Retail News CRM

Tag: Thailand

  • Tesco saved 1m plastic bags Saturday

    Tesco saved 1m plastic bags Saturday

    Discount retailer Tesco Lotus said it saved a million plastic bags in the first day of a government campaign to stop use of disposable sacks on the 15th of every month.

    The Department of Environmental Quality Promotion has enrolled 15 retailers in the programme that began Saturday. Charkrit Direkwattanachai, Tesco Lotus’ head of corporate communication and sustainability, said the company has set a goal to save 40 million plastic bags in 2015 under its own “proud not to use plastic bags” campaign.

    The store began efforts to reduce plastic use in 2010 and so far has saved 50 million bags.

    According to statistics from the Pollution Control Department, the average Thai uses eight plastic bags per day; a total of 2.7 million tonnes of plastic and polystyrene foam waste or an average of 7,000 tonnes per day. Of that, 80%, or 5,300 tonnes, is plastic bags, which generally take up to 450 years to degrade.

  • Tim Ho Wan Bangkok opens

    Tim Ho Wan Bangkok opens

    Famous Hong Kong dim sum restaurant Tim Ho Wan has opened its first Thailand eatery – in downtown Bangkok.

    Tim Ho Wan Bangkok is located in the Terminal 21 shopping centre at Asoke. When it opened its doors this week it drew queues of hundreds of people eager to try the famous dim sum creations of founder Chef Mak.

    Affectionately referred to as “the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant”, Tim Ho Wan Bangkok is offering meals it says are even cheaper than at its original branch.

    The restaurant features a menu of 25 dim sum dishes, including the four most popular: baked bun with barbecue pork, pan fried radish cake, fluffy steamed egg cake and vermicelli roll with pig’s liver – all priced between 80 and 120 baht ($2.20 and $3.35).

    Chef Mak opened the first Tim Ho Wan in Mongkok in 2009, a small eatery with just 30 seats located in a virtual back alley. It was later awarded a one star Michelin rating.

    He launched the venture after turning his back on a career with a three star fine dining restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong called Lung King Heen.

    Lees ook:

  • Major makeover for Bangkok’s Silom

    Major makeover for Bangkok’s Silom

    A Thai developer has revealed plans to convert a prime corner site in Bangkok’s Silom district into a futuristic retail and office centre.

    Silom Center, on the corner of Silom and Rama 4, adjacent to the BTS Skytrain and underground MRT stations will be redeveloped by the third quarter of next year.

    The development is being undertaken by Property Perfect and We Retail PCL who believe that, once finished, the building will put the suburb on a par with Siam and Phloen Chit, both anchored by luxury malls and populated by luxury brands and high class eateries.

    The project will combine a retail mall and office space with new connections to the Sala Daeng BTS elevated walkway.

    The property developers also announced several other developments in Bangkok.

    The company is constructing the Sukhumvit Center in Nana which will feature a 30-storey high “six star” Hyatt Regency hotel and two levels of shopping space when it opens at the end of 2017.

    And in nearby Asoke the company plans to convert a Robinson department store located beneath the Westin Hotel into a retail centre branded Sukhumvit Center Asoke. That project will not be completed until late 2021, however.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • International honour for Siam Center

    International honour for Siam Center

    Bangkok’s Siam Center has been chosen as one of world’s five best-designed retail centres by the International Council of Shopping Centers.

    Siam Center, owned and developed by Siam Piwat Co,  is one of five malls from around the world presented with the 2015 ICSC Viva Award in the ‘design and development’ category and is recognised for ‘most outstanding design’.  The award follows Siam Center’s selection in 2014 as a Gold Award Winner by the Asia Pacific Shopping Center Awards for its innovative new design.

    ICSC - Siam Center - Picture 1

     

    Siam Center completed a full-scale rejuvenation in 2013 with an investment in excess of Bht 1.8 billion (US$50.5 million) by Siam Piwat and 300 brand owners in the biggest collaborative initiative in retail development ever undertaken in Thailand.

    Siam Piwat CEO Chadatip Chutrakul said the company felt very honoured by the ICSC’s award.

    “ We want to help make Bangkok a top global shopping destination by being at the forefront of new ideas in the design of our properties.  Siam Center is one of the first lifestyle destinations in the world to pioneer a revolutionary new retail concept that involved collaboration between retail developer, retailers, and brand owners to create a consistent visual identity in the entire venue as well as concept shops which are all aligned with Siam Center’s distinctive look and mood,” she said.

    “That collaboration even extended to presenting visitors with a single promise: that, regardless of whichever store or restaurant they visited at Siam Center, they would experience something revolutionary and unexpected.”

    Chadatip said Siam Piwat decided to make a major investment in Siam Center in line with the evolution of retailing, “which is no longer just about retailing, but about providing extraordinary experiences in an arena where people can be inspired, excited and entertained”.

    “Siam Piwat’s strategy for success across all our properties is to be a thought-leader in retail development, always innovating, always being first, and always doing it at world-class standards as an ‘Icon of Innovation’,” she said.

    Chadatip, after its redevelopment Siam Center has measured a significant increases in visitors, in the number of visitors actually shopping, and in the average spend by each shopper.

    “Since the new concept was introduced, the number of people visiting Siam Center has increased by almost 12,000 people a day, as compared to the year before. And, of those people visiting Siam Center, the number of people who actually do some shopping at the venue has leapt by an incredible 34 per cent.

    “Beyond that, the average spending by shoppers has more than doubled and is now at almost Bht 3,000 ($84) per shopper, per visit. This reflects the success of the collaboration between retailers, brand owners and Siam Piwat to excite and inspire visitors,” she said.

    “Our success with Siam Center reinforces our conviction that thought-leadership will drive Siam Piwat’s success and our future growth will come from offering novel concepts as well as new retail and lifestyle ideas that are the first in Thailand, and some even in the world.”

    Lees ook:

  • Johnny Rockets to focus on Southeast Asia

    Johnny Rockets to focus on Southeast Asia

    US burger chain Johnny Rockets says Southeast Asia – particularly Vietnam and Thailand – will be the focus of its global expansion in the short term.

    Based on Johnny Rockets’ “all-ages appeal and current success in the region” the company is seeking area developers for expansion into both new markets.

    “The popularity of American culture and cuisine in Southeast Asian countries is the driving force behind our current success and growth in these markets,” said James Walker, president of operations and development with Johnny Rockets.

    “Due to Thailand’s and Vietnam’s customer base and proximity to other Southeast Asian countries where we operate, we see huge potential for the brand in those countries, and we are actively seeking franchise partners looking for development opportunities.”

    In addition to its Southeast Asia strategy, Johnny Rockets is also seek a partner in entering Hong Kong. Earlier this year, Johnny Rockets announced a 100-restaurant agreement in mainland China, the largest expansion in the company’s history.

    Walker says Southeast Asian consumers have “enthusiastically embraced” American restaurant franchises for years, and that has proven true for Johnny Rockets. The brand currently operates in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia through 14 restaurants and has eight more in development.

    He says Johnny Rockets’ signature American menu, including cooked-to-order hamburgers, crispy fries, hand-spun shakes and sandwiches, coupled with its “Americana experience” appeals to Asians.

    “What we have found is that as the region’s middle class booms, that population segment is looking for and willing to spend more on premium burger concepts. They certainly find that with Johnny Rockets. They also discover and relish our experience and entertainment value.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • aCommerce aims to pocket $30M series B for ecommerce logistics battle

    aCommerce aims to pocket $30M series B for ecommerce logistics battle

    After breaking records for a series A round in Southeast Asia, ecommerce logistics startup aCommerce is gearing up for a new milestone. The targeted deal size for the series B is US$30 million, group CEO Paul Srivorakul tells Tech in Asia.

    “We’re getting good interest from investors due to the strong team, [the] market opportunity, [our] ‘arms dealer’ business model, and the size of the funding round. US$30 million is a big enough size for private equity guys and attractive to a variety of venture capital firms,” Paul says.

    The Thailand-based startup nabbed US$10.7 million for series A followed by a bridge round of US$5 million.

    “Indonesia recently became aCommerce’s biggest regional operation, this month hitting 360 employees,” Paul says. He also hinted at further expansion in the country in the form of warehouses and an office space, depending on client needs.

    Asia Leaders Summit Paul Srivorakul

    Paul Srivorakul (standing up), co-founder and CEO of aCommerce Group and co-founder and executive chairman of Ardent Capital, at the Asia Leaders Summit in 2014

    aCommerce has been able to secure some of Indonesia’s hottest ecommerce brands as clients. Next to MatahariMall, which launched in August, aCommerce is also the fulfillment partner for MAPeMall (the ecommerce arm of Indonesia’s largest retailer, Mitra Adiperkasa), online fashion store Berrybenka, and several other brands like HP and L’Oreal.

    Ecommerce automation

    The startup offers end-to-end services for ecommerce clients. It doesn’t only handle warehousing and fulfillment – if necessary, it can assist the retailer in customer service, marketing, and building custom tech solutions. It comes as ecommerce booms across Southeast Asia. A 2013 study estimated the retail ecommerce market size in the top 6 ASEAN countries to be worth US$7 billion, while online sales still only represent less than one percent of the total retail market.

    Traditional retailers often choose to partner with companies like aCommerce because of complexities they face as they migrate their businesses online. Ecommerce sales opportunities are abundant but tricky, and retailers need to be aware of and manage multiple channels. At the same time, customer expectations are on the rise, creating demand for same-day deliveries and real-time support.

    aCommerce’s software solutions allow it to automate and optimize aspects of these processes. According to Snorre Larstad, who recently joined aCommerce Indonesia as its new CEO, the firm can even help clients make decisions on things like pricing and promotions, and help with fraud detection.

    The service also helps with cash-on-delivery (COD) payments. Though COD carries risk for the retailer and delivery company, Snorre believes it’s necessary to offer COD in Indonesia because buyers don’t trust online payments yet, and credit card penetration is low.

    Snorre Larstadt aCommerce

    Snorre Larstad, aCommerce Indonesia’s recently appointed CEO

    “Latest research shows credit card penetration at 3.2 percent of the 250 million population,” he says. “We expect that offering COD is going to be a precondition for future growth of ecommerce, and thereby our business volume, at least for the next two years.”

    No consolidation in sight

    Being an “arms dealer” in the growing online retail industry holds promise, but also requires patience, since growth is tied to the pace of the industry as a whole. That’s why it’s no surprise aCommerce plans to fill up its own war chest with a new round of funding.

    In the meantime, new startups are emerging to capture their slice of the market, often settling on specific niches and as such being more nimble than end-to-end solutions like aCommerce.

    One of them is Singaporean startup Ninja Van, which specializes in next day deliveries and parcel tracking and is getting ready to enter neighboring markets. It looks like Go-Jek, Indonesia’s Uber for motorbikes, has plans to offer a package delivery service of its own. It is already partnering with online marketplace Tokopedia for deliveries within the Jakarta area.

    Traditional logistics companies are also reacting to the opportunity. SingPost has established its own end-to-end ecommerce services provider, SPecommerce. At this point, it’s probably the only company in the region offering a similarly broad spectrum of ecommerce services as aCommerce.

    The support system for ecommerce is currently undergoing a similar diversification and fragmentation stage as the ecommerce industry itself. That’s normal in a growing industry, says Snorre.

    “With this boom [come] many more startups and a continued fragmented industry where multiple players will seek to position themselves for future growth. […] As the industry is growing and blooming, I don’t expect ecommerce in Indonesia to see significant consolidation or merger-and-acquisition processes over the next one or two years,” he adds.

    The real challenge for the industry may come from an unexpected place: established internet companies.

    “Google and Facebook are entering ecommerce. As such, [they] are likely to be real ecosystem game changers because they are massive in our markets and already control majority shares of the marketing spend and consumer time spent on mobile,” Snorre says.

    aCommerce offers end-to-end e-commerce solutions for startups, retailers, brands, and manufacturers in South East Asia.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • ThaiBev consolidates all beers into Chang Classic to shake up market

    ThaiBev consolidates all beers into Chang Classic to shake up market

    Thai Beverage (ThaiBev) has consolidated all its beers under the Chang Classic brand in line with its vision to become a “sustainable leader” in the beer and non-alcoholic beverages market in Asean by 2020.

    “We are able to make a perfect liquid for consumers. So, we would like to contribute a single-minded focus actually on one single brand,” Edmond Neo Kim Soon, chief executive officer for beer in Thailand at Chang International Co, said late Wednesday.

    As part of the group’s 2020 vision presented by Thapana Sirivadhan-abhakdi, president and CEO of ThaiBev, to more than 2,000 Chang dealers on Wednesday evening on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of Chang beer in Thailand, the company aims to increase Chang’s share of the local beer market from about 30 per cent to 45-50 per cent, making it the market leader.

    The company has already given up the distribution of several beer products – Chang Light, Chang Export and Chang Draught.

    The Chang Classic brand will be used for both the domestic market and export markets around the world.

    “We have also launched the new look Chang Classic bottle, with a more elegant and very nice contour and good hand-feel. The new Chang Classic will be easy to drink with only a 5.5-degree alcohol level, down from 6 degrees previously.

    “The new beer is in line with the company’s strategy to deliver products that meet customer needs,” Soon said. The bottle’s colour has also been changed from amber to green to attract more premium and younger drinkers of 20-35 years of age, down from 25-44 previously. The new Chang Classic bottles come in two sizes – 320cc and 620cc – at prices of about Bt34-Bt37 and Bt53-Bt55, depending on the retail outlet.

    Thailand’s beer market is looking to expand 3-4 per cent to about 18 million hectolitres this year after dropping sharply by about 5 per cent last year.

    “We want to grow faster than the overall beer market in Thailand,” he said, adding that the companyhas launched new marketing activities and have been able to increase market share substantially in the past six months. Our market share is as high as 30 per cent currently.

    Thailand is one of the very important markets for Chang. The company will focus on various issues, including those involving image and products, to strengthen its core business.

    “We have a significant presence in many markets in Asean, comprising Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore and Malaysia. We are launching our Chang beer in Cambodia and also looking at the rest of Asean,” he said.

    Vichate Tantiwanich, senior vice president for corporate affairs at ThaiBev, said the company was fully prepared to expand its presence in Asean. The company’s largest brewery in Kamphaeng Phet province is now running at only 50 per cent of capacity.

     

    Lees ook:

  • Marimekko Asia continues expansion

    Marimekko Asia continues expansion

    Finnish homewares retailer Marimekko says it will stick to its Asia and Middle East expansion program despite declining profits.

    “We continue our expansion in line with our internationalisation strategy, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Marimekko president Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko.

    “This year, new markets have opened up in Bangkok and Singapore as well as Dubai in the Middle East. Deliveries to Japan and the rest of Asia were on a good level in the second quarter, although sales for the whole year are forecast to be lower than in 2014.”

    Marimekko has reported a net sales growth of six per cent globally in the six months to June 30, to euro 43.6 million, driven by new stores and the development of discount outlet stores and an online shop in Finland, together with the stronger US dollar.

    Besides building its Marimekko Asia operations, the company is focusing on its eCommecre offer.

    “The development of digital business is an important part of the current stage in our strategy,” explained Alahuhta-Kasko.

    “The trend in our online sales has continued to be positive and we will continue to focus on enhancing the customer experience to make it even more inspiring and more seamless between our online and offline stores. As part of this process, we are also updating our store and service concept.”

  • Chinese shoppers feel safer online

    Consumers across Southeast Asia and Greater China feel safer paying in a brick and mortar environment as opposed to online; sole exception is China

    According to the inaugural MasterCard Safety and Security Index, consumers across Southeast Asia and Greater China cited identity theft and ATM-related fraud as the top two security concerns when it comes to electronic payments.

    Some 42 per cent of consumers in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore Thailand, and Vietnam) were most concerned with ATM-related fraud such as a stolen card, card cloning or skimming. In the Greater China markets (China, Hong Kong and Taiwan), this figure was 31 per cent.

    But the biggest surprise was in confidence in shopping online. The Index showed that in general, consumers across Southeast Asia, and the markets of Taiwan and Hong Kong still feel safer paying in a bricks and mortar environment than buying online. China differed, being the only market where consumers felt paying online was safer than in a physical store; even more so than in Singapore.

    Almost every consumer polled in the Greater China markets had made an online payment in the past year. Consumers in China (62 per cent) particularly favored the use of digital wallets in online electronic payments over those in Hong Kong (14 per cent) and Taiwan (29 per cent).

    Consumers across Southeast Asia (35 per cent) and Greater China (32 per cent) were almost as equally concerned about identity theft in relation to data breaches. This includes personal data such as bank details, personal IDs, addresses, and signatures that are stolen or compromised through websites. In both regions however, it appears that these concerns do not directly stem from consumers’ own personal experiences but rather, as a result of the perceived severity of fraud based on what was reported in the media.

    MasterCard chart1

    Meanwhile, the Index also reinforced that banks continue to play a critical role in ensuring payment safety and security for consumers in Southeast Asia. This is both, because of the high levels of trust consumers place in banks as well as the reliance that consumers have on banks to help them resolve issues that crop up in this area.  Banks are often the first line of defense and recourse for the affected consumer – nearly half of all consumers in Southeast Asia who experienced ATM fraud first approached their card-issuing banks for advice.

    “The fact that most cardholders have a primary relationship with their banks, has an obvious and deep-rooted correlation to their sentiment, around who they trust most when it comes to ensuring the safety and security of electronic payments,” said Ari Sarker, oo-president, Asia/Pacific, with MasterCard.

    “This was emphatically reflected in the feedback from all the markets in Southeast Asia and Greater China. However, in Singapore in particular, in addition to banks, consumers also placed significant trust in the government, which is a natural outcome given the country’s strong regulatory environment and overall reputation around safety and security.”

    None of the respondents surveyed in Southeast Asia placed any trust in local websites, suggesting that there is still a lot of work to be done by local eCommerce merchants to ensure that they meet global security standards for payments and build consumer confidence on this front.

    In Greater China, aside from banks and governments, merchants were also seen to have a growing responsibility in ensuring payment safety and security, with 28 per cent of consumers in these markets going to merchants as their first recourse in seeking resolution for payment safety and security issues. Furthermore, merchants in these markets were instrumental in solving 40 per cent of all online electronic payment disputes.

    These and other key findings of the MasterCard Safety and Security Index will be discussed at the MasterCard Global Risk Leadership conference in Singapore on August 26 – 27. The 20th edition of this conference will gather global payment risk leaders to share best practices in fighting fraud together, as an industry. The conference demonstrates MasterCard’s commitment in helping partners and customers fight fraud using the latest tools, processes, and technologies so there is no one weak link in the payments ecosystem.

    The survey was carried out across in six markets in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) as well as three markets in Greater China (China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan). A total of 6600 consumers and 100 merchants were polled online and face-to-face between January and May 2015 on questions relating to the payments security landscape, payments in brick and mortar and online, safety and security payment concerns and experience with payment fraud, among others.

  • RedMart Singapore raises $26.7m

    RedMart Singapore raises $26.7m

    Singapore online grocer RedMart has raised more capital and appointed a former Amazon executive to drive regional expansion.

    RedMart Singapore has previously indicated an interest in expanding into Vietnam, Thailand, Manila, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan – but it has not disclosed which markets it sees as a priority with its newly secured funds.

    RedMart has secured US$26.7 million in a round of funding tapping existing shareholders Garena, Softbank Ventures Korea, Visionnaire Ventures and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin. It has also attracted a new investor – Far East Ventures, part of Singapore property developer Far East Organization which is diversifying its investment portfolio eyeing startups and tech ventures.

    The funds will be used to expand into regional markets outside Singapore, a move to be led by new recruit Colin Bryar, a former VP of US eCommerce giant Amazon.

    RedMart Singapore increased sales to US$9.43 million in 2014, but massive investment in infrastructure saw its losses balloon to $29.4 million – a not uncommon scenario of eCommerce startups.

    Bryan will oversee engineering, marketing and operations, taken over from co-founder Vikram Rupani, who takes on the title of President of RedMart.

  • Major Cineplex plans Laos rollout

    Major Cineplex plans Laos rollout

    Thai cinema chain Major Cineplex plans to have 30 screens in Laos within three years.

    Major Cineplex has entered the Laos market in a 60:40 joint venture with local partner Platinum Cineplex.

    With a population of 7 million, a growing economy and young population, the Thai company believes it offers strong opportunity to expand its business outside Thailand.

    “Laos is a growing area for the movie business with its young population,” Major Cineplex chairman Vicha Poolvaraluck said in an interview with The Nation this week.

    “The country is [also] attracting foreign investors, particularly from China, to erect a number of new projects including shopping malls, hotels and business centres.”

    Major Cineplex typically operates its multiplex cinemas as anchors of modern shopping malls. It has just opened its first five screen, 1148 seat facility in Vientiane Center an upmarket shopping centre developed in a partnership including China’s Huawei

    Vicha said his company expects to sell at least 500,000 tickets within the first year of operation.

    “Forty per cent of Vientiane’s 700,000 residents are aged between 10 to 35 years,” he added.

    Major Cineplex will open three more cinemas in Vientiane by 2018, one in the planned World Trade Centre and another in a development planned by Thai investors.

    Vicha says his company is also eyeing opportunities in Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam. It currently operates just one cinema outside Thailand – in the year old Aeon Mall in Phnom Penh, also in partnership with Platinum.

    He told The Nation he expects to have 100 screens outside Thailand by 2020, creating 10 per cent of the company’s revenue.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • aCommerce recruits new CXOs for Indonesia operations

    aCommerce recruits new CXOs for Indonesia operations

    Norwegian international management executive Snorre Larstad​ will take the lead as aCommerce Indonesia CEO. Larstad previously worked as a chief strategy office for the Morris Group in China.

    Meanwhile, the company has also hired H​adi Kuncoro to lead its Indonesian operations for IT and supply chain management. This follows stints by Kuncoro in co-founding an Islamic fashion e-commerce company​ and a successful founding role at Rocket Internet’s Zalora Indonesia.

    Commenting on the leadership appointments, Paul Srivorakul, group CEO of aCommerce, said,“We’ve seen unparallelled growth in Indonesia and it is on track to become our most important strategic market.”

    Srivorakul added, “With Snorre’s experience scaling and managing huge and complex international retail businesses and Hadi’s success rate in building massive ecommerce operations in Indonesia we are confident that this pairing will streamline our incredible growth and gear us up for the next phase of our commercial development in Indonesia.”

    Indonesia recently became aCommerce’s biggest regional operation, with August seeing it reach a manpower count of 360 staff, surpassing the growth of its operations in Thailand and the Philippines. July 2015 also saw aCommerce Indonesia double its warehouse capacity to 9332 square metre. A new Pondok Ungu fulfilment center of more than 5232 square metres was added to supplement the current 4100 square-metre Halim facility.

    aCommerce Indonesia currently powers ecommerce for major brands and retailers such as Matahari Mall, HP and L’Oreal. According to official statements, the demand for aCommerce’s services in Indonesia exceeded forecasts due to the rapidity and growth of heady new entrants to the Indonesian e-commerce space and the growth in major clients signed.

    This internal round was targeted at funding the development of further competencies in marketing, technology platforms, expanding warehouse space and recruitment. The addition of Snorre and Kuncoro to the team brings significant knowledge capital to aCommerce as its scales up operations in Indonesia and the region.

    In a media release, Snorre stated: “This is an exciting time to be in the ecommerce industry in Indonesia. With ecommerce still accounting for much less than one per cent of retail in Indonesia, I will be continuing the work of positioning aCommerce as the key driver of ecommerce industry development across the archipelago.”

    Snorre succeeds previous CEO Hadi Wenas, who has taken up the role of CEO as M​atahariMall.com.​ Previous co-CEO Adrian Suherman has shifted to an executive role within the Lippo Group.

    Snorre speaks fluent Chinese and his twenty years in international management have predominantly taken place in Asia, with a career involving roles across the retail, manufacturing, supply chain, shipping, strategy and financial advisory sectors. Snorre had also previously worked for AT Kearney as a strategy consultant, advising CXOs on M&A, supply chain and growth strategies across multiple industries on a global scale.

    A member of i​dEA​ and deputy chief of the Indonesia L​ogistics Association, new COO​ Kuncoro previously served as the COO of First Logistics and as VP and operations director at Zalora Indonesia. Kuncoro brings deep domain experience in r​etail management, supply chain and domestic and cross-border logistics across consumer goods and retail industries.​

    Indonesia is slated to become the biggest ecommerce market in Southeast Asia, with a recent AT Kearney report estimating the market to grow to reach $30 billion in value over the next few years, up from the $1.3 billion in 2013.

    “In Indonesia, we envision that the industry is about to enter into a rapid growth phase. aCommerce will be at the forefront of providing the solutions for any obstacle in the growth path of the ecommerce industry,” said Snorre.

    According to aCommerce, the latest CXO recruitments are in preparation for a Series B round and further scaling of its operations in Indonesia and the region. Earlier this year, it raised a $5 million internal bridging round in preparation for a Series B round of funding.

    Lees ook:

  • German giant buys Classic Fine Foods

    German giant buys Classic Fine Foods

    German retailer Metro AG has paid $290 million to buy Singapore restaurant supplier Classic Fine Foods Group from private equity owned EQT.

    CFF operates in 25 cities, including Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, London, Ho Chi Minh City and Jakarta. The deal will expand Metro Cash & Carry’s presence from 26 countries to 36.

    Metro said in a statement the acquisition would strengthen its wholesale subsidiary Metro Cash & Carry by bolting on an experienced food service distribution arm.

    “It provides access to growth and value creation potential in the attractive premium foodservice distribution markets. The transaction covers the operations and all fixed assets of CFF for an enterprise value of $290 million plus an earn-out of up to $38 million depending on the EBITDA performance in 2015 to 2017,” the company said.

    “Metro Cash & Carry aims to strongly expand its FSD operations. With the acquisition of CFF we strengthen our value proposition and enlarge our wholesale market presence fuelling future sales and earnings growth“, said Olaf Koch, chairman of Metro AG’s management board.

    Pieter Boone, CEO of Metro Cash & Carry, added: “With Classic Fine Foods, we found the perfect partner to expand in high growth Asian FSD markets. CFF has a strong market position and a unique exposure to Asian mega cities and Middle East. CFF partners with some of the world’s most sought after fine food producers and has excellent customer relationships in the high margin premium Hotels, Restaurants and Caterers (HoReCa) segment. The acquisition boosts our FSD capabilities widening the services for our HoReCa customers.”

    CFF, founded in 1999, has its own distribution and warehousing network in the cities in which it operates. Metro says post- acquisition, CFF will remain largely independent, maintaining its own sourcing base and distribution network.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Tuk tuk centre stage in Jimmy Choo Bangkok concept store

    Tuk tuk centre stage in Jimmy Choo Bangkok concept store

    Luxury shoe brand Jimmy Choo has marked the opening of its newest Bangkok store with the release of a ‘Candy bag’ featuring a tuk tuk.

    “Like the London Taxi, the tuk tuk is an icon of the city. It has a unique warmth and eccentric charm all of its own,” Jimmy Choo creative director Sandra Choi observed at the opening of the new store in the new EmQuartier upmarket shopping mall on Sukhumvit Rd.

    Jimmy Choo is releasing limited editions of the Candy bag to mark openings of a number of new stores around the globe – the Bangkok edition is the seventh, following Hawaii, Los Angeles, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Toronto.

    Choi worked alongside David Collins Studio to design the new EmQuartier shop which features soft colour tones and contrasting shimmering surfaces.

    “I wanted our new space to be a luxurious environment that would combine the refined detail of a haute couture salon with the intimacy of a fantasy closet,” Choi said in an interview with The Nationnewspaper.

    The interior design includes satin gold, rose gold pink marble and mink velvets which blend with “oyster stone and mother of pearl chevron floor”.  Rounded glass pendants hanging from the ceiling add to the luxury feel.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • SunGold campaign heats up in Thailand

    SunGold campaign heats up in Thailand

    Kiwifruit marketer Zespri has been rolling out the launch of its SunGold variety across a range of export markets this year, and Thailand has witnessed an energetic campaign.

    The introduction of the new variety has been supported by a robust programme of promotional activities to educate trade and consumers about SunGold’s attributes, and to drive demand.

    Zespri’s programme has included market roadshows, retail sampling activities and eye-catching point-of-sale materials, but one of its key importers Vachamon has gone the extra mile to drive the campaign.

    “What we could do to make Zespri’s marketing campaign more successful is involve ourselves in their activities,” the company’s managing director Wipavee Watcharakorn told Asiafruit. “For example, with the market roadshow, we joined in on the sampling activities. As well as the sampling company conducting tastings, we actively sold the fruit, particularly at markets where there were no existing fruit vendors.”

    Sampling activities have been conducted across numerous open-air markets around Bangkok. “These are retail markets that are close to office buildings where people go to buy lunch or other things. The markets sell a range of items such as clothes, ready-to-eat meals, gifts and so on,” Watcharakorn explained.

    For each market that was selected as a venue for the sampling activities, Vachamon targeted the owners of the existing fruit shops to demonstrate to them the value of promoting SunGold.

    “We tried to show them that SunGold has tremendous potential, and that with the right attention and effort to display and merchandise it, they could go beyond their usual sales volumes,” said Watcharakorn.

    “Usually with these fruit shops, the owner handles all the sales by him or herself and displays many products. They tend to give more importance and display space to the items that generate good sales and margins so we wanted to show them that SunGold can be the ‘hero’ product for them.”

    Watcharakorn said that after 40 days of conducting the roadshow, the uplift in wholesale demand has been remarkable during July.

    In addition to the roadshow activities, Vachamon has been supporting major retailers such as Big C, Tesco Lotus and The Mall Group with their SunGold promotions.

    “We participated and helped to ensure the retailers ordered enough fruit each week, whether they were conducting samplings or not. Sometimes retailers are very reluctant to order a lot of a new item as they want to avoid issues with shrinkage,” she said.

    “We talked to the retailers a lot and coordinated supplies with their sampling teams to ensure they had enough good-quality stock for each store to make the activities worthwhile. We made direct-to-store deliveries and followed up on the purchase orders later on.”

    Vachamon has also participated in a number of ‘below the line’ marketing events for SunGold, exhibiting at shows such as Health and Beauty and ThaiFex.

    Watcharakorn said Vachamon’s aim is to sell 120,000 trays of SunGold this season. “We are likely to hit this target, which is probably double the volume sold last year,” she concluded.

    Lees ook: