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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.

  • Garuda Indonesia launches re-operations of Singapore-Medan flight

    Garuda Indonesia launches re-operations of Singapore-Medan flight

    Indonesia’s national airline, Garuda Indonesia, today launched the re-operation of a daily flight between Singapore and Medan. The flight reopening is in line with the airline’s future expansion plan, and the continuously commitment as the flag-carrier to help boost Indonesia’s economic, business, and tourism growth, as well as part of its effort to further strengthen the backbone of its connectivity in Southeast Asia region in line with the Open Sky policy.

    The relaunches ceremony was located at the Changi International Airport, and proudly unveiled by Indonesian Minister of Tourism Mr Arief Yahya, President & CEO Garuda Indonesia M. Arif Wibowo, Indonesian Ambassador for Singapore H.E. Ngurah Swanjaya, VP Airline Development Changi Airport Group Damon Wong, along with other officials of Garuda Indonesia Board of Director and Tourism Ministry of Indonesia.

    President & CEO Garuda Indonesia M. Arif Wibowo stated that aside from the airline’s expansion program, the reoperation of the flight is also a commitment to support Indonesian government program in boosting the Top 10 Priority Destinations in which one of them is Lake Toba.

    “We believe this new service will stimulate growth of business and trade in the region, more so as Medan is strategically located as the gateway to Sumatera and the rest of Indonesia’s western regions. The new service will offer passengers a wider choice of destinations as well as greater flexibility and convenience when travelling between Singapore and cities in Sumatera, such as Palembang, Banda Aceh, Sabang, Lheuksmawe, Gunung Sitoli, and Pinangsori,” he added.

    Apart from business and leisure travel, many visitors from Singapore come to Medan as the city is quite well known for its vibrant mix of cultures and reputation as a culinary paradise as well as popular tourism attractions.

    Commenting on the airline’s strategic initiative, Indonesian Minister of Tourism Arief Yahya explained that Singapore is considered as an international transportation hub, as well as the tourism hub for Indonesia. Furthermore, the Minister also promotes Lake Toba, one of the Top 10 Priority Destinations in Indonesia.

    “Toba is the largest and deepest volcanic lake in the world. Lake Toba is a giant caldera, with crater formed by the eruption of a super volcano 74,000 years ago. Experts believe that huge explosion of Toba volcano was the largest in the last 2 million years, and had triggered a dramatic volcanic storm. As an attraction, Lake Toba is a very distinctive, world-class natural landscape,” he added.

    The Medan-bound service will run daily and will be operated by Garuda’s Boeing 738 aircraft with a two-class cabin configuration featuring its globally praised Business Class service concept and the World’s Best Economy Class (Skytrax Global Airline Awards 2013).

    The service will depart from Changi Airport at 11.15am and arrive at Kualanamu International Airport at 11.45am local time. The return flights to Singapore will depart Kualanamu International Airport at 13.30pm and arrive at Changi Airport at 16.00pm local time.

    Garuda Indonesia had also launched the Wonderful Indonesia Travel Pass last January in an effort to promote Indonesia’s tourist destinations beyond its main hub, as well as to boost travel, by making travelling within Indonesia a truly affordable and seamless experience.

    The launch of this service is part of Garuda Indonesia’s 50th Anniversary in Singapore. The airline’s presence in Singapore, for over 50 years, marks Singapore not only as one of the airline’s most important markets, but also as a symbol of an even better relationship between the two countries in the next fifty years. Ever since the first day of its consecutive operations in Singapore 50 years ago, the airline has grown considerably and transformed into one of Asia’s most successful airlines.

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  • Garuda re-exploring plans for flights to US in 2017

    Garuda re-exploring plans for flights to US in 2017

    Garuda Indonesia plans to re-explore the feasibility of starting flights to the United States in 2017 if the national flag carrier passes Category 1 test of safety and security standards as mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

    “Next year, we will try and clear this test as it is part of our five year plan, or this may be achieved even earlier,” the Garuda Indonesia President Director, M Arif Wibowo, said here on Wednesday.

    He noted that 400 thousand passengers travel from the US to Indonesia every year.

    The cities which receive maximum visitors are Los Angeles and New York, he added.

    “The number of potential passengers departing from Los Angeles is 120 thousand, while many more depart from New York,” Arif said.

    The flights will transit through Narita, Japan and will use two units of Boeing 777.

    “Actually, we want to start direct flights but that is not possible as of now. The option is to fly via Narita, Japan,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the Director General of Air Transportation at the Transportation Ministry, Suprasetyo, said the audit result of the FAA will be declared by July 2016 at the latest.

    “We have completed and reported all the documents and are optimistic that we can achieve our target,” he added.

    The Director of Airworthiness and Aircraft Operation at the Transportation Ministry, Mohammad Alwi, said the last seven documents related to flight inspection have been reported online to the FAA auditors.

    “All the documents have been accepted. God willing, this July we will receive the good news as Ramadan and Eid gift,” he said.

    According to him, if Garuda is awarded Category 1 status, then its aviation safety standards and security aspects must conform to international standards, in line with the flag carriers in the same category.

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  • Indonesia’s Lion Air removed from EU air safety blacklist

    Indonesia’s Lion Air removed from EU air safety blacklist

    Indonesia’s Lion Air, a major buyer of Airbus and Boeing jets, was removed from the European Union’s air safety blacklist, the European Commission said in a statement on Thursday.

    That means Lion Air is no longer banned from flying in the 28-nation EU.

  • Ministop closing up shop in Indonesia for now

    Ministop closing up shop in Indonesia for now

    Japanese convenience store operator Ministop is pulling out of the Indonesian market, at least for the time being.

    The company announced Friday that it is terminating a franchise agreement with local retailer Bahagia Niaga Lestari, which wants to concentrate resources in other areas.

    The retailer is Ministop’s sole franchisee in Indonesia. So when the six franchise stores it operates there are closed, the country will have no Ministops.

    Ministop said it will search for a new partner and plan a return to Indonesia, since the convenience store market there has growth potential.

    Ministop had inked the franchise agreement with Bahagia Niaga Lestari in 2012 because Indonesia bars foreign companies from investing in retail stores with less than 400 sq. meters of floor space. The first Ministop in that country opened in June 2013.

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  • Japan to invest in fire extinction technology in Indonesia

    Japan to invest in fire extinction technology in Indonesia

    The Investment Coordinating Board said a Japanese company engaged in fire extinction technology is interested in investing Rp600 billion in Indonesia.

    The Head of the Board, Franky Sibarani, in a press release received by Antara here on Monday, said the potential investors will build a forest fire prevention system and develop this technology in Indonesia.

    “This business will deal with ways to prevent forest and land fires by applying such technology,” he added.

    Sibarani informed that the company already has a local partner, a fact that will help them realize the investment.

    The Japanese company is currently reviewing two locations that could be used to set up its operations here. These sites are in Sei Mangke Industrial Area, North Sumatra and Tanjung Api-Api Industrial Area, South Sumatra.

    Sibarani explained that the raw material used in fire fighting technology can be procured from within Indonesia.

    “The Indonesian workers who will operate the technology would be first trained in Japan for at least six months,” he disclosed.

    An Indonesian official of the Investment Promotion Office in Tokyo (IIPC), Saribua Siahaan, remarked that this investment plan was quite interesting, considering that the Japanese investment in the country is largely in the automotive sector and its supporting components.

    “We are ready to help the company to realize its investment in Indonesia. This investment is also expected to contribute positively to the governments efforts to prevent forest fires,” he noted.

    Data obtained from the Investment Coordinating Board shows that in the second quarter of 2016, the realization of Japan investment in Indonesia had reached US$1.58 billion and covered 427 projects, providing jobs for 28,377 people.

    In 2015, the realization of Japanese investment amounted to US$2.87 billion with 2,030 projects and had absorbed 115,400 workers.

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  • Bangkok retail show schedule announced

    Bangkok retail show schedule announced

    With Asian retail sales projected to reach more than $10 trillion by 2018 – twice the figures for North America – trends and developments will be discussed at a three-day Bangkok retail show in August.

    Regional sales are projected to be the fastest worldwide over the next five years, and China is expected to overtake the US as the world’s biggest retail market, according to a PWC report.

    At RetailEx ASEAN 2016, at Impact Exhibition & Convention Centre in Bangkok, Thailand, from August 25 to 27, the ASEAN Retail & Shopping Mall Summit will enable businesses, regional associations and stakeholders of the retail ecosystem to network and discuss trends.

    Over two days of the expo, the conference includes expert speakers covering such topics as industry trends, business modelling, branding avenues, and retail architecture and design.

    Features of the annual expo include the POS & Auto ID Congress, a VIP hosted buyer program and site tours. It is the largest in-store equipment and solutions expo in Southeast Asia, featuring more than 200 local and international exhibitors over 5000 sqm of exhibition space.

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  • Indonesia shines for retail investment

    Indonesia shines for retail investment

    Southeast Asia’s largest economy, Indonesia, is ranked the world’s fifth most-attractive market for retail investment in AT Kearney’s 2016 Global Retail Development Index.

    In previous years it has ranked in the top 20.

    It is an exciting time to be investing in Indonesia’s retail sector, the index says. The country scores 64.3 in market size (out of a 0-100 scale) and low in country risk (38.9) – lower than the top three markets, China, India and Malaysia. Urgency to enter the market is rated at 68.9, and the overall score of 55.6 is just one point behind Kazakhstan.

    “Despite its relatively low retail sales per capita and currency volatility, Indonesia’s huge population and cities make it quite attractive to foreign retailers, which see untapped potential in the country and are investing heavily in new development,” says the report, which covers 30 developing countries that represent more than half of total global retail sales.

    This is reflected by burgeoning foreign retail investments in the country, reports the Jakarta Post. It cites Dubai-based Lulu, which opened its first hypermarket in Indonesia this month with an investment plan of US$500 million covering nine hypermarkets and a warehouse. Meanwhile, Singapore’s Courts, South Korea’s Lotte, and Ikea and H&M from Sweden all have a presence and expansion plans in Indonesia. Courts plans to open four stores by next March to add to its existing five, and has seen its sales growth double since opening in 2014.

    Indonesian convenience stores Alfamart and Indomaret have also been expanding. Indomaret plans to add 1600 outlets this year to its 12,210 stores, while Alfamart is aiming for six-fold sales growth this year driven by its upgraded online presence.

    The government has opened up eCommerce to foreign ownership where the business value is more than Rp100 billion (US$7.49 million). According to the Indonesian eCommerce Association (Idea), eCommerce transactions are expected to reach $24.6 billion this year, three times more than in 2013.

    Indonesian retailers Matahari and Mitra Adi Perkasa have launched online shopping, while grocers Alfamart and Happy Fresh are extending their online offering.

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  • South Korea prosecutors raid more Lotte Group firms

    South Korea prosecutors raid more Lotte Group firms

    South Korean prosecutors carried out further raids on businesses of the Lotte Group, a sprawling conglomerate at the centre of a bribery probe.

    At least 10 divisions were raided including its chemical and confectionery businesses, a spokesman said.

    The raids come after police swooped on the group’s headquarters on Friday.

    This caused the company to pull out of a stock market share sale worth as much as $4.5bn (£3bn).

    The allegations and police action also led Korea’s fifth largest conglomerate to pull out of bidding for the US chemicals company.

    Shares in both the chemical and confectionery group have fallen sharply since Friday’s raid.

    Bid withdrawn

    People familiar with the matter told Reuters that Friday’s raids, which involved about 200 prosecutors and investigators, were part of an investigation into a possible slush fund, although the Seoul prosecutors office could not be reached for comment.

    Lotte’s offer of shares to the public, known as an initial public offering, had been intended in part to simplify the ownership structure and improve corporate governance at the group.

    This followed a bitter feud over succession among the founding Shin family last year drew wide public criticism.

    The group has more than 90 firms in sectors as diverse as beer, hotels and chemicals, and annual revenues of around $60bn, according to the Korea Fair Trade Commission.

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  • Chinese retail sales surging ahead

    Chinese retail sales surging ahead

    Chinese retail sales of consumer goods are rising, reaching a total worth of 2661.1 billion yuan (US$403.9 billion) last month, up by 10 per cent year-on-year nominal growth rate (9.7 per cent real growth rate).

    In the first five months of this year, retail sales reached 12,928.1 billion yuan, an increase of 10.2 per cent.

    In urban areas, sales in urban areas were up 9.9 per cent to 2,297.3 billion yuan, while in rural areas sales were up 10.7 per cent to 363.8 billion yuan. In the first five months, urban sales were up 10.1 per cent to 11,116.7 billion yuan, and in rural areas were up 10.9 per cent to 1811.4 billion yuan.

    Catering services last month were worth 287.8 billion yuan, up by 10.9 per cent, while retail goods realised 4,725.9 billion yuan, up by 10.1 per cent.

    For the five months, the national online retail sales of goods and services was 1,808.9 billion yuan, growth of 27.7 per cent. Of this, physical goods earned 1,463.3 billion yuan, up 25.9 per cent and accounting for 11.3 per cent of the total retail sales.

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  • Losses Likely To Continue For South Korea Market

    Losses Likely To Continue For South Korea Market

    The losing streak has hit four sessions now for the South Korea stock market, which has surrendered more than 55 points or 2.9 percent along the way. The KOSPI now rests just above the 1,970-point plateau, and the market is looking at continued weakness again on Wednesday.

    The global forecast for the Asian markets is negative ahead of key risk events – specifically today’s FOMC’s rate decision, and next week’s Brexit vote. The European and U.S. markets were down and the Asian markets are tipped to follow suit.

    The KOSPI finished modestly lower on Tuesday as losses from the retailers were tempered by support from the technology stocks and shipping companies.

    Among the actives, Samsung Electronics added 0.44 percent, while SK hynix jumped 2.65 percent, Hanjin Shipping surged 6.26 percent, Hyundai Merchant Marine advanced 2.75 percent, Lotte Confectionery skidded 2.54 percent and Lotte Chilsung tumbled 3.93 percent.

    The lead from Wall Street is soft as stocks were down on Tuesday, if well off their worst levels of the day.

    The Dow slipped 57.66 points or 0.3 percent to 17,674.82, while the NASDAQ edged down 4.89 points or 0.1 percent to 4,843.55 and the S&P 500 dipped 3.74 points or 0.2 percent to 2,075.32.

    Traders expressed trepidation ahead of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy announcement later today. The Fed is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged, but traders will keep a close eye on the accompanying statement.

    Ongoing concerns about next week’s referendum on whether Britain will remain in the European Union also weighed on the markets.

    In economic news, the Commerce Department reported stronger than expected retail sales growth in May. The Labor Department also noted that import prices surged more than expected in May amid another substantial increase in fuel prices.

     

     

     

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  • World Class Treasury Management 2016

    World Class Treasury Management 2016

    Treasury’s world is growing increasingly more complex. Never has it been more important for companies to control cash, working capital and risk on a global basis. Over and above the mandate to excel in these traditional roles, Treasury is called upon to be more strategic in it’s’ activities and to develop a solid business partner relationship across the complex.

    Company Boards and Senior Management are demanding improved visibility and control over risk, optimization of cash and working capital to reduce requirements for external funding and lower cost of operation.

    Treasury departments are challenged to operate efficiently in a global market place in order to support the competitive position of their companies.

    Banks are being pressured to advise their commercial customers Best Practices in the management of risk and global cash.

    This 3 day interactive workshop is designed for two audiences with congruent learning objectives:

    • The workshop is designed to provide Corporate Treasury, Accounting and Finance professionals with current, practical knowledge of the essential elements of Treasury management in a best practices environment. They will learn practical ideas on how to transform their Treasury into a world class operation that operates with better control, improved efficiency at a reduced cost.
    • The workshop will also provide commercial bankers in Treasury sales, product development, internal operations and marketing with an in-depth understanding of their customer’s world, Treasury Best Practice tools and techniques. They will learn how to walk the Treasury solution talk in order to better support client requirements.

    Using case study methodology, computer simulations and worked examples to illustrate key points, the attendees will learn how to apply Best Practice tools and techniques in all areas of global Treasury management in order to improve control, optimize asset utilization, reduce cost and better leverage staff.

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  • China Daily Asia Pacific Retail Leadership Awards Winners Revealed Retail Gurus

    China Daily Asia Pacific Retail Leadership Awards Winners Revealed Retail Gurus

    Co-organized by the China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable and the Omni-Channel Retailing Conference, the co-branded session, themed “Defining Next Generation Retail in Asia”, was held today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. It was the fourth consecutive year China Daily has acted as the only Official Media Partner for this significant industry event. The forum drew more than 150 prominent retail industry players from across Asia.

    Defining Asia’s Next Generation Retail Industry: As Asia continues to drive and lead global economic growth, its retail industry is experiencing a phenomenal era of opportunities and challenges.

    Across Asia, online players are making waves on a huge scale, impacting the market at different levels. On the other hand, brick-and-mortar establishments are revising value propositions to stay competitive. Store design, merchandising, technology, logistics, exchanges, points of sale, and customer service offer up a cocktail that will see retailers taste success or failure in keeping with their mixing skills.

    Most importantly, retail consumers are changing not only in their demographics but also their behavior.

    Mr. ZHOU Li, Editorial Board Member of China Daily Group and Publisher & Editor-in-Chief of China Daily Asia Pacific, welcomed the distinguished session panelists from across Asia — Ms. Gunyarak PIYAKHUN, First Executive Vice-President, Department of Marketing Strategy & Business Intelligence, Siam Piwat Company Limited, Thailand; Mr. Carlson LI, General Manager, UnionPay International Hong Kong Branch; Mr. LI Wenyao, Deputy General Manager, Joy City Property Limited; and Ms. LI Hong, Head of Investor Relations, GOME Electrical Appliances Holding Limited.

    Ms. Gunyarak PIYAKHUN said the most important strategy for future retailers is to engage customers by providing customer experience, and using Omni-channel retailing as a tool to help retailers understand customers in a better way.

    Mr. LI Wenyao noted that as the Chinese mainland’s economy gains momentum, the country’s retail sector will continue to see a bright future. What matters is confidence.

    Ms. LI Hong believes that online shopping does not compete with offline shopping, rather, they complement each other.

    Mr. Carlson LI shared his insights from the online payment perspective. He said UnionPay, apart from offering a payment method to retailers, acts as a marketing platform providing retailers big data analysis to help them lower their marketing and promotion costs.

    This year’s “China Daily Asia Pacific Retail Leadership Awards” were presented at the “Hong Kong Retail Industry Trade Awards Presentation Ceremony” on June 14 in recognition of regional retailers with outstanding achievements which exceeded customers’ expectations through their strategic initiatives in creativity, technology, talent building and customer services.

    The winners of the China Daily Asia Pacific Retail Leadership Awards were:

    GOME Electrical Appliances Holding Limited
    Joy City Property Limited
    Siam Piwat Company Limited, Thailand
    UnionPay International Hong Kong Branch
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  • e-Biz Expo 2016 – Thailand’s largest exhibition and trade show on e-commerce, all aspects of e-Business and online technology

    e-Biz Expo 2016 – Thailand’s largest exhibition and trade show on e-commerce, all aspects of e-Business and online technology

    N.C.C Exhibition Organizer Company Limited or NEO, Thailand’s leading organizer of international trade and consumer exhibitions, is organizing the e-Biz Expo 2016, an exhibition dedicated exclusively to all aspects of e-Business and online  technology .

    Held for the second year, the theme of  e-Biz Expo 2016 is Digital in your Hand : Gateway To ASEAN e-Commerce & Digital Business, highlighting the importance of the digital economy. This year, the e-Biz Expo 2016 has received support from both the private and government sectors including the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, the Department of Business Development, Ministry of Commerce, The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), Electronic Transactions Development Agency (Public Organization) and Thai e-Commerce Association. Private sectors who have once again gathered this year to provide support to this event include Ascend Group, Kerry Express, Bank of Ayudhya Public Company Limited, Paypaid, Ready Planet , Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, and Facebook among others.

    Visitors will have the opportunity  to meet with more than 100 booths providing products and services from leading Thai online and IT companies, representing three essential elements of the online and commerce business: 1) e-Commerce & Cross-Border e-Commerce 2) e-Payment and 3) e-Logistic for Business.

    ssIn addition, this exhibition also features e-commerce seminars and workshops hosted by local and international speakers and experts, business matching activities, and the opportunity to network with people in the e-Commerce business.

    Guest speakers include Jerry Wu Zhu, Director of Alibaba.com Thailand market, Punnamas Vichitkulwongsa, CEO of  Ascend Group Co.,Ltd. and True Money Company Limited,  Ariya Banomyong,  Managing Director of LINE Thailand, Alex Ng, Director and GM of Kerry Express Thailand, President and Founder of  Thai Ecommerce Association Pawoot Pongvitayapanu and MD & Founder Rakuten TARAD.com, Ali A. Fancy, CEO ZALORA (Thailand) Ltd and  Rathiya Issarachaikul, Manager, small and medium business Facebook Thailand and many more.

    Entrance to e-Biz Expo 2016 is free. Tickets to attend seminars cost Baht 3500 for 2 days during June 10th-11th. Tickets at the door are Baht 3800, There will also be workshops on digital marketing and e-commerce which are free to attend.

  • Will Lotte Chairman Shin Dong-bin be questioned?

    Will Lotte Chairman Shin Dong-bin be questioned?

    A series of prosecution probes on alleged embezzlement and malpractice in subsidiaries of Korea’s retail giant Lotte Group hints that the nation’s fifth-largest family-controlled conglomerate’s chairman Shin Dong-bin may be questioned as well.A high-ranking official at Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office didn’t rule out the possibility that prosecutors may issue an arrest warrant; however, the time hasn’t ripened yet.

    “In prior cases such as SK and Hyosung, prosecution summoned a number of company officials and tracked the flow of funds to secure solid evidence before questioning group owners. I think it is too early to discuss whether or when to call Lotte chairman Shin,” a senior prosecutor told The Korea Times by telephone, Sunday.

    Key Lotte Group affiliates were being probed over their role to create a slush fund to bribe influential local politicians in return for winning advantages to push ahead the group’s fancy business projects and for massive accounting fraud.

    Prosecutors raided offices of Lotte Group, which were immediately reported to the chairman. Prosecutors issued an international travel ban on Shin’s confidants in what officials say is a preemptive measure before questioning the chairman.

    The official said Lotte’s senior executives “intentionally and systematically” destroyed evidence ahead of the raids, raising possibilities that the chairman was earlier informed of these actions.

    “Lotte Group attempted to destroy and hide related documents and evidence when it underwent a tax audit last year,” he said. “We confirmed that the group did the same this time but were able to secure most of the hidden documents.”

    Shin’s house was also raided while he was in the U.S. for business. The chairman is expected to be questioned by prosecutors upon his return to Korea, but some say it’s still uncertain whether the chairman will return next week, as scheduled.

    “The chairman will be notified of developments of the probe by prosecutors and his return date will be fixed according to the situation. The country’s top law firm Kim & Chang supports Shin,” said an official who is involved with the issue, by telephone.

    Prosecutors believe Chairman Shin has connections with his older sister Shin Young-ja, who allegedly coordinated bribery with failed business tycoon and lobbyist Nature Republic CEO Jung Woon-ho. Young-ja was said to take bribes from Jung in return for granting approval for Nature Republic to open its brand shops at Lotte Free Duty stores.

    No way out

    Due to growing uncertainties about the chairman’s destiny, Lotte’s key business plans have been stalled.
    In a statement, Lotte Chemical, the group’s key petrochemical affiliate, said it dropped its ambitious bid to purchase U.S. company Axiall. Lotte Chemical said the decision was mostly due to possibilities that the group may fall into managerial vacuum.
    More importantly, analysts say Lotte Group’s plan to put the Lotte Hotel for the listing in Korea, which has been slated for next month, may be delayed as the investigation is expected to be widen, hurting investor sentiment.

    The listing of Hotel Lotte is one of the reform pledges that Lotte Chairman Shin has made as part of his efforts to improve its corporate image overall.

    “It’s almost impossible to finalize the IPO by July. I don’t even think Lotte Hotel will be able to be listed this year. The initial IPO price for the hotel will be discounted further given the current market situation,” said a local analyst asking not to be identified.

    Meanwhile, the succession feud, which had seemed to come to an end, is seen to enter a second round with the latest prosecutors’ investigation as Shin’s older brother Shin Dong-joo preparing a fresh attack against the Lotte chairman over his alleged misconduct.

    Analysts say the latest probes are believed to hurt the credibility of Chairman Shin as group leader, and Dong-joo may bring up the issue at the shareholders’ meeting of Tokyo-based Lotte Holdings next week, which controls the group both in Korea and Japan.

     

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  • Aqua City’s android has the answers

    Aqua City’s android has the answers

    Odaiba’s Aqua City waterfront shopping complex in Tokyo has an unusual lady on the third floor who waits patiently to answer visitor inquiries.

    Chihira Junco looks exactly like the type of polite, impeccably dressed and well-groomed staff attendant you’d find at a service desk in Japan, only she is not human at all – she is a robot, created by the Toshiba Corporation.

    Robot Japanese mal 1

    Junco gets her name from the fact she was “born” in June, reports Rocket News. Said to be 26 years old, she stands at 165cm and speaks Japanese, English and Chinese.

    Her facial features and hand movements draw large crowds daily. Next to her is an information desk staffed by three real-life female attendants who tend to be overlooked.

    Alongside the android at her desk is a futuristic device that lets visitors interact with her. A touch-screen panel displays options, and responds to mid-air “touch”, meaning customers do not have to actually touch any surface.

    Robot Japanese mal 2

    Once the selection has been made, Junco springs to life, offering guidance and directions in the language chosen, complete with lifelike gestures and a friendly smile. Visitors have a list of options for their inquiries, such as restaurants, transport access and tourist information.

    In the future, the company plans to have Junco respond directly to questions from customers rather than have them use a menu. They also hope to add more foreign languages, including Korean.

    When not responding to customer requests, Junco spends time speaking in Japanese, Chinese and British-accented English in rotation. On special holidays, like Christmas, she dresses up in appropriate outfits.

    * More photos here.

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