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Tag: arrival

  • HBO Go Bids Farewell to Vietnam, Makes Way for HBO Max Arrival

    HBO Go Bids Farewell to Vietnam, Makes Way for HBO Max Arrival

    HBO Go, the previously ubiquitous streaming service, will officially withdraw its operations from Vietnam as of June 15. Its absence will pave the way for the introduction of HBO Max, a formidable competitor to streaming giant Netflix.

    The HBO Go service was first introduced to the Vietnamese market in 2019, targeting cable, satellite, and live TV streaming subscribers who were already receiving HBO channels as part of their television package. However, the service was discontinued in multiple markets in 2020, and replaced by HBO Max. This new platform allows users to access the full range of HBO content without a cable TV connection.

    In Vietnam, the termination of HBO Go also implies the end of collaborations with local streaming platforms such as TV360 and VieON. A noticeable change is already apparent on TV360, which now presents a “Failed” notification upon attempts to subscribe to a new HBO package. However, users can continue to view HBO content through traditional television channels via cable and satellite services.

    An anonymous industry analyst suggests that this strategic move is most likely intended to enable American film studio Warner Bros. to introduce HBO Max in direct competition with Netflix. The HBO Max homepage now displays a Vietnamese language notice teasing its launch on June 16.

    The HBO Go platform had gained traction among Vietnamese viewers with popular original series such as Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, and films produced by Warner Bros.

    Questions & Answers

    What is happening to HBO Go in Vietnam?
    HBO Go will cease operations in Vietnam as of June 15, and be replaced by HBO Max.

    What changes are expected with the introduction of HBO Max?
    HBO Max will allow users to access a broad range of HBO content without the need for a cable TV connection. The service is seen as a strong competitor to Netflix.

    Will users still be able to view HBO content via traditional channels?
    Yes, HBO content can still be accessed through traditional television channels on cable and satellite services.

  • Early Arrival of Malaysia’s Durian Season Brings Creamier, Stronger-Flavored Fruits

    Early Arrival of Malaysia’s Durian Season Brings Creamier, Stronger-Flavored Fruits

    This year’s early durian harvest in Malaysia is delivering creamier and more robustly flavored fruits to consumers. Durian types such as D604, Lipan, and Musang King have begun to catch the eye of passersby at various stands in Penang, a region renowned throughout Malaysia for its durians.

    Early Harvest, Creamier Durians

    Ang Hock Leng, a durian vendor in George Town, Penang, attributes the improvement in the fruit’s creaminess and flavor to the drier weather conditions this year. Despite the season only just beginning, these high-quality durians have already hit the shelves.

    With the early start to the season catching many off guard, it has primarily been the sight of these durian stands that has drawn in customers, claims Leng.

    Rising Prices

    According to Tan, another durian stand operator in George Town, the current supply of the fruit is limited, which has led to a price hike of approximately 20%.

    As an example, the early-season hybrid D604, known for its sweet, somewhat nutty flavor, is currently retailing at RM20-38 (US$5.1-9.6) per kilogram. The cost of the Musang King variety, on the other hand, is determined by factors such as grade and size, and its price ranges from RM45 to RM65 per kilogram.

    Despite the higher prices, Tan assures that this has not deterred durian lovers from indulging in the fruit. The fact that the season has started earlier than its usual mid-April commencement and the enhanced taste of the fruit are bonuses that consumers seem to be gladly accepting, regardless of the cost.

    Penang’s Durian Reputation

    Known for providing some of Malaysia’s most favored durians, Penang’s orchards had a difficult harvest last year, as the flowering stage was disrupted by rain and strong winds. This led to a delay in the season’s start, a shortened harvest period, and a decrease in yields.

    Nonetheless, once the season reached its peak later in the year, the region attracted large crowds to renowned durian hotspots such as Balik Pulau, Penang Hill, Padang Kota, and Batu Ferringhi.

    Longer Season, Lower Prices Predicted

    This year, however, Leng predicts that the season will last longer and that prices may decrease as production increases. He anticipates the fruit becoming cheaper from June onwards, due to what is expected to be a bumper yield.

    While the durian season has already commenced in Malaysia, the supply in Singapore, which imports a significant portion of its durians from its northern neighbor, has yet to pick up. Prominent vendors in Singapore, like 99 Old Trees Durian, Fruit Monkey Durian, and Combat Durian, currently only have limited quantities available, with a larger supply expected in early May.

    Questions & Answers

    Why are the durians creamier and more flavorful this year?
    According to durian vendor Ang Hock Leng, the drier weather conditions in Malaysia this year have resulted in creamier and more flavorful durians.

    What has caused the price increase in durians this season?
    The current limited supply of durians has led to a price increase of approximately 20%, as stated by Tan, a durian stand operator in George Town.

    When can consumers expect a decrease in durian prices?
    Prices are predicted to become cheaper from June onwards due to anticipated bumper yields, says durian vendor Ang Hock Leng.

  • Arrival Building Battery Plant In North America

    Arrival Building Battery Plant In North America

    EV startup Arrival which has also a partnership with Uber has announced that it is building a high capacity and high voltage battery plant in North Carolina in the US. The battery plant will deliver 350k modules a year and will cost an investment of $11.5 million that will add 150 jobs in the city.

    Arrival has been a specialist for EVs and electric buses and is one of the few EV startups which has designed its own components and software stack alongside assembly techniques. It even has its own automated driving system as well as proprietary battery modules and this latest announcement is part of achieving scale with its own technology.

    Aside from the battery plant, it also has a facility that produces the Arrival Bus. “By bringing the assembly of our proprietary High Voltage Battery Modules in-house, we’re striving to be as vertically integrated as possible. This will enable us to have even greater control over the functionality and cost of our products and pass those cost savings on to the customer while also working toward our goal of zero waste production. We’re excited to add another facility in Charlotte, as we prepare to open our new North American headquarters building just down the road and continue to work in tandem with the city to develop solutions for their electrification and sustainability goals. This is a big milestone for Arrival as we ramp up operations in the region in advance of production starting in Rock Hill in Q2 next year,” said Mike Ableson, its CEO.

    The assembly plant is a follow-up to the news of Arrival outlining an agreement with Li-Cycle which is one of the leading lithium-ion battery recyclers in North America. This partnership will help Arrival create a virtuous cycle of battery supply chain for both Europe and the US.

    The city of Charlotte in North Carolina is also working to ensure all car fleets and facilities are fueled by zero-carbon sources by 2030 which makes it a hotbed for EV startups. Arrival is working with the city for this project.

  • m1nd-set reveals Chinese arrivals shopping behaviour

    m1nd-set reveals Chinese arrivals shopping behaviour

    The eyes of the travel retail industry are turning eastwards in 2017, with the planned opening of new arrivals duty free shops across many Chinese airports and border stores. m1nd-set has announced the results of recently-conducted research on the shopping behaviour of Chinese travellers. The findings provide a deeper understanding of travelling consumer preferences and behaviour of perhaps the world’s most sought-after shopper.

    Peter Mohn, owner & CEO, m1nd-set: “We see that it will be increasingly vital for retailers to provide a different shopping experience to woo the Chinese travellers. This will mean brands and retailers will need to work closer than ever together on providing location-specific travel retail exclusives and an improved, more unique shopping experience in order to retain the Chinese travellers spend in the duty free shops outside China.”

    The research was carried out among over 2,000 Chinese travellers in December 2016, and reveals what they say will influence them to purchase at the arrivals shops in China and why they would prefer to shop abroad. Convenience, quality and value for money are among the main reasons for suggesting they would rather shop on arrival back in China; language and ease of communication was another. A number of Chinese travellers still feel the products will be more affordable outside China, which is one of the main reasons for choosing to shop at the departure store on the return leg. Reassurance that the products will be authentic is another key motivator to purchase outside China.

    When asking the Chinese travellers where they would prefer to shop when the various arrivals shops have opened later this year, almost half of them said they would still favour purchasing at the departure airport duty free shop on the return journey, while only a third would purchase on arrival in China. One in five travellers indicated they would favour the departure duty free shop on their outbound trip. The findings also show that business travellers express a stronger preference to purchase at departure shops on both their outbound and return trips, as well as on arrival at their destination, than other segments. Their inclination to purchase on arrival back in China, however, is lower than the average.

    m1nd-set has announced the results of recently-conducted research on the shopping behaviour of Chinese travellers. The research was carried out among over 2,000 Chinese travellers in December 2016, and reveals what they say will influence them to purchase at the arrivals shops in China and why they would prefer to shop abroad.

    m1nd-set has announced the results of recently-conducted research on the shopping behaviour of Chinese travellers. The research was carried out among over 2,000 Chinese travellers in December 2016, and reveals what they say will influence them to purchase at the arrivals shops in China and why they would prefer to shop abroad.

    “While brands stand to gain from the increased sales outlets and the ease for Chinese travellers to purchase in their home country on arrival, retailers outside China will be showing concern for the potential lost business if Chinese travellers shift their purchasing decisions to the arrivals shops back home,” comments Peter Mohn, owner & CEO, m1nd-set. “We see that it will be increasingly vital for retailers to provide a different shopping experience to woo the Chinese travellers. This will mean brands and retailers will need to work closer than ever together on providing location-specific travel retail exclusives and an improved, more unique shopping experience in order to retain the Chinese travellers spend in the duty free shops outside China.”

    Hear more from Peter Mohn, owner & CEO, m1nd-set, at the 26th Airport Commercial & Retail Conference & Exhibition, hosted by Aéroport Nice Côte d’Azur and taking place on 3-5 April 2017 at the Hyatt Regency Nice Palais de la Méditerranée. Mohn is participating in the First Working Session “Is there a big problem in the airport retail space? Are conversion rates and yields performing far below expectations?” His defining presentation will provide a detailed analysis of the real financial performance of airport retail at a representative range of major and regional airports. With the average per passenger spend being €10.38, Mohn will consider the question of what

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  • Australia leads top ten sources of tourist arrivals in Bali

    Australia leads top ten sources of tourist arrivals in Bali

    Australia led the ten top sources of tourist arrivals in the resort island of Bali in the January-September 2016 period, an official said.

    “The number of Australian tourists visiting Bali in the first nine months of this year reached 850,326, up 16.85 percent from 727,678 in the same period last year,” chief of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) Office in Bali, Adi Nugroho said here on Sunday.

    Most of the Australian tourists traveled to Bali by direct flights. Only 18,554 of them went to the island by cruise liner.

    More and more Australians visited Bali as they regarded it as their “second home”, he said.

    Australia contributed 23.36 percent of the overall tourist arrivals in Bali at 3.63 million over the period, up 21.69 percent compared to the same period last year when the figure was recorded at 2.99 million.

    Adi Nugroho said nine of the ten top sources of tourist arrivals in bali saw a significant increase in the number of tourist arrivals in Bali. Only the number of Malaysian tourists fell 6.64 percent to 138,203 from 138,203.

    Meanwhile, China occupied the second place with 35.84 percent of the total budget fund.

  • China Takes Over Australia’s Domination of Bali’s Tourist Arrivals

    China Takes Over Australia’s Domination of Bali’s Tourist Arrivals

    Chinas tourists have taken over the domination of Australian tourists who so far top the list of foreign tourist arrivals in the Indonesian tourist resort Island of Bali.

    “I have predicted that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Bali will increase after the government provides them with a visa-free facility and the opening of smooth direct flights to China,” Tourism observer Dewa Nyoman said here on Sunday.

    This condition has been observed since in the past several months. Moreover, the economic conditions in Australia are not conducive of late, he said.

    In the meantime, he said, the Chinese economy is relatively encouraging now.

    Indonesian flag carrier Garuda has also expended its flight routes linking Denpasar with Shanghai after it has previously opened a flight route that connected Denpasar with Beijing and Guangzhu in 2015.

    It seems that Garuda Indonesia is focusing on its flight expansion in China as the countrys foreign tourists which conduct overseas trips are large reaching some 100 million.

    He said that based on the records of Balis Tourism Service, the number of Chinese tourists arriving in Bali increased by 30 percent in the first months of 2016, topping the foreign tourist arrivals list.

    In the January-February period, a total of 189,594 Chinese tourists arrived in Bali, up from 145,747 in the same period in 2015.

    In January – February 2015, the number of Chinese visitors in Indonesia was still recorded in the second position.

    The Australian tourists holidaying on the island of Bali in the January – February period this year declined by 0.96 percent to 154,892 people. In the same period in 2015, the number of Australian visitors were recorded at 156,395.

    Japanese tourists occupied the third place with 39,371 visitors recorded last January and February, down 2.89 percent from 40,544 in the same period last year.

    Duwa Putra expressed convince that this year the number of Chinese tourists will continue to increase, replacing the domination the Australian tourists. After all, the volume of flights from Australia is increasingly limited.

    Besides, Garuda also services passengers with its routes covering Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai via Denpasar and Jakarta.

    The numerous flights facilitate the desires of young Chinese who want to spend their honeymoon in Bali, he said.

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