SNS Blog

GOING green all the way, Carrefour Market at the Sphere in Bangsar South, Kuala Lumpur has implemented its no-plastic-bag policy starting last week.

Shoppers are encouraged to bring their own bags, or buy recyclable bags sold at the market.

The attractive bags cost between RM4 and RM4.90.

Otherwise, they can make use of carton boxes provided at the check-out counters.

Going green: (From left) Chia, Vanidah and Rashidi with their green bags at Carrefour Market in Bangsar South.

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Despite the weakened economy, Malaysians are entering into the festive spirit, with 6 in 10 shoppers expected to spend more or the same amount during the upcoming holiday season, as compared to last year.

According to the latest PayPal survey, the average festive spend amongst Malaysians this year is expected to be RM730, with Chinese New Year topping the spending charts and averaging RM954 per person.

PayPal is an online payment service owned by Internet auction giant eBay.

Malaysians also proved to be savvy online shoppers, with more than half intending to shop online and 44% of overall holiday expenditure expected to be spent online.

They cited time (75%), crowds (64%) and access to a wider range of products (51%) as the main reasons for avoiding the brick-and-mortar shops.

Two in five Malaysians prefer buying from online overseas merchants, citing product availability and choice, the offer of well-known brands and a more appealing website experience as the top reasons for shopping overseas.

Yet, overseas sellers should take note of buyer dislikes — high delivery fees, lengthy delivery times and lack of contact during a dispute were cited as the major disadvantages to shopping on overseas websites.

Shopping overseas

When it comes to online shopping, Malaysians are looking for a wider product range, assurance in payment security and product quality for the optimum online shopping experience.

“Many online merchants will be gearing up for the festive period and encouragingly it looks like spending is due to remain stable, if not rise in Malaysia,” said Mario Shiliashki, general manager of PayPal South-East Asia and India.

“Out of the four countries surveyed, Malaysia showed the strongest preference for overseas merchants online.”

The PayPal survey was conducted by BlackBox from Aug 17 to 30. There were a total of 1,203 participants — 300 respondents per country in India, Singapore and Malaysia, as well as 303 in Thailand.

Respondents were made up of online and non-online shoppers, and the major festive seasons polled were Christmas, Chinese New Year and Hari Raya.

To allow Asian merchants to connect with international online buyers and drive cross-border trade, PayPal recently launched an online Asia Mall at www.paypal-apac.com/apac-mall.

For more information on PayPal, go to www.paypal.com/my.

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eBay, the world’s largest online shopping community, has collaborated with the Malaysian International Fashion Alliance (Mifa) to take homegrown fashion labels to a global audience.

Participating in this year’s Malaysia International Fashion Week (M-IFW) as Official Online Partner, eBay Malaysia has created a microsite where local established designers from the annual event will be featured.

Shoppers can now log on to www.ebay.com.my/fashion and gain access to the latest designs from Asian Atelier by Alin Anuar, Eric Choong, Eclipse, Gallo by Thian, KN Key Ng, Nurita Harith, Stud, Tangoo, Tom Abang Saufi and William Liew.
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Jocelyn Poh, 32, has been visiting ION Orchard at least twice a week since it opened on July 21. The mother of two, who works for a US bank, often dines with friends or family at the new, upmarket mall on weekday evenings. And, she likes browsing through the shops on weekends with her husband in tow.

With stores ranging from the upscale Louis Vuitton on the upper floors to the likes of Uniqlo and Watsons in the bowels of the building, ION Orchard has become a new focal point for shoppers on Orchard Road.
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Variations of classic toys like Monopoly and Lego are likely to be best sellers this Christmas, as cost-conscious parents seek out trusted brands, an industry body predicted yesterday.

“People are being more cautious with their spending,” said Gary Grant, chairman of the Toy Retailers Association.
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National Geographic is bringing truckloads of books, maps, globes, toys, clothing, luggage and more to its warehouse sale in Washington, D.C., next month. The event will be held at the D.C. Armory from Friday, Nov. 20, to Sunday, Nov. 22, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

Fourteen tractor trailers will be loaded with almost everything that National Geographic has offered for sale in the past five years. Many of the items seen in National Geographic gift catalogs as well as 300 book titles will be available. Prices will be discounted up to 90 percent.
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A RETROSPECTIVE exhibition of 11 limited edition Speedy bags is being held at the Louis Vuitton KLCC boutique until Nov 2.

The Speedy, instantly recognisable as a Louis Vuitton icon, was created in 1930. The Speedy was originally designed in natural cowhide and later in sturdy brown canvas.

It was not until 1959 that it was launched in Monogram canvas. It was intended as a hand-luggage and its ability to be folded flat in a suitcase made it a versatile travelling companion.

The original name “Express” was changed to “Speedy” to refer to the growth earlier this century of increasingly rapid and more accessible means of travel. Later used as a city bag, the Speedy set the trend for carryall bags during the 1960s.

In 1965, Audrey Hepburn requested for a smaller version of the Speedy to be made for her as a special order. Today, the Speedy comes in four sizes and is still one of the best sellers in the Monogram, Damier and Epi collections.

In 1978, an even smaller version of the Speedy was created: the Mini HL. Its name is a tribute to its creator Henri-Louis Vuitton, great grandson of Louis Vuitton.

For a viewing of all these bags, visit the Louis Vuitton store in KLCC.

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The opening of the RM500mil AEON Jusco in Peringgit will help create 1,500 new jobs for locals while boosting tourism by making the state one of the country’s top shoppers heaven.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the shopping complex would be opened for business on Dec 15 and would be the largest such shopping facility in the region.

The complex will accommodate some 300 lots covering about 18,600 sqm of commercial space.

Its entire business operations is expected to help create some 1,500 jobs for locals, he said when visiting the construction site here recently.

He noted that about RM300mil was invested to build the complex while another RM200mil would be spend by tenants to begin operations before the Christmas holidays.

“The large amount of investment by investors shows that they are confident of the country’s steady economic recovery,” he said, adding that the complex’s 2,000 parking bays and dual-carriage road would help ease weekend traffic congestion in the area.

Mohd Ali said the establishment of the new Jusco would complement existing hypermarkets in the state.

He also said that the variety of shopping complexes here would help position Malacca as one of the country’s top shopping heaven.

He said this would lead to more tourists visiting the state and help the tourism sector surpass the 7.4 million tourist arrivals target set for this year.

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