Retail News CRM

Tag: asia

  • BMW X5 2019 Launched In India

    BMW X5 2019 Launched In India

    BMW has launched the new generation of the X5 in India and prices for the SUV start at ₹ 72.90 lakh (ex-showroom India). The company has stated that it will launch 12 new models in the country in 2019 and the new-gen X5 is one among them. The all-new BMW X5 is available in two diesel models – BMW X5 xDrive30d Sport and BMW X5 xDrive30d xLine. The petrol variant BMW X5 xDrive 40i M Sport has also been launched at ₹ 82.40 lakh, however, it will go on sale later in 2019. The price for the new X5 tops out at ₹ 82.40 Lakh.

    Internally codenamed G05, the fourth generation BMW X5 is now based on the CLAR platform that also underpins the 5 Series, 7 Series and the X3 in the automaker’s line-up. The SUV is now larger and more feature-loaded than its predecessor while maintaining the sporty character of the older models. The BMW X5 has been a popular seller for BMW in India but the new gen model has become longer, taller and wider compared to its predecessor.

    It’s the largest X5 ever and this fourth-generation model is 35 mm longer, 32 mm wider and 11 mm taller than its predecessor. The space between the wheels too has increased and it now gains 42 mm on that front and it now stands at 2975 mm. Despite the new model getting bigger, the boot space remains the same at 645 litres that expands to 1,640 liters when the rear seat is folded.

    What’s also different is the way the X5 looks now. The fourth generation BMW X5 gets substantial upgrades on the design and feature front. The signature Kidney grille has grown larger and more imposing on the SUV, while the headlamps are all-LED with X-shaped inserts and get the new adaptive LED DRLs. The front bumper has been reworked and gets larger vents and LED fog lights. The new X5 looks more agile than ever but retains the same silhouette as the older model. The wide LED taillights with the 3D signature add to the distinctive look of the SUV, while the model now gets 21-inch wheels as an option.

    The cabin though is all familiar, in-line with other BMW models and gets the digital instrument console called the BMW Live Cockpit Professional display; along with a floating infotainment screen, updated iDrive along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Like the other BMW models, you also get gesture and voice commands, as well as a customizable display. The cabin is covered in leather upholstery, while the feature list includes four-zone climate control, wireless charging, screens for rear seat passengers, a panoramic sunroof, welcome carpet light, ambient lighting, and a revised gear-selector lever.

    2019 BMW X5 Key Features

    • Live Cockpit Professional Display
    • Digital Instrument Console
    • Floating Infotainment Screen
    • Updated iDrive System
    • Gesture Control
    • Voice Command
    • Four Zone Climate Control
    • Wireless Charging
    • Rear Passenger Screen
    • Panoramic Sunroof
    • Ambiente Lighting
    The BMW X5 is powered by a 3.0-liter turbo diesel motor.

    Power will come from the 3.0-liter turbo diesel motor tuned for 261 bhp and 620 Nm of peak torque and the BMW X5 can clock triple-digit speeds in 6.5 seconds. The petrol will also be offered soon but for now, there’s just the diesel on offer. The new BMW X5 faces competition from the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLE,n Volvo XC90, Range Rover Velar, Porsche Cayenne and the Audi Q7.

  • Dome Cafe Singapore Closing Doors

    Dome Cafe Singapore Closing Doors

    The last Dome Cafe Singapore cafe is to close next month. The Australian casual-bistro concept which specializes in light meals and coffee will exit Singapore after 20 years on June 23 when the last outlet, at Parkway Parade, shuts its doors.

    Opened in 1993, under a Singaporean joint venture called Dome Holding, it was one of the first cafes serving specialty coffee on the island.

    A second outlet opened five months later, and by 1996, there were five Dome Singapore cafes.

    In the same year, Suntec Investment acquired a 51 percent stake in Dome Holding, forming Suntec Dome Holding and by 2009 the chain had grown to 10.

    “The food and beverage scene has evolved tremendously since the first Dome Cafe opened in Singapore more than 20 years ago,” said Rebecca Lim, Suntec F&B Holdings MD in a statement.

    “As a group, we have to progress with the times to stay relevant in this competitive industry. We will be channeling our resources to concepts that are aligned with the interests and welfare of the customers we serve.”

    Dome Cafe has more than 100 outlets internationally.

  • Van Heusen India opens Flagship Store in Mumbai

    Van Heusen India opens Flagship Store in Mumbai

    Indian formal wear brand Van Heusen has opened a new upscale fashion store in Bandra.

    With the launch of the new Linking Road store, Van Heusen India now operates 16 stores in Mumbai. The expansive store is spread across 2200sqft, offering an array of wardrobe options for both men and women ranging from corporate suits to fashion jackets, casual work-wear to club wear

    “Van Heusen has over the last decade carved a niche for itself as a renowned fashion brand with a strong presence across leading cities and towns of India,” said the firm’s COO Abhay Bahugune. “Today, Van Heusen enjoys a high recall value and is perceived as a brand that provides power dressing to young professionals.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Alibaba not affected by the Trade War

    Alibaba not affected by the Trade War

    Alibaba executive chairman Joe Tsai told analysts the company’s position as “China’s number-one platform for overseas brands” puts it on the right side of the trade war between the US and China.

    While discussing the group’s recent full-year results, which saw Alibaba grow revenue 51 per cent during the year to March 31, 2019, to US$56.2 billion (RMB376.8 billion) and net income 31 per cent to $13.1 billion (RMB80.2 billion), Tsai said he wanted to address the “elephant in the room”.

    “First, the reduction of the US trade deficit. China’s commitment to purchase more American products means China will over the next several years become a net importing country,” Tsai said.

    “We are the platform of choice for global producers of products and brands selling into China because we have the reach and deep insights on over 650 million active Chinese consumers on our platform. The scale and effectiveness of our access to Chinese consumers is simply unrivaled.”

    Alibaba’s active customers grew to 654 million over the year to March 31- an increase of 104 million year on year.

    Tsai said the ongoing trade negotiations also create an opportunity for other markets to do more foreign business within China, satisfying growing demand from the Chinese public as the country’s economy shifts from an “export economy to a domestic consumption economy”.

    “As we look at the evolution of the Chinese economy, Alibaba is on the right side of all of the issues,” Tsai said.

    Alibaba was recently ranked as the world’s most valuable retail brand outside of the US by research firm Kantar earlier this week, which valued the brand at US$131.2 billion, up 48 per cent on last year.

    Partly, this was due to the group’s New Retail strategy, which this year saw Alibaba partner with Starbucks to enable on-demand coffee delivery across 35 cities throughout China.

    “If you want to see the future of retail, look to China,” the report said.

    “In many ways, it is leading the world… Chinese consumers are using mobile in every aspect of their lives.”

  • Turning data into information in the age of IoT

    Turning data into information in the age of IoT

    If you think about what your home was like even just a few years ago, life was very different.

    Think about what grocery shopping was like. You’d open your fridge door to check out what’s missing, scribble down on a notebook a shopping list of what you need, turn off the aircon and switch on the alarm before you left the house and leave.

    Now, your smart fridge automatically knows when you’re running low on milk and will order the specific brand and size that you prefer and have it delivered to your front door. Left home and forgot to switch the aircon or alarm on or off? Simply view the app on your smartphone and tap your appliances on or off.

    Known as the Internet of Things (IoT), people are consuming information from more connected devices and as a result, marketing practices are rapidly changing. Retailers need to learn how to speak to customers through more channels than before.

    As IRI’s product solution director Adam Fisher explains, while more devices are creating more communication, marketers are getting blocked where they weren’t before. What happens when your fridge starts ordering groceries for you? Where a marketer could previously capture customers at the shelf in a grocery store, they now need to work out how to get your attention when the fridge automatically orders milk to your doorstep.

    “From a marketer’s standpoint, there are so many devices vying for people’s attention —How do you get the right person’s attention at the right time?” Fisher says.

    According to Fisher, one of the biggest challenges for retailers is knowing how to turn all the data into actionable information.

    “It’s knowing how do I bring [the information] in, how do I make sense of it, but on top of that, how do I know when I need to do something when it’s signalling something?” he points out.

    Marketing automation can give brands more insights and data into how people are responding to these different channels and how they should be approached, suggests Fisher. It’s one of the biggest trends in retail today

    and can help businesses engage with their customers by programmatically finding the optimal marketing and promotional activities for defined customer segments.

    A major benefit of IoT is the fact that based on all this new information from devices, brands and retailers are able to bring products to market faster, allowing them to keep up with the ever-changing retail landscape.

    However, it is vital that businesses have the right infrastructure in place in order to deliver real business growth.

    Fisher says: “It is important that they have the technology and right partner in place. In order to do this, brands and retailers will have to combine mobile and cloud technology infrastructure and go entirely digital to build a new business model by connecting people, things, processes, and data to keep up with technological innovation. That is the essence of what we do at IRI, is connecting the dots to help make faster and stronger business decisions.”

  • Triumph’s First Electric Motorcycle Will Be The TE-1 Project

    Triumph’s First Electric Motorcycle Will Be The TE-1 Project

    Triumph Motorcycles could well be the newest player among premium motorcycle brands to get on to the electric motorcycle game after Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire electric motorcycle project. The British motorcycle brand has announced a new project called the TE-1 which is a collaboration between Triumph, Williams Advanced Engineering, Integral Powertrain Ltd’s e-Drive Division, and WMG at the University of Warwick. Additionally, the group will receive funding from the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV). The actual model development is still some time away, but it is an important announcement nevertheless and will bring in exciting times in the electric motorcycle space in future.

    “This new collaboration represents an exciting opportunity for Triumph and its partners to be leaders in the technology that will enable the electrification of motorcycles, which is driven by customers striving to reduce their environmental impact, combined with the desire for more economical transportation, and changing legislation. Project Triumph TE-1 is one part of our electric motorcycle strategy, focused on delivering what riders want and expect from their Triumph, which is the perfect balance of handling, performance, and usability,” said Nick Bloor, Triumph CEO.

    Triumph Motorcycles will lead the TE-1 project, providing expertise in chassis development and overall motorcycle engineering. Williams Advanced Engineering will provide lightweight battery design and integration capability for the project, while Integral Powertrain’s e-Drive Division will lead the development of the in-house electric motor with a silicon carbide inverter. WMG at the University of Warwick will help provide commercialization as well as modeling and simulations that will be based on future market needs.

    “Our future product strategy is focused on delivering the most suitable engine platforms for the changing landscape of customer needs, and we see a Triumph electric powertrain as a significant requirement alongside our signature twin and triple cylinder engines,” said Steve Sargent, Triumph’s Chief Product Officer.

    The TE-1 project will eventually lead to new model development, but that is still a few years away. The first phase will focus on delivering powertrain solutions in two years’ time before any specific model development takes place. What is clear is that electric motorcycles certainly seem to be taking off in earnest, and it probably won’t be too long before you get to see an electric Triumph in production form.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • The Galaxy Note 10 Will be Sold in 6 Colors

    The Galaxy Note 10 Will be Sold in 6 Colors

    The Galaxy Note 10 will arrive this summer packed full of flagship features and specs, and according to MySmartPrice, Samsung hopes to pair all of this with an extensive range of colors. The Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy Note 9 both launched initially in a range of four colors which were subject to availability. But with this year’s Galaxy Note 10, Samsung is reportedly preparing a grand total of five finishes that’ll include both old and new colors.

    Borrowing from the Galaxy S10 that Samsung released earlier this year, the Galaxy Note 10 will reportedly be available in Prism Black, Prism White, and Flaming Pink upon launch. It’s unclear if other Galaxy S10 colors will be used at a later date, but the possibility certainly exists.

    Like the Galaxy Note 9 that precedes it, Samsung’s next flagship is also set to be sold in a Cloud Silver finish. Completing the lineup will apparently be an all-new red color. Curiously, Samsung was planning a red variant of the Galaxy S10 but ultimately scrapped it ahead of launch.

    As per usual, the availability of the Galaxy Note 10 colors mentioned above will vary by market and storage configuration. Moreover, it’s worth pointing out the fact that Samsung could still choose to cancel or delay certain finishes prior to the flagship’s announcement. Nevertheless, as things stand the Prism Black, Prism White, Flamingo Pink, and Cloud Silver versions are set to be sold internationally, while the red model will be available in just a handful of markets.

    Following in the footsteps of the Galaxy S10 series, the Galaxy Note 10 is expected to arrive powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 in the US and the Exynos 9820 over in Europe and many other markets.

    Presumably, these high-end chipsets will arrive paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage as standard. However, if this configuration isn’t sufficient, other variants with up to 12GB of RAM and 1TB of storage are extremely likely. Accompanying all of this should be Android 9 Pie paired with Samsung’s One UI custom interface and a large 6.3-inch curved AMOLED display. Speaking of which, this is expected to retain the slim bezels and punch hole found on the Galaxy S10 line. Over on the rear of the Galaxy Note 10 is expected to set a minimum of three rear cameras rather than the two found on last year’s model. There is, however, a strong possibility Samsung will add a fourth camera to the setup.

    If this happens, consumers can expect to find a 12-megapixel variable aperture camera accompanied by a second 12-megapixel sensor paired with a 2x telephoto zoom lens. The flagship is also set to benefit from a 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera that’ll give users the ability to capture more in their photos, and a dedicated Time-of-Flight sensor which should provide depth data for improved bokeh imagery and more accurate AR content.

    In addition to the regular Galaxy Note 10, which itself will also be accompanied by a 5G variant, Samsung is reportedly preparing a Galaxy Note 10 Pro and Note 10 Pro 5G. These two devices are set to look identical to the regular Galaxy Note 10 models, but will apparently feature massive 6.7-inch AMOLED displays and huge 4,500mAh batteries.

    Rumor has it the smartphones will also feature two front-facing cameras and potentially more storage and RAM as standard.

  • Sigma chairman Resigns after remuneration protest

    Sigma chairman Resigns after remuneration protest

    Brian Jamieson, chairman of Sigma Healthcare, has said he intends to step down within the next 12 months after shareholders protested the remuneration report at Sigma’s annual general meeting on Wednesday.

    Shareholders delivered an 18 percent vote against the report during the meeting, while also opting to re-elect Jamieson, as well as David Manuel, as directors.

    The vote signalled shareholders’ frustration over Sigma’s decision to reject a takeover offer by rival healthcare business Australian Pharmaceutical Industries, as well as a protest against the remuneration report itself, which included bonuses for board members in a year that has seen Sigma’s share price fall from 80 cents per share in June 2018 to 53 cents per share.

    “This has been a defining year for Sigma,” Jamieson told shareholders at the business’s AGM.

    Over the course of the year, Sigma walked away from a supply contract with Chemist Warehouse Group, causing a major fall in the business’s share price hasn’t been recovered.

    Sigma also walked away from the proposed merger with API, which Jamieson told shareholders was “somewhat opportunistic, with Sigma at its most vulnerable” after dropping the Chemist Warehouse Group supply contract.

    “To agree to proceed may have been the easy decision, but our detailed analysis supported our view that it was not the right decision for mid to long-term shareholder value,” Jamieson said.

    Lees ook:

  • Honestbee Stops Food Deliveries in Singapore

    Honestbee Stops Food Deliveries in Singapore

    Honestbee Singapore is to halt food deliveries from Monday.

    The company said in a statement it would also suspend laundry services on the same date.

    The changes come as part of an in-depth strategic review of the business launched after the departure of cofounder and CEO Joel Sng who was replaced by cornerstone investor Brian Koo at the beginning of the month.

    “The decision was made to optimise the business structure, and to drive better focus and alignment with Honestbee’s current strategic priorities,” the company said in a statement.

    The decision brings to an end the roles of some 400 ‘delivery bees’ many of them part timers.

    “They have played a key role, and have been a critical part of the Honestbee family,” said the company. “During this transition, Honestbee remains committed to assist all delivery bees. The headcount in Singapore remains unaffected.”

    Honestbee says it will continue to operate the grocery-delivery service, and its physical space – Habitat by Honestbee.

    “The newly-appointed executive team is working on future plans to stay relevant and sustainable in today’s rapidly changing business environment. This will help to put Honestbee in the best possible position to support the business in Singapore and other geographies going forward.”

    Lees ook:

  • Foodstuffs Allowing customers to bring own containers

    Foodstuffs Allowing customers to bring own containers

    Supermarket chain Foodstuffs will soon allow customers to bring their own containers to use for seafood, over-the-counter butchery, delicatessen and bakery items in an effort to eliminate waste.

    The BYOC (bring your own container) policy will be made available at Foodstuffs supermarkets and Foodstuffs-affiliated stores, including New World, Pak n Save and Four Square North Island stores.

    The policy will kick off on June 1 but will be launched in New World Long Bay a bit earlier, as its new store opens on May 28 in Auckland.

    Mark Casey, group manager of regulatory services at Foodstuffs North Island, said the company ran successful trials at several stores where it worked out what rules need to be followed.

    “Food safety is a top priority, so making sure our customers’ groceries aren’t compromised through poor hygiene is very important,” Casey said.

    According to Foodstuffs, the service is only available at counter departments so that stores can check containers and make sure they are fit for purpose and clean, and that the weight of the container can be subtracted from the weight of the product being purchased.

    “Many people don’t realise that products must be sold minus the cost packaging might add to a product,” Casey said. “That’s why we restrict BYO to counters where we can subtract the weight of the container and produce a price label for the cost of the product only.”

    This means that products from bulk bins, for now, won’t be included.

    “We have to make quite significant changes to the way we operate to take the BYO option storewide, but this new policy in our counter areas is a major step towards zero waste.”

    The supermarket chain said encouraging customers to reuse containers is just one of the many initiatives it has underway to help reduce New Zealanders’ environmental footprint.

    “We’ve given away millions of reusable shopping bags, we encourage customers to bring reusable produce bags, we’re trialing home compostable produce bags and now we’re inviting people to bring their own containers. It all adds up to reducing packaging waste,” said Mike Sammons, head of sustainability at Foodstuffs.

    Sammons said reusable bags and boxes may soon be in the works after the company’s previous initiatives to cut out plastic in-store, such as its ‘food in the nude’ campaign in produce, a new and exclusive eco-store refillery in its New World Durham Street in Christchurch and the use of new products for wrapping pallets.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Suning invests in Jack Ma-backed retail Fund

    Suning invests in Jack Ma-backed retail Fund

    Chinese retailer Suning has invested US$129 million into Jack Ma-backed Yunfeng Capital’s third fund.

    The funding represents 61.41 per cent of a committed $210 million to the private equity firm, which is set to raise $2.5 billion and has so far received commitments from 51 limited partners (LPs).

    The company stated that the funding will give it the opportunity to “deepen its smart retail strategy, further enrich the Suning ecosystem as well as achieve financial returns”.

    The firm is a current shareholder in Jack Ma’s e-commerce giant Alibaba, and vice versa.

    The Yunfeng Capital equity firm makes calculated investments in technology, media and communications, as well as a range of other consumer sectors.

  • Glory Days of Samsonite Sales Ending

    Glory Days of Samsonite Sales Ending

    “Economic headwinds” in the latest quarter have brought an end to the stellar run of Samsonite sales growth.

    For the March quarter, the world’s largest luggage retailer has reported a fall in sales of 2.4 per cent and 6.3 per cent when reported in US dollars. Profit attributable to shareholders slumped by 48.2 per cent to US$22.8 million.

    In Asia, overall sales fell 2.1 per cent, but the group continued to achieve net sales gains in both Japan (up 4.1 per cent) and Hong Kong (up 5.5 per cent) during the quarter.

    Last full year, net Samsonite sales were up 8.4 per cent on a constant-currency basis to US$3.797 billion in the year to December 31. Profit attributable to shareholders rose by 23.9 per cent before extraordinary items.

    The company has consistently reported quarter-on-quarter sales growth during the last several years, although this was heavily influenced by the acquisition of Tumi and other businesses over the same period.

    Commenting on the results, CEO Kyle Gendreau said economic headwinds have continued to impact a number of the company’s key markets during the first quarter, particularly the US, South Korea, Chile and the business-to-business market segment in China.

    “Excluding these four markets, our net sales grew by a healthy 3.4 per cent, driven by a 4.4 per cent increase in Asia (excluding South Korea and business-to-business sales in China) and a 2.3 per cent growth in Europe.”

    In China, a sharp decline in business-to-business orders caused net sales to decrease by 8.3 per cent year on year. Excluding business-to-business orders for both periods, net sales in China increased by 5.9 per cent, driven by a 15.1 per cent rise in direct-to-consumer sales, despite weak consumer sentiment amid concerns about trade relations with the US.

    By brand, Tumi sales in Asia soared 17 per cent and in Europe by 22.5 per cent.

    Net sales of the Samsonite brand were down by 4.2 per cent year-on-year to $373 million during the quarter, primarily due to declines in the US, China and South Korea.

  • India’s Nappa Dori Opening Store in UK

    India’s Nappa Dori Opening Store in UK

    Indian luxury handcrafted-bags and luggage retailer Nappa Dori has launched in London.

    The firm’s 1400sqft location in Seven Dials on Monmouth Street is its first in Europe, adding to its seven-store network in India and an outlet in the Maldives. It features an in-store cafe serving traditional beverages such as chai tea.

    “The high volume of tourists and locals who frequent the stylish streets of Seven Dials made it the obvious choice for our first UK and European venture,” said Nappa Dori founder Gautam Sinha.

    “This opening reflects the increase in brands selecting this unique West End destination for debut UK and European stores,” said Shaftesbury senior retail portfolio manager Addy Williams, “following in the footsteps of leading brands such as Away and Beast.”

    Nappa Dori has previously engaged in collaborations with Kiehl’s and Qatar Airways, among other partnering businesses.

    Lees ook:

  • Aeon opens first Supermarket in Myanmar

    Aeon opens first Supermarket in Myanmar

    Japanese retailer and mall operator Aeon has launched its first hypermarket in Myanmar.

    The 2800sqm store is triple the size of its 14 existing supermarkets in Southeast Asia and its first hypermarket in the region. Opened in the capital city of Yangon, it sells household items as well as food. It also features a microfinancing service for shoppers.

    The move is a response to the growing retail sector in Myanmar, which Aeon has been pursuing since its 2016 joint venture with local partner Creation Myanmar Group.

    The hypermarket includes a large home-appliance sales space and a 70sqm dining area.

    “There is further room to increase the number of stores in Myanmar as the country is still short of modern retail space,” said Aeon Orange’s GM of administration Masayasu Isozaki.

    Aeon currently operates 74 stores in Southeast Asia, with shopping malls and supermarkets in Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

    Lees ook:

  • Kiwis invest Money into Ethical Fashion Brand

    Kiwis invest Money into Ethical Fashion Brand

    With 14 days left to hit their minimum target, New Zealand-based ethical fashion brand Little Yellow Bird announced it has raised over $151,563 in its equity crowdfunding campaign.

    The Wellington-based company is offering Kiwis the chance to invest in the company for as little as $500 to scale its impact, grow the product range and make ethical fashion mainstream. The company also plans to expand internationally.

    Little Yellow Bird hopes to raise a minimum of $750,000 with its equity crowdfunding campaign on PledgeMe as it aims to become New Zealand’s first community-owned ethical fashion brand.

    “We are expanding, and we want to scale our voice and impact,” said Samantha Jones, Little Yellow Bird founder.

    Jones said the best way to do this was by having a community of values-aligned investors.

    Little Yellow Bird uses 100 per cent organic, rain-fed cotton and non-toxic dyes and follows a zero waste policy in its factories, saving millions of litres of water each year.

    With the fashion industry named as one of the biggest contributors to climate change across the world, producing about 10 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, Yellowbird said it is “absolutely committed to ethical manufacturing.”

    “We track every single item of clothing from source to sale, and we ensure we have transparency across the entire supply chain for our products.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook: