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Tag: asia

  • Laos teams with Microsoft on digital transformation

    Laos teams with Microsoft on digital transformation

    The government of Laos has teamed up with Microsoft to advance the adoption of emerging technologies for sustainable economic development, with focus on projects with social impact.

    At a Government Solution Day event held in collaboration with the Laos Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPT) and attended by key government officials and partners, Microsoft showcased how the government can use technology to digitally transform and support economic development.

    Vivek Puthucode, GM for the public sector for Microsoft Asia-Pacific, said the benefits of the digital economy remain out of reach for many in emerging markets despite the enormous untapped opportunities across various industry sectors.

    “As part of Microsoft’s National Empowerment Plan, our approach is to work closely with governments and public sector agencies to support them in overcoming challenges and building more cloud-enabling environments to accelerate their competitiveness, productivity and modernization of operations through trusted technology,” he said.

    This cloud-based, digital transformation roadmap is especially aimed to enable emerging markets, such as Laos, harness the power of technology to embark on a digital transformation journey, aligned with their national priorities.

    “Embracing trusted technology, particularly the power of emerging ICT, will be key to enabling Laos’ growing economy to take a giant leap forward, propelling our nation into a digital enabled community and economy,” said Dr. Thansamay Kommasith, minister of post and telecommunications of Lao PDR.

    “Government Solution Day affirms our vision to drive inclusive growth, a smart government, and transform the way both public and private sectors operate – not only by ensuring accessibility of tools, but also by establishing the right processes and building the digital skills of our citizens,” he added.

    Besides having access to the right tools, people must also know how to use them, according to Michelle Simmons, Microsoft APAC’s GM for new markets in Southeast Asia.

    “Looking ahead, what will be critical for Laos to thrive is digital literacy. We are working with the government to not only deliver educational programs, but also to support the educators themselves with the right resources to impart science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills to local youth, preparing them for jobs of the future,” she said.

    Microsoft had previously inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Education and Sport in Laos to develop a holistic plan to leverage technology for education, covering a range of programs that will support the development of 21st century skills and employability of students.

  • Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter Kicks Off Today

    Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter Kicks Off Today

    The 48th Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter, a superb fashion sourcing platform in Asia, opened today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The four-day show (16 to 19 January), organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), features more than 1,500 exhibitors from 21 countries and regions, showcasing the latest fashion designs, garment, accessories, fabrics and sewing supplies.

    Under the theme “Hall of Games”, this year’s Fashion Week for Fall/Winter incorporates board game elements throughout the fairground to enhance the ambience.

    With healthy living becoming a priority among consumers, the demand for sportswear and fitness clothing is on the rise. To help buyers identify relevant products and suppliers, the HKTDC has added two new zones to this year’s show: Fashionable Sportswear and Denim & Casual Wear. The former showcases the hottest styles for various sports activities, including fitness and yoga while the latter focuses on trendy designs for a relaxed lifestyle.

    There are five pavilions at the fair from India, Indonesia, Japan, Macau and Pakistan. Companies from Italy, Sweden and Pakistan are fair debutants this year, bringing along names such as Italian brand Salto, displaying its eco-leather silver pleated skirt; Swedish company Yves Lansac, showcasing its colourful and fashionable watch and handbag collections; and Pakistani exhibitor Umar Garments Printing, introducing its automated screen printing technology that allows high flexibility and accuracy for producing simple to complex designs with advanced inks.

    Other product zones at the fair are: Cashmere, Wool and Thermal Clothing, Fabrics & Yarn and Men in Style. In addition, Emporium de Mode presents exquisite and distinctive brands, while the International Fashion Designers’ Showcase features collections from scintillating designers such as Mim Mak, Jean Du Che and Mountain Yam.

    As a global fashion sourcing hub in Asia, Hong Kong is a hotspot for many international trading houses and premier retailers. The annual Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter is an important platform for buyers to discover the latest fashion products and accessories. To create more business opportunities for exhibitors, the HKTDC has arranged 90 buying missions from 43 countries and regions bringing more than 3,770 companies to the show. Among the participants are representatives of famous fashion labels, mega chain stores and distributors from both traditional and emerging markets, including Spain’s Beni Room, Japan’s H.P. France, Thailand’s Jaspal and the Chinese mainland’s The Fashion Door.

    Fashion shows showcasing creativity

    More than 20 fashion events are taking place during the four-day Hong Kong Fashion Week for Fall/Winter. In addition to trend forecasting seminars, thematic forums and networking receptions, a total of 10 fashion shows including designers’ collection and brand collection shows are being staged.

    Hong Kong Fashion Week has long been a launchpad for up-and-coming local young designers. To spotlight Hong Kong’s design talent, local fashion website FASHIONALLY presented two fashion shows today featuring the collections of 14 fashion labels by emerging local designers. Participants included established names as well as first-time participants, including Jane Ng, Yeung Chin, Kenson Tam, Winnie Chen and Key Chow.

    FASHIONALLY COLLECTION #8 featured chic womenswear for Fall/Winter 2017. It was a display of contemporary reinterpretations of feminine aesthetics. The design units that took part in the show were 112 mountainyam (Designer: Mountain Yam), FromClothingOf (Designer: Shirley Wong), phenotypsetter (Designer: Jane Ng), KEVIN HO, Lapeewee (Designer: Yannes Wong), Blind by JW (Designers: Walter Kong and Jessica Lau) and HANG (Designer: Mim Mak).

    FASHIONALLY COLLECTION #9 presented avant-garde designs for Fall/Winter 2017 that challenge the status quo for designs for both men and women. Participating brands included MODEMENT (Designer: Aries Sin), YEUNG CHIN, KENSON (Designer: Kenson Tam), SHERMAN KWAN, DEMO (Designer: Derek Chan), Winnie Witt (Designer: Winnie Chen) and Ka Wa Key (Designer: Key Chow).

    Tomorrow, local collections will be featured at the Brand Collections’ Show, including those from Ika Butoni and Artistic Palace, a house brand of Chinese Arts & Crafts. Renowned for their traditional workmanship, Chinese Arts & Crafts will display their exquisite cheongsam, traditional Chinese clothing and high-end bespoke collections.

    The Designers’ Collection Show will be held on 18 January. It will showcase the latest collections of such brands as Ophee’s (by Hong Kong designer Agnes Wong), ENGELEENA (by New Zealand designer Engeleena Padyachi), Vanilla Gate-Gala (from Thailand) and Bernadette Chan (Hong Kong designer brand).

    An ideal platform for exchange and collaboration

    To help industry players exchange and obtain market intelligence, the HKTDC has invited industry experts to share their insights and ideas on the latest trends and topics at a series of events, including trend forecasting seminars, thematic forums and networking receptions.

    Leading international fashion forecaster Fashion Snoops shared their forecast and analysis on “The Key Trend Stories for Men’s and Women’s Wear for S/S 2018”. Tomorrow, the HKTDC and The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) will host a seminar on “Knitting Tech – From Materials to Finishing”. On Wednesday, Asian e-tailer giant Zalora will explore the latest business opportunities of Omni-Channel Retailing, while The Woolmark Company, an authority in the wool industry, will host the “The Wool Lab S/S 18” seminar to discuss the leading trends for Spring/Summer 2018 and introduce purchasing guides to the best wool fabrics and yarns.

    This evening’s networking reception also provides an opportunity for industry players to expand their networks and explore collaboration opportunities.

  • Improving outlook for online shopping

    Improving outlook for online shopping

    More shoppers seen migrating to virtual stores as economy slows down

    AS consumers hold on tighter to their wallets and purses amid a slowing economy, online shopping is expected to be more prominent in the Malaysian retail scene with more brick-and-mortar retailers offering online shopping facilities to customers.

    As in many other countries around the world, the trend of online shopping is gaining a sizeable market share in the Malaysian retail space, according to leading retail consulting firm Retail Group Malaysia (RGM).

    Commenting on this trend for 2017, its managing director Tan Hai Hsin said that although this trend is fast catching up in the country, it is not expected to replace physical stores anytime soon.

    “Malaysians are active in online shopping.

    “But the transaction amount is still low compared to the entire retail industry.

    “Online retail sales only account for less than 2% of total retail sales in Malaysia.

    “Services like telecom services, banking services, movie tickets, government services, etc account for the largest portion of online shopping.

    “More and more brick-and-mortar retailers in Malaysia offer online shopping facilities.

    “This trend covers almost all retail sectors – international luxury brands, clothes, fashion accessories, gifts, toys and books, etc.

    “At the same time, more online retailers in Malaysia are setting up physical stores. Zalora.com.my has a permanent (shop) at Mitsui Outlet Park,” he adds.

    The popular Christy Ng Shoes has set up a showroom in Damansara Utama.

    Popular Facebook Fatbaby has also set up an ice cream parlour in Subang Jaya.

    F Block and Aurora are two good examples of retailers offering both physical stores and online shopping sites at the same time, Tan notes.

    RGM provides retail research and shopping centre consultancy services to retailers, shopping centre developers and shopping centre managers in Malaysia as well as in the region.

    RGM is projecting a 5% growth rate in retail sales this year and has revised downwards the growth rate from 3.5% to 3% for last year or to RM 99.1bil in retail sales value.

    This year will remain a challenging year for Malaysian retailers as significant recovery will only be expected during the second half of 2017, according to the firm.

    As the economy is not expected to recover strongly in the immediate term, Malaysian consumers are expected to hold back on their spending during the first half of this year.

    The continued weakening of the ringgit will impact the costs of retail goods, RGM says, adding that retailers may be forced to raise prices again during the first six months of this year.

    Meanwhile, Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA) president Datuk Garry Chua agrees e-commerce will be the trend to watch out for in the retail space with the government’s initiative to diversify the country’s economy in the e-commerce domain via the setting up of the Digital Free Trade Zone.

    This will help the retail industry in Malaysia to grow and towards this end, he adds MRCA has formed a committee to work closely with the Government pertaining to the Digital Free Trade Zone.

    Alibaba founder Jack Ma has been appointed as the digital economy adviser to the Government for this initiative.

    MRCA is forecasting retail sales growth to improve this year at 5% to 6% compared with about 4% growth for 2016.

    Chua says the higher growth rate in retail sales for this year can be partly attributed to arrival of tourists, especially from China.

    “This year about one million Chinese tourists are expected to arrive in Malaysia which is a boon to the retail industry.

    “Each trip to the country, RM3,500 to RM4,000 will be spent by each individual during shopping. This will lift retail sales amid some challenges in the retail arena,’’ he says.

    Chua says one of the major challenges which may impact the growth of the retail sector is the requirement for employers to pay the levies of their foreign workers under the newly introduced Employer Mandatory Commitment.

    He feels the government should do away with the payment of the levy as it will affect the cost of production and pricing.

    Another challenge for the sector is the escalation of rental rates in prime areas which has put pressure on retailers operational costs, he notes.

    Tan reckons the retail sales performance in 2017 will have a direct impact on the occupancy rates of shopping centres. Many shopping centre owners have introduced rental rebates or reduce rental rates in order to retain existing tenants, he says.

    “Shopping centres that suffered from low occupancy rates in 2016 will still face the same challenges this year. In addition, many new shopping centres will still face difficulty to secure new tenants to take up their retail shops if the purchasing power of Malaysians do not improve by the second half of this year. Numerous shopping centres in Klang Valley scheduled for opening last year have been delayed to this year,” he says.

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  • House of Fraser sales plummet under Chinese owner

    House of Fraser sales plummet under Chinese owner

    The global ambitions of House of Fraser’s new Chinese owners have fallen flat, management is disgruntled and profits have dived nearly 50 per cent in the first half year.

    That’s the analysis of Verdict Retail senior analyst Emily Stella, who says the department store’s fate is “being closely watched”.

    Unseasonable weather and consumer uncertainty were factors in the decline, she adds.

    But the news is not all bad.

    “House of Fraser has reported a positive set of results for the Christmas period: the beauty category performed particularly well, with an increase in gifting and the onset of party season. [In the UK] House of Fraser’s Black Friday results were also commendable, with sales rising 2.7 per cent on last year – driven primarily by strong online demand, which represented 41 per cent of total sales across the week-long event.”

    After repeated postponements, House of Fraser opened its first standalone store in China in Sanpower Plaza in Nanjing in December.  The company is owned by Chinese conglomerate Sanpower Group, whose affiliate C.banner International owns British toy giant Hamleys, which has opened a store in the same centre.

    House of Fraser chairman Frank Slevin said at the opening that the chain will look to benefit from the strong demand by Chinese consumers for UK brands.

    Meanwhile, Stella says the retailer has rightly invested in refurbishing its existing UK stores.

    “These stores have been the retailer’s top performers over the Christmas weeks and supported like-for-like sales growth. Continued investment in its online platform and store estate, as well as offering consumers a broad range of brands will be critical as the retailer faces tougher market conditions in 2017.”

    The true performance of House of Fraser over Christmas will be able to be assessed when rivals M&S, Debenhams and John Lewis reveal their results tonight, providing a benchmark for all.

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  • Sharetea bubble tea arrives in Vietnam

    Sharetea bubble tea arrives in Vietnam

    Taiwanese bubble-tea brand Sharetea has launched into Vietnam with a store on the walking street of Nguyen Hue in central Ho Chi Minh City.

    Sharetea has more than 450 stores in more than 18 countries. Its drinks are made from tea leaves and ingredients shipped directly from Taiwan.

    It says its customers’ favourite drinks include coffee milk tea, kiwifruit tea, whole-lemon green tea and pearl black milk tea.

    Vietnam’s bubble-tea market has yet to reach its potential, say business owners in the sector. Sharetea is competing with other overseas brands like Chatime, Gong Cha and Koi.

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  • Fast retailing bright faith

    Fast retailing bright faith

    Both consolidated revenue and profit rose for apparel retailer Fast Retailing Group in the first quarter of its latest fiscal year – the three months to November 30.

    Consolidated revenue rose 1.6 per cent year-on-year to reach ¥528.8 billion (U$4.6 billion), while profit soared 16.7 per cent to reach ¥88.5 billion.

    The gross profit margin held steady as the company continued its group-wide cost-cutting drive initiated in fiscal 2016.

    With the group recording a foreign exchange gain of ¥15.6 billion, the consolidated profit rose considerably in the quarter, with profit before taxes increasing by 34.2 per cent to ¥104.2 billion, and profit attributable to the owners of the parent expanding by 45.1 per cent to ¥69.6 billion.

    Breaking down the first-quarter performance into the three individual business segments, Uniqlo Japan increased both revenue and profit, Uniqlo International had a fall in revenue but a rise in profit, and Global Brands had a rise in revenue but a fall in profit.

    With its medium-term vision to become the world’s No. 1 apparel digital retailer, the group is focussing its efforts on expanding Uniqlo International and its low-priced GU casual-fashion brand.

    It is continuing to grow Uniqlo store numbers in each country where it has a presence, opening global flagship stores and large-format stores in major cities. It is also expanding GU, which has grown into a second-pillar brand for the group. It has opened more GU stores within Japan and has been accelerating the brand’s development and store numbers in overseas markets.

    “Another medium-term goal is to revolutionise our entire supply chain, spanning all procedures from planning to design, raw materials procurement, manufacturing and retail into a new supply chain system that can fully satisfy the needs of today’s digital era.

    “The customer-centric, information-driven supply chain is designed to support a comprehensive new digital retailing business model for the Fast Retailing Group.”

    Next month, the group will move all Uniqlo product-related and commercial activities to its central Ariake headquarters.

    Uniqlo Japan

    For the quarter, Uniqlo Japan increased revenue 3.4 per cent to ¥238.8 billion, and profit by 1.8 per cent to ¥45.6 billion. Same-store and online sales grew 2.5 per cent.

    During the period, the number of stores was reduced by six to 800 (excluding 41 franchise stores) at the end of November. Three stores shifted from being directly run to become employee franchise stores.

    Same-store sales declined in September and October because of unseasonal warm weather affecting demand for fall/winter items. Once temperatures dropped in November, same-store sales picked up.

    Uniqlo International

    Revenue eased 0.2 per cent to ¥196.5 billion for Uniqlo International, but there was a 44.6 per cent rise in profit. The fall in revenue was mainly because of the effect of the stronger yen, which pushed down yen-based sales by an average 16 per cent. However, in terms of local currencies, sales rose overall.
    Profit contributions from Uniqlo Greater China and Uniqlo Southeast Asia and Oceania were especially strong.

    Fifteen years after the first Uniqlo store outside Japan opened, the international network surpassed 1000 outlets, settling at 1009 stores at the end of November, an increase of 145.

    Global Brands

    For Global Brands, revenue rose 1.1 per cent to ¥92.7 billion while profit dropped by 22.7 per cent to ¥9.5 billion. The GU casual fashion brand grew revenue but had a profit fall after unseasonal warm weather. GU same-store sales expanded only marginally over the quarter as a whole.

    The group’s Princesse Tam.tam label in France and its J Brand premium denim label in the US continued to lose money, while fashion brands Comptoir des Cotonniers and Theory had steady profits. 

    Humanitarian aid

    In October, Fast Retailing Group decided to donate US$1 million to humanitarian aid efforts in south Sudan.

    In its “All-Product Recycling” initiative, the group delivers clothing collected at Uniqlo and GU stores to refugees and displaced persons, and in November head-office employees visited Myanmar to donate about 60,000 items of clothing. The beneficiaries were internally displaced persons in the Kachin and Rakhine states.

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  • Movie company VShine Brothers opens oyster bar

    Movie company VShine Brothers opens oyster bar

    Movie investment and production company VShine Brothers has opened an oyster bar in Beijing.

    Its VShine Oyster Bar features interior design by A+A Workshop Design, Beijing, inspired by a marine concept.

    A+A Workshop Design says the aim was to create “historical charm” from the 1930s-1940s era. “We use some marine elements such as a cruiseship door, a scuttle, reef stone … the materials used include brass, brick wall, walnut timber wall panels and ceramic tiles.”

    The floor combines marble mosaic and wood, while the ceiling is made of vintage tin-tiles.

    There is a sculptural installation at the entrance – a fake reef stone made of concrete studded with oyster shells.

    At the end of a corridor is a hidden door, which leads to a cigar room with industrial pendant lighting and a vintage Chesterfield sofa as decoration.

    Another touch is glass display cabinets with items including a full suit of armour.

    VShine Brothers was established as Wei Shi Brothers in 2011 and is now a group of companies working in the movie, television and internet sectors. It even has a clothing brand with movie star endorsements.

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  • Jennifer Lopez’s footwear steps out with Giuseppe Zanotti

    Jennifer Lopez’s footwear steps out with Giuseppe Zanotti

    Jennifer Lopez’s footwear collection debut with Italian designer Giuseppe Zanotti, christened #GiuseppexJennifer, will hit the brand’s website and US stores on January 23.

    Comprising six designs, the collection channels the singer/actress’s flashy personal style, reports CPP-luxury.com. The star piece looks set to be a pair of lace-up, bejewelled stiletto boots in metallic silver, echoed by a pair of gladiator sandals.

    jennifer-lopezs-footwear-giuseppe-zanotti

    Photos released by the star in July, when the collaboration was announced, showed Lopez trying on a pair of knee-high snakeskin-heeled sandals.

    The project marks Zanotti’s first major celebrity collaboration, and it is also Lopez’s first high-end fashion series following a long-standing partnership with budget retailer Kohl’s, which featured her first collection in 2011.

    Meanwhile, the star is busy this year with a music collaboration with rapper Drake, a Spanish-language album, her Las Vegas residency show All I Have running through October and the second season of her TV show Shades of Blue premiering on NBC in March.

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  • No-grow period for Tesco Asia

    No-grow period for Tesco Asia

    Tesco Asia’s sales growth stalled in the third quarter as Thais stopped spending during the mourning period for their late king.

    First quarter growth was 3.3 per cent and second quarter growth 3 per cent. But during the third quarter, according to results released it shrank to an underwhelming 0.4 per cent.

    Tesco CEO David Lewis said the slowdown reflected “a particularly strong step up in the comparative” period. “Our sales performance in Asia also reflects some weakening in consumer spending in Thailand during the Christmas period. We are proud that our colleagues have continued to serve our customers so well during such a sad time for the nation, following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.”

    International like-for-like sales grew 1.2 per cent reflecting a strong seasonal performance last year. While there was little sales growth in Thailand, Lewis says the company managed to expand its market share there during the quarter.

    Globally, the UK-headquartered retailer continues to improve under Lewis’ stewardship with the company winning back market share and sales growth returning. UK like-for-like sales grew 1.8 per cent.

    “We are very encouraged by the sustained strong progress that we are making across the group. In the UK, we saw our eighth consecutive quarter of volume growth and delivered a third successful Christmas.

    Our fresh food ranges proved particularly popular, outperforming the market with great quality, innovative new products and even more affordable prices. Internationally, we have continued to focus on improving our offer for customers in challenging market conditions,” he said in a statement.

    “We are well-placed against the plans we shared in October to become more competitive for customers, simpler for colleagues, and an even better partner for our suppliers, whilst creating long-term value for our shareholders.”

    David Alexander, senior analyst with Verdict Retail, says Lewis’ pragmatic approach to steering the Tesco ship out of choppy waters looks more assured with each passing update.

    ‘The numbers from third quarter and Christmas trading are hardly spectacular, but they represent a further positive step in the steady progress the ex-Unilever boss has made since taking charge.”

    Alexander says simplifying the offer has been at the heart of Tesco’s turnaround strategy.

    “On a broader level, this has resulted in the dismantling of the Phil Clarke legacy; trimming the fat from Tesco’s balance sheet with the sales of Giraffe, Blinkbox, Euphorium and HomePlus. At its heart though, it is about delivering an improved experience for the people that can make the difference for Tesco: staff and customers. Poor product availability and customer service had been issues plaguing the troubled Tesco of old, so store ordering systems have been improved, stock is now replenished earlier on in the day and deliveries to large stores are now more likely to arrive on time. What’s more, this year Tesco recruited an extra 15,000 seasonal staff to assist over the Christmas period, up from 4000 last year, making for a smoother process for customers in-store.”

    Alexander says while these changes are not revolutionary, they have been critical in reshaping Tesco.

    “Time and again, Lewis has displayed an unflinching willingness to make the tough calls – witness the highly public standoff with Unilever over supplier pricing in the wake of the weaker pound and the recent announcement that 1000 staff are to be made redundant in its distribution network, again to “run its business more simply and in a way that best serves customers”.”

    Although the numbers coming from both Tesco and rival Sainsbury’s are left in the shade by the festive performances of Aldi, Lidl and a resurgent Morrisons, both can take considerable heart from what appears to have been a very strong end to the year in grocery, believes Alexander.

    “With tougher times predicted to be just around the corner, Tesco cannot afford to take its foot off the pedal.”

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  • Ministry terminates Australia`s Tiger Air charter flight operations

    Ministry terminates Australia`s Tiger Air charter flight operations

    The Airport Authority of the Transportation Ministry has terminated the operations of the Tiger Air charter flight from Bali to Australia for failure to abide by regulations.

    The decision to terminate the Tiger Air charter flight from Bali to Australia was made by the Airport Authority (OBU), Region VI of the Directorate General of Air Transportation, Wednesday, January 11, 2017.

    Spokesman of the Directorate General of Air Transportation Agoes Soebagio, in a written statement in Jakarta, Wednesday, said the OBU Region IV had also terminated, as of Wednesday (January 11), the operations of charter flights of the Tiger Airways Australia from Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide in Australia to Denpasar, Bali.

    The examinations by the OBU Region IV revealed that Tiger Airways Australia (TT) did not abide by the regulations contained in the charter flight permit provided by the Directorate General of Air Transportation.

    The Tiger Airways Australia did not comply with regulations as contained in the KM 25/2008 and PM 66/2015, which has been amended to PM 109/2016.

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  • Insurer Sun Life Indonesia values qualified agents

    Insurer Sun Life Indonesia values qualified agents

    Life insurer Sun Life Indonesia aims to have more qualified agents to market their products rather than just make the numbers, the company top executive has said.

    The firm gathered on Friday 1,000 of its most high-achieving agents for the annual “Year Start” event in Jakarta to brief them of the insurer’s vision this year and to ensure them to be ready to face a more competitive insurance industry.

    “We are launching several new initiatives in 2017, which are designed to improve our marketing agents’ productivity and to also encourage them to develop their skills and capacity,” Sun Life president director Elin Waty said.

    She added that the agency’s contribution reached around 55 percent of the firm’s insurance distribution last year and the company planned to have a similar share this year.

    The insurer uses a contract maintenance system, which obliges its agents to achieve certain targets or their contracts will be terminated to ensure the company has capable agents.

    “If this contract maintenance system wasn’t implemented, my agents would probably number 100,000,” Elin said.

    Currently, Sun Life has around 10,100 agents nationwide, a steady increase from its 9,000 agents in 2015.

    “We aim to do better in 2017 by focusing on our human resources, technology and brand,” said Sun Life Asia president Kevin Strain.

  • Indonesian game developers wake a sleeping giant

    Indonesian game developers wake a sleeping giant

    Avid gamer Alwin Daniel, 24, likes to drift off into his cell phone during his tight daily schedule.

    The Jakarta-based business analyst is intrigued, for example, by the meme-worthy Tahu Bulat, a locally made mobile game.

    “What got me hooked on the game is the fact that the more you play it, the more you can get upgrades and the more money you can collect. It’s an addictive cycle,” Alwin told.

    Tahu Bulat, literally “round tofu”, is the invention of Bandungbased game developer Own Games. Soon after its launch, it leaped onto Google Play Store’s “hit games” list in May last year, even beating Android’s top game Clash of Clans with more than 1 million downloads.

    Without Tahu Bulat’s popularity, not many people would realize what is going on in the local gaming industry, something that could be described as a sleeping giant.

    With little policy support or infrastructure, a number of skillful developers have so far managed to drive up the industry’s impact on the domestic economy through continuous creation and surging credibility.

    Indonesia has about 400 developers who have produced over 1,000 games, according to research by game engine company Unity3D.

    The country had the world’s fastest growing number of mobile game players as of August 2015.

    Indonesia is also the country with the largest amount of mobile game downloads in the world. Some 96 percent of mobile internet users play these games.

    Revenues from the local gaming industry jumped significantly by 77 percent to US$321 million in 2016.

    The skill and the potential of Indonesian game developers has transcended borders as more collaborations with foreign developers are now taking place.

    One such example is the collaboration between Indonesian developer True Digital Plus Indonesia (TDPI), a local unit of Bangkok-based PC and mobile games developer True Digital Plus (TDP) and South Korean developer Supreme Games, which created a mobile strategy game called Triumph Over Pain.

    “Through this game, TDP and Supreme Games will continue to be active in developing the local creative industry by providing the proper benchmark for how local mobile games should be and how skilled our local developers are,” said TDPI’s country director Sofian Martineau, claiming that Triumph Over Pain was the first Action-Based Role Playing Game (RPG) to be released on a mobile platform in Indonesia.

    Several globally well-known action RPG titles include The Elder Scrolls series, the Diablo series and the Dark Souls series, but these titles have yet to make the crossover to the mobile platform.

    Despite its tremendous potential, the gaming industry, which is a subsector of Indonesia’s creative economy, is still largely ignored by the government, a reality acknowledged by the Communications and Information Ministry’s informatics application director general Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan.

    “Right now, local game developers only control 10 percent of the local market share. This could even shrink to 3 percent if the government doesn’t realize the industry’s potential to contribute to economic growth,” he recently said.

    With help from the government, local developers might be able to control 50 percent of the local market by 2020, Semuel said.

    Being a country with the fifth largest number of smartphone users in the world, Indonesia has an immense cell phone user base, and therefore the potential for developing a prominent mobile games industry was significant, he added.

    At present, regulations affecting the gaming industry are minimal and among the few is a decree from the communications and information minister on the Indonesian game rating system (IGRS), which divides games into five different age categories, namely all ages, 3 years and above, 7 years and above, 13 years and above and 18 years and above.

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  • Singapore Airlines Cargo Achieves CEIV Pharma Certification

    Singapore Airlines Cargo Achieves CEIV Pharma Certification

    We are honoured to have been awarded the IATA CEIV Pharma certification, which reinforces our commitment to our customers from the pharmaceutical sector to deliver the highest standards of care and professionalism in handling their time- and temperature-sensitive shipments,” said Yau Seng Chin, president of SIA Cargo. “We are acutely aware of the important role that these shipments play in serving the broader community, and hope that this certification will give our ultimate customers additional assurance and comfort that these shipments, which are often life-saving, are in good hands.”

    According to SIA Cargo, the networks of Singapore Airlines, SilkAir and Scoot, covering more than 100 destinations, are included in the certification.

    The CEIV Pharma certification assesses an airline’s operations, processes and training to ensure that they comply with international good practices and standards.

    “The Asia-Pacific freight market is the largest in the world, accounting for close to 40% of total global trade,” said Glyn Hughes, global head of cargo at IATA. “Having SIA Cargo, one of the region’s largest operators, achieve CEIV Pharma certification is a significant boost not only for the airline’s customers but also the region. We congratulate them on their achievement and for taking the industry one step closer to having a global standard for transporting pharmaceuticals in place.”

    SIA Cargo is one of six companies that form Singapore Changi Airport’s cargo community, which Changi Airport Group is supporting to undergo the CEIV Pharma certification process.

    SIA Cargo and CAG are also members of Pharma.Aero, a new independent organization formed in October 2016 which aims to improve the quality of pharma handling by promoting collaboration between CEIV Pharma-certified airport communities.

    SIA Cargo is the eighth carrier in the world to be awarded the CEIV Pharma certification, joining AirBridgeCargo, Air France, CAL Cargo Airlines, Finnair, KLM, Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines.

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  • Tender for retail space in Shanghai Pudong airport

    Tender for retail space in Shanghai Pudong airport

    Shanghai Airport Authority is seeking bidders for retail concessions at Shanghai Pudong International Airport Terminal 2 (domestic).

    It has 38 stores available covering a total of 3300 sqm, with multiple product categories up for tender.

    Likely bidders include Orient King Power, a subsidiary of the Antares Cheng-owned King Power Group (Hong Kong), which expanded its business at Shanghai Pudong Airport last year with fashion and luxury stores, reports The Moodie Davitt Report.

    Saying Orient King Power will target the concessions, GM Mackintosh Feng says it will give it space to introduce more brands into the domestic airside area of Pudong. “In T1 we mainly have China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines, and in T2 we’ll have Air China and China Southern Airlines.”
    Tenders must be submitted by January 22.

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  • Amazon gains patent for drone ‘Mothership’

    Amazon gains patent for drone ‘Mothership’

    Amazon continues to push the envelope as a supply chain and logistics disrupter with the granting of a patent in late December for what has been dubbed a giant ‘flying warehouse’.

    The Amazon Technologies Inc. filing describes ‘airborne fulfillment centers’ (AFCs) comprised of large and robust flying drone made up of numerous smaller drones, designed to make long-distance flights or to carry heavy packages. By comparison, the average quadcopter drone — a design that incorporates four propellers — can typically fly continuously for up to 30 minutes and transport up to 4.5 kg.

    It also describes the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to deliver items from the AFCs to users.

    According to the patent, filed 19 February 2015 and granted 29 December 2016, individual modules could detach from the collective drone body once they were no longer required, and operate independently to deliver smaller burdens.

    The filing stated: “For example, the AFC may be an airship that remains at a high altitude (for example, 45,000 feet) and UAVs with ordered items may be deployed from the AFC to deliver ordered items to user designated delivery locations.

    “As the UAVs descend, they can navigate horizontally toward a user specified delivery location using little to no power, other than to stabilize the UAV and/or guide the direction of descent. Shuttles (smaller airships) may be used to replenish the AFC with inventory, UAVs, supplies, fuel, etc. Likewise, the shuttles may be utilized to transport workers to and from the AFC.”

    The filing continued: “An AFC may navigate to an area based on various positioning factors. For example, a temporal event (e.g., a football game) may be expected to produce a demand for certain types of items (for example, sporting paraphernalia, food products, etc.).

    “In advance of the event, the items may be delivered to the AFC in a quantity sufficient to satisfy the expected demand and the AFC may navigate to a position such that UAVs deployed from the AFC can safely navigate to the location of the event and deliver the items, thereby satisfying the demand.

    “In some implementations, the AFC may navigate to a lower altitude and provide advertising for the temporal event or for other occasions (e.g., product announcements, product releases, sales).”

    In a separate patent filing, Amazon was granted a new patent at the end of last month to protect its drones from possible threats and attackers with drawings detailing the possibility of a drone being fired upon by a bow and arrow.

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