Retail News CRM

Blog

  • BlackBerry has no plans to move BBM servers to Indonesia

    BlackBerry has no plans to move BBM servers to Indonesia

    Back in June, BlackBerry announced a new partnership with Indonesia-based Emtek to help expand the consumer BBM business. Since then, several inaccurate articles have come out about who now owns BBM and most recently, several outlets published articles noting that BlackBerry would be moving BBM server(s) to Indonesia. Looking to clear the air surrounding that information, BlackBerry COO Marty Beard, has taken to the Inside BlackBerry blog to lay out the situation accordingly.

    In June, we struck a partnership with Indonesia’s leading media company, Emtek, to license the rights to develop and offer cross-platform BBM.

    The goal was to better serve our many BBM users, and, in particular, our 60 million monthly active users in Indonesia, by working with a trusted partner who we know can accelerate the delivery of new features and services for BBM. That goal has been more than met – see all of the new security features, mobile shopping offerings, mobile games, and more that have become available on BBM in the last several months.

    However, we’ve read some inaccurate press reports that tell a different story and we want to bring the facts to light. First of all, let’s be clear. BlackBerry owns 100% of BBM. We have merely licensed the rights to the Android, iOS and Windows Phone versions of BBM to a newly formed subsidiary of Emtek named Creative Media. BlackBerry maintains direct control over the BBOS and BlackBerry 10 versions of BBM, as well as BBM Enterprise (formerly BBM Protected).

    Businesses running BBM Enterprise for the ultimate in high-security mobile communications can remain confident that there will be no changes, disruptions or degradation of their service. It is also important to note that there are NO plans to move any BBM infrastructure, including BBM servers located in Canada and the U.S., to Indonesia, contrary to what the Head of Creative Media apparently communicated to the media.

    BlackBerry and Emtek are 100% aligned on their vision to advance BBM for consumers and on making sure our many Indonesian users continue to have the best experience possible. We remain extremely committed to Indonesia and our fans there. To that end, we have ensured that Indonesian consumers will have ready access to our handsets through our partnership with PT BB Merah Putih..

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Apple targets Indonesia with $44 million in R&D investment

    Apple targets Indonesia with $44 million in R&D investment

    Apple is working hard to break into the Indonesian smartphone market, announcing plans to invest roughly $44 million in a research and development (R&D) center over the next three years.

    The investment will let the company sell its iPhone 7 there after the Indonesian government recently announced that as of January 2017, all 4G-enabled phones sold in the country must include at least 30% local content, which can be reached via hardware, software, or an investment.

    Indonesia presents a massive growth opportunity for Apple, which posted its first annual decline in revenue in 15 years during Q3 2016. The year-over-year decline is primarily due to the decelerating global smartphone market since the iPhone comprises almost two-thirds of the company’s total revenue.

    Nevertheless, Apple is unlikely to find immediate success in Indonesia, much as it has in other emerging markets such as India. The smartphone market is largely controlled by Samsung, which accounted for 26% of smartphone shipments in Q2 2016, according to IDC. Meanwhile, low- to mid-tier devices from local and Asian vendors such as OPPO, ASUS, Advan, and Lenovo make up the rest of the top five vendors, by share.

    The low- to mid-tier smartphone market is a key area in which Apple does not yet have a significant presence. This is a missed opportunity Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster noted during Business Insider’s IGNITION conference in December. And while the iPhone SE at $400 could be seen as an attempt by the company to partly capture the mid-tier market, it’s still marginally more costly than those being offered by local and Asian vendors. The OPPO F1, for instance, retails for around 3.8 million Indonesian Rupiah (roughly $283 USD).

    The global smartphone market is expected to slow considerably over the next few years. Despite a record-setting holiday quarter, 2015 was likely the last year of double-digit growth for smartphone shipments.

    Mature markets were at the heart of this year’s deceleration. Adoption has reached new highs in key markets in the United States, Europe, and China. The pool of first-time buyers in these countries is shrinking rapidly, and sales are now primarily coming from phone upgrades.

    Meanwhile, emerging markets will continue to see robust shipment growth. India and Indonesia, in particular, will help fuel a large share of the shipments growth within the global smartphone market over the next few years.

    Lees ook:

  • New Zealand’s Chorus appoints Kate McKenzie as CEO

    New Zealand’s Chorus appoints Kate McKenzie as CEO

    New Zealand telecoms operator Chorus has appointed Kate McKenzie as its new CEO, replacing Mark Ratcliffe from February 2017.

    A highly regarded and experienced telco executive, McKenzie will oversee the rollout of Chorus’ Ultra-Fast Broadband and will focus on customer experience moving forward.

    “I have admired Chorus’ roll out of very high quality broadband infrastructure and I look forward to playing my part in working with the rest of the telecommunications sector to make it as easy as possible for our customers to enjoy the benefits of this nation-wide upgrade and all of the social and economic benefits that will deliver,” McKenzie said

    Before joining Chorus, McKenzie was most recently chief operating officer of Telstra,  responsible for the Australian incumbent’s field services, IT and network architecture and operations. She joined Telstra in 2004 and held a range of senior executive roles in strategy, marketing, products and wholesale over the past 12 years.

    McKenzie stepped down from Telstra in July,  following a series of network outages facing the telco this year. Earlier this month Telstra appointed former Juniper Networks CFOO and COO Robyn Denholm as its new COO.

    Prior to joining Telstra, Kate was a CEO in the NSW Government of the Departments of Commerce, Industrial Relations and the Workcover Authority. She worked in the Cabinet Office on the development and implementation of competition policy, energy reform, privatization and a range of complex Commonwealth/State negotiations.

    Commenting on McKenzie’s appointment, Chorus chairman Patrick Strange said, “The board is very pleased that Kate has agreed to lead Chorus. She is one of the most highly rated telecommunications executives in the region.  We believe the combination of Kate’s clear leadership qualities and her broad range of relevant experience made her the standout choice in a field of high quality candidates.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Vietnam Airlines switches Australian routes to all-787 operation

    Vietnam Airlines switches Australian routes to all-787 operation

    Australia has become an all Boeing 787 destination for Vietnam Airlines after the Skyteam alliance member switched both its Melbourne and Sydney services to the next-generation Dreamliner.

    Vietnam Airlines’ first 787 flight to Australia arrived on Friday morning, when VN781 operated by 787-9 VN-A865 touched down at Melbourne Tullamarine at about 0930, after an eight hour and 20 minute journey from Ho Chi Minh City. The route was previously served with Airbus A330-200 equipment.

    The airline is the eighth carrier to serve Melbourne Tullamarine with the 787 alongside Air India, Air New Zealand, Jetstar, Royal Brunei Airlines, Scoot, United and Xiamen Airlines.

    And Melbourne is due to get another 787 operator with LATAM announcing the start of Melbourne-Santiago nonstop flights from October 2017.

    Meanwhile, Vietnam Airlines’ first 787 service to Sydney arrived less than an hour after the flight to Melbourne landed.

    Flight VN773, operated by 787-9 VN-A870, arrived at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport a little after 1010, with passengers taken on a scenic fly over Sydney Harbour prior to landing.

    Vietnam Airlines previously operated Boeing 777-200ERs on the Ho Chi Minh City-Sydney route. The switch to the Dreamliner brings to nine the number of carriers operating the aircraft at Sydney – Vietnam Airlines joins Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Jetstar, LATAM Airlines, Scoot, United and Xiamen Airlines.

    Qantas places its QF airline code on Vietnam Airlines’ two Australian routes.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • AEON joins The Mall Group in “The Magic of Giving” Campaign

    AEON joins The Mall Group in “The Magic of Giving” Campaign

    Waraporn Nilpanich (third left), Vice President Credit Card of AEON Thana Sinsap (Thailand) Public Company Limited, together with Voralak Tulaphorn (middle), Senior Vice President Marketing of The Mall Group Co., Ltd. has launched “The Magic of Giving” campaign to reward AEON credit cardholders this New Year.

    Accumulated spending of every 3,000 baht at the Mall shopping center with AEON credit cards, entitles cardholders to receive a gift voucher of up to 1,000 baht. Besides, cardholders will receive x3 lucky draws for chances to win prizes valued over 1 million baht when spending every 1,000 baht. The campaign runs until January 11th, 2017

    Lees ook:

  • 2,000+ Buyers Visit First HKTDC Lifestyle Expo in New Delhi

    2,000+ Buyers Visit First HKTDC Lifestyle Expo in New Delhi

    The inaugural HKTDC Lifestyle Expo in New Delhi welcomed more than 2,000 trade buyers during its two-day run on 19 and 20 December 2016, as 120 Hong Kong and mainland companies showcased a range of trendy, high-quality products, reaffirming Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s lifestyle trendsetter and “super-connector” in business.

    Jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Trade Development Bureau (TDB) of the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, the expo took place at The Lalit New Delhi.

    Apart from bringing a slice of Hong Kong lifestyle to India, the event also helped develop stronger bilateral trade relations between India and the Chinese mainland.

    The Opening Ceremony was officiated by LC Goyal, Chairman and Managing Director, India Trade Promotion Orgnisation, Stephen Liang, Assistant Executive Director, HKTDC, Jin Hong, Deputy Director-General, Trade Development Bureau, Ministry of Commerce, The People’s Republic of China, and Li Bai Jun, Commercial Counsellor, Economic Counsellor’s office of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of India.

    Bridging India and China

    “We have very big hopes for the future of trade links between India and China, with Hong Kong serving as a ‘super-connector’ between two of the world’s most populous and fastest-growing large economies,” said Mr Liang.

    “India and China are two of the fastest-growing large economies on earth, with the IMF (International Monetary Fund) predicting GDP growth of 7.6 per cent and 6.2 per cent respectively in 2017. Together, they have a combined population of some 2.7 billion potential consumers,” he added.

    Individual buyers and buying missions came from New Delhi and other cities and regions including Mumbai, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Punjab.

    At the Lifestyle Expo, the exhibitors paraded a variety of modern, high-calibre products including consumer electronics and ICT, gifts and premium, household products and electrical appliances, fashion and accessories and watches and clocks. The expo also featured trade-related services.

    These attracted buyers from different sectors, including importers, distributors, mass retailers, mail-order houses, department stores and specialised stores.

    Getting Connected

    The HKTDC arranged more than 1,600 one-to-one business matching meetings and various networking events during the expo to further connect Hong Kong and Chinese mainland suppliers with buyers.

    A brand new “Live Chat” service was offered at the Thematic Showcase Display zone, where staff connected buyers to off-site exhibitors via WhatsApp for real-time discussion of potential deals.

    The expo also featured the popular hktdc.com Small Orders showcase spotlighting 150 products available for orders in quantities of between five and 1,000 units. This allowed buyers to place small orders to test the market while minimising their risks. It also leveraged the growing trend of e-tailing that is changing the face of international trade.

    Business leads

    Exhibitors reported positive results from their participation in the event. Andy Lee, Managing Director of Hong Kong houseware supplier Star Express Asia Ltd. said he was happy with the quality of the Indian buyers. The company received about 25 serious enquiries, including a potential customer he had established contact with through the HKTDC Showcase Display at the China Products (Mumbai India) Exhibition 2016.

    Hong Kong LED lighting supplier Celex LED Technology Ltd Business Development Director Andrew Tsang said he was satisfied with the results, having been approached by “very good” Indian buyers including a lighting contractor and LED lighting distributors from Mumbai and New Delhi.

    Hong Kong online marketing services promoter CG Marketing Co Ltd, was keen to find local partners, and the company received more than 30 enquiries from various sectors, including online marketing, travel, toys and electronics products.

    The inaugural HKTDC Lifestyle Expo in New Delhi welcomed more than 2,000 trade buyers during its two-day run on 19 and 20 December 2016, as 120 Hong Kong and mainland companies showcased a range of trendy, high-quality products, reaffirming Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s lifestyle trendsetter and “super-connector” in business.

    Jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Trade Development Bureau (TDB) of the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, the expo took place at The Lalit New Delhi.

    Apart from bringing a slice of Hong Kong lifestyle to India, the event also helped develop stronger bilateral trade relations between India and the Chinese mainland.

    The Opening Ceremony was officiated by LC Goyal, Chairman and Managing Director, India Trade Promotion Orgnisation, Stephen Liang, Assistant Executive Director, HKTDC, Jin Hong, Deputy Director-General, Trade Development Bureau, Ministry of Commerce, The People’s Republic of China, and Li Bai Jun, Commercial Counsellor, Economic Counsellor’s office of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of India.

    Bridging India and China

    “We have very big hopes for the future of trade links between India and China, with Hong Kong serving as a ‘super-connector’ between two of the world’s most populous and fastest-growing large economies,” said Mr Liang.

    “India and China are two of the fastest-growing large economies on earth, with the IMF (International Monetary Fund) predicting GDP growth of 7.6 per cent and 6.2 per cent respectively in 2017. Together, they have a combined population of some 2.7 billion potential consumers,” he added.

    Individual buyers and buying missions came from New Delhi and other cities and regions including Mumbai, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Punjab.

    At the Lifestyle Expo, the exhibitors paraded a variety of modern, high-calibre products including consumer electronics and ICT, gifts and premium, household products and electrical appliances, fashion and accessories and watches and clocks. The expo also featured trade-related services.

    These attracted buyers from different sectors, including importers, distributors, mass retailers, mail-order houses, department stores and specialised stores.

    Getting Connected

    The HKTDC arranged more than 1,600 one-to-one business matching meetings and various networking events during the expo to further connect Hong Kong and Chinese mainland suppliers with buyers.

    A brand new “Live Chat” service was offered at the Thematic Showcase Display zone, where staff connected buyers to off-site exhibitors via WhatsApp for real-time discussion of potential deals.

    The expo also featured the popular hktdc.com Small Orders showcase spotlighting 150 products available for orders in quantities of between five and 1,000 units. This allowed buyers to place small orders to test the market while minimising their risks. It also leveraged the growing trend of e-tailing that is changing the face of international trade.

    Business leads

    Exhibitors reported positive results from their participation in the event. Andy Lee, Managing Director of Hong Kong houseware supplier Star Express Asia Ltd. said he was happy with the quality of the Indian buyers. The company received about 25 serious enquiries, including a potential customer he had established contact with through the HKTDC Showcase Display at the China Products (Mumbai India) Exhibition 2016.

    Hong Kong LED lighting supplier Celex LED Technology Ltd Business Development Director Andrew Tsang said he was satisfied with the results, having been approached by “very good” Indian buyers including a lighting contractor and LED lighting distributors from Mumbai and New Delhi.

    Hong Kong online marketing services promoter CG Marketing Co Ltd, was keen to find local partners, and the company received more than 30 enquiries from various sectors, including online marketing, travel, toys and electronics products.

    Lifestyle trendsetter

    The Lifestyle Expo is one of the HKTDC’s signature international promotion events and has a successful track record in fostering trade between companies from Hong Kong and emerging markets worldwide including Russia, Poland, Turkey, Dubai, India and Indonesia. The Lifestyle Expo in Mumbai was successfully held in 2010.

    The Lifestyle Expo is one of the HKTDC’s signature international promotion events and has a successful track record in fostering trade between companies from Hong Kong and emerging markets worldwide including Russia, Poland, Turkey, Dubai, India and Indonesia. The Lifestyle Expo in Mumbai was successfully held in 2010.

    Lees ook:

  • SKT, Ericsson and Qualcomm collaborate on 5G NR trails

    SKT, Ericsson and Qualcomm collaborate on 5G NR trails

    SK Telecom, Ericsson and Qualcomm have announced plans to conduct interoperability testing and over-the-air field trials based on 5G New Radio (NR) standards currently under development by the 3GPP.

    In a statement, the companies said the trials will drive the mobile ecosystem toward rapid validation and commercialization of 5G NR technologies at scale.

    The interoperability testing and trials will launch in Korea starting in the second half of 2017.

    “As 5G rapidly gains momentum, a globally agreed and unified standard becomes imperative to achieve early commercialization of 5G and build an efficient ecosystem around it,” said Alex Jinsung Choi, EVP, chief technology officer at SK Telecom.

    “As 3GPP NR is a global 5G standard, we are delighted to announce early 3GPP NR trials with leading 5G players, Ericsson and Qualcomm, with which we have made remarkable world’s first footprints in the past with previous generations of groundbreaking mobile technologies.”

    During the trails, SK Telecom, Ericsson and Qualcomm will showcase new 5G NR technologies which utilize wide bandwidths available at higher frequencies to increase network capacity and achieve multi-gigabit per second data rates.

    The proliferation of 5G NR technology can make it more cost-effective and easier for multi-gigabit internet service to reach more homes and businesses.

    These technologies will be critical to meeting the increasing consumer connectivity requirements for emerging consumer mobile broadband experiences such as virtual reality, augmented reality and connected cloud services.

    The trials will employ 3GPP 5G NR Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) antenna technology with adaptive beamforming and beam tracking techniques to deliver sustained mobile broadband communications at higher frequency bands, including non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environments and device mobility.

    It will also make use of scalable OFDM-based waveforms and a new flexible framework design which are also part of the 5G NR specifications.

    The trials will also provide valuable insight into the unique challenges of integrating 5G NR technologies into mobile networks and devices. This will enable timely commercial network launches based on 3GPP Rel-15 standard compliant 5G NR infrastructure and devices.

    “The roadmap of 5G technologies is incredibly complex, and trials based on the global 3GPP 5G standard, such as this, are critical to continuing our long history of leadership integrating advanced wireless technologies in form-factor accurate devices to ensure timely deployment of 5G networks,” said Matt Grob, executive vice president and chief technology officer, Qualcomm Technologies.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Thailand targets counterfeit branded goods

    Thailand targets counterfeit branded goods

    Thailand is clamping down on counterfeit branded goods with plans for a campaign to target tourists.

    The Thai Commerce Ministry is seeking the support of foreign embassies as it launches its “Stop Fake Goods” campaign, aimed at travellers.

    Meantime, the government says it will stringently inspect traders for counterfeit goods, including examining their tax-payment history.

    New Year visitors to Thailand will be urged not to buy fake goods, says director-general Thosapone Dansuputra of the ministry’s Intellectual Property Department. He says the aim is to ensure Thailand moves away from its bad reputation for trading in fakes.

    He says it is illegal for visitors to buy counterfeit products, and the government will set up billboards in tourist spots to warn shoppers and traders not to buy or sell fakes. Both in Thai and English – and Chinese is some areas – the billboards will be posted at airports, BTS and MRT stations.

    Also, Commerce Ministry officers in each province will be on watch for any trading of counterfeit products.
    The department will also join forces with copyright owners, police and the Internal Security Operations Command to inspect areas known for selling fake goods, such as flea markets.

    Thosapone said that to boost the penalties for trading in counterfeit goods, the department is co-operating with the Revenue Department to investigate the tax history of suspected violators.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Nike Singapore turns back on small outlets

    Nike Singapore turns back on small outlets

    Sports brand Nike Singapore will stop supplying smaller retailers from next month.

    This is a huge blow for mom-and-pop stores in Peninsula Plaza and Queensway Shopping Centre, which rely on top-selling brands to attract customers, as reported.

    “Its move would force many of us out of business soon,” says Salam & Sons manager Gurbachan Singh, who has run the business for more than 30 years.

    “We did business with Nike for more than 20 years. We followed their rules, never defaulted on payments nor brought in fake or parallel imports. Many of us don’t understand why they are doing this to us,” he says.

    Out of the US, Nike tops the 10 most-valuable apparel brands segment in market research company Millward Brown’s 2016 Brandz Top 100 Most-Valuable Global Brands report.

  • Vietnam Airlines prepares for Czech launch

    Vietnam Airlines prepares for Czech launch

    Vietnam Airlines has appointed a new General Sales Agent (GSA) in Prague, ahead of the launch of its first ever flights to the Czech Republic.

    A ceremony was held on 14 December 2016 to mark the occasion, attended by Vietnam’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Truong Manh Son. While details of the national carrier’s planned Prague services have not been confirmed, they are likely to make use of Vietnam Airlines’ new fleet of long-haul aircraft, including the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

    These modern jets have already been deployed on routes to several European cities, including London, Paris and Frankfurt.

    The new route, which would likely be served from Hanoi, would mark the first direct connection between the Czech Republic and Southeast Asia. The only other Asian carriers operating to Prague’s Václav Havel Airport at present are China Eastern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Korean Air and Sichuan Airlines.

    Vietnam Airlines and Czech Airlines are partners in the SkyTeam alliance and the new flights could also open up codeshare opportunities.

  • Siam Discovery Launched Year-End Campaign to Spread the Love and Spirit of Sharing

    Siam Discovery Launched Year-End Campaign to Spread the Love and Spirit of Sharing

    Siam Piwat, the owner and operator of Siam Paragon, Siam Center and Siam Discovery, invested over 30 million baht in the greatest year-end marketing campaign, which integrates the customer-centric strategy. Interpreting the festive season as the time when people send their love and good wishes to others, the Company launched “Citizen of Love: It’s time to Give Good Love” campaign.

    The shoppers will not only find a wide array of gift items for themselves and loved ones, but also enjoy a big promotion that serves the government’s Shop for the Nation campaign. To add the sentimental value to the campaign, Siam Discovery hosts an art exhibition displaying the genius of the late King Bhumibol, including his great love and generosity for his citizen. In response to the royal wish on endless giving, Siam Discovery will organize “Gifts for Them” CSR activity that gives the gifts to 300 children in Community Children Foundation (CCF) under the Royal Patronage of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. During the festive season, the shopping center expected to welcome 80,000 – 100,000 Thai and foreign shoppers a day.

    Year-End Campaign: “Citizen of Love: It’s time to Give Good Love”

    Mr. Charnchai Cherdchoowongthanakorn, Senior Executive Vice President – Retail Business Development, Siam Piwat Co., Ltd., said, ” In each year, December is considered the high season with the greatest spending. However, the shopping sentiment this year differs from the past. Siam Discovery, considering itself as a friend of shoppers, understood their feelings and translated the season of joy into the joy of sharing. It therefore hosts the integrated campaign called “Citizen of Love: It’s time to Give Good Love”. Siam Discovery started from creating its ambience, in which encourages everyone to participate under the concept of ‘exploration, creation, and cultivation’. In addition, it holds an art exhibition to commemorate the talent of H.M. the late King, who worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life of his people. He did this out of love and wanted nothing in return. Moreover, Siam Discovery offers Thai people a space to express their love and give the moral support to one another. The shoppers can take photos and share their love in the Living Room of Love. It also displays the art installation that presents the Royal Rainmaking Initiative Project and Reforestation Initiative Project. The exhibitions are open for the public to help them feel connected.”

    Siam Discovery spent more than 30 million baht on “Citizen of Love: It’s time to Give Good Love” campaign, which includes the creation of shopping ambience, promotion and CSR activity. It expected to daily attract 80,000 – 100,000 Thai and foreign shoppers on average, with 50:50 ratio. The survey revealed that 80% of foreign tourists are Free Individual Traveler (FIT), which are considered high-quality tourists with high purchasing power.

    Launching a big promotion to boost the holiday shopping in response to Shopping for the Nation campaign

    Siam Piwat responds to the government’s economic stimulus policy that encourages the people to shop and use the tax invoice of December 2016 for the tax deduction. Expecting an influx of shoppers, Siam Piwat prepared the staff and equipment to facilitate the shoppers who request the formal tax invoice and to ensure the fast and convenient service.

    In addition, Siam Piwat holds special promotion, to create the unique shopping experience at Siam Paragon shopping mall , Siam Center , and Siam Discovery from now – December 31, 2016. Spending at least 15,000 baht, the shoppers will receive Siam Gift Card worth 1,500 baht. VIZ cardholders and the members of Siam Discovery Mobile Application will enjoy more benefits

    “Gifts for Them” CSR activity for the disadvantaged

    Miss Chanisa Kaewruen, Senior  Deputy Managing Director of Siam Piwat Co., Ltd., revealed, “Besides the value-added promotion, Siam Discovery infuses the sentimental value into the customers’ mind because we believe that our customers care for the society and wish to share good things with the people around them. We therefore come up with “Gifts for Them” activity, inviting the customers to spread the joy to others by giving the gifts to 300 children in Community Children Foundation (CCF) under the Royal Patronage of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. The customers can buy gift items for the children on 50% discount and Siam Discovery will subsidize the other half. We will host an event where the donors can present the gifts to the children themselves.

    In preparing the product  to serve the customer demand, Siam Discovery, with the expertise in matching the right products for each lifestyle, has selected the perfect gift items for each target segment. It also displays the recommended gift items on each floor.   To increase the value to the gifts, it offers the personal gift wrapping as the customized service in addition to the regular gift wrapping service.

    In “Think Giving”, Siam Discovery offers a wide variety of products from the Royal Project Foundation, PatPat shop under Chaipattana Foundation, Phufa and Doi Kham as the special gifts for special people. The event will take place on the 5th floor from now until February 19, 2017.

    Customer-centric marketing focuses on capturing the customers’ interest. Siam Discovery therefore launched the marketing promotion activities that add the sentimental value to the shoppers. It expected that “Citizen of Love: It’s time to Give Good Love” campaign will not only increase the sales volume by 15 – 20%, but also make the holiday shopping more meaningful and bring the spirit of giving to this season of joy.

  • Indonesian property players welcome house price increases for foreign buyers

    Indonesian property players welcome house price increases for foreign buyers

    The government’s decision to increase house prices for foreign buyers has been met with positively by Indonesian real estate business players, who reason that it will help to protect the domestic property market.

    “If the government keeps the price low for foreign buyers, Indonesians will be forced to bear the high price jump. Therefore, I think this is a right decision,” Association of Housing Development in Indonesia (Apersi) chairman Eddy Ganefo said on Tuesday. He explained that the higher purchasing power of foreigners might hurt the domestic industry.

    The price increase is stipulated in a regulation issued by the Agrarian and Spatial Planning Ministry.

    The minimum house price set for foreigners in Yogyakarta and Bali now stands at Rp 5 billion (US$371,112) per unit, up from Rp 3 billion under a previous regulation.

    In West Nusa Tenggara and North Sumatra, the minimum price also jumped to Rp 3 billion from Rp 2 billion.

    Indonesian Real Estate Association (REI) chairman Eddy Hussy said he was optimistic that the changes in price would not affect demand from foreigners to purchase houses.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Philippine Airlines Partners With Translations.com to Localize Website

    Philippine Airlines Partners With Translations.com to Localize Website

    Translations.com, a division of TransPerfect, the world’s largest privately held provider of language and technology solutions for global business, today announced that Philippine Airlines has chosen its GlobalLink Connect technology to launch and maintain the company’s corporate site as well as its Mabuhay Miles loyalty site in four languages.

    Translations.com will support the launch and maintenance of www.philippineairlines.com and www.mabuhaymiles.com in four languages — Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. GlobalLink’s Sitecore Experience Platform connector will provide Philippine Airlines with a powerful solution to initiate, automate, control, track, and complete all facets of the translation process within their existing Sitecore user interface.

    Because the Sitecore integration is pre-built, no additional IT requirements or development hours were required to enable the integration. With GlobalLink Connect, Philippine Airlines is able to automate translation workflows, simplify review processes, and release in-language content to their target audiences quickly and on-brand.

    “The launch of our corporate and loyalty sites in these four languages marks a significant breakthrough for us,” said Snooker Jaranilla, Assistant Vice President of Philippine Airlines. “With GlobalLink’s ability to integrate directly with our existing Sitecore platform, managing our multilingual content is easy, familiar, and cost-effective. GlobalLink has made a significant positive impact on our international strategy.”

    “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Philippine Airlines,” said Phil Shawe, Co-CEO at Translations.com. “It’s fulfilling to know that our GlobalLink Connect technology is helping such a strong Asian brand provide a better online experience to their customers both at home and abroad.”

    Translations.com Co-CEO Liz Elting added, “As its country’s flagship carrier, we knew that it was important for Philippine Airlines to represent their country with a strong online presence. By launching their corporate and loyalty sites in four new languages, they are making a strong statement showing the care and value they place on customers across all languages.”

    Lees ook:

  • Lotte Mart opens 46th store in Indonesia

    Lotte Mart opens 46th store in Indonesia

    Lotte Mart, a discount store chain operated by retailer Lotte Group, said Wednesday it has opened its 46th store in Indonesia in line with its global growth strategy.

    With floor space of 5,572 square meters, the Pramuka shop opened on the underground floor of a commercial-residential building in Jakarta with some 7,000 households.

    Lotte Mart’s 16th retail outlet in Indonesia has a health and beauty section, as well as young children and fresh food corners, the company said.

    Lotte Mart also operates 26 wholesale stores and two supermarkets in the world’s fourth most populous nation.

    Currently, Lotte Mart runs a total of 290 stores in South Korea, China, Indonesia and Vietnam, and plans to raise the number of shops to over 300 next year.

    Lees ook:

  • Indonesia challenges Google to disclose financial reports

    Indonesia challenges Google to disclose financial reports

    The Directorate General of Taxation will intensify its investigation on the suspected unpaid taxes by tech behemoth Google, claiming that the company’s tax settlement offer was too small.

    The government said that it would continue investigating Google as it has gathered preliminary evidence indicating that the firm has allegedly committed a criminal act.

    “Next year, it is not going to be about a tax settlement anymore,” Muhammad Haniv, the head of the Taxation Directorate General’s Jakarta branch, who is also the main investigator in the case, said on Tuesday.

    “We have to accelerate the process. We want Google to disclose its financial reports and the tax office will calculate the tax owed,” he said.

    He said the consequence of the tax office’s findings would be that Google had to pay taxes owed plus a 150 percent penalty.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook: