Retail

Telkom Indonesia has begun a quest for new sources of growth as mobile subscriptions are saturating in the country.
Telecommunication

Telkom Indonesia sets out on steep road as 'telco-tech hybrid'

State company lifts Netflix ban, expands broadband to reverse slow growth

22 July 2020
Ant Group is planning a dual IPO as competition in China's digital payments market heats up. (Source photos by Reuters and AP)
Finance

Ant's IPO plan: What to know about China's $200bn fintech king

Company controlled by Alibaba founder Jack Ma plans dual listing this year

21 July 2020
Japanese business leaders are not expecting a quick bounce-back from the economic damage from the pandemic.
Business trends

Majority of Japan CEOs say recovery won't happen for 2 years

Nikkei survey says businesses move to trim back office space as telework takes root

21 July 2020
Sanyo Chemical Industries' all-polymer battery can power Kawasaki's unmanned submarine for 16 hours on one charge.
Technology

Japan drone submarine eyes 16-hour dive with plastic battery

Sanyo tests rechargeable prototype with Kawasaki's unmanned vessel

21 July 2020
Ant Group is one of the world's most valuable fintech companies.
Finance

Alibaba payments arm Ant seeks dual listing in China and Hong Kong

Valued at more than $150bn, fintech group bypasses New York

20 July 2020
 Xpeng's P7 sedan at the Guangzhou auto show last November. It is the electric vehicle maker's second production model.
China tech

Xpeng raises $500m as Chinese EV makers step up capital hunt

Funding boosts firepower as front-runner in crowded field ramps up output

20 July 2020
In India and China, retail demand for gold jewelry has fallen as shoppers stay home due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Commodities

Asia's retail gold demand sinks as price hits 9-year high

As 1 ounce nears its record of $1,923, retailing in India and China proves tough

20 July 2020
Cecil McBee, already challenged by H&M and other competitors, was dealt another blow by the coronavirus.
Retail

Fashion brand Cecil McBee to close all stores

Trendsetter will shutter 43 locations by February as contagion kills sales

20 July 2020
Vegetable vendor Endih checks a mobile phone to look at a customer's shopping list at a traditional market in Jakarta, Indonesia. Leading e-commerce platforms Bukalapak is expanding its mom and pop kiosk business.
Startups

Indonesia's Bukalapak keeps faith in offline sales despite COVID

CEO of e-commerce unicorn says mom and pop kiosks key to growth

20 July 2020
A 7-Eleven store in Kawasaki features multiple cases for frozen food. (Photo by Takuya Imai)
Retail

7-Eleven rethinks 'convenience' in Japan's new normal

More frozen food, less rice balls just part of revamped layout -- the first in 50 years

19 July 2020
An Aoyama Trading outlet in Tokyo displays men's clothing promoted as suitable for teleworking and even reducing stress associated with it. (Photo by Shumpei Sakai)
Retail

Japanese men's business wear industry revamps to fit 'new normal'

As suits lose favor, Aoyama and others push telework-easy casual look and masks

18 July 2020
Half of Itochu's employees will continue to commute to the office, in rotating shifts.
Coronavirus

Itochu reverts to telecommuting as Japan's infections surge

Trading house moves to rotating shifts with coronavirus testing for employees

18 July 2020
Prominent among new unicorns last quarter were internet software and services that help curb the spread of the coronavirus while boosting productivity. (Source photo by Getty Images) 
Startups

Chinese and US unicorns emerge by the dozen in new normal

Demand shifts to companies offering cloud services and e-commerce

17 July 2020
A number of Burger King outlets in China's eastern Jiangxi Province have been shut after consumer affairs program "315 Night Show" accused the fast-food chain of serving expired products.
Food & Beverage

Burger King shops in China close following state-run TV expose

US fast-food chain apologizes after accusations it served expired food

17 July 2020
Suntory is targeting health-conscious millennials with its All-Free nonalcoholic beer. 
Food & Beverage

Suntory enters US beer market with alcohol-free brew

Japanese distiller plays catch-up with Anheuser-Busch InBev and Heineken

17 July 2020
Sharp and other television brands are on display at the Bic Camera store in Tokyo's Yurakucho district. (Photo by Makoto Okada)
Electronics

TV sales roar back to life as stay-at-homers seek larger screens

Japanese shipments of 50-inch or bigger models soar 60% in May

17 July 2020
The STAR market has bolstered Chinese financial market reforms by giving companies an easier route to a public listing. (Nikkei Montage/Source photo by AP/Reuters) 
Business Spotlight

Shanghai's STAR market brings in new dawn for Chinese tech

Surging debuts on 'domestic Nasdaq' lure investors and bolster China's strategic aims

17 July 2020
A condominium showroom in Beijing in July.
Economy

Chinese are buying houses again, buoying economy

In central Beijing, 400 luxury condos sell out in a day

17 July 2020
British chip designer Arm is behind the architecture of more than 90% of all smartphone chips.
SoftBank

SoftBank pushes Arm to focus on chips ahead of possible IPO

UK tech company to offload IoT business as parent looks to raise cash

16 July 2020
Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani says the conglomerate is "blessed to have world-class partners like Facebook, Google and Microsoft."
Business deals

Ambani's digital dream grows with $4.5bn Google stake in Jio

Asia's richest man shuns Chinese investors in favor of American giants

16 July 2020
India's e-commerce marketplace is becoming a battleground for three well-funded operators -- Walmart's Flipkart, Amazon.com and Reliance Industries' JioMart.
Retail

Flipkart raises another $1.2bn from Walmart-led investors

Latest round values Indian e-tailer at $25bn as it battles Amazon and JioMart

15 July 2020
Major Chinese internet groups are facing extreme scrutiny but it does not mean that they must stop expanding internationally.
Opinion

China's aggression is undermining its tech giants' global ambitions

TikTok's troubles shows ByteDance and others will face U.S. pushback as they expand

15 July 2020
It is noteworthy that Colin Huang, pictured in July 2018, says his new focus will be corporate governance.
Opinion

Pinduoduo and Luckin Coffee show China's corporate governance dilemmas

CEOs acting as chairmen and fake sales highlight weaknesses in system

14 July 2020
A Central-operated store in Vietnam: The Thai group is accelerating its expansion into the neighboring market. (Photo courtesy of Central Group)
Retail

Thai mall operator plots expansion across Vietnam

Central to operate in 55 of the country's 63 provinces

13 July 2020
Colorful frames are popular in Southeast Asia, glasses store operator Owndays says.
Companies

Japan's Owndays woos Southeast Asian fashionistas with ultracheap eyewear

Seven Days hawks hip, colorful glasses with small price tags

13 July 2020