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Hormel Foods Honored as Vendor of the Year
The honor was announced at the chain’s semi-annual franchisee conference held in Frisco, Texas.
“Hormel Foods was selected as Vendor of the Year because of several stand-out initiatives that they facilitated as a long-term partner,” said Hala Habal, vice president of communications, Which Wich. “Hormel Foods also invited our Project PB&J to their 125th anniversary celebration by having their own employees participate in a spreading party in Minneapolis (Minn.), where they made more than 9,000 sandwiches. Hormel Foods has routinely been on the forefront of product development and R&D for the brand as well. Hormel Foods has been a partner to Which Wich from day one and continues to be a trusted and essential part of our business.”
“Which Wich is a very special customer to Hormel Foods. We have been aligned with them since their inception, and now they have over 400 units worldwide. The strength of our relationship has grown through the efforts of countless individuals through the years, most notably our current National Account Manager Jay Sharkey,” said Mark Ourada, vice president of sales, foodservice. “Additionally, this partnership would not be where it is today without the support from many areas of our company, including marketing, logistics, operations and R&D. Which Wich signifies what a true partner is all about, and we are extremely proud and humbled to receive this award on behalf of the company.”
The partnership between Hormel Foods and Which Wich was initiated by Sinelli before the company opened its first store in 2003. The restaurants now use numerous Hormel Foods foodservice products, including ham, turkey, genoa sausage, pepperoni, roast beef, Hormel® Bacon One® perfectly cooked bacon, Hormel® Fire Braised® pork shoulder, corned beef, pastrami, SKIPPY® peanut butter, meatballs and more.
Which Wich is based in Dallas, Texas, and has locations in 37 states and 10 countries, including Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Guatemala and Panama. Learn more about the company at whichwich.com.


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Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said that the incentive package given by the government will give the required thud to the textile industry by providing help to exports and opening up new job opportunities. Stating that the sector has a lot of job creation, the minister said that the sector has provided a lot of advantage to the country.
The incentive provided to the sector is a result of the requirement to match up the global developments. A package of Rs. 6000 crore got approved by the Union government recently for the textile and apparel sector with an aim to create one crore new job options in three years. The industry is expected to attract investments of over $11 billion and is eying an export figure of $30 billion. In 2014-15, about $17 billion had come in India through the exports from the textile industry. Small countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam is posing challenge to India as they are getting access to the developed country markets through lower tariffs and are increasing their business there.
Talking about the possible effect of Britain exiting the European Union and the India-EU free trade agreement, the minister said, “We are waiting for the dates. It is my doubt that if because they are waiting for the outcome of Brexit, they have not yet given the dates as yet. The moment they give the dates, we will be keenly wanting to continue the talks to reach the conclusion at the earliest.” Both the sides had been facing issues like intellectual property rights, duty cut in automobile and spirits and liberal visa regimes, which is stalling the trade agreement that began way back in June 2007 between the two. The pact will eliminate tariffs on goods, facilitating trade in services and will boost investments for both the sides.

domain: news


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There have been reports about frustrated users who are no longer receiving text messages (SMS) after switching from iPhone to Android or other devices. A recent server glitch is also known to have worsened the problem.
Now, Apple has acknowledged the issue to Re/code and states, “We recently fixed a server-side iMessage bug which was causing an issue for some users, and we have an additional bug fix in a future software update. For users still experiencing an issue, please contact AppleCare.” However, there is now word how Apple plans to roll out the update.
The report further states that a server bug was preventing AppleCare representatives from rectifying the problem when customers called up about the fault. Now, Apple rectifies and directs users to its support page that discusses how to deactivate iMessage, adds the report.
Besides, news also has it that a California-based woman has taken legal action against Apple. She claims that Apple’s messaging ways have been depriving former customers to get full value from their wireless service once they switch to other brands. The suit reportedly also claims that Apple’s actions violate California’s unfair competition law. It also interferes with the service carrier’s ability to offer promised service to its customers.


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TINSUKIA: At a time when the government insisting on adhering to the lockdown guidelines strictly in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak, the Doomdooma-based Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has attempted to resume its production despite stiff protest from its labour union. The HUL procured a magisterial order from the Tinsukia district administration on 26.3.2020 which permitted HUL to manufacture essential commodities.
Armed with the order vide number TRP.5/2020/PT-1/62 of 26.3.2020 issued to Satish Yelamanchili, factory manager HUL, the management has been forcing the workers to join the factory since Thursday, which the labour union opposed. The union contended that the HUL is a manufacturer of cosmetic items like toothpaste, cream, shampoo and face wash and none of these items belong to essential commodities as mandated under COVID-19 requirement. The union alleged that the HUL management, by misinterpreting the order, planned to resume production. On the other hand, the Tinsukia district administration ought to have sought clarification from the HUL in respect of manufacturing specific essential items before issuance of the order.
HUL HR Manager Dhiraj Singh, when contacted, told this correspondent that the HUL in the present situation of COVID-19 lockdown contemplated to manufacture only toothpaste as that was the only essential item while shutting down the other industrial units. When asked whether it would manufacture sanitizer-like items for which the Modi government had given nod on priority basis, Singh categorically said no.


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ANN ARBOR — Can companies buying back their own stock time the market to get a better price? This was an unanswered question in corporate finance until now.
New research from University of Michigan finance professor Amy Dittmar indicates that some companies do time their repurchases to buy at a low price. It’s a way companies can make a shareholder-friendly move and a positive return on an investment.
“Stock repurchases get a bad rap sometimes,” Dittmar said. “Some people argue that it’s spending money that should be invested in workers and facilities. But if managers can make a positive return over and above the risk they assume, it can be good for the firm.”
Dittmar and co-author Laura Field of Penn State University analyzed monthly repurchase data from companies that bought shares on the open market from 2004 to 2011. Using new data and methods, the average firm buying its stock on the open market pays 2 percent less than the average investor, their study found.
They also discovered companies that repurchase shares infrequently time the market even better, paying 6 percent to 8 percent less than the average price. That’s because it’s more difficult for firms that buy back shares frequently to time the market. A company’s shares aren’t going to be undervalued that often, and these frequent repurchasers likely have other reasons to repurchase.
The higher returns get even better when insiders like executives buy stock on their own account in the same month, an indication those repurchases are driven by market timing.
“I believe in market efficiency, so I was kind of skeptical of the idea that firms could time the market,” Dittmar said. “But the data gave us a peek inside a black box we’ve never seen before and shed some light on a big question in finance.”
Companies buy back stock for a number of reasons—to use available cash, to give shareholders a benefit in lieu of a dividend, or to improve ratios. Whatever the reason, the new research suggests that companies can time the market, especially if the buybacks aren’t a frequent event.
– By Greta Guest
*Source: University of Michigan


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The marketplace donated five percent of its Saturday sales to the Cabrillo Educational Foundation
A coastside marketplace held a back to school event last week to help raise money for a group that provides funding to community education.
offered free snacks and gave away coloring books, and Bamboo Salon gave free haircuts at the Saturday event.
A marketplace spokeswoman said the store donated five percent of its sales for the day to the Cabrillo Educational Foundation.
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To a lot of Americans (and the international community, as well), Congress looks pretty unimpressive right now, spending what is usually a holiday down-time trying to fix an entirely self-created crisis over spending and taxes.
But cheer up, lawmakers: Starbucks has moved the needle. The company is now expanding its utterly silly program to have its coffee-pourers (excuse me, "baristas") write the words "come together" on the paper cups of people waiting in line for their vastly over-priced beverages.
Said the company's CEO, who identifies himself only as "Howard S." in his online statement:
It's a small gesture, but the power of small gestures is what Starbucks is about! Imagine the power of our partners and hundreds of thousands of customers each sharing such a simple message, one cup at a time.
The power, in fact, is absent—at least in terms of getting Congress to stop the looming fiscal cliff. Congress is not like some Little League team that just needs yet another parent yelling, "You're the best! You can do it!" from the bleachers. This isn't happening because Congress needs a nudge from coffee-peddlers, or an extra shot of self-esteem. This is happening because Congress has been on a downward spiral of dysfunction for some time, and because its members are under constant pressure from powerful interests such as—oh, a big company like Starbucks.
If "Howard S." really wants to put pressure on Congress, he can do it. Despite the laughable efforts to present Starbucks as a team of equals (signing his missive "Howard," even though Howard Schultz is CEO, makes pots of money, and deserves a full name; calling employees "partners," though the tip jar suggests there's a wide gap between the coffee-dispensers and Schultz), Howard Schultz can play the game that influences Washington.
With $3.36 billion in revenues and plans to open 1,300 more stores, Starbucks had what a company spokesman described as its best fourth quarter ever. Schultz himself was named as the 354th richest person in America by Forbes magazine this year, with an estimated net worth of $1.5 billion. He could pledge to contribute to the opponents of anyone on the Hill who refuses to make compromises. He could come out, Warren Buffett-like, and say he believes he should pay a lot more in taxes as a wealthy person, and urge Congress to do so. Or, he could even come out and say he should pay less in taxes so he can create more jobs with the extra cash. But he could actually thrust his wealthy self into the debate, one way or the other. Lengthening the lines at Starbucks stores by asking employees to write "come together" on cups is a cop-out. But then, should we be taking fiscal advice from someone whose company charged four bucks for a cup of coffee?


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Mi A3 Official Rendering
Not long ago, Xiaomi Started Teasing Xiaomi A3 mobile phone, and now the official renderings are also out, let’s take a look. (At Bottom)
It is not difficult to see from the above pictures, this is the overseas android one model of Xiaomi CC9e.
Last week, several websites such as Mysmartprice, Android Authority and Slashleaks reported a xiaomi model: M1906F9SH, which may represent the A3 series certified by FCC and IMDA. According to FCC certification information, this phone is an Android One phone with three cameras and a main camera with 48 Megapixel sensors. The same model is also certified in Russia.
Xiaomi’s Android One phone has been using the Xiaomi Mi X series in the past. But with the release of the Xiaomi CC series last month, some rumors that Xiaomi A3 and Xiaomi A3 Lite are based on Xiaomi CC9 and Xiaomi CC9e. According to Mysmartprice revealed that the Xiaomi A3 codenamed “bamboo_sprout” will use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 processor, while the Xiaomi A3 Lite codenamed “cosmos_sprout” will be equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor.
At present, the Xiaomi A3 series has not yet announced the release time.


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In an effort to cut down on the digital divide present in rural India, Jharkhand-based company Edimpact is making an effort to bring digital literacy to these communities. And it's using PV to accomplish its goal.
Edimpact has developed a mobile computer lab, the Maruti EECO van, which is powered by PV energy and runs on a battery fed by solar panels on its roof. The van has also been redesigned with a 1KVA inverter.
Inside, the van has the energy capacity to power five laptops and one demo computer, while also offering wi-fi internet. With a backup energy supply of 6-7 hours, 6-7 students can use the van’s services in some of the most rural areas of India.
According to Edimpact director Sanwill Srivastava, the van will have both a driver and trained staff member that will travel to remote villages and offer lessons in computer basics, internet navigation, email, cybersecurity, productivity programs and cashless transactions. Other services available include UID registration, PAN registration, certificates, applications and result printing.


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Exclusive interviews with industry leaders and government officials, business trends and opportunities, economy and trade, market intelligence and many other business insights on the American, European, Asian and global markets. Produced by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).
Andy Cheung, Technology Evangelist Microsoft Hong Kong Limited; Elodie Prunet, Marketing Manager, Vescir Ltd; Jeffrey Ling, VP of Operations & Startup Development, Taiwan Startup Stadium
From mixed reality to machine learning, the new essentials for tech success were at the 37th edition of the HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair, held from October 13th to 16th, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event has expanded from trade to trends, becoming a platform for the latest in tech thinking. In all, some 4300 exhibitors showed at the Electronics Fair, and concurrent event electronicAsia.


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- WHITE PAPERS
Take 'n' bake pizza chain Papa Murphy's has debuted a new double-stuffed pepperoni pizza for football season with the tag, "Big games demand a really big pizza."
The pie is stuffed with sliced and diced pepperoni and made with real mozzarella. Coupons for a $7.99 large double-stuffed pizza are circulating, but the introductory price is $8.99.
"It was tested in many markets prior to launch and did very well," said Papa Murphy's spokesperson Lindsi Miller. "Best of all, it was developed by one of our franchise owners, Steve Frazier, out of the Fresno market."
Frazier, a five-store Papa Murphy’s franchise owner based in Madera, California, created the pizza to be a family favorite under $10.
“I wanted to make sure it would be something even kids would eat – and I know they like pepperoni,” said Frazier. “There’s pepperoni in every bite!”
The limited-time-only pizza is available in select stores nationwide, with prices starting at $8.99. Like Papa Murphy’s other stuffed pizzas, the Double Stuffed Pizza takes 25 to 30 minutes to bake in customers’ home ovens.


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The Chennai-based Sun TV network has inked a content licensing deal with Reliance Jio to offer free access to its digital content on JioCinema. With this integration, Jio users can now watch the entire catalog of Sun NXT movies for free on JioCinema. As of now, Reliance Jio is offering two popular apps, Jio TV and JioCinema, to its users. The telecom operator is offering free access to Jio TV and JioCinema for its prepaid, postpaid and broadband subscribers. Jio users can now find a new SunNXT Superhits section in the mobile app and the website. JioCinema currently offers the best content available on any OTT app, beating the likes of Airtel Xstream Fiber and Vodafone Play.
JioCinema- Sun NXT integration: Everything you need to know
Reliance Jio has been offering two popular apps like Jio TV for watching Live TV channels and JioCinema for watching movies and the latest trailers in HD clarity. The telco has been offering complimentary access to JioCinema, Jio TV for its prepaid, postpaid and broadband customers. As of now, Jio TV it the leading Live TV channel with over 650 channels. On the other hand, SunNXT is the online video streaming platform owned and operated by Sun TV Network Limited and competes with the likes of Amazon Prime, Netflix, and ZEE5. The OTT service provider is limited to only movies and lags behind its rivals as it does not offer original shows. The SunNXT delivers the content in five regional languages that include Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, and Tamil languages.
The Sun NXT JioCinema partnership enables Jio users to have free access to South India’s biggest movie library in their regional language. As is the case with other OTT services, SunNXT is also a premium subscription model. While the monthly membership costs Rs 49, its yearly membership is priced at Rs 480. But with the Jio-SunNXT integration, the JioCinema users can now watch SUN TVs exclusive digital content for free.


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A storage trailer belonging to a business that sells locally grown produce is missing.
According to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s report, the $1,900 cargo trailer was reported stolen Saturday morning from the parking lot of the North Georgia Autism Center on Hwy. 9.
The trailer, used by a company called The Cumming Harvest, contained three foldable tables, worth an estimated $500, as well as $100 worth of fruit and vegetables.
"Mr. [William] McDowell pointed out where the vehicle was located and there was visible skid marks/drag marks left from the trailer where it appeared someone had pulled the trailer with the tire lock still intact," the report said.
McDowell, who the report noted sells produce from the trailer every Saturday, said it had been taken some time since July 9.
A message on the company’s page at a social networking site alerted customers to the development.
The online business plans to continue with the market, but asks that those who ordered frozen items wait until 10 a.m. Saturday to pick them up.


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Every single penny will be donated to charity.
As we reported last month, the very first 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 has been put up for auction with all proceeds being donated to charity. And now the Barrett-Jackson auction house has reported that vehicle has been sold for an impressive $1.1 million, all of which will be sent to JDRF, the leading global organization that funds type 1 diabetes research for children. And who placed the winning bid? That would be the CEO and chairman of Barrett-Jackson himself, Craig Jackson.
The auction took place this past Friday, January 18 in Scottsdale, Arizona. With over 700 hp, the new Shelby GT500 is powered by a hand-built supercharged 5.2-liter V8. Although exact specs are not yet available, Ford claims it's capable of a 0-60 mph in the mid-three-second range and will do the quarter-mile in less than 11 seconds.
Needless to say, the first GT500 to roll off the production line is an instant collectible. The winning bidder, in this case Mr. Jackson, will be able to spec VIN 001 to his desire, but Ford did release a couple of pictures of another one, which appears to be painted in the new Twister Orange, crossing the auction block.
"The chance to become the owner of the first 2020 Ford Shelby GT500 cars is an opportunity of a lifetime," said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of global operations. "More importantly, being involved in helping to raise much-needed funds and awareness for JDRF is a big win for everyone." And because this was quite the occasion, a couple of famous heirs were present for the auction.
Edsel B. Ford II and Aaron Shelby, grandson of the one and only Carroll Shelby, accompanied the beastly muscle car onto the block. "For 35 years, Ford Motor Company has fueled the efforts of JDRF researchers to find a cure, while helping millions of children enjoy better lives," said Edsel B. Ford II. "The proceeds from this car will add to the more than $3.5 million Ford contributes to JDRF annually, for a total of $70 million donated during our long-time partnership."
Regular series production of the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 will get underway later this year.


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Surprise Kraft Heinz Unilever acquisition bid withdrawn
Unilever has rejected a takeover offer from Kraft Heinz worth approximately US $143 billion.
If the acquisition went ahead, it would have been one of the largest in global corporate history.
Addressing the takeover bid made last Friday, both Unilever and Kraft Heinz said “Kraft Heinz has amicably agreed to withdraw its proposal for a combination of the two companies”.
“Unilever and Kraft Heinz hold each other in high regard,” the joint statement said.
“Kraft Heinz has the utmost respect for the culture, strategy and leadership of Unilever,” the statement concluded.
Both Unilever and Kraft Heinz shares jumped when news of the acquisition bid was made public. Unilever’s increased by 13 per cent and Kraft Heinz by 11 per cent.
Unilever is based in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, but has a large international presence, including in Australia. Within Australia it is responsible for numerous food, drink, personal care and home care brands including Lipton, Flora, Continental, Bertolli, Bushells, Streets and Lan Choo.
Within the US, Kraft Heinz is also responsible for numerous household brands including Golden Circle, Philadelphia Cream Cheese and Watties. In Australia, a lot of Kraft brands were acquired in 2012 by Mondelez International which In January 2017 sold the Australian rights to most of these products to Bega – including Kraft peanut butter, nut spreads, processed cheese slices, mayonnaise, cheese spread and Mac and Cheese. Kraft Heinz owns the rights to Philadelphia cream cheese but it is sold by Mondelez in Australia.
In Australia, Kraft Heinz controls Golden Circle, Watties, Cottee’s, Greenseas, The Original Juice Co, as well as Heinz branded products under the company name “H.J Heinz Company Australia Ltd”.
- Details emerge on HeinzKraft merger, and what it means
- Vegemiteis just the beginning for Bega
- Big brands M&A in globalelephants dance
Australian fresh produce companies, Perfection Fresh and Fruit Master, have merged their table grape...
The A2 Milk Company has acquired an 8.2 per cent share in New Zealand dairy processing company, Synl...
3D printed meat may seem fanciful to the average Australian, but it represents an exciting and reali...
Oliver’s Real Food will be listing on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).
Woolworths’ decision to decrease the amount of Coca-Cola Amatil’s Mount Franklin water it stocks sig...
Domino’s is giving away 20, 000 free pizzas to help launch its new ‘Quality Fresh’ menu.
Kelloggs has launched a unique marketing move to help bring consumers enticed by diet trends back to...
WHAT’S next in the dynamic war on plastic after McDonalds’ decision to phase out plastic straws?


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|Customs GST Director Datuk Subromaniam Tholasy|
Hotels and restaurants are not allowed to charge Service Charge unless they have a Collective Agreement (CA) with their employees, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK) secretary-general Datuk Seri Alias Ahmad said.
Restaurants that imposes a Service Charge will need to display a notice, he added.
"After analyzing the complaints received about Service Charge, the Ministry has decided that hotels and restaurants will not be allowed to charge Service Charge unless there is a CA between the employers and employees beside a notice on display if they impose a Service Charge," he told media.
Consumers can report premises that fail to abide to this to KPDNKK for further investigation.
"The analysis was done by Finance Ministry, Human Resource Ministry and KPDNKK as there is no regulatory on the implementation of GST. Hotels and restaurants that do not abide by this can be charged under the Price Control and Anti Profiteering Act, Trade Description Act (Akta Perihal Dagangan) or Consumer Protection Act," he added.
This new enforcement will be in place until there is a new policy introduced by the government.
Alias also told that thus far there have been 2,494 complaints made about GST from April 1-5 to KPDNKK.
"The complaints received are on GST imposed on prepaid top-up cards, price hikes by retailers where the most complaints were made about baby milk powder and baby diapers.There were also complaints made about receipt without GST ID number and the imposing of Service Charge.," he said.
Meanwhile, Customs GST Director Datuk Subromaniam Tholasy said 40% of the complaints made by the public were about the tax invoice the retailers give out as they do not adhere to the GST Regulations 2014 where there is no GST registration number, the GST registration number does not have 12 digits, handwritten receipts and the usage of other languages instead of Bahasa Malaysia or English in the receipts.
"Some of the retailers are not using the Point of Sales (POS) system or cash registry that has been approved for the implementation of GST. There are also complaints received that consumers were charged a cumulative GST instead of only on selected items," Subromaniam said.
All this if found guilty can be fined not exceeding RM 30,000 or face imprisonment not more than 2 years or both.
Subromaniam said consumers need to know their rights and act on it to avoid paying for GST on items or services that have been exempted from it.


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It is reported that Samsung has confirmed with its manufacturing partners that the Galaxy S23 Ultra phone will have a 200 MP main camera sensor.
It is also believed that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will also use Qualcomm's 3D Sonic Max fingerprint sensor and offer faster storage.
It looks like Samsung is gearing up to pack its Galaxy S23 Ultra flagship smartphone with mouth-watering delights
That would prevent the Android smartphone-buying public from being tempted by anything running on iOS.
The 200-megapixel camera is only slated for the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra model
But its use here will make the sensor more widespread across the Android OEM community.
But it takes more than a potentially hit-or-miss 200MP camera to set a new standard in a flagship smartphone,
The 3D Sonic Max fingerprint reader, which will only go to the Galaxy S23 Ultra,
covers a larger area than other sensors and can read two fingers at the same time, thus providing a greater level of security.


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Brides in white steal the show
Move over those glitzy reds and maroons. For fashion forward girls getting hitched this season, ivory is the hottest colour on the block for their bridal outfit.Updated: Nov 22, 2013 18:23 IST
Move over those glitzy reds and maroons. For fashion forward girls getting hitched this season, ivory is the hottest colour on the block for their bridal outfit. Designers in the city are flooded with orders from would-be brides who want to experiment with ivory instead of traditional colours.
Fashion designer Meera Ali, who has plenty of ivory outfits in her trousseau collection this year, explains the trend. “With globalisation and a change in mindset, brides are now willing to bend rules. We are making a large number of bridal outfits which are not red, pink or orange, but white, ivory and beige,” says Meera.
Experts feel that people now want a break from an overdose of bling and colour. “For the past couple of years, everything has been loud and blingy. People are looking for a change now. Ivory is the need of the hour. Today’s women don’t follow tradition blindly and want to look different on their special day. There’s something very pure, sacred and austere about ivory,” says designer Anand Kabra.
Agrees designer Anupamaa Dayal, “It’s a beautiful colour. It’s lovely to see muted version of brides at Indian weddings.”
Designer Rina Dhaka points out that it’s a re-run of the ‘90s trend. “People want cleaner, plainer and statement clothes over just shine and kitsch,” she says.
Even lehenga shops in the city are cashing in on the trend. “Ivory demand mein hai aaj kal. Earlier, it was popular with elite customers, but now even middle class brides want ivory lehenga,” says Manish Kapoor of Malhotra Brothers, South Ex.
“White lehengas bahut chal rahe hain. People were superstitious about white earlier, but not anymore,” says Rajan Bansal of Kalashree Regalia, Chandni Chowk.
“This is such a cool trend, I have been looking at some ivory outfits for my wedding next month,” says Kanika Sinha, 25.
Add fun to your look
You can add a pop of colour to your look with jewellery and flowers. “Ivory takes on jewellery beautifully — be it diamond, kundan or gold,” says designer Anand Kabra. “Go for contrasting jewellery. Also, silver and gold look great with ivory,” adds designer Rina Dhaka. “You can quirk up your attire with fresh flowers to add texture and colour. Wear it like jewellery, a tiara or on your arms,” says designer Anupama Dayal.
First Published: Nov 22, 2013 18:19 IST


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Family Dollar Stores last week named as Tammy DeBoer SVP food. DeBoer will report to Paul White, EVP and chief merchandising officer.
Holly Shaskey-Platek has been appointed to serve as SVP merchandising for Family Dollar, the retailer announced.
Kmart parent company Sears Holdings hired Ron Boire as EVP, chief merchandising officer and president of Sears and Kmart formats.
Family Dollar Stores on Monday named Paul White to the position of EVP and chief merchandising officer. White will report to Mike Bloom, president and COO.
Family Dollar announced that it has named Trey Johnson to the newly created position of SVP food.
Family Dollar Stores announced that it has named Paul White to the position of SVP apparel, home and seasonal. White will report to Dorlisa Flur, EVP and chief merchandising officer.
Through a turnkey category management solution that OfficeMax currently is introducing to a number of...


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The meteoric rise of mobile initially caught the advertising world by surprise and they are still trying to catch up. Growing at a faster rate than radio, television and computers, mobile has disrupted the traditional way that people get paid through the media with advertising. The challenge is only greater when you consider that consumers have begun using ad blockers, or simply tuning out mobile advertising messages. This presents a challenge that mobile marketers will continue to struggle with for years to come.
One of the biggest ways marketers look to target mobile is through ads on social media platforms. While this has worked for more traditional sites like Facebook and Twitter, the challenge is how to reach those users not on those networks and how to continue to engage users on newer platforms. It turns out geo-location can help drive the right ad content on these new channels to make them more effective.
Snapchat tries out new approaches for monetization
While Snapchat is growing its user base, especially among millennials, up until recently they had struggled to provide advertisers with a reliable way to reach consumers. The temporary nature of the site, where mobile messages disappear after a mere 24 hours makes it hard for advertisers to want to invest in such a limited message, and the high price tag of promoted Stories or Channels is prohibitive. With limited data, it makes it harder to sell ads to marketers who are unsure what they will even receive in return. Marketers must rely on building their own followers to create engaging content that appeals to younger audiences. In return, Snapchat is offering smaller ad buys to brand as they test the waters of this new model.
Using geo-location, Snapchat has recently introduced branded geo-filters which allow marketers to reach consumers in a specific area with an overlaid ad, placed on top of the content the users are generating themselves. This allows advertisers to hit not only users in a targeted area, but also to get amplification of of their message as the filter is applied to images/videos which are then shared with the users’ followers.
Foursquare has the data to back up their ads
Early movers in the location-based app space include Foursquare and later Swarm. These apps allow users to check-in at physical locations and broadcast this to friends within the app and share on other social media platforms. With this comes some pretty significant information for potential advertisers.
Recently, Foursquare has tested this out on a select group of users who have agreed to opt in to sharing their data. By showing one group an ad and then determining if it later brought them to the actual location versus another group that didn’t see the ad, Foursquare is creating the metrics to secure future ad prospects. With a larger demographic than just millennials, Foursquare is better suited to compete with other social platforms to sell ads.
If mobile is part of the future of advertising, then marketers better find the best way to utilize it in a way that’s natural to the medium and how people interact with it. With social media, it’s been more challenging but the potential is ripe.
Contact us to learn how we can help your organization optimize your mobile ads.


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Florence, Italy-based luxury fashion house Roberto Cavalli SpA has announced the departure of its creative director, Peter Dundas, as the company embarks on a major reorganization.
After three seasons, Dundas is the latest luxury designer to get the ax – with major shakeups seeming to be a regular happening this year within the fashion world. Dundas’ spring / summer 2017 collection presented in Milan on September 21 during Fashion Week was his last for the brand.
Commenting on the announcement, Gian Giacomo Ferraris, CEO of Roberto Cavalli, said: “In the name of Roberto Cavalli and its shareholders, I thank Peter for his contribution to the brand wishing him the best for his future. In this period of transition and transformation, the design team of the brand will continue to design the collections; the appointment of the new creative director will be announced in due course.”
“I want to thank Roberto Cavalli and the entire Group for this valuable experience and I wish them a future path of success,” added Dundas. “I am especially grateful to the ateliers and the team who have shared this adventure with me.”
The company also announced today that it will consolidate operations at its Florence headquarters and close its corporate and design office in Milan, reducing headcount by about 200 positions out of 672 total. It will also close some stores and relocate others as part of a broader overhaul to return to profitability by 2018.
“The fashion industry is going through tough times, dictated by a significant drop in consumption in several key markets and a substantial transformation of the industry dynamics,” continued Ferraris. “In this context, only the iconic brands, with a business model consistent and efficient organization will be able to survive. After my initial analysis of the group, I believe our company must be in line with revenue and that is the goal we want to achieve.”


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Oh well the true reason behind his arrest hasn’t been mentioned, but we know his case will be transferred to Abuja today and that he is actually in prison.
Some reports have it that the popular socialite was reprimanded in Lekki and may be connected to the lingering fight between himself and fashion entrepreneur Toyin Lawani. He has been trolling the designer on Snapchat and other social media outlets.
We know for a fact that he said he is ‘gay’ because he recently said so, and no more hiding or playing hanky panky guess works. Gay people in Nigeria don’t always have it cool with the law.
In no time we will know the true reason behind his arrest.


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Payday loans are marketed as crisis dollar that is small.
However with yearly interest levels that normal 400%, these loans are dangerous financial obligation traps and possess a devastating impact on low-income communities, and disproportionately, folks of color.
Payday financing is illegal in nj-new jersey, but payday lenders prey on New Jersey consumers online or serving into the armed solutions away from state. NJCA is campaigning difficult for a solid payday lending legislation through the customer Financial Bureau (CFPB) to guard consumers in nj-new jersey from predatory payday loan providers and their debt trap loans.
Exactly Exactly Just What Nj Requirements through the CFPB Payday Lending Rule
On June 2, 2016, the CFPB circulated proposed laws for payday financing. Through the public remark duration, which finished on Oct 7 th , 2016, NJCA collected a huge selection of reviews from nj-new jersey customers urging the CFPB to issue a powerful guideline that certainly not undermines New JerseyвЂ™s clear ban on payday financing, and which will additionally enhance brand brand New JerseyвЂ™s protections against abusive payday lending methods. Read more


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#WeWearWhatWeWant Shows Plus-Size Women Breaking Fashion Rules
Show us how you slay.
Plus-size model Simone Mariposa started the #WeWearWhatWeWant hashtag to encourage plus-size women to show themselves dressing for their own comfort rather than the approval of others.
Society has a lot of strong ideas about how plus-size women should act, what they should wear and who they should be in the world. It can be exhausting to adhere to the cultural expectation that demands we be both invisible and highly put-together at the same time. The online body-positive fashion community is helping to challenge those expectations and smash those standards into the ground. LA-based blogger and model Simone Mariposa created the hashtag #WeWearWhatWeWant as a way to highlight the unconventional fashion choices of plus-size women and stand up to body shaming.
“People have this unnecessary sense of entitlement when it comes to fat bodies.”
After seeing a fellow plus-size model share an experience about a plus-size woman being judged and shamed for her outfit choice, Mariposa took to her Twitter account to vent her frustrations. She tweeted, “Every plus-size girl has had to bear the terrible brunt of being judged/policed for what we wear & how we wear it.” Followed by, “I no longer allow people to dictate what I should and shouldn’t wear.”
And then she created the #WeWearWhatWeWant tag on Twitter as a way to not simply highlight plus-size women wearing minimal clothing, but to highlight women being comfortable in their skin and wearing whatever it is they want. The tag took the ideas of dressing for your body and plus-size fashion rules and challenged them. Instead of saying, “You can’t wear that,” the hashtag offered an alternative that we hear so rarely in fashion, which is, “You can wear whatever you want.” And Mariposa was just the person posed to do it.
“I’ve always been one to bend rules a little bit, march to the beat of my own drum,” Mariposa tells me via email. “So, although what people said and thought about me bothered me from time to time, I still wanted to do what I desired with my wardrobe. I strongly believe that it is no one else’s business or place to police someone else’s body, what they do with it and what they put on it.”
In addition to the online trolling and shaming comments from those who have a lot of opinions about what plus-size women should wear, Mariposa says she experiences strangers telling her to cover up at the mall and even at family functions. She says, “People have this unnecessary sense of entitlement when it comes to fat bodies.”
It’s clear that Mariposa’s frustrations hit a nerve because the #WeWearWhatWeWant hashtag caught on like wildfire and was declared viral by Mic.com only a few days after Mariposa first created it. The tag showed plus-size women of all sizes claiming their visibility and not apologizing for it. Plus-size women in bikinis alongside women in baggy tees with no pants showed that personal style is an individualized practice not determined by size. Mariposa says she was moved by the amount of women participating and sharing their images.
“I knew this movement was big when I saw it trending for a couple days,” she says. “Trending topics usually stay popular for a max of like, 18 hours. But when I searched the tag and saw that new pictures were being posted every two minutes, I realized this was something monumental. I cried. I saw my purpose being lived out in front of me. It was so humbling, and I had such a gratified feeling.”
With media coverage hailing #WeWearWhatWeWant as the body-positive hashtag to know, Mariposa sees an opportunity to create real change in the way in which plus-size women are perceived and judged. She sees the attention for the tag as as way to create a new narrative and a wider lens of representation for plus-size women in the media. With online success unlocked, Mariposa has plans to take the tag beyond social media and work on building this community offline, as well.
“Build up that inner confidence by letting yourself know that you are worthy, your body is beautiful, and you don’t have to hide.”
In the meantime, she plans on continuing to share images online and encourages others to do the same. Though the hashtag has brought out its share of trolls, Mariposa isn’t paying their opinions any mind. And she wants everyone who has been following and participating in the tag to do the same.
“Don’t let other people’s opinions of your body hold you back,” Mariposa says. “Don’t let them hold you back from doing/wearing what you’ve always longed to do/wear. Build up that inner confidence by letting yourself know that you are worthy, your body is beautiful, and you don’t have to hide.”
In a world that continues to police plus-size women, this message of self-acceptance is a powerful one. Mariposa asserts that the approval of others is not necessary for her to shine, and that attitude is one I know I certainly want to see more of.


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Gov. Jay Inslee has signed a measure making Washington the first state to set up its own net neutrality requirements in response to the Federal Communications Commission's recent repeal of Obama-era rules.
Inslee signed bill Monday after it passed out of both the House and Senate with bipartisan support.
The new law prohibits internet providers from blocking content or impairing traffic. It also requires internet providers to disclose information about their management practices, performance and commercial terms. Violations would be enforceable under the state's Consumer Protection Act. The FCC's new rules are not expected to go into effect until later this spring. Washington's measure will take effect mid-June.
The FCC voted in December to gut federal rules that meant to prevent broadband companies such as Comcast, AT&T and Verizon from exercising more control over what people watch and see on the internet.


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Bangladesh’s export crosses a record 43bn dollar in 10 months
Published : Monday, 9 May, 2022 at 9:12 PM Count : 546
Bangladesh’s export income has increased 35.14 per cent to USD $ 43.34 billion in 10 months of current FY 22, up by 12 per cent than FY 21.
The export promotion bureau (EPB) is expecting to make a milestone this year in crossing this fiscal’s export target of $ 51 billion.
According to the EPB data released on Monday, Bangladeshi entrepreneurs have earned $4.78 billion from exporting goods and services in a single month in April.
Despite the Russia- Ukraine war, the country’s entrepreneurs have achieved this record thanks to growing demand for readymade garments in the global markets in the post severe Covid-19 pandemic period.
If this trend continues until the end of the financial year Bangladesh will make history in the export trade by crossing the target of $ 51 billion for the first time ever.
April is the fourth highest month in the history of Bangladesh as a single month of higher export earnings.
The highest earning was $4.90 billion in December of this fiscal. The second highest was in January of $ 4.75 billion. In March export earnings stood at $ 4.76 billion that was $ 4.29 billion in February.


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ISMA is anticipating a better yield in 2015-16 SS, which may increase the sugarcane production and availability for crushing by sugar mills.
India's sugar production is projected to surpass domestic demand for sixth year in a row at 28 million tonnes in the marketing year beginning October 2015, industry body ISMA said today.
At 278.48 lakh tonnes, India has produced 16% higher sugar in 2014-15 over the previous year, marking fifth consecutive year of surplus sugar production.
Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) demanded that the Centre should either clear cane arrears to farmers directly or purchase 3 MT of sugar.
ISMA said that the loan should be extended to a buyer like FCI, MMTC, STC or APEDA, who can buy out 2.5 to 3 million tonnes of surplus sugar from the industry.
Sugar production in Maharashtra, the country's leading producer, has touched an all-time high of 10.35 mn tonnes in the said period, ISMA said.
Sugar output in Maharashtra is expected to fall 7.5% from a year earlier in the 2015-16 season due to poor rainfall. Indian Sugar Mills Association said.
India's sugar production is estimated to touch all time high of 28.3 MT in ongoing marketing year, 2014-15, as mills have manufactured 27.95 MT so far.
At the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, sugar for delivery in far-month July declined by Rs 14, or 0.55 per cent to Rs 2,528 per quintal with an open interest of 29,020 lots.
A delegation led by former Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, comprising of MPs and representatives of cooperative sugar industry.


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The face of mobile commerce may change dramatically in the near future, with a patent filed by Apple indicating that Siri could be utilised for online shopping.
While Siri may have limited functionality in its current beta state, it appears that Apple is planning to use it in order to capitalise on the online shopping industry in the near future. According to Will Shanklin of Geek.com, a patent filed by Apple just over a year ago reveals a system for buying items online while using only your voice.
Shanklin writes, “The patent, called “Intelligent Automated Assistant,” is more of a patent for Siri than for any isolated features of Siri. It’s a lengthy and detailed breakdown of the technical side of the voice assistant, including GUI, syntax comprehension, filtering of results, and long-term memory…The patent also notes that Siri could be used for online purchases of items such as books, DVDs, music and the like.”
This would undoubtedly yield Apple massive power within the online shopping sector because, as Geek.com notes, the description above means that Siri wouldn’t be limited to digital purchases from Apple. And of course if any company selling online wants in with Siri, they’d surely have play ball with Apple.
If shopping online with Siri does eventuate, Shanklin believes it could play out like this:
“Perhaps Apple will start by letting you buy songs from iTunes, books from iBooks and apps from the App Store. But then, after customers have gotten used to that, it could expand to include retail stores like Best Buy, Amazon, or (of course) the Apple Store. Siri could potentially have a filtering feature, where it will automatically order an item from the outlet with the lowest price or fastest shipping.
“It would also potentially let Apple suggest items from its own stores over those of rivals. For example, if you asked for a Magsafe charger for your MacBook Air, it would dissuade you from buying a cheaper third-party unit from Amazon, and take you to the Apple Store for a new OEM accessory.”
How do you think shopping with Siri would change the face of online retail, in particular mobile commerce?
For more mobile insights and information please visit Power Mobile.


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In the face of unrelenting spam-and-scam attacks of the computer/electronic classifieds in super metro areas like New York and San Francisco, what does Craigslist have up its sleeve to combat these virulent onslaughts?
We here at Cyberaxis first broached this story after we noticed an unrelenting campaign of spam flooding the New York and San Francisco classifieds from China. The spammers were posting with impunity bordering on contempt. (We first noticed this around February of 2009, but it is highly probable that they started much earlier. Craigslist has not responded to our queries.) The spammers’ prodigious output was swamping the computers and electronics classifieds and affecting Craigslist users’ ability to find local items for sale. If nothing happens in the next couple of months the San Francisco computers and electronics classifieds section might just go down like the New York one – the micro-equivalent of the parasite killing the host. (See the “Update” appendix at the end of this post.)
The big question: Now if spam-and-scam artists can hit Craigslist at will like this, what is there to stop Craigslist haters (or their operatives) from hitting it across the board with nonsense postings just to undermine its free ads platform as a means of promoting their own schemes? Think of the Craigslist user in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Atlanta. Where do they go right now if they want to browse or post in the computers and or electronics section? Get the point?
Updated list of other U.S. Craigslist Sites that are increasingly being hit: (As of 05/12/09)
Major Warning to Craigslist Users: Now it turns out that this spam is most probably linked to an unsophisticated but effective wire scam, if a post out of the Miami Dade ads computers & tech section is anything to go by.
Please see a copy of the post and vital anti-scam information here:
Do people who send money to unknown businesses when the conspicuous warning on Craigslist is clearly against that deserve to be scammed? The answer is yes with a qualified no. With very minimal exceptions, people should not be sending their hard earned money to strangers even on a websites as well known as eBay.
The Chinese spammers on Craigslist have been using location blurbs like “Come on baby ….. Shengcunyishangshenghuoyixia” or “Beijing, Beijing” (a sardonic play on New York, N.Y.) in an apparent attempt to taunt Craigslist flaggers and moderators. Spam is nothing new to Craigslist, but this recent onslaught seems to be unrelenting in a way that raises a lot of questions.
Could these barrages be probes by tech emboldened bandits to test the integrity of Craigslist’s anti-spam system? Could they be trying to see how the automated and human assisted controls (flagging and moderation) can withstand unrelenting attacks. Could Los Angeles, Dallas, and Washington D.C. be next? The current attacks seem to go beyond simple attempts to con people out of their money. The brazenness seems to speak to a certain desire to prove something to Craigslist.
The Craigslist’s flagging system often seems overwhelmed and while the IT department has quite a few tools in its toolbox, like lowering the flagging threshold, it doesn’t seem to be commensurately effective against the spam in question. The ace up the attackers’ sleeve seems to be the newer software designed to game or bypass Craigslist controls. Craigslist’s ultimate threat of blocking IP addresses of spammers and or hackers doesn’t seem to even come close to fazing these guys.
Charging for posts in computers, as some have suggested would have the salutary effect it has had in real estate, employment and more recently the erotic section, but as a more global strategy, it would threaten the very attribute that has distinguished Craigslist from its competitors, namely, free advertising.
The influx of spam from off-shore operatives also threatens the local focus of Craigslist websites which are really independent location-based sites linked by a sub-domain. The mantra to “deal locally with folks you can meet in person” has, for the most part, served Craigslist well and minimized the scams that have wracked eBay over the years.
The law of unintended consequences: Even before the closure of the much maligned Erotic Services, there had been a glaring irony in all of this. In November of 2008, Craigslist had caved into pressure from law enforcement and associated groups by instituting a screening process which required credit card and telephone number verification, not to mention the then new $5 per post charge. The concession was meant to help police in their investigation of illegal activities like the exploitation of minors.
However the unintended effect of this that it immunized the Erotic Services section from eggregious spam while the more up-and-up electronic and computer classifieds were left to fend for themselves. None of the religious-cum-law-and-order types had seen this coming.
Evolution of the Beast: The technology to defeat Craigslist’s controls have been evolving faster than Craigslist’s ability to deal with it. But the problem goes beyond Craigslist, which is a bit downstream when compared with web and e-mail giants like Yahoo, Google and MSN and Hotmail. The collapse of CAPTCHA sometime early in 2008 did not bode well even for downstream operations like Craigslist which relies on CAPTCHA derived controls to distinguish human posters from automated or bot posters. Be that as it may, conspiracy theorists have already started speculating about who may be behind the more recent onslaught against Craigslist, which certainly does not have a shortage of enemies, within and without, if you get my drift.
The Tech World article by Steven J. Nichols-Vaughn (Computerworld U.S. ) zeroes in on this problem:
“It’s not just free email sites that can be made to suffer, though.
John Nagle, founder of SiteTruth, a site that tries to identify bogus businesses and their websites, wrote in late May on Techdirt that while spam on the popular online classified ad service Craigslist “has been a minor nuisance for years … this year, the spammers started winning and are taking over.”
Craigslist tried “to stop spamming by checking for duplicate submissions,” Nagle explained. “They check for excessive posts from a single IP address. They require users to register with a valid email address. They added a CAPTCHA to stop automated posting tools. And users can flag postings they recognise as spam.”
According to Nagle, waxing sarcastic, “Several commercial products are now available to overcome those little obstacles to bulk posting. A tool called CL Auto Posting Tool is one such product. It not only posts to Craigslist automatically, it has built-in strategies to overcome each Craigslist anti-spam mechanism.”
It’s not the only one. There are, he added, “other desktop software products [such as] AdBomber and Ad Master. For spammers preferring a service-oriented approach, there’s ItsYourPost.” The result? “The defenses of Craigslist have been overrun. Some categories on Craigslist have become over 90 percent spam. The personals sections were the first to go, then the services categories, and more recently, the job postings.”
Of course, you don’t have to pay anything. There are now free CAPTCHA crackers available online.
Craigslist is fighting back. The organisation is now using phone verification for some ads. Crackers, in return, are working on a way to break Craigslist’s phone defences. With combat costs mounting, it’s hard to see how Craigslist, which has always been a free service, can continue to survive with its no-visible-means-of-revenue model.
It’s not, as the Craigslist situation shows, that malicious email is the only problem coming from broken CAPTCHA security. Paul Wood, senior analyst at MessageLabs, a UK-based e-mail security company, says, “MessageLabs have already begun to see examples of spammers exploiting other techniques once they have bypassed the CAPTCHA of Google and Hotmail – for example, using Google Docs to create spam content and including the link in the spam email messages, evading traditional antispam techniques that rely on identifying known spam domains in URL.”
Steven J. Nichols-Vaughn Tech World article (Computerworld U.S.
Update as of 4/25/09 (See spam-and-scam alert in main post):
The San Francisco “Computers and Tech” page seems to be much more aggressive at beating back the waves of spam that are swamping its New York counterpart, especially at night. And the probable explanation for this has more to do with hyperactive user flagging than in-built spam controls (which are for the most part the same across all Craigslist sites with the possible exception of flagging thresholds.)
SF Bay Area Craigslist is the local village market in the Bay Area ever since its its inception in 1995. Its presence is as built into the cityscape as the Golden Gate Bridge and the waterways that flow into its meandering bay. The locals are as protective of Craiglist as yokels are of the local village market.
The SF Bay Area Craigslist also happens to be the busiest Craigslist websites on the planet. Period. “Touching” this website (figuratively speaking of course) is like touching the edge of a fast-spinning mill wheel. This applies as much to legitimate users as to spammers who try to swamp its classifieds. It is interesting to marvel at this phenomenon, but Craigslist clearly needs to come up with a more solid solution to the problem of spam. Flagger-fatigue can easily set in and leave the San Francisco website looking like New Orleans after hurricane Katrina.
copyright© 2009 cyberaxis.wordpress.com


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SWOTT, an Indian consumer smart-wearable brand has expanded its Smartwatch segment by launching a new smartwatch, ‘Armor 007’. With the launch of this new product, SWOTT will be strengthening its existing portfolio of premium smartwatch line up.
The newly launched Smartwatch is unique as it is one of the few smartwatches available in the market which comes with the ‘Bluetooth calling feature’. Users can make phone calls without pulling out their smartphone thanks to its in-built speaker and microphone.
The smartwatch comes with 24 Sports Modes to track users’ activity and keep them posted and motivated to reach their fitness goals. Realtime Heart Rate tracking, Blood Oxygen Monitoring (SPo2), Stress Monitoring, Sleep Monitoring, and Sedentary Alerts ensure that one keeps track of your health throughout the day. The smartwatch houses a 300mAh internal battery that keeps the device powered for up to 7 days.
The Armor 007 features a crisp and ultra-vivid 218 PPI 1.69-inch display that peaks at a maximum brightness of 550 nits making it easily readable even in broad daylight. The SWOTT Armor 007 smartwatch is priced at INR 2,490 and can be bought on the brand’s official website and Amazon.


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The latest Consumer Insights survey from Empathy Research has found that over 40% (43%) of consumers that celebrated St Patrick’s Day yesterday planned to buy more food in advance of the event.
This figure was higher among those without children (47% versus 40% with children), suggesting that parents with children were more likely to celebrate St Patrick’s Day outside of their homes, while those with no children were more likely to have guests over to celebrate.
The survey of 997 consumers in total, found that almost half of Irish consumers (47%) planned to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, a figure that is predominantly driven by those with children in their household (63%). Almost 60% (59%) of 18-24 year olds said they were planning to celebrate the national holiday.
In terms of what food they were intending to buy, almost half (47%) cited crisps and snacks, or chocolate and sweets (also 47%). Finger foods (40%) also proved a popular option for those looking to celebrate the occasion.
It was also found that over half (52%) of Irish adults celebrating St Patrick’s Day were likely to buy more alcoholic beverages than normal. This was significantly higher amongst male consumers (63% vs. 42%), and those with no children (63% vs. 40% with children).
By age, those aged under 35 were significantly more likely to increase the amount of alcohol they buy for St Patrick’s Day, with 83% of 18-24 year olds and 62% of 25-34 year olds stating this intention. However, 80% of Irish adults in the survey agree or strongly agree that people consume excessive amounts of alcohol on St Patrick’s Day, more than any other day in the year.
© 2015 - Checkout Magazine by Hannah Popham.


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A "ROYALE" Celebration: Iconic Canadian Brand Turns 50!
- Consumer sweepstakes, commemorative book, new packaging and product launches mark ROYALE's golden anniversary in Canada -
DIEPPE, NB, March 12, 2013 /CNW/ - ROYALE, one of Canada's most recognizable and iconic brands, is turning 50! Since its inception in 1963, ROYALE has shared many memorable moments with Canadians - from the iconic white kittens, on pack and on television, to the ROYALE Bathmobile. In celebration of its golden anniversary, the brand is hosting consumer promotions and product launches throughout 2013.
"For 50 years, ROYALE has been proud to bring innovative products and unforgettable marketing promotions to Canadians," says Gary MacIntosh, Director of Marketing, ROYALE Canada. "Today, ROYALE is one of the best-known brands on Canadian store shelves and we couldn't have done it without the incredible support of our employees, retail partners and consumers. Our anniversary year promises to be an exciting one, celebrating both ROYALE's history and where the brand is headed next."
Celebrating a ROYALE History
The ROYALE brand was brought to life in 1963 after extensive consumer research found that consumers thought of the product as being "top of the line" and "fit for a queen". Primarily bought by women at the time, the business saw no better name for the brand than ROYALE, the feminine equivalent of the word royal in French.
To celebrate the brand's history and remarkable Canadian heritage, ROYALE is launching a commemorative book in September 2013, which will highlight historical moments for the brand, including two that many Canadians will never forget - the first ROYALE commercial (and one of the longest-running ads in Canadian history) featuring the now famous white kittens and the ROYALE facial tissue ad featuring the nose of Toronto Maple Leaf hockey player, Eddie Shack.
A ROYALE Sweepstakes
Giving Canadians the opportunity to join in the festivities, ROYALE is hosting its largest consumer sweepstakes - The ROYALE Golden Kittens Search contest. As part of the contest, hundreds of golden kitten tickets have been hidden in specially marked packages of ROYALE paper products and online as part of the Golden Kittens Search game. By finding a golden kitten ticket, Canadians can go online to win instant prizes and enter for a chance to win the $50,000 grand prize. From all the entries, five finalists will be chosen to participate in a televised game show on ET Canada in June. During the show, each finalist will be asked questions on historical events over the past 50 years and the contestant who scores the highest wins $50,000. Additional runner-up prizes of $25,000 (2nd), $15,000 (3rd) and $5,000 (4th and 5th) will also be awarded.
What's New in 2013
To kick off its 50th anniversary, ROYALE has introduced new packaging designs across many of its products.
"After 50 years in Canadian homes, we were ready to introduce a fresh, modern look to our ROYALE packaging," says MacIntosh. "Highlighting the natural white of our household paper products and prominently featuring the iconic ROYALE kittens in a playful way, the new packaging truly speaks to the key characteristics of the brand - quality and softness."
Throughout 2013, ROYALE will also be launching new products and innovative manufacturing technology that will add to the brand's extensive line of household paper products.
"We are excited for what 2013 has in store for the ROYALE brand and look forward to sharing new innovations with consumers across Canada," adds MacIntosh.
For 50 years, ROYALE has been a fixture in Canadian bathrooms. Today, the tradition continues throughout the entire home, as ROYALE is Canada's only consumer household paper brand that markets a full line of products including bathroom tissue, facial tissue, paper towels and napkins. The entire ROYALE Family of products is made by Irving Tissue, a proudly Canadian company committed to producing quality tissue products through responsible forest management. Learn more at royale.ca.
SOURCE: ROYALEFor further information:


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The Minneapolis Institute of Arts has launched a new iPad app that takes viewers behind the scenes to see exhibitions in the making, interviews with artists doing special projects for upcoming shows, recent gifts, and highlights of the collection. "Verso: Unveiling the Backstory" is available free from the App store.
Designed like an animated, e-version of the museum's magazine for members, it spotlights the popular "Terracotta Warriors" show now on view and adds photos from the vast Chinese tomb where the warriors were found. The best are pictures of several life-sized ceramic figures still half buried in the dirt that archeologists have been carefully removing since the 1980s.
Print curator Tom Raisseur talks about a famous Albrecht Durer print in the museum's collection, while African art curator Jan-Lodewijk Grootaers introduces a new collection of African masks recently given to the museum by a Minnesota-born collector who has long lived in Brooklyn. The masks come with videos of Africans using them in traditional dances.
Food fans will be intrigued by a show opening in December about dining in Tudor times. British food historian Ivan Day is going to produce historic foods for display in the museum's Tudor room. The food will be fake, but authentic looking. Besides interviews with Day at his 17th century farmhouse in Cumbria, there are links to more than a dozen videos on everything from roasting lamb to antique British cookbooks, modern farming and career advice -- presumably for wannabe culinary historians.
The highlight of the museum's spring 2013 season promises to be "More Real," a show of contemporary art about the artifice that permeates daily life. It's kind of a mind-twister, but fans of the Colbert Show will cotton to the idea fast. For it, curator Elizabeth Armstrong commissioned Brazilian artist Vik Muniz to replicate the back of an Institute painting of his choice. He picked the museum's famous "Lucretia," by Rembrandt, and is seen discussing the project with museum staff.


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A new campaign for Brewdog beer welcomes with wide open arms brew drinkers from all walks of life: laughing hipsters, meat-eaters, vegetarians, lying vegetarians, small people, tall people, people who believe in aliens, God lovers, atheists, close talkers, fun fair workers, meditation fakers, guys who can’t wait to show off their pecs—and even Heineken drinkers.
It’s not a diversity play, however. In the spot from Droga5 London, Brewdog explains that its beer is for everyone because it’s the “world’s first carbon-negative brewery”—meaning that it’s doing good for all, including those who don’t even imbibe its product.
Last August, the brand announced that it would be going beyond carbon-neutral to become carbon-negative with the promise to plant over a million trees by 2022 on 2,000 acres of land it purchased in the Scottish Highlands, what founder James Watt has dubbed the “Lost Forest.” Watt said the move would remove twice as much carbon out of the air as Brewdog emits from the production of its beer. The brand also creates its beer using renewable energy, makes packaging from easily recycled materials, sources local ingredients and transports its beer in the U.K.’s first electric 19-ton truck.
“When you run a carbon-negative brewery, it isn’t just the beer drinkers who benefit. It’s everyone on earth,” said Droga5 London Chief Creative Officer David Kolbusz in a statement. “This reductive equation became the starting point for a campaign we’re enormously proud of. We went about listing everyone we thought would see an upside from BrewDog’s environmental efforts. Our original cut was five hours long.”
The TV spot was directed by Jeff Low via Biscuit Filmworks. Production of the new campaign was also sustainable, offset through tree-planting schemes. Droga5 London has committed to being eco-friendly as well, and each staffer has Lost Forest citizenship and committed to planting a tree there. The campaign also includes out-of-home and print ads promoting Brewdog’s status as “The Planet’s Favourite Beer.”


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This article first appeared on Billboard.com.
Pharrell Williams brought his famed Vivienne Westwood hat to New York Fashion Week. Although the hat is always a crowd-pleaser, that wasn’t the coolest part of Pharrell’s involvement with NYFW.
On Saturday, the Oscar-nominated artist debuted RAW for the Oceans, his latest eco-conscious fashion project in collaboration with G-Star RAW.
PHOTOS: Oscar Nominees Luncheon: Sandra Bullock, Leonardo DiCaprio, Pharrell Williams Hit the Red Carpet
RAW for the Oceans is an endeavor that retrieves littered plastic from the ocean and turns it into “bionic yarn,” which will be used as thread to make the denim for the line’s jeans. Williams will serve as a codesigner of the new eco-friendly denim line.
“Working with G-Star was an obvious choice, because they have a legacy of pushing the boundaries of fashion and denim forward,” Pharrell said at the press conference. “Bionic Yarn is a company built around performance, and denim is the perfect category to show the world what Bionic Yarn can do. Everyone has jeans in their closet.”
Siva Kaneswaran from The Wanted also hit up the event. “What a great cause,” Siva told Billboard at the event. “This is an amazing and creative way to save our oceans.”
Keep an eye out for the RAW for the Oceans collection in stores Aug. 15. Watch the animated introductory video below:
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The COVID-19 virus continues to spread and this is already having an impact on shipping.
"According to organisation that monitors container shipping traffic Aphaliner, total trans-shipment from Chinese ports fell by more than 20% over the past few weeks”, Mr Ickx said.
"Whether this fall will persist now there is COVID-19 in Italy is difficult to judge. Everything depends on how long the crisis lasts and whether the economy in Italy will be brought to a standstill”.
It is possible that there will be less goods to buy in the shops. A wide range of goods will be impacted "Everything with a “Made in China” stickers and also spare parts that are used in Europe for electronic devises”, Mr Ickx explained.
The port spokesman said that the Port Company is in close contact with the Health Department and that the impact of COVID-19 for the Port of Antwerp will depend on the length and the extent of the crisis.


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It’s Official: Texas Loves the Kia Telluride
Everything’s bigger in Texas, especially the amount of love for the 2020 Kia Telluride. The all-new vehicle was named “CUV of Texas” by members of the Texas Auto Writers Association, beating out the Mercedes-Benz E63 S Wagon. Not only that, the SX trim of the Telluride was the “Mid-Size CUV” category winner at the TAWA Auto Roundup event held in mid-April.
More Kia News: “Imagine by Kia” concept unveiled in Geneva
After driving 29 total vehicles on track and street courses, the 44 TAWA journalists in attendance determined the Kia SUV as the winner. This isn’t the first time a group of esteemed automotive journalists have praised the Telluride. In January, it won the coveted “Best in Show” award from Cars.com at the Detroit Auto Show. Now with these two TAWA awards under its belt, the rugged and spacious 2020 Telluride is set to be one of the top-selling Kia vehicles in 2019.
“The Telluride was designed in California, assembled in Georgia, and has now been honored in Texas with two awards from this distinguished group of journalists,” said Michael Cole, COO and executive vice president of Kia Motors America. “TAWA members know automotive, especially utility vehicles, and Telluride being crowned not only the ‘CUV of Texas’ but also ‘Mid-Sized CUV’, is further proof of Kia’s ‘Give It Everything’ credo. It’s true what they say: Everything, even Telluride, is bigger in Texas.”
Heck Yeah, ‘Murica! Kia vehicles are built right here in the USA
Demand for the new Kia SUV helped boost sales by 10.2 percent in March, with 5,080 Telluride units sold. That number increased to 5,570 in April and it doesn’t seem like it’ll drop any time soon. With a collection of new commercials praising the Telluride for being sophisticated yet rugged, along with a bunch of other stereotypical oxymora, we’re sure people will continue lining up for test drives.
The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.


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Social networking can’t be an afterthought if it is going to work, according to Facebook Australia and New Zealand boss, Paul Borrud.
Speaking at CeBIT 2011 in Sydney, Borrud said social networking needed to be fully integrated into marketing campaigns if it was going to be successful for a company.
“Social marketing can not be the salt, but it needs to be baked in,” he said.
Borrud concentrated on providing an insight into how the world’s largest social network is helping to shape a new marketing landscape, and shared some of the strategies organisations had taken to become ‘social media ready'.
With 10 million active users in Australia, Facebook is playing a major role in the way communication is done online, he said
Australia also holds the honour of being the global leader in the amount of time that is spent by users on Facebook and the fourth most engaging audience in the world
Borrud said that the Web is now being organised and rebuilt around people. This was evident in how borders are being replaced with connections via Facebook.
Facebook had invigorated entertainment with 80 million people playing Farmville on the site, as well as creating a new way of disseminating news, with 43 per cent of news sharing occurring through Facebook.
Not intent to rest on its laurels, Facebook continues to seek innovation through the Hackathon events that it hosts, as depicted in The Social Network film.
Software engineers take part in Hackathons to develop the next best Facebook product, with the “tagging” feature in the photo gallery the result of one such event.
Borrud also emphasised that businesses are developing around people and listening to the customers’ voice more than ever before.
While marketing campaigns are often paid, owned or earned, Facebook had concluded that a successful campaign will have a combination of all three.
As a result, marketers are now keen to create “fans” of products and services on Facebook so that they will pass on the recommendations to their friends.
Borrud said social networking was becoming the new word of mouth and was twice as effective.
He used as an example, Nike working with Facebook on the Write The Future campaign during football's 2010 World Cup. It generated so much attention that many people thought that Nike was the official sponsor of the event instead of Adidas.


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Brian X. Chen reports:
The iPhone as an eavesdropping device? Watch out. It can happen.
On Monday, Twitter and other social networking sites lit up with anxious Apple users after the news site 9to5Mac reported on a strange glitch in the company’s iPhones. The issue: It turns out that an iPhone user can call another iPhone user and listen in on that person’s conversations through the device’s microphone — even if the recipient does not answer the call.
The problem was the result of a bug and involves Apple’s FaceTime app for placing video and audio calls over an internet connection. The bug could also give a caller access to a live feed of the recipient’s camera.
Read more on New York Times.
On Twitter last night, @RayRedacted added what appears to be a claim from the parent of the teen who discovered the bug:
From the parent of the 14 year old boy who discovered the FaceTime barge in bug that allows remote monitoring of modern versions of iOS 12: https://t.co/7mm35SxEmi
— Ray [REDACTED] (@RayRedacted) January 29, 2019
The parent, @MGT7500 wrote:
FYI- I called, FB messaged, faxed, emailed and tweeted Apple exhaustively last week to no avail. Submitted official bug report also. Tried to keep it private b/c of the security concerns. Never heard from them.


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Ina Fried: “Given the vast amounts of data that will be collected by the cars of the future, strict protections are needed to prevent government intrusion, the chairman of Volkswagen Group said on Sunday. “The car must not become a data monster,” Martin Winterkorn said, at the start of the CeBit trade show in Germany. Car makers already protect drivers from hydroplaning, fatigue and traffic. They must also protect against government misuse of data, he said. “I clearly say yes to Big Data, yes to greater security and convenience, but no to paternalism and Big Brother,” Winterkorn said, according to an English translation of his prepared remarks. He called for a voluntary commitment from the car industry to protect customer data and said his company stands ready to join such an effort. The data protection concerns voiced by Winterkorn were echoed by government and industry speakers at the lavish opening ceremonies for CeBit, an event that also featured German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron. Merkel called on international efforts to ensure data is protected. “We are only at the beginning of that road,” she said. “National policies will not suffice.” Privacy issues are likely to loom large at CeBit, which takes place in Germany, one of the most privacy-concerned countries in the world.”
Pay for a day's hosting for this site... same as buying the blogger a cup of coffee.


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Plessey EPIC sensor samples now available
"The first EPIC products are designed for ECG applications for health and patient monitoring as well as fitness and wellness applications", said Derek Rye, Plessey’s Marketing Manager.This ease of detection even through clothes or at a distance means that new ways of taking ECG measurements are being investigated by customers. For example, the EPIC sensors could be built into stretchers for immediate monitoring of patients heart rate and respiratory action or built into clothing to monitor stress levels in emergency response personnel such as firemen.
As the sensors are very compact and the detection circuitry requires very low power, the EPIC sensor opens up the opportunity for ECG monitoring over a long period of time so that abnormalities can be picked up during normal activities without the stress of being in a hospital or doctor’s room.
“The first EPIC products are designed for ECG applications for health and patient monitoring as well as fitness and wellness applications,” said Derek Rye, Plessey’s Marketing Manager. “The next release products available later in this quarter will be optimised for movement sensing where applications range from security, to automotive, to safety through to gesture recognition applications. The gesture recognition capability has been picked up for controller-less gaming and the remote control of electronic consumer products like televisions, monitors and computers. We are working on end applications where the potential volumes are in millions per month. This is all very exciting for the company.”
© Plessey Semconductor


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AVMA Offers Guidance For States Regulating Dog Breeders, Retailers
04 Jun 2010
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has developed a model bill and regulations to help states ensure the well-being of dogs bred and sold as pets but not protected by the Animal Welfare Act or similar regulations.
The AVMA Executive Board approved the model bill and regulations at its April meeting at AVMA headquarters in Schaumburg, Ill.
The documents were produced, in part, in response to state veterinary medical associations asking the AVMA for assistance in developing new legislation or deciphering pending legislation aimed at regulating dog breeders and retailers.
Since 2009, more than 100 bills have been introduced in state legislatures addressing the regulation of commercial dog kennels, shelters and animal control facilities. The bills vary widely in terms of who is covered, what is covered and their regulatory rigidity, and some contain exemptions that could undermine their sought-after benefits.
"This is an opportunity for AVMA to display leadership on an emerging animal welfare issue," said Dr. Gail Golab, director of the AVMA Animal Welfare Division. "The model bill and regulations are a comprehensive alternative to some of the less well-considered bills we are seeing around the country."
Dr. Golab said that unlike some proposals, the model bill and regulations don't limit the number of dogs that can be bred or sold, prescribe who can raise or sell dogs, or use arbitrary criteria to tell people how to raise dogs. The focus is on good animal welfare outcomes, while allowing some flexibility in how these might be achieved.
"The basic philosophy underlying the bill is dogs deserve appropriate care, and it doesn't really matter where those dogs are being kept, whether they're in a shelter or a pet shop or a breeding facility," Dr. Golab said.
The "Model Bill and Regulations to Assure Appropriate Care for Dogs Intended for Use as Pets" can be viewed on the AVMA website. Background and context for the bill and regulations are available here.


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Starbucks is getting slammed for its #RaceTogether campaign.
Baristas at 12,000 Starbucks locations were given the task of starting conversations with customers about race relations this week. They’re being asked to write #RaceTogether on a customer’s coffee cup to spark a discussion.
CEO Howard Schultz says the campaign was inspired by a company forum in December. Fortune reports 40 percent of Starbucks’ nearly 200,000 employees are part of a racial minority group.
Reception to the campaign has been overwhelmingly negative, with some critics writing articles disdaining the strategy and many more taking to social media:
In addition to being berated for racism whenever you open Twitter or turn on theTV, now it can happen when you buy a coffee! #RaceTogether
— Kevin Eder (@keder) March 17, 2015
“Excuse me sir we no longer refer to them as black & white cookies. They are equality cookies.” pic.twitter.com/3j3AzPfLF5


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The increasing preference for contactless payments during the COVID-19 pandemic might be here to stay.
What payment trends are emerging?
Mark Hodgson, Head of Product and Services at Samsung Electronics Australia, noted that there has been growing demand for cashless payment options.
“Demand for digital wallet solutions and contactless payments have grown strongly this year and we see this trend continuing as more people understand the convenience, secure authentication methods, as well as peace of mind that comes with removing the need to physically touch a terminal.”
The surge in cashless payments has also prompted payment platforms to offer more options for mobile banking.
This week Samsung partnered with Bankwest, allowing Bankwest cardholders to make contactless payments through a Samsung smartphone or wearable device.
“Australians are using their smart devices more than ever, with customers wanting choices that allow them to transact and do their banking in their own time and in their own way,” said Louise Tovey from Bankwest GM Everyday Banking.
Digital payment platforms have also enjoyed a swell in revenue despite the pandemic-induced recession.
Yesterday Afterpay announced a doubling in revenue in the 2020 financial year. Afterpay added about 17,300 new customers per day, which increased to 20,500 new customers a day in the fourth quarter.
“While remaining cautious in our ongoing response, it is clear that Afterpay’s predominantly e-commerce and budgeting focused service has been a net beneficiary of the significant shift to online spending and the shift away from traditional forms of credit,” said the FY20 results announcement.
eftpos has also seen strong growth in mobile transactions.
“Many Australians are choosing to use eftpos when paying with their mobiles, with eftpos mobile transactions growing more than 400 per cent year on year in July 2020 across all supported mobile ecosystems,” eftpos CEO Stephen Benton said.
“From June to July 2020 alone, we saw 20 per cent growth in eftpos mobile transactions.
“We anticipate this growth will continue to soar with more mobile launches planned later this year and we already have more than 50 banks offering eftpos as a payment option on mobile.”
What are the most popular alternatives to cash?
The most popular alternative to cash is debit cards.
“… [C]ard payments continue to underpin the Australian economy, with debit cards way out in front as the nation’s favourite way to pay and a low-cost alternative for retailers as consumers move away from cash,” said Warwick Ponder, Head of Corporate Affairs at eftpos.
“In fact, debit cards are growing at more than 13 per cent Year on Year despite COVID conditions.
“These massive card payment volumes underpin the vast majority of retail payments in the country, including as a funding source for eCommerce, mobile and BNPL transactions.”
When using debit cards, small businesses should also consider managing their acceptance costs and Least Cost Routing to save on transaction fees.
“Right now in Australia, nothing is more important for Australian business owners than protecting cash flow,” Mr Benton said.
“There are many things outside their control such as labour costs and utility bills, but they may be able to reduce the cost of receiving payments by Least Cost Routing.
“With debit cards accounting for more than 70 per cent of card transactions in Australia and more consumers moving away from cash after COVID-19, routing has the potential to deliver significant savings for many thousands of small and medium businesses across the country. In turn, these cost savings could also flow to customers in the form of lower prices or reduced surcharges.”
Is cash still being used?
Despite the growth of cashless payments, cash is still important in retail payments.
RBA data from June 20202 revealed that there were still 3.3 million cheque payments in retail spending.
However the number of cheque payments in retail spending has been decreasing by 28 per cent Year on Year.


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LIVE: Black Friday 2022 tech deals, £30 air fryer, kids' tablet and 67% off Xbox
There's just 10 days to go until the highly anticipated 2022 Black Friday sale, but as the global date fast approaches thousands of retailers are reducing prices on popular products. Shoppers can get a £30 air fryer, free Samsung Galaxy tablet, as well as plenty smartphone deals.
Originally an American tradition, celebrating the first Friday after Thanksgiving, UK consumers can get their hands of products for a fraction of the price. Luxury homeware, clothing, cleaning products and smart devices are just some of the items available to buy on sale. In fact shoppers can expect to see deals on almost every item possible as thousands of local and global retailers take part in the sale from small independent businesses to global franchises.
The latest phones, laptops, tablets and smartwatches prove to be popular features in the Black Friday sale each year, often with hundreds of pounds slashed off the original price tag. In the last two weeks shoppers have been able to get more than £600 off latest iPhone, a free Samsung Galaxy handset, reduced Samasung Galaxy 5 watches and home essentials including mattresses and doorbells.
READ MORE: What we 'must-buy' this Black Friday and where to find the best price
Another place shoppers are guaranteed to find a tech deal this Black Friday is Amazon, as the tech retailers stocks the likes of Apple, Samsung, Google and Microsoft devices plus it's own range of products. From the Amazon Echo Dot, Fire Stick and kids fire tablets, there's a deal suited to almost any shoppers budget.
Follow our live blog for all the updates in the lead up to Black Friday 2022, we'll be sharing all the money-saving tech deals to help shoppers save money. If you spot a good deal let us know in the comments below or email [email protected]


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Paris-headquartered Quilvest Private Equity has sold its stake in Acrotec Group to Castik Capital in a deal valuing the business at around CHF 280 million (€257 million; $292 million), according to a statement from the firm.
Swiss group Acrotec is an independent supplier of components for the Swiss luxury watch market, producing precision parts such as shock absorbers, oscillating weights and spring barrels. The group also serves several other industrial end markets, such as automotive, aerospace, medtech and telecommunications, in which the manufacturing techniques and precision parts expertise derived from the watch business are applicable.
Quilvest became a cornerstone shareholder in a CHF 30 million deal in 2012, as reported by Private Equity International. At the time the group consisted of four specialist divisions and had an annual turnover of CHF 70 million.
Quilvest declined to comment on the return generated by the sale.
During the course of Quilvest’s ownership the group has more than doubled its sales, broken into new markets and enlarged its product offerings, the firm said.
The group completed seven add-on acquisitions, including: STS, which specialises in coating services for watch parts; DJC, which produces precision turned parts for the automotive market; high-precision turned parts specialist Mu-DEC; Petitpierre, an automation solutions provider to watch manufacturers; and Precipro, which has gold machining expertise.
Last summer Luxembourg-based Castik Capital closed its debut fund, European Private Investment Club (EPIC I) on €1 billion, as reported by PEI.
The fund has only six investors and will make a maximum of five investments. Fund LPs will not have any input over investment decisions and the fund will operate as a standard blind pool. However, EPIC will provide information on its portfolio on a more regular and detailed basis than a typical quarterly overview and annual meeting, Castik investment partner Michael Phillips told PEI.
EPIC is targeting European headquartered companies in transactions of between €300 million and €1 billion in which it will invest €100 million to €250 million of equity and hold for up to ten years.
Acrotec is Castik’s second investment from the fund, having made its debut investment in water dispenser company Waterlogic in January 2015, which was formerly listed on the AIM market.
Since acquisition Waterlogic has made eight add-on investments, which have more than doubled the size of the company, Phillips told PEI.
“We’re looking for fragmented industries where we can do a real consolidation to create a market leader, and ideally a company that operates in a growing market,” Phillips said.
“Acrotec has many of the same characteristics [as Waterlogic]. The luxury watch market is a long-term steadily-growing industry, the supplier base to the luxury watch brands is highly fragmented, and the necessary investments going forward are increasing.”


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Barcelona, December 21, 2022.- According to the magazine “More than Shipping”, the ability of quantum computers to solve complex problems will help logistics companies make more competitive and cost-effective decisions that will reduce costs and increase efficiency.
Barcelona, November 23, 2022.- Join David Liu, CEO and Co-Founder of Plus, for a discussion on where we are in the deployment of autonomous trucks generally, why Plus chose its evolutionary path to get to driverless trucks, the company’s commercialization updates, and what the future will look like with these trucks on the road.
Barcelona, August 30, 2022.– Artificial Intelligence solutions are beginning to become popular. The supply chain is keeping an eye on this innovation, as this analysis published in the Deccan Herald News explains:
Barcelona, June 7, 2022.- Enterprise Talk magazine has published an analysis on supply chain improvements, from start to finish, thanks to artificial intelligence solutions. These are their conclusions:
Barcelona, May 24, 2022.- Author: Pierfrancesco Manenti is Research Vice President for the Gartner Supply Chain Strategy team. Mr. Manenti provides insights and advisory support to CSCOs and Head of Strategy of global manufacturing and retail corporations into the future trends and key challenges affecting end-to-end supply chain strategy. He focuses on strategic transformation, digitalization, agility and design for profitability.
Barcelona, March 22, 2022.- The prestigious technology consultancy Gartnerhas published an analysis of Blockchain technology and its real solutions today. Gartner explains blockchain with these arguments:
This article was originally published by Ben Dickson on TechTalks, (March 7, 2022) a publication that examines trends in technology, how they affect the way we live and do business, and the problems they solve. But we also discuss the evil side of technology, the darker implications of new tech, and what we need to look out for. You can read the original article here.
Barcelona, February 15, 2022.- Supply Chain Dive magazine has highlighted 5 applications, based on Artificial Intelligence, for supply chain companies. This technology will be one of the keys to success for logistics companies that need to be more efficient and competitive.
Barcelona, January 11, 2022.- TheChina DailyNewspaper has published the following information with real cases of robotic applications and artificial intelligence for the logistics industry. A technological revolution whose implementation will accelerate in the coming months due to tensions in global supply chains.
Barcelona, January 4, 2022.- The following analysis on Deep Learning and the use of neural networks has been published by the IEEE Spectrum magazine. Technologies already present in smartphones and that will evolve faster, every day.
Barcelona, November 2, 2021.- The prestigious Forbes magazine has published an analysis on blockchain technology and its competitive advantages for Public Administrations. We have to ask ourselves how they will adopt this technology, not when …
Barcelona, October 26, 2021.- Blockchain technology is increasingly integrated among logistics companies. Both in technological innovation, the development of solutions for information management in transport and logistics companies, and in payment systems.
Barcelona, July 27, 2021.- The present and the future of artificial intelligence where it will reach its maximum development in the hardware or software? OpenAi answers this question in the following information published by Venture Beat:
Barcelona, July 20, 2021.- Blockchain technology will reach its greatest efficiency with the integration of other technologies such as artificial intelligence. The software of supply chains will be one of the main beneficiaries, according to explain Industry Wired in the following analysis:
Barcelona, June 22, 2021.- Artificial Intelligence technology reaches maturity, along with machine learning, neural networks and blockhain. TechWire Asia has published a report on the consequences of AI on ecommerce and traditional stores of a lifetime.