Thailand
Asia Franchise & Retail Report – December
Alibaba Will Assist Thailand’s E-commerce Development
Alibaba has signed agreements with Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce to help the country develop its e-commerce business. Alibaba will train Thai government officials about big data and artificial intelligence; help Thailand develop and efficient logistics systems and help small and medium-sized Thai firms expand their businesses through both international and local e-commerce sites.
Asus opens “Concept Store” in Manila
Taiwan technology giant Asus, which has just been voted Taiwan’s No. 1 International Brand for the fourth consecutive year, has chosen the Philippines to launch its Zenfone Concept Store. The store will open in Manila’s Glorietta 2 Makati City shopping mall. The Zenfone has become one of the most popular smartphones in the Philippines and the new store will feature the latest Zenfones and accessories
Family Mart Thailand to Open 1,000 New Stores
Family Mart plans to double its size to 2,000 stores in five years in order to compete with 7 Eleven which currently has 9,400 stores and 70% market share. The company plans to increase the size of its retail location, add new loyalty marketing programs, add unique Japanese and Thai food products and expand its network to Chang Mai and Pattaya.
Isetan Mitsukoshi partners with Tmall to launch online duty-free sales
Japan’s largest department store group, Isetan Mitsukoshi Group has launched its first online store Alibaba Group’s Tmall Global e-commerce website, as it seeks to build on its Chinese customer base. The company wants “to position its digital strategy as the core of its business, and integrate cyberspace and the real world to develop new values, customers and business projects.”
Lawson Invests $900,000 to track Chinese Consumers
In a bid to track consumer’s behavior, plan promotions and reward loyalty, Lawson’s China has invested over $900,000 to develop and manage its shoppers APP. The Lawson’s APP provides product information, discount coupons and gives customers “points” based on their purchases. Lawson’s now has 350,000 customers in Shanghai using the APP and plans to roll out the APP to all of its stores in China.
Malaysian Retailers urged to switch to PIN & Pay payment option
Malaysia’s central bank, has announced that signature-based credit cards would be phased out starting from January 2017 and will cease to transact as early as July 2017 since Malaysia has reached critical mass in terms of Personal Identification Number (PIN) enabled cards distributed to cardholders and the number of terminals at retail outlets upgraded for PIN-enabled transactions.
Michael Jordan wins China court ruling
Basketball legend Michael Jordan now owns his Chinese name, after China’s highest court sided with him following a 4-year legal battle over a trademark dispute. The former NBA star has fought a Chinese sportswear maker over the name “Qiaodan,” the transliteration of “Jordan” in Mandarin. Qiaodan Sports had registered the trademark under which it was selling its own shoes and sportswear.
Japan’s Narita Airport opens Four Brand Boutiques
Japan’s Narita Airport is opening four new brand boutiques in Terminal 2 and is projecting $1.5 billion USD in revenue in 2018 from duty free, tax-free and restaurant sales combined. In November brand boutiques for Bottega Veneta, Chanel and a Chanel beauty store were opened and the first Prada airport boutique in Japan will open in late December.
PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans open’s 2nd Ho Chi Minh store
PJ’s Coffee of New Orleans, a premiere American coffee brand is set to open its second store in HCMC in early December 2016. PJ’s specializes in New Orleans themed beverages and foods that have been adapted for Vietnam. The company opened its first store in HCMC in August and the second store will open in the Sala development in district 2.
Prada will close its The Peninsula Hong Kong “flagship” store
Italian luxury brand Prada, which operates 10 stores in Hong Kong is scheduled to close its “flagship” store at The Peninsula Hotel at the end of December. Prada is reportedly paying more than $300,000 USD for the 3,000 square feet store at The Peninsula each month. Other retailers including Abercrombie & Fitch, Forever 21 and Ralph Lauren are also closing their flagship stores.
SM Philippines will open 7th SM Mall in China
SM PRIME Holdings, Inc. is opening its seventh mall in Tianjin, China next month amid a continued search for expansion opportunities within the world’s second largest economy. SM Prime is pursuing mall expansion plans in China and currently has malls in Xiamen, Jinjiang, Chengdu, Suzhou City, Chongqing and Shandong. The company is also embarking on residential development in China.
Singapore Credit Card Usage in Decline
Credit-card use in Singapore is set to fall by 40 per cent in less than five years, according to new research from global payment company Worldpay, which analyzed 30 e-commerce markets including Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. For Singapore, credit cards currently hold a 60% share of the payments market but are expected to decline to 36% by 2020.
South Korea’s CJ CheilJedang expands Vietnam investments
South Korean food conglomerate, CJ CheilJedang will buy 48% of Cau Tre Export Goods Processing, one of biggest food companies in Ho Chi Minh City. Total investments by CJ into Vietnam will be $900 million USD and the group expects Vietnam to become its largest market after China and South Korea in the next five years.
Yum China May Buy Daojia.com
Yum China is reported talks to buy food delivery services firm Daojia.com for $180 ~ $200 million USD. Yum, with more than 6,000 outlets in China wants to expand its sales to consumers dining at home. Daojia.com was established in 2010, focuses on online food orders and delivery services in 10 cities and works with 6,000+ restaurants.
Source: http://www.vietnambusiness.tv/en/business/report/550/asia-franchise-retail-report-december