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Tag: Business

  • Gucci unveils fragrances collection ‘The Alchemist’s Garden’

    Gucci unveils fragrances collection ‘The Alchemist’s Garden’

    Gucci has revealed its luxury fragrances collection – The Alchemist’s Garden – with oud, amber, violet, iris, mimosa, rose and woods as the seven scents. The Alchemist’s Garden collection has seven scents – oud, amber, violet, iris, mimosa, rose and woods.

    The design of the bottles is inspired by vintage apothecary, pharmacy jars and the first perfumery containers, resonating with the nostalgic theme of the collection. All the bottles are white except for oud, which is black, and rose, which is in a shade of blue chosen by Michele.

  • Nintendo launches flagship store in Tokyo

    Nintendo launches flagship store in Tokyo

    Nintendo is opening a Tokyo flagship store, marking the iconic Japanese company’s first-ever domestic retail outlet. During Nintendo’s latest Corporate Management Briefing, the president of the Nintendo, Shuntaro Furukawa, announced the game company would be opening a store in the Japanese capital in 2019.

    The executive said that plans are set for Nintendo Toyko to be located in the tentatively named ‘Parco’, which is yet to be opened and will bow in the Shibuya district. The Nintendo store in Japan will have its own floor in a new department store and is targeted at teens and commuters.

    “We are hoping [the store] will be a new point of contact between consumers and Nintendo that a wide range of people, regardless of age, gender, or experience with games can enjoy,” explained Furukawa.

    The new store also hopes to attract shoppers to Nintendo Switch, which is struggling to draw a wider swath of users, according to Bloomberg. Last month, Nintendo cut its shipments forecast for the console, which can be used at home or on the go.

    “In addition to selling products such as video game systems, software and character-based merchandise, we plan to host events and offer opportunities to play games, and are preparing to make this shop a new base for communicating Nintendo information in Japan. We will announce further details on each of these initiatives at a later date.”

    Looking forward, Nintendo is also planning to open exhibits at Universal theme parks in Osaka, Orlando and Hollywood.

    Additionally, the company is looking to participate in more e-sports tournaments, where gamers get together and compete in stadiums

    Nintendo opened its first store in New York as Pokemon shop in 2005 in the city’s Rockefeller Centre, and has since rebranded as Nintendo New York.

    Nintendo Tokyo is scheduled to open in the fall of 2019.

  • India central bank makes surprise interest rate cut

    India central bank makes surprise interest rate cut

    India’s central bank unexpectedly lowered interest rates and, as anticipated, shifted its stance to “neutral” from “calibrated tightening” to boost a slowing economy after a sharp fall in the inflation rate. The monetary policy committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India cut the repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.25%, as predicted by only 21 of 65 analysts polled by Reuters. Most polled respondents expected the central bank to only change the stance, to neutral.

    Four of six members of the MPC voted to cut the rates, while all six voted for a change in the stance.

    “Investment activity is recovering but supported mainly by public spending on infrastructure,” the MPC said in a statement. “The need is to strengthen private investment activity and buttress private consumption.”

    Rupa Rege Nitsure, chief economist at L&T Financial Services, called the central bank moves “the perfect policy response in the current circumstances.”

    Indian shares pared gains while 10-year bond yields slid 5 basis points after the surprise rate cut.

    The Indian rupee weakened to 71.69 to the dollar immediately after the announced but strengthened soon after to 71.42.

    The NSE index was up 0.04% at 11068.05 while the 10-year benchmark government bond yield fell to 7.51% from Wednesday’s close of 7.56%.

    India’s last rate cut, to 6.00%, was in August 2017.

    Also, in Manila, the Philippine central bank kept its benchmark interest rate steady for a second straight meeting , saying inflation risk had fallen on lower crude oil and food prices.

    The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas kept the rate on its overnight reverse repurchase facility The central bank paused its tightening cycle in December to allow its five straight previous rate increases, totalling 175 basis points, to work their way into the economy.

    The rate increases appear to be having their desired effect as inflation has started to cool since it hit a near-decade peak of 6.7% in September and October last year.

    The decision to stay on hold was based on the central bank’s view that lower oil costs and stabilisation in food prices would bring inflation under control and could see it back on target as early as March, when it could fall to below 4%.

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  • Decathlon opens Singapore megastore

    Decathlon opens Singapore megastore

    French sports chain Decathlon opened its largest store in Singapore late last month, as the European retailer continues to build upon its popularity in the Asian market. Dubbed ‘Decathlon Singapore Lab’, the new experience store is located at Stadium Boulevard and covers 5,000 square metres of retail space, making it the biggest Singapore store. It is also opened 24 hours.

    In addition to Decathlon’s inventory of sports apparel, footwear and accessories, the new ‘Lab’ boasts a series of ‘experiential’ features including an indoor area of four different running surfaces wherein shoppers can test running shoes before purchasing, as well as a hiking path with a gravel surface for the testing products in-store.

    At a media briefing last month, Decathlon Singapore chief executive Yves Claude said the store has been named Decathlon Singapore Lab “because a lab is a disruptive and innovative place where we test new solutions.”

    The store also hosts an Active Health Lab in partnership with Sport Singapore, where users can take a free health assessment and there are free-to-play areas next to the store as well.

    To speed up the delivery process for shoppers, Decathlon has established an in-house conveyor built that transports products as soon as they are ordered online. Shoppers can also order online and collect their items at their preferred store within two hours for free.

    “We have to give new reasons for customers to come back to our store,” added Claude.

    The store is the latest in a string of ‘Decathlon Experience’ stores being rolled out across Singapore and is the fourth in the nation’s offering.

    Decathlon also has a 4,000-square-metre showroom in Joo Koon and two click-and-collect stores.

    In May last year, Decathlon signed a memorandum of understanding with Sport Singapore, which marked the announcement of this new Decathlon in Kallang.

    “We share a common purpose, which is to make sport accessible. They come with a good price point, high-quality products, (and) most importantly, they come with ideas on how to improve participation,” said Lim Teck Yin, Sport Singapore CEO.

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  • Oil price drops as global economic concerns grip market

    Oil price drops as global economic concerns grip market

    Oil price fell about 2 percent on Thursday as the market was weighed down by concerns that global demand growth would lag in the coming year. A rebound from late December lows seemed to stall amid worries that a trade war between the U.S. and China would continue, weighing on demand. The market also contended with the possibility that oil producers would not adhere strictly to cuts agreed to last year.

    Brent crude futures fell $1.06 a barrel, or 1.7 percent, to settle at $61.63. U.S. crude futures fell $1.37 a barrel, or 2.5 percent, to settle at $52.64.

    “The correction is stalled, mainly on concerns about demand growth,” said Gene McGillian, director of Market Research at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut. “There seems to be uncertainty about what is going to happen with the trade talks, with global economic growth and demand in the coming year,” he said.

    In particular, he said, the market is worried about whether demand is sufficient to absorb growing crude production from the U.S.

    “Supply fundamentals have increasingly been turning supportive in recent weeks, but against this the market still worries about the yet-to-be-realised – if at all – impact on demand from weaker macroeconomic fundamentals,” said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank.

    Though the United States published robust jobs data last week, global markets remain nervous after China reported the lowest annual economic growth in nearly 30 years in January. That focuses yet more attention on the outcome of U.S.-China talks to end the trade war between the world’s top two economies.

    The oil price also came under pressure as weekly data published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Wednesday showed an unwelcome increase in stocks of crude oil.

    A decline in OPEC production and a squeeze on supply from Iran and Venezuela because of U.S. sanctions have led many analysts to forecast that the market will be balanced in 2019.

    The oil price is showing a 20 percent gain so far this year.

    Price support is provided by supply cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to tighten the market.

    Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, told OPEC it had pumped 10.24 million barrels per day (bpd) in January, two OPEC sources said, a deeper cut than targeted in the supply pact. The kingdom pumped 10.643 million bpd in December.

    “We believe that financial markets may be overestimating the risks of a global recession,” said Jean-Pierre Durante, Head of Applied Research at Pictet Wealth Management.

    “Moreover, lower oil prices – prices were between 14 percent and 18 percent lower in January than their 2018 average – are likely to stimulate economic activity and oil demand, particularly in emerging markets.”

    U.S. sanctions against Venezuela’s oil industry are expected to freeze sales proceeds of Venezuelan crude exports to the United States.

     

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  • Chinese demand for skincare products boosts sales of French cosmetics company L’Oreal

    Chinese demand for skincare products boosts sales of French cosmetics company L’Oreal

    Strong Chinese demand for luxury skin creams helped Lancome owner L’Oreal beat sales forecasts in the fourth quarter, as did a pickup in its lagging mass market division. Like rivals including US-based Estee Lauder, the French maker of Maybelline and Urban Decay make-up has thrived on strong demand from Chinese shoppers in recent years, especially for its higher-end products.

    Sales of L’Oreal’s top-flight brands exceeded analyst expectations in the last three months of the year thanks to this market, despite cooling economic growth in China, and fears over a Washington-Beijing trade war.

    Some heavy-hitters in the luxury fashion industry, such as LVMH’s Louis Vuitton, have also reported encouraging momentum in Asia. At L’Oreal Asia-Pacific overtook North America as its biggest region last year.

    But L’Oreal, which is due to detail its results at a news conference on Friday, also faces a challenge to keep improving revenue growth in other areas, including its consumer products unit, home to brands like Garnier shampoo.

    Sales rose 2.8 per cent in that division on a like-for-like basis in the fourth quarter, which strips out currency effects and acquisitions, up from 2.3 per cent a quarter earlier.

    That helped boost overall sales at the firm, up 7.7 per cent like-for-like and head of forecasts for a 6.4 per cent rise, and which came in at 7.1 billion euros ($8.1 billion).

    Yet the mass market segment still slightly lags the performance of peers like Nivea-maker Beiersdorf and Dove soap owner Unilever.

    L’Oreal said it was also facing a sluggish market in France and the United Kingdom.

    While the latter only makes up around 3 per cent of sales, the company has joined others in preparing for Britain’s potentially chaotic exit from the European Union, and has started stockpiling cosmetics.

    The company said it still expected to outperform the broader beauty market in 2019, though the tone of its outlook was a tad less bullish than last year, forecasting “growth in both sales and profits” rather than “significant growth”.

    For 2018 as a whole, the company’s operating profit rose 5.3 per cent to 4.7 billion euros, giving a margin of 18.3 per cent of sales, up from 18 per cent at the end of 2017.

    One of L’Oreal’s biggest shareholders with a 23 per cent stake, Switzerland’s Nestle, has come under pressure from an activist investor to sell off its stake in the French cosmetics firm. The firms have yet to signal whether such a move was in view.

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  • Emirates to fill pilot gap with exodus from Etihad, Norwegian airlines

    Emirates to fill pilot gap with exodus from Etihad, Norwegian airlines

    Emirates, the world’s biggest long-haul airline, may feed its appetite for new pilots with recruits from ailing neighbor Etihad Airways and cash-strapped discounter Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, according to an internal memo from the Gulf carrier. Hong Kong Airlines has also contacted Dubai-based Emirates about opportunities to temporarily transfer some cockpit crew, according to the document. Pilots at the unit of beleaguered HNA Group are Airbus SE-rated, meaning they could be trained to fly the Mideast company’s A380 superjumbos.

    “The current situation with several airlines in financial difficulty globally leaves Emirates in a good position to be sourcing and selecting good-quality pilots,” the memo says.

    It said the airline recruited 52 pilots last month, the highest number since August 2016, and that the number of viable applications it’s receiving “is higher than the number of candidates that can be invited.”

    Emirates declined to comment on the communication, which was dated Jan. 29 and appeared to be a meeting report. A spokeswoman said there are sufficient pilots for current operations, though the airline will “continue to welcome qualified candidates.”

    Norwegian Air said it’s not uncommon for members of any company’s workforce to seek opportunities elsewhere. Hong Kong Airlines couldn’t be reached during the Chinese New Year holiday, while Abu Dhabi-based Etihad didn’t respond to requests for comment.

    Hiring Challenge

    Emirates faces an annual hiring challenge to meet the needs of its expanding global network. President Tim Clark said last April that there would be a shortfall of 100 to 150 flight crew over 2018’s busy summer travel season.

    According to the memo, 499 crew have been deemed eligible to join from this coming April through the end of 2019.

    Applications from Norwegian Air and Etihad have been spurred by redundancies at the airlines, according to the Emirates memo.

    Norwegian, heavily indebted after one of the fastest growth spurts in aviation history, resorted to a 3 billion kroner ($354 million) rights issue last week after British Airways parent IAG SA walked away from a takeover bid.

    The Scandinavian carrier is also closing six bases and cutting routes to stem losses, proposing that pilots transfer to other locations.

    Etihad last June offered captains and first officers a two-year secondment, or temporary transfer, to Emirates. In January, it revealed plans to cut 50 pilot posts as it cancels jet orders and shrinks operations to stem losses.

    The Emirates memo said Hong Kong Air has identified a 10 percent surplus in pilot numbers. The carrier, whose debt-laden owner HNA is offloading $20 billion in assets, is being sued by a Macau-based lender for failing to pay $20 million in principal and interest, according to a court filing last month.

     

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  • 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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  • Korea’s industrial output growth slowest in near 20 years

    Korea’s industrial output growth slowest in near 20 years

    Industrial output is growing at the slowest rate in nearly 20 years, while facility investment dropped the most in a decade.  Other signs that the economy is in trouble include seven straight month of declines in the coincident and leading indexes. According to Statistics Korea and the Ministry of Strategy and Finance Thursday, last year industrial output grew 1 percent compared to 2017. This is the slowest annual growth rate since 2000.

    Manufacturing industry output was only able to rise 0.3 percent, while the construction industry, which is an important contributor to the domestic economy, fell 5.1 percent, with a particularly weak second half.

    Facility investment was down 4.2 percent, the sharpest drop since 2009, when the number declined 9.6 percent. The government said the decline in facility investment was largely due to weakening in the semiconductor sector.

    Consumption statistics were relatively strong, on the rising sales of both durable and nondurable goods. When compared to the previous year, consumption rose 4.2 percent, the sharpest increase in seven years. In 2011 consumption went up 4.6 percent.

    Strength was noted at duty-free shops and online.

    While traditional retail store sales were down, including those of discount marts like Emart and Lotte Mart, falling 2.8 percent, as well as those at smaller supermarkets and miscellaneous stores, falling 0.7 percent, sales of online stores were up 14.2 percent and duty-free sales surged 31.5 percent. Chinese tourists returned to the country in great numbers as a result of easing tensions over the introduction of a U.S. missile defense system.

    Convenience store sales were up 8.5 percent, a trend that has been seen in recent years as the number of people living alone has been rising.

    December figures weren’t comforting.

    When compared to the previous year, overall output grew 0.3 percent, which is half of the 0.6 percent reported in November. When compared to the previous month, December output fell for the second consecutive month at 0.6 percent.

    Manufacturing and mining output improved compared to the previous month. It also rose 1.6 percent compared to the same month the previous year, compared to November’s 1.1 percent.

    December output fell 1.4 percent month-on-month, the second consecutive month of decline.

    While the fall in output of automobiles was one of the major factors, down 5.9 percent compared to November, semiconductor output was also another contributing factor, as it fell 4.5 percent.

    The ministry said automobile production continued to fall as exports have shrunk. Overseas and domestic demands have been weak.

    Semiconductors, which have long been a positive force, started to become a drag, with production at some companies falling on weak demand.

    Investment in December alone fell sharply, declining 14.5 percent year-on-year, the sharpest fall since September 2018, when it tumbled 19.2 percent. Even when compared to the previous month, it dipped 0.4 percent.

    The coincident index, which shows the current economic situation when compared to the previous month, fell 0.2 points, down for nine consecutive months.

    It is the longest losing streak since falling for 11 months starting September 1997, when Korea was hit by the first financial crisis.

    The leading economic index fell 0.2 points compared to November, declining for seven consecutive months.

    In a statement, the ministry said it will swiftly move on “big projects” so investment sentiment will improve.

    “The government, if possible, is trying spend a quarter of the budget as early as possible,” Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said Thursday.

    He denied he is looking into the possibility of a supplementary budget to boost the economy.

    “We’re only in January,” Hong said. “A supplementary budget is not under consideration.”

    The minister said the government will be announcing export measures, mostly focusing on financial aid to SMEs.

    “While finding new markets [for exports] is important, currently the most difficult issue is [SME] exporters struggling to get financial aid,” Hong said.

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  • Malaysian banks to maintain earnings potential this year

    Malaysian banks to maintain earnings potential this year

    Analysts believe that the banking sector will be able to maintain its earnings potential this year, as margin pressure is expected to ease and continued loans growth with stable asset quality. MIDF Research said while the industry’s loans growth moderated to 5.6% year-on-year (y-o-y) as at December 2018 due to moderation in business loans and loans for the purchase of residential properties, the growth was still slightly above its expectations.

    “As for CY19, we expect a moderation in loans growth to 4.7% y-o-y due to the high base effect. We also believe that deposits growth will moderate to 5.3% y-o-y due to lower growth in fixed deposits growth this year,” the research house said in a note.

    “This also means that there will be accretion in value for banks’ book value. Hence, we maintain our ‘positive’ view on the sector,” it added.

    Overall, MIDF Research said it is cautiously optimistic of the banking sector continuing its solid performance in 2019.

    Given the current market conditions, the research house said its top picks for the sector are Maybank, CIMB and Public Bank.

    In a separate note, AmBank Research said it expects that the foreign fund inflows into emerging markets would benefit the share prices of the liquid banking stocks as the US Fed rate hike is tapering off.

    Therefore, the research house said it maintained its “overweight” stance for the sector with “buy” calls on RHB Bank, Public Bank, Alliance Bank, BIMB Holdings, Maybank as well as MBSB. Its tops picks include Maybank, Public and RHB Bank.

    AmBank Research noted that Maybank’s earnings are well diversified and the bank is still recording positive JAWs (a technical term that denotes income growth exceeding that of expenses) with growth in total income outpacing expenses.

    It added that Maybank’s net interest margins could also improve further ahead with the lowering of its funding cost as the group releases the excess liquidity built-up in the first half of financial year 2018 (1HFY18).

    “Meanwhile, dividend yield for the stock continues to be attractive relative to peers with its high payout ratio while potentially offering investors higher returns with the reinvestment of their dividends into additional shares under the DRS (dividend reinvestment scheme),” it added.

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  • Apple appoints new retail head to ramp up sales

    Apple appoints new retail head to ramp up sales

    In an effort to ramp up slow iPhone sales amid sluggish smartphone market, Apple on Wednesday appointed a new head of global retail and online stores. Deirdre O’Brien will take over as Senior Vice President of Retail and People, reporting to CEO Tim Cook, the company said in a statement. “For more than three decades, she has helped keep Apple focused on serving customers and enriching lives,” said Cook.

    “I am thrilled to work alongside Deirdre in her new role, and I know our 70,000 retail employees will be, too,” he added.

    After five years, current retail head Angela Ahrendts plans to depart Apple in April for “personal and professional pursuits”.

    O’Brien will continue to lead the People team, overseeing all People-related functions, including talent development and Apple University, recruiting, employee relations and experience, business partnership, benefits, compensation, and inclusion and diversity.

    “I am looking forward to this journey, and to continuing the important work of the People team in supporting all of Apple’s amazing employees,” said O’Brien.

    Despite slow iPhone sales, Apple posted $84.3 billion in revenue for the first quarter of its fiscal 2019 — a decline of 5 per cent from the year-ago quarter — while revenue from its other products and services grew 19 per cent.

    Apple operates 35 online stores and 506 retail stores in five continents.

    In the first quarter of its fiscal 2019, revenue from iPhone declined 15 per cent from the prior year.

    Cook said that there are several factors why iPhone sales are not picking up in the emerging markets.

    “The customers are holding on to their older iPhones a bit longer than in the past.

    “When you pair this with the macroeconomic factors, particularly in emerging markets, it resulted in iPhone revenue that was down 15 per cent from last year,” Cook told analysts.

    The Apple CEO said foreign exchange is another key factor behind the slow iPhone sales. “The relative strength of the US dollar has made our products more expensive in many parts of the world,” he added.

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  • V-Mart reports 27 percent growth in topline, reaches 200-store milestone

    V-Mart reports 27 percent growth in topline, reaches 200-store milestone

    V-Mart Retail, India’s leading value fashion retailer,  announced its unaudited financial results for the quarter and nine months ended 31st Dec,2018 whichwere approved by the Company and Board of Directors at its meeting held on 5th Feb, 2019. The company posted robust numbers for the third quarter, recording 27 percent YoY growth in revenue from operations, 15 percent increase in EBITDA and same store sales growth (SSSG) of 11 percent. The quarterly revenue and EBITDA stood at Rs 4658 million and 733 million, respectively, up from Rs 3680 million and 640 million in the previous year. The strong topline growth was also mirrored in PAT, which at Rs 417 million, delivered 14 percent YoY growth.Festive season shopping – comprising Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath – in the company’s main geographic markets was the primary growth driver for the quarter. In the 69-day duration from 6th Sep – 13th Nov spanning the three festivals, the company registered overall and like-to-like growth of 49 percent and 27 percent, respectively. This was achieved through revamped product assortment, supply chain, and marketing and sales strategies that the company executed effectively. The company has invested in ramping up its warehousing capacity and strengthening the talent pool at all levels.

    Riding on the back of healthy numbers in Q3, V-Mart continued to strengthen its performance for the fiscal year. On a YTD basis, revenue stood at Rs 10,892 million for the nine months ended 31st Dec, growing at 18 percent YoY, while EBITDA and PAT, at Rs 1127 and Rs 625 million, grew at 3 percent and 1 percent, respectively.

    Commenting on the company’s performance in Q3, Lalit Agarwal, CMD, said “There has been a great execution of fresh product ideas and customer connect which was amplified by strong festive demand in all our markets. V-Mart was well prepared and well-positioned to tap into this opportunity in all its key markets, delivering its value fashion promise with a wider and deeper assortment that resonated with the fashion aspirations of our customers. Launch of stores in Assam and Meghalaya further added the growth momentum for the company and the company witnessed its best ever Durga Puja sales during the quarter especially from the Bengal region. We thank all our valued customers for their trust and belief in V-Mart and look forward to their continued support.”

    While driving a strong execution focus during the festive season, the company maintained its consistent pace of retail network expansion, reaching the 200-store milestone in December. V-Mart opened 10 new stores during thequarter, andon a YTD basis, has added 29 stores with more launches planned in the last quarter. While the company took 12 years to open its first 100 stores, the journey to the next 100 has taken less than 3 years. Looking ahead, the company is building a strong pipeline of locations for targeted store expansion in the next fiscal year.

    For the upcoming Spring-Summer 2019 collection, the company shall be launching a new range of Indigo collection denims, camouflage, high fashion t-shirts, joggers, ladies tops, salwar suits, gowns, solid woven skirts for girls and kurti’s along with a new kids summer collection. The launch of summer collection and the special marriage range, with an emphasis on vibrant colors and silhouettes willgive shoppers a wide choice of fabricsand form key customer-centric highlights of the next quarter.

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  • Online grocery space likely to witness traction: Nielsen

    Online grocery space likely to witness traction: Nielsen

    With consumers being increasingly preferring digital channels for their purchases, the online grocery space is likely to witness traction, according to market research firm Nielsen. Grocery is definitely going to start seeing traction as e-commerce picks up, Nielsen Executive Director Ajay Macaden said at the India Food Forum here. He, however, did not quantify the size of online grocery market.

    As per reports the online grocery market in India is expected to be US$ 5 billion by 2020, from US$ 1 billion in 2017.

    Macaden noted that packaged grocery is 40 percent in India versus a global average of 30 percent, while fresh groceries is around 41 percent against a global average of 26 percent which indicates that people are definitely picking up food online.

    Rs 3.4 lakh crore Indian FMCG industry is growing at 14 percent, is largely dominated by food that accounts for 55 percent (Rs 2.2 lakh crore growing at 15.1 per cent).

    In terms of contribution, general trade accounts for 90 percent of FMCG sales, growing at 13 percent, while the remaining 10 percent is from modern trade that is growing at 22 percent.

    In the food category, general trade accounts for 90.1 percent at a growth rate of 14.7 percent, while modern trade is growing at 19 percent.

    He observed that the FMCG industry which grew at 13.8 percent growth in 2018 was largely a volume led growth that was 77 percent of the total growth.

  • Apple again the most valuable US company

    Apple again the most valuable US company

    Apple won back its crown as the most valuable publicly listed US company on Wednesday, ending the session with a market capitalization above recent leaders Microsoft and Amazon.com. Apple edged up 0.03%, putting its market value at $821.5 billion. Microsoft’s market capitalization ended at $813.4 billion after its stock dipped 1.11%, while Amazon’s stock market value finished the day at $805.7 billion, in third place, after its shares slid 1.12%.

    Apple’s stock has risen about 13% since its quarterly earnings report on Jan 29, with investors betting it was oversold following months of concern about a slowdown in iPhone demand and the company’s rare revenue warning on Jan 2 related to soft demand in China.

    But slowing iPhone sales have led to lower expectations for Apple’s stock. The average analyst price target for Apple has fallen from $240 three months ago to $175, less than a dollar more than its current stock price of $174.24.

    After touching a record $1.1 trillion last October, Apple’s market capitalization fell gradually, and it was overtaken in December by Amazon and Microsoft, which have taken turns in the top position since then.

    Apple’s stock market value hit a low of $675 billion on Jan 3 after its revenue warning, but then steadily recovered, helped in part by a quarterly report that was better than feared by investors.

    While Apple has gained in recent sessions, Microsoft and Amazon’s shares fell after their quarterly reports. Amazon has declined almost 5% since Thursday, when it forecast first-quarter sales below Wall Street estimates and said it would step up investments in 2019.

    “That has raised some eyebrows, it’s a perception that Amazon may be settling into a more mature phase in terms of growth,” said Dan Morgan, a senior portfolio manager at Synovus Trust in Atlanta.

    Morgan owns shares in Apple, Amazon and Microsoft, but he said that if forced to choose, he would favor Amazon because of its lead in cloud-computing market share.

    Microsoft’s stock is about flat from last Wednesday, when the software maker met targets for its quarterly results and forecast.

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  • Optimistic about Indian market despite changes in new FDI policy: Walmart

    Optimistic about Indian market despite changes in new FDI policy: Walmart

    US retail major Walmart, which invested $16 billion in Flipkart, Wednesday said it is committed to the Indian market and is optimistic despite recent changes in the FDI policy for e-commerce firms in the country, according to a PTI report. The Bentonville-based retailing major’s statement came after a recent report by global consultancy firm Morgan Stanley, which had hinted that Walmart may quit Flipkart as the new foreign direct investment (FDI) policy came into effect, which would lower its profitability in the long run.

    Morgan Stanley, in a report titled ‘Assessing Flipkart Risk to Walmart EPS’ dated February 4, claimed that “an exit is likely, not completely out of the question, with the Indian e-commerce market becoming more complicated.”

    “Walmart’s and Flipkart’s commitment to India is deep and long term. Despite the recent changes in regulations, we remain optimistic about the country,” said Dirk Van den Berghe, Executive Vice President and Regional CEO Walmart Asia and Canada.

    He further added, “We will continue to focus on serving customers, creating sustained economic growth and bringing sustainable benefits to the country, including employment generation, supporting small businesses and farmers, and growing Indian exports to Walmart’s global markets.”

    Tightening norms for e-commerce firms having foreign investment, the government, from February 1, barred online marketplaces like Flipkart and Amazon from selling products of companies where they hold stakes and banned exclusive marketing arrangements that could influence product price.

    The revised policy on FDI in online retail, issued by the commerce and industry ministry, also said that these firms have to offer equal services or facilities to all its vendors without discrimination.

    Last year on August 18, Walmart had completed acquisition of 77 per cent stake in Flipkart for about $16 billion (Rs 1.05 lakh crore), a deal which gave the US retailer access to the Indian e-commerce market.

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