Retail

7-Eleven opened its first store in Laos in September 2023. By the end of February 2026, the chain's Japanese operator expects to have 50,000 outlets in Asia outside Japan.
Retail

7-Eleven and Lawson to open a combined 10,000 Asia-Pacific outlets

Japan convenience store giants aim to tap the region's swelling middle classes

5 January 2024
Residents walk past a damaged house in Nanao, Ishikawa prefecture. The earthquake on Jan. 1 has affected a wide area along the Sea of Japan coast.
Natural disasters

Japan quake disrupts operations at FamilyMart, Nippon Steel, Toshiba

Impact spreads across industries, from retail to manufacturing to logistics

3 January 2024
Department stores say international tourists are buying high-end items. (Photo by Makoto Okada)
Retail

Inbound tourists drive Japanese department store sales to record high

Weak yen boosts sales of high-end items despite slow return of Chinese visitors

2 January 2024
TSMC plans to start operating the new semiconductor factory commercially in late 2024. (Photo by Kosuke Kondo)
Retail

Japan retailers ready for demand surge from TSMC's Kumamoto plant

Izumi offers Taiwanese food at shopping center; Nitori opens furniture shop

1 January 2024
Orchard Road in Singapore in November: While not as many Chinese tourists or moderate-spending locals are filling the boutiques, luxury brand shoppers have been active. (Photo by Hiroki Endo)
Economy

Singapore's Orchard Road loses Chinese tourists, midrange spenders

Indian visitors surprise local business group by showing up in large numbers

30 December 2023
A Brand Off store opened in May at The One shopping center in Hong Kong: Secondhand store operator Komehyo has made Hong Kong central to its expansion plans. (Photo by Kensaku Ihara)
Retail

Japanese secondhand goods chain to upgrade Hong Kong business

'Hidden treasures' lead Komehyo to name city regional headquarters

29 December 2023
Aeon, Japan's largest supermarket chain, has announced steps to reduce the workload on drivers in line with legal limits on overtime hours that will take effect in April 2024.
Retail

Japan retailer Aeon overhauls logistics to ease driver shortage

Steps include planning deliveries with AI and improving truck load rates

25 December 2023
A crowd of shoppers gathered outside the main entrance of The Exchange TRX on opening day on Nov. 29. (Photo by Mayuko Tani)
Retail

Malaysia sees surge of megamalls with more to come

The Exchange TRX shopping complex joins Kuala Lumpur's mall frenzy

23 December 2023
Natural diamonds are losing market share to less-costly synthetic stones.
Commodities

Diamonds lose sparkle in U.S. and China, sending prices to 14-year low

Inflation-hit consumers more likely to buy synthetic stones now

23 December 2023
Authorities say the new regulations are an attempt to keep up with the emergence of QR code and facial recognition payment systems.
Caixin

China sets final rules for Alipay, WeChat Pay and their peers

Regulations seek to rein in more than 180 nonbank payment institutions

21 December 2023
Eddie Wu, left, will replace Trudy Dai as CEO of Alibaba's e-commerce unit. Both Wu and Dai helped found Alibaba. (Source photos by Getty Images and screenshot from Alibaba's website) 
Technology

Alibaba Group CEO Eddie Wu to take over company's e-commerce unit

Trudy Dai replaced as group faces fierce competition in two key segments

20 December 2023
Factory-direct shopping services help consumers find lower prices. (Photo by Tomoko Wakasugi)
Retail

Alibaba's factory-direct online shopping soars in China

Consumers flock to 1688.com wholesaling site as economy loses steam

20 December 2023
Filipino shoppers collectively lost more than $2.8 million in online scams during the first nine months of 2023.
Retail

Philippines emerges as Asia's epicenter for online shopping scams

Experts warn over country's lack of digital literacy and cybercrime awareness

18 December 2023
Visitors at a Kopi Titik Koma cafe in Jakarta. Indonesia is forecast to be the world's fourth-biggest coffee producer in 2023-2024. (Photo by Devin Jimie)
Food & Beverage

Indonesian coffee shops tempt customers with mix of local, foreign beans

Abundant varieties spark experimentation as domestic output falls

17 December 2023
Customers wait for hours to get a taste at the brand new Heytea store on Broadway in Manhattan, New York. (Photo by Marrian Zhou)
Retail

China's trendy Heytea makes a splash with U.S. debut in New York

Boba tea fans wait hours in line for taste of famous cream cheese foam -- and home

17 December 2023
The Japanese government is working to lower drug prices, putting pressure on pharmacies. (Photo by Daiki Hiraoka)
Business deals

CVC Capital to buy Japan pharmacy operator Sogo Medical for $1.2bn

European fund aims to boost corporate value through expansion via acquisitions

15 December 2023
Yonghui Superstores is China's second-largest supermarket chain by sales after Walmart.
China debt crunch

China's No. 2 supermarket chain sells stake in Wanda unit

Growth of online shopping in pushes Yonghui to shed assets

15 December 2023
Chinese-owned TikTok will take a controlling stake in GoTo's Tokopedia unit and will invest over $1.5 billion in the "enlarged entity over time." (Nikkei montage/Source photos by GoTo group and AP) 
Business deals

China-owned TikTok to invest $1.5bn in Tokopedia, take 75% stake

Move comes after Indonesia banned direct e-commerce on social media platforms

11 December 2023
Long-video streaming platforms such as iQiyi, Tencent Video and Youku have a combined 800 million monthly active users, according to a May report by Quest Mobile.
Caixin

China's internet content kings struggle to keep users paying

Tencent, iQiyi and Alibaba's Youku face challenge retaining subscribers

11 December 2023
A cafe in Ho Chi Minh City: Vietnam's distinctive coffee filters and "ca phe sua da" have become a cultural export. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Food & Beverage

Latest buzz: India and Vietnam to lead Asia's growth in coffee consumption

Region's move beyond tea linked to urbanization and more disposable income

10 December 2023
A worker holds up clothing at a factory in Indonesia. Apparel companies are focusing more on mitigating human rights abuses in their supply chains.
Supply Chain

Japan clothier Aoyama to screen Indonesian plant for abuse risk

More Japanese companies perform human rights due diligence amid Tokyo's push

8 December 2023
Shoppers at a Masan Group shop. Bain Capital is injecting an additional $50 million into the Vietnamese conglomerate.
DealStreetAsia

Bain Capital pours another $50m into Vietnam's Masan Group

Injection comes amid rising operating profit in conglomerate's retail business

7 December 2023
A partnership between TikTok and Tokopedia could help TikTok re-engage with Indonesian consumers before it loses them permanently, and also make e-commerce competition in Southeast Asia more attractive. (Source photos by Getty Images and Reuters) 
DealStreetAsia

TikTok, Tokopedia could announce Indonesian e-commerce deal soon

Talks for partnership and investment said to be in final stages

6 December 2023
Trucks line up in Osaka: New rules capping overtime hours for truck drivers in Japan are forecast to cut the country's cargo delivery capacity by more than a third by 2030. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)
Asia Insight

Japan's 2024 problem? Trucker overtime curbs risk an economic pileup

Multiple industries brace for impact of move to tackle chronic driver shortage

5 December 2023
Models showcase GU apparel at an event in Tokyo in September. The brand focuses on more trendy offerings at lower price points than Uniqlo. (Photo by Nanami Sato)
Retail

Uniqlo sister brand GU to set up shop in New York in overseas push

Retailer aims for $4bn in sales in 5 years, with eyes on Europe and Southeast Asia

5 December 2023