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Mobile consumer trends have touched new heights with the outbreak of Covid-19 which has disrupted the global economy like no other with the trendline dipping with uncertainty. This disruption has given an opportunity to a lot of companies to increase their digital adoption of products and services that were predominantly considered offline, especially banking enterprises. People are now armed with smartphones and easy data connectivity, technology-savvy customers now have a different set of expectations from their bankers.
The global crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic influenced the financial behaviour of customers in a big way, Fintech and Banking apps have had a huge growth in Q2, 2020 as compared to Q1 2020. Banking, financial services, and insurance industry observed a 20.28% global growth in downloads on Mobile applications according to the latest Mobile Consumption Trends Report.
The Americas led the growth in downloads for this industry, posting a solid 43.67% growth in Q2 for app downloads, while the Global growth in Daily Active Users in the banking, financial services and insurance industry in Q2 was 5.96% as compared to Q1.
Meanwhile, India, Southeast Asia and Oceania saw a fall in Daily Active Users at -8.33% and -4.09% respectively.
Impact of Pandemic on Banking
The global crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic influenced the financial behaviour of customers in a big way:
- Cash and plastic cards were replaced by contactless payment modes such as digital wallets
- Bank owned and managed online apps became popular for lifestyle and utility-related payments
- Payment aggregators who unified different kinds of transactions on a single portal became popular.
Even today with the economy trying to gain back its momentum and banks opening up, customers are very much concerned about going to a physical bank branch and want to carry out more errands remotely. Thus, the heavy dependence on technology and mobile screens for all transactions has increased eventually.
While these numbers may not change in the rest of the 4 remaining months of 2020, it has given the mobile economy a whole new dimension with people relying more and more on technology to get through these tough times.
Banking for the Connected Customer
Banks are upgrading their infrastructure to reach customers where they are. Physical branches of most banks still exist but customers are being encouraged to carry out financial transactions via mobile phones or the bank’s website. This is also pushing banks to provide a great digital experience via mobile apps by simplifying financial processes
through seamless onboarding experiences, easier transactions such as remittances, pushing contactless payments, sending out targeted communications etc.
To complement these efforts, banks also need to build a strong omnichannel banking strategy to engage customers at the right touchpoint to carry out transactions. Why is an omnichannel strategy important? Usually a consumer switches between 2 or 3 screens before making a purchase – this shows how important it is for brands to be available on all channels to provide a consistent experience to all users which helps one to move from your app to website to push notifications to social media, experiencing the same branding and messaging throughout in a synchronized way.
The companies that use omnichannel strategies retain 89% of their customers on average as compared to 33% for those with weak omnichannel engagement.
How to Create Omnichannel Customer Engagement for Banks?
- Use Automation Tools – Personalization plays a heavy role in customer engagement game and automation helps in delivering this experience seamlessly. Omit manual processes and time-consuming activities & employ a customer engagement tool.
- Make Smart Recommendations- Use AI to perform faster and insightful segmentation to accurately predict consumer expectations. A recent BCG survey of global executives reports that 90% of marketers are now using AI to optimize the customer journey and deliver the most rewarding experience
- Get Data-Driven For Everything- Create a 360˚ view of your customer by synthesizing all customer data and accounting all their app/ online behaviour to optimize personalized conversations.
- Optimize For Every Channel – Engage users smartly by triggering communications across all channels such as SMS, push and in-app notifications, geolocation offers etc, to drive higher engagement.
Brands need to drive their focus on making sure they provide a smooth experience for customers while interacting with them on their respective gadgets. Starting from onboarding experience to building behaviour based lifecycle campaigns, reactivating dormant or lost customers and creating customised user journeys across customers lifecycle. Customers everywhere are looking for a Netflix experience in almost every other service. Automation and AI are keys to master your personalization game.
Author: Unnathi R
Unnathi is a marketer with a passion for learning anything new and indulging in various cultures while travelling. She enjoys a good read and a cup of coffee at any time of the day.


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Tourism officials in Durban, the homeport for MSC Cruises for the South African cruise season, say the regular turnaround calls by MSC Orchestra during the coming cruise season will add more than R100-million to the local economy.
More than 30,000 cruise passengers will board MSC Orchestra in Durban between now and the end of December, according to eThekwini Municipality’s Acting Head of Communications Unit, Mandla Nsele.
They will spend a combined total of around R18-million on car rentals, accommodation and retail in the city, while their total contribution to the South African GDP will amount to more than R190-million when the cost of the cruise and transport to the port is taken into account as well.
Durban is also set to benefit from Cape Town’s booming cruise sector, with more cruise ships than ever before homeporting in the Mother City during the coming cruise season, which runs from November to March annually.
Some 17 cruise ships will make 86 port calls in Durban during the year, including AIDAmira, the new cruise ship for AIDA Cruises, that will homeport in Cape Town for the first time for a full cruise season.
She will return for the 2020/21 cruise season as well, along with TUI’s Mein Schiff Herz, also a newcomer to the South African cruise scene.
While MSC Cruises primarily targets the local South African source market for its Durban cruises, the Cape Town cruise lines will be selling to international tourists booking fly-cruise deals.
International cruise tourists, numbering around 30,000 for the coming cruise season, inject more money per person into the local economy of the ports they visit, according to officials.
The average international cruise tourist in South Africa spends around R1,000 during a day visit, almost twice that of a South African cruise passenger.
South African cruise passengers, numbering more than 200,000, contribute more to the economy overall, however, and the number is only expected to grow as MSC Cruises prepares to homeport even more cruise ships in the country next year.
Categories: SA Cruise News

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How Facebook and Spotify will change the music industry…
...but how music publishers are still vital! As Facebook and Spotify get even cosier, we discuss what this means to the music industry and make some predictions for 2012.
Facebook has further integrated with Spotify as part of it's mission to become an entertainment hub. Music being such a large part of entertainment for users, Facebook needed a way to integrate it's functionality into a music software that was scalable - with an evaluation of the capabilities of their now near-obsolete iLike app and Spotify's then plans to move into the US market - the choice was clear.
So how is this blossoming relationship going to affect the music industry and what implications does it have for music advertising?
Focus on Spotify Revenue for Artists
With Spotify operating on a much bigger scale than heard before, listens will go up and so will artists revenues. Spotify made a profit last year and is rapidly growing. It's launch in the US market will see users and listens grow further. Artists will eventually make more money from Spotify and record labels will begin to take the service more seriously as a revenue stream. The Beatles will be on Spotify by the end of 2012. There, I said it. Gulp.
Exclusive Spotify/Facebook Content
Sonic is predicting Spotify previews or Spotify-only releases as it has money to partner with Artists to have exclusive releases to promote it's service. With it's increasing profitability, Spotify is gaining more bargaining power with which it can afford to do more things like this.
Spotify functionality in Ad and Promotional Formats
As Facebook like and Twitter follow buttons are becoming increasingly prevalent in ad formats, we'll see Spotify getting involved too. Promotional Spotify widgets will start to appear in the same vein as SoundCloud and Mixcloud - where new album streams can be monetised. Three core call to actions will be to buy on iTunes, listen on Spotify and share on Facebook. The weighting of which by advertisers is yet to be determined.
Accounts linked with Pages
A heavier focus on artist partnerships will come from Spotify in the next few years. Ping did well to start artist's profiles but what it lacked was an already developed social network with which to integrate them with. Spotify & Facebook have this and we'll begin to see greater integration of Spotify accounts with official Facebook artist pages. Artists using Spotify functionality to promote new releases through tools like playlists, or simply giving an insight into their influences by posting their tracks, will be key moving forward. Publishers can also use these in the same way.
Spotify on the whole will become more measurable by more people. Predicting a Facebook insights style analytics tool for Spotify related activity on Facebook which could eventually be built into the service itself. The ability to track a click on an ad to a listen on Spotify would be an excellent direct response metric that iTunes does not currently allow.
Implications for publishing and advertising
Campaigns will be split between promoting buying the record and listening to it on Spotify/sharing it on Facebook. Publishers will be just as important in having a platform upon which releases will be promoted, where album streams can be placed, where editorial features can go inside the music and where publications start the journey of new music into a web of recommendations and plays.
Sonic publishers like Rock Sound and This is Fake DIY will be pivotal in traffic driving to Facebook pages but also for promoting their favourite artists on Spotify - which could ultimately make or break a bands success given the size of certain publications.
It's not about the format of music anymore, it's about the situation in which we listen to it. With music soundtracking our social lives, there was only going to be one place for it.
Sonic has taken Facebook's announcements very seriously. Look out for further updates on how Sonic will be reacting to these changes and maintaining it's strength in music advertising.
Join us for further debate on Twitter!


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Usually when fall rolls around, we give our readers a play-by-play of what’s worth waiting to purchase during Black Friday. Even with steady sales on tech gear throughout November, you could often catch even bigger discounts on Thanksgiving or Black Friday proper.
But 2021 is shaping up to be very different. Supply chain issues haven’t gotten any better, and arguably they’re worse, with all kinds of components in short supply. Shipping issues are further exacerbating the ability of retailers to meet demand. TV prices are on the rise, and Intel warned just this past week that chip shortages could kill holiday discounts on laptops, and that you may have trouble finding budget models available to purchase, let alone on sale.
The short story? You shouldn’t sit on deals this year, because better ones may never emerge. You should also adjust your shopping habits for holiday 2021. Here’s what to prepare for.
During Black Friday, good discounts usually start at 20 percent off and can go as high as 70 or 80 percent off—or at the very least, a decent amount lower than a typical sale. But this year, the ceiling on the best deals likely will be lower. Stores that might have previously offered 50 percent off during Black Friday might only do 40 or 30 percent off in 2021. The prices you see this November could even be higher than those we saw during sales in the beginning of the year.
First come, first serve
The hotter the item, the less you should wait for a better deal to roll around. Even more alarming, what’s in stock now might be sold out by Black Friday. That’s especially true for tech gear with chips inside (heck, just about anything with a chip inside). So it may be foolish to wait for even a moderate discount on some products. Instead, buying them at regular price will be the equivalent of a deal.
A different mix of sale items
TVs and laptops are big-ticket items that commonly drop in price during Black Friday, but with the chip shortages, it’s doubtful their prices will tumble as much as we’ve seen in previous years. You may still see a few good deals flash by, but we don’t expect many to sell at an actual discount when compared to historical price data. Instead, you’re more likely to spot lower prices on products that people don’t buy as often, like CPUs, storage drives, and monitors.
Products to watch
Gordon Mah Ung / IDG
Even with the gloomy outlook for Black Friday 2021, competition between companies may still result in a little holiday deal magic. For example, Intel’s new 12th-generation Alder Lake CPUs put the heat on AMD’s Ryzen 5000 series processors, according to Intel’s benchmarks. Should independent benchmarks bear that out, sizable November sales on Ryzen CPUs wouldn’t be out of the ordinary—it’s a tactic AMD has used for many years to gain market share (and mindshare). Other tech products or components with similar head-to-head rivalries could be equally ripe for Black Friday deals.
In general, this year might be a good time for PC upgrades, rather than replacement. Rounding out a setup by adding life-enhancing accessories may end up being the way to shop smart. DIY PC builders may want to think about better optimizing their cooling arrangement or audio gear, while those shopping for gifts could think about ways to improve the experience of charging mobile devices or using a laptop at a desk.
picjumbo.com / Pexels
When shopping during the holiday months this year, you’ll have more success if you know the lay of the land in advance. A lot of the general buying advice for big sale periods still applies:
• Make a list of what you want to buy—and include features and specs if you have the time. Even if you have a specific item in mind, you may still spot an alternative and end up wondering what’s the better option. Having a list will make it easier to compare.
• Stay on top of the sales. Major retailers now tend to release their deals in waves, so forewarned is forearmed. The only new piece of advice for Black Friday 2021 is to buy as soon as you see something for a good price, rather than holding out for a better deal.
• If you absolutely must get the lowest price, you can try to hedge your bets by buying an item and not opening it—and then returning it if you’re able to find it for less elsewhere. We don’t recommend making a habit of this, though: Some stores will ban you if you make a lot of returns, and that maximum number is not predictable. You also have to be careful about where you shop. For this strategy to work, you have to buy from stores that allow returns of unopened items, have extended return windows, and don’t charge restocking fees. It also can’t cost you much in shipping or gas to make a return.
You can read more about how to strategize for holiday shopping (including how to set customized deal alerts) in our Black Friday FAQ. In addition to all of those tips, don’t forget to also leave yourself plenty of time to receive (and send) shipped items. The volume of packages is always higher at this time of year—and on top of that, long-distance deliveries now take more time via the US Postal Service.
Alaina Yee is PCWorld's resident bargain hunter—when she's not covering software, PC building, and more, she's scouring for the best tech deals. Previously her work has appeared in PC Gamer, IGN, Maximum PC, and Official Xbox Magazine. You can find her on Twitter at @morphingball.


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Terms of the deal call for Lone Star Global Acquisitions Ltd. to pay $9.50 per share in cash for each share of Berwyn, Pa.-based DFC, a premium of about 5.8% to the target's Tuesday close. The deal values DFC equity at about $366.5 million.
DFC is a provider of unsecured consumer loans, secured pawn loans, check cashing, gold buying and other services in ten European and North American countries, operating from about 1,500 retail outlets with brands including Money Mart, The Money Shop, Insta-Cheques, MoneyNow! and ExpressCredit.
Company chairman and CEO Jeff Weiss in a statement said the deal "delivers immediate cash value to our stockholders" while providing DFC with a partner that can help it to expand.
"Lone Star Funds is a sophisticated investor with broad-based financial and retail expertise, and we look forward to taking advantage of enhanced financial flexibility to find new ways to build our business while continuing to meet and exceed the needs of our global customer base," Weiss said.
DFC has been the target of shareholder lawsuits accusing the company and some of its executives of misrepresenting information to investors. The company in November withdrew a $650 million senior unsecured notes offering and called off a cash tender for outstanding notes after a class action lawsuit was filed against it.
The West Palm Beach Police Pension Fund filed suit against the company and two executives in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia alleging that the company engages in predatory lending with high fees to consumers that had no means to repay them and participated in other irresponsible lending practices.
The plaintiffs claimed DFC "misrepresented to investors that it complied with government regulations and guidance with regard to irresponsible lending practices, and that the company made 'prudent,' 'conservative,' and 'responsible' underwriting decisions when making loans."
DFC said it believes the "complaint is without merit" and said it intends "to defend against it vigorously."
More recently the company has come under pressure due to new regulatory guidelines for lending in the United Kingdom, as well as currency exchange issues. DFC on Wednesday reduced its guidance for fiscal 2014 Ebitda to between $151 million and $156 million, from $170 million to $200 million, and took down earnings per share estimates due to those issues and its tax rate.
DFC was advised on the sale by Houlihan Lokey Capital and Pepper Hamilton.
Lone Star received financial advice from Jefferies along with Credit Suisse Securities (USA), with Jefferies Finance and Credit Suisse (CS) providing debt financing commitments for the acquisition and Gibson Dunn & Crutcher serving as legal counsel to the buyer.


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Airtel, Invest India team up to launch Startup Innovation Challenge
Bharti Airtel (Airtel), on Thursday launched ‘Airtel India Startup Innovation Challenge’ in partnership with Invest India. The telecom major is inviting early stage technology companies to demonstrate differentiated solutions areas like 5G, Cloud computing and Internet of Things (IoT) and digital entertainment.
The top 10 winners will win cash prizes, get access to Airtel’s Innovation Lab and will be able to leverage its advanced technology infrastructure to scale up their use cases, even co-innovate with Airtel’s engineering teams.
“India’s startup ecosystem is now a globally celebrated story and our young technology companies are doing some phenomenal work in building solutions that solve hard problems,” Adarsh Nair, Chief Product Officer, Bharti Airtel, said in a statement.
“As a core enabler of this emerging digital ecosystem, Airtel is thrilled to be working with the Government of India to help early-stage companies navigate their growth journeys and scale up quickly and sustainably,” Nair added.
A select few of the 10 startups shall be offered to be on-boarded onto the Airtel Startup Accelerator Program and hyper-scale their company with Airtel.
Announcing Airtel’s launch of Startup Innovation Challenge in partnership with Invest India, the statement said applications will close on January 24, 2022 and the results will be announced on February 14, 2022.
Also Read: AuthBridge mops up $7mn in Series B round
Under the program, startups gain access to Airtel’s core platform strengths of data, distribution, network and payments. In addition, the startups get access to Airtel’s global partner ecosystem and advisory from Airtel’s executive team.
Set up in 2009, Invest India is a non-profit venture under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Invest India, as the national investment promotion and facilitation agency, focuses on sector-specific investor targeting and development of new partnerships to enable sustainable investments in India.
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World’s First Blockchain Smartphone to Become Available in Bangladesh
Monday, September 9, 2019
By Aaron Wood
Finney, the world’s purportedly first blockchain-enabled smartphone, will soon be available for purchase in Bangladesh.
According to a report by local newspaper The Daily Star on Sept. 9, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission approved the phone for import in August and it will be available on the Bangladeshi market in October.
Finney’s launch in Bangladesh comes amid a trend of growing smartphone ownership in the country. According to a 2018 report from global research firm GSMA Intelligence, by 2025, 75% of the population (138 million) will have smartphones, while 41% (73 million) will be mobile internet subscribers.
Photo courtesy of World Fish.
Source: Cointelegraph (link opens in a new window)
- Technology, Telecommunications


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A report by data and digital experts TWC, which is preparing to launch a new industry trends tracker, looks at the habits formed by consumers in recent times and how they believe their new grocery shopping behaviours will endure after the pandemic subsides.
One key finding from the study was that despite smaller, local retailers seeing surging sales during the pandemic, the convenience sector’s share of grocery sales has fallen from 28.3% (in March 2020) to 22.7% (end January 2021).
It was found that whilst 23% of consumers say they are top-up shopping more during the current lockdown, 30% are shopping less, meaning there is a net reduction in top up missions.
TWC Chief Executive, Tanya Pepin, said: “We asked consumers that if they needed to top-up shop today, where would you go. 37% said they would go to the supermarket with a further 31% saying they would turn to multiple convenience and 16% to a symbol store. Only 7% said they would head to their local independent convenience store, and there is a concern that as we pull out of lockdown later this year, that there may be a slow-down in the growth of these much-loved local community stores, which have played a vital role during the pandemic in serving their local customers.”
She added: “Let’s also dispel the myth that behavioural change has been driven simply by the increase in homeworking. This is not the case. According to the ONS, only 34% of the UK workforce is currently home-working with 5% of workers falling out of work since March 2020, and 16% of the workforce was on furlough in late November. That still leaves half the workforce going to work at their business premises.
“Our responders indicated that their eating habits have certainly changed, but that they also expect these to change again, post lockdown. Right now, 48% of consumers are now making lunch at home, 43% of households are now cooking meals from scratch, and 39% are snacking through the day more. 26% of consumers are doing more grocery shopping on line and 6% of consumers have enjoyed using a meal ‘kit’ in the last few months.
“Post Covid, it is clear that once the working day ‘normalizes’, consumers want convenience eating and snacking again which bodes well for the local c-stores. 61% say they will reduce (or stop) making lunch at home. 44% will cut back on buying bigger bags of crisps/snacks and 23% of consumers plan to start buying more takeaways.”
Meanwhile, TWC’s data showed that 68% of people want to reduce or end working from home but only 14% want to return to ‘the office’ as they knew it. 62% want to reduce or end work meetings on Zoom/MS Teams and people are seeking a new work experience rather than the one they had before. They want to get out of the house and they want to meet face-to-face and not on Zoom or Teams.
Pepin highlighted elements that could be useful to wholesalers to understand how they can support their retailers and stay ahead of consumer trends: “A few simple tips could include supporting retailers to engage with customers via newsletters, tailored offers, loyalty and membership schemes. Plus, encouraging convenience retailers to fight to win share of the top-up shop mission – especially independent retailers. We would urge wholesalers, (if not already), to look for advice on data strategies to fuel loyalty – remember data is the oil that turns your digital engine.
“We would also suggest that teams look to ‘re-imagine’ the workplace fit for 2021 and beyond and turn consumer sympathy for our channel’s economic plight, into tangible support”.
- Knowing from past experience…
- …that consumers often have different ‘intents’ vs. practice…
- Could be worth conducting what-ifs covering these differences (above)…
- …in order to anticipate opportunities post-Lockdown.


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We can’t wait to see what the 2019 Toyota Tacoma TRD will have to offer this year. The vehicle will most likely be making its debut at the Chicago Auto Show so the wait is not over yet but we still get to learn more about the upcoming truck thanks to the new teaser image from Toyota.
The latest teaser image showed the 2019 Toyota Tacoma TRD having a grand old time in the desert. With all the dust surrounding the vehicle, it is clear that Toyota is still not ready to reveal all yet but the image does reveal a little more detail about the upcoming model.
One of the features that caught the attention of the fans was the intake snorkel. Since those do come in handy during off-road drives, the fans were pretty happy to see it in the teaser image.
We could also make out the lights, grille, and bumper but those looked similar to what the Tacoma has now. More will be revealed when the vehicle makes it official debut.


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In the Netherlands, we throw away €2.5bn worth of edible food a year – but it doesn’t have to be this way. Deborah Nicholls-Lee reports on six initiatives which were set up to reduce our food waste.
The United Nations has pledged to reduce our planet’s food waste by 50% by 2030 and each country must play its part. Here in the Netherlands, we discard over a third of our food output yet 2.5 million people live below the poverty line and struggle to feed themselves.
The following schemes are challenging this paradox, helping the Netherlands to meet its food waste goals and rethink the way it uses food.
Who doesn’t love those 35% off stickers? NoFoodWasted have developed a free app that alerts you when items on your shopping list are marked down in your local supermarket.
The app currently has around 40,000 users and scooped this year’s NRC award for the most impactful Start Up.
Founded by August de Vocht in December 2014, NoFoodWasted was inspired by a conversation with a clerk in a supermarket about a cut-price chicken. At the time, he was frustrated about this missed opportunity for a barbecue: ‘What if I had known this before? Then I could have bought the chicken and saved it from being thrown away,’ he told DutchNews.nl. ‘I always bought products close to their best before date and I could not understand why no supermarket was doing any marketing on it.’
But the app is not just about the shopper. It helps the entire supply chain: ‘If a consumer buys more economically, buys what he needs, then a supermarket can order less…and there’s less waste, then the farmer can only produce what we need. The aim is to reduce food waste in the whole sector; to turn around a supply-driven market to a demand-driven market.’
Almost 200 supermarkets across the Netherlands have signed up for the app, which will soon also be available in Belgium, Germany and the UK.
The Verspillingsfabriek – or ‘Waste Factory’ – produces sauces, soups and stews made from leftovers from farmers and supermarkets, including over-ripe or misshapen vegetables and goods that are about to go out of date. The smartly-packaged products are then sold in stores under the brand Barstensvol (fit to burst) or sold back to the suppliers to sell under their own label.
With its motto of ‘Wij staan voor de rest’ (We stand up for the leftovers), the Verspillingsfabriek take the metaphor further, recognising the value of those that are often marginalised in the job market. Working alongside associations like START Foundation and WSD, they employ the vulnerable: early school-leavers, the elderly, and people with a disability, who together make up around 70% of their workforce.
Rescued food can also make a quality dining experience according to Instock, a nonprofit restaurant chain founded by four Albert Heijn employees who saw how much food was thrown away and together sought a solution. With the financial support of Albert Heijn, they opened their first restaurant in 2014, serving dishes made from rescued food.
Today, Instock has restaurants in Amsterdam, The Hague and Utrecht, as well as a vintage fire engine which has been converted into a food truck which you can hire for your event.
Instock serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu changes constantly, depending on what the haul of the day has been, and is largely reliant on what is reaching its best before date at the 80 participating Albert Heijn stores. They estimate that they have already rescued around 250,000 kilos of food.
Instock works in association with a local brewery to produce Pieper Bier made from reject potatoes. They have also created a recipe book and run regular masterclasses where people can learn how to prepare tasty dishes from leftover food.
Modelled on the Portuguese Re-food movement, Buurtbuik is an Amsterdam-based initiative seeking a financially and environmentally sustainable solution to the dual problem of food waste and hunger, while bringing communities closer together.
Run by volunteers, the organisation collects excess food from restaurants, supermarkets and growers and invites local residents to come and cook food together with the spoils. The participants can then either take the prepared dishes home or dine together with their neighbours – all completely free of charge.
Looks aren’t everything at Kromkommer. The Rotterdam-based company, whose name is a clever wordplay of ‘crooked’ and ‘cucumber’, uses the wonky, knobbly vegetables that the supermarkets reject, to cook up delicious soups. ‘What we want to do is change the perception,’ explains director Chantal Engelen. ‘This is how vegetables are. They can be strange or crooked or whatever, but it’s all about taste and flavour.’
The project began when Chantal and her co-founders noticed how much waste there was with the growers, at the very first stage of the supply chain, and set out to change that.
Kromkommer launched in 2014 and its products are now stocked in around 175 stores across the Netherlands, including Marqt and WAAR.
‘The goal is to get vegetables actually on the shelf and not in our soup,’ says Chantal, who hopes to sell the funny-looking vegetables under the Kromkommer brand name in the next couple of years. Recognising the imperfect as ‘something positive and high in value’ is crucial to changing our food habits, she says.
ResQ Club is a clever app which finds meals at restaurants that would otherwise go to waste and sells them as take-outs – and occasionally eat-ins – for around half the price. It began with a pilot in Helsinki in February 2016, and launched in Amsterdam the following summer.
Its 10,000 users in the Netherlands have all subscribed for free, as have the 70 catering establishments which register on a ‘no cure, no pay’ basis.
David Kloosterboer, who manages the Dutch branch, has had very positive feedback from participating businesses: ‘Every chef and every restaurant hates throwing food away. They’re just really happy that there’s a tool available now so that they don’t have to throw away food any more but they can still sell it. And also that they’re contributing to a more sustainable food chain.’
As well as improving the restaurants’ sustainable branding, the app helps them find new customers. For consumers, it’s an affordable way to try out new places in their local area while reducing food waste. ‘For restaurants and consumers, it’s a win-win situation,’ says David.
The service will soon be available in Groningen and hopes to expand to Rotterdam and Utrecht. ResQ also operates in Estonia, Germany and Sweden.
What else is being done to cut food waste? Email firstname.lastname@example.org or use the comment section below to share your stories.
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Instant Messaging (IM) allows effective and efficient communication. Many people use some common IM services like AIM, GTalk, Yahoo Messenger, Facebook Messenger etc. So, today we will present to you some best PC and Mac IM chat client alternatives.
The curious case of Windows Phone continues to pique the interest of tech enthusiasts. Rumors have it that Microsoft has plans of somehow offering the Android apps on the Windows Phone devices. The big question is, is this good or bad?
When it comes to smartphones, Sony has rooted for Android till the deep end. Despite no significant success, Sony continues to create Android-based handsets. But the company has now hinted that it may try its hands at other alternatives.
Acoustic levitation is a method for suspending matter in a medium by using acoustic radiation pressure from intense sound waves in the medium. Lately, using ultrasound waves, a group of Japanese scientists has successfully levitated and moved objects in a three-dimensional space.
There’s no proof that dark matter exists. But interestingly, using data from a number of GPS satellites, a researcher has mentioned that there might be a halo of strange matter like Dark Matter surrounding Earth which is causing our planet to be heavier than believed.
Honda is among the notable auto vendors who have been integrating technology in their vehicles. The company has now introduced a 7-inch built-in touchscreen which comes with iPhone compatibility and can be controlled and used through the smartphone.
AT&T is offering 50% price cut on all smartphones including the iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C and Galaxy S4 for this coming new year. With this deal price the iPhone 5s 16GB is now for $100, Samsung Galaxy S4 $100 with 2-yr wireless contract.
In the past, Facebook has taken a lot of heat over its privacy policies. The social network has tried to respond to this criticism by seeking user feedback over these policies. And now, it has finally made some minor changes based upon this feedback.
Medic Mobile is a company which endeavors to bring heath care to the remote regions of Africa and Southeast Asia, where health care is not available. The company recently launched $10 cellphones for its workers, a move which has been immensely beneficial in taking health care benefits to millions more.
Space agency NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer or LADEE has been designed to probe the moon’s thin atmosphere and lunar dust. The good news is after a month-long journey, the lunar probe is now orbiting the Moon.
Although most of the noise right now is about iPhone 5S, earlier Apple handsets are still very relevant. The game and app streaming firm, Agawi, has now benchmarked the touch-responsiveness of iPhone 5 and leading Android devices. According to the results, iPhone 5 trumps all the rest.
Windows Phone users have been waiting for an update that Microsoft has been readying for a while now. The company is calling it ‘General Distribution Release 3′ but just ahead of its formal release, screenshots posted on the web divulge the features that the update offers.
The Tech Journal is a technology news website that covers consumer technology news. We aim to provide you with latest information about what's going in the consumer technology industry. Over time, we want to grow in a technology news portal providing you with news, information and tools to help make your way through the tech clutter.


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Posts Tagged EconomyFile not found. PBOC to allow more flexibility for Chinese Yuan exchange rate
The People’s Bank of China will increased the trading band of Chinese yuan from ±0.5% to ±1% from next Monday onwards.No matter how fast or slow China is growing, don’t cheer nor mourn
No matter how fast or slow the Chinese economy is growing at the present moment, it is important to keep in mind that those huge problems remain.As China slows, is the commodity super-cycle over?
Three teams within Credit Suisse are fighting with each other on whether the China-driven commodity super-cycle is over.China records capital inflow in February 2012
Position for FX Purchase remained stable. Taken into account the trade deficit, China records inflow for the first time since October 2011.A few thoughts on a few things that Wen Jiabao said
Wen Jiabao has said nothing that we have not already known, but the market did not seem to quite like what he has said.JPMorgan: “Chinese economy already in hard landing”
Adrian Mowat of JPMorgan said China’s hard landing is a fact, not a matter for debate anymore.Loans demand continues to be weak in China
Credit demand continues to appear weak in China, with 3 or the big 4 banks showing negative growth in loans for the first 2 weeks of March.Nomura Revised China’s 2012 GDP growth forecast upward
Nomura has revised China’s 2012 GDP growth up from 7.9% to 8.2% as FAI growth is stronger than expected and import growth was lower.Revisiting that alternative hypothesis on gold
We revisit the weird alternative hypothesis on gold, and see if it will have anything to do with the Chinese economy.PBOC’s Zhou: cutting RRR not a sign of policy easing
PBOC’s Zhou Xiao Chuan said there is a lot of room to cut RRR, but cutting RRR is not a sign of monetary easing.China’s trade deficit hits record in February 2012
China records the biggest trade deficit since 1989 in February with very weak exports growth, while imports growth surprised on the upside.China Monetary Statistics For February 2012
Money supply growth picked up slightly in February, but remains relatively slow, while new loans disappointed the market once again.China’s industrial production and retail sales miss estimates. FAI growth beats estimate.
Industrial production and retail sales for Jan-Feb missed estimates, while fixed-asset investment growth was above consensus.China’s inflation slowed to 3.2% in February 2012
China’s inflation slowed to 3.2% yoy in February after a slight pickup in January, giving more rooms for policy accommodation.Bank of England MPC maintains interest rate and asset purchase programme unchanged
The Bank of England has decided to leave Bank rate unchanged at 0.5%, and the asset purchase programme (quantitative easing) unchanged at £325 billion.China Economy: 2012 and beyond (Part 4) – Rebalancing The Economy
Rebalancing will undoubtedly happen, the only important question is how it will look like.China Economy: 2012 and beyond (Part 3) – Debts
While no one is sure how many debts there are in China, there are certainly more than anyone could imagine.China Economy: 2012 and beyond (Part 2) – Real Estate Bubble
There are simply too many properties that exist, and too many are being built and will be built.China Economy: 2012 and beyond (Part 1) – Demographics
While population ageing means labour shortage further down the road, whether it will be inflationary is a big problem.China economy: 2012 and beyond
Every thing from demographics to real estate bubble.


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We remember 2005, when Founders Brewing Co. was growing so quickly that it didn’t have enough fermenters to brew all of its styles. Beers like Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale and Centennial IPA were outpacing other recipes, so in order to foster more growth, the company decided to eventually shelf brands like Founders Porter and Founders Imperial Stout, as well as a beer we’re unfamiliar with called Black Rye.
Now, Founders has officially brought back all three of those great beers with the reintroduction of Black Rye, a dry-hopped dark ale brewed with copious amounts of rye malt, as a seasonal release in January 2015 with availability through March. Black Rye will be available throughout Founders’ distribution footprint both on draft and in 12-ounce bottles with a suggested retail price of $10.99 per four-pack.
Founders brewed Black Rye for the first time in 2006 — it was available for less than a year, but it developed a cult following. And the brewery decided to reach into their recipe vault and bring it back for 2015.
“Because of how quickly the craft beer enthusiast community has grown, most people drinking craft beer and even Founders beer today have never tried Black Rye,” said Dave Engbers, co-founder and vice president of brand and education at Founders Brewing. “Officially, this beer is a re-introduction. But for most, it’s a new Founders beer.”
Black Rye is a perfectly balanced blend of German- and American-grown hops, premium two-row barley and heavily kilned rye and wheat malts. There’s no category that can contain it — it’s a true Founders original.
“Black Rye is one of those beers that we kept coming back to in our conversations about new releases,” said Jeremy Kosmicki, Founders’ brewmaster. “There are so many craft beers out there, but this one has its place because there’s nothing else quite like it.”
Black Rye will kick off the Founders’ seasonal calendar in 2015, with availability from roughly January to March, dependent on distributor shipments. It will be released in the brewery’s taproom on draft and in bottles as of January 2015. Founders’ other seasonal releases in 2015 will be Rubaeus, from April to September, and Breakfast Stout, from October to December. The brewery’s full 2015 availability calendar will be announced later this year.
@CraftBrewingBiz @foundersbrewing sounds delicious! Would love to check that out.
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Founders Brewing to reintroduce Black Rye beer from 2006 http://t.co/IVBQ8isgLB via @craftbrewingbiz


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Sep 18, 2007 (CIDRAP News) – A year after the United States' largest produce-related Escherichia coli outbreak, federal officials are still weighing their options for preventing produce contamination, and it's not clear if self-regulation measures quickly adopted by growers will prevent future outbreaks.
The outbreak in 2006, blamed on contaminated fresh spinach from California, caused 205 illness cases and three deaths. Before the outbreak, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was already concerned about levels of E coli O157:H7 contamination in leafy greens, which had been rising in recent years. The agency said it had confirmed 22 outbreaks linked to the strain in 12 years.
Three weeks before the FDA issued its first warning about the contaminated spinach, the agency had launched a safety initiative to investigate the causes of the recurring outbreaks traced to leafy greens. Many of the incidents were linked to California's Salinas Valley, which has been called "the salad bowl of the world."
Two investigators from the FDA's Office of Regulatory Affairs were assessing a grower in the Salinas Valley as part of the Lettuce Safety Initiative when they received an emergency call about the E coli outbreak related to spinach, according to an FDA Consumer magazine report. They immediately drove to Natural Selection Foods, the spinach producer that was the focus of the initial recall, to review spinach washing and packaging procedures and collect information about where the company's crops were grown.
The spinach outbreak, followed closely by an E coli outbreak linked to lettuce served at fast-food Mexican restaurants and a Salmonella outbreak traced to tomatoes, prompted calls from consumer groups for more federal regulation of produce safety. Congress members have sought the testimony of federal food safety officials at committee hearings, and some, such as Rep. Rosa De Lauro, D-Conn., have pushed for requiring the FDA to regulate the produce industry.
No increase in inspections
A spokesman for the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) told CIDRAP News that work on the Lettuce Safety Initiative was slowed because many of the same investigators who were to explore conditions at growers and producers in the Salinas Valley were dispatched to work on the spinach probe. "They had to react and do extensive product tracebacks," he said.
Investigators from the FDA and the state of California traced the E coli O157:H7 strain implicated in the outbreak to three possible sources: cattle feces, wild pig feces, and surface water. However, officials still aren't sure how the bacteria contaminated the spinach.
Despite widespread concern over contaminated produce, federal officials have not increased their inspections of leafy greens, according to a Sep 12 Associated Press (AP) report. A review of data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act showed that the FDA inspects salad-green growers and processors only once every 3.9 years, the AP said.
California public health inspectors do not have the authority to spot-test processing plants that handle fresh greens, the story said.
Many of the FDA's efforts in the wake of recent disease outbreaks linked to fresh greens and tomatoes have been aimed at fact-finding. The agency held two public hearings on fresh produce safety—one in Oakland, Calif., in March and one in College Park, Md., in April—to solicit feedback from consumers and produce industry representatives.
FDA sifts public comments
FDA officials are still reviewing all of the public hearing comments and submissions as they weigh regulatory options, a produce expert from CFSAN, who requested anonymity, told CIDRAP News. She said some industry officials called for government mandates and produce standards, while others preferred that the FDA continue providing guidance on good agricultural practices (GAP) while monitoring growers' use of those practices.
The produce expert said the FDA is still working with California officials to determine how the spinach in last year's outbreak became contaminated. Also, she said the FDA is looking at where research gaps exist, which could help officials focus their prevention efforts on high-risk practices.
Kevin Reilly, DVM, deputy director of prevention services with the California Department of Health Services, told lawmakers last November at a US Senate hearing that initial results from the Lettuce Safety Initiative last summer raised some real concerns. "Preliminary findings on the farms showed that many growers were not implementing GAPs, and several were not aware of recommended GAPs," he said, according to a transcript of the hearing.
Does voluntary system work?
In California this summer, legislators shelved three pieces of legislation that would have set standards for irrigation water, established a state inspection system for leafy greens, and reduced fecal contamination on farm fields.
Instead, the majority opted to allow the state of California and the produce industry to establish a voluntary marketing agreement that allows food products to carry an official seal if they come from producers and processors that have followed good food-safety procedures. The producers must agree to undergo safety audits by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).
About 99% of the leafy greens industry in California has signed on to the marketing agreement, according to a Jul 19 press release from the CDFA.
However, it's not clear how effective the marketing agreement will be at preventing produce contamination. In late August, Metz Fresh, a California spinach grower, recalled 8,000 cartons of fresh spinach after finding Salmonella in routine testing; no illnesses were reported.
And yesterday, Dole Food Co. recalled bagged lettuce mixes after testing revealed E coli contamination in a sample from a grocery store in Canada. The company said no illnesses had been reported. The salad mixes contained romaine, green leaf, and butter lettuce grown in California, Colorado, and Ohio, according to an ABC News report. The contamination was found in random testing by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, agency spokesman Garfield Balsom told CIDRAP News.
Aug 31 CIDRAP News story "Spinach recall renews debate over produce safety"
Apr 12 CIDRAP News story "CDC says some foodborne illnesses rose in 2006"
Mar 23 CIDRAP News story "FDA releases final report on spinach E coli outbreak"
Nov 16, 2006 US Senate hearing testimony of Kevin Reilly, DVM
Sep 17 Dole news release about bagged-salad recall


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India, EU to meet on Jan 18 in Brussels
India and EU are expected to meet on January 18 in Brussels to iron out issues related to the ban imposed by the latter on around 700 pharma products which were clinically tested by Hyderabad-based GVK Biosciences.
GVK Bio row
New Delhi : India and EU are expected to meet on January 18 in Brussels to iron out issues related to the ban imposed by the latter on around 700 pharma products which were clinically tested by Hyderabad-based GVK Biosciences. Accompanied by industry representatives from Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council (PHARMEXCIL), senior officials from the commerce ministry will be visiting Brussels next month.
"Several issues are likely to come up during the meeting, including GVK Biosciences," an official said. The ban imposed by the 28-nation bloc had led to deferment of talks in August between the two sides on the stalled free trade agreement, officially dubbed as Broadbased Investment and Trade Agreement (BTIA), to boost two-way commerce and investment. India had expressed disappointment on the development and stated that the decision was taken unilaterally. The EU had banned the marketing of around 700 generic medicines for alleged manipulation of clinical trials.
- Rajinikanth gets inked on the right hand, authorities sought a report
- Modi lashes out at Mamata Banerjee, says she lost her sleep just after two phases of polling
- Bangalore logs a turnout of 54.1%, worse than 2014 polls, which was 56%
- AAP says no to alliance just in Delhi, talk of tie-up in Haryana over: Sisodia
- Modi a fool: Siddaramaiah slams PM for taking advantage of surgical strikes


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MILAN — Aeffe Group has partnered with Triboo, a company listed on Alternative Investment Market Italia, to launch a new and global omnichannel distribution project, taking its online and offline sales channels in-house. The online platforms are expected to bow in September.
The Italian fashion group will create a dedicated team to focus on the online stores of its proprietary brands Moschino, designed by Jeremy Scott, Alberta Ferretti and Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini. The three brands’ online stores were previously powered by the Yoox Net-a-porter Group.
Aeffe, which is listed on the Star segment of the Italian market, also controls Pollini, and produces and distributes collections for Cédric Charlier and Jeremy Scott.
Like many competitors, Aeffe is tuning in to the needs of Millennials and focusing on developing its omnichannel platform as well as high-potential markets, in particular China, Southeast Asia and the U.S., where Aeffe already records most of its current online sales. Exports represent around 70 percent of total group revenues, which last year reached 312.6 million euros, up 11.4 percent compared with the previous year. The digital stores will be conceived as experiential and interactive places, aiming to offer increasingly tailored services to customers. Pollini’s e-commerce Web site will continue to be managed independently.
Triboo is active in the e-commerce, advertising and online communication sectors and will be in charge of design, user experience and contents of the renewed platforms, as well as digital marketing, while Aeffe will head global logistics, in order to benefit from the synergies deriving from the integration between offline and online stores, with services such as “click and collect” and in-store returns maximizing the warehouse’s performance. The move is meant to help strengthen the brands’ international presence and help Aeffe to better understand customers’ habits and needs.
Aeffe will rely on Triboo Shanghai Ltd., the company’s subsidiary in China, to develop its business on different fashion marketplaces and social media. The local hub will also manage cross-border activities to reach and cover the wide Far East market. A localized operations strategy will be implemented in the U.S. to support customer service and logistics.
“Aeffe is heavily investing in the implementation of strategies conceived to strengthen the international positioning of its brands with a focus on creativity, dynamism and a distinctive customer experience,” said Marcello Tassinari, general director of Aeffe. “With the launch of this digital project, taking full advantage of the technological innovations, Aeffe aims to optimize the integration of physical and online sales channels and create an increasingly fluid dialogue with our brands’ final consumers through an effective personalized service.”
As reported, Aeffe is reaping the rewards of strategies the Italian fashion group set in motion years ago, seeing net profits in 2017 more than triple to 11.5 million euros, compared with 3.6 million euros in 2016.
In the 12 months ended Dec. 31, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization rose 45 percent to 36.6 million euros, compared with 25.2 million euros in the previous year, driven by the growth of sales and a lower incidence of operating costs.
Operating profit more than doubled, climbing to 22.7 million euros, compared with 10.1 million euros in 2016.
Sales of directly operated stores last year represented 26.7 percent of revenues, increasing 18.4 percent compared with 2016. The wholesale channel grew 8.9 percent, accounting for 70.1 percent of the total.


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June 19, 2006 - Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. announced the acquisition of U.S. based inkjet printhead manufacturer Dimatix on Tuesday, June 13. Dimatix is a leading manufacturer of inkjet technology that produces advanced piezoelectric printheads made with micro electric mechanical systems (MEMS). The MEMS electric voltage allows for effective pressure changes in ink chambers, making these printheads ideal for larger printing businesses. The company revenue totaled $78.65 million (9 billion yen) last year.
Fuji is 'enlarging its new businesses through aggressive mergers and acquisitions,' according to Fuji’s June 13th press release. The acquisition of Dimatix is the latest in a series of buyouts of inkjet producers in the last year, including the UK companies Sericol Group Limited in February 2005 and Avecia Inkjet Limited in February 2006. In total, Fuji owns 224 consolidated subsidiary companies.
In this most recent buyout, Fuji will acquire Dimatix's businesses including Spectra Printing Division in New Hampshire and its corporate headquarters, Materials Deposition Division, in California.
Dimatix will become an official subsidiary of Fuji in late July of this year.


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Already a center of commerce and trade, New York City currently boasts one of the healthiest and most vibrant startup ecosystems in the world, according 2012 report from Telefonica, Startup Genome, and partners. CB Insights, which releases the New York Venture Capital Almanac, reports that more than $8 billion went into 1,205 deals over the last 3 years in this ecosystem alone. The report, which was compiled based on data from 50,000 users and ranks startup ecosystems in categories such as startup output, funding, performance, talent, support, mindset, trendsetter, and differentiation from Silicon Valley, places the New York City startup community 5th in the world behind not only the aforementioned Silicon Valley, but also Tel-Aviv, Los Angeles, and Seattle. One of the most significant findings of the report, however, is that New York is home to one of the most significant communities of female entrepreneurs in the United States. At 19% of the city’s entrepreneurs, women play a larger role in New York City than in any other major startup ecosystem. In fact, despite Silicon Valley’s reputation for leading the global startup community, women in New York own twice as many startups as in the city’s west-coast counterpart. Despite the success of women in New York City, however, it remains clear that the startup ecosystem there has quite a way to go before gender parity can be achieved. In this piece, we wish to take a look at a few of the initiatives through which women are pushed to become successful entrepreneurs in the New York City ecosystem.
For women looking to build their own startups, but not interested in an accelerator program, there are also are also female-focused angel investors in the NYC market. Golden Seeds, a New York-based investment group, offers seed-stage investment to women who manage to pass the application process. To date, the group says that they have 275 members who, along with their venture funds, have invested more than $60 million in the 60+ companies in the group’s portfolio. Though based in New York City, the organization also operates chapters in Silicon Valley, Boston, and Texas.
In summary, New York is currently home to one of the largest communities of female entrepreneurs in the United States. Perhaps though a combination of conferences, networking groups, and investors, women in this market have taken the initiative to found a startups. A large gender-gap remains, however, and it will take a greater effort to make progress towards parity.
Brendan Maynard, an American tech blogger who has previously written for GoalEurope and Inventures, is a new contributor to Startupbusiness News
La tua opinione è importante per noi!


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News and articles discussing social media and the top social networks today, as they relate to small businesses and organizations.
This article will help you incorporate video into your business marketing strategy by leveraging the available live streaming video platforms.
Brandwatch is uniquely positioned to help your brand monitor and measure performance on social networks, and the web overall.
As social media continues to grow, more and more social media management tools have become available, but how do you choose one? Lilach Bullock has some ideas.
I've shared my predictions for 2016 on a variety of guest blogs, but here's a more cohesive presentation on where I see social media headed this year.
Most people seem to hate Twitter Auto Direct Messages, and not without good reason. But what if there was a better way? A way to auto dm new followers that's actually beneficial?
Jeff Sieh has become the embodiment of manly pinterest pinning, and it's fascinating to see how he got there, and his secrets for success.


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Microsoft and Shopify are partnering to display merchant listings in Bing, as well as Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Start.
Shopify is one of the leading e-commerce platforms, with over 1.7 million merchants. Microsoft is looking to bring more products to its users across its Bing, Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Start products.
The company made the announcement in a blog post.
For the millions of shoppers using Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Bing, and more recently Microsoft Start, this means a deeper selection of products from more than 1.7 million Shopify merchants. Using the Shopping tab on Microsoft Bing, and Microsoft Edge, you will now see more diverse products, better prices, and improved discovery of deals. You will also be able to simply check out via the Shopping tab on Microsoft Bing quickly and securely.
The new partnership will also significantly improve visibility and reach for Shopify merchants.
For Shopify merchants, this partnership will help significantly expand the reach of their brands and products with just a few clicks. Getting started is simple; using the improved Microsoft Channel app, merchants can easily connect with shoppers across the Microsoft network. Shopify merchants’ products will also automatically show on the Shopping tab on Microsoft Bing and the Microsoft Start Shopping tab for free as product listings. Shopify merchants will also find value in creating new ad campaigns and viewing marketing performance through real-time reports in their Shopify store.
Microsoft says the new partnership is just the beginning of enhancements it has planned for shoppers.


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Avere-France, the national association for the development of electric mobility, has just published its monthly barometer on sales of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids during the month of April.
The overall growth of theand rechargeable batteries continues at a sustained pace with a 1,143% increase in registrations compared to April 2020. According to the latest figures from the , a total of 21,690 electric and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles were registered last month, representing a market share of 12%. ” this is the sixth consecutive month in which electric rechargeable models represent more than 10% of registrations », Emphasizes the association. Since the start of the year, 86,461 electric and PHEV vehicles have been registered (+ 122% over one year).
In the ranking of the best-selling electric cars, thecomes first (1,537 registrations) ahead of the (1 265), the , the (679) and the (592).
The goal of 100,000 charging points by the end of 2021 seems difficult
On the plug-in hybrid side, there is still a Peugeot, the3008 (1726 registrations) which precedes the Mercedes GLC (606), the Citroën C5 Aircross (587), the Renault Captur (585) and the Volvo XC40. It will be interesting to follow the curve of the Renault Arkana, the sporty coupe SUV which attacks the equivalent models at, Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche with a plug-in hybrid that has just arrived in dealerships.
Themonthly Avere-France also notes strong growth in electric two-wheelers, with 3,412 registrations in March and April (+ 268% over one year). Leading the way is the NIU N-Lite electric scooter (1,027 registrations).
As for the evolution of the charging network for electric vehicles, it is clear that with 33,363Counted on May 1, the goal of 100,000 charging points in France by the end of 2021 seems complicated to meet.


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Manchester City FC has partnered up with a fast growing Chinese home entertainment brand.
Whaley will become the Club’s official TV partner in China, joining the Club’s growing number of Chinese partners as Manchester City gear up for games in Beijing and Shenzhen this July.
With investors including Tencent and Alibaba, this partnership signals further growth opportunities for Whaley.
The partnership will have a strong focus on content, with the Club producing exclusive 4k content which will showcase Whaley’s technology.
The brand will also appear on the back of City’s playing kits for its games against Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund as part of the Club’s visit to China in July.
Ferran Soriano, chief executive of City Football Group, said: “We are very pleased to add Whaley to our family of Chinese partners, reflecting our growing commitment to and presence in that market.
"Whaley is a great entertainment brand, committed to creating immersive experiences for Chinese families and millennials and we are confident that we can extend those experiences to City fans across China. We are looking forward to working together in the years ahead, and particularly when we visit China over the summer.”
Huaiya Li, CEO of Whaley added: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Manchester City and to playing be a big part in the Club’s upcoming visit to China.
"We are both fast growing brands with innovation at the heart of everything we do. We are extremely excited by Manchester City’s plans to develop their presence in China and believe we can create some fantastic content for our consumers through our cutting edge technology”.


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Consumer Sue Abuja Electricity Distribution Company For 100Million
An Abuja based media practitioners, Adewole Kehinde, Publisher of Swift Reporters has petitioned the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, Consumer Protection Council and the Minister of Power and sued Abuja Electricity Distribution Company for N100million damages over illegal disconnection of his electricity.
In a press release made available to the media on Sunday, Adewole said the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company came to his house on Friday, 19th May, 2017 to cut off the cable over outstanding owing AEDC.
"I went to their office to pay the N10,000 outstanding with N2,000 reconnection fees on Friday, 19th May, 2017. I was told by one of the AEDC Engineer in the office to give them a copy of my payment slip with my phone number so that they will call me to reconnect me back immediately.
"I went back home waiting for them to reconnect but unfortunately, what the office did was what I called 419 by collecting reconnection fees without connecting me back till now"
"I put several calls to the AEDC Customer Care but they became helpless as they couldn't even get across to the Karu Area Office Manager to prevail on him to reconnect me back.
"It is high time we consumer rise up to the challenge to sue Abuja Electricity Distribution Company for fraud because they obtained money without rendering the services paid for hence my decision to sue them for N100million damages caused family.
"This will make the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company enlighten their staff that they don't have any right to cut away customers cable without notifying them in any form of their debt.
"Electricity consumers are the most cheated on the country and I am using my case to put a stop to their fraud once and for all.


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Electronic Arts has set the release date for a new Battlefield 4 DLC, titled Second Assault. The new content will be available to download for Battlefield premium members on February 18th and there has also been news on when the Naval Strike content pack will also launch.
Second Assault was originally launched as a timed exclusive for the Xbox One back in November and will now be available for Xbox 360, PS4, PS3 and PC. DICE has planned 5 DLC packs for release, with this being the second. In late March EA confirmed that Naval Strike, the third content pack would be released, followed by Dragon’s Teeth and Final Stand in the coming months.
Players who download Second Assault will have access to 4 news maps, designed specifically to function on Battlefield 4’s new game engine and gameplay modes. CVG reports that these content packs were planned to be released earlier but had been held back as DICE needed to first fix a swarm of bugs which had been plaguing Battlefield 4 since launch. It was only a week ago the servers were down.
Development has already reportedly started on 2014’s Battlefield game, however it will supposedly not be created by DICE. Instead this task has been given to Visceral who have been rumored to be being a police theme to this year’s title, code-named Havana.
Will you be downloading Second Assault and all of the future DLC packs for Battlefield 4?
*Identifying Monetised Links - outgoing links that we monetise are marked with an '*' symbol.


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Profiled on InDaily it suggested â€œThereâ€™s something of a food revolution happening, rather quietly, in Salisburyâ€ in realtion to growing food sector and the success of Australian Wholefoods who in less than four years, has grown to become one of the biggest national players in the fastest growing food sector â€“ ready-to-eat meals.
In Salisbury, Australian Wholefoods joins other thrivingÂ households names such as Inghams, Bickfords, Lion, Obela, Viterra,Â Mitani,Â Holco and Sunfresh Salads have chosen Salisbury as the base for business in SA.
Australian WholefoodsÂ supplies to Coles, Woolworths and hundreds of smaller independent outlets with everything from slow cooked beef ragu to pastitsio and peri peri chicken, and is already looking at overseas opportunities.
Itâ€™s a meteoric rise built on strong foundations; in fact, thereâ€™s more than a little sense of dÃ©jÃ vu for owners and directors Ray Khabbaz and Michael Demetriou.
They previously ran Copperpot, which between 2001 and 2007 grew to become the biggest single supplier of dips and snack products in Australia and the largest Australian exporter of these products.
When a good offer came from a major multinational they sold up and planned semi-retirement. However, as Khabbaz puts it, that lasted â€œabout a nanosecond in business termsâ€.
Both could see an expanding market niche, with more and more consumers looking for quick meal options that are both health and high quality, and Demetriou suggested the old team do something about filling it.
To create the business platform they bought Australian Wholefoods, a then Marleston-based company primarily involved with catering. Within nine months its sales had increased by 80%, largely on the strength of new product ranges in the Clever Cooks brand and the Australian Wholefoods Quiche being stocked by Coles and others.
The purchase of another local business, Alaska Foods, gave them links into Woolworths as well, and both major supermarket chains could see the potential in what they were proposing. Both also trusted the business acumen that had created the Copperpot success story.
Australian Wholefoods thus had the products, the ideas and the buyers; it just needed a better facility to fulfil the vision. While looking, in late 2012, for a new site to relocate the two separate businesses, the partners discovered their old Copperpot facilities at Salisbury were out of lease with their current tenants, so they snapped them up â€“ then quickly changed them completely.
Around $25 million was spent on refurbishing the building and installing state-of-the-art equipment that allows the company to do everything from making pasta and grinding its own mince to creating, packing and distributing its full range of ready-to-eat and single-serve meals.
â€œWe donâ€™t do paddock to plate but you could say we do gate to plate,â€ Khabbaz said.
Central to the innovation was equipment for modified atmosphere packaging, which gives fresh meals a 28-day shelf life without the need for additives or preservatives. They also have the capability to freeze products if required to fill future international orders.
Khabbaz, who travels relentlessly, says they have benchmarked their facilities against one of the biggest companies in Europe and while they may not have the scale, they lack nothing in quality and sophistication. And the Copperpot reputation is still a useful calling card when overseas.
Australian Wholefoods currently produces about six million units a year, but the facility is about 60% underutilised and only works one shift. It was purpose-built for growth, with the vision of reaching 13-14 million units within four years.
Even at current production levels it employs around 160 people and, more importantly, in Australia it performs strongly against some of the biggest international food companies.
Its own brands include Clever Cooks, Alaska and Banquet, but much of its product range appears under Coles and Woolworths private labels. Foodland and all other major independents nationally are also big supporters.
For more information about food industry in Salisbury see our latest Business case for the Food and Beverage Processing.


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CHINA: Yakult confirms plans for fourth Chinese plant
Yakult's new facility is expected to start production in the spring of 2014
Japan's Yakult Honsha Co. has invested in its fourth production facility in China.
The plant will be located in Guangzhou, Yakult's second in the city, which is in the east of the country.
Production is scheduled to start in the spring of 2014. The company said it expects production capacity to begin at 800,000 units per day, with a potential for 2m per day at maximum capacity.
The investment is a result of the company growing its business in the Guangdong and Hainan provinces, it said. The plant will serve both provinces. Financial details of the investment were not disclosed.
The company revealed plans to further expand in emerging markets including China, India and Brazil in July last year.
The second Guangzhou plant will mean Yakult will have four production facilities in China. Its two other plants are located in Shanghai and Tianjin.
Danone and Japanese probiotic drinks group Yakult Honsha have ended a long-standing alliance and replaced it with a looser "cooperation framework"....
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The Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) is disappointed at the sensationalist picture painted of the UK dairy industry during last night’s (14th Feb) BBC Panorama programme, which showed several cases of animal abuse and questioned cow and calf welfare.
The programme titled ‘A Cow’s Life: The True Cost of Milk?’ detailed numerous cases of animal abuse on a Welsh dairy farm, which the RABDF is saddened by. It also highlighted lameness and the removal of calves from their mothers at birth.
RABDF Managing Director Matt Knight said: “UK dairy farmers operate to some of the highest welfare standards in the world due to the robust and comprehensive legal frameworks protecting animal welfare alongside the credible quality assurance schemes and initiatives that exist. Cow welfare is at the heart of everything they do. Happy cows are productive cows, which is why it is so important.
“Lameness was an issue highlighted on the programme with one vet suggesting up to 30% of cows expected to be lame in the UK. The industry is working hard to overcome lameness with diagnostic, early warning tools helping highlight the issues early.
“Our farmers work long hours, often going weeks without a break to ensure the health and welfare of their cows are maintained. So, we are sad the BBC has chosen to highlight one farm where inexcusable abuse was witnessed, as this is not representative of our industry,” he said.
Mr Knight added: “While the inclusion of the Ethical Dairy in Scotland, whereby calves are kept with their mothers, showed high welfare, the system is not commercially viable for most dairy farmers, with the programme highlighting that most of the liquid milk was consumed by the calves.
“The programme did, however, highlight the fact many farmers are losing money or making very little money, which is important as the value of milk is underestimated by the vast majority of consumers both in monetary and nutritional terms. It is time milk and dairy products are valued correctly,” added Mr Knight.
The UK’s sales of dairy products continue to rise, with an extra 302 million litres of milk bought in 2021 compared to 2019. In 2021, cheese volumes increased by 13.2 per cent compared to 2019.
Mr Knight added: “Our farms continue to improve the highest levels of welfare in the world and are vital in producing one of the most versatile products which form an essential part of a healthy and balanced diet.”


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eBay has decided to offer an integrated payment system built by Amsterdam-based company Adyen. The move will give way to a more seamless payment...
If you are interested in picking up the Xiaomi Mi A1, you can do so through eBay as the device is currently available for $225 with free shipping.
You can get the international Galaxy Note 8 with dual-SIM for cheaper than you can the unlocked US version on eBay.
eBay has introduced a new image search functionality in its mobile applications which is built-on AI and works similarly to Google Lens.
eBay has an unlocked T-Mobile LG G5 for just $199.99. The model is brand new and usable on any GSM carrier.
While Samsung is yet to officially release the dual-SIM variant of its Galaxy Note8 smartphone in the US, those interested in purchasing the model...
An eBay seller is currently offering the dual-SIM Samsung Galaxy Note 8 for $1,100, but quantities are extremely limited.
Samsung is offering an unlocked Galaxy S8 for only $539 when you buy from the company on eBay.
Bose is offering manufacturer refurbished Bose QC 35 wireless headphones for just $260, down from the retail price of $349.95.
An eBay seller is currently offering the Nextbit Robin for just $110, while also offering free shipping.
Google's eBay store is currently offering a Google Home and Chromecast bundle for just $99, bringing a savings of almost 40%.
An eBay seller is currently offering the GSM unlocked LG G5 for just $225 with free shipping.
An eBay seller is currently offering a refurbished Galaxy S7 Edge for just $299.99.
Right now, someone on eBay is selling new units of the LG V20 at a steep discount of only $355.
While this is only happening for limited time due to supply constraints, an eBay seller has some new condition Carbon Black Huawei Watch 2 units...
If you use the Daydream View and have noticed your phone is overheating, then a heatsink just might be the solution. The thing costs $20 and comes...
An eBay seller is currently offering the factory unlocked LG G6 for just $499.99 with free expedited shipping. However, there are limited...
An eBay seller has the 32GB Pixel available for $575, which is a $75 discount from the MSRP of $649.
If you've been planning on buying something from eBay, now might be your chance. A new promotion for today only will discount a purchase worth $75...
eBay is holding a little promotion right now where you can get 20% off any electronic purchase from participating sellers that costs you at least...
The LG G5 is going for $269 in the latest eBay deal. This'll give you a brand new, unlocked model of the phone.
Looking for a good deal on one of last year's flagship phones? eBay has the LG V20 for $299, though you'll have to settle for the Sprint version.
If you're looking of the Exynos Galaxy S8 unlocked, an eBay seller is currently offering the device for $820 with free shipping.
An eBay seller is currently offering a GSM-unlocked refurbished Galaxy S7 for just $279.99 with free shipping.
An eBay seller with a 100% feedback rating currently has the carrier-unlocked variant of the Samsung Galaxy S8 on sale for under $700.


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New research has analyzed the top 50 most popular TikTok clothing and home hauls to reveal which products and brands influencers buy most often.
As a part of the research by illumin, the top 50 most-viewed TikTok videos under clothing and home hauls were analyzed to identify which brands and products appeared most frequently – and how much they cost.
SHEIN was the brand that appeared most in the #hauls, accounting for 42% of the total products listed across home and clothes hauls, with an average cost of $9.33 per item.
The company, which is valued at 100 billion USD, has exploded in popularity in recent years, proving particularly popular with customers aged 18-34, who make up 57% of shoppers.
The second most popular brand across clothes and homes was H&M, accounting for 8.2% of total products featured in #hauls. At the same time, Boston-based online marketplace Temu was the third-most popular brand, attributing 7.7% of items featured.
Top 10 Most Popular Haul Brands
|% of products
Of homes and clothes hauls, the latter proved to be the most popular – and the most expansive – as fashion videos featured the highest number of products overall.
Despite a variety of items featured in the videos, tops were found to be the most purchased product, which indicates consumers favor versatile and low-maintenance clothing items.
Speaking on the findings, an illumin spokesperson said: “Tops are far more versatile than dresses and ‘bottoms’ since they can be mixed, matched, and accessorized in different ways. It makes sense that tops are the most popular clothing item in #hauls as it signifies a shift in consumption culture towards pieces that have more versatility.”
Bottoms were the second most popular clothing item, accounting for over a quarter (26.3%) of products shown, with tailored trousers and cargo pants proving more popular than jeans.
When it comes to what type of items home shoppers purchase, kitchenware was the most popular, making up 36.2% of items listed, with home accessories following in second at 30% and office accessories in third at 11.2%.


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American companies have much to lose from these government surveillance programs. When foreign businesses and customers lose confidence that American companies can maintain confidentiality in their business dealings and financial transactions, they will likely look for other, more secure partners. According to a report released last week by The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, NSA surveillance could cost the U.S. cloud computing industry anywhere from $22 to $35 billion over the next three years if "foreign customers decide the risks of storing data with a U.S. company outweigh the benefits."
And trying to find privacy-protecting workarounds appears to be getting more difficult, as Ladar Levison of the Texas-based secure e-mail provider Lavabit, LLC recently learned. He suspended operations last week rather than submit to government surveillance demands, warning, "I would _strongly_ recommend against anyone trusting their private data to a company with physical ties to the United States."


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Apple is staring down a potential $39.4 billion fine, as the European Commission says that Apple Music has breached antitrust law concerning restrictions on developers advertising subscriptions.
In the same case back in 2021, the EC issued a statement of objections and also stated that Apple had broken antitrust regulations. That was a preliminary conclusion, however, and the Commission has now issued an update.
"Today's Statement of Objections clarifies that the Commission does no longer take a position as to the legality of the IAP [in-app purchasing] obligation for the purposes of this antitrust investigation," says the European Commission in a press release.
"[But it] rather focuses on the contractual restrictions that Apple imposed on app developers," it continues, "which prevent them from informing iPhone and iPad users of alternative music subscription options at lower prices outside of the app and to effectively choose those."
So Apple has effectively beaten the charge about requiring developers to use its in-app purchasing system, which was key to Spotify's original 2019 complaint to the EC.
However, Apple must now respond to the allegation about restrictions it previously placed on developers. Specifically, Apple originally forbade developers of services such as Spotify to mention or link out to alternative methods of subscribing.
"Today, the European Commission sent a clear message that Apple's anticompetitive behavior and unfair practices have harmed consumers and disadvantaged developers for far too long," said Eve Konstan, Spotify's general counsel, in a statement. "We urge the Commission to reach a swift decision in this case to protect consumers and restore fair competition on the iOS platform."
The European Commission's statement of objections will now be responded to by Apple. A final ruling, and a potential fine of up to 10% of Apple's annual worldwide turnover, will then follow.
Apple has not yet responded about the EC's update.
"There is no legal deadline for bringing an antitrust investigation to an end," notes the Commission. "The duration of an antitrust investigation depends on a number of factors, including the complexity of the case, the extent to which the undertakings concerned cooperate with the Commission and the exercise of the rights of defence."


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On Thursday, nearly two days after Walmart and Flipkart made a joint announcement on Binny Bansal's resignation, media reports blamed non-disclosure of a consensual extra-marital affair for Bansal's departure as the CEO at Flipkart.
A woman who had been reportedly working with Flipkart years ago complained to Walmart that Bansal had sexually assaulted her in 2016. This was after Flipkart and Walmart had finalized a $16 billion sale for a 77% ownership in the Indian e-commerce major.
Walmart, according to Bloomberg, took the allegations seriously and appointed a global law firm to investigate the charges.
An independent probe concluded that the relationship between Binny and the complainant was consensual. Investigators also said that Binny's extramarital relationship was at a time when the complainant was not an employee of Flipkart.
The report said that the co-founder should have disclosed the details of the relationship. A litigation post the merger could have lead to litigation risks. People associated with the company also informed the report that more clarity from Binny was expected, especially on why the complainant had remained silent for so many years and if he had paid to buy her silence.
Legal experts say that Binny may not be obligated to inform new owners on a previous intimate relationship; a relationship that investigators claim did not occur within the boundaries of the company. Walmart could have weighed the pros of retaining a top leader vis-a-vis the cons of litigation and harassment charges.
Binny, other media reports imply may have had seen the end of the tunnel. He wrote an e-mail describing events and thanking colleagues on Saturday. His e-mail refers to the resignation and turn of events as "personal".
"Thank you for all the goodwill that you've shown towards me over the years... I am grateful to have had the opportunity to help get us to where we are today," he writes in an emotional sign off.
So far, Binny has maintained an eerie silence from reports that have narrated speculative theories. These theories are as confusing as Flipkart and Walmart's initial press release on the resignation.
The only public comments that Binny has made so far:
1. "The allegations left me stunned and I strongly deny them."
2. "I am concerned that this [allegation] may become a distraction for the company... I feel it is best to step away."
3. "My plan was to continue in my current role... However, my decision to step down has been accellerated by certain personal events."
The case still needs clarity from both Walmart as well as Binny. While Walmart may have to explain whether this is an ouster or a step-down for a leader who was once referred to as "The back-end guy" at Flipkart, Binny may have to add on the "personal" things.
Binny, referred to as the last Bansal at Flipkart holds close to 5.5% and by that virtue still reserves a seat for himself at the Flipkart board. His departure as CEO, however may have created an element of surprise. Flipkart employees have not taken kindly to the departure. Anonymous employees were quoted in an ET story saying that the CEO has changed quite often. Adapting to a new manager and work culture, they explain, takes time.
Speculations are also rife that Ananth Narayanan, the CEO at Myntra, a group company under Flipkart, may not be too keen to work under with the new boss Kalyan Krishnamurthy. Unidentified sources informed MoneyControl that Ananth may not work long with Kalyan post a new company structure. Rishi Vasudev working in Kalyan's team had already been handling Fashion portfolio, and hence Ananth's displeasure the report speculated.
The boardroom fiasco at Flipkart has also sparked concerns among the startup industry with many debating on the extent of disclosures a foreign entrant to India may require.
Was Walmart correct in asking for disclosures related to a relationship that occurred years ago? Was Binny guilty in holding back this information? Do drop your comments!
Meanwhile, this is what kept Twitteratti busy:
Allegation against Binny Bansal made end July post which investigation launched. Walmart- Flipkart Deal closed aug 17th. Bansal continued to lead, no disclosure made about investigation. Bansal not asked to go on leave either. Odd? @CNBCTV18Live— Shereen Bhan (@ShereenBhan) November 13, 2018
Walmart says Binny Bansal was not transparent in how it responded to allegations but is itself totally non transparent as to what exactly has happened.— Samir Arora (@Iamsamirarora) November 13, 2018
These are the same people who ousted #BinnyBansal & gradually took over his company. Why does it remind me of the East India Company taking over all Indian states & kingdoms one by one as we fought among ourselves. Any reason is enough to dethrone the existing CEOs. https://t.co/LNTO1WJtqr— !DE@ $!nGh (@ideasingh) November 15, 2018
@Flipkart this is why we should never trust companys like @Walmart and their managment..they just work on divide and rule and take control of everything. Without any convincing reason, they just ousted Binny Bansal...such a cheater @Walmart— gaurav kumar jha (@gauravjha9738) November 15, 2018
How safe r women in top corporate houses?— R P Sinha (@rpsinha393) November 15, 2018
Exit of Binny Bansal from Flipkart is testimony.He has been accused of"serious personal misconduct"
What was it?
A consensual relationship.Lady in question was once with Flipkart.
Left in 2012. They came close thereafter
When it's consensual relationship how will #BinnyBansal outsted from the company— Varun Kumar (@vk_valiant) November 15, 2018
Molestation and lack of transparency of work but It's— Priyanka Gupta (@THePriyankaGupt) November 15, 2018
not only allegation It's a big conspiracy against Binny Bansal just to control management of #Flipkart


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Nissan sales soar by 23pc
Dubai, December 31, 2007
Nissan Middle East has recorded its highest monthly sales in 22 years during November.
With 12,550 units sold during the month, the total is 23 per cent up over the same period last year, said a Nissan official.
“These record results reflect the growing market recognition of the durability, quality and reliability of Nissan vehicles,” said managing director of Nissan Middle East Toru Hasegawa.
“We have the largest SUV lineup of any auto-manufacturer in the region, giving customers an option to suit every lifestyle and budget. Add to this a superb range of award-winning passenger cars such as new Altima sedan and coupe, backed by outstanding aftercare create a formula for success,” he added.
Nissan is confident that its Middle East sales will continue to soar into 2008 with recently-launched all-new models, such as the Altima sedan and coupe, the Xterra, Qashqai and Navara SUV’s. – TradeArabia News Service


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Centre Partners, a New York-based private equity firm, has completed its acquisition of Nashville-based Captain D's, according to a news release.
The deal was initially announced in October. The senior management team at Captain D's will maintain a stake in the seafood restaurant chain and continue to serve in their current roles.
"We are excited to have Centre as our partner as we embark upon a path of accelerated growth,” Phil Greifeld, Captain D's chief executive officer, said in the release. "We have succeeded in driving same store growth for the last 28 periods, while improving our customer experience."
Captain D's operates and franchises 521 restaurants in 26 states. Previous owner Sun Capital Partners of Florida bought the chain in May 2010. Sales throughout the company's seafood restaurants have been up for more than two years.
"Captain D's differentiated menu of high-quality seafood products at a value price point clearly distinguishes it from its competitors and the business is managed exceptionally well," Bruce Pollack, managing partner at Centre, said in a statement. "We look forward to supporting Phil and the team, who have laid the foundation for very attractive growth in the coming years."


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Shares Saga Group make doddery debut despite being priced at lowest end of range
Shares in over-50s lifestyle firm Saga Group made a doddery debut yesterday, despite being priced at the lowest end of the range.
The stock, half of which went to retail investors and half to institutions, ended the day flat at 185p, having hit 188p in ‘conditional’ dealing.
Also known as ‘grey market’ trading, this is when banks and brokerages get an early chance to trade the stock to create a stable market before full trading begins, in this case on May 29.
Doddery debut: The stock, half of which went to retail investors and half to institutions, ended the day flat at 185p, having hit 188p in 'conditional' dealing
One source close to Saga said executive chairman Andrew Goodsell had deliberately priced the stock low to look after customers who bought shares. The private equity houses, Permira, CVC and Charterhouse, were originally due to sell part of their stakes, with more than 50 per cent of the firm potentially up for sale.
But in the end Saga issued £550m of new shares – 27 per cent of the company on its admission to the market – amid a sudden downturn in the sentiment towards stock market floats.
Equity market conditions have worsened in recent weeks, partly due to fatigue at the number of floats on offer. Saga had initially set a price range of up to 245p, expecting a strong debut on the back of belief in exposure to an ageing demographic. The lower priced offer eventually placed a stock market value of £2.1bn on Saga.
Goodsell said: ‘We have been very pleased with the level of demand for Saga shares from both retail and institutional investors, with the offer subscribed several times over.’
Well-placed sources said the offer was three times oversubscribed, attracting demand for £1.7bn of stock.
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The small company, based in a 19th century factory in industrial South Brooklyn and run by a local wife and husband duo, lost power and suffered flooding from the storm.
Like hundreds of other small businesses, Robicelli's is still struggling to get back on its feet.
"The amount of money it costs to keep a business afloat in NYC in unconscionable — even a single weekend of lost revenue can mean the difference between staying open or shutting your doors forever," Allison Robicelli wrote on her blog. "The reality of post-Sandy New York is that there are literally tens of thousands of businesses on the verge of closing forever."
But because of the local online shopping site 'Made in NYC,' Robicelli's has a fighting chance.
First created by the Pratt Center for Community Development in the wake of 9/11, 'Made in NYC' recently launched a new holiday shopping section with a timely goal: help New York City's small manufacturers recover from Hurricane Sandy.
The online holiday shop features a variety of goods including locally made desserts, handbags, and toys from 170 local manufacturers who employ more than 3,000 workers, according to Adam Friedman, director of the Pratt Center.
Aside from Robicelli's, shoppers can buy pickled gifts from Brooklyn Brine, a pickle and brined products manufacturer located in Gowanus, where employees were unable to get to work after the storm.
There are also products from Hanky Panky, a women's intimates company located in Manhattan's Garment District that "lost power for several days following the storm, bringing all operations to a standstill," according to a Pratt Center press release.
'Made in NYC' is "basically a website like Amazon where you could shop for anything, but the goods wouldn’t come from a giant warehouse in the middle of nowhere — they would come from small businesses and manufacturers right here in New York City, made by American hands," said Robicelli.