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Many textile and apparel firms misrepresent identity, suffer financially, study finds
With the fragmentation and globalization of the U.S. textile and apparel industry, business activities and roles have changed, impacting their organizational identity. The evolving organizational identity of these firms has created many questions as to how it affects the businesses financially. Now, a researcher at MU has explored how U.S. textile and apparel firms describe themselves as organizations and how those descriptions compare to U.S. Census Bureau industry classifications.Jung Ha-Brookshire, an assistant professor in the Textile and Apparel Management department in the College of Human Environmental Sciences at the University of Missouri, found that 67 percent of textile and apparel firms misrepresent themselves to the public. In her study, Ha-Brookshire examined the websites of nearly 800 textile and apparel firms to determine how each firm was identified itself.
She examined four different categories of businesses: textile manufacturers, textile product manufacturers, apparel manufacturers, and textile and apparel wholesalers. While the average misrepresentation for all the firms studied was 67 percent, Ha-Brookshire determined that nearly 80 percent of wholesalers did not define themselves as wholesalers. She says this distortion of identity does not mean these businesses are trying to mislead the public.
"It's not necessarily that these businesses are purposefully misrepresenting themselves," Ha-Brookshire said. "Often, these businesses simply use different terminology than the U.S. Census Bureau has designated, or they are genuinely confused about how to classify themselves."
Ha-Brookshire's study also revealed an important economic byproduct of this identity distortion. Her studied concluded that the companies whose identities are congruent with the U.S. Census Bureau are more financially successful than those companies whose identities are incongruent. Ha-Brookshire found that, on average, companies with congruent identities hired more employees, had higher sales, more square footage of production space, and a higher credit score.
"If a textile or apparel manufacturer reports itself to the U.S. Census Bureau as a wholesaler, or a wholesaler reports itself as an apparel manufacturer, all the economic data the government has compiled are wrong," Ha-Brookshire said. "Also, it makes it much harder for these small businesses to get bank loans specifically designed for certain small businesses if they don't have a good grasp on their own identities."
Ha-Brookshire says that much of the confusion surrounding the identities of textile and apparel firms stems from outdated U.S. Census Bureau industry classification systems. She believes that the problem could be remedied if the terms were adjusted to reflect the evolving industry.
"The industry has changed so much, but the government's measuring stick remains the same," Ha-Brookshire said. "The definition of a manufacturer was created in 1810, and that of a wholesaler in 1930. The industry looks very different now than it did then."


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Strong Pound Opens up American Opportunities
The pound is currently trading at a five-year high against the US dollar, opening up a handful of cheaper holiday opportunities for those looking to get away this summer. For those looking to take advantage, they should point their sights in the direction of the USA as a whole host of bargains could be found […]
Top 5 Spring Skiing Destinations
The spring season means warmer weather and brighter sunshine for most people but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy winter sports! A number of ski destinations tend to begin closing their doors around this time of year but what awaits you in those which stay open? Whether you’re travelling for business or pleasure, ski […]
UK Football Fans Score Away Goal With Brazilian Currency
A strong British pound against leading international currencies including Brazilian currency means football fans travelling to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup will get more for their money this summer. According a recent study by Post Office Travel Money, the British pound has strengthened against 40 leading currencies, including the Brazilian real, to give travellers […]
Take Advantage of a Stronger Pound – an Easter Getaway Beckons!
The strengthening of the pound against several other major currencies suggests that the time could be right to consider an Easter getaway. Half term is barely over but many families – and school children especially – will already be looking forward to the next opportunity for some time off. This is reflected by figures from […]
Looking Beyond Cairo…the Appeal of Egypt as a Holiday Destination
In recent months, Egypt has hit the headlines for all of the wrong reasons thanks to scenes of chaos on the streets of Cairo. But beyond the lure of the capital lies a country that is steeped in culture and history – from the great pyramids and tombs to the spectacular sights along the banks […]
The Best Half-term Holiday Destinations – Sun, Sand or Snow?
With half-term just around the corner, and with the weather in the UK far from ideal, it could be the perfect week to get away and enjoy an early break. Snow, heavy rain and flooding are widespread so jetting off to sunnier or warmer shores could definitely be seen as a means of escape. Alternatively, […]
Travelling to the 2014 Australian Open – a Basic Travel Guide
The Australian Open Tennis Championships are under a week away so as the stars prepare to battle it out, here’s what you can expect. The metropolis of Melbourne will welcome the likes of Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for nearly two weeks of the world’s finest tennis. It’s the first major Grand Slam […]
Will Consumers be the Big Winners of Increased Competition in Global Travel Card Market?
Increased competition in any sector is always good for consumers. Whether it is high street retailers, supermarkets or car insurance, when new options are made available and a market expands then customers will always feel the benefits. It appears that the Australian prepaid travel card market is the latest example of consumers coming out on […]
Eurostar Announces Boost In Passenger Numbers
Eurostar has seen an increase in passenger numbers and sales revenue in the first three months of this year, the high speed rail service has announced. The growth has been put down to a boost in leisure travel with the service, as business travel has remained largely the same compared to last year. Sales revenues […]
Mild Weather and Fee Hikes Boost Trading for easyJet
The mild winter weather this year has led to a trading boost for easyJet, the low cost carrier has announced. Winter has been unseasonably mild this year, which has led to far fewer flight cancellations for the majority of airlines. Low-cost carrier easyJet has announced that the mild weather, along with a number of other […]

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Hispanic grocery stores -- with their vast arrays of peppers and Mexican sweet breads -- are steadily opening across the Valley, driven by an explosion in the population they cater to.
Garcia's Market opened Thursday in Kerman. And just this spring, Sylmar-based Vallarta Supermarkets opened its fifth store in the central San Joaquin Valley, this one in Tulare. Atwater's Mi Pueblo Food Center opened last year, and Rancho San Miguel has been busy since it opened in East Merced nearly five years ago.
"I'm sure there's going to be more," said Shane Anderson, a Commercial Retail Associates retail broker who helps landlords sign with retailers. "Several of them we're talking to have been up touring the Central Valley. It's a matter of time before they start making deals."
The interest from Hispanic grocers is far greater than that expressed by conventional grocery stores, he said. Traditional stores, which typically like to locate near new housing tracts, are waiting on the sidelines for building to bounce back, he said.
But Hispanic supermarket chains both big and small are realizing there is money to be made as the Hispanic population explodes.
Hispanics are the majority in the Valley, according to census data released this spring, fueled by a big jump in the under-18 population.
The buying power of Hispanics nationwide is expected to grow by 50% between 2010 and 2015 to $1.5 trillion -- a rate that eclipses all other racial and ethnic groups and overall spending growth, according to a yearly study by the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia.
Although many Valley Hispanics have lower incomes than their non-Hispanic counterparts, they spend a greater percentage of their income on food, according to Mintel, a national market research company.
That's because Hispanics tend to have larger families, said Leylha Ahuile, a Mintel senior analyst.
Rebeca Garcia of Fresno, for example, shops for her family of six at El Super at Tulare and First streets in Fresno. Last week, she left with a cart piled high with food, including canned jalapeños, a large bag of apples and two trays holding 24 eggs each.
All that food will last one week, she said.
"It's cheaper than other places," Garcia said of El Super. "They have good specials."
Anderson, the retail broker, says the Hispanic niche of customers still is underserved in the Valley.
Vallarta has opened stores in Fresno, Porterville and Visalia in recent years, and it opened its first Tulare store in April. An executive has said that Vallarta plans to open more stores in the Valley. Chief Financial Officer John Marquis declined to comment last week on specific plans for the area.
"The company plans to continue to expand," he said, noting that there is room for growth of Hispanic supermarkets in the Central Valley.
Kerman's Garcia's Market opened in the space Save Mart pulled out of last fall, citing the economy. It's the Garcia family's fourth store in the Valley. They also run stores in Modesto, nearby Riverbank and Mendota.
The family is planning to open more stores, possibly including one in Merced County, said Jesus Garcia, owner of the Kerman Garcia's Market.
"The people in Kerman, they're waiting for something," he said, noting that the city has one other supermarket. "They want more options ... to do their grocery shopping."
Other Hispanic grocers, including El Super and Rancho San Miguel, also have established a presence in the Valley.
The stores sell many of the same products as traditional grocery stores, but some departments are vastly different.
Produce sections carry a much larger and varied selection of peppers. They also carry products that aren't common in traditional supermarkets, including verdolagas, a Mexican parsley, or the Mexican green huazontle.
Meat counters are larger, carrying cuts of meat preferred in Mexico, and deli-style servings of queso fresco cheese.
And the larger supermarkets serve up fresh food like tacos and tamales, along with every flavor of "aguas frescas" drinks, and have large seating areas.
Ethel Rodriguez of Fresno shops at several stores, but buys Mexican sweet bread and canned enchilada sauces at Vallarta at Cedar and Dakota avenues in Fresno.
"They have all that type of stuff, more so than others," she said.
The stores appeal to non-Hispanic customers, too, like Dianna Mangione of Fresno, who regularly shops the meat counter at El Super.
"It's not necessarily because it's Hispanic; it's because it's a better quality of meat," she said.
A shifting marketplace
The Valley has always had a strong Hispanic population, and for years it's been catered to by small mom-and-pop shops. But now, larger grocers are beginning to take over that role.
Walmart and other more traditional supermarkets also are trying to appeal to Hispanic customers, though on a smaller scale.
There have been some bumps along the way.
The Fiesta Foods Warehouse that opened at Kings Canyon Road and Willow Avenue is now empty and boarded up -- but that had more to do with business decisions than a lack of customers.
Ontario-based Fiesta Foods wanted to own a store instead of rent, said Rick Amerine, a retail broker at Commercial West Associates. When the space at First and Tulare streets came up for sale, Fiesta bought it and opened a second store there.
But two Fiesta stores so close to each other was too many in a corridor saturated with grocery stores and a Walmart, Amerine said. The company closed the Kings Canyon store. El Super bought Fiesta and converted the Tulare Street store.
Still, many large companies based in Southern California and the Bay Area are expected to begin growing into the center of the state, Anderson said.
And at least one heavy hitter is in the early stages of finalizing new store locations, Amerine said. He declined to say who, but said the company is "a force to be reckoned with."


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Of those surveyed, 90% had experienced a negative business impact due to Coronavirus with the remaining 10% citing a strong pipeline of existing jobs to sustain them during the crisis, or confidence that postponed jobs will be reactivated once it is over.
MCS certified installer Solarsense said that it had temporarily stepped away from residential and commercial installations for the safety of its employees and is now focusing on design and quotes.
Solarsense MD Stephen Barrett, said; “The impact of COVID-19 in the long term is likely to be minimal, although it depends how many companies can survive. Cash flow is a massive issue but long term I don’t know if it will have a huge effect.
“Obviously, customers will have less money and the businesses will have less money. It may well have the effect that more people think about having solar now, it’s made the world realise, well, that it is a finite world.”
MCS CEO Ian Rippin, added; “Coronavirus is impacting all of our lives and is a stressful and worrying time for many. Our helpdesk has proactively been contacting our installer community to see how they are coping, and so that we can take their concerns to the government to incite action.
“Looking ahead to the future, we need to maintain a level of optimism that we can get the renewable installation market back up and running. MCS will be prepared for the recovery approaches and will do all we can to help installers weather this and survive.”
MCS survey summary – top list of worries
- Financial impact/cash flow – 29%
- Market recovery – 13.4%
- Business survival – 10.3%
- Supply chain – 7.2%
- Employee welfare – 6.18%
- Confusion over Government advice – 5.15%
- The economy – 5.15%
- Health and safety – 5.15%


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|Day Low/High||88.75 / 91.27|
|52 Wk Low/High||67.41 / 145.25|
We're kicking off with apparel retail and brands. Investors say retail is dead, but do you?
Calvin Klein, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of PVH Corp.
Tommy Hilfiger needs almost no introduction. TheStreet talks exclusively with the well-known fashion designer.
Cramer explains why the rebuilding of Houston will be faster than the rebuilding of New Orleans after Katrina and considers how a Micron Tech breakout would be a win for technology stocks.
From political signals to the rebuilding and recovery efforts in Texas, Jim Cramer says investors should pay attention to what's supporting stocks.
That would mean that there is the chance for a comeback here of some note.
Jim Cramer says now the money can flow back to tech and healthcare, but take a pass on retail, oil and financials.
Problem areas such as the dollar, oil and retail move to the foreground.
In highlights from this week's trading diary and posts, Kass discusses Wells Fargo, Allergan and Amazon.
Cramer reflects on how the vision of two retailers saved them, and explains how long panic usually lasts.
Why is this market so lacking in follow-through? Jim Cramer says the guy in the White House is only part of the problem.
TheStreet's founder and Action Alerts PLUS Portfolio Manager Jim Cramer weighs in on Thursday's trending stocks.
Not only were they saved, they were turned into good investments.
Jim Cramer says the distraction of the Whole Foods acquisition could challenge anyone, even Jeff Bezos.
PVH Corp. (NYSE:PVH) reported 2017 second quarter results.
PVH Corp has been doing quite well in Europe and China.
Renewed hope for tax reform, also known as tax cuts, permeated the marketplace.
U.S. stock futures on Wednesday are down modestly following a strong rally in the previous session.
PVH reports earnings on Wednesday.
TheStreet's Action Alerts PLUS Portfolio Manager Jim Cramer weighs in on Tuesday's trending stocks.
PVH Corp. (NYSE: PVH) announced today that Company management will participate in the Goldman Sachs Twenty-Fourth Annual Global Retailing Conference on Wednesday, September 6, 2017.
In a study of analyst recommendations at the major brokerages, for the underlying components of the S&P 500, PVH Corp has taken over the #46 spot from Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. , according to ETF Channel.
Cramer examines how the secondaries are getting some primary attention and also observes that the market is becoming more discerning.
But, says Jim Cramer, almost every winning stock he's ever mentioned is overvalued or has been overvalued before its run.
PVH Corp. (NYSE:PVH) announced that the Company was honored with the Sustainability Award at the Accessories Council 21 st Annual ACE Awards.
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Networks North Inc. in Toronto said its subsidiary, NTN Interactive Network Inc. , successfully concluded agreements with a variety of first-time advertisers on its NTN Entertainment Network.
Networks North Inc. in Toronto said its subsidiary, NTN Interactive Network Inc., successfully concluded agreements with a variety of first-time advertisers on its NTN Entertainment Network.
NTN Interactive Network said it broadened its services to network advertising customers. New advertisers include Brita; AMJ Campbell, which will sponsor the network's Olympic Trivia Challenge to leverage AMJ's relationship with the Canadian Olympic Association (COA); Armor All, which will sponsor a promotional contest on NTN's prime time program "Sports IQ;" and Budweiser, which will be the exclusive sponsor of QB1, NTN's flagship product, offering over $50,000 in prizes.
Cross promotions also are being sold, as NTN will have a "live site" at Toronto's Canadian National Exhibition. This is a cross-promotion between Exhibition Place, Q107, and Molson Canadian Rocks, the firm stated.
The NTN Entertainment Network is currently available in over 525 locations across Canada, with over 3 million monthly participants and viewers. NTN Interactive distributes programming online and to more than 15 million interactive TV participants per month at restaurants, sports bars, and other group viewing locations throughout North America.
"Some of these agreements open new doors for Networks North," said Peter Rona, president and CEO of Networks North. "Market research, for instance, is something that we are well-positioned to do--we can provide added value for our advertisers. The breadth of advertisers also indicates the strength of NTN's growing appeal."
NTN Interactive Network is the exclusive Canadian licensee of NTN Communications Inc.
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US Consumer Device Preference Report
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E-Commerce Customer Lifecycle
Have you ever wondered what factors influence online spending or why shoppers abandon their cart? This data-rich infogram offers actionable insight into creating a more seamless online shopping experience across the multiple devices consumers are using.
October 13, 2015
1pm ET/ 10am PT
November 12, 2015


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The debate over capping brand New Mexico interest levels on storefront loans may well not yet be over.
3 years after state lawmakers authorized a bill that capped small-loan interest levels at 175per cent, a prominent Santa Fe-based think tank is proposing that the limit be lowered significantly вЂ“ to 36% вЂ“ and economic literacy classes be manufactured a graduation dependence on twelfth grade pupils statewide.
Fred Nathan, executive manager of Think New Mexico, said the proposed modifications would allow state residents to better protect their individual funds.
вЂњWith the crisis that is economic by the COVID-19 pandemic, New Mexicans tend to be more susceptible than in the past to predatory loan providers, enhancing the urgency among these reforms,вЂќ Nathan stated in a declaration.
Nonetheless, the proposition might face sledding that is tough the 2021 legislative session, as current proposals to reduce the attention price limit have actually neglected to gain traction during the Roundhouse.
Experts of such legislation have actually argued that such a policy modification would place some stores that are small-loan of company, decrease state certification income and leave less alternatives for cash-strapped New Mexicans.
Rep. Patricia Lundstrom, D-Gallup, one of many sponsors regarding the 2017 legislation, stated bringing down the maximum rate of interest for tiny loans could push borrowers to utilize internet loan providers, a lot of that are located in other nations and should not be controlled.
вЂњIf theyвЂ™re referring to a 36% APR, we donвЂ™t believe that works for storefront businesses,вЂќ said Lundstrom, who’s chairwoman of your home Appropriations and Finance Committee.
Nonetheless, customer advocates along with other backers of decreasing the stateвЂ™s limit state storefront loan providers prey from the bad and people that are trap a period of financial obligation.
Roughly 60% regarding the stateвЂ™s small-loan stores are within 10 kilometers of tribal land, where lots of residents reside underneath the poverty that is federal, in accordance with the brand brand New Mexico focus on Law and Poverty.
Together with Think New Mexico report contends that other available choices for loans would nevertheless be accessible вЂ“ such as credit unions вЂ“ and small-loan shops never have disappeared in other states which have lowered their caps on loan interest levels.
In addition, the report discovered that brand New MexicoвЂ™s current 175% limit may be the third-highest into the nation вЂ“ lower than only Oklahoma and Mississippi вЂ“ among the list of 45 states which have a well established limitation.
New MexicansвЂ™ utilization of services such as for instance check cashing and payday advances can also be greater than the average that is national based on a 2016 study by federal regulators.
Meanwhile, the Think brand New Mexico report additionally details the stateвЂ™s long history with financing laws and regulations.
New Mexico had a 36% yearly limit on small-loan rates of interest for a long time but eliminated the limit into the 1980s amid increasing loanmart loans online inflation, based on the report.
The 2017 legislation ended up being meant as compromise after several years of subsequent debate during the Capitol over payday advances. The bill, that was finalized into legislation by previous Gov. Susana Martinez, additionally prohibited alleged loans that are payday regards to lower than 120 times.
While debate simmered from the problem, storefront lending businesses employed dozens of lobbyists and provided campaign that is big to New Mexico legislators and elected officials.
One Florida-based business, customer Lending Alliance, provided $24,950 to almost 30 legislative applicants вЂ“ both Democrats and Republicans вЂ“ and governmental committees in 2016, in accordance with a state campaign finance database.
One other element of the Think brand brand New Mexico report handles making economic literacy classes a dependence on twelfth grade graduates.
Significantly more than 20 states nationwide have adopted such a requirement, in line with the report, and New that is many Mexico districts currently provide such classes as electives.
Nonetheless, no more than 11percent regarding the stateвЂ™s kids took one of many classes, which show subjects such as for instance cost management, saving and money that is investing throughout the 2019-20 college year, relating to imagine brand brand New Mexico.
Brand brand New MexicoвЂ™s 60-day session that is legislative in January.
Albuquerque Journal and its particular reporters are focused on telling the whole tales of y our community.


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Report: Bunge notified tax authority of VAT fraud cases over two years ago
American food company Bunge had informed the Hungarian Tax Authority (NAV) in detail about massive VAT fraud cases more than two years ago, hvg.hu revealed yesterday.
The nearly 30-page document obtained by the online news portal includes many details of the alleged fraud cases, such as company names, invoices, delivery notes and entire operational schemes of VAT fraud.
The revelation comes only weeks after NAV, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and even Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, stated that allegations emerging after the U.S. banned six Hungarians from entering the U.S., were not based on proven facts. NAV declined to comment, while Bunge did not deny the existence of the report.
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Newspaper organizations across the globe have struggled to find a business model that allows them to continue to excel, without compromising their ability to perform. Most recently, some have experimented with the idea of involving their most important stakeholders, their readers.
We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.


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Founding Trustee and Chairperson of Chaudhary Group Binod Kumar Chaudhary expressed happiness over the contribution made by Shashwat Dham in tourism industry in Nepal in short period of establishment.
Receiving the Best Tourist Destination Award, Chaudhary thanked Ministry for the recognition and award. He said that Dham is in the process of adding many other heritages to make it more attractive. “We hope that Dham will be established as a main tourist destination in future,” said CG Chairperson Chaudhary.
Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikary conferred Best Tourism Destination Award to Shashwat Dham amid a function on the occasion of World Tourism Day 2075 at a program organized by the Ministry.
During the distribution ceremony, minister of state of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Dhan Bahadur Budha and Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Tourism Board Deepak Joshi were also present.
The award is given to Dham’s highest contribution in tourism promotion in Nepal. Along with Nepal, there are rush of Indian tourists as well as a popular tourism destination.
According to a press release issued by Shashwat Dham, there visit a monthly 150,000 tourists.


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A PLAN to create one of the country’s biggest private aviaries, dedicated to providing a forever home for neglected, unwanted and abused parrots, has been approved.
Former primary s
The idea of turning cargo containers into homes has graduated from cool to uber-cool. How do we know? Well, there now are
Yes, that's more than a bit strange. Today we'll look
Prefab homes could help solve Bay Area contractor shortage
Developed in response to the pandemic, this prefab cabin by Studio Puisto and furniture brand Made by Choice was born from the question "How could we recreate the experience of travel without ac
A kitchen and laundry appliance leader is back on show floor with appliance solutions designed to suit varying consumer needs
BENTON HARBOR, Mich. , June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- While
Modern concrete garages are a brilliant option to add to a home due to the material’s strong and durable properties. Many homeowners do not realise how durable concrete is, however with buildi
Working from home has forced many of us to rethink our workspaces. While some of us are dying to be back in the office , the rest of us are looking forward to a future home office renovation
Just as the appetite for indoor concerts returns, a new venue — made to fit a standing crowd of 3,500 people — will open in Allston-Brighton Tuesday.
Nestled below The Track at New Ba


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2018 is the year of radical growth in the blockchain sphere. Events on this technology have been organised around the world, focusing their agenda on the future of the crypto industry.
The Futurama Blockchain Innovators Summit has commenced on the island of Ibiza from the 10th till the 13th of September. Many influencers from around have been invited to participate and discuss the way forward about the blockchain sector.
Many key speakers who will be addressing issues that the Blockchain and crypto industry are being faced by various countries. Dr. Christian Ellul, founder of E&S Group will be mediated and speaking in a discussion titled, “The Battle of Crypto Jurisdictions: Which One, Why, How, When, Who, Where and So What?”.
Malta has been the friendliest jurisdiction to pass three regulations on the DLT sector. In fact, on the 3rd of July, the Maltese parliament unanimously passed three progressive laws, encouraging blockchain companies to set up in Malta. It is believed that these regulations are to be implemented in the coming months. While other countries around the world are quite stringent to accept such technology.
If you require further information about the Maltese laws regarding the DLT and crypto space, send us an email on email@example.com or call us on +356 2010 3020. E&S Group will make things happen!


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More plastic pledges
Waitrose might have announced plans to ditch single-use plastic bags by spring 2019 last weekend, but The Co-op will beat it to the punch. Within weeks it plans to roll out “lightweight compostable alternatives” to 1,400 stores, according to the Guardian, before expanding the initiative to the full 2,600 locations. The supermarket also hopes to make all its own-brand packaging easily recyclable by 2023. Lidl, meanwhile, revealed on Friday that it will rid all fruit and veg of black plastic packaging by the end of September, to be followed by fresh, meat and poultry next summer.
Gail’s is set to become the first bakery chain in the UK to sell a loaf made out of leftover bread. The artisan bakery's new product will retail at £4.20 from next month, reports the Sunday Times, and will be created from a mixture of fresh dough and waste bread. Each loaf will taste slightly different, according to the brand, which has locations in London and the southeast.
Are big brands under attack?
In a long-form piece, the Sunday Times examines how the changing retail landscape might impact global manufacturers like Kraft-Heinz and Unilever. While discounters rely increasingly on cheaper own-label products, the merger of Asda and Sainsbury’s as well as the Tesco acquisition of Booker has given the retailers more power to demand reduced prices from suppliers, according to the article. Ged Futter, a former Asda buyer, said that “big brands are finding it hard because everyone is fighting so hard on price. They’re in the crosshairs for retailers,” adding that weaker brands like Premier Foods would suffer most.
More trouble for TripAdvisor
More than a third of reviews on TripAdvisor are fake according to independent analysis, alleges the Times. It also claims to have found evidence that a number of restaurants and B&Bs have paid for five-star ratings. TripAdvisor claims the investigation, conducted for the Times by a website called Fakespot.com, is “deeply flawed.”
Jack’s in the box
Tesco’s discount store continues to feature in the news with the Telegraph sizing up its chances of success. Elsewhere, the Guardian concludes that Jack’s “has won round one in the supermarket discounters price war” based on an analysis of common shopping items.
Sunny sales for Scotmid
“Drinks, barbecue items and ice cream have boosted half-year profits at Scottish Midland Co-operative Society,” reports the Times, which notes that the 200-strong group’s turnover increased by 1.5% to £187.5m, while trading profit rose by 16% to £2.3m.
Fruit cakes are out and cheese wheels are in, at least when it comes to weddings. According to the Telegraph, Waitrose has seen “a huge rise in sales” for its cheese wedding ‘cakes,’ made from varieties such as Stilton, Brie and Gouda. The article notes that the trend appears to be related to an increased consumer desire to cut down on sugar as well as a craving for novelty.
Jon Rotheram and Tom Harris, chef-owners of the Marksman
The proprietors (and kitchen masterminds) of the Marksman are relying on provenance and bespoke farming for their success, as they tell the Telegraph. Jon Rotheram and Tom Harris say that striking a deal with organic farm Organiclea means they can ask for custom orders of fruit and veg, so that they are less affected by market fluctuations. “It’s picked in the morning and delivered that evening,” says Harris, “and is extraordinarily fresh compared with stuff we get from France or Italy, where it’s been picked five days earlier, then left in a cold store before being brought to us.”
Akira, London W8 5SA
While this Japanese newcomer needs to work on its service, Marina O’Loughlin manages to tear herself away from tearing apart the staff long enough to marvel over an “absolutely beautiful,” “exquisite,” “deliciously outlandish” bento box consisting of 15 compartments, each filled with a different surprise, from sashimi and chawanmushi (savoury egg custard) to tempura and lotus root.
Festa sul Prato, London SE8 5JE
Forget all the fancy, exotic menu items. There is still a place for familiar, high-quality food at a good price, writes Jay Rayner, in between salivating over a big plate of “penne with a long-simmered sauce of ground-down Italian sausages” that sets him back a tenner.


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As it’s nearing the lunchtime hour in Sparks, a small line starts to form at Scoopers Drive-In on 1356 Prater Avenue. The family-owned business will be approaching its 40-year anniversary next February, and business shows no signs of slowing down. Scoopers isn’t just a burger joint, it’s a destination, and in many cases, a family tradition.
Where Scoopers sits was originally built as an A&W in the 1960s, but when the owner of the franchise decided to retire then it changed hands for a short while and unfortunately the building fell into disarray. Concurrently, Mike Richards was working for USA Gasoline and had recently relocated to Sparks with his family. In the late 70s when Richards was approaching retirement, he decided to use his profit share plan/retirement funds to use to start a new business and turned the 1356 Prater Avenue location into Scoopers.
Nowadays, his son Shawn runs the Prater Way location while his brother Colin manages the family’s second location on Kietzke Lane in Reno. Growing up, Shawn remembers working at Scoopers during his lunch break and after school while attending Sparks High.
“This is a destination now; if we closed or moved the Prater location then it would be missed,” Shawn says. Scoopers has been around so long now that events like the Rib Cook-Off and Black Friday bring an extra boost, when people are coming home for the holidays or getting lunch with their families during a special event. And while Shawn acts as more of the operations manager, his three daughters (the third generation of Richards’s) can often be seen working at Scoopers as well.
Over the past few years, implementing a POS system and bringing in accountants has made managing Scoopers easier- and more fun- for Shawn. He’s now been able to better predict the business trends and fortunately has a good crew of employees to keep the place going.
“I always welcome suggestions and ideas from family, customers, and staff (for coming up with new menu items),” Shawn says. “I’m open to any progress. Some (ideas) work and some don’t, but it’s worth trying it out,” he adds.
For instance, he’s been playing with different recipes for a watermelon shake, but just can’t seem to find one that tastes right. However, one example of an item that’s made it on the menu is the Al Burger, named after a customer who complained that Scoopers didn’t serve a big enough burger. Therefore, Scoopers created a burger with a three-quarter pound beef patty to appease him. The Mighty Mike has also gained notoriety in Sparks, consisting of a ¼-lb. hot dog sliced open, filled with American cheese, wrapped in bacon, and deep fried.
“My dad was in Texas and saw one there,” Shawn says of where the Mighty Mike originated. “We didn’t create the banana split or the hamburger, we just get ideas and make it our own way. We try things out and some turn out pretty well,” he says, admitting that they’re currently trying out some new recipes with bleu cheese.
Take for instance the Birthday Cake Milkshake, made with a special cake syrup. In his years of being at Scoopers, Shawn has learned that more air pumped into an ice cream machine makes for a stiffer frozen treat and if you let it sit for a while then the ingredients will start to separate. To offer a better quality product than some of its nearby fast food competitors, Scoopers uses a small air siphon for its machine, creating an ice cream with less air, making it creamier and more dense (Shawn’s own favorite shake is a coffee/peanut butter combination).
Shawn is always on the lookout for products that are easiest to prepare and cook, and while wholesale prices of ingredients continues to fluctuate, Scoopers has kept the same vendor for his staple items for 30-plus years, allowing the drive-in to keep its menu items more affordable. And now that school is back in session, Scoopers has launched a student lunch special which includes a burger, small fries, and a drink for $4.99 on weekdays. Considering that Scoopers is in walking distance to Sparks High, it makes it a nice option for students on their lunch break.
In the future, Shawn has a goal to expand the Scoopers enterprise across Western Nevada and build something on the lot that the family owns next door to the Prater Avenue location. But for now, Scoopers continues to delight Sparks residents and visitors while keeping the family legacy alive.


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In its 2017 State of Cybercrime Executive Summary, released earlier this year, SecureWorks reports that there was a 2,370 per cent increase in email spoofing attacks – fraud targeting small, medium and large businesses – between January 2015 and December 2016.
The National Crime Agency's 2017-2018 report The cyber threat to UK business highlighted ransomware as a widespread and growing threat, with over 300,000 devices in 150 countries infected by the virulent WannaCry ransomware in 2017; data provided by Dell's Integrated Endpoint Security team reveals that, around the world, there's a ransomware attack every 40 seconds.
Ransomware can have a devastating impact on a small business. The typical behaviour of malware of this kind is to encrypt every file on a computer – in some cases including attached USB devices and network shares – before showing the user a message saying that the only way to get the key to unlock their system is to pay a steep ransom, frequently in a cryptocurrency such as bitcoin.
To get their computers working again and get their data back, many businesses pay those ransoms, with ransomware making an estimated $1 billion for criminals between 2014 and 2017. Being adequately prepared and protected means that you'll never have to make that choice.
Dell's Threat Defense endpoint security service uses Cylance's artificial intelligence backed Advanced Threat Protection Technology to stop over 99.7 per cent of both known and unknown threats.
The National Cyber Security Centre says that good enterprise security is vital. Dell Threat Defense can ensure that every computer in your business is equipped with an always-on antivirus to help you monitor the security status of each of those systems, while using local and global threat scores to proactively defend against unknown files.
A key threat vector for ransomware, like most other malicious software, is through users being tricked into running a harmless looking file from the web or clicking on a legitimate-looking email attachment. Dell Threat Defense can protect against those malicious files but, especially for small businesses that might not have a detailed IT security policy, it's also important to address the root of the problem: staff awareness of security.
This is even more pressing now that every business is required by the EU's new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to take adequate measures to protect customer data.


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Ever want someone to growl on your behalf? The Watchdog wants to know about your consumer dilemmas and civic complaints. Each week she'll select one of your issues, take a bite through the red tape of bureaucracy, and bark up the trees of local government, institutions and businesses. Where there's a remedy, reason or recourse, there's The 'Dog.
In blizzards and rain storms, heat waves and cold spells, Virginia Elliott takes the Annapolis city bus to and from work.
But lately, there's been nothing to shield her and other bus riders from the elements while she waits for her ride.
Last week, she noticed the bus shelter at Rowe Boulevard and Taylor Avenue had vanished. Sometimes riders have to wait a half hour or more for the next bus to arrive, and who wants to stand outside in bad weather for that long?
"It's terrible," Elliott, a state worker, wrote in an email to the Watchdog.
And there's never been a shelter for the bus stop on the other side of the street - just a wrought iron bench that gets wet when it rains and is burning hot during the summer.
Rhonda Wardlaw, spokeswoman for the city of Annapolis, answered the 'Dog's woof.
The city had long had a contract with Clear Channel Communications Inc. for the shelters. But that ended recently, so the company took them down.
Iain Banks, a transportation specialist for the city, said there were 80 shelters in the county and the city.
But the city has entered into a new contract with Creative Outdoor Advertising, which is going to erect new shelters, Banks said.
The company is going to replace 50 shelters to start, with the rest going in by July 1, Banks said.
Wardlaw said if bus riders like Elliott want to see more bus shelters, they should contact Banks at
"We never want people to feel like they're not being heard," Wardlaw said.
Looking at the mess at the Annapolis Commercial Center on Moreland Parkway is enough to make Walter Kirton feel down in the dumps.
The two Allied Waste Dumpsters there have been overflowing for around two months, said Kirton, who works at Annapolis Auto Parts. They stink, they make the area look trashy, and they're probably attracting rats and other vermin.
Since digging through trash is this Dog's specialty, she was happy to look into the complaint. Malcolm Granville, division manager for Allied Waste's Baltimore division, said this may be the result of a "service interruption" - also known as an unpaid bill.
Still, "we want our cans back," Granville said.
Granville planned to visit the business park on his way home Friday, so look for an update in an upcoming column.
It seems like an unexpected gift - an out-of-the-blue text message supposedly from Wal-Mart, offering up a $1,000 gift card to the first 1,000 people to respond.
But the Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland says that's just the latest example of smishing.
Smishing may sound like something the stars of Jersey Shore would do on air, but it's really a new twist on the standard fishing scams that have been finding their way into email in-boxes for years.
Smishing, the BBB says, is sent to you via an SMS text message. Nationwide, consumers have told the BBB that smishers are asking for personal information and credit card numbers, supposedly to cover shipping and handling costs.
Customers who hand over their details may find themselves stuck with recurring monthly fees or a flurry of solicitations, junk mail and other subscriptions.
Wal-Mart warns shoppers on its website that it would never text customers and ask for personal data.
If this happens to you, contact your cell service provider immediately. Both AT&T and Verizon provide specific instructions for reporting SMS spam and blocking numbers and websites.


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New Delhi: Option Designs, a purpose-driven agency specializing in creating brand communications, curated Haldiram’s advertisement promoting “Apno Ko Laye Aur Bhi Paas” on the occasion of Karwa Chauth.
The ad spearheaded the start of a new Karwa Chauth tradition with the role reversal disseminating a lot of positive vibes. It is not just about changing a custom/ tradition radically but is also creating moments for women especially in a world that’s all about equality. Small thoughts like this are important to create change, not in terms of the rituals but with the way to celebrate them.
It strikes a new conversation in the society by encouraging the new generation to be open to progressive transformation.
The entire advertisement was completely conceptualized and implemented by the 360-degree communication agency. Being in collaboration with Haldiram’s, it completely understood their line of thought for the ad, and likewise, conceptualized it into an intriguing idea that conveyed and captured the interest of the audience.
On the occasion, Rahul Gandhi, Co-Founder of Option Designs said, “Option Designs consciously curated the Karwa Chauth ad keeping the modern-day couple at the center to redefine the celebration of the pious occasion with a renewed and different charm.”
The campaign started on the 20th of October, took an integrated communication route throughout the social media platforms including YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Along with this, the ad was acutely promoted via the mainline mediums with in-store branding and print ads in the newspaper.
“Haldiram’s being an intricate part of the celebration in the Indian house, is always motivated to bring about a positive change in the lives of the people. Aligning with this concept, we came up with the revolutionizing ad aimed at making the occasion memorable for a lifetime,” reiterated Rajat Rastogi, Marketing of Haldiram’s.


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- In UK LABOUR/SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS, the CBI reckons the labour shortage could drag on, UK hotels face staff shortages, Wagamama’s can’t find enough chefs, logistics boss calls for the shortening of driver training, M&S worries about an import crisis and fireworks might run out
- In M&A/IPO NEWS, global deal-making continues apace, leisure companies jockey for IPOs and BrewDog teams up with Asahi
- In MISCELLANEOUS NEWS, Brazil stops beef exports to China, UK private schools face China problems and vaccine passports are up next for large English venues
- AND FINALLY, I bring you news of a very cushy job…
UK LABOUR/SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS
So the labour shortage may continue, UK hotels and Wagamama can’t find the staff, calls increase for quicker truck driver approval, M&S worries about imports and fireworks could run out…
UK labour crunch could last up to two years, CBI warns (The Guardian, Richard Partington) cites the opinion of Britain’s leading business lobby group which, funnily enough, is calling for ministers to relent on their position on visas for foreign workers and to cease “waiting for shortages to solve themselves”. The CBI represents 190,000 businesses with over 7 million employees. Bed linen and staff shortages force UK hotels to cut back services (Financial Times, Alice Hancock) shows that Intercontinental Hotel Group, owner of Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza brands, is the latest leisure/hospitality company to highlight the knock-on effect of staff shortages, Wagamama struggling to find chefs at a fifth of its UK sites (The Guardian, Jasper Jolly) is yet another example and Logistics boss demands quicker truck driver training to ease shortages (The Guardian, Russell Lynch) cites the chief exec of logistics company Wincanton, James Wroath, calling for lorry driver training to be shortened in order to ease some of the “intense pressure” on supply chains. He said that paying more won’t really solve the problem and that the industry needs some kind of fast-track to take the current 12 months it takes to qualify to 3 months.
In Import crisis is looming, warns M&S (The Times, Tom Howard) we see that M&S held an emergency meeting last Friday with its European food suppliers about what the implications will be of new strict borders controls coming into effect next month. The conclusion was that there will be “significant disruption” to food imports that will be made worse by some EU countries which have offices that only issue export health certificates during office hours from Monday to Friday. M&S has called for the government and the EU to take action on rules that it argues neither side are ready for and to digitise processes. As things stand, 25% of all of Britain’s food comes from Europe. Will the threat of another spoiled Christmas be enough to jolt ministers into action??
Then in Fireworks supplies risk running out before New Year (Daily Telegraph, Hannah Boland) we see that Bonfire Night and/or New Year celebrations are looking a bit iffy as well because importers are battling with sky-rocketing fireworks prices – a large crate of them will now cost $30,000 versus the $8,000 it used to cost them – as well as supply shortages and production shutdowns. * SO WHAT? * I think that the sum total of all the doom-mongering about supply chains and empty shelves will be that consumers are going to spend more in the run-up to Christmas – and that they will start spending earlier in order to have as good a Christmas as they can. I also think that if they start spending earlier, they will spend more because I just can’t imagine people stopping spending in, say, November. I would also imagine that leisure venues (pubs, restaurants etc.) will be doing a roaring trade as consumers may decide to take the opportunity to socialise while they can as many will probably be wary about potential lockdowns/tighter restrictions again.
Global deal-making continues, UK leisure companies ready themselves to float and BrewDog teams up with Asahi…
Global dealmaking set to break records after frenzied summer (Financial Times, James Fontanella-Khan) highlights the ongoing momentum of M&A activity and IPOs around the world. Current figures suggest that almost $4tn of deals have already been agreed so far this year, with $500bn of transactions done in the usually quiet month of August alone! Refinitiv data shows that global M&A levels are at record levels and are almost double the amount from the equivalent period last year and significantly higher than the $2.6bn in 2019. Activity, which has been strong across the board, is currently on track to overtake the previous all-time high of 2007, just before the financial crisis.
Talking of which, Pure Gym leads the race to float in leisure sector flexing its muscles (The Times, Dominic Walsh) does a good job of bringing attention to a number of leisure sector deals in the offing. Britain’s biggest gym operator Pure Gym seems to be closest to pressing the button on an IPO as it seeks funds to help it expand abroad but companies like the Travel Chapter (which owns Holidaycottages.co.uk), Hawksmoor (small restaurant chain which does the most amazing triple-cooked duck fat chips 👍), Tortilla (the Mexican burrito specialist), Snowfox Group (which owns the highly over-rated Yo! Sushi chain), Giggling Squid (Thai restaurant chain – excellent lunch menu) and Fridays (The-Restaurant-Formerly-Known-As-TGI-Fridays) are also looking at flotations. * SO WHAT? * I think that now is an excellent time for such companies to
float as they are now up-and-running after lockdown and seeing a surge in popularity. The market is hot and there are a lot of investors out there looking for places to park their cash. Given the number of potential candidates, though, I would expect investors to be picky so I suspect that some will do a lot better than others. I personally think that smaller chains might fare better than larger chains because I think that consumers are seeking out more personal-feeling experiences and you don’t really get that with massive chains that churn out the same food all over the place.
Then in BrewDog agrees tie-up with Japan’s Asahi to boost sales (Financial Times, Judith Evans and Alice Hancock) we see that the Scottish craft brewer has just established its first international joint venture in a bid to increase sales ahead of a widely-expected London IPO. It is aiming to boost sales in Japan sixfold over the next five years and the partnership will market and distribute beers such as PunkIPA, Hazy Jane and Elvis Juice (my personal favourite). * SO WHAT? * I think that this is a solid move by the brewer and an important part of its expansion. It will be interesting to see how this goes down in Japan as it seems to me that Japanese tend to like “lighter” tasting beers – but maybe I am wrong. Elvis Juice is very strong and I know for a fact that, generally speaking, Japanese are not known for being able to cope well with a lot of alcohol (apparently it is an enzyme thing – and I have personal experience from seeing drunk Japanese regularly going fire-engine red once they’ve had a few!). Also, there is SOOOOO much competition in beer in Japan particularly because they are used to seeing new brews being introduced all the time generally at the beginning of every season (they have winter beers, spring beers, summer beers etc.). Anyway, it’s a start…
Brazil stops beef exports to China, UK private schools face China problems and vaccine passports are up next for large English venues…
Brazil suspends beef exports to China after cases of mad cow disease (Financial Times, Bryan Harris) highlights a rather concerning development as Brazil said it stopped beef exports to its biggest market after confirming two “atypical” cases of mad cow disease over the weekend. Brazil is the world’s biggest beef exporter and Brazilian companies involved, such as JBS and Marfrig, have benefited greatly from Chinese business. * SO WHAT? * This is definitely worth watching as more cases could spell potentially long-lasting disaster for this industry just as Brazil tries to get its economy back on track. An outbreak would also make President Jair “Tropical Trump” Bolsonaro’s re-election that much harder when Brazilians go to the polls next year.
UK private schools face curbs on China links in Beijing’s education crackdown (Financial Times, Sun Yu and Andrew Jack) puts the spotlight on another aspect of China’s current crackdown, this time on British independent schools – such as Harrow, Wellington, Dulwich College and Charterhouse – who have been trying to make inroads into the country by having schools there. The government is trying to decrease the influence that foreigners may have
on its education system and are looking to halve the number of children who are privately educated. The central government stopped approving new private schools for the first nine years of education and some local authorities are limiting the use of foreign textbooks. * SO WHAT? * I just wonder whether this is going to mean that rich Chinese send their kids to be educated overseas at an earlier age and for longer. It will be interesting, though, to see whether British schools will want to see an influx of high-fee-paying foreign students (who could suddenly disappear if there’s a Covid outbreak along with their fees) or whether they will have more of a preference for locals, among whom demand for private education has risen due to patchy teaching in state schools under lockdown.
Then in Large English venues to bring in Covid vaccine passports (Financial Times, Jim Pickard) we see that major indoor venues in England will start to use vaccine passports this autumn in a bid to avoid another lockdown. The government has already got an “NHS Covid Pass” in operation, so I guess this is just an extension of that. This comes just days after Scotland announced something similar, but Wales is not expected to go down the same road. * SO WHAT? * This will no doubt come under fire from anti-vaxxers and freedom campaigners, but I have always said that this is the ONLY way to go to get people out there spending in the economy en masse in the short term. Yes, it’s discriminatory, but what is the viable – and monitorable – alternative?
…in other news…
I thought I’d leave you today with news of a rather cushy job in Restaurant seeks Sunday lunch tester – and they’ll pay you £500 to eat roast potatoes (The Mirror, Courtney Pochin). It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it!
Some of today’s market, commodity & currency moves (as at 0759hrs green is up, red is down). THIS IS INTENDED AS A ROUGH GUIDE ONLY!
|FTSE 100 *||Dow Jones *||S&P 500 *||Nasdaq*||DAX *||CAC-40 *||Nikkei **||Shanghai **|
|7,142 (-0.31%)||35,369.09 (-0.21%)||4,535.43 (-0.03%)||15,363.52 (+0.21%)||15,761 (-0.50%)||6,680 (-1.23%)||29,660 (+1.83%)||3,623 (+1.15%)|
|Oil (WTI) p/b||Oil (Brent) p/b||Gold Per t/oz||£/$||€/$||$/¥||£/€||$/₿|
(markets with an * are at yesterday’s close, ** are at today’s close)


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By extending access to the Fundbox AI-enabled underwriting platform at the point of transaction, B2B companies can confidently accelerate business opportunities and revenue.
Recently we announced the expansion of our rapidly-growing business capital platform with a new ecommerce checkout feature.
As online commerce continues moving at the speed of light, we understand that B2B businesses can no longer remain hostage to asynchronous transactions and delays caused by paper checks, invoices, and extended terms. The current conventions of credit and payments in the world of B2B transactions result in cash flow disruptions, delayed business deals, and impediments to business growth.
After analyzing data from our proprietary business graph (including an analysis of 16,000 Fundbox customers from July through December 2018), we found that the average small- to medium-sized company has 24 percent of its monthly revenue tied up in accounts receivable, terms, or trade credit.
“Fundbox has a legacy of creating breakthrough solutions for businesses in the U.S.,” said Prashant Fuloria, COO of Fundbox. “With checkout capabilities for Fundbox Pay, customers now have more ways than ever to tap into their Fundbox credit, and partners have new ways to contextualize access to credit in their workflows. This marks our evolution from a product-centric company to a platform-centric company.”
Here’s a roundup of recent media coverage of the launch and what it means for B2B marketplaces.
American Banker: Fundbox updates B-to-B credit for online marketplaces
Fundbox made a name for itself by integrating with accounting software like Intuit’s Quickbooks and making quick loans to small businesses based on their receivables and cash flow. Last year, it began integrating its automated lending service with several software programs commonly used by its borrowers.
In March it launched Fundbox Pay, which expands the idea to payments and credit between small businesses. Using Fundbox Pay, a small business that has provided a product or service makes a request for payment and gets paid immediately by Fundbox.
PYMNTS: Fundbox Pay Expands To B2B Marketplaces
Financing purchases at the point of sale are gaining traction in B2C eCommerce, so why not B2B? Fundbox is bringing Fundbox Pay to the points at which smaller firms’ workflows and checkout capabilities intersect — which, according to CBO Sebastian Rymarz, offers credit where and when companies need it, with a bit of AI-driven insight to contextualize it all.
deBanked: Fundbox Increases Speed of B2B Transactions
“We’re positioning ourselves to be the PayPal for B2B transactions,” a company spokesperson, Tim Donovan, told deBanked. “And that means becoming as ubiquitous as finding Visa, Amex or PayPal in a B2C checkout flow.”
Sourcing Journal: Fundbox Adds B2B Trade Credit Capability to Unlock Cashflow for Retailers
Fundbox, a financial technology company, has transitioned from product-centric to platform-centric with its new B2B trade credit and payment service. The new service is set up so the company can make a credit decision in under three minutes, using real-time risk assessment with on-demand access to capital at the moment of transaction.
- Read the full story in Sourcing Journal. (login required)
SmallBizDaily: Getting Credit at the Moment of Need
This new e-commerce checkout feature grants credit approval (using machine learning and AI) in under three minutes. Rymarz explains, “Since it’s so quick we can be inside the checkout flow.” This allows customers who are approved for credit to buy more on the spot, helping them get the products they need and helping the buyer sell more goods.
Mobile Payments Today: Fundbox Pay extends financing decisions to e-commerce platforms
“Fundbox has a legacy of creating breakthrough solutions for businesses in the U.S.,” said Prashant Fuloria, COO of Fundbox, said in an announcement. “With checkout capabilities for Fundbox Pay customers now have more ways than ever to tap into their Fundbox credit, and partners have new ways to contextualize access to credit in their workflows.”


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A grieving mum whose baby girl was stillborn says she was "taunted" by Facebook adverts aimed at new parents just days after the tragedy.
Brave Anna England Kerr, 30, was bombarded with promotions for "baby-related" items after losing her beloved daughter, Clara, at 38 weeks.
Faced with adverts for toys and post-maternity clothes, she found herself only able to scroll so far down her feed before bursting into tears.
But when she clicked on a setting to "hide" parenting adverts for a year, she claims it didn't work - with upsetting promotions still popping up.
In a powerful open letter to Facebook, the mum tells the company: "Your ads were unintentionally taunting me with reminders of what I’d lost."
She adds: "I kept using Facebook because I needed to. So many of our family and friends are abroad. It gave us an easy way to tell people what had happened instead of having to make dozens of phone calls.
"It gave me a way to feel like I was being social without having to leave home on the days I just couldn’t. It meant I could still talk to friends.
"Being able to reach out in situations like these is incredibly important to your long term mental wellbeing. But I’d scroll through this much needed distraction and my stomach would flip seeing all the tiny babies.
"All the things I would never get to do for her.
"All these things I would never buy."
Facebook said in October that it had discovered a bug and an issue with its "machine learning models in the Hide Ad Topics feature".
A spokesperson said the firm had spoken to Anna and "expressed our deep sympathy for her loss and the additional pain this has caused her".
Little Clara was stillborn in June this year.
In her moving letter, her mum writes: "No words can do justice to the pain, shock and helplessness that I felt when this happened."
But only days later, she was faced with an ad for a baby toy.
"This feeling just rips through you," the mum told Mail Online. "It’s like someone has shoved a knife inside you and torn it through you."
She added that she found herself thinking, "I’m never going to buy that for Clara, that’s never going to be me with Clara now".
Since then, Anna has been presented with other parenting adverts - including ones for post-maternity clothes and Cow & Gate products.
She says she was also faced with an advert for the flower delivery company Interflora, which celebrated the role of fathers at birth.
"It starts with the tagline: 'Things didn’t go as we’d expected'," said the mum, who lives in south London with her partner.
"Obviously their birth went well because it’s a flower company, but I don’t stick around to [watch] the rest of the video."
In her open letter, Anna describes how Facebook has been "in the background" of many of her life events, both good and bad.
"You’ve tracked boyfriends and breakups, helped me organise meet ups and house moving parties; and you have lots of photos of me beaming in a pretty dress on my wedding day," she writes.
"I was on the brink of being one of those infuriatingly happy people that clogged everyone’s newsfeed with ‘funny’ posts about their child. Or rather I’ll never know what kind of parent I would have been, because Clara died."
She says she and her partner turned to Facebook to "quietly" tell their loved ones about the tragedy - but were confronted by baby-related adverts.
Anna could do only so much scrolling "without bursting into tears", so she found the setting to hide parenting ads for a year and clicked it.
"Over the coming months my feed still had hundreds of baby products on. I had to steel myself before going on," she claims in the letter.
"Ad blockers were ineffective and no matter how many times I gave feedback that the baby ads were ‘not relevant to me’ or I clicked on ANY ad for ANYTHING else regardless of whether I was interested or not, it did little to change what I was advertised."
The mum - who spoke to the BBC about her ordeal earlier this year - then urges Facebook to "please get better at selling me stuff".
"Make the way you target ads or sell data more responsive to people hiding parenting ads or similar topics," she writes in the letter, which was posted on her blog, Still Not Here. "Sell us other stuff instead. I’m happy for you to use my data as long as you don’t use it to make me cry."
Anna received a phone call from Nicola Mendelsohn, Facebook's vice president of EMEA, earlier this year, according to Business Insider.
In the call, Ms Mendelsohn reportedly apologied that the Facebook ads had made the mum feel worse and explained about the bug in the system.
A Facebook spokesperson said the bug has since been fixed and the company continues to speak to Anna to resolve the problems she has faced.
Mirror Online has contacted Facebook for comment.


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For SMBs, Salesforce Launches Mobile Social Customer Support
A mobile customer service desk for small- to medium-size businesses. That's the idea behind Desk.com, a new cloud-based customer service product from Salesforce.com.
Announced Tuesday, Desk.com allows any business to interact with customers on any major social network, via a mobile device. The company said in a statement that the service is "so simple that any company, even one without an IT staff, can get up and running over a weekend."
With nearly a quarter of all time spent online being spent on social networks like Facebook and Twitter, Salesforce.com has become a leader in integrating social networks into its customer service offerings.
The company envisions a scenario such as a customer posting a critical comment on Facebook about its newly purchased widget. While a desktop-based customer service worker for the widget maker might be the first stop for responding to the comment, the actual resolution might be better handled by a technical service person, who could be out in the field.
With Desk.com, that ticket can then be picked up by the technical service employee, and resolved via a mobile device. The ticket can be reassigned, have its status or priority changed, or have its customer information modified.
Salesforce said that, according to its data, nearly three-quarters of small businesses use mobile applications in their daily operations. With Desk.com, SMBs can use a help desk that integrates social networks, e-mail, phone and other Web components, making social networks into what the company described as "first-class citizens along with traditional support channels."
Hourly for 'Casual' Reps
Desk.com runs on any smartphone that supports HTML 5, such as Android-based devices and Apple's iPhone. Reporting includes information on how many cases customer service agents have opened, resolved, replied to, reassigned, or reopened, and a dozen pre-built reports offer such data as handling time, time to first response, and first contact resolution rate.
Salesforce has priced the offering to appeal to SMBs. The first seat is free, and then it's $49 per agent per month. There's also an hourly model for what the company calls "casual" customer support reps, at $1 per hour.
Desk.com is based on the technology that Salesforce.com obtained when it purchased social customer service startup Assistly last fall. Assistly's product allowed companies to organize customer conversations on social networks into a to-do list, and provided tools for support staff to respond, see customer histories, automate procedures and produce analytical reports.
Social, Mobile, Simple
In our interview with Alex Bard, vice president and general manager of Desk.com, Bard explained that Salesforce's Service Cloud, a key part of its "social enterprise" efforts, had previously been optimized for the mid-market and large enterprises, but Desk.com is extending the cloud toward the lower end of the market.
Bard said that, in researching smaller companies' needs, Salesforce "kept hearing three things -- it has to be social at its core, it needs to be mobile, and it needs to be simple." He added that thousands of Assistly customers have been moved to Desk.com, and the response has been "overwhelmingly positive."
Laura DiDio, an analyst with Information Technology Intelligence Corp., said Desk.com represents "the ultimate in the consumerization of IT, and a recognition of how we're no longer tethered to an office with a traditional PC."
She noted that Salesforce made "a pretty quick turnaround" in readying Assistly for the new product launch, adding that the model of customer support from virtually any mobile device "will absolutely become a standard."


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Rethink Robotics Inc. introduced Tuesday a low-cost—and cute—robot named Baxter that can do such factory chores as picking parts off a conveyor belt, so long as they don't weigh more than five to 10 pounds.
The two-armed robot has a computer-screen face with animated eyes, stands at about 3 feet, and is priced at $22,000. It is designed to do such tasks as loading and unloading, sorting and tending of other machinery, jobs typically done by people.
Most industrial robots are larger, one-armed machines whose tasks include lifting heavy objects, cutting metal or welding. Those machines typically cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Boston-based Rethink, founded in 2008, said Baxter eliminates the need to hire specialist technicians. Rodney Brooks, chairman of Rethink, said most workers would be able to learn to operate Baxter within half an hour. Rethink touts the robot as appealing for small and midsize manufacturers that previously haven't been able to afford robots and lacked the expertise to program them.
Baxter comes preprogrammed to do certain basic tasks, such as sorting objects. Buyers then need to adjust it to meet their precise needs, such as grasping certain shapes and moving objects in certain directions. That can be done without additional programming. If companies want Baxter to go through more complicated motions, they will be able to do additional programming for it.
Baxter is designed so that workers can "teach" it to do tasks, the company said. For instance, a worker could guide the robot's arms to an object. Cameras embedded in the wrists would then determine how to grasp the object. The robot nods when instructions are clear; a puzzled look appears on its computer-screen face when they aren't.
"This is a harbinger of things to come," said David Bourne, a robotics professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, who called the price surprisingly low. He described it as a "work in progress" and said most manufacturers would want faster and stronger robots.
Vanguard Plastics Corp., a family-owned maker of plastic parts in Southington, Conn., has had previews of Baxter and will consider purchasing the robot to help with packaging chores, Chris Budnick, the company's president said. He expects faster versions of Baxter to emerge soon.
Competitors in the market for small, nimble manufacturing robots include Japan's Yaskawa Electric Corp. 6506 -0.36 % and Universal Robots AS of Denmark. Big makers of heavy-duty industrial robots, such as Japan's Fanuc Corp. FANUY -0.06 % and ABB Ltd. of Switzerland, also are developing smaller models. At a trade show in Chicago last week, Yaskawa showed its Motoman robots dealing blackjack and moving around industrial parts.
Rethink's Dr. Brooks, who helped launch the Roomba home-vacuuming robot a decade ago as a founder of iRobot Corp., said the new Baxter won't have the dexterity for such things as assembling an iPhone, a task done by hand. But robots will do such work eventually, predicted Dr. Brooks, a 57-year-old Australian native who is now a U.S. citizen.
Rethink said its robots will be made in the U.S. by various contract manufacturers scattered around the country. Dr. Brooks said some parts, such as the computer screen and the electric motors, are imported.
The company didn't set out originally to make a robot with "humanoid" features, Dr. Brooks said. But he added some potential customers wanted robots that could be used interchangeably with people, providing more flexibility. That created a need for robots that could fit into similar spaces and work alongside people without the risk of injuring them.
Though Baxter is designed for factories, Dr. Brooks said it may eventually have applications in health care and elder care. Given the low price and ease of use, he said, "people are going to try stuff out."
Write to James R. Hagerty at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Recently General Motors revealed its hope for the future of transportation: a production model of the Chevrolet Volt. The plug-in electric powerhouse will feature a revolutionary propulsion system that will allow it to travel 40 miles without using a single drop of gas – that’s far enough to render 75% of American’s daily commutes emission-free!
Beating Toyota to the punch with a production-ready plug-in vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt comes equipped with a lithium-ion battery pack that is good for around 40 miles. To charge the battery, simply plug it into any electrical socket. For longer trips, the car is capable of running on a gas tank, which serves to recharge its batteries rather than running its engine.The Volt’s cost will still be a bit steep, weighing in at between 30 and 50 grand, although If its fervent following has been any indication, the stunning plug-in car stands to be a great hit.
The Volt’s platform has been developed to be deployed in a number of follow-up vehicles, so expect to see plenty more plug-in hybrids in the future. GM’s chief executive Rick Wagoner has stated: “the Volt symbolizes GM’s commitment to the future – the kind of technological innovation that our industry needs to respond to today and tomorrow’s energy and environmental challenges”


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Training began with local contractors in Brisbane with plans afoot to rollout a lot more programs at the academy throughout the year. Read more
Pacific HVAC is an Australian owned and operated business with a presence in New Zealand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.
The full range of Actron Air spare parts is available from JNG Australia.
Work will be overseen by a new agency known as Cladding Safety Victoria.
According to WorkSafe Victoria dangerous goods are substances that are corrosive, flammable, combustible, explosive, oxidising or water-reactive or have other hazardous properties.
For particularly urgent cases, GEA is now offering a Fast Lane Service, which enables affected separators to be repaired in less than 10 days, depending on the requirements.
Supporting apprentices is a tradition that has long been part of the Kirby history.
The BITZER software is only recently available in version 6.10.0, which enables users to select many new compressor models and refrigerants, with a key focus on the long-standing company’s screw compressors.
The RRA said Farrelley was selected for the role from a field of high quality candidates.
Under the scheme five areas will be regulated including civil engineer, structural engineer, mechanical engineer, electrical engineer and fire safety engineer.
Employers will be able to access up to $8,000 take on an apprentice and apprentices will get $2,000 to assist with the cost of their education.
The new Kirby business will continue to operate alongside the Group’s Beijer Ref Australia operation as two independent businesses.
The recipients of the 2019 Industry Educational Trade Scholarship will be announced in June.
With the built environment accounting for a quarter of Australia’s emissions, Cartledge said it is disappointing that the Government has missed a further opportunity to deliver a low emissions future.


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UK growth in smartphone usage revealed as largest in survey of five developed countriesPushON | January 26th 2012
An increase in smartphone usage among UK consumers between January and October last year was higher than in the US, Germany, Japan, France; according to a new survey commissioned by search engine giant Google.
The survey, carried out on Google’s behalf by the Ipsos Mori research company, revealed that usage in the UK rose from 30% to 45% during this ten-month period; whilst usage in the US and France rose from 31% to 38%, and 27% to 38% respectively; and usage in Japan and Germany rose from 6% to 17%, and from 18% to 23% respectively.
The survey found that among smartphone users, accessing the internet on a daily basis was a very common activity; with 54% doing so in the UK. The country with the highest percentage of smartphone users accessing the web on a daily basis was Japan with 88%.
The survey also found however that, across the five countries, smartphone users had not abandoned their laptop or desktop computers; with general usage of the latter devices remaining more or less constant; and with approximately the same percentage of users accessing the internet via PCs as via smartphones.
Another interesting finding from the survey was the fact that, across all five countries, smartphone users were around 50% more likely than non-users to own a tablet.
Looking at actual tablet usage, the survey found that that this had grown among UK consumers from 4% to 6%; whilst in the US it stood at 11%.


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The Apple stock price ended lower yesterday despite smashing Wall Street’s expectations. Has the global micro-chip shortage claimed its next victim in AAPL?
Apple stock closed at $146.77, down $2.22 (-1.49%)
Apple Inc’s (NASDAQ: AAPLE) fiscal third-quarter earnings beat analyst expectations on almost every metric.
Sales were up 36% from the same quarter last year, and iPhone sales increased by a staggering 50% on an annual basis.
EPS: $1.30 per share vs expected $1.01
Revenue: $81.41 billion vs estimated $73.30 billion.
Gross Margin: 43.3% vs 41.9% forecast.
Although, whilst the headline data was impressive, the Apple share price fell after Apple CEO Tim Cook warned analysts the global semi-conductor shortage may provide headwinds for iPhone and iPad sales in the remaining three months of the year.
Only yesterday, AAPL looked set to finally set to clear the 15th of July’s $150.00, all-time high. However, after reaching $149.83 on Monday, the stock has reversed sharply lower. And furthermore, the Apple share price is slated to open even lower in today’s trading session.
AAPL price forecast
The daily chart shows Apple has been trading in a broad ascending parralel channel for the last year
Additionally, a clear level of horizontal resistance has formed at $150.00. This should be considered the first significant support ahead of the top end of the rising channel at $155.00.
If the stock manages to clear both $150, and $155.00 it will enter new territory on the upside. And considering the pedigree of the company, at some stage this is likely.
However, the current momentum is negative and may result in a near-term correction.
The first downside target is $135.00, where the 50-Day moving average at $134.60, aligns with a series of highs from April. Therefore, even though Apple will remain a market-leading brand for some time to come, investors may soon get the chance to buy the stock at a discount.


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The European Union’s antitrust watchdog has already launched a probe into Facebook’s cryptocurrency project Libra, Bloomberg has reported.
According to a document seen by the newswire, the European Commission is “currently investigating potential anti-competitive behavior” related to the Libra Association, the Geneva-based consortium that governs the project. The EC is reportedly concerned that the proposed crypto payment system may create “possible competition restrictions” on the information that will be exchanged and the use of consumer data.
The regulators are also looking at the possible integration of Libra-backed applications into Facebook services such as Instagram and WhatsApp. The governance structure and membership of Libra Association is also being examined.
Bloomberg described the document as a questionnaire typically used by the EC during an early-stage EU inquiry to gather information.
Facebook’s cryptocurrency project has already seen pushback from regulators and lawmakers in the US. Last month, the company’s blockchain chief David Marcus attended two congressional hearings, answering questions about the project and addressing concerns raised by lawmakers. Marcus assured lawmakers that Facebook was “fully committed to working with regulators” in the US and around the world. He said that he social media giant “will not offer” Libra “until we have fully addressed regulator’s concerns and received the proper approvals”. This sentiment was echoed by Facebook’s chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg. Facebook even warned investors that the project might never see the light of day.
“Libra has drawn significant scrutiny from governments and regulators in multiple jurisdictions and we expect that scrutiny to continue,” Facebook said last month in a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. “In addition, market acceptance of such currency is subject to significant uncertainty. As such, there can be no assurance that Libra or our associated products and services will be made available in a timely manner, or at all.”
Featured image: pixinoo / Shutterstock.com


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Samsung has finally released its 6th color edition of Samsung Galaxy S7 edge: Blue Coral. From November 1st, Galaxy S7 edge in Coral Blue will be available in selected markets around the world.
Galaxy S7 Edge Blue Coral New Color Announced by Samsung
The company has reported “Availability details for Galaxy S7 Edge blue coral will be announced by each market’s wireless providers and regional Samsung offices.”
While the tech giant didn’t reveal the list of countries where the new variant will be available beginning November, we already know that Taiwan is in that list, and it’d be reasonable to assume that the US is there as well. In case you missed, Singapore will get the device November 5 onwards.
Samsung has applied a contrasting gold tone hue to the Blue Coral Galaxy S7 edge’s frame which results in a two-tone combination that described as being “sophisticated.” Other than that, it’s still the same Galaxy S7 edge that we’ve all known and loved for months now. Aside from Blue Coral, the Galaxy S7 edge is already available in White Pearl, Silver Titanium, Black Onyx, Gold Platinum and Pink Gold.


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Food delivery robots from the startup Cartken have launched at the Mosaic District (courtesy Alex Zilberman/EDENS)
The robots are taking over the Mosaic District.
Starting today (Thursday), a fleet of boxy, self-driving bots will roam around the mixed-use Merrifield neighborhood, delivering food from restaurants in a pilot program by the delivery service Uber Eats and the robotics startup Cartken.
Right now, robot deliveries are available from the family-owned Greek restaurant Our Mom Eugenia, Pupatella Pizza and the Indian fast-casual eatery RASA, but other tenants could be added later. The pilot is slated to run through April 2024.
The Mosaic District is emerging as a prime testing ground for autonomous technology, hosting Fairfax County and Dominion Energy’s Relay shuttle — though the vehicle is currently sidelined by “mechanical issues” through Friday (April 21).
“We are excited to partner with Uber Eats and Cartken to bring cutting-edge technology to our community, and confident this innovative service will elevate visitor experience and customer engagement at Mosaic,” said Greg Dercach, vice president of property management for EDENS, which owns and operates the development.
Uber and Cartken — an Oakland, California-based artificial intelligence company created by former Google engineers — first teamed up to experiment with food delivery robots in the Miami, Florida, area, launching a pilot in December.
The companies chose to introduce the robots to the Mosaic District, their first site in Virginia, because of the development’s walkability and abundance of dining options.
“Uber and Cartken share a vision to provide greater affordability, reliability, and convenience to merchants and consumers — all at the touch of a button,” Noah Zych, Uber’s head of autonomous mobility and delivery, said. “Our expansion to Fairfax is another important step in this journey, bringing Virginia residents a little more Uber magic through sidewalk robot delivery.”
Sporting six wheels and a red flag, the robots are equipped with sensors and cameras that help them navigate and avoid collisions. They can carry 1.5 cubic feet — about two full paper grocery bags — and reach speeds of 3-6 mph, depending on the environment.
They will travel anywhere within the Mosaic District, though residents will have to step outside to pick up their deliveries.
While made by a different company, Cartken’s vehicles will look familiar to anyone who has recently visited George Mason University’s Fairfax campus, where robots from Starship Technology have been delivering food to students since 2019.
Founded in 2019, Cartken has also worked with Grubhub at some college campuses and deployed its robots to make Starbucks deliveries at malls in Japan.
“Our team at Cartken is excited to further partner with Uber Eats and expand our reach to serve the Fairfax community,” Cartken co-founder and COO Anjali Jindal Naik said. “Cartken is at an inflection point, where we are rapidly bringing our AI, computer vision, and lidar-less autonomous robots to more places, like Mosaic District, in partnership with Uber Eats.”
Patrons of the participating Mosaic District restaurants can request a delivery by robot through the Uber Eats app, which allows users to track the vehicle’s route and arrival time. A standard delivery takes 20 to 30 minutes, but there’s a “priority” option that advertises a 15 to 25-minute wait for a $1.49 fee.
Writs of eviction issued in Fairfax County (courtesy Department of Housing and Community Development) After a recent study showed an uptick in homelessness, Fairfax County staff say that data connects…
The first annual Paws on the Plaza was held in 2022 (courtesy Tysons Corner Center) The dog days are coming early to Tysons this year. Canines will first be unleashed…
The Southern fast-casual chain Chicken Salad Chick has signed a deal to open locations in Fairfax County (courtesy Chicken Salad Chick) A fast-casual chicken salad company is planning a move…
The proposed route and stations for the Route 7 bus rapid transit system in Tysons (via FCDOT) Plans for a Route 7 bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Tysons are…


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latest news releases from the newsroom
(CORRECTION) BILIA SELLING MICRO
Bilia has signed an agreement involving the sale of the operations run by Micro
AB to a company whose principal owner is Mats Nilstoft from Malmö. The transfer
agreement presupposes that certain rental agreements can be transferred to the
buyer. The new owners will have access to these operations on 1 May.
Micro's operations have been run at a loss and Bilia has therefore guaranteed
the purchaser financial support. The sale is therefore expected to have a
negative effect on the Bilia Group's
Semcon -- Ericsson's Design and Development Partner in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005/2006
GOTEBORG, Sweden, April 25, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Semcon will once again take part in developing a yacht for the world's toughest and longest yacht race, this time as the design and development partner for Ericsson's entry. The new regulations mean that the yachts in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005/2006 are both bigger and faster than in previous years, which places exceptional demands on innovative technical solutions, design, construction and IT. "These are the most extreme single-hulled yachts that have sailed around the world," says Semcon's CEO Hans Johansson. "We are proud and happy that Ericsson chose to use our unique skills to develop a winning yacht."
Metro Modern Media Starts Internet Travel Agency
BERTRANGE, Luxembourg, April 25, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Metro International S.A. ("Metro"), the international newspaper group, today announced that Metro Modern Media is launching a travel agency, Metro Travel, which will offer inexpensive travel to Europe's most popular cities. Metro Travel will focus primarily on offering a simplified, inexpensive means of seeking and booking into popular hotels in Europe.
Delhaize America Enters New Credit Facility
BRUSSEL, Belgium, April 25, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Delhaize Group (Euronext Brussels:DELB) (NYSE:DEG), the Belgian international food retailer, today announced that its U.S. subsidiary, Delhaize America, has entered into a new revolving credit facility.


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That means we can forget about the gorgeous EXP 10 Speed 6 coupe that had a rumored place in the lineup after a sub-Bentayga CUV, and the EXP 12 Speed 6e battery-electric convertible. Hallmark cited a few issues with the segment, the first being that the segment hasn't yet recovered from the recession, and the buyer demographic that's left goes up in age every year, clearly a losing game. The kinds of younger buyers who would buy Bentleys, athletes and entertainers, are deterred from the purchase by contractual limitations like injury clauses or aversion to paparazzi photos. As well, in China, wealthy buyers get SUVs or limousines, but Hallmark believes Bentley hasn't adopted the the proper strategy there to take advantage.
This is far more than about sports cars for Bentley, though; a recent article in German newspaper Handelsblatt outlined a number of situations the carmaker needs to rectify, including the finding that Bentley's "losing money hand over fist instead of racking up the hefty margins more typical of the class." A German study claimed that whereas Ferrari makes around $80,000 on every car it sells, and Porsche makes a little more than $19,000 on each car (last year it was a little more than $17,000) Bentley loses a little more than $19,000 on each unit. The English manufacturer has posted an operating loss of roughly $92 million through the first six months of 2018, the latest figures in a decline that began in 2014. That financial timeline, however, coincides with Bentley's $1.1B investment in new technologies, which the carmaker cites as the reason for profitability woes.
Beyond that, Handelsblatt claimed VW insiders said the recent Continental GT launch was the "worst production ramp-up of all time." Bentayga sales are down a little in Europe, quite a bit in the U.S., and overall brand sales are down nearly ten percent globally this year. Bentley needs to invest its electrification plans — it wants electrified versions of all its models by 2025 — and that's going to be expensive. The report said those insiders want Porsche to have a bigger hand in helping Bentley get on track and move forward.
That would tie in well with Hallmark's experience, too, since he did a stint in charge of Porsche UK. He told Autocar that in addition to V8 models throughout the lineup, he'd like to crib from Porsche's proficiency in creating special editions with more luxury or performance, and Stuttgart's success in making its hybrid models the most desirable. Bentley wants to crack 15,000 to 20,000 units globally. The most it has achieved in the past five years is around 11,300.
Somehow, though, while tiny, independent Aston Martin gets stronger than its ever been with a growing lineup of incredible sports cars, Bentley has to walk away from the segment that made it what it is today.
UPDATE: A Bentley spokesman responded with the following statement:
Bentley is committed to the GT today and into the future. It is a mistake to suggest that sports cars are the same as GTs. Bentley two-door vehicles have always combined performance and luxury, thus ensuring enjoyable long-distance driving. That is our definition of a GT, and we will continue to design, engineer and craft the very best GTs available.
A brand or company can show a drop in annual profitability, however, that does not mean that individual vehicles do not contribute margin to the business. Bentley vehicles contribute margin to the business, however, we need to fully realize the benefits of recent significant investments to return the full business to expected profitability. Bentley invested heavily over the past several years in order to bring the Bentayga SUV and the new Continental GT to market. Next month Bentley will introduce the Bentayga V8, and we expect it to be a very popular model. The GT is only available in about half of the global markets today, Bentley will launch the GT in China and the US in 2019.


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KARACHI: Honda Atlas Cars Ltd (HACL) has reduced working days to 11 in September due to rising unsold stocks and depressed demand. The working days were 13 in August and 20 in July. However, the situation at Pak Suzuki Motor Company Ltd (PSMCL) is less critical.
So far PSMCL had not observed any ‘non production days (NPDs)’ as the new Alto 660cc has seen continued demand and emerged as the main driving force for the company with sale of 8,109 units during July-August 2019. This is despite the 71.5 per cent sales plunge in its flagship WagonR during July-August 2019 compared to same period 2018.
Spokesperson of PSMCL, Shafiq Ahmed Sheikh also confirmed to Dawn that “the company has so far not observed any NPDs. We are monitoring the situation and by end of this month we will review our production and sales outlook of July-September and future prospects of sales in coming months,” he said.
He further rejected social media reports regarding suspension in booking of various vehicles due to falling demand. “Booking of new cars is going on,” he said.
Sources said Honda Atlas Cars Limited has unsold stocks of over 3,000 units at the plant and various dealership networks. Due to closure of second shift, around 1,000 contractual employees have lost their jobs in the last three months.
Honda Civic and City production and sales have plunged to 3,520 and 2,588 units in July-August 2019 from 8,161 and 8,078 units in same period last year. BR-V production and sales plunged to 538 and 450 units from 959 and 864 units.
“The meltdown in the auto industry is far more frightening than expected,” CEO-Partner of Honda Drive-In and Honda Quaideen, Shabbir Alibhai said. Since the start of 2019, sales have plunged to 30pc of those in 2018.
He said registration of new vehicles in Karachi hovers between 40-45 units per day versus over 200 units per day last year. Auto loan financing by the banks is at its lowest – hardly 20-25pc from the previous years due to shrinking demand and high interest rates, he added.
Insurance companies have also started delaying payments of repairs to work shops from a cycle of 45 days to 90 days. That too, if the financial position is strong enough to sustain the business as the number of insurers has fallen, Shabbir said, adding that low sales will hit government revenues.
He urged the government to seriously look into the issue as more layoffs are expected across the board. The new players are going to be most affected as they have made huge investments.
IMC, the maker of Toyota vehicles, had shut down all production for the remaining days of September, bringing the total number of NPDs to 15 in the month due to continuing fall in demand. The company had already observed eight NPDs in July and 11-12 NPD in August.
IMC plant and countrywide dealership network has piled up unsold inventory of over 3,000 vehicles. The plant is running at 50pc less capacity in September.
Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2019


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Mastodon has tacked on a few stops to their just-released schedule of tour dates. The shows will be in support of their new album, which doesn't yet have a name or a definite release date, though the band's label promises that it'll arrive just about the time the tour kicks off at the end of April.
To hold fans over while waiting for the new Mastodon album, the band has released a live digital video called Mastodon Live at Brixton , available at iTunes and all digital retailers.
The new dates are:
4/28 -- Seattle, WA, Showbox SoDo
5/04 -- Salt Lake City, UT, The Depot
5/05 -- Denver, CO, Ogden Theater
5/10 -- Toronto, ON, The Sound Academy
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio


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Amazon.com shares will rise because of to its market leadership in cloud-computing, according to Jefferies.
The back story. Amazon stock (ticker: AMZN) has dropped nearly 10% since the e-commerce giant reported mixed financial results last month for the quarter ended in June, which included an earnings miss. The company reported adjusted second-quarter earnings per share of $5.22, below the $5.56 Wall Street consensus.


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“It was reported this week that Google would soon launch its own cellphone as a challenge to the iPhone. Also a challenge to the iPhone? Making phone calls.”
A Google Blog search this morning showed 17000 queries about the 15-second SNL News Update pot shot at AT&T’s notoriously awful iPhone reception.
SNL iPhone Joke Takes Pot Shot at AT&T Network Woes
Tags: , AT&T, iPhone joke, Seth Meyers iPhone joke, SNL iPhone joke