text:
Countries like England, Holland and Belgium are new on the quarantine list. Guests from these countries are now canceling their winter holidays. A hard blow for the ski areas.
Swiss ski areas have been looking forward to a good winter. The new quarantine list is now putting a spanner in the works.
Because of the new Corona variant Omikron, 19 countries are on the list …
… including the Czech Republic, Belgium, Holland and England.
Belgium, Holland and England have been on the quarantine list again since Friday.
The guests from these countries are now canceling all of their planned holidays in Switzerland.
This is a disaster for the winter sports areas.
< p> The fifth corona wave is rolling over Europe. In addition, the new Omikron variant creates uncertainty. The Federal Council therefore revived the BAG quarantine list on Friday. 23 countries (as of November 29th) are on it, including the Czech Republic, Belgium, Holland and England.
That hits the local tourism industry hard. Last week, numerous ski regions spoke of a very good winter. Now there is a hail of cancellations. “Guests from England, Belgium and Holland are canceling their holidays in a row,” says Andreas Züllig, President of the Hotelleriesuisse industry association.
Even German guests are already canceling bookings: “Germans are always very careful and therefore prefer to say straight away the holidays are over, ”explains Züllig. In some cases, stays booked for February have been canceled.
A severe blow for many hotel businesses. After all, foreign guests book holidays of up to 14 days because of the long journey. Swiss people, on the other hand, tend to stay for a shorter time. “The ski areas are now dependent on local guests again,” said Züllig. Fortunately, they have not canceled their vacation yet.
Ski areas suffer differently
Not all holiday regions suffer equally from the new quarantine list: In Bern, Adelboden-Lenk-Kandersteg and the Jungfrau region in particular are losing many foreign tourists. “Above all, guests from the United Kingdom will be absent,” says Pascale Berclaz, Director Made in Bern.
In Valais, it hits the big ski resorts such as Verbier, Zermatt and Crans-Montana. “In Valais, around 25 percent of the guests are currently from Europe,” explains Damian Constantin, Director of Valais/Wallis Promotion. The quarantine rule is a disaster for the winter sports areas.
This must therefore be lifted again soon. “Quarantine only makes sense if the new Corona variant is not yet in Switzerland, but that could no longer be the case now,” said Constantin. There is already a suspected case of Omikron in Switzerland.
100,000 people from Belgium
Mostly Swiss guests spend their winter holidays in the canton of Graubünden. Nonetheless, the cancellations from abroad hurt: This year up to September almost 100,000 people from Belgium, 33,000 from Holland and 14,000 from England visited the holiday region.
«It's a shame that these holiday guests are no longer available. Now we have to see what happens next and how long the new restrictions apply to you, “says Luzi Bürkli, media spokesman for Graubünden Ferien.
This is Omikron:
The Omikron variant (B.1.1.529) was first detected in southern Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies them as “worrying”. The EU health authority ECDC speaks of serious concerns that the variant could significantly reduce the effectiveness of the corona vaccines and increase the risk of reinfections. The exact effects of the variant have not yet been determined.
My 20 Minuten
As a member, you become part of the 20-Minuten community and benefit from great benefits and exclusive competitions every day!


text:
Apple’s iPad Air 3 and iPhone 5se are said to be launching on March 15. So there’s not much longer to wait, according to those pesky “people familiar with the matter.”
The new iPad Air gets some features from its bigger Pro brother, and the new iPhone is the older 4-inch form-factor, with hardware from the 6s. That’s according to the rumor mongers, anyway.
In IT Blogwatch, bloggers come to praise Apple (then stab you in the back 60 times). Not to mention: Doctor Who Wars: The TARDIS Awakens...
Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment.
Is it time for a breathless exclusive? I think it is! Mark Gurman has the scoop—Apple eyes March 15 event for iPhone 5se, iPad Air 3 & Apple Watch updates:
Apple is currently aiming to unveil the new 4-inch iPhone 5se [and] iPad Air 3...at an event on Tuesday, March 15th, according to sources. ... As the scheduled event is still a month-and-a-half away, the date could conceivably still shift.
Apple is planning to reinvigorate the 4-inch iPhone...by replacing the iPhone 5s with [a] 5se that includes an A9 chip, improved cameras...Live Photos, and Apple Pay...starting at $450 for 16GB. ... The Air 3 is expected to include iPad Pro features like enhanced speakers and a Smart Connector [plus] the possibility of a rear-LED flash.
I've got another puzzle for you. As always, John Paczkowski pokes fun—Apple To Debut New iPad, Smaller iPhone At March 15 Event:
Apple has finally set the date for its first big event of 2016: The Ides of March.
Sources say the event will be a smaller affair than Apple’s last one. ... Presumably that means it will occur at Apple’s Town Hall in Cupertino.
Apple declined comment.
Anything else? Andrew Cunningham jumps the shark—Report: Apple to reveal smaller iPhone and new iPad Air at March 15 event:
Mark your calendars.
We'll supposedly be getting a few new Apple Watch models...in the form of new color and band options. ... The most reliable rumors suggest that we won't see a fully redesigned Apple Watch [yet].
We can probably expect a few minor software updates. ... tvOS 9.2, OS X 10.11.4, WatchOS 2.2, and iOS 9.3 are all significant updates...and they'll probably be the last major feature updates any of them get before we see all-new releases at WWDC in June.
I'm still dubious about this out-of-cycle mini-iPhone rumor. Roger Fingas hands Gene Munster the baton—Munster: 4" iPhone doesn't make sense for rumored Apple event in March:
Were Apple to launch a phone in the spring, it would quickly look outdated following the iPhone 7's...launch, Munster wrote in an investor memo.
The analyst suggested that Apple will instead concentrate on a second-generation Apple Watch and a third-generation iPad Air. [This is] at odds with recent reports indicating that Apple is not only preparing to launch a new 4-inch phone...but that the device is already in production.
What else should a new iPad have? Here's a compelling idea, from CodyMcRockAwesome:
Yes please, I honestly don’t care about the resolution...but give me some Pencil support.
I have a Surface Pro 3 for work and the girlfriend loves using the stylus. If the Air 3 has Pencil support it will be a no brainer. ... If it doesn’t have Pencil support I will probably just grab a discount Air 2.
You have been reading IT Blogwatch by Richi Jennings, who curates the best bloggy bits, finest forums, and weirdest websites… so you don’t have to. Catch the key commentary from around the Web every morning. Hatemail may be directed to @RiCHi or email@example.com.
Opinions expressed may not represent those of Computerworld. Ask your doctor before reading. Your mileage may vary. E&OE.

domain: news


text:
One of the Biggest Ethereum and Bitcoin Exchanges Got Hacked
Hackers stole user data and money from Bithumb, one of the top five cryptocurrence exchanges Etereum and Bitcoin, the company said on Friday.
Bithumb said the thieves stole a database of information about an employee’s personal computer data, rather than the internal corporate network.
The attackers have removed names, email addresses and mobile phone numbers (no password, apparently) more than 31 800 customers, according to a report by Yonhap, a South Korean news service on Monday.
Following the discovery of the infringement, affecting about 3% of the site’s customers, Bithumb pointed to South Korean authorities on June 30, Yonhap said.
Thieves have turned to accounts of customers in an effort to empty their pockets digital coins.
The hackers would have been wiped out with hundreds of millions of Korean won, or tens of thousands of dollars cryptocurrence, according to local media reports.
Bithumb said its corporate network had not been compromised and that the result of flight purport had to do with phishing attacks.
“The employee’s PC was not hacked the database server. Personal information as they have released the phone and email addresses of some users.
However, some customers were stolen by password available used in electronic financial transactions, “the exchange said in a statement, a translation provided by Brave New Corner, a website that tracks digital coins.
Get Specs Information, Fortune Tech Newsletter.
Since late June, Bithumb’s clients have complained of attacks on articles about Naver.cafe, a social networking site in South Korea. One person would have lost 1.2 billion won, although fortune could not verify the claim.
Bithumb said on Monday he would pay victims of data loss 100,000 won, or about $ 87 per person. The exchange also said compensation for additional losses related to the attacks.
“For those who have suffered additional damages due to this incident, as soon as the amount of damage is confirmed, we will refund the full amount of damages,” Bithumb said in a note, issued in English via Google Translate.
Bithumb did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for more information.
Bithumb is the first crypts exchange in South Korea and a global leader in the Ether cryptocurrence Ethereum associated computer network.
The exchange moved to the forefront around the world in the coming days due to increased business activity. Due to the fall of the cryptocurrence sector, the attackers are interested in the digital currency forex portfolios.
There are two months, hackers have launched Yapizon, another crypt exchange from South Korea is worth 3 816.20 Bitcoin, more than 5.5 million
The attackers also attacked Coinbase, one of the largest and most well known stock broker cryptocurrence in the United States.


text:
Introduction - How the media overdoes the negativity on tariffs
The drumbeat of attack from the mainstream financial media on "Trump's tariffs" - as Bloomberg News routinely calls them - is so one-sided that I have taken an opposite investment tack, despite the risks, which are real.
As an example, here is a news report from Reuters on June 3, before the US and Mexico agreed that Mexico would do more to prevent immigration into the US, thus delaying or preventing the tariffs:
A 5% tariff on imported goods from Mexico, which last year totaled $347 billion, according to U.S. data, would result in a potential tax increase on American businesses and consumers of $17 billion, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimated. It said the number would reach $86 billion should Trump's increase the duties to 25%, as threatened.
They are accentuating the negative. They ignore the income to the Federal government, which is running giant deficits.
Assuming the $347 B is accurate, and that due to substitution effects and possible price reductions, the going-forward number is perhaps $320 B, then the US government would take in $80 B income at the full 25% tariff rate. Ignoring the cost of collections, then if the annual Federal deficit were $1 T, this alone would lower it by 8%. In addition, at least some production would move either to the US or to other countries, and typically some price-cutting from Mexican exporters can be expected. Net-net, the flow of funds and jobs could be positive for the US, and the negatives would tend to be diffused.
Consider Chipotle (CMG) and this Barron's headline, also from June 3:
Headline aside, here's some of what the article says:
Chipotle... issued a statement saying that if tariffs on Mexican imports threatened by President Donald Trump are enacted, its profit margins could fall by 0.2 to 0.3 percentage point.
That's no big deal. But the story dissolves into triviality when Barron's also reports that:
If the tariffs become permanent, we would look to offset these costs through other margin improvement efforts already under way. We could also consider passing on these costs through a modest price increase, such as about a nickel on a burrito, which would cover the increased cost without impacting our strong value proposition."
So the "story" is more like a nothingburger.
The backdrop: "truly... a crisis"
When an Obama official agrees with this president, he may be right. From RealClearPolitics on March 29 (emphasis added):
Jeh Johnson, who served as President Obama's Department of Homeland Security Secretary said "we are truly in a crisis" at the Mexican border Thursday on MSNBC's Morning Joe.
... under 1,000 apprehensions the day before that was a relatively good number, and if it was above 1,000 it was a relatively bad number, and I was gonna be in a bad mood the whole day.""On Tuesday, there were 4,000 apprehensions. I know that a thousand overwhelms the system. I cannot begin to imagine what 4,000 a day looks like, so we are truly in a crisis," Johnson explained.
In other words, there is much more at play than economics.
Now let's move to a larger player than CMG.
Walmart (WMT) can handle tariffs
I saw WMT's CEO, Doug McMillon, on TV in early June. He said that WMT sources 2/3 of its merchandise in the US and plans to increase that. It has plans to diversify manufacturing from China, to Viet Nam and elsewhere. WMT will not disclose its mark-up on imports from China, but about nine years ago, I read China Shakes the World, by a British journalist, James Kynge. He reported that China complained that WMT and other large US importers were garnering massive profits by buying at prevailing Chinese prices, displacing US or other high-cost suppliers, but keeping retail prices more or less unchanged.
I cannot opine on today's margins or the veracity of those complaints from the Chinese side of the discussion, but something drove all the outsourcing to China, and there was no deflation at the time in the US to accompany lower product costs. Some companies made a lot of money by shifting production to China.
McMillon was calm about the tariff situation.
What are the negatives, and how important are they?
There certainly are negatives for investors that may well not have been fully discounted by the mythical Mr. Market. Some of these include:
- Business decisions freezing due to uncertainty
- Short-term price increases disrupting economic equilibria
- Reciprocal actions from China and Mexico to hurt the US economy
- Greater uncertainty about the USMCA, which is pending ratification
- Weathering an initial round of tariffs could lead to overdoing them subsequently
There are also political issues, both pro and con, that are beyond the scope of an investment-focused article.
All taxes have negatives, of course, and some have positives. I tilt toward the "two cheers" for the China and, if imposed, Mexico tariffs because...
The best reasons for low or no tariffs are not present here
A no-tariff situation makes political sense in a Europe devastated by two senseless, destructive wars. Voila: the Common Market, a predecessor today's EU.
Another obvious and more general reason not to tax imports comes from the concept of comparative advantage. Take three neighboring countries in a situation from the 1800s:
- England has lots of iron and coal and produces lots of low-cost steel
- France has the right climate and soil and produces lots of great wine
- Switzerland develops a specialization in watch-making
Bilateral or triangular trade situations such as this may be desired so much, with no domestic industries to protect, that few governments would want to discourage trade by putting meaningful tariffs on imports from specialized producing countries.
Neither of these situations applies to the US and China/Mexico, where inexpensive, reliable labor drove outsourcing of production.
One historical point should be addressed.
Smoot-Hawley is not a great analogy
The US has been ranked with the nations with the lowest tariff barriers, with China much higher, i.e. more protectionist. See rankings from Index Mundi and Economics Help, for example. How these rankings would change if the full proposed China and Mexico tariffs are enacted is unclear.
Comparisons of current and proposed tariffs to the Great Depression and the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 have been made.
The situations are not especially analogous.
The US entered the crash of 1929 with very high tariff rates, which had been in effect since about 1922, and Smoot-Hawley was enacted in response to the ongoing economic downturn. Unlike the "Trump tariffs" - actual and proposed - Smoot-Hawley was not done with political motives against two specific countries; it was broad-based and involved adding meaningfully to an already protectionist US trade policy.
In fact, the very term "war" to describe the tariff situation is a tad overblown. The 1922 tariff act in the US took tariffs to the 40% range, after which the '20s "roared." A 25% tariff on imports from two countries is hardly "war" in that context.
Let's look at the data.
Import prices from China and elsewhere are dropping
The yoy trend in import prices from China is negative, down 1.4% in May versus May 2018. The yoy trend has been negative every month beginning last November. So the tariffs that went into effect last year have been associated with deflation, not inflation. In addition, the prices of all imports were down 1.5% yoy in May.
Why is this? Of course, there are many reasons. I would highlight the importance of access to the gigantic US market to exporters around the world. As I have said, this shows, or at least strongly suggests, that costs and prices are malleable as circumstances require.
The Reagan-era analogy
From an economic standpoint, bringing in revenue to the US government after the implementation of a large tax cut reminds me of the Reagan era. The tax cut that took effect in 1982 was followed by "revenue enhancements" every year, or almost every year, of the Reagan presidency. It was then followed by meaningful tax increases passed in 1990 and 1993.
Tariffs may be acting like the many revenue-raising measures that the government took after the budget-busting policies of the early Reagan years required adjustment. The difference with tariffs is that part of the cost is borne outside of the US. That's a positive for a US-based investor; "they" help keep the deficit lower than it otherwise would be.
The final two sections get to some investing specifics, beginning with top-down considerations.
The investment positives appear to outweigh the negatives; a top-down summary
I summarized the major negatives previously. Here are some positives that I see as an investor from Trump's tariffs, not necessarily in order of importance:
- Media has overdone the negatives, which may provide a classic "buy the news" set-up
- Deficit is reduced, helping to strengthen the USD
- Lower deficits are anti-inflationary
- Less economic reliance on China
- Greater stability and growth potential for domestic US producers
- Early data on Chinese and other tariffs does not show inflation
- Targeted nature does not encourage domestic producers to get lazy
- Helps achieve foreign policy objectives
- A dramatic deal announcement could catalyze risk-on sentiment.
Thus my view is that the reaction from the financial media to tariffs joins with a number of positives to create a more-bullish-than-bearish opportunity.
Translating this view to investing decisions
With a few exceptions, such as a longstanding position in Deere (DE), I have been investing heavily either in US-focused companies or multinationals that get little or no business from China.
What follows is a list of stocks or sectors I own and have discussed previously, put into the prism of trade issues. These are examples and not comprehensive.
Microsoft (MSFT): It has complained for years about losing billions of dollars a year to piracy of Windows/Office in China. Thus it has upside from a deal, and minimal if any further downside from the status quo.
Utilities (XLU): Deficit reduction from any source takes some of the pressure off interest rates, and an America first set of policies generates greater energy demand in the US. I have written several articles on the utility sector over the years and am long Con Ed (ED), NextEra Energy (NEE) and WEC Energy (WEC). Given today's bond yields, I think these stocks still have upside price potential in addition to secure dividends.
Biotechs (IBB): China has already become an important market for multinational biotechs and Big Pharma companies. I expect trade in medicines between Western companies and China to be unaffected by trade disputes, meaning I expect it to continue to grow. Meanwhile, no harm is done to the basic business of developing and marketing innovative products from trade wars.
Retailers (XRT) and restaurants: These are classic domestic plays.
I remain long TJX (TJX) and Ross Stores (ROST). TJX is primarily US-focused, with a significant presence in Canada and stores in Western Europe and elsewhere, but not China. ROST is entirely US-based. It appears from company comments that neither is being harmed much if at all by tariffs. I also remain long Home Depot (HD), which is managing through the tariff situation pretty well. HD sells primarily in the US and secondarily in Canada and Mexico, so any trade war that hurts Mexico would be a mild negative to it.
In the restaurant sector, I remain long Darden (DRI) as the cream of the crop in casual dining, and also The Cheesecake Factory (CAKE). CAKE has several growth drivers in early stages of roll-out and, with an aging founder, has what I estimate as 40-50% upside if it is acquired (possibly to DRI). Restaurants tend to be helped by disruptions in agricultural exports to China, which keep the domestic prices of foodstuffs down. CAKE has minimal exposure to China, but basically these are domestic plays.
Bonds (TLT): These are helped by bringing revenue into the Federal government. So far, the imposition of significant tariffs on imports from China has been associated with price decreases. Thus the trade war story has been a bit of a "Goldilocks" story for Treasuries and other bonds that are priced in relation to Treasuries.
If the media favored the Trump program and were cheerleaders for tariffs and the like, I would be reacting differently as an investor. As matters stand, tariffs are primarily being used to A) change behavior of China and Mexico and B) secondarily to reduce the swollen Federal deficit. I've been trying to take advantage of the investment opportunities arising from those facts, the economic positives associated with them, and the one-sided media presentation of this complicated and ongoing story.
In practice, we are seeing price decreases from China, not the widely-expected inflation.
So far, the Goldilocks scenario (combined stock-bond bull market) is mostly on track. If the Fed finally bows to the fact that inflation is waning, and thus lowers rates before staring US recession threats in the eye, I think we could see a very nice rally in the S&P 500 (SPY) and the domestically-oriented Russell 2000 (IWM).
In conclusion, negativity regarding trade "wars" may have helped create a bullish set-up in the market. Risks exist, but I'm accentuating the positive in the US markets. Thus, based on matters as they now stand, as an investor I give two out of a possible three cheers for tariffs, and am hoping for it to rise to three of them.
Disclosure: I am/we are long CAKE, DE, DRI, ED, HD, MSFT, NEE, ROST, TJX, TLT, WEC. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Additional disclosure: Not investment advice. I am not an investment adviser.


text:
Apple Chief Steve Jobs unveiled the company's latest addition to its Mac family on Tuesday with the new MacBook Air Computer, calling it the world's thinnest notebook.
Speaking at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco, Jobs confirmed persistent rumors of an ultra-thin and lightweight laptop. The computer has an Intel Corp. processor that's smaller than the chips in other systems, weighs 3 pounds and has 2 Gigabytes of memory, he said.
We're talking thin here, Jobs said, noting its size of just 0.76 inches at its thicket point and .16 inches at its thinnest.
The Air computer has a 13.3-inch display, offers a full-sized and back- lit keyboard and an 80-gigabyte hard drive. No built-in optical drive, so it won't play DVDs or CDs directly, but Apple is offering one as an accessory. It also has a built-in camera for videoconferencing and a trackpad with multi-touch gesture support, letting users pinch, rotate and swipe.
The new notebook is powered by a 1.6 GHz or 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4MB L2 cache, and it includes as standard features 2GB of memory, an 80GB 1.8-inch hard drive, and the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi technology and Bluetooth 2.1.
The company also said MacBook Air battery is their thinnest ever and users can access the web wirelessly up to five hours.
Apple is relying on new devices and services to attract more consumers as it expands into new entertainment and computer markets. The Macworld Expo offers a glimpse into its biggest products for the year. Last year, the most hyped product was the iPhone.
See full coverage from Macworld 2008
Apple shares fell $11.35, or 6.4 percent, to $167.36 at 2.24 p.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading.


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Polaris Wireless opens HQ in Dubai
- Staff Silicon Valley Business Journal
Polaris Wireless said it opened a regional headquarters in Dubai to serve customers in the Middle East and Africa regions.
Santa Clara-based Polaris said the new regional headquarters joins offices in Japan, India and Latin America to expand its international footprint.
"The business opportunity for Polaris Wireless is growing worldwide, following the global trend of wireless operators and government agencies partnering to deploy high-accuracy location solutions for lawful location surveillance and emergency call applications," the company said.
Interim County Auditor County of Kaua'i | Lihue, HI
Systems Technician West Valley Staffing Group | Sunnyvale, CA
Manager/Architect (Cloud Networking) eBay | San Jose, CA
Marketing Coordinator / Brokerage Administrator Marcus & Millichap | Palo Alto, CA
Director of Brand Management Flextronics | San Jose, CA
- Most popular
- Tesla to power Walmart
- "Mystery tenant" project shows signs of life — but now it's smaller
- Cisco's former crystal baller leaves details of his startup to future
- Meet Silicon Valley firms atop the list of cybersecurity innovators
- Why Legacy Partners Commercial changed its name to SteelWave
- More S.F. companies shed office space. Is it a sign of relief or
- Sunnyvale's Peery Park becoming hot commodity ahead of new plan
- Zenefits is latest 'private IPO' in works, seen seeking $300M-$500M
- Does your kid's Silicon Valley school measure up? API rankings (Slides
- Apple users, watch out for your Wi-Fi
A look at the day's business stories from media outlets around San Jose


text:
New Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS) system, Ocucon launched to fight fraud
A new surveillance technology, aimed at helping UK businesses defend against fraudulent cases of slips, trips and falls, has been launched.
Ocucon has been set up in partnership with Google Cloud and will provide unlimited storage for any number of cameras within the cloud.
What does Ocucon include?
- Secure, affordable, long-term uncapped storage of HD video surveillance footage
- An easy-to-navigate portal providing near real-time and on-demand download access to video surveillance footage from the cloud, with date, time and camera search function
- All-encompassing surveillance and data intelligence solution via API access to industry-leading software partners Everseen and Facit analytics
According to a press release, Ocucon “combines intelligent data analytics with the facility to store, analyse and retrieve unlimited amounts of video surveillance footage from within the Ocucon portal.”
Co-Founder Gary Trotter commented: “Typically, businesses are restricted to saving 30 days of surveillance footage purely because of the sheer scale and size of the data. However, the threat of litigation and fraudulent claims – many of which are received after 30 days has passed - has resulted in increasing numbers of businesses needing to store their security footage for longer.
“Ocucon is the first cloud-based software system that processes and transmits unlimited amounts of CCTV footage into the cloud. Providing organisations with the flexibility to store uncapped amounts of data for as long as required will revolutionise the way in which businesses defend against wrongful allegations and will allow for greater post-recording video analytics that will ultimately generate significant security and business insights.”


text:
“Some of them does talk the thing,
But I come out here to walk it”
So sings Erphaan Alves in his 2020 song Soca Global where he mentions the heights he hopes to take the genre including to Broadway and the Billboard charts.
Well Soca and other aspects of Carnival may get millions of eyes on it as The Business of Carnival series which highlights the legal and business aspects of Caribbean entertainment and Carnivals has been picked up by the Roku Channel.
“As the first and only web series of its kind, which speaks to the legal and business aspects of the carnival industry in the Caribbean, we are proud to have landed this distribution deal which allows the stories and brands of 19 of our Caribbean carnival entrepreneurs and celebrities based in T&T, Barbados and Los Angeles, Hollywood to be showcased to Roku’s audiences of over 56 million households,” Carla Parris stated.
“I’m particularly happy that the deal was finalised now, during this Carnival season when many of our creatives and entrepreneurs are not able to earn in the ways that they have become accustomed as a result of the pandemic abridged version of Carnival. This exposure has the potential to provide cogent business opportunities for the entrepreneurs featured to ply their trades in foreign markets where carnivals and similar type festivals are held,” she said.
Parris said her hope is also that it will give those in foreign markets, further insight into the business and legal aspects of how our multi-million-dollar industry works and will not only invite more visitors but also business investors to the region.
“I am incredibly grateful to my family, friends, brand partners and production crew who stuck with me all these years and kept encouraging me to pursue the series. Producing and hosting this series together with my team for the past four years has been a bag of mixed emotions, full of many moments of extreme highs and really low lows. On the one hand, the decision to independently produce the series has allowed me for at least three months of the year (December, January, February) to fully embrace my creativity and to infuse my love for storytelling and broadcast media with education but, on the other hand, converting this series which started as a passion project into a monetizable product was extremely challenging,” Parris said.
Parris said in our market, it can be really difficult to sell the idea of a non-traditional intangible product.
“We are accustomed to conventional brick-and-mortar businesses where persons sell physical products, so when I approached potential brand partners over the years with the idea of selling product placements and logo placements into a web series which aired on You Tube with associated short form content on Facebook and Instagram it proved to be a foreign concept to many. They were not willing to invest in what was then a novel idea. The irony is that now that we are in a pandemic and businesses are forced to innovate, some of those very businesses now have their own social media-based series as a means of explaining their products and services,” she said.
“Therefore, to have lived to see the day, where a global streaming platform expressed that they not only loved the quality of our production but understood the concept of an educational talk series which positions our Caribbean creatives as businesspersons with investible commodities, plus offering a revenue generating licensing deal, felt like a dream come true. I’ve always dreamed about playing a role in having our Caribbean voices heard globally,” Parris said.
Parris said she is especially proud of the fact that the core crew inclusive of her sister Lynmerie Parris, director, hairdresser, makeup artist and the various videography producers are all Trinidadian.
The theme song was also produced locally.
“It was also really important to me, to be styled by local and Caribbean designers, thus all of the fashion on each season of the show was sourced from local fashion houses and designers. So often, we are conditioned to believe that we have to go abroad in order to succeed and to create quality film productions. My hope is that our success dispels some of these notions,” she said.
“Arising out of all of this experience that I’ve gained, I would love to host other TV shows, to moderate panels on entrepreneurship, brand development and motivational speaking. On the legal side, my ideal role would be working closely with Caribbean tourism agencies to assist in developing strong national brands and with talent management agencies who are developing talent for global market penetration,” she said.
Parris also gave her thought on the abridged version of Carnival expected to be held here.
“While I understand the limitations of the government and the importance of putting the health of the nation first given that we are in a pandemic, we have to balance this with the need to move forward in a way that buttresses the economic growth of all of the various arms of carnival stakeholders,” she said.
“The pandemic has taught us that technological innovations will now form part of our day to day norms. Last year, many of us in the entertainment industry took part in an experimental lab where event producers, costume designers were paired with software developers to create prototypes for 3D carnival events. I would have loved to have seen attempts made to produce hybrid events in which there are live elements for performing artistes but also infusing exciting technologies such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence into the carnival experience,” Parris said.
Parris said in this way, not only would this country be producing events which satisfy our core need for active engagement but also propelling the brand of T&T’s Carnival into one where next-generation virtual worlds are explored widely.
“Therefore, many of our creatives would earn revenue through Intellectual Property via the licensing of Soca music, photography and other creative elements in these online events,” she said.
She said this would also have a downstream effect on our economy as local animators, software developers and graphic artists would also be hired to collaborate on these projects.
“I find it very interesting that St Vincent & The Grenadines has announced that they may be considering a Meta Verse Carnival. A Meta Verse carnival may be one where users can interact, game and experience things as they would in the real-world events. I am paying close attention as to how that develops since there are many Intellectual Property considerations that will need to be addressed,” she said.


text:
The rate of change in consumer demand witnessed over the past few months has been unprecedented, calling attention to the importance of effective lines of communication between suppliers and retailers. As demand for certain products spiked and supply chains experienced disruption, information sharing and access to accurate information became critical for both parties. Suppliers needed real–time information on the products being taken from and those remaining on retailers’ shelves, while retailers adjusted their orders on the fly to satisfy consumer demand.
Prior to the pandemic, both suppliers and retailers were embracing the importance of cooperation and transparency. A joint study from Coresight Research and Precima based on feedback from 210 CPG suppliers and retailers found that 85% of retailers and 92% of suppliers believed that collaboration with their business partners had improved over the past two years: with only 1% stating that collaboration had worsened.
Although the initial shock of the COVID-19 crisis has subsided, conditions have far from normalized, and there remains a lot of volatility and unpredictability around what lies ahead. This should accelerate the trend towards information sharing even more now, with both retailers and suppliers exploring ways to digitally share and access relevant and accurate data better to inform their decision making during times of uncertainty.
According to the National Retail Federation, 65% of retailers have experienced or are expecting supply chain disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic. Even though the speed and degree to which the virus sent the world into shock has been a singular, “black swan” event, it has amplified awareness of the risk associated with not having a data analytics strategy that can be deployed when irregularities occur.
Having access to clean and precise data is key to developing a flexible and adaptive supply chain, and all parties along the delivery chain need to provide each other with clear data visibility to make this a reality. Digitization of the supply chain has become a key enabler of data sharing and tracking. The days in which CPG companies would deliver pallets of products to a retailer’s distribution centre, and from there, the retailer singularly managed their inventory through Point of Sale (POS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are becoming a thing of the past.
Legacy ERP systems make it challenging for large supply chains to accurately track and monitor complex transactions across a vast network of partners and products. They are also prone to human error, and often do not communicate well with one another. A more fully integrated digital supply chain utilizes Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to monitor where a product is at any time, and along with smart sensors and digital inventory monitoring, enables the detection of early warning signals.
Digital and integrated supply chains not only better equip both parties to prepare for disruptions, but they also result in cost savings as the need for cumbersome paperwork and manual administrative processes are reduced over time. Technology consultancy Capgemini has found that companies generate an average return-on-investment of 18% within a year of digitizing their supply chain. Further reaffirming the financial importance of transparency and information sharing, one-third of respondents in the Coresight/Precima study mentioned lower supply chain costs and more efficient operations as a benefit of strong retailer-supplier collaboration.
The power and utility of a data analytics system is only as good as the quality of the data that it captures. Accordingly, suppliers and retailers are in some ways at the mercy of the level of data transparency that the other brings to the table. No matter how technologically advanced a digital supply chain is, if up and downstream partners fail to share and integrate accurate and timely data, the system’s overall performance is compromised.
The Coresight/Precima study reveals that data transparency tends to work more in favour of retailers than suppliers. Around two-thirds of retailers express satisfaction with the access to data and insights received from suppliers, compared to around 50% satisfaction levels experienced by suppliers. The study goes on to state that 63% of retail respondents and 52% of supplier respondents cite a lack of trust and communication as “challenging” or “very challenging” when collaborating.
One possible, albeit somewhat controversial, game-changer that could alleviate trust concerns could be blockchain technology that encrypts data to make information sharing more secure and centralized. Utilized to date mainly for cryptocurrency networks, the technology is starting to make its way into other industries as a means of verifying information in a tamper-proof way. For example, the telecom sector deploys it to enforce digital copyrights and reduce roaming and other types of fraud. The healthcare sector is increasing its use to share patient data securely, and the defense sector deploys it as a way of countering cyber warfare. In the case of manufacturing and food supply chains, in particular, blockchain is viewed as a significant enabler of product traceability.
Blockchain’s effectiveness relies on critical mass. Just as the 2008 financial crisis lead to blockchain’s emergence as a disruptive technology in the financial sector, COVID-19 is shining a light on supply chain vulnerabilities within the food sector. This could provide the impetus for CPG suppliers and retailers to adopt it as they move to further digitize their supply chains.
COVID-19 has caused many retailers to rethink and diversify their sourcing strategies, with many looking to onboard more local suppliers to strengthen supply chain security in the event of further global supply chain disruptions. Securing new suppliers is a risky process, raising the importance of accurate data and a robust risk analysis model. The more willing and able a prospective supplier is to share information in a way that can be integrated into a retailer’s supplier portal, the better the chance they have of winning and retaining retailer orders.
According to a 2020 study commissioned by procurement platform provider Tealboo, 81% of procurement and supply chain professionals indicated that they are not fully confident in the supplier data being used in the validation process. A further 93% stated that they had experienced adverse effects due to misinformation, and nearly 60% of companies who use a supplier portal said that they do not trust suppliers to keep their information up to date.
In terms of the level of information being sought from retailers by suppliers, transparency extends beyond aggregated sales data. Effective joint business planning involves predictive analytics that rely on retailers’ sharing loyalty card, point-of-sale, and anonymized customer data. Transparency is also bolstered by the Internet of Things technologies such as shelf sensors and cameras that allow CPG suppliers to monitor how products are displayed and priced on shelves visually. “Virtual store visits” assist them in understanding the merchandising factors that are influencing sales rates and aid in assessing optimal inventory levels to deliver on.
With the pace of economic recovery and staggered market re-openings, it will be some time until supply chains regain the levels of pre-COVID stability. Forward-looking companies will take the learnings from this pandemic to reassess and future proof their supply chain technology with digitization and the centralization of data as key components in doing so. Technology, however, is only one part of the equation. If suppliers and retailers genuinely want to position themselves to better predict and prepare for future anomalies, data needs to be shared with transparency; and trust is required to do so.
Advantage’s 2019 Global Scorecard program measured how some of the world’s largest multinational CPG companies are rated by the retailers that they do business with, in the 40+ markets Advantage runs performance benchmarking programs. When assessing the areas that have the most significant impact on how well a supplier is rated by their retail clients as a business partner, “Builds Trust” ranked as the second most important area out of the 27 measured. When isolating this feedback to Executive and Senior Management personnel only, “Builds Trust” stood out as the top priority among all retailer respondents.
In Italy, between late March and early April, Advantage asked suppliers and retailers within the market to identify the partnership and performance needs that mattered most during the COVID-19 crisis. “Trust and transparency” stood out as the most important expectation across the five factors surveyed, with 95% of respondents indicating that this is expected from the other party during times of crisis.
Trust matters and is a valued attribute between suppliers and retailers doing business together. However, delivering on trust is a trickier proposition. With the realization that effective digital supply chains and data sharing are critical coming out of the pandemic, those business partners who nurture and demonstrate trust are likely to come out the winners.
COVID-19 seems to have impacted Mexico slightly later than other markets, what (if any) best practices were retailers and suppliers able to learn and adopt from other markets to help with managing the crisis?
It appears infection cases are continuing to rise. Still, the Mexican government is looking to reopen much of the economy. How is the grocery industry reacting and responding as an essential service?
We know that a significant percentage of the Mexican population relies on traditional trade for their food needs. Has the pandemic led to a shift in turning to modern trade grocers instead? Has it led to any other changes in shopping habits?
@WalmartInc highlights American supplier efforts in adapting to consumer need and ramping up production of essential products during the peak of #COVID19 #manufacturing #BetterTogether https://t.co/nKbpoA5jyL...Read More
@Unilever builds AI-integrated flexible working program for its global associates, matching skills and competencies to new projects across the business #EmployeeEngagement #BetterTogether ...Read More
"What COVID-19 Has Taught Me": 7 Johnson & Johnson Researchers Reveal Lessons They've Learned From the Pandemic @JNJNews #frontlineworkers #COVID19 ...Read More
@amazonpay now allows you to buy from local stores and pay via QR code @amazon #shopsmall #BetterTogether via @EtRetail...Read More
@pepsi joins National Restaurant Association of India @NRAI_India, @swiggy_in initiative to provide 25 lakh meals to workers of the restaurant community in distress @PepsiIndia #PepsiSaveOurResturants #CommunityMakesUs #BetterTogether ...Read More
@Diageo_News launches $100 million recovery fund to help pubs and bars welcome back customers after lockdown #BetterTogether #Raisingthebar ...Read More
New @Walmart Health brings affordable and accessible healthcare to Springdale community #Innovation #HealthcareForAll #BetterTogether ...Read More
@CocaCola and @UberEats partner to provide up to 5 Million meals to @FeedingAmerica #CommunityMakesUs #BetterTogether ...Read More
@Lysol expands HERE for Healthy Schools Program to reach 58,000 schools in U.S. areas hardest hit by the #COVID19 Pandemic @discoverRB #CommunityMakesUs #BetterTogether ...Read More
As the US reopens, @ProcterGamble Safeguard brand announces $10 Million hygiene education and product donation initiative to help keep children healthy #SafetyFirst #COVID19 https://t.co/eUW6L0zQGR...Read More
@KCCorp launches EssentialPraVC, a direct online sales platform for Brazilian consumers; offering a new way to purchase from the safety of their own homes #ecommerce #onlineshopping #BetterTogether ...Read More
@amazon announces Thank You bonus for its front-line employees and partners totalling over US$500 million #EmployeeAdvocacy #BetterTogether ...Read More
General Mills launches three-year regenerative dairy pilot in Michigan in partnership with Foremost Farms and Understanding Ag @GeneralMills #BetterTogether ...Read More
@Bayer to Provide Crop Relief to Two Million Smallholder Farmers Impacted by #COVID19 #BetterTogether...Read More
Amid #COVID19 Global Pandemic, The Pfizer Foundation Helps International Rescue Committee (IRC) Pursue Urgent Expansion of Health Access in Humanitarian Settings @pfizer_news #FrontLineHeroes ...Read More
@GSK COVID-19 vaccine development collaboration with Clover Biopharmaceuticals begins clinical trials #COVIDRelief #BetterTogether ...Read More


text:
Nexgen Packaging Appoints Jim Welch as CEO
Welch positions Nexgen to capitalize on fast-changing market dynamics and accelerate future growth.
Nexgen Packaging announces that James H. (Jim) Welch has been appointed as the new CEO of the company. A highly experienced business executive, Jim assumed his new role as CEO in October, after having served as co-CEO since June 2021. At the same time, co-founder Andy Effron has moved from the co-CEO role to Chairman.
Mr. Welch joined Nexgen Packaging in 2016 as EVP/GM of North America & EU, then became President of the company in 2017 and co-CEO in 2021. Prior to joining Nexgen, Mr. Welch was with Motorola Solutions (MSI) where he held a variety of leadership roles, including SVP and GM Field Operations for the MSI Enterprise business.
Mr. Welch helped direct global go-to-market and regional strategies and helped orchestrate the successful sale of that unit to Zebra Technologies. Previously Mr. Welch held CEO positions and advisor roles with a variety of software startups in Austin, TX focused on artificial intelligence, data analytics, and mobility.
“Jim’s unique skill set is exactly what Nexgen needs. His experience in software solutions and data analytics for the retail industry is helping Nexgen further differentiate from our competitors,” said Kent Pellegrini, Co-Founder. “Jim’s inclusive leadership style attracts top talent from inside and outside our industry as we continue to grow our global manufacturing footprint to better serve our customers in a more sustainable way.”
About Nexgen Packaging, LLC
Nexgen Packaging, LLC is a global provider of packaging for the retail, apparel and footwear industries. The company offers a broad portfolio of products with a focus on sustainable solutions that are measurable and deployable. The company is focused on simplifying everything from the creative process to order execution, utilizing data analytics to increase supply chain efficiency and enhance customer success.


text:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday warned the public that strains of salmonella have been found on raw chicken products produced by Foster Farms at three facilities in California.
The organization’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has been unable to link the illnesses to a specific product and production period.
Raw products from the facilities in question bear one of the establishment numbers inside a USDA mark of inspection or elsewhere on the package:
The products were mainly distributed to retail outlets in California, Oregon and Washington State.
According to the USDA, an estimated 278 illnesses have been reported in 18 states, most of them in California.
The investigations indicate that consumption of Foster Farms brand chicken and other brand chicken produced at Foster Farms plants are the likely source of this outbreak of salmonella infections.
Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common forms of food poisoning. Salmonella infections can be life-threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems, such as infants, the elderly and persons with HIV infection or who are undergoing chemotherapy. The most common symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within eight to 72 hours. Additional symptoms may be chills, headache, nausea and vomiting that can last up to seven days.
Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or by calling the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854 from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. eastern time Monday through Friday.
Share on Facebook


text:
Share This!Although I know that Dooney & Bourke, Vera Bradley, and more have their following among Disney fans, my personal favorite bags are made by Loungefly. While at Disneyland, I spotted this beauty at World of Disney. It’s Groot!“Wood” this be on your wish list? Let us know in the comments.
Top Reasons to Go With Managed WordPress Hosting frederic lardinois Tags:#news#web 8 Best WordPress Hosting Solutions on the Market This morning, Hulu and Disneyannounced that Disney will join NBC Universal, News Corp., and Providence Equity Partners as a joint venture partner and equity holder of Hulu. Thanks to this, Hulu will now be able to feature shows from ABC’s prime-time lineup like “Lost,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “Private Practice,” as well as shows from ABC Daytime and SOAPnet. Hulu will also now feature a select number of programs from the Disney Channel and library titles from Disney. We heard a number of rumors about this deal in the last few days, so this announcement doesn’t come as a great surprise. Neither Hulu nor Disney disclosed the financial terms of the arrangement, but according to most reports, Disney will take a 30% stake in the joint venture. Disney will also get three seats on the Hulu board.Hulu = Online TV? Hulu was already on the brink of becoming the de facto standard for watching TV shows online, and adding Disney to its line-up only consolidates this position. Advertisers have been flocking to Hulu, and while it is getting some serious competition from TV.com, which is owned by CBS (which doesn’t have a deal with Hulu), this new deal should give it a nice boost in the next few months.It should be noted that ABC’s own online player features 720p HD versions of all its major prime-time shows, something that Hulu currently doesn’t offer, so to get the best quality, users will still have to go to ABC.com. CC-licensed image used courtesy of Flickr user Raymond Brown. Related Posts A Web Developer’s New Best Friend is the AI Wai… Why Tech Companies Need Simpler Terms of Servic…
Related Posts What it Takes to Build a Highly Secure FinTech … Tags:#app refunds#App Store#Apple Role of Mobile App Analytics In-App Engagement Apple is striking back at users who’ve figured out how to abuse its new refund policy for digital purchases in Europe—by blacklisting them from future reimbursements.To conform with the EU’s consumer protection laws, Apple rolled out a new policy last month that lets European users who purchase apps, songs, ebooks or other digital media claim refunds within 14 days of purchase. But some customers have discovered they can demand their money back on repeated purchases—apparently even if they keep the downloads. See also: How Apple’s New App-Refund Policy Could Hurt DevelopersIt may be tough to police everyone, but Apple’s ready to put the kibosh on at least the worst offenders who try to game the system. In other words, ask for too many refunds in a short time period, and the company will flag the behavior and revoke your refund privileges, iDownloadBlog reports. Apple has already sent messages to users through the App Store, alerting flagged users with the following prompt: “I acknowledge that if I download this app within fourteen days of tapping ‘Buy,’ I will no longer be eligible to cancel this purchase.” The user then has the choice of canceling the download or acknowledging the message to proceed while waiving the right to any refund. https://twitter.com/rosyna/status/554752303794647040/photo/1Clearly the company doesn’t want users treating the refund policy like a trial period for paid apps or to let unscrupulous types get away with shady practices. Its latest move seems designed to nip that in the bud. While the refund policy and its woes remain limited to Europe for now, the company could be eyeing it as a test of sorts for more universal changes down the road. In that way, how Apple handles refunds abroad could influence the way it approaches its App Store policies at home, which can directly affect the developers who stock its digital shelves everywhere. Photo by Ben Husmann; screenshot courtesy of Twitter user Rosyna adriana lee Why IoT Apps are Eating Device Interfaces The Rise and Rise of Mobile Payment Technology
(AP) Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s spokesman says his office will continue to shield certain contact information from public-record requests.Spokesman Steele Shippy on Tuesday defended the practice following complaints from Democratic Auditor Nicole Galloway.At issue is the Republican governor’s response to public record requests made by The Kansas City Star and others. Parson’s office has cited the First Amendment in redacting phone numbers, addresses and emails of private citizens who contacted the governor.The newspaper reports that Galloway requested that the state attorney general weigh in on whether Parson broke the law by making those redactions.Parson’s office has argued that it’s an issue of free speech and that constituents wouldn’t contact elected officials if they believed that information might become public.Shippy called Galloway’s criticism a “lame partisan political attempt.”


text:
TOKYO (October 10, 2012)--Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling 7.43 million vehicles worldwide to fix a faulty power-window switch.
The recall involves more than a dozen models produced from 2005 through 2010.
Toyota said grease wasn’t applied evenly during production to the power-window switch on the driver's side, causing friction in the switch and sometimes smoke.
No crashes or injuries were reported related to the problem.
In North America, Toyota is recalling the Yaris, Corolla, Matrix, Camry, RAV4, Highlander, Tundra, Sequoia and Scion models xB and xD.
Other models also are being recalled in Japan and Europe.
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or firstname.lastname@example.org.


text:
The relentless competition of the food franchise industry means that businesses will try out nearly everything in search of an edge over everybody else. Surprisingly, one thing few food franchises seem willing to do is sell beer or wine. Why is this?
We put the question out on our Facebook page yesterday after reading an article on the subject in the New York Times. The article looks at the story from the perspective of chains like Starbucks, Sonic and Guy & Gallard, as well as Burger King, who’ve started selling beer at their new higher-end Whopper Bars.
Despite the potential upsides of selling beer (ie, profit), it seems that food franchises aren’t suited to the alcohol trade.
“Fast-food restaurants aren’t set up to be bars,” David Henkes, restaurant advisor, told the New York Times. “Based upon the amount of sales that most restaurants would get from alcohol, it’s just not feasible for most restaurants to do it.”
The challenges range from the practical (policing the bar, the large numbers of underage staff at food franchises) to the financial. In the end of the day, most franchises have decided that selling a bottle of beer or glass of wine simply isn’t worth the trouble.
We’ll be monitoring the scene, as especially at Whopper Bar, to see if any franchises can buck this trend.
The IFA has released a new study stating that President Obama’s health care plan with stunt jobs growth when it comes into effect in 2014.
According the franchising lobbying group, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will ‘negatively impact’ ‘tens of thousands’ of jobs and impact 3.2 million fulltime employees. As the Wall-Street Journal reports, the poll was conducted by free-market policy think tank, the Hudson Institute.
The report is especially critical on the government for forcing food and hospitality franchises to provide health care for their staff. As the report itself states:
“The health care law unintentionally discourages franchisees from owning and operating multiple locations. The law creates a competitive disadvantage for franchisees who do own more than one or two locations. The employer mandate in the law provides an incentive for franchisors and franchisees to replace full- time workers with part-time and temporary workers.”
Interestingly, Susan Mills, head of the SBA, has come out in favor of the health-care legislation in an interview with the Wall-Street Journal:
“Currently, small businesses pay around 18% more than big businesses for the same health insurance because of administrative costs…every day, America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners are finding more ways to access affordable health insurance coverage because of the Affordable Care Act.”
Still, many franchisors like Gordon Logan of Sports Clips remains opposed to the act. We hope the IFA can continue to use its lobbying power to ensure the continued growth of franchising.
We’ve encountered some interesting statistics from the UK franchise market which proves that the UK market is starting to show legitimate signs of growth.
At a time of serious economic stagnation in Britain, a franchise organization called the Franchise Development Services claims that franchising can create over 500,000 job in the UK over the next 5 years.
Professor Ray Seaman, MD of FDS, is making a hard push to raise government attention to the economic power of franchising, especially in the area of East Anglia, where there are 110 franchise units in the city of Norwich alone.
Seaman asked the following question about what franchising can do:
“We are looking at about 2,000 new franchises over the next five years which means by 2016 it will mean an extra 70,000 new businesses. That means 500,000 new jobs and that’s being totally realistic. What would happen if we could increase that by 10pc?”
These are some of the statistics on UK franchising, according to Mark Scott, director of franchise development at Natwest bank, stats which show the potential of serious profit in a highly-established market:
“There are 37,000 franchise locations across the UK and a total turnover of £12.4bn. The failure rate in any one year is less than 5pc and nine out of 10 are profitable. It really is a strong place to be.”
We often hear the business acumen of military veterans trumpeted, but what specific skills do they bring to franchise ownership?
In a new book, retired U.S. Army Reserve Special Forces officer Chad Storlie, a veteran with an MBA, makes the case for veterans in business (and by proxy, in franchising). His new book Combat Leader to Corporate Leader: 20 Lessons To Advance Your Civilian Career and Battlefield to Business Success: Applying Military Leadership and Skills in Your Career, Storlie seems to have created the definitive portrait of the veteran as business leader. His book will open the eyes of any franchisor unsure about offering discounts to veteran franchisees.
He sat down with Inc magazine for a Q&A session and his answers were particularly enlightening, especially as what veterans can contribute in these uncertain business times. From comprehensive training strategy to knowing how to cope in the face of chaos and uncertainty, it does seem that military training can provide excellent preparation for owning your own business.
It’s especially interesting what Storlie has to say about the link between McDonald’s and the military:
One of the things McDonald’s does well is training. It’s about standardizing employee procedures, so we have the most efficient way to sell food, and it’s done across the board. The company also is remarkably adept at operating at different locations. Menus adapt to what different localities need. This is very similar to the U.S. Military; it adapts the equipment and operations based on location. One thing the military can take from McDonald’s is to stress simplicity. That simplicity approach, with the store layout, formulaic kitchen, simple pricing, straightforward menu, and standardized training, ensures the restaurant can be effective 24/7. The final similarity is “we can never be happy with success.” McDonald’s is constantly adapting its menu to consider, for example, how to be more health-conscious, and how people’s tastes are changing.
Who knew the synergy between the military and franchising was so strong?
Food franchises are always keen to take on trends, especially when they involve utilizing local talent. The latest trend that QSR franchises have looked to tap into involves using local art.
One of the biggest criticisms leveled at food franchises is that they have a reputation for being stale, cookie-cutter restaurants. Food franchises have found that local art or design touches can go a long way for making audiences feel at home and making national restaurants seem more local.
QSR Magazine have profiled the phenomenon in its latest issue. They discuss the coffee franchise Coffee Bean & Tea Label, which while on the verge of launching a new self-brewed coffee and tea concept, hired Gensler, an LA design company, for guidance. Gensler employed a local art school graduates to reimagine the stores.
“That they were all young emerging artists was a parallel to this brand, which is a young emerging brand,” Gensler branding expert Dominick Ricci told QSR.
Here’s a great example of a local franchise shaping its own image in the world. Rush’s, a South Carolina burger franchise, was also singled out in the article for commissioning a local painter to depict some important moments in the franchise’s history.


text:
With improving economies in North America and the Asia-Pacific (APAC) regions, there are tremendous opportunities for pump manufacturers, according to a new analysis from Frost & Sullivan.
As developing nations are expected to witness the highest growth owing to booming chemicals industries, manufacturers are gradually shifting focus away from developed economies. In particular, APAC, accounting for 46 percent of chemical sales worldwide, will command attention as it rides high on MNC investment and successful merger and acquisition activities in the chemicals industry, according to the report, Analysis of the Global Pumps Market in the Chemicals Industry.
The report finds that the market earned revenues of more than $4 billion in 2013 and estimates this to cross $5 billion in 2020.
The study covers trends in both centrifugal and positive-displacement (PD) pumps. Centrifugal pumps will continue to hold a larger market share due to broad application potential. On the other hand, PD pumps will see higher compound annual growth owing to enhanced marketing efforts and customers’ realization of the advantages of using these pumps over centrifugal pumps.
“As the automotive, construction and manufacturing industries—top end-users of chemical products worldwide—are likely to expand in the upcoming years, the demand for chemicals and thus pumps will rise,” saysFrost & Sullivan Industrial Automation & Process Control Research Analyst Sakthi Pandian.
These major end-users of chemicals are still recovering from the recent economic recession, and hence the pumps market has not reached its full potential. While the global pump market in the chemicals industry has been showing signs of recovery, it will only reach the post-recession level by 2018.
Along with the residual impact of recession, tough competition from low-cost manufacturers in developing nations restrains market development. As customers are increasingly adopting these inexpensive but high-quality chemical pumps that comply with environmental standards, the market share of leading participants is being eroded, according to Frost & Sullivan.
“Since the leading pump manufacturers find it difficult to compete with low-cost rivals on the basis of price, they will have to rely on the quality of their products, services and maintenance to survive in the global market,” Pandian says. “Participants looking to secure their position in the market must also quickly capitalize on customers’ preference for integrated solutions, services and asset-management technology.”
For more information on Analysis of the Global Pumps Market in the Chemicals Industry, click here.


text:
It’s been 1 year since Europe enacted its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and thus far it has had a demonstrable impact on many companies operating in the region. Not only has GDPR led to additional diligence by companies to protect consumer data (some were sorely lacking in this regard), but the push for privacy has opened consumers’ eyes to some of the realities of data storage/exchange/use/etc. It has empowered an increasing number to voice their concerns and demand follow-through, if not additional change. To date, seven European markets (United Kingdom, Ireland, Poland, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg) have pending requests with their managing bodies to investigate aspects of the advertising workflow, most notably Real-Time Bidding (RTB). A principal issue is the amount of personal data that is made available to bidders during the RTB process, along with security concerns around the handling of this data.
Registered users can unlock up to five pieces of premium content each month.
Log in or register to unlock this Insight.
One Year of GDPR and Plenty More Privacy to Come
It’s been one year since Europe enacted its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and thus far it has had a demonstrable impact on many companies operating in the region. Not only has GDPR led to additional diligence by companies to protect consumer data (some were sorely lacking in this regard), but the push for privacy has opened consumers’ eyes to some of the realities of data storage/exchange/use/etc. It has empowered an increasing number to voice their concerns and demand follow-through, if not additional change. To date, seven European markets (United Kingdom, Ireland, Poland, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg) have pending requests with their managing bodies to investigate aspects of the advertising workflow, most notably Real-Time Bidding (RTB). A principal issue is the amount of personal data that is made available to bidders during the RTB process, along with security concerns around the handling of this data.
While it is still relatively early days for GDPR, it is but one, albeit a very significant one, push towards additional privacy and consumer protections. Other regulations, such as Brazil’s Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados Pessoais (LGPD), which received presidential sanction and will go into effect in February 2020; India’s Personal Data Protection Bill; and California’s California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which goes into effect January 2020, are on the horizon and will further extend similar protections as GDPR. In addition to these relatively comprehensive regulations, more targeted laws, such as limiting facial recognition technology, are starting to gain traction. What does all of this mean for advertising and ad technologies?
Making More out of Less
In a recent application analysis report, Advertising Technologies in Video Services (AN-5047), ABI Research examined the video ad tech space and addressed some of the impacts of privacy, but new developments like San Francisco’s ban on facial recognition (for police and other city/public agencies) create new wrinkles. Within the video market, initiatives like GDPR have caused some companies to delay investments into new opportunities like location-based technologies, and in some cases, there is perceived value in data sources that obscure a users’ personal identity, despite the strong desire for better cross-platform attribution (between pay TV, CTV, and mobile). It is noteworthy that the San Francisco ban is somewhat forward-looking because the SFPD currently does not use facial recognition, and within the city, those public areas where facial recognition technology is deployed, it currently falls under federal jurisdiction (and therefore outside the purview of this new law), e.g., international airports and ports of entry. In the context of video advertising, this ban may not appear to have much bearing on the ad tech space, but it speaks to the general trends that will shape the future of data collection and advertising.
This is impactful for companies looking to better track users for targeted advertising and for cross-platform attribution. Companies within the value chain are starting to coordinate in order to offer better ad campaign management across platforms. These initiatives currently leverage partnerships (e.g., sharing data and matching users between datasets) and tech like Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) (e.g., Roku’s Activation Insights tool) to match Over-the-Top (OTT) and linear/broadcast programming. However, as more consumers use virtual assistants for a growing number of applications, these broader privacy trends/concerns will prove more impactful to the development of these types of initiatives (i.e., cross-platform advertising).
Stronger Controls throughout the Advertising Workflow
Companies have little recourse but to allow for more transparencies (to consumers) regarding how data is stored and used, particularly as new laws and regulations enter the market. Further, advertisers and marketers will need to better balance value (to the consumer) and collected data in order to receive buy-in from consumers, in effect making the transaction between advertisers and consumers more explicit. Consumers will need to willingly opt-in and trade their personal data for content, services, and/or features. The use of computer vision or voice recognition to personally identify users within the household will need to see tangible benefits for allowing services to collect data about their household—for example, tight integration between personal calendars, content recording, live event reminders, personalized content recommendations and hand-off between devices, integration with other applications like smart home, etc. Virtual assistants are already receiving interest from pay TV operators, so integrating these features into the video viewing experience is one point of entry to provide value-added features in exchange for additional personal data.
The period of transition as the industry makes adjustments to these new and future regulations will continue, but in the meantime, opportunities are available for companies to start establishing healthier relationships with customers and their data. Companies like Google have started moving in this direction, with more easily accessible privacy controls (albeit not all favoring privacy by default), but the other part of the transaction (value-add) is still largely missing beyond content and “information used to improve user experiences.”


text:
Once again, world food stocks are looking precarious. As Mr. Michael Richardson detailed in these pages on Feb. 3, prices are soaring for basic food products and the prospect of hunger, starvation and unrest are rising as well. There are several reasons for this spike in prices, but weather — and climate change — is the most important. It will be difficult if not impossible to insulate food production from weather-related problems in the short term, but steps can be taken to insulate prices from their impact.
According to a U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report issued earlier this month, the seventh consecutive month of food price increases pushed world food prices to record levels last month. The FAO price index, which tracks a basket of 55 food commodities, rose 3.4 percent in January, taking prices to their highest level since tracking began in 1990. Over the past year, the index price of corn has risen 52 percent, wheat 49 percent, and soybeans 28 percent. Ominously, stocks are low and the trend is expected to continue. In total, world food prices rose 25 percent in 2010, forcing countries to spend an estimated $1 trillion on imports — as much as 20 percent more than the year before.
Fortunately for Asia, where rice is a staple food, production and national buffer stocks are rising. According to the FAO, the region’s rice harvest in 2010 is expected to reach a record 627 million tons, a 2.1 percent increase over production in 2009. But experts warn that production is not keeping pace with population growth and upward pressure on prices will persist.
There are several factors behind the steadily rising prices. One explanation blames speculators who are exploiting rising liquidity to bet on rising commodity prices. The human cost of those bets — hunger, starvation, civil unrest — is irrelevant to them. French President Nicolas Sarkozy charges those speculators with “extortion and pillaging” and has promised that he will use his term in the chair of the G20 to fix the problem.
A second cause of the spike in food prices is rising demand. Populations increase and even those that are leveling off are shifting demand to meat, which requires more grain for production. At the same time, crop yields are decreasing as agricultural resources are depleted. Another factor is the growing popularity of biofuels, which adds to the demand for — and prices of — some agricultural products.
The most important cause is weather and climate. Shifting weather patterns and extreme weather events are wrecking havoc on harvests. Heavy rains in Australia have decimated that country’s wheat harvest, pushing prices of that staple higher. Droughts and fires in Russia and Ukraine did similar damage to those countries’ wheat harvests. Equally severe weather took chunks out of harvests in Canada, Brazil and Argentina.
And things could get worse. This week, the FAO warned that China faces similar conditions with its agricultural regions set to experience the worst drought in over half a century. China usually does not attract a lot of attention in this area, but it is in fact the world’s largest wheat producer. Most Chinese production is consumed internally and the prospect of domestic shortages means that a government that is hypersensitive to any hint of domestic unrest will turn to international markets to make up the shortfall. With nearly $3 trillion in foreign exchange reserves, Beijing can feed its people at any price even if its determination to do so prices other nations out of the market.
Global warming is creating extreme conditions — yes, even the heavy snows of this year can be attributed to global warming — which damages harvests and drives up prices. In fact, it does not take actual shortages, but just their prospect, to raise prices. The human cost of higher prices is unmistakable. Rising food prices were responsible for riots in over 30 countries in 2008. The recent unrest in Tunisia and Egypt has roots in food shortages, among other factors. For families in developing countries, food can consume 50 to 75 percent of household income. Rising prices force them to choose between food and medication or fuel. As some staples become more expensive, families choose lower quality goods, or sometimes are forced to go without. In each case, the result is declining nutrition and even hunger.
Dealing with climate change will take time. More immediately, governments can do more to rein in the speculation that leads to artificial price inflation. More transparency can be introduced to trading and international reserves can be used as buffers when shortages appear. In 2009, developed nations promised to provide more than $20 billion to aid agriculture in developing countries; $6 billion of that total was intended for a food security fund at the World Bank. Less than $1 billion of those pledges has been paid.
Staple-producing countries must also ensure that their products get to global markets. Export restrictions, like those imposed during the 2008 food crisis, cut international supplies while flooding local markets, thus reducing local prices and the incentive to produce. Of course, creating markets for agriculture producers in developing countries would encourage production there. But that requires global trade reform — and that, like global warming, is a much longer-term project.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.


text:
Friday in the lab Eric reviewed a new shipment of electronics parts and components. See the full video on YouTube.
Monday in the Lab Eric streamed a mailbag video as well as tested out a remote camera so he can take viewers on a tour of the lab during live shows. Check out the replay on YouTube.
Friday in the lab Eric tested out a new budget priced signal generator for electronics projects. Stay tuned for more testing and use on the YouTube channel.
Monday in the lab Eric streamed the unbox and testing of the new Hakko soldering iron clone. See the full replay on YouTube. Full review is coming up after further testing is completed.
Tuesday Eric shared an instructional video how to upgrade the CR-10 extruder. The printer now does even better prints including improved flexible filament performance.


text:
Just because it sells online does not make home furnishings retailer Rhodes Furniture a national brand.
That was the thinking at the company when it relaunched rhodesfurniture.com this week. While broadening the retailer's reach, the site is sensitive to zip codes, fulfilling orders only in the vicinity of its bricks-and-mortar stores.
“You cannot get into the shopping cart until you go into that delivery check area and make sure that you're in our delivery area,” said Steve Hurwitz, senior vice president of marketing at the 126-year-old Rhodes, Atlanta.
The revamped site is linked directly to the IBM AS 400 point-of-sale system supporting Rhodes' 80-plus furniture stores in 13 states across the Midwest and Southeast United States.
Consumers that enter a zip code are shown the Rhodes store closest to them. If within the delivery area, consumers can shop, place items in the cart and go to checkout. There, the AS 400 point-of-sale system checks inventory within that retail store and reserves the product in real time.
“Once that person pushes the button to checkout, either having applied for Rhodes credit or using their own card, a contract prints out within seconds in that store with a sales person's name on it,” Hurwitz said. “We rotate the sales person and the sales person needs to call that customer to arrange delivery and if they have any questions.”
Essentially, rhodesfurniture.com is being treated like any other company store.
BroadVision Inc., Redwood City, CA, supplied the e-commerce transaction software that connects Rhodes online store with the AS 400 system. Working with Harte-Hanks Interactive, Lake Katrine, NY, BroadVision also will help Rhodes with new personalization features.
The reason Rhodes' site will only serve customers that live near its stores is to prevent cannibalization between its e-commerce and retail channels.
“If you're outside of about 60 miles from one of our stores, we can but we will not sell to you,” Hurwitz said. “We want to be able to personally deliver the furniture, we want to be able to service the furniture. We want people to have some kinship to the local store even if it's 60 to 70 miles away.”
Furthermore, there are no special discounts online that are not available in stores.
“We certainly look at this site as a marketing tool, even before we look at it as any sort of a commerce tool,” Hurwitz said.
Research conducted by Rhodes indicated that an estimated 75 percent of its customers came from within a 20-mile radius of its stores. But not enough was being done to bring foot traffic from beyond. This is where the online store plays a key role in customer acquisition.
“We were recognizing that we have a signal,” Hurwitz said. “We spend a lot of money on paid media like TV, newspaper and radio. Our signal certainly reaches past 20 miles, out to a 50- to 60-mile radius, but we weren't capturing those customers. And we were very focused on doing that.”
With the online store up-and-running, Rhodes now reaches somewhere close to 30 percent of the country, up from 19 percent before the e-commerce option was offered.
“Our goal is not to cannibalize those people that would come to the store anyway, but to acquire new customers either online or in the store,” Hurwitz said.


text:
Youtube TV prices are going up again, and people aren’t happy about it.
During the middle of the first big day of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Youtube announced they were raising their base prices from $64.99 to $72.99
YouTube TV dropped MLB Network last month and is now increasing its monthly price from $64.99 to $72.99 pic.twitter.com/Oy8B2ODipx
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) March 16, 2023
An update for our members. As content costs have risen and we continue to invest in our quality of service, we’ll be adjusting our monthly cost, after 3 years, from $64.99/mo to $72.99/mo, in order to bring you the best possible TV service.
New members will see this new price today, while existing members will see this pricing change beginning 4/18. Additionally, we are lowering the price of our 4K Plus add-on from $19.99/mo to $9.99/mo.
We are committed to offering a premium way for you to stream TV, but understand this new price may not work for you. We do hope YouTube TV continues to be your service of choice, but we want to give you the flexibility to cancel at any time. http://yt.be/membership
It didn’t take long for Youtube TV subscribers to react to the news.
Youtube got ripped to shreds for another price increase.
And that about wraps us up for YouTube TV. Almost $900 a year now. I think we can safely say the Golden Age of cord cutting is now over. pic.twitter.com/twaIU79DFe
— Juan Carlos Bagnell (@SomeGadgetGuy) March 16, 2023
Just for some perspective. YouTube TV launched in 2017 for $35 a month. That is a 108% increase over 6 years. https://t.co/hxjL4ZEWud
— Rich DeMuro (@richontech) March 16, 2023
YouTube TV, the last robust cord-cutting option is now MORE expensive than a basic 125+ Cable channel plan from Spectrum.
Thanks YouTube TV! #CordCuttingIsDead pic.twitter.com/HOC8XJu0iT
— Brian Tong (@briantong) March 16, 2023
YouTube TV is raising its price from $64.99 to $72.99
At first, it was a good alternative to cable, but as the price of streaming rises, it begins to no longer be the case.
— Anthony DeRosa (@Anthony) March 16, 2023
YouTube tv just went up $10. I’m tired of multibillion dollar corporations trying to screw everyone over bc god forbid they have less of a profit and still worth billions. Definitely not worth $73. I’m out 🖕
— Amelia (@ag24_np) March 16, 2023


text:
LVMH reports strong growth driven by fashion & leather goods
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton recorded revenue of 44.2 billion euros in the first nine months of 2021, up 46 percent compared to 2020. The company said organic revenue growth over the period was 40 percent compared to 2020. Compared to 2019, organic growth was 11 percent, with trends in the third quarter, up 11 percent comparable to those of...
Oct 13, 2021
Video: Fendi SS22 womenswear collection
In this video, Italian luxury fashion house Fendi has presented its SS22 womenswear collection at Milano Fashion Week (MFW).Watch the video below. Video: Fendi via YouTube Photo credit: Fendi, Facebook
Sep 30, 2021
Kim Jones and Donatella Versace swap roles
The surprise catwalk show and previously unofficial event announced last minute at MFW turned out to be a swapping of roles between Versace and Fendi’s creatives and long-time friends, Donatella Versace and Kim Jones. The intimate experience Versace alluded to on its Instagram was a starry discoball lit runway come to light and life the moment...
Sep 26, 2021
What we know of the Versace x Fendi collaboration so far
When Fendi showed on the first day of Milan Fashion Week there was little to suggest the Rome-based luxury house would later be involved in a second show – one that involved a collaboration with another Italian luxury brand, namely Versace. Rumours have been circulating since Donatella Versace sent a save-the-date for a special event on Sunday,...
Sep 24, 2021
Fashion & leather goods segment drives strong sales and profit growth at LVMH
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton recorded revenue of 28.7 billion euros in the first half of 2021, up 56 percent compared to the same period in 2020. The company said in a statement that organic revenue growth was 53 percent compared to 2020 and 11 percent compared to 2019 reflecting accelerated growth in the second quarter, which saw organic...
Jul 27, 2021
Fendi opens new New York flagship
Fendi has opened a new flagship store in New York City. The Italian luxury label debuted a new 6900-square-foot flagship store on the corner of 57th Street and Madison Avenue. The two-level space is located in the Art Deco-era Fuller building, which formerly housed a Coach store. The store is an upgrade from the brand’s 4100-square-foot store...
Jul 16, 2021
Video: Fendi SS22 menswear collection
In this video, Italian luxury fashion house Fendi has presented its SS22 menswear collection at Milan Men's Fashion Week (MFW).Watch the video below. Video: Fendi via YouTube Photo credit: Fendi, Facebook
Jul 8, 2021
Video: Fendi haute couture collection
In this video, Italian luxury fashion house Fendi has presented its haute couture collection. Watch the video below. Video: Fendi via YouTube
Jul 8, 2021
Video: Fendi SS21 couture collection
In this video, Italian luxury fashion house Fendi has presented its SS21 couture collection by Kim Jones in Shanghai. Watch the video below. Video: Fendi via YouTube Photo credit: Fendi, Facebook
Mar 25, 2021
Video: Fendi FW21 collection at MFW
In this video, fashion label Fendi has presented its FW21 collection at Milan Fashion Week (MFW). Watch the video below. Do you want to see more FW21 clothing collections? Click here to view theFashionUnited Marketplace. Video: Fendi via YouTube Photo credit: Milano Fashion Week
Mar 1, 2021
Fendi appoints Song Hye-Kyo as first Korean global ambassador
Fendi has announced actress Song Hye-Kyo as the luxury house’s first Korean global ambassador. “Song Hye-Kyo is an icon of the era that shows the beauty of a blend of tenderness, strength, and a confident attitude, and she fits well with the values that Fendi pursues,” stated Fendi during the announcement in a post published by W Korea. Song, a...
Feb 17, 2021
Haute Couture Week: How luxury labels resonated on social media
Fashion’s biggest luxury labels came together digitally at the end of January for Haute Couture Week, a show that this year was forced online due to the pandemic. Some 28 brands, including the likes of Chanel, Fendi, Giorgio Armani, Dior and Valentino, showed off their latest collections via their websites and social media platforms, which since...
Feb 9, 2021


text:
Although CCPA is still in its early stages, we’ve already observed the impact it’s having. Here are our five takeaways of what organizations (inside or outside) of California should know now that CCPA is in effect.
The year 2019 was a time of reckoning for the industry of children’s apps. In February, ByteDance, the parent company…
The proper management of PHI is not just a concern for hospitals and insurers, but also the technology vendors that they work with. So whether you’re a hospital IT manager, or a SaaS provider to a hospital, here’s what you need to know about data compliance with HIPAA.
This is a companion piece to our previous post about martech. While there are some in the marketing industry who consider adtech to be a subcategory of martech, the breadth and intricacies of the industry warrants a separate in-depth post.
Marketing and advertising technologies (martech and adtech for short) are two closely related industries that rely heavily on personal data collection and processing to provide value to their customers.


text:
Walmart appears to be venturing into the metaverse with plans to create its own cryptocurrency and collection of nonfungible tokens or NFTs. The big-box retailer filed several new trademarks late last month that indicates its intent to make and sell virtual goods, including electronics, home decorations, toys, sporting goods, and
Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, has been on a tear filing patents to realize its vision for the metaverse. The company has been awarded hundreds of patents in the past four months aimed at increasing the realism of its planned interactive virtual world, according to a review by Insider.
Bitcoin has regained popularity as a result of its recent resurgence, but other blockchain applications have been quietly developing. Some of them have the potential to make a significant impact on people’s lives. Blockchain technology opens up new channels for the safe distribution of digital information and has the potential


text:
ST. CHARLES, Mo – “The truth is right-to-work is bad for workers and bad for Missouri,” Dave Cook, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 655, told about 200 union stewards and activists as they rallied here at Frontier Park on April 8.
“‘Right-to-work means no rights at work,” Cook continued. “This is nothing more than a politically motivated attack on workers designed to eliminate your voice.”
Cook’s union represents over 9,000 grocery store employees at Schnucks, Dierbergs and Shop-N-Save in the greater St. Louis area, all of whom will face lower wages and fewer benefits if the Republican controlled Missouri legislature gets its way.
“Right-to-work isn’t economic development. It won’t create any jobs,” Cook added. “Have the courage to call it what it is – union busting.”
Currently 24 states are considered right-to-work laws.
According to the AFL-CIO, the average worker in right-to-work states makes about $1,500 less per-year than their union counter-parts other states. Additionally, median household income in right-to-work states is about $6,400 less, and more workers are stuck in low-wage occupations – 26.7 percent compared to 19.5 percent. Furthermore, unemployment is higher in right-to-work states.
Frontier Park is in Republican Senator Pro Tem Tom Dempsey’s district. Dempsey recently voted with other right-wing extremists in the state senate for SB29, a paycheck deception bill designed to restrict the ways in-which unions can collect and spend membership dues.
Cook and other union leaders are fearful that Dempsey will also support right-to-work legislation.
He said the union represents 861 members in Dempsey’s District, and added, “I want to make it clear to every elected official: We will not back down. We will not stop.”
Trish Medina, a Local 655 shop steward, told the People’s World, right-to-work and paycheck deception “will affect all workers in this state, not just unions.”
She echoed Cook’s sentiments and added, right-to-work and paycheck deception are designed to make us “voiceless, to make sure we are not part of the political process.”
Medina, who has been a cashier at a local Dierbergs for 12 years, said right-to-work and paycheck deception are all about “putting more money in CEO pockets.” She added, “They want everything and won’t be happy until we’re forced to work until we drop, with no retirement.”
“It’s just not right. And it’s all for corporate greed,”
Tamsen Whistler, pastor of the Trinity Episcopal Church, said she is opposed to right-to-work and paycheck deception “as a voter and a Christian. I hope Dempsey listens to his constituents and works to create jobs, not destroy jobs.”
Jobs and the economy was a central theme of the rally, as it is widely understood by most economists that the fragile economic recovery hinges on increased consumer spending. Lowering wages by breaking unions will not help fix our economy, they argue.
Which led Cook to ask: “Why do you want to tear us down Sen. Dempsey? Why do you want to cut the paychecks of the people driving the economy?”
Cook concluded, “We want jobs, not hardship and unemployment. We deserve better than this.”
Photo: After the rally, everybody took out their cell phones to call Sen. Dempsey. Tony Pecenovsky/PW


text:
A senior official for the government of Hong Kong has said blockchain could bolster China’s ongoing efforts to significantly expand its trade capabilities.
According to Chinese news service Caixin, James Lau, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, touted the technology during a forum appearance on Friday. Lau said that blockchain would bring “great benefits” to nations participating in President Xi Jinping’s “Belt and Road” initiative, citing a forthcoming trade finance platform to be built on the tech.
It was only several weeks ago that Hong Kong unveiled a new partnership with Singapore that will see the development of a new platform also utilizing blockchain. The goal of that initiative is to shift away from a largely paper-based process to one that moves the trade finance industry “into the digital era,” officials said at the time.
That blockchain might find its way to being used in conjunction with the Belt and Road project is notable, given the its scale and reach. The project, unveiled in 2013, aims to connect regions across the South Pacific, Africa, Northern Europe and Russia, encompassing dozens of countries.
Also focusing on blockchain, Hong Kong’s Monetary Authority (HKMA) completed a proof-of-concept for trade finance in March, which included the Bank of China and HSBC as participants.
Truck image via Shutterstock.


text:
Mia-Care joins the Digital Healthcare Show in London
London, April 2023 – Mia-Care, the leading innovation company supporting the digital transformation of the Healthcare industry, is participating in the highly anticipated Digital Healthcare Show, the most significant and innovative UK event for healthcare providers looking to revolutionize the heathcare industry through the use of data, analytics, and technology.
At the Digital Healthcare Show, taking place on April 26-27th in London, the world’s foremost experts, organizations, and visionaries gather to discuss groundbreaking advancements in digital healthcare, explore cutting-edge technologies, and shape the future of the industry. And Mia-Care is proud to be a part of this prestigious global event.
With our unwavering commitment to transforming healthcare through digital solutions, we are eager to showcase our latest products, and services at this influential gathering. Mia-Care will be at the forefront, demonstrating how our cutting-edge technology is revolutionizing the healthcare industry, accelerating the digital evolution of pharmaceutical companies, MedTech, and Clinics.
During the event, our team of experts will highlight the real-world impact of our digital healthcare solutions, showcasing how they enable healthcare companies to rapidly build and scale a custom digital platform for developing secure, high‑performing, and reliable digital health services anytime and everywhere.
For more information about us and our participation in the event, feel free to reach out to our team at email@example.com.