The journey of customers and business innovation in the retail industry comes to a close once again. As the curtain falls, let us reflect on the stories from the second half of the year—highlighting the transformative changes, groundbreaking breakthroughs, and the rise of new players in the retail arena. This period has witnessed a shift in how businesses approach customer engagement, technology, and sustainability. Alongside this, we have seen the evolving expectations of customers, who are now more informed, demanding, and conscious of their purchasing decisions.
As we look back on the key moments, game-changing trends, and emerging strategies, we explore what’s shaping the future of shopping. Learn who the consumer of tomorrow is and discover the strategies you’ll need to capture their attention. After all, in this ever-changing arena, the consumer will always be the king.
At RetailWise, we firmly believe that keeping a finger on the pulse of what the market wants isn’t just a strategy but the heartbeat of a successful business.
Stay updated with RetailWise’s comprehensive Retail Report for H2 2024! Gain insights into the latest developments and trends in the retail industry at global, regional, and local levels. Discover innovative advancements and understand the dynamic changes shaping the retail sector. Don’t miss out, click below to stay ahead in the retail world!
Our final stop for our Singapore retail store visit is Little Farms in Holland Village, home to their first-ever Urban Concept Grocer & Restaurant. This two-story space perfectly blends a thoughtfully curated grocery on the ground floor with Little Farms Table, a cozy café upstairs offering handcrafted dishes made from scratch—free from MSG, artificial flavorings, colorings, or preservatives.
Why Little Farms Stands Out
Little Farms is Singapore’s friendly neighborhood market, dedicated to providing fresh, all-natural, and organic groceries sourced directly from trusted farmers and artisans around the world. Their “Freshness Guaranteed” promise ensures that if you’re unhappy with the freshness or quality of any purchase, they’ll gladly provide a refund or replacement.
Here’s what makes Little Farms special:
Cheese & Deli Counter: Discover varieties of cheese and premium charcuterie selections, offering something for every palate.
Fresh Produce & Ethical Sourcing: Their fresh fruits and vegetables are the stars of the store, complemented by a butchery that exclusively features ethically raised, regeneratively farmed meats. They also support sustainability with their Im-Perfect Produce section, where slightly blemished but perfectly edible produce is sold at discounted prices.
Banned Ingredient List: Little Farms is deeply committed to transparency and health, enforcing a strict Banned Ingredient List that excludes over 200 potentially harmful chemicals, preservatives, artificial flavors, colors, and additives. Shopping here means you can trust every ingredient to be safe and natural.
Ready-to-Eat Options & Bakery: For those on the go, Little Farms offers a selection of freshly baked bread and wholesome ready-to-eat meals, prepared with the same high standards of quality and care.
Little Farms Table: On the second floor, enjoy an all-day dining menu featuring delicious dishes crafted from fresh, organic, and ethically sourced ingredients. It’s the perfect spot to relax with friends or family, and private rooms are available for special occasions.
Wine Selection: A carefully curated range of wines awaits, making it easy to pair the perfect bottle with your groceries or meal.
Little Farms is all about making healthy living accessible, offering a mindful shopping and dining experience that’s as delicious as it is ethical. This grocery is a must-visit destination for fresh, flavorful, and thoughtfully sourced food!
At RetailWise, we are bringing value across different brands. We aim to ensure your satisfaction by guaranteeing the success of your business from strategy to execution. Explore our strategies, resources, and expertise and find the perfect fit for your needs click here
CS Fresh Supermarket truly lives up to its name—everything is genuinely fresh, from fruits and vegetables to the delicatessen, meat, and seafood sections.
Fruits and vegetable area
Fresh butchery and meat area
Fresh seafood
CS Fresh by Cold Storage is an upscale supermarket spanning over 2,700 sqm at Basement 1 of Great World. It’s a haven for gourmet enthusiasts, featuring bespoke butchery services, a world-class selection of beer, wine, and spirits, a fresh bakery, fresh sushi, and Singapore’s widest range of organic produce.
Wine, beer and spirits
Fresh sushi and fresh bakery
Delicatessen and fresh produce area
You will love this store from the moment you step in. Fresh flowers greet you at the entrance, accompanied by vibrant displays of colorful fruits and vegetables.
For added convenience, the “meals-to-go” section offers ready-to-eat options for those on the go. Coffee enthusiasts will appreciate the Tanamera Indonesia coffee bar, where you can enjoy premium coffee, refreshing drinks, and delicious food while shopping.
Kitchen on the go area
Tanamera coffee shop
CSFresh also prioritizes customer convenience with features such as free delivery for minimum orders, clear signage guiding you to counters, and self-checkout stations—an innovation worth considering in the Philippines to reduce long supermarket lines.
One more thing we like about this store is their e-waste collection bins, encouraging customers to recycle and be rewarded. You can recycle household batteries and bulbs here. Additionally, they have a Foodbank at the entrance, where customers can drop off food donations to support vulnerable families during challenging times.
Self check-out | free home delivery signage | recycle bin | Foodbank
The ambiance, look, and feel of this store make shopping a delightful experience. It’s a place you’ll not only shop at but also enjoy visiting time and again.
Stay tuned for more highlights from our Singapore retail journey as we continue to explore some of the city’s most inspiring retail experiences.
At RetailWise, we are bringing value across different brands. We aim to ensure your satisfaction by guaranteeing the success of your business from strategy to execution. Explore our strategies, resources, and expertise and find the perfect fit for your needs click here
The RetailWise Team recently visited Singapore, diving into its most innovative retail destinations! This week, we’re spotlighting standout retailers with unique features and concepts.
First, we showcased FairPrice Xtra at VivoCity. Next up : Scoop Wholefoods Singapore—a collaboration between Singapore’s retail powerhouses, Gill Capital and Sydney-based Scoop Wholefoods Australia.
This store is a haven for health-conscious shoppers, offering a wide array of organic, sustainable products and a zero-waste shopping experience.
We visited the flagship location at Great World, a 9,000 sq. ft. space thoughtfully designed for eco-minded shoppers.
Tea area
The store features bulk wholefoods, a Beauty & Bath chamber, an in-house Glass Box Bakery, and even a Kombucha Bar.
Glassbox bakery
With over 2,000 products—around 80% certified Australian organic and environmentally responsible—Scoop WholeFoods embodies a commitment to sustainable, wholesome living.
Scoop Whole Beauty
Sustainable homewares
What’s especially notable is the cozy bench area where shoppers can relax, read a book, and recharge.
The raw honey section is another beautiful highlight, adding to the store’s aesthetic appeal and dedication to eco-friendly advocacy.
Stay tuned for more highlights from our Singapore retail journey as we continue to explore some of the city’s most inspiring retail experiences.
At RetailWise, we are bringing value across different brands. We aim to ensure your satisfaction by guaranteeing the success of your business from strategy to execution. Explore our strategies, resources, and expertise and find the perfect fit for your needs click here
ALPHABET’S YouTube and e-commerce platform Shopee said on Wednesday (Sep 18) they were launching an online shopping service in Indonesia and planned to expand it in South-east Asia as competition picks up with a rival operator owned by TikTok.
Under the YouTube Shopping tie-up, people will be able to purchase goods viewed on YouTube through links to Shopee, which is owned by South-east Asian technology conglomerate Sea Ltd. Company executives told reporters they plan to expand the service to Thailand and in Vietnam in a few weeks. YouTube Shopping is already active in South Korea and the US.
Indonesia’s “energy and velocity around online shopping” is what prompted the launch, YouTube Asia-Pacific director Ajay Vidyasagar said in Jakarta. With YouTube Shopping, Alphabet and Shopee will be competing against TikTok, the Bytedance-owned video app, which has increased its ambitions for the region after taking control of Indonesia’s biggest e-commerce platform Tokopedia.
Asked about the size of the partnership with Shopee, Vidyasagar said it was very significant, but declined to give numbers. He said YouTube Shopping would be opened to partners other than Shopee “in a phased, sequenced manner.” Reuters reported last year, citing sources, that YouTube was planning to apply for a licence to operate e-commerce services in Indonesia, South-east Asia’s largest economy.
TikTok’s shopping service, TikTok Shop, accounted for US$16.3 billion in 2023 in gross merchandise value in South-east Asia, in a nearly fourfold jump from the previous year, consultancy Momentum Works said in a report.
This has made the platform the region’s second largest e-commerce platform after Shopee.
The region of nearly 700 million is one of the world’s fastest growing e-commerce markets. The Momentum Works report said South-east Asia’s eight largest e-commerce platforms racked up US$114.6 billion in gross merchandise value in 2023, up 15 per cent from 2022. REUTERS
TAKEAWAY:
This news marks a significant shift in how businesses and retailers should align their future strategies, particularly in terms of marketing and growth. As the collaboration between YouTube and Shopee begins in Indonesia and soon expands to Thailand and Vietnam, it’s only a matter of time before the Philippines becomes the next market to adopt this trend. With the rapid growth of the local e-commerce sector and platforms like TikTok providing stiff competition, businesses must stay ahead of the curve by embracing new, integrated shopping experiences that combine entertainment with commerce.
For retailers and brands in the Philippines, this signals a need to rethink traditional marketing approaches and adapt to the evolving digital landscape. The ability to seamlessly link content with purchasing decisions offers an exciting opportunity to engage consumers in a more interactive and immediate way, potentially driving higher conversion rates. As the digital economy continues to flourish, businesses that proactively align their strategies with these innovations will be well-positioned for long-term success.
The question now is: how will Filipino businesses adapt, and are they ready for this new wave of e-commerce?
Indonesian coffee chain Kopi Kenangan – also known as Kenangan Coffee – is expanding its global footprint, beginning with the launch of its first stores in India and the Philippines.
The company will open its first Philippine store in October at SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City.
In India, Kopi Kenangan will make its debut early next year through a licensing agreement with a local F&B business. However, specific details have yet to be finalised.
During its initial expansion phase in Southeast Asia, the company said it would focus on establishing at least 10 stores in shopping centres.
“Our expansion into Malaysia and Singapore is a testament to our commitment to serving quality coffee to more people around the world,” said Edward Tirtanata, founder and CEO of Kopi Kenangan.
“Moving forward, we hope to continue expanding our reach by opening 500 international Kenangan Coffee outlets across various countries,” he said.
Founded in 2017, Kopi Kenangan is one of the largest branded coffee chains in Indonesia, with more than 900 outlets across 60 cities.
The brand made its international debut in Malaysia in 2022, followed by an expansion into Singapore last year, where it currently operates 48 and seven locations, respectively.
Homeowners and DIY enthusiasts in Pampanga now have a new go-to place for their home improvement needs.
Metro Retail Stores Group, Inc. (MRSGI) has officially launched its first Metro Home Improvement store at Marquee Mall, Angeles City, which offers a wide array of home improvement and enhancement products.
Spanning 1,000sqm, the store houses a comprehensive selection of hardware, lawn and garden supplies, car and pet care products, appliances, electronics, housewares, and storage solutions.
To ensure a convenient shopping experience, the store is thoughtfully designed with clearly marked sections.
“This marks a monumental step as we introduce our first Metro Home Improvement store format, a key part of our aggressive expansion strategy. This store represents our commitment to being a dependable partner for the hardworking moms and dads who strive to create the best lifestyle for their families,” said Manuel Alberto, Chief Operating Officer of MRSGI.
The new store boasts several exclusive brands and product lines, along with interactive displays and appliance demonstration areas. Customers can also look forward to exciting promotions and unique finds.
“We have ambitious plans to expand across various locations, continuously innovating and improving to serve our customers better. By pairing our home improvement format with our existing Metro Supermarkets, we ensure a seamless shopping experience that saves time and delivers quality products, all under one roof,” Alberto added.
Watsons, the leading health, wellness, and beauty retailer, is proud to announce the grand opening of its first greener store in San Pedro, Laguna. This milestone is a testament to Watsons’ steadfast commitment to sustainability, setting a new standard for a more eco-friendly retail in the Philippines.
Today, we proudly inaugurate the first Watsons Greener Store in San Pedro, Laguna, this store sets a new standard in sustainable retailing, embodying our dedication to fostering a vibrant culture of sustainability in every facet of our operations. By empowering our customers to embrace sustainable products and practices, we aim to make a meaningful impact on our planet.
– Jin P. Jimenez Director for Store Operations
Sustainable Elements of a Greener SThe Watsons Greener Store is a pioneering project, utilizing renewable energy, sustainable store materials, and energy-efficient appliances. The store’s materials and fixtures adhere to greener building standards, earning certification from Pi Energy Inc. This ensures that the store’s operations align with environmental standards, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.
Sustainable Elements of a Greener Store :
Renewable Energy Sources: The store is primarily powered by solar energy, exemplifying Watsons’ dedication to minimizing its environmental impact through sustainable energy solutions. By utilizing solar panels, the store saves approximately 7.5 tons of CO2 emissions annually, equivalent to the CO2 absorption of around 377 trees annually.
The Watsons Greener Store uses sustainable materials and fixtures with no plastic components and utilizes energy-efficient lighting and appliances, reducing environmental impact.
Sustainable In-store Materials & Fixtures: Marketing materials, including signages and displays, are crafted from Solidus material instead of Sintra board containing PVC or plastic reducing environmental impact. Additionally, all marketing materials are made from recycled paper and boards with FSC® certification, ensuring they originate from responsibly managed forests. The store also utilizes wood for its display racks and fixtures, further enhancing its commitment to sustainability.
Energy-Efficient Appliances: The store uses LED lights that do not contain toxic materials, are 100% recyclable, and reduce energy consumption by up to a third. Additionally, the store utilizes inverter air conditioners and refrigerators that consume 40% less energy than conventional units.
Sustainable Choices Products: Watsons offers a wide range of sustainable choices products that advocate Clean Beauty, Better Ingredients, Refill Packs & Better Packaging from responsibly- sourced materials.
Refill Station: Watsons introduces the first refill station outside Metro Manila, customers can conveniently replenish their Naturals by Watsons bottles with their favorite body wash and shampoo variants. The store also sells refillable bottles with screw caps, allowing customers to save up to 40% compared to standard purchases.
Waste Minimization Initiatives: The store encourages customers to bring reusable shopping bags and actively promotes waste reduction, segregation, and recycling.
The store opening was attended by Jin P. Jimenez, Director for Store Operations, Alisandrea Coloma, Senior Manager for Sustainability alongside local government officials Hon. Ramil Hernandez, Governor of the Province of Laguna, and Hon. Mayor Art Francis Mercado of San Pedro, Laguna. Their presence underscores the collaborative effort between Watsons and the local community to promote sustainable development in the province.
“Today, we proudly inaugurate the first Watsons Greener Store in San Pedro, Laguna, this store sets a new standard in sustainable retailing, embodying our dedication to fostering a vibrant culture of sustainability in every facet of our operations. By empowering our customers to embrace sustainable products and practices, we aim to make a meaningful impact on our planet,” said Jin P. Jimenez, Director for Store Operations.
The opening of Watsons Greener Store marks a significant shift towards sustainable practices in the retail industry, making sustainability a more achievable goal for everyday shoppers. Watsons aims to minimize waste and empower customers to make eco-conscious choices, contributing to a healthier planet. By integrating sustainability into its operations, Watsons reduces its environmental footprint and inspires customers to adopt greener lifestyles. This commitment reflects Watsons’ broader mission to foster a healthier planet while empowering individuals to make informed, sustainable choices.
For more information about the Watsons Greener Store and its sustainability initiatives, follow @watsonsph on Instagram, like @WatsonsPH on Facebook, and follow @watsonsphilippines on TikTok.
This has been mentioned to death, but it’s important to stay in the pink of health more than ever. COVID-19 and other diseases are still around, sleep deprivation never stops because of work and school, social media surfing is preferred to working out, drinking and/or smoking happen whatever it takes, and a balanced diet gets skipped most of the time.
But a new health and wellness store in Makati seeks to help Filipinos lead better lifestyles.
Heyday Philippines, located at Glorietta 4, has carefully curated offerings in several categories like vitamins and supplements, fresh and frozen food, organic goodies, beauty items, and home essentials.
Aside from a health-conscious selection of goods, the store also observes sustainable and ethical practices.
Its shampoo, conditioner, and bath soap, for instance, are in bar forms, meaning they do away with plastic containers as they’re wrapped in recycled paper. They’re also made of natural ingredients, lacking harmful chemicals often found in the typical liquid form.
The store also sources its fruits, vegetables, coffee, and other food items mostly from local farms—all while being organic, cruelty-free, and low-impact. More importantly, prices are akin to grocery stores, even some public markets.
This has been mentioned to death, but it’s important to stay in the pink of health more than ever. COVID-19 and other diseases are still around, sleep deprivation never stops because of work and school, social media surfing is preferred to working out, drinking and/or smoking happen whatever it takes, and a balanced diet gets skipped most of the time.
But a new health and wellness store in Makati seeks to help Filipinos lead better lifestyles.
Heyday Philippines, located at Glorietta 4, has carefully curated offerings in several categories like vitamins and supplements, fresh and frozen food, organic goodies, beauty items, and home essentials.
Aside from a health-conscious selection of goods, the store also observes sustainable and ethical practices.
Its shampoo, conditioner, and bath soap, for instance, are in bar forms, meaning they do away with plastic containers as they’re wrapped in recycled paper. They’re also made of natural ingredients, lacking harmful chemicals often found in the typical liquid form.
The store also sources its fruits, vegetables, coffee, and other food items mostly from local farms—all while being organic, cruelty-free, and low-impact. More importantly, prices are akin to grocery stores, even some public markets.
Snacks like potato chips are hand-cooked. There are also green options like shiitake mushroom and okra chips, as well as non-fried kimchi chips.
Its granola, meanwhile, is gluten-free and free of GMO or genetically modified organisms.
But being healthy doesn’t mean there’s no fun anymore, as the store also sells organic wine made from grapes that are grown without harmful fertilizers.
It produces its own health supplements, as well as imports items that not only meet the local laws but also European Food and Drug Administration standards.
In line with its sustainability campaign, Heyday also encourages customers to bring their own shopping bags and containers. In any case, the bags it provides are made of cassava and are reusable.
Refill stations
It also has refill stations that aim to minimize the wastage of plastic and ingredients.
Aiming to make zero-waste shopping more convenient, customers may purchase olive oil, liquid detergent, fabric conditioner, and all-purpose cleaner using their pump bottles at home.
Buying spices, pasta, nuts, or coffee beans is also based on grams, letting customers purchase what they only need! With Heyday’s diverse selection, sustainable practices, and commitment to affordability, living a healthy lifestyle has never been more attainable.
Heyday is now open in G/F Glorietta 4, Ayala Center, Makati. Some of its products are also available on Lazada and Shopee.
Asda is serving beer on tap to customers in a trial that marks a first for a UK supermarket chain.
Eco-conscious drinkers will be able to take home reusable containers of beer poured fresh from the tap instead of picking up cans and bottles from shelves under the pilot scheme.
Visitors to Asda’s Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, superstore can choose from a list of 12 beers and ciders and have a member of staff pour their preferred option into either a one- or two-litre glass container to be taken away and consumed at home.
Customers can keep the containers, bring them back to be refilled or return them, at which point a deposit will be refunded.
If the pilot scheme proves successful Asda said it would consider selling draught beer at other stores across the UK from next year.
The brews on offer will be rotated, with “unusual beers from smaller and local breweries” showcased through the initiative. Craft on Draft, a specialist retailer of craft beers and ciders, will work in partnership with the supermarket to choose and get the beers on the shop floor. Asda said it had brought the business on board with the goal of offering shoppers lesser-known beers that aren’t widely available in other retailers, or in pubs.
The draught beer venture comes in the wake of a series of “refill zone” schemes at Asda, and elsewhere, and amid persistent consumer demand for brands and retailers to eliminate unnecessary packaging.
This summer Asda announced plans to make packaging-free shopping available at more of its stores after the introduction of a trial “refill zone” in a Leeds branch proved popular.
The initiative allows customers to do away with single-use plastic by inviting them to fill their own reusable containers with everyday groceries including cereal, pasta, laundry detergent and pet food. Demand for loose produce was so great that sales of some goods exceeded those of packaged items in some categories, Asda said of the original trial.
Waitrose was the first of the major supermarket chains to test with packaging-free areas in store, in 2019, and has been credited with helping to popularise “refill culture” in the UK.
While glass beer bottles and aluminum cans are widely recycled, environmental experts point out that it still requires energy to produce them in the first place, and their transportation also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.
Asda spokesman Matt Harrison said of the trial: “The Craft on Draft team’s expertise in the hospitality industry will bring a range of drinks to our store that are unlikely to be found elsewhere and that complement our strong existing beers, wines and spirits offer.
“The refillable element of the trial gives customers the chance to pick up a new tipple and make a small change to help them shop more sustainably in our Milton Keynes store.”
Original Article : https://inews.co.uk/news/consumer/sustainable-shopping-asda-beer-on-tap-supermarkets-refill-zones-1316789
