Retail News CRM

Tag: cake

  • Patisserie Janice Wong opens in Changi, Singapore

    Patisserie Janice Wong opens in Changi, Singapore

    Singaporean pastry chef Janice Wong has opened her first airport store, at Changi Terminal 3.

    Janice Wong concession at T3 1

    Janice Wong concession at T3 5

    The concession allows international travellers to purchase a selection of Janice Wong’s signature products alongside special-edition chocolate bars, available in three artisanal flavours, ruby chocolate, sea salt and palm sugar.

    Janice Wong concession at T3 3

    Janice Wong concession at T3 2

    Other products include Janice Wong’s chocolate crayon box set, chocolate paint jar set, signature tea, chocolate boxes, bon bons, single-origin chocolate bars, cookies and lollipops.

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  • Pablo Cheese Tart Singapore closes down

    Pablo Cheese Tart Singapore closes down

    Pablo Cheese Tart Singapore has closed all of its stores in the city. After 19 months in operation, the cheese-tart brand’s exit from the city follows the shuttering of its outlets in Malaysia last July.

    The first outlet in Wisma Atria saw long queues when it first opened in August 2017.

    Pablo Cheese Tart has not issued any announcement towards the closings. However, its Facebook pages appear to have been deactivated.

    Reasons for the closure in Malaysia included customer feedback that the tarts had a sub-par taste compared to the Japanese stores’ products, and consumers found them expensive.

  • Vive Cake Boutique opens fresh pop-up at Harbour City

    Vive Cake Boutique opens fresh pop-up at Harbour City

    Vive Cake Boutique has opened a three-month pop-up store at Harbour City’s Gateway Arcade. The store is timed to coincide with White Day, a traditional holiday in Japan where men return gifts to their sweethearts who gave them chocolate on Valentine’s Day.

    The bakery’s founder Vivien Lau and her team have designed a White Day selection which will also be available in the company’s Central flagship store.

    “Vive’s pop-up store in Harbour City is an idyllic location that embodies refinement and luxury,” says Lau. “Gourmands from around the world can explore our unique and new dessert sensations in a homely, inviting, and Insta-worthy environment.”

    In addition to the cake creations and offers, Lau and her team have also designed memorabilia and treats for shoppers to take home, including a unicorn portable charger inspired by their signature Uni-Cone cake.

    Vive Cake Boutique was launched online in 2014 with its first pop up opening at The Pulse the following year. The company now has two permanent boutiques with pink and sleek marble decor, in Lee Tung Street in Wan Chai and H Queen, Central’s lifestyle hub.

  • Chateraise plans to open 200 shops in Thailand

    Chateraise plans to open 200 shops in Thailand

    Japanese patisserie Chateraise, which is known for having its main factory in the middle of a forest, plans to open 200 shops in Thailand and boost overseas sales to 50 per cent of its total revenue in the next 10 years.

    With more than 500 outlets mainly in Japan, it has just opened its second shop in Bangkok, at Gateway Ekamai Shopping Mall, and is seeking franchisees to accelerate store expansion in Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy.

    Its debut shop for Thailand opened in Isetan Bangkok department store in July. Both Bangkok outlets are under franchise.

    In the past two years, Chateraise has moved into eight markets across Asia, opening more than 30 shops. The company sees Thailand as a promising market where sweets consumption is expected to be driven by economic growth coupled with a youthful population, says senior managing director Takako Saito of parent company Chateraise Holdings.

    Based in Yamanashi prefecture, the company produces cakes, pastry, confectionery and beverages at six factories across Japan. It procures raw materials directly from contracted farmers and sells through branded shops.

    Almost all products for Thailand are shipped from Japan, with plans to add ice cream to the lineup. Chateraise plans a third Bangkok shop for next year

    The brand’s first overseas expansion was to Singapore in 2015, and it has since opened stores in Dubai, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea and Taiwan, and plans to head to Hanoi and Manila next year.

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  • Lady M cake walk comes to sticky end

    Lady M cake walk comes to sticky end

    Daigou (contract buyers) were on to a sweet thing, thanks to the popularity of the new Shanghai branch of New York luxury cake company Lady M, but border authorities have pulled the rug from under their feet.

    It all started because Shanghai residents were unwilling to queue up for hours to buy the gateaux and pastries at the Lady M outlet in IFC Mall, which opened a month ago. However, they were willing to pay well for daigou to bring in the sweet treats from Hong Kong, where there are two Lady M outlets (in Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui).

    So people assisting the Daigou were reportedly paying people to queue at the Shanghai store so as to encourage the parallel trade.

    The shop even had to close for a day shortly after opening because the crowds it attracted were seen as a possible safety hazard, and waiting areas needed to be provided.

    Shanghai customs officers were quick to become wise to the daigou cake courier service, and have warned on its official WeChat account that cake from abroad must not be for commercial use.

    “If you really want to enjoy the cake, be it in Hong Kong, Singapore or the US, enjoy it there directly,” says the post. “As regards bringing it back, you’d better drop the idea.”

    Meanwhile, the Shanghai Lady M shop has changed its takeaway policy. It has introduced a “lottery” system through its WeChat booking site, with winners being able to buy up to six slices of cake at any one time. Three time slots have been designated for takeaways.

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