Asia news & analysis

The ecommerce giant and Kuaishou, a Chinese video-sharing platform, are partnering up to launch a 200-hour livestream during this year’s Singles Day Shopping Festival. Eight days and eight hours uninterrupted livestream JD.com shared that from 1 November to 9 November, many Kuaishou hosts will take turns presenting in the event. The Kuaishou viewers will receive coupons to be redeemed on ...

Strong demand due to COVID-19 carried over to Q3. Increased volume due to work from home Net profit increased by 54% in Q3 to SG$31.8m (US$23.3m) compared to last year. In the first half of 2020, shoppers loaded up their pantries due to restricted movement imposed by the Singapore government. Although the lockdown was lifted in June, the government continued to encourage working from homes....

Lawson stores are beginning to sweep across third and fourth-tier cities in China. Store expansion will significantly boost coverage According to Nikkei Asian Review, Lawson is planning to expand its network to about 6,000 stores by 2022, and 10,000 by 2025. We expect the retailer to continue to enter new provinces and cities to grow its presence in China. Lawson stores are operated by s...

The country’s leading cosmetics manufacturer, AmorePacific, opened a “refill station” -- a first in the nation’s beauty industry. A variety of sales methods are required to meet shopper needs According to Korea Bizwire, the refill station is at the AmorePacific Gwanggyo store that opened last week in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. The station has 15 different kinds of shampoo and body washe...

Guardian, a health and beauty store operated by Dairy Farm, is celebrating its 48 th anniversary this year with a refurbished flagship store. The 6,000 sq. ft. store carries over 8,000 health and beauty products at Takashimaya Shopping Centre. Source: Guardian Inspiration to be beautiful Guardian wants to inspire shoppers to be beautiful in a healthy ...

The Tencent-backed retail services platform opened its first AI-powered shop in Beijing, China, on 14 October. Integration of unmanned store and unmanned delivery Situated in the Shougang business pilot zone in Beijing, Meituan’s MAI shop integrates an unmanned store with unmanned delivery using AI technology and robots. The store sells a range of food from snacks and beverages to dai...

FairPrice Finest opens a new Finest store at Artra, the first to have a Fresh Ambassador in-store. Fresh Ambassador The new store is right next to a subway station near several new condominiums. About half of the 1,000 sq.m. store space is filled with fresh food. The Fresh Ambassador is available in-store to provide tips on how to pick fresh produce. Source: IG...

MyNews Holdings Bhd, which operates about 570 MyNews outlets, plans to open CU convenience stores from South Korea. Early 2021 launch The licensing agreement with CU’s owner, BGF Retail Co Ltd, is for 10 years with an additional 10-year renewal term. The group will open 30 to 50 CU stores in Klang Valley next year to monitor their performance. MyNews will be spending US$7.2m to US$9.6m in c...

Last week, Alibaba Group President Michael Evans joined NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay to discuss Alibaba’s response to COVID-19, and how the pandemic has altered the retail landscape in both the short term and long term. We share some of the key highlights. What has been the journey for Alibaba and its merchants since Feb 2020? Alibaba has been adjusting the business to respond to the ...

Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. (RRHI) has acquired 100% ownership of Rose Pharmacy, a subsidiary of Dairy Farm. Another strategic agreement between Robinsons and Dairy Farm In a statement on Friday 16 th October, RRHI said it acquired Rose Pharmacy through its subsidiary South Star Drug Inc. from Mulgrave Corporation B.V., subsidiary of Dairy Farm. The value and other details of the acquis...