Retail News CRM

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.

  • Apple Music headed to PlayStation 5

    Apple Music headed to PlayStation 5

    In an unsurprising turn of events, Apple Music is about to make its debut on PlayStation 5, Sony’s hard to come by the gaming console. This would be the second major Apple service provided by Sony via its PlayStation console after the Japanese giant offered PS5 owners six months of free access to Apple TV+.

    Although the arrival of the app hasn’t been officialized yet, some Reddit users claim they have received the option to download Apple Music on their PlayStation 5 consoles, but the app wasn’t available.

    Eurogamer reports they have tried to download the app from a UK account, but they didn’t find the app. However, they did get the prompt to download Apple Music from a newly created US account.

    While PS5 users may not yet be able to download Apple Music on their consoles, the recent reports suggest that Sony is going to make the app available very soon. We’re not sure if this is such a big thing for Apple to announce its October 18 event which focuses on Macs, but at least we know the Apple Music app will sooner or later come to the PS5.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • YouTube Music Wear OS app now supports older smartwatches

    YouTube Music Wear OS app now supports older smartwatches

    Google revealed last month that it will eventually bring some of its apps reserved for Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 to other smartwatches. One of these apps, YouTube Music has finally made its debut on Wear OS 2 smartwatches powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipsets.

    Initially added to a range of smartwatches powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 4100 and 4100+ chipsets like the new Gen 6 smartwatches from Fossil and Michael Kors, Mobvoi’s TicWatch Pro 3 GPS, TicWatch Pro 3 Cellular/LTE, and TicWatch E3, the new YouTube Music app is now available for older smartwatches running Wear OS 2.

    The YouTube Music Wear OS app has been updated in the Google Play Store and it’s now available for at least two older smartwatches: Moto 360 and TAG Heuer Connected.

    Despite the fact that its availability is rather limited, it’s safe to assume that more smartwatch models will be added to the supported list in the coming days (if not already). If your smartwatch is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset, then it might be a good idea to look for an update on your wearable device or phone.

    Keep in mind that while the new YouTube Music app will let you download playlists for offline listening without your phone, the feature requires a YouTube Music Premium subscription.

  • YouTube adds ‘continue watching’ feature to mobile

    YouTube adds ‘continue watching’ feature to mobile

    YouTube is once again testing out a new feature, and this one isn’t only for Premium users, but seems to be slowly making its way across the platform to all. In a bid to further enhance video watching continuity across devices, the YouTube platform is introducing a new “continue watching” feature for Android and iOS mobile devices.

    A feature like this already exists on the web version of YouTube (shown below), which allows users to continue watching a video from where they last left off, even after getting off the computer and using YouTube on mobile in between.

    YouTube is already the second most popular “social media” app—ranking second only to Facebook across the globe, and beating out WhatsApp in active user count. YouTube is the place where you can get lost in videos of every genre imaginable, from science and educational videos to video game streams, conspiracy theories, keeping up with your favorite vloggers, and the list goes on.

    And because of its widespread popularity, it’s only natural that the video app provides no less than a streamlined watching experience across all platforms it is used on.

    Once the new “continue watching” feature rolls out to your own handset, this will mean that even if you were watching a YouTube video on your laptop and your battery dies, or you have to go somewhere, you are able to whip out your phone at any time, open the YouTube app, and you will see the mini-player at the bottom, allowing you to open up the last YouTube video you never finished. It will start playing at most a couple of seconds back from where it dropped off, on whichever device played it previously.

    Naturally, in order for your mobile YouTube app to be able to sync your watched videos between various devices, you need to make sure you are logged into the same Google account on your computer, tablet, and phones.

    The “continue watching” feature for YouTube on mobile is no longer in beta phase, either, so although we don’t know exactly how YouTube is going about rolling it out, you can likely expect it to hit your phone anytime in the coming weeks.

    Lees ook:

  • Netflix brings new Play Something feature to Android users

    Netflix brings new Play Something feature to Android users

    Play Something is a new feature that Netflix begun testing back in April in select markets on Android devices. Today, the company announced that it will make Play Something available to all Netflix users on Android.

    The new feature is Netflix’s take on the “shuffle” function that many music streaming services offer. Although it’s been available on desktop for quite some time, Play Something has only been added to Android this week.

    Unfortunately, iOS users won’t benefit from the new shuffle feature, but Netflix announced that it will start testing Play Something on iOS in the coming months. This means that it’s unlikely that iPhone/iPad users will be getting a similar feature this year.

    In the same piece of news, Netflix released another feature called Fast Laughs. It’s a TikTok-like feature but for movies and TV shows. Fast Laughs was launched on iOS early this year and it’s now making its way to Android devices in select markets, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, India, Malaysia, Philippines, United States, and the UK.

    Last but not least, the long-awaited Downloads for You tool will be coming to iOS next month, Netflix announced today. Currently, the option to automatically download movies and TV shows to watch offline based on viewing history is only available on Android devices.

    Lees ook:

  • Ikea Close to You concept opens in Hong Kong

    Ikea Close to You concept opens in Hong Kong

    Home furnishing giant Ikea has launched the world’s first Ikea Close to You concept store inside the Market Place grocer in Hong Kong’s Discovery Bay.

    Spanning more than 3000sqft, Ikea Close to You houses more than 110 home furnishing products together with 120 Swedish signature gourmets ranging from meatballs, salmon, sauces to condiments.

    According to Ikea, the new concept focuses on the digital experience, offering a number of solutions such as self-pick-up lockers that support flexible pick-up time and free shipping. The store features a 2-metre-high interactive screen ‘Digital Experience for Furnishing Inspiration’ that provides 50 home-decorating inspirations and the “Swedish Cooking Interactive Screen” which provides free cooking recipes.

    The new store was opened alongside Bread Pantry at the Market Place Discovery Bay launched last Friday (October 1). Ikea Close to You is also the retailer’s first store located inside a supermarket.

    Owned by Dairy Farm Group, which has the Hong Kong master franchise for Ikea, Market Place is a high-end supermarket chain with stores opened across Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia. The chain entered Hong Kong in 2007 under the name Market Place by Jasons.

    The launch of Market Place Discovery Bay follows the openings of Market Place at Mongkok’s Langham Place and Tuen Mun’s Gold Coast and is part of the brand’s effort to expand its presence in the territory.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Blackmores launches into India

    Blackmores launches into India

    Australian-based and internationally loved natural health and dietary supplements company Blackmores has announced its launch into the Indian market, reaching local consumers in association with Amazon India and other major eCommerce platforms before expansion to traditional retail in key cities.

    Primed for a post-COVID wellness boom, India is a focus growth market for Blackmores given their focus for natural health. Currently, Blackmores operates in 12 other markets across Asia-Pacific and has the ambition to connect 1 billion consumers globally to the healing power of nature by 2025.

    Backed by almost 90 years of research and science, Blackmores’ high quality and innovative product range has been specifically formulated for the discerning Indian consumer to meet their specific lifestyle and dietary preferences, including vegetarian requirements.

    “Blackmores is passionate about connecting people to the healing power of nature. We choose the most nutrient-rich ingredients to ensure our products are high quality, efficacious and adhere to some of the most rigorous safety standards in the world. We know that Indians are passionate about natural health too, and we are excited to be a part of their journey to lead healthier and happier lives,” said Mr Alastair Symington, Chief Executive Officer of Blackmores.

    The initial launch products for Indian consumers include Blackmores Shine Power™ D3 for healthy bones and immunity, Blackmores Glucosogreen 1500 for joint health, Blackmores Blue Light Defence for eye health, and Blackmores CoQ10 150mg for heart health. Additional tailored and innovative products will be rolled out over the coming months. The products are customized to the needs of Indian consumers helping them to take charge of their health and wellbeing.

    The launch was unveiled at a virtual event hosted by Blackmores alongside senior executives of Amazon India. The launch also coincided with a visit from Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Hon Dan Tehan MP, to India, where Mr Symington has been invited to participate in a panel discussion at Austrade’s Australia-India Business Exchange (AIBX) 2021 Business Leaders Forum on Friday 1 October.

    “It’s a pleasure to launch Blackmores, one of Australia’s leading and most trusted natural vitamins and dietary supplements brands, in India. Blackmores with its legacy of almost 90 years in natural healing is a great example of Australia’s clean, green and safe manufacturing reputation. Indians are passionate about natural and holistic health, and we hope that iconic Australian brands such as Blackmores are part of their journey to lead healthier and happier lives,” said Sam Freeman, Trade and Investment Commissioner at the Australian Trade and Investment Commission.

    “We are delighted to associate with Blackmores, a trusted natural health company for their launch in India. We are excited to offer our customers with an opportunity to explore their products from the comfort and safety of their homes,” said Nishant Raman, Category Leader, Amazon India.

    “We look forward to building a successful partnership with Blackmores as we work towards a common goal of connecting Indians across the country to the healing power of nature,” said Ankur Dayal, CEO of Primarc Pecan, Blackmores’ local eCommerce distribution partner.

    Blackmores is the leading natural health brand in not just Australia, but also in several other Asian markets. Its innovative and efficacious range includes vegetarian formulations, as well as products targeted to age, gender, and specific health functions to give people everywhere the choice to make living well each day a natural way of life.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • India’s September Diesel Sales Remain Below Pre-COVID Levels

    India’s September Diesel Sales Remain Below Pre-COVID Levels

    India’s diesel consumption slowed in the first half of September from the previous month, staying below pre-COVID levels as a pick-up in monsoon rains hit mobility and demand for fuel from the agriculture sector, preliminary sales data showed.

    Diesel sales by the country’s state fuel retailers came in at 2.1 million tonnes during Sept. 1-15, a decline of about 1.5% from last year and down 6.8% from the same period in 2019, the data showed.

    State retailers Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd own about 90% of the country’s retail fuel outlets.

    Sales of diesel, which account for about two-fifths of India’s overall refined fuel consumption, are directly linked to industrial activity in Asia’s third-largest economy.

    India’s monsoon rains revived this month after a patchy spell in August. Local diesel sales during September 1-15 was down by about 0.9% from the same period in August, the data showed.

    Improved electricity supplies also contributed to a decline in demand for diesel.

    In contrast, petrol sales stayed above the pre-COVID levels at 1.02 million tonnes as people continued to prefer using personal vehicles over public transport and shared mobility for safety reasons.

    India has not yet fully opened its public transport sector, which mostly use diesel.

    Lees ook:

  • Index Living Mall opens again in Indonesia

    Index Living Mall opens again in Indonesia

    Thai home furnishings retailer Index Living Mall Co Ltd has opened a new store under a partnership with Indonesian-based CT Corp in Jakarta.

    s in PT Retail’s Transmart Carrefour complex in the city’s CempakaPutih district. It covers 2,500 square metres of retail space.
    The company’s president and CEO Pisith Patamasatayasonthi said that the company expects to open as many as five to 10 stores next year and annually until 2020 in Indonesia.

    Shafie Shamsuddin, president director and CEO of PT Trans Retail Indonesia, said: “This strategic partnership is expected to provide added value for Indonesian consumers with more and more sophisticated choices of furniture products at Index Living Mall that are integrated in one area with Transmart Carrefour.

    “Surely this will provide a trend of positive and complementary consumer spending needs between Transmart Carrefour and Index Living Mall as well as we help to provide place and space for local products to partner with us.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • E-pharmacy startup Medigo raises $1 million

    E-pharmacy startup Medigo raises $1 million

    E-pharmacy startup Medigo has received a $1 million investment from venture capital firm Touchstone Partners.

    The med-tech company, which helps users order medicine from pharmacies in the comfort of their homes, plans to expand its offerings to telemedicine and other healthcare services amid growing healthcare spending in Vietnam.

    Medigo, launched in July 2019, has partnered with over 200 medical institutions in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang.

    In the past six months, it saw gross merchandise value increase eight times. Medigo currently has over 200,000 users on its platform.

    Touchstone Partners is an early-stage Vietnamese venture capital firm that launched its inaugural $50 million fund earlier this year.

    Speaking of the investment, co-founder of the firm Ngo Thuy Ngoc Tu said that amid the pandemic, Medigo has offered sustainable solutions to help Vietnamese access healthcare services at reasonable costs.

    Lees ook:

  • Spotify’s new Enhanced feature will upgrade your playlists

    Spotify’s new Enhanced feature will upgrade your playlists

    Spotify’s new Enhanced feature promises to further improve your playlists with personalized recommendations. The music streaming service announced the new feature is rolling out this week to all its Premium users, so if you don’t pay for a Spotify subscription, you won’t be getting this one sadly.

    So, how is this Enhanced feature going to work for your playlists? First off, you’d need to toggle the feature on by tapping the new Enhance button at the top of each playlist. Once that’s done, recommendations will be added to the track list. According to Spotify, one recommendation will appear after every two tracks, for a max of 30 recommendations.

    Of course, you can choose to not add a recommendation to your playlist, but if you want to include it on your tracklist, simply press the “+” icon next to each track. All songs added through this method will never be replaced, but you can turn off Enhance at any time just like you enabled it.

    Spotify’s Enhanced feature will be rolling out to Premium users on Android and iOS in the following markets: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland Israel, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, U.K., and the U.S.

    Lees ook:

  • Snapchat launches new feature that helps track friends’ birthdays

    Snapchat launches new feature that helps track friends’ birthdays

    Birthdays Mini is the name of the new feature introduced by Snap meant to allow users to track their friends’ birthdays easier than ever. It’s a simple, yet nifty feature that will show Snapchat addicts a list of upcoming and recent birthdays, along with birthdays organized by Zodiac Sign.

    You can wish a friend a happy birthday using some of the unique Snapchat stickers and Lenses, or you can even countdown your own birthday if you want your friends to know. It’s important to mention though that only friends who have opted in to have their birthdays seen on Snapchat will have their birthdays shown in the Birthdays Mini list.

    Equally important is the fact that Snapchat will not display the birth year or age of your friends or even yours. Of course, you will be able to see the full information on your birthdays, but this isn’t going to be visible for anyone else.

    Birthday Mini will be rolled out to Snapchat on both Android and iOS starting today. The new feature can be found behind the rocket icon in Chat or via the Search bar.

  • Disney raises prices at Hulu effective October 8

    Disney raises prices at Hulu effective October 8

    Hulu was one of the few streaming services that didn’t increase prices this year. Unfortunately, that’s about to change as Disney has just confirmed that Hulu price tiers will be increased effective October 8.

    The price of Hulu’s live TV service plans will increase by $1 starting October 8. Taking into consideration the new price hike, Hulu’s ad-supported tier will cost $6.99 per month, while the ad-free tier will be going up to $12.99 monthly.

    The Hulu price hike follows the other increases in recent months at ESPN+ and Disney+. The report mentions that the reason for the price increase could be the addition of thousands of Bollywood titles and Hotstar originals to the streaming service.

    Also, the new price for Hulu’s tiers might make the Disney Bundle more appealing for those who wish to save some bucks (36% to be more precise). Hulu confirmed that the price of the Disney Bundle will not change due to the price increase. It’s also important to mention that the price hike won’t affect Hulu + Live TV plans.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Hair cuts and dining in as Thai malls reopen after virus cases ease

    Hair cuts and dining in as Thai malls reopen after virus cases ease

    Thailand allowed shopping malls in the capital Bangkok to reopen on Wednesday and restaurants to operate at half capacity, after nearly three months of tough restrictions aimed at containing the country’s worst coronavirus outbreak.

    The move comes after infections numbers started falling in the middle of last month and with the government under pressure to ease lockdown measures due to the impact on the economy.

    “Thai citizens like me…will come back to normal life,” said Wanvipa Luepromchian, who was getting her hair cut in a salon in the Siam Paragon mall in Bangkok.

    The government in July started imposing strict measures including closing malls and prohibiting restaurant dining as the number of new infections surged due to the Delta variant.

    At its peak, authorities reported over 23,000 new cases in a single day in mid-August.

    On Wednesday, the health ministry reported 14,802 new cases and 252 additional deaths. Thailand has overall reported 1.2 million cases and 11,841 fatalities.

    “If you (the government) lockdown everything that’s so dangerous for the economy in Thailand,” Wanvipa said.

    Last week, the government also allowed some domestic flights to resume.

    Restaurants dining can also restart, but at half the capacity to allow for social distancing.

    “Customers need to get temperatures checked before entering and keep social distancing with only two people on one table, but if they are family, they can be seated together,” said restaurant manager Nichapha Jiwvaganont.

    While a nighttime curfew remains in place in Bangkok, the partial reopening will be supportive for Thailand’s struggling economy.

    A joint business group on Wednesday raised its 2021 economic forecast from between a 0.5% contraction to 1% growth from a contraction of 1.5% to 0% growth as curbs were relaxed.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Ikea expands Buy Back & Resell program as it eyes 2030 circularity goal

    Ikea expands Buy Back & Resell program as it eyes 2030 circularity goal

    Global furniture and homewares retailer Ikea has expanded its Buy Back & Resell concept into the US with a three-week trial in the Pennsylvania city of Conshohocken in suburban Philadelphia.

    Ikea piloted the concept in the UK in 2019 before launching two permanent stores in its home market Sweden last year. In Australia, a 10-day campaign last year saw more than 18,000 products returned to stores, but the initiative has not been introduced as a permanent feature yet.

    After the Ikea Conshohocken Ikea US said in a statement that it plans to roll the service out to additional select markets across the country, with the ultimate goal of making Buy Back & Resell a permanent service at all Ikea US stores in the future, without specifying a timeframe. The pilot began this week and ends on September 19.

    However the company earlier said the return and reuse strategy would help it meet its goal of becoming a circular business by 2030.

    Perhaps addressing one of the challenges of maintaining a service where it commits to buying back furniture, the company said it was offering “Ikea Family members the opportunity to sell back their gently used” furniture in exchange for store credit. It only covers fully assembled and functional Ikea furniture which the retailer hopes will provide a sustainable and affordable option for customers, especially those on tight budgets. The condition, age and functionality of products returned will be reviewed and any recalled products – along with particular categories of products such as chests of drawers – will not be accepted.

    “At Ikea, we are passionate about making sustainable living easy and affordable for the many, and want to be part of a future that’s better for both people and the planet,” says Jennifer Keesson, country sustainability manager at Ikea US. “We hope the Buy Back & Resell service inspires our customers to live a more sustainable life at home while giving their used furniture another life and a second home.”

    The company did not say what it would do with furniture returned that it believed could not be resold – consumers may have the perception that the company would recycle it on their behalf.

    Through its franchise partner Ingka Group, Ikea has 52 stores in the US.

    Ikea Australia sustainability manager Mellisa Hamilton said the success of last year’s trial proved “overwhelming demand” for the service.

    “Moving forward, we’re looking at ways to refine the service to be able to meet demand and continue to increase consumer awareness to promote and enable circularity both within our business and our customer’s life at home.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Oil Falls In Biggest Weekly Decline In Months On Demand Worries

    Oil Falls In Biggest Weekly Decline In Months On Demand Worries

    Oil prices fell about 1% lower on Friday, posting to their steepest weekly losses in months, on worries that travel restrictions to curb the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 will derail the global recovery in energy demand. Crude futures also came under pressure as the dollar strengthened after monthly U.S. job growth came in higher than expected. A stronger dollar makes greenback-denominated oil more expensive for buyers in other currencies.

    Brent crude oil futures settled down 59 cents, or 0.8%, at $70.70, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 81, or 1.2%, to settle at $68.28 a barrel.

    For the week, global benchmark Brent shed more than 6%, its largest week of losses in four months, and WTI tumbled nearly 7% in its biggest weekly decline in nine months.

    “The price action we see now is really a function of the macro picture,” said Howie Lee, an economist at Singapore bank OCBC. “The Delta variant is now really starting to hit home and you see risk aversion in many markets, not just oil.”

    Growth in the rig count has slowed in recent months as drillers continue to focus on capital discipline.

    U.S. President Joe Biden said that COVID-19 cases in the United States, which have climbed to a six-month high, will go up before they come down and that the new Delta variant is taking a needless toll on the country.

    Japan is poised to expand emergency restrictions to more regions of the country, while China, the world’s second-largest oil consumer, has imposed curbs in some cities and canceled flights.

    “Increased travel restrictions in China have come under the microscope of traders and could become a key oil price mover as this month proceeds,” said Jim Ritterbusch, president of Ritterbusch and Associates LLC in Galena, Illinois.

    U.S. oil rigs rose two to 387 this week, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said. Growth in the rig count has slowed in recent months as drillers continue to focus on capital discipline.

    Lees ook: