Asia news & analysis

Earlier this year, we outlined five global trends that will shape the convenience channel this year and beyond. Below are some case studies to show how convenience retail and technology are connecting further. Edeka opens automated store in Germany Edeka has opened a 24/7 automated convenience store at Renningens train station. ‘E 24/7 Karow & Sommer’ stocks 300 SKUs items and will gra...

New data from IGD reveals the growth of China’s grocery market will remain robust, with total value reaching CNY11.4 tn (US$1.62 tn) by 2022. Market growth driven by spend rather than inflation With GDP growth ahead of inflation, the economic growth in China has been, and is forecast to be, driven by real increase in output rather than rising prices. The market is expected to see a CAGR ...

Major retailers, Berli Jucker and CPALL, report revenue declines for FY2020. COVID-19 well controlled in Thailand The spread of COVID-19 was under control until the third quarter of last year. A new wave of increased daily cases started in mid-December, impacting year-end festivities. The government imposed an array of restrictions by province to avoid a national lockdown and severe economi...

Chinese New Year is the biggest annual trading event for many markets and retailers across Asia.  The pandemic has once again impacted celebrations. This year, retailers are more prepared for the complexity of complying with COVID-19 measures and changes in shoppers’ behaviour. We highlight the best-in-class execution from the Asia region and beyond    1. Growing the eat-at-home opportunity ...

Lotte Shopping appointed Kang Sung-hyun, CEO of Lotte Nestle Korea, as the head of its hypermarket chain, Lotte Mart. Previously a management consultant, joined Lotte in 2009 Kang gained retail experience at strategy consultancy firms Booz Allen Hamilton and Boston Consulting Group, and joined Lotte as Executive Director of the Lotte Strategy & Insight Centre more than a decade ago in 200...

From our global view of grocery retail we can clearly see the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the development of food-to-go in small stores. Once a hero category, reduced mobility and stay at home guidance have had a dramatic impact on category sales. In the UK we estimate this loss to be worth c£0.8bn in 2020 vs 2019 (–29%) . However, after an uncertain few months in Q2 2020 w...

In an update for analysts, Walmart has outlined its capital expenditure plans for the year ahead and the continued transformation of its business. Uniquely Walmart Walmart’s president and CEO, Doug McMillon, struck an upbeat tone in outlining his vision for the company. Building on the momentum of 2020 , the retailer plans to accelerate its strategy to deliver long term growth. It’s ai...

UK’s number one vitamin company is a good example of how Western brands can find success in Asia by tapping into existing ecosystems. Using Tmall as the launchpad The company launched its first flagship store on Alibaba’s Tmall Global platform in 2015, then a second store in 2020 just before the 11.11 Shopping Festival. Vitabiotics plugs into Alibaba’s existing ecosystem and utilizes d...

We review Walmart's fourth quarter and full year results, as it outlines the next phase of its growth and development. Walmart's key numbers Walmart's total revenue in Q4 increased by 7.3% to $152.1bn, representing an additional $10.4bn Sales in its US stores increased by 7.9%, with Sam’s Club's sales up 8.1% US ecommerce sales increased 69% US comp store sales increased by 8.6%...

The pandemic has triggered the decline of the beauty market in 2020, but key suppliers such as Procter & Gamble and L’Oréal are now expecting growth to return, through their online sales. L’Oréal: ecommerce to aid return to growth of cosmetics Although the total sales of L’Oréal has dropped for the full year of 2020, APAC is the only region that reported growth during the year.  This is mai...