Starbucks Hong Kong has opened a new cafe in the heart of Hong Kong’s Sheung Shui.
The cafe is unique in that it features an indoor brewing and restaurant area together with a large, open air verandah seating space.
The new cafe opened this month in Landmark North, a 230,000 sqft shopping centre connected to the Sheung Shui MTR station close to the Shenzhen border crossing.
The new cafe will be open from 8am to 10pm daily.
Starbucks Hong Kong and Macau is run by master franchisee Maxim’s Group.
French ballerina shoe brand Bagllerina has opened its first store in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay.
Founded in 2011 by Christine Natkin, Bagllerina specialises in handmade, foldable ballerina shoes that are comfortable, simple and elegant made from 100 per cent leather.
Observes fashion blogger Butterboom: “We are big advocates of comfortable shoes especially with the amount of walking we do in Hong Kong. You can slip your heels in a matching leather small bag while wearing a pair of Bagllerina, and slip out of them once you’ve arrived at your destination to switch to your heels.”
Bagllerina Hong Kong has opened on level B1 of the Sogo shopping centre at 555 Hennessy Rd.
Bagllerina shoes come in more than 70 colours and three different cuts, with a new version, the Summerfeet cut, described as ‘sandals with a bit of hell” due soon.
For more details of the range, and images from Bagllerina, read Butterboom’s report.
Hong Kong’s Department of Health has urged the public not to buy or use a product, branded Snake Powder Capsules, as it was found to contain undeclared controlled drug ingredients.
The warning follows the admission to hospital of a 58 year old male, poisoned by the tablets, and a subsequent raid of a retail store in Mong Kok, and the arrest of its two staff.
The man was admitted to hospital with chest pain and swelling. He had a history of consuming Snake Powder Capsules, purchased locally. Preliminary test results from the HA’s laboratory revealed that the product may contain undeclared Part I poisons and antibiotics. The DH conducted investigation immediately.
A Chinese medicine centre in Mong Kok was subsequently raided in a joint operation by the DH and the Police. During the operation, a woman aged 50 and a man aged 29 were arrested for suspected illegal sale and possession of Part I poisons, an unregistered pharmaceutical product and antibiotics. Snake Powder Capsules were found and seized for analysis. The Government Laboratory has now confirmed that the product contains dexamethasone, ibuprofen, chlorpheniramine, tetracycline and chloramphenicol.
According to the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, all pharmaceutical products must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong before they can be sold legally in the market. Illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products and Part I poisons are criminal offences. The maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years’ imprisonment. In addition, the Antibiotics Ordinance prohibits illegal sale and possession of antibiotics. Offenders are liable to a maximum penalty of a $30,000 fine and one year’s imprisonment for each offence.
A DH spokesperson strongly urged members of the public not to buy or use products of doubtful composition or from unknown sources. All registered pharmaceutical products should carry a Hong Kong registration number on the package in the format of “HK-XXXXX”. Safety, quality and efficacy of unregistered pharmaceutical products are not guaranteed.
Ted Baker has opened a new flagship in Hong Kong – inspired by the style of the territory.
The UK-based retailer has created a unique store design which incorporates famous Hong Kong themes such as the city’s skinny double decker trams.
The end result is a mix of British and Hong Kong – tongue and groove timber ceilings with train carriage styled lights suspended on both sides give the feel of being inside a vintage Hong Kong tram.
Timber panelling on the lower wall, with a blurred image sitting behind glass evoke the feeling of looking through the window of a speeding tram.
The front of the Ted Baker Hong Kong store features vertical panels of glazed tiles, similar to those on the London Underground.
And as shoppers climb the stairs to the store’s second floor, images of Hong Kong’s modern skyline convey the feel of a steep ascent on the territory’s popular Peak tram.
There are rows of model trams at the cashier’s desk and custom designed wallpaper featuring old tram tickets in the fitting rooms.
The store is in the Fashion Walk Mall, Causeway Bay.
Hong Kong police and Department of Health officials raided a retail shop in Cheung Chau on Monday for the suspected illegal sale and possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products.
The DH says that during its routine market surveillance, it found suspected unregistered pharmaceutical products were being offered for sale at the shop.
“Various products, including pain killers, cold and flu medicines, and cream, labelled in Japanese were seized in the operation. The products were labelled to contain ibuprofen, dihydrocodeine, fluocinolone and neomycin respectively.”
According to the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong (PPBHK), these are not registered pharmaceutical products and Hong Kong registration numbers were not found on any of the product labels. Preliminary investigations have so far revealed that the products were sourced outside Hong Kong.
A man aged 57 was arrested by police and charged with suspected sale and possession of Part I poisons, unregistered pharmaceutical products and antibiotics.
The DH’s investigations are ongoing.
“Use of unregistered pharmaceutical products may pose health threats to people as their safety, efficacy and quality are not guaranteed. Ibuprofen, dihydrocodeine and fluocinolone are Part I poisons. Inappropriate use of steroids like fluocinolone may cause serious side-effects, such as Cushing’s Syndrome with symptoms including moon face and muscle atrophy while inappropriate use of pain killers like ibuprofen without medical supervision may lead to gastrointestinal bleeding, and products with dihydrocodeine may cause nausea and vomiting.
“Neomycin is an antibiotic and inappropriate use of antibiotics may lead to antibiotics resistance. Members of the public should not self-medicate without advice from healthcare professionals,” a spokesman for the DH explained in a statement.
According to the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap 138), all pharmaceutical products must be registered with the PPBHK before they can be sold legally in Hong Kong. Part I poisons should be sold at pharmacies under the supervision of registered pharmacists.
Illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products and Part I poisons are criminal offences. The maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years’ imprisonment. According to the Antibiotics Ordinance (Cap 137), illegal sale or possession of antibiotics is also a criminal offence. The maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $30,000 and one year’s imprisonment.
The DH renewed its warning to the public not to buy or use products of unknown or doubtful composition or from unknown sources.
“People who have purchased and used the above products should consult healthcare professionals for advice. They may submit the products to the DH’s Drug Office at Room 1856, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, during office hours for disposal,” the spokesman said.
Southeast Asia’s leading ecommerce player Lazada is offering Hong Kong and China-based brands and merchants the opportunity to expand their businesses to the fast-growing region. Launched in the first quarter of 2012, Lazada Group operates Lazada, the leading online shopping and selling destination for assorted merchandise in Southeast Asia, with presence in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Its operations also extend to Hong Kong, which functions as a sourcing hub.
The online shopping mall features an extensive product offering in categories ranging from consumer electronics to household goods, toys, fashion and sports equipment.
Being active for three years, Lazada has rapidly grown to a reported USD1 billion of annualized gross merchandise value (GMV) in March 2015. Its shopping sites and mobile applications welcome over 4 million visits daily and 55 million unique visitors monthly.
“We see tremendous potential in Southeast Asia as consumers continue to embrace online shopping largely facilitated by the rise of internet and increasing mobile penetration. As the leading ecommerce player, we offer brands and merchants in Hong Kong and China with the only single retail gateway to enter Southeast Asia,” Aimone Ripa di Meana, CEO Crossborder, Lazada Hong Kong said in a media briefing on Thursday.
The AT Kearney report Lifting the Barriers to eCommerce in ASEAN published on February 2015 showed that ecommerce represents around 1 percent of total retail sales in Southeast Asia compared to 7.2 percent in China, highlighting the massive potential and room for growth in the coming years.
Ever since its launch, Lazada Group has grown rapidly to include approximately 4,000 employees across Southeast Asia. The company has the largest Facebook following in Southeast Asia with over 12 million fans.
The online retailer is pioneering ecommerce in the region by providing customers with an effortless shopping experience with multiple payment methods including cash-on-delivery, extensive customer care and free returns. Lazada provides brands and merchants with simple and direct access to approximately 550 million consumers in six countries through one retail channel. The e-commerce giant offers sellers a one-stop solution to Southeast Asia through its fully integrated online platform where they can manage product assortment, pricing, promotions and orders.
“Prior to Lazada, there has never been a one-stop retail solution addressing local requirements across six diverse countries,” said Meana. “The opportunity for sellers in Hong Kong and China to capture the growth and build their future in Southeast Asia is now.”
Fashion brand Rebecca Minkoff plans to open up to six stores in Hong Kong by 2018 as part of a broader Asian rollout.
The new 585 sqft store in Hong Kong’s Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui marks not only its standalone store debut, but the first step in a planned Greater China entrance.
It will also expand its stores in Korea and within the next 18 months open in the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
At the same time it is targeting the US, with a Los Angeles stores planned by June this year and another in Chicago by year’s end.
“We want to focus on these really great supercities and Hong Kong is definitely one of them,” Minkoff said in an interview with WWD.
“I love the fashion here. It’s a very edited view and I think they take more risks.”
Japan has marked the only blemish to date in the brand’s Asian ambition. While it has 12 points of sale there it had to close its flagship in Tokyo’s Ginza last year.
“We found that’s not the right location for our customer. That’s a very Fifth Avenue-type of customer whereas we [attract] a more [Greenwich] Village and SoHo-type customer,” Minkoff said.
Planning requirements – not this week’s visa clampdown – will delay the proposed Hong Kong border mall.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Gregory So, said the government still supports the concept – which would see 300 trading stores opened on a site close to the Shenzhen border in prefabricated buildings.
But the development has been delayed due to the need for zoning changes and may not now be trading before Christmas.
So said the newly introduced once a week visit limit on mainland residents with multiple entry visas would not affect the plan.
“The “one trip per week” measure is really to deal with parallel trading. I think what Mr Wong (Ting-kwong) and the proponent of this project are looking at is to increase the capacity to receive tourists, and also to enhance the facilities in terms of providing shopping opportunities,” So told a reporter after the Legislative Council met.
“It is really business opportunities for both the businesses as well as for the tourists to enjoy these facilities. So, I believe the proponent is still very optimistic about this project.”
So described the current plan as “a good pilot project” and said he encouraged projects of similar nature if this one is proven to be successful.
“Perhaps this mode of operation could be extended to other places and thereby increasing our tourist capacity.”
Answering a follow-up question, So said the centre’s location near the border would ensure its success, “because it will be a lot more accessible to tourists across the border”.
“That is the business model as I understand.”
Beauty products retailer Sa Sa International Holdings has been named “Best Investor Relations Company (Hong Kong)” for the fourth consecutive year by Corporate Governance Asia Magazine at the 5th Asian Excellence Awards.
And CFO and executive director Dr Guy Look was named “Asia’s Best CFO (IR)”.
Sa Sa says the awards testify to the recognition from the investment and finance community on the group’s operational strategies, financial performance, investor relations, corporate governance and ethics, as well as corporate social responsibility.
Look said the company was “deeply honored” to win the dual awards.
“Sa Sa has always strived to be accountable to our stakeholders and in particular the investment community. We uphold strong corporate governance and incorporate it into our corporate culture and operations. These two awards are definitely a great encouragement to our team.
“We will continue to make ongoing efforts to improve our investor relations work, and thrive to attain the highest standards in the industry.”
The IR honour reflects Sa Sa’s “transparent and effective communication with stakeholders through detailed, timely and fair disclosures” while the CFO accolade is given to CFOs in recognition of their ability to lead a team with vision and experience to maintain outstanding financial performances and operational strategies regardless of economic conditions.
Paris-raised jewellery designer Amandine de Mascarel is plans to take her unique Hong Kong retail concept back to the home of fashion.
de Mascarel already has three Tunique boutiques in Hong Kong and says a fourth will open in Causeway Bay in about one month from now.
And she has revealed to Inside Retail Asia she wants to open a store in Paris, one of her home countries – she was born in Korea, raised in France and now lives in Hong Kong where she is building a retail brand.
She describes Uber Tunique – the brand of her larger showcase stores – as a “one-stop, multi-trend lifestyle shop where ethnic chic meets edginess, glam, bohemian and kitsch”.
Uber Tunique is “an emporium of stylistic exploration that defines the very essence of founder Amandine de Mascarel and her natural instinct for creativity and style”.
Prior to opening her stores, de Mascarel worked with global brands including Louis Vuitton and L’Oreal in Paris.
While starting with affordable jewellery, de Mascarel has expanded her concept to include home products, décor, fragrances and textiles, allowing customers to create one-off costume jewellery pieces, as well as a coordinated home environment that truly defines their own individual style. She wants Uber Tunique to be known as ‘the’ Hong Kong gift destination.
The first Uber Tunique lifestyle concept stores opened last year in Central and Wanchai along with a Tunique Jewellery and Accessories store in Repulse Bay.
The new store in nearby Causeway Bay will take the network to four.
The stores are at: Uber Tunique: Central: 7 Mee Lun St, Shop B; Wanchai: 3 St. Francis St; Tunique: 28 Beach Rd, The Pulse Mall, Repulse Bay.
Burberry says its first half sales rose nine per cent – with double digit growth in the US making up for declining sales in Hong Kong.
“Asia Pacific delivered low single-digit percentage comparable sales growth,” the company said in a statement.
Within this, China and Korea grew by a mid single-digit percentage, while Burberry Hong Kong, a high margin market, decelerated further during the period, resulting in a mid single-digit percentage decline in comparable sales in the half.
Hong Kong’s performance was so bad, it dragged the overall Asia market growth (excluding Japan) to a mere four per cent, by far it lowest performing region.
“Digital again outperformed in all regions.”
Burberry’s revenue for the six months to March 31 totalled £1.4 billion. Sales growth was in the double digits for North America and the combined Europe, Middle East, India and Africa region.
Sales by the company’s own retail channels rose by 13 per cent – significantly outperforming total revenue growth.
CEO and creative director Christopher Bailey described the half year performance as “robust” despite the Burberry Hong Kong disappointment.
During the second half, Burberry opened seven mainline stores and closed nine. Openings included a flagship in Rodeo Drive, Los Angeles, a store in the Miami Design District, as well as a second dedicated Beauty store globally, in Seoul, Korea.
Due to the phasing out of the Japan license arrangement, the company’s licensing sales were down by 40 per cent, but sales from directly-operated stores in the nation rose by more than 30 per cent.
During the six months, Burberry opened a flagship in Osaka, its fifth free-standing store in Japan, relocated the store in Omotesando, Tokyo, and opened three concessions, taking the network 13.
Concluded Bailey: “We anticipate external challenges will continue in the current year, but remain confident in our long-term strategy to build the Burberry brand and business globally.”
At the end of March, Burberry had 214 retail stores globally, 213 concessions, 57 outlets and 67 franchised stores.
Subtle gray tones, ‘cracked’ floor effects and strong lighting ensure Valentino’s boldly coloured fashion take centrestage in the newly opened Maison Valentino Hong Kong flagship.
The new store, formally opened in February, was designed by the Italian brand’s creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli in partnership with architect David Chipperfield.
Located on Canton Rd, the 900sqm flagship store takes up two floors at the base of a modern office tower.
It’s ultra modern, stylish yet minimalist and the combination of strong architectural lines, discrete materials in contrasting greys and stylish visual merchandising make the store a standout amongst its many peers in the heart of Hong Kong’s luxury precinct.
The store’s lower level features the Maison’s complete collections, including both womenswear and menswear ready-to-wear and accessories.
The stairwell is lined with mannequins striking different poses, each wearing contrasting, brightly-coloured Valentino creations.
Upstairs is a more ‘curated’ area, almost of gallery style.
The Hong Kong store is one of two opened by Valentino in February – the other in the Kingdom Tower in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, further expanding the brand’s global footprint.
UK eco-friendly cosmetics company Lush is going to open the first Lush Spa in Hong Kong in the fourth quarter of 2015, the beauty retailer said yesterday.
Located at Lyndhurst Terrace of Soho Square in Central, the five-storey Lush spa will have a total space of 6,909 square feet, with retail area on the ground floor and the treatment area on the second floor to fourth floor.
“Hong Kong is a very exciting market for us, one which we have seen rapid growth and year to date LFL of 89 percent. Launching the spa starts another exciting new chapter for us here and offers our customers a unique and luxurious experience,” said Annabelle Baker, Director of Lush Asia Limited.
Founded in 1995, the UK health and beauty brand places great emphasis on using fresh ingredients to produce handmade beauty products. Lush is the pioneer in advocating environmental protection and operating strict policies against animal testing in the cosmetics industry.
Hong Kong & Macau have been wholly owned by Lush since the end of 2012. The company currently have seven shops in the two cities. It’s also opening a 10,000 sqf shop on Europe’s busiest shopping area – London’s Oxford Street.
The company has launched Lush Spa in in the UK, Japan, France, Korea, Brazil and US. Hong Kong will be the third Asian market to have Lush Spa.
A revamp of Hong Kong’s iconic Times Square shopping centre led to an 11 per cent rise in retail sales to a record HK$10.5 billion (US$1.35 billion) last year.
Owner, The Wharf Holdings, said its overall revenue from the mall rose 21 per cent to HK$2.544 billion (US$328 million) and operating profit rose 24 per cent to HK$2.276 billion (US$293 million).
Occupancy maintained at virtually 100 per cent.
Times Square, prominently located at the heart of the Causeway Bay retail precinct, is among the most successful vertical malls in the world with 17-levels of shopping and a direct connection to the underground Mass Transit rail system.
It also features one of the few open Piazza squares areas of any mall in Hong Kong.
“The enhanced Times Square has pushed the bar to new heights and caters to higher levels of service, sophistication and entertainment demands from a broader range of shoppers. This sparked new growth in retail sales and revenue in 2014,” said The Wharf Holdings.
New anchors and coveted luxury brands added in 2014 included Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior Homme, Fendi and De Beers. Culinary offerings including Yun Yan, Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant and Enmaru, the top-ranked Izakaya style Japanese debut as well as Laduree Tea Room, the renowned French café’s debut, which The Wharf says have met with encouraging responses from customers.
The state-of-the-art five screen cinema Cine Times spanning the 12th to 14th floors have helped drive foot traffic, boosted sales and created value.
The trade mix was further enhanced with addition of a diverse range of tenants from leading high-end brands such as Celine, Jimmy Choo and Hugo Boss to popular mass brands such as Topshop and American Eagle Outfitters. Gucci is set to open a vertical duplex store by mid-2015 and some tenants on the atrium floors will relocate with new store designs.
The creation of a semi-retail zone at the upper floors further strengthened the tenant mix. il Colpo opened a 4800 sqft and Sulwhasoo opened its first 10,000 sqft beauty and Spa centre on Hong Kong Island.
A Hong Kong REIT has made its first foray into mainland China, buying a Beijing mall.
The Link Real Estate Investment Trust has paid 2.5 billion yuan (US$399.7 million) for the 800,000 sqft EC Mall in Beijing’s Zhongguancun district.
“The EC Mall contributes to our strategy of long-term investment in real estate assets that are sustainable, income-producing properties,” said Link Management CEO George Hongchoy.
“With this investment, we continue to build long-term income and capital growth, while maintaining a large and diversified portfolio of real estate in Hong Kong and other jurisdictions, including the mainland.”
The seven-storey EC Mall is almost fully leased and tenants include recognised global brands including H&M, Zara, Uniqlo, Nike and Sephora. It opened in 2009.
In a statement, Link said last month’s rental income topped 13 million yuan ($2 million), with some shops achieving as much as much as 1000 yuan ($161) per sqm each month. The average monthly rent exceeds 300 yuan ($48) per sqm. Link will receive an annual yield of 6.24 per cent.
“The acquisition is a solid long-term investment opportunity to grow our property portfolio and bring potential valuable returns to our unit holders,” Hongchoy said.
“The mall is well positioned to capitalise on the growing spending power of local residents of Zhongguancun and the greater Haidian district. We believe the company will benefit from the anticipated growth in rental and value of the property.”