Retail News CRM

Tag: Store

  • Courts Indonesia to close its store soon

    Courts Indonesia to close its store soon

    Courts Asia is to close one of its Indonesian megastores. “The group decided to close the Courts Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD) City Megastore in Tangerang as it is historically not profitable and the group does not want to incur the high rental costs over the remaining lease term,” the retailer said in a statement. Courts Retail Indonesia will also buy the property it currently leases which houses the Kota Harapan Indah (KHI) megastore.

    Both properties were leased from Garwita Sentra Utama. Courts will forfeit a security deposit of Rp14.38 billion (S$1.379 million) and pay a penalty for early termination of the BSD site of Rp 38.7 billion ($3.6 million). The Singapore company will pay Rp97.56 billion (S$9.36 million) to purchase the other site.

    The KHI store has a total gross floor area of 21,800sqm, with about 24 years remaining on the lease.

    Courts said in its statement that the property reorganisation was part of an ongoing review of its store network.

    Having taken ownership of the KHI building, the company can consider options including downsizing its megastore and repurposing the remaining space for other commercial uses.

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  • 7-Eleven parent sales surges: Report

    7-Eleven parent sales surges: Report

    Japanese retail giant Seven & I has reported a 15.8 per cent increase in net sales for the nine months to November. Profit rose by a less impressive 2.9 per cent. The 7-Eleven parent said its overseas convenience store business achieved an impressive 15.7 per cent increase in operating profit year on year.

    At home, its Ito-Yokado superstore managed to reduce its operating loss to ¥200 million (US$1.85 million), however its York-Benimaru supermarket division and Sogo & Seibu department stores both struggled, the latter losing ¥937 million ($8.6 million).

    Seven & I’s net sales totalled ¥4.11 trillion ($38 billion).

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  • Chun Yang Tea expands into Canada

    Chun Yang Tea expands into Canada

    Taiwanese bubble-tea brand Chun Yang Tea is launching its first store in Canada. With operations across Taiwan as well as in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Malaysia, the brand is now planning two new store locations in Toronto and one in Vancouver. While the Canadian market has been judged as saturated for bubble-tea retailers, Chun Yang claims its product is authentic and traditional, offering beverages made without any artificial milk powder to achieve a more natural taste.

    So far no information has been released as to exact launch dates, although the brand’s website claims the stores are “coming soon”.

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  • The Body Shop India to open 20 new stores in 2019

    The Body Shop India to open 20 new stores in 2019

    The concept of beauty has evolved dramatically over the last few years. The desire to look attractive and feel good is at an all time high among consumers from all walks of life. Consumers are continuously looking out for products that make them look good. Innovation, ingredients and integrity are the new buzzwords in beauty. Natural and organic has never been more popular. The movement towards healthier, wellness-oriented lifestyles around the world – complemented by a growing consumer awareness of sustainability, naturality, and ethical sourcing, has influenced personal attitudes towards beauty.

    There has been a huge upsurge of consciousness in beauty purchase – Beauty with Responsibility. Today consumers want to buy beauty products which are chemical free, natural, organic, vegetarian and not tested on animals. ‘Ethical and Clean Beauty’ is indeed on the rise.

    Keeping up with the rising demand, many new brands have entered the beauty retail space in India but brands like The Body Shop which have been there in the industry from past 12 years, has carved a niche for itself.

    Vishal Chaturvedi, General Manager-Retail – India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, The Body Shop explains how the brand has become a established household name. He says, “The brand is a one stop shop for new and trending beauty products and ingredients. We have ranges across skincare, bath and body, haircare, make-up, men’s grooming range and gifting. Perfected by centuries of wisdom, the brand brings to its cusotmers the finest natural ingredients, refined textures and delicate fragrances, from purifying and firming clays, sensorial and luxury oils, refining natural scrubs and decadent creams.”

    “We are always on the verge of experiments to bring new beauty formats and testing efficacy to bring the very best to our consumers,” he adds.

    All the products of the brand are made exclusively in the UK and supplied across the world. India is one the fastest growing markets and among the top markets for The Body Shop.

    “We have been in India since 2006 and have 175 stores across the country. We have presence in 60+ Indian cities and over 600 towns and cities through own e-commerce channel. The brand is known for its ethical positioning with strength of natural ingredients, community trade programs, animal cruelty free and 100 percent vegetarian products. The Body Shop has a fast growing consumer base. We are expanding into new markets and are a leading global beauty retailer in the country,” asserts Chaturvedi.

    Store Innovations

    The Body Shop keeps the customers at the centre of their business and their location strategy is driven by the endeavour to reach as many customers across a wide spectrum of segments.

    “We choose locations that allow us access to all kinds of beauty consumers and where we can offer our unique The Body Shop experience,” reveals Chaturvedi.

    The brand’s pillars are naturality, animal cruelty free and activism and the stores celebrate this through their ambience and every customer touch point.

    “Through the stores, the brand offers a heightened personalized experience by unique display of products and experiential zones which uplift the sensorial experience of the customers. We have a marquee Community Wall that specifically talks s about our ongoing ethical campaigns and initiatives,” states Chaturvedi.

    “Our greatest innovation is our beauty experts and advisors. They are the true ambassadors of the brand. The advisors undergo rigorous training and each one of them is well equipped to give a 360° experience of the brand,” he adds.

    Future Plans

    The beauty brand has endeared itself not only to consumers in big cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata but is also hugely popular in Tier II cities like Guwahati, Siliguri, Jammu, Aurangabad, Patna, Nasik, Mysore, Calicut and many more towns and cities.

    “We shall be opening 20 more stores this year in 2019, establishing our footprint in new cities to make ourselves even more accessible to new customers,” he reveals.

    “Apart from physical presence, we have a very strong online presence. E-commerce is our fastest channel of reaching 600+ cities and towns adding almost 30,000 customers to The Body Shop family every year. Our e-commerce business contributes to 10 percent of our business. We are expecting to grow by 12 percent,” he concludes.

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  • H&M Tested New Concept and Digital Developments

    H&M Tested New Concept and Digital Developments

    Global fast-fashion retailer H&M plans to introduce further digital services and features to improve its customer experience both in physical stores and online. The brand launched a series of tests in selected stores last year while rolling out digital features and services to boost its customer offer, experimenting with factors such as the interior and exterior, the product range and the overall look and feel of its stores. The firm also introduced technical solutions to make it easier for both staff and customers to navigate stores and identify fashion favourites.

    H&M plans to continue that work this year in line with the firm’s omnichannel strategy. Testing this year will include cafe concept It’s Pleat, a florist shop-in-shop, self-service checkouts, monogramming services and repair services as well as a digital wall where customers can share their H&M favourites under the #HMxME tag.

    “These stores give us a chance to try out and explore new concepts and activities to make our stores more inspiring and offer customers a great experience,” said H&M MD Fredrik Olsson.

    “We are looking forward to continuously evaluate these tests where we are exploring the strength of a global brand in combination with a more personal touch and local relevance. We are also rolling out digital services and features to offer fashion fans inspiring and seamless shopping in line with our omni-channel strategy.”

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  • Heytea opens store in Hong Kong

    Heytea opens store in Hong Kong

    On December, 24 Sha Tin New Town Plaza, in Hong Kong, welcomed Heytea. A huge crowd queuing up for more than 3 hours just to get a cup of Cheese Tea from the Chinese tea-drink brand Heytea was the protagonit that day. Due to the buy-one-get-one free promotion during the Christmas holidays, people started lining up as early as 6:00 am.

    Heytea officially announced that it had opened its first Hong Kong store only on january, 3. They chose to expand into Hong Kong’s market due to the city’s international status as well as its vibrant food and beverage scene. It helps to promote Heytea as a popular and innovative tea-drink brand among global consumers, especially younger generations.

    The store not only offers its signature cheese tea, but also a great variety of fruit tea and ice cream. The tea is imported from all over the world which aims to renew the traditional tea culture.

    Also, it introduces an exclusive product combined with Hong Kong local food culture, namely, the Eggette Roll Sundae, adding new vitality into the brand, according to its founder Nie Yunchen.

    He said “geographically, Hong Kong is adjacent to Guangdong Province and Shenzhen. Hong Kong people already know our brand and often buy our tea when they visit Shenzhen or other cities in Guangdong. In order to thank our supporters and cope with an increasing demand of our tea, we think it is the right time to extend our reach to the city.”

    Zhenglei, Development Director of Heytea, confirmed that Heytea opened its second Hong Kong store in Causeway Bay on 12 January 2019. “We are quite confident that our tea products will be very welcomed by our customers in Hong Kong.”

    In order to avoid a huge crowd like the last opening, Heytea planned to replace the traditional order and payment method by ordering through their mobile app.

    The second shop of Heytea located in Causeway is named as “Heyteago”, their customer can order online in anytime, anywhere for a cup of tea-to-go. Therefore, cheese-tea lovers can save their time and no need to queue up for 3 hours outside Heytea again.

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  • Starbucks opens its Coffee Sanctuary in Bali

    Starbucks opens its Coffee Sanctuary in Bali

    Starbucks has opened its largest Southeast Asian location in Bali. The 20,000sqft Starbucks Dewata Coffee Sanctuary builds on 16 years of innovation in design, customer experience and community impact for the brand in Indonesia, where there are 370 Starbucks outlets nationwide. Customers can enjoy Starbucks handcrafted core and Reserve beverages within the store’s locally-inspired design that celebrates Indonesian tradition.

    The store pays tribute to the role that Indonesia, the fourth largest Arabica coffee-growing region in the world, plays in the Starbucks business. Sumatran coffee has been a staple offering at Starbucks since 1971.
    “We began sourcing Indonesian coffees more than four decades ago and have always been struck by the sense of community and care for the coffee journey at every step,” said Starbucks Coffee Company CEO Kevin Johnson.

    View the gallery of the new outlet below (8 images) :

    “The Starbucks Dewata Coffee Sanctuary amplifies our passion for the coffee journey, our ongoing commitment to Indonesia’s rich coffee culture, and our tireless pursuit of fostering moments of connection between our partners and customers. The Coffee Sanctuary marks the 10th Starbucks Reserve Bar store in Indonesia, one of 185 stores around the world, with the majority in Asia. This is Starbucks at its best, and we are proud to open the doors of this unique experience in one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic markets.

    Visitors enter the store through an arabica coffee farm, try their hand at coffee bean de-pulping and washing during harvest season, dry and rake green coffee beans, visit budding seedlings in the nursery, take in the store’s locally-inspired design featuring traditional Balinese craft and Indonesian art, and enjoy the more than 100 Dewata-exclusive handcrafted beverages, food and merchandise, including the Lavender Latte.

    The  Starbucks Dewata Coffee Sanctuary store’s expansive interior is inspired by traditional Balinese houses with free-flowing, connected rooms designed to promote discovery from one space to the next.

    “Bali has an envied reputation as one of Asia’s top travel destinations and Indonesia is one of coffee’s most extraordinary coffee origin regions,” said Starbucks Indonesia director Anthony Cottan said.

    “So we’re excited to invite customers here to ignite their senses and explore the seed-to-cup coffee journey at this unique Coffee Sanctuary. We’re very pleased to further strengthen the longstanding partnership between Starbucks and [licensee] PT Sari Coffee Indonesia with this truly one-of-a-kind Starbucks store, inspired by and filled with the finest examples of Indonesian art, design and craftsmanship.”

    To support the future of coffee, Starbucks Indonesia has committed to donating 100,000 coffee seedlings to farmers annually.

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  • Look more inside to Shanghai Tang Pacific Place

    Look more inside to Shanghai Tang Pacific Place

    A “plethora of paints and fabrics that radiate warmth” are at the core of the redesigned Shanghai Tang Pacific Place boutique. Design house Stefano Tordiglione Design (ST) oversaw the executive design and project management of the revamped 154sqm space, which opened last November. The project took six months to complete. Shanghai Tang is a privately owned, modern luxury brand which fuses current fashion design concepts with Chinese-inspired elements steeped in history. It is renowned for its use of bold colours, often contrasting, in fashion and homewares.

    Taking the lead in fine tuning the selection of materials, fabrics and colours, the design team created what creative designer Carlotta Turini describes as “a multi-sensory shopping experience to mirror the richness and beauty of Chinese culture”.

    Among the features are the changing rooms and home section, with the use of famed Jim Thomson wallpapers, giving the design an ‘Asiatic flavour’, with alternative wall coverings and racks fine tuned to create a sense of comfort within the shopping centre.

    The womenswear area has curved walls and a soothing beige fabric contrasted with bright paint, while the menswear area is elegant, warm and cozy, designed with dark brown wood and clean lines.

    These areas are united through a relaxed central seating area featuring art deco furniture.

    “To promote fluid movement through the space, the walls have niches features to provide attractions to the eye throughout the corridor as customers move between retail sections,” says Turini.

    The team had to interpret the original design drawings, developing a unique concept that is now demonstrated throughout the store.

    Efficient project management was vital to the success and on-time completion of the Shanghai Tang Pacific Place redesign.

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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.”

  • LOTS Wholesale Solutions expands footprint with its third store in India

    LOTS Wholesale Solutions expands footprint with its third store in India

    LOTS Wholesale Solutions, a part of the US$ 50 billion Charoen Pokphand Group and a wholly owned subsidiary of Siam Makro Public Company Limited from Thailand, has unveiled its third wholesale distribution centre in India at Ithum, Sector 62, Noida. In 2018, the company inaugurated their stores at Netaji Subhash Place and Akshardham. The three stores, opened within a span of seven months, will cater to a total of 1,40,000 registered customers in Delhi NCR.

    LOTS Wholesale Solutions store in Noida is the first step towards the company’s commitment of investing Rs 250 crore in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The expansion plan will witness the opening of more stores in the state in the coming years.

    The new store in Noida is spread over an area of 50,000 sq.ft. and will provide its customers with more than 5,500 assorted products in food and non-food categories. It will cater to over 40,000 business customers with a diverse clientele including kiranas, hotels, restaurants and caterers (HoReCa), corporates, MSMEs and institutions such as government agencies, educational institutes and hospitals from the catchment area.

    In addition to the announcement of its third store, LOTS Wholesale Solutions also launched its own brands Basic Plus and PlusMo with an aim to provide best quality products at economical prices. The first two product categories introduced under these brands are bakery items and home-cleaning.

    Talking about the launch of the third store in India, Tanit Chearavanont, Managing Director, LOTS Wholesale Solutions said, ‘Following our values of victory, we have outperformed ourselves and unveiled the third store within a span of seven months. As promised, we delivered our two stores in 2018. Uttar Pradesh was an obvious choice for expansion after Delhi NCR, owing to the proximity to the enormous market opportunity in the state. It fits well within our cluster strategy for the business in India. Aided by government support, we aim to establish an environment of mutual growth for farmers, traders and our business in the state. We will work directly with them to establish a strong supply chain and demand for their products.’

    Featuring specially curated assortments for its members, delivery services, e-commerce, credit facility etc, LOTS Wholesale Solutions is a one-stop shop for all its customer needs.

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  • Watsons Vietnam opens first store this month

    Watsons Vietnam opens first store this month

    Hong Kong-headquartered healthcare and beauty retailer Watsons is to launch in Vietnam. The first Watsons Vietnam store will open on January 17, in the lower floors of the high-profile Bitexco tower in downtown Ho Chi Minh City. The store will take up at least one floor of a two-storey space recently vacated by Topshop. Teasing the launch, a huge backdrop with the slogan “Look good, Feel great” has been built outside the space, attracting many Vietnamese youngsters to take selfies and check in on social media.

    On its LinkedIn page, Watsons Vietnam has been recruiting staff for the store and featuring the same artwork as on the Bitexco backdrop.

    Watsons Vietnam will compete with rival Hong Kong healthcare and beauty chain Guardian, owned by Dairy Farm International, which launched in Ho Chi Minh City in 2011 and now claims to have more than 60 stores in four cities.

    Watsons is operated by AS Watson, a subsidiary of retail and telecommunications giant CK Hutchison which is quarter-owned by Singapore sovereign investment fund Temasek Holdings. AS Watson has some 6800 Watsons health and beauty stores in 12 markets in Asia and Europe, including Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan, Macau, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. The broader AS Watson group has 14,500 stores, including electrical retailers and grocery stores.

    Watsons has just celebrated the opening of its 500th store in Bangkok, Thailand. The store photo accompanying this story is of Watson’s new-generation store at IconSiam in Bangkok.

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  • Rimowa opens in Tokyo first stand-alone store in Japan

    Rimowa opens in Tokyo first stand-alone store in Japan

    Rimowa Japan has opened its first standalone store in Tokyo. The luxury luggage brand’s new 900sqm outlet in Ginza features a minimalist decor focused on a spiral staircase backed by a backdrop of basketweave, recalling a traditional Japanese craft design aesthetic. Rimowa Japan says the store is equipped to perform simple repairs, with staff speaking both English and Chinese, to cater for the tourist market.

    A heritage brand founded in Cologne, Germany, more than a century ago, the brand is primarily known for its aluminium and polycarbonate suitcase lines. LVMH owns a controlling 80 per cent stake in the brand.

    Browse the gallery below :

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  • PUMA opens their first ever SELECT door in the Philippines

    PUMA opens their first ever SELECT door in the Philippines

    The first Puma Select store in the Philippines has opened. The new store launched last month at the Uptown Mall in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig and features the brand’s latest product range and collaborations – including high-profile partnerships with Fenty, Ken Lagerfeld, and Rihanna. A statement from the firm said the launch coincides with “the burgeoning streetwear scene in the Philippines”.

    The brand’s website says Puma Select “fuses performance with culture and fashion by revisiting Puma’s rich history and innovation as a leading sports brand, and combining this with our philosophy of creating premium product for the willing consumer”.

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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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  • Lululemon opens first store in Macao

    Lululemon opens first store in Macao

    Located in Macao’s bustling premier leisure resort, The Venetian Macao, which is home to world-class casinos, hoteliers and luxury shopping. The store is set to transform the traditional shopping experience with 2,110 square feet of retail, fitness, and community experience unlike any other in Macao. The overall aesthetic of the store is classic and refined. Inspired by the blue sky and the grand canal in Venetian Macao, with touches of golden tone and sun elements throughout the store. The fitting room area also features blue tone to highlight the color of local Macao, as well creating a separated and private area for guests.

    The retail space showcases the premium athletic apparel retailer’s full collection of innovative technical products for run, cycling, yoga, water pursuits and everything in between. The store also features our signature pant wall, designated to help customers find the right pair based on different sensations.

    Behind the cash desk features large digital screens showcasing product stories and the store ambassador films. Next to the cash desk is a community board where guests can find information on complimentary workshops they can partake in, as well discover local fitness and cultural points of interest curated by lululemon’s local team.

    A space to stretch, sweat, connect and enjoy the latest collections, lululemon’s Venetian Macao store has been created to offer you retail space with a difference, helping you escape from the buzz of the city and find stillness, happiness, and above all fun.

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