text:
Retail companies, particularly traditional brick-and-mortar retailers, were devastated in 2020 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Government shutdown mandates, and the quick adoption of online shopping by consumers, were the key reasons why the retail space was severely impacted. However, the phased reopening of the global economy and strategic changes in the business models have helped some retailers recover over the past few months.
As increasing numbers of people are vaccinated for COVID-19, analysts expect a sharp recovery in the traditional retail business in the coming months. This, coupled with the latest recovery bill that is on the cusp of passage in the Senate, is boosting investors’ confidence in the retail space.
Consequently, retail stocks have started grabbing the spotlight. This is evidenced by the SPDR S&P Retail ETF’s (XRT) 24.4% gains so far this year compared to the S&P 500’s mere 1.7% returns. The retail sector’s momentum is expected to continue as the economy recovers steadily this year and consumer spending climbs back towards pre-pandemic levels.
The retail landscape has undergone rapid change, due primarily to supply chain disruptions and permanent store closures. However, several long-term winners and losers have emerged based on fundamentals and recent developments. While we believe Target Corporation (TGT) and Dillard's, Inc. (DDS) have fared well and could generate promising returns this year, we think the near-term prospects appear bleak for stocks including The RealReal, Inc. (REAL) and Express, Inc. (EXPR).
Stocks to Buy:
Target Corporation (TGT)
TGT operates as a general merchandise retailer in the U.S. and Canada, offering a selection of merchandise, including consumables, seasonal, home products and apparel. It sells its products through nearly 1,900 stores and through its digital channel. The company operates five core merchandise categories, all of which witnessed strong market-share gains last year.
In January, TGT expanded its decade-long partnership with Levi Strauss & Co. (LEVI), collaborating to feature a limited-edition collection of home and lifestyle items. The deal marked LEVI’s first “Home” partnership. TGT has also been investing in fulfillment centers, such as Drive Up and Shipt, which has bolstered its ability to make same-day deliveries. In addition, the company is involved in opening small-scale stores in underserved areas to tap into an unsaturated market in both physical stores and e-commerce.
In the fourth quarter, ended January 31, 2020, TGT’s total revenue increased 16.4% year-over-year to $28.4 billion. Its comparable sales grew 20.5%, reflecting comparable traffic growth of 6.5% and a 13.1% increase in average ticket sales. Digital comparable sales surged 118%, accounting for two-thirds of its overall comp growth. Same-day services (Order Pick Up, Drive Up and Shipt) grew 212%, led by more than 500% growth in Drive Up. Its EPS came in at an all-time high of $2.73, rising 67.5% versus its year-ago value.
TGT recently unveiled its strategic investment plans for the year, including plans to invest approximately $4 billion annually over the next several years to continue scaling capabilities across its retail platform. Building on years of sales growth and a record 2020 financial performance, TGT aims to accelerate new store openings and store remodels, enhance fulfillment services and strengthen its supply chain. The stock has gained a whopping 57.5% over the past year and should garner further momentum; analysts expect TGT’s EPS to grow at an average rate of 10% per annum in the next five years.
TGT’s POWR Ratings reflect this promising outlook. TGT has an overall rating of A, which equates to Strong Buy in our proprietary rating system. The POWR Ratings are calculated by considering 118 different factors with the weighting of each optimized to improve overall performance.
It also has a B grade for Value, Sentiment and Quality. It is ranked #3 of 39 stocks in the A-rated Grocery/Big Box Retailers industry.
In total, we rate TGT on eight different levels. Click here to check additional POWR Ratings for TGT (Growth, Momentum and Stability).
Dillard's, Inc. (DDS)
DDS ranks among the nation’s largest fashion retailers. It offers compelling apparel, cosmetics and home selections products. Its stores offer a broad selection of merchandise and feature products from both national and exclusive brand sources. DDS operates 257 Dillard’s locations and 28 clearance centers spanning 29 states, along with an internet store.
DDS recently launched “Born on Fifth” for Antonio Melani, a new limited-edition capsule collection developed in collaboration with Atlanta-based tastemaker Emily Hertz. And on February 1, DDS and New York-based designer duo, Michael and Alex Toccin, launched LDT, a new brand from TOCCIN NY.
In its fiscal fourth quarter (ended January 31, 2021), DDS’ net sales were $1.57 billion, versus year-ago sales of $1.92 billion. Its retail gross margin improved 171 basis points. Its comparable store sales decreased approximately 17% in the fourth quarter following a 24% decrease in the third quarter. And its inventory decreased approximately 26%. However, its EPS was $3.05, improving 11% versus its year-ago value of $2.75.
DDS has been diligent in its liquidity management since the onset of pandemic last year and has undertaken several aggressive measures to lower excess inventory and control expenses. In part as a result, the stock has gained nearly 160% over the past six months. Its management is optimistic about the company’s prospects because “warmer weather and fresh fashions will motivate Americans to shop this spring.” In line with this outlook, analysts expect DDS’s current-year revenue and EPS to rise 25.9% and 185.6%, respectively.
DDS’s strong fundamentals are reflected in its POWR Ratings. DDS has an overall rating of B, which translates to Buy in our proprietary rating system. The stock also has a B grade for Value and Quality. In the 67-stock B-rated Fashion & Luxury Industry, it is ranked #8.
Beyond what we stated above, we have also given DDS grades for Growth, Momentum, Stability and Sentiment. Get all DDS’s ratings here.
Stocks to Avoid:
The RealReal, Inc. (REAL)
California-based REAL is the world’s largest online marketplace for consigned luxury goods. It offers various resale product categories, including women's, men's, kids', jewelry, and watches, as well as home and art products. The company serves more than 20 million members through its 13 retail locations and internet stores.
In the fourth quarter, REAL signed a lease for an authentication center in Phoenix, which the company plans to begin operating in the summer. The Phoenix facility will create more than 1,500 local, full-time jobs over the next five years, offering competitive pay, rewards and benefits. Furthermore, its consignment of Gucci items grew 2.5 times faster than its overall consignment following the launch of its partnership with Giucci in October, .
In the fourth quarter, ended December 31 REAL generated $84.6 million in revenue, decreasing 10% year-over-year. Its gross merchandise volume (GMV) came in at $301.2 million, representing a 1% year-over-year decline. Its consignment and service revenue also declined 16% versus its year-ago value to $69.1 million. Also, the company reported a loss of $0.60 per share, widening its year-ago loss of $0.25 per share.
Despite implementing strategic initiatives surrounding its neighborhood stores, vendor program and authentication center expansion, REAL’s average order value (AOV) over the past year declined 6% compared to the prior year. In addition, REAL is currently facing litigation charges from Channel, Inc., which alleges that REAL falsely advertised and sold counterfeit handbags bearing its logo. REAL’s stock is down nearly 11% in the past month. Though analysts expect REAL’s revenue to rise 17.9% in the current quarter, its EPS is expected to decline 23.1%.
REAL’s POWR Ratings are consistent with this bleak outlook. The stock has an overall rating of F, which translates to Strong Sell in our proprietary ratings system. REAL also has an F grade for Value, and a D for Stability. It is ranked #67 in the Fashion & Luxury group.
In addition to the POWR Ratings grades I've just highlighted, you can see the REAL’s ratings for Growth, Momentum, Sentiment and Quality here.
Express, Inc. (EXPR)
EXPR is a mall-based, versatile, dual gender apparel and accessories brand that sells its products through its e-commerce website, mobile app, as well as franchisees Express locations in Latin America. As of October 31, it operated 592 stores, comprising 378 retail stores and 214 factory outlet stores in the United States and Puerto Rico.
Last September, EXPR received formal notice from the NYSE that the company was not in compliance with the NYSE's continued listing standards in that the average closing price of the company's common stock had been less than $1.00 per share over a consecutive 30 trading-day period. The company regained compliance later in January this year, however.
EXPR is scheduled to discuss the financial results of its fiscal fourth quarter ended January 31, on March 10, 2021. In its fiscal third quarter, JILL generated $322.1 million in revenues, declining 34% year-over-year. Its comparable retail sales, which include both Express stores and eCommerce, decreased 33% compared to the prior year, largely resulting from continued steep declines in wear-to-work and occasion-based categories. Moreover, EXPR reported a loss of $1.17 per share, compared to its year-ago loss of $0.03.
As WallStreetBets short squeeze saga engrossed the Street last month, EXPR was one of the targets of Reddit traders. EXPR shares zoomed from around $1 per share to nearly $14 per share in just two weeks. Though the stock has since retreated to $2.50 levels, it is still up 175.8% year-to-date.
The company has been burning cash since the onset of the pandemic as sales have plunged dramatically. Though the company has tackled its liquidity crisis through additional financing, analysts do not expect a rapid recovery in EXPR’s financials in its current fiscal 2022. Wall Street analysts anticipate sales to remain below its pre-pandemic levels and, further, expect EXPR’s current year revenue and EPS to decline 40.4% and 3,769.2%, respectively.
It is no surprise that EXPR has an overall rating of D, which equates to Sell in our POWR Ratings system. EXPR has an F grade for Stability and Sentiment, and D for Growth. It is ranked #66 in the Fashion & Luxury industry.
Click here to see the additional POWR Ratings for EXPR (Value, Momentum, and Quality).
The POWR Ratings are calculated by considering 118 different factors with the weighting of each optimized to improve overall performance.
Want More Great Investing Ideas?
TGT shares were trading at $167.74 per share on Friday morning, down $2.08 (-1.22%). Year-to-date, TGT has declined -4.64%, versus a 0.69% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.
About the Author: Sidharath Gupta
Sidharath’s passion for the markets and his love of words guided him to becoming a financial journalist. He began his career as an Equity Analyst, researching stocks and preparing in-depth research reports. Sidharath is currently pursuing the CFA program to deepen his knowledge of financial anlaysis and investment strategies.2 Retail Stocks to Buy in March, 2 to Avoid appeared first on StockNews.com


text:
Blackberrys, the formal menswear brand, has launched its new digital campaign for its latest collection Performance 100, a range of wrinkle-resistant and non-iron shirts. The campaign, which is titled 'The Unwrinkle Revolution', showcases the brand's new range of wrinkle-free shirts as the perfect solution for men to lead a stress-free life. The video is being promoted through all social media and digital platforms.
He returns home one day to find a gift bag outside his door containing a new shirt, which changes his life. He no longer needs to worry about the wrinkles on his shirt and indulges in all activities without any stress thanks to the new Blackberrys wrinkle-resistant and non-iron shirt.
Talking about the campaign, Nikhil Mohan, founder and director, Blackberrys, in a press release, says, "This is the year of shirts for us and we want our Performance 100 shirts collection to be the flag-bearer. Our SS16 campaign is focussed on Performance 100 shirts and resonates our strategy of loosening up as a formal menswear brand in India. We look forward to see men in India 'unwrinkle' and enjoy every moment of life to the fullest. Carpe Diem!"
For feedback/comments, please write to firstname.lastname@example.orgFirst Published : March 25, 2016

domain: news


text:
From niche to mainstream
The global payments industry is undergoing a metamorphic shift. Growing consumer expectations and rapid technological advances have converged to transform and modernise the traditional payment model.
Arguably one of the greatest innovations has been cryptocurrency, whose uniqueness and appeal stems from its ability to transfer peer to peer without any bank or government intervention. In less than a decade, the concept of virtual currency has grown from the realms of sci-fi fodder to a very real disrupter to future banking.
You only need to look at the sharp spike in prices to understand its growing allure. Free from the political and economic factors that enslave traditional currencies, the efficiency and cost effectiveness of cryptocurrency appeals to the changing needs of the modern world.
Yet there remains a huge challenge. While the market is reputed to be worth more than $700 billion, its use in everyday life is still not widely accepted.
It is an issue which leading blockchain personal finance platform Wirex is seeking to overcome. Since its inception three years ago, Wirex has worked tirelessly to bridge the gap between traditional banking systems and the future of finance.
It is time to combine cryptocurrency with traditional currencies in our daily finances
“We have reached a pivotal time in the financial services landscape,” says Pavel Matveev, chief executive of Wirex. “It is time to combine cryptocurrency with traditional currencies in our daily finances. They do not need to be mutually exclusive; we believe using both is infinitely better.”
Harnessing its deep knowledge and expertise of the payments market, Wirex is the first of its kind to combine old and new through its digital wallets and contactless cards, providing its customer base a platform for everyday payments.
Mr Matveev explains: “We want to remove the barrier between cryptocurrency accounts and traditional bank accounts. We believe cryptocurrency has a strong role to play in the future, and our aim is to make it as simple and accessible to people as possible.”
Customers of Wirex can access their Wirex account through secure digital wallets, allowing users to buy, store and exchange cryptocurrency safely, as well as convert to traditional currency for instant use in shops or online.
Wirex is currently the only provider in Europe to allow spending in cash converted from cryptocurrency through its contactless Visa cards, and recently integrated its debit card into its multi-currency accounts (GBP, EUR, USD) to make everyday purchases quicker and easier.
As Mr Matveev says: “We’re solving the main problem of digital assets – acceptance. Instead of convincing millions of individual merchants to start accepting cryptocurrency, we have chosen to use existing merchant networks like Visa to access 40 million merchants across more than 200 countries.”
At the heart of all Wirex services is the W-Pay technology which continues to evolve, making it possible to use more than 50 cryptocurrencies together with fiat money in a fully automated and secure environment, without the need to wait for blockchain confirmations.
It is a proposition that has proved immensely popular. Wirex now boasts 1.5 million users and $1.5 billion transaction volume.
Its customers range from bitcoin beginners to seasoned investors and global citizens, from travellers and freelancers to migrants and foreign exchange workers, who need fast, secure and low-cost money transfer options.
“In an increasingly globalised world, cryptocurrency has the potential to democratise financial services for everyone in a way that traditional currencies have failed to do,” says Mr Matveev. “Our expertise in IT, risk management and compliance allow us to offer the most secure and reliable solutions on the market. We know how important it is for our customers to trust in what we do and security is our top priority.”
Indeed, decentralised technology has been hailed by crypto advocates as a means of reconciling many of the defects and failures that have plagued traditional payment architecture.
As financial innovation continues at pace, it is clear Wirex will be at the forefront of the march – offering an unrivalled hybrid personal banking solution that will drive customers’ money to the future of banking.


text:
- 11th Allianz survey: Cyber, business interruption and natural disasters are the top three business risks globally in 2022.
- Pandemic outbreak drops from second to fourth position as majority of companies are less concerned and feel adequately prepared for future outbreaks
- Natural catastrophes and Climate change rise significantly in the annual rankings as extreme weather events and transition risks mount
- AGCS CEO Joachim Mueller: “’Business interrupted’ will likely remain the key underlying risk theme for this year. Building resilience is becoming a competitive advantage for companies.”
Allianz Risk Barometer 2022
Cyber perils are the biggest concern for companies globally in 2022, according to the Allianz Risk Barometer. The threat of ransomware attacks, data breaches or major IT outages worries companies even more than business and supply chain disruption, natural disasters or the Covid-19 pandemic, all of which have heavily affected firms in the past year.
Cyber incidents tops the Allianz Risk Barometer for only the second time in the survey’s history (44% of responses), Business interruption drops to a close second (42%) and Natural catastrophes ranks third (25%), up from sixth in 2021. Climate change climbs to its highest-ever ranking of sixth (17%, up from ninth), while Pandemic outbreak drops to fourth (22%). The annual survey from Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) incorporates the views of 2,650 experts in 89 countries and territories, including CEOs, risk managers, brokers and insurance experts. View the full global and country risk rankings.
Ransomware drives cyber concerns while awareness of BI vulnerabilities grows
Cyber incidents ranks as a top three peril in most countries surveyed. The main driver is the recent surge in ransomware attacks, which are confirmed as the top cyber threat for the year ahead by survey respondents (57%). Recent attacks have shown worrying trends such as ‘double extortion’ tactics combining the encryption of systems with data breaches; exploiting software vulnerabilities which potentially affect thousands of companies (for example, Log4J, Kaseya) or targeting physical critical infrastructure (the Colonial pipeline in the US). Cyber security also ranks as companies’ major environmental social governance (ESG) concern with respondents acknowledging the need to build resilience and plan for future outages or face the growing consequences from regulators, investors and other stakeholders.
“Ransomware has become a big business for cyber criminals, who are refining their tactics, lowering the barriers to entry for as little as a $40 subscription and little technological knowledge. The commercialization of cyber crime makes it easier to exploit vulnerabilities on a massive scale. We will see more attacks against technology supply chains and critical infrastructure,” explains Scott Sayce, Global Head of Cyber at AGCS.
Business interruption (BI) ranks as the second most concerning risk. In a year marked by widespread disruption, the extent of vulnerabilities in modern supply chains and production networks is more obvious than ever. According to the survey, the most feared cause of BI is cyber incidents; reflecting the rise in ransomware attacks but also the impact of companies’ growing reliance on digitalization and the shift to remote working. Natural catastrophes and pandemic are the two other important triggers for BI in the view of respondents.
In the past year post-lockdown surges in demand have combined with disruption to production and logistics, as Covid-19 outbreaks in Asia closed factories and caused record congestion levels in container shipping ports. Pandemic-related delays compounded other supply chain issues, such as the Suez Canal blockage or the global shortage of semiconductors after plant closures in Taiwan, Japan and Texas from weather events and fires.
“The pandemic has exposed the extent of interconnectivity in modern supply chains and how multiple unrelated events can come together to create widespread disruption. For the first time the resilience of supply chains has been tested to breaking point on a global scale,” says Philip Beblo, Property Industry Lead, Technology, Media and Telecoms, at AGCS.
According to the recent Euler Hermes Global Trade Report, the Covid-19 pandemic will likely drive high levels of supply chain disruption into the second half of 2022, although mismatches in global demand and supply and container shipping capacity are eventually predicted to ease, assuming no further unexpected developments.
Awareness of BI risks is becoming an important strategic issue across entire companies. “There is a growing willingness among top management to bring more transparency to supply chains with organizations investing in tools and working with data to better understand the risks and create inventories, redundancies and contingency plans for business continuity,” says Maarten van der Zwaag, Global Head of Property Risk Consulting at AGCS.
Pandemic preparations improve. Next up - making businesses more waterproof
Pandemic outbreak remains a major concern for companies but drops from second to fourth position (although the survey predated the emergence of the Omicron variant). While the Covid-19 crisis continues to overshadow the economic outlook in many industries, encouragingly, businesses do feel they have adapted well. The majority of respondents (80%) think they are adequately or well-prepared for a future incident. Improving business continuity management is the main action companies are taking to make them more resilient.
The rise of Natural catastrophes and Climate change to third and sixth position respectively is telling, with both upwards trends closely related. Recent years have shown the frequency and severity of weather events are increasing due to global warming. For 2021, global insured catastrophe losses were well in excess of $100bn – the fourth highest year on record. Hurricane Ida in the US may have been the costliest event, but more than half of the losses came from so-called secondary perils such as floods, heavy rain, thunderstorms, tornados and even winter freezes, which can often be local but increasingly costly events. Examples included Winter Storm Uri in Texas, the low-pressure weather system Bernd, which triggered catastrophic flooding in Germany and Benelux countries, the heavy flooding in Zhengzhou, China, and heatwaves and bushfires in Canada and California.
Allianz Risk Barometer respondents are most concerned about climate-change related weather events causing damage to corporate property (57%), followed by BI and supply chain impact (41%). However, they are also worried about managing the transition of their businesses to a low-carbon economy (36%), fulfilling complex regulation and reporting requirements and avoiding potential litigation risks for not adequately taking action to address climate change (34%).
“The pressure on businesses to act on climate change has increased noticeably over the past year, with a growing focus on net-zero contributions,” observes Line Hestvik, Chief Sustainability Officer at Allianz SE. “There is a clear trend for companies towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions in operations or exploring business opportunities for climate-friendly technologies and sustainable products. In the coming years, many corporate decision-makers will be looking even more closely at the impact of climate risks in their value chain and taking appropriate precautions. Many companies are building up dedicated competencies around climate risk mitigation, bringing together both risk management and sustainability experts.”
Businesses also have to become more weatherproof against extreme events such as hurricanes or flooding. “Previous once-in-a-century-events may well occur more frequently in future and also in regions which were considered ‘safe’ in the past. Both buildings and business continuity planning need to become more robust in response,” says van der Zwaag.
Other risers and fallers in this year's Allianz Risk Barometer
Shortage of skilled workforce
Attracting and retaining workers has rarely been more challenging. Respondents rank this as a top five risk in the engineering, construction, real estate, public service and healthcare sectors, and as the top risk for transportation.
Changes in legislation and regulation
Fire and explosion
Allianz Risk Barometer 2022
Keep up to date on all news and insights from AGCS
Central & Eastern Europe
Mediterranean & Africa
London & Nordics
About Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty
Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) is a leading global corporate insurance carrier and a key business unit of Allianz Group. We provide risk consultancy, Property-Casualty insurance solutions and alternative risk transfer for a wide spectrum of commercial, corporate and specialty risks across nine dedicated lines of business and six regional hubs.
Our customers are as diverse as business can be, ranging from Fortune Global 500 companies to small businesses. Among them are not only the world’s largest consumer brands, financial institutions, tech companies and the global aviation and shipping industry, but also satellite operators or Hollywood film productions. They all look to AGCS for smart solutions and global programs to their largest and most complex risks in a dynamic, multinational business environment and trust us to deliver an outstanding claims experience.
Worldwide, AGCS operates with its own teams in more than 30 countries and through the Allianz Group network and partners in over 200 countries and territories, employing around 4,250 people. As one of the largest Property-Casualty units of Allianz Group, we are backed by strong and stable financial ratings. In 2021, AGCS generated a total of €9.5 billion gross premium globally.


text:
Here’s The Oregonian’s weekly look at the numbers behind the state’s economy. View past installments here.
It’s been just over two months since Oregon began allowing diners to resume eating in restaurants, under limited conditions designed to contain the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.
Restaurants enjoyed a sharp uptick in business in the first several weeks they reopened, according to online reservation data. And new state jobs data out this past week shows restaurants recalled more than 21,000 workers in June.
In recent weeks, though, the pace of recovery has stalled. Data from the online reservation system Open Table indicates the number of people eating out has barely budged in the past month, down nearly two-thirds from this time last year.
And in Portland, where restaurants reopened later, the pace of recovery has been much slower. Open Table says online reservations are down about 80% from a year ago and aren’t growing.
Open Table is just one data point, of course, and it’s hard to know whether it’s truly representative of what restaurants are experiencing. People may still be eating out, for example, but making fewer online reservations.
And many people continue to order for take-out or delivery, business that isn’t captured in the online reservation data.
Still, the fact that Open Table’s numbers aren’t changing suggests a kind of ceiling to the restaurant industry’s recovery – at least for now. Even with June’s spike in hiring, Oregon restaurant employment is down by a third from the same month in 2019.
The immediate future of the dining sector is tied to the rate of coronavirus infections, and the sharp rise in outbreaks could further reduce people’s willingness to eat out.
The restaurant sector’s numbers tell a broader economic story: Even as governments allow businesses to reopen, many people won’t return to pre-pandemic behavior until they’re convinced it’s safe to do so.
So while Oregon enjoyed a sharp economic rebound in May and June, recovering a third of the initial jobs lost to the epidemic, the future of that recovery depends on renewed progress on in controlling the pandemic.


text:
Tesco is to more than double the products in its vegan Wicked Kitchen range, adding 26 new lines between now and December.
These include baked goods and desserts for the first time, including a pineapple dream cake and red velvet brownie that both went on sale yesterday.
More cakes as well as pies, a ‘hipster salad’, pesto lasagne, chilled desserts and ‘sausage’ rolls will roll out to Tesco chillers in the coming weeks.
This would take the total Wicked Kitchen lineup to 44 products by Christmas, Tesco said, as it responded to soaring demand and a 25% rise in chilled vegan food sales since the start of 2018.
It follows the recent expansion of European plant-based food brands Oumph and Vivera into Tesco in recent months. The launch of US smash hit The Beyond Burger also remains in the offing, though its release date was postponed in August as short supplies left owner Beyond Meat doubting its ability to meet demand.
The expansion of the Wicked Kitchen lineup was a “dream come true” said founder and Tesco’s head of plant-based innovation Derek Sarno. Shopper response to the range had been “phenomenal” since it launched in January, he added.
“At the start of the year, I said that veganism was going mainstream, and – as plant-based options are taking over the supermarket shelves – that belief is fast becoming a reality,” he said.
Tesco product development director Kate Ewart added: “We know from our own data that flexitarianism is on the rise and many more customers are dabbling in cutting out meat for a day or so during their weekly diet.
“With the new range we’re now hoping to attract an even wider audience, including customers looking for on-the-go delicious snacks such as a plant-based sausage roll, pie or pasty, as well as dessert lovers.”


text:
Nissan has announced that it is loaning more than 100 cars to the NHS for free.
The cars, which include the Micra, Qashqai and electric Leaf, are being taken from the firm’s dealer network and are being provided to those frontline workers who have had their normal modes of transport disrupted.
The vehicles are typically used as dealer demonstrators or courtesy cars and are being coordinated by the firm’s 30 dealer sites which are still in operation.
Andrew Humberstone, managing director, Nissan Motor GB, said: “At a time when our healthcare workers are under immense pressure, Nissan wanted to offer its support in enabling their journeys to be trouble-free and more convenient.
We can’t thank the UK’s key workers enough for all they’re doing to keep the nation going. To help them keep going we’re providing free-of-charge Roadside Assistance to all key workers who own a Nissan vehicle, regardless of its age or warranty. Stay safe everybody. pic.twitter.com/WqGE7PqMzC
— NissanUK (@NissanUK) April 9, 2020
“For the NHS worker who might rely on public transport and would prefer a car to drive instead; or for those whose car has experienced a breakdown and don’t have the time to arrange its repair; or there’s any other impact on your personal mobility, then please get in touch with Nissan and we will try to help you access one of our vehicles for free.”
Provided at no cost and including complimentary insurance and roadside assistance, the only costs associated with the vehicles that workers will have to cover is fuel – or charging, in the case of the Nissan Leaf.
To be covered by Nissan’s insurance, drivers need to be over 25 with no more than six penalty points on their licence.
NHS workers who require a car are asked to fill in an online registration on Nissan’s website, with details relayed to a local dealer who will be able to arrange a loan.


text:
Global Marketing News – 10th February 2017
YouTube has launched a live streaming service for a select number of accounts, email marketing is expected to receive a boost this year, and Chinese web users are lagging behind in loyalty sign-ups.
Latest posts by Elin Box (see all)
- EU To Block “Backdoor” Access To Chat Apps - June 22, 2017
- Facebook Ads Now Able To Target Users Based On Spending Habits - June 19, 2017
- WeChat Launches Tool To Spot Fake News - June 14, 2017


text:
Our coverage of Android smartphones continues with a head-to-head look at three of the top phones currently available: Motorola Droid 2, Samsung EPIC 4G and the HTC EVO 4G. These phones are superphones that clearly showcase the capabilities that Android brings to the smartphone space.
The smartphone of today has become a powerhouse that fits in a pocket. That is why some even refer to them as “superphones”, which is very appropriate. To demonstrate how useful the smartphone has become, I present this mini-chronicle of a typical day with my smartphone.
Sprint’s 4G WiMAX lands in seven new cities today and the carrier expects to bring the service to several major metropolitan areas before end of year. But the flagship device for 4G, the HTC EVO, is in short supply as displays are hard to come by.
There’s much to like about Apple’s newly unveiled iPhone 4, but not everyone wants an iPhone, either due to the lock-in to Apple’s software ecosystem, issues with AT&T’s network or some other reason. Here are eight iPhone alternatives to consider — a pair for each carrier.
Sprint’s HTC EVO 4G — the latest Snapdragon-powered smartphone — set sales records for the carrier on day one, outselling the prior two bestsellers combined. That’s good news for Sprint, which has lost customers of late and is betting big on its national 4G network.
Join James, Matt and Kevin live for this week’s audio podcast where they’ll cover this week’s mobile technology news and share experiences with the latest software, hardware and web services. If you missed the live show, you can grab an MP3 audio recording.
The activation of the Sprint 4G network in my area has me on a quest to upgrade my measly 3G connectivity. I considered the Sprint Overdrive modem but got scared with reports of problems. I also considered the HTC EVO phone, but it lacks something important.
Sprint this week took the wraps off the Android-based HTC EVO, the first smartphone to include WiMAX support, and Samsung became the latest handset manufacturer to unveil an Android-based phone with the Galaxy S. Disappointed with sales of the Nexus One? HTC’s CEO sure isn’t.
I have no shortage of smartphones but I have to admit they are getting long in the tooth. Why do I have a feeling I see a superphone in my future? It’ll be “want one” then “I gotta have one” in short order. How about you?
Was it just us or did Android steal the show at CTIA this year? In this week’s audio podcast we chat about that and wonder if the bar has been raised for Apple’s next handset due to the high-end smartphones announced at CTIA.


text:
By Sue Kirchhoff and Sandra Block, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON Priscilla Saavedra waited four long years for her husband, Vicente, to earn U.S. resident status. After he finally emigrated from Mexico last year, the couple faced a new challenge: his lack of credit history.
"I had an excellent credit score ... but my income was not too good" in terms of covering a mortgage, says Saavedra, 26. Vicente, also 26, had a healthy income but hadn't built a credit record, as he scrimped and paid cash while waiting to move to California. With the help of a lender, they added Vicente's name to her credit cards and used other strategies to build a financial file. They got a loan and, weeks ago, moved into their San Marcos, Calif., home.
Saavedra is one of as many as 50 million consumers — mainly minorities, young adults and women — who have thin or non-existent credit files. That means big U.S. credit bureaus don't have enough information about their finances to assign them a credit score: a figure generated via statistical models that examine outstanding borrowing, payment history and debt loads. Banks use credit scores to determine eligibility and pricing for mortgages, auto and other loans.
This growing group soon could have more options because of an intensive effort by the financial industry to develop alternative credit ratings — risk profiles based on such data as rent, utility, child care, medical and other payments not now routinely examined by the large credit-reporting agencies.
Banks are pushing the endeavor, eager to tap a lucrative market — particularly the fast-growing Hispanic population. Consumer advocates hope to steer borrowers toward banks and away from high-cost payday lenders. Studies by the non-profit National Community Reinvestment Coalition have found that consumers without traditional credit scores are far more likely to take out high-cost loans, if they can borrow at all.
"There's no real straightforward way into this market without reliable data. We're talking about an industry (banking) that's increasingly concentrated at the same time it's become increasingly dependent" on computer-based risk assessment rather than more informal decision making, says Michael Turner of the Information Policy Institute, working with banks and others on the issue.
Fair Isaac, which compiles the FICO score, the basis of most credit reports, has started using telephone and utility records, bank accounts and other payments to develop an alternative measure. Credit bureau Experian is trying to broaden its credit score.
A start-up called PRBC (formerly Pay Rent, Build Credit) in Annapolis, Md., lets people self-report data, such as rent records, loans from non-profit groups and payments to payday lenders. In Boston, MassHousing, the state's housing authority, accepts an alternative score by First American Credco. Mortgage giant Fannie Mae may examine whether immigrants who send regular payments home are good risks.
While consumer advocates see promise, they also worry that if new systems are poorly constructed, minorities and low-income workers could become more vulnerable to scams or pitches from pricey lenders. Expanded use of data raises privacy concerns, because credit scores are used for insurance pricing and hiring decisions.
"Not all alternate credit scores are created equal. ... I would at least raise an eyebrow as to any credit score built on high-cost credit," says Chi Chi Wu of the National Consumer Law Center. "Is that going to be more of a sucker list: 'These are people who've gotten high-cost loans'? "
Computer-generated credit scores in just a couple of decades have become the benchmark for lending. Most are based on some variation of Fair Isaac's FICO score, which ranges from 300 to 850. The lower the score, the greater the risk.
The main factors used in a FICO score are payment history for credit cards, mortgages and other retail accounts, the amount a consumer owes, the length of time he or she has held credit and the amount of recently opened credit cards.
Credit-reporting agencies (the big three are Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) say standardization has enabled millions of consumers to get loans quickly and at a low price, without regard to race, gender or residence. But estimates cited by Fair Isaac and others are that 32 million consumers have credit files that are too thin to score, and 22 million have no files at all.
No credit, no score
Some without credit histories are people like Gena Non-ini. Her parents were Depression babies, and she watched debt-laden farmers go under during the 1980s farm crisis. Deciding "if you don't have money, you don't buy," she ran her own farm on a cash-only basis. That turned into a problem two years ago, when she sought a loan. "My bank basically said, 'Thank you, but no thank you,' " says Non-ini, 42, who has operated her 80-acre Marian Farms in central California since 1990. "My credit history was transparent. ... You could see right through it."
Non-ini secured federally backed loans through a local thrift and a non-profit women's business group called Count Me In.
About 18 months ago, Fair Isaac started using telephone and utility payment records, bank accounts and other payments to develop a score that resembles its FICO score. The range for the alternative score is 300 to 850, the same as the traditional score. Early results show the data can generate alternative credit ratings most of the time.
"There's obviously a need to determine credit risk of these folks," says Ron Totaro, a Fair Isaac vice president. "There wasn't really a good vehicle to score them on a predictable basis."
Many credit unions and other lenders already look at rent and other data on a case-by-case basis, but Turner and others say a standardized system is a must to really propel the effort forward.
Those who have developed alternative models can find it slow-going. A MassHousing official says private lenders have approved just a handful of mortgages with the alternative FirstAmerican score.
"It does cost a little bit more, and it does involve a little bit more work," says MassHousing spokesman Eric Gedstad. "It's difficult to change the way things have been done."
Others say serving the thin- or no-file market requires far more than a new score, including smarter marketing and guarantees that loans made using alternative scores can be securitized. Mortgages are routinely repackaged as bonds and sold to investors.
"The system should embrace you, welcome you," says Leonardo Simpser, executive vice president of the Hispanic National Mortgage Association, which has its own credit-scoring model and also buys loans banks make using its system.
Simpser says banks "look at a huge segment of the population and they try to cram them into their existing systems, and it doesn't work."
Different strategies are needed for Hispanic consumers, an issue becoming complicated by uncertainty over federal immigration law, says Yamila Ayad of Mission Home Loans, who helped the Saavedras.
Mark Catone, senior vice president of First American, says his company is seeing more interest in his product as mortgage originators outsource work in light of a slowing market, because it lets firms process less-traditional loans faster and more uniformly.
Karen Gross, a professor at New York Law School, says it's hard to judge some of the efforts. For example, she cites a new VantageScore unveiled by the big three credit bureaus in March as a standardized score that also contained extra data to help thin-file consumers. The credit-reporting agencies don't disclose the formulas they use to develop a consumer's score. While they tout their standardized score, they won't say how that will be calculated, either.
"We live in a world without mandatory credit reporting, and there may be very good reasons for that. But in a world where some creditors can elect not to report, those who do report are getting added power," Gross says. "The system is flawed."
Benefits and risks
There are hurdles to developing alternative scores. One is figuring out what types of data predict creditworthiness. A second is persuading utilities and other businesses to report data in a voluntary system.
Rent payments might be a great indicator of whether a person could handle a mortgage. But there are few large landlords across the country, making it tough to collect data. Utility payments could be useful, but some states restrict utilities' ability to share data.
Asset Builders of America, a non-profit group in Wisconsin that focuses on financial education for low-income consumers, is running a Milwaukee pilot project to test whether reporting routine utility payments helps build credit and improve scores of those who already have a credit file. Working with We Energies and the non-profit Brookings Institution, the group also wants to see if consumers pay faster if data is reported.
"I see people who already have a credit score that's unbalanced," because of lack of positive data, says Richard Entenmann, president of Asset Builders. "There's a whole lot of people who don't have a credit score just because there's nothing on their records. ... Our supposition is this would help them."
Wu of the National Consumer Law Center notes that some utilities are not allowed to turn off heat during the winter, prompting strapped consumers to delay paying those bills to meet other needs. Some consumers have to prove they are behind on energy bills to receive special subsidies.
"For a utility to say, 'We can't shut you off, but we'll report you and give you a bad credit score,' we're concerned," Wu says.
Thorny issues remain
Additional use of data adds to privacy concerns.
Clifton Thompson, 49, is a truck driver in Clinton, Md. When he recently applied for a job, he was surprised to see a notation on the application stating his credit score would be checked. A couple of weeks later, after he signed the application, Thompson was told it was denied due to his credit history.
"I thought, 'All I'm doing is driving a truck: I'm not applying for a cash-register job,' " says Thompson, who notes his clean driving record. He wonders what will happen if he ever has to change jobs. "I need a job to pay off things, and now you're going to deny me work (due to my credit score)?" he says.
There are other issues, including the fact that minorities are already more likely to have low credit ratings. But banks and consumer advocates say there are a wealth of possibilities. Gross suggests opening the process and adjusting scores to give extra weight to such payments as child support.
"Create carrots, not sticks," Gross says, "so that not only does a credit score become a predictor of creditworthiness, it becomes a basis for social policy."


text:
Motorcycle racing legend Kenny Roberts has announced that a KR-customized Yamaha YZF-R3 that he and his crew built will be auctioned at the eighth annual Welcome Home Heroes Benefit Auction.
The Auction takes place this Saturday night, May 25, at the Commemorative Air Force, Hanger I-S, 700 Tioga Drive in Modesto, California.
Along with the one-of-a kind KR-customized Yamaha YZF-R3 up for bid, the auction will also include Team Roberts memorabilia, signed racing-related items, bronze statues, paintings and other motorsports merchandise.
Sponsors for this year’s event are Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., Dunlop Motorcycle Tires, Saddlemen Motorcycle Seats and Components, Cycle Gear, Motion Pro, PJ1 Brands, and Vreeke & Associates.
For more information, call Michael Utt at (209) 765-9317 or send an email to Admin@KennyRoberts.com
About Welcome Home Heroes
Welcome Home Heroes is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation organized to provide assistance to local Central California veterans of the U.S. military in their transition from active duty to private life. Last year, the True American Heroes Dinner and Cpl. Michael D. Anderson, Jr. Memorial Ride raised more than $130,000. For more information, visit TrueAmericanHero.org or WelcomeHomeHeroesFoundation.org


text:
AS Nigeria’s unemployment rate continues to rise, the country’s inflation rate has jumped to 12.82 per cent (year-on-year) in July 2020, indicating the highest level in 27 months, Consumer Price Index (CPI) of July 2020 has shown.
Inflation in Nigeria has consistently been on the increase for 11-months, rising from 11.02 per cent in August 2019 to 12.82% in July 2020, the report released by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday shows.
The report also revealed that food inflation increased to 15.48 per cent in July from 15.18 per cent in June.
According to the report, increases were recorded in the 12 Classification of Individual Consumption According by Purpose (COICOP) divisions that yielded the headline index.
The COICOP includes food and non-alcoholic beverages, alcoholic, and beverages, tobacco, and kola, clothing and footwear, housing, water, electricity, and gas; furnishings and household equipment.
Others are health, transport, communication, recreation and culture, education, restaurants and hotels, miscellaneous goods and services.
In the report, the NBS indicates that food inflation was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, potatoes, yam and other tubers, meat, fruits, oils and fats, and fish.
The NBS reported last Friday in its ‘Labour Force Statistics: Unemployment and Underemployment Report’ that about 21.7 million Nigerians are currently unemployed.
The report indicates that the country’s unemployment rate within 18 months, rose to 27.1 percent in the second quarter of 2020 from 23.1 percent recorded in the third quarter of 2018.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in March said the inflation level would rise in the next six months due to the effect of COVID-19 pandemic, but it is expected to fall in the next 12 months.
Inflation in states
In July 2020, all items inflation on year on year basis was highest in Bauchi standing at 16.1 per cent, Kogi-15.9 per cent, and Sokoto and Plateau -15.2 per cent, while Lagos 10.7 per cent, Adamawa 10.6 per cent and Kwara with 10.5 per cent recorded the slowest rise in headline year-on-year inflation.
For food inflation, Kogi recorded 20.09 per cent, Sokoto- 19.28 per cent, and Plateau – 17.13 per cent recorded the highest, while Adamawa- 13.37 per cent, Abia- 13.33 per cent, and Lagos- 13.13 per cent recorded the slowest rise in headline year-on-year inflation.


text:
Patrice Louvet is close to unveiling his imprint on the “Way Forward” plan for Ralph Lauren Corp.
The president and chief executive officer for the past year has been getting his sea legs since joining the company last July, first looking holistically at the entire business before drilling down on what might be needed to move the strategy forward to its next stage. A “Way Forward” plan was already in place, which Louvet continued to execute with chief financial officer Jane Nielsen.
Louvet, in a conference call to Wall Street analysts on Wednesday after the company posted fourth-quarter results, detailed some accomplishments and previewed some talking points for the upcoming Investor Day on June 7. On that day, analysts will get to hear more details on the company’s growth and value-creating strategy going forward.
“We’re on a journey to establish a healthy foundation to get the company back to sustainable long-term growth and value creation. In fiscal 2018, we made strong progress on this journey as we executed on our key strategic initiatives and closed the year with a clear game plan, a strong balance sheet and an engaged team focused on executing with excellence,” Louvet said.
He said the four key initiatives were on elevating the brand via improving quality of sales distribution and product; evolving the product, marketing and shopping experience; expanding digital and international presence, and working new ways to drive productivity and agility.
On the production side, the ceo said the company has achieved the goal of having 90 percent of products manufactured on a nine-month lead time. “This is enabling us to make product decisions much closer to consumer demand,” Louvet said. One of the company’s goals once the nine-month mark was reached was a look at narrowing that timeline even further. During the call, Louvet noted: “We plan to drive further improvements in fiscal 2019 toward six-month and three-month lead times for a certain portion of our products.”
As for fiscal 2018 accomplishments — the company’s fiscal year ended March 31 — Louvet said the company closed 25 percent of its U.S. department store points of distribution and 31 directly operated retail stores. Coupled with assortment discipline and clarity of product messaging, the company said fiscal 2018 revenue per stockkeeping unit was up 16 percent, while gross profit per sku was up 22 percent versus year-ago figures.
The company has also been expanding store networks, particularly in the overseas markets. “The new, small format stores are highly productive,” Louvet said.
As for shopping experience, that too has been the focus on an upgrade, “both in-stores and online,” he said, adding that the company invested in its store environments around the world. “For example, in North America, we refreshed over 80 of our top department store shops in fiscal 2018 through improved fixturing, lighting visual merchandising, product presentation and layout,” the ceo said.
He explained that the new environment creates a lighter aesthetic, with improved product presentation focused on the core items as well as growth categories such as denim. The new updated formats allow for easier navigation for consumers, and has “driven improved sales and margins versus control doors and pre-test trends. We plan to accelerate and broaden these activities in fiscal 2019 across all channels globally,” the ceo said.
Helping the firm reach its customer base, Louvet said the company has increased its marketing spend for digital and social media because they are the channels that matter most to our consumers today. “One of the key elements of our marketing strategy is adopting a more consumer-centric approach,” he said, adding that a recent completion of a major global consumer research study is giving the company “learnings” that will enable it to be more precise about how the firm engages specific consumer groups to make its marketing investments more effective and efficient.
Louvet noted that the company has a new board member, Michael George, who is ceo of Qurate, the parent company of QVC, HSN and Zulily. George, Louvet said, “brings deep experience driving growth and value creation through very unique and evolving retail channels globally.”
The company also plans to add Angela Ahrendts to the board as well. It plans to nominate Ahrendts — former Burberry ceo and now spearheading Apple’s retail arm — for election to the company’s board in August. Louvet said of the future board addition, “She will bring invaluable perspective and experience to bear as we move through our own transformation.”
Compared with the year-ago quarterly loss, the company reported net income in the black this year, at $41.3 million, or 50 cents a diluted share, on net revenues of $1.53 billion. North American comparable-store sales were flat, comprised of up 6 percent in brick-and-mortar stores that was offset by an 18 percent decline at ralphlauren.com due in part to a reduction in promotion frequency. For fiscal 2018, net income was $163 million, or $1.97 a diluted share, on revenues of $6.2 billion.
Ralph Lauren, executive chairman and chief creative officer, said, “Patrice and I have developed a strong partnership over the past year and I am confident that we are on the right path as we kick off our 50th anniversary celebration and build the future of our iconic company and brands.”
Louvet said Polo did well in the quarter, particularly the men’s Polo sweatshirt, which features a technology-infused double-knit fabric. Outerwear was another positive where lightweight and functional fabrics in both casual, weekend and wear-to-work styles drove growth.
While Louvet also noted that the average unit retail across the direct-to-consumer network was up 4 percent for the full year, Nielsen said on the call that the AURs will increase due to product elevation, differentiated assortment and higher price points on the international front helped by a balance of fewer promotions and discounts.
Shares of Ralph Lauren on Wednesday closed up 14.3 percent to $133.31.


text:
Websense, a content-security provider, has agreed to be purchased by private equity firm Vista Equity Partners in a cash-for-stock deal worth approximately $907 million, the companies said in an announcement on May 20.
The planned sale continues a trend among many technology companies—including Blue Coat Systems, BMC Software, and SonicWall—to return to private management. Vista will pay $24.75 for each share of Websense stock held by investors, a price that is 29 percent more than the stock’s closing price as of Friday, May 17, and 53 percent more than the average closing price over the past two months, Websense stated in its announcement.
“Vista shares a similar vision for the company, including a dedication to developing and delivering best-in-class cyber-security to our customers,” Websense CEO John McCormack said in the announcement. “Vista brings an operational discipline that will enable us to continue to invest in the business and technology innovation.”
Websense is not the first security firm to be taken private by an investor. In 2010, network security firm SonicWall was taken private by investment firm Thoma Bravo for $717 million and, according to The Wall Street Journal, sold two years later for $1.2 billion to computer-technology company Dell.
In early 2012, Thoma Bravo bought up Blue Coat Systems in a $1.3 billion stock purchase. And earlier this month, two investment firms took information-technology management firm BMC Software private in a deal worth $6.9 billion.
Even prominent computer-technology company Dell is attempting to go private in a controversial move that would quadruple founder Michael Dell’s holdings of the company and leave it in greater debt.
Websense started in 1994 as a security reseller, NetPartners, changing its name to Websense in 1999, following the success of its software that helps companies manage employee Web use. In 2000, the company went public at $18 a share, generating $65.7 million in its initial public offering, and announced a 2-for-1 stock split in 2006.
While the company started off focusing on Web content, it transformed itself into a content-security firm throughout the past decade. In 2010, the company launched its Triton data-security platform, which accounts for an increasing portion of its revenues. In the first quarter of this year, the company announced profits of $2.8 million, compared with a loss in the same quarter a year earlier, and two-thirds of the revenue came from Triton sales and subscriptions.
Vista Equity Partners launched in 2000, the same year that Websense went public. Founded by two alumni of Goldman Sachs, Vista focuses on a small number of investments each year, looking to make specific operational improvements that can turn a company into a high cash-flow business.
“We are long-term investors in enterprise software and data companies that are committed to being leaders in their markets,” Robert F. Smith, CEO and founder of Vista Equity Partners, said in the announcement.
The deal to take Websense private is not expected to change the senior management structure at the firm, the companies said.


text:
The Ministry of Industry and Trade is considering an electricity price hike following the huge loss reported by state utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) for last year.
“The rate and time of the increase will be considered carefully to safeguard the benefits of EVN, the public and businesses and control inflation,” Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai told VnExpress recently.
The ministry said last week that EVN’s costs rose by 9.27% last year, and it caused a loss of VND36.29 trillion (US$1.55 billion).
Deputy CEO of EVN, Nguyen Xuan Nam, said the huge loss puts the company in a difficult financial situation, and so it has sought a hike in tariffs this year.
According to estimates by the Ministry of Finance, if power tariffs increase by 5% this year the consumer price index will see a 3.9% increase.
Hikes of 7% and 8% will push the CPI up by 4.4% and 4.8%.
The government targets containing inflation at 4.5%.
The prices consumers pay have remained unchanged since March 2019.
- Reduce Hair Loss with PURA D’OR Gold Label Shampoo
- Castor Oil Has Made a “Huge” Difference With Hair and Brow Growth
- Excessive hair loss in men: Signs of illness that cannot be subjective
- Dịch Vụ SEO Website ở Los Angeles, CA: đưa trang web doanh nghiệp bạn lên top Google


text:
Reading time: 3 minutes
Already growing in importance prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the forced lockdown of millions across the world in the past two years has rapidly introduced many more to the convenience, value and choice available through online shopping. As a result, what was a strong trend prior to COVID-19 has accelerated, and it appears there’s no turning back.
What’s more, thanks to strong network effects, those companies that are already succeeding in the rapidly evolving online marketplace appear poised to retain a strong competitive position. Especially for Australian investors, where dynamic online companies account for only a relatively small share of the overall market, exposure to leading global online commerce companies offers the opportunity for both growth and diversification within their portfolios.
Investors can now consider the BetaShares Online Retail & E-Commerce ETF (ASX Code: IBUY), which has been designed to provide exposure to some of the world’s leading online retail companies.
E-commerce: A rapidly growing marketplace
Faster internet speeds and more secure payment and delivery systems mean it is becoming even easier to buy a wide variety of goods and services safely and conveniently online.
In the U.S., for example, the E-commerce share of total retail sales has increased from just under 1% at the height of the late 1990s internet boom to a recent peak of 15.7% in April 2020. With the U.S. economy re-opening, the share had eased to 13% by July 2021, still well up on pre-COVID levels.
U.S. E-Commerce Retail Sales
Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
In the 10 years to July 2021, U.S. online retail sales grew at an annualised rate of 15.6%, compared with 4.9% p.a. for overall retail sales.
The online retail megatrend is also well established globally. According to research firm EMarketer, E-commerce already accounted for around 20% of retail spending in 2020. This share is expected to grow to 25% by 2025, implying 5-year online sales growth of 12% p.a. from last year’s levels, or more than twice the 5% p.a. expected for overall global retail spending.
Global E-Commerce Sales
Source: EMarketer. Forecast outcomes may differ materially from actual outcomes.
Exposure to leading global online retailers
The index which the IBUY ETF aims to track provides exposure to up to 100 of the leading E-commerce companies around the world.
To quality for index inclusion, companies must derive at least 65% of revenues (or a minimum of $US90 billion) from one of three online retail business segments:
- Online Retail – online shopping in the form of electronic or virtual commerce which allows consumers to buy goods or services directly over the internet.
- Online Travel – online booking of travel or travel-related services.
- Online Marketplace – online platform in which consumer transactions are processed by the marketplace operator and then delivered and fulfilled by participating retailers, restaurants, or wholesalers.
The current index constituents include many well-known, successful online companies such as Netflix, Amazon, PayPal and Uber. The Index also includes exposure to some of Asia’s leading online companies, such as Tencent and Alibaba.
Top 10 Companies in IBUY’s Index: 18 February 2022
|TENCENT HOLDINGS LTD||8.8%|
|ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LTD||6.4%|
|BOOKING HOLDINGS INC||4.8%|
|PAYPAL HOLDINGS INC||3.8%|
Source: Bloomberg. No assurance is given that these companies will remain in the index or be profitable investments. IBUY’s Index is the Solactive EQM Online Retail and E-Commerce Index.
Since its inception in May 2016, the Index which the IBUY ETF aims to track has delivered annualised $A returns of 20.6% to end-January 2022, compared with 13.3% for the MSCI All Country World Index1.
Source: Bloomberg. Past performance is not an indicator of future performance. You cannot invest directly in an index.
Already growing prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the trend towards online retail has only accelerated over the past year with millions forced into home lockdown. With many more discovering the convenience, value and choice available through E-commerce platforms, it seems likely that the share of shopping conducted online will grow further in coming years – making this a potentially attractive ‘megatrend’ investment theme.
The BetaShares Online Retail & E-Commerce ETF (ASX Code: IBUY) aims to provide a cost-effective and easily accessible way to gain exposure to some of the world’s leading online retailers.
There are risks associated with investment in the Fund, including market risk, sector risk, international investment risk and concentration risk. The Fund’s returns can be expected to be more volatile (i.e. vary up and down) than a broad global shares exposure, given its more concentrated exposure. The Fund should only be considered as a component of a diversified portfolio. For more information on risks and other features of the Fund, please see the Target Market Determination (TMD) and Product Disclosure Statement, available at www.betashares.com.au.
1. Past performance is not indicative of future performance of the Index or ETF and does not take into account ETF fees and expenses. You cannot invest directly in an index. The Index’s performance can be expected to be more volatile (ie vary up and down) than a broad market index.


text:
- DNV GL: climate change will not wait for pandemic to pass
- USWC spot rates edge into uncharted territory
- Meyer Turku announces first phase of layoffs
- U.S. Seizes Four Iranian Fuel Cargoes En Route Venezuela
- Ports of Auckland Fined for Speeding Pilot Boats After Fatal Accident
- DFDS Reports Post-COVID-19 Rebound in Freight and Passenger Demand
- Officer on Watch Asleep as Cargo Ship Grounds in the Philippines
- Amsterdam and North Sea Canal Ports Report Volumes Declines in 2020
- Port of Seattle Continues Work With Business Innovation Initiative
- Vietnamese ship runs aground off Philippines after officer on watch falls asleep
- Security Contractors Convicted Under New Nigerian Anti-Piracy Law
- Teekay LNG in “another record quarter”
- World of Ports Adds Firepower to Marine Assurance Armory
- Panama Ship Registry Addresses Wakashio Grounding in Mauritius
- Container Lines Resume Calls to Beirut as Terminal Restarts Operation
CSA Protests Malaysia's Scrubber Ban
The exhaust gas scrubber industry group Clean Shipping Alliance said Thursday that it is disappointed with Malaysia's decision to ban the use of open-loop scrubbers in its ports and territorial waters.
This news is a total 355 time has been read
Port of Seattle Continues Work With Business Innovation InitiativeThe Port of Seattle Commission renewed its involvement for the next two years with Washington Maritime Blue, a non-profit strategic alliance formed to foster maritime innovation and sustainability in support of an inclusive blue economy.
World of Ports Adds Firepower to Marine Assurance ArmoryVP of Sales & Product Development Jeff Clark says this and an abundance of new features in upcoming releases will provide customers with an unmatched level of market intelligence and transparency.
ECLAC forecasts 23% reduction in Latin American trade in 2020.Latin America and the Caribbean is set to be the region hardest hit by the economic fallout of the global pandemic, according to the latest data published by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).
HMM Sells Half Interest in Algeciras Terminal to CMA CGMHMM announced it is entering into a joint ownership agreement with CMA CGM for a container terminal in the south of Spain known as the Total Terminal International Algeciras (TTI Algeciras).
Major Drug Bust at Port of HamburgCustoms officials in the port of Hamburg recently made one of the port’s largest drug busts. They discovered more than 1.5 tons of cocaine hidden in a container arriving aboard a ship from South America.
- Philippine Coast Guard Takes Possession Of “Gabriela Silang”
- Carnival Cruise Line Names Newest Vista-Class Ship
- Simorgh drone joining Iran’s Navy


text:
Earlier this week we wrote up what we had to do to get files onto our Google I/O Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. It involved copying files from our macbooks and putting them onto a hard drive, moving them to our windows computer (Maingear) and syncing via kies that way.
Today our friends at lilputing are reporting that Samsung has pushed an update to kies for Mac that includes support for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Kies is Samsung’s sync software for their smartphones and tablet devices. There’s no word on whether this update will include the ability to sync Android version upgrades, but just being able to get files from the Macbook to the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is a relief.
If you own a Mac and a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 here’s the link you need.


text:
Amazon has removed features from Prime Video – and users will have to pay more to get them back.
Prime Video caused controversy at the end of last year when it announced that it would start injecting ads into its videos. If users wanted to avoid them, they needed to pay $2.99 per month, or similar in other currencies, the company said.
That caused outrage among users who felt they were having a worse experience pushed upon them. Amazon said the extra money from customers would let it “continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time”.
Those ads arrived on 29 January for house users who had not paid the extra fee.
Now, however, customers have found that the ads were not the only change made on accounts that had not signed up for the ad-free tier. Those users are also missing out on key features on their streaming films and TV shows.
Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos – technologies that improve the quality and depth of the video and audio when watching at home – are also not available to those customers.
The change was first noted by German tech publication 4K Filme. An Amazon representative confirmed the update to The Independent.
Dolby Vision is an HDR technology that allows videos to show with more dynamic range. Dolby Atmos is an audio technology that allows for more detailed surround sound by allowing filmmakers to make it seem as if a sound is coming from underneath or overhead, for instance.
Both require companies that use them to pay a licensing fee to Dolby. Some have chosen to pass on that cost on to customers: users of some Xbox consoles are asked to pay a fee to get access to Dolby Atmos on their headphones, for instance.
On Netflix, customers need to be subscribed to the Premium tier, which offers streaming in 4K as well as multiple devices, in order to get Atmos.


text:
The government of India has announced a ban on 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok, WeChat, and ShareIt among many more. It’s a national security response, and seemingly a retaliation against a clash of Indian and Chinese troops last month that resulted in 20 Indian casualties.
The ban is a big blow for the popular video-based social networking app, given that India was, up until now, TikTok’s biggest market by far.
It is also a significant step in the increasingly tense India-China relationship, and a reminder that TikTok truly is a data privacy nightmare due to the massive amounts of data that its users may not all be aware they are giving up.
How the ban works
India has long been skeptical of TikTok, having already removed it from app stores in April 2019 to prevent further downloads before returning it to app stores a month later. At that time, the reason cited was a fear of the spread of pornography on the app.
The latest announcement gives a more severe concern. A press release from the Ministry of Information Technology stated that the 59 apps in question were a threat to public order:
“The Ministry of Information Technology, invoking its power under section 69A of the Information Technology Act read with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009 and in view of the emergent nature of threats has decided to block 59 apps since in view of information available they are engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.”
The ministry further clarified their stance, too, accusing the apps of “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India.” The apps were banned across Android as well as iOS.
The full list of banned apps
TikTok’s popularity had been waning slightly following the border incident with China – the app fell from being the fifth most popular free app on the App Store to just tenth most popular.
Still, TikTok was huge in India, with 611 million lifetime installs at the latest count, a number which represents a whopping 30.3 percent of TikTik’s total downloads worldwide.
TikTok’s data privacy history
The ministry’s statement is far from the first accusation of poor practices from TikTok, even while it is a particularly strong condemnation.
In March, researchers found TikTok had helped itself to iOS users’ clipboard data, which can include highly sensitive information like passwords, personal messages, and even account-reset links. TikTok swore it would stop, but as Ars Technica reported two days ago, it has not.
“It’s very, very dangerous,” researcher Tommy Mysk said on Friday of the app’s access to sensitive information.
“TikTok is a data collection service”
One developer has reverse engineered TikTok to learn more about its data collection process, writing about the findings on Reddit two months ago.
According to this research, the app will hoover up data about your phone’s hardware specs, everything related to your network, whether or not the device is jailbroken, what other apps have been installed on the device, and for some variants of the app, even the device’s GPS location.
“TikTok is a data collection service that is thinly-veiled as a social network. If there is an API to get information on you, your contacts, or your device… well, they’re using it,” the developer writes.
Interestingly, the developer included a comeback to one common response — whether or not TikTok is worse than Facebook, another social platform app that has faced pushback on its data collection practices.
“For what it’s worth I’ve reversed the Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter apps. They don’t collect anywhere near the same amount of data that TikTok does, and they sure as hell aren’t outright trying to hide exactly what’s being sent like TikTok is. It’s like comparing a cup of water to the ocean — they just don’t compare.”
TikTok is a phenomenon in 2020, driving cultural change among gen Zers with bizarre “cults,” challenges, and political activism.
Still, according to these claims, its utter lack of data privacy means that you should not download the app.
And now — unless they’re well versed in which VPNs can get around the ban — that’s not a choice that India’s social media lovers will have to worry about.


text:
Wear White for Windfall turns five
Wear White for Windfall started five years ago as a quiet fundraising effort focused on getting people to pay $4 for the privilege of wearing white to work in the middle of winter. Today, it’s a month-long extravaganza that raises money and awareness for Windfall, Canada’s only new clothing and basics need bank.
There’s a TTC poster campaign starring local celebs like Breakfast Television’s Dina Pugliese, Bustle designer Shawn Hewson and Bold Face Name dropper Shinan Govani. There are limited edition buys benefiting the cause, including Daniel Espinosa‘s sterling silver charm and a shimmer powder from Vasanti Cosmetics.
FFW founder Gillian Downes has partnered with Windfall since launching her shopping and fashion show series last summer. Thursday’s WhoWhatWEARWhenWhy event features a catwalk lineup of six Toronto designers including Another Word for Pink, Our Lady, Decadent Designs, Yvette Le Roy, Patricia O’Connor and Toronto Fashion Incubator 2009 New Labels winner Faren.
Frugal Fashion Week’s WhoWhatWEARWhenWhy launch benefiting Windfall, Thursday, January 28, 7 pm at Nyood, 1096 Queen West. Admission $10. Frugalfashionweek.com. [rssbreak]


text:
Royal grocer Fortnum & Mason has appointed a former MatchesFashion and John Lewis executive as its next boss.
The 313-year-old retailer has said Tom Athron will start as chief executive officer next month after long-standing boss Ewan Venters announced his departure plans.
Mr Venters will leave Fortnum’s at the turn of the year to become chief executive at art exhibition business Hauser & Wirth.
His replacement joins the retailer from MatchesFashion, the online luxury fashion retailer where he has served as chief operating officer since May 2018.
Prior to this, Mr Athron spent 12 years at the John Lewis Partnership in a variety of roles, including group development director for the group and chief finance officer at Waitrose.
A traditional British business with a truly global outlook, a strong purpose and increasingly desired around the worldTom Athron
“I am thrilled to be joining such a special business as Fortnum & Mason, which I have long admired for its innovation, extraordinary food and drink and its exceptional people,” Mr Athron said.
“A traditional British business with a truly global outlook, a strong purpose and increasingly desired around the world.
“I am greatly looking forward to working with the Fortnum’s team on realising its further potential and contributing to the next exciting phase in its long and illustrious history.”
The appointment comes at a challenging period for the retailer, as England’s second coronavirus lockdown threatens to significantly disrupt its sales ahead of the key Christmas trading period.
Kate Hobhouse, chairman of Fortnum’s, said: “The board and I are delighted that Tom has agreed to join Fortnum’s.
“A versatile and highly experienced business leader, Tom has extensive leadership experience in digital and physical retail across food, luxury and designer fashion – he is a great fit with the multichannel business that Fortnum’s has become.
“Ours is a business that celebrates the very best, be it food, drink, joy-giving gifts or indeed experiences and I know that Tom will bring great energy and expertise to Fortnum & Mason.”


text:
The Redmi K50 family is getting a new member – a Redmi K50 Ultra. The new smartphone will have a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, according to Digital Chat Station, a credible leakster from the company’s homeland.
The K50 Ultra will retain most of the K50 Pro specs, including the 100W+ fast charging, but will have a 50MP main camera, which be a resolution downgrade from the K50 Pro and the K50 Gaming, but we are likely looking at a larger sensor.
The Redmi K50 Ultra will be one of the Xiaomi flagships in the second half of the year. The phone will have an OLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate and Full HD+ resolution, as well as DC dimming so the panel is easy on the eyes.
The panel will come with a single punch hole for the camera and will be flat with ever so slight curves for easier handling.
The battery is said to have anywhere between 4,800 mAh and 5,000 mAh charge, and it is an easy bet to say it will come with Xiaomi’s own 120W fast charging, spotted in plenty of Mi and Redmi phones, launched in the past year.


text:
Manicure O2O wave, you will be a winner?
with the change in consumer habits, the beauty industry ushered in the era of electricity providers, O2O (Online To Offline) seems to have become the new favorite.
2014 Chinese industry economy are in decline, and Manicure beauty industry is still showing 100% growth. This shows that the Manicure beauty market in the future prospects, even increased 15%. But there are a lot of Manicure companies have said that nearly two years of business less than previous years.
and several new Manicure enterprises are in the market as the largest domestic talent shows itself, the beauty of enterprises O2O on-line a year by beaver venture valuations reached 1 billion yuan; June 2014 was founded Manicure toot in just four months time, it announced the acquisition from 10 million U.S. dollars A round of investment Sequoia Capital and capital source. The reason is that they are products of the Internet era, launched a darling of the online Manicure O2O wave.
therefore, we invited to the Shanghai Wen Ming Xin Cong Manicure / Manicure beauty company Mr. Li Yonghua, Shanghai Lan Cosmetics Co., Ltd. Mr. Zhou Bingfeng Kandoo manufacturing (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd. Mr. Wang Qi, Shanghai Jimei hall, Shanghai Ms. Fu Yongyan Cosmetics Co. Ltd. Kaga Industrial Co. Ltd. Mr. Wang Shicheng, President of HN Manfred Pohl, Mr. brands in the world HN Manicure China District Project Manager Oscar Mr. Xu, HN Manicure China Training Manager Ranny Xu, Manicure Ms. Shanghai Yiyi Service Co. Ltd. Shanghai Bao Jie, Ms. Xiao Fan silk trading company, Shanghai Ms. Xu Jing Bei Xuan Cci Capital Ltd Ms. Xu Jing together, topics related to O2O are discussed.
O2O, Manicure brought beauty industry in the spring
Manicure beauty industry is the rapid growth of the industry, is a high frequency of the industry, is a has not formed the absolute leadership of the industry brands and manufacturers. In view of the above three points, won the favor of O2O. O2O is able to meet the needs of some customers who want to serve, it is the industry’s puzzle, rather than the destroyer.
O2O appears to promote the integration of industry resources to promote the industry reshuffle. In the face of change, some companies expressed panic, "the wolf is coming". Shanghai Kaga Wang Shicheng said in an interview, do not have to worry about. At present, Manicure beauty O2O enterprises with nearly 50, is expected to be the first half of the time will exceed 100, but 1 to 2 years will be reduced, the rest will be a figure with the scale of the enterprise.
general, beaver, Dudu Manicure rookie, mainly to "burn" approach in the short term to snatch market customer terminal data for the late introduction of other projects to pave the way, this is a supplement to the market, will not become mainstream. Many boss believes that the Internet on the traditional Manicure store join caused by impact, is to enhance the overall industry Manicure >


text:
Another option would be to innovate - to bring a "new method, product or idea" to the market. Examples of such innovations are present throughout history, such as Bell's telephone and Ford's Model T.
But with innovation comes risk, because companies use up a lot of resources to make new products. So is the risk worth the reward? Or does staying "safe", or stagnant, present an even greater risk?
Some companies that stagnated ended up closing. They turned into relics of their former glory. Kodak, for example, was famous for its cameras and photographic film. Failure to change as digital photography emerged eroded the firm's status as a leader in imaging. In recent years, it sold off large parts of its business, and even considered bankruptcy.
Nokia is one company that is going through a makeover. Chief executive Stephen Elop referred to a burning platform in his memo to employees: they would be destroyed by remaining static, or they could take a leap of faith by plunging into the icy waters.
Nokia chose to adopt Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 platform and released a new product - the Lumia 800 - this month, symbolising the company's rebirth.
Whether it succeeds or not remains to be seen, but taking the risk could possibly save it from losing a shrinking market share to competitors like Apple and Google.
Apple underwent a similar process of reinvention in the late 1990s with the return of Steve Jobs, who introduced the revolutionary iPod, then the iPhone and the iPad.
Innovation may bring risks, but the alternative is much worse. If you stand still, you face the prospect of slowly fading away and eventually disappearing altogether.


text:
Microsoft Gold Dynamics partner and IT consultancy firm Queue Associates has to complete a large number of time-consuming administrative tasks, including everything from processing accounts to requesting and managing payments.
It was struggling with the amount of time that it was taking for employees to track invoice payments, so it turned to payment platform provider EBizCharge for help.
Queue Associates had previously been using Chase Merchant Services to charge customers for its Microsoft enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management and cloud solution services. However, the company found that it was generating high processing costs and that payment collections were taking too long to process as employees often had to chase accounts or input numbers manually into the ERP system to complete tasks.
“We faced a few problems with our previous processor,” says Jeffrey Goldstein, managing director of Queue Associates. “Each transaction had high costs associated with it. Along with that, we had to manually input our payment data into Microsoft Dynamics – which took several hours each week.”
EBizCharge implemented its Microsoft Dynamics SL Integration and Email Payments solutions within an hour, allowing Queue Associates to quickly streamline its entire accounts receivable processes.
Queue Associates can now use the financial management tools within Microsoft’s ERP solution to automate data entry and run transactions, allowing customer to pay invoices via email. The company can accept a variety of payments directly within Microsoft Dynamics SL and use a payment gateway, merchant services and further integrations.
Additionally, the email payment facilities allow employees to send payment links in emails so that payments go directly through Queue Associates’ invoicing system. This has resulted in the company reducing its day sales outstanding (DSO) rate by 88 per cent, meaning that profit is now being generated faster.
“The new solutions have cut our payment collection time tremendously,” said Goldstein. “Our average DSO was previously about 45 days. Now that average is down to five days. This means that we can take those hours we previously spent uploading payment data to complete more valuable work.”
This article was originally published in the Autumn 2022 issue of Technology Record. To get future issues delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for a free subscription.


text:
Community-wide rummage sales a hit in Wisconsin Rapids area
WISCONSIN RAPIDS – It’s the time of year when people get nosy about what other people have in their garages and yards — and that’s fine with lots of homeowners.
Signs have been popping up in neighborhoods even before the snow totally disappeared, and this weekend is the first of the big community rummage sales, centered in Rudolph.
The Rudolph community sale has been going on for more years than people can remember.
“The sales used to be the Saturday before Father’s Day,” said Barb Ziebell of Rudolph, who served as an organizer at one time. “When I took over, I selected the last Saturday in April — my thinking was that it would be the first community garage sale event of the year.”
Ziebell also developed a map of sale locations, marking 15 to 20 sites to help customers route out a strategy.
“The map was very, very poorly drawn,” Ziebell said.
But the idea was good. Ziebell’s successor, Sara Smits, improved upon the map and Joan Carroll, who is organizing this year’s event, said the new version features more than 40 sale sites, many of which open today. It’s available at the BP convenience store at Highways C and 34.
“I really didn’t want (the event) to get lost; I think it’s an important part of our community,” Carroll, 36, said regarding taking over the reins.
Carroll’s biggest tip for shoppers?
“First of all, I would say get the map, so you can breeze over what you’re looking for,” she said.
Each listed site includes a short description of items for sale.
The sales are spread thoughout the town and village of Rudolph — a combined population of less than 1,500, according to the 2010 census — and dedicating a weekend to all sales helps draw customers from outside the region.
“When there’s a lot of people who have (a sale) in the area, you get a lot more people come to town who usually wouldn’t,” said Nancy Wirtz, who will have a sale at 6826 Larkspur Lane.
Carroll agreed. While not everyone has to have a community-based event, sharing a rummage sale date with neighbors can bring in more customers,
“I’ve tried to do it on my own, but being in the Rudolph area, you don’t have that draw,” Carroll said.
The sales do take time and effort. Wirtz, 60, has been setting up all week for the sale — even her daughter from Evansville brings children’s clothing, a big seller, to put in the sale, and sells almost everything.
Wirtz makes sure all the clothes are washed, ironed, and organized by size. She has found that helps sales, as does making sure everything has a price.
“I price everything, because if I go to a garage sale, and something’s not priced, I just put it back,” Wirtz said.
Some sellers aren’t open to early sales, but Wirtz is one who is OK with that — and she’s willing to bargain with the buyer.
“Especially when you get down to that last little bit of time — you don’t want to pack (it back up),” she said.
Not everyone, including Carol Haupt of Rudolph, cares to take on the job of sorting, pricing, displaying and then wondering what to do with the “didn’t sells.”
Instead, Haupt donates leftovers to the St. Philip’s Youth Group sale at the Rudolph church. It’s a fundraiser for the group.
“We as parishioners who don’t want to have our own (sale), just bring it down there,” Haupt said. “It’s a great way to help them out and clean out my basement.”
Many local organizations, including churches and THINK Academy, the elementary school, also host different sales and food stands.
“Everybody in the community usually has something going on,” Carroll said. “It’s kind of a fun day.”
Deb Cleworth can be reached at 715-423-7200, ext. 6730 or email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @DebCleworth.
If you go
•Stop at the One Stop convenience store, 6773 Highway 34, Rudolph to get a sale map, or go online to www.visitrudolph.org and click the garage sale link. Many of the Rudolph locations will be open April 24 and 25.
•Nekoosa’s community-wide sale is set for 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 2. Check out the group’s Facebook page at Nekoosa City Wide Garage Sales 2015 for more information.
•The annual Port Edwards village-wide garage sale is May 16. Go to www.portedwardswi.com and click on special events for a map and more information.
•May 30 is the date for the Kellner community-wide garage sales.
•Go online to www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com and click on the Classified link in the blue section on the left, then click “garage sales” in the black search box on the right to find or list a garage sale.
•Celebrate your great deals with a pancake breakfast from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at Bethany Lutheran Church, 6900 Swedish Road, Rudolph.
•Do be willing to bargain, but realize there are no guarantees, depending on the item.
•Do be aware of set sale hours, but understand some sellers are open to early sales.
•Do plot your course; community-based sales often offer location maps.
•Do bring plenty of cash; some sellers might accept checks, but cash in the best option. Lots of $1 bills are a good idea.


text:
Cyber-criminals are continuously switching tactics, even going offline to work the phones, to trick users into a scam. Users hand over credit card information or download malware thinking they are actually fixing a security problem, said security researchers.
In the antivirus cold-calling scam, call centers contacted users claiming to be support staff from Microsoft calling to make sure “the system is okay,” Graham Cluley, a senior technology consultant at Sophos, told eWEEK. The scam has other variations, with the caller pretending to be from the user’s internet service provider or a “security consultant.”
Criminals are renting out cheap call centers in India to randomly cold-call users to make sure the latest malware wasn’t effecting their computers, said Cluley. The callers follow a script that has users look in the low-level “techy” areas within the Control Panel, Event Viewer, or the registry, with a number of scary-sounding errors, cryptic messages, and warnings, he said. As the user confirms seeing certain messages, or reads back various parts of the screen, the caller explains those are problems, and then springs the trap, he said.
Improved security products are making it harder for Web-based attacks and scams to succeed, but “telephones bypass the technology and go straight to the weakest link in the chain, the user,” wrote Fraser Howard, a principal virus researcher in Sophos Labs, in a blog post.
“We are suffering from our success. For 20 years we’ve been telling people they need to be aware of security,” said Cluley. Users have been told repeatedly that they should update their operating system or install patches when prompted, and scammers are now exploiting that awareness to scare users into taking immediate action, he said.
Some calls follow a slightly different script. Instead of claiming a customer service where they are “just checking,” the caller may claim to know issues already exist, saying “malicious traffic had been spotted” coming from the user’s computer, according to Howard. The script may include other phrases designed to panic the user, such as “junk and infected files,” or “destroy software, Windows and important files on my computer,” he wrote.
Once the user is convinced there’s something wrong with the PC, the user is sold a security software that would clean up the problem, or requests remote access in order to fix the issues. Cyber-criminals later exploits that backdoor, said Cluley. The downloaded file may just be a fake antivirus, or it could be more malicious and allow the criminal to take over the computer, said Cluley.
Even though the caller “just incurred an unexpected support expense,” the caller ends up feeling “relieved,” wrote Paul Ducklin, the head of technology for Sophos in the Asia/Pacific region.
Fake antivirus and malware distribution is a lucrative business, with security researchers estimating revenues of more than $100 million a year. Considering the “financial rewards,” scammers investing in the call center to drive more sales in “clearly justifiable,” wrote Howard.
“Use your common sense,” said Cluley. Users need to think about why Microsoft or some other big company would bother calling people individually to offer free support, he said. “It would be too expensive.”
However, the scam is made more effective by the fact that some companies and ISPs do call users when they notice a problem. Ducklin said users should hang up on these calls, and if they want to verify if they might have been legitimate, they should call back on their own.


text:
The government is considering a ban on cosmetic products containing plastic microbeads, two decades after scientists first sounded the alarm about them polluting waterways.
The United States and Canada are banning microbeads, and the Australian government is pushing for a voluntary phase-out of affected products, including face scrubs and body wash.
Some products contain more than 330,000 of these tiny plastic fragments in a single tube.
Auckland University ecologist Mary Sewell said some were small enough to be eaten by tiny plankton, called copepods, the base of the food chain.
"We're all aware of what happens when turtles or seabirds eat large pieces of plastic.
"It's not hard to imagine that a copepod has the same problem in that its gut gets filled with something that has no nutritional value and they die from that."
Associate Professor Sewell said to make matters worse, most beads were made of polyethylene, which attracted "nasty chemicals" like PCBs.
Canterbury University environmental chemist Sally Gaw said microbeads, which have been around since the 1990s, probably "seemed like a good idea at the time" because they do not trigger allergies, are easy to sterilise and relatively stable.
"Many of these products have been tested in terms of safety for the consumer - not necessarily safety for when they end up in the environment."
It was not only microbeads but chemicals from every-day consumer products such as sunscreen which ended up in waterways, she said, and a "regulatory focus shift" was needed.
Several brands popular with New Zealanders - including The Body Shop, Unilever, L'Oreal, Clarins, and Clearasil - have pledged their support to an Australian campaign to stop using polyethylene microbeads in their products.
A spokeswoman for The Body Shop said the company had already stopped making products with microbeads, but it could be the end of the year before old lines are off New Zealand shelves.
One of the New Zealand's major supermarket chains, Progressive - which runs Countdown, Foodtown and Woolworths - is following its Australian parent company (Woolworths) in banning the use of microbeads in its own skincare brands.
A company spokeswoman said the Home Brand and the Signature and Select brands had all reformulated, except for one product, which would be done in the next couple of months.
The other major supermarket chain, Foodstuffs, which operates New World, Four Square, Write Price and Pak 'n Save said it was unable to comment.
Coles Australia said all its "home brands" were now microbead-free.
Johnson & Johnson earlier went public with plans to reformulate their products by this year, but their website now said they aimed to be microbead-free by the end of 2017.
Green Ideas magazine editor Greg Roughan said the government was often reluctant to impose extra costs on business.
But the risk was the country could become "a dumping ground" for products banned elsewhere, he warned.
"It's impossible to be the perfect consumer and have your head around all these issues all of the time. And there will always be some people who just don't care, or haven't heard of it.
"So I think it should be legislated against."
Environment Nick Smith said he was expecting a report from his ministry next month on options for ridding the waterways of microbeads, and the Cawthron Institute is also carrying out research into their long-term effects.
"The government is quite open-minded about a regulatory ban. It's just we want to do the background work before we get into the detail."
Dr Smith was also watching developments across the Tasman.
"It would make good sense for us to have a consistent regulatory approach across Australia."
As for other potential pollutants, Dr Smith said the Environmental Protection Agency had the "discretionary power" to investigate existing products if there was new evidence they could be harmful.