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Sonoma County, CA —
Sonoma County's ban on single-use plastic bags goes into effect Friday, but shoppers may face a mixed bag of policies until enforcement begins Sept. 1.
Some retailers who publicly supported the ban, such as Oliver's Markets, are embracing the ban and Friday will stop offering customers plastic bags and start charging them 10 cents per paper bag.
“We lobbied for this law we believe in it, so we're going to move forward and comply with the law fully,” said Tom Scott, general manager of Oliver's, which has two stores in Santa Rosa and one in Cotati.
Others like G&G Market are planning to work through their inventory of existing plastic bags and hold off charging shoppers for paper bags as long as possible.
“We're trying to not to burden our customers with one more thing and will be pushing off that fee as long as we can,” said Teejay Lowe, CEO of G&G Supermarkets, which has stores in Santa Rosa and Petaluma.
Read the original post on http://www.pressdemocrat.com
Image via www.sonomawine.com


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Allurez has seen a steady increase in the amount of diamond rings and other diamond jewelry that is purchased through its site even in tough economic times.
New York, NY (PRWEB) August 22, 2012
Economic growth is closely correlated with jewelry sales in the US. In fact, the strongest economic factor associated with jewelry sales is Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Allurez outlines reasons that online jewelry sales are strong in comparison to sales associated with brick and mortar jewelry stores even in today's economy.
Lower Costs: Online jewelry retailers don't need to spend money on expensive retail fronts. Their immediate inventory is smaller, which also cuts down on cost. Online retailers will pass on these savings to consumers.
Convenience: Physical locations require time and effort. Many prefer to shop online for jewelry as opposed to fighting crowds in stores.
Comparison Shopping: Consumers have an easier time finding better deals because information related to products are more easily accessible.
New Online Shoppers: Technology is rapidly evolving and computers are becoming more and more accessible. As people gain access to the World Wide Web, they will naturally have access to more online retail sites.
Online retail ranks first over other retail industries in the US, with more than 75% penetration. A rapidly growing market, US online retail is expanding at an impressive rate, despite being hardly a decade old. The International Diamond Exchange Online newsroom reports that retail jewelry sales in general have seen a 3% increase this year. Some analysts estimate that online jewelry retailers have a 33% share in that figure. Allurez itself is expanding at a double digit percentage, thanks to steady sales related to diamond rings and other diamond jewelry.
"Allurez has seen a steady increase in the amount of diamond rings and other diamond jewelry that is purchased through its site even in tough economic times. Generally speaking, the web is one of the last places to take a hit during a recession and the first place people go to save," according to a spokesperson from Allurez.
Allurez is an established designer and retailer that carries loose diamonds, diamond engagement rings and other fine jewelry. They are headquartered in New York, where they have multiple offices. Their mission has been to not only provide customers with high-end jewelry at affordable prices, but to educate the public about the jewelry industry. You can visit them online at http://www.allurez.com.

domain: news


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The parent company of Macy's acknowledged Friday that its State Street department store, flagship of the former Marshall Field's chain, is 'doing badly.'
Since replacing the green Field's awnings across the upper Midwest with the Macy's name and red star in September, Federated Department Stores Inc. has been on a mission to win over Chicago-area shoppers, many of whom were attached to the hometown Field's brand and unfamiliar with Macy's.
Federated executives have suggested at times that they were struggling with the transition, but the company does not break out revenue figures for individual stores or chains under its very large corporate umbrella. This week the company said it was disappointed with sales at the roughly dozen regional department store chains the company converted to Macy's eight months ago.
At a press conference after its annual meeting here Friday, Federated's chief financial officer, Karen Hoguet, said former Field's stores are performing no worse or better than the roughly 400 regional department stores Federated acquired from St. Louis-based May Department Stores Co. in 2005 and converted to Macy's.
But there is an exception: the Chicago store on State Street.
The landmark store, long a tourist destination, is 'doing badly,' Hoguet said, without providing specific performance data..


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by ANNE CAMPBELL
Internet sales have given retailers a surprise shot in the arm, ensuring the festive season could be more boom than gloom.
There was an unexpected 2.9 per cent increase in Internet and mail order purchases last month compared with October.
That helped boost retail sales in November by 0.3 per cent on the previous month, the Office for National Statistics has announced.
This came as a relief to clothing retailers who experienced a difficult October because shoppers delayed buying winter items because of the unseasonably warm weather.
It had led one retail expert to warn of the worst Christmas season for 25 years.
Analysts had expected little change between October and November’s sales but the announcement drew cautious optimism.
There was still time for retailers to enjoy a very merry Christmas, according to Tim Sleep, the director of retail at Ernst & Young.
He said: ‘Most retailers have not yet been forced into widespread price cutting – our research shows that discounting is actually slightly less widespread than this time last year.
‘And with Christmas Day falling on a Monday, retailers will also get some benefit from an extra weekend’s December trading this year.’ However, November’s figures will fuel fears of another interest rate rise in February, other analysts warned.


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Posted on | October 23, 2012 | No Comments
Apple execs have finally unveil the company’s long-awaited iPad mini — something Jobs once declared the company would never do. The new $329 product is meant to compete with smaller, 7-inch tablets from companies like Google and Amazon that are nipping at the tech giant’s heals.
On Tuesday, just six months after unveiling the third-generation iPad, Apple unveiled the long-rumored iPad mini along with a fourth-generation of the standard model. Despite the 100 million iPads Apple sold in just 2.5 years, Apple CEO Tim Cook said, “we’re not taking our foot off the gas.” Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller showed off both devices on Tuesday. “You can hold it in one hand,” Schiller said of the iPad mini, as he highlighted its aluminum and glass enclosure. “It’s incredibly thin…and beautiful from every angle.”
Cult of Mac
Writer Leander Kahney: “I have to admit that I’m lusting after the mini but I’m disappointed by the price. If it had been $200, it would have conquered the world.”


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Original Kinokuniya Singapore bookstore to close
Kinokuniya Singapore is to close its oldest branch, at Liang Court in River Valley Road.
The store, which opened in 1983, was the Japanese bookseller’s first branch in Asia outside its home market. It will close on April 21.
The 13,000sqft space has 150,000 titles in English, Japanese and Chinese, as well as discounted books.
“We seek to consolidate and channel our limited resources for better deployment among our other business units,” Books Kinokuniya said in a notice.
Kinokuniya Singapore has three other retail outlets: at Ngee Ann City, Bugis Junction and Jem.


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Robotics actively developed, which contributes to gradual replacement of human labor. Our site has been cited many examples where robots have successfully coped with the tasks that used to only trusted people. With the improvement of professional service robots and the reduction of their cost-intensive manual labor is displaced.
According to the analytical agency IHS, revenues in the sector of service robots in 2015 was $ 2, 6 billion. A total of 20 thousand of these robots have been shipped. According to experts, the industry is exploding. The average annual market growth of 46% in the period from 2015 to 2020. And after 2020 robots market will begin to grow even faster. Many projects are now is still at the prototype stage, the time will reach the stage of commercialization.
“Given the high demand for professional service robots, the market will have a multi-billion dollar revenues” – said a senior analyst at IHS Wilmer Zhou (Wilmer Zhou). Among the most promising applications in which robots can take their weighty niche, called the rural industry, logistics, medicine and care (especially in Japan, Germany and other developed countries where the population is aging), help with the household.
Last year, the largest consumer of professional robots become North America that covered 35% of the world market by the number of robots shipped and 37% in monetary terms. High demand for robots is maintained in Europe, especially in the energy sector, civil defense services delivery and unloading. In the Asia-Pacific region is expected to more intensive annual growth – 50%. The leaders of Japan are here, and South Korea, especially in the segment of robots for home applications, and entertainment, as well as training of robots.


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They try so hard, it almost makes you want to buy one. Almost.
Windows Phone 7 never took off in Australia despite Microsoft’s best efforts. Remember the Old Spice Guy from last year? But things are slightly rosier for the OS in other parts of the world – the app store hit the 50K app mark in under 14 months. Apple took 12 months, Android 19 months, Symbian 26 months and Blackberry 27 months to hit the same number of apps placing Windows as the second fastest growing app store in this race.
Back home there aren’t many Windows Phone devices to be seen. Only the gorgeous N9 from Nokia found some love, but hardly any of the WP7 devices we saw at launch are still available on plans.
One of the main reasons people have stayed away from windows phones, even after the Mango update fixed most of the initial teething issues, is the lack of apps. With the app store showing signs of life will WP7 see a comeback in 2012?


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ELLE UK have announced that their September issue, on sale from 28 July, is the first to be fully edited by new editor-in-chief, Kenya Hunt, and introduces an evolution for the brand with a design refresh, new sections throughout the magazine, new ELLE UK voices and the launch of a variety of new series on the website.
With Grammy-award winning singer Lizzo as its cover star, the publisher added, the issue centres on the theme of reinvention and invites readers to reimagine new possibilities for tomorrow, including the way women live, love, work, or dress.
ELLE UK explain that their design evolution features bright, bold photography and the fashion pages showcase a creative, playful typography inspired by early, archival issues of ELLE UK, paying homage to the brand’s DNA with a fresh and modern aesthetic.
The new sections introduced to the magazine, the publisher continues, include: ‘The Moment’, an essay by an established writer connecting moments in the world of fashion to the cultural, personal and political; ‘Agenda’, a curated edit of what should be on readers’ radar from the worlds of fashion, art, food, interiors, film and more; ‘First Look’, everything new and next in the world of fashion and culture; ‘Style + Shop’, which combines inspiring shoots with edits of the most covetable pieces and indispensable what-to-wear solutions; and ‘In + Out’, an entertaining guide to staying in and going out.
ELLE UK say that they will also launch a series of new features on ELLE.com/UK that reflect the refresh, including ‘The Future Of Fashion’, exploring the new technology, designers, collectives and ideas set to redefine the way we look at the world of fashion and our wardrobes; ‘Beyond the Girl Boss’, which champions the women and collectives redefining work culture; ‘Fashioning Myself’, where ELLE UK women chronicle the evolution of their look; ‘Cut to Size’, which will shine a light on the designers, models and advocates reimagining the body in fashion and pushing for a more size-inclusive industry for all; and ‘Creating A Culture Shift’, celebrating the women whose work has helped revolutionise the conversation around women’s rights, sustainability and social justice.
Following the appointment of Kenya Hunt as editor-in-chief in March this year, says ELLE UK, new contributing editors have also been unveiled in the issue. As part of their remit, they will be contributing features across a range of subject matters, both online and in print. These include:
- Author and podcaster, Jessica Andrews
- Author and ethical fashion consultant, Aja Barber
- Cook and author, Ixta Belfrage
- Writer, broadcaster and influencer, Camille Charrière
- Author and broadcaster, Emma Dabiri
- Art historian, curator and writer, Aindrea Emelife
- Writer, consultant and content creative director, Lynette Nylander
- The Stack World founder and entrepreneur, Sharmadean Reid
- Doctor and founder of Skndoctor, Dr Ewoma Ukeleghe
- Designer, fashion & textiles lecturer and educationalist, Berni Yates
Kenya Hunt, editor-in-chief, ELLE UK, says: “From the new thought leaders driving global movements to the UK’s emerging creatives reshaping the future of fashion, I’m proud to shine a light on the women and ideas defining our brave new era — and honoured to do it with an incredible team. It’s an exciting time for ELLE UK as we invite our readers to join us in making sense of this moment and forging an exciting way forward.”


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Scott Moritz of The Street is reporting that AT&T is considering dropping the entry level monthly data plan of the iPhone $10 to $59/month, back where it started two years ago. When the 3G iPhone was released last year with increasing load on the AT&T networks expected, data plans rose $10/month. The report cites Cote Collaborative analyst Michael Cote:
There is a "strong possibility" that AT&T will drop the entry-level price to $59 from $69, says Cote Collaborative analyst Michael Cote, an industry pricing strategist. The announcement, he said, will probably accompany the launch of the new iPhone on June 8, during Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference.
The price cut would underscore the pressure AT&T and Apple are under to boost iPhone sales.
AT&T needs a way to reach beyond its core iPhone customers to people who might find it too expensive. Meanwhile, Apple may be looking to push iPhone sales beyond AT&T and toward other players like Verizon...
The lower-entry $59 price would trim 14% off the existing cost of the service plan, reducing the cost of a two-year contract by $240. The current price of an iPhone including a two-year AT&T contract is a hefty $1,880.
"This price does not address the whole market," says Cote. And the price barrier has started to be a concern for Apple. For example, says Cote, "Wal-Mart iPhone sales haven’t met expectations."
The move would be welcomed by AT&T customers who are already expecting to pay another fee for tethering access on their unlimited data plans in upcoming 3.0 firmware. Moritz sites competition from other phones like Sprint’s Pre.
By now, everyone should know that Mr. Moritz is rarely, if ever, right on his Apple predictions and is widely accused of stock manipulation on The Street. He also is starting to look like Locke from Lost.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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With its April release, Apple Watch stole all the attention in tech world, but most consumers are actually more interested in another device from Apple – the upcoming iPhone 6S. And while there is much speculation about its specifications and release date, it is most probably arriving in September. And the most exciting feature is the rumored pink colour.
Some believe Apple will release its new smartphone alongside the Apple Watch and the new MacBook on April 24.
However, last week during its Spring Forward event, the company didn’t even mention iPhone, so its release date isn’t likely to be this spring. But according to MacWorld, Apple can choose to debut phones twice a year to respond to the increasing competition from rival companies such as Samsung, HTC, LG, and so on. Still, a spring release is “too untraditional” for Apple and if we look at its iPhone release schedule history, we’ll see they all come in September-October – iPhone 4S came in October 2011, followed by iPhone 5 in September 2012, iPhone 5S and 5C in September 2013, and iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in September 2014. This pattern suggests a new release in September or October 2015.
What features will the iPhone 6S have?
According to most sources, the new headset will be relatively the same in both design and specs terms. Its size will probably remain at 4.7 inch display and it will be ultra-light, while the silhouette will again be slim, a bit rounded, and elegant. However, The Wall Street Journal reported that along with the silver, gold and space grey colours that are now available for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the new 6S will also come in pink. That’s right – finally a lovely colour for the ladies! But don’t expect a bright pink. It is said to be a nice, gentle rose gold tone, much like the colour that will be available for the luxury Apple Watch Editions.
There are also rumors about “sidewall displays”, as it they are described in an official Apple patent, meaning that the display could extend onto the sides of the phone. However, most experts say this isn’t likely at least with this model, suggesting the sidewall touch display controls may arrive later in the future. One of the most-talked about issius around the iPhone 6S is its durability – it is said to to be tougher due to the use of new materials such as sapphire glass and Liquidmetal. The Guerilla Glass maker (the type of glass, currently used in iPhones) revealed a new kind of glass, called “Project Phire”. And the belief is the “phire” stands for “sapphire”.
Another new feature that Apple is currently working on, according to rumors, is “method for shielding electronic components from moisture”. In other words, the new iPhone 6S could be waterproof! But the company’s patent suggests that instead of protecting the entire phone from water, this technology will protect key parts inside of it. So, the elegant design will stay the same.
On March 9, along with the Apple Watch, the company revealed a new Macbook, which will have the so-called Force Trackpad. It will feature a technology that tells apart soft and harder touches, or more exactly, a tap and a press. In addition, the phone’s processor, likely called A9 chip, will be probably produced by Samsung.
A more exciting feature of the 6S will be its camera, which is believed to have a two-lens system, capturing DSLR-quality imagery, at least according to John Gruber of Daring Fireball. And Chinese website United Daily News claims that the new device will feature a dual-lens camera with optical zoom.
According to numerous “sources”, pretty much every spec of the iPhone 6S will be improved and maximized – from the storage to the Touch ID function. And millions of fans are in anticipation, especially since the Apple Watch availability will be very limited. It will be purchased only in several countries, at least in the first several months, until the company decides whether it will be a hit, or not. It won’t arrive in the UAE, but a rose gold iPhone 6S will be huge here!


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The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) has announced that this year's Miss Seychelles...another world 2016 beauty pageant will be held at the International Conference Centre of Seychelles on Saturday 28th May 2016.
Sherin Naiken explained that the organisers were searching for a venue which had a permanent covered roofing structure as the month of May is the wet and rainy season and hosting the pageant in open air is very risky in case it rains.
She added that moreover most resorts are not willing to host 300 guests over a gala dinner and the pageant together with the sound, lights, and other logistics they say this would cause a major disruption to their in house guests.
In addition, the artistic and technical production teams have to move in with the preparatory logistics at least five days before the event , and this cannot be accomodated by the resorts.
Thus all these criteria gives no other option but to seek a covered roof venue having the best acoustic sound and lights available on site.
Ms Naiken said : " The ICCS bears also these logistics together with a seating capacity for 600 guests, comfortable air conditioning seating, excellent staging facilities, ample backstage changing rooms for hair and dressing aspects, spacious air conditioning rooms for the contestants to hang up their pageant wear and also for the line up of artists".
In hosting the pageant at the ICCS will see tickets being sold at a much affordable and reasonable cost of Rs 700 per person to watch the pageant only. There will no dinner included in the ticket cost this year due to the unavailability of the required space.
This year the pageant is scheduled to start at 7.30 and the show is expected to run for three hours during which the 12 contestants participating will parade in three different presentations being the casual , swimwear and casual rounds before the panel of jury. The glamorous pageant on that evening will be the culmination of three months of intensive training and grooming in various sessions such as catwalk training, choreography, positive thinking, public speaking, etiquette, protocol procedures, media interviews, gym fitness, culture and traditions, tourism and history of Seychelles amongst many others.
On the pageant night, the winners of People's Choice, Miss Photogenic, Miss Talent, Miss Sports and the best Beauty With A Purpose project will be announced alongside the top three winners. This year's pageant production and staging is under the direction of Raymond Clarisse as the Artistic Director and together with his technical and logistics support team they have promised a glittering show of sound, lights and music with a line up of local artists which will definitely thrill the 600-odd viewers attending the pageant. Tickets for the pageant will be on sale at the STB Head office at Espace Building and the STB Information Office at Independence House , both contactable on Tel :4671300


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The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei, last year received a trade ban from the US government which prohibited UScompanies from doing with it. The company since has received some major setbacks with the biggest one being it losing the Google services privileges.
Apple and Google are working together on a ‘contact tracing system’ that will let users know if they have been in the proximity of a person suffering from the COVID-19. Both the companies will implement on to their respective ecosystem via software updates. As Huawei is banned from using Google services, it loses the ability to have this tracking system on its phones.
As per news reports, users who have newer Huawei phones that come without Google apps and services will not be able to use this tracking tool that is being developed for a global rollout. However, older Huawei devices still holding Google support might still have a chance.
The lack of Google services as stripped Huawei phones of essentials like play store, Google suite of apps and more. The tracking system will also be supported by an app component that will be rolled out by the companies on their respective app stores, leaving Huawei out of the picture as it now has its own app store and ecosystem based on Android.
The contact tracking system will employ Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) for proximity detection for identifying people who have been infected by the COVID-19 and other people who might have come in contact with the infected person.


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New franchise owners in the WellBiz Brands portfolio may enter its system knowing how to run a business or provide excellent customer service. They may have even previously worked as a hairdresser or massage therapist. They may not know much about marketing.
That’s where Kelsey Lewis and her team come in. Lewis, the director of revenue strategy at WellBiz Brands, and her team of marketing gurus work across all brands on anything that deals with membership. “Our team takes a very personalized and comprehensive approach to help franchisees grow membership,” says Lewis. “With new studio owners, this is very much one-on-one, because every campaign performs differently. Once they open, our training shifts to more of a group setting.”
Opening a New Shop
One team supports franchisees opening new locations by helping launch digital campaigns and plan local studio marketing activities to raise awareness of the new location, generate leads ahead of opening and through the first few months after opening.
When Daisy Terrazas, the owner of Drybar Eastvale in California, opened Dec. 15, she already had signed up 180 members. She sponsored some events with the local chamber of commerce and sponsored eight pop-up events at local gyms and clubs. “The marketing was fantastic, I can honestly say they provided tools and resources to set me up for success,” she says.
For new franchise owners, the team works with an agency on the strategy, targeting and assets to launch a digital campaign leading up to the location’s grand opening. “We also share that information with the owners themselves. We are very transparent and communicative with them,” Lewis says.
The communication continues to flow through brand-specific monthly webinars and weekly newsletters that keep owners up to speed on marketing activities.
The team also trains new franchise owners on local studio marketing, which helps new locations establish themselves in the market. “Consumers love the studio marketing piece because they can meet the owner at a local event. Digital marketing is critical to stay competitive and attract new people, but local studio marketing brings it home. They work so well together. You can’t have one without the other.”
Over the past year, Lewis’s team has pivoted its strategy to emphasize local studio marketing and user-generated content (UGC). “Consumers really want to see authentic, live-action pieces of what’s going on in the studios,” Lewis says. “We are using UGC mostly on Instagram, and also dipping our toes into TikTok to stay current. We will probably see a lot more of that in 2024.”
The team experienced a surge in requests for print materials. “People are so tired of their inboxes,” Lewis says. “Getting a really nice mailer seems so refreshing, so we are providing more great print materials. I don’t see that changing anytime soon, either.”
Additionally, the team refined the targeting of digital campaigns to reach a more precisely defined audience. “The digital is running in the background, while we see the most active franchisees are doing the local studio marketing, establishing themselves in the community,” Lewis says.
“The braids and dry-styling pop-ups were a hit,” says Terrazas. “I found a lot of success with local gyms. Every pop-up was planned, and both the studio and I posted the announcement on social media. My followers started showing up at every pop-up to get to know us and learn more about Drybar. It attracted attention that we had a line of people waiting for us to braid their hair. My first pop-up was at a Hotworx, where they were just ramping up their location, and I left with 39 leads.”
Marketing Beyond Opening
Another marketing team works on sales training year-round for both new owners and veterans, leading webinars on how to grow membership, how to retain members, how to convert leads and how they can use gift cards.
The sales training webinars are extremely interactive, with role-playing and lots of discussion among owners. “It’s nice for owners to hear from other owners about what they are doing so they may learn about a tactic that will work for them in their location, too,” Lewis says.
“Marketing definitely drives membership and growth,” she adds. “The competitive landscape right now makes marketing more important than ever. There are so many options available to consumers that businesses need to show what they offer to attract members and keep them.”


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NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Investors threw cold water on the New Year's rally, with U.S. stocks set for a modest pullback at Wednesday's open.
Dow Jones industrial average () and S&P 500 ( ) futures were down 0.3%, while Nasdaq ( ) futures were flat. Stock futures indicate the possible direction of the markets when they open at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Jitters surrounding Europe's debt crisis have resurfaced, leaving investors on edge. Uncertainty about Greece, along with reports that Spain might seek rescue funding, weighed on sentiment.
A spokeswoman for the Spanish government told CNN the reports were "a complete lie" and "radically false," and separately Greek officials said Tuesday that progress had been made.
"We're still watching Europe simmering now. We have another summit coming up and the problems are all still there," said Scott Brown, chief economist for Raymond James.
European Union leaders hold their first summit of 2012 on Jan. 30. Political leaders hashed out a fiscal agreement in early December, but investors remain skeptical about how effective it will be.
Bank stocks -- one of last year's worst-performing sectors -- led the Dow higher in the prior session. Bank of America ( , Fortune 500), Citigroup ( , Fortune 500) and JPMorgan ( , Fortune 500) all posted strong gains.
World markets: European stocks fell in midday trading. Britain's FTSE 100 ( ) lost 0.1%, while the DAX ( ) in Germany shed 0.8% and France's CAC 40 ( ) slid 0.7%.
Asian markets finished mixed. The Nikkei (
Economy: The Census Bureau will release data on factory orders for the month of November before the opening bell. Analysts surveyed by Briefing.com expect orders to have risen 2.1% in November, after dropping by 0.4% in October.
In the afternoon, the Commerce Department will release data on auto and truck sales for December. Auto sales stood at a 4.36 million annual rate in November, while truck sales were at a 5.98 million rate.
Companies: Before the opening bell, Yahoo ( , Fortune 500) shares dropped 1.6% on reports that the search engine will name eBay's ( , Fortune 500) PayPal President Scott Thompson as its new CEO. Shares of eBay fell 1.1%.
Caterpillar (Fortune 500) shares fell 1% in premarket trading, after the construction equipment manufacturer announced it will expand its research and development center in Wuxi, China.,
Dunkin' Brands () shares climbed 1.5% ahead of the bell, after the company announced it plans to double the number of its Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in the United States in the next 20 years. The chain currently operates about 7,000 restaurants nationwide.
Cabot Oil & Gas (
Oil for February delivery slipped 70 cents to $102.26 a barrel.
Gold futures for February delivery fell $2.60 to $1,597.90 an ounce.
Bonds: The price on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury fell, pushing the yield up to 1.96%.
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Succeeding with Viewable Impressions and Audience Guarantees
Few industries have seen the level of disruption that the digital ad industry has experienced in recent years. Viewable impressions and audience guarantees are rapidly transforming the digital ad industry. While media buyers and sellers are putting plans in motion to keep up with the changes, it seems to raise more questions than answers.
- What are the industry benchmarks for in-view & in-target rates?
- What actions are leading online advertisers taking to increase the ROI of their digital brand investments?
- How can Media Buyers prepare for the shift towards viewable impression standards and audience guarantees?
Join us for our webinar on June 18th at 10:00 CEST (11:00 EEST) to learn about the market's current challenges, industry benchmarks, and what Media Buyers can do to answer crucial questions on online ad validation and optimisation.
Anthonia Akin, Solutions Consultant, comScore Inc.
June 18, 10:00 am - 11:00 am


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By Will Davies and Preetika Rana
It’s no surprise that multi-national companies have come up with a range of advertising campaigns to cash in on the moment Indian cricket hero Sachin Tendulkar hits his 100th international century, whenever that might be. Some analysts, however, warn there’s a danger that these companies won’t reap the rewards as the market is already oversaturated.
Cricket and Tendulkar are ubiquitous in India. Turn on a television and at least one channel will be broadcasting a cricket match, while another will be carrying an advert with Tendulkar flogging anything from paints to banking products. It’s good business for the cricketer, given that he reportedly earns 1.57 million rupees, or roughly $30,500, a day through endorsements.
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- Pakistan Super League: Twenty20 Underdogs Quetta Gladiators Emerge as Favorites in Final
- Pakistani Cricket Fan Arrested For Flying Indian Flag
- Watch: India's Cricket Prodigy Strikes World Record
Recent television broadcasts of cricket matches reveal something else: row upon row of empty seats. Granted, when Tendulkar plays, the crowds still come, but there’s no denying that the fervent cricket fans of India are showing signs of fatigue due to the endless barrage of matches in the sport’s calendar. Even Rahul Dravid, in his Bradman Oration on Wednesday, said he was concerned about the low spectator numbers at recent India matches.
The same oversaturation troubles could apply for advertisements featuring Tendulkar, says Ashutosh Sinha, senior vice president of market research firm IMRB International.
Mr. Sinha warns that capitalizing on Tendulkar “might not reap huge profits,” as “homogenous products will eventually flood the market and appear one among a crowd of many.”
“It’s a classic example of how too many cooks spoil the broth,” he says.
But advertisers aren’t yet shying away, particularly as Tendulkar is one away from an unprecedented 100th international century. The Little Master is, however, keeping advertisers – along with cricket fans everywhere – on tenterhooks as he’s been stranded on 99 centuries since March.
Tendulkar seemed destined to score that 100th century soon after India’s World Cup victory in Mumbai, but – despite coming close on a handful of occasions – the milestone remains elusive. He, more than anyone, of course wants to get this increasingly heavy monkey off his back.
Meanwhile, the companies that vested their hopes and campaigns around the 100th century have been forced to tinker with their plans, reflecting the perils of basing strategies around something you can’t control.
Retailer Future Group Ltd. had come up with a limited edition range of personal care products including soaps and toothpastes under the “Sach” brand to mark the moment Tendulkar scored his 100th ton. But a spokesman told India Real Time that the company has shelved the project for now. Future Group, like time itself, waits for no man, not even Tendulkar.
Insurer Aviva India earlier this year promised winners of a competition a free trip to England, where it was hoped Tendulkar would score his 100th century at some point during India’s July-September tour.
The tour of England, however, was not a success, as the visitors failed to win a single international match and Tendulkar was ruled out midway through after aggravating a toe injury.
Other companies focusing on the 100th century include Japan’s Canon Inc., which launched a “99 Powershots, One More To Go” campaign, asking fans to choose their favorite picture of one of Tendulkar’s many centuries, and Coca-Cola, which introduced a series of commemorative cans.
In a July press release, Coca-Cola said it was “confident that he [Sachin Tendulkar] will hit another century at some point during the current tournament between India and England.”
Still, the company has pressed ahead with its campaign, which involves 10 different can designs, each “dedicated to one of Mr. Tendulkar’s most memorable centuries.”
“Each set of cans displays an image of Sachin from the respective match [picked by him], the name of the opposing team, the year, and the number of runs scored in that innings,” Kamlesh Sharma, general manager of communications for Coca-Cola India, told IRT.
The first can of the series, for example, has a picture of Tendulkar at Old Trafford in Manchester, where he scored his maiden Test century — 119 against England — in 1990, while the ninth can depicts him in Gwalior, where he smashed a record-breaking 200 against South Africa in a One-Day International last year. That record was recently broken by Tendulkar’s team-mate Virender Sehwag, who thumped 219 runs in an ODI against the West Indies in Indore.
“What makes this initiative special is that these innings have been handpicked by Sachin himself, making it a collector’s item for his innumerable fans across the country,” Mr. Sharma said, adding that it was the first time Coca-Cola has customized its products as a tribute to an Indian celebrity. The company has had special editions elsewhere, including series celebrating Canada’s gold medal victory in women’s ice hockey at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Saudi Arabia’s qualification for the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the gold medals won at the 1993 Southeast Asian Games by Singaporean swimmer Ang Peng Siong and bodybuilder Azman Abdullah.
For the Tendulkar century series, a total of 6.5 million cans were to be distributed across India, of which 800,000 would be dedicated to his record breaking 100th century. Nine editions of the commemorative cans were launched in August in what was a fairly subdued affair for a company like Coca-Cola. And of course, we’re still awaiting the tenth version (though with slightly less baited breath than a Tendulkar century.)
Mr. Sharma declined to comment on the cost of production and earnings from the initiative, though he said the first nine editions have sold out.
Ram Gudipati, managing director of Brand Harvest Consultancy Pvt. Ltd., told IRT that companies should “tactfully leverage from Sachin’s feat only after he bats his 100th [century.]”
“Most multinationals have rushed into advertising and sales campaigns,” Mr. Gudipati said. “Rather than flooding the market with identical products, companies should invest in product development and innovative strategies,” and their launch “should be perfectly tied with the record-breaking century.”
Follow India Real Time on Twitter @indiarealtime.


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The Station is a weekly newsletter dedicated to all things transportation. Sign up here — just click The Station — to receive the full edition of the newsletter every weekend in your inbox. This is a shorter version of The Station newsletter that is emailed to subscribers. Want all the deals, news roundups and commentary? Subscribe for free.
Welcome back to The Station, your central hub for all past, present and future means of moving people and packages from Point A to Point B.
Layoffs continue to run through the tech industry, and more specifically the autonomous vehicle sector. The latest company to trim its workforce is Motional, the joint venture between Hyundai and Aptiv.
Employees were told of the layoffs Wednesday, according to sources who asked not to be named because they are not authorized to speak for the company. Motional, which employs more than 1,500 people globally, confirmed the layoffs.
Motional did not confirm the number of employees affected. Sources said dozens of employees were laid off, with cuts happening across its operations. Motional has offices in Boston, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, South Korea, Singapore and several cities in California, including Milpitas and Santa Monica.
In related and rosier news, many of the 2,000 employees who were laid off when Argo AI shutdown have taken jobs at Ford and VW, the two automakers that backed and ultimately pulled support from the autonomous vehicle startup. According to one source, about 550 former Argo AI employees accepted offers to join Ford. Another three dozen took jobs at VW in the United States. VW has also absorbed the Munich-based Argo AI GmbH — an office with more than 200 people, many of whom previously were part of AID.
Got a news tip or inside information about a topic we covered? I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me at firstname.lastname@example.org to share thoughts, criticisms, opinions or tips. Or you can drop us a note at email@example.com. If you prefer to remain anonymous, click here to contact us, which includes SecureDrop (instructions here) and various encrypted messaging apps.
Bird has been struggling this past year through a flurry of dramas that is too long and complicated to get into right now. But Shane Torchiana, the company’s new CEO and president, thinks Bird still has an opportunity to survive and thrive. In a lengthy interview with Torchiana about Bird’s long-term strategy to become a self-sustaining company — spoiler alert — yes battery swapping will finally be a genuine part of the equation.
Canyon Bicycles, a German bike maker, wants to convert motorists with its cargo bikes and what it says is the cycling equivalent to an SUV. The company aims to double sales of city bikes by 2025.
More than half of surveyed U.K. residents plan to increase their use of public transport and shared micromobility in 2023, as a direct response to the cost of living crisis, according to a report from Free Now, a European mobility superapp.
Gogoro is piloting its Smartscooters and battery swapping stations in the Philippines starting next year. The company is pursuing a B2B logistics push as its first entry into the market.
Lyft has pulled its scooters and bikes out of Los Angeles, citing an unregulated environment and lack of long-term commitment from municipalities. The company also partnered with battery recycling company Redwood Materials to ensure batteries from its shared fleet don’t end up in landfills.
McLaren subsidiary Lavoie has launched its Series 1 electric scooter. It’s foldable with fat tires and a range of 31 miles.
Spanish e-bike maker Ossby introduced the Curve Electric, a compact foldable e-bike that combines the motor and battery into the rear hub.
Polestar joins the growing list of automakers that are making their own e-bike (we see you Porsche, BMW, Rivian, Jeep, Hummer). The EV company is working with Sweden’s Allebike to produce the bike — the two companies had previously worked together on a non-electric mountain bike.
City news in brief …
Austin is doubling its rebate for people who buy e-bikes starting January 1.
Oregon is also considering an incentive that will give residents up to $1,700 off e-bike purchases.
The Philippines approved the removal of import duties on electric vehicles and their parts for the next five years. That includes electric two-wheelers. Indonesia will subsidize e-motorcycle purchases.
Deals, deals, deals
Aptiv, the automotive supplier, completed its acquisition of an 85% equity stake in Intercable Automotive Solutions from Intercable. The transaction is valued at €595 million and is expected to be accretive to earnings per share starting in 2023.
Carbon Revolution, an Australian company that makes lightweight wheels, will list in the U.S. by combining with Twin Ridge Capital Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company.
CARIAD, the software company of the Volkswagen Group, said it will acquire Paragon’s AI division. The closing of the transaction is still subject to various conditions, in particular the reservation of antitrust approvals, and is expected in spring 2023.
Classified Cycling, the Belgian company developing drivetrain technology for cycling, raised €22 million in a round led by Active Partners.
Dat Bike raised $8 million to put more electric bikes on Vietnam’s roads.
OneRail, the Orlando, Florida-based last-mile transportation company, raised $33 million in Series B funding round co-led by Piva Capital and Arsenal Growth Equity,
United Airlines made a strategic equity investment in sodium-ion battery maker Natron Energy. The company plans to use the funds to accelerate production at its manufacturing facility in Holland, Michigan, where it will scale operations to begin mass production of UL-listed sodium-ion batteries in 2023.
V7, a startup developing data engines to improve AI for computer vision, raised $33 million in a Series A round co-led by AI-focused Radical Ventures and Temasek. Existing investors Air Street Capital, Amadeus Capital Partners and Partech also participated.
Zapp Electric Vehicles, the U.K.-based electric motorbike maker, is merging with CIIG Capital Partners II, a blank check company, to become publicly traded on the Nasdaq.
Notable news and other tidbits
Aurora launched a second route this fall for Uber Freight customers between Fort Worth and El Paso. The AV company is completing one haul a week on this route. It is also using its self-driving trucks (with safety operators behind the wheel) to haul goods between Dallas and Houston twice a week.
Cruise applied for a permit with the California Department of Motor Vehicles to test its custom-built driverless vehicle called “Origin” on public roads in San Francisco.
Kiwibot is working with Loyola Marymount University on a so-called “high-driving automation campus.” Apparently this isn’t about driving after a bong rip. It’s about Kiwibot’s 25 bots generating multiple paths to reach the pre-established destination and navigating there autonomously.
Pony.ai regained its permit to test AVs on public streets in California.
Car-sharing, ride-hailing and subscriptions
Kyte, the car rental delivery startup, is offering a car subscription service, following what the startup says was a successful subscription pilot with Teslas. The three-, six- and 12-month subscription plans will be available to all 14 markets in which Kyte operates, such as San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, Boston and, most recently, Fort Lauderdale.
Electric vehicles, batteries & charging
GM and partner LG Energy Solution announced plans to spend another $275 million on their joint venture battery plant in Tennessee in an effort to increase production by more than 40%.
Lordstown Motors started shipping its all-electric Endurance pickup truck manufactured by Foxconn.
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe talked at the Redburn CEO conference about shoring up supply chain, future products and demand.
Sibros is partnering with tiny EV maker e.GO to provide connected vehicle data and advanced OTA software management for the automaker’s new e.wave X urban EVs.
TechCrunch+ reporter Tim De Chant writes about his EV car rental experience.
Tesla is offering Model 3 and Model Y buyers in the U.S. a $3,750 credit if they have their vehicle delivered in December 2022. The automaker also delivered the first production versions of its long-delayed electric Semi truck five years after CEO Elon Musk revealed the commercial vehicle. The first Tesla Semi trucks were handed over to Pepsi at an event at the company gigafactory in Sparks, Nevada.
Apple iPhone users with iOS 16.1 software can now share car keys in their Wallet with non-iPhone users, starting with Google Pixel devices. In the future, that capability will extend to other devices with Android 12+. Keys can be shared via email, text message and WhatsApp.
BMW Group started production of an early-stage hydrogen-powered vehicle based on the X5 crossover.
Honda said it plans to launch a fuel cell electric vehicle in 2024 based on its bestselling CR-V crossover.
Faraday Future’s board fired its CEO Carsten Breitfeld, according to a regulatory filing posted Monday after the markets closed. Breitfeld, who was the former co-founder of failed EV startup Byton, took the leadership role at Faraday Future in September 2019.
Harbinger, the Los Angeles-based automotive manufacturer, hired Gilbert Passin as its chief production officer. Passin served as Tesla’s vice president of Manufacturing, overseeing the launch of Tesla’s Model S program. He also held other VP and GM-level roles with Toyota, Volvo Trucks, Mack Trucks and Renault and, most recently, served as CEO and COO of Wrightspeed.
May Mobility appointed industry veteran Kathy Winter as its chief operating officer. Winter most recently was vice president and general manager of Intel’s Autonomous Transportation & Infrastructure division. She also led Intel’s integration with Mobileye post-acquisition. Prior to Intel, Winter served as vice president for several divisions at Delphi.


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In Northern Michigan trees and forest life are a huge part of our community which is why it’s extremely important to try and preserve them. That’s the exact idea behind a furniture store in Petoskey named Great Lakes Reclaimed.
9&10 News - Latest News
READ MORE >
MTM On The Road: Petoskey's Great Lakes Reclaimed


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KL NEWS NETWORK
Responding to the call of united resistance leadership, Srinagar markets opened on Monday evening after day’s shutdown. However, in major business hubs it was short lived.
The united resistance leadership have asked people to open markets after 6 PM o shutdown days. Given the mass uprising Kashmir witnessed since July 09, a day after popular militant commander Burhan Wani was killed, resistance leadership came out with a protest calendar.
In the fresh such calendar, people were given relaxation in shutdown from 6 PM in the evening every day. Responding positively to the call, Srinagar markets opened this evening and are abuzz with customers, however, as soon as shop keepers started opening their shops in Lal Chowk, a police van came and asked them to shut.
“Aware of deal, we had come to buy some stuff for injured,” a professor told Kashmir Life, “but when we reached Koker Bazar, police was enforcing shutdown and we had leave the area.”
Similar scenes were witnessed on Residency Road when shopkeepers opened their shops “as routine”. However, a police van made one round of the area directing the businessmen not to open any shop.
“This is ridiculous,” one such businessman said, “why are we being not allowed to resume business now?” Some shops had started their business at Regal Chowk but they were shut.
Everything happened in front of almost a dozen reporters who were witnessing this near Mushtaq Enclave. “They (police) gestured towards me not to open camera,” a reputed photo journalist said.
Reports reaching from civil lines and uptown areas said that markets opened and they are full. “I have not seen such movement in Hyderpora area in last fortnight except during demonstrations,” a reporter who lives in Pirbagh said. “Same was the case in Jawahar Nagar and Bhagat.”
Similar reports are coming from Old Srinagar where shops have opened. “Shops selling essential items have opened in Rajouri Kadal area,” a local said, “however, there is not much activity.
Reports coming from South Kashmir’s Islamabad said that there were minor clashes in Janglat Mandi area. Similar reports reached from Sopore where youths clashes with police in main market, however, shops opened in villages.
It is complete shutdown in Kupwara, however, people are seen buying essentials but shops are shut.


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United Nations Alliance to launch Sustainable Fashion. It’s been years in the making after multiple efforts by various groups, but finally the United Nations Alliance now plan to highlight the needs and benefits of sustainable fashion with the launch of their first ever event to focus on sustainable fashion due to take place on the 14th March 2019 at their 4th U.N. Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya.
The UN have decided to take a more comprehensive approach to address all matters relating to sustainable fashion and make consumers more aware of the benefits to the environment that they are hoping will educate manufacturers and their customers to adjust their habits towards sustainable fashion.
The Alliance on Sustainable Fashion consists of a network of organisations that include the U.N. and specialised agencies that are made up of Ethical Fashion Initiative-International Trade Centre, Connect4Climate-The World Bank Group, FAO, Climate Change (UNFCCC), U.N. Global Compact, ILO, U.N. UNECE, U.N. Environment and the U.N. Office.
Co-secretary of the new alliance, Michael Stanley-Jones confirmed that their objective is to “co-ordinate the U.N. system’s response to the challenges that the textiles, fashion and accessories sectors face in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,”
Chatting to on-line fashion news magazine, WWD, he said:“Fashion is cross-cutting, so to capture the opportunity that fashion presents, the U.N. and its partners need an integrated approach that cuts across individual Sustainable Development Goals to realise the multiple benefits offered by the 2030 Agenda.”
“Fashion demands a comprehensive, integrated approach. One that stretches our understanding of joint action by producers, consumers and governments. Fashion is sustainable development’s greatest challenge and its greatest opportunity.”
Michael Stanley-Jones concluded “Everyone wears clothes, everyone wants to look and feel good, and everyone wants a healthy environment in which they and future generations can thrive.”
“The U.N. Alliance on Sustainable Fashion is committed to making this a future that leaves no one behind. Environment body “Fashion4Development” who have spent over nine years working for change will be part of the launch this March and will use their expertise and knowledge to develop this alliance between all the groups involved to make this project an on-going success.
With Ireland already embracing our approach to sustainable clothing, one company “Grown” already manufacture environmentally friendly clothing where money from the sale of their products not only is donated to the charity “1% For the Planet”, but they also plant one indigenous Irish tree in Ireland making them one of the leaders in sustainable fashion clothing in Ireland today.
United Nations Alliance to launch Sustainable Fashion


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Thanks to F.A.O. Schwartz, you won't have to introduce your kids to the Grinch this year.
That's because all F.A.O.-branded items will be discounted by 25% on Nov. 28. The toy store will also heavily promote its "$25 and under" toy line, which includes Eric Carle's Very Hungry Caterpillar plush toy and a classic tin drum by FAO's private label. At department store
Have older children? Head to Brooks Brothers. There, you'll get 15% off all purchases from 8 a.m. to noon.
These are just a couple of the deals consumers will find this season. Beginning Friday, retailers across virtually all categories will mark down prices, sometimes 50%, 60%, even 70%.
Discounts are up because sales are down. In the first two weeks of November, apparel and electronics sales fell more than 19% compared with the same time a year ago. Online sales are down 7.5%, according to a report released yesterday by SpendingPulse, an information service provided by MasterCard Advisors, a subsidiary of MasterCard Worldwide.
And according to Discover's U.S. Spending Monitor, an index of consumer spending intentions and capacity that is based on interviews with a random sample of 15,000 Americans, 62% of consumers said that they're planning to spend less this holiday season. What's more, 60% haven't even started their holiday shopping.
"There is no question that the consumer is basically saying, 'What's the rush?'" says Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst at the Port Washington, N.Y.-based market research firm NPD Group.
That means stores like big box electronics seller Best Buy are trying extra-hard this year to woo customers with gimmicks like "door buster" sales, which offer limited quantity items (at low prices) in the wee hours of Nov. 28. That includes a $380
Even retailers who normally shy away from holiday sales are participating this year. Although Barneys New York isn't promoting an official Black Friday sale, its Annual Winter Sale, which offers discounts up to 40% off--and sometimes more--has already kicked off and will continue through the weekend of Nov. 28, with deeper discounts starting that Friday. Discounts include Lanvin's "Hurrah" satchel in white, marked down to $489 from $1,950, and an Alexander Wang silk wrap tank dress in purple marked down to $259 from $525.
Mid-level department store Bloomingdale's will launch their Big Brown Bag sale--which offers 50-70% off items store-wide--on Friday. Shoppers will also receive a Bloomingdales gift card worth $15 every time they spend $100 throughout the weekend. Its sister store, Macy's, will offer discounts from 30-70% off on a variety of items, from Anne Klein party dresses to
"Retailers are realizing that people don't have the money to spend this year," says Jon Vincent, founder of Blackfriday.info, a Web site that posts black Friday ads for brick-and-mortar stores online. "They're really looking for a deal."
Great deals might get people in the stores, but they don't always translate into purchases.
"Traffic may be up, but spending will be down," says Dr. Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Brand Keys, Inc., a New York-based brand and customer loyalty consultancy.
Passikoff isn't alone in his predictions. Despite that fact that a study conducted in October 2008 by Chicago-based consulting firm BDO Seidman said that U.S. retailers expect Black Friday sales to grow 1.2% this year--and the Nation Retail Federation forecast that overall retail sales for November and December 2008 will increase by 2.2% from the same period in 2007--industry experts are more cautious.
"Black Friday is going to look grey," says Cohen. "The consumer has already been offered all kinds of discounts. This year, there's not going to be panic-buying, emotional buying or self-purchasing. All the traditional equations aren't working."
One reason is that people don't have as much credit as they did in the past few years. Credit card companies across the board--from
What's more, retailers were conservative on their orders this season, meaning that they have less inventory to mark down. It sounds like a good thing, but it's not. Consider this: if a retailer ordered 10 espresso makers last year and just seven this year, that means the retailer is expecting to sell less makers, but hoping that they will all sell--and most at full price--leaving minimal inventory after the holidays. The problem is, nothing is selling at full price, which means they still have to mark down all seven espresso makers, garnering far less profit in return.
Of course, discounts are generally good for the individual consumer, albeit bad for the overall economy. Black Friday shoppers will certainly benefit, but the real winners will be those patient enough to wait for Dec. 26. That's when, we're told, the real deals kick in.
"There might not be much inventory left, but whatever is left, you'll [practically] get paid to take it home," says Cohen. "We'll see incredible discounts."


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After Uber retreated from Vietnamese market, Grab has ruled the roost in the ride-hailing market. Not long after that several Vietnamese ride-hailing apps continuously made debut. However, only when Go-Viet app appeared, did Grab meet its match. The battle for ride-hailing app supremacy between the two businesses has become increasingly fierce and yet to know the winner. The ride-hailing market in Vietnam recently welcomed a new player – Be – with two first major services: motorbike and car rides. Be run by Vietnamese star-up BeGroup aims to provide services in 15 cities and provinces this year and all 63 cities and provinces nationwide by 2020. The company so far has had 30,000 partner drivers and its app has had more than 3 million downloads. Mr. Tran Thanh Hai, CEO of BeGroup, said that his company’s competition strategy will not aim to offer super low fare rate but to focus on improving service quality and loyalty of partner drivers. Partner drivers of Be will have insurances, receive preferential discount and support for duration of service so that they will provide services professionally and be loyal to the company for a long time. Mr. Hai said that partner drivers are the core… Read full this story
- Addison Lee lenders battle for steering wheel of taxi giant
- New York City: Uber's latest battle ground
- Cerberus indicator points towards Addison Lee bid
- Uber heads to court to appeal London ban
- Bolt user numbers hit 1.5 million as it ramps up efforts to take Uber’s crown
- Competition in the mobile wallet sector is heating up
- Uber has lost its license in London - what does it mean for you?
- Uber focuses on services as it begins to see profits in Southeast Asia
Battle of ride-hailing apps have 275 words, post on sggpnews.org.vn at April 9, 2019. This is cached page on VietMaz. If you want remove this page, please contact us.


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Nobody knows exactly what a no deal Brexit would look like, in part because it would be an unprecedented event. In Management Today's September print edition, we asked five experts from economics, law, talent and supply chain to give us their clear-eyed assessment of likely outcomes.
Here, we take a quick look at how a no deal is seen from within eight broad segments of the economy.
Every car is made of up to 30,000 parts, many of which come from the EU. Though these would still be imported tariff-free in a no-deal Brexit, any border delays would threaten a smooth supply chain. Meanwhile, eight out of every 10 cars produced in the UK are exported. With a tariff of 10.6 per cent on vehicles, the average family car would cost non-UK buyers an extra £1,500 so a squeeze would likely be made on production costs, probably at the expense of jobs.


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Snapchat is one of the most popular social media platform right now. Everyone seems to be hitched with this app. But it has lost some luster, if not for everyone but at least according to one of the social influencer in the clan of Kardashian-Jenner.
We are talking about Kylie Jenner here. With just one tweet she managed to give the Snapchat loss of more than $1.3 billion in market value.
Yes, you read that right. Shares of Snapchat company sank 6.1% on Thursday, wiping out $1.3 billions in market value. Kylie Jenner in a tweet revealed that she doesn’t open the Snapchat anymore, it might be because of her newly found motherhood or may be because of the redesign the app has went through.
This is what Keylie Jenner tweeted:
sooo does anyone else not open Snapchat anymore? Or is it just me… ugh this is so sad.
— Kylie Jenner (@KylieJenner) February 21, 2018
The Tweet read:
“Sooo does anyone else not open Snapchat anymore? or is it just me…. ugh this is so sad.”
The loss were revealed by the wall street analysts as they noticed the sudden decrease in the users of Snapchat since the redesign of the app.
Keylie Jenner’s tweet was followed by Maybelline,the beauty-product brand says “Snapchat views have dropped dramatically,” , although, Maybelline still wanted to connect with its’ followers.
Snapchat is also receiving a lot of negative reviews after the redesign of the app.
However, the app is getting a lot of criticism, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Snapchat Evan Spiegel might become one of the highest paid executives in the United States. Last march after the company’s IPO, the CEO got the grant of $636.6 million stock that will be payable in 2020.
What are your thoughts about the redesign of Snapchat? Do you like the new update?
Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.


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The Starbucks chief predicts dark days for brick-and-mortar retailers. Can the big chains do anything to reverse the trend?
At Starbucks’ (NASDAQ:SBUX) Investor Day last week, outgoing CEO Howard Schultz made a bold prediction.
“We’re going to see a very major downturn in the fact that the country is over-retailed in lots of categories. We’re going to see significant, major brands — as we’ve seen already — not open many stores as they have in the past and it’s the beginning of lots of companies announcing store closures.”
It’s a stark prediction, and one that deserves to be taken seriously. Schultz, after all, is a man who guided his company from a handful of stores in the 1980s to the global giant it is today, pioneering the U.S. coffeehouse industry along the way. Arguably no other entrepreneur has a better understanding of the retail climate, nor a better intuition for where it’s headed.
This isn’t the first time Schultz has made such a declaration. As early as 2013, he began saying American retail was “overstored,” and that brick-and-mortar chains would suffer. That view inspired Schultz and Starbucks to aggressively pursue mobile technology. It now receives 21% of its payments through its app, and its Mobile Order & Pay platform has also become increasingly popular. Together with its rewards program, the mobile features have given the chain a powerful competitive advantage, and are a key part of what Starbucks refers to as its digital flywheel. No other restaurant or retailer has achieved close to the kind of mobile penetration that Starbucks has.
Schultz’s expectation of an upcoming downturn in retail explains why he tapped Kevin Johnson, a former Microsoft exec and Juniper Networks CEO, to replace him as CEO; Johnson’s tech background should allow him to guide the company’s strategy in leveraging technology to enhance its brand.
Seemingly contradictory to Schultz’s retail predictions are the company’s plans to open 12,000 stores over the next five years, but the company is increasingly focused on making its stores gathering places in a play to counteract the decline in retail traffic. That’s part of why Schultz is leaving the CEO post to focus on the company’s new Reserve chain of stores, a higher-end brand based on the Starbucks Reserve Roastery that will sell specialty coffees and upscale food. As a restaurant chain, Starbucks has advantages over traditional retailers — consumers have leave their house to enjoy a drink like a Frappuccino unless they make one themselves. However, declining retail traffic could take away many of its “pop-in” customers, which is why the company is focused on making itself more of a destination for customers.
What’s a retailer to do?
The results of traditional retailers like Macy’s (NYSE:M) make it clear that there’s a downturn in mall-based chains and traditional department stores. Macy’s comparable-store sales have fallen for seven straight quarters, and the company has turned to selling off real estate and consolidating as a way of keeping profits up.
That may be a wise financial strategy, but it won’t do anything to boost sales.
Like Starbucks, other retailers are focused on driving through experiences. Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ:URBN) acquired a pizzeria chain last year as part of a plan to build complexes that feature a variety of its stores — it also owns Anthropologie and Free People — restaurants, and event spaces for concerts and the like.
Mall owners like General Growth Properties (NYSE:GGP) have found success by targeting experience-based tenants like gyms, restaurants, movie theaters, amusement-based companies like Dave & Buster’s, and even grocery stores. Few malls are being built these days, a point that makes space in existing malls more desirable. Despite those moves, traffic in malls is declining, having fallen every month this year between 1.7% and 8.7%.
E-commerce sales are growing by about 15% a year, while brick-and-mortar categories in direct competition with online channels are mostly seeing sales decline. Amazon.com has seen North American retail sales jump 27% thus far this year, taking market share from traditional retailers. This Thanksgiving weekend marked the first time when more shoppers made purchases on their phones than in stores.
Starbucks has delivered more than 20 straight quarters of comparable sales increases of 4% or more in the U.S., a streak virtually unmatched. If even the coffee giant sees an upheaval in brick-and-mortar, then it’s likely to be much worse for chains unable to offer an “experience” like Starbucks does. Expect sales at retail staples like Macy’s to continue to fall as more shoppers move online.
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David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the ten best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Starbucks wasn’t one of them! That’s right — they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.
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Nevada Cooperative Ad Campaign Gaining Strength
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. - A second year of cooperative advertising by nine northern Nevada credit unions is continuing to shift the public's perception of financial institutions away from banks and towards credit unions. What's more, an increased number of consumers included in a public awareness survey said they'd consider joining a credit union. The survey conducted in September by Strata Research among more than 400 residents of Northern Nevada showed that among those consumers who are not currently members of a credit union, the percentage of those who said they'd consider joining a CU increased to 39% from 25%. "Returning earnings to users" and "low loan rates" with credit unions more than tripled since 2000 when a benchmark study was conducted. Dennis Flannigan, evp of Great Basin FCU in Reno, one of the credit unions that's participating in the ad campaign said the survey findings "confirmed the effectiveness of the campaign.our efforts to educate consumers about credit unions are building strong foundation for generating new membership and enhancing credit union business over the long term."


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Top stories on just-style this week...
Top stories on just-style this week include the news that hundreds of garment workers were killed in two factory fires in Pakistan, Burberry's share price was hit by a profit warning, and US apparel groups warned of possible port strike disruption.
PAKISTAN: Hundreds of garment workers perish in factory fire
Labour rights groups are calling for action after fires killed around 265 garment and footwear factory workers in two separate incidents in Pakistan yesterday (11 September).
UK: Burberry shares hit by FY profit warning
UK luxury brand Burberry's share price has dropped this morning after it warned that its full-year profits will be at the "lower end of market expectations" following a slowdown in sales growth.
US: Apparel groups warn of possible port strike disruption
Groups representing retailers, brands and importers from several sectors, including apparel and footwear, have joined calls urging the resumption of talks to try to prevent a strike by dock workers at East and Gulf Coast ports ahead of the busy holiday season.
Indian denim makers shrug off indigo price rise
Indian denim manufacturers are coping better than alarmist reports would suggest with a 25% rise in the price of synthetic indigo dye imported from China. They have warned, however, that they may try to pass on the cost increase in the next buying season.
CHINA: Consumers tighten their grip on luxury market
Chinese consumers now account for around 25% of the world's luxury apparel and goods sales - but their increasing sophistication and propensity for overseas shopping could lead megabrands like Louis Vuitton to lose market share, a new report warns.
Faced with continuing challenging trading conditions in 2012, retailers responded with a number of different strategies to try to grow their businesses. International expansion, new and larger format ...
Luxury retailer Burberry is taking customer experience to the next level by personalising its made-to-order runway products with embedded technology that tells how the product is made....
Woollen mills in the UK are expanding as a result of growing demand across Europe and Asia, according to The Woolmark Company....
- M&S to launch supply chain human rights policy
- VF pushes ahead on chemicals management
- M&S project benefits garment worker health
- Can the Gap brand reclaim its iconic status?
- Compliance in China continues to improve
- C&A to add "accurate fit" label to garments
- Myanmar makers mull shut-downs over wage plans
- Cotton tracing "biggest challenge" for M&S
- China cotton stockpile auction may shake up market
- WEBINAR: Compliance: Why has it failed?


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ZAMBOANGA CITY — Not one to hold back from its mandate of facilitating employment for jobseekers, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 9 successfully staged the online Trabaho Negosyo Kabuhayan at Kasanayan Job and Business Fair two days even before Independence Day started despite the limitations brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the theme “Kalayaan 2021: Diwa sa Pagkakaisa at paghilom ng Bayan”, the job fair aims to help unemployed “kababayans” find local jobs in the labor market, especially those who lost their jobs when the pandemic hit.
Regional Director Atty. Roy L. Buenafe stressed in his opening remarks that this year’s job fair is different from the previous ones in that an online facility will be used to collect application requirements from jobseekers instead of the usual face-to-face. Interviews are also done via teleconference once a qualified applicant makes it into the interview stage.
“We opened the registration earlier to allow applicants ample time to shop for job vacancies they’re interested in. What’s good with the online facility is that it’s very user-friendly. By June 10, applications were already underway until its culmination on June 12 which is Araw ng Kalayaan,” Director Buenafe added.
A total of 406 vacancies offered by 12 local employers were available to jobseekers.
To ensure that all bases are covered, DOLE 9 also established drop box sites in three (3) strategic locations – Zamboanga City Hall, KCC Mall de Zamboanga and SM Mindpro – to cater to walk-in clients. Zamboanga City Mayor Isabelle Climaco-salazar showed support as she delivered a short message to applicants at the drop box site in City Hall.
Out of 2,077 registered applicants, only 270 were qualified and interviewed. A total of 50 job seekers were then hired on the spot (HOTS) while 17 were labeled near-hires who only need to comply with additional requirements to get hired.
“We are also thankful to our partner agencies, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) 9 headed by RD Dan M. Navarro and Department of Trade and Industry under the leadership of RD Ceferino J. Rubio for giving more value to the online TNKK through the free virtual sessions,” RD Buenafe shared.
TESDA 9 offered free online demonstrations for various skills such as Cookery and Animation to 66 participants via Zoom teleconference.
DTI 9 trained a total of 32 participants on various entrepreneurship topics such as digital marketing, how to start a business and provided one-on-one coaching on Marketing. END


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SAY IT ISN’T SO?! For what seems like the #1 eyeshadow palette in this entire universe, you would think that it would live forever. Sadly that isn’t the case, since Urban Decay has announced today that their Naked Palette will be discontinued. And they announced it in the best and fairest way possible. A very chic funeral involving some of the top beauty gurus who had some memorable words to say about our dear palette and an epic eulogy by Nicole Richie.
“We are gathered here today to mourn our beloved Naked Palette, a revolutionary product that changed the beauty industry forever. A little bit naughty, often dramatic, and always in the press, the innovative game-changer and category creator will be laid to rest after 8 years.” – Urban Decay captioned their funeral video for our dear Naked.
Kandee Johnson, Christen Dominique, Katy DeGroot, Shayla Mitchell, Chrisspy, and Nicole Richie all gathered around the game-changing eyeshadow palette to pay their respects and say their final goodbyes. It’s good to know that this is being treated like a real death in the makeup industry, because it is. Everyone deserves a funeral when they die, even eyeshadow palettes.
“Saying goodbye to NAKED is extremely bittersweet,” founding partner of Urban Decay Wende Zomnir said in a press release. “It was a big moment in our history. It’s a little painful to leave your past behind, but it’s also essential to always evolve. I will forever miss NAKED, but we plan to turn the grief into even more greatness. Urban Decay will continue to thrive in NAKED’s memory and honor — just wait and see.”
Now it’s time to say your final goodbyes to Virgin, Sin, Naked, SideCar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, DarkHorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, and last but not least GunMetal. All of you will be missed dearly, as you created some killer smokey eyes in your day. R.I.P.


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Veterinarian and owner of Affordable Animal Care on North Pointe Drive, Paula Bullock was charged with two counts of identity theft, one count of financial card fraud, obtaining property by false pretense, forgery and accessing a computer network for fraud over $1,000.
Bullock allegedly used a customer’s credit card to charge more than $36,000 in personal expenses and more than $2,500 in vet supplies from Dec. 2016 through April 2017.
Additionally, Bullock is accused using another veterinarian’s identity and forging documents to obtain more than $11,700 in veterinary supplies and medications.
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If you've been pining for the 2015 Ford Mustang, Ford says the wait is almost over. They announced today that the next generation of pony car will start at $24,425 and that they are now accepting orders from dealers.
That price is for the V6 Mustang. Including destination and delivery charges it represents an increase of about a grand over the 2014 Mustang it replaces.
What Ford did not announce, however, was pricing for the other two levels of Mustang, EcoBoost and GT. They still also haven't given us exact power figures for any of the cars or their fuel economy.
The 3.7-liter V6 is still said to have more than 300 horsepower and 270 lb.-ft. of torque, the 2.3-liter turbo four EcoBoost has more than 305 horsepower and 300 lb.-ft. of torque and with "projected class-leading fuel efficiency," and the 5.0-liter V8 powered GT has more than 420 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque.
Let's hope we get more details soon. The car hits dealer lots this fall.


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There are a lot of people who never thought they’d see the day venture capitalists would funnel millions into femtech businesses, direct-to-consumer tampon retailers no less. But that’s our new reality and Cora is proof.
San Francisco-based Cora, which develops and sells organic tampons, pads and other personal care products, has just closed a $7.5 million Series A led by Harbinger Ventures. Cora is one of many femtech startups to raise funding this week alone, in what is turning out to be a red-hot year for VC investment in the space.
Femtech, defined as any software, diagnostics, products and services that leverage technology to improve women’s health, has attracted at least $241 million in VC funding so far this year, according to PitchBook. That puts the sector on pace to secure nearly $1 billion in investment by year-end, greatly surpassing last year’s record of $650 million. For more historical context, startups in the space brought in only $62 million in 2012, $225 million in 2014 and $231 million in 2016.
“Investors have realized there is a huge pent-up demand in the market for healthier products for women,” Cora co-founder Molly Hayward tells TechCrunch. “The way in which the VC world is structured, there just has not been a lot of representation. It’s really difficult to understand the value of a product you aren’t ever going to use or to understand a problem you aren’t ever going to have, particularly around period care. This isn’t something we were talking about as a society five years ago.”
The three-year-old startup operates a little differently than your run-of-the-mill D2C company. Like TOMS, the popular footwear brand, Cora donates a month’s supply of products for every month’s supply sold. To date, Cora has donated 5 million pads to girls in India and Kenya and 100,000 products to women in the U.S.
“To me, [Cora] was this incredible, holistic opportunity to change the way that women experience their period,” Hayward said.
Investors must be excited about Cora’s growth. Though she didn’t disclose specific numbers, Hayward says the brand has expanded 400 percent year-over-year, a metric they are expecting to sustain with this new bout of funding. Cora’s products are sold on a subscription basis, with prices ranging from $8 per month for six tampons to $16 per month for 24. For those unfamiliar with the costs of such products, $8 for six tampons comes at quite the premium. A box of 50 Playtex tampons, for example, retails for around $9.
In Cora’s case, customers are shelling out extra cash for millennial-inspired branding, a soothing unboxing experience and a general ease of access to its products, as well as Cora’s organic, hypoallergenic and compostable materials, which aren’t characteristic of many similar products on the market.
Cora plans to use the capital to put more of its items in Target stores, where it already sells its tampons and pads, and expand its portfolio of products. As part of the funding, Cora has added two more women to its board of directors: Lisa Bougie, the former GM of Stitch Fix, and Andrea Freedman, the former chief financial officer of Method. Its board is now 80 percent female.


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THE difficult economic situation does not permit many people to buy brand new items for their homes.
As a result, many people who want certain household items often resort to buying these from a garage sale or other outlets selling second-hand items.
While some of the second-hand items are available at a much lower price than the brand new ones, there are certain things which the buyers have to keep in mind.
According to the Consumer Council of Fiji, second-hand items are regulated under the Second Hand Dealers Act (Cap 238).
But unfortunately, the council says the law does not prescribe standards of second-hand goods or prices.
The council said the Second Hand Dealers Act mostly dealt with licensing and regulating the dealers.
Council's chief executive officer Premila Kumar said other laws relating to receipts, merchantable quality, misleading information and exclusionary notices would still apply.
Mrs Kumar says pre-disclosure of information on the second-hand goods must be provided to the consumer before he or she decides to buy the product.
She said the council had not received any complaints about the items sold in second-hand shops.
But, she said, concerns had been raised by people on the pricing and quality.
"We mostly receive queries on the high prices of second-hand items.
"The council advises consumers to choose carefully because second-hand items are not new items and therefore the durability or life of a product can be a problem."
Mrs Kumar said people should check the items carefully before buying, and check other shops for similar items, and keep their receipts properly.
"Although it is true that consumers cannot expect the same quality as that of a new product, nevertheless a limited warranty or assurance for further repairs is desirable to protect the consumer interest because after all, he/she is paying some price for such second-hand product.
"There obviously cannot be the warranty/guarantee of the manufacturer but the dealer's warranty can be provided."
Mrs Kumar said a way should be found on how consumers could be covered in the proposed Consumer Protection Act.


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Provisional sales of €3,232 million Firm growth despite the crisis
You are here
for the nine months ended 30 September 2009.
Sales and Margins continue to hold firm Cash flow very satisfactory
Groupe SEB confirms via this press release being negotiating with the shareholders of the colombian company Imusa with a view to taking a majority stake in its capital by the end of the year.
More favourable economic and currency environment than in first-half 2009 Group growth momentum confirmed
Very strong Growth dynamic Record-High Results
The 9th June, 2010 at the French Ministry for the Economy, Industry and Employment in Paris, Groupe SEB was presented with the Best Strategy Award in the “Group” category.
VERY SOLID PERFORMANCE INCREASE IN REVENUE AND OPERATING MARGIN, FURTHER REDUCTION IN DEBT


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The Chula Science students team recently won the “ASEAN Food Innovation Challenge 2021” with the imitation Wagyu beef — “The Marble Booster” made from 100 percent high-protein plants. Low in cholesterol, and seasoned with immunity-boosting herbs, this product is soon to be produced and sold in collaboration with Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF).
Companies that express remorse in the wake of a product failure are more likely to encourage customers to repurchase from them, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.
One of the biggest marketing trends in the online shopping industry is personalization through curated product recommendations; however, it can change whether people buy a product they had been considering, according to new University of California San Diego research.
An all-in-one Strip Test — a fast, easy and accurate test kit to detect the DNA of 5 forbidden meat in a single test is the latest innovation from the Chula Halal Science Center.
A new study led a team that analyzed the role that communication plays in the division of household labor. They found that partner communication is the most important factor linking the division of household labor to satisfaction in the relationship. But the way that the partners’ communication matters depends on gender.
The spread of the coronavirus has been a wake-up call for many companies worldwide and a test for supply chain resilience, says Virginia Tech expert Barbara Hoopes. “The more widespread the viral impact, the more uncertainty there will continue to…


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The Panasonic GT50 Plasma TV is a series of 3D-capable HDTV showcased at the CES 2012 event in Las Vegas. It was the second best HDTV line-up by Panasonic which boasted its elegant design. It’s a huge improvement from the Panasonic Viera Z1 Series Plasma TV.
Like the Samsung UNES7500 3D Smart LED TV Series, the Panasonic TC-PGT50 Plasma HDTV Series is THX-certified. It is 3D compatible but also got 2D-to-3D conversion capability. It has a progressive 3D Full HD display.
Panasonic’s GT50 series of Plasma TV features Infinite Black Pro Panel with 1080p resolution. It is capable of multitasking, has built-in Wi-Fi and four HDMI ports. It also features a cloud-based Viera Connect Internet suite with web browser.
The biggest boasting factor in the GT50 is its one-sheet design. It also has a touchpad remote. With regards to looks, it’s very far from the LG 55EM9600 55″ Cinema 3D OLED Smart HDTV.
The Panasonic TC-PGT50 Plasma TV will be available in four models: TC-P50GT50 (50-inch), TC-P55GT50 (55-inch), TC-P60GT30 (60-inch), and TC-P65GT50 (65-inch).
Panasonic GT50 Plasma HDTV exact release date and prices are yet to be announced. According to the manufacturer, the 50-inch and 55-inch models will come earlier in March while the 60-inch and 65-inch models will follow in April 2012.


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Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What: Shares of office-supply retailers surged today on a report that OfficeMax and Office Depot are in merger talks.
So what: Citing unidentified sources close to the matter, The Wall Street Journal said an announcement may come as early as this week, triggering plenty of excitement over the cost synergies a deal could create. Both OfficeMax and Office Depot have struggled in recent years to compete with industry king Staples , as well as increasing online threats from the likes of Amazon.com ,but a merger could at least save roughly $500 million in expenses, according to analyst estimates.
Now what: I'd be cautious about buying into this buyout buzz. Back in 1997, the Federal Trade Commission blocked Staples' attempt to gobble up Office Depot on anti-competitive concerns. So an OfficeMax-Office Depot combo is far from a sure thing even if the rumors are true. While the FTC is more likely to allow a deal between the No. 2 and No. 3 players than if top dog Staples was involved, the risk/reward trade-off at this point -- particularly after today's huge surge -- doesn't seem all that attractive.
The article Why Office-Supply Shares Surged originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Brian Pacampara has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Amazon.com and owns shares of Amazon.com and Staples. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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PS5 was announced in 2019, as the successor to the PlayStation 4 the PS5 was released on November 12, 2020 in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North America, Singapore, and South Korea, and November 19, 2020 for the rest of the world. From 4K gaming to 3D Audio the new Sony’s gaming console has got everything that a gamer needs.
PlayStation has always offered more than just games, though. The PS5 never fails to impress everyone. With 4K Blu-ray support and 3D Audio, haptic feedback tech and more. When it comes to looks the design is very sleek and it has got power more than anyone has expected. So it has got a piece for everyone, from the gamers to all the hard core console enthusiast Sony has got everyone covered.
PS5 is one of the hottest gaming console which dropped in 2020 and more people wanted to buy it and it got the hype which was deserved. Walmart had already kept the PS5 the fact that its launch day release on Nov. 12 and previous restock on Nov. 19 promptly crashed Walmart’s website on both accounts.
The Walmart PS5 restock listings, which went live tonight, now say the consoles are “out of stock.” This change comes shortly after the listings stated they were “temporarily out of stock,” which made it unclear whether or not stock would return later tonight. The restock began at 9 PM ET, and the listings showed out of stock by 9:02 PM. It’s worth keeping an eye on the listings above just in case, but with the “out of stock” label, it would seem Walmart is fully sold out for now. If you weren’t able to cop a in the preorder phases or on launch day, Well count yourselves as lucky because you will have another chance tonight.
Walmart will restock the PS5, PS5 Digital, and Series S at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET tonight, November 25. Walmart’s main Black Friday sale kicked off at 7 PM ET with a two-hour delay on the console restocks to help accommodate traffic to the site. Walmart will not be selling the PS5 in stores, only on Walmart.com. The only thing is you will have to be extremely quick in order to secure one, as we saw them go out of stock almost instantly as the Walmart website began experiencing issues during the last restock.
Walmart Black Friday PS5 restock
• Date: Wednesday, November 25
• Time: 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET tonight
• Where: Online


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The wildfires that have been burning in Australia for over a month now has continued to draw attention and support from corners of the world.
On Sunday, 13 January 2020, the current world’s richest man and founder of online shopping site Amazon has pledged to donate “1 million AU dollars in needed provisions and services” towards efforts to put out the fires.
It is worthy to note that this donation is not coming from Jeff Bezos himself, as the contribution would be made by his company, Amazon. It is still unclear if Jeff himself intends to make any personal donations towards the campaign.
Jeff Bezos made the announcement on his Instagram account on Sunday. See the post he shared on Instagram to make the announcement below.
Recall, we brought you the story of an American 18+ model who raised $750,000 after pledging to send her nudes to anyone who donates $10 and above towards any charity that’s supporting to put an end to the wildfires in Australia.


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NEW YORK (AP) — Americans reached into their pockets — though not as deep as last year — to spend $2.7 billion on video games in November, according to figures reported Thursday by market researcher NPD Group.
That’s a nearly 8 percent decline from November 2008, and further sign the industry won’t do as well in 2009 as it did last year, when it set a sales record of more than $21 billion. In October, total sales of video game hardware, software and accessories fell 19 percent from the same month last year.
NPD analyst Anita Frazier said she expects this year’s sales to hit $20 billion. Better economic news, combined with “frugal fatigue” could boost sales during these last weeks of the holiday season, she said.
November and December are the two most important months for video game sales, because companies bring in a big chunk of their annual revenue during the holidays. For much of this year, the industry has had an especially rough time. The recession cut into discretionary spending and there were fewer hit game launches than in 2008.
One big exception was “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” from Activision Blizzard Inc. The game launched Nov. 10 with much fanfare and did not disappoint, setting an entertainment record. Worldwide, it made $550 million during its first five days, above the previous record set by “Grand Theft Auto IV,” from Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.
There were 4.2 million copies of the game sold for Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 in November, and 1.9 million of the Sony PlayStation 3 version. Microsoft spokesman David Dennis said people spent $838 million on the Xbox 360 during the month, including games, hardware and accessories.
In terms of sheer volume, Nintendo Co. was the big winner when it came to gaming systems. There were 1.7 million handheld DS systems sold during the month, and nearly 1.3 million Wii consoles. The Xbox 360 was in third place, followed by the PlayStation 3.
In all, 23 million Wiis have been sold in the U.S. since the system’s 2006 launch, said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of sales & marketing. She said Nintendo is providing consumers more hands-on experience in malls this year because budget-conscious customers “really want to make sure they are making the best purchase possible.”
All three of the console makers — Sony, Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo — have cut the prices of their systems in the past few months. Sony said the interest in its PlayStation 3 console has been “overwhelming” this holiday season and it is exceeding company expectations. It said some retailers may experience “tight supply” this month.
Total November hardware sales fell 13 percent to $1.05 billion.
Software sales declined 3 percent, to 1.41 billion. Besides “Call of Duty,” Nintendo’s “New Super Mario Bros. Wii,” Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed II” and Electronic Arts Inc.’s “Left 4 Dead 2” also did well.
Sales of accessories slipped nearly 6 percent to $242.2 million.