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Tag: Australia

  • Telstra, Ericsson, Intel claim another 5G first

    Telstra, Ericsson, Intel claim another 5G first

    Australian operator Telstra, Ericsson and Intel announced they have jointly completed the first end-to-end 3GPP non-standalone 5G data call on a commercial network in a multi-vendor setup.

    The trial at Telstra’s 5G Innovation Centre on the Gold Coast used licensed 3.5-GHz spectrum, and Ericsson 5G new radio, baseband and packet core solution, a Telstra SIM and the Intel 5G Mobile Trial Platform.

    The trial involved a network connection to an Ericsson virtualized 5G packet core running on Ericsson’s network functions virtualization infrastructure. The 5G slice was then connected into the existing Telstra mobile network.

    Ericsson and Intel jointly completed the first lab-based end-to-end non-standalone 5G data call earlier this month, and the live demonstration builds on this milestone.

    Demonstrating this 5G data call end-to-end using my own personal SIM card on Telstra’s mobile network is the closest any provider has come to making a ’true’ 5G call in the real world-environment, and marks another 5G first for Telstra,” Telstra group managing director for networks Mike Wright said.

    Previous 5G firsts have included the first 5G data call over 26-GHz spectrum, Australia’s first 5G connected vehicle trial and its first 5G mobile gaming demonstration.

    “We continue to work with global technology companies Ericsson and Intel as well as global standards bodies to advance the deployment of commercial 5G capability in Australia,” Wright concluded.

  • AirAsia celebrates Avalon Airport launch with $99 flights to Asia

    AirAsia celebrates Avalon Airport launch with $99 flights to Asia

    Earlier in the year, Avalon Airport and AirAsia announced they would be teaming up to offer the first ever international flights out of Melbourne’s second airport, Avalon.

    Now, tickets for first flights are finally out and to celebrate they are on sale for as little as $99 each way.

    These are to AirAsia’s home city Kuala Lumpur and, to be perfectly frank, are actually on sale for $12 each waywith airport taxes coming in at $87. Put the two together and you get your flight fare.

    Whichever way you look at it, it is super cheap and is definitely not one to be missed.

    The Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur route will operate twice daily on AirAsia’s long haul carrier AirAsia X on an A330-300 aircraft. While it’s the focus flight of this launch, it isn’t the only one from Avalon Airport on sale. Direct flights from Melbourne (Avalon) to Bangkok are also available from $154 each way while over 70 indirect flights via Kuala Lumpur are also available to snap up for cheap. This includes Melbourne to Singapore from $140, Melbourne to Phuket from $147, Melbourne to Male (Maldives) from $201 and Melbourne to Tokyo from $249, to name a few.

    Again all these fares are one-way with returns costing double.

    Travel is open across a more-than-generous period, ranging from 4 December 2018 to 13 August 2019. This includes peak season dates such as Christmas, though these are limited so you may need to be flexible with your dates around high-season to keep to your intended budget.

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  • RM Williams coming to China

    RM Williams coming to China

    Boot retailer RM Williams will open stores in China later this year, according to a report by the Australian Financial Review.

    The decision to expand into the fast growing consumer market was made by brand-owner L Catterton Asia, with chairman Ravi Thakran telling the AFR he expected at least a 50 per cent lift in earnings and a 40 per cent increase in sales supported by the expansion.

    The Chinese market has been rapidly proving its worth to retailers, with Starbucks China vowing to double its store-countover the next five years and Prada sales slipping in every market barring China, where it saw a modest 4.6 per cent growth.

    A recent report by Azoya Consulting and Frost & Sullivan found that 87 per cent of local brands view the market as a lucrative opportunity – with over 500 million online shoppers in China.

    The study found that Australian retailers are moving to invest in their owns paths to the Chinese market, hoping to sell directly to the consumers rather than through e-commerce platforms.

  • Australia’s Volley expands in China market

    Australia’s Volley expands in China market

    Australian shoe brand Volley will open 50 stores in China following a surge in online demand.

    The 79-year-old brand became unexpectedly popular after Mandopop diva Faye Wong was photographed wearing then at Hong Kong International Airport. Subsequent orders online crashed the company’s e-commerce platform.

    With the success of a trial pop-up store in Beijing, the brand’s first shop will open in Shanghai later this month.

    Collective brand manager John Szwede said the celebrity focus was a major factor in deciding to open the stores. In a discussion, he said: “Since opening the pop-up store in May, we’ve had our biggest growth month in China ever. The split between online and physical store sales is almost 50-50. It’s remarkable how big the market is.”

    Szwede added that 70 per cent of the brand’s wholesale sales are now going to China.

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  • Gordon Brothers acquires Bench brand

    Gordon Brothers acquires Bench brand

    US-based investment company Gordon Brothers has bought troubled UK fashion label Bench and all its related IP assets.

    Gordon Brothers has an established history of reinvigorating wounded fashion labels and retailers. It was a partner in the joint venture that bought Aeropostale out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US several years back, and it relaunched the Wet Seal brand as an e-commerce business.

    Bench has about 80 single-brand stores in Europe and North America and more than 2000 wholesale points of sale. The company recently commenced insolvency proceedings in the UK, which subsequently affected its German service companies in Munich.

    In a statement announcing the deal, Ramez Toubassy, president of Gordon Brothers’ brands division, said: “Streetwear has never been hotter than it is today. We are excited to be able to acquire an authentic pioneer in the category and bring our thoroughly modern branding, marketing and business model to bear in reestablishing Bench as a streetwear powerhouse.”

    The new owner says it will focus on “re-establishing the brand’s European e-commerce presence while it methodically re-builds the business’ wholesale footprint in that territory”.

    In North America, Gordon Brothers will continue the brand’s long-standing partnership with Freemark Apparel Brands Group.

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  • Footwear company Rockport saved from bancruptcy

    Footwear company Rockport saved from bancruptcy

    Struggling footwear retailer Rockport Group has been rescued from Chapter 11 bankruptcy by private equity company Charlesbank Capital Partners.

    Subject to approval by the US Bankruptcy Court of Delaware, Charlesbank’s subsidiary CB Marathon will acquire substantially all of Rockport’s assets, including the global wholesale, independent and e-commerce operations and all of its Asian and European operations and retail stores. However, as part of its ongoing Chapter 11 process, Rockport has begun the orderly wind down of its North American retail operations, which will be completed by July 31.

    Boston-headquartered Rockport has been designing and selling mens and womens footwear since 1971, its product range skewed to outdoor sports shoes. The company said in a statement the sale to Charlesbank “will enable Rockport to ensure the continuation of its deep heritage and great brands and enhance its focus on its global wholesale, independent and e-commerce businesses”.

    “Throughout this process and following the sale to Charlesbank, Rockport customers can continue to shop Rockport’s… brands and diverse assortment of footwear at leading department stores and specialty retailers around the world, as well as through the company’s e-commerce platform.”

    The company said the financial strength of Charlesbank will better position Rockport in today’s evolving retail landscape. Following the sale, Rockport will have significantly less debt which will help position it for growth.

    Charlesbank was named as the so-called “stalking horse bidder” during Rockport’s court-supervised sale process under the Bankruptcy Code. However, the court required an open bidding process before approving the takeover offer.

    After the bidding deadline last Friday, Rockport talked to “a number of potential buyers” but did not receive any bids competitive with Charlesbank’s so a proposed auction was cancelled.

    Alvarez & Marsal served as restructuring advisor through the process.

  • David Jones to open European luxury concessions on $200 million redevelopment

    David Jones to open European luxury concessions on $200 million redevelopment

    Upscale Australian department store David Jones is set to become even more luxurious, with the addition of several major European fashion houses at its Sydney flagship store, as part of a $200 million redevelopment.

    The 180-year-old department store chain said that French labels Louis Vuitton and Chanel, as well as Italy’s Gucci, are set to open as in-store boutiques at David Jones’ flagship Elizabeth Street store in Sydney.

    Other major labels include Givenchy, Loewe, J.W. Anderson and Mansur Gavriel, coming in the form of store concessions and exclusive collections.

    After Sydney, the luxury upgrade will also be rolled out to David Jones’ Melbourne stores.

    Funded by the $360 million sale of the company’s Market Street store in 2016, the redevelopment of the Elizabeth Street store will see it grow to 12 floors from 8, with products categorised into six “worlds”.

    Floors 7 and 8 will feature an Australia-first champagne and dining room, while below, a luxury shoe department featuring Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Gucci, will bow.

    The move is likened to the retail model at London’s Harrods or Sak’s Fifth Avenue in the U.S., and looks to up the ante at DJs, who has suffered sluggish sales of late, along with rival Myer, as consumers flock to online shopping, as well as boutiques, instead of mass stores.

    David Jones chief executive David Thomas said that department stores could still be relevant to consumers, but had to play to their strength of being a “mall without the shopfronts” by offering a wide range of the best products, and customer service to match.

    “So you come in for a black boot, we should be able to show you the 10 best black boots on the market, as opposed to going into one brand in a mall, where you can only see their offering,” he said.

    It’s far less intimidating than walking into a specialty store and far more convenient. That’s how we fight back, that’s the role of the department store.”

    David Jones said comparable sales fell 3.3 percent in the last half, while profits fell by more than 30%. At the time of reporting, the company attributed poor consumer sentiment and its poor private label clothing designed in South Africa, for the demise.

    The Elizabeth Street store renovation, planned as a floor-by-floor revamp, should be completed around late 2019.

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  • Australian, New Zealand central banks say no plans to issue official digital currencies

    Australian, New Zealand central banks say no plans to issue official digital currencies

    The central banks of Australia and New Zealand ruled out today the notion that they would issue official cryptocurrencies anytime soon, warning the potential damage to their banking systems could outweigh the benefits.

    Tony Richards, head of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) payments policy, said that bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies had not proven their worth as reliable stores of value or means of payment because of their volatility and vulnerability to hacking.

    “Nine years after its launch and about five years since it entered the public consciousness, bitcoin continues to have structural flaws that make it unsuitable for many uses, many of which stem from its inefficient verification process,” he said in the text of a speech given in Sydney.

    Given their low usage in Australia, cryptocurrencies were unlikely to have any significant impact on the RBA’s oversight of monetary policy and the banking system, he said.

    The RBA had no plan for the time being to adopt any new electronic form of money for households, he added.

    “Based on our interactions with our counterparts in other countries, it is also not front of mind for most other advanced economy central banks,” Richards said.

    The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) also said that while it was open to exploring new technology, it was unclear whether a central bank digital currency will bring conclusive benefits.

    While digital currencies could make distribution of money safer and cheaper, they could increase the likelihood of bank runs during periods of financial instability, said RBNZ deputy governor Geoff Bascand.

    That was because in times of financial stress, depositors could easily and remotely transfer large deposit holdings to a central bank digital currency, he said.

    “A breakdown in the financial system can cause enormous economic and social harm. We could not issue a digital currency if it might undermine financial stability,” Bascand said in the text of a speech at an Auckland conference.

    “The payments industry is dynamic, which is good. But the Reserve Bank must be a considered prospector in the exploration for digital currency benefits – we have New Zealand’s currency and financial system at stake.”

    Wild swings in the price of cryptocurrencies, and fears they may be used for illicit activities such as tax evasion, have drawn the attention of global policymakers.

    Finance leaders of the Group of 20 major economies agreed in March to open the door to regulating the booming industry, though they have only just started adopting individual rules due to the difficulty of agreeing on a multilateral approach.

    Most central banks are wary of embracing cryptocurrencies and say they have no plans to issue their own digital money with the exception of Sweden, where the shift away from the use of cash is significantly more advanced than in other countries.

    Bitcoin prices dropped their lowest in more than four months on Friday, continuing a downtrend driven by authorities’ measures to impose tighter regulation on cryptocurrencies.

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  • Decathlon announces first store in Victoria

    Decathlon announces first store in Victoria

    International sporting brand Decathlon has announced the launch of its first store in Victoria, Box Hill South, today confirming the store will open in late November 2018.

    The brand is one of the world’s largest sporting retailers, often likened to the Ikea of sporting goods, and originates from France.

    With 1200 stores across the globe in 30 countries and 80,000 staff worldwide, the sports giant said it’s focused on expansion in Australia.

    “We are extremely pleased to be expanding our presence across Australia,” CEO of Decathlon Australia, Olivier Robinet said today.

    “Building on the success of our website and our first store in Tempe, Sydney, we want to maintain the momentum by opening further stores across Australia.  The people of Australia have embraced our brand and we are excited about this.

    “Today, I am announcing that we will be opening up to five stores in Victoria over the next two years.”

    Arriving in Australia in 2017, Decathlon opened its first store in Tempe, New South Wales late last year. Since opening, the store has sold over 60,000 items on average per month, attracting 500,000 visitors per month and selling over 600,000 items to date in total including online sales.

    The first Victorian store will open in Box Hill South, 249 Middleborough Road, in late November 2018.

    “At the same time, we will also open our second store in New South Wales, 300 Parramatta Road, Auburn,” said Robinet.

    “In keeping with our generous warehouse design, the stores will be over 3800 square metres in size, represent over 70 sports and carry more than 7,000 different products, with walls and aisles lined with an endless array of unique and innovative items.

    “Australians are some of the most active people in the world, the whole country is like a playground. Prior to our arrival, many Australians had to spend hundreds of dollars to get a quality product. Decathlon has now changed this.

    “We offer high quality products at affordable prices with great service and interactive experiences in store.   Customers can try and test out our wonderful products in our ‘active zones’ and even take products home to try them for up to a week.

    “We employ many local staff and our whole team is focused on assisting customers to fall in love with sport and benefit from our great products, affordable prices and wonderful service.

    “Sport is a key ingredient for good health, good relationships and community engagement and we are excited to be opening stores in Victoria.”

  • Ebay tops list for local marketplace e-commerce

    Ebay tops list for local marketplace e-commerce

    More Australians visit Ebay in an average four week period than do Amazon and Kogan combined, new Roy Morgan research has revealed.

    New data put together from a sample of 50,000 Australians aged 14-plus has shown that Ebay is by far the most popular local online marketplace, with 9.4 million visitors in an average month.

    Next is Gumtree, with 5.6 million visitors, followed by Amazon, which entered last December, at 4.6 million.

    “The gap between these figures shows there is a large cohort of well over 4 million Australians who visit online shopping websites led by eBay, Gumtree, Amazon, Kogan.com, Groupon, Catch, OzBargain and others who don’t follow through and make the purchase,” Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine said.

    “These online ‘window-shoppers’ represent a huge audience of Australians who are already living in the online world but haven’t taken the final plunge to purchase through the online shopping channels they know exist.”

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  • Amazon Australia launches Prime

    Amazon Australia launches Prime

    Amazon on Tuesday launched its membership program, Amazon Prime, in Australia, offering free two-day delivery to nearly 90 per cent of Australians for an annual fee of $59.

    This is significantly less than the $119 fee for Amazon Prime in the US.

    Amazon Australia’s country manager Rocco Braeuniger noted the company was “thrilled” to introduce Prime six months after launching a local retail offering in Australia.

    “We have been working hard to expand selection, ensure customers get great value, and improve the Amazon shopping experience for Australians. With the addition of Prime, customers can now enjoy the most convenient way to shop and take advantage of new and expanding benefits from Amazon,” he said.

    In a press release, Amazon said its Prime program will bring free two-business-day delivery to 90 per cent of Australians, with more cities, towns and suburbs being added over time.

    It is currently available to members in Australian capital cities, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Hobart and Perth, as well as regional cities, such as Albury-Wodonga, Bendigo, Gold Coast, Gosford, Newcastle, Shepparton–Mooroopna, Toowoomba, Wagga Wagga and more.

    Prime members in more remote or rural locations will receive free expedited shipping in as fast as four or five days.

    There is no minimum purchase to qualify for free delivery, however, it is only available on ‘Prime-eligible’ products.

    Amazon said there are Prime-eligible products across all 23 shopping categories on its local site, including clothing  and accessories, electronics, books, toys, consumables, and beauty.

    Eligible products at launch include items from brands such as Blackmores, Bonds, Sol-Sana, Breville, Bose, L’Oreal, Tommy Hilfiger, Nintendo, Disney, Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Huggies.

    Notably, Prime members in Australia also have access to more than four million products on Amazon in the US through the local Australian site and free international delivery on orders over $49.

    This comes after Amazon announced it will stop shipping orders from its US site to Australian addresses in order to avoid having to comply with the new GST laws.

    “We hope that Australians will love free two-business -day delivery on products from Amazon Australia and free international delivery on products from Amazon US, all available to customers on Amazon.com.au,” Amazon’s vice president of Prime International, Jamil Ghani, said.

    “We are really proud to bring Australians the most extensive set of Prime benefits at launch for any country – ever. This is just the beginning for Prime in Australia, as we will keep making Prime better, adding even more selection and benefits.”

    Prime members in Australia also gain access to Amazon’s award-winning Prime Original television shows, as well as other popular movies and shows with Prime Video, over 1000 e-books with Prime Reading, benefits for gamers with Twitch Prime.

    Amazon Prime has more than 100 million paid members around the world.

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  • One in five Australian Shoppers opposed to Plastic Bag ban

    One in five Australian Shoppers opposed to Plastic Bag ban

    One in five Aussie shoppers are opposed to retail giants Woolworths and Coles introducing bans on single-use plastic bags.

    While the bans have been welcomed by green groups and many shoppers, research by Canstar Blue shows 20 per cent don’t agree.

    Woolies introduces its ban on Wednesday, when the retail giant’s supermarkets, BWS, Metro and petrol outlets will stop offering free disposable bags to shoppers in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.

    Coles stores will follow suit on July 1.

    Canstar says more than half of shoppers have already begun stockpiling plastic bags at home, based on a survey of more than 2,200 people.

    While 71 per cent of those surveyed back the ban, 21 per cent disagree and eight per cent are undecided.

    Nearly half expect that taking their own bags to the shops would be a hassle.

    “While the plastic bag ban is supported by most, the supermarkets can expect some frustrated customers in the weeks ahead,” Canstar Blue Editor Simon Downes said on Monday.

    “While Coles and Woolworths have been trying to get the message across, there will still be lots of shoppers turning up unprepared and shocked that they’ll need to purchase one or more bags to carry their groceries home.”

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  • Australian dollar slips another week

    Australian dollar slips another week

    The Australian dollar has slipped a little further against its US counterpart as the spat between the US and China over trade hurts commodities and commodity currencies, including the Aussie.

    At 0635 AEST on Monday, the Australian dollar was worth 74.46 US cents, down from 74.57 US cents on Friday.

    Westpac analysts say the tension over trade looks to have hit commodity currencies.

    “The trade spat between US and China appeared to hurt commodities and commodity currencies, with China threatening retaliatory tariffs on Friday,” they said in a morning note.

    “The US dollar index closed down 0.1 per cent on the day. …. (The) AUD extended a week-old decline to 0.7440 – the lowest since 9 May.”

    There are no obviously local event risks for the Australian dollar, leaving the currency vulnerable to trade-based tensions, along with continuing reactions to the US and European central banks’ recent decision on interest rates.

    “The combination of hawkish Federal Reserve and dovish European Central Bank surprises last week, plus US-China trade spat, could take AUD/USD lower towards 0.7410 (the May low) during the week ahead,” the Westpac analysts said.

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  • Bank Cards are the New King in Australia

    Bank Cards are the New King in Australia

    Australian consumers are accelerating their shift towards digital payments and away from cash and cheques, with new figures showing paying by card has surged while people make fewer trips to the ATM for cash.

    Consumers made more than 8.3 billion card payments in 2017 – equal to a rate of almost 23 million transactions a day, according to a report from electronic payments industry group AusPayNet.

    The bulk of those card payments – 5.6 billion – were made on debit cards, AusPayNet said, with credits tending to be used on more expensive purchases but still showing an increase in volume and value.

    At the same time the number of cheques used fell almost 20 per cent to 89.7 million for the year, and the number of ATM withdrawals made fell 5.9 per cent to 610.1 million.

    AusPayNet CEO Leila Fourie said the high uptake of technology and internet use in Australia, where almost 90 per cent of the population own a smartphone, was behind the increase in new ways of conducting transactions.

    “This is driving uptake in digital payments and laying down a powerful base for the next wave of payments innovation,” she said.

    AusPayNet said more 60 per cent of consumers with a smartphone used their device to make payments.

    Among the technological shifts aiding the uptake of digital payments is the New Payments Platform launched in February – a digital and near-real-time payments system allowing instant peer-to-peer payments.

    AusPayNet also found Australia has a relatively high number of EFTPOS terminals and low number of ATMs compared to other countries.

    Australia has 39,337 EFTPOS terminals per million inhabitants and 1,355 ATMs, while Canada has 38,892 EFTPOS terminals and 1,888 ATMS, the report said.

    Australia ranked above Canada, Italy, Singapore and the UK on EFTPOS point concentration, while it lagged Korea, Canada, Belgium and Russia on the ATM count.

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  • Tigerair launches new brand platform ‘Go for it’ encouraging Australians to travel

    Tigerair launches new brand platform ‘Go for it’ encouraging Australians to travel

    Budget airline Tigerair has created a new brand platform ‘Go for it’, based on a consumer insight which revealed the main reason people travel is to see their loved ones.

    Developed by McCann Australia, Tigerair has also created a 30-second commercial which encourages Australians to travel by taking advantage of low-cost airfares, because “escaping is sometimes exactly what you need”.

    The ad features people travelling to attend sporting games, to see their family and to surprise their friends.

    “You can go for any reason no matter how small” is the tagline used at the conclusion of the ad.

    With a media spend of $710,000, the campaign will run across YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and out-of-home.

    Merren McArthur, CEO Tigerair, said in a statement: “At its heart, the campaign is about seizing the moments that matter, and how Tigerair can connect you with your family and friends at any time – so you can just go for it.

    “Once upon a time flying was a luxury, but with Tigerair you can go interstate for a weekend away, you can go because you need a break from the everyday, you can go to see friends for diner, or you can go for no reason at all.”

    Tigerair aims to target the youth market, but includes a range of demographics in the advertisement.

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