Retail News CRM

Tag: Malaysia

  • 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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  • Harvey Norman plans More Expansion in Malaysia

    Harvey Norman plans More Expansion in Malaysia

    Harvey Norman Malaysia is planning to open nine stores by the end of next year, taking its network there to more than 50 by the end of 2023. The retailer has expanded into Sarawak with an outlet in Miri Times Square.

    The 40,000sqft store covers a range of products spanning electrical and electronics, as well as furniture and bedding.

    “Harvey Norman has one price point, so regardless of where you buy it in Malaysia, the price is the same and Miri customers will get these benefits,” said Kenneth Aruldoss, Harvey Norman Asia MD.

    “We also cater to Bruneian customers. They can come to Miri and shop at our store, and we’ll give them the same support and quality service including after-sales service.”

    Four other stores – in Tebrau and Southkey (Johor), Ipoh and Kota Baru – will open in the second half of the year.

    Harvey Norman Malaysia sales reached S$152.33mil last financial year, up 10.5 percent year on year.

    “Malaysia is the best-performing country, with Singapore coming in second, in terms of growth and profits (among other indicators),” Aruldoss said.

    After launching in 2003, Harvey Norman Malaysia now has more than 17 stores across the country.

  • Axiata Group negotiating mega merger with Telenor

    Axiata Group negotiating mega merger with Telenor

    Malaysia-based Axiata Group has revealed it is in discussion to merge with Telenor’s Asian operations to create a regional powerhouse with total annual revenues of over 50 billion ringgit ($12.05 billion).

    Under the preliminary terms of the proposed merger of equals, Telenor would own a 56.5% stake in the merged company, while Axiata would take a 43.5% stake.

    The combined company would be one of the largest operator groups in Asia-Pacific, with operating subsidiaries in nine countries with a total of 300 million customers and a market reach of over 1 billion people.

    In Axiata’s home market, the merger would involve combining Malaysia’s Celcom Axiata with Telenor’s subsidiary in the nation Digi.Com to create the largest mobile operator in the market.

    Axiata’s subsidiary in Bangladesh Robi Axiata would continue to be managed independently by Axiata.

    The merger is expected to deliver around 20 billion ringgit in synergies through the consolidation of assets as well as the benefits of economies of scale.

    In addition to the retail operations, the merger has the potential to create a top five mobile infrastructure player through the combination of Axiata’s tower company edotco with Telenor’s Asian tower assets.

    In a filing with the Malaysian stock exchange, Axiata Group said discussions are still ongoing and there is no guarantee a deal will eventuate, but that it has opted for early disclosure to provide transparency for shareholders during the negotiations.

    “This proposed mega-merger of equals would create a Global Champion, headquartered right here in Malaysia…Leveraging on the synergies of our combined assets, organizations, talents, best practices, scale and financial firepower, we would create the largest telecom operator in the region,” Axiata president and group CEO Tan Sri Jamaludin Ibrahim said.

    “There is a lot of work ahead of us to conclude this deal, but I am excited as this merger would be unparalleled in the history of telecom in Asia and corporate Malaysia.”

    Subject to due diligence, the two companies aim to have negotiated the terms of a binding agreement by the end of the third quarter.

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  • Ex-AirAsia executive joins Malaysia Airports as COO

    Ex-AirAsia executive joins Malaysia Airports as COO

    Malaysia Airport Holdings (MAHB) has appointed former AirAsia executive Mohammed Shukrie Mohammed Salleh as its new chief operating officer.

    MAHB says that Shukrie will oversee strategies related to airport operations, safety and security, as well as planning and development.

    Shukrie was formerly AirAsia Malaysia’s chief operating officer, before moving to the current position.

    It is the second senior leadership appointment at the airport operator in 2019. In January, MAHB appointed its former finance chief Raja Azmi Raja Nazuddin as its chief executive.

    On Twitter, AirAsia group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes lauded the move, saying that he was “thrilled” that Shukrie would be joining MAHB.

    “He values partners, can communicate well and is a positive human being and a team player. These are qualities that have been lacking in MAHB so I’m sure with him there now things will improve,” he adds.

    AirAsia and MAHB have been embroiled in a legal spat over passenger service charges and service levels at Kuala Lumpur International airport. MAHB has initiated court action against the budget carrier over unpaid passenger service charges, while the low-cost carrier then responded with a counter-claim against the airport operator and has been pushing for mediation.

    MAHB manages 39 Malaysian airports, including those in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kuching, and Kota Kinabalu.

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  • McDonald’s Malaysia Opens 20 More Restaurants

    McDonald’s Malaysia Opens 20 More Restaurants

    McDonald’s Malaysia will launch 20 new McDonald’s Drive-Thru restaurants before the end of the year.

    “Drive-Thru window sales have contributed almost 50 per cent of total sales at 167 restaurants,” said regional MD and local operating partner Azmir Jaafar. “On top of this, we’ve seen an average 10 per cent year-on-year growth in drive-thru sales in the first quarter of 2019.”

    McDonald’s Malaysia opened its first Drive-Thru in Titiwangsa in 1988. The franchise now plans to include a drive-through facility in nearly three quarters of its restaurants by 2021, anticipating a 10–15 per cent increase in vehicle count.

    A Drive-Thru Weekend Challenge held from April 26–28 saw 473,860 cars stopping at a McDonald’s Drive-Thru nationwide for a meal, earning the franchise a spot in the Malaysia Book of Records.

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  • Pizza Hut Malaysia Plans More Store Openings

    Pizza Hut Malaysia Plans More Store Openings

    The 400th Pizza Hut Malaysia store has opened at Central I-City Shah Alam.

    To celebrate the landmark moment in the franchise’s history, Pizza Hut is giving 4000 pizzas to diners, as well as an additional 400 pizzas to 10 local charities. It was also selling its personal-sized pizzas for just RM4 (around US$1) at the end of last month.

    A statement by COO Loi Liang Tok revealed that the brand intends to open its 408th store by the end of the year, with new locations in Sabah, Sarawak, Perak and Penang. The brand is also rolling out an upgraded serving system in its fast casual delco stores, equipped with faster food preparation equipment and some self-service features.

    “The expansion of offerings through our new store format and the enhancements of our existing stores enable us to up our ante in staying relevant and help us to serve our community better,”

    QSR Brands MD Dato’ Seri Mohamed Azahari Mohamed Kamilw, “while offering vibrant dining experiences and staying delightful.”

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  • Creditor Maybank Terminates Collaboration Deal

    Creditor Maybank Terminates Collaboration Deal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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  • Indonesian Fintech Launches First Debt Services in Malaysia

    Indonesian Fintech Launches First Debt Services in Malaysia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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  • Ramadan an opportunity for E-Commerce Retailers

    Ramadan an opportunity for E-Commerce Retailers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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  • Sogo opens at Shah Alam’s Central I-City

    Sogo opens at Shah Alam’s Central I-City

    A second Sogo Malaysia department store has launched at Central I-City shopping centre in Shah Alam, Selangor.
    The new four-storey store, designed according to a distinctive Japanese aesthetic, features 18,581sqm of retail space and more than 400 brands in a wide variety of product categories.

    “Aside from purchasing beauty products on the ground floor, shoppers can get their manicure, pedicure and waxing done at the Smooch Waxing Studio,” said Sogo Malaysia group COO Raymond Teo. “There is also the Prinz Classic Barbershop on the second level, while the shoe and bag spa is at the ladies’ shoes section on the first floor. We also have cafes for those who want to chill out without having to leave the department store.”

    A range of promotions, redemptions and activities are being held to celebrate the launch.

    “This year marks our 25th anniversary and the opening of this store is an important milestone for us,” said Sogo Malaysia CEO Toh Peng Koon. “Opening Sogo in Central I-City is not only to cater to the needs of the Shah Alam community and beyond but also to be nearer and engage more with them.”
    “We are opening two new stores this month,” he added. “After Sogo Central I-City, it will be Sogo The Mall in Mid Valley Southkey, Johor Baru, on April 23.”

    By 2022, Sogo should have expanded its total network to six stores with a total retail space of 222,967sqm, which includes Prai Megamall in Penang, Selayang, Terengganu, and the first Seibu department store at the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) Lifestyle Precinct in Kuala Lumpur.

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