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CEO Jane Fraser said today that CITI Bank appears to be on track to keep its banking license and some operations in Russia.
The move comes as the global banking behemoth attempts to offload its consumer and commercial banking operations in Russia.
Citi has the largest outside lending business in Russia, and it was actively looking to sell its consumer unit even before the invasion of Ukraine.
When asked if Citi would try to keep its licenses, Fraser said, "We don’t know yet, we haven’t made a decision on exactly what size we will be." She added that the bank "will just be materially smaller [in Russia] than it has been."
She expressed hope that peace talks with Russia "will take hold," but Citi was "not quite sure what the end state looks like" at the moment.
The banks announced in March that they would stop taking on new clients in the country, and that they would divest "significant portions" of their local business in April.
Citi could lose $3 billion if all of its business in Russia "went really awry," according to Ms Fraser.
Citi is staying in Russia for the time being to assist multinational clients, some of whom are trying to wind down their businesses, according to Fraser.
"These are pharma companies, these are the food companies, technology firms," she explained.
"We’ve been helping them — many of them are exiting or shrinking down their operations — and if your bank isn’t there doing the payroll or helping you with that exit process, it is very hard to actually achieve that."
She remained tight-lipped about reports that the lender was selling its retail franchise in Russia to Expobank.
She said of a potential sale, "You are not selling Coca-Cola on a retail shelf that you can turn off tomorrow. It takes a bit more time ."
She acknowledged, however, that it was "not an easy environment to make sure that you will actually be able to close a deal," and that Citi was divesting its businesses "as fast as we can."
Since Russian forces invaded Ukraine in late February, Western banks have set aside billions of dollars in provisions to prepare for potential losses due to sanctions and looming recessions.
Société Générale, the country's largest bank, was the first foreign bank to strike a deal in April, when it announced plans to sell its Russian operations to a Russian investor, taking a €3.1 billion hit in the process.
By fLEXI tEAM


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Spider-Man: Miles Morales Characters Detailed By Insomniac Games
The launch of the PlayStation 5 is less than a month away and gamers are excited to ring in the next generation of video gaming. Revealed back in June, the big brand-new title PlayStation fans have been looking forward to playing is Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Insomniac Games has promised a faithful follow-up to their 2018 Spider-Man PS4 game, but with players now controlling the fan-favorite half-black/half-Puerto Rican heir to the Spidey legacy. Along with plenty of new features, the new game has been expected to include new characters as well, and Insomniac Games has revealed new details about the main Spider-Man: Miles Morales characters.
— Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) October 20, 2020
As reported by GameInformer, Insomniac Games recently posted several photos containing new details about Spider-Man: Miles Morales characters on their official Twitter account. The images are framed as excerpts of Daily Bugle Now pieces, a seemingly modern digital rebrand of the classic Daily Bugle newspaper from Spider-Man lore. Each image spotlights a particular character, giving an image and a quick blurb about each person’s backstory.
The first is obviously for protagonist Miles Morales, whose big hobby in the game’s story is revealed to be music production, which was hinted at in the previously seen gameplay trailer for the game. Also introduced is Danika Hart, who Miles Morales fans will know from the comics. She has a passion for journalism and in the game will have her own podcast, called “The Danikast.” This podcast may serve a similar expository use like J. Jonah Jameson’s show did in the 2018 Spider-Man game.
Rounding out the Spider-Man: Miles Morales characters are Hailey Cooper, a street visual artist who is also deaf; and Ganke Lee, Miles’s close friend who is a talented engineer and tech developer. Other tweets from Insomniac indicate that Ganke will provide Miles with upgrades for his Spidey suit and gear in the game, similar to Doctor Octavius in the last game. It’s great to see Insomniac include a diverse cast of characters in this new game, and hopefully, they all get their chance to shine and show that they’re all The Sunflowers New York needs.
What do you guys think about these new Spider-Man: Miles Morales characters details? Let us know in the comments below! Be sure to stay tuned for the latest Spider-Man news, such as the latest set of action-packed Spider-Man: Miles Morales screenshots, here on Don’t Feed the Gamers! Follow us on Twitter to see our updates the minute they go live!
Cory Lara2137 Posts
A royally radical and totally tubular 90s kid, Cory has a passion for all things nerdy, particularly gaming and nostalgia. While an accountant by day, he strives to be as creative and humorous as possible in his free time, be it here writing on Don't Feed the Gamers, or making dumb satirical posts on his Twitter, Youtube, Facebook and Instagram accounts.

domain: news


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(Zhuhai, 13 September 2017) With the rapid development of science and technology, office automation has become a hot trend for most businesses. Many manual tasks in the office are being replaced by devices and equipment, making it is quicker and easier for staff to complete their tasks more securely.
How is this trend in office automation becoming more intelligent for business? Daniel Lai from OA China will update industry leaders at the RemaxWorld Summit on October 11, 2017.
Daniel Lai (pictured), has been engaged with the Office Automation (OA) industry for 22 years, since 1995, when he began working on direct sale to major clients at Xerox. Starting out as a dealer of copier leases using a private supplies brand, Lai then switched to building and developing a nationwide OA system including Wanqida and Jiazhilian. In order to promote OA, he has repeatedly conducted in-depth visits and exchanges with hundreds of outstanding Chinese OA dealers.
Additionally, Lai has organized discussion forums within the office industry, aiming to propel the trend in innovation. He has promoted industry development through the OA Forum, OA Information Channel and other media platforms. With a distinguished career in the OA industry, Lai hopes to open up the Chinese OA market—untapped for 30 years—and fully realize the value of clients and service in this industry.
Experts from US, UK, France, China, Russia, Egypt and Mexico will also gather at the annual RemaxWorld summit to share their industry insights: “Where do we go from here …now?”
For more information about RemaxWorld Summit, please visit: https://www.rtmworld.com/2d/remaxworld-summit-2017/
Scan the QR code to pre-register and get the ticket now.
About RT Media
Recycling Times Media Corporation (RT Media) educates, informs and provides networking and business opportunities for the 2D and 3D printing industry. The RT Media international team comprises talent from Australia, America, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Hong Kong and China.
RT Media is the organizer of RemaxWorld Expo, the world’s largest print consumables trade show event held each year in Zhuhai, China—the world capital city of print consumables manufacturing. RT Media also organizes the RT Imaging Summit & Expo—Americas and the RT Imaging Summit & Expo—EMEA. RT Media publishes regular inTouch TV News bulletins and monthly editions of the Recycling Times magazine for the global industry with Chinese, English, Spanish and Russian editions.
In the 3D printing arena, RT Media organizes the world leading professional 3D printing trade shows: Inside 3D Printing Conference and Expo—Shanghai and iPrint 3D Expo. RT Media was also the first to publish a monthly Chinese magazine, focusing on the 3D printing industry, called 3D Printing World.
+86 756 3919273
description of the news. Character limit- 1000


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Huawei devices will no longer have Facebook apps pre-installed. This is just an additional drop to the already existing sea of problems that the company is facing upon the US trade blacklist. Even though the issue underhand isn’t such a big problem to Huawei, it demonstrates on the extreme ends that the US government can go on trade blacklisting a company.
A recent report has also indicated that this may even affect other Facebook social apps, including WhatsApp and Instagram, although devices which have the app installed will continue to be supported and receive regular updates from Facebook.
However, Facebook has only halted pre-installation, but the apps will still be able to be downloaded on any Huawei devices that will ship without the app. Nevertheless, the future is yet uncertain with Huawei looking for Android alternatives with Google Play services banned from being installed in their future smartphones.
Huawei devices often come pre-installed with Twitter and Bookings.com apps although, any of the two companies haven’t commented on the same. Huawei has however stated that they were prepared for the US ban and are already working on a way around it.
Allegedly, Huawei’s smartphone business is already experiencing a slowdown in Europe and Asia since the US trade blacklist. It will take a long way before the company ever recovers from this in case the US government reverses its actions.


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Large stores and shopping centres have the largest amount of customer traffic, and the majority have automatic doors, facilitating the entry and exit of large volumes of people at the same time. In terms of business types, supermarkets and pharmacies are the top users of these door products, according to the Confederación Española de Comercio (Spanish Trade Confederation).
When considering size, businesses with greater customer traffic, such as large stores or shopping centres, are the ones that are more likely to have automatic doors compared to smaller businesses, “since this facilitates the entry and exit of many people at once”, according to Raquel Manrique, Communications Manager for the Spanish Trade Commission.
If we take the type of business into account, automatic doors are more common in supermarkets and pharmacies. This is because “they are more hygienic than conventional doors, since you don’t need to touch any surfaces to open them”.
“It’s precisely this — explains Manrique — that stands out as a major advantage to bear in mind, especially after the pandemic and in the context of businesses making every effort to invest in hygiene measures to ensure the highest level of safety for their customers”.
The Communications Manager for the Spanish Trade Confederation continued, “another significant advantage of automatic doors is that they improve accessibility in general, but especially for people with reduced mobility, whether due to age or a disability”.
She also added, “they contribute towards store visibility and, when they open as a person comes near, they help to break the barrier that sometimes stands between the establishment and the customer, inviting the customer to come in”.


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Fitch Ratings has reaffirmed what most of us already knew or witnessed in part during the Covid-19 led lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. The agency now believes that the supply chain disruptions in China could result in accelerated diversion of export production from the region to India and parts of Southeast Asia.
Lingering weakness in the property market and renewed Covid-19 lockdowns, along with rising global inflation and interest rates, weigh on China’s near-term economic growth prospects, resulting in targeted policy easing. However, we do not expect a material reversal in regulatory reforms already implemented, it said.
However, the agency also warned that the crisis in China could also indirectly affect India around the financing costs if global investors become wary of risks that could result from the weaker growth outlook for China.
Where India can get some headroom
Fitch noted that financial headroom was limited in India but felt that given the country’s low export exposure to China, things could be fine. “This suggests that its direct vulnerability to weaker Chinese growth is relatively modest, although India could still be affected indirectly, for example, through higher financing costs if international investor risk aversion increases as a result of a weaker growth outlook for China,” it said.
“Further supply-chain disruption in China from Covid-19 restrictions could accelerate the diversion of export production from China, for example, to India and southeast Asia,” Fitch said in a report titled ‘Apac Exposure to Slower China Growth’. This could create longer-term credit upside for some Apac (Asia Pacific) countries, it said.
Around the APAC region, the Covid-19 led economic shows in China could have negative economic effects as they are the biggest export market for most countries in the region. In addition, they also happen to be a crucial supplier of intermediate products whose availability could be interrupted, affecting regional exports.
“A significant slowdown in China would also represent the third major external shock in the last few years for Apac sovereigns, following the Covid-19 pandemic and the fallout from the Russia-Ukraine war,” Fitch said while cautioning that successive shocks could further erode fiscal space and exacerbate credit risks in frontier markets, potentially eroding their political and institutional stability.


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Shenzen-based Carl Pei is the co-founder of popular smartphone brand, OnePlus and in recent events, it has been confirmed that he has raised USD 7 million funding from his high-profile friends, angel investors and HNIs for his undisclosed new venture.
According to TechCrunch, these private individual and angel inventors include:
Kevin Lin- Co-founder of Twitch
Tony Fadell- popularly known as the inventor of the iPod
Steve Huffman -CEO of Reddit
Paddy Cosgrave- Founder of Web Summit
Liam Casey- CEO and Founder, PCH
Josh Buckley- CEO of Product Hunt
Kim Fai Kok, Zakaria Hersi and Nick Dahl- Employees at Truecaller
Individual/Angel investor- Carl Pei left his founding company OnePlus about two months ago. He served as a public representative of the company for many years, since its inception, but because of a power rift between the two co-founders ultimately ended in October when Pei announced to leave the company.
Carl Pei was the face of the brand and played a major role in designing the OnePlus smartphone brand as we see today. However, it is only speculated by reporters that there was an internal power rift between him and Pete Lau (OnePlus, co-founder).
According to sources that tipped TechCrunch, it is speculated that the new venture Carl Pei is all set to begin will be related to audio hardware. In addition to this, reporters also suggest that Carl will utilise these freshly acquired funds to set up a new office in London, hire experienced talent and invest in product research and development.
Carl Pie in a statement mentioned that he is excited about his new venture and keen to see how the market reacts. He expressed his gratitude that his friends are a part of his new business and his team is strategically moving aggressively towards their vision for the start-up.
BBK Electronics Corporation owns OnePlus and other innovative smartphone brands such as Vivo, oppo, iQOO and Realme.
When the man was asked about his departure from OnePlus, he mentioned that he told Pete Lau face to face that he was leaving, the other co-founder was not quite ready for the news. Carl said that he doesn’t think Pete saw it coming and he laid out his gratitude and told Pete about what he plans to do next. He affirmatively said that they are still in contact, talked a couple of times and in the end, Pete understood and supported him in his decision of departure.


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OR WAIT null SECS
A proposed database includes key information about critical drugs, such as the country of origin and quantity, so supply chain weaknesses can be identified.
In June 2021, the Biden–Harris administration announced a task force to address “short term supply chain discontinuities” (1). This included strengthening Executive Order 13944, a list of essential medicines, medical countermeasures, and critical inputs (2). A report published in May 2022 highlights fundamental pillars one would expect (3).
A proposed bill by US Senator Gary Peters (MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, building off several reports he released in the past few years, proposes to assess national security vulnerabilities in the pharmaceutical supply chain by the Mapping America’s Pharmaceutical Supply (MAPS) Act. This database will include key information about critical drugs such as the country of origin and quantity so supply chain weaknesses can be identified (4). While this might seem duplicative of other database systems such as North American Industry Classification System codes, it can be seen as part of a macro trend for government, to take further action in an already highly regulated industry. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative are cut from the same cloth.
Rumors have swirled about an under-the-radar White House initiative to gather pharmaceutical supply feedback to present potentially radical options. On this initiative, but specifically commenting on generics, Elisabeth Reynolds, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology lecturer and former special assistant to Biden for manufacturing and economic development at the National Economic Council, said, “There’s a lot of resistance in the industry to more transparency or anything that requires more cost in this low-margin business. We have to find ways to provide incentives to invest in quality, or put in place requirements to make them responsible for quality” (5).
Tom Kraus, VP government relations for the American society of health-system pharmacists, strongly supports MAPS, saying, “By requiring HHS to coordinate with other agencies and the private sector to map the pharmaceutical supply chain, threats to the US pharmaceutical supply chain can be identified and addressed before they place patients at risk” (5).
Mike Hennessy Jr. is the President and CEO of MJH Life Sciences.
Vol. 36, No. 8
When referring to this article, please cite it as Hennessy, M. Supply Chain Securities. BioPharm International, 2023, 36 (8) 3.


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Simply increasing the minimum allowable thickness of plastic bags would not be a worthwhile result of a review of plastic bags legislation, according to the ACT Conservation Council.
Concerns at the continuing proliferation of plastic bags in the ACT has prompted the Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Shane Rattenbury, to direct the ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment, Kate Auty, to review the 2010 legislation that banned lightweight plastic bags of less than 35 microns thick.
He wants the Commissioner to consider options that include increasing the minimum thickness of bags and requiring the use of biodegradable, compostable bags.
ACT Conservation Council Executive Director Larry O’Loughlin said the review was welcome but it might not be of much use if the review just finds that the thickness of plastic bags should be changed.
“We actually need to look at genuine change, that people remember to take receptacles with them,” he said.
Mr O’Loughlin said an outright ban might be the way to go but it would be good if we had an Australia-wide approach.
“It’s a matter really of what people need to understand to do and that they are better prepared and have more options of genuine reusable bags so when they come to the end of the life cycle they’re useful for something else and they’re not causing damage to the environment,” he said.
While plastic bags were only a small part of the overall waste problem, it was important they were dealt with because they did gradually work their way into the waterways, then into the ocean and marine environment, he said.
Mr Rattenbury said in his letter to Professor Auty that plastic bag manufacturers had been quick to ensure they were able to offer bags that were just over the 35-micron minimum limit to retailers.
“As a consequence, I understand that many retailers and customers have not changed their behaviour around the use of plastic bags, and perversely may instead be using thicker plastic bags for single uses,” he said.
“I have considered a number of options, such as whether it would be better to again increase the minimum thickness of plastic shopping bags to encourage numerous reuses of the bags, or whether it could instead be better to require the use of biodegradable, compostable bags. Another concern I have is the use of plastic bags that degrade into micro plastic pieces, thus creating further environmental issues.”
Professor Auty will investigate whether the legislation is effective and recommend any improvements that could benefit the environment.
Mr Rattenbury said he was worried about how much retailers were using slightly thicker bags and one option would be to increase the thickness to 75 microns, which Queensland was considering.
He also was interested to know what new technologies were available.
“We may be able to refine the scheme to ensure we further reduce the use of plastics, for example by only permitting single-use bags that are biodegradeable,” he said
Mr O’Loughlin said there were alternatives and people do use the canvas, jute or reusable ‘green’ bags available from supermarkets.
He said about replacing plastic with thicker plastic: “you might get an extra 50 lives out of a thick bag but you’re still going to end up with something in the ocean”.
There also could be better recycling options, as dedicated bins at shopping centres were hard to find.
“It would be good if all the people who give away the plastic bags would take them back to be recycled not just dumped into landfill here,” he said.
Professor Auty is expected to hand down her report by June.
What are your thoughts on this issue? Is increasing the thickness of the plastic the answer to curbing plastic shopping bag numbers? Let us know by commenting below.


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NEW YORK: Procter & Gamble (P&G) has issued a voluntary recall of nearly three dozen of its aerosol hair products after recent reports that indicated traces of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical.
The company said on the website of the US Food and Drug Administration that it has begun a full review of its aerosol products under the Aussie, Herbal Essences, Pantene and Waterless brands.
It is the second massive product recall the Cincinnati-based company has issued this year, citing concerns over the presence of benzene, a human carcinogen linked to leukemia, in its products
Previously discontinued aerosol dry shampoo products from its Hair Food and Old Spice brands were also included in the recall.
“The vast majority of our products are not part of this recall, including mousses, hairsprays, liquid shampoos, liquid conditioners, styling products, treatments, and unaffected aerosol dry shampoo sprays,” P&G said.
Benzene is a colourless chemical that evaporates when it is exposed to air. It is classified as a human carcinogen, which, according to the American Cancer Society, can result in leukemia and blood cancer of the bone marrow, as well as life-threatening blood disorders.
According to FDA, exposure to benzene can occur by inhalation, orally, and through the skin and it can result in cancers including leukemia and blood cancer of the bone marrow and blood disorders which can be life-threatening.
Humans around the world have daily exposures to it indoors and outdoors from multiple sources.
However, the FDA said that to date, the Procter & Gamble Company has not received any reports of adverse events related to this recall and is conducting this recall out of an abundance of caution.
P&G said, “Daily exposure to benzene in the recalled products at the levels detected in our testing would not be expected to cause adverse health consequences.”


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Nile Breweries Limited on Thursday announced that it will not change prices of its beer despite the current negative economic pressure faced by businesses in Uganda and the world at large.
Speaking to journalists at their offices in Kampala, Nile Breweries Legal and Corporate Affairs Director Onapito Ekomoloit said although there is a negative economic pressure faced by businesses across the board, their action is deliberate to enable consumers to continue enjoying their favourite beers as they cope with the economic hardships.
“We understand the prices of most commodities, including the raw materials we use to make beer have increased across the country. However, we also understand that Ugandans still are trying to recover from the upheaval that was the covid-19 lockdown. We stand with all Ugandans during these hard times and get through them together where we can,” he said.
Mr Ekomoloit added that although the company is incurring high costs of production due to high prices in fuel and other raw materials used, they believe that the layman (end-user consumer) is also feeling much bigger pressure than them. And if they increase prices it will be unfair.
“We are a multinational company and we have enough sock absorbers to move around with the changes in the economy. For that matter, we have not increased the prices of our beer. We know we are not alone in the market but we appreciate that Ugandans are now feeling the pressure, so we the big brothers have to be on their side. Because our dream is to create a future with great cheers so we must walk the talk,” he said.
He clarified that NBL’s decision is not a guarantee that change in pricing will never happen, but it is a fair move to ensure that their consumers continue to enjoy their products as they work to get back on their feet.
“In the immediate future, our mission is to offer the best product to our consumers. We have been with them for years, we understand issues that affect them and we want to move at their pace as they go through these hardships.” He said.
Molly Horn, the Trade Marketing Manager at NBL also noted that the prices for all their products across the value chain in the entire region have remained the same.
“We need all our sellers to respect the recommended retail prices. And if you find anyone selling our beers at a higher than recommended prices or claiming that we have increased prices, please inform us through us and we shall follow up or relay your complaint through our company toll-free line, 0800-204204, or tweet, or Call centre +256312440600, or email us firstname.lastname@example.org.”
According to NBL’s connections manager John Paul Semakula, by not increasing the prices of their beer in such a time does not mean that they will lower their products’ standards.
“We are going to continue supporting all the programs we have been supporting, the sports, bars, parties, etc.”
Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at email@example.com


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NEW YORK — Ice cream and fast food chain Dairy Queen is the latest retailer to reveal a hack of its customer data.
The company said Thursday that hackers may have gained access to customer names, credit and debit card numbers and expiration dates at 395 stores between August and October. The company said it has fixed the malware problem.
International Dairy Queen Inc. has about 4,500 franchised stores in theU.S. It’s also the parent of the Orange Julius chain, and one stand-alone Orange Julius store was breached.
Dairy Queen said there’s no evidence Social Security numbers, card PIN numbers or email addresses were stolen.
The Edina, Minnesota-based company, which is owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., is offering customers free identity repair services.
Dairy Queen’s press statement confirming the breach is below:
International Dairy Queen, Inc. today confirmed that the systems of some DQ® locations and one Orange Julius® location in the U.S. had been infected with the widely-reported Backoff malware that is targeting retailers across the country. The company previously indicated that it was investigating a possible malware intrusion that may have affected some payment cards used at certain DQ locations in the U.S. Upon learning of the issue, the company conducted an extensive investigation and retained external forensic experts to help determine the facts. Because nearly all DQ and Orange Julius locations are independently owned and operated, the company worked closely with affected franchise owners, as well as law enforcement authorities and the payment card brands, to assess the nature and scope of the issue. The investigation revealed that a third-party vendor’s compromised account credentials were used to access systems at some locations.
The investigation has established the following:
[li]The Backoff malware only impacted payment card data at 395 of the more than 4,500 U.S. locations.[/li][li]The time periods during which the Backoff malware was present on the relevant systems vary by location. A list of impacted locations, as well as the relevant time periods, is available at www.dq.com/datasecurityincident/. [/li][li]The affected systems contained payment card customer names, numbers and expiration dates. The company has no evidence that other customer personal information, such as Social Security numbers, PINs or email addresses, was compromised as a result of this malware infection.[/li][li]Based on our investigation, we are confident that this malware has been contained.[/li][/ul]
“We are committed to working with and supporting our affected DQ and Orange Julius franchise owners to address this incident,” said John Gainor, president and CEO of International Dairy Queen. “Our customers continue to be our top priority.” The company is offering free identity repair services for one year to customers in the U.S. who used their payment card at one of the impacted DQ locations or the one Orange Julius location during the relevant time period. The company has posted information about these services and other steps that affected DQ and Orange Julius customers can take to help protect themselves on the company’s website at www.dq.com/datasecurityincident/.


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A state-of-the-art dry fertilizer spreader is the latest implement DOT Technology Corp. has added to its fleet. The design made by New Leader Manufacturing (NLM) is being dubbed the G5.
The design is based of NLM’s NL5000 G5 series and has swath width control technology, allowing operators apply nutrients to the soil with pinpoint accuracy the company says.
“The company has a well-known history of leveraging technology to make its equipment more productive and effective. We are very excited to work together with them to offer farmers the opportunity to have a G5 spreader on their DOTPower Platform,” says Norbert Beaujot, president and founder of DOT.
According to a news release, the G5 can spread material in up to 16 sections, thereby reducing overlap, decreasing nutrient waste, and optimizing the placement of nutrients.
“We’re proud to be working with DOT on this exciting project. Both companies are committed to bringing versatile equipment to the marketplace that meets the needs of this ever-changing industry. We’re confident the combined solution between our companies will bring a real opportunity for growers to increase productivity and efficiency,” says Rob Rudolphi, NLM’s director of global business.
The product design was unveiled last week at the University of Arizona Maricopa research farm.


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Contact Sarah Novak, Vice President of Membership and Public Relations
The American Feed Industry Association congratulates and thanks Congress on the long-awaited passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The U.S. animal food manufacturing industry depends on the free-trade access it enjoys with Canada and Mexico, which has allowed exports of feed ingredients, feed and pet food to more than quadruple since the North American Free Trade Agreement’s (NAFTA) implementation, growing from roughly $669 million in 1993 to over $3.2 billion today.
Constance Cullman, AFIA’s president and CEO, stated the following:
“I am excited for the opportunities that will come from the implementation of USMCA. The USMCA not only builds on the success of NAFTA by facilitating greater market access, regulatory transparency and accountability among the three trading partners, but it also sends a message to our other trading partners that the United States is serious about enhancing trading relationships, supporting U.S. businesses and exports and setting a new standard for how trade agreements with the United States are expected to look. In addition, many AFIA members have integrated businesses – where they have operations in the United States, Mexico and Canada and the USMCA will facilitate growth across all their business units.”


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- U.S. economic growth will likely accelerate this year before slowing in 2019, congressional researchers projected.
- The growth rate is expected to be well below the Trump administration's 3 percent target as a fiscal stimulus fades.
- The Congressional Budget Office projected inflation adjusted or real gross domestic product would grow 3.1 percent this year, exceeding 2.2 percent growth in 2017.
U.S. economic growth will probably accelerate this year before slowing in 2019 to well below the Trump administration's 3 percent target as a fiscal stimulus fades, congressional researchers projected on Monday.
In an updated economic outlook, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected that inflation adjusted or real gross domestic product (GDP) would grow 3.1 percent this year, exceeding 2.2 percent growth in 2017 due to lower income taxes, increased government spending and private investment.
The government slashed corporate and personal income taxes in January in a $1.5 trillion package and the U.S. Congress passed a $1.3 trillion spending bill in March.
This has buoyed consumer and business spending as well as government outlays, which combined with accelerated soybean exports to lift the economy to a 4.1 percent annualized rate in the second quarter from a 2.2 percent pace in the January-March period. The April-June growth rate was the highest in nearly four years.
But the CBO said it expected growth to slow in the second half as jolts to consumer spending and agricultural exports either fade or reverse. For instance, some second-quarter soybean exports were aimed at beating Chinese tariffs that took effect in July and cut future shipments.
"In 2019, the pace of GDP growth slows to 2.4 percent in the agency's forecast, as growth in business investment and government purchases slows," CBO director Keith Hall said in a statement.
Republicans have said the tax cuts, which increased the nation's debt, would pay for themselves through strong economic growth. The Trump administration has said the economy can sustain 3.0 percent growth over the long term, an assertion many economists have disputed.
The CBO also cautioned that trade tensions could make a bigger dent on GDP growth than anticipated. An escalating U.S.-China trade war could result in tariffs on all goods traded between the world's two largest economies.
"When CBO completed this economic forecast in early July, the agency estimated that the macroeconomic consequences of the U.S. tariffs and foreign retaliatory tariffs that had been implemented at that time would be small," said Hall.
Tariffs then "affected goods that accounted for less than 1.5 percent of the total value of U.S. trade. However, trade policy has already changed since early July and may continue to evolve, so the effects of new tariffs may become more substantial and have a larger effect on the economy than CBO accounted for in its current projections."
From 2023 to 2028, the CBO forecast the economy growing by about 1.7 percent each year.


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The value of Japan's food exports hit a record last year, reaching that mark by the end of November. The figure was buoyed by a weak yen and recovering demand in the global restaurant industry.
The government says shipments of agricultural, forestry and fishery products from January to November were just over 1.2 trillion yen, or about 9.3 billion dollars. In yen terms, they were up over 15 percent from the same period a year earlier.
Seafood exports stood out. Sales of scallops surged by 47 percent. Those of yellowtail rose almost 40 percent.
Alcoholic drinks were also strong. Shipments of whiskey and sake were up by about 21 percent.
The government has said it aims to export two trillion yen, or about 15 billion dollars a year in the overall category by 2025. It now says it wants to reach that target earlier.


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Valassis and Daily Herald Expand Alliance to Include Chicago Tribune
Press release from the issuing company
LIVONIA, Mich., Aug. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Valassis (NYSE: VCI - News), one of the nation's leading media and marketing services companies, and the Daily Herald, suburban Chicago's largest daily newspaper, today announced a new partnership with the Chicago Tribune, a leading media company in the Chicago area. Valassis first entered into an alliance in the Chicago area in 2005 with the Daily Herald. This expanded alliance will provide advertisers with a new alternative for reaching their audiences in the Chicago market.
Through the alliance, Valassis will combine advertising inserts from its RedPlum(TM) Direct Mail Package with the Chicago Tribune's midweek ShopLocal mail program, creating a single, shared offering that will reach 3 million households weekly in the Chicago market. Through the new program that will begin in October 2008, Chicago Tribune will continue to deliver preprinted insert advertising in its Wednesday newspaper edition, and Valassis will continue to deliver to these Chicago Tribune subscriber households in the RedPlum Direct Mail Package.
With this partnership, consumers benefit from advertising that is delivered by trusted, reliable sources -- Chicago Tribune/ShopLocal, Valassis' RedPlum product and the Daily Herald. In the households where two mail packages are currently delivered, consumers will now experience the added convenience of more value-related content in one package. This package will be co-branded RedPlum-ShopLocal. Similarly, the Daily Herald-RedPlum-ShopLocal package will continue to be delivered with the Wednesday edition of the Daily Herald and mailed to non-subscribers in the Daily Herald market area.
"Combining inserts that go to non-subscribing households will streamline efficiency while providing richer content and greater consumer appeal," said Jack Whisler, Chicago Tribune Vice President, Advertising. "At the same time, both companies will retain their own proprietary targeting options and compete as before in the marketplace."
"Our alliance with Valassis has allowed us to provide our advertising customers a broader reach of the Chicago suburbs and that continues to be important to our success," said Scott Stone, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Daily Herald. "The addition of the Chicago Tribune to our alliance will heighten the awareness of the RedPlum package, ensuring it will get even wider market recognition among consumers as the trusted source for essential advertising messages."
"We are committed to delivering value to consumers, and as a result of this alliance, we will extend our reach and provide them with the savings opportunities they seek in an efficient way," said William Blackmer, Valassis Senior Vice President, Strategic Sourcing. "Our advertisers also benefit from this joint distribution plan that maximizes response through both the power of newspaper and the mail. We are very pleased to continue building our relationship with the Chicago Tribune in this important market."
The new combined midweek mail program will be produced at Tribune Direct Marketing, a Chicago Tribune Media Group subsidiary located in Northlake, Ill. The advertising wrap that carries the adverting inserts will be produced and printed by Valassis.
WhatTheyThink is the global printing industry's leading independent media organization with both print and digital offerings, including WhatTheyThink.com, PrintingNews.com and WhatTheyThink magazine versioned with a Printing News and Wide-Format & Signage edition. Our mission is to provide cogent news and analysis about trends, technologies, operations, and events in all the markets that comprise today’s printing and sign industries including commercial, in-plant, mailing, finishing, sign, display, textile, industrial, finishing, labels, packaging, marketing technology, software and workflow.


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The University of Wisconsin-Madison is facing controversy from students around the lack of menstrual products in campus restrooms. Each women’s restroom has a dispenser where students can get period products such as pads and tampons, but according to a tweet from April 21, not all of them have been restocked on campus.
“This morning I went to five university bathrooms (four of which were in Steenbock library) looking for a menstrual product and found not a single one was in stock,” junior Meghan Savaglia tweeted in April. “@UWMadison @UHSMadison don’t bother offering free menstrual products if less trafficked areas of campus will not be stocked.”
Recently, University Health Services (UHS) and the Division of Facility Planning & Management (FP&M) have not heard complaints about the lack of menstrual products on campus, according to UHS Chief of Staff Marlena Holden.
“Access to menstrual products is considered a basic service at many higher education institutions, including UW-Madison,” Holden said.
Although students have not alerted UHS and FP&M of any issues regarding period products in campus restrooms, some still expressed concerns.
“I think it’s definitely something that should be taken into account by administrators. I’m a part of [the] Associated Students of Madison (ASM), and there’s been a lot of push from student organizations to offer those products,” Savaglia, the Press Office Director of the student governance body, stated. “Things like Sex Out Loud, things like Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment, where they push to have those materials distributed for free.”
Savaglia remains frustrated as UW-Madison has been restocking toilet paper and cleaning campus restrooms on a daily basis.
“ I don’t see why those dispensers have to be any different than those essentials for bathrooms across campus,” Savaglia said.
UW-Madison’s Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA) also advocated for increased menstrual product accessibility. Yearly, the club sets up a menstrual product drive and donates these necessities to different organizations within the community.
“I think our campus and most campuses across the states are really long overdo in having period and menstrual products accessible in every single bathroom,” said PPGA member and senior Maya Cherins. “And I think this also touches on another issue of having gendered bathrooms where, on campus, if you do happen to find products, they’re really only in women’s restrooms, which is incredibly heteronormative.”
Ultimately, the push for access to menstrual products at UW-Madison is not new. Students voiced concerns about accessible menstrual products on campus for years. In 2017, ASM and administrators created a plan to provide free menstrual products in campus bathrooms.
“[It] began as a pilot project that was a collaboration between FP&M and ASM in a subset of campus buildings,” Holden said. “The program was expanded to a wider range of campus buildings, focusing on facilities used by students.”
The pilot program took into account the cost of making all products free, and the idea quickly spread across campus and through the University of Wisconsin System.
FP&M was tasked with stocking and keeping track of menstrual dispensers, while the student council would promote and collect feedback about the program from other students. Each year, FP&M converted additional facilities as funds allow.
“Currently, FP&M stocks free menstrual products in 330 bathrooms in 75 campus buildings,” Holden said.
University custodial staff are in charge of restocking the dispensers. Anyone who finds empty dispensers is encouraged to let their building manager know or contact Physical Plant Customer Service.


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Local brands are making inroads in the laundry market at large. A Famous brand of Kanpur named Ghadi is the biggest example of this. Every fourth detergent sold in the country is of Ghadi. In comparison, the stock of Hindustan Unilever (HUL) is lagging behind. Five years ago, Hindustan Unilever dominated every sub-category in this segment. Now Ghadi has become a popular brand while Hindustan Unilever has established itself in the premium and mid-market. In fact, the size of Ghadi Detergent as a brand has exceeded the combined size of the wheel, Dhoop, and Nirma.
Ghadi has maintained a 22% share of the mass market over the past three years, but the market share of other brands with similar price points has steadily declined. This is shown by the September data released by Nielsen. HUL’s Ghunghat and Sunlight both lost 1.70% market share overall, while Nirma lost 0.30% market share for regional brands. However, HUL continues to lead the Rs 17,000-crore Indian laundry market with a 37.4 percent share.
For More Information https://ghadimachinewash.com/
However, the market share of Procter & Gamble (P&G), which sells detergents under the Tide and Ariel brands, declined by 3.50 percent to 15.7 percent during the same period. Nirma’s market share, which ousted Surf from the top 3 list three years ago, has also come down to 3% during this period. According to analysts, this shows that HUL, which has been slipping in the mass market, is finding success in the premium market.
Avneesh Roy, senior VP-institutional equities, at Edelweiss Securities, said, “The premium category that HUL is promoting is not increasing the market share of any mass-market brand, including Ghadi. This has led to an increase in the share of detergents in the premium category, while Ghadi largely dominates the market even without an increase in market share. The widening price differential now as compared to five years back has helped HUL snatch market share from P&G.
Tide is priced 10% higher than Rin, which P&G has been leveling for years, often through promotional pricing, but over the last two years, it has been driven by P&G’s global strategy to focus on profit margins and lower The difference has widened due to the abolition of Margin pack and brand. There is an increase of about 25%. There are three sub-segments in the Indian laundry market. Ariel and Surf are in the premium, Rin and Tide are in the mid-market while Ghadi, Weal, and Nirma dominate the mass market.
The dominance of Indian brands is increasing now and this is good news. So, Friends, I hope you like this article about Ghadi Detergent. Thanks for reading this article.


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Warrington-based Eddie Stobart Logistics plc said on Tuesday it is “experiencing exceptional volumes that we would typically see around Christmas” amid the coronavirus crisis.
The company said that at this stage “no conclusion can be drawn as to the potential impact of the exceptional volumes highlighted above on the profits or losses attributable to the company” for the year ended November 30, 2020.
In a stock exchange statement, Eddie Stobart Logistics said: “Eddie Stobart Logistics plc, the AIM-quoted cash shell, notes the following statement by the trading entities of Eddie Stobart, a leading UK end-to-end supply chain, transport and logistics group in which the company holds a 49% equity interest, regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19):
“The health, safety and wellbeing of our employees through these unprecedented times remains paramount.
“Economic uncertainty has led to market disruption, but we have implemented pragmatic measures to support our preparedness and ongoing ability to deliver services to customers to the same consistently high standards.
“Like other key members of the supply chain, we are all experiencing exceptional volumes that we would typically see around Christmas.
“Due to effective planning, our business is well placed to continue supporting all our customers’ needs, fulfilling all work as usual, while also safeguarding the wellness of our employees.
“We applaud the government’s recent announcement for recognising the key role the logistics sector are providing in such turbulent times.”


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ATLANTA — Georgia and 31 other states have reached a $438.5 million settlement with JUUL Labs in a lawsuit over the e-cigarette manufacturer’s marketing and sales practices.
The settlement – including Georgia’s share of more than $19 million – will be paid out over a period of six to 10 years, with the amounts paid increasing the longer the company takes to complete the payments.
If JUUL elects to extend the payment period the full 10 years, the settlement amount will increase to $476.6 million.
The agreement announced Tuesday ends a two-year bipartisan investigation into a company that until recently was the dominant player in the vaping market.
The investigation revealed JUUL aggressively marketed to underage users with launch parties, ads using young models, social media posts and free samples.
The company also manipulated the chemical composition of its product to make the vapor less harsh on the throats of young and inexperienced users.
JUUL also did not clearly disclose in its packaging that its e-cigarettes contained nicotine and misrepresented its product as a smoking cessation device.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said, “Underage vaping has reached epidemic proportions.”
“Our office is committed to protecting Georgia’s youth from products that could be harmful to their health. That includes holding accountable those that unlawfully try to sell dangerous and addictive e-cigarettes to minors in our state,” Carr said.
In addition to the payment, the agreement calls for the company to comply with a series of strict limits on its future marketing and sales practices, including refraining from youth marketing, making misleading representations about the nicotine content of its e-cigarettes, and funding education programs.


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Here’s our rundown of the top ten things you need to know this week in Downtown Orlando area news.
- Orlando city council gives preliminary OK to 17.7% tax hike. The $1 tax rate increase will bring the average tax bill back to where it was in 2009. The city has put together an overview of the budget and why they say the changes are needed.
- City Council looks at changes to allow Uber and Lyft to operate in Orlando. The City Attorney’s office presented some possible changes that would allow companies like Uber and Lyft to operate legally in the City. No specific legislation has been put forward yet.
- Growing Orlando to turn downtown rooftops into urban farms. A new non-profit is looking to turn downtown rooftops and unused space into a full-scale farm. One of the first rooftops slated to get the urban farm treatment is the Church Street Exchange building.
- Orlando expressway authority looks for new director again. After the last attempt resulted in a grand jury investigation and bribery conviction, the board will now look to hire a new director for the agency.
- Factur fabrication laboratory opens in Ivanhoe Village.The new maker space is now open. You can checkout our photo tour and the complete list of their equipment.
- Cloak & Dapper to open retail store in Ivanhoe Village. This will be the local online men’s retail shop’s first physical store.
- Pig Floyd’s Urban Barbakoa opens in Mills 50. After months of waiting, the Mills 50 BBQ restaurant from the folks behind the Treehouse food truck is now open.
- Sideshow opens at Wall Street Plaza on Orange Ave. The owners of Wall Street Plaza opened their newest bar called Sideshow. The circus themed bar also serves lunch and dinner.
- Mid-century modern furniture shop to open in College Park. Modern Redemption plans to open in the space next to Appenberry’s. They will carry mid-century modern furniture, collectibles, art and lighting.
- Theater review: ‘Les Miserables’ from Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Les Mis was one of our event picks this past weekend and runs through October 12. Matt Palm calls is a “must-see.”
Get our Top Ten in your inbox every Monday morning by signing up for our free newsletter.


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The Kirkland Lake Food and Artisan Market recently closed for another year and officials from the Parks and Recreation Department say “this year’s market has, without a doubt, been the most successful.”
This was the 5 th year for the market and there were 32 different vendors with an average of 20 each week. And some of the markets had over 500 customers. To put that into perspective back in 2017 the average number of vendors were five.
Officials also say “the feedback received from vendors has been so pleasant. 100 per cent of the vendors said they will be back next market season and they complimented the customer base in KL.”


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pymnts | March 31, 2020
FinTech firm MatchMove has struck a deal to acquire a “strategic stake” in eCommerce solutions company Shopmatic, according to reports. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed. Singapore-based ShopMatic said the new partnership aims to gain new customers and boost its growth. With the investment, MatchMove, which is also based in Singapore, will be able to extend its “banking-as-a-service” wallet capability to Shopmatic’s ecosystem spanning over 435,...
Shopify | May 04, 2020
Shopify is launching a “rebuilt and reimagined” omnichannel point-of-sale setup pitched to the COVID-19 era, calling it a POS that brings “in-person and online sales together in one place,” according to an announcement on Monday (May 4).
“Retailers need help right now. Shopify is doing everything we can to help retailers adapt to current challenges and come back stronger,” said Ian Black, director of retail at Shopify. “We are releasing our new Sh...
Valor PayTech | June 23, 2022
Valor PayTech, an India-based technology company that provides POS, virtual terminal, mobile, recurring billing, and e-commerce services, announced enhancing its offerings of omnichannel payments solutions with the addition of new in-demand payments technology and functionality.
The company aims to provide cutting-edge, flexible, comprehensive tools for resellers and their merchant customers to assist them in succeeding in today’s fast-changing business environment and shift...
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Lazada Singapore has signed an agreement with the Combat Service Support Command (CSSCOM) of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to offer certain products for purchase on Lazada’s e-commerce platform.
Lazada’s Lifestylemart store will initially offer items such as towels, running shoes and apparel in a pilot launch. During the pilot, the assortment can be purchased using Lazada’s payment solutions and delivered to customers through Lazada’s delivery partner network.
Meanwhile, the eMart is a kit replacement system for National Full-Time Servicemen (NSF) and National Service-Ready Servicemen (NSmen). Physical outlets can be found at select SAF camps and two commercially accessible retail stores in Singapore.
The launch of the Lifestylemart store on Lazada is expected to benefit all National Servicemen, who will be able to shop at their convenience and have the items delivered to their doorsteps. According to the signed agreement, Lazada and the Combat Service Support Command will open opportunities for exchanges and cross-learning in the areas of e-commerce expertise, supply chain management strategies and sustainability initiatives. , enabling the public and private sectors to share ideas and lessons to further improve existing systems and practices.
“CSSCOM is proud to work with Lazada to bring greater convenience to National military members, who can replace certain personal equipment or purchase items for Annual In-Camp Training (ICT) on the Lazada platform,” the commander said. CSSCOM, Brigadier General (BG) Terry Tan Koon. Woo added that the partnership provides an opportunity to learn business and industry best practices that can be reinvested to improve CSSCOM’s operational and peacetime effectiveness.
“Going forward, we will continue to explore more collaborations with other e-commerce partners to provide greater purchasing flexibility to our national military,” Woo said.
“National service is an integral part of serving our nation. Our national military dedicate valuable time to their training to ensure the security and sovereignty of Singapore. Like how we have diversified our offerings to meet the needs of local communities and businesses, we are proud to enable the Singapore Army to give back to the military with a positive NS experience and enjoy the benefits of the platform Lazada,” Loh Wee Lee, CEO of Lazada Singapore, added.
Lazada Malaysia unboxes new Halal store to support local entrepreneurs
Lazada launches a new brand positioning
Lazada demonstrates its commitment to sustainability with LazEarth country
Lazada establishes a regional headquarters in SG and creates a foundation for SEA women


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During January, the onion went from 20 to 50 pesos and the tomato from 26 to 56, which means an increase of up to 150%
Despite the fact that basic basket products such as sugar reported a decrease of up to 14%, products such as tomato, onion and chili register an increase during the first month of the year.
According to the market study prepared by the National Alliance of Small Merchants (ANPEC), at the local level, the price per 50-kilo bale of sugar has registered a decrease, going from 1,240 to 1,060 pesos.
However, the organization of small-scale merchants detailed that, like the trends that are recorded at the national level, products such as fruits and vegetables, as well as proteins, report an increase in prices in the entity.
The onion has reported increases of up to 150%, having gone from 20 to 50 pesos the average price per kilo, another of the products that has become more expensive during the year is the tomato, which went from costing 26 pesos per kilo to costing 56.
Cuauhtémoc Rivera, president of ANPEC, pointed out that the rise in food is a sign of the need to control inflation, since in the last three reports of the National Institute of Geography and Statistics (INEGI), it is located at an average of 5%, however, there are foods that register up to 10%.
According to the leader of the organization of merchants, they have detected that since their measurements of 2018, the increase has been such that the consumption of certain foods, such as protein, has fallen by up to 25%, due to how inaccessible they have become for an important part of the population.
“Inflation is galloping in the Mexican economy, making itself felt in this January slope, especially in the essential food products that every home needs to consume for adequate nutrition. The study carried out shows that it is not that people do not want to eat healthy, their limited purchasing power and the high cost of food are the factors that prevent them from doing so.”
Source: Diario de Queretaro


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Lotus Beverage Alliance delivers end-to-end turnkey solutions for distillers to bolster growth in the canned cocktail sector
Lotus Beverage Alliance (Lotus) is a collective of experienced craft beverage equipment manufacturing companies. It has announced its turnkey, end-to-end suite of hardware, software, and financing solutions. The solutions will help distillers to quickly and cost-effectively expand into the ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktail sector.
The portfolio of products includes a comprehensive array of distilling equipment. Lotus also has a competitive financing program for spirits makers. It enables startups and scale-ups to acquire the systems and ingredients they need without the upfront costs.
“Lotus is committed to helping spirits distillers quickly and cost-effectively expand into the lucrative canned cocktail market,” said John Ansbro, CEO of Beverage Alliance. “Our complete line of solutions eliminates the need for sourcing each piece of equipment from dozens of different vendors. Our team of helpful experts can answer questions and provide recommendations to fit every distiller’s unique needs. Further, our financing program removes the burden of upfront investment costs that prohibit many beverage companies from scaling and diversifying into the RTD market.”
According to research firm Future Market Insights (FMI), the RTD canned cocktail market will reach $57.2 billion by 2032. The growing consumer interest began with a shift towards at-home cocktail occasions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. The demand has only increased since then, with numerous large spirits makers entering the category with higher quality options.
Distillers can take advantage of this trend by making strategic investments and creating unique offerings to build consumer loyalty and capture market share.


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Last Tuesday, Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. (PPC) said it was willing to pay $45 per share to acquire Jimmy Dean sausage maker Hillshire Brands Co. (HSH) . As part of the deal, Pilgrim’s Pride said that Hillshire had to ditch its plans to acquire Pinnacle Foods (PF) for $4.23 billion.
Hillshire’s offer to buy Pinnacle drew quick criticisms from analysts and stakeholders questioning the synergies of brands and Hillshire taking on about $2.3 billion in debt.
Pilgrim’s Pride wasn’t the only one that views Hillshire as a tasty acquisition, as two days after Pilgrim’s offer, Tyson Foods (TSN) jumped over its rival chicken processor, unveiling an unsolicited offer of $50 per share for Hillshire. Including debt, the Tyson says the offer valued Hillshire at $6.8 billion. Tyson also said the offer was contingent on Hillshire dropping its plans to buy Pinnacle Foods.
Tyson is the world’s second largest meat processor, trailing only Brazil-based JBS SA. JBS was instrumental in Pilgrim’s Pride emerging from bankruptcy in 2009, taking a 75% stake in the company.
A merger of Pilgrim’s Pride and Hillshire would create the world’s biggest packaged meat company, with approximately $12.4 billion in annual sales. Hormel (HRL) currently holds the title with about $9 billion in sales. Pilgrim’s Pride sees about $300 million in annual savings by merging the companies and an opportunity to take Hillshire brands overseas, as nearly all of Hillshire’s current revenue is derived in the U.S.
If Tyson wins the battle for Hillshire, though, it would firmly cement itself as the biggest meat company in the U.S., including gaining some exposure in the breakfast meat category.
Pilgrim’s Pride wasn’t standing for it, coming in Tuesday with an offer of $55 per share in cash to acquire Hillshire, upping the value of Hillshire to $7.7 billion, including debt. The new price tag is a 49 percent premium to the value of Hillshire the day before the first proposal was disclosed.
Hillshire said today that it plans to meet with both Tyson and Pilgrim’s Pride separately to discuss the offers. In the meantime, Hillshire does not have the right to terminate the Pinnacle deal at this point, saying in a prepared statement today, “The Hillshire Brands Board of Directors is not withdrawing, modifying, withholding or qualifying its recommendation with respect to the Pinnacle merger agreement and the merger, or proposing to do so, and is not making any recommendation with respect to either the Pilgrim’s Pride or Tyson Foods proposals.”
The meetings with Tyson and Pilgrim’s Pride could be the start of Hillshire unwinding the Pinnacle deal, though, as the verbiage of the merger agreement with Pinnacle allows for the board to decide if a takeover offer is in the best interest of shareholders. Simply, if the Hillshire board views the Tyson or Pilgrim’s Pride proposal as better for shareholders, it can recommend investors vote down the Pinnacle acquisition and elect to approve one of the buyout offers. Pinnacle, the maker of Vlasic pickles, Wish-Bone salad dressing, and Birds Eye frozen vegetables, will receive a break-up payment of $163 million if that happens.
Investors are apparently thinking that there may be some more money brought to the table as Pilgrim’s Pride and Tyson duke it out to buy Hillshire. Shares leapt ahead another 9 percent this morning and are trading more than $3 higher than the $55 per share offer by Pilgrim’s Pride. Shares of PPC have stepped back 1.6 percent in Tuesday trading, while TSN is down 2 percent.


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Maserati’s last remaining non-sports cars, the Ghibli and Quattroporte, will be officially replaced by 2025 as part of the brand’s move away from sedans and focus on SUVs.
According to Australia drive.com.aua consolidation will take place that will see the Ghibli cease production entirely in 2024 and the Quattroporte the following year, before being replaced by an all-new model under that moniker.
“The plan is for the Ghibli and the Quattroporte to become one. So the Quattroporte will be short-wheelbase [model] “It’s the size of a Ghibli, but it’s called a Quattroporte,” Maserati’s general manager for Australia, Grant Barling, told the publication.
ALSO READ: Can anyone say no to Maserati’s Ghibli S?
Along with the merger, Barling also confirmed that the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 that powers the Ghibli Trofeo and Quattroporte Trofeo will be phased out entirely, although there was no mention of a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 or 2, 0 liter soft. the turbo-petrol hybrid used in the Ghibli Hybrid, Levante Hybrid and the new Grecale.
Uncertainty surrounding what the sixth-generation Quattroporte will look like widens as it has not been announced whether it will be fully electric in line with parent company Stellantis’ move to have its entire brand electric by 2030.
If you’re really going for a fully battery-powered model, expect the current M156 platform, which debuted with both models in 2013, to drop one of its STLA foundations from Stellantis, which is due out next year with the STLA Medium and STLA Large.
In addition to the Quattroporte, Maserati will introduce a new Levante in 2025. Drivebut only after the premiere of all-electric versions of the Grecale and the soon-to-be-reborn GranTurismo next year.
A fully socketed version of the MC20 is also expected by 2025, when the Folgore badge, which means lightning bolt in Italian, will be standard on all models.
As such, we can expect a gradual downsizing of both the Ghibli and Quattroporte ranges over the coming months and into 2023.


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Wayland CVS store among those offering in-store vaccinations beginning next week
WAYLAND — The CVS store on Main Street is among 18 in Massachusetts where the Woonsocket, Rhode Island-based pharmacy chain is offering COVID-19 vaccinations by appointment starting next week.
CVS Health Corp. announced Tuesday that it was offering vaccinations by appointment to eligible people at more than 300 stores in 11 states, including the 18 locations in Massachusetts.
The Wayland store at 150 Main St. is among the Massachusetts stores that will provide the shots. Among the others in the state are stores in Newton, Revere and Hanover, CVS officials said.
When contacted by the Daily News, a manager at the Wayland store on Main Street declined to comment, other than to say that she did not know how many doses the store would receive. There is a second store in town, on Boston Post Road (Rte. 20).
The program, which launches next Thursday, will initially involve 250,000 doses obtained through the federal government, with the goal of expanding it when more supply becomes available, CVS said.
"CVS Pharmacy is now administering the COVID-19 vaccine by appointment only in Hanover, MA, Newton, MA, Revere, MA, and Wayland, MA, for people ages 75+ and qualifying essential workers," reads a statement on the company's website.
More than 90,000 health care professionals including pharmacists, licensed pharmacy technicians and nurses will participate in the vaccination effort, giving CVS the capacity to eventually administer 20 million to 25 million shots per month.
For more information, visit https://www.cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine.
To schedule an appointment, go to https://www.cvs.com/vaccine/intake/store/covid-screener/covid-qns.


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Feldmar Watch Company
Best Watch Repair, February 2006
“What will it take to set this one?” asked a customer holding a broken watch recently at Feldmar Watch Company. “An act of Congress,” cracked the clerk. Maybe it wasn’t a joke; if Feldmar can’t fix it, it’s pretty far gone. The shop is known for nursing mechanical and quartz timepieces back to life even after their manufacturers have pronounced them DOA. Ten full-time technicians work at the shop on Pico Boulevard’s bagel belt that is owned by the same family that founded the business downtown nearly 100 years ago. Jobs have included a pricey custom re-creation of a 1920s Rolex bezel on down to tightening a metal clasp on a Fossil—for which the shop refused to charge a fee.


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YSU, YBI, America Makes to Showcase Advanced Tech
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Make Youngstown, an event that showcases local businesses that employ advanced technology, will be held April 20 and 21 at Youngstown State University.
The university, Youngstown Business Incubator and America Makes, the brand of the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, are the sponsors of the exhibit to be held in Williamson Hall.
“The event will showcase local businesses developing or using advanced technologies that align with the growing maker movement throughout the region,” the university says.
A panel discussion with local entrepreneurs and “makers” from 1 to 2:30 p.m. will be held both days. Make Youngstown will allow all audiences to learn more about the efforts and business opportunities in Youngstown, YSU says.
The rapid development of advanced tools such as 3-D printers, laser cutters, CNC machining and interactive software is encouraging entrepreneurs, tinkerers and businesses to take simple ideas or drawings and transforming them into viable products with unprecedented speed.
Among advanced technologies on display will be 3-D printing, 3-D scanning, interactive software, virtual reality and hydroponics.
Copyright 2023 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.


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Why should you ditch plastic cling wrap?
Plastic is actually made from chemicals which leach into our food and drinks and even in our environment. Did you know that plastic is made from fossil fuels? Yes the stuff that is accelerating climate change! According to the World Resources Institute 550 billion tons of carbon have been going into our atmosphere from fossil fuels and cement production.
How plastic cling wrap was made
It was actually made on accident by scientists and originally used by the military to line planes and their boots in and now we use it to cover our food, yuck! One study found that in just six months 80 million Americans go through at least one large roll of disposable cling wrap.
They also add something called a plasticizer to make the plastic cling wrap more transparent and flexible.
How plastic is harming wildlife
Plastic cling wrap is not recyclable and ends up taking up unnecessary space in our landfills or polluting our beautiful oceans. Over 8 million metric tons of plastic actually goes into our oceans every year. This is dangerous because wildlife often mistaken plastic as their food and eat it leading to illnesses or death.
A new study, published in Current Biology, has found that turtles have been confusing the scent of plastic with food. It’s a mixture of food and plastics soaked in the ocean that entices them. According to CNBC, “Scientists estimate that over half of the world’s sea turtles and nearly every seabird have ingested plastic.”
Alternative to plastic wrap
Reusable beeswax wrap is a great alternative to plastic food wrap. It's great for wrapping sandwiches or leftovers. Just wash and dry it and use it over and over again. A perfect way to cut plastic out of your life!


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At CES 2015, virtual reality was a topic of great interest. In our special coverage of this segment, there are lots of news stories on the personal eyewear and head mounted displays that will be needed for this experience. But the question remains: does this current wave of euphoria over virtual reality (VR) have legs? Below are some of the issues and questions still facing the industry.
First of all, VR has been a technology that has been around for over 25 years. It has professional uses and continues to be valid in a range of professional, military and industrial applications. The current explosion of interest in VR has mainly centred around the potential to reignite interest in consumer applications, which have never really caught on despite numerous attempts over the years. This interest was catalyzed when Facebook bought Oculus for $2B. At CES, there were probably close to two dozen head mounted display options that we profile elsewhere.
Clearly having a head-mounted display interface that offers great resolution, no image smearing or movement lag, great audio, and any lack of motion sickness is needed. The latest Oculus headset, Crescent Bay, is now getting very close to this level. Other dedicated designs can and will continue to push this frontier. However, many of the other products that rely on using your smartphone as the source will offer compromises that are not likely to be very compelling for most consumers.
Nevertheless, in 5 years, it seems reasonable to expect the hardware platforms to have the maturity to make this part of the ecosystem a non-issue.
As a result, the real key to widespread adoption is going to be applications and content (no surprise there).
Oculus CEO, Brendan Iribe, said in an interview that “it is still day-zero” in the VR industry. That’s a pretty telling statement that there is much more work to be done. Interestingly, he noted that while Oculus has a strong gaming community working on solutions, their perceptions of how gaming will adopt VR is changing. For example, he noted that the idea of running around with your headset on shooting at people is not going to work. Instead, the VR experience will be more passive. He also noted that other applications in the commercial and professional space are looking much more attractive to them as there is already a clear need and use case, which can be augmented for an improved experience.
The gaming VR experience is also lacking good interactivity devices. Current game controllers may not be the answer, so experiments with gloves, track balls and the other tools of the professional VR side need to be considered more seriously.
Other consumer-oriented potential applications like watching a concert, movie or sporting event in a VR environment remain unknown territory. Will consumers wear the headset for long periods? Almost all current demos are short term demos that people often are thrilled by the first or second time they experience it. But the novelty will wear off quickly once you own a device and want to really use it. No one has done anything to understand consumer behavior using VR for longer periods – at least that we are aware of.
Plus, there is very little video-based content in a 360-degree format to even see if consumers would enjoy the experience. This is coming, as there was also a rash of new 360-degree capture devices on display at CES 2015.
Experiments are being done all over the place to capture 360-degree video, including by the major studios. For example, at CES, 21st Century Fox has crafted an immersive clip using the film Wild, while Time Warner’s HBO has created a similar experience with Game of Thrones. Production company, Jaunt, released a 360-degree video from a Paul McCartney concert at Candlestick Park, the final performance at the San Francisco stadium before it closed, while Samsung announced at CES that David Alpert, executive producer of the hit zombie show The Walking Dead, will create a series of short videos for its new headset, the GearVR. Samsung’s new Milk VR project is designed to help filmmakers create 360-degree content as well, promising new content every day! And it will be possible to put yourself inside animated movies soon too.
These could be hugely compelling applications, but it really is just the beginning of the evaluation of such concepts. Further, the industry needs to develop business models to monetize its investments in the format. In addition, how will such content be formatted and delivered to end users? Few standards exist.
But other applications may be more compelling in the short term. Museums seem like a natural application as do educational settings where topics can be explored in an immersive environment. Architectural review, both professional and residential, is being done today using VR, along with many other applications.
So while there remains much hype, activity and promise for a consumer VR market, it will take several years to know if it can really take hold. Meanwhile, professional applications will likely help fund companies along the way. – Chris Chinnock


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1. Cosmetagora 15-16 January, Paris
Organised by the French Society of Cosmetology (Société Française de Cosmétologie), the year kicks off with this annual gathering Paris of industry professionals.
This year is the 11th edition of the show, which takes place in the Espace Champerret in Paris. Last year saw the number of visitors rise by over 7%, with 4700 people attending.
It’s a show aimed at research professionals, toxicology experts, manufacturers of raw materials, distributors, packaging players, marketing experts, regulatory professionals and students in the field. Find full info here.
2. ADF&PCD 30-31 January, Paris
This is a show of two halves: the ADF section is dedicated to aerosol, dispensing systems innovation and business solutions in this space, while the PCD part focuses on the packaging of perfume, cosmetics and design.
“Dedicated to innovation and business solutions, PCD gathers over 480 exhibitors from leading suppliers alongside buyers and influencers, providing unparalleled networking and business opportunities,” organisers say.
3. Cosmoprof Worldwide - Bologna, 14-18 March, Bologna
Along with in-cosmetics Global (up next), Cosmoprof Bologna is one of the the leading shows not to be missed in terms of size.
“In 2018, more than 250,000 industry professionals, opinion leaders and experts from all over the world took part in the show, discovering the latest trends and innovations in the industry, analyzing case histories and making new contacts,” say organisers.
It features halls dedicated to perfumery & cosmetics, to packaging, and to the hair, nail and beauty salon segments of the industry.
This year, editor Lucy Whitehouse will be leading a session of the Education Programme: not to be missed.
4. in-cosmetics Global, 2-4 April, Paris
The in-cosmetics Global show is often considered the leading networking and innovation showcase for the industry on a global scale.
“The exhibition brings together up to 800 international exhibitors of ingredients, fragrances, lab equipment, testing and regulatory solutions with over 9,300 cosmetic manufacturers worldwide,” say its organisers.
This year, the Cosmetics Design team will once again be in attendance. Get in touch to book an interview with our editorial industry experts.
5. Beauty Industry Awards, by Cosmetics Design, 3 April, Paris
Our annual Beauty Industry Awards highlight the most significant, ground breaking and far reaching innovations in the cosmetics and personal care industry.
The awards are currently open for entry: Deadline to submit entries is February 8, 2019. Enter here.
The awards event itself will take place after day two of in-Cosmetics global event in Paris on April 3, 2019. Save the date!
6. Cosmetics Design Summit: Skin Microbiome Innovation, 24-25 June, Amsterdam
Our new two-day summit is this year dedicated to the hot topic of the skin’s microbiome and its potential for beauty and personal care.
The event will offer exclusive expert insight on the current state of the microbiome trend in the skin care category thanks to a speaker programme that includes some of the world’s most prominent experts in this field.
Find out more and register HERE to join us at the Cosmetics Design Summit 2019: Skin Microbiome Innovation, which is sponsored by DSM and Givaudan (Diamond sponsors); Solabia, BASF and Sabinsa (Platinum sponsors); and Indena and Atlantia (Gold sponsors).
7. Sustainable Cosmetics Summit, Paris, France, 4-6 November, Paris
The European edition of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit is a key feature of any beauty industry expert’s calendar if they have an eye on the pulse of the demands for sustainability that are coming to define the industry.
Organised by Ecovia Intelligence, the summit - full details here - will be hosted in Paris again this November.
8. Natural Products Scandinavia, 13-14 November, Malmo
Natural Products Scandinavia describes itself as “an essential industry event for trade buyers in the healthy living,nutrition, natural beauty and self-care sectors”.
It’s co-located with The Nordic Organic Food Fair, the combined shows host over 500 exhibiting companies and showcase thousands of natural and certified organic products.
The show offers a great opportunity for companies looking to tap into trends, brands and ingredients coming out of the popular Scandinavian region in the ever-lucrative naturals space. Full details available here.


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New motorcycle coming to PUBG soon
They also announced that the motorcycle will be able to be controlled mid-air allowing for maneuvers such as flips and other bullet dodging abilities.
What else do we know about the PUBG Motorcycle?
Not much yet. We are still awaiting the newest PUBG patch notes from Bluehole. As soon as we know anything new, you will.
Also Bluehole corrected a targeting issue as well. We will have more information in the May 25th patch notes which will be released at some point today(5/23/2017.)


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It’s easy to forget that both Walmart and Sam’s Club started with one man and his five-and-dime store. They’ve become juggernauts of today’s retail landscape, places you can go to get anything and everything for a decent price… even though you might hate what they’ve done to small businesses.
Somewhat strangely, it was small business owners that Sam Walton wanted to help when he opened Sam’s Club in 1983. According to their own history, they started by offering limited products with a narrow focus, designed to be a one-stop shop for business owners. Their model has expanded a bit since then, but they’re still a no-frills warehouse that’s become as handy for families as for businesses. After all, who doesn’t love a place where you can go and stock up on a year’s worth of toilet paper and pickles in the same trip?
But in spite of Walmart’s domination of America’s retail world, Sam’s Clubs have been closing across the country. There are some strange reasons behind the business move, too, so let’s talk about what’s really going on here.
The details of the closings
Sam’s Club has been in trouble for a while, with failing sales going back to at least 2015. According to The Motley Fool, they’ve been trying to improve same-store sales (essentially, the revenue generated by existing stores) for a long time, and they haven’t been just flat, they’ve been going down.
That’s why the industry didn’t find it was a complete surprise when, in January 2018, some Sam’s Club stores across the country didn’t open for the day — or ever again. But what was surprising is the complete lack of information passed on from Sam’s Club corporate. According to Business Insider, their list of closed stores came from employees who were suddenly out of a job and local media, not from corporate officials. No one knew what was going on, how many were to close, what was to become of them, and how many people were out of a job. The whole thing was even shadier because it was coupled with a feel-good story on how Walmart was going to be expanding their benefits programs and raising their minimum wage. What gives?
They’re focusing on the wrong income bracket
Part of Sam’s Club’s financial problems stem from a bigger problem — the country’s economy. According to The Motley Fool, most Sam’s Club customers come from middle- and lower-income brackets. When the economy goes bad, they’re the ones that feel it and they’re the ones cutting back on spending the most. That means they’re not heading out to spend a few hundred bucks at Sam’s Club. To make matters worse, only about 15 percent of Sam’s Club stores are located in the country’s most affluent states — compare that to Costco’s 41 percent, and you can see why there’s a problem.
By the end of January 2018, 63 Sam’s Club stores had closed, and The Wall Street Journal was able to see a very distinct pattern. The closures were under-performing stores, but it was also done in such a way that remaining stores could be revamped to target a new group: families with an income of between $75,000 and $125,000. Incoming Sam’s Club CEO John Furner noted that the goal was to "transform the business," and added they needed to focus on locations more accessible to the more resilient, higher-income brackets they were going to be targeting.
Small businesses let them down
Sam’s Club was originally founded to target small business owners, and yes, that’s the same small businesses Walmart has damaged so badly. In a weird twist of cosmic karma, the purchasing habits of those same small business owners have ultimately put a hurt on Sam’s.
The Motley Fool says as of 2015, about a third of Sam’s Club memberships were held by small business owners. That’s a huge percentage, and with that group not spending the amount of money Sam’s had expected, that created a cash flow problem for the warehouse giant.
When Sam’s hired a consulting firm to tell them where the real problems were, this one was twofold. Not only were small business owners not buying as much as Sam’s thought they would, but when they did buy, they were buying mostly products for their home and personal use. That completely skewed their targets, their numbers, and their bottom line.
They’re opening a revamped grocery
Another piece of the puzzle fell into place in June 2018, when Business Insider reported Sam’s Club would be opening a completely different kind of store: a grocery store. They reported on a yet-unnamed store in Dallas that was a template for the new model, stocked with already prepared meals and fresh food. Many services would tech-centered, including scan-and-go checkouts, self-service returns. It will also be open to members only. At the time of their reporting, it wasn’t clear exactly what this was going to mean for the future of Sam’s. According to SamsClub.com CEO Jamie Iannone, they were also testing things like same-day pickup and delivery options.
The concept store is much, much smaller than a traditional Sam’s Club, with only about a quarter of the footprint. They’ll also be carrying a fraction of the items (between 1,000 and 2,000, compared to Sam’s usual 6,000), and if all goes according to plan, you might see these tech-savvy grocery stores popping up alongside — or in place of — your neighborhood Sam’s.
Costco is a thorn in their side
Competition has been a huge problem for Sam’s Club, too, and that mostly comes from Costco. To put things in perspective, The Wall Street Journal looked at the numbers from 2017. While Sam’s Club saw a sales increase of just .2 percent, Costco clocked a 3.8 percent rise in sales.
Sam’s has been trying to take customers from Costco for years, going back to the addition of higher-end jewelry in 2001. But Sam’s Club CEO John Furner says their efforts weren’t concentrated, and they spent too much time chasing too many things. They tried to cater to high-end customers, small business owners, lower-income families… the whole deal, while Costco was quietly sitting back and stealing customers. In response, Sam’s Club cut their losses along with all their stores in Washington state — the home of Costco. Retail analysts found that’s not a coincidence, and 52 of the 63 closed Sam’s Club locations were ones that had a Costco within 10 miles. By cutting stores in high-competition areas, they can compete elsewhere.
Some are being turned into fulfillment centers
Amazon is now doing to Sam’s Club what Sam’s Club and Walmart once did to Pop’s hardware store and Mom’s five-and-dime. In order to stay competitive in the online market, 12 of their Sam’s Club stores are being turned into e-commerce fulfillment centers. The goal is to try to compete with Amazon’s insanely fast delivery service, and that’s no small challenge.
According to Twice, remodeling some strategically places Sam’s Club stores into warehouses is just part of it. They’re also offering free shipping and no minimum purchase requirements (for Plus members), and revamping their membership tiers, all to try to cater to the online market. The first fulfillment center — located in Memphis, Tennessee — will double as a testing ground as they find their feet, and Forbes says it’s a huge decision that’s reflective of the industry. An online shopping platform can make or break a business, especially in an era when consumers are extraordinarily demanding.
They’re competing with… themselves
Everyone knows Sam’s Club is Walmart’s sister company, and that’s something that has ended up being a massive problem for them.
According to The Motley Fool, Walmart is actually one of Sam’s biggest competitors. At the time they announced they were going to be closing about 10 percent of their locations, they had 660 stores in the US. Of those, 200 of them shared a parking lot with Walmart — which, of course, doesn’t require customers buy a membership fee.
They also say that since there’s a huge amount of merchandise that’s on the shelves at both Walmart and Sam’s Club, there are a lot of customers that opt to just run into Walmart instead of fussing over Sam’s, their lines, and their memberships. That’s put them between a rock and a hard place, losing part of their targeted income customers to Walmart, and part to Costco.
They’ve ignored Costco’s marketing successes
Go into any Costco, and you’ll find a ton of their own, store-brand Kirkland products. Everyone knows the name, and the Huffington Post argues that Sam’s Club seriously missed the boat by not creating the same sort of signature line of products.
There are a few reasons they say this is super important, and part of it is that Kirkland products create brand loyalty. Since you can only get them at Costco, they end up with loyal Costco customers who are unlikely to jump ship for another, similar warehouse store — especially one that hasn’t put the effort into their store brand.
The strength of the Kirkland brand gives Costco something else Sam’s Club doesn’t enjoy: leverage with suppliers. Take coffee, for example. If suppliers don’t meet Costco’s expectations or price demands, they can simply stock the shelves with their own products. That likely gets them bigger bargaining power and better deals on the back end, and they can increase profits and pass more savings on to the customer. Kirkland is a huge deal Sam’s just can’t compete with.
They tried to bury the bad news… and it backfired
There’s something else going on here, and just how much it will impact Sam’s and Walmart remains to be seen, but it’s worth talking about.
Sam’s Club’s handling of their store closures created nothing less than what CNN called "a PR mess." At the same time they officially announced they were raising minimum wage, giving out bonuses, and expanding some of their benefits, some local news outlets were running a very different story. Employees who had no warning whatsoever were showing up to work and finding their Sam’s Club closed.
Nothing about that looks good, and while news and rumors started circulating in the morning, it wasn’t until afternoon — and after quite of bit of social media pestering — that Sam’s Club finally came clean. Media relations experts chimed in, saying it looked like execs were hoping the good news was going to bury the bad, and while that’s never been confirmed, it definitely puts a bad situation in an even worse light. What kind of impact that’s going to have on their brand and their plans going forward remains to be seen, but PR disasters rarely work out for the best.
What about all those memberships?
The completely unexpected closure of so many Sam’s Clubs left a lot of people with a problem: memberships they’d paid for, but could no longer use. There’s good news on this front, says Business Insider.
Customers can get a refund, but only by calling (888) 746-7726 and canceling their membership. Members have the option to get a check, a Walmart gift card, or — strangely — a Sam’s Club gift card. Anyone who’s interested in keeping their membership can also opt to transfer it to another store, but refund offers are only open to customers who have a membership at any of the closed stores.
It’s also worth noting that Money Talks says you don’t need a membership for a lot of Sam’s Club services. Non-members can shop online (but at the cost of an added 10 percent), and if you’re just going to the pharmacy, optometrist, or if you’re just buying alcohol, you don’t need a card. For, you know, the important stuff.


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The new branding campaign of Dolce & Gabbana issued China. The Chinese not much apprezzawx on social networks to tighten their national stereotypes and clips called racist brand. The company, even on the basis of & # 39; surge & # 39; protests, had to cancel a planned fashion show.
F & # 39; & # 39 series, three of the fashion house clips, a Chinese woman dressed in gowns gowns, and indeed try to eat pizza or spaghetti using Chinese sticks.
The combination innocent essence of Chinese culture and Italian, however, on social networks led many Chinese to resist a campaign ridiculing. Dozens of & # 39; local people then called for a boycott of & # 39; fashion shows and branded products. For example, actress of popular cinema of China, Zhang C & # 39; -i, known film Tiger and Dragon or geisha, announced that it will not cooperate more with her clothes and buy it will stop.
The videos originated in the countryside DG Loves China, which had an Italian brand to open the way to the Middle Reich market. However, due to unexpected criticism and boycott, the organizers also had to cancel fashion show in & # 39; Shanghai about an hour before the start.
Dolce & Gabbana subsequently said she was passing Wednesday shows another term, but the company did not specify any reason. The company then apologized publicly for the poor reception of videos and assured that "respect China".
The case, however, again & # 39; & # 39 started again; back, when the account & # 39; Instagram co-founder of the Italian brand, Stephan Gabbana, began appearing with racist power at the expense of the Chinese. However, according to the firm, was the attack & # 39; hackers who attacked the personal profile of the designer.
The statement & # 39; Stefan kiosks on his Instagram:


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Big-selling records from homegrown artists such as Sam Smith, Paloma Faith and Ed Sheeran have helped pop overtake rock as the most popular music genre in the United Kingdom.
According to new figures released by labels trade body the BPI, pop accounted for more than a third (34.5%) of album sales in the U.K. in 2014 – its highest level since 1999. Pop also made up almost half (48.8%) of the compilations market, claiming six of the top 10 biggest-sellers of the year.
For a sixth consecutive year, the genre also ruled the singles market, making up more than a third (36%) of all singles sold.
Historically pop has long vied with rock as the most popular music genre in the U.K., with four out of the last seven years seeing rock land the biggest share of the albums market. In 2013, it was once again the leading genre, accounting for 33.8% of all albums sold.
Although 2014 saw pop narrowly overtake rock, new albums by Royal Blood, Foo Fighters and AC/DC helped the genre maintain its popularity among U.K. record buyers and account for 33.2% of the U.K. albums market.