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Tag: asia

  • Seven & I drops Speedway US bid

    Seven & I drops Speedway US bid

    7-Eleven operator Seven & I has canceled its plans to purchase the American petrol station chain Speedway.

    The deal was terminated because the expected asking price of around US$22 billion was considered too pricey by the group’s board of directors. The acquisition was hoped to be a vehicle for the group’s expansion in the US with Speedway’s approximately 4000 locations coupled with convenience stores.

    A report in Nikkei suggested factors implicated in the canceled deal could include the risk of significant loss if revenues failed to meet expectations and the potential decline of the industry in general in the age of online shopping

    The American convenience store chain has been wholly owned by Seven & I since 2005. It currently has around 9000 outlets.

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  • Fendi Venice boutique opens in San Marco

    Fendi Venice boutique opens in San Marco

    Italian luxury brand Fendi has launched a new flagship boutique in Larga dell’Ascensione in the Venetian district of San Marco

    The Fendi Venice boutique, which retails women’s and men’s clothing through to bags and accessories, is located in a 180sqm space within a roughly century-old palace furnished with terrazzo stone floors, diamond-shaped ceilings, and walls with marmolino finishes. The room also features large windows that flood each room with natural light, creating a see-through effect for stores spread over four floors.

    The women’s bag and accessory floor display products on ivory leather shelves supported by a champagne-gold metal-tube structure. The second floor is divided into two rooms, with a corner for women’s clothing and shoes surrounded by light champagne-gold thread curtains and purple carpeting and featuring luxurious vintage furniture.

    The men’s floor of the Fendi Venetian boutique is also divided into two rooms set in green colors. Gold metal detail and forest-green leather stand against a carpet of the same shade. Briar timber rotating counters, green satin, and satin-finished steel also feature in the space. The fourth and top floors are VIP rooms and luxurious terraces unified with a sky-blue theme, with a geometric stucco motif and a convex witch-eye mirror on the wall against turquoise velvet furniture.

    The terrace, surrounded by untouched vegetation, houses the Fendi Casa outdoor collection.

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  • Reliance Brands plans to launch a fresh luxury e-commerce platform

    Reliance Brands plans to launch a fresh luxury e-commerce platform

    Indian conglomerate Reliance Brands is planning to launch a luxury fashion in the e-commerce portal through its online fashion site Ajio.

    The launching of the e-commerce portal is aimed at widening the company’s market share as online marketing in the country booms. The move pitches the company against established e-commerce players including Flipkart, Amazon and Myntra.

    While an Ajio spokesperson shared information about the business with Vogue, they added that no brand partnerships with labels have yet been signed and declined to comment on the timing.

    The luxury fashion move will be built upon Ajio Gold, Reliance Brands’ premium retail site that carries known brands including Superdry and Steve Madden.

    “Data-driven insights from the ‘bridge to luxury’ brands that retail on Ajio have indicated strongly the possibility for Ajio to craft a luxury vertical, and we are exploring that,” the Ajio spokesperson told Vogue.

    Reliance owner Mukesh Ambani has partnered with 46 international brands including Tiffany & Co, Burberry and Kate Spade and operates 882 physical stores.

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  • Google Assistant can now read web articles on your Android phone

    Google Assistant can now read web articles on your Android phone

    Google is making Android more accessible with every major update. Google Assistant is one of the tools used by the Mountain View company to make Android users’ lives much easier. Since we’re living times where it’s impossible not to multitask, having something read to you while you’re focusing on something else is a great feat.

    Audiobooks are a big thing these days, but they weren’t in the beginning. However, the birth and rise of personal digital assistants put everything under a different perspective, and Google Assistant was at the forefront of it.

    Now we learn that Google Assistant can read stories posted on the web out loud on your Android smartphone. To make your phone start reading an article, simply say “Hey Google, read it” or “Hey Google, read this page” and you should hear Google Assistant’s voice.

    But the new feature added by Google goes beyond just reading web articles. You’ll be able to adjust the reading speed and even choose from multiple voices. Google says that “the web pages are read aloud in expressive and natural voices, aiming to use the same intonation and rhythm that you’d use if you were reading it aloud yourself,” so that’s a huge plus as well.

    But wait, there’s more. Google announced that its Assistant can read aloud in no less than 42 languages, so make sure that you’re using the translation menu if the article you want to be read isn’t in your native language.

    The new Google Assistant text-to-speech feature should roll out to Android users starting today, but it may take a few days to reach all compatible devices.

  • New-Gen Hyundai Creta To Come With Blue Link Connected Car Tech

    New-Gen Hyundai Creta To Come With Blue Link Connected Car Tech

    The soon-to-be-launched Hyundai Creta will now come with the company’s Blue Link connected car technology. Slated to be launched on March 17, the second-gen Creta will be the third Hyundai car to get the Blue Link system, after the Venue and Elantra facelift. And while the other two only got up to 34 connectivity features, the Creta will come with over 50 connectivity features. Furthermore, in addition to the natural language-based voice recognition program, and Smartwatch integrated Blue Link application, the system now also comes with the ‘Hello Blue Link’ – a wake-up word for activating in-car controls with a voice command.

    Tarun Garg, Director – Sales, Marketing & Service, Hyundai Motor India, said, “With the All-New Creta, Hyundai aims to offer customers the Ultimate Technology Experience. All New Creta will feature Blue Link Connectivity, bringing in ‘Hello Blue Link’ – a wake-up word to activate voice recognition service at ease for in-car control and assistance alongside New Smart Watch Integrated Blue Link application. With Smart and Intuitive solutions offered on the All-New Creta, Hyundai aims to give customers a Quality Time on the go, enhancing the driving experience and providing a Happy Life to its customers.”

    With the new Blue Link system, Hyundai offers connectivity features across a wide range of spectrum like – safety, security, remote access, vehicle relationship management, location-based services (live-tracking), and alert services (theft alert). These, of course, are in addition to the new voice recognition system that understands Indian accent, and Hey Blue Link command. By just saying ‘Hello Blue Link’ you can now control several functions like – Sunroof Open/Close, Seat Ventilation Control, Climate Control -Temperature, Fan Speed control, Wind Direction and Air-intake type control (Fresh/ Circulation)

    The New-Gen Hyundai Creta’s smartwatch connectivity offers remote access to several in-car controls

    Similarly, the smartwatch connectivity feature also offers you remote access to several in-car controls like – engine start/stop, remote door lock/unlock, and remote horn+lights. You can also turn on the in-car air purifier along and check your in-car air quality information with the smartwatch. It also shows vehicle status via the Blue Link app, along with vehicle alerts like stolen vehicle alert, Geo-Fence Alert, Speed Alert, Time Fence Alert, Valet alert, Idle Alert.

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  • Fruitas to launch grilled chicken, fresh foods concepts

    Fruitas to launch grilled chicken, fresh foods concepts

    Philippine food-and-beverage kiosk operator Fruitas Holdings will soon launch two new concepts in addition to their popular fresh-fruit shakes concept.

    The first is a store concept under Babot’s Farm brand, while the second represents Fruitas Holdings’ new forway into the fast-growing grilled chicken market segment.

    “Babot’s Farm is a collection of fresh products which Fruitas is excited to serve to Filipino consumers. Our mission is to make fresh products easily accessible to Filipinos, thus bringing the farm closer to them,” said FHI president and CEO Lester Yu.

    Babot’s Farm will initially have three verticals of fresh products in its own portfolio,

    including the company’s buko beverage line, a new soy range under Soy & Bean, featuring products from its recent acquisition, The Tofu Store, and fresh dairy.

    Soy & Bean’s soy-based products will initially include fresh soy milk, tofu, taho, and soy-based ice cream.

    Meanwhile, Fruitas’ grilled-chicken business will be offered through its existing kiosk network along with new solus stores to be opened in strategic locations. The firm will leverage off its recently acquired Heat Stroke Grill and Kuxina Ihaw na.

    Yu said the company is excited about its impending entry into the chicken business and confident it can do so in a cost-effective manner and develop a “well-loved product”.

    Fruitas Holdings started in 2002 from a single Fruitas stall. The company ended last year with 1068 stores across the country.

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  • JD E-Space reopens Chongqing store with strict precautions

    JD E-Space reopens Chongqing store with strict precautions

    Chinese e-commerce giant JD has reopened its E-Space business in Chongqing.

    The 50,000sqm mega experience store, which retails small household appliances, computers, digital products, and mobile phones, has been shuttered since late January due to the current coronavirus epidemic.

    E-Space allows customers to purchase items within the store on the JD app with a single click to be delivered to their home address – although many shoppers elect to carry smaller items home themselves. With many students in the territory now studying from home, computers, printers, and projectors are currently among the store’s fastest-selling items.

    “After we re-opened, many customers came into the store to shop,” said JD E-Space GM operations Xuefei Li. “We didn’t do any advertising of the re-opening besides posts on our own WeChat and Weibo accounts, showing that consumers are following the store closely.”

    Employees at the store have been required to quarantine themselves for 14 days before returning to work, where they must wear masks at all times and undergo daily temperature checks. Customers are subject to the same restrictions within the store.

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  • YouTube Music update brings new player, more controls to Android users

    YouTube Music update brings new player, more controls to Android users

    It looks like Google is very serious about YouTube Music, as the app received two major updates in less than a month. After adding the option to upload music in February, the app is getting another update on Android devices that introduces a new design for the “Now Playing” screen, which includes more accessible controls, static lyrics, and a few other improvements

    The new changes should be available to everyone rocking an Android device, if not now, in the next few weeks.

    • Flipping between songs and videos in the app is now always visible on the player page to make it easy to move seamlessly between a song and its music video, a feature only offered by YouTube Music.
    • Static lyrics are being rolled out within the app, offering highly visible access to follow along to tracks. While still in the experiment phase, this feature will continue to be developed.
    • Playback control is more convenient with repeat and shuffles now located on the player page.
    • Downloading, sharing and adding songs to playlists is now easier than ever with all three features accessible by tapping on album art.

    A new version of YouTube Music has been uploaded in the Google Play Store on March 4, but we’re not sure if it contains all the changes announced today or these will be enabled via YouTube’s servers.

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  • Toyota’s China Sales Sink In February On Coronavirus Outbreak

    Toyota’s China Sales Sink In February On Coronavirus Outbreak

    Japanese automaker Toyota said on Wednesday its car sales in China, the world’s biggest auto market, fell 70.2% in February due to the coronavirus epidemic which has killed more than 2,900 people. Toyota, which is the first major global automaker to report its February sales in China, said it sold 23,800 Toyota and premium Lexus cars.

    According to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), China’s overall passenger car sales dropped 89% in the first 23 days of February.

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  • Airasia India Passes Major Security and Safety Audit

    Airasia India Passes Major Security and Safety Audit

    The AirAsia Group’s safety strategy continues to pay off with AirAsia India following hot on the heels of AirAsia Thailand to pass a major international safety audit.

    The accreditation under the International Air Transport Association’s Operational Safety Audit leaves just one member of the AirAsia Group, AirAsia Japan, still going through the process.

    It is expected to achieve accreditation soon to make the entire AirAsia Group IOSA compliant.

    AirAsia India follows AirAsia Thailand’s announcement in February and comes after similar achievements by AirAsia X Thailand in December 2018,  AirAsia Philippines in November 2018, AirAsia Malaysia in September 2018, AirAsia Indonesia in August 2018 and AirAsia X (Malaysia) in 2015.

    The IOSA certification audit is an internationally recognized and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline.

    The biennial safety audit is compulsory for IATA members and airlines that have completed the audit have a safety record almost four times better than those that have not.

    It covers eight key areas: corporate organization and management systems, flight operations, operational control – flight dispatch, aircraft engineering and maintenance, cabin operations, ground handling, cargo operations and operational security.

    AirAsia India, a joint venture between India’s Tata and Sons Private Limited and AirAsia Investment Limited, began operations in 2014.

    It currently flies to 21 destinations and boasts a fleet of 29 A320 aircraft.

    “We are proud to announce that we have successfully completed the IATA operational audit,’’  AirAsia India chief executive Sunil Bhaskaran said about the accreditation.

    “We will now strive to ensure that we always maintain the highest standards of safety and operational integrity at all times.”

     

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  • Renault Rolls Out Offers For Women’s Day In India

    Renault Rolls Out Offers For Women’s Day In India

    Renault India has announced special offers for women customers this week starting on March 2, leading up to International Women’s Day on March 8, 2020. The offers extend to all women car owners and include a free vehicle check-up, 10 percent discount on labor, spare parts and several value-added services. Those opting for Renault Secure or extended warranty, as well as roadside assistance this week, can also avail of a 10 percent discount. The offers can be availed at any of the company’s dealerships across the country.

    Renault is offering a free car pick-up and drop facility during this period. In addition, the automaker has also planned engagement activities at the dealers for its female customers and assured gifts as well. Renault says the week-long celebration is to acknowledge women and their contribution to society. The initiative will also hold special training sessions on vehicle maintenance and necessary checks with the objective of making women more self-reliant and independent.

    Renault India has over 370 sales outlets across the country with 450 service touchpoints that include 257 service workshops and 215 workshop-on-wheels. With respect to new launches, the automaker has the Renault Duster 1.3-litre TCe turbo petrol version lined-up for launch by around April this year, while the Triber AMT is scheduled to arrive in the second half of 2020. As part of its new strategy for the Indian market, the French automaker has dropped the diesel engines from its line-up.

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  • Twitter starts testing Fleets, tweets that disappear after 24 hours

    Twitter starts testing Fleets, tweets that disappear after 24 hours

    Let’s face it, we’ll never make Twitter add an edit option for when autocorrect fails us. Still, it’s futile to continue to blame Twitter just for that since the company continues to tailor its app to meet our expectations.

    One of the new features that Twitter is working on right now strongly resembles a Snapchat feature that everyone knows as Stories. Twitter calls it Fleets, but it does the same thing: it allows users to post ephemeral messages on the social network.

    Twitter, through the voice of the company’s head of product, Kayvon Beykpour, confirmed the information and said that it’s working on the concept for more than a year. Beykpour also explained that while Fleets are very similar to Stories, Twitter added a few “intentional differences to make the experience more focused on sharing and seeing people’s thoughts.”

    As the title says, Fleets are ephemeral tweets that will disappear 24 hours after they’re posted. They can’t be retweeted, but users can respond to fleets with the same reaction emojis that can be used in direct messages. Text is allowed too for those who want to respond to these fleets, although any reply will disappear along with the ephemeral tweet.

    At the moment, Fleets are tested internally in Brazil, so it might take a while until Twitter decided to make them available to everyone.

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  • Axa Appoints Managing Director In Newly-Merged Unit

    Axa Appoints Managing Director In Newly-Merged Unit

    Axa Insurance Singapore named a managing director for retail and health, as part of a broader strategy to streamline its businesses.

    Effective immediately, Julien Callard will lead the retail and health strategic business unit in a newly expanded role, with responsibility for driving the continued growth of Axa’s retail business and health business as well as the respective distribution functions. This includes developing a differentiated value proposition and offerings that will strengthen its position as a health partner to its customers.

    Over the past 20 years, Callard has held several leadership roles across the Axa Group and developed deep and extensive knowledge of the business, said Jean Drouffe, CEO of Axa Singapore in a statement.

    The appointment is part of a broader strategy to streamline and strengthen Axa’s business by merging its retail and health strategic business units, in order to become a more customer-centered company, the insurance group said. Callard originally joined the Axa Group in 2000 and he has held senior positions across multiple countries spanning actuarial, risk, marketing and reinsurance.

    Prior to joining Axa Singapore, he was Head of retail property and casualty at Axa Mexico. He has worked in operational and functional positions across retail, commercial, and reinsurance lines.

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  • SE Asian smartphone sales down

    SE Asian smartphone sales down

    Southeast Asian smartphone sales rose last year, bucking the global trend, according to new data from market research house GFK.

    Sales in the region rose by 1 percent last year to US$23 billion, amidst a 2-per-cent decline internationally, as global consumers tended to hold onto their phones longer. Around 97 million devices were purchased in Southeast Asia.

    Growth was particularly high in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, with Thai consumption showing a significantly higher value over volume growth, at 13 versus 6 percent. The Philippines saw slightly more conservative growth, while Vietnam and Indonesia were the only Southeast Asian smartphone sales markets showing a moderate decline.

    “Over the years, consumers in the region have always been showing keen interest when it comes to mobile handsets, with many owning more than one set or changing their smartphone frequently,” said GFK associate director Alexander Dehmel. “It should be highlighted that the higher value over volume growth recorded in the Southeast Asian smartphone market indicates that consumers are upgrading their devices – a trend that has been observed in recent years.”

    Another recent GFK report showed 64 percent of respondents in Indonesia believe their smartphone/tablet is their most important online shopping tool. More than half (58 percent) said they prefer to use their mobile device to pay for transactions.

    Consumers are also tending to buy phones with better cameras and more on-board storage to accommodate more media.

    With the launch of Singapore’s high-speed 5G network expected for this year, the market is likely to be influenced by multiple promotions around new 5G smartphone models.

    “Under normal circumstances, we would expect to see a market performance in the region continuing its upward trend with even bigger and better phones being launched to satisfy consumers’ insatiable appetite for new devices,” said Dehmel.

    However, he said the COVID-19 situation will temporarily affect Southeast Asian smartphone sales and even global sales. “The impact of the coronavirus on global supply chains and production capacities along with weaker demand is likely to slow but not stop the growth of the category in Southeast Asia.”

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  • Influencers interested in The R Collective x Net-A-Porter campaign

    Influencers interested in The R Collective x Net-A-Porter campaign

    Upcycling fashion label The R Collective has unveiled a new campaign highlighting the advances in sustainability through its upcycling projects across Asia.

    The campaign features global fashion influencers promoting how creativity and sustainable design can reduce waste in the fashion industry, at a time when global fashion weeks are facing consumers’ continued protests about fashion’s environmental impact.

    It has been launched to support The R Collective’s new upcycled collection created exclusively for Net A Porter’s ​Net Sustain program.

    The R Collective collects excess textiles from luxury brands, mills, and manufacturers that may otherwise have ended up in landfills, incinerated or converted into the stuffing. The label uses the fabrics in new designs.

    Influencers involved in the campaign include Thai actress and singer Mint Pattarasaya as well as fashion stylist Justine Lee and Peony Lim, Fabienne, Cherry Mui and Victoria Onken from the UK, Hong Kong and the Netherlands. They all wear apparel created from ‘rescued fabrics’.

    “Fashion reflects our times,” said fashion writer Susie Lau. “Over the years, I’ve been watching the next generation of sustainable designers drive change. When you look at these The R Collective designs, you can sense a certain language from the designer. By rethinking fashion at the drawing board and reusing unwanted fabrics, there is a real sense of purpose to this collection. With our collective changing attitude towards sustainability in fashion a better fashion industry is not a distant hope, but a distinct reality.”

    Mint Pattarasaya said it was inspiring to witness the collection being sewn in her home city, Bangkok.

    “For this video, I witnessed firsthand the designers’ visions transformed by local garment workers, showing that fashion can be good for all.”

    The fashion industry continues to battle to reduce its 92 million tons of industrial textile waste generated every year and its estimated 10 percent contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions.

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