China Direct

Marks & Spencer continues to grow in China

 

[Image courtesy of www.marksandspencer.com]

CBI member Marks & Spencer (M&S) recently released its results for the year ended 31 March 2012, reporting international sales up 5.8%. The U.K. retailer's key priority markets of India, China, and Hong Kong saw strong growth, driven by good like-for-like growth and new space. 

In China, its Shanghai stores continued to perform strongly, and M&S currently has seven stores in the city, having opened three new ones this year. Its Hong Kong stores also continued to perform well, and the retailer opened one new store in the city.

Please click here to read the full annual results for M&S.

Benoy opens Hong Kong 'Pop Corn' development

 

[Image courtesy of www.benoy.com]

CBI member Benoy recently announced the opening of the 'Pop Corn' development, a new joint venture by Sun Hung Kai and MTR Corporation in Hong Kong.

Pop Corn, short for 'Popular Corner', is a 160,000 square metre mixed-use development, comprised of retail, entertainment, hotel, and residential space, which is designed to create a new central focal point for the heart of East Hong Kong.

Benoy was involved in the design concept to the construction stages of the project.

Please click here to read the full press release by Benoy.

British Airways flying high with best airport terminal award

 

[Image courtesy of www.britishairways.com]

China, 17 May, 2012 – CBI member British Airways’ home hub T5 has been voted the World's Best Airport Terminal by airline travellers at the World Airport Awards held at the Passenger Terminal Expo in Vienna.

Organised by independent survey company Skytrax, the awards are based on 12 million customer surveys completed over ten months covering 388 airports.

"Despite initial teething problems when Terminal 5 opened in 2008, it has since become a firm favourite with passengers,” said Edward Plaisted of Skytrax.

"The architecture, ambience and terminal layout was repeatedly mentioned in the feedback in the survey, as well as the extensive range of shopping and dining options in the departures area."

Kevin McQuillan, British Airways Regional General Manager, East Asia said, "It’s wonderful to see Terminal 5 being recognised as the world’s best airport terminal. The award really contributes to our brand promise of providing world-class customer service. Over the next five years British Airways will be investing more than £5bn in new aircraft, smarter cabins, elegant lounges, and new technologies to make life more comfortable in the air and on the ground."

Please download the full Press Release below.

Download British Airways' home hub T5 voted world's best airport terminal_Eng

UK company M&S announces good growth in China

 

 

[Image courtesy of www.marksandspencer.com]

CBI member Marks & Spencer (M&S) recently released its trading statement for the fourth quarter of 2011/12, reporting double digit growth in strategic international markets, including China and India.

Marc Bolland, Chief Executive of M&S, said, "Marks & Spencer continued to make progress in a challenging market. Group sales grew by 0.8%, and U.K. sales grew by 1.2%. Our Food business has again performed well, especially in healthy food, whilst the General Merchandise performance was more mixed.

"Direct had another strong quarter with sales up 22.8% through a number of new initiatives delivering an improved customer shopping experience.

"Strategic international markets, including India and China, delivered double digit growth, but we continue to experience macro-economic pressure and restructuring in some parts of Europe.

"We have continued to manage costs tightly, and are confident of delivering full year profits in line with expectations. While the short term trading outlook continues to be challenging, we are focused on investing in line with our plan and are making strong progress against our goal of becoming an international, multi-channel retailer."

Please click here to read the full press release by M&S.

B&M flying high for Dragonair and Cathay in China

[Image courtesy of www.bm.com]

CBI member Burson-Marsteller was recently awarded a one-year retainer to manage the media relations and engagement in mainland China for Hong Kong-based airline Dragonair and its sister airline Cathay Pacific Airways. The firm will also provide Dragonair with corporate social responsibility counsel and support.

Burson-Marsteller will serve the two airlines from each of the firm's five offices in China.

Chris Deri, Burson-Marsteller China's CEO, said, "China's travel industry is growing at an exponential rate. We are pleased to work with these two Hong Kong airlines to raise their profile in mainland China. We have found during our work with premium brands that clearly communicating a company's values and actions are essential in rapidly growing industries where brand value and recognition significantly influence buying decisions."

Sam Swire, Dragonair and Cathay Pacific's General Manager China, said, "As the China airline market grows in size, the country's fliers become increasingly discerning. It is very important to Dragonair and Cathay Pacific that passengers in mainland China know what we stand for and demonstrate our commitment to them and the China market. We look forward to partnering with Burson-Marsteller China as we work to engage passengers, media, and industry stakeholders to increase awareness of our two brands here."

Please click here to read the full press release by Burson-Marsteller.

Alstom's generators continue to power China

 

[Image courtesy of www.alstom.com]

CBI member Alstom recently completed one of the biggest projects at its generator service factory in Stafford in recent years, the 330-tonne Daya Bay stator.

The stator is currently being shipped to China where it will become an integral part of the generator system supplying power to Hong Kong and mainland China via the Daya Bay nuclear power plant in Guangdong province.

Henri Argenson, general manager at Alstom’s Stafford facility, said, "We're very proud that such pioneering technology has been produced right here in Stafford. We have an incredibly talented local workforce, and the production of the stator is a true demonstration of their skills and commitment.

"Alstom is a global business and world leader in power generation, power transmission, and rail infrastructure, and our overseas customers are an incredibly important part of our business.

The Far East market is a particular focus, so we're delighted with the successful completion of the Daya Bay Stator contract. We're dedicated to continuing to invest in our staff and facilities, enabling us to provide world-class products and solutions."

Please read more here.

CBI member company Freshfields wins top law firm awards in China

 

[Image courtesy of www.freshfields.com]

China Direct would like to congratulate CBI member Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer for winning four prestigious legal awards from three different legal organisations in Asia this month.

Please click here for more information.    

China's top hot dog? Devro announces impressive China growth.

 

[Image courtesy of www.devro.com]

CBI member Devro, the world's leading supplier of collagen casings for food, recently announced its 2011 financial results, reporting continued strong performance, with operating profit before exceptional items up 15.5%, reaching £42.7 million. Devro's revenue in 2011 was £227.7 million, an increase of 6.6% compared to the previous year.

Devro continued to expand in China, strengthening its sales and technical teams in Hong Kong and opening a representative office in Beijing last year. The increased focus on the region has already produced higher sales in South East Asia.

Although 2011 sales volumes in China were limited, Devro's products have been introduced to, and trialled at, all of the leading sausage manufacturers in China, with a view to developing increased business in 2012 and 2013. The long-term prospects for China remain attractive.

Please click here to read Devro's full results for 2011.

UK Company Arup's China outreach programme - 'In China For China'

 

 

[Image courtesy of www.arup.com]

A team of engineers from CBI member Arup recently built an Arup-designed bridge in Mixia Village in Yunnan province with student volunteers from the Kunming University of Science and Technology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

As part of Arup's ongoing collaboration with Wu Zhi Qiao Charitable Foundation, the new bridge provides safe journeys for the commuting villagers between Mixia and its surrounding villages and helps improve their livelihood. Prior to the Arup-Wu Zhi Qiao Bridge, locals often had their journeys interrupted by damages to a makeshift bamboo bridge caused by the river flooding.

To withstand the devastating floods, Arup designed a bridge with an impressive 20 metre clear span and a vertical clearance of six metres. To provide durability and longevity, the bridge is constructed out of galvanised steel with rocks and stones from around the site used as counterweights.

Commenting on the project, Freda Chu, Arup Wu Zhi Qiao's project manager, said, "To build a culturally sensitive and highly sustainable bridge, we held a company-wide design competition, and the winning scheme was adopted as the basis for detailed design.

After several site visits, the design was fine-tuned considering the on-site constructability. A small team of volunteers also travelled to steel fabrication and assembly sponsor S-couvrot's factory in Shanghai for a mock-up of the bridge assembly process to ensure smooth construction on site."

Mixia Village is located in the southern part of Yunnan province, close to the China-Vietnam border.

Please click here to read the full press release by Arup.

CBI Member BMW exceeds 250,000 in Greater China sales

 

[Image courtesy of www.bmw.com]

CBI member BMW Group reported that its 2011 sales surpassed 250,000 units for the first time ever in Greater China.

In mainland China, the BMW Group maintained strong growth, delivering a total of 232,586 BMW and MINI vehicles to customers, up 37.6% year-on-year. China strengthened its position as the third largest market of the BMW Group.

The flagship BMW 7 Series solidified its position as segment leader for the third time in a row, with sales increasing 26.2%, reaching 33,500 vehicles last year. The BMW X family also continued to perform well, with a total of 46,042 cars sold, representing an increase of 27.8%.

The all-new BMW 5 Series further extended the huge success since its launch, with sales soaring to 70,850 units, up 68.4%. The phenomenal growth of the BMW 5 Series is reshaping the premium business car market in China.

The BMW Group's MINI brand set another new record after surpassing the 10,000 unit threshold in 2010, with sales increasing 47.7% to reach 15,518 vehicles in 2011.

In the Greater China market, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macao, the BMW Group delivered 250,658 units of BMW and MINI cars, with a year-on-year growth of 37.2% in 2011.

Please click here to read the English-language press release by the BMW Group on its 2011 China sales and here for the Chinese version.

In additional news, the BMW Group also has the MINI E China field project, which is under the Sino-Germany Economy and Technology Forum. The project represents a joint effort by BMW, its Chinese partners, and the Chinese government to understand electric vehicle user habits, the acceptance level of electric cars, and infrastructure requirements.

Please click here to read the English-language press release by the BMW Group on its MINI E China field project and here for the Chinese version.