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Tag: asia

  • Ikano Centres to build drive-thru F&B facility next to Ikea Batu Kawan

    Ikano Centres to build drive-thru F&B facility next to Ikea Batu Kawan

    Building on the first phase opening in December last year, Ikano Centres, part of IKEA Southeast Asia, is excited to launch a new drive-thru concept next to IKEA Batu Kawan in North Malaysia. Focusing on food and beverage (F&B), the drive-thru will be the natural next phase in the development of its meeting place that embraces the new age of convenience.

    Expected to be fully operational by mid-2021, the drive-thru component will complement the current dine-in IKEA restaurant and F&B tenants. The latest addition will see more food options across the 200,744 square feet gross leasable area.

    “Malaysians have a great love for food and appreciate the convenience,” said Christian Roejkjaer, Managing Director of IKEA Southeast Asia & Mexico. “For many, drive-thrus have become a quintessential part of their lifestyle and may play a crucial role in our ‘new normal’. Building our first drive-thru concept in Batu Kawan is one way for us to create a safe and positive space for the community to come out and enjoy their favorite food.”

    IKEA Southeast Asia’s Shopping Centre and Mixed-Use Director, Christian Olofsson added, “We look forward to welcoming more partners that share the same community-spirit, to further build a retail destination that Malaysians and tourists will want to visit.”

    Ikano Centres is also pleased to welcome its first partner to complement the on-the-go concept – McDonald’s Malaysia. Taking up approximately 35,000 square feet space, the quick-service restaurant at Batu Kawan will be Penang’s 16th free-standing McDonald’s Malaysia outlet.

    According to Azmir Jaafar, Managing Director and Local Operating Partner of McDonald’s Malaysia, this outlet will reflect the iconic fun, bright and comfortable atmosphere that most Malaysians have come to love.

    “At McDonald’s Malaysia, we continue to cater to changing trends among customers who are increasingly seeking convenience, as well as fast and friendly service to complement their on-the-go lifestyles. We are excited to expand our drive-thru footprint to Batu Kawan, where customers can now enjoy ‘feel-good-moments’ just by conveniently driving by and ordering their favorite meals from a McDonald’s restaurant window,” said Azmir.

    Also, Ikano Centres is in dialogue with petrol station operators to meet the high demand within the growing township of Aspen Vision City in Batu Kawan.

    The latest anchored-by-IKEA commercial development is a joint-venture between IKEA Southeast Asia and Malaysia’s Aspen Group to develop Aspen Vision City, transforming Batu Kawan into an iconic hub in the Northern region of Malaysia.

    “Batu Kawan’s development has been tremendously progressing towards becoming the third satellite city of Penang. We are elated to welcome another well-known international brand, McDonald’s to Aspen Vision City’s (AVC) neighborhood. As a globally famous quick-service restaurant chain, their presence in AVC will surely be a crowd-puller, which also caters to a workforce of approximately 16,000 at the Batu Kawan Industrial Park.

    Earlier this year, we also saw students joining the newly launched The Ship Campus as well as the University of Wollongong KDU Batu Kawan Campus. Other projects to be completed are Vertu Resort, Vivo Executive Apartment, and Viluxe with 3,132 units of residential units which will add traction to AVC,” said Dato’ Murly Manokharan, President & Group CEO of Aspen Group.

    Within the region, IKEA Southeast Asia owns and operates five shopping centers anchored by IKEA. Both the blue-box home-furnishing stores and its meeting places are committed to serving the evolving needs of millions of visitors to create a better everyday life for many people.

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  • Amazon reveals Singapore date for Prime Day

    Amazon reveals Singapore date for Prime Day

    After a delay of a few months, Amazon has officially confirmed when its Prime Day shopping event is taking place. Amazon Prime Day 2020 will, once again, actually run for two days. Following a postponement from the usual mid-July period, the first discounts will launch at 00:01 on Tuesday, October 13, with offers running until 23:59 on Wednesday, October 14.

    It’s been confirmed that Prime Day will run on these dates in the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Luxembourg, Singapore, UAE, Mexico, China and Japan. First-time Prime Day events in Turkey and Brazil will also run on October 13 and 14.

    The annual sale, which first happened in 2015, usually features a selection of spotlight deals running for either 24 hours or (as was the case for some products during 2019’s two-day event) 48 hours, plus shorter flash sales which may only last for a few hours. Discounts are available across a broad variety of departments – home, fashion, beauty, tech and much more.

    Prime Day is, as you’ve probably guessed from the name, exclusive to Amazon Prime members.

    An Amazon Prime subscription costs £7.99 per month, or £79 per year, for UK customers, and the perks that come with it include free delivery, Prime Video access (with content ranging from original TV shows like The Boys to selected live Premier League football games), unlimited music streaming, and Prime Reading, which features a regularly-rotating selection of books and magazines.

    This year, you can also take advantage of an offer where if you spend £10 with selected small businesses in the run-up to Prime Day, you can claim £10 credit to spend on October 13 or 14. Terms apply, and more details about the pre-Prime Day small business promotion are available here.

    It’s been a busy few days for Amazon, with the announcement of an all-new Echo range (including a sphere-shaped Echo Dot) and new Fire TV sticks.

    The company, which already owns Twitch, also recently unveiled its own gaming streaming service called Luna.

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  • Shopee launching premium portal Shopee launches Shopee Premium, an exclusive destination for premium brands to connect with digital-first shoppers

    Shopee launching premium portal Shopee launches Shopee Premium, an exclusive destination for premium brands to connect with digital-first shoppers

    Shopee’s press release said the Mall offers 100 percent authenticity guarantee, free shipping and 15 days return on all products, with an additional wave of unbeatable deals and promotions during the grand launch.

    Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, has officially launched ‘Shopee Mall’, a new dedicated portal featuring thousands of products sold by leading brands and Shopee’s top sellers, revealed the press statement.

    The Mall will give users direct access to a variety of prominent brands such as Loreal, Unilever, Huawei, Nestle, Phillips and many more. All products on Shopee Mall come with 15 Days Return Policy, 100 percent Authenticity Guarantee, and Free Shipping nationwide.

    Terence Pang, chief operating officer of Shopee said that following the tremendous growth of Shopee Thailand in the recent years, it has taken a major step to officially launch Shopee Mall as a way to cement our position as the one-stop-shopping platform of choice in the market, and also to expand and diversify our product assortment to cater to users all across Thailand.

    “Moving forward, Shopee will continue to establish more strategic partnerships with leading brands, and to work closely with them to further provide an unprecedented choice of products and services to enhance users’ overall shopping experience, and to drive forward the growth of Thailand’s e-commerce industry.”

    The Mall was conceptualized to solve shoppers’ concerns about product authenticity, which is a major concern among buyers when shopping online. The newly launched portal caters to the demands of Thai shoppers where they can shop for their favorite brands and products from the brand owners themselves.

    Additionally, with more Thai brands embracing e-commerce, Shopee Mall provides a platform for traditional brands and retailers to tap on to expand their digital presence, according to the statement.

    This reflects Shopee’s commitment to constantly innovating and enhancing its platform, features, and services to adapt to the rapidly-changing e-commerce scene and consequently, the needs of users.

    To identify the product listings, shoppers can look out for the distinctive red ‘Mall’ label while browsing. Shopee ensures a premium online shopping experience with the following benefits:

    15 Days Return Policy: Shoppers can enjoy hassle-free returns within 15 days at zero cost for all Shopee Mall products.

    100% Authenticity Guarantee: Serves to eliminate buyer concerns about product authenticity. Any shopper who receives a counterfeit product when purchasing from Shopee Mall is entitled to a 200% refund.

    Free Shipping nationwide: Shoppers can enjoy greater cost savings with free shipping nationwide on every order, subject to a minimum spend of 200 baht.

    Get ready for a series of super deals and promotions during Shopee Mall Grand Launch

    During Shopee Mall Grand Launch campaign happening from 5 to 11 March, users can look forward to endless irresistible deals including multiple daily flash sales, discounts of up to 80% off, surprise voucher codes and up to 12% Shopee coins cashback across all product categories on Shopee.

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  • DHL Global Forwarding connects China-Amsterdam-US-South Korea with dedicated service

    DHL Global Forwarding connects China-Amsterdam-US-South Korea with dedicated service

    DHL Global Forwarding has launched an air freight charter connecting Asia Pacific to Europe and the US to meet demand from customers in the technology, manufacturing, and life science and healthcare sectors. Managed by StarBroker, DHL Global Forwarding’s in-house charter team, the twice-weekly charter originates from Chongqing, China, and flies to Amsterdam, Netherlands; Chicago, United States; and Incheon, South Korea before returning to China.

    Thomas Mack, head of global air freight DHL Global Forwarding said, “While some passenger airlines have resumed operations, the situation in the air freight market remains volatile – especially as belly capacity is still tight. DHL Global Forwarding’s top priority is to provide our customers with sufficient and reliable air freight capacity. Not only are the resilient, agile, and reliable supply chains of highest importance for an economic recovery, but also in preparation for the availability of vaccines and other essential medical supplies during the pandemic.”

    South Korea has seen its export of healthcare products rise year-on-year by 26.7 percent in the first half of 2020, with pharmaceutical goods in particular increasing by 52.5 percent. China has exported 28.5 percent more medical devices in the first five months of the year as compared to a year ago. In 2019, China, the Netherlands, and the United States were among the top ten importers and exporters of medical goods.

    “Over the years, DHL has built up its expertise from globally certified facilities and staff to technologies that track shipments in real-time in addition to ensuring the integrity of such products throughout their journey. Getting the much-needed air capacity is the last piece in the value chain puzzle, so to speak, that ensures temperature-sensitive products such as life-saving vaccines reach the communities-in-need,” added Mack.

    In a recently published white paper, DHL together with McKinsey & Company as an analytics partner explores the logistics challenges for vaccines and medical goods during Covid-19. To provide global coverage of Covid-19 vaccines, up to 200,000 pallet shipments and 15 million deliveries in cooling boxes as well as 15,000 flights will be required across the various supply chain set-ups.

    DHL Global Forwarding has a global network of facilities that meet the European Union’s Good Distribution Practice (GDP) guidelines for life science and healthcare supply chains. The leading international provider of air, sea, and road freight services has a suite of temperature-controlled freight solutions such as DHL Air Thermonet and DHL LifeConEx that allows real-time visibility and active monitoring for the movement of goods that could include medicines, supplements, vaccines, medical devices, and diagnostic equipment.

    To meet the growing demand for imports of temperature-controlled and high-technology goods into Australia, DHL Global Forwarding will also launch a new airfreight charter on September 23. Flying four times a week, the charter will consolidate goods from Europe, China and Singapore in Hong Kong before transporting them to Sydney, Australia.

    In April 2020, DHL Global Forwarding tapped on its network of life science and healthcare facilities, temperature-controlled solutions and customs clearance expertise to fly more than 1.3 million Covid-19 test kits from South Korea to Brazil, Ecuador, India, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Saudi Arabia. The freight forwarder also launched a dedicated 100-ton weekly air freight service for organizations and governments shipping health and medical-related items and other goods from China to the Middle East and Africa.

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  • AirAsia to raise capital to fund AirAsia Digital

    AirAsia to raise capital to fund AirAsia Digital

    Airasia Group is looking into raising capital to fund its digital arm AirAsia Digital to further diversify revenue stream for the group. Group CEO Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes said AirAsia Digital is the group’s “next phase” and aims to be a new kind of travel technology company in the region through the strength of its assets and access to talents.

    “Our aim is to be an ASEAN super app, our strength is in ASEAN. Obviously, we have accelerated this plan in this post-Covid-19 world,” he told reporters in a media briefing in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

    Previously known as RedBeat Ventures Sdn Bhd upon launch in 2018, AirAsia Digital leverages the group’s physical and digital assets to create an ecosystem of businesses that connect with its customers in their everyday life.

    It comprises three main pillars — venture builder, RedBeat Academy, and data center. Venture builder is dedicated to incubating and growing strategic businesses that focus on logistics and e-commerce and financial services. It includes its five portfolio companies AirAsia.com, Teleport, BigPay, BIGLIFE, and Santan.

    RedBeat Academy trains and produces a steady pool of digital experts to fill and boost the talent gaps in ASEAN, while the data center is a data consultancy department that provides a range of services including data governance, data engineering, and various types of analytics.

    Asked about the company’s strategy against competitors and to fit into an ASEAN market such as Indonesia, Fernandes said they are there to complement the market instead of competing.

    “In the same way that AirAsia is much smaller than Lion Air, but we fitted into that market. We are nowhere near the size of Gojek but again, AirAsia is not about being dominant in one country, it’s about providing an Asian product and serving the market,” he said.

    Fernandes said the business will seek venture capital or other investors to grow the user base of the super app, similar to how AirAsia raised its capital.

    “AirAsia’s first capital was raised with private equity money while the second capital was from our IPO. We will do the same.

    “We built the super app in our own capital just like we built AirAsia. We have some debt capital coming in that has been secured for part of the group including Teleport and Santan,” he added.

    He added low-cost airlines will bounce back faster than their premium counterparts in the current economic climate as people will look for value at affordable fares.

    Additionally, Fernandes mentioned AirAsia’s digital and logistics company Teleport which operates its cargo delivery.

    “We are a fantastically strong cargo operator, the strongest cargo operator in Asia, only Singapore Airlines have more tonnage than us but that’s because they fly to Europe and the US but there are no airlines that fly to all the destinations that we fly.

    “We’ve been cleared now and we are able to carry all kinds of cargo that we weren’t able to do before, so we are not far away from the DHL’s and FDex’s of the world,” said Fernandes.

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  • Vivid pop up for Moncler opens in Macau’s Galaxy mall

    Vivid pop up for Moncler opens in Macau’s Galaxy mall

    Just in time for the fall fashion season, The Promenade Shops at Galaxy Macau™ is pleased to announce the arrival of Moncler Genius Galaxy Macau Pop-Up. From now till 17 October at the Pearl Lobby, the exclusive Pop-Up will catch the debut of the first-in-Macau launch of Moncler Palm Angels – communicate with the other five Moncler Genius collections which were presented in Milan Fashion Week in February. The Pop-up will also feature the exclusive Moncler’s highly anticipated The Yellow collection.

    Moncler Genius Galaxy Macau Pop-Up redefines the concept of temporary space and reserve an unprecedented Moncler experience for the guests, re-writing the rules of the single-brand which becomes a specialty store. Designed with an all-round curatorial approach, the Pop-up is designed as interactive spaces animated by special activities to establish a close and comprehensive connection with the metropolitan context. The space features mirror stainless steel for the walls, and yellow neon light for the ceilings or the interiors. Viewing from the top of the space, the structure perfectly delineates the Moncler Genius Building with the numbers marking 1 to 8.

    “We are thrilled to host the latest collection of one of the most fashion-forward projects,” said Hazel Wong, Senior Vice President of Retail for Galaxy Macau. “The Moncler Genius Galaxy Macau Pop-Up represents an opportunity for sophisticated shoppers to experience exciting collaborations between an iconic brand and some of the fashion world’s most creative talents, with a combination of aesthetic and technical innovations. In addition to traditional luxury fashion, our shoppers can always find constant freshness, new trends with exclusive, first-in-Macau offerings at The Promenade Shops.”

    “Today’s world has changed enormously,” said Remo Ruffini, Chairman, and CEO of Moncler. “Communication has been totally revolutionized. The consumer wants to see something new every day and expects new shapes and languages to interact with a brand. Moncler Genius represents the way in which the brand projects into the future. A future that starts now”.

    Moncler Palm Angels is the eighth collaboration under the Moncler Genius project, a hub where exceptional creative talents work together to cultivate fresh new visions of the Moncler identity. Announced during Milan Fashion Week in February, Moncler Genius pursues a vision of “One House, Different Voices”. Each Moncler Genius project focuses on the classic Moncler down jacket, approaching the duvet experimentally while keeping function at the core of exploration. As a result, the creative soul of each project morphs with the Moncler soul for a new identity that is truly authentic.

    Moncler Artistic Director Francesco Ragazzi is also Palm Angels’ Designer. Milan-born Francesco Ragazzi started Palm Angels in 2011 as photographic documentation of skater culture in Los Angeles, Ragazzi later evolved the concept into a clot-ing line in 2015. For Moncler Palm Angels, Ragazzi turns his photographer’s eye toward imbuing Moncler’s trademark sportswear and down jackets with key elements of authentic skater subculture. Ragazzi will present and celebrate the exclusive launch of Moncler Palm Angels at Moncler Genius Galaxy Macau Pop-up on 6 Oct.

    Guests visiting the Moncler Genius Galaxy Macau Pop-Up with 6 out of the 8 Moncler Genius collections including 2 Moncler 1952, 4 Moncler Simone Rocha, 5 Moncler Craig Green, 6 Moncler Noir Kei Ninomiya and 7 Moncler Fragment Hiroshi Fujiwara and 8 Moncler Palm Angels, will also be able to explore The Yellow collection exclusively available at the pop-up. It is based on one-shot products and limited-edition cult items distinguished by yellow and black which define the communication of Moncler Genius. Items include T-shirts, knitwear caps, belt bags, feather down gilets, and more.

    Starting this season and continuing through the winter, shoppers are the first to see new stores, products, and café society destinations that have recently arrived to The Promenade Shops and are one-of-a-kind in Macau. They are the first to hear about the exclusive new brands and
    collections coming soon to The Promenade Shops. They are also the first to experience branded pop-up shops.

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  • Hong Kong investor eyes Clarks stake

    Hong Kong investor eyes Clarks stake

    Clarks has reportedly seen a Hong Kong-based investor join the list of bidders interested in a majority stake in the retailer, as it seeks to refinance amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Private equity firm Lion Rock is one of two remaining bidders for the 195-year-old footwear retailer. If the deal goes ahead, it could end two centuries of majority family ownership at Clarks. Discussions about a deal are expected to conclude in the next month and are said to include a rival bid from Alteri Investors.

    Moreover, the Clark family is likely to retain an equity stake in the business, which may be reduced to less than 50 percent – depending on the discussions.

    Clarks first revealed discussions about a share sale back in May, with around £100 million and £150 million likely to be injected into the business as part of any deal. The company’s chief executive Giorgio Presca said at the time that its new strategy ‘Made to Last’ will aim to transform it amid the pandemic.

    Clarks said at the time that the strategy will result in 900 job losses and 200 new roles. The retailer said it is “currently reviewing options to best position our business, our people and the Clarks brand for future long-term growth”. A string of accountancy firms is working on a restructuring of Clarks as it continues to struggle with trading amid the pandemic.

    The chain’s family shareholders have drafted in KPMG to advise them, while Deloitte has been hired by the management team. PwC had been appointed by a syndicate of the footwear chain’s lenders as they assess the Covid-19 impact on its prospects. Meanwhile, investment bank Rothschild is also advising the company.

    Clarks trades from about 345 stores in the UK, employing thousands of people, but has denied that it will be exploring a CVA. The retailer has furloughed thousands of its store staff under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

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  • DHL Express launches Hong Kong-Mexico service

    DHL Express launches Hong Kong-Mexico service

    DHL Express Mexico recently launched a Hong Kong-Los Angeles-Guadalajara-Mexico City route. DHL officials said the six-day-a-week flight will increase cargo capacity between Asia and Mexico by 50 tons per flight, adding more than 20% of capacity to its daily operation.

    “We are launching this flight because we believe there will be a very strong need for capacity in the coming months,” said Antonio Arranz, CEO of DHL Express Mexico, in a release. “In 2021 the theme, the challenge in logistics, will be capable, and we are preparing for it.

    Arranz said the new flight will also help reduce transport times of goods from Asia to North America by avoiding a stopover at the DHL Express Americas Hub

    Cargo from Asia would stop in Cincinnati, then be dispersed on evening flights to Guadalajara and Mexico City. The new flight allows cargo from Hong Kong to connect in Los Angeles, to Guadalajara and finish in Mexico City on the same day.

    The new route will also reduce delivery times to the Mexican cities of Tepic, Guadalajara, and Colima. A 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighter will be used for the flight, with a range of 3,000 nautical miles and a maximum takeoff weight of 412,000 pounds. Arranz said the Hong Kong-Los Angeles-Guadalajara-Mexico cargo flight will create 80 jobs along the DHL Express supply chain.

    “It will promote cross-border trade and intercontinental delivery, and at the same time, help support the reactivation of Mexico’s economy,” Arranz said.

    DHL Express is the air and ground express unit of German transport and logistics giant Deutsche Post DHL. DHL Express announced on Friday it was raising its U.S. rates for 2021. The new U.S. rate will be 4.9%, effective Jan. 1. The company will provide additional rate details, including any add-on fees known in the parcel-delivery trade as “accessorials,” no later than mid-October, according to a release. The rate increases are for tariff or published, rates. Contract rates will differ depending on the specific customer.

    An El Paso, Texas-based confectionery manufacturer is opening a state-of-the-art facility in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Mount Franklin Foods’ 220,000-square-foot candy factory will be in San Jeronimo — a port of entry in Chihuahua across the border from Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Mount Franklin Foods new factory in Mexico will create 300 jobs.

    The new facility will create 300 jobs when the plant becomes fully operational by the end of 2021. The factory will provide additional production capacity for soft candy items, such as gummies and jellies.

    Mount Franklin, which was founded in 1907, manufactures a variety of candy and nut products for the retail and food industries. The company operates seven manufacturing facilities and three distribution centers across North America.

    Texas port sending liquid C02 to Mexico
    Port Freeport recently announced a new partnership between Cemex and Union Pacific to transport liquid carbon dioxide (C02) from the port to customers in Mexico.

    Port Freeport is a major deep-water seaport located in Freeport, Texas. It is located around an hour south of Houston on the Gulf of Mexico.

    According to a release, Cemex will translote the liquid C02 from tanker trucks into rail cars while Union Pacific arranges the transport of the loaded cars to their destination in Mexico.

    The liquid C02 will then be converted into its naturally occurring gaseous state and used in various applications, including the manufacturing of carbonated beverages.

    “Port Freeport’s recent investment in new rail infrastructure on parcel 14 has garnered the attention of many multinational companies,” said Phyllis Saathoff, the port’s executive director and CEO. “Cemex’s partnership with Port Freeport represents our expanded export capabilities and will further develop the port’s relationship with our neighbors in Mexico.”

    Cemex is a Mexican multinational building materials company headquartered near Monterrey, Mexico.

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  • Giant Singapore cuts prices long term after store revamps

    Giant Singapore cuts prices long term after store revamps

    From today, supermarket chain Giant will lower the prices of 650 daily essentials for six months by 20 percent, on average. It will also refresh its brand, with its 53 Singapore stores incorporating new features including in-store bakeries and Guardian pharmacies.

    The price reduction is costing Giant around $17 million and is prompted by its consumer research found that cost of living concerns are top on people’s minds during the ongoing pandemic, said Dairy Farm’s chief executive officer for its South-east Asia food business Chris Bush yesterday.

    “The one thing that they told us loud and clear is they would like cheaper prices, they’d like greater value and they’d also like more stable prices, particularly on those essential products that they buy most often,” he told reporters during a media conference.

    The price reductions will apply to products across Giant’s own brands, fresh products as well as national brands like Dove. Vannamei prawns, for example, will be sold for $1 per 100g, down from $1.89 previously. A box of 50 green tea bags by OSK will retail for $5, down from $6.95. About 2,000 new products have also been added to Giant’s stores, along with such features as $1 zones and stalls selling fried chicken.

    Only its hypermarkets in Tampines and IMM will have the full range of new offerings, owing to space constraints. Giant’s move to make essentials more affordable follows FairPrice’s price freeze of 100 house brand items, which began in March last year and will run until the end of this year.

    Asked if it was influenced by FairPrice’s price freeze and foray into the hypermarket format, Mr Bush said Giant’s plans are based on customer feedback and not a response to any particular competitor.

    The closure of several of Giant’s bigger stores in recent years – including those at VivoCity and Parkway Parade – are part of the group’s normal business review and leasing arrangements, he added.

    “Every now and again, unfortunately, we need to close some stores, but at the same time, we open a lot of stores. So I wouldn’t read anything more into that.”

    Beyond the physical revamp, Giant is also working on improving store operations, hygiene standards, product availability and service levels, he said.

    The $17 million it will forgo in cutting prices is largely funded from the savings amassed from higher productivity and supply chain efficiencies, he added, declining to disclose the total cost of its rebranding exercise.

    Mr Lee Yik Hun, marketing director of South-East Asia Food at Dairy Farm Group, said Giant hopes to maintain the price reductions beyond the six-month commitment.

    “The only way we can do it is to get the volume and support from our customers and supplier partners,” he added.

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  • Bentley’s New Engineering Test Facility In UK Nears Completion

    Bentley’s New Engineering Test Facility In UK Nears Completion

    A new state-of-the-art engineering test facility, built at the headquarters of Bentley Motors in Crewe, UK, is nearing completion. In place of the traditional final beam marking the occasion, a native British Oak tree was planted by Members of the Bentley Board for Manufacturing and Engineering, laying down roots for the future. The engineering test facility is the latest phase in on-going development at the Pyms Lane site where all Bentleys are handcrafted. With topping out traditionally celebrated with the final construction beam being fitted, Bentley instead planted a tree to signify the company’s continued commitment to increasing sustainability and developing biodiversity around its site in Crewe.

    Dr. Matthias Rabe, Member of the Board for Engineering commented “This new facility will further enhance our already industry-leading, modern factory headquarters and will enable us to grow as we look towards the electrification of our model range. Additionally, and crucially, it will allow us the independence to test our own engines as we rapidly accelerate our journey towards electrification.”

    The facility will complete full internal construction and open in 2021, covering more than 4,600 square meters over two stories. There will also be a dedicated laboratory to run Real Driving Emissions (RDE) using the latest state-of-the-art portable emissions measurement systems. Bentley’s Technical Conformity department will be based in the test center, with over 100 people working in the building.

    The center will allow Bentley to meet increased consumer demand for its current range of ultra-luxury vehicles, including the performance-orientated Flying Spur, the Continental GT, and the New Bentayga. The British marque has already confirmed that it will offer hybrid or electric variants of all of its models by 2023. It will allow Bentley to carry out the latest WLTP fuel and efficiency test procedures more swiftly in-house.

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  • AirAsia adding services in super app

    AirAsia adding services in super app

    AirAsia Group announced on Thursday that it is building a super app off its existing mobile application and website to provide services such as e-commerce, delivery, and payments. The app is to be available next month in Thailand and ASEAN.

    AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes said the idea to build a super app came before the pandemic, but new revenue streams are desperately needed after most of AirAsia’s fleet has been grounded for months because of travel restrictions. The company suffered losses of US$238 million in the second quarter of this year.

    “This journey didn’t start during the pandemic but it was accelerated because of the outbreak,” Mr Fernandes said. “This is not a Plan B, this was always our Plan A, but we still think aviation will definitely come back.”

    The new platform will be accessible through AirAsia.com and AirAsia’s mobile app on Oct 8, including digital services under subsidiary AirAsia Digital.

    These services include BigPay, a digital payment app; Teleport, a wholly-owned logistics, e-commerce, and delivery business; and Santan, a food and beverage franchise. Mr Fernandes said these services are already earning revenue for AirAsia except for BigPay, which is in negotiations with regulators to set its rates.

    Teleport came to Thailand in 2019 through a joint venture, while BigPay is available in Thailand and can transfer money to Thai bank accounts. Santan is only available in Malaysia or on AirAsia flights.

    “AirAsia’s roots are from moving people from A to B and moving cargo from A to B, and that is the basis of AirAsia Digital and the basis for our platform AirAsia.com,” Mr Fernandes said.

    The app will also allow users to book hotels and flights (from airlines other than AirAsia) and offers a travel and lifestyle rewards program. The company ended its partnership with Expedia and is offering its own travel booking service.

    AirAsia’s new venture will face stiff competition from existing super apps Grab and Gojek, which are both spending billions in venture capital to expand their presence in Southeast Asia. Grab and Gojek are in talks for a merger, which if completed would create a virtual monopoly for ride-hailing and food delivery in Asean.

    Grab is valued at about $14 billion, while Gojek was valued last year at almost $10 billion. Neither company is publicly traded.

    AirAsia, which is listed on the Malaysian stock exchange, has a market capitalization of $624 million.

    “We are nowhere near the size of Grab or Gojek, but AirAsia’s not about being dominant in one country, but providing an Asean product,” Mr Fernandes said.

    The AirAsia app hopes to differentiate itself by leveraging the data it has collected from millions of passengers, while also stressing its cross-country appeal for cross-border travelers in Asean.

    “I don’t believe we are here to compete, but here to complement,” Mr Fernandes said. “Airlines always see us as competitors, but we complemented the full service and created a new market that was not there — before, only a few people could fly, now everyone can fly, and in the same way we will complement the market.”

    He said the platform will also be open to new partners and services, not just those owned directly by AirAsia Digital.

    Michael Araneta, associate vice-president of IDC Financial Insights, said traditional businesses like AirAsia can find success with a super app by leveraging existing customer bases and technical resources.

    “AirAsia has shifted to being a lifestyle company and already has spent considerably on developing technology,” he said. “The company might not need to invest a substantial additional amount to turn their tech offerings into a super app.”

    Users of AirAsia’s super app will benefit from usage points that convert to discount flights and other related partner services supporting its core business, Mr Araneta said.

    During a pandemic, users cannot take advantage of these flight privileges as much.

    Mr Araneta said a winning super app is one that leverages considerable real-time data and various partners to provide relevant benefits to its customer base.

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  • Alibaba Cloud Doubles Growth for Cloud-native Database Products

    Alibaba Cloud Doubles Growth for Cloud-native Database Products

    Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intellectual backbone of Alibaba Group, has seen the demand for its database family of products doubles year-over-year. The increment was fueled by industries’ growing needs to move their operation online given the lasting impacts of COVID-19. Alibaba Cloud is the third largest cloud computing company in the world, and its database technologies currently serve more than 100,000 companies globally.

    Mr Erwin Foo, Group Chief Technology Officer of PrestoMall said: “As one of the leading e-commerce players in Malaysia, we are constantly looking to adopt future proof and affordable solutions to enhance our platform and provide a more unique and remarkable experience for our customer. Due to the complexity of the e-commerce platforms, we need a reliable, robust, and scalable database that can enable the growth of our dynamic business without worrying too much about the infrastructure and support needed.”

    To support customers’ digital transformation journey, at the Apsara Conference 2020, Alibaba Cloud database team launched a series of new product and feature upgrades, which include a family of cloud-native database products covering OLTP, OLAP, NoSQL, tools and utility, and self-driving database platform. These products will provide a rich solution portfolio within the database eco-system for the complete cycle of data processing, storage, management, and analytics.

    Lindorm, the cloud-native multi-model database that used to support the Alibaba Group ecosystem, is first introduced to the market in order to benefit the wider Alibaba Cloud ecosystem and public customers. Lindorm is a cloud-native database, with affordable storage and flexible processing characteristics. It is suitable to be used by applications with massive processing requirements for a mixture of unstructured, semi-structured, and structured data. The application of Lindorm for enterprises is able to reduce the storage cost by 80% as compared with using conventional databases, with an availability guarantee of at least 99.99%.

    Alibaba Cloud’s self-proprietary cloud-native distributed database product PolarDB-X is upgraded with hybrid transaction/analytical processing and global secondary index for distributed data features. With the new upgrades, it is able to carry out high concurrent, massive online transaction requests, and at the same time, help online business to accelerate the complex analysis with efficient processing by 5 to 10 times. Companies that require extremely fast data and transaction processing functionalities such as the logistics platform is able to deploy PolarDB-X to meet its instant needs.

    Based on the storage and computing decoupled architecture, AnalyticDB (ADB) creates an automatic, flexible cloud-native data warehouse that is able to integrate online interactive analytics and offline computation operations. In addition, AnalyticDB MySQL (ADB MySQL) can meet the resource requirement of users’ workloads with its elasticity on time consumption, data storage, and group isolation to reduce cost and increase operational stability. With its multi-master and high concurrency “Laser” engine, ADB MySQL is able to power real-time computation needs with enterprise cost reduced by 50-80%.

    Cloud-native Data Lake Analytics (DLA) released upgraded features with its Serverless Spark to pull up 300 knots within 1 minute.  With serverless Presto and Spark computation engine, it provides enterprises with a one-stop (serverless) data lake platform that is efficient and easy to use with features such as one-click lake formation, metadata discovery, and management, and delta lake management. Both ADB and DLA have been successfully deployed in various industries including finance, manufacturing, retail, aviation, and logistics to help their digital transformation processes.

    “In the latest Gartner magic quadrant report, Gartner merged DMSA (Data Management Solution for Analytics) and OPDBMS (Operational DBMS) magic quadrants into a single Cloud DBMS magic quadrant, and this indicates where the future lies for database technology,” said Dr Feifei Li, President of Alibaba Cloud Database Products Business. “We want our customers to ride on the future trend, and we will continue to innovate and provide our customers with the best database technology so that together, we can build a solid foundation in their digital transformation process.”

    According to Gartner, cloud database would prevail in the near future and by 2023, 75% of all databases will be on a cloud platform. In its recent report entitled 2019 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Operational Database Management Systems, Alibaba Cloud Database was recognized as a player in the “Challengers” quadrant.

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  • BigPay gears up for regional expansion, with early access coming to Singapore users in coming weeks

    BigPay gears up for regional expansion, with early access coming to Singapore users in coming weeks

    BigPay is coming to Singapore, after 2 years of rapid growth with over 1 million users in Malaysia. The fast-growing Fintech is on an aggressive growth path and is getting ready to make its mobile money app and prepaid Visa card available to all Singapore residents in the coming weeks.

    “We quietly opened up our waiting list on the app earlier this year and already have 20,000 people ready to get early access” said Christopher Davison, Co-Founder and CEO. “People are turning to digital financial services and the pandemic has accelerated the need for fair and transparent alternatives to traditional banking – which is exactly what BigPay stands for.”

    Launched in 2018, BigPay has grown to be one of the largest e-money issuers in Malaysia by gross transaction value. The company’s business was unscathed by the global pandemic, showing strong growth in international money transfers and online spending thanks to the worldwide acceptance of its card. BigPay has received its licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore to operate in Singapore early this year.

    BigPay will make its two core features – payments and remittance – available in Singapore. Users will be able to seamlessly open an account from their mobile phones and make payments at any local or international merchant. They will also be able to make free and instant money transfers to friends, split bills, manage work expenses and track their spending all in one integrated app.

    In addition, Singapore users will be able to remit money quickly and at a competitive rate to 10 markets, namely: Malaysia, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Australia, with more to come.

    Operating on a challenger bank model, BigPay’s goal is to give consumers access to all the mainstream financial products typically offered by retail banks – at a much lower cost and with greater efficiency. BigPay also plans to launch new business lines such as loans, insurance and wealth management in the coming months, as well as expand to other Southeast Asian markets early in 2021.

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  • 7-Eleven opens Snoopy concept stores in Hong Kong and Macau

    7-Eleven opens Snoopy concept stores in Hong Kong and Macau

    7-Eleven has always been known for running attractive redemption programs that offer appealing collectibles. However, the team decided to do things differently this time around, they wanted to shift the program from simply being a way to reward loyalty into a platform to increase brand equity and authentically engage the customer in a fun and exciting way.

    So, 7-Eleven launched a total of four Snoopy concept stores in Hong Kong and Macau to not only showcase and generate awareness of the program itself but also create an exciting destination for Snoopy fans to visit and enjoy.

    To coincide with Snoopy’s 70th birthday, 7-Eleven chose to collaborate with PEANUTS, the iconic cartoon strip featuring Snoopy and his friends. “HAPPINESS IS….” was selected as the overarching platform for the campaign; a famous catchphrase from the PEANUTS cartoons that encourages us to appreciate the little things in life.

    In their latest redemption program, 7-Eleven partnered up with PEANUTS and Japanese lifestyle fashion brand Niko and… in their first-ever crossover collection in Hong Kong to launch a series of eight colorful, stylish eco-bags featuring Snoopy and the gang. To accompany the launch and promote the program in an exciting and engaging way, 7-Eleven developed the innovative idea of the Snoopy concept store.

    The rationale behind the Snoopy concept stores was to bring the redemption program to life and create an opportunity for customers to truly experience the wonderful world of Snoopy and his friends within selected 7-Eleven stores.

    Four locations were chosen to undergo the transformation; a hub of three stores in the high traffic district of Mongkok to create a “Snoopy Town” for added impact and one store in Macau. Each store is decorated individually in a special theme to represent a particular concept under the umbrella of the HAPPINESS IS… platform — Friendship and Togetherness, Sharing, More Hellos, and A Day Out. The different fit-outs not only flesh out the HAPPINESS IS…concept but also give customers a compelling reason to visit each and every concept store to create and share even more happy moments.

    To create a true 360-degree customer experience, stores were decorated from top to bottom. Special Snoopy touches have been added throughout including the shopfront, category signage, chiller and freezer doors, walls, and, in some stores, even the ceiling! The finished stores look as though they have just leaped off the pages of a PEANUTS comic; shelving has been transformed to look like Snoopy’s iconic red doghouse and a custom-made gondola end display installed featuring a jumbo Snoopy figure driving a bright yellow school bus.

    Team members at the Snoopy concept stores can also join in on the fun. An exclusive Snoopy x 7-Eleven T-shirt featuring the iconic Charlie Brown chevron stripe has been designed for them to wear within the stores.

    The eye-catching displays and appealing artwork put smiles on customers’ faces and also give them many opportunities to take “Instaworthy” images to share on social media with their friends and family. The authentic user-generated content is invaluable in creating buzz for the stores and far-reaching exposure of the campaign.

    One of the team’s primary objectives was to strengthen the brand association between 7-Eleven and the PEANUTS franchise in a fun and engaging way. Visitors to the concept stores can see Snoopy and his friends enjoy a range of 7-Eleven SIGNATURE products including Slurpees, Sundae, and 7Café coffee and Hot Shot. And if you look carefully, Snoopy can even be spotted wearing a 7-Eleven uniform himself!

    After experiencing the store, take Snoopy and the gang home with you in the form of exclusive PEANUTS merchandise! Snoopy’s influence is not just noticeable in the store decoration but also in the product range of these specialty stores. One store contains a dedicated Snoopy corner where customers can purchase exclusive PEANUTS-themed merchandise including pet products, lunch boxes, cutlery sets, and other accessories. Yet another chance to bring a little bit of Snoopy happiness home with them.

    The Snoopy concept stores are a successful example of building on an already popular market promotion to give customers a fun and exciting store experience. The introduction of the concept stores elevates the redemption program to another level, turning it into a platform to authentically connect with customers and reshape how they think and feel about 7-Eleven as a brand.

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  • Snapdragon 875 will likely be followed by Snapdragon 775G, a 6nm flagship-rivaling chip

    Snapdragon 875 will likely be followed by Snapdragon 775G, a 6nm flagship-rivaling chip

    The upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 875G will also be available in a Plus variant, claims tipster Roland Quandt. The Snapdragon 875G is apparently codenamed SM8350 and it is internally known as Lahaina. Based on what we know so far, it will be made using Samsung’s 5nm EUV process as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)’s entire 5nm capacity has been reserved by Apple for the A14 Bionic and other proprietary chips.

    5nm chips are expected to be around 25 percent smaller and 20 percent more power-efficient than 7nm SoCs. And, of course, we can also look forward to performance gains. The Snapdragon 875 will likely feature an Arm Cortex-X1 core, three Cortex-A78 cores, and four Cortex-A55 cores. The X60 5G modem will presumably be embedded within the chip.

    If history is any indication, Qualcomm’s upcoming flagship chip will be unveiled in December.

    It will probably be refreshed in July 2021, and per Quandt, the overclocked version is internally known as Lahaina+. The leaker also mentions the rumored Snapdragon 775G, which will likely succeed the Snapdragon 765G that powers midranges 5G-enabled phones like the OnePlus Nord and LG Velvet. The chip will reportedly not share the stage with the Snapdragon 875, and we can expect it in early 2021.

    The chip is reportedly going to be a massive upgrade over its predecessor, and will probably have more in common with the Snapdragon 875 than its 7-series stablemates. According to today’s leak, it will support 120Hz displays, 12GB LPDDR5 RAM, and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage.

    This chip will reportedly be based on a 6nm architecture and it will have a 40 percent faster CPU and 50 percent better graphics than the Snapdragon 765G. This may make it more power-efficient and faster than the Snapdragon 865.

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