Retail News CRM

Tag: Malaysia

  • AirAsia ordered to pay at least $9.9 million to Malaysia Airports

    AirAsia ordered to pay at least $9.9 million to Malaysia Airports

    The Malaysian High Court in Kuala Lumpur has ordered AirAsia and AirAsia X to pay operator Malaysian Airport Sepang (MA Sepang) MYR40.73 million ($9.9 million) in unpaid passenger service charges after ruling in favor of the national airport operator.

    The LCC was also ordered to pay MYR972,381 and MYR24,000 for late payment and lawsuit fees, respectively.

    In retaliation, AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes took to Twitter and posted photos of beehives at the airport, as well as uneven parking aprons at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 2, known as KLIA2. Since moving to KLIA2 in 2014, AirAsia has been very unsatisfied with terminal design and facilities.

    MA Sepang, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) first sued AirAsia and AirAsia X in December 2018 for unpaid passenger service charges after the former raised the charges from MYR50 to MYR73. AirAsia refused to charge its passengers the increased rate as it said the facilities at KLIA2 were sub-standard. The LCC later countersued MAHB in January 2019 for losses and damages incurred by both airlines because of operational disruptions at KLIA2.

    The High Court also dismissed AirAsia’s appeal against the Malaysian Aviation Commission for failing to mediate the issue between the two parties, as regulations stipulate.

    “We will continue to fight the battle on behalf of all Malaysians and travelers to Malaysia,” Fernandes said in his posts, adding he hopes MAHB will act like a partner.

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  • Fave Wants to Be Merchant Super App

    Fave Wants to Be Merchant Super App

    Singapore-based Fave is onboarding merchants quickly to distinguish itself, as competition in the mobile rewards and mobile wallet space heats up.

    Fave has recently moved into the fringes of financial services, with a pilot project to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) obtain micro-loans from financial institutions. The move appears to follow similar moves by lifestyle apps such as Grab, that offer micro-loans to consumers in other parts of Southeast Asia.

    There are all these consumer super-apps, but then, actually we are like a merchant super-app platform,» said Fave’s chief executive Joel Neoh.

    Fave distributes coupons for the merchants while rewarding customers with cashback. After its launch in 2017, Fave acquired the Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia units of Groupon. Neoh was the founder of Fave Malaysia (originally GroupsMore) and previously led Groupon’s Asia-Pacific business.

    So far, the platform has more 25,000 merchants on its platform in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, where the company had acquired the units of Groupon. In September 2018, Fave raised $20 million in Series B funds from existing investors Sequoia Capital India, SIG Asia Investments and venture capital firm Venturra Capital, which is backed by Indonesia’s Lippo Group.

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  • AirAsia X lose bid for MAVCOM judicial review

    AirAsia X lose bid for MAVCOM judicial review

    Malaysia’s High Court has dismissed applications made by AirAsia and AirAsia X seeking a judicial review of the Malaysian Aviation Commission’s (MAVCOM) decision not to mediate a dispute between the carriers and Malaysia Airports (MAHB).

    Both carriers acknowledged that their application was dismissed “with no costs,” and they will review the decision with their legal counsel.

    The judicial review application was made in mid-May, with the airlines arguing that MAVCOM “has a statutory duty to decide on the dispute once mediation between parties has failed, or is deemed to have failed”.

    The dispute was first sparked in December, when MAHB filed a MYR36.4 million lawsuit against the airlines the month before for failing to remit higher passenger services charges since 1 January 2018.

    That was followed by a MYR480 million counter-claim by AirAsiaand AirAsia X against MAHB relating to economic losses and poor service levels at the KLIA2 terminal it operates from at Kuala Lumpur International airport.

    A subsequent mediation offer made by the airlines to MAHB was rejected by the airport operator.

    AirAsia Group chief executive Tony Fernandes has repeatedly complained about high charges and poor infrastructure at the KLIA2 terminal. The airline has resisted a regulatory ruling that it should pay the same passenger charges as airlines using the main terminal at KLIA, arguing that the terminal is a low-cost facility and should be charged as such.

    MAHB maintains that KLIA2 is not a low-cost terminal and provides more capacity at the airport.

  • Lazada brand refreshed with New Slogan and Tagline

    Lazada brand refreshed with New Slogan and Tagline

    Southeast Asian e-commerce platform Lazada has launched a new brand campaign – Go Where Your Heart Beats.

    This is the first refresh of the Lazada brand in five years, representing an attempt to elevate the role of the company beyond a transactional shopping platform to a “lifestyle destination”. The move is underpinned by the brand’s “shoppertainment” strategy to enhance the shopper experience, its seller empowerment efforts and ongoing engagements with local community segments.

    The campaign kicked off yesterday with a series of films following the personal journeys of three individuals made possible through Lazada, and introduced the firm’s new brand identity that reflects a more youthful, energetic and dynamic look and feel. It features a new heart logomark, typeface and new palette of Lazada colours.

    “As this region’s e-commerce pioneer, we first introduced Lazada in Southeast Asia to provide effortless shopping online,” said Lazada Group CEO Pierre Poignant. “Seven years on, we are the e-commerce leader that aims to serve 300 million customers by 2030.

    “We are elevating the role of Lazada beyond just a transactional shopping platform, to a lifestyle destination that can enable and progress hopes, dreams and desires – whether you’re a seller or a shopper.”

    The new Lazada brand identity was developed by Superunion Singapore and the accompanying campaign was conceptualised and developed by Wunderman Thompson Singapore.

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  • E-commerce platform Shopline Arrives in Malaysia

    E-commerce platform Shopline Arrives in Malaysia

    Hong Kong-based e-commerce hub Shopline has established a Kuala Lumpur office as a first move into the Malaysian market.

    Malaysia is Shopline’s second Southeast Asian market following Vietnam, where it already has a Ho Chi Minh City base and where 98 per cent of internet users reportedly made online purchases in the past year. Malaysia’s internet penetration stands at 78.3 per cent, heading off Indonesia and the Philippines, and will hit an e-commerce market value of $3.91 billion next year.

    The firm, which has more than 150,000 registered users with online stores trading on its platform, shipped merchandise to more than 200 million customers last year. It has successfully raised US$2 million in funding from CDIB Capital Group and Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund.

    Shopline will bring cross-channel O2O solutions to the Malaysian market, and offers several targeted features to extend retailer’s reach as well as an analytics dashboard and a cloud-based point-of-sale payment system.

  • NEXEA Launches Startup-Corporate Pilot Program

    NEXEA Launches Startup-Corporate Pilot Program

     NEXEA Angels Sdn. Bhd. (“NEXEA”), a leading startup investment firm today announced the launch of its Startup-Corporate Pilot Program that aims at bringing together local technology startups and corporations for the purposes of identifying and exploring potential collaborations among them. The program is held in partnership major organizations namely Digi, HELP University, Rhombus Connexion and Spritzer. Through the program, startups will get an opportunity to explore pilot projects with these organizations, validate business with feedback from them, explore real-world product testing and build up traction by having these organizations as potential customers. In addition, startups will also get support from mentors from NEXEA and have an opportunity to get funded by NEXEA and its co-investment partners. Startup-Corporate Pilot Program will start in July and run in parallel with NEXEA’s startup accelerator program.

    The Startup-Corporate Pilot Program is open to Malaysia-based startups ranging from ideation stage all the way to pre-series A. Applications to join are now open and will be closed on 24 June 2019. NEXEA is looking to enroll startups in the areas of connectivity, fintech, Internet of Things, SME solutions, F&B’s, education, healthcare and home services.

    Ben Lim, Managing Partner of NEXEA said, “Startup-Corporate Pilot Program is bridging the gap between startups and industry players. Many startups desire a working relationship with corporate entities but many too are unable to attain it due to various reasons. So, this year, besides running our regular Startup Accelerator Program we are bringing something different to the ecosystem – a platform where startups have direct access to corporations so they can explore potential collaborations. We are delighted that Digi, HELP University, Rhombus Connexion and Spritzer join in on our mission to help provide expert insights and opportunities for startups in our program.”

    Experienced entrepreneurs, CEOs and heads of innovation from the participating organizations will get involved in the program. With this approach to collaborations, NEXEA hopes to accelerate corporate innovation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0).

    NEXEA has, in its team, experienced mentors where most of them are entrepreneurs, half of them have held C-level positions like CEO and some of them have successfully brought companies to initial public offering (IPO).

    Alex Foo, Head of Strategy and Transformation at Digi said, “We share a common belief with NEXEA that Corporates and Startups have a big role to play to foster the growth of innovation and innovators in Malaysia. By partnering with NEXEA’s Startup-Corporate Pilot Program, we hope to play a role in building the local startup ecosystem by sharing our knowledge and expertise in building businesses, while exploring collaborative opportunities with startups and jointly bring new innovations to market.”

    Adam Chan, Executive Director of HELP International Corporation Bhd. stated, “As HELP University embarks on its transformation plan to become an analytics-driven institution and one that provides our students with the opportunity to test their entrepreneurial acumen, working with NEXEA provides the platform for our students and graduates to embark on this journey. NEXEA has a strong program in this area and we are confident that the resources of both parties could potentially provide the catalyst to unearth the next unicorn.”

    Kent Chua, Co-Founder of Rhombus Connexion said, “In the era of disruption we face today, it is an “innovate or die” situation for corporates. Thus what better way than to work closely with brilliant young minds via NEXEA to tap on to their wild ideas and play a role in shaping and supporting the world’s future today.”

    Meanwhile, Kenny Lim, CEO of Spritzer Bhd., said, “The market is moving into AI, robotic technology, digitalization and etc., whether you like it or not, but indeed the spirit of entrepreneurship is always the first step on how an idea can be turned into conglomerate. Spritzer is a home grown brand, the entrepreneurship spirit is one of the factors that makes us to be where we are at today. One of our roles here is to share what we have learned, so others can shine.”

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  • UOB Expands SME Accelerator Program

    UOB Expands SME Accelerator Program

    UOB has announced that it is bringing its business transformation program to Malaysia, following successful editions held in Singapore (2018) and Thailand(2019), the bank announced on Friday.

    The three-month-long «Jom Transformation Program» run by UOB innovation accelerator The Finlab aims to help businesses in Malaysia adopt technology to drive productivity and growth.

    As part of the program, they will be matched with technology partners to address their concerns and to pilot the implementation of the solution. Participants will be able to gain the skills and knowledge in areas such as business process re-engineering and digital marketing, the bank said.

    Businesses will also be matched with mentors, including the Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Kuala Lumpur & Selangor, the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents, Maxis, the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation and SME Corporation Malaysia, who will be able to advise them on how to increase operational efficiency, expand and scale across Southeast Asia,

    Malaysian businesses will be able to tap the combined knowledge, experience and networks of these organizations to accelerate their transformation process, Pauline Sim, co-head, The FinLab, said

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  • Xin Dau Ji expands into Malaysia

    Xin Dau Ji expands into Malaysia

    Michelin-starred Hong Kong seafood restaurant Xin Dau Ji has opened in Ekovest’s mixed development project, EkoCheras Mall in Malaysia.

    The opening in the integrated development, which features 1 million sqft of retail space, is a significant step forward for Ekovest’s F&B division Duke Dinings.

    “We are pleased to introduce this established brand to Malaysia, which is also a first in Southeast Asia,” said Duke Dinings group director Jong Wei Wei. “As Malaysia’s F&B sector is booming, it is our intention to fill the gap in the market for affordable lifestyle-driven dining concepts and Xin Dau Ji fits well with this objective.”

    “To be recognised by the prestigious Michelin Guide is a tremendous motivation and affirmation for the entire team at Xin Dau Ji,” said the restaurant’s representative Jonathan Chou. “It is our vision to make every dining experience at Xin Dau Ji truly exceptional and memorable.”

    Xin Dau Ji has been recognised for high-quality and nostalgia dishes since it opened in 1972.

  • Aeon to invest US$119 million on new Malaysian Malls

    Aeon to invest US$119 million on new Malaysian Malls

    Aeon Malaysia will spend around RM500 million (US$119.2 million) this financial year on mall renovations and new openings.

    The figure is less than the Japanese retailer’s spend last year and reflects a more focused approach on portfolio consolidation and refurbishments.

    The retailer currently operates 28 Aeon malls and 34 outlets. It is intending to open its next mall in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan this year, as well as renovating its Aeon Taman Maluri mall in KL. It will also invest in upgrades to selected Daiso and Wellness pharmacy stores.

    Aeon Malaysia’s net profit rose to RM32.64 million (US$7.8 million) in the first quarter to March 31, up from RM27.94 million in the same period last year, mainly driven by higher retail revenue and margin.

    Aeon MD Shinobu Washizawa admitted that the firm’s tighter focus serves reflects an expected weak performance this year as consumer activity remains subdued. The company has also been absorbing new costs related to the implementation of sales and services tax last year.

    “It will be a challenging year. But we are working on controlling our costs and increase operational efficiencies,” he said.

  • Link’s Temple Mall installs ‘Green-Screen Studio’

    Link’s Temple Mall installs ‘Green-Screen Studio’

    Temple Mall has installed a green-screen studio letting shoppers recreate scenes from famous romance movies.

    Link’s Temple Mall has installed an in-mall green-screen studio as part of its “Love at First Scene” campaign.

    The installation features 15 romantic scenes for shoppers to choose from along with a costume borrowing service and onsite postcards, allowing customers to play the lead roles in the famous love scenes and recreate silver-screen magic.

    The experience is capped off with a snapshot at the Romantic Moments photo zone, offering an occasion for customers to have their love stories memorialized in photos. The mall also provides a three-metre-tall selfie wall and six other Insta-worthy spots for customers to confess their love in their own creative way.

    Customers who spend a designated amount under the terms of the promotion may borrow costumes to re-enact the scenes. Whether striking a pose in the “I’m flying” scene on the ship’s bow, pledging their eternal love in an Imperial Palace in China, or participating in the moon-landing scene especially for families, their performances will be captured and printed onto postcards alongside famous quotes.

    Meanwhile, lovers can take romantic snapshots in front of a 21sqm neon selfie wall with a colossal neon heart at the center. There are six selfie walls in different corners of the mall, with pose and shooting angle suggestions for the best images.

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  • Poney flagship Store in KL opens at Central iCity

    Poney flagship Store in KL opens at Central iCity

    Malaysian childrenswear retailer Poney has opened a flagship store in the new Central iCity shopping centre.

    Poney Group has three brands – Poney, Baby Poney and Poney Enfants, offering apparel and accessories for newborns, toddlers and children aged up to 12 years old.

    The new boutique displays the full range in a bright, light setting, located next to Trudy & Teddy.

    Central iCity is the first shopping centre in Malaysia’s capital city to be opened by Thailand’s Central Group. It also features a Sogo department store and Malaysia’s 500th (and the world’s 15,000th) AS Watson store.

    Founded in 1992 by Albert Tan and his wife Sharon Ng, Poney Group began with consignment counters inside department stores before opening its first boutique in The Mines Shopping Mall in 1997. A flagship store opened in Suria KLCC two years later.

    The company has since expanded in Malaysia and offshore into markets including Singapore, China, Indonesia and the Middle East.

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  • AirAsia appoints Kris Taute to global communications role based in Kuala Lumpur

    AirAsia appoints Kris Taute to global communications role based in Kuala Lumpur

    AirAsia Australia PR and communications manager Kris Taute has moved to the airline’s Kuala Lumpur headquarters for a new global communications role.

    Taute had joined Air Asia last year, moving from the New South Wales state government, having worked for both Transport for NSW and for the state tourism body.

    In his new role as group manager communications for editorial, Taute will be responsible for the editorial communications of the airlines and its subsidiaries including  AirAsia and AirAsia X group of airlines, as well as lifestyle brands such as AirAsia Big Loyalty, travel360.com, Vidi, BigPay, RedCargo Logistics, Rokki, and Ourshop.

    In addition, Daphne Cheah is now ASEAN communications manager moving from a previous role as regional head green and sustainability.

    Taute has been replaced by Sarah Quinn who moves from Destination NSW and takes charge as PR and communication manager for AirAsia Australia.

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  • Malaysian bubble-tea chain Tealive Eying IPO

    Malaysian bubble-tea chain Tealive Eying IPO

    Loob Holding, parent of Malaysian bubble-tea chain Tealive, is preparing an IPO in Malaysia with a view to raising MYR300 million (US$72 million).

    The firm, which operates more than 200 food-and-beverage outlets in the territory, has reportedly hired advisors to facilitate the process and is seeking a valuation of up to MYR1 billion.

    “We have engaged corporate advisers for this exercise,” said Loo’s CEO Bryan Loo. “We cannot confirm the valuation sought nor the IPO portion, pending final recommendations from our advisers.”

    New listings have been slow off the mark this year, with only $9.4 million in first-time sales so far compared to $47.8 million during the same period last year. Several retail businesses are expected to list shortly, including Malaysia KFC operator QSR Brands and home improvement chain Mr DIY.

  • Exabytes Announces Its Annual eCommerce Conference to be Held on 27 June

    Exabytes Announces Its Annual eCommerce Conference to be Held on 27 June

    Exabytes Network Sdn. Bhd. today announced that its annual event of Exabytes eCommerce Conference (EEC) is scheduled to be held on Thursday, June 27th at Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Center (MaGIC) in Cyberjaya. EEC 2019 carries the theme of Grow Global, Grow Fast and it focuses on four main areas – growing ecommerce business, ecommerce trends, marketing for ecommerce, and ecommerce automation. This year, EEC expects to attract at least 800 attendees of startups and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from various sectors not just from Malaysia but from around the world. The one-day event is going to be packed with presentations and workshops by esteemed speakers from various industry backgrounds. Besides that, there will be at least 20 exhibitors of organizations that will take part in this year’s EEC.

    Registrations are now open online at www.exabytes.my/eec.

    Speaker highlights:

    • Anna Lebereva, Head of Growth Marketing, SEMrush;
    • ZiKang, Founder of FITGEAR & OXWHITE;
    • Lennise Ng, CEO of Dropee;
    • Diego Olivier Fernandez Pons, Scientific Advisor, Tezos Southeast Asia;
    • Roberto Cumaraswamy, CMO-on-Demand, robertocumaraswamy.com;
    • Christopher Lowe, Senior Account Manager, Insider;
    • Xin-Ci, Head of Marketing, StoreHub; and,
    • Nowrid Amin, Digital Marketing Strategist of IQI Global.

    More speakers will be announced from time to time.

    Chan Kee Siak, CEO of Exabytes said, “EEC is back for the sixth time and with a bigger goal to inspire startups and SMEs to grow their business beyond Malaysian borders. Since it started, EEC has been gaining momentum as a platform for startup entrepreneurs, C-level executives and other attendees to share, learn and network. We look forward to hosting them on June 27 in Cyberjaya.”

    “Thriving ecommerce presents opportunities. There is so much to learn about it so we’ve planned to cover a variety of topics such as analytics, big data, elogistics and mobile payment technologies. We are currently offering early-bird promo tickets and those who are interested can purchase them online at www.exabtyes.my/eec,” Chan explained.

    Started in 2014 with only 100 attendees, EEC has grown to be a popular ecommerce event in Malaysia attracting participants from around the world. In 2019, EEC targets to more than double its attendees from 396 in 2018 to a minimum of 800 this year.

    About Exabytes Network Sdn. Bhd.

    Founded in 2001, Exabytes Network Sdn. Bhd. is a leading web hosting and cloud service provider in Southeast Asia. It specializes in providing services of cloud hosting, shared hosting, email hosting, Virtual Private Server, dedicated servers, domain name registration, digital marketing and others. The Company currently serves over 100,000 small- and medium-sized businesses in 121 countries. Exabytes Network is part of Exabytes Capital Group Sdn. Bhd. It is headquartered in Penang, Malaysia. Website: www.exabytes.my.

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  • Takashimaya After Opportunities in South East Asia

    Takashimaya After Opportunities in South East Asia

    Three Southeast Asian countries are on Japanese department store operator’s radar. Takashimaya says it is evaluating opportunities to open department stores in the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.

    However, in an interview, Takashimaya’s president Yoshio Murata said while new stores in those markets could be an option, the company’s priority now is to focus on “raising the profitability of the four stores” it already has in Southeast Asia and China.

    Takashimaya opened a store in the IconSiam development in Bangkok late last year, adding to stores it already had in Shanghai, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City.

    In May last year, it was reported that just one of its overseas stores was then trading at a profit – the Singapore flagship on Orchard Road. But the company said it believed it could make them all profitable by 2023, including the Bangkok one.

    This week, Murata said the company plans to strengthen its overseas operations and sees an opportunity for growth in Southeast Asia, in particular.

    Additional locations “are entirely possible,” he said, so long as there were good locations available.

    The company is facing problems in its home market where an aging population and declining birth rate are making business growth a challenge.

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