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This week the Valens Securities team highlights our most interesting equity insight from across our tools and our analysis.
Facebook, Inc. (FB): Management’s confidence about monetizing Instagram, mobile, and their top-line and bottom-line guidance, and overly pessimistic market expectations spell equity upside potential
Market expectations for FB are currently very pessimistic. The market is expecting ROA’ to fade from 49% in 2016 to 25%, with Asset’ growth slowing from 50%+ a year to 30% a year going forward. However, FB has actually been seeing ROA’ improve the past three years, and they continue to have multiple levers to pull to drive strong growth and ROA’ expansion thanks to their multiple strong brands and their positioning in the digital advertising market. As such, market expectations appear too pessimistic, spelling potential for equity upside.


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It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner.
It seems the holidays come more and more quickly each year and the shopping becomes more and more last minute.
One great place to start your search for a contribution to a holiday gathering or gift exchange is with our small local businesses. Whether it is an assortment of microbrews from the local brewery, cookies from the neighborhood bakery, or hand-made jewelry from a local artisan, your purchase not only provides a unique gift, but also helps the environment and the economy.
It’s the whole concept behind Small Business Saturday. The event was launched in 2010 by American Express on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving in an effort to encourage consumers to shop locally and shift more holiday spending dollars to small businesses.
We are small business owners ourselves. Our environmental consulting firm Legacy Environmental Services Inc. is on the square in downtown Crown Point where our neighbors are fellow small business owners running coffee shops, taverns, boutiques, restaurants, specialty shops, salons, dry cleaners and more.
When our offices moved to the downtown square nearly two years ago, we knew the location would allow us to better live our mission. Previous lunch runs and errands required car trips. Now, those trips are almost exclusively made on foot. Doing so has allowed us not only to reduce emissions and gasoline use, but also to spend our money locally while getting to know our corporate neighbors.
Buying from small local businesses not only invests in our community and our neighbors, but can also significantly reduce vehicle emissions from more than your personal vehicle. Consider the journey an item at a big box store or an online retailer might take before it arrives at your home. Many items travel a combined hundreds if not thousands of miles (particularly imported items) on marine vessels, cargo planes, locomotives, semis and box trucks. Those transportation modes more often than not are fueled by imported oil that causes harmful emissions, reduces air quality and weakens our nation’s energy security.
The shipping industry has made tremendous strides in reducing its carbon footprint and is increasingly adopting new methods to increase fuel savings and reduce harmful emissions. Shipping giant UPS, a national Clean Cities partner, is a leader in sustainability, with 9,300 low-emissions vehicles including electric, electric hybrids, hydraulic hybrids, propane, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and biomethane and more plans underway to reduce their carbon footprint. We commend them for their efforts and know many other companies — large and small — are making similar efforts, including our South Shore Clean Cities members.
During this season of giving and of giving thanks, we would be remiss if we did not thank our members and partners for their efforts to support domestic fuels, reduce emissions and improve air quality through their support of our many programs.
This column originally appeared in The Times of Northwest Indiana. Carl Lisek is executive director of South Shore Clean Cities and vice president of Legacy Environmental Services. The opinions are the writer’s.

domain: news


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Dreambuilder Custom Homes was consulted for an article on outdoor living in the May issue of Jacksonville Magazine.
Dreambuilder can not only design and build new homes but also conduct remodeling and renovations, both inside and out. Visit our Dream Home Gallery to see examples of both.
You can view the entire issue of Jacksonville Magazine online here. See page 40 for the article.


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Polestar’s big debut on the automotive market will soon become a reality. The brand from Sweden is putting the finishing touches on the Polestar 1 which should go into mass production before the end of 2019. Still, apparently, there are several things that need to be refined before the sports coupe reaches the production phase.
Seen here is a prototype of the car doing some high-speed tests on a frozen lake somewhere in Sweden. Almost every part of this trial car looks ready to be put on the assembly lines but the test drivers are probably gathering more data about the vehicle’s behavior under certain conditions.
Gallery: Polestar 1 spy photos
Production of verification prototypes started in October last year and the first assembled cars were put to evaluations of the structure and crash tests to make sure everything works as it should under extreme load. Engineers and test drivers of the company even inspected the hybrid vehicle’s capabilities in wet corners with speeds of up to 140 miles per hour (225 kilometers per hour).
Meanwhile, parent company Geely is investing about $752 million in Polestar to help it prepare for the production of the Polestar 1. The manufacturer has a new plant in Chengdu, China, where the final round of prototypes will be built before the actual mass production begins. That should happen in the second half of this year with first road-legal cars expected to arrive at dealers for the 2020 model year.
Follow the Polestar 1's progress:
Polestar will open its first standalone dealership in Norway later this year, marking the beginning of a global showroom network expansion for the marque set to include around 60 centers by mid-2020. Eventually, customers of the company will be given the chance to research, configure, and order cars in a completely digital environment.


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Mastercard has announced a £700m deal
The £701million deal has been hailed as a huge vote of confidence in Britain's future outside the bloc.
Under the agreement, Mastercard is taking over 92.4 per cent of VocaLink, which operates payments on behalf of UK payment schemes, including BACS and Faster Payments and UK ATM network LINK.
VocaLink also offers innovative products with global potential, including ZAPP, a mobile payments app that uses Fast ACH technology, licenses its software and provides services to support ACH activities in Sweden, Singapore, Thailand and the United States.
Ajay Banga, president and chief executive of MasterCard, said: "We’re excited about the opportunity to play a bigger role in payments in the UK, a very strategic market for us.
“VocaLink is a unique company with outstanding technology, assets and people.
"We look forward to investing in and maximising the technology, and embedding it in our products and solutions, both in the UK and around the world.”
Philip Hammond welcomed news of today's deal.
The Chancellor said: "MasterCard’s decision to buy VocaLink shows that Britain remains an attractive destination for international investors.
"Britain is and continues to be an open and globally facing country in which to do business.
“VocaLink is a successful UK firm that has secured deals from Singapore to Sweden.
"It’s in-house expertise combined with Mastercard’s global presence means that it will be well placed to secure more international deals in future.
“The Payment Systems Regulator recommended the UK’s biggest banks sell their stakes in VocaLink to improve banking competition in the UK which will deliver clear benefits for challenger banks, FinTechs, UK consumers and small businesses."
The deal follows news supermarket chain Sainsbury's is creating an extra 900 jobs at a new online fulfilment centre in Bromley-by-Bow in east London.
Sainsbury’s online director Robbie Feather said: “Demand for our online delivery service in the capital continues to grow. We expect this trend to continue as more and more customers enjoy the flexibility of multi-channel shopping using our groceries website and app, in addition to visiting stores.
“Our online orders are currently picked from supermarket stores across the UK and this model will continue, but the Bromley-by-Bow Centre will help us keep pace with demand in London, enabling us to fulfil another 25,000 orders per week.”


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Company will share a range of patents with competitors to boost low emission vehicle adoption - but for a fee
Ford has made its alternative fuel technology patents available to competitors to accelerate the development of electric cars. The auto giant follows Tesla and Toyota in taking the step, although unlike...
Prominent funder of climate sceptic and anti-regulation lobby groups died from advanced prostate cancer
Oil giant makes first foray into Australia's competitive power market as it continues drive into consumer energy supply, renewables, and clean technologies
Business for Inclusive Growth (B4IG) coalition will launch at the G7 summit this weekend, warning inequalities around the world are economically-damaging
All the green business news from around the world this week


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New Delhi, Feb 2: Global smartphone market revenues declined by 2 per cent to a little under $410 billion in 2023 compared with a 4 per cent decline in shipments to 1.17 billion units, a new report showed on Friday.
This is largely due to a 2 per cent growth in global smartphone average selling price (ASPs) which touched $350 for the first time.
Apple led the market with a 50 per cent share of global smartphone revenues, its highest-ever for a full year, according to Counterpoint Research.
Consequently, while the non-premium segments experienced double-digit declines, premium smartphone shipments grew by 8 per cent driven by foldables, features like GenAI, and, of course, Apple.
“Apple displaced Samsung as the biggest player in shipments for the first time in a full year. While the US made the biggest volume contribution to Apple’s growth, it also received a major boost through double digit growth in emerging markets including India, Caribbean and Latin America (CALA) and Middle East and Africa (MEA),” said Research Director Jeff Fieldhack.
Samsung, the longstanding market leader in terms of shipments suffered setbacks on multiple fronts, ceded some share in premium markets to Apple.
Its mid-tier phones also faced increasing competition from Chinese OEMs including Xiaomi and vivo in markets such as India.
Overall, global smartphone ASPs are also likely to continue their upward journey with vendors, carriers, and retailers preferring to sell higher-end models.
“While on the demand side, backed by better financing options, consumers have also shown greater willingness to spend more for longer lasting devices. The resurgence of Huawei in China is also likely to contribute to ASP growth,” the report mentioned.


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Guinness sets out to double social fanbases
Guinness aims to double its Facebook and Twitter fanbases to 15 million in the next two years.
Grainne Wafer, the global strategy and communications director for the stout brand, said: "We have a community of around seven million in the digital space and we’ve an ambition to transform that to 15 million-plus over the next couple of years."
She earmarked the Guinness Storehouse visitor attraction, whose fourth floor has been undergone a social media revamp by Tribal DDB, as a key way to achieve this.
Wafer also revealed that the targeting women would be the "next opportunity" that Guinness would explore. She added: "Women is an interesting opportunity for us, in Africa we have a very strong female base, so we do think there are opportunities for us to extend our female base.This will be the next opportunity that we start to look into."
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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- Facebook and Airbnb sign up to D&AD New Blood


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Ford Shelby GT500 Cobra: 634kW tribute to Carroll Shelby
Friends, fans and colleagues of the late Carroll Shelby have come together to produce a one-off Ford Shelby GT500 Cobra in a tribute to the life of the legend of the automotive world.
A team dubbed 'Friends of Carroll Shelby', which included engineers and employees from Ford Motor Company, Shelby American, Ford Racing and many others, developed the high-performance Mustang over the past few months, creating a vehicle worthy of honouring the Shelby name.
The team took the 5.8-litre engine from the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Cobra – already the most powerful production V8 in the world with 494kW – and strapped on a Ford Racing 4.0-litre Whipple supercharger, boosting the engine’s peak output to an almost inconceivable 634kW-plus.
To put that in perspective, the bespoke GT500 Cobra produces at least 119kW more power than the $754,000 Lamborghini Aventador.
Helping to put all that power to the ground are 13-inch-wide rear wheels wrapped in 345-section high-performance tyres.
Also unique is the car’s specially designed bonnet, rear wide-body kit, Shelby Wilwood brake package and 20-inch alloy wheels.
The Ford Shelby GT500 Cobra tribute is finished in Guardsman Blue paint with Wimbledon White stripes, the colours made famous by the Cobra roadsters of the 1960s.
Shelby American president John Luft said the special GT500 Cobra was a fitting tribute to his company’s founder.
“Carroll Shelby changed the performance world forever,” Luft said. “And while he was proud of Shelby American’s achievements, Carroll was far more interested in the next car we would build.
“You will find the spirit and influence of Carroll Shelby in every future vehicle we build just as you’ll find it in the rear wide-body kit and hood integrated into the 2013 Shelby GT500 Cobra.”
Speaking of Shelby’s renowned philanthropic work, Ford sales and marketing group vice president Jim Farley said the car would be taken on a tour around the US before being used “in a special way … a way Carroll would appreciate” at the end of the tour.
The bespoke Mustang also marks the 50th anniversary of the Shelby Cobra, which started a sport car dynasty in 1962.


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“I worked in hotels, and so I knew what they were looking for,” Joan said. “I went around with banquet cakes after we opened. It was me, myself and I at the time here. Going to those hotels showed that we had a great product and great service.”
In its 26 years, the bakery has expanded beyond Joan’s wildest dreams, she said. The storefront is deceptively small, but beyond the back doors is thousands of square feet of industrial kitchen space. The business employs 25 people and is hiring more bakers and cake decorators.
“A lot of people don’t know that we are actually open to the public,” Joan said. “All the time people come to the doors and are surprised.”
The bakery does custom cakes and treats and also has a case of two-bite sweets and small cakes and tarts in addition to cupcakes. Joan said it is the quality of the ingredients used that sets it apart.
“Chefs appreciate that quality when they taste it,” Joan said. “We use the true products, and you can taste it.”
General Manager Alisa Hoppis said everything that comes out of the bakery is made from scratch.
“When people come in here or order from us, they know they are getting an all-natural product,” Hoppis said.
The bakery has been hit hard by the pandemic, like most businesses. Now two years in, the business is finding new challenges.
“Tim has been driving around in search of cardboard; we need so much of it, and we are having trouble getting it,” Hoppis said.
Joan said even with the challenges, the business will continue to deliver nothing but the best.
“We just keep chug-chug-chugging along,” she said.


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Tyler’s Gelatte Stone’s “Small Business Sundays” at the Sugar King Park in Garapan is back, and will take place on Nov. 28 at the park from 3pm to 6pm. This will be the fourth-ever “Small Business Sunday” and Tyler’s owner, Ben Babauta Jr., said Tuesday it will be the biggest one yet, with 10 vendors committing to be there.
Like the past three “Small Business Sundays,” the Nov. 28 event will highlight local businesses and feature live musical performances. A portion of the revenue generated this Sunday will be donated to the Northern Marianas Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence.
A local business owner from Tinian will be participating this Sunday, Babauta said, and that NMCADSV and Mount Carmel School will each be conducting their own fundraisers at the park. Babauta hopes to see the community come out this Sunday as this is a great opportunity to support local businesses while also beating the pre-Christmas shopping rush.
In September this year, Tyler’s Gelatte Stone held three “Small Business Sundays,” with a portion of the revenue going toward the Autism Society of the CNMI.


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Blog of news and innovation projects
On last May’s iFriday we discussed innovation, environmental management, and sustainability in the tourism industry with one of the leading companies in the tourism sector worldwide Accor Hotels
We talk to science
Mercedes del Río Merino is an expert in designing new construction materials that incorporate circular economy criteria. It could be said that she has experimented with nearly everything to achieve a single goal: to create increasingly sustainable building materials.
REPARA 2.0 project aims to develop new technologies and methodologies that support infrastructure management and facilitate the rehabilitation and upkeep of all road types. Its goal is to reduce the environmental and economic costs and combat climate change.
The definitive takeoff of e-commerce, on the back of the COVID-19 pandemic, faces one last hurdle: gaining the trust of consumers who are increasingly committed to the environmental impact of their purchases. Packaging, and the ecological footprint of the delivery, are the weakest points of online sales to become a greener alternative to traditional purchases.


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Damn, this still hurts.
To celebrate what would have been Kobe Bryant's 42nd birthday, Nike and Kendrick Lamar teamed up to release a new video to celebrate the late, great Laker legend and father of four.
The video, titled "Better | Mamba Forever", embraces the Mamba Mentality of "just be better", with Lamar's narration heard over the top of a montage of images and videos of Kobe's incredible basketball career, athletes in training, parents with children, and recent footage of the Black Lives Matter social movement.
Better friend. Better fighter. Better rider. Better eater. Better leader. Better generation. Better nation.
Just be better. Can you do that?
Happy birthday Mamba. Rest in love.


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Dell Inc. is set to deliver its third-quarter earnings report after the market closes Thursday, and the PC giant's results are expected to be highlighted by a decline in earnings and sales from the year-ago period.
The results will also come on the heels of a late-Wednesday report from NPD Group, which said that in October, Dell's U.S. retail PC shipments fell 17% and revenue declined 26% from the same period a year ago. Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst Scott Craig said that investors had expected Dell to "cede some [market] share this quarter" in exchange for a focus on profitability.
That said, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect Dell
Shaw Wu of Kaufman Bros. said he believes Dell will beat the consensus forecasts and pegs Dell's earnings at 28 cents a share on $13.3 billion in revenue. However, Wu said that evidence of Dell's market-share loss remains troubling.
"One lingering concern we have is Dell growing slower than its peers, meaning continued share losses," Wu said in a research note. "Its installed base continues to shrink and it remains to be seen if Dell can win back customers lost to competitors."
Dell has also seen its position among the world's top PC makers decline.
According to technology-research company Gartner Inc., during the third quarter, Dell dropped to third place among worldwide PC companies, behind Hewlett-Packard Co.
Shares of Dell were off 2% to $15.71 in midday trade.


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In the latest regional reports, the inflation rate in Hong Kong has hit a 16 year high in July. This situation is expected to continue and the Hong Kong Government has that it would not be resolved anytime soon.
According to the official figures which were released earlier this week, consumer prices shot up to 7.9% as compared to the year before and this rate is the highest recorded since November 1995 when consumer prices were at 8.4%. It also added that the figures were distorted due to a suspension of rent by people living in public housing. If the relief measures are not accounted for, the 5.8% inflation rate was still higher than that which was recorded in June. Consumer prices rocketed due to mainly higher private housing rents in the property sector and pork prices. Due to the high global food prices, inflation will continue to remain notably high in the near future.


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Four Baltic Sea ports, namely the Port of Tallinn, the Port of Helsinki, the Ports of Stockholm and the Port of Turku, have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in order to establish a common approach for providing a new onshore power supply for vessels.
Under the deal, all the four ports will provide new built connections with a voltage of 11kV and a frequency of 50Hz.
The involved partners will equally encourage other ports and shipping companies to follow the initiative and recommendations concerning onshore power supply standards.
Additionally, the ports will continue to work to reduce the negative impacts on the environment of port operations and shipping in the Baltic Sea region.
After identifying the environmental issues, the European Union (EU) has executed the directive for alternative fuel infrastructure (DAFI, September 2015), which mandates shore connections in TEN-T ports under certain circumstances by 2025.
During the period of 2009-2014, the ports signed collaboration agreements on the development, cooperation and continuation of efforts for creating an improved environment.
The ports have also agreed to jointly work on electricity connections for vessels.
Last month, Ports of Stockholm announced that it had witnessed an increase in the volumes of both container freight at Frihamnen and RoRo freight at the Ports of Nynäshamn and Kapellskär during the first seven months of this year.
During the period, the port handled a total of 860,000t of freight.
Image: Deal signing ceremony between the representatives of four Baltic Sea ports. Photo: courtesy of Ports of Stockholm.


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One of UPS Inc.'s hallmarks has been its conservatism. The company has rarely gotten ahead of itself, even when it was performing beyond the most bullish expectations. It is a trait that has served the Atlanta-based transport logistics giant well, both in good times and in bad.
But even those accustomed to UPS's traditionally cautious stance were taken aback by the dour mood of two of its top executives in discussing with analysts July 26 the near-term future of U.S. and global economies and the markets it serves. William Greene, lead transport analyst for Morgan Stanley & Co., summed it up best when he referred to management's "somber outlook" that struck him as "particularly bearish."
Indeed, Chairman and CEO Scott Davis and Chief Financial Officer Kurt Kuehn painted a less-than-rosy picture of the balance of the year, one marked by sub-par growth in U.S. gross domestic product, uncertainty over Congress and the White House's ability to end the deficit stalemate and raise the nation's debt ceiling, signs of a soft or delayed peak shipping season, slowing Asian growth impacting international volumes, and companies reluctant to build inventories as consumer confidence remains shaky.
Ironically, the dour comments came the same day UPS released what could be seen as solid second-quarter results. The company reported a 25-percent year-over-year gain in earnings per share, on an 8.1 percent increase in year-over-year revenue to $13.2 billion.
On an adjusted basis, operating profits for its U.S. domestic business in the quarter rose 31 percent on revenue gains of 6.4 percent. Volume growth was virtually flat year over year, reflecting weaker demand amid a slowing economy. The company's Supply Chain and Freight Division, whose performance has long lagged behind UPS's domestic and international package units, seemed to hit its stride in the quarter, reporting record operating profit of $187 million.
The earnings gains are less of a reflection of an improving economy than they are of UPS's ability to master yield management and maintain firm pricing levels. Indeed, domestic yields—measured in revenue per hundredweight—rose 6.3 percent despite a 0.1-percent gain in volume, a sign UPS is extracting higher rates out of each shipment it moves, according to analysts.
Davis told a Sanford C. Bernstein analyst conference in early June that pricing had been solid across UPS's three operating channels. He also tipped UPS's hand about the macro outlook, saying the landscape was "muddier" than it was at the start of 2011.
The day before UPS's earnings announcement, Morgan Stanley released its latest survey of 350 large parcel shippers. The respondents expected domestic air and ground volumes to decelerate over the next six months, with international volumes increasing. Parcel shippers also expect a deceleration in pricing trends over the next six months compared with expectations a year ago, according to the survey.


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YuMe has announced the launch of its video brand advertising solutions business in Madrid. The company has previously set up local offices in Paris and the UK. YuMe hopes its latest European move will maintain momentum on the continent.
Brands in Spain will now be able to use YuMe’s digital video brand advertising software and services solution to match the right ad to the right audience. It uses publisher inventory on desktop PC, mobile, tablet and connected TV.
Country manager, Scott McCarthy, will oversee YuMe’s Madrid base with the help of sales general director, Fernando Garcia. They will be joined by several others to form an operation totalling six staff.
The office will, according to YuMe, be populated by veterans of the online advertising space in Spain. David Gomez takes on the director of business development role and Oscar Perez is technical support manager. Both Gonzalez del Sol and Ignacio Garbayo will be sales managers at the firm.
Jayant Kadambi, Co-founder and CEO at YuMe, has noted the rise in mobile adoption and hopes the addition of a Spanish office will be well-placed to take advantage of any future growth.
“In Europe, we’re seeing both the steady growth of online video, as well as the rapid adoption of mobile and other screens,” he said. “With the right technology and the right team in place, YuMe Spain is positioned and ready to address the needs of the marketplace.”


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The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has hit Beijing hard and swept across China. The epidemic will have a tremendous impact on China's political and economic situation. Various indications have now emerged as to what kind of impact the outbreak will have on the power structure, but they are not adequate to draw conclusions.
The only sure thing is that the outbreak will deal a fatal blow to the economy. In China, where politics and the economy are closely intertwined, stupendous economic losses might trigger political upheaval.
Although the outside world could only make tentative evaluations on the economic losses that SARS will inflict on China, the figure is already staggering. The April 24 issue of the Far Eastern Economic Review presented a study of government documents and reports issued by eight financial institutions, including Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. The study arrived at an estimated loss of US$22 billion.
This is merely the direct losses resulting from preliminary estimates. With SARS continuing to spread from Beijing and Guangzhou to all over China, the figure will definitely keep going up.
For example, China's manager of the sporting-goods manufacturer Adidas said if the Beijing authorities fail to contain the SARS outbreak by mid-May, Adidas will have to consider transferring some orders to other countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia. Several manufacturers of ready-made clothes also have similar contingency plans.
On the surface, the SARS impact on China's economy is manifest in the shrinking tourism sector, plummeting stock prices and decreasing orders from foreign companies. But the real threat does not lie here. For example, China's tourism industry does not account for a big chunk in the overall economy, and it will not have a great impact on the gross national product even if travel agencies have to close. The real crisis lies in two aspects.
First, a decline in the economic growth rate. Citigroup recently revised its forecast of China's economic growth this year, down from 7.6 percent to 6.5 percent. This is not far off from the World Bank forecast. In any case, a decline in the economic growth rate is unavoidable.
For years China has relied on high economic growth to maintain social and economic stability. Without it, unemployment and the financial black hole cannot be effectively contained. The SARS epidemic will eventually pass the peak, but the social crisis, induced by the slowing economic development, will soon surface and brew a second storm. The exhausted Chinese authorities might find it impossible to salvage the situation.
Second, a decline in foreign investment. China's steady growth in the past decade reflects its increasing dependence on foreign investment. As domestic demand is seriously insufficient, China will not have the oil it needs to start the economic engine once foreign investment slumps.
The SARS storm will expose the contradiction between China's autocratic structure and the market-dominated free economy. Foreign companies' faith in Beijing will be affected. To what extent this will affect investor confidence will be of crucial importance.
Even if the SARS outbreak can be kept under control, it may not be entirely contained in the short term. China will still be viewed with fear, which will deal a fatal blow at its efforts to attract foreign investment.


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Nelly Furtado rocks some high end looking fashion ensembles on the video for her latest single, "Spirit Indestructible."
The Canadian pop star filmed the video on the Grouse Mountain in the city of Vancouver.
Nelly is also currently working on a Spanish version of her hit song, "Big Hoops," she recently revealed to Para Todos magazine.
The Spirit Indestructible hits stores on September 14. What do you think of Nelly's new music video?


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Publication Date: March 23, 2016
Source: Ivey Publishing
Honda Canada was coping with a communications and supply chain crisis after a triple disaster - an earthquake followed by a tsunami and a nuclear meltdown - that hit Japan in March 2011. Honda's worldwide supply chain was characterized by a just-in-time, single-source approach, wherein the supplier for each component provided the best quality at the lowest price. The approach normally ensured economies of scale but now, in an abnormal time, Honda's supply chain was vulnerable. In the short term, Honda Canada had to manage the chaos through effective communication with its stakeholders. In the long term, it had to ensure checks and balances in its supply chain.


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Can you name the first licensed pizzeria in the United States?
Ok, that’s a tough one…spoiler alert: it was Lombardi’s, which opened in 1905.
You’ll find pizza history like this and much, much more at the “I Love Pizza Exhibit,” now on display at the Niles Public Library!
The exhibit, created by Kendall Bruns, founder of the U.S. Pizza Museum, gives pizza lovers a slice of the history behind their favorite food and features memorabilia, old menus, photos, and more. Let’s not forget, the history of pizza would not be complete without Lou Malnati’s! You’ll find some old school Lou’s memorabilia at the exhibit, too.
Learn more about the exhibit in WGN’s video below…
The “I Love Pizza Exhibit” is running now through March 31st at the Niles Public Library. Go check it out!
Warning: This exhibit is going to make you hungry…
Head to the original Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria in Lincolnwood (just a few miles away from the library) to check out even more pizza history and get a taste of Chicago’s best deep dish pizza!


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The care coordination and communication platform guides patients through their healthcare journeyRead more...
The flash-sales company has spent the last few months transitioning toward custom design furniture
(Update with confirmation from Fab)
As the flash-sale space peters out, Fab has recently begun transitioning, pivoting away from its earlier model, in which it resold items made by others, into a company that sells its own line of designer goods. It is a move the company most likely had to make simply to survive.
The company's move into its new direction has now taken a big step forward with the purchase of Finnish designer furniture company One Nordic Furniture Company, which was confirmed to VatorNews on Wednesday.
The exact financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but the price was in the "tens of millions of dollars." It was a combination of cash and stock, and through the deal the One Nordic team will n0ow own 5% of the combined company when the transaction is finalized.
The purchase was first reported by Re/code earlier this month.
Based in Helsinki, One Nordic says that the essence of its Nordic design is "all about uncluttered functionality in everyday objects."
"One Nordic builds on this solid foundation and applies it on 21st century needs and behaviors. We make high quality furniture and accessories designed by the absolute best Nordic designers. In addition, we offer products by interesting international designers giving their take on Nordic design," it said.
“Design is at the center of Fab—and has been since Day 1," Fab CEO Jason Goldberg said in a statement. "Teaming up with One Nordic adds incredible talent to our design bench and brings us ever-closer to our suppliers and manufacturers. We are excited about the design collaboration to come.”
That Fab would buy a furniture design company is not surprising in the least. The company has been transitioning towards becoming a custom-design furniture company for months. Back in October of last year it acquired assets from myFab, a home decor and designer furniture portal in France.
In April of this year it launched its own retail store, as well as a custom furniture website, with its own line of sofas, dining tables and other home furnishings. It also purchased a German furniture design company.
"The acquisition flows from a long-term strategic plan we laid out last fall," the company told VatorNews. "We have seen great success in our recent private label initiatives and customized furniture launches; our acquisition of One Nordic is the next step in pursuing this plan that is proving itself in market."
As you probably know, Fab has had a rough few years, with the company shedding hundreds of jobs and even encountering rumors that it would be shutting down completely. Pivoting away from flash-sales seems to be the company's last, best hope to survive.
(Image source: onenordic.com)
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Fab is on a mission to help people better their lives with design.
Fab was founded by serial entrepreneur Jason Goldberg in February 2011 and launched on June 9, 2011. Fab’s founders are Bradford Shellhammer, Nishith Shah and Deepa Shah. Fab’s headquarters are in New York. The company also has offices in Berlin, London and Pune.
Over 6 million people around the world use Fab todiscover everyday design products at great prices, to connect with the world’s most exciting designers, and toshare their favorite design inspirations.


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With just weeks to go before one of the biggest software launches of the year Gartner has warned that Windows 8 might not be the solution for a large number of users.
The analyst house has warned that the next instalment of the Windows OS might be a good choice for those users that are looking to adopt tablets widely across the business but could be a risk for everyone else.
The advice from Gartner is for most people to stick with what they currently use before assessing if a move to Windows 8 is going to deliver benefits.
"Windows 8 has been released to manufacturing and will be formally launched in October, but the reality is that most organizations are still working on eliminating Windows XP and deploying Windows 7," said Michael Silver, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner, "Organizations will need to decide whether they continue with Windows 7 and or consider Windows 8."
Silver added that one of the problems Microsoft faced was that the world had moved on, even from the launch of Windows 7, and the PC was now just one option for users.
"When the PC dominated personal computing by providing a single device for messaging, Internet access, gaming and productivity, Windows was a powerhouse for Microsoft," he added "However, smartphones and tablets, led by the iPhone and iPad, have changed the way people work, making the PC just one of several devices people use. The PC is increasingly simply a peer with other devices."
Gartner drew parallels with Vista, which was such an unpopular OS that it caused users to start the search for alternatives.
Gartner has put its cards on the table arguing that the next stage of Microsoft's history is going to be a pivotal one in deciding if the vendor can maintain its hold on the market in an era of more mobile computing and greater competition.


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The novel, which sold more than 350,000 copies worldwide, has been billed as the greatest book about German resistance to the Nazis ever. Inspired by a true story, it details the story of a working-class husband and wife who, acting alone, became part of the German Resistance movement.
Thompson, a familiar face on the international distribution scene and former co-president of Focus International, will be reunited with former Focus Features CEO James Schamus, who will be one of the producers on the Fallada adaptation.
French actor-turned-filmmaker Vincent Perez will direct the script from Good Bye, Lenin! writer Achim von Borries.
Thompson will sell the movie, which has been developed and will be produced by Stefan Arndt and Uwe Schott of Germany’s X-Filme. Along with Schamus, the quartet previously brought Cloud Atlas to the market.
Thompson said she is aiming to bring buyers news of casting during the Cannes market, with British and German actors needed for the script.
Pathe in France is backing the project in exchange for French speaking territory rights with Thompson’s Sunray Films handling worldwide sales.
Thompson said she and Schamus had both nurtured the project from very early on. “I just can’t believe it hasn’t been made into a film before now,” Thompson said. “It’s a good project to launch in Cannes because it’s a great package.”
After Focus International closed, Thompson took three movies from its sales slate which she will continue to sell. They include Mike Leigh’s Cannes Competition title Mr. Turner and Asif Kapadia’s untitled Amy Winehouse documentary.
She has also put the finishing touches on deals for Sunshine on Leith. “It’s not a bad way to go to launch Sunray Films in Cannes, with a Mike Leigh film in competition and Alone in Berlin,” Thompson said.
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As of April 1, Sequim’s QFC at 990 E. Washington St., joins a company-wide campaign to stop using single-use carry-out plastic bags at its registers.
Store manager Jeff Lundstrom said the decision was made by its parent company Kroger under the program called Zero Hunger/Zero Waste.
“We’re trying to reduce the amount of stuff we put in landfills,” he said. “We know plastic bags are a big part of that.”
So that means checkers will offer paper bags with handles at no cost or offer reusable bags for sale, Lundstrom said.
“The way we’re going, we’ll be out of (plastic bags) before (April 1),” he said, after opting not to order more plastic bags weeks ago.
For many customers, the change might be moot, with Lundstrom estimating at least half of their customers bring in reusable bags anyway.
Customer Jack Guinn, a Sequim resident for four years, said he’s been in the habit of using cloth bags since his former home in the City of Shoreline banned plastic bags in early 2014.
“I’ve gotten used to doing it,” he said.
Sequim’s QFC will continue to offer plastic bags for produce and meat, Lundstrom said.
However, another part of QFC’s Zero Hunger/Zero Waste program, he said, includes donating to Food Lifeline five days a week, which supports agencies like the Sequim Food Bank to prevent more food waste.
“Technically, it started in 2018, but we’ve been partnering for years,” Lundstrom said. “They pick up anything we can reasonably give away.”
QFC is moving forward without a ban in place of single-use plastic carry-out bags enforced by the City of Sequim.
City councilors haven’t voted on any plastic bag ordinances but did give the OK for councilor Jennifer States to vote in favor of a bag ban recommendation from the Solid Waste Advisory Committee to Clallam County commissioners last May. The recommendation would have been modeled after the City of Port Angeles’ ordinance, which banned certain plastic bags last year.
Commissioners tabled discussions last year, so plastic bags remain allowed in unincorporated Clallam County.
City Manager Charlie Bush said city staff continue to monitor what’s happening in the state Legislature in Senate Bill 5323 that could ban single-use carry-out bags statewide at retailers. In the potential bill, retailers would charge 10 cents per bag, including for recycled paper and plastic bags, starting in 2020 to encourage people to bring their own bags and cut down on pollution.
Bush said city councilors “directed staff to send a letter to our state Legislature encouraging a bill to ban plastic bags.”
If the bill doesn’t pass, he said there would be more community discussion to determine a direction for the city.
“For now, we’re in wait and see mode,” Bush said.
Both State Sen. Kevin Van De Wege, D- Sequim, and State Rep. Mike Chapman, D-Port Angeles, previously told the Peninsula Daily News they support a ban on plastic carry-out bags.
Tiffany Wilson, director of communications for Walmart, said “Walmart is aware of the legislation and will be ready to comply with any new laws,” including at the Sequim Walmart at 1284 W. Washington St.
In February, Walmart announced plans to reduce plastic waste in more than 30,000 of its private branded items.
Some of the company’s goals, include plans to:
• Seek 100-percent recyclable, reusable or industrially compostable packaging for its private brand packaging by 2025.
• Target at least 20 percent post-consumer recycled content in private brand packaging by 2025.
Walmart spokesmen said the company looks to offer low-cost, high-quality alternatives for plastic straws, cutlery and disposable tabletops, recycle shrink wrap and provide in-store plastic bag and film recycling bins for customers.
At Grocery Outlet, 1045 W. Washington St., owner Mitch Hebert said he’s waiting to see what happens with a potential bag ban.
“We’ll do whatever the state and/or city says,” he said.
For now, his store’s checkers offer single-use carry-out bags and paper bags for free and reusable bags for 15 cents each.
“If they put a value on it, customers are more likely to reuse them,” Hebert said.
He said at least a quarter of his customers prefer the reusable bags that have been in stock for about a year. The reusable bags follow California’s guidelines for reusable bags and are durable and biodegradable, Hebert said.
He views the new bags as an alternative to “just being part of the problem.”
His store also is working on a line of cloth bags, but he said it’s important for people to remember to clean the bags regularly before putting sensitive items like produce in them at the register.
Store manager Jeremy Buggy at Nash’s Organic Produce’s Farm Store, 4681 Sequim-Dungeness Way, said the only plastic bags the store purchases are for bulk foods and produce but they are biodegradable.
“We do our best to stay away from plastic,” he said.
Buggy estimates about three-fourths of their customers bring their own bags and/or jars into the store and if they don’t, then checkers offer cardboard boxes.
Nash’s doesn’t charge for its plastic bags, but Buggy said he wishes they did.
“Then people would think about using them,” he said. “We do have quite a few customers who bring in their own mesh bags or bread bags.”
At Sunny Farms Country Store, 261461 US Highway 101, general manager Todd Thomas said they prefer customers use paper but they offer plastic bags and reusable cloth bags for sale.
“We’re making some efforts and experimenting with some packaging for things (like steaks) that biodegrades faster in hot compost material than Styrofoam would in a landfill,” he said.
Sunny Farms staff have been using it for about four months, Thomas said, and it’s not holding up quite as strongly as they’d like but they’re going to continue using it while seeking alternative materials for their packaging.
Some of those items include recyclable cups and biodegradable cutlery, he said.
As for the changes in packaging, Thomas said, “the writing is on the wall.”
“Hopefully, we can continue to go away from packaging ending up in the landfills,” he said.
A spokesman for Safeway could not be reached by press time.
Reach Matthew Nash at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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If you can't get through the work day without Facebook — but feel too guilty about checking your college roommate's status updates instead of answering client emails — there may be some good news on the way. According to The Financial Times, Facebook is creating Facebook at Work, an independent social media platform that allows users to do everything you can on normal Facebook, except in the comfort of your own work chair. Consider it Facebook for business, not pleasure — though it won't necessarily be all work and no play.
Anonymous sources told The FT that the individual platform would connect users with their fellow colleagues and business associates. They would be able to friend colleagues and clients, chat with them — presumably through a system similar to Facebook messaging — and even collaborate on documents and projects online. If this platform sounds familiar, it's because it seems like it will be a mash-up of LinkedIn, Gmail and Google Drive, but with a dose of good old-fashioned Facebook-friending thrown in.
The FT added that Facebook at Work is set to look just like normal Facebook, with news feeds and groups, and will also allow users to keep their original Facebook pages. So, it'll be like the BlackBerry of the social media world.
Facebook has declined to comment on the platform to news outlets, so at the moment it's all very clandestine. However, it's clear that this will be Facebook's way to engage users in a productive manner during the work day, as well as entice those whose workplaces ban the social media platform on office computers.
As Wired notes, it's definitely not out of the realm of possibility that Facebook would be developing a more focused, business-oriented platform. Not only has the company grown from Mark Zuckerberg hanging out in his Harvard University dorm room to a global social networking phenomenon, but in this current Silicon Valley climate, every tech giant is trying to out-build and out-smart the other. If Facebook can create a more worthwhile, user-friendly platform for business than LinkedIn or Google, then why not?
Whatever Facebook does with its new work platform, the company knows it'll most likely have the edge. With more than one billion active users worldwide, you know that some of those users are clicking around the site at work. According to a 2012 survey conducted by Salary.com, nearly 70 percent of workers said they wasted time on the Internet while at work, with 41 percent of the time-wasters admitting Facebook was their go-to website. LinkedIn came in second, again proving it's Facebook's biggest competitor in this demographic.
Images: Getty Images (2)


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Murphy USA Inc.’s second quarter profits rose nearly 77% as the El Dorado convenience store operator doubled down on its strategy to grow away from Walmart parking lots and build more company-branded gas stations.
For the period ended June 30, the Arkansas gasoline marketer and retailer reported second quarter earnings of $46.3 million, or $1.17 per share, compared to year ago earnings of $26.2 million, or 59 cents per share. Total revenues declined 10.7% to $3 billion, compared to nearly $3.36 billion in the same period of 2015.
Wall Street analysts had forecasted the former Murphy Oil subsidiary to report second quarter earnings of 99 cents per share on sales of $3.15 billion a year ago, according to Thomson Reuters.
“Second quarter results showcased the benefits of our differentiated fuel-driven business model,” said Murphy USA President and CEO Andrew Clyde. “We continue to demonstrate tangible progress among the core elements of our formula for value creation as we accelerate new store additions, generate record merchandise margins, and diligently focus on cost control initiatives, all of which result in strong improvement to our fuel breakeven metric.”
During the quarter, Murphy USA repurchased approximately 244,000 shares for $17 million, closing the three-month period ended June 30 with 39,163,458 common shares outstanding.
“On top of strong organic earnings growth and other corporate initiatives, we continue to allocate capital in a manner consistent with maximizing shareholder returns through high-quality organic growth opportunities and share repurchases,” Clyde noted.
Murphy USA opened eight retail locations in second quarter, bringing the quarter end store count to 1,344 – 1,118 Murphy USA sites and 226 Murphy Express sites. A total of 40 stores are under construction along with three kiosks undergoing a raze and rebuild which will return to operation as 1,200-square-foot stores during third quarter.
Following are other key highlights of Murphy USA’s first quarter results.
• Retail fuel contribution grew 22.5% as higher unit margins of 10.8 (cents per gallon) cpg offset a 1.3% decline in same store fuel gallons; total gallons grew 2.2% to 1.03 billion gallons for the network.
• Product supply and wholesale (PS&W) contribution was $61.2 million in second quarter or a combined 5.9 cents per gallon on a retail gallon equivalent basis.
• Merchandise contribution dollars grew 10.8% year over year to $92.7 million at average unit margins of 15.7%, which is a second consecutive quarterly record.
At the close of business on Wednesday, Murphy USA shares (NYSE: MUSA) were up 31 cents at $74.78 as more than 341,000 shares traded hands. The company’s shares have traded in the range of $47.73 and $78.93 over the past 52 weeks.


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Emma Raducanu, the 18-year-old British tennis player who won the US Open earlier this month, has been named Tiffany & Co.'s brand ambassador.
Based on reports, the agreement is worth crores. Raducanu recently announced on Instagram that she has been named the jewelry company's House Ambassador. Raducanu's contract with the American luxury jewellery manufacturer is worth more than GBP2 million (approx Rs 2.15 crore), according to brand analyst Nick Ede.
Since LVMH has taken over the company, they are seeking to attract a new audience, and Emma is the ideal candidate for this. "She radiates elegance and sophistication while also possessing an edge that will appeal to a new generation while not alienating the present one," Nick Ede added.
The adolescent phenomenon, who became the first British woman to win a Grand Slam championship in 44 years, recently attended a London Fashion Week event at The Londoner Hotel in London, dressed in the brand she represents.


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Snapchat is now testing a new feature called Remix that is said to look a lot like TikTok’s Duet. This new feature lets users reply to Snaps by recording their own Snaps. Users will be able to remix their friends’ stories and select various layouts to do so.
The feature is currently on an external beta test and was spotted by an app researcher. Users testing it at the moment can get to create a story and tag their friends to see how creative they can be.
Just like TikTok Duets, Snapchat users can post stories, and allow friends to Remix and share, then tag their friends and see who can remix their Snaps the best. There is a high possibility that this feature will be popular among the app’s users considering how much of a favourite Duets is.
Additionally, Remix lets users use either a side-by-side, a top or bottom or a picture-in-picture layout for recording their clips.
According to TechCrunch, the feature may make it to other parts of the app, including the Spotlight feature. It also seems like Snapchat isn’t the only app working on such a feature. Instagram was also reported to be working on a similarly inspired function for Reels.
Snapchat has apparently been busy bringing in a couple of new features. This includes a new feature that allows creators to publicise their subscriber count if they wish to do so.
The platform is also looking to add music to compete with rivals like TikTok and Instagram that already support the feature.


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After a brief rise last Friday, possibly fueled by hopes for a new vaccine against Covid-19, the salmon price falls back to the level two weeks ago.
“There are far too much big fish. And that’s where it’s (currently) not a huge market. At least the prices are down today. I hear the big fish, 6+ kg, catch less than 3-6 kg,” said an importer.
He has seen the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries’ recent biomass statistics, which show a significant increase in inventories in the sea during October.
“They (the salmon farmers – ed. note) can not leave the fish in the sea, they have to get it out. Everyone knows there is a large frozen inventory in Europe. And then comes the Chile inventory in addition to that,” he pointed out.
Others share an impression of a price reduction of EUR 0.3-0.4 from last Friday.
“There are some fish left. We can only hope we do not get too much volume increase. The market is probably back at the level it was at last week,” said an exporter.
“The market is quiet. Both in Norway and abroad. The big Christmas rush should have been in full swing now, but they are careful. They (the buyers – ed. note) are not building an inventory now until Christmas. It will probably be a little more controlled than it used to be,” he said, and called the situation “challenging”.
At the same time, the salmon is growing fatter in the sea.
“It’s not cold. There are good conditions for growth. The fish grows fast – and it grows big. There will be an imbalance.”
Heavy for big salmon
The market for large salmon, dominated by air freight to the Far East, is described by several players as “demanding”.
“People try to sell 6+ packed today at 39 kroner (EUR 3.7) FCA farmer and do not get sales,” said a trader, and referred to prices of NOK 41-42 (EUR 3.9-4.0) for next week.
“Air freight is challenging. And freight rates are rising, since other goods are coming in paying better than fish,” said another.
SalmonBusiness’ industrial sources refer to the following farmgate salmon prices for fish to be delivered in the coming week:
- 3-6 kg NOK 40-42.50 (EUR 3.8-4.2)
- 6+ kg NOK 38-42 (EUR 3.6-4.2)


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NAPERVILLE, Ill., October 4, 2016 – G&D Integrated was recognized as a top supplier by Wabash National Corporation (NYSE: WNC) at their recent annual supplier conference on September 23 in Lafayette, Indiana. G&D Integrated, who was recognized as Flatbed Carrier of the Year, has received this award for six of the past seven years.
The Platinum Award is in recognition for excellence in supply chain performance. A variety of criteria is considered for the award including delivery, quality, innovation, cost, service, and support. Only 29 Wabash National suppliers out of 9,987 received awards for exceptional performance.
“We are proud to be recognized by Wabash National with this award and value our relationship with them as one of their key supplier partners,” said Paul Bunch, business operations manager of the Indiana Truckload Division in Monticello, Indiana. “We look forward to our continued partnership and the opportunity to provide outstanding quality and customer service in the coming year.”
“We strongly value a collaborative relationship with all of our supplier partners,” said President and CEO of Wabash National Corporation, Dick Giromini. “We recognize the vital role our suppliers play in assuring our continued leadership position in customer satisfaction, product quality, and innovation.”
About G&D Integrated
G&D Integrated is a specialized provider of transportation and logistics services and has over 100 years of experience advancing innovative global supply chain solutions. Headquartered in Morton, Ill., the company provides domestic transportation, freight brokerage, contract logistics, and supply chain services to a variety of industries with 1,000 employees at over 20 facilities across North America. For more information, visit www.gdintegrated.com.
About Wabash National Corporation
Wabash National Corporation (NYSE: WNC) is a diversified industrial manufacturer and North America’s leading producer of semi-trailers and liquid transportation systems. The company was established in 1985 in Lafayette, Ind. For more information, visit www.wabashnational.com.
Susan Himes, Marketing Communications


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The latest hot and happening news from B-Town for you to catch up on....
Filmmaker Vishesh Bhatt's wedding reception here Thursday evening turned out to be a star-studded occasion with celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan in attendance.Friday, November 29, 2013 11:42:07 AM
Sound in Indian cinema has improved in the last few years, but it is yet to embrace the use of live location sound, says sound designer Kunal Rajan, who has worked on international films and is currently busy with Kamal Haasan's magFriday, November 29, 2013 10:48:04 AM
Veteran designer Pallavi Jaikishan is excited about showcasing a collection offering new and different looks, from hand painted saris to a lehenga dress, at the India Bridal Week (IBW) which began at The Grand Hyatt here Friday. It wFriday, November 29, 2013 6:50:04 AM
It is tough to sell rock albums in Mizoram because of the dominance of gospel music in the northeastern state, says Atea, vocalist of Boomarang, a rock band from the state that is trying to meander its way into the country's mainsFriday, November 29, 2013 1:34:04 AM
Singer Shibani Kashyap, who recently performed here at an event to encourage the youth to vote, strongly believes that positive changes in the country's future lies in the hands of the youngsters.Friday, November 29, 2013 1:12:04 AM
T-Series head honcho Bhushan Kumar has decided to advance the release of his wife Divya Khosla Kumar's directorial debut project "Yaariyan" from Jan 31 to Jan 10, next year.Thursday, November 28, 2013 5:46:11 PM
Indian film production major Yash Raj Films (YRF) has brought Bollywood fashion closer to fans and fashion enthusiasts by opening its first Diva'ni store here. It is a one-stop destination for cinema-inspired fashion for women.Thursday, November 28, 2013 4:34:04 PM
Actress Huma Qureshi, whose next big screen project is "Dedh Ishqiya", will walk the ramp for designer duo Ashima-Leena at the forthcoming India Bridal Week (IBW).Thursday, November 28, 2013 3:58:04 PM
It has been a decade since Karan Johar's hit romantic drama "Kal Ho Naa Ho" released. The filmmaker says he has "indelible" memories attached with the movie, while its lead actor Shah Rukh Khan missed the film's producer, late Yash JThursday, November 28, 2013 3:36:08 PM
She has scored a hat-trick of hits on the Bollywood pitch, with each film offering a different flavour of her versatile talent, but Deepika Padukone is in no mood to rest. She is raring to go with more multifarious roles and saysThursday, November 28, 2013 1:14:03 PM
Actress Aditi Rao Hydari is excited about playing a small town girl in Manish Jha's new film, but she is guarded about other details of her role.Thursday, November 28, 2013 12:50:03 PM
The global music community has come together for the worldwide release of a new compilation titled "Songs for the Philippines", which has been created to raise money for victims of the Philippines typhoon.Thursday, November 28, 2013 5:44:04 AM
Party-hoppers and shopaholics can enjoy electronic dance music (EDM) and merchandise by designer label Bhootsavaar by Nitin Bal Chauhan at Sound Awake, a music festival to be held here Sunday.Thursday, November 28, 2013 5:20:04 AM
It's the perfect time to stock up on different party wear ensembles. Go for white dresses and tartan trousers which have found fans in international celebrities like Kendell Jenner, Rita Ora and many more.Thursday, November 28, 2013 3:52:10 AM
Malaysian-Chinese star Michelle Yeoh, who was sidelined at the 42nd edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), will be the chief guest at the closing ceremony of the festival this year.Thursday, November 28, 2013 3:30:03 AM
Actor-producer Sunny Deol says that he is looking for the right subject for his son Karan's launch pad.Wednesday, November 27, 2013 7:18:05 PM
Bollywood actress Chitrangada Singh will walk the India Bridal Fashion Week (IBFW) ramp here Sunday for bridal gold jewellery brand Azva by the World Gold Council.Wednesday, November 27, 2013 5:34:03 PM
Prabhu Deva is said to have grooved so well for forthcoming Bollywood film "Happy New Year" that the film's lead actor Shah Rukh Khan is mesmerised by the multi-faceted star's magical moves.Wednesday, November 27, 2013 5:32:07 PM
Actor Arshad Warsi dotes over his son Zeke, and he took out some time to bond with his little one over running practice.Wednesday, November 27, 2013 5:32:05 PM
Actors Jackky Bhagnani and Neha Sharma are in Agra to shoot for their upcoming film "Youngistaan".Wednesday, November 27, 2013 5:32:04 PM
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MADRID (Reuters) – The world’s biggest fashion retailer, Spain’s Inditex, has agreed with the freight group Maersk to incorporate alternative fuels on all its inbound routes with the carrier as a way to reduce its global greenhouse gas footprint.
The Zara owner is one of Maersk’s first customers to assign 100% of its ocean inbound cargo to its Eco Delivery Ocean service, which allows for a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions thanks to green fuels, Maersk managing director for southwest Europe, Emilio de la Cruz, said in a statement.
Shipping group Maersk sees fashion brands as a key driver of demand for green marine fuels as the sector faces pressure from consumers and regulators to reduce its carbon footprint.
Maersk has been replacing fossil fuels on its ships with green fuels like green methanol or second-generation biodiesel based on waste feedstocks.
Inditex, which also owns fashion brands Massimo Dutti and Pull&Bear, said the project was in line with its goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040 and would help scale up alternative fuels with a significantly reduced carbon footprint.
(Reporting by Corina Pons, additional reporting by Helen Reid, editing by Ed Osmond)


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Email may account for upwards of 60% of smartphone conversions, according to new data released by the SeeWhy Conversion Academy. The analysis of more than 150 million web events in December indicates that 62% of smartphone conversions came from an email, compared to 21% that came from a link to the site and 12% that were direct visits. The analysts admit that the 5% share attributed to search may be understated due to Google’s “obfuscation” of search terms.
Whatever the exact number, the large share attributed to email is the result of two main factors, per the researchers:
- Remarketing emails likely being opened on mobile devices (with many studies now indicating that mobile accounts for a majority of email opens); and
- Email eliminating the need for on-site searches on smartphones.
The second point in particular is very interesting. The analysts’ data indicates that for every 100 visitors arriving at an e-commerce site via a smartphone, just 8 will add a product to a shopping cart. That compares unfavorably to 11 each for desktops and tablets, and is likely a result of more difficulty in searching and selecting products on the smaller smartphone screen. Clicking on a link in an email (particularly a remarketing email) removes the need for on-site search.
Of course, cart abandonment rates are still much higher on smartphones (94%) than on tablets (81%) and desktops (76%), per the data. But if checkout processes can be improved, the researchers see the potential for mobile to be used “as a critical conversion device,” whereby mobile conversions are less the result of browsing and instead the result of a last step when the product selection had already been made but simply not finished.
The analysts offer 4 recommendations to fuel further smartphone conversions:
- “Trigger Browse and Cart remarketing emails when users abandon;”
- “Checkout optimizations: shorter checkout processes for mobile customers;”
- “Storing payment, billing and shipping details;” and
- “Alternative payment checkouts for new customers.”


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Hilary Duff is Recording Cool Music with Ed Sheeran - See the Pic!
Hilary Duff grabs a green smoothie after breaking a sweat at a workout session on Friday (May 16) in West Hollywood, Calif.
The day before, the 26-year-old actress rocked a ripped pair of jeans while doing some shopping in L.A.
Earlier in the week, Hilary beat the heat with a pair of short shorts while visiting a friend’s house in Hollywood.
“Soooo this happened and was pretty cool. W/ @edsheeran recording tonight 🎶,” Hilary recently tweeted with a pic.
Also pictured: Hilary stocking up on jars and vases at a flower shop on Tuesday (May 13) in Los Angeles.
25+ pictures inside of Hilary Duff wearing different outfits…


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The Vietnam General Confederation of Labor has just issued Decision 3089/QD-TLD on supporting meals for union members and employees to perform "3 on the spot" of businesses in the provinces and cities that implement social distancing. according to Directive 16/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment has just issued a resolution to support businesses in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to which about 1 million enterprises will receive credit support, and 160,000 businesses will be extended, exemption, reduction of taxes and fees.
Where is a good place to rent a small factory in Cu Chi to make packaging? If interested in opening a project in Cu Chi, this is a question many packaging manufacturers are really interested in. In this article, we evaluate a little bit about the need to rent factories for packaging production of many businesses in Cu Chi and the reasons for renting industrial factories in the current period.
To know the Top reputable industrial park developers recently, we will refer to the assessment of Vietnam Report Joint Stock Company (Vietnam Report). Specifically, on March 19, 2021, Vietnam Report Joint Stock Company (Vietnam Report) officially announced the Top 10 prestigious real estate developer companies including industrial parks developers.
The Covid-19 epidemic that has taken place since the beginning of 2020 has had a strong impact on most aspects of economy and society. Of which the number of foreigners immigrating Vietnam has decreased significantly (by 75% in 2020) compared to 2019, even the first 6 months of 2021 decreased by 95% compared to the same period in 2020.
Facing the complicated situation of the Covid-19 epidemic, 6 companies in industrial parks and export processing zones in Vietnam which have not yet ensured the "3 on-site" conditions (on-site production, on-site accommodation, on-site epidemic prevention) had been required to suspend operation.
From 0:00 on July 13, Long An province asked to suspend the operation of businesses that did not arrange '3 on-site policy' (producing, eating and resting at workplace). A series of businesses in this province have responded. Similarly, enterprises in Ho Chi Minh city quickly implemented "3 on-site policy" as the request of the authority. In Dong Thap province, the requirement is also applied from July 14, while applied in Tien Giang province from July 15.
Currently, many enterprises need to rent factories for mechanical production in Ho Chi Minh or for expanding or moving production into industrial zones instead of operating business in residential areas. However, before choosing a suitable for mechanical production, some key points should be noticed as follows:
Many mechanical manufacturers are now interested in renting small factory from 1,000m2 at industrial park of Binh Chanh district, Ho Chi Minh City to orient long-term manufacturing development coming time. Why renting a small and medium-sized factory in the industrial zone in Ho Chi Minh will be a solution for enterprises which have small-scale mechanical and machinery manufacturing moved outside of residential areas?
Currently, many enterprises are interested in renting warehouse in Ho Chi Minh City for Logistics business or for their owned products and materials. Their are many reasons for this topic, but the increase of storage demand among enterprises in both manufacturing and trading have more effects on the warehouse space providing capacity in Ho Chi Minh city and many industrial provinces.
From 2019 to now, the demand for warehouse rental in Ho Chi Minh is increasing, although the Covid-19 epidemic is still having a negative impact in many ways. The recent demand for warehouses for rent in Ho Chi Minh City due to stable export production activities along with the strong development of domestic e-commerce makes warehouse space provision unable to keep up with actual demand.


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Iodex Captures The Dream Of Becoming An IPS Officer.
- Pain relief product brand Iodex has launched a new campaign, ‘Har Din Jeet Meri.’
- The campaign is based on the insight that one must win every day to achieve big dreams.
- The TVC showcases a cadet who has set out to achieve her dream of becoming an IPS officer. It talks about the fact that to achieve your big dreams, you must move forward daily and be prepared for every hurdle and pain you encounter.
- In the film, the cadet finally realizes her dream of becoming an IPS officer but will not stop at that and wants to make winning a habit.
- The tagline’ Har Din Jeet Meri’ has captured the campaign’s spirit of winning every day to achieve big dreams.
Bineet Jain, pain and respiratory health lead, India Subcontinent, Haleon, said, “With this new communication idea, the brand continues to be relevant to consumer’s life by capturing today’s spirit of making winning an everyday habit. With a strong portfolio of products spanning across gel, spray and balm, there is an Iodex for every consumer need.”


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For all the shopaholics and bargain hunters or those who just like a good deal, it’s hard to miss how e-commerce is taking over the world, or at least the retail industry. In the past few years, online shopping has exploded in popularity, giving traditional brick-and-mortar stores a run for their money, quite literally. With just a few clicks, consumers can now buy anything from groceries to gadgets, all without leaving the comfort of their own homes. Many consumers don’t typically think about ordering health supplements, home cleaning products, or even color cosmetics online, but with the health and wellness shopping club Melaleuca, people are bucking that trend and reaping the many benefits.
Melaleuca is no stranger to the e-commerce industry. For many years, the vast majority of Melaleuca’s wellness products have been sold directly to customers through the Melaleuca website, the company’s goal being to outperform national brands sold in brick-and-mortar stores.
Research from the Commercial Real Estate Service (CBRE) shows that by 2025, one in four purchases for the average American household will be made online. This is due to the continual growth of the e-commerce industry. Over the last five years alone, e-commerce has grown over 140% and is now one of the fastest-growing markets. And the average consumer is branching out into buying things they wouldn’t have in the past. From designer clothing and handbags to other things like artisanal cheeses and even health and wellness products, it seems like anything can be found and bought online these days.
But this can only be done because companies are getting better at getting their items out to their customers faster. And shipping products quickly leads to more growth in the e-commerce industry. This growth is good but also leads to a big issue — space. Online retailers have had to keep more products on hand to meet the growing demand of their customers, and that has required more space for storing products closer to key distribution hubs.
This has led to a surge in industrial real estate being both bought up and built. According to CBRE, the demand for industrial real estate has outpaced supply. The future of e-commerce is bright, but careful planning will be required to keep up with the demand for online shopping. Melaleuca is no exception, and the company has been making preparations and purchases to accommodate its own future growth and enhance the shopping experience of Melaleuca customers.
Melaleuca and Its Growth Over the Years
As mentioned previously, Melaleuca: The Wellness Company is an online shopping club. Melaleuca manufactures a variety of health and wellness products, including supplements and nutrition products, eco-friendly cleaning products, personal care products, cosmetics, and essential oils. Through innovative scientific research, the company strives to create safer products with eco-friendly and naturally based ingredients to help its customers optimize health in both their bodies and their homes. Melaleuca is now leading the way in providing people with a unique shopping experience, all without shoppers leaving their homes. This Idaho-based company has been in business for more than three decades.
Melaleuca operates what is called a consumer-direct business model, in which customers buy products directly from the company without middlemen, like stores or advertisers. This has worked well, especially with the advent of the internet, which allowed Melaleuca to seamlessly transition into operating what is now one of the largest health and wellness shopping clubs in North America, with over 400 different products.
In 1992, Melaleuca constructed its first distribution and production center outside of Idaho in Knoxville, Tennessee. The 175,000-square-foot facility served Melaleuca well and gave it a foothold in the eastern United States. Then, in 2008, to better meet the needs of its growing customer base and the increased demand for products, Melaleuca drew up plans to add another production and distribution center in Idaho Falls. That facility was finished in 2010. Almost immediately, the new facility changed how quickly packages were shipped and received. Shipping time went from a week or more to just a few days.
In that same year, business for Melaleuca had taken off so much that another facility was built in Knoxville to meet Melaleuca’s growing needs. This new 231,000-square-foot facility took on more of a distribution role, allowing the older facility to focus solely on production.
Growing to Meet Consumer Needs
Many other companies these days are familiar with this level of growth. With the rise of e-commerce, companies like Amazon, Walmart, and Costco are buying up warehouse space to meet the needs of their customers. Even smaller companies are having to make these kinds of changes. This is because businesses are seeing the need to shift more attention to online sales and are experiencing rapid growth as a result.
Many Americans report that they prefer to shop online. Consumers can browse and make purchases anytime from anywhere with an internet connection. This appeals to those who lead busy lives and don’t have time to visit stores during regular business hours. Others discover that they have more family time.
And unlike physical stores with physical space limitations, online retailers can offer a virtually limitless selection of products. This makes it easier for consumers to find exactly what they’re looking for, whether it’s a rare collectible, a specific brand of health and wellness product, or the healthiest alternative to a favorite junk food.
If CBRE’s projections are correct, then the United States will need about 330 million more square feet of distribution and warehouse space to handle the growth of e-commerce. Many companies are turning to third-party logistics providers to meet their warehousing and distribution needs. That can be costly and time-consuming, but it allows companies to ship to their customers more quickly. Some companies, like Melaleuca, are opting to build their own warehouses or distribution centers to meet their specific needs.
The Melaleuca Kansas City Center
In 2020, when many companies were struggling, Melaleuca experienced significant growth and saw an opportunity not only to save time but also to better meet the needs of its customer base. The company purchased a 508,000-square-foot warehouse in Kansas City, Missouri, that was previously owned by Harley-Davidson. By acquiring an existing facility, Melaleuca was able to quickly expand its capabilities at a key distribution hub in the heart of the country.
This new facility is just the logical next step to ensure the timely arrival of products at the homes of Melaleuca customers. It also helps to split the load of the other two distribution centers currently operated by Melaleuca. The Idaho Falls center can focus on the western regions of the United States, the Knoxville center can ship to its customers in the eastern regions, and now the Kansas City facility will ship to Melaleuca customers in the midwestern regions.
So, to meet the growing demand, Melaleuca expanded its facilities and built them up to be at the cutting edge of technology and allow for more growth in the future. This allowed it to improve its supply chain management and order fulfillment, which has become increasingly important in the competitive e-commerce landscape. By offering its customers a more convenient and efficient online shopping experience, Melaleuca continues to stand out from the crowd and attract more customers. This highlights the importance of innovation and adaptability in the e-commerce industry; businesses must constantly evolve to meet the changing needs and preferences of their customers.
By continuing its tradition of repurposing existing buildings, Melaleuca avoided the environmental impact of building a new facility while it supported the local economy. Overall, the purchase allowed Melaleuca to better serve its customers while demonstrating a commitment to sustainability and responsible resource management. Because Melaleuca believes strongly in sustainability and environmentalism, many Melaleuca products are made in the same month they are purchased and shipped. This cuts down on waste and ensures the freshest products available in many cases.
Melaleuca Is Growing Toward the Future
Already, the impact of the Kansas City facility has been felt. The average shipping time for many customers has been cut in half; as a result, most customers receive their products within two business days. Melaleuca is committed to providing safe, effective, and environmentally friendly products, which has been a key factor in its success. Melaleuca makes over $2 billion in sales annually. The company focuses on using natural ingredients and other natural compounds and avoiding harsh chemicals, which resonates with Melaleuca consumers who are looking for healthier alternatives to grocery store brands and other traditional products.
In addition, Melaleuca’s consumer-direct model has allowed this wellness company to build strong relationships with its customers and provide personalized service and support. This has helped to quickly foster a loyal customer base that values the quality and effectiveness of Melaleuca products. Melaleuca has positioned itself for long-term growth and success by prioritizing innovation, sustainability, and exceptional customer service. Melaleuca’s commitment to these values is reflected in its products, services, and business operations.
All these efforts contribute to the company’s success and reputation in the industry. As reported, e-commerce has seen a 140% increase in the last five years alone. It’s not just here to stay; it might be here to completely take over. As it stands, e-commerce is continuing to grow, and so is the need for more warehouse space in strategic locations. Like other e-commerce leaders, Melaleuca is expanding its warehouse and distribution capabilities, and its focus on getting closer to its customers will ensure great customer satisfaction and continued growth.


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1 min read.Updated: 10 Aug 2020, 03:59 PM IST Edited By J. Jagannath
With Instamart, Swiggy will be competing with Amazon Fresh, BigBasket, Flipkart Quick and Reliance Jiomart in the quick grocery delivery race
Swiggy on Monday joined the quick grocery delivery bandwagon by launching Instamart in Gurugram to deliver groceries within 45 minutes and it received effusive praise on social media. The move comes at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has hastened consumer preference for doorstep deliveries, especially in metros. With Instamart, Swiggy will be competing with Amazon Fresh, BigBasket, Flipkart Quick and Reliance Jiomart.
"Swiggy Instamart will be available in Gurugram from today onwards and can be accessed through the 'Instamart' tile within the Swiggy app," the company said in a statement.
The platform is currently testing 'Swiggy Instamart 'to see how it augments the consumer promise of enabling unparalleled convenience by making grocery delivery more instant and delightful, it added.
Swiggy has launched this service partnering with virtual stores, and the delivery is enabled by Swiggy's large last mile delivery fleet. More than 2,500 items will be available in the category.
"Through Instamart, we want to introduce the convenience grocery category in India," it said.
Swiggy already operates ‘Swiggy Stores’, which lists products from nearby local stores.
"With the fastest deliveries in the segment (30 – 45 minutes), day and night serviceability (7 am - 12 midnight), a wide assortment across categories such as instant meals, snacks, ice creams, beverages, fruits & vegetables, Instamart will address the unmet grocery needs of the time-pressed, convenience-seeking urban consumer," PTI quoted Swiggy.
The new service already found a few customers who couldn't stop praising it on Twitter.
Ordered groceries from Swiggy instamart and the order arrived with this special box. So, it's not just super fast deliveries, they are experts at super sweet surprises, too. Loving it, @swiggy_in 💙 pic.twitter.com/wbFn60AB8q
Hve rcvd many items that I never ordered or items being missed from the order but this was absolutely wonderful pkg delivered by @swiggy_in Happy Birthday Swiggy. To many more quick, sometimes mismanaged and mostly time & tummy saviour deliveries. #HBDSwiggyIndiapic.twitter.com/kpVdVXmUU5


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As the government prepares to unveil the final details of several significant interventions into the domestic gas market, Australian natural gas producers are cautiously optimistic that proposed rules for the sector will not stifle investment.
Mark Abbotsford, executive vice president at Woodside Energy WDS.AX said, “Consultations over powers that would allow government to divert exports to the domestic market are constructive.”
On Tuesday, Abbotsford, at the Domestic Gas Outlook Conference in Sydney, said, “I do think we can land on a suite of measures that ensure a functioning market and a positive investment climate.”
The Australian gas industry is waiting for the final decision from the country’s competition watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), on the proposed new regulations for the sector.
The proposed rules could significantly impact the industry, aiming to increase competition, reduce prices, and ensure supply stability.
The gas producers have expressed concerns that the new regulations may negatively impact investment in the industry.
The Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) has urged the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to carefully consider the potential impact of the new rules on investment, stating that the sector is already struggling due to low prices and a lack of exploration.
However, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has stated that the proposed regulations will not harm investment in the sector and will promote greater competition and improve the efficiency of the gas market.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) final decision is expected to be released later this year, with the new regulations potentially coming into effect in 2024.
The proposed new regulations for the gas industry in Australia have sparked concerns from gas producers, who fear that they may negatively impact investment in the sector.
The industry has expressed cautious optimism following months of warnings claiming a raft of new rules would undermine long-term contracts, stop new investment and alienate trade partners by redirecting exports and setting prices.


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According to a press statement released by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), with a large number of users, Vietnamese mobile network operators are tapping into the financial service market, a major field of fintech.
Mobile network operators now have unprecedented opportunities to provide financial services. People can use mobile phone accounts to transfer money and make payments for small-value goods. A service will be provided by mobile network operators shortly, called Mobile Money.
The release said that money transfers and payments for goods and services can also be implemented with e-wallets. However, there is a crucial difference between e-wallets and Mobile Money. E-wallet users have to link their bank accounts to register an account. With Mobile Money, a customer only needs to link their phone number.
The director of the Telecommunication Agency, Nguyen Duc Trung, said the transactions of this kind are only provided to those who still don’t have bank accounts. The transactions are made via mobile devices and nearly all traditional services are available, from money transfer and payments to cash stores.
The concept of mobile money has been introduced to the public, but it is not new. The model is popular in countries with less developed financial infrastructure, high population, low income, and demand for remitting money to home villages.
According to the MIC, about 90 countries in the world run Mobile Money with 866 million accounts, 272 businesses, valued at US $1.3 billion each day.
In Vietnam, the number of Mobile Money accounts in 2018 increased by 20%, while the average transaction value was US $200 a month per account.
Management agencies expect the service to enable more people to access official financial transactions as a result of its large coverage. The service will also be useful to people who cannot meet the requirements to open bank accounts.
Currently, only 40% of Vietnamese citizens have bank accounts. However, there are 130 million mobile subscribers.
According to the Director of the Payment Department of the State Bank, Vietnam still doesn’t have a legal framework on this, while issues related to transaction authentication and security risks need to be clarified.
Analysts say that Mobile Money is the perfect opportunity for telecom service providers to jump into the payment service sector and other related “gold mines”.
In the past, mobile network operators once provided financial transactions via SMS, but the service still required a link with a bank account.
Apart from Mobile Money, network operators are developing e-wallets. Viettel has ViettelPay and VNPT has VNPT Pay.
Vietnam has been pushing for the digitalisation of all its sectors. OpenGov reported earlier that 55% of start-ups use digital technology to run businesses effectively, compared with 38% of businesses, helping them increase revenue by 34%.
According to a report, big data (58%), mobile technology (59%) personal cloud computing storage (53%) and public cloud computing storage (45%), application program interface (API), and embedded technology (40%) are the technologies mostly utilised by enterprises.
Digitalisation can be applied in all activities of businesses, which can be implemented in two steps: first, transform physical documents into digital-format ones and second, directly create digital documents, and completely remove the use of paper.


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- Launch of multilingual, cross-border, Brazil-China e-commerce trade platform BOAPIN expected in first quarter of 2019
- Exclusive agreement signed with Brazilian Trade Organization, whose 7,500 members may enlist as paid subscribers to BOAPIN platform
- Pacific Software’s strategic IBM working relationship leverages industry-leading Hyperledger blockchain technology and applications
Pacific Software Inc. (OTC: PFSF), an emerging business development technology innovator, is closing in on the launch date of BOAPIN, the company’s proprietary e-commerce platform designed to improve product traceability and deliver much-needed cross-border trade solutions to global subscribers. Pacific Software anticipates that its new blockchain-based trade platform will be able to register new buyers and sellers within the first quarter of 2019, according to a news release (http://nnw.fm/R33gW).
The platform caters to the evolving needs of an international economy with features such as product certification, marketing, logistics, a commodities search/match interface, trade finance and…
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to PFSF are available in the company’s newsroom at http://nnw.fm/PFSF
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Exclusive: Here’s our closest look at the Apple iPhone 8 yet
These are renders of the upcoming next generation iPhone 8 which Apple is expected to announce later this year as a successor to the current iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
2017 marks the completion of a decade since Steve Jobs first introduced the revolutionary device back in 2007. For the same reason, most Apple fanboys are hoping that this year’s iPhone will be a very interesting and path breaking device.
What do you think about this one after looking at the renders?