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Tag: asia

  • Google Maps update will help you find historical landmarks in major cities

    Google Maps update will help you find historical landmarks in major cities

    We’re thinking that the Google Maps team is fueled by pots and pots of coffee. How else can you explain the number of new features that are added to the app? Developers must pull 24-hour shifts a few days a week and we envision a whiteboard filled with multiple ideas. The latest addition to Google Maps, allows users to quickly find major landmarks in big cities. Note the words “major” and “big.” In other words, you’re not going to see one of these large icons appearing on a map of a one-horse town to show you where the local Dairy Queen is.

    On the other hand, as you can see from the screenshots accompanying this article, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abby in London and the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower in Paris do feature the larger icon. It appears that Google is placing these easier to spot icons next to older landmarks that have a history behind them. Interestingly, the White House doesn’t merit one of the larger icons although New York’s Rockefeller Center does. Whether Google is currently in the process of adding new landmarks is unknown, but it would be interesting to know what the company’s criteria are. We have reached out to Google for more details, and if they respond we will update this story.

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  • iPhone 11 orders double that of iPhone X in Vietnam

    iPhone 11 orders double that of iPhone X in Vietnam

    Orders for iPhone 11 models soar to twice that of iPhone X last year, with more customers preferring authorized resellers for post-sale services. As of October 31, data from electronics chain FPT showed that customers have put down deposits for 12,300 iPhone 11 models, 2.5 times that of iPhone XR, XS and XS Max last year.

    In major chain Mobile World, customers have put down a deposit for 6,000 new iPhone 11 models, three times that of iPhone X last year. Another chain, CellphoneS, received 2,500 orders with deposits, twice that of last year.

    The iPhone 11 was officially released in Vietnam on Friday via authorized resellers. FPT said it could deliver up to 5,000 devices on Friday alone. Industry insiders say official iPhone 11 orders have reached a new peak in Vietnam, with the total number of these three major chains already surpassing 20,000 devices, higher than in previous years.

    Many Vietnamese are used to buying iPhones via unofficial channels, mostly hand-carried on overseas flights. There is a change in this trend, with the increase in official channel orders showing customers care more about post-sales services such as the one-year warranty from Apple. Data from the chains also show that iPhone 11 Pro Max is the most favored model, accounting for half of all orders, followed by iPhone 11. Only 10 percent of buyers ordered the iPhone 11 Pro.

    At authorized resellers, the iPhone 11 is priced from VND22 million ($951), the iPhone 11 Pro, VND31 million ($1,340) and the iPhone 11 Pro Max, VND38 million ($1,643). Apple’s market share in Vietnam fell to 5.6 percent in September, its lowest level this year, with buyers apparently waiting for the new iPhone 11 models, according to a report by market research firm GfK.

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  • AirAsia India plans to take fleet size to 100 in five years

    AirAsia India plans to take fleet size to 100 in five years

    New Delhi: After growing at a very slow rate in its first five years of operations, AirAsia India plans to expand its fleet more than fourfold to 100 aircraft in the next five years. “We have firmed up plans to add 14-15 planes every year starting next year for the next five years. We have remained a small player in the Indian market till now with just 23 planes, which will increase to 29 planes by the end of December,” said a senior executive, who did not wish to be identified.

    The executive said the lowcost carrier, a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons and Malaysia’s AirAsia Berhard, will become an impactful player in the market once its fleet grows to 50 aircraft. The market is dominated by IndiGo, which operates a fleet of about 250 aircraft. “While we will continue to add aircraft under the current model by getting aircraft from AirAsia Berhad, we will also look at leasing planes directly from lessors,” said the executive.

    The airline’s expansion plans focus on strengthening the network on existing routes rather than adding new routes. “The philosophy is simple: There is no point staying a marginal airline on various routes. The focus will rather be on strengthening our position on routes that we are in,” said the executive, adding that both the promoters would put in funds for expansion. AirAsia India, which started operations in 2014, is the smallest scheduled commercial airline in the country. In the ongoing winter schedule, which began at October-end, the airline has increased its flights by 326 departures to 1,345 departures per week.

    With a reduction of nearly 3,600 weekly departures because of the sudden suspension of operations by cash-strapped Jet Airways on April 17, other airlines are seeking to fill the gap by launching new flights.

  • Vietjet to expand fleet with 20 long-range Airbus jets

    Vietjet to expand fleet with 20 long-range Airbus jets

    Budget airline Vietjet has ordered 20 Airbus long-range A321XLR aircraft to expand its international reach as Vietnam’s aviation market keeps growing.

    With a range of up to 8,700 kilometers, the aircraft will serve Vietjet’s plans to expand its international flights network, the airline said in a statement Thursday.

    The contract increases Vietjet’s order book with Airbus to 186 aircraft, with the first A321XLR to be delivered in 2023.

    The single-aisle A321XLR will “modernize Vietjet’s fleet as we look to strongly grow our international flight network,” Vietjet CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao said. The airline currently operates 66 Airbus jets.

    Also Thursday, the carrier ordered two A320/321 aircraft simulators for pilot and technician training on top of the one simulator it already has.

    A321XLR’s range is 15 percent more than the previous model A321LR, it also burns 30 percent less fuel per seat compared with older generations.

    Vietjet’s order follows similar moves by other Vietnamese airlines to expand their fleet as air travel heats up. Private airline Bamboo Airways has ordered 50 narrow-body Airbus A320neo aircraft and is expected to receive the first next month, while national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines plans to get 50 new narrow-body aircraft by 2025.

    Vietnam’s fleet of over 200 aircraft last year could quadruple by 2038, aircraft maker Boeing said last week.

    Last year, the country’s 21 state-run airports served 103.5 million passengers, up 11 percent year-on-year, and the figure is set to rise to 112 million this year, according to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam.

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  • Eco Shop Me @ South East launched

    Eco Shop Me @ South East launched

    Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) has partnered with South East Community Development Council (CDC) to launch Eco Shop Me @ South East program.

    Collaborating with eco-shops, the program is to create a stronger awareness of eco-friendly businesses in the southeast District and encourage consumers to shop sustainably and strive towards a zero-waste lifestyle.

    “Eco Shop Me @ South East is an exciting new initiative as we are working with cafes, grocery stores, retail outlets, and many others, to change the shopping and eating habits of their customers,” said Maliki Osman, Mayor of Southeast District. “These changes may not seem much, just a straw, a bag, or a container, but we hope it becomes a habit of every individual, to reduce our overall usage of plastics and recycle what we can to protect our environment, to make it last for us and our future generations,” he said.

    “We believe this program has great potential and look forward to more small and medium-sized enterprises coming on board to partner us as we do our part for climate change.”

    Several partners have joined Eco Shop Me @ South East program including health product store Two Sisters Pantry, social enterprise Enterprising Mums United and an ice cream parlor The Humble Scoop, (whose dish is pictured above).

    Interested business owners can tap into funding support under the 3R Fund or the Towards Zero Waste Grant.

    Deputy CEO (planning, corporate and technology) of NEA, Khoo Seow Poh, added: “We are heartened to see businesses coming together under The Eco Shop Me @ South East program, where they are taking a firm stance against unnecessary waste, by for example, reducing the use of disposables where possible and thereby influencing the daily habits of residents. We hope that more businesses and consumers will be inspired to take simple steps to reduce waste and build a sustainable future for Singapore.”

  • South Korean convenience store chain launches franchise in Vietnam

    South Korean convenience store chain launches franchise in Vietnam

    GS25 Vietnam, a joint venture between South Korea’s GS25 and local retailer Son Kim Group, opened up its brand to franchisees beginning Friday.

    Interested franchisees can choose from one of three models offered by GS25 Vietnam: investing in a standalone store, a chain of convenience stores, or co-investing with GS25 Vietnam to open stores, said a representative of the brand.

    Franchised stores come in three models, with areas of 65-70 square meters, 100-120 square meters, or 150 square meters, respectively.

    Franchisees will have to spend at most VND2 billion ($86,260) to invest in a convenience store, and will be able to source products from major distributors in Vietnam or import South Korean goods, said Nguyen Thi Hong Trang, General Director of GS25 Vietnam.

    South Korean convenience store chain GS25 entered Vietnam in January last year, opening a store in Ho Chi Minh through a joint venture with the Son Kim Group, which operates in retail, real estate and media sectors.

    GS25 Vietnam currently owns 50 stores, and aims to open 2,500 nationwide after 10 years. Opening the business to franchisees is a major step towards realizing this goal, its brand representative said.

    According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, on average, 1-3 retail stores are needed per 1,000 people. However, only 7,012 stores are considered modern retail stores in Vietnam.

    More than a third of Vietnamese households shop at convenience stores or mini supermarkets, with an average frequency of 10 times per year, data compiled by research firm Kantar Worldpanel shows.

    The UK-based Institute of Grocery Distribution forecasts that convenience stores in Vietnam would grow in double digits over the next four years and account for 37.4 percent of retail revenue by 2021

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  • Park-themed Sony Singapore store opens in Westgate

    Park-themed Sony Singapore store opens in Westgate

    Sony Singapore has opened a park-themed store at the Westgate shopping center.

    The Japanese technology and electronics company says the store has been designed to connect with customers through their lifestyle by offering consumer products from the photography, videography and audio categories through to home entertainment.

    “Each area of the store is designed to offer a different feel that is closely related to customers’ lifestyle,” said the company in a statement.

    The highlight of the new store is the provision of all things video-related such as information, products and accessories. At the Vlog Studio, customers can hone their video skills by learning video tips and tricks they can apply when shooting their videos live. Product consultants will also be on hand to provide advice on video taking if required. The Vlog Studio will feature regularly changing themed setups, starting with a park theme currently.

    Sony Singapore says the way products are displayed befits the overall park-themed nature of the store.

    “We aim to provide customers with a calm, relaxing environment to audition the products. For example, the Bravia display area features park benches as seats for families to admire the televisions and soundbars while music lovers can listen to new personal audio products … and be immersed in nature surroundings.”

  • Vietnam Airlines Jan-Sept profit highest in five years

    Vietnam Airlines Jan-Sept profit highest in five years

    Vietnam Airlines Group posted pretax profits of VND3.29 trillion ($142 million) in Jan-Sept, up 35.7 percent year-on-year.

    This is the highest profit it has earned in the last five years. The group, comprising Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific and Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO), saw its net revenue rise 3 percent to VND76.7 trillion ($3.3 billion).

    The group managed to reduce sales and financial costs down by 30 percent in Q3, resulting in this quarter’s profit surging 2.5 times year-on-year to VND1.13 trillion ($48.88 million).

    The group, accounting for 51.7 percent of Vietnam’s aviation market, served 21.4 million passengers in nine months, up 3.2 percent year-on-year.

    Vietnam Airlines this year has received two new wide-body Boeing 787-10 aircraft and 10 Airbus A321neo jets. It is set to get one more Boeing 787-10 and four more Airbus A321neos by the end of the year.

    The group targets serving 23.4 million passengers this year, earning revenues of VND104.59 trillion ($4.52 billion).

  • Dior takes Maison concept to Isetan in Tokyo

    Dior takes Maison concept to Isetan in Tokyo

    Luxury fashion brand Dior has launched a pop-up at Isetan in Tokyo.

    The pop-up is the second location in the territory to feature the brand’s Maison concept. The collection, which includes accessories, candles, perfumes and furniture, is also available in Dior’s flagship location in Ginza.

    The LVMH-owned brand’s pop-up at Isetan in Tokyo offers the entire Maison collection as well as its recently launched personalisation service, ABCDior. The service offers three embroidered letters on the reverse of a Dior book tote and is only available at the pop-up store.

    Christian Dior now has 166 points of sale in Japan, including 80 in Tokyo.

  • Zalora launches childrenswear category

    Zalora launches childrenswear category

    Online fashion platform Zalora is entering the childrenswear market.

    The launch of the Kids category on Zalora’s website and app lists more than 5000 items for children aged up to 12 years old from global label-favourites Disney, Mango Kids, Mango Baby and Oshkosh B’gosh as well as sports brands Nike, Adidas and Puma, among others.

    Zalora describes the range as “a wide array of local and international brands … great for any occasion; from birthdays to baptisms, hijabs and modest wear, and even travel to festive”.

    The site also retails products for newborns from rompers and onesies to swaddling blankets and baby carriers.

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  • Alibaba revives IPO plan, likely to list after 11.11 say sources

    Alibaba revives IPO plan, likely to list after 11.11 say sources

    Alibaba is resuming plans to list on the Hong Kong exchange in a move expected to raise US$10–15 billion.

    Earlier listing plans scheduled for August were put on hold during the recent political unrest in the territory. The firm may now seek a listing as early as this month, with official filings seeking approval for the listing set to occur following its 11-11 shopping event.

    Alibaba held the largest IPO in history in 2014 on the New York exchange, raising $25 billion. It currently has a market capitalisation of about $460 billion.

    Positive development in its e-commerce and cloud businesses saw the firm return better-than-expected profits in the last financial quarter.

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  • Cebu Pacific, AirAsia launch new domestic routes

    Cebu Pacific, AirAsia launch new domestic routes

    Low-Cost carriers Cebu Pacific and Philippines AirAsia, Inc. started operating new domestic flights. The Gokongwei-led Cebu Pacific launched a direct flight between Cebu and Busuanga, which is the gateway to Coron, Palawan. The operation of the Cebu-Busuanga flights is being carried out by Cebu Pacific’s wholly owned subsidiary Cebgo.

    “The first flight departs Cebu at 7:25 a.m., and arrives in Francisco B. Reyes Airport at 9:00 a.m.; while its return flight leaves Busuanga at 9:20 a.m. and arrives in Cebu at 11:00 a.m.,” Cebu Pacific said in a statement on Monday.

    “The second flight leaves Cebu at 10:25 a.m., and lands in Busuanga at 12:05 p.m.; while its turnaround flight departs at 12:25 p.m. and arrives at 2:10 p.m.,” it added.

    Apart from the new Cebu-Busuanga route, Cebu Pacific, along with Cebgo, flies to 37 domestic and 27 international destinations

    Meanwhile, Philippines AirAsia started offering its thrice-daily service between Manila and Bacolod on Monday.

    For the Manila-Bacolod route, the first 80-minute flight will depart Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 8:20 a.m., and the last one will depart Bacolod at 9:30 p.m.

    “We are excited to celebrate this milestone and to paint the Negros Island skies red. AirAsia’s presence in the region will make air travel more affordable not just for Negrenses but for everyone who wants to explore this part of the country,” AirAsia Philippines Chief Executive Officer Ricardo P. Isla said during the inaugural ceremony at the Bacolod-Silay International Airport on Monday morning.

    Bacolod is the 11th domestic destination that AirAsia Philippines operates out of Manila. Overall, the carrier has more than 500 domestic and international flights weekly coming from its hubs in Manila, Clark, Cebu and Kalibo.

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  • Dairy Queen and Papa John’s Pizza China owner in play

    Dairy Queen and Papa John’s Pizza China owner in play

    A majority stake in the operator of the Dairy Queen and Papa John’s Pizza chains in China is likely to go on the market.

    Citing sources with knowledge of the matter, Bloomberg has reported that EQT, the Swedish private-equity owner of 57 per cent of China F&B Group is considering selling its stake.

    China F&B operates about 600 Dairy Queen stores across the country, and Papa John’s Pizza has around 250 outlets, but it is not clear how many of those are owned by China F&B.

    While no sales process has commenced at this stage, EQT has consulted with investment banks

    Bloomberg estimates the value of China F&B Group at between $100 million and $200 million.

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  • Skechers flagship opens in Shanghai Disneytown

    Skechers flagship opens in Shanghai Disneytown

    A Skechers flagship has opened in Shanghai Disney Resort called the Skechers Kids Brand Experience.

    Located at the busiest sector of Disneytown shopping district where more than 11 million people visit annually, Skechers Kids Brand Experience store offers a selection of kids’ sneakers and parent-child clothing.

    “This amazing location is front and centre in the middle of the action at Disneytown and offers a unique opportunity to expose a wide range of consumers to our Skechers Kids product,” said Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers.

    “Our footwear and apparel collections for boys and girls are filled with innovation and fun styles that continue to resonate within China and around the globe.

    “This unique Skechers Kids store illustrates how we adapt to a location so that we can connect with consumers in new and exciting ways to elevate the shopping experience”.

    Inspired by the fairytale ambience of Disney resort, the Skechers flagship features a kid-friendly environment where families can enjoy their shopping experience.

    Skechers has more than 1000 retail outlets across China and more than 3300 around the globe, including flagship locations like New York’s Times Square, Covent Garden in London, and Harajuku in Tokyo.

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  • Estee Lauder Asia sales rose 24 per cent in latest quarter

    Estee Lauder Asia sales rose 24 per cent in latest quarter

    Estee Lauder Asia Pacific sales rose 24 per cent in the latest quarter – a stark contrast to the cosmetics giant’s US performance, where revenue fell 6 per cent.

    Global net sales increased 11 per cent to US$3.9 billion, or by 12 per cent on a constant-currency basis. Net earnings rose 19 per cent to $595 million

    But the company has cautioned that the ongoing Hong Kong protests and the stronger US dollar will impact on the current quarter.

    Estee Lauder said sales in Hong Kong fell 20 per cent in the first quarter, but given they account for just 4 per cent of global sales, the impact so far is muted.

    CEO Fabrizio Freda told analysts on an earnings call that Hong Kong “has been difficult” and as yet no improvement is evident.

    The economic gloom in Greater China, fuelled by trade tensions and the appreciating Renminbi, is also worrying Estee Lauder.

    “Given the fact that there are global macro slowdowns, even though we haven’t, in fact, seen it in China and haven’t seen it affect our Asia business in general … it certainly could happen,” said CFO Tracey Travis, quoted by Reuters.

    Freda said in a statement that sales growth was led by excellent results from international markets – particularly China – and other emerging markets. The skin-care category, travel retail and online channels globally, the flagship Estee Lauder brand and several luxury brands, all grew by double-digit rates.

    “In addition, all four of our biggest brands, each with annual sales well over $1 billion, grew globally. This demonstrates the enduring consumer interest in established brands and their proven, desirable products.”