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The days are starting to get shorter, which means Instagrammers everywhere are getting their fall photo presets ready to document #PSLSeason. But before our feeds are dominated by chunky-sweatered, berry-lipped selfies, let’s take a look at how August’s top makeup brands achieved Earned Media Value growth through expertly executed global product launches and influencer campaigns. Across the U.S.’, U.K.’s, and France’s top 10 beauty brands by EMV, we noticed the same brands outperforming in all three markets—so we dug deeper to understand what was behind this global growth.
Top 10 US Makeup Brands, August 2019
Anastasia Beverly Hills
In August, Anastasia Beverly Hills launched an eyeshadow palette collaboration with U.S. YouTuber Jackie Aina, spurring global enthusiasm as influencers all over the world flocked to their social media accounts to review the product. The Jackie Aina Palette ranked among ABH’s top EMV-driving products in the U.S., U.K., and France, proving the power and reach of hype generated in the beauty influencer community.
Fenty Beauty & Urban Decay
Fenty Beauty and Urban Decay also mobilized their global influencer communities with exciting product launches. Fenty Beauty, known for its Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, drummed up unstoppable influencer buzz with the August launch of its Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation. The new, hydrating formula of the cult favorite foundation quickly ranked as the brand’s top EMV-generating product in the U.S., U.K., and France.
Last summer, NARS executed a global influencer trip to Ibiza, Spain, to celebrate its Climax Mascara, a high-impact influencer campaign that we covered in our Q2 2018 Global Beauty Report. Well, NARS was back at it again this month: the brand celebrated its 25th anniversary with its global influencer community in Florence, Italy. The activation sparked content creation from influencer attendees including U.K. blogger Patricia Bright (@thepatriciabright on Instagram) and French social media powerhouse Sanaa El Mahalli (@sananas2106 on Instagram). The getaway powered EMV growth for NARS across the U.S., U.K., and France markets.
Whether it’s a mega-hyped product launch or a well-executed international influencer getaway, global influencer campaigns mean global EMV implications, and can spark growth across all markets.
To read more about how global initiatives helped these brands grow their EMV across markets, as well as about other top-ranking beauty brands, check out our US Cosmetics TTT, UK Beauty TTT, and France Beauty TTT.


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The Lenovo Z5 launch date has been set for June 5th. If you haven’t heard about it, well you should know that the phone will have a 95% screen to body ratio.
To gain some perspective, let’s see the ratio of the Apple iPhone X, it is 81.49%. The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus has a screen to body ratio of 84.2%. The OnePlus 6 has an 83.81% ratio.
So, in comparison it looks like the Lenovo Z5 will be the phone to beat, with an incredibly thin nearly bezel-less design. There is a frame running on the 4 corners of the display, which could be the why the 5% is missing from the ratio number.
According to a leaked press render found by Android Pure, this is what the phone looks like. It appears that the Lenovo Z5 does not have a notch display, and there is no chin or forehead either. Where exactly will the selfie camera, the earpiece and the proximity sensors be?
Under the display? Is that even possible? Perhaps the selfie camera, but we doubt that the other sensors are under the screen. There are already phones which have are available with an in-display fingerprint sensor, such as the Vivo X21. So, putting the other sensors below the screen is probably how future technology will proceed in terms of the design. That’s just our speculation.
This isn’t though, but it may sound unbelievable. The company says the Lenovo Z5 will have 4TB of storage, yes that is in units of Terabytes. The biggest amount of storage on phones that we have seen is 256GB, which in itself is excessive.
It could be possible that the Lenovo Z5 may support microSD cards up to 4TB. But the marketing renders making the round do suggest that it is 4TB internal storage.
Lenovo Z5 launch date
There is no word whether the phone will be available globally, but if the phone looks like this, we think the demand for the device will be high to ensure a worldwide availability. All we know for now is that the Lenovo Z5 launch date is June 5th, and the event will take place at 14:00 in China.

domain: news


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AVWeb just published an article confirming that Cessna will no longer produce the Cessna Mustang, despite a glowing review of the aircraft's production and performance history by senior vice president, Sales and Marketing Rob Scholl. “The Mustang proved to be an incredible success for our company and our customers, and we’re thrilled to celebrate the ingenuity and pride that went in to creating the world’s most popular entry-level light jet."
So thrilled, in fact, that they're cancelling production due to better sales of the slightly larger and more expensive M2 ($2.7M for the Mustang, $4.2M for the M2).
So to emulate the ESPN Translator on Mike & Mike -- “The Mustang proved to be an incredible success for our company... but we can take-in an even greater profit margin by selling our customers on a jet that only seats 2 more passengers, has a range of only about 200 more miles, yet produces half again more revenue for our company."
The story can be seen here:
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Toyota dealer builds for the mines
A SOUTH Grafton motor dealership has got its foot in the door with a company supplying lucrative Queensland mines.
Black Toyota has revealed it has just supplied its first Toyota HiLux to Maicon Industries, a company supplying mining equipment to mines between Rockhampton and Mackay.
Black Toyota sales consultant Col Soderlund said Maicon CEO Glen Gilbert and contract manager Zoe Long were in Grafton last week to inspect and collect the first of what he hopes is many vehicles.
Mr Soderlund said Black Toyota supplied customised vehicles to Maicon which included special mine-ready radios and antennas.
"It was amazing, when I ordered the first radio they told me it was $3500 and then they asked if I wanted an antenna," he said.
"I thought for $3500 they could throw in the antenna.
"As well as the radios they all have to complete five-star safety ratings for all the equipment they use for the mines."
He said all up the vehicle cost the company about $50,000, although that included the Black Toyota fleet discount."
Mr Soderlund said this sale was likely to be the first of many more to come.
"They probably only do one or two vehicles like this, but there are other machinery orders we can handle as well," he said.
"This is just a first step for us to establish a good working relationship with Maicon to supply custom-built vehicles for their operations."


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UEA’s Garlic Bread Society is 2019’s most delicious society you need to know about!
Mmm garlic bread…
With news that a garlic bread society has just been approved by UEA, The Norwich Tab caught up with UEA Garlic Bread Soc president, and self-described garlic bread fanatic, Ellie Bokor-Ingram, to get the lowdown on UEA’s newest and most delicious society on campus!
Ellie and team GB, that’s team Garlic Bread by the way, described how the original idea of a society was born out of a birthday drinks with her rugby team mates when they decided to take their passion to the UEA masses. Ellie told us:
‘It was a lightbulb moment, we just thought, everyone loves garlic bread? Lets make a society and we can eat it together!’
Now that Ellie’s garlic brainwave has been approved as an OFFICIAL society, she and her committee are full of ideas for the future. She told us:
"We aimed to get as many people as possible on board with Garlic Bread.. we're going to have garlic bread food stalls in the hive, make your own garlic bread sessions, try different garlic breads from around the world maybe even a trip to Italy?"
Ellie even has a plan to take Norwich nightlife by storm, telling us:
"We've got a plan for a garlic bread bar crawl through Norwich and even dressing up as garlic bread on nights out!"
Well great, that’s my idea for Pimp My Barrow taken
Ellie then told us of what exactly makes THE perfect garlic bread:
"Garlic-ness is KEY! Also the dough or bread and its crispiness… I personally like a flat garlic bread and the best garlic bread ever is in Masterchef in town! They even know me in there now as the garlic bread girl!"
We know where to go after our Prince of Wales nights out then!
Ellie is also looking for converts to the cause explaining to me how she plans to recruit members and convince people who are perhaps not yet on the Garlic Bread hype! Ellie told us:
"I would say you’ve just got to the try it, maybe they’ve just not had the right Garlic bread for them, maybe it’s been too garlicy or not garlicy enough?
"Some Garlic breads can be a let-down but we're offering a unique opportunity to dive into the world of garlic bread!"
Ellie’s society of Garlic Bread enthusiasts is already thriving and growing rapidly, with a significant number of loyal garlic bread devotees already following the renowned Garlic Bread girl herself.
We love the sound the sound of this, and Ellie’s energy for garlic bread is already making me hungry, so be sure to get on this latest food-based society!


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Cucina Fresca Gourmet Foods puts taste before efficiency.
It’s this time of year that Cucina Fresca Gourmet Foods owner and executive chef Brad Glaberson gives his 40-person staff a tongue-in-cheek mandate: “No one takes vacation, gets sick or dies,” he says.
With the holidays approaching, school in full swing and New Year’s no-carb resolutions yet to be made, demand for the Seattle-based company’s handcrafted gnocchi, smoked tomato sauce, and gruyere mac and cheese reaches a boiling point October through December.
Every week, orders pour in from more than a thousand grocery stores, specialty shops and food service companies in nearly 40 states. And every week Glaberson, 42, and his team make and ship small batches of a couple dozen different products in a matter of days – hand-picking bushels of basil, mixing hundreds of pounds of dough for pasta and going through so much milk Glaberson says he should just buy his own cow.
Production would be more streamlined and less stressful if the company made bigger batches and stockpiled several months of product at a time, says Glaberson. But he isn’t willing to save time or cut costs at the expense of taste. As such, Cucina Fresca is a perfect example of a common small-business problem: How to grow a company without undermining the very qualities that made it successful in the first place. The problem is especially acute when you are talking about a company whose very identity is based on doing things with meticulous care and attention to detail. “I always say we’re inefficiently delicious,” he says.
Cucina Fresca was founded in 1980 by husband and wife, Sue and Mike Tenore, who sold their fresh pasta to local restaurants and in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. After stints at Canyon Ranch Spa in Arizona and as a private chef, Glaberson went to work for the Tenore’s in 2003. “We were in a tiny location with one ravioli machine, and we delivered everything ourselves,” says Glaberson, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. “There was so much potential there.”
When his employers decided to sell in 2006, Glaberson was first in line. With a small business loan and a vision to make Cucina Fresca a household name, he began ramping up slowly. What little budget he had for marketing he spent on in-store tastings. “I always felt strongly that if I could get our products on a spoon and into your mouth, it would sell itself.”
In many ways, it has. Since Glaberson took over, revenues have more than doubled – and with retail going from just 1% of sales to more than 63%. He’s expanded the product line and moved facilities twice.
Yet, Glaberson says he’s committed to using fresh ingredients and cooking in small batches. That’s not to say he hasn’t found ways to streamline the process. Rather than pour sauce into each container, as he and his crew did for many years, Glaberson upgraded to a piston filler. He also invested in labeling equipment. “I refuse to use canola oil but I enjoy packaging faster,” he says. “What used to take eight hours to label sauces, now we do it in less than 40 minutes.”
Relative to dry pasta and bottled sauces, Cucina Fresca is on the pricey side. A 10-ounce package of tortellini starts at $4.99 and 20 ounces of mac and cheese retail for $9.99, Yet, Glaberson says his customers run the gamut from serious foodies to budget-conscious parents, even students, who see fresh pasta an alternative to dining out. “During the recession we got emails from people saying times are tough but this is their treat,” he says, noting that sales increased more than 15% from 2008 to 2009.
The company’s success hasn’t gone unnoticed. Glaberson says he fields calls from would-be investors or buyers at least once a month, but he’s not interested. “At the end of the day the product is exactly the way I want it,” he says. And he plans to keep it that way.


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Charity reports finds 'stress of financial paperwork' is making small business owners people ill
Small businesses’ growth could be stifled because of the burden of financial administration, a study says.
The report – for business innovation charity Nesta and backed by the Competition and Markets Authority – also warns that a lack of transparency in the market for financial products can hamper small firms.
The study found that 42 per cent of entrepreneurs say dealing with finances is the most stressful aspect of running a company. And 17 per cent add that the stress has made them unwell.
Headache: Dealing with the administration stresses owners
The vast majority of small business owners handle their banking and finance without professional help. One in five spend more than eight hours a week managing their banking. But a quarter say they do not have time to switch their business bank account.
The CMA estimates that even a modest increase in the number switching business current accounts could save small and medium-size enterprises a total of £60 million over five years.
The study comes as the £5 million Open Up Challenge – which aims to inspire developers to create services, apps and tools to help small firms – opens to entries.
Services could include comparing loan offers, analysing transactions, or moving money automatically to where it earns the best interest.
Chris Gorst of Nesta says: ‘There are thousands of products and services available to small businesses, but no easy way for them to match these to their needs efficiently.’
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The rapid evolution and development of that part of the pig meat sector, and the sheer size of China’s pig and pork sector, means that regular updates and reviews are necessary. In this second article in a series, here is a closer look at China’s pork processors.
In the first article in this three-step series, one aspect of the changing face of China’s pork sector was the drive by Beijing to attract large integrated pig production to the north east of China. That brings pig production closer to China’s major grain producing area. Eight major companies are reported to have expansion plans to produce (altogether) around 17 million pigs annually in the north east and pig numbers in that region of China are expected to double to around 120 million pigs a year. That’s about a fifth of China’s annual output.
On the face of it this seems to be a logical rationalisation and restructure for the supply side – especially as many smaller pig producers and processors in China have been ‘discouraged’ by the introduction of stricter environmental regulations. On the demand side statistics on the throughput of pig meat in ‘wet markets’ are not easy to find but there is anecdotal evidence that the trend is negative. Certainly, younger, newly urbanised Chinese consumers are using their spending power in modern shopping malls, supermarkets and convenience stores and are a market for semi-processed and processed pig meat products. This change in purchasing behaviour will work against wet markets and the relatively simple supply chains associated with them. Hence, we see restructuring of supply and demand for pork in China.
Changes in consumer behaviour will also spur Chinese pork companies to move up the value-added chain and offer more semi-processed products. Other factors that work against wet markets include food safety issues (worries about the spread of Asian flu-type viruses) and (crucially for some wet markets) the soaring development value of market sites in urban areas. As ever, residential housing values affect the location of commercial premises.
But if the demand side looks hopeful for owners and investors in a modern processing sector in China, there have been reports that indicate that some Chinese pork companies are having difficulties. Capacity issues are one aspect – with persistent hints by some analysts and in some company reports that too much investment may have been made too quickly (over capacity and underutilisation).
Reuters reports that around 70 billion yuan (US$ 10.94 billion) in new farm investment has been announced by 26 listed companies since 2016. Companies like CofCo, Wens Foodstuff Group and the WH Group, have ramped up investment in production and processing in recent years, leading to overcapacity.
Wens, which produced 17 million pigs in 2017, is aiming to lift output to 27.5 million hogs in two years. The latest slaughter numbers for China as a whole show that kill numbers have been growing at very high monthly rates in 2018. Clearly, there has been no shortage of money for these investments; the Agricultural Development Bank of China is reported to have agreed a credit line of at least three trillion yuan ($ 450 billion) by 2020 for the modernisation of China’s agriculture industry.
A different kind of capacity issue is ‘know-how’, i.e. the time needed to acquire and apply technical knowledge in a commercial environment. For China’s processors this is ‘the’ challenge. Meat processing technology and the managerial ability and workforce skills to handle its associated equipment and processes, need investments in training (personnel, time and practice) to enable know-how to be used effectively.
Whilst domestic pork companies rush to make these investments, they will see some competition from foreign players – Danish Crown and Hormel have announced plans to invest in factory facilities in China to manufacture the processed products that younger Chinese consumers are demanding. Cool chain logistics and presentation in store also need parallel investment by distributors and retailers – so, unless they are totally integrated, pork companies face another supply hurdle there. Big data, digital business models and e-commerce are also features of Chinese pork companies’ investments. It’s not just all about the cutting and packing plants and this all adds up to a vibrant and potentially disruptive landscape for the supply side.
One way of dealing with the know-how issue is to partner with domestic or foreign firms that have expertise in the needed skills. This has been happening in China. Some recent examples of Chinese pork companies seeking to improve their supply chains and processed product ranges include the recent link up between New Hope Liuhe and the French pork processor Cooperl Arc Atlantique. They have signed a strategic cooperation agreement and the two sides will work together to build a complete pork industry chain in China, producing high-quality pork in China in five to ten years.
Key Chinese pork processors
In a separate development, the website Meicai has become China’s largest fresh B2B e-commerce platform and New Hope Liuhe will cooperate with Meicai to create new modes and e-commerce opportunities. Yet another example is the link between Guangdong Wens Food Group and NetEase’s cloud computing and big data brand Netease. Wens and Netease have agreed a strategic cooperation, relying on the advantages of Wens position in animal nutrition and food processing and the expertise of Netease in cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence and e-commerce.
The descriptions and reports in the preceding paragraphs illustrate how the Chinese pork and pig meat sector is under pressure to deliver more, change rapidly, and become more efficient and customer-led. The large Chinese pork companies are mostly integrated and have links down and up the supply chain but we will see more cross linkages across sectors in the future. It’s an old saying in China and relevant here, Chinese pork processors are living in interesting times.


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As the country embraces the impact of the floods, the output of Pakistan’s large industries also dropped 16.5%, during the first month of the current fiscal year reflecting the impact of recessionary economic policies.
The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Thursday that Large Scale Manufacturing (LSM) decreased by 16.5% during July compared to the preceding month; the highest negative growth rate in over two years. The last time LSM had contracted, by 12% in June 2020, was in the aftermath of the first lockdown to stop the spread of Covid-19.
The national data collecting agency reported that the big industries also showed a 1.4% contraction in July over the same period the last year. The figures pertain to the pre-flood period, as LSM data is reported with a lag.
While 33 million people have been affected by the floods, 15% of Pakistan’s area is inundated with agriculture taking the maximum hit.
PBS reported that provisional quantum indices of LSM Industries for July 2022, with the base year 2015-16, have been developed based on the latest data supplied by the source agencies. However, while compromising transparency, PBS has discontinued source-based separate LSM output results.
Since large industries contribute heavily to revenue collection and job creation, any change in their growth impacts the government and business sentiment accordingly. The negative growth at the start of the fiscal year may not bode well for the economic outlook of the country that is already under the shadows of devastation caused by the floods and political uncertainty.
The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition government has implemented recessionary economic policies which have started taking a toll on economic activities. Aside from paying salaries, government spending is focused primarily on two heads; debt servicing and defence. Development spending in July amounted to only Rs28 billion.
Since September last year, the central bank has more than doubled its interest rate while the rupee has depreciated by nearly one-third since January this year – the two key factors to have increased the cost of doing business in Pakistan significantly.
Read Auto industry calls for easing import curbs
The government and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) have also enforced strict import controls, forcing industries to reduce output with some closing factories or at least reducing working shifts.
Earlier, the government had set a 5% economic growth rate, which according to the World Bank may now slip to the range of 1.4% to 2.4% due to the floods.
The LSM index slipped to 110.5, which is the lowest reading since July last year.
The PBS stated that the key industries to pull down the growth rate to negative 1.4% on a yearly basis, either due to contraction or low growth rate, were cotton yarn, cotton cloth, garments, iron and steel, petroleum products, fertilisers and cement.
The sectors that posted some growth during July over the same month a year ago include beverages showing a mere 0.3% growth, wearing apparel achieving a 48% increase in output, leather products at 46.5%, wood products at 3%, iron and steel at 13% and football at 40%.
A dip in food output showed a decrease of nearly 10% and tobacco production declined by 76%. The output of the textile sector, which has over 18% weight in the LSM index, showed a contraction of 2.2% in July. The coke and petroleum products output reduced by over 5%, fertilisers were at a negative 18% and pharmaceutical output also decreased by 35%.
Similarly, the production of rubber products, non-metallic mineral products, fabricated metal, computers, electronics, electric equipment, automobiles, and other transport equipment decreased sharply in July over the same period of the last fiscal year.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 23rd, 2022.
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The Oregon Cannabis Growers’ Fair will make history this upcoming weekend, August 13-14, 2016. For the first-time ever, Oregon’s cannabis producers will be able to display live plants at the Oregon State Fairgrounds.
This first-of-its-kind event has made both national and international news and the event that will hopefully become a part of the fabric of the state as Oregon cannabis becomes as accepted as local microbrews and wines.
More than 60 grows will be showcased at this historic event as some of the best cultivators in the world compete at the Oregon Cannabis Growers’ Fair. Oregon is certainly on tract is slated to become a premiere “craft cannabis” state and this is an opportunity to view these live plants as well as meet the growers.
The central feature of the show will be Oregon’s first-ever live cannabis plant competition, showcasing some of the state’s premier cannabis growers. These growers will be competing for various awards, including $10,000 in prizes.
Additionally, the top nine winning plants will be displayed at the Oregon State Fair from August 26 through September 5!“The Cannabis Growers’ Fair was created to showcase and promote Oregon’s fastest-growing agricultural business,” said Don Morse, one of the creators of the event. “This is unprecedented. Oregon is at the forefront in recognizing cannabis as a real agricultural product.”
Appearing as a guest judge in the live plant competition will be noted horticulturist, author and columnist Ed Rosenthal, also known as the “Guru of Ganja,” who has written or edited more than a dozen books on cannabis cultivation and social policy. Rosenthal will be signing his latest book, Big Book of Buds: Greatest Hits, at the OCGF.Energy Trust of Oregon will give a presentation each day of the event, focusing on lighting and HVAC opportunities for attendees; representatives from the Oregon Department of Agriculture will be in attendance; and the Oregon Liquor Control Commission’s Recreational Marijuana Division will provide updates regarding final rules and regulations for cannabis cultivation, processing and sales.
For more information on the show, sponsorships and exhibitors visit http://cangrowfair.com.


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The brewer Moa says it has sold nearly 100,000 cases of beer in the last year and is on track to reach its sales target of around $4.4 million.
But the company, which listed in November, says making a profit is still some way off.
Moa chief executive Geoff Ross, who was also the man behind 42 Below Vodka, says they are investing in future growth, increasing their brewing capacity five fold and entering new markets.
He says sales are robust and on track for the year.
Moa says it hopes to increase its brewing capacity five fold by the end of the year to meet international demand for its beer.
Moa, which listed on the stock exchange in November, has lodged an application for resource consent to build a new brewery on its existing site in Marlborough.
Mr Ross says there's a risk the company's growth plans will be delayed if they have to find an alternative site to build the brewery, but they'll still be able to increase some of its capacity this year, which will help meet demand.
Meanwhile, Mr Ross says Moa is entering new markets this year, including Finland, Brazil and the UK, but says the focus is on growing its product in its key markets of Australia, New Zealand and the US.


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The campaign, created by Spirit, aims to raise awareness of the Big Smoke Debate. Londoners will be asked whether smoking should be allowed in public places such as restaurants, pubs and shopping centres.
Two ads will run in London press and on outdoor sites around the capital.
The first, "cigarette", shows a burning cigarette with a long piece of ash retouched to depict the London skyline. The second ad, "ashtray", features an ashtray piled high with ash which also shows the city skyline.
Both ads have the endline: "Smoking in public places. Should it go? Let us know."
"I welcome the Big Smoke Debate because it gives Londoners a voice about a health issue that is important to their lives," Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, said.
The launch of the debate coincides with MORI research that shows that 70 per cent of Londoners surveyed are bothered by other people's smoke in enclosed public places.
The campaign was written and art directed by Tony Hector, the creative director at Spirit. Media planning and buying is by John Ayling & Associates.


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Reason to SWOON in OTR Coming Soon
Posted on July 11, 2016 by jrudemiller
New Boutique Signs Lease for Vine Street Space
CINCINNATI (July 11, 2016) – SWOON, a new specialty intimates boutique focused on offering consumers independent labels with ethical manufacturing practices, recently signed a lease for an 1,115-square-foot space in Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC)’s Parvis Lofts building.
The shop, which will be located at 1421 Vine Street in OTR, will primarily feature high-end intimate apparel, in an effort to fill the void that exists between Victoria’s Secret and box store selections in the lingerie space in Cincinnati.
“SWOON will provide modern basics made to compliment, rather than contort, a range of bodies,” said Melissa Lieb, who developed the concept and will own and operate the shop. “We’re also excited to offer playful and sexy luxury styles created by a range of brands dedicated to sustainability and ethical practices, without compromising a modern sensibility.”
A graduate of the School for Creative and Performing Arts and the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP), Lieb spent the last decade living in New York before deciding to return home to open her new store.
With a prices ranging from moderate to upscale, SWOON will carry quality U.S. and European labels that are unique to the Cincinnati market, adding to the excitement of shopping SWOON. The quality of the products will be evident in the fabric, structure and design, and SWOON sales staff will be tasked with educating customers on unfamiliar brands that offer ethical and sustainable manufacturing practices, as well as a modern, forward-thinking approach to aesthetics.
“We’re looking to give the conscientious consumer, or the woman who cares enough about her purchases to not shop at a box store, exactly what she’s looking for in lingerie – whether it be fit, comfort or style,” said Lieb, who has more than 10 years of product design, styling, and merchandising experience. “And we want to offer a curated atmosphere that is as comfortable as it is exciting for patrons.”
While the shop’s main inventory will feature a wide array of basic, fashion basic, and special occasion lingerie, additional offerings are expected to include bodysuits, body care products, and a small assortment of vintage silk nightgowns, nighties, robes, and kimonos.
With the lease signed, build-out on the space has already started for a projected opening date sometime this fall.
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Kim Robinson is embarking on a new hobby where she recycles bottles to create art pieces that can mark an occasion or lift a person’s spirit.
Using bottles of different shapes and sizes, she decorates them with letters to spell out a word such as life or live.
She add charms to some, or where she’s found an intricate glass bottle, she might put tiny white light inside energized by their own battery pack.
These are some of the ideas Kim has come up with for her new venture — All Bottled Up.
“I am having so much fun,” Kim said Saturday during the craft sale held at the Elks Hall. “This is my first craft sale.”
Some of the bottles she has painted with plaster paint — a technique she learned during a workshop held a month and a half ago at the Ramada Inn.
Others she’s applied jute wrap, fabric, charms, ribbons or flowers.
Kim retired in March 2015 after working for 25 years as a custodian at School District 27.
With lots of time on her hands, she was looking for something new to try when she read about the bottles on an arts and craft site online.
She does commissions for all occasions, and said she has some wedding requests already.
“My kitchen is a mess from doing the bottles, but I am retired so I can clean up later,” she said chuckling.


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Could this be a year of "ho-hum" new product development? Maybe so, whether because R&D budgets have been cut or due to efforts to clean up and simplify current products.
Those are sweeping generalizations, admittedly, but they are among the inferences from our 47th annual (yes, we've been doing this quite a while) R&D Survey. The survey was fielded March through mid-April and drew 623 responses, up 39 percent from last year.
Its very first question (Figure 1) always asks how important several general targets are for your R&D efforts this year. "Really new product development" continues to rank first, but at its lowest score in at least four years – 33 percent said it was paramount, not terribly far above "cleaning up current products" (23 percent). On the other hand, "cost control" (14 percent) was roughly double the score of its previous three years. We did add one possible answer, which could have diluted all scores: "Preparing for the new Nutrition Facts panel" got a surprisingly tepid 4.6 percent response.
"Cost-cutting and removal of GMO ingredients," was top of the to-do list for one R&D department head.
Label cleanup came to the fore in last year's survey, and it remained a key trend in this year's project. In an open-ended question, "What is your company doing to make a cleaner label?" we got many interesting responses:
- "Removing FD&C colors, becoming organic compliant and non- GMO where requested."
- "Discontinue using DATEM, SSL, L-cysteine, mono- and diglycerides and limiting high fructose corn syrup, just for a beginning. We are using natural flavors and colors more prevalently."
- "We are only using ingredients that have a function, we are not using any 'fillers.' "
- "Shopping for ingredients that have fewer sub ingredients."
- "Reducing sugar, staying with pantry ingredients, highlighting benefits of ingredients."
- "Create more shades with just fruit and vegetable juices and offer organic certified colors."
- "Eliminating artificial colors and sweeteners, BHA/BHT, synthetic fats, caffeine, L-cysteine, replacing chemical names with common names."
- "All new products that are developed must be clean label. Old SKUs are being phased out or modified."
"Removing GMO ingredients" continued its No. 1 spot among ingredients you're working on this year (Figure 2), its 34 percent score up a bit from last year. "Removing added sugars" held steady, but the rest of our ingredients-to-remove list (sodium, trans fat, saturated fat, even "replacing refined grains with whole grains") dropped.
The ones you could add stayed about the same as in past years, but "adding fruits and vegetables" dropped by about a quarter.
In open-ended answers to that question, adding plant-based proteins got several votes, as did variations on removing ingredients perceived as artificial. "We're focusing more on using natural preservatives," wrote one woman. Two respondents mentioned removing acrylamide, and one said "removing all ingredients sourced from China." Another said "adding tigernut flour" – we had to look that one up.
The new Nutrition Facts panel was supposed to go into effect this year but has been delayed till 2020. Whether product developers are taking advantage of the extra time or they already had this under their belts, fewer R&D Depts. are concerned with the new label this year (Figure 4).
Another 2018 regulation that has been delayed is GMO labeling. When asked how your company is approaching that touchy subject (Figure 6), 39 percent said they're seeking non-GMO certification, 24 percent (up 2 points from last year) already are labeling "contains genetically engineered ingredients" and 27 percent are awaiting the USDA's recommended label. Only 11 percent (down 6 points from last year) are planning to use the Grocery Manufacturers Assn.'s QR code SmartLabel.
There were several random comments about clean labels. "Most if not all of our new product development is swinging to all-natural or clean label. Our clients are requesting that existing products get cleaned up," wrote a contract manufacturer.
"No more synthetics in food, should be all naturals, we need clean labeling," wrote another. And this shot of reality: "There are lots of moving targets about clean labels."
Another new regulatory wrinkle involves the FDA's accepted definition of fiber. The agency at the end of 2016 restricted the definition to naturally occurring fibers and those with a physiological benefit. Any "newly isolated or manufactured dietary fiber" would need to be evaluated by the FDA before it could be listed as dietary fiber on food packaging.
So we thought it would be a good question to ask (Figure 10). But only 14 percent said the changing definition has caused problems – but maybe that's because there's still quite a bit of uncertainty. A dozen respondents wrote-in elaboration that ranged from "I think we're good" to "too early to tell." One product developer did admit, "We're changing fibers per new labeling requirements."
As for your R&D Dept.'s budget (Figure 3), "about the same as last year" has been the standard answer for many years, and still is, although that segment dropped 6 points this year. 17 percent of respondents (6 percentage points fewer than last year) are seeing an increase while 16 percent (nearly double last year's total) are seeing a decrease.


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Gatehouse Bank is looking to launch an additional financing product to existing customers to improve the energy efficiency of their homes before the end of the year, Andy Homer, the chief customer officer at Gatehouse Bank, told ISFI.
According to Andy, the bank is collaborating with external sustainability partners to both develop products as well as possibly broadening the scope of the sustainability impact of its existing products.
“From a proposition perspective, additional finance for customers looking to improve the [energy] efficiency of their property and continuing to look at how we can link savings to the environment are the two key areas we are working on,” Andy shared.
Having launched the green home financing product over 12 months ago, which offers a reduction in the rental rates for energy-efficient homes as well as offsetting the carbon footprint of the average home, the additional financing is expected to help homeowners increase their home energy efficiency rating.
As part of the research process for the upcoming product, the bank is set to establish customer focus groups this summer to understand the type of support customers need and what they are looking to achieve with their properties.
With the development of sustainable financial products often involving working with external sustainability partners, finding the right partners can be a challenge, Andy noted.
“It’s about taking the time and involving the partner early in the development of the product to make sure that they can assist in the way you want them to,” Andy elaborated.
With the bank’s Woodland Savers account currently contributing to combating deforestation, planting a tree with each account opening, Andy shared that the bank is exploring other causes that the savers account can impact including blue projects.
With the steady uptake of the account, having planted 30,000 trees to date, the bank has taken the decision to forward-fund the planting of 10,000 trees this year.
This is an excerpt of an interview with Andy Homer, the chief customer officer at Gatehouse Bank. To listen to the full conversation, log on to IFN Podcast.
Click here to view the original article.


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- Super-size me? Not any more. Doug Zell and the gang at Intelligentsia Coffee are ‘just saying no’ to Big Gulp portions of brewed coffee, as they discontinue their 20-oz. serving size. Is it about the bottom line? Doug says no, it’s not that at all…
“Drinking our coffee is not like drinking jug wine,” said Intelligentsia Coffee founder and Chief Executive Doug Zell on Tuesday. “We’re focused on intensity of flavors and providing coffee in the way it tastes best. And it’s not in that size.”
As a coffee snob, I think it’s a good call… coffee does not want to be slurped in giant takeaway cups. As a commentator on the business of coffee, I worry about the timing: folks are minding their pennies these days, and “value shoppers” may migrate to someplace where they feel they get more caffeine for their buck. ‘Course, that might be offset by an increase in same-day sales… folks who used to buy a Venti to last them the morning may visit twice for two twelve ounce cups. Maybe.
P.S. Speaking of Zell, have you seen his Amex ad? He’s the new Mr. Big, man.
- Rwanda preps for its first Cup of Excellence! Rwanda is rightly celebrating one coming out party after another… last year it hosted its first Golden Cup competition, and this year it’s joining the ranks of the prestigious Cup of Excellence program.
“As the host country of the first Cup of Excellence competition in Africa, Rwanda will set the stage and create the benchmark for the rest of the quality coffee-producing countries on the continent where coffee was born,” said Susie Spindler, Cup of Excellence director. “The farmers of Rwanda have worked very hard to produce exquisite coffee. We are pleased by the support these farmers have received from even the highest levels of their government and think this competition will have thrilling results.”
If you’ve been reading here for any length of time you know that I’m extremely happy about the rise of Rwandan coffee — and the consequent lifting-up of the Rwandan people. More, the recognition is well-deserved… through hard work and force of will, Rwandan coffee growers and processors just keep raising the bar on their own performance. Good on them. And congrats to friend-of-Bloggle Stephen Leighton [HasBean], who will be one of the jurists for the first Rwanda CoE. Lucky guy.
- Cold-brewed coffee is hot. It’s the sweaty season (not you: you don’t sweat, you glisten), and folks all over — even in the northern climes — are discovering a whole new way to drink coffee.
Cream and sugar is fine — for children. Once you start messing with the temperature and natural flavor of coffee, it’s a slippery slope ending in frothy, icy, sickeningly sweet concoctions.
You see, I’m fussy about coffee. I’m the purist sipping a steaming hot cup, even in the dog days of summer.
Then, one particularly sweltering day in Chicago last month, I broke down and had an iced coffee at a local Caribou Coffee; a large with a vanilla soy topper and one packet of raw sugar, to be precise. I was stunned. This velvety smooth, deeply refreshing, richly satisfying beverage was nothing less than a revelation in caffeine delivery.
Not so long ago cold-brewed (or “Toddy“) coffee was strictly a B-list brewing method, save for a select set of the javaratti, who knew a cold-brewed concentrate is the ideal foundation for iced coffee.
Me, I’m still holding out for the Coffee Snob Cold Drip Coffee Maker. Naturally.


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Truck sales increased by more than 50% in Saudi Arabia in 2017
UD Trucks says 2017 was one of its best performing years in the Middle East, East Africa. Despite challenging conditions in some markets, the Japanese truck manufacturer has achieved significant sales growth across the entire region, with particularly strong results in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
UD Trucks’ expanded range now offers products across a wide range of medium and heavy-duty segments. In 2016 the heavy-duty Quester truck was launched in the region, followed in May 2017 by the medium-duty Croner truck. The introduction of these robust new products, as well as the addition of the new heavy-duty range for heavy construction Quester 40 Tonne /24’ tires with hub reduction and the 8X4 Rigid, now makes UD Trucks offering complete.
Complementing the new trucks sales, UD Genuine Parts sales have also increased its sales penetration. UD Trucks’ regional offices in Dubai includes a parts distribution centre which delivers over 12,000 different spare parts to UD Trucks partners across the region. Thanks to its strategic location in the UAE, UD Trucks importers enjoy short lead times, as well as lower transport and inventory costs to better serve the customers in the region.
In Saudi Arabia, sales increased by more than 50% percent in 2017 compared to the previous year, despite the total market decreasing. The biggest downturn in the market was seen in the heavy-duty sector which dropped by more than 30 percent, however, UD Trucks successfully penetrated the market with the new Quester truck securing a good market share in the heavy-duty segment. 2017 also saw the Jeddah municipality award UD Trucks a considerable portion of a major cleaning project through its business partner, Rolaco Equipement. Government tenders are very demanding as they require very durable and reliable trucks and UD Trucks is a well-established and reputable brand. UD Trucks will continue to focus on the waste management segment and provide its customers with the best support and experience.
Looking forwards to 2018, UD Trucks anticipates further growth in Saudi Arabia, as the new heavy construction range for the Quester will allow the truck firm to become an even stronger contender in the heavy-duty construction segment. In the medium-duty segment, UD Trucks now covers a wide range of applications thanks to the introduction of the new Croner range. With capabilities from 10.4 to 18 tonnes, this diverse and extensive product offering will further bolster an already strong presence in the Kingdom.
In Bahrain, the total truck market grew slightly aiding UD Trucks in beginning to reclaim its stronghold in the market with confidence. In 2017 sales doubled compared to 2016, thanks in part to the newly introduced Quester truck. In another positive move for the brand, Y.K.Almoayyed & Sons – UD Trucks’ retail partner in Bahrain – invested nine million dollars in new a 22,000 SpM, state-of-the-art workshop featuring 36 repair bays to service the growing truck population in the country. In 2018, the Japanese brand intends to see a further growth of more than 30% percent which will see them return as the market leader.
Conversely, market conditions in Oman, Qatar and the UAE have been challenging. Oman saw a drop in the total truck market of more than 15% percent, Qatar decreased by more than 30% percent, and the UAE declined by around 7 percent in 2017. Despite the tough climate in these markets UD Trucks sales grew year on year in Oman, and stable sales have retained the UAE.
Kuwait is also an important market for UD Trucks, the market is slowly growing and 2017 was a transition year for UD trucks as the brand’s new range of products were only available in the market for half year. UD Trucks retail partner in Kuwait, Boodai Trading, is heavily investing in new facilities to better serve its customers and keep up with the growing market demand for trucks and for the UD Brand. All in all, 2017 was a transition year for UD Trucks in Middle East and East Africa as it marked the launch of new products; however, the brand has enjoyed a double-digit growth putting its ambitions very high for the upcoming years.
The truck brand says it enters 2018 with robust optimism as the Quester for heavy construction, 40T 24’, with hub reduction Quester 8X4 Rigid and a wider range of medium-duty trucks are available in Oman and deals recently concluded with FEWA (Federal Electricity and Water Authority) and Sharjah Police by UD Trucks business partner in Dubai and Northern Emirates, United Diesel (part of Al Rostamani Group) will increase the brands visibility in the UAE. Meanwhile, in East Africa, the firm and has entered and established a strong presence in three brand-new markets; Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia.
Mourad Hedna, President of UD Trucks Middle East, East and North Africa said, “2017 has been a significant year for UD Trucks in the MEENA markets thanks to a combination of factors. Firstly, the close cooperation we have with our retail partners to sell our comprehensive range of products along with our strong focus on Japanese quality and the fully extensive services we offer have ensured that we’ve stayed a step ahead of our competitors. Looking towards the year ahead, our strategic focus for 2018 will be all about customer satisfaction; ensuring we retain our existing, loyal customers and attract even more new truck sales. We plan to work with our partners to improve the retail experience and aftermarket support as well as deliver more technical and driver training courses for our customers. Also, service agreements and telematics systems which are currently available in some markets will be rolled across the entire region.”


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Alibaba Group Holding revealed the members of its powerful 27-person partnership and board on Monday, while disclosing that the Chinese e-commerce giant’s growth has slowed from the red-hot pace of recent quarters. In an updated prospectus, Alibaba said the partnership includes founder Jack Ma, Executive Vice Chairman Joseph Tsai and Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Lu. The group has the exclusive right to nominate a majority of Alibaba’s nine-member board, effectively ensuring control of the company rests in the hands of insiders.
We believe that our partnership approach has helped us to better manage our business, with the peer nature of the partnership enabling senior managers to collaborate and override bureaucracy and hierarchy.
There are no fixed number of partners and it may vary as members come and go, said the firm. The initial filing indicates $1 billion will be raised in the public offering, but that amount is expected to be greatly boosted with later amendments. Analysts say the listing is expected to raise somewhere around $15 billion, which would make it the technology industry’s largest IPO since Facebook’s in 2012.
Unlike dual-class ownership structures that employ a high-vote class of shares to concentrate control in a few founders, our approach is designed to embody the vision of a large group of management partners. This structure is our solution for preserving the culture shaped by our founders while at the same time accounting for the fact that founders will inevitably retire from the company.


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For the first time in more than 130 years, Sainsbury’s supermarket will be delivering groceries by bike, offering customers a delivery slot within one hour of their purchase.
The scheme is to be trialled in south and west London initially, but could be rolled out across the capital if it is a success.
For £4.99, customers can get up to 20 items delivered by bicycle couriers by ordering through the supermarket’s Chop Chop app, making it ideal for forgotten items or emergency goods.
The Croydon branch of Sainsbury’s was the first to offer home delivery, back in 1882 with orders originally delivered by horse and cart before bikes and trikes were later phased in.
Jon Rudoe, Sainsbury’s director of digital and technology said: “This trial is part of our strategy to give our customers more options to shop with us whenever and wherever they want. Speed of delivery is important to some customers, so we have brought back our bicycle service to test demand further.”


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Steve Wozniak Remains Optimistic About Bitcoin. El Sol de México reports, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak called Bitcoin “the most amazing mathematical miracle” during the Jalisco Talent Land Digital 2021 event.
“Bitcoin is the most amazing mathematical miracle”
Read: Twitter And Square CEO Jack Dorsey Confirms Square Is Building a Bitcoin Hard Wallet
He believes that the Bitcoin is more precious than gold, because Gold is not scarce enough.
“We keep finding gold. One day, we will manufacture it in factories.”
Read: Bank of America Launch Their Crypto Research Team
While the 70-year-old tech entrepreneur does not personally invest in the Bitcoin, he is convinced that it has a place in the future.
“I don’t invest in Bitcoin, but I believe in it for the future.”
Wozniak has been a very loyal supporter of Bitcoin for many years. Back in June 2018, he said that he wants BTC to become the single world currency.
Read: A New Bill Submitted By Argentine Lawmaker Propose Bitcoin Salaries
In December, he launched his cryptocurrency company called Efforce. During a recent event, the computer engineering legend also stated that artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) could change people’s lives for the better.
In the summer of 2020, Steve Wozniak filed a lawsuit on YouTube for not taking the necessary steps to prevent fake bitcoin giveaways.
Read: John Mcafee Widow: I Do Not Accept The “Suicide Story” That Has Been Spread By The Main Stream Media
Almost a year after filing legal action against YouTube, Steve Wozniak lost the case. The California Supreme Court, Santa Clara County, said the video-sharing platform was protected by federal law.


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It's clear why the nation's largest wireless carrier needs to look elsewhere for growth: Its core mobile phone business has slowed way down.
Although it now reaches almost every country in the world, Netflix offers mostly English content. It plans to change that in upcoming months.
The company's share price more than doubled in the two weeks following the release of the augmented reality game -- but it dropped by 18 percent on Monday.
The company will report fiscal third-quarter financial results Tuesday. Based on sluggish demand for the iPhone, it probably won't be pretty.
Wireless carriers say they've got you covered with fast, reliable mobile service at this summer's big political events.
Those pesky cinema glasses may one day be a thing of the past for 3D film viewing.
iPhone users in this gamer-rich country can now play Bethesda's first game designed for mobile.
Consumers may be holding off on purchasing Apple's smartwatch in anticipation of the next version, according to research firm IDC.
The iPhone maker is a strong contender in the Chinese market, but has hit some road blocks in recent months.
LUKE (named after Luke Skywalker) is an advanced, modular prosthetic arm with over 10,000 hours of testing, and it'll finally be available later this year.


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Sharp Corp <6753.T> plans to start selling its Galapagos tablet computer in the United States in the second half of this year, and is ironing out deals with major media and content providers, the head of the company's U.S. unit said on Wednesday.
The firm also plans to launch a 70-inch television, Kozo Takahashi told reporters at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Sharp's tablet runs on a Linux operating system in Japan and comes in either 5.5 inch or 10.8 inch screen sizes, but these specifications and the product name may be changed for the U.S. market, executives said.
In televisions, Sharp is seeking ways to boost production at its state-of-the-art liquid-crystal display plant in Japan, which may fall below expectations after media reports that client Sony <6758.T> would boost panel orders from cheaper Asian rivals.
Our Sakai 10th generation plant is currently the only place in the world where 70-inch panels can be produced efficiently, Takahashi told a group of reporters, adding that sales of large TVs had performed better than smaller models in the United States in recent months.
The first 70-inch model will be launched in May in the United States, but the company is considering selling them in other markets, including China. Sharp is also considering 3D versions of the large-screen TVs.
Sharp aims to sell 15 million televisions in the year to March, up from 10 million the previous year. But its heavy domestic focus means the company will be hard hit by a slump in the Japanese TV market expected this year.
Domestic TV sales boomed in 2010, thanks to a government incentive scheme aimed at getting consumers to buy environmentally friendly appliances and the switch to digital terrestrial broadcasting planned for July 2011.
Total 2011 TV sales in Japan are expected to shrivel to about half the 23 million estimated for 2010.
(Reporting by Isabel Reynolds; Editing by Joseph Radford)


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One of the best things happened because of Quarantine lock-down that people have got plenty of good time to watch some good movies over streaming platforms.
As Hindustan times quoted, India’s internet consumption rose by 13% since the nationwide lockdown was put in place to check the spread of Covid-19, according to telecom ministry data that showed Indians consumed 308 petabytes (PB) or 308,000 terabytes (TB) of data daily on an average for the week beginning March 22.
Data from the department of telecommunications showed that between March 22 and March 28, Indians consumed an average of 307,963 TB or 307 petabytes (PB) of data.
In India, when two people meet, the first topic they discuss is about movies followed by celebrities, politics, sports etc. So, as usual daily search for good movies is a regular thing to the most of Indians. So, when Indians got much time in the name of “Lock Down”, the consumption of data towards OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon, Hotstar etc has reached multi fold viewer ships and services like Hotstar, Amazon Prime and Netflix have seen an 82.63% increase in time spent.
So, we observed that many of you guys have been searching for good movies all over internet, especially streaming OTT platforms, here we tried to present you the top 10 recent Telugu movies that you must watch on Amazon Prime Video. The list is made up on the basis of originality, viewership and the content quality.
Click on “Page Number” below to go to the next film


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A securities filing by American retail giant Walmart indicates it has almost doubled its stake in the Chinese e-retailer JD.com as part of its drive to penetrate the market in the Asian country.
Walmart revealed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday that it had increased its stake in JD to around 10.8 percent. This represents a significant increase on the stake it already controlled in the second-largest Chinese online retailer.
In June, the U.S. retailer had acquired about 5.9 percent stake in JD after selling its Chinese e-commerce marketplace, Yihaodian, to the company.
Sources familiar with the deal told the Wall Street Journal that it could confer observer status on Walmart at JD’s board meetings. The only strategic partner of the leading Asian retailer that maintains a seat on its board at the moment is Tencent Holdings Ltd, a very popular social networking company in China which owns the WeChat messaging platform.
Foreign retailers such as Walmart have not had it easy cracking into China, a country whose e-commerce market has grown to become the largest in the world with domestic companies like Alibaba and JD dominating. The U.S. retailer would hope the linkup with one of the largest online retailers in the highly populous Asian country can help with its long-term strategy there.
“This stepped-up investment in JD has been part of our plan, as we continue to be a passive investor,” Walmart spokesperson Jo Warner said in an email statement. “We believe this strategic alliance will help us grow e-commerce even faster in China.”
Online retail spending in China hit $589 billion in 2015, according to Cambridge, Massachusetts-based market research firm Forrester Research. That amount was significantly larger than the $334 billion recorded in the U.S.
JD is second only to Alibaba in the Chinese e-commerce space in terms of gross merchandise volume. The company’s stock price gained more than five percent in after-hours trading following news that Walmart had increased its stake in it. The price stood at more than $29.50 around 6:30 p.m. in New York on Wednesday. It has been on a rise since the Yihaodian online grocery marketplace was acquired by the Chinese retailer in June.
The stake obtained by Walmart in the earlier deal with JD was valued at around $1.5 billion. The value of its stake in the company has now risen above $7.8 billion, according to Forbes.
It was reported at the end of September that Walmart was in talks to invest in India’s largest e-commerce company, Flipkart Online Services Pvt. The largest American retailer was supposedly considering an investment of between $750 million and $1 billion in the ecommerce business which started in 2007.
However, no concrete deal has come out of the reported Flipkart talks so far.
The second half of this year has been a somewhat busy one for Walmart. It bought the online retail startup Jet.com for $3.3 billion in August.
Walmart shares have gained about 17 percent in 2016. Price dropped to $71.67 per share on Wednesday, but later added eight cents in after-hours trading, according to the WSJ.


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PH seeks improved access to South Korean market for tropical fruits
The Philippines has requested for an improved market access of Philippine tropical fruits and and other products to South Korea, following a meeting held on Saturday, Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said.
This was raised during the 14th Asean Economic Ministers – Republic of Korea (AEM-ROK) consultations which were held in Pasay City over the weekend.
Rodolfo said that Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez discussed with his counterpart ways to further pursue market interests in line with the Asean-Korea Free Trade Area (FTA).
“The Philippines, in particular, is requesting for improved market access for our exports of tropical fruits and other products of interest to Korea. Korea was receptive and will look into the Philippines’ request,” Rodolfo said.
Rodolfo, who also leads the Philippine team for the AEM meetings, said that the tropical fruits include bananas and pineapples.
This developed as merchandise exports to South Korea, as per data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), went on a decline last year. In 2016, the outbound shipment of goods fell 14 percent, reaching $2.09 billion from $2.43 billion in 2015.
However, data on the first half of 2017 would suggest that the export performance has recovered. Data showed that exports to South Korea grew 28.8 percent in the first six months of the year, reaching around $1.3 billion from a little over $1 billion during the same period in 2016.
In a related development, Rodolfo also said that possible responses to the growing nuclear ambitions of North Korea was not discussed during the consultation held between the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and AEM also over the weekend.
US President Donald Trump has been mulling his country’s options amidst the consistent threats from the rogue country. These options included cutting ties with trade partners of North Korea. According to Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (Kotra), the Philippines was the fifth top trade partner.
Instead, Rodolfo said the consultation with the US government agency discussed on further strengthening economic cooperation under the frameworks provided by the Asean-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) and the Expanded Economic Engagement Initiatives (E3), among others. /atm
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Bankrupt Charming Charlie Holdings Inc. plans to file its Plan of Reorganization within 10 days and exit bankruptcy proceedings in 95 days.Robert Adamek, senior vice president and chief financial officer, disclosed that timetable in a “declaration” filed with the bankruptcy court.The company filed its voluntary Chapter 11 petition for bankruptcy court protection Monday in Delaware. The company estimated assets at between $50 million to $100 million, and liabilities of between $100 million to $500 million. The three top unsecured creditors — all trade claims — were: Tycoon Int’l, New York, N.Y., $1,006,547; E.l.f. Cosmetics Inc., Chicago, Ill., $986,886, and Berkshire Fashions Inc., New York, N.Y., $974,541.According to Adamek’s court document, the company will pursue a debt-for-equity conversion, which also contemplates a new $35 million revolving credit facility and a new $50 million secured term loan. That would help deleverage the business by more than $100 million. The company would also consider a sale of its assets.Adamek also confirmed the closure of 100 stores. The plan is to keep about 276 go-forward stores, consisting of 132 lifestyle centers, 85 shopping malls, 53 power centers, 2 street stores and 4 outlets. Also on the agenda for closure is its Los Angeles office. The company also plans a reduction in head count at its Houston Corporate Support Center and Distribution Center. It employed about 5,665 employees — 1,065 full timers and 4,600 part timers — at the time it filed it petition.Founded in 2004 by Charles Chanaratsopon, the company over the years expanded to more than 390 locations across the U.S., Canada, the Middle East and the Philippines, with sales growing to over $400 million. Its primary footprint is centered in California, Florida and Texas. The business’ core consumer is a woman between ages 35 and 55. High-spending consumers on average shop three times a year at $89.43 per visit, and represent 38 percent of its customer base. Low spenders visit twice a year and spend between $30 and $71.64 per visit.Chanaratsopon and his family still own 70 percent of the interest in the company. Hancock Park Capital holds a 26.5 percent stake, while various individuals and investment firms own the remaining 3.5 percent. Chanaratsopon continues as a board member, but relinquished the chief executive officer role on Oct. 27. He was succeeded by Lana Krauter as interim ceo.While Adamek said adverse macro-trends hurt the business, he also acknowledged certain missteps that contributed to operational shortfalls, such as merchandising miscalculations. The court document also noted that merchandise is offered in as many as 26 different hues, although that approach also eventually caused the retailer to be saddled with excess merchandise in underperforming color offerings. The most popular category is jewelry, which historically has boosted company-wide margins above 60 percent. Also hurting the company was a failed attempt in 2014 to redefine the brand, which had included the elimination of key styles and product categories.The chief financial officer said that consolidated net revenue has declined over 22 percent and EBITDA has fallen over 75 percent “over the last several fiscal years.”Adamek also said the company “has been operating without sufficient liquidity throughout the fall of 2017.” Current cash balances are less than $1 million, and the retailer has only about $1.8 million of availability under its revolving credit facility, according to the court document.The company’s Back-to-Basics plan to restructure the business provides for the streamlining of its operational model, including working with vendors to shorten the period from product concept to in-store stocking.
“My personal philosophy to beauty is paying attention to oneself. I love to be outdoors, lots of fresh air, trying to take care of yourself as best you can. I always notice that comes through,” says Felicity Jones, the global face of @shiseido-owned @cledepeaubeauteus, which launches today. Head to WWD.com to read more about the actress’ love for beauty and how she prepared for her new role in “The Basis of Sex,” playing the young Ruth Bader Ginsburg. #wwdbeauty (📷: @dandoperalski)
For men’s fall 2018, @giuseppezanotti drew on elements from streetwear, sport, biker, combat and rock ‘n’ roll. Pictured here are a pair of shoes from the collection, featuring zippers, rhinestones, and silver hardware. Head to WWD.com to see a roundup of the accessories from Milan’s men’s fall 2018 shows. #wwdfashion (📷: Andrea Delb)
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of @ralphlauren’s snowboarding collection, the brand is mining its archives. The iconic brand is reintroducing vintage styles and dropping new designs for a color capsule that will be available in Ralph Lauren stores and @openingceremony on January 25. The capsule will consist of 10 pieces, including the Snow Beach Pullover, pictured here, which is a collector’s item that rapper Raekwon wore in Wu-Tang Clan’s “Can It Be All So Simple” video. #wwdfashion (📷: Tom Gould)
For @rochasofficial’s pre-fall 2018 collection, creative director Alessandro Dell’Acqua channeled the sophisticated and intriguing Catherine Denevue in the film “Belle de Jour.” Polished collarless coats, midi skirts, suits and ’60s graphic motifs were all featured in the collection, adding a sense of discreet luxury. See the rest of the photos on WWD.com #wwdfashion
“We tried to produce clothing of that couture quality, but the most daunting part was that we only had a matter of days [to do it],” said costume designer Lou Eyrich, who recreated Gianni Versace’s iconic looks for @americancrimestoryfx. Eyrich searched online retailers and vintage shops for original pieces from the design house and for @penelopecruzoficial, who plays Donatella Versace. Head to WWD.com to read how she created the Versace world. #wwdfashion
Only three months after her stellar debut catwalk season, @kaiagerber has inked her first big design collaboration –– with @karllagerfeld. The collection blends Lagerfeld’s Parisian chic aesthetic and the model’s signature West Coast casual style via RTW, accessories, footwear and more. The #KarlLagerfeldxKaia collection will launch in September with a series of events. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews #wwdfashion
Harrods plans to remove the famous statue of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed from the bottom of the Egyptian escalators and hand it back to Mohamed Al-Fayed. “We are very proud to have played our role in celebrating the lives of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed at Harrods and to have welcomed people from around the world to visit the memorial for the past 20 years,” said Michael Ward, Harrods managing director. “With the announcement of the new official memorial statue to Diana, Princess of Wales at Kensington Palace, we feel that the time is right to return this memorial to Mr. Al Fayed and for the public to be invited to pay their respects at the palace.” More on the news, with reporting by @loreleimarfil, at WWD.com. #wwdnews


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Zuckerberg knew, circa Facebook’s IPO, that his company was not good at mobile: it didn’t have the problem solved. And he knew that asking his existing corps of engineers to turn their attention to mobile would probably not work. But the good news was that he was now running a public company, with lots of cash, and a highly-valued acquisition currency in the form of Facebook stock. …
Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 not because the product was particularly great, but because the product was insanely popular. The same when he offered $3 billion for Snapchat. Sometimes, lightning strikes. And while Facebook is happy writing its own mobile apps in the hope that lightning will strike them, it knows better than to count on such a thing happening. If you want to be certain that hundreds of millions of people are using your mobile products, the only way to do that is to buy mobile products which hundreds of millions of people are using.
Peter Yared sees another rationale for Facebook buying WhatsApp. Tapping into people’s mobile contacts:
Facebook had already acquired the ability to have a unilateral, aspirational follow capability akin to Twitter with its Instagram acquisition. WhatsApp offers a social network of 450 million users that are intimately connected with each other by phone numbers. With this acquisition, Facebook now controls the intersection of all three kinds of social graphs: casual acquaintances, aspirational following, and intimate relationships. And that’s worth quite a premium.
Meanwhile, Timothy Lee worries that the culture of acquisition might stifle creativity:
It’s always hard to prove what might have been. But it’s helpful to imagine what the world would be like if Google had been acquired by Yahoo in 2002. Suppose that Yahoo had pledged to allow Google to operate independently from its parent company, continuing to build the world’s greatest search engine. There’s every reason to think that in this parallel universe, Google would dominate the search business as much as it does in our own.
But it’s hard to imagine Google’s founders being able to pursue the wide range of new products that the Mountain View giant has pursued over the last decade. Yahoo already had a mail client in 2004, so Yahoo probably would have vetoed the creation of Gmail. Similarly, Yahoo management would have been reluctant for Google to release Google Maps to compete with Yahoo Maps.


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One of Lexington's most famous names in shoes is heading to a new location.
John Sensenig's family of stores will soon close its John's at Lexington Green location, which has come to the end of its five-year lease, and move to a building it has purchased near its home base in Chevy Chase.
"It's a real opportunity to not have a landlord, which is always really nice," Sensenig said, laughing.
The Lexington Green store hadn't worked as well for the company as he had hoped, too, he said.
The property he acquired was home to his John's New Classic Shoes store, which he leased. The same South Ashland Avenue property also was home to restaurants, most recently Harvest Restaurant, he said. The two spaces were connected by a doorway that had been drywalled over.
After his landlord died a year ago, he purchased the building and its two spaces and is now in the process of renovating to allow the two sides to connect. That way, he said, people can shop in both John's New Classic Shoes and what name, if any, is given to the inventory that is brought over from the former Lexington Green location.
The purchase of the building will provide the family of stores, which also includes The Original John's Run/Walk Shop across the street, with more parking, he noted.
The Lexington Green location, which was near the entrance to Joseph-Beth Booksellers, was around twice the size, "so we'll have to cut down somewhat on inventory," he said.
The store will remain open through at least the end of February and maybe into March, and inventory will be marked down.
There are no plans to close the John's New Shoes Plus in Woodhill off New Circle Road, Sensenig said. The lease on that location isn't up for another couple of years, he said.


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Confidence in the Eurozone economy has jumped to its highest level since before the debt crisis six years ago ravaged the bloc’s businesses.
The European Commission’s economic sentiment indicator rose above economists’ expectations to 108.2, a reading not seen since March 2011.
Industry confidence increased markedly, as production expectations grew more optimistic. However, confidence in the retail trade has fallen significantly, weighing on companies’ evaluation of business conditions which remained overall unchanged.
Read more: European industry fears being left behind
France was the only country in which confidence in the economy decreased, highlighting the vulnerability of morale to political shocks. France is preparing for the first round of voting in its general election in April, which will see a strong challenge from the far-right Front National.
Howard Archer, chief UK and Europe economist at IHS Markit, said: “January’s further improvement in Eurozone business and consumer confidence is encouraging and bodes well for growth at the start of 2017 – but a significant concern remains that business and consumer confidence in the Eurozone could be increasingly pressurized over the coming months by political uncertainties”
Despite taking a knock after the UK’s referendum to leave the EU threatened to cause widespread economic chaos, confidence has increased steadily over the second half of the year.
The indicator hit all-time lows of 67.9 during the global financial crisis. While it has not approached those lows since then, the Eurozone debt crisis nevertheless caused a significant hit to confidence across the region.
Claus Vistesen, chief Eurozone economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said: “Another month, another solid EC sentiment report. Consumer sentiment edged higher, in line with the advance report last week. Elsewhere, the headline industrial and services confidence sentiment indices also moved higher.”


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Racist adverts promoting hatred against Muslims are currently being run on buses in San Francisco - but someone has started covering them up with anti-hatred messages from Marvel's première Muslim superhero, [Kamala Khan].
All In The Family: Inside DC’s Ultimate Superhero Crossover
[ew_brightcove pushTop autoPlay] The arrival of the Dominators is nigh! Newly released loglines for the crossover between The Flash, Arrow, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow reveal what's on tap for the epic team-up. Here's what's in store for Supergirl:


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An article on results of the Tour de France mentioned Bernhard Kohl's account of how he used bags of his own blood, collected in advance, to enhance his cycling during specially demanding legs of the 2008 race. "You have to wait a couple of days for the effect to kick in," he said (All this Tour lacks is a major drugs scandal, 25 July, page 8, Sport). But the article was wrong in suggesting a parallel between this, and Floyd Landis's miraculous spurt into Morzine in the 2006 Tour. Landis was accused of using testosterone, which does not enhance the oxygen level of blood.
A photo caption referred to cyclist Thor Hushovd as "the Swiss". He is, as the accompanying story said, Norwegian (Cavendish makes up with Hushovd after breaking record, 25 July, page 8, Sport).
In a report about iPhone applications we quoted Steve Jobs, the founder and CEO of Apple, saying "iPhone is off to a great start – we hope to sell our one-millionth iPhone by the end of its first full quarter of sales – and our new product pipeline is very strong." That statement was not made earlier this month, as we said: it came from an Apple press release dated 25 July 2007. On 21 July Apple said it sold over 5.2m iPhones in the third quarter of 2009 (An app for everything, 29 July, page 4, G2).
The Chinese military budget of 480.6bn yuan for 2009 is approximately £43bn, not £43m as a faulty conversion made it in our report, China's army launches cupcakes offensive, 29 July, page 16.


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Menards, the giant home improvement chain, is set to purchase one of the largest home automation companies in the U.S. as part of a $1.6 billion deal.
The deal is expected to close this month and includes Menards’ Homejoy platform, which will include more than 80,000 smart home devices and apps, the company said in a statement.
Menards also plans to launch its own home automation system.
“The Homejoy team has worked hard over the last several years to help customers with their automation needs, including helping with the development of the first Homejoy HomeWatch app and helping customers with the launch of the new HomeKit app, which is designed to enable connected devices to be connected and control their home,” Menards CEO David A. DeBerg said in the statement.
“We look forward to building a relationship with Amazon and bringing this unique product to the marketplace.”
The announcement follows a string of recent acquisitions by Amazon that have included home automation, video game consoles, a robotics division and video game hardware.
The company also recently added the home security and security systems division to its team.


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The US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is looking into new environmentally friendly alternatives with 3D printing from recycled plastic waste. ARL research chemist Dr. Nikki Zander believes that the new method could enhance the safety of the troop and lower supply chain dependence. Additionally, it could strengthen the operational readiness of soldiers.
The new initiative to fabricate 3D items from recycled materials is being explored along with the US Marine Corps, reports Thomas Brading of Army.mil. The ARL notes that all plastics have different industrial strengths and this property makes some plastics too weak to fabricate.
In order to form a stronger composite material, those plastics will have to be strengthened with other materials. Solid-state shear pulverization procedure helps in producing more durable filaments for 3D printed parts. This process involves the milling of materials into a twin-screw extruder. The powder formed in the extruder is melted down into a 3D printing filament.
Containers used for the process are equipped with tools facilitating the fabrication of 3D items from recycled materials.
“We have the (20ft) container at Marine Corps Base Quantico. We’ve got all the extrusion equipment installed. We’re hoping by the end of this calendar year we’ll be able to do a demonstration of the capabilities there” says Zander.
Currently, plans to make the process more automated and user-friendly are underway. Active scanning of parts to build an imagery database for soldiers to pull from to quickly print parts is also in progress.
Zander added: “Three companies are working on making the next generation mobile lab. We hope within three years we’ll have a prototype from one of those companies, and it will be more robust have more automation capabilities.
“We’re trying to reduce supply chain dependence by using available materials. We’re interested in looking at plastic packaging materials we could repurpose to use as a feedstock for additive manufacturing.”
Plastic waste like empty water bottles, milk jugs, and yogurt containers can be used for this up-cycling process. This method helps in environmental sustainment as well as being highly cost-effective.
Replacement of small parts such as vehicle radio brackets requires less than ten plastic bottles and two hours for fabrication. This also makes soldiers self-reliant in any deserted area.
“This supports sustainment and the next-generation combat vehicle. That is because there is a lot of plastic parts that need to be replaced and when you’re in a remote area, and it’s very difficult to get those shipments in. If we’re able to take the waste out of the area, and the burning out of the air and turn it into something useful, that’s win-win.”


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Sunday, 2 December 2018
A few weeks ago, Victoria’s Secret announced new lingerie megastore opening, this time – in Rome, Italy. The news came in as a bit of surprise – in the wake of last summer’s losses in revenue and 55% drop in shares since the beginning of the year, it would seem that L Brands, owner of Victoria’s Secret and Pink, would be too busy implementing changes in business to be stretching the problem to new markets overseas. But can a turnaround happen for lingerie juggernaut? On the day of Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show airing, let’s see if all that glitters is gold.
Victoria’s Secret dropped to their lowest revenues in six years back in summer of 2017 and hasn’t recovered since then. Even though the decline was partially predetermined by shutting down the brand’s swimwear and clothing line in 2016, there are multiple complex reasons behind the slow downfall of America’s number one lingerie brand, that can be summed up by this sarcastic comment from The Business Of Fashion: “It seems no one wants to know Victoria’s Secret anymore”.
Of course, the downsize of interest in the iconic brand is first of all connected to changes in quality of garments, an obvious result of attempting to increase the margin at the expense of fabric and production quality. As a result, many loyal customers are turned off by basic inability to find the same quality they have paid for so long. At the same time, cost cuts seem to be introduced in store management and warehousing as well, as many customers point out that the shops where customers are charged $50 for a bra look unkept and many items are often out of stock. But the cornerstone of this negative trend? Multidimensional loss of relevancy in the ever-growing – and ever-changing – lingerie market.
What springs to your mind whenever you hear the name of the brand? Probably the annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show opening the holiday season, with beautiful, sexy models, so ethereal in the length of their legs, the shine of their hair and the dazzle of their smiles that they are deservingly called Angels, and even gracefully carry heavy 20 kg wings to justify the name. The show costs approximately $12 million dollars to produce and, according to VS, actually pays itself off five times, mostly through selling broadcasting rights, ad spots and sponsorship packages. For comparison, an average top brand show during New York Fashion Week can cost as ‘little’ as $ 200 000 to produce.
Yes, sex sells – and always will, but how you market it and who you market it to is paramount. It seems as if Victoria’s Secret lives in their own world, which is very glamorous and perfect – in fact, a little too perfect, in a disturbing way. The brand’s media presence is largely negative – Victoria’s Secret is often under fire for outrageously unnatural Photoshop editing, regular tone-deafness (the latest being Victoria’s Secret CMO Ed Razek’s comment on not featuring transgender models on the show – despite requests from consumers – due to the ‘fantasy’ ambience of it, which, apparently, contradicts gender variety), and promoting Angel-packed online content heavily focused on dieting and exhausting workouts – not even on the less controversial territory of make-up and skincare. Not long ago two British YouTube bloggers dived into model Adriana Lima’s pre-fashion show diet of protein shakes that involved water deprivation for 12 hours (in Lima’s case, right before the show), and dubbed the four-day experience as something they ‘wouldn’t wish on their worst enemies’. No wonder so many women are upset – when Adriana Lima, a woman that is otherworldly beautiful on both unretouched polaroids and boxing class selfies has to go through such hardships in order to go from top model to Angel – it’s something that not only does not inspire body positivity, but actually promotes a very unhealthy eating pattern – through the company’s own brand ambassador. But perfection has no limit, right?
Wrong, Victoria’s Secret weakening market share suggests. Main competitor, American Eagle’s Aerie brand, has being outperforming their bigger rival for 16 quarters in a row: Aerie is gaining more authority with younger customers through betting on comfortable bralettes as opposed to heavily stuffed push-up bras that are at the heart of Victoria’s Secret bra line. Adore Me, just a lingerie start-up a few years ago and number nine underwear brand in USA today is stealing Victoria’s Secret’s market share through emphasis on e-commerce, caring customer service, and, most importantly, – a wider size range represented by models of different age, shape and ethnicity. Adore Me is said to sell more every time they feature a curvy brunette model, which is apparently the real mean of actual American beauty.
You may have heard it before and may very well be tired of hearing it, but we live in a post #MeToo world. Today’s narrative when speaking about (and to) women is drastically different from how it was just three years ago. And while women are extensively learning to support each other, longed-legged, skinny-yet-curvy supermodels, no matter how girl-next-door-ish Victoria’s Secret is trying to cast them, are very far from what a majority of women look like. Both millennials and Gen-Zs are extremely woke when it comes to which company values they prefer to support and how they want their wear to represent them, and hypersexualization that always comes with Victoria’s Secret is perceived as something that sets women back in their fight against patriarchic institutions.
Of course, all hope is not lost. Victoria’s Secret is still number one underwear brand in the U.S. and a 7 billion dollar business. It still comprises more than half of L Brands revenues. It still controls over 60% of U.S. lingerie market. It still holds a lot of allure for not only American teenage girls but also for women in developing countries. Noticeably, one of the company’s biggest markets is Saudi Arabia, a country that probably possesses unfortunate leadership in their traditionalist view of womanhood.
But, sadly, it seems like there is not too much that Victoria’s Secret can do to go through their image change safely, except for getting rid of yet another CEO (Jan Singer stepped down mid-November after only two years in position). Sexiness is encoded in the brand’s DNA as key association – remember when Playboy failed to popularise softer aesthetics in their online magazine version? But can the two cases really be compared? Male audience that buys into sex-intensive imagery might be in the process of slow change towards less explicity as well, but this mental change is not driven by men. In the case of Victoria’s Secret, the end consumer is still the woman. And if Playboy still dared to feature a transgender model on their cover last year, Victoria’s Secret can safely go beyond just letting Maria Borges, a model of African descent, grace the runway with her real hair instead of a wig.
So, in the light of continuous lingerie megastore openings (noticeably outside the U.S.), what could Victoria’s Secret be hoping for in Italy when even the Chinese, stereotyped as reckless hype-loving consumers, almost wiped Dolce & Gabbana off their map in one day after one unethical ad and ‘hacked’ Instagram comments? And what does Victoria’s Secret aspiration to succeed in Rome tell us about Italian consumers? Are they still far away on their way to be wanting a better-represented society or are they just really keen on American lifestyle brands? Looking at the lines to the very first Starbucks in Milan that just opened this September, let’s hope it’s the latter.
By Naira Khananushyan


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Sale Of CBD Flower And Leaf Up To 0.3% THC Legal, French High Court Decides
Having no psychotropic effect and not causing addiction, CBD flowers and leaves cannot be considered a narcotic, the French high court rules, delivering its final verdict on last year's ban by the country's Ministry of Solidarity and Health.
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France's Ministry of Solidarity and Health published a decree allowing the commercial sale of cannabis sativa extracts with a maximum THC content up to 0.3%, but banning the sale of raw cannabis flowers and leaves to consumers in all their forms, thus elimating a booming CBD market for tea, for example. The ban, however, has been halted by France's highest administrative court on the basis that it is disproportionate. While the Conseil d’Etat makes its final decision, French bricks-and-mortar and online CBD retailers can continue selling low-THC cannabis flowers and leaves.
The European Court of Justice rules that CBD cannot be regarded as a narcotic as it is non-psychoactive and suggests that a French ban on the cannabinoid is contrary to EU law on the free movement of goods. Legal experts and industry hope the judgment will pave the way for a regulated European CBD market.
An overwhelming majority of consumers surveyed by IT consultancy Capgemini are concerned they will not be able to obtain the OTC health products they require or want. In the event of shortages – which are currently affecting consumers across Europe – many respondents said they would substitute with another brand, or in some cases not purchase at all.


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The value of the Naira has continued to fall and has now hit N700 to $1 in the parallel market as the demand for the foreign currency persists.
As of last week, Naira was valued at N630 to $1 and has maintained a value of N620 to $1 before the further devaluation.
Abudul Hassan, who is a Lagos-based Bureaux De Change (BDC) operator said the devaluation of the naira to the dollar is a result of the demand for the dollar in the parallel market, so therefore the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) finds it difficult to meet the demand at the official market.
“Everybody is moving to the parallel market and we have seen rising pressure there. With little control from the regulator, people are quoting sale price at N710/$1 but actual transactions are settled around N700/$1. We expect the naira to continue its fall in the next few weeks as dollar liquidity in the system continues to nosedive,” he said.
Although actual transactions have maintained N700 per one dollar, news sources say black market dealers sell and buy around N700 to N710 per dollar.
See Also: Naira slides ahead of Yuletide, exchange for 570/dollar
Managing Director of Cowry Asset Management Limited, Johnson Chukwu, says Nigeria has to revolutionize its Economy to export valuable goods to earn more dollars.
He says the country has to prioritise manufacturing and exportation of goods so it can revive the Naira.
Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismarck Rewane, says “Nigerian consumers, businesses, and individuals alike are facing challenges and headwinds and are reeling in an atmosphere of hopelessness. This is because of a myriad of factors.”
“Notably, the precipitous fall of the naira in the forex market, the power supply shortage (national grid – 3,500MW), and now the almost unaffordable price of diesel (N850/liter). Despite the hike in interest rates, we are witnessing what some analysts fear may become a bout of runaway inflation. Inflation is not just domestic but global.”
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced its strategy to revive its currency by raising $200 billion in earnings from non-oil yields within 3 to 5 years by convincing exporters to repatriate and then trade dollars into the local market as part of a rebate scheme.
The strategy of CBN is to revive the local currency against the dollar and its foreign counterpart.
Source: The Nation


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Gardaí have issued a warning to businesses over an email scam involving false purchase orders.
Companies are being targeted by criminals who attempt to get equipment from suppliers by submitting a fraudulent purchase request.
Medical and IT companies in particular are being targeted.
Sgt Tony Davis is advising firms to make sure buyers are legitimate.
"Anybody getting an order like that [should] ring the original company personally, talk to somebody in the know in the company just to verify that the order is legitimate and that [the] delivery address is legitimate," he said.
"I'd hate to see any company caught, particularly any small company, because some of the companies that were targeted, if they did deliver the stuff then they would have been out of business."


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The 16% decrease in physical Home Entertainment is partially countered by the rush to digital, which helps mitigate the overall trend into a decline of 6,7%.
Where we hoped to make up for two bad Stationery quarters with the back-to-school period, it didn’t achieve its goal.
All months of the 3rd quarter of 2016 show double digit value growths, in September we even saw more than 30% growth!
The market of major domestic appliances in Belgium continues to surprise in a positive way with growth in all product families.
The 3th quarter of 2016 showed a nice growth for Small Domestic Appliances compared to the same quarter last year. Almost every product group showed positive results, only few declined.
During the third quarter of 2016 the IT and Office Equipment market decreased in value by -12%, the biggest decline in years for a total value of close to €460m.
After a successful 2nd quarter, thanks to the European Championships Football 2016 in France, the Consumer Electronics business struggles in Q3/2016: a value decrease of more than 10% compared to the 3rd quarter of 2015!
We noticed a significant decline in non-food sales during the third quarter of 2016: an overall decline in sales value of -3.1% in the third quarter, compared to the same period last year. The comparison is based on the sum of all non-food markets measured by GfK POS Measurement.
Welcome to our Retail Reports of the third quarter of 2016! Are you looking for the latest trends in the non-food market?
The average person unlocks their phone more than 30 times a day, a figure that is rising all the time
GfK TEMAX® results for Germany for Q3 2016
As we now enter the month of November we are getting ever closer to the most important day in the retail calendar Black Friday, or are we?
Over the past three years this single day has represented the most important day in the retail calendar. However we are already seeing through early communication from retailers that the focus may not be just on this single day.