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  • Sprayground opens Chinese Stores

    Sprayground opens Chinese Stores

    Retailer Sprayground eyes global expansion

    “Creative rebel” travel-and-fashion label Sprayground opened three retail stores in China on May 1, and is eyeing global expansion.

    The brand presents niche offerings as limited-edition collectibles in its capacity as an “authority in fashion-forward backpacks and accessories”.

    With distribution to more than 30 countries and a growing fanbase, the new Chinese locations have already made an impact. The brick-and-mortar stores are in Beijing’s Xicheng district, Hefei’s Shushan district, and the Minhang District in Shanghai – and more than 100 retail stores are set to launch there over the next three years.

    Sprayground’s founder and creative director David Ben David will visit all three stores during the simultaneous grand openings and plans to greet team members and shoppers throughout the initial week before attending China’s very first Sneak-Con, which kicks off on May 18.

    Part of Sprayground’s mission is to expand the creativity to the “creative outcasts of the country” and elevate the game in China by infusing New York-style streetwear and hip-hop.

    Sprayground collaborations have featured some of hip hop’s favorites such as Saweetie, Young Dolph, Young Thug, and Dave East.

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  • Little Dip in Hong Kong Retail Sales Last Month

    Little Dip in Hong Kong Retail Sales Last Month

    Hong Kong retail sales in March slipped by a negligible 0.2 percent, a slower decline than the 1.6 percent of January and February combined.

    But figures from the Census and Statistics Department show first-quarter retail sales were still down 1.2 percent year on year.

    After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the provisional estimate of the volume of retail sales in March decreased by 0.8 percent compared with a year earlier, and for the first quarter by 1.6 per cent.

    March’s decline was driven largely by the watches, jewelry and valuable gifts sector, which fell by 2.6 percent, and apparel, down by 2.3 percent. Sales of electronic goods fell by 15.6 per cent, of optical shops by 5.7 per cent and of books and stationery by 2.5 percent.

    Conversely, sales by supermarkets increased 3.3 percent, of medicines and cosmetics by 2.5 percent, in department stores by 5 percent, and of food, liquor and tobacco by 3.6 per cent.

    Footwear and accessories sales rose by 7.1 percent, furniture by 4.3 percent and Chinese drugs and herbs by 1 percent.

    A government spokesman said the decline in Hong Kong retail sales in March “reflected the cautious consumption sentiment amid various external uncertainties”.

    He said that looking forward, retail sales business will likely continue to be affected by various external uncertainties in the near term, but the largely stable labor market and the sustained growth in inbound tourism should provide some support.

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  • Outdoor Retailers Fighting for Market Share

    Outdoor Retailers Fighting for Market Share

    Outdoor retailers Kathmandu and Decathlon are vying for a piece of Australia’s ski and snowboard market this winter.

    Both businesses are launching inaugural snow collections, despite the fact that less than a million Australians regularly or occasionally ski or snowboard, according to 2018 data from Roy Morgan.

    On Thursday, Kathmandu launched its inaugural snow collection called Styper, which includes ski jackets and pants for adults and kids, as well as goggles and snow luggage.

    “Designed to suit beginner and intermediate levels, as well as the more sophisticated skiers, the pieces connect seamlessly together to keep warmth in and snow out, and are made with sustainable, state of the art ngx2 fabric technology that is waterproof, wind-proof and breathable,” the retailer said in a statement.

    The launch comes on the heels of Decathlon’s announcement that it is introducing more than 100 ski and snowboard-specific product lines from its Wed’ze brand available in Australia this year.

    The European discount retailer described its offer as an affordable option for people who want a trusted brand and good advice. The range will include adult ski jackets and pants for under $100, adult ski gloves for less than $40, kids’ ski gloves for less than $20, neck warmers and beanies for $10 and ski and binding packages for under $500.

    The price point is considerably lower than Kathmandu, which starts at $199.98 for kids and $349.98 for adults.

    Kathmandu’s collection is available in-store in Australia and New Zealand, while Decathlon’s collection is available in-store and online in Australia.

    Fashion brand SuperDry has been selling its snow range in Australia and New Zealand for the past three years.

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  • Decathlon Vietnam opens it’s Very first Store

    Decathlon Vietnam opens it’s Very first Store

    Decathlon Vietnam has opened its first store, at Vincom Mega Mall Royal City in Hanoi. Located on level B1, the store spans 4300sqm, offering more than 14,000 items covering 70 sports for all levels of player.

    Prices meet the market for local customers, such as a VND63,000 (US$3) backpack, or a US$10 tennis racquet.

    Customers can also test products designed for activities like hiking, jogging or basketball at the store before making a purchase.

    “We want our customers to feel satisfied when choosing Decathlon,” said Manu Pirenne, Decathlon Vietnam’s Hanoi CEO.

    “We are willing to exchange to new products or refund if our customers are not satisfied, within six months. Decathlon also has an at least two-year warranty on all products.”

    The second store which spans 2600sqm will be opened in Ho Chi Minh City on May 25, at Aeon Tan Phu.

    Decathlon Vietnam launched as an online-only store, with several Collect Points located in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

    To cut the prices, the company has set up its factory in Thai Binh province, and partnered with more than 100 retailers and brands.

    Established in 1976, the France-based sports retailer now has 1513 stores in 53 countries.

    It opened the largest store in Singapore earlier this year.

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  • The new golden rule for retailers to be Succesful

    The new golden rule for retailers to be Succesful

    The retail climate in Australia has long been a concern, but could there be a secret sauce to help brands reclaim valuable real estate in the minds of their consumers?

    Let’s face it — which brand doesn’t want to be like Nike? Its mass market, appeal and unique ability to stay relevant throughout its 50-year history have made it one of the most valuable brands amongst sports organisations. If Nike hadn’t already cemented its position as one of the biggest culture catalysts in the world, Colin Kaepernick has definitely made sure it has now.

    Commentators have waxed lyrical about the Kaepernick campaign and marketers have taken to it big time. But retail businesses too can take a leaf out of this book. You can’t fault the way Nike engaged with consumers on the basis of what motivates them, summed up by the campaign’s tagline: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”

    This is the crux of value-based engagement: engaging consumers on the basis of what they want to do, not necessarily what they want to buy. Australian retailers need to think beyond the product, and instead provide experiences and solutions that support and enable fundamental consumer needs, desires and aspirations.

    Between the brand and consumer, the latter now has more influence over the other. The growth of online shopping means the challenge for retailers to surprise and delight is getting harder, and thanks to technology, consumers are more informed and more in control at every stage of the purchase process. They are more aware of what they want and don’t want, and their attention span depends on how well you can teach, entertain or guide them at every given moment they interact with your brand.

    Consumer loyalty and advocacy is won and lost through the quality of experiences that retailers can provide. Whether your consumer comes to you to be inspired, be motivated to do good, alleviate frustrations, fulfil desires or solve a problem, retailers now need to create and invest in experiences to retain their customers.

    There are four main types of in-store experiences:

    • Convenient: These involve removing unwanted friction and inconvenience in the shopping journey. Amazon set a new standard for frictionless retail with Amazon Go, where consumers can walk in, shop and leave without ever going through a checkout line. With time as the new currency, the retailer that removes the most painful features of the shopping journey and increases overall convenience can go a long way towards building consumer loyalty and trust.
    • Communal: Turn the store into a destination for loyal customers to gather, who orient themselves to particular causes, affinities or cultural distinctions. In Tokyo, Adidas’ RunBase concept stores work extremely well as a local runners’ hub on which customers can test new gear and receive customised training ahead of purchase.
    • Curated: The future of retail will not be about having a proliferation of choices as it has been in the past; rather, it will involve winning consumers over with thoughtful curation of products and experiences. With OPSM reminding you to order more contact lenses for the next three months, would you consider moving to another optometrist? No!
    • Immersive: While this type of experience is still in infancy, it’s a safe bet that more retailers are going to invest heavily in this space as the need for experience-based differentiation becomes paramount to survival and future growth. To promote Deadpool 2, 7-Eleven launched its first augmented reality (AR) in-store experience, which consisted of different points of engagement and encouraged customers to spend more time in-store. Deadpool could be seen through the app as guiding users around the store, and a selfie filter was available, plus scannable codes that unlocked in-store activities and loyalty points.

    The next frontier of retail will have shopper demands and desires be foreseen, processed and fulfilled before they are articulated or even consciously realised. The creation of unique experiences represents a chance for retailers to achieve true, meaningful engagement with their consumers. And by committing to helping them achieve what they want to achieve, retailers will ensure their relevance over a greater period of time.

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  • JD takes major stake in Five Star Appliances

    JD takes major stake in Five Star Appliances

    Chinese online retailer JD is to buy nearly half the shares in electrical goods retailer Jiangsu Five Star Appliance, for US$189 million. Jiayuan Chuangsheng currently holds 93 per cent of the Five Star business and after divesting a 46 per cent stake to JD will remain its largest shareholder with 47 per cent.

    Analysts say the investment will allow JD to boost its online profile and provide consumers with a network of about 300 Five Star Appliance storefronts, in much the same way as archrival Alibaba is building physical retail networks in Mainland China, blurring the boundaries between online and offline retailing.

    With stores primarily located in central and southern China, Five Star Appliances has annual sales of about US$2.7 billion.

    Last year, JD accounted for nearly 40 per cent of China’s home appliance sales, making it the largest retail in the space. Partnering with a brick-and-mortar retail network is likely to boost sales for both parties and protect JD from fast-growing Suniung.com which now accounts for 30 per cent of the market. Tmall is also building a share of the appliance sector, its sales now nudging 25 per cent.

  • Giordano sales down in China

    Giordano sales down in China

    Giordano sales in Greater China plunged by 17.7 per cent during the first quarter, dragging group-wide sales down by 10.8 per cent, or 8.5 per cent on a constant currency basis.

    In a stock exchange filing on the eve of the holiday weekend the casual apparel retailer blamed the downturn on “uncertainty stemming from the Sino-US trade dispute and abnormally warm weather”.

    Giordano sales in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam remained stable during the quarter, and in the fledgling Middle East market rose by 10 per cent to HK$80 million, slightly compensating for the heavy impact of China.

    By market, Mainland China sales fell from $378 million to $295 million, in Hong Kong and Macau from $248 million to $225 million and in Taiwan from $201 million to $161 million. In the rest of Asia-Pacific, they declined from $422 million to $398 million.

    In the three months to March 31, inventories rose from HK$507 million to $512 million.

    During the quarter, Giordano closed two stores in Hong Kong and Macau and reduced directly operated stores on the mainland by 31, but opened 19 franchised outlets.

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  • Singapore retail sales plunge due to Chinese New Year

    Singapore retail sales plunge due to Chinese New Year

    Singapore retail sales plummeted 10 per cent year on year in February – but the sudden drop was largely due to the timing of Chinese New Year celebrations.

    After excluding motor vehicles from the figures, sales dropped by a slightly higher 10.7 per cent.

    Chinese New Year fell in the middle of the month last year, and early in the month this year, resulting in a shifting of some seasonal spending back into January this time around. Figures combining January and February sales in both comparable periods were not released.

    According to Statistics Singapore, sectors such as food retailers, apparel & footwear, supermarkets & hypermarkets, department stores, furniture & household goods, and medical goods & toiletries registered declines in retail sales of between 10.4 per cent and 24.8 per cent this year.

    Sales of watches & jewellery, optical goods, and books fell by between 7.2 per cent and 9.2 per cent.

    Statistics Singapore estimated total retail sales in February this year at $3.3 billion, with online retail sales comprising about 5 per cent of those.

    Sales of food & beverage services decreased 2.3 per cent year on year. The total sales value of food & beverage services in February was estimated at $855 million, compared to $875 million in February last year.

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  • Uniqlo Parent Cuts Financial Outlook

    Uniqlo Parent Cuts Financial Outlook

    Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing has cut its annual operating forecast amid heavy discounting to offload winter clothes.

    The apparel company has struggled with a shortage of popular winter items in the past, and overcompensated last winter by ordering too much inventory.

    The unseasonably warm weather hit sales of winter clothes which led to the decline of Fast Retailing’s first quarter profit.

    The company is undergoing the biggest revamp of its logistics and supply chain network to resolve the challenge it faced over winter.

    The Japanese retailer said it now expects an operating profit of  ¥260 billion (A$3.2 billion) for the financial year through August, compared to its previous forecast of  ¥270 billion in January. The revised outlook would still be a record high and represent a 10 per cent year-on-year rise.

    For the quarter ending February, Fast Retailing posted a double-digit increase in sales and profit in China, which has helped the brand turn in a better-than-expected rise in operating profit to ¥68 billion.

    The company reported declines in both revenue and profit in the first half of fiscal 2019, with revenue totaling ¥491.3 billion yen, down 5 per cent from the previous corresponding period, and operating profit totaling ¥67.7 billion yen, down 23.7 per cent from the previous year.

    First-half same-store sales, including online sales, declined 9 per cent.

    Online sales, which now account for 9.9 per cent of Uniqlo sales in Japan and 20 per cent in China, rose 30.3 per cent in the first half.

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  • Kiwis less likely to be brand “fans” than Aussies

    Kiwis less likely to be brand “fans” than Aussies

    Customers in New Zealand are less likely to be “fans” of brands, and are more likely to be “disappointed” by their shopping experience than customers in Australia.

    This is the finding of a recent comparison of New Zealand and Australian customer insights by TruRating, a customer feedback provider that launched in New Zealand this week.

    The company found that 64 per cent of Australian customers were “fans” of a brand after shopping with them. This means they gave the brand a rating of 8 or 9, which is correlated with loyalty and higher spending.

    But based on data from its nine-month soft launch in New Zealand with several local retailers, including Kathmandu and Bendon, only 54 per cent of Kiwis were “fans”.

    When it came to bad experiences, 18 per cent of Australian customers said they were “disappointed” and gave a business a rating of 0-3. This could impact average transaction value, TruRating said.

    In comparison, 24 per cent of customers in New Zealand gave a brand such a poor rating.

    The feedback company also noted a key difference in what drives customers to spend in New Zealand compared to Australia. While “overall in-store experience” was the most important factor in both countries, “product range” was the second-most important factor in New Zealand, while “service” was second-most important in Australia.

    “In Australia, customers are happiest on weekday mornings, and in New Zealand, Wednesday is the happiest day for shoppers,” TruRating said.

    “In general, New Zealand customers are least happy with their experience on Sundays, which is unfortunate as they are likely to spend more on this day.”

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  • Indonesian retail sales growth speeds up

    Indonesian retail sales growth speeds up

    Indonesian retail sales surged 9.1 per cent in February – a rate higher than anticipated.

    The growth rate appeared to be driven by shoppers splurging on Lunar New Year celebrations as well as an increase in apparel sales during the month.

    February’s rise followed a 7.2 per cent improvement in January and government statisticians have predicted a rise of 8 per cent for March.

  • Tokyu Hands Singapore to open at Jewel Changi

    Tokyu Hands Singapore to open at Jewel Changi

    Tokyu Hands Singapore will open its fourth store – at Jewel Changi – next week.

    Set to open on the 17th, the Japanese homewares retailer’s newest store in the city will feature new corners offering a selection of products based upon the trading patterns of Tokyu Hands Singapore’s existing stores.

    Each corner will feature a mix of Japanese designs considered “cool” in Singapore.

    A new section Straight up Health will feature pelvis-correction products, with actual devices available for customers to try on.

    “Travel’s Best” is a new corner which provides a collection of products aimed at travellers, along with outdoor accessories. The area offers products designed to make travelling more enjoyable.

    The Tokyu Hands Singapore store opening will feature a Japanese calligraphy performance and workshop by Malik Bin Mazlan, and a Kokuyo Exhibition, introducing Kokuyo products for a limited time.

    The retailer’s already popular Love Writing corner is being expanded with a collection of writing instruments, notebooks with superior-quality paper, and a curated range of other stationery items.

    The Tokyu Hands Singapore Jewel Changi store’s design focuses on the Japanese concept of Kodawaru, which the company says is used to “express careful pursuit, cultivation, approaches, and sensitivity to things one likes”.

    Tokyu Hands Singapore has three other stores: in Jurong East, on Orchard Road and at Suntec City.

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  • Shop&Go chain showcases brutal retail practice with 1$ Price Tags

    Shop&Go chain showcases brutal retail practice with 1$ Price Tags

    Shop&Go became the newest loser in Vietnam’s retail market Monday when it was bought out by conglomerate Vingroup for $1.

    The company reported an aggregated loss of almost VND205 billion ($8.81 million) by 2016, the latest year for which figures are available. VinCommerce, the retail arm of Vingroup, took over its 87 stores and its debts in the latest deal.

    Vietnam’s retail market has become increasingly crowded with both local and international players over the last five years. Although experts have said that the market has a lot of growth potential, many businesses have quit or scaling back expansion plans.

    Coffee giant Trung Nguyen has twice attempted and failed with its G7 Mart and G7-Ministop.

    Super market chain Saigon Co.op established its first retail store Co.op Smiles in 2016 with the hope of opening 500 such outlets a year, but two years later, the number is around 100.

    Japanese convenience store chain FamilyMart previously said it wanted to have 1,000 stores by 2020, but it announced last year that it won’t invest in new stores. The number of its stores stay at 151.

    Vietnamese food company Vissan said early last year that it has closed nearly 60 of 100 convenience stores. Nguyen Ngoc An, CEO of Vissan, said that the stores had failed to attract a large number of customers.

    A senior manager of the Family Mart said that they “could no longer pour more resources into the chain.”

    Industry insiders say that retail chains fail to compete because they don’t have deep pockets to bear the losses. Pham Viet Anh, a strategic business expert, said that cash flow is among the most important factors in the retail business. If a company cannot collect enough revenue before it has to pay suppliers, its working capital gets eroded.

    “A retail company can rely on its debts with providers in the short term, but in the longer term, it needs to find a way to be profitable. If not, growing losses will eventually bankrupt it,” Anh said.

    Vietnam’s revenue from selling goods last year rose by 11.7 percent from 2017 to $142 billion, up 12.4 percent from 2017.

  • Sephora opening New Zealand Flagship Store

    Sephora opening New Zealand Flagship Store

    Sephora is looking to fill a number of retail roles in Auckland, suggesting the beauty retailer is looking to open its first bricks-and-mortar store in New Zealand in the near future.

    Listings for assistant store manager, category coordinator, stockroom manager, supervisor, beauty and studio artists and retail assistants have been uploaded to job site Seek over the last month, claiming the retailer is opening its first New Zealand flagship store this year.

    The most recent listing notes that job seekers should be available and flexible to attend a recruitment event between May 7 and 8, pointing to a relatively quick opening window.

    The store will likely be located on Queen Street, Auckland, and is currently being fit out for the brand’s arrival. An internal elevator, lightning fixtures and elaborate signage are among the changes being made to the site.

    Sephora has been contacted for confirmation, but has not yet responded.

  • Woolworths Heads First in Taking on Kaufland

    Woolworths Heads First in Taking on Kaufland

    Woolworths and Aldi have increased their share in Australia’s grocery market, while Coles and IGA have slipped slightly, according to the latest research from Roy Morgan.

    Woolworths remains Australia’s top grocery retailer, increasing its share of the market to 34 per cent in 2018, up 1.4ppts, while a newly independent Coles now has a share of 27.6 per cent of the total grocery market, down 1.6ppts on a year ago.

    Aldi grew its grocery market share to 11.4 per cent in 2018, up 0.5ppts from a year ago, while Other Supermarkets outside the ‘big four’ such as Foodland and Foodworks have increased their share to 9.1 per cent, up 1.2ppts. IGA’s grocery share was down 0.4ppts to 7.1 per cent.

    Woolworths’ dominance in key fresh food categories has helped its strong lead. The retailer holds the largest market share in dollar terms for fresh meat, fresh deli, fresh bread and fresh fruit and vegetables ahead of Coles, Aldi and IGA supermarkets. The big two currently dominate Australia’s fresh food markets holding over 50 per cent of each of the fresh food markets.

    Michele Levine, Roy Morgan CEO, said Woolworths’ impressive performance places it in a strong position to deal with the entry of German hypermarket Kaufland into Australia’s more than $100 billion grocery market.

    “The demerger of Coles Group from industrial conglomerate Wesfarmers in the December quarter of 2018 means Australia’s second largest supermarket chain now has the opportunity to refocus on its core business ahead of the imminent arrival of German retailer Kaufland,” Levine said.

    Kaufland is following in the footsteps of fellow German retailer Aldi with plans to open six hypermarkets in Victoria over the next two years and more stores Australia-wide in the future.

    Levine also expects the anticipated rollout of ‘Amazon Fresh’ in the Australian grocery market in the near future to further disrupt the market. The online retail giant launched a food and grocery segment (excluding fresh food) late last year.

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