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  • Apple Vietnam retailers appointed

    Apple Vietnam retailers appointed

    Official Apple Vietnam retail stores have been appointed to receive stock directly from the California-based tech giant.

    One official retailer is FPT Shop, which currently operates retail stores in Vietnam selling Apple products imported from other Asian countries and reselling them for as much as 50 per cent more than they can be bought in Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore. FPT has 220 stores in Vietnam.

    The director general of FPT Shop, Le Bach Diep, announced at a press conference in Hanoi last week that her company would important iPhones and iPads directly from Apple. Apple Vietnam would receive new models at the same time as other ‘third ranked’ markets – assigned a lower priority than the US, Japan and China in the first group and Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore in the second.

    She says that means new model Apple products will go on sale in Vietnam sooner after overseas release than before. In return, Apple gets a specialised after sales service network.

    Meanwhile, rival chain The Gioi di Dong announced it would be sourcing Apple products direct from Apple from September – instead of having to import them through FPT Trading.

    Neither company will be allowed to supply other dealers on a wholesale basis.

  • Apple iPhone 6S to be revealed next week

    Apple iPhone 6S to be revealed next week

    It seems like just yesterday Apple unveiled the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Now, the industry has shifted focus from the iPhone 6 models to the inevitable sequels. If history is any indication, the consumers will soon follow. We expect the masses to clamor for the latest from Cupertino.

    According to Dutch site Techtastic, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus pricing will be about the same as last year’s iPhones. Based on the site’s sources, it seems that Apple will continue to sell iPhones with 16, 64, and 128GB of storage.

    Seeing as these European prices match last year’s prices, it seems likely that the American price will not change, either. Techtastic also estimates that the new iPhones will go on sale on September 25. Of course, since Apple staggers release dates around the world, it’s possible the U.S. sale date could be the previous Friday, September 18. These are just rumors, so we’ll keep you posted on the final prices once Apple announces them.

    Seeing as these European prices match last year’s prices, it seems likely that the American price will not change, either. Techtastic also estimates that the new iPhones will go on sale on September 25. Of course, since Apple staggers release dates around the world, it’s possible the U.S. sale date could be the previous Friday, September 18. These are just rumors.

    On August 27, Apple confirmed that it will hold an event on September 9 at 10 a.m. PST in San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Obviously, it’s widely expected that the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus will launch at the event, though Apple could introduce some other products as well. The only teaser on the invite is the tagline, “Hey Siri, give us a hint!” The Siri reference could be referring to iOS 9’s new Proactive predictive feature, HomeKit controls, or both.

    Previous rumors mostly agreed that a September 9 launch date was planned. Multiple sources referred to a September 9 event, and now 9to5Mac has found some evidence that supports the launch date and hints at a possible in-store sale date for the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. The publication’s sources state that BestBuy and Apple have agreed to sell Apple Care warranties at the retail store on September 14.

  • Hong Kong Retail Sales Growth Slows More Than Expected In July

    Hong Kong’s retail sales growth eased at a faster-than-expected pace in July, preliminary figures from the Census and Statistics Department showed Monday.

    The retail sales volume rose 1.9 percent year-over-year in July, much slower than previous month’s 4.3 percent climb, revised from the 4.4 percent gain reported earlier.

    Economists had expected a 2.8 percent increase for the month. Sales have been rising since February.

    Meanwhile, in value terms, retail sales declined 2.8 percent annually in July, exceeding economists’ expectations for a 1.3 percent drop. In June, sales had fallen 0.4 percent.

    On a seasonally adjusted basis, the value of total retail sales decreased by 1.4 percent in the three months ended July compared with the previous three-month period and the volume of retail sales also fell by 0.9 percent.

    The value of sales of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts decreased by 5.0 percent in July from a year ago, while sales of commodities in supermarkets grew by 0.4 percent.

    “Retail sales growth in volume terms moderated in July, partly dragged by the further slowdown in inbound tourism and partly also due to the impact of stock market correction on consumer sentiment,” a government spokesman said.

    “The near-term performance of retail sales will continue to hinge on inbound tourism growth and on whether there would be any negative spillover from the increased stock market volatility of late.”

    “The Government will monitor closely how the rapidly changing external environment may affect the retail business going forward.”

     

  • Indonesia’s Alfamart to expand retail footprint in the Philippines

    Indonesia’s Alfamart to expand retail footprint in the Philippines

    PT Sumber Alfaria Trijaya Tbk (Alfamart), an Indonesia based convenience store chain operator, is planning to expand its footprint in the Philippines to about 160 stores by the end of this year. The move is expected to help strengthen the company’s presence in the south east Asian region and help boost income from exports.

    As of August, the company has 60 Alfamart outlets in the Philippines.

    According to Hans Prawira, president director of Alfamart, the company is targeting to operate over than 100 outlets in the Philippines, through its unit, Alfamart Retail Asia. “The project will be funded by loans from Philippine banks,” he added in an official statement.

    Alfamart and Philippine-based SM Retail Supermarket, a subsidiary of SM Group has set a joint venture company (JVC) to operate the retail outlets. Alfamart holds a 35 per cent stake in the JV and SM Retail Supermarket holds 65 per cent.

    Indonesia’s heavily regulated retail market – particularly relating to the aspects of franchising and foreign investment  – may have driven Alfamart to look for growth overseas.

    Indonesian franchise regulation requires 40 per cent of all stores to be company-owned and the remaining shares owned by franchisee holder, while 80 of product offerings have to be locally sourced for two years.

    The smaller format of mini-marts will provide SM with the flexibility to foray into urban area. At the same time, it will be able to rely on Alfamart’s know-how and experience of operating the stores under comparable market conditions in Indonesia.

    In Indonesia, the company plans to open 1,200 new outlets by the end of this year. “More than 50 per cent will be opened outside Java. We already have a distribution channel in Pontianak, Banjarmasin, Manado, and the latest one, in February, in Batam,” Hans said.

    As of March 31, the company had 10,068 Alfamart outlets, of which 2,958 are managed under a franchise scheme, while the rest are owned by the company.

    The company also operates 809 Alfamidi and 48 Lawson convenient stores with larger size than Alfamart.

    With over 10,000 stores in the portfolio, Alfamart controls about 50 per cent of Indonesia’s convenience store market through multiple brands – Alfamart, Alfamidi, and Lawson.

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  • AirAsia on track with turnaround plans

    AirAsia on track with turnaround plans

    AirAsia group is on track with its turnaround plans and fund raising exercise for both Indonesia and Philippines units, according to Public Invest Research.

    It said on Friday yield is expected to improve towards the end of the year and the low-cost carrier is positive on 2H performance due to seasonally stronger quarters and capacity reduction by Malaysia Airlines.

    “We reiterate our Outperform recommendation and price-to-earnings based target price of RM1.88, pegged to 10 times FY16F EPS (20%-discount).

    “Our target price implies 98.1% potential upside from current level,” it said.

    At current share price, AirAsia is trading at 2016F price-to-book value of 0.46 times and at a compelling PE ratio of 4.0 times, which is at its lowest four-year historical PER.

    “We believe in AirAsia’s future performance based on positive fare trend, strong growth in ancillary income, lower fuel prices and strong brand name within Southeast Asian market,” said the research house.

    To recap, Public Invest Research met the investor relations team of AirAsia for updates on its operation and outlook in 2HFY15.

    Indonesia AirAsia (IAA) is considering the option of issuing non-voting reedemable and convertible preference shares (RCPS) to deal with its negative equity position with the conversion of part of its receivables.

    “Nevertheless, the discussions with the existing shareholders is still ongoing, and expected to complete by end of this month.

    “Meanwhile, its initial plan to issue new convertible bond of US$150mil is on track and expected to complete by end of FY15,” it said.

    Public Invest Research also  said  Philippines AirAsia’s (PAA) board on July has approved for a new equity injection of 5bil pesos (US$110mil) and also agreed on the plans on issuing new convertible bonds, which the term sheets is currently being drafted.

    Indonesia will be removing at least four to five aircraft from Jakarta, Bandung, Denpasar and Medan starting August to improve its aircraft utilisation.

    To deal with Indonesia’s floor price ruling, IAA targeted to shift c.65% of its capacity to international routes, which have a higher margin than domestic routes.

    It will also terminate its unprofitable routes such as Jakarta-Medan and Denpasar Bali-Solo, to minimise its losses.

    Philippines will be selling two of its older aircraft in Zest and in discussion for an early return of at least two older lease aircraft to third party lessors by the end-2015.

    To further improve its profitability, PAA is expected to reduce its capacity primarily from Cebu hub and redeploy it to China routes, which have a higher yield market.

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  • AirAsia Indonesia to be title sponsor of Bali Beach Run 2015

    AirAsia Indonesia to be title sponsor of Bali Beach Run 2015

    AirAsia Indonesia today proudly announced that it will once again be the title sponsor of Bali Beach Run, Indonesia’s largest beach run event.

    This year’s Bali Beach Run will see running enthusiasts from all over the world coming together and hitting the stunning beach of Kuta on September 6, 2015.

    Bali Beach Run is Indonesia’s first run of its kind, first introduced in November 2013 by PT. Trijaya Dewata. Bali Beach Run 2013 was as successful as ever with more than 1.500 runners taking part, and has since become a highly-anticipated event among local and international runners alike.

    Andy Adrian Febryanto, Commercial Director AirAsia Indonesia commented, “We are thrilled to once again become the title sponsor of Bali Beach Run. AirAsia is a brand that is synonymous with passion, energy and excitement, and we are excited to have our name emblazoned on an event which reflects all of these positive vibes.”

    “This year’s event is expected to attract more than 1.800 runners, including international runners from Asia and Australia. AirAsia’s wide connectivity across the region will allow international runners to fly into Bali at affordable fares, and to enjoy one of the world’s fun run-races,” Andy added.

    To cater to different types of runners, Bali Beach Run 2015 offers different categories, from 2.5 K, 5 K to 10 K. Children are also welcome to join this year’s race.

    Bali Beach Run 2015 registration is now open at www.balibeachrun.com. You can also register at AirAsia Bali Beach Run 2015 booth located at Kuta Beachwalk Mall, 1st floor, from June 6 to August 16, 2015. The registration fees are IDR 150,000,- for 2.5 K, IDR 200.000,- for 5 K, and IDR 250.000,- for 10 K. All participants will receive an exclusive race pack which consists of a jersey, race number and medallion.

    In order to accommodate runners from Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Solo dan Surabaya, AirAsia offers special fares to Bali from as low as IDR 387,000,-* one way. These special offers are now up for grabs on www.airasia.com, sales office, call center at 0804 1 333 333 starting today until June 14, 2015.

    For ultimate travel comfort, AirAsia Indonesia offers Tune INSURE to protect guests against inconveniences while travelling. Starting from IDR 20.000,- only, AirAsia INSURE offers benefits such as personal accident benefits, loss or damages to baggage, and flight delays. Tune INSURE offers two hours on-time guarantee, whereby guests will be compensated up toIDR 800.000,-** for every flight delay of more than 2 hours from the departure time.

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  • Coach to exit landmark location in Hong Kong

    Coach to exit landmark location in Hong Kong

    Leather goods maker Coach Inc. is shutting one of its three flagship locations in Hong Kong, the latest retailer to be hit by the drop in the number of mainland Chinese visitors to the city amid a slowing economy and weaker yuan.

    The store towers above Queen’s Road Central in the central business district of a city where high rents and labour costs, as well as slowing sales, have hit other retailers.

    Coach said the store would close on August 31 but said it remained committed to the Hong Kong and China markets. Earlier this month, Coach said its mainland China sales grew 9 per cent year-on-year to $595 million in fiscal 2015, but growth in Hong Kong and Macau was slower.

    “Sales growth in China was driven entirely by the mainland, as Hong Kong and Macau continued to experience traffic declines from a decrease in PRC (People’s Republic of China) tourists,” Chief Executive Victor Luis said.

    For this fiscal year, China sales growth is forecast to slow to about 5 per cent, the company said. Chinese tourists have been the main customers of Hong Kong’s luxury retailers, but the slowing economic growth and the recent devaluation of the yuan have dented their once voracious appetite for goods ranging from cosmetics to luxury watches.

    Tighter visa rules and a flare up of anti-Chinese sentiment in Hong Kong have also contributed to the decline in mainland visitors. Hong Kong’s retail sales fell for the fourth straight month in June.

  • Xiaomi Mi 4C Retail Box Surfaces, Confirms Snapdragon 808

    Xiaomi Mi 4C Retail Box Surfaces, Confirms Snapdragon 808

    Xiaomi was incredibly successful last year. The company managed to become China’s number one smartphone OEM and ship 61 million smartphones. Xiaomi is looking to improve upon that next year, and they’ve released a number of really compelling handsets thus far. The company has unveiled their flagship Mi Note phablets, along with a slew of other devices, like the Mi 4i for example. This is the first Xiaomi handset to make it to India before anywhere else, and it’s more than a decent mid-ranger, not to mention it’s quite affordable.

    Well, we’ve spotted another variant of Mi 4i in China recently, dubbed Mi 4C. The reports have been claiming that the ‘C’ stands for China, and the device has also surfaced on TENAA (China’s equivalent to the FCC) quite recently. The device was said to sport Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 808 64-bit hexa-core SoC, and a newly-leaked retail box of the device actually confirms that fact. If you take a look at the provided images, you’ll notice that not only the Snapdragon 808 is listed here, but some other details about the device as well. The box says that the Snapdragon 808 will be clocked at 1.8GHz, and that the device will ship with 3,000mAh battery. 4G LTE support will be on board as well, and the device will also sport the Type-C USB 3.0 port that we’ve seen on the OnePlus 2 (and a couple of other smartphones) recently.

    According to the previously-leaked AnTuTu listing of this device, this thing will be identical to its predecessor (aside from SoC, of course). The phone will sport a 5-inch 1080p (1920 x 1080) display, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The 13-megapixel shooter will be available on its back, and a 5-megapixel snapper will be located up front. Android 5.1.1 Lollipop will come pre-installed on this smartphone, and Xiaomi’s MIUI OS will be placed on top of it. We still don’t know which variant of MIUI will be installed though, MIUI did unveil MIUI 7 recently, but it’s still unknown if this phone will come with that version pre-installed. Either way, Xiaomi is expected to announce this handset soon, so stay tuned.

  • European Markets Dropped On Renewed China Worries

    European Markets Dropped On Renewed China Worries

    The European markets ended Monday’s session in negative territory, as renewed concerns over China weighed on investor sentiment. Concerns over the upcoming snap elections in Greece and the likelihood of a near-term U.S. interest rate hike also contributed to the negative mood at the start of the new trading week.

    The Financial Times reported that the Chinese government has decided to abandon attempts to boost the stock market through large-scale share purchases. Senior regulatory officials told the Financial Times China’s leaders feel they mishandled their efforts to rescue the stock market.

    The Chinese government resumed large-scale stock buying late in the trading day last Thursday to help the Shanghai Composite Index finish sharply higher, but officials said the government will refrain from further large-scale buying of equities.

    The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone bluechip stocks decreased by 0.52 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, lost 0.30 percent.

    The DAX of Germany dropped by 0.38 percent and the CAC 40 of France fell by 0.47 percent. The SMI of Switzerland finished higher by 0.45 percent, but the FTSE of the U.K. was closed for a banking holiday.

    In Frankfurt, Volkswagen decreased by 1.14 percent. Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corp said that it would buy back the 19.9 percent stake it sold to the German automaker after an international court settled a dispute between the automakers over their soured partnership.

    BMW fell by 0.90 percent and Daimler lost 0.97 percent.

    Insurer Allianz rose by 0.18 percent, on reported that its infrastructure arm is weighing bids for London City Airport.

    RWE sank by 4.25 percent and E.ON dropped by 1.60 percent.

    In Paris, Renault surrendered 2.28 percent and Peugeot weakened by 1.19 percent. Car parts maker Valeo also decreased by 1.45 percent.

    Total tumbled by 0.91 percent and Technip lost 0.99 percent.

    Givaudan gained 0.73 percent in Zurich, after it agreed to acquire Induchem Holding, a cosmetic ingredient producer.

    Shares of NeuroVive Pharmaceutical AB plunged by 39.13 percent in Stockholm after the mitochondrial medicine company announced that it would not pursue development of CicloMulsion in the indication of acute myocardial infarction.

    Eni SpA climbed by 1.53 percent in Milan. The company announced over the weekend that it has discovered a massive natural gas discovery off the coast of Egypt.

    Eurozone inflation remained unchanged at a very low level in August as further fall in oil prices curbed its ability to move upward. Inflation came in at 0.2 percent in August, the same rate as seen in July and June, preliminary data from Eurostat showed Monday. It was forecast to ease to 0.1 percent.

    Germany’s retail sales rebounded in July to grow at the fastest pace in nine months, signaling that consumer spending boosted economic growth at the start of the third quarter. Retail sales advanced 1.4 percent on a monthly basis in July, Destatis reported Monday. This was the fastest growth since October 2014, when sales climbed 1.8 percent.

    Italy’s retail sales dropped for the second straight month in June, figures from the statistical office Istat showed Monday. Retail sales fell a seasonally adjusted 0.3 percent month-over-month in June, following a 0.2 percent decrease in the previous month. In April, sales had risen 0.7 percent.

    Greece’s retail sales declined in June after rising in the previous month, preliminary figures from the Hellenic Statistical Authority showed Monday. The volume of retail sales decreased 0.4 percent year-over-year in June, in contrast to a 4.1 percent sharp gain in May, which was revised down from 4.2 percent. In April sales had fallen 1.8 percent.

    China’s trade deficit in services widened in July, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange said Monday. The deficit on trade in services increased to $17.6 billion in July from $14.9 billion in June. At the same time, the merchandise trade showed a surplus of $46 billion in July.

    Business activity in the Chicago area unexpectedly grew at a slower rate in the month of August, according to a report released by MNI Indicators on Monday. MNI Indicators said its Chicago business barometer dipped to 54.4 in August from 54.7 in July. While a reading above 50 indicates growth, economists had expected the index to inch up to 54.9.

  • Hong Kong banks launch hotline to fight back against torrent of phone scams

    Hong Kong banks launch hotline to fight back against torrent of phone scams

    All retail banks in Hong Kong have set up hotlines for customers to verify the identities of their employees in a bid to battle a flood of phone scam cases.

    Banking chiefs said yesterday the hotlines – some exclusively for the purpose of verifying employees’ information – would be available through the websites of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Hong Kong Association of Banks, with each of the 21 retail banks also putting hotline information on their websites.

    Phone scams have evolved and increased in recent months, with scammers posing as bank employees trying to sell products to government departments and even the central government’s liaison office. Hongkongers have handed over more than HK$182 million over the past couple of months in cases that most often involve fake mainland officials.

    However, the authority’s deputy chief executive, Arthur Yuen Kwok-hang, said so far banks had received only 200 calls regarding cold-callers.

    “The numbers are low – much lower than we anticipated. I think this is because there isn’t this awareness among the public yet,” said Yuen.

    Yesterday, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority – which handles the retirement funds of Hongkongers – received an inquiry about a suspicious call from its hotline. The MPFA confirmed the hotline only took incoming calls and reiterated that “it never contacts people to sell MPF products or set up meetings”.

    HKAB chairman George Leung Siu-kay said banks would never ask for full personal information of clients over the phone or by email.

    “[A bank employee] will only ask for partial information – like the last three digits of a Hong Kong identity card number,” said Leung. “They will never ask for passwords.” He also warned against calling back phone numbers on the caller ID.

    Leung said there were no statistics on the number of scam cases banks had dealt with since July, but they would “keep watch for suspicious transactions, especially among vulnerable groups”.

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  • Hong Kong mobile operator SmarTone prepares retailers to join the mobile e-commerce bandwagon

    Hong Kong mobile operator SmarTone prepares retailers to join the mobile e-commerce bandwagon

    Mobile network operator SmarTone Telecommunications hopes to roll out its new service called “Kiss” this December as the first batch of retailers in the city have signed up for the ambitious offline-to-online marketing and payments platform.

    “We’ve already started signing up stores, including [those run by] medium-sized retailers. Some bigger retailers are looking at it, too,” Douglas Li, the outgoing chief executive at SmarTone told the South China Morning Post.

    Li, who drove the platform’s two-year development, said SmarTone “should run Kiss for five to seven years to fully realise the value of how uniquely focused the platform is to help retailers”.

    He said there could be an opportunity to license the platform’s technology to telecommunications network operators outside Hong Kong.

    “It’s an internet business so the actual cost of implementation is not huge. The only question is how quickly it can scale up,” Li said. “If it does well in a foreign country, the sky’s the limit.”

    Launched last month, Kiss enables retailers to connect with consumers through a platform that links digital marketing and loyalty programmes with data analytics and mobile payment.

    Merchants are charged a monthly fee and provided with tools to create their mobile storefronts on the platform, directly message customers and launch targeted campaigns.

    “Retailers need to adapt to new thinking because the world has changed,” Li said. “You need only look across the border to see how online and mobile [e-commerce] are impacting the traditional bricks-and-mortar retailers. We’re offering retailers in Hong Kong a way to get into this [kind of operation].”

    Alibaba Group, JD.com Ctrip.com and Qunar have become China’s leading business-to-consumer e-commerce platform operators by providing convenience, choice and low prices to entice people to buy goods and services online through smartphones and tablets.

    Research firm eMarketer has forecast mobile e-commerce sales to make up 10.9 per cent of total retail sales in China next year and 55.5 per cent of all online retail shopping as the sector grows 51 per cent to US$506 billion, up from an estimated US$334 billion this year.

    “We hope to build a critical mass of connected retailers in Hong Kong so that Kiss will have a strong appeal for consumers,” said SmarTone chief technology officer and recently named interim chief executive Stephen Chau Kam-kun.

    Chau said SmarTone was signing up a mix of merchants with “high-value, low-frequency buyers” and “low priced, high-frequency buyers”.

    Kiss, operated by SmarTone subsidiary Kissco Marketing Services, also includes in its package a single-purpose Android tablet as tap-only mobile payment terminal, capabilities for customer data analytics and a Bluetooth beacon for the store, configured to push greetings and promotions to nearby consumers with the free Kiss app.

    Consumers use the Kiss Wallet feature to store credit card details, retailer cash credits and promotional Kiss Dollars. Kiss Pay is the digital token used for purchases and redeeming rewards.

    UnionPay International is the launch credit card partner for Kiss, although efforts are underway to add Visa and MasterCard.

    Li, , who resigned in April, said he left “a roadmap” to be implemented over the next two years to further develop the Kiss platform.

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  • Milan Station’s interim sales in Macau drop 78.6 per cent

    Milan Station’s interim sales in Macau drop 78.6 per cent

    Luxury handbag store chain Milan Station Holdings Ltd. has reported a sharp 78.6 per cent year-on-year decline in its retail revenue derived from the Macau market for the first six months of this year, the company announced in its results filing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
    The company said its business in the city has been significantly affected as the gambling industry and tourism trade had ‘hit their troughs’. Milan Station’s retail revenue in Macau in the interim period was HK$11.8 million, representing 5.7 per cent of overall sales revenue.

    During the interim period, Milan Station closed its retail stores in Macau; while its points of sale in ‘exclusive clubhouses’ was unsatisfactory.
    By price range of product, revenue derived from Milan Station’s items priced at above HK$50,000 – comprising over half of the company’s sales revenue – saw a 31.1 per cent year-on-year decline to HK$118.3 million. As Milan Station has also sold less in Hong Kong, Mainland China and Singapore, the retailer’s overall retail revenue plunged 36.6 per cent to HK$208.8 million.

    The company said its loss for the period decreased significantly by 65.6 per cent to HK$6.8 million, under what it called ‘effective cost control’ and a one-off gain of about HK$12 million from the disposal of a property.

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  • Vietnam leads SE Asian smartphone rush

    Vietnam leads SE Asian smartphone rush

    Vietnam is the fastest growing smartphone market in South East Asia, where sales topped $8bn in the first half of the year according to new figures.

    Data from market researcher GfK indicated that, overall, some 39.8m smartphones were sold in the region, up from 36.6m in the corresponding period of 2104.

    Sales volumes in Vietnam rose 27% in the first half of 2015 compared to the same period a year earlier to reach to total of 6m, making it the third largest smartphone market in the region, Inside Retail Asia reported.

    Thailand was the second-fastest growing market, up 13% to a total of 6.6m, a figure which also put in second place in terms of market size. The Philippines was the third fastest-growing market, up 10%.

    Indonesia, however, remains the largest market in terms of volume, with 14.9m units shifted in six months.

    Sales growth was sluggish in the mature markets of Singapore and in Malaysia, where consumers have cut back on their spending since the introduction of a general sales tax.

    GfK has also started tracking the mobile handset market in Myanmar and reported that 3m units had been sold in the first half, with most of these being smartphones (89%).

    “The availability of a wide range of lower price options nowadays have made it possible and much more affordable for price-sensitive consumers in these developing markets to switch over and own their first smartphone,” said Gerard Tan, GfK account director for technology.

    He pointed out that in the first half of 2013 just 15% of smartphones sold in the region had cost under $100, a proportion that has now climbed to 35%.

    Indonesia, he added, was the country with the most number of entry level smartphone brands and consumers in the region.

    This transformation is being almost entirely driven by Chinese brands, which now account for around 25% of the region’s market compared to 4% in 2013.

    “The perception of Chinese brands has been elevated considerably as a result of their heightened marketing campaigns and the opening up of dedicated showrooms and retail counters,” Tan said.

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  • Happy Fresh pilots next hour grocery delivery in Southeast Asia

    Happy Fresh pilots next hour grocery delivery in Southeast Asia

    Groceries delivered to customers’ doorstep in an hour by professional shoppers. This was the promise of online grocery delivery service Happy Fresh when it started last March in Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.

    Today, the service is available as well in Bangkok and will soon open in Taipei.

    “Our plan is to become Southeast Asia’s leading food marketplace company, and we want to operate in all major, traffic-congested mega cities in the region,” said Markus Bihler, Group CEO and Co-founder of HappyFresh.

    Bihler is optimistic that online grocery delivery in the region is poised for take off.

    “The outlook for the retail industry in Southeast Asia has never been more promising. Opportunities abound in this region with its ever more sophisticated and food-loving consumers, growing populations and steady economies,” he said, adding that Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta, in particular, are very interesting markets.

    “Spending power and credit card penetration are higher in KL than in Jakarta, and in general people are more used to buying things online there. Jakarta, on the other hand, is interesting because we really feel we can solve a huge problem here. We all know about the infrastructure challenges this city faces, and the traffic problems this often leads to,” he explained.

    Happy Fresh believes that with online grocery shopping, it’s one fewer trip customers need to make, which often translates into several hours saved that they can now spend on other activities.

    “In Indonesia, Bihler he said middle and upper-income consumers will continue to drive the growth of modern, online retailers as customers are increasingly quality-conscious, demanding higher levels of service and quality,” Biller said.  “Demand for processed foods and dairy is growing, particularly in urban areas, driven by changing lifestyles as people work longer hours and seek greater convenience.

    Happy Fresh targets to bring the service to the capital cities of Southeast Asia one step at a time.

    Though it does not plan to set up a physical store, it partners with the most established offline grocery retailers in a locality. In-house trained professional shoppers who pick  the best fresh products for customers also provide an advantage.

    Delivery hours are based on the opening hours of its partner stores, which is usually between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.

    “Our message to our partners is simple: Focus on what you are really good at, which is running grocery stores. Then let us help you bring your brand and your products to an incremental set of customer groups: those one mobile devices, those who would like to order from their home, office or wherever they happen to be, and those who value the convenience of next hour delivery,” he said.

    Happy Fresh also strive to help partners reach customers that are normally outside of their catchment area or would have otherwise ordered a pizza rather than next hour ingredients for home cooking.

    Bihler said they offer ready to use solution to its retail partners at no upfront cost, a  fleet of drivers, and customer service agents. “In short: we help supermarkets grow, reach new customers and move into digital,” he said.

    “The food industry is among those that will always remain a physical, haptic, very sensual core. Yet – as any other – it will see heavy disruption by mobile technologies, ever-changing supply chains and faster lifestyles,” he added.

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  • Thailand’s MEGA in JV with Sydna Farma to set up pharma unit in Indonesia

    Thailand’s MEGA in JV with Sydna Farma to set up pharma unit in Indonesia

    Thailand-based pharmaceutical firm Mega Lifesciences Ltd (MEGA)  plans to set up a production plant in Indonesia with Sydna Farma. MEGA inked a partnership with the Indonesian Sydna Farma last week for the same.

    The Thai company will hold over 50 per cent in the venture, according to MEGA’s chief executive officer Vivek Dhawan. The firm has earmarked an initial investment of $1 million by early 2017. “As planned, we will take around two years to study the market and do the research and development on our products and set up the plant right after that,” he said.

    Indonesia’s pharmaceutical market is estimated to be around $6.24 billion, taking one-fourth of the total healthcare market at $23 billion. “Indonesia is the largest pharmaceutical market in ASEAN with a strong growth rate of 12.5 per cent per annum. This joint venture will strengthen our presence in this region and drive our growth significantly,” he said.

    MEGA recorded revenues of 7.77 billion baht and net profit of 547.88 million baht in 2014. It hopes the net profit will grow 10 per cent this year riding on  factors such as baht depreciation, lower production cost and the launch of supplementary products. Over 70 per cent of its revenue comes from export and the rest from domestic market, which remained largely unaffected by the slowdown.

    The company hopes to double its revenue and profit in the next five years, following its aggressive expansion in ASEAN and Africa regions. “We see a great potential in Myanmar and in Africa as they still lack of good quality food and medicine. Therefore, the proportion of our revenue from these countries should increase from 10 per cent currently to 20 per cent soon,” he added.

    Each year the company has allocated the budget of $1-2 million for doing research and development on products to boost its market share and profit margin.

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