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COLOMBO (EconomyNext) – Sri Lanka’s cabinet of ministers have approved a plan to provide guaranteed prices by paying a subsidy to small rubber and tea farmers for three months starting from April 01, cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said.
The price guarantee promised in the 100-day plan of the Maithripala Sirisena election platform will be made effective by paying the difference between the domestic market price and the election promise.
For RSS 01 and 02 grade rubber the government will guarantee a price of 350 rupees a kilo (subsidy 140), for RSS 03 grade, 325 rupees (subsidy 125), for RSS 04 and 05 grades 300 rupees (subsidy 110) and for Latex 300 rupees (subsidy 105).
At the moment the market price gap between latex and RSS 01 is only 15 rupees but with the subsidy it will increase to 50 rupees.
The subsidy will be paid by the Rubber Development Department to small holders who claim it.
The monthly subsidy cost will be 687.75 million rupees with the highest amount of 264 million rupees going to lowest grade RSS04 and 05. For the next three months the total cost will be 687.75 million rupees to the tax payer.
For the raw tea leaf price guarantee of 80 rupees a kilo, a subsidy will be paid to cover the gap between the price factories pay based on a Colombo Auction Average and the election promise, to suppliers who give 60 percent undamaged, immature leaf.
Sri Lanka Tea Board has also proposed an incentive of 02 rupees per kilo for 70-80 percent undamaged green leaf and 4 rupees extra for 80-90 percent quality teas.
Tea production is expected to go up by 30 million kilograms a year after the subsidy, costing 691.8 million rupees a month, or 2,075 million rupees for the next three months.
Assuming prices do not fall further tax payers will have to fork out 16,554 billion rupees a year for the tea and rubber subsidies.
With the Federal Reserve pulling out of its deadly quantity easing money printing excesses, the US dollar has strengthened, pushing down prices of oil, precious and base metals and food commodities. Some classical economists say a 1980s style low inflation period (Great Moderation 2.0) may be returning.
Price guarantees can have far reaching consequences. Thailand which promised price guarantees for rice virtually bankrupted itself with subsidies and rotting rice and ex-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was thrown out of office and charged over the scheme.


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Three months after announcing a plan to form an online video venture, NBC and News Corp. have hired a CEO, tapping Amazon.com exec Jason Kilar to run the operation.
Kilar, who has worked at Amazon for nearly a decade, helped launch and run its homevid business and also led a number of its tech initiatives. In a call with reporters, he emphasized “customer experience” as a goal for the site, still sounding like an exec for Amazon.com.
The venture had been run on an interim basis by NBC Universal chief digital officer George Kliavkoff, but the parties had stressed that they wanted a layer of execs who don’t come from either of the congloms.
The hiring took longer than some had anticipated, and the recruitment of a vet from outside the content biz also took some observers by surprise.
But NBC U and News Corp. execs said Thursday that Kilar had been a top choice for the online video venture, which is code-named NewCo in the industry but has yet to be given an official name.
In addition to distributing through Yahoo, AOL and other partners, the venture will attempt to build traffic with its own portal. Execs on Thursday offered more clues as to the future of the venture.
The hiring of the retailing vet — along with comments from conglom execs — suggests the venture will have a stronger focus on consumers than had been originally thought. In a conference call with reporters, News Corp. chief operating officer Peter Chernin and NBC U topper Jeff Zucker dismissed concerns that the venture was veering away from an earlier emphasis on distributing content to other sites.
“I don’t think there’s any confusion or any inconsistency,” Chernin said. “We want to build a standalone site that at the same time has content distributed to multiple partners. I don’t think they’re mutually exclusive.”
The venture has been dubbed the “YouTube killer” in media circles, But its focus on professional content that will be aimed at a broad swath of customers with the help of a recommendation engine suggests it will also blend in elements of iTunes and Amazon.
Frank Wilson is a retired teacher with over 30 years of combined experience in the education, small business technology, and real estate business. He now blogs as a hobby and spends most days tinkering with old computers. Wilson is passionate about tech, enjoys fishing, and loves drinking beer.

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Just a few weeks ago, a ticket simply to get in the doors of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans to see LSU take on Alabama for the BCS National Championship was going for more than $1,100. Tuesday night, less than a week before the game, the Daily Comet in LaFourche Parish, La. reported that late ticket buyers could find spots for less than $750. Sure, it's still expensive, but if you're already shelling out nearly a thousand bucks for a ticket, another $350 is a huge deal.
"Two days out from the game, there will be tickets going for under $750," said Jesse Lawrence of TiqIq.com. "The reality is that the hard part isn't necessarily getting the ticket, but whether or not you get a hotel room for Monday night. Plus, kids are in school, people are working, and it's a lot to ask that you uproot your life to go see a game.
"So I do think we'll see a bit of softening on the part of sellers. If I was a buyer, I might be negotiating $750 as my starting point right now, especially on sites like eBay where you can make an offer."
Chances are, all of the hotels in New Orleans are either booked or damn near close to it, but maybe you can find a friend's house or, say, a brothel where you could stay if you're one of these late-buying bargain hunters.


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Your data probably isn't being stolen from you directly, but from service providers you deal with.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
from security researcher Brian Krebs said that 40 million people who shopped at Target stores in the three days following Thanksgiving this year may have had their information stolen. According to Krebs, "The type of data stolen -- also known as “track data” -- allows crooks to create counterfeit cards by encoding the information onto any card with a magnetic stripe."
He also said that if the hackers intercepted PIN data for transactions, they could reproduce stolen debit cards and use them to withdraw cash from ATMs. In the meantime, the data breach is being investigated by the Secret Service. But that doesn't help the millions of people who have been the victims of fraud. It begs the question, how much longer do we have to put up with credit card number theft?
Thankfully, researchers are coming up with many new ways to pay for products and services that, in the future, won't require a credit card. Here are just a few.5 Ways To Shop Safely This Holiday
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have come up with PayTango, a new payment system that uses a fingerprint scanner to identify shoppers and provide them with one easy way to check out. If Target stores had this technology, the customer could press their finger on the payment pad instead of entering a PIN. Since a fingerprint cannot be duplicated, only the credit card owner would be authorized. It takes 20 seconds to sign up with PayTango, and is a good way to consolidate your bank, ID and gift cards into a one thing you'll never leave the house with: your finger.
You also never the leave the house without your face. This technology from Uniqual scans unique features of your face to identify you and authorize a payment from an account you've created. To make your purchase, just smile at the camera.
The Ring Theory, Kickstarter
Researchers at MIT wanted to use off-the-shelf technology to develop a creative method for making a payment. They developed the Sesame Ring, which give commuters access to the subway in Boston. The ring was 3-D printed and embedded with a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip compatible with the city’s MBTA CharlieCard, a rechargeable fare card. To catch a ride, just tap and go.
YURI KADOBNOV/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
As part of campaign by Russia's 2014 Olympic Committee to "add elements of sport into daily life," vending machines installed in Moscow subways give away a free ticket to anyone who can do 30 squats. Here, Olympic champion gymnast Yelena Zamolodchikova gets a ticket, no problem.
PC Plus Magazine/Future Publishing/Getty Images
The ability to pay by phone is extremely popular throughout Asia and Africa, where tap-and-go technology allows people in Tokyo, for example, to touch a phone to an NFC wireless pad and instantly make a purchase. In Africa, people routinely make payments via text message. In the United States, paying with a phone is slowly gaining ground with apps that work on both iPhone and Android smartphones. The phones need to be equipped with the wireless NFC chip and only work at cash registers equipped with a compatible NFC pad.
An Apple patent granted in 2011 details an “ad-hoc cash-dispensing network that allows users to efficiently exchange cash.” The idea is that a cash-strapped you would summon your app, which would use the location service on your phone to locate others in the area willing to part with a few bucks for a fee. Once you rendezvous, the transaction can be made. The human ATM would get reimbursed through an online account that both of you have signed into.
The Coin card combines all of your swipe-able cards (credit cards, debit cards, gift cards) into one handy place. A card-swipe dongle ships with the device and you must download an app to combine all of your cards onto the Coin. But once all of the information is stored on Coin all you need to do is tap a button on the card, toggle through your payment choice and select the appropriate method. Credit or debit?
Lately, how you pay is almost as important as what you pay with. The distributed peer-to-peer digital currency bitcoin functions without the intermediation of any government or central authority. One can purchase bitcoins using U.S. dollars and hold onto them as they gain value. Bitcoin payment processing fees are lower than those of credit cards and so there are incentives to spend them. In this photo, a man buys bitcoins from the world's first bitcoin ATM, owned by the company Bitcoiniacs, which went live inside a downtown Vancouver coffee shop.
Russian hackers stole 1.2 billion Internet credentials from major US companies and others around the world in what is likely the biggest data breach ever, security researchers said Tuesday.
The US firm Hold Security said the gang which it dubbed "CyberVor" collected confidential user names and passwords were stolen from some 420,000 websites, ranging from household names to small Internet sites.
"As long as your data is somewhere on the World Wide Web, you may be affected by this breach," Hold said in a statement on its website.
"Your data has not necessarily been stolen from you directly. It could have been stolen from the service or goods providers to whom you entrust your personal information, from your employers, even from your friends and family."
The security firm, which specializes in research on large data breaches, said the cybergang acquired databases of stolen credentials from fellow hackers on the black market, and then installed malware that allowed them to gain access to many websites and social media accounts.
"To the best of our knowledge, they mostly focused on stealing credentials, eventually ending up with the largest cache of stolen personal information, totaling over 1.2 billion unique sets of e-mails and passwords," the researchers said.
"The CyberVors did not differentiate between small or large sites. They didn't just target large companies; instead, they targeted every site that their victims visited. With hundreds of thousands sites affected, the list includes many leaders in virtually all industries across the world, as well as a multitude of small or even personal websites."
The researchers dubbed the hacker group CyberVor, using the Russian word "vor," for thief.
The New York Times first reported the breach, and said the group of hackers based their operation in south central Russia, a flanked by Kazakhstan and Mongolia, the report said.
The Times said the group includes fewer than a dozen men in their 20s and that their computer servers are believed to be in Russia.
"There is a division of labor within the gang," Hold Security founder Alex Holden is quoted as saying. "Some are writing the programming, some are stealing the data."


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Ariana DeBose’s rise to stardom was cemented at Sunday night’s 2022 SAG Awards, where the Afro-Latina actress continued her winning streak when she won the award for her role in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.”
DeBose, who is the first Latina to win a film award from the Screen Actors Guild and first LGBTQ woman of color to be recognized for acting, marked the groundbreaking win in her latest standout fashion moment — a bright fuchsia Valentino spring 2022 couture gown paired with De Beers diamonds — that came together in collaboration with her stylists Zadrian Smith and Sarah Edmiston.
When speaking Monday morning over Zoom, both stylists started off the interview gushing over DeBose’s championing nature and how she made a point to include her entire team in her win.
“This is how glass ceilings are shattered,” Smith said. “Ariana is in such a very special position as an Afro-Latina, queer women. She’s already breaking ceilings for herself, but for her to be, like ‘I can also break ceilings for Zadrian who is a Black gay man from the south or Sarah who is an Irish working mom.’ She’s making sure she’s holding the hands of everyone on her team.”
When it came to her SAG Awards look, the stylists explained that DeBose was highly involved in the process and that it was important for them all to work with a design house that shared their same morals and values.
The stylists ultimately looked to Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino who Smith described as “a designer who has done this work for a longstanding time” and highlighted the creative director’s spring 2022 couture collection, called “Anatomy of Couture,” which celebrated models of different sizes, ages and races.
Edmiston explained that DeBose “looked like love” in the Valentino couture dress, which had an orchid-like ruching at the back and was inspired by a gown Valentino Garavani created in 2002.
“She can carry a dress that is love,” she said. “On most other people, honestly, that dress would have worn them, but not for Ariana. For her, it was a perfect fit because she is such a huge spirit, huge personality and has a huge heart that she can wear a dress that is basically a huge heart.”
DeBose’s 2022 SAG Awards gown is just one of her many standout fashion moments in the last few months. During the press tour for “West Side Story,” the actress wore an array of high-fashion, colorful looks by Armani, Michael Kors, Gabriela Hearst, Fendi and others. Most recently, DeBose stunned at the NAACP Image Awards on Saturday wearing a crystal-embellished look from Alexander McQueen’s spring 2022 collection.
“It’s classic Americana with a twist,” Smith said about DeBose’s style. “Her references are such old school Hollywood, but I think she modernizes it. She loves classic silhouettes and classic shapes, and where Sarah and I come in and remix it is with an amazing color or an amazing detail.”
While the stylists stayed mum on what to expect from DeBose’s upcoming awards show looks, they offered that her fashion will remain authentic and reflect her personality.
“Her style is a celebration of all the nuances of her,” Edmiston said. “She is a multifaceted, wildly interesting woman and her style is defined by all of those parts of her. At our studio, we love the layered and nuanced human. A human with a journey and we draw from all of those things and that’s where the story comes from. We’re just narrators of what people have lived and where they’re living now.”
Click through the above gallery for more photos of Ariana DeBose’s style.
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The holiday home rental website Airbnb will soon be offering accommodation in a shark tank. In the "Aquarium de Paris," guests will be able to stay in a completely transparent room under water. The tank holds 3 million liters of water.
What parts of Germany would you like to see? That’s what we asked our users. Here are their favorite German states – as well as their least favorite.
Home rental website Airbnb has scrapped a contest offering a chance to spend the night at a section of the Great Wall of China after an online backlash from people worried it could damage the site.
The "King of Hoteliers and Hotelier of Kings" died 100 years ago. The Swiss Caesar Ritz is regarded as the inventor of the luxury hotel business. His career from waiter to hotel owner offers material for legends.
The Philippines re-opens its crown jewel resort island Boracay to holidaymakers on Friday, after a six-month clean up aimed at repairing the damage inflicted by years of unrestrained mass tourism.
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Twala, Edukasyon.ph win in CCIFP’s first Startup Pitch Competition
A blockchain-powered e-signature solution and a leading education technology (edtech) platform won the very first Startup Pitch Competition virtually held by the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines (CCIFP) last Feb. 8.
Twala Joins IdeaSpace 2021 Acceleration Program, Gets Recognized By La French Tech Philippines
Twala, a tech startup that offers digital transformation of businesses with their legally binding and secure electronic signature platform powered by blockchain technology, got selected as one of the startups that will join the IdeaSpace Philippines Acceleration Program 2021.
IDEASPACE Foundation, the startup support organization behind IdeaSpace and QBO Innovation Hub, announced a new round of investments after closing the ninth cohort of the IdeaSpace acceleration program.
So, you’re finally convinced of the significant cost and productivity benefits that esignatures can bring to your business. But there’s one compelling thought that has been keeping you from giving your green light to adopt the technology – are e-signatures legal in the Philippines?


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YRC Worldwide Inc., continuing its efforts to shed assets not directly related to its core North American less-than-truckload (LTL) business, said it has sold its 65-percent interest in Chinese trucker Shanghai Jiayu Logistics Co. Ltd., to its Chinese joint venture partner. YRC declined to identify the Chinese company or disclose terms of the transaction.
The disposal of the Jiayu asset squares with new CEO James L. Welch's plan to focus on YRC's domestic longhaul LTL network, recently renamed YRC Freight; its three U.S.-based regional LTL units, New Penn, Holland, and Reddaway; and its Canadian LTL unit, YRC Reimer. Late last year, Welch jettisoned YRC's money-losing Glen Moore truckload unit, calling it a "distraction" to his efforts to streamline the business around LTL operations.
Prior to Welch's joining the company last summer, YRC sold its dedicated contract carriage business and virtually all of its logistics division.
"This transaction allows us to further simplify our portfolio and streamline our operations as we concentrate on regaining the North American LTL market leader position," Welch said in a statement announcing the sale. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter and is subject to Chinese regulatory approvals.
In August 2008, YRC Logistics, then the company's logistics arm, bought a controlling share in Shanghai-based Jiayu for $44.7 million. At the time, YRC said it would buy the remaining 35-percent stake during 2010 for no more than $39 million. However, the 2008-09 financial crisis, subsequent recession, and YRC's badly deteriorating financial and operating condition scuttled those plans.
Jiayu had also become a financial burden on YRC. In a federal securities filing last month, YRC said that Jiayu reported an $8.8 million operating loss in 2011, and that YRC spent $3.3 million in cash to fund Jiayu's day-to-day operations during the year.
The purchase of the Jiayu stake was part of then-CEO William D. Zollars' strategy to build an end-to-end trans-Pacific supply chain network by adding one of China's largest truckload and less-than-truckload companies. At the time of the purchase, Jiayu had 200 locations and more than 300 vehicles in its fleet.


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In the year 2018, the industry has adapted to significant technological advancements. Some Hotel Industry Technology Trends are voice assistants, blockchain technologies and development in all aspects of hotel management, staff safety and sustainability. Ensuring robust digital security was at the forefront due to the rise in physical and online threats demonstrated the risks posed by technological change. Now that we are well into few months of this brand new year and the hotel industry is busy gearing up for its annual top trends, forecasting and anticipating on what the upcoming months have in store for them and the travellers.
Mobile is taking centre stage in everything that we do, while data-driven personalization is at the top of hotel trends that will dominate 2019. Hotel Industry Technology Trends is set to play a bigger part in all aspects of hospitality from marketing techniques, enhancing the guest experience, daily operations, let’s see how:
Voice-Based Search/Virtual Reality: A study has revealed that nearly 50% of the surveyed travellers use voice for search during their trip. So keeping updated information about a hotel on the web will be very important as we go ahead.
Likewise, AR/VR has a huge potential in this industry. From the marketing perspective, this technology can give travellers a three-dimensional view of the hotel room, entire property and may be areas surrounding it. This would help the visitors make a well-informed decision and inspire them to make a booking.
Mobile Trends: Thanks to development in mobile technology, there will be an onus on direct bookings. Hotels will be on improving mobile conversion even though desktops still brings in the bigger chunk of the revenue. This year for hotels will be focusing on optimizing their websites and booking tools to effectively convert mobile users.
Enhance Customer Experience: Personalization is the key. 2019 will redefine the experience in “guest experience” in different exciting ways. These days, travellers constantly seek out to make photographic memories to post on their social media over other traditional experience.
Technology is everywhere and the hotel industry will definitely profit if they align their business process and streamline it more towards making it friendly on mobile and other handheld devices. And as more hoteliers understand the importance of embracing tech, it is sure to be hugely beneficial as it will be an integral part of the operations, marketing, customer service and much more.
Posted By :Pace Wisdom


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Executives at big tobacco companies breathed a collective sigh of relief last month when the British government dropped plans to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes.
Their upbeat mood proved short-lived, however. Within days they had a new battle on their hands: this time over the cigarettes themselves, rather than the wrapping.
In a long-awaited report, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American regulator, stated it is “likely” menthol flavour cigarettes pose a health risk “above that seen with non-menthol cigarettes”.
Menthol cigarettes are not necessarily more unhealthy than traditional ones — even the FDA concedes “there is little evidence” to suggest they “contribute to more disease risk” than ordinary cigarettes. But critics argue they play a crucial role in encouraging people to smoke by improving…


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Wine makers in British Columbia are saying ‘Cheers’ after Alberta Premier Rachel Notley announced the end of Alberta’s ban on importing B.C. wine this week. The ban, imposed February 6 2018, was predicted to impact $70 million worth of wine from B.C. per year. The reason for the ban? An announcement from British Columbia Premier John Hogan that the province would not take additional levels of crude from Alberta. As a reminder, B.C. has actively opposed the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline, which received approval from the federal government in 2016 (and was recently promoted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau). The expanded pipeline would triple the amount of oil shipped from Alberta, and provide Alberta’s bottlenecked oil producers with much needed access to Asian markets. Alberta’s ban on B.C. wine was meant to be a bargaining chip in the trade war – albeit an aggressive one. Its demise comes after Hogan’s government singled their intent to turn to the courts, and ask whether B.C’s ban on increased crude exports is legal.
It’s been a sad few days for Canadian snack-lovers as PepsiCo announced the closure of their Alberta Spitz snack facility. While PepsiCo is the current owner of the popular seed snack brand, the American snack juggernaught only came to own the brand a decade ago after acquiring the business from two Albertan farmers in a 2008 private multimillion dollar deal. The decision to close the facility came as a shock to both employees, and brand founder Tom Droog, as PepsiCo had continued to invest millions of dollars into the original Spitz Plant in the years following its acquisition. Pepsi has cited concerns about the long-term viability of the facility – specifically the ability for the plant to meet increasing volumes requirements (sales have tripled through the course of Pepsi’s ownership, from 5.5 million kgs of seeds per year to 14 million kgs) – as their motivation in shuttering the plant. Droog, however, is sceptical, and worries that the decision to close the Alberta plant is part of a larger push to move production of goods from Canada to the United States (see the Campbell Soup Factory closure from earlier this year).
Attention all pet owners – it looks like your pet food will soon be coming from a familiar source. On Friday, General Mills Inc – who’s banner brand is best known for producing breakfast cereals such as Chex and Cheerios – announced their decision to purchase Blue Buffalo Pet Products Inc for nearly $8-billion. The acquisition will see General Mills pay $40 per Blue Buffalo share, a premium of 17.2% over Thursday’s closing price. General Mills’ move is consistent with business trends in the packaged food industry. In recent years, major packaged food producers have looked to expand into faster growing business areas such as pet and organic food products, as demand for older brands flounder. Nestlé’s Purina business unit is the largest in the United States, Cargill announced their decision to acquire Pro-Pet in early January, and Mars acquired animal healthcare provider VCA for $7.7-billion last year. Experts anticipate Blue Buffalo will help boost General Mills sales and profit margins within two years. There is big demand for pet food (U.S. retail sales rose 3.7% last year), and Blue Buffalo’s reputation as a provider of natural and premium products makes it attractive to customers.
It’s hard to remember a time before the ‘sharing economy’. In the modern era, ‘Uber’ is synonymous with ‘taxi’, ‘Foodora’ is synonymous with ‘takeout’ and ‘Airbnb’ is synonymous with ‘hotel’, and while peer-to-peer business models have gradually made their way into the collective conscience, it’s important to remember that these business models are still relatively new and viewed with scepticism by prospective users and regulators alike. On Thursday, California based startup Airbnb announced their latest attempt to lure prospective customers with the introduction of Airbnb Plus – a new product line comprised of higher-end accommodations which are subject to strict quality standards. Airbnb, currently valued at $30 billion, hopes the new line will attract business travellers and luxury vacationers who have steered away from the platform in the past – instead craving the predictability and service that come with conventional hotel accommodations. The company hopes the new business practice will show the company’s ability to generate new revenue streams, and ultimately allow for a successful initial public offering (which could take place as soon as 2019). Airbnb Plus is restricted to a handful of pilot customers at present, and the success of the program remains to be seen. This is not the company’s first attempt to expand from its initial accommodations offering. In November 2016 Airbnb began offering “Experiences”, however growth in the segment has been sluggish as customers are wary of paying strangers for excursions, workshops and classes.
And finally, we’ve commented on the impact Ontario’s minimum wage increase will have on the province’s workers – with the hike in hourly rates from $11.60/hour to $14/hour set to trigger a loss of tens of thousands of jobs by 2020 (estimates place lost jobs as between 60,000 and 90,000). This week we’re commenting on the impact new wages have had on Ontario’s consumers – specifically, on the province’s menus. Prices for food purchased at Ontario restaurants rose 1.9% in January. This is the second largest monthly price increase in recent history, with the last comparable price jump seen in January 1991. In both cases the increase was triggered by changes in government policy. 1991’s hike, the biggest one month menu price gain on record (7.2%), occurred following Prime Minister Brain Mulroney’s decision to introduce a federal goods and services tax.


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When it was first announced that Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth of Top Chef were opening a new restaurant inside the old PB Steak space, we started counting the days until its arrival. Now that it’s officially open for business, we’re happy to report that Stiltsville Fish Bar was well worth the wait.
Scarpetta by Scott Conant, the award-winning seaside Italian eatery located at the iconic Fontainebleau Miami Beach, has an array of new and exciting offerings just in time for the Fall and Holiday season.
The famed restaurant is not only introducing a pasta making series and offering new seasonal menu items but is excited to announce that Sorso at Scarpetta is now permanent. The infusion bar located in the bar/lounge of Scarpetta launched as a pop-up this past winter and quickly became a hit amongst locals and visitors alike.
Here’s a closer look at the new menu items.
“Whoa.” That was our reaction after finishing our meal at BLT Steak, the South Beach steakhouse that has a new lease on life inside Iberostar Berkeley Hotel. Back in early 2016, the restaurant closed up shop on Ocean Drive and bid its time to make a triumphant return. If our recent dinner was any indication, BLT Steak 2.0 has succeeded.
On the intersection of Washington Avenue and 1st Street in Miami Beach, Top Chef winner Jeremy Ford has set up shop with his first post-Matador Room venture: Stubborn Seed. It’s the first of two restaurants we can expect from the nationally renowned chef and Grove Bay Hospitality (the team behind Glass & Vine and other local favorites).
The South of Fifth space that once housed Tiramesu has been transformed into an inviting showcase for Chef Ford’s masterful menu, which lives up to its goal of taking honest ingredients and elevating them to a whole new level. Diners are in for a treat.
Since starting the blog, we’ve interviewed many members of the hospitality industry, and one constant among the interviewees has been a profound love for their pets. We thought it would be great to share this love with our readers.
That’s why we launched an ongoing feature called “Wag Wednesday” to showcase industry peeps and their pets. Know someone who wants to be featured? Email us at email@example.com.
This week, we’re featuring Drew Andrade, Executive Chef at Tanuki, and his French Bulldog, Ryder.


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SEJONG, May 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's exports fell 6.4 percent in the first 10 days of May from a year earlier mainly due to decreased shipments of semiconductors, customs data showed Monday.
The country's exports stood at US$13 billion in the May 1-10 period, compared with $13.9 billion in the same period last year, according to the Korea Customs Service.
The customs office said daily average exports -- which reflect working days -- declined 13.6 percent on-year to $2.01 billion.
By product, exports of passenger cars and petroleum products jumped 19.2 percent and 10.5 percent, respectively. Outbound shipments of semiconductors fell 31.8 percent.
By destination, South Korea's exports to the European Union and Vietnam rose 0.4 percent and 29.9 percent, respectively. But South Korea's shipments to China and the United States -- the country's top two overseas markets -- fell 16.2 percent and 2.8 percent, respectively.
South Korea imported goods worth $15.2 billion in the 10-day period, up 7.2 percent from a year earlier.
S. Korea braces for possible spread of ASF
Employment conundrum looms large in S. Korea with aging population
Under heir apparent leadership, Hyundai on road to become future mobility solutions provider
While Samsung innovates smartphones, Apple upgrades
(News Focus) Hyundai Motor on way to better performance after no-strike wage deal


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A close-up of Olympus’ 5-axis image stabilization system
posted Monday, April 6, 2015 at 3:09 PM EST
With the OM-D E-M5, Olympus introduced to the world a 5-axis sensor-shifting image stabilization system – the first of its kind in any consumer camera.
To see the technology in action, Micro 4/3rds Photography made the below video, which takes a look at how the sensor carefully adjusts itself as the camera rolls, tilts and turns.
To capture the video, Micro 4/3rds Photography used a Samyang 7.5mm f/3.5 fisheye lens attached to a Panasonic Lumix GH4. That setup was then attached to the OM-D E-M5 II and used to record the action.
(via 43 Rumors)


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This video shows the moment a man returns to his car with his shopping – only to find it completely submerged under waist-deep water.
But frankly, he reacts in exactly the same way that anyone in the same situation would – by swearing and shouting a lot.
The clip was taken at a shopping centre car park in San Diego after a record amount of rain fell on Tuesday, brought by the weather front El Nino which has been causing weather chaos up and down the California coastline.
It was accidentally caught by a camera man for CBS news who featured it in their later reports.
The Fashion Valley Mall, where the clip was captured, was submerged under several feet of water when massive amounts of rainfall caused a river nearby to burst its banks.
Dozens of vehicles were trapped in the multi-storey until waters began to recede more than 24 hours later.


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Adria Airways in the red again
Ljubljana, 13 September - The Slovenia-based carrier Adria Airways slipped back into the red, posting a net loss of EUR 5.4m last year. In 2016, the company was in the black due to the sale of its brand, while last year's negative result is attributed to rising fuel prices. Revenue was up by 1.7% to EUR 159.2m.
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Chevrolet today announced it will invest $5 billion in the development of an all-new lineup of vehicles to bolster its worldwide growth markets that include Brazil, China, India, and Mexico.
“With a significant majority of anticipated automotive industry growth in 2015 to 2030 outside of mature markets, Chevrolet is taking steps to capitalize on that growth,” says Dan Ammann, president of GM.
Ammann says the vehicle family will replace several existing vehicles. He says GM has expanded its partnership with SAIC Motor, a Chinese-owned automotive manufacturing company, to jointly develop the core architecture and engine for the new vehicles.
Ammann says the vehicles will be exported for sale to growth markets, but will not be exported to mature markets like the United States. He says the program is expected to add more than 2 million vehicles annually to the automaker’s sales. The debut is planned for the 2019 model year.
“This new vehicle family will feature advanced customer-facing technologies focused on connectivity, safety, and fuel efficiency delivered at a compelling value,” says Mark Reuss, executive vice president of global product development, purchasing, and supply chain for GM.
Reuss says Chevrolet expects to improve competitiveness and profitability by delivering what customers expect in each market.â€‹


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Apple has added to its product range in the past month and put the Plus model back into the iPhone collection. In smart watches, it introduced an all-round version for professional athletes called Watch Ultra, as well as the Watch 8 and Watch SE. Since then, it launched a new application called Oceanic+ which expanded the capabilities of the Watch Ultra models.
Apple Watch Ultra has a specialized dive computer using Oceanic+!
Apple Watch Ultra can show several different data types such as underwater depth and instantaneous temperatures. However, this wasn’t enough for those who would dive more professionally than amateurs. Here’s where Oceanic+ fills the void.
Mike Huish, president and CEO of Huish Outdoors, was Huish Outdoors, Inc.
With the help of Huish Outdoors and Apple, the Oceanic+ app also allows recreational divers to use their watch Ultra watches for professional diving. Because of the ability of the application, the watch from your wrist automatically turns into an easy-to-use dive computer.
App Store Awards have re-arrangled our owner! Here are the best games and games.
App Store Awards, and other goodbyes were paid this year. Apple announced its best apps and games by 2022.
With this application, you can dive up to 40 meters of gas and avoid gas embolism, which is known as hoarse or decompression sickness, due to the formation of gas bubbles in the body that have pushed a high pressure area towards a lower pressure area in the first half of the day.
Mike Huish, a senior at Huish Outdoors, said he was a producer and director.
At Huish Outdoors, we aim to stimulate people’s adventurous spirit. Oceanic+ on the Apple Watch Ultra represents one of the biggest advancements the diving industry has faced in a long time. We create a wide range of experiences for everyone.
The news is updating.
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Australian-themed chain bar Walkabout on Lincoln High Street will be closed until Wednesday evening as it undergoes a refurbishment worth over £60,000.
The popular pub and restaurant closed on Sunday, October 22 at 8pm and will reopen on Wednesday, October 25 at 8pm for the Freak Show Halloween Party.
A brand new bar, new furniture and “arty improvements” to the bathrooms will occur during the revamp.
The refurbishment comes after Stonegate Pubs took over some Walkabout pubs. The company is giving the Lincoln bar a facelift.
Rachael Hamilton from Walkabout Lincoln told The Lincolnite: “There’s not a huge amount that customers will immediately notice but staff are going to love the new layout of the bar and hopefully so will the customers.
“Since we have been bought out by Stonegate have been investing in refurbishments at Walkabouts across the country and we’re one of them.”
Further refurbishment works are expected in the New Year.


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Discover Riverland Wine Six of our best – ‘Riverland Gold’ is set to lead the charge of wines at this year’s Cellar Door Festival in Adelaide (February 14–16) tempting patrons to ‘Discover Riverland Wine’.
For the second year, Riverland wine producers are collaborating to put together ‘Riverland Wine Sampler’ offers for the festival. There will be three six-pack samplers featuring white styles, red styles and award-winning wines. ‘Discover Riverland White’, ‘Discover Riverland Red’ and ‘Discover Riverland Gold’ wines were selected by an experienced industry tasting panel from nearly 50 entries submitted.
Riverland Wine will be at the Cellar Door Festival, proudly representing 10 Riverland producers including fledgling labels Bassham Wines, Whistling Kite and Spook Hill, along with established brands that include Banrock Station and 919 Wines. The Adelaide Cellar Door Festival is in its fourth year, and features wine producers from regions such as Barossa, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills. The festival offers a great opportunity to highlight the quality and diversity of wines, styles and varieties grown in our region. The Riverland sampler offer is being supplemented by Riverland Wine merchandise and voucher offers to entice visitors to come and experience more of the region.


text: The arts center is currently taking donations for our spring rummage sale. Gently used items can be dropped off at the arts center any time during regular business hours: Mon.-Thurs. 9 a.m.- 9 p.m., Fri. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sat. 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. The rummage sale will be held on Saturday, May 20th, and all proceeds benefit the Ashtabula Arts Center.


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US STOCKS-Amazon, Visa results disappoint, drag on Wall Street
* Durable goods data better than expected
* Amazon shares tumble after larger-than-expected loss
* Baidu jumps as net profit soars
* Indexes down: Dow 0.6 pct, S&P 0.3 pct, Nasdaq 0.4 pct (Adds data, Starbucks, updates trading)
By Rodrigo Campos
NEW YORK, July 25 (Reuters) - Disappointing earnings from Amazon and Visa dragged U.S. stocks lower on Friday in a broad selloff led by consumer discretionary shares.
Amazon tumbled 10.7 percent to $320.11 after reporting an unexpectedly big loss for the second quarter, citing greater expenses on investments. With more than 7 million shares traded in the first 45 minutes of action, volume was already above the average for the past 10 days.
"Earnings have been the driving force of this market all week. We had a series of good reports but Amazon in particular was a disappointment and has led to some profit taking," said Rick Meckler, president of investment firm LibertyView Capital Management in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Amazon dragged on the consumer discretionary sector , which lost 0.9 percent. Continuación...


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The global COVID-19 pandemic has set a new baseline for ecommerce in Australia, with online predicted to hold a 15 percent share of the total retail market by the end of 2020, excluding cafes, restaurants and take away.
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Australia Post released its 2020 Inside Australian Online Shopping Report, which provides insight into the impact the pandemic has had on the industry so far, as well as a look back at the key trends that emerged in 2019.
Australia Post General Manager Parcel and Express Services, Ben Franzi said the recent rate of acceleration the ecommerce industry had experienced was unprecedented.
“The industry is in overdrive and this shift happened almost overnight with growth for the eight weeks following the WHO’s announcement of the pandemic up 80 percent year on year (YOY)”
“In April alone we saw over 200,000 new online shoppers enter the market, and a million more people overall shopping online every week when compared to the average in 2019.”
“This influx drove the number of purchases in the 30 days to April 30 up 6.8 percent when compared to the 30 days to 18 December 2019, a traditional peak period which includes Black Friday and the pre-Christmas rush.”
“Further, the big surprise in April this year was the Easter long weekend which overtook the 2019 Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping event as the busiest period in Australian online shopping history.”
“Though we’ve seen early signs of normalization through May, all areas of the industry are still up significantly when compared to 2019, suggesting that this new normal may be here to stay,” Mr. Franzi continued.
Australians Change Shopping Behavior
But it would appear that the pandemic hasn’t only changed Australians’ online purchase frequency; it has also impacted when they’re buying and how they’re receiving their goods.
“In the past, we would see a concentration of purchasing between 7-10 pm, but in recent months this has become more evenly spread throughout the day, as more people work from home and spend less time commuting,” said Mr. Franzi.
“Alternate delivery options are also growing steadily, up 30 per cent YOY and we expect this growth to continue. Social distancing will remain a priority in the months to come so contactless will be key and services like 24/7 Parcel Lockers give shoppers choice and flexibility,” he continued.
Looking back at 2019, Australians spent a huge $32 billion online, and the number of online purchases increased by 17.5 percent YOY. Victoria was the only State or Territory to achieve growth above this at 19.9 percent.
Fashion and apparel remained the most popular items purchased throughout 2019, but as people began to spend more time at home during 2020, purchases of specialty food and liquor, entertainment and items for the home office began to soar.
Point Cook in Melbourne’s west retained its position as the number one spot for online shopping for the fifth time and seven of the nation’s top 10 suburbs recorded growth above the national average.
To download a copy of the 2020 Inside Australian Online Shopping Report please visit auspost.com.au/einsights.
Top 10 Australian locations for online shopping by volume in 2019 were:
- Point Cook, VIC
- Cranbourne, VIC
- Toowoomba, QLD
- Liverpool, NSW
- Hoppers Crossing, VIC
- Mackay, QLD
- Rouse Hill, NSW
- Gosford, NSW
- Campbelltown, NSW
- Craigieburn, VIC
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(Jacob Bunge – Wall Street Journal)
U.S. food companies must label products containing genetically engineered ingredients by 2022, federal regulators said, a victory for manufacturers who pushed for more time before disclosing use of the controversial crops.
The new rules for labeling “bioengineered foods” also allow companies to skip labeling some ingredients, including refined sugars and corn syrups that often are made from genetically modified crops. That decision, outlined Thursday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is a win for food makers that argued traces of genetic material from modified crops in those ingredients are eliminated during processing.
"This ensures clear information and labeling consistency for consumers about the ingredients in their food,” USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue said. Click here to read more.


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Apple CEO Tim Cook’s net worth has crossed the $1 billion (roughly Rs.7,500 crores) mark, making him part of the elite billionaire club – a rare feat for a non-founder CEO, as per an analysis. Apple’s share price rose almost 5 percent last week, bringing the company close to a historic $2 trillion (roughly Rs.149 lakh crores) in valuation. Under Cook, Apple recently became the world’s most valued publicly traded company, surpassing state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco.
As per the analysis by Bloomberg, Tim Cook’s net worth eclipsed $1 billion, according to calculations by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The index is a daily ranking of the world’s richest people, updated at the close of every trading day in New York. CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, tops the list at $186 billion (roughly Rs.14 lakh crores), followed by former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates at $121 billion (roughly Rs.9 lakh crores), and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg at $99 billion (roughly Rs. 7 lakh crores). Cook’s net worth, as calculated by the Index, is based on an analysis of regulatory filings and applying the market performance of a typical wealthy investor to his proceeds from share sales, as per the analysis.
When Apple founder Steve Jobs died, the company was valued at about $350 billion (roughly Rs. 26 lakh crores), as per a report. But now, under Cook, Apple has become the world’s most valuable publicly traded company, surpassing state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco. After Apple bought back $16 billion (roughly Rs.1 lakh crores) worth of shares in the June quarter, it had 4,275,634,000 outstanding shares, as of July 17, according to the filing.
In a 2015 interview, Cook had stated that he plans to give most of his fortune away, and has already gifted millions of dollars-worth of Apple shares, as per the report. If Cook has made other undisclosed charitable gifts, his wealth could be lower than the current calculations.


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Our Road division has just celebrated its most successful month on record following an intensive period of investment.
Europa Road achieved its highest ever gross profit per day since the company began in February, outperforming even its peak results. The success has come off the back of heavy development of the business’ road branch network of 11 sites across the UK in the past 12 months, which has seen investment in new services, new offices and new members of staff to further establish its impact as one of the leading road freight operators in the country.
Part of this investment has seen the appointment of two dedicated Internal Recruitment & Acquisition Managers, Vanita Dass Puri and Mark Chopping, to boost the teams with talented Road Account Managers. The pair have embarked on building Europa’s own database of candidates, with a push on recruiting experienced salespeople and promoting the company’s own internal career development programme.
The division has employed 17 Road Account Managers at sites across the UK and has also opened a new, larger office in Nottingham, all in the past year.
Together with this team expansion, Europa’s brand new MBX service, launched in August last year, has seen a boom in bookings from new and existing customers, with take up of the service increasing by 57% (2018 vs 2017). MBX offers customers the opportunity to benefit from a full refund of freight charges if Europa fails to deliver to the customer’s defined and agreed transit time – a pioneering move in the industry, as the first logistics provider to develop such a service.
Dionne Redpath, Sales Director for Europa Road, said: “The brilliant results we’ve seen recently have come from a culmination of hard work and some great investment decisions over the past 12 months. We’re now operating in more areas, taking more bookings and have more staff than ever before.
“The next quarter of 2018 is set to be equally as record-breaking and exciting as the first three months of the year. With our passionate and enthusiastic team of branch and account manager at the helm of our Road sales operation, the sky really is t


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(Adds CFO comments, details)
By Gabriela Mello
SAO PAULO, April 25 (Reuters) - Brazil's largest fashion retailer, Lojas Renner SA, reported on Thursday a quarterly net profit that was 45 percent higher year-on-year and greatly exceeded market expectations, helped by double-digit sales growth despite a sluggish economy.
In a securities filing, the company said it posted a first-quarter net profit of 161.6 million reais ($40.93 million), based on new international accounting standards known as IFRS.
Analysts had projected a profit of 128.2 million reais in the period, according to consensus estimates compiled by Refinitiv.
Same-store sales growth accelerated 12.7 percent, compared with 6.3 percent a year ago. Net revenue increased 18 percent to 1.65 billion reais, while operational costs fell 4.6 percent. As a result, net margin rose 1.8 percentage point to 9.8 percent.
Based in the southern city of Porto Alegre, Lojas Renner has successfully transitioned from a traditional department store to a profitable, tech-savvy, fast-fashion retailer.
"April is evolving according to our expectations and we have important retail events ahead of us such as Mother's Day and Valentine's," Chief Financial Officer Laurence Gomes said in a phone interview, referring to expectations for the second quarter.
He said the company planned to invest 700 million reais in 2019, including a new 150,000-square-metre (1.6 million-square-foot) distribution center in the southeast region of Brazil.
Lojas Renner is also accelerating online sales, Gomes added, without providing details, as the retailer does not disclose such numbers.
Lojas Renner shares closed 5.8 percent higher on Thursday at 45.85 reais, more than the 1.6 percent rise of the benchmark Bovespa index.
$1 = 3.9537 reais Reporting by Gabriela Mello; Editing by Leslie Adler and Peter Cooney


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Zomato mandates all delivery partners to use Aarogya Setu
In an attempt to keep delivery partners and customers safe, Zomato is also encouraging users to download the app. Urban Company too has asked all frontline employees to use Aarogya Setu
Zomato has made it mandatory for all its delivery partners to download and use Aarogya Setu. The food-delivery company is currently catering to food as well as grocery deliveries across cities to help people cope with the current Covid-19 lockdown.
In an announcement today, Zomato addressed the fact that running a food delivery operation at this point in time is not profitable and they'd rather "shut this down temporarily and conserve some cash when investments are drying out". But, "it is a call of duty to continue to serve", said Zomato, adding that "one delivery partner on the street saves hundreds of families from going out of their homes to buy essentials and run their household".
However, being on the frontline exposes all delivery partners to the possibility of getting infected by the virus and also the customers they get in touch with for those few seconds to deliver an order.
"And every day, we lose our sleep over - 'what if someone catches the infection'."
Bringing contact tracing in to help curb the (potential) spread of Covid-19, Zomato has mandated that all delivery partners install and use the Aarogya Setu app. "The idea is to keep individuals, as well as the authorities, informed in case our delivery partners have crossed paths with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus - to prevent further spread," Zomato explained.
"We are also going to showcase that our delivery partners are using the Aarogya Setu app on the Zomato app so that our users feel confident in getting their essentials home delivered, and not step out," they added.
"We have made sure that they can only log in to their Zomato Delivery Partner app if their phone has the Aarogya Setu app installed, and is running as a background process on their phone," Zomato explained.
With this feature, Zomato hopes to fulfil two main objectives -
- In case the delivery partner comes in contact with an infected person or visits a hotspot area, authorities will know at the earliest. This will instantly enable us to isolate the delivery partner, and support him/her for quarantine and treatment.
- In case everything's showing okay on the app, then a user knows for sure that whichever delivery partner is bringing their order to the doorstep is most likely safe and aware.
"We also encourage our users to download the Aarogya Setu app. We are aware of the alleged privacy concerns that some of us have against using the app. But even if these concerns were well-founded, it is a small cost to pay for the sake of the collective long term," the announcement read.
"Stepping out for essentials might seem safer, but it is not. In this case, unlike a lot others, ignorance is not bliss. It can lead to catastrophic outcomes for the entire community. We all need to stay at home and live through this,"Zomato said.
The company has pointed out that this is the first time they have made something mandatory for delivery partners, even their red t-shirts are not mandatory.
More companies join in
After Zomato, Urban Company has also asked all its frontline employees to use Aarogya Setu.
In a statement, Abhiraj Bhal, co-founder of Urban Company, said:
"Urban Company has put in place a strict six step safety protocol for all services. These protocols include daily temporary checks, wearing masks and gloves, sanitization of tools & surfaces, use of single use sachets and disposables, sick leave programme etc. A very important SOP is our service partner showing consumers their status on the Aarogya Setu app before entering the consumer's house."


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The week’s stand-out product moves include dairy-free alternatives from Impossible Foods and Chobani, and meat-free pork pies from the UK’s Addo Food.
Impossible Foods developing milk alternative
Impossible Foods, a meat-alternative business in California, is developing dairy-free milk, with further plans to enter the plant-based category in eggs, fish and chicken.
“The demo of our milk prototype is just one example (among many) of the new products we’re working on behind the scenes. We do not yet have a commercialisation date for milk yet, but rather we shared it as an example of the different kinds of stimulating, challenging problems we have for scientists to work on at Impossible Foods,” the company said in a statement.
“Impossible Foods fully intends to eliminate the need for animals in the food chain by 2035. That means we need to make a wide variety of products that we currently get from animals – including ground cuts, whole cuts such as steak, milk, eggs, fish and many more products.
“Our work on milk is well under way, but keep in mind that the prototype we showed may not be the final recipe that we produce commercially. As part of company policy, we will not launch it until it is as good as, or ideally better than, the animal-derived version, and will not be announcing any date for the commercialisation of Impossible Milk.”
Impossible Foods is also exploring plant-based options in seafood, chicken and other dairy products.
Chobani takes oat drink blend to Australia
Chobani, the US business that started out in the Greek yogurt category, has taken its dairy-free Oat Drink Barista Blend to Australia.
Oat Drink Barista Blend was initially rolled out in the US last year, Chobani’s first foray outside of yogurt. While the product is currently being exported to Australia there are plans to set up a local manufacturing base.
Chobani said the oat product is “designed to behave like steamed whole milk in coffee and tea, with the perfect froth and a rich, creamy taste”. It is launching in cafés and coffee shops first, along with other hospitality venues such as hotels, restaurants, quick-service restaurants, and also coffee manufacturers.
“We are still in the early phases of planning to establish local manufacturing capabilities for oat-based products in Australia. We are focusing on this priority before we start considering plans for further expansion in the category,” Chobani said.
“Our mission has always been to bring better food to more people, so we can’t wait to expand into the retail market next so that our fans can grab Chobani Oat straight from the supermarket shelves.”
Chickpea specialist Banza moves into frozen pizzas
US chickpea pasta start-up Banza has launched better-for-you frozen pizza products.
Banza, which also has chickpea-based rice and mac & cheese lines, has created a pizza made with a chickpea crust.
The company suggests its new pizzas have more protein and fibre, and fewer net carbs and sodium, than the leading traditional (wheat-based) and better-for-you (cauliflower-based) frozen pizzas currently on the market.
Brian Rudolph, CEO & co-founder of Banz, said: “Chickpeas are one of the most nutrient-dense and environmentally-friendly foods available, yet we consume far less of them than we should. At Banza, we’re demonstrating the versatility of the ingredient and increasing consumption by using them to upgrade some of America’s favourite foods – pasta, rice and now, pizza.”
The new pizza range is available in three varieties – Four Cheese, Roasted Veggie and Margherita, and a two-pack, build-your-own Plain crust option.
Banza Pizza is now available nationwide at Target, Whole Foods Market, Wegmans, and Heinen’s, with an RRP of US$8.99.
Laird Superfood enters snacks category
Laird Superfood, a US-based maker of plant-based beverages, has entered the snacks category with the launch of Pili Nuts.
Up until now, Oregon-based Laird, founded in 2015 by surfer Laird Hamilton and Paul Hodge, its chief executive, had been focused on coffee creamers and beverages such as hydration products, drinkable supplements, instant coffee, teas and hot chocolate.
But it has now rolled out Pili Nuts in three flavours: Himalayan salt, matcha and cacao.
The nuts are grown in the Philippines and are a source of magnesium and vitamin E, containing 18 grams of fat per serving.
The matcha variety are coated in organic Kyoto matcha sourced from Japan and organic coconut flower sugar, while the cacao version is dusted with a coating of organic Ecuadorian Cacao and organic coconut flower sugar.
CEO Hodge said: “The introduction of our Pili Nuts in the snack food category demonstrates our strong commitment to building a brand platform and continuing momentum in the natural foods market. We aim to expand into many aisles of the grocery store – and we feel that Pili Nuts is the perfect place to start.”
Pili Nuts are available at select US retailers at US$11.95 for a pack of three.
Graham’s the Family Dairy debuts Squidgies yogurt pouches; launches Scottish sea salt butter
Graham’s the Family Dairy is launching a three-strong range of easy-to-squeeze yogurt pouches for kids named Squidgies, along with a new butter using Scottish sea salt.
Available in three flavours – Strawberry, Peach and Mango, and Blueberry – Squidgies have initially been introduced in Graham’s home market of Scotland, with plans to extend the offering to the rest of the UK.
Squidgies was the idea of managing director Robert Graham’s three children and are made with whole milk and real fruit, providing calcium, vitamin D and live cultures.
MD Graham said: “Innovation and product development are something we at Graham’s pride ourselves on and this new product specifically created for children is a first for our family dairy business. My children have been asking for some time if they could help develop a yogurt product for kids, so as the original inspiration for Squidgies, they got stuck in from the very beginning of the process. They even worked with our product and design team on flavour combinations and packaging.”
The yogurt pouches are now available in SPAR at an RRP of 75 pence (98 US cents), and will hit Tesco stores in Scotland on 26 October, along with the new artisan Scottish sea salt butter.
Graham’s has partnered with the Isle of Skye Sea Salt Co. to use the company’s natural, unrefined sea salt in combination with milk sourced from Graham’s network of Scottish farmers.
Chris and Meena Watts, directors of Isle of Skye Sea Salt, said: “We are thrilled to work with the Graham’s family….to produce Graham’s Scottish Butter with Isle of Skye Sea Salt. Our pure eco-friendly sea salt resonates so well with the natural beauty of Skye as a brand.”
Tony’s Chocolonely makes France breakthrough
The Netherlands-based chocolate maker, which markets itself on ethical credentials, has struck deals to ramp up its presence in France.
Department-store retailer Galerie Lafayette and restaurant operator So Good have been stocking the firm’s chocolate and now Casino’s Monoprix and Franprix chains will list five products across a total of 390 stores. E. Leclerc will also sell the firm’s bars in outlets in the Paris/île de France Nord region.
“In France consumers are becoming more and more aware of what they buy and French retailers have shown interest in our story and our products. We are confident the French market is ready for Tony’s Chocolonely and that our high-quality chocolate in colourful wrappers will appeal to the critical French consumer,” the company told just-food.
Tony’s Chocolonely, which announced from two venture-capital funds earlier in the year, is present in more than 15 markets and is set to add Japan to the roster before the end of the year.
The company’s financial year runs from October to September. The firm said its latest numbers need to be finalised but reported revenue of EUR69.6m (US$81.8m) in its 2018/19 financial year. In 2020/21, Tony’s Chocolonely is targeting revenue of EUR121m.
Perfetti Van Melle emphasises Vitamin C in latest India launch
The Dutch-Italian confectionery giant, which counts India among its largest markets globally, has launched a liquid-filled sweet containing “fruit juice and Vitamin C”.
Alpenliebe JuiCyfills sees Perfetti Van Melle enter India’s market for fruit candies with a product the company has seemingly developed with an eye on Covid-19.
“In these testing times, Vitamin C has increased importance since it helps build immunity,” Rohit Kapoor, marketing director for Perfetti Van Melle’s Indian business, said. “As a brand, Alpenliebe has always focused on bringing hearts together and adding moments of togetherness around everyday gestures among families.”
Available in mango and orange varieties, the sweets will be available in “neighbourhood stores” across India, priced at INR1 (US$0.01). In addition to the one-rupee pack, the product will be sold in an assorted pack at INR50 in “select modern trade stores”.
just-food has asked Perfetti Van Melle for further comment on the level of Vitamin C in each sweet and how the product can help support a consumer’s immunity.
Impossible Foods in retail push in Hong Kong, Singapore
The US alt-meat specialist has launched its Impossible Beef Made From Plants in retail stores in Hong Kong and Singapore.
ParknShop stores in Hong Kong and NTUC FairPrice outlets in Singapore will stock the product, which has been available in foodservice accounts in Asia. In addition, Singapore online grocer RedMart is also now listing the product.
In Hong Kong, the beef alternative has a suggested retail price of HKD89.90 (US$11.60) for a 340g retail pack. In Singapore, the SRP is SGD16.90 (US$12.45).
Impossible Beef is available in 700 restaurants across Hong Kong and Macau, as well as around 550 restaurants in Singapore.
Addo Food takes Pork Farms brand into plant-based
Savoury snacks maker Addo Food Group in the UK has taken its Pork Farms brand into the meat-less category with the launch of plant-based pork pies.
Porkless Pork Pie, which contain a pea protein filling, has launched in select Asda stores across the UK as Addo seeks to “meet the demand for flexitarianism-friendly options”.
A pack of two 65-gram pies carries a recommended retail price of GBP1.65 (US$2.13).
Mike Holton, brand manager at Pork Farms, said: “There’s currently a growing demand in the market for meat replacement pastry products and, with flexitarianism continuing to gain popularity, it is clear that the demand for alternative-protein products is not just a passing trend.
“With consumers more conscious than ever before about their health and the impact their food is having on the environment, we are pleased to be able to introduce a new product that addresses both of these concerns.”


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Theodore Alexander, a furniture manufacturer founded by Paul Maitland Smith, is dedicated to quality and excellence in its more than 4,000 innovative designs. It employs traditional craftsmanship and age-old techniques in its own facilities to ensure that Theodore Alexander furniture lasts a lifetime — and its newest collection, T.A. Studio, is no exception.
T.A. Studio includes two lines, with two more lines to follow during October’s High Point Market. Studio One and Studio Two vary between diverse materials, including leather, faux komodo skin, brass, stainless steel and various wood finishes. It’s designed with a young, modern customer in mind.
These younger designs are the hottest thing in their showroom this market. It offers the same drama, experience and quality of their standard lines at a realistic price point for a sophisticated millennial consumer.
“This is an opportunity for us to bring a product to our retail customers that targets a different consumer than we have in the past,” Theodore Alexander President Neill Robinson said. He explained that the materials used in combination with each other create a “relaxed, big city, urban, cool vibe.”
“There’s an immediate gratification mentality when it comes to retail,” Robinson said. “So we are stocking all of the T.A. Studio casegoods and upholstery, and it will be able to ship to retailers in 48 hours or less.” That is great news for furniture retailers.
During our chat with Robinson, he explained with the High Point Market is such a big deal for Theodore Alexander. “If we inspire our dealers, they can take what they’ve learned here, what they’ve seen here, and incorporate it into their own stores,” he said. “Furnitureland South is a great example of this. We have a 5,000 square foot gallery in Furnitureland South, and that space is the best of the best for Theodore Alexander.”
The products that this world-class company launches during the Spring HPMKT will be available in just a few short months in the world’s largest furniture store, Furnitureland South. To get an exclusive sneak peek at what’s coming to our store soon, check out our interview with Robinson.
Shop Theodore Alexander at Furnitureland South today!


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The 36th annual Dogwood Arts House and Garden Show premiered Friday with a vision of spring and a focus on all-natural, simplistic living.
This event is sponsored by ORNL Federal Credit Union and the Knoxville News Sentinel. It is taking place at the Knoxville Convention Center and will continue today from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. It will conclude Sunday with hours 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“I think the best way to put it is there is a new theme this year,” said Erin Slocum, marketing manager for Dogwood Arts. “If you look around, it’s very much minimalist, like how to live simply, how to reuse and recycle things that you already have to make it new and different.”
“It’s the same House and Garden Show that everyone has come to love. It has become a yearly thing that they always come to, but there are tons of new exhibitors and new gardens.”
More than 200 vendors have assembled to promote their products ranging from landscaping and gardening services to cooking gadgets and interior design supplies.
Attendees also have the chance to watch live cooking and artist demonstrations.
“There’s a lot of diversity here for an awful lot of products and services that people can probably use,” said Patrick O’Shea, an attendee and Fairfield Glade resident. “I’m just looking around to see what’s available.”
“It’s nice because here you can look at more than one manufacturer, and you can get an idea of what’s in the marketplace instead of driving all over Knoxville,” said Jon Dittrich, an attendee.
Many businesses are promoting the practice of conservation and use of organic products at their exhibits.
“We tried to stay away from artificial stones in our booth,” said Jordan Card, owner of Plan-It Green Landscapes. “We wanted to have a real organic, natural look with natural stone and boulders.”
Elisha Pillow-Daugherty, a representative from Magic Soil, explained the benefits of using all-natural fertilizer.
“Instead of putting harsh chemicals into your soil with other fertilizers, you can put in organic earth worm castings which are rich in nitrogen and nutrients back into the soil,” said Pillow-Daugherty. “When you use this to fertilize your plants or your garden, you’re also adding richness to the quality of your soil year after year.”
In addition to vendors, many Dogwood Arts volunteers walked the floors of the show to help with the exhibits.
“I like to volunteer for this classic because you get a lot of good ideas and meet a lot of good people,” said Doris Brock, a Dogwood Arts volunteer. “You see companies you may not even be aware of if you’re doing remodeling or home improvement.”
This show is largest fundraiser for the annual Dogwood Arts Festival that takes place every April.
“It’s an escape into spring,” added Slocum. “I think whether you have a home or an apartment or anything, we’re just looking for you to get some inspiration, both indoor and outdoor.”


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Even in a sluggish market, the vacation rental business is booming. And Portland-based Second Porch has been at the forefront, helping Facebook users keep their vacation homes filled with renters—all by promoting their vacation homes to the people in their social graph.
Second Porch has been doing so well, in fact, that the worldwide leader in vacation rentals just snapped them up. Second Porch has been acquired by HomeAway.
Not bad for a company whose open beta started in Q4 of 2009.
“The Second Porch team understands the intersection between social networking and vacation rentals,” says HomeAway Chief Executive Officer, Brian Sharples, in a press release. “We are excited to leverage their expertise and bring their technology to our customers who list their vacation rentals with us, and the millions of travelers who visit our sites.”
Second Porch connects vacation home owners with prospective renters over Facebook and other social media sites. It had raised more than $1 million in outside backing, including $650,000 from the Oregon Angel Fund.
It’s always nice to see people exit and to see investors get return on their investment. But it’s also nice when the companies get to remain here. So far, all of those are holding true. Second Porch’s team will be remaining right here in town. And hopefully, they’ll be sharing the story of their short but successful journey.


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HTC's Q3 2012 profits down 79%, looks like the market doesn't like the One series
HTC has just reported that profits for Q3 2012 are down 79% from the same quarter a year ago. That’s brutal, but it gets worse. They say that revenues for the quarter, meaning how much money they’ve taken in from selling hardware, are down a whopping 48%. Why is this happening? Let’s take a step back to early 2011 when HTC announced the Sensation and Samsung announced the Galaxy S II. Samsung’s device was clearly superior, so HTC, which made a name for themselves with the Desire back in 2010, saw their market share decline. The same thing happened in 2012. HTC announced the One X, Samsung announced the Galaxy S III, and consumers decided that the Galaxy was simply better.
Is the recently announced HTC One X+ going to fix things? Not really. It’s the same One X from February, but with a black case and 4G LTE support. There’s also a bigger battery, but forget about that for a second. Samsung’s Galaxy Note II is just now launching in Europe, and it’s going to land in the US in the next few weeks. How many people are going to pick that up instead of an HTC device?
Several months ago, an email written by HTC’s CEO, Peter Chou, leaked out. It said bureaucracy is taking over the company and slowing it down. That’s obviously what’s happening here. HTC just isn’t moving fast enough, but then again can they? Qualcomm, who owns a share of HTC, simply can’t move as quickly as Samsung, who not only designs their own chips, but also manufactures them using their own fabs. In other words, Samsung already has a supply chain setup, from chips to devices, whereas HTC has to depend on multiple external parties. Each additional party just adds delays.
Can HTC turn things around in 2013? We don’t think so, but we do hope we’re wrong.


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INDEPENDENT RETAILER magazine is now the official news outlet for Wholesale Central visitors.
Each monthly issue is packed with new product ideas, supplier profiles, retailing news, and
business strategies to help you succeed.
See new articles daily online at IndependentRetailer.com.
Jun 1, 2011
Now entering its twelfth year, the International Gift Exposition in the Smokies, also known as the Souvenir Super Show, has become the biggest gift show in America. "Growing from only 272 booths in 2000 to well over 1,000 booths for the 2011 event, IGES/SSS has become the largest wholesale souvenir, resort and gift expo in the United States," according to Susan Mills, owner of the show. "We're proud to feature the leading exhibitors in the souvenir, resort and gift industries," she says.
The show will be held November 3-7, 2011, at the Events Center in Sevierville, TN, not far from I-75, I-40, and the airport in Knoxville. Mills points out that the show has been held successfully there since 2007, and features low costs for exhibitors. "The costs to do the show are far less than big city shows, and the buyers are plentiful," she says. "Ten truck docks and five entrance doors make it easy to set up and tear down."
Billed as "America's Souvenir Show," IGES/SSS features onsite giveaways throughout the show, including free gift bags filled with samples and coupons from participating exhibitors, to the first 200 buyers. For the convenience of attendees, complimentary morning and afternoon hotel shuttle service is available during the show, as well as complimentary evening shuttle service into Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, and complimentary airport shuttles. For more information, visit the show website at iges.us, or call (800) 430-7608.
Topic: Wholesale News
Related Articles: gifts
Entire contents ©2022, Sumner Communications, Inc. (203) 748-2050. All rights reserved. No part of this service may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of Sumner Communications, Inc. except that an individual may download and/or forward articles via e-mail to a reasonable number of recipients for personal, non-commercial purposes.


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In the 2015 legislative session, the State Legislature adopted legislation to combine the medical marijuana and recreational marijuana laws as it relates to retail establishments. As a result of this change, the State Liquor and Cannabis Board is proposing new regulations for retail marijuana stores and marijuana cooperatives, including the number of retail establishments that will be allowed in each city or county. Under the previous rule, Everett would be allowed to have a maximum of five stores. Under the new regulations, Everett would be allowed to have up to ten stores.
City Council held a public hearing on May 16, 2018, to take action on a Planning Commission recommendation to increase the number of permitted recreational marijuana retail stores from five to ten, and to change the minimum separation requirement between retail marijuana stores from 2500 feet to 500 feet. That recommendation failed. If you have any questions, please contact Allan Giffen at firstname.lastname@example.org or at 425-257-8731.


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Resident Evil: Operation Racoon City developer Slant Six has released a new game – a science fiction strategy effort called Galactic Reign. The Windows 8, RT and Windows Phone app has players colonising planets, designing ships, building fleets and battling in space in both single-player and head-to-head modes. Combat is turn-based and plays out in cinematic sequences rendered on Microsoft’s cloud servers. You can try the game for free with just one species or pick up the full thing for $5, both from the Windows store.
Buy our t-shirts, yeah
They're far more stylish than your average video game website tat.


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On September 9th, timelessgoods.store opened their virtual doors
This is a very exciting announcement for artist Cary Fagan. On multiple occasions he has expressed his interest in furniture and sourcing pieces across the world.
Timeless Goods will serve as a storefront for C.F. with randomly selected 5×5 fine art photography prints and more recently his 500 and 1,000 piece puzzles.
View this post on Instagram
(saturday)appreciate everyone who helped put the puzzle together; we found that missing yellow piece – user feedback is available online at timelessgoods.store. pre order now special thanks @cf.filmstudios note; puzzle options coming soon.
A post shared by cary fagan (@cary.fagan) on
available for an investment of $20
500 Piece Puzzle
available for pre-order with a fall/winter release for an investment of $80
1,000 Piece Puzzle
available for pre-order with a fall/winter release for an investment of $120
If you don’t mind a challenge; phone not required.


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Verizon let down its perfectly coiffed hair and took a swipe at AT&T’s recent move to include a “5GE” emblem on smartphones that connect to the carrier’s 4G LTE network.
In a quasi-blog post, Verizon CTO Kyle Malady took to task “network providers, equipment manufacturers, handset makers, app developers, and others in the wireless ecosystem” that have engaged in actions “designed to purposefully confuse consumers, public officials, and the investment community about what 5G really is, we risk alienating the very people we want most to join in developing and harnessing this exciting new technology.”
While not mentioning any names (this is again Verizon we are speaking about, and that would not be proper), Malady called on the “broad wireless industry to commit to labeling something 5G only if new device hardware is connecting to the network using new radio technology to deliver new capabilities.”
Malady, not surprisingly, said Verizon was taking a pledge to not confuse customers by calling its 4G LTE network 5G.
“We won’t take an old phone and just change the software to turn the 4 in the status bar into a 5,” Malady wrote. “We will not call our 4G network a 5G network if customers don’t experience a performance or capability upgrade that only 5G can deliver.”
Verizon does, however, use 5G in describing its 5G Home service that uses a proprietary technology that does not currently align with internationally recognized standards bodies. The carrier launched that service last October and has said it plans to update the technology underlying the service to a standards-based 5G model as it becomes available.
“We were very clear when we launched 5G Home that it was on the TF [Technology Forum] standard and that when NR [New Radio] hardware was ready we’d update customers at no charge,” explained Verizon spokesman Kevin King.
Verizon’s non-labeled barbs were obviously directed at AT&T, which last month said it was going to include a 5GE banner on devices that connect to the carrier’s “5G Evolution” network. That network is actually the carrier’s 4G LTE network that uses more spectrum, small cells, carrier aggregation, 4×4 multiple input multiple output (MIMO), and 256 QAM to provide increased data speeds.
AT&T said its 5G Evolution network was available in close to 400 markets across the country and provides network speeds up to 400 Mb/s. The carrier initially launched the 5G Evolution branding last April. Most of AT&T’s rivals also offer those updates to their own LTE networks, which the industry has labeled “Gigabit LTE.” But only AT&T has taken the next step by marketing and labeling its upgraded 4G LTE network as 5G.
The 5G Evolution network should not be confused with AT&T’s 5G network, which it launched in a dozen markets last month. That network uses standards-based 5G technology and millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum resources.
Analysts have linked AT&T’s move to past network technology evolutions. The most cited was the use of 4G about 10 years ago by AT&T and T-Mobile US to describe the HSPA+ technology that was really just an enhancement to then available 3G network technologies.
“Use of 5G Evolution can be argued as the marketing folks getting ahead of the engineers,” explained William Ho, founder, and principal analyst at 556 Ventures. “But if you shrug off all the criticisms in the past with 4G and T-Mobile and AT&T back in 2010, so what? The silver lining is to educate the existing customer base that something new is coming. I believe it’s a short-term marketing risk that only people in the tech community care about as well as competitors having the open opportunity to bash each other.”
That sentiment was echoed by BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk.
“The tech media can scold AT&T for using 5GE, but if implemented properly the AT&T customer should notice a material improvement in performance when the 5GE tag appears on their phone,” Piecyk wrote in a report. “The lift in performance in 2019 should be noticeable to AT&T customers, whereas the change from 3G to 4G HSPA+ was disappointing.”―SDxCentral