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You wouldn't be reading this if you wanted to learn about stocks that have gigantic obstacles in their paths. There are plenty of them, though.
Of course, every stock has some potential challenge that could limit its success. However, some have so much going in their favor that they're likely to steamroll over anything in their way. Here are three such unstoppable stocks to buy in 2022.
1. Innovative Industrial Properties
Innovative Industrial Properties (IIPR 2.21%) keeps it simple. The real estate investment trust (REIT) buys properties from licensed cannabis operators needing an influx of cash. It leases those properties back to the cannabis operators. And then it uses the resulting cash flow to repeat the process -- over and over.
This model has worked amazingly well for IIP so far. Over the past three years, its revenue and earnings have skyrocketed more than 12X and 15X, respectively. Its share price has vaulted more than 470% higher during the period.
But IIP is only scratching the surface of its opportunity. The company still owns only 103 properties in 19 states. There are over 28,700 cannabis growers in the U.S., according to market researcher IBISWorld. And 36 states have legalized medical and/or recreational cannabis.
The biggest threat to IIP is that federal cannabis reform could lead to increased competition. However, such reform would also almost certainly expand the U.S. cannabis market. It's likely that the net impact on IIP would be positive. With considerable uncertainty about if and when federal cannabis laws might be changed, IIP appears to be in a great position to continue repeating its formula for success.
2. Intuitive Surgical
Robots are used in manufacturing to perform repetitive processes with high levels of precision and consistent quality. Intuitive Surgical (ISRG 4.89%) achieves these same goals with its robotic surgical systems.
The company dominates the robotic surgical system market with a market share of nearly 80%. More than 6,500 of its da Vinci systems are installed in 67 countries. Intuitive recently hit a major milestone, reaching 10 million surgical procedures performed with its robotic systems.
Don't think for a second that Intuitive Surgical's high-growth days are over, though. The company could expand its market by roughly 4X with its current products and regulatory clearances. And it's developing new products and seeking additional regulatory clearances that could more than triple that market opportunity.
Sure, Intuitive has more competition now than it did in the past. However, no rival offers the track record, ecosystem, and analytics that Intuitive does. This growth stock truly looks like one that you can buy and hold forever.
3. Sea Limited
Think of trends that are practically unstoppable. I suspect that gaming, e-commerce, and digital payments rank near the top of the list for many people. Sea Limited (SE -1.54%) stands as a leader in all three areas.
The company makes over 40% of its revenue (and all of its profits, for now) from its digital entertainment business. Sea's Free Fire is the highest-grossing mobile game in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and India. It has also been the highest-grossing mobile battle royale game on Alphabet's Google Play in the U.S. for three consecutive quarters.
Sea Limited also appears to be on its way to becoming an e-commerce juggernaut. The company's Shopee is the second-most downloaded e-commerce app in the world on Google Play. And it ranks first in total time spent on the app in the shopping category.
Shopee's success has helped pave the way for Sea to move into digital financial services. The company's mobile wallet total payment volume reached $4.6 billion in the third quarter of 2021.
Sea's main vulnerability is its dependence on Free Fire. However, the company has launched new features that keep users returning to the mobile game and also attract new users. With its robust growth in e-commerce and digital payments, Sea should continue to reduce its reliance on Free Fire in the future.


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WASHINGTON — Seattle has seen an almost 73 percent increase in home values in the past five years, compared to a 15.5 percent increase in that same time period in Arlington County.
Should Washington expect a dramatic acceleration in home price appreciation once Amazon starts marching its army of HQ2 employees into Northern Virginia?
Any immediate impact on the local housing market is expected to be muted.
“I think it is more misunderstood than anything else,” Larry “Boomer” Foster at Long & Foster Inc. told WTOP.
“I think people hear ‘adding 25,000 jobs,’ and they think that is more immediate than it is. It is going to be spread out over a 10 to 12 year period,” he said.
Long & Foster predicts the Amazon effect will add an additional 3 percent to appreciation the Washington area would otherwise experience.
Amazon is expected to create about 1,000 jobs at its new HQ2 operations in Crystal City in 2019 and 2020.
Amazon has said the jobs will pay an average of $150,000 a year.
Long & Foster does not expect those moving here to step off a plane and go straight to a realtor’s office either.
“I think a larger percentage will rent for a little while when they come in. And they are high-paying jobs, but you have to consider that the price of living around Washington, D.C. is pretty elevated anyway,” Foster said.
Long & Foster also says Amazon’s decision to call Arlington County home may spark other companies’ interest in the D.C. region, as well as ancillary businesses that will follow in support of Amazon’s operations.
© 2018 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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‘Trickbot’ malware, a social engineering cyber attack, is back with enhanced upgrades!
Phishing attacks are now a common part of our digital lives as cyber criminals can easily upgrade their attacking schemes and start a new campaign.
According to ZDNet, “Trickbot even became a loader for other forms of malware, with cyber criminals taking advantage of machines already compromised by Trickbot as a means of delivering other malicious payloads, including ransomware.”
This round appears to be attacking legal and insurance companies via phishing link within an email claiming that user has been involved in traffic infringement and directs them to download their misdemeanor!!!
Social engineering and phishing attacks are real. Bad actors will constantly work to improve their previous failed/blocked attacks and keep moving forward.
It is so important to know and realize email fraud can happen to anyone.
Let’s make a personal commitment to constantly be mindful the second we click on that email icon and check our emails for legimatacy and authenticity of all e-communications we come across!
Be vigilant and stay cyber resilient. Keep up with cybersecurity of IoT and within your business, whether it’s big or small. Remember, cyber criminals do not discriminate.


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News from The Business Journals
Sep 21, 2011, 5:40 pm EDT
AMC Entertainment Inc. released details of its planned $4 million face-lift of its AMC Ward Parkway 14, a long-awaited renovation for one of the chain ...
Sep 20, 2011, 8:29 am EDT
The area’s last Mr. Bulky Treats & Gifts is closing after 20 years at Ward Parkway Center, the Kansas City Star reports.
Aug 26, 2011, 6:00 am EDT
Demolition is slated to begin the week of Aug. 29 on the Dillard’s department store at Ward Parkway Center.
Jul 15, 2011, 1:29 pm EDT
Hundreds of shoppers waited in a twisting line outside Kansas City’s first Trader Joe’s on Friday morning for the store’s grand opening at 8 a.m. Thos ...
Jun 3, 2011, 6:00 am EDT
Applebee’s Services Inc.’s move from Lenexa to Kansas City amounts to more than just a sweet economic development snag for the Show-Me State. It’s als ...
Mar 11, 2011, 6:00 am EST
Armed with a new high-profile tenant set to open in the summer, the owner of Ward Parkway Center is seeking new sources of revenue to further update t ...


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Three-quarters of senior executives in North America, Europe and Asia believe their companies and industries will grow in 2006, according to the results of an online survey released last week by Accenture.
The annual survey, which identifies the business outlook and major concerns of more than 900 "C-suite" executives in the US, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, Canada and China, also found that nearly four-fifths (78 per cent) of companies will be hiring in the next six months either to fill crucial positions as they are vacated or to actively recruit new employees. In addition, nearly half (46 per cent) of the companies expect to increase spending this year.
From a geographic perspective, executives in China are the most optimistic about economic growth. In fact, nearly every Chinese respondent (98 per cent) predicted growth for his or her industry this year.
"The perception among C-suite executives that the global economy is getting stronger should be a hopeful indicator for global business," said Mark Foster, chief executive of Accenture's Products operating group. "As optimism for the global economic climate improves, top executives are more apt to focus on improving their own businesses by spending for programmes that might have been curtailed or postponed and by hiring new employees to carry out their growth plans."
Executives in financial services most optimistic
From an industry perspective, respondents in the financial services industry were the most optimistic about their industry's growth, with 86 per cent of these respondents saying they expect their industry to grow this year. Respondents in government were the least optimistic, with only 57 per cent of these respondents expecting growth this year.
Chief operating officers and HR directors are the most optimistic about the growth of their organizations than are other senior executives with nearly 80 per cent predicting business growth in 2006.
The survey also asked respondents to identify what they believe to be the top ten threats to their company's success in 2006.
The top three perceived threats were:
- Competitors: 72 per cent
- Health of the global economy: 67 per cent
- Inability to attract and retain the best talent: 67 per cent
The three areas of least concern were:
- Compliance with government regulations with 38 per cent of responders identifying it as threat
- Inability to focus on core competencies: 37 per cent
- Instability of senior leadership (35 per cent).
39 per cent of responders identified terrorism as threat, raking it sixth.


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The MLB trade deadline fast approaches on Wednesday, and the Cubs and Sox probably aren't done selling players to the highest bidder. RedEye looks at the most memorable Chicago sports trades before their respective trade deadlines. Want more? Discuss this article and others on RedEye's Facebook page.
By Riley Blevins, RedEye
Copyright © 2019, RedEye Chicago


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Apple is one of those companies that believes its products are not for a single purpose alone. With each Apple Watch, Apple brings a new health monitoring function. The same is going to happen with the upcoming iPhones as well. Today, The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is working on new features that would enable a next-gen iPhone to detect depression…
Want to view the entire article? Click here: Apple is Reportedly working on iPhone Feature to Detect Depression, Cognitive Decline and more
The article was originally posted on Patently Apple.
Each article is copyrighted to its original authors. We do not own any rights to the news or the images used. Whilst every care is taken to ensure that the news posts published are accurate, we cannot guarantee the authenticity of the news article on every occasion. There’s no copyright infringement intended. The news is for informational purposes only and does not provide legal advice.


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Waitrose has long spoken of its partners and the top-notch service they give customers as one of its most important differentiators. But now Waitrose and John Lewis staff have been issued with a lowly 3% bonus (its lowest since 1953), what will motivate them to remain that way?
Employees are vital to Waitrose’s continued turnaround plans. But news of five more store closures on the way this summer, and uncertainty following Sir Charlie Mayfield’s warning that perhaps more are in the pipeline, will surely outweigh the motivation of a 3% bonus.
In an otherwise bleak set of JLP results, Waitrose offered hope, with sales up 1.2% and profits up 18%. MD Rob Collins puts this down to its investment in partners through apprenticeships, healthy eating specialist training and IT improvements. And to be fair there is a 4.5% pay rise to come next month.
Waitrose partners are doing the business. But I wonder how many of them would rather have seen the rumoured £60m spent on the ‘& Partners’ rebrand poured into their pockets as part of their bonus rather than plastered over stores, trucks and carrier bags.


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Renault SA revealed its big plans for the fast-growing Indian market. The investments that were lined up for India that had been put on hold for a while due to the global economic downturn are back on track.
In a statement, Katsumi Nakamura, executive vice president and leader of the French automaker's Africa-Asia management committee, said that the Indian consumers should expect to see a re-energized Renault very soon.
Nakamura also said that the Renault Nissan Alliance greenfield manufacturing facility in Chennai is well on track and is a key asset in India.
The company had put on hold its investment in the Chennai plant in south India in 2008. In an interview with Reuters, Nakamura said that the company is seeking to gain a certain market share and volume in the next three years.
He also said that Renault expects to sell 50,000 to 60,000 cars annually in India within three years. For 2011, Renault plans to introduce the Fluence sedan and Koleos SUV in India.
In the next couple of years, Renault aims to offer a full range of cars from entry to luxury segments, according to Renault India Managing Director Marc Nassif.


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The issue of privacy on the Internet, particularly among Facebook users, has always been controversial. In December 2009, Facebook launched new privacy controls which still divides opinion today. Their aim was to give users the ability to customise privacy settings for shareable contents such as status updates, links, photo albums and videos. As a result, Facebook users could now choose whether to make their contents visible to either Everyone, Friends of friends or Only Friends depending on user preferences.
As a result of user-feedback in response to the introduction of customisable settings last year, Facebook has now extended the same level of control to contents that are shared through applications. This new extension will allow Facebook users to personalise the audience for each piece of content shared through applications such that by means of a drop-down menu near the lock icon on the home page or profile, you can simply select the group of people you want to share your applications with. For example, you can now choose a group of friends you want to see a ‘humorous greeting card’ just posted from an application while it remains hidden from others.
In summary, these new privacy controls will enable Facebook users to determine who sees content posted to the Facebook Web site through any third-party application on Facebook.com, a desktop computer, mobile phone, or from a Facebook Connect website or service.
Are you less concerned about Privacy on Facebook with the introduction of the new controls or do you think they do not change anything?
February 19, 2010 at 1:06 am
It still depends on your friends whether they use the feature or not. Still, i find this new privacy control for applications useful to some point.
August 4, 2011 at 2:09 pm
When you sign up for or activate a certain program, it’s possible that hackers could get access to all the information. Facebook is can be really fun but it’s very important that you wisely choose the information you give out as well to protect your privacy.


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By: Rich Aviles and Candice Varetoni
ALBANY- On the corner of State Street and Quail Street stands not only a convenience store, but an establishment that members of the community feel is their own. Since 1997, Quail Street Market and Deli has been a dependable place for residents’ everyday needs.
After moving to the United States from Yemen, co-owners Adnan Abbas and Salah Abdulla went to Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan. There, they gained an understanding of the English language and how to run a business as well.
Once they earned degrees, they were eager to get into the work force and see what they could achieve in the business world. In 1996, the two moved to Albany and worked to save enough money to start their own business.
“I wanted to be successful here,” said Abbas. “I think that’s what all small business owners strive for.” After a year of saving Abdulla and Abbas purchased the corner store from Peter Sivaslian.
The building was already a convenience store, so very minor things had to be changed, including adding a new deli counter and eliminating a section of frozen vegetables to add more room for drinks.
When Quail Street Market opened in 1997, the store saw immediate success. At the time, the surrounding neighborhood was littered with college students. Offering everything from paper towels to cold cuts by the pound, the students flocked to this corner store for any household needs.
“It was a great time when we first opened,” said Abdulla. “The kids would come to us for everything they needed, and we were more than happy to provide for them. We became friends with a lot of the people around here.”
Abbas is known as a very friendly, outgoing person. Many regulars of Quail Street Market know him as “Hishik Bishik,” which means “all good things” in Arabic. When meeting a new customer or neighbor, Abbas introduces himself as Hishik Bishik instead of his actual name.
“Hish is a great neighbor,” said Justine Sefrin, a student at Hudson Valley Community College and a neighbor of Adnan. “Everybody on my street says ‘hello’ when they see him.”
Not only does Abbas work at and own Quail Street Market, but he also lives up the block on State Street. “I like living here because I get to learn about the school and students,” said Abbas.
Although many college students still live in the area surrounding Quail Market, “the neighborhood has seen a lot of change,” said Adnan. The area has become much more residential in recent years, leading most students to move closer to Western and Madison Avenue.
With this recent flight of college students, along with the decline of American economy, Quail Street Market has lost some of its primary customers. Abdulla and Adnan remodeled the store’s exterior and added a grill and a fryer for an expanded menu designed to attract new business.
[gopher videoid=”82649480001″ isbrightcove=”yes” autoplay=”no”]
Matthias Hackett, a junior at Saint Rose and State Street resident, has been going to the store since he was a freshman.
“As long as I live in Albany I’ll be going to hishik,” said Hackett. “I love their fresh cold cut sandwiches, and now that they have the grill I go there for lunch almost every day.”
Abbas and Abdulla are currently looking for a property to purchase and locate another store. They hope to expand their business to an area further downtown and appeal to more people, while also keeping Quail Street Market up and running.
“We want to find a larger, newer looking store to draw in a large customer base and have success like we did” with the Quail Market, said Abdulla.
Ex-State Street resident Evan Sanders believes that opening a new store would be a smart move for Abbas to open up another convenience store.
“It think it’s great Hish is opening his own store,” said Sanders. “He will have a lot of us kids travel the extra block to go visit him and get a beef patty special.”
Several months ago, the owners were in the process of purchasing a building near the corner of Madison Avenue and Lark Street, but ended up getting denied. According to Adnan, the surrounding stores wrote up a petition against the new store.
“They claimed that our store would create too much business and would take away from theirs,” said Adnan. “I was led to believe that business was about competition, and I was prepared for some down there.”
For the time being, Quail Street Market is their only store, and nobody is complaining. Alyssa Mescia, a University at Albany senior, recently moved to the area and discovered the corner store this past year.
“I wish I would’ve moved down here a couple of years ago,” said Mescia. “I’ve only been coming here for a few months and they treat me like I’ve been a regular for years now.”
Adnan loves having his store in its corner location. “I really enjoy meeting new people,” said Adnan. “We’ll be here for as long as possible making new friends and serving this community.”


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I’m not sure what I expected when I read an interview with Russ Bateman, the man who trains Victoria's Secret models, but it wasn’t this.
Where I expected to find recommendations for gruelling spin classes and 900-karat gold facials I found ‘spend less time on your phone’ and GO OUTSIDE MORE.
Maybe training to be a supermodel is easier than we all thought?
Bateman has been speaking to Glamour UK about his training regime for models, and it’s not what you think at all.
Get some damn sleep!
‘Sleep is the one thing I ask girls about before they train with us,’ says Russ. ‘It's the primary time that the body recovers from exercise and it's also when you'll be rebuilding torn muscle tissues.’
Is this an excuse for a lie in?! Loving these tips already.
READ MORE: 21 Celebs Who Are Vegan
Celebrities Who Are Vegan
UK-based music artist JME is into more than just grime - try plant-based diets.
Miley went on the path to veganism in 2014 after her beloved dog Floyd died, which prompted her to stop consuming animal products. She even has a tattoo of a sunflower with leaves that form a "V" shape - a symbol of which is often used to represent veganism on food labels.
Joining Miley in 2015, Liam decided to be vegan. "The more I was aware of, the harder and harder it was to [eat meat]," he told Men's Fitness. "There are no negatives to eating like this," he told the magazine. "I feel nothing but positive, mentally and physically. I love it."
Kate Winslet has been an advocate for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) for several years now, and she's also narrated videos about boycotting restaurants that serve foie gras.
Natalie Portman is such a strong believer in the vegan diet that she produced and narrated a new documentary called Eating Animals, which is all about the people who raise and grow our food.
J-Lo credits her high energy levels to a plant-based diet. Well, something has to fuel all of that dancing, after all!
Supermodel and UN environmental ambassador Gisele believes that going vegan is a good way to fight climate change. Plus, she always has glowing skin, and we reckon her diet must contribute to that.
Jenna Dewan Tatum was previously a vegetarian, but has since switched over to a vegan diet. She told Natural Health magazine that after the switch, her "skin cleared up, I had a ton more energy and I just felt clearer in the head."
Pop sensation Ariana Grande is another A-lister who's a fan of the vegan diet. In 2013, she told The Mirror, "I love animals more than I love most people, not kidding. But I am a firm believer in eating a full plant-based, whole food diet that can expand your life length and make you an all-round happier person."
Harry Potter star Evanna Lynch became a full vegan in 2015. She's even launched her own vegan podcast!
Sia has been a vegetarian since 2010 and a full vegan for the last few years. But our real question is: how does she eat under that mass of hair?
As well as following a vegan diet, Kat Von D's cosmetics company, Kat Von D Beauty, has vegan products. These don't contain any animal products or by-products, and haven't been tested on animals, either.
Both Kate and Rooney Mara lead the vegan lifestyle. And did you know that Rooney is also gluten-free?
Emily, sister of Zoe Deschanel has long been a vegan and a supporter of animal rights.
The Hunger Games star Woody Harrelson is both vegan and a fan of the raw food diet. Basically, he eats very clean.
Made In Chelsea star Lucy Watson is on a vegan mission. She claims it has cleared her skin and given her heaps of energy, hence why her Instagram is packed with vegan food snaps and recipes.
Like her sis Lucy, Tiffany Watson is also an advocate of the vegan diet. They're even working on a joint vegan restaurant feature!
Is Demi Moore proof that a vegan diet is anti-ageing? We think so.
During an interview with AOL in 2016, Stevie said, "I've been a vegan for two years, so that's helped my already good-looking self. I think that eating healthy is important." What a sense of humour.
Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage has been a vegetarian for almost 15 years, and he's also recently become vegan.
Pamela Anderson is a big PETA campaigner and has taken part in over 20 initiatives over the last 20 years, in a bid to encourage more people to turn vegan and vegetarian.
Leona Lewis grew up in a vegan household, so a plant-based diet comes naturally to her. Over the years she's switched between vegan and vegetarian diets.
Here's an interesting fact: Thandie Newton was named PETA's "Sexiest Vegan of 2014" in the UK.
Believe it or not, but boxer David Haye is also a vegan. He's been following a plant-based diet since 2014, and has even launched his own range of vegan protein.
Have more sex
Apparently sex is good for your immunity, stress relief and managing pain. ‘A female orgasm can more than double a woman's tolerance for pain because it's an analgesic not an anaesthetic, meaning it suppresses pain,’ he told Glamour UK.
Eat some vegetables (duh)!
Do you have a friend that says ‘I’m not having carbs’ at every meal you have together? Well, Russ says that it’s better to say ‘I will have vegetables with my meal’ instead. Obviously, for most people, eating more vegetables is better than cutting out an entire food group.
Russ also endorses our Friday night takeaway (kind of), he says having a cheat meal at the end of the week is smart, or as he puts it; ‘The elephant didn't move without a reward.’
Don’t do the same boring exercise over and over
Russ suggest mixing up your workout so you don’t get bored. So no more hours spent on the treadmill? Fab.
In a very Red Hot Chili Peppers moment, Russ says you should throw away your television and instead go outside, cut down the time you spend on your phone, and stop scrolling Instagram; 'It's procrastinating and you get lost in a strange world based on peer pressure and competitive boasting.’
Okay, that’s it, I’m getting off the internet.
Follow Phoebe on Twitter @PhoebeParke
WATCH NOW: "You Should Eat What Makes You Feel Happy" Ruby Tandoh Talks Food With The Debrief
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.


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Lexus' styling has gone off the deep end with sharp angles and an aggressive aesthetic, and it looks like the next generation of its popular RX SUV will similarly upgrade its look during next week's New York auto show.
Technically Incorrect: In the new book "Becoming Steve Jobs," the Microsoft co-founder marvels at Jobs' ability to excite a crowd about technology.
The Duracell Powermat 24-Hour Power System is great for keeping two gadgets powered all day, but is best suited for iPhone 4 and Samsung Galaxy S3 owners.
Sprint, AT&T and other carriers have lined up with a wide range of pricing options for consumers. Samsung has a lot riding on getting off to a good start.
Budget specs? Yep. Killer deal anyway? Yep.
Your options for replacing -- or not replacing -- a shattered iPhone screen.
Didn't make plans for the night? Fear not. An app making a play on Kickstarter offers up a list of options so even the worst procrastinators can find social joy.
A newly granted patent would let you view friends, family and even pets from your mobile device as they move through their day.
When the two browsers launch along with Windows 10, the future-focused Spartan will have a clear edge over the legacy-minded Internet Explorer 11.
Apple reveals pricing details about the mid- and top-tier versions of its highly anticipated wearable. Preorders will begin April 10.


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Music Gear News
World's Biggest Record Seller Revealed
The Chief Administrative Officer of the clothing, homewares and lifestyle brand, Calvin Hollinger, said "Music is very, very important to the Urban customer. In fact, we are the world's number one vinyl seller."
Sales of vinyl are steadily rising, with 6.1 million albums sold last year, the highest since 1991. UO have over 100 vendors who supply their records, and it's been said that they sell more vinyl LPs a year than Amazon.
The international chain is one of the only large global stores to sell vinyl records, which could account for it's 'world's number one' title. It still has a way to go to conquer the market completely, with 64% of vinyl sales coming from independent record stores, a fact celebrated annually by Record Store Day.
By Alice Thomson
Posted on 25 Sep 2014 11:38 to category : Music News
Related Music News
Featuring a whole host of professional grade components, Antelope Audio's Zen Studio is available now at an incredibly discounted price.
Chief executive of UK Music expects difficulties in the near future for UK artists wishing to work in the USA
Ticket touters have been routinely slammed by artists and promoters for quite some time. Now, the government are to host an evidence session in which ticket touters and secondary tickets websites will be investigated.
Shure announce their 'Call for Legends- Live Contest' in which the company search high and low for the next living music legends.
In August controversy was in the air as the Dirty Dancing stage show fired its live musicians in favour of a backing track. Now the Musicians' Union urge its members to join in the protest.
In recent times, the theft of musical instruments and gear seems to be more prevalent than ever. With this GPS guitar pedal, users can track their stolen equipment simply by logging in online on their phone or tablet.
Recent Music News
For those who want to emulate the massive tone of one of the contemporary music scene's biggest percussive heroes, the 'Spooky' signature drum is this winters must have addition to your kit
Some formats of compressed MP3 have been linked with negatively effecting individuals emotional state due to their inherent tonal characteristics
Once again Cubase continue to pave the path of innovation with Cubase Pro 9
Changing colour from its previous grey to a sleek black, the Launch Control XL's appearance has been re imagined to keep it inline with its Launch key and Launchpad counterparts.
Designed to simulate various classic amp tones, Supro's Tremolo Pedal introduces the new school to the old school
A premium belt-drive turntable that features wireless streaming, the BT-500 has been designed to extract every musical detail of your record collection


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Tennessee’s solar industry is growing fast.
The state has a rich history in manufacturing and had several companies already located there that were well-positioned to transition into the new industry. The state’s infrastructure is also attractive to new businesses that have relocated there, and Tennessee is not shy about courting the new clean technology sector.
It established the Tennessee Solar Institute in 2010 to foster solar industry growth, said John Sanseverino, executive director of the institute.
And April 10-11, the state will host its second annual Tennessee Solar Solutions Conference in Memphis.
“We want to demonstrate that we’re a major player in the solar industry,” Sanseverino said. “We want to use the conference to bolster Tennessee’s reputation in the solar world and to educate Tennesseans about solar.”
There are more than 200 organizations involved in the state’s solar industry, according to a needs-assessment report put together by the institute last year. That includes 174 for-profit and 62 non-profit entities.
“With companies old and new investing and innovating, the solar sector is putting some of our 297,000 unemployed Tennesseans back to work, while growing our state’s economy and capturing a bigger slice of the $240 billion global clean energy market,” Sanseverino said.
The state has been attracting some major new players in the market, including Hemlock Semiconductors, which moved to Tennessee in 2011.
“There’s a lot here,” Sanseverino said. “We also had some older manufacturers that switched.”
Sharp Electronics, for example, has a factory in Memphis that switched from making TVs and microwaves to producing solar panels in 2000, Sanseverino said. Several other manufacturers have also switched some or all of their operations over and are now producing solar industry goods.
The state has a solar grant program that helps not only manufacturers, but also solar installers and those living in the state who want to go solar.
“We’ve partially funded 16 megawatts of new solar,” Sanseverino said.
The atmosphere in the state has also attracted entrepreneurs. The institute found in its assessment that 18 entrepreneurs had filed for patents on solar innovations.
It’s also a prominent place for solar glass. Almost 60 percent of the country’s solar glass is made in Tennessee, San Severino said.
“And we know the industry is growing,” he said.


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Shunal DokeJul 23, 2013 09:23:42 IST
EA has released an extended cut version of the trailer for Need for Speed: Rivals that was shown off during this year's E3. In the trailer, both the cop and the racer get a bit philosophical about who they are and what they do. All the voice-over is shown over in-engine footage, so the trailer will give a pretty good idea of what the game will end up looking like. Check it out:
The first narrator is the cop, who talks about how they push limits in cars they don't pay for. They also point out that while many consider them thugs, since they can go where they want, whenever they want, the public knows they're necessary. The racer, on the other hand, sounds a bit like Fight Club's Tyler Durden. He talks about how he is awake while everyone else is "asleep".
Some think that the police is mostly composed of people with dodgy characters
Need for Speed: Rivals will be coming out on current-generation consoles on November 19. The company has also announced plans to release the game for the next-gen consoles, namely the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4, sometime this year. The current-gen platforms that will be getting the game include the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 and PC. As of now, EA hasn't revealed if the Wii U will be getting a version.
Much like the previous game – Most Wanted – Rivals will feature an open world and will have challenges and collectibles. It is being developed by EA’s new studio, Ghost Games. Need for Speed: Rivals will have a greater emphasis on cops vs racers. Much like the previous Hot Pursuit games, Rivals will let players play as both racers and cops, moving up the ranks in their respective “faction” and unlocking new customisation options.
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This spring Quiksilver is releasing the Ignite Neo – Goo boots and gloves, which the company bills as “the world’s first boot and glove to be fully dipped in liquid neoprene.” The initial launch features 3mm split-toe boots and 2mm gloves, which are good weights for the shoulder season on the Canadian coasts. There haven’t been many new developments in the wetsuit accessory market in recent years, so we’ll be keen to check these out when they hit the shops, especially if they live up to the promises of being light, flexible and leak-free.
About The Author
With over three decades of history, the SBC brand has been a leader in pioneering and supporting the progression and evolution of action sports, in partnership with the leading industry brands since day one. Whether it’s creating Canada’s first national slopestyle and halfpipe snowboard series; leading the charge to build Eastern Canada’s first major skate plaza; bringing the first live bands to the slopes of Whistler, Lake Louise, Mont Tremblant and Blue Mountain; staging the first night halfpipe event in North America; establishing the world’s biggest wakeboarding contest; throwing the biggest parties in action sports; or supporting the most legit contests and films big and small; it’s always been about doing it right for the riders by the riders, as it always should be!
March 14, 2013
January 20, 2012
January 29, 2016


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By Leah Fletcher
When the bottom fell out of the economy a few years ago, woman like Etta Jones tightened their fiscal belts and reviewed their budgets line item by line item. However, there was one item on Jones’ list that was untouchable—the trip to her hair salon.
James Yancey Hunter III, the principal of Go-SmallBiz, a Philadelphia-based consulting firm, reported that the hair care industry is one of the small business sectors that has experienced continued growth in the past few years.
“Demand for services is driven by demographics and population growth,” opined Hunter, who has an impressive list of salon owners, who seek his expert advice. “In order to remain a growing and expanding entity, the profitability of individual companies depends on technical expertise and marketing skills,” added Hunter, a 35-year-veteran of the beauty industry, who has worked for such companies as Revlon and Dudley Products, Inc.
Hunter’s industry assessment is confirmed by the Beauty Salon market research report from IBISWorld, a research organization specializing in the long-range forecasting of industries and the business environment at large. IBISWorld expects that revenue growth for beauty salons will continue to improve over the next three years, rising at an average annual rate of 3.2 percent to $58.7 billion by 2019.
Why have hair salons survived — and even thrived — in the tough economy? Hunter believes the trend is driven by increases in per capita disposable income and declining unemployment over the previous three-year period. “Higher disposable income leads hair salon customers to spend more on higher-value services such as manicures, pedicures, facials, waxing and massages,” explained Hunter.
Hunters points out several factors that he believes give the beauty salon industry recession-proof status.
The employment prognosis for hairstylists is good. As a personal services industry personnel, hairstylists work directly with their clientele. “Those who want their hair cut or styled must pay whatever the market in their locale demands,” according to stylist Jill Martin, who offers special incentives and discounted rates to her customers. The Camden, New Jersey stylist noted that there is a degree of security in beauty industry jobs. “While there are many who are losing their jobs to automated technology, I don’t foresee being replaced by hair-styling robots, at least in the near future.”
Those seeking employment often benefit the industry. Jobseekers, who are interviewing for jobs will often splurge — although their funds are limited — on beauty products and services, in order to look good and make a good first impression. Mobile salon entrepreneur Elaine Thompson said she experienced a surge in demand for makeovers among out-of-work baby boomers a few years ago. The Mt. Airy business owner noted, “They all wanted a younger look while applying for jobs,” she said. “I updated their looks and provided tips that would help them make a good impression at their interviews.”
Some customers curtail salon services, but most rarely discontinue visits. Salon services are a small luxury for most, however, budgetary consideration prompt some to use fewer services, according to Leah Davis, owner of Leah’s Beauty Salon. Davis, who plies her services in Philadelphia’s Oak Lane Section, found that some of her customers cut back on professional services. “Others who had previously colored their own hair, seek the service because they are working more and have less time or energy to do it themselves,” she said.
Salons can vary services and pricing levels based on customers’ needs. Salons generally offer services that range from basic to high-end. So customers have some control over how much they spend. Salon owners also have the flexibility to provide special promotions, discounts and other incentives to increase sales. For example, salon owner Mardea Reed-Chandler, owner of the 46th Street Hair Salon, markets her establishment as a full-service salon, however, she also bills it as the home of “The $20 Press and Curl”. The promotion supports her high-end services and provides more cost-effective offerings to older clients, who visit every two weeks for services.
According to Hunter, salon owners like Reed-Chandler, who operates in Philadelphia’s University City neighborhood, will succeed and continue to grow if they continue to develop quality services and strong marketing programs. An array of promotions may include anything from 20 percent discounts for same-day appointments or a monthly subscription rate for unlimited hair services.
Hunter also pointed out that expanded revenue may be generated by beauty salons and barbershops that opt to sell shampoo, cosmetics, or other products for home use, which have high profit margins.
“The bottom line is that there is enough elasticity in the industry to weather rough economic times,” said Hunter. “It’s not only a matter of watching trends, but, identifying what customers are seeking, and positioning resources and creativity accordingly.”


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DoverPhila Federal Credit Union is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s National Youth Week Challenge held from April 18th through April 23rd to promote financial literacy among area youth ages 17 and under.
The national savings event awarded qualified participants with a 10% bonus up to $10 paid on deposits. Participants were also placed in a random drawing for a chance to win a $50 MasterCard® gift card – awarded to one Kids Club member and one cu$aver – or the grand prize of a FitBit®. The Kids Club winner of the $50 MasterCard® gift card was Hazel Copeland of Bowerston, OH. The winner of the cu$aver $50 MasterCard® gift card was Skyanna Minor of Dover, OH. The grand prize winner of the FitBit® was Sheldyn Stewart of Newcomerstown, OH.
This year’s event had 93 participants and over 100 qualifying deposits. DoverPhila awarded over $500 in bonuses to Kids Club and cu$aver members.
For more information on how you can become a credit union member and receive special bonuses, call a DoverPhila member service representative at 330-364-8874 or click here.


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Italian luxury group Ermenegildo Zegna will list in New York by combining with a U.S. investment vehicle, giving the menswear company an enterprise value of $3.2 billion and helping it expand in Asia and the United States.
The move is the latest example of an Italian family-owned fashion business luring outside investors to fund expansion, boost marketing spending and compete with bigger players, after the industry was hit hard by the coronavirus crisis.
“We could have remained private for another 100 years, but the timing was perfect and the world of luxury has become very challenging,” Chief Executive Gildo Zegna, 65, told reporters.
Zegna, founded as a textile company in 1910 and now a leader in luxury menswear, will raise $880 million by combining with the U.S. special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) launched by European private equity group Investindustrial and led by Sergio Ermotti, former chief executive at Swiss bank UBS (UBSG.S).
Under the deal, the Zegna family will sell a portion of their holdings and retain 62% of the combined company, which is being given an equity value of $2.5 billion.
The cash raised will help Zegna expand in China, which accounted for 35% of the group’s 1.3 billion sales in 2019, and the United States. It will also help buy other brands, after its $500 million purchase of U.S. luxury label Thom Browne in 2018.
Gildo Zegna, whose “from sheep to shop” business includes much of its supply chain, said he had no intention of building a luxury conglomerate and would only acquire niche labels. He also said the group would stick to menswear.
“We have a clear strategy based on organic growth,” he said.
The pandemic, which forced retailers to temporarily shut shops and froze international travel, hit smaller luxury brands harder than big groups like LVMH (LVMH.PA) and Kering (PRTP.PA).
That has led some family owners to open up their companies to attract fresh funds. Etro, another Italian family-owned label, reached a deal on Sunday with LVMH-backed fund L Catterton fto sell a majority stake.
Giorgio Armani, 87, said this spring he could consider joining forces with another Italian company. Reuters reported on Friday that John Elkann, scion of Italy’s Agnelli family, has been exploring a possible tie-up.
Zegna said the pandemic had forced his business to undergo a “healthy diet”, slashing operating expenses by 20% and cutting investments. He said he hoped sales in 2021 would come close to their 2019 levels after dropping by about 20% last year.
The group will merge with Investindustrial Acquisition Corp (IIAC.N) in a deal that will give Investindustrial an 11% stake in the Italian brand. The listing is expected this year and Ermotti and Investindustrial chief Andrea Bonomi, who will both join Zegna’s board, said they had a long-term investment plan.


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Users of the Spanish bitcoin (BTC) and cryptocurrency exchange 2gether are receiving notifications announcing the closure of their individual accounts.
“After 5 years serving the crypto community, we are forced to close the private account service”, this is how the message sent by the company via email to its users. Some of them they have made the complaint about this fact on Twitter.
The argument for making this decision is that due to the “lack of resources and the crypto winter”, cannot provide services “with the quality and guarantees with which other similar providers are doing it”.
When they talk about crypto winter they mean the current bear market for cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin. A situation that, as CriptoNoticias has reported, has affected other digital asset service platforms, including Coinbase, BlockFi, Gemini and BitMEX. The most recent company affected is the exchange Voyager Digital, which filed for bankruptcy a few hours ago.
For its part, the Spanish exchange also announced that they cannot continue to operate for free. For this reason, users must now assume part of the cost that the company has incurred in recent years for the maintenance and management of the accounts.
In this sense, the Spanish company explained that they will charge 20 euros corresponding to said cost to all users, from next July 10. “This fee will be charged in cryptocurrencies by discounting said amount from your positions in the different crypto assets that you have in your account and any remaining balance will be charged in euros.”
In the case of those clients who do not have the amount of funds necessary to cover the 20 euros, the exchange will proceed to close your accounts. Although the company announces a date for users to catch up with what was requested, in the same statement they report, contradictorily, that they have already begun the process of orderly closure of said accounts.
Process for withdrawing funds
Among 2gether’s recommendations for their clients to receive the funds they have invested, they suggest that all staking positions be closed, to be transferred to bitcoin or ether (ETH). Later withdraw it from the exchange application to their respective bank accounts.
If by July 20, users have not withdrawn their digital assets from the exchange, the company ensures that will sell the cryptocurrencies of customers who do not cancel their accounts and it will also do so by charging an additional 30 euros.
The remaining balance in euros that remains in favor of the user will be deposited in the client’s account of the electronic money provider Pecunpay. “From there users will be able to request a transfer to their current account to recover their funds.”
This decision of the 2gether exchange was propitious for the Spanish tax economist, José Antonio Bravo, will comment that, in his opinion, the concept of exchange-custodian of digital assets or “crypto bank” “is not viable”.
Bravo believes that these types of platforms “have their days numbered” due to the crypto winter and for anti-money laundering regulations and tax that are coming in Spain.
“We are going to the exchange only for traders and/or buying and selling from/to private wallets, and the big custodian,” added the economist.


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The lights are on
Valve's Steam Box living room video game machines are out in the wild to lucky beta testers, and the unboxing videos are beginning to appear online.
You can see one of the first ones below from YouTube user Corey Nelson. The video shows off the very cool shipping boxes that the Steam Boxes are being delivered in, as well as what's included in the box, like the prototype controller.
Earlier this year, Valve unveiled its controller and the SteamOS, pushing forward its long stated goal of bringing PC gaming into the living room.
Our TakeAfter so much rumor and speculation surrounding Valve's Steam Box over the last few years, it's nice to see these things in the wild as tangible objects. I'm excited to see how the machine will shake up the video game industry when it finally makes it way into the hands of all consumers and not just beta testers.
Email the author Kyle Hilliard, or follow on Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and Game Informer.


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General Motors Supplier
of the Year Award
General Motors Names Jack Cooper Transport a 2021 Supplier of the Year
GM’s Supplier of the Year award recognizes global suppliers that distinguish themselves by exceeding GM’s requirements, in turn providing GM customers with innovative technologies and among the highest quality in the automotive industry. This year, GM recognized suppliers from 16 countries with the Supplier of the Year distinction.
This is the 3rd time Jack Cooper Transport has received the award in the last decade.
Sarah Riggs Amico, Jack Cooper’s Executive Chairperson, commented: “We are the largest motor vehicle carrier with a unionized workforce in the North American market. Getting this recognition from GM is a testimony to the quality of our service — which is the direct result of the skill and dedication of our workforce—and the longevity of our partnership. Jack Cooper is proud of our ninety-four-year record of service as a GM supplier. This award reflects the extraordinary efforts of an extraordinary team that has navigated a challenging supply chain disruption to deliver for our customers.


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Swarms of Apple fans around the world are "working from home," waiting for UPS to deliver their brand new iPhone Xs or Xs Max. At the same time, thousands are waiting outside their local Apple stores to get their hands on the new Apple Watch Series 4.
Fun fact: the first official sale of the iPhone Xs went to Mazen Kourouche and Teddy Lee (above) in Australia about 16 hours ago. 👏👆
For the rest of us anxiously checking UPS.com, there's a better way. The Shopify team launched a powerful app to track all of your packages. Arrive automatically syncs with your email, pulling tracking numbers from any online order. You'll get helpful notifications every time your package moves on planes, trains, and automobiles until it's delivered.
Shopify's Robleh Jama and team even did a deep dive into the history of airmail and international shipping. Watch the video. 📦
Shopify isn't the only team improving shipping worldwide. The USPS now offers Informed Delivery, which emails you pictures of your physical mail before you actually receive it. Downside: you'll remember that you have credit card bills. Upside: it makes you seem psychic. 🔮
Amazon launched a microwave with Alexa inside, because why not. 🤷♂♨♨
AI builders: There's a new security standard in town and you'll need to find out what it is, if you need it, and how it works.ISO 42001 was introduced by the International Standards Organization so that companies can demonstrate their security practices around AI in a verifiable way.
Join Vanta and A-LIGN in a live webinar to learn about...


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Despite President Donald Trump's claim that massive tax cuts will boost U.S. employment numbers, motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson instead announced a plant closing, followed by a massive stock buy-back and is now shifting some jobs to Thailand.
In a deep dive into happenings at the Milwaukee-based manufacturer of highly-coveted motorcycles, Vox discovered employees and union leaders who believe that they were betrayed by the company which prides itself on its reputation for American-built products.
According to the report, in 2017 House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) hyped up proposed Republican tax cuts, telling workers in his home state, “Tax reform can put American manufacturers and American companies like Harley-Davidson on a much better footing to compete in the global economy and keep jobs here in America.”
However, after the GOP delivered on their proposal, executives announced the closing of a plant in Kansas City, Missouri -- with 800 workers losing their jobs as some operations were moved to a York, Pennsylvania facility- leading to a net loss of 350 positions. According to union leaders, they never saw it coming.
“We really never had any belief that they were going to shut the Kansas City facility down,” said Greg Tate, a staff representative for the United Steelworkers, adding that the announcement was “the first anyone found out about it.”
On the heels of the announcement of the closure, the company announced a $700 million stock buy-back of 15 million shares after seeing their tax rate drop approximately 10 percent under the Republican-passed tax deal.
Adding insult to injury, the company announced plans to open a production facility in Thailand later in 2018, explaining it has nothing to do with jobs, but to get around tariffs President Trump has called for on steel from overseas and avoid a possible $30 million increase in costs.
Workers in Kansas City aren't buying it.
“Part of my job is being moved to York, but the other part is going to Bangkok,” claimed Richard Pence, a Harley machinist working at the Kansas City plant, in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, adding the company is already packing up the plant and that he suspects some of the machinery is heading overseas.
“These companies are taking tax breaks with one hand and handing out pink slips with the other,” said International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers President Bob Martinez Jr in a statement. “I’m going to call it like I see it ... this is a corporate ambush on working people."
“I think there’s going to be a big layoff in August and an even bigger one in October. After that, we will basically have a few hundred people left to finish out the Sportster line through the next model-year next spring. Then, that will be it for us,” Pence -- an employee of Harley Davidson for over 21 years -- added, before stating, "It’s sort of like the horse is out of the barn now.”
You can read the whole report here.


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It’s been another week dominated by figures – with some highly encouraging numbers, and some less so. Let’s dive straight in, starting with the good stuff. Mattel is the latest toy company to release its Q1 results, which chairman and CEO Ynon Kreiz described as the company’s “highest first quarter results on record.” Impressive stuff, with EMEA and the UK making major contributions: EMEA was the fast-growing region with a 29% increase, while the Mattel UK operation also had its biggest Q1 on record, adding 0.7% in market share to reach 7.8% in NPD share data, which is its best result in five years.
The results were ever so slightly tempered by speculation that Mattel has been speaking to two private equity firms about a potential sale. The Wall Street Journal broke the story, which several other US media outlets picked up and ran with. Our own FT was more guarded, describing the interest in taking Mattel over as “preliminary” and “unsolicited” and concluding that “any potential deal is in the very early stages and could still fall apart.” Very much a case of watch this space, with Mattel and the two private equity firms declining to comment further at this stage.
Sainsbury’s also released figures, although these were for the past year rather than Q1. You needed to do a bit of scratching below the surface to get the true picture, after a classic case of misdirection in the way the numbers were presented, which succeed in confusing numerous media outlets. The ‘trick’ Sainsbury’s employed was to compare general merchandise sales with FY 19/20 rather than FY 20/21: the former represented a drop of 4.6%, whereas the latter actually saw sales decline by 11.9% – quite a difference. The ‘real’ year-on-year number was almost mentioned as a throwaway comment, presumably in the hope that some journalists would just take the first figure they saw when editing the release – and it worked! Top level sh*thousery, masking numbers that will come as a concern to many in the toy community – albeit Sainsbury’s does claim that “the Argos transformation plan is on track and Argos is a more profitable business.” To be fair, I guess closing hundreds of standalone stores will have that effect on the balance sheet.
One group of companies that has no need to massage the numbers is the shipping line sector, which is apparently set to smash all previous Q1 records and on track to deliver $300b full year profits. However, there is always a ‘but’ – even though in this case, the world’s tiniest violin would be needed if anyone working in shipping was looking for sympathy. The ‘but’ on this occasion concerns potential weaker demand in the second half of the year, with some shipping lines apparently already forced to increase the number of blank sailings to mitigate the impact of current cargo shortfalls. Or as I like to call it, “deliberately manipulate the market to protect their obscene profit margins.” Allegedly.
Another company that is playing games with pricing models is our old friend Amazon, which this week announced that it would be hitting sellers on the Amazon UK platform with a 4.35% inflation and fuel levy. Yes, that’s the same Amazon which refused to allow suppliers to increase prices last year when they were trying to offset rising prices. And apparently some Amazon divisions (pan European has been given a dishonourable mention) are still digging their heels in and not accepting price increases this year either. So, if I am reading this situation correctly, it’s fine for Amazon to pass on increased costs, but not ok for its clients to do the same thing. Hmm…
Elsewhere in the retail scene, Green Swan, the owner of Toys R Us Iberia, initiated insolvency proceedings at the chain at the end of last week. Apparently stores in both Spain and Portugal will remain open and trading while the owner attempts to find a buyer or investors to keep the retailer going. Once again, the worlds of private equity and specialist toy retail show themselves to be fundamentally incompatible – it genuinely amazes me that these companies persist in trying, when so many have failed so miserably before. And if I had a £ for everyone who suggested that Smyths should take over the running of the operation, I could afford to either retire, or at least buy one shipping container. Will Smyths have the appetite for an approach…? I have no idea, but the will of the toy community certainly suggests that would be a very popular move.
May is going to be a busy month, with trade shows in Harrogate (the Toymaster Show) and London (Distoy) looming – if you would like to catch up with me or anyone from the Toy World team at either show, feel free to get in touch. There is also Licensing Expo in Vegas the following week, and looking further ahead, I may finally have some potential good news on the Hong Kong front. This week I joined several media colleagues for a meeting with Silas Chu, who heads up the HKTDC in Europe, Central Asia and Israel (last week Kazakhstan, this week London…that’s what I call a varied schedule). While there is still no firm news about the opening of the Hong Kong borders, it does seem that there may be some light at the end of the tunnel: it was announced this week that the Hong Kong Rugby 7’s will be going ahead in November, as will a major financial conference to be held in Hong Kong. As both events traditionally draw an international audience, it seems entirely plausible that Hong Kong may therefore be looking to open up towards the end of the year. Now, don’t get too excited at this stage: there is still considerable debate as to whether quarantine restrictions would be scaled back (not ideal for the January trip) or scrapped altogether (a much better idea), and the border with China will almost certainly need to open before international visitors are welcomed back in – and with recent events in Shanghai and Beijing, the situation in China is still extremely fragile. However, assuming these events go ahead as planned, it offers some encouragement for January 2023. As ever, we’ll keep you posted.
Enjoy the latest in a seemingly never-ending stream of UK Bank Holidays; we’ll be back on Tuesday with more news and the digital version of the May edition of Toy World – another absolute cracker of an issue.


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Recent changes on Facebook, unveiled on September 24, have become a legitimate conversation point among the site’s 800 million users — including those who use it for business reasons — who are almost universally unhappy with its new appearance.
Will Facebook’s personal and business users accept the changes and even embrace them over time? Or will they run to Google+, Twitter, or some other new social media outlet that hasn’t yet become a household name?
Most of the time when a large corporation makes a product change customers bow to the inevitable and accept it. But in the interactive world of social media it may be easier for Facebook users to rebel, making the “new Facebook” the next New Coke. And businesses might be leading the revolt.
Erik Kent, co-founder with his wife Beth, of NJWedding.com, uses Facebook extensively as a marketing tool in his business. The changes, however, have shaken his trust in Facebook. “As consumers we value what we trust. Until the changes, as a business owner I had trust that Facebook was an excellent way to help me spread the word about my services,” he says.
Erik and his wife are both graduates of Rutgers University. “We met while we were at Rutgers and got married in 1994,” he says. The two were communications majors, and after college Erik got a job in marketing while Beth worked in bookkeeping. But the fun they had planning their own wedding remained on their minds. “We wanted to work together, we just weren’t sure how at first,” he explains.
A trip to Boston in 1995, where two friends were planning their own wedding using almost exclusively a new tool at the time, the Internet, was the catalyst for an idea. “We came home from that trip and went online and registered the name NJWedding.com,” he says. They officially opened their business in 1996, at first using the old-fashioned method of going door-to-door to businesses in Union and Essex counties to talk local businesses into advertising online.
Fifteen years and three children later the couple is still in the wedding business. “We work together from home and we really enjoy it. It’s been a great way to balance work and family life,” he says. And Facebook has become one of his major marketing techniques. Until September 24, the day of the big Facebook change, Kent says he averaged three hours a day on Facebook.
Kent has three Facebook pages, his own personal page, NJWeddings.com page and a NJ Wedding Industry Professionals page. That site has about 1,200 members while the NJWeddings.com page is only five short of 2,000 “likes.”
While Facebook is promising that the changes will make the site more interactive, Kent is troubled that his subscribers can now easily turn off his messages. A newsfeed feature on the right hand side of the page also makes it more difficult to see Facebook advertisements, another feature he regularly used. “If I can’t trust that people are seeing my posts, why should I continue to use Facebook?” he asks.
Other changes, such as fewer E-mail notifications, changes in the algorithm (called Facebook Edge) that decides which items are listed as top news, and the ability to subscribe to only some updates by any particular user, make it less likely that people will see a Facebook post. In addition, Facebook has “chosen” certain settings for all users, who must actively change settings to make it easier to see certain posts. And according to many users, changing these settings is confusing and too difficult.
“I don’t get it, I don’t like it, I don’t have time to learn it, and I wish you’d give it up. It wasn’t broke, so you shouldn’t have messed with it,” wrote one Facebook friend on my own site. Her comment was echoed by a few million other users.
Despite the skepticism, many business columnists and bloggers have applauded the changes, which most agreed would increase interactivity and drive businesses to create more interesting content while giving users the ability to hide boring content.
Kent, however, is not planning to wait around to see if the changes affect how many people read his posts. He is already making changes to his marketing strategy. “For the past few years Facebook has been a serious marketing tool for my business. I’m no longer so eager to use it,” he says. Kent has already cut back the time he spends on Facebook and is looking into several other marketing strategies to try this fall. He might increase his use of Twitter, but his is undecided and “not yet sold” on Facebook’s newest competitor, Google+. In fact, Kent, whose whole business premise is based on the Internet, says it may be time to go back to some “old school” techniques.
“There are other ways to connect,” Kent says. “We still need to make real world connections with people. We need to go out and network, get on the phone, and talk to people. I’m even thinking about a direct mail campaign — that is if we still have a post office next month!”


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PS5 Improvement Pursuits Devs Extra Than Xbox Improvement
GDC has printed its annual ‘State of the Recreation Trade’ report, which incorporates outcomes of its survey of over 3,000 online game builders. In its very first query, the group requested builders which platform(s) curiosity them essentially the most, and a whopping 58 % selected PC.
Amongst consoles, PlayStation 5 took the lead with 44 % of these surveyed discovering it essentially the most fascinating platform proper now. Nintendo Change received 38 % of the votes, and Xbox Collection X/S received 30 % of the votes. Google Stadia obtained the least quantity of affection at six %.
Requested which platform(s) they’re at the moment creating video games on, 58 % stated PC, 32 % stated iOS, 31 % stated Android, 27 % stated PS5, and 24 % stated Xbox Collection X/S. Solely 17 % are at the moment creating a recreation for the Change.
Responses had been just like the query of what platform(s) the respondents might be creating their subsequent mission on. PC and cell platforms had been within the lead, adopted by the PS5. Xbox Collection X/S and Change trailed behind.
“Maybe what’s most intriguing is how, regardless of PlayStation and Xbox platforms having near-parity in the case of previous, present, and subsequent initiatives, considerably extra builders are exhibiting curiosity in PS5,” GDC famous in its report.
Elsewhere, it seems that fewer builders are engaged on digital actuality and augmented actuality video games. What meaning for the subsequent technology of PS VR stays to be seen.
The report additional reveals that the pandemic has brought about a major variety of delays. 44 % of respondents stated that their initiatives had been delayed as a result of COVID-19.


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A look at how cannabis legalization efforts are developing around the globe
With Canada fully legalized, Mexico on the cusp, and the US approaching a tipping point “The Tipping Point” for full federal legalization, it’s an exciting time for cannabis on the North American continent. But it’s not just North America we should be thrilled about, because efforts across the globe are also gathering pace. So, let’s take a closer look at the progression of cannabis legalization around the world.
Of the 50 countries that make up the continent of Europe, 19 have so far legalized medical cannabis including some big nations like Germany, Italy, and the UK. Progress towards recreational cannabis legalization is painfully slow however, but Luxemburg appears to be the front runner with a favorable government making a big push in 2021. Additionally, in the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Spain and the Netherlands, while technically illegal, rec cannabis use is somewhat permitted.
Of course Uruguay made history by becoming the first country in the world to fully legalize cannabis, but across the rest of the South American continent other countries are making progress, too. Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru have all legalized medical marijuana and decriminalized personal use to some extent, although no other country has gone as far as Uruguay when it comes to recreational cannabis.
Jamaica and cannabis have a storied history but even though medical is legal, and personnel possession and cultivation have been depenalized, cannabis on the whole remains mostly illegal. Rastafarians can use it for religious purposes, and a number of medical dispensaries known as “Herb Houses” have opened up to cater to the licensed medical market. Additionally, Barbados, Bermuda, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have joined Jamaica in legalizing medical marijuana.
Asia and Oceana
Australia has been pushing forward with medical marijuana since they legalized in 2016, and last year the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) became the first state to legalize personal use of cannabis. Like the US however, recreational use remains federally illegal, although attitudes towards cannabis in the country seem to be shifting rapidly with 41%of Australians now in favor of legalizing adult use, too. Elsewhere in the region New Zealand, the pacific nation of Vanuatu, Thailand, and Sri Lanka have also legalized medical cannabis.
South Africa is the legalization leader in Africa having approved medical marijuana in 2018. Additionally, private personal use, possession and cultivation of small amounts of cannabis are also legal, however public consumption and sales are not. Furthermore, Ghana, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have all legalized medical cannabis recently with more african nations expected to follow suit this year.
The Middle East
Israel takes the crown in the middle east for not only legalizing medical cannabis and decriminalizing personal recreational use, but by also becoming a global center for cannabis research. Additionally in Lebanon, a country with a long history of illicit cannabis cultivation, growing for medical use was approved last year making it the first Arab country to do so. Lastly in Georgia, medical marijuana is legal and so is personal possession and cultivation, however sales are still forbidden.
Around the world cannabis legalization is gathering pace. Not only have a huge number of countries made the first steps towards legalizing medical cannabis, but an even larger number have enacted decriminalization or depenalization measures. Ultimately, that means that the global prohibition and harsh policing of the last century has begun to crumble worldwide, and that’s great news for cannabis legalization.


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The "Fair Prices" -and before the "Careful Prices"-
have almost no incidence
in the inflation measurements of the INDEC.
According to the official Institute, "the prices surveyed that are within the agreement programs between the State and the business sector for January
represent 3.65% of the total prices surveyed
in the GBA" (Capital and suburban districts).
It is that in the structure of family expenses, and that the INDEC relieves to calculate the Consumer Price Index, fruits and vegetables affect - which are
outside Fair Prices
- and the rest of the prices of food and articles of cleaning or for the home and many others that
move outside the agreements with the State
And all the
services regulated or not by the State
–which are not in the official program either- that in January had the peculiarity of
increasing above the average inflation
Thus, services had an increase of 7.7% and regulated prices increased 7.1%.
In this way,
the Government's claim
that these price agreements were a factor that helped slow down inflation
has been postponed
, now in the words of the Vice Minister of Economy, Gabriel Rubinstein, until the end of the year.
A promise that, for now,
is not based on objective data.
On the other hand, in the so-called local businesses and in the small and medium-sized supermarkets, the products agreed with the State "are conspicuous by their absence" and in the large supermarkets the supply of these products is irregular or insufficient
It also affects that, for the same type of product, the "fair price" may be more expensive because
it does not have discounts for promotions
or with the payment of certain debit or credit cards.
For their part, soft drinks, sweet and water cookies, fresh milk and wheat flour are the ones that most affect the survey of these prices by INDEC.
However, and without considering the increases in the prices of fruits (11.6%) and vegetables (16.7%), which once again led food inflation, strikingly the ones that increased the most in January - almost repeating the list December- were sweet cookies (8.68% after the rise of 13.75% in December), soft drinks (12%, after the rise of 11.55% in December) and alcoholic (between 5.24 % and 8.04%, after between 6.59% and 11.18% in December), dulce de leche (6.30% after 8.08% in December), wheat flour (9.01% ), white rice (7.90%) and stew-type noodles (8.36%), according to INDEC records for Capital and GBA.
In January, inflation rose one notch and the Economy admits that it will remain high until the end of the year
Shell stung again and increased naphtha by another 4%


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In African Agriculture, Information is Power
You don’t have to spend long in many African agricultural markets to realise the need for better information. Farmers lack prices, traders need transport and new contacts, projects and governments need a better way to reach out to people, businesses lack real-time updates on their stock and the value of their harvests. The list goes on.
In this installment of Mobile Message, Sarah Bartlett – Director of Communications and Research at Esoko - explains how African technology is being used to power agricultural markets across Africa, filling an ‘information void’ for local farmers in the process.
Standing in the heart of his pineapple farm in the Central Region of Ghana, Ali Morrison, gripping two mobile phones, tells the story of his most recent sale. Traders came to him offering just .20 Ghana cedis for each pineapple. That’s about 13 US cents. This time around he and his business partner, Isaac Assan, had their mobiles on hand and did a quick SMS price request to Esoko. He sent in the word “pineapple”. He received a list of prices covering the major markets in Ghana.
In the past farmers like Ali and Isaac have had no choice but to blindly accept the prices offered by traders. But the recent and sudden ability to refer to current prices across the country disrupts that whole dynamic. It gives farmers confidence that they didn’t have before, and it takes away the opportunity for traders to lie about prices in faraway markets. Knowing the trader would resell in the capital city’s market for .80 cedis each, Ali wouldn’t budge until he got .40 cedis. He doubled his profits that week, making 400 Ghana cedis instead of 200. That’s US$165 more. And just for the price of a text message.
It’s only until you hear these stories that you can actually wrap your head around the information deficit in rural areas across Africa. Just think for a moment about the amount of information you have at your fingertips everyday. Now slowly take sources out of the mix. Newspapers, magazines, out. Email? Gone. TV vanishes. Both Internet and smartphones disappear. You’re basically left with your neighbors, the radio, and that simple phone. Now imagine trying to make a sale.


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Elon Musk mentioned Friday he’d create an “choice” smartphone if Apple and Google take away Twitter, which he purchased for $44 billion closing month, from its app shops.
“I for sure hope it does now not come to that, however, sure, if there’s no different selection, I can make another telephone,” the billionaire tweeted in keeping with a query from right-wing persona Liz Wheeler.
Wheeler requested if folks would “transfer to a tELONphone” and requested for title concepts. With virtually 89,000 votes forged by means of early Saturday, some 53 % of respondents mentioned they would purchase a Musk-created telephone. Instructed names incorporated the “ePhone,” the “Trolophone” and “SpacePhone.”
Whether or not Musk if truth be told follows thru on his promise is determined by how Twitter’s dating with Apple and Google develops within the coming weeks and months.
Musk has complained concerning the charges charged by means of the tech giants.
At the turn facet, his staunch dedication to “loose speech” at the platform (such because the reinstatement of arguable accounts comparable to that of former President Donald Trump) in a bid to spice up earnings has sparked hypothesis the app might be pulled from the Android and Apple shops.


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Alien: Isolation to be released in early October
SEGA and Creative Assembly have announced a release date for their eagerly-anticipated sci-fi survival-horror title Alien: Isolation.
The game's creative lead Alistair Hope revealed the release date at the end of a developer session on how they've created the low-fi 1970s feel of the game.
“We couldn’t be happier to finally announce a date for Alien: Isolation,” Hope said. “The reaction we have seen so far has been simply incredible, from the screams and shrieks to the cold sweats and racing hearts. It’s the Alien game that we’ve always wanted to play and we can’t wait to let everyone get their hands on it this fall.”
Creative Assembly have gone all out to recreate the atmosphere and sheer terror of being stalked by a lone Xenomorph as represented in Ridley Scott's 1979 original film Alien.
Alien: Isolation is due out on PC, PS4, PS3, Xbox One and Xbox 360 on October the 7th.
- Bungie explains their latest weapon balancing efforts in Destiny, promises more is coming
- Blizzard aiming to release Hearthstone on Android tablets by the end of the year
- Former BioWare man Casey Hudson hints at an Oculus Rift project
- Dark Souls on PC to switch from Games For Windows Live to Steam next month
- Square Enix announces details and pricing on the premium livestream of Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2014
- First Challenge Mode DLC arrives next week for Alien: Isolation
- Metallica to close out this year's BlizzCon
- Free DLC adds a new skin and runes to Shadow Of Mordor
- ESL Gaming app arrives for the Xbox One


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By Jim Davis
The Empire State rides on the highs and lows of the Big Apple.
On a spring day some 225 years ago, financial panic led a group of merchants
and stockbrokers in New York City to come together underneath a buttonwood tree, more commonly known now as a sycamore tree. The location was
The business group negotiated the terms and conditions of a speculative
market on May 17, 1792, in what is known as the Buttonwood Agreement.
From that initial meeting, the forerunner of the New York Stock Exchange
(NYSE) was born.
Today, it’s the largest stock exchange in the world. Nearly 4 billion shares are
traded daily by the more than 2,400 companies listed on the NYSE — ranging
from blue chip to high-growth companies that combined have a market
capitalization of $21.3 trillion. So, it’s no surprise that banking and financial
services is one of the foundations of the Empire State’s economy.
There are more than 330,000 financial-services workers in New York.
About 90 percent of the financial-services jobs in the state are located in
New York City. And these are well-paying jobs. The average annual wage
for bank jobs is about $137,300, or more than twice the statewide average
of $64,540. Securities and commodity jobs pay, on average, about $384,300
a year, or six times the statewide average annual wage, according to the
New York State Department of Labor.
Any discussion of the state of New York needs to separate New York City,
known as the Big Apple, from the rest of the state, however. New York City
has nearly 8. 6 million of the state’s 19. 8 million residents and fuels economic
growth for the state.
New York City is the largest office market in the U.S. The city also is a
major tourism draw and one of the reasons why the state ranks as the
fifth most-popular tourist destination in the U.S. That industry generated
$105 billion in revenue just in 2016.
The state has attempted to foster economic development in upstate
New York, spending billions of dollars to nurture the microprocessor-chip
manufacturing industry and other technology industries around the state
capital of Albany. One in 20 new inventions in the semiconductor industry
was patented in the region last year.
In 2013, the state launched an investment program called the Buffalo Billion
to spur development in Western New York. The state spent $750 million to
build and subsequently lease a plant to Tesla to manufacture solar panels.
As a whole, New York has the third-largest economy in the U.S., behind only
California and Texas. Major sectors other than banking and finance include
health care, professional and technical services, retail and food service, and
manufacturing. The state’s real gross domestic product grew at a 1.1 percent
pace last year, compared with 2.1 percent for the nation.
About 14 percent of the New York state population lives in poverty. n
What the locals say
“A lot depends on what happens with New York City,
because that’s where all the tax revenue is generated.
To the extent that New York City is growing and is
continuing to be an economic engine, that allows the
state to invest more money in other places and essentially
diversify. We want to have Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse
be engines of growth on their own, so they’re not as
dependent on New York City.”
Frederick G. Floss,
Professor and chair of economics,
SUNY Buffalo State
Home sales and prices
Both sales and prices for homes in New York have been on an upward
climb for the past few years, according to data from the New York State
Association of Realtors. (Not all of New York City is included in the
association’s data, however.) The number of townhomes, condominiums
and single-family houses sold in New York rose from 107,695 in 2013 to
134,066 in 2017. The median sales price also has been moving upward,
increasing from $225,000 in 2013 to $250,000 last year.
There are some signs of a softening housing market, however. New York
saw 57,735 closed sales through the first half of this year. That’s down
3. 8 percent from the first half of 2017. This past second quarter, in
particular, lagged behind past sales performance — with 5. 5 percent
fewer homes sold than in the same quarter in 2017. Housing prices
continued on an upward trajectory, however. The median sales price
through the first half of the year reached $262,500, up 8. 9 percent from
the first half of 2017.
Ne w York Home Sales
Source: New York State Association of Realtors
Home sales Median sales price
**Includes townhomes, condominiums and single-family housing;
does not include all of New York City
*Through August 2018


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Their beer industry is bracing itself for even more pain due to Melbourne lockdown.
Brewery’s partner brewing services have the ability to assist businesses of all sizes.
Balter’s head brewer on his recent ale and how it could point to the future.
Find out how Sunly is brewed like a beer and why they’re entering the market.
Ben Kraus reflects on the 15th anniversary of his seminal Beechworth brewery.
Kiwi city’s craft beer scene tipped to bounce back due to its steely resolve.
An Aussie brewery marks their tenth birthday with a ‘world first’ release of beers.
Check out the 14 page teaser to our latest edition and find out what’s inside.
We talk with TWØBAYS founder Richard Jeffares who joins our #backtothepub series.
Vintage Cellars picks up White Bay Beer Co’s Union Lager and Sunny Pale.
The Aussie brewpub is back in business from tomorrow as COVID-19 restrictions lift.
Chris Woods is the Master of the Brewniverse and his beer is on sale nationally.
One of WA’s smallest breweries has found a silver lining amid the COVID-19 downturn.
For now Governments aren’t hearing calls from brewers for short term excise tax reform.
Epic Beer’s owner says severe lockdown restrictions are threatening NZ craft beer makers.
CUB and Lion are donating resealable bottles so pubs and can sell takeaway draught beer.
Breweries across Australia are doing fantastic things during the pandemic.
The revocation follows a complaint made by Prancing Pony whose takeaway service was shut down.
Breweries are still producing lots of new beers for you to try at home.
The brewery’s takeaway drive-through was closed by police on 8 April.
A Good Beer Always Helps allows people send craft beers to essential services workers.
You can support craft breweries by ordering takeaway or delivery beers.
The Autumn issue has landed. Sign up to get your digital copy!
The decision rested on Asahi divesting five of its brands.


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Hello, dear reader,
The rapid rise of e-commerce is transforming brick-and-mortar retail. Fashion chain Bebe is the latest US retailer to announce that it will shut down its stores. But there are also other reasons leading to the closures. Read also why Britain's retail body wants to have a fair deal for consumers. Have a great start to the week.
Due to "sustained weak performance," supermarket operator Marsh will shut seven more stores. Its gourmet competitor Fresh Market will get rid of five outlets in a bid to reposition itself as a more mainstream grocer. The company also plans to roll out its new format.
Drink the rainbow with EXBERRY® Colouring Foods!
New drink concepts need to rely on more than taste alone. Colour is crucial to gaining consumer preference.
Additionally, consumers demand recognisable and plant-based ingredients. Go for naturally coloured drinks with EXBERRY® Colouring Foods,
made purely from fruits, vegetables and edible plants.
Read more about EXBERRY® here.
Amazon expands supply network
While its competitors are struggling with the decline of their physical appearance, the online behemoth is bolstering its distribution fleet by building three new giant fulfilment centres in New Jersey, which will bring 2,500 more jobs to the state.
Sports Direct buys in America
The UK retailer has made its first move into the US market with the acquisition of outdoor apparel chains Bob's Stores and Eastern Mountain Sports, buying up the debts of their parent company, Eastern Outfitters, which recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Sports Direct paid US$ 101 million.
Biedronka pleases parent firm
The Polish discount chain wants to open 100 new stores this year. Its owner, Portuguese retail group Jerónimo Martins, reported a 9% rise in sales to EUR 3.7 billion in the first quarter, with Biedronka accounting for nearly 70% of total group sales.
Asia & South Pacific
Cooperation with competitors
Mumbai-based retailer Future Group will sell products on rival online platforms Amazon and Bigbasket as part of its strategy to generate sales for its brands. Just recently, the Indian company has teamed up with P&G to increase market share.
Utilising the Silk route
Railway authorities of several nations, among them China, Germany and Russia, have signed an agreement to deepen cooperation on China-Europe freight rail services, while global security companies and their smaller Chinese rivals are looking for business along the land and sea routes.
Profit boost with golden fruit
New Zealand-based kiwifruit distributor Zespri expects to post a record profit this year due to increased revenue from the allocation of licences to grow the Gold3 variety. The new version, also called SunGold, has proven popular and is more resistant to bacteria.
What to watch
Roadmap to Brexit
British shoppers could face an average tariff of 22% on food from the EU if the government fails to reach a deal with Brussels. Therefore, the British Retail Consortium has launched a campaign for consumers, dubbed the Tariff Road Map, highlighting import trade relationships with data and facts.


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Note: I sit on a community board that addresses poverty issues in San Antonio, Texas. This came to my attention in am email from a former board member and I wanted to share it. le
In 2011, SNAP food benefit and TANF clients will find it much easier to join the millions of Texans who are rediscovering the nutritional benefits, cost savings and fun of buying food at farmers markets.
Twenty farmers markets around the state are participating in a year-long pilot program in which the markets will receive electronic point-of-sale terminals that let SNAP clients use their Lone Star cards at the markets. Most of these terminals will be linked wirelessly to HHSCs benefits processing system. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food and Nutrition Service.
Eight of the 20 farmers markets in the pilot program are in the San Antonio area, and others are in Lubbock, the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Corpus Christi, Abilene, Austin, Elgin, Tyler and San Angelo.
National program sponsors say the purpose of the pilot program is twofold. First, the program should demonstrate that wireless technology makes it possible to extend the SNAP program beyond traditional retail food stores. Second, the program will enable many more SNAP clients to access a fresh food source that nutritionists consider a powerful force for improving family health.
Increasing the number of farmers markets that accept the Lone Star card will help SNAP join forces with a growing movement to improve public health. The number of farmers markets in the United States has tripled to more than 5,200 in the past 15 years. According to USDA estimates, at least 5 million people per week shop at these markets.
So far in Texas, 14 of the 20 farmers markets participating in the pilot have been approved as SNAP participants by the federal Food and Nutrition Service.


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Startup Caper attracts investors with a project of "future baskets" for simple and convenient shopping in supermarkets.
It's about building a cart that will use computer vision and a variety of sensors to scan items on the go.
Caper has announced the closing of a new $10 million investment round involving Lux Capital and a number of Silicon Valley venture capital funds. To date, the startup has already raised $13 million. The company hopes that new technologies will allow traditional grocery retailers to keep pace with Amazon, which has effectively doubled automation in retail with the launch of the Amazon Go stores.
Unlike Amazon Go, which uses a complex system of sensors and cameras throughout the store, Caper's solution focuses solely on what happens inside the shopping cart. The exact cost of the "smart" basket is not reported, but it is known that we are talking about "hundreds of thousands of dollars" to equip one store. For comparison, about $ 1 million was invested in the equipment of the first store of the future Amazon.
“Instead of keeping track of the entire store, we are focusing on this very small cart. Our calculations are faster, our cameras are much closer, and we can scale the project much faster because we don't have to implement any infrastructure inside the store,” commented Caper CTO and co-founder York Young.
The "cart of the future" is expected to contain a bank card reader, a barcode scanner and image recognition cameras for quick self-purchase of goods in a store. The Smart Cart's touch screen will display personalized recommendations as well as shopping lists and recipes based on purchases made.
According to Yang, the company's core vision for product innovation is to create "a platform level in retail that has never been seen before."


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The Opening of Iloilo’s Newest Automotive ‘One Stop Shop’
04 Mar 14
Goodyear Autocare is proud to announce the opening of their brand new tyre and automotive servicing outlet at Mandurriao, Iloilo. Headed up by local owner and operator Atty. Ed Aguillon, the team at Goodyear Autocare F&E Mandurriao is thrilled to now be able to offer the community outstanding customer service and satisfaction through the store.
Goodyear Autocare F&E Mandurriao, which opened on March 1, offers motorists a ‘one stop shop’ for all their tyre, wheel, battery, engine oil, brake and auto servicing needs.
Having been in the tyre and automotive servicing industry for 35 years, Atty. Aguillon’s primary goal for the new store is to be able to offer local customers a complete automotive service experience.
“We look forward to providing unrivalled value, professionalism, customer experience and localized services to all motorists in Iloilo City,” Atty. Aguillon said. “Recognizing that high quality services are extremely important to our customers in the maintenance of their vehicles, patrons to our Goodyear Autocare F&E Mandurriao store will be served by an expert team, with the latest equipment in auto servicing.”
Goodyear’s Managing Director for the Philippines, Ron Castro, explained the background behind the Goodyear Autocare concept: “We know the value of hard work and the importance of good customer service, and this is what we want to provide for our customers nationwide through the Goodyear Autocare concept,” he said.
“The inside of the Goodyear Autocare stores—like Goodyear Autocare F&E Mandurriao—have been completely refurbished. It is fresh and friendly, creating a relaxed environment for the service teams to interact with customers and provide easy-to-understand, expert advice.
“Our top priority is the customer satisfaction that comes from providing a top-notch, relevant and friendly service to the local community.”
You can contact the team at Goodyear Autocare F&E Mandurriao for all your tyre, wheel, battery, brake and auto servicing needs at Airport Road, Mandurriao, Iloilo, or call +63 33 508-2141/321-2815.


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The Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association (PRSM), a leader in retail, multi-site facilities management, recently presented Terry Hay, CEO of Scandinavian Building Services with the Canadian Excellence Award. The award was presented to Hay during the PRSM Canadian Conference, which took place in Mississauga, Ont., and recognizes his leadership and service in the retail industry and within PRSM.
Hay is a facility management leader and is seen as a key contributor within the PRSM community as he mentors, educates and shares his knowledge with others. Hay speaks at PRSM conferences, serves on committees and writes industry Best Practices papers, and is personally responsible for the addition of several new retail members in western Canada.
Scandinavian Building Services was established in 1956 and has been owned and operated by the Hay family since 1982. The company provides cleaning services for over 50 million square feet of commercial space operated by top Canadian retailers. The company was recently named by Deloitte as one of the Best Managed Companies in Canada and has received several awards for customer service.
“I am extremely honoured to be recognized by my industry peers and by PRSM with this award. It is always a privilege to serve our customers and to be a member of PRSM,” said Hay, in a press release. “I want to thank our Scandinavian team for their hard work and dedication and all of the PRSM members who have helped us along the way. We appreciate the opportunity to be part of this industry and part of PRSM.”
“The Canadian Excellence Award was created to recognize the highest levels of professionalism in retail facilities management. Recipients of the award are innovative leaders in the industry who excel in their company, and they also give back to the profession in terms of sharing their knowledge and experience with others,” said Bryan Walker, PRSM Association 2015-16 Board President, Store Facilities Manager, The Container Store, in a press release. “I am pleased to present this year’s award to Terry Hay, an outstanding industry leader.”


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Round-Up: Shelf Life
Here is your weekly round-up of Shelf Life news. Next week’s round-up will focus on ingredients news. To submit an item for inclusion, please contact Carly Wood at [email protected].
- UK snacking cheese brand Dairylea has unveiled a new addition to its Dunkers range – Dairylea Dunkers Nachos.
- Rachel’s has announced the launch of its new Greek style Lemon and Gin yogurt, available exclusively in Sainsbury’s stores across the UK to mark its 25-year relationship with the retailer.
- This month low calorie soft drink Zeo is celebrating a brand relaunch to mark the introduction of a new, no added sugar range.
- British drinks brand Cawston Press has announced a new addition to its Kids Blend range: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Cloudy Apple juice.
- Innovative Bites, the UK supplier and manufacturer of snacks and sweets, has added ‘squeezed’ Elephant pretzels to its healthier snack range.
- Lactalis Nestlé, the UK fresh dairy products venture, has launched Aero Heavenly – a mousse in a large, shareable pot, with hopes to innovate and boost the chilled desserts category.