Japan-easy shopping launch
Japanese luxury goods store Matsuya is approaching its 100th anniversary with a thoroughly modern approach to retail.
Matsuya Ginza is the first Japanese department store to offer global customers a “click and collect” service, including tax refund.
Customers can utilise the hub’s “click and collect” function to browse Matsuya Ginza’s extensive product lineup from their homes and collect goods at the store’s 4th-floor pick-up counter.
Japan residents can opt to have their products delivered to their homes at an extra cost. International customers can make their shopping experience far more efficient, by receiving tax refunds on their purchases at the same pick-up counter.
The multi-purpose platform also allows customers to reserve products.
Matsuya Co. has evolved from a kimono retailer to two landmark department stores, in Tokyo’s Ginza and Asakusa districts.
Enter the store here: https://www.matsuyaginza.com/en/
InterContinental calls in the jet-lag fighters
InterContinental Hotel and Resorts has partnered with jetlag-fighting app, Timeshifter, to help guests at its properties avoid sleep deprivation.
Timeshifter is an app that uses the latest sleep science to create personalised jetlag mitigation plans based on travellers’ chronotype, sleep pattern, itinerary and personal preferences.
Customers of the app include airlines, sports teams, shift workers and a retired astronaut.
“Our partnership with Timeshifter is about putting the right technology in the hands of our guests so they can seamlessly shift through their day-to-day,” said Tom Rowntree, vice president of luxury & lifestyle brands, IHG Hotels & Resorts.
Revenue management trends: Five to watch in 2025
IDeaS, a SAS company, which provides hotel revenue management software and services, has released its annual trends report for 2025 with input from
leading hoteliers, management companies and technology partners.
Klaus Kohlmayr, chief evangelist and development officer, IDeaS, said, “The hospitality industry is undergoing a profound digital transformation. The future of hospitality lies in the intersection of technology, data, and human creativity – which is why we worked with some of the best and brightest in the industry to help shape our report.
The reports five key predictions are:
- Rising disposable income and the need to cater to the diverse preferences of everything from Baby Boomers to Gen Z and Millennials will be critical when building a personalised approach that is both sustainable and meaningful to all ages.
- Experiential travel demand fuels new opportunities: As over-tourism continues to be a challenge for popular
destinations, there are new opportunities for hotels to promote less-travelled areas. Focusing on personalised, curated experiences will be key to enhancing the guest experience. - Ancillary revenue and events will have a renewed focus: Room pricing pressure will play a role in the increased adoption of online booking and dynamic pricing for meetings and events. Hoteliers will also look to automate smaller events to streamline operations and staff efficiency.
- Hotels will continue to invest in next-generation technology: With a focus on AI applications to drive real value and efficiency, the collaboration between humans and AI will increase for optimal pricing and revenue management.
- The cloud revolution will continue to accelerate: Hotel systems continue to reach end-of-life cycles, forcing an ongoing migration to the cloud. As increased access to data empowers next-generation hospitality solutions, modern tech stacks will become crucial to meet next-generation guest expectations.
Tour operators slow to grab digital lifeline
Tour, activity and attraction operators still lack modern booking systems despite the significant growth of online channels, according to a new report,
Arival, the in-destination experiences industry community, said many operators were potentially hindering their efficiency and ability to compete in an increasingly digital marketplace.
Arival surveyed more than 7,000 operators for its report, titled “The Global Operator Landscape: The State of Experiences, 3rd Edition”.
It highlights that almost two in five operators globally still do not have a reservation system. This is even though online travel agencies (OTAs) now account for nearly one in three bookings for tour and activity operators.
“The lack of technology adoption among many operators is a concern,” said Douglas Quinby, CEO and co-founder of Arival.
The report also identifies challenges that operators face in adopting new technologies, which are acting as the main barriers: These are cost of systems, complexity of booking technologies and lack of awareness of the benefits of using digital tools.
