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Tag: Singapore

  • Decathlon Singapore Lab now open

    Decathlon Singapore Lab now open

    Sporting goods retailer Decathlon has opened a landmark 5000sqm retail space at Kallang’s Stadium Boulevard, its largest store in Singapore. Designated the Decathlon Singapore Lab, the outlet includes a running area with four different surface types – including a gravel hiking path – for in-store shoe testing. Robotic inventory monitoring and a conveyor belt that immediately transports products once ordered online, allowing two-hour pickups from a customer’s preferred store, are also key features. An Active Health Lab hosted in the store provides free health assessments for customers in partnership with Sport Singapore.

    “A lab is a disruptive and innovative place where we test new solutions”, said Decathlon Singapore CEO Yves Claude in explanation of the store’s name. “We have to give new reasons for customers to come back to our store”, he said.

    “Retail used to be monotonous. Now because our customers are moving to more digital means of shopping, our jobs will also have to evolve”, said Decathlon Singapore Lab store leader Nathaniel Gregory. “In the last three years, my job was very brick-and-mortar style. Tomorrow I need to learn about SEO and digital marketing”.

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  • Courts Asia gets buy offer from Japan retailer Nojima

    Courts Asia gets buy offer from Japan retailer Nojima

    Japanese electronics retailer Nojima Corp has launched a conditional takeover bid for Courts Asia. The deal is conditional upon Courts Asia’s majority owner Singapore Retail Group (SRG) agreeing to the deal. Offering 20.5 cents a share for the business, the offer represents a 35 per cent premium over the price shares were trading at before the bid was revealed.

    Nojima is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Like, Courts Asia, it is an electrical appliance retailer, boasting more than 8000 employees and a market capitalisation of S$1.4 billion. Sales in the year to March 31 last year were $6.1 billion.

    Courts Asia has 80 stores trading in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia and besides electronics sells furniture and IT products as well. The company has enjoyed mixed fortunes in recent years, impacted by external factors such as the imposition of GST in Malaysia. It reported a net loss of $3.1 million in its second quarter, a stark contrast to the net profit of $1.5 million during the same period a year earlier. Sales for the three months to September 30 fell 6.4 per cent to $165.1 million.

    Nojima says if it wins control of the company it may carry out a “strategic and operational review” of the business to realise “synergies, economies of scale, cost efficiencies and growth potential”. It will most likely delist the company in Singapore.

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  • Kiehl’s X Jonny Wan at Singapore Changi Airport

    Kiehl’s X Jonny Wan at Singapore Changi Airport

    Known for his bold and diverse style, in his designs Wan has depicted a pig named Lucky who travels from New York City to Singapore to celebrate the Lunar New Year with his family and friends. Born in Sheffield, UK, Johnny Wan graduated from the Manchester School of Art in 2008 and has been working as a freelance illustrator since. With a fascination for all things ancient, he has developed a diverse style working across advertising, editorial and publishing.

    Creating bold and graphic pieces of work that reflect his interest in Art Deco is a process of alchemy Jonny loves exploring. His previous clients have included Ford, Audi, Kidrobot, Microsoft and Nokia.

    The brand’s iconic products, Ultra Facial Cream, Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol-Free Toner and Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado, will be available in limited-edition Lunar New Year packaging designed by the illustrator.

    With the pop-up taking place in Singapore, Kiehl’s will be bringing the Merlion statue into Changi Airport especially for the occasion to welcome travelers right after their flight lands. A Lunar New Year-themed virtual reality motorcycle and a fortune card machine will also be on site to engage customers with the most immersive Lunar New Year experience.

    Kiehl’s believes that a worldwide international company must have a purpose for its existence, to go beyond the everyday work, and improve the community that Kiehl’s serves.

    For each purchase at the pop-up store, Kiehl’s will donate 1 SGD to Singapore NPO, ZEROWASTESG. The pop-up will also work alongside the BUY Your Own Bag program (BYOB) to educate and remind shoppers to bring their own reusable bag and to make using reusable bags a social norm.

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  • Singapore’s Grab begins using Hyundai Motor’s Kona

    Singapore’s Grab begins using Hyundai Motor’s Kona

    Hyundai Motor, Korea’s largest carmaker by sales, said Wednesday that Singapore-based Grab began using its Kona Electric for its ride-hailing service this month. In November, Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors jointly invested $250 million in the Southeast Asian company for a business partnership in ride-hailing service markets, the carmaker said in a statement.

    “The company is aiming to enter electric car markets in Southeast Asia through the partnership with Grab and gain a share of those markets,” the statement said.

    Grab has initially purchased 20 Kona electric vehicles (EVs) from Hyundai for its service and plans to increase the number to 200 by the end of this year, Hyundai said.

    The Kona EV can travel up to 400 kilometers (248.5 miles) per charge. The driver can charge the all-electric car to around 80 percent full in about 30 minutes, it said.

    In partnership with Grab, Singapore Power has granted Kona EV drivers a 30 percent discount when powering the emission-free car at charging stations, the statement said.

    This week, the Kona EV grabbed a coveted North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year award at the Detroit auto show.

  • Hennessy celebrates Chinese New Year by opening pop up store at Changi

    Hennessy celebrates Chinese New Year by opening pop up store at Changi

    Moet Hennessy is partnering with DFS Group in Hennessy pop-up store a Changi Airport celebrate Chinese New Year. The store, a Travel Retail Concept Exclusive, features interactive consumer experiences and will remain open until February 19. Located at the Terminal 3 Departure Hall, the pop-up experience, the only one of its kind globally. It invites travellers to “engage in a joyous reunion through experiences such as interactive digital games, Hennessy’s bottle engraving service, limited edition offers, as well as exclusive gifts with purchase,” the companies said in a statement.

    Travellers are also welcomed to test the Firecracker, a unique Hennessy cocktail, which will be available exclusively at the pop up.

    Hennessy collaborated with contemporary artist Guang-Yu Zhang to create an art piece centrestage in the pop up. The design, A Joyous Reunion, celebrates the love for nature, mastery of savoir-faire and spirit of conquest.

    Gallery of the pop up stores (6 images) :

    “Hennessy shares the dream of Harmony, from vine to grape to distillation to glass, from nature to people, Hennessy takes the best of nature and offers it to the Chinese people to celebrate this special moment,” said Guang-Yu Zhang.

    The also features on the limited-edition packaging that has been created for Hennessy XO, Hennessy VSOP and James Hennessy products.

    After purchase, customers at Changi are invited to use Hennessy’s first-ever engraving station at the pop-up store to add a personalised messages to their bottles.

    “At Hennessy, we are honoured to have collaborated with a world-class artist to deliver these beautiful, one-of-a-kind Chinese New Year limited-editions for our travellers,” said Moet Hennessy MD travel retail Asia Pacific, Vanessa Widmann.

    A rising star in the international art world, Guang-Yu Zhang grew up in Shanghai and graduated from Central Saint Martins College in London in 2012. In 2014, he was selected for the International Emerging Artists Exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London; that year, he also exhibited his work at the Tate Britain Museum in London. He is known for his unique fusion of Eastern and Western cultures and traditional and contemporary techniques.

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  • Shiseido opens new office hub in Singapore

    Shiseido opens new office hub in Singapore

    Shiseido announced the opening of its new office in Singapore, located in the heart of Singapore’s Central Business District. The move is part of Shiseido’s VISION 2020 corporate transformation, as the company focuses on accelerating growth in the second phase of its medium-to-long term strategy. The new office hub will house the regional headquarters of Shiseido Asia Pacific, the global headquarters for Shiseido Travel Retail and the affiliate office of Shiseido Singapore.

    As centres of value creation, this structure facilitates flexible and agile decision making; enabling Shiseido to achieve significant growth through marketing activities attuned to the needs of regional consumers and global travellers.

    As we continue to build for the future, Shiseido is committed to an increased investment in our brands, talent development, beauty innovation and business activities that will positively and sustainably impact society.

    The new office will house three new dedicated facilities:

    • Asia Learning Centre, a first-of-its-kind dedicated training facility that will train approximately 2,000 Shiseido employees from Asia Pacific, Travel Retail, Japan & China each year. Its programmes aim to develop leadership, function-specific and innovation skills and behaviours that are critical in supporting growth and bringing out the best from employees for Shiseido’s continued success.

    • Asia Pacific Innovation Centre, which will enable open-source innovation, Asia Pacific consumer research, as well as create and localize a portfolio of highly specialised products for the Asian market and climate.

    • Life Quality Beauty Centre: As we strive for a society that promotes greater happiness and positivity for everyone, this is a unique facility that provides private, specialized make-up consultations to consumers with significant skin concerns such as port-wine stains, nevus, scars, vitiligo and changes in appearance due to the side effects of medical treatment. Shiseido has helped consumers with serious skin concerns since 1956, when many in Japan suffered from serious skin burns post-war, by developing a foundation called Shiseido Spots Cover.

    Shiseido Asia Pacific and the global headquarters of Travel Retail first established their presence in Singapore in 2016 & 2015 respectively; with the employee base almost doubling to over 250 employees, with nationalities spread across 17 countries.

    The strategic location of the Singapore office puts Shiseido closer to key markets in Asia, enabling the company to leverage the region’s robust potential with its rising middle-class population. Growth in the premium beauty segment in Asia Pacific is forecasted increase by USD$4.4 billion from 2016-2021, while the mass beauty segment is expected to achieve more than triple this amount[1].

    Asia Pacific also represents a key region and engine of growth for the global Travel Retail Channel. Current forecasts estimate that its beauty segment represents a potential market size of USD$26 billion by 2021[2]; the proximity of Shiseido Travel Retail aims to empower and guide the team alongside this growth.

    “Our new regional headquarters is testament to our solid growth in Asia Pacific over the past few years and my commitment to our consumers and employees in the years to come – I am looking forward to our expanded capabilities in leadership & talent development, innovation and harnessing deeper Asian consumer insights. These will play a critical role in accelerating our growth across the region,” said Jean-Philippe Charrier, President & CEO, Shiseido Asia Pacific.

    “As we continue our trajectory towards achieving our Vision 2020 goals, this new modern office for Shiseido Travel Retail aims to be a place of innovation, creativity and collaboration for our global & Asia teams. We hope that this office will be a place to inspire our team and partners in new ways of thinking, continuing our journey in finding new and fresh methods of engaging our hyper connected travelers and pioneering new forms of retail entertainment,” comments Philippe Lesné, President & CEO, Shiseido Travel Retail.

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  • Uniqlo sales performs well globally, not in hometown

    Uniqlo sales performs well globally, not in hometown

    Fast Retailing Group has reported a decline in revenues for Uniqlo Japan against broader successes internationally in its first quarter. A sharp profit decline on sluggish sales of seasonal ranges during a warm winter in Japan has given rise to disappointing results in the Uniqlo brand’s home territory. Uniqlo Japan posted revenues of ¥246.1 billion (US$2.27 billion), a decrease of 4.3 per cent year on year, with first-quarter profit before taxes of ¥111 billion ($1.03 billion), down 5.7 per cent; and profit attributable to owners of the parent firm of ¥73.4 billion ($678.4 million), down 6.4 per cent. Online sales expanded favourably in the market, however, showing an increase of 30.9 per cent.

    Uniqlo International saw an operating profit far exceeding that of Uniqlo Japan, with revenues at ¥291.3 billion (2.69 billion) up 12.8 per cent. Uniqlo Greater China and Uniqlo South Korea both reported higher sales and profits despite the dampening effect of the warm winter. Uniqlo Southeast Asia & Oceania continued to report significant revenue and profit gains.

    The report said Fast Retailing’s consolidated business estimates for the financial year ending August 31 remain unchanged from the initial forecasts released last October, predicting an 8 per cent expansion in revenue and 14.3 per cent increase in operating profits.

  • November Singapore retail sales stagnant

    November Singapore retail sales stagnant

    November Singapore retail sales were static, rising just 0.2 per cent year on year after removing motor vehicles from the data. On a month-on-month basis, sales rose 1.4 per cent, again after disregarding motor vehicles. Perhaps the most interesting figure was the share of total retail sales which occurred online, reaching 6.6 per cent. In September, online accounted for 4.9 per cent of sales, in October 5 per cent. The November figure suggests the Singles Day shopping promotions on November 11 had a significant impact in Singapore.

    The worst-performing retail category in November Singapore retail sales was computers and telecommunications equipment, slumping 22.1 per cent year on year, which Statistics Singapore attributes to strong sales of phones in November 2017 due to the launch of new models.

    The optical goods and books categories posted sales declines of 4.6 per cent, while food retailers and supermarkets & hypermarkets fell by 3.7 per cent and 1.4 per cent, respectively.

    Department stores registered an increase of 8.7 per cent in sales, while medical goods & toiletries sales rose by 4.8 per cent.

    Turnover of fast-food outlets, restaurants and other eating places (such as cafes) increased between by 2.5 per cent and 4.5 per cent year on year in November. However, sales of food caterers decreased 2 per cent.

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  • Liho Singapore opens first outlet in Brunei

    Liho Singapore opens first outlet in Brunei

    Singaporean bubble tea brand Liho has launched in Brunei with its first outlet at Times Square Brunei Darussalam. The new Liho Brunei store is the result of a year’s preparation and is the first of 10 to 12 outlets planned across the country within the next year. The brand, popular for its brown sugar pearls, operates 93 locations across Singapore and already has a presence in Vietnam.

    “We are still growing and year to year outlook growth is around 20 per cent,” said Liho’s co-founder Rodney Tang. “As long as we understand the customers’ taste and needs, we can continue to grow. We intend to bring in more creative flavours to Brunei.”

  • The Alley Taiwan debuts in Singapore

    The Alley Taiwan debuts in Singapore

    Taiwanese bubble-tea chain The Alley is to open its first outlet in Singapore. Despite the undisclosed location, the brand has already got Singaporean bubble-tea fans excited with an announcement on its Instagram and Facebook pages. Established in 2013, The Alley is well-known for its brown sugar tapioca (Deerioca) milk tea served in cups with with round bases.

    The chain has outlets in Canada, US, France, Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand. The Alley entered Vietnam in November 2017, and now has 35 stores nationwide.

  • CASE Singapore warns consumers about LuxStyle International

    CASE Singapore warns consumers about LuxStyle International

    Singapore shoppers have been warned about dealing with LuxStyle International Sales. The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) has released a consumer advisory notice updating its previous advisory on LuxStyle, reminding consumers that they are “not obliged to make any payment to a business for goods or services that they did not explicitly agree to purchase”.

    The Case advisory follows complaints it had received against the Danish online retailer dating back to 2016. The complainants held that LuxStyle had sent out payment notices to consumers who had not agreed to any purchase. According to consumer reports, site visitors were charged by the firm after having entered personal payment information for the purposes of viewing prices, even though they had not proceeded to make a purchase.

    Case issued a consumer alert against LuxStyle in May 2017, but has received a further 18 complaints against the business since then.

    Some consumers have now been contacted by a debt collection agency asking for payments claimed by the firm. According to the advisory, since contacting the collection agency Case has been assured all related debt recovery action has now been cancelled, and that any consumer who made payments on the matter should be fully refunded.

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  • Burberry and Louis Vuitton lose counterfeiting appeal in Singapore

    Burberry and Louis Vuitton lose counterfeiting appeal in Singapore

    Burberry and Louis Vuitton have lost their appeal in a trademark dispute against local transport company Megastar Shipping. The luxury brands alleged that Megastar Shipping had handled counterfeit goods in Singapore that were headed for Indonesia, citing the Trade Marks Act that states a trademark is infringed by any person found to import or export goods using that mark without the proprietor’s consent.

    The upper division of the Singapore Supreme Court found this week that Megastar was not the importer of counterfeit goods shipped from China that were seized in March 2013, and was only intended to handle the goods in transit to their final destination in Indonesia. Megastar Shipping had been listed on seaway bills and arrival notices as the consignee of the goods.

    The appeals court ruled that the protection of IP rights had to be balanced against extending liability for infringement to “honest commercial persons who happened to be tangentially involved” in the shipping of counterfeit goods.

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  • Temasek plans to sell AS Watson stake

    Temasek plans to sell AS Watson stake

    Singapore’s Temasek Holdings is reportedly looking to quit its stake in Hong Kong-headquartered beauty products retailer AS Watson. Temasek spent US$5.6 billion to acquire a 25 per cent share of AS Watson in 2014 from Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison, which retains the majority stake. According to report, Temasek made the investment expecting the business to be listed within three years. But softening investor sentiment towards retail sector listings has weakened since that plan was first envisaged. Investors are spooked by the demise of a slew of brick-and-mortar-focused brands across developed markets.

    AS Watson has some 14,500 stores in 24 markets around the world, and has market leadership in 15 of those. That could make the business an attractive target for private equity funds, despite the company appearing to be focused more on opening new stores than migrating online, where consumers are buying more beauty and healthcare products.

    Bloomberg says in an analysis published online, that a private equity business would be among the more likely buyers for the Temasek stake, given the amount of industry money that’s sitting idle.

    “That said, any acquirer will still be in a minority position, even if the entire 25 per cent is sold. Along with the business’s poor growth prospects, the absence of control is likely to be reflected in the valuation. This is one retail sale that will need a discount to be attractive.”

  • Design Orchard mall to open end of the month

    Design Orchard mall to open end of the month

    Design Orchard mall is set to open on January 25 hosting 61 homegrown labels. The new Orchard Road mall, a joint venture between the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), JTC Corporation and Enterprise Singapore, is conceived of as a home and exhibition space for local design work. It features a 9000sqft first-floor retail showcase, second floor incubation spaces, and a rooftop events area. The first level is currently leased to local retailer Naiise.

    Featured supports for local designers include co-working spaces provided by Taff – equipped with professional sewing equipment, a fabric library and collaboration and networking opportunities with industry players – and a mentorship program from Naiise covering marketing and merchandising.

    “Singapore is home to many global brands,” explained STB’s director of retail and dining Ranita Sundra, of the rational behind Design Orchard mall.

    “As these brands become more ubiquitous, we noticed that more people are drawn to local products with a Singapore story. Design Orchard is thus an exciting opportunity for us to profile the best of Singapore talent under one roof.”

    “We hope that it will inspire local talents to join the community, where they can develop and grow their brands with access to mentors, programmes and facilities in a vibrant space along Orchard Road,” added director of products at JTC Wee Pei Yean.

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  • New Michael Kors to increase focus on Asia

    New Michael Kors to increase focus on Asia

    With the completion of its acquisition of Versace, global fashion group Michael Kors Holding has successfully transitioned into its new identity as Capri Holdings Limited. The group, which now owns Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo and Versace, hopes to leverage its brands to grow group revenue to US$8 billion, while increasing its exposure to the Asia pacific region from 11 per cent to 19 per cent.

    The group also notes an effort to reduce its exposure to the American market, from 66 per cent to 57 per cent, in the long term.

    “We have now created one of the leading global fashion luxury groups in the world,” Capri chairman John D. Idol said.

    However, considering the past performance of these brands, one cannot be certain whether this merged entity can turn them around says IBISWorld senior industry analyst Kim Do, though “Capri Holdings seem confident in their ability to do so.”

    “While many are concerned about the company diffusing its newly acquired brands, similar to that of its own, this is unlikely as, similar to Jimmy Choo’s agreement with Kors Holdings, Donatella Versace will continue to remain the creative director [of] her namesake brand, leading the brand’s creative vision,” Do said.

    “However, while it is likely that Versace will be pushed into new avenues of revenue (such as a stronger focus on Asian markets) it will likely not include mass-retailers – which is how Michael Kors expanded previously.”

    According to Do, IBISWorld expects Capri to hold off on further acquisitions for the time being, and will most likely focus on growing the three brands it now hold in its portfolio.

    In November 2018, the group saw total group revenue decline 32 per cent to $189.76 million (US$137.6 million), from $279.81 million (US$202.9 million) the year prior, which GlobalData Retail managing director Neil Saunders called “disappointing”.

    “Although overall revenue growth looks robust, it continues to be flattered by the acquisition of Jimmy Choo, which has yet to annualise out,” Saunders said.

    “In short, after slowly climbing the steep hill of recovery, Michael Kors now appears to be rolling back down in reverse.”

    Saunders also said the acquisition of Versace could prove to be a distraction that limits the group’s abilities to fix the core problems within it’s main brand.

    In November 2018, the group saw total group revenue decline 32 per cent to US$137.6 million, from US$202.9 million the year prior, which GlobalData Retail MD Neil Saunders called “disappointing”.

    “Given Michael Kors’ relative lack of success with its own label, we do not see the group being able to [easily] undertake the retooling required to generate superior results.”

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