Retail News CRM

Tag: partnership

  • Korea’s Woori Bank partners with Chinese banks on remittance

    Korea’s Woori Bank partners with Chinese banks on remittance

    Woori Bank launched a money-transfer service linked with Chinese banks to allow its customers to readily and easily send money to people holding Chinese bank accounts. On Monday, the bank said the service will be carried out in real time. The partnered entities include the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the Bank of China, the Bank of Communications and also Chinese financial services company UnionPay.

    The service will charge 10,000 won ($8.9) in fees for a transaction less than 2 million won. For remittance over 2 million won, the charge will increase to a flat rate of 20,000 won.

    The service was jointly developed by Woori Bank, Woori Card and UnionPay. Once a user sends money, the service will notify the user of the transfer result via text message.

    The sender must send Korean won and the receiver will receive Chinese Yuan.

  • SK Telecom to launch data analyzer with Microsoft

    SK Telecom to launch data analyzer with Microsoft

    Korea’s No. 1 mobile carrier SK Telecom said Wednesday it will collaborate with U.S. software giant Microsoft for big data solutions to expand its presence in the global market. SK Telecom said it signed a development and global business cooperation agreement with Microsoft in Silicon Valley to step up development and global marketing in big data analysis.

    Under the partnership, SKT will launch its real-time big data analyzer, Metatron, on Microsoft’s public cloud platform Azure.

    Metatron provides quick and easy data analysis, which also includes data collection, storage and visualization processes. Azure is the world’s second-largest public cloud provider, used in 140 nations across the globe.

    The two companies agreed to launch the big-data-based asset performance-management service for the commercial market in July.

    “The partnership is expected to set the ground for Metatron’s footprint in the global market,” Choi Yong-jin, SKT’s data labs director, said in a release.

    Already well-established in its domestic market, SK Telecom has focused on leveraging its mobile network technology expertise and increasing revenue in content, software and security.

    During MWC Barcelona, set to open next Monday, the company plans to demonstrate its 5G technology, including quantum-safe cryptography solutions and mobile edge computing.

    Quantum-safe technology encrypts transmitted data using special quantum keys, which prevents interception or theft.

    Edge-computing systems process data locally, in nearby data centers or on devices, which eases the strain on networks and improves data reply times.

  • SPAR India to partner Himachal Pradesh in promoting fresh sourcing and manufacturing

    SPAR India to partner Himachal Pradesh in promoting fresh sourcing and manufacturing

    As part of ‘The Global Investors Meet’ in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh on June 10-11, 2019, which will have the CII as key national partner, a road show was organized in Bangalore recently that saw senior leaders from various industries participate in the event. SPAR was one such participant at the show as a representative of the retail industry.

    At the event, SPAR India’s MD & CEO Rajeev Krishnan and Solai Shakthivel, Senior Vice President – Buying and Merchandising Foods, had the opportunity for a one-on-one interaction with the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur and Industry minister Bikram Singh.

    Himachal Pradesh, known as the ‘Fruit bowl of India’, is famous for its manufacturing and SME development. With its ideal weather conditions, there are different varieties of fruits and vegetables grown in Himachal Pradesh. The state is famed for its abundance of crisp, juicy apples as well as for its pears, peaches, plums, grapes, apricots, mangoes, strawberries and citrus fruits.

    SPAR India offers a variety of fresh produce to its customers, which are mainly sourced from Himachal Pradesh. These include apples, green peas, oranges, honey, organic produce, among other products.

    According to Krishnan, “SPAR India is committed to continue building strong farm to fork relationships. We will be working jointly with the State on sourcing and developing our private label products – soaps, handicrafts, etc which, in turn, will support the growth of SMEs.”

    In its endeavour to continue making a difference in the lives of farmers, customers and communities, SPAR wants to be a strong partner to Himachal Pradesh in promoting fresh sourcing, manufacturing and tourism in the coming years.

  • Struggling furniture retailer Otsuka Kagu forms tie-up with Yamada Denki

    Struggling furniture retailer Otsuka Kagu forms tie-up with Yamada Denki

    Struggling Japanese furniture retailer Otsuka Kagu has entered a partnership with electronics retailer Yamada Denki. The two firms have pledged to exchange sales knowledge in their respective industries as well as explore potential corporate sales opportunities. Otsuka Kagu will also sell 13.11 million new shares at ¥290.11 in an effort to raise ¥3.8 billion (US$34.39) in fresh capital. Funds will be earmarked for warehouse automation and optimising stores for e-commerce.

    Otsuka Kagu lost ¥3.24 billion ($29.32 million) last year, its third consecutive year of net losses.

    The company attracted attention over the past decade for its high-profile leadership struggle between brand founder Katsuhisa Otsuka and his eldest daughter Kumiko Otsuka, with their competing visions for the brand’s way forward.

  • AS Watson to start selling Amorepacific

    AS Watson to start selling Amorepacific

    South Korean beauty group Amorepacific and AS Watson have expanded their partnership to cover Asia and Europe. The partnership will enable Amorepacific to increase its product presence through Watsons-owned stores and online. Before this, the two had already partnered to launch Amorepacific’s botanical skincare brand Mamonde, haircare brands RYO and Mise-En-Scene across Asia.

    “AS Watson and Amorepacific are both leading players in serving beauty customers. Our customers love Korean beauty products that bring not only innovation but also quality. This is what Amorepacific can provide,” said Malina Ngai, AS Watson Group COO.

    “Through this partnership, we are both passionate and committed to combining our knowledge and capabilities to bring the best products and shopping experience to our customers.”

    Saehong Ahn, president of Amorepacific Corporation and Malina Ngai, group COO of AS Watson Group sign the strategic partnership.

    President of Amorepacific Saehong Ahn said the group “looks forward to developing concrete plans that create synergy and is a win for both companies”.

    “Amorepacific will continue our efforts to expand accessibility for customers globally, and create novel experience for customers this year.”

    AS Watson Group has a store network of more than 14,900 stores under 12 retail brands in 25 markets. Included in that are about 6800 Watsons health and beauty stores in 12 markets in Asia and Europe.

    Core customer groups are relatively young, and K-beauty is experiencing 56 per cent compound sales growth since 2015, and gaining traction in Europe with last year’s growth at 122 per cent.

    Amorepacific is the leading beauty company in South Korea, with more than 70 years of experience in beauty and a wide brand portfolio.

  • Alipay is available at Walgreens’stores now

    Alipay is available at Walgreens’stores now

    Chinese consumers visiting the U.S. can now use Alipay at Walgreens, one of the largest drugstore chains in the country. Whether traveling for business or pleasure, Alipay users can shop at 3,000 locations in major cities such as New York, San Francisco and Las Vegas to start, the companies said. The number is expected to reach 7,000 by April. Walgreens operates about 9,560 drugstores in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and other U.S. territories.

    About 4 million users of the mobile-payments app are in the U.S. annually, according to Alipay, which is owned by Alibaba Group affiliate Ant Financial. The service offers them a quick and easy way to pay for goods while overseas, one that is already ubiquitous in China and lacks the higher foreign-transaction fees typical of credit cards.

    “Walgreens is focused on making shopping more convenient for our customers,” including Chinese consumers, said Walgreens President of Operations Richard Ashworth, including Chinese consumers. “Not only can they buy our products via our dedicated store on Alibaba’s Tmall Global marketplace, but they will now also be able to shop in the U.S., using Alipay as they would in China.”

    In September, parent company Walgreens Boots Alliance made its first move into China’s consumer market by launching a flagship store on Alibaba Group’s dedicated cross-border e-commerce platform, Tmall Global. The direct-to-consumer channel added to a wholesale and retail pharmacy business that WBA had already been operating in China.

    According to China’s Ministry of Tourism, Chinese travelers took about 140 million trips abroad last year. In an effort to capture that business, Ant Financial has been working with merchants across the globe to make Alipay available overseas to its more than 1 billion users (which includes users of its joint-venture partners’ apps). Alipay currently is available in over 40 countries and regions. Last year, Alipay added Germany’s Oktoberfest, the world’s largest gingerbread city in Norway and San Francisco’s Pier 39 to its list of merchant partners, all of which are popular destinations for Chinese tourists.

    “This is a key strategic partnership for achieving awareness in the U.S.,” Yulei Wang, general manager of Alipay North America, said of the Walgreens partnership. “We are excited to partner with a company that has been trusted across America since 1901, and is constantly evolving to provide more Chinese consumers a seamless and familiar way to pay.”

  • Miniso teams up with cartoon network’s Adventure Time

    Miniso teams up with cartoon network’s Adventure Time

    Miniso has teamed up with Cartoon Network to present an epic 264-item collection of Adventure Time products in its stores across 62 territories around the world. From Europe to Asia, and Africa to North America and South America, the retailer is stacking its shelves with items featuring iconic characters including Finn, Jake, BMO and Lumpy Space Princess.

    Launching this month as part of a phased global rollout, Adventure Time fans will be able to enjoy an immersive in-store experience with the collection, which will be comprised of plushies, stationery, gifts and accessories such as backpacks and cosmetics. In the near future, the collection will add even more items as well as expand to additional territories.

    “The scale of this range demonstrates the popularity and enduring qualities of the Adventure Time franchise globally,” said Vikram Sharma, Vice President of Cartoon Network Enterprises, Asia Pacific.

    “Miniso has been a great partner for us. And when they wanted a brand that could provide young fans with an instantly-recognizable and fun association, Adventure Time was the obvious, mathematical choice!”

    Meanwhile, a new wave of merchandise from We Bare Bears – another Cartoon Network property – will also be in stores alongside Adventure Time.

    After impressive sales during the initial collaboration during 2018, more than 200 new and refreshed Bears’ items will be available in Miniso stores this month.

  • Daiso to set up regional distribution centre in Malaysia

    Daiso to set up regional distribution centre in Malaysia

    PKT every24 Logistics Sdn Bhd (PKT) signed a service agreement with Daiso Industries Co Ltd (Daiso) to operate the latter’s regional distribution centre (RDC) located in Port Klang, commencing in the second quarter of this year. PKT is a joint venture company between PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd and Daisei every24 Co Ltd. Incorporated in February 2016, it was set up by both parties to explore joint business opportunities in Malaysia.

    PKT said in a statement, in order to serve Daiso in this RDC, it will be constructing a purpose-built warehouse at an estimated investment cost of RM250 million while creating 500 new jobs for the state of Selangor.

    PKT said it shall be providing Daiso haulage, freight forwarding and warehousing services for their transshipment and local cargo, reaching approximately several hundred containers per month.

    Meanwhile, Daiso president Seiji Yano said the group is confident that PKT will be a valuable logistics partner for the group to better serve its outlets and customers across the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

    “We are truly honored by Daiso’s confidence in Malaysia’s logistics capability but most importantly Daiso’s confidence in PKT to deliver quality logistics service to their outlets,” PKT chairman Datuk Wira Jalilah Baba said.

    Daiso is a specialty store retailer of private label products offering a vast lineup of up to 70,000 superior quality products.

    Headquartered in Hiroshima Japan, Daiso has more than 5,270 stores worldwide, served by 17 distribution centers located in Japan, China and Thailand.

  • LG and Naver agree to work together on guide robot

    LG and Naver agree to work together on guide robot

    LG Electronics and portal operator Naver Wednesday agreed to jointly develop an advanced guidance robot based on the high-tech mobility platform. LG Electronics and Naver’s R&D subsidiary signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on research and development of robot technology, expanding on their discussions made during the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

    Under the agreement, the two Korean companies will explore ways to adopt Naver’s integrated location and mobility solution eXtended Definition & Dimension Map (xDM) in LG’s guide robot called Air Star to upgrade its function.

    The xDM platform is an advanced mobility technology that can be used in both indoor and outdoor settings and accurately analyzes location data in real time.

    “Based on LG Electronics’ know-how in artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous driving, we will combine Naver’s software platform in our robots to provide differentiated value for our customers,” Roh Jin-seo, the head of the robotics business at LG Electronics, said during the signing ceremony at Naver Labs in Seongnam, south of Seoul.

    Naver debuted its AI and other robotic technologies during this year’s CES, drawing attention from industry officials around the globe.

  • CIMB get permission for banking venture with Philippines

    CIMB get permission for banking venture with Philippines

    CIMB Group Holdings Bhd has obtained the green light to establish its investment banking business in the Philippines. In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, the group said its wholly owned subsidiary CIMB Group Sdn Bhd had on Jan 23 received the relevant approvals from the Securities and Exchange Commission of the Philippines, including the Certificate of Incorporation and Certificate of Registration for an investment house licence.

    The investment banking business in the Philippines will be operated via a 60% shareholding in CIMB Bancom Capital Corporation with the remaining 40% stake to be held by local partners Bancom II Consultants, Inc and PLP Group Holdings, Inc.

    The three parties have entered into a joint venture agreement following the receipt of the approvals.

    CIMB shares went down 1 sen or 0.2% to close at RM5.65 today on 13.4 million shares done.

  • Sunway, Hoi Hup Realty wins land tender in Singapore

    Sunway, Hoi Hup Realty wins land tender in Singapore

    The Housing and Development Board of Singapore has awarded a parcel of land measuring 2.5ha to Sunway Bhd’s Singaporean unit Sunway Developments Pte Ltd (SDPL) and Hoi Hup Realty Pte Ltd after a successful bid.
    The land is slated for the SG$434.45 million (RM1.32 billion) Executive Condominium Housing Development. The group told the stock exchange that the land located at Tampines Avenue 10 (Lot 7545K MK 28), Tampines, Singapore was awarded to Hoi Hup and SDPL following a successful joint tender submitted by the parties.

    “The land will be acquired by a proposed new joint venture company to be incorporated, in which Hoi Hup or its nominee company(ies) and SDPL will have equity interest in the proportion of 65:35,” it noted.

    The 99-year lease term Executive Condominium Housing Development project is scheduled to go on for 60 months, commencing Jan 22.

    It is expected to contribute positively to the earnings of Sunway Group in the financial year 2023.

  • LG teams up with Google to develop VR offerings

    LG teams up with Google to develop VR offerings

    LG U+ is partnering with Google to produce three-dimensional (3-D) virtual reality (VR) video, the company said Friday. Ha Hyun-hwoi, CEO of the mobile carrier, said augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality offerings demonstrate to customers the potential of next-generation 5G networks. He made the comments during a press briefing Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

    He added that LG U+ is determined to become the leading player in AR and VR, and the partnership with Google is a stepping stone in achieving that goal.

    According to LG U+, the smallest mobile carrier in the country, with 3-D VR video, viewers feel they are actually at a sports stadium or a performance hall. The technology requires 10 times the bandwidth when compared with two-dimensional high-definition videos, which is why the faster and higher-capacity 5G network is crucial to the mass production and distribution of VR video, LG said.

    The two companies will first establish an equally-invested fund and develop 3-D VR video in the first half of this year. LG U+ will take charge of design and production. The mobile carrier will also have rights to local market distribution. Google’s YouTube will own retail rights globally. The Korean company said its collaboration with Google will continue following the development of pilot material.

    The first offerings will be centered on videos of globally-popular K-pop stars. A tour around K-pop star homes, following the star for the whole day and backstage tours are some of the ideas suggested so far, LG said.

    The video will run exclusively on YouTube and LG U+’s over-the-top (OTT) VR content platform. OTT refers to streaming entertainment that is delivered directly to users over the internet without going through intermediaries, like television.

    The move by LG U+ comes after SK Telecom inked partnerships earlier this month with three local broadcasters – KBS, MBC, and SBS – to create an OTT media service that can counter Netflix.

    It also announced during CES a partnership with Sinclair Broadcast Group to cooperate on media technologies.

    Ha said dependence on OTT will grow together with the commercialization of 5G and that SK Telecom has made a “good choice in partnering with local broadcasters.”

    LG U+ plans to fight competition with its partnership with Google as well as Netflix. Under an agreement reached in November last year, Netflix programing is aired exclusively through LG’s internet protocol TV platform.

  • Miroglio and Workplace keep collaboration in fashion

    Miroglio and Workplace keep collaboration in fashion

    Miroglio Fashion is the women’s clothing arm of Miroglio Group – a 71-year-old Italian conglomerate operating in 22 countries. The group joined Workplace in 2016. Since then, says CEO Hans Hoegstedt, it has “revolutionized our way of working.” “Over the last few years, the role of the CEO has changed. It is crucial for a CEO today to create culture, to remove filters and blockers so there can be a transparent and constructive dialogue between everyone. I was confident that Workplace was a platform that would help us achieve this,” he explains.

    “We chose Workplace because everyone in the company knows how to use Facebook. And they just instinctively ‘got it’. Right from the first day, people began to spontaneously interact with each other in a genuine way with no training required. We launched Workplace at our annual convention two years ago. Over 1,100 stores in our various brands swung into action along with the head office. We set up all the Workplace groups that we use for various parts of the business, like visual merchandising, product, innovation, communication and so on”.

    The result was instant. Within a short space of time, barriers and distances disappeared. People who had found it difficult to make themselves heard by head office suddenly had a direct, filter-free channel. It has given the company a more innovative and efficient way of working.

    “A clear example is the visual merchandising team. Before Workplace, the team would create a model window and send it out to all the stores by email. With Workplace, the VM team now posts the image of the model window into a group. All the shops reply with their versions, comments, and suggestions. The VM team then provides instant feedback for the stores.

    This allows to have hundreds of examples of how to dress the window instead of just one, and people can take ideas and inspiration from the others. There is a better dialogue and smarter collaboration that results in better window displays.

    Hoegstedt continues “There are functions we did not use at the outset that have now become core features for us. Auto Translate was crucial when we extended the platform to our colleagues in Russia. Everyone posts in their own language and Workplace auto translates. Simple and effective. It’s a powerful way to create a vast international network, and we’ll be relying on the translations as we deploy Workplace in Romania, Spain, and France. We also now use Live Video whenever we present a new collection”.

    “For me, as a CEO, it is also a way of ‘taking the pulse’ of the company. Of getting a quick sense of how people are feeling. It’s a kind of mass collective intelligence.”

    From frontline to back office to HQ, Workplace connects entire retail organisations so they can share, collaborate and transform the customer experience with next-generation technology.

  • BreadTalk, Song Fa JV launch first Beijing restaurant

    BreadTalk, Song Fa JV launch first Beijing restaurant

    BreadTalk and Song Fa have launched their first restaurant in northern China at Beijing’s APM Mall. Saturday’s opening follows the successful launch of the first Song Fa restaurant in Shanghai Jing An Kerry Center in January last year, where it averaged RMB1 million (US$145,570) in monthly sales. It is the fourth restaurant opened following the signing of the joint-venture agreement between BreadTalk and Song Fa Holdings in July 2017.

    The restaurant is located on level 5 of the mall, featuring a spacious interior accommodating close to 100 diners with Nanyang nostalgia decor and contemporary seating.

    “Since the opening of our first Song Fa outlet in Shanghai last year, we were encouraged and overwhelmed by the positive response from consumers in China,” said BreadTalk Group CEO Henry Chu. “This vote of confidence enabled us to open another three restaurants successfully in Shanghai last year.

    With the opening of our first restaurant in Beijing, we will continue to harness and leverage BreadTalk Group’s brand operations and management experience to bring the Song Fa brand to northern China and provide local consumers with high quality Teochew Bak Kut Teh cuisine.”

    “The Bak Kut Teh culture is one of the most iconic food cultures of Singapore,” added Song Fa’s second-generation helmsman and MD Yeo Hart Pong. “It is Song Fa’s mission to spread this culture and continue to serve generations of Bak Kut Teh fans. Besides our Singapore homeground and Indonesia, China is our most-valued market outside Southeast Asia. We feel very honoured to be able to collaborate with BreadTalk Group and introduce the Teochew Bak Kut Teh culture to epicures in China.”

  • US-China talks on bilateral trade to impact Malaysia’s equity

    US-China talks on bilateral trade to impact Malaysia’s equity

    The discussion between the US and China with respect to their bilateral trade would likely be the highlight for the equity market next week, says an economist. It could also be a source of market instability, said Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid. He said market players are currently worried about the turbulence across global markets.

    “Generally businesses have become more risk-averse as some countries especially China and Asean nations had recorded below the 50-point demarcation line in their manufacturing index.

    “In fact, the US ISM manufacturing index has shown a similar trend, falling by 5.2 points to 54.1 in December 2018.

    “Naturally, businesses would reduce their capital expenditure and labour hiring as they would become wary of demand prospects, so we can expect equity markets to remain weak in the near term,” he said.

    Mohd Afzanizam said the current support level is at 1,653.

    The FBMKLCI might test this level should the discussion not pan out favourably, he added.

    For the holiday-shortened week, the FBM KLCI was traded mostly lower, mainly affected by external factors such as US political uncertainties, mounting concerns over poor global growth and the talks on the potential interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

    The local bourse and its subsidiaries were closed on Tuesday for the New Year holiday.

    On a Friday-to-Friday basis, the benchmark FBM KLCI settled 22.29 points weaker at 1,669.78.

    The FBM Emas Index depreciated 124.28 points to 11,413.02, the FBMT100 Index decreased 131.24 points to 11,323.34, the FBM 70 declined 67.72 points to 13,023.80, the FBM Emas Syariah Index erased 152.51 points to 11,356.91 but the FBM Ace edged up 34.23 points to 4,294.43.

    Sector-wise, the Finance Index lost 99.90 points to 17,241.79, the Industrial Products and Services Index eased 1.18 points to 165.63, while the Plantation Index was 16.84 points weaker at 6,880.90.

    Comparing Friday-to-Friday, the weekly turnover rose to 7.22 billion units worth RM4.79 billion from 5.70 billion units worth RM4.15 billion.

    Main Market volume increased to 5.17 billion units valued at RM4.37 billion versus 4.16 billion shares valued at RM3.85 billion.

    Warrants turnover advanced to 1.23 billion units worth RM282.94 million compared with 948.80 million units worth RM202.97 million.

    The ACE Market volume appreciated to 719.60 billion shares valued at RM127.20 million against 556.26 million shares valued at RM90.05 million.