Around Us

DutyFreeZone.Com Launches of Worldwide Concierge Service

DutyFreeZone.com, a web based retail and customer service system that helps visitors to search for deals worldwide, has launched its worldwide concierge service.

The concierge service will assist consumers worldwide with a variety of life management tasks, arranging travel itineraries as well as handling more localized services such as recommending a different route to work based on road or travel conditions, finance (paying bills), shopping (meal planning, remembering special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries and purchasing gifts) and fitness (exercise monitoring and motivation, as a personal trainer may do).

DutyFreeZone.com would appoint a personal assistant (personal concierge) to do any task one may require whether personal or professional, said DutyFreeZone in a statement issued today in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the United States.

"Our concierge service is going to revolutionize the e-commerce industry and generate online business, and in-store traffic for small to medium storeowners.

"We challenge and invite Retail storeowners to upload their products on DutyFreeZone.com at no cost to them. DutyFreeZone.com will display the selected products and sell them to consumers using our proprietary marketing technology," commented Angel David, Vice President of Operations at Duty Free Zone Inc in the same statement.
- BERNAMA

Multiple Vendor Concept Boutiques Pave The Way For Online Entrepreneurs

Online businesses have become a phenomenon in Malaysia and their presence is clearly felt among Malaysian consumers.

While some cyber entrepreneurs engage in this to supplement their income, others do it because of their passion for business.

However, their burgeoning numbers, in turn, has created stiff competition among entrepreneurs in the cyber realm as they strived to provide unique and competitively priced goods.

So in staying ahead of competition in the cyberspace, a young entrepreneur has come up with a creative idea that allows cyber entrepreneurs to peddle their wares in brick and mortar multi vendor boutiques as well.

Young entrepreneur and blogger at imasahaja.blogspot.com, Nurhakimah Mohd Zulkifli, 22, first came up with the idea of a multi vendor concept boutique when she received free products for review from online entrepreneurs.

CAPITAL

"From there, I began thinking about what I could do to promote goods sold by online vendors besides writing reviews on them on my personal blog.

"Then I got the idea to set up my own boutique called Imacattura where multiple vendors can sell their items, using RM40,000 in capital.

"Multiple vendor concept boutiques are different from exclusive boutiques whereby consumers can find as many items as possible in one boutique," she told Bernama.

The boutique located in Dataran Kemuning, Senawang, hosts some 80 vendors selling a variety of items such as clothing, shawls, handbags, glasses, health products, accessories and shoes since it opened on Nov 15 last year.

Inside the boutique, a special corner offers an assortment of biscuits, cakes, chocolate, crackers and candy to visitors.

A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK

A rest area provides a thoughtful addition, especially for husbands accompanying their wives shopping.

Nurhakimah, the fourth of seven siblings, said she did not place strict requirements in selecting vendors as long as the items were unique and not sold at the boutique.

"Each vendor is charged rental between RM50 to RM200 a month, depending on the type of product and space needed. The goods offered are priced between RM1 and RM150, reasonable and affordable," she added.

Recounting her boutique's opening, the holder of a Diploma in Culinary Arts from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Penang admitted that she followed in the footsteps of her father who was also an entrepreneur.

Nurhakimah also conducted a survey before opening the boutique and acquired information first from her father, brother and sister who are all in this line.

NEW BRANCH IN PIPELINE

Nurhakimah said she also plans to hire several staff to assist with boutique operations.

"So far my friend and I are the only ones looking after the boutique. I hope to open a branch in Melaka or Selangor someday," she said, adding that she hoped that the public would continue to support vendor concept boutiques and that more vendors will join in to boost the industry in Malaysia.

She also encouraged youths with an interest in entrepreneurship to work hard, focus on their goals and have the courage to try new things.

By Farhana Nabillah Zakaria--BERNAMA 

Parents can keep tabs on baby with Bluetooth-connected pacifier

THOUGHT to be the world's first smart pacifier, Pacif-i was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week.

It records the baby's temperature by means of a sensor that's built into the silicone teat and sends it to a corresponding smartphone app where parents can monitor it.


Temperature readings are time-stamped and plotted into a graph for easy viewing.

The gadget also contains a proximity sensor that alerts parents if their tot wanders outside a pre-determined range or if the child loses or misplaces the object.

English parent company Blue Maestro has been given a European Medical Device Class IIa license for Pacif-i.

The product is available for pre-order and is expected to ship in the next month.

The pacifier is priced at £25, US$39, €30, http://bluemaestro.com/ – AFP Relaxnews