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Tag: Hong Kong

  • House of Chanel exhibition for Hong Kong

    House of Chanel exhibition for Hong Kong

    Hong Kong is the next destination for the House of Chanel’s Mademoiselle Prive exhibition – the third chapter after London and Seoul.

    Opening early next year at PMQ, the four-week exhibition will offer an immersive experience that traces the brand’s origins and inspirations over the years.

    It also captures the charisma and irreverent spirit of Gabrielle Chanel as well as Karl Lagerfeld, the two driving forces behind the house, through a narrative tailored especially for Hong Kong. The show highlights Mademoiselle Chanel’s creations as modernised by Lagerfeld, from haute couture to the Chanel No. 5 fragrance to high jewellery including the re-edition of the Bijoux de Diamants collection designed in 1932.

    Running from January 13 to February 10, the Hong Kong edition will be open to the public free of charge.

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  • Cisco launches IoT lab in Hong Kong

    Cisco launches IoT lab in Hong Kong

    Cisco has launched its first smart city pilot program in Hong Kong, the Digital Living Lab.

    The Digital Living Lab is supported by Cisco’s new IoT operations platform Cisco Kinetic, which is designed to help extract, compute and move data from connected things to IoT applications to deliver better outcomes and services.

    Cisco and its partners have established a low-power RAN gateway (LoRaWAN) at Hong Kong Science Park to kick start the IoT program. The gateway will be used to provide demonstrations of IoT-enabled applications that are new to Hong Kong and helpful to the wider community.

    The company is also providing 80 IoT explorer kits to schools, startups and other organizations in Hong Kong to support their teaching and learning in IoT based technologies and facilitate data analytics and R&D development for IoT applications.

    “The ‘Smart Region’ initiative led by HKSTP and The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is to make Hong Kong Science Park a testbed and wondrous showcase of the Smart City vision. We are glad that Cisco, as a worldwide leader in smart city technology, is launching ‘Digital Living Lab’ that aligns with our agenda in developing into a smart city,” HKSTP CTO George Lee commented.

    As well as HKSTP, Cisco’s partners in the program include Avnet, Pixel Networks, the Smart City Consortium (SCC) and the Technology Incubation Network (TIN).

  • Goobne grows in Hong Kong after China rebuff

    Goobne grows in Hong Kong after China rebuff

    Korean chicken franchise Goobne has opened a seventh outlet in Hong Kong, in a residential area in Tseung Kwan O.

    It is part of the brand’s strategy to focus on profitable markets as its business in Mainland China has been hit by the Beijing/Seoul dispute over the deployment of the THAAD missile system in South Korea.

    “We had two branches in China but now are left with one in Suzhou,” says a company spokesperson. “Our store in China is not very profitable.”

    Another chicken franchise, BBQ, which has more than 150 stores in China, said in May that it was unable to expand as its local partner refused to invest further in Korean firms.

    Goobne, meanwhile, has 11 stores in  Japan and Macau as well as China and Hong Kong. Its monthly sales overseas reached 1.5 billion won (US$1.3 million) on average this year, with its Hong Kong sales accounting for about 1.3 billion won.

    “We are doing well in Hong Kong,” says the spokesperson. “The first store in Tsim Sha Tsui alone showed more than 400 million won in sales monthly last year.”

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  • Gift theme for Chow Tai Fook Yoho Mall store

    Gift theme for Chow Tai Fook Yoho Mall store

    Signature gift boxes have inspired the dramatic design for the new Chow Tai Fook Yoho Mall store.

    Rather than the usual gold palette of jewellery store, Hong Kong design practice One Plus Partnership takes a more colourful approach with 1070 stylised gift boxes installed across the 25,800sqft (2397sqm) shop’s walls and ceiling.

    These are echoed in the sub-shaped upholstered seating units as well as display cabinets. The carpets and digital signs reflect the brand’s abbreviated name (FTF) in different colours, while the layout also moves beyond convention to promote engagement between shoppers and staff. Instead of the classic long glass display unit, the shop displays its pieces in cabinets on both sides and in the centre. The display cabinets are  glass boxes with some extending out slightly to serve as mini consultation tables.

    In the centre area, groups of display cabinets are surrounded by the colourful, casual sitting cubes, which are made from different fabrics, patterns and shades of pink to resemble the brand’s gift wraps.

    Digital screens feature graphics and information about the products, while spliced screens at the entrance show motion graphics highlighting the design theme of the store.

    On display in the shop are jewellery production tools, sketches and prototypes. These are not just decoration, but can be used by staff members to explain to customers the production procedures behind every piece of jewellery.

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  • Tod’s Landmark introduces new store concept

    Tod’s Landmark introduces new store concept

    Just opened, Tod’s Landmark flagship introduces the brand’s new store concept to Hong Kong.

    Covering 255sqm, the luxury leather brand’s two-storey boutique features steel vitrines with silver and taupe saddle-stitched leather panels, suspended showcases, high-gloss ceilings and travertine marble floors.

    A cocktail party to mark its opening was attended by its brand ambassador, Chinese actress Liu Shi Shi, wearing the latest Tod’s styles. Other guests included socialites and celebrities such as Gaile Lok,  Jason Chan, Jennifer Tse, Kathy Chow, Pakho Chau and Sarah Song.

    A highlight of the evening was a demonstration by an Italian artisan flown in to showcase the craftsmanship of Made in Italy with the label’s latest icon bag, Tod’s Sella.

    Every Tod’s product is handmade in Italy. The group has six shoe factories and two for leather goods, and also uses a handful of specialised laboratories.

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  • Tumi Hong Kong expands

    Tumi Hong Kong expands

    Travel essentials brand Tumi Hong Kong has opened a boutique store at Elements Mall in Tsim Sha Tsui and unveiled a new look for its IFC outlet in Central.

    On Hong Kong Island, Samsonite-owned Tumi has introduced its new “Madison Concept” store design, originally created by award-winning designer/architect Dror Benshetrit for the brand’s New York City flagship. It features clean lines, light-coloured furnishings and custom shelving to display Tumi’s travel, men’s and women’s everyday bags, business bags and accessories. Angled display bays offer a 360deg view of the bags while ensuring they are more accessible to customers.

    Other features are polished metal fixtures, walnut-finished wood detailing and a flat-screen video wall sharing Tumi videos. There are such details as mirror-polished steel door handles in the shape of the brand’s “T” logo, and tone-on-tone glass panels that subtly reproduce the logo in miniature inside and outside the store.

    As with all other Tumi stores in Hong Kong, there is a monogramming station where shoppers can customise their purchases at no extra charge.

    To mark the Elements opening, the store introduced the new limited-edition 19 Degree travel case in matte black aluminium with rose gold. Exclusive to the store until the end of this month, the case comes in three sizes and features internal dividers and organisational pockets, a patented telescoping handle system and dual recessed wheels.

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  • Esprit Holdings shares worth HK$900m given to sisters

    Esprit Holdings shares worth HK$900m given to sisters

    Former Esprit Holdings chairman Michael Ying Lee-yuen has transferred all 211.8 million shares he owned in the fashion group, worth HK$900 million (US$115 million), to his two daughters.

    Ying, the husband of former movie star Lin Ching-hsia, transferred the shares to the company Total Market, according to a Hong Kong stock exchange disclosure of interests filing.

    His daughters Claudine Lauren Ying, 29, and Eileen Ying, 20, each own half of Total Market. Neither daughter has previously owned Esprit shares, but the transactions makes them jointly the brand’s second-largest shareholder with a 10.97 per cent stake.

    Their 67-year-old father no longer owns any Esprit shares. He joined the fashion group in the 1970s and played a key role in building it into a global brand. He stepped down as head in 2006, and had sold most of his stake by 2010.

    Ying has a net worth of about US$2.4 billion, Forbes estimates.

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  • Pret A Manger has 39 per cent profit leap

    Pret A Manger has 39 per cent profit leap

    While UK sandwich chain Pret A Manger has not broken out details of its Hong Kong business, it had a 39 per cent jump in global pre-tax profits to a record £75.5 million (US$99.6 million) overall for its latest year.

    Total sales were £776 million as it capitalised on consumer eating trends, including a demand for dairy-free food. It says coconut is its most popular new ingredient, with coconut porridge selling particularly well.

    Research firm Kantar Worldpanel ­reports that flatbread, avocado, halloumi and spinach were among the fastest-selling foods last year.

    Pret A Manger says hot breakfast pots have been popular as well as its refreshed soup range, all gluten- and dairy-free and less than 250 calories.

    Meanwhile, there have been reports the chain is preparing for a partial listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Owner Bridgepoint is believed to want to continue to hold a stake in the company rather than cashing out completely. The European private equity firm bought a majority stake in the business for £500 million in 2008.

    More recently, Filipino fast-food restaurant owner Jollibee expressed an interest in buying Pret A Manger.

    The chain added 31 stores in the UK during the 12 months, including a vegetarian-only shop in London, taking the national total to 329. It has a further 110 branches overseas.

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  • Sephora to open at Highpoint Shopping Centre

    Sephora to open at Highpoint Shopping Centre

    Global beauty giant Sehpora has today announced its next store location, continuing its extensive retail expansion in Australia, opening at Highpoint Shopping Centre this November.

    It’s the beauty retailer’s 13th Australian store and third in Victoria, (Melbourne Central and Chadstone), and follows hot on the heels of the cosmetic’s chainslatest opening at Erina Shopping Centre on the Central Coast yesterday.

    “The demand for more Melbourne stores has been considerable and we want to be able to meet the expectations of our local beauty aficionados,” said Sephora country manager Libby Amelia.

    “Highpoint Shopping Centre is a great fit for us and we’re looking forward to launching there next month. We have some super exciting activities planned for launch day to welcome Melbourne’s inner western beauties to the wonderful world of Sephora,” said Amelia.

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  • Large Hong Kong enterprises lack cloud expertise

    Large Hong Kong enterprises lack cloud expertise

    Large enterprises in Hong Kong could be losing out on revenue as 84% of IT decision makers say that they don’t have the required cloud expertise.

    Large enterprises across the world are losing out on $258.1 million a year as a result of a cloud skills gap, according to a new report commissioned by Rackspace in collaboration with LSE academics.

    The study also found that this lack of expertise is stifling creativity, with 80% of IT pros saying they could bring greater innovation to their organization with the right cloud insight.

    Beyond innovation and growth, 44% of IT decision makers believe a lack of skills is causing a lag in their organization’s ability to deploy cloud platforms. The wide majority (77%) also believe they need to invest more in their workforce to meet the developmental challenges of cloud computing.

    “While the rise of Artificial Intelligence and automation may cause some to think that human insight is less important, our report shows that this is not the case,” Rackspace CTO John Engates said.

    “With technology and the cloud now underpinning business transformation, the growing technology skills gap means organizations must have a strategy to access the expertise needed. Those that don’t will struggle to be competitive and innovative.”

    The Cost of Cloud Expertise report looks at the wider implications of the cloud skills gap and provides a route for businesses to tackle the realities of modern IT and the resulting skills gap. Consisting of research amongst 950 IT decision makers and 950 IT pros – as well as in-depth conversations with IT leaders – in large enterprises around the world, the study uncovers current and future trends in cloud expertise.

  • YP Basics taking caps to the world

    YP Basics taking caps to the world

    Hong Kong-based YP Basics has launched an online store, YPbasics.com, designed to take its basic caps to the world.

    Since 1974, YP (short for Yupoong) has created and refined a series of headwear styles embracing sport, action and street fashion. Its products have included the Snapback, Dad Hat, and Flexfit.

    YP Basics is the curated selection of Yupoong’s most popular styles, offered as the logo-free alternative to its private-label products. After a test roll-out in Taiwan last year, YP Basics is aiming its redesigned online shopping experience at customers across America, Asia, Europe and Oceania.

    The global online store lets customers compare fits and view lookbooks when making their choice from more than 100 styles of basic headwear.

    YP Basics is managed by Premium Direct Imports.

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  • Hong Kong retail sales rise ‘moderate’ in August

    Hong Kong retail sales rise ‘moderate’ in August

    Hong Kong retail sales continued their steady but sure recovery in August, rising 2.7 per cent year-on-year.

    The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) estimates retail sales totalled

    HK$34.8 billion. After taking into account the revised estimate of 4 per cent for July, retail sales rose 0.3 per cent during the first eight months of this year, compared to last year. That takes the year-to-date figure out of the red after a shaky first two months of the year.

    A government spokesman described August’s growth as “moderate” and said the rise was mainly supported by “the prevailing sanguine consumer sentiment amid a full-employment situation”.

    “The near-term outlook for retail sales should remain positive given the favourable job and income conditions and stabilisation of inbound tourism. However, the various external uncertainties remain causes for concern.”

    Categories to perform well (in order of the category’s impact on the total figure) were jewellery, watches and clocks, up by 7.3 per cent, supermarket sales (up 2.3 per cent),  department store sales (up 5.2 per cent), medicines and cosmetics (up 2.3 per cent), electrical goods and cameras (up 1.4 per cent), books and stationery (up 1.8 per cent), and furniture and homewares (up 3.5 per cent).

    Apparel sales fell 0.6 per cent, food and liquor sales by 3.9 per cent, footwear and accessories by 5.2 per cent, Chinese drugs and herbs by 3.2 per cent and optical shop sales by 0.1 per cent.

    After netting out the impact of inflation and other price changes year-on-year, Hong Kong retail sales rose 3.2 per cent in August.

  • Emporio Armani Hong Kong launches star hunt

    Emporio Armani Hong Kong launches star hunt

    High-fashion brand Emporio Armani Hong Kong has launched its first-treasure hunt app, with augmented-reality technologies to enable users to track down a special quarry, Shanghai actor Hu Ge.

    Until October 17, the EA Collector app can be downloaded to scan AR images on four Hu Ge posters scattered around Harbour City. Users will then be able to take virtual photos with the Emporio Armani brand ambassador for Greater China and Asia Pacific.

    Users who present one of Hu Ge images can redeem a gift at the Harbour City Emporio Armani store, with a limited-edition postcard holder for anyone collecting all four images. There are limited daily quotas for this offer.

    Furthermore, there is a a chance to win an invitation to Emporio Armani’s party to meet Hu Ge by using the app to submit a virtual photo with the actor before October 15. The actor himself will choose 10 winners to attend the party, on October 18.

    To celebrate the event, a limited-edition Hu Ge Octopus Card will be launched at all Emporio Armani stores across Hong Kong.

  • Triple O’s to expand in Hong Kong

    Triple O’s to expand in Hong Kong

    To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Canadian burger chain Triple O’s plans a five-year expansion that includes four more outlets in Hong Kong.

    Created by restaurant chain White Spot in 1997, Triple O’s already has six locations in Hong Kong since arriving in 2004, and this month will launch in Macau.

    “We are looking for more growth in all of our markets,” says White Spot/Triple O’s president Warren Erhart. “Asia has some of our top locations. Our restaurants in Pacific Place and Shatin do more sales on a per-unit basis than any of our stores in British Columbia.”

    The brand’s 67 locations include two in Singapore.

    While other US fast-food chains adapt their offering for international market, Triple O’s has done little to change the original Canadian taste for Hong Kong consumers, says Triple O’s owner/franchisee Cynthia Suen. She says one of the key points that led her to bring the chain to Hong Kong was the familiarity of the product, driven by the heavy flow of Hong Kong residents travelling and moving to Vancouver since the 1970s and 1980s.

    Suen says she might consider taking Triple O’s to China, with the blessings of Erhart and White Spot owner Peter Toigo. It depends on the success of the Macau outlet.

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  • Asia’s first Jamie’s Deli opening at Harbour City

    Asia’s first Jamie’s Deli opening at Harbour City

    British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver will open the first Asia branch of his casual concept, Jamie’s Deli, in Hong Kong next month.

    A fast-casual delicatessen, its menu will feature fresh, sustainably sourced dishes including salads, artisan pizzas, sandwiches and pastries, available for dine-in or takeaway.

    Jamie’s Deli will debut inside Harbour City, under the same roof as the Kowloon branch of the chef’s flagship brand, Jamie’s Italian.

    Since launching in England last year, Jamie’s Deli has opened in three European airports. The menu reflects the philosophy of the Jamie Oliver empire (encompassing global restaurants, cookbooks, charity campaigns and television shows broadcast in more than 50 countries): fresh and simple Italian cooking at an affordable price point.

    While Jamie’s Italian is about pizza and pasta, Jamie’s Deli offers healthier fare. It starts with breakfast (coffee and a bun, featuring the Full Monty with grilled sausage and balsamic onions), and at midday offers a deli lunch box with the customer’s choice of hot sandwich accompanied by seasonally rotating salads.

    An all-day menu includes a superfood salad full of grains and seeds, lemon-and-herb baked salmon with fresh dill, slow-cooked meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce, and a hot pastrami with slow-cooked corned beef and melted cheese.

    Jamie’s Deli and Jamie’s Italian in Hong Kong are managed by Big Cat Group, which also runs three Jamie’s Italian restaurants in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and plans to open several more outlets throughout Hong Kong and Greater China in the next five years.

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