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MORE women are becoming aware of the importance of breast self examination (BSE) via Xixili’s “BSE I Have It” campaign that is now in its fourth year and still dedicated to spreading information on early detection of breast cancer.

“By buying a minimum of RM100 at our stores, customers receive a free ‘My BSE Card” that is a pocket-sized calender that offers them monthly rewards at our outlets in addition to reminding them to perform BSE,” Xixili chief executive officer Joanne Khoo said.

Khoo added that all a customer had to do was tick the card whenever they performed their monthly BSE and they could redeem their gifts.

Xixili prints 10,000 copies of the card every year. In the first year, 10% of their customers returned to redeem the gifts.

“There has been a 10% increase in the number of customers who return to redeem gifts each year so we believe that the message is spreading and more women are performing their BSE,” Khoo said.

She also said BSE was a way for women to familiarise themselves with their bodies so that they would be the first to know if there were any changes to it.

Xixili chairman Datuk Tan Boon-Pun said: “As long as there’s a tick on the card, we’ll give the customers their gift but if they don’t perform BSE before they tick it, they’ll just be cheating themselves.”

Both were speaking during a press conference at the launch of this year’s campaign under the company’s community project “Love My Life”. Special guest at the event was Pink Ribbon Deeds (Pride) Foundation chairman Datin Azrene Abdullah.

This year’s campaign includes the distribution of a table calender and the sale of the Quirky Pink Ribbon T’s that comes in three different designs bearing messages to support the campaign. The T-shirts cost RM15 each.

“All proceeds from the sale of the T-shirts will go to the Pride Foundation,” Khoo said.

Xixili has also come up with a “Gift With Purchase” PINK non-woven bag as well as a heart-shaped manicure set available throughout October, which is also the Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Guests at the launch were treated to a fashion show featuring Xixili’s latest fall collection called “Engracia” that combines jacquard lace, appliques and polka dot accents throughout.

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Department stores in Asia that have managed to capitalise on trend-conscious consumers willing to spend on elegance and beauty are ringing in the sales as the region’s economy recovers.

In contrast, the ones not using luxury to tempt shoppers look much more vulnerable to cheaper alternatives.

The post-crisis strategy for department store operators like South Korea’s Lotte Shopping, Hong Kong-listed Parkson Retail and Japan’s Isetan Mitsukoshi, is how to fend off cost-competitive rivals from discount stores to Internet shopping in the battle for consumer wallets that have been fattened up by government measures to stimulate the economy.

Despite the downturn, Asia’s department store shares still outrank lower-end retailers in valuation, a sign investors see stronger earnings recovery as regional economies turn around.

Asia-Pacific department stores trade at average 39 times of their forecast earnings, compared with 20 for supermarket and convenience store chains, according to Thomson Reuters data.  

In China, Taiwan and South Korea, where expensive tastes accompany a rising middle class and asset prices, department stores are associated with brand-name cosmetics and luxury.

“Although the economy is bad, people still want to look good. They’ll rather spend money on their face and body to look young, and wear cheaper clothes,” says Shauna Lee, a marketing executive at Taipei’s Shinkong Mitsukoshi department store, where throngs of shoppers enjoy the annual sale promotion with shopping vouchers from the government.

In South Korea, August department store sales from top players Lotte Shopping, Shinsegae and Hyundai Department Store rose at the fastest clip in seven months, with consumer sentiment at a seven-year high. Cosmetics, luxury items and premium health foods are consistent leaders.

Shares in Hyundai, more focused on upscale shoppers than its peers, have jumped 85 per cent this year while 27 out of 37 analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters rate the stock a “buy” or “strong buy.”

China’s retail sales posted 15 per cent growth in the first three days of the Oct 1-8 “golden week” holidays. The downturn has done little to dent demand for designer handbags and watches, a survey from market research firm Pao Principle shows.

As China’s urbanisation and growing wealthy consumer class fuel demand, brand recognition is helping high-end retailers. Department store chain Golden Eagle shares have more than doubled this year and 18 out of 20 analysts recommend buying the stock.

“The right strategy for department stores is to go even more upscale,” said Hyundai Securities analyst S.K. Lee. “Those with money keep spending on beauty products and luxury goods.”

Shinsegae constantly renews its luxury items offering to compete with specialised stores around Seoul.

“We were able to post fairly strong earnings thanks to the robust sale of luxury items and cosmetics .And wealthy consumers’ royalty to our groceries section is extremely high,” said Shinsegae spokesman Kang Sang-min.

Top Thai department store operator Central Pattana plans to add eight stores a year for six years from 2011.

“There is a sign of an industry pick-up and we’re not stopping ourselves from expanding,” CFO Naris Cheyklin said.

For some Asian department stores, expansion means potential mergers and acquisitions Lotte Shopping is mulling whether to buy Chinese supermarket operator Times Ltd as it seeks a strong brand in a fast-growing market.

In Japan, however, a prolonged retail slump is weighing on upscale retailers, hit by the impact of deflation and job losses.

“Specialty stores like Uniqlo and Nitori are attracting customers. Department stores have failed to respond to changing consumer trends,” said Naozumi Nishimura, analyst at a research firm TIW in Tokyo.

Sales at Japanese department store chains, including Isetan Mitsukoshi, J.Front Retailing and Takashimaya, marked the 18th straight month of year-on-year decline in August. Those top chains’ shares are mostly rated at “hold.”

“As for consumer spending, tough times are likely to continue for a little while,” said Takashimaya President Koji Suzuki.

“We have been working on structural reform and stepping up marketing efforts, but we cannot make up for falls in sales in this tough economic condition.”

Asian retailers in general have still fared better than Western peers as their economies avoided the worst of the fall-out from the financial crisis. High-end retailers in the United States and Europe, including Saks, Nordstrom and PPR, have been hit hard by weak sales and consumer focus on value.

The question now is whether Asia’s high-end retailers can sustain the upturn once stimulus measures are removed. Monetary tightening has already begun in Australia, South Korea is expected to hike rates early next year, while many other governments are cautiously discussing exit strategies.

In Taiwan, shopping vouchers equivalent to 0.7 per cent of the island’s GDP were offered and almost all of them used.

Government cash handouts have also helped Australia’s department store chains David Jones and Myer post resilient sales. David Jones shares have more than doubled from a low in March, but analyst opinions on the stock have moved toward “underperform” in the past three months.

An upcoming initial public offering by Myer, Australia’s biggest department store chain, could test investors’ confidence in retailers.

Although growth in consumer spending across Asia is expected to dip this year, it is forecast to continue its upward trend in the next two years, underpinning the region’s department stores.

“I know there is a crisis, but things seem much better now,” said Chen Yi, a Beijing housewife shopping with her son at upscale shopping mall “The Place”.

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Home appliance manufacturer Electrolux plans to invest RM2.5 million to set up new concept stores around the country next year.

Electrolux home appliances general manager, Koh Soh Hoie, said the group planned to build 10 new concept stores, which would be complete one-stop centres for all Electrolux products, in 2010.

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The retail industry in Malaysia is expected to see a marginal growth of between 1% and 3% by year-end as consumers continue to spend despite sluggish economic conditions.

Next year, the industry was expected to see growth of about 5%, said Tan Hai Hsin, managing director of Retail Group Malaysia, at a breakfast briefing yesterday.

He advised retail business owners to focus on promotions that provided value for money and best deals for consumers.

“Hypermarkets remain popular shopping centres and well-occupied mega shopping centres are still an attraction to shoppers,” said Tan.

He, however, said although the industry might grow, it did not mean that there would be no closure of retailers.

This was more serious now as the crisis was somewhat taking a longer time to recover, he added.

“We have been using price discounts for the last 10 years … as an attraction to bring people in to help generate sales,” said Tan.

At the same time, retailers were suffering from low profit margin and some were seeing negative cashflow, he said.

Currently, performance in the retail section was mixed, he said.

Not all premier retailers were suffering from lower sales and not all shops selling big-ticket items were witnessing fast declining sales, he said.

Tan also called on the industry players to take into account the new Malaysian consumers. Retailers should adapt to shifting trends and the buying behaviour of consumers in the market which now offers abundant of choices. — Bernama

On the Government’s plan to introduce a goods and services tax (GST), he said now would not be the right time to implement it.

“At this moment, we are not ready, we have not done enough preparation,” he said.

Educating the people on GST must be done, he added.

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Electronic readers could be the hottest gift this holiday season as a new crop of portable media devices begins to join iPods and other music players as must-have tech accessories. 

The number of readers bought will be closely watched by industry analysts in advance of the expected emergence of multimedia tablet PCs, which Apple and others are thought to be working on and which could alter the competitive landscape.

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Creating a craving for that designer handbag or that trendy watch isn’t enough to get customers to whip out their credit cards, but treating them well certainly can, an expert on luxury brands says.

Michel Phan of the Paris-based ESSEC Business School, which runs the world’s only luxury brand managament MBA programme, says service — online, in-store and after-sale — is vital for luxury retailers in Asia.

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 THE world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc, wants to expand in China and India but has no plans to open hypermarkets in Malaysia, said chairman S. Robson Walton.

“We are focusing on the larger markets and China is a big opportunity for us,’’ he said.

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Beauty queen Miss Singapore World has given up her crown after it emerged that she had stolen credit cards to go on a shopping spree for lingerie. Ris Low had come under public pressure to be stripped of her 2009 title, after local media reported she stole seven credit cards last year while working at a medical clinic, buying goods worth about S$8,000 ($5,662) including gold anklets and phones.

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Chairman of Wal-Mart Stores Inc Robson Walton

The chairman of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. warned Wednesday the global economic recovery will likely be lethargic, even as the retailing behemoth sees great growth potential in China and India.

“The world recovery is going to be led by Asia although it’s going to be very challenging. I think this recovery is going to be a slow one,” Robson Walton told a global CEO business conference here.

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