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The Premier Rio, which is sold under the Zotye brand in China is about to be introduced as an Electric Vehicle. The Zotye 2008 EV will be introduced by the end of this month at a price tag of US $16,000.
The Zotye SUV is a essentially a reworked 1st generation Daihatsu Terios. It was offered in China only with a petrol engine. Premier sources the vehicle's CKDs from China, assembles it at the Pune facility with a 1.5-liter diesel engine and markets it as the Premier Rio.
According to Zotye, the 2008 has silent operation, emits no pollutants and makes use of L-Ion battery pack which can be charged even at a household socket. The motor generates 27KW and on a single charge, the car can travel up to 300km.
The SUV can also reach a respectable top speed of 110kph. Compared to the petrol model, the EV is four to five times more economical.
Zotye is also planning to introduce this vehicle in London as the city offers many benefits for EV operators.
Source - China Car Times


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Venture, NBK Automobiles ink auto deal
Doha, May 29, 2010
Venture Gulf, one of the leading project management partners of the oil and gas industry, said it has sealed a multi-milliondollar deal commercial vehicle deal with NBK Automobiles, the exclusive dealer of Mercedes-Benz in Qatar.
As per the agreement NBK Automobiles will supply Venture Gulf with Mercedes-Benz Tractorheads and Flatbeds. The agreement was signed by senior officials of both the companies in mid March.
The 6-cylinder tractorheads and flatbeds will be utilized for various support services in the ongoing and upcoming oil and gas projects, said a top official.
"We are very proud of our partnership with NBK Automobiles and Mercedes-Benz, one of the leading international names in heavy duty commercial vehicles. As one of the pioneering organisations in the oil and gas industry we are always looking to align ourselves with brands of similar stature," said Saeed Bin Abdul Aziz Al Nasser, chairman of Venture Gulf.
"This will, in turn, enhance the credibility and scope of our brand offering and will ensure that we continue to enjoy the absolute trust and confidence of our customers," he added.
Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles is Qatar's exclusive distributor of three of the world's most respected, iconic brands: May Bach; Mercedes-Benz; and Harley Davidson.
"We are honoured to have been recognised as a valuable partner of commercial vehicle fleet of Venture Gulf," said Khaled Shaaban, general manager of NBK Automobiles.
"We offer clients an unparalleled mix of premium brands, after sales service and market-leading expertise and we strongly believe that our success is directly dependant on the success of our customers," he explained.
"Hence we strive to offer world-class solutions that will continuously enhance their operational efficiency," he added.
Venture Gulf said it has also signed a three-year maintenance contract with NBK Automobiles as per which all its commercial vehicles will be serviced only at authorized Mercedes-Benz service centres in Qatar.
This will ensure that the commercial vehicle fleet of Venture Gulf always stays in pristine condition and will guarantee the productivity, durability and reliability of the fleet for many years to come, said Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Nasser, vice chairman and chief operations officer of Venture Gulf.
"We sincerely believe that the addition of the new Mercedes-Benz tractorheads and flatbeds to our existing fleet will contribute many folds to the productivity and performance of the existing projects of our diverse clientele."
"This, in combination with our 3-year maintenance contract with NBK will continue to ensure that we offer both industry-leading and marketing leading solutions to the oil and gas industry," he added.
Venture Gulf has been providing logistics, warehousing, fabrication and machining services as well as manpower support to several leading names in the oil and gas industry such as Occidental, Maersk Oil, Penzoil, Anadarko, Ensco, Chevron, Texaco and other multinational oil and gas corporations.
The Company is an approved and registered supplier and contactor of Qatar Petroleum and caters to both the on shore and off shore field requirements of QP.-TradeArabia News Service

domain: news


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Audio and video metering specialist DK-Technologies has fulfilled the first orders for its new DK T7 audio and loudness meter, which was launched at IBC last year.
The DK T7 began shipping in February with the first two units delivered to UK console manufacturer Calrec. These have now been fitted into 48-fader Artemis Light consoles destined for Al Jazeera in London. Other broadcast and post production customers have chosen either stand-alone DK T7 meters or the new 3U rack mounted variant – the PT0T7. This fits neatly into a Tektronix rack system and can be used separately or in conjunction with a waveform monitor.
"We're delighted with the number of pre-orders the DK T7 has generated and we're ramping up production to fulfil them," says DK-Technologies' product marketing director, Uffe Kjems Hansen. "The DK T7 is exactly what the market needs – a cost-effective audio meter with an easy to use multi-touch interface that delivers a whole host of useful features at a very cost effective price."


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A group of suspected armed robbers may have used the new Pokemon Go smartphone game to find victims.
Police arrested four people, in Missouri, United States, who they say targeted players who had used a beacon in an attempt to catch Pokemon on the app.
The suspects were found sitting in a car with a handgun earlier today after authorities were called to a potential armed robbery, according to the O’Fallon Police Department.
Authorities alleged they robbed up to nine people, Gizmodo reported.
The ‘augmented reality’ game, which layers gameplay onto the physical world, became the top grossing app in the iPhone app store just days after its Wednesday release in the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
Players have also reported injuring themselves in a variety of ways as they wandered the real world – eyes glued to their smartphone screens – in search of digital monsters.
The identities of the suspects in the alleged robberies have not been released.


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Whitepaper Identifies Seven Key Factors That Characterize Markets Well Suited For Investment
NEW YORK, NY (July 30, 2014) – Virtually all large American publishers (98%) are now pursuing programmatic marketing strategies at home, but fewer—72 percent—have moved to deploy the same in support of their audience development efforts abroad. Despite this current discrepancy, international publishers active in this burgeoning market trend intend to neutralize the deployment gap over the next two years, according to a recent survey and whitepaper from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Winterberry Group released today, “Going Global: Programmatic Audience Development Around the World.” The study’s key findings overall showcase an international growth opportunity for companies with expertise in building programmatic advertising programs, and detail the priorities of U.S. and global companies seeking to expand beyond their traditional geographic borders.
Though their international efforts have largely been focused on markets with longstanding cultural and language ties to the U.S—such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, publisher respondents said they have every intention to expand their global programmatic marketing programs to a wide range of other markets over the next two years, with Brazil and China factoring most prominently among those countries likely to see new investment over that period. In considering which new regions to add to their programmatic portfolios, respondents ranked the “availability of third-party data” as the most important prerequisite for success (52%).
Conversely, the biggest roadblock to global expansion is a “lack of understanding of audience development,” with 34 percent of the study’s marketer, ad tech executive and publisher respondents seeing this as a problem. Government regulation was found to be a much smaller concern, with only 23 percent ranking it among their top three barriers to programmatic expansion.
To encourage worldwide expansion of programmatic marketing, the paper highlights seven key factors that typically characterize markets that are well suited for new or expanded investment:
- Embrace of the Audience: Advertisers in each market must be able to discover audience trends based on data and use these observations as the foundation of their advertising, marketing or media strategies
- Programmatic Know-How: Advertisers in each market must have a deep understanding of programmatic advertising and how it relates to specific use cases
- A Transparent, Open Market Culture: Marketplaces must be free and fair for all entrants, with significant protections against fraud and other adverse effects
- Data: Third-party audience data must be readily available and legally obtained via consumer-friendly means
- Technology—and the Means to Use It: The technology required to identify and develop audiences must be readily available, as well as the expertise required to utilize it
- Standards in Measurement and Accountability: Each market must commit to developing and maintaining a set of universal standards to govern audience identification, measurement and valuation
- An Opportunity to Build Scale: Each market, either independently or combined with other markets, must offer an audience population that drives value for all parties
“The promise of ‘programmatic everywhere’ is on the verge of being realized,” said Patrick Dolan, Executive Vice President and COO, IAB. “It is clear that programmatic advertising strategies have paid dividends for U.S. publishers, brand marketers, ad technology vendors and others in the industry, and now it is time for this practice to benefit marketplaces around the world.”
“While programmatic has succeeded wildly in the U.S., there is significant room for growth on an international scale,” said Jonathan Margulies, Managing Director, Winterberry Group. “By paying heed to the insights found in this report, a global environment can be cultivated which allows programmatic to flourish across borders, opening up new opportunities for digital advertising stakeholders across the board.”
Premier sponsors of the study included Adobe, DataXu and Visual IQ, with Oracle Marketing Cloud, Quantcast and Selligent serving as supporting sponsors.
To download the complete “Going Global: Programmatic Audience Development Around the World” study, please visitiab.com/goingglobal.
The whitepaper’s findings are based on an online survey of more than 145 advertiser, publisher, service provider and technology leaders sourced through the U.S. IAB membership and compiled between May and June 2014, as well as a series of intensive telephone interviews with more than three dozen global thought leaders. Though the online panel primarily represents companies based in the U.S., it includes substantial representation from both U.S.-based global companies, as well as non-U.S. companies that are members of IAB in the United States.
About Winterberry Group
Winterberry Group is a unique strategic consulting firm that supports the growth of advertising, marketing, media, information and technology organizations. Affiliated with Petsky Prunier LLC—a leading investment bank providing merger and acquisition advisory services to companies in the same sectors—the Firm offers its clients strategic perspective that is unparalleled in its addressable industries, while PPLLC maintains exceptional relationships with industry executives and business owners. This combination of market intelligence, research and strategic operating experience provides an educated outside perspective that we bring to each engagement. For more information, please visit www.winterberrygroup.com.
About the IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is comprised of more than 600 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling 86 percent of online advertising in the United States. The IAB empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. The organization educates marketers, agencies, media companies and the wider business community about the value of interactive advertising. Working with its member companies, the IAB evaluates and recommends standards and practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City with a Public Policy office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit iab.com.
IAB Media Contact


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Residents are being warned about phone calls that some households have received relating to council tax.
Some homeowners have been contacted from a call centre that appears to be based in India, stating that they can arrange for the refund of overpayments of council tax and they can also arrange for the homeowner's council tax band to be corrected.
The victim is then told to pay a £75 payment up front and is asked for their credit or debit card information, including the three digit security code on the back of their credit card to process the charge.
The Isle of Wight Council reported that one resident successfully blocked their card from being used, but was informed by their bank that several attempts were made to take payment from their card. The scam has been reported in areas across the UK.
Council tax refund calls are fraudulent
Councils are stressing that these callers are in no way related to local authorities and residents should not provide any personal information to callers, including card and bank details.
Anyone who receives these types of phone calls should end the call and contact Trading Standards. Anyone in the UK who has lost money to this type of scam should report it to Action Fraud.
Read more about the council tax scam on the Isle of Wight Council’s website.
Please note: Action Fraud is not responsible for the content on external websites.
To report a fraud, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.


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300,000 metric tons of rice to be imported to Sri Lanka
The Ministry of Trade said that steps will be taken to import 300,000 metric tons of rice to ensure a continuous supply of Rice to the people at cheaper rates, during the festive season.
The consignment rice will be distributed to the public at concessionary prices through Sathosa outlets.
The first batch of 40,000 metric tons of rice imported to Sri Lanka under the Indian credit line will reach the island this weekend, the Ministry of Trade said.
The Ministry of Trade said Ponni Samba, Ponni Nadu, and White Kekulu will be imported.
1kg of Ponni Samba will be sold at Rs. 130/- and other types of Rice at Rs. 110/- per 1kg, said the Trade Ministry.
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Fountain Square's Marrow is another Indy restaurant closing
With all the news of closings lately, you get the feeling small, fledgling restaurants don't have a chance in Indianapolis.
Eighteen-month-old Marrow is the third restaurant in almost as many weeks to say sayonara to Indy's heralded "most underrated food city in the U.S." scene.
Get tickets:Carmel food and wine fest features 'MasterChef's' Graham Elliot
Eating in:UberEATS starts delivery from Indy restaurants
More:Indy's most heartbreaking restaurant closings of 2016
The Fountain Square restaurant that serves global soul food made the Conde Nast Traveler 2016 story that described Indy as underrated. The article threw Marrow's popular tandoori fried chicken some love. No matter that accolade and others, Marrow, 1106 Prospect St., announced Friday night on Facebook that its run would end Sunday night.
Marrow chef/partner John Adams said the restaurant was buzzing for the six months following its Nov. 15, 2015, opening, "and then the rest was just sort of sustenance."
"We couldn’t look our investors in the eye and say give us another hundred grand."
Indianapolis can't sustain the many trendy, independent restaurants that have opened in the past six years, especially in the face of competition from larger restaurant groups that have launched crowd-pleasing brands here like The Eagle, Adams said. The Mass Ave. fried chicken place is from Cincinnati-based Thunderdome Restaurant Group. The Eagle is next door to the group's busy taco spot Bakersfield. Although the market has been excited about local chefs' creative menus, Adams, in the case of Marrow, wondered if "maybe we just went too far with (the Marrow menu)."
Mass Ave.'s farm-to-table Pizzology in March rebranded from cheffy pizzeria to southern European wine-and-dine experience Stella shortly after Kentucky-based pizzeria Goodfellas opened a block away. Downtown's fine-dining seafood spot Plow & Anchor rebranded as fast-casual The Taco Spot this year.
"(Diners) want Bluebeards and they want Milktooths and they want Marrows. I just don’t think we’re big enough to support that," Adams said. Bluebeard and Milktooth are acclaimed, independent restaurants in Fountain Square's neighboring Fletcher Place and Holy Rosary areas.
The arrivederci story was the same this past weekend at The Owner's Wife. In business only since late February, the Mass Ave.-area restaurant and its adjoining Outliers Brewing Co. locked up at the end of service June 3. Even an eclectic menu designed by nationally famous Milktooth chef Jonathan Brooks couldn't save the restaurant that occupied 608 N. Park Ave.
"The people just didn’t come. So the smartest thing for us to do was just cut our losses and get out of there quickly," owner Ted Miller said before The Owner's Wife closed. He blamed competition, the restaurant's long-delayed opening and having a menu of "so many very unique things in one place."
"There’s going to be a contraction. There’s going to be a shakeout. We’re one of them," Miller said.
Ditto at six-month-old LongBranch, which shuttered May 18 despite positive press. The Asian-fusion saloon and cocktail bar ended up in financial straits due to the owners' decision to serve only a 21-and-older crowd in the family-oriented Fall Creek Place neighborhood, general manager Scott Lowe said.
A delayed opening didn't help either, he added. LongBranch debuted in early November 2016, the start of the holiday season, a time when diners are less likely to eat out as they hang with family and cook at home. January is another typically slow month.
South Broad Ripple's fine-dining Recess, oft-described as Indy's best restaurant, also closed this year. Owner/chef Greg Hardesty said he'd had enough of the mentally and physically demanding business that took time from his family.
Downtown's Bourbon Street Distillery and The Elbow Room; the north side's Tulip Noir; and Irvington's Chef Dan's and BitterSweet were other 2017 closings.
Despite the string of good-byes, restaurants are still opening.
Brooks this fall launches his latest, the dinner restaurant Beholder, in Woodruff Place. Broad Ripple-born The Garden Table put location No. 2 on Mass Ave. in January. Tiny Mile Square Bistro in January took over Downtown Indy's shuttered City Cafe. The Fashion Mall at Keystone brings local restaurants Mimi Blue and Public Greens to the shopping complex in 2018.
Cleveland-based Red The Steakhouse arrived Downtown in late May. Indy's Cunningham Restaurant Group unveiled Livery on Mass Ave. around the same time LongBranch opened and plans two new restaurants at Ironworks Hotel, under development at Keystone Crossing. Tesla CEO Elon Musk's brother, Kimball Musk, plans Hedge Row on Mass Ave. and Next Door at Meridian-Kessler. Chicago hot dog and Italian beef joint Portillio's recently broke ground in Fishers.
It was not lost on Marrow's Adams that most of those newbies are not Indy native mom-and-pop shops but units backed by restaurant groups, most from out of state. Indy restaurant industry insiders oftentimes refer to those groups as "chains."
"It’s super unfortunate. It’s what’s upon us in this city," Adams said. "I think we’re actually at the point where the things are either spread too thin or people don’t seem to care if it’s a chain from Cincy or it’s a chain from Chicago."
Follow IndyStar food writer Liz Biro on Twitter: @lizbiro, Instagram:@lizbiro, Facebook andPinterest. Call her at (317) 444-6264.


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WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — The Federal Trade Commission last week ordered Tops Friendly Markets here to seek buyers for seven of the stores it had acquired from Penn Traffic earlier this year.
The FTC had allowed Tops to buy 79 stores from Penn Traffic, which was in bankruptcy, before its antitrust review of purchase was completed, on the condition that Tops agree to divest certain locations as the FTC deemed necessary to preserve competition.
Last week the FTC said it had identified five local areas where “competition was an issue”: Bath, Cortland, Ithaca (two stores) and Lockport, all in New York, and Sayre, Pa. (also two stores).
“In each market there are no more than three supermarkets within a 10- to 15-mile area,” the FTC said, citing the likelihood that Tops' purchase of the stores would lead to higher prices.
Tops had already divested 24 of the 79 stores it originally acquired. It is in the process of converting the retained stores to Tops. The acquired locations, in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, operated under the P&C, Quality Market and BiLo banners.
The FTC's order, which was approved by 5-0 vote, is open to public comment for 30 days before it becomes final. Tops would then have three months to find buyers, whom the FTC would then need to approve.
United Food and Commercial Workers Local One, which represents Tops workers — including 450 employees at the seven disputed locations — described the FTC order as a “bad decision.”
“We proved to the FTC and the commissioners that Tops is not a threat to the consumer,” said Frank DeRiso, president of UFCW Local One, in a prepared statement. “In fact, Tops falls into the guidelines of protecting the consumer, and the fact is that prices have gone down as a result of Tops purchasing Penn Traffic stores. The FTC is supposed to protect the consumer, but they have failed miserably here.”
The union had supported Tops' original acquisition offer during Penn Traffic's bankruptcy proceedings.
Katie McKenna, a Tops spokeswoman, told SN the company had hoped to retain all seven of the locations it has been ordered to sell.
“The initial reaction of Tops Friendly Markets is one of disappointment because of the company's desire to run a majority of the stores that were cited in the order,” she said.
It was unclear what potential buyers might emerge for the stores, although Schenectady, N.Y.-based Price Chopper had previously acquired several Penn Traffic locations and had expressed interest in many more during the bankruptcy proceedings. Tops is required to continue operating the stores and supporting their viability as it seeks a buyer.


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The Reconnecting the Customer report was very specific on what provisions the ACMA - which had already seen early versions of the new code - wanted to see in the public draft and the final version.
A key feature of the draft code is the proposed creation of a new independent watchdog, Communications Compliance, to monitor service providers' compliance with the provisions of the new code.
The Australian Communications Consumers Action Network (ACCAN) sees enforcing compliance as the main issue, and is not convinced that Communications Compliance will be an adequate solution, despite having been intimately involved in the revision of the code.
"With a self-regulatory Code governing an industry as vital as telecommunications, the biggest issue is making sure that providers abide by the rules," ACCAN CEO, Teresa Corbin said. "We're not convinced that this [Communications Compliance] is best practice and will be making further comment about that in our submission."
Corbin was a member of the Code review's steering committee and said that consumer representatives had been working alongside industry for the past 15 months to try to improve the self-regulatory Code.
"While the draft revised TCP Code falls short of some of the main consumer protections advocates wanted, there are some improvements around notifications for customers and a requirement for telecommunications providers to resolve complaints more quickly," she said.
According to Communications Alliance, the other main features of the new code are:
- Unit Pricing - three unit prices (for calls, text message and data use) to be included in all large print advertisements for post-paid, included value mobile plans, to help consumers compare different plans before they buy;
- Tighter deadlines for phone companies to acknowledge and resolve customer complaints;
- Stronger restrictions on advertising content to ensure ads are clear and do not mislead customers;
- Better pre-sales information, to ensure consumers have all the necessary information about the products and can easily compare offers from different providers;
- Spend management tools, including notifications to tell customers where they stand in comparison to any data usage limits each month;
- Stronger protection for customers concerning credit and debt management;
- New obligations on suppliers in relation to vulnerable customers and meeting customers' needs.


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Toyota developed a computer chip for its gas-electric hybrid cars that could boost fuel efficiency by 10 per cent and allow the automaker to install the hybrid system on more of its vehicles.
SAT said the Sebi had "after considering all mitigating factors has imposed penalty of Rs 8 lakhs for all years which cannot be said to be perverse or unreasonable".
These schemes are a safer option as they offer a small exposure to equity, while ensuring capital protection. However, one must account for the longer investment period.
The launch came the day before Computex -- Asia's biggest technology trade show -- opens its doors in the capital Taipei.
Microsoft unveiled two new Windows devices -- a tablet-laptop hybrid and a seven-inch tablet -- at Asia's largest tech show in Taiwan.
The launch came the day before Computex - Asia's biggest technology trade show - opens its doors in the capital Taipei.
The partnership also announced the commissioning of its first project in Tamil Nadu – a 100 kW ground-mounted solar-diesel hybrid system for Indo Shell Cast.
Automobile maker Ford is recalling more than 692,000 Escape small SUVs and C-Max gas-electric hybrids in North America to fix two safety problems.


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From market stall to stock market: Superdry goes superfly with multimillion pound flotation
The founder of the Superdry label sported by stars such as David Beckham was today set to reap almost £80million after completing the transformation from market stall to stock market.
Chief executive Julian Dunkerton has built up label owner SuperGroup from a market stall in Cheltenham more than 20 years ago into a chain with 40 stores and 54 concessions in House of Fraser.
The float of 31.6 per cent of SuperGroup values the overall company at £395million, while Mr Dunkerton's stake falls from 53 per cent to 33 per cent, still giving him a £130million share of the business.
Star appeal: Stars including actor Zac Efron are fans of the Superdry label
His partners, brand designer James Holder and international head Theo Karpathios, will also pick up multi-million pound payouts as their stake falls to 15 per cent.
The owners are taking £105 million out of the business in total through the float, with a further £15million earmarked to fund growth.
Educational whiteboards firm Promethean also confirmed a launch price today which values the firm at around £400million.
The group is selling 46.4 per cent of the business through the issue of new shares as well as private equity firm Apax selling its 25 per cent stake.
The move will leave 10.4 per cent of shares in the hands of senior directors although staff at its headquarters in Blackburn will learn next week the scale of their own windfall.
Staff are likely to gain shares ranging from hundreds of pounds in value to several thousands depending on length of service, with cash payouts for its Chinese workforce.
Promethean founder Tony Cann is selling around 7 per cent of his stake, leaving him with a 39.6 per cent share in the business valued at around £160million.
The £28million proceeds will repay loans to the company he has made over several years.
Mr Cann oversaw the production of the group's first whiteboards more than ten years ago. He led the group until July 2005 before handing over to current chairman Graham Howe after Apax's investment in the business.
Today's share offers were heavily oversubscribed, the companies said. Promethean's shares will begin trading on Wednesday and SuperGroup a week later on March 24.
The moves come after recent major floats such as fashion chain New Look were put on hold due to market turbulence.
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In celebration of his 15th anniversary in the book-selling business next month, Dave Prentice wants to put a giant inflatable gorilla on top of his store.
In January, Dave’s Olde Bookshop moved from Manhattan Beach to Redondo Beach in search of a fresh start.
The shop sells and buys a variety of books from hard-cover classics to modern romance paperbacks.
Prentice, 67, who said he retired from the aerospace industry at age 35, opened the store in 1994 after trying several other adventures such as operating a gold mine and owning a sailboat for leisure.
Prentice declined to discuss what he did in aerospace.
“It’s just boring sailing for a really long time. None of my friends knew how to sail. So I got tired of it and traveled a lot,” he said. “I bought a gold mine. That was kind of fun, but it didn’t have any gold in it.”
One morning, Prentice says, he woke up and decided to open a bookstore.
“What’s the difficulty in a bookstore? You need to rent an open space, need some shelves and books. I didn’t know anything,” Prentice said. “I liked to read, but I didn’t know the difference (between) first edition (and) a pamphlet.”
Though “clueless” at first, Prentice eventually “fell in love” with the business.
“If you hang around a store all day, you are bound to pick up one or two things,” he said.
An avid mystery reader, Prentice says he is excited to see others who share the same taste in books.
“Mysteries are a lot of fun. People who read mysteries are more interesting people than people who read (other genres),” he said.
In addition to selling books, Prentice allows trade-ins. He also buys some used books from patrons.
“Just bring them in and run them by me,” Prentice said. “I will pay cash for exceptional and collectible stuff.”
Prentice said he has a selection of more than 50,000 books, including early works of some authors that may be hard to find in large bookstore chains.
As a lone customer walks in the store on a recent morning, Prentice smiles and says, “If you need anything, just ask, OK?”
Prentice says he wants to make sure that the customers enjoy the book-buying experience.
“They don’t have to come in. You can get books from lots of different places,” he said. “If you come in here, you come in with a little bit of an adventurous spirit and you are a little bit jazzed to be going into a bookstore.”
The best part of the job, Prentice says, is interacting with the customers.
“I joke with customers a lot,” he said. “The people who come into bookstores are really nifty people. If I can take the experience and build on it to make sure they have a good experience, it’s real good.”
Although many retail stores are struggling to stay in business these days, Prentice says his store is thriving.
“Surprisingly, we are doing very well,” he said. “I think because of the economy, more people are coming in to buy used books.”
To keep up with the trend of on-line shopping, Dave’s Olde Bookshop also sells books through Amazon and Advanced Book Exchange.
Although more people buy books from his on-line shop than his walk-in establishment, Prentice says there are more perks to physically walking into the store and holding a book in hand before buying.
“With buying on-line, you don’t know what you’re going to get as far as the condition,” he said. “It’s also really hard to return a book on-line, and it’s also hard to get first editions.”
Prentice had plans to franchise his store when he first started the business. But for now he has no definite plans.
“I wouldn’t mind expanding, but I don’t have to. Maybe I will if it looks like a viable challenge,” he said as he glanced around the small store. “If it looks like I’m gonna have fun doing it. If it’s too much work, I don’t want to do it.”
And as for having the inflatable gorilla, he says it’s a big possibility.
“I used to put a bunch of balloons outside at the old store. But here, we are more exposed,” he says with a smile. “And a gorilla, that would be a lot of fun.”
Name: Dave’s Olde Bookshop
Owner: Dave Prentice
Location: 2123 Aretesia Blvd., in Redondo Beach
Year opened: 1994


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"Unobtrusive wearable body monitoring will be to health care what the compound microscope was to the biology of disease."
Unobtrusive wearable body monitoring,is a simple device worn on the body, such as a band around the arm, which measures a number of physiological levels.
This includes time spent lying down or sleeping, time spent doing physical activity, body temperature, calories burned, and more.
Few medical advances in recent decades have had a significant impact on extending life expectancy.Changes like clean water and immunizations have had a great impact, and,one belives that wearable body monitoring devices will be the next big change with significant behavioral improvements.
Researchers are currently involved in a project to determine what effect a wearable monitoring device will have on helping people lose weight.
The armband will measure a person's number of calories burned, and software will determine the number of calories consumed. From there, a computer will let the person see whether they're on track to gain weight or lose weight. The idea is that a person will change their behaviors to keep them on a positive pathway.
Ultimately,Researchers foresees technology like this being used by everyone from assisted living facility nurses to rehabilitation therapists to athletes and even people in the transportation industry.


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Ann Ziff was going to forgo her annual holiday party this year, but when she heard about photographer friend Ahmet Ertug's new book "Palaces of Music: Opera Houses of Europe," she decided it was reason enough to celebrate. "I thought I would combine the two," Ms. Ziff said Tuesday at her Tamsen Z jewelry boutique on the Upper East Side. "It's a chance to see such good people."
The luxury store, which features Ms. Ziff's custom pieces that range from $1,300 to more than $1 million, was a fitting local for Mr. Ertug's $7,500 tome.
"I like to think of my books as jewelry books," said Mr. Ertug as a waiter passed out "cheese on top of cheese on top of cheese."
Given all the high wattage items, it was hard for guests to find a focus.
"Oh my god, what haven't I seen that I like," said Renee Fleming. "I think I was a crow in a past life because I love shiny things."
"Look at this," said Martha Stewart as she turned her eye to a gem-encrusted stapler and tape dispenser. "I'm not very bejeweled, but not don't tell [my daughter] Alexis about this place."
Things were more low-key downtown at Lauren Bush's third annual FEED-Raiser party, to benefit children in Haiti. "I just bought a pair of fingerless cashmere gloves," said Ms. Bush as she wandered around the market filled with pillows, scarves and other artifacts. Despite the charitable cause, there was one item that was a bit more extravagant —Ms. Bush's new engagement ring from Ralph Lauren's son, David. "I'm really happy and excited," she said. "We haven't started planning yet, but I guess I don't have to worry about the dress."


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Macron and Monbulk have partnered up to establish a long term partnership, which will see the club gradually transitioning into Macron technical wear and become one of the flagship clubs in Victoria.
As part of the process, Macron has pledged their support in revamping the Monbulk Rangers club shop and are also providing access to their extensive range of on field and off field products that members with be able to access at discounted prices, both in-store and online.
“We believe the club has a huge potential to become a football powerhouse and we consider ourselves privileged to be associated with them and their State-of-the-Art facilities, which the entire community should be proud of.” Giacomo Carulli - Managing Director of Macron Victoria
“We, as a club, are extremely excited to announce our association with Macron. Macron has a strong heritage in our sport and it’s fitting that we partner with such an iconic football brand. The partnership is perfect is as we are both looking to elevate not only Monbulk Rangers, but football itself to the next level!” Beau Newman - President of Monbulk Rangers SC.
The link to our Monbulk Rangers Specific Macron Store is below: https://macronvic.com.au/collections/monbulk-rangers-sc


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Excerpt: Fewer than four in 10 Colorado voters say that marijuana legalization has been bad for their state, according to a new survey by Public Policy Polling. A plurality — 47 percent — say legalization has been good, while an additional 9 percent say it hasn’t made a difference either way.
Colorado voted for marijuana legalization in 2012, with the first recreational marijuana shops opening in 2014. At the time, opponents warned of dire consequences, such as skyrocketing crime rates and increases in underage marijuana use.
“The absence of significant adverse consequences is especially striking given the sometimes dire predictions made by legalization opponents,” the Cato authors conclude.


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The topic of innovation is squarely on the agenda of today’s corporate decision makers. This was in full display at the recent New York Times’ New Work Summit, where we joined a select group of business leaders, engineers and scientists, designers and futurists to discuss the challenges leaders face in transforming their organizations into engines of innovation.
It is an exhilarating time to be in the automobile business, but it also is a time of ambiguity and uncertainty. That’s why CES feels much more like the future of the industry. Does that mean the Detroit Auto Show has outlived its usefulness?
Archimedes famously said, “Give me a place to stand and I will move the world.” I’m frequently reminded of that quote these days, whether I’m working with legacy organizations transforming themselves to compete in today’s digital-powered world or with pure-play companies looking to keep their edge.
At our recent TechBunker dinner, we met with leaders from the biggest UK marketplaces and aggregators (Airbnb, Amazon, Bookatable, easyfundraising, eBay, Farfetch, MoneySuperMarket, Rightmove, Uber and Worldpay) to talk about how to effectively scale a pure play business.
The business sector has set out down the road to digital transformation. Most companies are now aware that digital disruption will strike to the very core of their business and that a revolutionary process is under way.
The auto industry, like so many others, is in the midst of both turbulent upheaval and awe-inspiring innovation. The promise of driving in the very-near future is filled with the excitement of affordable high-performance electric vehicles


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Several employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) participants filed a lawsuit claiming they were duped into selling their shares at a steeply discounted price. And, last week, U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen for the District of Maine certified the class in the lawsuit.
According to the second amended complaint filed in June, former Maine Oxy-Acetylene Supply Co. owner Bruce Albiston set up an ESOP in 2004 through which employees held 49% of the company’s stock. In 2012, Albiston decided to part from the company and entered negotiations to sell his family’s 51% share to the president of Maine Oxy at the time.
The Albiston family’s 25,500 shares were valued at a minimum of $654.62 dollars per share, totaling nearly $17 million dollars, according to the complaint. The lawsuit lists as defendants the ESOP, the president of the company who bought out the Albiston family and a man who reportedly financed the purchase.
The lawsuit says the new owner assured Maine Oxy’s employees that “nothing would change” with the ESOP and profit sharing plan. However, soon after acquiring ownership, he informed the ESOP committee that the company could not afford the ESOP and that it would have to be dissolved and its shares sold back to the company.
He told the committee that a stock repurchase was the only way that the company could stay independent, that the value of the employee owned stock was “frozen” and that the employee owners had no alternative but to sell the stock back to the company. The lawsuit says he also announced to all employee owners that the ESOP would be replaced by a 401(k) plan and that anyone who did not redeem their shares in the ESOP would be ineligible for a match under the new plan.
According to the complaint, in a “Special Diversification Eligibility Notice” dated August 9, 2013, employees were advised of the “opportunity” to “elect” to have their ESOP shares distributed to them so that they could “diversify” their investment into “alternatives other than investment in company stock for a portion of their ESOP balance.” The notice was a “one-time” offer that expired “no later than 30 days after receipt.”
If the employee chose to distribute his ESOP balance, he was given the following options: to have some or all of cash value of his eligible shares distributed directly to him; to roll over some or all of the eligible shares into Maine Oxy’s new 401(k) profit sharing plan; or to roll some or all of the eligible shares into an eligible retirement account, such as an individual retirement account (IRA).
The lawsuit says employees were concerned that their ability to participate in the 401(k) would be foreclosed or that they would be ineligible for an employer match if they did not exercise one of the options presented by the company within the 30-day deadline. Some employees did not want to surrender their shares, but, just as he told the ESOP committee, the new owner told them the company could not afford the ESOP plan and remain an independent company and that the value of the company was “frozen” and would “not go back up.”
The plaintiffs state in the lawsuit that the “value of the shares was most certainly not ‘frozen’ and continued to increase in value following the sale.” They claim that holdouts to selling their shares “were subject to threats, intimidation and harassment.”
The ESOP participants were collectively offered $134.92 dollars a share for their stock, totaling approximately $3,305,540. The employees were not provided with any information about the share price they were paid. In the meantime, according to the complaint, the terms of the ESOP were unilaterally amended to eliminate the employees’ right to receive common stock in the company upon dissolution of the plan.
Since the acquisition of the employees’ stock, the value of the company has substantially increased. “Among other things, subsequent acquisitions of and affiliations with other major gas and air entities in the industry have added to the company’s value and increased its profits,” the complaint states.
In addition, the complaint notes that in May or June of 2016, an ESOP participant met with Albiston, who revealed that had received $43 million for his 51% share of the company. The complaint says this was the first time that any of the ESOP participants learned that they might have sold their shares back to the company at a steep discount. Allegedly, the son of the man who financed the purchase for the new owner also told one or more employees that his father had paid $43 million for Albiston’s 51% share.
“As a result of defendants’ termination of the ESOP and the forced buyback of the ESOP shares, plaintiffs and the class were divested of the right to continue to hold Maine Oxy shares and they received less than fair market value for their Maine Oxy stock. Additionally, plaintiffs and the prospective class members have lost out on investment gains from the continued rise in Maine Oxy’s value, the dividends and tax distributions paid, and the opportunity for future investment gains, dividends and tax distributions of Maine Oxy stock,” the complaint states.
In a statement to PLANADVISER, counsel for the defendants said: “This case is a dispute about the valuation of Maine Oxy stock when it terminated its ESOP years ago. Maine Oxy relied on its long-time, independent, nationally respected appraisal firm, Atlantic Management, to value the stock, and the plaintiffs dispute that valuation. Maine Oxy Is anxious to resolve this disagreement and work with its valued employees to provide critical products to its customers in these trying times.”


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As the unprecedented COVID-19 health crisis is unfolding, retailers and consumer goods companies are looking to their peers to share first-hand perspectives on what they are doing in response to the pandemic. That is why CGT and RIS are enlisting the help of industry experts for this series of webinars.
Digital and physical retail are converging. The beauty and strength of stores are combining with the efficiency and intelligence of digital technologies to create a convergence that is redefining retail.
Given its crucial spot in the entire path to purchase, choosing and implementing a POS can be nothing short of nerve-wracking. We take a deep dive into the evolution of the POS systems delivering transformative shopping experiences.
For those with FOMO (fear of missing out) from the NRF Big Show the perfect solution is the annual RIS “What You Missed at NRF” webinar, where we focus on the hottest trends appearing at the 2020 Big Show.
Djamel Toubrinet, Cegid; James Stratton, Ascent Enterprise Solutions; Dick Calio, R.J. Calio Consulting; and Joe Skorupa, RIS discuss how to capture missed opportunities and become a leader in today’s retail environment. This panel of industry leaders also provide tangible advice to ensure you never miss a sale.
No matter how successful your retail organization is the hard cold fact is that your technology and underlying systems are racing toward obsolescence. For example, if your organization was founded in 2009 its technology and underlying systems are 10 years out of date.
Today, network concerns can strangle innovation in stores. Luckily, the evolution of wireless broadband is helping retailers — both inside and beyond brick and mortar stores — keep technologies such as IoT devices, back-office applications, POS, video surveillance, guest WiFi, and more connected at all times.
Many retailers depend on disconnected systems for demand forecasting and are missing the big picture when it comes to how fresh impacts center store categories and vice-versa. Joe Skorupa, Editorial Director for RIS News, and Kevin Sterneckert, Chief Marketing Officer for Symphony RetailAI discuss why retailers need a holistic view of consumer demand across all categories.
Lee Holman, IHL Group; David Dorf, Infor Retail; and Joe Skorupa, RIS News discuss the trends and technology that will play a major role in 2019. The trio of industry leaders also review the results from RIS’ annual Retail Technology Study.
The RIS Software LeaderBoard is one of the most highly regarded and widely read studies in the industry. It is used by retailers when planning new software investments and implementations, and by investors researching mergers and acquisitions.
Turnover is high, unemployment is low, wages are rising, and younger employees are as demanding as younger shoppers. Find out how to weather this perfect storm for rising labor costs and turn the challenge into an opportunity.
Date: Wednesday, July 24 at 2 PM EDT
Industry data and case studies from market leaders reveal an enormous opportunity for retailers to improve topline and bottom line results if they take the right steps to capture the huge amount of lost sales they miss every day.
The fourth annual RIS-Progressive Grocer Tech Trends Study uncovers a second wave of innovation sweeping through grocery retailing. The first wave was about catching up to digital retailers and omnichannel shoppers.
The last year at RIS News' has been a busy one, packed with Webinars offering perspectives from retail experts on a variety or top-of-mind technology subjects. Here we list our 5 most popular Webinars of the year.


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In a competitive marketplace, many companies spend thousands, even millions, developing their brands. But today’s brand buzzwords — authentic, transparent, engaging — apply just as well to companies’ employer brands as they do to their customer brands.
Employer branding is the perception of your organization as an employer. It influences employees’ decisions to join your business and gives existing employees a reason to stay and grow. The question is, are companies paying as much attention to how prospective employees view them as they should?
People on the job hunt are less impressed with your bottom line than you are. At least that’s the message emerging from a survey recently released by Randstad Canada as part of its annual employer-focused Randstad Award.
While job seekers are quick to cite financial health, strong management and good training as attributes they associate with the country’s largest employer brands, these are not the things they want to see when looking for the right fit. Salary and benefits tops the list at 70 per cent, with long-term job security (53 per cent) and a pleasant work environment (50 per cent) being important to more than half of Canadian job seekers. Money talks, and being nice can’t hurt either.
With nearly one in five employed Canadians actively looking to switch jobs in the next year, companies would do well to polish up their employer brands to enhance their attractiveness to the country’s best talent.
What are some of the factors that would cause more than 700,000 Canadians to search for a new employer?
The top five for Canadians are:
- Lack of career growth (40 per cent)
- Compensation too low (38 per cent)
- Not feeling interested in their jobs (30 per cent)
- Work-life balance issues (19 per cent)
- Lack of recognition and rewards (19 per cent)
Today’s workers may also be searching for their new employer in an unlikely place. The survey revealed that 40 per cent use social media to find a job, with 60 per cent turning to Facebook, followed by LinkedIn (51 per cent), Google+ (30 per cent), Twitter (20 per cent) and Instagram (8 per cent).
Are you investing in your future talent? Today’s job seekers are looking for more than a tagline — it’s important employers listen, then show them who they are. If you do it right, your brand will walk great people right past the competition and through your company’s doors. If you miss the mark, you’ll put up a stop sign that will deter talent and might even prompt some employees to leave.
A word of caution: don’t ignore the social component, especially if generations Y and Z are your targets. When used effectively, digital content and online communities can do wonders for your employer brand. In response to a 2014 Global Trends Study by Employer Brand International, 58 per cent of companies said they were currently undertaking social media activities to enhance their employer brand, and 38 per cent expected to increase their investment in employer branding in the coming year.
Having a strong employer brand is the key to standing out from the crowd for job seekers and, ultimately, building high-calibre talent that moves your business forward. Employer branding is quickly becoming a strategic leadership function at top organizations, so if you’re not thinking about it, there’s a good chance your competition is.
Tom Turpin is president of Randstad Canada, the country’s largest staffing, recruitment and HR services provider.


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| Jun 21, 2013
| 2:10 PM
More than a thousand workers were killed in Bangladesh when a building used as a garment factory collapsed. It's alleged that a factory in China making products for Apple has nets installed to stop people leaping to their deaths after 18 suicides there....
| Mar 9, 2013
| 1:56 PM
Whether they are an eyebrow-raising push for “Hot Topless Maids” or a pitch for more socially acceptable businesses such as a car wash, signs attached to vans, trucks or trailers that are used solely for the purpose of advertising have been...
| Jun 6, 2013
| 12:27 PM
Beginning in 2006, the Burbank chapter of the Armenian National Committee of America began recognizing local organizations along with businesses and civic leaders for their commitment to community service, political activism and raising awareness of the...
| Jan 30, 2013
| 4:14 PM
Burbank this week joined the growing list of cities that have banned the retail sale of pets, but built in a six-month grace period for existing pet stores.
Under the ban adopted by the City Council Tuesday, pet shops in Burbank can only obtain cats...
| Jan 22, 2013
| 7:43 PM
A paradigm shift has occurred, offering an alternative to a former way of doing business. Many current retailers in the pet industry are embracing the opportunity to help animals in need by working with rescue groups, shelters or holding adoption events...
| May 31, 2013
| 7:17 PM
A study commissioned by Bob Hope Airport to ensure its compliance with federal diversity mandates found that while the airfield is doing a better-than-expected job contracting with businesses owned by white women, its use of minority-owned firms is...
| Jan 16, 2013
| 9:27 AM
Small business owners in Burbank and Glendale want Sacramento to realize the ever-dwindling amount of film and television production in L.A. isn’t just hurting the big studios.
Speaking at Assemblyman Mike Gatto’s (D-Silver Lake) first...
| Dec 15, 2012
| 6:00 AM
Six candidates — including three incumbents — will be vying for three seats on the Burbank City Council in the February primary.
Here's a look at the candidates:
David Gordon, 57, has served on the council for seven years. He...
| Apr 3, 2013
| 12:53 PM
Burbank officials on Wednesday treated news that “The Tonight Show” was leaving for a new host in a new city like a painful break-up.
And as with most epic break-ups, the rumor mill had been whirling for weeks. On Wednesday, NBC ended...
| Dec 20, 2011
| 3:01 PM
The letters defending Walmart in the Dec. 14 Leader — “Crime isn’t any worse at Walmart” and “Can’t wait for Walmart to arrive” — are laughable because they reflect a total ignorance of the destructive...
| Oct 16, 2012
| 6:30 PM
From Social Security to abortion, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) and his GOP challenger, Phil Jennerjahn, differed on just about everything during a debate at Burbank City Hall Monday night sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Glendale/Burbank.
| Oct 31, 2012
| 10:03 AM
Recently, the importance of local commerce became a focal point in the presidential campaign. Both sides highlighted the success of small businesses as a key to the recovery of our economy and then used that as a platform to promote their economic...


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The Retail Times is a weekly newsletter covering retail tech news from Canada and around the globe.
Subscribe to R|T using the form at the bottom of this page to ensure you don’t miss out on the most important retail tech news every week!
Breather announces Corporate Rewards partnership with Air Canada (BETAKIT)
The Air Canada travellers will have access to over 500 meeting spaces in 10 major markets across North America.
DMS RECOMMENDS: The power of compromise: why free returns aren’t always realistic (DMS)
Over the past few years, Canadian e-commerce merchants have been taking steps to improve their returns experience by enhancing the clarity, simplicity, and convenience in their returns policies. Yet, there’s still a gap between online shopper expectations and reality.
Askuity closes $3 million CAD bridge round to add AI to its platform (BETAKIT)
The inside round, led by unnamed investors, brings Askuity’s total funding to $6.8 million CAD.
Kano raises $28M as its kid-friendly computer kits hit 4,500 stores (TECHCRUNCH)
Kano’s Series B funding is being led by Thames Trust and Breyer Capital, with participation from Index Ventures, the Stanford Engineering Venture Fund, LocalGlobe, Marc Benioff, John Makinson, Collaborative Fund, Triple Point Capital, and Barclays.
Amazon met with Canadian federal government 99 times in the past 12 months (BETAKIT)
Canadian tech companies: take note.
Metail: the retail startup that enables consumers to try on clothes digitally (INDEPENDENT)
Metail uses customer data like Netflix to offer buyers a curated experience based on someone’s preferences. It suggests items similar to the ones the shopper has already bought, or items favoured by other customers of a similar build and background.
Blockchain retail startup Pundi X secures over $4 million during ICO pre-sale (CROWDFUNDINSIDER)
Founded in 2016, Pundi X describes itself as a blockchain startup that aims to make cryptocurrency an enabler of ubiquitous cashless payment environments across South East Asia.
Web.com acquires Montreal-based Acquisio (BETAKIT)
The global web solutions company has snatched up Acquisio’s AI marketing tech for small businesses.
Target store staff can now create online orders for customers when local merchandise is unavailable (TECHCRUNCH)
Target new app, “myCheckout,” will allow store staff to process online transactions on the customer’s behalf, including taking payments, right from the store’s floor when merchandise is unavailable locally.
GV leads $8.5 million funding in open source ecommerce platform Reaction Commerce (VENTUREBEAT)
Reaction Commerce’s “Platform-as-a-Service” gives retailers tools covering catalog, product, inventory management, merchandising, payments, and processing.
Rory Capern tells tech companies to “Tear Down This Wall” at #MarketingTO (BETAKIT)
Twitter’s former Managing Director believes the future of business is dependent on the integration of advertising, marketing, and technology.


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Amazon.com (s AMZN) CEO Jeff Bezos in an interview with The New York Times talks about the future of e-readers and the Kindle. Bezos thinks it won’t be long before Amazon is “selling more electronic books than we are physical books.” Here are some key points from the interview :
- If a book is available on Kindle, it sells 48 copies compared to 100 physical copies sold.
- Kindle launched with 90,000 titles two years ago.
- More than 350,000 titles are available for the Kindle now.
- Amazon is adding thousands of titles to the Kindle library every week.
- Amazon wants to offer “every book ever printed in every language, all available within 60 seconds.”
I think this last statement outlines Bezos’ ambitions about the business. If it can pull it off, Amazon is going to control the printed word market much like iTunes controls the music business. I think from that perspective, it’s smart for the company to bulk up and build market share, even if it means sacrificing some near-term profitability.
Amazon has a history of losing money on products in order to build market share, and so far has been proved right. I believe that Amazon & Kindle are taking a giant step forward and this is going to pay handsome dividends for the company in the long run.
Some may question Bezos’ strategy, just as many questioned the company’s foray into cloud computing services about three years ago. I remain bullish on Amazon’s prospects mostly because it’s playing offense and taking wild gambles on big markets of the future. As Bezos once said: “People overemphasize their failures when trying something new. Actually failure is not that expensive and it’s part of work.”
That said, the Kindle isn’t doing too badly. According to some estimates, the Amazon Kindle will bring in $310 million in revenue for 2009 and $2 billion in 2012. The company has made some tremendous progress on the Kindle since Bezos spoke to Charlie Rose about it back in March.


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The Australian Government will provide $670,450 for training and development projects to help Queensland tourism businesses flourish and grow. With matching funds from the Queensland…read more
Tasmanian-based 24/7 fitness group Zap Fitness has opened its 34th club in the Melbourne suburb of Surrey Hills. Located at 607 Canterbury Road, Surrey Hills, the new club is equipped with…read more
Hidden tree top cubbies, wetlands, lizard dens, bug hotels and forest swings have each been recognised by the My Park Rules competition for capturing the imagination of school communities…read more
Smart Digital Australia has published an Open Air Cinema Guide to help customers create fantastic outdoor cinema experience, described as “arguably the most definitive guide to…read more
Australia Zoo will be transformed into a winter wonderland during the 2016 June/July school holidays to celebrate the launch of the 20th Century Fox movie ‘Ice Age 5: Collision…read more
Since opening before Christmas, the Redwoods Treewalk in the Whakarewarewa Forest near Rotorua has been attracting a growing number of visitors. The first attraction of its kind in New…read more
Two international tennis umpires have been secretly banned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), while a further four are under investigation on charges of serious corruption,…read more
The Gold Coast City Council is to investigate the feasibility of putting a roof on the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre Redeveloped at a cost of $42 million for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth…read more
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OSWEGO — Two Port City institutions are teaming up to support local residents in need as part of a new special event next month.
C’s Farm Markets, Oswego’s premiere produce wholesaler and beverage depot, will hold its first C’s Holiday Happenings beverage tasting on Dec. 7 from noon to 5 p.m. and are asking visitors to the free event to bring a little holiday generosity along with their appetite for beer and cider to help support the Human Concerns of Oswego.
The free event will take place at C’s headquarters on state Route 104 behind Fajita Grill, Oswego, and include beverage samples,food and in-store specials and giveaways, according to C’s owner Maria Johnson. Johnson and Human Concerns’ Director JoAnn Locy have partnered to request guests donate a personal care item while attending the tasting. DoTerra Essential Oils and TVS Engraving will also be on hand.
The all-volunteer Human Concerns acts as the area’s emergency food pantry, supplying three days of sustenance to each qualifying person in a household. Locy said personal care items for clients are not, unfortunately, part of the organization’s regular offerings but C's Holiday Happenings will provide an opportunity to stockpile valuable items like toilet paper, soap, razors and other useful but sometimes overlooked necessities.
Human Concerns Inc. is located at 85 E. 4th St., Oswego and can be reached at 315-342-7301.


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Technology Briefing | Hardware: Compaq Software Would Speed Upgrades
Published: December 6, 2001
Soon, Compaq Computer said, it will begin equipping server computers with programs that allow faster software upgrades. The change will reduce the time needed to update software on as many as 100 Compaq Proliant servers to 1 hour from 16 hours. Compaq is trying to ease customer concerns about which products will survive its planned sale to Hewlett-Packard. Rivals like Dell Computer have said they are picking up customers as a result.


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Club Penguin celebrates its third anniversary with the launch of new toy line of internet-connected products, including plush, mini-figures and play sets. A new limited edition plush figure will be released every eight weeks, each of which comes with a coin featuring a code that kids can use to redeem unique virtual items online. The Club Penguin toys will be available at Toys "R" Us...Disney Stores, Disney Theme Parks, and the Club Penguin shop online. Additionally, Disney will release the new Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force game for Nintendo DS next month.
Look out Webkinz! Here comes the Disney promomachine!
Read more about the Club Penguin DS game here. Also, be sure to check out this Club Penguin toyline/So You Think You Can Dance Canada? cross-over promo event and photo opp planned for this Saturday at the Toys "R" Us Vaughan Mills, Ontario. It looks like Disney is finally ready to start cashing in on their $700 million investment. And it looks like I'm going to have to get serious about plotting how this new emphasis on tie-in products might translate into new features, changes, and/or embedded marketing in the game's contents and design.


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by Anton Shilov
10/05/2012 | 05:32 PM
Barnes & Noble and Microsoft Corp. this week completed forming Nook Media joint-venture (which will formally act as an LLC). The strategic partnership in Nook Media will enable the companies to advance digital reading experiences to the hundreds of millions of customers they jointly serve. Initially, the two companies will bring the world's largest e-books library into Windows 8 and Windows RT platforms.
“Nook Media is a leader in developing the next generation of digital reading and we look forward to the company bringing one of the world’s largest digital libraries to Windows 8 devices via their upcoming Windows 8 app. We are also excited by Nook Media’s product roadmap and expansion into markets around the world,” said Andy Lees, president at Microsoft.
Nook Media comprises the digital and college businesses of Barnes & Noble and will continue to have a very close and mutually beneficial relationship with Barnes & Noble’s retail stores. One of the first benefits for customers will be a Nook application for Windows 8 and Windows RT, which will extend the reach of Barnes & Noble’s digital bookstore by providing one of the world’s largest digital catalogues of e-books, magazines and newspapers to hundreds of millions of Windows customers in the U.S. and internationally. This will strenghten Microsoft's positions on the market of electronic books.
“As demand for digital content continues to increase, we are focused on bringing ground-breaking reading and learning content and technologies to more people in more formats than ever before, including the imminent launch of our exceptional Nook reading application for Windows 8,” said William Lynch, chief executive of Barnes & Noble.
Microsoft made its $300 million investment in Nook Media at a post-money valuation of $1.7 billion in exchange for an approximately 17.6% equity stake, with Barnes & Noble owning the remaining shares.
"The inclusion of Barnes & Noble’s college business is an important component of Nook Media’s strategic vision. Through the newly formed Nook Media, Barnes & Noble’s Nook Study software will provide students and educators the preeminent technology platform for the distribution and management of digital education materials in the market," added Mr. Lynch.


text: To promote its new line of swimwear, online shopping brand ModCloth had its employees try out the suits. Courtesy Modcloth The aim? Show that feeling confident in your swimsuit is for every body. Courtesy Modcloth Everyone got in on the posing, including Susan Koger, the CCO and founder of ModCloth. Courtesy Modcloth That's her in the middle! Koger said they did the shoot in part as a reaction to Sports Illustrated's unrealistic body ideals. Courtesy Modcloth Advertisement "We're providing a counterpoint. We want women to see these photos and feel good. See them and think, I can totally rock that swimsuit!" she told BuzzFeed Life. Courtesy Modcloth That's Anthonia Persad, one of Modcloth's customer advocates, BTW. Here are Christen DiClaudio, merchandise copy editor, and Leigh Ferraro-Cetra, visual merchandise stylist, rocking out in polka dots. Courtesy Modcloth "Self-acceptance is this finicky idea that's easy to talk about, yet seemingly such a feat to conquer," DiClaudio told BuzzFeed Life. Courtesy Modcloth "It took a few minutes in front of the camera to realize that by participating in this campaign, I was actually agreeing to recognize and acknowledge my own beauty," she continued. "It was a powerful moment that completely changed me for the better." This is Leigh Ferraro-Cetra, ModCloth's visual merchandise stylist, modeling. Courtesy Modcloth Advertisement And this is Samantha Walnoha, one of the company's customer advocates. Courtesy Modcloth The response from ModCloth's customers has been overwhelming. Courtesy Modcloth "Social media blew up with accounts of customers who identified with one of us," said customer advocate Ingrid Taller, posing on the far right. "'I'm like the blonde!' or 'I'm the redhead!' showed up on Facebook and Twitter threads. "We saw the need for our representation," Taller continued, "and I think it's safe to say we were right." Courtesy Modcloth "When is the last time a woman looked at a swimsuit campaign and it made her smile? Like, a real, genuine, feel-good smile?" said Koger. "That's what we wanted to do." Courtesy Modcloth Courtesy Modcloth Share On facebook Share On facebook Share On vk Share On vk Share On pinterest Share On pinterest Share On lineapp Share On lineapp Share On twitter Share On twitter Share On email Share On email Share On sms Share On sms Share On whatsapp Share On whatsapp Share On more Share On more Share On tumblr Share On tumblr Share On link Share On link Share On copy Share On copy Omg It's Prime Day!


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Nintendo has revealed the next Spirit Board event in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate that will start this weekend.
The theme this time is “Chain the Future to Spirits!” a crossover event with Astral Chain running from 6am on Friday 17th January for five days.
“Four new spirits from Astral Chain will invade the Spirit Board during this event!” Nintendo explains. “Defeat them in battle to earn more SP than usual. Don’t miss out!”
Those four spirits – Astral Chain Hero (Male), Astral Chain Hero (Female), Kyle, and Lappy – will randomly appear while the event is live.


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The luxury fashion house Chanel has chosen Leena Nair, an industry outsider from India and longtime executive at Unilever, to be its new CEO.
I am humbled and honoured to be appointed the Global Chief Executive Officer of @CHANEL, an iconic and admired company.
— Leena Nair (@LeenaNairHR) December 14, 2021
Nair said in a Twitter post that she was “humbled and honoured to be appointed the Global Chief Executive Officer of @CHANEL, an iconic and admired company.”
The news made a huge splash in India, Nair’s birthplace on Wednesday, where she received scores of congratulations and compliments to her announcement, one calling her a “serial glass-ceiling breaker.”
While Nair, 52, is not a part of the Paris fashion scene, Chanel has a wide range of products in addition to its fashion designs.
Nair is succeeding billionaire co-owner and chairman of privately-held Chanel, Alain Wertheimer, as CEO. A grandson of Chanel co-founder Pierre Wertheimer, he remains as global executive chairman of the fashion house.
British consumer goods giant Unilever describes Nair as its first woman, first Asian and youngest-ever chief human resources officer. She joined Unilever in 1992 in India and advanced up the ranks, spending time at the company’s factories early on.
Nair is due to step into her new role in January. Her appointment is seen back home as a sign of the rising stature of Indian business leaders, especially women.
But she is not the first woman to be CEO of Chanel. Earlier, Francoise Montenay and American Maureen Chiquet held that role. And of course, the co-founder of Maison de Chanel was a woman, the late Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel.
In her social media posts, Nair has described India-born former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi as a friend and mentor. Nair herself recently was awarded the Great British Businesswoman Role Model of the Year award.
Nair is married to financial entrepreneur Kumar Nair and has two sons.


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Cargo ships loaded with containers are seen at a dock in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Nov. 8, 2016. China's exports measured in yuan fell 3.2 percent year on year in October, a slower pace of decline than the 5.6 percent fall in September, while imports in yuan rose 3.2 percent, up from 2.2 percent last month, according to figures from the General Administration of Customs on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Yu Fangping)
BEIJING, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's exports growth narrowed from previous drops in October while imports accelerated growth, however weak global demand might weigh on future trade growth.
Exports measured in yuan fell 3.2 percent year on year in October, a slower pace of decline than the 5.6 percent fall in September, while imports in yuan rose 3.2 percent, up from 2.2 percent last month, according to figures from the General Administration of Customs on Tuesday.
Stripping out the impact of yuan depreciation, exports in U.S. dollar terms fell 7.3 percent year on year in October while imports slipped 1.4 percent.
China's trade surplus in dollar terms was about 49 billion U.S. dollars, up from 42 billion U.S. dollars in September. The surplus is in contrast to a larger-than-expected decline of 45.7 billion U.S. dollars in China's foreign reserves in October, indicating quicker capital outflows in the month.
Stronger import figures were a positive sign on domestic demand as import volumes of commodity goods such as crude oil, coal and iron ore increased in the first ten months, according to Deng Haiqing, chief economist with JZ Securities.
Foreign trade with China's largest trade partner the European Union and the third largest one ASEAN gained year on year in the first ten months, while it dropped with the United States, its second largest trade partner.
World trade will grow more slowly than expected in 2016, expanding by just 1.7 percent, well below the April forecast of 2.8 percent, recording the slowest pace of trade growth since the financial crisis of 2009, according to the latest WTO estimates.
October trade growth fell short of market expectations, especially amid favorable moves in China's exchange rate, which should have boosted competitiveness.
The Chinese currency has declined over one percent against the U.S.dollar since its Oct. 1 inclusion in the IMF's SDR basket, breaking through the critical 6.7 threshold.
It is possible the weakness in the yuan has been insufficient to offset the drag on competitiveness from past gains, and protectionism is likely having an impact, with G20 members introducing more than 1,200 trade control measures over the last five years, Bloomberg Chief Asia Economist Tom Orlik pointed out in a research note.
An official index predicting future trade growth prospects ended previous rises in the past three months by dropping a marginal 0.2 points, indicating upcoming trade pressure.
Readings on export orders in both the National Bureau of Statistics and the Caixin PMIs swung back into contraction territory in October, pointing to weaker external demand ahead.
Even so, Bloomberg Intelligence Economics continues to believe that a weaker yuan, resilient global demand, and China's other policy measures to support competitiveness, such as freezing the minimum wage, will drive a return to modest export growth, Orlik added.
China did not specify a trade growth target for 2016. The government pledged last month to continue to implement supportive polices to cut red tapes and reduce costs for trade firms in the rest of the year to stabilize trade growth.
The downward pressure for trade growth still remains for the fourth quarter of this year due to a higher comparison base from last year, according to the latest report from the Ministry of Commerce.
Exports are expected to stabilize in the fourth quarter with booming business due to approaching holidays such Christmas, and imports might remain marginal growth as processing imports continue to drop, the report added.


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It appears that a growing number of AT&T users now have access to FaceTime over Cellular, including those who have grandfathered unlimited data plans, according to a MacRumors report. AT&T recently announced that FaceTime over Cellular would be accessible to those with tiered data plans, but no such announcement was made regarding customers with the unlimited plans. Not all users seem to have access yet, so it’s possible that AT&T is rolling the service out gradually. AT&T has made no new official announcement regarding FaceTime over Cellular as of yet.
Phil Dzikiy was the Editor-in-Cheif at iLounge. He mostly edited and oversaw all site editorial content, managed staff and freelancers, made the final call on product review grades and awards, and led online coverage of all Apple events and live coverage of the International CES in 2015.


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As part of a food innovation competition that focused on pulses—or members of the legume family including beans, lentils, and chickpeas—three students from the University of Alberta invented BiotaGelata, a vegan gelato made from a variety of beans that are fermented to create a creamy base. The students exhibited three flavors—maple walnut, passion fruit, and dark chocolate cassis—and received rave reviews from event organizers such as Allison Ammeter from Alberta, who said, “If you had given me that gelato in a blind taste test, I would have said, ‘It’s a milk product.’ That gelato was incredible.” While the gelato-makers landed in second place behind meat-alternative Fiberger, the group still received the grand prize, which was an all-expense-paid trip to showcase their product at the Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting and Food Expo in July, where they will meet with companies and investors who can potentially help turn their prototype into a commercially available product. If successfully funded, BiotaGelata will be entering a thriving vegan frozen dessert market that includes So Delicious, Coconut Bliss, and avocado-based newcomer Cado.
Love the plant-based lifestyle as much as we do?
Get the BEST vegan recipes, travel, celebrity interviews, product picks, and so much more inside every issue of VegNews Magazine. Find out why VegNews is the world’s #1 plant-based magazine by subscribing today!


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GM Chevy VOLT Buy Back
Yes, if you are not happy with your VOLT Chevy GM will buy it back.
After three crash tests resulted in fires in the battery compartment.
GM CEO Dan Akerson told the Associated Press on Thursday that the automaker will repurchase a Volt if an owner requests it.
Of about 6,400 Volt owners, only 33 have requested a loaner. “A microfraction” of that group has requested that GM repurchase their cars, spokesman Greg Martin said.
Nissan has sold 8,700 Leafs since its launch a year ago. The Japanese automaker expects to hit about 10,000 sales by 2012.


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epicenter wide net Beijing on October 5 news (reporter Ma Chuang) according to the voice of China “the epicenter wide news” reported that samsung’s latest phone Note 4, has started to sell, but south Korean consumers point out that gap between frame and the phone’s screen, you can insert a name card.
in order to fight against apple iPhone6, samsung Note 4 a lead at the end of September in two markets of the China and South Korea on sale at the same time, but don’t know whether I do for the remodel is coarser, according to media reports, Note 4 on sale is surely following gap is too big, south Korean consumers complain about buying in the BBS Note 4 between the metal frame and the panel gap is too big, too big to insert a card, or two pieces of A4 paper. The netizen also upload photos online, he said because the gap is too big, can let the water into the fuselage, so have to samsung service center to ask for replace the machine.
this problem not only occurred in South Korea, in China also have consumer complain the same problem, a netizen wrote on weibo, the long-awaited Note 4 finally got home playing with my heart cold half, panel high side and low side, on the left side of the gap can be easily inserted three sheets of paper, to get the experience shop want a replacement, the clerk answered appearance test did not change permissions, as long as you can make a phone call, will not affect the use they won’t replace it.
want to verify how much the gap is not too easy, more stores in Beijing businessman will only show the prototype to customers, if you want to see real must open the packing, and packing must first pay, what the problem is not yet can fully confirm how many machine face the same problem. Samsung aspects of response is, however, this problem does not affect the quality of the mobile phone, assure consumers have been strict production requirements and quality control standard, samsung Note 4 also explicitly expressed in the instructions may be necessary to existence of the gap, samsung said in a statement, is not the problem in the future will not be fixed, perhaps problems that gap is individual models exist in samsung.


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PDR Construction signed up as the long-term VIP partner at our newly-opened Bonus Arena, Hull. Celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2018, PDR wanted to associate their business with Hull’s premier venue and, as a local company, were keen to support the arena.
As VIP partner, PDR has sponsored the hospitality lounge at the venue – PDR Construction Lounge – and redesigned the space to fit their brand. The lounge doubles up as a meeting and events space meaning PDR can engage with both a consumer and business audience using the space. PDR plan to use their allocation of tickets in the lounge to entertain key clients and reward staff at live shows.
‘PDR are delighted a much needed quality events arena is now open in Hull and we are excited to see some of the names already confirmed. We, as the City’s largest construction resource, we’re determined to support the arena and the new PDR Lounge will add to the live experience’ – Paul Dransfield, Managing Director at PDR.
sponsorship, partnership, VIP lounge, naming rights


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ICOs have become a modern way to raise funds for blockchain startups and for some traditional companies to stay relevant.
Three big Silicon Valley venture capital firms, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Benchmark, and Sequoia Capital want to invest in Telegram’s upcoming USD $1.2 billion ICO.
Telegram, the encrypted messaging app has gained immense popularity among cryptocurrency traders and it may emerge as the blockbuster ICO of 2018. According to The Financial Times, three big Silicon Valley venture capital firms want to invest in Telegram's upcoming USD $1.2 billion ICO. Reportedly, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Benchmark and Sequoia Capital have each told the messaging startup that they want to invest USD $20 million.
ICOs have become a modern way to raise funds for blockchain startups and for some traditional companies to stay relevant. In 2017, ICOs were able to raise around USD $4 billion, while the data-storage startup Filecoin was able to raise the highest amount of USD $257 million.
FT reported that Telegram is seeking USD $600 million in this private fundraising round to build a virtual economy within its mobile app in which big investors are getting a discounted price to the crowdsale of the same size that's planned for March.
Unlike various other ICOs, Dubai-based Telegram has 170 million users sending across billions of messages each day, which eliminates the chances of the speculation and risk associated with many of the similar but unverified business models that intend to launch token sales. However, this doesn't mean that there is no risk involved. TON, which is Telegram's planned blockchain, is a platform where business owners and Telegram's users will exist, cannot be expected before 2019.
This ICO is attracting a range of U.S. investors and the intersection of Silicon Valley's venture capital with ICOs is becoming more persistent as more and more VCs are looking to chase blockchain opportunities. Telegram backers Sequoia and Kleiner Perkins, for instance, are of the dot-com era, when they both backed Google. Moreover, Google Ventures is supporting ripple, a cross-border payments startup.
In 2017, US venture capital invested $84 billion into more than 8,000 deals, as per PitchBook data. Now, in 2018 traditional VC are overlapping ICOs, with venture capitalists such as Raleigh-based early-stage backer Full Tilt Capital targeting USD $25 million for a cryptocurrency fund.
Telegram was founded by Pavel Durov, a Russian entrepreneur who was the founder of Russia's Facebook, aka, VKontakte.
Disclaimer: This is not an investment advice. It is of paramount importance that everyone should do his or her own due diligence before investing in any product, platform, tokens etc. Cryptocentral.io does not endorse any content or product published on this page. Our aim is to simply provide all the readers with the latest information in the field of cryptocurrency / blockchain industry that might be of interest to our readers.


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Samsung recently launched their all-new flagship phone Galaxy S21 Ultra. There are also other variants launched with the phone for lower budget ones. The phone really impressed the people with its power packed performance, a long-lasting battery life and an impressive camera. Though the company has come with an all-new mobile phone, it’s still released some updated versions of the predecessors.
The company is launching Samsung Galaxy S20 FE which will run on 5G connectivity. The phone is all set to launch soon in India. There was a fan edition of the phone too which used to come with 4G connectivity. The phone was launched earlier in October 2020.
Samsung has already started the support page of the phone on their site where you can find the device with model number “G781B/DS” where the meaning of DS would be Dual Sim which is a no surprise. Though other than the model number, the support page did not show any other information on the website but we are expecting that Samsung might launch the phone soon in India.
There is a website named BIS certification where the phone was already listed. though the site does not provide any information about phones other than the model number. The phone is already available in the foreign market with 5G variant. The only difference which Indian market will see is that unlike other countries the phone won’t run on Snapdragon 865 chipset in India, it will be running on Exynos 990 SoC which is also good. Talking about the price, the phone is expected to be priced around 50000 INR.
The phone will have a super AMOLED display with a screen size of 6.5 inches with a 120Hz refresh rate and a punch hole camera which Samsung calls Infinity O display. the resolution of the screen will be 2400 x 1080. It will also have an in-display fingerprint sensor and it will also be IP68 water resistant. Talking about the storage capacity, the device is expected to have 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage.
There will be the matte design which you might have seen in Galaxy Note 20 series. It will have a three rear camera module where one will be a 12 MP primary camera, a 12 megapixel ultra-wide shooter, 8-megapixel telephoto lens and a 32 MP selfie camera. with the plethora of features at a good price, one should not think much before buying the phone. So, when are you ordering yours?


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Twix has released a series of new ads showing people how to safely dispose their #LeftTWIX, paid for by #RightTWIX.
One of the spots, dedicated to the safe disposal of Left Twix Peanut Butter, features a young woman who, after eating the right Twix, takes a tiny bassinet out of her pocket and puts the left Twix in it. Afterwards, she places the bassinet at someone’s front door, rings the bell and runs away.
Other spots show viewers that left Twix White could be safely disposed in a mailbox and that right Twix could be safely disposed by throwing it in the back seat of a taxi.
The campaign hinting at a rivalry between the “left Twix” and “right Twix” was introduced at the Cannes Lions festival in 2012. Last year, the two chocolate bars were given their own unique package, so that fans could have two of their favorite bars in every Twix pack, and a dedicated campaign developed by BBDO New York was launched to celebrate the event.


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Nothing, the UK-based tech startup, quietly ran a Community Update via YouTube this morning, Thursday 1 February 2024, and within its various sections was a key reveal: that the company's next phone is officially called the Nothing Phone (2a).
There have been rumours in abundance about this next Nothing release, and I wrote about an invitation to a launch event in December of last year, which was widely expected to be for the Phone (2a).
Well, mark your calendars as the 27 February, at Mobile World Congress 2024, is now almost certainly the reveal for the Phone (2a) - although, officially, Nothing still hasn't confirmed this. But I think it's pretty obvious.
I'm an avid Nothing fan, having used and loved the Nothing Phone (2) for an extended period of time. So what will the Nothing Phone (2a) offer? Well, the Community Update didn't exactly reveal much, except that it will be 'a clear upgrade' compared to the original Nothing Phone (1) in every regard.
That's an interesting prospect as, much like with Google's 'a' series phones, like the Google Pixel 7a, I suspect this will mean some flagship specs at a mid-to-entry-level product price point. There will be concessions, of course, but Nothing - despite saying, er, nothing specific about the specification - sounds like its Phone (2a) will effectively replace the company's original handset in its line-up.
That's not to say that some specifications haven't leaked already: the Nothing Phone (2a) has been spotted on a certification website already, with the rumours suggesting a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 processor, a pair of 50-megapixel main cameras plus an ultra-wide 16MP snapper.
What I've certainly not seen yet - and, again, Nothing wasn't showing a thing - is what the Phone (2a) will look like. Just how much of the Phone (2)'s Glyph lighting feature will translate to a more budget handset? I can't imagine it can be as advanced in that regard. Oh, and just to point out the obvious: my picture up top is of the Nothing Phone (2), not the (2a)!
There is already a Nothing Phone (2a) mock-up, though, but as my T3 colleague has said, "I'll eat my hat if it looks like this". Personally I hope that Nothing keeps it all under wraps until the 27 February to maintain at least a little excitement around the product's reveal. After all, it's easily going to be the biggest MWC 2024 launch of the forthcoming show...


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In light of the current environmental and climate crisis, steps towards a transition to more sustainable forms of agriculture and food production need to be taken. A shift away from animal agriculture towards plant-based farming is one of the solutions.
So, how can we help farmers to adopt more sustainable practices? How can we encourage the development and implementation of policies favouring better solutions, such as plant-based organic farming? How can we share best practices and know-how on forms of agriculture that will help meet climate targets? And how can farmers economically sustain such a way of producing food?
The Grow Green conference will bring together EU policymakers (MEPs, European Union government representatives, EU Institution representatives), think tanks and NGOs, agricultural organizations, farmers and growers, sustainability professionals, food trade industry representatives, retailers and more to discuss these questions.


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OTTAWA — The Canadian foodservice industry will experience a limited revenue growth of 3.9 per cent this year, its weakest performance since 2011. According to The Conference Board of Canada’s latest Canadian Industrial Outlook: Canada’s Food Services Industry, there will be an increasingly competitive landscape and weakening consumer spending.
“As restaurants vie for Canadians’ food dollars, they will not only be competing against each other for market share, but with grocery stores as well. Dining at home is becoming relatively attractive compared to eating out, given slower growth in income and the fact that prices at restaurants have steadily risen despite a drop in grocery prices over the last year,” says Michael Burt, director, Industrial Economic Trends, The Conference Board of Canada. “Increased competition in the industry may drive the less profitable independent restaurants out of business as they struggle to compete with chains on food prices and keeping up with food trends.”
Although weakening margins continue to decrease profits, the financial picture of the foodservice industry will remain stable through 2017. The number of restaurants in Canada has grown at a rate of 1.8 per cent since 2011 — well above the 1.1-per-cent growth in total population — pre-tax profits in the foodservices industry are forecast to reach $1.6 billion and breakfast has become very popular, accounting for just under one in five restaurant visits.
Canada’s food-manufacturing industry remains a strong performer in the manufacturing sector and can expect solid sales growth of 4.1 per cent in 2017.