Digital platforms are empowering brands to widen their customer reach and sales channels, but they must tap the right tools and partners to ensure they have robust logistics support, says Joseph Ng (pictured below), CEO of Skyfy Technology, a Singapore-based provider of fleet management and vehicle tracking systems. In this byliner for RetailTechNews, Ng discusses key trends he sees unfolding in the Southeast Asian e-commerce landscape. Digital transformation has had a positive impact on e-commerce, especially in the areas of workflow [...]

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Lazada is banking on data to help retailers offer better a shopping experience on its e-commerce platforms and, hence, drive sales of their products. In this aspect, the Southeast Asian online marketplace already has been tapping the industry knowhow and technologies of its majority shareholder, Alibaba. Such sharing has included the Chinese e-commerce giant’s search algorithm and deep-learning technologies, Jing Yin, Lazada’s co-president of commercial, said in an interview. The executive himself had spent five years based out of Alibaba’s [...]

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This week, JD.com has teamed up with several hotels to showcase its technologies and marketplace products, enabling guests to purchase items they find in their rooms. Selected rooms at these partner hotels including Wanda, Sheraton, Beijing 5L, and Greenland, would be suited up with products identified to be popular amongst travellers, such as power banks to charge their devices, a Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush, and JD.com’s smart speaker cum personal assistant device. The Chinese e-commerce giant said it introduced the programme [...]

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QR codes have emerged as a popular tool to facilitate mobile payments, but their potential goes beyond enabling transactions and should be tapped to help retailers build brand equity. In fact, the matrix barcode and other visual-recognition technology can provide a way for businesses to bridge the gap between offline and online realms, according to Marcus Tan, CEO of AIQ, a Singapore startup that develops artificial intelligence (AI) software capable of mining images and visual data. Founded in 2014, the [...]

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Retailers looking to understand why customers choose not to purchase certain products should analyse in-store data to identify potential association and tap analytics to complement their own experience. Consumers today have more options and means to get what they need, so businesses have to get better at knowing what their customers want, said Jeremy Sim, global director of manufacturing and high tech at Qlik, which develops data intelligence and visualisation software. Retailers in Asia-Pacific are starting to recognise the importance of doing [...]

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Perplexed by the lack of a single global view of its available space inventory, Radisson Hotel Group began drawing the blueprint for a fully integrated unified technology platform that it says will create “memorable experiences and personalised touches”. Dubbed ‘EMMA’, the centralised platform will facilitate core hotel functions including reservations, guest loyalty, and point-of-sale, explains Kevin Carl, Radisson Hotel Group’s executive vice president and global chief information officer (CIO). In this Q&A with RetailTechNews, Carl discusses the role of EMMA in boosting [...]

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Why is engaging with customers through digital marketing comparable to online dating? Writing exclusively for ExchangeWire, Tom Byrne, SVP agency services, Merkle EMEA, explains that it’s all about meaningful relationships. Today’s always-on digital world has affected our lives in a multitude of ways. One of which is how we find love. With the plethora of online dating websites and apps now available, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to master the digital minefield of love. But what inspires us to make that right swipe or [...]

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Today, using location data as part of ad campaigns is the norm for most retailers – and for good reason. Not only does it enable them to build location-informed audiences, but also to target consumers with the right message, at the right location, and the right time, as well as to measure the effectiveness of their advertising at driving consumers in-store. In this piece for RetailTechNews, Mark Slade, CEO, Location Sciences, explains that, despite this, we are acutely aware that [...]

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TWG Tea is looking to build out an omnichannel e-commerce site with the aim to offer free shipping across all locations; but, in doing so, is cautious about ensuring it continues to be seen as a luxury brand. The Singapore-based tea brand marked its 10th anniversary this year with the launch of a new global online retail platform and local invitation-only MyTWG membership programme. Together, they served as the company’s digital business intelligence tools and helped establish better connection with [...]

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This week, China’s top 10 e-commerce players have been unveiled and are expected to account for more than 85% of the country’s total online retail sales by year-end, with Alibaba taking pole position. The market leader is expected to grab a 58.2% share of total e-commerce sales, followed by JD.com with a 16.3% share, according to eMarketer. The two leaders, though, would face increasing pressure from new market players that have emerged as “credible competitors” over the past few years, offering [...]

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