Singapore – Retail and e-commerce network Hmall has recently unveiled a new branch in Singapore, marking a stride into the Southeast Asian market.
This action not only establishes a pivotal presence in Singapore but also sets the stage for Hmall’s plan to fully expand throughout the region using its powerful affiliate system.
The strategic move into Singapore underscores Hmall’s goal of reaching a broader audience and becoming a prominent player in the Southeast Asian market. The new branch will be serving as a hub for innovation, collaboration, and customer engagement.
Beyond being a retail space, Hmall recognizes the importance of staying ahead in the ever-evolving e-commerce landscape, and the Singapore branch is poised to become a centre for experimentation, adaptation, and the development of cutting-edge strategies.
Furthermore, Hmall’s affiliate system will play a central role in the expansion throughout Singapore, providing a unique opportunity for affiliates to not only benefit individually but also actively contribute to Hmall’s growth in the region.
For Hmall, this strategic move sets the stage for a comprehensive and influential global presence, marking the beginning of a year that promises numerous branch openings in key markets, including Australia, Hong Kong, Brazil, and more.
Tag: Expansion
Manila, Philippines – Digital finance service Coins.ph has recently unveiled its plans to accelerate its global expansion efforts, eyeing to enter the Australian market in 2024.
This announcement comes after Coins.ph’s Australian arm successfully acquired an ‘AUSTRAC’ (Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre) Digital Currency Exchange registration required for providing cryptocurrency exchange services in Australia.
Furthermore, this strategic action emphasises the homegrown company’s commitment to broadening its reach internationally and bolstering the availability of regulated and compliant digital asset services.
This expansion also marks a significant milestone in the company’s global journey, as the service will be catering to the growing Australian crypto market, as well as to Filipinos who are overseas in Australia, who can now look forward to a more connected financial experience that bridges their lives down under with their roots in the Philippines.
Talking about these expansion plans, Wei Zhou, CEO of Coins.ph, commented, “Coins.ph is primed for global expansion. Our journey began nearly a decade ago in the Philippines and since then, we’ve onboarded 18 million customers and expanded our services in both the digital asset exchange business and in e-wallet services.”
“Our team has top-tier talents with global experience in this industry. We’re thrilled to bring these capabilities to new markets.” he added.
South Korea – EGGDROP, the Korean egg sandwich brand from Golden Hind Co., Ltd, managed by CEO Young-woo Noh, has announced the opening of its second foreign location in the Philippines, following its debut in Bangkok, Thailand.
As a result of an agreement to open 10 stores in Thailand, EGGDROP made its debut in the Philippines and became the brand’s first international export. With the result, a multi-franchise agreement to open five locations in the Philippines has been fulfilled. In the Philippines, EGGDROP plans to open two stores in the first half of 2024. In the second half of the year, it plans to open three more stores in strategic areas.
Golden Hind’s plan for worldwide expansion includes the important component of introducing EGGDROP to the Philippine market. Their goal is to provide Filipino customers with a novel culinary experience that combines delicious and health-conscious options.
EGGDROP, which is expanding in Korea, has received franchise queries from over 30 nations worldwide. Nations such as the United States, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, and India are included.
Speaking about the expansion, Youngwoo Noh, CEO of Golden Hind, said, “We are very excited to announce EGGDROP’s second international expansion. We look forward to providing a fun experience for consumers in the Philippines.”
He added, “In addition to Thailand and the Philippines, EGGDROP is actively seeking master franchise partners in other countries such as the U.S. and Japan to strengthen the brand’s presence globally.”
Singapore – IPG Mediabrands is a media and marketing solutions company. Interpublic Group has launched a partnership with The Insight Hive (Pvt) Ltd. for the establishment of two new organisations, UM Sri Lanka and Initiative Sri Lanka.
IPG Mediabrands and Insight Hive for UM Sri Lanka, and Initiative Sri Lanka have established a partnership agreement that will be implemented immediately.
The announcement comes following earlier this year’s revelation of new agency debuts in New Zealand and Pakistan. It expands IPG Mediabrands’ footprint in the Asia-Pacific region to 16 countries.
Speaking about the expansion, Leigh Terry, CEO of IPG Mediabrands, said, “The network’s expansion into three new growth markets this year, is not only testament to the strength and vitality of our media agencies and the demand for their services, but it also signals the health and recovery of our industry within the Asia Pacific region. Proof in point, our recent MAGNA global advertising forecast confirms that the Asia Pacific advertising economy grew by +8.2% this year, significantly higher than the global average of +5.5%.”
Meanwhile, speaking about the partnership, Peter Solomon, managing director of IPG Mediabrands Sri Lanka, commented, “This alliance with IPG Mediabrands is a major landmark for us at Insight Hive. We stand at the forefront of representing the UM and Initiative media agencies in Sri Lanka, which will contribute to the evolution of an ecosystem that is founded in our unique experience and market intelligence, coupled with the international scale and standing of the IPG Mediabrands network.”
He added, “We hope to establish new standards in consumer intelligence and effective campaign development targeted at a fast-paced marketplace.”
Australia – Kris+ by Singapore Airlines has selected global fintech platform Airwallex to power the extension of its lifestyle rewards app to more than 1.3 million KrisFlyer members in Australia.
The new partnership will allow for the integration of Airwallex’s Payment for Platforms solution into the Kris+ app, facilitating a more seamless payment and payout experience that supports miles earning and redemption capabilities from customers and partner merchants in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia.
The Kris+ app allows its users to earn miles from everyday spending or to pay for purchases and experiences. With this partnership, Australian users will now also be able to earn a rate of up to three miles for every dollar spent at selected partners in Melbourne and Sydney. Additionally, new Kris+ app users can earn up to 2,000 bonus miles upon making payments of at least AU$15 on the app.
Among the 100 partner merchants that are expected to join the programme in its first month of launch are Benjamin Barker, The Ugg Shop, D1 Store, and 124 Shoes.
Arnold Chan, general manager of Asia at Airwallex, said, “Kris+ by Singapore Airlines sought a partner that could provide a suite of payment processing and financial solutions that could modernise their payment infrastructure and better serve their customers. Our global financial infrastructure is ideally positioned to meet Kris+’s needs. By integrating Airwallex’s end-to-end turnkey solutions into its app, Kris+ users can enjoy a frictionless payments and rewards experience.”
He added, “We are proud to be working with Kris+ to support their growth internationally and are committed to help other Singapore-based businesses who have the ambition to scale.”
Commenting on the partnership, Luke Latham, managing director at Airwallex Australia and New Zealand, also said, “Australia is a special place for Airwallex as our birthplace, and we’re committed to supporting local businesses to grow globally while also opening doors for international brands to do business in Australia. Partnering with Kris+ by Singapore Airlines to expand their KrisFlyer programme in Australia is a great example of this, and we’re so excited to be helping them reach their customers here.”
“With international travel to Australia increasing significantly in the past year, the growing influx of visitors highlights the potential of Kris+ to offer added value to both tourists and businesses in Australia,” he concluded.
India – SMCP, a global leader in the accessible luxury market, has recently entered a strategic partnership with Reliance Brand Limited, demonstrating their commitment for expansion in markets, like India, with high growth potential.
In this collaboration, SMCP intends to expand its global presence in the Indian market by appointing RBL as their daughter company, Sandro and Maje’s exclusive distributor.
Following its strong presence in the market, RBL brings forth established exclusive partnerships across various sectors including Bottega Veneta, Tiffany & CoValentino, Versace, Armani, Boss, Zegna. It has also recently partnered with Balenciaga to launch its brand in the same market.
As the leading provider of premium to luxury lifestyle brands in India, it has also managed a network of over 900 standalone stores and an equivalent number of concessionaire formats, all bolstered by a distinctive Omni Channel online presence.
This initiative is set to open its first retail store in 2024.
Seoul, Korea – Korean telecommunications provider SK Telecom(SKT) has announced its collaboration with Malaysian telecommunications provider CelcomDigi Berhad, Indonesian game developer Agate, and Philippine IoT platform provider and consumer electronics company Cosmic Technologies, creating mutually beneficial business opportunities through publishing partnerships for SKT’s metaverse platform, ‘ifland’.
For this initiative, SKT recently signed MoUs with Agate and Cosmic Technologies, and will further expand its previous partnership with CelcomDigi to carry out activities to boost ifland through localised content and marketing, and primary customer support.
Through the collaboration, Ifland will be updated with four additional languages, Indonesian, Malay, Filipino and Spanish. The platform will also be equipped with curative services so that it can promote tailored content for users in different countries and SKT will provide the necessary services to improve service quality.
SKT expects the partnerships to bring mutual benefits. The partners will be able to gain experience in the metaverse service without making initial investments for service development, and SKT will be able to offer content tailored to each country or region and conduct effective localised marketing via its partners.
Going forward, the company will provide more administrator rights to its partners to vitalize the use of ifland in each different region, and in the long run, it will seek partners in the U.S., India and Europe to accelerate the global expansion of ifland.
Talking about these partnerships, Yang Maeng-seog, vice president and head of metaverse CO at SKT, said, “We partnered up with three representative IT companies in Southeast Asia and are now able to promote the platform through tailored marketing that will be provided through our partners.”
“Through these partnerships, we will continue to do our best to provide ifland users with content and services that understand their culture and society by partnering with more local companies,” he concluded.
SKT began expanding ifland to the global market by launching the service in 49 countries in November 2022. Since then, it has been making efforts to increase ifland’s global presence by discovering a wide range of attractive content and features for global users, such as virtual meetups with K-pop stars.
Singapore – Full sensory experience agency The Company We Keep (The CWK) has expanded its SEA team and offerings with the addition of Tam Xu as project director and Nicole Pow and Deon Tan as project managers.
In her new role, Xu will spearhead the delivery of bespoke projects for clients across the SEA region. She will nurture and train the team of producers that will be based on the newly-opened Singapore hub to ensure a stellar production powerhouse.
Xu will also be responsible for day-to-day project management across multiple departments, ensuring operational and financial discipline, delivery excellence, and resource optimisation.
Prior to her appointment at The CWK, she played a pivotal role in setting up the events and project management teams from scratch at MOI Global. As an event director, she led a growing team to manage end-to-end event planning and execution, building strong client relationships with companies such as Fujifilm, Google Cloud, Oracle, Red Hat, and UBS.
Meanwhile, in their new roles as project managers, Pow and Tan will be overseeing the CWK projects within the Singapore hub.
Pow, who brings with her 8 years of experience managing various events ranging from conferences, meetings, award ceremonies, and travel incentives, will also leverage her tech-savvy expertise in her new role.
On the other hand, Tan will take on a social and creative-heavy role. She brings 10 years of experience across events, sales, and marketing.
With the opening of the agency’s Singapore office earlier this year, they are now officially in operations and are working with clients such as Credit Suisse, WalkMe, Salesforce, and DocuSign.
Victor Darmawan, business director for Asia at The CWK, said, “I am incredibly excited about Tam, Nicole, and Deon joining the company, and I look forward to working closely with them to elevate Singapore as the next hub for The CWK. Together, we will continue to provide world-class service to our clients, fostering growth and success.”
Nigel Ruffell, CEO at The CWK, also shared, “The addition of Tam, Nicole, and Deon to our growing team is a testament to The Company We Keep’s remarkable success in the SEA region. Each of them brings a wealth of invaluable experience that will undoubtedly enhance our capabilities across APAC. With our expanding team and reinforced presence, we’re embarking on an exciting journey filled with limitless opportunities, and we eagerly anticipate the amazing work they will do.”
Meanwhile, commenting on her new role, Xu said, “The CWK has an envious reputation, and I’m thrilled to be part of the SEA team during an exciting growth phase. Together with Victor, I look forward to scaling new heights, building a team, and achieving new milestones for The CWK’s Singapore Hub.”
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Pos Malaysia, a prominent national postal and parcel service provider, has recently announced the expansion of its second retail store in Kuala Lumpur today, November 17.
Strategically located in Brickfields, the recently inaugurated shop covers approximately 1,100 square feet of retail space and is merged with the existing Pos Laju Brickfields.
A notable addition to the establishment is the Pos Kafe, which provides customers with a variety of freshly cooked, ready-to-eat cuisine and beverages for dine-in or takeout. This can be accessed by the public this year, following the May 2023 launch of its first branch in Medan Tuanku, Kuala Lumpur.
Sumesh Rahavendra, group chief transformation and digital officer at Pos Malaysia, said, “We were heartened by the positive feedback received from the opening of our initial Pos Shop in Medan Tuanku. We are confident this second outlet will be equally embraced by the community. With the introduction of Pos Kafe within Pos Shop, customers will now be able to enjoy freshly prepared food and beverages daily, providing a convenient grab-and-go meal option amidst their busy schedules.”
“As Pos Malaysia continues on its transformation journey, we are committed to delivering innovative retail concepts that add value for our customers. We are enhancing our extensive retail space to offer more services and greater convenience to the rakyat,” added Sumesh.
“As an organisation that is passionate about building trust to connect lives and businesses for a better tomorrow, we are looking forward to serving the community beyond the confines of traditional postal transactions,” he ended.
Leveraging its wide reach and retail footprint, Pos Shop is set to inaugurate nine additional stores in Pahang, Selangor, Johor, and Melaka by the end of the year. This move is aimed at providing customers with an immersive in-store experience and retail convenience across Malaysia.
Singapore – Global brand suitability and contextual advertising platform Channel Factory has strengthened their APAC operations, recently appointing Kevin Rooney to managing director for Southeast Asia and India, and Kriti Jetley to head of sales SEA.
In their new roles, Rooney will be assuming overall responsibility for SEA and India and collaborate with other APAC leaders, whilst Jetley will be instrumental in driving Channel Factory’s sales efforts and building on key client relationships in the SEA region.
With an impressive career spanning over 20 years, Rooney brings extensive expertise in sales, leadership and marketing, having over 19 years across WPP agencies with his former role being APAC CEO for mSix and Partners. His notable achievements include winning Campaign’s New Business Team of the Year and setting two ‘R3 new business leagues’ records.
On the other hand, Jetley brings with her 14 years of experience in the dynamic digital landscape of the Asia-Pacific region. Most recently Head of Product Marketing at TikTok SEA, she has also held senior sales roles at Criteo and Outbrain, bringing with her an extensive knowledge of the digital ecosystem.
Speaking on his appointment, Rooney said, “I am honoured to join Channel Factory as Managing Director for Southeast Asia and India, and I look forward to driving the company’s growth in these vibrant markets. Channel Factory’s commitment to transforming the media landscape through brand suitability and advanced technology aligns perfectly with my passion for innovation and business development.”
Speaking on her appointment as well, Jetley also mentioned, “I am proud to now be a part of Channel Factory, a company that is at the forefront of revolutionising brand suitability by aligning content seamlessly with advertisers’ needs.”
“In the era of burgeoning User-Generated Content, reaching in-target audiences at scale has become a challenge for brands and the demand for effective brand suitability solutions has never been more critical. I am thrilled to extend my expertise across the digital landscape and contribute to Channel Factory’s mission in this regard,” she added.
Meanwhile, Alex Littlejohn, managing director of APAC at Channel Factory, commented, “We are delighted to welcome Kevin and Kriti to the Channel Factory team. Their wealth of media and industry experience will contribute significantly to our growth in the APAC region, and we look forward to achieving great success with this robust team.”