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Tag: Australia

  • Donut King beats Muffin Break With Best Customer Satisfaction

    Donut King beats Muffin Break With Best Customer Satisfaction

    Donut King has unseated Muffin Break as the number one chain for coffee and doughnut customer satisfaction in Australia, according to a Roy Morgan survey.

    Donut King has broken through for its first monthly customer satisfaction victory for Roy Morgan’s Customer Satisfaction Annual Award for coffee/doughnut stores since July 2015 with a rating of 87 per cent in March 2018.

    Muffin Break, the customer satisfaction annual award winner for the past two years, was third on 83. 5 per cent, experiencing its biggest fall since March 2017 at 6.6 per cent.

    Michel’s Patisserie is at second place with 83.8 per cent, up from 5.9 per cent from a year ago and was the only leading coffee/doughnut store to improve customer satisfaction over the past year.

    Gloria Jeans takes fourth spot with a customer satisfaction rating of 79.9 per cent.

    Michele Levine, CEO, Roy Morgan, says despite media questioning of Retail Food Group’s franchisee model in recent months, the performance of Donut King, Michel’s Patisserie and Gloria Jean’s underlines a strong commitment to customer satisfaction.

    “The business model of franchisor Retail Food Group has been under scrutiny in recent months and the company recently announced the closure of up to 200 under-performing outlets around Australia and spread across several brands,” Levine said.

    “However, today’s latest customer satisfaction ratings show leading RFG outlets Donut King, Michel’s Patisserie and Gloria Jean’s clearly satisfying their customers.

    “All three are rated in Australia’s top four coffee/doughnut stores early in 2018 and represent clear value satisfying often hard to please consumers in a competitive retail market.”

    Roy Morgan’s customer satisfaction awards tracks customer satisfaction, engagement, loyalty, advocacy and NPS across a wide range of industries and brands.

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  • Amazon opens another fulfilment centre in Sydney

    Amazon opens another fulfilment centre in Sydney

    Amazon is opening a second fulfilment centre to speed up delivery to customers across Australia, as the US-based company expands its e-commerce business Down Under.

    The 43,000sqm fulfilment centre in Moorebank, South West Sydney, is planned to start operations in the second half of 2018.

    “We are thrilled to be establishing our next fulfilment centre in Sydney and working with incredible people in the local community around Moorebank,” said Robert Bruce, Amazon Australia’s operations director.

    “Sydney represents another important development for our growth strategy in Australia, following a steady and progressive increase in customer demand.”

    Together with Amazon’s Dandenong South fulfilment centre, which opened in December 2017, the second warehouse, located within easy access to the M5 and M7 motorways, will allow Amazon to handle current and future customer demand and speed up delivery to customers across the country.

    “This investment will benefit both customers and the local economy by generating new jobs and providing small and medium sized Australian businesses who sell on amazon.com.au and use our Fulfilment by Amazon program, with an opportunity to more easily access millions of customers across the country,” Bruce said.

    Amazon will begin recruiting immediately for a range of roles including operations, support and technical specialists, adding to the more than 1,200 people it currently employs in Australia.

    Since launching its online retail offering in Australia late last year, Amazon has since released new products into the market, including Alexa and Amazon Echo, Amazon Music Unlimited as well as Fulfilment by Amazon, which allows Australian sellers to outsource their pick, pack and shipping process to Amazon logistics.

    Amazon Prime is expected to launch in Australia in mid-2018.

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  • Telstra to launch unlimited mobile data plan

    Telstra to launch unlimited mobile data plan

    Australia’s Telstra will tomorrow launch Australia’s first unlimited smartphone-based mobile data plan, although the “unlimited” plan is subject to a data cap at 40GB.

    The new A$69 ($52) Telstra Endless Data BYO plans also come with unlimited talk, text and MMS to standard domestic numbers as well as unlimited Wi-Fi data at Telstra’s network of Telstra Air hotspots.

    Data will be uncapped up to 40GB, after which speeds will be limited to 1.5Mbps, and lower during peak hours. The plan is also subject to Telstra’s fair use policy, Telstra said.

    Telstra boasts a 4G population coverage of more than 99% with a 3G coverage of 99.4%. The company’s 4G network covers a landmass area of 1.6 million square kilometers.

    To further augment its coverage, Telstra has also announced the launch of a new intelligent antenna solution designed to improve mobile coverage or provide coverage to most places it is unavailable.

    The Telstra Go Repeater is available in a stationary version designed for residential and commercial premises, as well as a portable version designed to improve coverage in a road or sea vehicle.

    It works by receiving mobile signals through an external antenna and then enhancing and re-transmitting this signal to a single indoor or in vehicle antenna. The repeater operates on Telstra’s 3G and 4G networks, including its “4GX” LTE-Advanced network.

  • Baby food company Bubs Australia wins big Chinese contract

    Baby food company Bubs Australia wins big Chinese contract

    Baby food manufacturer Bubs Australia will soon see its products in up to 80,000 outlets across China, under an agreement with the country’s largest distributor of infant nutrition products.

    Bubs announced today that it had signed a distribution deal with QianJiaWanPu Co, to supply up to 80,000 Mother & Baby stores in China with organic baby food pouches, cereals and snacks.

    The company said an initial order to the value of $1.1 million would be supplied between June and December.

    QianJiaWanPu founder Zhou Dongming said the addition of Bubs products was an important extension to its international product portfolio.

    “In time, we look forward to deepening our association with Bubs once its goat milk infant formula products are approved for import,” Mr Zhou said.

    “Premium organic baby food and goat milk based formulas are two segments of the category experiencing rapid growth in China, and I’m confident my retail customers and Chinese mothers will find Bubs’ Australian brand story and premium quality attributes a winning combination.

    “No other infant formula brand in the world uses Australian goat milk, so this point of differentiation will be highly sought-after.”

    Bubs Australia managing director Kristy Carr said the deal was an important step in the execution of the company’s China strategy.

    “The importance of the partnership cannot be underestimated, given that Mother & Baby stores account for over half of all infant formula products sold in China, and is the prime source for new parents and parents-to-be seeking advice about babies’ development and infant nutrition products,” Mrs Carr said.

    “This is why physical representation in the sector is critical to our long-term success in the market, notwithstanding the importance of cross-border e-commerce and daigou shoppers as our existing primary routes to market.”

    Bubs’ stock gained 1.5 cents on the ASX following the announcement, to close trade at 81 cents.

    The deal is the latest in a series of recent tie-ups between Australian infant formula manufacturers and Chinese groups in 2018.

    Earlier in April Wattle Health Australia inked a deal with China’s International Supplies and Distribution Company, to distribute its products across more than 2,000 retail stores.

    That was followed up by Golden Koala milk, infant formula and milk powders being approved to be sold on JD.com’s JD.hk cross-border platform.

  • Tigerair has the most delayed flights of any airline

    Tigerair has the most delayed flights of any airline

    Delayed and cancelled flights are on the rise, leading to calls for Australian passengers to be ‘better compensated’. Tigerair has the most delayed flights, followed by Jetstar, Virgin and Qantas, data from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics shows.

    Only 71.4 per cent of Tigerair flights arrived on time, compared to 77.2 per cent for Jetstar, 83.4 for Virgin Australia and 84.7 for Qantas, the report revealed. Delayed and cancelled flights are on the rise, leading to calls for Australian passengers to be ‘better compensated’ Only 71.4 per cent of Tigerair flights arrived on time, compared to 77.2 per cent for Jetstar, 83.4 for Virgin Australia and 84.7 for Qantas, the report revealed.

    The average on-time arrivals across all airlines was 82 per cent and 1.9 per cent of all flights were cancelled.

    This represented an increase of delayed flights and cancellations compared to previous years.  QantasLink had the highest rate of cancellations in 2017, following by Tigerair and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines.

    The highest rate of cancellations was 6.2 per cent on the Sydney-Hamilton Island route, followed by Hamilton-Island to Sydney at 6.1 per cent and Melbourne to Hamilton Island at 5.2 per cent.

    The average on-time arrivals across all airlines was 82 per cent and 1.9 per cent of all flights was cancelled

    Choice spokeswoman Stefanie Menzies told Australian airlines are ‘flying below the radar’ on consumer protection.

    ‘Compensation should be fair and standardised, no matter what airline you’re on or what the customer service agent decides you deserve on the day,’ she told the publication.

    ‘Airlines should take responsibility for their own mistakes instead of making passengers pay for a delay.’

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  • Australian brands named and shamed

    Australian brands named and shamed

    A host of non-governmental organisations and unions have accused prominent Australian retailers of refusing to sign an updated version of the 2013 Rana Plaza accord on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Bangladesh building collapse.

    Oxfam Australia, Baptist World Aid, the Australian Council of Trade Unions and others are urging Australian brands to sign the 2018 version of the safety accord before the original 2013 agreement expires next month.

    The 2013 document, struck in partnership with more than 200 brands in the wake of the Rana Plaza Building collapse, which killed more than 1100 workers in Bangladesh, outlines standards and commitments to improving conditions for garment factory workers.

    The group said 2013 signatories such as Noni-B, Workwear Group and Licensing Essentials were “dragging their feet” and had not yet signed the new agreement, while those who had not signed the 2013 accord, such as Myer, Just Group, Best and Less and Country Road, had not yet committed to the updated agreement either.

    “Signing the Accord is about ensuring the absolute basics in the rights of more than two million garment workers – more than 70 per cent of whom are women – in Bangladesh,” Oxfam Austraia’s chief executive Helen Szoke said.

    A variety of retailers have already signed the updated agreement, including Kmart, Big W, Cotton On, Specialty Fashion Group and APG and Co.

    Globally Swedish fashion giant H&M, PVH Brands, Arcadia Group and Aldi are all already signatories.

    The new agreement maintains key features of the 2013 accord, such as independent safety inspections and the institution of remediation programs for workers, while extending safety committee and training initiatives to all factories covered.

    There are also new provisions in the legally binding accord related to freedom of association rights.

    Rob Wayss, executive director and acting chief safety inspector of the accord said that the agreement builds on the fundamental elements outlined in the 2013 accord.

    “The new agreement demonstrates that international brands and global trade unions recognise the positive impact of the Accord and the need for the Accord to continue its work in Bangladesh to ensure that factories are made safe and stay safe,” he said.

    Aussie brands failing the grade

    Last week Baptist World Aid released its annual ethical fashion report, which found that only a small minority of Australian retailers are making the ethical grade when it comes to their supply chains.

    Some brands, such as Decjuba have opted not to participate and were given F scores.

    Decjuba has been the subject of an email blast by Baptist World Aid in the days following the release on the report, but the brand has defended its ethical veracity, saying that BWA’s report reflects its own philosophy.

    “We appreciate the intentions of the Baptist World Aid Guide, but also recognise it as an unregulated survey driven by the Baptist World Aid Organisation’s own set of beliefs,” the company said last week.

    Others such as A scorer Cotton On Group have embraced the report and have worked towards improving their score.

    “We know that our responsibility goes far beyond selling clothes and we endeavour to use our size and scale of operations to have a positive impact on people, communities and the planet,” Cotton On Group’s risk and sustainability general manager James Hubbard said.

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  • Meghan Markle gives Oroton Label a boost

    Meghan Markle gives Oroton Label a boost

    Embattled Australian accessories label Oroton has hit headlines for good reasons when Prince Harry’s fiancee, Meghan Markle, was spotted with one of its handbags.

    The former Suits actress was sporting Oroton’s Avalon Stripe Crosboody bag, which retails for $295, during a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting event in London this week.

    Oroton, which fell into voluntary administration six months ago, has jumped on the opportunity, splashing photos and video of Markle’s entrance to the event across its website.

    “As seen on future Royal, Meghan Markle, at the Commonwealth Youth Forum in London,” the company says on its site.

    The bag has sold out and shoppers will have to wait until August before more stock arrives.

    This type of support from a celebrity, particularly a future royal, is priceless, says retail academic Gary Mortimer of the Queensland University of Technology’s business school.

    “Images of Meghan Markle will permeate social media, including Instagram and Facebook, in coming days,” Professor Mortimer said.

    “The story is being covered by mainstream media and very quickly that particular handbag will be sold out if it hasn’t already.”

    But Prof Mortimer said such strong sales were usually short-lived because consumers were “fickle and are always looking for the next big thing”.

    Debt-laden Oroton called in administrators in late November after making a $14.3 million annual loss because of consistently weak sales.

    It’s among a string of luxury retailers to hit financial strife in the past year, including Topshop, Marcs, David Lawrence, Herringbone and Rhodes & Beckett.

    The company’s stores have continued to operate under administrators and its creditors have backed a $25 million plan to hand control of the company to major shareholder and funds manager Will Vicars.

  • Priceline books slow down beauty sales

    Priceline books slow down beauty sales

    Priceline owner Australian Pharmaceutical Industries’ half-year net profit has fallen by 14.4 per cent to $24.9 million on lacklustre retail sales from its retail pharmacy network.

    Underlying net profit after tax, excluding $1.8 million of restructuring and strategic growth costs, was down 8 per cent on the prior corresponding period to $26.8 million, slightly ahead of API’s January guidance.

    Underlying earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) declined by 8 per cent to $44.6 million in the six months to February 28, constrained by a .3 per cent decline in top line revenue to $2.009 billion.

    The company said that a continuation of difficult trading conditions in the health and beauty market hampered its Priceline network, which booked a 1.7 per cent decline in comparable store sales and a .3 per cent decline in retail register sales.

    Sales growth in dispensary and OTC health products offset declines in discretionary beauty products, with total network sales, which include dispensary, up 2.1 per cent.

    “We have refined our tactical sales activity, which is now more targeted and responsive to changes in the increasingly competitive market,” API chief executive and managing director Richard Vincent said.

    “Despite the combination of consumer sentiment being challenging for the foreseeable future and increased competition, the strength of our combined marketing assets, particularly our Sister Club loyalty program, continues to be the primary source of sales growth.”

    Vincent said he anticipates a continuation in difficult trading conditions in the second half, but that Priceline will focus on cost out opportunities to improve earnings for the full-year.

    API expects its underlying FY18 result to be marginally higher than FY17, providing trading conditions do not deteriorate further.

    There were 466 stores trading in the Priceline network at the end of the half-year, an increase of 16 during the half.

    Vincent said Priceline’s pipeline of potential pharmacy partners remains “robust” but maintained his view that “unrealistic rental demands” were putting a damper on store expansion.

    API’s pharmacy distribution network experienced stronger growth than Priceline, increasing underlying sales by 9.8 per cent on the prior corresponding period.

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  • Celebrations at Opening of a New T Galleria by DFS, Sydney

    Celebrations at Opening of a New T Galleria by DFS, Sydney

    DFS Group, the world’s leading luxury travel retailer, has officially opened its newly renovated T Galleria by DFS, Sydney on George Street in Sydney’s Central Business District. A gala celebration was attended by more than 400 VIPs, customers, travel and hotel partners, and luxury brand representatives.

    The event included a spectacular performance by the Sydney Dance Company, an exclusive shopping experience for customers with DFS’ leading luxury brands, and an appearance by acclaimed British artist Boyarde, who also hosted a VIP customer workshop.

    “Our newly renovated four-storey T Galleria by DFS, Sydney store is truly exceptional, and the opening event was a great opportunity to showcase what DFS does best, combining unique personalization and artistic design with the very best quality products,” said Robert Calzadilla, DFS Managing Director, Australia, New Zealand, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam. “DFS is always committed to finding new ways to surprise and delight our loyal traveling customers, and there is something for everyone to discover at T Galleria by DFS, Sydney.”

    Located in the heart of the historic precinct of The Rocks for 29 years, T Galleria by DFS, Sydney is the city’s only downtown duty-free destination, just steps away from the famous Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

    Spanning over 70,000 square feet, the store features more than 150 of the world’s most desirable brands and is a one-stop retail paradise that entices customers with its stylish layout and carefully curated collections. It showcases an extensive selection of products across DFS’ five pillars of luxury: Wines and Spirits, Beauty and Fragrances, Watches and Jewelry, Fashion and Accessories, and Food and Gifts, with many items available exclusively at T Galleria by DFS, Sydney, such as the Michael Kors x DFS collection and Tiffany & Co.’s Keys.

    With its double-height ceiling and black-and-white checkered flooring, Watch World on the third floor is the ultimate in retail elegance as befitting the 57 luxury watch brands that are showcased here. More than 20 of the world’s most prestigious and iconic sunglasses brands are also available on the third floor, ensuring that travelers can find their perfect holiday look. Beauty and fragrance lovers are well catered for on the fourth floor with some of the beauty world’s biggest color and beauty brands.

    The refurbishment of T Galleria by DFS, Sydney began in August 2016 under the direction of Australian design company PMDL, which was also responsible for the design of T Galleria by DFS, Macau, City of Dreams, and T Galleria by DFS, Angkor.

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  • No new buyer found yet for Aussie Farmers Direct

    No new buyer found yet for Aussie Farmers Direct

    The administrators of Aussie Farmers Direct have recommended that the company be wound up after failing to find a buyer for the business ahead of a second creditors meeting later this week.

    Owing $86.7 million, Stay in Bed Milk & Bread (traded as Aussie Farmers Direct) is expected to yield only $3.4 million in realisable value, leaving creditors $69.2 million out of pocket, KordaMentha administrators Craig Shepard and Leanne Chesser said.

    Recoverable assets include a database of around 100,000 customers, the sale of which is currently being finalised with interested parties.

    In the months leading up to SIBMB and sister business The General Store (TGS) falling into administration management had attempted to secure a buyer, but despite three parties expressing interest in February they were unable to secure a deal.

    Founders Jordan Muir and William Scott had even considered a public float in mid-2017 to secure additional capital for the loss-making business, which burned through $70 million in private investment over four years.

    The final death knell for the business came after the investors behind AFD’s holding company withdrew financial support in March following unsuccessful attempts to restructure the business into a profitable operation, leaving the company losing around $500,000 per week without a backer.

    In addition to the loss of investment, administrators added that the food, grocery and meal kit delivery business’ strategy was overly focused on sales growth driving unsustainable investment in expensive systems such as IT and logistics infrastructure.

    Administrators also agreed with the view of management that it was ultimately unable to compete with Coles and Woolworths.

    SIBMB had been booking losses for several years prior to its collapse, which worsened from a $10.9 million loss in FY15 to a $21.3 million loss in FY17.

    TGS was initially making a small profit, but by FY17 booked losses of $627,000.

    A second meeting of creditors will be held in Melbourne on Thursday 19 April, at which time the process of formally shutting down the remnants of the business is expected to progress.

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  • Mulberry looks into Australia

    Mulberry looks into Australia

    Luxury leather goods retailer Mulberry has flagged Australia as one of its next international targets and has inked a deal with Luxury Retail Group to help it oversee its local expansion.

    Three stores have already been leased, including a 244-metre squared corner site in Melbourne’s renowned Emporium centre, which will open in July and serve as a design concept.

    It will be the second run at the Australian market for the British business, which bought back its distribution rights from a previous partner last year and has been trading out of a single store on Sydney’s Pitt Street since 2010.

    Under its exclusive distribution deal with LRG that store will be closed, and new stores will be opened in Melbourne’s Chadstone shopping centre and Sydney’s Queen Victoria Building.

    “We are incredibly excited by this new partnership,” said LRG managing director, Nelson Mair. “And

    look forward to achieving strong growth results and new customer reach within the market.”

    Mair had previously signaled that LRG was looking for a new luxe brand to work with Down Under after selling back local distribution rights to Furla and Follie Follie Group in Australia last year, the business is also distributing Kering Group’s Balenciaga brand in Australia and owns online footwear retailer Sneakerboy.

    Mulberry, headquartered and publicly listed in the UK, already sells its range of menswear, womenswear, accessories and footwear in 24 other markets around the world, including China, South Korea, The United States and Japan.

    “I am pleased to announce our partnership with LRG in Australia. We look forward to seeing significant growth and opportunity for Mulberry in this market,” Mulberry chief executive Thierry Andretta said of the expansion in a statement.

    Mulberry’s long-term strategy is to define itself as a global luxe brand, but the company has fallen under a cloud in recent years, suffering an 80 per cent decline in profits since 2012 amid disruption within the global retail market.

    Andretta, who was appointed in 2015, has been working to improve the fortunes of the business by moving to a direct to customer model and last year oversaw the company’s first revenue increase in several years, increasing sales by 7.7 per cent to £168.1 million (AUD$308m).

    LRG said that additional store leases are already being considered for the brand in Australia, with the initial slate of stores to serve as an indication of how local customers respond to the business.

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  • A lot of work for Amazon in Australia

    A lot of work for Amazon in Australia

    Amazon’s second public outing since launching in Australia last December was light on new detail about its plans for the local market but heavy on ambition for what it believes it can achieve here.

    Drawing thousands to a concert-sized auditorium in Sydney on Tuesday morning, the e-commerce giant flew in top brass from the states to underline their excitement about enabling Australian businesses to expand their horizons locally and abroad.

    SVP of international consumer Russ Grandinetti, one of Amazon’s first 200 employees, was quick to combat the prevailing narrative that the company’s local launch fell short, saying that its first day order volumes were the highest in the company’s history.

    “[Country manager Rocco Brauinger] and the team here have done a great job, I’m super proud of them,” he said.

    But appearing on a brief panel alongside Grandinetti, Brauniger conceded that there’s still a lot of work to do to make Amazon as compelling to Australians as it is elsewhere in the world.

    “There’s still a long way to go,” he said in his second public event since taking his role last August.

    “We’re really working hard to bring a lot of innovation here, expanding the selection and making the customer experience for Australian shoppers much better.”

    Since launching Amazon has endured a barrage of criticism from prominent retailers and analysts, some of whom have dismissed concerns that the US-based business would have an adverse impact on the Australian market.

    “Working hard” on Prime

    The Innovation Day, which also included a “metropolis of the future” exhibition, comes at a crucial time for the business Down Under as it looks to build out the various aspects of its complete offer that have made it so successful in the United States.

    Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) and voice assistant Alexa both launched locally earlier this year and while the services are still in relative infancy locally they are important pre-cursors for the Amazon Prime loyalty program, which is expected to launch later this year.

    “I don’t have any news to report about Prime other than we’re working hard on it and it will come soon,” Grandinetti said, dashing any hope that Amazon would detail its plans for the program locally.

    The launch of Prime is thought to be a potential turning point for the business that rounds out its end-to-end customer strategy, similarly to what it has done in the US where an estimated two-thirds of households are Prime members.

    Cross border contribution

    The prospect of Prime in Australia also continues to face questions about whether its signature two-day free delivery model would work in a market with such sparse population density, but Grandinetti explained that the program has always been about making a difficult commitment.

    “Prime is all about making a hard promise and keeping it as often as possible,” he said. “Telling customers they can subscribe to get free two day shipping is easy, doing it .. is much harder.”

    But, as Grandinetti noted, the fully-fledged Amazon experience is already a reality for many Australian businesses selling on the company’s platforms internationally.

    A growing number of local retailers are turning to the e-commerce giant to decrease the cost of international expansion, with the likes of Showpo recently revealing that they are in talks with the giantto supercharge their growth in the US.

    “Among the most enduring contributions [we make] will be helping Australian businesses around the world,” Grandinetti contended, underscoring Amazon’s focus on cross-border e-commerce.

    As was repeatedly stressed though, Amazon is playing a long game and is content with being “misunderstood” in the local market for the time being as it lines up its ducks for a fully-fledged assault.

    Brauniger said the Australian Amazon team was busy iterating its offer, trying new things on local shoppers to glean a better view into what works here.

    “We’re fine making decisions with 60 per cent of the information, not being experimental means you’re not being innovative,” Brauniger said of his leadership philosophy on Tuesday.

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  • JD Sports not looking at Aussie expansion

    JD Sports not looking at Aussie expansion

    Almost a year since the launch of its first Australian store British sports retailer JD Sports has unveiled the next stage of its local expansion plans, revealing three new store launches.

    The openings will bring the international entrant’s Australian store count to 9 with more to come as the business steps up its plans after being received positively by local shoppers.

    “The success of our first five Australian stores in 2017 has highlighted the consumer demand for JD exclusive product. We have been able to achieve great results by presenting the customer with the best product and by leveraging the retail theatre that JD is known for globally,” JD Australia chairman Hilton Seskin said in a media statement.

    JD launched a new 665sqm store in Macquarie yesterday and will open another 454sqm store in Penrith by the end of the month.

    It follows the opening of a 460sqm store in Doncaster in late March, with an additional store in Warringah, NSW slated tp open sometime in May.

    The new stores will be stocked with over 50 new product styles that will launch on opening day and more than 100 exclusive footwear and apparel products already available to JD customers.

    “The way we present product from a visual merchandising and digital perspective, along with our global partnerships with heavy hitters including Nike and adidas means that we also have access to the best releases to ensure we are the first port of call for customers wanting the latest and greatest product,” Seskin said.

    The business will roll out street dancers, an in-store DJ and a “win trainers for a year” promotion to celebrate the new store openings.

    The expansion stands to ratchet up the pressure on existing local players such as Super Retail Group owned Rebel, which recently incorporated its former sister brand Amart Sports in a bid to better position it to deal with competitive threats.

    JD appears to be focusing its attention in Victoria and NSW so far, but does have a store on the Gold Coast as well.

  • Billabong’s last day on the Exchange

    Billabong’s last day on the Exchange

    Monday will be Billabong International’s last day of trading on the ASX after the Federal Court approved Quiksilver parent Boardriders Inc’s scheme of arrangement to acquire all of the issued shares in the company.

    The surf wear business will suspend from quotation and the close of trading on April 9, notifying the market that the $1.05 per share Boardriders offer was legally effective on Monday morning.

    Billabong shareholders who hold shares at the record date for the scheme (16 April) are due to receive payment under the scheme on 24 April.

    The Boardriders deal passed its major hurdle late last month when shareholders voted in favour of the scheme, despite a last-minute change to the deal that saw the price increase by 5 cents per share.

    85.87 per cent of shareholders voted in favour of the deal, passing the 75 per cent needed for the acquisition to proceed.

    Not all shareholders were happy with the outcome, with a cloud dropping over the deal around the price in the lead up to the shareholder vote, but in the end Billabong chairman Ian Pollard, a staunch advocate of the proposal, said the business would be left in “good hands”.

    “The outcome of today is that we will see the creation of one of the world’s strongest action sports companies,” Pollard said of the deal late last month.

    “I believe the brand will be in good hands following today’s vote.”

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  • Optus demos 5G during Commonwealth Games

    Optus demos 5G during Commonwealth Games

    Australian operator Optus is using the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast to showcase 5G use cases including 8K video streaming on its live 5G trial network.

    The showcase aims to provide visitors with a hands-on 5G experience in advance of a planned initial commercial rollout in 2019.

    The showcase will be open for the duration of the Games, which ends on Sunday. It includes demonstrations of technologies including a 5G and motion detection controlled robotic arm as well as a game of rock paper scissors with a robotic hand using the high speeds and low latency of 5G and machine learning to predict the player’s moves.

    Optus is also showcasing demonstrations of VR football, cycling and driving and 360 degree video streaming from the games themselves.

    Meanwhile Optus has demonstrated 8K video streaming in motion through a 5G van equipped with an 8K television and a prototype 5G device.

    “What we have here today is a spectacular simultaneous demonstration of 5G capability, powered by a live 5G network, rather than through simulations,” Optus managing director of networks Dennis Wong said.

    “For people to be able to walk off the street and interact with real 5G technology is an incredibly exciting development as we continue towards leading in the delivery of the first phase of 5G technology in 2019.”

    Optus subsidiary Optus Business was selected along with Cisco, to build the network for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The company is providing free Wi-Fi services for 6,600 athletes as part of the contract.

    Rival Telstra  recently launched 5G-enabled Wi-Fi hotspots on the Gold Coast as part of the 5G trials from its newly launched 5G innovation center in the city.

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