https://www.scmp.com/rss/41965/feed ParknShop is a supermarket chain that is part of Hutchison Whampoa, which is controlled by the Cheung Kong Group, and headed by Li Ka-shing, Asia’s wealthiest man, who has been nicknamed “Superman” because of his investment prowess. Its operations include ports, with property and hotels, retailing telecommunications (Hutchison Telecommunications International) and infrastructure (Cheung Kong Infrastructure). en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Brian Wong Brian Wong A former property agent who left urine-contaminated soft drinks in several Hong Kong supermarkets has been spared jail after a court accepted that he deserved a second chance in light of his remorse and personal circumstances. Kowloon City Court on Tuesday adopted a probation officer’s recommendation to place retiree Franklin Lo Kim-ngai on probation for a year, with conditions including regular psychiatric and psychological follow-up and participation in rehabilitation activities. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3343008/retiree-who-left-urine-spiked-drinks-hong-kong-supermarkets-spared-prison?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3343008/retiree-who-left-urine-spiked-drinks-hong-kong-supermarkets-spared-prison?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 04:33:09 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A former property agent has admitted planting urine-spiked soft drinks among other goods in supermarkets repeatedly for more than a year, telling a Hong Kong court he had developed depression since his divorce and retirement. Kowloon City Court heard that Franklin Lo Kim-ngai, 63, marked his discontent with supermarket staff by doctoring Coca-Cola Plus and 7-Up drinks with his urine and placing them in Wellcome and ParknShop outlets across the city between July 21, 2024, and August 6, last... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3341433/hong-kong-retiree-spiked-soft-drinks-urine-year-long-prank?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3341433/hong-kong-retiree-spiked-soft-drinks-urine-year-long-prank?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 11:14:20 +0000 Jiang Chuqin Jiang Chuqin Hong Kong’s retail sales in May jumped by 2.4 per cent year on year, reversing a 14-month contraction, with the uptick boosted by a surge in visitors during mainland China’s Labour Day “golden week” holiday. Provisional figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on Wednesday showed total retail sales in May reached HK$31.3 billion (US$3.9 billion). The figure represents the first time sales have grown since February 2024, when the city recorded an increase of 1.9 per cent year on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3316656/hong-kongs-may-retail-sales-24-ending-14-month-contraction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3316656/hong-kongs-may-retail-sales-24-ending-14-month-contraction?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 09:23:39 +0000 Joshua Kwok Joshua Kwok Hong Kong consumers can expect to enjoy deals and discounts at more than 8,800 stores and restaurants as part of celebrations to commemorate the 28th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese rule on July 1, amid a sluggish economy. The Hong Kong Catering Industry Association said more than 3,800 food and beverage establishments would provide discounts on the occasion, while the city’s Retail Management Association said 5,000 stores would launch a two-month shopping festival on the same... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3316109/hungry-savings-hong-kong-restaurants-shops-offer-july-1-anniversary-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3316109/hungry-savings-hong-kong-restaurants-shops-offer-july-1-anniversary-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 09:16:43 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency has charged two more people, including a former warehouse manager, for allegedly defrauding the ParknShop supermarket chain out of more than HK$3.2 million (US$407,642) in wages through fraudulent work records. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) announced on Friday that it had levelled a charge of conspiracy to defraud against former ParknShop employee Cheng Cheuk-kei, 42, and 27-year-old Lau Tsz-pan, who worked as a contractor for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3315270/icac-charges-2-more-over-parknshop-ghost-workers-wage-scam-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3315270/icac-charges-2-more-over-parknshop-ghost-workers-wage-scam-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jun 2025 11:22:58 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak “Some people actually think I’m a legit chef. I’m definitely not,” Chef West says with a laugh. “All I am is a home cook.” Although not professionally trained in the culinary arts, the Hong Kong rapper-producer – who prefers to go by his alias – has garnered over 45,000 Instagram followers, who tune in to his cooking videos thanks to their blend of music and cooking. Things started happening for West on February 29, 2024, when he uploaded a video of himself making chicken with garlic and spring... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3309348/hong-kong-chef-rapper-whose-hip-hop-cooking-videos-lit-instagram-power-food?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3309348/hong-kong-chef-rapper-whose-hip-hop-cooking-videos-lit-instagram-power-food?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 May 2025 04:45:07 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Hong Kong’s lowest-paid workers received a pay rise on Thursday, with their hourly wage increasing by HK$2.10 (30 US cents), from HK$40 to HK$42.10, following a recommendation adopted by the government’s key decision-making Executive Council. The Post takes a look at the 5.25 per cent increase, the first since a new formula for adjusting the rate was passed last year, and what it means for workers such as cleaners and security guards. 1. How often is the minimum wage raised? Hong Kong launched a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3308714/how-far-will-hong-kongs-new-minimum-wage-raise-525-go-helping-workers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3308714/how-far-will-hong-kongs-new-minimum-wage-raise-525-go-helping-workers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 May 2025 11:00:09 +0000 Connor Mycroft,Kayla Chan Connor Mycroft,Kayla Chan Since mainland Chinese discount grocery-chain HotMaxx debuted in Hong Kong in September, it has lured hordes of customers by offering everyday items at prices well below the typical market rate. While a can of Coca-Cola would normally cost between HK$9 (US$1.20) and HK$11 in the city, HotMaxx sells it for only HK$3. It also has bottles of water for HK$2.50, body wash for HK$28 and even a 375ml bottle of whiskey for HK$25. At a time when Hong Kong retail sales are in a prolonged slump, in part... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3289779/can-mainland-china-bargain-bin-grocery-stores-push-out-hong-kongs-dominant-chains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3289779/can-mainland-china-bargain-bin-grocery-stores-push-out-hong-kongs-dominant-chains?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Dec 2024 01:30:17 +0000 The ParknShop supermarket chain is importing more products from mainland China in response to the changing spending habits of Hongkongers who have taken to travelling to Shenzhen and other nearby mainland Chinese cities where they can shop and dine at cheaper prices, according to the chairman of CK Hutchison. It comes at a time of slowing retail sales in Hong Kong. They fell 7 per cent in March from a year ago, marking the first decline since the border with mainland China reopened post-Covid in... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3263835/li-ka-shings-parknshop-imports-more-goods-mainland-china-hongkongers-flock-shenzhen-cheaper-goods?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3263835/li-ka-shings-parknshop-imports-more-goods-mainland-china-hongkongers-flock-shenzhen-cheaper-goods?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 May 2024 11:31:26 +0000 After Hong Kong insurance agent Kyle Wong showed daughters Keila and Kiara Instagram glow stick dance videos two years ago, the twins were enthralled and immediately wanted to try it themselves. The videos, popular on social media platforms such as Instagram and Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok, show people dancing in the dark with glow sticks attached to their clothes, creating colourful human light shows. Some of the top clips have garnered 40 million views. Wong, 34, said he and his... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3258878/hong-kong-counts-down-single-use-plastic-ban-loophole-allows-people-still-buy-throwaway-items-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3258878/hong-kong-counts-down-single-use-plastic-ban-loophole-allows-people-still-buy-throwaway-items-online?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Apr 2024 00:30:18 +0000 Hong Kong is to introduce a ban on throwaway plastics just a month from now. Restaurants will not be able to offer styrofoam containers, disposable plastic cutlery, plates, straws and stirrers for dine-in or takeaway services. The catering trade will also be forbidden to provide dine-in customers with single-use plastic cups and boxes. The handout and sale of items such as glow sticks, thunder sticks and plastic-stemmed cotton buds will also be barred. The Post has summed up how different... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3256276/plastic-not-fantastic-what-are-new-hong-kong-rules-throwaway-items-be-banned-next-month?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3256276/plastic-not-fantastic-what-are-new-hong-kong-rules-throwaway-items-be-banned-next-month?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Mar 2024 02:00:34 +0000 You either love them or hate them. Self-checkout stations are now in every kind of grocery store and supermarket. Instead of having a real-life cashier tally your purchases, companies now encourage you to go the DIY method, scan the bar code of your goods and ring up the total without anyone’s help. Some appreciate the convenience, efficiency and not having to wait in a slow line behind someone with an overfilled cart. After so much quarantine and self-isolation, a lot of people seem to like not... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3244020/self-checkout-machines-or-human-cashiers-pros-and-cons-doing-it-yourself-and-why-we-shouldnt-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3244020/self-checkout-machines-or-human-cashiers-pros-and-cons-doing-it-yourself-and-why-we-shouldnt-say?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Dec 2023 23:45:17 +0000 Hongkongers will pay HK$1 (12 US cents) for each plastic bag they take at supermarkets and wet markets from next week when the charge aimed at cutting down waste doubles in its first increase in 13 years. But all operators, including major chains such as ParknShop and Wellcome, would be given a one-month grace period to fully comply with the new rule, Bruno Luk Kar-kin, the deputy director of environmental protection, on Wednesday said. Government workers posing as shoppers would carry out spot... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3204165/hongkongers-pay-hk1-each-plastic-bag-supermarkets-next-week-first-increase-13-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3204165/hongkongers-pay-hk1-each-plastic-bag-supermarkets-next-week-first-increase-13-years?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Dec 2022 13:25:26 +0000 My girlfriend is ecstatic about a new Indian grocer near her in Shek Tong Tsui, in Hong Kong Island’s Western district. She was looking to pick up some cardamom to try in a dish. The local Wellcome supermarket didn’t have any, while the stock at the Fusion supermarket down the road didn’t look good and was quite expensive for the tiny package. She could wait until the weekend and trek over to Chungking Mansions in Tsim Sha Tsui for a spice run. But she remembered this new little market near her... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3158874/ethnic-food-shopping-hong-kong-im-all-convenience-whether?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3158874/ethnic-food-shopping-hong-kong-im-all-convenience-whether?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Dec 2021 00:15:16 +0000 June Wong So-kwan picks up plastic takeaway cups and boxes, bottles, wrappers and containers on her regular rubbish collection trips to Hong Kong’s beaches. “When I do beach clean-ups in Hong Kong, I find a lot of these kinds of wrappers, the prepack containers,” she says. “This is what you can usually find in the supermarket. I think it’s a very big issue.” One of many volunteers who patrol the coast in their spare time, the manager for marine pollution at WWF-HK collects the trash in an... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3150420/hong-kong-doing-enough-limit-plastic-pollution-supermarkets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3150420/hong-kong-doing-enough-limit-plastic-pollution-supermarkets?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Sep 2021 23:15:23 +0000 CK Hutchison Holdings and CK Asset Holdings, the two flagship companies of Hong Kong’s richest family, defied naysayers with interim results that beat expectations, as the city’s tentative recovery from its worst recession on record translated to increased spending on everything from groceries to real estate. Hutchison, the conglomerate with businesses ranging from the world’s ninth-largest container port to the A/S Watsons pharmacy chain, reported a 41 per cent jump in first-half net profit to... https://www.scmp.com/business/investor-relations/article/3143966/li-ka-shings-two-flagships-defy-gloom-interim-results?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/investor-relations/article/3143966/li-ka-shings-two-flagships-defy-gloom-interim-results?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Aug 2021 10:30:13 +0000 Finally, the Hong Kong government has rolled out its consumption voucher scheme. I had assumed the giveaway, announced in February, would have occurred much sooner, because wasn’t the whole point to boost the pandemic-hit economy? While we’re not completely out of the woods on Covid-19, it would appear the worst is over. There have been no local outbreaks for months, vaccinations are slowly increasing thanks to incentives that include lucky draws, and normal activities – such as dining out and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3143760/why-mcdonalds-kfc-and-supermarkets-will-be-real-winners-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3143760/why-mcdonalds-kfc-and-supermarkets-will-be-real-winners-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Aug 2021 04:15:18 +0000 Deliveroo has partnered with supermarket chain ParknShop across Hong Kong as competition heats up in the city’s fast-growing grocery delivery market. From Thursday, customers using the food delivery app can order more than 1,000 different grocery items from 50 locations under the ParknShop brand, which is backed by tycoon Li Ka-shing’s AS Watsons Group. The supermarket chain has more than 250 outlets across the city, which includes brands such as Fusion, International and Taste. Brian Lo... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3138499/deliveroo-expands-grocery-delivery-business-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3138499/deliveroo-expands-grocery-delivery-business-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jun 2021 03:00:08 +0000 Higher shopping bills are squeezing Hong Kong households during the Covid-19 pandemic, with the city’s consumer watchdog revealing inflation-busting price increases of up to a third on goods at Wellcome and ParknShop supermarkets. The average cost of a basket of 230 items sold in 2020 at the city’s two dominant supermarkets increased 1.9 per cent on the previous year, exceeding the 0.3 per cent inflation rate, according to the Consumer Council’s annual survey released on Thursday. Canned food,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3129676/coronavirus-hong-kong-shoppers-hit-inflation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3129676/coronavirus-hong-kong-shoppers-hit-inflation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Apr 2021 09:06:55 +0000 There is no such thing as a free lunch. Having been criticised for allowing moneymaking businesses to receive wage subsidies meant for those devastated by the epidemic, the Hong Kong government is under pressure to justify the handouts by making the two supermarket giants provide some concessions. This has proved difficult, though. More than a month has passed since the “give-back” requirement was first raised by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, but so far there has just been a war of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3103563/officials-blame-supermarket-cash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3103563/officials-blame-supermarket-cash?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2020 14:07:49 +0000 Somehow, our brilliant leaders thought it important to give Hong Kong’s two major supermarkets HK$81 million (US$10.5 million) in Covid-19 subsidies. The decision is a bit of a head scratcher, since ParknShop and Wellcome are not exactly struggling financially. In fact, the two dominant grocery chains are probably doing better than ever. More people are cooking at home during the pandemic, so it stands to reason that they are selling more groceries. The profits from selling toilet paper and rice... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3101772/supermarkets-get-covid-19-subsidies-six-ways-they-can-repay-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3101772/supermarkets-get-covid-19-subsidies-six-ways-they-can-repay-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2020 02:15:09 +0000 As Hong Kong businesses were rocked, and some bankrupted, by the Covid-19 virus, sales at Hong Kong’s supermarkets – including dominant chains Wellcome and ParknShop – have seen year-on-year profits improve in the six months to June 30. Is it not then utterly disgraceful that Wellcome and ParknShop actually applied for and received government subsidies of over HK$100 million (US$13 million) each during the period? This is taxpayers’ money, meant for the relief of struggling businesses and their... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3098609/why-hong-kong-supermarket-giants-do-not-deserve-covid-19-subsidies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3098609/why-hong-kong-supermarket-giants-do-not-deserve-covid-19-subsidies?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Aug 2020 23:25:06 +0000 AS Watson Group, the world’s largest health and beauty retailer, said the coronavirus pandemic had accelerated the launch of its touchless payments system, even as it dented the Hong Kong company’s plans of opening new stores globally. The company, which is owned by Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing’s CK Hutchison Holdings, has spent HK$1 billion (US$129 million) between 2012 and this year on technology, as part of a digital transformation. It launched the Watsons GO touchless payment system –... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3093166/hong-kong-health-and-beauty-retail-giant-watson-accelerates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3093166/hong-kong-health-and-beauty-retail-giant-watson-accelerates?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jul 2020 04:15:18 +0000 Two major Hong Kong supermarket chains have imposed a quota on essential goods such as rice and toilet paper following a surge in demand amid the third wave of Covid-19 infections, though some customers said they were not too worried about another round of panic buying. Wellcome and ParknShop, each having more than 250 outlets across the city, said a temporary restriction would be imposed on the sale of the essential goods in their branches, with each customer being allowed to buy only two items... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3093176/hong-kong-third-wave-supermarkets-restrict-sale-essential?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3093176/hong-kong-third-wave-supermarkets-restrict-sale-essential?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jul 2020 12:28:42 +0000 The coronavirus pandemic is forcing companies to re-evaluate safety in the workplace, as a new normal emerges with the end of lockdowns and work-from-home arrangements. Property managers, architects and designers have all proposed various initiatives to help companies safely re-enter their offices following weeks and months of lockdowns. “A lot of companies are looking at re-entering the workplace, [and] now they’re asking us to help them look into it and set it up,” said Cynthia Chan, the... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3087131/talk-demise-offices-greatly-exaggerated-how-firms-will-use-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3087131/talk-demise-offices-greatly-exaggerated-how-firms-will-use-work?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2020 01:30:16 +0000 A recent ranking report from Greenpeace East Asia found that Dairy Farm, the parent company of Hong Kong’s largest supermarket chain, Wellcome, has barely implemented substantial or innovative plastic-free policies, leave alone increased transparency regarding whether it has gone plastic-free. On the other hand, while AS Watson, the parent company of ParknShop, is taking steps to execute certain plastic-free measures, it could take the lead in adopting a comprehensive policy, such as by setting... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3085022/hong-kong-supermarkets-still-failing-meet-plastic-free-goals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3085022/hong-kong-supermarkets-still-failing-meet-plastic-free-goals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2020 08:30:11 +0000 I don’t get out to Quarry Bay much, but I was in the district recently, checking out the neighbourhood. In one area, I spotted a supermarket I had never heard of before. The shop’s name is Food le Parc, with the name scrawled out in cursive on the wall. It looked interesting, possibly gourmet, but the lime green lettering was vaguely familiar. As I got closer, I had a sense of déjà vu. Then I entered, strolled down a couple of aisles and realised what it was. A rose by any other name would smell... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3048850/food-le-parc-parknshop-hong-kong-people-are-not-fools-were-too?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3048850/food-le-parc-parknshop-hong-kong-people-are-not-fools-were-too?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Feb 2020 08:30:10 +0000 Residents in one Hong Kong town have this week been hit hard by the anti-government protests sweeping the city – their local McDonald’s is running out of food. With radicals bringing major roads, tunnels, and parts of the rail system to a standstill in recent days, people have struggled to get in or out of the New Territories, leaving places such as Tai Po in semi-isolation. Restaurants and supermarkets have run low on supplies too, and residents hoping to get breakfast at their local McDonald’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3037851/mcdonalds-runs-out-food-and-supermarkets-shelves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3037851/mcdonalds-runs-out-food-and-supermarkets-shelves?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Nov 2019 04:11:03 +0000 Hong Kong’s supermarkets are inconsistent in their use of plastic wrapping for produce across their stores and even add extra layers to existing packaging from suppliers, environmental watchdog Greenpeace has found. The findings were made after Greenpeace ran a survey in April which revealed 70 per cent consumers preferred shopping in plastic-free supermarkets. In June, the green group followed up with a survey on the use of plastic wrap for fresh produce and cooked foods at 56 supermarket... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3022106/greenpeace-survey-finds-major-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3022106/greenpeace-survey-finds-major-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Aug 2019 04:50:18 +0000 The summer fruit season has returned to Hong Kong with cheaper but fewer cherries from the United States for a disturbing reason. The US – primarily the northwest region, which is the biggest supplier of cherries in the city – saw farmers complaining about soured consumer confidence in the juicy produce after a viral video on social media showed maggots in the fruit. A key Hong Kong importer of American cherries said on Wednesday wholesale prices were broadly weaker this time than last year due... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3018091/viral-facebook-video-maggot-infested-cherries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3018091/viral-facebook-video-maggot-infested-cherries?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jul 2019 23:00:12 +0000 Chinese internet giant Tencent has teamed up with supermarket chain operators ParknShop and Yonghui Superstores in its latest effort to shake up the country’s vast offline retail market. The three companies have formed a joint-venture company called ParknShop Yonghui, valued at 1.2 billion yuan (US$170 million), Yonghui said in a statement released by Shanghai’s stock exchange on Wednesday. The partnership would help Shanghai-listed Yonghui expand its business further in the southern province of... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2170062/tencent-teams-parknshop-yonghui-superstores-latest-bid-shake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2170062/tencent-teams-parknshop-yonghui-superstores-latest-bid-shake?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Oct 2018 00:01:04 +0000 Supermarket giant ParknShop is being sued by the landlord of one of its stores in Sai Kung for allowing rubbish and shopping carts to clutter a shopping centre. In a High Court writ, landlord Albury Garden Investment accuses ParknShop of breaching the lease for its Fusion store at Centro in Chui Tong Road. It wants the chain to surrender the premises and pay damages. "Since commencement of the term under the lease agreement, the [tenant] has been in breach of the lease agreement," the writ... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1726490/landlord-sues-parknshop-over-rubbish-sai-kung-outlet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1726490/landlord-sues-parknshop-over-rubbish-sai-kung-outlet?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2015 20:38:49 +0000 Supermarket giants ParknShop and Wellcome are keeping prices artificially high by pressuring suppliers not to sell to rivals who undercut them, the Consumer Council says. The council says the new Competition Commission should investigate whether their behaviour is anti-competitive. The watchdog yesterday released its latest study of the grocery market. It claimed the two chains had reached exclusive agreements with suppliers and facilitated a "recommended retail price" system for products. Both... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1386263/grocery-giants-parknshop-wellcome-accused-pressuring-suppliers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1386263/grocery-giants-parknshop-wellcome-accused-pressuring-suppliers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Dec 2013 20:29:42 +0000 Li Ka-shing, Asia’s richest man, has come out to defend himself after being accused by commentators of “pulling out of Hong Kong” following recent decisions to sell key assets of his flagship companies. “You accuse me wrongly. Today, I am striking back,” Li, 85, said in a 150-minute interview with Guangzhou-based Nanfang Media Group. He said such transactions occur in the normal course of business and it is a "big joke" to use them as evidence Cheung Kong and Hutchison Whampoa are pulling their... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1367842/cheung-kong-and-hutchison-will-never-leave-hong-kong-their-scale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1367842/cheung-kong-and-hutchison-will-never-leave-hong-kong-their-scale?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Nov 2013 07:55:07 +0000 Li Ka-shing's determination to cash out of the AS Watson retail businesses after his recent setback in offloading his ParknShop supermarket assets is likely to meet the same problem: buyer resistance on price. The proposed sale of ParknShop, one of the city's two largest supermarket chains, attracted attention from more than a dozen potential bidders. At least four companies - Thai industrial giant Charoen Pokphand Group, Australian retailer Woolworths, state-owned China Resources Enterprise and... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1343098/watson-sale-tipped-hit-price-snag-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1343098/watson-sale-tipped-hit-price-snag-again?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Oct 2013 19:30:30 +0000 Companies controlled by Asia's richest man, Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, said yesterday that they were selling a Shanghai property venture for HK$9 billion but that the ParknShop supermarket chain was no longer up for individual sale, prompting fresh speculation about investment flight from the Hong Kong and mainland markets. Hutchison Whampoa and Cheung Kong would each sell a 50 per cent stake in Extreme Selection, the owner of the company developing the property project at Lujiazui Ring Road... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1334864/parknshop-solo-sale-scrapped?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1334864/parknshop-solo-sale-scrapped?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Oct 2013 19:15:00 +0000 Anywhere else in the world, regulatory alarm bells would be clanging at ear-splitting volume. Not in Hong Kong. Earlier this week, mainland grocery giant China Resources Enterprise confirmed it is bidding to acquire the ParknShop supermarket chain from Li Ka-shing's Hutchison Whampoa. ParknShop is a familiar sight in Hong Kong, with 286 stores in the city under brands ranging from Taste and Gourmet, to Great and Su-Pa-De-Pa. Depending whose figures you take, it is either the biggest or... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1298710/parknshop-merger-will-prove-hong-kongs-competition-law-joke?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1298710/parknshop-merger-will-prove-hong-kongs-competition-law-joke?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Tesco, Britain's largest retailer, may join forces with state-backed China Resources Enterprise to bid for ParknShop. Frank Lai Ni-hium, the chief financial officer of China Resources, said the two companies were "in discussion" that might lead to a possible joint bid for the supermarket chain. China Resources, which is the largest retailer on the mainland and also owns Hong Kong's third-biggest supermarket chain Vanguard, this month signed a memorandum of understanding with Tesco to merge their... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1298488/china-resources-tesco-mull-joint-bid-parknshop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1298488/china-resources-tesco-mull-joint-bid-parknshop?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Supermarket chain ParknShop has received eight bids, sources said. Li Ka-shing's ports-to-grocery conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa, which has reportedly set a US$4 billion price tag for the retail chain, had asked for the bids to be submitted by yesterday, the sources said. Most large international private equity firms have shown little interest in buying mature assets, given that sales growth potential in Hong Kong's retail market comes nowhere close to the industry benchmark annual return of... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1297366/eight-bids-received-parknshop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1297366/eight-bids-received-parknshop?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Supermarket chain ParknShop will push ahead with plans to open 36 stores in Hong Kong this year despite a strategic review of the HK$22 billion business that investors expect to see it ejected from Li Ka-shing's empire. Analysts, however, question the wisdom of ramping up the store opening programme that they estimate could cost the company HK$1 billion. "Hong Kong is a very mature market. Sales should be grown not by store openings, but by increasing productivity per store," Yeo Zhi Bin, a... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1296992/parknshop-remain-expansion-course?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1296992/parknshop-remain-expansion-course?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong has long been known as a shopping paradise, in particular among fashion-conscious women. But lately it's more than just fashion that is on offer, as a growing number of billion-dollar family businesses have been put up for sale. For some bankers, the asset sales have not come as a big surprise. Last year, when I talked to David Chin, the head of Asia investment banking business at UBS, he had already flagged the deals. "In 10 years, Hong Kong will see first-generation [business]... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/1296017/now-hong-kong-becomes-place-put-few-assets-trolley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/1296017/now-hong-kong-becomes-place-put-few-assets-trolley?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Aug 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Private-equity firm KKR is evaluating a bid for the ParknShop supermarket chain, said two people with knowledge of the matter. KKR, which is talking to banks about financing for a potential deal, may decide not to make an offer, said the sources. ParknShop owner Hutchison Whampoa has asked potential buyers to submit bids for the chain by August 16, people with knowledge of the process said last week. Hutchison is seeking US$3 billion to US$4 billion for ParknShop, one of the city's two main... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1293443/kkr-considers-bidding-parknshop-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1293443/kkr-considers-bidding-parknshop-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Jul 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Hong Kong's record property prices may mean a lucrative exit for Asia's "Superman" from the sale of ParknShop, but potential buyers will have to justify the high rental costs amid slowing growth in the city's mass-retail market. One observer says Li Ka-shing's ParknShop, with more than 345 outlets in Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland, needs to be run by experienced players in the supermarket business, as its thin margins require complex logistical support and good cash-flow management. "Li... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/markets-investing/article/1292918/tough-market-store-parknshop-buyer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/markets-investing/article/1292918/tough-market-store-parknshop-buyer?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jul 2013 16:00:00 +0000 No business touches our lives as much as a supermarket - which means that tycoon Li Ka-shing's ParknShop chain, which holds an estimated 35 per cent of the grocery market in Hong Kong, is a necessity for many of us. The announcement that it may be up for sale is, therefore, a matter of deep interest and perhaps concern for its customers as well as 13,000 staff here, in Macau and on the mainland. Perceptions are rife that the tycoon is not in favour with the government, prompting speculation that... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1290066/possible-sale-parknshop-affects-all-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1290066/possible-sale-parknshop-affects-all-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Selling ParknShop would allow Li Ka-shing to cash out of the saturated grocery store market and channel his resources into lucrative health and beauty ventures on the mainland or utilities businesses in Europe, say analysts. Known for selling assets at their peak, Li's Hutchison Whampoa on Saturday said the conglomerate was making a strategic review of its ParknShop chain. "We believe a disposal makes strategic sense, especially if proceeds are reinvested into the higher margins/growth health... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1288742/disposal-seen-margins-play-li?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1288742/disposal-seen-margins-play-li?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jul 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Faithless! Just think of all the money we've all handed Li Ka-shing over the years, only for him scorn us like this. Reports that Li-controlled conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa is pondering the sale of its ParknShop supermarket chain triggered howls of media outrage last week. So shrill were the protests that Hutchison even felt obliged to deny that it was abandoning Hong Kong. Yet despite the denial, don't be surprised if Hutch does indeed go ahead and sell ParknShop. There is a solid case for... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1288721/parknshop-sale-looks-solid-deal-hutch-shareholders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1288721/parknshop-sale-looks-solid-deal-hutch-shareholders?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jul 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Some ParknShop employees have complained of being forced to agree to transfer to a new subsidiary, a move seen by unionists as tycoon Li Ka-shing's preparation to hive off the supermarket chain from his business empire. The complaints came as Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor sought to quell fears over Li's exit from Hong Kong and to quash speculation it was because of his discord with the Leung Chun-ying administration. Li had supported Leung's rival, Henry Tang Ying-yen, in last... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1287899/parknshop-staff-complain-being-made-move-new-subsidiary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1287899/parknshop-staff-complain-being-made-move-new-subsidiary?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jul 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Billionaire Li Ka-shing's conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa said yesterday it had no intention of withdrawing from Hong Kong, despite launching a review that could lead to the sale of its ParknShop supermarket chain. It said a subsidiary, A.S. Watson & Co, was conducting a strategic study of the business "to optimise value for shareholders". But it stressed that media rumours that it may be pulling out of the city were "groundless". Leaving his home yesterday morning, Li referred to the review,... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1287289/hutchison-whampoa-denies-it-plans-quit-hong-kong-amid-speculation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1287289/hutchison-whampoa-denies-it-plans-quit-hong-kong-amid-speculation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jul 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Li Ka-shing is reported to have hired the investment banks Goldman Sachs and Bank of America/Merrill Lynch to sell his ParknShop supermarket chain for as much as US$2 billion. The deal could channel cash towards the tycoon's ports-to-telecoms conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the group decided to sell the supermarket chain last month in a bid to raise cash to help it through one of its most challenging business environments for years. The report... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1286658/li-ka-shing-plans-sell-parknshop-us2b?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1286658/li-ka-shing-plans-sell-parknshop-us2b?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jul 2013 16:00:00 +0000 A major supermarket chain plans to expand its donation of surplus food from 30 stores to 100 by the end of the year, a senior executive says. ParknShop started partnering with Food Angel, a food donation and transfer charity, nine months ago to give away food that would otherwise be thrown away. The food is packed into lunchboxes for the needy. About 36 tonnes of food had been passed to Food Angel to date, producing more than 150,000 lunchboxes, said Philippe Giard, ParknShop's regional managing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1242963/more-parknshop-stores-donate-surplus-food-needy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1242963/more-parknshop-stores-donate-surplus-food-needy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000