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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.

  • Swarovski and DFS put customers in the frame

    Swarovski and DFS put customers in the frame

    Throughout February 2016, shoppers who make purchases at selected T Galleria by DFS stores in Hong Kong and Macau can enjoy an ‘exclusive’ silhouette portrait created by local artists as part of a new Swarovski campaign.

    The portraits are gifted in a Swarovski paper frame decorated with the brand’s iconic crystals.

    The service is now available at the T Galleria by DFS stores in Canton Road and Tsim Sha Tsui East in Hong Kong, as well as at City of Dreams and The Shoppes at Four Seasons in Macau.

    Swarovski-DFS-Valentines-Day-offer2

    Karen Tse, Director, Travel Retail Asia Pacific, Swarovski, said: “Swarovski believes that the shopping experience is crucial to how consumers appreciate and value our brand and our exquisite jewellery.

    Swarovski-DFS-Valentines-Day-offer1

    “That is why we have been introducing innovative consumer events such as the Valentine’s Day portrait offer. We
    want to give Swarovski customers an enjoyable memory of visiting our shops and that’s particularly important in prime locations for tourists such as our shops in T Galleria by DFS.”

    Jason Blejwas, Director Merchandise, Sunglasses, Fashion Watches and Jewellery, Global Merchandising, at DFS Group Limited, said: “We’re excited to partner with Swarovski to bring our T Galleria by DFS customers another exciting activation that celebrates our local destinations as well as our fantastic Swarovski product offering.

    “We’re confident this delightful and engaging in-store experience will make for a memorable trip for visitors to Hong Kong and Macau this Valentine’s Day.”

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  • Asian retail outlook: “more cautious”

    Asian retail outlook: “more cautious”

    High operating costs – particularly rents and labor in Asia – will ensure retailers are more cautious this year, concludes real estate specialist CBRE.

    In its annual Asian retail outlook, the company’s research department predicts many retailers will shift their strategic focus from expanding their store networks to rationalisation, improving in-store profitability and upgrading to better locations.

    That trend is expected across the broad Asia-pacific market, including Hong Kong.

    “Leasing activity will diverge across markets, with Australia, Japan and New Zealand the most upbeat, whereas Hong Kong and Singapore will continue to struggle,” CBRE concluded.

    “Driven by ongoing urbanisation and wage increases, Southeast Asia will also see solid leasing activity. Demand across the region will be led by food and beverage retailers, while affordable and niche luxury brands will also be active.”

    CBRE also warns the rise of online shopping will continue to force shopping malls to embrace ‘retail-tainment’ and adjust their trade mix to include more experience-oriented retailers to retain foot traffic. Around 63.8 million sqft of new shopping center supply is scheduled to be completed in 2016. Against the sluggish leasing demand and ample new supply, overall retail rents are forecast to experience a mild correction of below 1 per cent in 2016.

    In a broader property outlook, CBRE forecasts that due to Asia Pacific’s steady economic growth – which will continue to outpace the rest of the world in 2016 – investment activity in the region will remain solid, although activity will be limited by asset pricing and availability.

    “The region’s investment market will continue to see strong demand from real estate funds and institutional investors. Institutional investors will continue to invest in Asia Pacific to increase their exposure to real estate for strategic diversification,” said Dr Henry Chin, head of research, CBRE Asia Pacific.

    “That said, Asia Pacific will enter a period of slower growth in the commercial real estate market with activity likely to moderate over the course of the year as it becomes more challenging to source investable stock able to meet investors’ target returns. Interest rates will remain low in 2016 so yields are largely to remain stable across Asia Pacific. However, we are expecting to see a mild yield expansion in 2017 together with the rise in interest rates.”

    The economic slowdown in China – as well as higher-than-expected US interest hike rates, and currency volatility – will also remain a key concern for investors, given the scale of its impact across the whole region.

    “However, macro trends of urbanisation and the rise of the middle class remain largely unchanged and will continue to drive growth across Asia.

    “There are structural investment-themed opportunities for investors to focus on in 2016, such as the growth of e-commerce, regional tourism and demographic changes. Demographic changes will create opportunities in niche sectors such as self-storage facilities, senior and student housing, and data centers,” said Chin.

    “Regionally, active markets will continue to be led by Australia and Japan, whilst India expects to see a positive year following the relaxation of FDI norms at the end of last year.

    “China will also remain on the radar for most international investors although demand will be largely confined to tier I cities. Overall, the long-term outlook remains positive for the region,” he concluded.

    CBRE’s 2016 APAC Real Estate Market Outlook report can be downloaded here.

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  • Spring Festival retail gloom

    Spring Festival retail gloom

    Fortune seems to have favoured Macau over Hong Kong during last week’s Spring Festival.

    But both territories suffered from the ongoing change in Mainland Chinese travel habits.

    Data from the Macau Government Tourism Office showed 548,536 tourists arrived in Macau between February 7 and 10 – which equates to a 5.2 per cent increase over last year’s holiday season. Some 70 per cent of them came from Mainland China.

    However, anecdotal reports from Macau shopkeepers say the increased visitor numbers during the Spring Festival retail break did not translate into higher spending in stores.

    According to the Macau Daily Times “a majority” of retailers it spoke to reported “a drastic drop in business” from mainland visitors.

    One – a fireworks vendor – reported a 50 per cent decline in sales, and other retailers selling apparel and beauty products also reported a decline.

    One cosmetics retailer said sales rose 10 per cent, and snack food stores reported trading was on a par with last year.

    In Hong Kong, where retail sales estimates have yet to be reported, the number of Mainland Chinese visitors fell by about 10 per cent – and the number of groups by an alarming 70 per cent, to about 120 groups per day. So clearly, there will have been a negative impact on retail sales for the week.

    Shopkeepers in Mong Kok, where a violent riot erupted on Monday, reported far fewer tourists in the area.

    “From Monday till now, no one would like to come to this area,” one retailer told local news media.

    “There are more police than tourists. My business is not even half as good as last year, what can I do? What should I do after the holiday?”

    But on the mainland, Ministry of Commerce data shows retail sales rose 11.2 per cent during the Lunar New Year ‘Golden Week’ from February 7 to 13. According to the data, sales by retailers and catering firms grew to about 754 billion yuan, or US$114.879 billion.

  • Chinese New Year Holiday Retail Sales Spike 11.2%

    Chinese New Year Holiday Retail Sales Spike 11.2%

    China’s retail sales over the Spring Festival holiday rose 11.2 percent from the same vacation period a year earlier, with cinemas posting sharp increases in box-office sales, the country’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement Saturday.

    Retail sales and restaurant receipts in the world’s second-largest economy totaled about 754 billion yuan ($115 billion) in the week-long holiday period that started Feb. 7, the eve of the Lunar New Year, according to the statement. This year’s growth was similar to the 11 percent increase posted in last year’s holiday period.

    Services for the first time generated more than half of China’s gross domestic product last year, at 50.5 percent. Higher household incomes allow families to embrace a middle-class life as the country’s leaders continue to engineer a shift toward services and consumption, and away from manufacturing and investment. Services generate more jobs per yuan of output than China’s factories, which is crucial as the country adjusts to a slower economic growth rate.

    Box-office sales at China’s cinemas over the first three days of the Lunar New Year surged about 80 percent from a year earlier, to nearly 1.7 billion yuan, the statement said. Total ticket sales over the first three days of this year’s Lunar New Year almost equaled the total for the whole week-long holiday last year, according to the statement.

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  • China’s trade slumps in January

    China’s trade slumps in January

    China’s trade slumped in January due to weak global demand and holiday effects, casting new shadow over the outlook of the world’s second-largest economy, data from the General Administration of Customs showed yesterday.

    Exports shrank 6.6 percent from a year earlier to 1.14 trillion yuan (US$174.6 billion) in January, ending a one-month-long growth stream of 2.3 percent in December. Imports contracted 14.4 percent to 737.5 billion yuan, much widening from the loss of 4 percent a month earlier.

    As a result, January’s trade surplus shot to 406.2 billion yuan, a record high that was up 12.2 percent year on year and more than December’s surplus of 382.1 billion yuan.

    “China’s exports fell sharply, suggesting weak global demand,” said Liu Ligang, chief economist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group. “The decrease of imports was in part due to still low commodity prices.”

    Liu noted the earlier timing of the Chinese New Year in 2016 compared with 2015 has also distorted the annual growth rates as traders tended to frontload their shipments in December when exports staged a remarkable rebound.

    Wendy Chen, a research analyst at Nomura, said the trade data, together with other indicators, suggested growth momentum in China weakened further in January.

    “As China’s retail sales remained stable, the trade slump mainly reflected weakening investment demand, possibly from weaker property investment and measures to reduce overcapacity,” Chen said.

    China’s economy had a “bumpy start” this year as data for January stayed weak due to the holiday effects and the extremely cold weather. Factories continued to report contracted activities while service providers also saw their business less robust.

    China’s growth momentum has kept slowing as the country entered the state of “new normal,” illustrated by moderating growth rate but better growth quality.

    China’s gross domestic product grew 6.8 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, and ended 2015 with a rate of 6.9 percent, the slowest annual expansion in a quarter of a century.

    In January, China’s trade decreased 9.8 percent to 1.88 trillion yuan, the Customs data showed. It deteriorated further from last year’s contraction of 7 percent, when China missed its government target of a 6-percent increase.

    The European Union remained China’s largest trading partner last month, although its trade with China declined 9.9 percent to 290.3 billion yuan. It was followed by the United States and the ASEAN countries, which shipped goods worth 269.8 billion yuan and 234.2 billion yuan respectively, down 9.9 percent and 10.8 percent.

    Foreign trade involving China’s private firms delivered the best performance by increasing 1.1 percent during the period, while foreign traders said their business lost 14.3percent and state-owned traders reported a contraction of 21.9 percent.

    Shanghai’s trade retreated 6.1 percent to 219.4 billion yuan last month.

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  • Indonesia’s Garuda to Choose Between A350 and 787 This Year

    Indonesia’s Garuda to Choose Between A350 and 787 This Year

    Garuda Indonesia Persero PT expects to decide between Airbus Group SE’s A350 and Boeing Co.’s 787 models this year as it prepares to order at least 20 of the large aircraft, the airline’s president director said.

    The Indonesian flag carrier forecasts growth to pick up significantly in 2019 and will need the new planes to handle expected capacity, Arif Wibowo said Wednesday at the Singapore Airshow. The airline has no plan to use Airbus’s A380 superjumbo, he told Bloomberg TV earlier in the day.

    Garuda returned to profitability last year with net income of $76.5 million, compared to a $370 million loss the year before, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Still, its shares tumbled 44 percent in 2015, nearly four times as much as the 12 percent decline in the benchmark Jakarta Composite Index and far below the 19 percent gain in the Bloomberg Asia Pacific Airlines Index.

    Shares were down 2.4 percent Wednesday at 449 rupiah as of 10:14 a.m. in Jakarta. The stock is trading near eight-month highs and has risen 45 percent so far this year, making it the seventh-best performer on the local index.

    Trimming Hedges

    The company expects oil prices to remain low and is reducing its fuel hedges, Wibowo said. The carrier forecasts passenger numbers to rise 10 percent this year and is seeking to capture 50 percent of the domestic market, up from 44 percent currently, he told reporters earlier this month.

    If the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration upgrades Indonesia’s safety rating to Category 1, Garuda hopes to launch non-stop service to the U.S. West Coast, giving it an advantage over competitors who make the trip with one stop, Wibowo said. He said the FAA is currently evaluating Garuda itself, with the results due out in the second half of the year.

    The carrier also hopes to start non-stop service to London but is limited by the runways at Jakarta’s international airport, which Wibowo said can not yet handle a fully loaded 777.

    Garuda plans to have a two-class cabin configuration on planes serving the Middle East, Southeast Asia and North Asia, with a similar configuration on any new planes they order, Wibowo said. Only four of the carrier’s 777s, used on flights to Amsterdam and London, will offer first-class seating, he said.

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  • China’s Monkey Week Boost Demand as Retail Sales Increased

    China’s Monkey Week Boost Demand as Retail Sales Increased

    The gloomy Chinese economy has shown a sign of stabilization during “Monkey,” the lunar New Year celebrations as retail sales have surged, suggesting an improvement in domestic demand.

    During spring festival last week, China’s retail sales recorded 11.2% year-over-year (YoY) growth, fueled by cinemas, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Saturday. The retail and restaurant sales surged to $115 billion (754 billion yuan), showing a strong potential of the food industry in the world’s most-populated country.

    The Chinese economy last year grew 6.9%, slowest GDP growth rate since 1990, owing to the soft domestic demand in the country. The Chinese authority to uplift domestic demand undertook several measures. Despite the initiatives by Beijing, the Chinese economy is still on a bumpy ride as depicted by recent gloomy economic indicators.

    However, the jump in retail sales during spring festival last week depicts that policymaker’s efforts have started paying off. From January, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) performed massive open market operations to keep the market liquid. In January, it injected net liquidity worth about $188 billion (1.235 trillion yuan), to meet the cash demand during spring festival.

    The massive liquidity injections raised concerns among economists, who believe that this week would lead to tightening liquidity as the Chinese central bank has to mop liquidity from the economy. They also believe that increase in retail sales during the spring festival, which started on February 8-13, suggesting demand is picking up pace.

    Food demand remained strong during celebrations and medium-sized food retailers saw 10.6% YoY growth as Chinese families preferred to eat food from restaurants. Tourism also recorded modest demand during week-long holidays and nearly 1.62 million foreign tourists visited China in a week-long holiday. Mass catering services also posted record boom as Chinese families hosted reunion dinners.

    Analysts believe that the modest growth in demand shows the potential of Chinese consumers. However, they believe that the demand is seasonal and Beijing needs to devise an effective strategy to spur and sustain domestic demand in an attempt to streamline the world’s second largest economy.

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  • New EU funding to help boost Myanmar garment exports

    New EU funding to help boost Myanmar garment exports

    Myanmar’s garment sector is targeting a 300% increase in garment exports to the European Union (EU) by end of 2019 thanks to a EUR2.8m (US$3m) funding boost as the second phase of the SMART Myanmar project gets underway.

    The EU-funded SMART Myanmar project – SMEs for Environmental Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency – aims to build the sustainable recovery of the Southeast Asian country’s garment industry.

    Phase two of the initiative launched last week, with the goal of boosting productivity and creating over 300,000 jobs for low-skilled workers during the next four years. It has been implemented by a consortium of partners including Germany’s Sequa, the Foreign Trade Association of German Retail Trade (AVE), sustainable fashion group Made-by, the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA), and the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP).

    More specifically, Jacob Clere, team leader with SMART Myanmar II, told just-style: “The project focus is on improving social and environmental compliance in garment factories, in particular, upscaling and mainstreaming some of the activities piloted and launched during the first project phase from 2013-2015. We’re targeting social compliance improvements in 100 factories during the next four years, as well as delivering HR management to 400 factory managers. As well, we plan to continue capacity building activities with the MGMA and with the training of local technical staff on compliance issues.”

    Other activities will include educating factory workers on labour and OHS laws, working with the government on public procurement procedures, and educating local banks on financial products and services – including introducing the concept of green finance.

    The ultimate goal of the SMART project, which has been running for three years, is to help Myanmar’s garment industry compete in the global market. At its inception, EUR2m was invested in a bid to improve the production and consumption of sustainably manufactured garments in the country.

    Project partners hope other results will be achieved, such as a 20% reduction in waste production in 100 garment factories. Garment exports are also targeted for a 300% increase from 2015 to the end of 2019.

    The consortium is also expecting that at least 150 garment factories will improve their working conditions as a consequence of participating in the SMART Compliance Academies, and that up to 30 banks will take part in at least eight workshops on green finance. In addition, the programme is targeting the training of 15 Safer Consumer Products (SCP) consultants to advanced level to deliver factory improvement programmes. And it is hoping the initiative will create new business opportunities, such as joint ventures between factories in Myanmar and EU brands.

    Speaking at the launch ceremony, EU Ambassador Roland Kobia celebrated the achievements of Myanmar’s garment industry, noting that the value of garment exports has more than doubled in recent years, making it “a catalytic sector of Myanmar’s economic transition”.

    SMART Myanmar is an EU-funded SWITCH Asia project, which, while promoting and supporting the sustainable production of ‘Made in Myanmar’ garments, strives to increase the international competitiveness of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the sector. It works alongside companies and business support organisations located in the country, helping build capacity and increase skills and knowledge in local partner organisations, facilitating the development of marketing and export strategies for the garment sector.

    From 2013-2015 the project engaged with dozens of local garment factories on social and environmental compliance issues, providing technical support and capacity building. The project also assisted in boosting the capacity of business associations, helping the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA) draft a first-ever Code of Conduct for its members.

    Project director Simone Lehmann said at the press conference in Yangon that the focus of the next phase will be on “technical support and capacity building” through workshops engaging dozens of factory employers. She added that there will not be a focus on labour disputes in the sector, but instead, “developing the sector and providing professional support for MGMA”.

    She added: “The garment sector has quickly become Myanmar’s main export sector after oil and gas. The value of exports has more than doubled in less than two years and is projected to continue to grow almost exponentially for the next several years. The growth of the garment sector will contribute to the growth of the industrial sector and create many new jobs.”

  • CITS forecasts Thai wholesale and retail markets to grow by one percent

    CITS forecasts Thai wholesale and retail markets to grow by one percent

    The Center for International Trade Studies (CITS) has predicted that the wholesale and retail markets in Indonesia and the Philippines will score the highest growths among the ASEAN countries in 2020.

    Indonesia and Vietnam will have higher growth rates than all other countries due to a relatively large number of foreign investments and an increased income per head, the center forecast.

    Meanwhile, Thailand’s wholesale and retail markets are expected to grow by just one percent this year and 10 percent in the next five years, according to CITS. However, that will largely depend on the people’s incomes and domestic consumption. Thailand’s modern-day trading is expected to grow while traditional retail trading will be gradually closed down like in other countries.

     

     

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  • Asahi Glass begins shipment of PVC from Indonesian plant

    Asahi Glass begins shipment of PVC from Indonesian plant

    AGCAsahi Glass (AGC), a world-leading manufacturer of glass, chemicals and high-tech materials, has begun supply of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from the Anyer plant of P T Asahimas Chemical (ASC), one of its consolidated subsidiaries in Indonesia.

    With the aim to meet the growing demand for caustic soda and polyvinyl chloride in Southeast Asia, the production facility enhancement at the Anyer plant was launched in 2013 to significantly boost the output of caustic soda and vinyl chloride in Indonesia. The construction project has been completed as scheduled and commercial production will start in the first quarter of this year.

    The caustic soda and PVC markets in Southeast Asia are projected to grow at over 5 percent per year. Of the demand in the market, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, where AGC has production bases for the chlor-alkali business, account for 70 percent. By capturing growing demand in the region, the AGC Group will move forward toward its long-term goals under Vision 2025.

  • Inflight Sales Group captures Garuda Indonesia concession

    Inflight Sales Group captures Garuda Indonesia concession

    Inflight Sales Group (ISG) has reinforced its position in Asia with the addition of the inflight duty-free and duty-paid concession onboard Garuda Indonesia airline.

    The new programme will be launched April 1 under a partnership with parent company PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk.

    Together with the current contract with Citilink, a low-cost subsidiary of the same group, ISG has strengthened its footprint in Indonesia and the agreement continues the growth momentum within ISG, said the inflight concessionaire.

    ISG executive director Vimal Rai said: “Winning a competitive partner selection process is always delightful! ISG now stands ready to deliver an exciting and dynamic inflight retail programme for Garuda. We are confident to take it to the next level, commensurate with Garuda’s five-star status as an airline. We, together with the PT Rodamas Wirasakti team in Indonesia, have had a long history of retail partnership with Garuda already, and after a short break, we are happy to be bringing new insights and innovations to the airline’s inflight retail offering.

    ISG managing director Tony Detter added: “While we are expanding in the European market, we continue to see great potential in the Asian market. With the extensive network that Garuda is flying and its forecasted growth, we foresee that there is an opportunity to further expand ancillary revenues through inflight sales.”

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  • Manila FAME Expo To Feature Works of Famous Artists, Young Talents

    Manila FAME Expo To Feature Works of Famous Artists, Young Talents

    Intensive preparations are underway for the holding of “Manila FAME: The Design and Lifestyle Event,” which will showcase the works of the Philippines young talents in the crafts and design field.

    The expo would be held in Manilas World Trade Center, from April 21 to 24, 2016, Alma Argayoso, Philippine Trade Representative to Indonesia, said here, Tuesday.

    The Philippine Department of Trades promotion arm, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Museums (CITEM) will unveil the creation of a distinct Philippine brand in the creative industry, she noted.

    She also said that this time FAME expects to welcome an even larger number of foreign buyers from Europe and the Americas as well as from Japan, China and Taiwan.

    Also to be featured in the Manila FAME exposition are the works of Kenneth Cobunpue, whose furniture designs have received so many international accolades in the United States and Europe that TIME Magazine has dubbed him “rattans first great virtuoso.” His works today grace luxury hotels and the residences of royalties and celebrities worldwide.

    Another Filipino artist whose works will be an attraction in Manila FAME is Mila Imson who won top prize in the ASEAN Jewelry Design Competition in Thailand in September 2015. Her winning design is called “The Serpent.”

    The competition was organized by the ASEAN Intellectual Property Offices in collaboration with the European Union.

    According to Philippine Trade Representative Alma Argayoso, the achievements of Kenneth Cobonpue and Mila Imson did not come by accident.

    They are the result of the following factors: 1) Both come from families with businesses that are already well established in the trade; 2) they passionately honed their natural skills; 3) the Philippine government, no matter how poorly it performs in other fields of governance, has consistently supported and guided the creative economy since 1983; and 4) the government, through the Department of Trade and Industrys Center For International Trade Exposition and Missions (CITEM), has instituted quality control measures that ensure Philippine crafts and designs match world standards. And then, aside from all these, there is the mentorship program.

    Called “Red Box”, the mentorship program simply aims at nurturing the next generation of designers of home accents, furniture, apparel, and accessories. Young talents are paired off with successful and celebrated Filipino designers.

    Under close supervision, the young talents go through total immersion in the creative fields they are passionate about.

    They are challenged to turn out fresh designs, concepts and innovations, and to refine them so that they reflect their artistic personalities. In brief, to achieve branding.

    As a mentorship program, Red Box is supported by a platform called FAME.

    The bi-annual “Manila FAME, The Design and Lifestyle Event” showcases the works of young talents every April and last quarter of the year. The event has flourished in recent years, as it has regularly attracted many buyers from all over the world.

    As to the regional context of Manila FAME, Argayoso has explained that Southeast Asia is a region of craftsmen and designers with an abundance of natural materials that they can convert into practical items that also evoke aesthetic pleasure.

    But Southeast Asian craftsmen and designers have had to struggle to gain international recognition and patronage – even among the regions collectors.

    This is largely because most Asian buyers have fallen for the allure of Western designs and brands, she remarked.

    But times are changing, she said. Technology and global trends have revolutionized lifestyles everywhere. This revolution in tastes has leveled the playing fields for craftsmen and designers, including those from Southeast Asia.

    The Philippines has been among the first countries in the region to seize the opportunities brought about by this revolution. For over three decades since 1983, with the encouragement of a succession of government administrations, the crafts and design sector of the country patiently nurtured the skills of its professionals and the entrepreneurial foundation for a creative industry.

    This endeavor was premised on a great confidence in the quality of the nations human resources, a confidence regularly vindicated by the amount of money that Filipino overseas workers remit home every year.

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  • Garuda Indonesia Group to Join Singapore Airshow 2016

    Garuda Indonesia Group to Join Singapore Airshow 2016

    As part of its company synergy, the Garuda Indonesia Group will for the first time join Singapore Airshow, Asia’s largest aerospace and defence event. This is Garuda Indonesia’s first participation as a Group, as only one subsidiary, the Garuda Maintenance Facility AeroAsia, had participated in the past.

    M. Arif Wibowo, President & CEO, Garuda Indonesia, feels the presence of the Garuda Indonsia Group at Singapore Airshow 2016 is inline with the company’s “Group Synergy” program, as detailed in its strategic plan 2016.

    “The Garuda Indonesia Group is delighted to present itself as an integrated whole, presenting our business synergies as group action in providing service excellence to all customers, through each member’s strengths and main businesses,” Arif added.

    The presence of Garuda Indonesia Group at the Singapore Airshow follows Group strategy to develop brand image, to elaborate potential business, to enhance business relations with stakeholders, and to boost up the awareness to Garuda Indonesia Group’s strategic role as Indonesia’s trade envoy in international level.

    At the Singapore Airshow 2016, Garuda Indonesia Group – through Garuda Maintenance Facility AeroAsia – looks to several short-term and long-term business contracts, of a value reaching USD 100 milions.

    Singapore Airshow is one of three prestigious airshows in the world, along with Farnborough Airshow and Paris Airshow. During the airshow, Garuda Indonesia Group will hold several partnership and business deal signings, including an announcement of attainment; which expected to promote and stregthen Garuda Indonesia Group’s value in global market.

    Garuda Indonesia currently has 6 subsidiaries with diverse business sectors, comprised of:

    – Garuda Maintenance Facility AeroAsia, specialized in integrated aircraft maintenance, including engine and aircraft components repair service;

    – Citilink, a low cost carrier (LCC) airline projected for budget traveller;

    – Aerowisata, specialized in hospitality, transportation, catering and travel agent service;

    – Gapura, specialized in ground handling service, supported by cargo and warehousing service;

    – Asyst, specialized in IT and consultation service;

    – Abacus – which now has transformed to Sabre Travel Network Indonesia – specialized in technology provider service for global travel and tourism.

    As part of the fleet revitalization program, throughout 2016, the Garuda Indonesia Group will receive 16 new aircraft in total; 1 Boeing 777-300ER, 4 Airbus A330-300, 4 ATR72-600, and also 8 Airbus A320 to be operated by Citilink. By the end of 2016, Garuda Indonesia Group will operate a total of 188 aircraft; 144 aircraft for Garuda Indonesia and 44 aircraft for Citilink.

    To continue the positive growth reached by its “Quick Wins” program in 2015, Garuda Indonesia will execute a “Sky Beyond” strategy in 2016 for short-term company expansion, focusing on three ‘core strategies’ – company group synergy, effectiveness and efficiency, and service enhancement – to accelerate company achievement and performance.

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  • Debenhams poaches Body Shop Asia boss for international role

    Debenhams poaches Body Shop Asia boss for international role

    Smith will join Debenhams in May. He will also be appointed to the department store group’s executive committee. Smith, who is currently based in Singapore, has been with The Body Shop for five years and previously held the same position at Pepe Jeans. He has also spent time at VF Corporation, which owns fashion brands including Lee, The North Face and Vans.

    Outgoing chief executive Michael Sharp said that Smith’s “wide range of experience in growing International brands will play a key role in building our overseas presence”.

    Smith added: “The opportunities for global growth are very exciting for Debenhams. I look forward to building on what is already a well-established international business.”

    Former international director Francis McCauley left the retailer in June 2015 and was not part of the executive committee.

    In the eight months following his departure the role has been covered by directors within the international team including director of international franchise operations Phil Topham and director of business development John Scott.

    Debenhams’ management team has seen several changes at the top level in recent months.

    Sharp announced his intention to leave the business after five years at the helm last October. Since then, there has been no announcement regarding his replacement.

    The department store appointed former Kingfisher chief executive Sir Ian Cheshire as chairman last month.

    It announced a better than expected Christmas trading update last month. It has suffered volatile trading in recent years after a focus on discounting damaged margins.

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  • BNOW.org In Preparation for Entrepreneur Now Awards 2016

    BNOW.org In Preparation for Entrepreneur Now Awards 2016

    Bnow.org  (Bangkok Now), a Bangkok networking community for startups, SMEs  and a registered social enterprise based in Thailand, announced during a media group interview today that preparations are under way for the Entrepreneur Now Awards  (ENA) 2016 scheduled to be held in October 2016.

    Last year, ten awards were presented to various Thai and non-Thai entrepreneurs and the event was presided over by Khun Salinee Wangtal, Director General of the Office of the Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP).

    Entrepreneur Now Awards is a program recognizing enterprising people and teams operating in the kingdom of Thailand. The objective of ENA is to promote entrepreneurism, attract investors to Thailand and ASEAN and revitalize the Thai economy and SME sector.

    “Last year ENA attracted over 100 Thai and non-Thai entrepreneurs with a registered business in Thailand, representing a wide range of industries including tech, F&B, health, fashion, education, FMCG, sports and construction, among others,” said Pacharee Pantoomano Pfirsch, Founder of  Bnow.org and Chairwoman of ENA, adding that this year she is looking  forward to see more entries.

    “According to the Federation of Thai Industries, there were about 2.7 million SMEs and start-ups in Thailand, providing more than 10 million jobs nationwide. These businesses are estimated to account for nearly 40% of the country’s GDP. FTI added that for the Thai economy to grow with stability, the country needs to balance it by boosting SME share of GDP to 40% in the future,” said Pacharee.

    “As a social enterprise, ENA aims to support the start-up and SME community in Thailand. We want to garner more involvement from the various chambers of commerce in Thailand, including the start-up community. We believe that working collaboratively with such organizations will facilitate the recognition of enterprising people and teams. Ultimately, it creates a better market place for all,” added Pacharee.

    “Our partners this year include Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce, The Irish Thai Chamber of Commerce, Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce, GMASA, Creative Bangkok, Connecting Founders, Startup Bangkok, Travel Daily News and Brand Now.  More partners are expected to join and we will also be announcing the working committee and judges at the press conference slated for mid-2016.”

    This year, BNOW.org is organizing a series of knowledge sharing events related to SMEs and Startups, which will culminate at The ENA 2016 Awards Night in October 2016.

    These include:

    –  Feb 18th / 6.30pm-9pm at FCCT: Insight from investors and serial entrepreneurs: Why some start-ups success while others fail

    –  Mar 19th/11.30am-5pm at DraftBoard, Chidlom: Geek Girl Gathering:  A Workshop on Digital Marketing and Coding for non-coders

    –  April 26th/  Discussion: Tips and Advice for SMEs on “How to Export to Other Markets”

    –  May 26th/ 9am-5pm: Entrepreneur Summit at Bangkok University School of Entrepreneurship and Management

    –  June/ Announcement of ENA 2016

    –  July –Aug / Accepting Nominations for ENA 2016

    –  Aug/ Walkabout Bangkok : Several companies will open their doors to visitors who can meet the founders, entrepreneurial team, and get insights from some of most creative and innovative organizations in Thailand.

    –  Sept/ Networking Night for ENA nominees and judges

    –  October/ ENA Award Night 2016

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