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Whether via social media, in the press or just by word of mouth, it’s still the talk of the town as people look forward to next year’s show at the NEC.With attendance at this year’s FIT Show a massive 45% up on the 2014 show with 8,502 unique visitors you’d expect a lot of positive feedback from those who were there.
Offering up testimonials and letting the FIT Show team know how happy they were with the show and how excited they are about FIT 2017, here are a few examples:
“The response we had from the show was staggering, given our location in the innovation zone, off the main hall for SMARTGLASS Dynamic, powered by SageGlass. We’ve had interest from regional installation companies and even some larger national players and it’s done much to enhance our reputation as innovators in the glass market. It was a wise investment for us.
– Jason McCabe, Commercial Director, Clayton Glass
“With around 500 pre-qualified leads, the FIT Show has been remarkable in the way in which it’s captured the imagination of the industry. New products and innovations are finally back on the agenda for our sector and we’ve been able to showcase some incredible products for the extended living space market, harnessing both glass and WARMroof technology.”
– Chris Baron and Chris Cooke, Co-Directors, Prefix Systems
“With a record breaking footfall of 3,217 visitors to our stand, award for Most Creative Shell Scheme Stand and an endorsement from the AEO, you could say that we excelled at the FIT Show, but so did the industry as a whole. Our investment in the stand was modest and yet our returns are immeasurable, an example of what can be achieved with a small shell scheme, a little creative thinking and the support from the FIT Show as a whole. What an exceptional event!”
– Leon Day, Managing Director, Universal Arches
“We had a number of business objectives before the show commenced and we surpassed them in every single way. Lead generation and quality was of an exceptional standard and it was a great opportunity to further cement relationships with key customers, while launching our Refine product to the masses. Finally, the industry is back on track with a true sense of optimism.”
– David Firmager, Managing Director, TruFrame
Taking place 23-25 May 2017 at the National Exhibition Centre, to book a stand at FIT Show 2017 please contact Freya Humphries on 07572 623457, or email firstname.lastname@example.org.


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- Approximately 3 out of 4 owners would apply (or would consider applying) for a second round of the Paycheck Protection Program;
- Approximately 1 in 3 owners said the extra unemployment benefits made it hard to hire (or rehire) workers;
- Approximately 1 in 5 owners fear they will close if economic conditions don’t improve in the next six months;
- Approximately 1 in 5 owners feel legal action related to COVID-19 is a serious concern.
Eileen Kean, the state director of NFIB in New Jersey, said she isn’t surprised.
“Many state small businesses were hard hit and unable to come back financially with restrictions still in place and consumers hesitant to patronize certain types of businesses,” she said. “The travel and entertainment industries continue to suffer, and small restaurants still can’t make a profit with no diners allowed indoors. Financial assistance is still needed from state and federal government if they are going to survive this economic crisis.”
Holly Wade, NFIB’s director of research and policy analysis, said the health crisis is not impacting small businesses equally.
“Small businesses are adapting to the abrupt shifts in consumer spending, managing customer and employees’ health and safety, and complying with state and local mandates, which are all creating additional stress for small business owners,” she said. “Many of them still need more financial assistance just to keep their doors open and staff on payroll.”
Key findings from the survey include:
Most PPP borrowers (84%) have now used their entire loan, up from 71% in July.
- The remaining 16% of borrowers are likely not far behind on spending;
- Most PPP borrowers (81%) applied for the loan through the financial institution that they normally use for business purposes;
- About 43% of borrowers plan to use the EZ form when applying for loan forgiveness,
More than a third (35%) of respondents have applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan, or EIDL.
- Nearly three-quarters (74%) were approved for a loan and 9% were denied;
- About 18% still have not heard yet about the status of their loan application;
- Of those who applied for an EIDL loan, 22% of loan applicants are “very satisfied” with the EIDL program overall and another 44% were “satisfied.”
Almost half of PPP loan borrowers (47%) anticipate needing additional financial support over the next 12 months.
- If eligible, 44% of small business owners would apply or reapply for a second PPP loan;
- Another 31% would consider applying for one.
Sales levels remain at 50% or less than they were pre-COVID for about 1 in 5 employers.
- Another 28% report sales levels of 50-74% from pre-crisis levels;
- Half (50%) are nearly back to where they were, with some (14%) exceeding pre-COVID sales levels.
About 1 in 5 (21%) small business owners report they will have to close their doors if current economic conditions do not improve over the next six months.
- Another 19% of owners anticipate they will be able to operate no longer than 7-12 months under current economic conditions;
- Over half (61%) are better situated and do not anticipate any near-term problems.
Most small business owners do not expect business conditions to improve to normal levels until next year at the earliest.
- Only 19% of owners anticipate conditions improving to normal levels by the end of the year;
- 6% of owners say conditions are back to normal now;
- Over half of owners (52%) anticipate it taking until sometime in 2021, and 20% believe sometime in 2022.
The CARES Act provided additional financial assistance of supplemental unemployment insurance benefits through July 31. The program presented a significant challenge to some small business owners.
- About one-third (32%) of small business owners reported that the extra $600 per week has hurt their business by making it harder to hire or rehire workers;
- However, the UI program also has helped support customer spending, with 9% of owners feeling like they benefited from the program by it putting more money in their customers’ pockets;
- 3% of owners said they had to offer a higher wage to encourage a worker to come back to their job, and 4% reported having an employee agree to continue working, but only with reduced hours in order to also receive the $600 per week benefit.
The threat of legal action against small business is a serious concern for 21% of owners and a moderate concern for another 34% of owners.
- Just under one-third (31%) are not too concerned, and 14% are not concerned at all, likely due to limited contact with the general public or having few employees, if any.
About 1 in 5 (21%) small employers have had an employee take COVID-19-related paid sick leave or family leave as mandated and offered through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, or FFCRA.
- Only 30% of employers have claimed the tax credit or an advance refund for reimbursement of these costs.
These results come from NFIB’s 11th Small Business COVID-19 survey, assessing the health crisis’ impact on small business operations, economic conditions and utilization of the targeted small business loan programs. The first series was published in early March 2020, with subsequent publications every 2-3 weeks, found here. The full survey is available here.

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AI and the future of SEO: How ChatGPT and Google Bard will disrupt the industry
By now, almost everyone online is aware of the huge uptick in AI technology we’re all experiencing. Whether you’ve seen an out-of-this-world AI-generated artwork from Midjourney, been fooled into believing Prince Harry said something completely outrageous in his autobiography thanks to ElevenLabs or read an eyebrow-raising poem from ChatGPT, AI is here, and it’s here to stay. Nowhere, however, is it more discussed than within the tech space itself.
Is ChatGPT going to kill SEO?
As a technical SEO agency, the question of whether or not ChatGPT – or AI in general – is going to be replacing SEO is a frequently asked one. Many clients could be wondering if new AI technology could totally replace an agency’s years of experience, but would they be right to think that? Well, let’s get an answer straight from the horse’s mouth.
“No, AI technology is not going to kill the SEO industry. AI can be used to assist with certain aspects of SEO, but it will not replace the need for human expertise in creating and implementing a comprehensive SEO strategy. AI can help with tasks such as keyword research, analysing website data, and identifying technical SEO issues, but it cannot fully understand and cater to the nuances and complexities of search engine algorithms and consumer behaviour. The SEO industry is expected to evolve and adapt to the use of AI, but not to be replaced by it.”
There we have it, ChatGPT gives a pretty succinct answer to the query. However, it’s worth expanding on some of the points the AI gives us to help us understand why SEO isn’t going anywhere. For most digital industries, AI technology will be highly disruptive to existing processes, making certain aspects far more simplified than ever before. But that is far more likely to result in better, more efficient output, rather than total replacement.
Our agency founders have gone through dozens of big updates and new technology releases that have been considered everything from minor disruptors to full-on SEO killers. But whenever a new technology is released, we notice that the cycle is the same. Whether it be the switch to mobile-first indexing, the introduction and growth of voice search, or even just a Google update, the reactions follow a pattern:
Both clients and industry experts overreact, insisting that this is the end of SEO as we know it.
The industry begins to make the most of, or adapt to, the new technology.
The SEO industry thrives using the new technology, providing better results for agencies, clients and searchers.
A new technology is released.
Innovative tools like ChatGPT and Google Bard are going to revolutionise the way in which SEO work is conducted for the better. Keyword research will be streamlined, minor tweaks and content optimisation will be done faster and minor hiccups could be made obsolete. This is all good news for both those working in the industry, and clients who are seeking a more efficient service from their SEO providers.
As an example, we’ll be able to analyse website data more efficiently than ever before. That means SEOs will be able to offer a faster service while attaining the same results. However, the AI is highly unlikely to be able to understand and implement the exact changes required that vary due to an innumerable number of factors on a case-by-case basis. The human element of creative problem solving, lateral thinking and ability to constantly change methodology to fit the situation are likely to always be necessary in the industry. On top of that, the kind of unspoken, human element of explaining issues in a way that everyone can understand in a consultancy setting is absolutely essential. It’s never enough to simply state what is wrong, you also need to be able to analyse the behaviour of the client to help them effectively understand why there is an issue, the implications of the issue and how to avoid it in the future.
There are two main areas in which we can focus to explain how AI technology can be incredibly useful, without it being seen as a tool that’s going to irrevocably change SEO. The first is to examine what ChatGPT can’t do that a human SEO expert can. The second is to speculate – which is, unfortunately, all we can do for now – on how the behaviour of a searcher is likely to change with the integration of ChatGPT into Bing and Google Bard into Google search.
What can’t AI do?
Search engines offer great variety in their results pages, allowing searchers to make their own decision when making a query. Humans like to research, assess and compare before reaching a decision – particularly when that decision is a purchase.
While ChatGPT’s technology may be excellent when users are in the research stage, being able to answer questions instantly and with detail, it’s highly unlikely that that use will follow all the way through to the purchasing stage. For example, if you were searching for “What are the best headphones for under £200” would you simply believe the robot? Deciding to buy there and then based on the description it offers you? If you’re anything like me, the answer is an obvious no.
The same fear came about with the rise of voice search and digital assistants such as Alexa, Siri or Cortana in our devices. And while ChatGPT has improved dramatically on their capacity to answer questions, as it stands it’s far more useful for helping people cheat on their homework or reciting a concise biography of Henry VIII than it is for overhauling the way SEO will be conducted on ecommerce sites.
Creativity is still the cornerstone of SEO, and is one of the most difficult areas for companies to focus on when they choose not to outsource to a team of experts. Whether writing relatable and engaging content for specific audiences, interacting in the correct way when link-building or being able to think laterally when determining why a site may have lost rankings, traffic or conversions, creativity is essential to the process.
AI is a long way from being able to truly replicate the human experience, and while it may be able to write a conventional formal email or short explanation, the creativity to write in an engaging and human manner is still a long way off. If anything, the rise of AI is more likely to ensure that websites who don’t harness creativity in their SEO campaigns will suffer, making the work of the highly creative lateral thinking people in SEO far more valuable and far more effective.
AIs work by pulling knowledge from existing data sources. While machine learning will ensure these sources are always updating, the dataset is unlikely to be as quick to understand why something has happened, rather than simply that something has happened.
The SEO industry is ever evolving and moving forward, and there are currently no AI tools available that are able to constantly analyse, understand and act on totally new trends.
How will search behaviour change with the introduction of AI?
We are likely to see some search behaviour change as ChatGPT and Google Bard are rolled out into search engines. Consumers, whether they’re looking to purchase a product, find a recipe or answer a question will always be seeking the most straightforward and streamlined route to their destination.
While AI technology will be more than adept at providing these snappy answers – the kind we already see in rich snippets like FAQs and People Also Ask – when it comes to buying a product or service, the user is still very likely to look deeper. As long as businesses continue to provide interesting, useful and creative content on their websites, they’ll continue to see customers arriving. One could predict that some organic traffic drop off may occur, but with the current state of ChatGPT and Google Bard, this will most likely be for informational searches made by users who would never have converted in the first place.
So what should we do?
This level of AI technology is, for now, nothing more than a very interesting new tool in the arsenal of business owners and professional SEOs. Now that it has been invented, it won’t be going away. For SEOs, businesses and searchers, adaptation in how we all use the internet will no doubt occur, but it’s unlikely that this next big thing will totally wipe out any industry. With more new consumer AI technology hitting the market, it’s up to agencies and SEOs to embrace new tech, harnessing its power to help grow the industry. We’ll be able to offer higher level consultancy solutions, with new AI technologies supporting us.
The kind of AI technology we’re seeing be deployed by Microsoft and Google is still very new and moving at an incredibly rapid pace. As such, we’ll be continually updating this article with new information as and when it comes to life.


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TAIPEI – Interwood Taipei, a trade show for woodworking machinery and supplies, achieved 4,868 visitors, including 800 foreign buyers, a 27% increase from the 2005 show, according to The China Post.
“The diverse innovations of Taiwan’s woodworking industry helped boost attendance by 27%, a big increase compared to the previous show held in 2005, which was attended by 3,826 people,” the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) said in a statement.
The show, held every three years, ran July 4-7 at the Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1. To create more business opportunities at the show, the council arranged more than 200 buying meetings that were joined by 27 international companies from 14 countries to discuss potential deals with some 40 local manufacturers.
“The total business opportunities generated from these meetings is estimated to have surpassed US $10 million, thanks to the participation of buyers from emerging global markets,” the TAITRA said in the statement.
Have something to say? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.


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Dog treats from China cause dogs to get sick
Better check your dog’s treats. Nearly 1,000 dogs reportedly have been sickened by chicken jerky pet treats from China. This is according to a new tally of complaints from worried owners and vets submitted to federal health officials. The FDA has logged 900 reports of illnesses and deaths since November, when it warned owners about continued problems with the products known variously as chicken jerky strips, treats and nuggets.
The agency sent inspectors earlier this year to Chinese plants that make the jerky treats, but no results of those reviews are yet available. No one’s been able to find any toxins responsible for the doggy illnesses and deaths. The suspect brands include Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch brands produced by Nestle Purina PetCare Co., and Milo’s Kitchen Home-style Dog Treats, produced by the Del Monte Corp. Two of the manufacturers say their products are fine and are not behind any illnesses


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Former We Mean Business CEO tasked with getting businesses, investors, organisations, and cities engaged with the COP26 summit happening in Glasgow in November
Nigel Topping, the former CEO of climate organisation We Mean Business, has been appointed by the UK government as its ‘high level climate action champion' ahead of the COP26 climate summit it is co-hosting...
Bank of America, BlackRock, and Amundi deliver latest landmark green finance moves, as reports suggest leading banks are poised to beef up their decarbonisation strategies
Swedish tanker shipping giant sets out roadmap to decarbonise its fleet, as it steps up focus on zero emissions technologies and carbon neutral fuels
Supermarket announces it will gradually phase out 'bags for life' from all its stores over the coming year


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A 144-tonne shipment of Cambodian fragrant rice will leave Phnom Penh for Fuzhou, China on Saturday, the first Chinese order for the Kingdom’s milled rice after a recent government agreement was reached on Chinese regulation.
Mekong Oryza Trading received the order months earlier, senior manager of business development David Van said yesterday in an email.
“We waited [to announce the order] until both governments agreed on a format on paperwork as we didn’t want to get caught with cargo stuck at Chinese entry ports,” Van said.
He declined to name the Chinese buyer.
Reported regulatory issues have held back Cambodian rice shipments to China for more than a year, experts have said, some of whom maintained that the problem was Chinese red tape, not rice quality.
Rice millers have collected a stack of memoranda of understanding but the pseudo-agreements failed to translate into real trade.
Mega Green Imex Cambodia last week said the company would ship a test run of 240 tonnes of rice to China by the end of June.
Golden Rice president Sok Hach said his company sent a 48-tonne test run earlier in the year but failed to pass regulatory tests in the southern Chinese port of Shenzhen.
The China Certification & Inspection Group will inspect the rice at Cavifood rice mill in the capital’s Russei Keo district tomorrow before it leaves Phnom Penh Autonomous Port two days later, Van said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Don Weinland at [email protected]


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Oil and gas plays continue to dominate this week's Big Cap 20 list, with half the names hailing from the sector.
Not surprisingly, most of them have outperformed the market and are extended as a result. But a few other leading nonenergy stocks currently working on bases could provide watch-list fodder for when the market comes out of a correction.
Valeant Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:VRX) made headlines April 22 after making a hostile bid with activist investor Bill Ackman to buy Allergan (NYSE:AGN) for $45 billion. Valeant, which surged 7% that day, has since regained its 10-week moving average and sits 11% off its high.
The stock had cleared a 116.49 flat-base buy point in late December and rose 33% to its Feb. 27 high.
It pulled back as much as 25% over the next five weeks before finding support at its 20-week line.
Analysts expect Valeant to boost Q1 profit 32% when it reports Thursday before the open.
Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA) is still stuck below its 10-week line as it shapes a new base, but a recent uptrend suggests it may be starting to build the right side. It rallied 42% within the first three weeks after an early February breakout from a cup-with-handle base, but had erased all those gains by mid-April.
The new potential buy point would be 265.10, but at 18% below its high and testing 10-week resistance, Tesla still has some work ahead.
Consensus estimates call for the electric car maker to earn 10 cents a share in its Q1 report, slated for Wednesday after the close. That would be a 17% decline from the year-ago quarter.
O'Reilly Automotive (NASDAQ:ORLY) continues to shape a second-stage flat base with a possible entry at 156.04. Shares cleared a 129.92 cup-with-handle buy point in December before bouncing off the 10-week moving average in early February on the way to a 20% gain.
The auto parts retailer on April 24 reported earnings that topped Q1 views with EPS of $1.61, up 18% from the prior year for its lightest growth in recent years.
Sales increased 9% to $1.7 billion, roughly in line with the previous three quarters.
Illumina (NASDAQ:ILMN) has corrected as much as 30% from its March 4 high as it consolidates below its 10-week line. Like Tesla, there is much work to be done before it nears a potential entry of 183.40. Illumina is 22% below the peak.
The stock rose 5% ahead of its April 22 earnings beat, then 4% the next day. But three consecutive down sessions brought it back to just above 127, where it had found support.
Two stocks trading just above their buy points are Spectra Energy (NYSE:SE) and Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU). While both are technically within buy range, Micron emerged from a late-stage base, and the market is still in a correction.


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As World Millionaires Multiply, Singapore Holds Its Leadby
Singapore seems modest by some measures: Median income among working households was only about S$5,700 (about US$4,500) in 2010, according to the Singapore Department of Statistics. Yet in this small island nation of only 5 million, known for extravagant shopping, high-end restaurants, and draconian chewing-gum laws, nearly one in every six households has more than $1 million in assets, making it the densest population of wealthy households in the world, according to a new report by Boston Consulting Group.
As the financial markets improved last year, global wealth grew in nearly every region in the world. The fastest, at 17.1 percent, came in the Asia Pacific region (excluding Japan), followed by North America at 10.2 percent. "Global wealth is at an all-time high," says BCG Senior Partner Monish Kumar.
According to BCG's study, global assets under management grew 8 percent, to $121.8 trillion, about $20 trillion above the level during the depths of the global financial crisis. The number of millionaire households grew 12.2 percent, to 12.5 million, and although they represented only 0.9 percent of all households, they held 39 percent of global wealth.
Only Liquid Assets
BCG looked at 62 markets covering more than 98 percent of global GDP and measured assets that included cash deposits, money market funds, listed securities held directly or indirectly through managed investments, and onshore and offshore assets—but not wealth attributed to investors' own businesses, residences, or luxury goods.
Wealth in North America, the world's richest region, had the largest dollar-value gain: $3.6 trillion. The U.S. remains home to the most millionaire households—5,220,000 (up 10.7 percent from 4,715,0000 households in 2009)—although the share was only 4.5 percent of all households, BCG data show.
While China and India are driving wealth creation in Asia, Singapore also grew at a fast pace. The number of millionaire households in Singapore jumped about 38.6 percent in 2010, to 170,000, from nearly 123,000 in 2009, according to BCG data. The country has had the largest proportion of millionaire households for several years, and the share continues to grow: Singapore's millionaire households increased to 15.5 percent of total households in 2010 from 11.4 percent in 2009.
The rise is due to Singapore's expanding economy, which has grown mainly on such exports as consumer electronics and pharmaceuticals, as well as financial services. Real GDP growth averaged 7.1 percent per year from 2004 to 2007, according to the CIA World Factbook and reached nearly 14.7 percent in 2010—faster than China's 10.3 percent growth rate.
Not Just Tycoons
Among Singapore's well-known billionaires are Wee Cho Yaw, chairman of United Overseas Bank Group (UOB), as well as the families of the late real estate mogul Ng Teng Fong and financier and hotelier Kho Teck Phuat. Still, many of the country's wealthy are not tycoons but entrepreneurs and affluent immigrants, says Tjun Tang, partner and managing director of BCG in Hong Kong. Other billionaires include philanthropist Richard Chandler in New Zealand and real estate developer Zhong Sheng Jian in China.
City-states such as Singapore, along with other small countries and administrative regions with a high density of millionaire households, such as Switzerland, Qatar, and Hong Kong, tend to be hubs of commerce and finance and have greater economic generation within a smaller population, says Tang.
Another factor driving wealth: Singapore's investor scheme, which grants permanent residence to certain investors, says Tang. According to the website of Janus Corporate Solutions, people can "invest [their] way to Singapore permanent residence" by investing more than a certain minimum in a new business startup or Global Investor Program-approved fund or in expanding an existing business in Singapore.
More Money, But Higher Costs
With this wealthy population comes a relatively high cost of living. In a 2010 cost-of-living survey of 214 cities by consulting firm Mercer, Singapore is the 11th most expensive city in the world for expatriates, on a par with Oslo and more expensive than New York City.
Mercer also gave Singapore high scores in its 2010 quality-of-life study of 221 cities: It was the top-scoring Asian city, followed by Tokyo.
The economic trends remain a concern around the world, yet BCG expects that with strong capital markets, GDP growth, and increased savings, global wealth will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.9 percent through 2015. Singapore has already led with the highest proportion of millionaire households for several years. With the Asia-Pacific region's share of global wealth expected to increase to 23 percent in 2015, from 18 percent in 2010, Tang says, "the trends seem to be in Singapore's favor."
Click here to see the countries with the highest proportion of millionaires.


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Business News›four wheelers
See improvement in our asset quality going forward: Umesh Revankar, Shriram Finance
"Our credit cost in the first quarter was 1.67%, much below our long-term average of 2%. That means we should be able to continue this good run for a longer time."
Domestic markets more exciting, but exports recovery has commenced too: Rakesh Sharma, Bajaj Auto
"Retail financing is progressing very well. We are seeing tenures of loans going up, which is a very good indication because is suggests that people have confidence in a continued stream of income based on which they are taking longer-tenure loans."
Policy predictability for EV adoption needed to make investments: Ather CBO Ravneet Phokela
Pholeka said, "Unpredictability is not good for business because my business plans are based on a certain assumption of subsidy. If the assumption changes then the plans change and if I'm not certain about my plans, I can't make investments."
Govt exploring legal options against electric 2-wheeler cos for not complying with FAME II norms
The Indian government is considering legal action against seven electric two-wheeler companies for not complying with the FAME II scheme norms. The government has requested a refund of incentives totaling Rs 469 crore from Hero Electric, Okinawa Autotech, Ampere EV, Revolt Motors, Benling India, Amo Mobility, and Lohia Auto. Only Revolt Motors has offered to repay the amount so far.
Kids above the age of five must wear helmets on two wheeler: Patna Police
In an effort to increase road safety, the Patna traffic police are urging parents to provide helmets for children over the age of five when riding as passengers on two-wheelers. The measure is aimed at protecting young passengers and avoiding fines. The traffic police are enforcing this rule through the use of CCTV cameras installed by the administration and Patna Smart City.
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Seven electric two-wheeler firms suffered over Rs 9,000 crore loss after Centre stopped subsidies, says SMEVSeven electric two-wheeler companies in India have collectively lost over Rs 9,000 crore ($1.2bn) in unpaid dues and market loss after their subsidies were stopped last year, according to the Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV). The Indian government has told the companies to refund the subsidies availed by them. The companies may have to absorb unpaid dues, interest, debt, loss of market share, reputational loss and the cost of capital along with potential recapitalisation.
Rahul Shah's 2 top bets in two-wheeler space"In the last two, three quarters, Hero numbers were disappointing plus the overall number, sales number, month on month sales are also not so exciting. With Harley's launch and the response, things should improve for Hero and that is reflecting right now in the stock price.right now. If you have to buy any of the two-wheeler stocks, then Eicher and Bajaj remain our top bets in that space."
Customers be asked to refund rebate on electric 2-wheeler purchases amid subsidy cancellation, says EV makers bodyElectric two-wheeler makers in India have requested the government to ask customers to pay back excess incentive claimed on purchases of EVs, following allegations of misuse of subsidies. The Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles has suggested that customers who received the incentives should return the rebate to the OEMs.
India shuts down another China entry - this time Megha-BYD's $1 billion plan for four-wheeler facilityThe 2 companies had in their application to DPIIT proposed to set up an electric vehicle plant in Hyderabad. In its proposal to the DPIIT, the venture made a pitch to manufacture 10,000-15,000 electric cars a year. BYD, the world's largest electric vehicle maker by sales, has already launched two EV models in India.
FAME III in the works, may cover alternative fuel vehicles this timeThe government has begun working on the third phase of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME III) financial support scheme, which is likely to cover hydrogen-powered vehicles, additional support for electric three-wheelers and a curtailed version for two-wheelers, said officials.
Premium bikes segment to become meaningful part of two-wheeler market: Rahul SinghSo, I think that is the interesting part of what has happened over the last three-four days. So, when the dust settles down, I think the debate will shift to how big that part of the market can be in two-wheeler and whether that can be the new trigger for the companies to start growing because the core segment obviously is reasonably well penetrated and the growth is not as exciting as it is in some other parts of the auto market.
CBI to send judicial requests to UK, UAE, S Korea in bribery case against lobbyist Sanjay BhandariThe CBI will send letters rogatory to the UK, the UAE and South Korea in connection with a bribery case against lobbyist Sanjay Bhandari who is accused of influencing a contract related to an ONGC Petro Additions Ltd (OPAL) plant in Gujarat, officials said Tuesday.
Centre proposes to keep vehicle insurance premium unchanged for most categoriesSops which have been continued include a discounted price of 50% of the premium based on the Indian Motor Tariff to a private car registered as vintage car. Another discount of 7.5% on the premium shall be allowed for Hybrid Electric Vehicle. A 15% discount has been provided for Educational institution buses, and for Electric vehicles over comparable fossil fuel run ones.
Foxconn may set up EV factory in India this yearThis marks the first instance where Foxconn has explicitly stated its plans to further its EV manufacturing ambitions in India.
EV registrations in Delhi crosses one lakh markThe number of registered electric vehicles (EVs) in Delhi has surpassed 1 lakh since the implementation of the city's EV policy in August 2020, with 65% of the total sales being two and three-wheelers. The Delhi Government is now planning to further incentivize the adoption of EVs by providing subsidies and cheaper charging facilities for government employees, to meet its target of ensuring 25% of new vehicle registrations are electric cars by 2024.
EV vs other cars: Are electric vehicles still worth the cost?There isn’t much of a resale market for EVs in India now. If you want to sell your car after a few years, you will not get many buyers, forcing you to sell at a low rate.
RevFin eyes ₹400cr mop-up to drive loans for EV buysThe company, which received its first tranche of $5 million (about ₹41 crore) from the United States Development Finance Corporation earlier this week, expects strong demand for loans, driven by high fuel prices, incentives given by the central and state governments and renewed emphasis by e-commerce companies to electrify their last-mile delivery fleets.
No plans to restrict sales of diesel cars in India - oil ministry official"There is no such talk to limit the sales of diesel-powered cars," the official told reporters.
Ola gears up to widen e-scooter portfolio for market share gainsOla Electric, India’s leading e-scooter maker, plans to introduce four to five new models by the end of the current fiscal year. As per the firm, Ola’s scooters are now the most affordable among the top five brands in India due to an increase in market prices. The firm's new product range aims to span multiple price points, with the launch of the S1 Air in July now expected to retail for INR109,999.
Govt to cut FAME-II subsidy on electric 2-wheelers from JuneThe Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles (FAME) India scheme commenced on April 1, 2019, for a period of three years, which was further extended for a period of two years up to March 31, 2024. The total outlay for FAME Scheme Phase II is Rs 10,000 crore to provide incentives to buyers (end users or consumers) of electric vehicles to enable wider adoption, which may be encouraged as a purchase price
Ban diesel four-wheelers in India's big cities by 2027, says energy transition panelIndia should ban diesel four-wheelers in cities with populations of over a million by 2027 and double the share of grid power in the national energy basket to 40% by 2035, according to the Energy Transition Advisory Committee of India's petroleum ministry. The committee also suggested setting up a group of minister from energy-supplying ministries and a larger committee of secretaries with members from energy-consuming institutions to create a roadmap that can be adopted by stakeholders. The report said diesel city buses should not be added in urban areas and suggested encouraging the use of electric and natural gas transportation.
TVS Motor sales rise four per cent to 3.06 lakh units in AprilSales of electric scooter TVS iQube Electric were at 6,227 units in April 2023 as against sales of 1,420 units in the same month last year, it said, adding the production was constrained last month due to new battery safety norm AIS156 changeover and supply chain challenges.
Wheels are skidding: Why India’s exports of two-wheelers and three-wheelers are fallingTwo-wheeler exports fell to 34.06 lakh units in April 2022-February 2023 from 40.9 lakh in April 2021-February 2022, a 16% drop, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). In the case of three-wheelers, exports fell to 3.46 lakh units in April 2022-February 2023 from 4.61 lakh units in April 2021-February 2022, a 24% decline.
Overall consumer demand for four wheelers continues to be strong : Sandip SabharwalSingle day moves are tough to explain and the reasons I do not really know why it moved up so much. But overall for the real estate sector rising interest rates tend to be not positive and the stock prices of real estate companies are more sensitive to interest rate movements
Two trades in two and four wheeler space; a stock future and an option positionIts price had made a failed attempt to cross the 52-week peak and has been sliding lower ever since. The price has formed a Doji candlestick which is an indecisive pattern and suggests that overall confidence in the ongoing correction is declining. The Doji is followed up with a rise in price and volume, which increases the reliability of the reversal.
Vedanta rolls out electric vehicle policy for all employeesThe company has pledged 100 per cent of its light motor vehicles to be decarbonised by 2030as part of its commitment towards net-zero carbon.The incentives ranging from 30 to 50 per cent will be provided to various employee grades, the company said.
Delhi govt bans plying of BS-III petrol, BS-IV diesel four-wheelers"As per the directions provided under Stage III of the revised GRAP and Section 115 of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, it is hereby ordered that there shall be restrictions to ply BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel LMVs (four-wheelers) in NCT of Delhi with immediate effect until December 9 or until downward revision in GRAP stage, whichever one is earlier," said a transport dept command.Load More
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Operation Payback is targeting yet another WikiLeaks opponent. This time, it hit Visa.com with a denial of service attack after the credit card company's European division stopped processing WikiLeaks donations.
Visa confirmed the outage, but said customer data was not at risk. Chatter on the 4chan.org bulletin board a site frequented by Anonymous posters, suggested that PayPal might be the next target, with its payment gateways, or the New York Stock Exchange, or Twitter, which suspended the account used for the Anonymous operations.
"Visa's processing network, which handles cardholder transactions, is functioning normally and cardholders can continue to use their cards as they routinely would," Visa Inc. said in a statement. "Account data is not at risk. Separately, Visa's corporate website - Visa.com - is currently experiencing heavier than normal traffic. The company is taking steps to restore the site to full operations within the next few hours."
As of 5:45pm Eastern time, Visa.com had intermittent connectivity.
Operation Payback, operated by the clandestine group known as "Anonymous," which reportedly includes members of the "/b/" bulletin board 4chan.org, has launched cyber attacks against companies that have yanked their support for WikiLeaks. It has used its Twitter feed as a forum to claim responsibility for the attacks as well.
On Wednesday afternoon, however, the Twitter account belonging to the group, @Anon_Operation, was suspended.
"http://isitup.org/www.visa.com It's down! Keep Firing!!! #DDoS #Payback #WIkiLeaks" said a tweet from @Anon_Operation.
Wednesday was a busy day for Operation Payback, which also took down Mastercard's site this morning.
"We're glad to tell you that http://www.mastercard.com/ is down and it's confirmed," @Anon_Operation tweeted.
PayPal was also targeted after it restricted the WikiLeaks account, but DDoS attempts have been unsuccessful thus far.
"We can confirm that there have been attempted DDoS attack on paypal.com. These attacks have at times slowed the Web site itself down, but have not significantly impacted payments," PayPal said in a statement. "The PayPal.com site is fully operational."
The Internet war that has resulted in the aftermath of WikiLeaks release of nearly 250,000 classified U.S. diplomatic cables seems to be like a giant game of online ping pong. After attacks on the two credit card companies Wednesday, Operation Payback has experienced some backlash. The group's site is currently down and Facebook has banned the Operation Payback page.
"We take our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities very seriously and react quickly to reports of inappropriate content and behavior," Facebook said in a statement. "We also take action on content that we find or that's reported to us that promotes unlawful activity. The goal of these policies is to strike a very delicate balance between giving people the freedom to express their opinions and viewpoints even those that may be controversial to some and maintaining a safe and trusted environment."
Earlier today, Facebook said it had no reason to remove the page for WikiLeaks, however.
Operation Payback has a history of targeting anti-piracy organizations. Past DDoS victims have included such groups as the Recording Industry Association of America, the U.S. Copyright Office, and the Motion Picture Association of America.
Additional reporting by Mark Hachman.
Editors Note: This story was updated at 3:42 PM PT with additional details, including the closure of the Anonymous Twitter account.


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Last year Etsy, the marketplace for hand crafted goods, was powering ahead with 22 million members in nearly 200 countries and had passed the $895 million mark for sales in 2012 (compared to $525 million for all of 2011). By the end of the year, over 100 million items had been sold in Etsy’s history. And as she explains in this video shot at the recent DLD conference in Munich, now Europe is a big opportunity according to Caroline Drucker, Etsy’s country manager for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Although it faces local competitors like DaWanda, it appars there remains plenty of room for growth.
Indeed, for international expansion Etsy has raised $40 million in funding last May from Accel Partners, Index Ventures, and Union Square Ventures. It also acquired the team behind Mixel, the iOS app for creating photo collages.
Since its launch in June 2005, Etsy, which focuses on allowing makers to sell handmade and vintage items, as well as art and craft supplies. The items include art, photography, clothing, jewelry, edibles, quilts, and toys. Etsy is modeled after open craft fairs that give sellers personal storefronts where they can list their goods. The company charges users a flat listing fee (of 20 cents per items), and takes a commission of 3.5% off all items sold.


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India’s sports business to hit $100 billion in 5 years: Report
The sports sector in India – comprising media rights, apparel, sports nutrition, sports equipment etc — as an industry is likely to go up five times to reach a value of $100 billion by 2027 from $27 billion in 2020, finds a new report.
Brokerage firm Anand Rathi Investment Banking’s report said a majority of this is being led by the Indian Premier League (IPL), with over nine million viewers which has commercialised and scaled successfully.
Additionally, the Indian sports media market size was $1 billion in 2020 and is estimated to grow over $13.4 bn by 2027.
The global media rights market is $52.1 bn where market share of cricket grew from 2.7% to 3.0%; football continues to hold the pole position at 42%. In 2019 though, it said the market size was $30-31 billion and the slowdown in certain segments of the sports industry were offset by the growth in gaming and nutraceuticals. And while it was still growing, the report said that the sports industry in the country continues to face challenges such as lack of infrastructure, high taxes levied on sports equipment and events and the lack of financing and governance.
The report added that India is one of the largest manufacturers of sports goods and equipment in Asia after China & Japan and that the sports goods market was worth $4.5 billion in 2020 and is estimated to grow to $6.6 billion by 2027.
Additionally, it said, the Indian sports apparel market was worth $14 billion in 2020 and is estimated to grow to $21 billion by 2023, largely growing on the back of menswear products. Live Mint
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Message from the Chairman
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
of the Edenred Group
In response to the epidemic and lockdown measures, Edenred launched the “More than Ever” relief plan as early as April 2020 to protect its employees and support its partner merchants and clients.
To the shareholders,
2020 was shaped by an unprecedented health crisis. We had to rethink our habits, change the way we interact, and ensure that we protected our health and that of our loved ones. Against this extraordinary backdrop, all of Edenred’s teams showed an exemplary level of commitment and community spirit. I would like to extend my thanks to them here.
In response to the epidemic and lockdown measures, Edenred launched the “More than Ever” relief plan as early as April 2020 to protect its employees and support its partner merchants and clients. Similarly, working hand in hand with the public authorities and certain NGOs, the Group put its agility and capacity for innovation to good use helping those hardest hits. For example, we joined forces with BNP Paribas to produce 20,000 Ticket Restaurant vouchers for the Samu Social humanitarian emergency service in Paris, thereby providing assistance to the homeless and other people in need. In Brazil, in partnership with the Gerando Falçaoes NGO, we made it possible to distribute 27,000 “Ticket Alimentaçao” cards to vulnerable families to help them purchase groceries. And in the United Kingdom, the Department for Education chose Edenred to ensure that 1.3 million children from disadvantaged backgrounds, who usually received a free school meal, continued to benefit from a balanced lunch. Edenred rose to the challenge thanks to its technology platform, developing a solution in record time to administer dedicated funds for use in a network of partner food stores via electronic codes.


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With an investment of HUF 60 billion, the Boysen group will create 400 new jobs in Nyíregyháza, a city near Debrecen, where the company will produce parts related to electric cars for the BMW factory in Debrecen, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó announced.
The minister said that this would be the company’s first plant in which they will exclusively produce components for electric cars. The factory, based on the most modern technology, is based on renewable energy, he added.
The EU is one of the front-runners in achieving the 2050 climate neutrality goals, the transition to the electric car industry is “the result of a series of determined EU political decisions” because transport is one of the main sources of environmental pollution. Without its transformation, the sector’s emissions cannot be reduced to a large extent in the long term; he pointed out.
All three premium German car manufacturers have placed a significant part of their electromobility strategy in Hungary, and partly thanks to this, many suppliers from the east have also settled here, Péter Szijjártó added.
The minister stated that Western European countries are doing everything they can to build as many of the necessary factories related to the electric car industry as possible, so the new plant of the Chinese CATL was also recently inaugurated in Germany.
In the past eight years, a total of 183 large German investments were decided in Hungary. It is also thanks to these investments that bilateral trade reached a peak last year, reaching EUR 56 billion by the end of October 2022, he concluded.
The Hungarian government supports the project worth approximately HUF 60 billion with HUF 5.6 billion, thus helping to create 400 new jobs.


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Under pressure from regulators, several auto makers are preparing to roll out emissions-free cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells instead of gasoline engines.
Three car makers have disclosed plans to lease a small number of new vehicles in California and in a few countries in Europe by the end of next year. South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co. is expected to be first out of the gate this spring, followed next year by Japanese auto makers Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co.
California wants at least 15% of new vehicles sold in the state to produce zero emissions by 2025, and its regulations require auto makers to sell electric vehicles or fuel cell vehicles to meet the requirement. Its mandate means that fuel cell cars will get double the emission credits compared to electric vehicles.
The tests are an effort to determine how pricey hydrogen vehicles will compete with far less expensive gasoline- or diesel-powered cars. The biggest problem so far is their cost. Next is figuring out how to get the cars to fueling stations, where they are pumped with compressed hydrogen.
Leasing a midsize hydrogen-powered car can cost as much as a luxury sedan. Hyundai's Tucson hydrogen-fueled vehicle will be leased for $499 a month and only to people who live near fueling stations. The fuel is included in the lease. Honda has leased about 20 of its older model FCX Clarity sedans for about $600 a month since 2008.
The price and paucity of fueling sites have relegated hydrogen-powered cars to small demonstration fleets, mostly in California where taxpayers have been willing to subsidize refueling stations and offer other incentives. The state has a plan to build a network of 100 refueling stations across the state over the next decade
fuel cells hold up better in colder conditions...all electric lose performance and range more than fuel cells in cold.....head of Toyota was quoted that fuel cells are dropping in production cost at a faster rate than batteries...if you don't think fuel cells are going to be a MAJOR player in the worldwide economy, you better go read up on everything.... to all those who see the future and have the Brass to hang on to their shares...congrats!
People love to knock the fact that there are practically no hydrogen fueling stations in the US. But, if you consider that there is already a distribution network in place as well of thousands of possible stations already built, all it's going to take is one Big Oil company to see a new revenue stream and consider their options. Granted they love to profit from the hole to the tank, but it's a small piece of pride to pay to be the front runner in hydrogen distribution. Just a thought.
I've been saying this for months..Big oil is eventually gonna come in and put hydrogen in the gas stations if there is any demand for fuel cell cars next year.... not tomorrow, not next week, but soon enough that PLUG and every other fuel cell company will rip up to huge price levels on hype....this is NOT over yet... good luck to those with the BRASS to hold their shares
When PLUG made announced the RANGE EXTENDER DEAL (With FEDEX EXPRESS & SMITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES), the share price soared higher -- gapping up for several days !! I am expecting more deals to announced --- especially when it is PROVEN that the PLUG RANGE EXTENDERS extend the vehicle range from 80 to 160 miles !! !! INVEST "NOW" -- AHEAD OF THE HERD !! !!
BUMP UP !! Hydrogen IS the fuel of the future !! And - Plug Power is in the Driver's Seat with RANGE EXTENDERS !! !! When the DOE funded deal with FEDEX EXPRESS & SMITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES is "proven" to increase mileage range from 80 to 160 miles, Plug Power will have EVERY PLAYER begging to do business with them !! !! It's no wonder the share price gapped up several days in a row....following the announcement of said DOE funded deal.


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Amazon has commenced an overhaul of its grocery business, with a goal of winning over a larger chunk of the USD 1.5 trillion (EUR 1.36 trillion) U.S. market.
Amazon, which operates 515 Whole Foods supermarkets, 45 Amazon Fresh stores, and 23 Amazon Go markets, wants to move from a niche grocer – it operates tech-savvy Amazon Fresh stores and acquired the high-end Whole Foods Market chain in 2017 – to the mainstream, according to Tony Hoggett, who was hired in 2021 as Amazon’s senior vice president of physical stores.
Amazon is planning to merge all of its online grocery offerings into one online portal, and will be revamping stores, investing in automated warehouses, and offering fresh food delivery to customers who aren’t Prime subscribers, Hoggett told Bloomberg.
“We’re serious about grocery,” Hoggett said. “Our plan is on building this really strong grocery relationship with customers over time.”
Amazon is planning to merge its Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh, and Amazon.com online ordering systems and will stock more Whole Foods products in Amazon warehouses, with a rollout occurring through the end of 2023, according to Hoggett. That will allow customers who want to buy junk food from Amazon.com and healthy items from Whole Foods to obtain both in one transaction.
In order to make that work logistically, Amazon will be building new refrigerated sections within its warehouses and adding Whole Foods products at Amazon Fresh distribution hubs. It is also trialing a completely automated fulfillment center in Bethpage, New York, scheduled to open in late 2023 or ...
Photo courtesy of VDB Photos/Shutterstock


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The end of a period of “massive” restructuring, higher margins and the contribution of acquisitions to the top line enabled Cloetta to book “markedly” improved operating earnings in the third quarter.
The Sweden-based confectioner said today (13 November) EBIT rose 35.9% to SEK178m (US$24m). Operating profit margin rose to 13.7%, up from 11% in the prior year period.
President and CEO Bengt Baron said the improved operating performance reflected “the fact that our restructuring costs are coming to an end”. For the past two years, since Cloetta’s merger with Leaf International, the company has reorganised its production base, a process that has seen it adjust the where 40% of its products are manufactured. “I am highly pleased with the way we have been able to implement this massive restructuring process,” Baron added.
During the period, sales were up 9.1% to SEK1.3bn. Growth was underpinned by the contribution made from acquired business and a 3.9% exchange rate gain.
Net profit grew at a slower pace, rising 1.2% to SEK87m. Higher finance costs trimmed bottom line gains. During the period, the company repaid SEK34m in loans, bringing its debt to EBITDA ratio to 4.5x.


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CF Moto 250NK, 400NK, 650MT and 650 NK motorcycles to be launched in India on July 4
Chinese motorcycle brand CF Moto will be making their official debut in the country on July 4. The company will be entering India with its partnership with AMW Motorcycles which has no connection with AMW trucks. While the invitation mentions of a range of motorcycles that will be launched in India without any specific names, we believe the range will consist of 250NK, 400NK, 650MT and 650 NK motorcycles, that will cater to the entry-level, middleweight and also the popular ADV segment which has gained a lot of traction lately.
CF Motor claims to develop, manufacture, market and deliver the world's most reliable and cost-effective motorcycles, all terrain vehicles, side-by-side utility vehicles, and powersports engines, parts, gears and accessories. Founded in 1989,CF Moto has developed 98 models of vehicles and 51 models of engines, which are distributed through its 1900 companions worldwide. The company has been already testing a a few of the above mentioned motorcycles in India and is also planning to set up an assembly plant in India. We believe this will help CF Moto attain greater volumes and also price their motorcycles in an aggressive manner against some of the popular rivals likes the KTM 390 Duke, Kawasaki Ninja 400 and the Suzuki Versys 650 positioned in the different segments.
The CF Moto range of motorcycles will be manufactured in India
The CF Moto 650MT is an adventure tourer motorcycle that will compete against the Kawasaki Versys 650, Benelli TRK 502X and the SMW Superdual T. The street naked version of the 650MT, called the CF Moto 650NK will go up against the Kawasaki Z650. The 650MT sports a LED DRLs and projector headlamps up front. The test mule that has been spotted in India is equipped with an engine guard and hand guards. The adventure tourer uses a tubular steel diamond frame and houses a 650cc parallel-twin engine. It produces 56PS at 9,500rpm and 62Nm of torque at 7,000rpm. The engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox. The 250cc offering from the Chinese manufacturer could be the 250NK that will rival the market segment occupied by the Honda CB300R, Bajaj Dominar and the KTM 250 Duke.
Starts Rs 4,99,000
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- Maruti Suzuki expected to launch Swift Cross to rival Tata Punch, as per reports
- Tata Motors experience a 38 percent rise in sales for the month of November 2021
- Upcoming Kia MPV officially named Carens, unveil on December 16
- Mahindra Bolero Neo: Neo World Order
- Delhi government changes laws for diesel vehicles over 10 years old


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Hand Sanitizer Price Gouging Gets E-Commerce Store Shut Down
It was an online bloodbath last week for the organic skincare company Z Skin Cosmetics. The brands hand sanitizer price caused outrage among social media users, leading to the e-commerce store to become shut down and banned.
LOS ANGELES, April 3, 2020 (Newswire.com) - In the wake of the current COVID-19 global health crisis, items like medical masks, disinfectants, and hand sanitizers have become scarce. But even after Z Skin Cosmetics had shipped thousands of hand sanitizers to happy customers around the world, an innocent post about the brand donating products sparked absolute outrage last week. The e-commerce store was soon shut down and banned by Facebook for "taking advantage of a crisis" after thousands flagged and reported the post for price gouging.
The 30-year-old behind the brand, Ryan Zamo, told us, "It's unfortunate actually. All we did was post a picture of our Simply Hand Sanitizer saying that we're donating bottles to local hospitals and health care workers in need, we linked it back to our site, so people would know what it was." But as the old saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished, "It literally caused an avalanche of angry comments from thousands of people. Suddenly, we're being accused of price gouging and being told we're terrible for trying to take advantage of people, all because we sell our hand sanitizer for $9.99," said Zamo. Shaken by the uproar of the situation, he added, "I started this company to help others, and that's why I was so disappointed by the reaction I was getting. Honestly, selling our sanitizer for the current price is barely covering production cost, we just wanted to make it available because we know it's hard to find. I spent more time deleting angry comments than working last week."
The barrage of backlash didn't stop on Facebook though, the angry comments spilled out onto other social media platforms, and comments even started appearing on old news articles and blog reviews about the brand. "I understand that the price may be high for a large brand like Purell, but we're a small business, and unfortunately, we don't have the means to get our prices that low," the 30-year-old added. Last week it was officially made illegal to price gouge during the current pandemic, which is classified by raising a products price over 10%. Zamo commented, "We actually lowered the price of our hand sanitizer two weeks ago. The average item on our site has always been $18, so it seems a bit backwards to suggest that the product being price gouged costs $9.99."
With the combination of deleting the original post, the company's track record with Facebook, and the 5-star-reviews, Zamo said he hoped it would help his argument to Facebook to reactivate his selling account. But as of now they're still banned.
For more information:
Mike Nore - Nore.Marketing@ZskinCosmetics.Com
Source: Z Skin Cosmetics


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What’s black and white and red all over? The Valentino-sponsored Winter Ball for the Museum of the City of New York, of course. In keeping with the evening’s theme, Nina Griscom, Jennifer Creel, Jill Roosevelt, Anne Grauso and Muffie Potter Aston all showed up in shades of crimson to mingle among the tuxedos while Sally Albemarle put red on red by attaching a pendant she said reminded her of Target’s insignia to her Valentino gown. In lieu of going all the way, Tara Rockefeller carried a red shawl to offset her print Carolina Herrera dress and Tory Burch tied a red ribbon around her wrist.
Walking into the museum, Zani Gugelmann noticed that she had on an accessory that wasn’t red at all, which she promptly removed: her watch. “A lady’s not supposed to wear a watch to a black-tie affair,” Gugelmann explained, smiling. “She’s not supposed to be paying attention to the time.”
Marisa Noel Brown concurred. “You learn that from your mother. That’s Day One.”
Two days later, Valentino threw yet another party, this time a lunch at Daniel for the couture collection with Jeanne Rohatyn, Rena Sindi and Serena Boardman. As talk moved to the Oscars and which stars might choose Valentino, it inevitably led to Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.” And the momentum, at least for Blaine Trump, Burch and Creel, was building. “We’ve just got to see it,” said Trump.
A few days after the Academy Awards, Brown, Heather Crosby Mnuchin and Debra Peltz hosted a dinner and fashion show at the Dolce & Gabbana boutique that lured Alex Kramer, Jackie Astier, Shoshanna Gruss and Amanda Brooks. Though she was invited to the Vanity Fair Oscar party, Sindi, clad in a candy-colored Dolce gown she’d bought earlier in the day, opted out. “I’d be so D-list there,” Sindi said. “I’d rather be a big fish in a small pond.” (Helen Schifter, in one of the first samples off Gwen Stefani’s L.A.M.B. rack, said this was the first time in five years she and husband Tim stayed East.)
As for the fashion part of the evening, Stefano Galli, Dolce’s worldwide fashion consultant, provided a running commentary as the models walked by, musing that “summer can be so very hot.” Thank goodness then, the clothes were “super-light” and “sheer but not too sheer.” Regardless, the ladies were more interested in an older male model with silver hair who worked his manly magic on the catwalk. “Show us some more boys!” one of them shouted.


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The recession has forced marketers on Madison Avenue to slash advertising budgets in order to cut costs, but they’re not alone. Penny pinching has invaded the offices of Hollywood’s marketing mavens.
Budgets to promote studio slates have taken a hit, forcing them to get a little more creative in how they push those pics — especially this summer, the first for studios since the global economic crisis enused.
Still, studios aren’t holding back. They’re firing on all cylinders to get the word out about their new movies. But doing more with less has become the mantra.
It’s a daunting task at a time when studios are trying to launch big-budget franchises, like “G.I. Joe” and “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” and reboots, like “Star Trek” and “Terminator.” It also takes plenty of marketing muscle to keep marquee brands like “Harry Potter,” “Transformers,” “Night at the Museum,” “Ice Age” and “Da Vinci Code” follow-up, “Angels and Demons,” going strong.
Paramount has a lot riding on “Star Trek.” The future of that franchise depends on the success of the film here and abroad, so it spent heavily to hype it to new audiences.
The biggest factor driving the rising cost of marketing campaigns is that it’s just more difficult to reach moviegoers these days. A trailer in a theater or on TV isn’t viewed by as many people as it used to be. And that’s not just in the U.S., but also the overseas market, which generated 65% of box office receipts in 2008.
It’s hard to take the measure of spending trends this year, because studios like talking about marketing budgets about as much as they like talking about the amount they spend making movies. They just don’t.
Budgets that are publicly announced are never fully believed. Bean counters find too many creative ways to fudge the final figures.
While some believe a tentpole requires $100 million in marketing support, the numbers are so fuzzy that the Motion Picture Assn. of America even stopped reporting marketing budgets in its annual state-of-the-movie biz report at ShoWest this year.
MPAA chairman and CEO Dan Glickman called the average cost comparisions that it compiled each year “useless” and “misleading.
“I’m not sure what these numbers mean anymore,” he said at ShoWest in late March, referring to the complex nature of film financing and distribution.
What the numbers mean, however, is that opening a pic is more expensive than ever. Yet there are deals to be had for cost-conscious marketers.
Prices for ads on TV, in print, on billboards and on the Internet are dropping, giving studios more bang for their buck in marketing blitzes.
“Campaigns seem to be just as big, they’re just more efficient,” says one Sony marketing executive. “We’ve had to become innovative in how we market films.”
n Networks are bending over backwards to get more movie money at a time when traditional advertisers like carmakers are buying fewer ads, creating an opportunity for studios to renegotiate lower ad rates for themselves and hit auds hard across broadcast and cable.
NBC gave studios deals on the $3 million per 30-second-spot rate for the Super Bowl, during which nearly every studio had a spot for the first time in years. This year’s Oscarcast was opened to movie ads for the first time, at a reduced rate.
Networks are also coming up with more creative opportunities that didn’t exist before to attract the studios.
For example, networks are plastering the bottom third of their TV screens with movie ads; ABC enabled Paramount this month to fly the Enterprise through the “O” in “Lost’s” logo, as a part of a stunt to promote “Star Trek,” directed by J.J. Abrams, whose shingle produces the TV show; network also had characters of Disney and Pixar’s “Up” bounding down “Desperate Housewives’ ” Wisteria Lane to promote the toon.
“We’re definitely getting a better deal on TV right now than we used to,” says one top marketing exec at a studio. “We’re being offered stuff we didn’t get before. We’re benefiting from the economy that way.”
That includes overseas.
“International is the growth part of our business and the recession is worldwide,” says one studio marketing exec. “The same television deals are translating overseas. As international is growing, we’re spending more money but we’re spending it more efficiently because of the deals we’re getting.”
n Studios are embracing more economical options on the Internet, as online ad rates plummet, offering up more chances for tentpoles to take over sites on Yahoo and homepages on MySpace and blogs, as well as to create channels on YouTube and launch games or other apps for Apple’s iPhone and even Twitter.
“Up” director Pete Docter, co-director Bob Peterson and Disney animation topper John Lasseter tweeted their experiences of opening the pic at the Cannes Film Festival. The debut there was an opportunity for Disney to not only make history — with the first animated pic to open the fest — but also use the event to promo the film through media coverage and other publicity.
“What’s great about online is that it doesn’t cost a lot of money,” says one studio marketing exec. “There’s so much that we can do that doesn’t cost money. Twitter is free.”
n Stunts still go a long way to produce valuable PR.
Although premieres are being scaled back, with fewer afterparties than before, interviews and photos taken on the red carpet are still considered key to appear on shows like “Entertainment Tonight” and “Access Hollywood” or celebrity mags.
“We just want to get that red carpet exposure,” says one exec.
Sony premiered “Angels and Demons” in Rome, just steps away from the Vatican, as Catholic orgs lambasted the pic’s portrayal of the church. Meanwhile, Fox held the official preem for “Wolverine” in Tempe, Ariz., using a contest to up interest in the opening; its “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” took advantage of the natural tie-in and held its preem at its namesake institution. Again, studio’s trip to the museum was seen as a publicity stunt that should pay off in free media exposure.
“Hollywood premieres just don’t generate any excitement anymore,” says one studio rep.
Studios have gotten used to the road trips.
They’ve marked July on the calendar as the month they make the trek to San Diego to promote their tentpoles to fanboys at Comic-Con, often a year before the movies roll out. Last year’s show gave attendees the first looks at “Wolverine” and “Terminator Salvation,” getting auds in a lather and running to their blogs to talk up the pics’ potential.
n Promotional partners have proved more valuable, considering tie-ins can result in tens of millions of dollars spent on TV, print, online and other ads that can offset a studio’s costs.
In return for the additional marketing muscle, studios are becoming more willing to offer up exclusive content than they did in the past.
This summer, Fox landed McDonald’s to create Happy Meals and launch TV spots and other efforts around “Night at the Museum” and “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs,” for which the studio is providing the burger giant exclusive animation and visual effects sequences.
Meanwhile, Michael Bay is directing a spot for Burger King’s efforts around “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” while d.p. Dan Mindel lensed a spot for the chain’s “Star Trek” spots. The fast food chain is also promoting “G.I. Joe,” giving it three back-to-back tie-ins with Par’s summer pics.
Separately, Universal allowed Subway to launch the first trailer for “Land of the Lost” online; the sandwich chain has a major promo planned around the pic at its stores and on TV. Pizza Hut also was given exclusive footage of “Terminator Salvation” to promote on its website.
The activity shows that despite cutting back on overall campaigns, brands still find tapping into entertainment too valuable to pass up.
“The ones not compelled by film have taken themselves out of the game or been forced to get out of the game, like the car category,” says a top Universal promotions exec. “We’re left with the brands who get it, love it, and have dollars to spend.”
And that’s good news for Hollywood. As studios are forced to advertise more to tubthump pics, they benefitting from the recession by getting more for their money. The bad news is that once the economy eventually rebounds, prices will only increase.
“It’s inevitable,” says one exec. “That’s when negotiating deals will really become key.”
Put another way, that’s when studios will really have to start counting their


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People should not be so pessimistic. Book manufacturers and printing companies are keeping stride with e-books; print is here to stay.
Book lovers are fighting back and not willing to wave goodbye to their publishing and printing companies. Colin Robinson, founder of New York-based independent publishing company, OR books, recently wrote an article in the Guardian advising ten ideas he has to save the publishing industry.
Jeremy Greenfield, editorial director of Digital Book World, responded to Robinson’s article in Forbes magazine. Greenfield draws attention to a detail many people fail to consider, “The publishing industry isn’t a monolithic thing: some publishers are doing well and others are not.” In our current economy, it seems unfair to judge an entire industry and generalize by giving it one label. The publishing and print worlds, just like all other industries in our country, have stories of successes and failures.
People have been focusing on the book industry’s sufferings, but as Greenfield goes on to say about the publishing world, “But if it were a monolithic thing, it would be pretty healthy right now. According to the latest stats from the Association of American Publishers, sales across the entire book industry were up about 7% through May of this year versus the first five months of last year. Across trade publishing (most books you see in bookstores), sales were up about 15%… These two data points, taken separately and together, suggest that publishing is thriving and, further, smaller and medium-sized publishers have more sales this year than last.” In Canada, print sales still dominate the charts. Paperback books represent an estimated 56.7% of the market and hardcovers make up 23.6%.
Also, what is all the hype over e-book and digital tablets? In fact, did you know that growth for adult e-books, the largest category for e-books, has slowed? Digital publishing revenues at Random House and Hachette are only up 6% on their total revenues from 2011.
E-books are simply a fad, a current trend, comparable to toys such as Nintendo’s Game Boy or the popular 90’s toy, the Tamagatchi. These two products are examples of items whose hot-spot in the limelight has faded dramatically and cease to be part of most current conversations. Books, on the other hand, have been around for hundreds of years and are much more stable.
Choose The P.A. Hutchison Company and Choose Print!
 Digitalbookworld.com, 2012


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Capital Radio is restructuring its business to put branding and
content at the centre of its operations.
Having announced profit warnings and declining advertising revenues in
recent months, Capital is creating a new structure that will contain
four brands. The major development is the creation of its Contemporary
Hit Radio Network, which will act as the umbrella brand for Capital's
eight FM stations.
The other three brands will be The Century Network, The Xfm Network and
The Capital Gold Network.
Capital hopes that the creation of CHR will provide greater sharing of
content and strategy between the FM brands as it examines the
possibility of creating a single consumer brand. Andria Vidler, the
managing director for Capital London, will take the role of managing
director for CHR. Adrian Jones, the managing director of Capital South,
will assume the title of regional managing director for CHR.
David Andrews, the managing director of Century in Manchester and a
former marketing director at Capital's Birmingham station BRMB, is
taking on the new role of marketing director for the CHR Network, with
responsibility for all marketing for brands, including Capital 95.8 and
The Century Network has named Julie Fair, the managing director of
Capital North, as its managing director.
Capital will also recruit a programming and content director to work
with the managing directors and programming directors of each network.
Its online activities will also be reorganised.


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A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to 11 weeks in custody and suspended for 12 months for selling counterfeit clothing and accessories at a Chichester store, following a seizure by West Sussex County Council Trading Standards.
Hosein Vafaie, of Blenheim Place, Brighton, was prosecuted after selling the fake products, which bore well-known brands such as Cath Kidston and Obey.
Mr Vafaie was also handed an 18-week curfew to be monitored by an electronic tag.
Over 450 items were confiscated by West Sussex County Council Trading Standards officers at Gifts Express, Chichester, between February and March 2014 after Mr Vafaie was suspected to be in breach of Trade Marks Act 1994 and the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
The seized items were sent for examination and were all confirmed as counterfeit.
David Barling, West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Residents Services with responsibility for Trading Standards, said: “The sale of counterfeit products is harmful to local traders, particularly in the current economic climate.
“When purchasing counterfeit products, residents are likely to be unaware of the origin of such items, particularly if they are not subjected to the stringent quality controls you would expect from a genuine product.
“This is another positive outcome for consumers in West Sussex and, of course, our local businesses so I would like to thank our Trading Standards team for another excellent job.”
After pleading guilty in January to six charges under the Trade Marks Act 1994, The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 and the Companies Act 2006, Mr Vafaie was sentenced earlier this week at Worthing Magistrates Court.
Mr Vafaie was also ordered to pay a contribution of £1,500 towards the legal costs and an £80 victim surcharge.
Anyone who is concerned about the sale of counterfeit goods or a possible scam is asked to contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service for advice on 03454 04 05 06.
You can also report incidents direct to West Sussex Trading Standards online at www.westsussex.gov.uk/tsreport


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Rising gas prices have severely constricted consumers' purchasing power, hurting retailers. However, chic shops such as Abercrombie & Fitch
Add footwear and apparel retailer Genesco
Genesco's five-year compounded revenue growth stands at 7.3%. However, in the last 12 months, that rate has accelerated to 16.6%. This has owed mainly to strong sales growth in its Journeys footwear and Lids hat store chains. The two contribute nearly 80% of Genesco's overall sales. In the last 12 months, Genesco's operating margin has increased to 5.5% from 4.7% the same time a year ago.
Genesco opened 11 new stores during the first quarter and closed nearly 29 underperforming stores. Consequently, the company ended the quarter with 2,291 stores, up from 2,267 stores in the year-ago period. Genesco plans to open 83 stores and shutter 76 this year.
For Genesco, this could be a step in the right direction. It would help the company get rid of the laggards and focus on boosting sales through new store openings. Also, a 14% jump in same-store sales during the first quarter suggests that even many of the old stores, with the exception of a few that are scheduled for termination, have been performing well.
Genesco has been pretty acquisitive lately, spending nearly $75.5 million to purchase companies including Sports Avenue.
From a financial health perspective, Genesco's cash and equivalents stand at $56.8 million, down from $105.4 million a year ago, and the company maintains zero debt. Its free cash flow slid to $46.3 million from $125.5 million a year ago. A current ratio of 2.3 indicates that it is in a comfortable position to pay off its short-term obligations or any recurring interest payments.
Source: Yahoo! Finance.
Genesco looks more expensive on a free cash basis when compared with its peers. It seems the market has valued the stock pretty rationally, possibly taking into account that the company has performed well so far and has a strong balance sheet.
Though it is slightly expensive, I would seriously consider buying this stock because of its growth potential and cash-generating ability.
The Foolish bottom line
The company's strong performance, strength of its balance sheet, and future growth initiatives make it an attractive prospect in the long run. I wouldn't mind paying a higher price for the company now when I expect good things up ahead.
Shubh Datta doesn't own any shares in the companies mentioned above. The Motley Fool owns shares of Coach. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Coach. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Farmeron and Virtus Nutrition Announce Big Fat Collaboration
Written by Matija Kopić on October 4, 2021
MADISON, WISCONSIN, October 4, 2021 – Today, Farmeron and Virtus Nutrition announce a joint collaboration to deliver state-of-the-art instant dairy performance analytics on Virtus Nutrition products inside the Farmeron cloud-based farm management platform. Farmeron powers a dynamic farm reporting and analytics engine with state-of-the-art technology that enables simple report creation, generation and automation with the user’s account data anytime. Virtus Nutrition has created a comprehensive Omega Monitor report inside Farmeron for tracking real-time customer milk production and reproduction analytics while Farmeron brings the bottom line economic benefits to the front. Producers feeding Virtus omega products (Prequel and Strata) will be able to track real-time improvements in early milk and reproduction, and continuously monitor performance trends on any connected device. Farmeron helps Virtus Nutrition to improve customer retention and continue the progression Virtus Nutrition is making to deliver measurable results with leading edge cloud and mobile technologies. Virtus Nutrition will continuously evolve its Omega Monitor report by innovating new ways to scan data streams and generate instant analysis that the Farmeron cloud-based dynamic reporting technology now provides.
“I’ve been saying our industry needs dynamic reporting for 25 years,” says Dr. Kevin Murphy, Technical Director for Virtus Nutrition. Farmeron “is groundbreaking in what we can now work on with producers. We’re developing a next generation look inside a producer’s dairy with our Monitor Report, enhancing our sales and retention with Farmeron’s cloud-based business management platform while creating whole new potential for producer innovation.”
“We believe the time is now for industry to work together with Farmeron to help producers understand what they can do to be the best every single day” says Matija Kopic, Founder and CEO of Farmeron, Inc. “We’re proud of the significant time savings and radically improved customer experience we generate for Virtus Nutrition customers who bring their farm data alive inside Farmeron, creating dynamic reports, and we’re super excited about the measurable ways producers benefit their business when looking at their Farmeron.”
Farmeron (www.farmeron.com) is the world’s first cloud-based dairy farm business management software that dynamically generates analytics that empower farm business management. Producers can understand their dairy’s profitability, undertake business planning and simulation, analyze materials costs, individual animal economics, and efficiencies in real-time. Farmeron brings all of your herd, production and financial data together into one simple to use, simple to manage farm business management platform.
As the industry leader in fatty acid nutrition for dairy cattle, Virtus Nutrition (www.virtusnutrition.com) precisely formulates and manufactures innovative dairy feed ingredients that are proven to drive significant improvements in production efficiency and reproductive performance. Virtus introduced the first iPad application for the dairy industry and now continues its progression with Farmeron in utilizing new technology to bring a wealth of information for dairy producers, nutritionists and others interested in the latest on Omega fatty acid technology for improved dairy cattle nutrition.
Dave Saunders, Farmeron, 614-547-2609, email@example.com
Renee A. Smith, Virtus Nutrition, 661-699-8552, firstname.lastname@example.org


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DENVER (CBS4) – Organic food is a $26 billion industry, but is it worth paying extra at the supermarket? A new study suggests consumers may be paying more but not getting their money’s worth.
Consumers who like organic produce often spend hours in the garden convinced that their crops taste better and are better for them.
On Labor Day Margo and her son were laboring in their organic garden.
“I think it’s a lot healthier just because you don’t have those chemicals and the side effect of those things,” Margo said.
That’s why gardeners are willing to put in the time and consumers are often willing to pay up to twice as much for organic items in the store.
“I think it’s better to eat them because I think they’re better for you,” Margo’s son said.
That’s what many think, but the new study suggests otherwise.
“In our study we did not find substantial differences in nutritional content of organic compared to conventional foods,” researcher Crystal Smith-Spangler said.
“Why take the risk?” Stephen Wilson said.
Wilson has a plot in an urban garden in part to avoid consuming pesticides on fruit and vegetables.
New research hints that non-organic produce comes with less of a risk of toxins than most might think.
“We found that organic produce was about 30 percent less likely to be contaminated by pesticide residues,” Smith-Spangler said. “However we found differences in risks of exceeding maximum allowed limits between the groups were small.”
Taste may be something less tangible for researchers to measure. If organic tastes better, people are likely to eat more produce, which regardless of the study suggests people are reaping more health benefits.


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Consumers in the Lumber City have a new food option: the Vegan Grocery Store at 321 Oliver St.
It might seem odd that a small, specialty grocery market would open when the grocery wars are reaching a fever pitch; especially after natural and organics behemoth Whole Foods has entered the local market. But such hyper-specialized brick-and-mortar retailers are thriving, even as major retail chains are flaming out.
Resident vegans Jason and Gabbie Richards and Judy Mittiga had always wanted a place to shop where they could take any item off the shelf and know it would suit their diet, without having to search through sprawling stores and read every label.
For the past several years, they'd had to cobble together their grocery lists from several stores, because no single retailer had a vegan selection comprehensive enough to meet all of their needs and wants. Whole Foods was a blessing and a curse. It brought additional vegan options, but also seemingly endless non-vegan options to weed through in order to find them.
"It's overwhelming. It's like, 'Where is my product?'" said Jason Richards. "We wanted one uniform place for all of our groceries."
Vegan customers have driven in from Buffalo and Niagara Falls to shop the Vegan Grocery Store since it opened two weeks ago, catching wind of the new option through vegan social media circles and by word of mouth. Some customers said they've driven as far as Rochester looking for products they can now find at the new shop, and the owners are always asking for suggestions for new product orders.
The store carries products that are free from peanut and other food allergens. The store is bringing in additional vegan foods that are free of the top eight food allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat.
"It's something we didn't really think about. We're seeing there's a demand for that so we're trying to accommodate for that too," Richards said.


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The presence of Israeli products in UK stores has sparked debates about their origin and the ethical implications of selling items associated with Israeli settlements. Among these stores, Argos has drawn attention for its association with specific Israeli companies linked to settlements in the West Bank.
Keter Plastic: A Subsidiary in Question
One of Keter’s subsidiaries, Lipski Plastic, operates within the illegal Barkan settlement in the West Bank. Initially offering baby highchairs and toilet trainers in Argos, Lipski Plastic has now shifted its main product line to include plastic plumbing fixtures, cisterns, and toilet seats. This connection between a subsidiary operating in an illegal settlement and the products once available at Argos raises concerns about the store’s sourcing practices.
SodaStream: Controversy Surrounding its Presence
SodaStream, an Israeli company producing home carbonating devices and soft drink flavorings, has faced scrutiny due to its main plant situated in the Mishor Edomim industrial zone—a recognized illegal Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Reports from Kav LaOved, an NGO focused on safeguarding workers’ rights in Israeli companies, highlighted substandard working conditions at the SodaStream factory. These reports pointed to payment below minimum wage, harsh working conditions, and dismissals of workers voicing complaints. Despite these issues, SodaStream products are available in several British retailers, including Argos.
Argos’s Association with Israeli Companies
Argos’s inclusion in the list of retailers selling products from two Israeli companies linked to settlements—Keter Plastic and Soda-Club—has raised questions about the store’s stance on ethical sourcing. While the information confirms the sale of products from these companies, it’s essential to note that this does not explicitly indicate support for Israeli policies or settlements. However, the association between these companies and Israeli settlements remains a point of contention for those advocating ethical trade practices.
Explore More: Discover the Biggest Aldi Locations in United Kingdom
The presence of products from companies tied to Israeli settlements in stores like Argos brings to light the complexities of ethical sourcing. While the sale of these items might not necessarily indicate direct support for settlement activities, it raises valid ethical questions that consumers and advocates urge retailers to address.
Transparency in sourcing practices and a clear stance on sourcing products from contentious regions like Israeli settlements remain vital for ensuring responsible and ethical consumer choices.


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MILWAUKEE — MillerCoors said advertisements in Milwaukee touting the alcohol content of one of its beers are aimed at transparency so consumers can make informed choices.
Billboards along the city’s freeways say the alcohol content of Milwaukee’s Best Ice is now 6.9 percent, up from 5.9 percent, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
Some experts connected to the beer industry are surprised the company is making alcohol content its primary pitch.
“I can’t recall ever seeing anybody advertising (the strength of a beer) and saying now that’s the feature of this brand that we’re featuring,” said Eric Shepard, executive editor of Beer Marketer’s Insights. “It’s not standard procedure.”
John Szymankiewicz, a North Carolina attorney who specializes in the craft beer industry, said he would not advise his clients to follow MillerCoors’ example.
Some restaurants and other locations serving craft brews often state the alcoholic content of each beer, but Szymankiewicz sees that as essentially providing relevant information to customers.
Szymankiewicz said MillerCoors is advertising alcoholic content for a different reason.
“You’re showcasing the increase in alcohol content as a feature and a reason you should buy it,” he said.
Father Michael Pfleger, a Chicago priest who has campaigned against alcohol advertising in poor neighborhoods, criticized MillerCoors’ move.
“We’re no longer just advertising the drink — now we’re advertising how much alcohol you can get in the consumption of the drink,” he said.
MillerCoors spokesman Marty Maloney said in an email that the company has a long-standing commitment to fighting alcohol abuse.
Generally, alcoholic content for most popular domestic beers is between 4.1 to 5.0 percent. Natural Ice, brewed by Anheuser-Busch InBev, and Keystone Ice, another MillerCoors economy brand, both stand at the former level of Milwaukee’s Best Ice — 5.9 percent.


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Fantasy 5 winner sold in Haverhill
A convenience store in suburban West Palm Beach sold one of Saturday’s four winning Fantasy 5 tickets, the Florida Lottery said.
The ticket, which was sold at Haverhill Food Market, 5951 Haverhill Road N., just southwest of Rapids Water Park, had the winning number combination of 01-08-18-23-26.
It paid $54,679.97, the lottery said.
There were three other winning tickets that matched all six numbers in the Saturday night drawing.
Those tickets were bought at a Coral Springs Publix and at convenience stores in Jacksonville and Pensacola.


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Sprint's mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Ting, which only charges users for the minutes, texts, and data they use each month, has added support for Apple's iPhone 5. The change means iPhone owners now have another option when it comes to picking a more flexible carrier for their handset.
Back in November we explained that Ting had added support for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s in “beta.” The no-contract carrier noted at the time that support for the iPhone 5 was also inbound, and now in a press release (via Engadget) the MVNO has announced the news publicly.
The press release explains:
If you’ve got a compatible iPhone 5 in hand you can activate it now. If you don’t have one in hand but you’re in the market, you’ve got options. Hit the Ting used devices page to let the Ting personal shopper team scour the used device listings on sites like eBay for you and then send along a few worthy candidates for your hard-earned money. Or, buy an iPhone via our partner Glyde.
The obvious downside is that Ting isn't selling the iPhone 5 directly, but if you're able to bring a handset to the network the benefits are aplenty. Because users are only billed for the minutes, texts, and data they consume, mobile device owners making the switch could save a lot of money.
Ting estimates that 98 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers would indeed benefit from switching to the service; its users pay an average monthly bill of $21 and save around $440 per year. Support for the iPhone 5 means mobile subscribers in the United States now have another reason to ditch their carrier and sign-up with the MVNO.
The iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c aren't yet supported by Ting, and it's likely Sprint will hold onto exclusivity until Apple's next-generation smartphone comes along. We'll keep you posted on this front.
For more information on the service, head over to Ting's website.
See also: More Secure Snapchat Alternative Wickr Updated With Universal Support For iPad, ZiiLABS Goes After Apple, Samsung For Infringing Its Graphics Patents, and San Francisco Signs-Off On Apple's Flagship Union Square Store.