Brunei freight and logistics market was worth US$157.25 million in 2017

The Brunei Freight & Logistics Market Study - Market Trends, Analysis & Forecasts to 2023 report by Mordor Intelligence has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Brunei freight and logistics market was worth US$157.25 million in 2017 with its biggest opportunity in the multi-trillion dollar halal industry. Mordor Intelligence says that the country maintains a pristine image and is looked upon by the Islamic world as a centre of Islamic culture.

The strategic location of Brunei for China and its synergies with the Belt and Road project, open up immense opportunities for the halal certification industry in Brunei. The connections of China with Middle Eastern and Central Asian countries which are being established through the Belt and Road initiative, open up immense opportunities for Brunei. Coupled with oil and gas reserves, Chinese government see a lot of opportunities in Brunei and has been ramping up investments in the country. The Guangxi-Brunei Economic Corridor was set up to tap the halal trade in 2014. A bio-innovation zone is being developed and augmented post this partnership.

The Brunei Halal brand was a first-mover concept, the consultancy added. Kerry Logistics and the government of Brunei partnered to build Brunei Halal internationally, and provide a range of products and services under the brand umbrella. 

According to Mordor, investments in land transport infrastructure and services remain crucial for Brunei’s future economic and social development. At the same time, the country faces various  challenges, such as congestion, journey time delay, and pollution. Additionally, concerns over road safety are increasing.

The market could receive a boost from infrastructure expansion. Two sites, in Kampong Long Mayan and Kampong Binturan have been identified as possibilities for a second international airport. Muara Port plans to extend the container wharf to serve as a second container berth to a total quay length of 400 m.

Customs tax reduction for several items will also impact the industry. The machinery and industrial equipment that utilise electricity will see reduction from 20% to 5% and heavy vehicles will see a reduction from 20% to 5%.

Companies mentioned in the report include:

Archipelago
Ceva
DB Schenker
DHL
Kerry Logistics
Yusen Logistics

Explore:

Buy the Brunei Freight & Logistics Market Study - Market Trends, Analysis & Forecasts to 2023 report (March 2018)

Social professional networks figure highly in Singapore job searches

Professionals in Singapore rely most on social professional networks to find their next job compared with their peers in Asia-Pacific, according to the 2015 Talent Trends study* conducted by LinkedIn, the online professional network.

Nearly two thirds (63%) of them cited social professional networks such as LinkedIn as the main avenue to access job opportunities, ranking no. 1 amongst the nine Asia-Pacific countries surveyed. Malaysia came in second, at 59%, followed by India at 57%. Indonesia, the third Southeast Asian country in this survey, ranked fourth in Asia-Pacific at 56%. Globally, Singapore professionals share the third place with Brazil in this regard, and are behind Spain (70%) and Chile (68%).

Given that Singapore has one of the world’s highest mobile penetration rates, the second most-popular channel for new job opportunities is online job boards (60%). Companies should not discount the influence of friends and colleagues either, as 55% of Singapore professionals rely on word-of-mouth for information.

“With the sheer talent in the workforce and a robust job market in Singapore, companies may not have trouble in hiring. The bigger question is how companies can attract the best talent and hire the right person for the job,” said Feon Ang, Head of Talent Solutions, Asia Pacific and Japan at LinkedIn.

“Our research shows there is a wide talent pool to be tapped. Not only is active talent on the rise in Singapore, passive talent – comprising 65% of the pool - is also open to opportunities. A strong employer brand is more critical than ever for companies in the war for talent. One way for companies to stand out is to marry social professional networks and word-of-mouth recommendation by encouraging their employees to be their ambassadors in today’s digital age.”

Singapore professionals are also more open to new job opportunities, with 35% actively exploring new jobs, against the global average of 30%. In Asia-Pacific, they rank third, behind India (at 45%) and Malaysia (36%). This year’s figure in Singapore is also higher than the 27% in 2014, when the survey was first conducted. Whether passive or active talent, 86% in Singapore are open to hearing from a recruiter or headhunter, compared with 78% globally.

While many workplaces recognise the increased demand for work-life balance, talent in Singapore still rated compensation as the key factor in evaluating a job opportunity. Money matters, and professionals surveyed in Singapore say that it tops the list of other factors that they will consider in a job, increasing from 29% in 2014 to 51% in 2015. This year’s figure is the same in Indonesia, and in line with Malaysia, at 52%.

Coming in a distant second is work-life balance, with only 32% in Singapore considering it a top priority. It should be highlighted however that the importance of work-life balance has increased from 22% in 2014. Still, the 2015 figure is the lowest in Southeast Asia, as 45% of professionals in Malaysia and 35% in Indonesia cite this as an important factor in deciding whether to accept a new job.

LinkedIn’s research also shows that organisations and employers should place more value on the interview process. While it is used to assess the suitability of a candidate, potential employees also form their perceptions of the company through their interview experience. Globally, 87% of professionals say that a positive interview experience can change their mind about a role or company they doubted, and likewise, a negative experience can reverse that perception (83%).

During an interview, almost three quarters (74%) of professionals in Singapore would like to meet their prospective managers, compared with 62% in Malaysia and 44% in Indonesia. At a distant second, 10% of Singapore professionals would most like to meet a team member during an interview.

The 2015 Talent Trends report includes new ideas that recruiters and organisations can incorporate into their recruiting strategy to ensure that they find the best possible candidate for the job, and vice versa. It concludes that the best way to discover what the talent wants, is to simply ask.

Interested?

More information on the study can be found on LinkedIn’s Talent Trends page and Talent blog

*The study is LinkedIn’s second annual Talent Trends report. Over 20,000 professionals in 29 countries were surveyed to better understand their attitudes and behaviours at each stage of the job search. With this data, the report hopes to provide a blueprint for organisations, employers and recruiters to successfully attract, engage and hire talent.

posted from Bloggeroid

Tracking global travel trends with Euromonitor

Source: Euromonitor website.

Euromonitor International has released the World Travel Market Global Trends Report 2014, which has predicted future travel trends for the past nine years.

Key trends are for Asia Pacific and the Middle East are:

The Middle East is changing perceptions about the region through design tourism, which promotes design in tourism. The trend is helping to revitalise visitor arrivals and attract creative minds.

Messaging apps are becoming e-commerce platforms in China. WeChat, the second largest global messaging service after WhatsApp, has emerged as a viable sales channel for Chinese travel companies with customer service, bookings and payments.

Online and mobile bookings for India's rail network represent a strong driver for travel and tourism, and are recognised by the new government as a vital component for the country’s overall growth.

In 2013, Euromonitor identified trends such as:

The mobile concierge: travel companies are increasingly using mobile channels to satisfy customers’ needs before, during and after the trip. 

Luxury low-cost carriers (LCCs): Middle Eastern consumers love for luxury has led to LCCs introducing business class-style services.

Business microstays: Hotels are targeting business travellers for stays of 24 hours. 

Download the 2014 report here.

New dessert trends, coming to a plate near you

Source: The Food Channel

First the cronut, the mashup between a croissant and a doughnut; what type of dessert will take the world by storm next?

Those who have partners or customers with sweet tooths may be interested in the Top Ten Dessert Trends for 2014 report, released by the Food Channel and sponsored by Otis Spunkmeyer. 

Based on research conducted in conjunction with CultureWaves, the list identifies the significant behaviors of consumers, food service professionals and manufacturers in the US, together with original recipes and photographs to illustrate each trend. Asia typically watches the US very closely, so expect these desserts in a restaurant near you very soon:

The Food Channel Top 10 Dessert Trends for 2014

Spoon Desserts – Puddings and other soft desserts—called "spoonables"—are big. These are not artistically served in a Chinese soup spoon, but in little ceramic pots called 'ramekins'.

Layers
The more layers the better, helped by new tools that make it easy to bake and divide cakes into layers. Just about anything can be layered, from muffins to cheesecakes to trifles.

Hand Pies - The mini dessert has extended itself to the pie. Hand pies are sealed on all sides and usually hold a fruit mixture, but expect to find them filled with just about anything this year.

Midwestern Influence - One of the big trends for 2014 is cuisine from the Midwest of the US. When it comes to desserts that means cobblers, pies, crisps, tarts, upside down cakes, and bar cookies.  

Mashups and Muffins - Muffins are the new doughnuts, or what some are calling the duffin. The new mashup isn’t really about putting unlike things together as much as it is creating a new form of something you love.

Pepper, Flavored Salts, and International Spices - New desserts on the menu are heavy on the stronger spices. Cracked pepper is particularly on the rise, perhaps because it gives a visible difference to a dessert plate without an overwhelming flavour punch, the company says. Suggestions include trying it in scones in place of fruit, with desserts made with fruit and cream, on ice cream, in bread pudding, in cookies and in candy. Sea salt can also be replaced with flavoured salts.

Dessert Butters - These are actually ground-up cookies turned into a soft filling that can be rolling into a truffle or added to a sandwich cookie, such as the PB and Chocolate Cookie.

Crepes - Versatile crepes are new again, as they can be a savoury main course or an amazing dessert.

Crepes in a prawn dish at Sakae Sushi, Singapore

Nuts - Nuts are big in desserts right now.

Small Batch Desserts - Americans have discovered smaller portions, or creating artisanally.  

The Food Channel says dessert recipes are downsizing into "one-offs", where you get a small batch of homemade chocolates, or a few dipped marshmallows, or a taffy pull that results in just a few pieces of taffy.