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Tag: Stores

  • How Pizza Hut is mixing technology with pizza

    How Pizza Hut is mixing technology with pizza

    Yum! Restaurants-led Pizza Hut is betting big on technology. The brand is investing technology at each every step from taking orders to delivery of the pizza. Elaborating more on the same, Managing Director, Pizza Hut (India Subcontinent), Yum! Restaurants, Unnat Varma said, “We are using technology in sorting out our kitchens. So kitchens are becoming better in terms of layout, efficiency, optimising labour. Apart from this, we are also using technology to schedule riders to make sure that pizzas reach hot and fresh to the consumers.”

    “To ensure a seemless experience to the customers we have again using technology. We have a new online experience for customers, it is one of the best friction-less experience. From getting customer’s location to ordering the pizza, the entire process has been reduced to a four-step journey,” he added.

    The brand is also not shying away from using drones to deliver the pizzas in the near future.

    “We are closely watching the drone delivery space. However, there is no current successful model. There has to be regulation, approval from the Government that drones can fly in the air space and to understand that how does it work for food as food is very atypical, it cannot loose temperature and it has to be accurate, it has to reach in a certain stipulated time and it has be delivered straight. We will host the space, we are very open, we are transforming ourselves digitally and technologically, if this space helps us unlock some future possibilities, we will definitely go ahead with it,” Varma revealed.

    Enhancing Customer Experience

    To add to the overall consumer experience, the brand has been constantly improving its products.

    According to Varma, “These days the customer experience is always around product and product excellence and there we have been making a continuos effort to make our product more delicious, fresh and hot but in addition to that it is about the entire experience – how fast customer can place the order, how fast cusotmer can locate our store, can we give cusotmers a great value deal, can we understand their requirements, can we customise, can we help them earn and let them use some loyalty points in the future.”

    Expansion Plans

    Pizza Hut India plans to open over 200 more outlets in India by 2022 to expand its retail footprint. Currently, it operates 422 stores in the country.

    “‘Pizza Hut is a very democratic brand, it is used by segments of the consumers in the market, so our attempt is to go to as close to consumer as possible, it could be going after the shoppers in the shopping mall or it could be going close to residential areas, or going to captive locations where we have people working, so we are open to all kind of opportunities that exist. We are even open to open our outlets at airports and railway stations too,” asserted Varma.

    The pizza chain runs a franchise model in the country, where investments for opening new outlets mainly comes from franchise partner.

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  • Bottega Veneta opens massive flagship store in Tokyo

    Bottega Veneta opens massive flagship store in Tokyo

    High-end Italian label Bottega Veneta has opened a new flagship in Tokyo this month. The six-storey store at Ginza Chuo-Ku is the brand’s largest in the Asia region, and features men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, leather goods, handbags, eyewear, footwear, fragrances, jewellery and home decor.

    The store’s facade is composed of more than 900 metal panels similar to a motif featured on the brand’s handbag range, while the understated interior design matches Bottega Veneta’s furniture aesthetic.

    The label’s GM Claus-Dietrich Lahrs said in a statement that the Japanese clientele is important and extremely loyal – adding that Japan is one of the world’s leading markets for Bottega Veneta.

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  • Miniso to set up warehouses in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru

    Miniso to set up warehouses in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru

    Japanese retail brand Miniso plans to source India-made products for its stores in the US and Australia, said a top company official. According to a report: Miniso India is also investing to set up its own warehouses in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru to cater to its expanding network.

    “We are looking into getting more local purchase and we also want to sell Indian products to other countries,” Yang Liu, Chief Business Development Officer, Miniso Indi said.

    He further said, “We have built up a system. We do not only want to import here but also export from here to markets like Australia and the US.”

    The initial line-up of products to be sourced from India include socks and snacks, he said.

    About the local purchase, Liu said by December 2019, around one third products at Miniso India would be sourced locally.

    As per FDI norms, it is mandatory to source 30 per cent goods from India in single brand retail trade.

    “The products which are selling are not only from China but some cosmetics are from South Korea and Thailand also, and I think before the end of next year, we would be able to put our local purchase to 30 per cent,” Liu said.

    He further added that the company is working in this direction and has already signed contract with some local manufacturers.

    The company would also set up small warehouses around tier II & III cities for its new franchise stores.

    Miniso launched retail operations in India in August 2017 and clocked Rs 700 crore revenue in one year. It plans to take its store count to 800 by 2019.

    It operates around 3,000 stores in over 70 markets.

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  • 7-Eleven Malaysia mulls float

    7-Eleven Malaysia mulls float

    The 7-Eleven Malaysia business may be floated. Malaysian businessman Tan Sri Vincent Tan is considering turning over his shareholding in convenience store operator 7-Eleven to his Berjaya Corp Bhd group. Maintaining that the share price of 7-Eleven is undervalued on Bursa Malaysia, Tan claims that the business, currently valued at RM1.43 billion (US$342 million) should be worth more than US$1 billion.

    The chain has 2250 locations within the territory, and according to Tan aims to open at least another 200 stores next year.

    “We are considering maybe sell all my 46 per cent shareholdings in 7-Eleven to BCorp, then let BCorp launch a General Offer (GO), but nothing is firmed yet,” he said.

    The businessman owns 48.33 per cent of Berjaya Corp, which is valued at around RM1.35 billion (US$323 million).

  • IKEA signs MoU to open store in Noida; create 8,000 jobs

    IKEA signs MoU to open store in Noida; create 8,000 jobs

    Swedish furniture giant, IKEA, has signed MoU with the Uttar Pradesh government for the investment of Rs 5,000 crore to set up an integrated commercial project, including a store, in Noida. The MoU was signed between R K Singh, Principal Secretary, Infrastructure and Industrial Development Department, and David McCausland, Country Property Manager, IKEA.

    An integrated commercial project will be set up by Ikea at Noida, Gautam Budh Nagar. After the establishment, approximately 4,000 direct and 4,000 indirect employment opportunities will be created by this project.

    IKEA said the first store in the state is expected to come up in Noida for which the Swedish company has not yet signed any land deal.

    “The state government will provide all possible help to such investors,” the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement on Wednesday.

    IKEA had, on September 24, 2015, signed an MoU with the UP government during the previous Akhilesh Yadav regime for launching three stores in Lucknow, Agra and Noida. The deal, however, did not move forward.

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  • Berluti showcases its signature styles in Mumbai

    Berluti showcases its signature styles in Mumbai

    One of the world’s most iconic luxury footwear brands, Berluti, hosted an exclusive evening to showcase new styles to guests and present their signature technique of footwear tattoo artistry by Elena Lodiat Soho House, Juhu. Firmly grounded in bespoke know-how, Berluti took its technical skills and creative flair a notch higher by transforming the rules of style with tattooing.

    The rare tattoo designs based on four themes: a classic bestiary of Insects & Animals, the signs of the Zodiac and the Chinese horoscope, vintage designs with Eagles, and the subtle art of Calligraphy can now be perfected on Berluti’s original and globally renowned Venezia leather. The noblest of all leathers, only Venezia leather sustains the creative audacity of Olga Berluti’s vision of art.

    The design is crafted to meet the modern-day sensibilities of contemporary dandy men. Fire-breathing dragons, fantastic beasts, regal eagles, all the mythical creatures and several other esoteric designs can now be realized on the emblematic Berluti Venezia leather from shoes and handbags to belts and other small leather goods.

    With this exclusive service, Berluti brings an even more bespoke look to an already-unique shoe.

    Talking about the event, the only female shoemaker in the world Olga Berluti said, ‘’I always wanted to grace leather shoes with the markings of the skin; scars, gashes, branding, piercings. We have already mastered the color technique on the leather from bronze and brown to red and copper, and the dark blue of the Tuaregs. Only one thing was missing, the most obvious and most difficult: tattoos. I tried to tattoo shoes using every possible process, but the designs faded, the colors were lost beneath the patinas, and the tattoos had no “life” in them. However, my technique has evolved over the years and today I am using the exact same methods as tattoo artists, along with inks that work well with leather. I hope Berluti loyalists from across the world admire this new art.”

    An exclusive Indian distribution partner of iconic global brands Bequest Group, Managing Director, Gaganmeet Singh said, “Luxury is all about a bespoke experience and personalization and creating tattoos on leather is an artisanal process. We are glad to have showcased this unique technique of tattooing on the Berluti Venezia leather to our patrons in India. The activity was insightful and interactive at the same time that gave a chance to the luxury connoisseurs to get involved in the nuances of tattoo making on leather at this unique Berluti event.”

    Berluti currently has a store in New Delhi at DLF Emporio Mall and is scouting for a property in Mumbai to open its store.

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  • Acne Studios Opens First Store in Beijing

    Acne Studios Opens First Store in Beijing

    Acne Studios China has opened its third store, in Beijing. The Swedish luxury fashion brand launched in China two years ago, offering its eclectic mix of minimalist ready-to-wear fashion and denim. The new store’s interior features straight lines with glass, high-gloss white walls and contrasting stainless steel railing and shelves. A large display created by British designer Max Lamb stands in the centre of the store, painted in the label’s trademark shade of pink. It’s matched with purple rugs created by Lamb which contrast with the stark white interior.

    Acne Studios creative director Jonny Johansson said it had been a long-held dream to open a store in Beijing. “It is also my hope that this store will bring us the opportunity to create many special projects in the future.” Lines exclusive to Acne Studio China will be sold at the new boutique to mark its opening.

    The store is located in Taikoo Li North Village on Sanlitun Road.

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  • 7-Eleven Malaysia eyes 200 new stores next year

    7-Eleven Malaysia eyes 200 new stores next year

    7-Eleven Malaysia Holdings Bhd is looking to expand the number of the convenience store chain outlets by at least 200 new stores next year. In 2017, 7-Eleven Malaysia opened 126 new stores. Berjaya Corp founder and executive chairman Tan Sri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun said 7-Eleven Malaysia is also looking at increasing the number of franchisees for stores in Malaysia, along with the expansion in the number of outlets.

    7-Eleven Malaysia is the largest standalone convenience store chain nationwide with more than 2,250 outlets across the country.

    Its wholly owned subsidiary 7-Eleven Malaysia Sdn Bhd today entered into a memorandum of agreement with Pertubuhan Tindakan Pejuang Wanita Dalam Sosial, Ekonomi, Rumahtangga Dan Ilmu (Tiangseri Malaysia) to provide an opportunity to those interested to be franchisees to enter the ecosystem.

    Tiangseri is commissioned to recruit and recommend up to 50 potential franchisees to 7-Eleven Malaysia in the next 12 months.

    This programme also bodes well with the company’s target of increasing the number of franchisees. The first store under the programme is expected to be opened next month.

    7-Eleven Malaysia CEO Colin Harvey said the franchising programme through Tiangseri will see both partners leveraging on each other’s unique strengths and experience in retail and grassroots franchise recruitment.

    “We are fully focused on this collaboration as we believe franchising is an integral part of our long-term corporate strategy of giving back to the local community that we operate in, as it will both provide and create important life and management skills in future entrepreneurs as well as providing more job opportunities to our local workforce.”

    Harvey noted there are many potential locations for expansion, for instance in Sabah and around the Klang Valley. Meanwhile, Tiangseri president Mastura said the collaboration has already started generating interest from interested parties.

    Tiangseri will also be aiding potential franchisees in securing funding at a preferential rate from agencies such as Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Bhd and Majlis Amanah Rakyat, among others.

  • American Eagle Outfitters India to open 25 outlets in three years

    American Eagle Outfitters India to open 25 outlets in three years

    US-based mid-to-premium denim wear brand, American Eagle Outfitters entered India in the summer of 2018 through a licensing agreement with Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. The brand expects India will be its top three international markets in the next five years.

    In an interview with IMAGES Retail, Guillermo La Rosa, Vice-President, International and Business Development, American Eagle Outfitters says, “Our brand has been in India for the past few months and it has been performing well. We are learning a lot about the Indian consumer as we plan to expand within the market and as we will get these learnings under our belt, it will help us grow and offer the right products to consumers.”

    Target Customers

    American Eagle Outfitters is a leading global specialty retailer offering high-quality, on-trend clothing, accessories and personal care products at affordable prices.

    The brand is betting big on Generation Z, who are between the age group of 15-25-year-old.

    “India’s rapidly developing and vibrant economy, anchored by the world’s largest youth population, provides an exciting growth opportunity for our brands and expanding our global reach,” says La Rosa.

    Category Mix

    The category mix of American Eagle Outfitters comprises of jeans, shorts, joggers, t-shirts, tops, woven shirts, sweatshirts, jackets and hoodies along with accessories like shoes, socks and belts.

    Elaborating on this, La Rosa says, “The breadth of our assortment is global; however, the category mix varies from location to location. For example, in DLF Promenade, the penetration is around 60 percent men and 40 percent women products whereas in Mall of India, it is 50-50.”

    In the Indian market, Denim is the Number 1 category for both men and women followed by other categories like woven shirts, polo shirts, fleece and sweaters.

    “In India, there have been a lot of learnings for us, like in the women’s category, the customer prefers more of bootcut whereas outside India it is more about skinny and super skinny. Skinny and super skinny is little bit slower than what we had anticipated. Similarly, in the men’s category, slim and skinny are very important globally whereas here in India it is more of slim and straight denim. It seems like here in India the customer wants more clean-cut denims. We will continue with what the consumer wants as we grow,” he adds.

    Decoding the Store

    The average size of the American Eagle Outfitters’ store spans across 2,500-3,500 sq. ft. in India.

    According to La Rosa, the store size of the brand in India is smaller as compared to that in the US. “In the US the store size ranges from 4,500 sq. ft. to 10,000 sq. ft.,” he says.

    Despite the smaller spaces, the brand is hoping to launch more stores in more cities soon. Apart from this, the brand will also launch bigger flagship outlets.

    “We are looking forward to opening more flagship stores in key cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru and these stores will be bigger than the average store. In addition to this, after the launch of Aerie in India, we expect to have bigger stores,” he adds.

    Aerie is a lingerie retailer and intimate apparel sub-brand owned by American Eagle Outfitters. In the US, Aerie targets the 15- to 25-year-old female demographic.

    Expansion Plans

    At present, the brand has three operational stores spread across Delhi-NCR and Chandigarh. Apart from this, it is available through its own website and also on fashion portal Myntra.

    “By this year-end, we are looking to open six to nine more outlets. In the next three years, we are looking at a total of 25 locations. For some of the new stores, we have got locations in Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi and we are also exploring other options,” La Rosa reveals.

    “We are not here to be in every single mall and exploit the brand. We want to be very meticulous and calculative in the partnerships that we have with malls. We will be launching the Mumbai outlet in the upcoming months,” he adds.

    The brand may also look at having a presence through multi-brand stores and in Tier II markets in the future. It will also open Aerie stores across India in partnership with the Aditya Birla Group.

    “We believe that in the next five years India could emerge as the top three markets outside the US,” La Rosa asserts.

    American Eagle Outfitters merchandise also is available at more than 190 international locations operated by licensees in 24 countries.

  • Cle De Peau Beaute opens first Malaysian store

    Cle De Peau Beaute opens first Malaysian store

    Luxury skincare and makeup brand Cle De Peau Beaute Malaysia has opened its first boutique, at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur shopping centre. The store features a makeup gallery which tells the story of Pave-Diamond particles while a skincare gallery showcases La Creme.

    The store has consultation tables with personal beauty specialists available to help customers choose the most suitable products for their skin types.

    A VIP-consultation space at the back of the boutique hosts signature facial treatments, which incorporate massage techniques by aestheticians.

    “The retail landscape has changed tremendously in the past 15 years,” said Hiroyuki Maeda, Cle de Peau Beaute global director of business operations with the group. “This change is not specific to just Malaysia but on a global level. As a brand, we need to continuously innovate and transform to make ourselves relevant to our customers.”

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  • Copperwired adding .Life stores next year

    Copperwired adding .Life stores next year

    Gadget retailer Copperwired is set to invest THB165 million (US$5.036 million) opening 30 new .Life stores by the end of next year. The new .Life stores include a new 310sqm flagship at CentralWorld, described as the “largest gadget lifestyle shop featuring Internet of Things (IoT) technology in Thailand”, which opened in September.

    The brand’s public listing on the Thai exchange is expected next year.

    “With the adoption of 5G, the number of connected devices will increase, and IoT in the form of connected toys, smart homes and smart transport and new demand for product categories will rise accordingly,” said Copperwired CEO Paramate Rienjaroensuk.

    The company expects .Life stores to boost its income by more than 20 per cent in the current financial year to more than THB800 million (US$24.414 million).

  • Decathlon Japan first full store opens next year

    Decathlon Japan first full store opens next year

    Decathlon Japan will open its first full-sized store next year as the French sporting goods retailer continues its rapid global expansion. The Decathlon Japan debut will come just a few months after the company opened its first store in South Korea.

    The company has taken a careful, measured approach to Japan, launching a website in 2015 to build brand awareness and gauge consumer demand. A small test store popped up in Osaka last year, under the Decathlon Lab banner, offering a limited range.

    The first full-sized Decathlon Japan store will be opened in the Hankyu Nishinomiya Gardens shopping mall, in the city of Nishinomiya, located between Kobe and Osaka. It will sell the company’s own house brands Domyos, Quechua and Kalenji, and provide space for consumers to test products before buying.

    Data from BPI France shows Japan is the world’s second largest sport market after the US, and was worth US$12.6 billion last year.

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  • iStyle opens Fourth Hong Kong @cosme store

    iStyle opens Fourth Hong Kong @cosme store

    Tokyo retailer Istyle will open its fourth @Cosme store in Hong Kong this Friday. The new outlet will be launching as a specialty cosmetics store in East Point City mall in Tseung Kwan O, which has recently emerging as a shopping spot across a range of age groups. The first of Istyle’s four stores to predominantly target local markets as opposed to visiting Chinese tourists, it is the brand’s first “community-based store” in Hong Kong.

    The firm intends to increase customer engagement via more interaction with local shoppers.

    @Cosme will offer free testing of almost all products in store and counseling services for skin and makeup, and will be adding new product lines from Homei, Covermark, and Bare Minerals to its range of exclusively Japanese items.

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  • Alfamart to add 200 PHL stores

    Alfamart to add 200 PHL stores

    Mini-mart chain Alfamart will open 200 new stores in the Philippines next year, according to a Fitch Ratings report. It said Alfamart Philippines stores already has 400 stores in the country, of which 180 were opened this year in partnership with local operator and majority stakeholder SM Group. The 200 new stores will take its total network to 600 locations in the Philippines by the end of next year.

    “Alfamart’s investment risk for its Philippine expansion is mitigated by the strong presence of SM Group in the country … Fitch expects Alfamart to have access to SM Group’s large business network and tap its widely known brand”.

    SM Retail operates 1729 stores nationwide. Alfamart’s Indonesian parent has a 35 per cent stake in the Alfamart Philippines business.

    According to the report, “Both Indonesia and the Philippines are consumer-driven markets with young populations and expanding middle classes. Both economies have similar income levels of GDP per capita of US$3000-$4000. Consumers in both markets also prefer to buy small amounts of bundled products rather than filling grocery carts”.

    It described the mini-mart sector in the Philippines “as untapped and having limited competition … the existing players mostly operate convenience stores that carry more limited products. Alfamart’s stores offer additional products, such as fresh and frozen food, personal care and small household appliances, giving the company some competitive advantage in grabbing market share.

    “Alfamart chose to expand in the Philippines as it believes it has more potential than other Southeast Asian markets, such as Thailand and Vietnam.”

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  • Ashley HomeStore adds stores in Vietnam and more

    Ashley HomeStore adds stores in Vietnam and more

    American furniture store chain Ashley HomeStore has expanded globally with new stores in Vietnam, Thailand and New Zealand. In support of the move, the company has established a 400,000sqft consolidation warehouse in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City. The new facility will allow a faster order response time.

    The firm’s president and CEO Todd Wanek said: “As a company, we’ve achieved many milestones this year. The largest has been the growth of our global footprint, which exceeds 900 HomeStores worldwide. This major accomplishment stands as a true testament to our global brand recognition.”

    HomeStore now operates in 54 countries with 310 locations.

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