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Tag: asia

  • Walkerhill emphasises importance of Chinese consumers

    Walkerhill emphasises importance of Chinese consumers

    Korean travel retailer Walkerhill Duty Free has outlined the importance of Chinese consumers to overall business while presenting an overview of the leading brands, which have driven growth in Korean Duty Free.

    Speaking as part of a morning workshop last week in Cannes, which focused on South Korea, the world’s largest single travel-retail and duty-free market, which registered sales growth of 22.8% last year giving it a global market share of 12.3%, SK Walkerhill Duty Free senior vice-president Mikyong Kwon said: “Eighty percent of our customers are Chinese. Our brand loyalty is very high built up over 50 years. There is a strong emphasis on Chinese customers.”

    She added: “Walkerhill Duty Free grew 46% in 2013 compared to the previous year and the majority of our customers were Chinese.”

    Pressed by the audience as to whether the retailer relies too much on Chinese customers, she commented: “It is our role to cater to Chinese consumers. There was a time when we dependant on Japanese customers.”

    In terms of brands, total cosmetics sales in Korean travel-retail grew 38% in 2014 versus the previous year. “We have seen outstanding growth of Korean brands in sales and market share. Sulwahsoo, Laneige and Etude House are enjoying accelerated growth.

    “For Walkerhill, number one is WHOO from LG then MCM, Sulwahsoo and Laneige.”

    She added: “I would like to draw your attention to these Korean brands which are leading the sales growth of Korean duty-free. There is still room for growth in the next five or 10 years.”

    Meanwhile, Kwon is remaining positive despite the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak from May to July, which stunted growth. Kwon said: “Although growth has slowed because we hit by MERS we should still reach last year’s sales figure.”

    Regarding Walkerhill’s online and mobile strategy Kwon said online and mobile was definitely the direction to go. “Fifty percent of Koreans are shopping online before departure,” she commented.

    Kwon’s presentation followed a speech from Silla University Professor Yang Song-Hoon, who emphasised the importance of Chinese consumers. “In 2014 there were 6.1 million Chinese tourists in Korea. They are our biggest customer and comprise 40% of total visitors. Their expenditure is double compared to other tourists.”

    According to Song-Hoon, who said facial mask-packs were the hottest items purchased by inbound Chinese travellers in Korea, souvenirs are important purchases for Asian consumers. He explained: “Asian tourists have a duty to express their apologies to family and friends that did not accompany them on their trip. Tangible souvenirs are a means of expressing thanks.”

    Reflecting on this year’s MERS outbreak, Song-Hoon said: “Korea learnt an expensive lesson from MERS outbreak. To rebound from the adverse effect of MERS our government took measures to return to normal. It committed public money including a tourism fund.”

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  • Gold retailer Degussa opens Singapore branch

    Gold retailer Degussa opens Singapore branch

    Degussa, one of Europe’s largest gold and precious metals retailer, is opening a branch in Singapore, its first outside Europe.

    With the opening of the 3,000-square-foot branch near Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station on Wednesday evening, Degussa hopes to capture the growing retail market for gold and precious metals not only in Singapore but also in Asia.

    “Singapore is not yet a big wholesale market (for gold) like Hong Kong is, but we bank on retail clients and Singapore is an ideal market to start with,” said Wolfgang Wrzesniok-Rossbach, chief executive officer of Degussa, in an interview with The Business Times on Wednesday morning at its Singapore branch.

    The Singapore branch will offer a range of physical bullion products, including gold, silver and platinum coins of various weights, and investment bars.

    It will also retail gift collection items, including pure gold cufflinks and gold watches, in a specially designed showroom.

    In addition, the branch also offers safe deposit box rental services for customers who wish to safekeep their valuables with Degussa.

    Degussa aims to start its online store for the Singapore market in two weeks’ time. It also plans to allow customers to cash in their scrap gold in the near future.

    Mr Wrzesniok-Rossbach highlighted the strong and timeless appeal that gold has for Asian consumers, and said that sales of jewellery and accessories will be a key segment of the Singapore branch’s operations. For example, customers who hope to gift their children or grandchildren will find something to their liking at the branch.

    “Because this same gold has been recycled over millennia and its value remains,” he said, pointing to a Degussa 1kg gold bar. “When you touch this, you have one atom in it that came from Cleopatra’s crown.”

  • Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore to axe exclusivity practice after probe

    Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore to axe exclusivity practice after probe

    Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore has agreed to stop supplying draught beer to retail outlets on an exclusive basis after it was investigated by the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS).

    The CCS said in a statement on Wednesday that it had acted on complaints, adding: “The outlet-exclusivity practice had prevented retail outlets from selling draught beers from competing suppliers and restricted the choices of draught beers available to retailers and consumers.”

    Under competition laws here, a dominant firm is prohibited from preventing or impeding its competitors from competing effectively through exclusive business practices.

    In its investigation, the CCS obtained information on the beer market in Singapore from retailers and beer suppliers.

    Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore(APBS) has since provided the CCS with a voluntary commitment to cease its outlet exclusivity practice.

    The change in the company’s business practices will be applicable to all draught beer contracts entered into with retailers on and after Dec 28 2015, including new and renewal contracts. APBS will also be required to provide CCS with documents to show that these changes have taken effect.

    The CCS will continue to monitor market practices

    CCS chief executive Toh Han Li said: “The removal of these exclusive business practices will allow retailers to stock a greater variety of draught beers, leading to a more vibrant market with more choices for consumers, as well as opportunities for existing suppliers and new entrants including microbreweries and craft beer suppliers.”

    He added that in general, exclusive agreements made by a dominant firm that harm competition may be illegal under the Competition Act.

     

  • PAL, Air Asia cancel 300 flights for Apec

    PAL, Air Asia cancel 300 flights for Apec

    The country’s flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Air Asia Philippines cancelled nearly 300 domestic and international flights in anticipation of disruptions in runway operations on the week of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Summit.

    In an advisory, PAL announced it was grounding 115 domestic and 96 international flights from Nov. 15 to 20 “to give way to the arrival and departure of Apec leaders.”

    The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) had announced periods of temporary runway closure at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport as part of the protocol for the arrival and departure of world leaders.

    Heads of state are expected to arrive on Nov. 16 and 17 for the summit which will be held on the 18th and 19th. They are expected to leave Manila on Nov. 19 and 20.

    “PAL assures affected passengers that the airline will reschedule their flights with rebooking and penalty charges waived,” the advisory said.

    Likewise, passengers with confirmed flights on Nov. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 or 20 have the option to rebook within 30 days from their original schedule “for as long as the new schedule falls within the ticket validity period.”  They can also refund the full  ticket cost.

    PAL said that it may cancel more flights depending on the flight movements of the heads of state attending the summit.

    Meanwhile, Air Asia cancelled 74 domestic and 10 international flights from Nov. 17 to 20, also to give way to the arrival of heads of state.

    The airline gave passengers on the cancelled flights the option to rebook within 30 days of the date of their original flight schedule or get a refund.  Affected flyers may also avail of a credit shell within 90 days of the cancelled flight.

    A credit shell, according to Air Asia, is “a credit account where monies paid towards a booking  are stored.” The number issued, which is practically the booking number, in a credit shell account that may be used by passengers to transfer flights.

  • AirAsia India Rolls Out Promotional Fares Starting Rs 1,269

    AirAsia India Rolls Out Promotional Fares Starting Rs 1,269

    Budget carrier AirAsia India has yet again rolled out a promotional fare scheme, offering tickets as low as Rs 1,269 (all-inclusive). The offer ends on November 8, 2015 and is applicable on travel between January 15 and April 30, 2016.

    Under this AirAsia offer, tickets on Bengaluru to Kochi route are priced from Rs 1,269 (all-inclusive). Tickets on Bengaluru to Goa route is priced from Rs 1469 and Bengaluru to New Delhi at Rs 3,469.

    Its parent AirAsia is also offering fares starting from Rs 3,399 (all-inclusive) on overseas routes as part of a separate promotional scheme. This offer is open till November 8. For example, tickets from Kochi to Kuala Lumpur are priced from Rs 3,399.

    Many airlines have come up with promotional fares to tap the festive season demand.

    Air India’s offer christened ‘Diwali Dhamaka’ is valid till November 7 for travel between January 15 and April 15, 2016. Earlier, SpiceJet had also come up with ‘Diwali Sale’ with fares staring at Rs 749 (base fare-excluding taxes) for domestic sector and from Rs 3,999 (all-inclusive) on international sectors.

    Airlines have rolled out many promotional fares this year on the back of a sharp fall in oil prices. Domestic airlines in the first nine months of this year – January to September – have carried 590 lakh passengers, a growth of 20 per cent.

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  • JC Decaux launches new digital signage network at Singapore mall ION Orchard

    JC Decaux launches new digital signage network at Singapore mall ION Orchard

    JCDecaux Singapore, the Best Out Of Home Media Company in the republic and subsidiary of the No.1 Outdoor Advertising Company in the world announces the launch of a brand new Digital Advertising Network at ION Orchard, Singapore’s prime retail and lifestyle destination.

    Following the successful launch of the “Digital Fashion Network” in July, JCDecaux unveils a new Network of 80-inch digital screens in the mall, packaged as the “Premium ION Link Digital Network”.

    ION Orchard

    Located at key touch points along the busiest linkways of Orchard Road, the brand new Network comprises of 9 screens unmissable to shoppers and train commuters passing by. As the exclusive media platform within the linkway, “ION Link Digital Network” is a unique opportunity for brands to effectively cover 100% of the audience. Maiden advertisers H&M, Juicy Couture and PuTien commenced advertising at this prime location.

    In addition, JCDecaux has completed its second phase of upgrading work, increasing the screen size of the “Digital Lift Lobby Network” from 19” to 24”. This network comprises 34 LCD screens installed across all Lift Lobbies and is the only media solution covering the eight levels of the award winning mall. Acuvue and Moncler are currently running their campaigns on the Digital Lift Lobby Network.

    “The new installations at ION Orchard Link delivers a high quality digital advertising footprint to the former Orchard Underpass through which more than half a million people pass every week” said Mr. Ashley Stewart, Managing Director, JCDecaux Singapore.

    “ION Orchard Link serves as a vibrant underground retail walkway that extends the mall’s current retail offerings. As our second underground link after ION Paterson Link, this high-traffic walkway provides shoppers and commuters with quick and easy way to access ION Orchard. We are certain that the new ION Link Digital Network will serve the latest trends and offerings, lending a lifestyle dimension to this fast-paced location and will enhance the overall shopper and commuter experience.” said Mr. Chris Chong, Chief Executive Officer, Orchard Turn Developments.

  • Singapore’s Wilmar invests $13mn to leverage Vietnam’s leading sauce brand

    Singapore’s Wilmar invests $13mn to leverage Vietnam’s leading sauce brand

    Wilmar International has teamed up with leading local retailer Saigon Co-op to form a joint venture for a multimillion-dollar sauce making plant in Vietnam, the Singaporean agribusiness group announced Tuesday.

    Wilmar International holds a 51 percent stake, worth around US$13 million, in the joint venture that will establish the Nam Duong International Foodstuff Corporation to overtake a project to build the $25.6 million sauce factory in Ho Chi Minh City.

    The new facility, to be located in the outlying district of Nha Be, will take over the current operations of an existing Saigon Co-op factory to manufacture sauces and condiments sold under the Nam Duong brand, according to Wilmar.

    The plant’s products will serve both domestic and export markets.

    Established in 1951, Nam Duong is amongst the leading brands for sauces and condiments in Vietnam, which include soy sauce, chilli sauce and tomato sauce.

    These products are also currently being sold in export markets such as the U.S., Canada and Europe and are favored by overseas and Vietnamese consumers.

    Nam Duong International Foodstuff Corporation will leverage Saigon Co-op’s strength in distribution and Wilmar’s experience in manufacturing operations as well as its research and development in food technology and also tap the agribusiness group’s global network for export sales, according to the Singaporean firm.

    “The combination of Saigon Co-op and Wilmar Group’s strengths in the Nam Duong International Foodstuff Corporation joint venture will be a milestone in the Vietnamese consumer market,” Saigon Co-op general director  Nguyen Thanh Nhan said.

    Saigon Co-op boasts the most extensive modern retailing network in Vietnam and has intimate knowledge of Vietnamese consumers’ taste and preferences, whereas Wilmar is experienced in the manufacture and distribution of food products globally, Nhan elaborated.

    The cooperation is also expected to “increase the reach of the Nam Duong brand and grow their sauces and condiments business significantly,” according to Ray Chew, country head of Wilmar’s business operations in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

    Saigon Co-op is well known for its wide and varied distribution channels, including the Co.op Mart supermarket chain, Co.op Food convenience stores, Co.opXtra hypermarkets, Ben Thanh Store, the Co.op Store chain, and the SC VivoCity complex.

    In 2015, Saigon Co-op was conferred Vietnam’s Leading Retailer Award and was listed among the “Top 200 leading retailers in the Asia Pacific” by Retail Asia Publishing and market research group Euromonitor.

    Wilmar International, founded in 1991 and currently Asia’s leading agribusiness group, is ranked among the largest listed companies by market capitalization on the Singapore Exchange.

    Its business activities include palm oil cultivation, oilseed crushing, edible oils refinement, sugar milling and refining, specialty fats, oleochemical, biodiesel and fertilizer manufacturing, and grain processing.

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  • Luxury fashion brands diversify into food and beverages in Asia

    Luxury fashion brands diversify into food and beverages in Asia

    Luxury brands have begun to expand beyond their core but saturated fashion businesses into the food and beverage sector in Asia.

    Iconic fashion brand Gucci, for example, opened 1921 Gucci in Shanghai iAPM, which is owned by Sun Hung Kai Properties in the Pudong financial district of the city.

    “This is the luxury brand’s first fine dining restaurant in the world,” Maureen Fung Sau-yim, director of Sun Hung Kai Development (China), a unit of Sun Hung Kai Properties.

    The 360 square metres shop has received a good response since opening about three months ago, said Fung.

    The luxury restaurant is aimed to enhancing customers’ intrinsic aspirations which plays a role in luxury consumer behaviour. It would become part of a trend as mainland Chinese have been changing their shopping habits, she added.

    Adding an F&B component in stores enables luxury retailers to provide their consumers with a more complete experience in which they can shop, relax and socialise, said international property consultant CBRE.

    It cited another example in Cafe Dior by Pierre Hermé on the top floor of Christian Dior’s flagship store in Seoul. It helps transition the brand from being totally fashion-oriented to more lifestyle-driven.

    In its report known as The Future of Luxury Retail in Asia Pacific, CBRE said most major luxury retailers are now well established in the Asia Pacific region with mainland China and Hong Kong being two of the most penetrated markets at 89 per cent and 81 per cent, respectively.

    “However, the high growth period for luxury retailers in the region is gradually coming to an end,” said Henry Chin, Head of Research, CBRE Asia Pacific.

    Apart from food and beverage, CBRE has identified other emerging trends such as childrens’ wear and the growth of the affordable sector, anticipating that they will partially offset some of the negative effects caused by China’s slowdown and compensate for the loss of demand.

    As of 2014, Asia Pacific was home to 807 million people aged below 14, representing more than 20 per cent of the total population, offering an enormous opportunity for growth in this segment.

  • Restaurateurs see opportunities in Hong Kong as retail rents slip

    Restaurateurs see opportunities in Hong Kong as retail rents slip

    After waving goodbye to the boom in mainland Chinese arrivals, Hong Kong’s retail leasing market is refocusing on broad-based, local consumption, including food and drink.

    Hong Kong shopping streets are changing as luxury shops, including watch, handbag and jewellery retailers, close stores, and restaurateurs see opportunities.

    “New dining brands entering Hong Kong in the past year were pretty successful,” said Helen Mak, retail services group head at Colliers International. “Celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver have just opened their second restaurants in Hong Kong recently.”

    Hong Kong retail sales fell for six straight months to the end of August as mainland tourists spent less. Luxury retailers have been scaling back their operations as a result. New dining brands entering Hong Kong in the past year were pretty successful.

    According to data from DTZ, in the first eight months of this year high street rents declined by 29 per cent year on year in Causeway Bay and by 34 per cent in Tsim Sha Tsui.

    In September, cosmetics retailer Colourmix paid 60 per cent less than the former tenant, luxury Swiss watch brand Jaeger-LeCoultre, to take its space in Causeway Bay’s Russell Street, one of the most expensive shopping strips in the world.

    High street rent in Hong Kong’s four top shopping districts, including Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui, surged as much as 213 per cent from 2003 to 2014.

    “Restaurant rents are much more stable than storefront luxury shop rents,” said Kevin Lam, DTZ’s head of business space. He said restaurant rents in the four top shopping districts had grown by an average of about 10 per cent a year since 2010.

    “Dining out is already an integral part of Hong Kong culture and Hong Kong people love to welcome food from different countries,” Mak said. “Even for mainland visitors, they may shop less but they won’t give up the food experience in Hong Kong. The future of dining business is promising here.”

    She said many dining brands outside Hong Kong, including some from Europe, the United States, South Korea and mainland China, wanted to expand here and were looking for places to rent. Popular mainland hotpot brand HaiDiLao is among them.

    “Shop owners used to be too reliant on luxury shops,” Mak said. “Now we finally have a supply of spaces for other business.”

  • Thai events organiser taps into Myanmar’s showbiz potential

    Thai events organiser taps into Myanmar’s showbiz potential

    Co-chief executive officer Kriangkrai Kanjanapokin said yesterday Myanmar was transforming into a new era of development that needed infrastructure, real-estate projects, accommodation and transport.

    This presented a huge opportunity for foreign investors, including Thai enterprises.

    Through its joint-venture company ICVeX based in Yangon, Index Creative Village will next year hold “Myanmar FoodBev” and “Myanmar Retail Expo” from August 18-20 and the third edition of “Myanmar Build and Decor”, from October 6-8 at Myanmar Event Park, which is owned and managed by business partner Forever Group.

    Kriangkrai said the construction industry in Myanmar was growing fast, with a compound average growth rate of 20 per cent. The residential and infrastructure sectors comprise almost 80 per cent of the industry, especially residential projects, which account for 49 per cent of investment value.

    According to the Myanmar Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development, only 7,000 houses are currently being constructed but annual demand appears to be around 20,000 units. The government has indicated its willingness to cooperate with the private sector in the construction industry in key cities such as Yangon and Mandalay while carrying out construction in other areas of the country using government loans.

    “We hope that ‘Myanmar Build and Decor’ will be a platform that enables Thai companies related to the construction industry to meet local developers for greater cooperation,” Kriangkrai said.

    He also said there were lots of opportunities for retail business, which was being transformed from traditional to modern trade.

    To cash in on this transformation, major retailer Siam Makro is reportedly keen on expanding its business in Myanmar.

    However, Kriangkrai believes that traditional shops will also look at improving their service with new equipment and management systems from Thai companies on display at Myanmar FoodBev and Myanmar Retail Expo.

    Apart from trade fairs, the company has also formed a joint venture with Suravath Pinsuwanbutr, the owner of Myanmar Alliance Travel and Tours, to offer marketing service for brands and products.

    This service includes organising direct marketing, product demonstrations at points of sale, on-the-ground event and lucky draws.

    Suravath said that after operating for two months, the JV had secured seven or eight projects. The tourism business is another area that Index Creative Village wants to focus on in the near future.

    After entering a partnership with Bagan Myanmar, a travel and hotel operator, the company invested Bt50 million on light and sound equipment for the “Dandaree” cultural show. Kriangkrai hopes the show will hit break-even point within four or five years. Next year, he plans to introduce this show to international tourism operators at the “Asia Tourism Forum” in the Philippines, “ITB Berlin” in Germany and “World Travel Market” in Britain.

    He said he was in talks with another company based in Yangon that is keen on a similar cultural show.

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  • Japanese Comics Digital Bookstore “MangaMon” Launched in Indonesia

    Japanese Comics Digital Bookstore “MangaMon” Launched in Indonesia

    eBOOK Initiative Japan Co., Ltd., who operates ebook-selling website, “eBookJapan,” which boasts the largest line-ups of the digital comics in Japan, has launched the Japanese comics digital bookstore, “MangaMon” on November 1st.

    “MangaMon” url: https://www.mangamon.id/

    “MangaMon” proudly introduces the properly-licensed Japanese comics in digital form (i.e. “ebook”) that are translated into Bahasa-Indonesia in collaboration with Kompas Gramedia group publishers: Elex Media Komputindo and m&c!.

    At the same time, “MangaMon” focuses on Japanese entertainment portal site by providing the cutting-edge news from Japan and by offering various events. The three main features of MangaMon are as follows:

    Japanese comics digital bookstore translated into Bahasa-Indonesia

    [Line-up]
    MangaMon has a vision to offer all of the major Japanese comics. The line-up includes “Angel Heart” which is a very hot topic now in Japan after being made into TV drama. We will soon increase the line-ups published by various major publishers in Japan.

    [Payment method]
    Users can pay by credit card, mobile carrier charge, and internet banking online, as well as through offline such as ATM and convenience stores, which are available on 100,000+ places.

    [Reading]
    Comics bought on MangaMon can be read in smartphones, tablets, and PCs. Apps (free of charge!), which are made available for Android, iOS and Windows, will make users read offline after downloading the ebooks. Furthermore, users don’t have to use the apps should they use browser and connect to internet.
    (Supports Android from ver. 4.0.0 and from iOS 6)

    Various alliances with all players related to entertainments

    “MangaMon” is committed to foster Japanese entertainment portal function in Indonesia by making alliance with all player related to entertainment field.

    “MangaMon” is launched in Indonesia by collaborating with Kompas Gramedia group publishers of Elex Media Komputindo and m&c!. It also features Japanese pop culture news by forming alliance with Jurnal Otaku INDONESIA and KAORI Nusantara.

    MangaMon shall further endeavor to form various alliances with Mass media such as TV, radio and magazines, Publishers, Game providers, Talent agencies, and chain of café, as well as Event organizers, Manga circles in universities, Famous cosplayers, and Influential bloggers in Indonesia.

    “MangaMon” has started to form alliances in Japan too with companies who introduce Japanese pop culture abroad such as; Tokyo Otaku Mode Inc. who runs “Tokyo Otaku Mode”, ALL BLUE inc. who runs “Tokyo Girls’ Update”, IID, Inc. who runs “Anime!Anime!”. We plan to run cooperative campaigns and contents provisions.

    A lot of delightful events and campaigns

    • Variety of contests aimed at offering the chance for creation
    “MangaMon” plans to host many kinds of contests; Comic contests, Cosplay contests, Character illustration contests, etc. to provide chances of creative activities for new talents. The judges in the first comic contest are editors from Elex Media Komputindo, m&c! and publishers in Japan.

    • Luxurious prizes for accumulated rewards points
    “MangaMon” offers a rewards points system which you can exchange to goods and vouchers. Users can earn points through four types of opportunities; buying ebooks, tapping the “likes” for books and reviews, answering the questionnaire, getting “likes” pressed for your reviews. For every point stage, we will offer more than 20 kinds of prizes, including a lottery for a 7 days tour to Japan.

    Enjoy the new service of “MangaMon,” which shall boost the entertainment market in Indonesia.

    Social Networks
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mangamon.id
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/mangamon_id
    Instagram: https://instagram.com/MangaMon_id/

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  • Lazada’s Marketplace offers merchants a wide one-stop retail gateway

    Lazada’s Marketplace offers merchants a wide one-stop retail gateway

    Lazada Marketplace in the region accounted for 80 per cent of the company’s Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) or overall sales as at the end of August 2015.

    Alessandro Piscini, CEO of Lazada Thailand, said Lazada Marketplace was the engine of the company’s growth, attracting local merchants who were reaping the rewards of partnering with Lazada.

    “We can fulfil all customer shopping needs effortlessly on their behalf, and added to our committed investments in logistics, tech development and payment solutions, no other eCommerce player can offer a similar one-stop retail gateway to Thai merchants,” said Piscini.

    As e-commerce continues to grow in Thailand, Lazada marketplace offers opportunities for both new and experienced sellers to reach new markets, benefit from Lazada’s support in advertising their goods and monitor critical data on how their store is performing. With more than 4.5 million daily visits to its sites and close to 100 per cent geographical distribution coverage, Lazada has become the clear choice for sellers throughout Southeast Asia, said Piscini.

    Since opening to local merchants, over 7,000 Thai businesses have chosen to sell their goods at Lazada Marketplace, supplementing products from established brand names such as Tesco Lotus, L’Oreal and Philips.

    Sellers are well-supported by Lazada’s end-to-end model that takes care of their needs from order to delivery, and they also benefit from having direct access to Lazada’s established customer base, infrastructure and analytics.

    The Seller Centre, for example, provides a one-stop online platform to manage inventory, pricing, promotions and orders, with a recently released Seller Centre Android app adding enhanced search, notifications of new orders and sales performance, helping marketplace sellers manage their business on-the-go.

    Small and medium business can also tap into Lazada University to equip themselves with marketing tools in order to increase their visibility online and maximise profits.

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  • M1 launches M2M platform and solutions

    M1 launches M2M platform and solutions

    Strategic partnerships with multiple technology providers to deliver a wide range of smart M2M solutions for transport, retail, healthcare and security sectors.

    Singapore – M1 Limited (M1) today announced the launch of its advanced M2M (machine-to-machine) platform, M1 M2M Connect. Through M1 M2M Connect, corporate customers will be able to access, track and manage all their connected devices conveniently, from any authorised computer or mobile phone. They will also be able to set and change business rules, perform device troubleshooting and obtain detailed reporting of all M2M activities.

    Additionally, M1 has partnered multiple technology providers, including Aerolion Technologies, Napier Healthcare Solutions, Quantum Inventions, and Parametric Technology to introduce customised solutions to meet the needs of Singapore’s transport, retail, healthcare, and security industries, and enable more customers to enjoy the benefits of a M2M rollout on Singapore’s fastest 4G network¹.

    According to a recent Forbes² article, connected devices are expected to grow from 10 billion today to as many as 30 billion devices by 2020, deployed across homes, offices, and public spaces worldwide. At the M2M platform launch event today at the St. Regis Hotel for corporate customers, M1 and its partners demonstrated several innovative solutions, including smart healthcare monitoring solutions, and how security firms can deploy drones to stream real-time surveillance video over protected premises.

    Mr Willis Sim, Chief Product Development & Corporate Solutions Officer, M1, said:

    “Much has been made of the benefits of M2M and the Internet of Things. To make it even easier for our customers to leverage on M2M technology, we engaged them to understand their needs, and worked with our partners to develop and offer effective solutions that improve our customers’ productivity, lower their costs and help them tap on new market opportunities.”

    “M1 is a leader in communications infrastructure and we are excited to be their strategic partner. Our relationship has been proven to be successful during the lab trials for the Smart Nation program. Consequently M1’s leading edge connectivity solutions form the backbone of our Home Care solution making it really affordable for our elderly population. Taking preventive healthcare one step forward, this solution provides the chronically ill with on-demand access to healthcare service providers who can help monitor and maintain their health,” said Mr Tirupathi Karthik, Chief Executive Officer, Napier Healthcare Solutions.

    M1 is Singapore’s most vibrant and dynamic communications company, providing mobile and fixed services to over 2 million customers. Since the launch of commercial services in 1997, M1 has achieved many firsts, including the first operator to offer nationwide 4G service, as well as ultra high-speed fixed broadband, fixed voice and other services on the Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network (NGNBN). With a continual focus on network quality, customer service, value and innovation, M1 links anyone and anything; anytime, anywhere. For more information, visit www.m1.com.sg.
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  • Thailand’s Consumer Sentiment Sees First Improvement in 10 Months in October

    Thailand’s Consumer Sentiment Sees First Improvement in 10 Months in October

    Thailand’s consumer sentiment recovered for the first time in 10 months in October, thanks to the government’s continued introduction of economic stimulus measures.

    The University of Thai Chamber of Commerce said Thursday that the consumer confidence index rose to 73.4 in October from 72.1 in September, when the index hit its lowest level in 16 months. The monthly consumer confidence report is based on a survey of 2,244 respondents.

    Thanavath Phonvichai, director of the university’s Economic and Business Forecasting Center, told a news conference that the government’s continued introduction of a series of economic stimulus packages has helped boost consumer confidence.

    In the past few months, the Junta-installed government has unveiled a number of short-term economic stimulus measures, including a 136 billion baht ($3. 8 billion) package aimed at low-income households, a 10 billion baht ($282 million) budget to boost the property sector and new tax incentives for the private sector to speed up or increase investments.

    Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who is in charge of the economy, said this week that the government is confident that all measures will start yielding fruit from the fourth quarter of this year.

    Mr. Thanavath of the Thai Chamber of Commerce University said falling retail oil prices and a rebound on the Thai stock market have also helped improve sentiment.

    However, he noted that while the university believes the country’s economy might have bottomed out, its growth outlook remains fragile.

    The government has forecast the Thai economy will grow between 2.7% to 3.2% in 2015.

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  • SingPost’s Q2 profit up 38.5% at S$53.4 million

    SingPost’s Q2 profit up 38.5% at S$53.4 million

    Postal services firm Singapore Post (SingPost) yesterday reported a 38.5 per cent surge in net profit for its fiscal second quarter, boosted by divestment gains and continued growth in its logistics and e-commerce businesses.

    Net profit amounted to S$53.4 million for the three months ended Sept 30, up from S$38.6 million in the corresponding period a year earlier, SingPost said. Revenue increased 19.4 per cent year-on-year to S$263.2 million.

    The nation’s postman said revenue from its traditional mail business dropped by 5.6 per cent year-on-year to S$116.5 million, following the divestment of DataPost. Excluding the impact of the divestment, mail revenue remained stable, said SingPost.

    Logistics revenue rose by 43.3 per cent to S$156.1 million on the back of growing contributions from e-commerce activities and the inclusion of new subsidiaries. Revenue from the retail and e-commerce segment was 7.1 per cent higher at S$23.9 million.

    SingPost chief executive Wolfgang Baier said the company will continue its push into the two areas of logistics and e-commerce to drive growth. “Mail volumes are coming down domestically and regionally, and we look at other fronts to compensate,” he said.

    Last week, SingPost unveiled plans to develop, by mid-2017, a S$150 million e-commerce retail mall, a Singapore first that will combine bricks-and-mortar shops and online shopping.

    Other key developments in recent months included Alibaba buying an additional 5 per cent stake in SingPost for S$187.1 million to raise its shareholding to 14.5 per cent. The Chinese e-commerce giant also announced it would invest up to S$92 million for a 34 per cent stake in Quantium Solutions International, a SingPost subsidiary that provides e-commerce logistics in the Asia-Pacific region.

    In September, SingPost used a drone to deliver a packet containing a letter and a T-shirt from Lorong Halus to Pulau Ubin in about five minutes.

    It said the trial marked the first time a postal service in the world had successfully used an unmanned aerial vehicle for “point-to-point recipient-authenticated mail delivery”.

    In October, SingPost entered into conditional agreements to acquire majority stakes in logistics provider Jagged Peak and end-to-end e-commerce firm TradeGlobal Holdings for about S$22.5 million and S$236 million, respectively. “As SingPost continues its transformation to build a strong second wing in the e-commerce logistics space, the focus in the coming months will be on post-merger integration and extracting synergies from its new acquisitions,” the group said.

    SingPost shares fell 0.3 per cent to close at S$1.89 yesterday ahead of the results announcement. Angela Teng