Несколько новых международных ритейлеров планируют в скором времени выйти на рынок Казахстана, в том числе Auchan и Carrefour. Значительный приток иностранных инвестиций в Казахстан и политическая стабильность привлекают внимание крупных международных компаний. На данный момент рынок современной розничной торговли в Казахстане не насыщен и появление новых игроков положительно скажется на розничной торговли в целом, так как усиление конкуренции на рынке будет стимулировать компаний больше инвести...
Nov 13, 2015•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Kroger Company announced its intention to acquire Roundy's, a grocery retailer operating in Wisconsin and Illinois in the US. Kroger is the industry leader in supermarkets in the US with a 22.2% market share and is seeking continued growth through various strategies, one of which is mergers and acquisitions. The company purchased Harris Teeter in 2013 and by acquiring the Roundy's brand will overtake 150 supermarkets in the Illinois and Wisconsin area. The move is indicative of cur...
Nov 11, 2015•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Weight management generated an impressive US$13.7 billion in retail value sales in 2015. Although not as large as some other OTC categories, weight management is growing into a mainstream category in a number of countries, especially developing markets, where overweight and obesity rates are growing exponentially. In the future, sales in the weight management category will continue to grow with meal replacement slimming products leading the pack. Through 2020, the category is expected to push re...
Nov 11, 2015•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Australian consumers are eager to keep up with the latest video game hardware and software trends, spending US$3.1 Billion on toys and games in 2014. The upcoming launch of the Alienware Steam Machine in Australia will likely provide some competition for Sony and Microsoft in the region. This new breed of static video game console will play a gradual but positive impact on hardware and software in the digital gaming market. Internet speed in Australia, however, remains an inhibitor of digital ga...
Nov 09, 2015•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Several multinational grocery retailers plan to enter the Kazakhstan market in the near future, including French grocery retailers Auchan and Carrefour. Kazakhstan is enjoying an inflow of foreign direct investment and political stability, which is leading to multinational retailers eyeing the country. The retailing market in Kazakhstan is not yet saturated, and in general the entrance of multinational players will have a positive effect on the development of modern grocery retailing as increase...
Nov 09, 2015•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Germany has bucked the trend of shifting manufacturing work to emerging economies like many of its developed counterparts. This is due to the fact that manufacturing work in Germany is highly technical and requires a skilled workforce,making the work difficult to transfer to low-skilled emerging markets: aerospace, automotive and quality electronics are among the main types of products made in the country. Developing markets are now seeking to cushion the transfer of jobs to emerging countries b...
Nov 09, 2015•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Falling oil prices, economic sanctions and the weakening ruble have all taken their toll on Russian's financial industry, causing profits in this sector to shrink by a staggering US$ 12 billion in 2014. While the largest banks are reeving financial support from the Central Bank, a number of smaller banks were forced to merge or terminate their operations completely. Unfortunately, Russia's economy is projected to remain sluggish over the coming years, and the level of bad loans is expe...
Nov 09, 2015•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast This podcast covers the commodities market for the month of September. Decreased oil production in September of 2015 led to rising crude oil prices, but energy prices remain subdued for the month. Metal prices rose for the first time in four months because of higher prices of aluminum, copper and iron ore. In soft commodities, food and beverage prices both fell and agricultural inched up slightly.
Nov 03, 2015•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Smart Cars , which are vehicles with high-speed, broadband internet connection and digital add-on features, are being regarded as the next frontier in consumer entertainment. With consumers moving away from their living rooms for entertainment, cars are becoming more connected - some new car models even have free mobile internet as an option. The issue with smart cars so far is that the automotive manufacturing cycle takes so long that by the time a car hits the market, it is already out of touc...
Nov 02, 2015•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast The watch market has undergone a change in recent years, successfully transforming from a necessity to a fashion item marked by social status and individuality. Smart watches, which have recently come into the market, will not yet make an impact in the market – especially on watches in the high-priced range. In fact, many traditional watch companies are starting to manufacture their own smart watches to offset any sales lost to consumer electronics companies.
Oct 29, 2015•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast On October 26, 2015, the World Health Organization concluded that eating processed red meats such as ham, bacon and sausages and highly processed meats such as hot dogs raises the risk of colon cancer. The research unit now classifies processed meats as "carcinogenic to humans". Overall red meat consumption in America has been falling for decades although meat consumption in America overall has stayed relatively the same since the 1970s. However due to new diets and lifestyles, America...
Oct 27, 2015•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Euromonitor International recently updated its retailing data and uncovered several trends in its research. Increased penetration of mobile internet has led to an evolution of internet retailing. In developed countries, a growing familiarity with mobile devices is creating a welcoming environment for mobile shopping, and in emerging markets, some countries are skipping wired networks altogether for wireless capabilities - leading to faster mobile adoption and therefore mobile retailing. Apparel ...
Oct 26, 2015•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast The e-commerce market continues to grow, driven by increased global digital access. Both fixed and mobile internet penetration are rising rapidly, especially in emerging markets. In markets where e-commerce is relatively new, consumers are starting to understand the value, cost savings and speed of purchase available to them.
Oct 19, 2015•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Omnichannel shopping, a term used to describe consumers shopping between a number of different devices and channels, is impacting shopping trends in a number of ways. Although mobile devices are part of the daily lives of many consumers, buying products on a mobile device is still limited, but is set to grow in the next few years. However, the integration of mobile technology into the shopping process goes beyond simply letting shoppers purchase items on their mobile devices. Hyperconnected cons...
Oct 19, 2015•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's no secret that consumers habits, tastes and preferences change over time. And consumer foodservice trends have changed with those preferences throughout the years. Domino's pizza is responding to several consumer preferences in their recipe redesign, social media campaigns and franchising strategy.
Oct 12, 2015•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Omnichannel shopping, a term used to describe consumers shopping between a number of different devices and channels, is impacting shopping trends in a number of ways. According to Euromonitor's survey results, many consumers are comfortable with completing all steps of the shopping process online, without ever seeing the product in person. One area where consumers are likely to blur the lines between physical and online retailers, however, is in showrooming. Showrooming occurs when a consum...
Oct 12, 2015•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Labour market flexibility or rigidity refers to employment issues such as staff wages, the ease of which companies can hire and fire employees, length of probation periods and power of unions. Flexible labour markets are characterised by things such as low minimum wage and laws that don't impede the hiring or termination of employees. These flexible markets, which favour worker's rights can lead to lower unemployment and higher labor productivity. Overall, a balance should be struck be...
Oct 08, 2015•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Omnichannel shopping, a term used to describe consumers shopping between a number of different devices and channels, is impacting shopping trends in a number of ways. According to Euromonitor's survey results, consumers are turning to the internet to research products even if they end up purchasing products in stores. Brick and mortar stores should ensure that customers have a seamless experience between digital and physical stores.
Oct 05, 2015•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast According to the recently released Global Startup Ecosystem Ranking 2015 by Compass, the list of cities ideal for startups is dominated by North American and European cities. However, a few emerging cities cracked the list, including Sao Paulo, Moscow, and Bangalore. These cities share common traits, including well-educated, talented populations, the spread of technology and high value-added industries.
Sep 28, 2015•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast The trend of natural and organic products is creating quite a buzz in the fashion and beauty scene and has been for some time. However in emerging markets such as India, pricing remains an issue as players in these markets look to target the emerging middle class. Branding, therefore, plays an important role, and in India, spokespeople for these natural products include Bollywood stars. Although mass brands continue to dominate the beauty care market in India, premium brands are growing faster f...
Sep 24, 2015•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Eatsa is a new restaurant concept out of San Francisco that harkens back to the days of automats. Food is ordered through iPads in store or through an app and delivered via a cubbyhole in the restaurant's wall. Eatsa can be seen as a natural progression of trends in the US foodservice industry - technological advancements, convenience and novelty, to name a few. Consumers in the US want food fast but don’t want to sacrifice quality, and operators should look to innovate as the line between ...
Sep 15, 2015•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast August was another volatile month for commodities, with falling prices for oil, metal and agricultural prices. These falling prices are good news for consumers as it boosts their purchasing power and household disposable income, but as commodity prices continue to slide, deflation may follow....
Sep 15, 2015•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast One year has passed since Alibaba's IPO offering went public on the New York Stock Exchange, and the company has challenges to overcome. Although the company hasn't performed particularly poorly, it has plenty of competition from other retailers such as JD.com and has come under pressure for its poor transition to mobile computing. Despite these challenges, Alibaba is still predicted to perform well in the future.
Sep 14, 2015•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Drones are transforming the way the world does business today by assisting national weather service management, assisting in disaster relief and shipping goods and services. However, legislature is weak for drones in many countries, and many drone operators are simply hobbyists, meaning they have no formal training in drone flight operations. Despite these legal challenges, however, drones are creating traction in most markets.
Sep 03, 2015•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Renaming its parents company to Alphabet is a way for Google to consolidate its growing range of activities into a new structure. As tech giants expand into new territories, branding becomes more important. In Google's case, the rename allows the company to create even more spin off brands, the names of which would be more well known in their specific segments.
Sep 03, 2015•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Retailing in Australia experienced positive growth in 2014, despite fluctuations in consumer confidence and spending habits. In New Zealand, employment is on the rise and consumer confidence is up, but those factors aren't translating into a boost for retailers.
Sep 02, 2015•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast In July 2015, global prices of energy and metal commodities plummeted over the previous month. This reflected a sentiment of uncertainties in the global economic outlook, slowing demand from major economies, particularly China and Japan, amid excess supplies. The volatile environment in commodity prices is expected to persist for the remainder of the year. Listen to the podcast to get the full picture of the global commodity market in July 2015....
Sep 01, 2015•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Korean culture and foodservice is gaining massive familiarity in China, boosted by the success of television shows such as “My Love from the Stars” and “The Heirs”. These shows, which are especially popular with young Chinese women, are sparking a new interest in Korean culture and creating a surge in Korean foodservice chains in China. In fact, some popular Korean television shows frequently film at coffee shops that have Chinese locations, fuelling demand. In the future, Korean foodservice and...
Aug 26, 2015•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Global fast fashion brands and luxury powerhouses are attracted to the Australian market, looking to do business in a stable economy with healthy inbound tourism. While some companies are building brick and mortar stores in the country, others are choosing an online store approach. More conservative brands are only shipping to Australia as a way to test the market. However, flagship and concept stores remain a vital entry point into the country due to their prominent location and branding – desp...
Aug 24, 2015•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast «Сделано в Казахстане» - это успешно проведенная республиканская акция, нацеленная на рост осведомлённости потребителей об отечественных продуктах питания. Желая поддержать национальную экономику, покупатели стали все больше обращать внимание на продукты, которые производятся отечественными компаниями и были подвержены жесткой ценовой конкуренции со стороны российских аналогов. Усилив информированность покупателей о локальных брендах, акция все же оставляет отечественным производителям непростую...
Aug 21, 2015•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
