Retail News CRM

Tag: lifestyle

  • UBP Hires Singapore COO

    UBP Hires Singapore COO

    UBP hires a new chief operating officer for Singapore from a rival private bank in the city-state.

    Jérôme Thuillier joins UBP as its new Singapore COO, effective as of yesterday. Thuillier most recently with Bank of Singapore where he was a program director responsible for building an integrated wealth management tech platform. Pervasively, he had also held leadership roles with Barclay Wealth including COO of its global investment solutions arm.

    Thuillier’s predecessor, Michael Moncarz, was named the Singapore COO in February 2017.

    According to the release, Thuillier joins not only with most of his financial career in Asia but also some local language skills including «a good understanding of Mandarin and basic Japanese,» according to a release.

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  • Reliance Brands plans to launch a fresh luxury e-commerce platform

    Reliance Brands plans to launch a fresh luxury e-commerce platform

    Indian conglomerate Reliance Brands is planning to launch a luxury fashion in the e-commerce portal through its online fashion site Ajio.

    The launching of the e-commerce portal is aimed at widening the company’s market share as online marketing in the country booms. The move pitches the company against established e-commerce players including Flipkart, Amazon and Myntra.

    While an Ajio spokesperson shared information about the business with Vogue, they added that no brand partnerships with labels have yet been signed and declined to comment on the timing.

    The luxury fashion move will be built upon Ajio Gold, Reliance Brands’ premium retail site that carries known brands including Superdry and Steve Madden.

    “Data-driven insights from the ‘bridge to luxury’ brands that retail on Ajio have indicated strongly the possibility for Ajio to craft a luxury vertical, and we are exploring that,” the Ajio spokesperson told Vogue.

    Reliance owner Mukesh Ambani has partnered with 46 international brands including Tiffany & Co, Burberry and Kate Spade and operates 882 physical stores.

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  • Hop Lun signs licensing deal with Janet Reger Lingerie

    Hop Lun signs licensing deal with Janet Reger Lingerie

    British lingerie brand Janet Reger has signed a new global licensing deal with Hong Kong’s Hop Lun, one of the world’s largest lingerie and swimwear designers and producers.

    A newly launched diffusion line ‘Janet Reger Rouge’ is the first move by the 50-year-old brand Janet Reger to democratize its lingerie offer on a global scale.

    Founded in the 1960s by Janet Reger, who died in 2005, the brand is now run by her daughter Aliza who continues to uphold the label’s mantra of “Confident Beauty Undressed”.

    “Hop Lun’s expertise and manufacturing capabilities paired with the Reger heritage make the perfect partnership,” said Aliza Reger.

    Described as ‘age agnostic’, ‘Janet Reger Rouge’ covers four design stories and spans 36 pieces, all aimed at the contemporary woman.

    Erik Ryd, Hop Lun’s founder and CEO said it is amazing to think that more than 50 years ago Janet Reger was the first lingerie brand that really celebrated being a woman.

    “This ethos still exists today and we are excited about both the collaboration and the opportunity to bring the Janet Reger Rouge brand to new, global markets”.

    Hop Lun, founded in 1992, provides fashion lingerie and swimwear to major global brands and retailers. The company also founded its own retail brand 6ixty8ight.

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  • Central Retail to invest US$575 million on expansion this year

    Central Retail to invest US$575 million on expansion this year

    Thailand’s Central Retail Corporation achieved 8 percent revenue growth last year to US$7.1 billion and an 11-per-cent boost in profit to $394.7 million.

    CEO Yol Phokasub said the improvement reflected “robust platforms” in every country in which it operated: Thailand, Vietnam and Italy.

    “We increased market share in every product category, including fashion, food and hardlines, whilst we also grew our customer base in each market with our strong eco-systems,” he said.

    Central Retail is on track to achieve a five-year goal of achieving 8-10-per-cent average annual income growth and earnings growth of 10-11 percent.

    This year, Central Retail is investing $575 million into expanding its business in its three core markets, exclusive of mergers and acquisitions.

    In Thailand it plans to open three Robinson Lifestyle stores, seven Thai Watsadu stores and 3 Baan and Beyond stores, as well as expanding its food and specialty-store networks.

    In Vietnam it will open six supermarkets under the existing Big C banner and its new brand Go!

    It also plans to refurbish some existing stores and open more outlets under its LookKool, Kubo and SuperSports banners.

    In Italy, it will refurbish its department stores in Florence and Rome, and focus on leadership in the lifestyle-luxury segment of the market.

    “After many uncertainties in both the global and Thai economies this year, whether from the strong Baht, the COVID-19 epidemic, reduced tourist arrivals or declining consumer confidence, Central Retail must exercise caution in its business operations, closely monitor various issues and use technology to manage costs effectively,” said Phokasub.

    “Our multi-category and multi-format platforms give us flexibility and adaptability to rapidly changing and volatile situations. This offers us an advantage and a good opportunity to reach customers, providing them with new experiences through our robust omnichannel platforms.”

    Central Retail achieved sales growth online of about 56 percent last year.

    “This year, we forecast sales through the omnichannel platforms to account for over 10 percent of Central Retail’s sales,” he said.

  • Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Revealed

    Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Revealed

    Bentley took the wraps off the Continental GT Mulliner and will be showcasing it at the upcoming Geneva Auto Show as well. It will be a limited edition model and it will also be the flagship of Continental GT range. We all know Bentley for making uber-luxurious cars, but the Continental GT Mulliner is the next level, as far as comfort and exclusivity is concerned. Bentley says that this car is made for those who want an “even greater focus on beautiful details”. The new Continental GT Mulliner gets a new double-diamond grille, which looks gorgeous and is complemented by ‘Mulliner’ branded side vents with the silver-on-black diamond scheme.

    Apart from that, the interior too gets the typical Bentley diamond-on-diamond quilting on the seats, door panels, and the tonneau cover as well. The threads are of different colors so as to accentuate the stitching. Each diamond gets exactly 712 stitches. There will be eight three-color combinations, all of which are custom made. The center-piece is the Breitling timepiece on the dashboard, which is finished in brushed silver and gets a quartet of chrome bullseyes offering a lovely bejeweled look. Other features include 7 different themes for mood-lighting along with illuminated tread plates and LED welcome lamps that project the Bentley logo on the ground as you step inside.

    Each Continental GT Mulliner gets a ‘Naim for Bentley’ premium audio system which includes 18 speakers and two active bass transducers, driven by a 2,200 watt, 20-channel amplifier and also gets eight DSP sound modes with an active bass.

    The Bentley Continental GT Mulliner can be specified with either the V8 or the W12 powertrains. The 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 motor enables the car to do a 0-100 kmph sprint in 3.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 333 kmph. The 4.0-liter Twin-turbo V8 Mulliner model does the 0-100 kmph sprint in 4.1 seconds and has a top speed of 318 kmph.

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  • More Headwinds for Bangkok’s Already Hollowing Condos

    More Headwinds for Bangkok’s Already Hollowing Condos

    There are an estimated 100,00 vacant condominiums in and around Thailand’s capital as a plunge in Chinese demand hits the property sector.

    Foreign buyers accounted for one-fifth of the Bangkok’s real estate purchases two years ago, according to estimate from local consultancy Agency for Real Estate Affairs, but the ongoing coronavirus outbreak is set to cut the figure in half. This is especially due to the fact that the majority of foreign demand is from Chinese buyers who are being hindered by travel curbs in addition to economic risks at home.

    The projections if materialized will further exacerbate damage being felt in Bangkok’s real estate market especially in the condominium segment where the consultancy estimates up there are up to 100,000 vacant units.

    In addition to the real estate sector, Thailand’s broader economy was already feeling the pressure in 2019 from a strengthening baht and an ongoing U.S.-China trade war. Gross domestic product growth is projected to grow as little as 1.5 percent in 2020 – a six-year low – according to the government.

    Local authorities are already rolling out measures to support the property market including loosened mortgage lending rules from the Bank of Thailand to encourage domestic purchases. Still, the outlook remains gloomy and a report citing an estimate by global real estate consultant Collier places the number of newly developed condo units at 6,000 in the first quarter of 2020, a 40 percent year-on-year drop.

    To date, the coronavirus outbreak has infected nearly 80,000 individuals with a kill count of 2,495.

  • KT and Samsung to develop 5G-powered medical service

    KT and Samsung to develop 5G-powered medical service

    KT Corporation, along with Samsung Medical Center (SMC), has announced the launch of a 5G-enabled medical service as an initial step to set up a 5G-based smart hospital. The pilot project, which is developed by the Seoul-based South Korean telecom giant, developed service environments in operating and proton therapy rooms and performed a test operation.

    Based on the results from the pilot, both KT, formerly Korea Telecom, and SMC are planning to continue the development of smart patient care and 5G-powered new medical practices and better the hospital operational efficiency. Park In-Young, vice president of KT’s ICT convergence business department, said: “KT, in partnership with the Samsung Medical Center, is pioneering innovative medical services for the new 5G era. We will continue to further refine 5G-powered medical technology by applying VR and AR technologies for real-time education.”

    In the coming years, 5G-enabled medical services would, in theory, speed up surgery and other treatment processes by allowing uninterrupted access to surgeons that will help them obtain pathological data that is critical in determining the serious conditions of patients. The network would also provide quick access to CT and MRI data on proton therapy.

    Last September, KT entered into roaming agreements with Italy’s TIM, Switzerland’s Sunrise, and Finland’s Elisa, allowing the company’s 5G subscribers to use the 5G networks provided by the three European operators. The Korean operator has standing agreements with operators in 185 countries for 3G and LTE roaming and now is extending those contracts to 5G as soon as 5G services go live in those countries.

    According to reports from the South Korean Ministry of Science and ICT, the country hit the milestone of four million 5G subscribers last December. As of October, the Ministry reported 3.98 million 5G subscribers in the country and in September, it said that 516,000 more people subscribed to the 5G services.

  • Inter Ikea names new leader as long-term CEO steps down

    Inter Ikea names new leader as long-term CEO steps down

    Inter Ikea group chief executive Torbjörn Lööf announced on Tuesday he would step down from leading the furniture business after seven years at the helm and more than 30 years with the business.

    Head of Ikea franchising Jon Abrahamsson Ring was named as Lööf’s successor and will step up as group deputy chief executive as of 1 March before taking full control on 1 September.

    Under Lööf’s leadership, the business has expanded into more than 15 new markets and launched a new long-term direction to become more affordable, sustainable and accessible to its customers.

    “I have had more than 30 fantastic years with Ikea and the privilege to have many exciting assignments,” Lööf said.

    “I will always carry with me the memories from all the wonderful meetings with Ikea colleagues and partners from around the world. It is the people working at Ikea that makes us unique.”

    Ring joined the business in 1998, and formerly served as assistant to Ikea founder Ingvar Kampred before coming deputy retail manager for Ikea China. Ring briefly left Ikea to become chief executive of fashion brand Filippa K and later gardening brand Plantagen, before returning to Ikea in 2017.

    “Ikea is on a great journey, which is only the beginning, and we will continue to stay true to who we are and what makes us unique: our culture and values, our vision and our business idea,” said Ring.

    “I am humbled by this opportunity, but also very proud and happy.”

    Ring said that he didn’t have any plans to radically change the furniture chain’s direction, with Ikea’s key tenants of affordability, accessibility and sustainability remaining at the top of his agenda.

    However, Ring did note that the new materials, production techniques, and distribution methods could be utilized to make the products more affordable.

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  • AirAsia picks creative agency in India

    AirAsia picks creative agency in India

    AirAsia India has appointed Wunderman Thompson South Asia to manage creative duties following a pitch in 2019. The agency will be responsible for brand strategy and shaping the communications narrative in India, taking care of above-the-line and digital creative mandates.

    According to the press statement, Wunderman Thompson understood AirAsia India’s strategic and brand objectives and will be working on developing the brand’s strong and sustainable positioning that will cut across geographies, demographics, and mindsets and deliver differentiated content with incisive insights. A+M has reached out to Wunderman Thompson for additional information.

    AirAsia India is a joint venture between Tata Sons and AirAsia Investment. AirAsia India commenced operations on 12 June 2014 with Bengaluru as its primary hub. Its agenda is to drive salience across markets with customized content and clutter-breaking communication that inspires diverse audiences with its brand promise and the aspirational journey ahead.

    AirAsia India’s CMO Siddhartha Butalia said the agency approached the opportunity with strong strategic insights and compelling creative ideas that bring the emotion and inspiration back to travel. “We’re looking forward to partnering with them to drive consideration and relevance across the customer journey, take off to even greater heights and explore new territories,” Butalia added.

    Senior VP and managing partner at Wunderman Thompson, Kundan Joshee, said AirAsia has a unique value proposition and a distinct challenger brand spirit that makes it such a powerful brand.

    “Our job is to partner with AirAsia and bring alive its philosophy of service, efficiency and innovation. In today’s times, it’s essential for a brand to have multiple conversations with people across touchpoints and this gives us the opportunity to do new-age work and drive interesting conversations around the brand,” he said.

    Closer to home, AirAsia Group and Universal Music Group partnered last year to launch RedRecords, a new label partnership focused on signing, developing and breaking new Asian artists and elevating “A-pop” globally to new audiences throughout the region and around the world. RedRecords will focus on discovering and developing talent from Southeast Asia and throughout the wider continent and form a clear and unique sound that reflects the diverse and rich musical culture of the continent.

    The airline also announced last November that it is expanding its online offering to include flights on other airlines as it transforms airasia.com into Asia Pacific’s leading travel and lifestyle platform. This was done in partnership with leading travel technology company Kiwi.com. It also unveiled SNAP, a new name for flight + hotel packages on airasia.com offering the lowest guaranteed package prices in 2019.

  • Muji launching in Vietnam

    Muji launching in Vietnam

    The first Muji Vietnam store is set to open within three months, a year after the Japanese household goods and apparel chain established an office in the country.

    As we reported last February, Muji Vietnam Ltd was registered and headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City.

    According to a source from property company Savills, the new Muji store will open in the city’s commercial center, occupying a 3900sqm space. Muji Vietnam will feature clothing, stationery, homewares, skincare products and other goods.

    The store’s location and exact opening date have yet to be disclosed.

    Besides Muji, other international brands including sports-goods retailer JD, fashion label Champion, cosmetics chain Sephora, food chains Hawker Chan and Din Tai Fung and K-pop merchandise retailer SM Entertainment are also expected to enter Vietnam this year.

  • ColourLiving launches Wellness Living concept in Hong Kong

    ColourLiving launches Wellness Living concept in Hong Kong

    Hong Kong lifestyle store ColourLiving has launched a pop-up zone, Wellness Living, featuring a selection of home-enhancing concepts.

    Occupying 20,000sqft and spanning three levels, Wellness Living is the theme of the curated pop-up, which features three zones – Kitchen, Tailored Tea and Home Pool – all “based on the idea to help pacify the body and mind at home.

    The Kitchen area presents an ergonomic sink from Swiss brand Franke, offering multi-purpose preparation spaces equipped with appliances to create meals.

    Homegrown Hong Kong brand Lify is the second of the three debut Wellness Living home products. Specialised in dispensing premium natural herbal tea blends, the brand uses artificial intelligence (AI) to determine individual needs through an app. Herb qualities are independently certified, and the tea is filtered through specially-developed compostable discs.

    Designed and produced in Italy, Faraway Pool, sunken into the floor, combines whirlpool jets with contemporary aesthetics. The pool’s overspill perimeter appears as “an infinity edge”.

    Submerged mood lighting with colours adjustable on demand can help to relax or energise the pool user.

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  • Lancome launches Absolue Gold Power pop-up at Sanya

    Lancome launches Absolue Gold Power pop-up at Sanya

    Luxury beauty brand Lancome has launched a pop-up store at the Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Hainan, China.

    Following earlier VIP events in Beijing and Seoul, the Gold Power pop-up, which also marked the first Lancome x CDFG collaboration with the brand’s premium Absolue franchise, extended a luxurious experience to Sanya travellers while promoting Lancome’s French rose-infused Rejuvenated Absolue Soft Cream.

    The pop-up featured an outdoor installation of more than 5000 pink roses surrounding a larger-than-life Lancome Absolue gold jar. In store a 3D digital screen invited travellers to immerse themselves in the brand’s soft cream texture story and browse an assortment of skincare products and travel-exclusive offerings, with personalised skincare consultations.

    “Travelling consumers nowadays are looking for iconic products, desirable brands and memorable experiences,” said L’Oreal Travel Retail Asia Pacific MD Emmanuel Goulin. “This is precisely what we try to achieve with this first-ever Lancome Absolue pop-up in Haitang Bay created in partnership with China Duty Free Group. As such, I am confident that the Absolue range will continue to write the future of Lancome skincare, and become the perfect new cream to win in the highly competitive and strategic premium skincare market.”

    Prominent celebrities and KOLs were invited for special appearances at the pop-up, including Lancome’s brand ambassador, renowned actress Yu Fei Hong.

  • Apple Japan opens its first store in Kawasaki

    Apple Japan opens its first store in Kawasaki

    Apple Japan has opened its 10th store – in Kawasaki.

    The new single-story outlet in Lazona Kawasaki Plaza features the brand’s distinctive all-glass front as well as a large video wall, a forum, and avenue shelving.

    The venue will be used as a family learning hub via the store’s Today at Apple educational sessions, using products in store for educational purposes in AR, coding, photography and music-making, amongst others.

    The Kawasaki venue is differentiated from other more spectacular Apple Japan stores for being more community-focused.

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  • Audi Introduces 25 Years Anniversary Package For RS Models In Europe

    Audi Introduces 25 Years Anniversary Package For RS Models In Europe

    Audi is celebrating 25 years of its RS models and has announced an exclusive package for its performance models. Audi has released an exclusive equipment package for the Audi TT RS Coupe, RS 4 Avant, RS 5 Coupe, RS 5 Sportback, RS 6 Avant and the RS 7 Sportback models. It was the RS 2 Avant that kicked off things for Audi in the hot performance segment back in 1994 and every RS model gets some elements both on the outside and inside which are inspired by the RS 2 Avant.

    The anniversary package includes a matt aluminum look with gloss black for the exterior of all models, a front blade for models like the RS 4, RS 5, RS 6, and RS 7*, as well as the inlays in the side sills. The horizontal web of the rear diffuser also features a matt aluminum look. Moreover, the four rings, RS logos and wing mirrors along with the rear wing of the TT RS Coupe are finished in gloss black. An exclusive RS anniversary logo showing the number “25” is projected onto the ground when the doors are opened and is also featured on the hub cap. The wheels itself are designed in a two-color look featuring silver and gloss anthracite.

    The interior is also inspired by the iconic RS 2. The cabin is finished in all black an there are cobalt blue accents in Alcantara on the piping of the floor mats and the 12 o’clock marking on the steering wheel rim. The RS sport seats with a honeycomb pattern in the TT RS, RS 4, and RS 5 are draped in Nappa leather with seat center panels in Alcantara, just like the very first RS 2 Avant had back in the day. The seat upholstery of the RS sport seats in the RS 6 and RS 7 is finished in perforated Valcona leather. A special touch on the inside is the ’25 years’ logo on the shoulder area of the seats, floor mats, and the door trim panels. The anniversary package has only given cosmetic updates to the RS models and mechanically they remain unchanged.

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  • The Shilla Duty Free unveils new brands in Singapore

    The Shilla Duty Free unveils new brands in Singapore

    Travel retailer The Shilla Duty-Free has launched a raft of new brands at its Changi Airport health-and-beauty concessions, marking its fifth anniversary in Singapore.

    The new brands are on display at a refreshed retail space at the Terminal 3 Departure Check-in Hall store (in the public area) which features a modern, tropical look, with earthy hues of woods and whites.

    The new brands are from South Korea, Singapore and Europe, ranging from Banyan Tree and Too Faced to cult beauty favorites including COSRX and Too Cool For School. They will also be stocked at selected stores airside.

    The new brands also include Annick Goutal from France, Age 20’s, Vidivici, First Aid Beauty, Too Faced, Cosme J-Cos and JM Solution.

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