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.

  • Forrester sees rise in m-payments adoption in Southeast Asia

    Forrester sees rise in m-payments adoption in Southeast Asia

    Revenue prospects for mobile operators, banks, credit card networks, and financial technology startups in Southeast Asia are looking up as mobile payments adoption is expected to rise in the region over the next five years.

    Driving this growth, according to research firm Forrester, is the surge of smartphone penetration in the region, which it forecasts to grow to 230 million units by 2017 from 175 million this year.

    A report released by Forrester recently showed that remittances will continue to spur peer-to-peer (P2P) payment growth in emerging markets, which is setting the stage for digital wallets.  Migrant workers are also increasingly turning to telcos and fintech startups such as Xoom, Remitly, TransferTo, TransferWise, and MatchMove to remit money via their mobile phones.

    Meanwhile, cross-border m-commerce is also driving growth in remote payments as many online consumers are shopping on their mobile devices in countries like Singapore and Malaysia. Cross-border orders using credit cards and PayPal are significant.

    Forrester observed that more players are incorporating features such as coupons and loyalty rewards into their mobile payment systems, which somewhat resemble digital wallets but do not qualify as such — yet.

    “Banks looking to get in on the mobile payment opportunity must decide if they want to build their own mobile payment systems or partner with business/technology vendors. Having a clearly defined mobile payment strategy will protect and deepen the bank’s relationships with both retail and business customers,” the report noted said.

  • Marriott International Asia Pacific Believes its Women Associates “Shape Our Future”

    Marriott International Asia Pacific Believes its Women Associates “Shape Our Future”

    Marriott International Asia Pacific announces its second Women in Leadership Asia Pacific Conference closes today after a resounding past three days of success. The event took place at Marriott International’s recently-opened The Ritz-Carlton Macau and JW Marriott Macau Hotels, and was hosted by Peggy Fang Roe, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer Asia Pacific; and Yibing Mao, General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Asset Management & Financial Analysis Asia Pacific. The conference convened 73 Marriott women executives from across the Asia-Pacific region to bolster their working knowledge and give them an opportunity to network, share insights, and be inspired by each other.

    “Women have always played a pivotal role at Marriott. Even in 1927, our co-founder, Alice S. Marriott, was imperative to Marriott’s success. Marriott International Asia Pacific has a high percentage of women in leadership roles, and a third of our senior executives are women. That makes me very proud and I know that the company is better for it,” said Craig S. Smith, President and Managing Director for Asia Pacific.

    Mr. Smith continued, “However, we are far from being done. Marriott International is committed to encouraging more women to take on leadership roles and we will support our women associates and help them grow personally and professionally. They are vital to Marriott’s future.”

    A series of diverse topics covered over the three days included “The Competitive Advantage of Female Talent,” presented by Mr. Smith; “Pursuing Excellence” by Rajeev Menon, Chief Operations Officer, Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China); and “Building Your Innovation Brand,” presented by Jenny Hsieh, Vice President, Insight, Strategy & Innovation.

    “The company is determined to think forward on how it can continue to mentor and grow women in leadership roles, and I have seen it firsthand since I started at Marriott International over 10 years ago. It is an honor to co-host this year’s conference, continue Alice’s legacy, and do my part in opening doors of opportunity to the women in the company within this region,” said Ms. Roe.

    The annual conference is part of Women’s Leadership Development Initiative, which was founded in 1999 with the aim to increase the presence of women in management or decision-making positions by engaging senior leaders to ensure career development, as well as encouraging current female leaders to drive organizational success.

    Globally, women represent 52% of Marriott International’s staff and nearly 60% of its management roles, with nine women leading divisions worth more than US$100 million annually. Women executives on the rise are offered a wide variety of development programs, including formal mentoring, coaching, leadership training and succession planning.

    In Asia Pacific, close to 40% of the company’s managers are women, with a substantial increase in women General Managers over the past few years.

    Marriott International Asia Pacific has leveraged several programs to identify and develop future women leaders, such as Human Capital Planning, GM Elevate and Asia One-Week Leadership Development Program. In addition to these, Marriott International Asia Pacific launched last year a series called “Evenings of Engagement,” which comprises events across the continent providing networking opportunities for women leaders where they can share stories, discuss experiences and issues, form deeper relationships, and inspire future women leaders.

    In September 2015, Marriott International was named one of the 100 Best Workplaces for Women 2015 by Fortune.com and the Great Place to Work® Institute. Companies were selected based on responses from over 135,000 women in the US on issues such as fairness of promotions, access to information and leadership, and support for personal lives as well as for the level of representation of women in leadership positions.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Sunseap Group launches SAVE Campaign

    Sunseap Group launches SAVE Campaign

    Sunseap unveiled its first marketing campaign simply titled, “SAVE” in line with the company’s launch of their clean energy retail offering. Sunseap conducted extensive surveys, and “SAVE” reflects the insights of many individuals’ and corporations’ desire to help protect the environment and fight climate change and save in the process of doing so – a mind-set that is aligned at the very core with the company’s ethos.

    The heavy reliance on the burning of fossil fuels has led to the rise in carbon dioxide levels and global warming. While many businesses wish do their part to save the environment for future generations and at the same time, save on electrical bills or upfront cost, many do not find ready solutions.

    More, recently, listed corporations have also been mandated by Singapore Exchange (SGX) to publish sustainability reports by 2017/2018.

    Frank Phuan, Managing Director of Sunseap Group, explained, “Sunseap’s SAVE campaign will make clean energy more accessible to everyone. Regardless of which industry the business lies in or whichever energy retailer the business is buying power from, anyone can utilize clean energy readily at competitive prices without any upfront costs. Building owners can save electricity bills via an on-site power purchase agreement (PPA) with Sunseap and the solar systems can be installed on the rooftop to provide competitively priced clean energy in the day.”

    Kicking off as one of the early adopters of the SAVE Campaign is Panasonic Appliances Refrigeration Devices Singapore (Panasonic), where Sunseap has installed a 2.4 MW system, spanning more than 20,000 square meters of rooftop area.

    In order to put the size of this project into perspective, the 2.4 MWp system is able to power close to 7,000 HDB households with its annual energy generation capacity of more than 3 Gigawatt hours (GWh). As a huge power consumer with operations running 24 hours all year round, Panasonic is able to offset close to 10 per cent of its peak energy needs. At the same time, this project will further demonstrate Panasonic’s commitment towards environmental sustainability. Sunseap hopes this project to be the first of many other collaborations with Panasonic to come.

    Atsunao Terasaki, Managing Director, Panasonic Appliances Refrigeration Devices Singapore, said, “This is the first time Panasonic is participating in a solar leasing agreement with a clean energy provider. Our partnership with Sunseap reflects the company’s commitment in integrating environmental sustainability with business growth. With the government’s vision to utilise solar energy to power 5% of Singapore’s peak electricity demand by 2020, we hope this will encourage more businesses and industries to adopt solar.”

    Other than Panasonic, Housing Development Board (HDB), Singapore American School, ABB, Sakae Holdings and Jurong Port are just some names that have taken that step to save the environment with Sunseap.

    Through the SAVE campaign, Sunseap hopes to create awareness of the cost efficiencies of solar energy in Singapore and invoke action to revolutionize the local energy supply to help SAVE the environment, reduce carbon footprint and electrical bills at the same time

    Lawrence Wu, Director of Sunseap Group, “Sunseap’s unique proposition of providing clean energy accumulated from rooftop farms scattered across the island will continue allow clients to enjoy the benefits of renewable energy even without installing solar energy systems on limited roof spaces and in a country where land is extremely scarce and precious. Sunseap can now potentially offset 100% of anyone’s electricity carbon footprint – something deemed impossible in the past. This is made possible with Sunseap clean energy retail offering.”

    The journey of Solarizing Singapore is being catalyzed by Sunseap as it has installed solar systems on building rooftops and this is fast reaching the thousandth mark, and in doing so the power grid is being “greenified” as there is a large amount of clean energy being fed into the grid. As a Market Participant Retailer (MPR) authorised by Energy Market Authority (EMA) and registered with the Energy Market Company (EMC), Sunseap is able to resell the clean energy generated via their off-site generation solar plants to contestable consumers who are interested procuring electricity from a clean energy producer.

    Deploying a 1 MW solar system (estimated one football field area) is equivalent to reducing 500 tons of carbon emission or planting 20,000 trees in Singapore each year. As such, Sunseap’s 80MW of contracted capacity translates to helping SAVE Singapore 400,000 tons of carbon emission annually, savings for it’s clients and is equivalent to planting 1.6 million trees each year.

    The SAVE campaign by Sunseap is timely as a key meeting dubbed COP21, held in Paris in early December 2015, will see the world’s leaders congregate for “a new international agreement on the climate, applicable to all countries, with the aim of keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.”

    Lees ook:

  • What should British retailers consider before expanding into China?

    What should British retailers consider before expanding into China?

    A Chinese delegation headed by president Xi Jinping is nearing the end of its four-day state visit to the UK, in a bid to improve business ties between the two countries. Despite the headlines of a slowdown in China, the country’s retail market remains one of the world’s largest – and as recent ventures into the country by Sainsbury’s and Mountain Warehouse suggest, it is too significant to ignore.

    Tapping into the Chinese market remains merely on the wish list for many retailers, but there are a number of important factors they should consider in order to realise their dreams of making it in China.

    Know your customer

    A recent report from Goldman Sachs declared that there is no such thing as the “average Chinese consumer”, and identified four key tiers.

    First, the crème de la crème. There are around 1.4 million movers and shakers with an annual income per capita of around $500,000 (£323,535).

    Second, the urban, ‘narrow’ class, with a population of 146 million people with an annual income of around $11,000 (£7,118).

    Next, the urban mass, which consists of 236 million people with an annual income per capita of just over $5,500 (£3,559), followed by the 387 million rural workers who earn just over $2,000 (£1,294).

    Retailers should also be aware of the differences and sensitivities between age groups. Those in their fifties and forties are likely to have experienced poverty and austerity. Those in their thirties and the millennials may not have experienced hardship and could be ‘second-generation rich’.

    Social media

    There is no Google, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or WhatsApp in China. Instead, it has Baidu, Renren, Youku, Weibo and WeChat.

    Tommy Hilfiger and Burberry are just some of the retailers that have used Chinese social media channels to secure hundreds of thousands of followers and fans – and ultimately boost sales.

    Physical vs online

    To take advantage of China’s online grocery market, which IGD estimates will be worth more than $180bn by 2020, Sainsbury’s recently launched on Alibaba’s Tmall site.

    Grocery chains with physical stores such as Walmart and Carrefour have observed a change in tastes and trends, along with an increase in online competition.

    Following a spate of high-profile food scandals, Chinese consumers are placing greater emphasis on food provenance. These are all key considerations for retailers looking to expand to China.

    Retail technology

    Slowly, but surely, an increasing number of retailers in China have started to introduce free in-store wifi.

    With the consent of the shopper, wifi can provide retailers with valuable insight to identify popular offers, trends and deliver advertising or even exclusive “wifi only” promotions and discounts.

    Chinese shoppers love showrooming. Research from McKinsey found that only 16% of consumers who did their research on a mobile actually bought the product at the store. Yes, that is a threat. But forward-looking retailers need to see this as an opportunity to provide Chinese shoppers with an immersive retail experience.

    New retail technologies such as beacons can provide an engaging shopping experience – and are delivering results. Chinese jewellery retail outfit Chow Tai Fook used beacon-supported location and proximity marketing with WeChat to generate sales of more than $15m (£9.7m). Other technologies that could bring the retail experience to life include augmented reality, self-service apps, in-store navigation and automated kiosks.

    Information silk road

    Turn back the clock two millennia and the ancient world of commerce depended on a thriving Silk Road. Then – just like now – traders built strategic alliances to gain a competitive edge.

    Fast-forward to today and it is an Information Silk Road. Chinese consumers – like their Western counterparts – are discerning and have little patience for downtime. New retail technologies can be dazzling and futuristic – but, ultimately, they are only as good as the networks they run on.

  • Google Parent to Launch Internet-Beaming Balloons in Indonesia

    Google Parent to Launch Internet-Beaming Balloons in Indonesia

    Google parent Alphabet Inc. signed a deal to work with three Indonesian telecommunications firms to test its Internet-beaming balloons across the country, part of an effort to get more of the world online to broaden the audience for Google’s services.

    “It’s going to take a number of companies and governments and organizations coming together to provide communications to everyone, but we are super-excited to play a role,” Sergey Brin, co-founder of the Mountain View, California-based company, said Wednesday.

    Alphabet’s X unit, formerly called Google X, is working with Indonesian telecommunication companies PT Indosat, PT Telekomunikasi Selular, and PT XL Axiata on the project, said Mike Cassidy, who leads the initiative known as Project Loon. They will spend the next year using hundreds of balloons to perform tests of the technology, such as communication between balloons and ground-to-balloon and synchronizing the movements of balloon swarms, he said.

    “This testing is going to be very revealing to us in terms of how close we are to launch,” Cassidy said. “If all these tests go well it should be soon after that that we’re ready for a commercial launch.”

    Test Market

    Indonesia is a good test market for Project Loon as it is the fourth-most populous country in the world and is composed of numerous islands that are difficult to link to the Internet via traditional cables, Cassidy said. He also noted there are more than 150 million Indonesians today who lack Internet access.

    Alphabet will work with the Indonesian companies to come up with a business model that works with the country’s law, he said. The balloons will use wireless spectrum already secured by the firms for their communications, he said.

    Indonesia’s President, Joko Widodo, was scheduled to visit Google Wednesday as part of a U.S. tour, but had to cancel his trip because of haze in his country caused by forest fires.

    Sky Towers

    Alphabet has been working on Project Loon for several years and began testing the technology in earnest in 2013. It has flown tests of the helium-filled balloons, each about 40 feet tall and shaped like an upside-down raindrop, in such countries as Australia, Chile and Brazil, and worked with local telecommunications firms to integrate the balloons with the Internet.

    “In effect, Loon is building cell towers for the telcos,” Cassidy said. “But the towers we’re building are 20,000 meters in the sky.”

    It should be easier for Project Loon to develop its technology and products faster under the new Alphabet corporate structure, Brin suggested.

    “I think having very clear missions for each piece where they don’t feel entangled in a complex way has been working really well for us,” Brin said. “You shouldn’t be worried about, whatever, what operating systems those phones are on, what other business relationships Google has with this telco or that other telco — just go forth and do your jobs.”

    Alphabet also is creating large, solar-powered, unmanned aerial vehicles — drones — for Internet access, putting it into a technological race with advertising rival Facebook Inc. The social network is seeking to expand its global user base by using drones and satellites to give people in rural regions or other unconnected areas access to the Internet.

    None of this is cheap. Google’s capital spending is likely to rise next year, Chief Financial officer Ruth Porat said on an earnings call last week.

    “We do see accelerated investment given the nature of the businesses that we’re building up here,” she said.

    Lees ook:

  • Starbucks Cards with Swarovski crystals will be available in limited quantities in China, Hong Kong …

    Starbucks Cards with Swarovski crystals will be available in limited quantities in China, Hong Kong …

     Since the first Starbucks Card launched in 2001, designers have created hundreds of varieties of these collectible cards.

    One of this year’s new designs, available at participating Starbucks stores in Asia, is a Starbucks Card adorned with Swarovski crystals. The premium mini Starbucks Card – small enough to fit on your keyring – will be available in select markets across the region.

    The limited-edition mini Starbucks Card creates the feeling of a snowscape for holiday gift-giving. The design, awash in champagne and silver hues, is studded with 29 dazzling Swarovski crystals applied in Austria. This international exclusive will be available starting in November in limited quantities in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand.

    “We continually innovate to find convenient and expressive ways to pay,” said Brady Brewer, senior vice president of Category Brand Management for Starbucks China and Asia Pacific Region. “We’ve featured premium materials like sterling silver, and of course we introduced mobile payment in several Asia markets.”

    Production of the one-of-a-kind Starbucks Card with Swarovski crystals was a collaboration between the Austria-based company for crystal application and a U.S. supplier that printed the cards. The Starbucks Card features a barcode, rather than a magnetized stripe, to enable crystals to be placed across the entire face of the card. The Starbucks Card has a minimum load amount that varies by market.

    “This Starbucks Card is a premium option for customers looking to give a gift to themselves or their favorite Starbucks fan with something special,” Brewer said. “This is just the beginning of what we’re going to see for the holidays at Starbucks.”

    Starbucks Cards with Swarovski crystals will be available in limited quantities in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand this Holiday

    Starbucks Cards with Swarovski crystals will be available in limited quantities in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand this Holiday

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • HSBC Global AM names Puneet Chaddha Singapore CEO

    HSBC Global AM names Puneet Chaddha Singapore CEO

    HSBC Global Asset Management (HSBC Global AM) has appointed Puneet Chaddha as chief executive officer (CEO) of HSBC Global Asset Management (Singapore) Limited, with effect from November 1 this year – he succeeds Kalen Lim, who will move to another senior role within HSBC. Mr. Chaddha will also take up the position of head of Southeast Asia of HSBC Global Asset Management.
    Mr. Chaddha was previously CEO of HSBC Asset Management (India) Private Limited – the firm says his successor in India will be announced in due course.

    Operating out of Singapore, Mr. Chaddha will report to Pedro Bastos, CEO, Asia-Pacific of HSBC Global AM and Matthew Colebrook, HSBC’s head of retail banking and wealth management in Singapore.

    Mr. Chaddha’s new roles will have him drive the growth of HSBC’s asset management business in ASEAN, supporting the wealth management and investment needs of HSBC’s key clients across retail, commercial, corporate, institutional and private banking primarily in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.

    “The emerging middle class in ASEAN is expected to double by 2025 and wealth creation will continue to accelerate. The increasingly affluent domestic population will have greater need for investment products presenting significant growth opportunities to our business. As Asia faces the challenge of ageing segments, pension management and the shift to long-term, diversified investment strategies are needs that HSBC Global Asset Management is strongly positioned to support,” said Mr. Chaddha.

    Mr. Bastos remarked: “Puneet has been with the HSBC Group for over two decades and has worked in several of our global businesses. He has successfully transformed the business in India in line with HSBC’s commercial and governance strategy. We are determined to expand our presence in Asia-Pacific and capitalise on our leading expertise and capabilities as a global asset manager to provide innovative products and bespoke solutions to meet our clients’ long-term investment goals.”

    And Mr. Colebrook added: “HSBC’s retail strategy is to use our international network to capture the wealth flows and people-to-people links between the faster-growing markets. Singapore’s sophisticated and world-class wealth and asset management sector makes it the nexus for wealth flows within Southeast Asia. Singapore’s status as the regional centre for asset management also reinforces why it is a top-seven priority market for HSBC globally. I am pleased to welcome Puneet to lead our asset management team as we continue to support our clients achieve their wealth goals.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Apple’s Tim Cook hearts China

    Apple’s Tim Cook hearts China

    Tim Cook, soft-spoken Southerner that he is, often can be a man of few words. During a conference call with analysts Tuesday afternoon to announce Apple’s strong fourth-quarter results, he dismissed a question from a Goldman Sachs analyst with a terse “I don’t know the answer to that,” followed by silence.

    Asked about China, however, the Apple CEO turned positively rhapsodic. In fact he soliloquized a stem-winder so passionate, its content speaks volumes to the country’s place in Apple’s future.

    “We’ve been able to grow without the market growing,” Cook said, after the company announced that sales in what it calls “Greater China” (including Hong Kong and Taiwan) doubled to $12.5 billion in the quarter. “iPhone 6 was the largest-selling phone in mainland China,” he said.

    Then, Cook countered the oodles of commentary calling into question China’s economic growth. “Frankly, if I were to shut off my Web and shut off the TV and just look at how many customers are coming into our stores and coming online, I wouldn’t know there was any economic issue at all in China. I think there’s a misunderstanding, particularly in the Western world, which contributes to the confusion.”

    In fact, Apple recently opened its 25th retail store in China, on the way to 40 soon. Cook said that no matter the near-term gyrations, Apple is in China for good. “We’re investing in China for the decades ahead,” he said. “China will be Apple’s top market in the world. That’s not just for sales. The developer community is growing faster than any country in the world.” Cook was there last week and said he was impressed with the software developers he met. As for the retail customers he encountered? Their enthusiasm was “infectiously contagious.”

    Cook didn’t stop there. “Nobody’s asking me about iPad on the call,” he said, referring to Apple’s tablet computer, whose sales declined 20% from the previous year. “In China, for 68% of the people who bought an iPad, it was the first tablet they had owned, and 40% of those had never owned any Apple product.”

    Apple remains a global juggernaut. It’s easy to see why its CEO, who spent years of his life flying back and forth from California to Apple’s partner factories in China, is bullish on the world’s second biggest economy, short-term issues be damned.

    Lees ook:

  • Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore ends exclusive business practices after investigation

    Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore ends exclusive business practices after investigation

    Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore (APBS) has been found to have prevented retail outlets from selling draught beers from competing suppliers and restricted the choices of these beers available to retailers and consumers, the Competition Commission Singapore (CCS) said in a press statement.

    According to CCS, a dominant firm is prohibited from preventing or impeding its competitors from competing effectively through exclusive business practices.

    APBS has since provided CCS with with a voluntary commitment to cease its outlet-exclusivity practice.

    The change in APBS’s business practices will be applicable to all draught beer contracts entered into with retailers on and after Dec 28, including new and renewal contracts.

    APBS will also be required to provide CCS with documents to show that these changes have taken effect.

    CCS said that it will continue to monitor market practices and reserves the right to investigate any breach of the commitment or any other anti-competitive practices by APBS.

    Mr Toh Han Li, Chief Executive of CCS, said: “The removal of these exclusive business practices will allow beer suppliers to compete on merit in offering their draught beers to retail outlets.

    “This will allow retailers to stock a greater variety of draught beers, leading to a more vibrant market with more choices for consumers , as well as opportunities for existing suppliers and new entrants including microbreweries and craft beer suppliers.”

    APBS responded in a statement today, saying that it notes the CCS announcement on the closure of its investigation, with no finding of liability.

    It added that there is a a wide range of over 300 beer brands available in various forms in Singapore.

    “Draught exclusivity arrangements are not uncommon in the beer industry and competition among suppliers is intense. Retailers always have and continue to have a choice of beer supplier in Singapore,” said Mitchell Leow, head of corporate relations for APBS.

    Lees ook:

  • Morton’s sky bar officially opens at the IFC Mall

    Morton’s sky bar officially opens at the IFC Mall

    Sip on a mortini and dance the night away to the Sound of Shanghai DJs, bottle service and cocktail promotions from 6:00 – 11:00 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at the outdoor rooftop Morton’s Sky Bar in Lujiazui.

    Located on the 5th floor atop the Shanghai ifc mall, the rooftop terrace of the prestigious Shanghai ifc mall, Morton’s Sky Bar – the only bar atop the ifc mall rooftop, is the newest addition to the biggest Morton’s in the world.

    After stepping inside the Morton’s The Steakhouse, guests are transported to a rich and inviting environment which captures the quintessential American steakhouse experience. With the addition of the Sky Bar, a visit to Morton’s creates a unique opportunity to experience luxury nightlife in Shanghai like never before. With a spectacular view of both the iconic Oriental Pearl and Shanghai Tower – one of the latest additions to the Lujiazui skyline – after-work drinks just got a lot more interesting.

    Morton’s Sky Bar will offer a special drink menu only available on the 5th floor rooftop. For just 68 + 10% rmb per glass, guests can choose from Morton’s premium selection of 10 cocktails. Morton’s featured cocktails highlight a selection of classics cocktails; the sophisticated Cosmopolitan and straight Gin and Tonic are sure to be crowd pleasers.

    In addition, guests can also enjoy premium bottles service on Morton’s Sky Bar rooftop terrace. Purchase a bottle of Grey Goose Vodka, Bombay Sapphire Gin, Glenfiddich 12 Year Scotch Whisky or Moet & Chandon Champagne (prices vary) and Morton’s will sweeten the deal with complimentary mixers and two of Morton’s signature Bar Bites menu items. As an added bonus with bottle service, a bartender will pour and mix the cocktails tableside. For wine enthusiasts, Morton’s Shanghai glass-encased cellar also stocks more than 250 labels available from the world’s finest wineries.

    Legendary Sound of Shanghai DJs Azz and Kadwell will hold it down on the outdoor bar every upcoming Thursday, Friday and Saturday with some mixed-style house music played between 6:30 and 9:30 p.m.

    “After five years of operating in Shanghai, we’re very excited to open the outdoor rooftop terrace with the introduction of Morton’s Sky Bar,” says Frederic Fusseau, General Manager of Morton’s Shanghai Steakhouse. “We expect the popularity of our MORTini nights to spill into the rooftop where partygoers can start the night with drinks and music in our laidback rooftop bar.”

    With a name that has been synonymous with premium dining and cocktails for decades, an evening at the Morton’s Sky Bar atop ifc mall – accompanied by DJ’s and a spectacular view of the city – is sure to be a shanghai hotspot. 

    Lees ook:

  • “A-very-wear” the first exclusive multi-label fashion pop-up store of Asian designers launched at Siam Center

    “A-very-wear” the first exclusive multi-label fashion pop-up store of Asian designers launched at Siam Center

    Siam Center, as the center of endless imagination and creativity in arts, fashion, technology and lifestyle, always captures the latest fashion trends and Influences to bring Thai fashion industry to the next level. The Ideapolis is now debuting “A-very-wear”, the first exclusive multi-label fashion pop-up store of Asian designers launched in Thailand under the motto of “A piece that is very YOU to wear” on the 1st floor of Siam Center.

    Ms.Parisa Chatnilbandhu, Group Senior Vice President – Retail Business Development of Siam Piwat Co., Ltd., said that the fashion industry has grown rapidly in U.S.A., Europe or even Asia. Currently, fashion plays a major role in youngsters’ lifestyle, especially in Asia. As we can see, the Fashion Week in each season in Korea, Japan and Singapore attracted the hipster from around the world, including Thai celebrities who flew to these countries just to buy the fashion items back. Siam Center, in response to this up-and-coming movement and the needs of fashion-forward people, debuts “A-very-wear”, the first exclusive multi-label fashion pop-up store of Asian designers, to bring the ultimate Asian fashion experience to Thailand. Siam Center carefully selects a wide variety of well-designed products and introduces Absolute Siam items, which are exclusively available at Siam Center, to help the fashionistas make the style statement of their own under the motto of “ A piece that is very YOU to wear”.

    Ms. Parisa continued that, to bring a hip spirit to Thai fashionistas, “A-very-wear” carries apparel, accessories, including eyeglasses, watches and many more, of 15 renowned Asian fashion brands from six countries, namely Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Taiwan. Each designer is very popular on social media, with many followers on facebook and Instagram. During the first six months, the hipsters can update the trend from four countries, namely Korea, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan, while the other two, Hong Kong and Indonesia, will join in the next six months.

    During the opening, “A-very-wear” introduces six well-known Korean brands. Fleamadonna, launched in 2007, has bold style and unique characteristic. It was therefore very well received from numerous fashionistas and celebrity fans including Pink, Paris Hilton, Miranda Kerr and Girl’s Generation girl band. Low Classic by Lee Myoung Shin presents the simple and classic ready-to-wear that is perfect for all occasions. Drink Beer Save Water is originated from the fun idea of the designer Jim Park, who thought “Why don’t we drink beer to save the water?” From this extreme idea, he presents the unisex collection under the same name as his brand, which has been growing both male and female fan base.  The clothes reflect their true personality, having fun dressing. That is why the wearers of DBSW always capture attention and stand out of the crowd. Rocket x Lunch is woman’s fashion brand designed by the talented Jin Won Woo. The brand is popular among hipsters for its minimalist style that can be worn on any occasions. It also showcased its creation in “Who’s Next in Paris 2015 Spring Summer” in France.

    A.Bell Korean accessory brand was established in 2010 under the claim of “Made It Korea” to guarantee that every single item is made in Korea. The brand decorates crystal on the bags, necklaces and bangles to create the glamorous and trendy look.  Minuit Moins Sept, another chic Korean accessory brand, has the French name means ‘seven minutes to midnight.’ It indicates the beginning of a new day when good things are about to happen. Adhering to this concept, Minuit Moins Sept creates the accessories that are perfect for both daytime and nighttime. Popular among male and female wearers, the simple yet elegant geometric design are made of silver 925 as the key material, with the key shade of gold, silver, dark blue, red and white.

    Besides Korean brands, the shop carries Singaporean fashion labels. Mash – up, very popular among fashion-forward people in Singapore, is the brainchild of three talented designers. This street fashion brand incorporates the endless inspiration from music, movies and the designers’ travelling experience. With its strong characteristic, the brand had a chance to produce the collaboration with UNIQLO, TOPSHOP, Lomography and Pioneer. Yesah is established by Linda Hao Chinese Singaporean-born designer, who combines her experience in modeling and educational background in fashion. After her education in 2013, she launched this brand, with distinctive characteristic, to serve the lifestyle of confident ladies who enjoy life. It is no wonder why Linda Hao has become the leading figure in Singapore in no time.

    Moreover, “A-Very-Wear” presents hand-made accessory brand from Taiwan like Momo’s march by Christina Lu, Taiwanese American-born designer. The brand puts together a range of materials, such as Russian diamond, brass, seashell, pearl and gemstones, into exquisite accessories under the concept of “Wearable thought”, which are practical for any time of day. YU Square by Ringo Yu is famous for its sewing technique, which integrates the embroidery into the design. Furthermore, the fashionistas can mix and match its colorful blouses, skirts and socks to suit each occasion.

    Normal Timepieces, minimallist-style Japanese watch brand, was brought to life by American designer Ross McBride. Having spent years in Japan, he was influenced by Japanese culture and incorporates it into his creation, which projects simplicity with a great sense of style.

    Unleash your style with chic items, along with Absolute Siam collection, from “A-very-wear” the first exclusive multi-label fashion pop-up store of Asian designers launched in Thailand on the 1st floor of Siam Center.

    Lees ook:

  • Has Singapore Finally Become Too Expensive?

    Has Singapore Finally Become Too Expensive?

    Singapore has long been seen as a mecca for high-end shopping. Locals and tourists alike have miles and miles of malls and boutique-lined streets to wander through. Retail refugees from China, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia come to the small city state because they can buy authentic Louis Vuitton, smell real Chanel and eat their fill of those famed Laduree macaroons.

    Something unexpected has been happening more and more over the past couple of years. Foreign visitors have been coming to Singapore’s shopping streets, but they have been keeping their wallets in their pockets.

    A haven for luxury

    Singapore has the world’s third highest per capita GDP, and locals do buy the pricey brands, but luxury boutiques still rely on tourist sales to make their profits and to justify the high cost of leasing or buying retail space in the heart of Singapore.

    These boutiques want to be in the heart of the city. That means spending big bucks to get space along Orchard Road, which is the epicenter of Singapore’s tourism scene. According to the Singapore Business Review, up to 80 percent of all luxury items sold in the country are bought in the Orchard Road area.

    Tourists are everywhere on Orchard, but most of them are opting to window shop instead of actually buying.

    Indonesian travelers are usually in the country for other reasons: business, medical tourism or to visit relatives. Some may spend time at boutiques, but this is not the main reason that they are in Singapore. Australians, meanwhile, are stuck with a weakened currency, so shopping with Singapore Dollars is not financially feasible.

    What about discounts?

    Downtown shops have been experimenting with sales and promotions. Some of these are specifically aimed at getting tourists to make purchases. Coach is offering a 10 percent discount at its Orchard Road locations, but Singaporeans don’t qualify for the price break. To get the deal, shoppers have to show their passport to prove that they are foreign visitors.

    Even this hasn’t worked. Tourist shopping statistics have held steady. Visiting buyers currently represent about 35 percent of the total sales for luxury items in Singapore.

    Has Singapore simply become too expensive?

    Yes, Singapore is expensive even if you don’t go there to add to your Vuitton bag collection. But it isn’t really fair to say that the luxury marketplace is struggling because country has become too expensive.

    The biggest expense for most tourists in Singapore is their hotel. Rooms are expensive, and if you are staying in a central location, they can be extremely pricey. At the same time, you can always eat cheaply at hawker centers and get around easily via the awesomely useful public transportation system. Also, if you can escape from Orchard Road, you will find some reasonable (if not cheap) places to shop.

    So while Singapore’s luxury brands are struggling, it is not quite right to say that the city is killing its tourism scene with high prices.

    Lees ook:

  • China’s 500m middle class consumers

    China’s 500m middle class consumers

    Within the next ten to twenty years there will be 500m middle class consumers in China, according to Jack Ma, and there will be huge opportunities for smaller Western brands to gain a foothold in this market.

    “In the last 20 years China was focused on exporting, in the next 10-20 years China will focus on importing,” the founder of ecommerce giant Alibaba told a business gathering in London. “We’re coming here to help small businesses in the UK, in Europe, to sell to China.”

    To this end the company has made its London office a regional hub and opened offices in Italy, France and Germany.

    Some 5,000 overseas brands from 25 countries are expected to take part in Singles Day, Alibaba’s annual online shopping extravaganza on November 11, which this year will feature 6m products from more than 40,000 merchants and 30,000 brands.

    Last year shoppers from 175 countries placed orders on Alibaba’s platforms during the first 40 minutes, as the company upgraded the event into a global online shopping carnival by helping Chinese shoppers purchase overseas products and overseas buyers acquire goods from China.

    The ecommerce business has announced it will this year be “merging bricks with clicks”. Jeff Zhang, president/China retail marketplaces, explained this was a theme of the 2015 event and “marks the first step in achieving the full integration of the digital economy and physical commerce”.

    Some 180,000 stores in 330 cities across China are using a variety of omnichannel strategies to make shopping more convenient and rewarding.

    So, for example, customers entering one of these stores will get text notifications from their Taobao mobile app and can then scan an event barcode to win discounted e-coupons to redeem on the 11.11 shopping day.

    Leading retail brands – including Suning, Intime and Haier – will have special in-store experience zones where consumers can try out displayed products before scanning the barcodes and purchasing them at the discounted prices reserved for sales on 11 November.

    Lees ook:

  • Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) 2015 Opens with 118 Countries Ready to Make Transactions

    Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) 2015 Opens with 118 Countries Ready to Make Transactions

    Indonesia is once again holding its largest international scale trade promotions exhibition, the Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) 2015. The 30th TEI event will be attended by more than 14 thousand buyers from 118 countries. TEI this year will be carrying the theme “Sourcing at Remarkable Indonesia” and is being held at the Jakarta International Expo (JIExpo) from the 21-25 October, showcasing export oriented products and services.

    The Indonesian Minister of Trade, Thomas Trikasih Lembong, said that TEI was an important instrument for promoting Indonesian exports. “TEI is one of the tools to increase market access and export target market diversification, particularly to nontraditional and emerging markets. The same as last year, TEI this year will focus on Business to Business transactions (B2B),” said Trade Minister Tom at the opening of TEI on Wednesday.

    In order to make TEI become an effective promotional event, the Ministry of Trade is focused on ways to bring in buyers from all over the world. This was done by way of cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; through Indonesian representative offices abroad such as Indonesian Embassies, Trade Attaches, Indonesian Trade Promotion Centers (ITPCs); and also through cooperation with the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of friendly countries to spread information abroad about the holding of TEI.

    “Efforts to diversify markets has continuously been carried out by the Ministry of Trade and it seems that now the buyers delegation list comprises mostly of countries from nontraditional markets, including Nigeria, India, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, and Malaysia,” said Tom.

    TEI this year will occupy a 50.000 m2 of exhibition space, larger than last year, which only occupied 40,000 m2 with occupancy reaching 99% of the target. The products that will be showcased include manufactured products (automotive products, footwear, textile products, household appliances, building materials, housewares, consumer goods, paper products, health equipment, rubber products, etc.), professional services, furniture, home decorations, processed food, fishery products, agriculture products, and other creative products.

    The “Pride of Indonesia” Pavilion has also returned with local products that are the pride of Indonesia and has been accepted in the global market. There will also be an ASEAN Pavilion set up with an information stand by ASEAN representative countries as well as an ASEAN Economic Community Center (AEC Center) to welcome the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), which will go into effect in December 2015.

    Events at TEI 2015 

    On the first day of TEI 2015, several trade contracts worth more than USD 8 million were already recorded. The signing of trade contracts were conducted between seven Indonesian exporters with five buyers, namely PT. Cipta Panel Buana with Kohnan Shoji Co., Ltd. from Japan, PT. Anggana Catur Prima with JANS Enterprises from the United States, PT. Perkebunan Nusantara VIII with Kong Wooi Fong Tea Merchant Sdn. Bhd from Malaysia, Sinar Sosro with Eastern Cross Trading Pty. Ltd. from Australia, and PT. Inti Bintang Mas Perkasa with Canejava Pty Ltd from Australia.

    TEI 2015 also continuously strives to inform about the latest in developments and regulations of the international export market by holding various activities such as the Trade, Tourism, and Investment (TTI) Seminar to inform exporters, buyers, and investors about taking advantage of international trade and investment opportunities. Regional Discussions will also be held to inform about potential products and foreign market access as well as discuss issues related to international trade.

    Besides that, there will also be a Business Counseling, which is a consultation event facilitated by the Trade Attache and the Head of the Indonesian Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) in order to provide information access and information on penetrating foreign markets for exporters. There will also be a Business Matching to introduce buyers to suitable Indonesian exporters that matches the products the buyers are looking for.

    Moreover, TEI 2015 have also awarded the Primaniyarta Award to 30 Indonesian exporters for various categories, namely 7 companies in the Domestic Capital Investment High-performance Exporter Category, 7 companies in the Foreign Capital Investment High-performance Exporter Category, 6 companies in the Global Brand developers Category, 7 companies in the Superior Potential Exporters Category, and 3 companies in the Exporters of New Market Pioneers Category.

    Afterwards, the presentation of the Primaduta Award to 60 loyal buyers that have been importing Indonesian products. This is a form of appreciation presented by the Government to those who have contributed to increasing Indonesian exports. “We hope that TEI this year will be able to result in even more trade cooperation between Indonesian exporters with buyers so that it could directly contribute to the growth of the national export performance,” said Trade Minister Tom.

  • Apple’s location for its official Singapore store confirmed?

    Apple’s location for its official Singapore store confirmed?

    Apple’s location for its first official store in Singapore might be confirmed in a press release… that was not released by Apple.

    The announcement started innocently enough: fitness chain Pure Fitness issued a statement saying it will be closing its branch in Knightsbridge, a distinctive retail building in Singapore. Oddly, it mentions in passing that “Pure and other tenants will be handing back space to make way for the opening of a new Apple store in late 2016.”

    We can only guess why Pure Fitness talked about Apple in the press release.knightsbridge

    Earlier, an email was apparently sent out to Pure Fitness customers stating the same news:

    apple pure fitness

    Apple has been seeking a retail space in Singapore for some time. We are reaching out to the company for comment.