Category: Living

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Living news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Toby’s Sports flagship opening in BGC soon

    Toby’s Sports flagship opening in BGC soon

    A new Toby’s Sports flagship store just opened in BGC is the chain’s largest yet. The 1000sqm store, which takes up two floors, was designed by German architectural firm Blocher + Blocher and Philippine-based Sonia Olivares and Associates. The interior design was inspired by Manila’s “raw aesthetics” with larger-than-life graphics and bursts of color that reflect “the vibrant nature of sports”. Interactive touch screen displays throughout the store use RFID tags to provide shoppers with information about products.

    “We harnessed the latest technology to bring our store experience to the next level,” said Toby’s Sports president Toby Claudio. “We wanted to create more than just a store, but a space that tells stories about the latest sports innovations and inspire people to play; an iconic store, a pinnacle shopping experience in the heart of Metro Manila.”

    On the outside, a large LED display rises over Fifth Avenue.

    The store stocks a premium collection of footwear, sports apparel and equipment from multiple international brands.

    “The new Toby’s Sports flagship store is a statement we wanted to make, that even after 40 years in the business, we are still looking for ways to improve. It has allowed us to provide new and exciting experiences and best-level products for our customers. My hope is that the flagship can become an epicenter for sports and sneaker culture in the Philippines,” said Claudio.

    The store features several zones to provide an experiential component to shopping.

    An interactive PlayZone hosts events and doubles as a basketball court, featuring a professional-grade basketball shooting machine.

    LaunchZone will showcase new products and double as a space for pop-up installations, VIP events and guest appearances by athletes.

    Toby’s Custom Lab on the second floor, offers apparel customization services for customers, and is able to create team uniforms of personalised products for individuals.

    The BGC store is Toby’s Sports 55th shop in the Philippines and more are in planning.

  • Hanoi metro fares initially capped at 65 US cents

    Hanoi metro fares initially capped at 65 US cents

    The maximum fare on Hanoi’s first metro line will be VND15,000 (65 cents), city authorities said in a draft proposal. The minimum will be VND8,000 (34 cents).

    Passengers can also buy monthly season tickets for VND200,000 ($8.61) or daily tickets for VND30,000 ($1.29), both allowing unlimited trips.

    The proposal, meant to collect public opinion, said the fares would only apply initially when the commercial run begins next month, and would be increased later.

    Work on the Cat Linh-Ha Dong elevated railway began in 2011 and was originally scheduled for completion in 2013. But several hurdles, including loan disbursement issues with China that were only resolved in December 2017, stalled it for years.

    The original estimated cost of $552.86 million also ballooned to more than $868 million, including $670 million in loans from China.

    The metro eventually entered the testing phase with all 13 cars carrying out trial runs on both lines. The ministry wanted commercial operations to begin before the Lunar New Year in early February, but this deadline too was missed.

    The Chinese contractor of the metro, China Railway Sixth Group Co., Ltd, plans to finish trial run this month. It has been carrying them out since last September.

    Hanoi, a city of more than 7.5 million people, has 5.2 million motorbikes and around 550,000 cars, besides some 1.2 million vehicles brought by non-residents, according to police figures.

  • Alfamart Philippines opening 200 new stores this year

    Alfamart Philippines opening 200 new stores this year

    Mini-mart chain Alfamart will open 200 new stores in the Philippines next year, according to a Fitch Ratings report. It said Alfamart Philippines stores already has 400 stores in the country, of which 180 were opened this year in partnership with local operator and majority stakeholder SM Group. The 200 new stores will take its total network to 600 locations in the Philippines by the end of next year.

    “Alfamart’s investment risk for its Philippine expansion is mitigated by the strong presence of SM Group in the country … Fitch expects Alfamart to have access to SM Group’s large business network and tap its widely known brand”.

    SM Retail operates 1729 stores nationwide. Alfamart’s Indonesian parent has a 35 per cent stake in the Alfamart Philippines business.

    According to the report, “Both Indonesia and the Philippines are consumer-driven markets with young populations and expanding middle classes. Both economies have similar income levels of GDP per capita of US$3000-$4000. Consumers in both markets also prefer to buy small amounts of bundled products rather than filling grocery carts”.

    It described the mini-mart sector in the Philippines “as untapped and having limited competition … the existing players mostly operate convenience stores that carry more limited products. Alfamart’s stores offer additional products, such as fresh and frozen food, personal care and small household appliances, giving the company some competitive advantage in grabbing market share.

    “Alfamart chose to expand in the Philippines as it believes it has more potential than other Southeast Asian markets, such as Thailand and Vietnam.”

  • Laox lets Chinese tourists Flying to Japan pre-order duty-free

    Laox lets Chinese tourists Flying to Japan pre-order duty-free

    Tokyo-based duty-free operator Laox is allowing Chinese tourists to Japan to do their tax-free shopping online in advance of their visit.

    The duty-free goods will be listed on an Alibaba-hosted website, allowing consumers to purchase their goods online and pick them up at Laox locations of their choice within Japan up to a month following the transaction. Travellers will need to show purchase records on their phone and present their passports to be eligible for tax exemption.

    The number of goods available for purchase on the website is expected to grow to about 5000 items from the roughly 100 currently available already.

    The service is launching during a period of stagnation in the Chinese tourist market, as Japanese retailers face intensifying competition.

    Laox’s strategy is intended to spare shoppers the inconvenience of hunting for the products they want within physical stores. It is the first such scheme hosted on an Alibaba site.

  • Tmall targets 1000 online cosmetics stores this year

    Tmall targets 1000 online cosmetics stores this year

    Alibaba’s Tmall has announced that it expects international and domestic cosmetics brands to open 1000 online cosmetics stores this year to meet burgeoning demand from Chinese consumers. At its annual beauty summit, Tmall announced that seven international cosmetics companies have signed agreements to open flagship stores on Tmall this year. Another five beauty companies signed New Retail partnerships with Tmall during the summit, giving them a complete view of their customer base by integrating insights from digitised offline promotion activities and storefront information with online information.

    “We are honoured to be trusted by 180,000 brands on our platform, empowering them to accelerate their digital transformation and grow their business in China,” said Tmall president Jet Jing. “As China continues its consumption upgrade, more and more people from different age groups and geographic locations are willing to spend on high-quality beauty products. We are looking forward to working with more brands to address the opportunity.”

    Tmall’s sales of beauty products via its online cosmetics stores jumped by more than 60 per cent last year, surpassing the industry’s average growth rate. Online sales of cosmetics, skincare and personal care products grew by 46 per cent, 40 per cent and 37 per cent in China respectively last year, which was also ahead of the whole fast-moving consumer goods sector average of 34 per cent, according to a report jointly released by Tmall and retail market research firm Kantar during the summit.

    The report also highlighted the untapped potential in Generation Z. Aged between 15 to 19 years old, Generation Z female consumers are newcomers to the beauty market and are willing to spend more on high-end lipsticks than women in other age groups, representing an opportunity for cosmetics companies.

    Last year, some 80 per cent of Tmall brands chose the marketplace to launch new products, proof of the platform’s ability to identify new markets and demand. Two new emerging domestic beauty brands were among more than 30 beauty and personal care brands whose sales topped RMB 100 million (US$14.9 million) at last year’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival.

    Also at the summit, Tmall showcased a one-stop solution, the Alibaba Business Operating System, as part of a new effort to help beauty brands succeed in China. The system helps brands digitally transform themselves in sales, logistics and supply-chain management, payment, marketing, cloud computing and other supporting services.

  • Sportswear brands Merrell and Saucony heading to China

    Sportswear brands Merrell and Saucony heading to China

    Chinese sportswear retailer Xtep has signed a deal with Wolverine World Wide to distribute Merrell and Saucony products in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.

    The joint venture plans to start operating in the second half of this year.

    “We are delighted to have Wolverine, a global company with a portfolio of premium brands, as our partner,” said Ding Shui Po, Xtep chairman and CEO. “We look forward to working shoulder-to-shoulder with them to seize the numerous business opportunities we see in these key Asian markets.”

    New stores will trade under the Merrell and Saucony banners, with the majority slated for shopping malls in China’s larger cities. Xtep plans an expanded presence for both brands in Hong Kong and Macau.

    “Wolverine is extremely pleased to partner with Xtep to accelerate the growth of two of our best-known global brands – Saucony and Merrell – in the critical markets of mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau,” added Blake W. Krueger, chairman, CEO and president of Wolverine.

    “We have seen incredible sportswear growth in these markets, and our brands are now poised to excel as we engage Xtep’s significant retail presence and regional expertise to tap into the booming running and outdoor sectors.”

  • Lego China Flagship Heralds with a renewed focus on the East

    Lego China Flagship Heralds with a renewed focus on the East

    Danish toy brand Lego’s bounce back after a tough financial year has seen new enthusiasm from the brand for expansion into China. The new energy has seen the retailer open its first Lego China flagship in Beijing last weekend.

    A drop in demand for its products during the 2017 financial year – the first since 2004 – saw the brand take a sharp conservative turn last year in order to stabilize the business. Meanwhile, double-digit growth in China brought revenue up 4 per cent to US$5.5 billion with profits of $1.2 billion, accompanied by a degree of sales recovery in the US and western Europe.

    “We are especially encouraged by our progress given the challenges facing the toy industry and the departure of specialist retailers such as Toys R Us that went under last year,” said Lego’s CEO Niels B Christiansen. “These shifts gave us the opportunity to strengthen our partnerships with retailers and find new ways to connect with shoppers and consumers across digital and physical channels.”

    Buoyed by the encouraging results, and on the heels of the Lego China flagship opening, the company will launch 80 new physical outlets in 18 Chinese cities this year.

  • 7-Eleven Malaysia predicts improved trading conditions

    7-Eleven Malaysia predicts improved trading conditions

    7-Eleven Malaysia CEO Colin Harvey believes the company can do ever better this year after a modest improvement in sales last financial year. The company’s revenue crept up 1.3 per cent last year to RM2.22 billion (US$546 million), with after-tax profit up 2.4 per cent to RM51.3 million ($12.6 million). Harvey says sales growth was driven by new stores and an improvement in same-store sales and consumer-promotion activity.

    “We continue to see opportunity for improvement. We are confident that our strategy roadmap focussed on strengthening the key areas of assortment, supply chain, operational excellence, store base, and digitally enabling the organisation will bear fruit in terms of financial performance, and overall customer shopping experience.”

    7-Eleven Malaysia’s board believes the trading conditions for the next quarter will improve,  driven by domestic demand and anticipated heighted consumer sentiment. The group plans to “continue to refresh the 7-Eleven brand in the mind of the customer” through innovative promotions, products and pricing.

  • Lotte Mart Vietnam expands in Hanoi

    Lotte Mart Vietnam expands in Hanoi

    Lotte Mart Vietnam has opened its third Hanoi store in Cau Giay District. The South Korean retailer’s new 2776sqm branch is located in the urban district, near seven local universities. Targeting local students, the branch will offer trendy but inexpensive products. There will be an international zone that sells products from Korea, the US and Europe and  a ‘Delica’ corner will offer baked goods and easy-to-cook food.

    About 35 per cent of the fresh-food products will include harvests from farms near Hanoi to maintain freshness.

    Lotte Mart Vietnam head of overseas business Kang Min-ho said the firm is planning to expand its business in the country, mainly focusing on Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

    Lotte Mart now has 14 stores in Vietnam.

  • Major aviation deals inked as US, Vietnam presidents meet

    Major aviation deals inked as US, Vietnam presidents meet

    Three major aviation deals were signed Wednesday in the presence of Vietnamese and U.S. presidents Nguyen Phu Trong and Donald Trump. Budget airline Vietjet signed with U.S. airplane manufacturer Boeing Company a deal to buy 100 new narrow-body 737 MAX airplanes worth $12.7 billion, according to the manufacturer’s list prices.

    “The deal is an important move for us to meet our international flight network expansion plan with a higher capacity,” Vietjet president and CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao said.

    Vietjet also finalised a $5.3 billion long-term engine support agreement with General Electric for the LEAP-1B engines in its fleet.

    New airline Bamboo Airways also inked a deal with Boeing for 10 wide-body 787-9 Dreamliners worth almost $3 billion.

    The carrier, owned by property and leisure company FLC Group, had placed a provisional order last year for 20 Boeing 787 jets worth $5.6 billion at list prices.

    The new deal brings the total number of Boeing 787 that Bamboo Airways has ordered to 30, worth total value of almost $8.6 billion. First aircraft are expected to be delivered in the third quarter of next year.

    Bamboo Airways is preparing to launch flights to the U.S. from late 2019 or early 2020, after Vietnam earlier this month received a Category 1 rating from the U.S, allowing local airlines to operate direct flights to the U.S.

    “Direct flights between the two countries will not only push tourism activities, but also further facilitate bilateral trade and investment,” FLC president Trinh Van Quyet said in a statement.

    Bamboo Airways is also considering the purchase of 25 narrow-body Boeing 737 MAX worth $2.5 billion, the statement said.

    Vietnam Airlines signed a $300-million for strategic partnership deal in aviation information technology with U.S.-based technology company Sabre Corporation.

    The deal is expected to help the state-owned Vietnamese airline increase IT applications in flight management and passenger service.

    Sabre has been cooperating with Vietnam airlines for over 20 years. Last year, they had signed a $400-million aviation technology application deal.

    Vietnam’s aviation sector has been booming in recent years. Local airlines served almost 50 million passengers last year, up 10.1 percent from 2017, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.

  • Build-A-Bear to open more stores in next 10 years in India

    Build-A-Bear to open more stores in next 10 years in India

    For more than 21 years, U.S. based personalized experiential toy retail brand Build-A-Bear has been sharing hearts and bear hugs globally, and after a long wait, Tablez – the retail arm of LuLu Group International, has launched the first Build-A-Bear store in India, at Toys”R”Us, Phoenix Marketcity in Bangalore. Build-A-Bear is a global customized stuffed-animal retail entertainment brand that aims to reach as many as 9 million households in the top 15 cities in India by 2025. Besides standalone stores, shop-in-shop formats of Build-A-Bear would be launched within Toys“R”Us.

    On this special occasion, Adeeb Ahamed, MD, Tablez said: “The Build-A-Bear concept is a one-of-a-kind retail experience, and we are thrilled to open the first store in Bangalore. Build-A-Bear is synonymous with creativity and novelty for children. I am sure that each child that enters our store will cherish their experience and leave with an indelible memory.

    “From standalone stores to shop-in-shop formats, Build-A-Bear is ready to reach out to families and kids in India and help loved ones create memories and spend more time together. We plan to open 20 standalone stores of Build-A-Bear across key cities in India over the next 10 years, along with shop-in-shop formats across all our Toys”R”Us stores as well.”

    Dorrie Krueger, Build-A-Bear Workshop Chief Strategy Officer, said, “Together with Tablez India, we are excited to open the first Build-A-Bear store in India and continue to expand into this important global market. We look forward to introducing the Build-A-Bear brand and sharing the joy of making a new furry friend with millions of families.”

    Build-A-Bear is a global brand that kids love and parents trust for fantastic family experiences. The ‘Choose Me’ wall at every Build-A-Bear store is where the empowerment journey begins as each guest chooses an unstuffed animal to bring to life. Accessories give customers the freedom to customize their creation. The heart ceremony is where one can add special wishes to their friend. During the stuffing process, a heart is placed in the bear along with special wishes, and the guest promises to care for their new furry friend once they are given the birth certificate. This signature ceremony brings each stuffed animal to life in a personal way, further ensuring a greater attachment.

    Established in 1997, Build-A-Bear has helped millions find their own meaning in a new furry friend. The brand has nearly 500 stores worldwide and more than 180 million furry friends have been made globally in its 21-year history. Build-A-Bear helps guests mark special occasions, start friendships, and inspires people to make their own adventures. At Build-A-Bear, one is empowered to feel that anything is possible.

    Further, a Build-A-Bear shop-in-shop format will follow in Vega City Mall, Bangalore; City Centre Mall, Mangalore and Phoenix Marketcity, Pune. Build-A-Bear plans to expand to as many as 65 shop-in-shop format stores and 20 standalone stores in India over the next 10 years.

  • Seoul to get its first Emart Traders branch next month

    Seoul to get its first Emart Traders branch next month

    Emart, a Shinsegae Group company, will open a new branch of Traders, its big-box warehouse chain, in Seoul next month. It will be the first branch in the capital. The outlet will be located in Wolgye-dong, Nowon District, northern Seoul, with the opening scheduled for March 14. The Wolgye Traders is being built in the parking lot of Emart’s Wolgye store. The warehouse store will be 9,917 square meters (106,746 square feet) in size, with 45,302 square meters of floor area.

    Emart said the annual sales goal for the first Seoul branch of Traders is 140 billion won ($12.6 million). The company is planning to raise the new branch’s competitiveness by offering instant and fresh food at prices that could be 45 to 50 percent lower than the average price at department stores.

    There are currently 15 Traders branches nationwide, and Emart is planning to expand the number to 18 by the end of this year.

  • Convenience drives Chinese smart-home market

    Convenience drives Chinese smart-home market

    New research from market intelligence agency Mintel has suggested that convenience will drive the future of the Chinese smart-home market. However, affordability is the biggest barrier to purchasing, in an environment where today’s Chinese consumers are growing increasingly familiar with smart home devices. According to Mintel, as many as 68 per cent of urban Chinese consumers who have purchased or are interested in smart-home devices say that convenience is a primary reason for their interest. Meanwhile, 60 per cent attribute their interest in smart-home devices to trying new technology and half because smart home devices make them feel more relaxed at home.

    “Chinese consumers are now increasingly knowledgeable about how smart-home appliances can help to simplify daily lives,” said Mintel China research analyst Kaye Huang. “Convenience as well as an interest in trying new technology are big reasons for Chinese consumers to purchase smart-home devices. Parents are showing more interest in smart-home devices than those without children; which is likely to be attributed to how the devices can help parents save time and effort. On the flip side, price, more so than privacy, is what is keeping Chinese consumers from purchasing these devices. This indicates that companies in the smart-home market need to put more effort into communicating why these products are value for money.”

    Meanwhile, Mintel research reveals that automatic adjustment to environmental changes is a big opportunity for players in the smart home devices market; more than half of urban Chinese consumers think that this function is a necessity.

    “What will stand out in the smart-home market is the ‘automatic adjustment of parameters’ which enables smart-home devices to automatically respond to environmental changes, such as temperature and humidity. Today’s Chinese consumers have higher expectations on their living conditions and automation is an important part of making the living environment ‘smarter’,” said Huang.

    “Voice control has been a popular area of development in recent years especially since the industry believes that it could be the next generation of user interaction,” continued Huang. “Yet, our research finds that voice control, while widely-known, is a less-used smart home function. While playing music and asking for general information are two main functions that Chinese consumers are using for voice control, in reality this only counts for a handful of consumers, suggesting consumers’ habit of using voice control is far from being firmly established. In the future, brands can look at rolling out strategies and initiatives to instil the habit of using voice control among consumers in China.”

  • Longines Masters of Hong Kong 2019 – a recap

    Longines Masters of Hong Kong 2019 – a recap

    Three days of action brought with them a life’s worth of memories as the curtain came down on the Asian stage of the Longines Masters Paris – Hong Kong – New York intercontinental series. More than 35,000 people gathered across the three days of this year’s Longines Masters of Hong Kong.

    Fittingly, the final day was graced by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who met the riders and presented the Longines Grand Prix of Hong Kong trophy. Longines Ambassador of Elegance, horse lover and entertainment super star Aaron Kwok was also on hand for the final press conference and to share his thoughts on the sport he loves so dearly – and like one of his live shows, the thrills came from start to glorious finish. The action began with The HKJC Asian Junior Grand Prix, excitement rose with the staging of the DBS Trophy, and then came the event everyone had been waiting for all week – the Longines Grand Prix of Hong Kong. And the premier event brought out the very best from Denis Lynch on Chablis as the Irish rider and his stable newcomer flew around the course. It proved a fitting way to end a fabulous week – and now it’s on to American stage in New York, which among other things will feature the rematch of the Riders Masters Cup, from 25 to 28 April 2019.

    Denis Lynch claims the Longines Grand Prix of Hong Kong!

    The glory on this final day came with the Longines Grand Prix of Hong Kong and a stunning effort from Denis Lynch on Chablis as they finished in front of Simon Delestre on Uccello de Will. But there was so much more also on offer all day.

    It began – at 9.30am – with The HKJC Asian Junior Grand Prix, an initiative from partners EEM, The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Hong Kong Equestrian Federation that showcased the rising stars of Asian showjumping. It was Hong Kong’s Vincent Zi-Xiang Capol on It’s A Gamble who lit up the main arena on the day, capturing the title after a two-round competition with jump heights raised from 1.00m to 1.10m.

    Next – at 12pm – came the DBS Trophy, a one-round competition that set riders a simple task. On paper at least. To win you had to be the fastest from eight riders to complete a clear round – and on this day the fastest was Roger Yves Bost on Castleforbes Talitha.

    Then it was time for the ultimate event at the world’s ultimate show jumping series. The Longines Grand Prix tests the world’s best against jumps at Olympic height heights of 1.60m, and it provides a true test of technique, of skill and of bravery from both rider and horse.

    In the end it came down to a ride for the ages from Denis Lynch on Chablis, as they cleared all the fences over two rounds. Second place went to Simon Delestre on Uccello de Will – the only other pair to clear all the fences. Along with the US$400,000 in price money the Paris, Hong Kong and New York Longines Grand Prix offers something very special – a Super Grand Slam Bonus of €2,250,000 rewarding a victory in each round of the Series in the same season and a €1,000,000 additional bonus for three successive victories at The Longines Grand Prix straddling two Longines Masters seasons. Irishman Lynch will now head to New York for the next leg in April with that huge bonus in his sights.

    While the show jumping action kept fans glued to their seats all day long, there was plenty more to entertain in the main arena. Presented by MGM, equine artists Frédéric Pignon and Magali Delgado and their Iberian horses continued to leave the audience spellbound with dazzling shows combining music, dance and multi-media. Then there was the appearance of the “golden girl” of the HKJC Equestrian Team as Jacqueline Siu celebrated her history making gold medal performance at last year’s Asian Games with a dressage performance the relived the glory.

    Reflections on three days of fun and fanfare

    Over three days – and nights – the Prestige Village came alive, allowing visitors to indulge and be entertained thanks to fabulous collaborations with the Longines Masters of Hong Kong’s partners and exhibitors.

    Among the many and varied highlights were the first staging of the Asian Hobby Horse Competition and the wild after party hosted by DJ Henri PFR, while visitors were able to immerse themselves in luxury offering from a wide array of brands, while being tempted by gastronomic delights. While visitors were treated to the latest from the likes of Title Partner Longines, Kingsland, Fieldstone, Horse Pilot, Equicty, Hermès Sellier, Asia Marine, Baccarat, Lightfoot Travel, Robert Mark Safaris, KEF, La Mod and Maserati. There were also themed gifts and novelties inside the Longines Masters Boutique, one lucky guest walked away with a trip (flight and accommodation) to New York to visit the Macey & Sons Gallery and the Longines Masters of New York in April 2019, courtesy of Macey & Sons Gallery.

    Save the Children

    Dedicated to promoting equestrian sports on an international scale as well as making a difference by contributing to socially constructive causes, Longines Masters series organizers EEM this year chose to support deprived children around the globe, especially in Hong Kong and China. The Hong Kong leg of the intercontinental show jumping event joined hands with the Sole Beneficiary Charity Partner, Save the Children Hong Kong, with parts of the net proceeds generated from the charity auction lunch, various VIP Hospitality Experiences in a specific period of time and kids’ activities in Prestige Village donated to sustain these marginalized children’s ongoing education, health, protection and emergency relief programs.

  • Asiana and pilots reach safe operations agreement

    Asiana and pilots reach safe operations agreement

    Asiana Airlines and its pilot labor union jointly announced their vision for safe airline operations, the airline said Friday. During a ceremony held for the announcement Thursday, they vowed to strengthen communications for safe flight operations and cooperate in enhancing airline sustainability. The ceremony was held at the company headquarters in Gangseo District, western Seoul.

    Asiana Airlines CEO Han Chang-soo and Asiana Pilot Union head Kim Young-gone attended.

    The union requested the company establish a new team that will make sure there are no obstacles to safe flight and improve pilot rights and interests. The company agreed to fully support safe and secure flight operations.

    The two parties completed wage negotiations in September and have since worked toward cooperation.