AEC Feed

US coffee chain Starbucks has launched three new tea beverages in Vietnam.
The Starbucks Teavana Handcrafted Beverages represent the first time the company is selling tea at any of its 6,200-odd stores across the Asia-Pacific region including China.
The three new beverages are matcha and espresso fusion, black tea with ruby grapefruit and honey, and iced shaken hibiscus tea with pomegranate pearls.
“The launch of Starbucks Teavana brings an entirely new tea occasion specifically developed for our customers in Asia, who increasingly want new and different tastes and experiences,” said John Culver, president of Starbucks’ global retail group.
Tea is a US$125-billion global industry and the second-most-consumed beverage in the world.
This is the first time Starbucks has launched a brand on this scale since 2008, and offers it an important growth opportunity. Along with the handcrafted beverages, the chain has also introduced Teavana full leaf tea sachets. – Viet Nam News

Vietnamobile to expand 3G coverage
Vietnamobile is in the process of expanding its third-generation cellular coverage to all 63 cities in Vietnam from the current 12.
“We want to make a good 3G foundation, but we are well positioned to deploy 4G,” said Elizabete Fong, CEO of Vietnamobile.
She made the comment at a recent press conference to launch Vietnamobile’s newest product, the Pizza SIM, which allows customers to mix-and-match call, text, data and entertainment packages to tailor their individual plan to meet their unique needs.
In cities and provinces where the 3G network has not yet reached, users can still enjoy over-the-top services such as Facebook, Viber and Zalo, after the 2G network was upgraded, Fong said.
She said Vietnamobile had strongly focused on providing good coverage quality, targeting young customers in the three major cities. Though Vietnamobile’s market share is way smaller than that of the three dominant operators, Fong believes there is still potential for the network in Vietnam. - Viet Nam News
“We have been in Vietnam for 10 years, during which we have seen the mobile market exploding. However, even when the number of subscribers is 140 per cent of the population, there are still a lot of opportunities,” she said.
“Maybe it is easier for the top three. But being No 4, we are going to be a challenger.” - Viet Nam News

New Malaysia MRT line set to open in 2022
It will only take about 30 minutes to travel between Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur when the Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya (SSP) MRT line is completed in 2022.
This adds to the current KLIA Express Rail Link transit service that connects Putrajaya to KL Sentral as well as Kuala Lumpur International Airport’s two |terminals.
In addition, the high-speed rail service between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore is expected to make a stop in Putrajaya, making it easier for people from southern Malaysia to travel to the city for business or leisure.
The construction of the 32-billion-ringgit (Bt270 billion) SSP line began this week after a groundbreaking ceremony by Prime Minister Najib Razak. |– The Star“This is a historic moment for Malaysia’s infrastructure development and a manifestation of the government’s commitment to bring about great transformation to public transportation, especially in the Klang Valley,” he said. - The Star