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The Stalker series has always delighted in exploring the dark and decrepit locales of Eastern Europe, as well as showing the grit and determination of hunters struggling to survive. Unfortunately, the highly-anticipated Stalker 2 has been disrupted by the very real conflict in Ukraine, and now studio GSC Game World has spoken out about it.
The developer — which is based in Kyiv — announced in a video that development has been paused due to Russia sending "rockets, tanks, and soldiers" to its home country. The update also notes that the team had edited another video last week that showed off GSC Game World’s motion capture studio, and how the developers were capturing animations for the game. "Last week was ages ago," one of the captions on the video says.
Coming together — GSC Game World is one of several studios affected by Russia's wholesale invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine's deputy prime minister recently posted an open letter that called for all major gaming platforms and companies to cease support for Russia and Belarus, particularly Xbox and PlayStation.
Several gaming companies have announced plans to donate money to aid organizations that are working in Ukraine, such as 11 Bit, GOG, and CD Projekt Red. Other moves have proven to be a bit more symbolic in nature, such as EA's decision to remove Russian teams from FIFA and NHL games.


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Swedish 3D printer manufacturer Magicfirm Europe AB first released its ZYYX printer back in 2014, complete with an innovative fan system that eliminates fumes from melting printer filament. The company has been building on its success ever since, releasing the ZYYX+ in early 2016 and announcing distribution partnerships with Magnacad and Hawk 3D Proto. This week, the company announced that it is releasing a new 3D printer – the desktop, industrial grade ZYYX Pro 3D printer, developed so engineering professionals can rapidly produce high-strength, custom parts without leaving their desks. The company is also releasing some new 3D printing filaments to go along with its new 3D printer.
“Many of our customers have expressed a need for high-strength parts,” said Mats Moosberg, CEO of Magicfirm Europe and creator of the ZYYX 3D printer. “The ZYYX pro and our new pro filaments will meet their requirements for functional prototypes and end-use parts such as tools, jigs and fixtures.”
While you may not think that industrial and desktop go together, the ZYYX Pro was ultimately built for professionals, upon the original printer’s proven platform, and features material monitoring, automatic leveling, and a heated chamber. An exciting new feature is the SwiftTool: in order to further improve uptime, the user can replace the printer’s tool head in less than a minute. Additionally, as the ZYYX Pro will be used in office environments, the 3D printer was designed to be quiet and safe, thanks to its new OfficeSafe filtering system. The system, with a HEPA filter and active carbon, allows users to 3D print with any material, as odors and ultrafine particles are safely removed.
In order to maximize quality and uptime, the ZYYX also includes the proTect material system, which ensures that 3D printing material is kept in good condition. The system, which comes with a sealed filament box, vacuum pump, dehumidifier, and vacuum storage, ensures the quality and durability of the material while it’s being stored, and while it’s in use.
The ZYYX Pro isn’t the only new thing that MagicFirm Europe is unveiling: the company has also added three new materials to its ZYYX line of proFilaments. Users can choose between the new ZYYX proNylon, proCarbon, and proKev, for manufacturing functional prototypes and end-use parts, like jigs, fixtures, and tools. In addition, so users can be sure that abrasive materials won’t cause the 3D printing process to slow down, every unit of new ZYYX proCarbon material will also be delivered with the ZYYX Pro’s hard-coated SwiftTool.
“The ZYYX pro fits very nicely in our product portfolio and fills a clear gap in the market: The need to print with engineering materials. Should the ZYYX pro user want to print with materials such as proPLA or proABS, we offer a multi-material extension kit,” said Anders Johansson, CMO of Magicfirm Europe. “We are very proud of the result and are really happy to present this to the market together with a substantial early-bird discount!”
Magicfirm Europe is currently accepting orders for its ZYYX Pro 3D printer. Currently, a campaign offer is available: you can order the ZYYX Pro, a multi-material extension kit, and 750 g of ZYYX proCarbon filament, all for €3,600; delivery time is eight weeks. The suggested retail price for the ZYYX Pro, by itself, is €4,250, with the multi-material extension kit costing €295. To get a closer look at the ZYYX Pro 3D printer, check out this short teaser video:
Discuss in the ZYYX Pro forum at 3DPB.com.
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domain: news


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Pepsi Americas has agreed to sell an 11,000-sqm land plot in south Bucharest to discount retailer Lidl, which will build a store there, according to an announcement published recently in the Official Gazette. The sale price will be EUR 285 for sqm, which puts the total land price at EUR 3.1 million.
The site previously hosted Pepsi America’s warehouses. They were moved to its new production facility in Dragomiresti Vale, which opened in September last year. Lidl has been active in Romania for several years, during which time it has acquired various plots of land, but has yet to open its first store in the country. The retailer is also working on a warehouse and offices in Chiajna, which should be completed this year, according to previous information. Lidl is part of the Lidl & Schwartz Group, which operates discount hypermarket chain Kaufland in Romania.


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This initiative is aimed to deliver better services to parking users and enhance the smart transformation of Dubai.
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announces that drivers or motorists can now earn loyalty points on nol Plus by paying parking fees through RTA Dubai app.
This initiative is aimed to deliver better services to parking users and enhance the smart transformation of Dubai. It reflects RTA's standing commitment to maximise the happiness of customers, be it residents, visitors or tourists descending on the city from all over the world.
Through this initiative, RTA seeks to encourage parking users to use the parking account to pay parking fees.
Customers can recharge their parking accounts through nol card, mPay or ePay, the RTA said in a statement.
The underlying objective of linking loyalty points with this smart payment of parking fees is to encourage the public to use the smart apps and benefit from features provided such as saving surcharges associated with other payment modes, detecting vacant parking slots, and obtaining a record of past transactions.
Users can earn and utilize their loyalty points in the form of balance added to nol cards or discounts on e-Vouchers usable at a variety of cafes, restaurants and other entertainment or shopping outlets to add more pleasure to nol Plus users.
The initiative will also boost the smart transformation of services by increasing the number of users of RTA apps and encouraging public transport riders to use nol card to pay their bus or taxi fares. As such, it fits well with RTA and Dubai Government efforts in this regard.
RTA is keen to continue with the smart services offering to boost the happiness of people, especially mass transport users, and contribute to the efforts of raising the profile and the ranking of Dubai to become the smartest city in the world.


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I’ve blogged before (several times, actually) about the problems with Groupon’s business model and the difficulties it’s encountered since going public.
It seems that the twin whammies of new competitors plus merchants’ increasing unwillingness to take a bath on offering deep-discounted products and services to ultra price-sensitive consumers have been enough to send Groupon’s business into a financial tailspin.
One key takeaway from the Groupon couponing experience: Consumers who are attracted to bottom-of-the-barrel pricing have absolutely no brand loyalty thereafter – unless they’re offered a similarly extreme price discount the next time around.
Understandably, merchants aren’t much interested in marketing practices that boil down to being creative ways to divorce profits from sales.
And now, with yet another quarter of dismal financials just released, Groupon’s board of directors has done the inevitable: separating CEO and founder Andrew Mason from his company.
As the famously quirky Mason, who was once a student of music at Northwestern University, put it in a letter to Groupon employees (which he also released publicly “since it will leak anyway”):
“After four and a half intense and wonderful years as CEO of Groupon, I’ve decided that I’d like to spend more time with my family. Just kidding – I was fired today. If you’re wondering why … you haven’t been paying attention.”
And then Mason goes on to summarize the ugly facts: two quarters of missing the company’s own financial expectations, along with a stock price that’s baely one-fifth of Groupon’s listing price when the company went public ~18 months ago.
Business observer and talk-show personality Jeff Macke has been merciless in his condemnation of Groupon’s recent business performance. He writes:
“In its short, ignominious history as a public company, Groupon crushed the hopes of more true believes than Santa Claus and Jim Jones combined. From its closing level on the day of its IPO in November 2011, GRPN shares have lost more than 80%, driven by accounting scandals, an ill-conceived international expansion and generally poor execution of a not-very-smart business model … What is fresh information is the company’s hideous earnings miss … when it reported a 12-cent loss versus expectations of a 2-cent gain.”
Late moves by the company to staunch the bleeding – such as taking a smaller cut of revenue on daily deals during the latest holiday season in an attempt to attract and keep merchants – haven’t been very successful and haven’t reassured investors.
In late 2012, Andrew Mason was dubbed “Worst CEO of the Year” by CNBC’s Herb Greenberg. But not every business journalist and analyst has been completely critical of CEO Mason. In an interview with the New York Times, Stifel Nicolaus’ Jordan Rohan remarked: “I view Mason as a visionary idea generator. Few would argue with how impressive the Groupon organization was as it grew.”
But Mr. Rohan went on to report, “However, at some point it became the overgrown toddler of the Internet – operationally clumsy [and] not quite ready to make adult decisions.”
For many of us in the marketing field, peering at Groupon from the outside was like seeing a slow-moving train wreck in the making, so the latest news is pretty much what we expected.
But perhaps the biggest surprise is how similar it all looks to the ill-starred Internet pure-plays of the dotcom bubble a decade ago.


text: This July, vegan eatery Pulse Café will replace former bison farm and restaurant Seven Sisters Bistro in Hadley, MA. The property was purchased by Keith Rehbein and Ted Crooker in 2015 in the hopes of transforming the space into a fully plant-based eatery. According to marketing director Diana Santos, the goal of Pulse Café is “to create a model to be fully alive” with whole food, plant-based foods—including dishes such as heirloom tomato bisque, corn chowder, Ethiopian red lentil soup, sweet corn tamales, and pizza made with non-dairy cheeses. For dessert, the café will serve a host of vegan pastries including cupcakes, cookies, cheesecakes, and raw pies. Nationwide, vegan eateries are replacing formerly meat-centric restaurants—such as Nourish Café, which took over the space of butter-heavy Flour and Co. earlier this month in San Francisco.


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The impact from the volatile supply chain has some major equipment manufacturers rethinking how they operate and wondering what new steps they need to take to confront the effects they have felt. The availability of parts varies month by month. Material costs continue to climb, pushing up equipment prices. Tens of thousands of heavy-duty trucks are just waiting for the finishing part. Although many were sold in the United States this year, fleets would have loved to buy even more if they could!
Large equipment manufacturers are trying to figure out how they can reposition their supply chain to better meet the shifting needs of their customers. Some believe there will be a gradual and steady recovery in the supply chain, but regardless of how quickly things recover, manufacturers agree that they need to be sure they can be the reliable supplier their customers need, even if the supply chain looks different when all is said and done. One large supplier has decided to partner with global aluminum and energy companies in the hopes to add dry van capacity as well as capacity for molded structural composite products like panels for increased thermal performance in refrigerated semi-trailers. Because trends affecting supply chain are forecasted to continue over the next decade, supply chain planners know they will have to work differently. They will have to continually focus on priorities and have a very good understanding of technologies and how they work. Equipment manufacturing companies are vital to keeping our trucks on the road. Without great companies building quality heavy-duty trucks and manufacturing replacement parts, the supply chain would experience even greater disruption and could stop altogether. Soren is grateful for all the major equipment manufacturers and all they are doing to combat the volatility of the supply chain and keep our trucks moving along. (https://www.ttnews.com/…/equipment-manufacturers-shift…)


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A London high street has started using a payment system that recognises customers by their first name and picture via an app.
Retailers in Richmond are among the first to allow shoppers to leave their wallets at home and pay for items using just the PayPal app and their profile picture.
The app for iOS, Windows OS and Android phones highlights nearby shops and restaurants that accept PayPal before the customer checks in by clicking on the required retailer and sliding an animated pin down on their screen.
The customer's name and photo then appears on the shop's payment system and the retailer charges them by clicking on their image. The customer then receives an alert on their phone to let them know how much they have paid as well as PayPal's usual email receipt.
Richard Garcia, owner and proprietor of Cook and Garcia cafe on The Quadrant in Richmond, said: "We've been using PayPal's check-in service within the business for several months, and have found it really efficient.
"Customers don't have to worry about having cards, cash or change, just their phones. It is the quickest transaction through the till, which means less queues and we never have to turn down a sale, both of which are great for business."
Ismail Ahmed, of The Farmery frozen yogurt store, also on The Quadrant, said: "Lots of our customers have a mobile phone and are familiar with using apps on their phones. What's better is that we didn't even have to change anything about the way we run our business; we're still using the same tills and system, including iPads and iPhones to operate the technology.
"All the customer has to do is check in on their phone, we see them on our system and we can just charge them. They can even check in before they get to the shop for their frozen yoghurt."
The firm also released a new chip and pin device in February to make it easier for small traders to accept card payments, with the device linked to an app on the traders' smartphone which acts like a till.
PayPal head of retail services Rob Harper said: "PayPal first brought 'pay by mobile' to the UK high street two years ago. Through our Richmond initiative, we're pleased to help local businesses of all sizes offer a new more personal experience, while never having to turn away customers who don't have enough cash on them to pay.
"Now locals in Richmond can leave their wallet or purse at home and be the first in the country to use their profile picture to pay.
"This is another step on the journey towards a wallet-less high street, where customers will be able to leave their wallet or purse at home and pay using their phone or tablet. We predict that by 2016 this will become a reality."


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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
TikTok has signed a deal with the digital rights agency Merlin that will give the platform access to a huge selection of independent music. Effective immediately, the agreement includes licensed music from tens of thousands of indie record labels worldwide.
TikTok, home to parody videos, memes, lip syncing, and more through clips that last for only a matter of seconds, has steadily grown in popularity over the last few years. Music is a crucial part of the platform, whether it’s setting up a joke or launching a new meme. The platform has even helped launch musicians like Lil Nas X into stardom with breakout songs like “Old Town Road.”
Merlin, one of the top global digital rights agencies for independent labels, licenses music to…
Go to Source
Author: Megan Farokhmanesh


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Following feverous online speculation over the weekend, Nissan has officially confirmed that the next X-Trail model will not be built at the Sunderland plant in the UK.
Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn previously announced in October 2016 that the next-generation X-Trail would be built in Sunderland, following talks with prime minister Theresa May.
The news will come as a major blow to the Wearside site, even if Nissan has made clear that future planned investment for the Qashqai, and replacement Juke, are unaffected by this shock announcement. No job losses from the 7,000 workers employed at the Sunderland factory will arise from this decision.
Brexit uncertainty has played a part
Nissan has cited a number of key factors in choosing to keep production of the European-specification X-Trail in Japan.
The current X-Trail has been produced at the Kanda factory in Kyushu since 2013, with Nissan stating that retaining the model there will reduce the need for further investment. The decline in the demand for diesel-engined vehicles is also likely to be a major reason.
However, whilst Nissan notes to have “taken this decision for business reasons”, it also adds that the “continued uncertainty around the UK’s future relationship with the EU is not helping companies like ours to plan for the future.”
Nissan’s announcement comes just days after Mike Hawes, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Chief Executive, stated: “With fewer than 60 days before we leave the EU and the risk of crashing out without a deal looking increasingly real, UK Automotive is on red alert. Brexit uncertainty has already done enormous damage to output, investment and jobs.”
Clear and present danger
Business secretary Greg Clark described Nissan’s decision as a “blow to the sector and the region” given the introduction of the X-Trail would have been a “significant expansion of the site and workforce.”
Clark also underlined the importance of the car industry in the UK, describing it as “a vital sector for the British economy which draws on our combination of rich automotive heritage and cutting edge innovation.”
With more than 850,000 jobs dependent upon the automotive sector across the UK, the stakes at play are high. Nissan’s latest announcement is based upon a number of financial reasons, but the worry about the effects of Brexit are clearly present in the decision to curtail further investment.
The Times has also reported that Nissan could stand to lose a £60million support package from the government. Business minister Richard Harrington has rebutted the claims, saying the funding “still stands”, but conceding that Nissan’s decision was a “disaster” when speaking to BBC Newcastle.


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The Sony has scheduled to launch PS5 today on 11 June, 2020 for next level gaming console PlayStation PS5 at PDT 10:00 ( 1:30 AM in India ). The Sony PlayStation 5 will be expensive then PS4 at higher price with a lots of new features.
We will explained you top four reasons to buying PS4 over new upcoming Sony PlayStation 5
PlayStation 4 Price
The launch of PlayStation 5 , we expect the pricing of PS4 gets a huge drop. If you havn’t invested huge money on buying a gaming pc machine this year .We will suggest you to find a best deals on price drop on all E-commerce websites and refurbished units to buy PS4.
An longer Gaming Library
If we talked about the gaming library. Sony PlayStation 4 has an huge collections of best or great games to play over every years. Developers compability of games will be supported goes up to next 4-5 years more. The exclusive games are GTA 5, Forza Horizon, Need for Speed Heat, Marvel’s Spider Man, Call of Duty Warfare, PUBG PC, Fornite.
New Games Support till 2025
The launch of exclusive game will be coming to PS5 doesn’t mean to PS4 wouldn’t get it . The PS4 will supports all PS5 new games as big titles that are coming to released this year or today onwards during presentation online.
The Sony PlayStation PS4 will received gaming and firmware over the OTA in next last 4 years. We expect the PS4 will get new games and supports goes up to 2025. It is worth to buy a PS4 in 2020.


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KOCH Expands Label Roster with Eclectic New Lineup
(Port Washington, NY) April 25, 2006 – KOCH Entertainment Distribution is pleased to announce that it has expanded its distribution roster with the signing of three exclusive North American distribution deals which include Made Records, REX Recordings and R.N.L.G. (Rob Nonies Label Group).
“We are pleased to welcome these new labels which we believe have incredible growth potential. We have already had great success with the initial release from REX both in the physical and digital worlds, and we look forward to the first releases from Made and RNLG,” commented Michael Rosenberg, President of KOCH Entertainment Distribution.
Recently-launched Made Records will be releasing quality dance/pop music--music that is already making waves on both the underground and mainstream scenes nationwide. Home to such acts as international sensations iiO and dance cult hero Jimmy James, Made Records has already had Billboard chart success in the early part of 2006. The label is helmed by Markus Moser, who brings an extensive background as a world-renowned producer and founder of the aforementioned iiO (#1 worldwide smash dance/pop hit "Rapture" (Universal Records)). With upcoming releases from Jimmy James, Liz Scott, Nadia Ali and the long anticipated debut album from iiO, 2006 promises to be an exciting launch for Made Records.
"Our time is now," says Moser. "We spent the past 5 years concentrating on creating and exposing incredible music worldwide, and did so with great success. However, we have finally found the right distribution partner in KOCH, and with their help I expect our U.S. launch to be a fruitful one."
REX Recordings is a label based out of New York City headed by industry veteran Ron Urban. The label released its first title via KOCH on April 4th with “World Premiere” by The Team, a hip-hop group based out of Oakland. Although their 2006 release schedule will focus primarily on the urban music genre, REX plans on expanding their roster to include other genres of music throughout the year. The label’s catalog currently encompasses an eclectic line up of releases which include titles by Roy Orbison, Waylon Jennings, Alabama and more.
“Our new label needed a dynamic distributor with the strength and presence of a major and KOCH was the obvious choice,” commented Ron Urban, head of Rex Recordings.
R.N.L.G. was launched to provide national distribution coupled with the marketing and promotional support of an experienced staff to independent urban labels. The label group is headed by veteran urban music executive Rob Nonies who is best known for his stints as Director of Urban Operations at Bayside Entertainment Distribution and 33rd Street Records
"KOCH has given me this opportunity because they know I can deliver,” says Nonies. “I'm partnered with a monster of a distributor who can give my company the muscle that it needs to be successful.”
KOCH Entertainment is the leading and fastest-growing independent music and video company in the U.S. and its operations encompass record and video labels as well as physical and digital distribution companies in the U.S. and Canada. KOCH Entertainment is the market leader among independents in both the U.S. and Canada and its record labels had the largest number of Billboard charting albums among independents in 2004/2005.
For more information, please contact James Scileppi at (516) 484-1000 Ext. 243 or email email@example.com.


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From PRWeb – May 4, 2011
The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) is hosting their 27th Annual Scientific Session in Boston, MA from May 18-21, 2011. Specializing in search engine marketing and website design for cosmetic dentists, CEO Keith Humes says his Rosemont Media team can be found in booth 2228 in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center throughout the entire conference. Whether attendees have questions regarding dental Facebook marketing, online advertising, or the
Image via Wikipedia
latest innovations in website design,Humes says he looks forward to the AACD conference and the chance to interact with leaders of the cosmetic dentistry industry.


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India’s Premier Carmaker, Mahindra, Generates Excitement with Upcoming Mahindra Scorpio EV and Bolero EV Launches on INGLO Platform
Mahindra, a prominent force in the Indian automotive industry, has ignited a wave of anticipation with its recent showcase event in Cap Town on August 14th. The event unveiled an array of electrifying offerings, including the electric Thar concept, a Scorpio-based pickup, tractors, and other innovative products. An electrifying revelation also emerged from the event, confirming Mahindra’s plans to introduce electric variants of both the Bolero and Scorpio models. These forthcoming electric vehicles (EVs) will embrace the same distinguished e’ moniker as the celebrated Thar concept.
Marking a pivotal moment in the company’s journey towards sustainability, Mahindra’s CEO for the automotive and Farm sectors, Rajesh Jejurikar, unveiled a new logo signifying the brand’s commitment to the e-SUV segment. Jejurikar emphasized the company’s strategic transition from internal combustion engines to a fully electric lineup over time.
Anticipating the EV Scorpio and Bolero Experience
Amid the mounting excitement, a key question emerges: what can enthusiasts anticipate from the upcoming e-Scorpio and e-Bolero models? Preliminary reports suggest a strong likelihood of both vehicles sporting a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) configuration, with potential motor sourcing from Volkswagen. Enthusiasts might also be treated to an all-wheel-drive option in the Scorpio.e, featuring a cutting-edge dual-motor setup.
Foundation of the EV Scorpio and Bolero
The anticipated platform for these grand SUVs points towards the utilization of the INGLO platform’s P1 variant. This is the same platform that has demonstrated its prowess in the Thar.e model, assuring enthusiasts of remarkable off-road capabilities in both the Scorpio.e and Bolero.e.
Timeline for the EV Scorpio and Bolero Launch
While precise launch dates for these two highly anticipated SUVs have not been divulged, Mahindra has provided insights into its strategic plan. The company has announced its intention to roll out four all-new EV SUVs between the latter half of 2024 and mid-2026. This implies that the market debut of the Scorpio.e and Bolero.e is most likely to occur after April 2026.
Harmonizing EV and ICE Strategies
Importantly, the introduction of these electric SUVs does not signal the cessation of Mahindra’s internal combustion engine (ICE) offerings. Mahindra will continue to cater to its diverse clientele by offering ICE variants of iconic models such as the Scorpio Classic, Scorpio N, and the Bolero lineup. These models, renowned and cherished in the Indian market, will retain their traditional powertrains underpinned by ladder-frame chassis. The brand’s commitment to providing both petrol and diesel options underscores its dedication to evolving alongside the changing automotive landscape.
As the curtain rises on this exciting chapter in Mahindra’s journey, the anticipation for the EV Scorpio and Bolero builds. With a visionary transition to electric mobility and a steadfast commitment to the legacy of traditional powertrains, Mahindra is poised to redefine the automotive landscape in India and beyond.


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Producer Michael Rourke has been named CEO of Shout Media, a production company launched by marketing and communications provider MDC Partners to develop new properties and branded content.
Shout Media plans to develop and produce TV programs for traditional TV distribution through network, cable and syndication. It also will develop and produce nontraditional branded content to reach across all digital media platforms.
Rourke has created and developed a number of TV shows for the likes of Bravo, OWN, Fox and Twentieth Television, and had a production deal with Sony Pictures Television for nine years. For SPT, he created syndicated court shows "Judge Hatchett," "Judge Maria Lopez" and "Judge David Young" and executive produced daily talk show "Ricki Lake."
"Today’s strategic marketers are consistently seeking new and inventive platforms to deliver immersive brand engagement, entertainment and ongoing interaction with consumers. The formation of Shout Media allows our partner firms to immediately offer world-class creative, production skills and exciting branded content both in traditional mediums and digital engagement," Miles S. Nadal, MDC Partners’ chairman-CEO, said in a statement.
Shout Media is building teams to aggressively develop projects in both unscripted television and digital media. It has several shows already in development as well as "Pregnant in Heels" in production for Bravo. That show profiles Rosie Pope, owner-designer of Rosie Pope Maternity, a high-end maternity brand for the most sophisticated mothers-to-be.


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December 15, 2015 |
AHMEDABAD: City-based textile house Raghuvir Group plans to invest Rs 10 crore to double its garments and home textiles capacities to 2 million units and 2 million sets, respectively, to support its subsidiary Raghuvir Lifestyle's foray into offline retail. Raghuvir Lifestyle had in March entered into a licensing agreement with The Walt Disney Company to manufacture and retail home furnishings with nine characters, including Tinkerbell, Avengers, Mickey Mouse and Cars.
May 3, 2015 |
NEW DELHI: Paytm's mobile wallet will soon be accepted at quick service restaurants (QSRs), including Domino's and Cafe Coffee Day, as the Alibaba-backed company forays into the offline retail space in the next two months. At present, Paytm offers and recharge services for DTH and mobile phone services as well as mobile wallet services for online transactions on Uber, Bookmyshow, eBay and IRCTC. A mobile wallet is a prepaid payment instrument, which allows customers to digitally store money in a secure virtual wallet and use it to pay bills and other services.
August 21, 2014 |
COIMBATORE: City-based Reach Media International today launched offline business directory for smartphones. The 'Call Coimbatore' app is adaptable with all smartphones and features over 90,000 listings with 2,000 search categories, India's first offline business directory for smartphones without an Internet connection or even a mobile network, Krishnamachari, Director, Just Call Info Services, Dubai, told reporters here. The facility is an offline Yellow Page, which is expected to bring about a meaningful difference to the way information is accessed and the consumer buying behaviour gets influenced, especially with many smartphone users in the city, he said.
March 21, 2016 |
PUNE: In what is probably a first for the sector, baby products retailer Firstcry is using analytics to boost sales at its offline stores. The company has designed a new system in collaboration with Microsoft to understand customer shopping behaviour, likening it to using Google-like analytics offline. "Microsoft is helping us to develop the entire customer behaviour tracking framework," said Supam Maheshwari, CEO at Firstcry. "Various algorithms have been designed for tracking customers.
March 31, 2016 |
NEW DELHI: Chinese tech major Xiaomi will expand offline presence in India and bring more products including air purifiers later this year to make a stronger push into the country's booming Internet ecosystem. The company, which partnered Redington last year to mark foray into physical retail stores, said it will expand to "one more region in the country". "We started with South India with select cities like Hyderabad and Bengaluru and are now present in thousands of stores in south.
November 16, 2015 |
KOLKATA: YU Televentures, a smartphone brand founded by Micromax cofounder Rahul Sharma , will sell its gadgets through brick-and-mortar retail chains, becoming the latest 'online only' brand to foray into offline space after Xiaomi and Motorola . YU has entered into a strategic partnership with Reliance Retail to offer a touch-andfeel option to consumers and said the devices will now be sold through 30,000 retail outlets across India,...
October 19, 2014 |
NEW DELHI: Amid cut-throat competition and allegations of predatory pricing between online and offline retailers, Chinese electronics major Lenovo is working on bringing in differentiated products for the two platforms to offer a wider choice of devices to end-consumers. Many sellers on popular e-commerce sites like Flipkart and Snapdeal have been selling products, especially electronics, on discounted rates or what physical retail stores refer to as "predatory pricing". Lenovo was among the first players to caution consumers against buying from unauthorised e-commerce platforms and online shopping sites.
December 9, 2013 |
NEW DELHI: Even on social media, Aam Aadmi Party was different, often out-of-the-box . When Arvind Kejriwal's party wanted people to stop donating money for the elections, they announced it on Twitter. They got NRIs to leave video messages of support on YouTube. The social media contribution to AAP's path-breaking performance can't be discounted, experts say. Social media watchers say the success of their online campaign lies in getting people to act offline—something not many "online movements" can boast of. "I wouldn't credit social media alone.
September 13, 2015 |
NEW DELHI: Many e-commerce players have started foraying into physical retail space and the trend is going to become more prominent in future as it provides an opportunity to reinforce the online brand and gauge the market, experts say. In order to differentiate their brand from the clutter of online brands, some e-tailers are setting up shops offline. According to property consultant JLL India, Pepperfry is the latest to go 'hybrid'. The furniture portal recently leased a 1,800 sq ft space at Linking Road, Santacruz.
November 7, 2013 |
PATNA: Super 30, well-known for helping economically backward students crack the IIT entrance exam, petitioned Union HRD ministry today against JEE (joint entrance examination ) going online from 2014 for the main exam and charging Rs 1000 more from those applying offline. "This (going online) is heavily loaded in favour of the rich and the elite students and will affect the talented students from poor families as access to computers for them is still a luxury," Super 30 founder Anand Kumar said in a letter send to Union HRD minister Pallam Raju.


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LONDON: STARZPLAY announced on Tuesday a new partnership with Almanasa, Iraq’s largest OTT platform, to expand its reach to the Iraqi market.
The three-year agreement will allow Almanasa subscribers to access STARZPLAY’s exclusive offerings, allowing viewers to enjoy all content under one platform.
“We are delighted to expand our network to cover Iraq to offer premium and cutting-edge programming to all the entertainment and sports enthusiasts in the market,” Raghida Abou Fadel, senior vice president for business development and sales at STARZPLAY, commented.
“We look forward to our partnership with Almanasa as we continue to expand our footprint in the Middle East.”
As part of the deal, subscribers will have access to STARZPLAY’s wide-ranging entertainment and sports offerings, including its core catalog of movies and TV shows and the STARZPLAY Sports pack.
STARZPLAY is known for its rich catalog of premium content, including Western and Arabic shows, Turkish favorites, anime, and live sports including exclusive streaming of wrestling, football, cycling, basketball, the EA Sports Italian Super Cup, SuperCopa Argentina, Serie A, World Championship Boxing, UFC and more.
“We are proud to provide our subscribers in Iraq with additional content options from one of the region’s leading video streaming services,” said Al-Muheleb Al-Zaidy, CEO of Almanasa.
“Customer delight is at the core of our business and offering value-added offers to our customers underlines this commitment.
We hope that they enjoy STARZPLAY’s compelling programming as we continue to evolve our offerings to deliver unmatched experiences to them.”
Additionally, Iraq’s largest internet service provider, Earthlink, will offer Almanasa as a Premium Bundle with its home internet packages.


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Retailers who marry mobile, web and store would likely be met with open arms by many consumers. The problem, according to new research from Accenture, is that many retailers aren’t wedding the three.
A survey of 750 U.S. consumers and a separate 150-question survey of 32 U.S. retailers finds that 45% of consumers would like to receive real-time promotions on their smartphone or tablet while shopping in a store. However, only 28% of retailers polled offer that service.
Additionally, 32% of consumer respondents said the biggest improvement retailers need to make in terms of shopping is to integrate the physical store, online and mobile. Accenture says, for example, that the overwhelming majority of retailers surveyed cannot track what a customer has searched for or put into a basket online and easily transfer the shopping basket so the consumer can pay for the product in-store. Accenture did not specify the percentage of retailers that offer this option.
The study also finds:
- While all of the U.S. retailers surveyed have mobile-optimized websites, a much smaller 53% have optimized their websites for tablets.
- When asked specifically about the improvements needed to improve store shopping, 19% of consumers cite easy ordering of out-of-stock merchandise and 15% free Wi-Fi.
- A disconnect between online and store pricing: Only 34% of retailers analyzed had the same pricing in stores and online for more than 80% of items assessed. That’s despite 82% of consumers expecting a retailer’s prices to be the same in-store and online, up from 69% a year earlier.
“Physical and digital commerce are converging at an incredible pace,” says Dave Richards, global managing director of Accenture’s retail practice. “The fact that many consumers are looking for real-time promotions to be sent to their phones means retailers have an opportunity to capitalize on the power of these devices. All sales channels must be equally desirable to the consumer, so that the path to purchase is not chosen based on satisfaction in one channel over another, but simply on what is most convenient at that time.”
The Accenture research also examined shipping and finds:
- 57% of consumers are willing to wait between four and seven days for free delivery.
- 29% would wait eight days or more for free shipping, compared to 23% who said the same last year.
- 26% are willing to pay $10 or more for same-day delivery for an item they need urgently, 13% would pay extra for next-day delivery, and 22% would consider paying $20 or more for delivery within two hours.
- 20% of shoppers have increased the use of the buy online/pickup in-store option during the past year.
- 46% of consumers say consolidating an order into one delivery rather than multiple deliveries is “extremely” or “very” important.
Sign up for a free subscription to Mobile Strategies 360, a new weekly newsletter (debuting in May) reporting on how businesses in all industries use mobile technologies to communicate with and market and sell to their consumers. Mobile Strategies 360 is published by Vertical Web Media LLC, which also publishes Internet Retailer, a business publication on e-retailing.Favorite


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Euro zone prices fell year-on-year in September for the first time in six months, the official estimates showed today, highlighting the persistent risk of outright deflation amid a slump in commodities prices.
The European Union's statistics office Eurostat estimated that consumer prices in the euro zone fell 0.1% year-on-year in September after a 0.1% rise in August.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected a reading of no change in prices this month.
The main factor behind the easing was a sharp annual drop in energy prices, which fell 8.9% after a 7.2% fall in August.
Unprocessed food, on the other hand, was the biggest upward driver for the overall index, with a 2.7% rise.
Without these two volatile components - or what the European Central Bank calls core inflation - prices increased by 0.9% year-on-year in September, the same as in August.
The ECB wants to keep the headline inflation at below, but close to 2% over the medium term and started buying assets including government bonds in March to inject more cash into the economy and in this way accelerate price growth.
But the €1 trillion plus quantitative easing programme has so far had limited success because of the sharp declines in the prices of commodities, exacerbated by expectations of slower economic growth in the world's second biggest economy China.


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- Global advertising revenue is projected to grow 5% in 2019 to $600 billion, according to the summer 2019 update of Magna Advertising Forecasts that was shared with Marketing Dive. Based on strength in the first half of 2019, Magna increased its forecast for 2019 advertising growth from 4.7%.
- Digital ad sales will grow 14% in 2019, down from last year's 19% growth as the space matures, to reach $304 billion, or 51% of global ad revenue. This is the first time that digital ad sales will represent more than half of global ad sales. This growth is now expected earlier than Magna's previous predictions, which estimated that digital ad growth would slow to 13%, in 2019 and that the industry would have to wait until 2020 before digital would command more than half of ad sales.
- U.S. ad sales are expected to grow by 3% in 2019, reaching an all-time high of $220 billion. Digital will rise 13% to $126 billion and account for 57% of total ad sales. Non-digital ad sales are predicted to drop 3% to $290 billion, as digital takes over. Advertising growth is forecast to retract in the second half due to the expected economic slowdown.
While the Magna report paints a mostly rosy picture for advertising sales, it also calls out a few areas of potential weakness in the year ahead, such as an expected economic slowdown in the second half and the expectation that ad spends will decrease across several verticals: automotive, movie studios, personal care and retail. The report also revealed that digital advertising usage volume and pricing slowed in Q1 2019, based on numbers shared by Google and Facebook.
Magna attributes the 2019 ad growth to a stronger-than-expected global economic environment in markets including the U.S. and China, which led most industries and brands to increase their marketing and advertising spend. Retail, automotive, finance, personal care and technology remained the largest advertising verticals. Magna expects technology, telecoms, travel, finance, personal care to expand advertising spending in 2019, but expects retail and automotive to remain steady or drop slightly depending on the market.
The Magna report predicts digital advertising to become the dominant force in 2019, even as its growth slows pace. The drop from 19% growth to 14% growth was anticipated as digital media penetration becomes universal in many markets. However, the market continues to see double-digital growth and search is expected to grow by 13% this year, social by 23% and digital video by 22%.
Mobile ad impressions and clicks will be responsible for the majority of digital advertising growth. The report found that mobile ad sales will grow by 24% in 2019, which would represent 68% of total digital advertising.
A separate forecast by WPP’s GroupM has a more conservative take on ad sales growth. The company is forecasting a growth of 3.4% in 2019. The firm predicts that digital ad sales won't surpass traditional channels until 2020, when political advertising in the U.S. will cause ad spending to rise by 4.7%, the report predicts.


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Owners of the state’s gas stations and convenience stores are asking Iowa lawmakers to set up a state grant program to replace aging underground storage tanks for gas and diesel. Dawn Carlson is president of the Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores of Iowa, representing more than 2000 business locations in the state.
“A majority of these tanks are approaching or exceeding their useful life of 25-30 years and therefore over time they will become suceptible to leaks and other environmental hazards,” Carlson says. “and they are certainly not compatible with ethanol blends higher than 10 percent.”
Since 2006, the state has been offering grants to retailers who promise to offer E85 to customers. The grants of up to $50,000 each are to help retailers pay for new equipment to dispense the higher blend of ethanol. Carlson’s group is asking for an expansion of that program, so tanks that have been in use for more than 25 years can be replaced with a “green” underground storage tank.
“By removing and replacing these tanks we will be protecting the environment and also help ensure that fuel does not leak into Iowa’s groundwater,” Carlson says. “Additionally, underground storage tanks currently in place were not designed for these higher level blends. Installation of new tanks that are compatible with up to E 100 will enable retailers to sell higher blends of renewable fuels in the future.”
Carlson suggests the expense of a new underground tank may be out of reach for many Iowa retailers.
“While many of our members display the logo of a major oil company at their store, they are indeed owned and operated independent of the oil companies,” Carlson says.
In 1989 state officials set up a fund for removal and clean up of underground storage tanks that are already leaking. Over 6000 sites have been evaluated over the past 25 years. According to the Legislative Services Agency the state has spent over a quarter of a billion dollars removing the tanks and cleaning up the underground leaks.


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No Digital Tomorrow for Europe without Ending Cyber Violences
According to the last Eurobarometer survey “Illegal Content Online”, the current rate of cyberviolence is unacceptably growing. Although social networks were initially developed to connect European citizens, particularly the youth, the survey reports, 25 million instances of online hate speech make social networks intolerable. The survey also reports that 61% of Internet users in Europe have been aware of online hate content, threats to personal integrity, destructive fake news or disinformation, and cyberharassment, at least once. Online violence is rampant and unacceptable.
The European Commission is about to publish its draft of the Digital Services Act (DSA). We have to ask ourselves: “Is the European Commission ready to truly recognise this ordeal and take concrete and effective measures to end it?”
The DSA is an opportunity to legally address the challenge of tackling online hate and its perpetrators. Online hate is a threat to Europe’s democratic values.
We have been too slow to focus our gaze towards the proliferation of hate content, and to affirm the importance of effective moderation, as well as to minimise the harmful effects of this digital pollutant.
As an association with the objective of preventing online hate and violence and aiding the victims of such, we are united in our appeal for financial, technical and legal resources commensurate with the growing plague of cyberviolence, as well as for increased involvement of digital stakeholders with a commitment to prevention and increased responsibility.
Therefore, we ask the European Commission to take into consideration the following essential proposals to build the digital Europe of the future.
In particular, we call for the establishment of the following 10 pilar proposals:
- To proclaim the right to digital respect and dignity for every European citizen.
- To require digital platforms to display a single report button which helps explaining every citizen its online rights.
- To reinforce the obligation of digital platforms to provide information on the presentation of moderation rules, victims’ rights, support mechanisms, etc., and to adapt this information for the use of minors.
- To require on digital platforms online training for all minor subscribers (telephony or internet connection), including the creation of an online profile created by, created for, or concerning any minor.
- To require digital platforms at local member states level to act on reports of illegal content within 24 hours of reporting.
- To reinforce the obligation of transparency by all digital platforms by requiring an annual moderation report which shall include, but is not limited to its moderation activities, means implemented, and the results obtained through the implementation of specific measures and objectives.
- To require digital platforms containing adult content to verify the age of its users (18 years old) prior to accessing content, connecting to or subscribing to services.
- To invite operators to develop a default system of “respect by design” of digital rights and freedoms in all stages of production from the development stage up to implementation, including its business practices.
- To levy a “cyber-violence/respect tax” for major digital platforms to finance stakeholders in the fight against online hate in each Member State.
- To provide for deterrent sanctions for violations of any future rules or Regulation, the enforcement of which will be delegated to a competent national authority under the supervision of the judicial authority.
There is still time to rebuild a humane, respectful and beneficial digital world for future generations.
Respect Zone, Latvian Centre for Human Rights, Romea, Caméléon France, Association HUGO, #JeSuisLà, Association des Jeunes Chinois de France, ACVS 49, Cyberbullying.pt


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Here's how the experiement was set up, as explained by Palmer:
Using an alternating current, driven by a transformer, over 200,000 volts was sent across a 300mm gap – giving heat and light similar to that of a lightning bolt. The signal was then stepped into a second controlling transformer, allowing us to charge the phone.
We were amazed to see that the Nokia circuitry somehow stabilized the noisy signal, allowing the battery to [start] be charged in only seconds.
Nokia have partnered with the University of Southampton to unveil ground-breaking, proof-of-concept research into harnessing the power of lightning for personal use, an industry first that could potentially see consumers tap one of nature's significant energy sources to charge their devices in a sustainable manner.
This experiment underlines Nokia's 150-year commitment to innovation and delivering the most pioneering products to its customers. That the Nokia Lumia 925 could withstand this sort of experiment is testament to the renowned high quality and durability of Nokia's devices and the company's continuing research to increase the already outstanding reliability of its products.
These experiments are conducted by professionals in laboratory conditions, please do not try this at home.
More information in this Nokia Conversations story.


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PUNE: Opposition parties such as NCP, Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray group) and Aam Aadmi Party and various other social outfits have announced a bandh on Tuesday to condemn the uncalled-for statements about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and other social leaders.
The association of retail shopks, including those selling milk, grocery and other essential items, has said the establishments will function till 10am and remain closed after that till 3pm.
Shops of non-essential items like cloth will remain closed till 3pm.
As a precautionary method, schools such as Kothari National school, Kondhwa, The Orbis school, Mundhwa, Clara Global, Lexicon school declared a holiday. Among the schools that will remain pen are Arnold's Wadgaonsheri, Hutching's Camp, Indus International and Seva Sadan. The colleges are likely to function regularly.
Loading and unloading of vegetables, fruit and flowers is likely to remain shut, as the associations of wholesalers and workers at the Gultekdi market Yard have announced their support to the bandh. "We have alerted the farmers about the closure of market on Tuesday," said Vilas Bhujbal, a wholesaler.
Sachin Nivangune, the head of retailers' association said, "We support the bandh. However, the shops selling essential commodities will function in the morning hours."
Leaders of the political parties said a rally was planned from Deccan Gymkhana to Lal Mahal Chowk on Tuesday morning.
"We have urged the protestors to participate in the bandh peacefully," said Prashant Jagtap, NCP's city unit president.


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Earlier today, Arla announced that after "careful consideration" it has concluded that operations at its plant in Kisslegg-Zaisenhofen are no longer "economically viable."
The plant will close on February 29 2016 with the loss of 38 jobs, it said.
"This was not an easy decision to take," said Winfried Meier, senior vice president for Central Europe, Arla Foods.
"In recent months our experts have carefully examined and worked through a variety of options. Unfortunately it became clear that continued operation of the Kisslegg site was not economically viable."
The background for the closure, Arla said, was a fall in demand for Allgäuland brand MonRocco - hard cheese produced at the Kisslegg plant.
"Over the past three years, competition has intensified dramatically. In Eastern Europe in particular, ‘MonRocco’ can be produced much more cheaply than is possible at the Kisslegg site," said Meier.
"Recently, opportunities to sell this product and still cover costs have been severely restricted.”
Arla - owned by 12,700 dairy farmers across Denmark, Sweden, Germany, the UK, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands - expects to better utilize nearby facilities in Bad Wörishofen, Sonthofen and Wertach following the Kisslegg closure.


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This line-up of stories will help you discover the latest happenings around the tech world, today.
1. Nigerian Fintech launches service to empower SMEs
Seeking to provide access to various products and services for small businesses and SMEs in the region, Lagos-based digital bank startup Sparkle has launched a new service.
The development will see the Sparkle team providing necessary tools for SMEs to grow digitally.
According to Uzoma Dozie, founder and CEO of Sparkle, the launch of the new feature is integral to supporting SMEs in the region.
He said: “SMEs are the largest employer of labour in Nigeria but are lacking access to basic services that will help their businesses.
“We have introduced Sparkle Business as a one-stop-shop, to help individuals to launch their businesses digitally, while meeting existing SMEs’ pain points, and allowing them to pivot to the next level of success
“We have been afforded this opportunity due to our extensive research and access to data, which allows us to know what exactly SMEs are looking for.”
Tech Trivia: The “Anger over advert” concept is used to illustrate which of the following inventions?
D. Remote control
Answer: See end of post.
2. StartNow scheme opens call for East African startup empowerment
Organised by the Yunus Environment Hub, the StartNow initiative has opened applications for the second cohort.
The scheme, which is an online course for social business plan creation, will help entrepreneurs (in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, and Ethiopia) learn useful skills to optimise operations.
Industry experts describe the initiative as a self-learning platform in which potential and early-stage entrepreneurs can interact to develop a social business plan step-by-step in eight weeks.
Speaking on methods and modalities, the board stated that the programme blends interactive online-offline experiences for the entrepreneurs to advance on the creation and testing of their business plans, as well as providing them with tools to track their progress after finalising the incubation process.
As designed, each week the entrepreneurs will work on one module of their business plan, and at the end of the course they will have compiled a structured document.
3. Egypt’s Sawari Ventures raises $63.8 million fund for innovation-driven startups
Leading Egyptian venture capital (VC) firm Sawari Ventures has announced raising a US$63.8 million fund for investments in innovation-driven startups.
The 11 year old VC invests in technology companies across the ICT, hardware, education, healthcare, cleantech and fintech spheres.
Managed by Ahmed Al-Alfi, Hany Al-Sonbay and Wael Amin, it has invested in more than 30 companies, including the likes of Swvl, Instabug and Si-Ware.
According to reports, the new fund was instrumental to securing new commitments from Misr Insurance Group, Ekuity, National Bank of Egypt, Banque Misr, Banque du Caire, and Suez Canal Bank.
Speaking on the development, Al-Alfi noted that Sawari Ventures is regulated by the Financial Regulatory Authority of Egypt (FRA), which allowed it to attract capital from top tier local financial institutions to co-invest with foreign capital from international development financial institutions, doubling its allocation to invest in Egyptian high growth companies.
Tech Trivia Remote control
It began with what TV viewers of the 21st Century can still identify with – anger over the adverts.
In the 1950s in the US, Zenith Electronics president Eugene F McDonald gave the company’s engineers a challenge: he hated having to sit through adverts. He wanted a device that could let him mute them, or skip to another channel (…where hopefully something other than adverts were playing).
The remote control as we know it was born. McDonald’s wish spawned a revolution, changing the way we watched television – less as a passive observer, more a ruthless overseer. If we didn’t like what we saw, a new channel was the flick of a switch away. Zenith’s game-changing device was called the Flashmatic, designed by an engineer called Eugene Polley and released in 1955.


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Two chocolate bars for the price of one, the Jumbo bag of Chips, or the discounted use of a range of energy drinks: There are often foods with a high content of fat, sugar or salt, which are in the supermarket in the offer. In fact, a study by Cancer Research UK showed that almost half of all chocolate, crisps, Popcorn and savoury Snacks purchased in the special offer. For their study, the researchers analyzed the data of 16,000 UK households with a view to their purchasing behaviour, demographic and socio-economic characteristics as well as the size and weight of the buyers.
The disturbing outcome of the investigation: Who fills offered in the supermarket, the shopping cart, especially with the special, is more likely to be overweight or even obese. For the authors this is particularly worrisome because Obesity applies in the meantime as a high-risk factor for at least 13 types of cancer. The experts are therefore advocating to regulate the offerings by law.
In the bargain group, around three out of four people were overweight
The buyers they divided into four groups, sorted according to the proportion of items that were cheaper bought. The result: In the group that particularly many special offers access, 72 percent of people are overweight, while this percentage was higher in the group with a few offer purchases 64 per cent. For obesity, i.e. particularly strong or morbid Obesity, was increase the likelihood of in the bargain hunters group in order to 28 percent. Those trends were apparent across all age and income groups.
In addition, offer buyers for a fifth opted for more food, containing much fat, salt or sugar at the expense of healthier options: bargain lovers also bought 30 per cent less fruit and almost 25 percent less vegetables. This corresponds to approximately four kilograms less fruit and vegetables per month to avoid the case of buyers, which tend special offers.
Overall, the shopping cart, this group contained more sugar and less fibre than that of other consumers. An observation that is not surprising the nutritional psychologists Joachim West höfer of the University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg: In an independent classification of the report, he pointed out that the connection between a high-energy-density foods with a relatively low price is known for some time.
“Stinginess is cool”mentality
“Food today is so cheap as never before,” he says. “The result is an unhealthy over-consumption.” In Germany there are no comparable studies, but similar results would probably be: “Just food mentality in this country, a “greed is good” -.”
Linda Bauld, prevention expert from Cancer Research UK, says in a communication to the study: “promotions provide people with a Wealth of tempting, but unhealthy food and drinks. At discounted prices for chocolate, biscuits, cake and lemonade, it’s no Surprise that people buy more deals, have a greater probability of being obese.”
The results of the study authors, mainly from two reasons: For one, it be especially the children that suffered the consequences of such purchasing behavior. Even now, every fifth elementary school students in the UK are overweight, according to the primary school, the proportion increases to one-third.
In Germany, around 15 percent of children and Teenagers between 3 and 17 years of age according to the Robert Koch Institute to thick. Nearly six percent are even obese. In the case of the adults in this country, 59 percent of men and 37 percent of women, according to Figures from the German society for nutrition as overweight.
Being overweight increases the risk of cancer
The second reason why the British authors are sounding the Alarm: Obesity is now seen as a risk factor for at least 13 types of cancer, including colon and breast cancer. Probably an Overproduction of hormones promotes cancer growth. Even more important, according to the scientists, to facilitate consumers a healthy choice when shopping. You plead, therefore, to regulate promotions for unhealthy foods by law. The same should be bars for the selection of chocolate and the like are given, which are often in the checkout area.
In fact, a British study had revealed last year that almost a fifth landed less the appropriate Snacks in the shopping cart, if supermarkets are this from the checkout area and the exiles.
Joachim West höfer holds legal regulations in Germany for superior value. Currently, the policy relies on voluntary self-commitments by the industry. “But not enough to get the obesity epidemic in the handle,” says the food psychologist.
Processed meat (salted, smoked, salted) such as sausage or ham
Since the year 2015 apply to meat products such as Salami, Vienna and Kassel as a carcinogen: An Agency of the world health organization, WHO, classified the processed meat as a “carcinogen”. Regular consumption increases, therefore, the risk for colorectal cancer.
Sausages are of the highest cancer risk level, as well as the tobacco Smoking. This classification is not made in 2015, a sensation, an insight into the actual risk classification. It simply means that studies have proven the risk for both triggers convincing.
As Stiftung Warentest in the current edition writes, the risk of dying from the consequences of Smoking, approximately 175 Times higher: “tobacco is not going to be for a year, 6 million deaths, processed meat for 34,000”.
How to reduce the risk of cancer?
According to the WHO, a frequent consumption of more than 50 grams of sausage increases the risk of colon cancer by 18 percent. If you want to reduce the risk, should avoid the consumption of processed meat””.


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A new report released today by Eagle Eye, a leading SaaS digital marketing provider, reveals a significant shift in Canadian dining habits and their attitudes toward food and beverage brands, presenting new revenue opportunities for Canadian businesses heading into 2019.
Eagle Eye’s report, Changing Tastes & Flavours: Canadians’ Attitudes Toward Food and Beverage Brands Are Changing. Are F&B Operators Moving Fast Enough? comes at a time when Canada’s vast geography, rich landscape and varied demographics have created a national food and beverage (F&B) industry that is dynamic, competitive, and as diverse as its citizens. But even with the global economy’s unpredictability and fast-paced technological developments, the Canadian F&B sector has remained resilient.
Based on a survey conducted by Eagle Eye of 2,000 Canadian consumers and over 200 F&B professionals, the report looks at the relationship between how consumers engage with F&B establishments across the country, and whether F&B operators are equipped with the right tools and technology to meet those expectations. Key consumer statistics include:
- 71% have a meal outside of their home up to 10 times per month
- Younger generations and working professionals dine out more frequently, up to 20 times per month
- 62% of consumers spend up to $30 per visit
- 30% of Canadian consumers are currently members of a restaurant loyalty program
- 13% of Canadians use third-party delivery services like Uber Eats to order from restaurants, rather than through the restaurant directly
With more options and ways to interact with restaurants, bars, quick service restaurants (QSRs), taverns, and other F&B establishments, consumer dining habits have evolved significantly over the last twelve months. These behaviours include a higher frequency of restaurant delivery, getting fast food, buying prepared foods from the grocery store, getting takeout from a restaurant and ordering 3rd party food delivery services.
But while dining out remains at an all-time high for consumers, new data shows that many F&B operators are failing to engage with consumers—and losing out on revenue opportunities in the process:
- 38% of consumers have not received communications from a restaurant brand in the past 3 months
- Only 22% have received a personalized offer to prompt a first time-visit
- 35% have received an offer to prompt a return visit
- 60% of consumers would return for another visit if offered a coupon
- Only 30% of operators use technology, data and insights to identify their customers through promo codes, card payments or loyalty memberships
“Today’s food and beverage sector is increasingly competitive, but most operators lack insights into who their customers are, how often they visit and what they’re ordering,” said Tim Mason, Chief Executive Officer at Eagle Eye. “To capitalize on the revenue opportunities our report has uncovered, Canadian brands need to become digitally connected to gather customer data, create a direct marketing channel, and stand out from their competitors. With the right digital infrastructure, food and beverage operators can cost-effectively drive repeat visits and increase spend per visit.”
The report also speaks to major challenges F&B operators face across Canada, including:
- Fraud continues to impact the industry, with 79% of operators experiencing customer- and staff-related fraud
- 36% of restaurant owners struggle with rising costs but is most prominent among independently-operated businesses and those in operation for 20-plus years
- Staff turnover can be as high as 200-300% in a given restaurant
Strategies to overcome these challenges, and engage with customers in real-time via digital, mobile and social channels, are also addressed in the report, to help operators strengthen brand loyalty and drive revenue growth in a highly competitive market. —CNW


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What you need to know
- Apple was not lying when it called the iPhone 11's A13 Bionic chip the most powerful chip in a smartphone ever.
- And that was the iPhone XS, it performed almost three times better than the OnePlus 7 Pro with the Snapdragon 855 chip.
When Apple took the stage to unveil the iPhone 11, it made some very lofty claims. Among the most eye raising things it said concerned the new A13 Bionic chip. It asserted it was 20% faster than the already impressive A12 Bionic and called it the most powerful chip in a smartphone ever.
Turns out it wasn't just all hype. The claim has now been verified.
Even more comical is that it is nearly three times as fast as the Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 chip which earned a 64 score. It shows the gaping discrepancy between Apple's silicon and the silicon from the main Android smartphone chip provider.
Just for kicks, it also easily destroyed the performance you see from Apple's 10-core iMac Pro by 20%.
Needless to say, the A13 Bionic chip powering the iPhone 11 is insanely powerful. This not only bodes well right now but also for the longevity of its lifespan. It should still be a top performer for years to come.
Apple picks up a $12 million fine over claims of iPhone water resistance
Apple is in the dog house in Italy after it picked up a fine over the way it advertises iPhones and their water resistance.
Get the Aviary Twitter app for just $1.99, today only!
You haven't lived until you've used a third-party Twitter app like Aviary. You want to live, don't you?
Apple's Cyber Monday iPhone SE sale essentially makes the price $290
The iPhone SE is already an incredible price, even without any discounts, but with Apple's Black Friday sale, you can get one for a song.
Protect your iPhone 11 Pro with these great thin cases
Keep your iPhone 11 Pro safe and sound, even though it's totally surrounded in glass. Protect without adding heft with one of these thin cases.


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Approval documents already suggested it at the beginning of the year, then yesterday the first product photos surfaced. Signify, the manufacturer of Philips Hue, will launch a smart home camera. However, not in the Hue cosmos, but for the independently operating WiFi system of the WiZ brand. Works with Nest has since been discontinued However, the topic of Philips Hue and camera is not entirely new.
Today it's time again for a little poll. I would like to know which Philips Hue product you would like to see the most. After all, there are a few things that are not yet available – and some of them are not from third-party suppliers either. I am therefore curious to know what your favourites are.
I have been blogging about Philips Hue for more than three years now, starting with the German Hueblog. There I have already asked twice how many lamps you actually have in use. More than a year has passed since the last survey – so it's time to bring the numbers up to date again.
The new Philips Hue wall switch module, which will be available in Europe in the spring and in the USA in the summer, has been the subject of much discussion over the past two weeks. One thing is clear: with the module, you will be able to make every light switch smart in order to control Philips Hue lamps.


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The re-launch, starting Sept. 18 with the premiere of “Berry in the Big City,” is designed to bring a cool, confident new Strawberry Shortcake to screens in order to inspire girls.
“Strawberry Shortcake has brought so much joy to children over the years, and now we’re thrilled to provide today’s generation with the opportunity to create new experiences and memories with the brand,” says Michael Riley, chief brands officer, WildBrain. “While staying true to what makes Strawberry Shortcake special – her sweetness, scent and joyful strawberry motif – this new vision aims to inspire today’s girls with relevant and empowering themes of diversity, sustainability and entrepreneurship. We’ve teamed up with some amazing brand partners and have a fantastic schedule of events, social campaigns and activations lined up for the brand beginning this fall. Whether it’s baking with Mom in the kitchen, playing with scented dolls, enjoying new content on YouTube, immersing themselves in Roblox, or reading books and listening to music, today’s little girls are going to love making the new Strawberry Shortcake a big part of their lives.”
Both the animated series and video game experience will be joined by a global franchise program that brings the scented dolls back to shelves with master toy partner Moose Toys.
“We’re thrilled to collaborate with WildBrain,” says Menal McGrath, vice president, global licensing, Moose Toys. “Their position as a ‘new generation’ kids’ entertainment leader makes them the ideal partner to introduce today’s kids to such a beloved and iconic property. This aspirational, fun and fresh reimagining of Strawberry Shortcake gives us an incredibly exciting platform to deliver never-before-seen, ‘wow’ products that will redefine how consumers see and experience the brand.”
Publishing partners Penguin Random House will also be bringing story books of “Berry in the Big City” to kids, with food and beverage partnerships featuring Naturipe, Sunkist Growers, Envy Apples and Langers for fruit, Zolli Candy for dentist-approved lollipops and more.
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Some branches of Pret a Manger in the City have had to close Matt Crossick/Matt Crossick/Empics Entertainment
The city centre businesses that once relied on the passing trade of office workers are under threat as business districts remain empty. Do organisations have a moral duty to consider the impact their working arrangements have on these vulnerable firms, writes Alberto Lopez-Valenzuela?
The sudden shift to remote working may herald the end of the office, at least as we know it. Five months later and the shift to the kitchen table continues, seemingly unabated.
According to a survey from US bank Morgan Stanley, just a third of UK office workers have gone back to their workplaces – far behind figures recorded in France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
Business leaders have had an unenviable range of factors to juggle: the health concerns of their employees; the financial effects on their businesses and the economy; and the long term impact on staff mental health. All of these issues and more have had a reputational impact on businesses and have driven their decisions around whether to bring staff back to the office – but now another issue must be factored in.
Big business must consider the impact on their own communities being wrought by long term and wide-scale remote working. No business operates in isolation – every area of every city is an ecosystem, one that survives and thrives thanks to everyday employee interactions: the daily commutes and cups of coffee; the lunchtime sales and after-work shopping trips.
Remote working threatens the livelihoods of many working in the hospitality and retail sectors, often in deprived neighbourhoods. In normal times, Pret a Manger would sell 80 million cups of coffee a year, but July saw the sandwich chain close 30 of its branches and make 1,000 members of staff redundant in the face of a dramatically reduced footfall. The impact on smaller businesses is likely to be even more pronounced.
Such concerns have undoubtedly contributed towards the government’s abandonment of its “work from home” guidance, as well as advice to avoid public transport. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has also drawn attention to the impact on businesses in the heart of the capital, saying: “With employers planning to continue homeworking well into next year, the numbers of people visiting the West End will be reduced for many months ahead.”
But this change in message hasn’t set off a widespread return to office spaces. Sky News recently reported that just one in six workers have made their way back into the city – leading to a footfall of just 17% of what it was before the pandemic.
Time to rethink remote working decisions?
However, it’s is clear that big businesses are also considering the impact of remote working policies on local economies – not to mention their own reputations. Indeed, the reputational risks surrounding this complex issue are high – alva’s own research has placed it as one of the top media talking points of August.
No business operates in isolation – every area of every city is an ecosystem, one that survives and thrives thanks to everyday employee interactions.”
Back in April, Barclays CEO Jes Staley said that “the notion of putting 7,000 people in a building may be a thing of the past” but he has since changed his approach, highlighting the group’s links to the local communities surrounding its office hubs. He suggested “it is important to get people back together in physical concentrations” because the bank has “a responsibility to places like Canary Wharf, like Manchester, like Glasgow”.
Conversely, NatWest Group has been criticised for telling its 50,000 staff members that working from home could continue until the end of the year, causing concern over the impact on the cafes, lunch spots and other key retailers near its branches.
Some businesses are taking a more inventive approach to traditional work structures. Magic Circle law firm Allen and Overy is reopening its London office for any staff who want to go back – but returning employees will alternate weeks of commuting with weeks of remote working.
Lloyds Banking Group is testing out thermal cameras to check the temperatures of its colleagues. Meanwhile, private equity group Carlyle is planning to open its headquarters in the capital, but will ask staff to avoid using public transport to get to work and even request that those that do so at the weekends avoid their office for two weeks.
Big businesses are also considering the impact of remote working policies on local economies – not to mention their own reputations.”
And, of course, many companies including Schroders, Rightmove and National Grid are taking a cautious approach, closely monitoring the situation as it develops and gradually introducing small numbers back to their workspaces.
Getting the balance right
Businesses have an almost impossible balancing act to perform. On the one hand, there are many employees who continue to feel uneasy about the prospect of resuming their pre-pandemic train journeys and making their way back to bustling offices. On the other, in a post-Covid world, consumers are looking for evidence that brands are living up to their proclaimed values and supporting troubled communities.
This holds a host of challenges for HR too – whether it’s navigating the varied viewpoints of staff; identifying measures that will make them feel comfortable; or communicating with a workforce that’s split between home and office work.
Big business must ask itself some serious questions about what it stands for – and how it wants to be perceived. As businesses seek to rebuild their contract with society, maintaining a physical office presence –and thereby supporting local businesses – may form a cornerstone of such efforts.
HR Director opportunities on Personnel Today


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Swedish dairy pioneer, Skånemejerier, has extended its Scandinavian-leading juice range, Bravo, to incorporate probiotic strains, believed to be the first in the world to do so in a fresh 100 per cent juice product with a cold-fighting claim.
A look into the probiotic crystal ball reveals that genetically engineered "friendly" bacteria could be switched on by specific prebiotic sugar, possibly leading to a new generation of pre- and probiotic products.
Despite low levels of public awareness compared to western markets, functional foods and ingredients are finding growth in areas of India, as consumers switch on to the promise of healthier foods, beverages and supplements.
Danone, the French dairy giant, will resubmit withdrawn gut and immunity probiotic health claims to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), after receiving guidance from the European Union’s head science body.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has rejected three article 13.5 probiotic and prebiotic health claims and one article 14 claim linking prebiotics with a range of benefits from immunity to diarrhoea for failing to demonstrate causality.


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BKR Care Consultancy has appointed Charlie Jones as chief operating officer after working for the company for 10 years.
Healthcode: Richard Aris
Healthcode, an online products and services provider for the private healthcare sector, has appointed Richard Aris as head of business development to help the company achieve its ambitious growth strategy.
Aris will plan and direct Healthcode’s sales and development activity and report to managing director, Peter Connor. He will lead the business development team in building strong, long-term partnerships with practices, hospitals and insurers, providing them with support and keeping them informed about products and services that will help them operate more efficiently.
Aris previously managed distribution sales for FTSE-listed Just Group, a financial services provider specialising in retirement income. He began his career at health insurer Bupa.
Connor said: “I’m delighted to welcome someone of Richard’s calibre to Healthcode. This is an exhilarating chapter in our company’s story as we invest across the board including our people, infrastructure and product development so we can raise our performance to a new level. Richard’s proven expertise and leadership skills will further strengthen our team and ensure we are able to deliver solutions that align with our customers’ strategic goals.”
Ali commented: “When I first left private healthcare, businesses still worked in quite an old-fashioned way compared to other sectors, particularly when it came to the administration of claims and remittances. I always liked the idea of coming back and helping businesses to streamline their processes and this is Healthcode’s mission too so it felt like the perfect match.
“Although I am new to the company, I’ve already been impressed with how my colleagues have built relationships across the sector. Now I want us to inspire customers by talking about Healthcode’s plans and exciting product roadmap so they understand how the solutions we are developing will support their business and the industry as a whole.”


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Technically Incorrect: Despite a government safety YouTube video that warns people about keeping their heads away from fireworks, a Maine man deliberately places a fireworks mortar tube on his head.
Microsoft is in the final phase of preparation ahead of the July 29 launch date for the next big update to its marquee software.
A happy discovery at a certain furniture store gave my workstation a much-needed ergonomic fix.
Still hanging onto your old Android but not sure what to use it for? Check out these nine ideas for giving a retired device a new purpose.
Instead of letting an old iOS device sit in a drawer and collect dust, give it a second life by repurposing it.
Though it feels too similar to last year's G3, the LG G4 is an excellent big-screen smartphone that will appeal to budding photographers, and has old-school features missing from rival flagships.
Actor-producer Joseph Gordon-Levitt promises that his upcoming movie adaptation of Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" comic will not be a punch-'em-up action flick.
At the edge of our solar system, the spacecraft put itself into safe mode, leaving it temporarily unable to gather groundbreaking new data on the famous former planet.


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BERLIN, Germany (NEWS CENTER) -- It's the Internet's latest sensation... a German musician plays a mini electronic orchestra from an acoustic guitar.
Musician Robin Sukroso places a A MIDI pad, which is a controller that generates electronic percussion sounds, over the body of the guitar.
To play, he hits the percussion controller with his right hand while picking at the guitar strings with his free fingers.
Sukroso says the MIDI pad is a stick-on wireless controller that can be powered with a rechargeable battery.
The instrument took three years to build and a campaign on Kickstarter is coming soon.
You can watch the original video on YouTube by clicking here.


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At his Frankfurt Motor Show press conference, Infiniti VP Shiro Nakamura confirmed they will launch a a compact zero emissions luxury sedan in 2014.
The above sketch shows a silhouette of this yet unnamed luxury EV, revealing a sporty design which according to Infiniti will be a segment leader, just like the M35h which is officially the fastest full Hybrid available, or the new JX that is the first seven-seat crossover.
Here’s the most important bits of Mr. Nakamura’s speech:
Infiniti plans to take 10 per cent of global luxury segments by 2016*. At today’s levels that would be 500,000 units. That is a giant step up on the number of cars we sold last year. The good news for my team is that we expand our global line-up to 10 models by 2016, so plenty for us to design.
And we come to our first Frankfurt show with our full range of cars and crossovers and a glimpse into the future with the Etherea compact luxury concept.
But we need to tell more people about our story and reach new global audiences. In March we announced our partnership with Red Bull Racing in Formula One, a relationship that is literally delivering rapid results for Infiniti.
We were also proud to have RBR driver and F1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel, join with Infiniti as our first ever global brand ambassador. Having a world champion of the caliber of Sebastian has been truly inspiring…and has lead directly to the car we will show you today…..


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New out of Seattle, Wash., Friday morning was that Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) has secured a licensing deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution to add several popular TV shows to Amazon’s Prime video streaming service and to add to the video library for Kindle Fires and other devices. This is an exlusive agreement that includes shows like Fringe and The West Wing, Amazon announced in a press release.
Shows will be available exclusively to Amazon Prime Video subscribers and Kindle Fire customers for the summer, giving them access to a library of about 18,000 movies and TV episodes – and these new additions had not been available for video streaming anywhere before.Amazon invites customers who don’t have Prime Video to access a free trial, plus Kindle Fire buyers get one free month access included with their Fire.
In a press release announcing the deal, Amazon director of digital video acquisition Brad Beale said, “Since launching Prime Instant Video, we’ve continued to expand both the quantity and quality of video content for our Prime members. “Bringing Fringe and The West Wing two shows with a devoted fan base to Prime Instant Video first, is another way for us to add value for Prime members and to continue to give customers content they love.”
Ken Werner, president of Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, said, “We are thrilled to count Amazon as a digital distribution outlet for our television group. As more and more television content is enjoyed by fans across a myriad of subscription channels and platforms and on numerous devices from televisions to tablets, deals such as this give consumers the opportunity to discover, catch-up, or simply enjoy a favorite series again and again.”
In the moments after the announcement, AMZN stock recovered from a slight loss to be up about $1.25 to just more than $227 per share. This news, though, will be closely watched by hedge funds like Ken Fisher’s Fisher Asset Management and John Griffin’s Blue Ridge Capital. At the end of March, Fisher was invested to the tune of nearly $515 million in AMZN stock, while Blue Ridge had nearly $353 million at stake.


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There’s a great bunch of money-saving deals and discounts for you to grab this week, including £100 for moving to free energy and free Marmite.
£130 off a British Gas bill
MoneySavingExpert Martin Lewis has spotted a way for British Gas customers to save up to £130 on their annual gas and electricity bill.
It’s thanks to a new tariff called British Gas All Online January 2019.
But you won’t get it by ringing up the supplier. It’s only available on comparison sites and to customers who use online billing, and pay for dual fuel and pay by direct debit.
For full details of how to find the hidden deal go to Martin’s explanation here.
Black Friday deals
There’s a useful thread at HotUKDeals where posters are busy rounding up retailers’ Black Friday deals they hear about.
Some won’t announce offers until the day before or even until the day of the event itself but the threat already includes offers from around 80 firms, with more being added daily.
But don’t get ripped off on Black Friday
We’re all at risk of being “ripped off” on Black Friday, a deal hunting expert has warned.
Tom Church of LatestDeals.co.uk reckons many of last year’s top products were up to £150 cheaper before or after the event.
He found items such as NutriBullets, GoPro action cameras, video games consoles and HD TVs on offer up to £150 cheaper before and after Black Friday last year.
It means if you see what you think is a bargain, be patient, you’re likely to get it much cheaper if you can wait until, say Boxing Day sales.
You may not even have to wait that long – last year PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were £40 cheaper three weeks after the Black Friday event.
“Black Friday is an exciting but dangerous time for the consumer. You’re at risk of being ripped off by shiny numbers. Marketers will do everything in their power to get you to spend,” Tom warns.
£100 for you – and a friend – for moving to green energy
Renewable energy company Bulb is doubling its referral rewards this week. From today, every time a Bulb member refers a friend, both get £100 each. That’s is double the standard reward, to m ark the fact that the firm has doubled its membership in the last three months.
To take advantage of the £100 referral scheme, members must log into their Bulb account and share their unique referral code with friends and family. Both current and new members will receive £100 each.
Bulb says it will also pay any exit fees incurred by new members who switch from another supplier while on a fixed term contract.
Crafty savings at Lidl
From Thursday 16 November, Lidl is offering a range of deals on arts and crafts, including the DK Let’s Sew Book down from £9.99 to £2.99.
Double rewards at Barclays
Barclays has doubled cash rewards on its Blue Rewards loyalty programme this month. Those who sign up can get up to £34 in November.
The offer is open to new and existing Barclays current account customers, who haven’t previously switched on Barclays Blue Rewards, providing they join before 30 November.
Until 5 December, Barclays customers can also get 10% cashback at Currys PC World, Argos, House of Fraser and JD Sports when shopping through Barclays Online or Mobile Banking. Blue Rewards customers will get an additional 1% cashback.
Tip of the Week
Before shopping for a bargain particularly on Black Friday you should make a list, advises Helen Dewdney, who blogs as The Complaining Cow.
“Write down all the things you need to buy,” she advises.
“It can include: the people for whom you have to buy presents, possible ideas and a budget. It will help you not go over a budget if you are easily carried away with possible bargains and gives you choices.”
She advises advises people to do plenty of research. “Look up the likely stores for items you’re interested in and make a list of the prices that you find.
“Then use comparison sites to check out prices at rival stores.”


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Type manufacturers that make deceptive claims about their environmental credentials face a crackdown through the contest watchdog because it objectives greenwashing.
Manufacturers may well be pressured to switch the best way they promote it or face courtroom motion if they’re discovered to have breached shopper coverage legislation with spurious environmental claims.
The Festival and Markets Authority (CMA) is known to have prioritised vogue as a result of the scale of the marketplace and the size of shopper issues. Different sectors, together with shipping, foods and drinks, and attractiveness also are anticipated to be investigated over their environmental claims.
Cecilia Parker Aranha, the CMA’s director of shopper coverage, stated: “Individuals are changing into increasingly more acutely aware of the unfavorable affect that vogue will have on our planet. We all know many consumers are actively on the lookout for manufacturers that are doing just right issues for the surroundings – and we need to ensure the claims they see are stacking up.
“Our paintings thus far signifies that there may well be problems with greenwashing within the vogue sector and this is the reason we’ve prioritised this space for additional investigation.
“Now’s the time for the rage trade to take a contemporary take a look at what they’re telling shoppers and make any adjustments had to agree to the legislation. Companies that may’t again up their claims possibility motion from the CMA and harm to their recognition within the long-run.”
The investigation comes as the rage trade faces expanding power to cut back its environmental affect as some estimates point out it’s accountable for between 2% and eight% of worldwide carbon emissions.
Its concept the worldwide trade contributes extra to the local weather emergency than the aeronautical and delivery industries mixed and, if tendencies proceed, it will account for 1 / 4 of the arena’s carbon funds through 2050. The rising quantity of on-line buying groceries returns have additionally fuelled fear amongst campaigners.
The power staff Converting Markets Basis launched a file closing yr into using artificial fibres through 46 main manufacturers. It stated that 60% of claims through UK and Ecu vogue firms, together with Asos, H&M and Zara, had been unsubstantiated and deceptive consumers.
The file in particular criticised using polyester constructed from recycled plastic bottles which it stated used to be a “false resolution” and stated manufacturers weren’t doing sufficient to verify their clothes used to be recyclable.
Urska Trunk, the marketing campaign supervisor at Converting Markets, stated: “Whilst manufacturers are fast to capitalise on shopper fear through the usage of sustainability as a advertising ploy, the majority of such claims are all taste and no substance. Whilst they greenwash their clothes collections, they’re concurrently dragging their ft on embracing really round answers, as an example through no longer making the important investments to verify a long term through which garments may also be recycled again into garments.”
It picked out H&M’s moral Mindful Assortment for the usage of extra synthetics than in its primary assortment, with one in 5 pieces analysed discovered to be constructed from 100% fossil fuel-derived artificial fabrics.
H&M stated it primarily based its product sustainability claims on “credible third-party certification schemes for our fabrics to verify sustainable sourcing and integrity” such because the World Recycled Usual.
The Swedish fast-fashion store stated that polyester made up 27% of its subject material use, alternatively it agreed that “recycled polyester from single-use plastic bottles shouldn’t be the long-term resolution for the trade”.
It stated whilst it used to be making an investment in recycling, textile-to-textile recycling answers are wanted, therefore its funding in recycling applied sciences, equivalent to Worn Once more, TreeToTextile and Renewcell.
The CMA started having a look into inexperienced claims in 2020, discovering that as much as 40% may well be deceptive to shoppers. It gave firms making deceptive claims about their environmental credentials till the top of closing yr to forestall the observe, which is referred to as “greenwashing”.
The Promoting Requirements Authority has clamped down on a number of large firms in recent times over greenwashing ads, together with the airline Ryanair, the carmaker BMW and the oil manufacturer Shell.


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The Director General of World Trade Organisation (WTO) Roberto Azevedo on 31st of August said that there was no reason to “panic” over United States President Donald J. Trump‘s threat to withdraw from the global trade body.
Azevedo further said, “The United States concerns about areas in the World Trade Organisation that they would like to improve are not new. And I think what he said is consistent with what they have expressed before.”
Trump, who has previously called the WTO a “disaster” and a “catastrophe”, on 30th of August said, “If they don’t shape up, I would withdraw from the World Trade Organisation.”
The WTO officially began on 1 January 1995 under the Marrakesh Agreement, signed by 124 nations on 15 April 1994, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which commenced in 1948.
It is the largest international economic organization in the world.