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Showing posts with the label Consumers

The ASEAN logistics industry: A growing connectivity hub

The ASEAN nations collectively – if considered a nation – would be the seventh largest economy in the world. Their combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is about USD2.4 trillion (as of 2015). ASEAN has a consumer base of more than 600 million, an expanding labor force and a rising Ecommerce industry. There is a growing need to streamline industrial inventories and develop an efficient logistics industry to aid increasingly complex supply chains. Will ASEAN’s logistics industry rise to the challenge? The growing wealth of ASEAN economies With rising costs in China, creeping political turbulence around the world and slower global growth, ASEAN is being seen as a haven of tranquillity by investors. ASEAN’s business sphere is not mature, dominated as it is by small and medium-sized enterprises. But the abundance of natural resources and cost-effective skilled labor has lured many companies to carry out manufacturing processes in this region. For instance, Thailand and Indon

Spyware tracking under the radar

The U.S. has seen a massive growth in sales of “off-the-shelf” software to trace an individual’s every move based on the microwaves emitted by their mobile phones. This opens the door to privacy and personal data security issues. The fear of being watched has been expressed by 80% of Americans. The growth in consumer spyware looks set to continue over the next year and it is unclear how it can be controlled. A bill has been introduced in the US Congress requiring a warrant to track mobiles phones. Should a global legal framework be introduced to track consumer spyware? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/spyware-tracking-under-the-radar/

Side Click: Recognizing the taste of carbohydrates

The tongue is capable of discerning the taste of carbohydrates. Diet foods – containing artificial sweeteners but few carbs – are thus unsatisfying to many consumers. How can food manufacturers cash in on the ‘carbohydrate taste’? Tasting carbs Simple and complex carbohydrates, including sugars, are the body’s main source of energy. People tend to treat carbs as more of a necessity and “filler food” than a tasty treat. But a study conducted in 2014 suggests that the tongue senses the taste of carbohydrates in addition to the five conventional tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter and savoury). According to the study, when an individual consumes carbohydrates directly, there is a 30% increase in activity in the brain areas controlling movement and vision. Carbohydrates influence areas of the brain which are not affected by artificial sweeteners. The brain’s pleasure centers only light up when the tongue senses real carbohydrates instead of artificial sweeteners. Good news

India: Are Indian consumers living the ‘luxe’ life?

What do you do if you are an Indian who fancies a Gucci bag or eyes those red Jimmy Choo shoes? A trip abroad is not necessary when all these luxury brands are now accessible in India. Now that luxury spending in China and Japan is slowing down, big brands are eyeing the Indian luxury market, which continued to grow at 30 per cent in 2013 to reach USD8.5 billion. It is expected to hit USD14 billion by 2016. Is this just a fad or will India’s luxury sector continue to power ahead? India – The next hub for luxury? India accounts for close to one per cent of the global luxury market. India’s luxury market is far from insignificant. According to one report, it was worth USD7.6 billion in 2012 . This contrasts with a figure of USD 18.7 billion for China (from a different source), and a global market of USD 1.1 trillion for luxury goods and services. India accounts for close to one per cent of the global luxury market. Luxury sales are currently seeing a slow-down in China