Retail News CRM

Tag: asia

  • Bonjour Holdings warns of loss ahead

    Bonjour Holdings warns of loss ahead

    Bonjour Holdings says it expects a loss in the half year to June as protests took their toll on the city’s retail sector.

    Last year, Bonjour Holdings reported a profit of HK$7.4 million in the six month period.

    In a stock-exchange filing, the company did not release an estimate of the level of loss it anticipates, with the preparation of final results still incomplete.

    Chairman and executive director Wilson Ip Chun Heng said the board believes the reversal of fortune is mainly attributable to the weak sales performance brought about by both local and global factors, including the US-China trade war, the depreciation of RMB, and the demonstrations and social unrest in Hong Kong which occurred in June.

    “Moreover, the implementation of the e-commerce law in China at the beginning of the year has severely hit the mainland “Daigou” (surrogate shopping) which has, to a certain extent, adversely affected our group’s turnover in the short-term.”

  • Volkswagen To Build New Plant In Turkey

    Volkswagen To Build New Plant In Turkey

    German carmaker Volkswagen is planning to build a multi-brand production plant in Turkey, a German trade magazine reported on Friday without citing sources.

    Automobilwoche said Volkswagen supervisory Board on Thursday made the decision to build a plant near the city of Izmir, adding that Volkswagen’s subsidiary Skoda will be one of the brands to be produced there.

    In April, Czech daily Hospodarske Noviny reported that Skoda was choosing between Bulgaria or Turkey as the site for a planned new plant.

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  • Panerai reopens Macau Galaxy boutique

    Panerai reopens Macau Galaxy boutique

    Italian high-end watchmaker Panerai has opened its renewed Galaxy boutique in Macau.

    The 42sqm store joins the existing locations in Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace and is located at the Galaxy Macau resort on Cotai Strip, where the most prestigious local hotels and entertainment areas are based.

    The concept of the design and materials used for the Panerai area reflects its Italian tradition with an underwater theme. Panerai supplied the Italian Navy with precision instruments for many decades, in particular its specialist diving corps.

    Panerai now has 87 boutiques throughout the world, three of which are in Macau.

  • Vive Cake Boutique Embraces Summer with Loveable Summer Drinks

    Vive Cake Boutique Embraces Summer with Loveable Summer Drinks

    Celebrated patisserie, Vive Cake Boutique, welcomes the summer season with the introduction of a whimsical and creative line of summer drinks and artistic sweet treats from 15 July to 30 September.

    “We are delighted to launch this refreshing summer menu of drinks and cakes embracing the playful colours, flavours, and vibe of the sunny season,” shares Founder, Ms Vivien Lau. “Our guests are invited to delve into VIVE’s summer wonderland through their senses.”

    Inspired by the look-feel of classic summer, VIVE’s line of summer cakes embody the lighthearted emblems of the season. Flamingo Floatie (HK$55), a pink treat designed to emulate a flamingo-style floater, is made with vanilla sponge, jasmine jelly, and oolong chocolate mousse; light yet satisfying flavours.

    The heat of summer is depicted in the cute Mini-Cone (HK$58), a mini version of VIVE’s signature uni-cone cake, featuring an upside-down “ice-cream” cone which appears to have perfectly “fallen” on the plate.  Easy on the eyes with its pink scoop of ice cream and golden-coloured cone, the cake is made with vanilla sponge, mango compote and yuzu mousse.

    Ice pop fans will love Limesicle (HK$55), a vanilla sponge cake with lime jelly filling coated in yogurt mousse,  and pink coloured white chocolate glaze, with sprinkles, emulating a “drip”.

    For something truly unique, the insta-worthy Coco-Aloha (HK$58) is unbeatable. Presented as a “coconut shell” drink with a small golden straw, the vanilla sponge cake with pineapple filling and coconut mousse looks real enough to drink.

    Guests are also invited to enjoy VIVE’s twist on a “slushie” with Pineapple Slushie (HK$65), a refreshing pineapple drink, featuring chunks of pineapple, presented in a classy whisky tumbler. The citrusy drink is topped off with a sprig of mint, lending it a sophisticated mocktail feel.

    For a fun, playful, and Instagrammable drink, diners may opt for VIVE’s Watermelon Mojito (HK$68). Made with fresh watermelon, mint, and lime, the cooling beverage is presented with a wedge of watermelon on a popsicle stick.

    Add a little bit of sparkle to one’s day with Grapefruit and Lime Soda(HK$65), a zesty, bubbly summer drink made from grapefruit puree, lime, andsoda water.

    Vive Cake Boutique has proved a roaring success story since being launched with online orders in 2014 by founder and creative director Vivien Lau, who discovered her passion and talent by chance, making her first cake for a friend’s birthday.

    Her signature ‘handmade with love’, cupcakes, macarons, cookies, confectioneries and tailor-made cakes for weddings and special occasions, are all made from scratch with less sugar and finest ingredients sourced from all over the world.

    VIVE’s widespread acclaim includes Time Out’s listing among the “crème de la crème of Hong Kong’s bespoke dessert makers” – with a massive celebrity and socialite following including Aaron Kwok, Charlene Choi, Gillian Chung, Niki Chow, Sharon Chan, Miki Yeung, Ella Koon, Myolie Wu and more.

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  • Michael Kors launches on Tmall Luxury Pavilion

    Michael Kors launches on Tmall Luxury Pavilion

    US fashion brand Michael Kors is to launch a digital flagship store on Alibaba’s Tmall and the Tmall Luxury Pavilion.

    The launch marks Michael Kors’ first e-commerce channel in China, apart from its own site, offering consumers the full line of clothing sold offline, as well as a selection of handbags and footwear. The brand said Tmall would be its main destination for debuting products in China, including new items that will be exclusive to the platform – not sold anywhere else in the world.

    John D Idol, chairman and CEO of Capri Holdings, the parent of Michael Kors, Versace and Jimmy Choo, said consumers are becoming more digitally engaged with luxury shopping in China and Tmall Luxury Pavilion is the perfect venue for the Michael Kors brand to communicate its vision.”

    The label will hold a series of events in the coming months, including during New York Fashion Week in September, to celebrate the flagship’s grand opening. On Chinese Valentine’s Day, on August 7, Michael Kors will launch a capsule collection featuring graffiti-inspired clothing, handbags, footwear, jewellery and wristwatches, samples of which are pictured below

    “Michael Kors is an iconic, beloved brand and we are delighted to partner with it as it looks to accelerate its momentum in the Chinese market. This collaboration will bring both exciting products and elevated shopping experiences to the more than 700 million Chinese consumers on our platforms,” said Jiang Fan, president of Taobao and Tmall.

    Launched in 2017, Tmall Luxury Pavilion now offers more than 115 brands, ranging from apparel and beauty items to watches and luxury cars, including Chanel, Bottega Veneta, Valentino, Burberry, Tod’s, Versace, Stella McCartney, Moschino, Gentle Monster, Giuseppe Zanotti, MCM, Maserati, and LVMH-owned Rimowa, Guerlain, Givenchy, Tag Heuer and Zenith.

    Tmall wants to double that number by the end of next March.

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  • Riccardo Tisci makes magic at Burberry

    Riccardo Tisci makes magic at Burberry

    Burberry is hailing the success of new creative director Riccardo Tisci as its June-quarter same-store sales grew by 4 per cent.

    Sales growth in China was up by the mid-teens, with Asia Pacific overall nudging 10 per cent.

    “This was a good quarter in our multi-year journey to transform Burberry,” said CEO Marco Gobbetti. “We increased the availability of products designed by Riccardo, while continuing to shift consumer perceptions of our brand and align our network to our new creative vision. The consumer response was very promising, delivering strong growth in our new collections.”

    The company described the response to Tisci’s designs as “excellent”, his collections delivering strong double-digit percentage growth compared to prior-year equivalent collections, and in line with Burberry’s expectations.

    The proportion of new product increased to around 50 per cent of the brand’s offer in mainline stores by the end of June.

    ‘‘Burberry’s transformation plan under new CEO Marco Gobbetti is starting to pay off,” observed Chloe Collins, senior retail analyst at GlobalData.

    She said much credit is due to Tisci, whose collections “offer a fresh and edgy revamp of the brand’s classic and neutral designs”.

    Burberry’s adept use of social media was also a factor in the recovery, with celebrity influencers such as Rihanna and Irina Shayk continuing to expand the brand’s reach and drive engagement with consumers.

    “Burberry must continue to invest in its social platforms to fight off other luxury players such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton, which are focusing on the channel to target younger shoppers. Burberry should more heavily promote its Instagram checkout feature to drive sales, as well as increasing brand engagement via marketing events.”

    Meanwhile, Burberry’s review of its retail network has seen 23 stores reconfigured to the new creative vision and led to a 2 per cent reduction in selling space, through the closure of non-strategic sites. Of 38 smaller stores selected for closure, nine have now been shuttered and in the wholesale space, Burberry is continuing to rationalise space in non-luxury US resellers.

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  • Daiso launches its first Threeppy shop in Singapore

    Daiso launches its first Threeppy shop in Singapore

    Japanese discount retailer Daiso will launch its Threeppy store at Funan mall on Sunday.

    Japanese discount retailer Daiso will launch its Threeppy retail store at Funan mall on Sunday (July 14).

    Known as the ‘premium’ version of Daiso, the first Threeppy outlet in Singapore and Southeast Asia will offer kitchenware, household goods, and stuffed toys, among other items, with prices starting at US$5.80

    The new brand is hoping to attract family shoppers in Singapore with women in their 20s to 40s their main target.

    Daiso currently operates 22 Threeppy shops in Japan, and plans to add 30 stores every year.

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  • Mastercard Further Extends Payment Network with Acquisition of Transfast

    Mastercard Further Extends Payment Network with Acquisition of Transfast

    Mastercard announced the completion of the acquisition of Transfast, a global payments company with significant cross-border network reach. Mastercard originally declared the intent to buy Transfast on March 8, 2019.

    The acquisition builds on Mastercard’s strength in payments and drives improved transparency and certainty in cross-border transactions, enabling people and businesses to send and receive money beyond borders with greater speed and ease.

    Transfast will enable Mastercard to continue servicing the growing needs of consumers and businesses as well as governments and merchants in cross-border transactions.  It builds on Mastercard’s strategy to offer choice to its customers through the expansion of the Mastercard global network. This move adds to Mastercard’s leading position in meeting business, government and consumer payment requirements, whether it’s business to business, person to person or other payment flows.

    Stephen Grainger, Executive Vice President, Mastercard comments:

    “Today’s announcement is an exciting milestone for Mastercard in helping to further build democratised access to predictable and faster payments globally. People and businesses expect certain and predictable real-time payments that keep pace with modern life and everyday demands, and now, with reach into 90% of global GDP flows, Mastercard is in a prime position to support their cross-border requirements.”

    Increasingly, people and businesses across the globe want timely, reliable and cost-effective ways to pay and get paid. The acquisition allows Mastercard to service businesses and organisations across a wider variety of sectors with different needs. This includes businesses paying suppliers and employees across borders. 

    Samish Kumar, CEO, Transfast comments:

    “This is a pivotal day for Transfast as we embark on the natural next step in our journey. Mastercard’s global reach complements our own network across over 100 countries, and together we will grow within the account-to-account payments space, helping organisations improve operational efficiencies and supporting wider economic growth. Alongside Mastercard, we look forward to developing new innovations and products to support people and businesses to predict and plan when they pay people and get paid, enabling them to thrive.”

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  • Ajisen China sales on the up

    Ajisen China sales on the up

    Ajisen China has reported a 4.8 per cent improvement in same-store sales for the June quarter.

    The Hong Kong-listed fast-casual restaurant operator combined sales in its local operations with those in the mainland and did not comment on the respective markets this reporting period.

    Overall sales for the restaurant business rose by 6.4 per cent, reflecting network expansion.

    The sales growth is a marked turnaround from the same period a year ago, when it reported a 10.8 per cent sales decline in Hong Kong and 1.8 per cent drop on the mainland, citing stiff competition in the restaurant and catering sector, especially in Mainland China.

    Ajisen China operates Ajisen Ramen restaurants under licence to the Japanese brand owner.

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  • Vietjet Announces New Routes and IncreasesFlight Frequencies to Phu Quoc

    Vietjet Announces New Routes and IncreasesFlight Frequencies to Phu Quoc

    Vietjet has announced its plans to launch new routes and increase flight frequencies to and from Phu Quoc, one of Vietnam’s top beach destinations.

    The announcement was made on 29 July 2019 at the Kien Giang Investment Promotion Conference, titled “Kien Giang – Potential and opportunities for investments and sustainable development.” More than 500 industry and organizational leaders, investors and leading private enterprises attended the conference; Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and senior leaders of the Vietnamese Government were also present at the event.

    Vietjet detailed its plans to operate two new domestic routes: Phu Quoc – Da Nang and Phu Quoc – Van Don. The new routes will operate at a frequency of seven flights per week from the end of this year and the middle of next year respectively. Two new international routes (air charters) were also announced: Phu Quoc – Chengdu (China) and Phu Quoc – Chongqing (China), with three round-trip flights per week starting from the end of 2019.

    The flight frequencies of two international routes Phu Quoc – Hong Kong (China) and Phu Quoc – Incheon (South Korea)will also be increased to six flights per week and fourteen flights per week respectively from the coming winter months to meet the increasing travel demands of Phu Quoc’s peak season.

    Since Vietjet’s first flight to Phu Quoc in 2012, its flight networks have continued to expand, connecting Phu Quoc to many other countries and cities in the region. Speaking at the conference, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his support for investors and leading companies such as Vietjet in contributing to the economy of Kien Giang province.

    To celebrate the announcement of the new routes to Phu Quoc, Vietjet is offering 85,000 tickets from only S$0* for travelers to fly to Phu Quoc, the famous island of Kien Giang province. Promotional tickets are available for purchase from now until 31 July 2019 and are applicable for travel from 5 September 2019 to 31 December 2019 for domestic routes connecting Phu Quoc to Hanoi, Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City, and 5 September 2019 to 25 June 2020 for international routes connecting Phu Quoc to Hong Kong and Incheon.

     

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  • Riccardo Tisci makes magic at Burberry

    Riccardo Tisci makes magic at Burberry

    Burberry is hailing the success of new creative director Riccardo Tisci as its June-quarter same-store sales grew by 4 per cent.

    Sales growth in China was up by the mid-teens, with Asia Pacific overall nudging 10 per cent.

    “This was a good quarter in our multi-year journey to transform Burberry,” said CEO Marco Gobbetti. “We increased the availability of products designed by Riccardo, while continuing to shift consumer perceptions of our brand and align our network to our new creative vision. The consumer response was very promising, delivering strong growth in our new collections.”

    The company described the response to Tisci’s designs as “excellent”, his collections delivering strong double-digit percentage growth compared to prior-year equivalent collections, and in line with Burberry’s expectations.

    The proportion of new product increased to around 50 per cent of the brand’s offer in mainline stores by the end of June.

    ‘‘Burberry’s transformation plan under new CEO Marco Gobbetti is starting to pay off,” observed Chloe Collins, senior retail analyst at GlobalData.

    She said much credit is due to Tisci, whose collections “offer a fresh and edgy revamp of the brand’s classic and neutral designs”.

    Burberry’s adept use of social media was also a factor in the recovery, with celebrity influencers such as Rihanna and Irina Shayk continuing to expand the brand’s reach and drive engagement with consumers.

    “Burberry must continue to invest in its social platforms to fight off other luxury players such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton, which are focusing on the channel to target younger shoppers. Burberry should more heavily promote its Instagram checkout feature to drive sales, as well as increasing brand engagement via marketing events.”

    Meanwhile, Burberry’s review of its retail network has seen 23 stores reconfigured to the new creative vision and led to a 2 per cent reduction in selling space, through the closure of non-strategic sites. Of 38 smaller stores selected for closure, nine have now been shuttered and in the wholesale space, Burberry is continuing to rationalise space in non-luxury US resellers.

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  • Harley-Davidson LiveWire Electric Motorcycle Unveiled

    Harley-Davidson LiveWire Electric Motorcycle Unveiled

    Harley-Davidson has unveiled the production version of its first electric cruiser and it is expected to go on sale in 2020. The Harley-Davidson LiveWire made its debut as a concept at the EICMA 2018 motorcycle show and at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) 2019, the American motorcycle maker had announced that it will take pre-orders for its first electric model. Harley-Davidson intends to work on a complete range of electric motorcycles and the LiveWire will kick things off for the company in the electric mobility space. The bike maker has also revealed the pricing on the Livewire that costs $30,000 in the US (around ₹ 20.56 lakh).

    The LiveWire is powered by a new electric motor which Harley-Davidson calls the “Revelation” drivetrain. The new drivetrain uses a belt drive to power the motorcycle forward. The electric bike also comes with a number of advanced features like a telematics system called H-D Connect which gives data about the motorcycle’s battery charge and service reminders to the owner via Harley’s connected app. Harley-Davidson aims to make LiveWire the first cellular-connected electric motorcycle.

    The company has already revealed the specifications and details about the performance of the LiveWire and claims that it can clock triple digit speed in just 3.5 seconds along with a top speed of 177 km on a single charge. The manufacturer claims a range of 235 km on a single charge. Ride assist features on the LiveWire include traction control and anti-lock braking system (ABS) which will be assisted by an inertial measurement unit (IMU). Moreover, it also features a signature Harley-Davidson sound as it accelerates.’ Additionally, the LiveWire gets rear-set pegs, Brembo calipers and a steel trellis frame with inverted Showa forks and a monoshock at the rear. It is also packed with equipment like multiple rider modes, Bluetooth connectivity and a full-colour TFT instrument console.

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  • Hong Kong protests may drive retail-sales slump

    Hong Kong protests may drive retail-sales slump

    The ongoing Hong Kong protests are eroding the sales of the territory’s retailers according to the HKRMA.

    “Depending on the performance of different retail categories, most member companies said the turnover in the first week of June recorded an average [decline] of double digits,” said the Hong Kong Retail Management Association in a statement we have translated from Chinese.

    “Activities are spreading across districts, and members expect business to be greatly affected,” said the HKRMA, noting that July and August mark the traditional summer-holiday sales season, but recent large-scale demonstrations, including one in a Sha Tin shopping mall last Sunday, may deter manilanders from visiting the city.

    “Large-scale parade activities have caused individual stores to suspend business. Not only are the retail companies under pressure, so is the income of store employees.”

    The HKRMA said the industry is worried that the ongoing protests will impact on Hong Kong’s reputation as a safe city, a food capital, and a great place to shop.

    “These large-scale parades have an impact on the life of the people and the business environment. If the situation persists, the association anticipates an annual decline of retail sales in the double digits.

    “The association appeals to the government to solve the problem peacefully at an early date and bring social order back on track.”

    The HKRMA called on employers and employees to maintain close communication during Hong Kong protests.

    “In the face of special circumstances, employee safety should be the most important consideration.

  • Noisy retailer Bonnie Vegetables fined again for noise violations

    Noisy retailer Bonnie Vegetables fined again for noise violations

    Local retailer Bonnie Vegetables and Fruit has been prosecuted once again for repeated violations of Hong Kong’s Noise Control Ordinance (NCO).

    The firm’s conviction that a booming, irritating promotional soundtrack was its best chance of luring customers to check out its produce has spectacularly backfired over the past year with snowballing fines now in excess of HK$110,000 (US$14,070).

    The business was hit yesterday with an $27,000 ($3450) fine from the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts for profoundly annoying local residents, as well as an additional $12,000 ($1535) fine against the company’s director, who was found criminally liable of contravening the NCO.

    The ruling follows a similar decision two months ago to slap an $8000 ($1025) fine on the firm – and another $5000 ($640) against the director – for exactly the same offense. That decision by the court was notable even then as the second prosecution of the business within a year for its exasperatingly persistent promotional racket.

    A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said that during the inspections in December last year, the department discovered that three branches of Bonnie Vegetables and Fruit on Kwong Fuk Road and Heung Sze Wui Street in Tai Po, as well as Hop Choi Street in Yuen Long, were proudly broadcasting the promotional recordings through high-volume loudspeakers, causing considerable aggravation amongst nearby residents.

    After the series of law enforcement actions taken by the EPD, the number of noise complaints against the shops in Tai Po and Yuen Long has largely reduced. Considering Bonnie Vegetables and Fruit’s particular confidence in the effectiveness of its strategy despite previous reprimands, however, the chances of further appearances in court for the firm are not insignificant.

    More responsible retailers are reminded that promotional recordings should be contained within their shop area and should not cause a disturbance to people outside – otherwise, it constitutes an offence. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $10,000 for each offence. For repeat offenders, the relevant operators will also be criminally liable for the offences once convicted.

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  • Tea chain Ten Ren Vietnam to close down

    Tea chain Ten Ren Vietnam to close down

    Ten Ren Vietnam will close all of its 23 stores on August 15, local franchise holder Vietnam Coffee Trading Service has announced.

    The company, whose main business is the fast-growing The Coffee House chain, said the current business model does not conform to the needs of the customer. It will close the chain and plan an “appropriate strategy” for the sector.

    The company wants to focus more on its Coffee House brand.

    All employees and partners of the Ten Ren chain will be offered the chance to transfer to The Coffee House.

    Ten Ren entered Vietnam in November 2017 initially planning 40 stores by the end of last year, but has fallen well short of that target. Its primary lines are milk tea and packaged teas.

    Given the brand is operated under a franchise it is likely the Taiwanese parent will seek a new operator for the market

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