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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.

  • Appliance Subscription services taking off in South Korea

    Appliance Subscription services taking off in South Korea

    The subscription services economy – through which one can periodically receive products or services instead of purchasing them outright – is on the rise in South Korea.

    Rental services, which used to be represented by water purifiers, are now in their heyday as they have expanded to various items such as LED masks and dishwashers.

    Major online shopping portal Gmarket’s sales data for rental services over the past five years showed a more than fivefold increase (448 percent) since 2014.

    Compared to last year, rentals of massage chairs increased by 435 percent, clothes dryers by 111 percent, and air purifiers by 106 percent.

    When dividing the rental service by generation, customers in their 40s accounted for 46 percent of purchases, nearly the majority, followed by those in their 30s at 35 percent.

    People in their 30s and 40s who seek practical consumption and have relative economic power, have responded to rental services that allow them to rent products at reasonable prices.

    The items available for rent have diversified. Various kitchen appliances such as dishwashers, food processors, coffee machines, air fryers and induction stoves as well as LED masks and pet products like pet dry rooms are available.

    Rental companies are also introducing health-related products such as spinal-heating medical devices and eye massagers, as well as unique products such as painting rentals and indoor plant growing machines.

    “Because products that can improve quality of life can be used without any initial cost and can be replaced with new products after a certain period of time, preference for rental services is increasing,” said a representative of Gmarket.

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  • Webjet earnings taking a hit from Thomas Cook bankruptcy

    Webjet earnings taking a hit from Thomas Cook bankruptcy

    Digital travel business Webjet is set to feel the pinch of the collapse of British travel company Thomas Cook.

    The online company, which manages the hotel bookings for Thomas Cook’s customers visiting Europe, said it will be impacted by a loss of total transaction value (TTV) in FY20 from Thomas Cook’s demise.

    Webjet has advised that it expected TTV from Thomas Cook to be in the range of $150 million to $200 million (A$221.4 million to A$295.18 million) in FY 2020.

    This is expected to reduce its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) growth this year. An additional $27 million to $33 million of EBITDA was expected in FY 2020, but the impact of Thomas Cook entering liquidation is expected to reduce this guidance by up to $7 million.

    The online travel agent also said Thomas Cook owed it approximately $43.7 million.

    Webjet said, however, that the impairment of any unpaid receivables will be treated as a one-off expense to the income statement and that there will be no material adverse impact on the company’s liquidity because any write-off will be absorbed by existing cash reserves which stood at $211.4 million as of June 30 plus its undrawn debt facilities.

    The online retailer said there will be “no impact on the more than 3,000 hotel contracts Webjet acquired from Thomas Cook in August 2016, which are wholly owned by WebBeds and available for sale to all WebBeds customers.”

    The company added the vast majority of these contracts are currently sold at full margin to non-Thomas Cook customers and have been a key driver of the profitable growth of their European business over the last three years.

    The travel retailer also said there is no change expected to its other expected FY20 earnings drivers indicated in the FY19 results announcement.

    The embattled travel company Thomas Cook has collapsed after last-minute negotiations aimed at saving the firm failed.

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  • Indian pharmacy MedPlus new openings in Mumbai

    Indian pharmacy MedPlus new openings in Mumbai

    Indian pharmacy retail chain MedPlus is preparing to launch in Mumbai.

    The firm, which already has around 1700 locations predominantly in South India, plans to open 100 stores annually in the new territory. A hundred of its current locations are run as franchises.

    “In Mumbai, we will be setting up our own stores,” said MedPlus founder and CEO Madhukar Gangadi.

    The brand’s stores are serviced by hub warehouses linked via digital technologies to optimise supply-chain management.

    Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion data suggests that the Indian pharmacy retail sector is worth roughly US$18 billion, and should reach $50 billion by 2025. There are around 850,000 retail pharmacies in the country, only 6000 of which are structured pharmacy stores.

    “The combined market share of the big four e-pharmacies isn’t more than 2.4 per cent,” said Gangadi, “and that is on top of basically losing money like crazy, because they don’t have any value proposition … Now they have started talking about omnichannel; we are already omnichannel.”

    The firm raised around US$28.25 million from Wipro Chairman Azim Premji’s family office PremjiInvest last April.

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  • Disney+ goes up for pre-order in the US with no special discounts

    Disney+ goes up for pre-order in the US with no special discounts

    If you remain undecided between retaining your Netflix and chill rights and giving a newcomer to the increasingly crowded video streaming market a shot to impress you, it might be a good idea to think and act fast. At least if you’re considering becoming an early Disney+ adopter.

    While the high-profile service owned by The Walt Disney Company is still scheduled to start streaming for the masses on November 12, you can already pre-order either a monthly or yearly subscription in the US. Unfortunately, both options appear to be available at their regular prices, so it’s unclear why one would want to rush and pay $6.99 or $69.99 in advance… apart from scoring bragging rights.

    Then again, those are already significantly lower rates than what Netflix is typically charging for a similar albeit richer product. As reported in a European pilot program, the Disney+ library is far from impressive for the time being, including a limited number of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic titles.

    ut the list is expected to grow at a solid pace with new original feature films like “Lady and the Tramp” and “Noelle” this holiday season, highly anticipated series like “WandaVision”, “Loki”, and “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” in the next couple of years, as well as various exclusive documentaries and “short-form content.”

    Ultimately, you’ll have to decide for yourselves if a decent start and a bunch of big promises will be enough to make you turn your back on the likes of Netflix, HBO, and Hulu. Of course, you can also bundle Disney+ with Hulu and ESPN+ for the insanely affordable monthly rate of $12.99, but that special offer is actually not available during the pre-order period of the new streaming service Apple will try to challenge at an even lower price point.

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  • Main Ikea franchisee to hit zero-energy target one year early

    Main Ikea franchisee to hit zero-energy target one year early

    Inter Ikea’s biggest franchisee Ingka Group is expected to produce as much renewable energy as the energy it consumes by the end of this year, beating its 2020 target.

    The Dutch company, which owns 367 Ikea stores, 23 smaller-format showrooms and 44 shopping centers in 30 countries, this week announced the acquisition of a 49 percent stake in two US solar parks, due to come into operation over the coming months.

    The company has spent 2.5 billion euros ($4.1 billion) over the past decade on wind farms, rooftop solar panels on its stores and warehouses, Reuters reports, and has installed solar panels at 90 percent of its locations and geothermal projects at two stores.

    Through these investments, the retailer expects to be able to produce as much renewable energy as the energy it consumes by the end of this year.

    Ingka Group CEO Jesper Brodin said he would continue to invest in wind farms and solar parks, saying it was good business.

    “Being climate-smart is not an added cost. It’s actually smart business and what the business model of the future will look like … Everything around fossil fuels and daft use of resources will be expensive,” he said.

    More retailers investing in solar

    Retailers around the world are becoming more aware of their impact on the environment and increasingly making changes in the way they do business to reduce their carbon footprint.

    Australia-based Domino’s Pizza Enterprises this week announced it would roll out rooftop solar panels across its entire store network to reduce its impact on the environment, as well as energy costs.

    “We are really excited that Domino’s Aspley is now sourcing power from renewable energy and are thrilled with the results,” Domino’s Australia and New Zealand chief executive Nick Knight said, referring to the first store to get solar panels in a trial of the program in 2017.

    Coles also is investing in solar energy. The supermarket is constructing three solar plants in regional New South Wales which will provide 10 percent of its national energy electricity needs, and Woolworths is integrating solar panels into the redevelopment of its Adelaide regional distribution center.

    Vicinity Centres has also announced it is investing $75 million into a large scale solar program, which will see 22 of its centers fitted with rooftop solar panels, and will cut the group’s consumption from the national energy grid by up to 40 percent.

    Several brands and businesses have announced their support for the climate strike on September 20. Vinomofo, Lush, Adore Beauty, RedBubble, Sodastream and Ben & Jerry’s are just some of the businesses taking part.

    Franchisor Inter Ikea, which is in charge of product development and supply globally, aims for Ikea as a whole to be climate positive by 2030.

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  • The Best K-Drama Shows of 2019

    The Best K-Drama Shows of 2019

    Do you live for the drama? Then you’ve probably heard about some of the names in this article. Even if you have been living or traveling to countries such as China where Netflix geo-restricts their content, you have no excuse for missing out. You can easily fix the issue by using one of the best VPN for China to unblock restricted websites. These K-dramas bring back everyone’s favorite actors on screen in 2019. They can go from funny or sappy to heartbreaking in the blink of an eye. We have put together below a list of the best K-dramas of the year:

    Chief of Staff

    Chief of Staff is very similar to Netflix original series House of Cards. Chief of staff, Jang Tae-jun leads the game from the shadows while trying to rise to the top. The drama is right at home here, as there’s manipulation, criminal activity, scheming, illicit affairs, and of course lots of lying

    Sky Castle

    Sky Castle is a series that follows the story of four women part of the high-class South Korean society. The drama is created by the fact that these wealthy parents try to control every aspect of their children’s lives. Of course, they must face the consequences. One of the mothers is obsessing with getting her daughter enrolled in this elite university. She is willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish this mission. If you enjoy a soapy drama with a hint of comedy and romance, Sky Castle is definitely for you.

    Doctor Prisoner

    This K-drama follows the story of a skilled doctor (Namkoong Min) who has to work in prison after a malpractice incident costs him his hospital job. His ultimate goal is to get revenge on those who outed him and become the prison’s chief doctor. Kim Byung Chul and Choi Won Young from Sky Castle are also part of the cast.

    The Last Empress

    If you are the kind of person who enjoys the stress and often shouts at the screen at characters who can’t even hear you, this 52 episodes drama is perfect for you. However, it is not for the weak of heart. The action is set in an alternative reality in which South Korea is a constitutional monarchy. If you like a neat plot, things might get confusing. A musical actress marries the Emperor but ends up falling in love with the bodyguard. Meanwhile, a mysterious murder threatens the stability of the monarchy. How’s that for drama?

    The Fiery Priest

    The Fiery Priest is an action-packed crime show about a priest who can’t control his anger, some bad guys, a foolish detective, and a bad prosecutor. The 40-episode drama takes place in a wicked city where the leads investigate the murder of an older priest. Besides all the action and suspense, you are also at risk to laugh out loud.

    Angel’s Last Mission: Love

    This premiered KBS drama is about an angel who likes to get in trouble. While completing his duties on earth, he falls in love with Lee Yeon-Seo, a former ballerina. Dan becomes her guardian angel and tries to help her find true love, but ends up falling in love with her. This drama is filled with dancing, music and an intriguing story. K-pop fans will recognize the lead character, L (Kim Myung-soo) from the boy band Infinite.

    Arthdal Chronicles

    Arthdal Chronicles is an epic Netflix series about the dramatic power struggles that take place in a mythical ancient land. If you are a fan of drama and fantasy, this is the kind of thing you would appreciate. The cast doesn’t disappoint, featuring Song Joong-ki, Jang Dong-gun, and Kim Ji-won.

    My Fellow Citizens

    Choi Si-won, a member of Super Junior, returns this year on the big screen in the K-drama My Fellow Citizens.  His character, Yang Jung Kook is a conman who falls in love with a woman who hides a secret. Both were going through a hard time, so they find comfort in each other’s arms. She finally decides to confess her true identity on their wedding day. Warning, drama alert!

    My First First Love

    If you love binge-watching dramas, this is the right movie for you! You can find it streaming on Netflix now. This coming-of-age story follows the story of five college students sharing the same roof, so it’s pretty obvious things are going to get messy. The love triangle brings enough drama to keep you hooked. We also love seeing Ji Soo and Jinyoung together on the screen.

    Touch Your Heart

    Touch Your Heart is a really fun drama to watch. The action is set in a law firm where an actress caught in a scandal works as a secretary for a moody attorney. The reason why she does the job is to land a part in a famous writer’s drama. The leading actors have great chemistry, as they’ve played together in Goblin, another drama. Also, it’s another love story that takes place in the workplace.

     

     

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  • Kayak Travel Comparison opens Hong Kong Headquarter

    Kayak Travel Comparison opens Hong Kong Headquarter

    Online travel-services comparison site Kayak has established its regional headquarters in Hong Kong.

    The move was made in recognition of Hongkongers’ penchant for bargain holidays and straightforward booking arrangements, according to an email from the firm.

    “Hong Kong is a global city with great accessibility to so many other places,” said Kayak’s senior regional manager APAC Matthew Wong. “[The city] also serves as a gateway for visitors from North America and Europe into Asia, and vice versa. In fact, our 2018 travel-search data showed that Hong Kong is ranked in the top three of the most-frequented stopover cities among North Americans and Europeans traveling to other destinations in Asia-Pacific.”

    Wong added that travelers are becoming more flexible in what they want, citing data showing that multi-city, open-jaw and one-way flight searches are constantly increasing. Also, besides popular destinations such as Tokyo and Taipei, Kayak has seen an increase of interest in the more under-the-radar cities from its users in Hong Kong and Mainland China.

    “Second-tier cities are showing 150- to 300-per-cent year-on-year increase in travel searches, proving an intense uptick in interest,” said Wong.

    Kayak was founded in 2004 by CEO Steve Hafner and CTO Paul English, and now operates in 60 countries and territories using more than 30 languages.

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  • Ikea starts building store in southwest province of Yunnan

    Ikea starts building store in southwest province of Yunnan

    Ikea China has started construction of its first store in Yunnan.

    The southwestern Chinese province will see its first Ikea outlet in its capital city of Kunming, scheduled to open at the end of next year. The firm is investing more than RMB1 billion (US$141 million) into the 120,000sqm three-story development.

    Ikea China area director Lukasz Ostrowski said that the firm has full confidence in the future development of its Chinese business, following more than two decades of rapid and accelerating expansion.

    Upon completion, Ikea is anticipated to be operating 35 stores in Mainland China.

  • Spotify wants to track your location ‘from time to time’, which feels wholly unnecessary

    Spotify wants to track your location ‘from time to time’, which feels wholly unnecessary

    Launched way back in 2014, Spotify’s Premium Family plan was revised a couple of years later to allow up to six different users on the same account to stream unlimited music with no ads or interruptions in exchange for only $14.99 a month in total. The catch is the primary account holder and all other family members need to reside at the same address to qualify for this deal, which is a pretty old rule that the service wasn’t very preoccupied to enforce until recently.

    Last year, Spotify tried to crack down on rulebreakers that share their accounts without being related or living in the same place, but unsurprisingly, a lot of people reacted negatively to the company’s attempts at “verifying”, aka tracking, their location. Consequently, the new verification policy, which was merely being tested on a relatively small scale in a handful of markets, got abandoned before reaching a general implementation phase.
    But surprise, surprise, it appears the platform’s legal terms were discreetly modified last month to include a section bound to cause a lot of controversy yet again. In addition to asking for home address verification from all Spotify Premium Family subscribers upon first activating one such account, the service may now ask “from time to time” for “re-verification” in order to “confirm that you are still meeting the eligibility criteria.”
    In other words, Spotify wants to check on your location “from time to time”, which sounds like a pretty sketchy behavior from an app that really doesn’t need that kind of information to do what it does best. For what it’s worth, a company spokesperson highlighted in a short statement to Cnet that Spotify does not store your location data or keep tracking you once the verification procedure is completed. Also, all sensitive data is encrypted and “can be edited by the plan owner as needed.”
    Still, given all the scandals involving the misuse of this type of information by so many tech giants, services, and apps, it’s easy to understand why Spotify subscribers might feel nervous sharing their location (using GPS coordinates no less) from “time to time.” There’s also the question of Spotify’s definition of the word “family”, as real-world family members often live apart.
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  • Ikea launches slow TV channel to help Aussies sleep better

    Ikea launches slow TV channel to help Aussies sleep better

    Swedish furniture chain Ikea has expanded on its efforts to put Aussies to sleep, creating a live-streamed ‘Slow TV Channel’ which follows the 14-day journey of its products aboard a cargo ship.

    Decidedly unexciting, the effort mixes the soothing sound of waves crashing against the ship’s stern with narration by Ikea’s Kent and Sara Eriksson – hosts of Ikea’s sleep podcast.

    Kent and Sara read from the latest Ikea catalog in a soothing tone in order to help Australians get a good night’s rest.

    “We’re very excited to launch what could be the least exciting TV channel Aussies have ever seen,” Ikea Australia country commercial activity leader Ryan Burman said.

    “We know that one in four Aussies struggles with their sleep, so we hope that the rhythmic, monotonous content of the slow TV channel helps quieten the day, and get the mind and body ready for bed.”

    According to Burman, Ikea wants to inspire Australians to create a better sleep environment.

    The live streamed video will run for 336 hours – from September 12th to 26th – ending at the opening of Ikea’s Festival of Sleep which will run from September 26th to October 7th.

    According to Ikea, the festival will feature in-store workshops, guest speakers, special offers, competitions and exciting activities designed to help customers get better sleep.

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  • Spotify brings back the home screen widget for Android

    Spotify brings back the home screen widget for Android

    After removing the home screen widget for Android about a month ago, Spotify has decided to bring it back from the dead. Although the reason the feature was discontinued probably had something to do with it not being used by too many Spotify customers, it appears that people weren’t happy by the change.

    Spotify announced that following users feedback, it has decided to revive the feature and even make it better. Starting today, the Android Widget for Android is back, and it brings some improvements with it.

    The widget is now resizable, but some stability issues have been fixed as well. The Android Widget will show up on your home screen after you update to the latest version of Spotify. The new version of the app has already been released in the Google Play Store, so the Android Widget should be available to everyone now.

    If you’re on the latest version of the app, then Spotify will show in the widget menu on your device, so make sure to check the new feature after the update if you want to take advantage of the Android Widget.

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  • Spotify announces Snapchat integration, lets users share music

    Spotify announces Snapchat integration, lets users share music

    Spotify has announced integration with Snapchat, which will allow users to seamlessly share what they’re listening to in a Snap story. The update that brings integration with Snapchat will enable Spotify users who have the social app installed to share their favorite tracks, playlists, albums, and podcasts.

    Sharing Spotify content to Snapchat is quite easy and can be done in four steps:

    • Tap the “share” menu while you’re listening to any song, album, artist, or podcats.
    • Select “Snapchat” from the dropdown list.
    • Snapchat will open a new Snap with the full album art included.
    • Edit and send to how many people you want or to your Story.

    Keep in mind that if a friend sends you a Snap with a song, playlist, artist profile, or podcast rec included, you will be able to stream by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, tap the context card with song, artist, playlist, or podcast info, and then simply waiting for Spotify to open and play the content.

    Spotify integration with Snapchat will be available on both Android and iOS devices in the coming days, so keep an eye out for a new update for either of the two mobile platforms.

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  • Tapestry CEO dumped as share price plunges

    Tapestry CEO dumped as share price plunges

    New York-based luxury accessories and lifestyle house Tapestry has ousted its CEO suddenly due to the company’s poor sales results and plunging share price.

    Tapestry – parent of Coach, Stuart Weitzman and Kate Spade – has lost more than half of its value within the last year, from US$50 to $20.44 on Tuesday.

    The company announced overnight that CEO Victor Luis would leave both his executive role and his seat on the board with immediate effect. He has been replaced by Jide Zeitlin as CEO, the board’s current chairman who will continue in that role as well.

    The company has also named Susan Kropf, a current member of the Tapestry board, as a lead independent director.

    Luis has led Tapestry for five years and in its announcement, Zietlin paid tribute to Luis’ achievements.

    “Early in his tenure, he was a critical part of Coach’s development outside of North America, first as president and CEO of Coach Japan and then assuming responsibility for the brand’s entire international organization. Over the past five years as CEO, Victor was instrumental in the successful transformation of Coach and the establishment of Tapestry as New York’s first house of modern luxury lifestyle brands.”

    Luis oversaw the acquisition of luxury footwear brand Stuart Weitzman. However, three weeks ago Tapestry disappointed shareholders and analysts after its latest add-on Kate Spade, showed weak growth. Fourth-quarter profit fell from $212 million to $149 million on sales of $1.5 billion.

    Zeitlin said the board remains committed to Tapestry’s multi-brand model while recognizing the need to sharpen its focus on execution,

    “Given the continued strength and momentum at Coach – the largest brand at Tapestry – our top priority remains driving significantly improved performance at our acquired brands.”

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  • Stuart Weitzman opens world-first airport store at Hong Kong

    Stuart Weitzman opens world-first airport store at Hong Kong

    Designer footwear label Stuart Weitzman has opened its first airport outlet worldwide at HKIA in partnership with Lagardere Travel Retail.

    The airport boutique is opening with a curated selection from the brand’s future-inspired Autumn 2019 Collection and SW Logo series, including its popular Nudistsong stilettos and Nearlynude block-heel sandals.

    Stuart Weitzman has 128 stores around the world and is represented in both physical stores and online in the US, Canada, Europe, China, Japan and Australia.

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  • Doctors warn about heatstrokes during Japan 2020 Olympics

    Doctors warn about heatstrokes during Japan 2020 Olympics

    Everybody is preparing for the Japan 2020 Olympics, with almost all of the seats already considered for the taking by thousands of international spectators. However, these spectators and the athletes themselves may get something completely different than they were bargaining for.

    To reiterate it, they’re most likely going to witness “the most heated Olympic games of history” and that’s in a metaphor kind of understanding, it’s quite literal.

    Several Japanese doctors, that are well respected and counted among the best of the best the country can offer, have warned about the increased number of heat strokes that Japanese Summers have been producing over the course of the last couple of years.

    One particular doctor, Kimiyuki Nagashima is warning that the dates where the games are going to be held July 27th – August 9th is in the very epicenter of the Japanese heatwaves, especially as humidity builds up due to the country being an island and so close to a large ocean as well as a sea.

    Is it more dangerous for the players or the spectators?

    It’s quite easy to understand that spectators will have the luxury of trying to find a place in the shade or at least coming prepared to the events as they clothe themselves accordingly or bring equipment for producing “artificial” shade.

    When it comes to the athletes themselves, there is very little they can possibly do. In fact, it’s not about the heatstroke anymore for the athletes themselves, but also the severe burns they may receive if they expose themselves to the sun for a large period of time.

    Considering how the games are almost always held in open-air areas, there will be very little protecting these athletes as they do warmups for the contest or when they actually compete.

    What are other experts saying?

    There are other people that have commented on the condition of Japanese weather during the Olympics. Most of them are TV show hosts or Sports experts that have been with the industry for decades.

    Almost all of them are saying that competing in a not-perfect weather condition is almost guaranteed to hamper the performance of the athletes, therefore no record breaking attempts should be expected.

    Even experts from countries like Norway and Sweden have commented that it’s important that coaches somehow prepare their athletes for the heat for them to at least deal with it somehow rather than combat it completely. Being born and raised in the Nordics does indeed add some sense to how sensitive an athlete may be to the heat.

    The comments have become so wide-spread about the potential health issues that even popular Norwegian betting odds websites, who absolutely marvel at the Olympics as that’s when they get most of the traction has subsequently decided to decrease the odds of Scandinavian performers. All because of the interference of the heat.

    Are the organizers doing anything?

    If the general population and experts already understand the potential health risks, then so do the organizers. They are already testing preventative measures in order to create the most “habitable” environment for both the athletes as well as the spectators by using things such as fake snow to somehow refresh the area.

    However, the issues immediately became apparent as the snow doesn’t truly cool down the area nor the people that come in contact with it. The snow refreshes the recipient rather than bring their body temperature down.

    Other issues such as quick-melting snow producing puddles or simply soaking spectators were also encountered, introducing even more issues than it solved.

    It’s unknown what type of preventative measures the organizers will try in the future, but the fact that you need to stock up on the coldest water you can find before going to see the events is a given.

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