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Tag: Fresh

  • Hello Kitty welcome Link’s Fresh Market shoppers

    Hello Kitty welcome Link’s Fresh Market shoppers

    Link’s Fresh Markets have partnered with Hello Kitty creator Sanrio in a campaign to have the adorable characters greet customers at seven designated markets.

    The collaboration celebrates the fresh new look of Wo Che Market in Shatin, which has recently undergone asset enhancement.

    “The event is as much a delightful surprise for the public as an immersive educational initiative for the younger generation,” said Link’s corporate affairs and marketing director Lorraine Chan, “as they can soak up local fresh market culture and healthy eating messages. There will also be activities allowing kids to unleash their artistic and creative talents.”

    From now until June 30, the Sanrio “store owners” are treating visitors to the cutest selfie experience at Link’s Fresh Markets in Kowloon and the New Territories. On April 28, Ahiru No Pekkle will show up at TKO Gateway to give away free hugs and pose for fun photos. Moreover, Nam Cheong Place Market will launch an exclusive Monkichi premium redemption programme for families.

    A set of “Link’s Fresh Markets x Sanrio Characters” limited-edition goodies will be given to customers who reach a designated spending amount within seven days at specific Link Fresh Markets and shopping centres.

    Link will also host a “Mini Master Chef Contest” at Wo Che Market. 10 finalists will channel their creativity to create a bento lunch box featuring Sanrio Characters with fresh ingredients on April 20 and 27. Local culinary tutor and cartoon bento specialist Candace Mama will give demonstrations on bento preparation and decide the winners of Link’s first “Mini Master Chef” title.

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  • Subway strikes delivery deal with Uber Eats In New Zealand

    Subway strikes delivery deal with Uber Eats In New Zealand

    Subway has struck a deal with Uber Eats to offer delivery from more than 100 restaurants in select New Zealand cities. Chris Churchmichael, country director for Subway New Zealand, said the agreement would allow Subway restaurants to tap into the rapidly growing delivery market in New Zealand, at breakfast, lunch, dinner and anytime in between.

    “We know Kiwis want freshly-made and nutritious delivery choices, however, having their favorite Subway foot long meal delivered hasn’t been an option until now,” Churchmichael said.

    Church Michael said all the Subway favorites like meatball and pork riblet will be available for delivery along with fresh new choices like spicy buffalo chicken with blue cheese dressing and smashed falafel with tsatziki.

    “Searches for ‘nutritious’ options in the app are increasing and Subway is the perfect partner to help us respond to this demand and provide a greater selection of delicious meals to eaters whether they are at work, home or even the park,” said Andy Bowie, Uber Eats country manager for New Zealand.

    Subway recently unveiled a brand refresh to modernize its offerings and a new website that highlights key supplier stories and educates customers about the chain’s fresh ingredients.

    According to Subway, its new “Real Fresh” website aims to give guests a look behind the scenes at some local growers and suppliers who support the business from all over New Zealand.

    Ben Miles, senior manager for brand marketing at Subway, said the sandwich chain is a strong supporter of Kiwi produce. Some of their supply partners include local business Yarrows, which has supplied Subway New Zealand with their dough for more than 20 years and NZ brand Tegel, which has partnered with Subway since the brand opened its first restaurant in the country in 1995 and now supplies restaurants with a range of chicken and turkey products.

    “We estimate we’re one of the largest national purchasers of fresh produce in New Zealand and we’re committed to supporting farmers, growers and producers around the nation,” Miles said.

    “We wanted to shine a light on the incredible work they do, bringing the fresh factor to our restaurants multiple times a week.”

    Miles said many of the company’s customers are unaware that their fresh vegetables are sliced and prepared in-restaurant before serving, so this information is also shared on the site.

    “We also know it’s important to our guests that each ingredient in their sub is of the highest quality – for both freshness and taste,” he said. “We’ve been making considerable changes to our menu and we’re committed to ensuring as many of our ingredients as possible are locally sourced.”

    The Real Fresh website was recently awarded a Gold Ava Digital Award, an international competition reorganizing excellence in website design and creative.

  • Hong Kong dessert shop Hui Lau Shan Launched in Philippines

    Hong Kong dessert shop Hui Lau Shan Launched in Philippines

    Hong Kong dessert shop Hui Lau Shan has opened in the Philippines.

    It is the first time for the franchise to open in the very region from which its special variety of mango is sourced. Its soft launch on March 17 at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong city was well-attended by local fans of the brand’s mango-based food products.

    Hui Lau Shan Megamall PH store

    Hui Lau Shan originated as a Chinese herbal tea vendor in the 1960s before blending carabao mangoes in with its other ingredients in the 90s to create a unique dessert.

    The fresh fruit drinks were well-received and the brand now has more than 260 locations globally.

    The firm’s local partner is Fat Daddy’s Group, well-known for its Smokehouse restaurants.

    “The sweet taste of our own fruit has helped propel the brand’s growth in and outside Asia,” said Fat Daddy’s president Freshnaida Versoza. “It’s about time that we bring it here to the Philippines. It’s also our way of supporting the country’s agribusiness since Hui Lau Shan is estimated to consume one ton of premium carabao mangoes per week for 10 to 15 stores.”

    More Hui Lau Shan branches are planned for other malls in the territory, including SM North Edsa, SM Fairview and SM Mall of Asia.

  • Record results for LVMH in 2018

    Record results for LVMH in 2018

    The world’s largest luxury retailer LVMH shrugged off broader market pessimism overnight reporting record revenue of €46.8 billion last year, up 10 per cent over 2017. Excluding the closure of the unprofitable Hong Kong airport duty-free business in December 2017, the group’s organic growth was 12 per cent. Every business division delivered what the company described as “excellent performances”.

    Group profit rose a staggering 21 per cent to €10 billion with operating margin reaching 21.4 per cent, an increase of 1.9 percentage points.

    “LVMH had another record year, both in terms of revenue and results,” said chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault. “The desirability of our brands, the creativity and quality of our products, the unique experience offered to our customers, and the talent and the commitment of our teams are the group’s strengths and have once again made the difference.”

    Arnault said this year the company would continue to innovate and target investments combining tradition and modernity.

    “In an environment that remains uncertain, we can count on the appeal of our brands and the agility of our teams to strengthen, once again, our leadership in the universe of high-quality products.”

    The company’s flagship Louis Vuitton business was a standout for the group, contributing much of the 15 per cent organic sales growth of the fashion and leather goods business division where profit from recurring operations was up 21 per cent.

    “Christian Dior had an excellent first full year within LVMH thanks to the creativity of Maria Grazia Chiuri for the women’s collections and to the arrival of Kim Jones, the new artistic director of Dior Homme,” the company said in its earnings statement.

    “Fendi and Loro Piana continued to assert their know-how throughout their collections. Celine entered a new and ambitious stage of its development with the arrival of Hedi Slimane as artistic, creative and image director of the brand.”

    Givenchy, Loewe and Kenzo “progressed well” while the other brands, Berluti and Rimowa continued to gain momentum.

    Watches and jewellery profit soars

    LVMH’s watches and jewellery business recorded organic revenue growth of 12 per cent – and a stunning 37 per cent increase in profit from recurring operations.

    “Bulgari performed very well and gained market share. Its iconic jewellery and watchmaking lines Serpenti, Diva’s Dream, B.Zero1, Lvcea and Octo grew strongly.”

    Chaumet’s growth was driven by the success of the Liens and Joséphine collections, particularly in Asia.

    In the watchmaking sector, Tag Heuer continued to expand its range and Hublot enjoyed strong growth, partly due to high visibility as the FIFA World Cup official timekeeper.

    DFS returns to profit

    A return to profitability for the travel-retail business DFS after it exited its Hong Kong airport concessions at the end of 2017 was a highlight of LVMH’s ‘selective retailing’ business unit last year. The business group achieved a 12 per cent improvement in organic revenue growth (excluding the airport business from the 2017 base comparison) and a 29 per cent improvement in profit.

    “DFS progressed strongly thanks to a particularly good performance in Hong Kong and Macau. The recently opened Gallerias in Cambodia and Italy also grew rapidly,” said LVMH.

    Sephora enjoyed unspecified growth in sales and market share, with strong online sales growth in Asia and North America. About 100 new stores opened worldwide, including the new Nanjing Road store in Shanghai and the first Sephora-branded stores in Russia.

    Scents of success

    The perfumes and cosmetics business division achieved organic revenue growth of 14 per cent, driven by the performance of its flagship brands, with profit from recurring operations up 13 per cent.

    “Parfums Christian Dior experienced remarkable growth and increased its market share in all regions of the world. The launch of its new perfume Joy and the exceptional worldwide success of Sauvage and the other iconic perfumes J’adore and Miss Dior are behind the strong growth of the Maison,” said LVMH.

    “Makeup and skincare also grew rapidly. Guerlain progressed well, driven in particular by the success of Abeille Royale in skincare and Rouge G in makeup. Benefit strengthened its leading position in the eyebrow segment and Parfums Givenchy accelerated its performance, thanks in particular to makeup and its new perfume L’interdit. Fresh and Fenty Beauty by Rihanna continued their exceptional growth.”

    Strong spirits

    The wines and spirits business group achieved organic revenue growth of 5 per cent and profit from recurring operations also increased by 5 per cent.

    “The business group reaffirmed its leadership position by pursuing its value strategy and balanced geographic development.”

    The Hennessy business enjoyed “strong momentum” in Mainland China, LVMH said.

  • Direct access to China’s online market through Alibaba’s Mr. Fresh

    Direct access to China’s online market through Alibaba’s Mr. Fresh

    The online retail market in China is booming, as are sales of perishables. Ahead of the curve is Tmall (part of the Alibaba Group) which, through Tmall Fresh and Mr. Fresh, has created some of the first B2C platforms that caters for fresh produce online sales and delivery.

    Alibaba’s Tmall is the biggest domestic online B2C retailer. It is a platform for international and Chinese brands to sell goods directly to consumers in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and has a reach of millions of consumers. Tmall Fresh is the organisation’s new portal for perishable products.

    Usually, due to high subscription costs, only large brands have online ‘flagship stores’ on Tmall and Tmall Fresh. Tmall Fresh currently only hosts Chinese online stores. Most of the existing flagship stores are importers or large distributors, that have been selling products on Tmall in the past before switching to Tmall Fresh.

    Tmall Fresh and Mr. Fresh

    “Tmall Fresh has been launched to meet the growing demand for fresh produce. It is becoming the online sales channel for perishables in China. Products include seafood, meat, dairy and, increasingly, fresh fruits,” says He Chunlei, CEO of Tmall Fresh.

    To assist rookie foreign fresh produce exporters in overcoming difficulties that come with market entry, Mr. Fresh was introduced alongside Tmall Fresh.

    Mr. Fresh is an online flagship store for foreign products on Tmall Fresh, entirely run by the Tmall Fresh Team. It aims to support foreign brands entering China. Mr. Fresh takes care of customers, marketing, sales, logistics and customer services. As such, it provides foreign suppliers with a low-cost entry to the Chinese market, whilst also avoiding the investment costs it takes to open a store on Tmall.

    Supporting foreign exporters

    “For foreign fruit exporters, Tmall offers two solutions. Foreign exporters can either cooperate with Chinese flagship stores, and sell their products through these existing portals on Tmall Fresh. Or, the second option, is that foreign exporters can join Mr. Fresh. Through cooperation with Mr. Fresh, foreign fruits can easily be sold into the Chinese market. We introduced the concept to solve trade barriers that foreign companies are facing entering China as a new market. The idea is that, after having sold their products on Mr. Fresh for a couple of years, foreign exporters are well positioned to open a flagship store on Tmall Fresh,” according to He Chunlei.

    “Mr. Fresh is designed to meet both the needs of the supplier and the consumer. Fruit varieties that are currently sold are New Zealand kiwifruit, Thai durian, Chilean cherries and Vietnamese mangoes. Our mission is to help foreign companies enter the B2C market in China by providing them with a complete solution package. At the same time, we provide the consumer with product and company information. We use our sales data and marketing information to help our suppliers understand the needs and preferences of Chinese consumers. The market for online fresh produce sales is growing at 7% a year. So far, fruits make up a small share of total sales of perishables, but we see huge potential.”

    PMA Fresh Connections China

    From March 15 to 17, the PMA Produce Marketing Association (PMA) is organising Fresh Connections China, a yearly summit taking place in Shanghai. He Chunlei, CEO of Tmall Fresh, will be one of the speakers at the conference organised on the second day.

  • O2O Start-up HEMA Fresh Opening 2 Stores in January

    O2O Start-up HEMA Fresh Opening 2 Stores in January

    On January 13, HEMA Fresh, a start-up O2O fresh produce retailer, launched its seventh store in Shanghai, one week after its sixth store was opened for business in the city. Emerged in early 2016 and quickly captured a lot of attention in China’s retail trade, HEMA is apparently speeding up its expansion.

    It has indicated the intention to open another 5-10 new stores in Shanghai in 2017 and to penetrate all first-tier cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen etc. It would then gradually roll out to second- and third-tier cities. HEMA’s innovative business model is being closely watched by people in the industry.

    HEMA’s newest store occupies a total floor space of 4,500 square meters. Besides reflecting HEMA’s special character and visual identity, the whole store’s layout was designed for the purpose of delivering unique shopping experience to patrons who would be ordering their goods online.

    On the weekends, shoppers can bring their families to browse around the spacious isles and check out the wide varieties of high quality fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and seafood.

    At designated sections, they can also enjoy cooked food prepared with the fresh produce sold in the store. During the week, however, shoppers can purchase HEMA’s fresh produce via their mobile APP whenever they have 10 minutes to spare.

    The purchased items would be picked from the store front and consolidated and packed at the depot at the back. Deliveries to homes within a 5-kilometer circumference would be completed within 29 minutes.

    Online purchase has now accounted for 50% of HEMA’s total sales.

    Another key feature of HEMA Fresh is that its shoppers are all subscribers of Alipay which is the only mode of payment accepted for any purchase at HEMA’s stores or via mobile APP. It is the first O2O retailer of its kind.

    It is said that 80-90% of all HEMA’s patrons are among those aged between 25-40, with higher education levels, higher income, and who enjoy high quality of life. Repeat purchase rate among this group of upmarket shoppers is around 50%, indicating that HEMA enjoys good customer loyalty.

    HEMA’s innovation is not confined to its sales approach. Most of the 3,000 types of products it carries are food products. According to HEMA’s management, sales of imported fruits account for more than 60% of HEMA’s total fresh fruit sales. Many of the fresh fruits are shipped to China directly from the growing regions in consumer packing, significantly enhancing the protection of product quality.

    As for vegetables, HEMA offers different choices including organic vegetables, vegetables that are also supplied fo Hong Kong (generally with higher quality), and those produced in Shanghai’s rural areas. HEMA is planning to introduce imported vegetables in future, to give its patrons even wider varieties to choose from.

     

  • Asia’s food retailers forecast fast-expanding business, DHL finds

    Asia’s food retailers forecast fast-expanding business, DHL finds

    Food retailers in some of Asia’s fastest-growing economies are expecting solid growth this year as expanding populations and rising income levels drive up demand, according to research commissioned by DHL Supply Chain.

    The logistics operator surveyed more than 300 industry decision-makers in India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam for its report, Hungry for Growth: Logistics Trends in Asia’s High-Growth Food Retail Markets.

    It found that a quarter of those companies polled expected to grow by 10 percent or more this year,  with 6 out of 10 predicting growth of at least 6 percent.

    However, the report also found that up to 38 percent of those surveyed were unaware of their total logistics costs, while 37 percent lacked any KPIs or formal measurements for their supply chain performance, potentially impacting their ability to keep shelves stocked and orders filled as demand and competitive factors grow increasingly complex.

    “Rapid increases in purchasing power, coupled with surges in demand driven by population growth, will yield obvious expansionary benefits to food retailers,” said Dean Eichorn, vice president retail for DHL Supply Chain Asia Pacific.

    “However, any food retailer’s success is ultimately dependent on the agility of their supply chains when faced with demand volatility, seasonal fluctuations, and other complex market factors. Asia’s food retail industry looks set to undergo significant growth in the next year, and only with greater understanding and control of their logistics operations will companies be able to take advantage of new opportunities.”

    The research found that food retailers are increasingly at risk from unpredictability on both demand and supply sides of their operations. In the four countries surveyed, late supplier deliveries were most commonly cited as food retailers’ top concern, while 36 percent admitted that demand volatility had a major impact on their businesses.

    Issues around supply chain performance and costs varied around the region: fuel, labor, and imbalances between supply and demand ranked amongst retailers’ top cost issues.

    “Many of these concerns are amplified because a large number of food retailers don’t have visibility of their logistics operations, let alone the resources or subject expertise to improve and optimize them,” said Eichorn.

    “Food retailers need reliable, agile supply lines if they’re to focus on their core competencies and compete. This agility only comes from being able to manage the supply chain as an end-to-end process across transport, warehousing, and value-added services in a way that’s rapidly scalable without creating extra complexity.”

    The research also found that more than 60 percent of food retailers have not outsourced any aspects of their supply chains, suggesting that retailers who actively adopt third-party logistics solutions stand to gain significant first-mover advantages over their competition. Of those surveyed, 44 percent believe inventory optimization technologies would be beneficial to their overall performance, while 38 percent see advanced transport management services, like track and trace, as helping them improve reliability in meeting demand.

    “Asia’s food retailers recognize the need to innovate and change, but the technologies and process transformations required to do so aren’t their domain of expertise, and nor should they be,” said Eichorn.

    “The key to growth and expansion in Asia’s food retail industry, and those of other developing regions where we’re seeing similar trends, will be how effectively operators can take advantage of third-party expertise and managed solutions in everything from technology to end-to-end supply chain management.”

    The DHL report said food retailers in Asia’s emerging markets are headed for a period of significant disruption, driven largely by rapidly growing competition and consolidation both within and between national markets.

    For the vast majority of those retailers, the strength and agility of their supply chains will make or break how they align customer service to the rising expectations of increasing middle-class consumers, respond to demand and cost fluctuations, and develop new ways to differentiate themselves against increasingly hungry competition, the report stated.

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  • Amazon Fresh expands into China

    Amazon Fresh expands into China

    Online retail giant Amazon has expanded its fresh food offer – Amazon Fresh – into China through partnerships with local distributors and suppliers.

    The new platform will offer fruit and vegetables for home delivery, alongside other groceries including meat, seafood and confectionary across a total of 600 fresh food SKUs, news outlet Tech in Asia and retail commentator IGD retail analysis have both reported.

    Unlike Amazon Fresh in the US, Amazon is not handling the logistics or using its own refrigerated vans for the fresh produce in China, Tech in Asia said, but instead will rely on suppliers to do this.

    Amazon’s larger e-commerce rivals in the country – such as Alibaba’s Tmall, JD, and Walmart’s Yihaodian – have been offering fresh produce for home delivery for some time.

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