This website uses cookies and other technologies to help us provide you with better content and customized services. If you want to continue to enjoy this website’s content, please agree to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies and their use, please see our latest Privacy Policy.

Accept

cwlogo

切換側邊選單 切換搜尋選單

Service

How Taiwanese Foods Conquer the American Market

The flavors of Taiwan, encompassing mini puffs, bubble milk tea, and dry noodles, are gaining popularity in the United States. However, with foods from other Asian countries already well established there, Taiwanese food manufacturers have some catching up to do.

Second wave of bubble tea fever hits US shores: Ice cream bars and mochi also popular

Bubble tea has once again taken off in the US post-pandemic. In 2022, exports of raw materials for bubble tea from Taiwan to the US were triple that of four years ago. Bubble tea is everywhere in New York City, and the ambitions of the Taiwanese food and beverage industry are becoming clearer.

Chatime Takes Taiwanese Bubble Tea to Epic Success Overseas

Rather than downsizing during the pandemic, Taiwan's Chatime went global. La Kaffa International’s success story began with a franchisee in Australia that blossomed into a foothold in the U.S. market.

Going global: Starlux’s mission impossible

Starlux Airlines ended its days as a regional carrier when it made its maiden flight to Los Angeles in late April. As it goes international, can the airline compete in a crowded market? What are its potential opportunities and pitfalls?

Fuzhou pepper buns and the failure to scale

What do the Michelin-certified Fuzhou pepper bun and TSMC have in common? In this article by Chang-Tai Hsieh, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago analyzed, it is clear that the inability to scale is the main reason for Taiwan's low wages. What should be done to change the status quo?

Will PX-Mart and President Chain Store monopolize Taiwan’s retail?

With the acquisition of the Taiwan business of French supermarket chain Carrefour, President Chain Store Corp. will be catching up to grocery retail bellwether PX-Mart. How will the formation of two channel giants affect the industry, and what lies in store for consumers?

Evergreen Marine profits jump 9-fold as era of mega vessels dawns

Six years ago, Chang Kuo-hua, the first-born son of Taiwanese shipping tycoon Chang Yung-fa, launched a supersize container vessel program. Amid the global coronavirus pandemic, this move secured higher profits for Evergreen Marine Corp. than any time during the company founder’s lifetime.

How Taiwanese baked sweet potatoes conquered Japanese supermarkets

Baked sweet potatoes, a traditional street food in Taiwan that is also sold at 3,700 convenience stores across the island, have now made it into one of Japan’s oldest supermarket chains. How did Jacky Chiu, general manager of Taiwan’s leading sweet potato processing company K.K. Orchard, manage to convince notoriously picky Japanese customers?

Taiwan’s ETC Solution Prevails! What Is the Key to The Success of The Smart Mobility National Team?

Taiwan’s highway Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system won three world-firsts. Thailand is currently recruiting the help of Taiwan smart mobility national team to build a free-flow ETC system for their new M6/M81 highway. The project is estimated to complete earliest in 2025. What is the secrete to the success of Taiwan’s first overseas ETC turnkey project?

MSC Greater China head: Asia still the engine of growth for shipping industry

The Italian-Swiss international shipping line Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) operates across 155 countries worldwide with over 100,000 employees. In 2022, MSC is expected to overtake its Danish competitor Maersk and become the world's largest shipping company. In this exclusive interview with Commonwealth Magazine, MSC Greater China Managing Director Jonathan Zhu talked about MSC’s strategies and why Greater China is by far the most important region for growth.

Taiwan’s big 3 ocean shippers hitting it big, but what’s next?

Ocean freight rates have skyrocketed amid shortages of container and bulk cargo space. What key role is Taiwan playing in this industry, and how have its big players set themselves up for success, now and in the future?

Pandemic spawns new range of innovative services

Shopping website momo beats rival PChome 13 times over in terms of market value. The third-generation boss of a southern Taiwan restaurant, launched live broadcasts during the pandemic, propping up revenue despite temporary closures. The Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital on Taiwan’s eastern coast is using 5G-technology for virtual consultations. How did they work business miracles in the pandemic?

Top global brands rely on THL to grab the Taiwan market

Haribo Gummy bears, Twinings Tea, Valda throat lozenges...you name it, Taiwan Hsin Lin (THL), a 47-year-old distributor, has got them all and then some.

Logistics Made Sexy with Warehouses Resembling Art Museums

Since its founding in 2014, Ally Logistic Property has become synonymous with high-tech, upscale warehousing services. One might think a warehouse is nothing more than a shed made from sheet metal. This one uses Amazon robots for the heavy lifting. How did ALP turn warehouse work into a famous brand?

How Can Taiwanese Dramas Soar with Netflix?

The biggest wave of Taiwanese drama exports is quietly re-writing the rules of the game. As the “Netflix way” spurs a revolution in production strategy across the global entertainment realm, how can Taiwanese dramas leverage the trend to compete in the international arena?

Why does this Taiwan Hotel CEO Expand under COVID-19?

As the virus rages on, small- and medium-sized hotels are hoping to sell their businesses to survive. Wu Bing-ting, founder of the Chase Walker Hostel, Taiwan’s first “self-service hotel”, has gone on a buying spree looking for bargains. What makes him see this as the opportunity of the century?

Service
Can Sightseeing Flights Save Airlines?

Starlux Boss: Pandemic Forces Us to Do Unusual Business

As international tourism flights remain mostly suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sightseeing flights have become very popular. Can such charter “flights to nowhere” actually save the airlines? How can Taiwan’s newest carrier, Starlux Airlines survive this crisis? Starlux Airlines Chairman Chang Kuo-wei is not ready to throw in the towel just yet.

Taiwan’s Tesla Boom, and Looking for More

Taiwan’s “God of Management” Wang Yung-ching failed at building a car business, but his failure laid the groundwork for the country’s successful Tesla supply chain. What are Taiwan’s advantages in the electric vehicle age and how far can it go?

Taiwan’s Domestic Tourism Challenge: Going High End

The global COVID-19 pandemic has forced Taiwanese to travel more at home. Can Taiwan harness this opportunity to go higher end and create experiences that will have consumers coming back for more rather than heading abroad?

Service
From High Touch to No Touch

Estée Lauder Companies Cares for Employees and Customers like Family

With the unexpected pandemic, the global retailing industry faces sudden and drastic changes. During this tough time where the surging sales has come to a screeching halt, how does Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (ELC) support its employees around the world, and uphold the core corporate value of “family” to protect consumers and employees in the face of adversities?

How Taiwanese bubble tea brand continues global expansion during the pandemic

As the pandemic spreads, La Kaffa International, which made Taiwanese bubble tea famous worldwide with the Chatime brand, has had the wherewithal to keep expanding franchises and take care of their suppliers. How did they pull it off?

Why a brand-new all-suites hotel in Taipei offers coronavirus quarantine accommodations

Hospitality industry veterans think Ma must have gone crazy. There is nothing hoteliers fear more than having their facilities associated with an infectious disease like COVID-19. Having invested heavily in the creation of Hanns House, why did Ma decide to respond to the government’s appeal to provide quarantine accomodations for people who cannot quarantine at home, despite knowing that this could poison future business prospects?

PX Mart Mobile Payment App Owes to 50-Plus Age Group for 5 Million Users

If you were James Hsieh, CEO of Chuan Lian Enterprise Co. Ltd, the company that owns the PX Mart supermarket chain, how would you go about digital transformation? Would you go into e-commerce first or give priority to introducing mobile payments?

Food Delivery Platforms are Changing how Young People Work in Taiwan 

In the past, young people looking to moonlight or take a part-time job alongside their studies used to work in restaurants and fast food chains near their schools. But food delivery services have begun to offer an attractive alternative due to low entry thresholds and comparably good pay.

Service
Jumping into the Star-studded Noodles Game 

The Race to Monetize YouTube Fame

“Chien-Chien” is a Taiwanese YouTube celebrity known for eating massive amounts of food. Desperate to go into business to cash in her fame, she moved into the fiercely competitive dry noodles market with the help of her new agents. How has it worked out? 

Can Taiwan’s New StarLux Airlines Soar Amidst the Air Travel Slump?

The much anticipated StarLux Airlines commences operations this week, despite a number of airlines going bankrupt in 2019. Chairman Chang Kuo-wei wants to stage a comeback. Will he soar or will he sink?  

Service
The Rebirth of the Hsinchu Zoo

Taiwan’s Oldest Zoo Saves the Cages for Humans

With 83 years of history, the Hsinchu Zoo, Taiwan’s oldest zoo to continuously operate at the same location, reopened on December 28. No longer bordered by concrete walls and cordoned off by metal railings, the reborn Hsinchu Zoo uses moats, shrubbery, and green fences to divide space. Could it change the way you think about zoos?

Unwrapping the Secret Behind the Multi-Million Dollar Faux Meat Industry

What is the mysterious “future meat” that big names like Bill Gates and Leonardo DiCaprio are investing in? Why is it so popular that it’s often sold out in Taiwan? Who exactly is eating this high-tech “vegan meat”, and what does it portend for the future of our stomachs?

Service
How Chatime Is Brewing Up a Global Presence

Taiwan Bubble Tea at the Louvre

Last year, Chatime became only the third food brand to move into the Louvre in Paris, after Starbucks and McDonald’s. Though it was a late entrant into the tea beverage market, it now has the broadest network of any Taiwanese beverage brand, with presences in 41 countries on six continents. What has been its secret to success?

Service
From the Oceans to the Skies 

EVA Air Gives Taiwan Connections Worldwide 

EVA Air introduced Boeing 787 Dreamliners, providing passengers with more comfortable flights and high-quality air travel experiences.

Service
The Workman Brand

As Uniqlo Loses its Luster, Hip Workman Workwear is the New Craze

Forever 21 has declared bankruptcy, and the Japanese brand apparel empire Onward Group has announced that it will close 20 percent of its outlets around the globe. Meanwhile, The Workman brand has become hugely popular, posting new revenue records for eight years in a row.

Service
World Economic Forum

California Compels Companies to Treat Gig Workers as Employees - What's Next?

What’s the likely fate of one of the biggest trends impacting the future of work?

Service
Robert Wu’s Last Gamble

Building an Eslite Most Unlike Eslite in Japan

In the past, on the strength of names like Mitsukoshi, Takashimaya, and Sogo, Japan has long been the homeland for Taiwan’s retail service industry. And now Eslite - Taiwan’s first locally born and raised retail brand - is making its entry into Japan via the starting point of Japan’s national highway in Tokyo: Nihonbashi. Eslite Spectrum Nihonbashi is the final Eslite outlet personally planned by company founder Robert Wu before his death in 2017. It also happens to be the least typical Eslite store. Can it succeed in the Japanese market, the most competitive in the world?

Service
Creative and Digital Gadgets as Popular as Food and Beverages

10 Taiwan-made Hit Products in Japan

A craze for Taiwanese bubble milk tea is currently sweeping Japan, tickling palates in the wake of earlier food fads such as steamed soup dumplings (xiao longbao) and Taiwanese tea. But the Japanese don’t just fall for snack food from Taiwan. Taiwanese creative designs and electronic gadgets have also found a loyal following.

Service
Ninao Gelato

From Tainan to Tokyo, His Ice Cream is Asia’s Answer to Häagen-Dazs

Free-spirited, open-minded, effusive and blessed with a human touch—these words come to mind when you talk about Taiwan’s cultural export. The most famous example is Taiwan’s Eslite Bookstore making waves in Nihonbashi in central Tokyo, but smaller Taiwanese affairs are also exploring the Japanese market. Let’s look at how Taiwanese ice cream, design, and even villas converted from old houses are charming the socks off the Japanese. 

Service
Taking the Ocean to Our Hearts

How Evergreen Marine Corporation Leads Taiwan on a Voyage to Envelope the World

Ever Glory, the 20,000 TEU-class container vessel operated by Evergreen Line.

Service
New Taipei City, Taiwan’s Oceanic Dream Series

Looking To the Sea – A Strategy to Make the Vision of Businesses Benefitting their Local Communities Come True

Thanks to a strategy that orients New Taipei City toward the ocean via its three major inland waterways, the Dahan River, Xindian River and Tamsui (Danshui) River, the municipal government has successfully attracted corporate investment. The New Taipei City Government is not only focusing its marketing of the metropolitan area on the needs of local investors, but has also aggressively lobbied the central government to relax laws and regulations on factory expansions to break the land supply bottleneck that has constrained the development of Danhai New Town.

Service
New Taipei City, Taiwan’s Oceanic Dream Series

Follow Route 2 Taiwan and Ride the Sea Breeze into the Wide World

The coastline of New Taipei City is 145 kilometers long. Stretching from Bali and Tamsui all the way to Gongliao, the ocean and mountain scenery along the way is breathtaking. Harbors and scenic spots are like pearls on a string that connect with one another to form Route 2 Taiwan (青春山海線). White sails and pleasure yachts dot the region between rivers and ocean to weave an unforgettable tapestry of beauty. 

Service
LongShun Special Printing Plant

Tin Shack Printing Factory in Taiwan Bags the Biggest Advertising Account from Japan

A tin shack factory in an ordinary industrial district recently secured orders to print business cards for Japanese businessmen and publications for a big Japanese advertising firm. The linchpin behind this multinational supply chain is a 32-year-old design guru from Taiwan. 

Service
Delivery Platform Wave Props up Hot New Little Restaurant Entrepreneurial Sector 

The Secret to Selling 15,000 Healthy Boxed Meals

The last year has seen an explosion of food delivery platforms in Taiwan. Uber Eats and FoodPanda’s business is expected to triple, and “ghost kitchens” and “virtual restaurants” with no seating and no signage are riding high exclusively through delivery services. How will this hot new business model sweeping across Europe and America change the face of Taiwan’s food and beverage market?

Service
An Old Brand Growing Younger

TKK Fried Chicken Teams up with Kung Fu Tea to Conquer New York

TKK Fried Chicken was Taiwan’s first local fried chicken brand but fell off the radar for many years as foreign fast food brands took over the market. Now, it is seeing a resurgence, seemingly growing younger and even making a name for itself in New York.

Service
Keelung City

Cruises Restore Glory of Keelung, Once Taiwan’s Largest Port

Keelung Port, whose history dates back to the 17th century, has always played a crucial role as Keelung City’s lifeline. While in the past the port thrived on handling and transferring cargo, it has now traded that business for the tourist trade. Today, elegant cruise ships towering over the pier like office high-rises count among Keelung’s most striking sights.  

Service
Why Do People Queue for an Hour at Each Vendor?

Behind Taiwan's Pop-up Vegetarian Night Market Phenomenon

Although Taiwan has a thriving night market culture, vegetarian choices are somewhat scarce. But now there is a new, traveling night market consisting of over a dozen food trucks exclusively serving up vegetarian fare, attracting throngs of people wherever it goes. What makes this dedicated vegetarian night market so wildly popular?

Service
Partnering with McDonald’s and PX Mart

Morinaga Milk Caramel McFlurries Set Sales Records in Taiwan, Sales Top NT$1M per Day

For the first time in its 58-year history in Taiwan, Morinaga Milk Caramel has teamed up with other brands, creating a summer sensation. The company’s Japanese general manager, interviewed for the first time in Taiwan, was amazed yet sober in his response, noting the spectacular sales while cautioning against waiting for sales to dip before thinking about changing. He partnered with McDonald’s and PX Mart to introduce distinctive products tailored to different conditions, making consumers fall in love with them all over again.

Service
Forging the Taiwan Brand

Taiwan’s Industry Corps, on Which the Sun Never Sets

Over the past three decades or more, wave upon wave of corporations, organizations, and individuals have taken on a global market full of lofty aspirations and great ambitions. From contract manufacturing to original brands, from umbrellas to Taiwanese TV dramas, they embody the maritime spirit, enthusiastically embracing the world intent on forging a Taiwanese industry corps on which the sun never sets. And this bumpy road to the rest of the world keeps going on.

Service
Companionship, Joint Fun and Shared Meals

Fubon Life Joins Hands with Students to Make Taiwan a Better Place

Fubon Life is carrying out its long-term engagement in Taiwan’s society by joining hands with the younger generation to brighten senior citizens’ lives. The life insurance company hopes to use its corporate resources to bring a smile to the face of every Taiwanese person.

Service
EVA Air Flight Attendants Strike

Why the Labour Union Faces Complete Defeat

A strike by EVA Air flight attendants is the longest in Taiwan’s aviation history. But why, unlike a strike of China Airlines flight attendants led by the same union three years ago in which the airline met all of their demands, is this labor gambit likely to come up short? 

Service
Taiwan, The Hidden Treasure in Asia

The Impasse of Taiwanese Tourism?

Many tourists come to Taiwan while “just passing by” on their way to or from other countries, or as a last resort. How can Taiwan highlight its unique color and depth to better attract international tourists?

Service
Taiwan’s Soft Power

Taiwan’s Catchplay Beats Netflix in Indonesia

CatchPlay has become the largest pay OTT in Indonesia, with more than half of its offerings being exclusive content. Are movie platforms now following in the tracks of the New Southbound Policy?

Service
From Unmanned Stores to Smart Vending Machines

Taiwan's Next Convenience Store Battlefield?

Last year, convenience store chains in Taiwan were entirely focused on unmanned stores. But this March, 7-Eleven surprisingly shelved plans for an expanding network of unmanned stores as the industry opens another battle front earlier than expected: smart vending machines. Do such machines constitute a successful solution, or are they only a temporary substitute until truly fully automated, unmanned shops become reality?

Liquid Snacks? The Rationale Behind Milk Drinks with Snack Flavors

Last year, popular snacks dressed up as beverages became a hit at local convenience stores – a development initiated by Taiwan’s two major convenience store chains 7-Eleven and FamilyMart. How did they come up with the idea for these novel beverages? And why are consumers buying into this new marketing strategy?

Service
PX Mart Opens 1000th Store

What’s the Scoop on “Brick and Mortar E-commerce?”

While other retail channel sales were slipping, the supermarket segment stood strong thanks to PX Mart. The resolute decision to introduce fresh produce 10 years ago helped pave the way for the supermarket chain’s one-thousandth store and NT$100 billion annual sales. Over the years, they discovered that their biggest competitor does not come from their own industry, but from the busy daily lives all of us lead in today’s society.

Service
CommonWealth Finance Weekly

Is It Reasonable to Pay to Select Seats on a Flight?

Starting this week, airlines will ask passengers to pay up to NT$ 1,500 to select their seats before boarding. In effect, travelling by air just got pricier. The truth is, plenty of major airlines around the world ask passengers to pay more for specific seats, in an effort to turn passengers’ preferences into a source of revenue. Whether this is a reasonable way to benefit from the supply and demand of the free market is still up for debate.

Service
NT$30 Million Spent on System Codification

Why Are Foreign Visitors Still Getting Lost on Taipei’s MRT System?

How is “Yongan Market” pronounced? Foreigners not conversant in Chinese could easily mistake the phonetic spelling for a phrase in Mandarin that could cause significant embarrassment, and still end up missing their station as well. For people who are lost in the Taipei Metro system, proper spelling is more important than assigning a code to each station.

Service
19 Million Swedish Meatballs

IKEA Taiwan Posts Record High Food Share

Last year, IKEA Taiwan’s revenue boasted the highest food share of all stores around the world. What makes IKEA’s Scandinavian fare so attractive that Taiwanese consumers can hardly resist?

Which Are the Most Punctual Airlines?

Do you know which airline was the most punctual in 2018? And which airport had the best On-Time Performance? New statistics show Tokyo International Airport, also known as Haneda Airport, had the best On-Time Performance, and Copa Airlines SA was the most punctual.

Service
The Masterminds Behind

The Rise of the Eslite Nanxi Commercial District

The new Eslite Spectrum Nanxi Store right next to Zhongshan MRT station was the talk of the town even before its formal launch. The area’s rise as a tourism and shopping magnet, however, owes to the vision of an alliance between a community-building NGO, a neighborhood chief, and local artists.

Service
Charting the World

These Are the Countries That Eat the Most Meat

Red meat production is a major contributor to global warming because of the methane emitted by cattle and sheep. Which countries eat the most meat? This chart tells you the top meat-loving countries in the world.

Service
The Only Taiwanese Survivor in China’s Eat or Be Eaten Startup World

How to Build the Biggest Cross-strait Event Platform

In the startup scene, advice is typically given to avoid creating a platform because conditions are harsh and survival prospects slim. But John Sie, a former Hon Hai/Foxconn Technology Group employee, along with a fellow student founded software-as-a-service platform Accupass. Their startup not only managed to survive lethal competition in China where Internet startups go bust in droves, but Acupass even evolved into the biggest cross-strait event-hosting platform. How did Sie achieve this formidable feat?

Service
A Rising Coffee Empire

Louisa Coffee Takes Aim at Starbucks

Launched as a small coffee-to-go store, Louisa Coffee has since evolved into one of the nation’s major coffee chains, looking to take on market leaders Starbucks and 85C. How did founder and General Manager Chris Huang turn his passion for coffee into a successful business?

17 Media Wants to Dominate Your Screen

The Taiwanese live streaming platform "17 Media,” co-founded by Taiwanese rapper Jeffrey Huang of the hip-hop group Machi, successfully entered Japan last year and is now looking to South Korea and the United States. What is the secret to standing out in the hotly contested live streaming market?

5 Things You Need to Know About China's Booming E-commerce Market

China’s e-commerce and mobile economy are booming, yet it is certainly not easy to enter or compete in the market. Here are the five key current trends to understand and learn from China’s e-commerce explosion.

Service
E-Commerce Strategy for ASEAN Markets

Decoding the ‘Private Message’ Culture

E-commerce vendors expanding into Southeast Asia need a unique sales model for each country. Increasingly, Southeast Asians living in Taiwan and Southeast Asian online celebrities are emerging as the key to social media-based e-commerce.

Service
E-Commerce Strategy for ASEAN Markets

Small Accessories Empire with Annual Sales over NT$100M Breaks into ASEAN Markets

Hsu Yi-chih, a thirtysomething who oversees a small accessories empire with annual sales exceeding NT$100 million in Taiwan, has applied the resilient spirit of a former street vendor to leverage the advantages of Taiwanese quality to break into new markets.

Service
Job Flexibility vs. Income Stability

Can Work in the Future be Fair as Well as Flexible?

With work becoming more flexible, does unconventional work necessary mean unstable income?

Service
Aging Society

The Job Market is Booming for Older Workers

With the structure of population aging, the projected share of people aged 65 and over in the job market is projected to rise sharply.

Service
China's Annual Shopping Craze

Startling Statistics from Singles' Day

These statistics show the amount spent this year for Alibaba's annual Singles' Day.

Service
Chatime

Pearl Milk Tea Craze Sweeps the Maldives

Taiwan’s homegrown hand-shaken tea beverages are continuing their conquest of overseas markets. Kaffa International Co. Ltd., whose global franchise teahouse chain Chatime already has a strong presence in Southeast Asia, is expanding its reach to tropical holiday destinations.

Service
Carrefour

ID Cards Ensure Good, Safe Food

Is quality food always expensive? The Carrefour supermarket chain is proving otherwise with affordable produce sourced from certified farms. All foods, from pineapples to ready-to-eat roast chickens, come with an ID card that allows consumers to trace their origin.

Service
KKFarm

Keeping Taiwanese Pop Culture Alive

At a time when China is gaining dominance in Chinese-language pop culture, KKBox has chosen a new approach, launching cultural and entertainment platform “KKFarm” to give fledgling Taiwanese cultural and creative firms the chance to flourish.

Service
EVA Airways

Eyeing Prospects for the Long Haul

EVA Airways has set a new record for revenue by concentrating on North American routes, not only weathering the economic climate but proceeding according to its own flight plan.

Service
Top 2000 Survey : Service Industry

Green Energy, Green Economy Avert Decline

Cultural creative, environment-related industries are finding growth while retail and hospitality sectors are expanding markets. The service industry is developing profitable streams even as profits have declined overall.

Service
Interview with Fubon’s Richard Tsai

Building a National Brand

The Fubon Group has bucked convention in growing its business, whether moving into southern Taiwan or expanding into non-financial fields. In this interview with Richard Tsai, the Fubon Financial Holdings chairman explains how the company has evolved into a national brand.

Service
Nike’s Sports Ecosystem

Every Customer a VIP

Combining real-world and virtual services, Nike brings consumers into the “circle of runners,” providing expert training and encouragement, and delivering service with passion to take the loneliness out of running.

Service
Record Low 3% Mortality Rate

Taiwan’s Burn Care Shines on Global Stage

Taiwan’s response to an amusement park tragedy that left hundreds of revelers severely burned prompted over 300 medical professionals to travel to Taipei to learn about the experience at a global conference. The last survivor to be discharged as well as her attending physician shared with CommonWealth what they went through nearly two years ago.

Service
Elderly Residences + Smart Care

Furoto Lets Seniors Feel at Home

Most elderly people want to continue living in a familiar environment. How can we utilize modern technology to create long-term care programs the elderly can trust and enjoy?

Service
Changing Approach to Health Care

The Home Care Medical Revolution

Cloistered in their hospitals, many Taiwanese physicians have not realized that patients’ homes can turn into prisons harmful to their health. That is now changing as a home care revolution takes shape, but plenty of obstacles remain.

Service
Hi-Lai Harbour Restaurant

High-class Seafood at Reasonable Prices

Hi-Lai Harbour, a buffet restaurant chain founded in Kaohsiung, has established outlets in department stores in all of Taiwan's five major cities. The group's revenue growth tops the list of hospitality businesses in our 2016 Top 2000 Survey.

Service
Poya International

From Country Boy to Adult

Poya is the dominant player in the cosmetics/drugstore sector in central and southern Taiwan and is now turning its attention to Taipei, wondering if the same formula that turned it into a NT$10 billion business can conquer new challenges.

Service
Top 2000 Survey: Service Industry

‘Consumer Experience’ the New Battlefield

A generally sluggish economy saw service industry revenues decline last year, with a slight uptick in profitability for some as e-commerce continued to surge and retail engaging in cross-industry cooperation to forge new opportunities. On line or on the high street, customers always respond to a good "consumer experience.

Service
2016 Golden Service Awards: Muji

Aiming for 'Just Right'

The best service does not mean selling customers the most expensive goods but those they need most. Japanese lifestyle brand Muji took the crown of the 2016 Golden Service Awards with its "just right" approach.

Service
2016 Golden Service Awards

‘Change’ the Secret to Managing Change

"Change" and "digital experience" are the new mantras in this digital age, concepts embraced by the many innovative upstarts that emerged as leaders in their fields in the 2016 Golden Service Awards.

Service
2016 Golden Service Awards: Starbucks

Where Staff Are Digital Ambassadors

Starbucks, winner of the Coffeehouse Chains category for six years in a row and number one in online service satisfaction, has become more of a 'tech company that sells coffee,' with digital coffee houses that enable new Starbucks experiences.

Service
Top 2000 Survey: Service Industry

Merging Real and Virtual Worlds

Of the 27 service industries covered by the Top 2000 Survey, the telecom industry is the only sector that suffered shrinking revenue in 2014. The ability to precisely predict demand is crucial if companies want to win consumer support in the Internet era.

Service
2015 Golden Service Awards

Healthy Competition within Conglomerates

This year's Golden Service Awards saw seven new winners emerge in their respective industries. What makes these champions special?

Top 10 Hottest Products of 2014

Looking back at 2014, other than a host of shiny new products, retro designs made a big comeback. Will this year's popular commodities blow over, or remain big sellers in the coming year?

Service
Top 2000 Survey: Service Industry

Rise of Food Industry Darlings

In 2013, the keys to growth in Taiwan's service industry were innovation and refinement. Most notable was a select group of stars in the food services industry.

Service
Taiwanese Cosmetics

Louis Vuitton Loves Dr. Wu

Women care about their looks – that's what makes skin care recession-proof. The Dr. Wu brand has been growing in popularity since it launched more than a decade ago. Now, foreign investors have been knocking on its doors.

Service
2013 Golden Service Awards

High-end Trumps Low-cost

Taiwanese consumers are increasingly particular about high quality, and demand it across the board. Those service enterprises that deliver it are winning the race.

Service
Thriving on Microloans

The Sediq Tribal Piggy Bank

The Meishi Village Credit Union has turned NT$100 deposits into loans that have helped more than 800 tribe members lift themselves out of poverty, cultivating doctors and school administrators along the way.

Service
CoCo Fresh Drinks

800 Outlets Worldwide in Three Years

The orange and white CoCo Fresh Drinks sign has gone up in a thousand locations worldwide. The strength of its brand and personnel management is even enticing entrepreneurs in Singapore, South Korea and Russia.

Service
Charmy 'Snow Ice' Desserts

Stirring a Flurry of Interest

Taiwanese self-made entrepreneur Kao Wen-wan has successfully turned shaved ice with sweet toppings, a traditional Asian dessert, into an international brand.

Service
Dante Coffee

Venturing Abroad, Moving Upscale

Born in Taiwan as a low-cost alternative, Dante Coffee has become a lavish indulgence in Indonesia and is taking on high-tech style in Kuwait. Dante is stepping out into the world.

Service
Breeze Development's Henry Liao

Tailoring a Fashion Empire with an Italian Cut

Acquiring Giuliano Fujiwara for NT$500 million, a Taiwanese department store group is giving this premium Italian brand a makeover, and a new position on the world fashion map.

Service
Shiatzy Chen CEO Harry Wang

Taking Eastern Fashion Global

Harry Wang has led a team of Taiwanese designers, Chinese artisans, and French stylists to build Shiatzy Chen's brand image in China and the world. It has been anything but easy.

Service
Wan Hai Lines

Thriving in Rough Economic Waters

Rising fuel costs and declining freight prices have battered global shipping companies, but Taiwan's Wan Hai Lines and its chairman Chen Po-ting seem to be taking the rough sailing in stride.

Service
Taiwan Mobile

Gaining the Edge with Service

After a seven-year hiatus, Taiwan Mobile has reclaimed the title of benchmark enterprise in the telecom services sector. Amid a sour economy and an industry paradigm shift, which strengths helped it topple Chunghwa Telecom?

Service
From Container Port to Tourism Magnet

Keelung Battles to Change Identity

Decades ago, Keelung was the world's seventh biggest container port. Today, it aspires to become a tourism center, but the challenges are daunting. Can it succeed?

Service
Five-star Free-for-all

Luxury Hotels Converge on Taipei

In the 1990s, the Regent and Grand Hyatt dominated Taipei’s luxury hotel market, but times are finally changing as new five-star hotels pour into the city. The question is, why?

Service
Hotel Royal Chiao Hsi

Local Nutrients, Rich Experience

Taking home top honors in this year's CommonWealth Magazine Golden Service Awards, the Hotel Royal Chiao Hsi continually challenges itself to create a unique sensory experience for visitors.

Service
Kaohsiung

Crafting a Corridor of Good Living

No longer content to measure success in terms of cargo shipments, Kaohsiung is expanding green spaces and opening arts districts, to remake itself as a "great city to live in."

Service
Golden Service Champion

HSR: The New Benchmark for Travel Culture

Unveiling a ticket verification system that has wowed counterparts in Europe and Japan, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. is starting to shape a new culture of sophisticated travel in Taiwan.

Service
Golden Service Champion

EVA Air Aims High with 'Taiwanese Quality'

Flat-lying beds, Bvlgari overnight kits, premium steak, lobster feasts… EVA Air targets the top of the pyramid, leapfrogging Singapore Airlines to become the king of airway service.

Service
2012 Golden Service Award Survey

Who’s the New Service Industry King?

A reshuffle has taken place in many segments of Taiwan's service industry. Which tricks of the trade did the winners of this year's Golden Service Awards use to grab consumers'attention,and money?

Service
2012 Golden Service Awards

Transit Hubs Sparking New Travel Vogue

Taiwan's high speed rail line and a highway service area earned high marks in the second CommonWealth Magazine Golden Service Awards. What's driving the trend?

Service
RT-Mart

The Wolf King of Chinese Retail

Taiwan-based RT-Mart had sales of 61.6 billion renminbi in China last year, far outpacing Carrefour and Walmart. How has the company carved out its imposing retail empire there?

Service
Grand Ocean Department Stores

Trumping Sogo to Triumph in China

With operating revenue last year of NT$25.8 billion, Grand Ocean, a relative unknown in Taiwan, has taken the lead from big players like Far Eastern and Sogo in setting up a department store empire in China.

Service
Top 500 Service Enterprises

Domestic Demand Heats Up

Taiwan's domestic demand-driven industries are flourishing, but people's complaints about rising prices are growing louder too. How can the service industry respond to these trends and continue to attract customers?

Service
Taiwan's Food & Beverage Industry

A Bountiful in Banquet in 2012

With the once gleaming high-tech sector losing its luster, the thriving hospitality industry is luring both jobseekers and investors, as more chain restaurants go public to tap the capital market.

Service
The New Energy-saving Model

ESCOs Turn Taiwan 'Green' with Efficiency

An innovative financial service that finances "green" equipment with projected savings in energy costs is gaining traction in Taiwan. But its continued growth still faces serious challenges.

Service
Golden Service Enterprise Ikea

Giving Customers That Perfect Match

In CommonWealth Magazine's recent service industry survey, Swedish home furniture giant Ikea reigned supreme in the "atmosphere" category, enticing the island's consumers with its warm, friendly, real-life ambience.

Service
Golden Service Enterprise PC Home

The Unbeatable Lightness of 24-hour Delivery

In the world of online retailing, only one question is paramount: "How to deliver the goods to the consumer as quickly as possible." At PC Home, the secret weapon is not working faster, but a 24/7, three-shifts-a-day operational culture.

Service
Golden Service Enterprise E.Sun Bank

Mastering the Art of Service

E.Sun Bank was rated tops for service among financial institutions in CommonWealth Magazine's first ever Golden Service Awards. What does E.Sun know that others don't?

Service
2011 Golden Service Awards

Those Decisive Five Seconds

Taiwanese consumers were given the chance by CommonWealth Magazine to evaluate their favorite service brands for the first time. The winners were companies giving customers a deeper level of service.

Service
2011 Golden Service Award Survey

Taiwan's Favorite Service Enterprises

The service industry is now prime turf in Taiwan's business world, and everyone with a nose for profit is grappling for a stake. Being eager to serve, and knowing how to do it, are the qualities Taiwanese consumers demand most.

Service
Golden Service Entrepreneur Steve Day:

Shutting Out the Competition with Value

In an industry where personal warmth is key, restaurant group Wowprime focuses on keeping employees content, and dishing out value that rivals find hard to match.

Service
Golden Service Entrepreneur Hsu Chung-jen

My Competitor Is My Customer

Grasping, and even creating, the latest lifestyle trends is what keeps President Chain Stores one step ahead of their customers, making themselves indispensable through constant improvement.

Service
Proxy Shopping

Taiwan's Borderless Buying Binge

Buoyed by the strong NT dollar in recent months, Taiwanese are making more and more overseas purchases. Proxy shopping has become a viable platform for great savings and new opportunities.

Service
Top 500 Service Enterprises

Bouncing Back

After a dismal performance in 2009, Taiwan's service industry delivered a robust rebound in 2010, with bright performances in shipping, tourism and retail sales. Can it sustain the momentum?

The Age of Value Marketing Has Arrived

The sales and profits of Taiwan's top 1,000 companies hit three-year highs in 2010. The secret to their success? Winning customers' hearts in an age when consumers are pricklier than ever.

Taiwan: Veggie Heaven

With rising health-consciousness, vegetarian restaurants are enjoying a boom. And predominantly Buddhist Taiwan is riding the crest of the veggie wave, with innovative gourmet restaurants that even carnivores adore.

Service
Food in Taiwan

Taiwan's Irresistible Hot Pot Power

In Taiwan, eating hot pot has become a national pastime fit for any season, and the dish's many varieties and flavors are enticing ethnic Chinese from around the world.

Service
Private-Sector Investment

Taiwan's Service Sector Surge

In the wake of the financial meltdown, Europe and America are still in the doldrums, but Taiwan's private-sector investment surged 32 percent in 2010, marking a 45-year high, the second highest in history in terms of absolute value. Will 2011 be just as good?

Service
Bookoff Corporation

Redefining Japan's Publishing Industry

Japan-based Bookoff has developed a new model for selling used books that is changing the face of Japan's publishing sector and reading environment. What are the secrets of its success?

Service
Taipei's Songshan Airport

Soaring Again, with Direct Tokyo Flights

Things are looking up for Songshan Airport. With a new direct link to Tokyo, it's taking an ever-bigger bite of the commercial market pie, and Taiwan's importance in the Asian airline industry continues to rise.

Service
Vietnam's Noodle King Ly Qui Trung:

I Want to Create 'the McDonald's of the East'

With its sleek, modern interior, Vietnam's popular restaurant chain Pho24 is taking the traditional bowl of noodles to new heights. How did founder Ly Qui Trung win out against the multinational fast food competition?

Service
Huayi Brothers Media Corp.

The Making of China's Mega Movie Studio

Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, China's largest film and TV producer, topped 200 million renminbi in revenue in the first half of this year, but aspires to venture beyond entertainment, into the wider world of cultural industry.

Service
Top 1000 Listed Companies of Greater China

Taking China with Taiwanese Quality

Despite a late start, Taiwan's leading retailer is already a respectable challenger in Shanghai. Now it plans to enter the fray in China's first- and second-tier markets, offering consumers the alternative experience of Taiwanese-style service.

Service
2010 Top 1000 Enterprises

Thriving through Flexibility

The global financial crisis claimed plenty of casualties in Taiwan, but its top enterprises brandished one critical asset that helped many of them thrive: flexibility.

Service
Formosa International Hotels Corporation

Buying Regent, Going Global

At long last, Taiwan's FIHC has acquired the Regent brand. Chairman Steven Pan reveals the strategy he used to close the US$56 million deal, and his company's global ambitions.

Service
Shrinking Consumption Reshuffles Winning Industries

Top 500 Service Enterprises

Feeling the pinch of a straitened economy, Taiwan's service industry suffered a decline in overall revenue in 2009. Yet not all sectors were equally impacted. Flexibility is the key as companies fight for survival under trying conditions.

Lion Travel Tour Guides and Travel Bloggers

The Internet has dramatically changed marketing in the travel industry, and Lion Travel Co. is taking advantage of Web-based social networks to build and expand its customer base.

Service
The Energy ‘Doctors'

Taiwan's New Green-collar Class

A newly emerging class of "green" experts is using specialized knowledge of electronics, physics and refrigeration to help companies save energy and money.

Service
Electronic Books

Who Can Translate Kindle into Chinese?

Amazon's successful e-book reader Kindle has sparked a worldwide craze. Now major Taiwanese companies are hoping to get in on the action. Will any succeed in this fierce contest to create a Kindle for the Chinese-speaking world?

Service
Exclusive Interview: Ou Chin-der

How to Save the High Speed Railway?

An engineer with a public image of a troubleshooting hero, Ou Chin-der is stepping in as the new chairman of Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation, in the hope of digging the company out of its financial hole. But how?

All the Right Plurks

The Plurking craze has swept over to Taiwan's business sector. And BenQ's affable avatar Ah-Ji the Lion has done particularly well cozying up with Netizens. What is BenQ's secret formula for social media success?

Service
Fortune Motors

Mining Facebook for 40% of Sales

How did a twentysomething salesman with few personal connections make use of the Internet to establish a customer base stretching from Taipei to Jiayi, and rise to the top ten in a sales force of more than 500?

Service
Consumer Trends

Fussy Customers – the New Business Op

A growing cadre of "fussy customers" – shrewd, tech-savvy and hard to please – is making Taiwanese companies pay heavily for mistakes, but some cagey enterprises understand that cracking these tough nuts may be the best path to success.

Service
Cathay Life Insurance

Grabbing China's Insurance Market After 12 Years of Groundwork

The first Taiwanese financial institution to have set up shop in China, Cathay Life also ranks third among foreign insurers in terms of number of sales offices there. What will be its next step?

Service
2009 Top 500 Service Enterprises

Soaring Revenues, Concentrated Growth

Glittering in the face of a lackluster economy, Taiwan's service sector remains remarkably vital. Yet some industries are booming more than others.

Service
Elite Talent Changing Course

High Tech Loses Its Luster

With rising unemployment grabbing the headlines, an important trend in Taiwan's labor market is flying under the radar: The country's top talent is gravitating toward the service sector at the expense of high tech.

Service
The Power of Intelligence

Trade-Van: Pinpointing the Pivotal Product

Managing cohesive electronic logistics intelligence for 15 major chains and two thirds of all manufacturers in Taiwan, Trade-Van also provides marketing information analysis that makes businesses smart about sales.

Service
Taiwan's Media Shake-up

Next Media Gets into TV, Hires Spin Doctor

Just as his flagship Apple Daily has begun to lose money, Hong Kong media baron Jimmy Lai has boldly entered Taiwan's highly competitive cable-TV business, hiring PR veteran King Pu-tsung. What does Lai have up his sleeve?

Service
The Age of Precarious Employment

Temp Work - Trap, or Springboard?

Taiwan has a temporary workforce 150,000-strong, bouncing between short-term positions. How can temps protect their rights? And how can they avoid sliding into a lifetime of odd-jobbing?

Service
Nike Running Club

Building Grassroots Fans to Generate Buying Power

The recession has most companies scaling back their advertising budgets, but Nike is investing big in a different marketing approach: cultivating loyalty at the grassroots level.

Service
How McDonald's Taiwan 'Reads the Air'

Perceiving Customer Needs with all Five Senses

In the quick-paced world of fast food, customer needs and individual preferences are often neglected. How does fast food giant McDonald's train its staff to hone their five senses to grasp what customers want?

Service
Service Innovation:

The New Engine of Growth

Taiwan's top 1000 enterprises are experiencing expanding revenues, but contracting profits. Yet many companies are beginning to turn heads by mining high added-value "service riches."

Service
Acer Unseats Taipower at the Top

Top 500 Service Enterprises

In 2007, Taiwan's service sector finally exceeded NT$6 trillion in revenues. But all was not well, as profitability declined. How did Acer buck the trend and vault pass Taiwan Power Company at the top?

Service
China Mobile

The World's Telecom Behemoth

Boasting 350 million subscribers and 230,000 base stations covering 97 percent of the Middle Kingdom, China Mobile has become the world "telecom giant" within a brief decade.

Service
Taiwan's Top 500 Service Companies

Shifting Markets, Going Global

In 2006, Taiwan’s service sector suffered negative revenue growth for the first time in five years. Yet a market shift has begun to favor those enterprises with global reach.

Service
'Express Enterprises'

Fast, Flexible and Making a Fortune

Able to fill an array of orders with efficiency, precision and a low overhead, Taiwan’s "express enterprises" are the new darlings of the stock market and, increasingly, the secret inside the world’s latest lightweight gadgets.

Service
Haier Group CEO Zhang Ruimin

A Confucian Capitalist Goes Global

Haier is China’s most respected brand, and its CEO is the country’s most respected business leader. With a determined dedication to quality, China’s premier home appliance brand has now cast its eyes on the world…

Service
85。C Cafe Challenges Starbucks

Ordinary Joe Versus the Yuppie

With a 30 percent market share of the Taiwanese coffeehouse/bakery industry, three-year-old 85C is putting the squeeze on Starbucks. What winning elements hide behind its shiny corner-windows?

Service
The Rise of Taiwanese Pastry

Baking Means Big Dough

Taiwan’s homegrown coffee-and-pastry shops are throwing down the gauntlet at the multinational chains, and even beginning to export themselves. Can Taiwan make it on the world munchy map?

Service
Yannick Company

Empire-building Is No Piece of Cake

From a humble cake shop in a small coastal town, Yannick has blossomed into a patisserie chain with millions in annual sales. What challenges did it face on the way?