Retail

Indonesian B2B marketplace Ralali is looking to raise $50 million in a Series D round to shore up its business. (Screen capture from website)
DealStreetAsia

Indonesian B2B marketplace Ralali in talks to raise $50m

Startup aims to expand its product range and services

2 September 2021
Metro's first store in Japan opened in 2002. The Chiba outlet featured 14,000 products, from produce and beverages to kitchen equipment. 
Retail

Metro joins Walmart as latest outsider unable to conquer retail Japan

Fragmented market proves daunting while McDonald's and Starbucks thrive

1 September 2021
Charoen Pokphand acquired British grocer Tesco's Thai and Malaysian operations and rebranded them as Lotus's in February 2021. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Retail

Thailand's CP Group to merge hypermarket owners in overseas push

Consolidation of Lotus's and Makro seen adding to conglomerate's retail clout

1 September 2021
The new 7-Eleven in Phnom Penh will be followed by more locations in Cambodia this year, Thai retailer CP All said. (Photo courtesy of CP All)
Retail

7-Eleven debuts in Cambodia as Thailand's CP All seeks new markets

Retailer plans more locations this year in Asian frontier economy

1 September 2021
Protestors in Pakistan demonstrate against debt servitude. Australia implemented a law in 2019 that requires businesses to disclose labor abuses in their supply chains.
Business trends

Suspect suppliers ousted under Australia's anti-trafficking law

Retailer Woolworths takes steps to rid supply chain of Xinjiang cotton

31 August 2021
Lotte Department Store's branch in Dongtan features over 100 restaurants in the lower floors. (Photo by Kotaro Hosokawa)
Retail

South Korean retailers bank on megamalls to battle online giants

Department store chains look to woo customers with restaurants and waterfalls

30 August 2021
JD.com's e-commerce business has boomed, though rising costs in its logistics business dragged down overall earnings.
Retail

Alibaba squeezed by crackdown as JD.com and Pinduoduo pounce

Regulatory scrutiny and scandals put e-commerce leader on the ropes

28 August 2021
Among easing measures for September, Thailand plans to allow the reopening of restaurants and shopping malls, such as that in Siam Square, Bangkok. 
Coronavirus

Thailand to partially ease business lockdowns from September

Restaurants and shopping malls to reopen despite ongoing delta epidemic

27 August 2021
Aeon will consolidate its many apps into one as it aggressively markets its services in Japan's mobile financial services sector.
Retail

Japan's Aeon to launch super app mobile payment in September

'Aeon Pay' will challenge Rakuten and Line all-in-one platforms

27 August 2021
The author, second from right, poses with former executives of Japanese toiletries maker Lion in September 2019.
Boonsithi Chokwatana

Four 8s -- my retirement date: Saha Group chairman's story (30)

I will retire Aug. 8 at age 88 with satisfaction; life after that is all extra

27 August 2021
When the Chinese sportswear maker Erke donated 50 million yuan ($7.7 million) for flood-devastated Henan Province, it was venerated by internet users as “the light of domestic products” and people flocked to its stores.
Business Spotlight

'Nationalist consumption' boosts Chinese fashion industry

Domestic brands lure novelty-seeking young as international rivals retreat

27 August 2021
The Mega Bangna shopping mall in suburban Bangkok started operating in 2012 with IKEA’s first outlet in Thailand as a key tenant. 
Retail

Thai mall giant to acquire controlling stake of sector peer for $400m

Central Group gains grip on most popular shopping center in suburban Bangkok

26 August 2021
Around 3,000 items will be available for delivery when 7-Eleven starts its new service in five years. (Photo by Akikazu Isii)
Retail

7-Eleven's 20,000 Japan shops to add delivery in battle with Amazon

Top convenience store chain mobilizes national network to go 'last mile'

23 August 2021
Miniso opened 406 stores across China alone over the year ending in June. (Photo by Takashi Kawakami)
Retail

Chinese retailer Miniso's annual loss widens to $215m on lockdowns

Sales rebound in latest quarter as overseas markets recover

21 August 2021
A sales assistant shows off K-beauty products at a Watsons store. The Hong Kong-based drugstore chain has a dedicated section for South Korean cosmetics at most of its outlets in Turkey. (Photo by Sinan Tavsan)
18 August 2021
This rebranded Lotus's store in central Bangkok opened in May. (Photo by Marimi Kishimoto)
Retail

Thai CP Group brings Lotus supermarkets into digital age

Conglomerate freshens up chain's image with break from Tesco

12 August 2021
Alibaba's quarterly revenues fell slightly short of analyst estimates.
China tech

Alibaba earnings drop on increased investment in new businesses

Chinese online retail leader expands stock buyback plan by 50%

3 August 2021
Hainan duty-free sales are expected to exceed 50 billion yuan this year. (Photo by CK Tan) 
Travel & Leisure

China duty-free shoppers turn Hainan into tourist hub

Businesses cater to travelers deterred by prolonged pandemic abroad

3 August 2021
Nature's Fynd's products are made by fermenting a fungi first discovered in the geothermal springs of Yellowstone National Park in the US. (Screenshot from Nature's Fynd's website)
DealStreetAsia

US alt protein maker Nature's Fynd plans facility in Singapore by 2023

With first Asia plant company has set sights on the biggest markets in China and India

1 August 2021
Employees scan parcels at a Suning.com facility. The company's retail business has struggled amid the pandemic.
Retail

Debt-laden Suning taps Alibaba supermarket boss as next chair

Inter Milan soccer club owner seeks know-how to fix struggling retail business

31 July 2021
A duty-free shopping complex in Sanya: Hainan has been nicknamed the Hawaii of China and is a popular tourist destination.
Retail

Japan's Kintetsu plots duty-free expansion to the 'Hawaii of China'

Duty-free shop in Hainan part of department store operator's overseas growth

25 July 2021
Shoppers walk out of a Muji outlet in Shanghai. The Japanese retailer just reaffirmed to Chinese customers that it is not a member of the Better Cotton Initiative and will not boycott cotton from Xinjiang.  
Retail

Muji to double Chinese store openings to 50 per year

Japanese retailer increases dependence on China despite Xinjiang cotton risk

24 July 2021
Companies involved in handling imports from non-European vendors on shopping platforms like AliExpress could now be legally liable if the products are defective. (Screenshot from AliExpress' website)
Retail

EU to force Chinese online vendors to play by its rules

New regulations tighten tax and compliance net for products imported into bloc

23 July 2021
The stellar debut, which was advanced by four days, reflected investor interest in internet-based consumer startups that are expected to thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic and comes at a time when India's stock market is near all-time highs.
IPO

Zomato soars in India market debut to $12bn valuation

Shares soared 82.8% after opening at 116 rupees in pre-open trade

23 July 2021
A hotel in Chiba Prefecture prepares to host athletes from Europe. Many hotels have been forced to cut rates after the Games' organizer banned spectators for Tokyo area events.
Business trends

In spectator-less Olympics, hotel bust drives retail boom

Money saved from rooms and tickets goes to big-screen TVs and designer handbags

22 July 2021