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Tag: asia

  • Hema Customers Can Track Farm-to-Shelf Food Journey

    Hema Customers Can Track Farm-to-Shelf Food Journey

    Seventeen Hema supermarkets in Shanghai have launched a food-provenance feature that tells customers about an item’s farm-to-shelf journey.

    The information includes verifications such as photos of the distributor’s business licenses and food-safety certificates complete with an official government seal.

    To access the function, in-store customers use the Hema mobile app to scan a food’s QR code, which brings up the provenance details. Because the information lives on the product page of each item, consumers shopping from home via app have access to it as well.

    Watch: Hema’s Food-Tracing System

    The New Retail-driven supermarket chain’s food-tracking system comes as Chinese consumers grow more sophisticated in their food choices and embrace a healthier lifestyle.  Hema is among the first grocery chains in China to offer such service. Since its implementation in January, more than 1700 items in nine categories – including meat, seafood, rice, tofu and soy products, fruits, vegetables, poultry and eggs, dairy and cooking oil – have been included in the system.

    That includes watermelon. For Hema customers who want to know more than the place of origin, the system can tell them when a particular batch of watermelons was harvested – and by which farming collective. They can also find out the exact date when the watermelons were delivered to the store to assess freshness.

    For products that need to be kept under a certain temperature, such as meat and fish, the system can even tell customers how cold it was inside the delivery truck. Hema said it plans to roll out the system to all of its 64 stores, in 13 cities, in China by year-end.

    Established in early 2016, Hema integrates online and offline shopping into one seamless experience for customers, allowing to shop with a few clicks on their phones. With its in-store fulfilment system, orders can be delivered in as little as 30 minutes to those who live within three kilometres of a Hema. The supermarket chain also has opened a “robot restaurant” at one of its stores, in Shanghai, as part of its continued push to create new consumer experiences.

    Hema’s food-tracking system is one of several key features Alibaba has introduced to ensure customers are getting high-quality products. In April, Alibaba teamed up with a consortium of four Australian and New Zealand companies to introduce a food-tracking system using blockchain.

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  • US-China trade war could drag Vietnam GDP down

    US-China trade war could drag Vietnam GDP down

    Vietnam’s GDP could drop slightly as a result of the ongoing US-China trade war, a new report says.

    The report, released Wednesday by the National Center for Socio-Economic Information and Forecast (NCIF), predicts a drop of 0.03 percent this year, 0.09 percent next year and 0.12 percent in 2020 and 2021.

    This equals to a GDP drop of VND1.65 trillion ($71 million) this year and VND5.3 trillion ($228 million) next year. The decline will climax at VND8 trillion ($344 million) in 2021, says the NCIF, which functions under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

    This drop is “relatively low,” even at the climax in 2021, said Tran Toan Thang, head of NCIF’s Department of World Economic Issues.

    While Vietnam’s exports will also decrease because of the negative impacts of the trade war, there will be negligible impact on foreign direct investment, Thang said.

    He also expressed concern over the new U.S. tax law that lowers its business tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, he added.

    The new law might make U.S. businesses reconsider their investment strategies to focus more on their home country instead of expanding in Vietnam, Thang said.

    The tax deduction might also result in some countries creating more incentives to retain U.S. investments. China has recently said it would temporarily give U.S. firms tax exemptions to stop them from withdrawing from the country, Thang noted.

    “This move will lower competitiveness of the investment environment in Vietnam,” he added.

    Tension escalates

    Trade tension between the U.S. and China continues to escalate. A Reuters report cited Beijing saying on Wednesday that it would slap additional tariffs of 25 percenton $16 billion worth of U.S. imports.

    The announcement came after Washington said it would impose 25 percent tariffs on another $16 billion in Chinese goods after imposing tariffs on $34 billion last month.

    So far, China has now either imposed or proposed tariffs on $110 billion of U.S. goods, representing the vast majority of its annual imports of American products.

    Experts have previously cautioned that Vietnam will suffer collateral damage from this trade war.

    When large corporations no longer see the attractiveness of developing countries, their capital will flow back to the big countries, said Pham Sy Thanh, a department head at the Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research (VEPR).

    For this reason, the abundance of labor will no longer be a perk for developing countries like Vietnam, Thanh told VnExpress.

    Local economists are also concerned that the weakened Chinese yuan will result in a rush of low quality Chinese goods to Vietnam, including textiles, garments and wood products.

    This is not just a trade war, but “a war on power, technology and currency policy between the world’s two largest economies,” Tran Tuan Anh, Minister of Industry and Trade said at a government meeting last month.

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  • Victoria’s Secret To Open First Lingerie Store In Malaysia

    Victoria’s Secret To Open First Lingerie Store In Malaysia

    Victoria’s Secret Malaysia is opening its first lingerie store in October.

    Located at Mid Valley Megamall, the first full-range store will house all of the brand’s signature collections, including Body by Victoria, Very Sexy, Dream Angels, Bombshell and T-Shirt collection, along with the athletic line, Victoria Sport.

    All the signature scents and body care collections will also be ranged – including the Pink line.

    Victoria’s Secret arrived in Malaysia in 2012, and only stocks its lifestyle collections including accessories and beauty lines at existing stores.

  • Michael Kors Holdings Limited Announces Strong First Quarter

    Michael Kors Holdings Limited Announces Strong First Quarter

    Luxury fashion group Michael Kors delivered better than anticipated revenue, operating margin, and earnings per share growth in its Q1 FY19 results, with total revenue increasing 26.3 per cent to US$1.2 billion.

    Total operating margin reached 17.9 per cent, up from last years 15.7 per cent for the period, while earnings per diluted share were US$1.22 on a reported basis, an increase of 52.5 per cent compared to the prior year.

    The Jimmy Choo brand exceeded expectations due to strong performance in footwear.

    “Our fashion leadership remains strong, which drove consumers to respond favourably to both new fashion introductions and core products,” said chairman and CEO John D. Idol.

    “Our global fashion luxury group continues to see the benefits of our long term growth strategy which is driven by both the Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo brands. Looking ahead we remain optimistic about our business for the remainder of fiscal 2019 and beyond.”

    These strong results must be seen in the context of lackluster results in the prior year, according to analyst, which saw revenues drop by a “disastrous” 8.2 per cent in the US.

    “Admittedly, the 26 per cent uplift in total revenue continues to be flattered by the addition of Jimmy Choo, but even when this is excluded, revenue still rose by a solid 8.1 per cent,” said Saunders.

    “One of the vehicles helping create a better impression on consumers are stores. Here, Michael Kors has invested a significant amount in renovating older outlets to create a more luxurious experience.

    “Early results are encouraging with a much better revenue performance coming from the refurbished shops than the rest of the chain.”

    Due to the positive result, the company raised full year adjusted earnings per share guidance from US$4.90 to US$5, and expects full year total revenue to reach US$5.125 billion.

    Michael Kors also revealed it expects second quarter to bring total revenue of approximately US$1.26 billion, with retail revenue to grow by low-single digits.

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  • Vietnam Steel Association hopes to circumvent ban on scrap imports

    Vietnam Steel Association hopes to circumvent ban on scrap imports

    The Vietnam Steel Association wants the ban on metal scrap waived so that its members can continue importing it as feedstock.

    Making steel from steel and iron scrap is an environment-friendly process, which produces only a fifth of the emissions as using iron ore, the VSA said in a letter to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

    China has been restructuring its steel industry in recent years to prioritize using metal scrap, and a similar trend can be seen in the U.S. and EU, it said.

    Since the supply of metal scrap in Vietnam can only meet 40 percent of their needs, steelmakers have to depend on imports for the rest, it said.

    The VSA petition follows a recent government order to stop import of scrap, which warned that Vietnam is on the verge of becoming the world’s dumping ground after China stopped scrap imports on January 1.

    The letter also proposed severe penalties for steelmakers violating import regulations and causing harm to the environment.

    Seventy two Vietnamese steelmakers imported over 2.6 million tons of metal scrap in the first half this year, mostly from Japan, the U.S. and Hong Kong.

    The figure is estimated to reach 19 million tons in the period from 2018 to 2020, according to the VSA.

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  • Baemin robot gets job at Pizza Hut

    Baemin robot gets job at Pizza Hut

    Another day, another Dilly – or so the saying probably goes in Baedal Minjok’s head office.

    The food-delivery app’s Dilly Plate robot has started serving up slices at a Pizza Hut restaurant in Mok-dong, western Seoul, according to both companies on Wednesday. Dilly Plate, the new serving robot, is not to be confused with plain old Dilly, the delivery robot that the company has been working on since last year.

    Dilly Plate is a self-driving robot specifically designed for restaurants. Having first started working at the Pizza Hut restaurant on Monday, it will assist human employees in serving pizza for two weeks until Aug. 19.

    Dilly Plate can safely carry up to 22 kilograms (48.5 pounds) at once – a limit that is unlikely to be tested in Pizza Hut – and lasts eight hours on a single charge. The robot uses a 3-D camera and sensors to control its movement. It automatically stops and avoids obstacles and people.

    A spokesman for Baedal Minjok, or Baemin, explained that Dilly Plate can move quickly, but in Pizza Hut, the speed has been limited to a human walking speed for the safety of both customers and pizzas.

    “The store will have people walking around, and there may be emergency situations like collisions if Dilly moves too fast,” he said.

    Dilly Plate was developed by Bear Robotics, a U.S. start-up co-founded last year by John Ha, a former Google engineer originally from Korea. In April, Baemin invested $2 million in the venture in exchange for convertible bonds.

    Dilly Plate is modeled after Penny, a robot that found employment at Ha’s restaurant in California.

    Dilly Plate will be the first server robot introduced in Korea. Before it could begin work in Pizza Hut’s Mok-dong restaurant, Baemin had to map out the store and install it in the robot’s software.

    “We’re looking forward to Dilly’s performance [and hoping it will] unburden human staff from having to carry pizzas,” said Cho Yoon-sang, a senior marketing executive at Pizza Hut Korea. “This way, human servers will be able to focus on providing quality service to our customers. We decided [to hire] Dilly with hopes of enhancing work efficiency and improving customer service.”

    Baemin is hoping that the two-week trial will give more actual data regarding Dilly Plate’s operation, with the goal of introducing the server robot at more restaurants in the future.

    “In terms of the technology, Dilly Plate is already available for mass production,” said a Baemin spokesman. “But mass production is expensive, and we need to know whether Dilly is truly marketable. So the trial is to see whether Dilly Plate offers a real-life benefit to restaurants and their staff.”

    Baemin has been investing in robots since last year, aiming to develop robots that deliver food to consumers’ doors. The original Dilly had its first successful test run at a food court in Cheonan, South Chungcheong, in May. The plan is to gradually expand original Dilly’s boundaries from indoors to outdoors until it is able to fully run on its own on the streets.

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  • Robots replace waiters in Alibaba diners

    Robots replace waiters in Alibaba diners

    Alibaba has launched a series of diners staffed by robotic waiters.

    The initiative is designed to offer a restaurant service with higher efficiency and lower overheads on staff.

    Alibaba product manager Cao Haitao, who brought the concept to fruition, said, “In Shanghai, a waiter costs up to 10,000 yuan (US$1465) per month. That’s hundreds of thousands in cost every year. And two shifts of people are needed. But we don’t need two shifts for robots and they are on duty every day.”

    The diners are linked to another Alibaba-backed semi-automated business concept, Hema supermarkets, in which goods are brought to customers on a conveyor track when ordered in-store via a mobile app. There are currently 57 Hema supermarkets throughout China, and all of these will eventually launch diners with robotic waiters.

    The serving robots are comparable in size to a microwave oven and navigate the restaurants on purpose-built tracks at table height.

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  • Harvey Norman open door in Johor Malaysia

    Harvey Norman open door in Johor Malaysia

    Australian furniture retailer Harvey Norman Malaysia has opened its first store in Johor, at Paradigm Mall.

    Harvey Norman Asia MD Kenneth Aruldoss said the opening was timely as Johor has an impressive market thanks to rapid economic growth.

    The store also offers the retailer’s “Shop with Confidence” campaign which offers price guarantee.

    “This means that when customers buy a product from Harvey Norman and later find the same item at a lower price at another store, we will match the lower price and top up 10 per cent of the price difference within 10 days,” Aruldoss said.

    Another Johor store will be opened in SouthKey Mid Valley Megamall within the next three months while the third store is expected to open its doors in Tebrau, site of the Ikea-anchored Toppen shopping centre, early next year.

    Harvey Norman Malaysia has opened 17 stores so far, and plans to increase the network to 43 within 10 years.

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  • Indonesia Gov’t to Offer Microloans to Tourism Sector SMEs

    Indonesia Gov’t to Offer Microloans to Tourism Sector SMEs

    The government will start disbursing subsidized loans to micro, small and medium enterprises by end of this month to increase revenue from the sector and boost the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

    The government previously only allocated such loans towards migrant workers and SMEs in the trade, agricultural, service, manufacturing and fisheries sectors. It has earmarked Rp 120 trillion ($8.3 billion) for SMEs this year, or 12 percent more than last year.

    “We expect SMEs in tourism to encourage optimization of the development of the sector, especially in the 10 priority tourist destinations and 88 national tourism strategic areas,” Iskandar Simorangkir, deputy for macro-economic coordination and finance at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, said at a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday (08/08).

    Tourism contributed around $16.8 billion to Indonesia’s foreign exchange last year, second only to the palm oil sector. The government seeks to increase this by 20 percent to around $20 billion this year.

    President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration has been promoting new tourist destinations in Indonesia, known as the “Ten New Balis.” These include Borobudur Temple in Central Java; Jakarta’s Thousand Islands; Lake Toba in North Sumatra; Tanjung Kelayang in Bangka Belitung; Tanjung Lesung in Banten; Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara; Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park in East Java; Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara; Wakatobi in Southeast Sulawesi; and Morotai in North Maluku.

    The loans will be disbursed by 41 banks and nonbanking institutions and carry an interest rate of 7 percent. In comparison, state-controlled lender Bank Rakyat Indonesia charges 17.5 percent interest on unsubsidized microloans, while its peer, Bank Mandiri, charges 18.75 percent.

    Businesses such as travel agencies, art studios, souvenir centers, tour guides, tourism transportation services, food and beverage providers, accommodation establishments and handicraft industries can apply for loans of up to Rp 500 million under the program.

    The Ministry of Tourism is optimistic that it will meet its target of attracting 17 million foreign visitors to Indonesia this year, especially with international events such as the 2018 Asian Games and the annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

    Jokowi asked ministers last month to seek ways to develop the tourism sector across the archipelago as part of efforts to narrow the country’s current-account deficit and bolster the rupiah.

    The currency has lost 6.21 percent of its value against the greenback since the beginning of the year as investors leave emerging markets due to higher US interest rates and a looming trade war between the United States and China.

    Bank Indonesia has spent approximately $13.6 billion of its foreign exchange reserves between February and June to defend the currency. Its foreign exchange reserves stood at $118.3 billion in July.

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  • Asiana Airlines mired in the red for first half of 2018

    Asiana Airlines mired in the red for first half of 2018

    Asiana Airlines, Korea’s second-biggest airline by sales, said Wednesday it swung to a net loss in the first half as a strong won drove up currency losses and fuel costs.

    Asiana Airlines reported it was in the red by 54.8 billion won for the January-June period, shifting from a net profit of 21.3 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a statement.

    “The airline suffered 72.6 billion won in foreign exchange losses during the first six months due to the won’s strength against the dollar, swinging from foreign exchange gains worth 63.7 billion won a year ago,” an Asiana spokesman said.

    Higher jet fuel prices also weighed on first-half results, he said.

  • Sanrio x Megology launches new capsule collection

    Sanrio x Megology launches new capsule collection

    Global lifestyle brand Sanrio has teamed up with artist, entrepreneur and Megology brand founder Megan Bomgaars to create Sanrio x Megology, a new capsule collection of fashion graphic t-shirts.

    Megan Bomgaars is a self-advocate with Down syndrome who shares her life experiences to inspire and encourage others. The Sanrio x Megology collection (officially marketed with a heart symbol in place of the x) comprises fashion t-shirts and sweatshirts, produced in partnership with apparel manufacturer Jerry Leigh.

    The range combines Megan’s creative designs and motivating mottos including ‘Don’t Limit Me’…’I Can, I Will’…’Don’t Forget Your Sparkle’ with bold graphics of her favorite Sanrio characters including Hello Kitty and Badtz-Maru.

    “My partnership with Sanrio x Megology is my biggest dream come true,” says Bomgaars. “I’ve always loved Hello Kitty and now she’s my best friend! We have a lot to say with her heart and my voice!  Don’t limit us!”

    Bomgaars is one of the stars of the Emmy Award-winning A&E docu-series Born This Way, which follows a group of young adults born with Down syndrome who pursue their passions and lifelong dreams, while defying society’s expectations. The fourth season of the show premieres August 15 at 8pm on A&E in the US. Recently, she composed a popular video called, “Don’t Limit Me” about her experiences and beliefs about being fully included in her community while overcoming limitations.

    As an artist, Megan has taken a lifetime of creative experiences and turned them into a full-time passion with her Megology brand. As a surface design artist, she creates original, one-of-a-kind textiles and fabrics by incorporating unusual techniques such as dyeing with ice, manipulating fiber reactive dyes and the use of colorants. Megan’s signature techniques are fused into the Sanrio x Megology collection.

    “Megan is an inspiration to so many and her positive messages align perfectly with Sanrio’s ‘small gift, big smile’ philosophy,” says Craig Takiguchi, COO of Sanrio, Inc. “It has been a pleasure working with Megan to bring her dream collection to life. Through her creative designs and favorite Sanrio characters, we are able to continue spreading Megan’s messages of encouragement and motivation to fans of all ages.”

    The Sanrio x Megology collaboration will be available in adult, girls and boys sizes. The collection is available at sanrio.com; megology.com and in selected Sanrio stores, including the Sanrio flagship store located at Japanese Village Plaza in downtown Los Angeles.

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  • Mitsubishi Motors bolsters crossovers sales

    Mitsubishi Motors bolsters crossovers sales

    Mitsubishi Motors Vietnam managed to boost its sales via crossovers while eyeing the expansion of manufacturing and assembly in the country.

    The firm (MMV) yesterday debuted the all-new Xpander, a next-generation crossover MPV, in Vietnam.

    Manual and automatic models of the seven-seat car will be imported from Indonesia, with orders starting in September, and cost VND550 million ($23,650) to VND650 million ($27,950).

    They will take on the Kia Rondo, Suzuki Ertiga and Toyota Rush.

    The auto maker has to yet reveal the import scheme for Xpander, which won Indonesia’s Car of the Year award this year from leading tabloid Otomotif.

    Early this year, even as many other automakers were struggling to import cars following the introduction of stringent technical regulations by the government’s Decree No. 116, Mitsubishi launched the domestic-assembled crossover Outlander and gained positive cues.

    More than 1,000 Outlander units were sold in the first half of this year, or one third of the total sales.

    Meanwhile, the extensive operations of MMV is under consideration.

    The company has reportedly discussed locations for its second plant in the country with the central province of Nghe An and the southern province of Long An. The first is in Binh Duong province near Ho Chi Minh City.

    The proposed plant, would cost around $250 million and have an annual capacity of 30,000 – 50,000 units, vice chairman of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Kozo Shiraji, told Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue during a meeting in January.

    The factory is likely to begin production in 2020.

  • Tommy Hilfiger launches a smart clothing collection

    Tommy Hilfiger launches a smart clothing collection

    Luxury-apparel retailer Tommy Hilfiger has released a “smart clothing” collection equipped with Bluetooth.

    The new Tommy Jeans Xplore smart-clothing range has Bluetooth chips embedded in the fabric, allowing the garment’s movements to be tracked by an app and wearers to be rewarded for having them on while physically visiting locations marked by branded icons on a map. Points earned in the game can be exchanged for gift cards, signed merchandise, runway shows and concert tickets, product discounts, and charity donations.

    A statement released by the brand read: “We’ve always been at the forefront of digital innovation, using technology to deliver what our customers are looking for – unique experiences and instant gratification… Tommy Jeans Xplore is the next evolution of our vision, reaching consumers where they are and inviting them to be a part of the brand experience.”

    Liron Slonimsky, CEO of technology at Awear Solutions (which developed the Bluetooth technology in the items) added: “Never before has a brand been able to understand how the consumer truly uses the product after it leaves the store. Tommy Hilfiger’s innovative history has shown that they understand what consumer engagement truly is and we knew they would be the perfect partner to launch Awear Solutions to the market.”

    Not all reviews of the new clothing concept are positive, with various articles dubbing the product line “creepy” and “ridiculous”. A Techradar.com review observed “The Tommy Hilfiger brand is usually quick to embrace new technology, but this isn’t exactly a big innovation. It’s essentially just a tracker to keep an eye on how often you wear the clothes, making it a glorified loyalty scheme.

    “Perhaps the even bigger question is how much data Tommy Hilfiger will be recording from those who are wearing the clothes and how will that be used?”

  • Philippine economy slows down to 6% in Q2 2018

    Philippine economy slows down to 6% in Q2 2018

    The Philippine economy slowed down to 6% during the 2nd quarter of the year, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said on Thursday, August 9.

    The gross domestic product (GDP) from April to June 2018 is lower than the revised 1st quarter figure of 6.6%. The growth is also slower than the 6.7% recorded during the same period last year.

    It also fell short of market expectations. Estimates had ranged from 6.6% to as high as 7%.

    Socioeconomic Secretary Ernesto Pernia attributed the slowdown to policy decisions which would “promote sustainable and resilient development.”

    Pernia said the closure of Boracay “partly made a dent on the economy with growth in exports of services slowing to 9.6% in the 2nd quarter from 16.4% in [the] 1st quarter.”

    “We are also referring to regulations in the mining sector – the closure of several mining pits and the excise tax on non-metallic and metallic minerals – so that mining and quarrying sector showed a lackluster performance. It is down by 10.9%,” Pernia said.

    “Moreover, the stricter enforcement of regulations on aquaculture producers at Laguna Lake resulted in the drop of freshwater fish catch,” he added.

    Pernia said the measures will ensure sustainable and long-term growth for the economy. The policy decisions were also “prudent and judicious.”

    The GDP is used by various agencies and experts to track the country’s growth. The figure accounts for all the finished goods and services produced within the country in a specific period.

    Build, Build, Build push

    According to the PSA, the growth in the 2nd quarter of the year was mainly driven by manufacturing, trade, and construction.

    Pernia called for the “timely implementation of the Build, Build, Build program” as it “bodes well [for] the construction industry and is seen to boost not only public construction but private builders as well.”

    He is also pushing for the immediate entry of the 3rd telecommunications player to enhance efficiency of communications and in turn support the growth of small businesses, particularly retail trade.

    The socioeconomic planning chief also sought the “immediate approval of the 11th Regular Foreign Investment Negative List, or FINL… to reduce foreign investment restrictions.”

    “Together with the proper implementation of the Ease of Doing Business Act, this will surely encourage more investments from both foreign and domestic sources,” Pernia added.

    Economic managers are gunning for GDP under President Rodrigo Duterte’s term to hit an average of 7% or above.

    First Metro Investment Corporation is among the most bullish on the economy and expects the Philippines to hit the target this year.

    “[The growth is] not a product of any speculation, but of brisk economic activities related to manufacturing, construction, and retail trade with strong job creation and corporate earning impact,” First Metro vice president and head of research Cristina Ulang said.

    Pernia previously said the GDP would have been better if not for “spoiler” inflation.

    Moody’s Analytics forecast the slowdown of the GDP due to inflation hitting a 5-year high and breaching the target range of 2% to 4%.

     

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  • NBA to close its PH stores this August

    NBA to close its PH stores this August

    NBA Philippines said on Thursday it will shut down stores this month after ending its agreement with its retail operator.

    It will begin closing down its branch in SM Megamall on August 12, followed by Ayala Cebu on August 15.

    On August 30, NBA Philippines will close down its branch in TriNoma and e-commerce website, NBAStore.com.ph.

    “Fans can visit Select Nike, Titan, and Toby’s Sports Stores for NBA merchandise,” it announced on social media.