The Impulso Podcast

Chagee has returned in Singapore (after leaving earlier this year). Their grand opening drew massive crowds, with queues stretching for over an hour.

We did a poll on our WeChat, and more than 50% of respondents believe that Chagee will dominate the market. But what makes Chagee stand out in a crowded field of competitors?

Tune in to the latest episode of the Impulso podcast as we delve into Chagee’s business model, compare it to its competitors, explore the rise of Chinese F&B brands in the region, and discuss the fundamental challenges faced by F&B companies.

Featured materials: 

Momentum Works Immersions: F&B innovations

Coffee in Southeast Asia, Momentum Works 

Luckin Coffee opens its 20,000th store, The Low Down

Bubble Tea: The business behind Southeast Asia’s favorite drink, Momentum Works

E76: Starbucks vs Luckin in China, who is winning?, The Impulso Podcast

E63: How does Luckin Coffee open 1000 new stores every month?!, The Impulso Podcast

Chapters:

0:00 Intro

0:32 Chagee reenters Singapore with grand opening

1:54 Chagee’s first entrance

5:15 How will they perform after reentering

7:15 What makes Chagee stand out?

12:21 Is Luckin copying Chagee?

14:00 The story behind Chagee’s founder

18:52 Bingxue in Jakarta

21:00 Singapore’s saturated beverage market

24:10 What are the fundamental challenges faced by F&B players?

26:00 Dealing with different cultures

28:05 Chagee at the Paris Olympics

30:15 Momentum Works F&B immersion

Luckin Coffee has opened its 20,000th store, in Beijing! This comes as no surprise as Luckin has been bold in its expansion, opening almost 1,000 every month in Q4 2023. 

But how did Luckin achieve this incredible growth? Are they trying out a new business model in their 20,000th store?

Tune in to the latest episode of the Impulso podcast as we dive into the data-driven strategies behind Luckin's success.

Featured materials: 

Momentum Works Immersions: F&B innovations

Coffee in Southeast Asia, Momentum Works 

Luckin Coffee opens its 20,000th store, The Low Down

E76: Starbucks vs Luckin in China, who is winning?, The Impulso Podcast

E63: How does Luckin Coffee open 1000 new stores every month?!, The Impulso Podcast

When Delivery Hero acquired Baemin in 2021, the company was financially strong. However, Baemin is now struggling, losing market share to Coupang Eats and dealing with the resignation of its CEO, Lee Gyuk Hwan. What does this mean for Baemin’s parent company, Delivery Hero, which relies on Baemin to subsidise other loss-making markets?

Baemin is not the only platform under Delivery Hero facing intense competition. The company’s global portfolio, including operations in the Middle East, Europe, and Southeast Asia, is also under significant pressure.

Tune into this latest episode as we dive into the challenges Delivery Hero is facing in its key markets and the shifting dynamics of the food delivery industry.

Featured materials: 

Food delivery in Southeast Asia 2024, Momentum Works 

Momentum Works Immersions: F&B innovations

EP62: What is the “right price” of Foodpanda for Grab?, The Impulso Podcast

Should Meituan acquire Foodpanda?, TheLowDown

Foodpanda sells its most valuable asset to Uber, TheLowDown

Meituan becomes top food delivery player in Hong Kong, TheLowDown

Will Meituan beat DeliveryHero in Saudi Arabia?, TheLowDown

In this latest episode, we're sharing exclusive snippets from our recent media briefing where we delve into the highlights of our newly released “Ecommerce in Southeast Asia 2024” report. 

Some key highlights:

This episode offers a glimpse into our findings, from market growth to key trends shaping the industry. 

For more insights and detailed analysis, check out Momentum Works “Ecommerce in Southeast Asia 2024”: report which includes insights into the region’s six core ecommerce markets, as well as competitive dynamics of leading ecommerce platforms and ecosystem players including logistics. 

Featured materials: 

Ecommerce in Southeast Asia 2024, Momentum Works 

During a closed-door seller meeting in Shenzhen, China, Amazon announced it would open a dedicated section offering low-cost, unbranded items shipped directly from China. Reports from Chinese and international media see this as a major attempt by Amazon to counter the growth of Chinese rivals, especially Temu and SHEIN. However, scepticism still remains on the viability of this new initiative.
On the latest episode of the Impulso Podcast by Momentum Works, we examine the details behind this announcement and figure out whether Amazon would succeed in their newly launched discount section.

Tune in and enjoy!

Check our last episode: https://thelowdown.momentum.asia/e82-the-impulso-podcast-chinas-618-ecommerce-sales-dropped-or-grew/

GMV of Chinese ecommerce during 6.18 dropped for the first time in 8 years, according to data platform Syntun. This was quickly picked up by international media as the barometer of weak consumer confidence in China. 

However, others quickly jumped in to challenge the data, suggesting that ecommerce sales actually grew. So who has the truth? 

On the latest episode of the Impulso Podcast by Momentum Works, we examine numbers and other factors from different sources, giving you a clearer picture of what’s happening in the fiercely competitive ecommerce market in China. 

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/i8jDhXBXLKb

In the first half of 2023, 41% of tech investment in Southeast Asia went into digital financial services, nearly double the amount allocated to e-commerce. So, where has all the fintech funding gone?

On the latest episode of the Impulso Podcast, we are joined by Gavin Tan, lawyer turned FinTech founder, as we delve into: 

Tune in for an in-depth conversation on the current state and future of fintech in Southeast Asia.

Last week, Temu joined its competitors - Shopee, Aliexpress, and SHEIN - in Brazil, marking its presence in 70 countries.  This expansion comes despite recent legislation imposing a 20% additional tax on cross-border e-commerce parcels below $50 in value (in addition to the 17% ICMS already charged).

What makes Brazil such a hot market for so many cross-border e-commerce companies? And what unique challenges do they face operating in Brazil?

Tune in as we delve into Temu’s recent entry into brazil, and where Temu might venture next. 

Featured article: 

Temu has launched in Brazil, despite all the challenges, TheLowDown

Southeast Asia & Latin America: Learning the digital emerging markets playbook, Momentum Works 

E48: Jon Russell and Aulia Masna on TikTok-GoTo deal, The Impulso Podcast

What makes a top live commerce host or KOL (Key Opinion Leader)? Is it their appearance, emotional intelligence, talent, or training? Or are these just the bare minimum requirements?

Our team visited the top three Multi-Channel Networks (MCNs) in China last week (as part of our MW Immersion: Live Commerce), uncovering the secrets behind their success in such a competitive landscape.

With millions of aspiring KOLs, how does one truly stand out and become the best of the best?

Tune in as we dive into what MCNs are doing to nurture talent, as well as the innovative business strategies they are exploring to grow without over-relying on KOLs. 

This episode also distills eight key learnings from our immersion, touching on diverse topics from the rise of AI hosts and sustained platform investments to leveraging China’s robust supply chain for live commerce. 

Featured materials: 

MW Immersions: Live Commerce [Hangzhou, May 2024], Momentum Works 

Who is Temu?, Momentum Works 

Is MCN a good business model?, The Impulso Podcast

Our learnings from visiting top MCNs in China, The Impulso Podcast

Last week, both Sea Group and Grab released their Q1 2024 results, and the market responded positively - is tech in Southeast Asia recovering?

Grab reported strong Q1 results, but investors are still curious: will Grab become profitable? Over the past few quarters, the management team at Grab has consistently focused on relentless execution and continuous operational improvement. It will be interesting to see how Grab balances its path to profitability and growth (given its penetration in Southeast Asia is only around 5%).

Sea Group also reported a relatively good quarter (evident from the much happier tone during their recent earnings call),  with steady growth not only in Shopee but also in SeaMoney and Garena. The group is also trying to deepen its moat through Shopee Xpress (its in-house logistics arm).

On the other hand, we see TikTok Shop taking a much less aggressive approach in Q1. Earlier this year, TikTok Shop started increasing take rates (possibly as a strategy for sustainable growth in the region) - Does this mean that TikTok Shop is giving up on overtaking Shopee? 

Featured materials: 

Sea Limited Reports First Quarter 2024 Results, Sea Limited

Grab Reports First Quarter 2024 Results, Grab Holdings Inc.

Ecommerce in Southeast Asia, Momentum Works 

The TIkTok Shop Playbook, Momentum Works 

Does Shopee have a moat, The Impulso Podcast

Dmitry Levit & Boon Ping Chua on the distress in Southeast Asia, and why it’s not evenly distributed, The Impulso Podcast