The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge – the world’s longest sea bridge which has taken nine years to build – is expected to be officially opened by President Xi Jinping next Tuesday. Central government’s liaison office in Hong Kong has announced the event will take place in Zhuhai on October 23 but Xi will apparently not be crossing over to the Hong Kong side to mark the linking of the three cities through the mega project
The 55km bridge marks a new milestone in Beijing’s broader push to create the Greater Bay Area – a technology-led economic hub comprising Hong Kong, Macau and nine Guangdong province cities with aspirations to rival California’s Silicon Valley.
The bridge will put the three cities it links within an hour’s drive of each other and is expected to boost economic development and tourism in Hong Kong, which has invested HK$120 billion (US$15.3 billion) in the project.
The bridge will provide a fast lane to the western part of the Pearl River Delta, Guangdong and Guangxi. A trip between the Kwai Chung Container Port and Zhuhai would be reduced from about 3½ hours to an hour and 15 minutes.
And it would only take around 45 minutes to travel from Hong Kong International Airport to Zhuhai instead of the current four hours.
The presidential trip, the subject of much speculation this year, would be highly symbolic in marking the 40th anniversary of China’s landmark economic reforms and opening-up policy.
The southern economic powerhouse of Guangzhou was the lead runner in the reforms, with Shenzhen chosen as the first special economic zone to test out market-oriented policies.
It was also the destination of Xi’s maiden visit outside Beijing after taking power in late 2012, and was seen as a strong signal of his support for greater market-oriented reforms.
L’Oréal-owned skincare brand Kiehl’s is leveraging star power and immersive digital technologies for the third edition of its annual ‘Kiehl’s Loves’ campaign, titled ‘Kiehl’s Loves Around the World 2018’. The campaign was officially launched in Hainan last month with an influencer-driven mega event and an immersive pop-up featuring augmented reality (AR) technology and digital retailtainment – a first for the brand.
In another first, Kiehl’s has appointed some of the region’s top celebrities to front the campaign, which will run in nine locations across Asia Pacific travel retail: Hainan, Bangkok, Jeju, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
These celebrities will serve as “adventurers” in the travel-themed campaign, each representing a specific location.
South Korean singer Hwang Chi-Yeul has been chosen as the campaign’s “global explorer”, representing Kiehl’s home city of New York.
Joining him as local “city hosts” are Chinese singer Wang Ziyi (representing Hainan), Chinese actor Dong Zijian (Beijing), Chinese fencing athlete turned singer and actor Dong Li (Shanghai), Taiwanese singer and actress Emma Wu Ying-chieh (Taiwan), and Hong Kong Cantopop singer and songwriter Pakho Chau (Hong Kong).
Kiehl’s Loves is a global campaign that celebrates the countries and cities served by Kiehl’s worldwide.
Following in its annual tradition of working with internationally acclaimed artists, this year Kiehl’s has teamed up with New York-based graphic designer and illustrator Ali Mac to create limited-edition packaging for Kiehl’s products.
Ali Mac has designed artwork for more than 50 international Kiehl’s locations, combining symbols of the brand’s heritage with visual icons that are characteristic to each city’s local culture and DNA.
Besides product packaging, the fun and colourful artwork will also be featured on travel-themed items such as totes bags, pouches and luggage tags.
Kiehl’s Loves Around the World 2018 kicked off in Hainan, China, with an immersive pop-up store that ran from 1–29 September at China Duty Free Group’s Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex.
Located at the level 1 concourse, the pop-up was designed to highlight Kiehl’s bestselling products using AR technology to create a disruptive, engaging experience.
It comprised a number of themed areas – a nature room, an adventure room and a Kiehl’s 1851 apothecary – with digital touchpoints to engage shoppers.
Scanning the QR code on WeChat called up AR features that illustrated product information and directed users to the Kiehl’s e-commerce site and the Kiehl’s store on level 2 of the shopping complex, driving O2O (offline-to-online/online-to-offline) conversion.
A digital photo booth also provided photo opportunities and encouraged sharing on social media. Thanks to AR technology, shoppers could find out more about the products via WeChat.
On 22 September, L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific and China Duty Free Group (CDFG) celebrated the campaign launch with a high-profile promotional event, attended by key opinion leaders (KOLs) and media from China.
Global campaign ambassador Hwang Chi-Yeul and Hainan ambassador Wang Ziyi made special appearances at the event, where they played games and interacted with their fans.
Thanks to their participation in Chinese reality shows, both singers have amassed a significant following in China, with more than five million Weibo fans each.
Terry Chua, CDFG-Sunrise Group Merchandising Director of Perfumes & Cosmetics, commented: “Kiehl’s Loves Around the World is a 360 campaign. It has targeted communications on WeChat, and they have invited celebrities and KOLs which appeal to the younger generation – the Millennials and Generation Z. On top of that, it’s important that we have sufficient stocks to cater to demand and are well prepared in terms of design and safety, so that customers can have an enjoyable experience when they come to the Kiehl’s pop-up and leave with nice memories. This kind of continuous investment in brand building will continue to keep Kiehl’s at the top of the consumers’ minds.”
Following Hainan, the Kiehl’s Loves Around the World 2018 campaign will continue its travel retail roll-out this month in Seoul.
A similar consumer engagement event will take place downtown, with another appearance by global ambassador Hwang Chi-Yeul.
L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific General Manager of Kiehl’s Adele Zhang told The Moodie Davitt Report that China and Korea were natural choices when it came to selecting the locations for hosting events as they both have very good travel retail shopping environments and are very advanced in engaging millennial consumers.
“We believe that travel retail is a great showcase to promote the brand and to engage customers. Of course, we have some constraints in the airports with space etc., but with downtown duty free shops we have more flexibility.” she said.
The Kiehl’s Loves campaign taps into the demand for exclusive gifts in travel retail and creates a Sense of Place, a trend that has been pioneered by Kiehl’s for years, Zhang said.
The digitalisation of the campaign, through e-commerce and digital/social media, allows Kiehl’s to reach out to millennials and better engage them, she added.
The use of AR technology to highlight the brand heritage also helps to create memorable experiences.
Looking ahead, Zhang is looking to continue the strong growth of Kiehl’s and make it a leading skincare brand.
“Kiehl’s is not a media-driven brand, and we don’t invest heavily in above-the-line. The brand relies on two things: word-of-mouth and high-quality, effective products. Kiehl’s can be categorised as a lifestyle brand, and it originates from New York so it’s perceived as a fun and hot brand, so I think we can do something different from other brands.
“We hope to make Kiehl’s a brand that is desired by young people. When they think about brands with high-quality products and 100% natural ingredients, we want Kiehl’s to be at the top of their minds,” she said.
View the gallery below for photos of the event (8 images) :
Kiehls Loves Hainan CDF Mall 1 1
黄致列在科颜氏全球第一家Kiehls Loves快闪店 1024×682
Kiehls Loves Hainan Pop up Exterior 1 edited 1024×682 1
Foot Locker is diving headfirst into experiential retail with the debut of its Hong Kong “power store,” a 26,000-square-foot sneakerhead paradise where shoppers can get a haircut or hang out and play Xbox in between trying on shoes.
Located in the city’s bustling Kowloon shopping district, the store is one of four the company plans to open throughout Asia in the 2018 fiscal year, with three in Singapore and one in Malaysia rounding out the pack. Only the Hong Kong location, however, qualifies as a power store, which Foot Locker’s chairman and CEO Dick Johnson described on the company’s last earnings call as an effort “in key markets to create more immersive and community-oriented customer experiences.”
Power stores in Liverpool, England, and Oxford Street in London likewise feature collaborations with local artists, on-site barber shops, sneaker cleanings and gaming zones, all designed to enhance the in-store experience at a time when many sneaker fans do much of their shopping online or via app.
The company is betting on its new Asia outposts to help drive sales as its growth in the U.S. and Europe have flagged slightly in recent quarters. It is also launching e-commerce in Singapore for the first time, complementing its in-store offerings.
Throughout the year, the company plans to open 45 new stores and close 120 less profitable locations, and Johnson said power stores are in the works for the domestic market, with the Detroit area up first. The trick, he said, is finding “the right property, the right lease terms and the right construction period to make it happen.”
Chinese-American fashion designer Vera Wang and Chow Tai Fook, the jeweller, have collaborated on a fine jewellery collection to launch this week in China. Hong Kong will follow. The Vera Wang Love collection targets modern Chinese brides with a penchant for diamonds, casting pieces in 18K gold and platinum – including engagement rings, wedding bands, and fine fashion items in precious stones. The diamonds used are traceable and nano-inscribed for individual identification.
Vera Wang said the sophistication, quality, technical capabilities and vast consumer reach of Chow Tai Fook enabled her to create both wedding and fashion signature pieces at the highest quality from the attainable to the most exclusive.
Kent Wong, Chow Tai Fook’s MD, added: “The intrinsic value of “traceable” marks carried by T Mark diamonds perfectly aligns with Vera’s design philosophy, resulting in beautiful, modern pieces of jewellery.”
The Vera Wang and Chow Tai Fook collection debuts October 19 at Chow Tai Fook stores in Shanghai, further expanding to Beijing, Chengdu, Hong Kong and other cities later.
Deliveroo announced a completely free, first-of-its-kind insurance package for all on-demand self-employed Deliveroo riders in Hong Kong and worldwide. Starting from October, Deliveroo riders will be able to claim costs if unable to work as a result of an on-the-job injury. This move makes Deliveroo a leader in providing on-demand riders with the flexible work they value and the security they deserve.
Deliveroo has worked with leading global insurers to tailor policies which meet the needs of riders. In Hong Kong, all Deliveroo riders will be automatically enrolled onto a personal injury policy from leading insurance provider Marsh; whether on bicycles, scooters or making deliveries by foot. This will apply to all riders whilst they are online and logged in to the Deliveroo app, including up to one hour after logging off.
The accident and injury cover is wide ranging, with measures including:
HK$77,000 for accidental medical expenses
HK$385 for each night in hospital
Up to HK$3,850 per week for temporary incapacity
Loss of sight, hearing, speech or limbs due to accidents are covered
HK$346,500 for accidental death/permanent disablement
Brian Lo, General Manager Deliveroo Hong Kong, said: “Riders are at the heart of our business and this new industry-leading insurance package is hugely important for all those who ride with Deliveroo. Riders deserve security while they’re out on the road. We want to make sure that riders are protected in case anything goes wrong while they are working, and that’s why we are so delighted to be announcing this important package. Deliveroo riders are heroes and we want to give something back. We are growing quickly and hope more and more people will choose to work with us.”
Qasim Khan, a rider with Deliveroo, said, “As a rider who loves working at Deliveroo, I am always worried about my safety when I’m out and about to do deliveries. The accident and injury insurance gives riders a peace mind. We will feel more safe when we are working on road. Most importantly, our families will also feel safe about us being part of this company!”
The move to offer free insurance to riders comes as Deliveroo reveals the company’s rapid growth in Hong Kong over the first half of 2018. Deliveroo’s total number of riders in Hong Kong is 2,000, which has more than doubled in six months. The business expects this to grow to 2,800 by the end of 2018. Deliveroo has also significantly increased its number of partnering restaurants by nearly 50% in six months, to 3,500. Restaurants which use Deliveroo see their revenue boosted by up to 25% and dinner orders by 20%, in the past quarter, enabling more opportunities for business development and new hires.
With further expansion set to continue in the months ahead, Deliveroo is now looking for more riders and walkers to join the company and enjoy its well-paid, secure, flexible work that can be combined with other responsibilities such as studying. The free and automatic insurance coverage will be starting in October. Current riders and walkers who successfully refer someone new to Deliveroo in Hong Kong will receive up to HK$2,500.
Italian handbag label Furla has posted a 5.8 per cent rise in sales for the first half of the year, down from 23.5 per cent growth during the same period last year.
Furla sales growth in Asia has similarly slowed, showing a 27 per cent growth in the Asia-Pacific region as opposed to last year’s 63 per cent increase. Furla recently assumed direct control of retail distribution in the greater China region.
Furla generates 23 per cent of its sales in Japan against 7 per cent in the US. Revenue growth for Japan was 9.5 per cent, while growth for the US market was 24.2 per cent. E-commerce sales are up 24.1 per cent.
Furla’s GM Alberto Camerlengo said: “For us, 2018 is a year of consolidation.” He described the firm’s plans to strengthen its delivery organisation via the adoption of a more advanced IT system as better suited to the company’s increased size.
Winning over hungry office workers to achieve a sensational 75% year-on-year growth in Hong Kong, Deliveroo for Business is now being revamped to give business customers even more delectable benefits. Companies that sign up for an account with Deliveroo for Business between today and December 31, 2018, will get a special ‘new joiners treat’ to celebrate.
Deliveroo for Business provides bespoke food delivery services to over 7,000 corporate customers around the world, with office orders arriving for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in as little as 15 minutes. Erasing the time and hassle of traditional workplace meal expensing, Deliveroo for Business lets workers make one-click meal payments using their set budget allowance, instead of saving and submitting a stack of receipts at the end of the month. Finance teams can view the office’s monthly mealtime spending in one single spreadsheet, rather than sorting through hundreds of expense forms.
Special catering orders are a cinch with Deliveroo for Business. A dedicated team is ready to assist with all kinds of events; from a simple internal lunch for 40 colleagues to a three-day convention with hundreds of guests. Either way, everyone will leave with a full and happy stomach.
Deliveroo for Businessis now being extended in Hong Kong to add a host of new features and services, offering even more chances for people to eat amazing food not just in their homes. Deliveroo seeks to be the definitive food company, offering people food whenever and wherever they want it, and this is a vital part of the company achieving that vision.
New services which will be available for businesses in Hong Kong to take advantage of include:
Hotels: Deliveroo for Business offers a hotel room service so that hungry travelers can select whatever dishes take their fancy and place the order via the hotel, with food arriving in under 30 minutes. This is a fantastic opportunity for visitors to explore Hong Kong’s local culinary scene from the comfort of their hotel and gives business travelers another delicious option when they don’t have the time to run out and grab a bite to eat. Madera Groupin Hong Kong is already using the service, with a second-edition menu coming soon, and Deliveroo expects more hotels to come on board soon.
Events: Deliveroo for Business now offers catering services for large-scale events. In Hong Kong, the team has catered for 300-person breakfast conferences and most recently the ICON APAC Annual Conference at the Hyatt. Around the world, the team catered the largest drone racing championship in the world last August and will be catering their first wedding this December in London. Deliveroo for Business in Hong Kong is now taking bookings for catering Christmas parties.
Fruit Baskets & Snacks: Businesses will be able to use Deliveroo to arrange for regular deliveries of fruit and snacks to their offices, fueling workers with healthy foods.
Brian Lo, General Manager of Deliveroo Hong Kong, said, “Deliveroo for Business is reinventing the way people interact with food at work, as more and more companies pinpoint food as a key retention tool in an increasingly competitive employment market. We’re delighted to bring even more great food to busy workers in Hong Kong, who are famous for eating lunch ‘al desko’. Our new range of services for hotels, events and more expands Deliveroo for Business even further to fuel more opportunities for businesses to give their best to employees, guests, and customers.”
Mr. Lucas Lai, Head of Madera Hospitality Management of Madera Group said, “As a hotel group with a reputation for offering guests a warm and caring stay, we understand the need to anticipate their desires and provide the utmost levels of comfort and convenience. Working with Deliveroo is a fantastic way to offer even more dining options to our guests, putting a world of yummy cuisine at their fingertips and providing an even better experience every time they stay with Madera.”
In Hong Kong, lunchtime orders are by far the most popular amongst business customers (70%), who order for team meals, lunchtime learning sessions, internal training and client meetings. Asset management companies, financial service firms, and international law firms account for the majority of business users. Business customers love to order from Chinese and Cantonese restaurants the most, with sushi, Vietnamese and healthy salads rounding out the top 10 cuisine preferences by spending. The legal profession eats the most healthily, with their top two most-ordered restaurant types being salad and vegetarian.
Deliveroo for Business launched in September 2016 following a huge trend of office workers ordering Deliveroo to their desks, tired by the same lackluster choices on offer for lunch. The launch also helped businesses who are looking for new ways to retain talent. Currently, the service is being used by 7,000 companies in 12 markets, including Hong Kong.
Mastercard is bringing cashless payments to Hong Kong’s education sector through a seamless FinTech and EduTech platform, which enables the city’s first-ever integrated education app with multiple in-app digital payments.
Through an exclusive partnership with local education app developer GRWTH, Mastercard will bring hassle-free, fast, safe, and convenient cashless payments experience to schools and parents. The enhanced app integrates digital payments, account reconciliation, student profiles, home-school communication, as well as school administration into one single platform.
The partnership addresses the pain points faced by parents in daily school payments situations, such as spending a lot of time preparing cash or issuing checks, keeping track of expenses that are often paid in small amounts, and students missing out opportunities to join school activities due to losing cash or checks. All school expenses can be settled via the in-app digital payments function, thereby eliminating the need to deal with cumbersome cash or checks. Parents can also easily track their school payments anytime, anywhere, giving them greater peace of mind.
Schools also benefit from saving massive administrative time and costs that come with handling the complex payment procedures. Teachers can also save time spent during class manually collecting payments from students. The app offers an exclusive backend reconciliation system, which provides a direct and convenient way to keep track of payments. This includes simplifying reconciliation procedures via transaction categorization and real-time transaction tracking as well as report generation. It relieves the pressure for schools in handling school expenses, allowing more quality teaching time.
“We are proud to partner with Mastercard to attain our goal of enriching the life of our children through technology. GRWTH links up students, school administrators and parents and provide them with powerful and innovative tools for better home-school communication and organization,” said Adam Chan, co-founder and CEO, GRWTH. “By connecting the education, finance and technology sectors, we aspire to push forward the development of digital payments in Hong Kong.”
“We are excited to turn a new chapter for the Hong Kong education sector. By bringing together EduTech and FinTech, Mastercard aspires to alleviate the pressure of handling large amounts of cash and checks for schools and parents, not only by providing them with fast, safe and convenient cashless payments experiences but also by helping them devote more time and energy into students’ growth and development,” said Helena Chen, managing director, Hong Kong and Macau, Mastercard. “Through Mastercard’s technology, we can truly lay the foundations for the future of our next generation, and push forward the development of Hong Kong as a smart city.”
As the exclusive partner, Mastercard provides a one-click, secure digital payments solution. Parents simply need to store their Mastercard card details only once to enjoy the seamless, one-click experience for all future payments. To provide even more convenience, the new in-app payments service is not only available for Mastercard credit and debit cardholders, but also to Mastercard prepaid cardholders. With the world’s fastest and most reliable global payments network, Mastercard cardholders can enjoy the same robust, multi-layered security protections that comes with paying with a Mastercard.
GRWTH has recently launched the service to 10 schools in Hong Kong as part of a pilot program* and plans to gradually expand the service to all kindergartens, primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. “Our school aspires to bring changes to the education sector by leveraging technology and innovation. We are excited to be one of the 10 pilot schools to introduce a cashless payments option for parents,” said Chu Tsz Wing, chief principal, St. Hilary’s Primary School & VNSAA ST. HILARY’S SCHOOL.
Apart from its in-app payment function, the GRWTH app includes tools for home-school communication and school administration, and will soon integrate the ability to pay vendors such as extra-curricular activities and school service providers, allowing parents to make instant and direct payment. The “GRWTH Community” is made up of over 100 NGOs and commercial organizations in Hong Kong. Parents can choose personalized extracurricular activities for their children based on the multi-intelligence analysis function in the app’s talent pool. The GRWTH app is available for free download via Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
*The 10 pilot schools are:
Buddhist Lim Kim Tian Memorial Primary School
Buddhist Wing Yan School
ELCHK Ma On Shan Lutheran Primary School
Fung Kai No.1 Primary School
Gloria Creative Kindergarten and Gloria Creative Kindergarten (Sheung Shui)
Lok Sin Tong Leung Wong Wai Fong Memorial School
N.T.W.J.W.A. LTD. Leung Sing Tak Primary School
St. Edward’s Catholic Primary School
St. Hilary’s Primary School and VNSAA ST. HILARY’S SCHOOL
Hong Kong’s SmarTone has unveiled a new smart hotel and smart home solution, developed as part of the second wave of its Innovation Hub program.
The new solution is an end-to-end, IoT-based solution aimed at helping property developers create a personalized and convenient experience for residence and hotel guests.
It is designed to integrate existing property management systems into a single platform for providing services including check in and check out with mobile keys and app-based control of room facilities.
SmarTone provides networking support for the solution via its mobile network, fiber broadband and Wi-Fi footprints.
The solution will be made available to both property owners and consumers. It was developed at SmarTone’s Innovation Hub.
“With the launch of our Innovation Hub last year, we have a dedicated open ecosystem to drive cross-industry collaboration and propel Hong Kong on its smart city journey,” SmarTone CEO Anna Yip said.
“To cater for the trend of the hospitality industry and meet the needs of today’s digital-savvy consumers, at the outset SmarTone initiated partnerships with property developers at both the conceptualization and construction stages to deliver an intuitive and engaging experience. This allows us to get closer to revolutionizing the quality of everyday life and achieving customer satisfaction throughout the smart journey.”
Gordon Ramsay’s Hong Kong journey continues with the announcement of his third restaurant in the city.
Maze Grill, set to open this October in Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, strengthens the internationally acclaimed chef’s ties with Hong Kong, and cements the city’s position as one of the world’s greatest dining destinations.
Located in the new glasshouse extension of Ocean Terminal, maze Grill represents Ramsay’s third partnership with Dining Concepts and the first opening of the contemporary steakhouse outside of London.
Inspired by the three maze Grill restaurants located in London, the dining experience is casual, warm and welcoming.
The menu features a selection of international and rare breed cuts, fish and poultry dishes, Gordon Ramsay’s signature dish, Beef Wellington, and a range of dishes exclusive to maze Grill Hong Kong.
Among these are an array of Japanese infused starters, a Traditional Ploughman’s Pork Pie-carved Table Side, and scrumptious desserts including a Raspberry Soufflé.
The internationally acclaimed chef owns a number of Michelin starred restaurants across the globe, including London’s longest-running restaurant to hold a Michelin star award and is one of only four in the UK to maintain three stars.
Hong Kong had its own influx of tourists from Mainland China. But they were not all in search of the city’s more well-trodden sights.
Media used to report about facts and figures related to shopping expenses and how Chinese travelers were making the fortune of retailers. This year, Millennials and GEN Z contributed to HK differently.
Tourism Board would be happy to know that HK’s Instagram spots were shared and re-shared on social media framing HK as much more than a shopping destination.
Among the preferred spots:
The Rainbow Thief : When captured at an appropriate angle, a colorful building opposite with a mural design titled the “Rainbow Thief” forms the perfect backdrop.
Montane Mansion : The claustrophobic 46-year-old Montane Mansion is an urban photographer’s dream, as it seemingly melds into the Oceanic Building and the Yick Cheong Building on either side, forming a mishmash of juxtaposing windows, air conditioning vents and hanging laundry.
The Choi Hung Estate : The fresh palette of paint tones that fade into each other on the facade lives up to its namesake, and has pulled in the social media-savvy crowds.
The Sai Wan Swimming Shed : only one swimming shed remains in Hong Kong, on the far western edge of the island.
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton boosted revenues by 10 per cent to €33.1 billion in the first nine months of this year.
Organic sales grew 11 per cent compared to the same period last year and by 13 per cent after excluding the impact of the closed DFS concessions at Hong Kong International Airport at the end of the year. Every geographic market performed well, the company said. Third quarter revenue was up 10 per cent.
The wines & spirits business group recorded organic revenue growth of 7 per cent during the first nine months, with Champagne volumes stable and Hennessy cognac volumes increased by 4 per cent, led by the US and Chinese markets.
The fashion & leather goods business group achieved organic revenue growth of 14 per cent and 20 per cent reported, with the flagship Louis Vuitton brand the standout performer.
“Ready-to-wear and shoes, in particular, experienced strong momentum with an excellent reception of the last two fashion shows of womenswear and menswear,” the company said in a statement. “A new communication for Louis Vuitton perfumes was unveiled, marking the launch of the brand’s latest perfume creation. Christian Dior, consolidated since the second half of last year, enjoyed an excellent performance.
Celine made progress and began a new chapter in its history with the first runway show of Hedi Slimane, which was a great success and created enormous resonance. Fendi and Loro Piana continued to grow. The other brands continued to strengthen,” the company said.
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton’s perfumes & cosmetics business group recorded organic revenue growth of 14 per cent, driven in particular by the performance of its star brands Christian Dior, Guerlain and Givenchy.
The watches & jewellery business group achieved organic revenue growth of 14 per cent, with Bulgari delivering “an excellent performance and gaining market share”.
The selective retailing business group achieved organic revenue growth of 8 per cent in the first nine months of 2018, and 14 per cent excluding the airport concession closures in Hong Kong.
Sephora’s organic revenue growth was strong, particularly in North America and Asia. The expansion and renovation of its distribution network is continuing with a new store concept in China and the first Sephora-branded store in Russia.
“DFS performed well, especially in Hong Kong and Macao. The recent openings of T Galleria in Cambodia and Italy progressed well.”
The company said that in an “uncertain geopolitical and monetary context, LVMH will continue to be vigilant” in the months ahead.
French fashion label Ikks has launched in Mainland China after forming a partnership with Fung Kids.
Four stores have been opened in Shanghai and Beijing focusing on the brand’s new childrenswear line, with more planned on both the mainland and in Hong Kong in advance of a wider Asian expansion.
Ikks Group has 3600 outlets in 45 countries and reportedly plans to open 50 Ikks Paris Junior stores across China within the next four years.
Childrenswear is a new category for Ikks, founded in 1987, which has previously specialised in womens fashion. The new range was launched last month, after being developed with the help of Fung Group.
Ikks Group CEO Pierre-Andre Cauche said he hopes the Fung JV will help the brand expand its awareness in greater China.
“Developing children’s clothing in China is a long-term project. We are certain that Chinese parents will appreciate the brand’s disruptive positioning which – it should be remembered – was the first label 30 years ago to have re-imagined kids fashion to copy the adult wardrobe,” he said.
“Wi-Fi is critical to deliver multimedia content to a proliferation of connected devices to enable a connected global economy,” said Linda Hui from Ruckus Networks at an early October press conference in Hong Kong.
“If IT departments need to spend considerable time fixing Wi-Fi issues, this puts severe pressure on the organization to digitally transform, reduce operational costs and hinders their ability to deliver new products, services and revenue models,” said Hui, the firm’s managing director for Hong Kong and Taiwan.
In the survey of eight Asia-Pacific markets by Ruckus—which was acquired by Arris last year—76% of Hong Kong enterprises said they intend to upgrade their Wi-Fi equipment in the next 12 months. “This is to meet demands for enhanced Wi-Fi security, improve overall user experiences, and provide a stable high-speed connection [that can handle] the rise in multimedia content,” said Ruckus in a statement.
The firm said “an equipment overhaul is long due in many [Hong Kong] businesses as 35% said they estimated HK$400,000 per year ($51,300) is lost annually due to connectivity issues.
Survey stats & specs
This is according to the firm’s first “Asia Pacific State of Wi-Fi Study, which surveyed 1,200 business and IT leaders in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan to identify Wi-Fi usage trends and expectations.” “Respondents ranged from mid- to large-sized organizations and are in decision-making or implementation roles for IT-related initiatives.”
“From a corporate perspective, implementing Wi-Fi in the workplace meant better productivity (74%), flexibility (55%), and improved collaboration (44%),” said Ruckus. “Yet over half (51%) had experienced at least six instances of connectivity downtime, and 9% indicated they had over 20 instances in the last twelve months.”
More importantly, Ruckus said their survey indicates that “half of all businesses said a bad Wi-Fi experience can negatively impact a brand image.”
Wi-Fi security…rock-solid?
As usual, security concerns top the list. When rating the current state of Wi-Fi security in their organizations, 47% of Hong Kong firms said it was good or very good—compared to 53% across Asia Pacific. However, 61% also said they only used basic usernames and passwords to provide Wi-Fi access, while 16% indicated they have an open Wi-Fi network with no secure log-in measures.
The survey also found that Hong Kong businesses suffered losses of HK$37 million ($4.8 million) in total over the past year due to Wi-Fi downtime. Apart from monetary losses, 48% of Hong Kong respondents said their IT departments needed to spend about a week or more each month to manage Wi-Fi or network-related issues.
“Today, Hong Kong people expect a seamless, reliable and fast Wi-Fi experience and accessibility whether at home, at work, on the move or at a public venue,” said Hui. “When there is a connectivity issue or other disruption to the Wi-Fi experience, this dampens accessibility by throttling the ability to work anywhere, at any time with productivity taking a hit.”
Wi-Fi wonderland
Ruckus said the survey demonstrates “how ingrained Wi-Fi has become in Hong Kong society,” as 51 percent of respondents said they carry at least four Wi-Fi enabled devices including smartphones, smart watches, laptops, and tablets.
But work & home setups are preferred by Hong Kongers. Respondents voiced concerns about the Wi-Fi service offered in public places with 81% saying slow Wi-Fi connection speeds top their list of concerns with connection drops and limited coverage area close behind. Only 17% said they had enjoyed a good or very good experience using public Wi-Fi.
More than half (53%) of Hong Kong residents polled during a recent survey conducted by the Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation (HKIRC) said concerns over cybersecurity and privacy risks are major barriers to greater adoption of mobile payments.
Other barriers that have been cited in the survey include technical instability and the lack of support for mobile payment from most local merchants in the city
In speaking about the survey, HKIRC deputy CEO Bonnie Chun allayed the primary fear of using mobile payment, pointing out that the government ‘has already put a lot of regulations in place to ensure the industry strictly follow their guidelines. We suggest the government promote its policies via different channels such as social media among others,” said Chun.
She added that the government should keep on educating the public about the different ways of maintaining safe online hygiene such as changing one’s passwords regularly, using two-factor authentication, not using public Wi-Fi connections for making payment transaction and downloading mobile apps only from reliable sources.
“Also, mobile payment providers should increase their transparency on how they handle personal data. They should try not to collect too much personal data during the registration process to increase users’ confidence.”
Mobile payment gets a foothold in Hong Kong
The survey polled 1,200 residents in the city between the ages of 18 and 65, who belong to various industry sectors.
Survey results showed that mobile payment is now gaining a foothold in the city with 23% of respondents using mobile payment and is now in the top three payment methods in Hong Kong after credit cards (37%) and Octopus Card (25%).
While 93% of respondents between the ages of 18 to 25 have used it before, a high percentage – 77% – of older respondents aged 56 to 67 have also used mobile payments.
More than a quarter of respondents or 28% have been using mobile payments two to three times a week. About 88% of respondents use their mobile phone for transactions of less than HK$500 ($64).
The survey showed that respondents want to be able to use mobile payment in three areas: public transport, government bills and clinic,
“The future of mobile payment in Hong Kong is very positive. When we start using mobile payment in public transport, people will become more familiar with it and the adoption rate will increase,” Chun said
