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Clothing giant Gap’s trademark infringement notice to an NGO selling products made from recycled waste is a curious case
Trademark disputes are the humdrum of intellectual property (IP) litigation. Important, no doubt, for the parties involved but hardly the stuff to get you and me excited. What all we have missed in recent times? Dozens of cases, such as that of SABMiller India suing Som Distilleries and Breweries for infringing its bottle design and “passing off” (as the original) which went to two high courts before interim relief for trademark infringement was granted to the plaintiff. There were others which are not about infringement but why a trademark was not granted.
In the latter category is the long-running case of the Jaguar trademark which came to a close—or may be not—after 22 years. Swiss watch manufacturer Des Montres Jaguar had in 1991 applied for the Jaguar trademark for its watches. At the time, British luxury carmaker Jaguar Cars had opposed it, claiming that the Swiss company was intending to benefit from the reputation and goodwill attached to its trademark. The watch company’s argument was that it had been making and selling its Jaguar watches since 1945 and that the trademarks for both the products were recognised in over 20 countries. The Trademarks Registry had accepted its claim then but two weeks ago the Intellectual Property Appellate Board overturned the award on a petition filed by Tata Motors which is now the owner of the British car company.
The surprising case, however, is the one launched by Gap, one of the world’s largest clothing and accessories companies with estimated revenue of $15.56 billion in 2012, against a Delhi-based NGO, Swechha. It has sent a legal notice for trademark infringement to Green Gap Enviro Solution of Delhi for selling recycled and ‘upcycled’ accessories, stationery, home décor and gift items and clothing through their stores in Delhi and Mumbai under its Green The Gap (GTG) initiative. The NGO also has a web portal of the same name for selling these products. The San Francisco-based multinational says its Gap trademarks “enjoy a high degree of brand recognition which has been painstakingly built” since 1974. To emphasise this point, the notice says promotional and publicity for the Gap brands cost over half a million dollars in 2011.
The MNC says the NGO’s incorporation of Gap in their name constitutes a fraud as it “creates a misrepresentation and likelihood of deception amongst members of the public and trade”. That, indeed, is a serious charge but one that has taken the NGO completely by surprise. Vimlendu Jha, founder-director, says GTG was set up formally in 2008 as an extension of its Bridge the Gap initiative. That programme was launched by Swechha to enable schoolchildren and society in general to play an active role in combating environmental degradation.
GTG came about after Swechha encountered the rapidly increasing amount of waste in the capital and the “disconnect between people and what happens to their trash”. It reuses waste innovatively—most of its home décor products are made from discarded tyre tubes and the rest from juice cartons, rice sacks and discarded fabric—to create what Jha terms high-quality, useful products. GTG is India’s biggest green products aggregator and its website offers products made by other institutions as well. For all this, the NGO and Jha have received global recognition and awards.
The puzzle is why an MNC of Gap’s stature would bother with GTG. Does the name automatically recall the apparel giant? It’s a ticklish question since most customers of the NGO, one would presume, are aware of the origin of the goods they are buying. The logo that it uses is distinctive and in no way resembles that of Gap. And rather cuttingly, the NGO points out that the price at which Gap products are sold are so different from those charged by GTG that there could possibly be no confusion among consumers.
For the record, GTG has no registered trademark since its application made some eight months ago is still in process.
Is it a case of law firms here scouting for MNC business here as with ambulance-chasing lawyers in the US who make big money from filing compensation claims? Could the MNC have been misled about the nature of GTG’s business? These are questions doing the lawyer circuit in Delhi as they wait for developments. GTG is not backing down and is determined to fight the case. The NGO’s point is that over the past four years it too has invested considerable resources in promoting the name and logo and any modification of the GTG mark would lead to loss of goodwill (touché, Gap) that it has built up for their unique initiative. Besides, it would create hardship, not just to themselves but to the poor craftsmen who are employed to make these products.
Oddly enough, one of the leading law firms in the capital that is known for its top flight corporate clients has offered to fight GTG’s case pro bono.
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The company said that these sellers were joining the platform because of reduced cost of doing business and analytical inputs from Snapdeal on consumer preference and others.
The inputs include providing analytical inputs regarding consumer preferences, demand projections at multiple price points and competitive landscape analysis to help sellers plan their sales strategy.
Most of the sellers are focused on the value segment and specialise in fashion, home accessories and small appliances, which the company claims are large volume categories for its platform.
Of the 50,000 new sellers, Snapdeal claimed nearly 2,100 new sellers have crossed Rs 10 lakh in monthly sale within the first four months of their joining.
In an exclusive interview with ET in September, Snapdeal chief executive Kunal Bahl had said the company, which at its peak was valued at over $6 billion, had been sharply cutting costs, while also moving away from certain categories, such as premium smartphones and high-end consumer electronics, to improve margins.
“We want to be the dominant player in the long-tail segment of the market in terms of selling seller-branded selection, which was really what our roots were as a company and company’s target (back) in 2012,” Bahl had told ET.
The SoftBank Group, Alibaba Group and Foxconn-backed online retailer had also posted a loss of Rs 613 crore in 2017-18, down 87% from the year-ago fiscal when it posted a loss of Rs 4,647.1 crore, according to documents filed by the company with the registrar of companies.
However, total income for fiscal 2018, including revenue from operations, came in at Rs 514.5 crore, a more than two-fold drop in topline, compared with FY17 when it reported revenue of Rs 1,105.7 crore. This was due to the company moving away from premium branded products towards seller-branded products.

domain: news


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— Stansberry Research (@Stansberry) October 13, 2021
— GnS Economics (@GnSEconomics) October 15, 2021
inflation sours biden's approval rating pic.twitter.com/Yb0dKbJTmG
— Alastair Williamson (@StockBoardAsset) October 15, 2021
Retailers forecast disappointing holiday season as labor shortage ragest.co/rkniVPGGPy
— FOX Business (@FoxBusiness) October 15, 2021
— Libs of Tik Tok (@libsoftiktok) October 14, 2021
— Samantha LaDuc (@SamanthaLaDuc) October 16, 2021
🇺🇸🤯⁉ The plot thickens…
Gauging from consumer confidence, the US recession likelihood is now highest since March 2020 (as the expectations component has weakened since March) $usd $tlt $spy #stagflation pic.twitter.com/FFOeTlpdwF
— Martin Enlund 🦆🚁 (@enlundm) October 13, 2021
Stagflation Light Might Strike as Early as the Third Quarter This Year
Let's discuss recession and stagflation possibilities.t.co/c5jbmxOXcO
— Mike "Mish" Shedlock (@MishGEA) October 7, 2021
Why stagflation is a likely outcome in the current economic situation
— Brave New Europe (@BRAVENEWEUROPE1) October 15, 2021
The University of Michigan’s gauge of consumer sentiment fell to a preliminary October reading of 71.4 from a final September reading of 72.8. Economists…
The big question for the global economy: Will price rises feed further inflation cycles? More than a dozen central banks have raised interest rates but two that haven’t are those that loom largest over the global economy: the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank.
Social media users have begun posting pictures of empty shelves, blaming the problem on Joe Biden’s mismanagement as shortages begin to be felt.
Economic policymakers have said inflation will prove temporary, but rising rents may challenge that view and pressure Washington to react.


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The small update is mainly bug fixes, a new default Today view and performance improvements, including some for Siri which has been inconsistent on my wrist of late.
Showing results 1 to 20 of 1,109
Microsoft is continuing to roll out monthly updates for its Intune device-management service. Here's what's in the batch for May.
The Apple Watch Sport edition has been strapped on my wrist for a month and for the most part it has exceeded all of my expectations. It's even better now that I realized I was wearing it wrong.
It's about time for Apple's TV "hobby" to become a big deal: A new software platform for third-party apps would help. And the Apple Watch is expected to improve too next month.
This week in Windows Phone we saw a big new Windows 10 update, heard that porting apps may not be so easy, and the hot Lumia 640 is coming to the US.
Spiceworks made several announcements from SpiceWorld London on May 12 that include a new developer toolkit, transaction processing capabilities, and new apps for the App Center.
Citrix updated its product line at its flagship conference with a focus on making enterprise apps more accessible on tablets and mobile devices.
This week in Android a report surfaced that showed Android besting iOS in mobile ad revenue. We also saw that the Nexus 9 is not getting updates first, and that Samsung is using Sony camera sensors in the S6 and S6 Edge.
NetSuite also outlined customer wins including Pebble, the smart watch maker.
An upcoming Google I/O developer session promises "Your app, now available hands-free" thanks to Voice Access; a new way to control Android apps through speech.
Instead of using Java for Android apps in the future, Sky could be the framework. The experimental language is based on Google Dart and aims for 120 fps animations.
OS X may have a better security reputation than Windows, but it's far from perfect.
Microsoft has made available another new test build of Windows 10 Desktop that includes a number of new features and updates, including new mail and calendar apps.
Google recently announced Wi-Fi support for Android Wear and now the companion app includes the Cloud sync feature, plus a choice of calendars to display on your watch.
Google's latest software update for Android Wear will make the smartwatches easier to use in a hands-free mode and over Wi-Fi networks.
Matthew doesn't convince listeners to buy an particular mobile device this week, but the Apple Watch may find its way to his wrist in the future.
As you go through disabling preloaded Samsung apps on your new Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge, make sure to include S Voice. Google Now is more reliable, more functional, and has a quick shortcut to launch.
Infor is gunning for Oracle and SAP by focusing on industry specific app suites. Execs outlined the strategy at its analyst day.
See all the best photos from March, including highlights from the CeBIT trade show, Samsung's new flagship device, the latest smart drones, Apple Watch details, and the very first Google shop.
Is Microsoft's plan -- to get its core apps on every mobile platform -- bringing former customers back into the fold? My experience suggests it is.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
- 1 ZDNet Cloud TV: Hurdles to overcome (highlights)
- 2 Perfectly legal ways you can still get Windows 7 cheap (or even free)
- 3 34 ways to improve your iPhone's battery life
- 4 How much does an iPhone 6 really cost? (Hint: It's way more than $199)
- 5 So you have an app idea and want to make a bajillion bucks


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The SPDR S&P Retail ETF (NYSEArca: XRT), the largest dedicated retail exchange traded fund, and rival retail ETFs often enter the spotlight at this time of year with the holiday shopping season looming. However, 2016 could bring different dynamics to holiday shopping with the imminent presidential election and the possibility of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates in December.
Year-to-date, Amazon (NasdaqGS: AMZN) and Dow component Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) have recently helped XRT’s rival, the VanEck Vectors Retail ETF (NYSEArca: RTH), perform less poorly than XRT. XRT, an equal-weight ETF, has been plagued by slumping apparel retailers, among other corners of the flailing retail industry.
With Amazon being one of the story stocks of 2016, RTH is primed to keep rolling, but XRT is reversing its fortunes for the better thanks to rebounding department store names. That scenario is bolstering the ETF’s technical outlook.
SEE MORE: America’s Less Dressed: 3 Factors Weighing On Retail ETFs
“The beginning of the Christmas holiday season (November) has been a good time to buy the group, and the post-shopping season (January) has been a good time to avoid (or be short) the sector,” reports ETF Daily News. “XRT has outperformed the market in November with an average gain of 2.26% in that month alone. In addition, XRT has lost an average of 1.87% during January in the period examined (2006, 2009 to 2015). December has been a relatively neutral month for retail stocks compared to the S&P 500.”[related_stories]


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Press release and photos: EU Public Affairs
Last Friday, November the 27th, banana producers and exporters from seven Latin American countries called for a tripartite roundtable with main European retailers and the private certifier Rainforest Alliance. The main objective was to reach a common position that would put an end to the conflict over new certification standards imposed by Rainforest Alliance.
Despite Rainforest Alliance’s refusal to attend, guilds and retail groups agreed that Rainforest Alliance has the obligation to define the concept of Shared Responsibility, as well as creating a specific committee for its development, composed by representatives of producers and retail groups.
Banana growers stated, “We are curious about RfA’s refusal to participate in the dialogue, especially considering that they themselves have established the requirement for a Shared Responsibility following the Sustainability Differential”. In addition, they clarify “it is not a discussion about prices, it is a discussion about how to make the frog seal fair again, with added value, and created according guidelines that will not jeopardize the sustainability of banana producers”. To this end, producers have requested a meeting with the certifier’s Board of Directors, the date of which has yet to be defined.


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The latest Android Go series phone has been announced at Mobile World Congress, the ZTE Tempo GO. The Tempo Go is a 5″ FWVGA display device that has all of the basics covered for one of these low cost devices running Android Oreo. Better yet, ZTE has priced it at just $79.99.
As for specs, the display renders at 480×854 and the phone is powered by the Snapdragon 210 quad-core SoC. It has 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage but that storage can be expanded by an additional 32GB thanks to the MicroSD slot. Powering all of this is a 2200mAh battery that is recharged via the MicroUSB port.
Camera wise, you have a 5MP rear facing camera while the selfie camera is a 2MP shooter. You have Bluetooth 4.2 build in and 802.11 b/g/n WiFI connectivity.
ZTE lists the frequencies of the phones as
- GSM 850/1900
- UMTS B2/4/5
- LTE B2/4/5/12/13
- LTE B25/26/41
Those frequencies should work here in the United States on the likes of AT&T and T-Mobile.
Right now, ZTE is showing the ZTE Tempo GO as being sold out on their site. That may not mean a whole lot given that the phone was just announced overnight. It could simply be a placeholder of sorts. If you are interested in the $80, be sure to keep checking the site. There is no word on if other retailers will be selling it.


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Chatbot literally means a robot that chats. It’s a system that answers to the user’s question in an arranged pattern. With the advancement of AI technology, it is now evolving into an intelligence that can engage in conversations with its user instead of simply answering questions.
Chatbot is one of the latest and popular technology not only adopted by chat-based services but through a multitude of competing industries such as Web portals, shopping malls, and manufacturers. As such, big changes are is in progress with its continued adoption. Among the services, a work support chatbot is especially notable for fostering convenient and smart working culture.
It is not a easy to improve the long-established working style in bigger corporations. Yet the adoption of chatbot technology encourages improvements in efficiency that are unexpected. POSCO and its employees anticipate its role in the work culture.
POSCO is rather open to adopting its work support chatbot services. The trial run of “People Search” chatbot service took place August last year. Since June this year, its function was upgraded along with the add-ons of document and email search services.
What is the reason for its adoption and what makes it so special? POSCO Newsroom met with developer (Min-ju Cha, Deputy Head of POSCO ICT) and planner (Min-ho Shin, Deputy Head of POSCO Information Planning Dept.) for an interview designed with POSCO’s actual chatbot chat window below.


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best fire apps
best fire apps news search results
Developer news items we found relating to best fire apps
Report: Amazon Fire TV Might Be Where You Should Put Your Next App
Monday, April 14, 2014 by Richard Harris
The TV streaming player market heated up a bit with the launch of the new Amazon Fire TV recently and some developers with Amazon Fire compatible (l dedicated) apps already in the market benefited from the launch because their apps were first out of the gate. In a new report from Distimo who was recording the stats of the launch using App Trends, showed Entertainment ap...


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Slower growth, surging inflation, rising geopolitical risks and an accelerating deglobalisation trend are factors shaping the global economic, financial and trade landscape in 2022 and beyond. Despite the challenges, there are opportunities for businesses to transform, innovate and build resilience in the new economic environment. Knowing what is happening in the global economy now and in the long term will help companies to stay ahead of emerging risks and identify new business opportunities.
This report comes in PPT.
The global economy made a strong rebound in 2021 after a record recession in 2020. However, it has faced a new round of headwinds, as economies face ongoing supply chain disruptions caused by both COVID-19 and spillover impacts of the war in Ukraine. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and economic sanctions on Russia will raise global energy, commodity and food prices, pushing up inflation higher, while China’s zero-COVID-19 policy continues to affect global supply chains.
The Asia Pacific economy led the COVID-19 recovery in 2021 and is expected to lead global economic growth in the coming years. By 2040, the region is forecast to account for 44% of global GDP, up from 34% in 2021. China alone will make up 22% of global GDP in the same year. Meeting demand from Asian consumers will thus be key to the growth of multinational companies in the years to come.
In 2022, 116 out of 210 countries are forecast to see inflation rates higher than 5%. The rising cost of living will negatively impact the purchasing power of households in 2022 and 2023. Energy and food prices are likely to see the highest increases. On top of the rising cost of living, interest rates are likely to rise, making debt servicing costs higher for households and businesses.
COVID-19 pandemic showed the need for diversification of international business supply chains. In 2022, businesses experienced another source of risk for interlinked supply chains: geopolitics. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia, many international corporations exited Russia. These developments will cause businesses to take geopolitical risks even more into account in the future.
If you purchase a report that is updated in the next 60 days, we will send you the new edition and data extraction Free!


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Ralph Lauren resumes sourcing from Bangladesh
The American fashion company stopped producing garments in the Asian country in 2015, after the collapse of the Rana Plaza.
Ralph Lauren returns to Bangladesh. The American fashion company has resumes its sourcing in Asian country. Ralph Lauren stopped using factories in Bangladesh in 2015, two years after the Rana Plaza catastrophe.
The company opened a new office in Dhaka two weeks ago. “With any production decision, we conduct extensive due diligence into production and manufacturing partners to ensure they uphold our standards,” the company stated.
Ralph Lauren ended the first half of its fiscal year with a net profit of 279.3 million dollars, up 37.3%. The company’s sales stood at 3 billion dollars, up 2.3% year-on-year.
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There was a bit of a storm in a beer mug back in July when DB was given the rights to use the generic term Radler as a brand name. Corporate bullying, some indie brewers cried. Cutting off your nose to spite your face and making consumers dislike you for no good reason, others shrieked. Mwahahahah, DB laughed. So when The Boundary Road Brewery launched its Lawn Ranger brew recently it claimed it was ‘Radler-style’ and put up a cheeky billboard saying ‘Fine, we won’t call it Radler then’. Now DB has set its lawyers Simpson Grierson on the case, saying the term ‘radler style’ is off limits and telling BRB to lay off the allusions.
Browsing: Lawn Ranger
Radler trademark battle continues as DB releases the legal hounds on BRB


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Lucid shares fell as much as 14% on Thursday amid a selloff in electric vehicle stocks. The premium electric vehicle maker is falling in sympathy with Tesla (TSLA) after the industry giant warned of supply chain challenges.
Despite Tesla’s better results for its fourth quarter, investors are focused on product delays and parts constraints.
“Our own factories have been running below capacity for several quarters as the supply chain has become the primary limiting factor, which is expected to continue through 2022,” the company said in a presentation to shareholders.
CEO Elon Musk said on an earnings call last night that Tesla would not introduce new vehicle models this year due to a “parts constraint”. Models include the highly anticipated Cybertruck and two others pushed back to 2023 amid supply chain bottlenecks.
The start of the year has been difficult for manufacturers of electric vehicles, in particular those with low revenues or which do not yet have profitability. However, until Thursday, Lucid was doing better than other startups.
Earlier this week, shares of Lucid were down just 6% year-to-date, while Rivian (RIVN) was down more than 30% year-to-date.
Other EV-related startups that have lost significant value include ChargePoint (CHPT). The charging station company is down more than 30% since the start of the year. Battery maker QuantumScape (QS) and EV startup Workhorse (WKHS) were also down more than 30% over the same period.
Legacy automakers planning big investments in electric vehicles are among the most successful companies so far this year. Volkswagen (VOW3.DE) is up more than 4%, Toyota (TM) is up 2.5%. Ford (F) is down about 5% since the start of the year.
Ines is a market reporter and covers stocks from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Follow her on Twitter at @ines_ferre
Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
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Imports fell to €42.2 billion in March and exports slipped to €36.5 billion.
The drop in exports was led by manufactured goods with diminishing sales reported in the electronics, auto and metals sectors.
Aerospace deliveries, which had shown strength of late, dipped as well, the customs office said in a statement.
The 12-month trade deficit came in at €68.60 billion, lower than the newly revised record of €70.67 billion France posted for 2011.
France has a big structural trade deficit which is a central concern to policymakers and contrasts with a big surplus by the leading eurozone economy, neighbouring Germany.
Earlier Wednesday Germany posted record figures for both imports and exports leaving trade surplus for March of €17.4 billion.
A trade surplus is important because it contributes to growth of gross domestic product, while a trade deficit tends to be a drag on the economy.


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iPhone Generated Record-Breaking Share of Profits Last Quarter Despite Continued Sales Decline
iPhone sales may have declined for three consecutive quarters, but the latest data from research firm Strategy Analytics suggests Apple is unsurprisingly still doing exceptionally well in the smartphone market.
Apple captured a record 91% of profits in the worldwide smartphone market in the third quarter, or $8.5 billion of the overall $9 billion in profits recorded by all vendors combined, according to Strategy Analytics.
Apple's biggest competitor Samsung was nowhere to be found on the list, as Chinese smartphone makers Huawei, Vivo, and OPPO took the second, third, and fourth spots respectively with between 2.2% and 2.4% of profits.
"Apple’s ability to maximize pricing and minimize production cost is hugely impressive and the iPhone continues to generate monster profits," said Linda Sui, Director at Strategy Analytics. "Huawei, Vivo and OPPO are the next three most profitable smartphone vendors globally this quarter, but they are still a long way behind Apple."
Apple's profit margin is impressive given no other smartphone maker generated more than $200 million in profits during the quarter, according to Strategy Analytics. Apple's share of profits was some 40× larger than its closest competitor.
iPhone sales declined on a year-over-year basis in the second, third, and fourth quarters of the 2016 fiscal year, after rising only marginally during the first quarter, which makes Apple's record-breaking smartphone profits even more impressive.
BMO Capital Markets analyst Tim Long previously estimated Apple captured 103.6% of smartphone industry profits in the third quarter. Long's estimate factors in companies that lost money during the quarter, placing Apple above 100%.


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Facebook announced on Wednesday the creation of “Together in France”, a program whose purpose is to help the resumption of activity of stores and restaurants which had to close during the confinement. The company intends to “support tourism and local shops during the summer holidays “.
The project was developed in collaboration with the specialist in personalized cartography Mapstr, indicates the social network on its blog.
Discover the favourite places of personalities
For “Together in France”, a celebrity will contribute to the creation of a weekly card available on Facebook. The document will allow internet users to discover the favourite shops, restaurants and places of Larusso, Sarah Lavoine, the actor Tristan Lopin or even Miss France 2020, Clémence Bottino. The participation of other personalities is announced for this “first solidarity tourism map”.
In order to “encourage the revival of the tourist season in France”, Facebook and Mapstr also rely on their less famous users. Thanks to “a unique feature in the world”, anonymous people will also be able to enrich the maps by including their own favourite addresses. “At the time of the reopening of our favourite places and reunion with our loved ones, we must help these businesses that we have missed so much,” said Sébastien Caron, founder and director of Mapstr.


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When Covid hit in 2020, the automotive industry was forced to adapt. Shutdowns across the globe created shortages and uncertainty which significantly affected the operation of dealerships. As we seem to be in the “post-covid” phase, it’s important for dealers to understand the shifts that the pandemic caused in the industry. In this article, we’re going to look at three car buying trends that have changed since the beginning of the pandemic.
Many dealerships still have their focus primarily on selling and buying gas-powered vehicles. While there certainly needs to be a huge focus on that, there also needs to be a concerted effort into selling and buying electric vehicles. Since covid started, it’s clear that more people are looking at buying an electric vehicle. According to a report by McKinsey & Company, between November 2020 and June 2021, interest in electric vehicles increased from 39% of car buyers to 48% of car buyers. The one caveat to this for dealerships is to consider where you’re located. While it’s great owning an electric vehicle in a big town or city due to the amount of charging stations, if you live way out in the boonies, owning an electric car may not be so convenient as there will be limited if any public charging stations.
When Covid first hit, many dealerships were forced to close temporarily and then limit their customers in the showroom. On top of this, many customers weren’t comfortable enough going to a dealership. This forced dealerships to quickly adapt and shift the car buying process to a completely online process. While multiple reports tell different stories, there is no doubt that online car buying is increasing. According to an Autotrader report, 2 out 3 car shoppers were most likely to buy a car completely online, but according to a Deloitte survey, they found only 29% of car shoppers would consider buying a vehicle completely online. That Deloitte survey also revealed that the two biggest reasons people want to buy in person is because they want to be able to physically see the vehicle and test drive the vehicle. Overall, we can see online car shopping is on the rise as in 2017, only 3% of customers were looking at online dealerships compared to today where over 20% of customers are looking at online dealerships.
It’s impossible to deny the convenience of at-home delivery and the ability to test drive a vehicle for 48 hours to make a decision on buying it or not. According to a survey done by Google, the at-home test drive was the most preferred service of car shoppers. This shouldn’t be hard to believe, and if you are questioning this, just take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Home deliveries and contactless interactions are being used in all industries from big box stores to groceries, and restaurants.
Knowing these three trends, you need to ensure you can adapt to the evolving trends. Perhaps you need to start putting more of a focus on electric vehicles. Seeing that online car buying is on the rise, it would be wise to ensure your website is set up to allow buyers to go through the entire process online. Lastly, if you’re not already equipped for delivery and at-home test drives, consider incorporating this at your dealership right away!
We are pleased to announce we are new members of the Canadian Lenders Association (CLA). By integrating cutting-edge online financing options, including real time credit data with seamless lender integrations, we ensure a smooth, secure, and efficient digital experience for all users.
Canadian Black Book, the leading provider of Canada’s used vehicle valuation data and residual value forecast solutions, today announced its integration with Autocorp.ai, a trailblazer in the FinTech sector focused on the automotive industry. This partnership promises to transform the car purchasing experience, making it smoother and more efficient for consumers and dealerships alike, with a strong emphasis on credit and financial services.
Honda is considering the establishment of an EV-battery production facility in Canada, as reported by Nikkei Asia. Speculations point toward Alliston, Ontario, where the automaker already manufactures its Civics and CR-Vs, as a likely location for the plant. However, details regarding the precise site, timeline, and rationale for this potential facility remain unconfirmed. Current reports indicate a prospective timeframe for the commencement of operations, tentatively set between 2027 and 2028.


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Wall Street: Tuesday close
SECOND thoughts by investors blunted a major rally based on hopes that America's factories might be emerging from a year-long slump.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, which lost 4.5% last week, surged more than 200 points before sellers stepped in to reduce the day's gain to 47.74 points or 0.48% to 9,997,49. The Nasdaq Index, down 5.8% last week, was higher for much of the session before closing the day down 34.66 points or 1.92% to 1,770.77.
Much of the late slide was attributed to a re-evaluation of news earlier in the day which had sparked the triple-digit rally.
The National Association of Purchasing Management fed the rally by reporting that its index rose to 47.9 in August from 43.6 in July, its biggest jump in five years and significantly above economists' expectations. The index, which measures factory orders and output as a gauge to the future of the manufacturing sector, is at its highest level in nine months. But the index remained below 50, which means that manufacturing is still contracting.
'The manufacturing sector continued to decline in August as has been the trend since August 2000,' said Robert Ore, chairman of the NAPM's business survey committee. 'However, the rate of decline decelerated significantly during the month.'
Manufacturing had been the weakest sector of the economy, while consumer spending had been robust enough to keep the US economy out of recession.
'This is a real turnaround,' said Ian Shepherdson, chief US economist at High Frequency Economics in Valhalla, New York. 'It reflects companies' success in running down excess inventory as well as lower interest rates and energy prices. The recovery starts right here.'
But doubts about what a recovery in manufacturing would mean to the much larger tech-based services sector of the US economy helped undercut much of the earlier gains.
Some old ecomony shares did manage to hold some of their early gains. Wal-Mart closed higher by 40 cents or 0.8% to $48.45$49.15, do-it-yourself retail giant Home Depot added 87 cents or 1.9% to $46.82 and ExxonMobil firmed 60 cents or 1.5% to $40.75.
Pharmaceutical Johnson & Johnson provided the Dow with a big boost, surging $3.44 or 6.5% to $56.15 on a study indicating its new heart surgery technology showed 'great promise.'
Hewlett-Packard's $25bn stock swap deal for Compaq did not go down well among investors. Hewlett-Packard itself tumbled $4.34 or 18.7% to $18.87. Compaq fell $1.27 or 10.3% to $11.08. Rivals did not seem to be much affected by the deal either way. Apple slid 30 cents or 1.6% to $18.25. Gateway was flat at $8.92. Dell picked up 93 cents or 4.4% to $22.31. IBM strengthened $1.54 or 1.5% to $101.49.
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Michelin acquires the Tablet hotel reservation platform
The French tire company and publisher of restaurant guides has taken over the New York-based platform, which offers “unique, high-quality hotel experiences”.
Michelin’s move to hotel reservations comes after acquiring online restaurant reservation service Bookable in 2016 and a stake in the wine authority Robert Parker Wine Advocate in 2017.
Tablet, based in New York, was founded in 2000 by Laurent Vernhes and Michael Davis. It currently offers reservations at 3,500 properties, which it says undergo “rigorous and anonymous” assessment before being featured on the site.
Tablet co-founders Laurent Vernhes and Michael Davis say the two companies offer an “unbiased approach to conservation.”
“Our dedication to integrity has made us [and Michelin] leaders in our respective fields, and now we are joining forces for a revolutionary union that will change the scale of Tablet and transform Tablet Plus [members] program,” say the founders.
“Similarly, hotel reservations guided by expert selection and exclusive privileges will be a significant addition to Michelin’s travel portfolio.”
About 52% of Tablet customers are North American, and Michelin says the merger will help the platform reach “wider and more geographically diverse audiences.”
Michelin publishes restaurant guides in 30 countries around the world.


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MILAN — Chiara Ferragni last week told her 21 million Instagram followers she couldn’t wait to reveal the news she has been working on, triggering a frenzy of questions and lots of guesswork among her fans.
One thing is for sure: Ferragni has been laying the groundwork for the expansion of her namesake label’s business with determination and ambition, she revealed to WWD. “I like to take risks and try new things, and to prove that this is a serious job. We must have it all as much as men do, without compromises. It’s not easy. As women we are judged more severely and we ourselves must revolutionize our subconscious way of [undermining ourselves]. This can seem like a superficial job but it’s not, and not everyone understands that there are people behind it, business plans and a lot of work.”
While she continues to build her social media fandom, Ferragni long ago distanced herself from the mere role of influencer, piling up modeling contracts and taking on the role in 2017 of president and chief executive officer of TBS, the company that manages her The Blonde Salad blog and activities. Ferragni is also the ceo and creative director of Serendipity, which manages her namesake line.
After investing in a capital increase, although details were kept under wraps, Serendipity has inked a new licensing agreement with Swinger International for the production of ready-to-wear, handbags and accessories branded Chiara Ferragni. The first collection will bow for fall 2021. Footwear will continue to be produced by Mofra, the previous rtw and accessories licensee.
The license is part of a strategy Ferragni has been putting in place to modernize her label, distancing the product from the concept of “merchandising with a logo” for her fans. “The idea was to turn it into a more contemporary brand not necessarily linked to me. It’s not like I want to become a Donatella Versace, but I want the brand to have an identity, the right quality and price, to be international and with the right positioning,” she said, citing Kenzo, See by Chloé or GCDS as the brand’s ideal competitors. “I want to inject new life into the label.”
Thanks to the new strategic asset and license, and “a very prudent business plan,” the goal is to reach sales of 15.4 million euros in 2025 with a net profit of 4.4 million euros, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization margin of 44 percent.
Serendipity’s sales in 2018 totaled 1.6 million euros, with net profits of 193,000 euros. Before she took charge and enforced the new strategy, sales were dragged down 34.5 percent with a loss of 520,000 euros in 2019.
Serendipity was founded in 2013 and the first Chiara Ferragni collection was launched in 2014.
Ferragni keeps her eyes on the bottom line to make sure her brand will live on for a long time. One way to do so is to work with the right partners, she said, choosing Swinger International, which also owns Genny, for its credibility, track record and the long lasting collaboration producing other brands in line with Chiara Ferragni, such as Versace Jeans Couture.
Building the brand with additional categories is key, in her view. Children’s wear is one division she is interested in — after all, her toddler son Leone has become an Instagram celebrity himself, captured on Ferragni’s account wearing top designer brands.
The launch of an eyewear collection was pushed from September to March next year in light of the pandemic and she confessed her desire to enter the fragrance and makeup realm. She is preparing for that with a top specialist since, following a first makeup capsule collection in partnership with Lancôme in May last year, the French beauty giant will unveil a new collaboration with Ferragni in November. “The success of the first drop was beyond expectations and this second will comprise even more products and an even more extensive distribution around the world,” she touted, adding that this was the first time Lancôme extended this kind of partnership with another brand to a second capsule.
A third step in the beauty category will take place in September 2021, but Ferragni said she was still mapping out the details.
Next year, Ferragni will launch another food project following a capsule launched earlier this year with Oreo, whose proceeds were donated to a hospital in Bergamo, one of Italy’s towns that was most severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. She was mum on the brand, but Ferragni is not new to such collaborations, having worked with the likes of Evian and Ladurée in the past.
Ferragni has also completed the restructuring of TBS. The company closed 2016 with revenues of 3.3 million euros and a net profit of 6,000 euros, and in 2019 sales amounted to 6.4 million euros, up 10 percent compared with the previous year, and net profit totaled 450,000 euros, up 359 percent compared with the previous year.
Influencers may have changed their communication on their social media in the wake of the the pandemic, but Ferragni said she chose to show her daily life during the lockdown and that her followers appreciated this even more. “I was worried about the lack of events, but this shows that the person is more interesting to them than all that is in the surroundings. I think I owe my success to the fact that I am honest and genuine.”
In addition to raising millions with her husband, musician Fedez, to fight the coronavirus, Ferragni has also been promoting tourism in Italy, posting her visits at the Uffizi Museum in Florence, for example, or touring Venice. “I would like to help to restart tourism, as much as I can, I feel it’s very important to show our iconic places, and I feel it’s my civic duty.”


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The more eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed the recent disappearance of our Envato Studio Facebook page.
Big news today on Envato Studio as we have just released the long-awaited Voice-over category!
The pitch went something like this….
Today we’re chatting with AndiG, a talented web design service provider on Envato Studio.
Freelance Freedom by N.C. Winters is a webcomic about one man trying to make it as a freelancer.
Envato Studio Express Services allow buyers of items from select categories on Envato Market to get their purchase installed or customized quickly, for a set price.


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We recently dropped our iPhone SE in the tub while listening to Enya. Don’t judge — it still works perfectly fine.
Apple’s iPhones have been getting progressively more waterproof, so why do they show no interest in advertising it?
For one, they don’t want you making a habit of using the iPhone near water until they have flawless waterproofing.
Also, Apple has to give you some reason to buy their iPhone 7.
An online poll recently found that only 9.3 percent of the U.S. iPhone users are planning to upgrade to the next iPhone if Apple sticks to the same old design of iPhone 6 and 6S. (Source: Quartz).
Look for the iPhone 7 to officially become Apple’s first waterproof phone.
“Without a headphone jack to trap water, Apple could coat the iPhone with a waterproof coating and make those third-party rugged, waterproof cases obsolete,” MacWorld writes.
That’s soothing bubblebath music to my ears.


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Biffa to start its new R-HDPE facility in Redcar from March 2023
- 16-Dec-2022 3:56 PM
- Journalist: Patrick Knight
Biffa plc, an UK – based plastic waste management company, would be starting to recycle HDPE (R-HDPE) in its newly build line, which is situated close to its Redcar production facility.
The company had applied to Redcar and Cleveland council for establishing R-HDPE production line in March 2022 and it got the same in the month of July, following which it had started its construction activities.
This is the company’s third HDPE recycling line (R-HDPE), and it has built this at a cost of £16 million (appx. USD 20 million) and would recycle juice and milk bottles made of HDPE, shipped in huge volumes from its materials recycling facility and by opening up this facility and this would add up to 24,000 tons of capability to its existing production facility at Redcar.
According to Biffa, the plant equipment is currently fully installed prior to commissioning, and "full operation" should be achieved by March 2023, subject to the Environment Agency's approval.
According to Biffa, the expansion of the plant will also result in the creation of upwards of 20 new jobs.
The Redcar facility, designed to process approximately 50,000 tons of material, was built in 2008 by Biffa. According to Biffa, Redcar was the first commercial R-HDPE food grade production plant in the world.
The firm is anticipating getting total production outputs of R-HDPE of about 17,000 tons from its Redcar facility once this line gets started.
Within its polymer recycling portfolio, which also includes Washington (U.K.) and Seaham (U.K.) which recycle PP and PET, respectively, Biffa currently has the capacity to recycle approximately 155,000 tons.
As the competition to process plastic in the UK continues, the company has stated that it hopes to increase the production capacity to 240,000 tons by 2030.
The market for recycled plastics like R-HDPE in the United Kingdom and Europe is currently not doing well for a number of reasons, some of which include rising costs for energy. This is expected to change however, as more businesses announce plant acquisitions, expansions, and the opening of new recycling facilities.
As on 16th December 2022, the average price of R-HDPE in Northwestern Europe stood at about USD 1,545 per MT for light pellets grade.


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For years it was common to say that Latin America trailed more developed countries in technological progress by anywhere from 5 to 10 years. That may have been true two or three decades ago, but not anymore: Today, our region has access to virtually all of the latest technology, from crypto currency and artificial intelligence to cloud computing and, obviously, the Internet of Things.
This access has been fueled by the adoption of these technologies in a market more sensitive to price fluctuations than its counterparts in Europe, Asia or the United States.
Investment in technology has an almost 1:1 correlation with the evolution of a country’s GDP. Companies in regions such as ours that experience constant economic ups and downs tend to postpone key business decisions, in hope of “better times.”
At Identidad IoT, we have always maintained that investment in technology is just that – an investment, not an expense. Our understanding of the real conditions our clients face has spurred us to develop solutions adapted to their needs.
This consideration has led us to change our business model. Previously, we sought partnerships with companies that produced the sensors and applications we needed to integrate into our solutions. But despite the fact that we approached the Latin American market with a viable business proposal, the sensor and applications manufacturers were creating their products for the European and US markets, at costs those markets could absorb.
These high costs have caused technologies that should be more accessible, such as IoT, to remain out of reach of many businesses in our region.
Activities such as agriculture or cold chains, for example, rely on multiple sensors to ensure precise data. To respond to this need, we decided to recreate the entire value chain from zero, allowing us to design and develop tailor-made solutions not just in terms of our clients’ technical and operational needs, but also with regard to their affordability.
An example is the hardware we are creating specifically for agricultural solutions such as those we offer Colombian coffee plantations. With these solutions, we can demonstrate what IoT is and how to implement it.
At Identidad IoT, we understand that technology should be within reach of those who need it.
This article was published at Andrés Sánchez`s Linkedin Profile


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The Volkswagen Group brands have released their 2020 financial results, detailing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on global sales.
Most recorded a sharp decline, in line with global trends, although the impact was less profound for more premium-oriented marques.
Audi sold more than half a million cars in one quarter for the first time in 2020, delivering 505,583 cars to customers in the final three months of the year.
Overall, however, the brand was significantly impacted by the pandemic, delivering 1,692,773 units globally for a year-on-year decline of 8.3%. That was despite record sales in China, Audi's biggest global market, where it sold 727,358 cars - a 5.4% year-on-year increase.
The brand attributes its strong end-of-year performance to "experience gained during the first wave of coronavirus in spring," when global sales and production operations were largely shut down in an effort to contain the spread of the disease. Expansion of its digital sales and service offerings has helped compensate for dealerships being closed.
Demand for the E-tron surged 79.5% in 2020, with the 47,324 examples sold overall making it "the global top-seller among electric vehicles made by German premium manufacturers," according to Audi.
The SUV was recently revealed as a key factor in Norway becoming the first country in the world where the majority of new car sales are of electric cars, accounting for more than 10% of all new EVs sold in the country.
The conventionally powered Q3 SUV also recorded strong growth, with an 18.1% year-on-year sales increase, while the A6 executive car received an 11.8% increase in demand and Audi Sport models had their best year on record, selling 29,300 units for a 16.1% year-on-year increase.


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KENYA – The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has unveiled a portal for firms to directly obtain standards online as a way of stripping off fake Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) stickers.
The web gives Kenyans an opportunity to obtain Kenya standards, adopted international standards and also the harmonized East African standards, unlike in the past where they had to physically buy them from the bureau’s offices.
Kenyans can access Kenya Standards via the desktop computers, laptops, tablet computers and mobile devices.
KEBS managing director Charles Ongwae said: “Our aim is to give Kenya standards to Kenyans at their convenience.
We are now providing an engaging and informative experience for our customers. The new web store provides increased flexibility for future growth for our institution.”
The standards body expects an increase in website visitors, which will ultimately lead to an increase of standards consumption and increased understanding on the solution it provides for their businesses.
“At just a click of a button, one can purchase the standard using a credit card or via mobile money that is M-pesa or Airtel. Customers do not need to come physically to KEBS offices anymore to purchase the standards,” Ongwae said.
In addition to paying using mobile money or visa credit card, the online channel also allows consumers to search for standards by document number or keyword, an option to subscribe to full, partial or selected category of standards collection and an option to download purchased standards.
The KEBS web store was developed through funding from Trade Mark East Africa.


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Ben & Jerry’s announced its newest limited batch ice cream flavor, Scotchy Scotch Scotch. Created in honor of Ron Burgundy, the TV news anchor with a penchant for all things scotch, the flavor is a concoction of butterscotch ice cream with ribbons of butterscotch swirl.
“Scotchy, Scotch, Scotch is a delicious ice cream, and I hope Ben and Jerry consider my other suggestions,” Burgundy says. “Malt liquor marshmallow, well liquor bourbon peanut butter, and cheap white wine sherbet.”
The flavor was officially unveiled at New York City’s Pier 36 where members of the press attended. The event kicked off with a performance by Nutty the Waterskiing Squirrel, as seen in the first Anchorman film. Nutty’s performance was immediately followed by the appearance of a Ben & Jerry’s scoop-truck-turned-Channel 4 News-truck, which rolled onto the scene transporting a legion of blazer-wearing Ron Burgundy look-alikes. After Scotchy Scotch Scotch was officially unveiled, attending media and fans received free scoops of the new Ron Burgundy–inspired flavor.
Fans await December 20th, when Ron and his elite news team return to the news desk in “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.”
“As a company who believes our fans deserve nothing but the best, we have great respect for Ron Burgundy, who takes the same belief to heart,” says Lisa Sholk, Ben & Jerry’s brand manager, who lead the team on the Scotchy Scotch Scotch flavor project.
“Having Ben & Jerry’s celebrate the return of Ron Burgundy to the big screen with the introduction of this special ice cream is an exciting and delicious way to build anticipation for the film,” says LeeAnne Stables, president of consumer products at Paramount Pictures. “We especially enjoyed the sampling process over the last several months to find the perfect Scotchy scotch flavor.”
Scotchy Scotch Scotch is available now at participating scoop shops across the country. Pints of the flavor will arrive on store shelves over the next few weeks.
“To help locate the flavor as it rolls out, we’re asking fans of Ben & Jerry’s and Anchorman to log onto www.benjerry.com and share when and where they were able to have a taste,” Sholk says. “We want fans to be able to experience it all first-hand, because as Ron says, this flavor is ‘kind of a big deal.’”


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MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT » BLOG
BlogJan 28, 2015 2:00 PM By Tim Parry
Adobe estimates that the Storm Juno cost online retailers $35 million yesterday due to power outages, over-run cellular networks and general prep for the storm.
BlogJan 26, 2015 6:43 PM By Mark Holleran
Five criteria for helping you select warehouse devices that can add efficiency and productivity gains.
BlogJan 26, 2015 12:04 PM By Alyssa Nahatis
With email still one of the most powerful marketing tools today, it is important to have good data hygiene. Here are some tips to make your email marketing successful.
BlogJan 23, 2015 10:21 AM By Sridhar Nagarajan
When it comes to retail selling, gone are the days of “if you build it, they will come.” Customers today spend a significant amount of time researching products they want to buy and are much savvier about where, when and how they make their purchases. Here are several tips that will help improve the customer experience and increase sales.
BlogJan 21, 2015 11:36 AM By Dorothy Vinsky
BlogJan 21, 2015 11:09 AM By Donald L. Dunnington
While there are many risks to taking your business online to other nations, the risk of not going global, or of waiting too long to make the move, almost certainly will be greater. See other reasons why going global is important for your business.
BlogJan 21, 2015 8:58 AM By Tim Parry
Is Amazon bailing on its plans for a New York City showroom? And can RadioShack be the answer to Amazon’s omnichannel plans? Stay tuned, or read on… Tim Parry explains.
BlogJan 20, 2015 11:16 AM By Tim Parry
JCPenney said in 2009 that it was dropping catalogs because they had become a tool to browse merchandise before shopping online or in JCPenney stores.
BlogJan 20, 2015 11:01 AM By Curt Barry
You’ve barely put a bow on your peak shipping, but it’s time to assess your performance and start planning for peak season operations in 2015. What are your objectives for improvements? Here are eight steps to help you prioritize which changes happen this year, and which can be pushed into 2016 and beyond.
BlogJan 19, 2015 5:08 PM By Andy Zimmerman
This article will explore the beginning of the buyer’s journey – customer acquisition and engagement – and examine how web personalization can convert more visitors into paying customers using real retail examples.


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Landline telephone companies continue to lose ground to wireless service providers, and Canadian users take time to switch to cell phones compared to consumers in other countries, a Statistics Canada survey indicates.
StatsCan’s Residential Telephone Service Survey found there were 16.8 million wireless subscribers at the end of the first quarter, up by 11.9 per cent from the same period last year.
However, StatsCan said there were just 52 wireless users per 100 people in Canada for the same period. This level of adoption was reached by the United States as far back as 2003.
“The lag is even more evident when compared to member countries of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),” a press release from StatsCan said.
The OECD, a group of 30 countries that support the development of democratic markets and economy, had an average of 53.5 wireless subscribers for every 100 inhabitants.
The report was welcomed by the wireless telecom industry, a Canadian analyst said.
“This is great news for wireless service providers,” said Roberta Fox, principal of the telecommunications research firm Fox Group Inc. in Mount Albert, Ontario.
Fox said wireless adoption was slow in Canada because of its entrenched traditional wireline service. “Most of the fast adopters of cell phones are countries that do not have well established landline carriers.”
StatsCan said customers giving up traditional residential lines are turning to wireless or cable telephone service. Close to 615,000 households were using cellular service at the end of 2005, approximately 285,000 more than the previous year.
Along the same lines, a recent report by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) indicated that competitors (excluding wireless services) of incumbent telephone companies had attracted 963,000 residential clients by the end of 2005, more than double the number of subscribers in 2004.
“The major portion of this leap of 545,000 customers (59 per cent) can be explained by the strong growth of telephone services offered by major cable companies,” said StatsCan.
StatsCan said revenues of wireline operators dropped by 3.8 per cent to $5.5 billion in the first quarter of 2006 compared to the same period in 2005. This was in contrast to the revenues in the wireless market that have been steadily increasing. For the first three months of the year wireless operators saw revenues shoot up by 17.2 per cent to $2.9 billion over the same period in 2005.
In terms of profits, the earnings before interest and taxes of wireline networks were $1.1 billion for the first quarter of 2006, down 10.1 per cent from 2005 while those of wireless operators rose 32.2 per cent to $854.2 million.
Fox said traditional telcos realized they were being battered by the competition and were seeking other revenue streams. “Telcos recognize that their foundation revenues are failing and this is driving them to seek other income sources.”
“Bell Canada and Telus have become leaders in offering hosted email and Webpage services. They have also been developing software applications such as anti-spam applications,” said Fox.
Fox noted that the turbulence in the industry has driven firms to seek new pastures. “Rogers Corp. has expanded from an entertainment company to a telecom firm and BCE is dipping its toes into entertainment while Telus is looking into HDTV.”


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ST. PETERSBURG — In the future, the city envisions a very different Skyway Mall.
As a coalition of residents prepares to rebrand the 34th Street business district over the next year, many hope a developer will transform the aging shopping center into a modern collection of shops and restaurants on par with the Tyrone Square Mall area.
For the time being, though, a dogged group of merchants wants to remind shoppers that the faded retail center in the 4300 block of 34th Street South is, in fact, still open for business.
A carnival in the Maximo Plaza shopping center parking lot was meant to advertise that message. Rather than whizzing past a vast, empty parking lot, people driving by saw food, rides, families with children, life, for the first time in a while.
Parents who took their kids for the roller coasters and Ferris wheel meandered inside to find a handful of stores and services in what has become an indoor flea market with apparel, nail salons and a TV repair shop.
“We’re trying to get it back to the old Maximo Mall. It used to be packed,” said Surry DeJohn, who runs a cellphone business, Unlock Mobile.
Standing in the way of any revival, though, is a stigma about this part of the city, a mix of low- and high-income neighborhoods on the edge of the Sunshine Skyway.
People here say the bad rep is undeserved.
“I guess the south side has a bad reputation, so we’re trying to turn it around, let people know we’ve got some good businesses, legit businesses that need help,” DeJohn said.
Residents remember a different shopping center 30 years ago, when several name-brand retailers opened here and, for a long time, a dine-in movie theater.
Built in 1979, the mall had fallen into decline by the late 1990s and a large part of it was emptied when an indoor go-kart track left, its last significant attraction.
In the past decade, the 80,000-square-foot mall reinvented itself as a flea market, and a hardware store, book shop and church occupy adjacent retail spaces in the plaza.
Manager Brian Kim has made advertising one of his priorities as many people, even in nearby neighborhoods, think the mall is vacant.
The carnival dubbed Winter Fest had limited success in bringing in more shoppers, Kim said.
Kim plans to bring concerts and other events to the mall’s parking lot over the next year. If nothing else, he hopes the activity alone will get the mall back on peoples’ minds.
“South St. Pete never has this kind of stuff going on,” Kim said.
Retailers have found other ways to generate a little bit of buzz.
A small arcade with a pair of pool tables and a basketball game has been a draw for some kids after school, whose parents are slowly rediscovering the mall, said Edwin Rodriguez, who runs a TV repair shop.
It also helps keep the kids out of trouble.
“I bring them here, let them play pool, just to keep them busy,” said Rodriguez, a member of the Guardian Angels organization.
Rodriguez and other retailers say they would get more car traffic from busy 34th Street if the city relaxed rules about posting signs and banners along the road.
The problem is that once people do step inside, they find a lot of empty space.
“When you come out here, you don’t see nothing,” said Robert Thomas, who took his grandchildren to the carnival last weekend.
Thomas’ father ran a shoe repair shop in the plaza years ago and remembers the movie theater and other businesses being a strong draw. The mall needs another attraction that can’t be found elsewhere in the area, he said.
“It’s gotta to be something that’s going to make people say ‘Wow,’ ” Thomas said.
“If it’s too expensive, you’ll push people out,” he added.
Residents in more affluent waterfront neighborhoods such as Broadwater, directly behind the mall, have complained that the 34th Street business district has no sit-down restaurants and limited retail options outside of a Wal-Mart Supercenter, Publix and a few others.
A neighborhood coalition is working to rebrand the area between 30th Avenue South and 54th Avenue South as the Skyway Marina District, much like the Grand Central District near downtown. The city is expected to back the effort with $60,000 this year.
Part of the long-term plan will be a big financial incentive to the first developer to take on a major commercial project here.
A rendering created by city planners imagined the mall property as a grassy outdoor area surrounded by newly constructed shops and restaurants.
Kim thinks that change isn’t likely to happen until residents in the surrounding neighborhoods, both low and high income, start shopping there consistently rather than driving to downtown or the Tyrone Mall area.
In the meantime, Diane McCormick has faith she can catch some of those shoppers.
“Right now I’m working on stocking up my shelves in anticipation of more customers,” said McCormick, who sells greeting cards, Avon beauty products and a variety of other things.
“They really need us unless they just want Wal-Mart.”


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Durable, lightweight bikes like the postie are often the only way ChildFund Cambodia staff can access remote villages and help hard-to-reach communities.
“You see how they are used in Cambodia and other places and it’s just unbelievable,” Corey says.
“The amount of gear they can carry and the terrain they cross is pretty incredible.”
Corey and his lifeguard colleagues Andrew “Reidy” Reid and Ryan “Whippet” Clark have teamed up to try to raise enough money to raise $3,500 to for a bike that will be used to deliver life-saving essentials and services to children in Cambodia.
“Every Australian knows the postie bike and it’s great to see the postie bike helping children around the world,” Corey said.
“As soon as we heard about the Post a Postie campaign, we all wanted to get on board and do something to help.”
He said the postie bike was a perfect gift for someone looking to make a lasting impact this Christmas.
“A lot of the time at Christmas you’re looking for gifts that have a little bit more meaning,” he says.
“There’s a lot of excessive around and you don’t want to buy something for someone that’s just going to go to waste.
“The postie bike is perfect because it’s something we all know and love and it will go to a great cause for children overseas.”
Visit the Bondi Rescue team’s fundraising page to support their campaign to Post a Postie to help children in Cambodia or visit ChildFund’s Gifts for Good page to purchase a gift for a loved one this Christmas.


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Kathmandu, September 3
This week marks the 25th year of Unilever Nepal Ltd (UNL) in Nepal. Over the years, the company has been manufacturing products associated with international brands like Dove, Sunsilk, Fair & Lovely and Lux. UNL, in fact, is a Nepali, Anglo-Dutch and Indian company, which is the only company in the world to have this lineage.
Unilever Nepal is also one of the few ‘fast moving consumer goods’ producing companies in the country and it has been doing so with an objective ‘to earn the love and respect of Nepal by making a real difference to every Nepali’, which has been the key to its success.
Since its establishment, the company has not confined its activities to business only and has been involved in various social initiatives to make its presence felt across the length and breadth of the country. One of its more successful initiatives has been the hand wash behaviour change programme, ‘School of 5’, where it has been able to reach out to 10 per cent of the population in four years.
According to the company, ‘Swastha Nepal, Saxchyam Nepal, Hamro Nepal’ under its Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) initiative focuses on health and hygiene, environment, and in enhancing livelihoods in Nepal. “Sustainable living is Unilever’s way of working. Our business model drives growth that is consistent, profitable, competitive and responsible,” as per the company.
Unilever in the recent past has set three big goals. As per the company, by 2020 it wants to help over one billion people take action to improve their health and well-being. Another initiative it has rolled out is by 2030 the company plans to halve the environmental footprint of making and use of their products as business grows and lastly by 2020 it wants to enhance livelihood of millions of people as company expands.
Driven by these goals, Unilever Nepal Ltd has been involved in various initiatives in health and hygiene, enhancing livelihoods and for a better environment.
The company believes that the trust that consumers have in their brand is the ultimate measure of their success.
A version of this article appears in print on September 04, 2017 of The Himalayan Times.


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intu Victoria Centre launches car valet service
Nottingham’s intu Victoria Centre has announced that car valet provider Inter Car Cleaning (ICC) has launched at the centre.
ICC occupies a number of parking spaces on Level 3 of the intu Victoria Centre Car Park, operating seven days a week.
Approximately 3,000 cars currently pass through the centre car park on a typical day, rising to 4,500 during peak times such as December.
ICC offers a range of vehicle cleaning services, from an express wash to a full valet, and has also recently launched a new sanitising service in response to Covid-19.
This involves a full disinfection of all washable vehicle surfaces, using a new anti-bacterial multi surface sanitiser produced by Autoglym.
Rebecca Ryman, customer performance director for intu Victoria Centre, said: “We are really pleased to welcome ICC to intu Victoria Centre, who will offer our visitors something new.
“We’re constantly looking at ways we can innovate, enhance the shopping experience and save visitors time and effort – so ICC is the perfect addition to our centre. Services like these always prove a draw and help to drive centre footfall.
“The new vehicle sanitising service provided by ICC will also add an extra layer of reassurance as consumers return to the shops.
“We’re carefully managing the centre post-COVID-19 – something valued by our brands. We have a range of safety measures in place to ensure shoppers feel secure, and we’re ready to adapt quickly, as and when government advice changes.”
Darren Avery at ICC added: “We’re very excited to launch our new unit at intu Victoria centre this month and bring our brand to a new city.
“Incorporating a car wash or valet into the shopping experience is practical, and a real time-saver – something customers really value.
“Our new sanitisation service, introduced in response to Covid-19, will also help keep people safe as they adapt and return to the shops.
“Intu Victoria is one of Nottingham’s leading retail and leisure destinations, with an impressive footfall, and so it is the perfect location for our continued expansion.”


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Trump Towers Discreetly Removed From Luxury Travel’s Best Hotels List
A huge shift just took place in the hotel industry, but in spite of it being quietly executed, it loudly tells a powerful tale. Formerly regarded as being among the top echelon in hotels across the globe, the Trump Towers have now been silently pushed out of the way and removed from the listing of the world’s largest travel network, Virtuoso. In one swift swoop, all 10 hotels that were in any way associated with, or branded by Trump, have now been removed from the list of preferred partners, and are no longer being actively promoted or referred by Virtuoso.
Newsbeezer reports that this is yet another hit for the Trump brand, which has recently been falling from grace, at a very fast pace.
A post shared by Virtuoso (@virtuosoltd)
Of course, there’s enough speculation as to why this huge shift away from Donald Trump’s brand is taking place, but Virtuoso has declined to confirm the reason behind the complete dismissal of every property that is connected to the Trump brand.
Forbes revealed that the managing director of Virtuoso, Misty Belles, stated privacy as the reason she could not be more forthcoming about this situation, “As a rule, we don’t talk about why we engage in non-renewals with partners, and we don’t talk about why they exit just as a courtesy for them and everyone involved,” she said.
RELATED: 3 Luxurious Features In Trump’s $17 Million Caribbean Mansion
To put this in perspective, Virtuoso represents the highest levels of luxury when it comes to world travel and accommodations. In fact, their motto is; “The best of the best,” and they, of course, have a reputation to protect. According to representatives, there is an annual screening process for each partner that is referred by Virtuoso, which is a reflection of the feedback provided by recent visitors. If there are complaints issued, or low ratings received, contracts are not renewed. They’ve indicated that each referred partner or organization is under review annually, but were unable to confirm specific details as to why the Trump brand was removed with such urgency.
A post shared by The Trump Organization (@trump)
Unfortunately for the Trump brand, this is not the first of such losses to be recently reported. In fact, Forbes reports that Trump’s hotel management and licensing business was already down” $24 million since 2019, as well as his golf resorts in Miami and Europe, which are down another $120 million.”
Whatever the reason for their removal, the fact remains that the Trump brand is receding from the spotlight, overall. There is no room for error in the world of the elite, and at this moment, it appears the Trump brand simply doesn’t make the cut.
READ NEXT: First Luxury Space Hotel Plans 2027 Opening
Sources: Newsbeezer, Forbes
Source: Read Full Article


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With the 2017 Voiceless Music Awards coming up very soon the announcements had to start rolling out...
After announcing the 2-time Voiceless Music Awards winners SQMG opening the big show on August 29th, we've finally determined who will be the last ones up at the event...
As announced last Thursday on HHRW @ Lyve Lyfe Radio, representing the nominated Thot Boys/ICMG/2 Deep, Kony Brooks & Teddy Grahams closes out the show!
Be there August 29, 2017 at Amarachi Prime!
For tickets email email@example.com!
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Drawbridge is the industry’s leading anonymous cross-device technology company that enables brands to have seamless conversations with consumers across their connected devices.
By leveraging its Connected Consumer Graph, companies can gain insight and a much deeper understanding of consumer behavior to drive better results for advertisers – from creating brand awareness to driving incremental sales.
Congratulations to Drawbridge, the 2016 Business Innovation Awards winner for Technology!
"We're delighted to be recognized by such a prestigious international organization for our innovative technology. Drawbridge is truly building disruptive solutions that help brands and enterprises deliver more personalized customer experiences on the Internet. It's always great feedback that you're part of something special when you win awards, whether it's for growth, technology, or innovation."
Brian Ferrario, VP Marketing, Drawbridge


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Fans of The King will soon have the chance to bid on pieces of his famous mane.
Chicago, Illinois (WiredPRNews.com) – A Chicago auction house is putting Elvis Presely’s hair up for sale. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), Leslie Hindman Auctioneers will put the hair along with over 200 other items connected to the late entertainer on the auction block Sunday.
As noted by the AP, the collection previously belonged to Gary Pepper, a former Presely fan club member who died in 1980. Pepper willed the items to his nurse, who has now decided to put them up for sale.
Mary Williams, of the auction house, is quoted in the report as stating of potential buyers for The King’s hair, “The industry of hair collecting has blown up… There’s an interest in owning a piece of a celebrity. There’s a possibility that people think you could clone people from hair.”
WiredPRNews.com – The latest in Entertainment News
Photo Credit: Wikipedia: Ollie Atkins, chief White House photographer at the time


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The Love Borough Imperial Porter made from local ingredients and waste coffee grounds goes on sale today at the London food market
Popular London foodie destination Borough Market has brewed up its own sustainable and low waste beer to help support traders who have incurred losses following the terror attack at the market earlier...
BusinessGreen brings you the latest green business news from around the world
This issue isn't going away for the e-commerce giant - and other industry leaders should consider themselves on notice
It's the largest purchase order by any company in the US
BREAKING: PM to resign leadership of Tory party on June 7, with Boris Johnson is favourite to win leadership election


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Friday, 25 August 2023, 17:40
The demand for rental cars on the Costa del Sol is breaking all records. Bookings are at a historic high, exceeding by 2% the 2019 figures which was the best year for tourism on the coast.
Data provided by the National Business Federation of Car Rental with and without driver (Feneval) shows that the Costa del Sol is the top perfoming location on the Spanish mainland.
Juan Luis Barahona, president of the federation, said that in addition to local visitors, the sector has seen a massive amount of international tourism. The main clients are visitors from Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
The president of the Association of Vehicle Rental Service Businesses (Aesva), Ana María García, said that the entire fleet is being used to meet the demand. García said that while rental prices have risen, they are less than last year, and stressed that the sector has a problem with profitability because, apart from the increase in energy and personnel costs, the vehicles are up to 30% more expensive. “The challenge this season is to cope with these increased costs," she said.
Juan Luis Barahona said that "it seems that this summer will undoubtedly be the one of a clear return to normality, at least this is what the latest available data show in terms of occupancy levels and booking rates. This is something we greatly welcome, as we must not forget that the car rental sector is one of the most important activities within the tourism ecosystem.
"At the moment, we are moving around 650,000 cars, between passenger cars and commercial vehicles, when in 2019 the circulating fleet exceeded 800,000 cars."
Feneval, which includes more than 800 companies with more than 20 million services per year, has recently asked the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism that 20% of all new vehicles in Spain be reserved for rental cars.
Ana María García highlighted the strength of the local destination and pointed out that between 80 and 85% of car rentals throughout Andalucía are concentrated on the Costa del Sol. "The demand is very high at the airport and at the main railway station, but we are also noticing this summer that more and more people are renting a vehicle to explore new corners of the province or the region.”
García highlighted the tourist service provided by the car rental sector and called for it to be taxed at the preferential rate of 10% in line with other tourism activities.
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Ulta Beauty, the US’ largest beauty retailer, is celebrating black voices in beauty with its Muse 100 grant programme.
The 100 figures have been selected by the Ulta team for their contribution to the beauty industry, and will be awarded US$10,000 to continue their cause.
Among those selected are make-up artists, content creators, mental wellness activists, journalists and hairstylists.
Names from the biggest beauty groups have also been tapped for the grant.
Susan Akkas, SVP of Local & Cultural Innovation at Estée Lauder Companies; Erica Culpepper, L’Oréal’s General Manager; EVP and COO of Beauty and Personal Care at Unilever, Esi Eggleston Bracey; and Aja Robinson, Fenty’s Global Sales Director, have all been recognised as part of the Muse 100 scheme.
Speaking about the scheme, Tracee Ellis Ross, Ulta’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor, and founder of Pattern Beauty, said: “I’m excited and consistently encouraged by Ulta Beauty’s continued commitments.
“The Muse 100 demonstrates a significant evolution of Ulta Beauty’s mission to uplift black voices.
“By shining a light on these inspiring changemakers, we empower black communities and continue the important work of fostering foundational change.”
Ulta’s new mission is an extension of the retailer’s $25m investment to improve diversity, equality and inclusion across beauty, announced in February this year.
“We understand our responsibility to inspire positive change and drive greater diversity, equity and inclusion in our industry,” Dave Kimbell, CEO of Ulta, added.
“The Muse 100 champions those who have succeeded in making so much beauty possible, those who represent the future and those who have inspiring stories that deserve to be shared and supported.
“We are proud to honor and uplift these 100 Muses and hope others find inspiration in learning their stories while celebrating with us.”
Since the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, beauty brands and retailers have been quick to shine a spotlight on the needs for diversity in the industry.
Earlier this month, AS Watson-owned retailer Superdrug announced four new black-owned beauty hair care brands would be hitting its shelves in an attempt to diversify its product offering.
Last week, skin care brand Olay partnered with Algorithmic Justice League for its #DecodetheBias campaign, which aims to influence coders to be more diverse when creating algorithms.
Code is often built as a reflection of the creator, and includes social media filters, apps and search engines, and are often leaving women of colour excluded, according to the brand.


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The firm of Quinn Emanuel is counsel for all three major Android device makers (Samsung, Motorola, HTC) in at least some of their litigations with Apple. The lead counsel in those cases, Charles Verhoeven, has an incredible track record in patent lawsuits, which includes that he successfully defended Google against some infringement claims before the current wave of smartphone-related patent lawsuits began. But Samsung has now additionally enlisted John Quinn, the founder of Quinn Emanuel, for its ITC trials against Apple later this spring. The one on Apple's claims against Samsung is scheduled for May 31-June 6, and the one on Samsung's claims against Apple for June 4-June 15.
Earlier this week, Mr. Quinn wrote to the ITC to declare his acceptance of the protective orders governing access to evidence in those investigations. The timing of his appearance on Samsung's behalf strongly suggests that he is going to be Samsung's lead counsel at those two ITC trials.
By some measures, Quinn Emanuel is the leading business litigation firm in the United States, and at the very least it can be said that it's the youngest firm (founded in 1986) to be considered among the best firms in the world.
If you're interested in more information on John Quinn and how he turned his firm into what it is today, I recommend this article by The American Lawyer. He twice finished the Hawaii Ironman contest.
Since leading business law firms in the U.S. are typically "young" if they're 50 years old, appearances of name partners in court are a rare exception when companies like Apple and Samsung clash. Apple is represented against Samsung by Wilmer Hale (founded in 1918) and Morrison & Foerster (founded in 1883; it was already 103 years old when Quinn Emanuel started).
For Samsung, it's strategically very important to score some wins (defensive as well as offensive ones) against Apple. So far Samsung has been able to fend off most of Apple's assertions, but not all of them, and Samsung has not yet enforced any intellectual property right of its own against Apple. Samsung filed an ITC complaint against Apple before Apple filed one against Samsung, a fact that shows how important this forum is for Samsung.
The smartphone-related trial schedule in June is dense as I highlighted in January. The Apple v. Motorola trial in Chicago, under Judge Richard Posner, is going to be highly important, and on June 7, Judge Lucy Koh in the Northern District of California plans to hear Apple's motion for a preliminary injunction against Samsung. I believe that this congested schedule at least contributed to Mr. Quinn's involvement. While I haven't previously seen him appear in any of those Android cases, he has done various high-profile patent cases.
Quinn Emanuel's work for multiple Android companies comes with challenges that go beyond scheduling. I have seen Apple point out on one occasion that Quinn Emanuel took allegedly-inconsistent positions against the same Apple patent in different cases, and on another occasion Apple said that a certain fact was known to QE not because of its work on the case in question but because of its representation of another Android company.
Between those Android companies, there are no conflicts at this stage. In Germany, however, Preu Bohlig represents HTC against Apple. While QE is on HTC's side against Apple in the U.S., its Mannheim office is suing HTC on behalf of non-practicing entity IPCom.
If you'd like to be updated on the smartphone patent disputes and other intellectual property matters I cover, please subscribe to my RSS feed (in the right-hand column) and/or follow me on Twitter @FOSSpatents and Google+.
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Falkirk’s iconic Kelpies are to get a festive skating rink for the first time this Christmas as it looks to boost its income after it emerged its Helix Park home is currently running at a £600,000 loss. The council shocked everyone when they announced that the Kelpies were running at a huge loss , mainly because of the cost of maintaining the Helix Park and despite getting 800,000 visitors last year .
Falkirk council announced this week that tickets are now on sale for a family friendly Christmas skating rink beside the iconic sculptures that will be open from December 16 to January 7.
Reaction on social media has been very positive with hundreds of people eager to try the new experience of skating on synthetic ice that promises to be softer than the real thing for children and beginners.
The organisers also promise that the synthetic ice is an eco-friendly choice that will be gentler on the environment than traditional ice rinks.
The event promises to be just the first of many as Falkirk Council recently agreed a new five-year strategy that it hopes will help increase visitor numbers ( and hopefully income ) for the 300-hectare park to one million a year.
The Kelpies prints are for sale in our gift shop . Kelpies tours can be booked online or on +447305294773
The Kelpies Falkirk , Scotland canvas prints and gifts
- Your personal mobile caffeination and art delivery unit
- Insulated stainless steel with removable polycarbonate lid
- Holds 15 oz. (443 ml)
- Base fits in most standard car cup holders (diameter 2.5″ / 6.35 cm)
- Top rack dishwasher-safe
- Wraparound design printed for you when you order
The Kelpies are the largest pieces of equine art in the world , created by Scottish artist Andy Scott. The most successful Scottish artist of all time is Jack Vettriano .
Visit the Kelpies in Falkirk , Scotland
The Kelpies, Stirling Castle and the Falkirk Wheel feature in this tour .
The Kelpies have become one of the top tourist attractions in Scotland with over two million visitors .


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Ever since the reveal of the new Ultra Street Fighter IV or as I call it, the new ‘expansion pack’ for Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition, players have been wondering whether the game will see to a release on next-gen consoles as well.
Executive producer of the fighting series Yoshinori Ono took to his Twitter account yesterday to answer fans and apologize that no; Capcom has currently no plans on bringing the game to either the Wii U or the PS4 and Xbox One for that matter.
PS3/360/PC at this moment. Thanks 😀 RT @warmlettuce: will Ultra Street Fighter IV be available on the new Playstation/Xbox systems?
So sry, we don’t have plan for Wii U now… RT @FrostySphincter: No Wii U? That’s a shame 🙁
Ultra Street Fighter IV will strictly be released for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC early next year and feature 5 new characters and 6 new stages; both of which have been ported over from Street Fighter X Tekken.
The game will cost $40 and will include all previously released costumes. However, if you already own a copy of Street Fighter you can simply update your game by paying $15.


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Wix offers sneak preview of next week’s Super Bowl ad
- TechNation: Intel Israel hired 400 R&D staff in 2015, but exports fell
- TechNation: Stealth startup Fireglass raises $20 million for cyber security
- TechNation: mPrest raises $20m to develop Internet of things software
Wix.com, the Israeli maker of website-development tools, on Wednesday gave a preview of the ad it will be airing during next week’s Super Bowl game.
The 30-second ad, which will be broadcast during the third quarter of the game on Sunday, features characters from DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 3 contemplating the idea of promoting Mr. Ping’s Noodle Shop with the ultimate marketing scheme - a Super Bowl commercial. However, they soon realize that the true cornerstone of every successful business promotion is building a website using Wix.
“We went for a direct message: the first step to a successful business is to create a stunning website,” Wix’s Chief Marketing Officer Omer Shai said.
This will be the second Super Bowl ad the company has aired. At an estimated of $5 million cost for the 30 seconds, not to mention the production costs, it’s a lot of money for Wix, but executives have said in the past the payback on the expense is just seven months. (Omri Zerachovitz)
Singapore exchange courts Startup Nation
The Singapore Exchange is leading a campaign to convince Israeli tech companies to float shares on the bourse.
Last week officials from the exchange were in Israel to meet with tech executives at the offices of the law firm Gross, Kleinhendler, Hodak, Halevy, Greenberg & Company, where Mohamed Nasser Ismail, the exchange’s senior vice president, touted the bourse as a gateway to the Asian market and the home to a major government initiative in high-tech.
Unlike the Hong Kong market and its China focus, he said, 40% of the companies listed in Singapore are foreign. Singapore is already home to five Israeli companies, the latest to join being the tech incubator Trendlines, which completed an initial public offering at the end of last year at a $90 million valuation.
Like the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, Singapore has seen the number of its IPOs plunge from about 80 annual before 2008 to just 30 last year. Like the TASE, it sees tech companies from Israel as a source of new listings. (Shelly Appelberg)
Carfoldio raises $1.5m for car booster seat
Carfoldio, an Israeli startup that has designed an innovative and compact booster car seat for children, said Wednesday it had raised $1.5 million from the founders of the company that created the hit game Candy Crush.
Carfoldio says its mifold Grab-and-Go booster seat is engineered to protect children from age four to 12, guiding the car’s seat belt away from the child’s stomach and the neck. Founded in 2013 by Jon Sumroy, a UK immigrant, the Ra'anana, Israel-based company say it has pre-sold $1 million of the booster seats to nearly 13,000 customers.
“Mifold is a genuinely innovative solution to a real problem that traditional players have ignored. Their worldwide sales are a strong proof of concept,” said Christian Dorffer, CEO of Sweet Capital, whose backers are the founders of King Digital Entertainment. Carfoldio raised its first $600, 000 shortly after it was founded and secured another round of $1.2 million a year ago. (TheMarker Staff)
OECD says Korea, Israel top world research and development spending
South Korea and Israel invested larger shares of their gross domestic products in research and development than any other advanced economies in 2014, the Organization for Economic Cooperation Development said Wednesday.
It said OECD countries spent an average of 2.37% of GDP on R&D in 2014, unchanged from 2013, as government spending on innovation declined. South Korea was the leader, at 4.3% of GDP, with Israel a close second at 4.1%, putting them well ahead of other big spenders such as Japan (3.6%), Finland and Sweden (3.2% each).
Israel, however, spent comparatively little on basic research - just 0.4% of GDP, half the Korean rate and less than most other OECD states. On a per-capita basis, Israel spent $1,385 in 2014, the sixth highest among OECD nations. The organization pointed to China as a rising R&D power, with its rate of 2.05% surpassing the European Union average of 1.94%. (TheMarker Staff)


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Ho Chi Minh City Export and Trade Fair 2023 kicks off
The Ho Chi Minh Export Forum and Trade Fair 2023 opened at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre (SECC) on May 25.
Jointly hosted by the municipal Department of Industry and Trade and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the event aims to strengthen trade promotion and help enterprises expand markets.
It features 250 pavilions of Vietnamese enterprises from the business associations nationwide, which display key export products and services in various fields. More than 3,000 domestic and foreign visitors have registered to participate in the event, according to the organiser.
In his opening remarks, Vo Van Hoan, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, said the event is one of the activities to support enterprises in their production, business and export in the southern metropolis, adding that such activities are expected to bring opportunities for businesses and manufacturers to promote products and brands to international markets, as well as serve as a bridge to help domestic enterprises grasp consumer needs and market trends.
Do Thang Hai, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, said the Ho Chi Minh Export Forum and Trade Fair 2023 is an important trade promotion activity that facilitates the expansion of export markets.
A forum on strengthening linkages towards green exports will be held during the four-day event, updating green consumption trends of major import markets. It aims to promoting a green export strategy to help increase competitive advantages for the business community in improving the value of the order and expanding markets.


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While more than two-thirds (68 percent) of smartphone and tablet owners having tried to make purchases using their devices, 66 percent of those have abandoned transactions because of problems during checkout, a study from Jumio reports.
The “2013 Mobile Commerce Insights” study also found that 47 percent of shoppers had failed to complete a mobile purchase because the checkout process took too long, 41 percent gave up because it was too hard to enter credit card data, and 23 percent said the purchase would not go through.
Another key issue for mobile shoppers was security. More than half (51 percent) of mobile device owners said they don’t feel comfortable entering credit card data on a mobile device. Women are more likely than men (56 percent vs. 47 percent) to worry about entering their credit card information, while those age 55 and up were also more likely to be concerned. Still, even among the youngest age group (18 to 34), 45 percent were leery of entering credit card data.
Who’s most likely to have tried m-commerce? Men are more amenable to it, with three-fourths (74 percent) of men who own mobile devices reporting that they’ve tried to purchase something with the device, compared to 62 percent of women. Younger men were the most likely to shop on their mobile device: 86 percent of 18 – 34-year-old men have attempted to purchase something on their smartphone or tablet.
The fact that many transactions are ending right at the point of purchase actually shows that ecommerce businesses are doing something right. They’ve adjusted the shopping experience for mobile devices enough that shoppers feel comfortable visiting websites, browsing and viewing products, and filling a shopping cart on their phones or tablets.
However, the sticking point remains mobile checkout, which needs to get simplified if merchants don’t want to lose the sale at the last minute. How can you improve your mobile checkout process?
- Simplify, simplify, simplify. The less data customers have to enter on tiny touchscreens, the better.
- Focus on security. With customers of all ages worried about mobile security, emphasize the security procedures you have in place throughout the process, but especially at checkout.
Image by Flickr user futureshape (Creative Commons)