Retail News CRM

Tag: celebration

  • 130th Anniversary Celebration: Louis Vuitton Redefines its Signature Monogram in a Stunning New Collection

    130th Anniversary Celebration: Louis Vuitton Redefines its Signature Monogram in a Stunning New Collection

    To celebrate the 130th anniversary of its iconic Monogram pattern, the globally renowned Louis Vuitton has unveiled its new ‘Monogram 130’ collection. The collection presents a fresh interpretation of the signature motif across a variety of leather goods.

    History and Evolution of the Monogram Pattern

    Debuting in 1986, the Monogram pattern was conceived as a tribute to the brand’s founder, Louis Vuitton. The design features the LV initials intertwined with four floral geometric motifs. It drew its inspiration from the Victorian, Neo-Gothic, and Japonism art styles, which were prevalent in Europe during the time of its creation.

    The Monogram 130 Collection

    The anniversary collection is divided into several sub-collections, each with its unique appeal. The ‘Rainbow’ collection breathes new life into the Monogram Empreinte leather by featuring hues of sage, yellow, and lavender. The Monogram Taigarama line stands out with bold primary colors.

    The collection also pays homage to the brand’s travel legacy with its travel-inspired designs. The LV Resort and Nautical lines blend striped canvas and Monogram Denim with vibrant, seasonally inspired color palettes.

    Under the guidance of Men’s Creative Director Pharrell Williams, the collection is further extended with the introduction of the Pre-Fall 2026 small leather goods range. This range showcases the Monogram Surplus camouflage and pixelated Damoflage canvas on select pieces.

    Rounding out the release is the Sport Capsule collection. Drawing influence from football, skiing, and beach culture, this collection includes reinvented versions of the brand’s classic styles, such as the Multiple wallet.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the Monogram 130 collection?
    The Monogram 130 collection is a range of leather goods by Louis Vuitton that reinterprets its signature Monogram pattern to celebrate its 130th anniversary.

    What inspired the original Monogram pattern?
    The original Monogram pattern was inspired by Victorian, Neo-Gothic, and Japonism art trends and was created to honor Louis Vuitton, the brand’s founder.

    What new ranges are introduced in the Monogram 130 collection?
    The Monogram 130 collection introduces several ranges including the Rainbow and Monogram Taigarama lines, the LV Resort and Nautical ranges, the Pre-Fall 2026 small leather goods collection, and the Sport Capsule collection.

  • Taiwan’s Nomura Holdings Surprises Employees with iPhone 17 Pro Max at Grand Year-End Celebration

    Taiwan’s Nomura Holdings Surprises Employees with iPhone 17 Pro Max at Grand Year-End Celebration

    In an unexpected grand gesture, Nomura Holdings Taiwan, a leading investment firm, gifted every one of its employees an iPhone 17 Pro Max at the company’s year-end party. This generous move, which left social media in shock, was not a raffle or dependent on performance rankings. Regardless of their position or tenure, each person present at the event received the same sought-after smartphone.

    Expressing Appreciation for Contributions

    The company’s decision to distribute these costly gifts was unveiled during a packed banquet in Taiwan. Projected onto a screen in the crowded hall, the announcement told attendees that the iPhones were a token of gratitude for their invaluable contributions during the year.

    Nomura Holdings Taiwan, a subsidiary of the Japanese financial services group Nomura Holdings, has been operational in Taiwan since 1998. Currently considered one of the top five foreign investment firms on the island, it boasts a registered capital of around US$11 million.

    Rewarding Success

    The company’s decision to reward its employees in such a lavish manner followed a period of record-breaking growth in Taiwan’s stock market and robust profits across the investment industry in 2025. The move was seen as a fitting way to thank staff for their hard work and dedication.

    The scale of the party was impressive, with an estimated 20 to 30 tables filling the room and around 300 employees in attendance. A bystander, claiming to work at the venue, described the iPhone giveaway as the most extravagant employee gift they had ever witnessed.

    Reaction to the Generosity

    Images from inside the banquet hall showed employees lifting their new iPhones in the air to record the announcement, sparking gasps and cheers of delight from the crowd.

    The online response was swift and widespread, with many expressing disbelief and jealousy at the grand gesture. Some even jokingly asked if there were any open positions at the company.

    To put the generosity of the gift into perspective, in Taiwan, an iPhone 17 Pro Max currently retails for approximately US$1,425.

    Questions & Answers

    What did Nomura Holdings Taiwan gift to its employees at the year-end party?
    Each employee received an iPhone 17 Pro Max.

    Why did the company decide to give out such generous gifts?
    The gifts were given to express gratitude for the employees’ contributions throughout the year, particularly in light of the record-high growth in Taiwan’s stock market and strong profits across the investment industry.

    What was the reaction to the company’s gesture?
    The in-person and online reaction was one of shock and admiration. Some online commenters even jokingly asked if the company was hiring.

  • Bugatti Celebrates 110th Anniversary With Baby 2

    Bugatti Celebrates 110th Anniversary With Baby 2

    Well! This one is not going to go transcending and set any earth-shattering speed record, yet it’s a Bugatti. It’s definitely something which rich kids with developing taste in cars would love to have, more so as it’s a bit grown up now. It’s the Bugatti Baby 2 which we first saw as a 3D printed model at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show and it is going to have a limited edition run. Bugatti will be manufacturing only 500 units of the Baby 2 and 500 lucky teenagers have already got one in their cart. Yes! It’s completely sold out.

    In fact, Stephen Winkelmann, President of Bugatti who also has a history of working with fast car brands is intrigued by the model and is excited to see it driving around the Bugatti premises. Incidentally, the Baby 2 also marks Bugatti’s 110th birthday. It has partnered with The Little Car Company to make this junior car. The first prototype, called the XP1, is already ready for test drives at La Grande Fete in Molsheim. To allow the Baby II to be driven by both adults and children, it has grown from the 50 percent scale of the original to a 75 percent scale replica of the Type 35 and includes a sliding pedal box for drivers of all age. In the first stage of its inception, the engineering team digitally scanned every single component of a 1924 Type 35 Lyon Grand Prix car. Then it got a new electric powertrain with lithium-ion batteries and regenerative braking along with few more redesigned elements to suit the need of modern age. It gets the same eight-spoke alloy wheels shod in new Michelin tires and it gets new hollow front axle along with the suspension and steering mechanism from the old Type 35.

    The old oil and pressure meters in the Baby 2 are now replaced with battery level, indicator and power gauge and the four-spoke steering wheel continues to be there.

    The cockpit gets the same four-spoke steering wheel ahead of the aluminum casing which sports Bugatti’s signature instruments. The old oil and pressure meters are now replaced with battery level, indicator and power gauge but the clock used to measure race performance in the iconic Type 35 remains as a symbol. The fuel pressure pump from the Type 35 has been digitally replicated and repurposed as a forward or reverse control, and all cars will come with a horn, rearview mirror, handbrake, headlights and a remote control to disable the car from up to 50 meters. In the centre of the dashboard is a plaque giving the unique chassis number of the Baby 2 and displayed on the nose of every car will be Bugatti’s famous ‘Macaron’ badge, made of 50g of solid silver, just like the Chiron.

    It also gets a rear-wheel drive powertrain and comes with two selectable power modes for drivers of a different experience. A 1kW ‘child mode’ with the top speed limited to 20 km/h, and a 4kW ‘adult mode’ with the top speed limited to 45 km/h. That said, there is also a Speed Key for experienced and confident drivers which takes the total power output to 10 kW and bars the speed limiter. It also comes equipped with a limited-slip differential which channelizes all the torque to the rear wheels. The car will come with two sizes of a removable battery, a standard 1.4 kWh pack and a long-range 2.8 kWh version. While the exact range will depend on driving style, the larger pack is expected to give a range of more than 30km.

    The standard car will be painted in French Racing Blue with a black leather interior, but other color options will be available for both the exterior and interior. Additionally, all owners of Baby IIs will receive membership of The Little Car Club, and be able to attend events where they, their children and their grandchildren can drive their cars at famous motor racing circuits. The Baby 2 is available in the European markets for 30,000 Euros.

    Lees ook:

  • Porsche Celebrates 10 Years Of The Panamera

    Porsche Celebrates 10 Years Of The Panamera

    The Porsche Panamera celebrates 10 years today and it was in April 2009 that the company first presented this Gran Turismo to the world. While Porsche initially planned production of 20,000 units per year, the Panamera clearly exceeded those expectations. More than 2.35 lakh cars have been delivered to date worldwide and the demand is clearly increasing. Put it was a tough battle to get this car on the production line. Porsche engineers kept coming back to this idea.

    In the 1950s, they developed a comfortable four-seater based on the 356. The Type 530 had a lengthened wheelbase, larger doors and a raised roof at the rear. Others followed, including a four-door prototype based on the 911 and, in the 1980s, lengthened variants of the 928. Ferry Porsche used one of these as his private car. In 1988, Porsche made a new attempt with the Type 989: the four-door coupe offered space for two full seats in the rear. The drive power was provided by a V8 front engine. Design elements from the 989 were later incorporated into the 911 of the 993 generation. Like all similar concepts before it, however, the 989 remained a prototype. For economic reasons, development was discontinued at the start of 1992.

    Then in the early 2000’s, Porsche conducted market studies, analysed the competition and decided to develop a four-door hatchback saloon and that saw the emergence of the Panamera. The Panamera’s first official appearance was on April 19, 2009 in Shanghai. The first model, internally known as G1, set standards in its class thanks to the wide spread between sportiness and comfort. It was packed with innovations: for the first time, a luxury class production model was offered with a transmission and start-stop system. The top model Panamera Turbo also introduced air suspension with additional air volume on demand, as well as an adjustable, multi-dimensionally extendable rear spoiler. The Gran Turismo also set the course for all other Porsche model lines with its new display and operating concept.

    The model range grew rapidly and sustainably, culminating in an engine range covering power output from 250 to 550 horsepower with petrol, diesel and hybrid drives as well as rear-wheel and all-wheel drive. In the beginning, the naturally aspirated V6 and V8 engines were available with a six-speed manual transmission. Most customers opted for the seven-speed Porsche dual clutch transmission PDK. Diesel and hybrid drives were available in combination with an eight-stage automatic transmission.

    Of course, there was a second generation to be made that it made its world debut on June 28, 2016. The development involved multiple streams: in addition to the Gran Turismo with a standard and extended wheelbase, a third variant was developed on the same platform: the Sport Turismo. From 2017, its avant-garde design and body concept brought more versatility to the luxury vehicle class.

    Thanks to chassis systems like the three-chamber air suspension, rear-axle steering and the PDCC Sport electromechanical roll stabilisation system, the Panamera was as at home on the streets as it was on the track. This was underpinned by a lap time of 7:38 minutes on the Nurburgring-Nordschleife – set by Porsche works driver Lars Kern in a standard Panamera Turbo. The engine range was consistently optimised, while the power output values were increased: new engines were introduced across the range, and the transmission was now an eight-speed PDK. The power output spectrum started at 330 hp, today the top model is a 680 hp plug-in hybrid.

    Now, for Porsche, it’s all going to be about electric mobility solutions and of course, the Panamera too has already gone that way. It’s just the beginning for the decade old Panamera and wait to see what more comes from this very capable luxury saloon.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • How much do Hongkongers spend on Valentine’s Day?

    How much do Hongkongers spend on Valentine’s Day?

    If you were in Hong Kong for Valentine’s Day you must have seen cascades of flowers around the city, couples flooding the restaurants, and inevitably thought: “love is definitely in the air”. You were actually right. Hong Kong is one of the top Asian markets for sentimental spending according to the Mastercard Love Index, showing continued growth since 2016 and some intriguing behavioural insights.

    Now, whether you think of it as the most romantic day of the year or a sickening slog, it’s undeniable that Valentine’s Day is a big deal for people splurging on their loved ones, and in Hong Kong even more so. The Mastercard Love Index has gathered data from credit, debit, and prepaid card transactions from the last three Valentine’s Day holiday periods(11th-14th February 2016-18) to discover the change in how fluffy feelings have translated into cold hard cash.

    The results show that since 2016, Hong Kong ranks third in growth for sentimental spending at 62%. China takes the top spot at 88% followed by Japan at 68%, which had a 35% surge. Overall across Asia-Pacific, sentimental spending has jumped up 33% with Valentine’s Day period transactions rising by 37% since 26%

    What was the biggest increase seen? Flowers of course. Since 2016 spend value on the holiday staple has gone up by 89% with 73% more transactions. In comparison, Hong Kong transactions for the pretty petals went up by 46% with total spend rocketing up by 93%.

    Here are some other interesting insights about Hongkongers from the research:

    Hongkongers aren’t early Valentine’s shoppers. Last minute buys for gifts are the norm with the 28% majority of sales happening on the day itself.

    Restaurant dates are still a growing favourite and getting flashier. Transactions in restaurants have grown by 20% since 2016 with the amount spent at meals up by 30%.

    More romantically, there has been a huge increase in couples popping away for romantic trips for Valentine’s Day. Transportation transactions showed a 205% increase in 2018, making up a significant 23% of the total spend for the day.

    Hotel rendezvous are also on the rise with 63% growth in transactions since 2016 and a boost to the total spend by 66%.

    Bling is still in. Jewellery transactions for Valentine’s Day have climbed with spend up 43% since 2016.

    Hongkongers like the personal touch when it comes to gifts for Valentine’s Day. 88% of gifts were bought in face-to-face transactions versus 6% online. However, online shopping for Valentine’s Day is still rising with a 146% increase in online transactions over the period since 2016.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Retail meets art in HK for Chinese New Year

    Retail meets art in HK for Chinese New Year

    Next week it Chinese New Year. It officially begins on February 5th, 2019, and ends on February 19th. This year will be the year of the Pig. It is the most important festival for Chinese people, so the city is fully decorated with festive installations. The retail world celebrates it with decorations and promotions. In Hong Kong, all shopping malls have already unveiled their gigantic installations.

    In the financial heart of the city,  the floral pinwheels have turned IFC into the Garden of Fortune.

    Dedicated to providing memorable and engaging experiences for guests beyond shopping and dining, the Chinese New Year is no exception for IFC mall as it presents The Garden of Fortune, a splendid installation featuring pinwheels to welcome good fortune and embrace new changes along with incorporating floral elements for a contemporary spin.

    From 26 January to 17 February 2019, shoppers can visit the interactive display and enjoy music performances to ring into an auspicious new year.

    Pinwheels have long been a symbol of luck with fascinating roots in Chinese culture. Traditionally associated with welcoming wealth, pinwheels are constructed using a variety of bright colors to greet the god of fortune, which are believed to bring prosperity and blessings to both homes and businesses. Playing on the Chinese tradition that pinwheels attract good luck, The Garden of Fortune is embellished with this auspicious symbol.

    The pinwheels are designed in the shape of peach blossoms, peonies and begonias – flowers that represent prosperity and fortune in Chinese culture – to empower guests with positive vibes as they walk through the Garden of Fortune.

    Upon entering the installation, guests are invited to play an interactive pinwheel game to start the new year with blessings to share and bestow upon friends and loved ones. ifc mall has collaborated with young local calligrapher, Rita Lee, to create downloadable “fai chuns” to share with family and friends after completing the game.

    Lee started learning Chinese calligraphy at the age of 6 and has nurtured her talent with over 20 years of experience. She is known for blending different styles to create art that balances the tradition of Chinese calligraphy with contemporary flair. “I’m excited about this partnership with ifc mall as it allows me to use my craft to extend blessings to all Hong Kongers who visit the Garden of Fortune,” says Lee. “The installation’s fusion of traditional pinwheels with modern floral elements also reflects the same juxtaposition in my style of calligraphy.”

    Pacific Place has built “Where Fortune Takes Flight” to welcome the Chinese New Year 2019. Queenie said that her design ideas come from the traditional Chinese New Year Candy box and chocolate from her childhood. Thus, they became the patterns of the kites, flying in the shopping mall. Queenie used vibrant colors and energetic brush strokes to draw on the kites, symbolizing a colorful and fruitful new year.An exquisite spring garden filled with blossoming flowers and over 60 flying kites, symbolising “Where Fortune Takes Flight”. Exclusively designed by Queenie Law, the kites soar to the highest heights and spread Chinese blessings throughout the mall and into the new year ahead.

    In Tsim Sha Tsui, Harbour City will welcome the Year of the Pig with the “HAPPIG New Year” celebration, featuring a seven-metre tall gigantic “Wishing Treasure Bowl” at Ocean Terminal Forecourt from 25 Jan to 19 Feb 2019.

    The treasure bowl is structured with multiple frames, on which colorful ropes were tied delicately to create geometrical festive patterns from cherry blossoms to gold coins.

    The contemporary design is a stylish take on the Chinese New Year classic, wishing everyone joy and fortune for the Year of the Pig.

    Newly introduced this year is an interactive wishing experience, inviting visitors to win a lucky pouch by taking part in a mini game and donating HK$20 near the“Wishing Treasure Bowl” installation.

    Each lucky pouch contains a Good Fortune Card with predictions for the coming year, and a “Wishing Gold Coin” which can be deposited into “Make a Wish Piggy Bank” for making a wish. The coin will roll through a lucky tunnel connecting the piggy bank to the gigantic “Wishing Treasure Bowl”, bringing fortunate blessings to everyone for the New Year.

     

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Chinese New Year to drive sales for businesses

    Chinese New Year to drive sales for businesses

    Despite lacklustre consumer sentiment, businesses are gearing up for brisk sales as consumers do their Chinese New Year (CNY) shopping for the much celebrated festival next week, with many businesses citing CNY as an important sales contributing season. LG Electronics Malaysia general manager of marketing Kong Mun Keen said festive season campaigns, whether CNY or Hari Raya, contributes bigger sales for LG.

    “We often see a spike in sales whenever festive seasons are fast approaching,” he said, adding that this year, LG Electronics Malaysia has allocated a “substantial amount of budget” for its CNY campaign.

    Although only a month into 2019, he said LG Electronics is “on the right track” in terms of sales.

    By distinguishing itself with its technology and product experience, Kong said LG’s strategy has always focused on reaching out to all Malaysians, evident through its brand store openings in 2018, where it works with partners to drive new consumer touchpoints.

    “Malaysia has always been a priority market, given that LG has secured and maintained a strong position in the home appliances and home entertainment segments here. With our premium and unique positioning coupled with innovative and consumer-centric products line-up, we are confident that there will always be a demand for our products here,” said Kong, adding that it is constantly ensuring that its products can integrate seamlessly into consumers’ lives.

    For big-ticket items like cars, Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd (ETCM) executive director Tan Keng Meng expects its CNY sales to be about the same as last year’s or better.

    “It’s always CNY and Raya. These are the two peak seasons,” said Tan.

    In conjunction with CNY, ETCM added the new imperial red colour to the popular Nissan Serena 2.0L S-Hybrid Premium Highway Star, featuring a two-tone theme. Additionally, ETCM continues the introduction of Nissan X-Trail X-Tremer in passion red and two additional colour options.

    Meanwhile, a Uniqlo Malaysia representative said festive periods are traditionally good opportunities for retailers to grow their sales, adding that it continues to experience healthy sales growth this year.

    “We believe this is due to our commitment to produce high-quality products at accessible prices while keeping with today’s fashion trends. Customer service is also a top priority to ensure that our customers have the best shopping experience possible.”

    As with previous years, it believe that customers are always looking for something new and fresh to start their new year.

    “We are bringing many new items to the store for customers to choose. We will also be launching the Uniqlo U collection on Feb 1 for last minute shoppers to get their new year clothes.”

    The representative said customers are consistently looking for items that are value for money and Uniqlo is well positioned to meet their needs.

    Tohtonku Sdn Bhd head of marketing Vicky Lim said CNY is one of the peak seasons for sales with its back-to-back promotions in December and January.

    But instead of spending on CNY promotional campaigns, Lim said, the company, which markets personal care and household products with brands like Follow Me, Nutox and Nanowhite, still focuses on brand communications.

    A representative for The Body Shop said although CNY is not its largest festive season sales contributor, it dresses up its stores with decorations that symbolise the blooming of spring and the festive mood of CNY.

    “We offer prosperous gifts such as hampers. This year we picked British rose as the main product that appeals to a wider target audience and with its colour of pink, it’s in line with the colour scheme that represents CNY.

    “Our staff are also dressed in mandarin Oriental tops and we play both instrumental and vocal music that reminds you of CNY.”

  • Indonesians share memorable Twitter moments to mark 10th anniversary

    Indonesians share memorable Twitter moments to mark 10th anniversary

    The Twitter logo appears on an updated phone post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The social media site famous for its 140-character “tweet” limit turned 10 years old on Monday, having evolved from what was originally billed as a microblogging site into one of the internet’s most influential means of communication.

    Online social networking service Twitter on Monday celebrated its 10th anniversary, gathering many tweeters in Jakarta, including some of the nation’s most prominent figures.

    During the celebration, they shared their most memorable experiences with the microblogging site using the hashtag #KarenaTwitter (because of Twitter).

    Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, who spoke at the event on Monday evening, said Twitter had allowed him to express himself freely and to talk people who he might never have had an opportunity to meet with otherwise.

    Lukman said he signed up to the microblogging site in 2009 and admitted it was his most favorite social media platform.

    “After some comparison, Twitter is more enjoyable because of its short word count of only 140 characters and you can have a dialogue and unlimited communication,” he said.

    The minister added that the social media platform had exposed him to a wealth of information on a daily basis and prompted him to continue to learn new things, be more engaged and enrich his general knowledge.

    “Because of Twitter I feel stupid. There are many things I didn’t know about. The more people I meet on Twitter, the more I realize that I don’t know so many things,” Lukman said.

    Despite having almost 200,000 followers, the minister said his account was not yet verified.

    Singer Andien, who performed at the event, said Twitter had enabled her to get to know her now husband, Irfan Wahyudi. “This is a true story – without Twitter I may not have married my husband,” she said.

    Andien said she met her husband in 2002 but they did not become close until 2009, after she joined the social media platform. Andien explained that when she lost her cell phone that year, she messaged all her friends on Twitter with her new phone number. Among them was Irfan. After that, she and Irfan started to communicate more often and eventually grew closer. The couple married in May last year.

    Twitter Indonesia’s business head Roy Simangunsong thanked the Indonesian Twitter community for their continued enthusiasm. He said 77 percent of Twitter users in Indonesia were active daily tweeters. Of that amount, over half send out two tweets per day on average.

    Twitter had been witness to many historical moments in Indonesia, Roy said. Today, the wide range of interests and public sentiments can also be seen in the various hashtags that are used, he added.

    “From simple things like how they find a mate to gaining the confidence to be able to do business and become part of the everyday world using Twitter, we can see how Twitter has become an important element of Indonesian society,” Roy said.