Retail News CRM

Tag: Hong Kong

  • SmarTone developing AI-powered mobile security

    SmarTone developing AI-powered mobile security

    SmarTone plans to soon launch its innovative anti-cyberattack software, ST Protect, to enterprises in Hong Kong in anticipation of growing security threats targeted at smartphones.

    “One of the interesting trends last year is that we started to see ransomware going through mobile,” said Zuk Avraham, founder and chairman of Zimperium, which specializes in providing mobile security solutions.

    The US-based company has invented the world’s first on-device artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning behavioral engine, which enables ST Protect to detect in real time known and unknown attacks on smartphones.

    SmarTone is rolling out the enterprise version of ST Protect eight months after it introduced the service, which is delivered via an app, to its subscribers’ iOS and Android device.

    Using AI for mobile security

    Based on data collected over the last six months since the launch of ST Protect, the AI and machine-learning engine has been successful in detecting 100% of known and unknown mobile threats, according to SmarTone CTO Stephen Chau.

    “The AI engine learns very quickly. By understanding the behavior of the OS platform, they have the knowledge to predict and understand when there is something is going on here that it shouldn’t. The beauty of ST Protect with the solution from Zimperium is that it is able to detect zero-day attacks. And while it is good that we can detect the known problems, it is even more important to actually detect that something bad will happen and we are still able to protect ourselves,” Chau said.

    In order to use AI to secure the mobile platform, Zimperium had to invent a new approach.

    “We had to because the traditional approach used with the PC does work on mobile. In the PC, you can see that attack and you can see the traffic. We cannot do that on mobile because the app sandboxing is very strong and there are permission separations,” Avraham said.

    He explained: “Let us say, I am drinking water and I am raising my glass. The traditional approach is that you use your eyes to see that I am raising my glass. On mobile, we cannot see because we do not have the permission to sniff packets, etc. So what we are doing is instead of looking at the glass, we measure the vibes of the table, and then we can tell you this table as moved and the temperature has changed because it is hot water. Then we can tell based on these behavioral data what happens here.

  • Hong Kong should be preparing for 5G now

    Hong Kong should be preparing for 5G now

    HKT has called on the HKSAR government to take action to prepare for the arrival of 5G, stating that the government has done nothing to advance 5G development in the city.

    In a discussion paper, HKT once again the government and criticized telecoms regulator OFCA for what it says is a failure to allocate enough spectrum to support an advanced mobile industry, expressing concern over the fact that no new spectrum allocation is planned for the next three years.

    HKT said the government’s “short-sighted policies on mobile spectrum… are set to negatively impact mobile users and the Hong Kong economy for the many years to come.” The paper notes that no new spectrum has been made available since 2013.

    In this regard, Hong Kong fares poorly compared to other markets such as Japan, Korea and China, which have been taking action to facilitate 5G trials and development, the operator said.

    “OFCA should be preparing the ground today for the emergence of true 5G services which will be available when we step into the next decade – disappointingly it is not doing so; and, worse, it is on the record as not wanting to do anything because it says ‘zero’ new spectrum will be available.”

    HKT separately noted that UK regulator Ofcom has released a new discussion paper echoing the company’s view that regulators and lawmakers should be taking immediate action to enable the development of 5G technology.

    The UK regulator already has plans in place to make the 700-MHz band available for services including 5G, and is undertaking work with an eye to potentially doing the same for the 3.6-GHz and 3.8-GHz bands.

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  • Hermes sales rise 7 per cent in Asia

    Hermes sales rise 7 per cent in Asia

    Hermes sales rose 8 per cent last year for French high-fashion goods manufacturer Hermes International.

    In what it describes as a “difficult context”, the group’s consolidated revenue reached €5202 million (US$5.5 billion).

    Sales growth was sustained in the fourth quarter (up 8 per cent at current exchange rates, and 7 per cent at constant exchange rates), with all geographies progressing.

    Hermes continued to improve the quality of its distribution network, with four store openings and renovation and extension works.

    Japan (up 9 per cent) performed well thanks to its selective distribution network, despite the strengthening of the yen and a high comparison basis.

    Asia excluding Japan (up 7 per cent) pursued growth, particularly with extensions of the Liat Towers and Takashimaya stores in Singapore and store openings in Macau, at Hong Kong Airport and in Chongqing in China.

    In Mainland China, the group says it continued to develop even though the context remains challenging in Hong Kong and Macau.

    Growth over the year was driven by leather goods and saddlery products, which continue to be the mainstay of the group. Otherwise, sales benefitted from a positive momentum at year end in such sectors as silk and the ready-to-wear and accessories division.

    Growth “remarkable”

    Hermes says the 14 per cent growth in leather goods and saddlery was remarkable, thanks to the success of the collections and the diversity of models, particularly the Constance, Halzan and Lindy bags alongside the Birkin and Kelly.

    The ready-to-wear and accessories division was stable over the year, posting a 4 per cent increase in the fourth quarter driven by the latest women’s collections, particularly shoes.

    While sales eased 1 per cent for the silk and textiles business line in the fourth quarter, Hermes says it was a good result in the face of being penalised by events in Europe and slowing sales in Greater China during the first half of the year.

    A 9 per cent growth in sales of perfumes was driven by the success of Terre d’Hermes, the launch of Galop d’Hermes and the latest creations such as colognes Eau de Neroli Dore and Eau de Rhubarbe Ecarlate.

    Down 3 per cent, the watches division was penalised by a still challenging market and a high comparison basis at year end. Sales rose 2 per cent for other Hermes business lines, encompassing jewellery, Art of Living and Hermes Table Arts.

    Meanwhile, Hermes is pursuing its long-term development strategy based on creativity. This year it is celebrating the “Meaning of Objects”.

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  • We’ll Only Shop For Groceries in This Hello Kitty Supermarket From Now On

    We’ll Only Shop For Groceries in This Hello Kitty Supermarket From Now On

    A Hong Kong supermarket is turning grocery shopping into an unbearably adorable experience with its Hello Kitty pop-up. The delightful shop will be officially open for business — operating within Sai Wan’s Yata Supermarket — from Feb. 12 to May 31.The pop-up offers desserts, dry grocery items, home decor products, and general merchandise all inspired by the beloved Sanrio character.

    In addition, all of the shopping bags and carts will reflect the same theme, turning it into a truly immersive experience. Preview pictures reveal that the limited-edition popcorn and light-up cotton candy are hot commodities. It can also be expected that Hello Kitty herself will be stopping by the store from time to time.According to the South China Morning Post, the pop-up could be an attempt to boost Hong Kong’s struggling retail sector.

    We have a feeling the Instagram-ready supermarket will certainly be a step in the right direction.

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  • Hong Kong ivory trade faces uncertain future as bans loom

    Hong Kong ivory trade faces uncertain future as bans loom

    Wong Lai-ngan hunches over a battered workbench, his electric rotary tool whining as he carves two phoenixes facing each other into a smooth white tusk.

    Decades ago, Wong’s canvas would have been elephant ivory. But since a 1990 ban on international trading, Hong Kong’s dwindling tribe of ivory carvers has switched to tusks of extinct woolly mammoths.

    The decline of the city’s once-flourishing ivory business is set to speed up after the Hong Kong and mainland Chinese governments announced in December plans to restrict local ivory trading. Wildlife activists hailed the news, saying domestic markets must be phased out to reduce the demand for tusks driving an epidemic of poaching that is decimating Africa’s elephants.

    It also signals the end for Hong Kong’s ivory craftsmen and traders.

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  • 2016, a year to forget for luxury retailers in Hong Kong

    2016, a year to forget for luxury retailers in Hong Kong

    The retail sector in Hong Kong recorded the poorest annual sales in nearly two decades last year, according to a report by the ‘Nikkei Asian Review’. The Hong Kong government argues that this ‘annus terribilis’ partly responds to the declining number of Chinese tourists visiting the territory.

    The report reveals that retail sales in Hong Kong came in at 436.6 billion Hong Kong dollars in 2016, what implies an 8.1 percent dip in comparison with retail sales from the previous year. This is, in fact, the sharpest decline since the Asian financial crisis in 1998 when sales plummeted 17 percent year- on-year.

    On the upside, some analysts say they start to see the first signs of a gradual recovery in the territory’s economy as the number of Chinese tourists stabilizes and the performance of retail sales in the latter half of last year improved when compared to the previous six months.

    Last year, retail sales fell in every month. However the year-on-year declines waned in the latter months, moving from a 5.5 percent year-on-year decrease in November to 2.9 percent in December.

    “The near-term outlook for retail sales business will still depend on whether the recent improvement in inbound tourism could gain more traction and the extent to which local consumer sentiment will be affected by various external uncertainties,” a Hong Kong government spokesperson told the ‘Nikkei Asian Review’.

    It’s worth calling out that the number of mainland visitors to Hong Kong in December indicated a reversal after months of decline. The number of visitors increased by 9 percent year-on- year, led by the Christmas holidays, and outperforming the 7.8 percent growth rate observed year-on- year that month in Macau.

    Worst affected retailers were those operating within the luxury and upmarket niches. Jewelry group Chow Sang Sang issued a profit warning last month that its full-year earnings for 2016 could drop as much as 40 percent. Meanwhile, fashion retailer Bauhaus closed four shops across Hong Kong and Macau as its same store’s sales declined 10 percent year-on-year in the final quarter of 2016. Its direct competitor, I.T, recorded a slightly smaller decline (-4.6 percent) in store sales in Hong Kong during the three-month period between September and November 2016.

    Market sources recall that the vast majority of luxury retailers in Macau and Hong Kong depend on the influx of wealthy tourists coming from mainland China as their main source of revenue.

    “Looking ahead, the near-term outlook for retail sales business will still depend on whether the recent improvement in inbound tourism could gain more traction and the extent to which local consumer sentiment would be affected by various external uncertainties,” the government said in a statement issued earlier this month.

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  • No strong recovery in Hong Kong retail sales until 2018

    No strong recovery in Hong Kong retail sales until 2018

    Despite a return of mainland Chinese tourists to mark the start of the Year of the Rooster, it might be too early to celebrate for Hong Kong retailers. Sales will continue to fall this year, according to industry observers.

    Thomson Cheng Wai-hung, chairman of Hong Kong Retail Management Association, estimates the territory’s retail sales will fall 3-4% on the year in 2017, an improvement from the 8% drop in 2016.

    Last year, retail sales fell to 437 billion Hong Kong dollars ($56.3 billion), marking three years of decline and the worst full-year slump since 1998. This was despite some signs of improvement when the decline in sales in December narrowed to 3% from a year ago as more mainland visitors spent their holiday in Hong Kong.

    “We might be getting closer to the end of the tunnel,” Cheng said on Thursday. But citing uncertainty in the global environment, such as a possible U.S.-China trade war, he expects the retail market to bottom out only in 2018 at the earliest. “It is hard to say whether it will be a recovery in L shape, V shape or U shape,” he said.

    There were winners and losers during the Chinese New Year holiday.

    Luxury retailers were hit by dwindling sales as Chinese tourists tightened their purse strings amid a slowing economy. Prices in Hong Kong are also less attractive for mainlanders due to a weaker yuan and the Hong Kong dollar’s peg to the U.S. dollar, which had strengthened during the year.

    Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group recorded an 11% slump in Hong Kong and Macau sales from a year ago between Jan. 14 and Feb. 3, which covered the Chinese New Year holiday.

    Mass-market retailers fared better. Hong Kong’s largest cosmetic chain Sa Sa International saw a 3.5% sales increase at home and in Macau from Jan. 28 to Feb. 3, helped by a rebound in mainland tourist traffic. While the number of transactions they made increased, the average spend per transaction was down 4.6% from a year ago.

    Given the latest data over the holiday season, Chairman and CEO Simon Kwok Siu-ming is upbeat on the outlook. “It is recovering, and December was almost flat [compared to a year before],” he told Nikkei Asian Review on Tuesday.

    He is positive about mainland customers as well. “I am not worried about China and the Chinese economy,” he said. Ease of travel to Hong Kong in the near future with the expected opening of a high-speed railway link and bridge connecting to Macau and Zhuhai in southern Guangdong province will make the territory “more accessible” for mainlanders.

    Some mid-tier fashion retailers are turning to e-commerce to expand their reach. Walton Brown, a subsidiary of Lane Crawford Joyce Group that has a portfolio of premium brands including Kate Spade and Brooks Brothers, will launch in March its own mobile platform MyMM.com to target China’s growing middle class.

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  • SmartBuyGlasses opens Kennedy Town store

    SmartBuyGlasses opens Kennedy Town store

    Online eyewear retailer SmartBuyGlasses has opened a physical store at Kennedy Town.

    Located beside the suburb’s MTR station, the store displays and sells well-known designer brands of eyewear.

    The store, the first in Hong Kong, marks a step from online to offline which the company’s co-founder David Menning describes as “an exciting new chapter for the team” after operating 10 years as a pureplay online retailer.

    SmartBuy Glasses HK 2

    “Our distribution centre has been based in Hong Kong since we started out in 2006. Quite often we get members of the public turning up at the office itself looking to buy products directly from us, so it was clear there was an opportunity here to do something bigger that would serve the Hong Kong public directly.”

    SmartBuy Glasses HK 4

    Menning says the new store reflects the brand identity and entrepreneurial spirit of the SmartBuyGlasses team. “Using their access to the world’s most famous eyewear brands, SmartBuyGlasses has created a unique space where customers can try and buy top sellers and all time classics at the best prices anywhere in the city.”

    SmartBuy Glasses HK 1

    He says the decision to branch out into brick-and-mortar stores reflects the wider industry omnichannel trend, which involves brands and businesses linking their online and offline strategies in order to provide a truly comprehensive customer experience across all touch points.

    SmartBuy Glasses HK 3

    “For us, omnichannel is a key area to focus on in order to provide a truly localised experience for our customers around the world.  We felt that 2017 is the right time to make this leap, and we decided to begin this journey in Hong Kong because our roots run deep here and we wanted to give back to the community that has helped us build our business from a start up to a global leader in eyewear retail.”

    SmartBuyGlasses is an independent eyewear e-tailer, with websites in more than 30 countries. Through its Buy-One-Give-One program, the company donates a free pair of glasses for each pair purchased on its website to a community in need via a network of not-for-profit partners across the globe.

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  • Dotty Bee founder looks to sell

    Dotty Bee founder looks to sell

    Katherine Brady, founder of online baby bouquet retailer Dotty Bee, is to sell the business ahead of leaving Hong Kong.

    Dotty Bee was established in 2011 and has since expanded into Singapore and Spain, with potential to add other markets. Beside online sales, the company has retail clients including Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Eugene Baby, Bumps to Babes, Partytime and the Hong Kong Design Gallery. It is listed on 26 online marketplaces.

    dotty-bee-baby-sooq-0977

    “It is sad to be selling as it is still a growing business. But I believe it needs to stay in Asia and so have come to the decision to sell as I will be going to the UK or Australia where the concept is already established by other companies,” Brady said.

    Brady founded Dotty Bee while working part time as a marketing consultant. After exhausting sightseeing options, she looked for something “a little more productive to do” with her mornings.

    The concept – selling flower bouquets made with baby clothes to parents and retailers for sale as gifts – is based on a similar concept in the UK, but adapted to the Asian market.

    “When a new baby arrives you want to celebrate and spoil them – a baby clothes bouquet can do both. It has the wow factor when the new parents open the gift and includes useful items of baby clothing, a perfect gift combination,” says Brady.

    “I bought similar products over from the UK to test the market first. After there was interest I looked into finding a manufacturer who would do my own brand and designs.”

    She found that company in Shanghai – along with a machine which rolls the clothing into tight  flower buds from which the ‘bouquets’ are created.

    dotty-bee-bouquet-2

    She credits a background in marketing for helping keep the start-up costs modest.

    “I qualified as a graphic designer so did all my brand, packaging and website design myself. I worked in a marketing agency and so I knew how to do basic SEO and market the company.

    “When I received my own brand products is when the company really took off. Due to lower product costs I could then approach retailers, do promotions and work with other affiliates. Before them I just sold on my own website.”

    Awareness gradually built, but Brady recalls while word of mouth is great in Hong Kong, it does take time.

    “I worked on getting featured in magazines, online magazines, blogs. Getting a social media following. The only advertising I pay for is Google Adwords. I found other advertising does not give me a good return on investment.”

    Dotty Bee has deliberately eschewed physical shops, even pop-ups.

    “Due to the high rent costs in Hong Kong I have not even entertained the thought of a physical store. As we are stocked by a lot of retailers all over Hong Kong customers are never far from a store that has our product, so I do not see the need or desire to have one – and I sure wouldn’t want the stress.”

    Brady says she is in talks with several potential buyers for the business, but is still seeking expressions of interest.

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  • New food truck dishes out noodles at Hong Kong Disneyland’s doorstep

    New food truck dishes out noodles at Hong Kong Disneyland’s doorstep

    Hong Kong’s latest food truck may have found its sweet spot on Disneyland’s doorstep after its first location was deemed too remote.

    Mein by Maureen, which offers lo mein (noodles in seafood sauce), has made its new home on Park Promenade, the only thoroughfare between the public transport drop-off points and the theme park’s entrance.

    Although existing rules prohibit visitors from bringing in outside food, the new food truck effectively competes with more expensive restaurants inside the park. It is a stone’s throw away from the MTR station and next to the luggage valet counter.

    Some food truck operators had complained that the original site, near the parking lot for coaches, was too remote, prompting the park to designate a new location last month.

    Mein by Maureen started taking orders from hungry customers at 10.40am on Tuesday, after a 40-minute delay.

    Operator Maureen Loh Mo-lin explained that her staff were still experimenting with the operation.

    Traffic heading into Sunny Bay on Lantau Island was also an unexpected hiccup.

    “Last week it was smooth and perfect … but this morning there was a big traffic jam crossing the harbour,” she said, referring to her commute from Wan Chai at about 7.30am.

    “Maybe people were heading back for work.”

    One of Loh’s first customers was Mika Shimizu, a Japanese expatriate and Disney fan who visits the park once a week.

    She and her friend forked out HK$48 each for a serving of lo mein. They both felt the price was reasonable.

    “It was tasty, and the portion was right. I think I would visit again,” she said.

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  • Growth for Coach China

    Growth for Coach China

    New York design house Coach reports “notable strength” in Mainland China while reporting its second-quarter results for the quarter ended December 31.

    Coach China sales were roughly even but increased 6 per cent on a constant currency basis when the impact of the strong US dollar was removed. In addition, there was a “significant” improvement in the quarter for Hong Kong and Macau.

    “We are both pleased and proud of our performance this holiday season, particularly in light of the challenging and volatile global retail environment,” says CEO Victor Luis, noting that China represents “significant opportunities” for its brands.

    “And, despite our deliberate pullback in the North America wholesale channel as well as currency headwinds, we delivered double-digit earnings growth in the quarter. ”

    Second-quarter net sales totalled $1.32 billion for the second fiscal quarter, an increase of 4 per cent over the same period the previous year, including a benefit of 40 basis points related to currency translation.

    Gross profit totalled $906 million, up 5 per cent. Gross margin for the quarter was 68.6 per cent compared to 67.4 per cent in the year-ago period, while net income for the quarter was $200 million.

    Net sales for the Coach brand totalled $1.20 billion for the quarter, an increase of about 2 per cent. This included international sales of $440 million, up 3 per cent.

    Continued strength

    This growth was driven in part by positive comparable-store sales overall with continued strength in Mainland China.

    In Japan, sales rose 9 per cent in dollar value, but eased 2 per cent in constant currency, impacted by a lower Chinese tourist spend.

    Sales eased for the group’s other directly-run businesses in Asia.

    Gross profit for the Coach brand rose 4 per cent to $830 million. Gross margin for the quarter was 69 per cent, including about 30 basis points of benefit from currency. This compared to 67.7 per cent for the quarter in the previous year.

    Net sales for the group’s Stuart Weitzman brand reached $118 million for the quarter compared to $94 million in the same period the previous year. This 26 per cent improvement was driven by strong growth in the brand’s direct channels, and was positively impacted by a wholesale shipment timing shift from the first quarter.

    Gross profit for Stuart Weitzman rose 26 per cent to $76 million, while gross margin was even at 64.3 per cent.

  • Visitor arrivals stem Hong Kong retail sales decline

    Visitor arrivals stem Hong Kong retail sales decline

    Hong Kong retail sales declined 2.9 per cent in December, year-on-year, as visitor numbers showed signs of recovering and the watches and jewellery sector posted a long-awaited increase.

    That follows a revised Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) figure of 5.4 per cent for November, demonstrating that while the comparison is against a high decline a year earlier, the fall appears to be tapering off at last.

    For the full year, total retail sales were estimated at $436.6 billion, down 8.1 per cent in value and 7.1 per cent in volume over 2015.

    A government spokesman said the narrower year-on-year decline in December partly reflected the revival in visitor arrivals in that month, along with the stable labour market conditions which continued to help support local consumer sentiment.

    “Looking ahead, the near-term outlook for retail sales business will still depend on whether the recent improvement in inbound tourism could gain more traction and the extent to which local consumer sentiment would be affected by various external uncertainties.”

    According to the CSD, the value of total retail sales in December was provisionally estimated at HK$42.4 billion. After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the provisional estimate of the volume of total retail sales in December 2016 decreased by 2.8 per cent compared with a year earlier.

    Analysed by broad type of retail outlet in descending order of impact on the total retail market, wearing apparel drove the decline this month, down 4.2 per cent, followed by sales of commodities in department stores, down 3.2 per cent; electrical goods and photographic equipment down 25.2 per cent;  miscellaneous consumer durable goods down 23.9 per cent, footwear and accessories down 0.5 per cent; and books, newspapers, stationery and gifts down 2.2 per cent.

    Sales of sales of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts increased by 2.3 per cent in December – while not a huge degree, a significant move given the impact they have on total retail sales figures. This was followed by sales of commodities in supermarkets, up 0.7 per cent; food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco up 5 per cent; medicines and cosmetics up 4.8 per cent, furniture and fixtures up 7.3 per cent; Chinese drugs and herbs up 9.3 per cent; and sales by optical shops up 6.2 per cent.

    For the whole of 2016, sales of jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts decreased by 17.2 per cent over the year and apparel by 4.9 per cent in value.

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  • Cognizant opens new office in Hong Kong

    Cognizant opens new office in Hong Kong

    Cognizant, a leading global provider of information technology, consulting and business process services, today announced the expansion of its operations in Hong Kong with the opening of a new office.

    Cognizant’s expanded presence in Hong Kong will enhance its existing operations in the Greater China region and enable Cognizant’s global, regional and local clients to leverage the technical and business capabilities available in the region, while delivering deep local insights and time zone advantages to the company’s growing roster of customers in Asia Pacific.

    Cognizant currently employs more than 300 professionals in Hong Kong, delivering a broad range of services—across digital business, operations, and systems and technology—to more than 30 leading organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, insurance, retail, consumer goods, energy, utilities, and travel and hospitality.

    “We are pleased that Cognizant has established a new office in Hong Kong, underscoring its long-term commitment to the region” said Arthur Wong, Chief Information Officer at China Construction Bank (Asia) Corporation Limited [CCB (Asia)], a leading provider of commercial, corporate, consumer and private banking services. “CCB (Asia) has been using Cognizant’s high-quality financial services and technology expertise for years to manage and operate essential business processes more efficiently, lower operating costs through automation, enhance risk management, and deliver better business outcomes. Technology is key to realizing our vision of innovative and smart banking in today’s digital era. In Cognizant, we have a partner who can help us unlock the full power of our technology environment and create competitive advantage through process and technology excellence”

    “We congratulate Cognizant on the inauguration of its new office in Hong Kong,” said Gary Ma, Chief Information Officer at BOC International Holdings. “Over the past few years, Cognizant has been providing us with a range of technology services. We look forward to a continuing and collaborative partnership.”

    “We continue to steadily grow our presence and investment in Hong Kong,” said Jayajyoti Sengupta, Asia Pacific Head at Cognizant. “Hong Kong’s booming information and communication technology sector is among the world’s most advanced. That, combined with Hong Kong’s specialist business and technology talent, makes the city a great location for us to deliver mission-critical transformative services to our clients in Asia Pacific and elsewhere, helping them navigate the shift to the digital era and enabling them to build stronger, more agile and innovative businesses. Our expansion in Hong Kong underscores our confidence in the ability of the city’s talent pool to help our clients win in today’s technology- and data-intensive world.”

    Cognizant runs an active graduate recruitment programme in Hong Kong to hire entry-level technical and management talent from premier institutions and has been hiring graduates from institutions such as Hong Kong University, Chinese University, and City University. As part of its commitment to building talent for the future, Cognizant provides technical and soft skills training to entry-level hires in line with global benchmarks and deploys them to technology and consulting projects upon the successful completion of the training.

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  • Time International introduces Sweet Monster

    Time International introduces Sweet Monster

    Korea’s popcorn soft-serve ice cream brand Sweet Monster has arrived in Indonesia as the first F&B retail venture of Indonesian brand group Time International.

    It has launched stalls in Project X Plaza Indonesia and Pondok Indah Mall 2 in Jakarta, featuring its range of characters, EggMon, CookieMon, BlueMon, LeMon, PinkMon, OrangMon, ChocoMon and PopMon.

    SM_IG_Photo Product

    Inspired by confectionery sold at American carnivals and festivals, the brand attracted queues when it opened outlets in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand.

    Sweet Monster’s offerings are based on its ice cream, made fresh daily at each store from its own formula of milk powder. The flavour line-up includes Popcorn Ice Cream and Signature Ice Cream in Real Deep Milk, Original Tiramisu, Peanut Butter Pretzel, Caramel Macchiato, Cookie Mountain and Green Tea Mountain.

    There is also the full-cream Monster Shake, inspired by American milkshakes made only from ice cream and milk. Flavour options include Pure Milk, Cookie & Milk, Caramel Cafe au Lait, Strawberry Cake and Ferrero Nutella.

    Using only non-GMO corn, Sweet Monster’s popcorn is popped by air. It does not contain trans or saturated fats or artificial colouring, but does have dietary fibre.

    The PopMon characters represent the flavours of the popcorn: salt caramel, combination, strawberry, chocolate or tangerine.

    sweet-monster-project-x-2

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  • AS Watson to inject $70m in Canadian AI startup

    AS Watson to inject $70m in Canadian AI startup

    Hong Kong-based retailer A.S. Watson Group said on Thursday it will spend $70 million over the next three years in big data technologies, including investment in a Canadian artificial intelligence venture company.

    A.S. Watson will consolidate its customer data holdings into a big data analysis system for retailers developed by Rubikloud to optimize sales promotion activities and business operations.

    Rubikloud has an app designed to analyze customer characteristics and their purchase history using AI. The information will then be used for individual marketing and prediction of future sales.

    When A.S. Watson introduced the app at European stores on a trial basis starting in 2015, sales from personalized promotion activities increased by more than 8% over 10 months, hence the latest tie-up decision.

    “We are investing in big data amid global economic uncertainties because we believe that technology is a critical enabler for successful retailing in today’s world,” said Malina Ngai, chief operating officer of A.S. Watson Group, in a statement. Ngai added that Rubikloud’s technology will enable the company to “focus our resources, from back-end support to the shop floor, on building a better customer experience.”

    Kerry Liu, CEO of Rubikloud, said the company aims to enhance A.S. Watson’s capabilities to personalize customer offers through advanced targeting by “applying machine learning and flexible big data architectures in practical applications.”

    A.S. Watson is a subsidiary of conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings, led by Li Ka-shing, a Hong Kong-based billionaire.

    A.S. Watson has more than 13,000 retail stores, including the company’s drugstore chain, in 25 countries and regions such as Asia and Europe. Li’s venture fund Horizons Ventures has also invested in Rubikloud.

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