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Netflix released its earnings report for the first quarter on Tuesday after US markets closed, announcing results that were largely in-line with its own projections, but far from impressive. The company is "off to a good start in 2023" according to the press release and "on track" to achieve its financial objectives for the year.
During the earnings call, Co-CEO Ted Sarandos seemed pleased with the top and bottom line growth, but acknowledged that this is "not as fast as we believe we can, not as fast as we would want to". He appeared more excited about the road ahead though, speaking of "a clear path to reaccelerate growth" on both revenue and profit.
The streaming giant posted record Revenues of $8.162 billion and growth of 3.7% y/y, which is improved compared to the prior quarter, but still underwhelming for the firm's standards. The biggest contributor was once again US & Canada (UCAN) with 8% y/y growth, while Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) disappointed with a 2% decline compared to a year ago.
Net Income of $1.305 billion was a bit lower than Q1 2022 ($1.597 million), but marked a vast improved compared the prior quarter, when it had barely broken into profit. Similarly, Operating Margin expanded to 21% on a quarterly basis, but was squeezed compared to a year ago.
Forward guidance for the second quarter was a bit underwhelming, since revenue is projected to rise to $8.242 billion, but net income and operating margins will be marginally worse on a sequential and yearly comparison.
Small Subscriber Growth
The company has stopped providing forward guidance around the number of users joining its platform and had recently downplayed the importance of this metric as "just one component" of growth, as it develops additional revenue streams.
A year ago it had had relinquished 200,000 users, the first decline since 2011 and the losses widened in Q2. However, it returned to subscriber growth in the second-half of 2022, adding a robust 7.66 million subscribers in Q4 alone.
Yesterday's results showed that the firm's user base increased by only 1.75 million members in the first quarter of the current year, bringing it to 230.75 million. Rival Disney had dethroned Netflix over the summer and barring any surprise, it has a good chance to maintain its lead, since it had 234.7 million subscribers as of the end of December . Disney will report its latest figures on May 10.
Password Sharing Crackdown
The firm has been cracking down on password sharing, which had helped it grow in the early days of streaming, but now weighs on its revenue. Back in January it had estimated a"wide" account sharing, to the tune of 100 million households, which "undercuts its long term ability to invest in and improve" the platform . Netflix has tried various approaches to monetize this, with Latin America being the main testing ground. It expanded the paid-sharing program to four countries (Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain) in February , noting yesterday that it is "pleased with the results".
During the earnings call, Co-CEO Craig Peters commented on how they see an "initial cancel reaction", but then borrowers sign up for their own account and existing members add extra member for an additional cost. He also noted that the new countries offered "strong validation" to the paid-sharing plan and that in Canada they are in "a positive member and positive revenue position relative to pre-rollout".
Netflix was initially looking to a broader rollout during Q1, but that was delayed for the second quarter, in order to incorporate their early lessons and achieve a smoother transition. The Q2 rollout will include the United States and "many, many other countries", according to Mr Peters.
The shocking loss of subscribers during the first-half of 2022 forced Netflix to explore the addition of a cheaper subscription plan that will include advertisements, something it had resisted for a long time. It was able to move fast and undercut Disney in both time and price. It launched the "Basic with Ads" tier in twelve countries in November and priced it at $6.99 in the US – a month ahead and one dollar lower than Diney+.
This was the first full quarter of availability and although it is still early, the company continues to be "pleased" with the progress on "all key dimensions". More to it, it has seen "little switching" from the more expensive ad-free plans to the new tier. In fact, the ad-supported plan has a greater total average revenue/membership (AMR) in the US, compared to the standard plan.
These are clearly encouraging signs for this plan, which can be pivotal for the firm's future, given the increased competition and the broader high inflation environment, that diminishes disposable income. According to CFO Spence Neumann on the January earning call, Netflix is looking to get estimated "at least" 10% of Revenue could come from this offering over time and "hopefully much more".
Netflix created the streaming market when it first launched this service a quarter of a century ago and became a powerhouse with a strong foothold, from its early entry. Over the recent years however, its leadership has eroded, as legacy entertainment giants and tech juggernauts making strides into the direct-to-consumer (DTC) market.
The Walt Disney Company is now the new leader in terms of subscribers, with strong programs, which span through the Star Wars franchise and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Warner Bros. Discovery Inc (WBD.us) whose catalogue includes HBO shows, is also pushing hard on the streaming front. Last week it unveiled a new flagship streaming service "Max" . Paramount (PARA.us) is another entertainment giant that pushes hard on the streaming front, hot on the heels of the recent success of Top Gun: Maverick.
Tech giants such as Amazon.com and Apple are also now considerable players on the streaming arena, offering not only popular and critically acclaimed movies/TV shows, but also big sports events, something that Netflix lacks.
Netflix has shown quick reflexes after the shocking first half of 2022, making changes to various aspects of its strategy, most notably the ad supported tier and paid-sharing. It also has a very strong lead due its early entry, but it to beat the vast content by established entertainment powerhouses. The battle for supremacy is well underway, as the streaming viewership has been higher than cable and broadcast in the US for a while now, according to Nielsen. .
Markets seemed unimpressed by the results of Netflix on Tuesday, as the stock faced some pressure in extended trading. NFLX.us had wiped out around 50% of its value last year, bottoming out in May with five-year lows. After that it managed to post a rebound with three consecutive profitable quarters.
It has also formed a Golden Cross earlier in the year (EMA50>EMA200) that is often seen as a precursor to sustained strength, but faltered at the critical 38.2% Fibonacci of the 2021 high/2022 low slump.
Senior Financial Editorial Writer
Nikos Tzabouras is a graduate of the Department of International & European Economic Studies at the Athens University of Economics and Business. He has a long time presence at FXCM, as he joined the company in 2011. He has served from multiple positions, but specializes in financial market analysis and commentary.
With his educational background in international relations, he emphasizes not only on Technical Analysis but also in Fundamental Analysis and Geopolitics – which have been having increasing impact on financial markets. He has longtime experience in market analysis and as a host of educational trading courses via online and in-person sessions and conferences.
Retrieved 19 Apr 2023 https://www.youtube.com/watch
Retrieved 19 Apr 2023 https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/app/uploads/2023/02/q1-fy23-earnings.pdf
Retrieved 19 Apr 2023 https://about.netflix.com/en/news/an-update-on-sharing
Retrieved 19 Apr 2023 https://about.netflix.com/en/news/announcing-basic-with-ads-us
Retrieved 19 Apr 2023 https://wbd.com/warner-bros-discovery-unveils-max-streaming-service-launching-may-23/


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M21 trailer revealed a first look at Zeraora
From Bulbanews, your community Pokémon newspaper.Jump to navigationJump to search
To be released in Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon
The first look also confirmed that it is the Thunderclap Pokémon, its height is 4'11", and its weight is 98.1lbs. More details are to be coming soon.
It will debut in a major role in M21.

domain: news


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The popular ride-sharing service, Uber, has set up shot in Portland, ignoring more regulations against them. Uber booted up operations in Portland Oregon on Friday despite their service being illegal as determined by the local government.
Transportation officials commented that Uber is operating illegally because it does not have the required inspections and permits. The city is prepared to take action against Uber and its drivers by issue penalties.
Steve Novick, who oversees the transportation department in Portland, commented on the situation, saying they want to make money, but without “playing by the same rules as existing cab companies.” He also commented that he hopes drivers and passengers understand that they will receive penalties because the ride-sharing service is illegal.
For a first offense, if a driver is caught illegally picking up a passenger, they could be fined up to $2250. The second offense would be possible jail time. Uber claims, however, that they would fight any ruling against a driver.
Novick also went on to say that Portland is not against reviewing and updating current taxi regulations. However, he believes that the San Francisco based company is operating as if they are “above the law.” If Portland does move to change the taxi laws, Novick would ideally like to ban the ride-sharing service from operating, although that may not legally be possible.
Uber spokesperson, Eva Behrend, released a statement saying that 27,000 residents had indicated a need for the ride-sharing service. She also commented that there were also 500 drivers waiting to start making money. Clearly, there is a need for a safe, friendly, ride-sharing service, according to Behrend.
Additionally, they announced on Thursday that it had come up with a new layer of funding, raising the value of the company to almost $40 billion. They plan to use the new funding for overseas expansion.
Uber is notorious for ignoring regulations, and Portland is just the latest to feel that impact. Recently, they tried to set up shop in Las Vegas until a judge got a “temporary injunction” that forced the ride-sharing service to back off until there was a formal hearing.
Uber allows a passenger to connect with a driver using a smartphone app, much like a passenger would call a taxi company in the past. The ride-sharing service has become increasingly popular since its beginning fiver years ago. They are currently operating in 250 cities and 50 countries. They have been battling regulations in most of those places.
In Portland, the new ride-sharing app launched at 5 pm on Friday, where there were hundreds of drivers ready start picking up passengers. In an effort to catch a driver violating the taxi laws by picking up customers illegally, Novick sent out people to try to get rides. The ride-sharing service was so busy there were no cars available.
Uber is ignoring more regulations, and Portland is the latest city to take a hit. The Portland Transportation department is open to negotiations about the current laws, but until they have a formal sit-down, Uber is considered to be operating illegally.
By Kerri Cushna
Photo by Michael Loke – Flickr License


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Golden Week, a series of national holidays, just kicked off in Japan, and many denizens will no doubt be tempted to skirt the country’s voluntary COVID-19 lockdown.
Many companies are offering at-home entertainments in order to keep folks safe and indoors. As of today that includes Gonzo, the studio behind works like Afro Samurai, Akiba’s Trip and Space Battleship Tiramisu.
As part of their “Gonzo at Home” promotion, the studio is streaming Blassreiter and both of its The Tower of Druaga series for free on its YouTube channel. (Unfortunately, the US appears not to be part of the deal.)
Gonzo is also offering up free desktop wallpapers from many of its series, including The Tower of Druaga, Blassreiter, Romeo × Juliet, Witchblade and more.
Finally, the studio is running a contest, asking fans to color in one of two templates from Kaleido Star (either by hand or through digital means), then upload them to Twitter with the hashtag #カレイドスターぬりえ. Winners will have their works featured on a limited-time run of Kaleido Star on YouTube.
This’ll give Gonzo fans something to do over a not-so-golden Golden Week.


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According to Experian, over one billion pounds worth of online shopping transactions were abandoned in 2011. To combat this industry-wide trend, Smyths Toy Superstores has invested in a dynamic retargeting programme with Rakuten MediaForge to bring shoppers back to their websites and baskets. After just three months Smyth’s Toy Superstores has already seen a 76 per cent increase in revenue from shoppers who had previously abandoned the site.
Site retargeting is a growing standard for multi-channel digital marketing programmes. By running its retargeting campaign through Rakuten MediaForge, Smyths Toy Superstores accomplished something more than showing ads to consumers who left their site without purchasing. They successfully extended the shopping experience through Rakuten MediaForge’s innovative ad technology that creates a shopable ad with customised content for each consumer.
This technology proved particularly valuable during that critical golden quarter in the run up to Christmas. Shoppers attracted back to store through Rakuten MediaForge retargeting were spending 5% more than returning abandoners who were not exposed to retargeting, highlighting the value of the more personalised dynamic advertising provided by Rakuten MediaForge for increasing the value of sales.
Dryden Geary, Marketing Manager at Smyths Toy Superstores commented: “Rakuten MediaForge’s unique engagement display platform allows us to prospect, nurture and engage with our customers online. The return on investment spoke for itself, for every £1 spent on retargeting Smyths Toy Superstores generated £37 worth of business. Site abandonment is a huge online retail challenge and using Rakuten MediaForge’s technology we were able to deliver a more personal shopping experience thanks to dynamic features such as in-ad search and social media, which successfully brought shoppers back to our brand.”
During the fourth quarter of 2012, eight per cent of all shoppers targeted by Smyths Toy Superstores with this programme engaged with the dynamic ads.
Tony Zito, CEO at Rakuten MediaForge commented: “The sales cycle doesn’t have to end when a shopper abandons an e-commerce site. As people shop around more and compare prices and products, it’s important to make sure your brand remains front-of-mind with consumers. Brands are telling us that they’re being asked to make marketing budgets go further and achieve more, and we can help achieve that as the CPA model delivers clear and positive return on investment.”
Mark Haviland, MD of Rakuten LinkShare commented: “Rakuten MediaForge has been a powerful addition to our portfolio of online marketing services and our ability to exceed the ROI targets for the Smyths Toy Superstores campaign is just one example of how consumer-engagement is often a preferred measure of success compared to clicks or impressions.
We are fundamentally changing the way brands and retailers implement and pay for retargeting in order to help them confidently achieve a better return on ad spend while also working with them every step of the way to reach their unique objectives.”


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Arrow intros new insurance program
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Arrow Truck Sales, Inc. (ATS) has teamed up with Lockton Risk Services to offer the new “Arrow Insurance Advantage” program.
The program enables Arrow’s pre-owned truck customers to protect their investments with Physical Damage Insurance and Non-Trucking Liability coverage.
In addition to these two options, the program also offers GAP protection, which covers losses if there is a difference between the amount your insurance company pays and the amount due on your lease in the event your truck is stolen or totaled.
ATS has 19 retail locations across Canada and the U.S. including Calgary, Montreal and Toronto.
Arrow Truck Sales is also celebrating its 55th consecutive year of service in the truck industry – a record nearly unmatched in the industry.
Anniversary events for 2005 will include special sales promotions, open houses and giveaways.
Arrow carries all makes and models, maintaining a diverse inventory of more than 2,000 over-the-road tractors, vocational and specialty vehicles and trailers.
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Today SanDisk unveiled a handful of new storage offerings aimed at the mobile market, with three new mobile centric flash drives and microSD card. Since mobile devices are generating content every day and only have so much onboard storage, SanDisk decided to up the ante by releasing a 200GB microSD card to address those woes.
Originally announced at MWC 2015, the card comes in an absolutely huge 200GB, the new SanDisk Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Premium Edition card is literally the highest capacity card currently available in the market. The card can hold up to 20 hours of Full HD video or 1200 photos and is capable of 90MB/s transfer speeds. SanDisk has won multiple awards thanks to this card, and it’s apparently also water proof, shock proof, temperature, magnet and X-ray proof, if you happen to need to swap out your card while in an undersea volcano somewhere. It also comes backed with a 10 year warranty from SanDisk.
SanDisk Ultra Dual USB Drive 3.0
Also launched was the SanDisk Ultra Dual USB Drive 3.0 which essentially lets you transfer files quickly between OTG-enabled devices straight to your PC via your microUSB port. This isn’t very new considering other brands have already made OTG compatible flash drives but this is one of the few to come in 64GB capacity.
SanDisk Dual Flash Drive with USB Type-C Connector
SanDisk has also released the very same Dual Flash Drive but instead with a USB Type-C connector, the first of it’s kind. This makes it perfect for the new MacBook that comes with a single USB Type-C port, with the other end featuring a USB 3.0 connector for a painless transfer to next generation devices featuring the new port type. The storage device comes in a 32GB storage capacity and will be coming in Q2 2015.


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CLEVELAND — Some savvy shoppers in northeast Ohio are using their bargain hunting skills to stock community closets.
What You Need To Know
- Wee Care Closet is a nonprofit started by a real estate agent, her colleague and her smart-shopping sister
- The ladies find items at deep discounts and donate them to schools, youth leagues and other groups
- They're hoping to accept donations to have a greater effect on the region
Tammy Koleski is the driving force behind the project.
“I’m just a normal real estate agent,” she said. “Normal citizen.”
Her sister, Koleski said, is the one with the superpower.
“I call her our secret shopper,” Koleski said. “Her name is Pam.”
She’s skilled in finding bulk deals at deep discounts, like the dozens of boxes of brand new shoes that filled Koleski’s car for a recent delivery from the Wee Care Closet.
“The deals she can find — why would you not try to give to those less fortunate, when you can and as you can?” Koleski said
The nonprofit is primarily funded by Koleski, who started donating the deals they discovered to schools after a colleague mentioned the need.
“When we can buy a hundred of something for the price of three, we want to buy a hundred of something for the price of three,” Koleski said.
The ladies started shopping for a cause during the pandemic. Koleski said they began this year rolling donations into Westwood Elementary and more than a dozen other districts and groups in the region.
“We’ve already given away thousands and thousands of dollars in school supplies and clothes and shoes and hats and gloves and hygiene products and household products,” Westwood Elementary School Principal Janet Kubasak said.
Kubasak said she’s noticed a shift in students since the pandemic.
“Things in our communities have changed and I think this is a really good way for them to have the things that they need to be successful in school,” she said.
The school stocks the donated supplies in a store format on the stage in their cafeteria and empowers families to shop the shelves for free.
“You feel like you know it more so in the urban areas and when you think country, you think, ‘Oh, the farmers, all the money,’” Koleski said. “But the need is everywhere.”
Because of that, Koleski said she’s hoping for community donations to allow them to continue being smart shoppers and also expand their outreach to other districts.


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Traces of a cancer-causing chemical were found in a stock of cotton candy that was ready for sale in the Kollam district on Wednesday.
The Food Safety Department said the cotton candy raided from a unit at Karunagappally contained traces of Rhodamine B, which is a textile dye that is toxic to humans.
According to the United States' National Library of Medicine, Rhodamine B if used "in food for a long time leads to liver dysfunction or cancer, and when exposed to large amounts over a short period, it results in acute poisoning".
Health Minister Veena George said the department will raid more facilities. A state special task force that was set up recently to tackle food adulteration is conducting the raids.
The food safety department has shut the cotton candy manufacturing unit, where unsafe food colouring was used.
The authorities also found the conditions unhygienic and said strict action will be taken against the proprietors.
Cotton candy is a confection made of sugar and often contains food colouring.
It is a favoured delicacy of children often sold by hawkers at festivals and fairs.


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A future stock market listing for Waterstones is looking more likely after the bookseller posted its first profit since the financial crash, says The Guardian.
Sales surged more than four per cent to £409m in 2016, generating a pre-tax profit of £9.8m, according to annual results published today. That compares with a loss of £4.5m for 2015.
"The last time the company reported any pre-tax profit was in 2009, when it made £7.9m," chief executive James Daunt told the Daily Telegraph.
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Explaining the change, he said: "We used to be a seller of bestsellers, but now we’re trying to be community bookshops in a more old-fashioned and traditional way."
Daunt told the Guardian that book sales are partly being driven by allowing staff to stock and push titles they believe would work in their local store, as well as helping readers discover new or less promoted authors.
"This has increased its sales of more 'heavyweight' fiction books," says the Telegraph. "The Essex Serpent, a novel by newcomer Sarah Perry, was its best-selling book last year."
Titles aimed at children and teenagers continued a longer-term upward trend, while even sales of adult novels were back on the rise.
At one time it seemed the rise of digital books and Amazon's Kindle would destroy traditional bookshops. However, digital sales are on the wane and Waterstones has stopped stocking e-readers.
"I don’t think readers are going off digital reading. It's being used in a more indulgent way, when travelling, or if you are old and need a big font," Daunt told the Guardian.
"But there are lots of studies which have found that reading a physical book is a very different experience. You remember it much more. It resides with you more than an e-book."
Waterstones was bought for £53m by Russian billionaire Alexander Mamut in 2011. The return to profit has increased speculation he may "cash out within the next few years", most likely through a listing.
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A hemp production plant is expanding its Michigan City location.
Viobin is investing $6.1-million into its current operations on U.S. Hwy 12 in order to expand its hemp drying, feed production and processing. The expansion will also include purchasing new equipment, including a hemp dryer, screen, pelletizer and hammermill.
The work is expected to add 15 jobs. The Michigan City Common Council approved a five-year tax abatement on the expansion back on November 4.
Viobin processes industrial hemp into cannabidiol, or CBD, for use in lotions, isolates and oils. For more information, visit www.viobin.com.


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Airhead Sports Group Announces Leland Nichols as President and CEO
October 30, 2018
Airhead Sports Group
(DENVER, CO) – Water and winter sports industry leader, Airhead Sports Group, announced on Monday the appointment of Leland Nichols as the company’s new President and CEO.
A proven leader with a track record of success in revenue growth and developing operationally efficient teams to bring innovative new products to market, Nichols is excited to bring his experience to the Airhead Sports Group portfolio of brands.
“I am tremendously excited to join Airhead Sports Group and look forward to accelerating our continued development of innovative new products for the outdoor enthusiast and fun-loving families. We are looking forward to launching new products and improving our operational execution to enhance the Airhead and Yukon brand experience for consumers, customers and our Airhead Sports Group team” said Nichols.
Most recently serving as the Senior Vice President and General Manager for Firearms and Accessories at the Remington Outdoor Company, Nichols is no stranger to the outdoor industry. Having previously led Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation as President and Chief Operating Officer, Nichols’ experience in product innovation, global brand management and executive leadership includes the Kohler Company, Black and Decker, DeWalt and Stanley Works to name a few.
Nichols will succeed Mike Noell as President and CEO. “We are pleased to have Leland join Airhead Sports Group as President and CEO. His strong track record of innovative product development, driving process and operational improvements and global brand management will enhance the Airhead and Yukon brands” said Noell. Noell will continue to remain an active board member and mentor for the Airhead Sports Group leadership team.
About Airhead Sports Group
Airhead Sports Group is a distributor and supplier of outdoor branded products for recreational water sports and winter sports markets. Owners of Airhead, Sportsstuff and Yukon, its products include towable tubes, life jackets, pool floats and loungers, marine accessories, snowshoes, trekking poles, and snow sleds.
In 2017, the company was acquired by Falconhead Capital, LLC, led by CEO, David Moross. Falconhead is a middle market private equity firm that specifically seeks out sports, leisure and lifestyle focused ventures. Another partner is Virginia-based M3 Outdoor Investments.
For additional questions, please contact:
Jon Bausman, Director of Marketing
Airhead Sports Group
Office: (303) 733–3722 ext. 104


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In This Episode: Who needs the Internet to send Bitcoin when you can do it via ham radio? Might twice-yearly time changes be going out …soon? (We hope so!) Apple closing some of its stores — to fight patent trolls?!
In This Episode: What happened in Hawaii (ballistic missiles incoming, oh my!) was more of a tech problem than human error. Changes in Facebook’s news feed (again?) The “Internet Sales Tax” goes back to court. And later this year, you won’t have to sign for credit card purchases anymore.


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As an apparel brand that plants 10 trees for each item purchased, taking care of the environment is priority one. We are always looking at ways to reduce our impact on the planet and applaud others for doing the same! This news out of New Zealand is incredible encouraging.
It is estimated that around the world, 1 trillion single-use plastic bags are used. That’s 2 million bags every minute! Unfortunately many of these bags find their way into the natural environment where they can cause problems for wildlife.
Throughout 2018, there has been a significant push toward banning single-use plastics. Cities and a few companies have moved to ban single-use plastic straws, plastic-free grocery stores have opened, and even some of us on the tentree team went plastic free for July! On August 10th, New Zealand added its voice to those saying “no” to single-use plastics.
In a press conference, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a ban on single-use plastic bags that will take effect next year.
“We’re taking meaningful steps to reduce plastic pollution so we don’t pass this problem to future generations,” she said. It is estimated that New Zealand uses 750 million plastic bags every year, roughly 150 per New Zealander.
Retailers around the country have six months to phase out the plastic bags. Failure to comply may result in fines of up to $100,000.
What motivated the decision to implement the ban? According to Ardern, plastic pollution was the issue she hears about most from New Zealand’s children. She echoed their concerns about “a mountain of bags, many of which end up polluting our precious coastal and marine environments and cause serious harm to all kinds of marine life.”
New Zealand is not the first country to ban plastic bags. Bangladesh banned single-use plastic bags in 2002, and since then, 13 more countries have followed suit. New Zealand brings that number to 15.


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This Black Friday weekend, UK retailers are set to make £8.74bn, with estimates that over 50% of sales will be processed through digital platforms.
As Black Friday shopping peaks, payments sector competitiveness continues to grow. Reports suggest over 50% of sales this year will be processed through digital platforms, ensuring the long-term viability of e-commerce.
According to Oxylabs, companies that use analytics are almost 20 times more likely to be successful and have more than 50% better understanding of their customers. Web scraping is becoming a vital technology for businesses that rely on data. This is particularly so for platforms that use publicly available web data to analyse competitors, track customers, and generate leads.
Gediminas Rickevicius, VP of Global Partnerships at Oxylabs
“Across the eCommerce industry, big data is driving competition, and in understanding customer behaviour and preferences, businesses can target marketing efforts and personalise the shopping experience to increase conversion rates during the upcoming major sales. However, advanced analytics can also be utilised to identify patterns and trends that provide a competitive edge against other market players.
Data is changing e-commerce pricing strategies as real-time data enables organisations to track competitors’ prices and adjust their own in a very dynamic way. Dynamic pricing algorithms that take into account a variety of factors are becoming more common, further removing traditional price barriers.
e-commerce companies can no longer afford to operate without web intelligence and big data. These tools are essential for staying competitive in the digital marketplace and for making data-driven decisions that foster growth and profitability. Competition relies heavily on the availability and utilisation of information. A superior understanding of the information will offer businesses a vital edge in the build-up to Black Friday and Christmas sales.”
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James Hickman, Chief Commercial Officer of Ecospend, a Trustly company
“Some analysts are predicting lower spending over the 2023 Black Friday weekend compared to previous years, due to the financial pressure being felt by many consumers as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. It is therefore essential that retailers look for every opportunity to maximise their profits, and stand out amongst competitors.
By using Open Banking, merchants can avoid card transaction fees, which can cost UK retailers around £1.2bn a year, while also lowering costs through increased efficiency.
Offering Pay by Bank payments can also significantly increase purchase conversion rate at checkout. The consumer Pay by Bank experience is effortless, allowing people to transfer, pay and refund in the most convenient way possible, which can have a huge impact on customer loyalty and protection.”
Black Friday: AI comes to the fore
James Fisher, Chief Strategy Officer, Qlik
“For shoppers across the country, Black Friday marks the official start of the Christmas season. Many consumers are getting the bulk of their gift buying done while deals are on. For retailers, Black Friday is a once-a-year opportunity to boost sales and profit – and give customers the discounts they want.
However, without the right planning and insight, crunch days like Black Friday can put significant pressure on businesses and their supply chain, even leading to lost revenue. At a time when both competition and customer expectations are higher than ever, delivering quality service on Black Friday is vital.
This is where data analytics comes in, particularly with the power of AI. With access to real-time data across a retail business, it’s possible to better understand key factors like stock levels in warehouses and ensure discounts are consistent across stores, for example, as well as trends in shopping habits. As a result, retailers can make more informed decisions to delight customers during one of the busiest shopping weeks of the year”.
Black Friday: Square forecasts
But Square warns that only 19% of retailers are planning to use AI to streamline operations this Black Friday. This, says Square, represents a missed opportunity to offer an efficient shopping experience. Square estimates that BNPL may be used by as many as 48% of consumers this Black Friday.
Nearly two out of five (39%) of consumers will buy Christmas gifts in November to make the most of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals
A majority (72%) of consumers planning to spend more or the same this holiday season when compared to last year.
59% of retailers expect sales to increase this season as they lean into technology to streamline operations and build new revenue streams.
GWI Black Friday forecasts
By contrast, global consumer research platform, GWI, forecasts that less than half (43%) of Black Friday shoppers say they plan to spend more this year compared to last year.
With cost-of-living still front of mind for many, Black Friday represents an opportunity for shoppers looking to secure big savings. GWI research shows they plan to take full advantage.
AI is in the mix this year says GWI. The latest technology has a big part to play in retail this year. 57% of Black Friday hopefuls say they would consider using AI chatbots for price comparison. Some 40% say they would consider using them for deal alerts and 33% for personalised recommendations.
GWI Key insights
Bagging a bargain. Nearly two thirds of Brits are planning to shop this Black Friday, with many looking to bag a bargain. Young shoppers are getting savvier than ever, with Gen Z being the generation most likely to spend more this year than they did in 2022 – almost half say this, with millennials not far behind.
Luxury splurging is off the cards. High-end stores like Selfridges should be prepared to expect lower footfall and less impactful sales this year. The number of people planning to buy luxury products is down by 23%, compared to last year. On top of this, for those who say rising prices will impact their holiday spending, over a third (37%) say that they’ll cut back most on treats/luxuries.
GWI says that young people out in full force this year to get first-hand inspiration and secure their deals. While Gen Z is the generation most likely to shop exclusively in-person (15% more likely than the average), baby boomers will stay put and enjoy the comforts of their homes, as the generation most likely to shop exclusively online (being 42% more likely than the average).


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Over at GigaOm today, the excellent Barb Darrow (@GigaBarb) put out a very interesting article on the changing role of IT pruchasing, especially in the age of consumerization and cloud. We had a chat on Twitter and email and she thought it was worth quoting me! *blush*. Here is the Readers Digest version:
On Tuesday, the Gartner projection that in five years, the CMO will spend more on IT than the CIO, cropped up several times at Salesforce.com’s Dreamforce show … those mentions prompted an impromptu Twitter poll about whether it’s a good idea to have CMOs buying IT. The results were mixed.
“I see many CMOs using cloud-based services for marketing automation, response analytics, reputation management, content management, social media marketing and even application development,” said Andi Mann, a former analyst who is now VP of strategic solutions for CA.
As Mann points out:
Bottom line – for most orgs, marketing is just another business unit, and like all business units it is spending its own budget in part on directly acquiring technology. Just like finance, production, executive, operations, and others are. Gartner and IDC numbers both show technology spending outpacing IT departmental budgets, so that ‘extra’ technology budget must be going somewhere. I think it is going into ‘rogue IT’ spend by these business units — marketing included.
And that thought should give everyone pause.
Read the whole thing at Do you really want your CMO in charge of IT? — Cloud Computing News.


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Despite being the largest trade agreement in modern history, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will have only a limited impact in Asia. The aggressive military posturing of China will undo any eventual soft power benefits.
In a nutshell
- Despite its broad scope, RCEP will bring only limited benefits
- The agreement will not enhance Beijing’s standing in Asia
- Without trade deals, the U.S. could be sidelined
On November 15, 2020, 15 Asian nations signed the largest preferential trade agreement in modern history, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The deal covers roughly one-third of the world’s population and one-third of the global economy. It includes China and Japan, who have the second and third-largest gross domestic product (GDP) in the world, respectively.
It is often suggested the agreement is a Chinese-led trade deal or that Beijing has the most to gain from it – both economically and politically. However, there is little to suggest that China will reap significant economic advantages. It is also hard to measure whether Chinese influence in Asia will increase, but it is fair to assume the United States will lose some of its clout given its enduring lack of trade agreements in the region. And it will be hard for Washington to maintain or regain any relevance in the short term through trade policy alone, especially since it could take years to negotiate and approve new agreements.
RCEP was first proposed by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to bring the group and its trade partners closer. RCEP negotiations began in 2012 and originally included India, which left the talks in late 2019. The 15 members that now make up RCEP represent $25.8 trillion of the world’s $87.7 trillion GDP. This is more than double the size of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) signed two years earlier, which has 11 members and accounts for $11.2 trillion of global GDP.
While trade between members will intensify, there is little to suggest this will give China greater influence.
The RCEP’s economic impact will be limited. Seven of the 15 RCEP members were already in the CPTPP. Many also had bilateral or multilateral trade deals with each other. A trade agreement between ASEAN members was already in place, as well as other deals with specific ASEAN members (Singapore-Australia in 2003, Japan-Vietnam in 2009). One estimate suggests RCEP will add 0.4 percent to its members’ economies by 2030.
According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, RCEP could add as much as $209 billion to the world’s economy by 2030. But this also assumes the U.S.-China trade dispute continues. In fact, RCEP members (except for China) would benefit more from a persistent U.S.-China conflict. With it, the economic benefit to RCEP members increases by 7 percent.
The economic impact for specific RCEP members varies as well. By far, South Korea and Japan will benefit the most from the agreement. As major trading countries in the region already, RCEP will increase their trade with China. Beijing may gain the most from RCEP in absolute terms but relative to its economy’s size, it is set to gain less than Japan, South Korea, Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. And while trade between members will intensify, there is little to suggest this will also give China greater influence in the region when tensions in Asia are worsening.
Influence by trade
As mentioned, the economic gains from RCEP are negligible given that so many Asian nations already have had trade agreements with each other. By 2013, Asia had some 40 interregional trade pacts.
Increased trade with China will not change much for RCEP members either. For seven countries, China is already the largest export destination. Except for one (Laos) China is every RCEP member’s number one source for imports. The biggest change would be for Japan. While the U.S. is currently its largest export destination, this could change under the agreement. But it is doubtful that more Japan-China trade would give Beijing additional power over Tokyo.
Any influence China once had in Australia is nearly gone, despite the recent agreement.
Countries in the region are increasingly wary of China. Over the last year, negative views of China in three of RCEP’s largest economies have risen dramatically – either because of its role in the coronavirus crisis or because of political and security tensions. Japanese respondents have the highest negative view of China of any RCEP member at 86 percent. South Korea’s numbers went from 63 percent in 2019 to 75 percent this year. In Australia, unfavorable perceptions rose from 57 percent to 81 percent.
Australia-China tensions are getting worse, with Chinese officials targeting imports with many anti-dumping measures, delaying imports at customs, and even encouraging domestic companies to boycott Australian products. Any influence China once had in Australia is nearly gone, despite the recent agreement.
The smaller countries of ASEAN are more reliant on Chinese trade for economic growth. According to one survey, ASEAN members view China as the most influential economic power in Southeast Asia. However, there are also concerns about this presence and many would like to see greater U.S. economic involvement. Worries about China are especially salient when it comes to political and strategic influence. As for the future of trade, ASEAN members view Japan (27 percent) and the European Union (26 percent) as the leaders in championing free trade. ASEAN has less faith in the U.S. and China in this regard.
While it is important to highlight that the RCEP may be just another trade agreement in an interconnected region, the U.S. only has three and a half trade agreements in Asia (Singapore in 2003, Australia in 2004, South Korea in 2012, and an incomplete deal with Japan of 2019). But it is the leading export destination for four RCEP members (Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam). This configuration says more about U.S. trade policy than Chinese influence. A lack of engagement by U.S. officials in Asia means Washington could lose preferential treatment as Asian nations trade more with each other. It also means U.S. officials have had no input in the rules and standards in these new trade agreements.
The ebb and flow of power in Asia has as much to do with the lack of U.S. engagement as it does China’s activities. Beijing’s increasing belligerence in the region will undo any gains it hopes to make with new trade deals like RCEP. But China’s waning authority does not automatically boost U.S. influence.
Countries like Japan and South Korea may rise in importance, making the U.S.-Japan and U.S.-South Korea economic and strategic relationships even more relevant.
The U.S. may try and regain some influence through trade policy by joining the CPTPP, but political hurdles at home make this unlikely in the near future. Washington could continue to pursue bilateral trade deals instead, as the Trump administration did with Japan, the United Kingdom, and Kenya. But these take years to negotiate. It is uncertain whether Asia will be a priority in the next U.S. administration.
Alone, the U.S. has several short-term mechanisms, like the Development Finance Corporation and Indo-Pacific Business Forum, which can help build more significant private and public sector relationships and increase influence. But these efforts do not receive much attention from the media, which reduces their impact. This aspect may lead the country to revert to engaging with Asian partners through economic dialogues and at international economic forums to build influence in the short term. Without any involvement in Asia, the U.S. can expect to lose some of its sway – but not entirely to China.


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China’s consumer recovery under scrutiny as economy rebounds
China’s high frequency indicators show the economy continued to expand in April, although the strength of the recovery is under scrutiny amid an uncertain global environment and relatively high unemployment.
Bloomberg’s aggregate index of eight early indicators rose one level to 5 in April, largely due to a jump in car and home sales from a year earlier. The comparisons with last year overstate the strength in consumption, though, since Shanghai was in lockdown then, which resulted in a slump in economic activity at the time.
The world’s second-largest economy expanded at the fastest pace in a year last quarter, with analysts watching closely to see if the recovery can be sustained. Several major banks have raised their growth forecasts for the year to about 6% or higher, with many analysts debating whether policymakers will begin scaling back monetary and fiscal support.
Economists surveyed by Bloomberg now see China’s growth accelerating to 5.6% this year, up from 5.3% previously.
April’s indicators were largely positive, suggesting the economy’s recovery was on track. Standard Chartered Plc’s confidence index for small businesses remained above 50 for a third straight month in April, a sign that activity continued to expand. The accommodation and catering sector recovered sharply after March’s decline, transportation remained robust while real estate and IT growth eased, the bank said.
In the manufacturing sector, the sub-index for production and sales rose to a 16-month high as new export orders grew.
Global trade conditions remained subdued in April, although slightly better than in the previous month. South Korea’s exports — a barometer for global demand — declined 11% year-on-year in the first 20 days of April, compared with a nearly 18% drop in March. That should help sustain the rebound in China’s exports.
The extremely low base of comparison last year helped to propel China’s vehicle sales in April, according to weekly data from the China Passenger Car Association. Property sales in the country’s tier-1 cities also soared for the same reason, figures provided by China Real Estate Information Corp. showed.
The strength of consumer spending remains uncertain given unemployment rates, especially for young people, remain high and households continue to boost savings rather than splurge.
Steel inventories declined in April, suggesting better demand. However, broader demand for industrial goods likely remained weak, with copper prices falling from the previous month and producer deflation worsening, according to an index tracking factory prices.
Bloomberg Economics generates the overall activity reading by aggregating a three-month weighted average of the monthly changes of eight indicators, which are based on business surveys or market prices.
- Major onshore stocks – CSI 300 index of A-share stocks listed in Shanghai or Shenzhen (through market close on the 25th of the month).
- Total floor area of home sales in China’s four Tier-1 cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen).
- Inventory of steel rebar, used for reinforcing in construction (in 10,000 metric tons). Falling inventory is a sign of rising demand.
- Copper prices – Spot price for refined copper in Shanghai market (yuan/metric ton).
- South Korean exports – South Korean exports in the first 20 days of each month (year-on-year change).
- Factory inflation tracker – Bloomberg Economics-created tracker for Chinese producer prices (year-on-year change).
- Small and medium-sized business confidence – Survey of companies conducted by Standard Chartered.
- Passenger car sales – Monthly result calculated from the weekly average sales data released by the China Passenger Car Association. BM/DM


text: WILLIAM HILL PLANS MAJOR EXPANSION IN ONLINE SPORTSBETTING New online sports betting platform planned for November as CEO focuses on the Internet One of Britain's largest gambling groups, William Hill plc has ambitious plans to raise its Internet sportsbetting gross win by 50 percent with the introduction of a new software platform in November 2008. 20 percent of Hill's gross win already comes from Internet activity, but CEO Ralph Topping told Reuters reporters this week that he aims to increase this to 25-30 percent as soon as the new platform, designed by UK software provider Orbis, is launched on November 27. "That kind of growth is there for us to aim for but we'll set formal targets early next year," Topping said. William Hill's online sportsbook business has struggled over the last year from intensifying competition and serious technology problems. The company attempted to implement a major upgrade of its internet betting operations in-house (see previous InfoPowa report) but was forced to scrap the project last year, writing down GBP 22 million. Topping, who was previously the company's Internet director but took up the position of chief executive in February, was at pains to emphasise his commitment to expanding the online business, which he feels was neglected in the past. The firm has successfully halted the decline in its sportsbook operations and is now achieving double digit percentage growth, thanks partly to the introduction of 30 new games, backed by a fresh advertising campaign, Topping said. "There is a new sense of direction. For too long, we regarded ourselves as bookmakers with a bolt-on activity called gaming. There is a substantial opportunity for growth on the Internet," he said. Topping indicated that part of that opportunity could be realised through acquisitions. The online gaming industry is regarded as fragmented by analysts and its immaturity makes it prime for consolidation. "There will be consolidation within the industry. It is inevitable as companies like 888 are only 10 or 12 years old. If William Hill is involved, it will be within the criteria that we won't pay foolish prices and there has to be a good return for investors," Topping said.


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Chris Brown’s ex-girlfriend Karrueche’s new clothing line The Kill was suppose to launch at 12pm yesterday.
After tweeting, “Nothing ever goes as planned,” indicating there would be a delay in plans, Karrueche announced that the site’s launch had been postponed until further notice:
Patience is a virtue. I hate to say it but we’ve postponed the launch date. I will not put anything out that isn’t 100. Sorry guys
The footage was shot just last week during their visit to France to assist with styling Chris Brown.


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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - One way to work off that Thanksgiving meal is by Black Friday shopping.
But Black Friday shopping isn't what it used to be.
WTXL ABC 27's Jada Williams was live at Best Buy, where she was asked whether there was a crowd waiting to get inside.
A look around the parking lot revealed no crowd. Inside the store, the workers were cleaning up and getting ready to welcome in a new wave of shoppers.
With growing trends like Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday and extended Black Friday hours, those long lines that you're used to seeing Friday morning are gone.
Best Buy opened up for the first round of Black Friday deals at 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.
The doors locked at 1 a.m., but there's a whole new list of savings that'll bring people back in by 8 this morning.
It's one way the stores work to handle the crowds.
Mark Miller is the Best Buy Manager. "We've done this for so many years," he said. "We've got it down to a fine tuned machine. The longest our lines get it's a 20-minute line wait from the back to the front. We're really prepared. We really do well during this timeframe. Don't get scared. It's a fast process. We get you in and out. We have lots of products."
Best Buy and many other places will continue to have deals until Christmas.


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Clothing manufacturer gains international exposure
The UK yacht clothing brand Henri Lloyd is sponsoring the newest team in the Formula 1 paddock this season.
The first race for team Brawn GP, newly founded this year by the former technical director at Ferrari, Ross Brawn, will be in Melbourne this weekend.
In addition to providing Brawn GP’s team and travel clothing plus the team’s official merchandise range, the Henri Lloyd brand will appear on the BGP 001 car throughout the 2009 Formula One season.
Ross Brawn, Team Principal of Brawn GP commented: “We are delighted to welcome Henri Lloyd to Formula One and to the Brawn GP team. We have faced a race against time to complete our preparations for the first race of the season in Melbourne and we would like to thank Henri Lloyd for sharing our vision for the future of the team and their commitment in ensuring that the team’s identity will be so well reflected in our team clothing and merchandise this year.”
The connection between yachting and Formula 1 is not brand new this year. Last year’s world champion, Lewis Hamilton, was sponsored by Vendee Globe skipper Alex Thompson’s backers, Hugo Boss, and took part in the Round the Island Race, in which the boat was disqualified.


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Specsavers has hit the streets with a striking billboard campaign to highlight the dangers of undertaking outdoor advertising installations without your glasses on.
Building on the brand‘s ‘Should‘ve 2.0‘ campaign, the slipshod posters have been commanding the attention of passersby in Leeds and London, with social media users warming to the cheeky displays.
Taking its theme to new extremes, the cowboy installations illustrate what happens when orientation goes awry with ‘Billboard Blunder’ and ‘Dodgy Install.’
A third poster, ‘Lost Ladder,’ goes one step further with a ladder, brush and paste bucket embedded within the billboard for a piece that transcends mere advertising and encroaches on modern art.
Developed by Specsavers’ in-house creatives The Agency, the work brings Specsavers back into the public consciousness with a £4m advertising campaign after falling out of sight since September 2020 for the Covid-19 lockdown.


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Verizon launches Verizon Latino, a Latin music destination on Apple Music
Verizon celebrates Latino culture with access to music, entertainment, employee education and community support.
Our new editorial transparency tool uses blockchain technology to permanently log all changes made to official releases after publication. However, this specific post is not being tracked. Please visit our media contacts page to request more details regarding this post.
BASKING RIDGE, N.J. — While Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15, Verizon celebrates diversity and the contributions of Hispanics every day. Verizon is committed to bringing the best value and entertainment to Hispanic consumers on the nation’s most reliable network1. We are pleased to announce the launch of Verizon Latino Apple Music room, a designated section within the Apple Music platform that houses the best playlists, videos, and content from fan favorite Latin artists curated exclusively for Verizon.
The content will be available starting September 14, and will be updated frequently to offer consumers on-ongoing access to the newest and most popular Latin music content. In addition, as part of the Verizon Mix & Match Unlimited plans, customers can get Apple Music, with over 60 million of their favorite songs to stream or download, along with access to their existing music library, either included or for 6 months on Verizon, depending on the plan. Consumers will also have access to Apple Music’s three live-streaming radio stations: Apple Music 1 (formerly Beats 1), home to Latin music radio shows ¡Dale Play! and La Fórmula, Apple Music Hits and Apple Music Country.
Verizon te da más: more music, more entertainment
Verizon is also teaming up with Univision's Uforia to bring back the Uforia Music Series with an exclusive livestream concert on Sunday, September 20. Featuring global superstar Bad Bunny, the show is part of the Uforia Live series of concert specials that will continue through the end of the year. Music fans across the country can watch the special performance by Bad Bunny via UforiaMusic.com, Bad Bunny’s YouTube, @UforiaMusic on Twitter and Twitch. Verizon is offering customers who are Verizon Up members the chance to win a virtual Meet & Greet with the artist. Visit https://www.verizon.com/rewards/verizon-up/ to learn more.
Through this partnership, Verizon will continue to support the company’s Feed the Frontlines effort, which started April 1st, and has served over 80,000 meals to health workers on the frontlines.
SOMOS Verizon: diversity allows us to innovate
At Verizon, we celebrate our close to 14,000 Latinx employees' impact, and recognize that we wouldn’t be able to innovate and serve our customers authentically without their unique contributions. Verizon’s Latinx employee resource group, SOMOS Verizon, will lead a month-long program including a wide-range of activities to inspire employees to learn more about the Latinx community — from their challenges to their successes — and to take action.
On September 15, at 1:00pm ET, SOMOS is organizing a panel to inform and inspire the Latinx community to stand up and be counted in the U.S. Census and in the upcoming election. The panel will be livestreamed on Yahoo, part of Verizon Media, featuring Latinx thought leaders and newsmakers, moderated by veteran television anchor and Verizon’s Up To Speed host Diana Alvear.
Additionally, Verizon Media is mobilizing its portfolio of leading media brands to help celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with livestream events, new programming, and special editorial. Brands including Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Life and Yahoo Entertainment will debut editorial initiatives, as well as immersive AR videos and content that cover the issues facing Hispanic voters, highlight Hispanic leaders and influencers, and delve into life as a Latinx person in the United States. HuffPost will roll out original content, video and editorial under the title “Quienes Somos” (“Who Are We?”) and will unveil a series of immersive AR pieces focused on leading visual artists from the Latinx community including photographers, artists, illustrators and more.
Moving Latinx communities forward
Verizon supports many causes and initiatives that benefit the Hispanic community and is proud to announce its partnership with The Paley Center for Media, which produces important Impact Programs that educate and increase awareness of Diversity & Inclusion issues facing our culture and society. From September 15 through October 15, the Paley Center will launch its inaugural Tribute to Hispanic Achievements in Television. The exhibit, presented by Verizon, will invite the audience to explore the unique and vital contributions of the Hispanic community through television. The event, featuring Alex Rodriguez and hosted by Natalie Morales, will discuss his many successes through the lens of his iconic presence on television as a baseball star; Emmy-winning broadcaster for ESPN, Fox Sports, and CNBC’s Back in the Game; and role as CEO of A-Rod Corp. The PaleyFrontRow: Alex Rodriguez in Conversation will stream on Yahoo properties.
1 Most Reliable claim based on RootMetrics by IHS Markit's RootScore Reports 1H2020 of 4 mobile networks. Results may vary. Not an endorsement.


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Consumer Reports Names Its 10 Best Vehicles of 2017
Consumer Reports assembles a list of the vehicles it considers to be the ideal models from each automotive class across the industry
The automotive industry is constantly changing and evolving. As it does, vehicles from different classes and different brands change and evolve with it. Those vehicles that adopt aspects currently popular with consumers tend to come out on top.
To highlight which cars, trucks, and SUVs are popular with today’s consumers, Consumer Reports has assembled its annual list of the top 10 best vehicles in the industry. Originating from a variety of brands across the industry, these vehicles showcase the best that each automotive class in the industry has to offer.
Now See the Lowest-Rated: Consumer Reports Names Its 10 Lowest-Rated Vehicles of 2017
[wptab name=”Toyota Yaris iA”]
Best Subcompact Car: Toyota Yaris iA
After Scion officially kicked the bucket, models like the iA were in search of a home. Toyota gladly adopted the compact car, which it rebranded as the Toyota Yaris iA. If the Yaris iA seems to drive like a sporty vehicle, that is because Mazda helped design it. That same sporty performance is exactly what impressed Consumer Reports.
Best Compact Car: Chevrolet Cruze
The brand new Chevy Cruze takes design and drivetrain inspiration from its larger cousins, the Malibu and the Impala. As both of these vehicles are highly praised, that decision has paid off for the newest generation of Cruze vehicles. Consumer Reports was especially impressed with the introduction of a hatchback model for the Chevrolet Cruze this year, making the vehicle’s lineup a little more diverse.
[wptab name=”Kia Optima”]
Best Midsized Sedan: Kia Optima
While other sedans like the Honda Accord or the Toyota Camry may be more popular, Consumer Reports praised the Kia Optima for going its own way, rather than following the herd. Although the Optima may stand out from its peers, it still has the handling and interior features that families are looking for in a sedan. It simply delivers those benefits with an added layer of style.
[wptab name=”Chevrolet Impala”]
Best Large Sedan: Chevrolet Impala
Make no mistake, the Chevrolet Impala is a large vehicle, offering plenty of room inside its cabin. However, Consumer Reports found that the Impala had responsive handling and a spirited performance. It would seem that Chevrolet has once again found a way to capture the essence of the Impala’s nimble namesake.
[wptab name=”Toyota Prius”]
Best Compact Hybrid: Toyota Prius
Love it or hate it, you can’t deny that the Toyota Prius revolutionized the automotive market for hybrid vehicles. Consumer Reports would appear to lean toward the “love it” side of the spectrum, as the organization named the Prius its top compact hybrid. With an incredible 52 mpg fuel economy, the Prius is way ahead of the pack when it comes to efficiency.
[wptab name=”Mazda MX-5 Miata”]
Best Sports Car: Mazda MX-5 Miata
Time and time again, no vehicle seems to have a more universal satisfaction rating from drivers than the Mazda MX-5 Miata. Consumer Reports was certainly satisfied with the sports car. Calling it “the embodiment of driving pleasure,” Consumer Reports stated that the Miata was the culmination of Mazda’s mission to make cars more fun to drive.
[wptab name=”Subaru Forester”]
Best Small SUV: Subaru Forester
Safety is what Subaru has become most known for above all else, and safety is something that most SUV drivers value. Therefore, Subaru ensured that its small SUV would be as safe as possible. With a suite of safety features like forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking, the Subaru Forester received high marks from Consumer Reports thanks to its emphasis on safety.
[wptab name=”Toyota Highlander”]
Best Midsized SUV: Toyota Highlander
Toyota’s third entry on the list, the Toyota Highlander manages to balance a number of different aspects in order to deliver a well-rounded driving experience. Consumer Reports found the cabin of the Highlander to be comfortable and roomy. Meanwhile, the Highlander is also capable of producing an impressive amount of power with its standard V6 engine.
[wptab name=”Audi Q7″]
Best Luxury SUV: Audi Q7
The Audi Q7 is not only the highest-rated luxury SUV on the list from Consumer Reports, but also the highest-rated SUV overall for the group. Despite being such a large vehicle, the team at Consumer Reports found it to be extremely agile. However, the most-desired feature of the Q7 might be its advanced infotainment system, which seamlessly integrates smartphone technology.
[wptab name=”Honda Ridgeline”]
Best Compact Pickup: Honda Ridgeline
Whereas other pickups on the market might focus solely on power, the Honda Ridgeline also places a good amount of focus on technology. With smart features sprinkled throughout, its one of the more advanced trucks on the road. Consumer Reports also noted that while it performs like a truck, the Ridgeline often drives as smoothly as a sedan.
Source: Consumer Reports
Zachary Berry currently resides in the Dayton, Ohio area. However, he enjoys traveling from place to place, as he was born in Oklahoma City and has also lived in Albuquerque and Orlando (such is the life of a military brat). Zachary graduated from Ohio University with a major in Strategic Communication, which is fancy talk for advertising and public relations. Beginning his career at The News Wheel as a lowly intern, he was able to climb his way to the top, eventually claiming his place within the last cubicle on the left. Other jobs that Zachary has held include driving around a safari truck at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. When he’s not putting his nose to the grindstone, Zachary enjoys watching and critiquing movies and television. See more articles by Zachary.


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Since the groundbreaking Apple Card was introduced to the market in October 2019, the cooperation between Apple and Goldman Sachs has faced considerable obstacles and conflicts. Despite the flashy announcement by Apple CEO Tim Cook, who himself was first turned down for the card, the partnership between the tech giant and the prestigious investment bank has not been without its bumps. This article explores the causes of the deteriorating relationships, the conflicts that developed, and the possible effects of this decision on both companies.
Tim Cook’s Rejection and Goldman Sachs’ Exception
The humorous event with Tim Cook’s Apple Card rejection brought to light one of the difficulties that can emerge when serving well-known people. Cook is a well-known person, therefore credit bureaus recognized his account as a possible impersonation target, which is what caused the original refusal. Goldman Sachs eventually gave Cook the card nonetheless, making an exemption just for the Apple CEO.
Lower-than-Expected Profits and Economic Conditions
The two partners have expressed concern over reports of decreased Apple Card profitability. The economy was doing well, and interest rates were low when the collaboration started. Goldman Sachs decided to waive some credit card fees in order to draw clients, but this cost the bank money. This made it difficult for Goldman Sachs to manage the partnership’s escalating costs, which resulted in disagreements about profitability.
Disputes Over Card Design
The Apple Card’s design has been a source of controversy between Apple and Goldman Sachs as well. The final design only included the Apple logo on the front and the brands of Goldman Sachs and Mastercard on the back, despite the investment bank’s desire for the card to prominently show the logo of their consumer banking division, Marcus. This design discrepancy indicates their different branding ambitions and might have made their partnership tense.
Attributing Losses to the Apple Card
According to rumors, Goldman Sachs has attributed losses of at least $1 billion to the Apple Card. Although the causes of these losses are still unknown, the collaboration has grown more complicated as a result. It is essential for both businesses to pinpoint the precise reason of these losses in order to address the problem and come up with a win-win resolution.
Goldman Sachs’ Attempt to Transfer the Partnership
The tension between Apple and Goldman Sachs has reached a point where the investment bank is exploring the possibility of ending the partnership. Reports suggest that Goldman Sachs might consider transferring the Apple Card collaboration to American Express. However, this move is subject to Apple’s approval, and the tech giant can block any such attempt by Goldman. Additionally, the existing payment infrastructure via Mastercard’s network complicates any potential switch to American Express.
Possible Impact of the Move
If Goldman Sachs were to succeed in transferring the Apple Card partnership to American Express, it could have various ramifications for both companies involved:
- Loss of Revenue for Goldman Sachs: Exiting the partnership with Apple might result in a temporary loss of revenue for Goldman Sachs. The Apple Card’s customer base and transactions would no longer contribute to the bank’s profits.
- Brand Image of Apple: The potential transfer of the partnership might reflect negatively on Apple’s brand image. If the move is perceived as a fallout due to disagreements or failures in the partnership, it could undermine Apple’s reputation for delivering seamless and successful products.
- Customer Impact: Apple Card users may experience changes in terms and benefits if the partnership transitions to American Express. Depending on the changes, customer satisfaction levels could be affected.
- Opportunity for American Express: On the flip side, if American Express were to take over the Apple Card partnership, it could open up new revenue streams for the credit card company. Access to Apple’s large customer base and its brand recognition could lead to increased card adoption.
Since its start, the Apple-Goldman Sachs relationship for the Apple Card has seen its fair share of difficulties and disagreements. The alliance has experienced numerous challenges, ranging from Tim Cook’s initial rejection through disagreements about design and loss blaming. It is unclear how the partnership’s termination and potential transfer to American Express will affect the two businesses. In order to guarantee the long-term success of the Apple Card and preserve a good working relationship, it will be essential for both Apple and Goldman Sachs to find solutions to these problems and common ground.


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A senior executive at Samsung claims that the company is planning legal action to prevent iPhone 5 from being sold in Korea.
According to a report on ArsTechnica, an unnamed executive told The Korea Times that the action will take place "just after the launch" of the latest iteration of the iPhone.
"Samsung plans to take Apple to court here for its violation of Samsung's wireless technology related patents," the executive said.
"For as long as Apple does not drop mobile telecommunications functions, it would be impossible for it to sell its i-branded products without using our patents. We will stick to a strong stance against Apple during the lingering legal fights."
This is the latest development in an ongoing patent struggle between the two companies. Apple initially took legal action in April, claiming that Samsung had "slavishly" copied the iPad for its Galaxy tablet. Samsung later counter-sued over patent infringements on its mobile devices.
So far, the law has favoured Apple, with company blocking the sale of Samsung tablets in Germany and indefinitely delaying their launch in Australia. It also won restrictions against Samsung smartphones in the Netherlands.
Despite Apple and Samsung's close working relationship - Apple is currently Samsung's number one customer - there are now at least 23 lawsuits pending between the two companies.
Reports suggest that the iPhone 5 will launch next month.


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via LibertarianInstitute.org: "James Corbett of the Corbett Report joined me to discuss the ESG index, corporate compliance, and why big oil is silent despite all of the current problems with production, prices, and inflation."
After a Thursday report that Goldman Sachs bankers are threatening to quit over a requirement that they report to the office 5 days a week, a new report reveals the lengths to which management is now going to convince their staff to comply.
• https://www.washingtonpost.com By Jonathan Edwards
Ben Shapiro grew up loving Disney movies, he told his podcast listeners last week. The conservative firebrand passed that love on to his kids by taking them to Disneyland as soon as they were old enough -- 6 months of age in the Shapiro household.
Disney is bending the knee to its whiny woke workforce throwing a hissy fit over Florida's so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bill. The rest of America will suffer for this corporate cowardice, writes KIRA DAVIS
Horizon International Group had just nabbed the contract and city tax breaks to develop the W Hotel, a 300-odd-room luxury hotel set to sit atop the Partnership Tower in downtown Houston, in early March 2020.
The onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 has exposed numerous structural weaknesses in how the nations of the world provide food, energy, water, and consumer goods for their people. In the main, these supply chain disruptions are tightly cor
Elon Musk speaks at the opening of the Tesla Berlin Gigafactory. Thirty cars were delivered at the event. The opening was delayed for many months. The first phase of the factory will produce 500,000 to 700,000 cars per year.
"Disney makes its money on Middle Americans who go to their theme parks, who buy their content and those people should know this corporation hates you," the Manhattan Institute's Christopher Rufo told Tucker Carlson recently. "It hates your c


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2019 Stackie Awards: Meet the winners and behold their first-class marketing technology stacks
“We collectively learn so much from the way people organize and visualize their stacks," said MarTech Conference Program Chair Scott Brinker.
The 2019 Stackie Awards kicked off this year’s MarTech Conference, an event that brought together the marketing technology community to honor its brightest stars. With nearly 50 entries submitted, five winners were announced by the conference’s Program Chair Scott Brinker.
“I’m incredibly grateful to all of the companies who participate in The Stackies. It gives the community a wealth of great examples of real-world marketing stacks,” said Brinker, “It’s not just learning about which tools people are using for different capabilities — although that’s certainly helpful. It’s about understanding the way different marketing teams conceptualize their stacks.”
This year’s Stackie Awards event was sponsored by tech stack management tool Airstack, with $4,800 of the proceeds raised from entry fees donated to Girls Who Code, a nonprofit organization that supports women in the field of computer science. The 2019 Stackie award winners included:
- Sargento Foods
- Juniper Networks
To submit an entry, marketing technology teams had to create a single slide deck illustrating their marketing stack and how they conceptualize it. Brinker said entries included a variety of illustrations, with some companies mapping their martech stacks to the customer journey and others highlighting marketing technology workflows.
“We collectively learn so much from the way people organize and visualize their stacks,” said Brinker, “The Stackies are an awards program where the whole martech community is a winner.”
The 2019 Stackie Award Winners
Paychex marketing technology manager Stacy Falkman said her team had set specific marketing technology objectives during the past two years, from starting to inventory, organize and manage the company’s martech stack, to pulling intelligence from the tools they had implemented.
“Submitting the stack was a milestone of those efforts, but winning now that was a bonus that helped us truly feel confident in those efforts and progress,” said Falkman.
She says the biggest insight in building the slide was the general awareness gained around Paychex’s marketing technology and the number of systems it employs to support foundational platforms.
Element Three, Airstream’s digital marketing partner, worked with the brand to create Airstream’s slide for this year’s competition.
“Over the years, Element Three has helped us integrate and adopt new marketing technology that is helping to take our business, brand, and customer experience to the next level,” said Adam Grillot, Airstream’s customer experience marketing manager, “Winning a Stackie is just another example of how our partnership has pushed the envelope in all areas of marketing, and marketing technology is a huge key when it comes to delivering an exceptional Airstream brand experience for our community.”
Cami Schenck, the senior marketing manager of media and digital for Sargento Foods said it was very helpful to go through the process of creating the slide to make sure the team was thinking about its martech stack in the broadest sense to educate all stakeholders, both internally and externally.
“Our goal was to share at a high level the tools and technologies used at each phase of the digital marketing process, from audience strategy to content development to executing the plan and finally measurement,” said Schenck, “We use the martech illustration to educate key stakeholders across our organization, which have a varying level of digital knowledge.”
When creating their winning martech slide, Juniper Networks senior marketing director Nancy Weintraub said the goal was to illustrate the simplicity and fluidity of the company’s martech stack in support of the customers’ journey.
“The cloud graphic is a tribute to our advancements in cloud networking as well as clearly depicting the various technologies that play a part in each stage of the buyer’s journey,” said Weintraub, “As we built the slide, we became mindful of our core systems, but also discovered new areas where we can be bold, take risks and try new things.”
ESRI’s manager of marketing technology Steve Schultz and marketing technologist Robert Yocum said they have often referenced previous Stackie winners for new ideas and concepts to show what an integrated martech stack can achieve.
“Over the last three to four years, we’ve put a lot of work into modernizing our marketing department across process, skills training, and improving the technology available to marketers,” said the two, “We reached a point where we felt it was time to submit our own work to show what we’ve done.”
They said building the slide forced them to think even more about ESRI’s martech stack, and the areas it impacts, in order to communicate the overall process so that users could understand and digest it quickly.
“As a software company that helps put data on maps, using an approach that leveraged geography made sense to us. This helped us to describe the actions to provide easy context for each piece of the stack and the business process.”
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily MarTech. Staff authors are listed here.


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Watch the video above for more, or read on below for a deeper dive into each brand’s story.
Buffalo Wild Wings is beginning to roar back thanks to some blunt talk from its new agency that led to a revamped marketing approach. Visits to its restaurants are now on the rise, says Chief Marketing Officer Seth Freeman. Just a couple of years ago, same-store sales and visits were declining.
Buffalo Wild Wings was gobbled up by Arby’s parent company Inspire Brands in February 2018 and six months later Seth Freeman joined as its chief marketing officer. He soon hired new agencies including The Martin Agency on creative…[Read More]
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BAR HARBOR, Maine — Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its sobering impact on Maine’s 2020 tourism season — including on generally tourist-rich Mount Desert Island — Kampgrounds of America is planning to open its first-ever “glamping” campground on Aug. 1.
Dubbed “Terramor” — combining the latin words for “land” and “love” — the $9.7 million resort is a complete, luxury-oriented rehab of the former KOA-branded Woodlands Campground in the local village of Town Hill. KOA also operates the Oceanside Campground on County Road at the head of Mount Desert Island — which it acquired in 2002, under its flagship brand — but has created a new division for its entry into the growing upscale “glamour camping” market.
KOA began work on the glampground last year and had hoped to open the redeveloped, 45-acre site earlier this summer, but the onset of the pandemic briefly delayed the project, according to Gretchen Chauncey, general manager of the resort. She said “dozens and dozens” of people are at work, including contractors and roughly two dozen staff, in order to be ready for their first guests next weekend.
“These things don’t happen overnight,” she said, adding that the extra time has given the staff time to prepare, to get to know one another and to absorb the culture of the new resort.
Without going into details, Chauncey said bookings for Terramor are “really good.” She said the resort will open with social distancing and other safety measures in place. Staff already are wearing masks indoors, clear plastic partitions have been set up at the bar in the $2.1 million, 4,800 square-foot lodge and picnic tables in group areas such as the resort’s pavilion will be spaced more than 6 feet apart.
Glamping is well-suited for COVID-19 precautions, Chauncey said, because guests have their own quarters and restrooms and, aside from the lodge, there are no common interior spaces where guests will encounter one another, such as hallways or shared bathrooms.
Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park together make for “a natural place to offer social distancing,” Chauncey said. “There are a bunch of outdoor activities that will appeal to our guests.”
Glamping is designed as a more upscale, luxurious camping experience that typically includes beds with fine linens, electricity and hot water service inside tents, and meals prepared by a classically trained chef. It is a growing market nationally and in Maine, where other luxury “glamping” facilities have opened in Kennebunkport and have been proposed in Surry.
At Terramor, the 64 “tents” are indeed made out of fabric, but the similarity they have to collapsible nylon structures that have to be assembled with short sections of aluminum poles stops there. The canvas structures at the resort have interior bathrooms with showers and toilets, enough power outlets to power multiple electronic devices all at once, remote-controlled ceiling fans and electric bedside lamps. Some have second bedroom spaces with bunk beds in them, and each has its own outdoor fire pit with Adirondack-style camp chairs.
Among the resort’s other features are a wooden, window-filled lodge with vaulted ceilings, where guests will check in and be able to arrange outings with area tour services. Guests can also eat a sit-down breakfast, order a wood-fired pizza and enjoy wine, beer or other beverages, and purchase take-out lunches designed and prepared by Dakota Hatton, the resort’s executive chef. Chauncey said Hatton also will offer dinner platters of ready-to-barbecue food that guests can take out to the resort’s gas grills to cook for themselves.
There also is a new pool, with an attached heated spa pool, a fenced-in dog run and lawns where guests will be able to play bocce, volleyball, croquet, badminton and other games.
“KOA did not spare any expense,” Chauncey said. “I think everybody likes to have an outdoor experience, but they like to be comfortable too.”


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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — August 22nd, 2023 — SAP Africa today announced the South African launch of GROW with SAP, a new offering to help midsize customers adopt cloud ERP that enables speed, predictability and continuous innovation. GROW with SAP customers get the same best practices powering the world’s industry leaders, while benefiting from rapid deployment and frictionless updates.
“SAP’s ERP offering has long enabled end-to-end transparency across the business for the world’s leading companies,” says Evert-Jan Tromp, Vice President Solution Sales Mid Market EMEA South. “With GROW with SAP, we’re taking this to the next level for midsize companies, with a tailored offering that helps them grow their business. Being able to support many businesses on the continent with an agile, affordable and scalable offering. GROW with SAP provides the agility and innovation midsize companies need not just today, but for their success in years to come.”
For 50 years, SAP has been working hand in hand with customers across every industry and using this expertise to benchmark and define best-in-class, industry-specific processes. GROW with SAP provides these preconfigured best practices that midsize companies can immediately adopt. Embedded artificial intelligence (AI) and automation capabilities mean customers see rapid results. The GROW with SAP offering also brings together SAP S/4HANA Cloud, public edition, with accelerated adoption services, a global community of experts and free learning resources, helping customers go live in as little as four weeks.
Rob Coombe, Group IT Manager at Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation, says: “Our SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud deployment drives greater efficiency across our business by allowing us to leverage best-practice standards that keep processes running smoothly while unlocking significant cost savings. The power and scalability of the platform can also support our business as we enter new product segments and markets, allowing us to quickly and efficiently bring new processes and business capabilities online.”
GROW with SAP also includes SAP Business Technology Platform, so customers can define their own processes in a cloud-native way using SAP Build. With SAP Build solutions, business users can create enterprise apps, automate processes and design business sites without writing code, an important asset for those closest to the business who can create the solutions they need.
SAP’s vibrant partner ecosystem will also engage with customers around GROW with SAP and support their digital transformation needs. Research conducted by SAP Africa found that digital transformation specialists were in-demand at 48% of African organisations, indicating a potential skills gap for companies wishing to scale into the cloud.
IDC research shows that many midsize businesses find themselves growing rapidly and need their technology to grow with their business as they encounter the same issues related to global complexity as larger enterprise businesses.
“With GROW with SAP, SAP recognised they need to better fit the business and technology requirements of midsize companies looking for a cloud ERP solution,” IDC enterprise software group vice president Mickey North Rizza said. “This offering reengages the market with a refreshingly new opportunity to unlock the proven strength of SAP’s long-time understanding and leadership in the ERP space in the cloud.”


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Austrans Group Wins Big in Truckline’s 70th Anniversary Competition
Austrans Group has emerged as the proud winner of Truckline’s highly sought-after competition, driving away with a custom-built freighter trailer.
The competition, hosted by Truckline, Australia’s foremost truck and trailer parts distributor and retailer, celebrated the company’s remarkable 70th anniversary in an extravagant fashion. Truckline, in collaboration with ten leading suppliers, offered its customers an extraordinary opportunity to win an astounding major prize package valued at over $180,000.
The grand prize featured a custom-built Freighter T-Liner Dropdeck Mezzdeck Trailer, skilfully crafted by MaxiTRANS and valued at an impressive $160,000. In addition, the lucky winner would also receive four $5,000 gift vouchers, providing an additional $20,000 to spend. Entry into the competition was made easily accessible for owner-drivers, transport companies, and fleet operators who signed up on the Truckline website and made qualifying purchases.
The competition, curated to honour Truckline’s longstanding commitment to the trucking industry, represents the culmination of seven decades of dedication. Justin O’Brien, Bapcor Commercial Vehicle Group General Manager, expressed his excitement about the competition, stating, “To celebrate our 70th Anniversary, together with eight of our leading suppliers, we have assembled a competition that has no comparison in our industry in terms of its size and its value. We are very excited to be giving away a custom-built Freighter T-Liner Dropdeck Trailer along with $20K of gift vouchers to one of our loyal customers in early 2023.”
Truckline stands as Australia’s premier retailer and distributor of aftermarket and original equipment parts and accessories for trucks and trailers. With an unwavering commitment to serving the Australian trucking industry for over seven decades, Truckline has established an expansive network of 46 company-owned stores throughout the nation, ensuring accessibility and convenience for customers. These stores operate six days a week, accommodating the needs of truckers relying on North American, European, and Japanese commercial vehicle makes and models.
Established in 1999, Austrans has steadily grown since its humble beginnings and has earned a stellar reputation for its commitment to delivering exceptional service. The company’s unwavering dedication to completing projects on time and within budget has allowed them to forge partnerships with some of the biggest players in Australia.
For Austrans, emerging victorious in this competition is a testament to their unwavering commitment to excellence. Austrans will continue to leverage their expertise and superior service-based approach to deliver outstanding results for their clients across Australia. As they embark on a new chapter of success, Austrans remain dedicated to their work.


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With many states introducing various policies and initiatives, the year 2019 saw a total EV sales of more than 7.5 Lakhs in India, including electric two-wheelers, electric three-wheelers and electric passenger vehicles. To carry forward this green momentum, BYD, a Global player in providing clean energy solutions has partnered with ETO Motors to deploy a fleet of electric cargo vehicles comprising.
ETO Motors announced its plans to introduce a fleet of Electric 3W & 4W Cargo vehicles to strengthen its clean mobility solution offerings. These vehicles will be designed and manufactured with BYD’s power battery, motor, motor controllers & powertrains. Electric 3W fleet deployment will include electric-rickshaw, electric-cart, electric-auto (L5M & L5N category) and electric three-wheeler cargo, while Electric 4W cargo includes electric 4W commercial freight /cargo vehicles.
ETO motors have already placed an order for 50 number of T3’s – the 4W cargo EVs from BYD to be deployed immediately. Over the next one-year, ETO Motors is expected to deploy 4,000 electric vehicles across 20 cities to service the logistics need to online as well as brick and mortar retailers. Businesses are looking to reduce their carbon footprint across their supply chain and electric cargo vehicles offer them an excellent option to be included in their sustainable practices.
There are over 3 million cargo vehicles plying on Indian roads and there is an additional influx of these vehicles to the tune of 0.70 million every year. Introduction and adoption of EV cargo will ensure that the emissions levels can be controlled significantly and can have a positive impact on the environment over time. Annual reduction in emission for a cargo minivan averaging 200 KMs travel a day is around 13,500 kgs saving 5,000 litres of diesel a day.
Commenting on the partnership, Mr Ketsu Zhang, Executive Director, BYD India, said, “Developing and promoting a strong EV ecosystem and cultivating consumer awareness and confidence to adopt clean technology is our goal in making the planet better. Logistics segment is one of the largest users of transportation and resultant addition to the emissions is significant, the usage is only increasing over time with improved road infrastructure and rapid urbanization and increasing consumer demand for retail products. Companies now have a ready solution to help them with their own sustainability goals without having to invest in vehicle ownership.”


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Jun 7, 2017
Kardashian makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic teams up with Laura Mercier
Jun 7, 2017
Laura Mercier Cosmetics has announced that makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic, of Kardashian fame, will join its roster of celebrity beauty gurus including Pati Dubroff, Jenn Streicher and Mary Greenwell.
Talented makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic is a master of flawless foundation, a technique at the heart of the philosophy of Laura Mercier. The beauty professional, who specialises in makeup contouring, counts celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Demi Lovato and Chrissy Teigen amongst his client list, and runs a makeup masterclass in which reality star Kim will take part in 2017.
"With his incredible social media presence and his authentic approach to makeup at his Master Class, Mario offers exciting makeup techniques and creative expertise," said Alexandra Papazian, General Manager of Laura Mercier.
The makeup artist will officially launch his collaboration with the cosmetics brand for the Fall/Winter 2017 campaign, in which he will make over Suki Waterhouse, a new face at Laura Mercier.
The cosmetics label, which has just celebrates its 20th anniversary, has also selected Mary Greenwell from the UK, in order to expand its network of star makeup artists outside of the UK.
Copyright © 2023 AFP-Relaxnews. All rights reserved.


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DHL Supply Chain has been helping Ferrero UK to meet the high demand of retailers across the UK this Christmas by packing and distributing millions of chocolate products across the country.
In the run up to Christmas, over 170 million individual Ferrero Rochers have so far passed through DHL’s 140,000 sq ft warehouse in Northamptonshire. In addition, 26,000 display stands have been filled and distributed to retailers using environmentally friendly transportation, including dual fuel vehicles and rail transportation.
DHL has also boxed 180,000 seasonal Kinder Chocolate fluffy toy reindeer and penguins, bagged 2.6 million Kinder Chocolate Minis and expects to distribute over 9.3 million boxes of Ferrero Rochers – equivalent to more than one pack for every person who lives in London.
Preparations for Ferrero’s busiest time of year started in August with over 200 people now working on distributing Ferrero Products.
A Ferrero spokesperson says: “This is an extremely important and busy time of year for the business and it is hugely beneficial to have a supply chain solution under one roof that covers all aspects of packaging design, product packaging, warehousing and onward distribution. Our longstanding partnership with DHL not only means that millions of our products arrive on retailer shelves in time for Christmas, but that the operation is carried out efficiently and in line with our sustainability commitments.”
David McDonald, VP of operations, consumer and life sciences at DHL Supply Chain adds: “As one of the busiest times of the year, keeping up with demand is vital for confectioners and retailers alike. Our innovative warehouse facilities and forward planning lie at the heart of our relationship with Ferrero, and will ensure that millions of chocolate lovers can enjoy Ferrero’s signature products this Christmas.”
Source: Sweets and Snacks Europe