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The Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released the country’s September international trade data last week, completing the national grain export picture for the 2020/21 marketing year, which concluded on September 30. A feature of the 2020/21 grain export program were the robust sales in the final three months of the marketing year, thanks to production issues in Russia, Canada and the United States and quality issues in the European Union.
Exports of wheat, barley, sorghum and canola totalled 36.336 million metric tonnes for the 12-month period. This was quite an impressive result, considering the Australia pipeline was empty leading into the 2020 harvest after a string of poor seasons in the eastern states. The low carry-in meant the export program didn’t ramp up until December 2020, with October shipments totalling 0.542MMT and November shipments totalling 1.063MMT.
At 4.053MMT, March was the only month that topped the 4MMT barrier for exports of wheat, barley, sorghum and canola combined. May was just under at 3.989MMT, and every month from December 2020 to June 2021 topped 3.5MMT for the four commodities. The busiest port was Fremantle/Kwinana, with 5.527MMT of wheat, barley and canola departing in bulk and containers across the season. Port Adelaide and Newcastle filled the other podium spots with exports of 3.383MMT and 3.28MMT, respectively, and Port Kembla was only just behind on 3.202MMT.
On the wheat front, September exports came in at a disappointing 1.309MMT. That took marketing year exports in bulk and containers to 23.77MMT, second only to the 2011/12 season when 24.66MMt was shipped to overseas customers. Durum wheat exports total 406,000 metric tonne, just 1.7 per cent of total wheat exports. Container business made up 9 per cent of total international sales, with bulk sales accounting for 91 per cent across the season.
The gong for the biggest wheat export state went to Western Australia at 8.603MMT for the 12-month period. New South Wales filled second spot with 5.677MMT, and South Australia held off a fast-finishing Victoria to take the minor placing with 4.132MMT.
Four countries accounted for 49.6 per cent or 11.79MMT of total Australian wheat exports in 2020/21. Indonesia was the most popular destination, buying 4.704MMT over the marketing year. In a bit of a surprise, Vietnam was the second biggest destination at 2.95MMT, China was third with 2.182MMT, and the Philippines rounded off the top four with 1.953MMT.
ABS posted a September barley export number of 548,000MT, taking total barley exports in the 2020/21 season to 7.92MMT. Barley exports were quick out of the blocks after last year’s harvest, with December the biggest month of the whole season at 977,000MT. March and February were the next best at 964,000MT and 928,000MT, respectively. Saudi Arabia was the dominant destination accounting for 2.858MMT or 36.1 per cent of total barley exports. Japan touched out Thailand for second place with 1.06MMT and 1.059MMT, respectively.
Western Australia shipped 3.569MMT over the year or 45 per cent of the total barley program. South Australia was next best at 2.009MMT or 25.4 per cent of barley shipments in both containers and bulk. Victoria shipped 1.576MMT of barley. Malting barley exports made up a paltry 513,000MT, or 6.5 per cent of the total barley export number, well down on the heady numbers when China dominated the malting barley playing field.
The emergence of Mexico as Australia’s single biggest malting barley customer in 2020/21 was one bright light for the industry. Mexican imports totalled 141,000MT or 27.5 per cent of total malting barley exports for the season. The first shipment of 35,000MT departed the port of Albany in Western Australia in January. This was followed by three more in April, July and August, all from Western Australian ports.
South America also surfaced as a malting barley destination in 2020/21, despite competition from Argentina. The west coast nation of Peru was Australia’s second-biggest malting barley client at 89,000MT, and their northern neighbour Ecuador imported 25,000MT. The two countries shared three single port loaders out of Western Australia across the season, with 58,000MT departing in May followed by 30,000MT in August and 26,000MT in September.
Australia exported 3.419MMT of Canola in 2020/21, the third-highest on record after exports of 3.598MMT in the 2016/17 season and 3.488MMT in the 2012/13 season. Western Australia dominated the export stem throughout the season, shipping 1.491MMT, or 43.6 per cent of the nation’s exports. Victoria was the second biggest exporter with 903,000MT or 26.4 per cent of exports.
European Union nations (including the United Kingdom) completely overshadowed all other demand points accounting for 75.5 per cent of Australia’s canola exports. Germany was the largest discharge destination with 929,000MT, followed by Belgium on 765,000MT and France on 402,000MT across the marketing year.
Sorghum exports for the 2020/21 marketing year came to 1.226MMT, although the data continues to show a 38,000MT bulk shipment out of Port Giles in January, which I suspect was actually wheat: somebody got the codes wrong somewhere. The busiest month was September, with exports of 253,000MT followed by July with 216,000MT. China continues to be the most important customer taking 79.6 per cent of total exports, or 976,000MT. The East African nation of Kenya took second spot with 98,000MT, and Japan was third with 96,000MT.
The flush season across the country in 2021 has been capped off by good spring rainfall in most regions. This has pushed the 2021 harvest back in many districts, especially in the eastern states and means that old crop grain will continue to dominate export shipments of wheat, and to a lesser degree barley, until December.
There was almost 1.2MMT of wheat on the export stem for October and almost 1.4MMT on the stem for November, most of which will be 2020/21 season grain. That will push 2020/21 season wheat exports past the 26MMT mark, a record for a single production season. Additionally, if domestic consumption is pegged at 9MMT, and assuming that the national carry out conservatively doubles from 1.3MMT in 2019/20 to 2.6MMT in 2020/21, then national wheat production last season has to be north of 36MMT, much higher than the official ABARES number of 33.337MMT.
The barley story is similar. Exports in the year to September 30 totalled 7.921MMT, and there was 340,000MT on October stem. The November stem has 140,000MT out of New South Wales and Victoria, which will be old-crop grain, but the bookings of 220,000MT and 380,000MT out of South Australian and Western Australian, respectively, will largely be new crop grain. That takes last season’s barley exports to 8.4MMT. Pegging domestic consumption at 5.5MMT and carry-out at just 1.2MMT prints a production number of 14.1MMT against ABARES at 13.093MMT.
Call your local Grain Brokers Australia representative on 1300 946 544 to discuss your grain marketing needs.


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Caroline Perez knew she wanted to be among the first to order from the new Starbucks located at the intersection of Hwy 77 and Gen. Cavazos Boulevard.
The Bishop High School sophomore had been anticipating its opening for months.
“This is perfect,” she said. “We live right across the street, so I’m going to be here every morning before school.”
While the store was scheduled to open for business at 5 a.m. Monday, Caroline and her mother, Lydia, decided to get ahead of the anticipated opening day rush.
“We got here around 3 a.m.,” Caroline said. “We were here before the workers and everyone, but it was definitely worth it.”
Once inside, Caroline said she made sure to order her usual drink, an iced caramel macchiato.
“And it is fantastic,” she said.
Her mother, who went with a “nothing fancy” freshly brewed coffee, agreed.
“It’s really good,” she said. “It’s strong. I like it and I like all of the different kinds of sugar that they have.”
The new Starbucks marks the return of the franchise to Kingsville after the first store closed in 2008. Another location opened at Texas A&M University-Kingsville a couple of years later, but does not feature the full menu offered at larger locations such as the new store.
Caroline said she would occasionally visit a Starbucks in Corpus Christi, but was never able to do so very often “because it’s just too far away.” As for the TAMUK location, she said as a high school student, traveling to the university to pick up a coffee “wasn’t really ideal.”
“It was always closed when I could go,” she said. “And there’s no drive-thru. Here, we can pick it up and go.”
Around 11 a.m., civic leaders and Starbucks employees gathered outside of the store to hold a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the grand opening of the new location. Live music played from the patio area as a regular stream of customers filed into the store to place their orders.
Selina Ortegon ordered herself a strawberry refresher before heading outside to enjoy the live music. She said the new store was in a “great location.”
“And the service was fast,” she said. “Now that it’s in town, I’ll probably be coming out once a day.”
Kierra Munson said she loves Starbucks and is excited to have a larger store in town.
“I’ve been drinking it since I was little,” she said as she enjoyed her frappuccino, which she called her “go-to” drink. “I won’t say that I’ll be here every day, but I’ll probably be here every day.”
As for Caroline, she said she enjoyed her drink so much that morning, she and her mother made a return trip to the store just a few hours later.
“I had to have another one,” she said.

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Bruce Wilcox is a top chatbot programmer, and his Talking Angela app has been downloaded 57 million times, yet he's had to fight rumors that it's a front for pedophiles. He talked to CNET about fooling humans with AI.
Google knows more about you than ever before, and you like it that way. How did the popular yet controversial company convince you of its trustworthiness?
The scandal surrounding the US National Security Agency is no laughing matter, of course. But it's hard not to look for telling lines in the agency's new job listing.
Fortify your browser, opt out of location tracking, and use a virtual private network to hide your IP address.
Depending on your feelings about Creative Cloud, you're either going to want to pop the champagne or sharpen your pitchfork. The Creative Suite products go cloud-only, but get better integration and new features.
In "Exploding the Phone," Phil Lapsley writes an entertaining and educational history of the people who hacked the original phone networks. Lapsley talked to CNET about his book.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation offers $1.1 million to develop "Galvanic" bracelets that measure how engaged children are in school. How very scientific -- or, perhaps, just weird.
The Facebook IPO will embolden the social network company to up its fight with Google for the online advertising market. Don't expect Google to back down.
Latest Google Internet controversy highlights conflict between privacy protection and advertising demands.
Rumor Has It host Emily Dreyfuss joins us as we discuss Google Wallet getting hacked, Samsung's ubiquity, and the ongoing saga of Apple lawsuits.


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Back in 2021, Made in Group launched The Editor's Pick, which has shined a light on the stories of over 40 companies so far.
This live instalment sees one industry leader take the role of Guest Editor each week, selecting three recent news stories from Made in Group to interview, during a live, open forum discussion. Episodes are streamed live and uploaded to Made in Group's YouTube channel, Made LIVE.
This series has seen a wide variety of topics discussed surrounding the UK manufacturing and engineering industry, including apprenticeships, company investments, employee success stories, rebrands, and many more compelling company stories. Here, we are looking back on 3 times The Editor's Pick told stories which orientated around manufacturers going greener in their operations.
GOING GREENER INSTALLING SOLAR PANELS
Back in one of the first ever instalment's of The Editor's Pick, GSM Graphic Arts and their CEO Paul Wright spoke about how companies could use this content to inspire greener operations within their own businesses. This conversation stemmed from GSM Graphic Arts article from that year titled “Going Greener Installing Solar Panels”.
GREEN AGENDAS FOR MANUFACTURERS
In March 2022, Balmoral Tanks' MD Allan Joyce shed light on the company's "green agenda", exampling their carbon reducing facilities. Since 2018, Balmoral Tanks have invested more than £20m in their 150,000sqft (14,000sqm), state-of-the-art design and manufacturing facilities in Thurnscoe, South Yorkshire. Allan emphasised that, whilst their can be a financial incentive for businesses to concentrate their efforts on more "green" practices, it is the moral duty that stands out for him.
THE IMPORTANCE OF INNOVATION IN GOING GREENER
In February this year, Malthouse Engineering MD Roy Taylor spoke about their Go Greener news story. As Roy explained, Malthouse Engineering is taking climate change talk seriously by implementing an array of greener initiatives across the business. Roy emphasised that Malthouse Engineering had been encouraged massively by Rover. One of the company's biggest green initiatives so far has been harvesting rainwater for use in their facility, mainly used in the grinding department of their plant to service steel. This was achieved by the company investing in large containers to collect the rainwater. To ensure the water was safe for employees, they also invested in ultraviolet light to help kill bacteria in the water.


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Economy grew 2.6% in Q4 and 2.9% in 2018, matching strongest yearly showing since recession
The U.S. economy last year matched its best performance since the Great Recession of 2007-09. But is that as good as it's going to get?
And while the economy slowed in in the fourth quarter, it still turned in a solid showing on healthy consumer spending and business investment.
The nation’s gross domestic product – the value of all goods and services produced in the economy – increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.6 percent in the October- December period, the Commerce Department said Thursday. That followed an average 3.7 percent advance the prior two quarters that amounted to the economy’s best six-month stretch since 2014. Economists expected a 2.2 percent gain in the fourth quarter.
For the year, the economy grew 2.9 percent, matching its performance since 2015, which was a post-recession high.
"The U.S. economy had more momentum at the end of 2018 than anticipated," economist Leslie Preston TD Economics wrote in a note to clients.
But federal tax cuts and spending increases juiced growth in 2018 but those effects are expected to fade later this year. That, combined with a sluggish global economy and lingering U.S. trade tensions with China, are likely to spell slower U.S. growth of 2 percent to 2.5 percent in 2019, economists say. Many analysts predict a recession by 2020.
The warier outlook has prompted the Federal Reserve to retreat from its plan to raise interest rates twice this year to head off inflation. Instead, Fed policymakers have adopted a wait-and-see approach and indicated a rate cut to stimulate growth may be just as likely as a hike.
The labor marbket is also expected to lose some steam as the 4 percent unemployment rate makes it harder for businesses to find qualified workers.
President Trump has promised at least 3 percent growth over the longer term but most economists say that’s wishful thinking. The economy is constrained by an aging population and tepid growth in productivity, or worker output.
Consumer spending rises solidly
Consumer spending grew a sturdy 2.8 percent, down from 3.5 percent in the third quarter. The showing was dampened by a surprising 1.2 percent retail sales decline in December that some economists question and expect to be revised higher.
More broadly, Americans benefited from both the tax cuts and lower gasoline prices. Consumer confidence, which can foreshadow spending, fell late last year on a big stock sell-off, But it has rebounded strongly recently on the stock market’s rally and the resolution of the 35-day partial government shutdown.
Incomes also have been rising. Employers added an average 223,000 jobs a month last year, up from 182,000 in 2017. And by the second half of the year, annual wage growth topped 3 percent for the first time in nine years as firms bid up to attract workers.
Business investment rebounds
Business investment increased 6.2 percent, up from 2.5 percent in the third quarter, largely because of a big jump in software and research and development. Equipment spending also rose 6.7 percent. The solid performance defied the drop in stock prices late last year that rattled business confidence, slowing global growth and President Trump’s trade standoff with China
Business stockpiling, which is volatile, added 0.13 percentage points to growth.
Government spending rises
Government spending edged up 0.4 percent after rising 2.6 percent in the second quarter. Federal spending increased 1.6 percent, bolstered by a 6.9 percent jump in defense outlays, while state and local government spending fell 0.3 percent.
The budget deal Congress passed early last year is boosting government outlays, though the effects are likely to fade by the second half of 2019.
Trade gap widens
The nation’s trade deficit widened as exports increased 1.6 percent while imports grew 2.7 percent. As a result, trade overall was a slight drag on economic growth. China has hit U.S. imports such as soybeans with tariffs in retaliation for broad U.S. tariffs on Chinese shipments. Trump recently delayed plans to increase a 10 percent tariff on $200 billion in Chinese goods to 25 percent, raising hopes for a resolution to the impasse.
Housing construction drops again
Residential investment fell for the fourth straight month, slipping 3.5 percent. While low housing supplies reflect a need for more construction, builders have faced severe worker shortages and higher material costs that have slowed projects.
Also, existing home sales slowed noticeably late last year amid higher mortgage rates and home prices, leading many builders to pull back. Both prices and rates have moderated recently, possibly bbheralding a recovery in housing starts.b


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The Kroger Co.’s top executives think the supermarket giant has done its due diligence for regulatory approval of its pending acquisition of Albertsons Cos. through the $1.9 billion divestiture deal with C&S Wholesale Grocers announced on Friday.
When unveiling the $24.6 billion merger agreement with Albertsons last fall, Cincinnati-based Kroger said the transaction wouldn’t result in store closings or job cuts as the companies worked with the Federal Trade Commission on antitrust clearance. Kroger Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen also has reiterated in media interviews and earnings calls since then that potential suitors for divested stores would need to be financially sound, experienced grocery operators and committed to a unionized workforce at the locations sold.
In a conference call Friday on Kroger’s second-quarter results, he told analysts that those conditions have been met in the multi-pronged transaction with C&S.
“We feel incredibly excited about C&S and what they bring to the table. They’ll be an incredibly fierce competitor,” McMullen said in the call.
“If you look at the commitments that we made in October last year when we announced the [Albertsons] transaction, and if you look at the stores we’re selling to C&S, we’ve been able to check off every one of those boxes. And we’re also including eight distribution centers, two regional offices and five private-label brands in addition to the stores. So this is going to be an amazing, great business for C&S that they’ll be able to operate and grow from an incredible base with talented people. We think we’ve addressed all the things and questions the FTC would have. We also found a buyer that would recognize the labor contracts as well. So we feel like all those things that you would have on a check-off list, we’ve met all of those and exceeded them as well.” (Call transcript provided by AlphaSense.)
Under the divestiture transaction, Kroger-Albertsons plans to sell 413 stores, eight distribution centers and two offices in 17 states and the District of Columbia to C&S. The deal—due to close in early 2024, when Kroger finalizes the Albertsons acquisition—also includes the sale of Albertsons’ Debi Lilly Design, Primo Taglio, Open Nature, ReadyMeals and Waterfront Bistro own brands to C&S.
Keene, New Hampshire-based C&S also would acquire Kroger’s QFC retail banner in the Pacific Northwest, upscale Mariano’s brand in Illinois and Albertsons’ Carrs chain in Alaska, along with exclusive licensing rights to the Albertsons brand in Arizona, California, Colorado and Wyoming.
Kroger and Albertsons had estimated they would need to shed 100 to 375 stores for their merger transaction to earn approval from the FTC. The deal also had set a 650-store ceiling on divestitures, at which point they could revisit the agreement. For the divestitures, stores would be sold directly to other operators and/or through a new spinoff company dubbed SpinCo.
With the sale to C&S, the SpinCo option is no longer need, McMullen noted in the Q2 call. The divestiture agreement, too, could require C&S to buy another 237 stores based on Kroger and Albertsons securing FTC and other regulatory approval for their merger, which would be the nation’s largest ever between supermarket companies.
“We feel very good about the plan. We think the plan is very well-thought-through,” Kroger Chief Financial Officer Gary Millerchip said in the call.
“We spent almost 10 months now really working with different potential buyers and pulling together both the plan around how we make sure we find the right buyer that will be able to continue to grow those stores successfully in the future, and putting an overall structure around the number of stores that provide the right concentration for a successful model going forward and provide all the infrastructure to support it,” Millerchip explained. “We did include in the agreement, when we announced the deal originally, that our agreement with Albertsons has a sort of a break point, if you like, of where Kroger would have the option to not move forward with the transaction if we reach 650 stores as potential divestitures. So what you saw in the [C&S] announcement was that we essentially wanted to make sure we align the agreements between Albertsons, C&S and ourselves to make sure that there is a commitment to be able to flex up if that was needed.”
According to McMullen, Kroger and Albertsons conducted a “robust and thoughtful [due] diligence process” and gauged “dozens of buyers,” ranging from private and public, to union and non-union, and to domestic and international companies. That led to C&S, “a well-qualified buyer that meets all the criteria necessary to complete our transaction,” he said.
The largest privately held U.S. grocery distributor, C&S totals about $30 billion in revenue annually and supplies over 7,500 independent supermarkets, chain stores, military bases and institutions, offering more than 100,000 products via 33 distribution centers/warehouses in 15 states across the country. On the retail side, C&S operates 160 stores, mostly under the Piggly Wiggly banner in the Midwest and Carolinas but also including 11 Grand Union stores in upstate New York and Vermont. Overall, C&S licenses the Piggly Wiggly banner to roughly 500 independent supermarkets in 17 states via its Piggly Wiggly LLC subsidiary.
C&S’ existing facilities and personnel will be supplemented by another eight distribution centers, two more regional headquarters plus “expert district, division and functional associates” along with the 413 stores to be acquired, Kroger reported.
“To help support the immediate and long-term success of the divested business, the divestiture plan includes more than just a collection of stores but also a robust operational infrastructure,” said McMullen. “Included in the sale are centrally located distribution facilities, regional headquarters and strong teams with deep industry expertise.”
Wall Street gives thumbs-up to divestiture plan
Grocery industry analysts described the deal with C&S as a lift for Kroger and Albertsons’ pending $24.6 billion merger, yet they noted that the FTC’s response remains uncertain.
“While this is just a plan and not final approval, we think it gives investors some confidence of this deal going through, especially as it involves divesting 400-plus stores (and possibly another 200) relative to the initial SpinCo plan of 100 to 375,” Jefferies analyst Rob Dickerson wrote in a research note on Friday.
The asset mix slated to be acquired by C&S—including hundreds of stores (about half Kroger, half Albertsons), DCs and offices across geographies as well as private brands—to a large, strong and veteran grocery company should sit well with the FTC, analysts noted.
“This news should be seen as an incremental positive, as C&S has both the experience and capital necessary to operate a grocery business and intends to honor existing labor agreements,” CFRA Research analyst Arun Sundaram said in a Friday research note.
Both Sundaram and Dickerson, however, raised questions about the valuation of the stores to be sold to C&S.
“While Kroger didn’t proceed with the formation of a separate stand-alone company (i.e. SpinCo) for the divested stores, the valuation multiple of these divested stores does seem to fall short of the 3x four-wall EBITDA multiple initially shared last October,” according to Sundaram. “We estimate the EV/EBITDA multiple to be 2.5x, which may raise questions or concerns regarding the profitability or viability of these divested stores.”
Likewise, Dickerson observed, “The year-one accretive / dilutive nature of the deal hinges on profitability profile of the divested stores relative to what will be kept, how much reinvestment is needed on price to move volumes in a consumer-challenged environment, and how quickly the business can reduce debt/interest expense. By our math and estimates, assuming 413 stores are divested with about half coming from each of Kroger and Albertsons, and assuming those stores have the same sales/margin profiles as their total respective companies, we estimate the pro-forma entity could post $5.38 EPS in fiscal year 2023 and use that as our base earnings power.
“News of the store divestment plan is a plus,” he added, “but there are still many unknowns associated with this deal to gauge the full impact it can have on the business.”
With the divestiture to C&S, Kroger’s McMullen and Millerchip remained bullish on the merger’s prospects to be completed as planned.
“This key step keeps us on track to close our proposed merger with Albertsons in early 2024,” McMullen said in the call. “In terms of integration planning, we are progressing well. And it's been exciting to see the talent from both the Kroger and Albertsons teams work together to plan on how the combined company will deliver an even stronger omnichannel food retail experience post-close,” he added.
Millerchip commented to analysts, “We believe it’s a good solution for our shareholders because, as Rodney mentioned, it actually solves for all the elements that are important to a divestiture plan.”
UFCW scrutinizes divestiture plan
In early May, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) announced its official opposition to the Kroger-Albertsons merger, followed about a month later by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. UFCW said at the time that it would reject merger deals that “pose a threat to essential workers, their families and the communities they serve.”
According to UFCW International President Marc Perrone, the 1.3 million-member union will take a close look at the C&S divestiture agreement and weigh its potential impact on the workers it represents.
“With respect to the Kroger-Albertsons merger, and the latest announcement of the proposed purchase of 413 Kroger and Albertsons stores by C&S Wholesale Grocers, the UFCW’s highest priority will always be to defend and protect our hard-working union members. Our team of experts will be analyzing every aspect of this proposed deal and will assess the impact—positive or negative—that it may have on our UFCW members, the customers we serve and the communities we call home,” Perrone said in a statement on Friday.
“As we have made clear since the day the proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger was announced, our focus is—and will always be—on a stable and long-term solution that protects our members’ wages, benefits and pensions,” he noted.
Perrone emphasized that no proposed merger or divestiture of stores should endanger or threaten “the vital role” played by their workers, and UFCW will “review this latest merger development fairly and objectively.”
“As we have always said, we seek a transparent relationship with the companies throughout this process,” he added, “and continue to remain open to any dialogue or document review with either Kroger or C&S Wholesale Grocers.”
Still, a coalition of presidents from seven UFCW local unions—John Nunes of UFCW Local 5, Kim Cordova of Local 7, Andrea Zinder of Local 324, Mark Federici of Local 400, Kathy Finn of Local 770, Greg Frazier of Local 1564 and Faye Guenther of Local 3000—on Friday released a statement saying they don’t expect the C&S deal to alleviate their competitive concerns about Kroger’s planned acquisition of Albertsons.
“We have raised alarms about the proposed Kroger/Albertsons merger from the very beginning—from threats of store closures, higher prices and reduced competition, the harm to unionized workers’ ability to negotiate strong contracts, as well as the negative ripple effects lower union density would have on workers throughout the grocery industry. News of a deal with C&S to buy hundreds of stores as part of the proposed merger in no way reduces those alarms. Indeed in many respects this announcement raises the level of concern for our members,” the union local presidents stated.
In particular, they voiced concern about the longer-term viability of divested stores, citing the failed store sale to Haggen as part of the antitrust approval process for the 2015 Albertsons-Safeway merger.
“Workers and shoppers have been seriously harmed by large-scale sell-offs in the past, orchestrated as part of a potential merger. It was only in 2015 that private equity-owned Haggen acquired a large number of stores as part of a divestiture scheme to appease antitrust regulators in the Albertsons/Safeway merger,” the union presidents said. “It took less than a year for that company to go bankrupt and for Albertsons to pick up the very same stores it had divested for a fraction of what Haggen paid only months before, thus undoing the remedy to resolve antitrust concerns. Moreover, thousands of workers lost their jobs and were forced to start over. Today’s announcement of a nearly identical divestiture scheme is a troubling sign that history could repeat itself.”
But in Kroger’s Q2 call, McMullen highlighted C&S’ standing as a big grocery industry player with a solid retail track record and strong company fundamentals.
“C&S is led by an experienced management team, with the financial strength to complete this transaction and invest in the business for future growth. The company’s comprehensive operational infrastructure and purchasing efficiency positions them to successfully operate in today’s competitive environment. The divestiture plan ensures no stores will close as a result of the merger and that all frontline associates will remain employed,” he told analysts in the call. “C&S has also committed to honoring all collective bargaining agreements, which include industry-leading benefits and further investing for growth. Importantly, the company also brings experience with the merger process, having been an FTC-approved divestiture buyer in prior grocery transactions, with a strong record of successfully integrating union employees and collective bargaining agreements.”


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VietNamNet Bridge – A report from the Vietnam Tourism Association showed that 6.5 million Vietnamese traveled abroad in 2016 and spent $7-8 billion. Spending per capita was $1,230 on outbound tours, an increase of 15 percent over 2015.
Singapore is one of the favorite destinations for Vietnamese. According to the Singapore Tourism Board, in 2015, the country received 15.2 million travelers, including 418,000 Vietnamese. Vietnam was among the 15 markets with the highest numbers of visitors to Singapore.
The number of Vietnamese travelers to Singapore increased from 156,101 in 2006 to 400,000 in 2015, by 10.9 percent, much higher than the average growth rate in Asia (5.7 percent). Of 16.4 million foreign travelers to Singapore in 2016, there were 469,429 Vietnamese.
|The number of Vietnamese travelers to Singapore increased from 156,101 in 2006 to 400,000 in 2015, by 10.9 percent, much higher than the average growth rate in Asia (5.7 percent). Of 16.4 million foreign travelers to Singapore in 2016, there were 469,429 Vietnamese.|
In 2015, per capita spending was 1,244 SGD, or $912 in Singapore, higher than the average spending of ASEAN travelers and travelers from South Korea and Japan.
Fifty-eight percent of Vietnamese come to Singapore for travel purposes and 21 percent for business. Of turnover of 520 million SGD ($381 million) from Vietnamese, 30 percent was spent on shopping, 28 percent on accommodations and 15 percent on food.
Vietnamese are among the 10 groups of travelers who spent the most on shopping in Singapore in 2014-2015.
Vietnamese also like traveling to Cambodia, Japan and South Korea. Vietnam has been leading in terms of number of travelers to Cambodia since 2008. Twenty-one percent of foreign travelers to Cambodia in 2014 were Vietnamese.
As for the Japanese market, 233,763 Vietnamese came to Japan in 2016, up by 26.1 percent. Vietnam is among the seven fastest-growing markets for Japan.
According to Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), 27,572 Vietnamese came to South Korean in August 2017. Meanwhile, according to Dang Van Tuan, CEO of MP Travel, the number of Vietnamese travelers to South Korea is expected to increase by 30 percent compared with last year.
WTTC (World Travel & Tourism Council) reported that the Vietnamese spending on traveling abroad has increased notably from VND51,583 billion ($2.2 billion) in 2011 to VND91,300 billion in 2016 ($4 billion), while the figure is expected to reach $10.3 billion this year.
Travel firms all have reported high growth rates in outbound services. In May and June 2017, Ben Thanh Tourist saw 40 percent growth rate in revenue from the domestic market (individual travelers) and a sharp 205 percent growth rate in outbound tours. In 2016, the number of inbound travelers increased by 7 percent, while outbound was by 20 percent.
Nguyen Minh Quyen, who has been providing outbound tours for 27 years, said more Vietnamese travelers are going abroad because the tours are getting cheaper. The fee for a tour to Singapore and Malaysia is just a bit higher than a tour from HCMC to Hanoi.
More Vietnamese prefer traveling abroad
Should FIEs provide outbound tours? Domestic travel firms say no


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Apple wins court order on 'iPad' trademark
Apple took another step to securing its claim to the 'iPad' brand after the High Court ruled against the disposal of mainland trademarks to that name by a Hong Kong company, its subsidiaries and their Taiwanese founder.
Injunctions were granted to Apple and IP Application, a company it set up in 2009 to acquire trademarks to the iPad name, to restrain the Proview group of companies and Rowell Yang Long-san, pending resolution of their dispute.
Justice Jeremy Poon Shiu-chor ruled yesterday there was 'a serious question to be tried' involving the defendants' alleged breach of a December 2009 deal to sell the trademarks to Apple and IP Application.
The group, led by Proview International Holdings, had agreed to sell its iPad trademarks in eight countries and territories, including two registered on the mainland, for GBP35,000 (HK$439,440).
While drawing up the agreement for that sale and the so-called country assignments, Apple and IP Application discovered the two mainland iPad trademarks were not owned by subsidiary Proview Electronics as they were led to believe, but by Proview Technology (Shenzhen).
That resulted in the China country assignment provided to IP Application being ineffective.
Apple said the defendants, while acknowledging the mistake made, refused to rectify the matter and asked Apple to pay US$10 million for the two trademarks.
Apple's lawyers later found that China Minsheng Bank had obtained a so-called asset preservation order against Proview Shenzhen.
Apple and IP began their action on May 20 last year.
Poon said it was important that Apple secured and obtained the mainland trademarks because it 'has launched and marketed its iPads worldwide, including in mainland China'.
'If the defendants are not restrained and are able to dispose of the China trademarks, [Apple] will suffer irreparable damage,' he said.
Apple is also embroiled in a lawsuit in the United States concerning the name of its new 'iCloud' service.


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The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and Ecobank have signed a memorandum of understanding worth US$500mn to finance private sector projects and trade finance transactions amongst Afreximbank member countries where Ecobank is present. Afreximbank currently has 41 member countries across the African continent, while Ecobank is present in 36. The agreement is aimed at promoting intra-African trade and facilitate industrial and export development. Under the agreement, the banks have committed to designing joint innovative tailor-made financial instruments and solutions to support private sector corporates, select strategic public sector institutions, as well as SMEs.
Creates Efficiency in Trade Financing: The Partnership will lead to a more efficient way of channeling trade finance towards supporting growth of intra-African trade and industrial development. The enhanced access to these funds would revamp local companies as it opens up more opportunities for local businesses to access financing for their trading activities. It is expected that, export oriented companies operating within the partnership zone would benefit greatly, as access to trade financing become readily available and easily accessible
Increased Investment Inflows through Export Development: With the agreement focusing particularly on transactions involving trade and investments, it is expected that overall economic growth will be spurred, resulting in increased productivity and employment opportunities.
Download Full Report: https://nimedcapital.com/nimed-research-weekly-25-jan-2019/


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Pune, August 25, 2020: The “new normal” has made us use internet-enabled devices, more than ever before, for activities such as remote working, financial transactions, online shopping, studies, and entertainment. Mobile gaming and online gaming, which were steadily growing in popularity over the years, have become an even more popular pastime since the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown. However, we should be mindful of the fact that this increased exposure to the internet puts us at greater risk of exposure to many different kinds of online threats. Understanding the cyberthreat landscape is, therefore, extremely important. Only by knowing the possible risks can we take steps to protect ourselves and our devices against them.
According to the recent NortonLifeLock Digital Wellness Report, 87% of the respondents in a survey believed that online gaming takes a toll on one’s health and were worried about the fact online gaming could expose their child to online threats. Many online games use chat services – an aspect that hackers and cybercriminals can exploit. It emerged that almost 81% of the respondents in the aforesaid survey were using parental control mechanisms on their devices, while 70% were aware of the fact that connecting with strangers while playing online games could lead to problems like cyberbullying.
However, the Digital Wellness Report indicated that children aren’t the only ones at risk of cyber threats or harassment. Adults, too, display potentially risky online behaviour in certain matters – online dating, for instance – that raise genuine concerns about privacy and data security. Almost 40% of the respondents in the survey were okay with sharing personal details with someone they had only just contacted through a dating app, without having met the person in real life. That is exactly the kind of behaviour that we must be wary about. One must always be cautious while sharing any kind of personal information with a stranger, whether over a dating app or over email.
The report found that female respondents (84%) were more aware than men (74%) about security threats, and that they had a security software installed on their smartphone. Furthermore, about 71% of female respondents (versus 63% of male respondents) concerned themselves with app privacy and permissions on their phones. In terms of generation, Gen Z users (95%) were found to be more proactive than millennials (94%) and Gen X users (90%) in adjusting the privacy permissions on their phone.
As our home and work environments evolve over time in a world that’s getting increasingly digitally connected, we should take greater care to protect ourselves and our loved ones from online risks. There are some simple measures we can observe.
NortonLifeLock recommends the following best practices to help safeguard your online identity:
- Use strong passwords: Don’t reuse your passwords across websites and apps. Make them complex and pick a random word that includes a combination of at least 10 letters, numbers, and symbols. Using a password manager to generate complex, unguessable passwords can also help.
- Keep your software updated: Cyber criminals frequently use known exploits, or flaws, in your software to gain access to your system. Patching those exploits and flaws can help make it less likely that you’ll become a cybercrime target.
- Think Before You Click: Be on the lookout for phishing efforts and questionable offers. Don’t click on dubious email or text message links or open attachments from an unknown source. They might take you to a site that asks you to reveal personal information, or that puts malware on your device. If you see an attractive offer on an item, ensure it is from a legitimate retailer.
- Use a full-service internet security suite: Invest in a comprehensive all-in-one protective solution that offers real-time protection against existing and emerging threats including anti-malware, spam and phishing, and increased cloud technologies to help safeguard consumers’ devices and information as they bank, shop and find love online, even when connecting on public Wi-Fi.
- Take measures to help protect yourself against identity theft: Be careful what you put online. NEVER post your address or personal information on your profile as this can lead to a whole host of problems beyond identity theft such as stalking and harassment.


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Battle for Horlicks in India is heating up as Coca-Cola, Nestle and Kraft Heinz are considering making an offer to acquire malted drink brand from UK pharmaceuticals company GlaxoSmithKline.
Back in March, GlaxoSmithKline announced its decision to dispose of the business in India, where the sales of the milk drink is significant. In India, Horlicks is sold through GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, which is listed on the National Stock Exchange and the Bombay Stock Exchange. In India, Horlicks is given to children as a breakfast drink, and this makes the country an important market for Horlicks.
“The majority of Horlicks and other nutrition products sales are generated in India, with the Horlicks range widely recognized as a portfolio of premium nutrition products,” GlaxoSmithKline said in a statement. The combined sales of Horlicks and other nutrition products were approximately £550 million in 2017, the company noted.
Besides India, GlaxoSmithKline sells Horlicks in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Back in March, GlaxoSmithKline said it was exploring a partial or full sale of its 72.5 per cent stake in its Indian unit to fund its $13 billion buyout of Novartis’s stake in a global consumer healthcare joint venture.
“The company is initiating a strategic review of Horlicks and its other consumer healthcare nutrition products to support funding of the transaction. The strategic review also includes assessment of the company’s stake in Indian entity,” GSK chief executive Emma Walmsley said back in March.
Horlicks was founded by brothers William and James Horlick, originally from Ruardean, Gloucestershire. The founded the company, J & W Horlicks in Chicago to manufacture a patented malted milk drink as an artificial infant food.
Horlicks came to India with the British Army after the end of World War I.


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The global leader of the online, mobile gaming and interactive entertainment industries The Stars Group (TSG) has been entertaining millions of its customers for over the years now. However, in a recent news, the parent company of PokerStars has switched from its five-year-old BetStars sports book brand to PokerStars Sports.
The step taken by The Stars Group is said to be on the cards for six-months. The operators are willing to create a more solid suite of products and bolster the growth of its flagship PokerStars brand. The Canadian gaming giant, The Stars Group owns PokerStars Sports, FOX Bet, Full Tilt, Sky Bet, Sky Vegas, Sky Bingo, Sky Poker as well as live poker tours and event brands like European Poker Tour (EPT), Asian Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) and so on.
BetStars on the other hand was launched in 2015 offering the poker fanatics to bet on sports. Ever since its launch, BetStars has always redefined the sportsbook industry with innovative ideas and betting formats, offering seamless experience to casino, poker, and sports betting. In 2018, TSG launched BetStars Online Sports Betting in New Jersey through its partnership with Resorts Casino Hotel.
The Stars Group corporate site has been upgraded with the latest PokerStars Sports logo and so is the online poker clients. The operators had planned to step aside from BetStars brand almost six months ago. During a Q2 2019 call with investors, CEO Rafi Ashkenazi stated that they were “we are likely to move away from BetStars and start promoting PokerStars sports and also PokerStars Casino and then have PokerStars as the master brand.” Futher into the discussion he also added, “We are looking to move into PokerStars as the master brand. In the markets where we don’t have Sky or Sky Bet and where Sky doesn’t have like a strong brand equity, we are going to start using PokerStars sports.” Later on he said, “We believe through that we can get more marketing efficiencies.”
For latest updates on poker news and industry around the world, keep reading GutshotMagazine.com and stay tuned!
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Announcement on Launching Pilot Enterprise-to-Enterprise Export Supervision in cross-border electronic commerce (Announcement No.75 of 2020 of the General Administration of Customs)
● Add the code “9710″ for customs supervision mode, which is full name of “direct export of cross border electronic commerce enterprises to enterprises”
● Add code “981O” for customs supervision mode, full name “cross-border electronic commerce Export Overseas Warehouse ”
● In Beijing customs, Tianjin customs, Nanjing customs, Hangzhou customs, Ningbo customs, Xiamen customs, Zhengzhou customs, Guangzhou customs, Shenzhen customs, Huangpu customs to carry out cross-border e-commerce B2B export supervision pilot.
● B2B export goods of cross-border e-commerce shall comply with relevant inspection and quarantine regulations; It can adopt all-in-one mode or “cross-border e-commerce” mode for customs transfer.
Further Reduction of Import Tariff Rate
● The fifth step of tax reduction will be implemented from July 1,2020 on the most-favored-nation tax rate for information technology products listed in the schedule to the Amendment to the Tariff Schedule of the People’s Republic of China’s Accession to the World Trade Organization.
● According to the trade agreements or preferential tariff arrangements signed between China and relevant countries or regions, in addition to the agreement tax rates that have been approved and implemented by the State Council before, the relevant agreement tax rates will be further reduced as of July 1,2020 in accordance with the provisions of the bilateral trade agreements between China and Switzerland and the Asia-Pacific trade agreement.
● In accordance with China’s commitment to give zero tariff treatment to 97% tax items of the least developed countries that have diplomatic relations with China, and in accordance with the exchange of letters between China and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, the preferential tax rate of zero shall be applied to 97% tax items originating in the People’s Republic of Bangladesh starting from July 1,2020.
The Ministry of Ecological Environment, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Customs jointly issued a notice on adjusting the relevant requirements for the implementation of the six national emission standards for light vehicles.
● Starting from July 1,2020, the state six emission standards for light vehicles will be implemented nationwide, and light vehicles with five emission standards will be prohibited, and the imported light vehicles should meet the state six emission standards.
● On July 1,2020 production (motor vehicle certificate upload date), import (goods import certificate endorsement arrival date) of the country’s five emission standards of light vehicles, an increase of six months sales transit ion period. Before January 1,2021,it is allowed to sell and register in all regions of the country that have not yet implemented the six national emission standards (Liaoning, Jilin,Heilongjiang,Fujian,Jiangxi,Hubei,Hunan,Guangxi,Guizhou,Yunnan,Tibet,Gansu,Qinghai,Ningxia,Xinjiang and other provinces, as well as in regions other than Shanxi, inner Mongolia, Sichuan, Shanxi and other provinces that have announced the implementation of the six national emission standards).
● The main purpose of implementing the six national standards is to significantly reduce pollutant emissions and reduce oil and gas volatilization. Compared with the national five standards, the national six emission standards for light vehicles issued in 2016 are more stringent. The 6th B standard will be implemented in 2023.
The implementation date of the national standard GB 2626- 2019 “Respiratory Protection Self-priming Filtration Anti particulate Respirator” was extended to July 1,2021.
● According to the relevant provisions of the “Compulsory National Standards Management Measures. enterprises can choose to implement GB 2626-2006 or GB 2626-2019 during the transitional period before July 1,2021. Encourage qualified enterprises to organize production according to the new standards as soon as possible.
● GB 2626-2019 is more specific an d strict than GB 2626-2006 in expiratory resistance, inspiratory resistance, air tightness, practical performance and cleaning and disinfection requirements. GB2626-2019 Inquiry Website:


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Unless you live in a cave, you’ll have heard of Singtel and have used their service before. And unless you live in another bigger cave, you’ll know that when you call Singtel, you’ll have to press buttons again and again until you hear this: “All our customer service officers are busy at the moment. Please wait while…”
Well, with more people living outside caves now, Singtel has now looked at a massive rebrand and revamp that will, hopefully, make the nickname “Stinktel” a part of their history.
The first and most tangible thing they’ve done is to change their logo. According to the CEO, the revamp, which comprises both better customer service and the new logo, is to have “things simpler, faster, and delivered by people and companies that truly care and listen to them.”
So, other than the new logo (which, well, let’s face it: we don’t really care much), what are the improvements that come with the revamp?
Appointments in a Singtel Shop can be made online
You know, like collecting passport from ICA? Yeah.
Make an appointment for Customer Service Officer to call you back
The “all our customer service officers are busy at the moment” can now be replaced with “when would you like us to call you?” Just call 1688 to make an appointment
Waiting time is improved
From two-hour wait to thirty-minute wait when you’re at home waiting for the technician to hook up your connection.
More training for their staff
To be blunt, who cares? It could be mere lip service.
But…amidst all this, Singtel does show that they’re serious by providing something that Singaporeans love the most: FREEBIES every Thursday for a month. Here are the freebies for Singtel customers:
22 January 2015
Free local calls for the entire day for postpaid mobile customers.
29 January 2015
Free SMSes for the entire day for postpaid mobile customers (no one cares).
5 February 2015
Free 30-day preview of new SingtelTV channels for Singtel TV subscribers (no one has TV).
12 February 2015
Free Facebook access for the entire day for prepaid mobile users
19 February 2015
Free data for the entire day for postpaid mobile customers (now, we’re talking!)
FYI: Postpaid customers are customers who have signed a two-year plan and pay every month
OTRO is closing, and this time, it’s confirmed. Here’s what you need to know:


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Global announced merger and acquisition (M&A) activity across all sectors has been slow across the course of Q120; however, there is one dealmaking bright spot within this broader downwards trend: fintech. Indeed, the highly fragmented fintech sub-sector remains a key target for M&A dealmakers in 2020. The industry’s rapid growth (see ‘FinTech Industry Growth Fuelling Sub-Sector M&A Increase’, May 2 2018) has seen it consolidate as it looks to compete with more traditional financial services firms and we expect to see this trend continue over the medium- to long-term as the digitalisation of the industry accelerates.
A Rapid First Quarter
So far this year, USD24,131mn worth of deals have been announced globally in the sector – an industry record for the ytd period, data from Zephyr (a Bureau van Dijk product) correct to March 17 show. This tally was reached across 157 separate transactions and represents a more than two-fold increase from the USD9,967mn spent across a greater number of deals (182) in the sector by the same stage last year. While being the most active year for announced fintech deals by combined deal value (see ‘Fintech M&A To Continue Heating Up’, March 27 2019), ahead of the previous record high of USD12,891mn recorded by this stage last year, deal volume currently sits at a four-year low.
Such is the pace of announced fintech dealmaking in Q120 that the combined value of deal announced is already over half of the USD37,157mn worth of deals recorded across the entire 2019 full-year period (via 1,206 transactions) and of the USD47,280mn worth of deals recorded (via 1,153 transactions) a year earlier in 2018, which to date ranks as the post global financial crisis (gfc) single-year high for such activity – Zephyr data show.
This means that the average size of announced deals in the fintech sector has risen significantly so far this year. According to our calculations, they currently sit at a level of USD153.70mn in 2020, above the USD54.76mn average recorded by the same stage last year and the USD47.92mn average seen in the 2018 ytd period. In 2020 to-date, there have been five USD1.0bn plus deals announced in the fintech sector. This is only two deals short of the seven USD1.0bn plus deals recorded across the entire 2019 full-year period – Zephyr data show.
Ingenico-Worldline Transaction Raises The Bar
One transaction which has dominated the market this year, and elevated overall deal levels to a record level, has been the vendor placing capital increase in French electronic payment terminals software provider Ingenico Group by business process outsourcing services firm and compatriot Worldline. The March 2 deal was valued at USD8,694.64mn, which puts it among the Q120 to-date global top 10 announced M&A transactions. This deal overtook the USD5.3bn proposed acquisition of API (Application Programming Interface) start-up Plaid by US multinational financial services firm Visa, which was announced back in January, at the top of the 2020 fintech M&A leaderboard. As payments move increasingly towards digital platforms, companies such as Ingenico, which controls over a third of the global point-of-sale terminal market, become increasingly desirable. Deals such as this also suggest that the industry is maturing, and fast, with its long-term potential supported by an ongoing acceleration in fundraising by fintech firms.
Macro Headwinds to Weigh On Deals
The growth story looks a little different in the near-term, however, with the global macroeconomic headwinds set to weigh on the industry’s outperformance in the M&A space. While we expect to see dealmaking in the sub-sector remain more active than in a number of other industries, there are downside risks. Over the coming months, as funding avenues for fintech’s close, we expect to see a growing number of firms lose their competitive advantage over more traditional financial institutions, which are better capitalised. This may provide further takeover opportunities for those firms to diversify their offering as young, high-growth fintech firms become more available takeover targets for industry leaders of capital-rich private equity (PE) players, which Preqin Pro estimates have around USD2.5trn in ‘dry powder’ to be put to work. The fact that valuations are expected to fall over the coming months will also make deals cheaper to complete. Some recent activity suggests that this trend is already underway. We point to Wall Street lender Morgan Stanley’s proposed USD13,138.1mn all-stock takeover of online brokerage firm E-Trade as evidence of the underlying interest in the sector – across areas such as payments, data analytics and AI – and its continued potential going forward (see ‘The Largest US Banking Bolt-On Deal In A Decade’, February 26 2020).
Investment Still Flooding In
The sector’s growth is also set to be supported by the volume of investment which has been rushing into it. 2019 saw the fintech industry see inflows worth a combined USD34.5bn across 1,913 deals. Within this, the fourth quarter alone drew in 452 deals worth USD9.4bn – data from CB Insights show. Significantly, this increase was not concentrated in just one region: rather it was seen across the globe with the South America, Africa, Australia, and South East Asia regions all recording full-year funding highs last year. Half of the top 10 largest deals to be announced in the sector last year were made outside of the industry’s largest market, the US.
In terms of the maturing of the fintech industry, the evidence of this is more than anecdotal. While there may have been a drop in in early-stage (seed/angel and Series A) deals, Series B+ rounds reached a five-year high in 2019. In our view, this is a positive indicator for the support the industry is continuing to receive as subsequent financing deals are often more difficult to complete as companies grow. On the back of this continued acceleration in fundraising over recent years, there are now 66 active venture capital-backed fintech unicorns worth a combined USD243.6bn – according to CB Insights. This is up from a haul of 42 fintech unicorns as of the 2018 year-end.
This commentary is published by BMI, a Fitch Solutions company, and is not a comment on Fitch Ratings Credit Ratings. Any comments or data included in the report are solely derived from BMI and independent sources. Fitch Ratings analysts do not share data or information with BMI. Copyright © 2023 Fitch Solutions Group Limited. All rights reserved. 30 North Colonnade, London E14 5GN, UK.


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GaN device market to reach $22.47 billion by 2023
Preference for SiC in high-voltage power semiconductor devices could be a potential restraint for the overall market
The GaN semiconductor device market is expected to reach $22.47 billion by 2023 from $16.50 billion in 2016, at a CAGR of 4.6 percent between 2017 and 2023, according to a new report from Research and Markets.
The major factors driving the growth of the GaN semiconductor device industry include the vast addressable market for GaN in consumer electronics and automotive, wide bandgap property of GaN material encouraging innovative applications, success of GaN in RF power electronics, and increasing adoption of GaN RF semiconductor device in military, defence and aerospace applications.
However, the preference of SiC in high-voltage power semiconductor devices is expected to be a potential restraint for the overall GaN semiconductor devices market. This is expected to limit the market growth over the next few years.
Optoelectronic devices held the largest market share in 2016. This is attributed its wide application in consumer and enterprise, industrial, and automotive industry. GaN LEDs are widely used in laptop and notebook display, mobile display, projectors, televisions and monitor, signs and large displays, etc. The use of GaN-based LEDs for the interior and exterior lightings such as headlights and signal lights, car interior lighting, fog lights, stop lights, and dome lights in the automotive industry has also contributed to the larger market size.
The market for GaN-based power drives is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period attributed to its superior features such as minimum power loss, high-speed switching miniaturization, and high breakdown voltage as compared with the silicon-based power devices.
Also, the large total addressable market such as power distribution systems, industrial systems, heavy electrical systems, turbines, heavy machinery, advanced industrial control systems, and electromechanical computing/computer systems; and is also inclusive of several new power applications (clean-tech) such as high-voltage direct current (HVDC), smart grid power systems, wind turbines, wind power systems, solar power systems, and electric and hybrid electric vehicles are among the prime reasons for its faster growth.
APAC held the largest market share in 2016 is expected to hold the largest share of the GaN semiconductor device market during the forecast period. This is attributed to the increasing demand for LEDs in various industries such as consumer and enterprise, industrial, and automotive. Further, EV charging, and electric vehicle production markets, and increasing renewable energy generation are driving the market in APAC.


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It was a packed day of case studies, stimulating panel discussions and research reports, coupled with plenty of time to swap ideas and experiences over coffee at the Beurs van Berlage.
The conversation about how to look after your suppliers – particularly those smaller players in your supply chain – had really ramped up compared to last year. It was clear that SCF was increasingly becoming a ‘strategic’ tool for companies to look after their supplier network, rather than an exercise in only ramping up DPO ratios.
Concern about the environmental impact of business decisions was also a key topic, with the issue vividly illustrated by the early morning opening presentation from the Dutch astronaut André Kuipers.
His images from space of the stark impact humans have had on the world’s landscapes will not be forgotten quickly.
The day was buzzing with ideas and discussions around technological innovation and how it could be the solution to improving SCF’s ability to operate in a sustainable fashion.
There were panel discussions on the use of AI, fintechs outlining their sustainability plans and workshops offering delegates the chance to find out more about working in a “circular economy” or how sportswear brand Puma had used SCF to encourage sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices among its complex web of suppliers.
The day concluded with the popular and highly anticipated Supply Chain Finance awards, with this year’s entries praised by Michiel Steeman, chair of the Supply Chain Finance Community and chair of the judging panel, for being great examples of “more mature” SCF concepts.
To read all the coverage from the event, follow the links below.


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Xiaomi dials up compelling performance in 2nd quarter
Updated: 2014-08-06 07:41
By Gao Yuan (China Daily)
A Chinese employee is seen at the stand of Xiaomi during a fair in Nanjing city, east Chinas Jiangsu province, 28 June 2014. [Photo/IC]
Chinese handset maker Xiaomi Corp nearly tripled its smartphone shipments in the second quarter, beating longtime market leader Samsung Electronics Co Ltd in China, the world's largest smartphone market, an industry report said.
Analysts said the rapid rise of homegrown smartphone brands is inevitable, as Apple Inc and Samsung are the only overseas vendors to have a sizable market share in the country.
Xiaomi, based in Beijing, shipped 15 million devices from April to June in China, taking 14 percent of the nation's market share, according to Canalys. Samsung's shipments in China were a little more than 13 million in the same period.
"This is a phenomenal achievement for Xiaomi," said Wang Jingwen, a Shanghai-based Canalys researcher.
"The 4-year-old company has executed its strategy to grow volume shipments. It has delivered compelling products at aggressive price points, focused chiefly on its locally relevant operating system features and services, backed by effectively targeted marketing," she said.
Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun said last month he aims to sell 60 million smartphones before the end of this year. Most of the sales will come from the Chinese mainland. Up to 97 percent of Xiaomi's second-quarter shipments were in the mainland, according to Canalys.
Analysts said overseas vendors are likely to become niche players in the long run while mainstream demand will be fulfilled by local companies.
Eight out of the top 10 smartphone vendors in China were local brands in the second quarter, according to Canalys. Local companies, led by Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and Lenovo Group Ltd, took more than 70 percent of the market share in the three-month period. Although Apple and Samsung made their way into the top 10 list, the companies' total shipments took only 18 percent of market share, it said.
Chinese consumers buy roughly 100 million smartphones each quarter.
However, Chinese companies may find it hard to become global players.
Although Xiaomi announced plans to tap into other emerging markets, including Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, Thailand and Turkey, its overseas shipments remain small.
Xiaomi's aggressive pricing model will resonate beyond China, but the challenge it faces in scaling its model for success on the global stage should not be underestimated, said Jessica Kwe, a Canalys analyst based in Singapore.
Bryan Wang, principal analyst and country manager at Forrester Research Inc, said Xiaomi should focus on emerging markets when chasing overseas buyers to avoid direct conflict with such top-tier brands as Samsung.
Weaker mobile phone subsidiaries in countries like India and Indonesia will give the Chinese company a friendly environment in which to expand, he said.
Xiaomi's latest target market is India. It launched an online selling campaign there of its entry-level devices in July.Huawei, Lenovo and other smaller Chinese companies also are eyeing emerging markets, such as Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, to drive shipments outside China.
In the second quarter, the total smartphone shipments of Huawei and Lenovo accounted for less than one-third of Apple's and Samsung's combined shipments, according to industry consultancy IDC.
|Samsung unveils the Simband health monitor||Xiaomi launches latest flagship smartphone|


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20 May 2002 Slowly, But Surely
Investors spent the week coming to terms with the increasing likelihood of a slow economic recovery, mixed corporate news, softer retail sales, renewed terrorist threats, and general apathy. The S&P was up two days and down two, not counting today. It was down 1.3% for the week. Our models were down only slightly though, due to the changes made over the last few weeks.
The reports released this week and last show improvements in many parts of the economy, but Federal Reserve governors and analysts remain very cautious in their outlooks about recovery. The Dallas Fed’s Robert McTeer said this week that the U.S. economy is growing more slowly than earlier anticipated and that the Fed may wait for some time before raising interest rates. He said that policy makers would likely hold pat while unemployment rates hover at their eight-year high of 6%. Gary Stern of the Minneapolis Fed said that the Fed sees continued low inflation that will allow for continued low rates and benefit the economy as it recovers.
Gross domestic product, a measure of all the goods and services produced in the U.S., expanded at a revised 5.6% annual rate in the first quarter. Growth was slower than the 5.8% first reported in April. However, growth is far stronger than the 1.7% rate recorded in the fourth quarter of last year. Consumer spending, as measured by personal consumption expenditures, rose at a revised 3.2% pace. Business investment, down for five consecutive quarters, fell a revised 8.2%, wider than the previously estimated 5.7% drop, as spending on equipment and software declined 2.3%. Government spending rose a revised 6.7% after previously being estimated as 7.9% gain.
A positive sign in the GDP report was that after-tax corporate profits increased after declining for all of 2001. Profits rose by 0.9% in the first quarter after a 10.6% plunge in the prior quarter. The report showed inflation continued to remain in check. The price index for personal consumption was revised up to 0.7% from 0.6%.
New home sales, just released, rose considerably more than expected to 915,000 homes in April, a pace that may make 2002 the second best on record. Low mortgage rates continue to fuel this red-hot sector. The strength helps boost the economy and those retailers that focus on household goods, such as Bed Bath & Beyond and Best Buy.
Durable goods orders showed that big-ticket items jumped 1.1% in April, with demand especially strong for cars, communications equipment and machinery. The solid advance came after orders for durable goods, items expected to last at least three years, edged up 0.2% in March. With April’s increase, orders for costly manufactured goods have gone up for five straight months, a good sign for the nation’s manufacturers, which had borne the brunt of last year’s recession and saw hundreds of thousands of jobs evaporate. But that trend may be slowing as the Labor Department reported a 9,000 decline in first-time jobless claims to 416,000 in the week that ended Saturday. The level is the lowest in eight weeks.
Thursday’s report provided further evidence that the manufacturing sector is recovering. The 1.1% increase was much larger than many analysts expected. They forecasted a 0.4% rise, according to a survey by Thomson Global markets. Orders for cars gained 12% for the month, the largest increase in nearly four years. Orders for computers and electronic products rose by 2.5%, the largest monthly rise in six months. But orders for defense goods plunged 33.3%, pulling back from the sharp gains in recent months.
The greatest drag on the market is no longer the economic recovery, but fear and uncertainty about terrorism and possible war between India and Pakistan. As you know, uncertainty provides the greatest challenge for investors. We watched the ripple effects on the stock averages all week as each official made his or her grim announcements. Markets were actually quite positive several times this week before succumbing to the fear of possible additional terrorist attacks this weekend. Today stocks will likely be weak as traders sell their positions in advance of the long Memorial Day weekend and volume will decline as investors take off early.
Next week will bring new challenges for the markets, but I hope and pray they will only be financial ones. These are difficult times and the financial markets reflect them so well, as they are excellent barometers of the world’s collective emotions.
We hope you have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend and that our barometers provide better readings in the coming weeks.


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Cybersecurity researchers also warn about home devices that are most at risk of being hacked.
Los Angeles, CA (January 31, 2023) – CUJO AI, the global leader of cybersecurity and network intelligence solutions for Internet Service Providers (ISPs), today released its annual report, “Cybersecurity Report 2023: Consumer Devices Under Threat“.
Based on anonymized threat data from 1.8 billion connected devices, this report is the largest overview of real-world home network threat data. This year, the report focuses on device types and models that are outliers in the number of threats they face.
Key findings include:
- Cybercriminals prey on data storage, IP cameras, baby monitors, and DVRs. Unattended device security depends on device configurations and the time users spend finetuning the security of their devices. Certain device types or brands face more threats due to their popularity, accessibility, or known vulnerabilities that are easier to leverage for criminal gain. CUJO AI researchers reveal that attackers cherry-pick their targets based on specific device types and brands. For instance, 98% of all baby monitor hacks happen on the devices of a single vendor.
- Botnets still dominate the home IoT attack scene. The number of end-of-life, unsupported devices is growing, creating more risk to home networks. The growth of vulnerable IoT devices feeds into the prevalence of botnets and DDoS attacks.
- Phishing hits every other home network. CUJO AI reports that 56% of Internet users try to open at least one phishing link every month. This is extremely worrying since phishing attacks can affect personal data, finances, business, and infrastructure security. In October alone, CUJO AI successfully blocked 66,801,679 phishing attempts.
- Adware spikes during the weekends. CUJO AI researchers have seen major spikes in adware activity, especially on the weekends (up to 400%), when people spend more time online.
- The average number of blocked threats grew exponentially to 8,000 threats per minute. CUJO AI data shows that over 67% of home networks are targeted by at least a single online threat every month with social engineering, fraud, and phishing websites being the most common.
- Web3 vulnerabilities hog the limelight. At least 0.5% of new, previously unknown phishing threats were related to Web3 scams. While the numbers still seem low, CUJO AI researchers warn the quantity will grow, drawing on the number of Web3 scam websites discovered daily.
“Cybercriminals are finding new ways to victimize home users,” says Leonardas Marozas, Head of the CUJO AI Security Research Lab. “These attacks are evolving, and it is only natural that many people struggle to find the tools to protect their devices, data, homes and businesses from digital threats – protecting smart equipment can be extremely difficult for the average user.”
Carriers prioritize consumer network security
The dynamics of home network security puts a strain on network service providers due to growing demand for reliable connectivity. As customer expectations surge, fierce competition pushes network operators to move from traditional commodity services to value-added services.
Thanks to “Wifi Sicuro”, the new feature developed by CUJO AI included in the Sky Wifi subscription and activated through the app, Sky’s ultrabroadband service now offers even more advanced protection against web threats. “Wifi Sicuro” prevents access to malicious sites and potentially harmful content for all connected devices, reducing the risks associated with malware, viruses, phishing, and computer intrusions.
“CUJO AI’s highly scalable home network and device security solutions are proven throughout the industry and have become the standard for leading service providers,” said Massimo Bertolotti, Communications & Infrastructure Senior Director, Sky Italia. “Our partnership is a core pillar of our goal to deliver the best customer experience to our broadband subscribers providing the best-in-class home network security.”
Value-added services are less standardized across different carriers, making their VAS a major differentiating factor for their customers and providing unique opportunities to improve customer experience.
Sky Italia is a media & entertainment company founded in 2003. It is part of the Sky Group, one of the leading entertainment groups in Europe, which is controlled by Comcast Corporation, an international media & technology company. Sky has changed the viewing habits of millions of Italians and is a byword for innovation. The latest is Sky Glass, a next-generation smart TV that integrates Sky content, free-to-air channels, and streaming services in a single interface. The range of products and services is completed with Sky Q, which combines Sky content and that of the main apps; and NOW, the OTT offer that gives access to Sky content. In addition, Sky offers the Sky Wifi ultra-broadband service, the fastest fixed network in Italy according to Oookla®.
About CUJO AI
CUJO AI provides multi-layered cybersecurity for Internet Service Providers, which allows them to protect end-users’ devices and home networks. Major mobile and broadband providers partner with CUJO AI to offer their clients security as an added-value service. As the only platform deployed to monitor over 1.8 billion devices, CUJO AI offers the most advanced AI algorithms to help its clients uncover previously unavailable insights about devices on their networks. Data processed by these algorithms is in full compliance with all privacy regulations. CUJO AI provides AI-powered cybersecurity and network intelligence solutions to the largest broadband operators worldwide, including Comcast and Charter Communications.


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Xiaomi is all set to launch the next flagship phones, Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro and Mi 10.
[Updated: Feb 12, 2020]
Both Xiaomi Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro have appeared today in the Wi-Fi Alliance certification database. The Android version in the certification listing isn’t mentioned but we know that the phones will be powered by Android Q. The model numbers of the phones have also been confirmed in the listings as M2001J1C (Mi 10 Pro) and M2001J2E (Mi 10). We also see the support for Wi-Fi 6 for both the phones.
[Updated: Feb 11, 2020]
With just a couple of days to go for the official release, Xiaomi Mi 10 has appeared in Geekbench today, confirming a few known specs. The codename of the phone ‘umi’ has been confirmed through the listing. Scores are identical to Mi 10 Pro that appeared a couple of days ago.
[Original: 8 Feb, 2020]
A few days ahead of the official release, Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro has made an appearance on the benchmarking website Geekbench, confirming a few specs that were already known! The phone has scored 904 and 3290 in single and multi core scores on Geekbench. The score is similar to that of Redmi K30’s performance which had scored 903 and 3362 respectively.
The RAM capacity is 8GB and the clock speed of the processor is 1.80 GHz. The phones will be powered by Android 10 operating system along with MIUI 11 skin on top of it. The processor name isn’t mentioned on Geekbench but there is the codename ‘Cmi’ that’s present next to the Motherboard field. The codename ‘Cmi’ is used for the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro smartphone and the codename for Xiaomi Mi 10 is ‘Umi’. These were revealed via the build.prop files.
Mi 10 & Mi 10 Pro Specs
The specifications of both the phones have been in the news of late. Both phones will boast of a 108-MP camera sensor which is Samsung’s ISOCELL Bright HMX sensor. The phones are expected to have a punch-hole type display, similar to the Galaxy S10 series phones released last year. Both Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro will support 5G and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, apart from UFS 3.0 storage.
The launch event is to be held on February 13 and the company has confirmed that the event will only be broadcast online. This could possibly be due to the breakout of the Coronavirus in China. The official announcement was made through a Weibo post. The phones will also be showcased in MWC 2020 event that will be held in Barcelona, Spain on February 23.


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Two hungry men went into a cheap popular restaurant in Dubai and ordered a big meal, but it was not immediately clear if they had money to pay for it.
Just after the two began eating, they angrily shouted for the waiter and told him there was hair in the dish. After insisting on seeing the restaurant manager, they were politely offered a free meal, which they instantly accepted.
When they filled their bellies with the free food, they trotted out happily as if they felt victorious, but apparently not sorry for the humiliation they caused to the restaurant.
“Just as they were outside, the waiter came running after them. His mood appeared quite different from when he was inside the restaurant,” Emarat Al Youm daily reported.
As he spoke, he was so rude and threatening when he told them the restaurant knew their trick. He said he was sure one of them put a hair in the dish to get a free meal and that the management was sending the hair to the lab to confirm it was theirs.
The waiter told them the manager dealt with them politely just in front of the other customers. The paper said it is still not clear “who tricked whom.”


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The Produce Retail Podcast celebrates first anniversary- General News
Retail produce executives, merchandisers, managers, dietitians and other industry experts shared dozens of hours of invaluable insight during the first year of The Produce Retail Podcast.
Ocean Mist Farms holds on-site education- General News
Ocean Mist Farms, the leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., continues to emphasize education for students, media and influencers as a pillar of the company’s marketing efforts.
EFI continues to drive workforce development priorities- General News
Despite ongoing challenges presented by the COVID pandemic, 2021 was a year of progress for Equitable Food Initiative as it drew strength from its multistakeholder approach, bringing new insights from retail partners, produce growers, workers and consumers to share with the industry in the form of education program and digital resources.
United Fresh launches new program to kick off 2021- General News
United Fresh Produce Association is launching the United re-Fresh Experience, a monthly series of events in January 2021 to re-Fresh your business, re-Fresh your company, and re-Fresh your life.
WP Produce partners with The Produce Moms- General News
Tropical Avocados are well-known and enjoyed throughout the Caribbean and many parts of the world, but are just beginning to gain a stronghold in the United States, where market growth of the more common Hass variety has made avocados a top-10 fruit crop.
Avocados from Mexico launches Avo University- General News
Avocados may project an air of mystery, but they're really an open book – and now industry professionals can learn just how to read them.


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Press Trust of IndiaJan 21, 2020 11:14:50 IST
South Korean automaker Kia Motors plans to keep rolling out new models at regular intervals in India as it aims to fully utilise its current installed production capacity of 3 lakh units by March 2022, a senior company official said.
The company, which has got to a flying start in the country with its first product Seltos (Review), aims to bring in two more models this year. It will drive in luxury multi purpose vehicle Carnival at Auto Expo, followed by a compact SUV later during the year.
Similarly, the company would also look at bringing in two more products next year as well.
Kia Motors’ manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh has an installed production capacity to roll out 3 lakh units per annum on a three shift basis. The company is currently running two shifts at the plant.
Commenting on Carnival, which was showcased in Hyderabad, Bhat said the company would be creating a new segment with the model. “Carnival is going to be our flagship model in India. There is no product like it in the country right now. It would meet the evolving needs of elite customers in the country,” Bhatt said.
Carnival will be powered by a 2.2 litre diesel engine with a claimed fuel efficiency of 13.9 km per litre.
“We will redefine the market place with this product as well as we did with Seltos. It will have BS-VI compliant engine right from the start,” Bhat said. When asked to comment on sales expectations from the model, he added that the company is not looking at it from volume point of view, but wants to showcase its prowess in terms of quality and luxury.
The compact SUV model, which would be showcased at the Auto Expo and launched later during the year, would be more of a volume cruncher for the company, he added. On sales network expansion, Bhat said the company is already present at 265 touchpoints across 160 cities. Kia is now trying to consolidate in regions where it currently lags in terms of presence, he added.
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.


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Security solutions provider Diversinet Corp. (Nasdaq: DVNT) has expanded its strategic licensing agreement with Research In Motion Ltd. (Nasdaq: RIMM), accelerating its presence in the burgeoning wireless e-commerce arena.
Under the terms of the agreement, announced at the Wireless Internet 99 show, Diversinet’s Passport technology will be incorporated into Research In Motion (RIM) wireless handhelds, enabling secure e-commerce transactions, including banking, shopping and stock trading.
RIM products are sold through numerous companies that currently offer wireless devices, including AT&T, Bell South Wireless Data, PageNet, SkyTel and Microsoft Exchange value-added resellers (VARs).
“The agreement with RIM expands Diversinet’s distribution channel for providing wireless e-commerce security solutions over a variety of devices,” commented Nagy Moustafa, Diversinet president and CEO. “RIM is one of the most innovative wireless data companies and its wireless Internet, intranet and e-commerce solutions are sparking the deployment of time-sensitive wireless data services.”
RIM designs, manufacturers and markets wireless data products and services that are supported by an active developer community and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs). The company’s product lines include the RIM Inter@active Pager 950, the 850 Wireless Handheld and the BlackBerry wireless e-mail solutions.
Providing the Passport
Passport software, Diversinet’s star product offering and the crux of the RIM deal, utilizes encryption along with digital certificates, permissions and signatures to ensure the integrity of wireless Web transactions and communications.
The technology is designed for wireless devices and other bandwidth-constrained products including smart cards. “Without an enhanced level of security, none of the exciting wirelesse-commerce applications will succeed because users won’t trust the safety of their transactions,” commented Moustafa.
“Diversinet’s software provides trust through our patented technology to ensure that buyers and sellers are authenticated,” Moustafa added. “The software also provides an ‘audit trail’ that’s vital if the transaction is ever disputed.”
Earlier this fall, Diversinet acquired Ubiq Communications, Inc., picking up the company’s interactive wireless messaging application systems for development purposes. The acquisition fueled Diversinet’s drive to enhance its presence in the market for end-to-end security solutions for content providers and aggregators, device manufacturers, software developers, systems integrators and wireless operators.
Street Warriors Go Wireless?
The RIM and Diversinet partnership has also been extended to collaborate with 724 Solutions, a company with a mission to enable user access to trusted banking and investment services. The three companies will work together to create turnkey wireless packages for banking and trading.
724 provides end-to-end software systems for financial institutions looking to seize the opportunity presented by the market for wireless e-commerce. “Diversinet and RIM enable 724 Solutions to integrate highly secure communications into our product, and provides a good platform for wireless e-commerce applications, ” commented Greg Wolfond, 724 founder and CEO.


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Anker added to their already extensive line of hardware at Pepcom in Las Vegas, and there is more coming. Stella Qin, Senior Consumer Communication Manager, showed just a few of the new of the new products, including a bluetooth wireless charging speaker, speakers that float, speakers that light up, a sound bar, and new projectors.
This edition of MacVoices is sponsored by Smile, the makers of PDFpen and PDFpenPro, PDFpen for iPad, PDFpen for iPhone, PDFpen Scan+, as well as TextExpander for Mac and TextExpander for iPhone and iPad, as well as the new TextExpander for Windows. Great software to help you get more done.
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Majid Al Futtaim and Marriott International announced on Wednesday the opening of Aloft City Centre Deira in Dubai.
The property, owned and developed by Majid Al Futtaim, is the first hotel in the region to offer movie-themed suites, alongside a VOX Cinemas' OUTDOOR screen, and the Aloft brand’s signature programming.
Aloft features 304 loft-inspired rooms and suites – including four cinema-themed suites which include Bollywood, Hollywood, Agent House, and a specially created Dubai superhero suite.
The hotel also incorporates new technological solutions with the introduction of the SPG Keyless, an industry-first mobile check-in system where guests can use their mobile phones as room keys.
Construction on the project began in June 2016, with the building topping out in September 2017, an official from Majid Al Futtaim told Construction Week in an interview last year.
Jalil Mekouar, chief executive officer of hotels at Majid Al Futtaim – Properties said: “I’m delighted to announce the opening of the Aloft City Centre Deira, which is our 13th hotel in the region.
“This is a milestone moment for Majid Al Futtaim as we integrate our VOX Cinemas brand into one of our hotels for the first time.
“This concept will provide a completely new offering within Dubai’s hospitality sector and will see us create even more authentic and personalised experiences that will delight guests in our home market.”
Aloft City Centre Deira marks the fourth partnership between Majid Al Futtaim and Marriott International to date.


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So…Valentine’s Day is coming up. What’s in your plans? Maybe you’re planning a romantic evening at home, preparing a lovely dinner for your special someone. Or if you’re like millions of other U.S. citizens, you’ll be making dinner reservations.
Seventy million Americans, in fact, will celebrate Valentine’s Day at a restaurant this year, as projected by the National Restaurant Association. The Association’s new consumer research shows that about one-third of consumers (31 percent) say they will dine out this February 14.
Some will even be dining on sliders and fries in a candlelight dinner at White Castle. (Reservations required.)
“There is no better way to celebrate romance than to share a great meal at a restaurant – and millions of Americans will do just that this Valentine’s Day,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the Research and Knowledge Group for the National Restaurant Association.
How do people go about picking a restaurant for cupid’s holiday? The NRA survey provides the answers.
“When it comes to choosing a restaurant for that special meal, consumers’ top three deciding factors are the familiarity of a favorite eatery, a romantic setting, and special menu offerings,” Riehle says, and the survey backs him up on that.
Younger adults are more likely to enjoy a special Valentine’s Day meal at a restaurant than older adults; 33 percent of 18-34-year olds, and 39 percent of 35-44-year-olds say they plan to dine out for a Valentine’s Day meal, compared with 27 percent of those 55 and older.
When it comes to factors involved in choosing where to dine out for Valentine’s Day, most consumers (42 percent) say they pick their favorite restaurant or their companion’s favorite restaurant for their special meal. Twenty-one percent select a restaurant with a romantic atmosphere, followed by restaurants that offer special menus or promotions (13 percent), restaurants picked by their companion (12 percent), and a restaurant they haven’t been to before (11 percent).
For younger consumers, a romantic atmosphere carries more weight when choosing a restaurant on Valentine’s Day than it does for older adults. Thirty-nine percent of 18-34-year-olds said that was the most important factor for them, compared with only 8 percent of those 65 and older.
The Association also surveyed member restaurants on what type of promotions they would offer around Valentine’s Day, and the most common responses were special menu items (63 percent), prix fixe menu (45 percent), celebratory beverages or desserts (34 percent), flower/candy (28 percent), and entertainment/music (13 percent). In addition, 63 percent considered Valentine’s Day falling on a Monday – a typically slower day of the week – an advantage.
Previous research by the Association shows that Valentine’s Day is the second most popular holiday to dine out, after Mother’s Day.


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Expert: Long-term care is growing
To paraphrase the well-known saying, news of the nursing home industry's death is more than a bit premature."Everyone thinks the nursing home industry is shrinking, but the actual number of beds has grown slightly," said Michael Hargrave, a top long-term care researcher.
Hargrave, the marketing director for the NIC Market Area Profilesâ„¢ program, and other nationally respected presenters, will offer more valuable industry insight on a variety of subjects free of charge at the McKnight's Online Expo, which will be held March 14 and 15.
This unique conference and trade show offers live, interactive education sessions and LTC vendors via your computer. No special computer tools are needed to take part.
Find out more about the event at http://www.mcknightsonline.com/content/index.php?id=153.