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Tag: Watsons

  • More outlets, more health

    More outlets, more health

    Personal care retailer Watsons Personal Care Store (Philippines) Inc. is expanding its branch network by boosting its presence both in shopping malls and community locations.

    The company recently opened its 500th store and chose to celebrate this achievement in Cebu because of the store’s strong presence and high sales growth here.

    “In Cebu, we are growing in double digits,” said Sharon Presbitero, Watson’s Group marketing manager. Cebu has 31 Watsons outlets, majority of which are based in shopping malls.

    Watsons is set to open at least 30 more outlets before the end of this year, said Ma. Cecilia Canlas, the company’s marketing manager.

    Generics

    She said the company is planning to open 500 new outlets in the next two years.

    According to Presbitero, the company’s direction is to be highly visible in the community through its health care business, Watsons Pharmacy, which also carries the Watsons Generics brand.

    In the region, the Philippines is the only country where the company is more known as a beauty store, Presbitero said, but its roots in China are in pharmaceuticals.

    “We will be opening more community pharmacies in the country,” she said, noting that in the coming months,
    Watsons will be highly visible at street corners or busy markets, among other locations.

    While Watsons stores across the country already have pharmacy sections, Presbitero said that the company saw the need to open more pharmacy-centric outlets to serve communities that don’t have access to affordable yet high-quality medicines.

    Health line

    “Watsons now offers a wide range of health products from prescription to over-the-counter medicines and health supplements,” said Presbitero.

    Watsons in the Philippines launched Watsons Generics last year. About 10 to 12 Watsons outlets now have its presence in the community.

    Presbitero said the brand is gaining acceptance in the market as more consumers are now open to buying generic medicines versus the branded ones.

    “Before, we had to keep on pushing for consumers to buy generic medicines but as the years go by with market education and accessible information, it is the consumer now who looks for these generic medicines,” she said.

    The price of a generic medicine is 60 to 80 percent lower than that of a branded medicine. Watsons also offer vaccination services for flu, pneumonia, and cervical cancer, among others.

    Watsons Philippines is a joint venture of SM Prime Holdings Inc. and Hong Kong-based A.S Watsons & Co. Ltd.

    Watsons, which operates both in Europe and Asia, carries 13 retail brands in 25 markets. It also has a network of 12,800 stores in 37 countries.

     

  • Watsons places products on Lazada Singapore

    Watsons places products on Lazada Singapore

    Healthcare and beauty chain Watsons has formed a partnership with eCommerce company Lazada Singapore.

    As a result of the collaboration, more than 500 Watsons products have been made available on Lazada.

    Formed in 2012, Lazada Singapore offers a wide range of products, from electronics and household goods to fashion apparel and sports equipment. Watsons has more than 100 stores throughout Singapore.

    “The partnership with Lazada is a timely extension to our digital strategy in the region,” says Watsons Singapore GM Dominic Wong.

    The alliance not only ensures convenience, but Lazada has also just introduced a free delivery option with no minimum spend.

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  • Watsons stores lead 1000 openings for Hutchison

    Watsons stores lead 1000 openings for Hutchison

    Watsons stores account for the bulk of more than 1000 new stores to be opened by parent CK Hutchison this year.

    Hutchison said in its six month results released Friday it has added 257 stores to its global network already this year and 800 more would open by year-end. About two thirds of those will be Watson healthy and beauty outlets, mainly in China and Asia.

    CK Hutchison had more than 12,600 stores across 25 markets at the end of June. The vast bulk of those are Watsons stores, but the group also operates Fortress electronics stores, supermarket ParknShop and Watsons Wines.

    The group’s total retail revenue was HK$73.413 billion and net earnings were $5.338 billion, were all 2 per cent lower than the same period last year, results adversely affected by foreign currency translation to Hong Kong dollars.

    “Despite strong growth in the health and beauty segment, the retail operations in Hong Kong experienced mounting pressure from the severely reduced tourist arrivals and spending in the first half, which dampened the growth in the overall retail division,” Hutchison said in its half-year report.

    “In local currencies, revenue increased by 1 per cent, while EBIT increased by 2 per cent.”

    The Watsons health and beauty business represents 94 per cent of the retail division’s net income, which grew 6 per cent in local currencies. In Europe, EBIT grew 11 per cent, reflecting a 4 per cent increase in store numbers, 3.6 per cent comparable-store sales growth and generally improving margins.

    “In particular, health and beauty UK was a major growth contributor with an encouraging comparable store sales growth of 6.5 per cent for the period.”

    In Asia, despite the comparable store sales declining 3.1 per cent, the organic expansion of stores continued with a 15 per cent increase in store numbers against the same period last year, resulting net EBIT growth of 3 per cent in local currencies.

    “Watsons China’s total revenue was flat against the same period last year in local currency against a 17 per cent increase in stores numbers, as comparable store sales growth was negative 8.5 per cent due to weak retail market sentiment and competition from the eCommerce segment.”

    Despite these difficult conditions, EBIT growth was 3 per cent “from well-executed margin and cost management”, the company said.

    “Watsons China will continue to build up and expand its eCommerce platform to compete in the rapidly growing eCommerce segment.”

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  • Sour note for Lancome-sponsored concert

    Sour note for Lancome-sponsored concert

    Make-up brand Lancome, along with other stores owned by French cosmetics giant L’Oreal, closed in Hong Kong yesterday in the face of protests over the cancelling of a Lancome-sponsored concert featuring a pro-democracy singer.

    As well as Lancome’s booth at Lane Crawford, Times Square, Yves Saint Laurent Beaute and Helena Rubinstein’s booths, as well as Shu Uemura’s store, were all closed. Lancome’s office at Times Square was also shuttered. In Causeway Bay, Lancome counters in Sogo and Hysan Place were both closed, while those for other brands under L’Oreal, such as Shu Uemura, were open.

    Dozens of protesters earlier crowded the Lane Crawford store in Times Square accusing Lancome of bowing to China by cancelling the concert, starring cantopop singer Denise Ho Wan-sze.

    Carrying yellow umbrellas – a symbol of Hong Kong’s democracy movement, which is supported by Ho – and banners in Chinese, English and French, the protesters were shouting: “L’Oreal! No self-censorship.”

    Hong Kong internet users and political activists have also vowed to boycott all brands under the L’Oreal banner, including Lancome, Kiehl’s, Shu Uemura and The Body Shopimes, a tabloid published by the Chinese Communist Party’s People’s Daily newspaper, criticised Lancome for working with Ho. This sparked calls online in China to shun Lancome’s business on the mainland.

    “Tough times”

    Ho says she was saddened by the cancellation of her concert.

    “I am quite shocked that a global brand such as Lancome … would succumb to the pressure from Chinese tabloid news or the Chinese market,” says the 39-year-old singer.

    “In Hong Kong we have been going through really rough times,” she says. “Most of we celebrities wouldn’t dare to speak out for ourselves because we know that self-censorship is really serious right now in Hong Kong. But I wouldn’t think that worldwide brands such as Lancome or L’Oreal would succumb to this kind of pressure.”

    L’Oreal, which counts China as its second strongest market for sales behind the US, says it cancelled the concert because of safety concerns.

    Booked to perform on June 19, Ho wrote on her Facebook page that Lancome’s decision was self-censorship. “When a brand like Lancome has to kneel down to a bullying hegemony… the world’s values have been seriously twisted.”

    Meanwhile, the controversy has escalated on the mainland, with internet users threatening to boycott a host of Hong Kong companies tied to billionaire Richard Li Tzar-kai, whose company PCCW owns the Moov fitness app, which suggested on Monday that it would “employ Denise Ho permanently”.

    Li’s family is also involved with such companies as Johnson and Johnson, Listerine and Watsons. Ho is a spokesperson for Listerine.

    PCCW says that while Richard Li and Moov respect freedom of expression and staunchly oppose Hong Kong independence, Moov has no intention to engage in political matters, and the expression “permanent employment” was used before online comments linked the message to political discussions.

    Meanwhile, Ho says Lancome should stand firm on its core values and moral standards. The singer was  among more than 200 people arrested as the pro-democracy protests ended in December 2014. She was blacklisted by mainland media along with singer Anthony Wong Yiu-ming.

  • Central Watson plans 250+ new stores

    Central Watson plans 250+ new stores

    An aggressive Central Watson expansion plan just unveiled will see more than one new store a week opened in Thailand from now to 2020.

    The Hong Kong retail giant’s Thai joint venture with Central Group says it has allocated 1 billion baht (US$28 million) to new stores – enough to fund up to 275 new outlets.

    In an interview with The Nation newspaper, MD Rod Routley said despite the Thai retail market remaining competitive, Central Watson has confidence in the retail growth potential of the nation.

    “We will continue to invest more here,” he said. “With a positive outlook, we are looking forward to 2016 being another year of great performance,”.

    The growth focus will be on metropolitan Bangkok, tourist destinations and provincial cities.

    In addition to building up its physical store network – which reached 375 at the end of 2015 – the company is investing on enhancing its eCommerce offer, expanding its private label offer and improving digital communications. Private label sales grew 30 per cent last year, with the addition of 200 new lines.

    Routley said Watsons achieved solid growth in the first four months of this year and expects double-digit growth for the full year.

  • SM Retail sales boosted

    SM Retail sales boosted

    SM Retail sales grew across all operations – which consist of both SM Markets and The SM Store.

    Total sales grew 8 per cent to P48.8 billion (US$1.0 billion) in the first quarter, while net income rose 16 per cent  to P1.5 billion.

    SM’s food retail business continued to expand, adding five new stores. At the end of March, SM Retail had 314 stores comprising 53 The SM Stores, 45 SM Supermarkets, 44 SM Hypermarkets, 140 Savemore and 32 WalterMart stores.

    Two acquired Cherry Foodarama grocery stores are now fully operational inside SM Cherry malls in Shaw and Congressional Avenue.

    SM earlier announced the merger of SM Retail with a group of specialty retail stores such as Ace Hardware, SM Appliance Center, Homeworld, Our Home, Toy Kingdom, Watsons, Kultura, Baby Company and Sports Central. The combined entity will have over 1900 outlets and 2.4 million sqm of GFA.

    “We are pleased with SM’s strong underlying growth in the first quarter as consumer spending continued to be vibrant and sentiment about the Philippine economy remains strong. Our continuing efforts to improve efficiencies in all our businesses have also helped ensure solid earnings growth,” SM president Harley Sy said.

    SM Investments posted a 12 per cent growth in recurring net income in the first quarter of 2016. Consolidated net income (including non-recurring items) stood at P7.0 billion for January to March, up 3.6 per cent from P6.7 billion year-on-year. Consolidated revenues grew 7 per cent to P69.8 billion for the first quarter.

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  • Multi-brand Korean cosmetic shops thrive

    Multi-brand Korean cosmetic shops thrive

    Korean cosmetic shops that sell various brands under one roof have steadily expanded their presence across the country, giving sophisticated customers more options, according to industry sources.

    AmorePacific, South Korea’s No. 1 cosmetic company, operates about 1350 multi-brand stores, called Aritaum nationwide, which offer a wide selection of its products, including such mass brands as Laneige and IOPE. The company also operates single brand shops such as Innisfree and Etude House in the lower-end and Sulhwasoo and Hera in the higher-end segment as part of a two-track strategy.

    Also showcasing multi-brands are beauty and health care stores, such as CJ’s Olive Young and its smaller rival Watsons, which have expanded and enjoyed growing popularity among urban youngsters.

    To catch up with the latest trend, local cosmetic companies have launched multi-brand cosmetic shops in major retail strips.

    LG Household & Health Care Ltd., the nation’s second-largest cosmetic maker, launched a multi-brand shop called Nature Collection, in February, operating 11 stores in major retail strips in Seoul. The store features brands that focus on a natural look, including The Face Shop and Beyond.

    “Nature Collection is promoted through word-of-mouth, with various products and promotional events,” a company spokesman told Yonhap news service.

    Able C&C, which created the boom for the single brand shop with Missha, has recently opened a multi-brand shop called Beauty Net on a popular street in Seoul to display a wide range of select products.

    Beauty Net Korea store

    Industry officials say multi-brand shops are effective in improving customer convenience and brand management and promotion, providing easier access to new brands.

    “Expansion of these multi-brands provide the other brands with more chances to be introduced to customers,” said an Able C&C spokesman.

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  • Watsons pioneers cosmetics takeaway in China

    Watsons pioneers cosmetics takeaway in China

    Watsons has kicked off an initiative for selling and delivering cosmetics and groceries as takeaway via Baidu Waimai (takeaway in Chinese).

    Expanding online to boost sales

    The initiative has been launched in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou and will be extended to all the cities that Watsons operates in. Products on Baidu Waimai include personal care, snack and beverages.

    As the leading Health & Beauty chain in China, Watsons has launched various online initiatives, such as its own online shop, stores on online platforms Amazon, Alibaba and JD.com, as well as Watsons app. The launch of takeaway service aims to attract more customers and generate new revenue streams for the retailer.

    Other initiatives to drive growth

    As the growth slows down and margins being squeezed, Watsons has been focusing on satisfying the needs of the ever-changing consumers.

    • store expansion, especially in third and fourth tier cities to reach more shoppers
    • introducing more local brands to lift profitability
    • launching more loyalty schemes and membership cards to attract young shoppers
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  • CapitaLand China growth outpaces economy

    CapitaLand China growth outpaces economy

    Singapore-based shopping mall investment company CapitaLand Retail China Trust (CRCT) grew its income last year by 10.3 per cent to S$89.2 million ($63 million) from S$80.9 million.

    With China’s economy growing 6.9 per cent last year, the company’s retail sales drew 10.7 per cent of RMB30.1 trillion ($4.58 trillion), reports CRCTML chairman Victor Liew (CRCTML manages CRCT).

    “China’s slower growth is reflective of an economy undergoing transition, but it is expanding from a much larger base now and its growth is still considerably faster than those of most other economies,” says Liew. “CRCT’s family-oriented shopping malls are well-placed to benefit from China’s growing urban population and rising retail sales as domestic consumption becomes the country’s new growth engine.”

    It was the first time CapitaLand China’s gross revenue had crossed the RMB1-billion mark, says CRCTML CEO Tony Tan. “Portfolio occupancy remained high at 95.1 per cent  as at December 31, while rental reversion for the full year was 8.1 per cent.

    “Annual tenants’ sales increased 11.6 per cent and shopper traffic rose 1.8 per cent year-on-year.

    “We continually refresh our mall offerings to stay relevant to our shoppers’ evolving preferences and needs. For example, CapitaMall Xizhimen (pictured) brought in the popular Jing Ge Steamboat to increase the variety of its F&B offerings, while CapitaMall Qibao introduced a water park.

    “To improve sustainability and the shopping experience, CapitaMall Grand Canyon installed energy-saving LED lights in common areas and upgraded its car park with new flooring.

    “CapitaMall Wangjing is carrying out renovation work to rejuvenate its façade, and is on track to unveil its new look by June.

    “We will continue to strengthen our malls’ tenant mix and uplift the shopping experience through continual asset enhancement initiatives.”

    Gross revenue for the year increased RMB17.5 million, or 1.8 per cent, over the previous year. This was attributed mainly to rental growth from the multi-tenanted malls, partially offset by lower revenue fromCapitaMall Minzhongleyuan, which was impacted by road closure for the building of a subway line, and from CapitaMall Wuhu, where tenancy adjustments are being introduced to achieve stronger positioning and better trade mix.

    CRCT is the first China shopping mall real estate investment trust (REIT) in Singapore, with a portfolio of 10 malls. Listed in Singapore in 2006, its objective is to establish long-term investments in a diversified portfolio of real estate used primarily for retail in China, Hong Kong and Macau.

    A significant portion of CapitaLand China’s properties’ tenancies comprises major international and domestic retailers such as the Beijing Hualian Group, Carrefour and Wal-Mart. The anchor tenants are complemented by specialty brands such as BreadTalk, Innisfree, KFC, Nanjing Impressions, Nike,Sephora, Starbucks, Uniqlo, Watsons and Zara.

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  • SM Center Sangandaan opens

    SM Center Sangandaan opens

    SM Center Sangandaan has opened its doors – owner SM Prime’s 55th mall in the Philippines.

    It is SM Prime’s first mall in the populous City of Caloocan, one of the 16 cities within Metro Manila. The new mall provides an additional 38,622 sqm in gross floor area (GFA), giving SM Prime a total retail space of 6.8 million sqm, the largest mall footprint in the country.

    SM Center Sangandaan, strategically located along the busy intersection of Samson Rd and A. Mabini St in Sangandaan, will give SM Prime access to the northern tip of Metro Manila, bringing a unique shopping experience closer to the highly dense cities of Malabon, Navotas and Caloocan.

    “SM Center Sangandaan reflects SM Prime’s commitment to be part of the growth across communities. We are very pleased to open our first mall in Caloocan City which is a testament to the fact that Metro Manila is far from being saturated by modern retail facilities,” SM Prime president Hans T. Sy said.

    The mall opens its doors to a catchment of more than 1.5 million with 90 per cent of its space leased. Anchor tenants include SM Supermarket, SM Appliance Center, SM Cinema, Ace Hardware, BDO and Watsons.

    There are three levels of prime space which includes four cinema theaters with a total seating capacity of 824, and 493 parking slots.

    The mall’s facade features different shades of blue, gray and white, giving the exterior a quirky geometric visual design. The main interior features a high glass ceiling, complemented by white walls which maximises daylight and adds further dimension to the mall.

    SM Center Sangandaan is the fifth SM mall to be opened this year, after Cherry SM in Shaw Boulevard with a GFA of 24,165 sqm and SM City Cabanatuan, both of which opened this month. SM Seaside City Cebu is next, scheduled to open on November 27.

    By the end of 2015, SM Prime will have 56 malls in the Philippines and six in China.

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  • Using WeChat to Grow Your Business in China

    Using WeChat to Grow Your Business in China

    In the world of mobile commerce, all eyes are on China.

    Even as China’s economy and overall retail sales growth drops, business-to-consumer (B2C) online sales are growing by 25 per cent each year. Data gathered from iResearch in a March 2015 report states that China’s gross merchandise volume (GMV) of the mobile shopping market reached 929.71 billion RMB in 2014, increasing by 239.3 per cent from the previous year.

    The growth was significantly larger than that of the overall GMV of the online shopping market. China has the world’s largest digital marketplace, and is predicted to grow three times faster than overall retail. The industry is primed for growth not only in the first-tier cities, but also in the third-tier and lower cities with an estimated half of total online sales coming from the lower tier cities by 2018.

    When considering the mobile commerce industry in China, one name stands out: Tencent’s WeChat has long been impacting the lives of Chinese consumers, and with its move to digital payment systems it now has the ability to revolutionise the mobile commerce industry in China.

    WeChat has a massive scale, with over 468 million monthly active global users and 25 per cent of users checking WeChat over 30 times a day. Last year, users spent US$15.3 billion on mobile data using WeChat.  As the fastest growing social media platform in the world, and the primary source of interaction between brands and Chinese consumers, foreign investors looking to be successful in China should take note. Chinese consumers actively embrace mobile commerce due to its easy to use, cost-effective payment and delivery system.

    There is huge potential for foreign investors to take advantage of WeChat payment systems for their Chinese consumers and to maximise their profits. WeChat allows foreign investors to interact with their consumers in a way that has not reached the same scale in the Western world.

    Fewer than 20 per cent of internet users in the US have used their mobile phones to pay for services and goods while more than half of users in China have done so. Multiple incentives exist for Chinese consumers to make their purchases through WeChat; enabling businesses to use these schemes to generate profit. Loyalty cards, membership schemes and discounts for paying online all compel cost-effective shoppers to make a purchase.

    In addition to this, due to the convenience of paying through WeChat, there is a higher chance of impulse purchases. However, this ease does not simply apply to the consumer. Brands are able to bridge the gap between attracting new consumers and engaging with paying consumers, which has already begun to change the face of shopping and retailing worldwide. Businesses utilising WeChat payment systems are already experiencing huge profits, and Tencent has stated that several official accounts are now making over US$1 million.

    Not only can consumers purchase items, but can also purchase services inside WeChat. Businesses with service accounts can take advantage of WeChat’s online-to-offline (O2O) business model. Both online and offline purchases are available to consumers. Customers can either pay for services or items by scanning the QR codes of products provided by offline retailers, or pay on web pages inside the app.

    All vendors, from big name brands to small and medium-sized enterprises are able to create service accounts in WeChat. Big name companies like McDonalds, Starbucks, Xiaomi, Watsons, and Pacific Coffee have all created service accounts. WeChat allows all vendors the potential for success and the ability for SMEs to create accounts is an important aspect for foreign investors to capitalise on.

    Certain industries, such as food, beverage and retail, tend to generate more profit as they are more primed for mobile commerce. That being said, taxi companies, airlines, newspapers, government organisations, and pharmaceutical companies are all using WeChat payments to their advantage.

    Tencent has now enabled users to pay their utility bills through WeChat, and more and more businesses are finding a way to use WeChat mobile payments to grow their business and attain a competitive advantage.

    It is crucial for foreign businesses entering a new market to take advantage of domestic trends in order to be competitive in that marketplace. Mobile commerce in China is constantly evolving and businesses like WeChat are revolutionising how business is conducted. WeChat allows both big name brands and SMEs to compete in the same market space which has the ability to change the entire industry. Entering the Chinese market has its difficulties, but applications like WeChat make it easier for foreign investors to communicate effectively with their Chinese consumers.

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  • Watsons Thailand to open 50 new shops

    Watsons Thailand to open 50 new shops

    Central Watson, operator of the Watsons Thailand community, says it can open 50 extra shops by the top of this yr.

    The enlargement will take its community to 381, growing its dominance over rival Boots which on final rely had simply 230 shops.

    MD Rod Routley informed a briefing that the enlargement will value 400 million baht, round US$12 million, which represents a 15 per cent improve within the firm’s capital expenditure this calendar yr.

    Apart from the brand new openings, the corporate plans to renovate many present shops and broaden its promotional exercise to lure new clients.

    “Thailand is among the quickest rising markets when it comes to retailer enlargement within the Asean area,” Routley stated.

    Watsons Thailand is a three way partnership between the highly effective Thai Central Group and Hong Kong based mostly AS Watson, the model’s mother or father.

    This week, Watsons Thailand opened a web-based retailer providing about 1000 inventory models, together with some out there solely on-line and never in shops.

    A number of the new Watsons shops will comply with a brand new, bigger format unveiled in Siam Sq. in February. At 500 sqm, the shop is significantly bigger than the model’s earlier flagship and may show an expanded product vary.

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