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Tag: Australia

  • Singtel, Optus complete international 5G AR video call

    Singtel, Optus complete international 5G AR video call

    Singtel and its wholly-owned Australian subsidiary Optus have completed a 5G augmented reality video call between Singapore and Australia as part of their preparations for the introduction of the next generation mobile technology.

    The joint trial was conducted using Ericsson networking equipment as well as OPPO 5G test devices running on Qualcomm’s inaugural Snapdragon 5G chipset.

    Augmented reality technology was used to provide instant on-screen annotations during a call conducted at the operators’ respective live 5G sites.

    According to the companies, the technology has the potential to open up a range of new possibilities for enterprises, such as the ability to deliver live on-the-job training and remote assistance.

    In the consumer space, augmented reality communications use cases will include holographic calls and the ability to deliver a virtual tactile shopping experience.

    “This call is a significant marker in our journey to 5G as we develop a robust 5G ecosystem to ensure that our enterprise and consumer customers will enjoy an enhanced connectivity experience,” Singtel group CTO Mark Chong said.

    “5G is a key enabler that will bring the future of augmented reality, autonomous vehicles and smart cities closer to reality.”

    Singtel and Ericsson launched a 5G Centre of Excellence in Singapore in 2017, and recently opened the first live 5G facility in the market in collaboration with Singapore Polytechnic.

  • Telstra to trial 5G in banking sector

    Telstra to trial 5G in banking sector

    Australia’s Telstra has used this week’s Mobile World Congress to announce a partnership with Commonwealth Bank of Australia And Ericsson to trial 5G edge computing technologies in the financial services sector.

    The three-way collaboration will involve testing end-to-end banking solutions over 5G technology in an effort to explore the future of banking.

    The companies will evaluate how 5G edge computing can help reduce the network infrastructure currently required at bank branches to support high-speed transactions.

    Speaking at the event, Telstra group executive for networks and IT Nikos Katinakis said 5G has the potential to transform the global financial services sector.

    “5G edge computing is all about bringing the network closer to the user or application. For financial institutions like Commonwealth Bank, it will help to enhance existing banking applications as well as deliver new use cases such as artificial intelligence, all supported by a range of software defined networking solutions,” he said.

    “Together with Ericsson, we are pleased to be working closely with Commonwealth Bank, an industry leader, to help them design and deliver the next generation of banking services, powered by Telstra’s 5G technology and using edge computing.”

    Katinakis added that the lessons learned from the collaboration will be applicable to other industry verticals beyond financial services.

  • Australian dollar lost

    Australian dollar lost

    The Australian dollar has fallen against its US counterpart Tuesday, buying 70.91 US cents from Monday’s 71.11 US cents. The local currency is at  79.39 Japanese yen, from 79.23 ; 62.40 euro cents, from 62.36 ; 53.57 British pence, from 53.48 and 104.16 NZ cents, from 104.04. Last Friday, the local currency has been given a lift after a survey of Chinese manufacturing surprised on the high side.

    The Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), released on Friday, rose to 49.9 in February, from 48.3 in January, topping expectations. It was enough to hoist the Aussie dollar up to 71.05 US cents from a low of 70.90 US cents, though it was still down 0.4 per cent on the week. The US currency rose overnight when data showed US economic growth beat forecasts in the December quarter, supported by strength in household consumption.

    In contrast, Australian households have been reining in spending amid sluggish wage growth and sliding home prices. CoreLogic property data out on Friday showed home prices across the country fell another 0.7 per cent in February, though that was a small improvement from January’s 1 per cent drop. The Reserve Bank of Australia recently warned that a further significant fall in prices could undermine household wealth and spending.

    The weakness in consumption is one reason analysts suspect figures for GDP out next week will indicate annual growth slowed to about 2.6 per cent last quarter.

    “We expect home price falls to double to 14 per cent, peak to trough, making a negative household wealth effect on consumption likely,” said UBS economist George Tharenou.

    “We expect GDP to clearly slow to a below-trend 2.3 per cent in 2019, seeing unemployment rise and the RBA cut in November, with risk of earlier easing.”

    Investors have already moved to price in the risk of a cut in interest rates this year, with futures implying about an 80 per cent probability of a quarter point easing in the 1.5 per cent cash rate. That in turn has pushed down Australian bond yields and fattened the premium offered by US debt. Yields on Australian 10-year bonds are now 56 basis points below those on US paper, compared with 36 basis points at the start of the year. Australian government bond futures dipped in line with Treasuries, with the three-year bond contract easing 3.5 ticks to 98.330 while the 10-year contract fell 5 ticks to 97.8550.

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  • VMware announces 5G-ready Telco Cloud platform

    VMware announces 5G-ready Telco Cloud platform

    VMware has announced the launch of its 5G-ready Telco Cloud platform, as well as new solutions aimed at helping ease operators’ migration to 5G.

    Announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the new Telco Cloud platform is optimized for both 4G and 5G using a single architecture that supports both networks.

    “5G is at a massive inflection point, and planning decisions made today will have far reaching financial and operational ramifications for CSPs going forward,” VMware EVP for strategy and corporate development and GM for Telco NFV Group Shekar Ayyar said.

    “By moving away from the inflexible, hardware-defined architectures of the past, and rolling out 5G as a fully-virtualized architecture right out of the gate, telcos will be able to beat competitors to market with new value-added services and improve the performance and operational efficiencies of their networks. VMware today provides the best foundation for the 5G-ready telco cloud.”

    The company also announced new and upgraded solutions in its telco portfolio aimed at helping operators prepare their networks for 5G.

    These include VMware Smart Assurance 10, that will provide full integration with VMware vCloud NFV, the new VMware NSX-T 2.4 Data Center release, and an expanded VMware Ready for NFV Certification Program.

    The upgraded portfolio also includes Vmware HCX – which is designed to help operators build hybrid highways interconnecting heritage infrastructure and 5G environments on which commercial OpenStack ecosystem workloads can be migrated to a distributed, multi-cloud architecture.

  • Chinese tourists prefer Australia, Japan and Singapore: Survey

    Chinese tourists prefer Australia, Japan and Singapore: Survey

    Mainland Chinese tourists prefer visiting Australia, Japan and Singapore over Hong Kong, a survey has found, citing a preference for outdoor and nature activities in these places. Consultancy firm Kantar, which polled 300 people from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, found that 52 per cent of respondents were interested in Australia as a holiday destination, followed by 40 per cent for Japan, 38 per cent for Singapore, and 35 per cent for Hong Kong.

    Some 22 per cent said they were keen to visit Taiwan, compared to 21 per cent who favoured South Korea, 15 per cent for Indonesia and 9 per cent for India.

    “Urban Chinese holidaymakers are looking for a diversity of experiences – nearly nine in 10 say that having lots to do is either important or very important to them,” stated the report, released last month.

    “The dominance of nature in the minds of urban Chinese leisure travellers may, at face value, present a challenge for retailers, malls, theme parks and other places.”

    The report stated that the trend could be an indication for businesses on potential growth directions.

    Despite Hong Kong not being the top destination for Chinese tourists in the poll, official figures showed visitor arrivals in the city – driven mainly by mainlanders – soared to a record high of 65.1 million last year, up 11.4 per cent from 2017.

    About 51 million tourists from across the border visited the city in 2018, a rise of 14.8 per cent from the previous year.

    But the Tourism Board has admitted that 2019 could be a “bumpy and unpredictable” year. Chinese tourists now see the city as a short-term destination, and they prefer Southeast Asia or Europe for long holidays.

    The board said Chinese tourists also craved “in-depth” travel in Hong Kong rather than the usual hotspots. One of the board’s strategies this year will be to attract mainland and overseas visitors to places such as the Geopark, the Ha Pak Nai mudflat in Yuen Long and Lau Fau Shan.

    The Kantar report also stated: “Hong Kong outperforms Singapore on most factors, but when it comes to perceptions of safety and cleanliness, Singapore dominates all [Asia-Pacific] markets, though it is held back by its lack of nature and outdoor [activities].”

    It acknowledged that Hong Kong had a “relative abundance of natural attractions” compared to the Lion City.

    On preferences for nature and outdoor activities in the eight destinations listed in the survey however, only 22 per cent of respondents indicated an interest in what Hong Kong had to offer, compared to 62 per cent for Australia, 42 per cent for Japan, 32 per cent for Indonesia, 31 per cent for Taiwan and 29 per cent for Singapore.

    In the category of sporting events, only 27 per cent said they were interested in those held in Hong Kong, with 47 per cent for Japan, 43 per cent for Australia, 30 per cent for Singapore, and 28 per cent for South Korea.

    Kantar’s group director, Mike Underhill, suggested that to boost Hong Kong’s attractiveness as a tourism haven, unique sporting events could be held, such as a mountain marathon.

    “I’m not saying it’s an easy thing to do, but if such an event is created, it will [capitalise on] an emerging trend among Chinese tourists to help grow a niche sector, thereby raising the perceived uniqueness of Hong Kong.”

    Jenny Zhang, 29, an accountant from Beijing, is among those for whom Hong Kong does not rate highly as a destination.

    “I would choose other places because I have visited Hong Kong several times already. But if I am in transit here to somewhere else, I would visit the city,” she said. “The world is huge and there are many places I have not been to. I love to see natural attractions and take in the culture of other places.”

    Asked to rank the eight destinations in the survey, Zhang placed Hong Kong in last place. Her top choices were Australia, Japan and Indonesia.

    But Chen Peng, 36, from Tianjin is among those who still enjoy coming to Hong Kong after visiting the city six times. This month, he took his daughter to Disneyland for the first time.

    “My wife loves Japan and so I would choose Japan as my top choice. For me though, Hong Kong is my No 1 choice,” he said.

    “When I come, I mostly go shopping with my wife and meet friends. I would go to Harbour City and Central.”

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  • Australia’s December sales slump below expectations

    Australia’s December sales slump below expectations

    Monthly retail figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics have shown a somewhat dismal December trading period performance, having fallen 0.4 per cent to $27 billion, compared to the 0.5 per cent increase seen in November. While online retail turnover made up 5.6 per cent of the total figure, this figure fell from 6.6 per cent enjoyed in November, indicating the increasing importance of the pre-Christmas sales events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

    The results show that, over the course of the holiday period Australians spent $48.7 billion on retail sales, below the $51 billion projected by the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and Roy Morgan, though above the corresponding turnover of $47.5 billion from 2017.

    National Retail Association chief executive Dominique Lamb pointed out that these figures should serve as a warning, to both sides of the political landscape, that sectors of the retail industry are struggling.

    “Retail is the second biggest sector in the Australian economy, so when it goes through a challenging period there is a knock-on effect throughout the economy,” Lamb said.

    “While the retail community certainly doesn’t look to government for all the answers, it is during slow periods such as these that measures are required that assist small business.”

    Household goods fell 2.8 per cent, and clothing and footwear saw a 2.4 per cent decline in spending over the month, while department store turnover decreased 1.1 per cent. However, cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services rose by 1.1 per cent over the month.

    ARA executive director Russell Zimmerman pointed out that, while the monthly figures were depressed, annually the industry achieved a 3 per cent growth in sales, compared to the 2.76 per cent seen the previous year.

    “Although these figures are disappointing, it is important to note that there are a variety of factors that have contributed to these soft figures, including the decrease in consumer sentiment caused by rising household costs and low wage growth, which continues to plague the industry and overall economy,” Zimmerman said.

    These sentiments were echoed earlier in the month by NAB chief economist Alan Oster, who noted that these factors had led to consumers becoming reluctant to spend on non-essentials, having observed a 1.4 per cent decrease in online spending over the December period.

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  • Ralph Lauren continues momentum in Asia

    Ralph Lauren continues momentum in Asia

    Premium lifestyle brand Ralph Lauren increased gross profit across its third quarter period by 6 per cent to  $1.46 billion (US$1.05 billion), compared to $1.37 billion (US$996 million) the year prior. The growth was driven by a 90 bps increase in gross margin to 61.6 per cent, as a result of reduced promotional activity and improved pricing.

    “Solid execution on our key initiatives, especially during the important holiday period, delivered better-than-expected results for the third quarter as we drove higher average unit retail and continued to improve quality of sales overall,” Ralph Lauren president and chief executive Patrice Louvet said.

    “These results give us confidence that our strategic investments in brand-building, product, digital, and global expansion are on the right track, while the strength of our balance sheet will continue to be a competitive advantage as we manage through an increasingly volatile global environment.”

    The business saw momentum in Asia continue, with 11 per cent revenue growth to $379.65 million (US$275 million) led by 19 per cent constant currency growth in Greater China, and strength across Japan, South Korea and Australia.

    North American sales increased by 3 per cent to $1.25 billion (US$909 million), and enjoyed flat comparable bricks-and-mortar sales and a 21 per cent increase in digital sales for the region.

    Global revenue for the brand’s digital offering improved 20 per cent over the last year, with growth in the brand’s directly-operated digital flagships exceeding expectations.

    Net income for the period grew to $165.67 million (US$120 million), or $2.04 per diluted share (US$1.48).

    Looking toward the final quarter of fiscal 2019, Ralph Lauren expects net revenue to drop slightly due to a planned reduction in off-price sales, though predicts net revenue for the fiscal year will be up slightly, though didn’t provide concrete figures.

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  • AirPass helps Aussie retailers woo Chinese shoppers

    AirPass helps Aussie retailers woo Chinese shoppers

    Recently, Australia fintech company AirPay Financial Technologies announced its regional collaboration with China leading mobile payment technology company SwiftPass to form a new lifestyle brand “AirPass”. Connecting Australian merchants directly with Chinese consumers, AirPass lets local retailers accept WeChat Pay and Alipay both online and offline, as well as reach overseas markets to make the most of the global Chinese spending boom.

    AirPass is a lifestyle brand backed by Australian fintech startup AirPay Financial Technologies, in partnership with leading Chinese mobile payment provider SwiftPass. The new brand brings China’s most popular ePayment, eStore, eCard, eMarketing and eWallet services to Australia, allowing Chinese tourists, students and migrants to make over the counter purchases by simply scanning a QR code on their smartphone.

    The payment platform can also be integrated into Australian e-commerce websites and mobile apps, taking advantage of AsiaPay’s PayDollar payment gateway. Supporting multiple shopping cart plugins, PayDollar provides a one-stop online payment solution allowing local merchants to accept Alipay, WeChat Pay, Visa, MasterCard, Amex, PayPal and ZipPay

    “AirPass is providing a user-friendly platform for Australian retailers to build their own eStore to facilitate marketing and payment – which is the key to entering the Chinese consumer market,” says SwiftPass Technologies VP Tong Liu.

    Meanwhile, the AirPass app for iOS and Android lets Australian retailers connect directly with Chinese shoppers. AirPass assists Australian retailers and brands with setting up their own WeChat eStore to tap into Chinese social marketing channels. This allows local retailers to sell products via the WeChat ecosystem, reaching new customers in China along with Chinese communities around the globe.

    AirPass’ arrival in Australia comes as Boxing Day saw record high sales to Chinese shoppers across major retailers and shopping centre groups such as Westfield, Chadstone, QVB and Pacific Fair.

    “We are thrilled to announce our regional partnership with SwiftPass and recently launch WeChat Pay and Alipay to Australia’s largest and oldest pearling company Paspaley,” says AirPay Financial Technologies chief executive Jimmy Zhu. “There is huge demand from the market pushing us to deliver more advanced payment and marketing products.”

    Another Australian family-owned luxury retailer, Harrolds recently launched a WeChat Official Account and will soon accept WeChat Pay and Alipay in-store.

    Other luxury brands such as Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Valentino, Mulberry, Givenchy, Off-White, Marais, Furla, Folli Follie and Sneakerboy are also adopting the AirPass platform in order to better reach Chinese shoppers.

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  • Western Australia to stop using plastic bags

    Western Australia to stop using plastic bags

    The ban on the use of plastic bags in Western Australia has started as of January 1, 2019, with retailers no longer be able to provide customers with lightweight plastic bags when shopping in their stores. Retailers who fail to comply with the new laws will face substantial fines and disruptions to their business operations. The National Retail Association (NRA), which has partnered with the state government to assist the sector to make a smooth transition ahead of the ban, has issued a statement to consumers earlier reminding them to be prepared for the change when they shop starting the new year.

    David Stout, NRA manager of Industry Policy, said the bag ban applies to all retailers operating in Western Australia regardless of size or type – ranging from newsagents to food outlets, to pharmacies and petrol stations.

    Stout said shoppers need to make sure that they have alternative options in place, like reusable bags, to safeguard against any inconvenience.

    “The NRA has visited thousands of retailers in all parts of the state over the past few months to ensure that retailers are as ready as possible,” Stout said.

    He added that the NRA will continue to assist retailers with any teething issues after the ban comes into effect.

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  • Honey Birdette debuts in US

    Honey Birdette debuts in US

    Australian Lingerie brand Honey Birdette has launched its first US store in Westfield Century City, Los Angeles, focused on a unique design including whisky bar carts and ‘press-for-champagne’ buttons. The store will offer exclusive and limited-edition products, and is fronted by a glass mirrored store front centred by a gold tiled entry arch.

    “We are focusing on unique designs concepts for all of our future boutiques and each footprint will have its own unique element,” Honey Birdette founder and managing director Eloise Monaghan said.

    “Some might have a champagne bar for example, a private salon in one, a peep show in another, a stage or a catwalk.”

    The store opened to more than 500 shoppers who lined up to shop the brand physically for the first time in the US, and featured a DJ, champagne towers and confetti cannons.

    The brand currently trades within 57 locations in Australia, as well as across three locations in the United Kingdom.

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  • Kathmandu Australia drops expectations after slow holiday sales

    Kathmandu Australia drops expectations after slow holiday sales

    Outdoor retailer Kathmandu has seen sales fall over the first 15 weeks of the 2019 fiscal year after sales during the December Summer Sale failed to reach expectations, deflating the retailer’s projections for 1H2019. Same store sales for the 22 weeks ending 30 December fell 1 per cent year on year, falling 0.2 per cent in Australia and 2.4 per cent in New Zealand.

    “Following strong same store sales growth in Q1, we are disappointed in trading results in Australia and New Zealand over the Christmas and Boxing Day period,” Kathmandu chief executive Xavier Simonet said.

    “Despite sales being below expectation it is pleasing to see the improvement in retail gross margin and continuing strong growth from the recently acquired Oboz business.”

    Gross margin improved to roughly 64 per cent over the period, partially offsetting the lower than expected sales to date for the 2019 year.

    First half sales in US footwear brand Oboz are now projected to grow 35 per cent to approximately $23.5 million (NZ$27.5 million), and see a gross margin of 40 per cent.

    Total group profits are expected to reach approximately 4 – 8 per cent above 1H2018, assuming current trends continue.

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  • Australian shopping app Booodl goes bankrupt

    Australian shopping app Booodl goes bankrupt

    Australian retail app Booodl has said goodbye officially in December, announcing it has started liquidating its assets to pay off creditors just before Christmas. Backed by media mogul James Packer and Westfield mall owner Scentre Group, Booodl first withdrew from the market last year, with the app – which connects shoppers to retailers in their immediate vicinity – filing as insolvent with the Australian corporate regulator.

    The company reported having AU$80,606 worth of assets and owed creditors $70,456, according to the recent filing.

    With creditors to be paid in full, company shareholders will not receive a return, said founder George Freney.

    “There is always a huge risk associated with technology ventures, and the unfortunate reality is that many fail,” Freney said.

    Founded by Freney in 2014, the $8 million start-up was conceived as a social media platform to play against photo pinning app, Pinterest, where users would curate personal profiles portraying their favourite things.

    Then, in 2015, Booodl evolved into a mobile shopping app, sourcing and directing shoppers to shops that they sought via the platform. In the same year, Scentre Group became a major shareholder, investing $2.85 million in Booodl to fund the research and development required to build its web and mobile platform. In particular, it funded the technology used to help consumers locate physical retail stores and in-turn see retail businesses be more easily discovered by shoppers.

    By August 2017, retail heavyweight Scentre group was using the app and website for its Westfield mall chains across Australia and New Zealand, effectively rolling out the app to 35 malls.

    “This latest milestone is validation of the role Booodl’s technology plays in the retail ecosystem. The platform now boasts $86.7 billion of shopping centre assets and is utilised by more than 150 Australian shopping centres to increase in-store visits,” Freney said, at the time of the Scentre Group news.

    Prior to this, Booodl had inked deals with shopping centre owners SCA Property Group, ISPT Super Property and QIC.

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  • Victoria’s Secret opens first flagship store in Australia

    Victoria’s Secret opens first flagship store in Australia

    Victoria’s Secret has opened its debut flagship store in Australia, the first store in the nation to offer the U.S. lingerie giant’s full range of apparel, innerwear and accessories. Located in Melbourne’s Chadstone Shopping Centre, the Victoria’s Secret store opened to much fanfare at 5:30 am local time, with a ribbon cutting ceremony last week.

    Some one thousand women camped outside and waited for a first look at the store, according to local media reports, with the first shoppers getting a $180 voucher.

    Designed to reflect the firm’s New York flagship store on Fifth Avenue, Victoria’s SecretMelbourne is fitted out the brand’s recognised pink, and hosts an in-store display that holds approximately 12,000 pairs of panties.

    There’s also a separate entrance for its Victoria’s Secret Pink collections.

    The new Australian store in addition sells Body by Victoria, Very Sexy, Dream Angels, Bombshell, cotton lingerie and Victoria’s Sport athleisure line.

    The Melbourne opening marks the first official Victoria’s Secret store in Australia, separating itself from concession stores inside malls and Australian airports that are limited to selling fragrance and cosmetics.

    Victoria’s Secret recently announced it had appointed fashion executive John Mehas as its new lingerie chief executive.

    Mehas will take over in January, replacing Jan Singer, who has now resigned.

    “Our number one priority is improving performance,” L Brands chairman and chief executive officer Leslie Wexner said at the time of announcing.

    “I am confident that, under John’s leadership, Victoria’s Secret Lingerie…will continue to be a powerhouse and will deliver products and experiences.”

    Victoria’s Secret operates 1600 stores globally.

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  • AuMake enters into agreement with JD Worldwide

    AuMake enters into agreement with JD Worldwide

    AuMake International Limited has joined forces with JD Worldwide, a division of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com, to create a new omnichannel platform for Australian and New Zealand brands to reach Chinese customers. The strategic agreement, which was signed in Sydney on Tuesday, will see JD combine its online and logistics capability in China with AuMake’s retail store and brand building capabilities in Australia.

    The partnership mirrors a similar agreement between Alibaba’s Tmall and Chemist Warehouse, the companies noted in a statement.

    The agreement builds on the booming daigou industry in Australia and New Zealand, where personal shoppers, often Chinese students or tourists, buy and ship products on behalf of family, friends and other clients in China.

    AuMake over the past two years has expanded its chain of retail stores catering to daigou shoppers with relevant products and services.

    Under the agreement, AuMake will become JD’s exclusive retail store partner in Australia and New Zealand and connect existing and future store customers to its online flagship on JD’s cross-border platform, JD Worldwide.

    JD, under the agreement, will fully support AuMake’s online flagship, with an initial sales target of 10 million RMB ($2 million) per month, and provide access to its warehouse and dispatch logistics network in China.

    The companies will also work together to incubate and develop new brands to be exclusively sold on the JD Worldwide platform and in AuMake retail stores.

    AuMake executive chairman Keong Chan called the agreement a “company-changing event”.

    “This is a company changing event for AuMake and confirms the value that we have created so far via our retail store distribution network in Sydney,” he said.

    “Under this collaboration with JD Worldwide, AuMake will now be able to reach hundreds of millions of customers in China with new brands and products, including brands and products owned by AuMake.”

    Keong added that he believes AuMake and JD together can fundamentally change the way in which Australian and New Zealand products reach the Chinese market.

  • The Healthy Chef partners with Quantium Solutions to expand into APAC

    The Healthy Chef partners with Quantium Solutions to expand into APAC

    Quantium Solutions, a leading end-to-end logistics service provider in Australia, has announced a partnership with The Healthy Chef, a company founded by internationally lauded chef, nutritionist and award-winning cookbook author Teresa Cutter. The partnership will help the Australian business expand its eCommerce presence in the Asia Pacific, and it is also the first in the Australian food industry for Quantium Solutions.

    Owned by Singapore Post, Quantium Solutions is an established eCommerce logistics solutions provider in the Asia Pacific, operating in 19 markets, and handling every touch point of their partners’ supply chain process, from delivery to fulfilment. It enables major eCommerce companies – including some of the world’s largest fashion and beauty brands, and now, the Australian food industry – to expand their footprint globally.

    Founder of The Healthy Chef, Teresa Cutter is one of Australia’s leading authorities on healthy cooking. She is also known internationally, having designed menus and recipes around the world for InterContinental Hotels Group, and publishing a weekly column for Time Magazine in the USA. Dedicated to improving the health of individuals, Teresa launched The Healthy Chef eCommerce site in 2012 to sell organic, wholefood nutritional products and her bestselling cookbooks to Australians and overseas customers. Since its launch, the eCommerce store has seen consistent year-on-year growth in its online orders.

    The Healthy Chef enlisted Quantium Solutions to help the business take its popular products, such as Whey Protein Isolate and Organic Pea Protein, to more customers overseas. Quantium Solutions will handle its warehousing, packaging and delivery of orders across Australia, New Zealand and around the world.

    Teresa Cutter, Founder of The Healthy Chef, said: “Our customers are our priority, so it’s important that they receive their order quickly and effectively. With Quantium Solutions an order can now take two to three days to reach our customers in the Asia Pacific. If there are any issues with deliveries, we can count on someone there to rectify the situation immediately. Having Quantium Solutions as part of our team is reassuring and enables us to expand with outstanding service.”

    Per Gustafsson, Australia and New Zealand General Manager at Quantium Solutions, said: “We are very excited to have The Healthy Chef onboard as they are our first customer from the food industry. Having worked with major hotels around the world, Teresa has insights to the demands and buying power of overseas destinations. Also, Australia’s proximity to leading eCommerce markets like China, Singapore, and Southeast Asia, makes it ideal for Australian brands to take their products to larger and more lucrative markets. With a well-established network across the Asia Pacific, Quantium Solutions is able to help brands like The Healthy Chef expand overseas.”