23/12/2015 Asia Business Report

The crude reality. Oil prices reach a new depth. What about the

prospects for next year? Looking sunkissed without the risk. The fad

taking off in Asia. Hello, and welcome to Asia Business Report.

OPEC is one of the most powerful cartels. It has been haemorrhaging

hundreds of billions of dollars because of a collapse in oil prices.

This week, Brent crude has tumbled, $36 a barrel, at an 11 year low.

Could it fall further? We will get an idea today when OPEC releases the

world oil outlook. I ask what we can expect. What we anticipate is what

OPEC set in 2014 -- said. Short term, until 2019, non- OPEC

supplies, Russia, the US, Canada, will lead the supply. From 2040

-2040 they believe it will be back to them, they will be the ones doing

it. -- 2020 -2040. They will stress on renewables, which is what we

expect. The OPEC policy has always been long-term. The theory is trying

to keep prices low and maintain production to price out expensive

producers, the US shell produces, for instance. -- shale. How dearly

has it cost them? Rather than price, we should look at it from the market

point of view. This is a war of attrition game. It is not about

current prices, not about current losses, but about how much longer

this war can be prolonged, and indicators are around what the

investments they are trying to make so they can have the war going on

until someone blinks. The first one to blink we think will be Russia.

And they are already suffering. And the rouble has been devalued. We

don't believe the US will be affected drastically. US, yes,

investment has been cut down. Oil prices should stabilise after a few

quarters. In other news, Nike reports a 20% rise in profits thanks

to sales in shoes. The future orders came in stronger than expected

thanks to Chinese demand. The shares of the company are the top on the

Dow. Boeing has been ordered to pay a $12 billion fine. The regulator

said they failed to meet a deadline to provide fuel tank safety

instructions to airlines. The strategic investment from a Chinese

carmaker for Uber, after trying to expand in the most pillars company,

however, competition is fierce -- populace. Every Christmas there is

tension between shops and online. Some try to sit on both sides of the

divide. Spencer Kelly reports from a shop going just one step further.

This shop in east London might look like an ordinary shop but it is also

a lab for testing the latest shopping technology. I am sure that

stores in the street want to be able to do what online shops to and offer

targeted products at every opportunity. -- do. But in order to

target more, they need to know more about the target. Look at this.

Shops are interested in footfall but when you walk in here what you are

wearing when you walk in is analysed. Yes, apparently, our shoes

save lots about us, shoes heels, shoe size are some of the software

look for. At the moment we can look at the gender and whether they are

coming in alone or with family. When you know who is walking past your

shop, you can change your shop window to greet them. This is very

cool! Look at this. This is a real shop display with real objects. But

in front of it is a transparent LCD screen. This is just a normal LCD

and they have ripped the backlight off it and replaced it with a big

white box with stuff in it, which means you can change the display

depending on the time of day or who is walking past at the time. The

very latest in shopping technology with Spencer Kelly. It looks like

lawyers and investment bankers have been kept busy this year because of

a record number of global deals announced. Mergers and acquisitions

totalling $4.6 trillion in 2015. Including deals between drug giants

and beer brewers. Last month, Mariette and Starwood in one of the

biggest hospitality mergers. Could Consolidation be the way for Hotel

groups? The president of Hilton has been speaking about how his hotel

group is adjusting its challenge to stay in the game. We are seeing

consolidation activity in the industry, it it will be the norm. As

we saw in China, we saw this happening -- it will be the norm. In

the industry, Asian players go together with international

players. I think it is formidable to have great competitors. We focus on

our 12 strong brands and continue to grow those internationally. Profit

has jumped 50%, driven by a tax's region. His growth like this

sustainable? Yes. -- APEC. It will be the strongest growth market in

the world, looking at the size of India and China. Even with the

slowing down of the Chinese market, there is Myanmar at Thailand,

Indonesia. Those markets will grow in order to increase the penetration

-- Myanmar, Thailand. Other markets are compensating for China's

slowdown. The Asia-Pacific region will be the growth engine in the

hospitality region worldwide. In Asia, pale skin has been seen as a

sign of beauty. Women spent billions each year on products to try to

whiten their complexions. We know that times are changing. Asians are

looking to have that sunkissed look without harmful ultraviolet rays.

Some are trying out spray tans. Aversion to the sun is so intense

that in some parts it is not unusual to see people on the beach in these

cover up face bikinis. For generations in Asia are tanned skin

has been frowned upon, associated with working outdoors in the field.

Attitudes are changing as the younger Asians see prestige and

glamour in tanned skin. It gives a healthy glow. Spray tanning enhances

your complexion. This trend means big business for companies like this

Singapore mobile business that sprays customers from head to toe in

their desired shade. It was my desperate need for a spray tan, that

is how it started. And I had seen a gap in the market. Everybody

laughed. Friends laughed and said it wouldn't work. No one will be

interested because we've got the sun and everyone wants whitening. All of

the moisturiser has whitening, and the deodorant. The reaction was one

of, I'm not sure that will work. But that has changed. Starting with one

client, she now has 120 regulars and contracts at clubs and gyms across

Singapore. Next year she plans to open a salon and set up partnerships

with hotels in Thailand and Malaysia. It is not only women who

are spray tan. In the sport and fitness industry, I think we're more

leaning towards fake tanned bodies, which look sparkling. She puts the

change to social media and the popularity of world tanned Western

celebrities -- well tanned. The biggest growth market would be

within the Asian market. It has increased I would say about 80% in

the last two years. Whether people want to look like they've just had a

beach holiday or they are copying bronzed Hollywood stars, getting a

tan in Asia, at least the spray on kind, is no longer beyond the pale!

I would rather be on the beach. Let's have a look at the markets

now, because they're all fairly flat. The Japanese Nikkei is shut

because of the Emperor's birthday. Some gains in Australia. The Hang

Seng is slightly up. Taking keys from the US which is quiet ahead of

Christmas. That is it for this edition of Asia is in

Christmas. That is it for this edition of Asia is -- Asia Business

Report. Thank you for watching. Heavy fighting continues

in Afghanistan's Helmand Province between government forces

and Taliban militants. There are conflicting reports

about who's in control