Sphere No.43 (Oct 2017)

01 For millennia the Middle East has been the place where East meets West. Going to the region’s bazaars, you can feel the immense richness of the history in those markets. The Group is expanding its long-standing presence in the area and that growth, from ports to water technology, can be discovered in these pages. Those bazaars, while they may now accept cashless payments, still embody the essence of ancient practices. Shoppers want to see and feel the goods. Ancient merchants connected with far-away customers just as their modern descendants do now, although today it is perhaps through email and apps instead of by galleon. Like the modern merchants, A S Watson Group also understands the innate retail impulse that has ruled commerce for thousands of years, while the retail group is at the same time developing and deploying world-class technology – from radio-frequency identification (RFID) and deep learning to virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). The Port of Felixstowe also celebrates the adoption of new technology that changed the world. The introduction of containers 50 years ago revolutionised logistics and put the Port at the centre of Britain’s economy, an event worth celebrating. Celebration has been very much a part of the Group’s experience lately, with Mr Li celebrating the annual awards ceremony for Shantou University graduates, this year with Nobel laureate Mo Yan. Our connection to the places we live and work – from Felixstowe to Hong Kong, in ports and stores, from now and into the future – is something we rightly treasure and will value for decades to come. Our connection to the places we live and work … is something we rightly treasure. WELCOME Sphere Magazine #43 October 2017 Cover Illustration Jessica Li Sometimes invisible, sometimes in your face, new technology in retail is changing this venerable business. Our artist captures the online and offline future, but uses warm colours to remind us that shopping is still a very human experience. A FUTURE WORTH CELEBRATING Published by CK Hutchison Holdings Limited 22/F Hutchison House 10 Harcourt Road Central Hong Kong Available on www.ckh.com.hk CK Hutchison In-house Editorial Team Laura Cheung Jeremy Lau Hans Leung Erica Liu Wendy Luk Ada Chan Feedback & Enquiries SphereE@ckh.com.hk Editor Andrew Work Writer Alex Fok Printing bigboXX.com Limited Creative Consultant thewhamagency.com Designed and Produced by Orijen Limited Tel: +852 2522 8122 www.orijen.com Editorial Julia Brown Creative Team Jan Adams Alina Rai Illustrations Jessica Li Alina Rai Production Team Katy Li Ada Leung Kit Cheung All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission from CK Hutchison Holdings Limited. Opinions expressed herein are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of CK Hutchison Holdings Limited. All currency conversions are approximations. ©2017 by CK Hutchison Holdings Limited