Retail News CRM

Tag: Indonesia

  • Asians embrace Valentines Day

    Asians embrace Valentines Day

    Indonesians, Taiwanese and Singaporeans are far more likely to splurge on Valentine’s Day than shoppers in Germany or the UK, a survey reveals.

    Japan’s home-grown global online retailer Rakuten has surveyed 7000 people across the globe to gauge attitudes to Valentine’s Day and found that Asians embrace the concept much more than Europeans.

    The Rakuten Shopping Secrets survey found Indonesians (57 per cent), Taiwanese (53 per cent) and Singaporeans (45 per cent) placed top of the multi-national poll for being the most expectant to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, heading off other countries in the poll – the US (where the tradition has been the most commercialised), the UK, Spain and Germany.  According to the survey, love is not in the air for Germans (18 per cent) or the British (36 per cent), who were least likely to celebrate the occasion.

    The survey also revealed that the majority of Singaporeans (59 per cent) do not expect to receive gifts on Valentine’s Day. But for those that are spirited enough to celebrate the occasion – receiving a trip or vacation (41 per cent), fashion accessories (27 per cent), chocolates wine and other food or drink (26 per cent) and jewellery (22 per cent) ranked highest among what they hoped to receive.

    The survey also asked respondents about choosing shopping as “a break-up therapy”. Singaporeans, not surprisingly given their penchant for shopping, were the most likely (39 per cent), followed by neighbours Indonesia (38 per cent). Germans ranked lowest at just 19 per cent.

    For those who hit the stores upon singlehood, fashion and accessories were the items most frequently bought post-breakup.

    More than half of Singaporeans who have gone through a bad breakup or relationship prefer to drown their sorrows by shopping online rather than offline in the one month after a breakup. Not feeling like going out and interacting with people (58 per cent), wanting more privacy (55 per cent) and not wanting to let people see that they look depressed (26 per cent) were the top three reasons cited.

    Launched in Singapore in January 2014, the Rakuten Singapore Marketplace currently carries over 200,000 goods from 300 merchants with a diverse mix of product categories, including fashion apparel and accessories, health and beauty products, consumer electronics, toys and games, food and beverages and home furniture.

    Rakuten is headquartered in Tokyo, with over 10,000 employees and partner staff worldwide.

  • Aeon nears Indonesian debut

    Aeon nears Indonesian debut

    Japan’s Aeon is completing construction of its first shopping mall in Indonesia.

    Its Indonesia debut follows success in Malaysia and Thailand where it is building strong networks of hypermarkets, supermarkets and mini-markets, and a more recent foray into Vietnam where it has two shopping centres already trading in the south and a third under construction in Hanoi.

    Aeon Mall Sinarmas Land Indonesia, its local arm, is building Aeon Mall Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) City which will have more than 100,000 sqm of leased area and be one of the largest shopping malls in the city when complete.

    The suburban mall will have have an Aeon general merchandising store as its anchor, and lease space to a broad range of international and local brands, in similar format to its Vietnamese centres.

    It will also feature a food court, cinemas, and an amusement arcade.

    The mall will comprise four stories along with multi-level parking for more than 5000 vehicles.

    This week Aeon contracted NEC Indonesia to provide cashless payment systems for the food court in what will be the first electronic card payment project for NEC in Indonesia.

    The cashless payment system consisting of NEC retail terminals and software will enable cashless transactions for both food court customers and stallholders. Payments for food and beverage will be made via an electronic card, which can be topped up at a central cashier or kiosk.

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  • Consumer confidence climbs in Indonesia

    Consumer confidence climbs in Indonesia

    Indonesian consumers grew more optimistic about their economic prospects in January, thanks to the recent fuel price cuts, according to surveys from the central bank and a state-controlled research institute.

    Bank Indonesia’s Consumer Confidence Index, which is based on a sample of 4,600 households in 18 major cities in Indonesia, increased by 3.7 points to 120.2 point in January.

    A level of more than 100 points generally means consumers are optimistic about the country’s economy.

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  • Smartphones boost Indonesian ecommerce

    Smartphones boost Indonesian ecommerce

    Smartphone shipments to Indonesia will grow 20 percent during 2015 and will give a boost to the country’s ecommerce industry, according to a new forecast from research firm IDC. Some 24.8 million smartphones were shipped in 2014.

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  • Juara Beauty aims to win over Indonesia

    Juara Beauty aims to win over Indonesia

    Though France and the United States continue to lead trends in the beauty industry, the market is opening up for luxury brands from both local and international players.

    Entrepreneur Metta Murdaya aims to be a winner. That, at least, is the basis for her range of beauty products, which the Indonesian-born, US-based entrepreneur aims to transform into market favourite in Indonesia.

    Juara Beauty, the skincare line that took the United States by storm, is coveted by celebrities such as Brooke Shields, Keri Russell and Ashley Greene, and has since 2013 been making inroads in the archipelago.

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  • Second Courts store in Indonesia begins construction

    Second Courts store in Indonesia begins construction

    Courts Asia, the operator of retailer Courts Megastore, began with construction of its second outlet in Indonesia on Thursday, as the company races to tap into the country’s growing middle-income group.

    The three-storey structure will boast 20,400 square metres of retail space in Bumi Serpong Damai, a satellite city located south of Jakarta, said Terence Donald O’Connor, Courts Asia’s executive director and group chief executive.

    That would dwarf Court’s first store in Bekasi, which offers 12,000 square metres of soft retail space and is currently the biggest Courts Megastore in Southeast Asia.

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  • Indonesia set to ban liquor sales in mini markets

    Indonesia set to ban liquor sales in mini markets

    Indonesians looking to buy a cold beer from one of the country’s ubiquitous minimarts come the end of the month will soon find themselves out of luck.

    Trade Minister Rahmat Gobel has reportedly signed a regulation that will ban small, modern retail chains such as Indomaret, Alfamart, Circle K and 7-11, from selling alcoholic beverages, including beers and pre-mixed drinks with less than 5 percent alcohol.

    The regulation, which local media have reported was signed by the minister on 16 Jan., affects mini markets only. Supermarkets and hypermarkets, such as Carrefour, will still be able to sell booze.

  • Ikea working to polish its reputation in Indonesia

    Ikea working to polish its reputation in Indonesia

    Indonesia and the European Union have been doing business for decades. Over the years, Indonesia has been exporting many products to EU countries, and vice versa. According to Harvey Rouse, head of economic and trade section for the European Union’s mission to Indonesia, the EU encourages European companies that invest in Indonesia to respect local values and cultures, as well as improve the welfare of the people around them through corporate social responsibility programs.

    “By addressing these social responsibilities, companies are actually building long term relationship and trust with employees, customers and citizens,” Rouse said.

    One of the European companies in Indonesia that has a solid commitment to local CSR programs is Ikea. Since its launch in Alam Sutera, Tangerang, last October, Ikea’s first store in Indonesia has been a favourite shopping destination.

  • Indonesia’s rubber exporters hopeful on automotive recovery

    Indonesia’s rubber exporters hopeful on automotive recovery

    Indonesia’s rubber businesses are eyeing a boost in sales and exports next year as the global automotive industry, one of the sectors that the rubber industry relies on, has begun recovering after being hit hard by the global economic downturn.

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  • Matahari department store opens its 130th store in Jakarta’s Cyberpark

    Matahari department store opens its 130th store in Jakarta’s Cyberpark

    Matahari Department Store opened its 130th outlet in Cyberpark, North Lippo Karawaci, last week to tap growing demand of consumers in the Tangerang region, the retailer said in a statement.

    Matahari currently operates in 62 cities across the archipelago and the Cyberpark outlet would be its sixth in Tangerang.

    “With a shopping area of almost 5,000 square metres, we strive to provide consumers with a fun and unique experience while shopping,” the statement read.

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  • MPP to build 20 new Hypermart outlets in Indonesia

    MPP to build 20 new Hypermart outlets in Indonesia

    Matahari Putra Prima, the operator of the supermarket chain Hypermart, is setting aside up to IDR882 billion (USD71 million) to beef up its retail network next year in another sign of confidence for the country’s burgeoning middle class.

    Danny Kojongian, a director at Matahari Putra Prima, said that the listed company aims to build 20 new Hypermart outlets and renovate 10 existing outlets next year. The 20 additional outlets will primarily target cities in the eastern region of Indonesia, he added.

    Danny said that there are also plans to build up to eight additional stores for grocery market chain Foodmart, as well as a high-end version of the grocery market chain next year, which will be called Foodmart Primo.

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