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Name shift and logo: More excitement is added to Galaxy Watches release.
, by raj, 2 min reading time
The Samsung Gear S3 did impress a lot of customers around the globe and since the launch in 2016, the world has been waiting for the updated version of the timepiece from the Korean tech giants. As we all expected the new device to be Gear S4, Samsung has turned the cards by submitting a patent on a new name for the smartwatch, Samsung Galaxy Watch is the name it is going to get.Galaxy Club, the Dutch website was among the few who spotted the patent application which has nearly got its confirmation. A new addition to the range of Galaxy products from Samsung is certainly a smarter move. To add to the speculation, Tizen OS might just be replaced by Wear OS on the Galaxy Watch along with an upgrade in terms of processor, memory, battery and even inclusion of LTE.It won't be a surprise to see some improvement in the fitness features as well. Rumours suggest the new smartwatch will monitor blood pressure directly from the wrist 24/7. No names in the market have yet managed to crack this deal, so it will be highly exciting if Samsung can manage that in their new smartwatch.Speculated dates of release points towards the Samsung's Unpacked event on August 9th and the IFA in Germany during the first week of September.
The oomph factor: Marc Jacobs Riley is here
All for the Pride: Apple will release Pride Edition.
Motiv Ring along with Alexa will assist to find your lost phone


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CoinSwitch, an India-based crypto platform, recently laid off 44 of its customer support staff. This is the first round of layoffs for the company. However, it comes a week after CoinDCX let go of 12% of its staff.
The downsizing was described as a “right-sizing” measure to align with the current level of requirements.
CoinSwitch Crypto Platform Layoffs Unrelated to Industry Trend
A representative from CoinSwitch elaborated on the layoffs, stating,
“We continuously evaluate our business to stay competitive, prioritizing innovation, value, and service for our customers. To that end, we right-sized our customer support team to align with the present volume of customer queries on our platform.”
CoinSwitch let go of 44 members of our customer support team. As per the statement, the employees ‘voluntarily resigned’ after a company discussion. The spokesperson added,
“Over the last year, many support team members have been absorbed into other functions based on the suitability of their skills for the other roles. We are extending all our support to the impacted employees.”
While the layoffs are not directly related to the slowdown in the crypto market, the company expects to absorb the laid-off employees once the volumes recover.
Financial news outlet Moneycontrol, which initially broke the news, also reported layoffs within the operations team. CoinSwitch clarified that its Virtual Digital Assets Business does not have a standalone operations team.
Read more: A Guide to The Most In-Demand Jobs Among Candidates in Web3
According to details obtained by BeInCrypto, severance packages and additional benefits will vary. CoinSwitch is offering up to four months of pay based on the employment tenure.
Meanwhile, customer queries have significantly dwindled since their peak, which partially prompted the downsizing. CoinSwitch is also reportedly facilitating job placements for the affected employees through its network.
The company onboarded over 60 people since April.
Regulatory Uncertainty Amid Crypto Slowdown
CoinSwitch reportedly aims to diversify its product offerings moving forward. Ashish Singhal, Co-founder and CEO of CoinSwitch, revealed that to Moneycontrol last month.
The company is reportedly in discussions with regulators on plans to introduce a variety of financial products by year-end. These include fixed deposits, mutual funds, bonds, stocks, and exchange-traded funds as it looks to evolve into a wealth tech platform.
Notably, the layoff announcement follows closely on the heels of a similar move by CoinDCX. The Indian competitor let go of 71 employees, constituting 12% of its workforce.
These staffing changes are occurring against a backdrop of regulatory uncertainty in India’s cryptocurrency market.
India introduced a 30% tax on income from virtual digital assets and a 1% Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) on crypto transactions over a cap, impacting trading volumes. The report notes that taxation changes resulted in an overwhelming 85-90% drop in trading volumes.
Yesterday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for harmonized global regulations on cryptocurrency, likening the need to existing international standards in aviation. His statement came ahead of the upcoming G20 Summit slated for September 9-10 in Delhi, India.
The post CoinSwitch Trims Crypto Customer Support Staff Days After CoinDCX Downsize appeared first on BeInCrypto.

domain: news


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So, how's Sports Direct doing now it's bought a chunk of GAME?
May need a transfer.
A week ago, controversial retailer Sports Direct announced it had snapped up a quarter of GAME.
Today, Sports Direct published its latest financial results. It wasn't good news.
Sports Direct profits fell by almost 60 per cent over the past year from £275m to £113m, BBC News reported.
The past 12 months have seen Sports Direct rocked by scandal. The chain hit the headlines last summer when billionaire boss Mike Ashley was forced to admit he was paying some employees below minimum wage.
Around the same time, Ashley appeared in court to fight a £14m lawsuit over an alleged business deal done in the pub. In November last year, six MPs claimed they were "bugged" while inspecting a Sports Direct warehouse.
Sports Direct has blamed the weak pound for its financial trouble. Many of the chain's products are imported from abroad, so a weaker British currency means slimmer profits, Ashley reasoned.
"[We will] conservatively manage the currency volatility that is reflected in our full year results," he said.
The recent purchase of 26 per cent of GAME and lingerie firm Agent Provocateur has also hit the company's bottom line, Ashley continued.
"That's something to bear in mind when we're looking at these figures," he concluded, "and also what that does is it puts Sports Direct in a better position to make a strategic move in, for example, the department store area or in the US."


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There have been a lot of discussions about the benefits of using AI in business. However, a surprisingly small number of businesses are actually leveraging it. A report from the Census Bureau found that only 3.8% of businesses are using AI to produce goods and services.
This is a pretty small figure, considering that there has been so much publicity for AI platforms such as ChatGPT. A growing number of companies are starting to appreciate the benefits of artificial intelligence, but they still are not using it for various reasons.
One of the reasons companies have not invested enough in AI is that they are not fully aware of its benefits. Keep reading to learn some of the ways that AI technology can help your business.
Are you looking for innovative ways to take your small business to the next level of success? As technology continues to evolve at an ever-accelerating pace, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a powerful ally in this endeavor. AI can provide invaluable insight and assistance in areas from customer service inquiries to product development for companies like Provider’s Choice Scribe Services, allowing your business the opportunity to operate more efficiently and successfully. In this post, we’ll look at 3 practical ways that AI is helping small businesses succeed today!
Automation of Processes
Automation of processes has become an essential tool for businesses that look to streamline workflows and reduce costs. With the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), automating daily processes, such as data entry, email sorting and filing, and report generation, has become more accessible. AI technology can analyze large volumes of data and patterns to make predictions, optimize productivity, and suggest solutions that save time and money. By relying on AI to handle these tedious tasks, businesses can free up their teams’ time to focus on more critical and strategic initiatives. This significantly impacts their operations, leading to improved efficiency, productivity, and profitability.
Harvard Business Review recently published another fascinating article on the benefits of AI in business. The authors pointed out that AI is helping businesses test the limits of corporate governance.
The possibilities of AI are endless, and the potential benefits are immeasurable.
In today’s digital age, businesses can access vast customer data. Extracting valuable insights from this data can help improve decision-making and drive business growth. This is where artificial intelligence (AI) comes in. AI algorithms can help analyze large sets of customer data to reveal patterns and trends that are difficult to identify manually. By leveraging AI, businesses can discover valuable insights to help make strategic decisions, such as improving customer experience, identifying new target markets, and optimizing marketing campaigns.
In today’s fast-paced business environment, performance optimization is crucial for any organization wanting to stay ahead of its competition. With artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics, companies can take their performance optimization efforts to the next level. By analyzing historical data and predicting future outcomes, AI can provide valuable insights and recommendations for improving productivity, reducing costs, and increasing revenue. AI can even anticipate potential problems before they occur, allowing proactive measures to be taken rather than reactive ones. By embracing AI and the power of predictive analytics, companies can unlock untapped potential, improve their bottom line, and gain a competitive advantage in their respective industries.
AI Can Be a Powerful Tool for Your Business
Smart business owners are investing in new technology as they strive to optimize their operating models and boost efficiency. AI has been incredibly valuable. You should use AI to help your business improve scalability and profitability in the months and years to come.


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"Now, if your computer is infected, you will be asked to run a scan ... and clean it before accessing Facebook," said Facebook project manager Jake Brill in a blog post. "We're not aware of another free Internet service that takes this much responsibility for helping people keep their accounts secure."
After the six month period, Facebook users who chose to renew the subscription will have to pay a fee. A McAfee spokesperson said the fee had not yet been determined and that it will probably be less than the annual subscription price charged to retail buyers of its security software.
McAfee's software requires a PC. A Facebook spokesperson was not immediately able to provide data about the number of subscribers who use Mac OS X or Linux.
According to NetApplications, about 5% of Internet users are running Mac OS X and about 1% are running Linux. That suggests about 21 million Facebook users aren't helped by this partnership, though their computers may face less risk from malware.
Facebook and other social networking sites have become targets for cybercriminals because of their popularity, the potential value of friend data to fuel social engineering attacks, and the tendency of users to trust messages that appear to come from friends.
In 2009, Facebook had repeated problems with the Koobface worm.
Even if no other free Internet service takes as much responsibility to keep user accounts secure, as the company claims, Facebook may need to do still more.
On Wednesday, security researcher Ronen Zilberman published information about what he claims is a new type of vulnerability present in several major social networks, including Facebook.
The vulnerability, which he calls Cross Site Identification, appears to be similar to Cross Site Request Forgery. Using this technique, an attacker who manages to lure a victim to a Web page with embedded malicious content can steal Facebook data if the victim is logged in to Facebook in a different Web browser tab.


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Materia Medica Holding has been present in the pharmaceutical market since 1992.
We have created a new class of medications based on a unique technology.See more
Russia’s top 10 pharmaceutical companies
Our medications are known in 18 countries worldwide
Our Company’s portfolio includes over 30 medications
Our workforce exceeds 1,400 employees
International quality certificate
Award of the Government of the Russian Federation. See more
Green Cross Pharmaceutical Award. See more
Platinum Ounce Award. See more
Product of the Year Award.
Our team were bestowed the Award of the Government of the Russian Federation in science and technology for the creation, manufacturing and introduction into medical practice of new highly effective medications based on ultralow doses of antibodies to endogenous regulators.
The Company’s team of employees were bestowed the Award of the Government of the Russian Federation in science and technology for the development and introduction into medical practice of a new selective anxiolytic based on antibodies to S100 protein.
2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
The medications manufactured by Materia Medica Holding have won Green Cross, a professional pharmacy award, on multiple occasions. The best of the best in the domestic pharmaceutical market are selected by a panel of over 1,200 judges who serve on the award’s Expert Council; those are leaders and senior executives of pharmacy chains, distributors, pharmaceutical and analytical companies, educational institutions, professional associations and media outlets.
Materia Medica Holding took a prize of Platinum Ounce, the 18th Russian nationwide open competition of pharmaceutical professionals, in the category “Development of innovative medicines and their introduction into medical practice.”
The medications manufactured by Materia Medica Holding have won the prestigious Product of the Year Award more than once. Consumer sympathy is the main criterion for selecting the winners of that prize. Throughout the year, leading research agencies compare sales in various market segments. The firms taking the lead are acclaimed as winners and receive the Product of the Year badge of honor—a five-pointed star-shaped statuette.
The SIRIUS-2021 space experiment completed in Moscow, with Materia Medica Holding acting as a partner
Raphamin acclaimed as best at Smartpharma Awards 2022
Rengalin and Ergoferon praised as Products of the Year
Innovative antiviral medication Raphamin gets registered in Russia
Cough medicine Rengalin recognized Brand of the Year No. 1 in Russia


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Volkswagen oo Update Judge on Last Cars in Emissions Scandal
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal judge on Friday planned to hear whether Volkswagen, U.S. regulators and attorneys for vehicle owners had reached a deal for the remaining 80,000 cars caught up in the company’s emissions cheating scandal.
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco was set to get an update about the settlement talks. At issue is what to do with about 80,000 3-liter cars that spewed excess pollution after being programmed to cheat on emissions tests.
Volkswagen attorney Robert Giuffra has said the company believes it can recall and fix the 3-liter vehicles without affecting their performance.
The German automaker previously reached a deal for the other 475,000 polluting vehicles in the scandal. That settlement gives owners the option to have Volkswagen buy back their vehicles regardless of condition for the full trade-in price on Sept. 18, 2015, when the scandal broke, or pay for repairs.
Regulators have not approved any fixes. Either way, Volkswagen also will pay owners $5,100 to $10,000 each, depending on the age of the car and whether the owner had it prior to Sept. 18 of last year.
Volkswagen has agreed to spend up to $10 billion compensating consumers.
The settlement also includes $2.7 billion for unspecified environmental mitigation and $2 billion to promote zero-emissions vehicles.
The global scandal erupted last year when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Volkswagen had fitted many of its cars with software to fool emissions tests. Car owners and the U.S. Department of Justice sued.
The software recognized when the cars were being tested on a treadmill and turned on pollution controls. The controls were turned off when the cars returned to the road. The EPA alleged the scheme let the cars spew up to 40 times the allowable limit of nitrogen oxide, which can cause respiratory problems in humans.
The scandal has damaged Volkswagen’s reputation and hurt its sales. The company has reached a separate $1.2 billion deal with its U.S. dealers and is still facing potentially billions more in fines and penalties and possible criminal charges.
The judge previously postponed a Nov. 30 hearing about the 3-liter vehicles after former FBI Director Robert Mueller said additional time might lead to a resolution. Mueller is overseeing settlement discussions.


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EskoWorld, the technology-focused event for packaging professionals, returns this year with a program focused on addressing the challenges faced by businesses today and planning for those on the horizon.
More than 500 packaging and label converters and brand representatives are set to come together at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando, Florida, for a three-day dive into how the latest integrated innovations make it easier for packaging companies to connect its people and processes, to access data, automate operations and drive operational efficiencies.
With more than 130 sessions, demonstrations and workshops already confirmed, this year’s EskoWorld event – from May 23 to 25 – will bring packaging supplier and brand representatives together with Esko experts and packaging supply chain partners, enabling them to learn, share and discuss how the latest hardware and software technologies can help automate, connect and accelerate their businesses.
“From the energy crisis and the erosion of margins to material shortages and labor and skills deficits, we know there are many significant challenges faced by businesses today,” said Melissa Plemen, Esko Sr. Director of Inside Sales and Marketing. “It is now imperative that companies review their current business operations and identify areas where they can make meaningful improvements, meet sustainability objectives and drive operational efficiencies so they can meet the challenges of today and prepare for those of tomorrow.
The schedule features everything from software best practice workshops, trends analysis and expert panel discussions, through to new product familiarization sessions.
The line-up includes brands like Tyson Foods and Simmons Pet Food, Inc., who will share their success stories, learnings, and best practices for workflow and artwork management.
EskoWorld 2023 will take place from May 23-25, 2023 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. For more information and to register to attend, visit www.eskoworld.com.


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The young lady took to her video-sharing platform as she shared series of dresses she made from the products.
Shantel started gaining people’s attentions after she stormed out of her house with her rubber band dress which worth N10k as she claimed.
In the video, she showcased the gown made from disposable cups, straws, newspapers, rubber band, nylons, bottle covers and pins/rice bags.
Social media users found it hard to select their favorite clothes among them as it led to controversial choose of choice.
They took to comment section to pour their hearts, hailed the pretty Nigerian lady for her amazing innovation.
Watch the video below:
all other paragraphs (plenty – between 6/10).
article ends here.


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Jaclyn Baumgarten, CEO of Boatsetter, was a self proclaimed tomboy growing up in California, who knew from a young age that she could hold her own in any male dominated field. When she realized her passion was in the boating industry, she secured a merger with her own company Cruzin, and one of her top competitors, Boatsetter. The new Boatsetter now has the largest network of marina partnerships in the industry.
To hear Women to Watch™ Media’s interview with Jaclyn and learn more about her amazing story, listen below.
[…] and Boatbound and become the industry standard for boat rentals and yacht charters,” said Jaclyn Baumgarten, CEO of […]


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AN EXPERT Lego builder has created an impressive ‘pizza factory’ from the small plastic blocks.
Referred to on YouTube as The Brick Wall, the builder is well known for their crazy Lego creations.
In a YouTube video called Lego Pizza Factory, viewers get to watch as a pizza based is pushed through a Lego machine.
The Lego blocks are intricately placed together and attached to motors that make they run smoothly.
The pizza machine is mostly made up from LEGO Technic parts.
These parts come from special Technic sets that include pieces like gears and axles.
Sauce, cheese and toppings are added by the Lego machine.
However, a separate oven is still required for the cooking part.
The ‘factory’ can be used again to slice the pizza without help from a human.
One viewer commented: “You’ll have a lot of lego pieces to wash after that.”
Another said: “Give this man enough legos and he will build a functional spacecraft.”
To which The Brick Wall replied: “One day I will LOL.”
In other news, Facebook has launched new ‘prayer tools’ which offer US megachurches the chance to raise funds and listen to prayer requests.
Samsung has teased a glimpse of the design for its highly anticipated Galaxy Z Fold 3 smartphone.
And, the next iPhone will come in a new pink colour and start at just under £800, according to recent rumours.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at email@example.com


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Booster seat ban: Everything you need to know
When the rules change, parents can still use existing booster seats without being fined.
On March 1, a ‘booster seat ban’ will be brought into place which will stop younger children using backless booster seats. The changes, which would prevent smaller and lighter children from travelling in backless booster seats, were scheduled to come into force in December but the plan was delayed until March 1.
As to be expected, parents have been left confused about the new legislation and what is and isn’t allowed.
So let’s clear the air.
First of all, don’t panic. Parents who continue with a seat they already own will NOT be fined—the rules only apply to new products being sold. There will be labelling in place on new seats to make it clear that booster seats will only be approved for users taller than 125cm and weighing more than 22kg.
At the moment, children weighing 15kg or under can travel in backless booster seats, if you choose to continue with the seat you already have you will NOT be fined and you won’t face any legal action. Although, it’s worth noting that the change is being made for safety concerns—child car seat experts believe that backless booster seats are unsuitable for young children.
“New booster cushions without a backrest will only be able to be approved as ‘Group 3’ products, i.e. for children over 125cm or 22kg. Currently, it is possible for these booster cushions to be approved for smaller children. It will only affect new products, not those already on the market. Parents can continue using existing booster seats for children under the minimum height without facing any penalty.” A spokesman for the Department for Transport.
Booster seats work as a belt positioning device—they’re designed to lift your child up enough so that the adult seat belt restrains them correctly and safety. The problem is, they do not offer the extensive protection that alternative seats offer. One reason for this is they don’t pass the side impact test, this is because they do not have a back and sides to cushion a child from impacts from the side of the vehicle.
Legislation regarding who is required to use a child seat is set by the government, but technical specifications for height, width, weight and other features are set internationally by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
If you’re buying any type of child car seat, check with current legislation and make sure you’re buying the right seat for your child.


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Glass in Huggies wipes? No - but that doesn't stop a Facebook frenzy
There's been panic as mums seem to have found glass-like 'shards' in Huggies wipes. But it's not glass, says Huggies again and again... and again
There are a lot of things you dread getting on your hands when using baby wipes. But you don’t expect glass.
Yet that’s exactly what one American mum claims she found in her pack of Huggies wipes, sparking a wave of panicked wipes-checking across social media.
How the #HuggiesGlass story broke
Mum Melissa Estrella uploaded a video on Facebook last week, showing what she believed to be “glass shards” embedded in the baby wipes.
In the video the mother-of-one opens three different packs of Huggies Cucumber wipes and rubs off what appear to be clear, sparkly splinters onto her fingers – yikes!
Clearly distressed by what she is filming, Melissa says on the video: ”I’m not lying, you guys. There’s glass on my daughter’s wipes. I’m just so heart broken I didn’t notice this sooner.”
Melissa's video, which has now been removed from Facebook and YouTube, was viewed and shared over 6 million times. It’s still, understandably, causing much debate and alarm, with other parents now posting up their own videos of ‘sparkly shards’ in their Huggies wipes (skip to 3:07 mins to see the sparkly bits in the video below).
What Huggies did next...
Huggies immediately launched an investigation and released a statement on its Facebook page saying that its wipes are safe and confirming that “no glass is used during the manufacture of our wipes”.
It later issued an update with results from Melissa's samples that it had sent for independent analysis, saying that the tests confirmed “there is no glass or fibreglass in the wipes”.
That hasn't stopped nearly 7,000 parents leaving comments on Huggies' Facebook page - many complaining that they can't get through to the now-swamped customer careline. To its credit, Huggies is individually answering each post, albeit with pretty much the same cut-and-paste message - "our wipes are safe, there is no glass".
Others have joined in the debate, with one Instagram user posting their own explanation...
What Huggies told us
We were able to contact Kimberly-Clark (the company that owns Huggies) who explained what the shiny bits in the wipes actually are.
Apparently they're due to a microfibre called polypropylene, a thermoplastic fibre often used in labelling, packaging and textiles, which is present in the wipes. It seems these fibres occasionally combine during the manufacturing process, causing shiny particles. According to Kimberly-Clark, it's these shiny bits that parents are now spotting.
“The primary message to parents who use Huggies wipes is that our wipes our safe to use. We do not use glass or fibreglass in the manufacture of our baby wipes,” says Bob Brand at Kimberly-Clark Corporation, confirming that all the wipes sold in the UK & Ireland are manufactured locally in the UK.
More like this
“In addition we have now completed independent testing of wipes that have been returned to us and the testing confirmed that no glass or fibreglass was present."
So what does this mean for you?
Huggies is clearly extremely confident that there are no harmful or sharp elements in its wipes and has said it has no plans to change its ingredients or the way it makes wipes.
And while many of us won't be fans of plastics or chemicals in our baby wipes, there would have been more of a ruckus (and cut bottoms and mums' hands) if the wipes were indeed peppered with glass.
The bottom line is clear - you don't need to ditch your wipes.
If you want more info, Huggies has uploaded a helpful FAQ page on its website and is responding to every complaint individually.
“We will deal with concerns with any of our products the same way…one individual at time. We encourage any parent with questions or concerns regarding Huggies wipes to contact our Consumer Services team at 0800 587 5298.”
Read more about consumer scares...
Having been a journalist for 15 years – and Reviews Editor at MadeForMums for five of those – Hazelann has accrued a lot of experience testing and reviewing every baby product imaginable.
Six big family moments that matter – and the products that make them easier to navigate
These products from John Lewis & Partners help support the memorable moments of family life.


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Orbitz Shows Mac Users Pricier Hotel Options: Big Deal Or No Brainer?
There's lots of chatter today about The Wall Street Journal's report that:
"Orbitz Worldwide Inc. has found that people who use Apple Inc.'s Mac computers spend as much as 30% more a night on hotels, so the online travel agency is starting to show them different, and sometimes costlier, travel options than Windows visitors see."
On CNet, Larry Dignan writes that "Mac users will refrain from using Orbitz en masse now."
"It makes sense, from an advertising standpoint, to target the apparently wealthy, ad-receptive, self-assured, high-spending contingent that buys Apple products. But what about those of us who irresponsibly purchased our iPhones on credit, have only been 'directors' of our own unemployment, and are only looking for the cheapest roadside motel in Devils Lake, North Dakota?
"I guess we'll have to log onto Orbitz from the computers of our low-spending, ad-averse friends. You know, the ones with inferiority complexes. Thanks, a lot, research."
Now, there are a couple things to note from the Journal's report:
-- "Orbitz executives confirmed that the company is experimenting with showing different hotel offers to Mac and PC visitors, but said the company isn't showing the same room to different users at different prices. They also pointed out that users can opt to rank results by price."
-- "The average household income for adult owners of Mac computers is $98,560, compared with $74,452 for a PC owner," according to Forrester Research.
And as Dignan says in CNet, "Apple customers are known to pay a premium for their Macs, strong design, and integrated software," and apparently are willing to spend more on other things as well.
But, we wonder:
Update at 3:25 p.m. ET. More From Orbitz' CEO, Who Says The News Has Been Misconstrued And Journal's Pay Wall Is Hiding A Key Point.
We just received this email statement issued on behalf of Orbitz CEO Barney Harford:
"[It's] nonsense that we'd charge Mac users more for the same hotel, which is unfortunately the incorrect impression that many readers seem to be drawing from this article's 'subscriber content preview.'
"However, just as Mac users are willing to pay more for higher end computers, at Orbitz we've seen that Mac users are 40% more likely to book 4 or 5 star hotels as compared to PC users, and that just one of many factors that determine which hotels to recommend a given customer as part of our efforts to show customers the most relevant hotels possible.
"More on what we're actually doing to create a personalized experience in my recent USA Today blog post.
"Unfortunately WSJ editors have chosen to hide the full story behind their pay wall, so most of the world is reacting to a confusing headline, while the key point 'the company isn't showing the same room to different users at different prices' is hidden because ... the WSJ is steering users to pay more to be able to read the full article and understand what's actually happening."
Update at 2:45 p.m. ET. Orbitz CEO Blogged About This In May:
Barney Harford, the company's CEO, was a guest on USA Today's Hotel Check-in blog back in May and wrote this:
"We've identified that Mac users are 40% more likely to book a four- or five-star hotel than PC users. A similar skew applies for iPad users. We can use that information to influence which hotels we recommend to users we see searching on a Mac or an iPad versus a PC for example. On our website, once you get to the page for a particular property (let's call it "Hotel A") we show consumers a list of alternative hotel recommendations. This list is primarily made up of nearby properties that were ultimately booked by customers who had also viewed Hotel A. That's a pretty useful feature already, but we're then able to personalize that list by taking into account factors such as whether we see that the user is using a Mac or a PC."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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An official banking source told the Egyptian Middle East News Agency, that Egyptian Central Bank He issued instructions to banks that include excluding categories from recent decisions related to providing foreign currency to customers outside the country.
The Central Bank of Egypt directed banks to procure foreign exchange and open the limits of credit cards and direct debit cards for needs in foreign currency for the purposes of education and treatment without maximum limits, upon request by the customer for those uses, and to provide supporting documents for that.
He also notified the banks to open the limits of credit cards and direct debit cards for customers who traveled before the date of the decision, December 22, 2022, so that the customer can obtain his necessary needs of foreign currency, upon the customer’s request.
And he indicated, according to a statement, that the Central Bank confirmed that there are no usage limits for customers who have accounts in foreign currency or credit cards whose uses are paid from their accounts in foreign currency.
A few days ago, the Central Bank of Egypt called on banks operating in the Egyptian market to notify customers by any means of communication that it is forbidden to misuse credit cards and direct debit cards, especially for customers who do not leave the country.
He explained that this comes within the framework of what is observed of the use of some credit cards and direct debit cards in operations outside Egypt, despite the presence of customers holding these cards inside the country.
The Central Bank of Egypt has prohibited the request to procure currency for purposes of traveling abroad without leaving the country, and banks must review a sample of the uses of these cards that took place outside the country, as well as requests to procure currency for travel purposes since the first of December 2022.
He stressed that in the event that the bank notices the existence of increasingly frequent uses that are contrary to the nature of the customer’s uses and that indicates suspicion of the customer’s misuse of the card or the currency that was procured, especially in the event that there are indications that the customer has not left the country, then the bank must inform the central administration to collect Credit risks in the Central Bank with complete data on these customers, and any other cases that appear in such a way as of its date on an ongoing basis, so that the Central Bank can take the necessary measures with the concerned authorities to verify whether the customer has traveled or not.
And he mentioned that in the event that it is verified that the customer has not traveled or misused the cards, the bank will be directed to stop dealing on the card and inform the customer of that, and inform the Egyptian credit bureau “i Score” to take the necessary measures in this regard.


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Yuga Labs, known for its management of popular NFT collections like Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and CryptoPunks, is opening its doors—virtually speaking—to the public with its first-ever Yacht Club Open House. Scheduled for November 5, 2023, in Kai Tak, Hong Kong, the event aims to offer an inside look into the world of Yuga Labs and web3 technology. The Open House follows the much-anticipated ApeFest 2023 exclusive to the Bored and Mutant Ape community.
An Array of Industry Leaders and Topics
The event promises a broad range of discussions led by a lineup of notable speakers. Illa DaProducer, a 12-time platinum Grammy-nominated music producer, will be present, alongside Yat Siu, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Animoca Brands. Topics on the table range from the future of gaming in a Web 3.0 world to how intellectual property can empower brands and why cultural institutions are looking beyond physical spaces.
Daniel Alegre, CEO of Yuga Labs, emphasized the importance of web3 adoption: “The key to web3 is greater adoption and people seeing the benefits it can offer,” said Daniel Alegre, CEO of Yuga Labs. “That’s why we are thrilled to welcome every single person—from community members to the crypto-curious—to our first ever Open House for a memorable experience focused on the future of storytelling, music, gaming and more.” Tickets to the event are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Growth and Initiatives: The Road So Far
Yuga Labs has been a headline-maker since its inception in April 2021. Notably, it was among the first companies to offer IP licenses to NFT holders. It made waves in the web3 space with Otherside, a community-built metaverse project. In March 2022, the company raised a $450 million seed round at an impressive $4 billion valuation. The company recently began a organizational overhaul, which involves an unspecified number of job cuts that are mainly affecting its teams in the United States. Despite these reductions, the firm plans to maintain a workforce of more than 120 employees after the restructuring.
The Yacht Club Open House signals Yuga Labs’ ongoing commitment to ushering in the next wave of web3 users. As the company continues to innovate, the industry and the public alike will be watching keenly to see what steps it takes next.


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Tim Hortons says sales are way down since lockdown began in Canada
Tim Hortons is taking a financial hit as a result of the pandemic, reporting dwindling sales as fewer Canadians stop by for their usual morning double-double.
The Canadian coffee chain's parent company Restaurant Brands International reported on Friday that sales declined by a percentage in the "high forties" during the last two weeks of March.
By the end of April, those sales declines were in the "high thirties."
Eighty-five percent of Tim Hortons in Canada are currently still open, but only for drive-thru and takeout.
Our restaurants are open and here to serve you, through pick-up, drive-thru and delivery, where available. Thank you to our restaurant owners and team members for their continued commitment to serving our communities and those who serve our communities across Canada. pic.twitter.com/jZHNHbV7u6— Tim Hortons (@TimHortons) March 26, 2020
"As COVID-19 has spread, most of our guests have put their ordinary routines on pause, and consumption has shifted accordingly," RBI chief executive Jose Cil said, per the Globe and Mail.
He said that lunch and dinner sales are stronger, while breakfast item sales have been disproportionately impacted — likely because Canadians aren't stopping by for a muffin and coffee on their usual route to work or class.
The pandemic has also wreaked havoc on the company's marketing plans; Tim Hortons was in the midst of implementing a "back-to-basics" marketing push when the virus hit Canada in March, complicating the chain's plans to refocus on coffee, doughnuts and breakfast.
Cil says that everyone in the breakfast business has been "impacted heavily" by the lockdown — and the data backs him up. Taco Bell and McDonald's similarly reported a dip in earnings across the U.S., primarily due to struggling breakfast sales.
Conversely, Kellogg's Eggo waffle sales soared by 45 per cent in March as more Americans switched to eating breakfast at home.
Join the conversation Load comments


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A German court has ordered a British pensioner, who cancelled the sale of vintage tape recorder on eBay after noticing it was damaged, to pay £11,600 to the winning bidder.
Mike Godden, 72, put an advertisement up for the 1970s recorder on the American auction site, allowing bids starting from 99p.
The Studer A80 tape recorder is the same make as the one used by Pink Floyd for their iconic 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon.
The device proved to be very popular among bidders and offers rose to £1,380.
But Mr Godden, a retired music studio manager, cancelled the auction after noticing the recorder was damaged – eight days before the end of the sale.
Mike Godden, 72, has been forced to pay £11,600 to the winning bidder of his eBay auction to sell his Studer A80 tape recorder (pictured)
Mr Godden’s Studer A80 tape recorder is the same make as the one used by Pink Floyd for their iconic 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon
The winning bidder, a man from Germany, insisted however that the device was rightfully his and sent messages demanding to be sent the parcel.
Initially Mr Godden ignored the man, but the bidder took the case to court in Germany.
Although the seller had followed eBay’s rules correctly, which states a sale can be cancelled up to 12 hours before closing, the court ruled that EU law overrode the site’s procedures, and sent him a bill of £11,600.
Mr Godden joined online to be present at the hearing taking place at a regional court in Frankfurt.
The court ruled that the eBay bid was binding under the Rome I Regulation, a contract law operating in the EU and retained by the UK after Brexit, adding :’Both parties had made binding declarations of intention at the time the auction was aborted.’
Mr Godden was ordered to pay £7,551 to cover the costs of an equivalent tape recorder and £4,049 for legal fees after the court found he had created a contract with the German buyer
Mr Godden joined online to be present at the hearing taking place at a regional court in Frankfurt after the German buyer escalated proceedings (file image)
He was ordered to pay £7,551 to cover the cost of an equivalent tape recorder and a further £4,049 for the buyer’s legal fees and bailiff costs.
He said that bailiffs even paid him and his wife a visit at their home in Southampton, adding: ‘It’s just crazy. This should have never gone to court,’ he said according to The Mirror.
Mr Godden, who has paid the would-be buyer, is now calling for eBay to reimburse him and said that he ‘had not done anything wrong’.
Some of the strange items listed on eBay
The auction house of the internet, eBay often sees weird and wonderful items listed on its site.
This can range from bottles of discontinued fizzy pop, rare coins, original Mr Blobby suits and even merchandise from failed banks.
Here, MailOnline takes a look at some of the weirdest things that have been advertised on the website.
Merchandise from failed Silicon Valley Bank goes on sale
After Silicon Valley Bank went insolvent in early March, people turned to eBay to sell their company’s merchandise.
The various pieces of company swag, which included mugs, bags, cheeseboards and even cardboard boxes, attracted surprisingly high bids – a counterintuitive testament to health of the US economy.
Official SVB mugs appeared to be attracting average bids of nearly $100 and one of the cardboard boxes had a highest bid $201.
Another seller listed their own cardboard box on Monday night and started bidding at $45.
The various pieces of Silicon Valley Bank merchandise, which include mugs, bags, cheeseboards and even cardboard boxes (pictured), attracted surprisingly high bids
The seller of this light blue insulated mug claimed there was some damage to the powder coating but said the dings were an indication of the hard, but ultimately fruitless, work he put in for the company
Both sellers said their boxes – approximately 11′ x 11′ x 5′ – were sent to them after they received job offers from the bank.
Rare 50p coin featuring Paddington Bear sells for £1,500 and there are thousands more in circulation
A rare 50p coin featuring the nation’s most loved fictional bear has sold for a whopping £1,500 after being listed on auction site Ebay.
The Paddington Bear coin released by the Royal Mint in 2019, was put up for auction by a Glasgow seller, and sold on February 13.
A ‘rare 50p’ coin featuring the nation’s most loved bear, Paddington, sold for a whopping £1500 after being listed on auction site Ebay
The coin is said to be the 14th rarest 50p and features the famous bear standing outside Buckingham Palace and waving a Union Jack flag.
Only one bid was made on the the eBay listing, which ended on Monday, with the auction winner now laying claim to the iconic collectable item.
According to Change Checker’s Mintage figures index, the Paddington at the Station 50p is the most sought after of all the Paddington Bear coins, and has a mintage of 5,001,000.
Soft drinks fanatics flog Lilt for £100 on eBay after the ‘totally tropical’ fizzy drink was ‘cancelled’ and rebranded as Fanta
Fan-favourite Lilt was flogged for up to £100 on eBay after consumers rushed to stock up on the fizzy drink before it was discontinued.
Lilt drinkers paid tribute to the fizzy pop with memes and some took their commitment to the brand even further, with one man from London offering £100 for someone to bring him 20 cans.
The tropical fizzy soda will become a new Fanta flavour but fans expressed their concern that the drink has been ‘gentrified’ online
The half-litre bottle was described by the eBay seller as ‘delightful and refreshing’ and potential buyers were encouraged to enjoy the taste ‘one last time’.
‘Lilt grapefruit and pineapple drink. Totally tropical taste. The legendary drink has stopped production.
‘The last bottles before it disappears forever get your last taste of that lovely Lilt before it becomes a distant memory of the past.
‘A delightful and refreshing taste brought to you by the Lilt man for over 50 years, the pineapple and grapefruit combination gives you that vibrancy and hint of Caribbean flavours,’ the listing read.
Original Mr Blobby BBC costume from the 1990s attracts bids of up to £60,000 after going up for sale on eBay
An original 1990s Mr Blobby costume was put up for sale in an auction on eBay for nearly £60,000.
The Mr Blobby costume was made by the BBC’s costume supplier in the late 1990s but was not used for television
The costume’s age means that there has been some damage, the seller says, but that didn’t deter potential buyers
Bids for the pink and yellow costume of the iconic BBC character started at just £39 but the price rocketed a few days later to £9,500 and hit £58,400.
The costume was made by the BBC’s costume supplier for an overseas version of Noel’s House Party.
The seller eventually decided to keep the outfit after the anonymous buyer – who eventually bid £62,000 and made ten bids in total – pulled out of the sale just hours after the auction closed.
He said: ‘Losing the money is painful enough. It’s left me in quite a bit of debt.’
A spokesman for eBay said: ‘We discourage sellers from ending auctions early, as listing an item and accepting bids from potential buyers creates a contractual obligation to sell the item.
‘However, we understand sellers may occasionally need to cancel an auction and there are legitimate reasons for them to do so, including if the item is lost or broken.
‘If they do end an auction early, sellers need to make sure they have proof of a legitimate reason.’
Have you got Pokémon cards, a Casio watch, or a Polaroid camera worth a mint? Millennials and Gen Z drive up the price of retro items at auction
By SAM BARKER FOR THIS IS MONEY
Millennials and Generation Z may be sitting on a hidden goldmine, as auctioneers report a surge of interest is leading classic items like Pokémon cards, Casio watches and Lego to sell for tens of thousands of pounds.
Traditional auction items such as antiques, jewellery and art have growing competition from newer, traditionally less expensive items that many people had as children in the 1990s and 2000s, according to auction search engine Barnebys.
Barnebys said a wave of younger buyers and sellers is driving a 200 per cent increase in the sale of these nostalgic items since 2019.
One of Barnebys founders, Pontus Silfverstolpe, said: ‘It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons behind any given auction trend, but younger users entering the market have undoubtedly influenced which items become popular.
‘Millennial and Gen Z users have increased over 200 per cent on Barnebys since 2019, which aligns with the higher interest in ‘90s items like Pokémon cards and Casio watches. These users seem to crave a return to the nostalgia of their childhood, and they now have the disposable income to afford it.’
Building value: Old Lego sets can be worth a mint to the right buyer, with sets in good condition fetching the highest prices
Here are some of the 1990s and 2000s classics selling for hundreds or even thousands of pounds – and how to identify if you have a valuable retro item.
However, these items are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them. But remember, anyone looking to make money buying and selling nostalgic items risks losing money if sentiment changes.
Pokémon and trading cards
Sports cards, such as baseball and football cards, dominate the global trading card market.
But despite this a new category has recently been making significant headway — Pokémon cards.
Pokémon cards can be worth tens of thousands, both individually and sold in packs.
The most expensive individual Pokémon card ever was a Pikachu Illustrator, bought for $5.2million (£4.29million) by YouTube star Logan Paul in April 2022.
These cards are used to play a game where fantasy monsters battle one another, and can be sold and traded.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game, to give its full title, has been around since 1996, and cards are still being released today.
Many serious investors also flock to Pokémon as an alternative asset class, attracted by the cards’ increasing value and limited supply.
Individual Pokémon cards are unlikely to be worth more than a few pence or occasionally a few pounds.
That is especially true if they have been opened and played with – there are 3.4 billion of them in existence, after all.
But packs of sealed cards, and some rare single cards, do go for high prices – and for serious investors this is where the money is.
Catch ’em all: Complete sets of Pokémon cards can also be valuable regardless of condition
However, the best price a casual Pokémon collector is likely to get is a few hundred quid for a rare card in good condition, unless they get the card professionally examined and graded.
Pokémon investor Adam Leslie said: ‘If you want to go from talking hundreds of pounds to thousands, you need to get your card graded.’
Professional grading services will assess what condition a card is in – for a fee. This affects its overall price.
A graded holographic first edition Charizard can be worth hundreds or thousands – with a mint condition one owned by Leslie valued at £500. But that drops to around £50 for an ungraded card in the same condition.
One area of Pokémon investors flock to is sealed packs of cards, bought unseen.
The sealed packs offer a lottery-style thrill to Pokémon fans, who may end up with an incredible card through blind luck.
But sealed packs are also a boon to investors.
Leslie said: ‘Part of the value is these are completely enclosed and you are not sure what card you will get.
‘That value can be destroyed as soon as the packs are opened.’
Leslie added that specialist investors often use sensitive scales when working out how much a sealed pack is worth.
That is because holographic Pokémon cards are worth more than normal ones, but these cards also weigh more.
Using high-tech scales lets Pokémon investors know if a pack is likely to contain such an expensive holographic card.
Popularity contest: Pokémon cards can be worth more if they feature a well-loved character such as Charizard or Pikachu
But anyone looking to buy Pokémon cards should beware of scammers selling fakes in place of real items. Pokémon runs a website that helps spot fake cards.
But to get a rough idea if your old Pokémon cards might be valuable, take a look at the bottom of each card.
Symbols printed on the bottom indicate how rare a card is.
A circle is common, a diamond is uncommon, a star is rare and a white or gold star is ultra-rare. Holographic and first edition cards are typically worth more than standard cards, too.
How rare a card is, and what condition it is in, also affect its value.
Anyone wanting to know how much a Pokémon card is worth can check sale prices on auction websites like eBay. Alternatively, app TCGplayer lets users get prices by uploading photos of their cards.
Small but mighty: The Pikachu Illustrator card has set the record for the most expensive Pokémon card ever sold
Another item well-known to millennials is retro film cameras, which became trendy again as a reassuring analogue alternative to smartphone cameras.
Most famous of these is the Polaroid. These iconic cameras require little introduction, and have always been popular due to their ability to take and print out photos instantly.
Standard Polaroid cameras can sell from a few pounds up to a few hundred, but Polaroids that belong to celebrities sell for thousands.
An example is artist Andy Warhol’s camera which recently sold for around £10,500. Warhol famously admired Polaroid cameras, and the Big Shot model was said to be his favourite.
Vintage tech: Polaroid cameras can fetch high prices because there has been a consumer resurgence in older, offline technology
During the 1970s and 1980s, Warhol took Polaroids of numerous celebrities, including rock icons John Lennon, Tina Turner, Mick Jagger, Debbie Harry, Diana Ross and others.
Classic cameras from brands such as Kodak and Canon are also highly sought after, Barnebys said.
‘We saw a trend of younger users seeking out analogue items in 2021, with things like stamp and coin collections, vinyl records and physical books gaining traction at auction,’ Barnebys said.
‘Vintage film cameras continued this trend richer images, a therapeutic and artistic process and physical copies that digital just can’t match.’
Similarly to the popularity of retro cameras, watches with a touch of nostalgia about them are also seeing growing demand.
Luxury watches such as Rolex, Patek Philippe and Omega are always popular at auction, but Barnebys reports a lower-budget rival edging in too – Casio.
Casio’s digital and analogue watches are known for their tough design and utilitarian function, but that has still drawn them a legion of fans.
Big in Japan: Casio watches tend not to break the bank, but older examples are becoming more popular. This watch is worth around £50
The Casio company has been making watches since 1974, and there are now dozens of different designs.
Watches in the Casio G-Shock line in particular are adored by watch enthusiasts worldwide and have graced the wrists of celebrities including singers Rihanna, and Justin Bieber, as well as filmmaker Spike Lee.
New Casio watches sell for around £10 for an entry-level F-91W, ranging up to £30-£60 for mid-range watches and into the hundreds or thousands for top tier items.
But the same watches can fetch far higher prices at auction.
Most Casio watches listed on Barnebys in 2022 sold for under £150, which still makes them extremely affordable for those looking for a trip down memory lane.
However, vintage Casios in great condition do sell for as much as £3,500 on popular auction websites such as eBay.
Used run-of-the-mill Casio watches are unlikely to be worth significant amounts, though even a broken watch can still be sold for spare parts.
But Casio watches can be worth more than you paid for them if they are in excellent condition or one of the brand’s rarer models.
Check auction websites for an idea of what a watch you own might be, making sure to be accurate about your Casio’s model number and condition.
Old Lego and toys
Old and limited edition Lego sets can sell for tens of thousands of pounds on auction websites such as Barnebys.
In fact, a job lot of Lego from the 1950s and 1960s in their original packaging sold for £1,915 in December 2022, a whopping 499 per cent higher than experts predicted.
Lego also periodically releases limited-edition kits that get snapped up in stores, resulting in high prices at auction just a few years later.
For example, a Lego kit that ties in to Star Wars, the Lego Death Star, recently sold for £5,000.
Likewise, the Lego Ultimate Collector’s Millennium Falcon recently sold for £3,700.
Big figures: The Lego Millennium Falcon is worth huge sums, both in its original and reissue versions
At the other end of the scale, used assorted Lego is worth very little in terms of cash value – but is still immensely valuable as a toy.
Lego sets tend to be worth the most, then Lego mini-figures, and then assorted Lego pieces.
Age, condition and rarity all affect the price of Lego.
Specialist websites such as BrickEconomy and Rebrickable are good ways to work out how much your Lego might be worth.


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Litehouse Announces New Retail Produce and Deli Sales Leader and Marketing Team Promotion
SANDPOINT, ID - When a company like Litehouse experiences phenomenal growth, phenomenal people are needed to lead the way. The refrigerated salad dressing company has announced two new leaders to help shape the company—Brad Horn will now be the new Vice President of Retail Sales, Produce and Deli, and Chris Blanford has been promoted to the position of Senior Director of Marketing. Horn and Blanford’s extensive experience in consumer packaged goods and retail will help further drive Litehouse’s strategic sales and marketing initiatives.
“As Litehouse continues to grow, it’s important for us to continue establishing team leaders who will not only drive our key business strategies but also represent our core company values and help lead our employee-owners,” said Kelly Prior, President and CEO. “Brad and Chris have impressive experience and a history of driving strong results across key business areas, which will be valuable as we lay the groundwork for future initiatives.”
According to a press release, Horn has over 25 years of sales and marketing experience, including stints with J.M. Smucker Company and Kraft Foods, where he held key leadership positions and grew business sales. In his new role as Vice President of Retail Sales, Produce and Deli, Horn will lead and oversee the Litehouse produce and deli sales team, which includes all Retail Sales Directors, National Account Managers, Regional Business Managers, and Sales Managers. He holds a bachelor of science in hotel, restaurant, and institutional management from Morehead State University and completed the food executive program at Cornell University.
In Blanford’s new role, he will continue to build Litehouse’s marketing strategy to support initiatives across all business channels, with a focus on driving innovation and brand awareness across Litehouse’s portfolio of brands. Blanford joined Litehouse in 2017 as Director, Consumer Marketing and Communications, and prior to joining Litehouse, held leadership roles in marketing and advertising on both the agency side and the brand side. Blanford earned a bachelor of science in marketing from the University of Idaho.
Congratulations to both Brad Horn and Chris Blanford on their new positions!
For more exciting industry news, keep on the lookout for ANUK.


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During the onset of economic consequences pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic, a coalition of researchers at the University of Warwick initiated an online-based survey, targeting senior executives in the retail industry across the Americans, Asia, and Europe.
According to the survey, equally administered to more than 100 participants, researchers spotted human vulnerabilities across the supply chain, with many issues evident for retailers during the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on the respondents, the demand for particular products has surged while some products have declined to no demand at all. Given those circumstances, and others, some retail shops had to either shut down or adapt to the new cautionary measures publicized by public health officials.
One of the biggest alterations in retail triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic was a sudden shift from traditional shopping to online-based shopping, but limitations were still evident even in a digital shopping environment.
“The majority of retailers used inventory to buffer against the disruption of COVID-19,” the co-authors stated in a news release. “Supply chain processes and systems were effective, but more than half of retailers said a high degree of manual intervention was required to respond to the fluctuation in demand and supply.”
“Workforce issues were dominant issues for retailers with 59% of warehouse and 48% store operatives being affected by quarantine or illness. This often resulted in the closure of online operations and the need to recruit temporary staff,” researchers also found.
“Early indications in Asia show that customers have been most supportive of those retailers they deemed to have responded best to the crisis and we’d expect that pattern to follow across Europe and the US. A critical learning for retailers is the need to invest in creating supply chains with greater flexibility, visibility and automation.”
For retailers, the use of new technologies like artificial intelligence or machine learning could aid in inhibiting future disruption and boost customer support, researchers suggest.
“Here technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning will play a key role in helping retailers navigate future disruption, whilst still meeting customers’ expectations.”


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Shifting class is not an easy issue for corporations to do, specifically when it is a significant transform like shifting emphasis from supplying solutions immediate to buyer (D2C) to getting on a B2B design.
But for prepaid debit card organization Netspend — which invested significantly of the past year generating just this sort of a changeover — the obstacle wasn’t as considerably a issue of transforming know-how as it was of transforming the company’s attitude.
“The honest response is it can be an evolution,” Netspend President Kelley Knutson informed Karen Webster. “When you have obtained a legacy business enterprise that’s so used to likely immediately to the client and to a certain segment of the customer, you develop your running design all around that.”
“The very good news for Netspend is that we have a one engineering platform [and] we have broken that down into distinctive [software development kits] SDKs and [application programming interfaces] APIs and were already built-in heavily with our associates,” Knutson explained.] “So that compelled me to action back again and question, ‘Why are we creating this so challenging for ourselves?’”
NetSpend is not providing up its business enterprise of serving buyers. Producing economic entry for the unbanked and underbanked by pay as you go cards remains a corporate priority.
But what the firm has increasingly appear to know is that it does not will need to individual the purchaser relationship. As an alternative, Netspend’s main power is in the provisioning of money solutions like playing cards, mobile wallets and the compliant and safe motion of dollars.
That is a talent Knutson mentioned Netspend decided it could greatest apply to making collaborative associations with a developing planet of branded ecosystems that will need exactly individuals sorts of offerings for their shoppers.
He reported those people ecosystems are predominantly concentrated with possessing the engagement and conversation with the consumer, which suggests they want payments and onboarding ability but don’t want to be system supervisors. Knutson reported they’re not intrigued in running hazard and they “really, actually do not want to offer with a lot of the regulatory and compliance issues” that go hand in hand with the provision of economical providers.
At the identical time, he said Netspend can reliably do all of that with its built-to-scale technological innovation platform. But Knutson explained the organization is pleased to hand above the entrance-finish customer interaction and life-cycle promoting routines to lover manufacturers.
He claimed what Netspend recognized when it took a action back is that B2B offered a one of a kind prospect to develop and broaden the company’s reach by likely along for the digital enlargement trip from the back seat in its place of insisting to be the driver.
A New Partnership In Main League Soccer
The deal will see the crew put out a regular branded Austin FC card that will be dispersed as a result of the Netspend community. But Knutson said that extra importantly, the company will build capabilities into the club’s application like mobile wallets to more entirely allow in-stadium cashless and contactless payments.
He claimed that what the club is hoping to do is genuinely start out creating new shopper behaviors for both equally security and comfort explanations when lovers return to gatherings in the stadium. Beyond that, the club is hunting to develop loyalty and repeat utilization of its application, and embedded fiscal expert services abilities are crucial to that.
“What they’d like to do is also lengthen that to people who maybe can’t love [the] in-stadium knowledge but have a loyalty to the manufacturer and are looking to leverage these capacities past the stadium setting,” Knutson mentioned. “They definitely feel in convenience [and] pace of use, and a good deal of it can be around loyalty to their brand and this experience of community.”
Tons Of Alternatives Throughout Other Verticals
As Netspend carries on to develop out its B2B business, the enterprise is seeing related partnership possibilities springing up across multiple verticals.
For illustration, there is an option in the cafe place to correct the payout of suggestions so that waitstaff can digitally real-up on tips each and every hour. There are also chances in health care, wherever finding far better solutions for running the circulation of cash has turn into essential.
Knutson said there is also the entire world of education, which has viewed amazing spikes of desire in both equally K-12 and college ecosystems. For instance, he stated Netspend desires to incorporate lunch vouchers, ID playing cards and embedded wallets that “allow utilization inside of that ecosystem, [but] allow dad and mom to handle some of that paying conduct and keep an eye on that as very well.”
Remaining The Very same Even though Changing
Nevertheless, Knutson said that Netspend’s growth into B2B is not a finish pivot away from its consumer organization.
The company continues to care for its core purchaser set of underbanked, underserved customers. In actuality, Knutson mentioned that if just about anything, the pandemic has set a whole lot of strain on that element of the business enterprise. For instance, Netspend experienced to scramble to method billions of bucks of U.S. federal government stimulus payments as they rolled in, largely above a make a difference of about 3 days.
But what Netspend has located is that it is better able to serve consumers throughout ecosystems, as the agency is ready to stage into the history and acquire on the fragmented seller management nightmare that these ecosystems are cobbling collectively.
“I feel there used to be a watch that we essential to have that buyer across all of their transactional habits, [but] I never think we view it that way any more time,” Knutson stated. “There are sure customers we’re heading to attempt to do that for with some of our possess makes, but the truth is that we’d like it when our shoppers play in diverse ecosystems and can shift money on our platform. And so, we’re far more than pleased to pivot in that path, but still just take care of our core underbanked, underserved customer with improved propositions.”


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Realme X2 Pro teased on Live Video
The Realme X2 Pro is one of the smartphones that is creating a lot of buzz lately. This is because the OPPO subsidiary is expected to offer it’s first flagship device at a seriously competitive price.
The rumors refer that the device will feature an AMOLED screen with 90Hz refresh rate, that is, something identical to what we have in OnePlus 7, or even the latest OnePlus 7T.
This is Realme X2 Pro
In the latest image, we can also confirm the existence of 4 rear cameras. We have no concrete idea about its capabilities, however, it is suspected that they may offer wide-angle, zoom and macro functionality. However, we have the information in hand that the main sensor will be of 64MP.
In the video above we see a smartphone that is protected with a protective cover, however, we can also have an idea that the Realme X2 Pro will feature a glass construction. It will hardly have wireless charging, because OnePlus, another OPPO subsidiary company, does not yet have such technology.
Finally, the Realme X2 Pro will feature a front piece with a small notch. Something identical to what we saw in OnePlus 7. A small drop notch will incorporate the front camera.
The real competitor to Redmi K20 Pro
This Realme smartphone is set to launch to compete with the well-known and famous Xiaomi ‘s Redmi K20 Pro. The new Redmi K20 Pro gives us flagship specs with a super competitive price and this is the main goal of Realme. Incidentally, the brand has already stated that fighting Xiaomi in markets such as the European and India are priority. At the end of the day, the winner is the consumer.


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It’s no secret that retailers are competing on delivery timing to win customers. Two-day delivery has become the new target for many, and 42% of retail leaders are shooting for same-day delivery in 2022, according to research from McKinsey & Company. But as the consulting firm points out, traditional last-mile fulfillment networks don’t have the capacity to keep up with surging e-commerce demand.
That has some retailers looking to another last-mile fulfillment resource: crowdsourced delivery. By tapping into an independent network of drivers nationwide, retailers can add capacity when and where they need it — without having to maintain their own fleets or be tied to the schedules of traditional carriers.
Here’s how retailers are using crowdsourced delivery to keep customer satisfaction high and orders moving out the door:
Increase customer choice
The growth of e-commerce means customers can easily search numerous retailers to find the exact product they want. And, they can also shop around the delivery timing they prefer.
Not every customer will want same-day delivery. But for the DIY customer who has one weekend to finish the guest bathroom before the in-laws visit (and who already made one run to the hardware store), it can be a game-changer.
To that end, The Home Depot started working with crowdsourced delivery platform Roadie in 2018 to enable same-day deliveries from some of its stores. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, demand for home delivery (and home-improvement products) spiked, and the retailer quickly expanded the option to several hundred more stores. Today, The Home Depot works with Roadie to offer customers same-day delivery from more than 1,700 locations nationwide.
Giving customers more choice in how quickly they receive their order can help convert more online sales and increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Research backs that up: For nearly three-quarters of shoppers, having a delivery arrive at a convenient time was more important than arriving quickly, Capgemini found.
Reach beyond metro areas
Conventional carriers and delivery markets typically have robust networks in and between major metropolitan areas. But for retailers that want to extend fast delivery to customers in smaller markets and rural areas, standard delivery routes aren’t typically an option. But crowdsourcing is.
Tractor Supply Company was the first major general-merchandise retailer in the US to offer same-day delivery from 100% of its stores nationwide. From workwear to chicken coops, the rural lifestyle company works with Roadie to crowdsource deliveries of nearly 15,000 SKUs (stock keeping units), regardless of size or delivery location.
With crowdsourcing, every pickup truck rolling through the countryside is a potential delivery vehicle, and every rural driver has an opportunity to make a few extra dollars on the way back from town. John Ordus, executive vice president and chief stores officer at Tractor Supply, says crowdsourcing has helped the company toward its goal of being “the most dependable supplier of basic maintenance products for farm, ranch and rural customers.”
Keep orders moving
Another advantage that crowdsourcing offers retailers is the flexibility to fill orders whenever they come in. That could mean scaling up during unexpected or seasonal volume increases. On-demand fulfillment can also help get VIP or rush orders on the road when delivery vehicles are already out on routes, or between parcel carriers’ daily sweeps. Some retailers rely almost entirely on crowdsourcing for last-mile fulfillment.
Yancey Bros. Co. provides parts and services for heavy machinery across Georgia. When important equipment breaks, Yancey Bros.’ Customers can start losing money quickly, so the company has technicians and warehouses spread across the state. After years of handling their own deliveries, Yancey Bros. found that crowdsourcing was the best way to get parts quickly to technicians in the field and keep their warehouse staff off the roads and focused on the jobs they were trained to do.
Yancey Bros. now uses Roadie’s crowdsourcing platform exclusively for deliveries anywhere in the state. “Roadie allows us to stay more efficient and better staffed in our warehouses to get more done in the working day,” said Corey Fehribach, manager of operational excellence at Yancey Bros. “It’s a more sustainable solution, and we’ve been able to improve our customer service.”
Whether they are local or regional businesses like Yancey Bros., or ntional chains like The Home Depot and Tractor Supply Company, more retailers are tapping into crowdsourced deliveries to fill gaps in their fulfillment strategies.
Ready to learn more about how crowdsourcing can work for your company? Check out our playbook To see how retailers can use the service to meet challenges in the last mile, or visit Roadie.com.


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Monkey Business - Fotolia
BT’s Consumer business unit – comprising BT’s broadband business, mobile operator EE, and ISP Plusnet – has unveiled a new strategy, marrying its core fixed broadband, mobile and Wi-Fi networks to create a unified converged asset by 2022.
Speaking at an event in London, BT Consumer CEO Marc Allera said: “We made some tough choices last week as a group, but we are reinvesting in networks and services, which is what our customers want.
“Customers are using more data in more places on more devices than ever before. They need faster, more reliable networks in more places to make that happen. That’s why we need to change the face of networks in the UK.
“Convergence for us is all about bringing the best of everything we do in one place together. We’ve already brought our teams together, now we’re going to bring our networks together.”
The first technological evidence of the convergence strategy will take the form of a hybrid home broadband router, which will be made available to EE broadband customers at first. EE Hybrid Broadband will use multipath transmission control protocol (TCP) technology to bond both BT’s fixed broadband network and EE’s 4G network in a single box.
TCP itself is nothing new – it has been around for almost 40 years. However, multipath TCP is a much more recent development which works by spreading data from one TCP connection over multiple interfaces and routes, improving resiliency, adding redundancy, and improving data transmission rates or speed. It is already well in use in multiple scenarios.
For users of the new technology, this means that the end result will be a single connection combining the available speed of both networks. For example, a consumer receiving a 30Mbps broadband service (the Ofcom benchmark for superfast) and a 28.6 Mbps 4G service (an approximate UK-wide mean average for EE based on OpenSignal statistics) might receive a connection of up to 58.6Mbps.
Such a service could theoretically come into its own for users in those remaining parts of the UK that receive fixed broadband speeds of under 10Mbps, where adding a 4G connection – note that EE now claims to cover 90% of the UK population geographically – would bump up their speeds to over both the Ofcom and government definitions of superfast broadband. It will be launched to the market in 2019.
The bonded network technology is just one element of a much wider strategic realignment that is now getting underway at BT Consumer, designed to position the entire organisation as a national communications provider of choice.
“I want us to become the most personal and local company our customers deal with. We are a very big company, but I want us to feel local,” said Allera.
To this end, BT will be repatriating all its customer contact centres to the UK by 2020, and will return the BT brand to the high street for the first time in years through concessions in EE stores. It also hopes to put new, digitised customer service options in place.
BT customers will also be able to take advantage of a new converged package called BT Plus, which will bring together home broadband, BT Mobile (not EE at this time) and Wi-FI capabilities into a single plan with a single bill. Perks for consumers will include a 4G Wi-FI mini hub, built by Huawei, which will be dispatched to users as a “courtesy connection” while users wait for broadband services to be installed or repaired.
Read more about BT
The convergence strategy will also reach into BT’s consumer media content offerings, with Amazon Prime Video becoming available on the service later this year and Sky’s Now TV service following in 2019, while EE customers will benefit from increased access to BT Sport content and support for Google Chromecast in addition to Apple TV.
EE customers will be getting new support and set-up tools, including augmented reality (AR) assistance, a number of new features for household plans, such as data gifting and enhanced parental controls, and hybrid mobile plans which combine features from pay-as-you-go and contract plans. It is also launching supplier-agnostic support for smart home devices through partnerships with the likes of Hive, Google, Apple Homekit and Alexa.
More broadly, BT Consumer will also launch a business unit dedicated to establishing and maintaining partnerships with other innovative tech companies, with the aim of bringing their products and services to customers, and giving users the ability to control such services by, for example, making micro-payments through their mobile bills.
Paolo Pescatore, vice-president of multiplay and media at analyst group CCS Insight, said the update set a new course for the consolidated BT Consumer unit, which was created in September 2017 when EE was folded into BT Consumer, having previously been run as a standalone business unit since its acquisition.
“This growing unit is very well positioned to be a leader in the changing UK multiplay market. This is a good first step but further changes and tough decisions still await Mr Allera and his management team,” said Pescatore.
“This update provides a much needed boost to the BT Group, given the widespread negative publicity it has endured in recent months. More importantly the new structure and strategy provides better clarity on the future direction of the consumer segment which has been in limbo for some time.
“Encouragingly, Marc and his team are taking a broader role beyond mobile and individual consumers and more about household telecom requirements.
“The three distinct brands remain and for now clearly cater for specific segments. However, we reiterate our belief that at least one will be dropped in the medium to long term.”


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Sometimes, what could be major business news gets pushed down by larger headlines. For instance, Facebook. The social media giant may not be en vogue in the wake of Elon Musk or the ISP security vote, but the child of Mark Zuckerberg is not without its share of woes with its most infamous acquisition, the Oculus Rift.
How Did We Get Here?
As many of you know, back in 2014 Facebook acquired the then promising startup Oculus VR founded by Palmer Luckey. In a time when VR was otherwise considered diseased Luckey developed the Oculus, a VR headset as a unit that was to be more capable than anything else on the market at that time. The idea was to make the product inexpensive for gamers but still effective. He would debut this product at the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) that year. He even got the likes of John Carmack, founder of Id Software (makers of Doom) to leave the company to join him.
From there the company launched a successful Kickstarter reaching over $1 million in funding and promising dev kit versions of the Rift to backers which wouldn’t ship until four months after their initial promised date of December 2012.
That’s why you saw all of those VR Let’s Plays.
After that, it was a successful Series B funding to the tune of $75 million, and it seemed that the only thing in the way of the product’s success was the proper development of the device.
Then Facebook bought them.
The Facebook Acquisition
In a move that surprised everyone (and prompted a few million “Farmville VR” jokes), Facebook acquired the company and earned lots of criticism in the process. Backers felt betrayed by the acquisition, and the negative press got to such a point that Markus ‘Notch’ Persson withdrew support of his game Minecraft (you know, that one everyone was playing on PC?) from the peripheral.
The reason why is because critics and developers refused to believe that the original intent of the Rift would be preserved with this acquisition. Yes, the possibility of the device seeing worldwide distribution became greater, but the gaming community as a whole did not see Facebook as a company that facilitated gaming, nor had aims to do so. Sure enough, the objective changed as Facebook shifted focus from using the Oculus Rift as a gaming tool to a communications platform that would serve users advertisements.
The Current Issues
Of course, that was three years ago. This is now.
The first issue the Rift has faced since then is the steady rise in competition with the likes of HTC’s Vive, Sony’s PlayStation VR and just unadulterated smartphones with cardboard box headsets. Many critics cite the issue being the cost of such headsets with Vive being the most expensive at $799 US. Additionally, while the Oculus did recently receive a price cut to the tune of $499 it still only moved 400,000 units its first year (2016) and still required a high-end PC to operate, (also custom controllers for the device weren’t released until that same year).
Then it just got worse.
In February Facebook faced a lawsuit over the Oculus Rift. The lawsuit claimed that Luckey and Carmack broke their NDA by releasing information about Id Software to Facebook and that they took proprietary code before leaving the company. Despite the jury’s decision of not guilty Facebook still had to pay $500 million for the NDA violation.
And now, amidst this storm of controversy and bad press, the co-founder Palmer Luckey has left as of this Friday (March 31st). With the announcement, Facebook has released the typical “we wish him all the best.” And “helped kickstart the modern VR revolution…” statement. There are countless theories as to the reason for Luckey’s departure, from the lawsuit to the revelation in September that he donated to Nimble America, an organization that trolled the Clinton campaign. Sources cannot determine if Luckey resigned or was fired at this time as neither Facebook or Luckey are willing to comment on the matter. It is known that there were multiple Oculus resignations in the wake of this announcement.
So, despite Mark Zuckerberg’s assurances that VR is the future, that future isn’t looking too bright for the once-promising startup.


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Greenhouse gas emissions from shipping make up roughly 2.5% of the world’s total, making the ocean freight sector a heavy contributor to the looming environmental crisis. And, unless something is done, as international trade grows this number is only likely to rise.
With numerous countries around the world bringing in carbon border taxes and other taxes on pollutants, this is becoming a financial issue as well as a social one.
Innovations and new technologies are increasingly seen as the way to reduce the shipping industry, and by extension trade’s, carbon footprint.
1. Scrubbing and carbon capture
What’s the idea? One bold idea is to have ships act as a form of carbon-capture, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as vessels traverse open seas and carry cargo.
It has the benefit of relying on pre-existing processes, as land-based carbon capture is a recognised technology, and shipping firms are experimenting with moving the process onto ocean-side vessels.
All shipping segments – including large natural gas carriers, chemical tankers and more specialised vessels – are reported to be examining this.
Recently Admore, a US shipper, announced plans to install carbon-capture tech on board six vessels over the course of the year.
What’s stopping it? Depending on at what stage in the combustion process the capture would occur, shippers face increased costs and difficulties. Issues such as storing the carbon removed from fuels and maintaining it at a precise temperature aboard ship, where space is at a premium, have yet to be solved.
Another drawback is that the process of carbon removal itself can be very energy consuming, although with improved technology this could be brought down
Other options? A related technology, known as “ocean scrubbing”, looks to remove carbon dioxide from the ocean, rather than the air. As the ocean represents the largest “carbon sink” on the planet, cleaning this is a crucial first step in the fight to achieve Net Zero.
Developed by researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the proposed method would remove carbon dioxide and turn acidic water back into alkaline before it is released into the sea.
2. Air bubbles
What’s the idea? Another method of reducing shipping’s emissions is to reduce the amount of fuel expended in the process of moving ships around. Large ships generate a lot of drag when moving through the ocean, which in turn requires them to burn more fuel.
A rapidly developing technology known as “air lubrication” has been gaining increased interest in recent years. The technology relies on bubbles of air to streamline the hull of the ship along the ocean, in effect, lubricating the ship as it travels.
The continuous, thin layer of air reduces drag on the hull and increases fuel efficiency. It also helps reduce noise pollution and reduces so-called ‘bio-fouling’, where invasive plants, animals and other organisms cling to a vessel’s hull and damage the sea’s bio-diversity, and.
Companies such as Silverstream and Armada Technologies have increased their offerings to shipping firms in recent years, with freighters including Mearsk and Grimaldi, and cruise liners such as P&O, Carnival and Costa Cruises amongst the early trialists.
What’s stopping it? The technology is still in development and minor differences in the ship’s hull and the size and speed of the bubbles can reduce the effectiveness of the technology. Many older ships would also require extensive retro-fitting, driving up costs for shippers relying on older fleets.
What’s the idea? The use of more environmentally friendly fuels has been a major source of hope for the shipping industry. This includes the group of energy sources known as ‘e-fuels’.
Fuels such as methanol and ammonia, as well as green hydrogen, are often described as being a key part of the maritime industries move towards net zero. This would see large, ocean-going vessels move away bunker fuels, based largely on petroleum or diesel and responsible for producing harmful sulphur oxides, towards cleaner, less harmful sources.
What’s stopping it? These newer fuels come with several challenges. One major issue is the cost. E-fuels are very much in their infancy, and face the problem of a lack of economy of scale. Another difficulty arises from the production of the fuels, which often use extensive fossil fuels to produce the ‘clean’ fuel in the first place. This introduces a high risk of emissions displacement rather than reduction.
EU, UK and Indian government initiatives have all been announced to grow and regulate green fuels, with the EU voting in October to introduce a 2% mandate for green shipping fuels by 2030.
Other options? Several international ports – including Geelong in Australia, the Dutch ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam and a planned site in Southern Spain – are exploring how to implement green hydrogen facilities. This is where hydrogen is created using electricity from renewable sources.
What’s the idea? A related, but different category of fuels for shipping are biofuels. These are made from biological materials such as cooking oil and encompass everything from biodiesels to bioethanol.
If they are made from recycled materials or waste, they have the potentially to be fully sustainable. Depending on the blend, they are also low in sulphur and carbon dioxide.
One advantage of this is that they are relatively easy to drop in and don’t require any expensive adaptations for existing ships. Refits are largely unnecessary, increasing the cost benefits.
“Ships can operate on 100% biofuel right now, but it depends on the type of biofuel. Most of the demonstration studies that I am aware of have used what we call biodiesel in the United States or FAME (fatty acid methyl esters),” Michael Kass, a researcher of fuel, engines and emissions, told Seatrade Marine.
In December 2022, the Stamford Eagle – a bulk carrier built in 2016 – made a trip from the Netherlands to Norway using biofuels that reportedly reduced carbon emissions for the voyage by 80%.
What’s stopping it? The main problem now is price and scalability. Biofuels are expensive, making the business case for using them difficult. There also remain concerns that high demand coupled with low supply would further push up prices.
Another key issue is ensuring that the source of the biofuels doesn’t add to environmental problems by contributing to deforestation or producing carbon emissions in their creation.
5. Digitisation and green corridors
What’s the idea? Physical technologies are not the only way of tackling shipping’s emissions problem. Regulatory changes, or the move to a more digital form of international trade could offer even more opportunities.
Schemes such as “green trade corridors”, are gradually being developed by national governments and industry around the world.
Developed first out of the Clydebank Declaration, this involves the creation of a zero-emission maritime route between two or more ports, using a combination of targeted investment, financial incentives and changes to regulations.
Two routes already in use – the Asia-Europe container and Australia-Japan iron ore routes – are being studied, with the US-Asia car carrier lane being considered as a case study.
The UK government is currently working on Electronic Trade Documents Bill to allow for freight companies to switch to paper, a concept that is already being embraced by industry.
The Digital Container Shipping Association, an interest group focused on electronic trade documentation, announced last week that nine shippers have committed to fully digitising their bills of lading by 2030, in a move that is expected to save up to $6.5bn in trade growth.
They argue that paper-based processes are time-consuming and environmentally unsustainable, resulting in delays of cargo. Moving to digital bills could save up to 28,000 trees per year, equivalent to around 39 football fields of forest, according to the organisation.
What’s stopping it? Trade digitisation largely relies on proven technology, but faces a number of barriers that have to be solved by both industry and government.
Susan Roe, trade and customs consultant at the Institute of Export & International Trade Academy explains:
“The technology is there, but so remain some concerns and barriers. First, there is no doubt that digitisation is taking place across the world – but at different speeds. Digital trade needs to be all or nothing.
“Second, there is also the issue of who’s role is it to fully implement digital trade across the board - government or industry?
“Third, English and Welsh law still lends importance to physical rather than digital possession of certain trade documents, particularly the bill of lading, one of the oldest in global trade, and one that legally provides document of title to the cargo.”


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Watch the whole movie here. The world’s most anticipated electric boat has taken flight, ahead of serial production. Candela C-8 promises to revolutionize waterborne transports, thanks to its unique combination of long all-electric range, high speed and industry-first features.
After 16 months of intense development, it took off from the cold waters outside the Swedish tech company’s headquarters at Lidingö, Stockholm. After reaching the designed take-off speed of 16 knots, the Candela C-8 prototype P-01 lifted off smoothly, and flew noiselessly above the water at a cruise speed of 20 knots.


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Tesco Ireland's sales in ROI has grown by 3% over the last three months.
The retailer delivered like-for-like sales growth for a tenth consecutive quarter, according to its first-quarter trading statement for the 13 weeks ended 26 May 2018.
The retail group's like-for-like sales growth improved to 1.8% and its UK & ROI to 3.5%.
“Our growth plans are on track and we are pleased with the momentum in the business. We remain well-placed to serve our customers better and deliver on our medium-term financial ambitions,” said Dave Lewis, chief executive, Tesco.
The report indicated that the like-for-like sales increase in the ROI was due to the fact that customers continued to react positively to its more competitive price position, despite it 'experiencing store closures across our entire estate for one day, as a result of adverse weather conditions in early March'.
Tesco UK like-for-like sales were up 2.1%, the report showed.
Performance improved through the quarter (after taking the timing of Easter into account), recovering from the impact of adverse weather conditions experienced in March.
“We continue to focus on improving our customer offer and are now more than a quarter of the way through our re-launch of over 10,000 own brand products,” the retailer said in a statement.
“In addition, at the end of the quarter, we invested in a number of price cuts focused on our exclusive fresh food brands to offer even better value for our customers.”
Tesco Direct Closure
During the quarter, the retailer said that it took an important decision to refocus its non-food business by closing Tesco Direct, which will cease trading on 9 July 2018.
It highlighted that looking ahead, its like-for-like sales performance for the UK will be adjusted to remove the impact of the closure of Tesco Direct from July onwards.
Irelands Leading Supermarket
Tesco has reclaimed the top spot as Irelands leading supermarket for the first time in more than two years with an overall market share of 22.3%.
The latest grocery market share figures from Kantar Worldpanel, published in early June for the 12 weeks ending 20 May 2018 showed that the retailer grew sales by 4.5% – far ahead of the overall market, which saw growth of 2.8%.
© 2018 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.


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The resumption of Irish beef exports to China has been welcomed by the Irish Beef & Lamb Association – IBLA.
Earlier this week, Minister McConalogue confirmed that Irish beef has regained access to China following a suspension enforced in May 2020 arising from an isolated case of atypical BSE.
Irish beef exports to China were immediately suspended as a precautionary measure in line with the bilateral protocol on the trade agreed with the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC).
Following the granting of access in 2018, Irish beef exports to China were on a “sharp upward trajectory”, rising from just over €2 million in 2018 to almost €40 million in 2019, the last full year of trade.
In 2020, beef exports were “on track to far exceed 2019 levels”, according to Bord Bia’s China manager, Conor O’Sullivan.
A spokesperson for the Irish Beef & Lamb Association – IBLA, said the group “commends” Minister McConalogue and his officials on their work and progress to secure the reopening of the Chinese market.
They commented: “It is now an opportunity for the Irish meat processing industry to put forward contracts in place to allow farmers to plan for the future.”
“With increased access to markets being delivered by Bord Bia, there is no excuse for the meat processors not to take a collaborative approach in the supply chain and insulate all primary producers from risk.”
“The penny has dropped with farmers, that sheds or fields full of cattle that do not provide any return are no longer acceptable.
The spokesperson added that the supply and demand concept has “finally clicked” with farmers.
“Cut the supply, and the demand increases and, in turn, the price of beef went up,” they added.
“We do not need to supply livestock to an industry that takes all the cream. Without farmers contracted to supply, this new market in China will be windmills with no breeze,” the spokesperson claimed.


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Fairchild Predicts Q2 Revenues to Fall at Higher End of Guidance Range
September 05, 1999 by Jeff Shepard
Fairchild Semiconductor (South Portland, MN) reports that it expects second-quarter revenues to fall at the higher end of a range it provided six weeks ago, and that third-quarter revenues would also fall before rebounding during the fourth quarter. Fairchild also said that it expects a second-quarter revenue drop down five percent from the first quarter.
However, Fairchild said that order cancellations have diminished from the first quarter, and it sees signs that its business will bottom out this summer.