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|Genco takes delivery of three 'fuel-efficient' ships|
|Bunker-saving vessels 'ideal' for long-haul trades, says shipper.
|Image credit: Genco Shipping & Trading|
|Updated on 12 Sep 2018 07:37 GMT
|Genco Shipping & Trading Ltd - a company that primarily transports dry bulk cargoes such as coal, iron ore, steel products, and grain along international routes - has confirmed that it has taken delivery of three 'fuel-efficient', 2016-built ships: the Capesize vessels Genco Defender and Genco Liberty, and the Ultramax Genco Columbia.
The 180,000-deadweight-tonne (dwt) Genco Defender and Genco Liberty are the two Capesize vessels that Genco agreed to acquire in July, whilst the 60,000-dwt Genco Columbia is the last of four vessels that Genco agreed to buy in June.
To fund the purchases, Genco says it utilized cash on hand and drew down an additional $56.25m under its new $108m credit facility, utilizing its full availability.
Commenting on the acquisitions made during the third quarter, Genco said: "All six acquisition vessels... are high specification, fuel-efficient vessels that are ideal for long haul trading patterns.
"The Company therefore plans to strategically reposition the vessels from their delivery ports in the Far East to Atlantic positions to benefit from a potential freight rate increase in the fourth quarter of 2018."
Genco also announced that it anticipates delivering the Genco Progress - a 1999-built Handysize vessel - to its buyers on or about September 12, and that it has entered into an agreement for the sale of the Genco Cavalier - a 2007-built, 53,617-dwt Supramax vessel - as part of its fleet renewal program.
The aggregate sale price for the Genco Cavalier is $10m, and it is expected to be delivered to its buyer during the fourth quarter of 2018.
John C. Wobensmith, chief executive officer, remarked: "The timely acquisition of these modern, high specification drybulk vessels, combined with our success selling older tonnage, has enhanced Genco's position for capitalizing on strong demand for drybulk commodities and multi-decade low vessel supply growth rates. The earnings environment for the Capesize and Ultramax sectors remains favorable, and we are pleased to have increased the size of our fleet and improved its overall age profile and earnings capacity during the seasonally stronger second half of the year."


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Health-conscious Android phone owners will be happy to hear that Google Fit just got a little more effective. The updated version of Google Fit will now calculate your distance traveled and calories burned, based on gender, height and weight information.
Google says the improved software also includes a better historical view of your exercise data:
"As you scroll down your timeline you'll be able to look at your activities grouped by days, weeks or months and get a sense of how your activities impact your fitness over time."
This a much needed improvement as I've generally been disappointed by how Google Fit has worked since it debuted last summer. It's been difficult to get trend data from the app up to now and has lacked the caloric estimates as well; often needed to manage or maintain weight goals.
The new version of Google Fitalso has a home screen widget for basic information at a glance. That sounds like it would be handy on a watch and sure enough, there's a new Android Wear watchface that includes the same widget.
I'm somewhat surprised that Google Fit hasn't gotten better sooner than this.At least year's Google I/O developer event, the company devoted a fair amount of time during the main keynote to showcase the Google Fit platform.
I had high hopes for it as Google entered health-focused area but little happened with it since then. Google Fit, for example, was going to be supported by devices and services from Nike, Adidas, RunKeeper and others but one year later, you really wouldn't know that.
I'm sure it's no coincidence that Google Fit is back on the radar though, now that Apple is pushing both HealthKit and ResearchKit heavily, along with the fitness aspects of the Apple Watch.
Regardless of the platform you prefer, it's good to see smarter use of hardware and software to improve our overall healthiness. I'll be updating Google Fit on my Moto X and take the new app for a run with Sony Smartwatch 3 to see how it works.

domain: news


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No one should have to work for free, but some are asked to do it more often than others. One thing even the most clueless among us should have learned over the past year is that people of color are sick of spending extra time educating people on how to treat each other with respect and dignity in the workplace, often with no compensation. Now, count in Black influencers as the latest group of people to push back against working for free.
Swag still isn’t compensation
The story about Pink Lily, an online women’s clothing boutique, is a textbook case. As Buzzfeed’s Stephanie McNeal reported this week, one influencer became rightfully miffed when she was ready to work with the online retailer — only to be told that she wouldn’t be paid directly for any content as she was below a certain threshold of followers.
Instead, she was promised free products, “exposure” and a link to earn a commission on anything her followers might buy should they swipe up on an Instagram story. The promise is not all that different from multilevel marketing companies like Amway, Avon or Herbalife: Just tell your friends and family, and watch the dollars add up, right?
Black influencers aren’t having it. Many may not have the number of followers about which their white counterparts can boast, much less an Olivia Jade or a Kardashian. But that doesn’t mean their time, efforts and voices are any less valuable or persuasive. Furthermore, the Pink Lily episode shows an ugly side of corporate behavior during Black History Month, as companies step over each other trying to find Black voices, influencers and faces in the quest to look more “diverse.”
Black influencers are tired of being exploited
The promise of “exposure” is one of the worst perks to promise any influencer, writer or artist. After all, if someone found you, it’s clear you’re already exposed. As another Black influencer, Kimberly Renee, explained to Buzzfeed, companies seeking Black faces for their public relations needs is at the very least insulting.
“This is particularly problematic, as it reads as if we’re being used as a prop to appease your temporary guilt or address customer complaints without taking real action,” she said in an interview with McNeal. “The lack of fair payment (or any payment for that matter) says that you still see us as people to be used up, drained and exploited.”
The problem is hardly new. The Instagram account @influencerpaygap is brimming with stories about social media influencers who are grossly underpaid, many of them Black. Some were even compelled to shell out money to attend and participate in live or online events. In between the horror stories and cautionary tales, the feed also offers a clear idea of what influencers can and should be paid for their work.
A problem of both fairness and access
Adesuwa Ajayi, who works for a talent agency, launched the @influencerpaygap Instagram account after seeing that Black influencers didn’t have the same opportunities as whites. “I think sometimes when you’re unaware of what other people are earning or what the potential of your space is, it’s so easy for you to be low-balled, and it’s so easy for you to lack confidence when it comes to negotiating your worth,” Ajayi told Verge last summer. “And I really wanted to create somewhere people were able to just feel a sense of confidence.”
There are success stories, such as the 35 or so Black influencers who live between two mansions in Atlanta and are able to rack up billions of views in part due to the critical mass made possible by their ability to work together. But for many people of color cutting their teeth in this still very new medium, it’s an uphill fight that's not made any easier by brands looking to fleece them for free labor.
Not everyone can be an influencer, and not every influencer should be one. For those who are smirking at the very concept, the response to that is if you think it’s so easy to be an influencer, try being one. On that point, as brands struggle to gain traction with their current and potential customers, they can take one huge step: Set a social media influencer marketing policy that’s fair and transparent for everyone — after all, if you’ve committed to fair hiring practices, the same should go for your promotional efforts, too.
Image credit: Dami Adebayo/Unsplash
Leon Kaye has written for 3p since 2010 and become executive editor in 2018. His previous work includes writing for the Guardian as well as other online and print publications. In addition, he's worked in sales executive roles within technology and financial research companies, as well as for a public relations firm, for which he consulted with one of the globe’s leading sustainability initiatives. Currently living in Central California, he’s traveled to 70-plus countries and has lived and worked in South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay.
Leon’s an alum of Fresno State, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the University of Southern California's Marshall Business School. He enjoys traveling abroad as well as exploring California’s Central Coast and the Sierra Nevadas.


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Chinese authorities are rolling out the country’s first internet privacy regulations (link in Chinese) applying to children amid a national crackdown on invasive data collection.
The policy, to be implemented Oct. 1, requires internet companies to inform parents and obtain their consent before collecting, using, transferring or disclosing children’s personal information. Companies can gain access only to data relevant to services they provide and only for the duration necessary.
According to the regulations, companies must provide dedicated user agreements for collecting children’s data including information on the purpose, manner, duration, scope and use of the data as well as use encryption and disclose such security measures. In the event these conditions change, consent must be obtained again.
Businesses must designate employees specifically charged with protecting children’s privacy, who will limit and document employee access to children’s information.
The policies also allow for parents to take charge of their child’s data. Parents will be able to request to delete or make changes to a child’s information, refuse or revoke access and file complaints.
Children are defined as those below the age of 14.
The regulation comes as frequent calls for app developers to cut back on invasive data collection go unheeded.
Most recently, the National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center, China’s official agency for anti-virus internet security, said apps including those backed by the country’s internet giants are harvesting user data without authorization, state-backed CCTV reported.
A separate draft regulation, aiming to standardize data collection for apps regardless of the age of users, was published in August. It requires app makers to authorize access to their products once users hand over the minimum possible amount of personal data and permissions for the products to function.
Contact reporter Dave Yin (email@example.com, @yindavid) www.twitter.com/yindavid


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More than £1billion has been deposited into Zopa’s fixed-term savings account since the former peer-to-peer lending platform launched its bank 18 months ago.
Since launching in 2020, Zopa’s bank has attracted £1bn in deposits and has more than £1bn in loans on its balance sheet. It issued over 200,000 credit cards, becoming one of the top five credit card issuers in the UK and tripling its revenue per customer.
“Today we are extremely proud to announce that our customers have placed their trust in us with over £1 billion of their hard-earned savings,” a Zopa spokesperson said.
“We launched Zopa Bank 18 months ago with the bold ambition to create the UK’s best bank for saving and borrowing.
Read more: Fitch improves Zopa securitization
“With our unique fintech heritage and 16 years of experience in lending, we are focused on better meeting the financial needs of UK customers in sectors where they have traditionally been underserved, while delivering a which matches their expectations of a digitally driven company.”
The Zopa brand was established in 2005, when it became the world’s first P2P lending platform.
In December 2021, Zopa announced that it would exit the retail P2P space in order to focus on its newly launched banking and credit card offering. The company is also believed to be gearing up for a public launch later this year.
Zopa’s Fixed Term Savings Account has topped the savings charts 15 times and earns up to 1.75% interest over one to five years.
Over the next 12 months, Zopa plans to double its savings portfolio again to £2 billion in deposits, and it will also launch an easy-to-access savings product and integrated funding solutions.
Read more: What does 2022 hold for P2P?


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Yahoo's £726m acquisition of Tumblr caused the global headlines both companies hoped for, but now the real work begins as six-year-old Tumblr must play a vital role in saving internet dinosaur Yahoo from obscurity.
Just last month, Yahoo posted first quarter results revealing an 11% drop in advert revenue - which alone accounts for 40% of the company's profits - as Wall Street analysts queued up to share their disappointment over Yahoo's failing advert business, described by one as a "core business model that needs significant work."
Advertisements on Tumblr could be the answer to Yahoo's woes, but the blogging service only just started experimenting with selling adverts last year, not long after founder and CEO David Karp said in a 2010 interview that his company was "pretty opposed to advertising. It really turns our stomachs."
Karp will have to take something for that upset stomach, as his company's 50 billion blog posts (growing by 75 million per day) are prime real estate for advertisers, and Tumblr's rich and multimedia-led design lends itself well to big-budget video ads.
Both Karp and Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer must tread with care however, as there's a good reason why fellow social networks Facebook and Twitter were slow at getting into the ad game - they're wary of the user backlash too many adverts would cause.
Injection of youth
Just a day after the Tumblr deal was announced, Yahoo had such an encounter with angry users complaining in their thousands that major updates to its Flickr photo-sharing site had ruined the service.
Such toy-throwing is usually down to a noisy minority, but it's still a shot across Yahoo's bow, as a similar response from Tumblr users is the last thing it needs. Wordpress boss Matt Mullenweg blogged to say hourly imports of Tumblr blogs over to his service had jumped from around 500 to over 72,000 on news of the Yahoo buyout, but he was quick to backtrack, saying he doubts an exodus is taking place.
Providing it can hold on to them, Yahoo's acquisition of Tumblr brings with it the site's 105 million users, injecting youth into Yahoo, a website most popular (jointly 21%) with those aged 25-34 and 35-44, according to data from Quantcast.
By way of comparison, Tumblr is most popular (29%) with 18-24 year olds and Google is most popular (20%) with the under 18s.
Introducing 100 million users who grew up on the web - and who may well be younger than Yahoo itself - can only be a good thing, so long as Yahoo can tempt them to explore its other services like Flickr and the various news and entertainment pages. These sites remain popular, having recently undergone a redesign, but still look like relics left over from internet 1.0.
Another challenge Yahoo faces with its Tumblr purchase is the move to mobile. Facebook was heavily criticised before its IPO last year for not investing heavily enough in producing a profitable mobile ad model when it was clear that users were moving in their droves from desktop to smartphone and tablet use.
Tumblr hasn't yet seen the same shift to mobile, with just 8% of traffic coming from mobile in April this year, but there's no doubt this movement will increase as the post-PC era takes hold.
Once it is more firmly established in the mobile space, Yahoo could integrate Flickr with Tumblr to create a means for users of the photo-sharing site to blog about their work; this makes sense as an evolutionary step from what Yahoo did this week with a Flickr redesign taking the site closer to Facebook and Instagram in its layout and away from its basic, less social-centric roots.
Mayer promised she wouldn't "screw up" Tumblr and it will be left in the capable hands of Karp, but at the same time Yahoo shouldn't be scared of integrating its products. Facebook can afford to keep Instagram at arms length for now because both brands are hugely successful in their own right, but the same can't be said about Yahoo, which will need to rely on the Tumblr name and users to make it cool again.
If Yahoo is an oil tanker - slow, heavy and difficult to turn - then Tumblr is a tugboat - smaller and less powerful, but capable of getting the oil tanker out of trouble and into safer waters.


text: Passive component specialist AVX announced that it has received the Arrow Electronics 2008 Largest Passives Supplier award at the 2009 Electronic Distribution Show (EDS). This is the second consecutive year that AVX has been so recognized by Arrow. According to Stephen Sallas, Business Segment Manager at Arrow, "AVX's expansive product offering and outstanding customer service provides the foundation for continued sales growth and success. We are pleased to honor AVX with the 2008 Largest Passives Supplier award, as it is a reflection of the hard work and achievements from both the AVX and Arrow sales teams." Pete Venuto, Vice President of Sales at AVX, added that "Receiving this award from Arrow for the second consecutive year shows the mutual commitment of our companies to accelerate demand creation, make inventory investments, and fulfill existing and new growth opportunities in the marketplace."


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Chief marketing officers will increase their spending on social media marketing next year and more often tie that spend to their revenue expectations and overall business goals. However, many are unsure about their return from marketing on social networking Web sites, according to a survey from industry group The CMO Club and Bazaarvoice, a social commerce vendor.
The research found that more than eight in 10 respondents (81%) expect to link up to 10% of their annual revenues to social media investment next year. Last year, only 44% expected to do so in 2009. Nearly three-fourths of respondents (72%) who did not attach revenue to social media spending this year said they will do so next year. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of CMOs surveyed said that they plan to increase their social media budgets next year.
However, at least half of respondents expressed uncertainty about ROI on using social media networks. Fifty-three percent of respondents are unsure about their return on Twitter, while half are unsure about the value of LinkedIn and the impact of industry blogs on business metrics.
High numbers of respondents, however, said they are tracking social media metrics. Ninety percent of respondents said they track site traffic, while more than eight in 10 said they keep track of page views (85%) and the number of fans (83%).
The survey queried 133 CMOs in September from industries including software, finance and insurance, travel and hospitality, media and publishing, consumer goods and retail. The CMO Club and Bazaarvoice will release the full research later this month.
Recent advertising spending reports by GroupM, ZenithOptimedia and Magna Global all saw online ad spending as the only medium with expected growth for this year. The online advertising industry will generate more than $60 billion in revenues next year, and $99 billion by 2015, according to Magna.
A CMO Club representative could not be immediately reached for comment.


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In our current times, it seems almost impossible to establish a business without an online presence.
The internet has revolutionized how we go about life, commerce included, and it seems there is no going back.
This intrigued me to look into how exactly the e-commerce industry has been doing, especially considering that it’s set to overtake the traditional forms of trading. Upon doing some research, I was able to compile a list of e-commerce trends and statistics worth taking into account for any individual trying to understand the current state of global e-commerce.
Global E-Commerce Sales
eCommerce knocked traditional sales right out of the park with its staggering sales figure of approximately 6.31 trillion dollars, which is only expected to grow in the coming years. Experts suggest that by 2026, the growth forecast will be at 24%, meaning this percentage of sales is expected to be online, bringing in about $8.148 trillion.
E-commerce sales seem to be fruitful in all parts of the world, but it seems the United States has put the pedal to the metal and attained the fastest-growing e-commerce industry platforms and expects a 50% growth, going from $907.9 billion in 2022 to $1.4 trillion in 2025.
China, which has the largest e-commerce market on the planet, is expected to grow by 15% during this very same period, trailing the U.S. for the second spot in terms of growth.
It is no longer a choice to have a business online but rather a necessity. Considering the trajectory of e-commerce and the likelihood of our dependency on the internet only increasing, businesses will significantly benefit from turning into an online venture and serve as a major stepping stone to scaling up.
It doesn’t surprise me that Amazon rules the e-commerce market yet again. After all, it has become almost an instinct to look for whatever one wishes to purchase on Amazon before anywhere else.
Accounting for 37.8% of all e-commerce sales in the U.S., CEO Andy Jassy has done a remarkable job at keeping business flourishing after the founder and former CEO, Jeff Bezos, stepped down as the CEO in 2021.
Amazon seems to be most profitable in its home ground of the USA, fetching over 356 billion U.S. dollars in sales in 2022.
The second and third spot goes to Walmart and Apple, respectively, with their 6.3% and 3.9% market share in the e-commerce sector. However, Walmart does stand at the top of the hill regarding most traffic gathered, though as of December 2022, it boasted an insane 854.9 million monthly visits.
In today’s day and age, most individuals have access to a mobile and the internet, considering both have become widely available and affordable after all. So, it comes as no shocker that in 2023, 60% of all e-commerce sales in the world are done using a mobile and have reached an astonishing $2.2 trillion.
Considering most consumers are people (of course) and people are spending more and more time on their mobile devices, the market share of m-commerce is only expected to rise in the coming years. After all those last-second purchases and shopping while in bed, the convenience factor of it all is too good to resist.
It is also worth considering that a major driving force for e-commerce is millennials and Gen Z, both of which are yet to reach their peak earning potential, and both categories predominantly choose to shop online from one platform rather than visit a store.
By the year 2027, it is estimated that m-commerce sales will be up to $2.4 trillion with a 62% market share.
Shopping Cart🛒 Abandonment
Growing up in the ’90s, it was rare to see consumers fill up their shopping carts, drag them around the mall, and abandon them later, left for dead. However, with the no-pushing-required and everything-is-a-touch-away luxury that online shopping offers, it was observed that the abandonment rate of carts was 79.54% in 2022, an increase from the previous year’s rate of 80.68%.
However, this poses an interesting question: why do we abandon these carts?
It is frustrating for a business owner to get their potential customers through the sales funnel only to abandon sales at the end of the path. Let’s look into why a consumer would do so:
➡ Unexpected Costs: A 2021 study conducted by the Baymard Institute tells us that approximately 49% of abandoned carts are caused by the high, unexpected final price of the product. A deal that may seem too good to be accurate at first ends up being too good to be true. Sigh!😔
➡ Lack of Serious Buying Intentions: We’ve all been guilty of adding items to our cart on websites we randomly discovered through an ad. With the ease factor of online shopping, the phenomena of “Window Shopping” has translated into the online sphere in the form of these abandoned carts.
➡ Creating an Account: Imagine coming across a website with products that pique your interest. You find a lamp you like, hypothetically speaking, and add it to your cart only to be prompted by the dreaded “Create an account.”
Well, unless you’re hellbent on getting that lamp, a casual consumer would simply call it quits there. Understandable on the seller’s end why they would want a consumer to create an account; understandable why a consumer would choose not to.
➡ Not Enough Payment Options: Having limited payment options is never a good sign in the eyes of a consumer. A lot of consumers would bail if they did not find a preferred payment portal/method or the option to pay at delivery, especially if they were shopping from the website for the first time.
There are ways to reduce the shopping cart abandonment rate, like offering various payment options, easier checkouts, and seeing the product’s actual cost from the get-go and a money-back guarantee.
Online Grocery Shopping
Online grocery shopping saw a meteoric rise during the Covid-19 pandemic. While one could attribute this growth to be caused solely by the pandemic, experts expect online grocery shopping to only increase with time. By 2025, according to Mercatus, 21.5% of all grocery sales will be done online, amounting to about $250 billion of the $1.16 trillion total grocery sales.
In the United States, Walmart is the biggest online grocery retailer, with estimated sales of around $38.7 billion.
Initial buyers may hesitate, but once a consumer goes the route of online grocery shopping, they often become recurring customers, reporting several noticed benefits for traditional grocery shopping, namely, in no particular order:
No hassle of finding a store nearby
Safety (considering the pandemic’s after-effects, this is regarded as a major plus)
Making better choices/avoiding impulse purchases
Not to mention the most obvious element of convenience, of course, as well as the larger variety.
Social Media Influence
The advent of social media has truly changed the landscape of the world, and it provides the perfect platform to boost the sales of any emerging or established brand. The days of relying solely on flyers and ads on television seem to be things of the distant past.
While still valuable marketing tactics, the new kid on the block, social media influence, holds quite a significant punch.
The hyper-success of brands like Prime Hydration Energy Drink is a perfect example of the influence social media has. Being associated with and founded by 2 mega YouTubers helped its popularity immensely, and its numbers speak for themselves, with $250 million in retail sales within its very first year.
In the holiday season of 2021, it was reported that 58% of consumers’ purchasing decisions were influenced by social media, with platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok being at the forefront of it all.
The preferred platform varies from one generation to another, like Gen-Z preferring Instagram and TikTok over Facebook; the fact remains that most buyers report social media will influence their purchasing decisions. The content that one consumes often reflects in one’s purchasing decisions and willingness to pay.
What is the point of technology if it’s not for the ease of mankind? The voice assistant is exactly that: convenience and, well, a necessity in certain cases. You can be doing crunches and ask Alexa, the arguable queen of voice assistants, to make a purchase. In case you have a sight impairment, you can do the same.
There is more than a single voice assistant. Like Alexa, we’ve got Siri. To counter Siri, we’ve got Google Assistant. Both of the latter, in terms of voice assistants on your phone or tablet, outperform Alexa’s mobile voice assistant version. However, Alexa wins the smart speaker war.
Selling products or services to buyers overseas using an e-commerce website is essentially what cross-border e-commerce is. We got that? Sweet.
Though this market is very tempting, thanks “almost” solely to the internet, it does not come without challenges. One must take time to learn the local laws, customs, culture, customs regulations, and standards and have a reliable logistics and delivery setup.
Personalization and Customer Experience
The internet has provided a playground for buyers to personalize the shopping experience for the customer. Orient it towards their liking and what fulfills their requirements.
Studies show that 80% of shoppers prefer to buy from a company that offers them a personalized experience.
One must understand their target market and how to offer the goods and services they are most likely to consume, like offering Metalhead tickets to Gojira, not Ed Sheeran.
Amazon is a fine example of this with their strategy of showing the buyers products they often buy with the one they are currently purchasing. If you buy a guitar🎸, they will offer you a pick.
However, what makes them such a leader in the E-commerce market is their personalization and customer experience. Amazon Prime allows Prime members to complete a survey, providing information like their preferred style and fit.
After analysis by a team of people hired to help you dress better, you’ll get personalized recommendations.
E-commerce Payment Preferences
Despite the apparent belief we may have that human habits don’t change, it seems 49% of all e-commerce transactions were via digital wallet, be it Apple Pay, Google Pay, Paypal, or the rest of the lot.
Despite digital wallets being a relatively new transaction method, they defeated the good ol’ credit card by a single point on the judges’ scorecard!
According to research, 32% of all digital transactions/online payments were made by digital wallets, and 31% were with credit cards, with the bronze medal going to debit cards at 19%.
And a comeback seems to not be in sight as digital wallets are expected to gain a larger share, growing up to 41% of the transactions’ value. Credit and debit cards are expected to fall to 23% and 19%, respectively.
Markets are battlegrounds, be it online or offline. E-commerce marketplaces are plentiful, considering their bounty was an estimated $6.3 trillion in 2023. So, naturally, we have a lot of warriors in the field.
Our top gun is Amazon, with an estimated 4.79B visits a month worldwide, and the 2nd place going to another US-based e-commerce platform, eBay, with approximately 1.21B visits a month in 2022.
Studies show eBay, in the second quarter of 2023, amassed an estimated 132 million active buyers worldwide.
E-commerce and COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic had such a massive effect on the overall lifestyle of everyone who lived through it, especially the younger generation; it was bound to cause a ripple effect in the marketplace.
E-commerce was on the rise, but the 2020 pandemic, despite the tragedy it was, jolted the E-commerce market. The United States Census Bureau’s Annual Retail Trade Survey (ARTS) reported data collected in 1998 that online sales were a mere $5.0 billion compared to post-pandemic in 2020, when sales increased to $815.4.
A staggering 43% increase compared to the $571.2 billion in 2019. To complete the math, that is a $244.2 billion markup.
E-commerce User Experience
In a retail store, some obvious things may stand out to you when you think about making the experience better for the buyer, like pleasant management, a store near their location, offering displays, building a nice atmosphere, organizing events to attend, and more. Things aren’t that far for users visiting a website.
A well-designed E-commerce website that offers a beautiful design, engaging content, live chat support, and a clean layout definitely enhances the user experience, but… time is precious. Research shows that a mere 1-second delay in a page’s response time results in a 7% reduction in conversion.
The buyer gets their potential customer through their sales funnel, only for a slow-loading webpage to ruin it. A survey shows that participants were willing to wait about 6-10 seconds before calling it quits.
It is also important to note that the method via which a buyer visits a website makes a difference. On average, mobile users reportedly face slower loading times than desktop/PC users.
People are creatures of habit, and subscription-based E-commerce caters to our very nature by offering a service or good on a recurring basis for a monthly or annual fee.
It benefits a business owner by bringing in a stable cash flow, making it easier to plan for scaling up strategies and retaining customers. Customers, too, benefit from not having to remember to purchase a good or service they regularly use. They can simply opt for a subscription and have it delivered at the decided time and place.
Despite the pandemic and the current waging war between Russia and Ukraine, it is estimated that the global e-commerce subscription market size is expected to increase from $119.4 billion to 196.3 billion in 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 64.4%.
By 2027, it is expected to rise to $1482.11 billion with a 65.8% CAGR.
Influencer Marketing in E-commerce
Influencer Marketing is a strategy businesses adopt to bring their service or product into the limelight by collaborating with an organization or individual with a significant social influence. For example, one of the biggest influencers on the planet is Dwyane Johnson, aka The Rock.
In E-commerce, marketing can often be the key to unlocking global success. A survey conducted globally in 2023 reported that 10-20% of their marketing budget by marketing agencies and brands was invested in influencer marketing.
As the market share for E-commerce keeps rising, the concerns of cybersecurity and cybercrimes also keep increasing. It is the utmost priority for an E-commerce website to make sure its customers are safeguarded from online frauds and scams, and their data is safe from leaks.
It is estimated that e-commerce losses to online payment fraud are a staggering 41 billion dollars in 2022, which is only expected to rise by 2023, reaching the $48 billion point.
Personal Data Concerns
The more we shop online, the more it seems our data is at risk. A survey shows that 79% of consumers are concerned that their data is at risk of being stolen while shopping online.
It is a major distress for consumers how the data we agree to give a platform is used. What data is being saved, after all? How is it being used? Is it well protected?
Companies are offering much more transparency, answering the above questions to put the minds of their customers at peace. Better security systems are being implemented, and only data relevant to the seller’s products/services and their consumption is being collected.
This collection of data helps sellers gain more insight into their customers’ purchasing habits, offering better products, focused advertisements, and personalized offers.
That is why, despite the concerns and potential risk factors, out of the 10,000 adults surveyed across 10 nations, 64% reported that they are willing to accept the risks since it makes their shopping experience much more convenient.
E-commerce is a major marketplace, and its growth and potential are undeniable. A business that needs to scale up has to invest in an e-commerce platform, utilizing the correct strategies and avoiding the cons by analyzing the statistics and data on offer.
I hope the data and statistics discussed in this post helped you better understand the e-commerce space.
Adnan is a BMS graduate and a senior writer for Geekflare who loves breaking down complex topics into easy-to-understand pieces. He has also written for sites like Sparkian and Techkle. Besides work, you can find him on the football turf or… read more
Joy R Bhamre
Joy R Bhamre is a multifaceted professional, holding the title of Editor at Geekflare. She is a Google-certified Digital Marketing Specialist, a seasoned Editor and writer, and a Cambridge-certified English Language Trainer, boasting… read more
It is imperative to use Google Analytics to analyze your website traffic. You must be aware by now that Google has launched the most awaited GA4 in 2020. Many of you have already shifted to this platform, but for those who are still using the old Universal Analytics (GA3), it’s time to pack up and move on.
You are a personal brand or a business with a website that details everything about it—your vision, services or products offered, and more. You have a website with the best Search Engine Optimization practices and unique content. But how do you ensure that you’re business or brand is reaching its audience?


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New ExactTarget Research Finds 31% of Online Canadians are More Likely to Purchase after Following a Brand on Twitter
New Study Identifies How Canadian Consumers Interact with Brands Across Email, Facebook, Twitter
INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- More than 30 percent of online Canadian consumers are more likely to buy from a company after following them on Twitter, according to a new study released today by global digital marketing leader ExactTarget (NYS: ET) .
Based on a survey of more than 1,300 online Canadian consumers (ages 18 and older), the research found Twitter users are more likely than Facebook and email users to buy from a company after engaging with them online.
93 percent of online Canadian consumers subscribe to at least one email marketing program
44 percent of consumers that subscribe to a brand's email program have made a purchase after receiving an email marketing message
89 percent of consumers report checking email at least once daily
61 percent of online Canadian consumers have liked a brand or company on Facebook
24 percent of consumers (ages 25-34) on Facebook have made a purchase after receiving a marketing message on Facebook
48 percent of Facebook users (18-34) report checking Facebook compulsively throughout the day
13 percent of online Canadian consumers have followed a brand on Twitter
47 percent of Canadian Twitter users follow brands to keep up with a company's products, services or offerings
5 percent of consumers on Twitter have made a purchase after receiving a marketing message on Twitter
"Canada is among the most digitally connected countries we've surveyed which creates a tremendous opportunity for marketers to connect with Canadian consumers across the channels they use most- email, Facebook and Twitter," said Tim Kopp, ExactTarget's chief marketing officer. "Our Digital North research offers exclusive insights into why and how consumers engage with brands online, equipping marketers with the necessary tools to optimize digital engagements and fuel business results."
The debut of the research follows ExactTarget's launch of similar studies in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Brazil, Germany and France. Together, the research provides global marketers new insight into how consumers around the globe interact with brands across email, Facebook and Twitter.
Key comparisons of the Canadian research to other findings around the world include:
65 percent of Canadian consumers with smartphones report checking email at least once per day from their smartphone, compared to 48 percent in Germany
53 percent of online Canadian consumers have Liked brands on Facebook to receive discounts, compared to 29 percent in France
21 percent of Canadian consumers have followed a brand on Twitter to be affiliated with the product or brand because it is trendy, compared to 13 percent in Australia
To download ExactTarget's Digital North research report, click here.
ExactTarget is a leading global provider of cross-channel digital marketing software-as-a-service solutions that empower organizations of all sizes to communicate with their customers through email, mobile, social media, Web and marketing automation. ExactTarget's suite of integrated applications enables marketers to plan, automate, deliver and optimize data-driven digital marketing and real-time communications to drive customer engagement, increase sales and improve return on marketing investment. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana with offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America, ExactTarget trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "ET." For more information, visitwww.ExactTarget.com.
Kari Brownsberger (Finn Partners)
KEYWORDS: United States North America Canada Indiana
The article New ExactTarget Research Finds 31% of Online Canadians are More Likely to Purchase after Following a Brand on Twitter originally appeared on Fool.com.
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.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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General Motors Co is recalling 1.3 million compact cars in North America to address a power steering problem that has been linked to 14 crashes and one injury, the company said on Tuesday.
Here are some details about previous major auto recalls:
1981 - GM recalled 5.8 million vehicles due to loose suspension bolts that affected steering.
1996 - Ford Motor Co recalled more than 8 million vehicles to replace defective ignition switches.
July 1998 - GM recalled close to 1 million Cadillac, Pontiac and Chevrolet cars over fears air bags may go off by accident.
August 2000 - Japanese tire maker Bridgestone Corp recalled 14.4 million ATX, ATX II and Wilderness tires.
2004 - GM recalled nearly 4 million pickups because of corroding tailgate cables.
April 2005 - GM said it was recalling more than 2 million vehicles to fix a variety of potential safety defects.
-- GM said the largest of the safety actions included 1.5 million full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles from the 2003 to 2005 model years with second-row seat belts that may be difficult to properly position across passengers' hips.
October 2005 - Toyota recalled about 1.41 million cars globally, due to trouble with their headlight switching systems.
December 2007 - Chrysler LLC said it would recall 575,417 vehicles as long-term wear on the gear shift assembly could cause them to shift out of park without the key in the ignition.
August 2008 - GM announced a recall of 857,735 vehicles equipped with a heated windshield wiper fluid system for a potential short-circuit problem.
September 2009 - Toyota said it would recall approximately 3.8 million vehicles in the U.S. because of floor mats that could have come loose and force down the accelerator. The problem was suspected in crashes that have killed five people.
October 2009 - Ford completed a series of recalls affecting 14 million vehicles due to a faulty cruise control deactivation switch. The latest recall involved some 4.5 million vehicles.
-- The action effectively closed out a 10-year saga over the switches made by Texas Instruments that led to more than a half-dozen recalls, the automaker said.
January 2010 - Toyota issues a series of recalls covering 5.6 million vehicles in the United States due to sudden acceleration in some vehicles. It is the largest ever recall for Toyota and among the biggest for an automaker in U.S. history.
-- Honda recalled 646,000 of its Fit/Jazz and City automobiles globally over a faulty window switch after a child died when fire broke out in a car last year.
-- Toyota's problems touched other carmakers too: France's PSA Peugeot Citroen said recalled nearly 100,000 Peugeot 107s and Citroen C1s made in the Czech Republic where Toyota and PSA jointly make cars.
February 2010 - Toyota recalls a total of 437,000 units of its 2010 Prius, Sai, Prius PHV (plug-in hybrid) and Lexus HS250h hybrids globally, including 155,000 in North America, 223,000 in Japan and 53,000 in Europe.
-- Honda said it would recall another 438,000 cars globally to replace an airbag deflator that could rupture. The expanded recall is concentrated in the United States.
-- Nissan Motor Co, Japan's third-biggest carmaker, said on February 25 it would recall 76,415 cars across 10 models in Japan and 2,281 cars overseas due to a possible defect that may cause engine failure.
-- Suzuki Motor, Japan's No. 4 carmaker, said it would recall 432,366 units of two minicar models in Japan after two reported incidents of fire due to a possible defect in air conditioners. Daihatsu Motor recalled 60,774 units of four minicar models in Japan due to wiring problems.
March 2010 - GM says it is recalling 1.3 million compact cars covering the 2005-2010 model year Chevrolet Cobalt and 2007-2010 Pontiac G5 in the U.S.; the 2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit sold in Canada, and the 2005-2006 Pontiac G4 sold in Mexico.


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Honda Announces Plans for 2020 Motorcycle Motorsports Activities
5 Nov 2019
On November 5, 2019 (MILAN, Italy), Honda announced its plans for participation in motorcycle motorsports world championship racing for the 2020 season and the Dakar Rally 2020, at EICMA 2019 in Milan, Italy.
To date, Honda has participated in numerous categories of FIM*1 motorcycle racing world championships with its factory teams*2 operated by Honda Racing Corporation (HRC).
2019 marked the 60th anniversary of Honda participating in the 1959 Isle of Man TT for the first time. 2019 was also the year in which Honda won the riders championships in the premier categories of the FIM MotoGP World Championship, FIM Motocross World Championship, and FIM Trial World Championship.
In 2020, HRC factory teams will aim to defend their crowns in MotoGP, Motocross and Trials. Furthermore, Honda’s HRC factory team will continue to compete in the Dakar Rally which moves from South America to Saudi Arabia from next year.
From the 2020 season, Honda will also bring its HRC factory team “Team HRC” to the FIM Superbike World Championship, with Álvaro Bautista (Spain) and Leon Haslam (U.K.) riding factory bikes based on the new CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE SP. MFJ*3 All Japan Road Race Championship 2017 winner Takumi Takahashi will be also be participating in the FIM Superbike World Championship, riding for satellite team “MIE Racing Team”.
Numerous Honda teams will also be competing in the world championships: F.C.C. TSR Honda France will continue its quest for dominance in the FIM Endurance World Championship, while Team Honda HRC (American Honda Motor Company factory team) will continue to fight for the 450SX class title in the AMA*4 Supercross Championship.
Racing is Honda’s driving force, and through competing in various races, hones its technologies and its people. The racing spirit and technologies gained are part of many Honda products. Honda will continue to realize “The Power of Dreams” with its customers, in its products, services and racing activities.
*1 FIM: Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
*2 Factory teams: Teams operated by motorcycle manufacturers
*3 MFJ: Motorcycle Federation of Japan
*4 AMA: American Motorcyclist Association
Honda’s 2020 Participation In Motorcycle World Championship Road Racing:
FIM MotoGP World Championship:
Repsol Honda Team:
Marc Marquez, 26, Spain
Jorge Lorenzo, 32, Spain
LCR Honda Castrol:
Cal Crutchlow, 34, UK
LCR Honda IDEMITSU:
Takaaki Nakagami, 27, Japan
FIM Moto2 World Championship:
IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia:
Somkiat Chantra, 20, Thailand
Andi Farid Izdihar, 22, Indonesia
FIM Moto3 World Championship:
Honda Team Asia:
Ai Ogura, 18, Japan
Yuki Kunii, 16, Japan
FIM Superbike World Championship:
Alvaro Bautista, 34, Spain
Leon Haslam, 36, UK
MIE Racing Team:
Takumi Takahashi, 29, Japan
TBA, TBA, TBA
FIM Endurance World Championship:
F.C.C. TSR Honda France:
Josh Hook, 26, Australia
Freddy Foray, 35, France
Mike Di Meglio, 31, France


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TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. Read our ethics statement.
Nvidia promised and Nvidia delivered. Today, Nvidia released three new DX10 parts, all tailored to be a more affordable G80 solution than the existing cards. The GeForce 8600 GTS, 8600 GT and 8500GT were made available today, ranging from $90 to $230, all with the DirectX 10 support enthusiasts so crave (only available in Vista currently!). In a world that is often plagued by paper releases, it's comforting to see a company sticking to their promised releases.
This is another blow towards AMD, who has yet to make any R600 units available, let alone mid-range cards that most people can afford. On top of that, Nvidia is planning yet another iteration of G80 in the coming months that will lower the prices further.


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Three major events shaped the economic story for the first month of the new year. The US-China interim trade deal was finally signed, injecting optimism into the global economy. However, a flareup of tensions between the US and Iran at the start of the year and the spreading of a new infectious coronavirus out of China dented sentiment.
Will the Wuhan Coronavirus impact the global economy?
The latest shock on the global economy is a novel Coronavirus out of Wuhan, China. An outbreak of this virus, which is similar to SARS and MERS, has led to the lockdown and quarantine of multiple Chinese cities. The outbreak expanded during the Chinese New Year, and the Chinese economy could see GDP growth slowing down by a full percentage point in 2020 as a result of weakened consumer performance.
While the virus has spread to numerous other countries, including Europe and the US, cases outside of China are still a small number. However, the virus is said to be at least comparable to SARS in terms of infectiousness, and experts warn that unless the disease is contained, global trade and tourism could face negative outlooks for the year.
What happened with the US-China trade deal?
The US and China officially signed a Phase I trade deal, putting a pause on further escalation in a trade war that had affected both economies over the past two years. The trade deal committed to a reduction in US tariffs on some Chinese exports down to 7.5% and a Chinese promise to increase its purchase of US exports by US$ 200bn over 2 years.
While the trade deal brought a sense of positivity to global markets, and opened the road for further cooperation between the US and China on trade matters, analysts were largely underwhelmed by the benefits the trade deal provided. The extent of promised purchases of US exports were largely considered to be unrealistic, while the US still continued to impose high tariffs on most exports from China. Any Phase II deal is also considered unlikely until after the 2020 US Presidential election in November.
How did tensions in the Middle East work out?
The beginning of the year was rocked by an escalation in tensions between the US and Iran, after the US assassinated a key Iranian military leader, resulting in retaliatory rocket strikes by Iran onto US bases in Iraq. While these initial confrontations brought immense pressure onto global sentiment, especially due to the possible impacts on global oil prices, both countries subsequently backed down from their rhetoric. Further military conflict between the two nations was avoided, but Iran is intent on re-starting its nuclear program and the US has increased its sanctions on Iran.
How have commodities been performing?
Oil prices see-sawed in January, fueled by a rise in the first half of the month and a fall in prices later on. Escalations in Middle East tensions combined with expectations of stronger energy demand after the US-China trade deal to raise prices to a high of US$ 68.91 per barrel on the 6th of January. However, fears of a global pandemic in the wake of the Wuhan Coronavirus subsequently brought prices down to a low of US$ 58.57 per barrel by the 27th of January.
In contrast gold prices rose across January, as investors flocked to safe haven assets in response to the geopolitical tensions and risks of a pandemic. Prices rose from a low of US$ 1518.10 per ounce on the 27th of December to a high of US$ 1581.95 per ounce by the 26th of January.
How China’s Virus Outbreak Could Threaten the Global Economy
The Wuhan Coronavirus could have major implications for the global economy. The mysterious respiratory illness is likely to restrict consumption and confidence in China’s domestic economy, and on the back of an overall slowdown, this could prove harmful to other emerging markets as well.
Read more - nytimes.com
IMF says the outlook for the global economy ‘remains sluggish’ as it cuts growth forecasts
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has become less optimistic about global growth, warning that the outlook remains sluggish and there are no clear signs of a turning point. The IMF has now revised down the global growth forecasts to 2.9% and 3.3% for 2019 and 2020 respectively.
China’s trade war deal ‘may be doomed from start’ as scepticism mounts over capacity to buy US products
The interim trade deal that was signed between the US and China might be more unrealistic than previously expected, with conditions undertaken by China being seen as largely out of scope. Most Chinese exports are still taxed even with the deal, and unless progress is made, worries are rising that trade tensions could relapse.
China-US Phase 1 Agreement: A Positive Spillover for the World
Despite being an incomplete solution to the US-China trade dispute, the Phase I deal would still have positive impacts on the global economy. The continued dialogue between the two nations is key here, as it allows for other issues, such as those surrounding IP protection, security, and domestic purchase to be continuously discussed.
China economic growth slows to 30-year low as Trump's trade war bites
In 2019, the Chinese economy grew at its slowest since 1990, mainly due to the negative impacts of the trade conflict with the US. While an interim trade deal might cushion this slowdown, tariffs still exist on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese exports, and combined with a weakening domestic economy, could mean even slower growth in 2020.
Compiled by: Chayu Damsinghe
Disclaimer: This information has been compiled from sources believed to be reliable but Frontier Research Private Limited does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. Opinions and estimates constitute our judgment as of the date of the material and are subject to change without notice. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. The recipient of this report must make their own independent decision regarding any securities or financial instruments mentioned herein. Securities or financial instruments mentioned herein may not be suitable to all investors.


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By Holly Caruk – CBC News
Some specialty chicken producers faced with the possibility of paying thousands in levies
A new program that’s supposed to encourage farmers to produce halal, organic and other specialty types of chicken has ruffled the feathers of current producers, who say new quotas will prevent them from serving existing customers.
Manitoba Chicken Producers says its new specialty quota program — set to begin next year — is encouraged to get more farmers providing specialty chickens to under-served niche markets.
But Rudy Reimer, co-owner of Watersong Farms, says the quota could force him to turn customers away.
Chicken quotas are managed by Manitoba Chicken Producers, and registered farmers can only produce their allotted quota. The system is meant to ensure farmers produce only what the market demands.
But some farmers who aren’t registered producers have already been working in the specialty market under special exemption permits for years.
“Most of these were grand-fathered in over time, based on supplying a market that was unique and that wasn’t in direct competition with the broiler producers,” said Reimer.
Watersong Farms has been growing roasting chickens since the 1960s. The family farm raises chickens that are bigger in size and sells them directly to customers.
Under the new system, they will no longer be allowed their exemption permit. Instead, they will be forced to pay a 40 cent per kilogram levy on anything over their 30,000 kilogram allotment.
Watersong currently produces between 75,000-80,000 kilograms per year, which means they will have to scale back to 30,000 kilograms or pay a penalty on about 60 per cent of their product.
The latter is not an option, Reimer says.
“To pass that on to our customers would be quite a jump, and we don’t feel that it’s right that we would have to do that,” said Reimer.
Manitoba Chicken Producers says the program is designed to create opportunities for Manitoba farmers to supply niche markets.
“We do realize that we have certain demographics within our provincial population that would be purchasing frozen chicken from out of province that would be along the lines of kosher, halal, or certified organic,” said Wayne Hiltz, executive director of Manitoba Chicken Producers.
“The goal being that we are trying to give this opportunity to more producers, not just a few select producers,” he said.
Costs passed down to consumer
Reimer says any levy charged would end up being passed down to the consumer. It would also impact other parts of the industry, like processing plants.
“The two-sided coin is that if we restrict these producers we are also putting pressure on the only processors that are out there to supply these markets,” he said.
Waldner’s Meats in Niverville, Man. is one of few slaughterhouses in Manitoba that services smaller producers.
The family-run business grows their own chickens for halal preparation, as well as doing custom preparation for other small chicken producers.
“People that go to the farmer’s markets, their birds would be processed here. People that are just raising their [own chickens] so that they know what is going to be on their plate,” said Angela Chipilsky, manager at Waldner’s Meats.
She says if the new rules cause her current customers to scale back production, she may have to scale back the processing plant, which would only hurt small producers further.
“Family farms, they are dwindling,” she said.
Reimer says he plans to scale back his chicken production because he doesn’t want to pay the levies.
“We most likely will cut back our production significantly and that’s gonna hurt Waldner’s Meats because we are one of their largest customers,” said Reimer.
When the new system comes into effect next year, Reimer says there may be a lot less product available. He says it will be difficult to have to turn some of his customers away.
“You build these relationships, and you’re gonna lose some of them because of this,” said Reimer.
Chipilsky says if they are forced to scale back their production they wouldn’t be able to meet their demand. She says passing on any levy to customers would make them less competitive.
“If there’s a huge difference in price of course [retailers] are going to bring them in from out of province,” she said.
“We have our customers, we’re not asking to increase, we’re just asking to keep what we’ve been using all these years,” Chipilsky said.


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Posts Tagged ‘Wii’
The final issue of Nintendo Power has been released, and it looks familiar.
As you no doubt know if you’re a follower or a fan, the Wii U is here, meaning Nintendo‘s previous system, the Wii, is now left to slowly fade into our memories… so I figured it’d be nice to take a look back at some of the games that helped Nintendo‘s little underpowered box compete […]
Word around the rumor mill has been that Nintendo was working on a dumbed down Wii console. A Best Buy ad has confirmed such rumors and we’ll be seeing the launch of a Wii Mini come December.
If you picked up a Wii U in the past week, you’re not alone.
With its launch on November 18th this year, the Wii U shot to the top of every Nintendo fan’s “must have” list… but what does Nintendo need to do to get the rest of us?
In this inaugural episode of “The Super Game Fanatics,” Arnell selects the NES classic “Punch-Out.” We all came in fresh after years of not training. Do we still have the skills to take down the toughest boxers from around the world?
Welcome to Press Start! This is a weekly segment that dives into what we here at The Game Fanatics are currently playing. Feel free to leave a comment with what you’ve been playing or if you have any questions about the games that we are currently involved with.
Nintendo consoles haven’t received much exclusive love from from 3rd part companies for generations. Even the famous Rabbids series of the Rayman world was ported to the Xbox 360. And many features of the Wii versions of those games were substituted with Kinect.
We’re getting closer and closer to Junction Point’s follow-up to 2010’s Epic Mickey, and it couldn’t look any better.
Ahead of the Wii U’s November 18th launch, Nintendo has now given us a taste of their marketing for the new console.
Ubisoft has released a trailer that gives some behind the scenes info about the upcoming dance game, The Hip Hop Dance Experience.
Feast your eyes on two new screenshots from upcoming SEGA and GearBox game, Aliens: Colonial Marines. The screenshots can be found after the break.


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(BrightCitizen.com) These is a furor in the press right now as it was discovered that a US government arm, the GSA, has been spending money lavishly. How did the story break?
A stolen iPod from one of there events was traced to the director general’s daughters iTunes account.
You thought it was just Google that was profiling you. Apple apparently reported what iPod was where by tracing it to a customers iTunes ID. Scary!


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SHARJAH – The Arabic version of a book containing 100 Indian poems, some of which are thousands of years old, was launched during a ceremony on the sidelines of the 40th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) at Expo Centre Sharjah.
100 Great Indian Poems – an anthology of poems written in 28 Indian languages including Kashmiri, Bengali, Tamil, and Urdu – has been translated by the Sharjah Institute for Heritage in a first-of-its-kind collaboration with the Consulate General of India.
“Some of the poems in the book are as old as 3,000 years,” said Abhay Kumar, the Indian Ambassador to Madagascar, who edited the book, which was originally published in 2018, and has since been translated into various languages including Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Malagasy, French, Irish and Nepalese.
“The launch of the Arabic version will help to take Indian poetry to millions of readers in the Arab world and it is a great moment of pride not only for me but for all Indian poets – living, and from the past,” the diplomat said in a video message during the event organised by the Indian Consulate at the Intellectual Hall at Expo Centre Sharjah where SIBF 2021 will run until November 13.
Expressing his gratitude to the Sharjah Institute for Heritage for translating the collection of poems in ‘record time’, Abhay Kumar read out Manushya Puthiran’s Epitaph on my Gravestone, a poem in Tamil translated by CS Lakshmi and Arundhathi Subramaniam. “There is no one here, you may go,” he recited from the book that also features the works of legendary poets like Mirza Ghalib and Firaq Gorakhpuri.
“We translated this book to introduce (to the Arab world) the Indian poetic heritage and to enhance cooperation and cultural ties between the UAE and India,” said Dr. Minni Bounama, Director of Content and Publishing at the Sharjah Institute for Heritage.
“This work is just the beginning of a project that aims to strengthen the cultural bridge between the two sides by promoting the heritage of the two countries on a wider scale,” he added, suggesting that more similar translations would follow soon.


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Posted by Dale Buss on May 21, 2013 09:22 AM
Apple accused of avoiding billions in overseas taxes.
Hershey launches new brand to get piece of China market.
Foxconn confirms employee deaths.
Best Buy swings to a loss on lower revenues.
Burberry is lifted by China performance.
Chevrolet joins Mad Men buzz on Twitter.
Chris-Craft rebuilds boat maker after recession.
Flowers Foods predicts "record year" after acquisition of Hostess brands.
Giorgio Armani profit is boosted by Asia.
GrubHub and Seamless merge their food ordering services.Continue reading...
let's make a deal
Posted by Mark J. Miller on May 20, 2013 12:22 PM
In what Yahoo hopes to be a life-altering deal, the aging internet company acquired social media site Tumblr for $1.1 billion, affectively gaining the attention of millions of users that visit Tumblr monthly (that is, if they all don't jump ship first).
Purchase rumors began to swirl last week after the company's CFO Ken Goldman spoke of Yahoo's "aging demographic" and their need to be "cool" again. With the acquisition now official, Yahoo will suddenly be knee deep in the content-consuming, uber-engaged millennials that it craves, but the question is whether Tumblr's core users will stick around for fear that Yahoo will alter the blogging site—or whether advertisers and brands can handle the rough-and-tumble world of Tumblr.
However, CEO Marissa Mayer was quick to assure users (with her first Tumblr post, of course) that Yahoo would "not screw it up" and had no plans to tamper with the site or its crew. Mayer's post, in the copyright-flouting spirit of Tumblr, used an image that without first getting its creator's permission.
Founder David Karp—who is slated to become Forbes' youngest billionaire—will remain at the head of the company along with his team. According to Mayer, it seems the only major plans Yahoo has for Tumblr (besides not screwing it up) are more opportunities for native advertising (aka advertorials or sponsored content, which Karp & Co. have been testing in the wake of earlier stumbles) in addition to implementing Yahoo search on Tumblr to start mining all that juicy millennial user data.Continue reading...
Posted by Dale Buss on May 20, 2013 09:17 AM
Yahoo agrees to buy Tumblr for $1.1 billion, but questions already arise about how new native ads will affect cachet.
Buick Motor Co. celebrates 110 years.
P&G launches major review of its advertising ROI.
Actavis acquires Warner Chilcott in $5 billion pharma deal.
Billabong sees brand value drop after failed buyout attempts.
Campbell Soup meets high earnings hopes.
Chrysler quality now rivals Toyota, exec claims.
DirecTV considers bid for Hulu.
Domino's debuts DVD that smells like pizza.
GM accelerates financial and operational streamlining, CFO says.
Google may allow branded apps for Glass.Continue reading...
let's make a deal
Posted by Sheila Shayon on May 17, 2013 03:39 PM
As it explores new revenue streams and strategies to build out its web platform, Yahoo may be looking to invest in a platform that is sure to bring it plenty of the millennials it craves.
According to a report by All Things D, sources close to Yahoo! have said that the company may be considering a "strategic investment in or outright buy" of social blogging mecca Tumblr. After all, the startup, which is valued around $800 million, is one of the most popular social platforms and has become increasingly a part of branding arsenals as companies take advantage of its photo-heavy community.
Update: The acquisition was approved by Yahoo's board on Sunday, and announced via a press release, David Karp's Tumblr post and Marissa Mayer's first Tumblr post on Monday morning. The tl;dr version: Yahoo promises to leave the Tumblr brand independent and "not screw it up," leaving Karp as CEO and its staff intact. Yahoo will get access to Tumblr's 300 million monthly unique visitors; Tumblr gets the backing to continue its product roadmap and Karp's vision.Continue reading...
Posted by Sheila Shayon on May 15, 2013 05:53 PM
Yahoo is seeking a younger demographic as it looks to shed its outdated image and reliance on an “aging demographic." The internet brand plans to ramp up advertising and marketing to the younger set.
"Part of it is going to be just visibility again in making ourselves cool, which we got away from for a couple of years," CFO Ken Goldman said at Tuesday’s J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom conference in Boston, according to Reuters. "Cool" includes greater visibility on outdoor billboards and at sporting events to catch the eye of 18- to 34-year-olds and promote new products, which will require a significant ad spend across multiple media.
Since taking the helm last summer (and instating a controversial no work-from-home policy) Marissa Mayer has already launched new versions of Yahoo's web email and Flickr photo sharing service and acquired several small start-ups, setting Yahoo stocks up for a near 70 percent surge. But analysts attribute the rise, at least in part, to stock buybacks and the growing value of Yahoo's Asian portfolio. "I do like the idea of buying back stock," said Goldman. "So I don't necessarily suggest at all that the fact that we've got a little bit more to go on the existing purchase does not mean that we would not go beyond that and buy more."Continue reading...
Posted by Dale Buss on May 13, 2013 09:33 AM
Bangladesh plans to raise pay for garment workers and allow unions.
ABC veteran Barbara Walters announces 2014 retirement as Disney plans to live-stream ABC programming via app and cloud.
Yum! sales in China fall 29 percent in April.
ABB says CEO plans to resign.
Audi outsells BMW brand globally — again.
Bloomberg admits use of its terminals for data snooping.
CBS chief touts TV over digital engagement.
Cisco tries reinvention in tough time.
Danone sets deal to acquire Happy Family brand.Continue reading...
Posted by Barry Silverstein on May 8, 2013 06:47 PM
The technology world is an unforgiving battleground for brands that fail to catch hold. Windows 8, Microsoft's highly touted operating system seems to be one of those brands that didn't quite take off as expected.
Even as Microsoft pursues a re-branding based around the new Windows design, the word on the street is that Windows 8 will be getting an "update" later this year. Read that as an attempt to fix problems that have been frustrating both consumers and device manufacturers. Tami Reller, head of Microsoft's Windows division, was blunt in telling the Associated Press, "Are there things that we can do to improve the experience? Absolutely. There is a learning curve and we can work to address that."Continue reading...
Posted by Dale Buss on May 8, 2013 09:15 AM
SAP moves into cloud computing as brand projects $10B boost from banking software.
Coca-Cola plans to invest $2 billion in Florida orange groves.
Disney second quarter soars 32% on theme parks, ESPN ad sales as company withdraws trademark application for Dia de los Muertos.
Alibaba IPO anticipation grows on revenue surge.
American Airlines launches Klout-based promo.
AOL profits boosted by advertising.
AT&T presses case in lower bandwidth spectrum case.
Bitcoin startups begin to attract real cash.
Burger King makes bold move with delivery expansion.Continue reading...


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Many vacations became much more difficult or even impossible as the COVID-19 pandemic restricted travel, increased risks and limited tourist opportunities around the world.
Washington officials even deemed trips to the forest or other public lands off-limits for more than a month before slowly beginning to reopen the state in May. As people in Washington and around the nation looked for comfortable ways to spend time outside the house, RV sales began to boom.
“Everybody was wanting to buy an RV,” Central Washington RV owner Jason Carroll said. “We went from like 120 plus in inventory down to 24 in August and you can’t get replacements because other dealers are doing the same thing.”
Central Washington RV opened in April 2015. Carroll said they sold more RVs from May to mid-July of 2020 than they did for all of 2015. Deliveries to customers went from five to seven per week to three to four per day.
Canopy Country RV Center owner Todd Munson saw sales spike at his locations in Union Gap and Ellensburg as well.
Nationally, RV sales surged. RVshare said in June that bookings had increased by 1,600% since early April. Much like in other industries, those massive increases in demand brought some new problems along with profit for RV dealers.
Munson knows it’s beneficial to introduce new customers to the RV lifestyle.
Both he and Carroll saw a wave of first-time buyers this spring and summer as families adjusted their vacation plans to comply with COVID-19 restrictions.
The changes weren’t just visible at the RV sales businesses. Elk Ridge campground store assistant manager Kathy Foreman said they also saw plenty of new faces, noting they’ve stayed full virtually seven days a week since the pandemic began. The private campground is on State Route 410 outside near Cliffdell.
Just about any RVs on the lot don’t last long, Carroll said, noting they’ve seen fewer trade-ins with sellers recognizing they can get more on their own. Munson has seen similar strong results in Union Gap and especially at his prime location in Ellensburg.
“We’ve been plugging away,” Munson said. “There’s no question there’s been a challenge trying to provide the products and services to fit people that need the social distancing, need the quarantining and those kinds of things.”
Manufacturers struggled to keep up, especially since they often needed to hire new workers after layoffs at the start of the pandemic. Carroll said in many cases RVs sit on lots ready to go to dealers, but they can’t be transported due to a lack of drivers.
Some RVs contain as many as 10,000 different parts, Munson said, and supply chains have been stretched, especially for common parts such as air conditioners, fenders and axles. Carroll doesn’t expect the supply chains to return to a sense of normalcy until as late as next spring.
“Units are sitting in the yard for a month after they’re built, missing air conditioners, windows, fender skirts,” Carroll said. “Parts in general, you can’t get them nearly like you used to be able to because everybody shut down and now they’re trying to ramp back up and produce all this stuff.”
Buyers for RVs and parts keep calling from all over the Northwest. In one case, Carroll said a man drove up from Arizona. Monson has seen customers from all over the region as well, noting Canopy Country’s Ellensburg location sees a lot of business thanks to its proximity to travelers on Interstate 90.
Some new RVs started to arrive for Central Washington RV in September only to be sold almost immediately. On Sept. 17, Carroll said eight people were still on his waiting list.
The wildfires and resulting smoke hurt demand a bit, significantly driving down customer traffic in unhealthy air. Even without the inventory issues, sales are expected to fall this autumn, as they do for all Northwest dealerships when the weather gets colder.
The sudden arrival of COVID-19 earlier this year forced businesses to adapt quickly if they wanted to survive in the new reality.
Health department officials at the state and local level approved RV sales to remain open as an essential business, since many people live out of their RVs. Carroll points out more than 80% of the RVs in the neighboring Circle ‘H’ RV park are full-time residents.
For the safety of his workers, Carroll decided to shut down Central Washington RV for 14 days and encouraged his employees to stay home as much as possible. Upon returning, a skeleton crew came to work later and went home earlier while trying to keep up with growing sales.
Customers could no longer wander around and look into any RV on the lot, and Monson said Canopy Country did their best to follow all of the health guidelines as new information about the virus continued to emerge. Both dealers pivoted to more online sales, and Monson said they relied heavily on virtual tours and FaceTime with customers.
“That really helped us,” Monson said. “It got us thinking a little bit more from a digital standpoint.”
Employees continue to make sanitation a top priority by always wiping down surfaces, and Carroll said they’ve spent plenty of money on cleaning products. Customers are advised to plan ahead and can only choose two or three models to look at during their visit.
Of course, Carroll said not all customers appreciated those strict regulations. Since most sales are done primarily outside on the lot, sometimes he’s able to make concessions, such as social distancing without a mask, but he’s not willing to overlook safety to satisfy everyone.
“When you have too many protocols sometimes it can steer some of the people away a little bit and we’ve made some of them mad because we wouldn’t let them go look around,” Carroll said. “They would just turn around and leave.”
The pandemic took its toll on staff as well, with some sickness at Canopy Country, plus two other employees who left for different reasons. Carroll worked hard to keep his employees, and some federal money from a Paycheck Protection Program loan ensured they were paid while staying home.
Eventually the steady flow of customers and slight ease on restrictions convinced Carroll to return Central Washington RV to normal hours in July, although he sent some employees home early in recent weeks due to wildfire smoke. As inventory and parts ran out, that also meant less work for both technicians and sales people.
Despite the obvious challenges ahead, Carroll and Monson remain optimistic about the months ahead. Monson points to a strong stock market and low fuel costs, noting social distancing, nervousness about boarding planes and restrictions on international travel likely won’t go away anytime soon.
“All that kind of lends to strength in RVs,” Monson said. “You’ve got your own bed, cook your own food and still see the destinations you want to see.”


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The No.1 US automaker seems to have a never-ending story when it comes to the untimely recall of 2.6 million cars over defective ignition switches, linked so far to at least 13 deaths.
Besides numerous lawsuits coming from the people who claim their cars lost value due to the handling of the recall, there are also actions filed by victims or relatives involved in accidents. Now, one Georgia couple, which last year settled their lawsuit over the faulty ignition switch have filed for a new action against the automaker.
Ken and Beth Melton, parents to Brooke Melton, 29, who died in March 2010 after her 2005 Cobalt experienced a problem with the defective switch and collided with another car, said that GM fraudulently concealed evidence and allowed one of their representatives to lie under oath.
“The Meltons would not have settled their case if they had known of the perjury and concealment of critical evidence,” said the couple’s attorney, Lance Cooper.
According to the lawsuit plaintiffs, the company’s recent statements to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Congress revealed the perjury, as it was proved to be a lie when a chief design engineer for Cobalt’s switch testified he had no idea about design changes to the switch, with GM backing him up.


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Courier Shi Chunhua has been promoting tape-free packaging to customers.
"They usually did not know about the new product and had some concerns at first," Shi said, adding that he explains to clients that the company is promoting green express delivery and then shows them the stability of the boxes.
"Tape-free does not mean insecurity," he said, adding that products are safe in the boxes.
"Most of my clients are very supportive of the environmentally friendly wrapping strategy after learning the tape-free boxes are as stable and safe as the old wrapping way."
Shi works for China Post in Beijing's Zhongguancun area. Many of his clients are big companies.
"They adopt the greener way well," he said.
Shi and his colleagues received training in folding the boxes correctly to ensure the products won't come out.
Last year, 83.3 billion parcels were handled across China, with 95.5 billion parcels expected to be handled this year.
However, the huge amount of wrapping materials has brought challenges to the environment.
As China has made a commitment to carbon neutrality before 2060, the industry has carried out greener measures to contribute to high-quality development.
The use of tape-free boxes is one of many ways to promote environmentally friendly wrapping in the express delivery sector.
China's top legislature, the National People's Congress, revised the Law on Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste last year. The new version came into force on Sept 1 last year.
Hu Hualong, a researcher from the Solid Waste and Chemicals Management Center at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said the revised law added new items to solid waste, such as packaging and kitchen waste.
"The central government has encouraged and guided customers to use green packaging and avoid excessive wrapping," Hu said.
In December, central government organs including the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Post Bureau published a guideline to promote green packaging. It introduced measures such as offering incentives to businesses and setting unified standards for green packaging to ensure compliance among industry participants.
Yin Xunguo, head of the State Post Bureau's environmental protection section, said the bureau promotes reductions in the use of packaging consumables and the use of more green and low-carbon packaging materials.
For example, scientific packing methods have been encouraged across the country to cut down on the use of tape. After their implementation, 500 million fewer meters of tape were used last year than in 2017.
In January, the bureau published a guideline to regulate mail and parcel packaging. According to the guideline, logistics companies are responsible for drawing up a packaging standards book and training couriers to wrap packages accordingly to reduce waste.
SF Express, one of the major players, has released a carbon target plan. The company plans to build a sustainable development circle for green packaging, including investing money to reward green wrapping material design, reusing recycled materials for production, adopting recycled transfer bags and rewarding couriers who collect used wrapping boxes.
Before e-receipts were widely used in the sector, customers had to fill in addresses and names on paper and make at least two copies, one to stick on the package and the other for the recipient.
The adoption of e-receipts saves a large amount of paper. Last year, 99.7 percent of packages handled in Hainan province by YTO Express, one of the major express delivery companies, used e-receipts.
Li Changxiang, who is in charge of the company's Hainan office, said new energy vehicles have been put into trial use to transport parcels in Hainan. The vehicles are less expensive to use than gas-fueled cars, Li said.
"It is a win-win solution to promote environmental protection and reduce operational costs," he said.
Nearly all packages from ZTO Express have been using e-receipts. By last year, more than 9 million recycled transfer bags were used in all its transfer hubs and some outlets.
The company has set a goal of building 20,000 stations to collect packaging waste by the end of this year.


text: With news that Ford will offer a turbocharged V6 in the Fusion putting out close to the same power as what’s available on the Mustang and Focus RS, Chevy realizes they’re against the ropes in the midsize market as their brand-new Malibu lags in sales. Chevy execs have been quoted as saying a variety of reasons for the low demand, citing everything from “people don’t know what a 4G LTE hotspot is” to “it’s a Chevy Malibu.” After two to three model years the Malibu will be retired completely and be replaced by a new vehicle - though “new” in this sense is relative. To help lower R&D costs, the “new” car will be based on cars already in the lineup, likely on a platform that underpins a number of other cars like the Cadillac ATS which is roughly already sized and powered to be competitive in this market. It will also offer a variety of power train options including four-cylinder turbo engines and V6s, and a very unique feature in the mid-size market, being available only in two-door form. However, they have announced a convertible version will be available as well, a first since the 70s. The new car will also revive a storied Chevy nameplate.


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Which has been more costly to British businesses, Covid or Brexit? Both, according to ParcelHero. Its research reveals that the “self-inflicted wound” of Brexit has cost UK businesses as much as the Covid pandemic.
Isak Andic, founder of the Spanish retailer Mango, creates a board of directors for Punta Na and appoints himself as chief executive. His children Jonathan, Judith, and Sarah Andic will also form part of the board.
Penneys, the Irish arm of the giant Primark retail chain, is to spend €14.8 million on moving and enhancing its Dublin flagship destination. The new Dundrum Town Centre store will give "an enhanced shopping experience”.
Max Mara is taking its next resort show on the road again, as the Italian marque reveals plans to stage its next cruise collection in Lisbon, marking the latest foreign jaunt by the Italian luxury fashion marque.
The opening of the new Elizabeth Line that’s a key part of the London transport network will happen in the next few months without the opening of the Bond Street Crossrail station, Transport for London has announced.
Footfall to retail destinations has been recovering since the original lockdown in 2020, but 2021 still saw a disastrous fall of 31.1% compared to 2019, tracking specialist Springboard said on Monday.


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The high rated MUV from Mahindra is gearing high sales in the country; the Mahindra Xylo has gained much preference in India.
However, it is earlier said that Mahindra Xylo is never the best looked cars in its class, yet it has touched 1 lakh units in the country. Earlie this year, the 2012 version launched by the company with better looks and long list of features.
The company has now said in an official statement that Xylo has touched 1 lakh sales unit in India.
Now, if talked about the sales of Xylo in past few months, it has overcasts its arch rival, the Toyota Innova.
While talking got media, Pravin Shah, Chief Executive, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., said, “I would like to congratulate everyone who has been associated with this achievement of the Xylo.”
Mr. Shah said, “Having set new benchmarks in luxurious space and with a host of features for passenger comfort, the Xylo has been an unmitigated success since its launch. The 1 lakh plus vehicle further reaffirms Xylo’s popularity and reflects high customer satisfaction with the product.”


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China sees 76m tourists during Spring Festival holiday
Photo taken on Feb. 15 shows tourists walking on the Traditional Culture Pedestrian Street in Tianjin. According to the statistics issued on Feb. 15, by the national holiday tourism office for coordination meeting of inter-ministry and department, the totoal number of people touring 39 major resort and tourist cities of China reached 76,000,000 during this year's seven-day Spring Festival holiday, up 15 percent year on year. And the number of tourists visiting 33 popular scenic spots across China increased by 20 percent year on year. [Source: xinhuanet.com/photo]
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A survey of Carstar Auto Body Repair shop owners discovered that the frequency and severity of deer-related accidents are growing as quickly as the deer population in some areas. And in one-quarter of deer-related accidents, the windshield needed replaced.
The survey found:
—More than 40 percent of store owners saw a 25-percent increase in deer-related accidents, while approximately 12 percent reported a 50-percent increase in accidents. Approximately 5 percent of owners say they have seen a 75-percent increase in deer-related accidents in their areas.
—The cost of hitting a deer is up, with almost 70 percent of owners estimating the average cost is between $2,500 and $4,999, while about 5 percent of repairs are between $5,000 and $10,000.
—The most commonly damaged areas include: repair or replacing the front bumper at 30 percent; replacing or repairing the hood at 22 percent; replacing or repairing the fender at 12 percent; and replacing a headlight at approximately 10 percent.
—In addition, approximately 24 percent of owners reported repairs also included a windshield replacement, roof and side panel work, as well as cleaning and repairing the interior after a deer landed in the vehicles.


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NAPLES, Fla. — Leaders of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores on Monday urged Regional Chain Conference attendees to participate in NACDS RxImpact Day on Capitol Hill, a key initiative designed to shape the public policy arena.
“If you can envision the possibility of your company being pushed off the edge of a cliff, as a result of policies that aren’t right and that jeopardize patient care, then you need to be with us in Washington, D.C., on March 21 and 22,” said NACDS chairman Robert Loeffler of H-E-B, referring to NACDS RxImpact Day on Capitol Hill, which will be held in Washington, D.C., on those dates.
“This is the event when pharmacy advocates — people just like you and me — meet with their members of Congress and help advance pro-pharmacy, pro-patient public policy,” Loeffler explained. “And we have no shortage of topics to discuss: Medicaid average manufacturer price and federal upper limits, medication therapy management and pharmacy benefit manager issues — in other words, policies that relate to the value and viability of community pharmacy, and everything that it means for patient care.”
NACDS president and CEO Steve Anderson said that NACDS is more focused than ever before on showcasing and empowering the “wonderful things that community pharmacy does every day,” and helping to make possible community pharmacy’s role as a “disruptive innovator” — a term advanced by Harvard Business Professor and author Clayton Christensen, which also was an inspiration to the late Steve Jobs in his work at Apple.
Anderson described “disruptive innovation” as an innovation that creates new markets and value networks. Pharmacy is providing innovations that are creating new methods of healthcare delivery and that are lowering healthcare costs, according to Anderson.
“If we position community pharmacy effectively as the face of neighborhood health care, this industry will emerge as a disruptive innovator and will create a positive long-term impact on healthcare delivery and for the good of patients. But we cannot just sit back and let that happen; we have to get out and fight for it,” Anderson said.
Anderson also noted Christensen’s and Jobs’ emphasis on the importance of focusing on core priorities and products, and on Jobs’ demand that people working for a company have to be in love with the product. “We at NACDS love that we represent a product — community pharmacy — that is adding so much value to healthcare delivery and to the American people, in terms of savings lives and improving lives."
Loeffler and Anderson highlighted NACDS’ engagement on pharmacy benefit manager issues as an example of the high-stakes environment facing pharmacy patient care in the policy and political realms. They noted NACDS’ work to highlight the potential anti-competitive and anti-consumer ramifications of the proposed Express Scripts and Medco merger, as well as NACDS’ advocacy for legislation to regulate PBMs.
Loeffler said, “Increased rancor on the part of the PBMs is accompanied by a damaging array of PBM practices, all of which you personally know too well. Let me throw out just a few and see if they sound familiar to you: lack of transparency; the frequency, or should I say infrequency, of updating [maximum allowable cost] pricing; more margin compression each year; restricted networks; unreasonable and capricious audit rules; use of our patients’ data; [and] blatant conflicts of interest, including converting your patients to mandatory mail order — in short, topics that threaten the sustainability of many in this room, and that threaten the access and cost of care to the patients we serve.”
Summarizing NACDS’ effort to battle the proposed Express Scripts and Medco merger given the deep concern of NACDS member companies, Loeffler summarized, “Well, we’ve heard what you had to say about it … and now we’re hearing what consumer groups, antitrust watchdogs, federal and state legislators, and others have to say about it.”
Anderson concluded by giving credit to the passion for patient care that is demonstrated every day by community pharmacy and that guides the work of NACDS. He said, “Looking back over the past five years or so, I see an NACDS that better resembles your spirit” and compared NACDS to the persona of Winston Churchill, who said: “It was the nation … dwelling all round the globe that had the lion’s heart. I had the luck to be called upon to give the roar.”
“I propose today that it is all of you in community pharmacy who possess and portray the lion’s heart — and it is the responsibility and privilege of NACDS to reflect your passion, and to sound the roar,” Anderson said.


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Experts state tobacco sales should be banned during the COVID-19 crisis and have recommended users to stop. In response to COVID-19 are tobacco sales actually decreasing though? And what is the federal and state government doing to assist the tobacco industry?
- Are tobacco sales actually decreasing during the COVID-19 crisis?
Despite doctors recommendations of the health risks associated with smoking during the COVID-19 crisis, sales of tobacco have actually spiked. It seems this spike was a result of stock piling and has somewhat leveled out over the past week or so. However, surprisingly tobacco and liquor sales are staying strong during this pandemic.
- Unexpected efforts from tobacco companies to find a vaccine
The race to find a vaccine for the COVID-19 has an unlikely new entrant: tobacco companies. Lucky Strike owner British American Tobacco PLC is developing a potential vaccine grown in tobacco plants, while Medicago Inc., a biotech firm partly owned by Marlboro maker Philip Morris International Inc., is pursuing a similar effort. You can find more information about these measures here.
- What is the government doing to assist these businesses?
Tax Payment and Other Filing Due Dates have been Postponed for Industry Members Affected by COVID-19, including the tobacco industry
To assist businesses that have been severely impacted during the COVID-19 crisis, the Federal government has postponed several filing and payment due dates for 90-days where the original due date falls on or after March 1, 2020, through July 1, 2020.
Specifically, the following requirements are postponed:
- Postponing tax payment due dates for wine, beer, distilled spirits, tobacco products, cigarette papers and tubes, firearms, and ammunition excise taxes.
- Postponing filing due dates for excise tax returns.
- Postponing filing due dates for submission of operational reports.
- Postponing filing due dates for claims for credit or refund by producers.
- Postponing filing due dates for claims by manufacturers of nonbeverage products.
- Postponing due dates for submission of export documentation.
- Considering emergency variations from regulatory requirements for affected businesses on a case-by-case basis.
- Reviewing requests for relief from penalties based on reasonable cause.
The government will re-evaluate the terms of this immediate relief if circumstances warrant. You can find additional information on the relief the government is providing to tobacco businesses here. In addition, these businesses are eligible for several other provisions under the CARES ACT. If your business is being affected by COVID-19 contact us to discuss your options.


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Norway has won the Bocuse d’Or 2015 at the competition’s world final held in Lyon, with the USA and Sweden finishing in second and third place respectively.
Chef Ben Spalding is returning to the kitchen after a two-year break with a month-long residency at The Laundry E8.
Restaurant staff are being urged to make solo diners feel more comfortable after a survey found that a quarter of British diners feel they receive worse service when dining alone.
Local sourcing and provenance are more important to Londoners than the reputation of a restaurant’s head chef, according to new research from Camden eatery Gilgamesh.
Restaurants should offer freebies when they first open to increase footfall and build customer loyalty through reward schemes, according this new infographic from marketing and loyalty platform provider Coniq.