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Tag: asia

  • Metro China expands into Deyang

    Metro China expands into Deyang

    Metro China has opened its eighth wholesale store in West China.

    The new outlet is located in Deyang, Sichuan, described as the “Heavy Duty Equipment Capital” of China.

    “Deyang is a center for manufacturing, and the local economy has seen phenomenal growth in the past few years.” said Jeroen de Groot, president of Metro China.

    “Aiming to be the Champion for Independent Business, Metro China is well positioned to support Deyang’s growing number of small and medium-sized businesses by providing high-quality and safe products, as well as professional solutions and excellent services.”

    Metro entered West China in 2001 by opening two stores in Chongqing and Chengdu. The company opened its second store in Chongqing in 2013, which is also the wholesaler’s 750th store worldwide. With the opening of the Deyang store, Metro will introduce its Cash & Carry new store concept, meanwhile its online store will also open to local customers on the same day to better meet their needs.

    True to the wholesaler’s commitment to local sourcing, Metro has built close relationships with local suppliers through deep roots established in Sichuan over the past years. Hengdu Beef and Luzhou Langjiu Liquor are among the best-selling products in Metro stores throughout the year. Local vegetables and fruits in Sichuan, including kiwifruit, lemon and mango, are purchased and distributed to Metro stores nationwide through Metro’s professional logistics system to provide authentic Sichuan flavor to the customers.

    The new store has a sales area of nearly 5500 sqm, offering more than 19,200 items.

    A feature of Metro Deyang is the coldness in food related display areas, reflecting the importance of the cold chain to food freshness and high quality. The store has multi-temperature areas to meet the demand of different products, such as 0 Celsius – 4 Celsius for fresh meat, 5 Celsius – 7 Celsius for dairy products, etc. If customers want to walk into the cold storage areas to select products, they may borrow clean cotton-padded jackets, considerately prepared by the store for customers’ convenience.

    The store also sells a wide range of non-food products, including Seasonal, Kitchen, Cooking & Table, Apparel, Office & Media, and Business & Home Care, satisfying customers’ various needs.

    To meet expectations of the customers, especially small and independent businesses, Metro Deyang store adopts a wholesale pricing scheme. On top of the already competitive shelf prices, customers receive five per cent off if they buy three of the same item, and up to 20 per cent off on six of the same on selected items, truly buying more with better prices.

    The new store features a Metro Cafe, Welfare & Gifting Showroom, Express Delivery, scan pole, information counter and complimentary in-store WiFi.

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  • Migros to sell private label in Japan

    Migros to sell private label in Japan

    Swiss retailer Migros is to sell private label products into two Japanese retail chains.

    Switzerland’s largest grocer, and one of the world’s 40 largest supermarket chains, is to sell lines to Lawson’s Seijo Ishii stores and Seiyu, which is Walmart’s Japan business.

    According to the Nikkei Asian Review, Migros will start with 16 premium products including Swiss Delice biscuits and iced tea, which will go on sale in 400 supermarkets trading under the Seiyu and Seijo Ishii banners.

    By 2020, Migros hopes to expand the range to 300 items, including desserts, snacks, cosmetics and skincare products, projecting sales of US$16 million annually.

    Retail research house IGD describes the move as “particularly surprising” for Seiyu, whose range already includes private label lines from Walmart’s own network, including Asda’s Extra Special wines.

    IGD describes Japan as “the most sophisticated private label market in Asia,” with strong players including Seven & I, Aeon, FamilyMart and Lawson.

    “These retailers are exploring the higher margin opportunities that premium private label ranges offer, focusing development around high quality, special ingredients and unique products.”

    Those ranges include Seven Gold and FamilyMart’s Platinum Line.

    But IGD says European influenced products are likely to appeal to shoppers’ increasingly cosmopolitan tastes, and the early line-up includes items which are mutually popular in the Swiss and Japanese markets: ice cream and iced tea.

    “Migros follows in the footsteps of European retailers Waitrose and Carrefour, whose private label products are already available in Japan through partnerships with Aeon.”

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  • Keepers pop up showcases Singapore design

    Keepers pop up showcases Singapore design

    Singapore Designer Collective has opened a pop up store at Singapore Changi Airport to showcase local design.

    The 21 sqm Keepers store, in Changi Airport’s Terminal 1 departure hall, features works from 11 Singapore designers and will remain open until January 7.

    A previous pop up was located at Orchard Green.

    On display are fashion items from Ayesha and Matter; jewellery from Carrie K, Saught and Marilyn Tan Jewellery; handmade candles from A Dose of Something; leathergoods from Lingwu, Gnome & Bow and Extreme Exotic; and watches from HyperGrand.

    “Having a second location at the airport will help to fast-track our local designers’ footprint to a global audience,” said Carolyn Kan, founder and designer of Carrie K and co-organiser of Keepers.

    Lynette Lee, who is CEO of Textile & Fashion Federation and another co-founder of Keepers, said the group chose Changi after noticing about half its customers at Orchard Green were tourists.

    “This is very encouraging as it shows that tourists and local shoppers alike are keen on purchasing items by Singapore designers,” she said.

    “With Keepers at Changi Airport providing an accessible platform for local designers to showcase their work, we hope more overseas visitors will become advocates of Singapore designers.”

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  • Carrefour China sales slip

    Carrefour China sales slip

    French-headquartered retailer Carrefour says its Asian sales rose 13 per cent in the second quarter of this year.

    But Carrefour China struggled during the quarter, its sales down 11.4 per cent measured organically and 12.3 per cent on same store sales basis.

    The overall Asia figure benefited from a positive currency effect, with organic sales down 8.6 per cent.

    In Taiwan, sales grew for the second consecutive quarter, both same store and organic sales rose, by 2.1 per cent and 1.4 per cent respectively.

    The company said the China market was affected by slowing consumption nationwide.

    “We are continuing the roll-out of our action plan in the country,” the company said in its sales statement.

    That plan includes enhancing its logistics and distribution centers in Mainland China over the next two years. After opening new centers in Kunshan in June 2014 and Chengdu last April, Carrefour China plans two more in Wuhan, Hubei, and another in Beijing serving the capital and the Tianjin region this year.

    Two more will follow in 2016 serving the northeast and South China regions.

    Carrefour says when complete its six center distribution network will be the best in China’s retail industry, based on scale and speed to market. The centres will use advanced voice-picking technology.

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  • Uniqlo denies video role

    Uniqlo denies video role

    Beijing police have arrested five people they say played a role in the filming of a video of a couple having sex in a Uniqlo fitting room in China’s capital.

    The sheer number of people involved in the video, which has gone viral on social media networks around the world, has raised speculation the apparel retailer was somehow involved behind the scenes in engineering the video as a publicity stunt.

    But the company has strenuously denied it had anything to do with the one minute long production, or endorses it. And such a viral campaign certainly does not fit with the company’s ethical positioning or its record of community involvement and sponsorships.

    Some Chinese media say the police “suspect that the case may possibly be a publicity stunt by Uniqlo”, one going so far as to quote a Beijing lawyer saying the company could face a fine of between 200,000 and 1 million RMB (US$32,000 and $165,000) and have its trading licence revoked if it was found to be involved.

    In a statement (not issued through Uniqlo’s normal media media channels) Uniqlo reportedly condemned the filming.

    Since the video was uploaded, attracting attention from news organisations worldwide, the Sanlitun flagship in which it was filmed has become something of a tourist attraction, with people posing for photographs outside.

    The young couple who had reportedly “only just met” were quickly identified via social media and have become celebrities on Chinese social media networks, albeit they have now reportedly been arrested and charged with indecency.

    From censored stills posted online by news media outlets, the video appears to have been filmed entirely by mobile phone. So the involvement of an additional three people is puzzling unless they were responsible for its spread or reposting, rather than production as reported in China.

    Meanwhile, Chinese authorities have summoned representatives of Tencent and Weibo to discuss how the video was so widely shared and viewable on its networks. Chinese law prohibits pornography.

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  • China retail sales stabilise

    China retail sales stabilise

    China retail sales growth is stabilising.

    Figures from the National Bureau of Statistics show a 10.4 per cent year on year growth rate in the first half of 2015, to US$2.32 trillion.

    That rate is a negligible 0.2 percentage points lower than the rate seen in the first quarter.

    In the latest month, June, retail sales rose by 10.6 per cent, half a percentage point ahead of May.

    The biggest mover was the catering sector, which recorded an 11.5 per cent year on year rise in the first six months of 2015. ‘Other consumer products’ was the next best performing category with growth of 10.3 per cent.

    Online retail sales soared 39.1 per cent.

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  • Take Flight at Sky on 57

    Take Flight at Sky on 57

    A brand new entertainment venue has opened in Singapore: Flight at Sky on 57  a new lounge experience atop Marina Bay Sands.

    The integrated resort has transformed its outdoor terraces into a “contemporary lounge experience” called Flight, making the most of the million-dollar views at the Sands Skypark restaurant and the culinary artistry of Chef Justin Quek.

    Now the lounge also offers a unique bar program by award-winning mixologist Lucas Swallows.

    Sky on 57 is one of a collection of celebrity chef restaurants in the Marina Bay Sands complex, most of which are assembled in the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands retail mall closer to the ground.

    The lounge describes the new venue as “sophisticated and playfully provocative”.

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  • Kappa China sales soar

    Kappa China sales soar

    Kappa China sportswear brand sales are soaring in the Mainland.

    China Dongxiang, the Kappa sportswear and accessories brand’s Chinese rights owner, has reported a 21.5 per cent year-on-year same-store sales growth in China for the second quarter of 2015.

    There were 1231 Kappa retail stores trading at the end of the quarter, a net increase of 21 stores over six months.

    And Kappa’s trade orders also posted double digit growth.

    Chen Yihong, chairman, CEO and executive director of China Dongxiang, described the retail trading result as “spectacular” saying they were the result of efforts to streamline the company’s brands and business, sales and supply-chain models. China Dongxiang, listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, designs, develops, markets and wholesales of branded sportswear in China.

    Currently, China Dongxiang owns all rights to the internationally renowned Kappa brand in China, Macau and Japan.

    The company believes the Kappa brand’s success in China is due to the products conveying “a vibrant, fashionable and youthful image hugely popular with China’s fast-growing base of consumers with potentially high spending powers”.

    China Dongxiang also owns Phenix, the most popular ski brand in Japan.

  • Tourists spend up at Great Singapore Sale

    Tourists spend up at Great Singapore Sale

    While this week’s retail sales figures data may have subdued expectations of Singapore’s retail sector, another set of figures just out will do little to change the mood.

    Spending data from MasterCard suggests the Great Singapore Sale has delivered a significant increase in retail spending by tourists, especially in the food and beverage sector.

    According to MasterCard, the value of goods and services spent by tourists using its cards rose 9.9 per cent year on year, to S$350.6 million during the first month of the promotion.

    The number of transactions rose 17.8 per cent to 2.01 million, compared with 1.7 million last year.

    But Singaporeans failed to respond. Spending by locals fell 12.7 per cent in 5.1 million transactions, about 7.2 per cent less than last year. Spending on Singapore-issued MasterCards represented about double the amount of tourists, or $684.9 million.

    By card origin, Australia was the biggest source of spending during the Great Singapore Sale period from May 29 to June 28, with $39.5 million splurged, mainly at restaurants.

    Malaysians were next, spending mainly on electronics, followed by Chinese in speciality retail stores and Japanese – up from sixth in 2014 – mostly on restaurant meals.

    So while local spending was disappointing the increased cashflow from offshore shows Singapore is retaining its regional appeal as a tourist destination.

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  • Swire unveils HKRI Taikoo Hui

    Swire unveils HKRI Taikoo Hui

    HKR International and Swire Properties  have jointly revealed the name of their Shanghai joint-venture project: HKRI Taikoo Hui.

    The large-scale mixed-use development formerly known as the Dazhongli project, is located on Nanjing Road (West), one of Shanghai’s major shopping thoroughfares, in the Jingan District of Puxi, Shanghai.  It will have a gross floor area of some 3.46 million sq ft (approximately 321,200 sqm) and comprise a retail mall, two office towers and three hotels/serviced apartments.

    It is served by three metro lines – the existing Line 2 and two planned Lines 12 and 13 due to open in 2015-2016. The development is also close to the Yanan and N-S Elevated Highways, providing good accessibility to downtown locations and Pudong and Hongqiao International Airports.

    “The project is poised to become a landmark development in the heart of Shanghai and will inject new excitement into the retail, dining and entertainment scene in the buzzing Nanjing Road (West) neighbourhood,” the two companies said in a statement.

    “As the founding partner of the project, we have come a long way since acquiring the Dazhongli site in 2002. With great pleasure, we announce the launch of HKRI Taikoo Hui together with Swire Properties, our partner since 2006,” said Cha Mou Zing Victor, deputy chairman & MD of HKR International.

    “We look forward to the imminent completion of the mixed-use commercial development, which is set to become the next focal point for business and leisure activities in Shanghai with its prime location and excellent connectivity.”

    Guy Bradley, Swire Properties CEO, said the project is being built in the most vibrant district of an amazing city and will be the last major development in the Jingan District.

    “We intend to make it a spectacular addition, and I am confident that HKRI Taikoo Hui will become a new lifestyle destination and a premium business address in Shanghai.”

    Hong Kong listed HKR International has diversified interests in real estate development and investment, property management, luxury hotels and serviced apartments, healthcare services and other investments in Hong Kong, Mainland China and across Asia.

    Also listed in Hong Kong, Swire Properties develops and manages commercial, retail, hotel and residential properties, with a particular focus on mixed-use developments in prime locations. Its properties include Taikoo Place, Cityplaza and Pacific Place.

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  • Duty free mall planned for Vientiane

    Duty free mall planned for Vientiane

    A consortium of Lao and Thai investors is building a shopping and hotel complex in Laos’ largest city, Vientiane as the two nations prepare for the new Asean Economic Community.

    The US$290 million project will be built on a 32 hectare site in downtown Vientiane. In the first stage a 37,000 sqm duty free mall will be built with tenancies for 200 brands.

    Stage two will include a larger shopping mall, a hotel, theme park and commercial buildings. A logistics and distribution centre is also planned.

    The first retail facility – to be called the Laos Duty Free Mall – is under construction already with an opening scheduled for February next year.

    Targeting Chinese, Thai and Lao shoppers, the centre is expected to draw about 10,000 customers a day.

    The project is being undertaken by BM Group, 51 per cent owned by Lao’s, including coffee and duty free business Dao-Heuang Group, and 49 per cent owned by Thai company Sayam International.

    BM Group is also planning four more duty free malls within four years in Laos: in Pakse, Vientiane, Savannakhet and Luang Prabang.

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  • Parkson HK to take over Singapore assets

    Parkson HK to take over Singapore assets

    Malaysia’s Parkson Holdings is to sell a 67.6 per cent stake in its Singapore-listed Parkson Retail Asia Ltd to its Hong Kong listed subsidiary Parkson Retail Group Ltd.

    The rearrangement of its assets will net it US$167.2 million, according to the financial press.

    The purpose of the exercise is to consolidate the retail business of the Singapore-based business, which operates in Southeast Asia, with the Hong Kong listed business which operates in China.

    All three companies predominantly trade in the department store business with their formats becoming increasingly aligned across markets.

    The move will also allow Parkson Holdings (Malaysia) to raise cash for investment in business expansion which has not been detailed as yet.

    Parkson is a subsidiary of the Lion Group, headed by Malaysian billionaire William Cheng.

  • Cold Stone Creamery to open in India, Sri Lanka

    Cold Stone Creamery to open in India, Sri Lanka

    US ice cream chain Cold Stone Creamery  is to open multiple stores in India and Sri Lanka.

    Parent Kahala Brands has partnered with Tablez Food Company, part of Lulu Group International, to open 40 locations in India over the next five years and five in Sri Lanka.

    The first Indian store will open by the end of the year at the Lulu Mall, a premier mall in Kochi and will be followed by more in Bangalore initially.

    “Tablez Food Company is a leading organisation in India and a perfect fit for the Cold Stone Creamery brand,” said Eddy Jimenez, senior VP of international operations and development at Kahala.

    “It specialises in unique, home-grown and international cuisines and has acquired the rights to many leading franchise concepts. Tablez Food Company is dedicated to seeking out concepts that bring inspiring experiences to their customers.”

    Lulu Group is diversified in retail, imports & exports, trading, shipping, IT, travel & tourism and education. Tablez currently operates multiple food and beverage brands across India, Sri Lanka and the UAE including Peppermill Indian cuisine, London Dairy, Galito’s Flamed Chicken, Famous Dave’s Barbecue and The Sugar Factory..

    “Cold Stone Creamery offers the best quality product and offers an amazing in-store experience that the international market has embraced for a number of years,” said Shafeena Yussuf Ali, Tablez Food Company chairperson.

    “We now want to bring this unique experience to the India and Sri Lanka markets where we strongly believe that people will embrace not only the quality of the product, but also the overall guest experience.

    “Over the next five years, Tablez Food Company plans to invest around $11-13 million in the Cold Stone Creamery business across India and Sri Lanka.”

    In Asia, Cold Stone Creamery has established store networks in Japan, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia. Last month it announced a partnership in Vietnam.

  • Burberry Hong Kong sales still falling

    Burberry Hong Kong sales still falling

    Burberry Hong Kong was the only apparent dampener on a solid quarter for the British luxury fashion retailer.

    Global retail revenue reached £407 million in the three months to June 30, representing an eight per cent increase, or 10 per cent at reported foreign exchange rates.

    But Hong Kong, where sales fell at a double-digit percentage rate, dragged the broader Asia-Pacific market down by the “low single-digit percentage”.

    “Mainland China comparable sales grew by a low single-digit percentage and Japan saw exceptional growth, albeit off a small base,” said Burberry in its sales statement issued Wednesday.

    Christopher Bailey, CEO and chief creative officer said Burberry was pleased with its underlying six per cent same store sales growth.

    “While mindful that the external environment remains challenging, we will continue to focus on growth opportunities across channels, regions and products, with exciting plans for the year ahead.”

    Bailey said the sales growth – outside Hong Kong – reflected the company’s ongoing emphasis on serving customers more effectively on and offline, and continued innovation in design and marketing – “particularly around the iconic, British-made products that performed so well in the period”.

    By region, there was double-digit percentage comparable sales growth in EMEIA, with strength from the travelling luxury customer in France, Italy and Spain in particular. The Americas delivered high single-digit percentage comparable growth, with footfall recovering through the quarter after a soft start.

    By product, heritage trench coats and cashmere scarves drove growth, as well as ponchos, an emerging key category for the brand.

    During the first quarter, Burberry opened five mainline stores and closed three. Openings included a new store in Brookfield Place, New York and relocations in the Mall of the Emirates, Dubai and Westfield White City, London. It also expanded its Regent Street flagship, adding an area dedicated to gifting.

  • Cath Kidston buys Japanese franchise

    Cath Kidston buys Japanese franchise

    UK-headquartered Cath Kidston says it will buy out its Japanese franchise business.

    Store leases and stock will transfer to a wholly owned subsidiary Cath Kidston Japan on September 1.

    The move brings to an end a four year partnership started in 2011 with Sanei International, a subsidiary of TSI Holdings.

    Japan accounts for 20 per cent of Cath Kidston’s global sales with four consecutive years of sales growth driven largely by the home, childrenswear and bags categories.

    Cath Kidston CEO Kenny Wilson said Japan is the brand’s biggest international market outside the UK and a key part of its business strategy to globalise the brand.

    “During 2016 we will celebrate our tenth anniversary since opening the first store in Tokyo and we see real opportunities to grow the brand even further across Asia.

    “This is a unique opportunity to take full control of the Japanese business. Sanei International has been a trusted franchise partner and we have worked successfully together, helping to grow the portfolio to over 30 stores. Our desire to buy, and Sanei’s decision to sell back the business, fitted perfectly with each other’s strategy,” said Wilson.

    “We are grateful to the Sanei management team in developing the business over the past four years. We have been delighted by the response of the Japanese staff to our decision to take full ownership of the stores.”

    Cath Kidston now has stores in 16 countries including China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Spain and France.

    In April this year, Cath Kidston opened its 200th overseas store in Beijing, China.