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.

  • Personalisation trend hits photo booths With Disney

    Personalisation trend hits photo booths With Disney

    Kmart shoppers are now able to personalise a range of stationery, mugs, photos and other products with characters and motifs from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel movies, cartoons and comics.

    The offering is the result of a partnership between Kodak Moments, which operates the photo kiosks in Kmart stores nationwide, and The Walt Disney Company in Australia and New Zealand.

    It is the latest example of brands’ and retailers’ efforts to differentiate their products, and convert customers, by forging an emotional connection wtih shoppers and giving them the option to put their personal stamp on items.

    “This fantastic collaboration not only provides children with a fun photo and learning opportunity… but also allows our cherished characters to be part of Australian stories,” Megan Sanders, vice president and general manager for Star Wars and consumer products commercialisation at The Walt Disney Company Australia and New Zealand, said.

    The customisable range includes 2800 designs for educational charts, party invitations, greeting cards, border prints, posters, magnets, and mugs.

    “Everyone has a favourite photo that instantly delivers warmth, comfort and a special memory,” Gavin Wulfsohn, Kodak Moments sales and marketing manager for Australia and New Zealand, said.

    “Adding these Kodak Moments – alongside a touch a Disney magic – to our educational charts can make all the difference in encouraging children to read and count while developing a lifetime love of learning.”

    Kodak has served as the in-store photo provider for Kmart’s photo centres since 2015, allowing customers to create a range of photo products including prints, posters, books, canvas and mugs.

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  • Muji Singapore opens Large store at The Jewel

    Muji Singapore opens Large store at The Jewel

    Muji Singapore has opened a two-storey store at Jewel Changi. The 12th outlet of the popular Japanese minimalist brand houses more than 4000 products and an 88-seat Cafe&Meal dining area.

    The product range includes apparel, furniture, kitchenware, toiletries, stationery and food items.

    Designed by Tokyo-based design company Super Potato, the store also offers the largest range of Muji’s fitness line, the Walker series.

    The store also features an interior-advisory service, available to recommend customisable solutions to customers.

    Muji Singapore chose Jewel Changi as its newest location to showcase the ‘world of Muji’ to Southeast Asian customers.

    Naoki Kadoike, MD at Muji Singapore and Malaysia, expects about 40 per cent of customers will be tourists, the remainder locals.

    “When I was posted here in January, I realised how similar Singaporeans are to the Japanese. People are very conscious of having a good lifestyle and there is a common understanding of Muji’s philosophy,” Kadoike said.

    Meanwhile, Muji Singapore plans to introduce the Muji Passport app, providing local customers with information about the brand and promotions, along with weekly newsletters.

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  • Asean countries fight against Counterfeit Goods

    Asean countries fight against Counterfeit Goods

    Enforcement officials, investigators, and prosecutors from across the Asean region discussed best practices for addressing the trade in counterfeit goods at a workshop on the enforcement of intellectual property rights held in Manila last week.

    The talks covered online business models used for the infringement of IP rights, investigative techniques and intelligence gathering, as well as measures to combat infringement, particularly in the online environment.

    According to a statement released by the workshop, the trade in counterfeit products diverts revenue from legitimate businesses, depletes innovation and development, and underpins organised crime networks. In addition, counterfeits are generally of low quality and are potentially harmful to consumers.

    A wide range of products are affected, including footwear, clothing, electrical machinery, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and toys.

    A report released this year by the European Union Intellectual Property Office and the OECD estimates that counterfeit and pirated goods represented up to 3.3 per cent of world trade in 2016. This share has grown significantly, from up to 2.5 per cent estimated in 2013.

    “Strong IP enforcement legislation in the EU provides police and customs agencies with the powers they need to successfully intercept counterfeit goods,” said IP enforcement expert Erling Vestergaard, highlighting a number of EU initiatives that address the issue.

    World Intellectual Property Day is held annually on April 26 to highlight the importance of IP in encouraging innovation and creativity. The global theme for this year is IP and Sports.

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  • Gome profit warning issued to Shareholders

    Gome profit warning issued to Shareholders

    Another Gome profit warning has been issued as the company’s massive restructuring program continues.

    However the group says the reforms are beginning to show results and while a loss is anticipated for the latest quarter, it will be less than that of the previous period.

    According to a stock exchange filing, Gome says its loss attributable to owners is expected to range somewhere between RMB20 million (US$3 million) and RMB90 million ($13.4 million), as compared with a profit of RMB113 million for the corresponding period last year. The loss will be “significantly reduced” compared with the loss for the December quarter, the company said. Last full year, Gome lost RMB4.887 billion ($728 million).

    The group says it continued to actively pursue its transformation into an integrated home solution, service solution and supply chain provider based on its strategy of ‘Home • Living’. It expects the group’s total GMV for both online and offline to grow about 5 per cent year on year for the March quarter.

    Of that, GMV from Me Shop is expected to grow by more than 200 per cent, service GMV by more than 30 per cent, GMV from smart products by more than 50 per cent; and GMV from new businesses such as home solution and integration of kitchen cabinets with electrical appliances, by more than 100 per cent.

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  • Google adds Dark mode to an Android Apps

    Google adds Dark mode to an Android Apps

    If your eyes feel strained at the end of every day, it could be because of Google’s Material Design, which it is using on many of its core apps. Because Material Design uses plenty of bright white background, it can be blinding to look at at night or in a dark room. Not only can the light hurt a phone user’s eyes, but it can also be annoying to other people in a dark room.

    To combat this, Google started adding a Dark mode feature on apps that it gave a Material Design makeover. This changes the appearance of an app from having black text on a white background, to show white text on a black background. While many only use Dark mode at night or in a movie theater, others just like the look and keep the setting enabled on all compatible apps at all times.

    And thanks to the use of the black background, those using a phone sporting an AMOLED screen could end up extending their battery life. The color black is created on an AMOLED display by turning off the RGB sub-pixels in the screen. This means that battery power is not needed to make an OLED panel display the color black. An LCD screen uses a backlight and when the color black is called for, the pixel turns opaque blocking the LED light from being seen on the display. In this case, there is still a draw on the battery to power the backlight.

    The latest Android app to receive the Dark mode option is the Google Calculator app for Android. This is a must-have for the calculator, which has a huge white box that covers the top 40% of the screen. Dark mode can be found in version 7.6 of the utility app, although only version 7.5 is currently available from the Google Play Store. Once the new version is installed on your Android phone, open it and tap on the three-dot overflow menu in the upper right corner. You’ll see a box with several options; click on Choose theme. You can select from the regular retina melting Light theme, Dark theme or Set by Battery Saver. The latter is supposed to turn on the Dark theme once the battery saver feature is enabled.

    Android Q and iOS 13 are both supposed to include a system-wide Dark mode. We should learn more at Google I/O and WWDC, which start May 7th and June 3rd, respectively.

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  • Easter spending up 4.6 per cent over Last Year

    Easter spending up 4.6 per cent over Last Year

    While nationwide spending was down year-on-year over the week to Easter Monday, the holiday period performed better compared to its 2018 counterpart, according to nationwide spending data from Paymark.

    The seven days to Monday, April 22, 2019, saw spending increase by 4.6 per cent compared to the Easter week in 2018, which ran to April 2. This is down slightly from the 4.9 per cent year-on-year spending increase in 2018.

    Gisborne saw the strongest growth at 14.6 per cent, followed by Marlborough at 13.3 per cent, when comparing Easter periods.

    Spending was also up across clothing and footwear stores (13.8 per cent), and liquor retailers (9.9 per cent).

    Compared to the exact same week in 2018, rather than last year’s East period, spending in the Canterbury region was down 7 per cent, with Kiwis spending a total of $125.1 million in the region over the week.

    Wellington brought in $106.2 million, a 5.9 per cent drop, while Auckland brought in $454.1 million – a 6 per cent drop compared to the same period in 2018.

    Auckland made up about a third of the spending in the country, with Paymark recording $1.19 billion spent over the week (0.8 per cent down on 2018), though the region was far outstripped in terms of overall growth.

    The Bay of Plenty saw spending grow to $92.9 million – a 14.5 per cent increase year over year. Gisborne enjoyed 19.6 per cent spending growth to $11.7 million, while Otago brought in $76.6 million, or an increase of 7.1 per cent.

    According to Paymark, grocery, fuel and hospitality providers, drove almost all of the spending increase.

    “This year these merchants recorded $43 million more spending (up 15.7 per cent) outside of the three largest Paymark regions,” Paymark said.

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  • AuMake doubles digit Profit

    AuMake doubles digit Profit

    AuMake more than doubled its profit and nearly doubled sales in Q3, compared to the previous corresponding period.

    The daigou-focused retailer reported $1.68 million in profit in the March quarter, 104 per cent up on the same period last year, and $9.9 million in sales, up 93 per cent on the same period last year.

    Almost a third of AuMake’s total sales in Q3 were made online, primarily coming from the Chinese social media app, WeChat.

    AuMake grew its online customer database more than six times over, from 20,000 to 130,000 over the quarter, and is investing heavily in its online infrastructure to continue such growth. This includes a larger online customer service team, improvements to its various online sales platforms, such as WeChat and JD.com, and a new packaging facility.

    According to AuMake, the March quarter is typically a slower one for the business, as it includes a four-week period surrounding Chinese New Year when Chinese logistics companies close, and a large number of daigou shoppers return home for the holiday.

    As such, the brand expects to see a material improvement over the upcoming June quarter, particularly as the recent $14.2 million acquisition of competitor Broadway will take effect in June.

    AuMake said the acquisition makes it the “largest China-focused offline and online retail platform in Australia”, and that it will utilise Broadway’s existing relationships with over 100 travel agencies in China to reach new customers.

    “The acquisition of Broadway has transformed AuMake into a significant and influential business in the ANZ Chinese tourist and diagou market,” AuMake executive chairman Keong Chan said.

    “However, AuMake is more than a simple retail business. AuMake’s Chinese focussed retail platform is underpinned by a unique business model that utilises the strength of its online and offline sales to incubate, promote and sell ANZ brands to Chinese consumers.”

    According to a strategy update issued by AuMake on Tuesday, the retailer aims to grow its online channel to half of total sales, and to grow its own-brand product revenue to $15 to $20 million by FY20. Own-brand products brought in $4 million in FY19.

    The retailer is also exploring opportunities to open co-branded offline stores and products with JD.com, and to synergise the supply chains of the two brands.

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  • Aldi takes Union to court over misleading Commercials

    Aldi takes Union to court over misleading Commercials

    Aldi has taken the Transport Workers Union to Federal Court, following what the supermarket claims is a string of false and misleading claims.

    The TWU has made a number of claims toward Aldi, including that its drivers have faced harassment when they have raised concerns over fatigue with management, with one driver quoted as being told, “Everyone else is doing it. You are the only one with a problem.”

    However, the supermarket has refuted these claims and said it will let the courts determine the matter.

    “The TWU has made a series of allegations against Aldi,” an Aldi spokesperson told. “We say these allegations are false.”

    According to the TWU, the supermarket’s alleged actions could have far-reaching consequences for those who raise concerns about safety in the workplace, environmental or rights abuses.

    “Transport workers are sending a clear message to Aldi to take road safety seriously and make sure its transport workers, the transport workers in its supply chain, and other road users can return home to their families in one piece,” Nick McIntosh, TWU national assistant secretary, said in a statement to Aldi over the Christmas period.

    “Coles and Woolworths have recognised their critical role in improving road safety. Aldi needs to stop attacking truck drivers and instead sit down in good faith and be part of the solution.”

  • Four Bidders shortlisted in Metro China sale

    Four Bidders shortlisted in Metro China sale

    Germany’s Metro has shortlisted four prospective bidders for its China business, including two of Mainland China’s largest retail groups.

    The Metro China sale has been in planning since last September, with formal bids invited in March as the German retail giant looks to quit the challenging market.

    Metro AG has invited Suning Holdings, Yonghui Superstores, Wumart stores and Meicai to submit bids before a deadline of late May, early June. Some of the bids may be lodged in partnership with private equity investors.

    Meicai is an unexpected inclusion in the shortlist. A local startup that acts as a conduit between farmers and restaurants, Meicai was founded by Liu Chuanjun, a local entrepreneur in 2014. According to a Bloomberg News report last October, the startup last year raised at least $600 million in a funding round led by Tiger Global Management and Hillhouse Capital, which would have valued the business then at about $7 billion.

    The Metro China sale is expected to net the Germany owner about $1.5 billion. The cash-and-carry business has 95 stores and reported $3 billion last financial year.

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  • Flight Centre drops guidance

    Flight Centre drops guidance

    Travel specialist retailer Flight Centre has amended its previously stated profit guidance for the remainder of the 2019 financial year after poor conditions in Australia’s leisure market impacted its performance.

    The group now expects to see a profit of between $335 million and $360 million for the 12 months to June 30, 2019, below the $390 million to $420 million range it put forward last October.

    The $347.5 million mid-point in this range represents a 10 per cent decline on the $384.7 million earned during FY18.

    The news pushed shares in the travel retailer down 12 per cent, falling to $38.73 per share.

    “Our FY19 results will highlight the challenges we are addressing in Australia but will also underline two of our great strengths – our emergence as a world leader in corporate travel and our changing earnings profile,” Flight Centre managing director Graham Turner said.

    “While we expect Australian leisure results to improve as short-term operational improvement plans gain traction and as longer-term transformational strategies are implemented, we also expect these trends to continue.”

    Turner noted the business is on track to earn record profits in its US and UK businesses, with the US poised to become the second largest segment after Australia, and more than half of the group’s profit to be generated internationally for the first time.

    He also outlined Flight Centre’s strategy to counter the declining leisure market – namely a three-pronged focus on mass, premium, and youth travel.

    Additionally, an accelerated expansion into newer models outside of its traditional bricks-and-mortar offering will sit at the centre of the brand’s plans globally.

    Investing in corporate travel, such as through its recent acquisition of the Upside Travel Company, has the potential to disrupt traditional players in the large and fragmented SME market.

    “Short-term results will be below our initial expectations and there is further work to be done, but there are also some promising signs for the future,” Turner said.

    “Out strong growth trajectory in both corporate and global travel is evident and we are implementing solid plans to address issues in the Australian leisure business in both the near and longer term.”

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  • Google Earth Timelapse Finally arrives on Mobile

    Google Earth Timelapse Finally arrives on Mobile

    The zoomable time-lapse video feature that allows Google Earth users to see how the planet’s surface has changed in the last 35 years, Google Earth Timelapse is now available on mobile. The Mountain View company has just announced it has released a new update that adds two additional years of imagery, as well as mobile support and visual improvements to make exploring more user-friendly.

    Besides being able to see how various parts of the Earth have changed in the last 35 years, Google Earth Timelapse allows more in-dept geospatial analysis since it includes more than 15 million satellite images coming from the US Geological Suvey/NASA Landsat and European Sentinel programs.

    Naturally, Google Earth Timelapse is available tablets as well, not just on smartphones. Apparently, mobile browsers would disable the ability to autoplay videos, which is absolutely mandatory for Timelapse. However, Chrome and Firefox have reinstated support for autoplay (sound muted), which is why Google was able to add mobile support with the latest update.

    Along with support for mobile, Google also added the new Material Design to Timelapse, which features simple, clean lines and clear focal ares to make is easier for usersd to navigate Google Earth Timelapse’s huge imagery database. Also, a new “Maps Mode” toggle is now available for mobile users to enable them to navigate the map using Google Maps.

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  • Microsoft does something Unexpected

    Microsoft does something Unexpected

    You didn’t have to be a techie, a fan boy or wealthy investor to enjoy the two-horse race last year between Apple and Amazon. Both companies were neck and neck in a race to be the first publicly traded U.S. firm to reach a trillion dollar valuation. Last August 2nd, Apple hit the milestone first, followed by Amazon almost exactly one month later. And that’s why it was such a surprise when Microsoft finished 2018 as the most valuable public company in the U.S.

    Even though Microsoft finished on top as last year ended, it was the beneficiary of a sharp market correction that took Apple and Amazon down 32% and 27% from their 2018 highs, respectively. But the software giant had never actually joined Apple and Amazon in the trillion dollar club; that is, until today. A positive earnings report released by the gang in Redmond after the market closed last night has propelled the stock sharply higher. This morning, Microsoft’s shares reached a high of $131.37 and at that point, the company was worth $1.007 trillion dollars.

    Microsoft investors have taken some profits, allowing the stock to drift back to $129.64 as we write this. That takes the company under the $1 trillion mark but doesn’t remove the accomplishment from the history books. Meanwhile, Apple and Amazon’s shares have recovered enough from last winter’s drubbing to make another run at a $1 trillion valuation. Apple, which reports earnings next week, is currently worth close to $975 billion. Amazon reports earnings later today and is currently worth $944 billion.

    While some might say that Microsoft has failed miserably in the mobile industry with Windows Mobile and Windows Phone, others might point out the success it has had with the Surface Pro high-end tablets. And more importantly for Microsoft, it owns a slew of Android-related patents that bring in a huge sum of money every year.

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  • C-star Shanghai sets records for Exhibitors

    C-star Shanghai sets records for Exhibitors

    C-star – the China spin-off of the world’s largest retail show, the triennial EuroShop in Germany – is underway in Shanghai this week. This year’s event, the fifth, features a record 138 exhibitors at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre in Pudong, with exhibits including shopfitting and store furnishings, retail technology, store design and visual merchandising, lighting, and catering and refrigeration.

    A parallel retail forum features an international line-up of speakers covering trends, technology and design, among other topics.

    C-star was the first international spinoff of EuroShop and while still a shadow of the German event, which boasted 2400 exhibitors from 60 countries and 113,000 visitors the last time it was held in 2017, the Shanghai event is growing in stature each edition. The number of exhibitors this year is up 30 per cent. After the success of C-star, organiser Messe Dusseldorf has since launched another event focused on technology, EuroCIS, and its latest new venture, In-store Asia in Mumbai, India.

    Elke Moebius, global head of retail & retail technology with Messe Dusseldorf, and director of EuroShop, EuroCIS, C-star and In-store Asia, says the company wants C-star to become “the most influential retail event in China”.

    “Our decision to come to China was absolutely the right one,” she told the opening ceremony yesterday.

    “We have succeeded in distinguishing C-star from other events.”

    Messe Dusseldorf (Shanghai) GM Marius Berlemann says with mobile and ‘smart’ retail solutions developing quickly the internationalisation of the retail industry is following suit.

    “This presents even more opportunities for global investors and corporations to flourish in China’s retail industry, and our goal as the organiser is to build the bridge and bring the world of retail together.”

    A key feature of this year’s C-star event is the ReTailor Hub where creative solutions are shown in a real-life environment. Exhibitors include apparel-store Elf Sack, cosmetics-brand Fox Fairy, food-and-beverage brand Rio (which has a robot on site mixing and serving cocktails) and unmanned store concept 24 Jian. These exhibits are complemented by retail technology and equipment suppliers showcasing instore solutions including customer-flow analytics, interactive smart displays and virtual fitting systems.

    C-star’s Brand Zone offers a premium stage for exhibitors to present their newest and most promising products and solutions to a global audience.

    This year, exhibitors include design house Malherbe Paris, Storymaker, Hideki Azuma, Onewedesign, MPlus and Koscar sharing new store concepts and smart retail solutions.

    C-star 2019 continues today and tomorrow in Shanghai.

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  • Shandong Ruyi seeks $500m

    Shandong Ruyi seeks $500m

    Chinese textile and retail investment company Shandong Ruyi will list an IPO for its recently acquired The Lycra Co in the hopes of raising around US$500 million.

    The group is currently exploring a listing in the US as it works with Goldman Sachs, according to those familiar with the prospective deal.

    Progress has been slow for Shandong Ruyi since regulatory delays held up its $2 billion purchase of Lycra for more than a year, which it finally completed in January. Plans for the IPO are now at early stages and are subject to significant changes before listing, which is scheduled for sometime within the next three years.

    Shandong Ruyi has previously been reported as having ambitions to become “the LVMH of China” and has acquired numerous overseas fashion brands. It is now focusing on consolidating its holdings rather than pursuing new deals.

    Shandong Ruyi Investment Holding is the largest textile and apparel company in China, and ranks among the Top 100 Chinese multinational enterprises. It is headquartered in Jining, Shandong and operates 13 domestic industrial parks.

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  • Tigers is strategic logistics partner for K&N Filters in China

    Tigers is strategic logistics partner for K&N Filters in China

    Tigers is working with K&N Filters, a high-performance automotive air filter and air filtration manufacturer, which is expanding operations in China, the world’s largest automotive market.

    Hong Kong-based Tigers is providing logistical support through its Chinese network of offices and facilities to USA-based K&N Filters as they grow their presence in the region.

    “Working closely with international brands like K&N Filters as a strategic logistics partner is always a pleasure for Tigers as we are specialized in global logistics and supply chain solutions,” said Laura Crow, Managing Director – China, Tigers.

    “China is a very strong market for Tigers and we are working with K&N Filters by fulfilling both its B2B and B2C orders in the region, providing marketing and trading services, as well as offering our specialist local knowledge.”

    As part of K&N Filters expansion plans in China, the manufacturer recently launched the ‘Revolution. Powering the Future’ strategy conference in Chengdu, China, to showcase the brand and product solutions to the Chinese market.

    “K&N Filters is committed to providing Chinese car owners with high-quality product performance and is continuously developing a localized product series that is more suitable for the Chinese market,” said William Wu, General Manager – China, K&N Filters.

    “Working with Tigers is the perfect match for expanding our operations in China due to Tigers’ extensive knowledge of the Chinese market and their modern approach to global logistics.”

    K&N Filters supplies air filters and air filtration systems to championship-winning teams in most forms of motorsports around the world, including NASCAR and Supercross to achieve more horsepower and brake performance limits.

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