Latest news with #RGM
Hans India
12 hours ago
- General
- Hans India
DRM inspects safety maintenance works
Visakhapatnam: Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Waltair Lalit Bohra, conducted a thorough inspection of the Sigadam–Ponduru (up line) section on Sunday wherein the advanced safety-related track maintenance works are in progress. The Rail Grinding Machine (RGM), a vital asset for Indian Railways that ensures tracks remain in optimal alignment and enhances the lifespan of rails, wheels, and other track components through precision maintenance, was examined. During the visit, DRM Lalit Bohra closely reviewed the functioning, safety standards, and technical specifications of the RGM. He interacted with technical officials overseeing track maintenance to gain insights into the machine's operations and its efficiency in rail grinding. Speaking to the officials concerned, the DRM emphasised the importance of adopting modern technology to achieve improved safety and operational excellence in railway infrastructure. Accompanied by senior divisional engineer (East), Sairaj, along with other engineering officials, the DRM checked the standards of track maintenance and safety across the section.
The Hindu
a day ago
- General
- The Hindu
Waltair Divisional Railway Manager inspects Sigadam–Ponduru up line
Waltair Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Lalit Bohra inspected the Sigadam–Ponduru up line on Sunday to review advanced safety-related track maintenance. He examined the Rail Grinding Machine (RGM), which helps maintain track alignment and extends the lifespan of rails and wheels through precision grinding. Mr. Bohra reviewed its functioning, safety standards, and technical parameters while interacting with technical officials. He stressed the need to adopt modern technology for enhanced safety and operational efficiency. He was accompanied by Senior Divisional Engineer (East) Sairaj and other engineering officials.
Focus Malaysia
11-07-2025
- Business
- Focus Malaysia
Fashion and F&B lead growth, but real wage decline weighs on spending
ACCORDING to Retail Group Malaysia (RGM), retail sales rose 5.6% year-on-year (YoY) in quarter one of calendar year 2025 (1QCY25), slightly below the market estimate of 5.9% but an improvement from 3.5% in 4QCY24. 'The growth was largely driven by frontloaded festive spending, particularly in the fashion and fashion accessories subsector which surged 12% due to Chinese New Year, earlier Hari Raya, and school holidays,' said Kenanga Research (Kenanga). Looking ahead, however, RGM has revised down its CY25 retail sales growth forecast to 3.1%, following a downward adjustment to 2QCY25 projection to-1.0% due to normalising seasonal demand and rising retail prices. Department stores and supermarket-and-hypermarket segments are expected to see short-term pullbacks, while the food-and-beverage segment remains resilient, supported by steady foot traffic at cafés and restaurants. RGM has kept its 3Q and 4Q retail sales growth forecasts unchanged at +2.8% and +3.5% YoY, respectively. 'It is also noted that recent BNM data has shown a 1.9% decline in real wages between 1QCY20 and 1QCY25, which aligns with our view that rising living costs are prompting lower and middle-income households to prioritise essentials while being cautious with discretionary spending,' said Kenanga. This is particularly evident among low-income groups, many of whom already allocate over 45% of their income to food. That said, continued fiscal support including Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) should help cushion household budgets and support essential purchases. On the cost side, several policy shifts slated for 2HCY25 are expected to shape the operating environment. The planned RON95 fuel subsidy rationalisation, with details on timing and implementation still unclear, is expected to be rolled out in stages in 2H. This could result in higher logistics and transport costs, with potential price pass-through especially for lower-margin players. Importantly, the government's commitment to maintaining RON95 prices, even in the event of a spike in global oil prices, should help cap immediate fuel-related inflation. Meanwhile, the upcoming electricity tariff adjustment effective July with the average base tariff adjusted to 45.40 sen/kWh (from 39.95 sen/kWh) may contribute to higher utility costs particularly for commercial users consuming over 200 kWh/month. While most households i.e. those consuming under 1,000 kWh/month are expected to remain shielded from tariff hikes, there may be indirect pass-through to consumers via wholesalers and retailers. Still, we believe the direct inflationary impact should remain modest, given that electricity only accounts for 2%–3% of headline CPI. Other policy-driven cost drivers are also gradually feeding into operating costs, including the minimum wage hike, new 2% EPF contribution for foreign workers and the expanded SST (starting July), which now applies to commercial leasing and rental services. While this is likely to lift rental costs across the retail space, companies we spoke to such as MRDIY and AEON have indicated that they do not intend to raise retail prices in response. MRDIY estimates a manageable impact of 1%–1.5% of PAT from rental-related costs, with sufficient margin headroom to absorb the increase, while AEON noted that 10 of its 28 malls will be affected by the new SST. On a brighter note, the stronger MYR offers some relief on import costs, particularly for players in apparel, retail and food ingredients. We maintain our neutral stance on the sector. While cost challenges and policy changes remain key areas to watch, we believe these headwinds will be partially offset by continued fiscal support, a stronger MYR and selective resilience in categories such as F&B. In our view, a sustained sector re-rating would still require: (i) a more evident pick-up in real consumer spending. (ii) better earnings visibility, especially among large-cap staples. (iii) macro clarity on subsidy rollbacks and regional trade sentiment. —July 11, 2025 Main image: ASWAQ
Malaysia Sun
19-06-2025
- Business
- Malaysia Sun
Malaysia's retail sales grow 5.6 pct in first quarter
Xinhua 18 Jun 2025, 21:46 GMT+10 KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's retail industry recorded a positive growth rate of 5.6 percent in retail sales in the first quarter of 2025 as compared to the same period in 2024, an industry research firm said on Wednesday. Retail Group Malaysia (RGM) said in its industry report that this latest quarterly growth was slightly below the market estimate at 5.9 percent in March. According to the report, the retail sales were driven by the Chinese New Year festival at the end of January, the month-long national school holiday from January to February, as well as the Hari Raya celebration at the end of March. The association, however, were pessimistic about the retail sales performance for the second quarter, which would drop by 1 percent. The retail sector in the country is anticipated to expand moderately by 2.8 percent during the third quarter. For the last quarter, Malaysia's retail industry is forecast to grow by 3.5 percent year-on-year. The RGM has also revised downwards Malaysia's annual retail industry growth rate for 2025 to 3.1 percent. This revision was mainly due to the much lower projection for the second quarter as well as the economic challenges for the rest of the year. It noted that the current trade tension worldwide will have a direct impact on Malaysia's economic outlook.
Zawya
05-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa: The future of digital commerce in the consumer packaged goods industry
The consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry is undergoing a transformation, marked by unprecedented growth across sales channels and a shift in the dynamics between manufacturers and consumers. This evolution presents CPG companies with a unique opportunity to redefine their roles in the market. By embracing digital-first strategies and adapting their operations to the changing landscape, businesses can capitalise on this shift, unlocking new avenues for growth and long-term success in an increasingly competitive space. The new era of commerce The traditional distinction between 'online' and 'offline' no longer aligns with modern consumer behaviour. Today, individuals effortlessly move between digital and physical channels, whether for grocery shopping, healthcare, or beyond. As a result, CPG customers now expect the same seamless experiences in their professional interactions. This includes a smooth web or app interface, easy engagement with brands and products, access to product ratings, and a variety of payment and delivery or pick-up options. According to research by Accenture, 87% of CPG customers consider B2B commerce solutions that mirror B2C experiences to be essential. This highlights the growing need for CPG companies to offer integrated, consumer-centric interactions across all channels. The future of digital commerce Digital commerce channels are flourishing at a staggering rate. Globally, the B2B digital commerce market is booming at 18.3% CAGR. More and more channels are being created to meet consumer and customer needs. As new channels emerge, existing channels evolve. Driving profitable growth in this environment requires CPGs to navigate the complexity of operating in near real-time across numerous channels while effectively managing the growing costs of participation and delivering a consistent, omni-channel experience. To master the digital commerce landscape, CPGs must build the right capabilities and capacity to seamlessly orchestrate activities within and across channels. What does this mean for the C-Suite? The evolution of CPG commerce demands decisive action and cross-functional collaboration among leaders to navigate change effectively. Key focus areas include: - CEOs / COOs: Prioritise capabilities for profitable growth, including attracting and retaining the right talent and adopting data-driven, agile operations. - CMOs / CDOs: Redesign the customer journey by analysing online behaviour, social media trends, and creating an operating model to bolster the brand's digital presence. - CSOs: Optimise channel strategies, digitise informal markets for efficiency, and implement robust Revenue Growth Management (RGM) frameworks. - CIOs / CTOs: Build scalable commerce architectures for B2C, B2B, D2C, and B2B2C models, leveraging internal and external resources to align with growth objectives. Collaboration and innovation are essential to address these shifts and ensure success in the rapidly transforming CPG landscape. But is South Africa ready for this shift? Our study surveyed 1,300 global C-suite leaders across 12 industries and 16 countries to understand their perspectives on digital commerce. About 75 of these companies were based in South Africa (SA), and the survey showed that 95% of these leaders (vs. 83% globally) thought that commerce was growing faster than they could adapt. This shared feeling of falling behind affirms how difficult it is to keep up with the pace of change. An example of this fear was the looming entry of Amazon into SA earlier this year. The tech giant is renowned for strategically entering high-growth markets, excelling at offering convenience, an extensive selection, and one-day delivery, while identifying its target and outpacing competitors with superior execution. Another key consideration is the complexity of South Africa's route-to-market. While the formal market is largely saturated, with the technologies and processes in place to facilitate relatively straightforward interactions, there remains a significant opportunity to drive more profitable commerce operations. On the other hand, the informal market is the next frontier, largely untapped and boasting an estimated potential value of R178bn, with few players effectively serving this segment. The opportunities in the informal space are ripe for the taking. However, CPGs will need to innovate, collaborate, and align their strategies with the needs of traders and consumers. This includes addressing logistics for more convenient delivery, expanding payment options (with cash still dominant but digital alternatives growing), and offering product assortments tailored to local preferences (such as mixed cases). Additionally, the growing digital population in South Africa – up 75% from 2013 to 2023 – provides further momentum for expanding commerce in the region. What leaders do differently The high costs of selling through digital channels and managing brands across many platforms mean CPGs are spending more to sell the same amount of products. They can either remain just product makers or rethink their roles and relationships to reshape the future of commerce. This means improving customer engagement and finding ways to monetise their customer base, such as offering retail media and data services to boost profits. Achieving this begins with transforming into a digital business – becoming fully digitally enabled and changing the way the company operates. Consider the following enablers for this transformation: - Own the brand experience in commerce: With commerce being an increasingly critical consumer engagement channel in CPG, the brand experience should be consistent. The core messages, visual identity, tone, values, and core images should show up consistently across every relevant channel, every time. This drives trust and recognition with customers and differentiates from competitors. - Build better for the business of commerce: CPGs can make change happen by building the technology foundation to be more data-driven and integrating processes to be more agile. This is critical in establishing a more direct relationship with customers (and the broader eco-system) to derive insights for better decision-making, as well as optimising operations. - Become digital on the outside – and the inside: It is key for CPGs to join up marketing, sales and commerce, and the rest of the organisation to operate with true agility. Only investing in the digitalisation of a commerce front-end while forgetting about your back-office, will result in a disconnected business, unable to integrate capabilities and derive cross-functional synergies and insights. To succeed in digital commerce, CPGs can either ride the wave of change or take control by crafting a strategy that addresses the fundamentals. In South Africa, where the informal market remains untapped and mobile accessibility is on the rise, the time is ideal for CPG leaders to embrace these shifts, lead the next wave of innovation, and leapfrog toward global scale and excellence.
