Retail News CRM

Tag: Singapore

  • Our Toy Stories carnival opens at Harbour City

    Our Toy Stories carnival opens at Harbour City

    Hong Kong’s largest shopping mall Harbour City is joining forces with Disney to celebrate the release of Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 4.

    Until August 4, Harbour City will present a Toy Story-themed carnival with different games and challenges at Ocean Terminal Forecourt next to Star Ferry Pier and Ocean Terminal Deck.

    Fans can experience fun and immersive activities throughout the mall, including exhibits, kids’ workshops, a Toy Story 4 merchandise and dessert pop-up stores and a Summer Splash Photo Fun hotspot presented by Hong Kong Disneyland.

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  • Vive Cake Boutique Embraces Summer with Loveable Summer Drinks

    Vive Cake Boutique Embraces Summer with Loveable Summer Drinks

    Celebrated patisserie, Vive Cake Boutique, welcomes the summer season with the introduction of a whimsical and creative line of summer drinks and artistic sweet treats from 15 July to 30 September.

    “We are delighted to launch this refreshing summer menu of drinks and cakes embracing the playful colours, flavours, and vibe of the sunny season,” shares Founder, Ms Vivien Lau. “Our guests are invited to delve into VIVE’s summer wonderland through their senses.”

    Inspired by the look-feel of classic summer, VIVE’s line of summer cakes embody the lighthearted emblems of the season. Flamingo Floatie (HK$55), a pink treat designed to emulate a flamingo-style floater, is made with vanilla sponge, jasmine jelly, and oolong chocolate mousse; light yet satisfying flavours.

    The heat of summer is depicted in the cute Mini-Cone (HK$58), a mini version of VIVE’s signature uni-cone cake, featuring an upside-down “ice-cream” cone which appears to have perfectly “fallen” on the plate.  Easy on the eyes with its pink scoop of ice cream and golden-coloured cone, the cake is made with vanilla sponge, mango compote and yuzu mousse.

    Ice pop fans will love Limesicle (HK$55), a vanilla sponge cake with lime jelly filling coated in yogurt mousse,  and pink coloured white chocolate glaze, with sprinkles, emulating a “drip”.

    For something truly unique, the insta-worthy Coco-Aloha (HK$58) is unbeatable. Presented as a “coconut shell” drink with a small golden straw, the vanilla sponge cake with pineapple filling and coconut mousse looks real enough to drink.

    Guests are also invited to enjoy VIVE’s twist on a “slushie” with Pineapple Slushie (HK$65), a refreshing pineapple drink, featuring chunks of pineapple, presented in a classy whisky tumbler. The citrusy drink is topped off with a sprig of mint, lending it a sophisticated mocktail feel.

    For a fun, playful, and Instagrammable drink, diners may opt for VIVE’s Watermelon Mojito (HK$68). Made with fresh watermelon, mint, and lime, the cooling beverage is presented with a wedge of watermelon on a popsicle stick.

    Add a little bit of sparkle to one’s day with Grapefruit and Lime Soda(HK$65), a zesty, bubbly summer drink made from grapefruit puree, lime, andsoda water.

    Vive Cake Boutique has proved a roaring success story since being launched with online orders in 2014 by founder and creative director Vivien Lau, who discovered her passion and talent by chance, making her first cake for a friend’s birthday.

    Her signature ‘handmade with love’, cupcakes, macarons, cookies, confectioneries and tailor-made cakes for weddings and special occasions, are all made from scratch with less sugar and finest ingredients sourced from all over the world.

    VIVE’s widespread acclaim includes Time Out’s listing among the “crème de la crème of Hong Kong’s bespoke dessert makers” – with a massive celebrity and socialite following including Aaron Kwok, Charlene Choi, Gillian Chung, Niki Chow, Sharon Chan, Miki Yeung, Ella Koon, Myolie Wu and more.

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  • MPH Bookstore may quit Singapore

    MPH Bookstore may quit Singapore

    Malaysia’s MPH Bookstore may exit Singapore, closing its last outlet by September.

    The chain announced its plan to close Raffles City and Parkway Parade outlets on July 28 and September 1 respectively. But the company signalled it is open to replacing the two outlets with a single store if it can find the right location at the right rent.

    MPH is closing the stores due to high rental costs and intense competition from online booksellers.

    As a result, the chain has plans to “restructure and streamline its resources for new business plans”.

    “Most of these online retailers give between 15- and 25-per-cent discount. Another unfair advantage is they don’t have to charge GST,” MPH Bookstores area manager Ismail Osman said in April.

    He also revealed that sales at MPH had declined by 40 per cent over the last 10 years.

    MPH Singapore’s first flagship on Stamford Road closed in 2003, after nearly 100 years, due to declining sales.

    MPH’s closure news came one month after other bookstore chains such as Popular and Japan’s Books Kinokuniya also closed their outlets after more than 30 years trading.

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  • Singapore retail sales slip again

    Singapore retail sales slip again

    Singapore retail sales slipped 1 per cent year on year in May, after motor vehicles were excluded from the data. The month-on-month decline was the same.

    Statistics Singapore estimated total retail sales in May (including motor vehicles) at $3.7 billion, with online retail sales accounting for 5.3 per cent of that figure.

    Year-on-year, furniture and household equipment was the category showing the greatest decline –  7.5 per cent – while sales of computer and telecommunications equipment, of optical goods and books, and by department stores, fell by between 4.7 per cent and 7 per cent.

    Categories to improve in May included watches and jewellery, up by 4.1 per cent, partly due to higher demand for gold jewellery during the Akshaya Tritiya festival.

    Sales of food and beverage services grew by 2 per cent year on year to n estimated $849 million.

    Turnover of restaurants, other eating places (such as cafes) and fast-food outlets increased by between 1.8 per cent and 2.7 per cent in May.

    In contrast, sales by food caterers decreased by 1.2 per cent.

  • Precision marketing set to surge in Apac

    Precision marketing set to surge in Apac

    Asia Pacific is poised for growth in data-driven marketing (“precision marketing”) given the increasing base of 2 billion online users and expected rise of advertising budgets in the next five to 10 years.

    The conclusions arise from the latest report by research company Nielsen, A Digital Giant Awakens, which surveyed marketing leaders across Asia-Pacific markets on their next-level strategy and implementation road-map, revealing investments in precision marketing are likely to increase in the next year from 14 per cent of marketing budgets to about one-fifth of spends (19 per cent) going beyond social, search and mobile toward newer applications.

    In the next six months the top three platforms where advertisers across the Asia Pacific region will be allocating their marketing spends are Facebook/Instagram (60 per cent), Google/Youtube (43 per cent) and mobile (42 per cent). Meanwhile, investments in advanced applications are increasingly gaining pace, particularly for data-science/modelling (36 per cent), high-quality third party data (32 per cent) and analytics to measure ROI (28 per cent).

    The survey, conducted across top leading advertisers in the region, found precision marketing is enabling advertisers to understand consumers’ purchase journeys, personalised communications and consumer profiling.

    Key factors accelerating the progress of precision marketing include better quality and reliability of data, clear demonstration of ROI for advertisers and further education to stay ahead in the game.

    “With advancements in technology and popularity of digital media there is tremendous headroom for growth in precision marketing across Asia Pacific,” said Nielsen’s MD media North Asia Ranjeet Laungani. “Precision marketing is capable of driving marketing applications out of predictive analytics and forecasting results and it is strongly recommended for advertisers to consider in their repertoire of new-age tools.”

    The report spotlights Data Management Platforms (DMPs) as pivotal technology enablers for advertisers to successfully implement precision marketing in their overall strategy. Such platforms manage and unify multiple streams of disparate consumer data and assist in consumer profiling and targeted messaging, thereby limiting spends on media waste.

    The challenge for advertisers remains to show quick wins during early stages of DMP engagement.

    Data science and analytic prowess are top attribute advertisers in Asia Pacific look for while evaluating a data management platform.

    “Currently the space is under-invested, however, broadening expert ecosystems, presence of higher quality datasets, and presenting more success stories will drive up confidence and adoption in the industry,” added Laungani.

    “The void in awareness and education can be filled by agencies, media owners and advertisers by maintaining an eye on the long-term and short-term potential of precision marketing.”

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  • Courts opens first IoT store at Funan mall, Singapore

    Courts opens first IoT store at Funan mall, Singapore

    Courts Singapore has opened its first Internet of Things store at Funan mall.

    The 12,000sqft store houses Google’s first experience zone in Asia and another from Samsung.

    Consumers can try Google’s entire range of products in Singapore, from smartphones to the recently launched Nest Hub smart display, which is similar to a smart speaker but with a screen.

    Ben Tan, Courts Singapore country CEO, shared with The Straits Times that 80 per cent of the products on sale are compatible with smart-home platforms such as the one anchored by Google Assistant, Google’s artificial intelligence-powered voice-assistant software.

    “The number of smart products available here that work with Google Assistant has increased by 200 per cent this year on year,” Tan said.

    At the Samsung experiential zone at the Courts Singapore Funan mall store, consumers can try out an integrated smart home.

    They can open a door using a digital lock, see notifications from a security camera on a smart Samsung television and issue voice commands to smart home appliances such as washing machines and fridges.

    According to Tan, Courts will offer more services to go along with smart home, such as setting up the devices and educating users on how to control their smart gadgets.

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  • Moda Operandi launches Store in China

    Moda Operandi launches Store in China

    Fashion-discovery platform Moda Operandi has appointed Ming Yang as the firm’s new MD for China.

    While Moda Operandi has served the Chinese customer for years, Ming’s appointment represents Moda’s official entry into the region. She will build a strategy, operations, marketing, and personal styling programs from Shanghai.

    “Ming’s experience successfully shaping major US and UK-based retail brands to fit the needs of the Chinese luxury consumer is unparalleled,” said CEO of Moda Operandi Ganesh Srivats. “At Moda, we’re committed to becoming part of the local fabric in China, building our China operation from the ground-up, and ultimately being the pre-eminent luxury fashion platform for Chinese consumers. Ming has just the experience to get us there.”

    Ming will be Moda Operandi’s first employee in China, growing the company’s Shanghai team and overseeing all of Moda Operandi’s business strategy and operations in Mainland China.

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  • Mr Jeff plans more outlet in Singapore and Philippines

    Mr Jeff plans more outlet in Singapore and Philippines

    Spanish on-demand laundry startup Mr Jeff plans Singapore and the Philippines expansion. The company aims to open more than 75 franchises in the Philippines, and 30 in Singapore by the end of this year.

    A Mr Jeff app allows users to book laundry services on-demand and through a subscription model. By using the app, website, or the company’s physical store network, customers can choose the exact location, time and day for their laundry to be collected and delivered. A driver visits the user’s home or office, collects the garments and delivers them back later, cleaned and ironed.

    According to Mr Jeff’s research, laundry services are popular among the younger generation, and considered by 78 per cent as the most-disliked domestic chore.

    “With our digital approach and our subscriptions plans, we intend to change the traditional function of the dry cleaning sector,” said Luis Eduardo Quintero, of Mr Jeff Philippines.

    “Singapore and the Philippines are two of the countries in which maximum revenue is expected.”

    Founded in 2015, Mr Jeff is currently operating 370 laundry points in more than 10 countries, mostly in Central and Southern America.

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  • Emma dessert opens in Singapore

    Emma dessert opens in Singapore

    Japan’s Emma dessert has opened its first overseas outlet, at Singapore’s Plaza Singapura.

    Located on basement level 2 of the shopping mall, the outlet offers two exclusive products to Singapore – the Boba Taco Softie, and Charcoal Cheese-flavoured Soft Serve – along with its original menu.

    Signature items include Soft Serve with Okinawa Brown Sugar Bubble in Wafer Shell, Soft Serve in Cup with Okinawa Brown Sugar Bubble, Soft Serve in Charcoal Cone.

    Emma opened its first shop in Japan in May 2018, and now has seven outlets in Japan.

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  • Apple Singapore to open in Jewel Changi

    Apple Singapore to open in Jewel Changi

    Apple Singapore is set to open its second store – at Jewel Changi on July 13.

    No other information, including the size of the store, was released. However, the company revealed that visitors can expect some brand new programming developed exclusively for the Jewel store, including a Magic of Jewel Changi Airport Photo Walk.

    This pathway will be around 500 meters and will allow attendees to explore Jewel’s attractions, such as its modern architecture, indoor gardens and its 40m waterfall.

    Attendees will learn how to take photos or videos of these attractions using an iPhone or iPad.

    A third Apple Singapore store will open at Marina Bay Sands, most likely late this year.

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  • Line Friends opens pop-up store at Changi airport

    Line Friends opens pop-up store at Changi airport

    Line Friends has opened a pop-up store at Changi Airport Terminal 3 Departure hall.

    Set to open until August 8, the store offers the latest summer collections of Line Friends characters featuring Brown, Choco, Sally, Cony and more on one half.

    The other half is dedicated to licensed merchandise featuring all the eight BT21 characters, which is designed by K-pop band BTS, including table figurines, cushions, and keychains.

    The store will also stock BT21 x Uniqlo collection and a slew of Singapore-exclusive products including plushies and comfortable cushions.

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  • Shopee Boosts Online Baby Care Offerings For Millennial Mothers with Johnson’s

    Shopee, Southeast Asia and Taiwan’s leading e-commerce platform, today announced the expansion of their online baby care offering with Johnson’s®, a leading brand in the baby personal care category. Through this partnership, Shopee hopes to offer time-starved millennial mothers easy access to an even wider range of baby care products from Johnson’s®.

    The announcement comes on the heels of strong performance over close to three years of partnership. Overall sales of products on the Johnson & Johnson Official Store on Shopee has grown more than 10xyear-on-year. Some of the store’s best sellers include Johnson’s® Top-to-Toe Baby Bath, Desitin™ Diaper Rash Cream and Aveeno™ Dermexa range of products for eczema-prone skin.

    According to the latest data from App Annie, consumer spending in app stores is expected to surpass more than $120 billion in 2019. Millennial mothers are also using their phones for almost everything – from shopping online, to browsing social media and reading work emails. With over 95% of orders on Shopee made through mobile phones, including baby products like milk powder, diapers and other baby essentials, Shopee believes that this strategic partnership will help us to reach even more Singaporean parents by 2020.

    Zhou Junjie, Chief Commercial Officer, Shopee said, “The joint decision to expand Johnson’s® online baby care offering on Shopee is a natural extension of our partnership, as we have seen steadily growing demand for baby products since the brand’s launch on our platform in 2016. Millennial mothers are time-starved from juggling multiple roles, and we are thrilled to be able to provide increased convenience and a reliable shopping option for them by offering a wider variety of baby care products. Through this collaboration with Johnson’s®, a brand with 125 years of unwavering commitment to providing the best care for babies and children, we hope to create more meaningful shopping experiences and peace-of-mind to millennial mothers who want the best for their children.”

    Guillermo Frydman, Managing Director, Johnson & Johnson Singapore said, “Given the growth of e-commerce in Singapore and the increasing trend of millennial parents shopping online, we believe that by teaming up with Shopee, Johnson’s® will be able to reach out to even more parents. Parents who are searching for trusted baby care products online can rest assure that they can get Johnson’s® products via a reliable and secure platform like Shopee. As a market leader in the baby care category, Johnson’s®is committed to delivering the best for babies by advancing the science of baby skin care to meet the evolving needs of generations of parents. Parents trust that we will offer only the gentlest of care to their babies.”

  • The popularity of online loans has not increased in Singapore

    The popularity of online loans has not increased in Singapore

    Analyzing statistics of search requests, analysts of the company compared trends of demand for online loans in Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. The findings show that the situation in Singapore differs from other countries  significantly. The demand in Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines demonstrates a clear ascending trend and fast development. However, in Singapore, with low development of online loans issued by alternative lending companies, there is no significant growth of their demand recorded by the systems for search analytics. At the same time, looking at the frequency of the search request of “online credit”, the increase is observed from late 2007 to 2015 and stops afterwards.
    The reason is the faster economic development and dense area of Singapore, as opposed to its multi-island neighbours. Consequently, the country has an advanced financial sector, which is accessible for all residents. Taking into account the general maturity of the digital sphere, it’s obvious that the fintech services started developing here earlier, but within the traditional banking sector.
    The legislative regulation of lending in Singapore also makes an impact. Limited interest rates make it more profitable for alternative lenders to work with the business community. According to the University of Cambridge, in 2017, 99% of issued alternative loans there fell under the business segment. In the Philippines and Vietnam, the situation is opposite: only 7% and 10% of loans respectively accounted for business sector. In Indonesia, the distribution is more balanced: 72% were business loans and 28% – consumer loans.
    Moreover, the demand for online loans is affected by the age of the population. According to the United Nations, the average age of Singaporeans is 40, Filipinos – 24, Indonesians – 28 and Vietnamese  – 30. The young age and lack of access to banking products are the main driver for the development of alternative lending in Indonesia, Vietnam and in the Philippines. This is confirmed by the statistics on 200,000 online loans issued by the companies of Robocash Group in Southeast Asia (the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia), where 49.9% of borrowers are under 30.
  • Watsons Singapore launches store-in-store Retail concept

    Watsons Singapore launches store-in-store Retail concept

    Watsons Singapore has launched a premium store concept at Takashimaya. The 7000sqft store hosts distinct zones encompassing skincare, hair care, health and personal care, with new brands such as Milani, Pony Effect, and Utena.

    “To keep pace with the innovative, trendy brand image that Watsons is known for, we are very excited to refresh and make a statement with our Watsons Takashimaya store in a new generation premium store format which offers more experiential zones and shopability,” said Irene Lau, Watsons Singapore GM.

    “The expanse of the store allows us to offer more exciting and exclusive brands across skincare, cosmetics, health and wellness for our discerning consumers. In addition, as we continue to evolve in this digital age, we have incorporated smart technologies and gadgets to enhance the shopping experience and increase engagement with our consumers.”

    The refreshed Watsons store also hosts store-in-store (SIS) concepts at its cosmetics, skincare and health zones.

    The L’Oreal Paris SIS offers a comprehensive range of cosmetics, from foundations, eye make-up colours to lipsticks. Maybelline’s SIS offers the Alice+Olivia Maybelline collection, the first-ever fashion make-up collaboration from the company, that is exclusively sold at Watsons Singapore.

    In support of Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore, Watsons is introducing two independent homegrown brands, Botanica Culture and Hush Candle, that focus on wellness.

    A seven-metre length Mask Bay allows consumers to find a mask or two that cater to their skin type, beauty concerns or daily needs across 22 brands.

    The Real Techniques wall contains make-up tools and accessories, including performance brushes and expert sponges.

    The new Watsons store will have four full-time pharmacists, led by principal clinical pharmacist, Chung Wing Lam, who was named 2018 Excellence Service SuperStar by Singapore Retailers Association.

    Watsons Singapore’s membership will be automatically upgraded to “Watsons One Pass” which allows members to enjoy benefits when they shop at Watsons stores in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand.

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  • Bottega Veneta gets a new look in Singapore

    Bottega Veneta gets a new look in Singapore

    The Bottega Veneta Singapore boutique at Ion Orchard has undergone a major makeover.

    The 255sqm store has been fully renovated in time to celebrate the arrival of the first Bottega Veneta collection designed by new creative director Daniel Lee.

    Under the theme of lightness, the space now has a new sense of openness and modernity. Walls are painted bright white or covered in plaster with a Roman ‘travertine texture’.

    Floors are covered with dark ivory limestone and pale carpets, while the ceiling is pure white.

    A pale-hued Antique Oak is used throughout the store to create linear shelves and glass-topped display tables.

    Opened in Singapore in 2009, with the first store at Takashimaya, Bottega Veneta now has four branches in the city.