Retail News CRM

Tag: asia

  • Buy2Sell Vietnam opens two new showrooms in Hanoi, HCMC

    Buy2Sell Vietnam opens two new showrooms in Hanoi, HCMC

    Buy2Sell Vietnam established two new showrooms in Vincom Mega Mall in Hanoi and SC Vivo City in Ho Chi Minh City last month.

    The Hanoi showroom is on the 1st floor of Vincom Mega Mall Times City and the HCMC showroom on the 3rd floor of SC VivoCity.

    Buy2Sell Vietnam plans to expand its new showroom chain to more than 100 stores in shopping centers in Southeast Asia during 2024-2030.

    Thousands of cosmetics, F&B, houseware, and appliances products… are exclusively distributed and displayed at these stores.

    All products are directly imported from over 60 countries, including the U.K., France, the U.S., Italy, Switzerland, Australia, Korea, and Japan.

    Vang Online is a high-end imported beverage distribution brand under Buy2Sell, specializing in wine and spirits, introducing numerous international premium beverage brands to the Vietnam market.

    In Vietnam, Buy2Sell is renowned as one of the first B2B e-commerce platforms focused on distributing imported goods since 2015, especially from brands yet to enter the market.

    Besides Vincom Mega Mall and SC ViVo City, Buy2Sell has invested in establishing its store chains at other top-tier shopping centers, including Lotte Mart (part of Lotte Korea Group).

    Buy2Sell has also invested in its online e-commerce platform, playing its role as a bridge for international brands to access the Vietnamese market more easily.

    Vincom Mega Mall Times City covers more than 230,000 m2 of various spaces including retail, food courts, supermarket and other entertainment venues, which is developed by Vingroup.

    SC VivoCity covering an area of around 62,000 m2 is developed by Mapletree, a major real estate investment, development, and fund management company in Asia.

    Lees ook:

  • WinMart’s loss triples in 2022

    WinMart’s loss triples in 2022

    WinCommerce, the operator of WinMart retail chain, saw its loss tripling from 2021 to VND445 billion ($18.97 million) last year.

    Since being acquired by Masan Group from Vingroup in 2019, WinCommerce has not been able to turn a profit.

    Its revenues declined 5% to VND29.37 trillion last year. Its equity rose marginally to VND3.98 trillion, and debts were at VND14.32 trillion.

    WinCommerce is Vietnam’s biggest retailer in terms of number of outlets. It had 3,268 WinMart+ stores and 130 WinMart supermarkets by the end of December.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • iPhone 14 prices to decline further

    iPhone 14 prices to decline further

    A guest holds the new iPhone 14 at an Apple event at their headquarters in Cupertino, California, U.S. September 7, 2022. Photo by Reuters

    The prices of iPhone 14 in Vietnam, which are already among the lowest in the world, will continue decreasing in the coming time, market observers said.

    “In April, Apple authorized resellers will have to import a new batch of iPhones according to their commitments to Apple. To lower inventory, slashing prices is the best way,” said a reseller.

    Officially launched in the country on Oct. 14, 2022, the iPhone 14 Pro Max version originally sold for VND34 million ($1,440).

    Only half a year later, the price dropped by more than VND7 million, the fastest rate of price decline since iPhone smartphones were first officially sold in Vietnam in 2014.

    Prices of some other iPhone 14 versions also decreased sharply.

    “The iPhone price war is always going on, but never as fierce as now. This is the first time the price of Apple’s latest phone model has dropped so steeply after only half a year,” said Phung Phuong, a manager of smartphone retail chain Di Dong Viet.

    According to a large electronics retailer, there are two reasons for the current price race.

    Firstly, Apple has not yet fixed a price range in Vietnam, so local dealers set their own selling prices according to actual needs and market situations.

    Large stores often sell Apple smartphones at prices VND1-2 million higher than smaller ones, but still attract customers due to their wide coverage, good reputation, and better after-sales services.

    Meanwhile, smaller stores must accept low profits, slashing prices to compete with bigger ones.

    Secondly, at the beginning of 2023, demand for smartphones started diving, but Apple authorized resellers still imported a large number of products to receive sales incentives from Apple.

    Inventory is now too high, forcing resellers to lower prices to make cash flows run smoothly.

    “Big retailers are slashing selling prices, so small and medium ones have to follow suit to keep their market shares,” said Nguyen Lac Huy, a manager at smartphone retail chain CellphoneS.

    The iPhone 14 was rolled out in Vietnam in October last year. While the Pro and Pro Max versions sold out within a few months, sales of the iPhone 14 and Plus versions have been sluggish.

    Retailers said the combined sales of the two models account for less than 5% of the total.

  • VinFast to export 1,800 VF 8 electric cars to US, Canada

    VinFast to export 1,800 VF 8 electric cars to US, Canada

    VinFast, a member of Vietnamese private conglomerate Vingroup on April 15 announced that it would export 1,800 VF 8 electric cars to the U.S. and Canada.

    The cars is expected to depart in the next few days, announced VinFast. As planned, the cars will be sold in the U.S. in May and in Canada in June.

    Previously, on November 25, 2022, VinFast exported the first batch of smart electric cars, including 999 units of VF 8 City Edition, to the international market. This was the first batch of cars exported to the international market among 65,000 orders for VinFast VF 8 and VF 9 electric cars globally.

    On March 2, 2023, VinFast handed over the first 45 VF 8 City Edition cars to U.S. customers at 9 VinFast stores.

    According to VinFast, in the first three months of 2023, it handed over a total of 865 VF 8 units to customers in Vietnam.

    VinFast’s VF 8 is also a model that GSM (Green – Smart – Mobility) Joint Stock Company uses for Xanh SM taxi service which was launched in Hanoi on April 14.

    The taxi service using electric cars is expected to be available in Ho Chi Minh City this month and in at least five provinces and cities by the end of this year.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Vietnam Railways eyes profit in 2023

    Vietnam Railways eyes profit in 2023

    Train operator Vietnam Railways expects to earn a profit this year after posting losses in three previous years due to the impact of Covid-19.

    The company predicts a post-tax profit of VND3 billion ($127,960) and a revenue of over VND6.5 trillion.

    In the first quarter this year subsidiary Hanoi Railways served over 800,000 passengers and recorded VND300 billion in revenues. Both figures went up 200% year-on-year.

    Its other major subsidiary, Saigon Railways, also saw revenues rise 147% to VND360 billion and passenger numbers grow 136% to 660,000.

    Vietnam Railways attributed the rise to increasing demand and discounts of 50%-65% during days with low bookings. Other types of discounts for groups of four and large tourist groups also contributed to higher ticket sales.

    Vietnam Railways started to see signs of recovery last year after two years of difficulties due to Covid-19. It saw revenue rising 14% to VND7.7 trillion, and saw losses dwindling from VND1.33 trillion in 2020 to VND130 billion last year.

    Lees ook:

  • Samsung says Vietnam is ‘global manufacturing hub’

    Samsung says Vietnam is ‘global manufacturing hub’

    Samsung considers Vietnam a global manufacturing hub and wants to make it a center of research and innovation, the South Korean giant’s CFO, Park Hark Kyu, has said.

    In a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh Thursday, he said he highly regarded Vietnam’s investment and business environment. Samsung wants to make Vietnam the “center of centers” for research and development.

    Last year the company set up an R&D center in Hanoi and provided training to ensure there would be more Vietnamese in its leadership ranks.

    Over 2,000 engineers work at the center.

    The number of level 1 and 2 Vietnamese suppliers in Samsung’s global supply chain has increased tenfold since 2014, from 25 to 257.

    Park also spoke to Chinh about the use of “made in Vietnam” products, and the global minimum tax.

    Chinh hailed Samsung’s business activities in Vietnam as helping shift the country’s economic structure, promoting exports and creating millions of jobs.

    Last year Samsung’s profits in Vietnam topped US$4.6 billion. It has invested $18 billion in the country so far, and is planning to increase it to $20 billion.

    Lees ook:

  • WhatsApp rolls out new security features

    WhatsApp rolls out new security features

    Great news for WhatsApp users, as the company has just announced it has kicked off the rollout of some important security features meant to protect accounts. The new features will provide WhatsApp users with extra layers of privacy, as well as more control over their personal messages.

    First off, the latest update introduces a new security measure when a WhatsApp user wants to switch their account to a new device. Starting today, WhatsApp may ask users on their old devices to verify that they really want to take this step as an extra security check. It’s an important feature that will help alert users in case of an unauthorized attempt to move their account to another device.

    Another essential addition to WhatsApp is device verification. To prevent mobile device malware from taking advantage of their people’s phones without their permission and use their WhatsApp to send unwanted messages, the app has added special security checks.

    These checks will help authenticate an account (with no action needed from the user) and, hopefully, better protect the user if their device has been compromised. You can check out Meta’s post for more details on how this works under the hood.

    Last but not least, WhatsApp’s automatic security codes feature has just received an upgrade. The upgrade consists of a new security feature based on a process called “Key Transparency,” which should allow WhatsApp users to automatically verify their secure connection.

    Starting today, users can immediately tap on the encryption tab to verify that their conversation is secured. More details about the new security feature are available on Meta’s Engineering website.

    Although the new security features will automatically be added to each user’s device, two features must actually be turned on: two-step verification and use of end-to-end encrypted backups. Don’t forget to switch these on if you want an extra layer of security.

  • Co-Working Spaces vs Serviced Offices in Hong Kong: Which is Right for Your Business?

    Co-Working Spaces vs Serviced Offices in Hong Kong: Which is Right for Your Business?

    As the business landscape in Hong Kong continues to evolve, the demand for flexible and cost-effective office solutions has increased, leading to the rise of co-working spaces and serviced offices. While both options offer several benefits, it is important to understand the differences between them to determine which one is best suited for your business needs. In this article, we will compare and contrast co-working spaces and serviced offices in Hong Kong to help you make an informed decision.

    What’s the difference between a co-working space and a serviced office?

    A co-working space is a shared workspace popular among freelancers and entrepreneurs looking for an affordable workspace used by individuals who work independently but in the same space. Co-working spaces feature modern, plug-and-play collaborative amenities, including communal areas, breakout spaces, meeting rooms, internet access and other essential support. Co-working offices are often in central locations, making them ideal for networking and convenient access to transportation services.

    A serviced office is a more traditional, fully furnished, managed space available for short-term rent, yet flexible. It is ideal for businesses that need a dedicated workspace with the convenience of having all their needs taken care of in one place. The provider typically offers various services, including reception, mail handling, cleaning, telephone answering, and other essential administrative services. They are a popular choice for small and medium-sized businesses that need the flexibility to scale up or down as their business changes.

    Discover Bela Offices Flexible Serviced Offices

    Bela Offices is one of the leading providers of serviced offices in prime business locations in Hong Kong. Established in 2021, The Bela portfolio of offices was designed with your efficiency and productivity in mind, with a range of services and features affording you the best possible working environment. The state-of-the-art contemporary offices have various amenities, including administrative support, high-speed internet, meeting rooms and networking facilities. Whether you seek a hot desk or a larger private office, Bela Offices has a solution, with uniquely designed workspaces, a first-class lounge, and a talented, dedicated barista.

    Bela Offices offers tailored workspace, access to meeting rooms, secretarial services and networking facilities. You can customise your office space with your own brand identity. With flexible sizes, you can accommodate a sole entrepreneur or an entire team. The inspiring environments allow your teams to work more productively with no hidden costs, no long-term commitments, and no need to worry about maintenance or repairs.

    Bela Offices proposes flexible contracts, so you have peace of mind that you can scale up or down during the contract period and grow flexibly at your own pace allowing you to manage your overhead costs, maximise your budgets and elevate your productivity. Each office boasts electronic sit-to-stand desks and ergonomic office chairs for comfort.

    Bela Offices offers an excellent solution for businesses seeking flexible, serviced office solutions. You can enjoy a comfortable and professional working environment tailored to your needs with bespoke designs, support services and amenities.

    Contact Bela Offices: https://www.belaoffices.com/contact

     

     

     

     

     

     

    https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-with-headphones-facing-computer-monitor-845451/

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Pizza 4Ps profits exceed pre-pandemic levels

    Pizza 4Ps profits exceed pre-pandemic levels

    Pizza 4Ps has reported after-tax profits of VND83.5 billion ($3.5 million) for last year, higher than in the pre-Covid period.

    The Japanese-owned chain, which had made a loss of VND38 billion in 2021, had earnings of around VND50 billion a year in 2018 and 2019.

    In a filing with the Hanoi Stock Exchange, it said its return on equity was 55%.

    Its equity increased to VND150 billion last year, and its debt-to-equity ratio declined from 1.99 to 1.51.

    Pizza 4Ps currently has 32 restaurants, 14 in Ho Chi Minh City, 10 in Hanoi, two in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the rest in Da Nang, Hai Phong, Binh Duong, and Nha Trang.

    Besides pizza, the company makes and sells dairy products, including cheese.

    Lees ook:

  • Tuna exports to UK triple

    Tuna exports to UK triple

    Tuna exports to the U.K. tripled year-on-year in the first two months even as shipments to some main markets like the U.S. and E.U. plunged.

    Exports to the U.K. were worth US$1.3 million, enabled by a 13-fold rise in February, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

    Vietnam now ranks 13th out of 45 countries and territories that export tuna to that country.

    Last year its exports to the U.K. rose by 10%.

    Other markets to which Vietnam’s tuna exports grew by 32-99% in the first two months were Japan, Thailand, Germany, and Israel.

    They made up the country’s top five markets in the first two months along with the U.K.

    Vietnam’s total exports, however, dropped 30% year-on-year to $109 million in the period.

    The U.S. and the E.U. each posted a 50% decline, which VASEP attributed to rising inflation and a change in consumers’ shopping habit.

    The fact that Vietnam still has a yellow card given by the E.U. for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing also pose challenges to exports, VASEP added.

    The association expects global demand for tuna to recover in the second half of this year.

    Vietnam has nine tuna species across its seas, with an estimated reserve of 600,000 tons. The three biggest tuna fishing localities are Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, and Khanh Hoa.

  • Starbucks customers complain new olive-oil coffee creates stomach problems

    Starbucks customers complain new olive-oil coffee creates stomach problems

    Starbucks customers have taken to social media to share their experiences with the coffee chain’s new slate of olive oil-infused drinks, and, for some, the picture is not so pretty.

    On March 16, a post titled “Olive oil drinks…” was added to the subreddit r/starbucks by a Redditor who claims to be a current Starbucks barista. In it, they share an experience their coworkers allegedly had after trying the new roster of Oleato drinks.

    For those unfamiliar, these new coffee drinks are infused with Partanna cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil and debuted on Feb. 21 in limited markets.

    “Have you tried them? I’m wondering how many people are going to have happen to them what a few happened to our team,” wrote Redditor u/MoodyStarGirl. “Half the team tried it yesterday and a few ended up… Needing to use the restroom, if ya know what I mean.. I’m scared to try it because I already have stomach/bowel problems.”

    The Reddit user, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, said that their store manager “doesn’t want us sharing this info with customers,” claiming the omission is “pretty F’d up.”

    Starbucks also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    In the comments section of the Reddit post, many others chimed in, with some sharing their own impressions and experiences with the drinks, which include lattes, shaken espressos, golden foam cold brews, cortados, a martini, and more.

    “Caffeine is a stimulant for your bowels and oil a relaxant,” wrote one Redditor. “So yeah, wonderful idea by Starbucks.”

    “Person with stomach/bowel problems thanking you for the heads up,” wrote another.

    “I’ve tried them, and tbh after drinking them, honestly, they just felt sick to my stomach, lowkey,” commented another. “Like i had no appetite at all after that and that was the only thing i’ve had in the whole day.”

    “The cold brew is fine until you taste the foam because it’s two pumps of olive oil. like- the foam is green,” wrote another Redditor who says they’re a barista. “Worst of all was the latte for me. You’re immediately hit with just olive oil, and I wanted to throw up after yeah I do not recommend.”

    Another user pointed out that “green olive oil is normal and usually an indication of better quality … Green doesn’t mean it’s bad or gross.”

    Some reviews of the Oleato drinks have been positive, like that of one Twitter user who wrote, “Starbucks, the new Oleato drink is so damn delicious! Love it!!!” and a Redditor who said, “I tried all 3 and loved all of them. Had no problems whatsoever.” But others detail more stomach-churning experiences with the beverages.

    “#Oleato — so far my stomach is gurgling and my throat is burning,” wrote another Twitter user, sharing an image of their Venti Oleato Iced Shaken Espresso. “Not sure if it’s the olive oil.”

    Lees ook:

  • Google TV has just added 800 free channels to its offering

    Google TV has just added 800 free channels to its offering

    Google TV is trying to catch up with the competition and has just announced a massive expansion of its offering. Starting today, no less than 800 free channels will be available via the Google TV streaming service.

    The new offering comes with a new live TV experience allowing users to browse the new TV channels across multiple providers, organized in an easy-to-use guide in the Live tab. If you haven’t tried Google TV yet, you might want to know that starting today the streaming service includes access to free channels from Tubi, Plex, and Haystack News directly into the Live tab.

    In addition, Google TV has launched free built-in channels from the streaming service that can be watched without the need to download or boot up an app. Among the 800 free channels added today, Google TV offers access to news channels from NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX. Also, channels worldwide are available too, with programming in more than 10 languages, including Spanish, Hindi and Japanese.

    Long-time users will find that the new TV guide allows them to save their Favorites to the top for quick and easy access at their leisure. Although these are free channels, those with a premium live TV subscription from YouTube TV or Sling TV, or access to over-the-air channels, can now use the Live tab to watch their favorite content.

    Regarding availability, the Mountain View company announced that the new live TV experience will be released on all Google TV devices in the US, including Chromecast with Google TV and TVs with Google TV built-in from Sony, TCL, Hisense and Philips.

    Last but not least, Google TV confirmed plans to bring the new TV guide and free channels to eligible Android TV devices later this year.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Google Maps adds four new features aimed at national park explorers

    Google Maps adds four new features aimed at national park explorers

    Google is trying to make it easier for Maps users who love to visit national parks to find and reach their favorite landscapes with ease. To help with that, Google announced four new features will make it to Maps in April, all four meant to make it easier for users to find the information they need when they are going to a national park.

    One of the most important new features coming to Google Maps this month will allow its users to identify the most popular places in a park, including attractions, campgrounds, visitor centers, and trailheads. To receive all this information, you can search for the park you’re interested in, and then tap on any of the photos you got as results for more details. These details oftentimes consist of videos and reviews from people who have already visited the location.

    Another major upcoming feature enables Maps users to see popular trails from start to finish. The app will now highlight a trail’s entire route on the map instead of just showing a pin. In addition, Maps will also provide more details on a trail from the community, such as what type of trail it is, its difficulty, and if it’s suitable for running, walking, or cycling.

    The following new feature coming later this month is meant to provide more detailed directions in US national parks. Park entrances will be highlighted on the map, so you can request walking or cycling directions to a trail and Maps should pinpoint you in the right direction.

    Last but not least, another useful feature coming to Maps in April allows users to bring Maps offline and still be able to check the app. A new way to download an offline map for a park will become available once the app gets updated. Simply tap the “download” button on the park’s Google Maps listing to download it for offline use.

    According to Google, the four new features will be coming to all US national parks in April and will be rolled out to parks around the world in the coming months. Naturally, the features will be available on iOS and Android devices.

    Lees ook:

  • Bitcoin pushes past $30,000 as investors eye end of rate rises

    Bitcoin pushes past $30,000 as investors eye end of rate rises

    Major cryptocurrency bitcoin breached the key $30,000 level for the first time in 10 months on Tuesday, adding to its steady gains as investors raised bets that the U.S. Federal Reserve will soon end its aggressive monetary tightening campaign.

    Bitcoin peaked at $30,438 in Asian trade and was last 2% higher at $30,262. It has gained about 6% since the start of the month, after rising 23% in March.

    The token’s surge follows Friday’s closely-watched U.S. nonfarm payrolls report that showed employers maintained a strong pace of hiring in March, pointing to a still-resilient economy.

    However, banking sector turmoil sparked by last month’s collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has raised market expectations that the Fed is unlikely to lift interest rates much higher for longer as it looks to ease the stress on the sector.

    “The reason behind the broad-based rally in crypto is traders’ optimism toward central banks’ monetary policy,” said Tina Teng, markets analyst at CMC Markets.

    “Bets for a sooner Fed pivot on rate hikes have been dramatically strengthened following the bank turmoil in early March.”

    Ether , the second largest cryptocurrency, stood near last week’s roughly eight-month peak of $1,942.50. It was last 0.75% higher at $1,925.80.

    Crypto investors are eagerly anticipating a major revamp to the Ethereum blockchain this week to allow them to access more than $33 billion of ether currency.

    Dubbed Shapella, the software upgrade will let market players redeem their “staked ether” – coins they have deposited and locked up on the network over the past three years in return for interest.

    Lees ook:

  • Useful new features are coming to YouTube Premium

    Useful new features are coming to YouTube Premium

    YouTube Premium offers features such as ad-free YouTube and YouTube Music and the ability to keep both services running in the background instead of closing down when you open another app. The premium version of YouTube and YouTube Music also allows subscribers to download content to play at another time, possibly when there is no cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity available.
    YouTube Premium is adding some new features, including one that will allow FaceTime users to view YouTube videos with others at the same time. This is similar to the Google Meet Live Sharing that is already available for Android users. In the coming weeks, YouTube Premium will be adding SharePlay support. Some services already offer support for SharePlay, including Hulu, HBO Max, TikTok, Apple Fitness Plus, Twitch, Spotify, and ESPN Plus.

    Also on the way to YouTube Premium subscribers using iOS is a feature called “1080p Premium” which delivers 1080p HD video to subscribers with an enhanced bitrate. This will make videos “extra crisp and clear.” Google hopes to bring this to YouTube Premium subscribers using an Android-powered device. Google says, “Whether you’re an avid sports fan or locked in on the latest gaming videos, this new feature will bring our members an even deeper visual quality!” There are no changes to videos being viewed in 1080p using the free version of YouTube.

    Starting today, YouTube Premium subscribers will be able to use the Queue feature on phones and tablets. Queue temporarily saves videos for users to view later. Unlike “Save to Watch later” or “Save to playlist,” which saves content on subscribers’ devices, videos and tunes can be put in a queue by tapping the three-dot menu to the right of videos (excluding Shorts) and selecting “Play last in queue.” In the Queue list, you can change the order of the videos in line to be played or remove videos from the queue.
    YouTube Premium members are also getting a feature called “Continue watching.” If you begin viewing a YouTube video but don’t finish watching it, the next time you open YouTube.com, you’ll see a prompt in the bottom right corner of the display that when tapped, will start the video you had been viewing from the exact point where you left off. And with Smart Downloads, YouTube will automatically download recommended videos for offline viewing.
    An individual subscription is priced at $11.99 per month and you can sign up for a year in advance for $119.99 which works out to $9.99 per month. A family subscription that adds up to 5 family members (13 years old and up) costs $22.99 per month, and a student subscription (which needs proof that you are a student) costs $6.99 monthly. All of these subscriptions offer a one-month free trial and you can learn more about subscribing to the service by going to www.youtube.com/premium.