Retail News CRM

Tag: Hong Kong

  • Chinese restaurant chains bloom in Singapore

    Chinese restaurant chains bloom in Singapore

    Four Mainland China restaurant chains have set up in Singapore since November, the latest opening in Riverside Point on Friday.

    It will be the first overseas outlet for Chengdu-style hotpot chain Spicy House, which has about 30 outlets on the mainland.

    Two restaurants opened in June, Shi Miao Dao Yunnan Rice Noodles in VivoCity and Riverside Grilled Fish in Raffles City, while Faigo HotPot opened in Clarke Quay in November.

    Other China food brands in Singapore go back about four years, including Hai Di Lao Hot Pot, which will open its fourth outlet in VivoCity this month, and 9Goubuli, a Chinese restaurant in Marina Bay Sands.

    Faigo HotPot is a 12-year-old chain with more than 100 outlets across China. This is its first overseas outlet, the 130-seat Singapore restaurant being run by Shanghai Dragon Restaurant Management. The stocks are served in individual pots heated by electric stoves complete with a heat-control panel and USB ports for charging mobile devices. Diners can choose from more than 70 ingredients, and the outlet is the first in the chain to have a sauce bar offering nearly 20 condiments.

    Faigo Hotpot

    Riverside Grilled Fish, which has opened 54 outlets in China in its 11 years, is using its first overseas outlet as a springboard to make inroads into the Southeast Asian market. It specialises in spicy Chongqing-style grilled fish, and the Singapore franchise is owned by Minor Food Group, which runs the Thai Express and Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe chains.

    Riverside Grilled Fish

    Shi Miao Dao Yunnan Rice Noodles in VivoCity’s Food Republic foodcourt serves “crossing the bridge” rice noodles, an elaborate set with 11 sides including braised chicken, fried peanuts and raw quail egg and vegetables. There is a choice of five types of soup, and the dish dates back to the Song dynasty. The Singapore stall is part of a chain which has more than 800 outlets across China, as well as Canada, Japan and Thailand.

    Spicy House owner Zac Wang from Shanghai believes Chinese hotpot chains like his will do well in Singapore, where he has been based for six years. The 120-seat restaurant at Riverside Point offers three types of communal hotpots, including one with nine compartments for cooking ingredients separately. The menu lists about 100 ingredients.

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  • Baroque Japan opens two shops in NYC

    Baroque Japan opens two shops in NYC

    Baroque Japan, which has a retail portfolio of young women’s fashion apparel and accessories, has arrived in New York City.

    It has opening an Enfold fashion brand shop in the West Village and a Moussy outlet in SoHo.

    Enfold New York

    Launched in 2012, Enfold has a strong presence in Europe. Its West Village store stands at 850 sqft (78.9 sqm) and its neighbours include the Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors brands.

    Moussy NY

    Covering 1776 sqft, the Moussy SoHo store focusses on its denim made in Japan. Shoppers buying the brand’s jeans will receive an original, limited-edition paulownia wooden storage box. A Baroque brand since 2000, Moussy has 43 stores in Japan and 81 in China and Hong Kong.

    Founded in 2000, the company has 356 stores in Japan, 165 stores in China and Hong Kong, and 15 brands. It launched Baroque USA Limited in April with an eye to establishing itself in the American market.

  • Hong Kong losing status as China’s ‘great mall’

    Hong Kong losing status as China’s ‘great mall’

    Kingdom Jewellery is trying to stand out among the eerily quiet luxury stores in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay, once the world’s most expensive shopping district in terms of rents. But while it has hung signs promoting a “crazy sale” and payment by installments in the window, buyers are still scarce.

    “Our customer flow has dropped 60 to 70 per cent” since the peak of Chinese luxury spending in 2013, said manager Jacky Sze. “I don’t have much hope for the rest of this year, or next.”

    Before demand was hit by President Xi Jinping’s corruption crackdown and the economic slowdown, Chinese tourists were happy to spend up to HK$100,000 (S$17,555) on a single purchase at Kingdom. Now, many customers are reluctant to spend more than HK$1,000 at a time, according to Mr Sze.

    The jewellery shop next door has closed down after decades of thriving business, as have many other luxury goods stores across Hong Kong, which is losing its status as the great mall of China.

    Retail sales in Hong Kong fell by 10 per cent in the first seven months of the year, compared with the same period in 2015, with purchases of jewellery and watches declining by 22 per cent.

    Ahead of Hong Kong’s annual watch fair last week, the Chinese territory was overtaken by the US as the world’s biggest market for Swiss watches after eight years in the top spot.

    Part of the problem for Hong Kong, which relies on the retail sector as an economic driver, is its increasingly testy relationship with mainland China. That has deterred many Chinese visitors, with numbers falling by 9 per cent year on year to 24 million in the year to July.

    But there is a bigger structural problem for the global luxury goods industry, which has grown to rely on demand from China’s growing ranks of nouveaux riches.

    Analysts at UBS estimate that Swatch, the Swiss watch group, made 47 per cent of its sales to Chinese customers last year, while for Richemont, the Swiss luxury goods company that owns Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Montblanc, it was 38 per cent.

    Mr Edward Olver, CEO of Britannia Elevation, which promotes British luxury brands abroad, said too many companies took a “combine harvester” approach to selling in China and are now paying the price for over-expansion.

    “There was a tremendous period of people making money very quickly in China and a lot of Italian and French brands thought there’s a lot of corn to be harvested,” he said.

    Ms Sarah Quinlan, the head of market insights for the analytics division of credit card company MasterCard, said consumer spending patterns are changing in China, with a greater focus on experiences rather than expensive products.

    “There’s a real debate as to whether what we call traditional luxury — handbags or watches — will come back to the same extent that we saw before, because there’s been a huge behavioural shift,” she said. “We still see the Chinese travelling extensively, but spending on goods has moderated and spending on hotels, restaurants and entertainment has gone up.”

    Hong Kong needs a “permanent restructuring” because it cannot wait for demand from high-spending Chinese tourists to come back, according to Mr Ramesh Tainwala, CEO of Samsonite, the luggage maker. His own company has been changing tack, promoting less-expensive products in the Chinese market as it tries to emphasise the practical advantages of its suitcases rather than their luxury appeal.

    Other companies are also being forced to trade down, selling simpler, cheaper products to customers who are growing more interested in specifications and value rather than mere status symbols.

    Mr Timothy Kao, vice-president of the Hong Kong Watch Manufacturers Association, explains that previously Chinese buyers were simply attracted to the most expensive products. “But now, practical watches with a realistic price sell better,” he said.

    Ms Liz Lee, assistant marketing manager at Doxa, a Swiss maker of diving watches, said that another response to the decline is to seek out new markets. “The greater China market is saturated right now,” she said. “We are looking to diversify our market to the Middle East; places like Iran have great potential too.”

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  • Lalamove Satisfies City’s Hunger for Food Delivery

    Lalamove Satisfies City’s Hunger for Food Delivery

    Hong Kong based on-demand delivery app Lalamove is moving into restaurant and food delivery across Bangkok to feed the growing appetite for appetizing restaurant dishes and produce to be brought straight to customers’ doors.

    Restaurants and food producers invited to use Lalamove’s 24/7 dedicated courier service receive a stamp of approval with a ‘Lala Recommended’ graphic featured on Lalamove social media. Invitees are selected for their high quality cuisine, outstanding reputation and popularity amongst customers.

    Alongside this insignia, dishes and produce are promoted on Lalamove’s Facebook and Instagram pages, giving businesses a real boost and satisfying demand for reliable delivery for hungry customers too.

    In return, ‘Lala Recommended’ restaurants and food companies are promoting Lalamove services via their own social media too; reminding customers that Lalamove is the go-to app for all delivery needs in the city, from important documents via motorcycle courier to large items of furniture via pickup truck, and everything in between.

    The food delivery scheme which began recently already offers a wide array of  tempting ‘Lala Recommended’ cuisine, from high-class dinners to nourishing comfort foods and lunches for health-conscious workers across the city. This includes fresh seafood from Lobster Gangster and The Cooking Crab, Japanese dishes with Taka Sashimi Express, plus juices and wheatgrass shots with Own Your Own Fresh, plus much more.  

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  • Asia’s Newest Fashion Event CENTRESTAGE Draws to Successful Conclusion in Hong Kong

    Asia’s Newest Fashion Event CENTRESTAGE Draws to Successful Conclusion in Hong Kong

    CENTRESTAGE, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s (HKTDC) new fashion brand promotion and launch platform, ended Saturday (10 September) on a high note. The four-day (7-10 September) international fashion event welcomed some 200 fashion brands from 20 countries and regions showcasing their latest fashion collections. The trade show attracted close to 8,300 buyers from 71 countries and regions, with nearly 40 per cent of buyers coming from Asia other than Hong Kong.

    centrestage-2

    “CENTRESTAGE is an ideal promotion and launch platform for international, especially Asian, fashion brands and designer labels,” said HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau. “We are pleased that the debut event has captured the attention of the Asian fashion industry, successfully attracting fashion brands and buyers keen on expanding their Asian business to come and promote, source and launch new collections and explore cooperation opportunities. And it provides a platform for local new designers to showcase creative designs to media and buyers in the region. CENTRESTAGE is an effective event for driving regional fashion exchange and development while solidifying Hong Kong’s position as a fashion capital.”

    Nearly 60% cautiously optimistic about overall sales; nearly half engaged in e-tailing business

    To better understand the industry players’ views on the outlook for the fashion industry and product trends, the HKTDC commissioned an independent market research agency to conduct on-site surveys during CENTRESTAGE, interviewing some 270 exhibitors and buyers. The survey found that most respondents are cautiously optimistic about overall sales in 2017. Nearly 60 per cent of respondents expect overall sales in the coming year to remain steady, while 27 per cent expect overall sales to increase.

    Thirty-three per cent of respondents anticipate production costs or sourcing prices to rise, but 65 per cent of respondents said they would not increase the FOB price or retail price, indicating that the industry is generally reluctant to transfer the increased costs to customers or consumers.

    In terms of markets, the respondents expect Hong Kong, Japan and Korea to have the best growth prospects among traditional markets in the coming two years, while 60 per cent of respondents consider the Chinese mainland to be most promising among emerging markets.

    The survey also sought to understand the product trends of the fashion industry. 60 per cent of respondents consider women’s wear to have the best growth potential, followed by men’s wear and kids’ wear. Nearly half of respondents have engaged in e-tailing business, selling mainly women’s wear (69%), casual wear (41%) and fashion jewellery (12%).

    A number of trend seminars were held during the event. Michael Leow, Asia/Pacific Sales & Marketing Head for Fashion Snoops, said “Nowstalgia” will be a key trend in the coming year. The trend blends nostalgic and contemporary elements while incorporating the convenience of modern technology. During another seminar, Erica Ng, WGSN’s Senior Editor, Retail Intelligence, Asia Pacific, said the millennial lifestyle is transforming traditional retail. Retailers will need to find synergies between mobile apps, online shopping, physical retail and social media to effectively capture market share among this generation.

    Fashion promotion and launch platform

    The survey also found that nearly 90 per cent of fashion buyers consider Hong Kong trade shows a major channel to contact new suppliers. At the same time, 92 per cent of exhibitors use Hong Kong trade shows to find new buyers. These findings indicate that CENTRESTAGE, being a regional fashion promotion and launch platform, is an important channel to promote industry cooperation and generating business opportunities.

    French women’s fashion brand Edward Achour Paris was exhibiting in Hong Kong for the first time. Edward Achour, the brand’s designer, said, “CENTRESTAGE offers a great opportunity for our brand to open new markets, and the results have been encouraging. We have met many buyers from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Indonesia and other countries. Four Chinese mainland buyers even placed orders on-site.”

    centrestage-3

    Hong Kong’s anagram, a brand that specialises in upmarket women’s fashion collections, had come to CENTRESTAGE to develop the international market. Its Brand Director, Winnie So, said, “International buyers have shown keen interest in our brand. We have established connections with wholesalers from Malaysia, Singapore and the US and a distributor from Vietnam. A buyer from New York has already confirmed orders and expects more orders after the show. CENTRESTAGE’s opening to the public on the last day was also an opportunity to promote our brand to the consumers.”

    ILOVECHOC is a street fashion brand from the Chinese mainland targeting mainly young customers. The brand has a sales network of more than 300 retail stores across the mainland. Gu Yu, the brand’s Vice President, said they were participating in CENTRESTAGE to expand their sales presence in the international market. “The show has drummed up extensive interest and we have met many buyers from Southeast Asia. A number of buyers from Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia even wanted to explore cooperation. Hong Kong is a major fashion hub in Asia and CENTRESTAGE can bring together industry players from around the world. This platform can certainly facilitate our business expansion.”

    Finding new brands

    La Rinascente, a long-established high-end department store group in Italy, saw CENTRESTAGE as an ideal opportunity to explore business opportunities in Asia for the first time. “CENTRESTAGE is a platform to find new brands and understand the fashion industry in Asian markets,” said Andrea Bonecoo, Buying Manager, la Rinascente SpA. “The business matching service introduced Hong Kong’s I.T Group to me. We held useful talks to exchange ideas and establish initial contact. We will communicate further to study future business cooperation. This show is the start of our effort to get to know more about Asia.”

    Indonesian fashion boutique, Lucy House, joined CENTRESTAGE to source more new brands for its customers, according to Lucy Kurniawan who operates the company. “CENTRESTAGE offers a good platform to meet designers and this visit has generated good business opportunities,” she said. “I am now negotiating with a Hong Kong designer for the evening wear collection. An initial order would involve about 100 pieces in different styles. CENTRESTAGE has brought together some appealing designer brands. I will definitely visit the show again next year.”

    Fida Alkaud, a buyer from Harvey Nichols Riyadh, Saudi Arabia came to CENTRESTAGE to look for contemporary evening wear. She said, “I am so happy to have found new brands which suit the tastes of our customers. These brands include Marquess & Homa, Guy Laroche Furs, Shelina and Camelia. I really appreciate HKTDC’s business matching service because it saves me a lot of time finding the right brands. The fashion shows are also very fascinating and I have found b.yu Designs at fashion show.”

    Meili Inc. is one of the mainland’s largest fashion e-tailing brands. Margaret Yao, Business Cooperation Director, said she visited CENTRESTAGE to find new brands and explore cooperation opportunities. “The business matching meetings arranged by the organiser generated positive results. I found a Hong Kong designer and a US brand offering some suitable products to sell on our website. I have also identified four fashion brands from Thailand and will be in further discussions with them.”

    Lotte is Korea’s biggest department store operator running 40 stores across the country. Hyeon Ji Sun, Lotte’s buyer, said, “I am visiting CENTRESTAGE to find new brands, especially sportswear and lifestyle wear brands. People in Korea love sports and outdoor activities, so demand for related fashion items is very strong. So far, I’ve identified two brands from Hong Kong. CENTRESTAGE is an interesting show where I can see a variation of trendy designs from many countries. I will come again to find more new brands.”

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  • DHL Express Unveals Tsing Yi Service Center in Hong Kong

    DHL Express Unveals Tsing Yi Service Center in Hong Kong

    According to DHL, the new HK$78 million facility is capable of handling 380 tonnes of shipments per day, the strongest out of all DH service centres worldwide.

    “The opening of the new Tsing Yi Service Center follows double-digit growth in our international shipments over the past year, and underscores our confidence in the Hong Kong market,” said Herbert Vongpusanachai, senior vice president and managing director of DHL Express Hong Kong and Macau [right in photo]. “With a steady growth in our Hong Kong business contributed by the strong e-commerce sector, this facility is set to cement our market leadership with its enhanced handling capacity.

    Features include a high-speed reweigh and remeasure machine capable of processing 2,200 pieces per hour, 122 CCTVs and 24-hour monitoring.

    The 13,000m2 centre is located at Goodman Interlink and is double the size of the previous facility, which was located in the same building, according to DHL.

  • Starbucks Asia rolls out Teavana

    Starbucks Asia rolls out Teavana

    Starbucks Asia is rolling out Teavana in 6200 stores across its 16 Apac markets.

    Four tea beverages prepared in-store will be offered to the 16 countries, with two or three expected to be sold in each market, the choice up to each one.

    Starbucks acquired US-based Teavana Holdings in December 2012, a “super premium tea” product it says brings “exotic blends, great flavors, wellness and innovation” to customers globally.

    The Asian launch began with China at the end of last month, with Korea and Indonesia following at the beginning of this month. The majority of Asian markets will see the new lines in mid-September, with a Japan launch scheduled for October and India later this year.

    Vera Wang, director, product line innovation at Starbucks China and Asia Pacific said the teas have been developed especially for Asian tastes.

    “We recognise Asian consumers are developing sophisticated taste preferences.”

    While a premium product, pricing will be left to the determination of each market, she said.

    “Pricing (of all Starbucks lines) is determined product by product and market by market.”

    She declined to discuss the company’s expectations for Teavana’s share of Starbucks sales in the region.

    “I’m not at liberty to talk about that. But tea definitely has huge potential for us and we have a lot of confidence going into Asia with Teavana.”

    Starbucks Korea staff promoting Teavana at the Starfield Hanam GL store.

    Besides fresh-brewed tea in cafes, Teavana full-leaf tea sachets will also be sold for take-home use.

    The four launch lines of Teavana in Asia are Matcha & Espresso Fusion (a matcha tea blended with a shot of espresso), Black Tea with Ruby Grapefruit and Honey, Iced Shaken Green Tea with Aloe and Prickly Pear; and Iced Shaken Hibiscus Tea with Pomegranate Pearls.

    Wang said, those core lines would be complemented by other blends selected on a market-by-market basis in the future, depending on customer feedback.

    John Culver, group president of Starbucks global retail said in a statement Teavana represents “a tremendous opportunity to leverage the company’s expertise in creating best-in-class retail experiences, handcrafting custom beverages, and sourcing the finest ingredients, to become a leader in a new category for us”.

    “Just as we’ve done for coffee, this is tea reimagined at Starbucks.”

    Last year, Starbucks’ tea business in the US grew by 12 per cent with all tea categories posting strong growth, led by iced tea at 29 per cent. Building on this and the success of Teavana to date in other parts of the world, Starbucks aims to increase its global tea business to US$3 billion over the next five years.

    Starbucks Teavana will be launched in all stores in Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, The Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

  • Marie France Van Damme Announces the Opening of it’s Second Hong Kong Boutique

    Marie France Van Damme Announces the Opening of it’s Second Hong Kong Boutique

    Marie France Van Damme, the Hong Kong-based company known for its globally influenced line of luxury resort, swim, and ready-to-wear, announced today the opening of a seventh boutique in December 2016. Located in Hong Kong’s Elements shopping mall in Kowloon, the new store will mark Marie France Van Damme’s second retail location in Hong Kong, where the designer has lived for more than 30 years. The company opened its very first store in Hong Kong’s acclaimed International Finance Centre (IFC) mall in September 2013.

    Situated on the second floor (Shop 2109) of the Elements shopping mall, within the International Commerce Centre (ICC), on 1 Austin Road West in Kowloon, the 700-square foot boutique will open alongside such brands as Gucci, Chanel and Prada and include Marie France Van Damme’s extensive luxury resort line. The ICC is Hong Kong’s tallest building and also houses The Ritz-Carlton and W Hong Kong. Incorporating Marie France Van Damme’s signature aesthetic, which blends subtle Asian influences and elegant simplicity, the boutique will feature 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.

    The ICC’s waterfront location on Victoria Harbour, across from the IFC, suits its important role in the city in many ways. Feng shui teaches that mountains govern people, water governs wealth. The special placement of these skyscrapers is said to channel positive energy for health and prosperity. The shopping mall’s design, and its name, Elements, refer to the feng shui elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. With a direct train linking Elements to Guangzhou, the new boutique will offer a unique luxury shopping experience in one of Hong Kong’s latest attractions on the Kowloon side of the city.

    As Marie France continues to expand her presence worldwide focusing on cities that not only inspire the designer, but also appeal to her sophisticated, jet-set clientele, Marie France Van Damme will celebrate the boutique opening with several special events in Winter 2016 and introduce a new in-store campaign photographed in Hong Kong by Herbert Ypma. The campaign will feature the new Resort 2017 collection, a return to the glamorous roots of resort wear with its muted palette of silver and nude, hand embroidery and opulent fabrics; from French lace to metallic-toned Italian weaves and featherweight Chinese Silks.

    The company currently has 100 retail locations in some of the world’s most desirable places. Marie France Van Damme opened its first store in the fall of 2013 at the acclaimed International Finance Centre (IFC) in Hong Kong, a second in the summer of 2014 in Bangkok’s esteemed Mandarin Oriental, third and first European boutique in 2014 in London’s Brompton Cross neighborhood, and fourth boutique in the summer of 2015 in Phuket, Thailand. In November 2015, Marie France Van Damme introduced a fifth branded boutique in Singapore’s Takashimaya Shopping Centre and sixth retail location in Phuket in July 2016 

    Made in Hong Kong & South China

    Marie France Van Damme is proud of the production capabilities it has built for itself in the past 30 years. With couture and tailoring facilities in-house and embroidery produced across the border in China, every production piece is fitted and quality verified by Marie-France to ensure that the Marie France Van Damme label fulfills the highest standards in the industry.

    About Elements Shopping Mall/Hong Kong

    Offering over one million square feet of pure shopping experiences, the Elements shopping mall is located in Hong Kong’s tallest building the International Commerce Centre (ICC) on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong. A lavish world offering of shopping, dining, art and entertainment, Elements shopping mall is located next to Hong Kong’s most famous attraction Sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck and takes a new approach to Hong Kong’s shopping environment and is themed after the five Chinese elements. The five elements are Metal (Luxury brands and world-class dining), Fire (Entertainment), Water (International cuisine), Earth (Fashion) and Wood (Health, Beauty and Lifestyle) whereas each zone is individually designed. Elements boasts a range of sought after brands, dining options, an ice rink and a 1,600 capacity cinema –  currently larger than any movie theatre in Hong Kong.

    About Marie France Van Damme

    Marie France Van Damme is a Canadian-born, Hong-Kong based fashion designer, celebrated hostess and author, whose luxury lifestyle resort wear brand is inspired by her travels and personal style. Marie France Van Damme introduced her eponymous label in the summer of 2011.  The Marie France Van Damme line is defined by an edited collection of elegant and seasonless staples with every piece designed to transition seamlessly from city to resort. The brand is loved by celebrities such as Beyoncé, Jourdan Dunn, Heidi Klum, Cameron Diaz, Olivia Palermo, Christina Hendricks, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

    Marie France Van Damme is available at her other retail locations in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore, Phuket and London, Bergdorf Goodman, Harrods, Selfridges, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Intermix and exclusive resorts such as Amanresorts and the One & Only.  She is also the author of the coffee table book RSVP: Simple Sophistication, Effortless Entertaining (Thames & Hudson) featuring her effortless style and entertaining tips with photographs by Herbert Ypma of the Hip Hotels series.

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  • Grand opening for Olympia 66 in Dalian

    Grand opening for Olympia 66 in Dalian

    Hang Lung Properties has staged a grand opening for Olympia 66 in Dalian, the Hong Kong-based developer’s eighth commercial complex in China.

    Located in the Xigang business and financial district of Dalian, the megamall joins Hang Lung’s other world-class projects in the northeast, namely Palace 66 and Forum 66 in Shenyang, and Riverside 66in Tianjin.

    Chairman Ronnie Chan and MD Philip Chen officiated at the event with senior management and guests.

    “Although China’s economy remains weak, Olympia 66 has performed on par with expectations since its soft opening in December,” says Chan.

    With more than 220,000 sqm of retail space, plus parking for 1200 cars, the mall’s design is based on the design concept of Tai Chi twin dancing carps. It has a 300m-long façade decorated with about 3000 glass ornaments shaped like fish scales, and 9900m of LED lights that can display images and text.

    More than 40 brands have made their debut at Olympia 66, including Apple, Cos, Coterie, Nannini and Under Armour. F&B outlets account for 30 per cent of the trade mix, and the mall has an ice-skating rink as well as Dalian’s first Palace cinema with 1600 seats in 10 theatres.

    Olympia 66 is the second Hang Lung mall in China to implement the company’s EST (experience, service and technology) program. This enables customers to combine online services with offline shopping, and a WeChat app offers mall news and promotions. There is also a location service to find particular stores, a digital queuing service for F&B outlets, a car-parking tracker and, to be introduced soon, mobile payment at the car park.

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  • Bruno Magli Hong Kong makes Asia debut

    Bruno Magli Hong Kong makes Asia debut

    Luxury Italian fashion house Bruno Magli Hong Kong has established its first foothold in Asia with a shop-in-shop retail boutique.

    Marking its 80th anniversary, the heritage brand earlier announced expansion plans for Asia.

    Its debut outlet is on the new Shoes Town floor at the Sogo department store in Causeway Bay. It is the first of 16 mono-branded stores Bruno Magli plans to roll out in China next year and beyond.

    bruno-magli-hong-kong

    Covering 226 sqft, the boutique showcases men’s and women’s footwear collections, women’s handbags, men’s bags and small leather goods, all crafted in Italy from nappa leather and suede. A new retail concept for the store was created by New York’s Kramer Design Group, featuring Carrara marble punctuated with accents of the brand’s signature colour palette, and highlights of burgundy combined with brass.

  • Kingsdown Adds Three Branded Mattress Stores in China

    Kingsdown Adds Three Branded Mattress Stores in China

    Mattress supplier Kingsdown, Inc. has opened three additional stores in China, boosting its footprint in the country to 39 stores in 31 cities.

    The latest openings include two additional stores in Beijing, taking the city’s total to three, and its first location in Shanghai.

    The company said it expects to have 75 stores in 65 cities by the end of the year through its licensing agreement with Chinese bedding producer and retailer Roth Bedding Technology International Ltd.

    The two companies joined forces last year, and since then, the partnership has continued to flourish. The latest move solidifies the companies’ growth strategy to have 500 branded stores open throughout China by 2020, Kingsdown officials said.

    Building on its partnership with Roth, Kingsdown is growing its branded store network to strengthen its presence in China, taking advantage of the demand for an American brand with a history of luxurious style and hand craftsmanship. The Kingsdown branded stores sell the company’s popular collections along with products designed and developed specifically for the Chinese marketplace, a growing market for mattresses with an annual growth rate of more than 25% in the last five years.

    “The reception to the Kingsdown brand in Asia has been incredible with the region’s consumers,” said Frank Hood, President and CEO of Kingsdown. “Our partnership with Roth has been incredible in allowing us to capture China’s luxury mattress consumer. The strategic plan we have in place will solidify Kingsdown as the leading luxury brand in this growing consumer market.

    “The future is bright for Kingsdown in China,” added Jie Du, Roth bedding general manager. “Kingsdown’s focus on styling, quality and industry leading sleep research are key characteristics for the discriminating consumer here in China who shows a strong penchant for American-made, high-end products.”

    In addition to its growing presence in China, Kingsdown has branded retail showrooms in Vietnam.

    Roth Bedding Technology International Ltd. is based in Hong Kong. The company is a leader in distribution platforms and retail, providing both their partners and Chinese consumers a full-service company that offers quality products.

  • Airport Authority Hong Kong creates new tender structure for anchor concessions

    Airport Authority Hong Kong creates new tender structure for anchor concessions

    Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) will restructure its core category airside retail concessions in advance of a series of major tenders beginning late October or early November, The Moodie Davitt Report can reveal.

    There are currently three anchor concessions – liquor & tobacco, airside general merchandise, and perfumes & cosmetics, all held by DFS.

    As detailed by The Moodie Davitt Report in July, AAHK pledged earlier this year to refine the category and contract mix, promising “significant changes” to the concession structure to drive spending and improve the consumer experience at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).

    Since July, AAHK has been talking to potential retailers and conducting intensive consumer research with its passengers regarding the anchor licences. As a result, it has fine-tuned the contract packages.

    LIQUOR & TOBACCO AND PERFUMES & COSMETICS EXTENDED – BUT NO AIRSIDE GENERAL MERCHANDISE CONCESSION

    The core liquor & tobacco and perfumes & cosmetics concessions will be continued – but with important refinements. To spice up the traditional liquor & tobacco offering, AAHK plans to allow the new concessionaire flexibility to include other products. These include liquor & tobacco-related accessories, such as wineglasses and decanters, as well as upmarket gourmet items, for example fine teas and coffees. That concept proved highly popular with passengers during AAHK’s qualitative surveys.

    HKIA L and T

    The liquor & tobacco concession will be increased substantially both in terms of space and range, with the addition of liquor-related accessories and gourmet items

    To make the perfumes & cosmetics offer more attractive, AAHK plans to create a beauty and accessories “one-stop shopping destination”. That will involve combining perfumes & cosmetics with fashion accessories – the latter including sunglasses, fashion watches, small leathergoods, handbags and others. Those categories are currently sold through the airside general merchandise concession.

    HK P & C

    The perfumes & cosmetics concession will be extended to become a “beauty and accessories one-stop shopping destination”

    AAHK believes that the high penetration rate driven by beauty products can enhance the cross-selling potential of the two categories combined. Consumer feedback also strongly suggested that the categories are complementary.

    Critically, AAHK has decided to discontinue the airside general merchandise concession. The authority believes that given the airport’s extremely strong line-up of speciality stores and mono-brand boutiques, there is no need for the airside general merchandise concession. Instead it will allocate the best-selling general merchandise categories to the other packages.

    DEDICATED CONFECTIONERY CONCESSION

    In another key change, AAHK has opted to create a dedicated confectionery licence. Confectionery is a high-demand item at HKIA and the authority believes this justifies a separate concession covering multiple units across the terminal.

    hkia conf

    Confectionery, a big in-demand category, will enjoy its own dedicated concession

    The distribution and location of the stores will also see some important changes. For example, AAHK plans to remove the current small gate store units near the boarding gates. Because of the size constraints, the liquor & tobacco and perfumes & cosmetics assortments in them is limited. The units will be turned over to other retail purposes, deemed as better serving passengers’ needs.

    Simultaneously AAHK will increase the retail space in the East Hall – the shopping epicentre of the airport. Liquor & tobacco space there will increase by around +40%, while the addition of the fashion accessory categories will result in a huge +70% increase in the area dedicated to the extended beauty concession. More importantly, AAHK hopes that the additional floor space will allow the chosen retailers to introduce a wider product assortment.

    MORE DIVERSITY OF PRODUCTS; GREATER CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT

    In its consumer surveys, AAHK was told by many passengers that besides the big, upmarket European and US beauty brands they also wanted to see more variety – including the upcoming Korean and Japanese skincare names, most of them mid-price to premium price-points. In liquor & tobacco, consumers told AAHK they wanted to see more new and rare products.

    With the enhanced store sizes, AAHK will be asking its retailers to create greater customer engagement (for example, more wine tastings), which it deems as increasingly important to bricks and mortar stores. The enhanced space will also encourage greater flexibility, experimentation, rarity and excitement, it believes.

    TIME-LINE COUNTDOWN

    AAHK will begin the tender process with the liquor & tobacco and perfumes & cosmetics bids in late October or early November, with results being announced in March or April next year. Confectionery will be tendered in late 2016 or early 2017.

    The targeted changeover of concessions is set for the fourth quarter of 2017.

    NOTE TO AIRPORT OPERATORS: The Moodie Davitt Report is the industry’s most popular channel for launching commercial proposals and for publishing the results. If you wish to promote an Expression of Interest, Request for Proposals or full tender process for any sector of airport revenues, simply e-mail Martin Moodie at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com.

    We have a variety of options that will ensure you reach the widest, most high-quality concessionaire/retailer/operator base in the industry – globally and immediately.

    Similarly The Moodie Davitt Report is the only international business intelligence service and industry media to cover all airport consumer services, revenue generating and otherwise. We embrace all airport non-aeronautical revenues, including property, passenger lounges, car parking, hotels, hospital and other medical facilities, the Internet, advertising and related revenue streams.

  • Calvin Klein Opens First Accessories Store in Hong Kong at IFC Mall

    Calvin Klein Opens First Accessories Store in Hong Kong at IFC Mall

    Calvin Klein, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of PVH today announced the opening of the first Calvin Klein accessories store in Hong Kong at ifc mall at Central Waterfront.

    Considered one of the country’s iconic world-class shopping malls, ifc mall is the destination for an extraordinary shopping, dining and entertainment experience. The new Calvin Klein accessories store is located on level 1, and offers both men’s and women’s Calvin Klein Platinum accessories and leather goods.

     The new store’s interior is marked by simple geometric forms that create a strong but neutral framework for product display. The crispness of the store’s geometry contrasts with the muted palette of oiled wood, lustrous rose-toned metal, honed stone and concrete. 

    Calvin Klein, Inc. is one of the leading fashion design and marketing studios in the world. It designs and markets women’s and men’s designer collection apparel and a range of other products that are manufactured and marketed through an extensive network of licensing agreements and other arrangements worldwide. Product lines under the various Calvin Klein brands include women’s dresses and suits, men’s dress furnishings and tailored clothing, men’s and women’s sportswear and bridge and collection apparel, golf apparel, jeanswear, underwear, fragrances, eyewear, women’s performance apparel, hosiery, socks, footwear, swimwear, jewelry, watches, outerwear, handbags, small leather goods, and home furnishings (including furniture). For more information, please visit calvinklein.com. 

    With a heritage going back over 130 years, PVH Corp. has excelled at growing brands and businesses with rich American heritages, becoming one of the largest apparel companies in the world. We have over 30,000 associates operating in over 40 countries with over $8 billion in 2015 revenues. We own the iconic Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Van Heusen, IZOD, ARROW, Speedo*, Warner’s and Olga brands and market a variety of goods under these and other nationally and internationally known owned and licensed brands.

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  • Over 20,000 Buyers Attended HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair

    Over 20,000 Buyers Attended HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair

    The 35th edition of the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair ended its five-day run (6-10 September) yesterday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). Jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Hong Kong Watch Manufacturers Association Ltd and The Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades and Industries Ltd., the fair welcomed more than 20,000 buyers, up 2.4 per cent over the previous year. The fair saw good growth in buyer numbers from Asian markets such as India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand, while growth from other regions including Australia, Sweden, Russia, Canada, the USA and Iran was also recorded.

    Smart and light-smart watches trending

    “Amidst the economic downturn, demand for luxury watches and clocks remains weak. We can see that the industry is shifting from traditional luxury brands to more mid-market brands, independent brands and even new smart watches in the market,” said HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau. “Since the smart and light-smart watch market is booming, more and more traditional watch companies are seeking to gain a share in the sector. I believe more varieties will be introduced into the market and offer more choices to buyers.”

    To match market demand trends, the fair this year introduced a new OEM Smart Watches zone to showcase the latest OEM watch designs. One of the exhibitors, Montrichard (HK) Ltd, has switched from manufacturing traditional watches to light-smart watches by adding smart features to traditional products over the past two years. Christine Pan, Product Manager of the company, noticed that fair exhibitors offering smart watches attracted many potential buyers from Europe and Asia. She believes that light-smart watches will be popular in 2017 and user-friendliness will be a major consideration for customers.

    The growing smart watch market attracted watch brands to develop that market segment. Matthieu Boileve, General Sales Manager of the local exhibitor Brasport HK Limited, said that in view of strong demand for smart watches and wearables, they had opened factories on the Chinese mainland and their sales of smart watch components doubled compared to two years ago and keeps growing fast. It is their second time to take part in the event. Mr Boileve believes that it is an international fair attended by buyers from all over the world, which helps to raise brand awareness and showcase their products. The company regards visitors to the fair as high-quality buyers, as about 60-70 per cent of their contacts are new.

    On the other hand, buyers were also eager to source smart watches. Franck Boudrie, President of Nouveaux Bijoutiers, which represents 170 retailers from France, was particularly interested in the brand Ringclock, which was exhibited at Salon de TE, as well as branded watches and smart watches. He foresees that half of the French population will be using smart watches, especially quartz watches with smart features in the next five to 10 years.

    International brands take advantage of the Hong Kong platform

    As the world’s largest timepiece trade fair, the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair attracts buyers from all over the world every year. To match Asian customers’ demand for top-quality Swiss watch brands, the Swiss Eminence at Salon de TE returned to the fair to showcase six premium Swiss brands. The Swiss Independent Watchmaking Pavilion (SIWP) also brought seven watch brands with exceptional craftsmanship. In total, Salon de TE featured close to 40 Swiss brands this year.

    Amarildo Pilo, President, Pilo & Co SA, and representative of SIWP, said that some of the brands offer value-for-money limited-edition watches with excellent quality, and it is important to set up SIWP to promote them. He was very happy to join the fair again this year where he could find potential new distributors. Despite recent global economic challenges and the potential impact on Swiss exports, he is not too concerned as he believes that buyers have a constant demand for Swiss watches, and business will pick up again as the economy stabilises over time. The SIWP brought seven Swiss brands to the fair this year, showcasing classic, elegant and sporty watches. Mr Pilo also said that he had met buyers from the Chinese mainland, Malaysia, Iran, Japan, Thailand and Indonesia, and would pursue negotiations with them.

    Olivier Chlous, World Sales Manager of the Monaco exhibitor, Ciribelli, joined the fair for the first time. He said that, as the Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair attracts a lot of buyers from all over the world, it provides an ideal platform for promotion. He believes that since consumers on the mainland appreciate high-quality watches, the mainland is a niche market for them to develop. During the fair, they had met with potential distributors from the mainland, Iran and Japan.

    Orders from global buyers

    A first-time trade buyer, Alfred Gleiberman, Brand Development Director of US company Sterling Time LLC, said that he had met with potential suppliers and planned to source brand products to expand the market. He expects to place orders of US$100,000 and was particularly interested in two brands exhibiting at Salon de TE. He thinks that the fair is a business platform that offers a great variety of choices to buyers.

    Another first-time participant, Brian Kim, Manager-International Division of the Korean importer and distributor WOORIM FMG Ltd., met with brand suppliers from Denmark, Italy and Switzerland through the HKTDC’s business matching services. He was interested in their automatic watches and quartz watches and would enter into further negotiations after the fair.

    Jacob Juul, CEO, Bulbul ApS, from Denmark, found five new suppliers at the fair and would place an order worth US$200,000 of analogue watches with one of the suppliers in Hong Kong. They will also explore the possibility of cooperating with smart watch suppliers.

    Senthil Kumar.N, Manager – Procurement of Rivoli Group LLC from United Arab Emirates, said that sporty watches and fashion watches were selling well in GCC (Gulf Cooperation Countries) countries and each consumer had at least two to three watches to match clothing outfits. He visits the Watch & Clock Fair every year to look for new buyers and new brands, as it helps him monitor the industry and keep abreast of the latest technologies and design trends. He found three new suppliers at the fair and planned to place an order worth US$60,000-US$75,000.

    Fashionable and casual watches have best potential

    To understand fair visitors’ views on such issues as market outlook, product trends and Hong Kong suppliers, the HKTDC commissioned an independent research agency to conduct surveys on-site. The agency interviewed 834 buyers and exhibitors. The survey found that 58 per cent of respondents anticipate overall sales to remain unchanged in 2017, while 28 per cent anticipate an increase and 14 per cent expect a decrease. As for retail prices, 65 per cent of the respondents anticipate they will remain unchanged. Most of the responding industry players believe that the markets with growth prospects in the next two years are North America and Western Europe among the traditional markets, and the Chinese mainland and Middle East for emerging markets.

    For product and market trends, the respondents think that the most popular product category in the coming year will be smart watch (31%), digital analogue (26%) and automatic watches (15%), while the product category with the most growth potential are fashion watches (44%), casual watches (39%) and smart watches (38%). On product development strategies, watches interactable with smart devices (54%), collections that align with seasonal fashion trends (39%) and wearable technology with time functions (24%) will be the most prevalent in 2017.

    Fifty-eight per cent of responding buyers sourcing products from Hong Kong suppliers say they are most satisfied with compliance with safety regulations/standards, quality and function. Responding exhibitors, on the other hand, believe that the three strongest aspects of the Hong Kong watch and clock industry are quality, function and innovation.

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  • Hermès Apple Watch launched at up to $1499

    Hermès Apple Watch launched at up to $1499

    Hermès and Nike have revealed new collaborations with Apple, to produce exclusive co-branded Apple Watches.

    Hermès introduced new Apple Watch styles and an expanded assortment of wristbands that incorporate its signature palette alongside a series of bold new colors.

    Meanwhile, Nike is focused on functionality for the sportsperson, with the Apple Watch Nike+ Series 2, featuring GPS, a two-times-brighter display, water resistance to 50m and a dual-core processor.

    Launch dates in Asia

    In Asia, the Apple Watch Hermès will be available from September 23 in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Singapore and Taiwan. The Nike watch goes on sale from yesterday, September 9.

    The Hermès models range in price from US$1149 to $1499, while the Nike sells for a more affordable $369 – $399. The Hermès wristbands will also be sold separately.

    Apple watch Hermes double buckle cuff

    Hermes says the design process was driven “entirely by a shared ambition for ultimate beauty and utility,” featuring exclusive watch face designs inspired by the iconic Clipper, Cape Cod and Espace Hermès models.

    “Ours is a partnership born of parallel thinking and mutual regard — we share similar preoccupations, ever evolving and refining our design,” said Jonathan Ive, Apple’s chief design officer.

    Siri speaks

    The Apple Watch Nike+ also includes exclusive Siri commands and Nike watch faces along with deep integration with the new Nike+ Run Club app to motivate wearers to go for a run, coaching plans that adapt to their unique schedule and progress, and guidance from the world’s best coaches and athletes.

    “Apple Watch is the ultimate device for a healthy life and we wanted to push it further to create the best smartwatch in the world for runners and athletes,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s COO. “Apple Watch Nike+ takes performance tracking to a whole new level and we can’t wait to bring it to the world’s largest community of runners.”

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