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Tag: Vietnam

  • New CEO says Uber Vietnam will not be distracted by criticism

    New CEO says Uber Vietnam will not be distracted by criticism

    Traditional taxi firms have been protesting against Uber and Grab, accusing the ride-hailing apps of unfair competition. Uber Vietnam on Thursday said the company would focus on growing and serving its partners and passengers and would not be distracted by criticism, following protests and accusations of foul play by traditional taxi firms.

    Tom White, the company’s newly appointed CEO, issued the statement during a press briefing at the unveiling of Uber Vietnam’s new partner support center in Hanoi.

    “My focus would be to serve them as best as I possibly can and not be distracted by criticisms about this,” he said.

    Uber Vietnam’s key objective instead would be to further expand across the market and reach an even greater number of riders and drivers.

    “There have been millions of app downloads here in Vietnam and we’re only scratching the surface of what’s possible.”

    Stressing reputation as a precious asset for Uber, White said he would prioritize building and maintaining trust with the Vietnamese government.Regarding his appointment as the new CEO of Uber Vietnam, White said his experience working for Uber in Australia had played a role in the decision. As one of its earliest members, he helped build the company there from scratch and forged a strong and trusting relationship with the Australian government.

    While admitting he had much to learn after moving from Australia to Vietnam, White also said he hoped to be able to work with the government to make policies more open and regulations more fair across all platforms for companies to compete and allow consumers to benefit from the competition.

    Regarding Ho Chi Minh City’s demand last month for VND66.68 billion ($2.93 million) in tax arrears, White said that the company firmly believed it had met all its tax obligations and complied with government regulations.

    Tom White is an Australian who joined Uber in January 2015 and held various management positions in Uber Australia and New Zealand. He was appointed as the new CEO of Uber Vietnam earlier this month following his predecessor Dang Viet Dung’s departure.

    Dung, who had been Uber Vietnam’s CEO since the U.S.-based firm first entered the country in 2014, left the company on October 1, but no information about the reasons for his departure has been revealed.

    His departure triggered speculation that Uber Vietnam was in a crisis, especially after a recent tax scandal.

    Late last month, tax authorities in Ho Chi Minh City demanded VND66.68 billion ($2.93 million) in arrears from Uber Vietnam, including fines for faulty declarations and late payments.

    Following the incident, rumors started to spread that Uber would be leaving Vietnam. The company was quick to dismiss this.

    As of August, Uber had four million users in Vietnam, according to official company data.

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  • Vietjet Celebrates Vietnamese Women’s Day with a Spectacular Airport Catwalk

    Vietjet Celebrates Vietnamese Women’s Day with a Spectacular Airport Catwalk

    Vietjet celebrated Vietnamese Women’s Day on October 20 with an unconventional and first-ever catwalk with impressive Ao Dai dresses at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City and onboard a special flight. Aside from Vietjet’s high-quality services, passengers could also enjoy the unique experiences brought by Vietjet.

    The alluring Ao Dai catwalk performance was accompanied by the melody of “Huong Vietnam” by Phuong Nguyen and Thierry David. Vietnamese supermodel, Vo Hoang Yen, ruled the catwalk alongside Vietjet’s team of models to beautifully showcase a collection of vivid colored Ao Dai dresses hand-drawn by the renowned Vietnamese designer, Thuan Viet. This is also the first time an Ao Dai catwalk performance has taken place at an airport in the world. Not only did the passengers enjoyed the catwalk at Tan Son Nhat International Airport lounge, but passengers on board of VJ126 flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi also had the exclusive privilege of admiring the catwalk performance in the skies.

    The designer, Thuan Viet, said, “I hand-drew the whole collection of these 10 Ao Dai dresses which draw on popular Vietnamese myths, such as Tam Cam (Cinderella), Son Tinh-Thuy Tinh (Mountain Spirit and Sea Spirit), Au Co Lac Long Quan (The Fairy and the Dragon), etc., and used 3D printing techniques to create the unique designs.”

    Vietjet especially would like to spread the messages of “love” to women on Vietnamese Women’s Day. Several female passengers onboard of Vietjet’s flights on October 20 received meaningful gifts and took part in a lucky draw for valuable prizes on board.

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  • Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart heading for Vietnam

    Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart heading for Vietnam

    Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart will launch into Vietnam next month.

    The Japanese-inspired Malaysian brand has hinted at its debut with a sign over a kiosk under construction in the Saigon Center shopping mall in Ho Chi Minh City.

    Meanwhile, the company’s website announces it is seeking staff members for expansion into Vietnam.

    Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart has been expanding throughout Asia with stores already in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Shanghai, Singapore and Australia.

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  • Royal Enfield motorcycles roar into Vietnam

    Royal Enfield motorcycles roar into Vietnam

    Royal Enfield motorcycles have landed in Vietnam with a flagship store in Ho Chi Minh City.

    The Indian company is focussing on expanding in South Asia, and Vietnam is the world’s fourth-largest two-wheeler market. Royal Enfield’s official dealer for Vietnam, Al Naboodah International (VN), has opened the store in Saigon Paragon in the city’s District 7.

    Initially three models will be available, the Bullet 500, Classic 500 and Continental GT 535. The company is focussed on expanding its mid-sized motorcycle segment (250cc to 750cc) internationally.

    “Vietnam has a large population that is young and commutes on two-wheelers,” says Royal Enfield president Rudratej Singh.

    Royal Enfield also has presence in Indonesia with two exclusive stores in Jakarta and an outlet in Bali. It has also set up the first Royal Enfield gear store outside India in Jakarta.

    There is also a store in Bangkok.

  • Hublot Vietnam makes debut with pop-up store

    Hublot Vietnam makes debut with pop-up store

    Hublot Vietnam is making its debut with a pop-up store in Hanoi Sofitel Metropole Hotel this month.

    This was announced by the luxury Swiss watch brand CEO Ricardo Guadalupe while introducing the limited-edition Classic Fusion Fuente 45mm in Ho Chi Minh City.

    Hublot is distributed in Vietnam by THG S&S, a JV with Hublot’s long-term partner The Hour Glass and Vietnamese company S&S, which also distributes other watch brands such as Richard Mille and SevenFriday.

    After long research, Hublot has recognised Vietnam as a potential market as its citizens have been buying the brand in other countries like Singapore and Thailand, says Hublot Vietnam brand manager Hoai Anh. “All our collections, including limited editions, are available here.”

    The brand also offers lower prices for the Vietnam market.

  • Air France and Vietnam Airlines to set up joint venture

    Air France and Vietnam Airlines to set up joint venture

    Air France and Vietnam Airlines are establishing a joint venture for their services between Paris Charles de Gaulle and both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

    The two SkyTeam carriers say in a joint statement that the arrangement, effective 1 November, will allow for better onward connections in Europe and Vietnam.

    “Our aim is to maintain and develop our position as European leader in this region with very strong growth potential,” states Air France chief executive Franck Terner.

    Via three hubs – Hanoi’s Noi Bai, Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat, and Paris CDG – passengers will be able to travel to 50 European destinations on Air France flights (compared with 14 today) and 20 Vietnamese destinations on the local flag carrier’s services.

    FlightGlobal schedules show that Vietnam Airlines and Air France are the only airlines operating direct services between Vietnam and France. Vietnam Airlines is the sole operator on the Hanoi-Paris route, conducting a six-times-weekly service with Airbus A350-900s.

    Both airlines fly thrice weekly on the Ho Chi Minh City-Paris route, with Air France operating Boeing 777-300ERs and Vietnam Airlines A350-900s.

    Schedules indicate that the two carriers already codeshare extensively. Air France places its code on 20 Vietnam Airlines services, including the Paris-Hanoi route. It also places its code on services from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to other Vietnamese cities, as well as to the Cambodian destinations of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

    Vietnam Airlines, for its part, places its code on 30 Air France services, including the Paris-Ho Chi Minh City route. It also places its code on Air France services to destinations in France and Europe.

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  • Uber Vietnam fills vacated CEO position

    Uber Vietnam fills vacated CEO position

    The Australian replacement has worked in management positions for the ride-hailing firm for two years. Uber Vietnam has appointed a new CEO following the abrupt departure of its previous leader two weeks ago.

    Tom White, an Australian who joined Uber in January 2015, is now holding this chair.

    White will be in Hanoi soon to take up the position, a source close to the matter told.

    According to his Linkedin profile, White worked as Uber’s head of cities in Australia and New Zealand from July to September this year after leaving his position as general manager in Western and Southern Australia, which he held from February 2016 to June 2017.

    Before that, he was Uber’s city leader in Perth from July 2015 to February 2016 and demand manager for the U.S.-based ride-hailing firm from January to July, 2015.

    “I’m excited to be setting sail for Vietnam to help the Uber team there write their next chapter of their story,” White wrote in a Tweet last month.

    Earlier this month, Dang Viet Dung, the first CEO of Uber Vietnam, left after holding the position for three years.

    No information about the reasons for his departure has been revealed to date.

    His departure triggered speculation that Uber Vietnam was in a crisis, especially after a recent tax scandal.

    Late last month, tax authorities in Ho Chi Minh City collected VND66.68 billion ($2.93 million) in arrears from Uber Vietnam, including fines for faulty declarations and late payments.

    Following the incident, rumors started to spread that Uber would be leaving Vietnam. The company was quick to dismiss this.

    As of August, Uber had four million users in Vietnam, according to official company data.

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  • Coach Vietnam to have its first store

    Coach Vietnam to have its first store

    The first Coach Vietnam store is soon to open in Ho Chi Minh City.

    The American leather-goods brand will make its market debut in the Saigon Center next month, with the store already under construction.

    The first store is set in the concept of ‘Modern Luxury’, and will sell all latest items and collections from the brand, including Coach x Selena Gomez.

    Coach Vietnam is operated by Maison Group, which also distributes other brands such as Christian Louboutin, Karen Miller, Mango, MaxMara and Topshop.

  • Vietjet and Qatar Airways sign Interline Agreement

    Vietjet and Qatar Airways sign Interline Agreement

    Vietjet recently announced a two-phase interline partnership with Doha – based Qatar Airways. The first phase which came into effect this September will enable Qatar Airways’ passengers to travel to and from points in Vietnam and in Taiwan served directly by Vietjet; the next phase will soon allow Vietjet’s passengers to fly to more than 150 points around the world served by Qatar Airways using a single reservation system that serves both airlines’ networks.

    Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are delighted to welcome Vietjet to our growing roster of interline partners as they allow us to provide a more seamless experience for our passengers. The new agreement with Vietjet will offer our passengers even more choice, providing them an easy connection in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi before transferring to their Qatar Airways flights.”

    Vietjet Vice President, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Binh, said: “This partnership is a pillar of Vietjet’s strategy to diversify our services with an aim at offering our passengers travel opportunities to points all over the world. We will continue to partner with other airlines based on advanced technology platforms to better benefit our passengers.”

    Qatar Airways is commencing two non-stop operations connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with Doha with frequencies of double daily flights and ten weekly flights, respectively.

    Previously, Vietjet and Japan Airlines agreed to codeshare/interline on their flights between Japan and Vietnam, their domestic services and their flights between Vietnam and other Asian countries. The two carriers also cooperate in various areas including a frequent flier partnership, aircraft operations and maintenance, and ground handling services and training.

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  • Costa Coffee Vietnam makes debut at airport

    Costa Coffee Vietnam makes debut at airport

    Costa Coffee Vietnam has made its debut with an outlet at Da Nang International Airport.

    The outlet has been opened by British multinational coffeehouse company’s global partner, Italian catering company Autogrill.

    Costa Coffee says the store is part of its expansion in Southeast Asia. It opened a store in Jakarta last month, with a second to open in the next few months.

    For Vietnam, the menu includes its range of blended iced drinks and creamy Frostinos, such as the Double Chocolate Cookie Mocha. There are also Costa classics such as salads, toasties and sandwiches, European and Southeast Asian cakes, desserts and healthy treats.

    “Costa is all about great people and great handcrafted coffee,” says Costa Coffee Southeast Asia head Matt Kenley.

    Founded in London in 1971, Costa has more than 2200 coffee shops in the UK and more than 1200 in 29 international markets.

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  • Alibaba chairman Jack Ma to speak at e-payment forum in Hanoi

    Alibaba chairman Jack Ma to speak at e-payment forum in Hanoi

    Now in its third year, the forum is the country’s biggest e-payment event. World famous billionaire and Alibaba chairman Jack Ma is expected to visit Hanoi next month to attend a forum on e-payment services.

    Now in its third year, the annual Vietnam E-Payment Forum, provides an opportunity for the government, experts and businesses to sit down together and discuss the latest trends in e-payment services and the best ways to apply them in Vietnam.

    This year, mobile payment will be in the spotlight.

    As a speaker at the event, Jack Ma, founder and executive chairman of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, will talk about his experiences of developing e-commerce and mobile payment services in China.

    According to iResearch, the leading provider of online audience measurement and consumer insights in China, the mobile payment market was valued at $5.5 trillion last year in China, nearly 50 times greater than that of the U.S., and Ant Financial Service, a subsidiary of Alibaba, contributed a lion’s share of 54 percent.E-payment has gradually replaced cash in Vietnam’s northern neighbor, and these days, most Chinese people pay for products and services using their smartphones.

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  • Berli Jucker eyeing Asean expansion

    Berli Jucker eyeing Asean expansion

    Thai company Berli Jucker (BJC) plans an aggressive expansion of its retail network in the Asean region.

    The push will include its hypermarkets and convenience stores, including the opening of Big C hypermarkets in Malaysia.

    BJC president/CEO Asawin Techajareonvikul says the company is evaluating whether to give Malaysia or Vietnam priority in its retail network expansion.

    Described by the company as “downstream business”, the expansion will help its main interests, manufacturing, distribution and logistics.

    Group chairman Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi says BJC has had a foothold in Malaysia since acquiring a glass factory there in 1966. Big C stores would be the group’s first retail venture there.

    However, Asawin says there are already many competitors in Malaysia. “Meanwhile, in Vietnam, we already have 19 MM Mega Market hypermarkets as well as 173 B’s Mart convenience stores. The market has a lot of potential.”

    He says that between 200 and 300 hypermarkets are run by different companies in Thailand, but with about 90 million people in Vietnam, the number of hypermarkets there is quite small.

    “Our strategy is to build ‘connectivity’ within our retail network,” says Asawin. “Our Big C stores now cover all major provinces throughout the kingdom, but the transportation lead time from one store to another is currently about three hours. We want to reduce this to only one hour, and that means we need to open more stores to fill the gap, especially in cities in border areas.”

    BJC has 1200 retail outlets in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam under different brands, including Big C in Thailand, MM Mega Market and B’s Mart in Vietnam, and M-Point Mart in Laos. The group also has more than 10 factories in Asean.

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  • Bonia Vietnam moves south with second store

    Bonia Vietnam moves south with second store

    Leathergoods retailer Bonia Vietnam has opened its first Ho Chi Minh City boutique, at Crescent Mall.

    Covering 192sqm on the mall’s second floor, the store has a simple design featuring timber and bright colours as a background to the brand’s latest items.

    Celebrities attending the grand opening included actress/director Ngo Thanh Van, who joined Bonia representatives in cutting the opening ribbon.

    It is the Malaysian brand’s second store in Vietnam, the first being at Vincom Hanoi.

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  • Uber Vietnam CEO leaves post, reasons unknown

    Uber Vietnam CEO leaves post, reasons unknown

    The company had to pay nearly $3 million in back-taxes and fines last month, but it is unclear if this had any bearing on the decision. Uber Vietnam has announced that its CEO Dang Viet Dung has left the company. No information about the reasons for his departure or who will replace him has been revealed.

    Dung, 32, took the helm of Uber Vietnam when the U.S.-based firm first entered the country in 2014.

    A graduate from Amherst College in the U.S., he took the post after halting a master program at Harvard Business School.

    Late last month, tax authorities in Ho Chi Minh City collected VND66.68 billion ($2.93 million) in arrears from Uber Vietnam, including fines for faulty declarations and late payments.

    Following the incident, rumors started to spread that Uber would be leaving Vietnam. The company was quick to dismiss this.

    As of August, Uber had four million users in Vietnam, according to official company data.

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  • Foody Vietnam sold to Singaporean firm

    Foody Vietnam sold to Singaporean firm

    Online restaurant directory Foody Vietnam has sold a majority stake to consumer internet group Sea Limited.

    Worth about US$64 million, the transfer was announced on a NYSE listing by Sea.

    Foody, which also accepts meal bookings and runs a delivery service, has announced that foreign entity Airview Investment of Singapore has taken an 82 per cent shareholding.

    Sea says it has acquired a Vietnamese food-delivery platform to help expand its payment platform AirPay, launched in Vietnam in 2014.

    “We intend to pursue strategic investment and acquisition opportunities in order to grow our user base, deepen our market penetration and further expand our offerings, including complementary services and products,” says Sea.

    Foody Vietnam was founded in 2012. Sea, valued at $3.75 billion, has already invested in Foody, as series-B investor in July 2015.