Retail News CRM

Tag: asia

  • MacBook Air M2 laptop price falls then rises

    MacBook Air M2 laptop price falls then rises

    The retail price of the MacBook Air M2 laptop dropped by VND2.1-3 million (US$89-127) to VND25 million in April and has risen back to VND28 million in May.

    The manager of an Apple distributor in Vietnam said retailers might have hiked the price because currently Air M2 inventories in the country are very low.

    “If the demand … surges retailers … will have to wait for eight to 10 weeks for the product to be shipped to Vietnam.”

    Large retailers such as The Gioi Di Dong, FPT Shop, and CellPhoneS had sold the Air M2 with the minimum configuration, the best-selling version, for VND28 million in early April, VND25.9 million in mid-April, and VND25 million in late April.

    The laptop first sold for VND32.9 million when launched in Vietnam in July last year, but its price declined sharply partly due to competition among retailers to get a larger share of the pie, according to a manager of a The Gioi Di Dong store.

    “Prices of technological products always tend to decrease gradually after launch. However, the continuous up and down with a large amplitude of several million dong in a short period of time shows the instability of the market,” said Nguyen Van Cong, a veteran trader of Apple products.

    According to the manager of The Gioi Di Dong, the big discount of MacBook Air M2 is part of its price competition campaign.

    In early April, during a shareholder meeting, Nguyen Duc Tai, Chairman of The Gioi Di Dong (Mobile World), said: “The price at The Gioi Di Dong was sometimes million dong higher than that at other retailers. However, this phenomenon will stop. We will not let the price difference become an advantage for competitors.”

    Refusing to give the reason for their price fluctuations, managers of CellPhoneS and FPT Shop said MacBook prices have been “actively updated by the stores based on business strategies and the general situation in the market.”

    In fact, the top three Apple device retailers in Vietnam, The Gioi Di Dong, FPT Shop and CellPhoneS, have changed the laptop’s prices frequently in recent days and the prices are almost the same.

    At some Apple stores, it is one of the two best-selling laptops along with the MacBook Air with the M1 chip.

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  • Meta is pulling the Facebook Messenger app from the Apple Watch

    Meta is pulling the Facebook Messenger app from the Apple Watch

    After this month is over, Meta is pulling the Facebook Messenger app from the Apple Watch. Starting on June 1st, Apple Watch users can no longer send or receive messages using the app. The news got out after some users of the wearable spotted a notification on the Apple Watch Messenger app titled “Changes to Messenger on Apple Watch.” The notification said, “After May 31st, Messenger won’t be available as an Apple Watch app, but you can still get Messenger notifications on your watch.”
    A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the news and pointed out that those who want to send and receive messages using Facebook Messenger can still do so via the iPhone app, through their desktop, or by using the website. For some reason, Meta hasn’t shared this decision with many and it has yet to release a public statement. Apple is expected to release watchOS 10 in September, focusing on widgets instead of third-party apps.
    I also remember back in the day when Facebook had special integration so that you could make posts and upload photos directly without having to open the app. Obviously this meant people didn’t need to open the app as much, and that meant less ads, so they removed it.”
    If you use the Facebook Messenger app on your Apple Watch, you have less than three weeks to enjoy using it unless Meta changes your heart. Since its decision to eliminate the Apple Watch app might have to do with money, please don’t hold your breath hoping for Meta to reverse its decision.
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  • Cryptocurrencies and Vietnam

    Cryptocurrencies and Vietnam

    Vietnam rightfully occupies one of the leading positions among the ASEAN countries in the market for cryptocurrencies and various blockchain technologies, which are currently the focus of most modern companies. This country is overtaken only by Thailand, which, by the strength of the transaction, exceeds $100 million in annual turnover for the purchase and sale of cryptocurrencies.

    This happened despite that in 2018, Vietnamese banks almost completely banned cryptocurrencies as a method of payment. In 2021, there was a thaw, and the Vietnamese government issued a directive with frameworks that would allow tracking money laundering attempts using cryptocurrencies. We have one of the strongest countries, which uses cryptocurrencies quite legally, quite profitable and quite successful.

    Vietnamese people and blockchain games

    Both last year and this year, there has been an increased interest among Vietnamese residents in blockchain games or even gambling analogues. This trend has captured all continents at once. Vietnam has become exceptional because a large portion of the population owns different types of NFT tokens and successfully interacts with them in certain blockchain games. Since NFT is currently an increasingly unpopular means for investing and earning funds, the Vietnamese people have switched to a more stable income through entertainment.

    One in five Vietnamese check new bitcoin casinos at least twice in their lives, which are currently operating and offer exceptional offers for all their players, unlike traditional or land-based counterparts with a huge number of different restrictions.

    Why Bitcoin Casino?

    Bitcoin casinos are one of the most popular solutions that are not neglected by the Vietnamese people. These establishments provide a huge number of different benefits that can be a good start for various kinds of bonuses or advanced gaming sessions with big winnings due to the increased RTP level. You can take a look at some of the main benefits we have described below.

    Safety

    Playing at a blockchain-based casino provides a higher level of security compared to traditional methods. The unique nature of blockchain technology ensures the safety of transactions, and its evolving transparency means you can verify each one without relying on centralized entities. This heightened transparency allows you to easily identify and resolve any transaction errors, and if the casino is licensed, you can take legal action against it just as you would against a traditional gambling establishment.

    Mobile Gaming

    The ubiquity of mobile devices has made mobile gaming commonplace. If you look at a cryptocurrency casino, you will be surprised at the rapid progress in the development of mobile applications and providing end customers with a comfortable game. Before, you had to download certain apps to run them on your phone and play comfortably. Now you can forget about it and start playing right from your browser. Bitcoin casinos are among the pioneers of this trend, utilizing HTML5 technology to the fullest. It is worth noting that Bitcoin casinos often lead the way in adopting new technologies aimed at improving user convenience.

    Fast service delivery

    The blockchain provides a quick and secure means of processing transactions, making it well-suited for online gambling. Not only do games run smoothly on the blockchain, but deposits and withdrawals from your casino account are also processed rapidly. You can use a range of popular cryptocurrencies to carry out your transactions. Later on, we will examine the most commonly used cryptocurrencies among Indian cryptocurrency casino players.

    Conclusion

    Blockchain casinos are one of the most preferred gambling options for Vietnamese people because there are practically no legal land-based gambling establishments on the territory of the country itself. At the same time, the government is trying to ban online gambling establishments on popular sites that are currently positioning themselves as classic or fundamental casinos that have been on the market for several decades. All these problems are solved by blockchain and modern methods of user anonymization.

    Moreover, the blockchain allows all players to feel completely safe due to the specifics of the algorithms that provide an honest and transparent result. You can read numerous studies by various researchers about exactly how the Bitcoin casino random number generator works. It is a more transparent and secure platform than even traditional and fundamental online gambling establishments.

     

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  • King crab prices skyrocket as supply dries up

    King crab prices skyrocket as supply dries up

    King crabs have risen to their highest prices ever of VND2.5-3 million (US$106-128) a kilogram, following a 30% increase since the end of last year.

    Loan of HCMC’s District 5 tried to buy a king crab for her son’s birthday last week, but was shocked when she discovered the price.

    “It was VND1.9 million a kilogram at the end of last year, but now every seafood store sells it at VND2.5 million.”

    In Hanoi, red king crabs weighing two to five kilograms now cost VND3 million a kilogram, or VND6-15 million per crab, the highest price ever.

    Tran Van Truong, CEO of Hoang Gia Seafood, said that supply from the U.S. and Canada is scarce, causing prices to spike in Vietnam.

    “Though we are the official importer, we are getting very few crabs now.”

    Not only king crab, but also snow crab and Alaskan lobster prices are higher now due to low supply.

    Some coastal areas in Alaska State in the U.S. had to cancel the crab-catching season because outputs were getting lower.

    A researcher in Alaska, Benjamin Daly said on U.S. cable TV channel CNN that snow and king crab catches are plummeting because they are on the verge of extinction due to excessive fishing.

    The Alaskan Fishery Council and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council recently announced that the snow crab population in the Bering Sea has fallen below the threshold for fishing.

    The Bristol Bay red king crab harvest will also be canceled for a second year.

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  • Funday Sweets launches new low-sugar sour cola gummies

    Funday Sweets launches new low-sugar sour cola gummies

    Funday Natural Sweets has announced Sour Cola Gummies as the latest addition to its line-up of better-for-you confectionery.

    In line with the rest of the Funday Natural Sweets range, the Sour Cola Gummies have no sugar added, no sugar alcohols, and only natural colours and flavours, and each bag contains seven grams of prebiotic fibre.

    The launch will be backed by more than 200 influencers, with a reach of more than 13 million followers, in a combined marketing attempt to reach more Australians who are looking for a healthier confectionery alternative.

    Funday Natural Sweets’ Sour Cola Gummies launch today through Woolworths, Ampol Foodary, Chemist Warehouse, Harris Farms, and health food and independent supermarkets across Australia. They will also be available at Chemist Warehouse in New Zealand, as well as in the Asian and Middle Eastern markets.

    And in news that will help Funday Natural Sweets to push further into the petrol and convenience channel, the brand has announced that it has just signed up with Australia’s leading national confectionery distributor, The Distributors.

    Founder Daniel Kitay says that in the two years since the company has launched, he has observed that the appetite in Australia for better-for-you confectionery has been steadily growing.

    “Our goal is to continue to surprise our existing fanbase with new, exciting flavours and to win over people who haven’t tried our range yet. People are always surprised by how amazing natural lollies can taste once they try them,” he says.

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  • Labor market to record 150,000 new jobs in Q2

    Labor market to record 150,000 new jobs in Q2

    About 150,000 new jobs will be created in the second quarter of this year, including 28,200 in electronics and optical device manufacturing, according to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

    The ministry forecast the most sought jobs will be related to manual works in the industrial sector, sales and marketing, accounting and finance, production management, personnel management, and project management.

    The most in-demand jobs will be relevant to software development; network administration; network security; data analysis and communications; accounting and finance; marketing, sales, and product management; health care; as well as mechanics, electronics, and automation.

    However, the ministry also pointed out that the labor market is facing numerous challenges in Q2, which will lead to the loss of 38,100 jobs in the garment industry, 38,000 in furniture production, and 37,800 in record printing and copying.

    Data from the General Statistics Office show that nearly 294,000 workers suffered from lay-offs or furloughs due to businesses’ shortages of orders in Q1.

    Experts held that it is necessary to take actions in response to the order decline facing many companies in such major industrial hubs as Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Bac Ninh, and Bac Giang.

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  • EZZ Life partners with Aubay for exclusive distribution rights

    EZZ Life partners with Aubay for exclusive distribution rights

    Genomic life science company EZZ Life has inked a two-year agreement with HIC, the trading entity for Aubay, for the exclusive international distribution rights of two EZZ-branded products: the EZZ NMN 175000 gift pack and the EZZ L-Lysine Growth Capsule 60.

    The deal excludes Tmall, Douyin, Pinduoduo, and all Australian and New Zealand regions – is expected to generate at least $16 million in additional revenue for EZZ, commencing from FY24, with minimum order quantities agreed for both products.

    EZZ’s full-year sales revenue for FY22 was $15.02 million, and more recently, the company reported sales revenue of $15.13 in the half-yearly financial statements to December 31.

    HIC’s social e-commerce model allows EZZ products to reach consumers outside its existing distribution channels, offering significant potential for growth.

    “HIC’s established distribution channels in China and surrounding countries in Asia through its membership-based platform will enable EZZ to expand its reach and market presence,” said Glenn Cross, chairman at EZZ Life Science.

    “The company looks forward to a successful partnership with HIC and anticipates the potential for further growth in the coming months.”

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  • Bamboo Airways owes director $329M

    Bamboo Airways owes director $329M

    Bamboo Airways owes one of its directors, Le Thai Sam, almost VND7.73 trillion ($329.50 million) as of April 10, according to a meeting on Tuesday.

    Sam, who became a board member in July last year, will soon receive a 21.7% stake from FLC, which has been operating the airline since the beginning, according to a document made public at the Bamboo Airway’s extraordinary shareholders’ meeting.

    As he already owns a 12.5% stake in the airline, the transfer from FLC will increase his ownership to more than one-third of the carrier.

    Since last year he has been lending the company cash at zero or low-interest rates and required no collateral to ensure the company could continue its operations despite many difficulties after its founder Trinh Van Quyet was arrested on stock manipulation charges.

    Sam, 59, has 30 years of experience in property, finance and banking. He used to be one of the directors of Development Investment Construction (DIC).

    Shareholders of Bamboo Airways on Tuesday approved the company’s proposal to issue more shares to increase its charter capital by 62% to VND30 trillion.

    The company will look to sell the shares to strategic investors with deep pockets who are willing to lend the company at least VND1 trillion.

  • Vietnam third top chip exporter to the US

    Vietnam third top chip exporter to the US

    Vietnam accounted for 10% of semiconductor chip exports to the U.S. in the 12 months ending this February, ranking third after Malaysia and Taiwan.

    The Vietnam chip industry’s revenue from the U.S. market rose by 74.9% during the period, from $321.7 million in February 2022 to $562.5 million this February, according to a report by the Ministry of Information and Communications.

    Vietnam is also among the countries with the highest growth rate of chip exports to the U.S., alongside Thailand, India and Cambodia.

    Cambodian chip exports to the U.S. grew in value 7-fold over the period, from $20.8 million to $166.3 million, while Indian revenues from the market grew 34-fold to $152 million in February.

    In February, semiconductor chip export orders to the U.S. reached $4.86 billion, up 17% year-on-year. Among those, chips made in Asia accounted for 83%.

    Bloomberg reported that the U.S. is diversifying its electronics supply chain by reducing the share of chip imports from Malaysia, a longtime powerhouse in chip packaging, alongside moving its iPhone production chain out of China.

    At a government meeting in April, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment the tasks of improving the National Innovation Center, and developing a chip production program.

    Experts believe Vietnam has the potential to be a global center of chip production if it can utilize its advantages and implement effective strategies, policies, and incentives for the sector.

    Intel’s Asia Pacific and Japan General Manager Steve Long told VnExpress last year: “Vietnam can establish the necessary infrastructure and policies to support cutting-edge chip manufacturing.”

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  • Taxi company back in the black after four years

    Taxi company back in the black after four years

    Taxi firm Mai Linh Group reported its first profit of VND1 billion ($42,600) after four years in 2022.

    Its revenues surged by 57% to VND1.65 trillion on recovering demand for transportation after two years of Covid-19.

    It posted a loss of over VND270 billion in 2021.

    The company has overcome its most difficult period and is recovering, but its figures show that more work remains to be done, its chairman, Ho Huy, said in a letter to partners earlier this year.

    “We have not made as much profit as expected.”

    He added that the goal is to see every unit making profits this year.

    The company’s debt-equity ratio is a ridiculous 43. Anything in excess of two is considered risky.

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  • Education startup TEKY raises $5M from foreign investors

    Education startup TEKY raises $5M from foreign investors

    Education startup TEKY Alpha has raised US$5 million from Singaporean investment firm Sweef Capital to expand its operations.

    TEKY plans to expand its educational services at public schools and after-school programmes for children aged five to 18, Sweef Capital said in a statement.

    The startup, founded by Dao Lan Huong in 2016, delivers science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics (STEAM) education.

    It operates 16 STEAM coaching academies in five cities and partners with more than 45 schools to deliver STEAM courses to more than 25,000 children.

    “I’m excited about our expansion plan to open more STEAM centers across the country in the next two years and the prospects of a partnership with public schools to integrate the STEAM curriculum and increase accessibility,” Huong said.

    The International Labour Organization has forecast that 137 million workers in Southeast Asia, or a fifth of the region’s population, will lose their jobs because of automation, robots and artificial intelligence in the next two decades.

    Workers around the world are likely to need to switch jobs and learn new skills, but many of the new jobs created by 2030 by technology would not have existed before.

    Vietnamese education must keep pace with these big shifts so that the future workforce could seize the opportunities of the industry 4.0 era, Huong said.

    This is Sweef Capital’s first investment from its Southeast Asia Women’s Economic Empowerment Fund.

    Existing investor Hong Kong-based Strategic Year Holdings also participated in the round.

  • DNA Distillery launches European drink Rakija in a can

    DNA Distillery launches European drink Rakija in a can

    DNA Distillery has teamed up with Sydney’s inner west restaurant Baba’s Place to launch Rakija & Tonic in a can format.

    Rakija is a collective term for fruit spirits loaded with botanicals, consumed in the Balkan and Slavic regions of Eastern Europe.

    DNA Distillery’s Rakija is made with fermented and double-distilled Australian Shiraz grapes.

    Co-founders of DNA Distillery, cousins James Projcevski and Monique Sutevski, described the brew as the “perfect beverage” for family gatherings, parties and events.

    “DNA Distillery is the legacy of our ancestors; a tradition passed down from generation to generation, from Europe to Australia. Our Dedo’s recipe was so famous in the village that people would travel by foot for the chance to taste it.”

    The Rakija cans are now available online from the DNA Distillery website with a four-pack retailing for $29 and a 16-pack retailing for $109.

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  • Skin Control launches Pore Patches

    Skin Control launches Pore Patches

    Vegan skincare brand Skin Control has rolled out a Pore Patch product into Woolworths, Big W stores and online.

    The Pore Patches absorb excess oil build-up on the nose and stops blackheads before forming. It is suitable for all skin types and can be cut to cover all nose shapes and sizes.

    A single pack comes with six individual patches and retails for $13.

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  • WhatsApp Android bug has been found to give the app continuous access to the microphone

    WhatsApp Android bug has been found to give the app continuous access to the microphone

    WhatsApp, the popular messaging app owned by Facebook, has been found to include a bug that allows the app to continue accessing the microphone even after the user has closed it. This bug was discovered by several users, but brought to the spotlight by a Twitter engineer who noticed it happening on his Pixel 7 Pro.

    The bug appears to be affecting several Android devices, including different Samsung and Pixel models, as well as several different versions of the Android app. However, WhatsApp has responded by claiming that the issue lies with Android, not the app itself.
    In several of these reports, microphone activity from the app has been spotted in Android’s Privacy Dashboard as well as through the visible green dot notification on the Android status bar. However, WhatsApp states that this seems to be a bug on Android that mis-attributes information in the privacy dashboard and has asked Google to investigate further.
    Unfortunately, WhatsApp’s response didn’t come until after Elon Musk took to his Twitter account to share his opinion. As you can probably guess by now, his reaction was not positive, accusing the company of not being trustworthy.
    This latest bug could further erode users’ trust in the app, so it is important that Google take a look at the issue and respond accordingly. Hopefully this fix comes sooner rather than later.
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  • LinkedIn cuts over 700 jobs, exits China app as demand wavers

    LinkedIn cuts over 700 jobs, exits China app as demand wavers

    LinkedIn, the social media network owned by Microsoft that focuses on business professionals, said on Monday it would cut 716 jobs as demand wavers, while also shutting down its China-focused job application.

    LinkedIn, which has 20,000 employees, has grown revenue each quarter during the last year, but it joins other major technology companies including its parent in laying off workers amid a weakening global economic outlook.

    In the past six months, more than 270,000 tech jobs globally have been cut, according to Layoffs.fyi, tracking the fallout.

    LinkedIn makes money through ad sales and charging for subscriptions to recruiting and sales professionals who use the network to find prospects.

    In a letter to employees, LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky said the move to cut roles in its sales, operations and support teams was aimed at streamlining the company’s operations and would remove layers to help make quicker decisions.

    “With the market and customer demand fluctuating more, and to serve emerging and growth markets more effectively, we are expanding the use of vendors,” Roslansky wrote.

    A LinkedIn spokesperson said the vendors were “external partners” who would undertake new and existing work.

    Roslansky also said in the letter that the changes would create 250 new jobs. The spokesperson said that employees affected by the cuts would be eligible to apply for those roles.

    LinkedIn also said it was eliminating the slimmed-down jobs app that it offers in China after it decided in 2021 to mostly withdraw from the country, citing a “challenging” environment. The remaining China app, called InCareers, will be phased out by Aug. 9, LinkedIn said.

    “Despite our initial progress, InCareer faced fierce competition and a challenging macroeconomic climate, which ultimately led us to the decision of discontinuing the service,” the company told users of the website.

    LinkedIn will retain a presence in China to help companies operating there to hire and train employees outside the country, the company spokesperson said.

    Large companies have accounted for the bulk of recent layoffs in the tech sector, including 27,000 at Amazon.com, the most in its history.

    Facebook owner Meta Platforms shed 21,000, and Google parent Alphabet has laid off 12,000.

    Before LinkedIn’s announcement, 5,000 technology jobs had been in eliminated in May alone, according to Layoffs.fyi.

    Microsoft, which bought LinkedIn for around $26 billion in 2016, has announced some 10,000 job cuts in recent months and took a $1.2 billion charge related to the layoffs.