Retail

Under a new bill to be presented to parliament in January, operators of e-commerce sites in Japan can be ordered to halt sales of fake and faulty products. (Source photos by Wataru Ito and Kyodo) 
Retail

Japan to crack down on fake and faulty goods sold online

New law will enable government to order e-commerce sites to halt sales

8 December 2020
A palm oil plantation in Indonesia: Growers in Indonesia and Malaysia account for more than 80% of global output. (Photo courtesy of Kao)
Commodities

Japan makers face slippery slope in procuring sustainable palm oil

Transition to RSPO-certified product proves out of reach for most companies

6 December 2020
Koji Ohara, former president of Don Quijote Holdings, was arrested for alleged securities law violations on Dec. 3. (Source photos by Kosaku Mimura and Makoto Okada)
Retail

Don Quijote ex-head arrested on suspicion of illegal stock tips

Acquaintance told of tie-up with convenience store chain: prosecutors

3 December 2020
Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group plans to open as many as 500 locations on the mainland over 12 months through March next year.
Retail

Hong Kong jewelers rush to mainland China for survival

Plunging tourist traffic during pandemic fuels shift to thriving market

2 December 2020
Flipkart has a dominant position in Indian online commerce but competition is intensifying.
Retail

Flipkart beats Amazon in India's record $8.3bn festive sales

Online bonanza brought to fore importance of small-town shoppers

30 November 2020
A rendering of a new commercial complex in Hanoi: Takashimaya is taking part in several large-scale projects in Vietnam as the company pushes into the real estate sector.
Companies

Takashimaya chases new identity as developer, starting in Vietnam

Department store operator shifts focus to real estate in coronavirus era

27 November 2020
Miniso stores, like this one in Singapore, typically stock more than 8,000 low-priced items, ranging from cosmetics to toys. The company aims to introduce 100 new items each week. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura) 
Business Spotlight

Chinese retailer Miniso shows strains in dash for global growth

Toasted for New York IPO and Paris debut, trendy discounter hits bumps elsewhere

27 November 2020
ITC is challenging Amazon and Flipkart for a share of the growing Indian e-commerce market, which is expected to reach $100bn in sales by 2024. (Website screenshot)
Business trends

Consumer goods companies in India take on Amazon and Flipkart

Tata and ITC launch e-commerce platforms despite challenges ahead

26 November 2020
A JD.com logistics center in Beijing: The online retailer opened two more of these facilities last quarter to bring its total to 30.
Retail

JD.com hires 15,000 workers for expanding logistics network

China's No. 2 player hones delivery edge over Alibaba with two new hubs

25 November 2020
When consumers take interest in a fashion item, mai's ad plug-in immediately identifies the content and automatically displays products. (Photo courtesy of mai)
36Kr/KrASIA

Chinese startup transforms ads with AI-based technology

Markable's mai solution allows search and purchase of items while watching video

24 November 2020
Participation by Alibaba and Ant in the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, China, comes amid a public consultation on plans for new restrictions on internet companies’ anti-competitive practices. (Photo by CK Tan)
China tech

Alibaba chief calls new Chinese competition rules 'necessary'

Daniel Zhang strikes supportive tone following collapse of Ant Group IPO plan

23 November 2020
Walmart's foreign flops can be attributed largely to tone-deaf management, which failed to take into account local business customs and other concerns. (Photo by Yo Tanaka)
Comment

How Walmart flopped in Japan, and elsewhere overseas

New majority holders KKR and Rakuten race to revive battered Seiyu brand

21 November 2020
 The 7-Eleven convenience store chain will use fuel-cell trucks to help cut its greenhouse gas emissions in Japan. (Photo courtesy of Seven-Eleven Japan)
Environment

7-Eleven parent eyes net-zero emissions by 2050 in Japan and US

Seven & i Holdings to invest nearly $1bn over 5 years to achieve target

20 November 2020
A Reliance store in Mumbai. The parent company of Reliance Retail has sold a 10.09% stake in the unit as it gears up for a protracted fight for a bigger slice of India's e-commerce market.
Business deals

Ambani-run Reliance Retail completes $6.4bn fundraising spree

India's top retailer expands its war chest to compete with Amazon and Flipkart

20 November 2020
Unicharm operates in more than 80 countries but has struggled to catch on big in regions beyond Asia.
Business Spotlight

Unicharm takes on COVID-19 and rivals with 'made in Japan' masks

CEO wants to sell to Indonesia and Thailand to build on success with diapers

20 November 2020
Nitori is one of Japan's best-known furniture chains, offering a wide range of products at affordable price points. (Photo by Satoshi Hishida)
Companies

Japan's Nitori spends $1.9bn to build own logistics chain

Furniture retailer to streamline inventory management and shipments

20 November 2020
Wally Bockl, vice president of fresh foods at Walmart Japan, promotes Angus Beef at a press conference in 2016. (Photo by Masayuki Nakagawa)
Business deals

Walmart finds US-style retail a tough sell in Japan

Amazon stands in the way of Seiyu's digital push under KKR and Rakuten

17 November 2020
The 11Street partnership marks Amazon's first step into South Korea's e-commerce market.
Retail

Amazon forays into South Korea in partnership with SK Telecom

Business and capital tie-up with midtier 11Street offers foothold in new market

17 November 2020
A Seiyu store in Tokyo: The supermarket chain has seen growing demand for food deliveries amid COVID-19. (Photo by Yoshiyuki Tamai) 
Business deals

KKR and Rakuten to buy 85% of Seiyu from Walmart

Companies to join US retail giant's Japan business as demand for deliveries grows

16 November 2020
The weight of food products in Japan is shrinking while their prices go up. (Source photo by Reuters)
Datawatch

Portion sizes shrink in aging Japan as 'real' food prices rise

Consumers pay 11% more by weight for ingredients as household members decline

15 November 2020
The Lotte Mart Junggye store in a Seoul residential area. Products ordered online go from the sales floor to an upper conveyor to be moved for loading on delivery trucks. (Photo by Kotaro Hosokawa)
Retail

South Korea's Lotte converting physical stores into online bases

Retail group faces increasing competition from e-commerce challengers

15 November 2020
Employees of online retailer JD.com pose for a photo in Beijing on Nov. 11: Tighter draft rules on microlenders have thrown the planned IPO of its fintech unit, JD Digits, into doubt. 
Caixin

JD.com fintech unit's IPO hits regulatory snag

Tough new draft rules rattle small-loans sector

12 November 2020
Alibaba Group's Jiang Fan, president of Taobao and Tmall, speaks at the e-commerce company's Singles Day global shopping festival at a media center in Hangzhou on Nov. 12.
Retail

Alibaba's Singles Day sales set record $74bn with help from livestreaming

Beijing's move to combat internet monopolies clouds tech companies' fortunes

12 November 2020
Demand arising from public investment and private consumption in China continues to buoy the business of foreign companies that operate or sell there.
Companies

Japan and Taiwan companies to gain from China's quick recovery

Market's pull still strong in many industries despite talk of 'exit'

11 November 2020
Cartier CEO Cyrille Vigneron says consumers stuck at home are investing their would-be travel budget in jewelry.
Interview

Cartier relies on Asia and online sales to drive growth

Luxury maison sees 'no problem of competition' from Tiffany sale to rival LVMH

11 November 2020