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’s new biggest shareholder is holding firm of party-list rep

    AirAsia’s new biggest shareholder is holding firm of party-list rep

    AirAsia Inc on Monday said F&S Holdings Inc, owned by 1-PACMAN party-list Rep. Michael “Mikee” Romero, is now the biggest shareholder of the budget airline’s Philippine arm after acquiring an additional 28.8 percent stake, which raised the holding firm’s ownership to 44.5 percent.

    Prior to the acquisition, Romero’s group owned 15.7 percent shares. Thirteen percent and 15.8 percent of shares were acquired from Ambassador Fred Yao and Maan Hontiveros, Romero’s wife Sheila Romero said in a press conference.

    “Rep. Romero said Air Asia Inc will continue to scale new heights for the multi-awarded Philippines AirAsia,” the carrier said in a statement.

    Businessman Antonio “Tonyboy” Cojuangco’s TNR Holdings has 15.7 percent shares, while the remaining 40 percent remain with AirAsia Berhad founders Tony Fernandes and his partner Kamarudin Menardum.

    Romero said he is bullish about AirAsia’s prospects this year as airlines have been booking 90 percent of seats recently.

    He said AirAsia is recapitalizing and restructuring its equities and is aiming to have an initial public offering of around $200 million worth of shares later this year.

    The company is also aiming to add 50 planes within the next 10 years and add more routes as it competes in the budget air travel market.

    “In fact we want to lower the prices and add more routes and flights,” Romero said in an interview with ANC’s Business Nightly.

  • RedBalloon parent’s newest brand targets purpose-driven customers

    RedBalloon parent’s newest brand targets purpose-driven customers

    Naomi Simson’s Big Red Group has partnered with US experience retailer IfOnly to launch the brand of the same name in Australia.

    Like RedBalloon, Big Red Group’s flagship website, IfOnly offers a range of experiences that customers can buy online, from cooking classes to archery lessons to chopper tours of the Yarra Valley.

    The difference is that every listing on IfOnly benefits a cause, with up to 80 per cent of the proceeds going to an associated charity.

    The decision to launch IfOnly in Australia reflects consumers’ rising interest in supporting businesses that do good, according to Big Red Group co-founder Naomi Simson.

    “People in Australia are choosing [based on] what an organisation stands for, not just what it sells. They want to believe that they’re using their consumer dollar for good,” Simson said.

    This trend, sometimes referred to as conscious consumption, is part of the experience economy, which is defined by consumers’ interest in having experiences over buying things.

    “We know there’s a trend of access over ownership, there’s a trend of sustainability. There’s a slight melding, an overlap, between this and the experience economy, but they’re not yet one and the same thing,” Simson said.

    IfOnly taps into several of these trends by combining unique experiences with charitable causes. The site offers a range of experiences with local and world-class experts, celebrities and other noteworthy personalities, from ultra-luxury, bucket list-type offerings to more accessible special outings, with a portion of the proceeds from every experience going to a charity of the luminary’s choosing.

    Some of the listings include a 5-day stay and rhino conservation experience with Kevin Pietersen at the Umganu Lodge in South Africa, which costs $190,000 for eight people and benefits Care for Wild Africa, a meet-and-greet with popstar Ariana Grande and VIP tickets to her Sweetener tour, which costs $5,223 and benefits the GoodCoin Foundation, a $150 donut decorating class with Morgan Hipworth, which benefits the Australian Red Cross, and a $250 private archery lesson from Australian Olympian Alec Potts, which benefits the Movember Foundation.

    “Yes, there are celebrities and thought leaders, but really it’s a groundswell of incredible artisans that are using their skills for good,” Simson said.

    “The experiences don’t all have to be expensive…it’s not about being elitist, or unattainable,” she said.

    More than 20 local charities are set to benefit from the purchase of experiences on IfOnly, including Cancer Council, R U OK?, Starlight Children’s Foundation, OzHarvest and The Sony Foundation.

    Simson herself is offering a $1975 private whisky lesson on a vintage cruiser in Sydney Harbour to support the Cerebral Palsy Alliance, which she is a governor of.

    “My role is to be an ambassador and to raise funds, but there are limited ways to do that. [IfOnly] provides a way for luminaries to support chosen charities,” she said.

    According to IfOnly CEO John Boris, the website has raised millions of dollars for charities in the US and is looking forward to doing the same in Australia through its partnership with the Big Red Group.

    “By combining the Australian experiences market leader with the leader of premium experiences in the US, we are able to bring our unique offering to new audiences and support more causes,” Boris said in a statement about the launch.

    Big Red Group plans to build awareness about the new brand by unlocking access for Australian residents to enter a global sweepstakes to win an experience with The Who and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder at Wembley Stadium in London this July.

    Simson said the company does not plan to promote IfOnly to RedBalloon’s customer database.

    “Just because one person buys something on RedBalloon doesn’t mean they will be an IfOnly customer. We can’t presume they want to hear about it,” she said.

    “Nobody wants to be bombarded with something they didn’t ask for. It’s about respect.”

    The launch of IfOnly follows Big Red Group’s acquisition of the adventure-focused experience marketplace, Adrenaline, in November 2018.

    The company’s brand portfolio now includes RedBalloon, Adrenaline, IfOnly, Marketics, the exclusive distributor of ‘Albert’ AI in Australia, and Redii, a platform to reward employees.

    As a $100 million company, Big Red Group is the largest online aggregator of experiences in Australia and the third largest globally, according to HitWise’s 2018 research.

  • 7-Eleven Malaysia sales stable

    7-Eleven Malaysia sales stable

    Sales and profit surge in first quarter on new stores, enhanced service.

    7-Eleven Malaysia has achieved sales growth of 9 per cent in the first quarter – and net-profit growth of 24.9 per cent.

    Same-store sales rose 6.1 per cent, the rest of the growth due to store expansion with the convenience store network now numbering 2311 stores.

    But CEO Colin Harvey says more improvement us yet to come.

    “We see opportunities for improvement and confident that our strategy roadmap of strengthening the key areas of assortment, supply chain, operational excellence, store base and digitally enabling the organisation will bear fruit in terms of financial performance and overall customer experience. We continue to look forward to the challenges ahead in ensuring that 7-Eleven remain as Malaysia’s first choice convenience store.”

    Group revenue for the quarter topped RM583.7 million (US$139 million) due to new stores, a higher average spend per customer and increased consumer promotion activity. Revenue from the food service segment of the business grew more than 30 per cent year on year, and now accounts for 3.5 per cent of the overall business.

    Harvey said the company’s board believes trading conditions for the next quarter will remain challenging.

    “We will continue to focus on our customers’ needs, pursuing our core strategy pillars of operational excellence, cost management and commercial innovation, at the same time refreshing the 7-Eleven brand in the mind of customers though refreshed stores, innovations in our pricing, promotions, and developing exciting products.”

  • Lulu Group’s Tablez plans 150 More Stores

    Lulu Group’s Tablez plans 150 More Stores

    Abu Dhabi-headquartered Lulu Group’s retail arm Tablez is moving to invest US$75 million into the Indian market with the aim of opening more than 150 stores in the territory by the end of next year.

    The move, if successful, is expected by management to nearly quadruple its market share in India.

    “We plan to exit this year with nearly 100 stores, and we would be scaling up with fresh investments in 2020 to arrive at a portfolio of 150+ stores in India,” said Tablez MD Adeeb Ahamed.

    “We will be adding five more brands – Corir, Desigual, GoSport, YOYOSO and OshKosh, taking the total number of our retail brands across various categories to 13 brands in India by the end of 2019,” he said.

    Tablez has more than 40 stores within India operating in several industry sectors from F&B to fashion.

    “To fuel further growth, we would be deploying about $75 million in capital over the next two years to scale our retail stores, enhance our people building capacity and create backend infrastructure and marketing,” he said.

    Tabelz currently markets a range of international and homegrown brands in the territory.

  • Ecostore is New Zealand’s most valuable and trusted brand

    Ecostore is New Zealand’s most valuable and trusted brand

    Skincare brand ecostore has been crowned New Zealand’s most authentic brand according to research conducted by branding agency, Principals, and analytics firm The Navigators.

    The Brand Alpha 2019 Top 20 Most Authentic Brands report graded brands on four key drivers of authenticity – visibility, value, vitality, and virtue.

    “We are thrilled that consumers have chosen ecostore as the most authentic brand in the New Zealand market,” Jemma Whiten, ecostore’s director of marketing and digital, said in a statement.

    “We believe authenticity is key to growing a purpose-led brand in a highly competitive marketplace. Our purpose is to make the world a safer place, one person, one home at a time.

    “This sits firmly at the centre of our brand’s vision and informs every business decision.”

    Electric car manufacturer Tesla led the report in 2018, but after a year of negative press for both the brand and its founder, Elon Musk, the business saw the largest drop in the survey – falling from first to sixth place.

    Scooter brand Lime took second place, while clothing company Icebreaker rounded out the top three.

    Despite not having launched a single store in the country, furniture retailer Ikea was named in fourth place.

    Principals’ founder and planning director Wayde Bull noted that the results confirm the fragile nature of brand leadership in modern times.

    “Just three of last year’s top five brands retain their op tier status; ecostore, Icebreaker and Lewis Road Creamery,” Bull said.

    “Two new upstart brands, Lime and Ikea, join the top five, proving that perceived creativity and momentum now drive market cut-through as much as deep familiarity and a long and steady track record.

    “For Ikea to debut in the top five without yet being open for business locally demonstrates the critical importance of novelty and category-breaking thinking to cut through jaded customers today.”

    Bull noted that ecostore’s rise can be explained due to its growing visibility and sense of “winning momentum”, while maintaining its lead on virtue factors.

    “It’s a brand that feels in tune with our times, having a strong ethical strance, strong declared beliefs and a sense that it cares about more than just making money,” Bull said.

    “It’s a brand that enables caring Kiwis to act upon their environmental concerns in a practical, everyday way.”

  • AEON in Collaboration with The Mall Group celebrates Japan’s children’s day at “The Mall Kodomo No Hi 2019”

    AEON in Collaboration with The Mall Group celebrates Japan’s children’s day at “The Mall Kodomo No Hi 2019”

    Mr. Praphan Rangsiyopas (right), Vice President of Marketing at AEON Thana Sinsap (Thailand) Public Company Limited together with Ms.Voralak Tulaphorn (left), Senior Vice President Marketing The Mall Group cooperated to host “The Mall Kodomo No Hi 2019” to celebrate the biggest annual Japan’s children’s day of 2019 in Thailand. At the event, the children will be greeted by two Kurobuta mascots  from Kagoshima and experience with Japanese culture, relish  the Hinamatsuri Japanese doll festival, enjoy the free claw machine full of adorable dolls and impress with  menu full of traditional savory and sweet Japanese treats as well as other special promotions.

    Exclusively for AEON Credit cards you can bring your children to enjoy the festival through your card and receive a chance to set  AEON Kanneko tote bag value 190 baht and three complimentary privileges to use at the claw machine When spending 500 baht per card per day. The joyful Japanese Children’s Day starting from today to June 5th 2019 at Event Hall, B Floor, The Mall Tha Phra.

    For more information, please visit www.aeon.co.

  • Facebook Portal now has its own Android app

    Facebook Portal now has its own Android app

    If you feel that you don’t have enough Facebook in your life, you’re free to buy the company’s new smart display – Portal. Unlike Amazon and Google, Facebook had developed Portal with video calling in mind, so that’s pretty what you’ll probably want to do most of the time with it.

    The Portal, in case you didn’t know, offers Facebook users with a new way to video chat with their friends. If you don’t like texting through Messenger too much and rather talk to your friends, Facebook Portal is the perfect device for it.

    And now that Facebook has decided to launch a Portal standalone Android app, you’ll now be able to better manage photos and videos that you want to store on the smart speaker. Having the app installed on the phone will allow users to send photos directly to the Portal’s Superframe.

    Also, you can use the Portal app to call the smart speaker in your home and talk to household members. Or, you can add people in your home to your Portal so that they can use the smart speaker with their own Facebook accounts.

    It’s a nifty app that makes it easier to take advantage of Facebook’s smart speaker by adding new functionality to the device. The Portal app has already been listed in the Google Play Store and you can download it for free.

  • Tailored and more culturally diverse food offerings at Coles

    Tailored and more culturally diverse food offerings at Coles

    Coles general manager of Grocery, Anna Croft told industry leaders at the Food and Grocery Conference in Sydney that the supermarket giant is transforming its food offer with a much more tailored range powered by innovation and convenience.

    The retailer is focusing on several key trends which are influencing everything from store formats, to food ranges and technology.

    “Customers are changing faster than we’ve ever seen,” Croft said, highlighting the importance of the retailer adapting to the changing society.

    “At the moment 20 percent of all Australians are over 65… in just five years is that will move to 25 percent of all Australians – a huge number. We have to think around our store format, our packaging, our shelf layout, and how we really think about products that suit the needs in terms of nutritional content. So a really big change in our consumer society.”

    Croft highlighted the importance of having a diverse culture at Coles and said the supermarket is working with international brands to discuss import opportunities.

    “We know that our customers are looking for authenticity… we need to think about the big brands in those countries and how we bring them to Australia, and really not try and change the palate and taste profile.”

    “So we are working with some people that have got big brands over in certain countries to understand if they would be right to import for the local market.”

    Croft said the rise of the independent, authentic retailers is evident and pointed to the opening of a new Coles store in Roseland, NSW which is surrounded by a Vietnamese retailer, a Halal butcher and a Middle Eastern supermarket.

    “That for us says we haven’t got our offer right, we’re not tailoring our offer to the right consumers. And we’re really not thinking about how we bring authenticity to those customers.”

    On the convenience front, Croft said the supermarket need to better cater to the frantic lifestyles of consumers.

    “Online, digital, subscription models, whatever that may be, we’ve got to think about the frenetic two-parent lifestyles that we see becoming more and more prevalent in the Australian consumer landscape.”

    Speaking on Coles recent partnership with Ocado, Croft said it will make a “huge difference” to the online shopping experience.

    “The whole of our front end platform will change so we will pick up the front end website of Ocado which will be tailored. It enables us to have a really broad range, very quick delivery options… it’s pretty amazing in terms of electronic robot politicization, so certainly [we] will be able to respond much quicker to customer needs with a much more agile and advanced front end user experience.”

  • Tigerair and SilkAir were merged into Scoot and Singapore Airlines

    Tigerair and SilkAir were merged into Scoot and Singapore Airlines

    Creating a more simple model was the main motivation behind Singapore Airlines whittling the number of its brands from four – Scoot, Tigerair, SilkAir and Singapore Airlines to just two: Scoot and Singapore Airlines.Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong spoke about the reasons driving the consolidation of its brands during a session discussing the portfolio strategy of the airline at the first Skift Forum Asia.

    In response to a question from Skift airline weekly editor Madhu Unnikrishnan on the decision to wind down SilkAir, Goh pointed to the fact that SIA at one stage had four airline brands – two low-cost carriers (Tigerair and Scoot) and two full-service airlines (Singapore Airlines and SilkAir) across short, medium and long haul routes. He said, “It was not the most efficient way to address connectivity.”

    And so the decision to merge Tigerair into Scoot and SilkAir into Singapore Airlines to “simplify the model”, said Goh.

    Asked whether SIA was contemplating a more premium offering under the Scoot brand, Goh said: “Our model is to keep things pure. Singapore Airlines and Scoot offer two ends of the spectrum. We can compete and win in those segments.

    “Anyone in between will have a hard time.”

    Goh also addressed why SIA first opted to start a low-cost offering. He said: “10 years ago, we realized low-cost carriers were a structural and not a cyclical change.

    “We decided to be involved for two key reasons: without a low-cost carrier, we could not participate in that growth.

    “Also, they made it difficult for us to operate as a short-haul carrier. There were many hugely successful examples of full-service airlines setting up low-cost options. Most of these were done to serve smaller cities.”

    Given Singapore’s city-state status, this was not an option, said Goh, who added that Scoot was created to work as seamlessly as possible with the main brand. It was the right decision on hindsight. Goh pointed out that low-cost carriers now accounted for over 50% of traffic in the region.

  • India needs 10k pilots by 2030 says AirAsia

    India needs 10k pilots by 2030 says AirAsia

    Despite the current slump in the domestic aviation market, India will require up to 10,000 new pilots by 2030. Acknowledging this, AirAsia India on Tuesday launched the country’s first cadet-pilot program, ready to send its first batch of 15 cadets to New Zealand for flight training.

    By passenger volumes, India was ranked second globally among the fastest growing domestic markets for aviation. This would only mean the requirement for pilots will spike in the future, even as the Kingfisher and Jet Airways pilots are being quickly absorbed by other airlines.  To get the cadet-pilot project going, AirAsia India has partnered with New Zealand Academy and Harrison Omniview Consulting. As part of the 18-24 month course, selected candidates will be trained at the currently under-utilized Oamaru airport in New Zealand’s Waitaki district.

    The first batch of the cadets will come out in 2021, informs AirAsia India’s Head of Operations, Capt Manish Uppal. Cadets earn their second officer rank and commercial pilot license after 500 hours of flying before graduating to first officer, senior first officer, and captain, in charge of the entire aircraft and crew.

    The first batch of the cadets will come out in 2021, informs AirAsia India’s Head of Operations, Capt Manish Uppal. Cadets earn their second officer rank and commercial pilot license after 500 hours of flying before graduating to first officer, senior first officer and captain, in charge of the entire aircraft and crew.  Headquartered in Bengaluru, AirAsia India currently has a fleet of 21 Airbus-A320 aircraft covering 19 destinations across the country. The airline had commenced operations in India on June 12th.

    Uppal informs 11% of the airline’s crew are women. Most of the batch passing out from the cadet-pilot program are expected to be absorbed by the airline.

  • Myer keeps Westfield Belconnen store Open

    Myer keeps Westfield Belconnen store Open

    Myer has announced it will keep its Westfield Belconnen, ACT store open, after stating in 2017 that it would close this year, due to a new lease agreement with Scentre Group.

    The agreement will see the stores’ scope narrowed, dropping from 3 floors to 2, over 12,000sqm of retail space and will be refurbished with the aim of creating a stronger retail experience and attracting a number of new and exclusive brands.

    “This is great news for our loyal customers, team members and, importantly, for the local team members,” Myer chief executive John King said in a statement.

    “This is an example of Myer’s customer-first plan in action, where we are looking to work collaboratively and constructively with landlords to reduce space, improve our stores and, most importantly, to enhance our range and brands for our customers.”

    The customer-first strategy, as put forward by King last year as a way to turn around the department store’s fortunes, involves three key priorities: transforming the in-store experience for customers, expanding the ‘Only at Myer’ range of brands, and improving the business’ online offering.

    The strategy proved to be profitable for the business during the first half of FY19, with Myer unveiling a 3.1 percent growth in net profit despite sales falling 2.8 percent, which King attributed to a move away from discounting and an increased focus on improving store profitability.

    The department store notes that the refurbishment of its Westfield Belconnen store is the first announcement through this new strategy regarding store direction, with more to come, and demonstrates the strong partnership it shares with Scentre Group.

    “Myer offers an important range of products and services that our customers want and expect and refurbishment of the Belconnen store will be welcomed by all,” Scentre Group chief executive Peter Allen said.

    “Myer’s reduced floorspace will allow us to introduce other retail partners to Westfield Belconnen which will further enhance the overall customer experience at the center.”

  • Cebu Pacific sale offers P299 domestic, P699 international fares

    Cebu Pacific sale offers P299 domestic, P699 international fares

    Cebu Pacific said it was offering domestic and international seats on sale starting Thursday.

    The Philippines’ largest airline said the sale would run until Friday for travel from Nov. 1 to March 31 next year.

    Among the destinations on offer are Boracay, Coron, Puerto Princesa and Siargao at P299 for one-way base fare, Cebu Pacific said.

    Flights to international destinations like Bali, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Beijing, Taipei and Tokyo are also on offer for as low as P699 one-way base fare, the airline said on its website.

    Other destinations like Dubai are also on offer for as low as P1,599; Melbourne for as low as P4,599 all in; and Sydney at P5,599 all in.

    The quoted domestic one-way base fares are inclusive of 7 kg hand carry baggage allowance, but exclusive of web admin fee, 12 percent VAT, terminal fees and fuel surcharge, it said.

    Quoted international one-way fares are inclusive of 7 kg hand-carry baggage allowance, but exclusive of web admin fees for short haul and long haul flights, respectively and P550 international terminal fee and fuel surcharge.

  • AirAsia Deputy CEO Confident That they Will Become the Amazon of Travel

    AirAsia Deputy CEO Confident That they Will Become the Amazon of Travel

    There was no backtracking from AirAsia in its plan to branch out into selling other airlines on its platform, financial services, and more experiences.

    Asked in Singapore  if becoming the Amazon of travel is overly ambitious, Aireen Omar, AirAsia’s deputy CEO, technology and digital said it’s “ambitious, but I think it’s very doable.”

    Another AirAsia executive recently made the declaration that the airline could become the “Amazon of travel.”

    Omar argued that AirAsia’s wealth of data from such things as its bookings systems and passenger management equip it to improve revenue management and personalization and to make its operation more efficient.

    The idea is to provide a seamless journey for passengers and to build new business areas for the airline beyond its core flying.

    Omar said AirAsia has been approaching other airlines about selling tickets, and that most are not afraid of doing that because they can take advantage of AirAsia’s network and data.

    Although AirAsia is interested in offering innovative payment systems, Omar said the airline would not use cryptocurrencies because their value fluctuates greatly, and AirAsia is interested in engendering consumer trust.

    Omar made a pitch for the greater inclusion of women in the airline industry. She said around 6 percent of AirAsia’s engineers are women, and so are about 10 percent of its pilots.

    Schools new to open up their curriculum to encourage women to become data scientists, for example, and to work for airlines.

    Omar is responsible for AirAsia’s digital strategy, promoting innovation throughout the group and encouraging collaboration across AirAsia’s businesses and markets. She oversees large, strategic group-wide initiatives to help transform AirAsia into a global, cloud-driven product and platform company.

  • AirAsia aims international flights by October

    AirAsia aims international flights by October

    AirAsia India aims to start international operations in by October this year, its chief operating officer said Monday. The joint venture carrier between Tata Sons and Malaysian low fare airline AirAsia Berhad is looking at short haul destinations in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Kuala Lumpur airline recently received its 21st plane and aims to take the fleet size to 40 in a year, Kumar added. It operates 154 daily flights.

    Earlier this year the airline presented a plan to its board to deploy 40% of its fleet overseas in five years. The government had been investigating the airline for alleged irregular lobbying for international rights. Kumar didn’t comment on the probe but indicated its plans for starting flights by October were firm.

    AirAsia India last month got a boost from its parents by getting a fund infusion of Rs 500 crore for its expansion. That followed an overhaul of its top management, getting IndiGo veteran Kumar as COO and former Tata Steel chief Sunil Bhaskaran as CEO.

  • Canon opens New Delhi flagship Store

    Canon opens New Delhi flagship Store

    Canon India has launched a flagship Canon Image Square (CIS) store in New Delhi. The flagship CIS store aims to “enrich the consumer experience for all Canon products” across segments ranging from entry-level cameras to high-end professional cameras. In addition to this, the store is also exhibiting Cinema cameras, a few leading Canon printers and a wide range of lenses.

    “Commitment towards the country and dedication of Canon, together has translated into growth over the years,” said Canon India president and CEO Kazutada Kobayashi. “With the launch of first of its kind Canon Image Square flagship store, Canon India marks another milestone to ensure an interactive and informative buying experience for our existing and potential customers.

    “CIS stores have been successful in contributing to Canon’s significant customer outreach and positioning it as a market leader. Having established its presence with more than 250 stores in 100+ cities, we take pride in being total solution providers in the imaging arena. The launch of this flagship CIS stores will certainly raise the benchmark for customer service,” he said.

    “The new flagship store is fashioned in such a way that it creates a sweeping experience for the customers with the gamut of cameras including cinema cameras, lenses and complete imaging solution in order to make the right choice of the products,” said Canon India VP consumer imaging & information centre Eddie Udagawa. “The store also features some of the leading printers that have been delighting the consumers.

    “New Delhi is one of the key markets for us, not just in terms of the customer base but also for being abreast with the technology trends that influence other markets. We look forward to receiving great feedback from our customers and add value to their imaging experience.”