Retail News CRM

Tag: Indonesia

  • Texas Chicken Indonesia opens New Restaurant in Bandung

    Texas Chicken Indonesia opens New Restaurant in Bandung

    A Texas Chicken Indonesia franchisee will be among the first in the world to display the brand’s new look and feel.

    The company’s new ‘Blaze’ concept will make its debut in central Bandung, in a popular town-square style area known as Alun Alun Bandung. Quick Service Restaurant, an affiliate of the Texas Chicken franchisee in Malaysia, Envictus International Holdings Limited (EIH), will be the official franchisee for the new restaurant.

    “This has been an exciting opportunity to introduce a new audience to an ever-evolving brand like Texas Chicken which is known and respected for its quality and superior guest experience,” said Quick Service Restaurant’s country head Daniel Harris Ishak.

    The new Texas Chicken in Bandung is part of a much larger franchise development deal that will bring 80 Texas Chicken restaurants to Indonesia over the next 10 years – mainly in Jakarta, West Java, Banten, Lampung, South Sumatra, and Bengkulu provinces.

    The 150-seat restaurant, located on the first floor of The Kings Shopping Centre, will be the first in Indonesia to feature the new logo, new store design, and the latest international menu.

    “QSR is an extension of one of our most proven franchisees – which made them an excellent choice for piloting this new design,” said Texas Chicken’s executive VP of international business Tony Moralejo.

    “We look forward to bringing our quality food and authentic flavours to our guests in ways that are fresh and engaging.”

  • Honda BR-V Facelift Unveiled In Indonesia

    Honda BR-V Facelift Unveiled In Indonesia

    Honda has revealed the updated BR-V at the 2019 Indonesia International Motor Show. The BR-V has not been doing great in terms of sales in India. The company has been selling close to 500 cars on an average and a facelift might just help in lifting those sales figures. However, we don’t yet know if this facelift will make to India yet as there’s no confirmation from the company. The BR-V does look prettier than before and the revised front grille and even the new bumper add to the design of the car. It looks bolder and the chrome that’s spread around the fog lamps, and even the slat on the front grille, adds to the premiumness of the BR-V.

    There’s a trapezoidal air dam and a silver scuff plate too. From what we can see, the facelift of the BR-V gets projector headlamps with L-shaped daytime running lights. The company has also tweaked the rear bumper slightly, so the BR-V still has the muscles and the character lines make sure that the car still oozes that SUV-ness. The BR-V facelift also gets 16-inch dual tone alloy wheels.

    There aren’t many changes made to the cabin of the BR-V as it retains the all-black dashboard and the touchscreen infotainment system. While the car launched the Indonesia is a 1.5-litre petrol, the one available in India is a 1.5-litre diesel as also a 1.5-litre petrol. With the new regulations coming into the country, carmakers are making sure that the line-up it brings to the market will be sustainable as also will boost its sales in the market. We wait to see what the company retains for the Indian market

    Lees ook:

  • Singtel signs cross-promotion deal with GOJEK

    Singtel signs cross-promotion deal with GOJEK

    Singtel has inked a new partnership with ride hailing company GOJEK aimed at cross-marketing their offerings and providing perks to users and drivers.

    Under the agreement, Singtel will offer GOJEK drivers who subscribe to its Combo mobile plans data-free usage while using GOJEK, as well as a 20% discount on their subscription costs and a complementary caller ID service.

    Meanwhile new and existing customers of Singtel’s digital focused GOMO plan will receive ride hailing credits worth S$5 ($3.67), and all Singtel customers will be offered other ride hailing perks.

    “With this partnership with GOJEK, we are taking our business and customer relationships to the next level, beyond just providing traditional carriage and connectivity,” Singtel CEO consumer Singapore Yuen Kuan Moon said.

    “While our customers have come to expect reliable and comprehensive mobile coverage from us, they are always looking for more value and this we can extend in the form of perks and privileges that come from mutually-beneficial partnerships.”

    Lees ook:

  • Creditor Maybank Terminates Collaboration Deal

    Creditor Maybank Terminates Collaboration Deal

    Hyflux said that creditor Maybank was terminating its collaboration agreement with the troubled Singapore water infrastructure player with immediate effect due to its failure to reach a binding deal with a bidder or investor.

    This constitutes a breach which is incapable of remedy under the collaboration agreement,» the letter said, according to the Hyflux filing. In addition, Maybank has sent notices to Singapore water regulator PUB and the Energy Market Authority of Singapore, Hyflux said.

    «These notices are in respect of an enforcement event and acceleration of the maturity of all amounts owing under the Tuaspring financing documents,» Hyflux said in the filing. «Maybank has also stated its intention to appoint receivers and managers over the assets of Tuaspring save for the desalination plant and shared infrastructure.» Maybank’s loans to Hyflux were substantial: A CGS-CIMB research note from August said that the exposure was at S$658.6 million as of the end of the first half of last year.

    The Malaysian bank had agreed to hold off on enforcement action against Hyflux on the condition that the Singapore company would execute a deal with a successful bidder or investor which would fully settle with Maybank. A deal had appeared within reach and Maybank had provided Hyflux with multiple deadline extensions of their agreement.

    SM Investments, a consortium of the Salim Group and the Medco Group, had entered a binding agreement in October to invest S$530 million for a 60 percent stake in Hyflux, which had filed for court protection in May. Hyflux had said the oversupply of gas in Singapore’s market had resulted in depressed electricity prices, which hit earnings in 2017 and drove losses in the first quarter of 2018.

    But in early April, Hyflux terminated the deal, saying it had «no confidence» that SM Investments would complete the investment after the Indonesian consortium failed to provide a written commitment it would do so.

    The deal’s termination led to Singapore’s water regulator PUB rescinding its extension of the default cure period for the contractual obligations of Hyflux’s Tuaspring Desalination Plant. Last Wednesday, PUB issued a notice to Hyflux that it would terminate its water purchase agreement (WPA) and take over the plant.

    Maybank’s move was likely to mark another headache for Hyflux: «The termination of the collaboration agreement is expected to have a material impact on the financial performance of the group,» Hyflux said.

    Lees ook:

  • XL Axiata upgrading fiber network for 5G era

    XL Axiata upgrading fiber network for 5G era

    Indonesia’s XL Axiata has engaged Infinera to modernize both its South Sumatra terrestrial network and its Singapore-to-Jakarta subsea network for the 5G era.

    Under the agreement, Infinera will provide its XTC platform for the South Sumatra terrestrial network and the  Jakarta-Bangka-Batam-Singapore (B2JS) cable.

    The XTC platform is powered by Infinera’s Infinite Capacity Engine solution, which is designed to provide scalable multi-terabit optical super-channel capacity for distances from metro to subsea.

    XL Axiata CTO Yessie Dianty Yosetya said this additional capacity will allow XL Axiata to prepare its network for the arrival of 5G in Indonesia.

    “As one of Southeast Asia’s largest economies, modernizing the network in Indonesia to ensure 5G-readiness is a priority,” she said.

    “Our partnership with Infinera and Lintas Teknologi has been critical to help us achieve this milestone. Further, the performance of Infinera’s ICE4 solution for this subsea and terrestrial network upgrade enables the delivery of cloud-scale capacity that is simple and operationally efficient, with the benefit of intelligent OTN switching that accelerates our ability to deliver services faster.”

    XL Axiata’s transport infrastructure spans over 45,000km of fiber, while its mobile services cover 94% of Indonesia’s population. The company is a subsidiary of Malaysia-based Axiata Group.

    Lees ook:

  • Indonesian Fintech Launches First Debt Services in Malaysia

    Indonesian Fintech Launches First Debt Services in Malaysia

    A fintech specialized in solving debt problems of consumers and business owners has launched its services in Malaysia, a country whose total overdue consumer loans is second highest in Southeast Asia.

    Indonesian Fintech amalan International announced on Wednesday that it has started operations in Malaysia, expanding its footprints in Indonesia and Singapore. In Malaysia, the total balance of overdue or almost overdue consumer loans is estimated to be $15 billion, the second highest in Southeast Asia.

    «In many cases, amalan is able to reduce the outstanding balance and/or the monthly installments by 50 to 90 percent in Indonesia – this would be also our target for our Malaysian clients. We want to offer a fresh start to our clients so that they can build a better financial future,» says amalan’s founder and CEO, Arne Hartmann in a statement to the media.

    amalan says that its key differentiator lies in working for borrowers to find the best solution with their lenders. As a social enterprise, amalan does not ask for upfront fees and instead uses a success fee model where the borrower only needs to pay after a restructuring plan has been agreed. The amount of the success fee is based on the savings generated through the restructuring.

    So far, the fintech said it has restructured more than 1,000 loans with all major banks in Indonesia and saved its clients more than $800,000 in the process.

    For each borrower, a restructuring plan is generated that takes into account all of the borrower’s loans to then reduce the debt balance and the monthly installments to an affordable level. These debt management programs use proprietary data and technology to get the borrowers out of debt faster, paying less.

    amlan Indonesia was selected as one of the 30 best start-ups in MaGIC (Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Center), a business accelerator program of the Malaysian government.

    Lees ook:

  • Ramadan an opportunity for E-Commerce Retailers

    Ramadan an opportunity for E-Commerce Retailers

    Online sales in Malaysia and Indonesia are set to boom in the lead up to – and during – Ramadan, according to an analysis by advertising platform Criteo. Based on data from last year’s festival – which ran from May 15 to June 14, consumer activity typically slowed at the start and end of the period.

    However, while this could be a result of consumers focusing more on the actual festivities during those times, online retail sales surged 10 days into Ramadan and lasted through the two weeks before Eid al-Fitr on 15 June.

    A 57 per cent uplift in online retail sales was observed on June 4, Criteo revealed.

    By comparison, shoppers in the Middle East typically shop early into the season and slow down closer to Eid al-Fitr to focus on celebrations. Online retail sales surged early, reaching a 106 per cent uplift on May 26. The shopping behaviour during Ramadan in Turkey mirrored that in Malaysia and Indonesia, with online retail sales reaching a peak at 50 per cent uplift a week before Eid al-Fitr.

    “Ramadan represents a notable cultural shift in consumer behaviour, with the Middle East and Southeast Asia being key regions,” said Criteo SEA-Pacific MD said Alban Villani. “Moreover, the global Islamic economy is also growing year-on-year, estimated to reach US$3 trillion by 2023.

    “Given the growth potential of the halal industry, retailers should leverage Ramadan to engage Muslim shoppers,” continued Villani. “They should start reaching out to shoppers early with the relevant messaging two weeks earlier, especially when shoppers are thinking of buying gifts for family and friends. As some shoppers might purchase later into the festive season, retailers should continue engaging them with special offers and personalised content throughout Ramadan to optimise their campaign efforts. By doing so, it is easier for retailers to stay top-of-mind when shoppers are ready to buy gifts to share the festive joy.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Singapore Fintech Firm Heading into Indonesia

    Singapore Fintech Firm Heading into Indonesia

    Following a successful Series B funding round, SME lending platform Validus Capital is launching in Indonesia. SME lending platform Validus Capital has launched in Indonesia, its first Southeast Asian market outside its home country of Singapore, the firm announced in a media release on Thursday.

    Launched in partnership with Indonesia’s Triputra Group under the name Batumbu, the financing platform connects domestic SMEs from sectors as diverse as food and beverage (F&B), services, engineering, to construction industries with accredited, institutional and high net worth investors.

    Leading the local management team is Sonny Christian Joseph, who has over 23 years in SME banking in Indonesia and was previously head of SME banking at Indonesian business bank BTPN.

    P2P lending platforms have gained popularity and have grown rapidly in Indonesia. In 2018, P2P lending platforms disbursed a total of US$1.4 billion (S$1.9 billion) in loans, representing a 681.25 per cent year-on-year growth, according to data from Indonesian financial services authority Otoritas Jasa Keuangan.

    «Our expansion into Indonesia serves as a significant milestone for us. Sharing our insights and applying key learnings from Singapore allows us to take a proven and sustainable business model and apply this to a larger market – a market where I have personally spent a few years helping SMEs to grow,» Ajit Raikar, Validus CEO and co-founder, said.

    Unlike traditional financing options and P2P lenders, Butumbu uses proprietary technology and credit scoring systems adapted and tailored to cater to the needs of SMEs in Indonesia. The firm said that  it will develop strategic partnerships with large corporations to ensure an extremely robust and scalable financing ecosystem.

    In February 2019 Validus recently raised US$15.2 million (S$20.5 million) in an oversubscribed Series B funding round led by Dutch public-private development bank FMO.

    Validus was founded in 2015 and is backed by the likes of Netherlands development bank FMO and Temasek Holdings’ Vertex Ventures. According to the company, it is Singapore’s largest peer-to-business lending platform, facilitating over US$147 million (S$200 million) in business financing to local SMEs in less than 18 months.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Vietjet launches new service to Indonesia with Ho Chi Minh City-Bali route

    Vietjet launches new service to Indonesia with Ho Chi Minh City-Bali route

    New-age airline Vietjet is giving people more reason to travel with the announcement and addition of its newest international route connecting the biggest city of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City with Bali (Indonesia). The first and only airline to operate this service, the Ho Chi Minh City – Bali route will serve as a crucial link between the two cultural centers, meeting the increasing travel demands of locals and tourists as well as boost regional trade and integration.

    The Ho Chi Minh City – Bali route will operate five return flights per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays starting 29 May 2019. The flight duration is approximately four hours per leg. The flight will depart from Ho Chi Minh City at 08:05 and arrive in Bali at 13:05. The return flight takes off from Bali at 14:05 and lands in Ho Chi Minh City at 17:05 (All in local time).

    Vietjet Vice President Nguyen Thanh Son said: “Vietjet has the advantage of an ever-expanding flight network and professional aviation services; therefore, I believe not only does this new route create ease and increased opportunities for both locals and tourists to travel conveniently by safe, modern air transportation, it will also contribute to promoting tourism and economic integration in the region, all while introducing the beauty of Vietnam to the world.”

    Ticket sales for the new route are now open and available on all channels. Those hungry for promotional deals should be sure to check out Vietjet’s daily golden hour promotion which runs from 1.00pm to 3.00pm (Malaysian time) on the airline’s website.

    Vietjet operates its domestic and international routes with a dynamic and friendly flight crew, serving its passengers with fresh and hot meals, while its aircraft is equipped with comfortable leather seats with a technical reliability rate of 99.64% — the highest rate in the Asia Pacific region. As a fully-fledged member of International Air Transport Association (IATA), Vietjet has obtained the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certificate and has been awarded a 7-star ranking, the world’s highest rate for safety, by AirlineRatings.

  • Indonesian retail sales growth speeds up

    Indonesian retail sales growth speeds up

    Indonesian retail sales surged 9.1 per cent in February – a rate higher than anticipated.

    The growth rate appeared to be driven by shoppers splurging on Lunar New Year celebrations as well as an increase in apparel sales during the month.

    February’s rise followed a 7.2 per cent improvement in January and government statisticians have predicted a rise of 8 per cent for March.

  • Indonesia’s FiberStar extends collaboration with Huawei

    Indonesia’s FiberStar extends collaboration with Huawei

    Indonesia’s FiberStar has signed an agreement with Huawei to jointly expand high-speed fiber network services in the market.

    FiberStar recently partnered with Huawei to build a 1Tbps backbone DWDM network linking Jakarta with Surabaya. The network consists of submarine and terrestrial cables that form a ring network with a total length of more than 3000 kilometers.

    Building on this cooperation, the companies signed a memorandum of understanding at the Huawei ISP Summit Asia Pacific 2019 in Bali to strengthen collaboration in the field of fixed networks and data centers.

    FiberStar co-founder and director Thomas Dragono said Huawei shares the company’s vision for the digital transformation of Indonesia.

    “Being the pioneer of Indonesia’s neutral infrastructure service, and considering Huawei’s advancement in the optical communications field, we have both decided to explore a deeper and stronger partnership,” he said.

    “The consensus on the advantages of optical network technologies and evolution trends are the basis of cooperation between both parties. We will leverage the advanced DWDM and MPLS technology to expand the coverage of networks in Indonesia, and further facilitate the growth of the digital economy in Indonesia.”

    FiberStar was established in 2014 as a subsidiary of Indonesia’s biggest conglomerate the Salim Group.

    The company is Indonesia’s biggest carrier-neutral infrastructure provider, offering coverage to 92 Indonesian cities across the nation’s main islands including Sumatra, Java, Bali, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi.

  • Khun Thai Tea appoints First Indonesian Franchise

    Khun Thai Tea appoints First Indonesian Franchise

    Entrepreneur Amelia Fransisca has been appointed master franchise holder for Khun Thai Tea Indonesia.

    Fransisca, who has a 10-year tenure in the foodservice industry, said she chose Khun Thai Tea for its novel, fresh taste despite its low sugar content compared to other competitors, amidst trending consumer demand in Indonesia for original tea and healthier beverage options.

    “This brand will be huge as an option for fresh tea and healthier choices,” said Fransisca. “I believe the brand will also become more recognizable to our people (especially among young people) because it is introduced and organized by a great team and a great plan.”

    Indonesia is already home to four Khun Thai Tea outlets – three in Jakarta and one in Bali. Fransisca plans to spur growth by focussing her efforts in Indonesia’s cities and suburban areas, with special care given to the Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi areas, where she says new outlets will help the brand gain more recognition.

    She has also chosen to open in these areas first due to local consumers’ strong buying power, range of food and beverage choices and exposure to product innovation. They are also well-positioned in terms of proximity, allowing closer supervision of procedures, services, and product quality.

    “The food and beverage business still has lots of room to develop and innovate nowadays, especially in Indonesia. That is why F&B is a good business,” she said. “Selling drinks is also simpler, and delivers good margins for comparatively average business costs … Compared to starting up a new business, it is also safer to choose a franchise.”

    “According to recent research conducted through social media in Indonesia, a glass of milk tea with boba is still the number-two most-wanted product on most Indonesians’ must-buy list, after famous chicken dishes called ‘Ayam Geprek’.”

    Khun Thai Tea is currently amongst the fastest-growing beverage store brands in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

    Lees ook:

  • Telin Singapore secures OSPAR certification

    Telin Singapore secures OSPAR certification

    Indonesia’s PT Telkom has announced that its subsidiary in Singapore has secured certification that will allow it to serve a wider range of clients in the financial sector.

    Telin Singapore has completed an Outsourced Service Provider Audit Review (OSPAR) report signifying its compliance with the Association of Banks In Singapore (ABS) guidelines.

    The certification will allow the company to increase its client base in the financial sector, as local financial sector companies require technology service providers to be in compliance with ABS guidelines.

    An independent audit is a part of this certification process, and OSPAR meets this requirement.

    In addition, Telin Singapore has achieved Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Compliance (PCI DSS) for companies that handle branded credit cards from the major providers.

    “The OSPAR proves that our controls and processes are secure and robust. Through obtaining OSPAR, our financial services clients could rest assured that their data is securely stored according to the highest security standards in our data centers,” Telin Singapore CEO Andreuw Th.A.F said.

    “A loss or breach of customer confidential data and disruption to banking services will result in reputational and financial damage to the financial institutions.”

  • Lion Air to reduce Ticket Prices From April

    Lion Air to reduce Ticket Prices From April

    Airlines under the Lion Air group, namely Lion Air, Wings Air and Batik Air, operate with reduced airfares on all routes starting Saturday.

    “The reduction in ticket prices is Lion Air group’s answer to challenges and opportunities in the travel business, and aims to accommodate demand for air travel while improving flight operations,” Lion Air spokesman Danang Mandala Prihantoro said in a release on Saturday.

    He went on to say that Lion Air was striving to provide convenience for passengers while prioritizing safety and comfort.

    Lion Air tickets with the new lower fares can be reserved through all travel agents and Lion Air’s website.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Nam Air to lure millennials with boutique airline

    Nam Air to lure millennials with boutique airline

    Nam Air, a subsidiary of Sriwijaya Group, has announced a plan to apply the boutique airline concept, which mainly focuses on lifestyle branding.

    The carrier aims to make itself more appealing for customers of the millennial generation by delivering what it refers to as a “unique concept that is more masculine”.

    Nam Air director Asa Perkasa said passengers would experience the new concept even prior to their departure, and it would continue until their arrival at an airport. “There will be a number of changes, starting from our style to our products,” said Asa in an official statement. “But it will still have an Indonesian touch.”

    Asa described millennials as a promising target group, as they made up a large portion of the market and medium-service airlines were challenged to cater to their needs.

    Entering its fifth year of operation, Nam Air plans to change its internal operations as well. “We plan to apply the millennial lifestyle to our internal work pattern, from our outfits and offices to our business processes,” said Asa. “We’ll provide training for all of our employees to keep up with market trends.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook: