Retail News CRM

Tag: asia

  • Chatime to open first Singapore store this year

    Chatime to open first Singapore store this year

    Malaysia’s Will Group is planning to open first Chatime Singapore outlet this year.

    The first two stores will be opened inside shopping malls, with a third scheduled for Jewel Changi Airport next year.

    The group is also negotiating to take over the Singapore master franchise for the tea brand from current franchisor La Kaffa International.

    Chatime also plans to expand into the Middle East, with outlets in Mecca and Medina this year, under a sub-franchise arrangement.

    Chatime Malaysia has obtained the halal food certification for its menu, paving its way for business expansion.

    Will Group has set a RM100 million (S$33.6 million) budget to open 150 outlets in Malaysia and internationally.

    Will Group became master franchisee for Chatime in Malaysia following a dispute between La Kaffa and ex-master franchisee Loob Holding.

  • Massive Muji fresh store opens in Osaka

    Massive Muji fresh store opens in Osaka

    Japanese anti-brand retailer Muji has opened a massive 4300sqm store in Osaka featuring its first dedicated fresh department.

    While the company has offered dried foods, snacks and other foods since it was founded in 1980, and even shelf-stable vegetables in some stores, this is the first time it has ventured into chilled, fresh meat and produce.

    The Muji fresh store is the brand’s largest globally and five times the typical Japanese footprint. About 50 per cent of it is dedicated to food and it also features a Cafe & Meal Muji eating place.

    Kei Suzuki, director and executive officer of Muji parent Ryohin Keikaku, told Inside Retail Asia that once refined the company will look to roll out the concept in other markets.

    “At first we have to see what is going to happen in Japan, but I believe the Muji customer … is keen to have a good fresh product,” said Suzuki, who was one of the leading speakers at yesterday’s MarketingPulse conference, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

    Suzuki said Muji customers are in tune with freshness, sustainability, supporting local farmers and suppliers – and they want quality. He is confident the Osaka concept store will win over customers.

    “Once we see that we are successful then … I also want to try it here in the future. But it has not been decided yet.”

    Photos released by Muji show fresh meats, fish, vegetables and perishable goods on display in a bright, airy retail space. Minimalist design and displays made from natural materials are in keeping with the company’s market positioning.

    Meanwhile, in Japan, Ryohin Keikaku chairman Masaaki Kanai told local media Muji was committed to expanding its selection of local food products.

    “We want to become a part of the community.”

    One of the reported rationales behind Muji fresh is to entice customers to visit more often. Food is a more frequent purchase than stationery or household items, for example.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Starbucks Hong Kong adds alcohol to IFC Mall menu

    Starbucks Hong Kong adds alcohol to IFC Mall menu

    Starbucks Hong Kong has opened its first cafe serving alcohol – including coffee-infused craft beers, exclusive to the city.

    Starbucks’ local licensee, the Dairy Farm International subsidiary Coffee Concepts, says the move is part of its strategy of elevating the chain’s ‘Third Place’ experience for its customers through continuous innovation in its coffee offer and in-store experience.

    After a month-long refit, the store on the level 2 podium of IFC Mall in Central was formally unveiled to media last evening. It has been upgraded into the Starbucks Reserve format in a bid to attract customers after work as well as during the day.

    And besides gourmet coffee blends, a Starbucks Reserve range of merchandise and beer, the cafe offers a selection of wines and light meal menu featuring dips, cured-meat-and-cheese board, bacon-wrapped asparagus skewers and baked meatballs.

    Craft beer partnership

    Starbucks Hong Kong has released two coffee-infused craft beers created in partnership with a local brewery. A company spokesperson says the two beers are infused with “signature notes of Starbucks coffee, leaving a refreshing taste on the tongue”.

    “The Caramel Macchiato Cream Ale is inspired by the signature Starbucks Caramel Macchiato. Cream ale is harmoniously brewed with pre-ground Starbucks Colombian coffee and delectable caramel for more than 18 hours, resulting in an irresistibly smooth taste with nutty notes and a subtle caramel sweetness, as well as a brilliant golden colour.

    “The Mocha Brown Ale marries a robust brown ale with the indulgent chocolate and soft spice notes of Starbucks Caffe Mocha. Brewed with Starbucks Guatemala Antigua cold-brewed coffee and cocoa nibs, the intense brown ale will surprise customers with its distinctive contrast of dark-brown hue and luscious sweetness.”

    Starbucks Hong Kong is also launching three bottled beers including Hiiro Seed Guava Love, a fruity beer with a tropical pink guava aroma, brewed locally by Hitachino Nest Beer.

     

    The Starbucks Reserve wine list features four red wines (pinot noir, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and shiraz), three white wines (sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and riesling) and an Italian prosecco.

    Starbucks says that extending the ‘Third Place’ experience (in which home and workplace are the first and second places) the Starbucks Reserve Coffee Experience Bar provides “the widest in-store offerings for customers as they connect with colleagues and friends over their beverages of choice”.

  • Alibaba buys Ele for US$9.5 billion

    Alibaba buys Ele for US$9.5 billion

    Alibaba has bought the Chinese food delivery business Ele.me for US$9.5 billion.

    The new deal will enable Alibaba to take over its daily operations and network of delivery drivers. Ele.me is China’s largest online delivery and services platforms.

    Alibaba, which already held a 43 per cent stake in the delivery business, hopes the move will bolster its offline retail infrastructure, furthering founder Jack Ma’s New Retail ambitions.

    Alibaba Group CEO Daniel Zhang said the move into online food delivery will create more value for China’s 1.3 billion consumers.

    “Ele.me can leverage Alibaba’s infrastructure in commerce and find new synergies with Alibaba’s diverse businesses to add further momentum to the New Retail initiative,” Zhang said.

    Alibaba said in a statement it flagged an expansion of Eli.Me’s product horizons beyond its traditional food-focused base, with possible synergies with Alibaba’s existing local services platform Koubei. It also said it will give Eli.me access to its extensive product offering under the New Retail strategy.

    “This acquisition shows that we have built Ele.me into one of China’s most valuable internet businesses. Our customers, merchants and partners will benefit from our further integration into the Alibaba family. We share the same strategic vision that New Retail has a bright future and being part of Alibaba’s ecosystem will take Ele.me’s growth to a new level,” Ele.Me founder Zhang Xuhao said.

    The food delivery Ele.me founder will take the position as chairman of the business post-acquisition and will also be appointed as a special adviser to Alibaba’s CEO on its New Retail strategy. Alibaba vice president Wang Lei, a company veteran of 15 years, will become the CEO of Ele.me.

  • Walmart China introduces compact format

    Walmart China introduces compact format

    Walmart China has deepened its omni-channel retail model with the opening of its first small-format Walmart Supermarket.

    In Shenzhen’s Bao’an district, the store delivers an integrated online/offline experience, with an emphasis on fresh foods, fast delivery and convenience.

    “Retail and lifestyle are closely linked,” says Walmart China hypermarket senior VP/COO Elliot Dickson.

    “Walmart is proud to have been a part of the evolution of shopping in China since we opened the first Walmart Hypermarket here in Shenzhen in 1996. We are introducing our Walmart Supermarket to give customers an upgraded omni-channel experience rooted in their own community.”

    The 1200sqm store stocks more than 8000 items, with a localised assortment strategy that includes fresh products, prepared meals, dairy products, beverages and household supplies. The layout also seeks to enhance shopper convenience with chilled vegetables, fresh fruit and frozen foods given prominence, alongside pre-prepared dishes such as fish with preserved vegetables and stir-fried clams.

    Ninety per cent of the supermarket’s inventory, including fresh, frozen, deli and bakery goods, are also available on the Walmart Supermarket at JD.com. The store has a high-tech stocking system so associates can precisely find products on the shelf and fulfil orders by the fastest product-picking route. This enables the store to provide delivery as fast as 29 minutes to homes within 2km of the store.

    Walmart Supermarket’s soft opening day set a record for stores on the JD.com platform, with more than 1000 online orders. The fastest delivery on opening day was less than 10 minutes from online order to the customer’s door.

    Using the scale and merchandising resources of more than 400 Walmart stores across China, the store introduces electronic price tags to help keep prices up to date.

    Services for customers include online options to buy e-gift cards, schedule home-appliance maintenance, arrange flower deliveries, and make travel reservations. In-store services ranging from laundry to key cutting, shoe repair and Shenzhen Tong card top-ups.

    Customers can use a WeChat mini-program to scan barcodes as they shop, and pay via their mobile device and verify payment in store to bypass the checkout counter. In a two-month pilot, more than one in five customers chose to pay through Scan & Go, with about 95 per cent of them planning to use the new way of payment again to save time. Overall, more than half of Walmart Supermarket customers chose online ordering, Scan & Go or self-checkout during the pilot period. There are nine checkouts: three Scan & Go payment-verification stations, three self-service checkouts, and three traditional checkouts with cashiers. The store provides high-speed Wi-Fi.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Natuzzi Trading subsidiary to become Joint Venture

    Natuzzi Trading subsidiary to become Joint Venture

    Italian furniture brand Natuzzi and China’s Kuka furniture company have agreed to make the company’s wholly owned Chinese subsidiary Natuzzi Trading (Shanghai) a joint venture.

    The JV agreement is aimed at expanding the company’s retail network in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. The company, the JV and Kuka have also entered into an agreement for the sale and purchase and subscription of shares In Natuzzi Trading (Shanghai).

    The agreements follow the execution of a preliminary agreement last month. Under the agreements, Natuzzi and Kuka will own, respectively, a 49 and a 51 per cent stake in the JV, which will distribute Natuzzi Italia and Natuzzi Editions branded products through a network of single-brand directly run stores and franchised stores in China, Hong Kong and Macau, as well as through online stores.

    Kuka will invest a total of €65 million (US$80 million), of which €35 million will be contributed to the JV for the subscription of a capital increase of US$567,869, and €30 million will be paid to the company as consideration for the transfer of US$486,744 of registered capital interest from the company to Kuka.

    The JV will be granted the perpetual and exclusive distribution licence for the Natuzzi Italia, Natuzzi Editions and other relevant trademarks for a consideration of €15 million.

    The transaction is subject to applicable authorisations, regulatory filings and approvals. Assuming these conditions are met, it is expected the closing will occur by August 22.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Lingerie e-tailer Adore Me expands offline

    Lingerie e-tailer Adore Me expands offline

    Lingerie e-tailer Adore Me says it plans to open between 200 and 300 stores during the next five years. The company will make its brick-and-mortar debut in New York City within the next few months, followed by up to 10 locations this calendar year and another 20 next year to gauge foot traffic in different locations.

    The offline expansion will accelerate in subsequent years.

    Adore Me founder and CEO Morgan Hermand-Waiche told The Wall Street Journal that online retailers need a physical store presence in order to compete with mainstream retailers.

    “Victoria’s Secret is the big guy in the room. Even if we are successful for a digitally native brand, we will remain small compared to Victoria’s Secret.”

    Adore Me is considering new formats for its stores, including bars where shoppers can relax with friends and showrooms allowing customers to try clothes on and have purchases shipped to their homes.

  • Louis Vuitton hires Virgil Abloh as artistic director

    Louis Vuitton hires Virgil Abloh as artistic director

    Louis Vuitton has taken on Virgil Abloh as its men’s artistic director, with his first show scheduled for Men’s Fashion Week in Paris in June.

    “Having followed with great interest Virgil’s ascent since he worked with me at Fendi in 2006, I am thrilled to see how his innate creativity and disruptive approach have made him so relevant, not just in the world of fashion but in popular culture today,” says Louis Vuitton chairman/CEO Michael Burke. “His sensibility toward luxury and savoir-faire will be instrumental in taking Louis Vuitton’s menswear into the future.”

    Abloh says the heritage and creative integrity of the house are key inspirations “and I will look to reference them both while drawing parallels to modern times”.

    Born in Rockford, Illinois, in 1980, Abloh is an artist, architect, engineer, creative director and designer.

    After earning a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin Madison, he completed a Master’s Degree in Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology. It was there he learned not only about modernist design principles but also about the concept of multi-disciplinary working.

    Born in Rockford, Illinois, in 1980, Abloh is an artist, architect, engineer, creative director, and designer.

    After earning a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin Madison, he completed a Master’s Degree in Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology. It was there he learned not only about modernist design principles but also about the concept of multi-disciplinary working.

    Virgil Abloh’s brand Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh launched in 2012 as an artwork titled Pyrex Vision. In 2013, the brand premiered a seasonal men’s and women’s fashion label, and has shown runway collections during Paris Fashion Week since 2015.

    Abloh has also presented his work at major design institutions such as Harvard Graduate School of Design and Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. Next year he will have a major exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Chicago, Illinois.

    Virgil Abloh for Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh was among finalists of the LVMH Prize in 2015, and his other accolades include the British Fashion Awards Urban Luxe Award and International Designer of the Year at the GQ Men of the Year Awards last year.

  • Hanoi retail development spreading beyond CBD, says CBRE

    Hanoi retail development spreading beyond CBD, says CBRE

    Hanoi’s retail supply is growing outside the CBD area, reports real-estate company CBRE.

    With a total of 157,000sqm of retail coming from eight projects under development in fast-growing residential areas with good connecting infrastructure, CBRE says the suburban growth is expected to be attractive to both retailers and consumers.

    Malls inside residential complexes will continue to thrive, thanks to a high level of supply in the condominium market. Eight out of 12 future projects up to 2020 are retail podiums. “This format has certain advantages such as potential customers on site and increased traffic because of the residential component, providing extra services and amenities, and improving the image for the whole project,” says the CBRE report.

    The company predicts an emerging CBD will soon form in the western area of Hanoi. As the largest retail cluster outside the CBD with 41 per cent of total supply, the Cau Giay, Tu Liem and Thanh Xuan district will maintain its position in the next few years with 83,300sqm of supply in the pipeline.

    In the next three years, Aeon Mall Ha Dong, FLC and Vincom shopping centres will supply space to the east, while the north will have a new project from Lotte.

    The CBRE report also shows that only 7 per cent of total retail supply in Hanoi is in the CBD, and there has been nothing new since 2013. As a result, retailers have been finding alternatives in shop houses and old buildings around Hoan Kiem Lake (such as the first McDonald’s Hanoi), creating demand for more space.

    The CBD’s retail rent is predicted to rise in the coming years.

  • Longchamp Philippines expands with fourth store

    Longchamp Philippines expands with fourth store

    French handbag brand Longchamp Philippines has opened its fourth boutique, in Rustan’s Makati.

    Inspired by the brand’s Paris flagship along rue Saint-Honore, the new 65sqm store is  decorated with modern interiors – lots of wood, leather and fabric, and rich textures in order  to highlight the collections.

    “We are honored to welcome Longchamp into a bigger and better space at Rustan’s Makati. As a brand beloved not only by the Filipino shoppers but by the entire global community, Longchamp further brings prestige and is truly a great part of the Rustan’s portfolio of distinguished retail partners,” said Rustan’s president Donnie Tantoco.

    The store is highlighted by Longchamp’s Spring/Summer collection featuring African-inspired patterns, prints and colors, as well as the signature Mademoiselle handbag, the classic Le Pliage tote, and other leather goods.

  • Ikea Southeast Asia’s Toppen mall to be ‘heart and hub’ of JB

    Ikea Southeast Asia’s Toppen mall to be ‘heart and hub’ of JB

    Ikea Southeast Asia’s new Toppen Shopping Centre in Tebrau, a suburb of Malaysia’s Johor Bahru, is already more than 60 per cent tenanted as construction continues on what will become the new “heart and hub” of the border town.

    Granted, that figure includes the giant Ikea store which has already been trading for several months, drawing customers from all over southern Malaysia and across the border from Singapore.

    Tenants of the 1.1 million sqft complex already signed up include Australian furniture and electronics retailer Harvey Norman, cinema chain TGV and B.I.G (Big Independent Grocer), a gourmet supermarket which already anchors Ikea Southeast Asia’s IPC shopping centre, integrated with its Ikea Damansara store in Kuala Lumpur.

    The Toppen Shopping Centre is on schedule to open by the third quarter of next year. It is next to Aeon Tebrau mall, described by Ikea Southeast Asia MD Christian Rojkjaer as a “friendly competitor” and home to Thai furniture and homewares rival Index Living Mall.

    “Johor is home to 3.6 million potential consumers with fast-growing retail sales,” Rojkjaer told a media briefing at the site. “Johor’s economy is booming – growing faster than the rest of the nation. The mature community gives us the opportunity to create significant partnerships with both the community and business owners.”

    The new centre will feature four floors of retailing, with a multi-purpose piazza-style rooftop including community garden, play areas, sports offerings, a cinema and al fresco eateries. It will be home to 300 tenants across all categories, including international brands and local specialty stores.

    Ikea Southeast Asia owns and runs the brand’s stores in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and, from 2020, the Philippines. It is the only Ikea franchisee globally to be owned by the Kamprad family, which founded Ikea in Sweden.

    As such, it is also the only Ikea business in Asia to own and run shopping malls, a formula that works in Europe where the company has about 50 centres anchored by giant Ikea stores. Its malls include Bangkok’s Mega Bangna and Kuala Lumpur’s MyTown and IPC Shopping Centre, which has just had a major refurbishment.

    “Through our rich experience and deep understanding of market trends, Ikea’s presence normally contributes to an additional 20 per cent of footfall to our shopping centres,” says Ikea Southeast Asia shopping centre and mixed-use director Christian Olofsson.

    “Toppen is not just another shopping centre – it is a space for the community to come together, a platform for business owners to grow, and a positive driver for Johor’s economic growth through the creation of job opportunities (an estimated 5000) and increased tourism.”

    Rojkjaer expects that about 5 per cent of the Ikea Tebrau store’s sales will to be Singaporeans, who can take a short drive across the bridge border from their city state, where prices for many products are higher. But he is not concerned about prospective cannibalisation of the Singapore business’ sales. As if to underscore that point, last Easter holiday weekend the number of people heading to Malaysia by road caused traffic jams on the Singapore side of the border. Instead of the usual quick crossing, travellers were caught in queues for several hours.

    Such is Johor Bahru’s rapid growth that even without cross-border traffic, both Ikea executives are bullish about the Malaysian city’s future.

    “Every time we come here we see how things are developing,” said Rojkjaer. “Tebrau is going to be a major destination for years to come.”

    Rojkjaer expects the centre to attract 15 million visitors in 2020, its first full year of trading.

  • DHL forecasts solid growth

    DHL forecasts solid growth

    Launched in January 2018, the DHL Global Trade Barometer uses large amounts of logistics data to forecast demand for the next three months. In its second report, the barometer increased to 66 points, up from 64 points in January.

    According to DHL, an index value above 50 signals solid positive growth for global trade, while the increase from the initial forecast in January indicates that growth is gaining momentum.

    Compared to the findings in January, the improved global index is mainly driven by an increasingly positive outlook for South Korean and trade in the USA. In contrast, the prospects for German trade eased after the strong peak seen in 2017.

    India continues to show the highest index value of all seven countries for the overall trade predictions, while the UK, after a modest decline since January, scores the same level as China at the lower end of the country ranking.

    The outlook for global airfreight, according to DHL, remains positive despite dropping slightly by one point compared to January. With 70 points, airfreight remains robust as air trade growth in China and the USA is expected to accelerate.

    Meanwhile, the outlook for global ocean trade improved to 63 points in March from 60 points in January. This growth is also driven by the USA and China, together with a strong increase in South Korea, offsetting a slightly reduced growth outlook for UK and German oceanfreight.

    The DHL Global Barometer is published four times a year. The next release date is June 27, 2018.

    Lees ook:

  • From bikes to drones, how JD Logistics built its delivery network

    From bikes to drones, how JD Logistics built its delivery network

    Amazon has nearly mastered e-commerce deliveries in the U.S. Sure, there are occasional hiccups, particularly due to surges at the holidays, but the company has built a solid network of partners – particularly UPS, FedEx and USPS – that have large logistic networks that have gotten the job done.

    While Amazon was able to lean on established partners in the U.S., JD.com did not have that luxury when building its logistics network in China, a country of some 1.4 billion people covering 3.7 million square miles. Consequently, if JD.com wanted to become a major e-commerce player in Asia, it needed to build its own network.

    “One [factor] is that the 3PLs in China are pretty fractured,” Josh Gartner, vice president of international corporate affairs, explained to FreightWaves. “That is why we decided to build out our own system.”

    JD.com built its logistics operation, JD Logistics, which is now a subsidiary of the e-commerce company. JD Logistics was just infused with $2.5 billion in investment, led by Tencent Holdings and Sequoia Capital China, to help to further develop its logistics operations, which already include everything from warehousing to packaging and last-mile delivery. It is also now offering services to third-party companies as well. There is also rumors that some of that money will be used to develop a U.S. operation to support online sales in this country.

    The funding valued JD Logistics at about $11 billion. JD.com holds 81.4% of that after only starting the logistics business in early 2017.

    Gartner walked FreightWaves through the company’s logistics operations, but like Amazon’s, it all starts with providing quality service to the customer, and that means last-mile efficiencies. According to Gartner, the last-mile services cover 99% of China’s population and it is done through a variety of methods, from vehicles, to drones, to electric bikes.

    Gartner says that final mile delivery for much of China is handled by electric, three-wheeled vehicles. These vehicles collect packages from local facilities for home deliveries.

    “We have what we call ‘delivery stations’ and those are in neighborhoods,” Gartner said. “We deliver by truck from warehouses to these smaller stations and they have about 50 to 100 last-mile delivery drivers (based on the size of the city) making the final delivery.”

    To JD Logistics, the value of having its own drivers make those final deliveries is important. “When people look at our logistics, they see our couriers,” Gartner said.

    Like all e-commerce companies, JD.com has learned that to deliver goods quickly requires proper positioning of product. JD Logistics uses technology to help predict where product will be needed.

    “Most of the efficiency and speed is done at the warehouse level and predicting where [product will be needed],” Gartner said. Full truckloads of freight are loaded at the warehouse level and brought to the delivery stations for final delivery. This keeps the larger trucks running set routes back and forth and speeds the delivery process.

    JD Logistics also offers a “white glove” service for shoppers, complete with specially-trained JD employees wearing white gloves. These drivers deliver special luxury brands that qualify for the service in electric vehicles rather than the tricycles and scooters often used.

    Technology plays a big role in JD Logistics’ efficiency, and that includes automation, drones and more, both on vehicles and in warehouses.

    Last year, JD Logistics opened the world’s first fully automated B2C warehouse in Shanghai. The warehouse can reportedly process over 200,000 items a day at full operation. Technology in general helps JD Logistics plan where product should be located and helps ensure that customers are receiving one delivery a day with their complete order, regardless of where any individual product is sourced.

    “A few months ago, we had a logistics expert come through and order a few things and he was really impressed with the operation,” Gartner said, adding that the expert ordered items from several locations and received a single order with all items.

    Gartner credits the network design – larger trucks moving products from warehouse to delivery station – for that delivery success.

    “It’s a much more efficient process, otherwise you would have more vehicles,” he said.

    On the vehicle equipment front, the company has been utilizing electric vehicles and entered into an agreement last year with SAIC Maxus and Dongfeng Motor Corp. to develop autonomous delivery vehicles. JD Logistics has jointly researched two models of autonomous light electric vans with SAIC Maxus and Dongfeng, respectively, for delivery of goods from JD’s distribution centers to delivery stations in the future.

    The company began testing autonomous delivery via robots at Renmin University and Tsinghua University among other schools last June. The autonomous robots deliver goods to a designated location and customers receive a unique passcode to open the robot’s secure locker to retrieve their packages.

    “With technology as the driving force, JD operates the most advanced retail operation in the world,” said Zhenhui Wang, CEO of JD Logistics. “Our extensive in-house logistics network provides the ideal real-world scenario in which to test autonomous vans. Working with our partners, we will continue to enhance our smart logistics and push the bounds of traditional logistics solutions.”

    Like Amazon, JD Logistics is also venturing into drone delivery. Currently, the company is using drones to make deliveries to remote areas of China, bringing online shopping and quick delivery to residents of these areas.

    The program works by dispatching orders from regional delivery stations to JD’s network of dedicated “village promoters” in each village, who then distribute the orders directly to customers, significantly shortening delivery times and reducing logistics costs. JD.com currently has more than 300,000 village promoters across the country.

    “The focus is one rural areas that have lower order densities,” Gartner said.

    On a larger scale, the company has also started testing “heavy-load drones” capable of carrying 1 ton of goods at a time. Gartner noted these drones will move product traditionally carried by truck between warehouses.

    JD signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the municipal government of Hangcheng, in Shaanxi Province, to set up the first urban drone delivery platform in the world. JD will explore the model and plans to test city drone delivery in Hancheng to evaluate its viability. Additionally, the company will also test its automated delivery vehicle and logistics facilities and hopes to build Hancheng City into a model city for smart logistics.

    Having conquered China delivery – more than 92% of products sold by JD.com are delivered within one day, including many that are delivered same day – JD Logistics may be looking abroad, specifically the U.S.

    According to a report in January, the company is planning U.S. operations later this year and will use some of the $2.5 billion in funding to do so. Gartner declined to confirm any U.S. plans, saying only that “we’re still focused on China and Asia.”

    The Bloomberg article quoted founder Richard Liu as saying the company will begin selling online to U.S. customers in the second half of this year.

    “This year, Vietnam, India, Philippines, Malaysia – every Southeast Asian country – we will come by the end of this year,” Liu is quoted as saying. “Our future is we will invest in U.S. and build a warehouse fulfillment center in U.S. so you can get same-day delivery.”

    The story noted that JD.com could leverage its relationship with Walmart Stores, which is an investor in the company, for help in building a U.S. logistics network.

    The approach to last-mile delivery in China is very different than it is in the U.S., so it remains to be seen how JD Logistics would handle that operation in America. If the stories are true, we may find out very soon.

  • Citi Launches Pay with Points on HKTVmall

    Citi Launches Pay with Points on HKTVmall

    Citi today announced its first API partnership in Hong Kong through the launch of Citi Pay with Points on HKTVmall, the 24-hour online shopping mall operated by Hong Kong Television Network Limited.  The new service enables cardholders of Citi points-bearing credit cards who shop on HKTVmall.com or the HKTVmall mobile app to offset purchases upon checkout using their reward points seamlessly without ever leaving the shopping platform.  This convenient shopping experience is made possible by fully integrating the Citi Pay with Points Application Program Interface (API) on the HKTVmall platform.

    Lum Choong Yu, Head of Cards and Unsecured Lending at Citibank Hong Kong, said: “We are excited to be launching our first API partnership in Hong Kong with a like-minded company that is renowned for and committed to ongoing innovation and providing best-in-class customer experience.”

    “Citi’s approach to open API architecture underscores our commitment to fostering closer collaboration with the digital ecosystems to accelerate the offering of our banking services in all areas of our customers’ digital lives.  Our strategy is also fully in line with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s vision for wider adoption of open API in the banking sector,” he added.

    Ricky Wong, Chairman of Hong Kong Television Network Limited said, “Since its launch, HKTVmall bears the mission to create new ways of retailing and we position ourselves as a technology applications pioneer, to integrate different technologies from different business areas. While online shopping is not only talking about displaying products on digital platform, we emphasize customer experience from the ways we do digital marketing, interface design, payment, warehousing and logistics. In light of this, we are glad to be the first API partnership with Citi Hong Kong, and this will be one of our key milestones on customers’ payment experience.”

    To offset purchases on HKTVmall with Citi credit card reward points, either in full or partially,   simply follow three easy steps:

    1)    Complete payment with your Citi points-bearing credit card*

    2)    Perform a one-time identity verification

    3)    Select the amount you wish to pay with points

    In September 2017, Citi announced the launch of Citi Pay with Points in Hong Kong, the first and only reward points redemption service that enables cardholders to offset any local purchase using credit card points on mobile phones upon receiving the redemption SMS.  The newly-formed partnership with HKTVmall takes the Citi Pay with Points experience to a new level, providing Citi credit cardholders with a new additional way to enjoy the service during the online checkout process.

    “Citi Pay with Points has been a phenomenal success and extremely well received by our cardholders as it makes spending with a Citi credit card all the more rewarding.  Today, close to 50% of reward points redemptions are conducted through the Pay with Points platform.  We will continue to enhance the service to enable our cardholders to conveniently use their points when making purchases, whether online or at physical outlets, any time and anywhere,” said Choong Yu.

    In March 2017, Citi became the first bank in Hong Kong to adopt an open API architecture by making available 30 APIs on the Citi API Developer Portal (developer.citi.com).  Through the API Developer Portal, Citi grants developers access to a variety of APIs across seven usage categories, including Accounts, Cards, Customers, Money Movement, Onboarding, Rewards, and Reference Data.

    Promotional Offers

    Between now and May 31, 2018, Citi cardholders who shop on HKTVmall.com or the HKTVmall mobile appcan receive a HKTVmall e-Coupon of up to HK$100 in value upon spending HK$400 or above.

    Citi cardholders* who successfully complete the first Pay with Points redemption when shopping on HKTVmall.com or the HKTVmall mobile app will receive a HKTVmall e-Gift Voucher of HK$100 in value.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Vietjet launches Summer Promotion with 500,000 tickets

    Vietjet launches Summer Promotion with 500,000 tickets

    Vietjet is to launch a 3 golden days promotion from April 4 to 6, 2018, with half a million tickets priced from HKD0. Available on its website www.vietjetair.com, the promotion is part of Vietjet’s Summer Promotion.

    The promotion applies for international route flying from Ho Chi Minh City to Hong Kong and all other international services from Vietnam to Seoul, Busan (South Korea)/ Kaohsiung, Taipei, Taichung, Tainan (Taiwan)/ Singapore/ Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)/ Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai (Thailand)/ Yangon (Myanmar) and Phnom Penh, Siem Reap (Cambodia). The flight period of this promotion is from May 5 to December 31, 2018(**).

    Vietjet’s three golden days promotion will offer passengers the opportunity to experience the native traditions of the new year of Southeast Asian countries, while planning for their summer vacations in many attractive international destinations.

    The promotional tickets are available during the golden hours from 13:00 to 15:00 (GMT+8) on their website. Payment can be easily made with debit and credit cards of Visa/ MasterCard/ AMEX/ JCB and KCP.

    Aiming to become a “Consumer Airline”, Vietjet is continually opening new routes, adding more aircraft, investing in modern technology and offering more added-on products and services to serve all demands of customers. Vietjet is a pioneering airline that is loved by many for its exciting promotional and entertainment programs, especially during the festive season. With high-quality services, diverse ticket classes and special low-fare tickets, Vietjet offers its passengers flying experiences on new aircraft with comfy seats, delicious hot meals, beautiful and friendly cabin crews, and other interesting added-on services.

    Lees ook: