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Tag: bandung

  • OUE buys Indonesia’s Maxx coffee chain

    OUE buys Indonesia’s Maxx coffee chain

    Singapore investment firm OUE has acquired a majority stake in the parent of Indonesia’s Maxx coffee chain, which also operates in Singapore.

    According to the agreement, OUE’s wholly-owned subsidiary Oddish Ventures will buy an 88.43-per-cent stake, worth US$23.1 million from two companies – Inti Anugerah Pratama and Ciptadana Capital – which own 45.64 percent and 42.79 percent of the Maxx Coffee Prima’s issued shares respectively.

    OUE reported that the acquisition was valued based on various factors, including the high barrier of entry into the Indonesia food-and-beverage market, the opportunity for additional revenue stream through franchising, and Maxx Coffee’s access to prime retail locations in Indonesia.

    With the acquisition, OUE hopes to scale up and optimize its existing food-and-beverage portfolio, the company said in a statement.

    Founded in 2015, Maxx Coffee has more than 75 outlets in Indonesia and Singapore.

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  • % Arabica expands in Indonesia

    % Arabica expands in Indonesia

    Japanese coffee chain % Arabica is launching four locations in Indonesia.

    The stores, scheduled to open in Jakarta and Bali next month, are the result of three years’ planning and were designed by German architect Alexis Dornier.

    According to an Instagram post by the company’s Indonesia partner, the first store to open will be at District 8, a mixed-use development in SCBD, South Jakarta, followed by one in Central Park, West Jakarta and one in Bali’s Seminyak Village the following month. The last of the first four stores, which is set to open in Ubud in May, will be % Arabica’s Indonesian flagship.

    % Arabica now operates 56 outlets in 13 countries since first opening in Kyoto in 2014. The chain has two stores in the Philippines, three in Singapore, and one in Cambodia, with a Bangkok store expected to launch shortly as well as new outlets in Malaysia and Vietnam on the horizon.

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  • Indonesian retail sales growth slower as expected

    Indonesian retail sales growth slower as expected

    Indonesian retail sales growth in November slowed to 1.3 percent year-on-year, well below October’s rate of 3.6 percent.

    However, the figures, released by Bank Indonesia, reflect the continuing uptick in Indonesian retail sales which has now lasted five consecutive months.

    “Retail sales continued to grow positively in November,” wrote the central bank in a statement, “although it slowed compared to sales in the previous month”.

    Indonesia retail sales growth is expected to slow in the coming months, however, with declines recorded in several metropolitan areas surveyed – a harbinger of growth expected for December.

    Sales declined in the cities are projected to flow on from the estimated contractions of 9.4 percent and 4.8 percent over the previous period.

    The bank’s survey revealed respondents believe retail sales will decline over the next quarter.

  • Texas Chicken Indonesia opens New Restaurant in Bandung

    Texas Chicken Indonesia opens New Restaurant in Bandung

    A Texas Chicken Indonesia franchisee will be among the first in the world to display the brand’s new look and feel.

    The company’s new ‘Blaze’ concept will make its debut in central Bandung, in a popular town-square style area known as Alun Alun Bandung. Quick Service Restaurant, an affiliate of the Texas Chicken franchisee in Malaysia, Envictus International Holdings Limited (EIH), will be the official franchisee for the new restaurant.

    “This has been an exciting opportunity to introduce a new audience to an ever-evolving brand like Texas Chicken which is known and respected for its quality and superior guest experience,” said Quick Service Restaurant’s country head Daniel Harris Ishak.

    The new Texas Chicken in Bandung is part of a much larger franchise development deal that will bring 80 Texas Chicken restaurants to Indonesia over the next 10 years – mainly in Jakarta, West Java, Banten, Lampung, South Sumatra, and Bengkulu provinces.

    The 150-seat restaurant, located on the first floor of The Kings Shopping Centre, will be the first in Indonesia to feature the new logo, new store design, and the latest international menu.

    “QSR is an extension of one of our most proven franchisees – which made them an excellent choice for piloting this new design,” said Texas Chicken’s executive VP of international business Tony Moralejo.

    “We look forward to bringing our quality food and authentic flavours to our guests in ways that are fresh and engaging.”

  • Indonesia to announce the ‘Metro Kapsul’

    Indonesia to announce the ‘Metro Kapsul’

    Bandung’s city Indonesia administration has said work will start soon on the city’s first light rail transit (LRT) network, which will be called the “Metro Kapsul.” The administration claimed the network will be considerably cheaper to build than similar ones in Jakarta and Palembang.

    To cut costs, the contractor will use locally made materials and employ local talents to do most of the work, everything from research to test and eventually running the system.

    Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil said the project will not use any money from the state budget, but will be 100 percent privately funded.

    “It will be 100-percent funded by PP [state-owned construction company Pembangunan Perumahan]. It will not use moeny from the APBD [regional budget] or APBN [state budget],” Ridwan said at the project’s launch in Bandung on Monday (12/02).

    The mayor did not say when actual construction on the project will start as the city administration is still waiting for the building license (IMB) for the track to be approved.

    “[Theoretically] we can start doing the foundation [without the IMB],” Ridwan said.

    Ridwan claimed 98 percent of the Metro Kapsul network will be made of locally made materials. The rest, including its digital technology, will come from Slovenia.

    Construction will start from the network’s Corridor 3, an 8.3-kilometer track which will loop from the city center through the city’s busiest and most densely populated areas.

    “Metro Kapsul will be three times cheaper than the Jakarta LRT or Palembang LRT. Corridor 3 will only cost Rp 1.4 trillion [$98 million] to build, or Rp 150 billion per kilometer,” Ridwan said as reported by local newspaper Pikiran Rakyat.

    According to information uploaded on the website of the Committee for Acceleration of Priority Infrastructure (KPPIP), the 23 km-long Palembang LRT will cost a total of Rp 12.5 trillion, or Rp 520 billion per kilometer.

    PP has signed a build, operate, transfer (BOT) contract with the Bandung administration. The company will retain the rights to operate the network for 30 years.

    According to Ridwan, it may take up to one and a half years to complete construction on Corridor 3.

    “So, maybe, the next mayor of Bandung will have to open it,” he said.

    Ridwan’s tenure as Bandung mayor will officially end in September. The 46-year-old has declared he will run for the governorship of West Java in June’s simultaneous regional elections.

    He said the Metro Kapsul project is proof that Indonesia is not short of great engineering talents.

    “The network’s technology is designed by local engineers in Gedebage and Setrasari in Bandung, then tested in Subang and will be run for the first time in this city,” Ridwan said.

  • Whitesky kicks off Jakarta-Bandung helicopter service

    Whitesky kicks off Jakarta-Bandung helicopter service

    PT Whitesky Aviation commenced on Monday the operation of its helicopter service from Jakarta to West Java’s capital of Bandung.

    Whitesky Aviation CEO Denon Prawiraatmaadja said on Sunday that the service, named Helicity, had received a license from the Transportation Ministry to operate as a public transportation mode.

    “Helicity is also to support the tourist sector,” said Denon, adding that the fare was Rp 36 million (US$2,664) per trip for six passengers

    Denon said his company operated 30 helicopters for its service across Indonesia.

    He said the operation of Helicity was initiated in response to the government’s aim to improve air connectivity to boost tourism.

    He expressed his optimism about the Helicity market, particularly because of the increasing number of foreign tourist arrivals in Indonesia – 12 million in 2016 and a targeted figure of 15 million in 2017, with each tourist spending an average of US$1,200 per visit.

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  • Plug and Play Accelerator Program has officially started in Indonesia

    Plug and Play Accelerator Program has officially started in Indonesia

    In collaboration with Gan Kapital, a strategic investment advisory in Indonesia, Plug and Play is finally going to announce the 11 selected startups for its first batch of accelerator program in Indonesia. The announcement will be held at a coworking space where these startups will reside and learn during the 3-month program in Kuningan, South Jakarta. Based in Silicon Valley, Plug and Play Indonesia is part of the largest startup accelerator program in the world.

    Plug and Play Indonesia accepted more than 400 startups applied between the month of February and March. These applications came from Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Bali, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Brazil, and even Germany. Indeed, Plug and Play Indonesia accelerator program also welcomes foreign startups trying to enter Indonesia’s market. Plug and Play Indonesia proudly introduces the startups selected to be part of its first batch of accelerator program, that is Dana Didik, KYCK, Otospector, Bustiket, Karta Indonesia Global, Sayurbox, Brankas, Astrnt, Bandboo, Wonderlabs, dan Toucan.

    “Selecting these startups wasn’t an easy task because we met with so many high quality startups. We are positive that our months of rigorous selection process has led us the 11 best startups,” said Nayoko Wicaksono as the Accelerator Director of Plug and Play Indonesia. After carefully reviewing the online application and documents, 50 startups were invited for an initial pitch session on March 29 and 30.

    During this initial pitch, startups were asked to explain business model, traction, financial plan, as well as the team profile. The next step was another round of pitching in front of a panel judges from Plug and Play Indonesia, Play and Play Asia Pacific, Plug and Play Silicon Valley, as well as representatives from corporate members, such as Astra International and Bank Negara Indonesia. “Our Corporate Partners also have the right to vote for the startups who will be joining our accelerator program. This is one of the way to ensure that our startups will get the benefit of working with corporates,” said Wesley Harjono, President Director of Plug and Play Indonesia who was also a part of the final judging panel.

    Collaboration with corporate and seed funding are just some of the benefits received by the 11 selected startups. During the 3-month accelerator program, these startups will also be mentored closely by pool of experts united in Plug and Play Indonesia ecosystem. These startups will also have access to workshops of different topics that will be delivered by more than 60 experts from different areas. Among Plug and

    Play Indonesia pool of esteemed mentors are Kevin Darmawan from Coffee Venture, Sebastian Sieber from Lazada, Sukan Makmuri from KUDO, Anton Soeharyo from Touchten, Natali Ardianto from Tiket.com, Nikita Semenov from Zen Room, Norman Sasono from Bizzy, Mark. F Winkel from Prisma Public Relations, Rama Mamuaya from Daily Social, Wempy Dyocta Koto from Wardour and Oxford, and many more. The list doesn’t stop there, the selected startups will also have free access to a coworking space strategically located in elite are of Kuningan, South Jakarta. “With this holistic support from Plug and Play Indonesia, our startups can focus on developing their product to the market,” said Nayoko

    Wicaksono, Accelerator Director at Plug and Play Indonesia. At the end of the 3-month accelerator program, Plug and Play Indonesia will be holding a Demo Day. This Demo Day is meant to bridge Plug and Play startups with local and international customers and investors.

    The Demo Day is currently scheduled to be in August 2017.

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  • AirAsia Stops Bandung-Pekanbaru Route

    AirAsia Stops Bandung-Pekanbaru Route

    AirAsia Indonesia has stopped its Bandung-Pekanbaru flight route starting on August 1, 2016, as a part of a network reconstruction effort.

    The official information has been conveyed to all the affected passengers via email.

    As the compensation, the company has informed the customers who have booked tickets for the route after July 30, that they can select one of the options offered by AirAsia as follows:

    1. Reschedule to Bandung-Pekanbaru (roundtrip) departing before August 1, 2016, without additional charges and subject to seat availability.

    2. Credit shell deposit in AirAsia worth the paid ticket/product price that can be used to purchase ticket or other AirAsia products. Credit shell is valid for six months (180 days) since the issuance date.

    3. Full refund worth of ticket/product that have been paid, in accordance with the payment mechanism.

    For further information and assistance, customers can contact: AirAsia Indonesia call center at 0804 1 333/ +6221 2927 0999, online form at www.airasia.com/id/en/e-form.page, AirAsia live chat (available via Ask AirAsia), and AirAsia Customer Service Center available in the airport.

    Passengers are advised to always update their email address and active mobile phone number (included with the country code) on their membership profile on AirAsia website to receive the latest information on flights.

  • XL Axiata targets Bandung, Jakarta for next 4G 1800MHz launch

    XL Axiata targets Bandung, Jakarta for next 4G 1800MHz launch

    The Indonesian mobile operator XL Axiata has revealed that the ongoing phased rollout of 1800MHz 4G LTEservices will target a commercial launch in Bandung, West Java by the end of the month, followed soon after by Jakarta in November, after the company concludes its nationwide spectrum refarming programme. Dian Siswarini, President Director and CEO of XL Axiata, notes that the process has already reached Central Java and will be completed next month to comply with the ministry’s 23 November deadline. ‘There have been minimal obstacles in the refarming process. That’s why we are confident to say that we are able to have 4G LTE services operating in Bandung by the end of October, and in Jakarta by November,’ she said.

    XL introduced its first 1800MHz 4G service in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara in July 2015, followed soon after by Denpasar (Bali) and Surabaya (East Java). It currently has around 1.2 million 4G users to its 900MHz service, although Dian concedes that some customers have complained that LTE-900 is proving to be little faster than XL’s W-CDMA-based 3G network. Last month XL Axiata, which is 66.5%-owned by Axiata Group of Malaysia through Axiata Investments (Indonesia), selected Ericsson to act as its turnkey supplier for 4G LTE design and implementation in Jakarta and Central Java, as well as for 2G and 3G upgrades to meet an explosion in demand for data traffic. Under a three-year contract, the Swedish vendor will supply all necessary hardware, software and services to deliver 4G services for XL Axiata’s subscribers. The pair say the deployment will improve both network capacity and data transmission speeds.

    In another development regarding the government’s recent plan to tighten procedures on the purchase of mobileSIM cards, The Jakarta Post quotes Dian as saying that XL Axiata had prepared for the regulation in terms of its data systems and forging standard operating procedures (SOPs) with retail outlets to make them aware of the regulation. The telecoms ministry and the telecommunications regulatory authority (BRTI) issued a regulation in September, requiring customers to show an ID upon the purchase of pre-paid SIM cards starting 15 December.

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  • XL subscribers in Bandung, Jakarta to enjoy 4G services

    XL subscribers in Bandung, Jakarta to enjoy 4G services

    Telecommunications firm XL Axiata says that its 1,800 MHz 4G/LTE services will likely be available in Bandung, West Java by the end of the month, while subscribers in Jakarta may enjoy the service in November after the company concludes its nationwide band refarming.

    “There have been minimal obstacles in the refarming process. That’s why we are confident to say that we are able to have 4G/LTE services operating in Bandung by the end of October, and in Jakarta by November,” XL Axiata CEO Dian Siswarini told reporters at the XL office in Central Jakarta on the sidelines of the company’s 19th anniversary celebrations late last week.

    In the nationwide band refarming, major telecommunication companies XL, Telkomsel, Indosat and 3 have been involved in preparing regions with structural capability to support 4G/LTE services.

    Dian said that XL’s band refarming process had reached Central Java and would conclude in November.

    Dian assured that despite the introduction of 4G/LTE services, there would be no changes to the existing 2G network service “since our 4G band does not need to reuse or recycle any of the 2G frequencies.”

    The four firms have been in the process of band refarming for 1,800 MHz since May starting from Papua, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Bali, Nusa Tenggara and ending in Java. The last region to be refarmed will be Greater Jakarta because it is the most crowded in usage terms.

    According to Dian, XL will only provide the 4G/LTE services in select cities considering different market potentials and smartphone penetration.

    “Smartphone usage in Indonesia is not spread evenly. That is why the potential for usage is only feasible in several [major] cities. We also have to look at our customer database to see which markets would be the best bets,” she added.

    XL launched its initial 1,800 MHz 4G/LTE services in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara in July and followed with Denpasar in Bali and Surabaya in East Java.

    The Communications and Information Technology Ministry had set a deadline for the band refarming on Nov. 23.

    Around 1.2 million XL users are actively using the carrier’s current 4G network, which operates on the 900MHz frequency. However, consumers have complained that 4G services on the 900 MHz frequency are not much faster than then those running on the 3G network.

    In another development regarding the government’s recent plan to tighten procedures on

    the purchase of mobile SIM cards, Dian said that her company had prepared for the regulation in terms of its data systems and forging standard operating procedures (SOPs) with retail outlets to make them aware of the regulation.

    XL’s data system, said Dian, was prepared to register customers’ identities on a large scale in preparation for the deadline. Informational awareness efforts have been taking place since May 2015.

    “We have completed the first phase on information dissemination to our retail outlet partners over mandatory ID requirement upon the purchase of SIM cards. The phase is still ongoing,” Dian said.

    The ministry and the Telecommunications Regulatory Body (BRTI) issued a regulation in September, requiring customers to show an ID upon the purchase of prepaid SIM cards starting Dec. 15.

  • Vromtu Offers Jakarta-Bandung Shuttle Bus Information Service for Windows Phone Users

    Vromtu Offers Jakarta-Bandung Shuttle Bus Information Service for Windows Phone Users

    Unlike most app developers these days, who prioritize building apps on iOS or Android, Vromtu chose to build its app on Windows Phone (WP). The app offers information on shuttle bus services in Jakarta and Bandung, including routes, departure schedules, contact numbers, and addresses, and was officially launched on Saturday.

    Vromtu is a simple service. You just need to type in the departure and arrival points, and then the app will search online and give you a list of available routes and shuttle buses. At the moment, Vromtu has data from nine shuttle bus companies which collectively account for more than a hundred bus pools.

    Aloysius Adrian, the founder of Vromtu, believes that the Windows Phone platform is on the rise both globally and locally with the arrival of the revamped WP8 and the upcoming 7.8 update. The startup’s team members are all WP users, and that’s a big part of why they built their app first for WP rather than the more mainstream platforms. The team hopes to launch an iOS version this year, while Blackberry users might need to wait a bit longer for Vromtu.

    Aloysius said that they will be focusing on fine-tuning search results and developing better shuttle directories in the near future. They are all still open to feedback. My suggestion would be to make the app available offline in its first big update, as mobile coverage can be patchy. Also, I was a bit confused as to why there are features for texting and emailing within the app when the shuttle bus companies receive orders only via telephone. Aloysius told me that the feature is built to help users share their transportation details with their friends, and not to book shuttle buses.

    Windows Phone users can download the app here, or you can use Vromtu through its mobile site m.vromtu.com.