French luxury brand Eres has opened its first boutique store in Asia – at the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore.
It is the 43rd boutique worldwide for the brand, founded in 1968 and known for its graphic swimsuits in bold colours, and form-enhancing lingerie.
In Orchard Boulevard, the 484 sqft (44.96 sqm) store is featuring the latest spring/summer swim and lingerie collection, with prices ranging from S$125 (US$90.48) to S$700.
Eres has until now focused on markets in Europe and the US.
Luxury French brand Longchamp sees Asia as a major contributor to the brand’s global growth in coming years.
CEO Jean Cassegrain says 25 per cent of the brand’s business now comes from Asia – and 50 per cent of its customer base is Asian.
In an exclusive interview with The Straits Times in Singapore last week, Cassegrain, grandson of the brand’s founder of the same name, described its Southeast Asian customer base as a “mature luxury shopper” and confirmed an expansion of the brand’s activity as it boosts its presence across the region.
Part of the Longchamp Asia expansion plan will include a doubling in the size of the Singapore store at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands late next month, to better showcase its ready-to-wear collections.
“Customers [in Singapore] are well educated on luxury, perhaps more so than in China and Taiwan, where luxury consumers are more in discovery mode,” he told The Straits Times.
“It just shows the enormous opportunity Southeast Asia still holds for us to grow our business. We are far from reaching our potential in Asia.”
Longchamp remains family-owned in an era when most high-profile luxury brands have been swallowed up by corporate giants in Europe, or private equity investors.
Since its foundation 68 years ago, Longchamp has grown to a network of some 300 directly-operated retail stores in 24 countries, with franchise partners expanding that reach to 80 markets. Sales topped 566 million euro last year, (US$621 million).
For the fourth year running Singapore Changi Airport has been voted the World’s Best Airport by air travellers at the Skytrax 2016 World Airport Awards, held at the Passenger Terminal EXPO in Cologne, Germany.
The Skytrax awards are the most comprehensive on the planet, based on 13.25m ‘customer nominations’ across 106 nationalities of air travellers using 550 airports worldwide. The survey evaluates customer satisfaction across 39 key performance indicators for airport service and product – from check-in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security and immigration, to departure at the gate.
Changi Airport was also voted Best Airport in Asia, as well as the Best Airport for Leisure Amenities, with the latter award recognising the airport’s music bar lounges, cinemas, music deck, swimming pool, napping and rest areas – plus its in-terminal Transit Hotel.
In order, the Skytrax best airport ranking 2016 placed Singapore Changi first, ahead of second placed Incheon, Munich Airport (3); Tokyo Haneda (4); Hong Kong (5); Chūbu Centrair Nagoya (6); Zürich Airport (7); Heathrow (8); Kansai (9); and Hamad International Doha (10).
Mr Lee Seow Hiang (left), CEO of Changi Airport Group, receiving the World’s Best Airport award from Mr Edward Plaisted (right), CEO of Skytrax. This is the seventh time that Changi Airport has picked up this top title at the World Airport Awards.
Commenting on the award to Changi, Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax said: “To be voted by customers as the world’s Best Airport four years in succession is a most remarkable achievement for Changi Airport Singapore, and is clear testament to the airport’s popularity amongst air travellers.
“Changi Airport continues to innovate in both product and service options for its customers and focus on making the customer experience at the airport as enjoyable and relaxing as possible.
“To be named by global travellers as the world’s favourite airport for the 6th time in ten years is great reward not only to Changi Airport management, but for staff across every section of the airport who contribute in every little way to Changi Airport operations.”
Adding his comments, Mr Lee Seow Hiang, Changi Airport Group CEO said: “To be named the World’s Best Airport by Skytrax for the fourth year running is a significant achievement for Changi Airport and a clear affirmation that we continue to hit the right notes in our pursuit of service excellence.”
She is a loyal Asos customer who has ordered from the UK website not once, not twice, but a total of 19 times so far. But the latest experience for Ms Bernie Low, a local blogger, has been nothing short of frustrating.
Ms Low, 22, is just one of many customers who have taken to Facebook to voice their unhappiness over missing goods ordered from the retail giant in January.
Many of these customers had placed their orders as early as the beginning of January as they were hoping to wear their new clothes for Chinese New Year. However, Chinese New Year has come and gone but there was still no sign of their clothes.
What has been more agonising for these customers is that they have been told time and again to wait for their deliveries by different members of the Asos social media team.
Ms Low, who likes Asos for its free worldwide shipping, affordable prices and plus-sized offerings, had ordered five items from the store on Jan 10 this year. However, her items did not arrive on the Jan 28 delivery date that is usually stated on the email tax invoice.
Instead, she was told that delivery would be pushed back by almost one month to Feb 24. Despite this, she told AsiaOne that she had not received any of the five items on Feb 24.
In a blog post on Feb 18, Ms Low expressed frustration at the way the Asos team was handling its customer queries.
“Look, there has to be something that is wrong since so many orders to Singapore have all gone missing, most likely all from the same batch and shipped together. They keep asking us to send in more details to verify the order and everyone gets told to wait even longer,” she wrote.
“Plus many, many, many other Singaporeans have faced this problem yet no one is getting a proper response. We see the exact same responses copy pasted for every single dispute. It is very frustrating.”
Another Asos customer, Laysie Lim, 35, told AsiaOne that she had also raised her concerns with the company after her Jan 14 order failed to arrive on Feb 3. According to Ms Lim, the retailer was holding a Chinese New Year promotion at the time and offered an 18 per cent discount on purchases.
When she contacted Asos, the designer was told that her shipment would arrive on Feb 21 instead.
Later, she heard from two of her colleagues that they too had not received orders made on Asos. That was when she realised that many other Singaporeans had been complaining of missing parcels on the Asos Facebook page.
Ms Lim was then told to give her order details to Asos again, but the representative who replied told her that delivery would be further delayed till Feb 26.
“Real sorry for this delay, I hope it doesn’t cause you too much troubles – keep an eye out for the postman Laysie,” the message from a representative identified as Danielle read.
When asked about the cause of the delay, another representative named Holly said: “We need to allow some extra time due to postal delays in your area. We’re really sorry about this Laysie”.
In an email response to AsiaOne, the London-based e-commerce retailer did not mention that there were any obstacles for delivery to Singapore.
Instead, a spokesperson from Asos said that the delay was caused by incorrect address labels printed by its delivery partner.
“One of our delivery partners recently made a change to their technology that updated the way address labels were printed. As a result many of our customers’ addresses were not printed correctly and packages were unable to be delivered,” the spokesperson said.
According to Asos, the problem was identified and fixed on the same day.
When asked about the feedback received so far, Asos said in an email: “We apologise to any customers who are impacted”.
For many customers, however, an answer – not an apology – is what they are looking for.
Both Ms Lim and Ms Low said that they would continue to order from Asos despite the disappointing experience – but only if their purchases are accounted for.
“I’m very disappointed because I really like Asos,” Ms Low said in a phone interview with AsiaOne in February, adding that she could still forgive the store if her purchases arrive by March, or if she is given a refund. In a second interview, Ms Low said that Asos had offered to give her a refund after the clothes she ordered did not arrive on Feb 24 as promised.
But even getting a refund might not prove to be any easier.
Although Ms Lim told AsiaOne that she had received her refund, not all Asos customers were given a satisfactory reply to their requests.
Facebook user Jo Koh was one of many customers who left a frustrated message on the Asos page asking for a proper response. “I have been in contact with Asos since Feb 16 for an order which (was) due to arrive on Feb 4 but never arrived,” the user wrote on Feb 24.
As her order had not arrived by Feb 23, she decided to request for a refund instead. To her disappointment, she did not receive a reply from Asos. “I am completely disappointed! Can someone please get back to me!” she wrote.
Another Facebook user, Daryl Aw Yeong, wrote on Feb 23 that he had gotten a refund from Asos, but not without “a heck load of trouble and it wasn’t a good experience”.
His tactic for finally getting a response? “Spamming” the Asos Facebook page, he said.
Going by the number of complaints posted on the Asos Facebook page thus far, it seems that “spamming” is what many of its customers have resorted to doing in the hopes of getting a response from the e-retailer on their delayed parcels.
In response to AsiaOne’s queries on Asos’ refund process, a spokesperson said:”‘Our customer care team has a full list of all those affected by this issue. Should any customer on this list advise our team that their delivery has not yet arrived, they will be entitled to a full refund.”
South Korea has the potential to become the world’s top MICE (meeting, incentive tour, convention and exhibition) destination once it upgrades its tourism infrastructure, Marina Bay Sands (MBS) CEO George Tanasijevich said.By Kim Jae-kyoung
He added that a large-scale integrated resort similar to MBS in Singapore will not only help Korea revitalize its infrastructure but also serve as a marketing tool to attract more business and leisure tourists from abroad.
“Korea has a greater opportunity to lift its MICE industry even higher (than Singapore),” Tanasijevich said in an interview with The Korea Times at the MBS Hotel overlooking a panoramic view of Singapore.
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He pointed out that Korea has many advantages over competitors such as Singapore, because it has both rich cultural assets and advanced technology.
“You have wonderful cultural, historical attractions that the tourism industry leverages very effectively. Where I think it is lacking is in more modern tourism infrastructure. The integrated resort is something that would be a huge positive effect on tourism in Korea,” he said.
“Korea has a well-established international airport, a highly skilled workforce, and high connectivity. It also has a network of small firms that can support a large-scale resort and at the same time benefit from it. And Korea is very innovative in technology and pop culture.”
However, the CEO said that there are infrastructure limitations, or even an outright lack of infrastructure within the MICE industry in Korea. He believes that an integrated resort will relieve many such constraints.
One limitation he cites is that the largest ballroom in Seoul can only serve dinner to around 700 people at once, compared to MBS that can serve dinners to 6,600 people at the same time.
“That’s an example of an infrastructure constraint in terms of facilities that MICE industry offers in Korea. You can’t have the world’s biggest event because the world’s biggest event wants to have dinners that are bigger than 700 people,” he said.
Another example of limitation or constraint in the market is entertainment facilities.
Tanasijevich, who is managing director of Global Development for Las Vegas Sands Corp., said that Korean entertainment is sweeping across the globe but venues are inadequate to really promote the industry within Korea.
“If we are given the opportunity to develop the resort in Korea, what we would do is create major entertainment components included in it,” he said.
“It can serve as a home of K-pop, home of Korean entertainment so that you can use it as a marketing tool to draw high-value tourists into Korea who would contribute significantly to your economy.”
The Singapore-based CEO said that Sands is not interested in investing in building a resort allowing only foreigners to gamble.
“That’s not our business model. That’s not what interests us in Korea so we are not moving forward with that kind of project. What we are looking to do is to create a MICE-focused resort that is more substantial than MBS.”
The following is an excerpt from the interview.
Q: Sands has had tremendous success with MBS in Singapore. What do you think are the key success factors?
A: We are pleased that in our seven years of operations, we are still partnering with the government to deliver its promises of tourism, jobs and growth to Singapore. I would say the biggest contributor is our unique MICE-focused resort business model, which is a strong fit for a city like Singapore, a top destination for tourism as well as MICE business.
We did not just bring a replica of what we have developed in other parts of the world. We proposed a very strong MICE element, which would fulfill Singapore’s aspirations as a MICE destination.
Then we added celebrity chef restaurants, theaters, nightclubs, a sizeable retail mall and a museum to add excitement to Singapore as an entertainment and dining attraction. To alleviate the problem of insufficient hotel rooms, we constructed 2,500 rooms. We then added an iconic SkyPark and architecture that would make a stunning skyline for Singapore, given that we were awarded the focal site in Marina Bay.
Likewise, we will study the Korean market carefully and develop an integrated resort that will fulfill the aspirations and objectives of the Korean people if we have the opportunity to be in Korea.
Q: MBS is now a symbol of Singapore and considered a successful integrated resort model. Korea is different from Singapore in many aspects. Do you think the same model can be applied to Korea?
A: On the flip side, Korea is also similar to Singapore in many ways. It is a developed country with a strong economy, its workforce is highly skilled and its people have the same aspirations for better jobs, better lives and growth for the country. We will adapt our model to Korea, which like Singapore, is a very strong MICE contender among the world’s top business destinations.
Q: Do you think an integrated resort can contribute to economic growth by creating more jobs and bolstering the tourism industry?
A: Today, MBS is one of the largest job creators in Singapore. We hire over 9,500 team members for our daily operations and house another 3,000 staffers under the employment of various tenants in our retail mall.
By 2015, MBS had created 46,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs in the Singapore economy, according to economists. Since we opened in 2010, we have offered thousands of Singaporeans unprecedented opportunities to work alongside the world’s biggest celebrity chefs, stage the biggest entertainment events and learn new skills and trade in gaming, conventions and more.
If we have an opportunity to open an integrated resort in Korea, we will create similar opportunities for the Korean people, especially for young Koreans who want good careers in a multinational company.
In MBS, Singaporeans make up 60 percent of senior management, and account for 80 percent of the supervisory and managerial positions. The numbers illustrate that we can provide not only employment, but good jobs for Koreans if we have the opportunity to open in Korea.
Q: The biggest hurdle to opening an IR in Korea is the public’s negative sentiment against casinos. What is your view on Koreans’ concerns?
A: We believe many Koreans associate the word casino with gambling dens, which is not what our type of integrated resort like MBS is. Our proposal for Korea is an entertainment complex with theaters, celebrity chef restaurants, a mall, hotel, convention facilities, attractions, and even arenas and parks. The casino is less than 5 percent of the total footprint, making it possible for millions of visitors to enjoy our resort without taking a step into the casino.
We will work closely with the government to inform and educate the Korean public about our type of integrated resorts we intend to invest in Korea if the government allows us the opportunity to do so.
Q: What is your bottom line in investment in Korea?
A: We do not believe that a foreigners-only casino will accomplish the goals of the Korean people. Korea already has 16 of them. It will neither warrant the type of investments we intend to make nor achieve the economic impact that the Korean government wants to achieve. We believe a restricted-entry casino that allows Koreans, subject to social safeguards and barriers to entry in place — no bigger than 5 percent of the total integrated resort footprint, will do so.
Q: Do you have preferred places to build an integrated resort in Korea?
A: We think that Seoul and Busan are ideal locations for our type of business model and the size of investment we are prepared to make.
As you can note from MBS in Singapore, because we have such substantial elements for MICE facilities we need to be in a downtown location that is accessible to major international airports and a place where we can provide opportunities for companies and business people.
Singapore’s retail sales increased 7.5 percent in January on a year-on-year basis, mainly due to a spike in sales of motor vehicles, said the Department of Statistics Singapore (SingStat) on Tuesday.
On a month-on-month basis, retail sales dropped 1.2 percent in January. Excluding motor vehicles, retail sales decreased 0.5 percent.
The total retail sales value in January was estimated at 4.1 billion Singapore dollars (3 billion U.S. dollars), higher than 3.8 billion Singapore dollars (2.8 billion U.S. dollars) in January in 2015.
Compared to January 2015, retailers of motor vehicles, medical goods and toiletries and department stores recorded increases of between 11.9 percent and 50.9 percent in sales in January 2016. Similarly, retail sales of supermarkets, mini-marts and convenience stores, wearing apparel and footwear and optical goods and books rose between 1.4 percent and 7.9 percent.
In contrast, retail sales of telecommunications apparatus and computers decreased 30.5 percent in January 2016 over January 2015. Retail sales of watches and jewellery, food and beverages, petrol service stations, recreational goods and furniture and household equipment also declined between 0.8 percent and 8.4 percent over the same period.
The total sales value of food and beverage services in January 2016 was estimated at 685 million Singapore dollars (500 million U.S. dollars), lower than the 689 million Singapore dollars (503 million U.S. dollars) in January 2015.
The Retail Sales Index and the Food and Beverage Services Index measure the short-term performance of retail and Food and Beverage service industries based on their sales records. The sales figures exclude taxes.
The three parties have signed a Memorandum of Intent (MOI) to launch an In-Mall Distribution (IMD) trial expected to benefit 300 retailers.
If successful, the model may be rolled out to other shopping malls owned or managed by the CapitaLand Group in Singapore.
With two CapitaLand malls – Tampines Mall and Bedok Mall – part of the pilot project, the trial will provide useful insights into how to calibrate the logistics solution for wider implementation.
The initiative falls under the Nationwide Urban Logistics Programme spearheaded by IDA and SPRING Singapore.
The idea was first mooted in the Infocomm Media 2015 followed by a funding announcement of $20 million from IDA and SPRING Singapore to implement urban logistics in the retail sector.
According to the IDA, if deployed nationwide, it could lead to an estimated reduction of trucks on the road by 25 per cent and a cut in waiting and queuing time for deliveries by 65 per cent. The aims is to enable trucks with less-than-full loads to consolidate and sort their goods in an offsite centre before delivering to malls.
Subsequently, these goods can then be re-loaded and then delivered to their intended destinations on a single truck within the same day, reducing the number of trucks going to the same destination and improving truck load utilisation.
Teresa Teow, head of retail management in Singapore for CapitaLand Mall Asia Limited, the manager of CMT malls, explained: “As the owner and manager of Singapore’s largest shopping mall network, we are constantly looking at ways to innovate and further improve our operations and shopping experience by leveraging technology and strategic partners.”
Steve Leonard, executive deputy chairman of the IDA said, “Achieving the Smart Nation vision of Singapore will only be possible if government and industry work closely together, adopting new ideas and embracing new technologies.”
Leonard added, “We know that the complexities and logistics of moving large amounts of goods in densely-populated areas is a big challenge. Together with our partners, we want to explore how analytics and robotics can be part of new ways to solve these challenges. It is imperative that the government and the industry not only work together, but keep looking forward to adopt new ideas and new tech in business.”
CapitaLand Mall Trust (CMT) is poised to dominate the retail REIT scene in 2016, with positive rental reversions and increased tourist arrivals playing to its favour.
According to a report by RHB, CMT is likely to enjoy mid single-digit (about 5%) positive rental reversion in 2016 as encouraging trends are expected in CMT’s tenant sales (psf/month) and traffic flow at its malls.
“In the recent reported quarter, the retail REIT reported an upward trend in tenant sales, a 5.3% YoY increase for FY15. With this, we think that the retail landlord is in a better position to command higher rental rates this year,” asserts RHB.
Moreover, an anticipated pick-up in tourist arrivals is seen to spur consumer spending in malls. This bodes well for CMT, as its malls are located near tourist attractions such as Plaza Singapura, Bugis Junction and Clark Quay.
RHB also thinks that the expected recovery of Singapore tourism could be boosted by positive catalysts like lower airfares, a busier year for events, and an anticipated climb in Chinese tourists visiting Singapore.
Further, there’s still room for CMT to exercise a capital recycling strategy given that it currently owns non-core assets such as JCube and Sembawang Shopping Centre.
RHB further notes that on top of this, CMT handles its portfolio favourably. For instance, CMT recently parted ways with its non-core asset Rivervale Mall, which was estimated to be divested at a attractive cap rate of about 3.4%. Compared to the average cap rates for retail assets, independent real estate company CBRE estimated 4Q15 average cap rates to range from 4.75% to 5.25%.
“In addition, we advise investors to take up CMT as it is highly liquid, which may be especially advantageous in the current volatile equity market,” states RHB.
Fitch Asia, the retail and brand consultancy, has appointed a new regional CEO to cover north and southeast Asia.
UK-born and Australian-raised Andrew Crombie will lead the company’s growth across the region from its Singapore hub, reporting to worldwide CEO Simon Bolton. Crombie will work closely with China GM Nikki Lin to expand opportunities in that market. He takes over from Ian Bellhouse, who is moving on to a new venture.
Crombie has spent 25 years working in Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia in regional and global roles for agencies including Batey Ads, FCB, Havas and Ogilvy. He began his career in Australia working for such brands as American Express, Banyan Tree Resorts, BMW, Carlsberg, Dell, Dunhill, Guinness, Hennessy, IBM, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Qantas, TagHeuer and Visa Gold.
Most recently, he has been MD and partner at healthcare agency H&T Asia.
“Andrew’s brief is to make Fitch famous in this region, and he’s the person to do that,” says Bolton. “No-one thinks about the customer journey more, and he will bring this expertise to Fitch along with his extensive understanding of the diversity and rich potential for retail and experience design within the region.”
“It’s great to be joining Fitch at this time of profound change in how consumers are engaging with brands,” says Crombie, who takes up his new position on May 3.
“Asia is poised to be at the forefront of innovation in retail and brand experience.”
Japan’s Kose cosmetics has unveiled a global marketing plan that aims to give it a strong international presence – including department store outlets in China, Malaysia and Singapore.
The plan was revealed as it celebrated its 70th birthday, with a media event at Roppongi Hills in Tokyo, attended by actress Yui Aragaki.
In response to the success of its flagship Sekkisei skincare line, Kose is giving it more prominence on retail floors, and has introduced a “Stand by You” concept.
Sekkisei products feature Chinese and Japanese herbal ingredients. The brand has been growing for 30 years and is continually updated, says Kose Corporation president/CEO Kazutoshi Kobayashi. Its latest addition is Sekkisei Herbal Gel.
A dedicated counter section has been designed by architect Kengo Kuma, in keeping with the store’s Japanese-motif interior design.
“The counter uses a special material, high-density polyethylene non-woven fabric, and is lit from inside to represent the divine whiteness of Sekkisei,” says Kengo Kuma.
The dedicated sections will launch inside department stores in Fukuoka, Osaka and Tokyo next month, and be added to a duty-free store location in Hawaii by the end of the year.
Other locations are being established in department stores in China, Malaysia and Singapore, which will help Kose expand the Sekkisei network to seven countries within three years.
According to the Nikkei Asian Review, Kose earns about 30 billion yen (US$266 million) in annual Sekkisei sales, and is looking to build this figure to as much as 60 billion yen by 2020.
Japanese lifestyle brand Muji is planning a new flagship store in Singapore.
Masaaki Kanai, chairman of Muji’s parent company Ryohin Keikaku, said on Tuesday (Mar 15) that the new flagship store is estimated to be around 3,300 square metres and will feature more lifestyle concepts.
“Apart from the usual Muji products, the store will have an ‘Open Muji’ concept where community creators are invited to interact with us. This is in line with our objective to create an interactive society,” said Mr Kanai, who was speaking to the media at a roundtable interview following his keynote presentation at The Innovation by Design Conference in Singapore.
Muji, whose full name Mujirushi Ryohin translates to “no brand, good quality”, declined to reveal the specific timeline for the opening of the new store.
The Japanese retailer currently has 10 outlets in Singapore, including a travel-concept store Muji To Go located at Changi Airport Terminal 2 and Cafe & Meal Muji, which opened at Paragon last year.
GLOBAL EXPANSION
The plan to add to its stores in Singapore comes as the lifestyle brand, known for its unorthodox no-brand philosophy and focus on well-designed and practical household items, is carrying out a global expansion.
According to Mr Kanai, by 2017 Muji will likely have more overseas stores than the 284 it has in Japan, as it seeks for growth outside its mature domestic market.
Among the top two key growth markets are China and the United States.
“China is leading the growth due to its big population, while we had a good start in the USA where we are seeing 300 billion yen in annual turnover,” said Mr Kanai, who has worked at Muji since its founding.
Even as concerns continue about slowing growth in China and the spending power of its consumers, Muji remains upbeat about the world’s second-biggest economy, where it intends to increase its pace of store openings to 50 per year from 2017.
Ryohin Keikaku had 128 stores in China as of end-May 2015, its biggest market outside Japan.
“I’m not so worried because the generation born after the 1980s are relatively well-off and they emphasize on a good lifestyle, and that’s in line with our philosophy.”
Despite the rapid worldwide expansion, Mr Kanai emphasized that the Japanese retailer does not intend to “grow too big” and prefers to stay as a “small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)” so as to stay true to its design philosophy.
“When a company grows too big, it’s not a good thing because the management will tend to emphasize more on ensuring a profit. That’s not our objective,” the chairman said.
“Our objective is still to offer something useful to our consumers.”
BRACING FOR SALES TAX HIKE
Back in its home market, Muji is keeping an eye on the planned increase in the consumption tax, from 8 per cent to 10 per cent, in April 2017.
Aimed at reining in Japan’s massive public debt, the sales tax was first raised from 5 per cent to 8 per cent last April. The move, however, took a toll on consumer spending and the country’s retail sales.
To combat the negative impact, Muji lowered the retail prices of its products following the tax hike, and opted for cost-cutting measures.
When asked whether Muji is worried about the impact of a second increase in the sales tax, Mr Kanai said: “There was certainly an impact on profit and sales during the last sales tax hike in 2014. If there’s a raise again next April, retail sales will likely come down.”
When customers do not have time to slowly sample the offerings, the owners of Kki Sweets at the School of the Arts (Sota) ask them to come back another day – even at the risk of losing business.
“We want people to come in and slow down. Cake is something you are meant to savour. It is not fast food,” said Ms Delphine Liau, 39.
The store’s design forces visitors to decelerate. Local design studio Produce fashioned the shared storefront around an alleyway – one turn-off leads to design retail store The Little Drom Store and the other to Kki’s Japan-inspired dessert cafe, which also sells Kki Home homeware products.
At Kki Sweets, maple-veneered plywood and pine planes serve as shelves, seats and trellises. They provide a deliberate contrast to the darker interior of the atrium at Sota and also create internal layers within the space.
Last year, the design of the 1,700 sq ft store won an award in the retail category at the INSIDE World Festival of Interiors, which was held in Singapore alongside the World Architecture Festival.
“The design reflects the lifestyle we are trying to promote. We want it to be comfortable, warm and cosy – a place where you spend time and take your time,” said Ms Liau.
She and her husband, self-trained chef Kenneth Seah, 43, share a love of food. They met in 2003 while working in a cafe, and opted to have a pastry-inspired honeymoon in Japan, lapping up delicate creations by the likes of top patissier Hidemi Sugino.
Returning home to what they felt was a desert in terms of good desserts, they decided to create their own ideal cafe. In 2009, they opened an outlet in Ann Siang Hill, serving cookies and speciality mousse cakes such as the Kinabaru (new mountain in Malay), a coconut sensation with a passionfruit centre.
Rising rentals forced them to move at the end of 2013 but, thanks to a DesignSingapore Council Design Innovation Assistance grant, they cranked up their ovens again in September 2014, this time at Sota, where they have a larger space.
Once a year, they close their cafe for a week to return to Japan for more inspiration – and more cake.
“When the Japanese sell something they didn’t create, like French pastries, they respect the craftsmanship but infuse it with their produce and make it their own,” said Ms Liau. “We are as intrigued by their mindset as their cakes. We have learnt so much from them.”
Days after being launched, Singapore’s Hallyu Ventures (HVPL) has spent US$13.8 million to take a 38 per cent shareholding in South Korean coffee chain Caffe Bene, which has outlets in 14 countries.
HVPL is a joint venture between Future Investment Holdings (FIHPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Food Empire Holdings, and Sweet Blossom Holdings (SBHL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Eastern Valley Group, part of Indonesian conglomerate Salim Group.
FIHPL holds 51 per cent shares in the joint venture, launched with the aim of investing in F&B companies in east and north-east Asia, as well as South Korea.
Hallyu Ventures is now Caffe Bene’s second-largest shareholder, and its involvement is expected to enable the brand to enhance its competitive power as the top coffee franchise company in Korea.
“It will also make it possible to lead in both the local and global market, with Caffe Bene management in Korea focusing on the local market while the overseas partners expand its global market influence,” says the company.
K3 is Caffee Bene’s largest shareholder with 52 per cent. However, Hallyu Ventures plans to invest further this year to strengthen its position as a strategic investor, reports The Korea Times.
Caffe Bene Korea is focusing on international expansion after reaching saturation point in its own market with a network of 810 stores. It has more than 500 stores in China with a short term target of 1000, and two in the US. It will also take its brand to the Middle East after signing a franchise agreement with Saudi Arabia-based Keden Group.
As Singapore retailers face pressure from the slowing economy, Orchard Road malls are looking for new ways to draw the crowds.
Besides renovating the mall and changing the tenant mix, landlords are also throwing in free performances in a bid to attract the crowds.
For example, over the weekend, shoppers at ION Orchard witnessed a series of aerial circus acts. The performances marked the completion of ION Orchard’s recent revamp, which saw a refreshed facade and new tenants such as Tiffany & Co and French-Italian luxury lifestyle brand Moncler.
Orchard Turn Developments, which manages ION Orchard, said it is important to enhance the shopping experience.
Said Mr Chris Chong, chief executive of Orchard Turn Developments: “Increasingly, retail is not just about shopping but also about entertainment, bringing new novel experiences. Last year, we did a butterfly dome featuring live butterflies from the Crysalis. This year, we will bring an exciting new experience with the aerial sphere. We hope shoppers will enjoy this new experience and as a result also enjoy shopping with us.”
Orchard Road retailers have been hit by a slowing local economy and weak visitor arrivals in the past two years. Analysts estimate that Orchard Road rents fell last year and could drop by another 3-5 per cent this year.
Besides ION Orchard, other malls being refurbished include Centrepoint and Wisma Atria.
IMPROVE OVERALL EXPERIENCE: JLL
Property consultancy JLL said that not all Orchard Road malls require a complete physical overhaul. But landlords and retailers must work together to improve the overall retail experience, amid competition from online retailers and suburban malls.
Ms Regina Lim, national director of advisory and research at JLL, commented: “I don’t think it has to be a total refreshment or refurbishment; it’s about being more aware of giving shopping a reason to come to your shop or to your mall.
“So even if the mall isn’t getting a facelift, I think retailers and landlords need to think about giving some reason for families to come down and visit rather than just buy it online.
“In this day and age where there is quite a bit of supply along Orchard Road, you really need to proactively think about how you want to make your mall a little bit different from the rest and engage the public to come down to the mall to shop. Because people really want to integrate shopping online and offline and going to the mall has to come with some kind of experiential performance and events,” Ms Lim added.
When Indonesia’s first Formula One driver Rio Haryanto makes his debut with the Manor Racing team at the new season on March 20, he is likely to set the hearts of female fans a flutter.
The only Asian to be on the starting grid boasts not only a chiselled jaw and dashing good looks, but also a hot bod to match.
Rio, 23, will be the third Southeast Asian driver, after a long absence, to compete in Formula One since the championship started in 1950, reported The Jakarta Post. The other two were Malaysian Alex Yoong (2001 and 2002) and Thailand’s Prince Birabongse Bhanudej in the 1950s.
So all eyes will be on Rio, who reportedly lives in Singapore, when he competes against the likes of champion drivers Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel in the 21-race series, starting in Melbourne in two weeks’ time.
Born in Solo, Indonesia, he is a business management graduate, having studied here at private school FTMSGlobal Academy.
Sponsored by Indonesia’s state energy company Pertamina, the rookie driver has managed to capture a huge following in Indonesia, all eager to see their new sports icon flying their national flag high.
“I hope by working hard, I will not only represent Indonesia in F1 but achieve [something],” he said in a press conference in February.
When he is not competing, Rio spends four hours a day to build up his stamina by swimming, jogging, or working out in gym, according to his website.
He likes high-protein food, and even cooks his favourite fish – salmon – often.
Apart from his love of racing, Rio hopes to be involved in his family business – his father runs a company that produces Kiky brand writing books.
He also likes to do his bit for the community. Whenever he returns to his hometown, he would visit an orphanage and share his adventures with the kids, like a big brother hoping to inspire and motivate his younger siblings, according to his website.
Career jump
Rio clinched a place in the Manor team after its owner Stephen Fitzpatrick was impressed by his performance.
He had said in a press statement: “He is tenacious on and off the track and made a big impression on last year’s GP2 battle.”
On Rio’s big fan base in Indonesia, Fitzpatrick said they would be a booster for his team and for F1.
“They are keen to see [Rio] on the grid and we’re confident that we’ll see him enjoying some exciting battles in the year ahead.”
Rio’s racing experience began when he was only six, taking part in the national and international Gokart arena. He joined Formula Asia 2.0 racing competition at 15 and emerged the winner among Asian drivers.
In the following year he came in first again at Formula BMW Pacific 2009 racing competition.
At 17, he was qualified to get Formula 1 super licence from Virgin F1 race in a test in Abu Dhabi in 2010. Since then, he had been racing in the GP2 Series with EQ8 Caterham Racing Team.