ll operate during the second half of the year and develop new technologies for its mobile app and website, as the business works to improve its delivery service for customers, riders and merchant partners. Foodpanda will also hire new engineering, product and recruitment teams to work at the new tech hub. Foodpanda currently operates in 400 cities in 12 countries. Havaianas celebrates best quarter in a decade Havaianas has recorded a 736 per cent sales increase in China during the first quarter of FY21. The footwear’s parent company, Alpargatas, has significantly benefited from expansion in China, Europe and the US, with sales lifting by 32.7 per cent to US$168 million. The company said it was Havaianas’ best quarter in a decade. “Havaianas is stronger than ever, inspired by people in Brazil and around the world,” said Alpargatas CEO Beto Funari.  “The brand has expanded globally, accelerated online sales, and broadened its portfolio with innovation and sustainable technologies. We take pride not only in our ability to expand revenues and profits, but also to support society in the fight against the pandemic and in socio-environmental causes. We are on the right track to capture the full potential of Havaianas.” Alpargatas recently bought the technology startup business Ioasys to accelerate Havaianas’ direct-to-consumer sales online, boost its CRM program and extend its product portfolio globally.  Innisfree to shutter all Canadian stores South Korean beauty brand Innisfree will shut all stores in Canada but continue to offer its products through Sephora in the region.  In an Instagram post, the retailer cited health and safety risks relating to the pandemic for the shutdown.  “Circumstances have changed over the past year and we anticipate that the health and safety risks of Covid-19 will be impacting our ability to deliver the right experience for the remainder of 2021 and beyond,” the company said in the statement.  “In that challenging context, we unfortunately had to make the difficult decision to close all Innisfree retail stores in Canada.” Innisfree opened its first Canadian store in Yorkdale in 2019 before adding three more stores in Ontario. Two stores in CF Toronto Eaton Centre and CF Markville have already been shut as the province endures an extended retail lockdown.  Innisfree closed all its physical stores in the US last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Adidas opens hyperlocal stores in Indonesia Adidas Indonesia will launch hyperlocal concept stores in Jakarta through a partnership with PT Kanmo Retailindo. The Stadium Evolution and The Collection stores will offer “on-and-off the field” retail experiences for sports enthusiasts at the newly-opened Pondok Indah Mall 3.  “We are creating experiences that help customers amplify their personalities and fortify their true selves by empowering expression through fashion,” said Benjamin Handradjasa, president director and country manager at Adidas Indonesia. The Stadium Evolution store spans 350 square metres on the first floor of the mall and features Adidas products across running, sportswear, training, football, and basketball. The Collection store, slightly smaller at 340 square metres, is a hub for Adidas Originals products aimed at sneakerheads, street-style enthusiasts, fashion-forward millennials, and gen Zs.  “By opening these two stores at once and continued expansion in future, we believe strongly that the Indonesian consumers will rebound,” said Manoj Bharwani, co-founder and group managing director of Kanmo Group. Allbirds to list in the US New Zealand footwear brand Allbirds is reportedly set to go public on the US stock exchange later this year with a US$2.4 billion listing. According to The New York Times’ DealBook, the brand is in talks with banks about an initial public offering, however a date for the listing has not been disclosed.  The sustainable footwear brand, known for its New Zealand Merino wool shoes, is a certified B Corp and currently operates 23 stores across South Korea, Japan, China, Berlin, Amsterdam, London, New Zealand and the US.  The business was founded by Kiwi footballer Tim Brown and biotech engineer Joey Zwillinger in 2016 and has since built up a high profile following, with actor Leonardo di Caprio an investor in the business since 2018. In September 2020, the company secured a US$100 million funding round and was last valued by Pitchbook at around US$1.7 billion. “Allbirds has always been focused on building a great company, and as a B Corp and Public Benefit Corporation, doing what is best for our stakeholders (planet, people, investors) at the right time and in a way that helps the business grow in a sustainable fashion,” the company said in a statement to NYT.