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Much-loved children's bike manufacturer Islabikes has announced it will cease sale and production after 18 years in business.
The announcement came on Islabikes' website today, founder Isla Rowntree, who stepped back from the day to day running of the company in 2021, thanking "our many loyal customers" and saying it "is a wonderful thing" that so many cycling brands now produce good quality bikes for children.
Pointing out that the company remains solvent and has no outstanding creditors, remaining stock of current models can still be bought and there will be an ongoing supply of spare parts, with existing guarantees also to be honoured, the statement says.
Acknowledging the "turbulent and difficult time" for the cycling industry, both Rowntree and majority owner and manging director Tim Goodall say that they do not wish to continue.
The company was founded in 2005, Islabikes saying it is proud to have "improved the cycling lives of hundreds of thousands of children" and "revolutionised" the market with "innovative designs for smaller hands and bodies".
Rowntree said: "Today, it's easy to forget just how bad most children's bikes were when I started Islabikes 18 years ago. They were monstrously heavy, fitted with outsized components and had dreadful brakes that were out of reach.
"They were so poor I believed they had the potential to put many children off cycling for life and I founded Islabikes to change that – to give children a better experience of cycling with the many benefits that brings.
"Islabikes' early success gradually gained attention from other and bigger cycling brands and, as a result of them following our lead, today good quality, well thought out children's bikes are available from multiple places, and for me, that is a wonderful thing.
"Tim and I would like to thank our many loyal customers, colleagues and suppliers who have contributed to the Islabikes story over the last 18 years."
As mentioned earlier, it has been a challenging time for the bike industry in recent months, various manufacturers, retailers, distributors and other cycling-related businesses no longer trading.
Just yesterday we reported the news that components giant Shimano, something of a bellwether for the cycling industry as a whole, has reported a fall in sales and said the global cycling market remains "weak".
UK bike sales have also fallen further in 2023, that despite them dropping to their lowest level in 20 years last year. And various big names from the cycling industry have gone out of business this year too, distributors Moore Large and 2pure just two of the casualties.
In the past week it was revealed that Wiggle Chain Reaction is reportedly heading towards administration due to issues with parent company funding. Signa Sports United, which owns Wiggle Chain Reaction and several other cycling retailers, learnt last week that it would no longer be receiving €150 million in funding over the next two years, putting its businesses in danger.
Dan joined road.cc in 2020, and spent most of his first year (hopefully) keeping you entertained on the live blog. At the start of 2022 he took on the role of news editor. Before joining road.cc, Dan wrote about various sports, including football and boxing for the Daily Express, and covered the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Part of the generation inspired by the 2012 Olympics, Dan has been 'enjoying' life on two wheels ever since and spends his weekends making bonk-induced trips to the petrol stations of the south of England.


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New Windows 10 features
Windows 10 shares many of the features first introduced with Windows 8, in addition to the major features mentioned below.
- Start menu - Brought back the Windows Start menu, with the tiles introduced in Windows 8 also capable of being displayed in the Start menu.
- Microsoft Edge - Microsoft has kept Internet Explorer, but also introduced and included the new Microsoft Edge browser for Windows 10 users, and recommends using it as the default browser.
- Cortana - The new voice assistant Cortana is now part of Windows and the Windows search bar.
- Action Center - A pop-out window with notifications for Windows and software on the computer and quick access to several features, like Bluetooth, or tablet mode and battery saver options if using a laptop. Action Center replaces the Charms feature available in Windows 8.
As of May 2020, the latest version of Windows 10 is version 1909, released on November 12, 2019, and available as a free upgrade through Windows Update.
One of the largest updates to Windows 10 was the Fall Creators Update, released on October 17, 2017.
Windows 10 system requirements
1 GHz processor or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64).
1 GB of RAM for 32-bit or 2 GB of RAM for 64-bit.
16 GB of hard drive space for 32-bit or 20 GB for 64-bit.
DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher.
What Windows version came before Windows 10?
For the end user, Windows 8 came before Windows 10.
Microsoft skipped from Windows 8 (Windows 8.1) to Windows 10, and there was never a version of Microsoft Windows called "Windows 9."
What version of Windows comes after Windows 10?
A Microsoft employee did state that Windows 10 is the last "version" of Windows. In a 2015 blog post, Terry Myerson of Microsoft explained that Windows is transitioning to a service model. Rather than moving towards "Windows 11," Microsoft is focusing on updating Windows 10 on the second Tuesday of every month, with major updates planned for release around April and October of each year. For instance, in 2017, Microsoft released the Creators Update in April, and the Fall Creators Update in October.
On June 24, 2021, Microsoft announced Windows 11.
When is the end of support for Windows 10?
Microsoft has posted that they would end Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025.

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China top domestic mobile brands
Chinese are big mobile users. First they represent 22% of worldwide smartphones sales, while the US are only 16% of the market share. They now own 330 million smartphones, which is 150% more than last year. And specialists predict that 460 million smartphones should be sold in 2017 in China, which would represent 117 billion dollars. (Read more about the perspective on growth of smartphones in China ))
But the competition is rude between foreign companies and Chinese brands. Chinese brands plan then to reduce the prices of smartphones in order to adapt to the emerging markets.
In the beginning of 2013, Samsung for example was first in China with 19% market share. Apple is also very present in China, and even wants to open new stores, to reach 25 stores in the country in the near future.
But these foreign brands also face problems, such as bad ethical image of Samsung, who is accused of treating bad his employees in China, and too high prices for Apple.
So how are the Chinese mobile brands seen by the population?
Sina Tech made a research on the brand recognition of Chinese domestic mobile brand. They asked 250000 persons which company gave them the deepest impression.
Here are the results, also on techinasia website
First a brief presentation of these brands:
- Huawei, a Shenzhen based company, is the second biggest communication company in the world. It covers different fields such as telecoms, smartphones, tablet, network and cloud. But China counts only for 34% of Huawei sales.
But being in leader in its field, it is not surprising that he arrives first, having the necessary marketing investment funds.
- Lenovo is the second manufacturer of smartphones in China with 11% market share and a 998 million turnover in the country. It sales mainly hardware, phones, computer servers and hardware, telephones, computer servers, connected TVs. In 2005 it even bought IBM personal computer service. The brand has an aggressive strategy to compeet with Samsung, and adapted to the Chinese market, selling phones at low prices. It is important to notice that Lenovo is supported by the biggest Chinese brands such as Alibaba, Baidu and Tencent.
- Coolpad is a Shenzhen based company, which became this year the third seller of smartphones in China after Samsung and Lenovo. They sold 189 million smartphones in China in 2012, and should reach 300 million by the end of this year. Its strategy is also to sell very cheap smartphones for those who use to buy Nokia for example: a Coolpad phone can be bought 80 dollars today.
- Xiaomi is also a very important Chinese brand for mobile phone, because it is said that they sold more smartphones than Apple in the second quarter of 2013, with 4.4 million units. The company intentionally does not big margin on hardware, and it also works with Android.
- ZTE, which means Zhong Xing Telecommunication Equipment Company Limited, use to be the fourth largest smartphone company in the world in the third quarter of 2012. The brand works in more than 160 countries in the world.
But we shouldn’t forget ZTE has a agreement with China Telecom: if people want to buy credit from China telecom, the only smartphone they get for free is a ZTE one. So the company probably doesn’t worry about his image. Otherwise the brand should invest more on advertising to restore its image.
This explains why that the brand has the deepest impression for only 6% of the people answering.
However we have to remember that the people answering are readers of Sina Tech, and like new technology
What do you think of these results?


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Hodges gets in the spirit
HODGES-The Town of Hodges celebrated its 100th birthday as its residents kicked off the first-ever Spirit of Hodges festival Saturday.
The festival brought in a crowd from across the county. Residents of Red Bay, Vina, Russellville, Hackleburg, and Phil Campbell flocked to the small community to participate in the celebration.
"According to the door prize tickets and head counts from several people, about 2,000 people attended the festival," Town Clerk Lisa Howard said.
There were 18 vendors from all over selling a variety of food and craft items, and all of them did well at the festival,
"Swamp John had to make three trips for more fish," Howard said. "They said they didn't know what he was going to do because they were out of fish."
Several of the other food vendors sold out of items as well.
While the vendors were popular, the entertainment was the main attraction. Entertainers performed one after another. The genres of music ranged from Christian to country. Entertainers for the event included Joseph Baldwin, Brianna Lawler-Dean, Locke 6, the Burney Children and many others.
The town sold books depicting the history of Hodges at the event for $10 each. A copy of the book can be purchased at town hall. In addition to the books, the festival had t-shirts for sale.
"We completely sold out of t-shirts at the festival," Howard said.
After the festival was over, the town received another surprise when a flag was delivered to the town hall. According to the certificate, the flag was flown over the capitol building in Washington D.C. on September 27, 2007 in honor of the 100th birthday of the Town of Hodges.
The flag was flown at the request of Representative Robert B. Aderholt.


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As hinted at in our ennui-bustin' Thanksgiving Rumor Roundup Microsoft have confirmed that the new batch of 'Jasper' Xbox 360 Arcade boxes will come with internal flash storage.
Kotaku · Stuart Houghton
Lisa Miskovsky Performs Still Alive For Your Listening/Viewing Pleasure
Kinja is in read-only mode. We are working to restore service.


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Yes, this Friday Google announced that its DoubleClick unit will soon allow its clients to purchase Facebook Ads! It is very likely that Facebook’s latest upgrade to Facebook Exchange (FBX), the social network’s retargeted ads platform, motivated this move from Google. So yes, in a few weeks or months, DoubleClick users will be able to buy Facebook ads via Google’s Bid Manager.
FBX’s retargeted ads take into account people’s browsing behavior outside Facebook, using information captured through cookies, with the aim of offering up messages about products they’ve already shown interest in.
Payam Shodjai, DoubleClick senior product manager, wrote in a blog post:
[quote]Partnership has been key to Google’s success as a rising tide lifts all boats. So we’re excited to announce a new way to help our clients succeed by working with Facebook to participate in FBX, their real-time bidding exchange…[/quote]
So what do we think? Well we think this great for online marketing, and we also think that internet users will not easily manage to surf the web without being noticed by the 2 internet giants anymore.
And now we can’t stop thinking of this magic moment when Zuckie shook hands with Eric….. back in France!
How do you feel about this?
- The Benefits of FBX Retargeting in the News Feed [Infographic]
- Facebook Ads Increase Impressions by 200 Percent
- Facebook Introduces New Page Insights
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The build 16299.755 for the Windows 10 April 2018 Update is now available to download and it brings a pretty long list of fixes.
The new features list for OneNote will streamline the Mac, Windows 10 and Online versions and bring them more in line with the way OneNote 2016 functions.
A group of Minecrafters and DJ's started the first major music festival in Minecraft, humorously named Coalchella.
News just in, Apple has announced a Special Event, for October 30th. This image looks like Simpsons with Marge at the bottom, but expect more artistic flair from the event. Is there a hint of Apple going back to its roots? New Apple iPads and Macs are expected, with Face recognition,
At first, second and even third glance, the Samsung Book 2 looks in most respects, just like a Surface Pro
Half-Life 2: The Orange Box bundle, Portal: Still Alive, Left 4 Dead and its sequel Left 4 Dead 2 are now enhanced for the Xbox One X, with a 9X resolution bump, better textures and smoother performance.
Analysts believe there's at least a recovery on the way for Microsoft after it reports its quarterly earnings next week.
Look at your phone. Now back to me. Now back to your phone. Now back to me. Has your battery life depleted? If so, then this might be the perfect article for you.
威锋网讯，据我们观察，苹果在周四将会正式更改 iPhone 的退货政策，从之前的 30 天变为 14 天。 而在苹果的官网，我们可以观察到相关的变动已经在其网站上呈现。新的 14 天退货政策同样适用于其它的苹果产品。
A tornado through towns near the Kansas-Oklahoma border on Sunday, leaving at least one man dead, scores injured and dozens of structures destroyed. Before-and-after satellite images provided by DigitalGlobe show the tornado's path of destruction, as it left debris and twisted metal in its wake.
Now, Transport Canada has given the green light for using electronics during takeoff and landing too. If Canadian airlines can prove that devices in airplane mode don't interfere with their aircraft, they'll be allowed to let you use devices through your entire journey.Read more...
Google无疑拥有着全世界最聪明的一群人，但Google Fiber的工程师Avery Pennarun在自己的博客中透露，太多聪明人聚在一起也会有问题。这个问题就是这些人过于自信，与现实世界太过脱节。
消息人士称，9.7 寸 iPad 的生产日期已经提上日程，或将在本季末或者下一季度初期开始。此外，供应商也将开始生产新款 7.9 寸 iPad mini，苹果可能会在今年年末推出这款产品
据俄罗斯《都市日报》8月19日消息，美国歌手Lady Gaga因其多变的服饰被众人熟知，而她的婚礼也非比平常。Lady Gaga将与其未婚夫泰勒·金尼在太空举行婚礼。
太阳动力学观测站（Solar Dynamics Observatory，简称SDO）是美国国家航空航天局一个观测太阳至少5年的太空任务。SDO的科学目标是以小尺度的时间和空间下以多波段研究太阳大气层，以了解太阳对地球和近地球太空区域的影响。
Google is the most popular search engine in the world, to the point where I feel dumb typing “Google is the most popular search engine in the world” because holy shit, you already know. But ubiquity is not synonymous with benevolence.


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Luxe Hotels’ first branded property in New York City, the Luxe Life Hotel New York opened on Tuesday, Feb. 4, in Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood. The historic 98-room boutique hotel housed in the former headquarters of LIFE Magazine.
“We are elated to bring Luxe Hotels’ casual luxury to guests in New York,” said Luxe Hotels Chairman and CEO Efrem Harkham. “Travelers will find exceptional service, as well as value and comfort when they stay at Luxe Life, plus the opportunity to stay in a landmark building with an incredible legacy.”
John Ames Mitchell, founder and former editor of the iconic LIFE Magazine, moved his company’s operations to 19 West 31st Street upon the building’s completion in 1895. The magazine’s famed artists, writers and creative staff lived in the apartments above their shared offices — the first “co-working” space of the era — and included Charles Dana Gibson, Norman Rockwell, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Margaret Bourke-White, and Robert Capa. Today, the LIFE team’s creative spirit lives on throughout the neighborhood and throughout the hotel.
At the helm of the hotel’s food and beverage offerings are chefs Scott Hawley and Michael Gutowski, two experienced New York City restaurateurs. The hotel’s signature restaurant, The Marilyn — named after Hawley’s grandmother — will be a destination on its own, serving up house-made pasta and seasonal plates.
The rumored Prohibition speakeasy bar for LIFE Magazine staffers will be brought back to life in the hotel’s basement. Coming this summer, the speakeasy will set a new standard for NoMad’s nightlife. Applying exceptional cocktail programs from their existing bar and restaurant projects, the space will feature craft cocktails and a selection of fine beer and wine.
This marks exciting growth for the Luxe Hotels brand. Less than a year ago, Rose Garden Palace Hotel in Rome rebranded to Luxe Rose Garden Roma, and is now the first hotel in Europe to carry the Luxe namesake. In addition, the company’s flagship in Beverly Hills, Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel, will complete a $4+ million renovation this spring. The brand’s other hotels include Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel in the chic Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles and Luxe City Center Hotel in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles.
Rates at Luxe Life New York start at $199 per night. For more information and to book a stay, visit www.luxehotels.com/lifenewyork


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Srinagar, May 18(KNB): E-commerce companies saw a streak of aspiration after the Central government announced new 4.0 lockdown guidelines removing all restrictions on online retail, as earlier the companies were ordered by government to halt sales of almost all items except groceries during the nation-wide lockdown imposed to combat novel Coronavirus.
Following the pandemic Covid-19, Indian Government imposed nationwide Lockdown restricting all business movement including e-commerce companies as that of Amazon, Walmart-owned Flipkart, Snapdeal, as well as vertical etailers including Lenskart, Nykaa, and Firstcry that has resulted in the biggest revenue impact in the international market while allowing such companies to sell only groceries and other essential items constituting less than 2-3% of their overall business as usual numbers.
Reports revealed, the biggest impact internationally for the world’s largest online retailer has been in India as the net sales increased 26 per cent to $75.5 billion in the first quarter ended in March 2020 compared with $59.7 billion in first-quarter 2019, net income decreased to $2.5 billion in the first quarter, or $5.01 per diluted share, compared with net income of $3.6 billion, or $7.09 per diluted share, in first-quarter 2019 with Flipkart and Amazon being able to recover only 20% of their sales a week after the May 4 order that allowed them to resume business in green and orange zones.
Moreover, Amazon is a leading e-commerce company in a statement that it hired an additional 175,000 new employees, many of whom have been laid off from other jobs following the giant nationwide lockdown.
However, e-commerce companies saw a ray of hope as in its latest guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs all activities except those specifically prohibited have been allowed while directing states to take the final call on allowing businesses to function based on their local needs and situations.
Various Spokespersons of the online companies had stated that the move to reopen e-commerce will deliver a major boost to companies that were allowed to sell only essential goods since the lockdown was announced on March 24, even the opening up for non-essential sales had seen low demand from areas outside of red zones.
In a statement, MHA said, “E-commerce companies that were so far delivering only essential goods, have been permitted to deliver all goods, including those considered non-essential. However, these relaxations are not for the containment zones.”
Pertinently, Online sales will continue to be restricted in containment zones across the country, where only essential activities will be permitted, as per the latest MHA directives.(KNB)


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The Current, delivered daily.
Ecommerce stretches across three distinct surfaces: There are those that attract customers, those that facilitate browsing and buying and those that get items to customers.
In the latter, delivery is the crucial, final piece that gets the package to a person’s door. It’s also a part of the process that is less likely to be handled by a brand or retailer themselves. After all, carrier services such as USPS, FedEx or UPS is built to handle and deliver packages. There’s also Fulfillment by Amazon, which offers links to storage, and delivery through its own vast logistics network. Or, one can contract with a third-party logistics firms to move items.
The headlines this year show how another option is emerging, and this week is no exception. Firms that started by standing up services to deliver meals from local restaurants are also recognizing something fundamental about their businesses: They have large groups of delivery drivers, software that helps to route them and defined processes for moving goods. Plus, their drivers are often third-party contractors, just like Amazon’s.
In other words, DoorDash, Uber Eats and GrubHub are sitting on logistics businesses that could deliver many kinds of items, even if people are only used to seeking them out for a quick bite from the Thai restaurant down the street.
Especially after a pandemic ecommerce boom that grew demand for delivery, these businesses have recognized their opportunity here. They’ve added to their assortment of items beyond food to the assortment of offerings on their apps, started behaving more like retail platforms that become a place to buy goods, and made moves to improve the shopper experience through new features and loyalty.
Partnerships are a big path through which they are unlocking this. A series of tie-ups this week shows how these delivery companies are looking to grow what they offer:
Facebook Marketplace x DoorDash
Facebook Marketplace started as a Craigslist-like peer-to-peer marketplace, where buyers and sellers had to make their own arrangements to exchange items. Through a developing new partnership with DoorDash, Meta is seeking to add a delivery service for smaller items to the equation.
According to the Wall Street Journal , DoorDash is testing a service in several US cities that will deliver Facebook Marketplace items that fit into the trunk of a car up to 15 miles away within 48 hours. Techcrunch adds that the service is under DoorDash's B2B service , called DoorDash Drive, which delivers for other merchants. With the move, Facebook is seeking to ramp up offerings for Marketplace as it seeks to attract younger users to the platform. Facebook Marketplace does have a partnership with on-demand service Dolly, but that is only for larger items and is available in just 45 cities.
While it is pursuing work with Meta, DoorDash is reportedly exiting another partnership. According to Business Insider , DoorDash is planning to end a partnership with Walmart that delivered groceries and other items to customers after four years. A source told the outlet that the partnership was “no longer mutually beneficial.”
This may be more about Walmart entering the delivery space in a bigger way than DoorDash’s particular interests. Walmart has been building out its own network for delivery, called Spark, which also includes a white-label delivery service that businesses can tap. Also on Friday, Walmart acquired Delivery Drivers Inc., which is the company that built the platform that runs Spark’s gig worker network.
Uber Eats x Office Depot
Add school supplies to the Uber Don’t Eats list. This week, Uber Eats inked a partnership with Office Depot that will see the service deliver supplies from 900 Office Depot and OfficeMax locations across the country.
This comes during the back-to-school season, which offers the opportunity to build in savings. Members of Uber's subscription service benefit from a $0 delivery fee and 5% discount on all Office Depot orders with a $15 minimum purchase.
This partnership shows how meal delivery platforms are looking to deliver for retailers, as well as restaurants. Even as Uber Eats is planting a flag around local commerce , GrubHub and DoorDash are both adding more and more goods beyond food, as well. It also signifies how the meal delivery platforms are all starting to look more and more like each other even as they expand. DoorDash, for instance, already has a partnership with Office Depot to deliver office supplies. As offerings offer similar items, the difference will come down to the experience shoppers have with the service.
Grubhub x Bank of America
Along with offering delivery, these services are also adopting similar strategies to ecommerce platforms as they seek to build loyalty. This includes the introduction of subscription programs that offer perks, taking a page from the Amazon Prime playbook.
Partnerships bring opportunities to find new avenues for growth of these programs, thereby increasing orders on the platform from repeat customers. That’s on view in a new link between Bank of America and Grubhub. It is providing Bank of America cardholders with free membership to Grubhub+ for a year. Grubhub+ offers unlimited $0 delivery fees.
“This is truly a win-win, with Bank of America now rewarding cardholders with deals and perks from restaurants they will love, and Grubhub tapping into Bank of America’s loyal and vast customer base to drive even more orders to restaurant owners and drivers,” said Launika Raykar, vice president of loyalty at Grubhub, in a statement.
The perk helps Bank of America offer a digital benefit for its members, while Grubhub has an opportunity to introduce more users to the service. It follows a similar deal that Grubhub inked with Amazon to offer the Grubhub+ service to Prime members for a year.
Separately this week, Uber said it will later this year end its free Uber Rewards program, which allows users to accrue points. Instead, it is emphasizing Uber One, a subscription program that brings together benefits for rides and delivery. It offers $0 delivery fees, 5% off rides and 10% off delivery orders.
The partnerships show the beginnings of flywheels beginning to form at these companies. Growing the items offered makes membership more attractive, while perks increase the value of membership and in turn lead to more sales from an ever-growing selection of options.
Trending in Operations
Campbell Soup Company CEO Mark Clouse offered thoughts on messaging amid inflationary shifts in consumer behavior.
After months of elevated inflation and interest rate hikes that have the potential to cool demand, consumers are showing more signs of shifting behavior.
It’s showing up in retail sales data, but there’s also evidence in the observations of the brands responsible for grocery store staples.
The latest example came this week from Campbell Soup Company. CEO Mark Clouse told analysts that the consumer continues to be “resilient” despite continued price increases on food, but found that “consumers are beginning to feel that pressure” as time goes on.
This shows up in the categories they are buying. Overall, Clouse said Campbell sees a shift toward shelf-stable items, and away from more expensive prepared foods.
There is also change in when they make purchases. People are buying more at the beginning of the month. That’s because they are stretching paychecks as long as possible.
These shifts change how the company is communicating with consumers.
Clouse said the changes in behavior are an opportunity to “focus on value within our messaging without necessarily having to chase pricing all the way down.”
“No question that it's important that we protect affordability and that we make that relevant in the categories that we're in," Clouse said. "But I also think there's a lot of ways to frame value in different ways, right?”
A meal cooked with condensed soup may be cheaper than picking up a frozen item or ordering out. Consumers just need a reminder. Even within Campbell’s own portfolio, the company can elevate brands that have more value now, even if they may not always get the limelight.
The open question is whether the shift in behavior will begin to show up in the results of the companies that have raised prices. Campbell’s overall net sales grew 5% for the quarter ended April 30, while gross profit margins held steady around 30%. But the category-level results were more uneven. U.S. soup sales declined 11%, though the company said that was owed to comparisons with the quarter when supply chains reopened a year ago and expressed confidence that the category is seeing a longer-term resurgence as more people cook at home following the pandemic. Snacks, which includes Goldfish and Pepperidge Farm, were up 12% And while net sales increased overall, the amount of products people are buying is declining. Volumes were down 7%.
These are trends happening across the grocery store. Campbell is continuing to compete. It is leading with iconic brands, and a host of different ways to consume them. It is following that up with innovation that makes the products stand out. Then, it is driving home messaging that shows consumers how to fit the products into their lives, and even their tightening spending plans.
Campbell Soup is more than 150 years old, and has seen plenty of difficult economic environments. It is also a different business today, and will continue to evolve. At the end of the day, continued execution is what’s required.
“If it's good food, people are going to buy it, especially if it's a great value,” Clouse said.


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The power group MTY inc. has seen its pre-tax profit to be divided by two during the second quarter compared to the same period in 2019
In the results released on Friday, the gross profit amounted to$ 18.2 Million, or 47% less than in the second quarter of 2019.
The net profit attributable to the owners was estimated to be -99,1 M$, that is, a loss of 4.01 cents per share.
“Our second quarter was marked by significant operational challenges associated with the pandemic of the COVID-19, with the temporary closure of 2757 institutions at the height of the pandemic and a significant reduction in sales for many institutions that have continued their activities”, stated by way of a press release, Eric Lefebvre, chief executive officer of MTY.
At the time of the unveiling of the results, MTY had yet to 573 closed establishments, or 8 percent of its network.
“With a cash balance of around $ 50 million at the end of the quarter, more than $ 190 million available on our credit facilities, and a greater flexibility provided by our financial commitments amended, MTY remains in a strong financial position to execute its turnaround plan and continue its strategy of growth,” added Eric Lefebvre.
MTY group represents over 80 brands in Canada and the United States, including La Crémière, Van Houtte, Baton Rouge, Scores, Thai Express, or Valentine.


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After billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk wrote an uncharacteristic tweet fawning over the Chinese Communist regime, some interpreted the message as a humiliating attempt to save his company by showing subservience to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“What happened to Tesla China should serve as a warning for other American businesses addicted to the size and the potential of the Chinese market,” author Helen Raleigh wrote in this regard in The Federalist on July 9.
Musk issued the tweet for the date of the CCP’s centennial, generating at the time many reactions of rejection and disappointment from his readers, who did not hesitate to respond to him.
“The economic prosperity that China has achieved is truly amazing, especially in infrastructure! I encourage people to visit and see for themselves,” Musk wrote, in a style very contrary to the rebellious and defiant attitude he usually displays.
This tweet supposedly aimed at avoiding thunderous sales losses in China, not only might not stop that trend but bring him losses in the West as well, from the message sent by Twitter user Mark Wakelin, who reminded him of some terrible activities of the CCP.
“Slave Labour, genocide, rampant pollution, aggressive expansionism. Don’t think I’ll be buying a Tesla now!” wrote Wakelin.
Likewise, netizen Emmanuel Rincón rejected the nation of prosperity exalted by Musk, in one of his messages.
“This is not true, in China only the Communist Party elite have amassed great wealth in the country’s major cities. In contrast, hundreds of millions live in extreme poverty, slave labor is the reason for the wealth of the few,” responded Rincón.
Tesla’s setbacks in China
Musk introduced his successful electric car manufacturing company, Tesla, to China in 2018. The CCP granted him juicy subsidies, generous tax breaks, and even preferential treatment for his employees during the pandemic.
However, according to Bloomberg, CCP agencies argued quality and safety problems with Tesla’s vehicles in February, to which Musk humbled himself by accepting those claims.
Then, other problems over data collected by Tesla’s in-car cameras, to which Musk was quick to assure that such data would not leave China.
Next, a viral video complaining about brake failures reached at least 200 million views, and research firm JL Warren Capital attributed the loss of 50% of sales to the video. Musk came down so hard as to beg the CCP to censor the video in the face of this.
What could be the final blow was dealt by the CCP in June by ordering the recall of more than 285,000 vehicles, for alleged software problems.
From then on, the Chinese brand, Nio, took the lead in the market with cheaper and sleeker models.
Victim of the CCP’s “bait-and-switch” strategy
All indications are that Musk was yet another victim of the bait-and-switch strategy of the CCP, whose electric car and aerospace industry was greatly enriched by the expertise of Musk, who is also the owner of SpaceX.
Yu, a person connected with the Hudson Institute, described the scam by saying that the CCP lures companies “into China with initial preferential tax and regulatory treatments. Once you are hooked in China, and have gained initial success, the CCP would not hesitate to use your investments in China as a leverage to force you to comply with a whole list of demands, outright or subtle.”
He added: “including sharing proprietary technologies and knowledge, prohibiting transfer of funds out of China, curtailing your market share inside China and possibly divulging critical national security secrets in your company’s other operations with the U.S. government such as the SpaceX project.”
Despite the fact that it is a recurring damaging method, Western companies are still falling for it and have yet to learn the terrible lesson.


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Anyone who owns $2,000 worth of a company's stock for one year can submit shareholder resolutions to be voted on at the shareholder meeting. Shareholder initiatives span many different environmental, social or governance issues.
"It really is the primary means by which shareholders can influence a company's operations and ESG responsibilities and practices," says Alya Kayal, deputy director of policy and programs at US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment.
ESG stands for environmental, social and governance.
For instance, in 2011, the shareholder advocacy group As You Sow introduced a shareholder proposal that McDonald's Corp. "consider strong environmental policies for its beverage containers," according to the group's website. After a very strong vote with 29.3 percent of shareholders voting for the proposal, McDonald's launched a test program in some stores, substituting paper for foam cups. In 2013, McDonald's announced it would replace all polystyrene beverage cups with paper cups at 14,000 U.S. restaurants, As You Sow reported.
Are shareholder resolutions worthwhile?
Shareholder resolutions don't typically garner majority votes. The biggest stakeholders in publicly traded companies are generally institutions such as pension funds or mutual funds, and they typically vote with company management. But just getting some votes, 3 percent the first year, is enough to refile the resolution the following year. In the second year, shareholder proposals must get 6 percent to be refiled the next year and in the following year must get 10 percent.
"There's the myth that if people don't vote with management, they should just sell the stock. It's like saying, if you drive through town and think there needs to be a stop sign at an intersection, you should move to another community," says James McRitchie, a shareholder rights advocate and publisher of CorpGov.net, a corporate governance portal and blog.
"There are a lot of companies that do great things, but they need improvement here and there," he says.
Unfortunately, not even half of outstanding shares held by retail investors are actually voted, according to Broadridge Financial Solutions, a provider of investor communications and proxy processing services.
For the fiscal year 2013, which ended June 30, 30 percent of shares held by retail investors were voted, but just 13 percent of retail shareholders cast a vote, according to research by Broadridge.


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City authorities in Durban have issued a warning to customers who bought an over-the-counter skincare product after eight people were hospitalised.
The Daily News reported that officials were now looking for other customers of the ayurvedic product Skintocare, which is imported from India and available from homeopaths and health shops.
Durban officials found the product contained high levels of lead.
Most of the patients were teenage girls and taking the product in capsule form for treatment of acne and skin blemishes.
Product is toxic
“The product overall is toxic to many organs in the body, including the heart, nervous system and bones. In severe cases, after a long period of ingestion, it leads to seizures, comas and sudden death,” said Tim Houston from the eThekwini Municipality’s health unit.
Some of the consumers were tracked down by the unit, using a distribution list from the importer of the product.
Manufacturer Bacfo Pharmaceuticals has recalled the product but residual products may still be on the market.
Shops have been ordered to remove the product from shelves. People who have been using the product have been told to see their doctor immediately.
Symptoms of lead poisoning are non-specific and people could have toxic levels in their blood and not even know about it.
(The Daily News, September 2012)
A natural approach to skin problems


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The Interactive Customer Experience (ICX) Association has named Salesfloor as the winner of the “Best Mobile ICX” for its mobile platform during the Annual Elevate Awards Ceremony.
New York, NY – September 22, 2020 – Salesfloor, the industry-leading mobile platform designed for store associates, has won the Elevate Award for “Best Mobile Interactive Customer Experience”, given out by the ICX Association.
The Best Mobile ICX category recognizes achievements in mobile platform-based interactive customer experiences that captivate and engage audiences and extend a brand’s presence into the most important devices in their customers’ lives.
“There has never been a more critical time to provide the same level of in-store experience within the online, e-commerce and mobile shopping experience, given the ongoing coronavirus and consumer hesitancy of store visits,” said Judy Mottl, editor of RetailCustomerExperience.com and one of the judges. “Salesfloor’s capability for customers to interact via a mobile app with a store’s associates in real-time, anytime, is so on point and so exceptional. What consumer doesn’t want and enjoy concierge experience when shopping? Now there’s no need to be in the store to attain that level of service.”
Salesfloor’s mobile clienteling platform helps associates serve customers in a personalized way across all channels. Store associates use Salesfloor to help their customers shop online, on social media, by video chat, phone, SMS or in store, developing one-to-one customer relationships at scale, driving sales and customer loyalty.
“It’s an honor to be recognized as a pacesetter in using technology to elevate the customer experience. This award represents the hard work and determination of our team and the partners that have worked with us over the years to help make Salesfloor a success.” said Ben Rodier, Chief Client Officer of Salesfloor during his acceptance speech. “Bringing the in-store experience to online customers is more critical than ever for retailers to compete in a post-COVID world. Our mission is to empower store associates to bring the personalized service to omnichannel customers, no matter how they choose to shop.”.
The ICX Association Elevate Awards are given annually to recognize achievements in engaging customer experiences.
Salesfloor recently launched the Associates of the Year Awards to help recognize inspiring stories of retail success around the world. More than 400 nominations were received. Public voting is open until September 24 and finalists will be announced on October 22. To learn more, visit: salesfloor.net/associate-awards


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Yuga Labs, the company behind Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), has announced TwelveFold, the first NFT project on Bitcoin. It is a collection of 300 Non-Fungible Token Generative Art Ordinals that will go up for auction this week.
Bored Ape’s Yuga Labs and the announcement of TwelveFold, the first NFT project on Bitcoin
A few hours ago, Yuga Labs, the $4 billion company behind the dominant NFT collection Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) announced the new TwelveFold project.
— Yuga Labs (@yugalabs) February 27, 2023
This is a collection of 300 pieces of generative art Ordinals NFT, the protocol that creates NFTs on Bitcoin. These pieces are 12×12 gridded and combine 3D graphics and hand-drawn strokes.
TwelveFold is Yuga Labs’ first NFT project created on Bitcoin’s Blockchain. In this regard, Yuga Labs co-founder Greg Solano said:
“All of these choices are a departure from what’s expected from Yuga. But, you know. Fuck doing expected things. We’re excited about Ordinal inscriptions and what the future holds for digital artifacts on Bitcoin.”
The auction for TwelveFold will be launched later this week. Yuga Labs said a 24-hour notice will be posted with details of the auction and the exact time.
Bored Ape and the new NFT collection on Bitcoin
This announcement by Yuga Labs quiets those rumors that recently suggested that it was BAYC’s famous NFT collection that was the company’s first project on Bitcoin.
And indeed, given that CryptoPunks’ 10,000 NFTs have been minted on Bitcoin, through Ordinals, without the project being official, the same was expected for BAYC.
This is not to say that it would be Yuga Labs that would make such a project and collection official, but simply that it would be the crypto community that would do so.
TwelveFold, on the other hand, is the official Yuga Labs project developed through Ordinals that will allow artwork and media to be committed to Bitcoin by permanently linking each to a single Satoshi, or 1/100,000,000 of an entire Bitcoin (BTC).
Despite the fact that there are already multiple blockchains hosting NFTs, Yuga Labs has always preferred Ethereum to create all of its own. Among the many are BAYC, Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC) and the virtual grounds for the upcoming metaverse game Otherside.
Not only that, Yuga Labs also owns CryptoPunks and Meebits, two NFT projects on Ethereum created by Larva Labs whose intellectual property rights were purchased by Yuga last year.
Another peculiarity of TwelveFold is that in addition to being on Bitcoin, it is the first NFT collection to be only 300 pieces, while Yuga Labs’ collections are at least 10,000 NFTs.
Ordinals: a new way of creating NFTs
The Ordinals protocol was created by software engineer Casey Rodarmor, who made it officially public as of 21 January. Not only that, in the following week, the protocol launched NFTs on Bitcoin’s mainnet.
This event in the history of NFTs and the Bitcoin blockchain attracted a lot of attention, dividing the crypto community into those in favor and those against.
Ordinals enables Bitcoin’s version of NFTs described as digital artifacts, which can include JPEG, PDF, or video and audio formats.
In essence, according to Rodarmor, these digital artifacts become inscriptions and thus native Bitcoin NFTs. The inscriptions are made on satoshis that are tracked and transferred using ordinal theory, which give satoshis an individual identity and allows them to be tracked and transferred through transactions.
Since that time to date, more than 200,000 unique Ordinals have been minted, including from major projects such as DeGods and OnChain Monkey. Now TwelveFold from Yuga Labs is joining in.


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116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
DES MOINES - A district court judge has tossed Iowa grocers' challenge of the Department of Natural Resources' rule requiring retailers to redeem the nickel deposits on pop and beer containers.
At the same time, a Senate committee weighing proposed changes to the 'bottle bill” enacted in the late 1970s to reduce roadside littering was told the issue is dead for this legislative session.
The Iowa Grocery Industry Association argued in Polk County District Court that the DNR did not have authority to require retailers to redeem deposit containers.
The trade group filed suit after the DNR rejected its petition to remove the convenience standard requiring retailers to sign an agreement with a DNR-approved redemption center that is no more than a 10-minute drive from their stores before they can refuse to redeem the beer and pop cans and bottles they sell.
Removing that standard would 'essentially gut the consumer convenience standard,” according the Cleaner Iowa, which asked the court to uphold the DNR's rule-making authority. Cleaner Iowa represents redeemers and recyclers.
Judge Jeanie Vaudt found the grocers' request would directly harm consumers. The DNR had argued that consumers should have a voice in the matter, but no consumers were party to the grocers' action.
The grocers were disappointed by the decision, according to Brad Epperly, who represents them at the Capitol.
The decision 'demonstrate the DNR's continued refusal to do its job,” he said. They group likely will file the petition for rule-making that the association said the DNR asked it to withdraw last year.
The DNR had no comment on the decision.
In her decision, Vaudt also wrote that such a significant change to the bottle bill would be best left to the Legislature.
That appears unlikely in the current legislative session as lawmakers and players in the bottle bill debate aired their concerns and frustrations over the lack of a viable solution at the Capitol.
Members of a Senate Ways and Means subcommittee heard pros and cons of Senate File 470, a multipronged proposal that backers say is the closest thing to any idea that has hope of reaching the governor's desk this session.
The bill would allow grocery stores and other retailers to opt out of state requirements to accept empty, nickel-deposit beverage containers they sell effective July 1, 2022, if an authorized redemption center is within 20 miles of the business.
The measure also would change the redemption process for cans and bottles and would have the state's Alcoholic Beverages Division oversee the redemption center reimbursements.
'Everyone is coming to us with different problems and saying the status quo is not working,” said subcommittee chair Sen. Dan Dawson, R-Council Bluffs.
Epperly said all the players seeking to hammer out a compromise have been in virtual meetings every day to find agreement and thought they had found that solution.
However, they were told by key House members the plan was 'a non-starter.” He did not divulge details but told the Senate panel, 'We'll continue to work on this bill since what we agreed to is a dead letter in the House.”
Jess Mazour of the Sierra Club said the solution has been evasive because no one has included average Iowans - who 'overwhelmingly love the bottle deposit law” - in the discussions.
Those Iowans, she said, favor having the law cover more containers, raising the per-container deposit from 5 cents to a dime, raising the handling fee a penny to 2 cents, and maintaining the convenience of returning empties to their place of purchase.
'We don't want to see the bottle bill dismantled or changed in the way that's being proposed,” she said. 'We need to expand it and make it easier and convenient for citizens.”
Subcommittee members forwarded the bill to the full Senate Ways and Means Committee, where Dawson said senators who try to rework the language to give it 'a fresh breath of life.”
'Iowans do like the bottle bill. But we have to be sympathetic to the infrastructure out there,” Dawson said. 'Just because we like something doesn't mean that we can pass an unfunded mandate onto all of these industries and turn around and say make it happen, when we know the current system is not sustainable and is collapsing.”
Comments: (319) 398-8375; firstname.lastname@example.org


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BMW doubles battery production for its electric carsSeptember 15, 2020
BMW Corporation has doubled the production of fifth generation traction batteries for its electric and hybrid vehicles. This information was shared by the press center of the brand on Tuesday, September 15.
In the Chinese city of Shinyang, a center for the production of the most modern lithium batteries developed by a German company was launched.
The advantages of the 5th generation batteries of the xDrive electric drive technology are the higher energy density (20% more than the standard equivalent) and the use of less rare earth cobalt. The new technology used in the production process makes it possible to produce batteries of different sizes, capacities and configurations.
First of all, the electric crossovers BMW iX3 will get the upgraded batteries. Then they should receive the BMW iNEXT cross and the i4 sedan on a completely new architecture for electric cars next year.
In addition, it was recently reported that modifications of the BMW iX will differ in power and batteries. It should be emphasized that the upcoming electric crossover of the German company, formerly known as iNext, will hit the market with the designation iX or iX with a number.
- Superformance has modernized the legendary Shelby Daytona
- Sony has no plans to release a production version of the Vision-S concept
- Latest internal combustion engine Lotus debuts this summer
- New Nissan Ariya spotted on tests in Japan
- BMW will cut its lineup for profit


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Rebranding BFS. A Fresh Take on an Established Identity.
An organisation as respected as the British Fertility Society is right to want to maintain the identity it has built up over the years. But it’s equally important to keep branding looking fresh and appealing.
And that was the mission set to Figment by chairman Jane Stewart and the Executive Committee: to preserve the familiar foundations of the brand, whilst uplifting it to appeal to its newer members.
Mission accomplished. A satisfied chairman and committee, and a refreshed yet reassuringly recognisable feel.
Website Design. Memberships up. Management Time Down.
With a fully responsive website that’s more appealing and better at selling membership benefits, Jane tells us she’s delighted at how sign-ups have increased. Plus there’s a separate microsite designed to deliver crucial information to families on fertility issues. Engagement has been given an even bigger boost as a result.
Even better for BFS reports Jane Stewart, the site is a cinch to update. Staff can post news, information and social updates under their own steam. We even created a mobile friendly e-newsletter that complements the website perfectly. So now the organisation can keep in touch with its members on a regular basis.
A Bespoke Members’ Area. Reinvented for True Member Satisfaction.
For any organisation, member satisfaction is essential. And that’s certainly something that’s been achieved since Figment reinvented the exclusive members’ area of the BFS website.
Through this bespoke-created, WordPress-driven platform, members can login to access exclusive content, respond to colleague comments and apply for travel bursaries. It’s all protected behind a password secure wall. There’s a join-up and payment process embedded into the system too, making new member acquisition nice and simple.
Jane has confirmed to us that the experience is just as appealing for the committee’s secretariat whose job of administering memberships and making important grant applications is now a whole lot easier.


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BAGAKOAA Dec 20, 2009 The week ahead
Dec 20, 2009 The week ahead
Tomorrow we get the GDP report and the consensus is 2.7% growth. Surprise numbers would be below 2.5 or over 2.9. This should not have an impact on the equity market unless we get a surprise. It is interesting to see the bump in the market today after the boost it got from third Friday quadruple witching figures as a lot of positions were closed in the options market. Some upgrades today of INTC and AA helped the market early this morning.
Tomorrow, existing homes sales report with an anticipated 6.25 million units, up from the 6.10 million last month. That was a nice surprise last month and it will be interesting to see if the momentum can continue. Personally I don’t see it much above the 6.10 million but it would take a drop to 5.20 million to make people worried.
On Wednesday look for a slight bump up in personal income to a 5% increase. And look for the Core Price inflation to stay relatively flat maybe up.1%.
New home sales also reports on Wednesday. The experts say we should see continued growth, be it weak growth, to 440 thousand units.
On Christmas Eve we will get durable goods order which are expected to be back in positive territory after the -0.6% drop last month. The consensus number is a positive .5%. Durable goods are somewhat tied to new home sales as new home usually means washers, dryers, refrigerators aka durable goods.
And the last relevant report prior to Christmas would be intial jobless claims which should continue to improve to about 470,000 down from 480 last week. There is a narrow window of expectations there so there could be a positive or negative pop if the number does not come in as expected.
No exciting earning reports coming out this week. I just checked the upgrade lists and quite few folk must have read the article on manure and phosphates this weekend in Barons as Potash (POT) got a could of nice upgrades by Goldman and Credit Suisse. I played POT earlier this year and got stopped out, but I did like the fundamentals. You might read the article in Baron’s and do some homework. I am going to revisit the stock this week.


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Island Estates Women’s Club to host annual fashion show
Fund raiser benefits local graduates with college scholarships
ISLAND ESTATES — The new spring fashion collection from La Boutique on Island Estates will be featured at the annual spring fashion show and fund raiser, sponsored by Island Estates Women’s Club, at 11 a.m. March 18 at the Belleair Country Club in Belleair
Proceeds from the event will help benefit Clearwater High School graduates with college scholarships from the IEWC.
The fund raiser includes drawings, raffles and silent auctions. Prizes are donated by local businesses and members of the community, which will include a sunset cruise for 6 on a private yacht, accommodations at major resorts on Clearwater Beach, restaurant gift certificates and fine jewelry. To participate in the raffle, tickets are $10 each and can be purchased prior to luncheon by calling Deborah Christofferson at (719) 393-3283 or during the luncheon. You do not have to be present to win.
To make a reservation for the fashion show, call Helen Frain at (727) 442-1622. To inquire about club membership, contact Joan Landreth at (727) 812-8078.


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The most extreme Porsche 911 yet could follow the 911 R to become a million-dollar collectable within weeks of its arrival.
Porsche is preparing to introduce the new 911 GT2 RS, a fusion of two desirable models in the powerful 911 Turbo S and razor-sharp 911 GT3 RS, putting a 515kW engine in the back of the brand's most focused car.
Priced from $645,700 plus optional extras, the GT2 RS is likely to cost much more than that when private owners inevitably try to "flip" their cars for a quick profit.
Shaun Baker, general manager of Melbourne exotic car dealership Dutton Garage, says the business has been approached by people looking to buy and sell the rare GT2 RS when it arrives in early 2018.
Porsche customers lucky enough to get hold of an exclusive 911 R coupe made headlines this year, with several customers advertising barely-driven cars for as much as three times the model's original $404,700 purchase price.
Baker says the same thing will happen with the new GT2 RS.
"I already know of some people who are going to flip their orders," he says.
"Are they going to get the returns of the 911R? I don't think so.
"Is it going to be a million dollars? I don't know. But it's only going to take one bloke who missed out to pay the premium. The frenzy could be there.
"Once the first couple of cars touch down we'll see how it goes. It's going to be a very interesting."
Sydney car dealer Tony Graziani spoke with Drive when Scuderia Graziani listed a 911 R for sale for $1.2 million earlier this year. Graziani said at the time the new GT2 RS will attract similar attention from customers who miss out on the limited-edition model.
Porsche Cars Australia spokesman Paul Ellis told Drive in February the brand was "disappointed" by customers who tried to sell cars for a quick profit and that "they would find it very difficult to get a limited edition car in the future".
Speaking with Drive this week, Ellis says the new cars will go to loyal customers.
"While it is impossible to completely stamp out this behaviour Porsche in Australia, together with its dealers, is doing everything possible to ensure that the right Porsche customers get these special cars," he says.
"We build cars like this for enthusiasts, not for profiteers."


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Nissan is expanding its partnership with charging network EVgo to install 200 more DC fast-chargers across the U.S.
The new chargers will each dispense up to 100 kw, which can deliver up to 150 miles of range in less than half an hour, and will have both a CHAdeMO plug to charge the Leaf and a CCS Combo plug to charge most other (non-Tesla) EVs as well. Teslas can also use the chargers with a CHAdeMO adapter.
Even with the new chargers, the challenge for Leaf drivers may be making longer trips between cities using the chargers. EVgo's chargers are mostly in and around cities that already have the largest population of EV drivers and not along less frequently used corridors to allow travel between cities.
"Nissan and EVgo will continue to work together to deploy fast charging infrastructure in major and rapidly growing EV markets," Nissan spokesman Jeff Wandell said in a statement emailed to Green Car Reports. "We aim to expand Nissan and EVgo’s already strong footprint in major metropolitan areas as well as ZEV states and select other markets," referring to California and nine other states, mainly in the Northeast, that follow the Golden State's zero-emissions vehicle requirements.
The partnership between Nissan and EVgo started in 2013 with the several networks in Nissan's "No Charge to Charge" program, and has been expanded over the years. The companies have jointly installed 2,000 fast chargers around the country since 2013, and Nissan has invested more than $60 million in the project, Wandell said.
EVgo says it currently has more than 1,200 fast-chargers in the U.S. Tesla has about 13,000.
Nissan that the new chargers are expected to take several years to complete.


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Singapore’s private car population has fallen to its lowest level since 2011, and the shrinkage could continue.
The latest available figures from the Land Transport Authority show that there were 598,219 cars as of the end of last month – down from 600,176 last year. The number stood at 607,292 in 2013, and 605,149 in 2012.
The car population is now at its lowest since 2011, when there were 592,361 cars on the road.
The shrinkage is a rare occurrence in Singapore, where a quota system allows the vehicle population to grow annually at a pre-determined rate.
Observers said the contraction is a sign that the supply of certificates of entitlement (COEs) is lagging behind actual replacement demand.
Since 2010, COE supply has been formulated largely by the number of cars scrapped in the preceding months. This often does not correspond with the number of cars scrapped in the following months. For instance, last year’s May-July COE quota for cars was determined by the 7,083 cars scrapped from February to April. But actual scrappage from May to July was higher at 7,514.
Over time, this leads to a population shrinkage.
NUS Business School Associate Professor Chu Sing Fat said the shrinking Open category, which can be used for any vehicle type but ends up mainly for cars, also contributes to the phenomenon.
Mr Lee Hoe Lone, managing director at Audi agent Premium Automobiles, said: “It will be worse if they start holding back some COEs.”
He was referring to a widely expected move by the Government to “save” some COEs arising from the 2015-17 supply bonanza for the next low-supply period starting from 2019.
“The writing is on the wall,” said Dr Park Byung Joon, an urban transport management expert at UniSIM. “I do not see any other way to avoid having a few years of massive COE supply followed by a dry spell.”
National University of Singapore transport researcher Lee Der Horng concurs, adding that “a more equalised COE supply between years is more healthy”.
While motor traders agree that a peak-and-trough COE supply pattern is not desirable, they reckon an adjustment – by holding back some certificates – will not be well received by consumers who have been waiting for supply to surge.
“If they hold back 30 per cent of next year’s supply, it could potentially mean 30,000 car-owning families giving up their cars,” a trader said.
Jardine Cycle & Carriage managing director of motor operations Eric Chan suggested that Singapore could accommodate a higher vehicle population once the second generation of Electronic Road Pricing (ERP II) is up.
On top of time and location, ERP II can charge according to distance clocked. With the system, expected to be ready before 2020, Mr Chan said “we can have higher car registrations but fewer cars on the road”.
But even if COE supplies are not tweaked, the car population is likely to shrink for a few more years if the current COE quota formula is not changed.
Observers pointed out that the Government aims to raise public transport’s share of morning peak journeys to 70 per cent by 2020 – up from 63 per cent in 2013.


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Digi CyberSAFE Digital Citizen Camp spreads positive use of internet among youth
By Digital News Asia December 1, 2016
- A paid camp for schoolchildren in Klang Valley to learn and spread knowledge on cyber safety
- The camp received strong response from over 100 schoolchildren from Klang Valley
DIGI Telecommunications Sdn Bhd (Digi) with UnicefMalaysia held the first ever Digi CyberSAFE Digital Citizen Camp in a fun, educational and interactive way to build capacity around digital citizenship, towards fostering a group of young ambassadors. The camp received strong response from over 100 schoolchildren from Klang Valley.
The Digi CyberSAFE Digital Citizen Camp aimed at strengthening digital resiliency and fostering digital citizenship among these schoolchildren. With specifically tailored educational games and impact sessions from our partners from Unicef, Generasi Gemilang, R.AGE and Protect and Save the Children, the camp helped participants to better understand current digital risks such cyberbullying and cyber grooming as well as their role and responsibility in contributing towards a safe and positive digital lifestyle.
In addition, many other activities were designed to give participants an emotional insight into what it is like to be cyberbullied and also the harm and pain resulting from it. They were also exposed to the growing issue of cyber grooming and the common modus operandi used by online predators. This way, they were able to learn and decide how they can prevent and take action against these risks.nicef
“Digi has been a strong advocate for keeping children safe online as shown from a string of CyberSAFE programmes and collaborations with various partners over the past five years. To roundup the year, we decided to organise a camp in partnership with U Malaysia to further impart knowledge on cyber safety, empowering our children in an exciting and engaging manner. While enjoying themselves, these participants were also encouraged to learn to think for themselves and decide on their digital life behaviour especially in a highly digitised society,” said Philip Ling, Digi’s programme manager for CyberSAFE.
“We also realised that the most effective way to reach out to the youth is through their peers. Therefore, from this engagement, we hope that we were able to nurture and transform participants to be ambassadors that further promote digital citizenship and safe internet use among their peers. As a result, it would be a chain reaction to help youth to be more aware of and recognise the various cyber risks as well as the measures that can be taken to overcome this issue,” he added.
Held at Digi headquarters, these schoolchildren spent three days and two nights beginning on 26th November until 28th November for the all-expenses paid camp. It was open to schoolchildren from age 14 to 16. The camp also provided the participants exclusive camp goodies such as the “SWAG Pack” and camp necessities such as sleeping bags and mats to ensure a comfortable stay throughout the camp.Digi to seek and seize growth opportunities in digital
Digi to seek and seize growth opportunities in digital
Telenor Group’s Digital Winners Asia to help Asian startups expand into new markets
DigiCFC7 community challenge sees emphasis on children
For more technology news and the latest updates, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Like us on Facebook.


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There are also plenty of questions about a foldable smartphone since no one knows if it's going to be a hit among buyers.
But now, the Galaxy X has allegedly surfaced in a listing filed with a Korean regulator. The list of product includes a number of smartphones along with televisions, wearables, mobile service packs and audio accessories. But things don't stop there. The phones of this form factor has long gone out of fashion, however, Samsung continues to release new models of such devices.
For instance, when the same model number appeared on the WiFi Alliance, it was described as a "smartphone".
Although Samsung's foldable technology is said to be ready, a source close to the matter told the Korea Herald that the device has not been unveiled because of marketability and profitability issues. The device reportedly has received Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and National Radio Agency certifications, meaning it's essentially ready for prime time.
Also, according to past rumors, Samsung plans to market Galaxy X as an ultra-premium luxurious device that will be one-step higher than regular flagship smartphones. It's indeed possible that there will actually be two Samsung foldable phones released. It could be much wider than the Galaxy S8, which has an aspect ratio of 18.5:9. Some reports claimed that the Galaxy X will be launched in a limited special edition fashion to generate some interest among the consumers. Another design, in line with Samsung's prototype unveiling, could see the phone unfold into a full-size tablet. The company announced about the Samsung Shop Anniversary Sale on Monday, September 25 and declared that the sale will continue till September 30. SamMobile had reported previous year that the Galaxy X display would have a "diamond PenTile subpixel arrangement".


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To provide its patients with “talking” prescription labels, CVS Pharmacy has created a new function of its app called Spoken Rx. The function can read a certain kind of label for individuals who have visual impairments or can’t read typical print labels, according to an announcement.
“The in-app feature gives patients more flexibility, providing the pertinent prescription information out loud wherever and whenever they need it,” Ryan Rumbarger, senior vice president, store operations at CVS Health, said in the announcement. “Spoken Rx provides a more seamless experience to our patients who are visually impaired.”
By the conclusion of this year, 1,500 of the company’s locations will have the ability to put radio frequency identification (RFID) labels on prescription bottles. Prescription label information can be spoken out loud after the labels are scanned by Spoken Rx in the company’s app that can be used by people utilizing Google Assistant or Siri on their phones.
The critical information encompasses patient name, medication name, directions and dosage and will be improved to encompass further information in the coming months. The feature has the ability to deliver prescription label data through English or Spanish and is complimentary to customers of CVS Pharmacy.
Spoken Rx will have availability in all of the pharmacy company’s locations by next year’s conclusion. Customers can enroll in the program over the phone or in a retail location. At a store, a pharmacist can make sure that the customer’s app is correctly configured for the offering.
In May, CVS Health Corporation reported that front store revenues increased 8.5 percent in the three months ending March 31 compared to the prior year as consumers filled their carts with merchandise during the pandemic.
The retailer noted that the growth was primarily due to the strength in consumer health and general merchandise sales mainly fueled by pandemic-related purchases, growth of its CarePass® offering and one more day in 2020 due to the leap year.
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Tesla’s German production facility, known as Giga Berlin, is reportedly under investigation for the illegal presence of a refrigerant tank on site. The complaint was submitted by two environmental groups that have already complained about the automaker’s presence, the Green League and Nature Protection Association, known as NABU. The Brandenburg State Environment agency will investigate the claims.
According to a report from German media outlet Tagesspiegel, Brandenburg’s State Environment Agency is investigating the suspicion of illegal construction as complaints from the two previously mentioned environmental groups state that a tank is on-site that Tesla has not been approved to have. According to the report, the tank is reportedly holding the chemical tetrafluoropropene, and Tesla does not have permission to have this on the site.
Tetrafluoropropene is used for several things but most frequently as a refrigerant for automobile air conditioners. As many as 50% of OEMs utilize it for air condition units in vehicles, according to a 2018 study from Vehicle Service Pros. The addition of the tank could mean that Tesla is preparing for vehicle production within the coming months. While CEO Elon Musk slates Giga Berlin’s initial production for the end of 2021, Brandenburg Economic Minister Jörg Steinbach has said that he expects Tesla to start manufacturing vehicles in late-Summer or early-Autumn.
Nevertheless, the tank does require approval from local agencies, and the complaint that was filed prompted an “on-site inspection” on Tuesday, according to the report. Although it took place three days ago, the Ministry of the Environment said, “The results of the control are not yet available.” The Ministry did confirm the complaint and also confirmed that the on-site inspection took place.
Tagesspiegel says the refrigerant tank provides additional risk for Tesla:
“The process is risky for Tesla because it is precisely this refrigerant tank that is related to the controversial incident problem of the Gigafactory and the early permission for machine tests, for example in the paint shop, against which the Green League and Nature Conservation Association are suing. They want to enforce a halt to the tests that the State Environment Agency had approved with what is now the 15th advance permit for the construction of the Gigafactory – parallel to the ongoing main approval process.”
The complaint is currently being handled by the Berlin-Brandenburg Higher Administrative Court (OVG).
Tesla has been dealing with pushback from environmental groups since Giga Berlin’s construction began in early 2020. NABU and Green League most recently objected to Tesla’s planned 4680 battery manufacturing plant in mid-June. “The objection is based on the claim that Tesla has not sufficiently clarified what precautions it will take to prevent highly poisonous gas from escaping from the factory, the objection document showed,” a report stated.
Tesla will begin production at Giga Berlin with the Model Y crossover, with the Model 3 likely following suit after manufacturing efforts are ramped.


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How the travel industry may evolve over the next 30 years
With lots of challenging immediate business issues on the table for the industry this summer, it might seem a bit extravagant to be projecting thinking forward two or three decades.
But it’s pretty clear that current patterns of consumer activity and commercial models will significantly change in the year’s ahead, potentially quite rapidly, and everyone in the industry needs to plan for that.
Some interesting straws in the wind about future leisure activity are already emerging and this summer’s amazing hot weather might be a precursor of a real shift in our climate, and consequential approaches to people’s holiday and vacation choices in the UK.
Certainly the ‘staycation’ concept has a lot more appeal when the weather is good – it was the quest to fly to the sun, after all, that drove the Mediterranean package holiday boom in the 1960s/70s.
Products that might also provide rather different options for leisure time are also under development, and it looks as if Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactica space travel concept may at last be nearing reality.
Alongside it something quite different but an equally revolutionary flying idea, is the luxury slow-speed observation airship idea, Airlander, developed by Hybrid Air Vehicles, which was ‘floated’ at the Farnborough Airshow in July.
With a lot of talk about personalised drones as congestion busting individual transport, who knows whether these airships would actually need pilots!
In fact, concepts of driverless cars and delivery drones are a key feature of a new government consultation document and call for evidence on the Future of Mobility. It clearly signals an expectation that the way we travel around is going to be changing fundamentally in the next few years, and that, of course, will have an impact on the whole travel and tourism marketplace.
As GTO Magazine celebrates its 30th anniversary in a couple of months, we’ve been thinking about how to best mark the occasion, and whilst looking back will be a part of that – particularly in the commemorative issue to be published in November/December – looking forward seemed equally appropriate.
To this end GTBF and GTO will be partnering at an event in October, which we are calling our Travel Industry Imaginarium, an opportunity to explore how the sector may evolve over the next 30 years.
We believe this event will be fun, instructive and stimulating, and may be useful in helping group travel specialists plan ahead and put themselves at the cutting edge of the next wave of innovation.
The outcome of our discussion will help us give the GTO commemorative issue a forward looking flavour. Do get in touch if you feel you have something special to contribute!
This article was originally published in issue 282 (August 2018) of GTO magazine.


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People were lined up at the door to Haskell’s on Sunday morning. Others drove by the St. Paul liquor store honking and hooting.
The occasion: They were able to buy booze from a liquor store on Sunday, for the first time ever.
— Evelyn Moreno (@Evey_M) July 2, 2017
After a lifetime of no Sunday sales in Minnesota it was an adjustment for some. “Yes, it’s new for all of us,” Haskell’s manager Brent Gregoire said. “I was just saying it feels like a Friday or a Monday.”
The ability to buy booze in Minnesota on Sundays came when state lawmakers, after years of rejecting Sunday sales, passed a bill this year wiping one of Minnesota’s so-called “blue laws” from the books. The change came after a big lobbying campaign helped sway public opinion and won over state lawmakers.
Haskell’s set up a kiddie pool with a fishing pole and wine corks to catch as part of the celebration, which Gregoire called a pool party.
“We are saying that Sunday is a fun day,” he said.
Nate Olson and his friends had planned a Sunday bicycle ride with plans to stop at a local brewery. At the last minute they found out the brewery was closed for the holiday weekend, so Olson headed to Haskell’s to buy a six-pack of beer to take to a friend’s house for a post-ride drink.
“I think (Sunday sales) are great for reasons like this,” he said.
And that was the consensus on Sunday sales from customers at Haskell’s on Sunday: “I think it’s great.”
Who's going to the liquor store today just cuz you can!??? I am!! #sundaysalesmn
— Danielle (@danisandmeier) July 2, 2017
Aimee Thostenson grew up in Wisconsin and had always thought it odd that people couldn’t buy alcohol on Sundays.
“I sometimes don’t plan very well and buy ahead of time,” she said. “So it’s nice now if I’m having people coming over or something and want some wine, I can buy some.”
Thostenson also liked how the decision to sell alcohol on Sundays is now in the hands of individual store owners.
Not every liquor store decided to open on Sundays.
The Pioneer Press surveyed nearly 230 liquor stores in Ramsey, Washington and Dakota counties and found nine stores, or 4 percent, that said they will not be open Sundays. That means 190 liquor stores in the three counties will have their doors open, with the remaining 31 stores either undecided or not responding to our phone calls.
“It seems fair,” said neighborhood resident Ric Fohrman. “I don’t think it’s a radical thing to do. It’s almost a celebration that a prohibition was lifted.”
— Stacy Sullivan (@sullivacy) July 2, 2017
Breanna Beston said while it won’t affect her life much, she’s in favor of Sunday sales because she believes it will benefit the state with increased revenue from alcohol sales.
Christopher Magan contributed to this report.


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Uganda: Tomato prices plummet
Tomato farmers in Uganda's Kasese District are suffering after the demand for tomatoes this season drastically fell. This pushed the price from Shs50,000 to Shs10,000 a basket at farm gate.
Samuel Nyarwa, a tomato farmer in Karusandara Sub-county, Kasese District, told the Daily Monitor that farmers have decided to abandon their gardens due to limited demand.
"We are counting on losses this season as we used to sell our tomatoes to traders from DR Congo and South Sudan," he said. "But because of the insurgency, our customers are no longer coming to buy tomatoes, which is the reason you see these tomatoes still in the gardens."
As a result, the farmers are now selling a basket of tomatoes at Shs10,000-Shs15,000. This is a big drop from Shs 50,000-Shs70,000 previously.
(1 Ugandan Shilling=0.00029 USD)
Publication date: 10/13/2016
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Casino aggregation platform provider Iforium has further boosted its comprehensive content catalogue in a strategic agreement with Green Jade Games.
The platform-to-platform collaboration will see Green Jade Games roll out titles including Hammer of Fortune, Spin Bet Station and Coin Flip Deluxe through Iforium’s award-winning Gameflex platform, as well as significantly scaling its distribution via Iforium’s roster of leading casino brands.
With Iforium’s global operator customer base set to access Green Jade Games’ portfolio, the deal will solidify both companies’ reach across regulated European markets.
Commenting on the deal, Phil Parry, CEO of Iforium, said:
“We’re delighted to partner with Green Jade Games, one of the rising stars in the casino games market. Famed for their innovative titles and stellar team sheet of industry professionals, we have no doubt their games will prove to be an instant hit with our operators.”
Ben McDonagh, MD at Green Jade Games added: “This deal represents a fantastic opportunity to expand our reach across regulated markets with one of the industry’s leading aggregators. We look forward to a long and productive working relationship.”
Accessible via a single API integration, the award-winning Gameflex allows the industry’s leading casino brands to choose from more than 9,000 games from more than 100 gaming providers.


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On Tuesday, the Dallas Morning News published a listing of area farmers markets and other venues that specialize in locally grown and produced foods. The article noted that supermarkets often carry local at the peak of the season, too.
The Farmers Markets in McKinney were mentioned in the article, along with a couple of businesses:
McKinney Farmers Market
Two locations: 8 a.m. to noon Saturday is the McKinney Farmers Market at Chestnut Square Historic Village, McDonald and Anthony (park in the lot on McDonald). From 3 to 7 p.m. every Thursday is the Historic McKinney Farmers Market at Adriatica, 6851 Virginia Parkway; 972-562-8790; http://www.chestnutsquare.org/programs/farmers_market.asp.
Local Yocal Farm to Market
Local Yocal Farm to Market: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. 213 N. Tennessee, just off the Historic Downtown Square; 214-726-2867; http://localyocalfarmtomarket.com/.
Patina Green Home & Market
Patina Green Home & Market: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 116 N. Tennessee, on the Historic Downtown Square; 972-548-9141; http://patinagreen.typepad.com/
To read the full article and see the listings across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, go to: http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/food/headlines/20120508-where-to-find-fresh-produce-throughout-dallas-fort-worth.ece.


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Plans to build a drive thru coffee shop on a town centre retail park look set to be approved.
Members of Wrexham Council’s planning committee will next week discuss an application lodged earlier this year to put a drive thru Costa Coffee kiosk on Plas Coch Retail Park.
The plans have been recommended for approval by the council’s head of environment and planning, with just one complaint issued over concerns about pollution and traffic congestion.
Proposals for the development were submitted in May, with the coffee shop itself planned to be located on car parking space located at the front of DW Sports and Frankie & Benny’s. This would result in the loss of 24 parking spaces from the retail park.
If the application is approved it is estimated that 20 jobs would be created for the area.
In his report due before councillors, the head of environment and planning says the application is “intended to enhance the existing facilities within the retail park and service existing users of the site.”
He concludes: “The proposed development is acceptable in terms of scale and design, and adequate onsite parking has been provided together with safe and satisfactory vehicular and pedestrian access.
“The development of the site would not be detrimental to residential or visual amenities and I recommend accordingly.”
The application is amongst several for the Plas Coch Retail Park in recent months – with councillors recently backing plans to build a 24 bedroom lodge at the Plas Coch restaurant. Work is also underway extending the Aldi supermarket.
Spotted something? Got a story? Send a Facebook Message | A direct message on Twitter | Email News@Wrexham.com


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Peach Payments, a leading electronic payments platform for entrepreneurs, SMEs and large enterprise businesses in South Africa, has raised growth funding to drive its expansion into Africa. UW Ventures, in partnership with Allan Gray, has led this latest round of funding to accelerate product development and extend market reach. UW Ventures was joined in this financing round by industry experts as well as existing investors.
Peach Payments is enabling South African businesses to accelerate online commerce solutions and transform or pivot during Covid-19. Monthly customer acquisition has grown by 400% since February.
Several JSE listed companies have selected Peach Payments as their payments partner for their online commerce channels. “Our many new enterprise customers have aggressive timelines and are looking for easy to deploy payment solutions to speed up their time to market,” says Rahul Jain, co-founder of Peach Payments.
Peach Payments has established itself as a leader in online payment solutions with significant market share in the enterprise space, and a fast-growing SME base. This is aligned with UW Ventures and Allan Gray’s ethos of enabling SME growth and investing into South African entrepreneurs.
The company is growing revenue north of 100% per annum and has established a presence in both Mauritius and Kenya, with further market expansion planned over the medium term. “We see significant revenue growth even during this crisis. This is being driven by the acceleration of consumer adoption of e-commerce and by developing more localized products for African merchants,” continues Rahul Jain. “Our relationship with UW Ventures and Allan Gray will further our ambition to help drive growth of digital commerce in Africa.”
Says Andreas Demleitner, co-founder of Peach Payments. “With this funding, we’ve expanded to include support for new platforms such as Xero and Wix – to make it easier for African start-ups and SMEs to easily take their business online.”
Adds Harry Apostoleris, Director at UW Ventures, “Peach Payments is rapidly capitalizing on the large digital payments opportunity through its modern platform and superior customer service. We have confidence that the company’s globally experienced leadership team will continue on this growth trajectory while further enhancing the customer value proposition.”
“Over the last five years, Peach Payments has proven itself as a payment gateway. The business is well-positioned to take advantage of opportunities across the continent,” explains Nicolaas Botha, who is part of the Allan Gray ventures team.
SA first – Peach Payment integrates with Wix
Peach Payments enables global e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento and offers APIs for customized integrations. As a South African first, Peach Payments now allows entrepreneurs to use the popular Wix platform to build online businesses with market-leading card processing and EFT solutions.


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My phone rings and my customer asks, “Where is gold going from here?” I always respond the same, “I don’t know, my crystal ball fell off my desk.” I do believe it is the time to be a contrarian and buy gold while hands are discarding their holdings in metals but I have felt that way for a couple of years now and the price has continued lower albeit a plus for buyers. Why anyone would risk so much for so little in this new abnormal world is perplexing to say the least.
What I do know is that we are experiencing the usual delays of national minted products as they attempt to get rid of 2016 dated materials and stock 2017 products. Spot has once again dipped this year, as it did last year, adding to the pinch but sales are not fantastic and I suspect someone or some entity (banks or governments) are buying up large quantities. The private sector seems to be dis-hoarding as they exuberantly dip their feet back into the market, euphoric over the recent election results and ecstatic about the change in leadership and direction. Equity markets are reflecting just that and this rally may continue for 6 months before reality hits and the realization that it is impossible to right a careening train.
Gold needs to hold steady at $1160 however a dip to $1130 will impact how low we might go. If we can’t get above $1330 by March we are in big trouble. Silver continues to hold at $17 with a ratio change from 83:1 over this past year to 68:1, some $15. One rate hike and another one and done for the first quarter next year is expected. The U.S. dollar has reached $102 and treasury yields remain strong ALL bad news for metals. My question is how do treasury yields go up when Saudi Arabia and China sold some $375 B in bonds last year alone, and their level of selling treasuries have increased year after year? I’d advise stacking more metals at this price for your Christmas present to yourself!


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As Millennials and Generation Z continue to take over as primary luxury consumers, a recent report conducted by Boston Consulting Group and Highsnobiety predicts the luxury consumer will become unrecognizable in the next few years. Already described as a demographic with a values-first approach to consumerism, the coronavirus pandemic has largely served to pronounce consumer behavior even further.
While research began in 2019, the companies resurveyed respondents after the COVID-19 crisis for an accurate pulse and updated insights. According to Sarah Willersdorf, global head of luxury at BCG and coauthor of the report, the crisis will likely continue to accelerate several consumer mind-sets and behavioral trends.
“The post-crisis ‘new reality’ will have many structural changes that brands and retailers will need to reconcile. Consumers will be increasingly health and environmentally conscious, even more engaged on digital and social channels, and many will revert to trusted and iconic brands,” Willersdorf said. “We also wanted to test if our results held true in a COVID-19 world, and what we found was that the pandemic has only heightened the importance of our findings.”
According to companies’ research, while traditional markers of luxury like superior quality, attentive design and an elevated native are still critical, they are no longer sufficient. Notably, a key finding from the repulse survey found that only 11 percent of the Highsnobiety readers said they did not want to hear from fashion brands at this time. Further, respondents said they had an “expectation that brands take a more proactive involvement on the world stage than ever before.”
The authors of the report write, “brands that are successful in this new environment do not simply respond to trends or outside narratives, but instead become true drivers of culture.” Put simply, brands need to become culturally credible to remain successful.
“Cultural credibility is a brand’s perceived relevance to a consumer’s values and social circle,” Willersdorf said. “The building blocks of cultural credibility are the brand’s timelessness, a brand narrative that evokes emotions, the advocacy of key opinion leaders and a consumer’s social circle, as well as a curated assortment and creative partnerships with culturally relevant authorities.”
Brands that are culturally credible, therefore, are those that are able to foster loyalty by enabling and encouraging participation and communication. While cultural credibility has always been a factor for consumers, the report notes that it has accelerated recently.
“[These brands] talk to their audience before and after production,” Willersdorf said. “They spotlight relevant causes and amplify them in the mainstream through advertising, creative projects, business philosophy, and through the products themselves. They agitate and direct politicization — through sport, diversity, urbanism or environmental issues, depending on the brand. They collaborate with others to meet and subvert expectations, and to harness local and subcultural knowledge, seeking advocacy from cultural pioneers and the circles they direct. Most importantly, brands that are culturally credible are both aspirational and accessible.”
The research also analyzed sales data from 32 brands from traditional luxury to sportswear and streetwear brands over a three-year time frame, matching growth rates with the cultural credibility scores derived from the survey. Brands that delivered on both luxury fundamentals and the key factors that constitute the report’s cultural credibility matrix saw annual revenue growth that was two to three times as much as those who only delivered on classic luxury factors and are not considered culturally credible.
“There has always been an interplay between the wider culture and the corner of it we classify as ‘luxury,’ yet the speed at which new cultural associations formulate and dissolve is accelerating each year,” Willersdorf said. “A new generation that was raised during this reformulation (and who are digital and social natives) is on course to dominate the market. They are informed, active and networked. They respond critically and collectively to what brands, retailers and media are signaling, and they expect to be included in the conversation.”
In the repulse survey, taken after COVID-19, half of the survey respondents stated a brand’s timelessness had increased importance, followed by a brand narrative that builds an emotional connection at 33 percent, social responsibility at 25 percent, and a brand being worn by key opinion leaders and the consumer’s social circle at 24 percent.
“Peer-to-peer interactions are instrumental in helping a brand’s idea spread and earn their place in the zeitgeist,” authors said of the report. “The most successful brands build responsive products designed for a specific mind-set rather than a demographic.”
The report also studied a group called “cultural pioneers,” who hold an influential authority but are not traditional influencers. These pioneers are described not as vapid, as the authors of the report note influencers are seen, but rather “innovators who embrace new ideas and commodities even before early adopters.” Cultural pioneers influence the influencers and are, according to the report, the strongest indicator of where the market is heading.
Notably, the report finds that rather than shopping at traditional department stores, cultural pioneers prefer multibrand retailers like Dover Street Market and The Webster.
“Cultural pioneers are trailblazers in the domain of style and culture whose influence animates and substantiates brand credibility within the broader consumer set — especially with Gen Z and Millennials,” Willersdorf said. “Their top three sources of inspiration are IRL/WOM, brand-owned social media; multiband specialty retail, and lifestyle publications. With respect to multibrand specialty [stores], these retailers offer a high level of curation and inspiration, with a unique in-store environment, and they are known by cultural pioneers for discovering new and lesser-known brands.”
In its survey, the companies’ found 47 percent of cultural pioneers self-identify as “creative” compared to 27 percent of all Gen Z and 23 percent of Millennials. And while 50 percent of cultural pioneers said they are more likely to shop mobile or resale platforms, only 20 percent of all respondents said they have used these platforms to make a purchase in the last year.
The research also found that Gen Z, in particular, spends half of the purchase journey seeking inspiration. More than 70 percent of Gen Z globally, and 82 percent of Gen Z in the U.S., said they make purchase decisions while seeking inspiration.
“Generation Z spends 51 percent of their purchase journey being inspired or inspiring others, versus 37 percent for Generation X,” Willersdorf said. “Social media is Gen Z’s largest inspiration channel, both from people [friends and cultural pioneers] and brands they follow and is an essential discovery platform. They also find inspiration on brand-owned websites and apps, as well as brand stores.”
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