The Hour Glass

[dydx]

A new Hublot - an exclusive brand distributed by THG - boutique was opened this month on the 2nd floor of ION Orchard..
https://www.thehourglass.com/news/hublot-ion/
and the new store has already received 23 reviews - mostly 5 Star! - on Google Map..
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hublot...88!9m1!1b1

Quite amazing!

[dydx]

1095 reviews on THG store Raffles Hotel..
https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Ho...03.8535971
1222 reviews on THG store Takashimaya..
https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Ho...03.8343967
1046 reviews on THG store Tang Plaza..
https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Ho...03.8329535

Most of the reviews are 5-Star! Simply amazing!

[Choon]

1095 reviews on THG store Raffles Hotel..
https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Ho...03.8535971
1222 reviews on THG store Takashimaya..
https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Ho...03.8343967
1046 reviews on THG store Tang Plaza..
https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Ho...03.8329535

Most of the reviews are 5-Star! Simply amazing!

I am a big fan of the business and the management. 

But the many 5-star reviews are just too many and too good to be true.

Its feels like Wells Fargo where for consecutive quarters the company report increasing number of products/services sold to each banking customer.

I guess sales staff are constantly reminding customers to provide feedback.

[dydx]

Those positive reviews should be real, as it is difficult to imagine over 1000 individual Google accounts would together 'lie' on a particular THG store. Besides, most reviews include some details of their individual visit or purchase encounters, and some even disclosed the buying processes and watches purchased. Do note the 3000+ reviews are on the 3 local THG stores I picked randomly, so we can also verify similar Google reviews on other stores, including those overseas.

The best is still to visit a THG store on our own to experience.

[Big Toe]

I can give some insights on reviews. Reviews on a public platform like google, when in great numbers, are usually real. if the reviews are on their own hosted website, there is a greater chance of fake reviews. But we should not read too much into reviews even if they are real. It is far too easy to ask a customer to give a 5 star review with a small freebie or token. Reviews are cheap.

There are also 0-1 star shops with most customer reviews complaining about the poor service and pricing. When I i visited the shop, there is a long queue most of the time. The shop does not give two hoots about reviews online, too busy with walk in customers. While satisfied customers usually dont leave a good review, picky and unreasonable customers will for sure.

A business that deals in physical products dont have to give great customer service, so long as it is acceptable. Most people will not pay extra for great customer service. Just have to give acceptable service with great pricing and product availability. Great customer service is over-rated especially when it comes to physical products. Customers want to get the product at a good price. End of story. The key word here is acceptable level of service. Well, Robinson departmental store was known for good customer service, didn't quite help them in this day and age. They were beaten by no service online stores.

[dydx]

If you want to get rich, demanding customers to part with their money for say an expensive new car or watch, it is imperative that you sell the real and high-quality products among the popular or top brands. So the first success factor is the right and smart merchandising strategy - i.e. choosing the right brands (including those with good potential for the future) and secure supply from them for the long term based on a win-win business relationship including at a personal level with their owners/bosses. The next factor is choosing the markets you want to engage in to build the business and to effectively embrace the customers in those markets. That you need to choose where you want to place your stores and the store design and formats, as well as to build the supply chain infrastructures and marketing/management support backing the stores. Good customer service at the retail level is a given, but if you are able to differentiate your customer service to make even first-time customers say or feel "WOW!", and voluntarily come back for more and also spread their positive shopping experience in words on social media and by word of mouth, that will be quite an achievement.

Those who like to appreciate the pinnacle of watch retailing for the rich can explore and a visit to the The Hour Glass Malmaison store, which has 1438 5-Star reviews on Google Map..
https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Ho...03.8362536

[Choon]

If you want to get rich, demanding customers to part with their money for say an expensive new car or watch, it is imperative that you sell the real and high-quality products among the popular or top brands. So the first success factor is the right and smart merchandising strategy - i.e. choosing the right brands (including those with good potential for the future) and secure supply from them for the long term based on a win-win business relationship including at a personal level with their owners/bosses. The next factor is choosing the markets you want to engage in to build the business and to effectively embrace the customers in those markets. That you need to choose where you want to place your stores and the store design and formats, as well as to build the supply chain infrastructures and marketing/management support backing the stores. Good customer service at the retail level is a given, but if you are able to differentiate your customer service to make even first-time customers say or feel "WOW!", and voluntarily come back for more and also spread their positive shopping experience in words on social media and by word of mouth, that will be quite an achievement.

Those who like to appreciate the pinnacle of watch retailing for the rich can explore and a visit to the The Hour Glass Malmaison store, which has 1438 5-Star reviews on Google Map..
https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Ho...03.8362536

My guess is THG has set Reviews as a KPI for its sales staff.

While it has the positive effect of motivating sales staff to give great service.

I guess some sales staff may also have too actively encourage customers to provide reviews.

[dydx]

I guess some sales staff may also have too actively encourage customers to provide reviews.

Maybe, but probably not. Nowadays Google reviews have become so ubiquitous because of the conveniences our mobile phones provide. Even a typical McDonald's outlet - which provides uniform products/service of good standards everywhere - would have hundreds of reviews. I am sure McDonald's management/staff have not asked customers to give reviews via Google, as they don't even border to reply to such reviews. You can check it out to verify my point.
McDonald'sMcDonald's

[Choon]

https://links.sgx.com/FileOpen/Proposed%...eID=683197

How should this announcement be interpreted?

A general notice to summarise and highlight implications?

Or something's brewing?

[Choon]

https://links.sgx.com/FileOpen/Proposed%...eID=683197

How should this announcement be interpreted?

A general notice to summarise and highlight implications?

Or something's brewing?

I think the point of the announcement is in the paragraph below and more specifically highlighted in BOLD.

So my read is that nothing is brewing - just a preemptive clarification.

No takeover in the near future - coy will continue to be listed. 


"Additionally, as TYC, Amstay and AMS and the Directors presumed to be acting in concert with them collectively already hold more than 50% of the issued voting share capital of the Company, purchases or acquisitions of Shares by the Company pursuant to the Share Purchase Mandate will not result in the Directors (or any of them) and/or TYC, Amstay and AMS incurring an obligation to make a mandatory take-over offer under Rule 14 read with Appendix 2 of the Take-over Code."