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Tag: Australia

  • Coles claims former employee stole $1.9 million

    Coles claims former employee stole $1.9 million

    Coles is suing a former employee for allegedly stealing more than $1.9 million from the company.

    The supermarket claims that Aaron Baslangic, former head of strategic initiatives and B2B for Coles Online, submitted phoney invoices requesting payment to third parties, and in some cases faked the approval of his supervisor for payments that were above his authority limit.

    In documents filed with the Supreme Court of Victoria over the past two weeks, the supermarket said it has identified 13 questionable payments made to BMW Australia, the Autralian Taxation Office and other businesses from February to June of this year.

    The amounts range from $48,000 to $413,139. More than $1.5 million was paid to a business called Katana Services, whose assets were frozen by the Victorian Supreme Court on July 30, alongside Baslangic’s assets.

    Coles said it first discovered the questionable transactions during a review of payments prior to its migration to a new platform.

    “Irregularities were detected by our internal finance checks and we promptly obtained a freezing order from the Victorian Supreme Court,” a spokesperson for Coles told Inside Retail.

    The transactions caught the eye of Coles’ finance team because some were unsupported by invoices, some were supported by invoices sent from a personal email address for Baslangic and some were for amounts above Baslangic’s authority limit.

    Five of the 13 payments were for more than $75,000, which was Baslangic’s personal authority limit. Payments above this amount required the approval of his line manager Karen Donaldson, general manager of Coles Online.

    But while the accounts team received emails from Baslangic indicating Donaldson’s approval, Donaldson said in an affidavit that she had no prior knowledge of those emails and did not approve the payments.

    Cameron Newell, head of corporate business protection for Coles Online, said in an affidavit that he could find no emails from Baslangic to Donaldson requesting approval, or from Donaldson to Baslangic granting it, suggesting that Baslangic faked his supervisor’s go-ahead.

    Donaldson said she has worked closely with Baslangic since February 2017, when he was employed by Coles’ finance team and worked as a senior finance business partner with Coles Online. He was appointed head of strategic initiatives and B2B for Coles online on July 1.

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  • Australian dollar rises

    Australian dollar rises

    The Australian dollar has risen Thursday, buying 67.59 US cents from 67.11 US cents on Wednesday.

    Yesterday, the local currency hit a 10-year low of 66.77 US cents after New Zealand’s central bank cut the country’s cash rate by a larger than expected 50 basis points.

    The Aussie was trading as high as 67.83 US cents on Wednesday morning but fell more than 1.5 percent after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand cut its official cash rate to 1.0 percent in an attempt to reheat the country’s cooling economy.

    The Aussie’s biggest one-day decline since April dropped it more than one cent to as low as 66.77 US cents as RBNZ governor Adrian Orr spoke to media and said further cuts were possible.

    At 1335 AEST, the Australian dollar was worth 66.90 US cents, just above what had been its lowest level since March 18, 2009.

    The RBNZ’s move came a day after the Reserve Bank of Australia held the local cash rate at 1.0 percent but said it was prepared to reassess after weighing the impact of 0.25 percentage point cuts in June and July.

  • Samuel Hubbard launched E-commerce platform in Australia

    Samuel Hubbard launched E-commerce platform in Australia

    US footwear brand Samuel Hubbard will launch online in Australia and New Zealand next month through an exclusive partnership with Gold Coast-based orthotic shoe distributor Global Footcare.

    The 10-style range will be featured on the Global Footcare website, in an effort to test the online market for more premium orthotic footwear options.

    According to Global Footcare managing director Jeff Coombridge, adding US brands to the mix was a natural fit.

    “We pride ourselves on our carefully selected products that are not only supported by the medical industry but also stylish for the consumer and the Samuel Hubbard brand aligns closely with those values,” Coombridge said.

    “The Samuel Hubbard brand was developed by the founders of the hugely successful Rockport Shoe Company and with an 85-year history of shoe craftsmanship, they deliver a premium product with extreme comfort that has seen great success in the US, strongly represented with premium shoe retailers.”

    The partnership is not Global Footcare’s only international deal, also supplying Vionic Shoes and Os1st brand to Australia, as well as manufacturing its own Revere Shoes.

    Global Footcare re-branded from Vasyli Medical Orthotics in 2008 in an effort to expand beyond wholesale and into the consumer market.

    “Whilst adding large brands such as Vionic to the portfolio and developing our signature brand, Revere, we moved into mainstream retail, sports shops, e-commerce, and TV shopping and over the last 12 years have continuously sustained double-digit growth in revenue,” Coombridge said.

    “We are proud to provide end to end solutions for the people that matter most – our customers.”

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  • Menulog grows footprint, revenue in Australia

    Menulog grows footprint, revenue in Australia

    London-based food company Just Eat posted its half-year results on Wednesday, including the latest results from its Australian subsidiary Menulog.

    The takeaway food platform, which launched its own delivery service in 2018 (previously it only catered to restaurants that could ‘self deliver’), reported a 29 percent increase in revenue on a constant currency basis in the first half to £27.3 million.

    Orders increased more than 10 percent year on year. Underlying EBITDA, however, fell into the red, with the company reporting a £2.1 million loss in the first half, compared to a £4.3 million profit in the prior corresponding period.

    According to Just Eat, this was due to the cost of rolling out of its new delivery service. It had signed up 5700 restaurants to the service by the end of June and now covers 70 percent of the addressable population in Australia.

    “We’ve been working at pace and made good progress in the first half of the year to become the preferred food delivery app for our customers, with a broader choice of restaurants, a better user experience and a more personalized and impactful approach to communication,” Just Eat interim chief executive Peter Duffy said.

    “Australia has returned to top-line growth with our delivery operations achieving gross profitability. These are strong foundations for Just Eat to build on, as the business continues to drive forward.”

    The company reported a 28 percent year on year increase in restaurant partners. It now has seven of the top nine international chains operating in Australia on its platform.

    Active customers fell by 10 percent compared to the same period of 2018 due to a smaller EatNow platform – a subsidiary brand, which is set to be retired later this year. Average order value also fell 2 percent, from £23.49 during the first half of 2018 to £23.03.

    “Effective action taken by our teams in a period of transition resulted in significantly improved performance in the first half of the year and has seen us reclaim market share,” the parent company wrote in a note to investors.

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  • Alceon rolling out Lego stores across Australia

    Alceon rolling out Lego stores across Australia

    Alceon Group on Wednesday revealed plans to significantly expand the footprint of Lego stores in Australia.

    New stores are set to open in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland over the coming months, with South Australia and Western Australia to follow in 2020.

    A store is also set to open in Westfield Newmarket in New Zealand later this year.

    Alceon, which holds the rights to Lego-certified stores in Australia and New Zealand, opened the first standalone Lego store in Westfield Bondi Junction in March, which executive director Richard Facioni said has “captured the imagination of all generations”.

    The store is centered on providing interactive experiences, with a pick-a-brick wall, build-your-own-minifigure stations and play tables, where kids can assemble their own creations.

    The store has benefited from the growing popularity of the Lego brand in the region, thanks to the arrival of the top-rated Lego Masters reality show, Facioni said.

    Alceon plans to capitalise on this momentum, with the first new store to open in Broadway Sydney in late 2019.

    The company said it has secured prime positioning on Level 2 of one of Australia’s highest performing shopping centers. The store, like the Bondi Junction location, will feature exclusive, customized design elements and brick-built symbols.

    “The introduction of further LEGO Certified Stores in key locations will
    accelerate the reach of this leading global retail concept, as we build on the excitement and emotion intrinsic to the iconic LEGO brand,” Facioni said in a statement about the expansion.

    Alceon Group is an investment firm that is one of the biggest retail companies in Australia, following its acquisition of Specialty Fashion Group’s Katies, Millers, Autograph, Crossroads and Millers brands, James Packer’s Pretty Girl Fashion group and Pumpkin Patch.

    The company also has a controlling stake in Noni B and recently acquired a stake in ethical fashion brand Ginger & Smart.

  • Coles partners with Accenture to cut costs

    Coles partners with Accenture to cut costs

    Coles is powering ahead with plans for a more digitally-focused future by signing a long-term agreement with global technology services company Accenture.

    The partnership is part of Coles’ Smarter Selling initiative which is hoped will cut costs to the tune of $1 billion over the next four years through the rollout of new technology.

    As part of the strategy, the supermarket plans to increase automation of manual tasks and use artificial intelligence for quicker and more accurate stock ordering.

    The supermarket giant has amped up its technology since its demerger from Wesfarmers last year, having recently announced a strategic partnership with Microsoft to transform its shopping experience and improve productivity.

    Accenture has a global strategic relationship with Microsoft and will work alongside the tech giant to help Coles deliver “simpler, more efficient, and robust operations”.

    Accenture will also support the modernization of Coles’ supply chain with online grocery leader Ocado, which Coles partnered with in March.

    “We have committed to being technology-led in our stores and throughout our supply chain to reduce costs while delivering an even better shopping experience for customers and making life easier for our team members,” Coles chief executive Steven Cain said.

    “The partnership with Accenture will enable us to deliver the efficiencies we need for long-term sustainability, and provide the agility to respond to rapidly-evolving consumer needs. This is a vital part of Coles winning in its second century,” Cain said.

    As part of the expanded relationship with Accenture, the companies will invest in a joint innovation fund set up to explore new technology applications within Coles.

    “The evolution of the relationship with Accenture reflects the company’s strategy to win together through genuine partnerships with suppliers,” Coles chief information and digital officer Roger Sniezek said.

    “Accenture is a global leader in the digital space and in working together over the past years across a wide range of areas of Coles Group, we have each come to understand each other’s businesses, strengths, and ways of working,” he added.

    “By leveraging this enhanced relationship, we will work together to build Coles’ technological capability, so we have the tools we need to inspire our customers and make life easier for our team members.”

    Accenture will also support the implementation of SAP solutions across procurement, human resources, and finance at Coles.

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  • Marley Spoon brings first meal kit service to Tasmania

    Marley Spoon brings first meal kit service to Tasmania

    Marley Spoon launched its meal kit service in Tasmania on Wednesday, making it the first service of its kind available on the Australian island state.

    The delivery service will initially cover the greater Hobart and Launceston areas, but Marley Spoon said it will expand to more locations throughout the state in the near future.

    “Tasmania is known as one of Australia’s premier food destinations, but now locals can benefit from having some of the best products delivered straight to their doors,” Marley Spoon Australia managing director and co-founder Rolf Weber said on Wednesday.

    “We’re excited to bring stress-free, delicious and sustainable cooking to even more Aussie households.”

    Woolworths announced a strategic partnership with the meal kit company last month, along with a $30.05 million investment.

    The meal kit service launched in Australia in 2015 and is available nationally. Customers in Tasmania can pre-order their boxes from today, with the first deliveries to take place on August 5.

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  • Country Manager, Levi Aron leaving Deliveroo

    Country Manager, Levi Aron leaving Deliveroo

    Deliveroo’s country manager in Australia, Levi Aron, is leaving the food delivery company after nearly four years at the helm of the business Down Under.

    Merten Wulfert, managing director of APAC and the Middle East, will take over the day-to-day management of the food delivery service in Australia, while the company looks for a new country manager.

    Greg Ellis, former CEO of REA Group and Scout24, will also become senior adviser to Deliveroo Australia, and is expected to aid the company’s next phase of growth and expansion.

    Aron joined Deliveroo in August 2015 as country manager for Australia, and launched Deliveroo in the market in November of the same year. Under his leadership, the food delivery platform has grown to work with 11,000 restaurants across 13 Australian cities. It has 8000 riders and reaches 11 million Australians.

    Deliveroo plans to take the company’s growth to the next level by focusing on increasing restaurant selection, rolling out more virtual brands for restaurants to increase selection for customers and sales for restaurants and providing the best service to customers and riders.

    In a statement announcing his departure on Friday, July 19, Aron said he plans to pursue external opportunities.

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  • Instagram tests hidden like counts in Australia

    Instagram tests hidden like counts in Australia

    Some Instagram users in Australia are no longer able to see exactly how many likes other users’ posts have received, after the social media platform expanded a test to hide like counts to more countries today.

    Instagram has been testing hidden like counts in Canada for the past 2.5 months, and on Thursday, the platform expanded the test to six more countries, including Australia and New Zealand.

    According to reports, users involved in the test can still see how many likes their own posts receive, but the number is not made public, unless they opt out of the test. Instead, posts show the usernames of one or two people, and say they and “others” have liked the post.

    The company, which is owned by Facebook, has said it is exploring whether hidden like counts will encourage users to pay more attention to the photos and videos being shared, rather than the number of likes a post receives.

    The change comes amid growing concern about the impact of social media on users’ mental health, especially young people. A recent study conducted with university students found that those who limited their total time on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat to 30 minutes per day reported feeling less depressed and lonely.

    The head of Instagram Adam Mosseri recently told the Financial Times that ensuring safety and well-being on the platform is his “number-one priority”.

    In addition to hiding like counts, the platform is also exploring features to reduce bullying on Instagram, such as a new “nudge” feature that will warn users if they’re about to comment something hurtful, and an “away mode” that will enable users to take a break from the platform without deleting their account.

    The platform is also exploring ways to enable users to control how certain people interact with them without having to block them completely.

    But while these measures largely have been welcomed by users, it is unclear how they will impact the millions of businesses that use Instagram to share new products and offerings with consumers.

    Like counts not only give businesses a rough indication of how popular certain products or trends are, they are a key metric for influencers and the brands that hire them.

    An Instagram spokesperson said: We understand that this is important for many creators, and while this test is in exploratory stages, we are thinking through ways for them to communicate value to their brand partners.”

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  • Craveable Brands bought by Hong Kong private equity company

    Craveable Brands bought by Hong Kong private equity company

    A Hong Kong-based private equity company has bought out restaurant operator Craveable Brands as the Australian company steps up its foray into Asia.

    PAG Asia has paid an undisclosed amount to acquire the business from Archer Capital and other minority shareholders.

    Craveable Brands owns the Red Rooster chain of fried chicken fast-food restaurants and Oporto, a Portuguese chicken quick-service restaurant which will open its first outlet in Vietnam this week. Oporto stores are already operating in Singapore and Sri Lanka.

    Craveable Brands has more than 580 stores, including a third, smaller chain Chicken Treat.

    “Craveable Brands is a terrific asset in the Australian QSR market, owning three iconic brands with significant scale,” said PAG chairman and CEO Weijian Shan in a statement announcing the purchase. “We see great opportunities for Craveable and look forward to working with management on the next stage of portfolio innovation.”

    Archer Capital managing partner Peter Gold said his team had built the Craveable Brands business into a US$560 million company since acquiring it in 2011.

    “We have had a great experience partnering with the management team led by Brett Holding and countless hardworking franchisees who have transformed the brands and customer experience.”

    The current Craveable Brands management team will be retained.

  • Australia’s Oporto to open 24 stores in Vietnam

    Australia’s Oporto to open 24 stores in Vietnam

    Restaurant chain Oporto has launched in Vietnam under local franchisee Ben Thanh Group, with plans to open 24 restaurants across the territory in the next 10 years.

    The brand’s CEO Craig Tozer indicated the Vietnamese expansion provides a further gateway to a new market of potential consumers.

    “Vietnam is an ideal market for Oporto with nearly 100 million people and more than 60 per cent in our core demographic of under 35,” said Tozer. “Vietnam is experiencing double-digit growth in the retail and consumer sector and GDP has steadily grown at over 6 per cent. Consumers are urbanising and have an appreciation of quality food.”

    The announcement solidifies Oporto’s international growth strategy and follows a string of global signings. Three international master agreements have been secured in the last 14 months, with Oporto Vietnam following Singapore and Sri Lanka.

    Back home, Oporto is also forecasting an additional 20 plus restaurant openings in Australia for FY20, along with one in Vietnam, a second store in Singapore and further Asian expansion.

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  • Canberra Airport announces new retail partners

    Canberra Airport announces new retail partners

    Canberra Airport is overhauling its terminal retail offering, with construction set to begin on more than 1000sqm of new shops in the coming months.

    On Friday, the airport announced Airport Retail Enterprises (ARE) has been awarded the food and beverage component of the new terminal retail, and Australian Way Pty Ltd (AWPL) has been awarded the news, books and gifting component.

    “We are excited about these new partnerships as we work through the last piece in our terminal puzzle,” Richard Snow, head of property at Canberra Airport, said in a statement.

    “We have worked for years, focusing on making the travel experience for Canberrans and our visitors as seamless and efficient as possible. Now we are proud to be able to add in more restaurants and café options as well as retail that helps visitors remember their trip with local produce and gifts.”

    ARE, which also manages food and drink offerings in Sydney Airport, Melbourne Airport, Brisbane Airport, Gold Coast Airport and Gatwick Airport in the UK, will create a new cafe, City Hill Coffee, featuring locally-roasted Ona coffee, an Asian noodle and sushi offering called Noodles XO and a health food offer on the Western Concourse.

    Several existing food and drink options on the Southern Concourse, will be replaced by Capital Brewing Co Bar, through a partnership with the local brewery of the same name. ARE will also add a mixed news, books, travel essentials and cafe space on the ground floor in the arrivals baggage hall.

    “Canberra has a fantastic local food scene, and we are very pleased to be partnering with many local producers to bring this to the airport,” John Chapman, CEO of ARE said in a statement.

    “The new terminal will become a fantastic showcase of the region’s produce.”

    AWPL, which operates stores in numerous domestic and international terminals around Australia and New Zealand, will initially bring a news, books and travel essentials offering called News@CBR to the airport.

    Following this, it will open a second store called Merchant Canberra, which will showcase iconic gifts from the city, surrounding region and Australia.

    “It is our absolute focus to connect with the local community, deliver a retail offering that brings commercial growth to Canberra Airport, and also significantly enhances the customer experience,” AWPL managing director Costa Kouros said in a statement.

    Construction of the new retail offerings is expected to begin in the coming months, with stage one to be finished by the end of this year. The second and final stage is expected to be complete by Easter 2020.

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  • Dyson opens Beauty Lab in Sydney

    Dyson opens Beauty Lab in Sydney

    On Wednesday, Dyson opened its first ‘Beauty Lab’ in Australia, where customers can book hair styling appointments, drink prosecco and try out and buy the company’s extremely popular hair products.

    Located in Sydney’s Queen Victoria Building, the store marks a shift from the wholesale and e-commerce channels the company has traditionally relied on. While Dyson has previously held pop-ups, the Beauty Lab marks its first permanent bricks-and-mortar location in the country.

    The Beauty Lab concept is focused on educating customers and providing a luxury experience.

    “Dyson is continually disrupting the styling industry and its Beauty Lab is no exception,” said Joey Scandizzo, Dyson styling ambassador.

    “It’s exciting to be part of the journey to create amazing styles and educate people on how to help prevent extreme heat damage by using game-changing Dyson styling technologies.”

    The store features two products – Dyson’s Supersonic hair dryer and Airwrap styler – which took two years and almost £100 million ($179 million) to develop, the company said.

    The styling tools have been extremely popular in a product category that had not seen much innovation for decades, and are only now back in stock after having sold out.

    Customers can make appointments to have their hair styled by an expert at the Beauty Lab. For $50, they receive a complimentary beverage including prosecco, a hair consultation by a Dyson styling expert, a luxury hair wash with treatments and a head massage.

    The session is free for those who purchase a Dyson hairdryer or styler. Buyers will also buy receive a free gift (choosing from a brush kit, Supersonic stand or a woven bag).

    The launch of the Beauty Lab comes after the company added a second call centre in Australia last year, in what it said was a significant commitment to its presence here.

  • Uniqlo opens another Australian store

    Uniqlo opens another Australian store

    Fast fashion retailer Uniqlo said it will open its 20th store in Australia on July 4 at Northland Shopping Centre.

    The new store, set in 888sqm of retail space, will take the retailer’s store count in Victoria to eight.

    According to the Japanese retailer, the Uniqlo Northland store will feature the brand’s LifeWear apparel for men, women, kids, and babies.

    “The opening of our twentieth site in Australia is a significant milestone that demonstrates our commitment to finding the right locations to extend our LifeWear message to all Australians,” said Kensuke Suwa, Uniqlo Australia chief operating officer.

    “Our offering of high-quality products at an affordable price, paired with exemplary customer service is resonating with Australians and we look forward to continuing our growth in 2019 and beyond.”

    The doors will open to consumers at 10 am after an official ribbon cutting ceremony and Japanese drumming celebration.

  • Thai AirAsia X begins new service to Brisbane

    Thai AirAsia X begins new service to Brisbane

    Thai AirAsia X has started its newest service from Bangkok to Brisbane, with the first arrival touching down at 11:46 am local time on Wednesday. This marks the first AirAsia service to Brisbane Airport. The aircraft received a water salute on arrival, courtesy of the airport’s fire and emergency service.

    The route is operated by Thai AirAsia X under flight number XJ310 (Bangkok to Brisbane) and XJ311 (Brisbane to Bangkok); duration of the flight is approximately nine hours and 20 minutes. Before this connection, the only non-stop service between Brisbane and Bangkok was operated by Thai Airways using the Boeing 777-200. The Malaysian AirAsia X serves Gold Coast Airport, which is located 90 kilometres (56 miles) south of Brisbane.

    We are delighted to have a new home in Queensland, adding Brisbane to our Queensland ports after we commenced operating flights from the Gold Coast in 2007. This direct service between Bangkok and Brisbane strengthens our connections into Australia and adds to our extensive network of more than 140 destinations worldwide.Nadda Buranasiri, AirAsia X CEO
    Asia is a key market for Queensland’s tourism industry and this new service will bring more than 235,000 inbound seats to Brisbane over the next three years, providing a $156 million boost to the state’s economy and supporting 660 jobs.Kate Jones, Minister for Tourism Industry Development

    Thai AirAsia X is a sister airline of AirAsia’s long haul carrier AirAsia X. The Thai airline is based at Bangkok Don Mueang Airport. Together with AirAsia X and Indonesia AirAsia X, it operates a fleet of 36 Airbus A330-300 with up to 100 of the new generation A330-900neo on order. Thai AirAsia X will soon receive its first A330neo and become the Asian launch-customer of the aircraft type. The airplane, which is already due for delivery, was on display at Paris Air Show 2019.

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