Spire talks about retail trends at International Franchise Conference 2018

Spire Research and Consulting group’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Bahar was honored to be a guest speaker at the International Franchise Conference 2018. The conference was held on 21 April 2018 in Kuala Lumpur, organized by the Malaysian Franchise Association.

Jeffrey Bahar shared insights on the growth of the regional retail industry, focusing on key trends and the attractiveness of various emerging markets across Asia.

With global retail sales set to rise from USD25 trillion in 2018 to USD28 trillion in 2020, the Asia Pacific is expected to record USD10 trillion in retail sales by the end of 2018.

Bahar highlighted that Asian players were also among the top 250 global retailers in 2016, with China’s e-commerce player JD.com and Japan’s retailer Seven & I Holdings at the 28th and 20th rankings respectively.

With technology development, urbanization and the rise in working women, customers are demanding more innovative services, and retailers are responding. For example, Starbucks’ Reward App allows customers to redeem points to promote brand loyalty.

Jeffrey shared some interesting facts about the regional retail landscape. For example, the average Filipino dines out 42 times in a month (2015 figures), while 92% of Vietnamese shoppers still shop for groceries in-store, with beverages accounting for 40% of purchases.

Bahar’s presentation deck on “The new frontier: where to expand 2018-2020 and what’s happening around the world” can be found here.

Comments

QE program unveiled for Eurozone

The European Central Bank (ECB) recently took a policy leap by launching its own Quantitative Easing (QE) program – a bond purchasing policy to inject new money to revive the Eurozone’s economy. Will it work? Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting shared his insights in The Business Times – Views from the top section on the effectiveness of the QE program. With the launch of the QE program, the ECB hopes to boost economic growth and check deflation. This will be achieved through the purchase of both government and private sector bonds worth €60 billion from March 2015 until September 2016. Perera commented that, while better than nothing, the ECB’s QE program is small in comparison with the scale of the problem facing Europe. It will most likely have to be increased and sustained for some time before any results are seen. Moreover, the ECB runs the risk of trading short-term quantity for long-term quality of growth. This is due to the reduced ...

Bangladesh – A journey from poverty to development

Equivalent to the combined population of the Netherlands, Germany and France, Bangladesh is home to 160 million people. Although it is ranked as one of the world’s poorest of the 10 most populous countries, its economy grew by 7.1 per cent in 2016, a 30 year record. The country is starting to attract the attention of global companies. Can Bangladesh make poverty history? The story so far Bangladesh’s recent economic upturn is attributed to two major factors: its robust NGO sector and its thriving garment manufacturing industry. Bangladesh exported over USD26 billion in clothing, second only to China. Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan in 1971 after a devastating war. Just prior to the war, in 1970, a massive cyclone had hit the nation, killing thousands. Today Bangladesh’s GDP per person is USD1,538 in comparison to Pakistan’s at about USD1,470 in June 2016. Some analysts assess that Bangladesh has the potential to emerge as the 23rd largest economy in ...

IT investments to pour into India’s healthcare sector

India’s IT association Nasscom and GE Healthcare have forged a strategic partnership to co-create solutions for healthcare challenges through digital applications, remote and connected care among others. The partnership aims to provide cheaper, faster and more effective solutions for treating diseases while revolutionizing the relationship between medical professionals and patients to empower patients. Will tech investments digitalize healthcare in India? Get more information : https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/it-investments-to-pour-into-indias-healthcare-sector/

China leads e-commerce growth through smartphones

400 million Chinese consumers make online purchases and China’s e-commerce market is set to reach USD1.57 trillion by 2018, making it the world’s largest. As smartphone penetration continues to surge in Asia, online retail is evolving. Will mobile commerce become the dominant mode for online purchases in Asia? Japnit Singh, Senior Director at Spire Research and Consulting, shared his insights in China Daily – Asia Weekly. China’s e-commerce retail sales in 2015 increased by 42.1% to reach USD672 billion. This is equivalent to over 40% of global e-commerce retail sales. As the online retail experience continues to evolve, more purchases are made using smartphones. Growth factors responsible for this e-commerce boom include the rise in demand for imported products due to rising incomes, new online platforms and initiatives by the government. Cross-border consumer e-commerce added up to about USD40 billion (in 2015) – more than 6% of China’s consumer e-commerce in total. ...

Gazing into the crystal ball for 2020

A new year means hopes for better global economic growth. What lies ahead? Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his insights in Business Times – Singapore. A return of normalcy for global economic growth is foreseen despite uncertainties for Brexit and the US-China trade war. The RCEP trade agreement further promises a boost to global growth. Leon further pointed out rising tension due to US’s rigid stance against North Korea, China and Iran. Risk of political fragmentation and global trade is likely with countries set to align to either Chinese or the US spheres of influence. However, hopes of a more rational and rule-based governance remain. Read more: https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/media/gazing-into-the-crystal-ball-for-2020/

The Knowledge to Decide

Search This Blog