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Updated 8/11/20 with new delivery area
If you love the idea of buying your weekly groceries at Borough Market, but the reality of wading through the tourist-heavy throng not so much, then we have the answer.
The market now has an online shopping service - it's was apparently the first produce market in the country to do so. They've teamed up with Bath based company Good Sixty who are running the system for
Before the main restaurant returned after the lockdown, Flor's head chef Pamela Yung tried something new, ASAP pizza, their own take on a pizzeria with a heavy focus on quality produce and heritage British wheats. It was, as you'd imagine, rather successful - so much so that it's coming back every Sunday.
It'll be the first time that Flor opens on a Sunday and the whole menu will be an
Honestly, we were pretty gutted when we heard that chef Tom Cenci's Loyal Tavern was to become another restaurant victim of Covid. So it was cheering news to learn this week that Cenci is back behind the stoves again.
This time he's running a three-month residency at Stoney Street in Borough Market. The restaurant had
Elliot's expands into Borough Market with a summer pop-up alfresco restaurant. We head down to try it out.
Joining a range of restaurants finding new ways back to reopening in Borough Market is Shuk. Their market stall first opened as part of the Borough Market Kitchen section last year. Now they're about to start doing dinners at the weekends.
Erev (it means evening in Hebrew) will be all about small sharing plates and some off-the-hook hummus.
Turnips fruit and vegetable stall has been a Borough Market mainstay for over 30 years and now - post lockdown - they're going to try something new. They're teaming up with Tomas Lidakevicius, former executive chef of Jason Atherton's City Social, to launch a new vegetable-led supper club in the arches.
The menu will be based on what Turnip has in at the time (excellent, high-quality veg) and there
With Mei Mei in Borough Market back up and running (alongside a new delivery venture), Elizabeth Haigh is launching her next big thing. Harking back to her Kaizen House pop-up, she's launching Bā, a new twice-weekly dinner at Mei Mei.
She'll lead the supper club/chef's table experience, for 16 people across 16 counter seats (and a couple of extra tables). Bā is Chinese for the lucky number
If you're a fan of Elizabeth Haigh's Mei Mei, as we were, or didn't manage to visit it in Borough Market before the lockdown - we have some good news.
Not only will Mei Mei be back in action in Borough Market this week, but there's a growing range of goods on its
We had a bit of a preview yesterday as Flor - the sister restaurant to Michelin-starred Lyles - started selling pastries through Dalston's Snackbar.But now Flor itself has joined the steady stream of re-opening restaurants.
Flor will only be opening for takeaway to start with - starting
It's the latest big addition to Borough Market and sees them edging into the food hall arena, with Elizabeth Haigh's Mei Mei, Brindisa and more all taking part. We head down for a look.
Opening its doors today at Borough Market is the new food hall, Borough Market Kitchen. And joining it as one of their traders is popular Borough trader Scotchtails.
The folk behind a range of signature scotch eggs will now be able to serve those up plus an extended menu of eggy dishes. On that you'll find treats like ham, fried egg and crispy confit chips, a Berkswell cheddar and egg toastie. They'll be doing their usual twists on
A month ago we reported the imminent opening of a new food hall at Borough, The Borough Market Kitchen. Now we've got more intel on one of the new traders that'll be setting up shop there.
Batera will be a pintxos bar from Jon and Nicole Warren, the team behind Borough's cookery school Mimo. Inspired by all the fabulous snacks you'll
They made their name with porridge, but the team behind 26 Grains has a much more varied menu at its Borough Market opening, Stoney Street. There will be a seasonal menu that adapts from breakfast through to dinner and a handy hatch too.
Every now and again there's a collaboration between restaurants that makes you stop in your tracks. Last week it was the bacon naan pizza from Dishoom and Pizza Pilgrims - and this week it's the turn of Patty&Bun and Padella.
They're teaming up for the mighty
We've already brought you the info about Borough Market Kitchen, which sees the market entering food court territory - and one of the more exciting openings there was news about Mei Mei by Elizabeth Haigh, the highly regarded ex-Pidgin chef. Now we have a little more info about what she's planning. It's all based around
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2022 was a challenging year for the cryptocurrency market and other global financial markets. Many crypto trading platforms and companies folded under the pressure of the ongoing crypto winter.
PrimeXBT, a platform born during the 2018 crypto winter, has taken its vast industry experience and led the company to boldly build out its products and service during the bear market.
The result is a calendar year filled with successfully reaching roadmap milestones and outstanding industry achievement. Here is a recap of the company’s most productive year on record.
Filling Out The PrimeXBT App With New And Important Features
A significant focus of the rapidly-expanding PrimeXBT was to bring the full suite of powerful trading tools and cryptocurrency-based products and services to the award-winning mobile application. An upgraded native app was released for both Android and iOS as a free download.
The ability to buy crypto using a VISA or Mastercard in just a few taps was added to the mobile app interface through the wallet section, where a new exchange module was also added. This tool allows users to swap one type of cryptocurrency for another. For example, BTC earned through the referral program can be exchanged for USDT for stable trading collateral.
The new native app allows for faster updates when new features are released. As such, Covesting strategy management was quickly launched shortly after via an update, giving copy traders complete control over their positions and portfolios while on the go. Followers can also manage their portfolio of followings using the smartphone application.
Added Attention To Trust And Transparency Surrounding Copy Trading
As a chief competitive advantage, PrimeXBT also put a lot of extra attention into its copy trading product, especially around increased transparency and trust. Covesting strategy manager trading history was added, and monthly trader reports were introduced via the company’s official blog.
The blog has also begun running an interview series with top Covesting traders to give the audience insight into the inner workings of the world’s best traders. A new Discord server was also launched for the trading community to interact and receive exclusive updates directly from the PrimeXBT team.
Other significant announcements made on the company blog include the launch of an all-new Rewards Center and a $100K Bug Bounty Contest. The Rewards Center lets users earn crypto bonuses to their account by completing simple tasks, like making a first deposit.
Bolstering The Product Line-Up And Growing To 100+ Instruments
PrimeXBT is known for margin trading with leverage using BTC, ETH, USDC, USDT, and other popular cryptocurrencies as collateral to trade commodities, stock indices, forex currencies, and a wide range of the hottest cryptocurrencies today.
The company expanded its list of crypto assets available as trading pairs on the margin trading platform with the launch of 24 new instruments. The list of new digital asset trading pairs included Polygon, Algorand, Avalanche, Axie Infinity, and many others. This took the total of trading instruments offered by PrimeXBT to more than 100+.
The platform also integrated support for the Tron and Binance Smart Chain blockchains. In addition to making deposits in Ethereum-based ERC-20 tokens, users can, for the first time, also deposit BEP-20 and TRC-20 tokens. The alternatives were added to minimize the impact of fees on users and increase deposit and withdrawal speeds.
Get The Benefits Of The Most Trusted Crypto Trading Platform Of 2022
Closing out what was an incredible calendar year for PrimeXBT, the company ended the year on a high note winning the award for Most Trusted Crypto-Asset Trading Platform by Crypto Expo Dubai, adding to a long list of industry honors.
PrimeXBT held a presentation at Crypto Expo Dubai, led by the Head of Trading at the PrimeXBT Trading Academy, Dirk Hartig. Hartig spoke about how to prepare for the eventual end of crypto winter and how to get in summer shape for when the bull market returns.
The company itself is following that same strategy, building itself up during the bear market so it can see sustained growth during the next bull market. You can, too — prepare for the end of crypto winter with PrimeXBT and reap the benefits of a year of outstanding achievement.

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Disney have unveiled a new trailer for Sam Raimi's Oz The Great and Powerful film.
Get some early insight into Feast, an animated short that will debut in theaters along with Disney's Big Hero 6.
Maleficent - "Dream" Trailer
Disney have released a new trailer for Maleficent.
Pixar Canada Shuts Down
Pixar Canada has shut down, letting go of 100 employees.
TRON: Uprising - Trailer
Disney have released a new trailer for TRON: Uprising, an upcoming animated tv series.
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New provisions to make attacking an individual who serves the public, including shopworkers, an aggravated offence have come into force.
Introduced in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Act, the amendments are designed to deter offences against retail staff through tougher penalties.
Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) chief executive James Lowman welcomed the new legislation but warned that this was not the end of the issue. “We are pleased that the Government has introduced this new aggravated offence to provide additional protection to individuals serving the public following years of campaigning from ourselves and organisations from across the industry, this is a significant step forward but will not solve the problem by itself.”
“Crime is one of the biggest challenges faced by our sector and these incidents have significant financial and emotional effects on the individuals and the businesses involved and should not be seen as part of the job. All incidents of crime against our sector should be reported and it is important that appropriate and proportionate action is taken by the justice system when these incidents occur.”
According to the ACS 2022 Crime Report, in the last year, 89% of colleagues working in convenience stores have faced abuse in their job, with over 35,000 incidents of violence taking place and over 16,000 incidents including the use of a weapon.
More recent figures from The Institute of Customer Service (ICS) revealed that 44% of frontline service staff have experienced hostility from customers in the past six months, a rise from 35% in February.
Reacting to the ICS research, Usdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis, said: “This survey is further confirmation of the scale of the problem retail staff face on a daily basis. Usdaw’s latest research found that 9 in 10 retail workers suffered abuse from customers last year, with far too many experiencing threats and violence. Particularly concerning was the one-third increase in assaults.
“The Government has taken a step in the right direction by making the assault a public-facing worker a statutory aggravating factor when sentencing. However that relies on the police responding to incidents, the CPS prosecuting the case and a guilty verdict. Regrettably too many incidents do not get through to sentencing, which is a big part of why nearly two-thirds of shopworkers say they are not confident that reporting incidents will make any difference.
“Faced with such appallingly high levels of violence and abuse, and with shopworkers’ almost complete lack of confidence in the ability of the system to give them the protection they need, much more needs to be done. The Government must provide the coordination needed to ensure that retail employers, police and the courts work together to make stores safe places for our members to work and for customers to shop.”
The Federation of Independent Retailers national president Jason Birks also praised the changes and urged collaboration “Attacks against store owners and their staff have been increasing for a number of years, so I am pleased that we are now being given the same protection in law as other frontline workers,” he said. “Being attacked verbally or physically while just going about your daily business should not be tolerated and seen as part of the job. The important thing now is that the police and the Crown Prosecution Service work together to ensure this new law is an effective deterrent and not just a piece of paper.”
Birks also called for retailers to report all crimes to the authorities. “It’s essential that retailers report all incidents to highlight the scale of the problem, and the police response has to improve if retail crime is to be tackled head on.”


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Since its spinoff from online travel agency Expedia (NSDQ:EXPE) in December 2011, TripAdvisor (NASDAQ:TRIP) has registered significant gains in its stock price. However, peaking at $46 in July this year, the stock has been treading lower though it has regained the upward momentum after TripAdvisor’s solid Q3 2012 earnings released last month. While the company has seen revenues grow, its bottom line has been under pressure on account of rising operating expenses. (Read Our Earnings Article: TripAdvisor Results Impress With Global, Mobile Growth)
TripAdvisor is a leading online platform for posting and viewing travel related reviews. With a database of more than 75 million reviews and opinions, it is one of the most popular travel review website. According to comScore, TripAdvisor’s travel community averaged more than 57 million monthly unique visitors in Q3 2o12.
With a current price estimate of $37.89, we feel that the market has assigned a fair value to TripAdvisor’s stock. While the adverse macro conditions and increasing expense base might restrict short term growth, we believe that certain favorable trends such as the increase in global online penetration, expanding online advertising budget, growth in social media, etc. indicate well for TripAdvisor’s long term growth. Additionally, its focus on innovation and its ability to tap alternate platforms (social and mobile) will help TripAdvisor further expand its user base in the future.
- Key Takeaways From TripAdvisor’s Q4 2016 Earnings Results
- What To Watch For In TripAdvisor’s Q4 2016 Earnings
- How Might President Trump’s Recent Travel Ban Impact The Various Stakeholders Of The Travel Industry?
- Here’s How TripAdvisor Is Further Monetizing Its Restaurant Booking Business
- Why Did Expedia Decide To Shut Down Its Italy-Based Hotel Booking Website, Venere?
- TripAdvisor’s Instant Booking Added Yet Another Feather In Its Cap With Hilton Worldwide
Focus On Social Media & Mobile Platforms Will Fuel Increase In TripAdvisor’s User Base
We estimate TripAdvisor to derive over 84% of its valuation from click and display advertising on the company’s website. Since its business model is primarily driven by the number of unique visitors to its website, we believe an increase in user base is an important driver for TripAdvisor’s business.
Currently, TripAdvisor has an average of 54 million unique visitors worldwide. As per its recent earnings call transcript, TripAdvisor now has over 36 million members, a 70% y-0-y increase.
Targeting the mobile space and social media, TripAdvisor has been focusing on expanding its avenues to increase penetration and making its platform more accessible to users. We expect both media to contribute significantly toward increasing traffic on TripAdvisor.
Leveraging The Facebook Platform
Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) remains a meaningful channel for TripAdvisor to grow its brand awareness and increase the number of members. Since the inception of its partnership with Facebook in 2010, TripAdvisor has been looking for new ways to leverage the collaboration. Earlier this year, it launched Local Picks, a Facebook application which provides restaurant recommendations from locals and friends. In April 2012, the company merged its TripAdvisor and “Cities I’ve Visited” applications to better integrate Facebook users’ activity within TripAdvisor.
According to PhoCusWright, Facebook users who are referred to travel booking sites are more likely to make bookings than those referred via search engines such as Google (NASDAQ:GOOG). With over 32 million logged-in Facebook users using the TripAdvisor application, it is the second most popular application on Facebook, as per AppData.
As TripAdvisor continues to spend on this medium and intends to further leverage Facebook’s social content, we feel the same can be an important driver to expand the company’s travelers database.
Increasing Mobile Traffic
To leverage growth opportunities in the mobile space, TripAdvisor has been investing heavily in its mobile platforms. It announced the launch of its mobile website in March 2010 and has since added apps for the iPhone, Android, Nokia, Palm smartphones, as well as the iPad. Currently, TripAdvisor has around 35 million unique mobile device visitors, and as of September 2012 it has over 26 million cumulative mobile application downloads for TripAdvisor application.
TripAdvisor intends to roll out hotel meta display to all of its mobile users this quarter, to further fuel growth in mobile traffic. Similar to the flight product, hotel meta display shows partner prices and availability in line, allowing an easy comparison of booking options.
Apart from social media and the mobile platform, we believe that TripAdvisor’s efforts to prioritize traffic diversification, focus on international expansion, steps taken to achieve higher hotel shopper growth, will contribute to a continuous growth in its user base for years to come.
Page Views Per User To Stabilize With Improvement In Content
Lately, the authenticity of the reviews on TripAdvisor’s website has once again come under scrutiny. Following growing criticism of its apparent failure to monitor fake comments posted on its website, the company was even investigated by the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) in September 2011. As a result of the investigation, in February 2012, ASA banned the company from claiming or implying that the reviews on its website were from real travelers.
However, TripAdvisor’s founder and CEO, Stephen Kayfer, claims that the company has been dealing with the issue of fake reviews for over 10 years now, and thus has good expertise at identifying people who are trying to spam the system. According to a recent survey conducted by the company last year, around 98% of its audience trust the reviews on its website.
Additionally, increasing competition from other content and travel review publishers, such as Yelp and HolidayCheck, has led to a decline in the number of page views by a TripAdvisor user every month. TripAdvisor publishes more user generated content than any other travel site. The company offers its content in 21 different languages with more than 60 contributions per minute, which equates to over 30 million contributions in a single year.
We expect the decline in the page views per user to stabilize going forward as TripAdvisor focuses on further developing the content on its website.
Pressure On Margins Could Limit Future Growth
TripAdvisor’s general expenses post spinoff have risen considerably. These expenses include costs related to services previously obtained from Expedia, such as accounting, legal, tax, corporate development, real estate and additional costs associated with being a publicly traded company.
Additionally, TripAdvisor’s profit margins are likely to be under pressure in the near term due to a decline in per-click commission fee paid by Expedia, which is TripAdvisor’s most significant advertising customer in terms of revenue. Expedia plans to reduce the percentage of gross profit (on bookings generated from TripAdvisor-sourced visitors) that it pays to the company in the future, which is likely to reduce Expedia’s marketing spend on TripAdvisor.
However, over time, we expect these expenses to come down and predict a marginal increase in gross margins by the end of our forecast period. While in Q2 2012 TripAdvisor registered a marginal decline in profits, net income in Q3 2012 registered a robust 9% annual growth.
However, if TripAdvisor fails to clamp down its expenses and margins drop down to 46% by the end of our forecast period, it would lead to a 12% decline in our price estimate.Notes:
- TripAdvisor Reports Third Quarter 2012 Financial Results, TripAdvisor’s Events & Presentations, November 1, 2012 [↩]
- TripAdvisor CEO discusses fake reviews, Google, HotelNewsNow.com, November 17, 2011 [↩]


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This past week has been a whirlwind with 4C earning the #1 distinction in three different arenas.
On Tuesday, as part of Advertising Week, NBCU announced that 4C will run the first self-serve, audience-based TV commercials across its networks for launch client, Target. Business Insider noted that this is “the same kind of automated software that advertisers use to buy ads on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.” Indeed, our experience working with partners to build on APIs and help advertisers reach their most valuable audiences across premium content networks – not to mention our first-to-market integration with Mediaocean – proved paramount in opening up NBCU inventory.
Last Thursday, our founder and chief scientist, Dr. Alok Choudhary, was named Best Tech Manager by Tech in Motion fat the Timmy Awards held in 1871, Chicago’s hub for technology and entrepreneurship. As Alok said about our employees on the 4C blog, “This award would not have been possible with the brilliant and curious minds that I’ve been fortunate to work with.”
Finally, last Wednesday, G2 Crowd released its updated rankings for Cross-Channel Advertising Software and 4C was #1 (again) for customer satisfaction. This honor is especially gratifying considering it’s based on reviews from verifiedclients – over 160 of them – and puts 4C ahead of household names (well, at least in our industry) like Adobe, AppNexus, Criteo, Doubleclick, Nielsen, Trade Desk, Rocket Fuel, and Rubicon.
So what’s the recurring theme among these distinctions? You can’t get to #1 on your own, much less stay there. Without great partners, employees, and clients, none of these accolades are achievable. And, it goes without saying, that these firsts are meaningless unless they deliver positive outcomes for all constituents. At 4C, we’re committed to being tops in that department for years to come.
Now it’s time to make your #1 order of business reading the rest of 4C’s Insights.
Read the rest of 4C’s Insights Volume 75 here.
Subscribe to our newsletter to get updates from 4C in your inbox.


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Online retailer BaubleBar has been steadily expanding its business from just jewelry to home goods, and now even venturing into wearable tech. BaubleBar has collaborated with Jawbone to create a wristband that is a little more stylish than the rubber watchband to which most technology companies have defaulted.
The collaboration is being called UP MOVE, and the trackers are pretty enough to wear on their own even without the added functionality benefits. The trackers work like a Jawbone wristband, tracking calorie activity, sleep, foods and even tips on how to improve your health lifestyle.
These come in a variety of metals and colors, and prices range from $45 to $85. Check it out at BaubleBar.com.
WHAT’S TRENDY: Hard to believe, but we’re getting into the holiday season already. Augusta Ballet is holding its annual Ambassador Holiday Soiree and Holiday Tour of Homes on Nov. 20 and Nov. 21, respectively, and these are events you don’t want to miss.
It’s a fantastic way to get in the holiday spirit, get inspired for your own holiday decorating, and also a great way to support a pillar of the Augusta arts community.
Tickets for the soiree are $45, and tickets for the tour are $20. You can find more information at AugustaBallet.org.
WHAT’S AFFORDABLE: There are a lot of companies out there who will claim to “clean up” your online presence for a price, but you can do a lot of it yourself for free through Google’s new About Me page.
The About Me feature allows you to systematically go through all of the information settings and privacy options your many Google accounts currently have, from Google+ (remember that?) to YouTube search history (eek!). When I went through it, I was shocked to find out that my cell number was displayed to anyone who was my Google contact, and I swiftly changed that. Check on yours by going to aboutme.google.com.


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Juniper Networks has announced updates to its Partner Advantage program focusing on cloud, security, data centre and software development
Westcon-Comstor plans to raise $10,000 for the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand following on from Mental Health Awareness week.
Reports of the global PC market’s demise appear to have been greatly exaggerated, if Gartner’s latest research is anything to go by.
The channel is crammed to the brim with lie after lie, but who's the worst offender?
- Qualcomm launches lawsuits to ban iPhones in China
- Samsung to “start anew” as CEO decides to step down
- Samsung heir hauls in defence for jail term reprieve
- Tomizone co-founder agrees to leave amid post-acquisition restructure
- Tech Data taps Insight for trans-Tasman sales director role
- Reseller News ICT Industry Awards 2017 - And the winners are…
- Samsung surfs memory chip wave amid Note 7 rebound
- New Zealand demand for broadband, mobile and fixed, appears insatiable
- Allied Telesis signs Ingram Micro in wake of Cisco market ructions
- Dicker Data on-boards four new vendors in NZ
- Ireland to be hit by court action over Apple tax shortfall
- Google Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixelbook, Google Home Mini & Max: Everything Announced At Today’s Google Event
Reseller News ICT Industry Awards 2017 - Meet the winners...
Keynote speakers set the scene for Reseller News ICT Industry Awards 2017
Channel toasts 2017 success as Champagne Reception kicks off Reseller News ICT Industry Awards
A snapshot of the Kiwi partners set to shine at the Reseller News Awards
Kiwi channel catch-up continues as After Hours returns in Auckland
EDGE 2017 outlines The Future Channel across A/NZ
“Industry-standard server (ISS) has a growing impact on the global data centre hardware market."
Google's cloud leader discusses one of the biggest IT challenges related to enterprise cloud deployments and offers advice on how companies can identify the business functions that are best suited for the cloud.
<i>2012 ARN Hall of Fame inductee, Nick Verykios, is a rock’n’roll survivor, poet, Buddhist and philanthropist, as well as co-founder of the $250 million Distribution Central. This is his story.</i>
“Aside from exchange rate volatility, IT spending has been relatively stable for the past five years.”
“Over the past several years, the software industry has been shifting to a Cloud-first (SaaS) development and deployment model."
The nagware announcements are gone, but Microsoft, along with AMD and Intel, has made darn sure you’ll be running Windows 10 and not Windows 7 on the next PC you buy.
"Futurology has always bounced around between common sense, nonsense and a healthy dose of wishful thinking." That's how a 2012 Scientific American article summed up the history of prediction. Our compelling annual urge to predict the future traces back to the ancient Greeks and their Delphic Oracle--so who am I to argue with such venerable tradition? Here's my top 10 countdown for the shape of our industry in 2015:
With the arrival this week of the iPad Pro, Apple launches a salvo in the hybrid, 2-in-1 wars. It's clearly a great tablet, but will it replace a laptop?


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I grew up in a time when it was ok for kids to drink coca-cola. To prove it here is a picture of [...]
About adminThis author has not yet filled in any details.
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I am home-schooling my 7-year-old son as we are in the midst of the Australian lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Every Friday [...]
To the biggest generation on record. You are now experiencing a once in a 100-year event. A chance to go down in history. [...]
Watch these two Millennials clean up by monetising being themselves. Don’t get dirty on these two Millennials, but they’ve got life completely sorted [...]
Doing laundry sucks. I could think of a hundred things I’d rather be doing. But, for 116,000 unfortunate Australians access to clean laundry [...]
If you’ve never heard of Eatsee, which also goes by its cute nickname in some media circles, ‘Tinder for food’, it won’t be [...]
To read the full story online check it out => https://businessacumen.biz/news-victorian-leaders/4291-from-hr-gurus-to-millennial-who-do
Did you know there’s a micro-generation that exists between Generation X and Millennials? And why the heck do we need to define micro-generations? [...]
According to a recent report by accounting heroes, Xero, more than 34% of Australian small businesses are currently owner-operated by Millennials. And that’s [...]
It’s not only Millennials doing the disrupting. Meet a Xennial who has made her riches from disrupting the bottom-end markets. Periods, pee and [...]


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Singapore state fund Temasek Holdings is seeking to divest its majority 65 per cent stake in container-shipping company Neptune Orient Lines (NOL), which currently maintains a market capitalisation of S$2.3 billion ($1.692 billion), the Wall Street Journal reported citing peple familiar with the development.
Founded in 1968 as the city-state’s national shipping line, NOL is valued in excess of S$8 billion when debt is included, according to information from S&P Capital IQ.
Singapore corporate regulations require buyers purchasing a stake of 30 per cent or more to make an offer for all shares. Heavily indebted and with a negative income, the distressed Temasek unit is currently in talks with various shipping firms around the world, the report added.
NOL assets include 92 vessels servicing more than 160 ports globally, with a linear business that generated $7 billion in revenue for FY 2014. However, NOL has lost money for three straight years as freight rates have fallen amid an oversupply of shipping capacity.
The year 2014 saw NOL generate $260 million in losses, an increase from $76 million in 2013. Exiting NOL still leaves Temasek with major transportation infrastructure assets in Singapore, with its ownership of PSA International.
NOL has been engaged in merger discussions with various companies, including Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd AG and Hong Kong’s Orient Overseas (International) Ltd. With the shipping industry suffering excess supply of capacity, there is considerable pressure to consolidate.
However, NOL’s potential merger partners may be uninterested in acquiring NOL, given the recent industry developments.
Hapag-Lloyd, a German-Chilean company since merging with Chilean shipping firm Compania Sud Americana de Vapores and the world’s fourth largest container shipper, is planning an initial public offering (IPO) that could result in a valuation of more than $5.5 billion.
The recent trade sale of NOL’s logistics unit, APL Logistics, for $1.2 billion to Japan’s Kintetsu World Express in May 2015, has positioned NOL in a stronger position for divestment. The separation of the logistics and shipping operations allows for better pricing, due to attracting different buyers.
The 35 per cent stake traded on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX) as shares have underperformed, with a temporary spike in value when APL Logistics was divested. The price has declined since the divestment, amid continued concerns over global growth.


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Trains ordered for Busan metro Line 1
CRRC to supply Noida metro trains
Jakarta – Bandung DBOM concession agreed
Myanma Railways orders Indian locomotives
DBK-Leasing completes Ijara wagon deal
Bangkok railway engineering education agreement signed
Singapore sovereign wealth fund takes stake in Railpool
Bangkok monorail lines approved
Contactless ticketing to be tested in Singapore
A rail freight service has been set up connecting China with Western Europe, shaving around a month off the time that the same journey can be achieved by sea.
Global logistics company, Tigers, created Tiger Rail to provide a viable alternative for those who use the sea to link China and Germany, which takes a month-and-a-half, or air, the quickest but also the most expensive option, at twice the price of rail freight.
Taking 16 days and travelling along the new Silk Road, the service will connect European destinations such as Duisburg in Germany with 15 destinations in China including Hefei, Chongqing, and Chengdu. According to ports.com, an online directory that provides shipping information relating to the world’s major ports, it would take 47 days to transport goods from China to Germany.
In introducing the freight route, which will likely be an attractive option for businesses looking to transport non-perishable goods between Asia and Europe, the company behind Tiger Rail said users of the freight line would be able to its cost efficiency by returning empty containers in Switzerland for westbound services.
“We have seized the opportunity to provide integrated logistics for our customers, who increasingly require shorter transit times than ocean freight, and lower costs than air freight,” said Paul Huang, managing director from the parent company, Tigers.
Launched officially last week, journeys on the new route began in the summer and Tigers has already helped customers move more than 500 twenty-foot equivalent units – the 20x8 containers that are prevalent in shipping. The new China-Germany route will be bolstered by Tigers’ Tiger Trax platform, which enables each shipment to be tracked until it reaches its destination.
Tiger Rail's China-Germany service comes nine months after the launch of a similar service between Zhejiang province in China and Barking in East London, as reported in SmartRail World.. The a 12,000-mile route was set up by Yiwu Timex Industrial Investment and is supported in the UK by One Two Three Logistics and Brunel Project Cargo.
In further good news for the rail freight industry, industrial superpowers China and Russia have seen growth of 16% in the first half of 2017 for freight, following the implementation of measures to simplify shipping documents, the intreoduction of electronic data, and updated supply chains. Russia Railways, first vice-president of Russia Railways, said the positive figures was a 19% improvement on the same period last year.
This article first appeared on www.smartrailworld.com
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GLASTONBURY, CT — Sequin (www.sequinar.com), a Metaverse content company that provides virtual production solutions to content creators to leverage the Unreal Engine, has announced that Bryan Breckenridge, head of impact for Snyk, was recently elected to the company’s board of directors. Concurrently, Sequin has launched a new SaaS Metaverse solution called Sequin.App.
Sequin’s professional services team leverages gaming engine technology - specifically the Unreal Engine - to change what’s possible within the entertainment industry in delivering virtual production and augmented reality experiences. Sequin has worked on projects with Madonna, Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg and Ariana Grande, and most recently worked on Fox TV’s Alter Ego avatar competition series.
Breckenridge has held positions at Silicon Valley companies like Salesforce.com, Linkedin, Box and Zillow, and is an advisor to Verb, Inc. He currently leads Snyk’s impact agenda, generating social, environmental and business returns for Snky’s stakeholders.
“I’m excited to help Sequin connect with SaaS industry leaders and build momentum in this exciting market segment,” Breckenridge says. “Empowering AR professionals to collaborate efficiently and cost effectively will be a key industry accelerator.”


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Friday Session III
Pesticide drift has made headlines like never before as new dicamba-resistant crops drive up the use of an old, drift-prone herbicide, impacting conventional, organic, and sustainable growers alike. Get an update on the policy and legal processes that brought these new crops to market, and what to expect for the next growing season based on government responses to the issue. Plus, learn how to recognize, document, and report pesticide drift.
Denise O’Brien and her husband raise organic fruits and vegetables for their CSA and for restaurants and grocery stores in Omaha, Neb., and Des Moines, Iowa. She is currently the chair of the Board of Directors of Pesticide Action Network.


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Apple has issued an emergency software update for its many devices, as the company announced that it has patched a zero-click malware vulnerability that is affecting all devices.
Online security has been a hot topic over the last few years. Between security breaches of big businesses and ransomware attacks on individuals, protecting yourself online has become vitally important. Apple understood that, which is why its marketing campaigns of late have been largely focused on the privacy capabilities of its devices.
Unfortunately, no one is completely safe from the hackers of the world, which is why Apple is urging users of its many devices to update them as soon as possible to close this vulnerability.
Apple Issues Emergency Update
On Monday, Apple became aware of a zero-click malware vulnerability that would allow invasive spyware to infect iPhones, Macbooks, Apple Watches, and the rest of the Apple lineup without a user clicking on anything.
The spyware, discovered by Citizen Lab, is from Israel’s NSO Group, which has orchestrated many large security breaches in the past, and is decidedly powerful. It can gain full control of your device by turning on your phone, reading your text messages, and relaying it to whoever installed it.
“This spyware can do everything an iPhone user can do on their device and more,” said John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab.
With 1.65 billion Apple devices floating around the world as we speak, this is a massive security breach with lasting implications. Once considered the gold standard for device security, Apple now must bolster its protocols even more to ensure this kind of vulnerability doesn't happen again.
How to Avoid This Spyware
Don't worry! While this Apple device vulnerability may sound scary, there is an easy to way to make sure that your device isn't in danger any more: just update your device. If you don't know how, here's a simple walkthrough to help you out:
- Settings –> General –> Check for Updates
Honestly, it's that simple. Whether you're using an iPhone, a Macbook, or an iPad, just navigate over to the settings menu, and there should be a clear choice to Check for Updates. You'll then be guided through the process to make sure it goes through.
Those who own an Apple Watch will have to complete the job through their accompanying iPhone, but the process should still only take a few quick steps.
How to Protect Yourself Online
If this announcement from Apple has woken you up to the importance of online security, we totally get it. Honestly, the online world is filled with threats to your personal data and privacy, which means that taking extra precautions is always a good idea, especially if you're a business worried about security breaches.
If you're interested in taking extra steps to ensure your online safety, there are a few tools we can recommend. Password managers are essential, as passwords are the first line of defense and few engage in best practices to protect them. And with 81% of security breaches stemming from poor password security, it's safe to say they seriously help.
Additionally, tools like VPNs, remote access software, and antivirus platforms can make a big impact on your online security. Businesses that are adjusting to the hybrid work boom can especially benefit, as the work-from-home model lends itself to some serious vulnerabilities.


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Market values continue to drift sideways even as the number of closed units increases slightly. Inventory availability has dipped with the SFR inventory hanging right at 3.0 months of available inventory. However, inventory levels are close to 11,000 residential units, which is where the inventory levels were last year at this time. Over pricing is on the rise once again even as the median and average closed sales prices drop while new listings are coming on the market at significantly higher prices. It also appears that short sales are making a last minute push as we cruise into the last quarter of 2015.
September SFR closings were down just 5% from August but nearly 14% higher than September 2014. The median sales price of an SFR remains at $220,000, while the average price dropped to $257,342. This is the new “normal” for the Greater Las Vegas market. It’s slow, steady, but not sexy growth. That’s just fine! Embrace the sanity that comes with this market and let’s just hope it continues in this relatively boring manner for several more years!
Meanwhile, look at the strength and momentum of the current Luxury Market!


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Nokia is a pioneer brand that has earned the blind-trust and respect of people. A lot of people aren’t aware that Nokia is a Finnish multinational company that initially started with telecommunications. But that was ages ago, as the Nokia brand is all about smartphones now. This article is all about the upcoming Nokia devices and their details.
Nokia is waiting for its perfect break and comeback. Having said that, the following device is the upcoming launches from Nokia- Nokia 8.2 5G, Nokia 1.3, and Nokia 5.3. The launch of these devices is expected to take place on the 19th of March 2020.
Nokia 1.3 Details-
Nokia 1.3 is a low-budget smartphone that will be powered by a Cortex A53 processor. The device will boot on Android 9 OS pre-installed. Nokia 1.3 will equip a 5.45-inches TFT display. The resolution of this model will likely be 480 x 960 pixels with 197 PPI pixel density.
Nokia 1.3 will rock single cameras at both front and rear end. The rear camera will be an 8MP camera and the front camera rumored to be a 5MP selfie shooter. The cameras are expected to support features like Digital Zoom, Auto Flash, Face detection, Touch to focus and a lot more. This device will be run by a 4000mAh battery.
Nokia 1.3 Price-
As mentioned before, Nokia 1.3 will be a low-range budget device, expecting to represent the entry-level of Nokia company. Rumors have been hitting the web that state that Nokia 1.3 will cost around Rs. 6000, base variant equipping 1GB RAM with 16GB ROM.
Nokia 5.3 Details-
Nokia 5.3 will be a mid-range device from the brand that will be powered by Snapdragon 665 chipset. This device will boot on the latest Android 10 OS pre-installed. Nokia 5.3 will rock a 6.55-inches IPS LCD. The resolution of this device will likely be 720 x 1520 pixels with 257 ppi pixel density.
Nokia 5.3 will rock a quad-camera setup at the rear end where 16MP will be the primary sensor. The front camera is this device would be an 8MP selfie shooter. We can expect the cameras to support features like Digital Zoom, Auto Flash, Face detection, Touch to focus and a lot more. Nokia 5.3 will be run by a 4000mAh battery.
Nokia 5.3 Price-
As this is a mid-range device, Nokia 5.3 will be released for a cost of Rs. 14,999. The base variant is expected to equip 3GB RAM with 64GB ROM.
Nokia 8.2 (5G) Details-
Nokia 8.2 is a premium range smartphone that will be powered by Snapdragon 765G chipset. This device will boot on Android 10 OS pre-installed. Nokia 8.2 will rock a 6.2-inches IPS LCD. The resolution of this device would likely be 1080 x 2340 pixels with 416 PPI pixel density.
Nokia 8.2 will rock a quad-camera setup at the rear end where 64MP will be the primary sensor, 8MP for ultra-wide capture, 5MP for macro capture and 2MP as the depth sensor. The front camera is rumored to be a massive 32MP selfie shooter and the device will be powered by a 4000mAH battery.
Nokia 8.2 Price-
There are no official details about the price of the Nokia 8.2. But he base variant of this device will come with an 8GB RAM and 256GB ROM for a whopping Rs. 37,000 price tag.
Note: We will update the article if we receive further news about the mentioned Nokia mobiles, so stay tuned. Also, share this article with all the Nokia lovers.
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A group of researchers from IBM Japan, the University of Tokyo and Yamaha Motors created the AI Painting Project and an AI-based robot that's capable of creating paintings on its own, rather than generating them at random. The bot boasts its own set of values and is designed to work with different concepts to create different works of art. In this way, the robot can be given certain parameters, such as creating a piece with just 30 brushstrokes or 300. Like a real painter, the robot can be seen pausing to "consider" values before making an artistic choice.
The innovative robot was presented at the virtual SXSW 2021 as part of the Todai to Texas showcase.
In the future, the team will be integrating a visual component that lets the AI system see its own paintings as it works on them.
Source: Laura McQuarrie


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What Do They All Have in Common? A look at the Bigger Picture.
Much like the catastrophic Australian bushfires of 2019/2020, COVID-19 has seemingly retreated into the darkness of the past and archived, as new “stories” take precedence in the headlines. The death of George Floyd and subsequent protests and social unrest in the United States of America is now headline news, and COVID-19 lurks menacingly in the shadows, waiting for the perfect opportunity to show its face.
The Perfect Storm?
What if the horror of George Floyd’s death is the interlude for COVID-19? What if the alarming protests and civil unrest in the USA are a horrific precursor to a terrifying second half? The demonstrations are a public outpouring of immense grief and anger for generations of racial inequality and abuse. However, in the current COVID-19 climate, protests, where thousands of people gather for a common cause, are also a recipe for disaster. The George Floyd protests, albeit unwittingly, are a melting pot that could provide COVID-19 with the perfect conditions required for immense spread. Today, the whole world is watching the United States with bated breath as cities and businesses burn, lives are lost, and stories are yet to be told and heard. Eyes are currently averted from the COVID-19 pandemic that has spread to 180 countries and six continents. The virus has been the culprit behind unprecedented global social isolation measures and has had a profound negative impact on the world economy. Lives are still being lost to COVID-19 at a tremendous rate, not only in America, but the world over and our attention is fragmented. Hundreds of lives were impacted, and wildlife species were completely destroyed in the Australian bushfires, the consequences of which are also still being felt. The truth is that life goes on, and it’s brutal. We will all live with the legacy that 2020 presented us with, but the lessons learned will be passed down for generations. These disasters taught us that we must anticipate the unknown and fight the fear. We must look forward and handle the cards we have been dealt if we are to fully recover.
Supply Chains Must Remain Viable for the Good of All.
At present, the viability of the world economy is, at best, precarious. It relies on many factors such as the health of citizens the world over, viable and stable governments, freedom of movement, freedom to trade and a lack of civil unrest. A viable economy relies upon, and favours, unity, equality, and cooperation, all factors that are elusive in the current climate. However, even in the darkest of times, there is often a glimmer of hope. Even in the most challenging of times such as war, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian bushfires and civil unrest in the USA, the wheels of the supply chain are ever turning.
There is a multitude of benefits of globalisation, not least of all the tremendous economic opportunities it presents. However, the national economies that were sheltered and protected in the past, now find themselves at the mercy of global forces. The security and efficiency of global supply chains are as paramount to economic stability as they are to economic recovery. The COVID-19 pandemic is responsible for the deaths of over 382,365 people. It has jeopardised manufacturing production and has compromised the integrity of the entire international supply chain. Threats to the supply chain directly impact organised society as well as the economic, social and physical well-being of citizens the world over, and it is, therefore, essential that supply chains remain viable. Well-established forwarding companies who have a truly global reach have played a huge part in helping to keep the cogs of the supply chain moving throughout the pandemic. Avion International Freight Forwarding has offices strategically located in Italy, UK, Germany, Poland, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and Australia which has allowed them to navigate the spread of the virus and successfully manage disruptions when they occur. Businesses who are struggling to transport their goods are encouraged to call Avion International (Australia) on 02 9326 8400 to find out how we can help you. Avion International Freight Forwarders are hypervigilant and well-informed about both the current state of global affairs and the economy. Our diligence enables us to provide accurate and appropriate advice to our clients, and to make educated decisions should we find ourselves faced with any disasters in the future. As a global entity, Avion International Freight Forwarders feel that we have a duty of care to ensure that the supply chain continues to operate like a well-oiled machine for the benefit of businesses and people the world over.


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NEW YORK — One year after unveiling its tag line, “Inspired by the Way Skin Works,” Nivea will introduce three new benefit-laden skin care products — two of which seek to sway consumers toward a new ingredient, creatine, and a...
NEW YORK — One year after unveiling its tag line, “Inspired by the Way Skin Works,” Nivea will introduce three new benefit-laden skin care products — two of which seek to sway consumers toward a new ingredient, creatine, and a third that aims to give women another reason to use body lotion.
Nivea will bulk up its antiaging offering with two more creatine-fortified products, namely Nivea Visage Multiple Results Day Crème with SPF 15 and Nivea Visage Night Serum Concentrate.
The Beiersdorf brand first added creatine to its ingredient list last spring with the introduction of the Nivea Visage Multiple Results (sans SPF). As it has done with coenzyme Q10, Nivea will shoulder the responsibility and cost of educating consumers about the cosmetic benefits of creatine, a substance favored by bodybuilders for its ability to provide energy to skin cells.
Nivea bills creatine as an antiaging ingredient that smooths wrinkles, firms skin and refines pores.
Consumers have proven quick studies on the new ingredient over the last eight months, fueling sales of Multiple Results to $3 million, according to the company.
Like the original Multiple Results, the new day cream and the night serum contain Creatine Complex, which is designed to help maintain the skin’s levels of creatine, which is depleted with age, leaving skin dry or uneven-looking.
After two to four weeks of use, Multiple Results is said to deliver, according to in-house clinical testing, on its claims of smoother, firmer skin. The two new products, which will bow in March and will sell for a suggested retail price of $14.99 each, bring the total number of items in the Multiple Results line to three.
Nivea’s share in the face care category hovers around 3 percent, buoyed by its antiaging products, which have a 5.4 percent share, according to the company. Nivea anticipates its antiaging offering will fuel its overall share in the category to 5 percent this year. Face care is a $1.1 billion dollar category (excluding Wal-Mart), according to ACNielsen. If Nivea grabs a 5 percent share, it would translate to roughly a $70 million worth of business.
To drive home creatine’s benefits and encourage trial, Nivea will employ in-store demonstrations, a strategy that began with this year’s launch of Multiple Results. Advertising breaks in April and includes radio.
Hermès is launching a Laundromat pop-up shop in NYC - dubbed Hermèsmatic - where customers can bring their old scarves to be dip-dyed by an expert. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews (📷: @donstahl)


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Soft-Tex International, Inc. announced that its Restonic branded products have been recognized as a winner of the Women’s Choice Award.
The Women’s Choice Awards, the voice of female consumers, awards businesses and brands based on consumer experience. Businesses and brands that meet a higher standard of customer experience among women are awarded the Women’s Choice Award®. As part of this program, products are subjected to a rigorous product testing panel with objective criteria to determine the most highly recommended products from women across America.
“Earning the Women’s Choice Award is a great validation for the quality products we manufacture daily to help the world sleep and live better,” said Mark Smiderle, Chief Executive Officer of Soft-Tex International. “It is well-documented that women drive a critical mass of purchasing decisions overall and even more so for home products, so we’re very pleased to earn this prestigious recognition from such an integral demographic of bedding consumers,” continued Smiderle.
“Congratulations to Soft-Tex on earning this prestigious award from Women’s Choice,” said Laurie Tokarz, President of Restonic Mattress Corporation. “Restonic was an inaugural winner of the award in 2011 and a continuous award-winner since. We’re happy to see our partner has the same commitment to quality products, customer satisfaction to deliver a better night’s sleep for a brighter tomorrow. To work with a partner that understands and appreciates the power of excellence in the marketplace is a roadmap for success – for everyone involved.”
The awarded products are all proudly produced in the USA at Soft-Tex’s factories in Waterford, New York and Sugar Land, Texas and contributed to Soft-Tex’s recent recognition as the 2021 Winner of the Sewn Products National Reshoring Award, awarded to brands representing the progressive companies focused on the Made in America movement supporting our economy and bringing production of goods back to our country. Additionally, these products average a 4.7 out of 5 aggregate rating across as averaged by Bazaarvoice syndicated reviews as of September 2021.
Awarded products are on display in Soft-Tex’s 230 Fifth Avenue showroom for retail buyer consideration during New York Home Fashions Week and are also available for sale at numerous eCommerce retailers.
About Soft-Tex International, Inc.
Soft-Tex International is an innovation company focused on building the most comfortable products to help the world sleep and live better. With hundreds of patents, patents pending, and trademarks, Soft-Tex is the leading choice for retailers looking to offer a differentiated, well-merchandised assortment of bedding and home comfort products with the latest features and benefits.
About Restonic Mattress Corporation
Restonic is guided by the principle that getting a healthy night’s sleep is a right, not a privilege: this means that every Restonic mattress is crafted with better quality materials and more attention to detail than comparably priced mattresses from competitive brands. Restonic Mattress Corporation is a leading international bedding company with manufacturing facilities throughout the world, including North America, the Far East, Europe, India, Brazil, Middle East and South Africa. For more information, visit restonic.com or follow @restonicbeds
Furniture Industry News and in depth magazine articles for the furniture retail, furniture manufacturers, and furniture distributors.
Read other articles by Nic Ledoux


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Borders announced yesterday that it has partnered with Sony to launch a new online store offering over twenty-five thousand e-books available for download onto the Sony Reader. The site is accessible only to Borders customers who purchase the device from one of the bookseller’s brick-and-mortar stores. (The bookseller’s main e-commerce site is maintained within Amazon, which recently released its own digital reader, Kindle, in direct competition with the Sony Reader.) Borders customers will receive a promotion code and a customized edition of eBook Library software necessary to access the site.
The new e-book store is the most recent collaboration between Sony and Borders, which last year agreed to sell the Reader in more than five hundred of its outlets nationwide.
Kevin Ertell, Borders vice president of e-business, said that since the bookseller began stocking the Reader, "we are seeing sales increase chain-wide," Publishers Weekly reported. "Borders is embracing this technology which we firmly believe will emerge over time as important to our business."


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Ford executives bemoan the fact that their turnaround is looking better internally, but that the company is outwardly fighting a perception gap that its vehicles aren't as good as those made by some Japanese companies.
Mark Fields, Ford president of theAmericas, said the company is making good headway at stabilizing its market share. Ford has lost market share in the U.S. for eleven consecutive years, he explains, but its new product line - which he described as "the strongest in the company's history" - is giving the struggling carmaker a shot at finally ending the slide. Ford is actually ahead of schedule in stabilizing its market share at about 14 to 15 percent, one goal of its Way Forward restructuring plan, Fields said.
"Customers are telling us they like the product," added Fields, who noted the company's market share is stabilizing even as it reduces its dependence on fleet sales. "What we're telling people is to put us on their shopping lists," added Fields, admitting the company has to change customer perceptions.
Going forward, Ford expects to concentrate its resources on safety, fuel economy, reducing cabin noise, and features such as electrically assisted power steering where the company already is a leader.
Fields also said Ford essentially has met its goal of cutting 14,000 salaried jobs. Ford was seeking to reduce white-collar employment by 10,000 this year, in addition to about 4000 who left last year.
About 27,000 U.S. hourly workers have left Dearborn-based Ford under buyout or early retirement offers as part of its effort to pare down its workforce, and Fields reiterated that number on Friday.
Fields, however, also admitted the company faces substantial challenges, including repaying the $23 billion it borrowed last winter.
"Time is not our friend," he said. click for more info...


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Berger Paints India will set up two manufacturing units in Assam at a cost of around Rs 60 crore.The company has applied for land to the state government for the proposed units - one in an industrial area of Guwahati and the other one at Tejpur. The plant will have an initial capacity of around 25,000 tonne each in the two units. The proposed Guwahati unit is planned to produce the company´s British Paints.
Contact: Berger Paints India.
Tel: 022-2857 1057.


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In December, Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping agreed a temporary truce on their ongoing trade war, after the two leaders had dinner together at the annual G20 summit in Argentina and agreed a 90-day delay on tax increases, in the hope that a more lasting deal could be negotiated in that time.
Trump has made cutting a trade deal with China a priority.
The announcement comes on the heels of other positive developments with regards to the trade relationship between the USA and China.
"If the USA has already achieved quite a bit, and we are just clarifying the details of substantial Chinese concessions, then that's not a huge concern", said Scott Kennedy, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Earlier this month, Bill Lee, the chief economist at Milken Institute, stated that the Chinese government is desperate to land a deal with the us due to its struggling domestic market.
Others in Beijing had mixed feelings, but welcomed the news.
The rise in import duties on Chinese goods from 10% to 25% was meant to come into effect on Friday 1 March.
The increase in tariffs now scheduled for March 1.
"As a result of these very productive talks, I will be delaying the United States increase in tariffs now scheduled for March 1". He set no new date.
In the tweet, he said the USA had "made substantial progress" on many important issues in its trade talks with China, including intellectual property rights, technology transfer, agriculture and currency exchange.
USA stock increases followed huge boosts Monday in China's stock markets and modest gains in other Asian and European markets. "There are mixed feelings about the tariffs".
Analysts say the two sides are likely to trumpet mutual agreements to resolve the easier parts of the trade dispute - increasing purchases of American goods, more open investment in China and tougher protections for intellectual property and proprietary technology. Washington wants Beijing to roll back plans including "Made in China 2025", which calls for government-led creation of global competitors in robotics and other technology.
Energy stocks rose despite a drop in oil prices, with the April crude contract down US$1.78 at US$55.48 per barrel after Trump also tweeted that the global economy couldn't handle a price hike.
American companies worry U.S.
"There may be what we refer to as "window guidance": where there is a written law or regulation, but verbally there may be additional points that are communicated to a company in order to receive a particular approval", he said.
Investors were also wary of weakening estimates for current quarter earnings, with Wall Street on Monday expecting a 0.9 percent decline in S&P first-quarter earnings per share compared with expectations for 5.3 percent growth on January 1, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.
About one-fifth of firms have moved or are considering moving production outside of China, with the tariffs and rising costs top reasons, according to the survey.
UBS reported in January that 37 percent of 200 manufacturers surveyed by the bank have shifted out of China over the past 12 months.


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Round Up - SABMiller's Full-Year Results 2012-13
In May, the UK's SABMiller released its results for the year to the end of March. Here's a round-up of just-drinks' coverage of the company's performance.
SABMiller has delivered a strong set of full-year results but problems loom, such as pressure on Miller Lite in the US loom, an analyst has warned.
SABMiller will likely go ahead with three building projects in Africa this year, while expansion in Nigeria is to come under review “quite soon”, the company's new CEO has said.
SABMiller has posted a fall in full-year profits, but hailed a strong performance as sales grew in almost all regions.
Earlier today, SABMiller released a full-year trading update, reporting a 7% rise in organic group sales. Here just-drinks take a more detailed look at sales performance by region:
SABMiller has said that its latest fiscal full-year performed in line with expectations, as sales delivered a year-on-year increase of 7% in value terms.
- What's coming up in beer in 2017? - Comment
- Chile's winemakers caught out by Brexit "disease"
- Interview - Pernod Ricard's luxury director
- The just-drinks Analyst - 2017 forecasts
- What's coming up in wine in 2017? - Comment
- Suntory sends staff to fat camp - report
- Pernod Ricard's Absolut Lime - NPD
- Former Stoli Group CEO joins Perfect Vodka owner
- Diageo Australia names new commercial head
- Diageo mulls United Spirits stake buy - report
- Global vodka insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
- Global Cognac insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
- The Next Seven Big Beverage Markets
- Global gin insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
- Darker Than Before: Global Prospects for Brown Spirits


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The Philippines is the most receptive market for secondhand goods in Southeast Asia, according to a report released this December by Carousell, an online recommerce platform.
Recommerce refers to the selling and buying of previously owned products, both new and used.
According to the inaugural Carousell Recommerce Index, 92% of consumers in the Philippines have bought secondhand items from casual everyday sellers — the highest among all markets of the Carousell Group, a classifieds group in Southeast Asia.
Secondhand apparel is the category Filipinos are most comfortable with, whether in terms of buying (58%) or selling (75%).
Women’s fashion was the top category for secondhand items in Carousell Philippines, the report found, with Zara being the most searched for brand. Rounding the top three on the supply side were men’s fashion, followed by hobbies and toys.
Fashion ruled the demand side as well. However, over the pandemic, interest in buying secondhand cars increased by 37% — pushing used cars into third place, with BMW being the most popular search term.
“Recommerce offers the second-best sustainable option by extending the life cycle of each garment and material, keeping it out of landfills, replacing the need to produce new items, and limiting consumption,” said Ralph M. Garcia, country marketing head of Carousell Philippines, in a press statement.
The index, he added, was compiled to determine how the pandemic changed consumer behavior, as well as how consumers can be encouraged to buy secondhand as a sustainable lifestyle choice.
Seventy-two percent of Carousell Group users have made secondhand purchases before; 3 in 10 buy secondhand whenever possible. In this segment, the primary reason for buying secondhand was value for money (82% in Hong Kong; 78% in Malaysia; 74% in Singapore and the Philippines). The second top reason was environmental concern (45% in Hong Kong; 30% in Taiwan and Singapore).
An authentication and warranty on products will make the respondents who have never bought secondhand before consider doing so (72% in the Philippines; 56% in Singapore; 39% in Malaysia).
Carousell Group’s 2021 report surveyed 3,029 buyers and sellers in June across its eight markets: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam. — Patricia B. Mirasol


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A native Kum and Go worker, who asked for anonymity for the sake of her job, said Kum and Go will not carry non-menthol or tobacco-flavored Juul pods when the stock runs out. After the flavored pods run out, prospects should legally buy them through the Juul website. But the nationwide deterrence of vaping has been in action for a year. According to Juul’s website, last November it stopped the sale and distribution of its flavored pods to convenience stores throughout the nation. This ban stopped the distribution of pods, however with so many shipped to retailers only now are they beginning to run out.
Rather, it says it has merely determined that nows the time to selectively enforce its power against some flavored pods — flavored pods like mint, but not menthol. Juul mentioned Thursday it’s going to cease accepting retail and on-line orders for mint pods within the U.S. after absorbing the current outcomes of multiple research, together with the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey. That research found “disturbing charges of e-cigarette use among both middle and high school students in 2019” and found that a majority of such customers consumed Juul merchandise. There’s little concrete data on the protection of elements in e-cigarettes. In the US, to legally sell vapes and e-juice, companies have to provide an ingredient record to the FDA—but they don’t need to make those lists public. As long as the components are typically thought to be secure by the FDA for use in food, medicine, and cosmetics, the group then authorizes those merchandise on the market.
About Juul Menthol Pods
In a press release, the corporate mentioned it’ll “proceed to develop scientific proof to support the use of these flavored merchandise,” which it says helps adult smokers give up conventional cigarettes. The e-cigarette industry comes beneath threat from a Trump administration proposal to ban most flavored e-cigarette cartridges amid rising well being issues and a warning issued by the CDC towards utilizing the merchandise. Each pack comes with four Eonsmoke prefilled tobacco taste nicotine salt pods. Each pod accommodates 60mg (6%) / 40mg (four%) nicotine per 1mL, and equivalent to 1 cigarette pack. Enjoy up to 300 puffs per cartridge with your Eonsmoke or Juul pod vaporizer.
There are many adults who, like me, bummed lots of cigarettes once they have been younger and stressed or ingesting however, after they obtained older, both largely or completely stopped. Adding to Juul’s woes, the e-cigarette trade has been underneath intense scrutiny since a mysterious vaping-related sickness, now known as EVALI, spread across the US, sickening nearly 1,500 individuals and killing 33.
- JUUL Novo 2 comes in quite a lot of flavors, such as fruit medley, mango, cool cucumber and creme brulee.
- Flavors in tobacco merchandise, including e-cigarettes, have been confirmed to attraction to young folks.
- Flavored e-cigarettes are especially dangerous, not only as a result of they entice youth, however as a result of their young users are likely to be misinformed in regards to the harmfulness of the products.
- But the agency is underneath intense stress to crack down on vapes.
- At the identical time, it remains at the mercy of the Food and Drug Administration, which has regulated tobacco products since 2009.
- The firm’s valuation rose to sixteen billion dollars over the summer time; it now controls practically three-quarters of the e-cigarette market within the U.S.
You’ll get a pack’s price of puffs from every pod, which is two hundred puffs. Customers might order as much as fifteen packs of pods every month. Only two other states — Massachusetts and New Jersey — have permitted comparable state rules on flavored tobacco or vaping products.
The invoice has garnered support from groups together with the NAACP and the state’s Legislative Black Caucus. At a news convention final week, advocates argued that flavored tobacco merchandise disproportionately affect minority and lower-income youth. In contrast, the proposed Maryland invoice would include all tobacco merchandise and ban any with flavoring, even menthol cigarettes. Under the law, vendors might receive up to a $1,000 fine and/or 30 days in jail. Notably, the FDA claims this ban isn’t really a brand new ban.
JUUL, for example, makes use of a nicotine salt formulation—that’s, nicotine extracted from natural tobacco leaves. It packs practically the same punch of nicotine as smoking, however it goes down lots smoother. That is, it doesn’t trigger the same throat or chest irritation that happens with flamable cigarettes, allowing individuals to inhale extra deeply or more incessantly, doubtlessly exposing them to much more nicotine. Not all vaping producers report how much nicotine is in their products, but even when they do, analyses show what’s contained in the vape juice doesn’t always match what is claimed on the packaging. One examine, for example, detected measurable amounts of nicotine in some vaping products regardless of labels claiming the product to be nicotine-free. The tasty flavors usually added to vaping merchandise have been a giant a part of their appeal, especially for younger people.
Kid-pleasant flavors like cotton sweet or fruit punch have been notably well-liked amongst teenagers, who cited flavorings as the most typical ingredient within the vaping merchandise they use. Diacetyl is a chemical typically added to vaping merchandise to create rich flavors like butterscotch or caramel. Food producers use this flavoring chemical in a wide range of capacities—perhaps most famously in microwave popcorn; diacetyl smells and tastes like butter. While vaping has been touted by some to be a less dangerous different to smoking, the vapor created by electronic cigarette gadgets is far from harmless. JUULpods and other e-cigarette merchandise comprise ingredients that result in an aerosol that can include doubtlessly harmful substances like nicotine, metals, and toxins. Many youth e-cigarette customers incorrectly consider they aren’t consuming nicotine when they vape. While less poisonous than flamable cigarettes, e-cigarettes can make youth extra probably to use cigarettes and nonetheless contain toxins and the addictive chemical nicotine, which is dangerous to adolescent mind development.
It doesn’t really approve any tobacco product, vapes included, in acknowledgement that they’re all inherently risky. The dangerous substances present in some e-cigarette aerosols won’t simply have an effect on those that vape. As of December 20, 2019, 21 years old is the brand new authorized age minimum for purchasing cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, or some other tobacco merchandise in the United States.
Juul will continue to sell the flavored pods by itself web site, although clients will be asked to verify that they are over 21. Juul also said it will bring these products again to shops that spend money on age-verification expertise. You could order Juul pods on-line and every pack will come with 4 pods. Each pod will characteristic .7 milliliters of e-juice, with 5 % nicotine by weight.


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International fresh juice processor AMC Group has created 100 jobs at a new purpose-built factory for freshly-squeezed juice and plant-based and free-from products in Skelmersdale, Lancashire.
The Spanish manufacturer, which operates sites in 50 countries including the UK, said the 5,109m2 facility would have the capability to provide the whole of the UK with freshly-squeezed juice.
Commenting on the new facility, fresh foods director Mike Bullock said: “There’s an exciting future in store for the site. Plant-based products are in huge demand and there is a gap in the market for a dairy-free factory producing fresh, quality products at scale.
“Freshly-squeezed juice is in double-digit growth in the UK compared to a relatively flat juice market and we can deliver in terms of consistency way better than ever before.”
Demand for healthier foods
Construction on the site began in February 2018 to help the company meet demand for healthier food options from its customers. To meet this demand, the bespoke plant can squeeze 960 oranges per minute, delivering 50% of the fruit weight as juice via six juice extractors.
Now fully operational, AMC has already secured Sainsbury’s as its first customer for freshly-squeezed juice, with production also now starting for a number of premium lemonades for upmarket retailer Waitrose’s Truly Scrumptious summer range.
As well as providing juice to large retailers and wholesalers, the site also produced dairy-free and allergen-free yoghurt for Rebel Kitchen and healthy, plant-based soups for brands including Bol.
Terry Haigh, managing director of the new factory, added: “Everything has been purpose-built so, not only do we have the latest technology for food manufacturing, we also have solar panels to provide a fifth of the site’s energy and we have a ‘zero to landfill’ commitment to environmentally responsible practices.”
All waste water at the site is recycled after particles are sieved out, while used fruit peels will be used for animal feed or fuel pellets.
Meanwhile, Mondelēz, the owner of brands Cadbury Dairy Milk, Green & Black’s and Oreo, has invested a further £4.7m in its Reading Science Centre, aiming to create 50 jobs there over five years.


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Huntington National Bank lowered its stake in shares of Clorox Co (NYSE:CLX) by 5.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 8,433 shares of the company’s stock after selling 440 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank’s holdings in Clorox were worth $1,850,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State of Michigan Retirement System boosted its stake in Clorox by 10.9% during the second quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 31,903 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,999,000 after buying an additional 3,133 shares during the period. Everett Harris & Co. CA purchased a new stake in shares of Clorox during the second quarter valued at $219,000. Carl P. Sherr & Co. LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Clorox during the second quarter valued at $219,000. Eads & Heald Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Clorox by 0.9% during the second quarter. Eads & Heald Wealth Management now owns 6,635 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,456,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the period. Finally, Mattern Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Clorox by 111.5% during the second quarter. Mattern Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,631 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,016,000 after purchasing an additional 2,441 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.55% of the company’s stock.
In related news, CAO Jeff Baker sold 5,158 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.74, for a total value of $1,050,890.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 7,963 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,622,381.62. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Denise Garner sold 25,832 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $197.62, for a total value of $5,104,919.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 17,468 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,452,026.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 73,011 shares of company stock valued at $14,788,606. Corporate insiders own 1.14% of the company’s stock.
Clorox (NYSE:CLX) last announced its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The company reported $1.89 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $1.72 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $1.78 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.69 billion. Clorox had a return on equity of 147.52% and a net margin of 13.67%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.44 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Clorox Co will post 6.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 29th will be paid a dividend of $1.11 per share. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.88%. This is an increase from Clorox’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, July 28th. Clorox’s dividend payout ratio is presently 70.25%.
CLX has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Clorox from $177.00 to $193.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Deutsche Bank lifted their price objective on Clorox from $174.00 to $223.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Clorox from $155.00 to $168.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Cfra lifted their price objective on Clorox from $170.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Clorox from $203.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. Clorox has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $185.08.
The Clorox Company manufactures and markets consumer and professional products worldwide. It operates through four segments: Cleaning, Household, Lifestyle, and International. The company offers laundry additives, including bleach products under the Clorox brand, as well as Clorox 2 stain fighter and color booster; home care products primarily under the Clorox, Formula 409, Liquid-Plumr, Pine-Sol, S.O.S, and Tilex brands; naturally derived products under the Green Works brand; and professional cleaning, disinfecting, and food service products under the Clorox, Dispatch, HealthLink, Clorox Healthcare, Hidden Valley, KC Masterpiece, and Soy Vay brands.
See Also: How Does the Quiet Period Work?
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Fatso Nut Butters CEO Jill Van Gyn talks imposter syndrome and the importance of culture
To honour the contenders in our second annual Women of the Year competition, we’ve created video interviews with finalists in eight categories.
For this instalment, we talked to Entrepreneurial Leader winner Jill Van Gyn.
An academic by trade, Van Gyn became obsessed with a struggling peanut butter company in her hometown of Victoria and bought it in 2016.
Today, Fatso Nut Butters sells its peanut butter and almond-and-seed butter nationwide—at smaller retailers and at major chains such as Loblaws, Sobeys and Whole Foods Market—and in Washington and Oregon. It also recently became certified as a B Corporation.
"There's so much pressure to succeed in business and entrepreneurship," Van Gyn says. "Entrepreneurs are always expected to be constantly killing it—we always have to be these uber achievers, and it can be really overwhelming," Van Gyn says.
For profiles of all the 2021 Women of the Year winners and finalists, click here. Congratulations to everyone.
Thank you to the judges—Laurel Douglas, Paris Gaudet, Trish Mandewo and Tina Strehlke—for their time and effort. We’re also grateful for the support of our generous sponsor, the Women’s Enterprise Centre.


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Whataburger fans excited burger chain is coming to Pineville
"I love Whataburger," said Cypert, a Whataburger fan sporting a Whatanation shirt and an orange Whataburger facemask at the groundbreaking held by Whataburger and the Central Louisiana Regional Chamber of Commerce.
"I grew up on Whataburger - starting out in Corpus Christi," said the Texas native.
The restaurant is set to open in January 2021 at Lofton Drive off Pinecrest Drive in Pineville.
"The hospitality and love that everybody has shown us thus far has made us feel right at home already," said Maci Dover, director of marketing for the Whataburger franchise.
As Whataburger and Chamber officials were setting up for the groundbreaking, motorists were driving by the location honking and waving. Some stopped to tell Dover and other officials that they can't wait for the restaurant to open.
"Somebody said earlier that now they don't have to travel north to Ruston and other places to get a Whataburger," said Pineville Mayor Clarence Fields.
He's said that's all he's been hearing about is Pineville getting a Whataburger so the popularity of the brand speaks for itself.
"We’re delighted to welcome Whataburger to Pineville and celebrate the groundbreaking of their first-ever restaurant in our community,” said Deborah Randolph, Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce president in a press release.
At the groundbreaking, Randolph said that their Facebook post about the Whataburger groundbreaking has been their top post to date with the most shares.
"There's so much excitement," said Dover.
"I'm really excited that we're getting a Whataburger here in Pineville," said Marco Molina, another fan of the Texas burger chain who was wearing his Whatadad shirt and orange Whataburger facemask at the groundbreaking.
"It's something new. It's something great. It's something I grew up on," said Molina who is originally from the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
He likes the Whataburger breakfasts, particularly the taquitos.
"And the cinnamon roll is out of this world," he added. "That's what I'm really excited about. Hopefully, they'll have the Dr. Pepper shake, too."
Cypert said he had been emailing the Whataburger corporate office and begging them to open a restaurant in Alexandria/Pineville.
“This is such a blessing for this community," said Cypert. "They're great burgers."
The new Whataburger will employ about 125 people in positions from team members to management, said the release.
The restaurant will feature a state-of-the-art kitchen, double drive-thru lanes, improved parking and an updated dining room that can comfortably seat even more guests than before.
“We’re proud to break ground on our first Whataburger restaurant in Pineville alongside the Chamber,” said Chris Johnson of GVCS, Inc. “We look forward to growing our Whataburger family with great new jobs for the community, and we can’t wait to begin serving our new neighbors and friends."
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This won't be the only Whataburger restaurant to be built in Central Louisiana, said Johnson.
"We've got some more planned," he said.
While the restaurant is under construction in Pineville, area Whataburger fans can visit the Whatastore where they can purchase anything with a Whataburger logo such as shirts, facemasks, hats, shoes, beach towels, swimming trunks and even a pair of Justin cowboy boots complete with the Whataburger logo.


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Expert: Koreans have money, desire, to travel, when safe
There is strong demand for travel from South Korea, with many Koreans indulging in pricy “stay-cations” at luxury hotels in the country, according to travel expert James Lee, who said occupancy in Korea’s 5-star hotels is more than 80%.
“People don’t have much to do. They really want to travel outside Korea,” said Lee, general manager of Klook, South Korea, which is an online travel booking service.
“They have a lot of money lying around,” Lee said and with few travel options, Koreans are spending it domestically, on hotel stays and fine dining, taking advantage of the pandemic to get into nicer restaurants that normally are booked. “People are really splurging on these luxury experiences,” he said.
Department store sales in Korea have increased significantly, despite the pandemic, Lee said, and the sale of luxury goods at Hyundai Department Store has increased 121.5%, year over year.
Lee was the main presenter Wednesday morning during an online webinar hosted by the Guam Visitors Bureau. The webinar focused on the mindset of potential travelers from the Asia Pacific region, domestic tourism trends, and advice for Guam to welcome Korean visitors.
Guam tourism could slowly start to reopen, beginning May 1, if Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero moves forward with a plan to waive the 14-day travel quarantine for arriving passengers who have tested negative for COVID-19. Before the pandemic, South Korea had become a significant tourist market for Guam, with visitor arrivals sometimes exceeding those from Japan, which has been Guam’s primary tourism market for decades.
“The yearning to travel is still there. However, due to COVID, people are a little reluctant to travel too far,” Lee said.
“It’ll take some time for travel to fully come back,” Lee said, with some experts predicting regional travel will resume during the fourth quarter of this year, after countries achieve “herd immunity” against COVID-19 during the third quarter of the year.
“Vaccination is going to be the first hurdle to overcome,” Lee said. “Vaccination rates for Korea are lackluster at this time.” Lee said tourism market recovery across the Asia Pacific region will be a multi-stage process, with different markets going through different recovery stages, subject to different travel restrictions.
According to Lee, South Koreans are participating mostly in domestic travel at this time, but regional travel will start as confidence increases, with Koreans, “revisiting familiar places and places perceived to be safe.”
Global travel will resume after traveler confidence is rebuilt, he said.
Outdoors a draw
Lee said interest in outdoor travel activities on the rise, especially among younger Koreans, in their 20s and 30s, and the trend is becoming a staple that could translate to other tourist destinations.
“These young millennials and Gen-Zs are actively going out, camping, hiking and golfing,” Lee said, adding sales of outdoor gear have increased 24%.
Guam could promote its outdoor experiences, such as scuba diving, Lee said. He said he visited Guam once, years ago, and earned his diver certification while here.
Travelers now prefer to travel alone or in small groups, with people they know, as opposed to participating in group tours, Lee said. He said Hong Kong has adjusted, turning group tours into private tours.
According to Lee, younger travelers will be among the first to start traveling, either because they are at low risk of getting COVID-19 or believe they are low risk. Those travelers will be motivated by unique experiences and the “Instagrammability Factor,” of the destination, he said.
Technology also plays a big role in Korea, he said, with many activities now “touchless” during the pandemic.
Many South Koreans currently avoid dining at typical restaurants because of the COVID-19 risk, Lee said, but food delivery services are now “huge.” He said Guam should consider giving visitors the option of having food from popular island restaurants delivered to their hotel rooms.
Lee offered the following advice, based on the “new priorities” for Korean travelers:
- Provide assurance that it is safe to visit the destination by highlighting the precautions undertaken — “It’s all about the communication,” Lee said;
- Demonstrate how the destination can be a value-for-money option — highlight savings and value-adds to be enjoyed;
- Showplace places to stay, things to do in a way that is new and refreshing; and
- Demonstrate how Guam is much more than just sea, sun and sand — there are more activities, such as culture, shopping and cuisine — to offer.


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With more B2B payment technology providers turning their attention to the electronic invoice, the document has become a keystone that connects accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR) portals.
In this week's look at the convergence of AR and AP, new solutions from Taulia, Transfermate, Fairfax and others wield the eInvoice to accelerate payments to vendors, ease workflow friction and bolster cash flow for both buyer and supplier.
Billtrust Broadens AP Integrations
Order-to-cash and accounts receivable solutions provider Billtrust is strengthening its connection with its customers' customers through more accounts payable integrations.
The company announced this week that it is now able to connect into more than 100 AP portals. The connectivity between AR and AP technologies is key to ensuring that accounts receivable professionals are able to efficiently deliver the invoices they generate via Billtrust for faster payment without the need to manually key in billing data.
"As many suppliers are aware, the recent proliferation of online AP portals has created additional manual work for invoicing teams," Billtrust said in its announcement, citing upcoming research from the Credit Research Foundation that found 89 percent of surveyed credit professionals said they work with at least one customer that requires manual invoice uploads.
Taulia Targets Supplier Invoicing Via The Buyer
In an effort to help businesses that are struggling to continue operating in a work-from-home environment, Taulia has debuted its Rapid Start Invoicing solution, a tool that enables small vendors to digitize their invoicing process.
The company is targeting those vendors through the AP departments of their corporate customers. Rapid Start Invoicing enables AP teams to guide their own vendors to eInvoicing to streamline invoice processing and payments, and to ensure that cash continues to flow through the supply chain.
Tradewind Eases Buyer-Supplier Cash Flow
Trade finance company Tradewind Finance is positioning itself to ease cash flows on both the AR and AP ends of the B2B spectrum. The company issued a press release this week revealing more flexible invoice factoring capabilities that allow suppliers to extend longer payment terms to their buyers without giving up capital.
Tradewind will now factor invoices with payment terms of up to 180 days, the company said, as it looks to ease cash flow pressures on global supply chains and help buyers hold onto capital longer while enabling suppliers to access capital more quickly.
AP Startup Libeo Eyes Vendor Collaboration
With new funding, France-based Libeo is looking to help B2B buyers and suppliers to collaborate more seamlessly. The AP FinTech recently announced that it will deploy a $4.35 million investment round to focus on company growth.
Libeo offers an invoice automation and AP digitization solution for small and medium-sized businesses that need deeper insight into their payables and cash flows.
"Paying and communicating with a supplier should be as simple and intuitive as sending a message on a social network," stated the company's founders, Pierre Dutaret, Jeremy Attuil and Pierre-Antoine Glandier.
TransferMate Eases Payments On Invoices
TransferMate Global Payments is debuting a new invoice payments feature designed to make it easier for suppliers to get paid on their invoices, while also easing friction for the payer.
Announced this week, TransferMate's new tool wields its network of local bank accounts and API integration capabilities that enable suppliers to send invoices and request payment to ensure that transaction values match invoice amounts. Payers, meanwhile, can settle invoices in their local currency, while vendors also receive funds in their local currency, enabling B2B payments to occur more quickly, the company said.
Previse Automates Invoice Exceptions
While it is positioned as a company that accelerates payments to suppliers, Previse operates on the AP side of the B2B transaction. The company, which recently secured $11 million in new funding, automates invoice processing and analyzes corporate buyer data to identify which invoices will need manual intervention, enabling the rest of the bills to be paid automatically.
The technology accelerates the order-to-cash cycle for vendors and supports healthier cash flow to SMBs, while easing AP friction on the buyer side.
Fairfax Embraces eInvoice's Convenience
In a recent conversation with PYMNTS, Fairfax Software CEO and President Steve Chahal discussed the company's recent collaboration with Mexico's Indicium, a pairing that sees Fairfax enabling payments processing within eInvoices sent via the Indicum solution eFactura.
According to Chahal, marrying payments and invoicing solves a "convenience problem," and not only for the supplier sending the invoice.
“For accounts receivable, when the link is right there to pay the invoice, nothing falls through the cracks,” he said. “For accounts payable, it’s a one-stop-shop to make a payment.”