With 130 million registered members worldwide, the Chinese tea brand aims to sell 15 billion of servings annually as it pioneers modern Oriental tea in future

SHANGHAI, May 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — CHAGEE, a leading tea brand in China, is aggressively expanding its global reach.

At the International Tea Day 2024 – Modern Oriental Tea Innovation Forum, held on May 21st, Junjie Zhang, Founder and CEO of CHAGEE, revealed that the brand now serves over 130 million registered members worldwide. CHAGEE has set its sights on catering to consumers across 100 countries and delivering 15 billion of modern oriental tea each year.

Since opening its first shop abroad in Malaysia in August 2019, CHAGEE has further expanded into Thailand and Singapore, and now operates over 4,500 stores globally. The expansion underscores the increasing international demand for oriental tea, with CHAGEE at the forefront of the trend.

Speaking at the forum, Zhang said, “CHAGEE is dedicated to revitalizing ancient tea-making methods that date back 900 years through the use of modern technology. The initiative not only returns us to the origins of tea but also redefines the contemporary tea-drinking experience. CHAGEE is focused on promoting the health benefits of our products while facilitating cultural exchanges between China and the global community. Our objective is to build a world-class brand in the ready-to-drink tea market, offering consumers worldwide the opportunity to enjoy the taste of contemporary Asian tea.”

The Rise of Oriental Tea Brands on the Global Stage

CHAGEE, which was established just six years ago in Yunnan province—considered one of the historic origins of tea in China, —has swiftly climbed the ranks to become a leader in the competitive tea beverage sector. Specializing in raw-leaf fresh milk tea, the company melds traditional oriental culture with tea heritage and innovation. Its expansion across all major provinces and cities throughout China illustrates CHAGEE’s rapid growth and significant penetration in the global market.

In 2023, CHAGEE achieved a Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of 10.8 billion yuan in Chinese market. As of the first quarter of 2024, CHAGEE had achieved over 5.8 billion GMV and it’s expected over 20 billion yuan by the end of 2024.

More importantly, the oriental tea brand is increasingly attracting a younger audience.

Diverging from the traditional tea market, which typically skews older, CHAGEE has captured the interest of consumers in the 15 to 50 age demographic. The broad appeal is significantly unifying the perception of modern oriental tea across generations.

Over the past few years, CHAGEE has fused modern technology and health-conscious values with oriental traditions to promote its innovative tea products worldwide. In 2023, the brand enhanced its product formulations by removing artificial flavorings from its tea bases, eliminating creamers from its milk, and ensuring that its beverages contain zero trans fatty acids. CHAGEE also introduced novel features such as the Product ID Card and a Health Calculator, and took the unprecedented step of publishing calorie and nutrient content reports for its products, a first in the ready-to-drink tea industry.

In early 2024, the company continued the lead in the industry by implementing the Nutritional Choice label at its Shanghai locations, introducing the first nutritional grading system specifically for tea beverages. The development ushers in a new era focused on managing sugar intake. In March, CHAGEE announced the glycemic index (GI) values for several tea beverages for the first time, providing a scientific basis for sugar management.

Today, CHAGEE’s signature offering, Jasmine Green Milk Tea, enjoys robust sales, with over 230 million servings sold annually. The standout beverage not only maintains a growing repurchase rate but also demonstrates the brand’s commitment to meeting consumer expectations for quality, user experience, and health benefits.

Modernized Operation Boosts Profitability

Over the past few years, CHAGEE has dramatically transformed its operational processes, crucial in its mission to become a competitive force worldwide.

The company has integrated modern management tools into its operations, establishing an online system that synchronizes the management of personnel, inventory, delivery, and store locations. This integration has led to the development of a holistic digital operations framework and a comprehensive digital management system, marking significant advancements in the industry’s operational practices.

CHAGEE stands alone as the sole freshly brewed tea company in the country to have successfully implemented a decentralized local service center. The company operates according to the ‘1+1+9+N’ model, which encompasses a central headquarters, a dedicated local team, nine directly-managed stores, and an unlimited number of franchised stores. This structure offers substantial support for its franchisees, bolstering local operational capabilities and enhancing responsiveness to market dynamics.

CHAGEE also maintains a policy of operating directly-managed stores prior to opening up a new market to franchising. When entering a new city, it first opens a flagship store to test the business model and establish a market presence. Depending on local market needs, the number of directly-managed stores may exceed nine to ensure business consistency is achieved prior to expanding the franchise network. The strategy has enabled rapid expansion and high profitability rates among CHAGEE’s domestic stores over the past six years, significantly aiding its franchisees in becoming profitable.

In the critical areas of digitization and intelligent technology, CHAGEE has continued to invest and achieve significant results. The company began integrating automated tea-making equipment in select shops in 2022 as part of a pilot initiative. The subsequent year, CHAGEE unveiled the next-generation TEA BAR, featuring innovative offerings like Tea Extreme Extract and Oriental Ice Tea, modernizing the traditional tea-drinking experience with a technological twist. The period also marked the official rollout of CHAGEE’s proprietary automated tea-making equipment across its stores.

To ensure a robust supply chain, CHAGEE directly sources all tea and milk for its domestic operations, managing distribution through the group’s headquarters. The company has established multiple urban warehouses across the country to maintain optimal freshness of all raw materials. Internationally, tea products for CHAGEE’s shops are also sourced and logistics are handled through the headquarters, adhering to all necessary international quarantine protocols. Additionally, high-quality milk and other raw materials used in each location comply with local regulations, supported by CHAGEE’s local supply chains and storage solutions to facilitate procurement and distribution.

At the forum, Zhang also discussed the intrinsic appeal of tea as one of the world’s primary beverages, capable of transcending age, borders, and economic cycles. He envisages the future of modern oriental tea as both a return to its roots and a means of connecting people globally. “CHAGEE is focused not on creating demand but on discerning and satisfying the expectations of tea drinkers around the world.” Zhang added.

Source

This drug-free, non-invasive approach could open the doors for new developments in cancer therapy and cancer biomarker discovery

SINGAPORE, May 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A team of researchers led by Associate Professor Alfredo Franco-Obregón from the NUS Institute for Health Innovation & Technology (iHealthtech) has unveiled a novel approach to stimulate muscle, by way of using brief and mild pulsed electromagnetic field exposure, to produce and release proteins possessing anticancer properties. These soluble chemical molecules can then be carried in the blood stream to all regions of the body for system-wide protection against cancer.

Exercise is known to have protective effects against cancer, including reducing the risk of developing breast, prostate, and colon cancers, as well as improving the survival rate of patients with cancer. However, given the debilitating effects of cancer progression and treatment-related side effects, patients with cancer may not be able to exercise and benefit from muscle’s anticancer effects.

“The BICEPS lab’s method of stimulating muscle cells uses a form of magnetic therapy that exhibits key commonalities with exercise. This latest study demonstrated that our non-invasive method of muscle stimulation mobilises a similar anticancer defence as exercise, bringing us a step closer towards the development of drug-free therapeutics and the discovery of cancer-related biomarkers to help patients with cancer benefit from exercise-stimulated anticancer agents while not being able to exercise,” said Assoc Prof Franco-Obregón.

The NUS (National University of Singapore) team published the details of this new drug-free and non-invasive approach in Cells on 5 March 2024.

Anticancer properties of magnetically-stimulated muscle cells

In a previous study, Assoc Prof Franco-Obregón and his team demonstrated that briefly exposing isolated muscle cells to 10 minutes of low-energy magnetic fields was capable of boosting muscle development by stimulating their release of regenerative and rejuvenating proteins into their surroundings. In the body, these same muscle factors are also known to be protective against common diseases such as diabetes and cancer.

In the new study, the team explicitly investigated whether the same magnetic stimulation protocol could encourage the production and release of anticancer agents from the intact muscles in preclinical models and to identify and validate anticancer factors.

The NUS team first tested their hypothesis at the cellular level and found that muscle cells that underwent magnetic therapy could inhibit breast cancer cell growth, invasion and migration, which are hallmarks of cancer progression. In addition, magnetically-stimulated muscle cells were found to be able to shrink micro-tumours as well as reduce their blood vessel formation.

Next, the researchers conducted preclinical studies to validate their tissue culture findings. They demonstrated that 10-minute exposure to magnetic therapy once a week for eight weeks was sufficient to evoke similar anticancer properties – such as preventing the growth, invasion and migration of breast cancer cells – as that produced by exercising twice a week for 20 minutes per session for eight weeks.

The researchers further demonstrated that a previously suspected tumour suppressor, HTRA1, was secreted from muscle cells exposed to 10 minutes of magnetic fields per week, similarly as exercising for 20 minutes twice a week. Importantly, selectively removing HTRA1 secreted by the muscle cells eliminated its anticancer potency, whereas directly applying synthetic HTRA1 to cancer cells recreated the anticancer effect of magnetic field exposure and exercise. These results demonstrate that HTRA1 is necessary and sufficient to explain the anticancer effect of muscle.

Interestingly, HTRA1 is necessary for muscle development and for the build-up of muscle’s anticancer protein arsenal, which contributes to our muscle being our greatest natural defence against cancer. In this respect, the researchers showed that early exposure of isolated muscle cells (in tissue culture) to HTRA1 stimulated their development and increased their anticancer potency.

In other words, HTRA1 could adapt muscle cells outside the body to become better anticancer factor secretors even when not stimulated by the magnetic fields, essentially recapitulating exercise adaptations in the laboratory, which are normally seen in the body.

“HTRA1 released during exercise may cause muscles to adapt to be capable of secreting HTRA1 even at rest. This helps to explain why exercise makes us more resistant to cancer. To extend the analogy even further, if muscle is our anticancer pharmacy, magnetic field therapy may be an inexpensive, yet effective, prescription,” said Assoc Prof Franco-Obregón.

Next steps

Following up on the promising results generated from this preclinical study, the NUS team is initiating clinical trials to assess the anticancer potential of muscle-targeted magnetic therapy in humans and to corroborate the anticancer effects of HTRA1 in humans with breast and other cancers.

The team also looks forward to conducting further studies to identify other anticancer biomarkers produced and released by muscle cells, which could serve as potential targets for the development of drugs and therapeutics to treat cancer. As muscle is a foundation of rejuvenating and disease fighting factors, this approach should prove quite fruitful.

Read more at: https://news.nus.edu.sg/muscle-cells-natural-defences-against-cancer-using-magnetic-pulses 

Source

Children can get acquainted with their emotions through play at Southeast Asia’s only Inside Out 2-themed outdoor carnival with large-scale installations

SINGAPORE, May 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Get ready to delve into the fascinating world of emotions as Gardens by the Bay Singapore’s Children’s Festival returns for its 10^th edition – this time, featuring an exciting collaboration with Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2! 

Kicking off on 25 May at the iconic Supertree Grove, this will be the only Inside Out 2-themed outdoor carnival in Southeast Asia with large-scale installations. Children can learn about their feelings through play at the various interactive areas inspired by beloved Inside Out 2 characters, such as Joy, Anger, Sadness, Fear and Disgust – alongside new Emotions Anxiety, Envy, Ennui and Embarrassment! Get in touch with your emotions ahead of the release of Inside Out 2 (13 June: Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, 14 June: Indonesia).

Gardens by the Bay is a premier horticultural attraction, and its Children’s Festival is a signature school holiday event. Most of the activities are free, and this year’s edition runs until 22 June.

Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley who’s about to begin high school, just as headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joining the core Emotions is a group of new arrivals perfectly suited for the teenage years!

Gardens by the Bay CEO Felix Loh said, “We all want our children to be happy and healthy. This year we are excited to team up with Disney for the 10^th edition of Gardens by the Bay’s Children’s Festival. Kids can learn about stress and emotions in a fun way through relatable characters and heartwarming stories such as those from Disney and Pixar. More importantly, the event will allow families to bond and spend meaningful time together.”

Singapore Tourism Board’s Director of Attractions, Entertainment and Tourism Concept Development Ashlynn Loo said, “We are thrilled to support Gardens by the Bay’s Children’s Festival – the only place in Southeast Asia where families can enjoy an Inside Out 2-themed outdoor carnival with large-scale installations. We hope visitors will enjoy the fresh and captivating experiences by exploring the various zones inspired by Inside Out 2’s Emotions. As we continue to welcome more visitors back to Singapore, we look forward to bringing more compelling leisure experiences that will appeal to both local and international visitors, as part of our continued collaboration with Disney, solidifying our position as a vibrant leisure and entertainment destination.”

Embark on a journey of self-discovery inspired by Inside Out 2 characters

At this year’s Children’s Festival, families can look forward to an array of installations and activities inspired by both the core and new Emotions of Inside Out 2.

• Kaleidoscope of Memories

This centrepiece installation is inspired by the Long Term Memory storage facility that houses millions of Riley’s memories in the Inside Out story.

Children’s Festival has brought this scene to life with colourful, illuminated Memory Orbs at Supertree Grove. Visitors can create their own Memory Orb by scanning a QR code at the installation and completing three simple steps: select the character that best reflects one’s emotion, pose for a photo, and upload your very own Memory Orb to the Kaleidoscope of Memories, where it will be projected alongside others’ memorable moments on the animated wall of this installation.

• Mood Swings

The Emotion Joy is the theme of this installation, featuring swings that will be sure to delight children and all who are young-at-heart.

• Expression Doodles

Coping with complex emotions is explored at this installation. With designs themed after Sadness and Embarrassment, children may “paint” with a water brush and watch doodles on the installations appear before their eyes.

• Emotion Mirrors

Can you keep your cool at this tricky installation? Inspired by the Emotions Fear and Anxiety, attempt to complete the mirror maze and gigantic buzz wire games in nerve-wracking time challenges.

• Fort Pillowtown

Inspired by Ennui, children can lie back and relax at the Fort Pillowtown installation, or let their imaginations run wild within the cosy pillow fortresses that they can build.

• Memory Orb Mountain

The whirlwind of emotions experienced throughout the evocative journey culminates in harmony and balance at this play area of large inflatable balls symbolic of embracing and balancing all our emotions. Visit in the evenings to catch the balls aglow!

Visitors can also look forward to a special edition of the nightly Garden Rhapsody light and sound show during the duration of Children’s Festival. Garden Rhapsody is a signature night show at Supertree Grove, where the lights on the Supertrees dance to a musical soundtrack every evening at 7.45pm and 8.45pm. The special edition, titled The Medley of Emotions, will see the lights on the Supertrees as well as the Memory Orbs within the Kaleidoscope of Memories installation synchronise their illumination and change colours in harmony with the Inside Out soundtrack.

Complimentary Disney and Pixar themed activities, movie screenings and more

Free activity trail booklets are available, with suggested activities to keep kids entertained such as collecting stamps. Visitors who complete their booklets and collect all the stamps may redeem an Inside Out 2 sticker sheet that is exclusive to Gardens by the Bay’s Children’s Festival.

Visitors with a complete set of stamps may also redeem a souvenir keychain with a Gardens by the Bay exclusive design, that can be customised with little charms inspired by Inside Out 2, while stocks last. Visit the redemption counter to find out more.

Members of the public are also invited to enjoy complimentary outdoor screenings of Disney and Pixar favourites such as Coco, Elemental, Finding Dory and Incredibles 2 on the first two weekends of 25 May and 26 May, and 1 June and 2 June.

Visitors looking for a different experience can buckle up and hop aboard the Train of Emotions for a scenic train ride through Supertree Grove. Separate charges apply for the train ride.

Fringe performances and carnival games

Fringe performances such as bubble blowing, juggling and magic shows will come on during evenings of the first three weekends for all to enjoy.

There are also carnival games for the active ones and, for those who like to get hands-on, craft workshops to create their own Memory Orbs, musical boxes, friendship bracelets and more. Separate charges apply for these activities.

Be among the first to bring home Inside Out 2-themed merchandise in Singapore 

Gardens by the Bay’s Children’s Festival will also be one of the first places in Singapore where shoppers can get their hands on Inside Out 2-themed merchandise at a special retail pop-up. Inspired by fan-favourite Disney and Pixar characters, discover a delightful range for all ages, spanning apparel, reversible bucket hats, tote bags, drinkware, cushions, stationery and more.

For more information, visit www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/childrensfestival

Gardens by the Bay’s Children’s Festival 2024
Date: 25 May – 22 June 2024
Time: 10.00am – 9.00pm*
Location: Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay (Free admission, charges apply for selected activities)
*The Inside Out 2 installations will close at 7.00pm, with the exception of Kaleidoscope of Memories, which will remain open till 9.00pm along with the rest of the Children’s Festival activities.

Hi-res images can be downloaded via this link.

About Gardens by the Bay

An integral part of Singapore’s “City in Nature” vision, Gardens by the Bay is a national garden and premier horticultural attraction that showcases the best of garden and floral artistry for all to enjoy. Spanning 101 hectares in the heart of Singapore’s downtown Marina Bay, it comprises three waterfront gardens – Bay South, Bay East, and Bay Central. Bay South, the largest at 54 hectares, officially opened on 29 June 2012.

Guided by the vision to be a world of gardens for all to own, enjoy and cherish, the Gardens’ extensive plant collection, ever-changing floral displays, and myriad of engaging programmes have captured the imagination of many, while its Gift of Gardens community initiative, with Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of the Republic of Singapore as Patron, reaches out to people from all walks of life.

Since opening, Gardens by the Bay has welcomed more than 100 million visitors and garnered numerous international awards including Best Theme Attraction at TTG Travel Awards 2022 and 2023, a silver for Destinations Building Back Better Post-Covid at the World Responsible Tourism Awards 2021, Best Attraction Experience at the Singapore Tourism Awards 2019, and ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Award presented by ASEAN Tourism in 2018. The Gardens continues to refresh and refine its offerings, to be a place that everyone can enjoy – a garden where wonder blooms.

For more information, visit www.gardensbythebay.com.sg

Source

HOLLYWOOD, Fla., May 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Hard Rock International would like to address recent reports regarding a proposed purchase of the Star Entertainment Group Limited (Star) in Australia. We want to make it clear that Hard Rock International is not involved in, nor has it authorized, any discussions, activities or negotiations on its behalf in connection with a proposed bid for Star. Hard Rock International has similarly not authorized the use of the Hard Rock brand in connection with any proposed bid for Star by any third party. 

Our brand is built on a legacy of integrity, excellence, and a commitment to our guests, partners, and team members worldwide. Any misuse of the Hard Rock name in unauthorized business dealings is taken very seriously. We are currently investigating this matter and will pursue all necessary legal actions to protect our brand and reputation. 

We urge stakeholders and the public to rely only on official communications from Hard Rock International for accurate information regarding our business activities and partnerships. 

Source

QINGDAO, China, May 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Global home appliance corporation Hisense is teaming-up former Spanish international and legendary Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas with another World Cup winning captain Manuel Neuer for the Hisense ‘BEYOND GLORY’ UEFA EURO 2024™ campaign.

Renowned for his ability to produce spectacular saves, Iker Casillas is considered one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. In joining Manuel as a Hisense Global Brand Ambassador, he will be adding support to the Hisense ‘BEYOND GLORY’ campaign and its iconic product line-up, celebrating the ultimate footballing achievement of winning EURO honors.

“I am delighted to partner with Hisense and join the ‘BEYOND GLORY’ campaign which puts the spotlight on celebrating the world’s best goalkeepers,” explained Iker Casillas. “A goalkeeper’s winning reputation is based on their reliability. I am pleased to be invited by Hisense as a Global Ambassador, representing a company relied on by its customers for creating innovative technology that improves their lives.”  

With host nation Germany buzzing during the competition, Hisense as an official partner of UEFA EURO 2024™ is joining the excitement with a ‘Hisense BEYOND GLORY Tour’, showcasing its innovative display technology delivering the perfect TV game-watching experiences, and latest smart-life home appliances.

Fans visiting the roadshow, which tours five host cities, have the chance to test their goalkeeping skills against a series of shooting challenges, whilst also exploring a showcase of Hisense’s cutting-edge TV products and home appliances.

In his role as a Global Ambassador, Iker will be joining the footballing fun with personal appearances to meet fans at the Frankfurt stop of the ‘Hisense BEYOND GLORY Tour’ during the tournament.

The Hisense ‘BEYOND GLORY’ campaign highlights the company’s unwavering commitment to pioneering technology with unparallelled quality in the pursuit of a better life. The campaign marks the third consecutive UEFA European Championship™ that Hisense has partnered the event which provides a tremendous opportunity to continue to connect the Hisense brand with consumers around the world.

About Hisense

Hisense is a leading global home appliance and consumer electronics brand. Hisense’s business covers multimedia products (with a focus on Smart TVs), home appliances, and IT intelligent information. Hisense Retains No. 2 Ranking Globally for TV Shipment in 2023. Hisense has grown rapidly, and now operates in more than 160 countries.

Source