Singapore

Consumers now have another healthy option for their breakfasts with the launch of Nestlé’s new gluten-free corn flakes.

Keppel Land, one of Asia’s premier property companies, has acquired a 75% in Array Real Estate for a total consideration of S$4.5 million (US$3.5 million).

All eyes are on mobile commercae as data from the 2015 Mobile 500 report demonstrates its unprecedented growth in worldwide retail figures.

Honeywell is a leading provider of innovative voice technology solutions. Its Vocollect Voice enables nearly one million global mobile workers to move US$5-billion worth of goods each day and saves companies more than US$20 billion a year. Larry Sweeney, business development senior director of Honeywell Vocollect Solutions, offers five tips on how retailers can best use Vocollect Voice in an omni-channel environment.

NTUC Fairprice, Singapore’s biggest retailer serving about 400,000 shoppers daily, has increased the number of locations for its online grocery Click&Collect service from seven to 22, just four months after its launch.

Customer experience is a top priority for companies targeting online customers, and it is definitely worth the effort as the amount of sales generated by e-commerce continues to hit new records everywhere.

Redefine roles, curate offering & change employees’ mindset

What can we expect of global grocery trends this year? IGD innovation expert Laura May offers some insights and predictions from its latest report on the global food and consumer goods industry.

Many shoppers today face a common problem — carrying too many loyalty cards and vouchers, and the hassle of filling up forms each time they want to join a new reward programme. Shoppers love loyalty and discount cards, but wish that merchants could make it easier for them.

Sharing best practices through collaborative platforms is one of the best ways to deliver safe and trusted products to consumers, says Food Industry Asia (FIA), a non-profit industry association formed in 2010 to enable major food companies to speak with one voice on complex issues such as food security, food safety and the harmonisation of standards. Pradeep Pant, keynote speaker for this year’s Global Food Safety Conference, shares how the concept of collaboration and ‘Shared Responsibility’ can lead to greater trust in food. Throughout the interview, he stresses the importance of placing consumers at the heart of any business and government strategy.

Data analysis is one of the best ways to help businesses understand their customers, their markets and lots more. This can be done quickly and easily by starting small and using the right business tools and software. Dongbae Park, director, Retail Industries, Microsoft Asia-Pacific, explains how retailers can do this to achieve added business insight and competitiveness.

To say that the retail industry today faces unprecedented change is an understatement. Gone are the days wherein retailers only need to be armed with a “one size fits all” approach. With the fast adoption of smart gadgets and the rapid expansion of free WiFi hotspots and reliable 3G connections, retailers must be prepared to embrace a radical form of thinking to survive the ever-competitive retail landscape.

Today’s customer journey is no longer linear, and brick-and-mortar retailers must create an omni-experience for shoppers to glide seamlessly between online and offline, says Terry O’Connor, Group CEO, Courts Asia.

It has been a good 2014 for H&M — its store and online sales surged ahead last year on growing demand and an expanding network of stores worldwide.

Global economy turning gloomy

Tetra Pak, the world leader in food processing and packaging solutions, has introduced the industry’s first carton made entirely from plant based, renewable packaging materials.