Sphere No.46 (Mar 2019)

NEWS Sphere #46 2019 06 RETAIL ASWwelcomes technology partners A SWatson Group (ASW) takes technology transformation seriously andwelcomed 18 partners for ASWTechnology Partner Day. These partners, and 15more to come, work closelywith the retail group to drive digital initiatives. Smile with ASW ASWbusiness units literally brought smiles to the faces of children in Guizhou, China through procedures that correct for congenital facial defects. The children received free cleft lip and palate surgeries, thanks to the retail group’s annual global “Give a Smile” campaign to support its charity partner “Operation Smile”. High-tech shopping giant ASW and China’s Yonghui, two leading retailers, have formed a joint venture backed by one of the world’s biggest tech firms, Tencent. PARKnSHOP China will combine with Yonghui superstores to create a 70+ store network in Guangdong, China with 2.2 million loyalty members. Tencent’s big data prowess will be brought to bear to transform the retail experience. Good Morning, Vietnam! Watsons launched into its 13thmarket by opening its first store in Vietnam. The nation’s biggest city, Ho Chi Minh, now hosts a 2,500 sq ft store offering 6,000 products and a Vietnamese eStore with 8,000 products. Mirror, mirror on the wall Who’s the highest tech of themall?Watsons is! It has partneredwith image processing and social sharing platformMeitu to provide product recommendations with in-app advanced facial recognition technologies. “MagicMirror” creates an enchanting online and offline shopping experience for customers in WatsonsHongKong. The partnership also provides a new source ofmember recruitment inMainlandChina. Ports Cooperating for a competitive Hong Kong port Hutchison Ports HIT formed the “Hong Kong Seaport Alliance” with other port operators to improve efficiency in the port and Hong Kong’s competitiveness in the region. A common terminal operating system will help operators respond to a changing industry environment. (From left to right) Mr Dominic Lai, ASW Group Managing Director, Mr Zhang Xuanning, Founder of Yonghui Superstores, and Ms Tian Jiangxue, Deputy General Manager of Tencent Smart Retail, jointly officiate at the launch of “PARKnSHOP-Yonghui”.