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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.

  • L’Occitane China sales soar

    L’Occitane China sales soar

    L’Occitane Hong Kong and Macau sales are still falling, but in the mainland they soared 20.4 per cent in the last six months.

    Unveiling its results for the half year to September 30, L’Occitane said worldwide sales rose 12.5 per cent to US$546.7 million. In local currency, sales rose 5.8 per cent.

    But in Hong Kong, the retail operation remained impacted by the weak market sentiment and a drop in Mainland Chinese tourists.

    “During the second quarter, Hong Kong travel retail sell-through was sluggish due to the lagging effects of Mers in Korea and a drastic drop in traffic in Hong Kong and Macau,” the company said in its filing.

    China was the fastest growing country with 20.4 per cent growth in local currency, mainly contributed by new stores opened last year and in the first half of this year. Sales via T-mall also contributed to the sell-out growth in China.

    Japan, its third fastest growing market behind France,  posted a sales growth of 8.2 per cent at constant exchange rates with same store sales growth at 6.9 per cent.

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  • Walkerhill emphasises importance of Chinese consumers

    Walkerhill emphasises importance of Chinese consumers

    Korean travel retailer Walkerhill Duty Free has outlined the importance of Chinese consumers to overall business while presenting an overview of the leading brands, which have driven growth in Korean Duty Free.

    Speaking as part of a morning workshop last week in Cannes, which focused on South Korea, the world’s largest single travel-retail and duty-free market, which registered sales growth of 22.8% last year giving it a global market share of 12.3%, SK Walkerhill Duty Free senior vice-president Mikyong Kwon said: “Eighty percent of our customers are Chinese. Our brand loyalty is very high built up over 50 years. There is a strong emphasis on Chinese customers.”

    She added: “Walkerhill Duty Free grew 46% in 2013 compared to the previous year and the majority of our customers were Chinese.”

    Pressed by the audience as to whether the retailer relies too much on Chinese customers, she commented: “It is our role to cater to Chinese consumers. There was a time when we dependant on Japanese customers.”

    In terms of brands, total cosmetics sales in Korean travel-retail grew 38% in 2014 versus the previous year. “We have seen outstanding growth of Korean brands in sales and market share. Sulwahsoo, Laneige and Etude House are enjoying accelerated growth.

    “For Walkerhill, number one is WHOO from LG then MCM, Sulwahsoo and Laneige.”

    She added: “I would like to draw your attention to these Korean brands which are leading the sales growth of Korean duty-free. There is still room for growth in the next five or 10 years.”

    Meanwhile, Kwon is remaining positive despite the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak from May to July, which stunted growth. Kwon said: “Although growth has slowed because we hit by MERS we should still reach last year’s sales figure.”

    Regarding Walkerhill’s online and mobile strategy Kwon said online and mobile was definitely the direction to go. “Fifty percent of Koreans are shopping online before departure,” she commented.

    Kwon’s presentation followed a speech from Silla University Professor Yang Song-Hoon, who emphasised the importance of Chinese consumers. “In 2014 there were 6.1 million Chinese tourists in Korea. They are our biggest customer and comprise 40% of total visitors. Their expenditure is double compared to other tourists.”

    According to Song-Hoon, who said facial mask-packs were the hottest items purchased by inbound Chinese travellers in Korea, souvenirs are important purchases for Asian consumers. He explained: “Asian tourists have a duty to express their apologies to family and friends that did not accompany them on their trip. Tangible souvenirs are a means of expressing thanks.”

    Reflecting on this year’s MERS outbreak, Song-Hoon said: “Korea learnt an expensive lesson from MERS outbreak. To rebound from the adverse effect of MERS our government took measures to return to normal. It committed public money including a tourism fund.”

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  • AirAsia India Rolls Out Promotional Fares Starting Rs 1,269

    AirAsia India Rolls Out Promotional Fares Starting Rs 1,269

    Budget carrier AirAsia India has yet again rolled out a promotional fare scheme, offering tickets as low as Rs 1,269 (all-inclusive). The offer ends on November 8, 2015 and is applicable on travel between January 15 and April 30, 2016.

    Under this AirAsia offer, tickets on Bengaluru to Kochi route are priced from Rs 1,269 (all-inclusive). Tickets on Bengaluru to Goa route is priced from Rs 1469 and Bengaluru to New Delhi at Rs 3,469.

    Its parent AirAsia is also offering fares starting from Rs 3,399 (all-inclusive) on overseas routes as part of a separate promotional scheme. This offer is open till November 8. For example, tickets from Kochi to Kuala Lumpur are priced from Rs 3,399.

    Many airlines have come up with promotional fares to tap the festive season demand.

    Air India’s offer christened ‘Diwali Dhamaka’ is valid till November 7 for travel between January 15 and April 15, 2016. Earlier, SpiceJet had also come up with ‘Diwali Sale’ with fares staring at Rs 749 (base fare-excluding taxes) for domestic sector and from Rs 3,999 (all-inclusive) on international sectors.

    Airlines have rolled out many promotional fares this year on the back of a sharp fall in oil prices. Domestic airlines in the first nine months of this year – January to September – have carried 590 lakh passengers, a growth of 20 per cent.

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  • Japanese Comics Digital Bookstore “MangaMon” Launched in Indonesia

    Japanese Comics Digital Bookstore “MangaMon” Launched in Indonesia

    eBOOK Initiative Japan Co., Ltd., who operates ebook-selling website, “eBookJapan,” which boasts the largest line-ups of the digital comics in Japan, has launched the Japanese comics digital bookstore, “MangaMon” on November 1st.

    “MangaMon” url: https://www.mangamon.id/

    “MangaMon” proudly introduces the properly-licensed Japanese comics in digital form (i.e. “ebook”) that are translated into Bahasa-Indonesia in collaboration with Kompas Gramedia group publishers: Elex Media Komputindo and m&c!.

    At the same time, “MangaMon” focuses on Japanese entertainment portal site by providing the cutting-edge news from Japan and by offering various events. The three main features of MangaMon are as follows:

    Japanese comics digital bookstore translated into Bahasa-Indonesia

    [Line-up]
    MangaMon has a vision to offer all of the major Japanese comics. The line-up includes “Angel Heart” which is a very hot topic now in Japan after being made into TV drama. We will soon increase the line-ups published by various major publishers in Japan.

    [Payment method]
    Users can pay by credit card, mobile carrier charge, and internet banking online, as well as through offline such as ATM and convenience stores, which are available on 100,000+ places.

    [Reading]
    Comics bought on MangaMon can be read in smartphones, tablets, and PCs. Apps (free of charge!), which are made available for Android, iOS and Windows, will make users read offline after downloading the ebooks. Furthermore, users don’t have to use the apps should they use browser and connect to internet.
    (Supports Android from ver. 4.0.0 and from iOS 6)

    Various alliances with all players related to entertainments

    “MangaMon” is committed to foster Japanese entertainment portal function in Indonesia by making alliance with all player related to entertainment field.

    “MangaMon” is launched in Indonesia by collaborating with Kompas Gramedia group publishers of Elex Media Komputindo and m&c!. It also features Japanese pop culture news by forming alliance with Jurnal Otaku INDONESIA and KAORI Nusantara.

    MangaMon shall further endeavor to form various alliances with Mass media such as TV, radio and magazines, Publishers, Game providers, Talent agencies, and chain of café, as well as Event organizers, Manga circles in universities, Famous cosplayers, and Influential bloggers in Indonesia.

    “MangaMon” has started to form alliances in Japan too with companies who introduce Japanese pop culture abroad such as; Tokyo Otaku Mode Inc. who runs “Tokyo Otaku Mode”, ALL BLUE inc. who runs “Tokyo Girls’ Update”, IID, Inc. who runs “Anime!Anime!”. We plan to run cooperative campaigns and contents provisions.

    A lot of delightful events and campaigns

    • Variety of contests aimed at offering the chance for creation
    “MangaMon” plans to host many kinds of contests; Comic contests, Cosplay contests, Character illustration contests, etc. to provide chances of creative activities for new talents. The judges in the first comic contest are editors from Elex Media Komputindo, m&c! and publishers in Japan.

    • Luxurious prizes for accumulated rewards points
    “MangaMon” offers a rewards points system which you can exchange to goods and vouchers. Users can earn points through four types of opportunities; buying ebooks, tapping the “likes” for books and reviews, answering the questionnaire, getting “likes” pressed for your reviews. For every point stage, we will offer more than 20 kinds of prizes, including a lottery for a 7 days tour to Japan.

    Enjoy the new service of “MangaMon,” which shall boost the entertainment market in Indonesia.

    Social Networks
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mangamon.id
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/mangamon_id
    Instagram: https://instagram.com/MangaMon_id/

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  • Thailand’s Consumer Sentiment Sees First Improvement in 10 Months in October

    Thailand’s Consumer Sentiment Sees First Improvement in 10 Months in October

    Thailand’s consumer sentiment recovered for the first time in 10 months in October, thanks to the government’s continued introduction of economic stimulus measures.

    The University of Thai Chamber of Commerce said Thursday that the consumer confidence index rose to 73.4 in October from 72.1 in September, when the index hit its lowest level in 16 months. The monthly consumer confidence report is based on a survey of 2,244 respondents.

    Thanavath Phonvichai, director of the university’s Economic and Business Forecasting Center, told a news conference that the government’s continued introduction of a series of economic stimulus packages has helped boost consumer confidence.

    In the past few months, the Junta-installed government has unveiled a number of short-term economic stimulus measures, including a 136 billion baht ($3. 8 billion) package aimed at low-income households, a 10 billion baht ($282 million) budget to boost the property sector and new tax incentives for the private sector to speed up or increase investments.

    Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who is in charge of the economy, said this week that the government is confident that all measures will start yielding fruit from the fourth quarter of this year.

    Mr. Thanavath of the Thai Chamber of Commerce University said falling retail oil prices and a rebound on the Thai stock market have also helped improve sentiment.

    However, he noted that while the university believes the country’s economy might have bottomed out, its growth outlook remains fragile.

    The government has forecast the Thai economy will grow between 2.7% to 3.2% in 2015.

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  • ‘More choice, flexibility’ for all Singapore electricity users in 2018

    ‘More choice, flexibility’ for all Singapore electricity users in 2018

    The Energy Market Authority (EMA) is looking at ways to give all electricity users – including industries, small commercial consumers and households – greater flexibility and choice in their electricity consumption.

    To this end, the authority is working with industry stakeholders to “fully open the electricity retail market to competition” in the second half of 2018, said S Iswaran, Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry).

    He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Singapore International Energy Week at Marina Bay Sands yesterday morning. More details on the plans for full retail competition will be announced soon, he added.

    A fully liberalised electricity market will give consumers the choice to buy electricity from electricity retailers under customised price plans, or from the wholesale electricity markets at prices that fluctuate every half-hour.

    Currently, only about 33,000 commercial and industrial consumers with an average monthly electricity consumption of at least 2MWh – which amounts to a monthly electricity bill of about $450 – benefit from this flexibility. This threshold was most recently lowered from 4MWh to 2MWh in July.

    The remaining 1.3 million consumers, mainly households, are on the regulated tariff with SP Services.

     

  • Singapore Pinacotheque de Paris gets early recognition

    Singapore Pinacotheque de Paris gets early recognition

    The Singapore Pinacotheque de Paris has been nominated Best Emerging Culture Destination in Asia at the 2015 edition of the Leading Culture Destinations Awards, a platform that celebrates the success of cultural institutions worldwide, while its 2015 edition also seeks to recognise emerging institutions across varied regions. “London, Paris and New York might be world leaders in museums and cultural institutions, but a growing number of cities in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America are starting to provide serious competition,” explained Florian Wupperfeld, co-founder of Leading Culture Destinations.

    Singapore Pinacotheque de Paris was nominated alongside the Sifang Art Museum in Nanjing (China), Asia Museum of Modern Art in Taichung (Taiwan), Museum SAN in Wonju (South Korea) and Oita Prefectural Art Museum in Kyushu (Japan). Oita Prefectural Art Museum eventually bagged the award.

    The shortlist and winners were carefully selected by an international jury panel, comprised of influential creative leaders committed to supporting the arts and innovation. Other categories featured impressive new and established institutions such as the Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, New York’s Museum of Modern Art and London’s Tate Modern.

    This nomination, though, has reaffirmed Singapore Pinacotheque de Paris’ commitment to providing exceptional art experiences through engaging offerings and education programmes via an arts academy. Opened in May this year, Singapore Pinacotheque de Paris marks the first international expansion of Pinacotheque de Paris, one of the key private museums in Paris. Housed in a restored colonial building on Fort Canning Hill (within the Fort Canning Arts Centre), the museum brings together heritage and art with its juxtaposition of international masterpieces and South-east Asian tribal art.

    With an expanding range of retail and dining options, the Singapore Pinacotheque de Paris seeks to offer a variety of art and lifestyle experiences with the aim of becoming a thriving social hub in Singapore’s rapidly expanding arts scene.

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  • Macau Shopping Break to lure tourists

    Macau Shopping Break to lure tourists

    Sands Resorts has launched the Macau Shopping Break promotion in a bid to lure tourists to the Cotai Strip and boost retail spending.

    Timed to coincide with the upcoming festive season, Sands Resorts Cotai Strip Macau has launched a special hotel package – the Macao Shopping Break – allowing guests to maximise their experience at four hotels across the integrated resort, including savings of up to 40 per cent on room rates.

    Guests also have the chance to win some of HK$195,000 in prizes.

    The promotion runs from this week until February 7, with guests able to book rooms for stays during the same period at The Venetian Macao; Conrad Macao, Cotai Central; Holiday Inn Macao Cotai Central and Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central with packages available from as low as MOP/ HK$1198.

    Guests can also enjoy discounts with our “Shop & Dine Specials” discount booklet redeemable at over 125 specially selected international designer shops and outlets within Sands Resorts Cotai Strip Macao.

    And guests who book rooms via the Macao Shopping Break will automatically be entered into the Macao Shopping Break Lucky Draw Campaign for a chance to win luxurious prizes totalling $195,000. One winner will be drawn every two weeks in bi-weekly draws from Nov. 12, 2015 to Feb. 11, 2016, offering seven prizes including suite accommodation and tempting surprises. Three winners will be drawn in a Grand Draw on February 15, with prizes including suite stays and luxury travel amenities from DFS T-Galleria.

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  • King Power duty free sales +47% in Thailand

    King Power duty free sales +47% in Thailand

    Forward bookings from airlines and indicators from leading travel agents suggest that Chinese arrivals to Thailand will reach record levels in 2015, as the King Power International Group reports sales up by 47% this year.

    Speaking to TRBusiness in a detailed interview this month, she said: “With the exception of the tragic bombing in August, 2015 to date has been a very good year for the group. Traffic to Bangkok particularly has increased very significantly.

    “Overall traffic at Suvarnabhumi is up 19.16%, to the end of August, and traffic at Don Muang is up 65%. Within those overall traffic numbers there are specific nationality changes that have generally had a very positive impact on sales.

    “Total Chinese traffic at Suvarnabhumi is up 151% to 5,651,591 passengers. Indian passengers are another very important customer group for us and the traffic with them is up by 20% – and of the other key customer groups, Korean and Japanese traffic levels are up 38% and 13.3% respectively.”

    She added that these positive increases have offset the decrease in Russian passengers (-49.8%) and Thai nationals, who are down by 14.73%. more happily she said: “Overall group sales are up 47%, versus the same period last year.”

    Whelan pointed to an outstanding +72% sales performance by the cosmetics and skincare category, followed by watches (+76.68%), Jewellery (77.05%), tobacco (+ 30.08%) and leather goods(+ 30.94%).

    She says this impressive growth has been driven by a combination of factors, including organic passenger growth and aforementioned rises in high spending overseas visitors.

    An interview with Susan Whelan appears on page 30 of the October Cannes exhibition issue of TRBusiness and also on pages 81-85 in the bonus retail section of the Top 10 International Retailers 2015.

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  • Starboard brings luxury pro on board in Asia

    Starboard brings luxury pro on board in Asia

    LVMH-owned Starboard Cruise Services has hired a seasoned luxury goods executive, Emily Wong, to the new role of Vice President/General Manager for Asia – signalling the possible direction its on-board cruise retail offer will take in the region.

    Wong joins from sister Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton company, the fashion label Marc Jacobs, where she was the Managing Director for Asia Pacific for just over three years until August 2015.

    Before that she worked at Nike for almost five years, Timberland for two years, and Swiss leather goods house bally for 17 years.

    In her new role based in Hong Kong and also Shanghai, Wong will report to David Goubert, Senior Vice President, Luxury Cruise Retail & Asia Office.

    CRUISELINES PLACE FAITH IN CHINA

    Earlier this year at the TFWA show in Singapore, Goubert was very upbeat about cruise prospects in Asia.

    He said that large cruise lines were committing strongly to the region and that, for example, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s new ship Quantum of the Seas is based out of Shanghai. He said that sister newcomer Ovation was also set to be placed in the region from Q2 2016. RCCL is a partner of Starboard.

    “On board it’s about the brands,” says Goubert. “The ships are a global destination and our mission is to give our guests an unforgettable experience and create a memory of their vacation.”

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  • Tina Tam sets up new Hong Kong company

    Tina Tam sets up new Hong Kong company

    Tina Priscilla Tam has resigned from Burberry, where she was Vice President of Travel Retail Asia, to set up her own company called Paccaya Resources Ltd in Hong Kong, where she is now pursuing new personal opportunities.

    Formerly with Celine, Lancaster, and prior to that some nine years with La Prairie, Tina Tam said she ‘was pleased with her experience at Burberry’.

    Besides her professional career background, Tina Tam is also known for her extensive work with the excellent industry charity organisation, Women in Travel Retail (WiT) where she has worked hard with many other volunteers to promote the membership and subsequently raise lots of funds for good causes.

    Some of these include Hand in Hand for Haiti; seriously handicapped children in villages near Ramnagar in India; the Hong Kong-based NGO ‘A Drop of Life’, raising funds to get clean water to remote communities in Northern China; and transport facilities for children in Sierra Leone.

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  • Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ gets ready for Myanmar’s new RTGS system

    Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ gets ready for Myanmar’s new RTGS system

    Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU) is preparing its systems in Myanmar for the launch of Central Bank’s (CBM) real-time gross settlement (RTGS) system.

    Launch is set for the end of 2015 and the development forms part of Myanmar’s move to modernisation. CBM also has the backing of the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the World Bank.

    CBM is assisting local banks and foreign banks’ branch offices in preparation of the new system, which will allow the immediate settlement of large domestic interbank payments.

    In an interview with The Myanmar Times, Go Watanabe, CEO of Asian and Oceania region, BTMU, says it has seconded staff to the project development team; and it is ‘now able to provide basic financial services including foreign exchange and derivatives trading, and is preparing to launch a more comprehensive suite of trade finance solutions’.

    Watanabe says he expects CBM to ‘review regulations governing foreign exchange, which will lead to greater efficiency for cross-border transactions and international settlement’.

    The Japanese bank was the first of nine foreign banks to open its branch office in the capital Yangon in April this year, becoming the first international lender to begin operations in the country for more than 50 years.

    There will be the inevitable competition, but Watanabe expresses a desire for collaboration.

    ‘Given Myanmar’s banking industry is still in its infancy, it would make sense for the foreign banks to pull our knowledge and expertise together to develop the necessary banking and finance related infrastructure to help move it to the next level,’ he says.

    The Myanmar Times says: ‘BTMU is one of three Japanese banks permitted to offer banking services in Myanmar, and opened its Yangon branch with initial capital of $100 million. BTMU provides services including deposits, loans and foreign exchange to foreign companies and domestic banks.

    ‘Under existing regulations, foreign banks in Myanmar can only deal directly with foreign companies, local-foreign joint ventures, and Myanmar’s domestic banks. They do not yet have access to local retail or corporate clients.’

    Watanabe says, in addition to working with global corporates, BTMU plans to use its majority stake in Thailand’s Bank of Ayudhya PCL – known in Thailand as Krungsri – by ‘tapping its Thai SME segment to further attract investors into Myanmar’.

    In both Thailand and Japan, he says, many companies are looking to diversify their investments, and could potentially begin investing in Myanmar.

    The bank will also use its partnership with Co-operative Bank (CB Bank), based in Myanmar, especially in the area of transaction banking, he says. BTMU signed an agreement with CB Bank back in 2013, to act as a technical adviser.

    Watanabe says the two banks have a joint committee of senior management executives, which aims to encourage knowledge and relationship sharing.

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  • Sinomax Invests in Dormeo NA

    Sinomax Invests in Dormeo NA

    Sinomax Group Limited (“Sinomax,” together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”) (stock code: 1418), a leading marketer, manufacturer and distributor of quality visco-elastic (“memory foam”) pillows, mattress toppers and mattresses in the United States (the “U.S.”), Hong Kong and the PRC, is pleased to announce that Sinomax USA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Group, has invested in Dormeo North America, LLC (“Dormeo NA”), a mattress company in the U.S..

    This strategic move marks significant progress in enriching Sinomax’s brand recognition and broadening the sales network in the North America memory foam market. Upon completion of the investment, Dormeo NA plans to expand the manufacturing facility at Winchester, VA, tripling the production capacity within two months. In view of the growing demand for “made in U.S.A.” products in the U.S. market, the investment in Dormeo NA effectively creates a new production line for Sinomax in the country to better serve customers’ needs and further enhancing the Group’s vertically-integrated business model and cost efficiency.

    As part of the transaction, Mr. Frank Chen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sinomax USA and Mr. Kelvin Lam, Chief Financial Officer of Sinomax will become members of the Board of Dormeo NA.

    Mr. Jon Stowe, Chief Executive Officer of Dormeo NA, said, “Sinomax’s strong financial commitment to Dormeo NA, in conjunction with their vast global supply chain, infrastructure and resources will provide us with significant advantages in advancing our market penetration, brand awareness and supply chain efficiencies. This transaction marks a very important step in significantly boosting commercial opportunities for Dormeo NA.”

    Mr. Frankie Lam, Chairman of Sinomax, said, “We are pleased to strategically strengthen Sinomax’s leadership position in the U.S. memory foam market. The investment in Dormeo NA would definitely create powerful synergies with Sinomax in terms of customer base and product portfolio, as well as broaden our sales distribution network. It presents a huge opportunity for Sinomax to further increase its market share in the U.S. Going forward, we are continuing to explore possible strategic business opportunities in line with the Group’s business vision to bolster its presence in different geographical markets which in turn would fuel sustainable growth.”

  • Pororo Park Singapore to open November

    Pororo Park Singapore to open November

    Pororo Park Singapore will open at Marina Square next month, the first for the animated penguin in Southeast Asia.

    Pororo is South Korea’s most popular cartoon character. The award-winning animation is broadcasted over 130 countries, including Disney Junior Channel and Okto Channel in Singapore. It’s dubbed ‘President of Kids’ with over 6.8 billion views on its YouTube channel.

    The new venue will open in Singapore on November 11, a collaboration between Iconix and DreamUs Edutainment. It is the first Pororo Park in Southeast Asia and the first outside South Korea and China.

    Pororo Express

    Located in Marina Square’s new retail wing, the 1000 sqm indoor edutainment playground will integrate a theme ride, indoor playground attractions, retail store, cafe, educational classes and entertaining shows under one roof.

    Pororo Park Singapore is themed around the animated series that follows the adventurous Pororo and friends, who often encounter challenges and learn practical and moral lessons through their exciting adventures in Porong Porong Forest.

    The venue includes Loopy’s Café and Rody’s Toy Store. The 60-seater Loopy’s Café serves food for both adults and children, with a view of the Marina Bay skyline.

    Pororo Park Singapore seats

    Visitors can get their retail therapy and purchase their favourite original character-themed souvenirs from Rody’s Toy Store. The store will house a variety of items ranging from toys, stationery to kid apparels and other souvenir items.

    Kim Jiwon, CEO of DreamUs Edutainment says Pororo Park Singapore aims to be the premier indoor playground in Singapore with top-quality attractions, well-loved characters and a unique mix of education and entertainment elements.

    “Modern busy parents will now have a one-stop location to entertain and educate their energetic, inquisitive young children.”

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  • Tupperware finds favour in China

    Tupperware finds favour in China

    Not long ago, Tupperware seemed to be a brand with a limited future.

    Tupperware’s background is selling products at relatively high prices through direct selling, or the party plan concept, rather than retail stores, a system dating back to the 1970s. In recent times it has come under pressure from mass-produced containers, usually manufactured in Asia, and marketed in retail stores at low price points.

    Neil Saunders, CEO of Conlumino, analysing the company’s last quarter financial results, says with another sequential improvement in its sales number, “Tupperware continues to show signs of progress”.

    Away from the established western markets – namely in North America and Europe –  emerging regions continue to be the mainstay of growth with sales up by 11 per cent on a local currency basis.

    “Within this group China (up 18 per cent), Indonesia (up 12 per cent), Middle East and North Africa (up 97 per cent), and South Africa (up 52 per cent) all posted strong performances.

    “Across most of these geographies, Tupperware continues to benefit from the growing number of middle class consumers and increased interest in home products.

    “That said, across most emerging markets sales are dominated by relatively simple food preservation products which are sold via catalogues,” observes Saunders.

    “Tupperware has identified this as an opportunity for growth. One of its ongoing initiatives is to increase the support and training of representatives in these regions so that more sales are made via parties and demonstrations – both of which are proven to result in the sale of higher priced products and in higher average order values. This, in our view, should help these regions to continue delivering even as they become more mature.”

    Tupperware’s total sales actually fell 11 per cent in the latest quarter. However that was purely the effect of exchange rate losses, with sales up seven per cent when measured in local currencies – up from four per cent a quarter earlier.

    Saunders says Tupperware’s development of Experience Centres are a positive move. These centres, which launched in Canada earlier this year and are now being introduced to the US, are physical locations in which the Tupperware sales force can be trained and where consumers can visit for demonstrations of products in a professional environment.

    “The aim behind the centers is both to increase brand exposure and to ensure a strong local presence in key markets in an era when many transactions are becoming remote and disintermediated. Initial results are encouraging.”

    Saunders says it is to Tupperware’s credit that it has recognised, that the way consumers buy and behave is changing.

    “However, rather than shifting its entire business model – which would mean the risk of moving away from relationship based selling – Tupperware is updating existing practices and procedures. This, in our view, is a sensible strategy.”

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