Retail

Wheelchair tennis legend Shingo Kunieda, left, congratulates Tokito Oda for winning the Japan Open in April. Kunieda works with Uniqlo to help train the next generation of wheelchair tennis players. (Photo by Makoto Okada)
Retail

Uniqlo still plays with athletes even after they call it quits

Company seeks 'brand ambassador' deals for work in CSR, other areas

25 June 2023
A garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Feb. 6: The value of apparel and footwear shipments to the U.S. from Cambodia, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Vietnam fell between 20% and 30% during the first four months of 2023.
Retail

Weak U.S. demand hits Southeast Asia's garment exporters

Industry and experts foresee more economic and geopolitical headwinds this year

22 June 2023
The total balance of Trust Bank Singapore's deposits exceeded 1 billion Singapore dollars ($744 million) in May. (Photo by Tsubasa Suruga)
Finance

Singapore digital bank targets growth through supermarket links

Trust Bank uses incentive point service to lure locals eager for discounts

22 June 2023
Alibaba has been struggling to reinvigorate e-commerce growth amid fierce competition from rivals.
Companies

Alibaba's Daniel Zhang to step down as group chairman and CEO

Surprise move comes as tech conglomerate struggles with growth

20 June 2023
Shifting Chinese fashion trends are hitting Fast Retailing's Uniqlo in one of its most important markets. (Photo courtesy of Fast Retailing)
Retail

Uniqlo parent's drive to triple sales faces China's skeptical Gen Z

Massive market key to Fast Retailing's drive to catch up with Inditex

19 June 2023
Uyghur demonstrators protest against China outside its consulate in Istanbul in November 2022.
Retail

Uniqlo, Zara owners face new Paris lawsuit over Uyghur forced labor

NGO accuses prosecutors of kowtowing to China, files second complaint

19 June 2023
A Lawson store that opened in Dandong on June 14. (Photo by Shin Watanabe)
Retail

Japan's Lawson targets 10,000 locations in China by 2025

Convenience store chain expands into Dandong in country's northeast

17 June 2023
Workers pick goods at a logistics center in eastern China. However, economic pressures are casting a shadow over demand for e-commerce in the nation.
Business Spotlight

China's e-commerce extravaganza loses its shine as consumption sags

Online sales suffer amid COVID hangover, property weakness and job losses

16 June 2023
Some analysts praise incoming GoTo CEO Patrick Walujo's leadership potential, saying he should be able to maintain a balance between its predecessor companies. (Source photos courtesy of GoTo) 
Technology

GoTo stresses profit in CEO choice as rivals' prospects brighten

Experts expect Patrick Walujo to utilize experience in investment, banking

15 June 2023
Lazada’s estimated gross merchandise value fell from $21 billion in 2021 to to $20.1 billion last year, according to a report by the consultancy Momentum Works.
Retail

TikTok rises, Alibaba's Lazada falters in ASEAN e-commerce

ByteDance-owned platform grows in Southeast Asia but still lags behind rivals

15 June 2023
aCommerce provides brands across Southeast Asia with services to ramp up their online store operations, marketing, customer service and fulfillment. (Source photo by Getty Images and logo from aCommerce's website)
DealStreetAsia

Thailand's IPO-bound aCommerce trims head count

'Difficult decisions' come amid structural transition, market uncertainty

13 June 2023
Tao Bin vending machines in Thailand offer a variety of affordable, customizable drinks. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Consumer

Cashless smart vending machines take China and Thailand by storm

Devices in Singapore and Malaysia serve up medicine and supplements

13 June 2023
FamilyMart stores are expanding shelf space dedicated to the chain's Convenience Wear apparel brand. (Photo by Makoto Okada) 
Retail

Japan's FamilyMart expands fashion products, seeking more fans

Convenience store chain differentiates by offering styling from head to toe

12 June 2023
On June 6, Lawson started selling sushi rolls that use surplus ingredients. (Photo courtesy of Lawson)
Retail

Japan's convenience stores step up efforts to cut food waste

Likes of Lawson, Seven-Eleven Japan use leftover or nonstandard ingredients

10 June 2023
Shoppers in the medical section of a Tokyo store. Pharmaceutical products are popular as Japanese souvenirs. 
Travel & Leisure

Medicine, sweets, whisky, even stationery hot souvenirs in Japan

Local retailers celebrate the return of the tourist hordes

4 June 2023
China is home to more than 300 million smokers and China Tobacco controls 97% of the market.
Caixin

China's tobacco monopoly swept up in corruption probes

Huge profits, vertical management structure seen as breeding ground for crime

30 May 2023
Mitra Bukalapak is helping owners of Indonesian warung kiosks to digitalize operations with the aim of making it easier for them to do business and access financial services. (Source photos by Nana Shibata)
Startups

Indonesia's Bukalapak sees itself as 'financial inclusion champion'

E-commerce giant further targets underbanked population through Mitra business

30 May 2023
China’s retail sales have revived this year after the country abandoned strict COVID controls, but the recovery of large supermarket chains is lagging.
Caixin

Chinese supermarkets hit speed bumps in post-COVID recovery

Q1 sales decline for 7 of 14 publicly traded chains, with 4 posting net losses

24 May 2023
cdf Haikou International Duty-Free City in Hainan province, China. Both foreign visitors and those from mainland China can purchase duty-free goods in the province. (Photo by Yusuke Hinata)
Business trends

'China's Hawaii' lures top global brands with tax-free promise

Planned tariff exemptions in Hainan by 2025 to boost demand for luxury goods

21 May 2023
Burberry's sales in China jumped 13% in its fourth quarter, helped by the relaxation of COVID restrictions.
Retail

Burberry shares down 7% despite post-COVID China rebound

Q4 sales jump 13% in British brand's biggest market but global picture uncertain

18 May 2023
Walmart's Flipkart controlled 48% of the Indian online retail market last year, while Amazon had 26%. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Business Spotlight

Amazon falls behind Walmart in battle for India's online shoppers

Controversial $16 billion Flipkart deal gives Walmart an e-commerce edge

15 May 2023
Rakuten's mobile business has bled red ink in the January-March quarter for the last four years. (Photo by Hiroki Endo)
Telecommunication

Rakuten sticks to mobile ambitions despite $608m loss

E-commerce provider pins hopes on new roaming deal to draw customers

13 May 2023
H&M's new Ginza location has a cafe, a first for the company's shops in Japan. (Photo courtesy of H&M)
Retail

H&M returns to Tokyo's Ginza with cafe and interior goods

Clothing maker shows environmental bent with recycling program, organic coffee

12 May 2023
Chinese fast fashion brand Shein has been competing closely with European rivals Zara and H&M in the U.S. market.
US-China tensions

Shein faces U.S. scrutiny over forced labor in China crackdown

Congressional report alleges fast-fashion vendor uses cotton from Xinjiang

9 May 2023
Tiffany's remodeled flagship store in Manhattan reopens April 28. (Photo by Kenji Asada)
Retail

Tiffany to reopen N.Y. flagship as 'most exciting store in the world'

Cafe, exhibit space serve post-COVID consumer need for experience, CEO says

28 April 2023