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Category: General

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest General Retail news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • AirAsia fails again in Vietnam partnership bid

    AirAsia fails again in Vietnam partnership bid

    Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia says it will keep trying to crack the Vietnamese market even as analysts warn it has “missed the boat” after its latest failed attempt to set up a joint venture in the country.

    The airline announced on Wednesday that it has terminated an agreement with Thien Minh Group, under which it was to take a 30% stake in an airline company to be launched this year.

    AirAsia has already tried three times to set up a partnership in Vietnam, but AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes is not ready to give up.

    “I am still optimistic about AirAsia being in Vietnam by end of the year,” Fernandes said in a Twitter post the day after the company’s announcement. He hinted in his tweet that the choice of partner was to blame for the failure, saying, “Watch this space. Picking the right one.”

    AirAsia and Thien Minh had agreed in December to set up a joint venture in which the Malaysian company would own a 30% stake, the maximum allowed under Vietnamese law. The company did not give a reason for ending the agreement in its official statement, though local analysts point to the country’s restrictive regulations on foreign aviation players as one possible hurdle.

    A spokesperson for Thien Minh told that the group will release an official statement on the move next week.

    AirAsia already offers international flights connecting to Vietnamese cities, but Fernandes has been trying to set up a partnership in the country since 2005.

    Travel demand in the market of 95 million grew 9% in 2018, according to the local aviation authority, and Fernandes has referred to Vietnam as the missing piece of the puzzle in AirAsia’s plan to tap demand from emerging markets.

    But according to Brendan Sobie of the Sydney-based CAPA Center for Aviation, now may be the time for AirAsia to rethink its approach.

    “After three failed attempts with three different partners, it’s time to let this one go and focus on international expansion using their affiliates from Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, etc.,” Sobie said.

    The Vietnamese market for budget travel, moreover, is already dominated by local players: Vietjet Aviation, which controls nearly half the market, Jetstar Pacific Airlines and Bamboo Airways.

    “The domestic market has become overcrowded and intensely competitive,” Sobie added. “Entering now would be risky and it would be nearly impossible to become a significant domestic competitor. AirAsia unfortunately missed the boat on the Vietnam domestic market.”

    Foreign players, moreover, are forbidden from operating domestic routes in Vietnam, even with a local partner. Licenses, moreover, are awarded on a case-by-case basis, and though newcomer Bamboo Airways received its license relative quickly, the process can take much longer. Vietstar Airlines, established in 2010, is still waiting for a license to begin passenger flights. Local analysts have pointed to these hurdles as one possible reason for AirAsia’s repeated setbacks in the country.

    The airline has a presence in Indonesia, India, Japan, Thailand and Philippines, and thrives on a feeder traffic business model of connecting second-tier cities to capitals, while keeping operating costs low with no-frills service.

    The stock market was little moved by the announcement. AirAsia’s share opened 0.4% higher on Thursday trade before closing at 2.43 ringgit.

    MIDF Research echoed Sobie’s sentiment, saying it is “not imperative” for the group to set up local operations in Vietnam as it can still fly to cities in the country from its regional network.

    The Malaysian investment outfit cited the recently inaugurated Kuala Lumpur-Can Tho route, AirAsia’s sixth route in Vietnam, as an example of the group’s ability to continue expanding regionally without Fernandes’ missing puzzle piece.

    AirAsia’s failed bid to penetrate into Vietnam means Vietjet will continue to dominate the market for now. Vietjet’s share price rose 0.44% on Thursday to close at 114,00 dong, and rose a further 0.79% on Friday.

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  • Server-side update brings new look to Google Search

    Server-side update brings new look to Google Search

    Google has made a number of changes to the cards it serves up for certain search results. The headers are now pastel, and the cards feature new tabs that can provide more information about the subject. Categories ranging from the weather to sports, celebrities, and even food ingredients have these new cards. For example, the weather card has a smaller illustration but includes the temperature graph and the precipitation chances for the next day right at the bottom. Athletes have new cards with a stat tab that allows users to see how a player performed in recent games.

    Looking for a movie to see? Ask Google Search to show you movies in your city and you’ll see a list of films. Switch to the performance times tabs to see when and where the movies are playing near you. Search for a specific movie or television show and a new tab called People also search for will show sub-tabs containing related titles. Similarly, when you search for a book title, you can now hit a tab marked get book to purchase it, and more by author to see other books written by the same person.

    If you look up the name of a fictional character, the new Google Search result cards show more details. One of the new tabs will show you the name of the actor who portrayed this character in the movies or on television and the name of the television show and movies that the character appeared in.

    The update containing these changes are being pushed out to Android users via a server-side update, and there is a possibility that your phone has also received it.

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  • Instagram test hides an important Feature

    Instagram test hides an important Feature

    Some Twitter and Instagram users read a lot into the number of Likes a certain tweet or post receives. For example, subscribers to both social media apps might decide to skip certain tweets or posts that don’t amass many Likes, considering them to be recommendations. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said last year that he is not a fan of the Like button, and Twitter says that users trying to write posts that generate a large number of Likes could be trying to gain approval from their fellow posters. This would be a form of social-media addiction. As a result, we could see Twitter eventually remove the heart-shaped icon that readers of a tweet tap to show that they Like a message.

    While neither Twitter nor Instagram is removing Likes just yet, Instagram is testing a new look that will prevent readers from seeing the number of Likes received by a post. The only one who will be able to get that number will be the person who actually wrote the message. This was discovered by the tireless Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane), who sent out a tweet with this information. Wong, who loves to “reverse engineer apps,” notes that Instagram writes, “We want your followers to focus on what you share, not how many likes your posts get.”

    Based on the comments that Wong’s tweet received, apparently many are upset about this, especially since they believe that Instagram is removing Likes completely. Again, users will still have the ability to Like a post, but the author of the post will be the only one who sees how many each message has received. And again, this is only a test and we have no idea when or if Instagram will eventually roll out this update to all of its users.

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  • Twitter is growing at an impressive Pace

    Twitter is growing at an impressive Pace

    Twitter is not the world’s most popular social networking service, but one number considered essential for the prosperity of the San Francisco-based company continues to grow at a healthy pace, which should keep investors relatively happy for the foreseeable future.

    Interestingly, the metric Twitter is focusing on as the “best way to measure” its success counts so-called monetizable daily active users rather than the MAU (monthly active usage) number generally employed by rivals to flaunt their progress. These monetizable daily active users (mDAUs), which are defined as Twitter users who logged in or were otherwise authenticated and accessed the platform on any given day through its website or apps that are able to show ads, have surged a solid 11 percent year-on-year, to 134 million in the January – March 2019 timeframe.

    The same number is up 6 percent from 126 million reported for the final quarter of 2018, which suggests a pretty great trend for Twitter in terms of user engagement and monetization opportunities. That’s especially notable as multiple recent market reports have claimed Facebook’s usage figures are on the decline, possibly due to the many controversies and scandals surrounding the social media giant’s data harvesting policies and privacy protecting strategies (or lack thereof).

    Then again, there might be another reason why Twitter is choosing to shift its focus away from average MAUs. While that number has also grown from 321 million people in Q4 2018 to 330 million during Q1 2019, there were actually more monthly active users on the platform this time last year. Namely, 336 million people, so although Twitter seems to have gotten better at making money, its efforts to snatch users from Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat aren’t exactly working.

    Instead of trying new things to pull that off like finally adding the ability to edit tweets, Twitter plans to no longer share its MAUs with the public starting next quarter. That’s certainly an interesting, albeit not entirely original tactic, as Facebook has recently began focusing on the combined usage numbers of all its products.

    As far as money goes, Twitter is doing pretty well, generating total Q1 revenues of $787 million (up 18 percent year-on-year), as well as an operating income (aka profit) score of $94 million, compared to $75 million in the first three months of 2018.

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  • Facebook is building a Voice Assistant

    Facebook is building a Voice Assistant

    Sometimes it feels like Facebook has no awareness of its public perception at all. There are already proven stories about how Facebook has been gathering more data than they claim and using that data in ways you might not expect. There are conspiracy theories that Facebook is spying on users and listening to conversations.

    Even so, Facebook built the Portal – a camera that follows you around your room for video chats – and now there are reports that Facebook is building its own voice assistant to compete with Google, Alexa, Siri, and Cortana (and Bixby, if you want to be a completionist about it). The Facebook Portal actually uses Alexa for voice commands, but it seems Facebook has been working on its own voice assistant. Ex-employees from Facebook told that a team in Facebook’s augmented reality and virtual reality group has been quietly working on the project since early 2018.

    There’s no indication of how Facebook would position the assistant, whether in the Facebook app itself or more as a replacement for Alexa in Portal hardware (assuming that hardware line continues.) It’s also unclear how far along Facebook is in building the assistant or even where it’s getting the voice data it would need to build the voice recognition piece.

    Also unclear is whether or not anyone actually wants a Facebook voice assistant. The Portal cameras have been failures by all accounts. Facebook’s last attempt to make a human-powered assistant (M) failed as well. Add to that the general erosion of trust in Facebook, it’s hard to imagine how the company could sell a product that actually does listen to you at all times.

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  • AirAsia India Offers Up To 70% Discount On Flight Tickets

    AirAsia India Offers Up To 70% Discount On Flight Tickets

    AirAsia India is offering up to 70 per cent discount on flights tickets, according to the airline’s official website – airasia.com. Bookings under the sale – valid for travel between October 1 and June 2 – can be made till April 28, 2019.
    AirAsia India’s latest offer is applicable on all destinations, the carrier said on its website. The discount is available on selected fare classes and non-peak periods only. In order to avail AirAsia’s offer on flight tickets, customers need to book flight tickets in advance, according to the airline. How to avail AirAsia’s discount on flight tickets:

    1. Pick the preferred AirAsia flight for departure and arrival.

    2. Select the dates stated in the promo travel period.

    3. Choose the preferred flight.

    4. You would get up to 70 per cent off on base fare or 20 per cent discount on premium flatbed category.

    Value pack and premium flex bundled category, DJ carrier code flights and QZ carried code domestic flights are not included in the offer, the airline noted.

    Meanwhile, rival GoAir is offering domestic flight tickets at a starting all-inclusive price of Rs. 1,375 in a limited-period sale, according to the airline’s official website – goair.in. Bookings under the sale – valid for travel till August 31, 2019 – can be made till April 25, 2019.

    IndiGo, on the other hand, has announced six additional daily direct flights from Delhi. The new flights by IndiGo will be operated to and from Allahabad, Bhopal and Patna, with effect from May 25.

    SpiceJet has also announced the introduction of 24 new flights on its domestic network. The daily direct flights introduced by the airline will be operated to connect Mumbai and Delhi with other cities.

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  • TPG-led Group to buy stake in APM Monaco

    TPG-led Group to buy stake in APM Monaco

    American private equity business TPG Capital Management is heading an investment collective to acquire 30 per cent of Hong Kong jeweller APM Monaco.

    While financial details have not been revealed, a person with knowledge of the transaction suggested that the firm’s valuation stands at about US$800 million.

    TPG’s investment will be channelled through a private equity fund it has previously established to focus on Asian investments, which controlled more than $4.6 billion in committed capital as of last February.

    APM Monaco operates around 200 outlets in 26 countries, the majority located in Europe.

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  • Google gives more options for Call Blocking

    Google gives more options for Call Blocking

    Google has had the automatic spam call warnings available for a while now, to the point where many we know have simply begun ignoring calls when the Red Screen of Spam pops up on their phone. But, there have also been some missing options in terms of call blocking on Android. Google allowed for blocking specific numbers, but now there are even more options to let users block calls.

    Previously, the only option for blocking calls was to add numbers to a call block list from the Phone app’s Recent calls page, but now there are four new options for blocking calls. If you want, you can block all calls from numbers that aren’t in your contacts list, block calls from private or unknown numbers, or even block calls made from pay phones. That last one is a bit surprising because as mobile phones have taken over and become commonplace, pay phones have slowly been removed from public spaces. There are likely still places around the world with pay phones, but it’s been quite a long time since we’ve seen any in the U.S.

    Oddly enough though, the new options won’t be found in the Phone app. Instead, Google put the new options in the Contacts app all the way at the bottom of the Settings page, under the Manage contacts header. That will give you toggles for the new call block features as well as a list of numbers you’ve already blocked.

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  • Change your Instagram password Immidiatly

    Change your Instagram password Immidiatly

    An updated entry made yesterday to a post on the Facebook blog reveals that the company left millions of Instagram passwords in a “readable format.” Originally, Facebook said that “tens of thousands” of Instagram customers were involved. Facebook says that normally its login systems are designed to “mask passwords using techniques that make them unreadable.”

    The good news is, if you believe Facebook, its investigation has shown that no one from inside or outside the company accessed these passwords. Of course, since Facebook updated its original blog post after one month increasing the number of passwords affected, who knows what they might say in another month?

    “In line with security best practices, Facebook masks people’s passwords when they create an account so that no one at the company can see them. In security terms, we ‘hash’ and ‘salt’ the passwords, including using a function called “scrypt” as well as a cryptographic key that lets us irreversibly replace your actual password with a random set of characters. With this technique, we can validate that a person is logging in with the correct password without actually having to store the password in plain text.”-Facebook

    Last month, Facebook admitted that it stored hundreds of millions of passwords in plain text dating back to 2012. At the time, it was estimated that 200 million to 600 million accounts had their passwords exposed to as many as 20,000 Facebook employees.

    Facebook purchased Instagram for approximately $1 billion back in 2012. The company suggests that subscribers to Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp use two-factor authentication when signing in. Besides entering a password, a code is sent to the subscriber’s smartphone that is also required for a successful login. To set this up, go to the settings menu from your Facebook app and click on “Security and Login.”

  • Consumer version of BBM closing in May

    Consumer version of BBM closing in May

    BBM, considered the first messaging service designed for mobile users, will be closing its doors to consumers on May 31st. A note sent to BBM members says that it is “Time to say goodbye.” First used internally by employees of BlackBerry parent Research In Motion, BlackBerry Messenger, as the service was originally called, was publicly launched on August 1st, 2005. For many, it was the main reason to purchase a BlackBerry device.
    With BlackBerry becoming irrelevant in the smartphone market and other messaging apps launching, then BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins announced in May 2013 that BBM would be made available to iOS and Android users later that summer. After some false starts (including a fake listing in the Google Play Store, and a leaked version), BBM for Android and iOS was officially released on October 21st, 2013.
    BlackBerry continued trying to play catch up by adding new features to the app including stickers. But outside of Indonesia, where it remains the top mobile messaging app, BBM was considered an afterthought compared to other, more popular apps.
    Three years ago, Indonesia based Emtek acquired the licensing rights to BBM for a six-year period. As part of the $207 million deal, BBM’s servers were moved from Canada to Asia.  While Emtek had the rights to the consumer version of the service, BlackBerry continued to run the enterprise version of BBM. And today, BlackBerry said that it is immediately making BBM Enterprise (BBMe) available to individuals through the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.  The service will be free for 12 months; after that period of time, a six-month subscription will cost $2.49.
    In its press release issued this morning, BlackBerry noted that it is offering BBMe to individuals out of respect for loyal BBM users. The company noted that it was not under any contractual obligation to do this.
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  • AirAsia starts system to eliminate boarding passes for domestic flights

    AirAsia starts system to eliminate boarding passes for domestic flights

    AirAsia Group Bhd has introduced a one-time verification system for passengers via its FACES @AirAsia mobile app which is designed to eliminate the need for boarding passes and passports.

    FACES is a facial recognition boarding system owned and operated by AirAsia, with the purpose of creating a seamless travel process for guests.

    In a tweet today, AirAsia group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said passengers will only have to register their faces and passports once on its @AirAsia mobile app.

    Once passengers have scanned their faces and passport details on the app, and AirAsia ground staff have verified them, the passengers will be able to travel seamlessly, he said.

    “Then you are ready to never use a boarding pass again and you can walk through our gates for domestic flights,” he said, adding that the facility is currently available in certain airports like Senai.

    “This can be rolled out in all airports if only we had partners who supported us and all our digital initiatives,” he said.

    This facility follows in the footsteps of British Airways’ (BA) biometric boarding gate trials last year in the US which eliminated the need for boarding passes and passports at boarding.

    Last November, BA began testing self-service boarding gates in Los Angeles Airport that did not require customers to produce either their boarding pass or their passport.

    Instead, passengers only need to look into a camera, wait for their biometric data to be checked against their passport, visa or immigration photos and then walk onto the plane once their identities have been verified.

    The trials were initially limited to those flying out of Los Angeles Airport on BA flights to Heathrow, but are now being tested at several other US airports.

    At 2.57pm, AirAsia rose 1.6% or 4 sen to RM2.53, with 4.29 million shares traded.

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  • Chris Pratt and Tumi centrestage at Pacific Place

    Chris Pratt and Tumi centrestage at Pacific Place

    Travel, business and lifestyle accessories brand Tumi will introduce its new campaign for Asia Pacific & Middle East starring Hollywood actor Chris Pratt at Tumi Loft Pacific Place.

    Chris Pratt and Tumi will launch their new collaboration in the region at Pacific Place in Hong Kong on April 30. It will be his first appearance with Tumi Asia Pacific & Middle East, described as “an immersive Tumi brand experience”.

    The new campaign will be unveiled at the event, which includes a journey film documenting preparations for his trip to Hong Kong.

    At the Loft, Pratt will also debut his virtual avatar on the new Tumi Club App. Guests will be able to download the app and use the new augmented reality feature to take virtual selfies with a lifelike Chris Pratt avatar at the Loft. In addition, Tumi Loft guests can use the technology to trigger a special Chris Pratt avatar animation by scanning his poster at the Tumi Loft Pacific Place entrance.

    “I’m blessed to have a job that allows me to travel so much,” said Pratt. “I’ve always trusted Tumi as my go-to luggage on my various trips around the world. I only ever promote products I actually use in real life. This makes Tumi a great fit. Tumi products are sleek, stylish, built to last and have long been my choice for luggage. I look forward to visiting Hong Kong for the first time to launch this special partnership with Tumi Asia and Middle East.”

    “We are thrilled to have Chris Pratt star in our newest campaign for Asia Pacific and Middle East with the iconic Alpha 3 and Alpha Bravo collections,” said creative director Victor Sanz of the Chris Pratt and Tumi partnership. “To us at Tumi, Chris represents a new age of leading men in Hollywood – bold and genuine. Combined with his international appeal, Chris’s personality truly speaks to our growing millennial fanbase.”

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  • Cineleisure Unveils Fresh New Look With Stylishly Modern Interiors And New Concepts

    Cineleisure Unveils Fresh New Look With Stylishly Modern Interiors And New Concepts

    Cineleisure, the destination mall managed by Cathay Organisation, is proud to unveil its refreshed look, while welcoming three new and exciting concepts.

    Forming a striking visual interplay of colours and textures, the revamped Cineleisure reveals interiors fitted with concrete juxtaposed against rustic wood timber.  The playful balance between gritty accents and polished design, with a purposeful blend of warm earthy hues and cool steel palettes,  add a distinctively dynamic element to the popular youth-oriented mall.

    The pairing of fun and playful elements also extends to its eclectic mix of food, fashion, and entertainment tenants. This April, Cineleisure welcomes the addition of three new and hotly anticipated concepts—Tenkaichi Japanese BBQ and Shabu Shabu, The Alley Luxe, and Amazing Castle, of which the latter two are making its debut in Singapore.

    NEW TENANTS

    The Alley Luxe (#02-06A/B)

    Opening its very first flagship store in Singapore at Cineleisure, famed Taiwanese bubble tea chain—The Alley, is set to cause ripples in the local food and beverage scene with its iconic artisanal tea. With more than 300 outlets globally, The Alley has taken the world by storm with its signature and highly “Instagrammable” Brown Sugar Deerioca beverage packed with Deerioca tapioca pearls that are made from scratch.

    The flagship store in Cineleisure will also feature the first-ever premium lifestyle café concept for The Alley – The Alley Luxe, which showcases the brand’s finest collections of beverages alongside an array of exquisite European-inspired treats such as croissants and cruffins.

    Tenkaichi Japanese BBQ & Shabu Shabu (#02-11)

    Tenkaichi promises both authenticity and affordability for a gourmet Japanese Yakiniku experience. Hungry shoppers can expect a premium buffet at just S$59.90, which includes a free flow of Tenkaichi’s signature grilled Wagyu Beef that are hand sliced and freshly served on order. Alternatively, for a limited time only, shoppers can opt for its value-for-money and irresistible S$10 Donburi sets, ranging from Chirashi Don, Wagyu Beef Yakiniku Don, Hotate Mentai Mayo Don and Cheesy Chicken Teriyaki Don.

    Amazing Castle (#02-04A/05)

    The first of its kind in Singapore and in Asia, Amazing Castle is a massive kingdom-themed entertainment play centre consisting of nine different activity stages. Based on the legend of a fairy kingdom being attacked by invaders, each activity stage features a physically-interactive game for participants to confront challenges and fight off invaders. This innovative play centre guarantees a whole load of fun as participants unleash their inner child and turn their battle mode on as they progress through stages as a team.

    NEW CATHAY LIFESTYLE MALL REDEMPTION MOBILE APP

    Offering a rewarding shopping experience, Cineleisure introduces the Cathay Lifestyle Mall Redemption Mobile App, which allows savvy shoppers to make redemptions seamlessly anywhere, anytime. Shoppers who spend a minimum amount at the mall simply have to take and submit a photo of their spending receipt through the app. Upon verification, they can redeem e-vouchers to be used at participating shops to enjoy a discount.

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  • Suppliers call on ACCC to investigate retailers

    Suppliers call on ACCC to investigate retailers

    Suppliers have called on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to investigate whether retailers are complying with the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct,following a turbulent few weeks in which major brands were withheld from supermarket shelves.

    In early April, some of Australia’s favourite pet food brands like Whiskas, Pedigree, My Dog and Dine as well as Uncle Toby’s cereals vanished from shelves around the country in what appeared to be an ongoing price war between supermarkets and suppliers.

    The ACCC said in a statement that it “is aware of the issues and is assessing the matter”.

    The ACCC’s code of conduct contains rules relating to grocery supply agreements, payments, termination of agreements, dispute resolution and a range of other matters. It is a voluntary code, under the Competition and Consumer Act, and therefore only applies to retailers or wholesalers that have elected to be bound by the Code, something that Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and About Life have done.

    While the code requires both retailers and suppliers to act “in good faith”, there may be grounds for a retailer to delist a product that is withheld by a supplier or unobtainable for an extended period of time.

    Industry sources told that this area is open to potential abuse as most suppliers do not have enough market data to argue their case.

    The ACCC invites suppliers to report alleged breaches of the Act or Code and has also made submissions to a recent review of the Food and Grocery Code.

    A spokesperson for Woolworths told that its team members are trained to comply with all the requirements of the code of conduct.

    “We treat our obligations under the Food and Grocery Code very seriously and train our teams to comply with its requirements in all our dealings with suppliers,” a spokesperson for Woolworths said in a statement.

    “If a supplier has concerns with any aspect of our conduct, there are a range of channels available, including anonymous reporting lines, for those to be raised and properly investigated.”

    “While we will always endeavour to limit increases to the cost of groceries for Australian families, we have reached agreements with many suppliers to pay many millions more for the products they supply to us in recent times.”

  • Hello Kitty welcome Link’s Fresh Market shoppers

    Hello Kitty welcome Link’s Fresh Market shoppers

    Link’s Fresh Markets have partnered with Hello Kitty creator Sanrio in a campaign to have the adorable characters greet customers at seven designated markets.

    The collaboration celebrates the fresh new look of Wo Che Market in Shatin, which has recently undergone asset enhancement.

    “The event is as much a delightful surprise for the public as an immersive educational initiative for the younger generation,” said Link’s corporate affairs and marketing director Lorraine Chan, “as they can soak up local fresh market culture and healthy eating messages. There will also be activities allowing kids to unleash their artistic and creative talents.”

    From now until June 30, the Sanrio “store owners” are treating visitors to the cutest selfie experience at Link’s Fresh Markets in Kowloon and the New Territories. On April 28, Ahiru No Pekkle will show up at TKO Gateway to give away free hugs and pose for fun photos. Moreover, Nam Cheong Place Market will launch an exclusive Monkichi premium redemption programme for families.

    A set of “Link’s Fresh Markets x Sanrio Characters” limited-edition goodies will be given to customers who reach a designated spending amount within seven days at specific Link Fresh Markets and shopping centres.

    Link will also host a “Mini Master Chef Contest” at Wo Che Market. 10 finalists will channel their creativity to create a bento lunch box featuring Sanrio Characters with fresh ingredients on April 20 and 27. Local culinary tutor and cartoon bento specialist Candace Mama will give demonstrations on bento preparation and decide the winners of Link’s first “Mini Master Chef” title.

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