CNA938 Rewind - Grain drain: Japan struggles with a rice crisis
CNA938 Rewind
Sky-high prices, rations, emergency reserves. Japan's rice crisis has ballooned, with the essential Japonica grain out of reach from the Japanese consumer – it even led to the resignation of the country's agriculture minister. Andrea Heng and Susan Ng speak with Dr Seijiro Takeshita, Dean and Professor of Graduate School of Management, Informatics and Innovation at the University of Shizuoka on how the problem got this far.
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CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Agoda modifies 'problematic features' on website and app after competition watchdog raises concerns
SINGAPORE: Online travel agency Agoda has made changes to its Singapore website and mobile application due to concerns about its "problematic features" raised by the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS). The features were related to Agoda's accommodation search and booking services that may have misled consumers. On Monday (Jun 16), the commission said: "Agoda has since voluntarily provided an undertaking and cooperated with CCCS to make changes to its website and mobile application to ensure that consumers get accurate and adequate information to consider before they make their purchases." THE PROBLEMATIC FEATURES CCCS said in its news release that some of the misleading features included the use of countdown timers and the presentation and ranking of search results. It listed five of them and what Agoda did to rectify them. 1. Agoda presented certain search results as 'Best Match', suggesting that such rankings were the most compatible results for its users based solely on their search criteria such as travel dates or the ratings of items listed. However, Agoda's search results from its algorithm also took into account its potential earnings when generating these results. The "best match" label has been replaced with "our picks", which highlights that these results are recommended by Agoda. 2. The "Agoda Preferred" badge appeared alongside certain properties listed, indicating that these listings have "a long-standing relationship with Agoda and meet specific criteria", making them "trusted and verified". However, Agoda did not provide enough information about the criteria and failed to mention that businesses pay Agoda extra for this badge. It has since updated its explanation to clarify that these properties do indeed pay more commission to get the badge. 3. The default ranking of search results could have led consumers to mistakenly believe that the listings were ordered solely based on their search criteria. However, as stated in Agoda's terms of use, accommodation providers can increase their visibility by paying Agoda through its 'Preferred Partner Program' or by sponsoring the listings. Agoda has modified its explainer statement to clarify that the specific placement of these accommodations is influenced by various factors, including payments made to Agoda. 4. Accommodations with the "cheapest x-star stay label" were not always the lowest-priced options when the search results are sorted by price for the same star-rating. Consumers may mistakenly believe that a labelled accommodation is the cheapest choice available when it may not be. \ The 'cheapest x-stay' label has been removed to avoid confusion. 5. Consumers using Agoda's website had a five-minute countdown timer while entering their details to finalise their accommodation booking. However, this could be extended to up to 20 minutes by clicking the 'I need more time' button. The original five-minute time limit could create a false sense of urgency, prompting consumers to rush to confirm their booking. The website's countdown timer has now been standardised to match the mobile app's time limit, increasing it from five to 20 minutes. In response to competition watchdog's' concerns, Agoda said: 'We appreciate the CCCS's guidance and have taken proactive steps to enhance transparency on our platforms. "We've already proactively implemented several improvements and we continue to enhance the user experience." CNA has asked if the changes applied were just for Singapore users or also included its users elsewhere. INFORMATION SHOULD BE "UPFRONT" In getting Agoda to take remedial action, CCCS said that user interface features rolled out by businesses may mislead or deceive consumers and these can be considered unfair trade practices under Singapore's fair trading laws. This means that these businesses may face enforcement action by the commission. Businesses should therefore design user interface to present options clearly and neutrally to consumers so that consumers may make well-informed choices. "Important and material information, particularly those relating to pricing, should be presented upfront and not be hidden in fine print," it added. "Statements regarding the practices and policies of a business should be clear and easily understood." CCCS' chief executive officer Alvin Koh said: "This is part of a series of actions we will take to improve the online commerce environment, where consumers may face undue pressure to complete their transactions, problematic website features or even 'dark patterns' such as misleading messages, and manipulative user interfaces. "In the coming months, CCCS will make it a point to educate consumers on identifying these misleading practices and how consumers can better protect themselves.'
Independent Singapore
2 hours ago
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Labubu creator Pop Mart ditches toys for jewelry with new concept store
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CNA
2 hours ago
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China factory output slows but consumption offers bright spot
BEIJING: Growth in China's factory output hit a six-month low last month as trade war pressures bit, official data showed Monday (Jun 16), while a bump in a key gauge of domestic consumption offered a rare bright spot for the economy. The United States and China this month agreed to a temporary truce in a standoff that saw tariffs hiked to eye-watering levels and upended global supply chains. But the impact of the row was highlighted by official figures showing industrial production rose just 5.8 per cent last month, below the 6.0 per cent predicted in a Bloomberg survey and its slowest pace since November. It was also below a forecast-beating 6.1 per cent in April, according to the data published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). "Weaker external demand was partly to blame," Zichun Huang, China Economist at Capital Economics said in note. "Despite the tariff truce, the contraction in industrial sales for export appears to have deepened last month." However, retail sales - a key gauge of consumer demand - grew 6.4 per cent year-on-year in May, the fastest since December 2023, according to the NBS. This topped the 4.9 per cent forecast in the Bloomberg survey and was sharply up from April's 5.1 per cent increase. "It's an encouraging sign of recovery, as policy support efforts filter through the economy," Lynn Song, Chief Economist for Greater China at ING, said. "However, a more sustainable consumption recovery will likely require a turnaround of consumer confidence, which remains much closer to historical lows than historical averages," he added. And Zhiwei Zhang, president and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, wrote in a note that the retail sales figures "came as a surprise" - pointing to the possible impact of a government trade-in programme for consumer goods. The NBS said the world's number two economy "maintained stability" last month as authorities "stepped up the implementation of more proactive and effective macro policies". But it added that "there are still many unstable and uncertain external factors, and the internal momentum for expanding domestic demand needs to be further strengthened". Beijing has struggled to sustain strong growth since the pandemic, grappling with deep-seated problems at home, including a persistent slump in domestic consumption and a debt crisis in the property sector. Commercial property prices in a representative group of 70 cities fell month-on-month in May, reflecting continued consumer caution, the NBS said. The surveyed unemployment rate - another closely watched figure as millions of young people struggle to find suitable work - edged down to 5 per cent in May from 5.1 per cent the previous month, the bureau said. China is targeting economic growth of around 5 per cent this year. But the picture has been complicated by trade tensions with Washington that erupted in a gruelling tit-for-tat tariff war after US President Donald Trump took office in January. The two sides have since agreed to a pause on retaliatory levies but have not yet announced a lasting deal.
