Costco’s fourth quarter results revealed a strong finish to the year with total revenue exceeding $220 bn. We look at the factors underlying this performance and what to expect in the year ahead. Fourth quarter and full year key numbers Q4 total revenue up 15.2% to $70.8 bn, with full year revenue up 16% to $222.7 bn Comparable sales for the quarter (ex-fuel and currency impacts) up 1...

With coffee consumption in South Korea nearly triple the global average, and an estimated one coffee shop for every 600 people in the country, the market offers great inspiration for the latest coffee trends and innovations. Here’s three things that caught our eye on a recent visit to Seoul. Robots at the ready Dilly was one of a variety of service robots we spotted in Incheon Internatio...

While the landscape of labour shortages and rising costs varies across the region, convenience retailers are experimenting with a range of new solutions to tackle their resource challenges. Robots employed to restock at FamilyMart FamilyMart has partnered with start-up Telexistence to introduce stock-checking robots to 300 stores in Japan. The Japan Times reports that each robot can repla...