Retail News CRM

Tag: expansion

  • Wagyumafia launches in Hong Kong

    Wagyumafia launches in Hong Kong

    Japanese restaurant chain Wagyumafia is set to open in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai. It will be the franchise’s first international location since launching two years ago. Wagyumafia is known for its premium beef and members-only business model. The brand has gone through an extended promotion under co-founder Hisato Hamada, who has hosted pop-up events for the franchise in top international locations – including Paris, London, Singapore and New York.

    The new Hong Kong location will be open for 18 members at a time, serving an omakase menu focused on choice Wagyu and Kobe beef yakiniku and shabu-shabu dishes.

    Hamada said “Wagyumafia seeks to buy only the top 1 per cent of Kobe beef. To ensure our premium quality standards are met, we source our products from the top 20 best farmers in Japan.”

    Reservations will be opened to non-members sometime after the first month of trading.

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  • Blue Bottle Coffee makes debut in South Korea

    Blue Bottle Coffee makes debut in South Korea

    Blue Bottle Coffee Co an upscale US coffee chain operator, says it will open its first South Korean shop in Seoul in the second quarter of next year as the company moves to expand its presence in the Asian market. It said the new cafe and a roastery will open in Seoul’s eastern Seongsu neighbourhood, a trendy hangout spot where young artists and designers have renovated existing buildings into art spaces, fine restaurants and cafes.

    The move will mark Blue Bottle’s second international launch since it opened its shop in Tokyo in 2015. Blue Bottle said it will directly enter the South Korean market as Blue Bottle Coffee Korea Ltd.

    “We feel very close to our South Korean guests, having known them for years in our cafes in the US and Japan and on social media,” said Bryan Meehan, CEO of Blue Bottle Coffee. “Now, Blue Bottle Coffee will no longer be just a tourist destination for them but a part of the fabric of Seoul.”

    Founded in 2002, the Oakland-based roaster now has 56 cafes in the US and 10 in Japan. Swiss food giant Nestle bought a 68 per cent stake in the company last year.

    According to government data, the size of South Korea’s coffee market stood at 11.7 trillion won (US$10.8 billion) in 2017, up more than threefold from a decade earlier.

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  • Big C to open in Malaysia

    Big C to open in Malaysia

    Thai Hypermarket Big C appears to be preparing to enter Malaysia. According to several websites, Fraser and Neave, a subsidiary of billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi’s TCC Group, is in the process of completing local regulatory requirements through Ministry of International Trade and Industry to prepare for the launch of Big C Malaysia.

    The target opening date has not been confirmed.

    However, the first Big C Malaysia Supercentre is expected to be located in Kedah in northwest Malaysia, near the Thai border.

    Big C currently operates in Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.

    Many Malaysians reportedly cross the border into Thailand to shop at the Big C hypermarket in Hat Yai, in Thailand’s south, giving the company confidence its offer would be popular among residents of its neighbouring country.

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  • Auntie Anne’s to make debut in Myanmar

    Auntie Anne’s to make debut in Myanmar

    Yoma Strategic and the parent company of pretzel franchise Auntie Anne’s – Focus Brands – are to bring the popular hand-rolled soft pretzel store to Myanmar. Myanmar’s first Auntie Anne’s outlet is scheduled to open in Yangon in the coming months with a more ambitious expansion planned over the next five years.

    Auntie Anne’s recently celebrated 30 years of operations and currently has more than 1800 outlets in 30 countries, including more than 600 locations outside of the US. The brand has established a strong presence in Asia.

    Yoma Strategic CEO Mr. Melvyn Pun said the company was seeing considerable growth in the market for freshly baked goods.

    “While many street vendors do offer traditional Myanmar alternatives, the addition of an iconic international brand will only enrich the local foodscape. It is also a big opportunity for a global brand to come in and offer consumers an exciting new twist on the current offerings in this sector.”

    Yoma F&B’s franchise portfolio also includes KFC and Little Sheep Hotpot. Yoma F&B is targeting the shifting consumption patterns and the rising discretionary disposable income of Myanmar’s expanding middle class, a group forecasted to reach 10 million by 2023.

  • Marie France Van Damme opens first store in the Middle East

    Marie France Van Damme opens first store in the Middle East

    Marie France Van Damme, the Hong Kong-based designer known for her globally influenced line of luxury resort, swim, and ready-to-wear, continues to expand her presence worldwide with the opening of the brand’s first store in the Middle East in November 2018 in Dubai, its thirteenth boutique worldwide. With boutiques in some of the world’s most iconic luxury travel and shopping capitals, Marie France Van Damme’s new store will be located in downtown Dubai in the exclusive Dubai Mall, the world’s largest luxury shopping destination.

    Situated within Fashion Avenue of The Dubai Mall (Financial Center Rd, Dubai, United Arab Emirates) a section that’s home to more than 200 luxury shops including Cartier, Chanel, and Valentino, the new 1000 square-foot boutique will offer Marie France Van Damme’s extensive luxury resort, Beach Bridal, and ready to wear lines and range of accessories, including evening dresses, resort wear, and caftans.

    As Marie France Van Damme only introduces limited productions of her collections each season, each store in itself is unique, with exclusive items at each location you won’t find anywhere else. With a focus on exclusive pieces inspired by the Dubai lifestyle, the new boutique will offer the best of both worlds: luxe day resort wear and chic evening wear.

    Made for Dubai and the elegant, modern Middle Eastern lifestyle, Marie France Van Damme’s striking collections are a return to the glamorous roots of resort wear with a muted palette of silver and gold, hand embroidery and opulent fabrics, from French lace to metallic-toned Italian weaves and featherweight Chinese silks. Signature pieces such as the Boubou caftan provide instant glamour. New this season is an exclusive “Black Gold Rose” jacquard collection of delicate evening dresses crafted in the softest crinkle silk chiffon; and short jackets, and skirts designed to be layered with long metallic blouses and worn from city to resort and from day to night, a perfect mix-and-match wardrobe.

    Collections are not distinguished by season, but relevance. Whether it’s evening wear or day dress; a silk caftan, city pajama or swimwear, Marie France Van Damme’s philosophy remains the same: “What you wear should always give you glamour. Glamour without the fuss and bother,” says Marie France Van Damme.

    “We are excited to open our first boutique in the Middle East in The Dubai Mall,” says Marie France Van Damme. “I could not have imagined a better location to provide our clients with an exceptional atmosphere in one of the most beautiful shopping destinations in the world. We have many clients in Dubai including those who travel to here to shop. Like me, our customer travels around the world, and she needs to find things that will look beautiful day as well as night. Our collection was made for Dubai and the elegant, modern Middle Eastern lifestyle, from day to evening, poolside to dinner.”

    The new boutique will incorporate Marie France Van Damme’s signature aesthetic, which blends subtle Asian influences and elegant simplicity with marble floors, teak wood, bronze panels, and embossed crocodile leathers with textiles and finishes that can be found in the designer’s home as well as her flagships in Hong Kong and London.

    Marie France Van Damme will join The Dubai Mall’s 3.77 million square feet of leasable space and 1,300 retail outlets, including Galeries Lafayette, Cartier, Chanel, Valentino, Balenciaga, Gucci, Lanvin, Saint Laurent, and many more. The Dubai Mall, a luxury shopping destination that welcomes 80 million visitors each year, also has dining, entertainment, and leisure attractions including the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, the Olympic-sized Dubai Ice Rink, and adjoining five-star hotels, including the Armani Hotel Dubai. In addition to Fashion Avenue, there is also The Souk, the open-air walkway The Village, and more.

    Marie France Van Damme has rapidly expanded since its inception in 2011 to include an impressive range of ready-to-wear, resort wear, swimwear, sunglasses, perfume, and candles. The designer just announced her twelfth boutique opening this October at the Wynn Las Vegas. She recently opened her eleventh boutique in Miami at Bal Harbour Shops and a store in Marrakech at La Mamounia in January 2018, a Los Angeles boutique in September 2017 at the Peninsula Beverly Hills, a boutique in Bangkok’s luxury shopping and entertainment complex Gaysorn Village in 2017, and her seventh store in December 2016 in Hong Kong’s prestigious Elements shopping mall, which is Marie France Van Damme’s second Hong Kong store. The company opened its very first store in Hong Kong’s acclaimed International Finance Centre (IFC) mall in September 2013. Five years later, Marie France Van Damme has twelve stores worldwide, proving that small curated stores are still very relevant. The company currently has 100 retail locations in some of the world’s most desirable shopping destinations.

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  • COSMOAI Opens Flagship Store at Imperial Hotel Tokyo

    COSMOAI Opens Flagship Store at Imperial Hotel Tokyo

    Japanese skincare brand Cosmoai has opened its Tokyo flagship store at Imperial Hotel Tokyo. The new store covers an area of 59sqm and showcases the company’s signature products to business and mid- and upper-class customers. It is the second Cosmoai store in Japan following its first flagship store in Nagoya.

    Cosmoai’s CEO Takayuki Inoue said the store provides an opportunity to introduce Tokyo customers to premium product lines and enable them to try them out.

    Cosmoai specialises in skincare solutions and enabling anti-aging skin repair and revival. Coinciding with the new store is the launch of a new hair care product, 18-Hair Care EX, a pill taken orally that addresses the problem of hair loss and improves hair health.

    The company’s products are now available in Tokyo, Nagoya and Hong Kong and online.

  • Denny’s to open 20 more stores in Philippines

    Denny’s to open 20 more stores in Philippines

    Family dining chain Denny’s is poised to expand its operations in the Philippines. The move has involved an amendment to its development agreement with The Bistro Group, which became a franchisee three years ago. Bistro operates six Denny’s Philippines restaurants in the territory, which will be expanded by an additional 20 locations.

    Denny’s president and CEO John Miller said exciting growth enjoyed by a newer franchisee like The Bistro Group in the Philippines demonstrates the strength of the Denny’s brand beyond North America.

    Denny’s senior VP & chief global development officer Steve Dunn added: “Denny’s is one of the fastest-growing family-dining chains across the globe, and it is very exciting to see franchise partners commit to expand their existing development commitments. We continue to have an active pipeline for growth as we further expand Denny’s international footprint.”

    There are more than 1720 Denny’s restaurants around the world.

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  • La Chapelle Vietnam launch gets closer

    La Chapelle Vietnam launch gets closer

    Hong Kong-listed Chinese fashion retailer Shanghai La Chapelle is preparing to launch in Vietnam. A huge La Chapelle Vietnam standalone flagship store is under construction, next to Ho Chi Minh City’s VivoCity mall, facing to the front street of Nguyen Van Linh in District 7.

    While the opening date has not been revealed, branding has appeared on the store with the interior fitout almost complete and apparently only awaiting stock.

    The brand is using social media and online channels to recruit staff for the store and seek interest from potential nationwide distributors.

    La Chapelle Vietnam is operated by VV Mall Management Service, which owns the under-construction VV Mall in Danang. The 35,000sqm mall is set to open its doors in the second quarter of next year.

    Founded in 1998, La Chapelle has its own brands including menswear labels Jack Walk, Pote and Marc Ecko, childrenswear brand 8eM and womenswear labels La Chapelle, Puella and Candie’s.

    La Chapelle has struggled in the first nine months of this year, reporting a decline in sales of 0.5 per cent to US$889.94 million and a near 30-per-cent decline in profit to $34 million.

    Vietnam is the first country in the company’s Southeast Asian expansion plan.

  • For Art’s Sake store opens

    For Art’s Sake store opens

    Hot on the heels of For Art’s Sake’s new collection launch is the opening of its first standalone retail store in London’s Covent Garden. Situated in the heart of The Piazza, the store borrows bold design details from the brand’s penchant for eclectic style: think decadent blue velvet furnishingS and brass fixtures that beautifully elevate the statement-making frames.

    The store will incorporate a host of new features, from a selfie station to personal shopping (in five languages: Mandarin, French, Spanish, Italian and English), a concierge option, tax-free shopping, Click and Collect as well as exclusive colourways. To celebrate the launch, For Art’s Sake has collaborated with one of London’s most exciting new design studios – Studio LaPeche – on a window installation that reimagines the most striking features of the London skyline.

    A deliberate avoidance of trend-based silhouettes has led to a rapid pace of growth for For Art’s Sake in a short space of time. On top of Beyoncé and J Lo, For Art’s Sake counts Kristen Bell, Eva Chen, Poppy Delevingne, Olivia Palermo and Aimee Song amongst some of its most devoted fans. The brand can currently be found in over 550 exclusive stockists around the world, including Harvey Nichols, Saks 5th Avenue, Net-A-Porter, Yoox and more, and after the London store opening, they’ll be opening in Shanghai’s XinTianDi Mall. They then plan to open stores in Hong Kong, Miami and New York before 2020.

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  • CGV to boost its presence in Vietnamese cinema market

    CGV to boost its presence in Vietnamese cinema market

    CJ CGV Vietnam Holdings said Friday it will further expand its presence in Vietnam by maximizing funds from its planned listing in Korea this month. The cinema chain based in Vietnam is scheduled to go public on Seoul’s main Kospi bourse on Nov. 16. It plans to issue 5.71 million shares, with the share price to be set between 18,900 won ($16.80) and 23,100 won, according to the firm and the bourse operator, Korea Exchange.

    “We find great potential in the Vietnamese market, as its population is approaching 100 million and its income and domestic demand have been on a rise, but the entertainment market has not been developed,” chief Shim Jun-beom told reporters.

    Wholly owned by CJ CGV, Korea’s largest multiplex cinema chain, CJ CGV Vietnam Holdings has operated the Vietnamese chain through its subsidiary CJ CGV Vietnam since 2011.

    It now leads the market there with 347 screens at 57 cinemas. In terms of film distribution and advertisement, CJ CGV also occupies the top spot.

    “We expect our market share to grow from the current level of 41 percent to around 60 percent in five years,” he added.

    Last year, sales of the holding firm came to 128.3 billion won, up 22.6 percent from the previous year, and its operating profit rose 4.8 percent on-year to 11.4 billion won.

    It has selected Hanwha Investment & Securities and Shinhan Investment Corporation as its lead managers for the IPO.

    In July, CJ CGV CEO Seo Jung said that the company aims to increase the number of its screens around the world to 10,000 in 11 countries by 2020.

    Currently, the multiplex chain, owned by the food and entertainment conglomerate CJ, is the world’s fifth-largest cinema chain with 3,459 screens around the world.

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  • Brioni opened second store in HK

    Brioni opened second store in HK

    The Italian brand announced the opening of its second store in Hong Kong. The store is located on level two of the IFC mall at the Central Waterfront. The store interior pays tribute to the brand’s city of origin, Rome, by using Travertine marble. A coloured Italian marble column decorates the store’s entrance and rosewood panels are a reference to a men’s private space.

    The store has dedicated areas for Brioni’s formalwear, leisurewear and accessories.

    To celebrate the opening, Brioni has opened a pop-up exhibition in the oval atrium at the mall. Featuring a 5.5m replica of Michelangelo’s David dressed in a tuxedo, the ‘Masterful Tailoring Meets a Masterpiece’ installation required almost 100 hours of work by a team of specialists led by the brand’s chief master tailor.

    Whilst the bespoke service is a cornerstone of the menswear company’s identity, it also sells ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, eyewear and fragrance.

    Brioni’s first store in Hong Kong is located at the Element shopping centre in Kowloon.

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  • Foot Locker Is Opening First Outlet In Malaysia

    Foot Locker Is Opening First Outlet In Malaysia

    Foot Locker Malaysia is set to open its first store. The American brand’s market-debuting outlet at 1 Utama will stock some exclusive items and collections and is also a regular collaborator with top sneaker brands. It is expected to start trading later this month.

    The Footlocker Malaysia move is part of a broader strategy to open in 40 new global locations. It has recently launched in Singapore and Hong Kong.

    The store’s location is currently under renovation and will open in the mall’s old wing on the ground floor.

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  • Cover Story to expand retail presence; open new outlet at Bengaluru

    Cover Story to expand retail presence; open new outlet at Bengaluru

    Cover Story, a fast fashion brand for women by Future Style Lab, will be launching its new store at Forum Mall, Bengaluru in the coming week. This is Cover Story’s 23rd exclusive store with an existing presence across Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Surat, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai, and many other cities. The store is placed at a prominent location in the mall amidst the most fashionable brands around.

    The sprawling area is an apt location for Cover Story with its state-of-the-art workspaces, retail havens, entertainment zone, F&B options, and signature hospitality services.

    The new store’s stock includes the latest Autumn-Winter’18 collection. The collection, designed at the creative headquarters in London, consists of women’s apparel and accessories, which include bags and shoes. The collection is inspired by the best runway trends seen across the world. This season the brand turned to the high streets of cosmopolitan cities for inspiration. When it comes to style in London, there’s nothing like High Street Fashion which displays the best trends from the runways across the world. Cover Story’s AW18 Collection features ready to wear styles that will give the Cover Story Woman (and her BFF) the confidence to turn the streets into their own personal runway. The collection, spread across 9 stories, has encompassed the key trends emerging this season.

    At present Cover Story has 22 exclusive outlets across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Surat, Kolkata, Coimbatore, Kochi, Chennai, Indore, and Vadodara. Overall, Cover Story is present across more than 80 doors at Central, Kapsons, Iconic & Sohum. Additionally, the brand has its own online store to help cater its customer from anywhere, by simply visiting the website – www.coverstory.co.in Cover Story is retailed through online marketplaces including Myntra, Jabong, Amazon.in and Koovs.

  • Beccos plans expansion in India with 50 new stores

    Beccos plans expansion in India with 50 new stores

    Chinese-owned ‘South Korean designer brand’ Beccos says it plans to launch 50 stores in India. Scheduled to be opened by the middle of next year, the stores will require an investment of ₹100 crore (US$13.67 million) and are expected to return a revenue of around ₹200-250 crore ($27.35–34.18 million) in the next financial year based on the potential of the market.

    Like rival chain Mumuso, the store is positioned as Korean and using Korean design influence in its products, but is actually Chinese.

    The Hong Kong-based firm will also be investigating the potential of online sales in the region next year.

    Beccos global CEO Dabin Wang said: “We see tremendous potential in the Indian market… The company would have stores on company-owned-company-operated and franchise patterns. We would have a mix of both franchised and company-operated stores.”

    Beccos has started the expansion by opening its first few stores in Kamala Nagar.

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  • UrbanFox Omnichannel 1st year looking good, plans ASEAN expansion

    UrbanFox Omnichannel 1st year looking good, plans ASEAN expansion

    UrbanFox, a subsidiary of Keppel Logistics, marks its first anniversary with stellar growth across all its services. Set to expand its regional footprint to cover Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia by 2019, UrbanFox aims to help brands tap into the company’s suite of omnichannel management and logistics solutions across the region as their businesses grow.

    One year since its official rebranding, UrbanFox has witnessed remarkable growth not only in its logistics solutions business but also with its digital e-commerce capabilities. Notably, the introduction of the proprietary Multi-Channel Commerce Platform (MCCP) for seamless integration and management of e-marketplaces (B2B, B2C, B2E) earlier this year has enabled UrbanFox to deliver growth through omnichannel capabilities to its clients.

    The growing popularity of e-commerce and multiple marketplaces presents new challenges and opportunities for retailers as well as logistics services providers. By leveraging UrbanFox’s MCCP and channel management capabilities, brands can seamlessly manage various point-of-sale and inventory, saving valuable time and resources and securing additional revenue streams.

    Since introducing the MCCP in March 2018, UrbanFox has seen its fulfilment business grow by over 200 percent. This part of the business provides end-to-end logistics services to prominent brands across all industry verticals. The company’s brand portfolio has grown to 270 brands and more than 17,000 assortments, from just 12 brands and 100 over assortments within the same period.

    Joe Choa, Managing Director of UrbanFox, said, “UrbanFox has seen remarkable growth and momentum over the past 12 months, and I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of every member of the UrbanFox team. With our end-to-end capabilities and expanded regional presence, we are on the right track to fulfill our mission of helping businesses of all sizes to go beyond logistics to deliver growth and becoming the preferred partner in omnichannel management in the region.”

    UrbanFox offers a comprehensive suite of omnichannel logistics and channel management solutions that promises a seamless experience for brands and their customers. UrbanFox’s services include:

    • Channel Management, which enables brands to tap into multiple e-commerce channels and integrate marketplaces such as Lazada, Shopee, Qoo10, etc.
    • Omnichannel Logistics, which encompasses end-to-end fulfillment services, from one-stop warehousing solutions to real-time inventory management and more
    • Last-Mile Delivery, which leverages both owned and crowdsourced delivery partners to cater to businesses’ diverse delivery needs.

     

    The company has also significantly scaled its operations, infrastructure and team. The company’s full-time staff have more than doubled and moved into Keppel Logistics’ Tampines Logistics Hub in April, a new 400,000 sq. ft facility with warehousing infrastructure ready for high-volume omni-channel fulfillment with automation capabilities such as automated conveyor bin storage systems and automatic parcel sorting stations that can handle more than 1.2 million units of inventory and over 10,000 deliveries on a daily basis.

    To bolster delivery efficiency, in September 2018, UrbanFox announced its participation in a joint field trial with Fujitsu, SMU and A*STAR to enhance crowdsourced delivery in the market using Artificial Intelligence, as part of its push towards developing innovative ways to adapt to Singapore’s rapidly changing logistics landscape.

    With an eye on Southeast Asia, expected to become one of the world’s fastest-growing marketplace for e-commerce, UrbanFox will be tapping industry trends and expanding into key markets of Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia by 2019. Additionally, omnichannel management and logistics solutions will become even more crucial from the emergence of trends such as online-to-offline (O2O) commerce, as retailers explore new ways to ride the commerce wave.

     

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