Retail News CRM

Tag: Japan

  • Aeon Vietnam launches online store

    Aeon Vietnam launches online store

    Aeon Vietnam has launched an online store, AeonEshop.com, offering discounted Japanese goods and local brands.

    The Japanese-headquartered retailer says its AeonEshop.com B2C platform in Vietnam will stock a majority of Japanese and imported products, along with Aeon’s own brand Topvalu which has been available at its physical stores nationwide.

    Products span various categories, including fashion, cosmetics, furniture, electronics, household items, food and office stationery.

    Similar to Aeon’s other eCommerce sites in the region, AeonEshop will provide discounts up to 50 per cent for specific product types.

    Ho Chi Minh City is the first market for AeonEshop with other Vietnamese cities to follow in the near future. The company plans to develop an English-language version and mobile app by mid-2017.

    Male hands using touch screen device for online shopping

    Vietnam is the third market where Aeon has established online retail, after Japan and Malaysia.

    At the end of 2016, Korean retail giant Lotte also launched its online store Lotte.vn, targeting a share of the US$4 billion local online retail market.

    Fabrice Carrasco, MD of market research house Kantar World, predicts the figure will grow five-fold by 2020 thanks to the development of smartphone usage and consumer convenience.

  • Sompo Insurance eyes retail customers

    Sompo Insurance eyes retail customers

    Sompo Insurance (Thailand) is embracing innovation and digital channels as key strategies to build brand awareness among individual Thais, who are a new customer base for the Japan-based firm, which aims to be in the top 10 in Thailand’s |insurance market by 2020.

    Sompo Insurance eyes retail customers

    Sompo Insurance, formerly known as Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance (Thailand), is focusing more on retail customers after securing a strong corporate base, mainly Japanese firms operating in Thailand.

    The company has been in Thailand for 19 years, tapping only corporate clients before starting to expand |its customer base to |individuals three years ago with motor insurance by partnering with Japanese auto companies.

    Chief executive officer Isorasak Thesratanavong said yesterday that motor insurance was the largest |segment for the insurance business in Thailand, so if his firm wants to expand its retail base, it needs to offer such policies.

    Another strategy is travel |insurance. This year Sompo’s retail customers are expected to generate 30 per cent of total premium income of Bt3 billion, but if the company wants to promote its brand |awareness to Thai customers, |travel insurance should help, because Japan is the No 1 destination of Thai tourists.

    The company yesterday |introduced a travel-insurance policy called Sompo Go Japan. Customers can buy the policy at traveljoy.sompo.co.th, after which the company will send an SMS link to |their mobile device. The |customers will then receive the |policy in a PDF file on their mobile.

    The company has added |threefeatures to its travel insurance. Sompo Assist helps policyholders contact hospitals in Japan and make appointments with them. Thai policyholders are not required to pay medical expenses to the hospital when they use its services, Isorasak said.

    Recognising the growing digital trend in Thailand and as a new player in the retail market, Sompo believes that innovation and digital channels will help it rise into the top 10 and sustain annual premium-income growth of 15 per cent. Its corporate-customer base might not grow much as before, and the company estimates that premium income from corporate clients will grow by no more than 5 per cent as Thailand has been spared any major disasters, reducing premiums of industrial all risks (IAR) by 20 per cent in 2017.

    Cyber insurance considered

    The company is discussing with its headquarters in Japan the possibility of offering cyber insurance to |corporates in Thailand as the risk of cyber-attacks rises from the growing use of digital technology, Isorasak said.

    Premium income from retail customers is expected to grow by 15-18 per cent a year, and if Sompo can retain this growth, its retail base will be contributing half of its premium income by 2020, he said.

    Sompo Group in Japan sees Thailand as a hub for its business in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, so it is ready to inject |investment capital to use this country as a springboard for investment in those countries, he added.

    Sompo Thailand has been assigned by its headquarters in Japan to cover Japanese investors in Laos.

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  • Retail sales in Japan rise by 1.7 percent

    As per industrial data released on Wednesday, Japan has witnessed economical growth after months of stagnation. The country’s industrial output increased 1.5 percent on month, and inventories fell 1.5 percent on month and 4.8 percent on-year.

    Japan’s retail sales also rose by 1.7 percent on-year in November, however, sales of large retailers were down by 0.3 percent on year. The manufacturing industry is meanwhile expected to grow 2 percent in December and 2.2 percent in January.

    The country released revised figures earlier this month, showcasing that its gross domestic product (GDP) for the July-to-September quarter grew 1.3 percent on-year.

    Izumi Devalier, Head of Japan economics at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch said, “We’re now down to levels we saw pretty much at the time of the VAT value-added tax hike. So, inventories are very lean, which means that we should some pretty strong production numbers in the months ahead.”

    “While domestic demand still lacks strength, a pick-up in exports is driving up production. Output will likely continue recovering moderately ahead,” said Takeshi Minami, Chief Economist at Norinchukin Research Institute.

    Growth in exports and factory outputs is offering the country’s economy a boost, while also encouraging policymakers to pull the country’s economy from stagnation.

    Further, the data released showed that Japan’s core consumer price index including oil products dropped 0.4 percent on-year.

    Such a drop has been recorded for the ninth straight month in November.

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  • Balenciaga opens Osaka pop-up

    Balenciaga opens Osaka pop-up

    French fashion maison Balenciaga has opened a new pop-up store in Osaka, adding to the five standalone boutiques already retailing in the Japanese city.

    The Parisian label has its sights set on pushing its newest ‘it’ handbag – the Bazar Shopping Bag – onto the Japanese clientele.

    The new Osaka pop-up shop will house the original Bazar Shopping from the latest collection, as well as holiday and resort versions. Also for sale are pouch and wallet versions of the bag.

    The colourful tote bag, designed by Demna Gsvalia, featured in Balenciaga’s Autumn/Winter 2016 collection. The Bazar Shopping Bag — already a hit with fashionistas such as Pernille Teisbaek, the co-founder and creative director at Social Zoo Direct — is part of Gvsalia’s first accessory line since taking the helm of Balenciaga this year.

    Despite being compared to a heavy-duty laundrette carryall, the Balenciaga accessory retails for a whopping £975 per unit and has been hailed a best-seller on major fashion e-platforms Net-a-Porter and MatchesFashion.com.

    Balenciaga is known for ‘it’ bags, since the Arena handbag, designed by Nicholas Ghesquire over ten years ago.

    The pop-up shop is located within a portion of the Hankyu department store in Osaka. It is open from now until the end of December.

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  • Toyota recalls 18,757 Lexus cars

    Toyota recalls 18,757 Lexus cars

    Russian standards agency Rosstandart said on Monday it had been informed about a voluntary recall by Toyota of 18,757 Lexus NX 200, NX 200t and NX 300h cars which had a fault in their braking systems.

    The recall affected cars sold after Sept. 11 2014, the agency said in a statement.

  • First step in Taiwan for Ramen Iroha

    First step in Taiwan for Ramen Iroha

    Japanese restaurant chain Ramen Iroha has opened its first outlet in Taiwan.

    The Ramen Iroha Taiwan restaurant is a joint venture with local partner I-Mei Food which is sourcing ramen ingredients free from additives and chemical residues, and so appeal to health-conscious diners.

    Ramen Iroha, ranked number one in sales for three consecutive years in 2009, 2010 and 2011 at Tokyo Ramen Show, is gradually building a network of restaurants globally, with local partners. It recently opened in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay.

    Signature dishes include ramen in black soy sauce and ramen with scallion and partially cooked eggs. One of the special features of its noodles is that the ramen is prepared in comparatively mild-flavour.

    The new Taiwan store is located on a street corner near Hsinchu Science Park at No 103 in Ziqiang South Road, Zhubei City, Hsinchu County.

  • Japanese department store facing downturn

    Japanese department store facing downturn

    Japanese department store sales fell 2.4 per cent in November, year-on-year, the ninth consecutive monthly decline.

    The Japan Department Stores Association reported total sales at 234 outlets run by 81 companies were ¥525.7 billion, (US$4.47 billion). It said it expected an improvement in December’s sales data as consumers enjoyed an end-of-year shopping spree.

    November was the third consecutive month when the rate of decline had narrowed. October’s same-store sales fell 6.5 per cent.

    The JDSA says most categories posted sales declines – with the notable exception of cosmetics.

    Meanwhile, the Japan Franchise Association says convenience store sales in November increased 0.5 per cent year on year to ¥773.4 billion (US$6.58 billion), the second consecutive monthly improvement.

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  • Element Fresh plans Asian franchise roll-out

    Element Fresh plans Asian franchise roll-out

    Chinese international restaurant brand Element Fresh plans to grant development rights to franchisees across Asia, with an initial focus on Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and Singapore.

    Founded in 2002, the group has nearly 40 restaurants in China, mainly in Beijing and Shanghai.

    It forecasts 80 outlets across China by 2020 while it moves to franchise in key countries across Asia.

    “We seek retail-focussed companies that view our cosmopolitan brand as complementing their existing portfolio and aligned with their business strategy,” says Element Fresh international franchising director Paul Barbone. “Our systems and operations have been fine-tuned and engineered to ease the start-up process through to multi-unit management.”

    Most of the brand’s dishes incorporate superfoods, with the seasonal menu innovation cycle giving diners the chance to try innovative ingredients.

    “We are passionate about fresh food, great taste and quality ingredients, making ‘eating right’ easy for our guests,” says CEO Frank Rasche. “People from dozens of countries come to us every day for our diverse menu and seasonal touches.”

    Recent examples include Salmon & Warm Buckwheat Salad, plus the Spicy BBQ Chicken Cobb salad that includes avocado chunks and chimichurri ranch dressing.

    Element Fresh has also just launched www.elementfresh.org, which details the advantages and benefits for franchise partners while showcasing its latest restaurant prototype.

    Barbone says the website offers information and videos for potential franchise partners. He plans to visit key markets in the coming months to meet with qualified groups, with the goal of having outlets open in select key cities by the second half of next year.

    Founded in Shanghai in 2002, Element Fresh is known for its gourmet salads and made-to-order fruit juices and smoothies, its diverse international menu including American-style breakfasts, and its casual dining ambience and service.

  • Nestle Japan strikes a musical note

    Nestle Japan strikes a musical note

    Nestle Japan has extended its offering from coffee to music as part of a promotional event for its Nescafe Gold Blend Barista instant coffee.

    It has launched a wooden musical instrument, the “Pythagorean”, which plays Christmas melodies. It is the only Rube Goldberg machine in the world to be installed in a coffee shop.

     

    nestle-japan-strikes-a-musical-note-1

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    nestle-japan-strikes-a-musical-note

    Designed like a coffee mug and about 3.5m high and 3m wide, the Pythagorean involves a wooden ball being released into a staircase-shaped maze. Christmas carols play as the ball rolls downward, striking tuned xylophone steps. The contraption comprises 180 xylophone keys and 1450 individual parts. It took about five months to build, using laser machining and other cutting-edge technologies.

    nestle-japan-strikes-a-musical-note-3

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    By using an app, customers at the Nescafe Harajuku outlet can choose an emoticon that befits their mood. A bird character then appears on the screen, and while their coffee is being made, the ball is released to play one of three Christmas tunes.

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  • Sunway Velocity Mall opens doors

    Sunway Velocity Mall opens doors

    Sunway Velocity Mall has opened in Cheras, with a catchment of 1.72 million residents including the nearby areas of Ampang and Kuala Lumpur.

    With a neo-futuristic appearance, the sphere-shaped shopping centre, known as the “KL Orb”, is set to be a landmark on the city’s skyline, especially with its LED light display.

    Its opening is also a milestone for the Sunway Group’s retail division. The group’s fifth mall, it integrates shopping, entertainment and gastronomy in an integrated development.

    “Sunway Velocity Mall was built and designed with one key purpose – to enrich the life experiences of its surrounding community,” says Sunway Shopping Malls & Theme Parks CEO HC Chan.

    The centre has four precincts: Vanity Hall, Marketplace, Food Street, and Commune @ Sunway Velocity. The seven-storey mall offers the first-ever Aeon MaxValu Prime in Malaysia – the third such outlet in the world following Japan and Hong Kong.

    The other two main anchors are Parkson and TGV Cinemas, which has the largest Imax screen in Malaysia. Other tenants include Chi Fitness, Grand Imperial, Harvey Norman, JD Sports, Padini Concept Store, Popular Bookstore, Toys‘R’Us and Uniqlo.

    Chan says the mall is part of the “golden triangle of retail spaces” comprising the new Ikea Cheras, Aeon Maluri Shopping Centre, MyTown Shopping Centre and the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) Lifestyle Quarter development.

    Sunway Velocity Mall has been “dressed” for the festive season with decorations including a 30ft (9m) Christmas tree surrounded by giant presents in the main atrium. There is also a Christmas spend-and-win campaign, Santa City, which runs until February 12. Prizes include a Volvo V40 car, a Celistar diamond ring by SK Jewellery, a Hero bed frame, and a Nature’s Finest Himalaya mattress from Harvey Norman.

    There are also free weekend Christmas workshops for children.

  • OneWeb secures $1.2b from Softbank-led investment

    OneWeb secures $1.2b from Softbank-led investment

    OneWeb has raised $1.2 billion in a new funding round led by Japan’s Softbank, bringing in fresh capital for the US satellite startup to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

    Softbank is investing $1 billion of the total $1.2 billion and has become a strategic partner, with one of its directors, Ronald Fisher, joining OneWeb’s board of directors.

    The remaining $200 million will be funded by its current investors, which include Airbus Group, Bharti Enterprises, Intelsat-owned Hughes Network Systems, Qualcomm, and Virgin Group. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017.

    OneWeb said the money will be used to build a high-volume satellite production plant in Florida, which is expected to create almost 3,000 new engineering, manufacturing and supporting jobs in US over the next four years.

    “With this new round of funding and based on our rapid technical progress over the past year, we also announce a much larger goal: to fully bridge the digital divide by 2027, making internet access available and affordable for everyone,” said OneWeb founder Greg Wyler.

    The new facility, which will begin production in 2018, aims to produce 15 satellites each week “at a fraction of the cost of what any satellite manufacturing facility in the world can produce today,” the company said.

    For Softbank, the $1 billion investment in OneWeb is the first tranche of a $50 billion US investment the Japanese conglomerate’s founder and CEO Masayoshi Son pledged to President-elect Donald Trump.

    “Earlier this month I met with President-Elect Trump and shared my commitment to investing and creating jobs in US,” Son said in a media release. “This is the first step in that commitment.”

    It is also Softbank’s latest attempts to strengthen the company’s foothold in the burgeoning IoT sector. In July, Softbank, which also owns US mobile carrier Sprint, acquired UK chipmaker Arm for a whopping $31 billion to pursue business opportunities in the emerging IoT sector.

    “SoftBank has a long history of investing in disruptive, foundational technologies that promise to help us realize the future sooner. OneWeb is a tremendously exciting company poised to transform internet access around the world from their manufacturing facility in Florida,” Son noted.

    Founded in 2012, OneWeb aims to build a communication network with a constellation starting with 720 low earth orbit (LEO) satellites to deliver affordable, high-speed, low latency internet access to rural areas across the United States and emerging markets.

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  • Dsptch Japan opens store in Tokyo

    Dsptch Japan opens store in Tokyo

    US label Dsptch Japan has opened a store in Tokyo, at Crest Omotesando in Shibuya-ku.

    Dsptch is a San Francisco design company that specialises in backpacks, tech cases and camera straps. It focuses on combining practicality with sleek, stylish design. Each piece is fabricated in the US.

    The new store will carry the brand’s full line, as well as complementary clothing and footwear by Descent Allterrain, Isaora and Reigning Champ.

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  • Fujitsu partners with DHL to target wearable technology, IoT

    Fujitsu partners with DHL to target wearable technology, IoT

    The two companies plan to jointly develop IoT solutions designed to improve safety for emergency services. Japanese ICT firm Fujitsu announced a strategic partnership with DHL Supply Chain U.K. to develop new services based on wearable technology and the “internet of things.”

    Under terms of the partnership, Fujitsu will share its expertise to jointly develop solutions designed to improve safety for emergency services. Fujitsu and DHL also plan to use the partnership to drive the creation of new markets in other sectors, such as airline logistics.

    The use of wearable and IoT technology such as Fujitsu Ubiquitousware is said to enable emergency services to track the health of individuals in the field through a dashboard showing their status and location. This technology is also said to provide real-time tracking for the location of protective equipment.

    “As the global logistics leader, we constantly seek out innovations that improve our customers’ lives,” said Paul Richardson, MD for specialist services as DHL Supply Chain U.K. “Wearable technology is going to transform the way we work, helping us understand the dynamics of what’s happening around us and providing real-time insight on our environment as never before.”

    In a separate project, Fujitsu is working with DHL to support the deployment of GlobeRanger IoT scanning and sensor technologies for airline duty free logistics. Following a successful proof of concept, the project is forecast to deliver annual labor savings of more than $564,000 (530,000 euros) and a 59% return on investment for the organization.

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  • SoftBank launches cloud videoconferencing service

    SoftBank launches cloud videoconferencing service

    Japan’s SoftBank  has launched a new cloud-based videoconferencing service using PolyCom’s RealPresence Clariti infrastructure software.

    SoftBank’s new PrimeMeeting service will strengthen the company’s offerings to customers looking for a flexible video collaboration solution that is simple to purchase and implement.

    The service is built on RealPresence Clarity as well as SoftBank’s White Cloud ASPIRE Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) platform.

    As well as enabling collaboration from anywhere on any device, the service will support integration with Microsoft’s Skype for Business and traditional video conferencing systems.

    “We are happy to announce the launch of our cloud videoconferencing service, PrimeMeeting, provided in collaboration with Polycom. Customers who previously could not use a video conferencing service due to cost, location, or device issues will now be able to easily adopt this service,” SoftBank ICT innovation division director Sadahiro Sato said.

    “By combining Polycom’s strong market share and brand value in the video conferencing market together with our new cloud service, we can enable more flexible and richer communication options to more of our customers.”

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  • DoCoMo joins CAICT’s 5G Promotion Group

    DoCoMo joins CAICT’s 5G Promotion Group

    Japan’s NTT DoCoMo has teamed up with the China Academy of Information and Communication Technology (CAICT) on research and development into potential 5G standards.

    As part of the collaboration, DoCoMo will join the CAICT-initiated IMT-2020 Promotion Group 5G trial. DoCoMo and CAICT will also evaluate possible frequency bands for future 5G networks.

    DoCoMo joined the IMT-2020 promotion group in August to co-operate with major mobile operators and vendors on 5G R&D and standardization.

    The operator has also been conducting joint 5G R&D with vendors including Ericsson, Huawei and others.

    The IMT-2020 Promotion Group was jointly established by three Chinese ministries in early 2013, based on the original IMT-Advanced Promotion Group. It is the major platform to promote research into 5G in China.

    The group is divided into dedicated units covering areas including technology, spectrum, intellectual property and network asrchitectures.

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