Asia news & analysis

The data released by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy showed that the country’s retail sales were up by 2% YoY (year-on-year), driven by increased online sales of sanitary items and food products in the face of coronavirus. Growth driven by online sales Total retail sales reached US$9.65 bn in May, up from US$9.5 bn the previous year. Online was the key growth driver, with sales u...

The US social media giant hopes to increase its market share in a competitive market dominated by local players. Rolling out online store, Facebook Shops Facebook has rolled out its latest innovation, Facebook Shops, in South Korea. Sellers can create their own collection and customize the look and feel of the shop with images and colours that showcase their brand. Shoppers can browse ...

Jonathan Wang, the head of JD.com’s 7FRESH, shared his view at the "2020 China Community Business Annual Meeting" organized by the China Chain Store and Franchise Association (CCFA) last week. The main points are summarized here in this article. Driven by urbanisation From the perspective of China’s social structure, community stores are typically defined as those within the life circle o...

Like many markets around the world, Japan has seen a surge in demand for online grocery following the outbreak of COVID-19. Online grocery adoption increasing COVID-19 has changed some long-established shopping habits, e.g. daily shopping trips. At the start of the pandemic, fear of product shortages and empty shelves in-store may have encouraged shoppers to explore alternative shopping cha...

We round up the latest COVID-19 related news from Japan as retailers respond to changes in consumer trends and government policies. 1 July - plastic bag charge now mandatory On 1 July, the government made plastic bag fees mandatory across the country. Matsumoto KiYoshi and some other businesses such as Aeon had already been charging fees for plastic bags  since April . 25 May state of ...

The retailer announced the opening of its 27th store last week. It is Sam Club’s second store in the city of Ningbo, demonstrating the retailer’s commitment and confidence in its development plan in China. Pleasant shopping environment Same as other Sam’s Club stores, this new store has spacious environment. Aisles are nine metres high and three metres wide. Shopping carts with two child ...

Amazon has announced it is rolling out a new service, called Smart Stores, enabling customers to discover products at local stores in India, make payments, and earn rewards using Amazon Pay. Smart Stores With the launch of Smart Stores, customers in India can scan a QR code at participating stores using the Amazon app. These QR codes enable shoppers to access a digital storefront to learn m...

FamilyMart will introduce a remote-controlled robot that will place products on shelves in its stores in Japan, according to Nikkei Asian Review. Driving efficiencies in-store FamilyMart will partner with robotics development company Telexistence to test the initiative next month at some FamilyMart stores in Tokyo. The robot will be remotely controlled by an operator using virtual rea...

Alibaba Group has named Chun Li as Group Chief Executive Officer of Lazada, effective from 1 st July 2020. An experienced leader Li joined Alibaba as chief technology officer for the company’s B2B division in 2014 and moved to Lazada in 2017. He has since served as both group president and CEO of Lazada Indonesia. Li held leadership positions at Paypal and eBay prior to joining Alibaba. “...

Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) is launching a new supermarket concept to support its expansion. Larger footprint than CP Fresh Mart format Source: Euroswift The new CP Fresh will have 500 sq. m. of space, about five times the size of the original CP Fresh Mart format. It will provide a wider variety of products including chilled items, produce, seasoni...