Retail News CRM

Tag: asia

  • Vodafone M-Pesa applies for license extension

    Vodafone M-Pesa applies for license extension

    Mobile payments company Vodafone M-Pesa has applied for an extension on its prepaid payment instrument license while it explores merging with an associate or third party company.

    Vodafone M-Pesa, which is wholly owned by India’s Vodafone Idea, is seeking an additional extension of its license from the Reserve Bank of India.

    The company will be required to pursue a merger due to regulations preventing one entity from having a payments banking business and prepaid payments business under separate entities.

    Due to the merger between Vodafone India and Idea Cellular, the combined Vodafone Idea currently has a 100% stake in Vodafone M-Pesa as well as a 49% shareholding in the Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank Limited.

    The company has already negotiated multiple extensions to its prepaid payment instruments, but only on a temporary basis as the company pursues a solution to gain compliance with the regulations.

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  • Singapore retail sales lags last Month

    Singapore retail sales lags last Month

    Singapore retail sales slid by 1.5 percent in March, after excluding motor vehicle sales from the data. According to Statistics Singapore, most retail categories recorded lower sales for the month compared with the same period last year. Sales of optical goods and books fell by 6.4 percent and of computers and telecommunications equipment by 4.9 percent.

    Food retailers, watch and jewelry retailers, and department stores reported sales declines of between 4.6 percent and 5.7 percent.

    In contrast, sales of medical goods and toiletries rose by 2.8 percent, due in part to higher demand for cosmetics. Supermarkets and hypermarkets registered sales growth of 0.9 percent.

    Month on month, Singapore retail sales were essentially stable.

    The total market for March was estimated at $3.8 billion, with online sales comprising about 5.3 per cent.

    Year-on-year sales of food and beverage services in Singapore rose by 0.7 percent in March.

    On a seasonally adjusted basis, sales of food and beverage services increased 1.3 percent month on month.

    Total sales value for the sector was $868 million, compared to $863 million in March last year.

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  • Batelco completes structural separation

    Batelco completes structural separation

    Bahrain’s Batelco has completed its structural separation into wholesale and retail entities as part of the government’s fourth National Telecommunication Plan.

    Following the separation process, Batelco’s new infrastructure company NBNetco will work with the government to deploy a single national broadband and fiber backhaul infrastructure that will aim to provide all residents of the kingdom with high-speed internet access.

    Meanwhile retail entity Batelco Bahrain will take over the company’s retail and enterprise operations.

    Batelco has appointed Mohamed Bubashait as the CEO of NBNetco, and Mikkel Vinter as the new CEO of Batelco Bahrain.

    Both companies will continue to be owned by Batelco, but will be operated independently.

    The separation process has also involved the restructuring of executive management teams of the separated entities, as well as the separation of operational systems and human resources functions.

    Batelco chairman Sheikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa commented that the company expects that the separation will create new horizons for Batelco and opportunities to invest in digital technology.

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  • WhatsApp vulnerability allowed government-grade spyware to be installed

    WhatsApp vulnerability allowed government-grade spyware to be installed

    WhatsApp, one of the most popular messaging apps out there, has once again been the subject of hacking, but this time the method used involves government-grade spyware. Although we have no information that would confirm who’s behind the attack, the spyware used is usually sold to governments.

    The vulnerability discovered by WhatsApp just a few weeks ago would allow a caller to install spyware on the device being called, regardless of whether or not the could be answered.

    The spyware installed was made by Israel-based NSO Group Pegasus, and is usually licensed to governments that want to hack targets of investigations and gain access to multiple aspects of their devices.

    It’s unclear how many Android and iOS devices were affected by the vulnerability, but as you can imagine, anyone with access to the spyware could hack any WhatsApp user. On the bright side, WhatsApp said that it took less than 10 days after it discovered the security issue to patch it. The company also believes that only a relatively small number of users were targeted by the attack.

    This attack has all the hallmarks of a private company known to work with governments to deliver spyware that reportedly takes over the functions of mobile phone operating systems. We have briefed a number of human rights organizations to share the information we can, and to work with them to notify civil society.

    If you have WhatsApp installed on your phone, installing the latest version of the app will render the attack inoperable, even if it was infected with the government-grade spyware.

  • Credit Card spending up in April

    Credit Card spending up in April

    Retail spending on electronic cards rose in April as Kiwis took advantage of the extended holiday period to eat out and take holidays away from home.

    Card spending in April rose 0.6 percent seasonally adjusted after a 0.2 percent decrease in March, according to data from Statistics NZ.

    The increase in credit and debit card spending in April coincided with the timing of Easter and the school holidays.

    “Many employees took three days off to get a 10-day holiday over the Easter and Anzac Day period,” said Sue Chapman, retail statistics manager.

    According to Statistics NZ, retail sales increased despite the reduced trading hours in April.

    In April, spending on eating out and staying away from home (hospitality) rose $6.3 million (0.6 percent) on March, and spending on groceries (consumables) rose $10 million (0.5 percent).

    Apparel sales rose 1.8 percent in April after falling 2.9 percent in March. Fuel was up $17 million (2.8 percent), and durables, up $17 million (1.3 percent), also drove the increase in retail spending.

    Chapman said the increase in fuel spending was due to climbing fuel prices.

    “Fuel prices increased for the fourth consecutive month, after falling late last year,” she said.

    The retail durables industry, which includes furniture, hardware, appliances, and pharmaceutical retailing, bounced back after a 1.7 percent decrease in March.

    Core retail spending, excluding fuel and vehicle spending, saw a 0.5 percent lift following a 0.3 decline in March.

    The total value of electronic card spending, including the two non-retail categories (services and non-retail), saw a 0.4 percent increase in April, following a 0.1 percent fall in March.

    In actual terms, retail spending using electronic cards was $5.3 billion, up to $232 million (4.5 percent) from April 2018.

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  • NEC to deploy CCTV and traffic management system in India

    NEC to deploy CCTV and traffic management system in India

    NEC Corporation Technologies India (NECTI), an IT and network technologies integrator subsidiary of NEC, has been awarded a contract as the master system integrator for installing CCTV surveillance and traffic management systems in India’s Gurugram City.

    Under the project, selected locations in Gurugram will be fitted with a variety of CCTV cameras to perform traffic enforcement and general surveillance across 115 sectors of Gurugram and Manesar. The project was awarded in March 2019 and is expected to be implemented within this year.

    To support the implementation of a comprehensively integrated video surveillance system, NECTI will set up IP-based outdoor security cameras across various identified locations in the city. The video surveillance system from NEC will help in enforcing traffic discipline through the use of AI-based analytics software such as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and Red Light Violation Detection (RLVD).

    The system will monitor traffic junctions and other sensitive areas to identify traffic offenders and issue alarms. Subsequent e-challans (electronic fines) can be issued to offenders who are captured flouting traffic rules with the help of these systems.

    In the first phase of the project, approximately 1,200 high definitions (HD) and ultra high definition (UHD) cameras are expected to be deployed in over 200 traffic junctions, sending video feeds to monitoring centers 24 hours a day. The project will utilize the dedicated Optical Fiber Backbone currently being laid out by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) using robust ring network topology.

    Cameras deployed in key selected locations will be equipped with facial recognition technology featuring NeoFace Watch, NEC’s flagship facial recognition software platform, to identify persons of interest and other suspicious elements to support law enforcement efforts.

    Commenting on the occasion, Takayuki Inaba, Managing Director, NEC Technologies India, said, “Gurugram, one of Delhi’s major satellite cities, is host to many leading brands and representatives from across the world and is widely acknowledged as a finance and technology hub. We are honored to be awarded this project and contribute to Gurugram’s smart city ambitions.

    The Gurugram Municipal Development Authority added, “The current population of Gurugram is estimated to be close to 2.5 million and is expected to grow rapidly over the next few years. We need to constantly aim and strive to work towards enhancing public welfare, and NEC’s leading position in the field of public safety is paramount behind our decision to work with them. We are hopeful that the successful implementation of this project will propel Gurugram into an attractive city to live, work and visit.”

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  • Australian dollar slides Again

    Australian dollar slides Again

    The Australian dollar has fallen Tuesday, buying 69.45 US cents from 69.75 US cents on Monday.

    Yesterday, the local currency lost ground as the stalemate in Sino-US trade talks clouded the outlook for the Asian giant in its demand for resources.

    The Aussie dollar slipped 0.4 percent to 69.75 US cents on Monday and ever closer to the recent four-month trough at 69.60 US cents.

    China is a major buyer of commodities from Australia so any threat to its trade is considered a potential negative for the currency.

    Investors also use the Aussie as a liquid proxy for China plays, in this case shorting it as well as the yuan.

    Joseph Capurso, a senior currency strategist at CBA, noted that Washington was due to release a “Section 232” report into the national security implications of car imports this week, which could give President Donald Trump more ammunition in his trade disputes.

    “Global stock markets, and global growth-sensitive currencies such as AUD and NZD, may be hit by fears a ‘trade war’ will spread,” Capurso said.

    “Europe, Japan, Korea, and Mexico are major exporters of cars to the US.”

    The Aussie also faces domestic hurdles from data on wages and jobs due this week, where any sign of weakness would fuel wagers on a rate cut by the Reserve Bank of Australia.

    The central bank last week emphasized that further improvement was needed in the labor market to bring unemployment down and lift inflation.

    Wage figures for the first quarter are due on Wednesday and are forecast to show modest growth for the year.

    The jobs report on Thursday is expected to show 14,000 net new hires in April, with the unemployment rate ticking up to 5.1 percent.

    “Downside surprises will raise pricing for a rate cut as soon as June,” added Capurso.

    “The AUD can drop more than one US cent if the labor data disappoints.”

    The futures market implies around a 63 percent chance of a quarter-point cut in July and is almost fully priced for a move in August.

    Yields on three-year bonds are already well below the 1.5 percent cash rate at 1.26 percent, and only just above record lows.

    Three-year bond futures were up one tick at 98.750, while the 10-year contract rose one tick to 98.2700.

  • Singtel full-year profit falls 44%

    Singtel full-year profit falls 44%

    Singtel Group has reported a 44% slump in net profit for the financial year ending in March, partly as a result of lower contributions from the group’s regional mobile associates.

    Net profit declined to S$3.10 billion ($2.26 billion), despite revenue remaining stable at S$17.37 billion, and growing 4% in constant currency terms.

    But the bottom line was impacted by an exceptional gain last year arising from the divestment of a 75% stake in NetLink Trust – the company established by Singtel to deploy Singapore’s national broadband network.

    Losses at Indian mobile associate Airtel, a lower contribution from Indonesia’s Telkomsel, and the erosion of revenue from carriage services also contributed to the decline.

    During the fourth quarter, Singtel’s wholly-owned Australian subsidiary Optus reported a 10% increase in revenue, while Singtel’s domestic Singapore business reported 1% higher revenue and 5% higher ebitda.

    “We have executed well to our strategy amid tougher industry, business and economic conditions. The fundamentals of our core business remained strong,” Singtel Group CEO Chua Sock Koong said.

    “We gained market share in mobile across both Singapore and Australia led by our product innovations, content and services that were well-received by customers. Our digital businesses Amobee and Trustwave continued to deepen their capabilities and to scale. Looking ahead, we will accelerate our digitalization efforts to drive better customer experience and improve productivity and cost structure by transforming our processes.”

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  • Spotify introduces Instagram-like Stories

    Spotify introduces Instagram-like Stories

    Back in 2016, Spotify teamed up with song lyrics database Genius to bring “Behind the lyrics” annotations to the Spotify app. They appeared as cards and displayed interesting tidbits about various songs, sourced from the Genius platform. Now, Spotify has decided to outright launch a dedicated “Storylines” feature that allows the artists themselves to share behind-the-scenes insights on their songs.

    Similar to Instagram Stories, Spotify’s implementation gives artists complete freedom to share interesting facts about the process of making songs. Storyline cards will appear peeking from the bottom of the Now Playing screen, allowing you to pull up on the card and read it while listening to the song. The card will disappear after some time, though you can stop it from going away by pressing and holding on the screen. Spotify Storylines may be made up of numerous cards containing text, lyrics highlights, and images. Tapping the right side of a card will move to the next part of the story while tapping the left will go back.

    Storylines are going live in the latest update for the Spotify app (version v8.5.5.853, to be exact). Seeing as how the feature is still in its infancy, not many artists seem to be using it. Give it a couple of weeks, though, and you’re sure to see those cards start popping up in songs all over the place.

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  • Facebook’s Opens Lawsuit against an app developer

    Facebook’s Opens Lawsuit against an app developer

    Kettle, meet pot. Or perhaps we should say, man bites dog. Either way, it symbolizes news announced on Friday by Facebook. The company, which faces an FTC fine of $3 billion to $5 billion for allegedly using members’ personal data without consent, filed a lawsuit against a company for doing the same thing. The suit was filed this past Friday in California Superior Court for the County of San Mateo against a South Korean company called Rankware.

    Rankware is an app developer; the company and its apps have been suspended from Facebook. Despite the suspension, it appears that the company still has in its possession some Facebook user data. In the suit, Facebook asks the court to demand that Rankware delete the user data it obtained and hints that the defendant might have sold this information to other firms. The social networking company says that Rankware refuses to say who it turned over the user data to, and would not “[p]rovide a full accounting of Facebook user data in its possession.”  The filing adds that while Rankware had agreed contractually to follow Facebook’s rules, it “failed to comply with Facebook’s requests for proof of Rankwave’s compliance with Facebook policies, including an audit.”

    The filing goes on to note that since 2014, Rankware has been “us[ing] Facebook Pages data associated with its apps for its own business purposes, which include providing consulting services to advertisers and marketing companies.” The filing claims that the defendant has generated $9.8 million by selling Facebook members’ user data to advertisers. The social networking firm sent a cease and desist letter to Rankware earlier this year, and while the developer said it did not violate Facebook’s terms of service and policies, it would not provide any proof of this.

    “By filing the lawsuit, we are sending a message to developers that Facebook is serious about enforcing our policies, including requiring developers to cooperate with us during an investigation.”

    The suit says that Rankware’s actions harmed the reputation, public trust and goodwill of Facebook. It seeks an injunction that would prevent Rankware from accessing Facebook’s platform, force the South Korean developer to show proof of its compliance, and delete any user data that it obtained in violation of Facebook’s rules. Despite asking the court to award it financial damages and any money that Rankware received “unjustly,” Facebook says that money isn’t enough to make up for the harm caused by Rankware’s actions.

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  • Victoria’s Secret drops Broadcasted Fashion Shows

    Victoria’s Secret drops Broadcasted Fashion Shows

    A root-and-branch review of the Victoria’s Secret business has spelled the end of its famed televised catwalk shows – and even its giant flagship stores may be under threat.

    The world’s most famous lingerie retailer is trying to arrest falling sales and counter competition from the likes of American Eagle Outfitters’ Aerie and Rihanna’s lingerie company Savage X Fenty.

    Recognizing it needs to reconnect with its core customer base, L Brands founder and chairman Leslie Wexner together with recently hired CEO John Mehas, are “re-birthing the brand” through a strategic review.

    “Fashion is a business of change. We must evolve and change to grow,” Wexner said in an internal memo to staff passed on to CBS News. “For the past few months, we’ve said that we are taking a fresh look at every aspect of our business – from merchandising, marketing and brand positioning, to our real estate portfolio, digital business and cost structure … literally everything. We have made enormous progress in a very short time, and are looking forward to a successful fall and holiday with an elevated, fashion-forward assortment.”

    An early decision is that the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show will no longer screen on national television in the US.

    “Going forward we don’t believe network television is the right fit,” said Wexner in the memo.

    “In 2019 and beyond, we’re focusing on developing exciting and dynamic content and a new kind of event — delivered to our customers on platforms that she’s glued to … and in ways that will push the boundaries of fashion in the global digital age.”

    The annual show was launched in 1995, debuting on network television in 2001. However last year’s audience on ABC was 3.27 million, the smallest to date and less than half the viewership of two years earlier.

    The Victoria’s Secret business has taken some hits in the court of public opinion during recent years. The format of the show, featuring models in scanty costume lingerie has been labeled out of touch in an era where #MeToo movement is reshaping attitudes. Last year, the company was embroiled in controversy after former chief marketing officer Ed Razek said he would not use transgender or plus-sized models in its campaigns.

    Institutional shareholders are demanding higher returns, many lobbying for a spin-off of the highly profitable Bath & Body Works subsidiary.

    Early responses to Victoria’s Secret’s review appear positive. Analyst Lee Peterson, executive VP at Dublin-based retail consultancy WD Partners, said the lingerie giant appeared to be taking the right steps.

    “Everything [Wexner] said – albeit a little tardy – is the right thing to do,” he said. “It seems to me they had an epiphany and realized it’s a new age. You can’t do anything in retail for 20 years and not change.

    “Don’t forget Victoria’s Secret is still more than 60 percent of the market. It’s a big ship to turn around,” said Peterson.

  • HTC experienced massive losses during the First Months

    HTC experienced massive losses during the First Months

    HTC’s revenue numbers continued to drop massively between January and March 2019, and to no surprise today the company has confirmed that it experienced massive financial losses throughout the period.

    Despite seeing an improved gross margin of 14.7% during the quarter – a year earlier HTC’s gross margin was -3.1% – the Taiwan-based company still experienced a worse-than-expected loss of NT$ 2.73 billion ($87.68 million). The primary cause of this huge loss was HTC’s operating expenses, which essentially skyrocketed throughout the first three months of the year. In fact, within the space of 12 months, the company’s operating margin has gone from an awful -58.9% to an absolutely horrendous -92.9%, which means, at the moment, HTC is spending almost double what it earns.

    Overall, the company generated NT$ 2.94 billion ($94.45 million) in revenue throughout the quarter. The strong performance of HTC’s VR headsets appears to have been the primary source of income, although the company’s smartphone sales did also play an important role.

    Looking towards the second quarter of the year, HTC’s newly-announced Exodus 1s blockchain smartphone and the HTC 5G Hub are expected to positively affect the company’s finances. Both the Vive Pro Eye and Vive Focus Plus headsets are set to boost HTC’s sales too, all of which will lead up to the company’s 5G flagship during the second half of the year, as well as a couple of mid-range smartphones.

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  • Singapore retail sales slipped last Month

    Singapore retail sales slipped last Month

    Singapore retail sales slid by 1.5 percent in March, after excluding motor vehicle sales from the data.

    According to Statistics Singapore, most retail categories recorded lower sales for the month compared with the same period last year.

    Sales of optical goods and books fell by 6.4 percent and of computers and telecommunications equipment by 4.9 percent.

    Food retailers, watch and jewelry retailers, and department stores reported sales declines of between 4.6 percent and 5.7 percent.

    In contrast, sales of medical goods and toiletries rose by 2.8 percent, due in part to higher demand for cosmetics. Supermarkets and hypermarkets registered sales growth of 0.9 percent.

    Month on month, Singapore retail sales were essentially stable.

    The total market for March was estimated at $3.8 billion, with online sales comprising about 5.3 percent.

    Year-on-year sales of food and beverage services in Singapore rose by 0.7 percent in March.

    On a seasonally adjusted basis, sales of food and beverage services increased 1.3 percent month on month.

    Total sales value for the sector was $868 million, compared to $863 million in March last year.

  • McDonald’s ends food fight in India

    McDonald’s ends food fight in India

    International fast food chain McDonald’s has bought out its former partner Vikram Bakshi’s 50 percent stake in its Indian operations, ending a six-year dispute.

    The disagreement arose when McDonald’s India attempted to oust Bakshi as MD of local operator CPRL in 2013, a decision that was overturned after local arbitration hearings ruled in favor of his reinstatement.

    “With the transfer of ownership and management today, Mr. and Mrs. Bakshi end their association with CPRL and McDonald’s,” the company said in a statement. “McDonald’s acknowledges the significant work and contribution of Mr. Bakshi in establishing McDonald’s restaurants in North and East India.”

    Bakshi was responsible for opening the first McDonald’s in the territory in the mid-90s, growing the franchise to more than 160 outlets in northern and eastern India.

    McDonald’s now wholly owns CPRL, which will be headed by Robert Hunghanfoo going forward. The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

    The firm is now seeking a new development licensee for the region.

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  • Sephora confirms Auckland Flagship Opening This Year

    Sephora confirms Auckland Flagship Opening This Year

    Beauty retailer Sephora has confirmed long-standing rumors of an Auckland flagship set to open on Queen Street in 2019. While the retailer launched a local online offering in 2015, the bricks-and-mortar location will be Sephora’s first in New Zealand and is part of a larger push into Asia that will see Hong Kong and Korea added to the brand’s retail locations.

    “We believe that New Zealand will be a key market in building Sephora as the most loved beauty community in Asia, and the world,” said the president of Sephora Asia Benjamin Vuchot.

    “This expansion to a new market will allow Sephora to continue to amplify global beauty trends locally, elevate what our clients expect of the in-store experience and bring fresh, digital touch points to the retail environment to create a virtual, client-centric cycle.”

    Prior to its official announcement earlier this week, Sephora posted a series of job ads on Seek in April, looking for assistant store managers, category coordinators, stockroom managers and supervisors to fill out the Auckland flagship.

    The positions all indicated that prospective employees would need to be available for a recruitment event between May 7 and 8, pointing to an opening in the near future.

    Sephora interim general manager of Australia and New Zealand Pedro Coutinho said the store would be a beauty destination “like no other.”

    “We are so excited to introduce our renowned service offering, a suite of the most sought after beauty brands from around the world and a fun place for our clients to experience and explore their own beauty journey,” Coutinho said.

    “The Sephora client is the future – our customers are ahead of the trends, up to date with the latest brands and they want new products, now. We’ve listened to what our online clients want from Sephora, and this new Auckland location will help us deliver it.”

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