Staff Reporter

Building customer-centric stores: How innovation can help retailers overcome challenges

Building customer-centric stores: How innovation can help retailers overcome challenges

Discussions highlighted Zebra Technologies’ Workcloud suite, SaaS tools for creating customer-centric stores, and the role of AI in empowering retail workers.

Watsons invests $250M for 6,000 new and upgraded stores in Asia

75% of the stores in the region will offer customers upgraded experiences.

ZALORA launches AI-powered customer service chatbot in Southeast Asia

The chatbot can access personalised information on orders, deliveries, and returns.

How can retailers balance cross-border return fees and customer satisfaction?

In India, for instance, three in five consumers require free returns, posing a challenge for retailers.

Central Food Group trials AI-powered system to reduce store food waste

Amongst the key features are automatic detection and optimal recycling.

Luxury brands embrace budget beauty trend with diffusion lines

Collaborating with retailers is seen crucial to effectively reach the target audience.

How can brands maintain profitability in perma-discount era?

Value-centric strategies can boost customer satisfaction without constant markdowns.

Nissin Foods acquires Gaemi Food

The deal is valued at KRW48,000m (HK$271.7m).

Luxury brands double down on resort markets 

Major brands strategically expand into leisure destinations to tap into their target audience.

Jo Malone opens flagship store in Japan

The new Harajuku location spans 2,540 square feet.

Over 10k brands see over fivefold transaction surge in JD.com's 618 Grand Promotion

Major brands like Apple, Midea, Haier, and Xiaomi quickly surpassed the $14m mark in sales. 

Hong Kong retail sales drop 14.7% in April

The sharp decline was mainly attributed to the timing of the Easter holidays.

Rakuten achieves carbon neutrality across all subsidiaries

It implemented energy efficiency measures and adopting renewable energy across its subsidiaries. 

DoubleDragon's CityMall opens first Jollibee Group multi-brand store

This allows customers to order from all four brands in one transaction.

Global online retail sales to reach $6.8t in 2028: Forrester

About 76% of global retail sales will still occur offline in 2028, amounting to $21.9t. 

Chinese food industry sales hit $328.7b in 2023

The growth was largely driven by staple foods.

Lippo Malls Indonesia Retail Trust secures $209.45m loan facility

Of this, $193.95m will be used to repay existing SGD loans in June 2024.