New womenswear etailer to launch in March

A new UK etailer called Ownthelook.com will launch in March, offering a personal styling service alongside a multi-brand shopping platform for women.

Ownthelook.com will offer advice on how to style different pieces and put together outfits. Customers will be able to purchase a model’s entire outfit, as well as buy each piece individually.

The site will initially provide an edit of more than 40 global brands, including contemporary label N12H, Swedish brand Aeryne and Australian athleisure brand First Base. It will include ready-to-wear, swimwear, accessories and jewellery.

The site was co-founded by Olivia Cantillon, who has a background in styling and fashion journalism, and her business partner Terry O’Sullivan. Cantillon will run the day-to-day operations.

“I wanted to create a brand that not only helps consumers discover the most exciting fashion brands breaking into the market, but also acts as a guide on ‘how to wear’ each piece to create unique looks, making the shopping experience all the more effortless and enjoyable,” said Cantillon.

"Throughout my career in the fashion industry I’ve had the pleasure of styling some of the strongest emerging labels and I felt it was key to share my expertise to create an innovative and engaging new shopping platform.”

Resource: https://www.drapersonline.com/news/new-womenswear-etailer-to-launch-in-march/7018696.article

Niamh O’Neill Sophie Skirt

Niamh O’Neill Sophie Skirt. The ladylike silhouette of the Sophie skirt by Irish fashion designer, Niamh O’Neill is given a contemporary twist with this season’s floral print

The blue satin Sophie skirt sits comfortably on the waist and flares to a full bodied silhouette. Fabulous!

Fashion.ie is an Irish fashion website that offers the latest celebrity and fashion news to our users. Fashion.ie also gives our users the opportunity to purchase high quality goods directly from our wide range of fashion affiliates. Keep up to date with the latest fashion news, celebrity fashion news, health and beauty news as well as current fashion trends of the week and news from the world of music. Fashion.ie is a 100% Irish owned fashion website. Buy clothing on line. Irish celebrity and fashion news.

 Fashion.ie is an Irish fashion website that offers the latest celebrity and fashion news to our users. Fashion.ie also gives users the opportunity to purchase high quality goods directly from our wide range of fashion affiliates. An important note to remember is that Fashion.ie is an affiliate sales website that offers users, links to accredited fashion websites on the Internet. 

Fashion.ie takes no responsibility or liability for any transaction between user and each fashion vendor. It is the sole responsibility of each user to ensure they are completely happy to interact and trade with each on-line fashion vendor. Fashion.ie would also advise all users to check for the correct sizes of items as well as delivery and returns policy of each vendor prior to purchasing items from them. 

Follows us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin and Pinterest Buy clothing on line. Irish celebrity and fashion news. Women Online shopping | Womens Archives – Fashion.ie. Shop for a wide collection of women clothing, shoes, accessories, dresses, jewellery and more. Keep yourself updated with the new fashion at fashion.ie. Niamh O’Neill Sophie Skirt

Resource: http://www.fashion.ie/niamh-oneill-sophie-skirt/

Judy Foreman: One Year In, Jennie Reiter Sees an Even Brighter Future for Blanka

With expansion plans underway and on the horizon, Montecito women’s boutique plans Feb. 24 anniversary party to celebrate with customers and community 

Jennie Reiter, left, opened her Blanka women’s boutique last winter, and the store has become a popular — and comfortable — destination for her customers. “We feel so blessed to be part of this amazing community in Montecito,” she says. “As Coast Village Road continues to grow, evolve and expand, we could not be more excited to sink our roots down deeper as we launch our second year.” (Jessica Dalene Weber photo)

A year ago, Jennie Reiter opened Blanka on Coast Village Road in Montecito. The women’s clothing boutique has been a hit with customers, and the experience has given the budding entrepreneur new ideas to pursue.

Between planning for a mega one-year anniversary party on Feb. 24 and working on the May launch of a new online store, the 30-year-old dynamo squeezed in time for a conversation between friends.

As a business owner myself on Montecito’s retail row, and responsible for leasing the store at 1266 Coast Village Road to Reiter and her husband, Eric, I wanted to hear her take on her first year in business.

“We feel so blessed to be part of this amazing community in Montecito,” she told Noozhawk.

“As Coast Village Road continues to grow, evolve and expand, we could not be more excited to sink our roots down deeper as we launch our second year. It’s been very encouraging, motivating and exciting to see the new stores and restaurants pop  

Reiter says she senses that locals are beginning to view Coast Village Road as the “hometown shopping experience that State Street used to be.”

“Many of the stores are owned by local residents, many of whom are younger first-time entrepreneurs like myself,” she explained.

She said she enjoys walking around the neighborhood, grabbing coffee at Jeannine’s Restaurant & Bakery, surprising her husband with a gift from Whiskey & Leather or K. Frank, stopping in at the locally owned Liquor & Wine Grotto for a bottle of wine, and then popping into Allora by Laura for something fun for herself.

“It’s nice to shop somewhere else besides my own store,” Reiter said. “It’s all right here — a true destination.

“And I don’t have to drive my car to get there!”

Reiter welcomes the new stores — and the competition for her boutique, which specializes in contemporary woman’s ready-to-wear clothing and accessories. Many of the other merchants are her personal friends, and she believes there’s plenty of business to go around.

“It’s even better to be part of a destination that is actually worth coming to since we all provide a different and unique aesthetic in our community,” she said.

Jennie Reiter is a champion of the Coast Village Road retail atmosphere, and says she senses locals are beginning to think of it as the “hometown shopping experience that State Street used to be.” (Jessica Dalene Weber photo)

In fact, Reiter is so bullish on the area that she confidently predicts Coast Village Road will be the next big shopping and dining destination in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

“My philosophy is if its not evolving, it’s growing stale,” said Reiter, who acknowledged that Blanka has refined itself over the last 12 months.

“It’s part of the learning curve to get dialed in to what people like, but also to introduce the customer to what is trending right now, not just in Santa Barbara but also in the larger fashion community,” she said.

“We carry a range of price points and sizes. We serve a variety of age demographics and want everyone to feel comfortable shopping and enjoying the Blanka experience.”

As part of her own evolution, Reiter recently opened a second store, called Blankita, in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone. The store is part of The Guilded Table, a shared artist collective at the Waterline at 120 Santa Barbara St., which also houses Nook restaurant, Blair Fox Cellars, Lama Dog Tap Room & Bottle Shop and Topa Topa Brewing Co.

“Our stores have become a comfortable place for people to shop and hang out,” she said.

And speaking of hanging out, to mark her milestone anniversary, Reiter and Blanka will host an open house party from 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 24 at the shop. The festivities will include pizza and champagne from Honor Market, wines from Sonja Magdevski’s Casa Dumetz in Los Alamos, a complimentary Airstream photo booth, and dancing on the patio to music queued by local DJ Ryan Peitzke.

The party theme is Dress in Your Blanka Best! All guests sporting Blanka apparel and accessories purchased in the store’s first year will be entered in a drawing for various Blanka items and gift cards. Anyone spending $200 or more also will be entered in the giveaway.

Reiter said that 10 percent of sales from the event will be donated to Dress for Success, a Santa Barbara nonprofit organization that assists women in getting jobs and looking and feeling their best. She said it was an easy choice.

“The mission and heart of Blanka,” she said, “was always to assist women in seeing their true beauty, inside and out, and growing in their ability to look in the mirror and love what they see looking back at them!”

Looking ahead to Year Two, Reiter said Blanka will be launching a new online store in May. She also hopes to provide her customers with more personal styling and shopping services.

Having started her career as a personal stylist, Reiter said she understands how important it is for women to get personal closet help and styling assistance — at home or in the marketplace.

“Getting back into people’s wardrobes, getting into the nitty gritty of what’s working for them and not working — from style, color and silhouette, to fabrics and textures — is the creative juice I love,” she said.

Blanka Boutique is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily at 1266 Coast Village Road. Click here for more information, or call 805.869.1811.

— Judy Foreman is a Noozhawk columnist and longtime local writer and lifestyles observer. She can be contacted at judy.foreman@noozhawk.com. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.

Resource: https://www.noozhawk.com/article/judy_foreman_jennie_reiter_blanka_boutique_montecito_20170220

Valentine’s Day Gifting By The Numbers

Didn’t get what you wanted on Valentine’s Day? Then, according to Loop Commerce, surprisingly, you are among the mere 12 percent of consumers who received a gift and decided they hated it enough to return it. And we’ve got a ton more exclusive data about who bought what, when and how much was spent all inside. We think you’ll fall in love.
 

OK, true confessions time. Did your special Valentine get you a present last week, and did it truly knock your socks off? Or did it leave you wondering why you hadn’t ditched that Valentine a long time ago?

We’ve got data on this holiday gift giving occasion that might surprise you — who spent more, who procrastinated more and what gifts went over like a heart-shaped lead balloon — courtesy of Loop Commerce and its evaluation of the State of Valentine’s Day gift giving.

Hot off those heart-shaped presses.

First, a little context.

Gifts, Bring Them On!

While the fact that people like receiving gifts on Valentine’s Day — and any other day — will come as a shock to exactly no one, Americans, as it turns out, also really like giving gifts. According to Rasmussen, 82 percent of Americans report that giving gifts is something they enjoying doing, which, statistically speaking, means gift giving is as popular as eating chocolate.

But giving gifts in the digital age can be something of a challenge, mostly because it is easy to take for granted how much you actually you have to know about someone to buy them a decent present. Even thinking beyond the obvious stuff, like personal taste, favorite color, hobbies, interests, etc., gift giving online also requires a bunch of other technical data that one might not have easily on hand about a friend — even a close friend — like their mailing address or shoe size.

Never mind the can of worms/sensitivities with giving some of the rather personal gifts that Valentine’s Day tends to inspire.

The default solution to this quandary historically is the handy dandy gift card — it requires minimal personal knowledge of the recipient and can be delivered digitally. It’s a popular solution — $140 billion spent on gift cards annually attests to that — but not a perfect one.

The majority of consumers, according to brand new data from Loop Commerce, don’t actually like giving gift cards, by and large. And on Valentine’s Day, it might even be a real no-no — that is, if you’d like to spend next Valentine’s Day with him or her.

Only 5 percent of consumers report really loving the act of giving someone a gift card, 19 percent report loving it and 20 percent report liking it — for a net positive takeaway of 44 percent. A quarter of consumers say that they dislike giving gift cards so much they never do it, and 31 percent of consumers say they do give them if they have to, but only as a last resort.

That means that 56 percent of consumers would rather give a gift, which, for retailers, is a much bigger market opportunity — in the $200 billion–$300 billion range. It’s a market opportunity that Loop Commerce, with its GiftNow buttons inserted on product pages on web sites, set out to solve. Loop Commerce allows gift buyers to send items without having to select a given size, color or other unknown that might otherwise lead to rejection, exchanges or returns. The receiver gets the gift via email, the day of the gifting occasion, and it can be customized to their liking or exchanged for another item or store credit. And all the gift giver needs is the recipient’s email.

Now back to the Valentine’s Day gift giving part of this story.

Loop looked at data from across its portfolio of merchants — some fancy ones, too, like Bergdorf, Neiman, Saks and Coach — to see how gifting all played out that day. And at a presentation last week at National Merchant Day, the team at Loop Commerce had some — in some cases, surprising — insights to offer into America’s annual celebration of love and togetherness.

So, what did we learn?

Love — By The Numbers

So, how popular is Valentine’s gift giving? Depends on how one looks at it.

While Americans have just collectively shelled out $18.2 billion in flowers, chocolates and jewelry, Valentine’s is not the heaviest-hitting gift giving or getting occasion of the year. Birthdays and Christmas own most of that market, representing over half of the reasons Americans take to the stores or web. “Just because” is also a surprising popular reason to buy someone a present, beating out both Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

Valentine’s Day may also be among the year’s more impromptu holidays, since Loop’s data showed that a little more than a quarter (27 percent) of Valentine’s Day gifts were scheduled to deliver ahead of time, as opposed to the 73 percent of gifts that were bought and sent for receipt the day of via GiftNow.

Nothing says I love you more than not being found out that you actually forgot to shop before the big day itself.

This Valentine’s Day also saw consumers who did most of their browsing via mobile device — 81 percent via their phone versus 19 percent who browsed via mobile. But when it came time to convert, the desktop still won the day — 68 percent of purchases were made on computers, while 38 percent were made via devices.

As far as what payment brands gift givers used, Visa was the big winner with ~40 percent of purchases, followed by PayPal, Amex, Mastercard and Discover.

As for what people were buying, maybe not much of a surprise. Apparel was the leading category for both men women; accessories and footwear also have appeal across genders. Men, however, were more likely to get electronics or jewelry/watches as a gift, while women were more likely to get beauty products or home and garden-related goods.

That also means that, yes, men got more jewelry than women for Valentine’s this year — if we count (non-smart) watches.

PYMNTS would ordinarily observe that something seems quite wrong with a Valentine’s Day picture that has men getting more jewelry and women getting more home and garden products.

But Loop’s data also shows that, by and large, people made good gift-giving choices. Nearly two-thirds — 64 percent — of gift recipients accepted their gifts as selected, and only 36 percent exchanged. Among those who exchanged the gift, 66 percent modified an attribute and accepted it. Only 12 percent of the total set of gift receivers decided they wanted something different.

It does seem men did somewhat better in choosing gifts than their lady-loves this year, since men exchanged their gifts more often.

And that was not the only notable gendered difference when it comes to spending on love.

The Battle Of The Sexes

Women are more likely to buy for Valentine’s than men are — 47 percent more women than men send gifts on Valentine’s. We surmise that has something to do with women buying for their kids and parents/grandparents.

But what men lack in quantity, they may be trying to make up for in quality of gifts since, on average, men spent 63 percent more money on their gifts than their female counterparts. They may also be trying to get the edge on advanced planning, since 54 percent — and thus the majority — of last-minute gift senders were women.

And as for those returns, 32 percent more men exchanged their gifts than women, either indicating women aren’t as good at buying gifts as men are or that men are just much, much pickier than women, despite what stand-up comedians might have one believe.

As for what people didn’t like?

For women, scented body lotion/perfume was not a big hit; For men, it was belts.

So, the pro tip here might be Valentine’s is a poor time to imply your girlfriend’s/wife’s skin could be softer or that your boyfriend’s/husband’s pants could fit him better.

But the big lessons we can take away are…

It is, of course, the thought that counts when it comes to giving gifts, though some thoughts are better than others. But, at least as it seems to appear from looking at the Loop Commerce data, people tend to do a great job when they are able to send gifts. They just need a little help getting them there in time when shipping windows expire or critical information is not handy.

Which is good news because there is little in life less romantic than getting a gift card for Valentine’s Day.

Resource: http://www.pymnts.com/news/retail/2017/loop-commerce-valentines-day-gifting-trends-data/

New York fashion brand launches first true Virtual Reality shopping experience in the United States

Customers can view a retail store in 360 degrees, interact with content in the video, and purchase high-quality products

Tarrytown, NY - Eye Hunee is proud to announce the first true Virtual Reality shopping experience in the United States. The video (which can be seen here www.eyehuneevr.com ) allows shoppers to be in a real retail store, look around in 360 degrees and choose items off the rack or from the models. The video also features augmentation within the video, some of which is clickable for full interaction. The technology allows users to interact with content within the video and make a purchase after clicking desired products. Users can shop for high-quality fashion accessories like hats, crowns, men’s apparel, women’s apparel, sunglasses, sneakers, laces, gloves, and music.

More information about their fashion collection and one of a kind shopping experience is available on their website at www.eyehunee.com

Today’s customer deserves a new and better way to shop online. Eye Hunee is ecstatic to collaborate and partner with the world’s premier Virtual and Augmented Reality technology company VirtualAPT. This is the first in a series of VR shopping experiences of the partnership featuring Eye Hunee apparel worldwide.

“We are confident with our line of fashion products, which has been manufactured from the best materials and created with style and purpose. We want people to join us in creating a new cool culture that will define the present time and the future of fashion,” said Christopher Sander, Co-Founder of Eye Hunee.

Eye Hunee manufactures apparel, eyewear, and accessories by combining classic style with modern contemporary urban aesthetics. They offer customers an extensive collection of items available in different categories including women’s and men’s apparel such as sheer jackets, T-shirts, shorts, leggings and tank tops. They also sell eyewear such as unisex round sunglasses, aviator sunglasses, cat eyes sunglasses for women and wayfarer sunglasses for men. Customers can also shop for custom sneakers, baseball caps with a large metal lion head, leather crowns, laces with gold lion lace locks and gold label gloves.

“We are excited to have our technology combined with such a cool brand. The creative elements that Chris and his team have had us build for this experience should help generate a lot of excitement for Eye Hunee products,” said Bryan Colin, Co-Founder and CEO of VirtualAPT. Shopping with virtual reality offers a new kind of experience for consumers. On the Eye Hunee website, users can view many of the products available in 360 degrees. The company’s desire, with help of VirtualAPT, is to introduce a new kind of shopping experience that offers great opportunities and possibilities for customers.

About Eye Hunee

Eye Hunee is a fashion brand based in New York that manufactures and sells high-quality accessories to young adults. The company collaborates with entertainers like Method Man, Fetty Wap, Keri Hilson, Tiffany Evans, etc. to design and market new products that combine classic style with modern aesthetics.

For more information, please contact: 347-946-8638 | chris@eyehunee.com | www.eyehunee.com

About VirtualAPT

VirtualAPT is an advanced Virtual and Augmented Reality technology innovation company that builds autonomous robots that move through a space, recreating a real-life experience in full 360x180 degrees. The hardware and software are proprietary and the content can be viewed on any device worldwide with no app download necessary. VirtualAPT is one of the early innovators and currently has what many consider the world’s foremost VR and AR technology. This includes a substantial patent portfolio, more than a dozen unique algorithms, and inventions including interactive Virtual Reality video, real-time AR in a VR video, streaming VR with mobility in cinema grade quality, a method to watch VR videos in multiple languages, and Field of Vision Stop and Go (FVSG).

For more information, please contact: 917-293-3173 | info@virtualapt.com | www.virtualapt.com

Media Contact
Company Name: Eye Hunee
Contact Person: Christopher Sander
Email: chris@eyehunee.com
Phone: 347 946 8638
Country: United States
Website: http://www.eyehunee.com/

Resource: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/3242426

Online grocery shopping taking off

One in three shoppers will engage in “eGrocery” this year, using an online device to place orders at their supermarket for pickup or delivery, a new study predicts.


The rate is up from one in five shoppers last year and way ahead of the one in 12 shoppers just two years ago.

It’s impressive growth, to be sure. But why then, I wondered, listening to the late-January webinar on the topic, did an

informal poll of session participants show a good chunk of them still lacking e-commerce capabilities?


Unata, a Toronto designer of online tools for supermarkets, surveyed more than 500 U.S. shoppers in December to compile the outlook offered in the webinar. According to the

company, the findings show that eGrocery had shifted from being “a differentiator” among supermarkets to being “a critical method of doing business.”


It underscored that point by noting that of the shoppers who said their current grocer does not offer e-commerce, 36 percent said they still would likely order online this year –

meaning they’ll wind up shopping elsewhere.


“That’s missed opportunity,” said Dan Farmer, a Unata vice president and webinar presenter.

He said it was important for grocers who do offer online ordering to make sure customers are aware of the service. The Unata survey showed that 41 percent of shoppers didn’t know whether the chain they frequented had e-commerce capabilities.


Farmer also stressed the importance of doing eGrocery well, since the survey showed that two-thirds of online shoppers would switch chains for a better user experience.

Chris Bryson, Unata’s founder and CEO, said that for the customer who tries and then embraces eGrocery, the option becomes “so critical to them that they’re willing to switch

grocers based on the quality of the online experience because their M.O. going forward is convenience.”


“The digital shopper … is impatient,” he added, and has high expectations. Also participating in the webinar was Bill Bishop, co-founder of Brick Meets Click, a

suburban Chicago e-commerce adviser to grocers.


It was Bishop who posed the informal poll asking webinar participants where they stood with e-commerce: their stores had it; they were setting it up now; they didn’t have it but

want it; they didn’t have it and are unsure they want it. The poll showed 73 percent of participants reporting e-commerce capabilities, but I asked

Bishop later why the percentages in the latter two categories – no online option – were still so high.

David Bishop, a partner in Brick Meets Click who oversees research, emailed me to say that grocers are a conservative bunch given their “very complex and challenging

business.”


“The dynamics are very different for grocers as compared to retailers selling books, electronics or clothing,” he said. “As such, traditional brick-and- mortar grocers are taking

a cautious and controlled approach to e-commerce as there’s a lot at stake for them and their shoppers.”


Marlene Kennedy is a freelance columnist. Opinions expressed in her column are her own and not necessarily the newspaper’s. Reach her at marlenejkennedy@gmail.com.

Resource: https://dailygazette.com/article/2017/02/08/online-grocery-shopping-taking-off

Why people buy products online instead of in stores?

With the increased use of mobile devices and advanced technology, online shopping is increasingly becoming popular in comparison to shopping at physical stores. But what exactly has fuelled the increased purchase of products online rather than in stores?

A survey conducted by PWC indicated that almost half the consumers buying stuff online do so due to reduced prices and better deals

PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Global Retail and Consumer Practice in conjunction with the International Survey Unit conducted a study that would help answer the above question.


The price war

Discounts and reduced prices have always been the biggest crowd pleasers when it comes to retail. Consumers have learned to look forward to specific times of the year when discounts are offered.

Online retailers have successfully managed to leverage discounts as a mainstream business model and as such, price has become the biggest factor that drives customers to shop online rather than shop at stores.

The survey conducted by PWC indicated that almost half the consumers buying stuff online do so due to reduced prices and better deals.

Exclusive product launches

It’s normal to walk into a physical store only to walk out disappointed because you couldn’t get what you need. The survey conducted by PWC showed that a third of consumers prefer to shop online because they have access to a wider variety of products.

Additionally, 53 per cent of the respondents indicated that the reason they prefer to shop is that particular products are not available in physical stores. The influx of people shopping online has pushed brands to launch their products exclusively with online stores. This trend has been observed across all product categories including fashion, electronics and beauty products.

Greater convenience for shoppers

While a mere 43 per cent admitted that they prefer to shop in-store to get immediate delivery, 69 per cent of the consumers said that they are willing to pay extra for same day delivery and 49 per cent would rather pay for delivery within a pre-agreed timeframe.

Delivery has always been one of the most responsibilities that retailers find hard to full fill. The most important differentiation elements when it comes to delivery include convenience reverse logistics, traceability solutions, doorstep delivery and negligible or zero delivery charges.

Online retailers have given a whole new meaning to consumer convenience by ensuring that consumers are not only able to shop at any time, but also making it possible for them to receive deliveries at any time and place.

Penetration of mobile devices and internet

Penetration of smart phone use in some areas is growing by 150% annually and the increased penetration of the internet doesn’t seem to slow down. This has fuelled increased online shopping.

The report published by PWC showed that the number of consumers who shop using their mobile devices increased by 7 per cent within one year.

Resour :cehttp://www.indiaretailing.com/2017/01/23/retail/why-people-buy-products-online-instead-of-in-stores/

Here’s Apple’s challenge in India

Made in India?: Apple is eager to push deeper into India and open stores so that it can sell both used and new iPhones, and get a generation of India consumers hooked on its products, but the going is tough so far with Apple and Narendra Modi’s government locked in tough negotiations over whether the company can manufacture and sell phones in the country. — Reuters


In India, for the price of the latest iPhone, you could eat breakfast, lunch and dinner for an entire year, and still have a bit of cash to spare.

Needless to say, at about 70,000 rupees (RM4,600) for a mid-range model, the iPhone 7 is a luxury item in the country of 1.3 billion. After Apple revealed the price last year, Indians had a field day on social media. One of the most-shared posts was a (fake) picture of an owner of a brand-new iPhone with a missing kidney.

It's no secret that Apple is eager for a chunk of the world’s fastest-growing smartphone market. So far, it's been a challenge. Last year, the Cupertino, California-based company shipped a total of 2.5 million iPhones in India, a small fraction of the 29 million smartphones that Samsung sold. Unlike Apple, the South Korean handset maker has an array of products designed for the market, including a smartphone that starts at US$65 (RM288).

In fact, many Indians who want an iPhone wait for new models to launch – not because they want the latest one, but because prices of older versions will drop, making them more affordable. A stroll through the market might even convince you that the iPhone 5S, which was released in 2013, is Apple's hottest product in India. There are posters telling buyers to ‘upgrade' to the 5S, even though it's already been phased out of some markets.

They retail in cramped stores in the smallest towns and cities, drawing crowds eager to own a bit of Apple magic. Storekeepers will usually try to entice people to buy newer, affordable smartphones from Oppo, Vivo and other hyper-aggressive Chinese brands. Sometimes it works, but more often the shopper will opt for a 5S, asking the shop to transfer data and contacts into the phone, along with a few Bollywood hit songs.

This is why Apple is eager to push deeper into India and open stores so that it can sell both used and new iPhones, and get a generation of India consumers hooked on its products. Apple needs a new growth engine; the company's results for the last three months of 2016, out just this week, showed sales growth in every region except China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

On a visit to India last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook wore a tilak on his forehead, draped an Indian silk stole over his shoulders and prayed to Ganapati, the elephant-headed god who is known as the remover of obstacles.

At stake is more than 750 million devices that will be sold by 2020, according to Counterpoint Research. Right now, Apple and Narendra Modi’s government are locked in tough negotiations over whether the company can manufacture and sell phones in the country. While India is insisting that Apple procure 30% of its components locally (like any single-brand retailer in the country), Apple is pushing for a 15-year tax holiday on imports of components and equipment.

The Chinese smartphone makers aren’t waiting: they have recruited movie stars and cricket players as brand ambassadors, while offering retailers bonuses for hitting sales targets. Smaller shops are blanketed with posters provided by Oppo, Vivo and Huawei.

On the Jan 31 earnings call, Cook said India is “a great place to be.” The only problem is, Apple isn't really there yet. — Bloomberg
Resource: http://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2017/02/02/heres-apples-challenge-in-india/

Budget 2017: What's in store for startup founders & their employees (Comment)

However the Budget may not be too bad for digital startups. If you are running any online startup, lets see how it impacts you.

Harsimran Julka Moneycontrol.com Although for startups, this year's Budget didn't hold any positive surprises, the digital universe lucked out. 

If you are running any online startup, lets see how it impacts you. 

If you are a startup founder running a ‘profitable’ business with a turnover of less than Rs 50 crore annually, you should feel happy that the tax rate effectively is now cut to 25 percent from 33 percent earlier.

 However, if your startup is yet to make profits or does not have a roadmap like the usual ventures in ecommerce, food tech or hyperlocal logistics, you may not have a reason to cheer.

 The Finance Minister has extended the window for claiming a tax benefit from five years to seven years now. Now, your venture can claim a tax holiday on any three years starting April 2016 onwards. But if your startup was incorporated prior to year 2016 - too bad. There will be no tax holiday for you! 

Wait, there is some more fine-print, too. If your company was incorporated post April 2016 but did not get approved by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion as an approved ‘startup’, you won’t get the tax benefit either. If you did not apply till now, it may be the right time now. ##How it impacts salaries of Startup CEOs and employees So if you are a CEO of a funded digital startup here is how Budget 2017-18 impacts you. If you or your top management draw a taxable salary of over Rs 50 lakh annually, be prepared to shell out more. The Finance Minister has levied a surcharge of 10 percent of tax payable on individuals' annual taxable income between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore. If you earn more than a crore a year in net taxable income be prepared to shell out the same as last year in taxes. There is no relief. The existing surcharge of 15 percent of tax on people earning more than Rs 1 crore will continue. Thus, those entering the top or senior management for the first time will be the hardest hit. However, freshers in a startup would be the most happy lot. If most of your employees earn an annual package below Rs 5 lakh, they will be least sharing their earnings with the government. The existing rate of taxation for individuals earning between an income of Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 5 lakh has been cut to 5 percent from the present rate of 10 percent. There will now be a simple one-page form to be filed as Income Tax Return for those having taxable income up to Rs 5 lakh. Thus, even if employees are earning a little higher (say, Rs 6 lakh) with a few smart investments, they can get themselves down in the less taxable bracket. For those earning income below Rs 3.5 lakh annually, the tax liability would be just Rs 2500 annually. Also, a person of this category who files income tax return for the first time there would not be any scrutiny. This is just a move to get them to file returns which they did not for fear of the taxman. 

##How it impacts a fintech startup or a cloth merchant 

If you are a financial technology startup entrepreneur offering payment solutions, be prepared to be regulated now under a new body. The government plans to create a Payments Regulatory Board in the Reserve Bank of India. Whether it will be good or bad, only time will tell. 

If you are any online startup that depends upon digital transactions, you may get long term benefits which may not be visible in the short term, as the full remonetisation of Indian economy is yet to happen. 

In his address on New Year’s Eve, Prime Minister Modi announced conversion of 3 crore Kisan Credit Cards to RuPay debit cards in the next three months. This is likely to get more people to transact digitally in India.

About 1.25 crore people have till now downloaded the BHIM app so far.

 The government will launch two new schemes to promote the usage of BHIM namely the Referral Bonus Scheme for individuals and a 'Cashback Scheme' for merchants. An Aadhaar Pay app will also be launched for merchants which will make more people fall under the digitally transacting bracket.

 Thus, there may be indirect benefits to digital economy in the long-run.

 Finally, if you are a small offline merchant planning to buy a PoS machine, you may some reason to cheer. PoS machines, iris and fingerprint scanners may get cheaper. 

The government has exempted basic customs duty, excise duty on miniaturized POS card reader for m-POS machines, fingerprint and iris scanners.

 However, with the upcoming Aadhaar Pay app coupled with BHIM, you don't need a PoS machine either. Just download the upcoming Aadhaar Pay and authenticate customer’s fingerprint with a scanner. The user will be able to pay you directly from her bank account provided she has linked her Aadhaar number to the bank account. 

The fingerprint and iris scan will become the debit card of future.

 Conclusion: While there is nothing big for startups in the Budget besides the tax proposals on SMEs and those earning below Rs 5 lakh, the existing plan to push cashless transactions will benefit digital startups in the long-run. The long run can be expected to be 2018 or beyond.

 However, 2017 will still be a challenging year for you. Consumer demand is yet to bounce back reeling from the aftermath of demonetization. It’s best to save for the troughs of this year and run bootstrapped. Sadly, Arun Jaitley did not address anything to revitalise consumer demand back in India’s bazaars. It was a missed chance.

Resource :http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/economy/budget-2017-whatsstore-for-startup-founderstheir-employees-(comment)_8403361.html

Make a DIY Website under 3 minutes

BENGALURU: All startups today need an online presence to be heard by the right audience. This brings along another requirement of establishing a reliable e-commerce portal to sell products. Here is where, websites like shopmatic.com can help you.

Founded by Anurag Avula, Yen Lim and Kris Chen in December 2014, shopmatic.com primarily works in Singapore with corporate offices in Gurgaon and Bengaluru.


Creating Ecostructure

Anurag describes the features of shopmatic, which will allow customers to generate a user-friendly webpage for their businesses. “We are an e-commerce enabling company helping anyone who wants to sell online. We create the entire ecostructure for them online,” he says.

“This includes everything ­— right from creating templates, adding payments, shipping, marketing and selling to managing social media channels for them. We try make this happen for both small businesses and individual entrepreneurs,” he adds.

If an entrepreneur has an idea but lacks the technology to sell their product, with the help of shopmatic.com they can enable the business to go online. “We have two products available in India. One of it, which is goshopmatic.com allows customers to create a website in less than three minutes.” says Anurag.

Free Platform

It is a free platform to create a website. “The other is Shopmatic Pro launched last year in January. You get to choose from 65-70 templates, allowing you to have a domain name, make domestic and international payments, shipping both local and globally and encourages one  to sell on multiple market places whether it is eBay or Amazon in India.” This website is given at a subscription price of $20 a month. Shopmatic.com provides access to multiple sales channels. They help customers manage a Facebook store too.

Instagram, Facebook Stores are Unprofessional

A lot of people in India are keen on getting on to the online bandwagon, but lack the appropriate means to make it through.

“In the current context, they would just go to Facebook or Instagram and sell using those channels, but that doesn’t allow you to give the professionalism of a store front nor does it allow you to complete the transactions.” explains Anurag.

He says that the firm recognises that when people want to create an online forefront, researchability, discoverability will take a lot of time.

“In that time you can leverage the channel of the market places, the social platforms that’s available to you and build a base around that. We have over 40,000 customers in India now on goshopmatic.com. It is not an individual forefront, but is  about the Facebook presence,”  he adds.

Built for India
India is the first market the company was launched in, states Anurag. They will launch themselves in other markets like Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia by the middle of 2017.

Resource : http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2017/feb/02/make-a-diy-website-under-3-minutes-1565964.html