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Tag: Singapore

  • IRVINS Salted Egg opens store in Hong Kong

    IRVINS Salted Egg opens store in Hong Kong

    Local brand IRVINS Salted Egg, which is popular with both Singaporeans and Hong Kong tourists, have taken their famous potato chip and fish skin snacks to Hong Kong.

    The company opened its first pop-up store in Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui on Tuesday (Feb 27), it said in a Facebook post.

    The store aims to “meet the expected huge demand in Hong Kong”, the head of the Hong Kong branch Jeslin Low added in a statement released by the Hong Kong government.

    “As many of our customers are also based in Hong Kong, expanding to the city is in line with our vision to deliver our salted egg snacks and delightful customer experience.

    “That motivated us to build our own team in Hong Kong and deliver the same retail experience as in Singapore,” said Ms Low.

    The brand also hopes to use Hong Kong to launch their snacks within the region.

    “Hong Kong has a robust economy with a high number of international and mainland Chinese visitors,” Hong Kong’s associate director-general of investment promotion Dr Jimmy Chiang was cited as saying in the press release, as he offered reasons to support why Hong Kong is an ideal choice for IRVINS.

    According to the brand’s Facebook page, the Hong Kong team will be built from the “ground up”.

    “Hong Kong is a very business-friendly city and we find the incorporation and opening process here very smooth. These really support our vision and passion to serve our customers here,” added Ms Low.

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  • American Eagle Outfitters to exit Singapore by end Feb

    American Eagle Outfitters to exit Singapore by end Feb

    US fashion retailer American Eagle Outfitters is about to quit the Singapore market.

    At a closing-down sale at at its Suntec City outlet, staff members have confirmed that the store’s closure on Wednesday will mark the end of the brand’s presence in Singapore.

    Its VivoCity flagship store closed last week.

    The brand’s departure comes within days of rival US brands Gap and Banana Republic signalling a retreat from the city after FJ Benjamin decided to drop the franchises.

    American Eagle Outfitters entered Singapore less than three years ago when local firm Star 360 Holdings scored exclusive retail and distribution rights for the brand in Singapore and Malaysia. Star 360 represents brands such as Birkenstock, Cole Haan and Onitsuka Tiger as well as running multi-label footwear and apparel stores.

    A spokesman for subsidiary Trendz 360 says the company will be refocusing on its strategic business in footwear both in Singapore and around the region, and its core business of footwear brands will not be affected by the exit of American Eagle Outfitters.

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  • Vietjet to Operate International Flights at Terminal 4, Changi International Airport

    Vietjet to Operate International Flights at Terminal 4, Changi International Airport

    Vietjet will soon shift its operation of international flights from Terminal 3 to Terminal 4 (T4) of Changi International Airport, Singapore beginning 6 March 2018.

    The forthcoming shift in operation marks the expansion and growth of Vietjet in Singapore’s Changi Airport – the world’s best 5-star international airport in the five consecutive years and also helps to reduce travel time by bus from the aircraft parking area to the terminal.

    Since launching its first flights from Ho Chi Minh City in 2014, Vietjet has continually increased its frequency and launched new routes from Hanoi to Changi, serving the rapidly growing travel demands between the two countries which contributes to promoting regional trade and intergration.

    Officially launched on 31 October 2017, T4 – Changi International Airport has since received over 1.6 million passengers and covered more than 9,400 flights.

    The areas serving Vietjet’s inbound and outbound flights are synchronously designed, equipped with modern equipment and prominent branding signs. Vietjet’s check-in counters are located in the same area making ticket counters accessible and convenient for passengers. The opening time of check-in counters for international flights remains at 3 hours before departure time and the closing time is 50 minutes before departure time. Passengers should be aware of the operational change to the new terminal to ensure all travel formalities including check-in, immigration, customs clearance and security procedures are cleared on time.

    Modeling itself as a ‘Consumer Airline’, Vietjet continues to open new routes, expand its fleet, invest in modern technology and offer more value-added products and services to serve the demands of customers. The airline also offers diverse promotional programs on tickets and entertainment especially during the festive seasons.

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  • Mr DIY opens door in Mid Valley Megamall Malaysia

    Mr DIY opens door in Mid Valley Megamall Malaysia

    Malaysian home improvement retailer Mr DIY has launched its first flagship store, at Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur.

    The chain’s 360th store covers 1393sqm on the mall’s third-floor mezzanine, offering 20,000 product varieties across nine departments – household, hardware, electrical, car accessories, toys, stationery, gifts, sports, and jewellery and cosmetics.

    “This is an important milestone for Mr DIY’s growth in the region as we strive toward our vision of becoming the largest home-improvement retailer in Asia Pacific,” says Mr DIY Trading marketing head Andy Chin.

    With fresh concepts, the flagship store features a ceiling designed like a hexagon nut, plus there are walkways to make it easy for shoppers to navigate the store.

    Chin says RM2 million (US$511,000) was invested in the store, which is expected to drive a monthly footfall of 200,000 customers.

    He says it is an exciting year for the company. “We are targeting a total of 300 new stores across Asia Pacific, with 150 in Malaysia alone. Next, we are looking at expanding our reach into two new countries, Singapore and the Philippines, within the second half of the year while we are set to launch the Mr DIY e-commerce platform in the third quarter.”

    The retail chain last year recorded more than RM1 billion in revenue, serving 110 million customers. It started as a hardware store in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur, in 2005 and now has more than 450 outlets throughout Malaysia and Asia Pacific, including Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei.

  • More funding comes for Go-jek Indonesia

    More funding comes for Go-jek Indonesia

    Go-Jek has raised a higher than targeted $1.5 billion in a fundraising round from a dozen investors, including BlackRock and Google, as the Indonesian ride-hailing firm builds its war chest to fight deep-pocketed rivals.

    Go-Jek had planned last year to raise $1.2 billion, and, with the 25 percent extra funds it has received, it is now valued at about $5 billion.

    Reuters Breakingviews said last month that Go-Jek was valued at roughly $4 billion compared with over $6 billion for Grab, Southeast Asia’s largest ride-hailing firm.

    The additional funds and backing of well-known investors, including Singapore’s Temasek Holdings and Chinese technology giant Tencent Holdings, will help Go-Jek to better compete in Southeast Asia’s cut-throat market where incentives to drivers and passengers are used to build loyalty.

    Singapore-based Grab was expected to have raised $2.5 billion last year and Uber Technologies has pledged to invest aggressively in Southeast Asia – home to 640 million people – even though the US firm expects to lose money in the fast-growing market due to costly battles with rivals.

    Both companies are expanding in Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s most populous country, where Go-Jek, a play on the local word for motorbike taxis, is transforming the local economy, economists say.

    Go-Jek and Grab are also investing heavily in expanding their mobile payments platform.

    “Go-Jek is far beyond a ride-hailing app, it’s a digital platform that dominates consumers’ daily lives, including transportation, food delivery, logistics, and payment, etc.,” said Xiaofeng Wang, senior analyst at consultancy Forrester.

    “That’s also the key value that its key investors like Google and Tencent see. They know well about the power of the digital ecosystem, and Go-Jek has built it in Indonesia, like Google in the US and WeChat in China,” Wang said.

    Go-Jek told Reuters that some investments that came in this year were part of the funding round that kicked off last year but it declined to comment on the amount raised or the names of investors.

    It said the funding was aimed at developing technology for micro, small and medium enterprises in Indonesia.

    Go-Jek delivers everything from meals and groceries to cleaners, masseuses and hairdressers across Indonesia’s capital city Jakarta, all at the touch of a smartphone app – helping it become a crucial workaround in a city with some of the worst traffic in the world.

    Rumours said BlackRock and Temasek are investing about $100 million each in Go-Jek’s latest fundraising.

    BlackRock declined to comment. A Temasek spokesman confirmed participation in the fundraising but declined to say how much it had invested.

    This month, Indonesian conglomerate Astra International said it would invest $150 million in Go-Jek, while  Djarum Group’s Global Digital Niaga is putting in $100 million.

    Go-Jek’s payment system, known as Go-Pay, has emerged as one of the most popular mobile payment platforms in Indonesia. Grab, which bought Indonesian payment service Kudo last year, also sees its future in mobile payments as much as in transport.

    Go-Jek is expanding in other Indonesian cities and has said it plans to start operations in the Philippines this year, followed by other Southeast Asian countries.sou

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  • A Successful Singapore Airshow 2018

    A Successful Singapore Airshow 2018

    Bolloré Logistics Asia-Pacific is happy to announce that this year’s edition of the Singapore Airshow was a resounding success. This edition of the biennial event was the 6th since the show’s inception in 2008. With a plethora of exhibitors from 38 countries, there were plenty of opportunities to boost Bolloré Logistics’ recognition at Asia’s largest Aerospace and Defense Airshow. This year featured not just one, but two Bolloré locations within the trade show, both at the booth and chalet.

    The Bolloré Logistics booth has been visited by many people. A lot of information was available through our marketing materials such as our dedicated brochures showcasing our tailored services for Airlines & MROs, Aerospace, and Helicopters, as well as our Press Kit. The presence of IER, a company belonging to the Bolloré Group, which develops and deploys mobile and self-service machines for passenger processing, and also offers track and trace tools for supply chains and logistics providers, was also a great success.

    “The entire industry has embraced self-service solutions and technology, which for airlines and airports also enhances customer experience,” says Fabrice Godeau, Managing Director at IER for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

    “We have teams of solution designers tailoring systems for clients, and creating end-to-end service for passengers who increasingly demand there be less time and fewer steps involved between entering terminals to their planes taking off.”

    The Bolloré chalet was equally busy between multiple events such as Speed Meetings, Workshops, and daily Business Luncheons. Over the Trade Days from February 6-9, 2018, executives had the chance to network across 24 different Bolloré Logistics entities. Our internal Speed Meetings brought together both Regional and Key Account Managers to create innovative solutions to address concerns in the Aerospace industry. In addition, some workshops were conducted to improve our approach to challenges in Asian countries that require greater finesse in complying with government and regulatory standards.

    Bolloré Logistics’ clients were also welcomed into the chalet during our daily Business Luncheons. Over a scrumptious buffet, clients and executives fostered a better understanding of their needs and goals. Some clients were even treated to special access visits to our notable hubs in order to gain a better sense of our infrastructure and capabilities. Upon their exit of the chalet, clients received a goodie bag containing – amongst other things – a mock-up of a boarding pass which allowed them to enter a lucky draw at our booth.

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  • Qualtrics Announces Online Community Connecting Experience Management Platform Users

    Qualtrics Announces Online Community Connecting Experience Management Platform Users

    Qualtrics, the leader in research and experience management, today announced the Qualtrics Community, a new, online forum to bring together users of the Qualtrics Experience Management PlatformTM. The Qualtrics Community allows users to share best practices, tips and advice about using the Qualtrics Experience Management Platform, the world’s only unified experience management platform, utilised by over 8,500 enterprises worldwide to manage the core experiences they provide across their businesses—including customer, product, employee and brand experiences.

    The Qualtrics Community members include some of the most prolific Qualtrics users in their fields, compiling thousands of years of combined expertise across business, technology, and academic industries, to name a few. The community is open to expert and novice users alike, and is a forum to discuss the projects that drive them, trade tips and tricks, and to enable networking with other users.

    The Qualtrics Community aims to facilitate education and collaboration, allowing users to ask for advice on how best to build their projects using the Qualtrics Experience Management Platform. Experts are available across many domains, including customer experience, employee experience, product experience, brand experience and market research domains. Members can comment and tag the responses they find to be the most helpful. The Qualtrics Community Team is also present to help foster meaningful connections and keep community members on their toes by running competitions and challenges where they can earn points and badges to move up in rank in the community.

    “I love being able to quickly ask questions of other users of the Qualtrics platform to find alternative solutions, or even have a discussion on best practices. This exchange of knowledge has saved me hours across projects,” said Rachel Cvetkovski, an Associate at THREE. “I’ve never had a community of people outside my own company to use as a resource, so I’m very grateful for the collaboration.”

    “Everything we do at Qualtrics is focused on building amazing software for our customers and then helping them to best utilise those tools to create amazing experience programs,” said Paul Sheets, Head of Global Operations at Qualtrics. “While we offer world-class training and support programmes, sometimes users just want to quickly bounce an idea or problem off another user who has been in their shoes. We created the Qualtrics Community as part of our ongoing commitment to helping our customers learn, collaborate and succeed. It’s a place where novice users can connect with experts, obtain high quality information and create new professional connections, or even friends, along the way.”

    To join the Qualtrics Community, go to Qualtrics website and sign in with your Qualtrics account credentials. Other resources for Qualtrics users include a library of support topics, formal certification programmes and 24/7 support via chat, email or phone.

    Meet other users of the Qualtrics Community in person at the X4 Summit™, a three-day master class in experience management, on March 6-9, 2018, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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  • CapitaLand to build highest “horizontal skyscraper” in the world

    CapitaLand to build highest “horizontal skyscraper” in the world

    In its relentless pursuit to redefine urban living with smart design and innovative technologies, CapitaLand has written a new world record as it embarks on the complex crowning process for Raffles City Chongqing, the iconic 1.12 million-square-metre (sq m) urban district located on Chongqing’s famed Chaotianmen riverfront. The crowning process features the extraordinary engineering feat of erecting a curved accordion-shaped “horizontal skyscraper” – measuring 300 m in length, 30 m in width and 22.5 m in height – above four 250 m-tall towers at a total height of more than 400 m above sea level. Raffles City Chongqing now holds the world’s record as the development with the highest sky bridge linking the most number of towers.

    Mr Lim Ming Yan, President and Group CEO of CapitaLand Limited, said: “Raffles City Chongqing is by far the largest and most complex integrated development that CapitaLand has undertaken. Erecting The Conservatory marks the culmination of five years of construction progress and a grand milestone in outlining Raffles City Chongqing’s image of a powerful sail surging forward, as it prepares to welcome the world in 2019. The hoisting of
    The Conservatory is not only a significant moment for Raffles City Chongqing, it marks a global milestone in the field of architecture and engineering. Some of the world’s most advanced construction and engineering techniques have been deployed to install this megastructure on Chaotianmen, known as the crown jewel of Chongqing. CapitaLand is proud to have achieved this phenomenal structural engineering breakthrough of connecting
    skyscrapers, and we will continue to stay ahead of the curve by breaking new grounds in real estate development.”

    Mr Lim added: “More than just a building, Raffles City Chongqing is a landmark urban renewal project that expresses and shapes Chongqing’s global city aspirations. As the master planner of this important site, CapitaLand fully appreciates the historical and cultural significance of Chaotianmen to the people of Chongqing. We have thus gone to great lengths to imbue the project with the highest standards of liveability, connectivity and sustainability by carefully studying the needs of the community and the unique attributes of the site. Our goal is to create a vibrant riverfront urban district that serves as a dynamic city gateway befitting of Chongqing’s growing economic influence.”

    Mr Lucas Loh, CEO of CapitaLand China, said: “As the crowning glory of Raffles City Chongqing, The Conservatory is envisaged as the centre of civic activities where locals and visitors from around the world converge in Chongqing. A highlight is the observation deck, which features an outdoor patio with see-through glass flooring – the tallest of its kind across the whole of west China for the best vantage point to enjoy the stunning views of the Yangtze River and Jialing River merging at Chaotianmen. To ensure the public’s year-round enjoyment of The Conservatory’s facilities, design provisions, such as air-conditioning, have also been catered for. When it opens to the public next year, we are confident that The Conservatory will become a well-loved and well-used community space that lasts for generations.”

    Mr Loh added: “Raffles City Chongqing broke ground in September 2012 and five towers have successfully topped out since. One of these is a 350-m supertall skyscraper, which currently holds two records – China’s tallest residential tower and Chongqing’s tallest building. The development’s luxury residential component Raffles City Residences has begun marketing, with an encouraging take-up for two residential towers that have been launched. Jialing One tower has sold 70% of the 215 units launched, while Yangtze Two tower, which debuted later, has sold more than 40% for its 285 units. Part of Raffles City Chongqing’s office component will begin handover end of this year, while the entire development is targeted to open in phases from 2019.”

    Singapore’s single largest development in China by CapitaLand and Ascendas-Singbridge, Raffles City Chongqing is an ambitious RMB24 billion (about S$4.9 billion) vertically-built urban district comprising a retail podium and eight skyscrapers for residential, office, serviced residence and hotel use. As the ninth “horizontal skyscraper” with 10,000 sq m of gross floor area (GFA), The Conservatory is the heart of Raffles City Chongqing connecting a total of six vertical towers – four towers at its base and two adjacent towers by cantilever bridges. Designed as the centre of attraction, it houses a rich array of amenities, including a themed observation deck and sky gardens, an infinity pool and a food and beverage zone.

    To overcome the site’s unique conditions, which include exposure to strong winds, a wind modelling test was conducted on The Conservatory, together with the eight towers. Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology was also used to coordinate the complex structural and utilities layout of The Conservatory. The support system for The Conservatory’s structure uses advanced frictional pendulum bearings and seismic dampers mounted on the towers. This form of flexibility-driven seismic design dissipates seismic and wind energy more effectively than the conventional rigidity-driven design, and represents a breakthrough in the structural engineering of linked high-rise building clusters.

    The Conservatory is made up of a continuous steel structure weighing 12,000 tons, and enclosed with a ring comprising 3,200 pieces of glass and 4,800 aluminium panels. With a length of 300 m, it is longer than Singapore’s tallest building laid on its side. To erect efficiently, the steel structure is first divided into nine segments – four segments that are built in-situ above the four towers; three middle segments suspended between the four towers that are prefabricated on ground and hoisted into place by hydraulic strand jacks; and two cantilever segments that are assembled in short sections from the two ends of the rightmost and leftmost towers.

    Hoisting the three middle steel segments of The Conservatory – each weighing up to 1,100 tons – to the designated height of 250 m marks a world first. This extraordinary engineering feat was broadcast throughout China during primetime news on China Central Television last December when the hoisting process began. The Conservatory’s steel structure is targeted to be fully erected by mid-2018, which will be followed by the hoisting of the façade enclosure together with gigantic trees and plants for the sky gardens.

    Occupying 9.2 hectares of site area, Raffles City Chongqing brings together a 230,000-sq m shopping mall, 160,000-sq m of Grade A office space, 1,400 residential apartments, Ascott Raffles City Chongqing serviced residence and a luxury hotel – with a total construction floor area of 1.12 million sq m and GFA (excluding car park) of about 817,000 sq m. The development is strategically located on Chaotianmen at the confluence of   Yangtze and Jialing rivers in Yuzhong District, next to the traditional Jie Fang Bei central business district.

    Boasting excellent connectivity, Raffles City Chongqing is fully integrated with a transport hub comprising a metro station, bus interchange, ferry terminal and cruise centre. It is designed by world-renown architect Moshe Safdie, who drew inspiration from the region’s thousand years of waterway transportation culture to create an image of powerful sails upon the river for Raffles City Chongqing to symbolise the host city’s surging growth.

  • Gap, Banana Republic to exit by end of Feb

    Gap, Banana Republic to exit by end of Feb

    Clothing brands Banana Republic and Gap are about to quit Singapore, FJ Benjamin has announced.

    Both outlets have announced their impending departure on their respective Facebook pages.

    FJ Benjamin, which brought both American brands to Singapore, says it will be closing the final two Banana Republic and three Gap stores in Singapore by the end of this month. The company has decided not to renew the franchise, which expires on February 28.

    When the fashion retailer announced the brands’ arrival in Singapore in 2006, it said it planned to open 30 stores – including outlets in Malaysia – by 2010.

    Gap’s stores are at Suntec City, United Square and VivoCity, while the Banana Republic stores are at Paragon and the Shoppes mall at Marina Bay Sands.

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  • 3 companies submit bids to operate Singapore Expo

    3 companies submit bids to operate Singapore Expo

    Singapore Expo could be managed by a different operator for the first time in its nearly 20-year history, if SingEx loses its tender bid to two new contenders.

    A tender to operate the space was launched by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) on Dec 6 last year, and three companies including SingEx have submitted bids, according to government procurement portal GeBIZ.

    The two new contenders have put in bids of S$60 million each, above incumbent SingEx’s bid of S$50 million.

    SingEx, which is owned by Singapore investment arm, Temasek, has managed the space in the east of Singapore since it was opened in 1999.

    According to GeBIZ, the two other bidders are Futuristic Store Fixtures, a store fixture specialist that serves global retail clients such as Victoria’s Secret and L’Occitane and is part of OSIM founder Ron Sim’s V3 Group, as well as Unusual Development, a subsidiary of media entertainment and content company mm2 Asia.

    Futuristic Store Fixtures will be teaming up with AEG, a leading sports and entertainment presenter that owns, operates and provides services to some of the most successful facilities in the world.

    The bidders have signed a non-disclosure agreement and are not able to divulge details of the tender or their plans.

    Aside from price, government tenders also take into consideration criteria such as the bidder’s track record and their vision, direction and strategy of how they intend to run the project.

    The bids come amid a slowdown of Business Travel and Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions and Exhibition (BTMICE) visitor arrivals to Singapore.

    While overall visitor arrivals to Singapore reached a new record of 17.4 million in 2017, the BTMICE segment saw 1.75 million visitors in the first three quarters of 2017 – a dip of 5 per cent compared to the same period in 2016.

    In addition, while the 100,000sqm Singapore Expo is one of the bigger spaces in Singapore for such events, it only holds about 600 events a year.

    In comparison, Suntec Singapore holds 1,500 events a year, while Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention holds more than 3,000 events a year.

    Group managing director of Conference and Exhibition Management Services Edward Liu said that based on the current utilisation rate at Singapore Expo, Singapore must continue to hold trade shows and find ways to differentiate its products from others to stay ahead of rising competition in the region.

    Despite regional competition heating up, experts say the dip in business travellers to Singapore is temporary due to the global economic slowdown in 2015 and 2016.

    UOB Economist Francis Tan said that 2017 was “a good growth year”, and that there was “an uptake in various segments of our economy”. “(I am) a little bit more optimistic on 2018’s BTMICE arrivals into Singapore,” he said.

    While STB has not said when results of the bid will be announced, the winning operator will take over from Jan 1, 2019.

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  • Bossini reports Bossini $12m interim loss

    Bossini reports Bossini $12m interim loss

    Apparel brand Bossini International Holdings remains optimistic despite a slip in revenue and profit turning to loss for its six months to the end of December.

    It says growth is projected to continue rising in emerging markets and developing economies, supported by a favourable global financial environment and a concomitant recovery in advanced economies.

    “The regional picture is particularly encouraging as expansion in Mainland China and other parts of Asia remains solid, reflecting the strength of a broad-based upturn that saw global growth reaching its strongest rate since 2011. Mainland China is spearheading this long-overdue regional expansion, its economy having grown following two years of decline.

    “Hong Kong’s apparel retailing industry seems to have bottomed out after shrinking for consecutive years. Nonetheless, various downside risks remain evident, including geopolitical tensions, sudden capital outflows, policy indecisiveness and a sharp adjustment in Mainland China.”

    Bossini’s revenue for the six months fell by 5 per cent to HK$974 million (US$124 million), with gross profit slipping 1 per cent to $512 million.

    The group’s operating loss was $10 million with a -1 per cent operating margin, down from a positive 2 per cent a year earlier. Loss for the period attributable to the owners was $12 million, a switch-around from a $17 million profit 12 months earlier.

    Economic backlash

    Bossini says it weathered economic backlash from the China government’s “one trip per week” policy, more in-depth travel instead of retail shopping, and changes in tourist buying patterns. These factors hit retail sales in Hong Kong and Macau, which accounted for more than half of the group’s consolidated revenue.

    The drop in profit attributable to the owners was mainly because of the decrease in the profit derived from the retail and export franchising business in the Hong Kong and Macau segment. There was a 5 per cent drop in overall revenue and a 2 per cent decline in same-store sales for the period. However, same-store sales rebounded in the second quarter, particularly in China and Taiwan.

    Gross margin improved by two points to 53 per cent.

    Same-store sales in Hong Kong and Macau and Singapore declined by 4 per cent, an improvement over a 6 per cent decline the previous year, and 8 per cent (no change) respectively. Same-store sales in Mainland China and Taiwan grew 9 and 5 per cent (both had 2 per cent declines previously).

    Overall, same-store sales slipped by 2 per cent, an improvement on the previous period’s 6 per cent decline.

    At the end of the six months, the group had a presence in 29 countries and regions with  total 940 stores, the same as at June 30. The number of directly managed stores dropped by two to 282, while the number of franchised stores was 658, up two.

    Hong Kong/Macau remained the group’s core market and major contributor to the total revenue. A new outlet lifted the overall total number of stores to 41 while the export franchising business added five stores to the global network, taking the total to 656 across 25 countries.

    Mainland China had 166 stores (down two) comprising 164 directly managed stores and two franchises. Two non-performing stores in both Taiwan and Singapore were closed, giving both markets 16 outlets.

    During the six months, the group continued to launch its “on-the-go” collection to ride on the athleisure trend.

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  • NEC Asia Pacific launches the NEC SL2100 Smart Communications System in Singapore

    NEC Asia Pacific launches the NEC SL2100 Smart Communications System in Singapore

    NEC Asia Pacific held an event to officially launch the NEC SL2100 Smart Communications System in Singapore on 25 January 2018. The event was attended by over 70 participants consisting of partners and customers.

    The NEC SL2100 Smart Communications System is the newest and most advanced Server Message Block (SMB) communications platform that offers wide-ranging support for Voice over IP (VoIP), mobility and Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) features.

    “NEC’s new SL2100 offers industry specific features to meet the demands of small- and mid- sized businesses and to maintain high service levels. We are very excited to launch our Smart Communications System in the APAC region,” said Pablo Narata, Senior Manager, Global Platform Division, NEC Corporation.

    “NEC’s latest offering provides businesses with a powerful communication tool that is scalable and customized for each stage of the business. Through this launch event, we hope to influence more businesses to move to the Smart Enterprise Platform in order to generate a great customer experience,” said David Ooi, Vice President, Server and Networks Division, NEC Asia Pacific.

     

  • Time to get serious about saving energy

    Time to get serious about saving energy

    A tax will never be welcome, but it can be timely. The carbon tax that Singapore will levy on large polluters from next year is one such example.

    The tax – details of which were announced yesterday by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat – comes against a backdrop of rising temperatures and increasingly erratic weather.

    Last year was Singapore’s warmest year on record – excluding years influenced by El Nino, a weather phenomenon associated with hot and dry weather in this part of the world. The Republic is also experiencing more bouts of intense rainfall – such as the one on Jan 8 that led to flash floods in its eastern parts.

    That these effects can already be felt here highlights the urgent need for action. And a carbon tax is one direct way to tackle climate change – by trying to get large polluters to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.

    Singapore’s introduction of a carbon tax is also in line with carbon pricing strategies adopted by other countries to reduce greenhouse gases.

    As Singapore marks its Year of Climate Action this year, its move to get ready for the roll-out of the carbon tax next year shows how serious it is in tackling the global threat of climate change.

    About 67 countries and jurisdictions, including China, the European Union and Japan, have implemented or announced plans to implement carbon pricing schemes, which incentivise emitters to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency.

    In Singapore, the carbon tax will initially be set at $5 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions until 2023, although the plan is to increase this to between $10 and $15 per tonne of emissions by 2030.

    This will be levied on the 30 to 40 companies responsible for the lion’s share of emissions here, but households will experience a knock-on effect – a 1 percentage point increase in total electricity and gas expenses on average, Mr Heng said.

    As the implementation of the carbon tax next year follows the full liberalisation of the retail electricity market in the second half of this year, households will be able to choose which retailer they wish to buy electricity from.

    Professor Euston Quah, head of the economics department at the Nanyang Technological University, said competition will put pressure on energy retailers to keep their prices competitive by not passing on the full cost of the carbon tax to consumers.

    The impact of the carbon tax will also be cushioned by the additional utilities rebates that eligible HDB households will get from next year to 2021.

    This gives consumers some time to form energy-saving habits, which could include turning off power at the socket when appliances are not in use, or using more energy-efficient appliances.

    The introduction of the carbon tax is a timely move which reminds both companies and individuals that it is time to get serious about saving energy.

  • The Macallan pursues ‘Quest’ with global travel retail rollout

    The Macallan pursues ‘Quest’ with global travel retail rollout

    The Macallan Quest Collection has launched in global travel retail following a month-long exclusive tie-up with DFS Group at Singapore Changi Airport.

    Quest, unveiled to members of the press during TFWA WE, initially launched across all four of Changi’s terminals in January and will now be available on-shelf at key airports globally.

    A giant, rotating bottle cut-out display housed in an illuminated diamond-shaped glass showcases Quest’s four different expressions at Changi.

    As part of the promotion, shoppers were taught more about the collection via interactive displays that emphasised the cask story and flavour of the four expressions.

    This twinned with food pairings and complimentary postcards to act as an additional incentive to purchase.

    Brooke Supernaw, Senior Vice President, Spirits, Wine & Tobacco at DFS Group, commented: “The Macallan Quest Collection embodies the innovation, storytelling and dedication to quality which have made The Macallan such a powerful brand in the single malt category.

    “This partnership and exclusive launch are especially significant for DFS, as we continue our own quest to offer fresh, engaging and exciting experiences to delight travelling customers at our airport and downtown stores around the world.”

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  • ShopBack searching for Singapore’s biggest online shopaholic

    ShopBack searching for Singapore’s biggest online shopaholic

    E-commerce start-up ShopBack is teaming up with online social networking service LinkedIn to hunt for its Chief Shopping Officer.

    The Chief Shopping Officer will identify the best deals and shop for him or herself at any of ShopBack’s 500+ merchant partners, including Singapore Airlines, FoodPanda, Cathay Cineplexes, Grab and more.

    The online loyalty platform will provide SGD11,271 in shopping funds for the role, which will commence from 1 March – 30 April 2018. All purchases and cashback accumulated during the period of employment will be for the Chief Shopping Officer to keep thereafter.

    Applications for the temporary role will run for three weeks (ending on March 5, 2018) on LinkedIn and the Chief Shopping Officer will be officially announced on March 13, 2018.

    “There’s no better way for us to find out what our customers want than picking a Chief Shopping Officer from among them. Most of these customers do not necessarily have a professional background as a shopper and have regular day jobs. We wanted to tap professionals on LinkedIn, who may be a hardcore programmer by day, but an online bargain hunter at night,” said Vincent Wong, country head at ShopBack Singapore.

    ShopBack said it is looking for candidates who can work remotely with at least two to three years of online shopping experience with a knack for sniffing out the best online bargains. The role also requires some video editing skills and being on camera.

    Linda Lee, LinkedIn’s head of communications for South-east Asia and North Asia, added the company is seeing companies in Singapore and the Asia-Pacific region hire for more fun and unconventional roles on the website.