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Zondervan released 1,200 titles for the iPad as the e-reader technology was unveiled. The children’s favorite “Berenstain Bears Go To Church” came in as the company’s second-best iPad seller.
The big showing was the latest move by the publisher at 5300 Patterson Ave. SE — which bills itself as the world’s largest Christian communications company — to show it can keep pace with the rapidly changing industry.
“We have been pretty agile in getting into whatever the communication mechanism of the moment is,” said chief executive Maureen “Moe” Girkins. “And that’s what we are all about, getting the word of God out.”
1930s: Brothers Bernard and Peter Zondervan begin selling material out of a Grandville farmhouse, later add publishing and door-to-door sales.
These days, the focus is on the Web.
“The Internet is, right now, the way to speak to people, and it’s where they are making their decisions on what to read, who to talk to and what to think about things,” Girkins said.
It is paying off.
Zondervan will have its first year of sales growth in a long time thanks to its digital business, she said.
Digital accounted for 3 percent of sales for the fiscal year 2010 which ends next month. Next year, digital is expected to generate 8 to 10 percent.
A big driver will be Apple’s e-reader. In its few weeks on the market, the iPad has boosted Zondervan’s digital business 10 percent.
At Apple’s iBookstore, the NIV GoBible title, with print and audio, sells for $44.99 and the Berenstain Bears books go for $3.99.
Zondervan’s dominant position in the market will help it in the new field.
“Most evangelical publishers are not in the position Zondervan is in today,” Girkins said.
Amazon.com, the world’s largest online book retailer, has threatened to pull the titles of smaller publishers if they also sell titles for the iPad, a competitor of its Kindel e-reader. But Amazon didn’t make that threat to HarperCollins or any of the industry’s five largest publishing houses.
Many buyers want the extras
The iPad has advantages over its competition as the only color reader. The Kindel offers black and white.
The iPad’s versatility also paves the way for “enhanced” e-books that are interactive and multimedia.
“It’s just a whole new experience,” Girkins said.Consumers — 40 percent — are willing to pay for those extras even though it can double the price, Apple has told Zondervan.
The publisher intends to convert its kids books, Bibles and textbooks to this enhanced format, though the company is still working on how to do it.
But the real challenge is making enhanced e-books in a cost-effective way.
Other publishers have made apps, but they tend to be customized and expensive. Zondervan and other publishers are waiting for Apple to offer an enhanced e-book app that will set an industry standard.
Meanwhile, it has worked with San Diego-based Oceanhouse Media to create the prototype for an enhanced e-book, “Berenstain Bears and the Golden Rule.”
It helps that the enhanced e-book only took about six days to produce, from writing to finishing art and printing, in China.
A typical picture book has a 32-month production cycle.
Rethinking the company
Moving into this technology has required staffing changes. Last month, the publisher shrank its nearly 400-person work force, laying off 30 employees as part of a consolidation of some publishing units.
Zondervan’s digital properties
The City: A sort of Facebook for churches, it lets churches communicate with their members from prayer lists to service opportunities. Zondervan acquired the software in 2008 after it was created by a former Amazon.com manager for the Seattle-based Reformed Christian church, Mars Hill. Churches pay a subscription from 30 cents to $1 a month per user. “It increases membership because people find community easier,” Zondervan CEO Moe Girkins said.
BibleGateway.com: This reference of searchable Bible translations is one of the most popular Christian sites, attracting 8 million unique visitors a month. Nearly one-third are coming from outside the U.S. Zondervan bought it from the Muskegon nonprofit Gospel Communications International (previously Gospel Films) in 2008. The goal is to make the site the “best Bible study out there,” Girkins said.
Symtio: In 2008, Zondervan introduced the system that lets consumers buy a merchandise card in a store for a specific audio book or e-book title. Buyers take the card home, go to symtio.com and enter the code on the card. The book immediately begins downloading in the format of their choice.
“It’s been really hard to find the right people with the right talent who could figure out how to market in this new world,” Girkins said.
Since she was hired two years ago, Girkins says her focus has been on creating a diversity of thought among the company’s leadership. Some new hires for her executive team have come not from publishing but from the automotive, photography and fast food industries.
“We had too many people who knew just how to communicate to the evangelical follower Zondervan already has,” Girkins said.
Now, she says, the company needs to be able to connect with a demographic that doesn’t necessarily go to church every Sunday but is looking for products to grow spiritually.
That is the reason she is pushing Zondervan so hard into the digital age, including acquisitions of The City, a Web-based community building software for churches and BibleGateway.com, and the introduction of Symtio, a digital merchandising system.
Girkins says she learned from her 25 years in the telecom industry that companies slow to embrace technology can lose their place in the market.
“I really feel right now that the Christian search engine is Google and the Christian book store is Amazon. I don’t think that should be the best option for the Kingdom,” she said.
“I really feel, whether it’s publishing or whether it’s Internet, the Christian content industry is missing the boat.
“I don’t want to miss the boat.”


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(This entry was originally uploaded on May 2009.)
Thomas Kuehl, Board Member, Skoda India Pvt Ltd., said that the New Skoda Laura assures a perfect driving experience. Skoda Auto entered into the Indian auto industry in 2001 as Skoda India Pvt. Ltd. The company achieved tremendous success since then. Mr. Kuehl hopes that the company would achieve many more milestones with the support from their Indian customers. With the new Skoda Laura, the company is looking forward to gain top position in the C+ segment market by increasing its penetration in small cities and towns. With that end in mind, the company is also expanding its dealer network to 65 points by the end of 2009.

domain: news


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Ethos Limited, India’s largest luxury watch retailer is set to bring the prestigious Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) to India, with an exhibition of the finalists for the 2022 Awards. It will be held in New Delhi on 8th & 9th of October. Some of the world’s most unique and exquisite timepieces, contesting for awards across 15 categories, will be on display. In addition, the event will come as a unique opportunity for Indian connoisseurs to meet renowned watch experts and collectors from all over the world.
GPHG is a public interest organisation, created in 2001, whose mission is to strengthen the art of watchmaking and uphold excellence by honoring and rewarding ground-breaking horological creations every year. From watch-making giants such as Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, Bulgari, Omega, TAG Heuer, Bovet, and more to acclaimed watchmakers including H. Moser & Cie., Urwerk, F.P. Journe, and others; the who’s who of the industry participate in the event. It’s the highest award in horology, often dubbed the Oscars of the watch industry. The ceremony happens in November every year, prior to which the nominated finalist watches are showcased in an exhibition in selected cities across the globe.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Yashovardhan Saboo, Founder & Chairman, Ethos said, “GPHG represents the pinnacle in fine watch making, winning at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) is an honour that luxury watch brands vie for every year. Bringing the first GPHG symposium of finalist watches to India was a dream for us at Ethos in the year 2014 and we are proud to bring the prestigious event again to India after 8 years. Ethos was borne out of passion for watchmaking and ethical business and the GPHG resonates with our vision just like fine paintings, sculptures or architecture. India and Indians have always appreciated fine art and for this reason alone, we are certain the watches will find an enthusiastic response in India yet again.”
Ethos Watch Boutiques, the largest player in the luxury watch market with a strong online and offline presence pan-India, proudly brings GPHG to the country this year. This gives watch enthusiasts in India the rare privilege of experiencing the world’s most creative and ingenious timepieces first-hand.


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The new RS3 from Audi received a new program from ABT Sportsline. Apparently the power released by the engine was not enough for the tuner and so, now, it has 130 hp extra and 180 Nm of torque. The new model now features a new turbocharger, a new 2-pipe exhaust system and also a re-mapped ECU.
The 2.5-liter 5-cylinder engine can deliver 470 horsepower and 630 Nm of torque. Despite these figures, the ABT RS3 has the CO2 emissions like the standard car. For the ones who really think 470 is too much, well ABT released another option that allows the car to reach 420 horsepower and 309 kW.
The stronger version can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 4 seconds and it's able to reach a top speed of 285 km/h.
The new model features 19-inch wheels, with 255/30 R19 tires at the front and at the back 225/35 R18 tires. The design is very similar to the original car. We will have to wait for the price.
|Audi A7 received a new power kit from Senner|
|The Audi R8 received a new tuning program from TC-Concepts|
|The Audi S8 received a special program from Anderson Germany|
|The Audi RS3 received an upgrade program from MTM|
|Another $1000 from Audi onto Cash for Clunkers incentives|
|The Audi RS3 received a tuning program from SPORTEC|
|The Infiniti FX received a personalization program from Lorinser|
|Audi is awarded in Australia, US and Germany in July|
|Audi R8 received good treatment from O CT|
|STaSIS presented their plan for the Audi R8|
|Audi S3 Coupe by ABT|
|Audi A8 by ABT Sportsline|
|Audi R8 by OK Chiptuning|
|Audi S8 facelift|
|Audi R8 by XXX Performance|
|Audi S5 Coupe with D2Forged Wheels|
|Audi A3 Style package|
|Latest||Cars & News|
|2018 Buick Enclave review|
|2017 Ford F-250 XLT Super Duty review|
|2015 Audi A8 L Chauffeur review|
|2015 McLaren P1 by MSO review|
|2015 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG Coupe review|
|2020 Porsche Macan GTS comes to fill Macan S and Macan Turbo range|
|Suzuki Jimny is set to get competition from Jeep|
|Toyota Highlander will be available in petrol only or hybrid powertrain|
|Skoda Rapid facelift was unveiled in Russia|
|McLaren 620R is the limited edition street version of the 570S GT4|


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The UK’s first-ever freight train to China started its long haul on Monday along a modern-day “Silk Road” trade route, as many in the UK hope to cement a new golden age of trade with China as the country prepares to leave the EU.
Speeches are made during the official ceremony to mark the departure of the first UK to China export train, from the London Gateway, Stanford-le-Hope, Britain April 10, 2017. /CFP Photo
Departing from the London Gateway container port and bound for Yiwu in east China, the 32-container train will travel for about 18 days and over 12,000 kilometers, saving around half the time needed for an alternative journey by boat and proving cheaper costs than air freight.
“This is the first export train and just the start of a regular direct service between the UK and China," said Feng Xubin, chairman of Yiwu Timex Industrial Investment Co,. which runs the Yiwu-London freight service.
The first UK to China export train is seen during the official ceremony to mark its departure from the London Gateway, Stanford-le-Hope, Britain, April 10, 2017. /CFP Photo
London has become the 15th European city to have a direct rail link with China since Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013.
“This new rail link with China is another boost for global Britain, following the ancient Silk Road trade route to carry British products around the world," said Greg Hands, Britain's minister for international trade.
China Railway Express containers are loaded onto a freight train as it is was prepared for departure from the London Gateway's rail freight depot in Corringham, east of London, on April 10, 2017, enroute to Yiwu in Zhejiang province, east China. /CFP Photo
The first freight train from China arrived in the UK on January 18, carrying clothes and other retail goods. The train departing on Monday was the first in the other direction with goods like soft drinks, vitamins, pharmaceuticals and baby products.
The UK’s freight train will go through the Channel Tunnel into France and on to Belgium, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan before heading into China.


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If you're anything like us and spend approximately 782 hours a day in front of your laptop or mobile phone, this is going to be a bitch to hear. Because apparently, electronic devices are damaging your skin and causing premature ageing.
It's called 'blue light damage' and it's just another thing in this world looking to suck the life out of your cute face. (And just when we were all getting the hang of the whole sunscreen thing. Ugh.)
Watch: The products and ingredients you need to know about. Post continues below.
In recent years, there's been a whole heap of studies and research going down to figure out the effects of blue light damage and what it really means for our skin. In response to this buzz, beauty brands have dropped a load of new products that promise to protect our skin from computer screens, mobile phones and other devices.
And, friends. This sh*t is going OFF.
A recent study said sales of skincare with blue light protection has gone up 170 per cent in 2020. Makeup that aims to protect from blue light was up 179 per cent. That's pretty crazy stuff.
So, what's the go here? Is this something we should actually be worried about? Are all of these new skincare products worth our hard-earned pennies? Or is there some super evil marketing wizard who is absolutely killing it at life right now?
We talked to a dermatologist to find out the truth.
Why is there such a buzz around blue light?
"We know that devices such as laptops, phones and tablets emit blue light. And - let’s face it - we are attached to our devices for hours a day, whether it be for work, home workouts or general relaxation," said dermatologist and founder of Bespoke Skin Technology, Dr Katherine Armour. "We read books on our screens, we scroll social media for hours daily, and in Victoria (and in many countries around the world!) we currently home school our children on a screen."
With COVID-19 leading many of us to spend even more time than usual on our screens, "the effects of visible light are at the forefront of our minds," said Dr Armour.


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Additional gameplay elements will be coming to Motorsport Manager later this month, via a new free update and premium DLC pack
Included in the free update are an array of tweaks to the gameplay of Motorsport Manager. For instance, players will have access to an array of telemetry graphs and performance charts to access during races, and it'll also be possible to remove weight from components – albeit with the added risk of reliability failures.
Additions to AI behaviour are also incorporated in the new update, with the biggest alteration being the ability for cars to run wide off the track onto run-off areas and gravel traps.
Motorsport Manager players will be able to purchase a premium DLC pack to accompany the release of the new update. Dubbed the 'Challenge Pack', the new content pack introduces 12 scenarios for players to attempt, ranging from entry-level 'Rookie' tasks to more demanding 'Pro' and 'All-Star' tasks.
The Challenge Pack for Motorsport Manager will officially go on sale on 21st August 2017 on the Steam Store marketplace, retailing for £5.99 for UK prices. Pre-orders are also currently open for the DLC, with a 10% discount to £5.39 being the main incentive to purchase the pack before its official launch.


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Cook To Meet China Bosses
Apple CEO Tim Cook will visit Beijing later this month to meet high-level government officials, at a time when the iPhone maker is facing setbacks in its most important overseas market.
Cook’s latest visit comes after iPhone lost a key trademark dispute and China suspended some of its online entertainment services.
Now Tim Cook plans to meet senior government and Communist Party leaders – including officials in charge of propaganda.
In recent weeks Apple services have been targeted by Beijing as it intensifies an ongoing campaign to control Web content and ensure localisation of data storage.
Apple’s online book and film services have been shut down as part of China’s crackdown on online publishing and foreign companies.
With smartphones sales weakening, the loss of an iPhone trademark dispute and the suspension of some of its online services, Apple can’t afford to lose market share in its second-largest market after the US.


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Tanzina Vega: I'm Tanzina Vega, and you're listening to The Takeaway. If you're among the millions of Americans who's been ordering everything online, you need to stay socially distanced, here's something to consider. Nearly 20,000 Amazon workers have contracted the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and so far 10 people have died. Those numbers stand in stark contrast to new television ads that feature a different side of the experience of being an Amazon worker.
Male Speaker 1: To all of our Amazon retail heroes on the floor, in the air and behind the wheel, we want to thank you. We'll continue to do everything we can to keep you healthy, safe and protected. The work you're doing means everything right now. Thank you.
Tanzina: As the holiday season approaches and more Americans are expected to order their gifts online, some Amazon workers across the country are attempting to organize for better working conditions, but that's had mixed results so far.
Chris Smalls: Business is as usual, and this is such a juggernaut of a company. It's so hard to put it in their operations, even with all the boycott advocating that we've been doing, they put profits above people all the time. Once again, it's going to be a very busy, probably the most busiest peak season thus far for Amazon employees. I can only imagine.
Tanzina: That was Chris Smalls, an Amazon worker who says he was fired for trying to organize his colleagues at an Amazon warehouse in New York City. We're going to hear more from Chris in a moment. We're talking about Amazon workers, unionization efforts, and the company's response. Lauren Kaori Gurley is a staff writer at Motherboard, Vice’s technology website. Lauren, thanks for joining.
Lauren Kaori Gurley: Hi, Tanzina. Thank you for having me.
Tanzina: What were the conditions for warehouses and workers at the peak of the pandemic, at least here in New York, back in March and April?
Lauren: At the beginning of the pandemic, Amazon announced that it would be providing hazard pay to its workers. $2 extra an hour at Amazon, the minimum wage is $15 an hour. They also announced that you could call out sick basically any time, but pretty quickly, lots of people got sick. Amazon's warehouse in Staten Island was one of the first Amazon warehouses in the country to really take a hit.
I think one of the big problems that workers had was that they had no idea how many people and their work site had tested positive. They were still positive. They'd get these text messages and phone calls that would announce each time, but they wouldn't know what the name- for privacy reasons, Amazon didn't share the name of the person, and so they would have no idea really, if they had come into contact with them. I think there was a lot of fear and a lot of questions that were unanswered. Workers really felt they wanted to hold Amazon accountable for sharing this data, and Amazon wasn't complying.
Tanzina: We know that back at the height of the pandemic again here in New York, because the pandemic is peaking across the country and other states right now, workers at Amazon wanted to strike. Have they gotten better working conditions right now?
Lauren: There hasn't really been any-- I guess there was a walkout on May 1st, which is May Day, but there hasn't really been any massive strike across the country. There have been walkouts to individual facilities, that are still going on. There was one a week or two ago in Minnesota, in Chicago, and there's been some in New York. Amazon, like I said, they cut off hazard pay, just as things were getting bad in the rest of the country, and they haven't reinstated it.
Amazon loves to tout all of its health and safety measures, its taking, but I don't really feel like people feel more protected. They really are upset that they don't have that hazard pay, and that they're risking their lives and their family's lives, and if they live with anyone who's immunocompromised lives, in addition to that, because of that, their mental health showing up to work, and they're like, "Amazon can't even pay us two more dollars." They had did that for two months. You can choose to take a personal leave of absence, but in that instance, you're just not paid. You have to be financially secure in order to not show up to work. I wouldn't say things have gotten better, no.
Tanzina: 20,000 workers for Amazon have allegedly contracted COVID-19. What happens to those workers now?
Lauren: If you're able to prove that you've had COVID, or that you have COVID, you get two weeks of paid leave, I believe. A lot of people who get coronavirus, the effects of it on you last much longer than two weeks, and so people don't feel like that is sufficient. I think the part that Amazon- which is obviously the hardest part about this is that, what if your family member gets COVID? I think there are a lot of other scenarios that Amazon isn't accounting for in a way that makes workers feel safe.
Tanzina: Amazon workers have also tried to unionize, Lauren. Where do those efforts stand?
Lauren: As you can imagine, the injured people are working at such high rates, especially last week, which was prime day week. Then, in the next few months during cyber Monday, some of the worst weeks, in terms of productivity, being super high and workplace injuries, serious injuries, doubling. As you can probably imagine, people really think that one of the best ways to improve their conditions is to unionize and to create workplace protections because Amazon hasn't been able to do that for them by having a contract that lays out some of these things.
There is an active campaign in Staten Island, that is with the retail wholesale and department union store union. There has never been-- No Amazon warehouse workers in the country and no Amazon workers anywhere in the country have unionized, but beyond that, there are smaller campaigns where unions are working with organizers or warehouse workers, not necessarily on active campaign, but leading up to that.
There's workers who have organized in Chicago and the greater Chicago land. They're organized warehouse workers. I would say some of the best organized warehouse workers are in Minnesota. There's a group called The Awood Center, which is sort of East African, mostly Somalian, worker center. There are workers organizing in Sacramento and the Inland Empire in California, which is Amazon's hub in California, its interiors, Los Angeles. I think those are the big ones, but we're nowhere near having a union for Amazon workers.
Tanzina: Lauren Kaori Gurley is a staff writer at Motherboard. Lauren, thanks so much.
Lauren: Thank you so much.
Tanzina: We're continuing to talk about Amazon. Now, a former Amazon worker, Chris Smalls worked for Amazon for just under five years, and most recently worked at a facility in Staten Island. When the COVID 19 pandemic reached their warehouse, Chris began organizing his fellow workers to demand better conditions. After staging a strike in late March, the company fired him for allegedly violating social distancing guidelines. Now, Chris joins me, and he's the founder of the Congress of Essential Workers. Chris, thanks for being with me.
Chris: Hey, how are you doing? Thank you for having me.
Tanzina: Chris, tell me a little bit about what the working conditions you experienced were like in the Staten Island facility here in New York?
Chris: I've been with the company since 2015, opened up three buildings for them, started from New Jersey, spent some time in Connecticut, and then I lost the building in Staten Island when it first opened up.
I've been with the company since I was a level-one entry before I was promoted up to a supervisor role. I know the ins and out of what Amazon workers go through on a day-to-day basis. I used to tell my new hires when they came into the building, "You have a gym membership, you might want to cancel it because it's definitely 10 hours of calisthenics. You're up and down on ladders. You're pulling, you're reaching, you're walking miles on top of miles a day, it's ran on productivity. It separates Amazon from its competitors is the fact that as soon as you clock in, you're on the clock until you clock out."
The working condition there was definitely strenuous on your body. I always used to say that it was 90% mentally and 10% physical because you have to mentally prepare yourself to come to work every day.
Tanzina: You were there at the peak of the pandemic, which here in New York was around March. Why did you begin organizing, what were you starting to see, Chris?
Chris: This is taking me back down to a late February, early March. I'd seen my coworkers and my employees get sick on daily basis. I was just being a concern supervisor and a concerned parent. I have kids, twins at home, and I didn't want to bring this deadly virus home. I'm watching the news and I'm seeing this virus sweep the nation. As it transitioned into New York and New Jersey, we weren't doing anything as a company to protect ourselves, we weren't protected at all. We had no facial masks. We had no cleaning supplies. We had no real guidance on how to protect the workers that was coming here. I went through the proper channels at first. I went to my local HR and I'm like, "Hey, what are we doing to protect ourselves? What about single parents? Can we stay home?"
That was the only thing they really offered was to stay home if you feel sick. If you don't want to come to work, you can stay home without being reprimanded for it. It wasn't enough for me, because as a supervisor working with these associates for 40, 50, 60 hours a week, they're my extended family too. Yes, I did stay home for a few days, but at the same time I was thinking about everybody else that is coming in and out this building, these 5,000 people. New York became the epicenter, like you mentioned, in March, and I'm like, "What are they going to do?"
When I noticed that they didn't really have a real plan, that's when I decided to take for the action. I started fighting behind the scenes at first, though. I sent out emails to the Health Department, to the CDC in New York to governor Cuomo's office. You name it. I tried to do that, I try to get some media involved. When New York was the epicenter, I didn't get anything. I didn't get any response, everywhere it was overwhelmed. That forced me to take even more action. I returned back to work on March 24th.
That's when we learned about our first case that happened in the building over a week and a half ago on March 11th. I was like, that's very alarming that's I just now tell him this, and what are we going to do? Are we closing the building down? That's when I was told by my higher ups that we're not going to do anything, and don't tell any of the employees anything. That was the last time I worked for the company.
I took my stance right then and there. An hour later I left the building. I texted my manager that day, told him, "I'm not coming to work the rest of the week as a supervisor. You don't have to replace me." When I came back to the building, the following days, the rest of the week, I sat in the cafeteria off the clock with 10 hours a day, on my own free will telling all the employees that I came in contact with the truth that Amazon didn't one side didn't know that you're possibly working next to somebody with this virus.
That definitely started up a little organizing right there. I got some groups that walk with me to the general manager's office, voice our concerns all week. At the end of the week, they decided to just quarantine me. I knew right then and there, when they quarantined me and nobody else, not even my person that I ride to work with, my friend that I ride to work with. I knew that I was being targeted to be silenced, to stop organizing workers and stop telling the truth.
Tanzina: Chris, you were fired from Amazon, at least, in your opinion, because you were organizing, you've now started the Congress of Essential Workers. What is that?
Chris: Yes. The Congress of Essential Workers, this group that I founded throughout the course of my journey, it pretty much came together around May 1st, is a collective workers, former, current Amazon employees, some other essential workers, they have different talents and they come from different corporations, some are teachers, some are students, some are just regular people.
This group came together when they pretty much believed in the fight that I was fighting against the company, and they decided to just join forces with me. On May 1st was our first demonstration as a collective, we did a nationwide protest against Amazon on May Day. That resulted in Tim Bray, one of the VPs of Amazon, AWS, the top VP at the time, engineer, he resigned. That's when I knew that the power of people and the power of organizing workers was really working. It was, small victories mattered for us.
One thing I would like to highlight as well, a week after I was fired, Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world, he had a meeting about me with his top general council, David Zapolsky and then that meeting, a leak memo that came out and hit the media was Jeff Bezos trying to run a smear campaign on me, that he signed off on saying that I was not smart or articulate, and ironically, to make me the face of the whole union organizing efforts against Amazon.
They gave me a great idea by saying that, but just to know that this man, the richest man in the world, was really going to try to run a smear campaign on me really motivated me to really continue to fight that I have till this day. I was able to find this amazing group of people, we've been able to organize with other alliances across- coalitions across the country.
Once again, our vision, as an organization, is to get into work as power, starting with the workforce of Amazon who has 600,000 nationwide, get this workers power behind us so we can negotiate a rank-and-file democracy, something like a union, like structure, where we're now negotiating our demands that we want, 30,000-hour minimum wage, free Medicare childcare, PPE to be provided by the company at all time, hazard pay. We're still dealing with this pandemic, and Amazon took away the 2$ hazard pay.
We want that back, and we also want overtime for any hours over 40. We want to have paid medical leave, something that they don't have unless you get the virus and you get quarantine pay, which is only a percentage. It's not enough. Ultimately, we want to absolutely have a wealth tax on the 1% in the country, starting with Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world.
Tanzina: Chris, I'm wondering in terms of, the holiday season is going to be approaching us very soon, people have already been using and relying on Amazon while they quarantine and during this pandemic more so than they probably have ever in the past, and I can't imagine what the holidays are going to look like this year as more people rely on Amazon instead of actually going to visit friends and family, what do you think the holiday season is going to look like for Amazon workers this year?
Chris: Same as always, business as usual. This is such a juggernaut of a company. It's so hard to put a dent in their operations, even with all the boycott advocating that we've been doing. They put profits above people all the time. Once again, it's going to be probably the most busiest peak season thus far for Amazon employees. I can only imagine, they are on mandatory overtime as we speak.
They're just getting out over a prime day, and it's going right into the holiday season. I feel sorry for them because I know what they're going through. They're working an extra day, or they're working extra two days, or they're working an extra hour of their shifts. It was 10 hours, they're working 11 hours. They're taking time away from people's families and just to be a service of other people, which is good as well, but at the same time to what expense. You [unintelligible 00:17:37] strain on your body, like I mentioned. You're also possibly putting yourself at risk.
This virus is very much still here. The numbers are still spiking. The numbers are still in the building as well. There's still texts that's being sent out on a daily basis saying that somebody could track this virus, who they failed to actually disclose, they failed to disclose the amount of people that's in these facilities, that have this virus. They just released, six months later, the actual numbers, which I believe is way watered down. That is 20,000 employees.
Tanzina: You are talking about the 20,000 people, Chris, right?
Chris: Right, yes, and that's very watered down. There's no way out of 600,000, you're telling me only 20,000. I don't believe that. It's way higher than what they're saying. It's a very scary situation for workers right now. I can guarantee that.
Tanzina: Chris Smalls is a former Amazon worker and the founder of the Congress of Essential Workers. Chris, thanks so much for joining me.
Chris: Thank you so much. Thank you for having me, anytime.
Tanzina: We reached out to Amazon for comment on this story and we're waiting on their reply. We'll add their statement online when we receive it, you'll see that at thetakeaway.org.
New York Public Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline, often by contractors. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of New York Public Radio’s programming is the audio record.


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A new online Only Fools and Horses store selling an array of officially licensed merchandise to mark the show’s 40th anniversary has launched in partnership with BBC Studios.
Hosted by Push Entertainment, the store offers T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts and caps, plus mugs, framed prints and water bottles.
Rikesh Desai, Director for Merchandise & Gaming at BBC Studios, said: “We are hugely excited to be working with Push Entertainment to deliver the first ever official Only Fools and Horses store.
“I’m sure fans of the iconic show will love the depth and breadth of product we have on offer”.
Ian Shurmer, Co-Founder of Push Entertainment said: “The team at Push grew up watching Only Fools and Horses so this is a great opportunity for us to deliver fans of the show something fresh and new.
“We’re looking forward to working with BBC Studios and the Sullivan Estate to build on the great work they have achieved with one of the most iconic TV comedies of all time.”
More info: www.onlyfoolsandhorses.shop


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Christmas online shopping has risen by 11 per cent year-on-year, according to research published by Royal Mail, and accounts for almost half of festive spending in the UK.
The research shows that three quarters of Christmas purchases start in November, and the average spend amongst men and women is £348 and £300 respectively. One in ten online shoppers returned items last Christmas, with women being twice as likely to do so compared to men.
However, ParcelHero has said that Black Friday is likely to cause a stall in spending growth this festive season, as low customer confidence and stretched out online deals cast a shadow over this Friday’s prospects.
ParcelHero has said that despite growth in sales on Black Friday over the past few years, this year could actually see a 0 per cent growth in spending.
David Jinks, head of consumer research at ParcelHero, said: “In 2018 Black Friday made a record £2.4 billion, including online sales of £1.4 billion. But while online sales were up a – slightly disappointing – 7% in comparison to 2017, town centre store sales were already down 7%.
“This year we believe disillusioned online shoppers will join High Street shoppers in losing interest in Black Friday, leading to no overall growth for the first time in its barnstorming ten-year history.”
“Black Friday has become a dull month of stock clearance; and internet shoppers are unlikely to be breaking any records this year.”
By Michelle Mooney


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Chile’s annual inflation eased broadly in line with forecasts in July, a month that ended with the central bank delivering a larger-than-expected interest rate cut and indicating more big reductions to come.
(Bloomberg) — Chile’s annual inflation eased broadly in line with forecasts in July, a month that ended with the central bank delivering a larger-than-expected interest rate cut and indicating more big reductions to come.
Consumer prices rose 6.5% from a year prior, just above the 6.4% median estimate of analysts in a Bloomberg survey. Monthly inflation stood at 0.4%, the national statistics institute reported on Tuesday. A closely-watched price gauge that excludes volatile items increased 8.5% in 12 months and 0.3% from June.
Price-growth is heading toward the 3% target after policymakers held borrowing costs at an over two-decade high for nearly a year. In a statement with last month’s rate decision, central bankers wrote both headline and core inflation have eased faster than expected. Still, in recent days the peso has weakened and gasoline prices have started to tick up, stoking import costs.
What Bloomberg Economics Says
“Slower headline and core inflation in July add evidence that upward pressure on prices from supply shocks and excess domestic demand are easing in Chile. The results support the central bank’s 100-basis-point rate cut in July and our expectation for policymakers to continue quickly cutting rates and move toward less-tight monetary conditions.
— Felipe Hernandez, Latin America economist
— Click here for full report
Read more: Chile Delivers Jumbo Rate Cut as Latin America Pivots to Easing
Food and non-alcoholic beverages rose 1.2% on the month while recreation and culture costs gained 1.9%, representing two of the top price drivers in July, according to the national statistics institute. On the other hand, household items fell by 0.7% and transportation dipped by 0.2%.
While the July report “doesn’t change the trend of inflationary stabilization,” the continued decline in the peso could affect the pace of the consumer price slowdown, according to Jorge Selaive, chief economist at Scotiabank Chile. The peso has fallen over 7% against the dollar since the start of July.
Meanwhile, demand in one of Latin America’s richest nations continues to cool after billions of dollars of early pension withdrawals and government cash transfers propelled record economic growth in 2021. Activity rose in June, according to the latest central bank data, though a jump in the volatile mining sector masked declines in other areas such as commerce and services.
Swaps are now pricing a key rate cut of about 75 basis points to 9.5% in September, with borrowing costs seen at 5% in 12 months.
Chile’s central bank forecasts annual inflation will hit the target next year.
–With assistance from Rafael Gayol.
(Updates with economist comments and details from the inflation report starting in fourth paragraph)
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.


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Dec. 8, 2017—Eighteen journalists from Afghanistan to Vietnam visited the Wond'ry Dec. 7 to learn how it, and programs campus-wide, help women entrepreneurs.
Nov. 2, 2017—Sinead Miller was headed for the Olympic games. Now, thanks to a Department of Defense grant to find new sepsis treatments, the Vanderbilt Ph.D. has developed a device that cleans the blood.
Sep. 1, 2017—The I-Corps site grant will support programs to match students and faculty with teams of experienced professionals who can teach, guide and mentor them as they pursue startup endeavors. Participating teams receive grants to help them interact with potential customers and explore the commercial potential of devices they’ve designed.
Mar. 17, 2017—Ph.D.-turned-entrepreneur Jerry Wilmink — founder and CEO of WiseWear Corp., a digital health company that develops wearable technology products for fitness and medical applications — will deliver the School of Engineering's Chambers Family Entrepreneurship Lecture on April 4.
Feb. 9, 2017—Vanderbilt University’s innovation center, the Wond’ry, has received a $30,000 grant from VentureWell for one of its flagship entrepreneur education programs.
Sep. 28, 2016—Think you’ve got an idea that could become the next Facebook or Google, but you’re not sure how to get it off the ground? Turning ideas into action is the aim of a new, seven-week Pre-Flight course, developed by the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, and offered in partnership with Vanderbilt’s Center for Technology Transfer & Commercialization (CTTC) and the Wond’ry.
Sep. 7, 2016—Alumni Jack Long Jr. and Carolyn Adams Long commit $1.5 million for programming aimed at helping students launch new companies.
Apr. 24, 2014—Vanderbilt’s entrepreneurial community will have greater access to Jumpstart Foundry’s proven program for education, mentorship and networking through a new collaboration.
Oct. 10, 2013—Meet, mingle and learn from local technology entrepreneurs, many of whom are Vanderbilt alumni, at Innovation, Imagination, Introductions: A conversation with Community Entrepreneurs on Oct. 24.
Apr. 24, 2013—Venture Match, a “speed dating” event to match entrepreneurs and inventors, will be held April 30 at the University Club of Nashville.
Dec. 4, 2012—Select engineering management juniors and seniors will see firsthand in a new spring semester course how local entrepreneurs try to unleash their startups’ potential. Entrepreneur Studio will be run as a three credit hour studio and lab. Students will be matched with a startup company being incubated in the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, where they also...
Dec. 4, 2012—It isn’t exactly Shark Tank, the ABC-TV reality show with a panel of entrepreneurs and business executives called “Sharks” who consider offers from other entrepreneurs seeking investments for their business or product. It is 48 Hour Launch, the premier of a business plan competition at Vanderbilt staring 40 undergraduates who created “Pitch Decks” aimed at early-stage...


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U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday attended the opening of the United Nations conference on climate change in Madrid, pledging U.S. commitment to the fight against global warming. Purchase real emla online. Rafael Nadal helped the Spaniards defeat Canada, 2-0, to win the cup in its much-discussed new format. The couple met two years ago on the dance floor of emla a club in Cairo. The sperm whale washed up on a Scottish beach with a stomach full of rope, netting and plastic. What was unusual in this case was the sheer volume, a local expert said. Two fast-growing Chinese phone brands said on Tuesday that they will adopt Qualcomm Inc's newest 5G chip in their flagship devices early next year. It's a well known jingle from an Australian classic soap opera that has found new meaning in a Melbourne street tinged with tragedy. Buy discount emla 500mg. Sundar Pichai, who has run Google for several years, is taking the reins from Larry Page as Alphabets C.E.O.


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Muhammad and Sanam Hussain discovered the creature as Mrs Hussain was cooking a curry on Thursday (June 4) at their home in Alum Rock, Birmingham, according to media reports.
Euro Foods said it had contacted its Italian supplier to investigate how the lizard could have got into the tin.
Once the investigation was complete, the Gwent-based business would put controls in place to prevent a similar incident happening again.
Recall and refund
Euro Foods has recalled the product, returned it to the supplier and refunded the couple for the 12-pack case of tomatoes.
The can was purchased at Masala Bazaar, an Asian supermarket in Birmingham which is owned by Euro Foods.
Mrs Hussain, who is reportedly seven months pregnant, said the sight of the Lizard had made her feel ill.
“It was disgusting. I am in shock. I am so worried about my baby because I am pregnant,” she told the BBC.
“I talked to my midwife about it and she said if I feel ill, I should contact the hospital.”
Her husband said he was alerted by his wife’s screams and that she was concerned for her health after previously eating seven of the 12 tins in the multipack.
“When she opened the can, she saw something and screamed at me to come through,” he said. “I saw it was a dead baby lizard.
‘Put off for life’
“We are worried about food poisoning. The can was part of a pack of 12. We had already eaten seven of them. Now my wife is off her food.
“I think we have been put off tinned tomatoes for life.”
At time of going to press, Euro Foods had not responded to FoodManufacture.co.uk’s request for a comment.
It isn’t the first time a lizard has made an unwelcome appearance in food, last year a women from the Isle of Wight found one in a cucumber bought from Aldi.
Also last year, a woman in Portsmouth found a dead mouse in a packet of Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut.


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One of our London Fashion Week highlights is attending the Louise Gray show, so imagine our disappointment when we found out the designer will be taking a break to focus[Read More...]
Post Tagged with: "Louise Gray"
Amazing news this morning! Louise Gray will be teaming up with Barbie to create three life-sized outfits inspired by everyone’s favourite plastic fantastic doll. The results of this amazing collaboration will[Read More...]
Yep, you read that right, Louise Gray for Topshop is the next big designer/high street collaboration to get all excited about!
Congratulations to three glorious womenswear designers Henry Holland, Louise Gray and Mary Katrantzou, and menswear designer James Long, who have just been announced at the recipients of the latest Fashion[Read More...]
Launching as part of the second season of ASOS Inc., Louise Gray‘s debut jewellery collection is now available at ASOS.com.
In 1993, the British Fashion Council created New Generation (NEWGEN), as one of the world’s most internationally recognised talent identification schemes to help promote new designers and their businesses. The[Read More...]
This year’s shortlist for the Scottish Fashion Awards has just been announced, and it’s one stiff competition ahead.


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Juice is an easy and convenient way for your kid to quench his or her thirst at school, on the playground or at home. But does a box or bottle of juice really live up to its reputation as a healthy, good-for-you beverage – or is it just too saccharin?
It can fill in the gaps
One hundred percent fruit juice is considered a nutrient-dense beverage, because it contains essential nutrients like vitamins A and C, folate, potassium, magnesium, and phytonutrients— organic components of plants that some studies suggest may prevent disease. Some juices are also fortified with calcium and vitamin D.
“Those are some of the nutrients that we should be eating more of,” said Diane Welland, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Juice Products Association. “Especially for picky children who may not be eating enough food or may not be eating the right food, 100 percent fruit juice may be the only source of these nutrients.”
Depending on age, kids should be getting one to two cups of fruit each day and four ounces of juice can substitute for a serving of fruit, according to the USDA’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. “One hundred percent fruit juice can actually help you meet the recommended daily servings of fruit a day,” Welland said.
According to a recent study in the journal Public Health Nutrition, children who drank juice consumed more nutrients than non-juice drinkers. Some studies suggest that children who drink juice consume less fat and sugar, eat more fruit and have better diets. Welland suggested this might be because kids who drink fruit juice are most likely eating fruit as well. “Chances are they’re not going to have apple juice and a Cinnabon.”
Whole fruit can also be expensive, especially if you eat organic. Plus, it’s not always accessible or available in certain communities. Welland said juice can also be a time-saver for kids who have packed school schedules or for those who don’t have the dexterity to peel and eat fruit. “For those times, when it’s either not eat the whole fruit or have fruit juice, 100 percent fruit juice is the next best thing,” she said.
An apple is usually better than apple juice
“The problem is making a blanket statement for everyone,” said Dr. Laura Jana, a pediatrician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. Jana said juice has its benefits, but there aren’t that many children who lack nutrients where drinking a lot of juice is necessary.
For children who have access to fresh fruit and eat balanced diets, juice is not necessary. “It’s essentially empty calories,” Jana said.
Although juice doesn’t have added sugar – because the volume is larger – the amount of sugar, calories, and carbohydrates in juice is more than if you were to eat the fruit whole. Take an orange: Juicing it will yield just two ounces, whereas a serving of fruit juice is typically four to eight ounces. “The source of calories from the volume that you’re consuming essentially is more, because you’re likely going to consume more volume,” said Jessica Crandall, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Even if there’s pulp or you juice at home, juice doesn’t have fiber, which is a problem for many kids who aren’t getting enough fiber already.
Drinking juice also caters to a sweet preference, and it could become a substitute for eating nutritious, whole foods. “You give a kid a big glass of fruit juice, and then they’re not as hungry for dinner,” said Jana, who is also the co-author of Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed with Insight, Humor, and a Bottle of Ketchup.
The obesity link
Although some research suggests that drinking juice is linked to a lower obesity risk, other studies, like a recent Harvard School of Public Health study, suggests that people who increased their juice consumption gained more weight than people who didn’t.
“Usually liquids don’t signal our brains that we’re satisfied and full,” Crandall said. So when those liquid calories add up, weight gain and obesity becomes a concern.
Drinking juice can also cause a spike in blood sugar, which is not a good thing for kids at risk for obesity and diabetes.
What you should know
Experts agree that the primary source of nutrients in your child’s diet should come from whole fruits and vegetables, but small amounts of juice are OK if they’re not eating enough whole fruit. Got a picky eater? Try new recipes or creative ways to present fruit so they’ll be more inclined to eat it.
Making homemade juice is great, but if that’s not doable, buy store brands that say “100 percent fruit juice with no added sugar” on the label. You can also dilute four ounces of juice with four ounces of water to dial down the sugar.
It’s also important to pay close attention to serving sizes. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children under 1 year old should not drink juice. For children 1 to 6 years old, no more than four to six ounces of juice and for children 7 to 18, no more than eight to 12 ounces per day.


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The spring of 1980 ushered in the seventh decade of business for New Era, a family-owned team equipment company that supplied caps for baseball squads across the country, from scrawny Little League outfits to mighty MLB clubs. It was a business model that worked.
But in 1979 and early 1980, phone calls and letters started rolling in to company president David Koch’s office with increasing regularity. People wanted to buy the caps they saw their favorite baseball players wearing on the field.
In 2020, as New Era celebrates its 100th anniversary, such fan desire seems obvious. But four decades ago, that was a foreign concept. On-field caps were worn by baseball players, not by people in the stands.
Koch was a bit perplexed, and he brought up the issue at family dinner, around a table in Derby, N.Y., a small town by the shore of Lake Erie, about 15 miles south of Buffalo.
It’s a moment Chris Koch, David’s son and New Era’s current CEO, will never forget.
“I remember my father, he says, ‘You know, we get these calls all day long from consumers asking to buy caps. I don't get it. Why did they want to wear those caps? This is part of a uniform.’”
Chris Koch, who started working at the New Era manufacturing plant after school at age 16, in 1976, pauses and laughs.
“And my mother, who was a funny lady, was like, ‘Well, who cares why they want wear it? Why don’t we put an ad in The Sporting News and see if there's any business there? Maybe we’ll sell a couple hundred caps. Why not? Let's see what happens.’”
Val Koch was an art teacher who ran the design side of the New Era business — in her free time, while teaching and raising the Koch kids — and she whipped up that first ad and shipped it off to The Sporting News.
The advertisement ran in the April 12, 1980, issue, on Page 31. On the top half of the page was a story about the Atlanta Braves and what manager Bob Cox — yes, Bob and not Bobby — thought of his team’s hopes of starting a new era itself and climbing out of the NL West cellar in the 1980 season.
And just like that, a bold, expansive new era for New Era started with a simple half-page advertisement. As a result of those two events — the conversation and the advertisement — nothing would ever be the same for New Era, which was propelled down a path toward becoming a worldwide, billion-dollar brand that sells an estimated 142 hats per minute around the globe.
At the New Era headquarters near Lake Erie, not much thought was given to the advertisement, at least for a week or two.
“We lived in this little old town of Derby, and my father would go and get the mail,” Chris said. “One day he gets his little box of mail at the counter and the woman says, ‘That’s not all, Dave. There is stuff in the back. And he says, ‘What are you talking about?’ She's like, ‘I don't know, but there's a lot of it.’ So he went to the back and there was, like, five of those giant mailbags just stuffed full.”
David Koch loaded the bags into his vehicle and headed to the plant.
“What it turned out being was thousands and thousands of copies of this ad, filled out, with a check for $12.50,” Chris Koch said. “And it went on like that day after day after day. I remember him saying after that first day, sitting down at the table, ‘You know, we might be on to something here.’ That was the first ah-ha moment.”
It was a cha-ching moment, too.
“The fan business very quickly became, I would say, probably more than 50 percent of the business, almost literally overnight,” Chris Koch said. “Within a couple years, it was all hands on deck, continuing to make more product.”
Not only did the Sporting News advertisement — they ran another half-page ad on April 11, 1981, and then a third one on April 19, 1982 — change who New Era sold product to, it changed how New Era created product.
“It forced us to create a whole fulfillment area,” New Era brand historian Jim Wannemacher said. “From the stories I’ve heard, they took over the whole seventh floor of our facility in downtown Buffalo, built this giant wall and filled it was stocked product, which was the first time we actually would make product to keep against incoming orders. Most of our time, we had been a made-to-order company. You ordered it, we made it and sent it to you. That was it. We never kept anything in inventory. So that kind of pushed us into mindset of making stuff and creating inventory that people can order.”
Think about how crazy that seems in today’s world. New Era didn’t have backstock. They didn’t have extras. They made caps as people ordered and paid for them.
The New Era business cycle looked like this: Salesmen would spend the entire summer crisscrossing the nation, selling to any team, at any level, that might need caps for the next year. The sales folks would turn in their orders and the manufacturing plant would kick into gear, producing the hats — sewn by hand — starting in September and rolling into spring, when the orders would be delivered. And then the sales force went out again. It worked this way for decades.
Oh, and the company had a long-standing policy that if the hats became distressed, you could send them back and, for $1.50, they’d be repaired. So teams would do that to save money, instead of ordering new rounds of caps every year. Great from a customer-service standpoint, not as great for the bottom line.
But once the company used The Sporting News — the Bible of Baseball, as it was known — to spread the word that New Era now had a direct-to-consumer option, everything changed. And with the door open a crack into a new sales world, New Era did its best to shove that door wide open. While sales people were on the road, they stopped into retail stores along the way, too. And those orders started rolling in by the tens of thousands, each order significantly larger than the last.
“All of a sudden we start getting orders from Foot Locker for 50,000 caps,” Chris Koch said. “Needless to say, it was a mad scramble to increase production and figure out how we were gonna make the much product. The 1980s were a really interesting time for us. No matter how much product we made, it was never enough. It was kind of crazy.”
New Era moved from the 50,000-square foot facility to a 300,000-square foot home, and eventually opened manufacturing operations in Alabama, too, as the company kept growing. The growth never really stopped.
“We took something that was a sort of an accessory and really turned it into a category in the industry,” Chris Koch said. “The category grows every year, and we’ve got to continue to figure out ways to keep consumers interested. I always say to my people there, ‘Nobody needs another cap. We have to give them a reason to want another cap.’”
Wannemacher, who started with New Era in 2000 as a graphic designer and held multiple roles in the company before pitching his current “brand historian” role — which Chris Koch immediately green-lighted — four years ago, said that ad in The Sporting News was one of the singular defining moments in company history.
“I don't think it can be understated,” he said. "Then you have the Spike Lee story and the exclusivity with MLB. Those three are the big ones.”
The Spike Lee moment came in 1996, when the famed director asked the company for a special-order Yankees cap in red — a color change that had never happened — and opened many more doors. And the exclusivity with MLB happened in 1993, when New Era became the official cap supplier for every MLB team.
It’s quite the storyline for a company started in 1920, selling Gatsby-style gentlemen’s caps, landed its first MLB cap deal with the Cleveland Indians in 1934, created the company’s signature 59FIFTY caps in 1954 and branched out whenever possible.
It’s enough to make Val Koch — the one who had the idea that sparked the company’s new era — a very proud and grateful person as the company she helped fuel celebrates its 100th birthday in 2020. The company will celebrate all year, with special editions, unique collaborations and re-issues of classic caps.
“I still update her on everything that’s going on,” Chris Koch said. “She’s still very interested. At 84 years old, she’s a very young 84 years old. Sharp as a tack, still in great shape. She’s still interested in what's going on, all the all the different things we're doing.
“She always talked about how amazing it is that we've been able to put all that together, and how we should always talk about that more because this company started as a little tiny baseball-cap company.”


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E-commerce and Internet marketing are constantly evolving.
Therefore, businesses that fail to keep pace with the changing trends are likely to experience negative sales growth. If you are among this unfortunate crop of businesses, thankfully, there is a large amount of marketing research available to help you stay informed about current industry trends and consumer attitudes.
Use these 10 statistics to help you improve your e-commerce and digital marketing campaigns:
According to an UPS/comScore study, 83 percent of online shoppers will elect to wait two additional days for delivery when free shipping is provided.
The same UPS/comScore study also reported that nearly 70 percent of online shoppers within the US choose not to purchase from retailers that do not provide free shipping for returns.
The study also observed that 58 percent of online shoppers add items to their shopping carts to be able to qualify for free shipping.
In a study conducted by Nielsen, researchers noted that 76 percent of global consumers are willing to pay higher prices for foods marketed as healthy.
The same Nielsen study also found that 56 percent of consumers in North America trust the health claims advertised on food products. Generally, North Americans fell in the middle, averaging higher than European consumers and less than global consumers.
Research shows that online videos are becoming increasingly popular. According to a comScore study, 87 percent of Internet users in America watch video online.
The same study noted that watching online videos is more popular during the day than at night with 40 percent of online broadcast TV network viewing occurring on mobile devices. On the other hand, only 20 percent of prime-programs were viewed on mobile devices.
Similar research published by comScore showed that 15 percent of millennials view videos on their smartphones at least once per day. This number increases to 60 percent for once per month.
Nielsen researchers found that Internet marketing is far more valuable today than ever before. A 50 percent increase in an ad’s reach increases sales by 50 percent.
Nielsen also released data showing that on average, 59 percent of digital ad impressions reached the intended audience.
Incorporating the statistics from these reports to design powerful Internet marketing campaigns will enable your business to increase consumer interest and achieve the e-commerce experience necessary to accomplish customer loyalty.


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updated 03:00 pm EDT, Thu May 21, 2009
Sony's BD changers due
Sony will soon release two of its advanced but long delayed Blu-ray disc changers, according to a recent SonyInsider report. The BDP-CX960 and BDP-CX7000ES, prototypes of which were shown at a few major electronics shows, have been seen on a Swiss product page listing that indicates the latter model is already going on sale, at least in some parts of the world. Specs are still thin, though the BDP-CX960 will hold 200 Blu-ray discs, while the CX700ES model will have a 400-disc capacity. In Sweden, the larger model is priced at the equivalent of $2,250.
Sony is currently selling the HES-V1000 200-disc Blu-ray changer that also has a DLNA-compatible 500GB hard drive. It has been criticized for being slow to load discs, its lack of Profile 2.0 support and no tuner or hard drive. Official ship dates for the two Blu-ray changers for North America are not yet known.


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TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) —A new record store opened its doors Saturday in the 12 Points neighborhood.
Local Vinyl celebrated national record store day with a festival complete with vendors, food, and live music.
There was a $5 admission fee, with 12% of proceeds being donated to the 12 Points Revitalization effort.
Eleanor Jones, store owner, said she is looking forward to finally having a shop for her collection.
“I am more relived than excited, if you will,” Jones began. “Because I’ve been carrying vinyl for the last three and a half years. So, this is the first time that they actually have a home and i can properly grow my collection now.”
The shop will be open every week from Thursday to Sunday.


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The luxurious dayclub OMNIA seems to have closed its chapter in Bali, as the hyped destination appears to have changed management with the iconic location adopting a new name, Savaya Bali.
On Dec. 1, Savaya Bali began posting on social media and announcing its opening for Dec. 26 in an event titled “First Dance of Savaya.”
Its subsequent posts soon made it pretty clear that it is occupying the Uluwatu location of what’s formerly known as OMNIA Bali, as also acknowledged in an automated message to the number listed for reservations at Savaya Bali.
It’s also hard to miss the iconic OMNIA cube sitting on the edge of Uluwatu cliffs from Savaya’s social media posts, such as this one on Instagram:
View this post on Instagram
Coconuts Bali has reached out to Savaya Bali to inquire more about the new club, and we’ll update this story as soon as we hear from them.
Though you can still find OMNIA Bali on Instagram (its last post was from Sept. 16), you’ll come up empty if you look on Facebook. In addition, Bali is no longer listed on the website for OMNIA clubs.
OMNIA Bali opened to the public in early 2018 to much fanfare, bringing star-studded performances from renowned international DJs and getting a lot of coverage on social media as Indonesians and foreign visitors frequent the dayclub, which also boasts a pretty sick view of the Indian Ocean. While the brand itself may have quietly left the Indonesian market, partygoers may still be able to look forward to cool events in the future under the location’s new host. You can watch this space for future updates about the club.
Read more news and updates from Bali here.


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Drastic changes to second-quarter estimates from EMC and Advanced Micro Devices, coupled with a report that's expected to show a rise in the unemployment rate, should send technology stocks deeper into the red Friday. The Dow is set to open sharply lower.
The Nasdaq slumped Thursday after a warning from British telecommunications company Marconi sent the networking and telecommunications sectors into a tailspin. Surprisingly large warnings from EMC and AMD mean the tech-heavy index will likely continue on a downward course.
The June employment report, released just before the markets open, is expected to show that the unemployment rate rose to 4.6 percent from 4.4 percent in May. Payrolls are expected to have fallen by about 40,000, much steeper than the loss of 19,000 jobs in May.
Stocks to watch
• EMC has become the latest technology bellwether to warn. The data-storage giant said second-quarter earnings will be less than a third of what analysts have been expecting. EMC said it now expects earnings of 4 cents to 6 cents a share on sales of $2 billion. The company was expected to earn 17 cents on revenue of $2.43 billion, according to First Call.
Slowing international sales were blamed for the shortfall. The company had hoped to earn $12 billion for the year, but has been backing off from that goal in recent months.
• AMD will also take a tumble after it lowered guidance for its second quarter. The computer-processor maker said revenue and earnings will miss forecasts, blaming a drop in chip prices.
Earnings are now predicted to be 3 cents to 5 cents a share, a small fraction of the 27 cent average estimate of First Call. Second-quarter sales will be down about 17 percent from first-quarter results of $1.19 billion, the company added. AMD projected that second-quarter sales would decline by as much as 10 percent.
• BMC Software also joins the club. The software maker said fiscal first-quarter earnings and revenue will miss expectations because of the slowdown in information-technology spending.
Earnings, excluding one-time items, are expected to be between $15 million to $20 million, or 6 cents to 8 cents per share. That's below the 11 cents to 14 cents the company forecast in April and First Call's prediction for 13 cents a share.
At the bell
The Dow Jones industrial average may open 59 points lower. The Standard & Poor's 500 index for June futures contracts was off 6.8 points to 1,217 at 7:15 a.m. EDT in 24-hour electronic trading.
Reuters contributed to this report.


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Demi Moore has fallen victim to credit card fraud.
According to a criminal document obtained by Us Weekly, a man named David Matthew Read allegedly used 55-year-old Moore’s American Express card during the month of March at various online stores and Los Angeles shops. Read spent more than $169,000.
A surveillance video seemingly shows Read using the card at Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue stores throughout Southern California. It also showed him making purchases at “the times and places where the fraudulent transactions occurred,” making him the main suspect.
The report also that Read “admitted to obtaining D.M.’s credit card without authorization and fraudulently using it to make purchases at stores.”
On March 2, an individual reported the card lost/stolen. When a new one was delivered through FedEx in Santa Monica, Read picked up the replacement card himself. According to Moore and her personal assistant, they had not requested a new card. Read was later arrested outside of a storage unit he had been renting since April, and according to E! News, he remains in jail.
The LOL actress joins a list of celebrities who have been victims of credit card theft. 50 Cent and Carmelo Anthony both had their card numbers stolen back in 2013 and the alleged assailant spent more than $500,000 at Vespas, Tiffany & Co. and more. Other star-studded victims include Tiger Woods, Kim Kardashian and Will Smith.
Moore has yet to publicly respond to the ordeal.
For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews – Subscribe on YouTube!


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The Wyoming Lottery is Off and Running
SHERIDAN, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming has begun selling Powerball and Mega Millions tickets at nearly 400 retailers across the state.
Lottery officials say the first ticket was sold to Mary Ogg, a 67-year-old grandmother from Sheridan who doesn't normally enter games of chance. Ogg beat out more than 27,000 people for the chance to buy the first ticket in the new Wyoming Lottery as well as a new car in the promotional event.
She bought her ticket Sunday at a convenience store in Sheridan where she normally buys gas. After Ogg made her purchase, the rest of the approved outlets around the state began selling tickets.
The lottery is expected to net about $6 million a year for Wyoming after expenses and prizes. The first $6 million of proceeds will go to local governments, and anything above that goes to a state school fund.


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Oh sure, they changed the names & locations to protect the indigent at everybody's favorite abattoir in the CBOT, but you couldn't fool me - I knew it was Ceres. (I provide the decoded text at the end of each paragraph, via my Little Orphan Annie decoder ring.)
Wall Street* drowns its sorrows
By Greg Farrell in New York*
Published: November 29 2008 00:16 | Last updated: November 29 2008 00:16
The titans of Wall Street* have taken a battering in the financial markets recently, but they are eating well and drinking more, according to the people who run Manhattan’s** “power” dining spots. At the 21 Club***, a longtime redoubt of corporate chieftains and big names, alcohol sales are up 9 per cent from last year, and businessmen can be seen drinking $14-a-glass cocktails as early as 3pm**** on a weekday.
[*LaSalle Street. **Chicago. ***Ceres. ****10:00am]
“Where people used to have one vodka on the rocks, now it’s a second one or maybe a third,” says Roger Rice*, the floor manager. “I don’t know what to attribute it to. Maybe it’s the last year of the expense account.” Others say their customers are drinking more to drown their sorrows. “People want to feel a little numb because it’s numbing out there,” says Steve Millington**, general manager at Michael’s***, the restaurant of choice for publishing and media executives.
[*Terry Duffy. **Ken Griffin. ***Totally fictitious occupation.]
He reports that alcohol sales are up a fifth* from last year. “At dinner**, hard liquor sales are up, cocktails and martinis. It’s less so at lunch***. People are drinking wine at lunch, less the high-end wines and more medium-priced wines.” The increase in alcohol sales is clear, says Mr Millington****, because overall customer levels are on a par with last year. “There’s a scent of fear,” he says.
[*No pun intended. **Lunch. ***Breakfast. ****Terry Duffy, again.]
Times are good at Delmonico’s*, the 181-year-old fine dining restaurant, says Dennis Turcinovic, managing partner. “It’s scary to say, but our business is up 6 to 7 per cent,” he says. “Alcohol sales . . . help a lot, they’re about 15 per cent up this year. The bar’s busy all day. I’ve had to hire extra barmaids**.”
[*Tutto Italiano. **Right, "barmaids."]
There are few signs that people are saving money on food either. At San Pietro*, an upmarket Italian restaurant, business remains brisk. Gerardo Bruno**, president, says overall business is up 12 per cent from last year. In spite of the turmoil in the markets, one rule has held firm at San Pietro. “Americans, they never drink at lunch***,” Mr Bruno says. As for dinner, hard liquor sales are down, but after-dinner drinks, particularly grappa**** and cognac, are up, he adds.
[*Tutto Italiano, again. **Mayor Daley. ***Futures traders excepted. ****Maddog 20/20.]
Wine sales remain strong, especially at dinner, except for one noticeable change. “When times are fantastic, the host does not lead, he lets his guests lead in choosing the wine,” says Mr Bruno. However, in the current climate, dinner hosts are turning to him to ask for wine recommendations*, a clear sign that restraint is in order, according to Mr Bruno. Yet not everyone has suffered in the economic downturn. Mr Bruno produced two empty bottles of 1947 Petrus**, consumed recently by a Chinese customer who called ahead to order the wines. The price? A mere $12,000 each.
[*City contracts. **CME stock.]


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Enough Plastic Campaign 2021: HK NGO EcoDrive Wants To Reduce Single-Use Plastic Dependency
4 Mins Read
Hong Kong-based environmental nonprofit EcoDrive unveiled the Enough Plastic Campaign 2021 on May 30, which is also No Single-Use Plastic Awareness Day, in an effort to raise awareness and educate the public on why and how they can reduce their dependency on single-use plastics, with the campaign running till the end of June.
The Enough Plastic campaign began back in 2019with No Single Use Plastic Awareness Day held for the first time that year. This year’s tagline is “ 少塑從揀” – Choose Wisely to reduce single-use plastic and through various engagement processes, the campaign is raising awareness among the public and is collaborating with corporates to encourage action change.
We want to remind the public that we can all #startsmallstartnow and #choosewisely.Angela Cheng Matsuzawa, Eco Drive Hong Kong
Over the lpst 18 months, plastic recycling has declined considerably while the increase of single use plastic like disposable masks and PPEs has continuously been on the rise. Research showed that in 2020 alone due to the pandemic-induced lockdowns, people bought more than 100 million disposable plastic items every single week as the number of takeaway food orders soared by 55% compared to before the pandemic.
EcoDriver Angela Cheng Matsuzawa shared more about why the new campaign is so needed: “Our 2019 campaign announced the problem of single use plastic in Hong Kong and woke the public up to this issue. We all have been through a tough 18 months, so for 2021, after our Baby Shark and reusable masks campaign, we want to focus on solutions. We want to remind the public that we can all #startsmallstartnow and #choosewisely.”
Amidst all the many zero waste and plastic-free NGOs and movements, Eco Drive is laser focused on reducing the usage of single-used fossil fuel-based plastics in Hong Kong. In a prior interview with Green Queen Media, EcoDriver Sherry Fung-Wong shared the reason behind their mission” “At EcoDrive we understand there is so much that needs to be done to take better care of our Earth, but we are very focused on the reduction of single-use plastics because we want to put all our efforts not just into raising awareness, but more importantly to drive change. As a group of mothers, we feel that the problem of plastic is growing and our internal drive to help the next generation is incredibly strong since “we do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we simply borrow it from our children.”
To further drive the campaign, EcoDrive is launching a mobile app, dubbed ‘My Impact by EcoDrive’, which will help people measure and track their personal efforts towards reducing plastic with the app featuring competitions and open for sharing with friends as well as corporates.
As a group of mothers, we feel that the problem of plastic is growing and our internal drive to help the next generation is incredibly strong since “we do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we simply borrow it from our children”Sherry Fung-Wong, Eco Drive Hong Kong
For the campaign, artists Aaron Kwok and Karen Mok have come together to create a catalogue of images that stresses the importance of our everyday choices and how they can have a direct impact on the environment. For instance, one shows Kwok taking his own bag when he steps out for shopping while another depicts Mok bringing her own water bottle on the go.
To promote the high profile, Eco Drive Hong Kong secured billboards on buildings, bus shelters, mini buses, trams, MTR ads as well as outdoor TV and social media.
“This awareness campaign will have social media presence, outdoor and indoor exposure in CBD, malls, bus shelters, trams and minibuses. We have also incorporated interactive photo challenges on social media, drawing competitors from kindergarten to secondary students, and a mobile app that tracks plastic reduction for individuals and organizations. We hope that engagement at different level can help everyone tackle the problem of #singleusedplastic with a positive energy,” added Cheng Matsuzawa.
Several corporations and F&B groups have shown their support to the campaign either financially, in-kind, or going one step ahead and providing plastic reduction policies, or sharing the campaign message with everyone they know.
One of the initiatives by the Hong Kong government to reduce plastic is the proposed Plastic Beverage Container Producer Responsibility Scheme (PPRS) which is looking to slash the 1.55 billion plastic beverage containers the region threw away in 2019 and encourage domestic recycling.
However, Aaron Kent, founder of reusable cup initiative Please Drink Responsibly, recently shared several reasons why the scheme may be destined to fail from plastic bag charges still at HK$0.50 (approx. US$0.06) to a lack of any kind of target in the proposal to the region’s lowest proposed rebate of HK$0.10 (approx. US$0.01) per container in the world.
Lead image created by Green Queen Media with photos from Eco Drive Hong Kong.


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Again-to-school looking for her three youngsters, Stephanie Maddox lately picked up a bottle of hand sanitizer and seen it was dearer than she remembered. Then, she checked out binders, discovering fewer choices, all with greater worth tags.
“My price range is greater this 12 months … but it surely looks like it does not matter a lot,” says Maddox, from Alabama. Offers really feel much less like offers, she says, and extra like regular costs she used to see.
That’s precisely how inflation works: spending extra however not getting extra. After months of worrying in regards to the pandemic, buyers now say greater costs are their high concern — proper as back-to-school season started.
Spending on faculty garments and provides this 12 months is on monitor to match final 12 months’s document of $37 billion, based on the Nationwide Retail Federation. The group estimates that households with faculty youngsters will spend a mean of $864, or $15 greater than final 12 months.
Inflation being at a 40-year excessive is a key driver of this 12 months’s near-record spending, says Keisha Advantage, senior retail analysis analyst at JLL who surveyed back-to-school buyers. Nearly half the mother and father in JLL’s survey mentioned they anticipated to purchase fewer merchandise this 12 months, planning to give attention to requirements — due to inflation.
The NRF’s survey additionally discovered extra households saying they plan to skip journey or dip into financial savings to pay for back-to-school provides. Extra mother and father than earlier than mentioned they plan to reuse provides they have already got.
Usually talking, American buyers are nonetheless spending quite a bit on back-to-school provides — definitely greater than earlier than the pandemic. Broadly, wages have been rising, unemployment stays low, individuals’s financial savings ranges are comparatively wholesome. However monetary nervousness is now a standard a part of the expertise.
“I simply really feel for the primary time possibly in my complete expertise of being a mother, that I am pausing on shopping for form of extra basic items that I used to not even suppose twice about,” says Mary Rynsburger, a trainer from Michigan who has triplets going to tenth grade and one other daughter beginning senior 12 months.
Relating to meals, hardest-hit by inflation, she nonetheless get her common fare, however would possibly skip issues that now not appear value it, like gentle drinks or chips. “I simply do not suppose I am going to get pleasure from these Doritos, figuring out they price extra,” she says, with fun.
Manufacturers and retailers say they’ve seen individuals start to alter how they store: extra seemingly to decide on retailer manufacturers or wait out offers. Walmart — the highest U.S. vacation spot for back-to-school procuring — says it has needed to hold reducing costs for garments and different non-necessities to get individuals past the meals aisles.
In interviews, mother and father say they’re wanting ahead the traditional routines of the college 12 months, keen to depart pandemic-era digital faculty within the rear view mirror. However in fact, that additionally means budgeting for the extras that entails — lengthy after back-to-school procuring is completed.
“It’s going to be charges for costumes, charges for musical devices, subject journeys — none of this stuff would have existed final 12 months,” says Katya Banta from Texas, whose youngsters begin 4th and ninth grade. “So, sure, this 12 months I am anticipating to pay extra. However I am additionally again to work, we have been working as many hours as we are able to work — that is going to steadiness out as nicely, so I am hopeful that it will likely be okay.”


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Lucknow: Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani on Friday said the company will invest Rs 75,000 crore over the next four years in expanding the telecom network, including roll out of 5G services, retail and new energy business in Uttar Pradesh.
Speaking at the UP Global Investors Summit 2023 here, Ambani said his group’s telecom arm Jio will roll out 5G services across the state by December 2023.
“Reliance plans to invest an additional Rs 75,000 crores in the next four years across Jio, retail and renewable businesses in UP, creating an additional over 1 lakh jobs in the state,” he said.
He added, “Jio will complete its roll-out of 5G to cover every town and village in Uttar Pradesh by December of 2023”.
Also, the oil-to-telecom conglomerate will set up 10 GW of renewable capacity and start a bio-energy business in the state, he noted.
Ambani said that this year’s Budget has “laid foundation for India’s emergence as a developed nation.”
“It stands out for its highest-ever resource allocation for building the foundation for the country’s growth in terms of capital expenditure. India is on a very strong growth path,” he said.
(With inputs from agencies)


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Perth-ISP, iiNet, will be setting up its ‘helpers on wheels’ team in Sydney and Melbourne next month.
Dubbed the BoBsquad, the new business unit has been in operation for 12 months in Perth. It now has 12 working members that can be redistributed to different departments during quiet periods.
The company showed off the team during its Open Day on Monday.
iiNet residential customers in Perth are able to call request help from the BoBsquad should they encounter any Internet-related trouble. A member of the squad will drive out in specially branded vehicles to a given location to aid customers.
These mobile workers can not only help with Internet connections problems but teach customers how to set up other internet enabled hardware such as smart TVs and gaming consoles as well.
The service isn’t free with a starting cost of $99 for the first hour and a steady $22 half-hourly rate charged for longer visits.
While $99 sounds like a lot of money, iiNet isn’t making much profit out of the service just yet, according to a BoBsquad member. Operating the fleet of cars alone is costing the ISP money.
Since the BoBsquad vehicles also carry stock of iiNet products, such as the BoB2, the company hopes to eventually make a profit through hardware sales.
But iiNet is already reaping the rewards from the team with improved customer satisfaction.
iiNet plans to have six BoBsquad members in Sydney as well as Melbourne.


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In just over two decades the Internet has become a huge part of our everyday lives. Today 82% of adults in the UK are online. Completing transactions online has become second nature, with more and more of us going online for shopping, banking, information and entertainment.
Why? Because online services tend to be quicker, more convenient and cheaper to use.
However, government based services have stood out by their failure to keep up with the digital age. While many public sector organisations now deliver their services online as a matter of course, the prevalence of digital public services is far behind that of the private sector.
Conducted by research company iGov, a nationwide survey of over 400 public sector decision makers across 328 organisations points to gaps in the digital strategies of the public sector. For example, 64% of those surveyed don’t have a digital transformation strategy, or even know what one is. This is a worry statistic given the government’s digital agenda.
The report also highlights how 82% are unable to track end user journeys from start to finish, making it difficult to recognise discontinuities across touch points and reduce abandonment. Additionally, 23% lack an assisted digital policy, or the means by which to assist end users through their digital journey.
Unless addressed proactively, these deficiencies might impede the public sector’s ability to deliver responsive and inclusive end user services for the long-term. An answer: a unified end user engagement hub, powered by consistent knowledge, will enable connected, relevant and fruitful journeys and ultimately help win their trust.
Mark Fenna is head of public sector at eGain


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Virtually everyone in the Oregon cannabis community understands that new rules and regulations can pose serious obstacles for those in the industry, but new lab testing rules have proven to be the biggest challenge yet. Starting on October 1st, every regulated medical dispensary and retail store is required to only accept marijuana and marijuana products from growers and processors that have tested their goods at labs certified by the Oregon Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ORELAP). The lack of access to ORELAP certified labs has led to a bottleneck in the supply chain and an increase to the costs of tests.
Noelle Crombie reported in The Oregonian:
Some makers of marijuana concentrates, extracts and edibles are sounding dire alarms about how the state’s new testing rules are holding back their products from the market and jeopardizing their businesses.
They complain that the state lacks approved labs to carry out all of the required tests, causing long delays, forcing them to mull layoffs and generally leaving them out of the state’s new recreational marijuana program that opened this month.
The state has 18 accredited and approved labs for marijuana; only four are approved to test for pesticides, a hallmark of Oregon’s marijuana regulation.
The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC), the regulatory body in charge of the legal cannabis market, called for input from industry participants, many of whom have called for a pushback against the new lab regulations. The OLCC has been relatively adaptive to the needs of the cannabis market, so they will hopefully adjust as needed to keep the burgeoning cannabis market.
Attendees of the Oregon Marijuana Business Conference (OMBC) will have the opportunity to hear from industry entrepreneurs that have first-hand experience with these new lab requirements as well as Rob Patridge, Chair of the OLCC. While these new law requirements are posing serious hurdles to the industry, those that can jump over these hurdles will have a great opportunity to thrive in the Oregon cannabis market. If you are in the Oregon cannabis industry, or thinking of joining, get your tickets to the OMBC and have your answers addressed by entrepreneurs, experts and the Chair of the OLCC.


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Says Panel of Travel & Tourism Leaders
|November 10, 2003 London, UK - At an event to launch the next Global
Travel & Tourism Summit, a panel of industry leaders spoke out forcefully
to advocate much greater collaboration between government and industry
in order to foster sustainable growth and greater security for the travelling
The panel discussion, which took place at the World Travel Market in London, was moderated by television journalist Gwenan Edwards and covered issues ranging from emerging markets and the implications of the latest technology to the impact of government policy on safety & security.
The panel debate was an example of the discussions that will take place at the 4th Global Travel &Tourism Summit on a much larger scale from 1 – 3 May 2004 in Doha, Qatar, when over 500 of the most influential people in the industry will gather to discuss the major issues confronting Travel & Tourism.
The panellists were:
Akbar Al Baker said: “In Qatar, tourism is the second industry behind natural resources. At the Summit, we will unveil a grand plan for tourism in Qatar.”
Panel Discussion Highlights:
Below are selected quotes from the panellists on various issues.
Jean-Claude Baumgarten said: “Governments have to elevate Travel & Tourism to senior cabinet positions.”
Lalit Suri endorsed this comment and pointed out that: “The WTTC private sector initiative in India has helped to elevate Travel & Tourism to senior government levels in the parliament. The result has been investment in crucial infrastructures and policies which will help to make India a destination to be proud of.”
Luis Correia da Silva sais: “In Portugal, we work closely with the private sector on new legislation governing Travel & Tourism development.”
Peter Greenberg said: “Tourism is no longer about the destination, it’s about the experience and the industry must change to recognize that. The question is what can I do in your destination that I can’t do at home? I want to go fishing, catch the fish and cook it with the hotel chef – that’s an experience!”
Akbar Al Baker continued: “Everyone has sun, sea and sand. We are differentiating ourselves by selling our culture. In addition, safety and security is a selling point. In my country the crime rate is zero.”
Peter Greenberg added: “In my country over 1100 people a week have a serious accident in their own bathtub so you have to keep safety and security in perspective.”
About The 4th Global Travel & Tourism Summit
The 4th Global Travel & Tourism Summit, which will be the highest-level meeting in the Travel & Tourism calendar next year, will take place at the Sheraton Doha, from May 1 – 3 2004. Under the theme ‘Driving Change’, it will be attended by the Chairmen and CEOs of the world’s top Travel & Tourism companies, over a hundred of the world’s leading travel and business journalists and numerous government officials.
Delegates will consider the future of the industry in a series of plenary sessions, highly interactive panel discussions, several small groups and informal conversations over meals.
Sir Ian Prosser, Chairman of WTTC and InterContinental Hotels said: The Summit offers unparalleled networking and the opportunity to shape the future of one of the largest industries on Earth, which employs 200 million people and represents over 10 per cent of world GDP.
The World Travel & Tourism Council is the global business forum. Its Members are Chief Executive Officers of some 100 of the world’s most prominent Travel & Tourism businesses. The mission of the Council is to raise awareness of the economic importance of Travel & Tourism worldwide. According to WTTC research, in 2003 Travel & Tourism will represent over 10 per cent of global GDP and more than 194 million jobs worldwide.
World Travel & Tourism Council
+44 (0)777 0816 070
|Also See:||Half-year Results for the Middle East and Africa Hotel Markets Indicate Occupancy Levels Dropping by 8%, to just 54% / HotelBenchmark / Aug 2003|
|The World Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Monitor - Tracks by Country the Competitive Environment for Travel & Tourism Development / November 2003|
Has Massive Impact on Travel & Tourism in Affected Destinations / World
Travel & Tourism
Council Report / May 2003


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Telstra - News, Features, and Slideshows
Telstra in pictures
Wi-Fi aggregator Fon is continuing its mission to cover the world with shared broadband Internet connections, with recent deals giving it a boost. But the U.S. market continues to elude the company.
By Mikael Ricknäs | 01 July, 2015 00:40
Telstra has described as "disappointing" a draft decision by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission that will see a significant drop in the prices the telco charges for a number of wholesale services on the copper network.
By Rohan Pearce | 29 June, 2015 11:47
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is eyeing a steeper cut than previously mooted to the pricing of the Telstra wholesale services regulated by the competition watchdog.
By Rohan Pearce | 29 June, 2015 10:50
Telstra will officially launched its national Wi-Fi network on Tuesday, with the telco dubbing the offering ‘Telstra Air’ and revealing that customers will be able to access an international network of wireless hotspots.
By Rohan Pearce | 26 June, 2015 13:48
LTE is simultaneously being pushed forward on several fronts, and the result for users will be faster networks, better coverage and the ability to access networks while travelling abroad.
By Mikael Ricknäs | 28 June, 2013 10:37
More subscribers, networks with better coverage and devices that can be used in more countries are converging to make LTE roaming a more viable proposition, with some operators already offering such services on a limited scale and more on the way.
By Mikael Ricknäs | 25 March, 2013 17:45
Technology giant Apple recently unveiled the company's latest iPhone -- the iPhone 4S. Featuring an identical physical design to the previous iPhone 4, the iPhone 4S (like the iPhone 3GS before it) is betting on faster performance, a better camera and a new voice recognition service to win over consumers.
By Ross Catanzariti | 10 October, 2011 15:39
This report showcases the results from a Computerworld survey across IT managers and CIOs on their organisation’s use and intentions around data backup and recovery processes. Find out: how IT leaders are changing the way they protect their organisation’s valuable information, the most popular uses and intentions around data backup practices and how organisations are dealing with exponential data growth.
This whitepaper looks at the dramatic shift in the relationship between technology and business and the challenges organisations are facing with expanding investments in mobility, social media, and Big Data/analytics — and, most significantly, a transformation to cloud-based delivery.
- OpenSSL tells users to prepare for a high severity flaw
- Nvidia attempts to ease the path to deep learning
- FBI chief warns that terrorists hide behind encrypted communications
- Privacy group files FTC complaint to push Google to extend right to be forgotten to US
- US judge dimisses second conviction of ex-Goldman Sachs coder
- Samsung profit squeezed by Galaxy S6 shortage
- Reddit CEO Ellen Pao tries to calm furor with huge 'mea culpa'
- Drawing and writing (poorly) with HP Pro Slate 8
- In Pictures: Best office apps for Android, round 3
- In Pictures: How 7 companies bring power to Hadoop Big Data applications
- Instagram bumps up photo resolution to 1080 pixels
- Samsung releases world's first 2TB consumer SSDs
- Microsoft's new Tossup app tries to simplify getting friends together
- Cisco leading another IoT standards group
- Humans again to blame for latest accidents involving Google autonomous cars