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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.

  • Bookstore chain Fahasa says profits rise 65%

    Bookstore chain Fahasa says profits rise 65%

    Leading bookstore chain Fahasa saw its first half profits surging 65% to VND15.4 billion (US$657,000).

    Revenues rose by 10.8% to VND1.77 trillion.

    It had an excellent second quarter with profits of VND11.05 billion on sales of VND1.13 trillion.

    For the full year it targets profits of VND18 billion and revenues of VND3.5 trillion, up 3,051% and 125%.

    Last year, since it had to close many of its stores due to Covid-19 restrictions, its profits were down to just VND590.5 million on sales of VND2.79 trillion.

    Fahasa was established in 1976 and went public 30 years later. It has 71 stores across the country now, down from 115 at the end of 2020.

  • Blackmores registers strong growth, momentum expected to continue

    Blackmores registers strong growth, momentum expected to continue

    Vitamin producer Blackmores has seen group revenue rise 12.8 percent in Fy22 to reach $649.5 million with growth across the company’s three major brands.

    This delivered a rise in underlying operating EBIT profit of 19 percent to $56.6 million, with margins expanding 1.1 points to 53.4 percent.

    CEO Alastair Symington said the company had delivered a strong result in a year impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, increased input costs and significant supply chin disruptions.

    Symington said: “The resilience of our business model, together with the strength of our brands and distribution channels have enabled the group to respond to these challenges to deliver top line growth along with further margin expansion.

    “We recorded growth across all three brands – Blackmores, BioCeuticals and PAW – and all markets for the first time in the last four years.”

    Symington said the company’s focus on product innovation and investment in its brands, as well as selling and marketing spending up 4.6 percent, had delivered revenue growth of 12.8 percent.

    “This has enabled Blackmores to deliver a 22.6 percent increase in underlying net profit together with a 33.8 percent lift in full year dividend to shareholders to 95 cents per share fully franked.

    “Importantly this strong set of financial results has also been delivered alongside the implementation of improvements in our workplace health and safety and further commitments delivered as part of our ongoing sustainability agenda.”

    During the year Australian sales were up 2.7 percent, international sales up 31.7 percent and China sales up 10.6 percent along with an 11.2 percent rise in EBIT to $16 million.

    Blackmores ended the year with newt cash of $82.2 million.

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  • HBO Max is set to become cheaper

    HBO Max is set to become cheaper

    The battle of the subscription services is on. This time around, it is time for HBO Max to shine with an exclusive offer of its own. HBO Max, the television giant’s take on a video streaming service, is set to become even more accessible. The company announced that it would be offering a 30% discount on its yearly subscription price to new and returning users.

    This translates to $104.99 for the ad-free plan, or just $69.99 for the ad-supported one. For reference, this means that HBO Max would cost either $8.75 a month (for the more expensive plan), or $5.85 (for the cheaper option).

    HBO Max’s main appeal lies in its plethora of original titles that tend to enjoy immense critical and commercial success. Through the platform, users can watch (in)famous series like Game of Thrones, Succession, The Undoing, alongside all-time classics like Sex and the City and The Sopranos.

    Admittedly, the roster of HBO Max is set to become somewhat more limited in the aftermath of the messy merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. As a result of the business decision, a number of HBO Max series have already been canceled and some are rumored to be on the chopping block.

    It should be noted that HBO Max will continue to coexist with Discovery Plus for the time being. However, there are plans for the two platforms to eventually become one. But even on its own, HBO Max is worth checking out especially given the current prices.

    The service is now cheaper than all of Netflix’s current subscription options. On the other hand, the ad-supported HBO Max plan now comes in at the same price as the Hulu equivalent. And we still haven’t mentioned the best part – the discount comes just in time for the premiere of House of the Dragon.

  • Spotify debuts a three-month free trial period

    Spotify debuts a three-month free trial period

    Do you recall the days when you had to manually download each song / album you like before transferring it to a media player? Neither do we. Spotify has revolutionized the way we listen to music by making it more convenient (and much cheaper) than ever before.

    It is easy to get hooked on Spotify and it seems the streaming giant knows this fact very well. This is why now  the platform is extending its free trial period to 3 months. For reference, previously the free trial period was just 1 month long. Spotify shared this information in an official blog post.

    So how exactly will this 3-month trial period work? Put simply, first-time users, after creating an account, will not be billed during the first three months of their new subscription. The first payment will take place at the end of the third month.

    Additionally, if for whatever reason they are not thrilled with the streaming service within the trial period, users will be able to cancel their subscription without incurring any fees in the process. In essence, if a user opts out before the three-month mark has passed, the time spent streaming will be virtually free.

    The longer trial period also extends (pun intended) to past users who no longer use Spotify. For a measly $9.99, ex-subscribers will be able to get three full months of streaming (i.e.  less than $4 a month). There is one catch, however. This offer only applies to users who made the decision to cancel their subscription before July 15th 2022.

    The new extended trial period will be available across 135 markets and the offer will come into effect after September 11th. If this does not convince you to give Spotify a chance, nothing will.

  • Workers laid off as global demand falls

    Workers laid off as global demand falls

    Textile and electronics companies are cutting overtime and working hours to their workers’ dismay as global consumer demand fall.

    Tran Thu Huong and her husband were working at a garment factory in HCMC’s Go Vap District when last month, their income fell by 20% to VND15 million ($640.75) as new orders shrunk.

    Huong said their income was barely enough any more as they paid VND2.2 million for house rent, VND2.7 million for tuition for their five-year-old child and loan interest, and had to tighten their belt by “not buying miscellaneous things” such as fruits.

    Her husband, Hung, 33, recently quit his job after working at the factory for five years.

    “I can’t work in the garment industry anymore,” he said.

    He used to be paid VND13-14 million a month when he started working, but the amount had halved by the time he quit.

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  • Snapchat+ hits 1 million subscribers, announces new exclusive features

    Snapchat+ hits 1 million subscribers, announces new exclusive features

    Launched less than two months ago, Snap’s premium service has already amassed 1 million subscribers, the company announced today. Snapchat+ is available for $3.99/month and offers exclusive features that aren’t otherwise available.

    When it launched Snapchat+ back in June, Snap promised to add new features for premium users quite often. Today, the social network revealed a new batch of Snapchat+ features are now available for the service’s subscribers.

    First off, Snapchat+ subscribers are getting “Priority Story Replies,” meaning their replies will be more visible to Snap Stars. “Post View Emoji” is another new feature coming to the premium side of the service today. It allows paying customers to pick an emoji they want friends to see after they view their Snaps. Basically, it acts as a signature to sign-off you Snaps.

    Another interesting new premium feature coming to Snapchat+ is the ability to customize further Bitmoji backgrounds with “special backgrounds” like gleaming gold and a beach paradise. Last but not least, Snapchat+ subscribers are getting new icons for the app to put on their home screens.

    If you want to subscribe to Snapchat+, keep in mind that the service is only available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, India, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Switzerland, Ireland, Belgium, Finland, and Austria.

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  • Vietnam considers $58.7 billion high-speed railway

    Vietnam considers $58.7 billion high-speed railway

    Vietnam is considering building a high-speed railway that runs along the country’s length with a possible price tag of up to $58.7 billion, the government said on Sunday.

    The Southeast Asian country’s transport ministry will next month submit a proposal to build the 1,545 km (960 miles) railway to the Politburo, the powerful decision-making body of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam, the government said in a news release.

    Vietnam, a regional manufacturing hub, is ramping up its investment in transport infrastructure to support its fast-growing economy.

    The first two sections with combined length of 665 km (413 miles) and total investment of $24.72 billion would be open to traffic by 2032, the government said, adding that the entire project would be completed by 2045-2050.

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  • With iPhone 14 coming soon, Apple changes the focus of its television advertising

    With iPhone 14 coming soon, Apple changes the focus of its television advertising

    Apple’s Services unit is the company’s second-largest business segment after iPhone. With nearly $20 billion in revenue during the fiscal third quarter, the unit is running at close to an $80 billion annual rate. One of the less-heralded but brilliant moves made during the Tim Cook era was to take advantage of the large number of active iPhones around the world and sell their users recurring monthly subscriptions that bring in revenue 12 times a year.
    Apple Services includes Apple Music, Apple News+, Apple TV+, Fitness+, iCloud, and Apple Arcade. Those services charge monthly subscription rates. Other Apple services that are part of the unit include the App Store, Apple Pay, Apple Care+, and more.
    With the unveiling of the new iPhone 14 line approximately four weeks away, Apple has apparently decided that now isn’t the time to advertise the iPhone 13 series with the world waiting for the 2022 handsets to be introduced. In other words, Apple wouldn’t be getting the same bang for the advertising buck with many potential buyers waiting for the new line to be announced.
    So today Apple released its latest television ad, a thirty-second spot for Apple One. In 2020, Apple created the Apple One bundle which has three separate tiers of service. These are the Individual Plan, the Family Plan, and the Premier Plan.
    Individual Plan-$14.95 per month (saves $6/month)
    • Apple Music
    • Apple TV+
    • Apple Arcade
    • 50GB of iCloud storage
    Family Plan-$19.95 per month (saves $8/month; can be shared with five other people)
    • Apple Music
    • Apple TV+
    • Apple Arcade
    • 200GB of iCloud storage
    Premier Plan-$29.95 per month (saves $25/month, can be shared with five other people)
    • Apple Music
    • Apple TV+
    • Apple Arcade
    • 2TB of iCloud storage
    • News+
    • Fitness+
    The new ad shows off the services inside the bundle. Apple Music is mentioned first and the music streamer includes surround sound. The 3D Spatial Audio feature allows you to hear music that sounds like it is coming from all around you. Next is Fitness+, which is only part of the most expensive Premier plan although it can be subscribed to a la carte ($7.99/month, $79.99/year). Fitness+ offers workout videos that cover 11 different styles. While you are working out, the screen will show your heart rate along with other metrics related to your workout.
    Like Apple Music, TV+ is available on all three tiers of Apple One. The new ad points out that with TV+ you can see the biggest stars just as the screen quickly shows Jennifer Aniston and  Reese Witherspoon (The Morning Show) and Tom Hanks (various films). News+ is also found only on the highest-priced Premier tier of Apple One and includes the best publications on Earth, according to Apple.
    Apple Arcade is also available on all three tiers of the Apple One bundle and features over 200 ad-free games. Also on all three tiers is cloud storage service iCloud. Apple says that with iCloud, you can store everything that you love. Note, however, that the amount of available storage depends on the plan you purchase. The individual plan comes with 50GB of cloud storage, rising to 200GB with the Family Plan. And with Premier, you get a whopping 2TB of cloud storage.

    If you’re already subscribed to some of Apple’s recurring subscription services, you might be able to save some money by signing up for Apple One instead. With the Premier tier, you can save as much as $25 per month by going with the bundle. You can start with a one-month trial of Apple One. From your iPhone, tap on Settings and then your name. Go to subscriptions and tap on the Apple One box. That will take you to the sign-in page and at the bottom of the screen you will see a blue button that says “Start Free Trial.”

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  • Gasoline prices hit six-month low

    Gasoline prices hit six-month low

    Vietnam gasoline prices on Thursday dropped 3.6-3.8% to the lowest since Feb. 11 as global rates kept falling.

    A liter of popular RON 95 gasoline now costs VND24,660 ($1.05), down VND940, while that of biofuel E5 RON 95 costs VND23,720, down VND900.

    Thursday’s was the fifth consecutive downward adjustment made to gasoline prices. Compared to this year’s peak on June 21, prices have fallen by 24.22-24.98%.

    Prices of diesel and kerosine also dropped 4.4-5.2%.

    On the global market, gasoline prices have decreased marginally in the last 10 days, according to data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Finance.

    On the global market WTI crude futures slipped toward $91 per barrel Thursday as concerns over supply disruptions eased and markets looked for evidence of improving fuel demand.

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  • Vietnam needs $8 bln-$14 bln power investment a year through 2030

    Vietnam needs $8 bln-$14 bln power investment a year through 2030

    Vietnam will need investment of between $8 billion and $14 billion a year through to 2030 to develop new power plants and expand its grid, its deputy industry minister said on Wednesday.

    Of the amount, 75% would be spent on new power plants, with priority given to renewable sources, and 25% on grid expansion, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Dang Hoang An said in a statement.

    He said the country will seek to raise funds from private investors for the new power projects, without elaborating.

    Vietnam, a regional manufacturing hub, needs to increase its installed power generation capacity by around 10% a year to support its fast-growing economy and population.

    An said Vietnam, which pledged last year to become carbon-neutral by 2050, will raise its offshore wind capacity to 7 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and to 65 GW by 2045, while cutting the proportion of coal in its energy mix.

    “Vietnam will not add new coal-fired power plants to its master power development plan, and will only continue coal projects that are under construction until 2030,” An said.

    The ministry last month asked the government to remove future coal projects with a combined capacity of 14.12 GW from the master power development plan that is being drafted.

    Under the latest draft of the master power development plan, Vietnam’s total installed power generation capacity would be raised to 121 GW by 2030 and to 284 GW by 2045, from 76.6 GW at the end of last year, according to state media.

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  • Spotify launches new Home experience for Android users, iOS gets it too

    Spotify launches new Home experience for Android users, iOS gets it too

    Another week, another Spotify update. The music streaming giant has just announced plans to launch a brand-new Home experience for Android users. The new experience will feature feeds for both Music and Podcast & Shows, and will be coming to iOS at a later date.

    The main hub for recommendations, Spotify’s Home is meant to help users easily scroll through the type of content they’re looking for. The updated version will make the experience more personalized while allowing Spotify users to dive even deeper into their recommendations.

    Starting with the Music feed, Spotify listeners will be provided with quick access to suggestions, which will be based on their music taste. Additionally, album and playlist recommendations along with buttons to make it easy to share, like, and instantly play music will be available too.

    On the other hand, in the Podcast & Shows feed, Spotify users will be able to quickly access new episodes of their favorite shows. Also, personalized podcast recommendations will be an important part of the new Home experience. Finally, the new hub will allow listeners to read episode descriptions, save to Your Episodes and start playing podcasts without leaving the page.

  • 50 free TV channels are coming to Google TV

    50 free TV channels are coming to Google TV

    Google TV is an app available for both Android and iOS devices. The app allows you to find movies and television shows that you can watch on demand from several platforms including Pluto TV, Tubi TV, Plex, Prime Video, Peacock, YouTube, and more. 9to5Google found code hidden in the latest version of an app that Google listed in the Play Store. One bit of code said, “Enjoy 50 channels of live TV without the need to subscribe, sign-up, or download.”
    That sure sounds good. The live television channels, unlike the platforms that Google TV offers today, do not require you to download a third-party app. The code reveals that there should be a variety of live programming including “news, sports, movies, and shows.” Even more interesting, 9to5Google unearthed a graphic showing 34 of the 50 live television channels.
    That list includes:
    • ABC News Live
    • America’s Test Kitchen
    • American Classics
    • The Asylum
    • Battery Pop
    • CBC News
    • ChiveTV
    • Deal or No Deal
    • Divorce Court
    • Dry Bar Comedy
    • FailArmy
    • Filmrise Free Movies
    • Hallmark Movies & More
    • It’s Showtime at the Apollo!
    • Kevin Hart’s LOL! Network
    • Love Nature
    • Maverick Black Cinema
    • MooviMex
    • Nature Vision
    • NBC News Now
    • Newsmax TV
    • Nosey
    • The Pet Collective
    • Power Nation
    • Reelz
    • Teletubbies
    • Today All Day
    • Toon Goggles
    • USA Today
    • World Poker Tour
    • Wu-Tang Collection TV
    • Xumo Crime TV
    • Xumo Movies
    • Xumo Westerns
    Again, these are just some of the 50 channels that will be offered to Google TV users. When this will roll out-if it does-is unclear. The app still has a long way to go to match the quantity of the content available on Samsung TV Plus which supports over 200 channels.
    Android users can download the app from the Google Play Store. Apple iPhone users can download the app from the App Store. Keep in mind that until the “Google TV channels” appear, the Google TV app is a way to manage those streaming third-party apps that you use to watch movies and television shows. The app also helps you find where your favorite movies and television shows are streaming, and by looking at the content that you give thumbs up or thumbs down to, Google’s algorithm will help recommend shows and movies for you to watch.
  • Snapchat launches family control portal

    Snapchat launches family control portal

    Snap is further improving Snapchat’s parental features with the launch of a full-fledged Family Center that offers parents more insight into who their teens are friends with on the social app. While the new in-app tool will provide parents with information about their children, the contents of their conversations will remain secret.

    It’s a feature specifically designed by Snap and reflects the way that parents engage with their teens in real life, where parents usually know who their teens are friends with and when there are hanging out, but don’t eavesdrop on their private conversations.

    One feature that’s not yet available but will be added in the future update is a new option that will allow parents to view all the new friends their children have added in Snapchat.

    Also, the Family Center allows parents to report any accounts that may be concerning directly to Snap’s Trust and Safety teams. Additional resources are available to both parents and teens using Family Center, which will help them have open conversations about online safety.

    Last but not least, Snap announced that more features will be added to Family Center this fall, including new content controls for parents and the ability for teens to notify their parents when they report an account or a piece of content via Snapchat.

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  • Vietnam halves import tariff on gasoline to 10%

    Vietnam halves import tariff on gasoline to 10%

    Vietnam halved its Most Favored Nation (MFN) tariff on gasoline to 10% Monday as it seeks to diversify supply.

    The MFN import tariff is a standard rate applied for trade between World Trade Organization (WTO) members unless a separate trade agreement exists.

    But the cut is unlikely to reduce gasoline prices since Vietnam imported over 90% of its fuel from ASEAN member countries and South Korea under free trade agreements (FTAs) at 8% tariff.

    But it will reduce Vietnam’s dependence on those sources and help diversify its supply.

    Taxes account for 19.4-22% of gasoline prices in Vietnam, lower than in many other countries.

    After four downward adjustments in recent days a liter of RON 95 gasoline now costs VND25,600 ($1.09), the lowest since late-February.

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  • HBO Max, Discovery+ to be merged into a single streaming platform

    HBO Max, Discovery+ to be merged into a single streaming platform

    It looks like Warner Bros. Discovery is determined to put the nail in the coffin for HBO Max. The giant announced plans to merge both services in the summer of 2023, but that comes with some massive budget cuts and layoffs.

    The recent news that Batgirl has been scrapped after the movie was (almost) finished, pretty much sums up the changes Warner Bros. Discovery has in store for HBO Max. As many of you probably know already, HBO Max is heavily focused on movies and TV series, while Discovery is now mostly known for its reality shows from HGTV, Food Network and Discovery Channel.

    Earlier this week, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that HBO Max and Discovery+ will be launched in the United States as a single service next year. According to JB Perrette, CEO and president of global streaming and games for Warner Bros. Discovery, the new streaming platform will combine the best elements of both services.

    According to the company’s Q2 2022 earnings report, Discovery+ will be the core of the new platform, while HBO Max’s portfolio will be limited to Originals. Although the current catalog will be carried over, no new movies or TV shows will be made outside of the Originals offering. HBO Max had major performance issues during big releases, which convinced Warner Bros. Discovery to cut deep into the streaming service’s budget.

    Warner Bros. Discovery reported a huge $3.4 billion net loss in Q2 2022, so the company is now trying to push Discovery+, its more successful service, to more customers, while cutting back on HBO Max productions or distribution deals. The new HBO Max + Discovery Plus changes will only affect customers in the United States.

    In related news, AT&T announced it has reached a new agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery for the distribution of HBO Max, after the carrier removed the offering from its wireless plans back in June.