Retail SaaS major Unicommerce eyes to double its transaction volumes in Southeast Asia

Unicommerce, an integrated SaaS platform for post-purchase experience management, is experiencing rapid growth across Southeast Asia. Currently processing over 2.5 million annual transactions, the company eyes to double transaction volumes to reach 5 million by December 2022. In its first year of operations, the company has signed up over 30 clients across Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Unicommerce is bullish on the growth of e-commerce in Southeast Asia. The company has already established its local presence with a sales and customer service team in Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines, and is also planning to establish a local entity in the coming months.

Unicommerce’s expansion into Southeast Asia comes as e-commerce volumes spike and companies seek an integrated platform to handle the entire post-purchase transaction flow. Being a sector- and size-agnostic platform, Unicommerce solutions have been successfully deployed by a range of retail brands looking to build a robust online presence and re-engineer their operations and processes to achieve maximum consumer connection. Some of the leading brands that Unicommerce works with within the SEA region are Edamama, Locad PayO Asia, Amilo, Business Engineers, and Luxurious Craving, among others. The company’s clients in SEA include fashion brands, beauty, and personal care brands, fulfilment providers, and logistic service providers. The SaaS platform is also one of the finest omnichannel platforms that powers 2,000+ stores and 7,000+ warehouses across India.

During and post-pandemic, there is a surge in online shopping to avoid the spread of the virus. As the e-commerce and retail industry grows with multiple online shopping platforms, the supply chain has become an increasingly complex process, and companies rely heavily on technology to optimize operations.

Unicommerce’s SaaS platform enables brands to streamline the supply chain with an integrated SaaS solution for inventory, order, and warehouse management. The unique, award-winning platform for post-purchase experience management helps brands and marketplaces manage operations across multiple online sales channels and physical distribution points while maintaining a smooth inventory flow to meet user expectations. The company also enables marketplaces to streamline processes with its multi-vendor management solution.

Talking about the expansion plans, Mr Kapil Makhija, CEO of Unicommerce, says, “Our clients in Southeast Asia are focused on building a strong digital presence and looking for technology solutions. Our platform enables them to enhance the post-purchase experience and achieve operational excellence. Unicommerce’s robust and easy to integrate SaaS platform are well-suited to meet client needs which is reflected in our rapid growth. We are delighted to partner with many leading brands and look forward to expanding our presence across Southeast Asia.”

Edamama, one of the leading brands in the Philippines, has deployed Unicommerce’s Dropship Fulfillment, Vendor Management solution, and Personalized E-commerce solutions to manage different vendors and offer personalized shopping experiences to consumers. The automation by Unicommerce has enabled the company to manage operations across 400+ registered vendors and 1,000+ brands, while seamlessly maintaining 30K+ live catalog counts and allowing the brand to dispatch tens of thousands of items per month with a 99.99% fulfillment rate.

Unicommerce’s growth into Southeast Asia and also Middle East Asia is built on its decade-long experience and leadership position in the diverse and dynamic Indian market, where the company processes 500 million annual transactions. The company works with some of the leading brands and companies of India including Marico, Bestseller, House of Anita Dongre, Netmeds, Mamaearth, mCaffeine, and many more.

For media queries contact:
Ganesh S
Bloomingdale Public Relations
(+65) 97791286

aCommerce and Johnson & Johnson Launch Sustainable Packaging Solution for a Better E-commerce Future in the Philippines

aCommerce Group, the largest end-to-end e-commerce enabler in Southeast Asia, has partnered with Johnson & Johnson Philippines, part of the largest and most broadly based healthcare company in the world, in a joint venture to offer a sustainable packaging alternative and 100% recyclable solution in the Philippines.

The solution was developed through a wide-scale collaboration to reduce e-commerce waste and create a sustainable future for e-commerce in Southeast Asia. The forecasted amount of plastic savings from this initiative would be equal to 106,684 SQM of plastic – the equivalent to the area of 254 basketball courts. The new packaging solution will replace previously non-recyclable packaging materials with new, innovative, green, and simple packaging, rolling out through the month of August.

The paper used in the new packaging is 100% recyclable, non-toxic, and biodegradable. The innovative VoidFill acts as a box filler, replacing the plastic bubble wrap, and offers superior protection from damages by filling any excess space in the box. An additional cushioning layer is added to fragile deliveries to ensure outstanding control against shock and vibrations. The final layer, the Geami WrapPak layer, is added to avoid any surface abrasions, minor handling damages, and internal impact.

Both companies’ sustainability goals are naturally aligned. “As part of our responsibility to the environment. aCommerce will continue to invest in a sustainable future. We are excited to offer recyclable and biodegradable solutions using cutting-edge material engineering. We are truly fortunate to have like-minded partners such as Johnson & Johnson, that take action in order to create a cleaner future,” said Paul Srivorakul, Group Chief Executive Officer at aCommerce.

“We are committed to doing our part to leave a better world for future generations. We are excited to pilot our green e-commerce initiative with Shopee and Lazada, knowing that this ‘first step’ will help reduce plastic pollution that goes into our landfills and into our waterways. We hope that our consumers will take advantage of the offer when they order their favorite Johnson & Johnson products through Shopee and Lazada. Our consumers win, and so will our environment,” said Denise Peralta, Johnson & Johnson Philippines head of e-commerce.

Visit Johnson & Johnson stores and shop responsibly and worry-free:
Shopee: https://shopee.ph/johnsonandjohnson.ph
Lazada: https://www.lazada.com.ph/shop/johnson-johnson

Released for aCommerce Group by MT Multimedia Co Ltd
Wasana Wongsiri (Jiab), T: +66 84 359 0659, E: wasana.w@mtmultimedia.com

Johnson & Johnson (Philippines), Inc. (J&J Philippines) launched J&J PH Chat & Shop as its official social-commerce platform to simplify purchasing of various consumer health products. Powered by aCommerce, it delivers a fully-automated experience – 24/7 shopping via Chatbot with a live agent ready to assist customers during business hours, and seamless, easy navigation even for new users. https://facebook.com/jnjphchatshop.

aCommerce (SET: ACOM) revolutionized e-commerce enablement with a cutting-edge platform & technology stack, EcommerceIQ. Proprietary software includes innovative omnichannel management software. We drive brands to achieve e-commerce goals with high-performance digital marketing, online store development & management, data & analytics, customer care, fulfillment, & delivery services. Visit https://acommerce.asia.

KOHLER, together with Lazada Singapore, to bring 30 leading lifestyle brands under one roof in month-long online to offline shopping experience

KOHLER, a global lifestyle brand and leader in kitchen and bath products, has partnered with Lazada Singapore to bring 30 complementary leading lifestyle brands together for the first time, to provide online shoppers with a curated showcase of luxurious home, kitchen, bath, and lifestyle products they can experience in-store. Come Home to KOHLER & Friends (Powered by Lazada) utilises Lazada’s powerful e-commerce platform to complete the shopping experience and is aimed at satisfying changing consumer habits post-pandemic.

Thematic spaces featuring various ranges of KOHLER’s products, complemented by 29 participating brands at Come Home to KOHLER & Friends (Powered by Lazada) – Photo by Kohler

The month-long event will provide consumers with a unique immersive in-store feel to the digital shopping experience and offer a one-stop solution for shoppers to experience all 30 brands side by side in real-life home settings. KOHLER and the other 29 brands will showcase their curated range of products at the KOHLER Experience Centre (KEC) from 15 July to 15 August 2022.

The 822 sqm KEC occupying two units of shophouses along Peck Seah Street will house several thematic spaces featuring various ranges of KOHLER’s innovative, intuitive, and immersive products, complemented by participating brands such as Samsung, Bang & Olufsen, LEGO, L’OCCITANE, Razer, Nespresso, OSIM, Tefal, WMF, and Philips Lighting. The curated showcase is perfect for first-time homeowners looking for inspiration for their new home or existing homeowners looking to refresh various areas of their homes. Shoppers can explore the different themes throughout multiple levels of KEC and view dedicated spaces such as the living room, bedroom, study, kitchen, and bathroom.

Each themed bathroom and living space are thoughtfully furnished by Kohler designers and representatives from the other brands. As soon as shoppers are inspired by any product they see, they can scan QR codes to purchase on the Lazada app. This means that shoppers can fully immerse themselves in these dedicated home spaces, check out and enquire about the products on display, purchase online immediately, and head home to wait for their items to arrive. This is the future of shopping.

“We are collaborating with Lazada to provide online customers with what they want – an immersive online to offline (O2O) shopping environment to have a real-life experience of how our products feel, look and work, and ask questions for an informed purchase,” said Leo Leong, General Manager, Kohler Kitchen & Bath Group, North and Southeast Asia. “This is further complemented by our partnering brands which have collaborated with us to showcase their products in this new experience. Not just that, shoppers can enjoy online prices of up to 60% off during the fair and shopping benefits through the LazMall pages with peace of mind knowing that the products purchased are 100% authentic, with *free returns!”

At KEC, shoppers will also be treated to freebies and giveaways and the opportunity to register for cooking and home interior decor workshops on selected dates available for booking in person. During Come Home to KOHLER & Friends (Powered by Lazada), the KEC is opened to the public from 15 July to 15 August 2022, daily from 10am to 9pm, including Sundays.

*Free shipping and return policies vary with brands and sellers.

Notes to Editors
Come Home to KOHLER & Friends (Powered by Lazada)
15 July to 15 August 2022
KOHLER Experience Centre
52/54 Peck Seah Street, Singapore 079320
Tel: 6224 0039
Lazada URL: https://bit.ly/KOHLERFriends
Media Images can be downloaded here https://tinyurl.com/tav95en2

Featured Kohler products on sale
(1) More than 50% off Veil Dual Flush Two-Piece Toilet – $846 (U.P. $1,782)
(2) 50% off Family Care Bathroom Furniture – $1,002 (U.P. $2,004)
(3) 20% off Moxie Handshower, sound by Harman Kardon – $399 (U.P. $499)
(4) 45% off Malleco Touchless Pull-down Kitchen Faucet – $873 (U.P. $1,587)
(5) 50% off KOHLER Malleco Single Kitchen Sink – $690 (U.P. $1,368)

Check out other amazing offers on display by other participating leading lifestyle brands.

Giveaways/promotions during Come Home to KOHLER & Friends (Powered by Lazada)
– The top 10 spenders stand to win amazing prizes from KOHLER, OSIM or Bang & Olufsen worth more than $8,000. (Minimum spending of $800 is required to qualify)
– Spin & Win – Shoppers who spend a minimum of $80 during the fair will stand a chance to win Manchester United premiums.
– Sing For Sale – Sing your heart out and enjoy 40% off Moxie Handshower, sound by Harman Kardon from only $299 (U.P. $499)

Activities & Workshops
Sessions are free. Please register 15 mins before each workshop at KEC.
– Cooking Workshop with Chef Ivan Yeo with Food Tasting; Dates: Saturday, 30 July 2022; Time: 4pm to 6pm
– Home Interior Seminar by Bowerman Interior; Date: Sunday, 7 Aug 2022; Time: 3pm to 4pm

About Kohler Co.

Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin, Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies, with more than 35,000 associates. With more than 50 manufacturing locations worldwide, Kohler is a global leader in the design, innovation and manufacture of kitchen and bath products; engines and power systems; luxury cabinetry and tile; and owner/operator of two five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler, Wisconsin, and St. Andrews, Scotland. The company also develops solutions to address pressing issues, such as clean water and sanitation, for underserved communities around the world to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations. For more details, please visit KOHLER.SG.

About KOHLER on LazMall

As part of KOHLER’s mission of providing a higher level of gracious living for those touched by our products and services, KOHLER’s online store on LazMall offers our customers another convenient way to shop for our quality and innovative kitchen and bath products. With over 100 products ranging from toilet, lavatory, faucet, bathroom furniture, bathroom accessories, and kitchen sink and faucet available online to choose from, our customers can be assured that our products are 100% authentic, with 15-day easy returns and free delivery.

Believe Pte raises $55M in Series C funding to continue its global mission of delivering breakthrough personal care and beauty products

Singapore-headquartered Believe Pte Ltd, a fast-growing consumer products company serving the global Muslim audience with brands spanning skincare, fragrances, make-up and hair care has raised Series C funding of US $55M from incoming investors Venturi Partners and IIFL AMC alongside continued participation from Jungle Ventures, Accel, Alteria Capital and Genesis Alternative Ventures. Investment from IIFL AMC is subject to approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

The Company (started in mid-2019) has delivered rapid growth in its relatively short history, thereby inspiring investor interest and has cumulatively raised over US$ 80M over the last two years.

The Series A and Series B fund raises were led by Accel and Jungle Ventures with participation from Wamda Capital, a Middle East based fund. The current Series C raise in Believe’s third year of operation is led by Venturi Partners, a Singapore-based investment platform founded by veteran consumer investor Nicholas Cator. Venturi Partners enables consumer-facing business startups to build disruptive brands in sectors such as FMCG, education, health-tech, home improvement, etc. in India and Southeast Asia. IIFL AMC’s private equity fund that has backed several leading consumer brands will also co-lead this round, subject to approval from SEBI.

This is Venturi’s second investment and is a testament to the investment platform’s expertise in identifying and supporting multi-geography, high-growth consumer brands with an online and offline presence. Nicholas Cator, Founder & Managing Partner at Venturi said, “We are excited to be backing the most experienced BPC founders in the region and have been extremely impressed by their ability to build a diversified portfolio of products and a unique distribution network during a pandemic. We are convinced that with its strong team and group of investors, Believe will become the leading global halal and clean BPC house of brands.”

With the likes of Swiggy, Licious, Dailyhunt, and Country Delight in its portfolio, IIFL AMC looks to back market leaders and disruptors across businesses, while keeping sight of profitability at steady state. Chetan Naik, Fund Manager at IIFL AMC, said, “Believe has demonstrated unprecedented traction and growth in a very short period via its brands focused on the global markets in the BPC segment. With its unique positioning of halal based clean products (devoid of alcohol and animal ingredients), it has addressed the latent need of a large target market in a highly focused manner. Its growth is a testament to how a relevantly positioned brand with strong product efficacy creates resonance with its consumer and creates value for all. We are delighted to partner with the exceptional team at Believe for the company’s next phase of growth.”

Believe is a house of brands that includes Lafz, ZM and Dr.Rhazes. The brands have received incredible customer love in Bangladesh and India with a growing base in GCC countries. They are sold in over 8 countries and are manufactured across the globe including countries like South Korea, Italy, Spain, France, Germany and UAE.

While Lafz is the flagship premium brand crafted with traditional ingredients; ZM’s vegan, cruelty free, single ingredient positioning finds popularity among the youthful and aspirational.

Believe’s vision to create enduring brands consistent with consumers’ belief systems while ensuring highest efficacy, quality and uniqueness drives its success across distribution formats in the Middle East and Asia. This fundraise will catalyze consolidating market share in Bangladesh and India (via strategic acquisitions) while deepening reach in GCC and South East Asia (through both organic and inorganic growth) paving the path to becoming a large global CPG conglomerate.

Ankit Mahajan, CEO of Believe PTE Ltd said, “We have received tremendous consumer love all the way from launching our first product in 2019 to witnessing 2.5x growth in last 1 year. Our 2000+ family of happy Believers is our eyes and ears to the ground that help us be nimble and responsive to consumer needs. We have created a relentless marketing organization that has the ability to identify consumer needs, use of 12-member strong R&D expertise to make fantastic products and then put our international supply chain to deliver global standard products to countries across the world.”

IndigoEdge, Bangalore (India) headquartered investment bank focused on new age consumer brands was the sole advisor for this transaction.

Media contacts:
Adfactors PR:
Snigdha Nair, India: Snigdha.nair@adfactorspr.com
Namrata Sharma, Singapore: Namrata.sharma@adfactorspr.com

Trintech Announces New Chief Human Resources Officer

Trintech, a leading global provider of cloud-based financial close solutions for the Office of Finance, today announced the appointment of Monna Nevils as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) of Trintech. With a focus on employees, Nevils will help Trintech continue to build an engaged, inclusive, and high-performing culture. She will lead all aspects of human resources, including talent acquisition, learning and development, organizational development and effectiveness, compensation and benefits, diversity and inclusion programs, and benefit systems.

“Businesses don’t create value; people do. Our employees are the heart of our business which is why I am thrilled to welcome Monna as our new CHRO focused on continuing to provide our employees with a great place to work and ways to grow and develop their careers,” said Teresa Mackintosh, Chief Executive Officer of Trintech. “Monna’s strong track record and rich experience in talent development and change management across teams will help us to ensure we continue to build an agile culture of inclusivity and personal growth for all, while attracting the talent to meet the evolving needs of our customers in this digital world.”

Nevils joins the Trintech team with more than 20 years of experience holding global HR leadership roles spanning industries such as technology, real-estate, banking, and healthcare. She is a creative and innovative global human resources executive with experience in aligning the people function to the overall business strategy, developing and executing plans that amplify an inclusive, collaborative culture. Her broad experience includes M&A, change management, talent acquisition, succession planning, learning and development, performance management and total rewards. Prior to joining Trintech, Nevils was the VP, HR – Americas; Global HRBP, Product Marketing for Datalogic. She also served as the Chief Human Resources Officer for Behavioral Health Group (BHG). Nevils earned her MBA from the University of Houston and undergraduate degree in business from Lamar University. She is also a certified trainer and coach and has her Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification.

“I am very excited to be joining Trintech as the new CHRO to continue building upon the strong foundation of practices Trintech already has in place today,” said Monna Nevils, Chief Human Resources Officer of Trintech. “It is evident to me that Trintech prioritizes a customer and people-centric culture and passion for innovation, and I look forward to partnering with the team to develop a progressive and aligned global HR strategy to support an environment where talent and culture continue to be a foundational and driving factor in the success of Trintech.”

Trintech has most recently been named a Dallas/Fort Worth “Best and Brightest Companies to Work For(R)” 2022 Elite Award Winner by the National Association for Business Resources. Interested in joining our team? Check out our open positions here. https://www.trintech.com/careers/

About Trintech

Trintech Inc., a leading global provider of cloud-based financial close solutions for the Office of Finance, combines unmatched technical and financial expertise to create innovative, cloud-based software solutions that deliver world-class financial operations and insights. From high volume transaction matching and streamlining daily operational reconciliations, to automating and managing balance sheet reconciliations, intercompany accounting, journal entries, disclosure and fiduciary reporting and bank fee analysis, to governance, risk and compliance – Trintech’s portfolio of financial solutions, including Cadency(R) Platform, Adra(R) Suite, and targeted tools, ReconNET(TM), T-Recs(R), and UPCS(R), help manage all aspects of the financial close process. Over 3,500 clients worldwide – including the majority of the Fortune 100 – rely on the company’s cloud-based software to continuously improve the efficiency, reliability, and strategic insights of their financial operations.

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Trintech has offices located across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, France, Ireland, the Netherlands and the Nordics, as well as strategic partners in South Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific. To learn more about Trintech, visit www.trintech.com or connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Media Contact:
Kelli Shoevlin
Sr. Manager, Global Corporate Marketing & Communications
kelli.shoevlin@trintech.com

SOURCE: Trintech, Inc.

GCash Introduces First of Its Kind, Online Shopping Protection with Regional Insurtech Firm, Igloo

  • The first of its kind Online Shopping Insurance protection by GCash, in partnership with Igloo, aims to offer peace of mind for 46 million GCash users when they transact using GCash
  • Approximately 44% of digital consumers have been a target of a fraud scheme in Q1 2021

Philippines’ leading e-wallet provider GCash, has launched an online shopping insurance – underwritten by PGA Sompo – with Singapore-headquartered regional insurtech Igloo, to protect its growing online customer base. This launch and partnership come at a time where GCash has seen a surge in online transactions and is on track to hit PHP 3 trillion in full-year gross transactions – 3x of last year’s performance. This was driven by Filipino consumers shifting to online for their daily needs.

Igloo’s online shopping protection via GCash’s platform

Today, there is an increasing demand to go cashless and more merchants and retailers are opting for the convenience of e-commerce, and express peer-to-peer cash transfers.

Over 70% of Southeast Asia is online and last year, the region saw 40 million new users join the internet. In a recent survey, the Philippines alone saw 37% of all digital service consumers are new to the service due to COVID-19. The survey also shows 97% of these new digital consumers will continue to use digital services going forward. This has led to an increasing need to be able to secure each transaction. Through this partnership with Igloo, GCash aims to provide peace of mind to its 46 million users while they shop online. The GCash app also had over 13 million log-ins per day, peaking at almost 15 million in the second quarter of 2021. This year, GCash aims to reach its PHP 3 trillion Gross Transaction Value (GTV) target and currently processes an average of PHP 300 billion in monthly transactions.

“This comes at an unprecedented time when we see robust growth in our online transactions and user base. With excellent customer experience being the heart of our business alongside value-added services through our platform, we are thrilled to launch this new product with Igloo that secures online transactions for our customers,” said Martha Sazon, GCash President and CEO.

“We are excited to partner with the leading e-wallet in the country, GCash – who shares the same vision of protecting digital consumers by pioneering innovative solutions to end-customers at an economical price. With the growing number of digital consumers in the country, now more than ever, is it most important to provide flexible solutions for the changing needs and processes of both businesses and customers. In a recent survey, 44% of the respondents had been a target of a fraud scheme. The majority of them, or 44% and 39% are experienced by Gen Z and Millennials, respectively. With many GCash customers belonging to this bracket, Igloo’s protection is not only timely but very relevant to GCash customers’ needs,” said Mario Berta, Igloo Philippines Country Manager.

The Online Shopping protection is one of the first products Igloo will be launching with GCash and its customers but will soon be rolling out more products with the e-wallet platform in the next six months that will be geared towards MSMEs which are about 90% of the businesses in the Philippines, securing the entire ecosystem of both seller-business owner-and-buyer.

Igloo’s Online Shopping product is part of its Cyber Protection vertical, which secures financial loss arising directly from any online marketplace fraud. With its pioneering partner, GCash – GCash users will now be protected from any transaction they make via online marketplaces such as Lazada, Shopee, including Viber and Facebook marketplaces as long as their payment was fulfilled via the GCash platform.

Since its entry into the Philippines with its collaboration with Southeast Asia’s largest and fastest-growing hotel management and booking platform, RedDoorz in 2019, Igloo has also partnered with the Union Bank of the Philippines in August last year and Philinsure early 2021. The insurtech has also widened its insurance partner base to include MercantilePioneerPGA-Sompo Insurance Corporation, and United Coconut Planters Life Assurance Corporation.

Images in high resolution are available for download here.

About Igloo
Igloo, previously known as “Axinan”, is the first full-stack insurtech firm to emerge from Singapore. It has offices in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam, and tech centres are located in China. With a mission of making insurance accessible for all, the firm leverages big data, real-time risk assessment, and end-to-end automated claims management to create B2B2C insurance solutions for platform companies and insurance companies. Igloo’s insurance solutions enable companies to eliminate their exposure to operational risk, create new revenue streams, and optimize and enhance existing products and services. In April 2020, Igloo successfully closed its Series A+ funding round worth US$8.2 million, bringing its total funding to US$16 million from global investors.

Igloo is led by a core team that comprises top talent from the technology and insurance industries hailing from global corporations including Facebook, Grab, Flipkart, Garena, Manulife, Shopee, Yahoo! and Zalora. For more information, please visit https://www.iglooinsure.com/

Media Queries
PRecious Communications for Igloo
igloo@preciouscomms.com

Livestreaming Mogul Li Jiaqi, International Brands Partner to Showcase New Products in Chinese Market

The arrival and subsequent evolution of livestreaming technology, and its integration with e-commerce, has radically changed China’s consumer market. Different from traditional online shopping, livestreaming e-commerce features better experience and more interaction that increasingly more consumers are gravitating toward. Amid this fast-growing medium, one man stands king: Li Jiaqi.

Li, China’s leading influencer in the livestreaming e-commerce space, has signaled his intentions for the future – the integration of online and offline elements. From August 19-22, Li will host a pioneering fashion show at the city’s iconic Shanghai K11 Art Mall. The show, where Li Jiaqi WoW will be taken offline for the first time, will see Li invite five up-and-coming Chinese designers to interact with viewers. Aside from watching all the latest deals and products, viewers can also communicate with the participating designers via livestreaming screens, set behind interactive “doors.”

Li is China’s most popular key opinion leader (KOL) in the livestreaming e-commerce industry – with nearly 170 million fans – and has driven sales of more than$430 million (RMB2.8 billion) in a single live broadcast. Since 2016, livestreaming e-commerce has grown in popularity in China. Outperforming all other shopping channels, its user scale reached 388 million till December 2020, 66.2% of whom bought products via this channel, China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) says.

Compared to traditional online shopping, livestreaming e-commerce provokes a greater consumer response through lively visual demonstrations, greater convenience, and more affordable price during the nationwide lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Livestreaming e-commerce is especially popular during China’s e-commerce festivals, such as the 618 Festival – a June festival run by many of China’s e-commerce companies -with 14.2 billion views and over 100,000 brands involved in livestreaming influencer marketing in 2021.

At the heart of China’s livestreaming e-commerce world as well as a contributor of such accomplishment, Li Jiaqi is a force of nature. Ever since entering the industry, Li has been a trendsetter, his opinions delivered with iconic style. A “Recommended by Li Jiaqi” endorsement can truly change a company’s fortunes. Florasis, a Chinese makeup brand, was one such company, quadrupling its sales year-on-year to RMB 2.75 billion after partnering with Li, rocketing them the top of Chinese makeup brands for 2020. Leveraging his powerful influence, Li has led dozens of Chinese brands to nationwide popularity, leading to him being dubbed China’s “top domestic product promoter.”

Behind Li’s to rise to fame are tags such as “Made in China,” “makeup,” and “lipstick,” but deep down, Li has always had a greater ambition. In August last year, Li Jiaqi’s team launched China’s first livestreaming shopping information and recommendation program, Li Jiaqi WoW, a confluence of information on new products, available globally, across a number of categories. This shift to a more global focus is all part of Li’s efforts to import designer brands around the world into China’s market. Since then, Li Jiaqi WoW has aired nearly 50 episodes, eliciting a strong response across China’s social platforms, such as Weibo, TikTok (Douyin), and Xiaohongshu (RED). The program is expected to further integrate offline channels as it looks to provide designers and brands with better opportunities for promotion.

Li’s move of promoting international brands nationwide via his livestreaming channel has worked out favorably for most featured brands. In a Salvatore Ferragamo live broadcast, for example, two hundred Salvatore Ferragamo Creation handbags, priced at RMB 17,000 each, quickly sold out.

Li Jiaqi’s story is not simply one of commerce and consumption, but also one that reveals the ongoing change in brand marketing and promotion in China followed by technological development and changes in Chinese people’s consumption behavior.

As the “door” metaphorically implies in Li Jiaqi’s new product launch, live streaming e-commerce breaks borders and boundaries of space via online and offline channels, and presents brands to the market at a minimum cost, maximizing benefits for both brands and consumers. The CNNIC stated in its report that livestreaming e-commerce users made up a mere 39% of China’s netizen population as of December 2020. Given the country’s total internet user population of 989 million, as well as its internet penetration rate of 70%, livestreaming e-commerce is certain to grow its market share in the coming years, with data analytics company iiMedia Research predicting that by 2025, China’s livestreaming influencer-led e-commerce transaction volume will reach$1 trillion (RMB 6.4 trillion).

LG Uplus Kiosks Go Touchless with Kardome’s Voice Technology

  • The innovative voice technology enables private, secure voice recognition interaction in kiosks and digital signage

Kardome today announced it has contracted with LG Uplus to install its Voice Activation Software in the mobile service provider’s store kiosks. Kardome is excited to partner with LG Uplus to provide its customers with secure voice interaction in its kiosk digital assistants.

The voice technology startup will install its voice activation technology in 2,000 LG Uplus store kiosks throughout South Korea by the end of the year. LG Uplus is one of South Korea’s largest mobile service providers.

The development of voice technology is shifting into high gear, with consumers demanding touchless solutions due to hygienic concerns during the pandemic.

Privacy and security are also a concern when using voice recognition software in public spaces. Kardome allays these concerns with its unique location-based voice user interface (VUI).

“We are proud to see our voice activation technology employed in LG Uplus kiosks,” says Dani Cherkassky, Kardome CEO and cofounder. “Our voice user interface software will give the company’s customers private, secure voice interactions in any environment.”

Kardome’s VUI technology provides a personalized digital experience using parametric or directional loudspeakers. The speakers transmit the digital voice assistant’s responses only to the relevant customer standing before the kiosk.

The location-based source separation technology enables this secure and private voice interaction, capturing only the relevant customer’s speech, regardless of background noise or passerby.

About Kardome
Kardome is an Israeli-based voice technology startup. The company’s innovative location-based, noise-reduction VUI technology gives clear, real-time voice command input and audio output in any environment. Kardome’s goal is to solve end-user frustrations with speech recognition and voice command devices.

About LG Uplus
LG Uplus Corp is a South Korean telecommunications and Mobile phone service provider controlled by the LG Group, one of the country’s largest family-owned business conglomerates.

More information: http://bit.ly/LGUplusKardome
Video demonstration of Kardome’s Voice technology in LG Uplus store kiosks in Gwangju, South Korea https://youtu.be/VjsSoOn3e4k

Contact:
Laura Tate, Kardome VP Marketing
+1 323-205-6436
Laura.tate@Kardome.com

Bluewill U.S. Online Shopping Platform launch on August 4

Bluewill, is pleased to launch its North America shopping platform on Wed, August 4, 2021 (PST). All Bluewill products will be available for the US opening, at www.Bluewill.com.

With the volatile markets of 2020-2021, people prefer to shop online, with E-commerce catching and finally surpassing offline retail in terms of annual sales. Many shops and merchants have tried to capture this growing market, offering low prices, but product quality and service guarantees often end up lacking in the end. This will continue in the coming months and years, but there are also some positive changes taking place. The Bluewill team is working hard to bring something new!

A brand new way of shopping, ‘Sharing is Saving’
Bluewill brings a new concept to e-commerce, ‘Sharing is Saving’. Achieve a lower price by creating or participating in ‘2 People Group’ or ‘5 People Group’ after clicking “Group Purchase” in lower right corner of product page, shopping with up to 70% discounts. People could buy the same product with their friends, family, neighbors by sharing links through Whatsapp, Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, Pinterest etc, or even waiting for strangers to join the group, purchase any products at lower prices, after successfully placing a “Group Purchase”.

So far, over 90% of Group Purchase participants have succeeded in buying with their friends. Then, the “Price Match Policy” ensures that customers on Bluewill always get the lowest prices compared to any other online shopping mall or marketplace. As a final reward for everyone, the “Deal of the Day” offers three new super-deal products daily, to all customers.

Patents, Supply chains and Smart products
The Bluewill team’s parent company was founded in Germany in 2005. Over the past 17 years, it has been building relationships with over 700 factories and achieving strategic partnerships with high-quality industrial supply chains. Their products and services have been granted 649 patents and 122 software copyrights with 232 patents pending and earning over 1 million positive reviews worldwide.

They have an established research and development centre as well. They are dedicated to creating smart products and offering a smart digital life to global citizens on their own individual terms. In 2020, their total annual sales exceeded US$1.5 billion.

Bluewill’s supply chain has been integrated and optimized to maximize benefits to its customers. Over the years, Bluewill has maintained close relationships with a variety of global brands to bring a convenient and enjoyable shopping experience to people around the world. The Bluewill platform will be available in other countries soon, so stay tuned.

Media Contact:
Josh Carter, Bluewill
E: info@Bluewill.com
T: +86 755 3362 2851
U: www.Bluewill.com

SOURCE: Bluewill

ZALL Makes Headway in Global Digital Trade with New Strategic Rebrand

ZALL Smart Commerce Group (ZALL), Asia’s largest B2B e-commerce group, looks to become the world’s leading global digital trade platform with its new strategic rebrand. It aims to create an open and interconnected B2B trading ecosystem between China and ASEAN, and to drive the rapid growth and development of industries and businesses through the use of new trading methods and advanced technologies.

With the strategic rebrand, ZALL aims to create value through its global intelligent services across B2B transactions, supply chain services and digital cloud services, transforming industrial value chains across the region and enabling businesses to improve overall efficiency. ZALL currently serves around 30 B2B platforms in China, the United States and Singapore, to millions of SMEs worldwide. It has also been investing heavily in the development of next-generation intelligent trading platforms to help empower seamless data exchange across platforms integrating information, logistics and capital flows across wholesale and commodities, retail trade and logistics industries in China and Singapore.

Testament to their hard work and effort, ZALL and its Singapore-based international trading platform, Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC), were recently conferred the prestigious Gold and Silver Awards at the 2021 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards during the virtual awards ceremony held on 14 July 2021. It is a major achievement for the teams as it highlights ZALL’s dedication towards transforming global trade and supply chains since its strategic rebrand.

Peter Yu, Executive Vice President of ZALL Smart Commerce, Singapore, shared, “As the world continues to adapt and rise up to the challenges posed by the pandemic, we wanted to focus our efforts on digital innovation, creating an even more resilient and sustainable global trade and supply chain ecosystem. This can be done by incorporating data and digital technologies into every part of the industrial value chain, from both the demand to the supply side. With our expertise in Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and Blockchain, we believe we are well-positioned to help businesses worldwide adopt innovative technologies to succeed in the new digital world order.”

On the back of its strong technology research and development capabilities, ZALL was also ranked 58th in the ‘2020 Global Blockchain Invention Patent Ranking’ published by the incoPat Innovation Index Research Center. ZALL’s research institute was granted more than 200 intellectual property rights last year, namely in the fields of blockchain, artificial intelligence and big data. Recognising the complexity and difficulty of adopting blockchain for many enterprises, ZALL recently launched ‘Z-Block Gateway’, a blockchain Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) solution that is both low-code and easy to operate and deploy across various industries and mainstream cloud servers.

Alongside ZALL, CIC has also launched “CORP INFO” that offers “Know-Your-Counterparty” and “Credit Info” services to help SMEs manage their business risks by being able to verify and conduct due diligence on prospective business partners and counterparties before engaging in official dealings. Companies will have access to a range of essential business information such as business registration, historical background, holding companies, shareholders, legal and financial activities, lawsuits and related risks of more than 200 million companies and 2.1 billion trade records in Singapore, China and other parts of the world to help businesses better identify their counterparties.

About Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC)

The Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC) is a global trading platform for physical commodities including Ferrous & Non-Ferrous Metals, Chemicals & Plastics, Oil & Petroleum, and Agri Commodities. Officially launched in Singapore on 12 Oct 2018, CIC is a Joint Venture between China-based ZALL Smart Commerce Group, Global eTrade Services (GeTS) and Singapore Exchange (SGX) to build trade connectivity through digital marketplaces and to grow a vibrant trading ecosystem in Singapore.

CIC aims to revolutionise commodity trading and facilitate cross-border trade through deal matching, trade finance, supply chain logistics, track and trace and global trade compliance. Since its establishment in October 2018, CIC has achieved a GMV (Gross Merchandise Volume) of more than US$13.4 billion (S$17.6 billion), with over 5,800 registered users covering markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China, among other countries in Asia. For more information, please visit https://www.cic-tp.com/.

About ZALL Smart Commerce Group

ZALL Smart Commerce Group is a leading Chinese B2B e-commerce group (Fortune” China Top 500 list in 2020) with a global footprint across the world and its entities are listed on three exchanges on HKSE, NYSE and SSE. ZALL Group develops and operates Asia’s largest B2B offline-to-online trade ecosystem in China and Southeast Asia, including Singapore, with more than 30 B2B platforms in China, US and Singapore, and a GFA of more than 10 million sqm of wholesale trade centres in China. In 2018, ZALL Group achieved a GMV of more than RMB 600 billion (US$85.2 bn), serving over 1 mil SME customers worldwide. ZALL has also obtained a virtual banking licence and currently operates Z-Bank in China since 2017, one of China’s Top 5 digital banks that has supported more than 5.5 million SME and individual customers.

Since 2018, ZALL has invested in five projects in Singapore, including the Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC), Singapore’s first physical commodity eTrading platform (B2B) powered by blockchain technology; ezbuy.sg, Singapore’s leading global online shopping platform; ZMA Smart Capital, an online trade finance company; ZALL Chain Technology, a blockchain solutions company. For more information, please visit http://en.zallcn.com/