100Plus Zero finally comes to Malaysia

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20th February 2020

F&N has finally introduced 100Plus Zero into the Malaysian market, which represents the completion of the brand’s journey towards towards zero sugar. 100Plus Zero is a zero sugar, zero calorie isotonic drink containing acesulfame-k and sucralose. F&N has previously introduced 100Plus Zero in the Singapore market in early 2018 and launched 100Plus Reduced Sugar (4g of sugar/100ml) for the Malaysian market in 2018.

100Plus Zero is available at 7-Eleven outlets in Peninsular Malaysia only.

COVID-19: The Impact of Government’s Initiatives on Online Shopping Behaviours

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

20th February 2020

An article by iPrice

Singaporeans are highly concerned due to the increasing reported COVID-19 cases. The recent announcement of the city-state raised its risk assessment level to DORSCON Orange has caused the shortage of items such as face mask, hand sanitiser, antiseptic, and toilet paper.

It is also an evidence as online stores have reported high demand on medical supplies which brought the attention to the government on the supply chain disruptions.

Observing the situation of government initiatives towards online consumer shopping behaviours in Singapore, our team at iPrice tracked the stocks and prices of face masks by using our own database from hundreds of merchants and online stores.

1. A Shift of Public Perspective Towards Coronavirus

Data shows that there is a shift of public perspective amid the reported cases. This was an evidence as there was a surge on demand on hand sanitiser products as compared to

face masks on early February.

Among the many initiatives that most likely led to a better understanding of public awareness was probably due to the advisory guidance from Ministry of Health to uphold personal hygiene such as washing your hand regularly.

As Singapore stepped up its surveillance since the first coronavirus case that was announced on January 23^rd, there was a surge of search on masks and hand sanitizer despite doctors advising there was no need for healthy people to wear masks.

While masks are designed to block small particles, COVID-19 travels through droplets during sneezing or coughing. Hence, the switch focus on hand sanitizer showed Singapore’s community & nation are embracing the preparation for any emergency by stocking essential items.

2. Online Retail Supporting Rapid Consumption Rate on Face Mask

Analysing the data, e-commerce seems to be readily supporting the rapid consumption rate of face mask in Singapore. Data shows that there was a positive trend on the stock of face mask on online retail as we saw an increase of 173% on the February 4^th, indicating the capability of e-commerce to support the growing needs of the situation occurring in the city-state.

As such this potentially showed that e-commerce offers an alternative for Singaporeans to buy medical supplies online despite the trend of decreasing stocks occurred in January.

Among the many initiatives that led to the positive trend was the government’s efforts on the major distribution of the face masks to Singapore households in February. The initiative was probably driven by diversification strategy that was able to protect the supply chain from the surge of demand.

3. The Price of Reusable Mask Increased S$52.61 within 24 Hours

Observing the situation since the first case was reported, there was an increase in the average selling price of the reusable mask by 276% within 24 hours, indicating high demand for the reusable masks at current circumstances as compared to N95. The average price of S$10.84 (per box) was recorded on January 30^st 2020 which then increased to S$63.45 on the next day. Hence, Singaporean households tend to seek reusable masks as compared to the N95 masks.

A potential reason for the high surge in price was probably due to the rapid consumption rate after a few days of increasing reported cases. However, the recent announcement by the Government which stated that they have been distributing a pack of 4 masks to each household in an effort to anticipate the residents from supply shortages.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) also announced to work closely with the Consumer Association of Singapore (Case) in investigating any unfair and anti-competitive practices to help meet the high demand for face mask for Singaporean households.

Research Methodology

Face masks that were selected on this analysis are reusable and N95 masks, not including the disposable masks or any type of surgical masks. The price list of reusables and N95 masks were taken from the iPrice database, aggregated from hundreds of online shops that sold reusable and N95 masks. The search queries of medical supplies were chosen according to the most searched on Google Trends.

About iPrice Group

iPrice Group is a meta-search website operating in seven countries across Southeast Asia namely; Malaysia Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. Currently, iPrice compares and catalogues more than 1.5 billion and receives about 20 million monthly visits across the region. iPrice currently operates three business lines: price comparison for electronics and health & beauty; product discovery for fashion and home & living; and coupons across all verticals.

Ichitan leverages on Thai Milk Tea popularity with new Thai Milk Green Tea

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

18th February 2020

Ichitan has officially announced the launch of its latest RTD drink Thai Milk Green Tea in Indonesia on 14 February 2019. The 310ml drink is aimed at the 18-35-year-old segment. The new Thai Milk Green Tea is a combination of green tea and high quality skim milk. It combines green tea and Thai tea, both are currently popular with Indonesian consumers, with a hint of jasmine tea.

The company is confident to post a double-digit sales growth for 2020, said Johannes Yoslin, PT Ichi Tan Indonesia chief executive officer. He added that one more new product will be rolled out soon, reported Kontan.co.id.

Ichitan claimed its RTD tea is now the third most popular soft drink in the minimarket channel in terms of sales in 2019, a marked improvement from the 14th position when it first entered into the country in 2015.

Thai milk tea is a growth driver for Ichitan in Indonesia.

Aice officially opens Mojokerto plant, its second in Indonesia, new cone ice cream

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

18th February 2020

Aice Group Holdings Pte Ltd, the maker of Aice ice cream, has officially announced the opening of its second production facility in Mojokerto, East Java. With an investment of USD50 million, the new factory is said to be the largest ice cream plant in Southeast Asia spanning 44,152 square metres.

The factory was opened since October 2019 and comes with the concept of factory tour where visitors can see for themselves how Aice ice cream is made and have the chance to make their own ice cream. The factory has so far received around 15,000 visitors from all over the country. It is able to accommodate up to 100 people for each visit.

Aice’s factories in Cikarang and Mojokerto will be able to satisfy the demand of its 200,000 resellers. The new Mojokerto factory will help Aice to recruit more resellers in East Java as well as meet demand from the Philippines and Vietnam.

According to Aice, chocolate is still the top flavour not just in Indonesia but also in the overseas markets. The company has recently rolled out ice cream in cone.

FGV takes controlling stake in Bright Cow owner

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

18th February 2020

The latest announcement by FGV Holdings Bhd (FGV) taking a controlling stake in RedAgri Farm, the owner of the Bright Cow brand of dairy products, highlights the allure of the dairy industry in Malaysia. Malaysians want more nutrition and milk is seen by many as a good source of nutrition. Consumers are also upgrading to pasteurised fresh milk and has a greater interest in “freshness” as opposed to reconstituted or recombined milk. Dairy companies are pursuing the model of vertically integrating their operation including running their own dairy farms.

In the past few months, F&N has announced it would invest in dairy farm in Perlis, while Felcra has formed entered into an MOU with Qatari Baladna Food Industries to set up the largest dairy farm in Malaysia.

The RM10 million acquisition of RedAgri Farm by FGV places the palm oil major firmly in the fast growing dairy sector with a plan to process 20,000 litres of fresh milk a day by 2022. This would represent a 5 fold increase from the current processing volume of 4,000 litres per day currently equivalent to 1.5 million litres per year. The increase in the processing volume will be supported by contract farmers.

As a comparison, Holstein Milk, the manufacturers of Farm Fresh milk, has a total production of 19 million litres of raw milk per year and controls 45% of the country’s fresh milk market.

As a palm oil producer, FGV has the added advantage of being able to supply palm kernel meal cheaply to feed its dairy cows.

Crystal maintains lead in Thai drinking water market

By

Tan Heng Hong

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18th February 2020

Sermsuk Public Co., Ltd., which produces Crystal, Thailand’s favorite quality drinking water, said it has maintained its pole position in the Thai bottle water market with an average 19.1% market share throughout the year, according to the latest press release. The latest reading shows the company held a 20.4% share of the market as of December 2019. In 2019, the Thai drinking water market was valued at THB 35.78 billion. The company expects a 10% growth in 2020.

“Crystal will also promote responsible consumption and handling of used packaging through the ‘Crystal Refunding Happiness’ activity that will be held in cooperation with Samyan Mitrtown Mall. Starting in early-March 2020, a Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) will be installed for the young generation to collect and redeem empty CRYSTAL bottles for privileges at the mall,” according to the press release.

DFS Presents Ninth Prestigious Masters of Wines and Spirits Exhibition in Singapore

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

14th February 2020

Exhibition to showcase 59 masterpieces from over 50 legendary houses

FEBRUARY 13, 2020, SINGAPORE – DFS Group (DFS), the world’s leading luxury travel retailer, in partnership with Changi Airport Group (CAG), will present its ninth annual Masters of Wines and Spirits (MOWS) exhibition in Singapore during the month of March at Changi Airport’s Terminal 3 Departure Transit hall. The exhibition will feature an exclusive collection of 59 of the world’s rarest and finest wines, spirits and champagnes from over 50 world-renowned brands and houses.

DFS Masters of Wines and Spirits is part of the DFS Masters Series, a signature program of exhibitions around the world. The Masters Series is a showcase of the pinnacle of DFS’ leadership and innovation in curating and creating exceptional experiences across its five pillars of luxury: Wines and Spirits, Beauty and Fragrances, Watches and Jewelry, Fashion and Accessories, and Food and Gifts.

Renowned for its bespoke curation of products, majority of which are limited edition or exclusive to DFS, Masters of Wines and Spirits is a celebration of the world’s finest industry expertise, as well as the vast knowledge of DFS’ merchant teams, who work throughout the year to develop product specifically for Masters of Wines and Spirits, deliver new brands and signature classics.

“We are thrilled to present the ninth edition of our esteemed Masters of Wines and Spirits exhibition with another astounding collection, featuring 59 masterpieces,” said Brooke Supernaw, Senior Vice President Spirits, Wine, Tobacco and Gifts at DFS Group. “Bringing together some of the world’s most sought-after wines, spirits and champagnes, we look forward to offering our discerning customers at Changi Airport access to a collection of rare and exclusive products, many of which have been developed exclusively in celebration of this year’s Masters of Wines and Spirits.”

Changi Airport Group is proud of the continued partnership with DFS Group of the latest edition of the Masters of Wines and Spirits exhibition. Highly regarded in the industry as a world class event, travellers can expect a remarkable selection of exquisite and rare wines and liquors from around the world,” Teo Chew Hoon, Group Senior Vice President for Airside Concessions, Changi Airport Group.

This year’s Masters of Wines and Spirits curated collection will be available for preview and purchase at DFS Changi Airport Terminal 3 Departure Transit, Main Store, Upper Level from March 1 2020.

DFS Masters of Wines and Spirits 2020 Collection

This year’s unique collection includes the Johnnie Walker Master’s Ruby Reserve, an incredibly rich, full-bodied 40-year-old whisky that celebrates Master Blender Dr. Jim Beveridge’s 40^th year – his ruby anniversary – at Johnnie Walker. Limited to just 398 bottles, this exceptional whisky has been crafted using eight extremely rare whiskies, personally selected by Dr. Beveridge from some of the very finest casks in the Johnnie Walker reserves. This celebratory Scotch is Dr. Beveridge’s tribute to the whiskies that have left an indelible mark on his career. It follows Dr. Beveridge being awarded an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen for his outstanding service to the Scotch whisky industry in October 2019. This is the first time that this product is available by a retailer and is presented in a golden red Baccarat crystal decanter, crafted using 24-carat gold powder.

Another first release for a retailer is The Macallan Exceptional Single Cask, an exquisite and delicate expression that was distilled in 1950 and released in 2018. Also available for the first time in Asia and distilled in 1966, The Dalmore 51 Year Old’s vibrancy is testament to The Dalmore’s carefully composed spirit: complex and full-bodied.

Available exclusively at DFS, the Bowmore 1965 Washback Edition is the ultimate expression of the rare and undefinable house style of the Bowmore distillery. For this year’s DFS Masters of Wines and Spirits, Bowmore has partnered with Scottish cabinet maker, John Galvin to create two limited-edition wooden cabinets using authentic Oregon pine from Bowmore’s No.1 washback. Both limited-edition Bowmore 1965 Vintages will be available exclusively at DFS Masters of Wines and Spirits 2020.

The Rosebank Vintage 1990 was distilled three years prior to the closing of the distillery, and the bottling has been produced specially to mark the impending revival of the iconic Rosebank Distillery. Bottled in a bespoke Rosebank bottle with unique engraved rose detail and presented in a vibrant and rich red wooden cylinder with a bespoke certificate, these 200 are available exclusively in travel retail.

Specially created for DFS is The Compass Box Collection, a singular vision expressed in 114 inventive ways. Our largest collection ever showcases 114 individual expressions, Compass Box has experimented with every aspect of Scotch whisky’s flavor spectrum, expanding it in the process. DFS Masters of Wines and Spirits offers an unmissable opportunity to complement this one-of-a-kind Compass Box Collection perfectly.

This year’s collection also includes wines from Penfolds with the Special Bin 111A Clare Valley Barossa Valley Shiraz 2016 Methuselah, an altogether new style. Two special Shiraz single-vineyard parcels were blended together to make this wine beguilingly beautiful and different. Château Lafite Rothschild Double Magnum Collection 89, 99, 09 has been exclusively created for DFS and presents a rare opportunity to collect three of the great vintages produced by this estate. Another exclusive creation for DFS sees the Château Pichon Baron Double Magnum Collection 88, 98, 08 offers these describable vintages in double magnum.

Rare cellar release, Ornellaia Archivio Storico Collection 01, 04, 06 are the wines that have remained undisturbed in perfect cellaring conditions at the estate ever since their birth, and each bottle is individually packaged in an exclusive wooden box. A special collection created for DFS is the Shafer Hillside Select Magnum Vertical Collection 12, 13, 14, a perfect vertical in rare, limited-release large format bottles.

With only 12 released items, the limited edition Jérobo-Gem is an exclusive tasting table by Charles Heidsieck. This handcrafted luxury creation boasts a Jéroboam 1989 coming directly from Charles Heidsieck cellars and six Cristal glass specially chosen by the House Chef de Caves.

ViSenze and iPrice Announce Partnership to enrich Visual Shopping in Southeast Asia

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

14th February 2020

SINGAPORE, 5 February 2019 – Today, iPrice Group and ViSENZE announced a partnership that will bring more exciting products to shoppers when they shop with their AI-powered Shopping Lens embedded in their smartphones. Since 2019, smartphone users across Southeast Asia are able to use Visual Shopping Lens powered by ViSenze on their mobile phones to check if an item is available for online purchase.

As part of the partnership, iPrice brings over a billion new products from thousands of merchants across Southeast Asia for consumers to choose from when they shop with their mobile phone Shopping Lens that is powered by ViSENZE. Together, iPrice and ViSENZE will give users the best shopping experience by providing the most efficient way to search, find, and compare products, as well as their prices and delivery schedules. As a meta-search group, iPrice will additionally offer vouchers and coupons to shoppers. Just by snapping a picture of the product, ViSenze’s image recognition and search engine will automatically detect, recognize, and search for the exact or similar product choices from iPrice’s entire catalog and return the closest matches quickly.

“This partnership with iPrice will provide the widest and most comprehensive cross-platform shopping experience for users in Southeast Asia. We want to build a rich shopping experience that is served by having the most relevant products shown to the shopper through the most seamless search process. We want to give shoppers both tools and choices to make better purchase decisions, and also be offered recommendations that would delight them. To do this, we will leverage the entire iPrice product catalog and rich product content into our global affiliate network,” said ViSenze’s Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, Oliver Tan.

In just three easy steps, consumers can shop for products that they see anywhere:

Activate camera app and use the AI-powered shopping lens to point at a desired product, or simply upload a photo of it from your phone’s photo gallery
Browse through the suggested list of relevant products that appear (based on visually similar attributes)
Tap on one of the search results to be redirected to the merchant page to purchase the product

“We want to take inspiration to gratification immediately for consumers anywhere and everywhere. Take a photo of whatever you like and buy it online, in just 3 simple steps,” said Tan.

This Shopping Lens is currently available on most Samsung, Huawei, and Vivo smartphone models in Southeast Asia today where users can also compare prices and choices amongst different e-commerce sites and merchants offering the product. Users may refer to applications

Bixby (Samsung), HiVision (Huawei), Q-Lens (LG) and Jovi (Vivo).

“It’s a win-win situation. ViSenze provides the hassle-free search technology that eliminates keyword guessing to find products quickly. iPrice offers choices on good deals by comparing prices, deals, and delivery schedules from thousands of e-commerce merchants. Combining both of the values we offer, users get the optimal shopping experience,” said iPrice Group CEO & Founder David Chemlar.

There are over 200 million shopping lens users utilizing this technology from ViSenze today. With 360 million Internet users in Southeast Asia (and 90% of them primarily connected through their mobile phones), this mobile visual search technology will revolutionize online shopping. A recent study by National Research Group (NRG) in the United States uncovered shopping as the number one app category consumers would use more if Visual Search was integrated. ViSenze’s own market study shows that 62% of Gen Z and millennial consumers prefer to use visual search over text or any other technology.

“Through mobile phones, we want to bring the users’ convenience of shopping whenever and wherever they are. We want to be there and show them the best deals through the mobile Internet entry port,” said Chmelar.

iPrice Group catalogs more than 1 billion products from seven countries, namely Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, and Hong Kong. With the booming E-commerce market in these countries, especially Vietnam and Indonesia, both iPrice and ViSenze vow to work together for continuous technology and catalog enhancements for the best user experience in the region.

A new Calpis Valentine: A Great Deal of ‘Guts’ to Love

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

14th February 2020

Calpis rewarded 2 courageous Malaysians with a limited-edition Calpis Sakura bouquet from 50Gram

14 February 2020, KUALA LUMPUR – Continuing its unconventional and creative ways of celebration, Calpis – Japan’s first cultured milk drink – takes this opportunity to surprise two Malaysians with a limited-edition Calpis Sakura bouquet on Valentine’s Day in recognition for their extraordinary guts to express love and care towards family, friends, and strangers. Going against the norm of chocolate gifting, the collaboration with local florist, 50Gram, pairs flowers with healthier alternatives, such as the limited-edition Calpis Cherry Blossom, to promote a new Valentine’s Day culture. Delicious, with a hint of cherry blossom taste, Calpis Cherry Blossom is a highly anticipated favourite of many fans of cultured milk drink.

Santharuban T. Sundaram, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Alternate Business at Etika Sdn Bhd. explained the creative idea behind this rewarding campaign: “Long been an advocate of maintaining good gut health, Calpis hopes to spark a new Valentine’s Day gifting trend where instead of pairing flowers with chocolates, the combo with Calpis Sakura would still be a special way to win your love ones heart while also reminding them to cherish a healthy gut. With good health, we can embark on more loving adventures with not just our life-long partner, but also enjoy every day better with friends and family.”

Taking a creative approach to good gut health, Calpis is celebrating the first Valentine’s Day of the decade by reminding Malaysians that love comes in many forms – self-care, courage, expression, community participation – and that it takes a great deal of guts to express our love for ourselves and others. This could mean loving yourself by working on your fitness, loving your community by joining voluntary projects or mustering up courage to express your love for that special someone.

Rewarding Malaysians who have the ‘guts’ to love selflessly

Some said the graciousness of a Sakura flower’s lifecycle represents a symbol of warrior spirit in Japan – like a beautiful courage blossoming from within. Inspired by the tales of warrior spirit in Sakura, Calpis surprised two courageous Malaysians who have the guts to express selfless love in their everyday actions. Some of the heroic acts include:

A) An honourable love for the family

It’s not every day that we can give up our lifelong dreams to take a different path in life, but A’in has the guts to do so, and for very honourable reasons. Taking over her late father’s burger stall, Nurul A’in Azman, the 24-year-old civil engineer graduate, had chosen to give up her engineering dream to help out with the struggling family. The burger stall is said to be operated in Bukit Antarabangsa, with more than 15 different types of burgers for sale. Living with her mother and sister who suffers from autism, A’in is always seen as the pillar of strength and courage for her family.

B) Spreading smiles and love by being your best self

A smile goes a long way in the hospitality industry, but this waiter has outdone himself by giving the entire restaurant a laugh. Putting himself in the spotlight of everyone’s dining session, this waiter danced to a cover of the infamous Black Pink’s song ‘Kill this love’ while serving a table. The gutsy act itself caught many diner’s attention and the video went viral on social media – further spreading the positive vibes beyond the restaurant. Kudos to him for being courageous enough to put himself out there in the public!

Calpis reminds Malaysia that love starts with yourself

“Calpis has always been a fun brand – we find unconventional, interesting ways to engage with our fans and bring an important message. As one of the leading cultured milk drinks in Malaysia, our aim is to ensure that Malaysians are able to live healthier lifestyles while promoting a healthier gut and ease of digestive process. Through this collaboration with 50Gram, we are able to surprise Malaysians on this special day and remind them that their actions are loved by many and thus encourage more act of love and courage in the society,” concluded Santharuban.

From now till 29^th February, the limited-edition Calpis Sakura bouquet is available for order on 50Gram website. In addition, all 50Gram purchasers will receive a free limited-edition Calpis Cherry Blossom bottle with any purchase of bouquets while stocks last.

It’s time to celebrate a new kind of Valentine’s Day – order one now and express your love to your loved ones! For more order details, kindly visit the website at https://50gram.com.my/product/calpis-sakura/.

Unique Nescafe flavours including Caramel Biscuit to entice young consumers

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

12th February 2020

Nescafe, the leading coffee brand by Nestle, is continuing its experimentation with unique flavours to pique consumer interest in its coffee. The latest latte creations from Nescafe for the Thai market are Milk Tea Espresso and Caramel Biscuit.

Milk Tea Espresso taps into the strong interest in milk tea but with an espresso twist, while Caramel Biscuit is a flavor that is rather unique. Caramel Biscuit is probably playing around the consumer habit of dipping biscuit into coffee.

Nescafe explains the concept behind the new Nescafe Latte in a recent press release. According to Ms. Naritta Vipulyasekha, Business Manager – NESCAFÉ Coffee Mixes, Nestle (Thai) Ltd., “Nescafe saw an opportunity to run the market by maximizing the base of young-generation consumers who now drink coffee on many occasions and not just in the morning, which is the prime time for coffee, but also after lunch or in the evening, or when they would like to refresh themselves such as while studying for exams.”

She added that “This led to the development of ‘NESCAFÉ LATTE,’ a new coffee mix product range created under the concept ‘New NESCAFÉ LATTE Redefine coffee experience with unexpected twist of flavors’.

The official description of Milk Tea Espresso is that it blends Robusta coffee with black tea, which offers the intense flavor and pleasant aroma that goes perfectly with Robusta coffee. Caramel Biscuit combines Robusta coffee with a hint of delightful caramel for a well-balanced and rich flavor.

Mini Me Insights

100Plus Zero finally comes to Malaysia

COVID-19: The Impact of Government’s Initiatives on Online Shopping Behaviours

About iPrice Group

Ichitan leverages on Thai Milk Tea popularity with new Thai Milk Green Tea

Aice officially opens Mojokerto plant, its second in Indonesia, new cone ice cream

FGV takes controlling stake in Bright Cow owner

Crystal maintains lead in Thai drinking water market

DFS Presents Ninth Prestigious Masters of Wines and Spirits Exhibition in Singapore

ViSenze and iPrice Announce Partnership to enrich Visual Shopping in Southeast Asia

A new Calpis Valentine: A Great Deal of ‘Guts’ to Love

Unique Nescafe flavours including Caramel Biscuit to entice young consumers

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