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Tag: Swire

  • Retail project “Taikoo Li Qiantan” Shanghai opens door

    Retail project “Taikoo Li Qiantan” Shanghai opens door

    Swire Properties and Lujiazui Group officially announced the naming of their joint-venture retail project as “Taikoo Li Qiantan”. Located in the heart of the Pudong Qiantan International Business District, this project embodies Swire Properties’ “Taikoo Li” concept, which is well-known for its distinct open-plan, lane-driven architectural design.

    Taikoo Li Qiantan will offer a gross floor area of approximately 1.3 million sq ft (120,000 sqm) and was created in accordance with a ‘naturalism’ design concept; blending elements found in nature with contemporary architecture. The project is a major component of a larger mixed-use development, which will also feature a 56-floor Grade-A office tower – “New Bund Centre” as well as a five-star luxury hotel – “New Bund Shangri-La Hotel”, both invested by Lujiazui Group.

    Qiantan is a new international business district and a rapidly developing hub for art and culture, business, entertainment, residential and world-class sporting facilities. The area is fast-becoming known for its high quality of life and excellent accessibility thanks to the well-developed transportation infrastructure. Qiantan is already home to many multinational corporations and global institutions, including New York University Shanghai and Wellington College International Shanghai. The project will be directly connected to the Oriental Sports Centre metro station which comprises three metro lines – offering direct access to major residential and commercial districts including Lujiazui, Xujiahui, People’s Square and Disneyland.

    Mr Xu Erjin, General Manager of Shanghai Lujiazui Group said, “Following the success of The Bund and Lujiazui, we are confident that the Qiantan International Business District will become yet another remarkable CBD, and our plan is to create a ‘Lujiazui 2.0’, which builds on the successful elements from Lujiazui.

    “Qiantan is quickly becoming a landmark area in Shanghai, and Taikoo Li Qiantan will be a valuable addition to this district, offering unparalleled retail, F&B and leisure experiences to local communities and the greater Shanghai population.”

    Mr Han Zhi, Director-Retail of Swire Properties, said, “Taikoo Li Qiantan marks our third ‘Taikoo Li’ project in Mainland China building on the success of Taikoo Li Sanlitun in Beijing and Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu. We are delighted to bring this distinct retail experience to Shanghai. By once again combining local elements with the Taikoo Li concept, we are confident that our second major investment in Shanghai, after the successful launch of HKRI Taikoo Hui in 2017, will become a new retail landmark for residents and visitors.”

    Taikoo Li Qiantan has commenced the leasing process, and is scheduled to open in phases beginning from the end of 2020.

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  • Tmall, Swire Properties launch New Retail initiative

    Tmall, Swire Properties launch New Retail initiative

    Alibaba Group’s Tmall and Swire Properties are launching a New Retail initiative creating tailored retail experiences at Swire Properties’ five shopping malls in Mainland China. The partnership will bring benefits to customers in time for Alibaba’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival on Sunday with Taikoo Li Sanlitun in Beijing the first brick-and-mortar shopping mall in Mainland China to experience this year’s 11.11 “red packet rain” this week.

    Swire Properties will introduce Tmall’s New Retail technologies at five of its developments: Taikoo Li Sanlitun and Indigo in Beijing; HKRI Taikoo Hui in Shanghai; Taikoo Hui in Guangzhou and Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li in Chengdu. The five New Retail initiatives include Tmall Smart Stores, a Tmall Pop-Up Store, Interactive Idol Engagement Photo Booths, Smart Nursery Rooms and a Smart Parking Service.

    Tmall Smart Stores: Shoppers will enjoy a seamless online and offline shopping experience from order to delivery (for participating physical stores). By signing up as members of selected brands, customers can instantly receive details on the latest promotions, and enjoy a return service by simply using their digital devices.

    Tmall Pop-Up Store: Tmall will open an interactive pop-up store featuring cutting-edge technology at Taikoo Li Sanlitun. This nine-day promotion during the Festival will offer shoppers in-depth and enhanced experiences.

    Interactive Idol Engagement Photo Booth: Fans will have a chance to ‘virtually interact with’ and snap a photo with their idol. This is the first-of-its-kind check-in hot spot in Mainland China.

    Smart Nursery Rooms: These offer mothers a relaxing and private space where they can nurse their babies at shopping malls. Vending machines will also offer essential nursing necessities.

    Smart Parking Service: By linking Alipay with their car license plates, drivers can pay parking fees with ease. This service will save drivers 80 per cent of the time usually spent on paying the parking charge and exiting the car park.

    “At Swire Properties, we are always looking for new ways to innovate and integrate the latest technologies into our business, so that we can bring unique experiences to our customers,” said Han Zhi, director, retail at Swire Properties. “Our collaboration with Tmall is a powerful example of digitisation. By harnessing rapidly developing online technologies and big data, our goal is to define the New Retail shopping experience.

    “This year marks the 10th anniversary of Taikoo Li Sanlitun and Alibaba’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, both of which have grown in leaps and bounds the past decade. We’re confident that our partnership, which also celebrates this milestone, will set a new benchmark in our respective industries and in the digital space.”

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  • Swire plans to double Qinyuan bakery China network

    Swire plans to double Qinyuan bakery China network

    Swire plans to nearly double the size of its Qinyuan bakery chain by 2020.

    Over the next three years, Swire Pacific plans to grow the number of its bakery shops in Chengdu, Chongqing and Guiyang to 1000 through its wholly owned subsidiary Swire Foods.

    The Hong Kong conglomerate believes the benefits from stable, long-term growth from the food market outweigh the small scale of the business compared with its aviation and property businesses, reports the South China Morning Post.

    Swire Foods last year paid HK$1.4 billion (US$200 million) for bakery chain Qinyuan. Selling Chinese and Western­-style pastries, it added more than 500 retail outlets in southwest China to Swire’s portfolio. The deal also included a 65,000 sq­m bakery goods factory in Chongqing. “Bakery is a very fragmented market in China,” says Swire Foods MD Max Lau. “We have not yet seen any player dominating the market, so there a big opportunity there.”

    He says the demand is set to rise because Chinese per-­capita consumption is currently low, with an average spend on bakery goods of around 140 yuan (US$20) a person annually. This is half the amount spent in Singapore, while people in Hong Kong spend three times as much as the mainland, and Japanese spend close to seven times as much.

    Lau says that while retail is being challenged by the rise of e­Commerce in China, “food retail cannot be replaced by e­Commerce just yet”.

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  • Burberry Hong Kong downsizes flagship

    Burberry Hong Kong downsizes flagship

    Burberry Hong Kong is giving up a whole floor of its Pacific Place flagship as part of a range of initiatives to respond to the declining luxury market in the territory.

    Burberry CFO Carol Fairweather said in a conference call the company had reached an agreement with landlord Swire to give up the second floor part of the flagship, saying it “will enable us to drive increased sales per square foot and profitability in that store”.

    The luxury brand has 17 stores in Hong Kong, all impacted by the declining number of big spending Mainland China tourists shopping in the territory this year. Fairweather said rents had been renegotiated in a number of those stores but stressed all of them were profitable.

    “We are committed to being in Hong Kong,” Fairweather said, adding that sales have improved in recent months.

    The news coincides with the company’s release of its profit for the first half year, which beat analysts forecasts.

    Adjusted combined retail/wholesale profit was up five per cent on a same stores basis, with a planned decrease in licensing profit from Japan resulting in adjusted profit before tax of £153 million, up three per cent underlying from last year.

    “In the context of flat revenues, this result is better than expected,” commented Anusha Couttigane, senior consultant at Conlumino.

    She says Burberry is fully aware of its heavy reliance on interest from the Chinese consumer. The economic slowdown and the impact on Chinese demand is now cited as Burberry’s biggest risk.

    “In the light of these challenges, it is clear that, while Burberry continues to invest in elements that are essential for growth, it also has to make significant savings and it will take a combination of drastic measures to do so. On the one hand, this means aligning its brands under one label and its manufacturing staff under one roof. On the other, it means stripping back the privileges of a generous travel and expenses account.”

    Those cost savings are expected to deliver some £20 million to the business’ bottom line over the next 12 months.

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  • Swire unveils HKRI Taikoo Hui

    Swire unveils HKRI Taikoo Hui

    HKR International and Swire Properties  have jointly revealed the name of their Shanghai joint-venture project: HKRI Taikoo Hui.

    The large-scale mixed-use development formerly known as the Dazhongli project, is located on Nanjing Road (West), one of Shanghai’s major shopping thoroughfares, in the Jingan District of Puxi, Shanghai.  It will have a gross floor area of some 3.46 million sq ft (approximately 321,200 sqm) and comprise a retail mall, two office towers and three hotels/serviced apartments.

    It is served by three metro lines – the existing Line 2 and two planned Lines 12 and 13 due to open in 2015-2016. The development is also close to the Yanan and N-S Elevated Highways, providing good accessibility to downtown locations and Pudong and Hongqiao International Airports.

    “The project is poised to become a landmark development in the heart of Shanghai and will inject new excitement into the retail, dining and entertainment scene in the buzzing Nanjing Road (West) neighbourhood,” the two companies said in a statement.

    “As the founding partner of the project, we have come a long way since acquiring the Dazhongli site in 2002. With great pleasure, we announce the launch of HKRI Taikoo Hui together with Swire Properties, our partner since 2006,” said Cha Mou Zing Victor, deputy chairman & MD of HKR International.

    “We look forward to the imminent completion of the mixed-use commercial development, which is set to become the next focal point for business and leisure activities in Shanghai with its prime location and excellent connectivity.”

    Guy Bradley, Swire Properties CEO, said the project is being built in the most vibrant district of an amazing city and will be the last major development in the Jingan District.

    “We intend to make it a spectacular addition, and I am confident that HKRI Taikoo Hui will become a new lifestyle destination and a premium business address in Shanghai.”

    Hong Kong listed HKR International has diversified interests in real estate development and investment, property management, luxury hotels and serviced apartments, healthcare services and other investments in Hong Kong, Mainland China and across Asia.

    Also listed in Hong Kong, Swire Properties develops and manages commercial, retail, hotel and residential properties, with a particular focus on mixed-use developments in prime locations. Its properties include Taikoo Place, Cityplaza and Pacific Place.

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