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Tag: lifestyle

  • Pooey Puitton toy purse makers file lawsuit against Louis Vuitton

    Pooey Puitton toy purse makers file lawsuit against Louis Vuitton

    Toy company MGA Entertainment has preemptively sued Louis Vuitton in an attempt to prevent the fashion house from taking actions that might impact sales of its slime-filled children’s purse Pooey Puitton. Filed 28 December 2018 in Los Angeles federal court, the lawsuit aims to prevent any potential claims of trademark infringement that Louis Vuitton might have against the plastic, poop-shaped purse.

    Instead, it asserts that the product is a “protected parody” of Louis Vuitton’s luxury handbags.

    The Pooey Puitton plastic purse takes the shape of a poop emoji with a handle and sparkly eyes. It is printed with a colourful, printed monogram, similar to the floral trademark pattern found on Louis Vuitton products, particularly the Spring/Summer 2003 collaboration with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.

    Intended as a children’s toy, the purse is designed to store “unicorn poop”, a glittery toy slime.

    The children’s toy manufacturer launched the lawsuit in response to a claim that Pooey Puitton’s name and image violates the fashion label’s intellectual property rights.

    But MGA Entertainment asserted that “no reasonable consumer would mistake the Pooey product for a Louis Vuitton handbag”, citing the difference in material, price, marketing and stockists.

    According to the toy giant, the product is actually a parody of the luxury fashion brand, “designed to mock, criticise, and make fun of the wealth and celebrity” associated with Louis Vuitton products.

    “The use of the Pooey name and Pooey product in association with a product line of magical unicorn poop is intended to criticise or comment upon the rich and famous, the Louis Vuitton name, the ‘LV’ marks, and on their conspicuous consumption,” the statement reads.

    The interlocking “L” and “V” floral monogram pattern was designed by Louis Vuitton’s son, Georges Vuitton, in 1896.

    This is not the first time that MGA Entertainment has found itself in legal battles. The brand was famously sued by Barbie-manufacturer Mattel for allegedly stealing the idea behind its Bratz doll franchise.

    Elsewhere, Virgil Abloh – who was appointed artistic director of menswear for Louis Vuitton in March 2018 – unveiled his polychromatic menswear collection for the brand during Paris fashion week.

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  • Vietnam’s Viettel seeks to double Myanmar customer base: CEO

    Vietnam’s Viettel seeks to double Myanmar customer base: CEO

    Vietnam’s largest telecommunication company, Viettel, is seeking to double its five million subscribers in Myanmar by the end of the year. Viettel, whose $1.22 billion unit Viettel Global Investment is trading on the Unlisted Public Company Market, has also shown interest in investing in North Korea and Cuba. “The growth seen in Myanmar is rare in the telecom market,” Viettel’s president and chief executive officer Le Dang Dung said on Friday. “We still have room to grow there.”

    Myanmar, where Viettel and its local partners launched a $1.5 billion 4G network in June last year has emerged as one of the most promising markets for the company, Dung said.

    The Mytel network, jointly developed by Myanmar National Holding Public Ltd and Star High Public Co Ltd, has amassed around five million subscribers, a figure which Dung said he expects to double by the end of this year.

    Viettel is also in talks to buy stakes in existing telecommunication firms in Malaysia and Indonesia, Dung said, without giving further details due to the sensitivity of the deals.

    The company will be the first to develop a 5G network in Vietnam, Dung said, in anticipation of rapid development of data services.

    He said Viettel had earmarked $40 million for the development of its own 5G chipset, but was also considering using technology from Ericsson and Nokia.

    The military-run firm, formally known as Viettel Group, has around 60 million subscribers in Vietnam and over 30 million users across 10 other countries – predominantly in Asia and Africa.

    The company is also in talks to buy a 20 percent stake in a European mobile carrier, Dung said, without elaborating.

    Dung said Viettel plans to stop expanding its investment in the African market, however, where the company has struggled to make a profit due to poor economic growth.

    Closer to home, Viettel is looking to invest in North Korea, said Dung, where Koryolink – a joint venture between the North Korean state and Egypt’s Orascom Investment Holdings – has amassed millions of subscribers since its 2008 launch.

    “We first sought permission from North Korea to build a mobile network there in 2010,” he said. “But we’re still waiting for sanctions to be lifted and for the country to open its market to foreign investors.”

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  • Honolulu Cafe debuts in Philippines

    Honolulu Cafe debuts in Philippines

    Hong Kong’s Honolulu Cafe has opened its first branch in Manila. Renowned for its signature egg tarts with 192 flakey pastry layers (no, we are not sure who counted them!), the cafe also serves its own house-blend of coffee. The new store opened last week, January 5, at the SM Aura shopping centre. Honolulu Cafe dates back to 1940 when it opened as an ice cream parlour. Nearly 80 years on, the company now has stores in Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan as well.

    Besides egg tarts and coffee, the cafes serve Hong Kong-style stocking-strained milk tea, pastries, buns, Cantonese-style roast meat, and fried noodles. The new outlet is on the ground floor of the Bonifacio Global City shopping centre.

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  • Slime found to contain toxic levels of boron

    Slime found to contain toxic levels of boron

    Scientists have discovered potentially dangerous levels of boron in children’s slime. On Wednesday, Seoul National University scientists from the school’s Institute of Health & Environment wrote in a scientific journal that 25 out of 30 slime toys they analyzed were found to contain boron levels that exceeded the European Union limit of 300 milligrams per kilogram (2.2 pounds).

    The 25 products were found to contain around 1,000 milligrams per kilogram on average, while one product was found to exceed the limit by seven times.

    While boron, which gives slime its gooey consistency, is naturally found in food like nuts and used in medicine, high doses or exposure may lead to possible disruptions in metabolism, stunted development and infertility.

    There are currently no domestic regulations on boron limits in toys.

    The new findings are throwing parents into a panic, given slime’s massive popularity. Videos of Korean YouTubers playing with slime have garnered millions of views, while over 100 slime cafes have also popped up.

    “My kids are already obsessed with slime toys,” wrote one mother in a blog on Thursday. “We need regulations quickly, but nothing is being done.”

    “I banned slime from our home some time ago,” wrote another. “Though my kids like them, the slime toys are just balls of germs that my kids touch over and over again, absorbing the bad chemicals into their hands.”

    This is not the first time that slime has been under fire for containing hazardous substances. Last year, the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards found that 76 of 190 slime products it tested contained unsafe substances including methylisothiazolinone and chloromethylisothiazolinone, which can cause respiratory issues.

    The agency has since ordered a recall for the unsafe products.

  • Culture complexes blooms in Asia

    Culture complexes blooms in Asia

    In recent years, the term “culture complex” has often been seen on social media. Postings showing people spending time at these spaces are shared often, attached with hashtags that read “culture life,” “leisure time” and “relaxation.” Culture complexes have risen as popular city destinations for young Seoulites. Buildings housing exhibition halls, cafes, restaurants and design shops bill themselves as culture complexes.

    According to last year’s “Where to Live,” a book by Yoo Hyun-joon, an architect and professor, the younger generation has been exhibiting their identities on social media by sharing the kind of clothes that they wear and the kind of food that they eat. Now, it is about the space — the kind of spaces where you spend your time.

    To satisfy such desires, culture complexes compete to house the trendiest tenants. What also matters is how well such culture complexes go with the neighborhoods they inhabit.

    The Wooran Foundation building in Seongsu-dong, eastern Seoul, is a case in point. The neighborhood is often referred to as the Brooklyn of Seoul, as young artists and hipsters have flocked to the old abandoned factories in the area.

    The new 12-story building stands out in the generally low-rise neighborhood. But the architectural design shares the Brooklyn mood with layers of gray concrete and an industrial mood.

    Cafe Dorrell, a Jeju Island import, on the first floor is one of the trendiest coffee franchises of 2018. The interior is decorated with skateboards, matching the young and hip atmosphere of the area.

    The culture complex has five halls for exhibitions and performances, ready to host all genres of artistic activities.

    Founded in 2014, the Wooran Foundation, is a cultural foundation that aims to create sustainable arts and culture ecosystem. President Chey Ki-Won is the younger sister of SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-Won.

    Some culture complexes serve as showrooms for companies. For example, Simmons Terrace showcases Simmons mattresses while the Monami Concept Store displays the brand’s stationery products.

    Flask Namsan in central Seoul is operated by Market m, a lifestyle design select shop. Located near Myeongdong, the first floor space features design products from interior decorations to furniture. Upstairs, visitors can relax with a cup of Moonshine Coffee from Australia.

    The cafe lounge on the third floor is a culture space for lectures, seminars and mentoring sessions. The yet-to-open upper part of the building, from the fourth to sixth floor rooftop, will house more showrooms and restaurants.

    “In Korea, we usually meet people at cafes and restaurants. While meeting friends, we can visit these shops and share our lifestyles. I get to know more about what others like and what I like, too,” Kim Ji-hye, an office worker her mid-20s in Seoul, said.

    “On the other hand, I sometimes wonder why these places call themselves culture complexes, when they are just spaces for businesses,” Kim said. “I feel like they should have something more than just sales.”

    Originally a pharmaceutical company building from the 1970s, Piknic, a culture complex in Hoehyeon-dong, central Seoul, houses Kafe Piknic, a cafe by day and tapas bar by night. Michelin-starred french restaurant Zero Complex is on the third floor.
    However, what has made Piknic a popularly recognized name is the exhibition space. Designer brand SJYP held a runway show here during the last Seoul Fashion Week. The space also hosted “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Life Life,” a media art exhibition of the life of the Japanese composer and musician.

    The culture space is currently holding “Jasper Morrison: Thingness,” an exhibition of work by the famed British industrial designer. After enjoying the exhibition, visitors can dine at the Kafe Piknic, sitting on a chair designed by Morrison.

  • Four Korean firms join forces to fight Netflix

    Four Korean firms join forces to fight Netflix

    SK Telecom is teaming up with three major broadcasters to launch a new video content service in a bid to challenge the popularity of foreign services like Netflix. On Thursday, SK Telecom and broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS signed an MOU to combine their current over-the-top (OTT) media service businesses and launch a new and improved service by the first half of this year. OTT refers to content that is delivered directly to users over the internet without going through intermediaries like television.

    The four companies will also establish a joint venture that combines the OTT operations of each party. SK Telecom CEO and President Park Jung-ho said he is seeking around 200 billion won ($177.9 million) in investment for the new firm.

    SK Telecom’s subsidiary SK Broadband currently operates Oksusu, a television and movie platform released in 2016. The three broadcasters have Pooq, a joint venture that MBC and SBS both have a 40 percent stake in, while KBS holds 20 percent.

    Videos from over 70 channels are available on Pooq, including drama series from the 1990s and early 2000s.

    All four companies are expected to benefit from the partnership. Pooq has already established ties with Southeast Asian companies, having partners in Hong Kong’s Viu, Malaysia’s iflix and China’s iQiyi.

    During the MOU signing, SK Telecom CEO Park said he hoped to see the new strengthened service launch in Southeast Asia by June.

    In return, the three TV channels will have access to SK Telecom’s financial resources, which can be invested in original content production.

    The partnership is seen as an effort by the domestic companies to combine forces to fend off growing foreign competition, especially that posed by Netflix.

    Oksusu has 9.46 million registered users while Pooq has 3.7 million. Netflix is estimated to have around 900,000 domestic registered accounts, still trailing far behind the local companies.

    These figures only tell half the story, however.

    While Oksusu is the No. 1 OTT service in Korea in the number of accounts, its number of monthly active users is only estimated to be two-thirds of registered users. OTT services from competing mobile carriers like KT’s Olleh TV and LG U+’s Video Portal are also catching up quickly in total users.

    Also, very few original videos produced by Korean OTT service providers have enjoyed success.

    Netflix, on the other hand, saw tremendous growth in the three years it has been operating in Korea.

    As of last September, users spent a total of 283 million minutes a month on Netflix’s mobile app on Android according to WiseApp, which analyzes mobile app usage. Just two years ago, users had spent 14 million minutes a month on Netflix, or 20 times less.

    During the same period, the time that Oksusu and Pooq users spent on the apps increased less than twofold.

    Users spent a total of around 600 million minutes a month on both apps as of last September.

    Experts believe that the content budget is largely to explain for the differences in growth.

    Netflix is estimated to have spent around $8 billion on content production and licensing last year. Oksusu spent only around 10 billion won in content investment, however, a fraction of Netflix levels.

    “Through this partnership, Korean OTT service providers can strengthen the competitiveness of their content, which has been their weakest point,” said Jung Ji-soo, an analyst at Meritz Securities. “[The companies’] goal of becoming Korea’s Netflix will also help in energizing the domestic media ecosystem.”

  • Export growth breezes in for Daikin Malaysia

    Export growth breezes in for Daikin Malaysia

    Air conditioning company Daikin Malaysia Sdn Bhd, which has allocated a capital expenditure (capex) of RM434 million for the next financial year ending March 31, 2020 (FY20), will ramp up its efforts on driving export growth, in line with its aim for export to contribute 70% of its total sales by FY20, from 65% now. COO Ooi Cheng Suan said products from its flagship factory here, mainly air conditioners for residential (household) use, as well as light commercial and commercial, are exported to 70 countries in the world.

    “We are driving export because the Malaysian market is not big and it is limited. To expand, we must go beyond, go out (of Malaysia). Being made in Malaysia, it (our products) is well accepted. In these two years, our ringgit has weakened and this has given us certain advantage when exporting. We become more competitive,” he said.

    He said traditionally, the company had been exporting to Europe, with the more prominent countries being Italy, Greece, France, UK, as well as the Middle East. This year, in addition to Central Europe, it has expanded its export to the US and Latin America.

    “We want to achieve at least 70% export for this factory here (remaining 30% for local market). As per our plan and budget, we’re on track to move towards 70%,” said Ooi.

    He explained that the US-China trade war has given the company an opportunity of exporting into the US due to the imposition of tariffs on products from China, which impacted Daikin China’s export into US.

    “Malaysia’s platform is similar to China’s platform, so we can transfer that demand from US (supplied originally by China) to Malaysia. We’re in a good position (to secure that opportunity) because we’re competitive and we’re able to respond fast to changes so there’s a high chance that the demand of US (for Daikin) will shift to Malaysia (from China),” explained Ooi.

    In Malaysia, Daikin, the world’s industry leader in air conditioning, prides itself as the number one air conditioner maker in terms of sales turnover and the number of air conditioners sold in the market. Annually, its Sungai Buloh factory produces 1.4 million sets (comprises indoor evaporator and outdoor condenser). Currently the residential segment makes up over 60% of its sales, while the remaining 40% comes from the light commercial, commercial and industrial segments.

    Ooi, who is also deputy regional general manager for Asia emerging districts, claims that the Japanese brand Daikin is also the top air conditioner maker in almost all of the markets in Southeast Asia (SEA), based on its survey.

    “Some players claim they’re number one at serving only a niche market. Daikin has the full range of air conditioners, from as small as 0.5 horsepower to a few thousand horsepower. We cover the full spectrum of the market,” said Ooi.

    The company is expecting to close FY19 with a double-digit growth based on its current sales momentum.

    “For the Malaysian market, the situation (sales) is slow, but the upcoming Chinese New Year will spur some buying from consumers. From past experience, when it comes to February and March, the weather turns hot and this will spur impulse buying.

    “Air conditioner has become a necessity. The price of air conditioner in Malaysia is not too far reaching that it becomes a luxury item. It has been relatively low, affordable for the public,” said Ooi, adding that globally, demand for air conditioner from developing countries like India and Africa is growing fast.

    He stressed on two important pillars for growing the local market, including the introduction of R32 refrigerant products (low global warming potential), as well as educating the market to move to energy-efficient products, such as the Inverter series.

    Daikin Malaysia will invest RM100 million annually as capex for facility and machine upgrading.

    Its two new factories in Shah Alam and Banting will focus on manufacturing applied products, comprising chillers and air handling units, for large, high rise buildings, shopping centres and industrial use. The Shah Alam factory, which was set up at RM140 million, will start its full-fledged production by 2019 and is expected to have a turnover of RM100 million per year in the beginning.

    “This is the only applied factory in SEA Oceania and this will be the factory that will support the whole SEA Oceania. With our plan to expand our applied business in SEA Oceania, we’ve set up our applied regional hub in Malaysia and Singapore to expand the sales in SEA.”

    Meanwhile, it will also invest RM125 million to set up a factory in Shah Alam to make electronic devices (air conditioner controllers), which will come into production by 2020. Ooi said this factory will supply to Daikin’s affiliates, of which there are 73 factories in the world.

    “Currently we’re already exporting to Daikin factories in Turkey, Vietnam, Czech Republic and the US. We can’t cater to the whole demand of Daikin. These factories that we’re catering for are less than 20% of the demand of Daikin group. A good percentage is still supplied by others,” said Ooi.

    It is also allocating RM135 million to set up a centralised logistics centre, which is expected to start operations by early 2020-2021.

    In addition, some RM74 million has been budgeted for research & development in FY20.

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  • Vietnam wants urban residents to pay bills without cash

    Vietnam wants urban residents to pay bills without cash

    The Vietnamese government wants cashless transactions made viable for all household bill payments by the end of this year. A recent government resolution on changing the business environment to improve competitiveness and labor productivity contains a push to accelerate use of cashless transactions. Provincial and municipal leaders have accordingly been tasked with instructing all schools and hospitals, as well as electricity, water, sanitation, telecommunications and postal companies in urban areas to coordinate with banks and intermediary payment service providers in collecting bills and fees via cashless transactions.

    The government has recommended that establishments prioritize mobile payments and payment via card readers, and requested that the task be completed before December this year.

    Vietnam Electricity, the national utility, has been asked to ensure power companies work with banks and intermediary payment service providers to collect electricity bills via cashless methods and promote the use of electronic and mobile payments. The target for the year is to double the number of customers using e-payments to pay their electricity bills.

    The State Bank of Vietnam has been asked to come up with solutions that would promote the use of electronic wallets, wherein users can deposit cash into their e-wallets without the need for a bank account. The central bank has also been asked to find ways to remove imitations on e-transactions before the third quarter of this year.

    The State Bank must also require commercial banks and intermediary payment service providers to implement the QR code standard, and work with the Ministry of Finance to come up with a list of types of transactions that have to be done through banks, as well as make amendments to existing regulations to promote cashless payments for real estate transactions.

    According to the World Bank’s statistics released last July, Vietnam was the country with the lowest percentage of cashless transactions in the region with only 4.9 percent, while this value for China and Thailand were 26.1 percent and 59.7 percent respectively.

    While Vietnam rolled out an e-payment system for taxes in 2014 with 95 percent of companies registered, currently only 70 percent of tax money is collected via this method and many businesses still prefer paying their tax directly with cash.

    Similarly, while Vietnam has had policies to encourage consumers to pay electricity bills through banks and intermediary payment service providers, currently only 4.5 million people, or 20 percent of electricity consumers, pay their bills through these channels.

    The government’s resolution does not include rural and remote areas as the majority of Vietnamese living in such areas still lack access to modern payment methods.

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  • E-Land’s owners step down from management

    E-Land’s owners step down from management

    Owner family members of fashion conglomerate E-Land Group stepped down from management on Thursday, handing over the helm to younger executives internally promoted to leadership roles. The move comes in an effort to rejuvenate its governance structure to strengthen the role of the board of directors of each affiliate and enhance their autonomy when it comes to making business decisions.

    Founder Park Sung-su, 65, will step down from the day-to-day management of the group while remaining chairman. He will focus on nurturing next-generation leaders and developing new businesses instead of being directly involved in the management of subsidiaries.

    “In the past, our chairman made a lot of important decisions across the group, but since late 2016, we’ve been making preparations to give more autonomy to affiliates and develop their capacity to make business decisions on their own,” said an E-Land spokesman.

    Park’s younger sister Park Sung-kyung, 62, also stepped down from her position as vice chairwoman of the group. Having worked at E-Land for more than 12 years, Park has led the group when it comes to external affairs in the last few years. She also managed E-Land’s global operations, including in China.

    Stepping aside from management, Park Sung-kyung will chair the board of directors of the E-Land Welfare Foundation, which pursues charity activities inside the group.

    To fill the void, two vice chairmen were appointed. Former E-Land Retail CEO Choi Jong-rang has been promoted to vice chairman of the retail subsidiary, which operates NewCore department stores as well as popular shoe brand Shoopen. Kim Il-kyu has also been newly appointed as vice chairman of E-Land World, which manages the group’s key clothing brands.

    E-Land also promoted a handful of top executives in their 30s and 40s to head up their respective business divisions.

    Choi Wan-sik was promoted to CEO of E-Land World’s fashion division. Choi previously gained recognition for his performance as the director of Spao.

    At E-Land Park, which manages the group’s resorts and restaurant chains, 35-year-old Kim Wan-sik took over the reins as the subsidiary’s head of restaurants, which includes buffet franchises Ashley and Pizza Mall.

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  • Seoul launches zero-fee digital payment system

    Seoul launches zero-fee digital payment system

    The city of Seoul has moved to ease the transaction-fee burden on small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) by launching the “Zero Pay” zero-fee digital payment system. The system has been set up in partnership with banks and fintech firms in response to shop owners paying excessive proportions of their monthly sales into credit-card transaction fees.

    Twenty banks and digital payment firms – with the notable exclusion of KakaoPay, South Korea’s most popular mobile payment service – are participating in the zero-fee digital payment system, which is digital-wallet activated via QR codes through which money is transferred directly between bank accounts.

    Businesses with annual sales less than KRW800 million (US$708,820) will not be charged transaction fees, while those with higher takings will be charged fees well below the credit card industry standard of 2.2 per cent.

    “If consumers and citizens use Zero Pay whenever possible, it will be a great help for self-employed businessmen,” said Seoul city mayor Park Won-soon.

    Around 16,750 stores have signed on to the Zero Pay program so far.

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  • Indian shop fit industry poised for sustainable growth in 2019

    Indian shop fit industry poised for sustainable growth in 2019

    The Indian retail sector is growing faster than ever before and is one of the fastest growing in the world. According to a Deloitte Report, the Indian retail industry is expected to grow to US $1.1 trillion by 2020, registering a CAGR of 8.79 percent between 2000 and 2020. This growth can be attributed to the growing young population of the country, rise in disposable income, change in lifestyle and most importantly, digitization and connectivity.

    Though brands are investing heavily in online retail, traditional retail continues to be their core focus and hence, demand for shop fit designers and manufacturers only continues to grow.

    Changing retail landscape and role of retail shop fitting

    2018 was a redefining period for Indian retail industry. From huge investments by international players to M&A, downsizing of physical stores from traditional players to investing in physical stores by ecommerce players, the retail industry witnessed significant changes.

    As the debate around relevance and profitability of brick-and-mortar stores continues, retailers continue to invest in physical stores and thrive to provide the best shopping experience for customers. The traditional, one-size-fits-all store formats are slowly decreasing and brands are now continuously working towards exploring creative concepts to rejuvenate the look and feel of the store to stay relevant and attract their respective consumer targets.

    Every brand has a different approach in designing retail outlets and so are their shop fit requirements. For example, a sportswear brand store will have a spacious interiors, relaxed furniture for seating, minimum product placement on shelves to create clutter free picking up of products and eye-catching digital display of celebrated sports personalities on the walls to influence customer’s shopping. Whereas, a clothing brand store for infants and children has shop fittings and fixtures of lower height making it easy for kids to select what they want and have popular animated characters all over the store. This is where the expertise of shop fitters come into the picture. Shop fitters play a very important role in building successful retail brands by planning, designing and manufacturing shop fit and fixtures that reflect a brand’s ethos. They closely work with the brands to execute their designs and ideas for Visual Merchandising.

    Growth opportunities for shop fit industry

    A study by JLL suggests that the country is expected to see the highest mall supply in the next three years (2018 – 2020) touching 19.4 million square feet. Due to the radical shifts in the consumption pattern of new-age consumers, brands see tremendous untapped potential in small towns and cities (Tier II and III) they will expand their footprints in these geographies and continue to invest in physical stores.

    Brands continue to focus on integrating online and off-line shopping and the concept of ‘Experiential shopping centers’ will gain importance. Physical stores will double as fulfillment centers to help process online orders. Like in other markets, the concept of BOPIS, i.e. “Buy Online, Pickup In-Store”, which gives customer the flexibility to shop (order) online and visit the nearest store to try the product and collect it may become popular among people. As customer shopping experience, engagement and purpose of the physical store becomes more crucial, brands will regularly invest in store design, interiors, shop fits and new concepts in order to differentiate themselves from competitors. A good fit-out raises a brand’s profile, efficacy and creates a positive perception about the brand. Hence, there is a growth opportunity for shop fitting industry.

    Adding to this, the trend of solo entrepreneurs entering the market and small scale traditional retailers who wish to revamp their business rely on professional shop fitters for retail store design, floor planning, shop fits, etc. which will also give a boost to the shop fit industry.

    Conclusion:

    As organized retail industry continues to grow in the country, it possesses a great opportunity for the shop fit industry. Decisions by brands to downsize the store formats may hurt the shop fit industry’s business and profitability, but there will definitely be significant growth as more brands are now looking to establish their offline presence and also increase their physical presence across markets. In addition to this, with the new rules regarding single brand retail ownership, many new foreign brands will look to enter the Indian market.

    Being an allied industry of the retail sector, the shop fit industry grows hand-in-hand with the retail industry. As brands continue to invest in visual merchandising and store design, they rely on experienced and quality focused shop-fit manufacturers to partner with them. The role of shop fitters cannot be understated in helping the retail brands build their identity, differentiate them from competitors and attract footfall in the store by their innovative designs and store concepts. Shop fitting is an important investment for retail brands and when done right can translate to improved business and performance. Overall, the outlook for the shop fit industry is positive.

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  • Omotesando Koffee Coffee Shop Opens in London

    Omotesando Koffee Coffee Shop Opens in London

    Popular Japanese coffee shop Omotesando Koffee has opened in the central London district of Fitzrovia on Rathbone Square. Serving coffee in a manner inspired by Japanese tea ceremony, the cafe features a cubic bar design where each customer is served by a single barista in ritualistic fashion. The approach has inspired a cult following in the brand’s home territory, and has been followed by a sister brand in Tokyo that offers gourmet bean selections in cloth bags.

    While Omotesando’s original location has closed due to poor building maintenance, it reopened in Hong Kong in 2016, followed by launches in Tokyo and Singapore. The London location aims to provide a unique coffee experience in an otherwise generally homogeneous market.

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  • Cathay Pacific to honor premium Vietnam-US tickets sold by mistake

    Cathay Pacific to honor premium Vietnam-US tickets sold by mistake

    Cathay Pacific Airways mistakenly sold Vietnam-U.S. first class and business class tickets at economy prices, but will honor them. The Hong Kong flag carrier made this announcement in a Twitter post Wednesday after customers reported Tuesday that they were able to purchase first class and business class tickets at unusually cheap prices from Vietnam to North American destinations such as San Francisco and New York in the U.S. and Vancouver, Canada.

    Cathay, Asia’s largest international airline, offered return business and first seats from Vietnam’s central city of Da Nang to New York at the price of $650 and $845 respectively, while typically these tickets cost $16,000 and $31,000.

    Hanoi-based pastor Jacob Bloemberg was one of the lucky customers who were able to purchase the tickets, which only lasted “for minutes.”

    “My wife and I travel from Hanoi to the U.S. every year, but we are very excited this time as we enjoy business class seats at the price of an economy seat,” he said.

    The number of tickets sold during the computer error is believed to be several thousand. Cathay Pacific blamed the mistake on an individual entering the wrong fares into the company’s system. Although Cathay has not revealed the cost of this error, it is calculated that the airline should have collected at least $685,800 from 11 customers that it spoke to.

    However, Cathay said it hoped the move would make this year special for its customers.

    “Yes – we made a mistake, but we look forward to welcoming you on board with your ticket issued. Hope this will make your 2019 ‘special’ too!,” the airline said on its Twitter account.

    It added #promisemadepromisekept, and #lessonlearnt at the end of the post.

    Last summer, a similar situation happened with Hong Kong Airlines when business class tickets were sold for $587, much lower than the usual price of $3,800. The airline honored its mistakes and covered all bookings.

    Bloemberg said that Cathay’s move was “honorable.”

    “If there are similar errors in the future, I’d like to find out right away.”

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  • Starbucks South Korea offers incentives using own cups

    Starbucks South Korea offers incentives using own cups

    Starbucks South Korea says the number of customers bringing their own cups to the store leapt 24 per cent in just one month. The boost is the result of its ‘Eco Bonus Star Program’ aimed at reducing waste and improving consumer awareness of sustainability issues. Through the Eco Bonus Star Program, customers of Starbucks South Korea can collect additional ‘stars’ – or bonus points – by bringing their own cups to cafes. The stars can be used for discounts and other benefits.

    Customers can choose to receive an immediate discount of 300 won (US27 cents) if they don’t want to collect stars.

    Starbucks said that, compared to 970,000 customers who brought their own cups in October, more than 1.21 million customers brought their own cups in December, the first full month of the program.

    Two-thirds of customers chose to save up stars, rather than receive the discount.

    “More than 1.81 million additional stars were given to customers just 50 days after the Eco Bonus Star program was implemented,” said Starbucks.

    “Gold members for My Starbucks can get a free drink for 12 stars, which also likely encouraged more customers to bring their own cups.”

    More than 8 million customers have brought their own cups this year, twice as many as last year.

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  • Kakao T signs MOU with premium taxi service

    Kakao T signs MOU with premium taxi service

    Kakao Mobility is partnering with premium taxi provider Tago Solutions to improve customer service quality and drivers’ income levels. The move comes as tensions continue to boil over with much of the taxi industry fiercely protesting the company’s carpooling business. On Thursday, Kakao’s mobility subsidiary announced that it signed an MOU with Tago Solutions, a company co-established by some 50 taxi companies and 5,000 taxi drivers last September with the goal of offering distinguished and premium taxi services like pet-friendly options.

    Tago hit headlines last month for requesting the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s approval to offer Korea’s first women-only taxi services. The service, dubbed Waygo Lady, will only allow female drivers and customers.

    Kakao is expected to give customers the option to choose Tago’s services via the Kakao T taxi-hailing app.

    “We hope to create an environment where drivers are friendly and do not refuse customers,” Kakao added in a statement. One of Tago’s stated missions is to accept all customers regardless of destination. Though refusing customers is illegal in Korea, some drivers still do it if the requested destination is unprofitable.

    Kakao is also hoping to improve drivers’ working environment with Tago. The premium services, which are expected to come at a premium price, will improve drivers’ income levels while the services for women will provide new opportunities for female taxi drivers – a minority in Korea.

    The move comes as many other taxi drivers and unions are boycotting Kakao for its plan to launch a carpooling service that potentially threatens the taxi industry. A Kakao spokesman said the company and Tago are on good terms and have been working on the partnership for months.

    Ahead of launching the premium services, Kakao said it will focus on developing technology that will allow for the seamless matching of users to taxis, while Tago will focus on training and educating drivers to provide high quality services.

     

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