility,” explains IGD senior retail analyst Soo-Eng Tan. “A quick look into its flagship store in Singapore suggests that it is pursuing the same strategy there.”

    99 Speedmart in Singapore aims to expand its retail network further this year. The company has acquired sites in commercial areas and light industrial parks.