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PHILADELPHIA -- Glazier Supermarkets here has expanded its vitamin and supplement assortment, including a 4-foot section of sports and power-energy enhancements.
At the ShopRite unit, which opened last month on Aramingo Avenue in the Port Richmond section, some 400 stockkeeping units are merchandised on two 20-foot-long vitamin gondolas, which are separated by a wide aisle in the pharmacy department. "The extended vitamin line appeals to a whole new and emerging market," explained William Glazier, president of the four-store retailer. Glazier plans to open two new stores later this year, one in the city and another at a suburban section. Other stores will be retrofit with the expanded vitamins, based on the first store's performance. The retailer had "whole health in mind during the planning of the pharmacy and extending the vitamin category. Our goal is to stand up to any of our major competition," Glazier said.
While some chains opt to merchandise vitamins in a health or natural-food setting, Glazier maintains the pharmacy is the most strategic location and conveys a drug-store look. "There is also much advice sought about vitamins. Merchandising vitamins in the pharmacy addresses that consultation issue," he stressed.
The larger vitamin section has been placed at new ShopRites opened in the past six months. "They are doing very well," said Michael Patterson, a merchandising specialist at food broker The Ferolie Group, Montvale, N.J.
Patterson, who resets departments for Wakefern Food Corp., the Elizabeth, N.J.-based purchasing division of the ShopRite co-op, said the larger supplemental mix lets ShopRite members compete with health and fitness food retailers, drug chains and vitamin stores.
"The whole vitamin category has exploded as whole health continues to grow," Patterson said. Vitamin sales at the 10 to 15 ShopRite retailers with the larger sets are ahead about 3% to 4%.
Merchandised in the pharmacy department, the vitamin set contains a comprehensive assortment of national brands and private label. Pricing in the expanded sets begins at $1.59 for nutritional bars and goes up to $53 for more esoteric supplements. ShotRite is devoting space to strength-enhancing supplements, used for body-building. It is a growing segment, said Patterson.
Ethnic health and beauty care also is proving to be a strong customer draw for the store. It contains 6 feet of about 60 Hispanic remedies. An adjoining 6 feet is devoted to hair care.
John Slevenski, health and beauty care department manager at Glazier's ShopRite, said the Hispanic HBC section represents a cross-section of personal care needs, and is sourced by an outside supplier. Products include children's cough suppressants, vitamins and shampoos, skin preparations, and other hair care items.
The Hispanic items are priced from 89 cents for Seprod's Castille beauty soap with olive oil, to $3.19 for Moyra Concha Naca collagen cream, and top out at $23.39 for Madre Tierra Diabetrol dietary supplement.


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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said there is no proposal as of now to bring crude oil, petrol, diesel, jet fuel (ATF), and natural gas under the GST regime.
She said the law prescribes that the GST Council shall recommend the date on which the goods and services tax be levied on petroleum crude, high-speed diesel, motor spirit, natural gas, and ATF. “So far, the GST Council, in which the states are also represented, has not made any recommendation for inclusion of these goods under GST,” She said.
The Council may consider the issue of inclusion of these five petroleum products at a time it considers appropriate keeping in view all the relevant factors, including revenue implication, she added.
Source: The Financial Express

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Allan Rouse and Guy Massey beamed confident smiles recently in Capitol Records' Studio C in Hollywood, where the senior studio engineers for Capitol's U.K. parent company, EMI Records, supervised a preview of the top-secret project they've been working on for the last four years.
Massey punched "play" on a CD containing portions of 14 Beatles songs and watched three visitors' faces light up as they first heard tracks as they sounded on the 1987 CDs that brought the Fab Four's catalog into the digital age, then listened to spruced-up CD remasters the rest of the world will get to hear when they're released Sept. 9.
Across town in Santa Monica a few weeks later, the Cheshire cat grins looked curiously similar on three representatives demoing MTV Networks' "The Beatles: Rock Band." Two strapped on replicas of Paul McCartney's Hofner bass and John Lennon's Rickenbacker guitar, the third pulling up a stool behind an electronic drum kit emulating Ringo Starr's Ludwig set and delved into the new video game, which, not coincidentally, hits the market the same day as the new CDs.
The hosts' confident enthusiasm stems from their awareness that even though nearly 40 years have elapsed since the Beatles' acrimonious breakup, the harmony they created on record, in concert and on film maintains a remarkable hold on pop music lovers worldwide.
Separate teams have been quietly yet feverishly at work for years on the two projects that promise to ramp up Beatlemania again for yet another generation. The main projects take contrasting approaches: The group's recorded past is being faithfully refurbished in CDs that may serve as a last hurrah for a format in decline, while the video game fancifully springboards the group into the world of interactive game play, and symbolically, into the entertainment future.
Retailers have been taking advance orders for the individual CDs, box sets and Rock Band for months, and it's a good bet that the Beatles will appear near the top of sales charts one more time.
They have never fully slipped from the public consciousness, helped along by a carefully considered stream of new projects. The group's albums have sold nearly 58 million copies in the years since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking actual retail sales in 1991. The remastered CDs and Rock Band, along with a Beatles edition of Trivial Pursuit and several other related products, are the most ambitious coordinated effort to reinvigorate the franchise. Adding to the momentum is the recent news that director Robert Zemeckis is negotiating to make a new version of the 1968 animated film "Yellow Submarine."
The Beatles: Rock Band, with a list price of $250, introduces the world's bestselling pop group to the world of interactive gaming. That world has been dominated by young male enthusiasts, but it's increasingly drawing in their parents and grandparents as classic rock, pop and country source material has been included in the ever-expanding trove of songs used in Rock Band, which was developed by MTV's Cambridge, Mass.-based game producer Harmonix, and in its competitor, Guitar Hero.
What the remastered Beatles CDs offer, beyond just the opportunity for EMI and Capitol to pump up their profits -- they're being issued as individual CDs and in two box sets: one with all the mono mixes (listing for $299), the other with the stereo versions ($259) -- is a fresh listen to music that's been omnipresent for nearly half a century.
The box of mono releases is considered the definitive record of their music, because the group and their producer, George Martin, created everything through "The Beatles," a.k.a. the White Album in 1968, to be heard in mono. Stereo mixes of those recordings were typically created as an afterthought, and the Beatles often weren't present when those versions were done.
The Fab Four's recorded output spanned just seven years and 13 studio albums, a canon that is pop music's answer to the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Those albums document the Beatles' transformation from a group of lads passionately bashing out their versions of favorite American R&B and rock tunes into pop's most successful and influential songwriting team as well as one of its most accomplished teams of recording studio innovators.
Rouse and Massey have been working on Beatles projects on and off for a dozen years or more.
The team has earned the support of surviving members McCartney and Starr as well as Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison who took over their husbands' interests in Apple Corps, the company the Beatles launched to control their business affairs and that still approves all Beatles projects. The principles are commonly referred to as "the shareholders" by those working on these projects.
"They trust this team," said Apple chief Jeff Jones during the remaster preview in June. "They've been doing this for a long time."


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Reported online resource HEXUS, one of the key partners, NVIDIA, XFX company may soon enter into friendly relations with the red-green camp ATI/AMD. The advent of official communication about the new partnership is expected tomorrow.
With XFX has pushed for such measures, it is not yet clear. Perhaps a world economic crisis forced the company to abandon its policy of exclusive support of a producer, even more so in recent months, AMD introduced a range of products for the interesting price/performance. The source noted that XFX will announce the model series Radeon HD 2000, HD 3000 and HD 4000. It is possible that already the New Year will be Radeon HD 4870 under its brand.
to abandon production NVIDIA XFX too far in no hurry and plans to sell its graphics cards simultaneously with the Radeon. But here`s how to respond to all of this is NVIDIA ?


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While not a bank in the traditional sense, Oportun — formerly known as Digit — is offering a new way for consumers to do their banking that integrates artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Customers link their bills and credit cards, and Oportun’s algorithms determine how much should be allocated to each expense category when a deposit is made.
This type of fintech account is part of a new trend in the financial industry where banking companies are using advanced technology to make daily money decisions on their customers’ behalf. That includes setting aside money to pay bills, tracking savings goal progress and paying down debt.
The fintechs offering solutions to consumers’ budgeting challenges fill a gap that traditional banks have yet to tackle. But while the fintech industry poses a challenge to traditional banking, there are some areas where it falls short of consumers’ needs.
What consumers want from banking services
The reality of traditional banking is that it doesn’t always deliver on everything consumers are looking for. A study by Galileo found that of the…


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By Meg Shreve, Medill News Service
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Monday there are enough doses of flu vaccine to meet demand this year and warned consumers as the flu season kicks off to beware of counterfeit antiviral drugs masquerading as popular brands like Tamiflu.
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt urged those in high-risk groups, such as the elderly and health-care providers, to get vaccinated. He added that the seasonal flu-shot supply is "good." Last year, problems at a Chiron /zigman2/quotes/202644800/composite CHIR -1.03% production facility restricted the supply of vaccine.
Before Monday, the government was recommending that only people in high-risk categories get the shots. After Monday, anyone can get the shots or take a nasal spray vaccine.
While the threat of a pandemic avian flu has attracted much attention, Julie Gerberding, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said people should concentrate on protecting themselves from the seasonal flu. The flu vaccine does not protect against avian-flu strains. See Vital Signs for more on flu recommendations.
Though the Food and Drug Administration cautioned consumers to watch out in the marketplace for counterfeit antiviral drugs that mirror popular brands such as Tamiflu, made by Roche , the agency has reported no instances of counterfeit antiviral drugs. FDA Acting Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach said the agency was working with custom officials to monitor and stop such shipments.
Leavitt said the "situation is ripe for counterfeiting" and warned consumers not to buy drugs from unregulated sources.


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The device is equipped to perform faster and better with 6GB RAM and is an upgrade over the recently launched OPPO F7, the company said in a statement. The chipset will be mated to 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. With the F7 Diamond Black version we have tried to incorporate an enthralling design with an unbelievable storage of 128GB to ensure our consumers can store all their precious memories spent with friends and family."Recently, Oppo had launched F7 of this color variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB of inbuilt storage capacity at Rs 21,990". Priced at Rs. 26,990, it will be available for sale via Flipkart, Amazon, Paytm as well as offline retail stores starting from April 21.
The F7 Diamond Black 128GB first Sale will begin from April 21st. For selfies, It comes with a 25 Megapixel front camera. According to Oppo, images taken with the Oppo F7 will have a greater range of luminance levels when shot both in bright sunlight and shade.
In terms of camera specifications, the Oppo F7 bears a single 16-megapixel rear camera with an f/1.8 aperture and certain AI recognition features. It flaunt a 6.23-inch full-HD+ (1080×2280 pixels) Super Full Screen with an 89.09 percent of screen-to-body ratio and 19:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by a 2GHz Octa Core MediaTek Helio P60 Processor with 4GB/6GB of RAM. It comes with 64GB/128GB on-board storage options which can be expanded up to 256GB using MicroSD card. The device will be fuelled by a 3400mAh battery. Besides, the smartphone will offer dual-SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0, 3.5mm jack and Global Positioning System.
For security the F7 has fingerprint sensor on the back and also incorporates Facial Unlock feature.
Oppo F7 runs on Android 8.1 Oreo with a layer of ColorOS 5 UI.
Bt Group Plc (BT) SMI Pointing to Potential Moves
Traders often add the Plus Directional Indicator (+DI) and Minus Directional Indicator (-DI) to identify the direction of a trend. Company has conspicuous measure of stock oscillations; average true range may be heating up this temperature with value of 0.25.
Analysts See $0.07 EPS for CyberArk Software Ltd.
Moreover, Ntv Asset Management Limited Liability Co has 1.47% invested in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) for 61,911 shares. The firm has "Buy" rating by Credit Suisse given on Wednesday, October 11. 75 funds opened positions while 350 raised stakes.
National Average Gasoline Price Nears 3-Year High
New York City had a 5 cent increase in gases prices this week, with the average gas price coming in at $2.89 per gallon. Gas prices are continuing to rise in Decatur and the state. $2.33 per gallon in 2016 to $3.70 per gallon in 2013.


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LONDON — Brands’ Internet domain names look set for a new era.
L’Oréal, Chanel, Richemont and Coach are among the companies that have applied for new Internet domain name endings, applying to register domains including .loreal; .chanel; .chloe, and .coach, which would sit alongside established domains such as .com and .org.
During a press conference in London Wednesday, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, revealed the first 1,930 applications that have been made for the newly available gTLDs, or generic top level domains.
Those that have applied for the names will now go through an independent review process, during which there is a 60-day comment period and a seven-month objection period. ICANN expects to post the results of the initial evaluations in December or January, and expects the first domains to start to go live in the first quarter of 2013
Rod Beckstrom, president and chief executive officer of ICANN, said the aim of the program is to “increase competition and consumer choice and to foster innovation.” Beckstrom said ICANN had collected about $350 million from the $185,000 fee per application, which would be used to process the applications and set aside $60,000 per application for a risk contingency fund. “This is expensive.…This is a serious technical operation to run a top-level domain,” said Beckstrom. “For the security and stability of the Internet, we’ve got to make sure that’s done right.”
Alongside registering brand names, some companies have registered generic domains such as .skin, .hair and .makeup, in the case of L’Oréal. A number of companies have applied to register .love, one of which is Richemont. ICANN’s review process will determine which company is awarded the domain. Richemont also applied to register .jewelry in English and Chinese, along with .watches in Chinese.
Charlie Abrahams, vice president of Europe, Middle East and Africa at online security firm MarkMonitor, described the development as “the end of the beginning,” in terms of the Internet’s evolution. “Now the important work for brand owners really starts,” said Abrahams, noting that the Internet’s landscape will now “multiply,” with the possibility of thousands of new domains coming into existence, and as a result, more opportunities for counterfeiters to apply to register domains.
Abrahams said according to a survey of the firm’s clients last year, most brands that planned to register new domains were doing so for defensive reasons, such as preventing counterfeiters from registering the names. “It’s interesting that some of the high-profile fashion brands have made the strategic decision to apply for a lot of names and some have completely ignored [the program],” said Abrahams. “That partly reflects [each brand’s] focus on the Internet.”
Abrahams also described L’Oréal’s decision to apply to register domains such as .skin and .hair as a potentially “clever piece of marketing.” “If they think that will attract consumers, they’ve probably stolen the march [on competitors],” he noted.
Other fashion and luxury brands that have made applications to register domains include Nike, Gucci, Macy’s, Swatch, Target, Zara, Next and Wal-Mart.


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Fiserv, Inc. is expanding its CheckFreePay network for in-person bill payment to include the ATM network of NCR Atleos Corporation. Cash-preferred consumers will be able to pay a wide array of household bills simply and securely at thousands of ATM locations, including at top 10 U.S. retailers, grocery stores, convenience stores and pharmacies. Bill payment capabilities will initially be available at thousands of Atleos ATMs that accept cash today, expanding as more cash-in ATMs are rolled out across the United States.
Traditionally, ATMs that accept cash have primarily been available at bank and credit union branches. With more of these ATMs now in place at retail locations, consumers can pay utility, phone, cable, insurance, credit card, auto and other bills securely via self-service instead of walking up to a counter or paying in the checkout line. Merchants can shift cash payments previously made with assistance from store personnel to self-service ATMs, automating transactions and improving efficiency of store operations, while still benefitting from increased foot traffic.
Customers can search for locations where they can pay their bill in person by referring to their statement or visiting the CheckFreePay payment locator website or their biller's website. Consumers will receive a receipt once payment is complete. Through CheckFreePay, Fiserv is the largest processor of walk-in bill payments in the United States.
For more than 30 years, Fiserv has provided reliable bill payment services to consumers who prefer to pay their bills in person, with over 30,000 bill-pay locations where people are already shopping. In a world that is moving faster than ever before, Fiserv helps clients deliver solutions in step with the way people live and work - financial services at the speed of life.


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The Israeli Ministry of Finance estimates that the Corona crisis will cost the Israeli economy over 12 billion. dollars. Israeli industry has almost completely stopped trying to limit the spread, which means that economic growth is disappearing.
Israel’s gross domestic product is expected to fall by 6.6 billion. dollars as a result of the country’s efforts to limit the spread of Corona, according to Finance Ministry chief economist Shira Greenberg, writes Times of Israel.
In addition, global events related to Corona are expected to cost Israeli companies an additional $ 5.3 billion. dollars in losses.
On Monday, the Israeli government ordered companies with more than 10 employees to cut their staff by 70 percent. Also in the public sector, there must be only minimal staffing.
The increased restrictions came after the Ministry of Health proposed a total closure of the country. The Ministry of Finance, on the other hand, is strongly opposed to closing down all companies.
Israeli authorities are working on a rescue package to rescue companies struggling financially as a result of the fight against Corona spread. The aviation sector, the hotel industry and the rest of the tourism industry are hard hit.
Israel has banned gatherings of more than 10 people, closed schools, forced all who come to the country in 14-day quarantine, closed all shopping malls, restaurants and cafes in an attempt to limit the spread of Corona.
304 people have so far been infected with Corona in Israel. The condition in four of them is severe, while the condition is moderate in 11 people. 284 people have milder symptoms.
In order not to break the ban on gatherings of more than 10 people, many have used creative methods to hold a wedding, for example:


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12.2-inch iPad Air Plus Versus iPhones, iPads, and MacBook Pro [VIDEO]
Rumours about the iPad Pro have been around for a while now, but with contradictory reports. Fact is, we haven’t see the device materialize since the rumours began. Last week, however, Mac Fan obtained the blueprint of the alleged bigger iPad, now dubbed as the iPad Air Plus (via Pocket-Lint).
There were two notable changes compared to the previous rumours. First, its size: Earlier reports talked about a 12.9-inch iPad, but the Mac Fan source mentioned a 12.2-inch tablet. Secondly, its name: The latest report took a page out of the iPhone 6 naming pattern, and now the report says the bigger-screen tablet will be named the iPad Air Plus.
Whatever its name, YouTube poster Canoopsy took the rumour a step further and created a mock-up of the bigger iPad, comparing it to Apple’s current line of phones and tablets.
As you can see from the video below, the iPad Plus is just a little smaller than the MacBook Pro, so it can be considered as a laptop replacement for many who are after portability. However, it is worth mentioning that Apple has stated many times that there is no need to use a touchscreen on a laptop. It remains to be seen whether the device will be a new iPad, or a new MacBook Pro size.


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'Word of Warcraft' to memorialize Robin Williams as character in virtual world
Robin Williams' spirit will live on in the virtual world of Azeroth.
The lead designer of the online role-playing video game "World of Warcraft" said Thursday that Blizzard Entertainment is planning to create a non-playable character inspired by the actor, comedian and avid gamer.
Williams was found dead on Monday of an apparent suicide at the age of 63.
The "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Aladdin" star was a notable fan of the popular fantasy series. "World of Warcraft" is currently played online by about 6.8 million people.
"World of Warcraft" lead designer Ion Hazzikostas says the character will either be inspired by Williams or one of his famous roles.
The fifth expansion of the 10-year-old online game is set for release Nov. 13.


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By Elizabeth Sears
There is a marquee sign on Northampton Street in Easthampton that has become quite the local sensation. This old-fashioned sign has caught the attention of many in the Hampshire County community with its constantly revolving inspirational quotes. It belongs to Cider House Media, a marketing company owned by Lennie and Elizabeth Appelquist, who launched their firm after moving to Easthampton from Los Angeles.
“In 2013, my wife and I ended up moving back here, she grew up here in Easthampton,” Lennie said. His original background was in the film industry, but his hobby in website design ended up developing into its own company. “We still had a lot of clients we were carrying with us, so that’s what we did. We started Cider House here officially.”
Cider House Media provides a wide gamut of marketing services, ranging from branding, website building, and search-engine optimization all the way down to smaller jobs like fixing a website’s e-mail form. No matter how large or small the task, he said, the company focuses on delivering outcomes for whatever needs clients might have.
“At our core, what we really like to do is work with small businesses that matter to their communities, that may not have the resources to do all of the marketing, or the technical expertise to do the website and handle the marketing … but also can’t necessarily afford a really large, big-city firm to take care of all those,” Appelquist said.
The majority of Cider House Media’s clients are local businesses in the Western Mass. region. Its focus has been websites for small businesses that touch their local markets, Appelquist said.
“Our founding belief, our belief that drives us, is that local businesses and small businesses in our towns, not just here in Western Mass. but everywhere, really are the economic drivers of our communities,” he explained. “They’re also a kind of life’s blood. They are what make our communities really awesome, the small businesses, and we just really like to work with them.”
“At our core, what we really like to do is work with small businesses that matter to their communities, that may not have the resources to do all of the marketing, or the technical expertise to do the website and handle the marketing … but also can’t necessarily afford a really large, big-city firm to take care of all those.”
A strong online presence has become a growing need for small businesses as they acclimate to the demands of internet-based consumers. Shortened attention spans paired with the massive shift to remote work brought on by the pandemic has amplified the need for businesses to have fast and efficient websites, Appelquist said.
“We were just having a debate this morning about website loading times,” he told BusinessWest. “The pandemic shed a light on a lot of things, and people really expect a lot out of what they get delivered online, so what they’re looking for trend-wise is a website that loads really quickly. They also want a website that delivers clear information right up front without them having to think too much or dig too deep.”
He explained how savvy consumers not only crave deliverability, but also require accurate information. Cider House Media helps clients take control of their online presence, which involves ensuring the consistency of all representative information found across the web.
“When someone is looking for a service, a product, a restaurant’s hours, the site should load fast, and then there should be a very clear path to the information they’re looking for,” Appelquist said. “A trend we’re seeing with a lot of small businesses is making sure they take control of all of the places where people can interact … their data becomes their brand, and so every touch point on the web, on other third-party websites, on their website, when someone answers the phone at the office, it all becomes representative of what their brand is. If it’s inconsistent, that just says inconsistency to the consumer.”
Cider House Media felt the severe impact the pandemic had on small businesses, experiencing client cancellations and a decline in activity at the beginning of 2020. It had just launched its largest-ever online advertising campaign, and an uncertain marketplace led the Appelquists to question if they were going to survive. However, after a few months, they started to see an interesting shift in their business.
“All of a sudden, every business that was out there trying to figure out a way to reach their clients realized they needed to be online, and they needed to understand what they were doing. They needed to understand how online marketing worked, how their social-media worked, and how ads worked,” Lennie Appelquist said.
This resulted in a transition from their initial decline to a sudden flood of business. It has been almost two years since the Cider House Media staff have been able to get together in the office, but business has essentially stabilized.
“All of a sudden, every business that was out there trying to figure out a way to reach their clients realized they needed to be online, and they needed to understand what they were doing. They needed to understand how online marketing worked, how their social-media worked, and how ads worked.”
Even so, the pandemic has caused them to rework their philosophy and really think about how to help their clients leverage the internet and people’s habits to bring in business while simultaneously facing the obstacle of not being able to utilize a physical retail space. “The marketplace changed along with the world, so we had to be agile and change some of our approach as well.”
Cider House Media’s increase in activity during the pandemic did not stop with the growth of its clientele. “One thing that happened over the pandemic is an interesting market we got into — the community-access TV market,” Appelquist said. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Cider House Media has started five and launched four additional websites for public-access television.
“That’s been a real big education, and since one of the things we really love is to work with businesses, nonprofits, local organizations, arts organizations, touchpoints in our community that make a difference … it was our first experience building something that was a real journalistic news resource. Things like that have been great.”
Cider House Media has been involved in several community-oriented projects, perhaps the most noteworthy and high-profile one being One Ferry Project, a mill-building revitalization project in Easthampton.
“Locally, we launched this year a new brand and website for the One Ferry Project,” Appelquist said. “We did the brand, the logo, the marketing tools, all the signage for the building, the website. The process for potential renters or buyers of space, condos, rental units, office space, we created a mechanism for them to inquire on the website and reach whomever they need to reach.”
Cider House Media has been engaging in its community ever since the couple moved into their office in Easthampton. Lennie and Elizabeth are both members of the Cottage Street Cultural District Committee, and Elizabeth is on the board of the River Valley Co-op, as well as president of the Emily Williston Memorial Library in Easthampton. Additionally, they have been regular participants in the Art Walk put on by Easthampton City Arts, which is a program that features art exhibits and creative performances open to the public.
“When we got our office in Easthampton, we wanted to kind of be part of the community and meet people, so we actually asked the director of Easthampton City Arts if we could be part of the Art Walk and have an artist display their work and have people over, and they were like, ‘absolutely, yes,’” Lennie said. “Almost from the time we opened our office in Easthampton, we were a destination on the Art Walk as well as working with them.”
Lennie and Elizabeth opened an art gallery on Cottage Street in Easthampton as a second business in 2018, helping to celebrate the work of local artists by hosting local art events, spoken word, and poetry. The gallery closed as a result of the pandemic, but Cider House Media still remains committed to supporting the arts in Hampshire County.
“One of the things in Easthampton, but also Pioneer Valley and Western Massachusetts, that I just find so, so amazing is how integral the arts are,” Lennie said. “Art, like commerce, is really important, and I think the art and the culture, and the ability to interact with art and meet the artist, and interact and find those people that you intersect with at those types of events … it’s all your community.”
Word on the Street
Lennie Appelquist spoke of the charm possessed by the walkable towns of Hampshire County, and how small details like connecting over the marquee sign or the local art exhibits creates a positively unique environment. He noted the ample opportunities for networking, partnerships, and synergies, describing a local butcher participating with a night with food at the local brewery. Above all, he emphasized the community-oriented nature of the area, and how gratifying it is to work with businesses in the county.
“All those opportunities that you have to be part of a community, to create community, to interact with community, are really, really important,” he said. “So I think that’s the part we like the most — helping a lot of our clients give voice to what excites them and drives them to do their business, and why they go do it every day.”


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Sony will soon release a new, updated model of the PlayStation 3 console in Japan.
The revision, dubbed CECH-3000B, includes minor updates, such as dropping power consumption from 230W to 200W, cutting its weight by nearly a full pound, and the removal of LED lights, according to a retail source from Andriasang.
Additionally, a report from Edge cites an anonymous source claiming the new console revision also includes an added layer of security through the Blu-ray drive, however that information has not been confirmed.
The console still contains the 320 gigabyte hard drive and is expected to cost the same price as the current model on store shelves.
Sony has not responded to requests for comment about the availability of this new console outside of Japan.


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Starbucks, Green Mountain Coffee extend deal
The deal, originally signed in 2011, now is extended for a minimum of five more years, and Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) said it has shipped more than 850 million single-cup packs for the Keurig brewing system.
As part of the new deal, Starbucks said it will add more single-cup flavors available for the Keurig, including Seattle’s Best Coffee, Torrefazione Italia coffee, Teavana Teas and Starbucks Cocoa.
“Starbucks' new agreement with (Green Mountain) strengthens our leadership position in the premium single-cup category, the segment of our industry that has grown nine times faster than the overall coffee category during the past year and a category that now accounts for more than 25 percent of total coffee sales in grocery,” said Howard Schultz, Starbucks chairman, president and CEO, in a statement.
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The Reserve Bank of Malawi has commissioned two new currency processing machines as part of the central bank’s efforts to strengthen security measures against counterfeits, and also enhance the production and sorting of banknotes circulating in the economy.
The bank says the commissioning of the two currency processing machines brings the total number of such machines in the country to six and will help enhance the processing, cleaning and sorting of the banknotes to ensure that only quality currencies are running in the economy.
The machines are supplied by global currency printer, G and D.
In a related development, the new K5,000 banknote launched in February this year has won a global award for the best currency for 2022.
Dominic Fleischer, Vice President of Key Account Management African Countries Banking Solutions at G and D, says the banknote emerged the best in terms of security features and uniqueness of the images on the note out of a basket of other currencies produced in the world around the same time.
G and D are currently the official printers of Malawi’s K1,000, K2,000 and K5,000 banknotes.


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Instagram continues to be an anomaly in the world of social networks. Its star continues to shine brightly as user numbers explode, while brands can still reach users without shelling out big bucks like they must on Facebook.
But as Instagram continues to monetise, how will everyone's favourite platform continue to strike the right balance between user experience and the bottom line in 2016? Read on to find out.
Instagram is just over four years old, being founded in October 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger.
By April 2012 the platform had attracted 100 million users and also the interest of Facebook – which acquired the platform for US$1 billion.
By the numbers
Today Instagram now has over 400 million monthly active users, making it bigger than Twitter.
Over 75 million of the Instagram army visit the platform daily.
Every day 80 million photos are shared on Instagram, generating over 3.5 billion Likes.
So far over 4 billion photos have been posted on the platform.
Audience break down
Instagram is evenly split between male and female users, and Android and iOS owners.
Close to half of Instagrammers are aged between 16 – 24 years.
While 30% of US internet users have an Instagram account, 75% of the platform's users reside outside the US.
After a lengthy trial period, Instagram ads finally launched in Australia and New Zealand in 2015.
Ads can either be photos, video or carousel. Expect more ads in feeds as Instagram amps up its offering for brands this year.
For better or worse, Selfies continue to rule on Instagram.
Not only was "selfie" declared word of the year in 2013, this selfie from Kendall Jenner featuring her heart-shaped hair is the most popular ever posted on the platform with 2.6 million Likes.


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Zoetis Inc. (ZTS), a former subsidiary of Pfizer (PFE), has agreed to acquire Abaxis Inc. (ABAX) for close to $2 billion as the former looks to expand into the area of veterinary diagnostics which has a vast scope compared to animal health. The $83 a share deal, which will be funded through a combination of cash and debt, is expected to add to Zoetis’ earnings in 2019 and be complete before the end of this year.
Abaxis is based in California and provides veterinary diagnostics and consumables products. Zoetis currently holds a small share in diagnostics in terms of revenue, and the deal makes sense as the market for veterinary diagnostics is estimated to grow to more than $3 billion over the next four years. This buyout unfolds many opportunities for the New Jersey-based company, which is facing strong competition in its current space.
The deal is expected to add to Zoetis’ earnings in 2019
The purchase price reflects a 15% premium over Abaxis’ share price at Tuesday market close and values the company at around $2 billion. Abaxis has a strong international presence as well as a product portfolio that will help create fresh revenue sources for Zoetis. A major portion of Abaxis’ sales come from its veterinary diagnostics business. An expansion into international markets will prove beneficial for Zoetis.
The news sent Abaxis shares soaring in early market hours by more than 15%. Consolidation is happening in every industry and animal health is no different. Last year, Zoetis acquired Ireland-based Nexvet, a biologics therapeutics company for $85 million.
Last month, the IPO market was in a full swing. IPOs of Snowflake (NYSE: SNOW) and JFROG (NASDAQ: FROG) had an impressive opening day in September, the former creating a
PepsiCo Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP) beat market expectations on both revenue and earnings for the third quarter of 2020. The company saw the momentum continue in its snacks business while the
With more and more people turning to virtual entertainment sources, amid the virus-related movement restrictions, video game publishers like Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) are witnessing unusually high demand. Not surprisingly,


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WTO and Food Security: Biting the Hand that Feeds the Poor
This is the first of a two-part article series. Read part two here.
Since 2013, controversy has swirled around India’s National Food Security Act (NFSA), the most ambitious food security initiative in the world, with its plans to buy food grains from small-scale farmers to distribute to some 840 million poor Indians, two-thirds of the country’s people. The controversy came at the World Trade Organization (WTO), where the U.S. government accused India of unfairly subsidizing its farmers by paying a support price above market prices.
At the WTO biannual ministerial conference in Bali, India stood firm, questioning the subsidy calculation as an artifact of old WTO rulemaking and asserting that, in any case, such programs that are used for legitimate food security purposes should be exempt from such restrictions. The conflict nearly torpedoed the WTO’s modest negotiated agreements in Bali, but a “Peace Clause” granted India and other developing countries with such programs a grace period while negotiators tried to reach a permanent solution. (See my coverage of the controversy here.)
That grace period is up now, as trade ministers from across the globe board planes for the December 10 opening of the WTO’s 11th Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina. With no progress on the matter at the 2015 conference in Nairobi, Kenya, India and other developing countries have called for a simple exemption of such programs from WTO restrictions. U.S. negotiators, themselves under fire for “dumping” agricultural surpluses on global markets at prices below the costs of production, are demanding more restrictive measures and further concessions from developing countries.


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The Tony Awards are happening this coming weekend and as an industry built on live theatre, we thought it would be a missed opportunity to go without mentioning the history of this award, all the amazing talent that […]
Professor Kathy Steppe from the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering at Ghent University conducts light research focusing on how light affects plant growth—and the impact of the findings could reach as far as space. It is well known that […]
Sharon Remartini and Fabio Passerini are two young lighting designers from Italy, specializing in the discipline of dance. Like many of their colleagues, Eos is their preferred console.
After three long years we finally made our way back to Frankfurt for the much anticipated 2022 edition of Prolight + Sound (April 25-28). There was a great deal of excitement at returning to the Messe Frankfurt and […]
Like so many designers in this industry, Erica Lauren Maholmes says she came upon her career by accident. And like so many students, the momentum of her young career was dramatically impacted when the world shut down in […]
Earth Day is April 22 and we at ETC continue to look at what we can do as a manufacturer to increase our sustainability efforts and decrease our carbon footprint. During CUE 2022, a team from our London […]
Specifying cruise ship lighting systems is no simple task. Beyond finding lighting fixtures that are both appealing and practical, cruise ship specifiers must consider the infrastructure of the entire lighting system and how it’s all going to fit […]


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It looks like UK retailer GAME is going to make it after all. After nearly going under in 2012, GAME has now revealed plans for an IPO on the London Exchange.
In fact, the company’s valuation has risen up from £300 million ($504 million) to £400 million ($672 million) in the past few months, thanks to the announcement of this IPO.
GAME can credit their turnaround to their success in selling GTA V, as well as the Playstation 4 and Xbox One. Perhaps bittersweet, but they were also helped by their decision to close many of their stores, particularly shutting down stores across Europe to focus on France and the UK.
Is this IPO intended to raise funds for GAME to expand again? At least they can take back some of the stores they dropped in the UK. We congratulate GAME for their success and look forward to news from their IPO.


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OnePlus Founder and CEO Pete Lau recently on Twitter teased a major upcoming announcement for March 8. Lau posted a photo of the Earth taken from the moon's surface with the words "Something new is on the horizon" written on it. In the caption, Lau wrote, "Stay Tuned for March 8". Lau also shared a URL which leads to an OnePlus microsite that has a similar teaser displayed.
What exactly is this 'Moonshot' announcement is still unknown, though it is likely that the OnePlus CEO is referring to the brand's upcoming OnePlus 9 series. Details about the OnePlus 9 series have been leaking online for the past few weeks. Reportedly, the OnePlus 9 series is expected to launch sometime in March which fits with the date Lau has teased.
The moon-themed teaser is possibly hinting at the photography performance of the OnePlus 9 series as it is rumoured that the smartphone maker is collaborating with Swedish brand Hasselblad for the phones' camera lenses, according to Cashify.in. Hasselblad is known for sending the first camera to the moon's surface as part of the Apollo 11 mission back in 1969.
OnePlus is expected to introduce three smartphones as part of its OnePlus 9 series. These would be - OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9 Pro and OnePlus 9R or the OnePlus 9 Lite, according to previous leaks. The OnePlus 9R is expected to a budget device that would be targeted at the mid-range market segment.
The OnePlus 9R is expected to have a 6.5-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display. This will have a 90Hz refresh rate. The smartphone will be powered by the Snapdragon 690 chipset, as per the leaks.
The OnePlus 9R is expected to feature a rear dual camera setup. The primary sensor would be a 64MP lens aided by an 8MP ultra-wide lens. The OnePlus 9R is expected to have a 5,000 mAh battery backup.


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The Cabinet’s decision to raise alcohol and cigarette excise taxes will help cut consumption and curb the influx of cheap cigarettes from neighbouring countries.
Excise Department Director-General Benja Louicharoen said after the tobacco excise duties on cigarettes were increased, that cigarette taxes rose to 87 per cent from 85 per cent based on the level of one baht per cigarette.
Applying the new tax rate based on volume, cheap cigarettes from neighbouring countries must pay more taxes by 10-13 baht per pack.
For alcoholic drinks, the excise tax on rice whiskey was increased from 120 baht per litre to 150 baht/litre based on alcohol content (100 per cent), so its production cost was raised by 5-7 baht per bottle.
The excise tax on blended liquor was raised from 300 baht to 350 baht/litre, so its production cost has been increased by 5-7 baht and the tax on brandy was up to a maximum 400 baht/litre, from 48 per cent to 50 per cent based on value.
The department is also studying applying a new excise tax rate on beer and wine as the existing maximum tax of 400 baht is considered low, taking into account the alcohol content.
It also doubled the annual license fee for wholesale and retail cigarette shops from 250 to 500 baht and 20 to 40 baht respectively.
The new excise tax rate will increase the department’s revenue by Bt13 million and excise collection is likely to reach its target of Bt425 billion.
via Increase of alcohol, cigarette taxes to cut consumption.


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A drive-thru Dunkin’ Donuts is planned for the northeast corner of the intersection of State Road 64 and Upper Manatee River Road.
A 4,540-square-foot retail store is proposed on 1.2 acres near a Walgreen’s Pharmacy at 1455 Upper Manatee River Road, according to documents filed with Manatee County Building and Development Services.
The developer is Hupp Retail of Clearwater.
Previous approvals for the project expired, and the developer had to resubmit the application, said Bob Schmitt, agent for the project. Opening of the Dunkin’ Donuts is probably about a year away.
There are about a baker’s dozen Dunkin’ Donuts sprinkled across Manatee County.


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US President Donald Trump has suggested tariffs on the imports of steel and alumunium into the US, as he tries to revive the local industry. But the suggestion is causing tense reactions from trading countries. New Zealand trade expert Charles Finny says the most concerning issue is the indirect impact of tariffs. Retaliation in other product areas could impact us as well, he tells Susie Ferguson.
5 Mar 2018


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A new report by TechnikNews has revealed the key specifications of the upcoming Moto G51 5G smartphone. The report also said that the next 5G device from Motorola will be launched in November this year, and was codenamed the Cyprus 5G so far. It is supposed to have a triple rear camera setup, with 50MP and 8MP cameras, and it’s also supposed to have an FHD+ display, though the size and refresh rate of the screen isn’t known at the moment. The Moto G51 5G should be followed by another device, called the Moto G71 5G, which will be launched sometime later this year.
Moto G51 5G specs and features
As mentioned before, there are three camera sensors on the back, with 50MP and 8MP sensors. While the 50MP is the primary sensor, the 8MP camera will be an ultra-wide shooter. The third camera is a 2MP macro shooter, while there is also a 13MP camera on the front of the device.
Cameras aside, the Moto G51 is expected to sport the Snapdragon 750G chipset from Qualcomm. The device had been spotted on Geekbench earlier, which also showed that it will have 4GB of RAM inside. This is an interesting choice, since 4GB of RAM is too little for smartphones to take full advantage of these processors nowadays. We won’t be surprised if the Moto G51 5G ends up feeling too slow as compared to its competitors. The Geekbench tests returned single core test scores of 541 to 545, while multi-core results were between 1602 and 1675.
Additionally, the Moto G51 5G is expected to run on the Android 11 operating system out of the box. It’s also supposed to sport a 1080p display on the front, and the battery specs for the device aren’t known right now. As the name suggests, the device supports 5G connectivity and it will also have NFC and Bluetooth functions.
The Moto G series has usually been priced in the budget range, so we expect something similar for the Moto G51 5G. The prices of the device haven’t been announced yet, though we should know the same soon enough.
Thanks for reading till the end of this article. For more such informative and exclusive tech content, like our Facebook page


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Fed to hike another 75bps, focus on Powell’s guidance for hints of a slower pace of tightening ahead
Unlike the BoE, there seems little doubt about the size of the latest Fed rate hike to be delivered on Wednesday. The FOMC is widely expected to raise the fed funds rate by 75bps for a fourth successive meeting, which will take the target range to 3.75-4.00%. While some market participants had previously anticipated a possible downwards shift in the pace of tightening, recent further upside surprises to inflation, continued labour market tightness and a relatively firm pace of economic growth in Q3 all point to another hike of 75bps. Nevertheless, our colleagues at Daiwa America anticipated a slight pivot on guidance this week. Chair Powell has noted in the past that the Fed will at some point slow the pace of adjustment, and our colleagues suspect that policymakers will discuss a deceleration to 50 basis points in December and possibly a pause in early 2023. Mr. Powell might provide hints along these lines at his press briefing, although Powell will be mindful not to encourage a significant easing of financial conditions.
BoE expected to raise rates by 75bps amid ongoing concerns about domestically-generated inflation
The BoE’s latest policy announcement on Thursday is expected to see the MPC raise Bank Rate by 75bps to 3.00%. However, with conditions in the Gilt market now stable, sterling firmer than of late, and certain MPC members having cautioned that market pricing of future tightening was probably too aggressive, the risks to that view are skewed to the downside. The size of the rate hike will, in good part, depend on the BoE’s updated economic forecasts. Despite the recent rise in inflation to double-digits and continued evidence of a very tight labour market, the government’s decision to cap the increase in household energy bills between October and April means that the near-term inflation forecast will be significantly lower than projected in August. Moreover, data also suggest the economy contracted in Q3 by more than the BoE previously expected (by as much as 0.5%Q/Q vs the BoE’s forecast of -0.2%Q/Q), and high inflation will likely result in further contractions to come, which should help inflation fall back in due course.
But with the Sunak government having postponed its fiscal update until 17 November, there remains a lack of clarity surrounding the magnitude of further increases in household energy bills from April on, as well as the extent of forthcoming public spending restraint and tax measures that are likely ultimately to result in a tightening of the fiscal stance. And it remains to be seen what the BoE will assume in this respect for its projections. Nevertheless, given continued tightness in the labour market we continue to expect the MPC to flag concerns about domestically-generated inflation, justifying the hike of 75bps this week. And the BoE’s updated forecasts will maintain expectations of further hikes to come, albeit perhaps suggesting a terminal rate below the current market-implied rate of 4.75%.
Japanese IP declined in September as autos sector was in reverse, but solid growth in Q3 as supply constraints eased
Japan’s industrial production figures came in on the soft side in September, with the drop in output, of 1.6%M/M, double the consensus forecast. The weakness was driven by a sharp decline in motor vehicles (-12.4%M/M), with production of general machinery down 5%M/M. The fall last month followed strong growth in the previous three months, to leave manufacturing production up almost 10%Y/Y and 6%Q/Q in Q3, the strongest quarterly growth since Q320 as supply constraints eased and suggesting a solid contribution to GDP growth. But with the inventory-shipment ratio jumping to its highest since July 2020, manufacturers were less upbeat about the near-term production outlook forecasting a further drop (0.4%M/M) in October.
Japanese retail sales rise in September, but consumers’ willingness to buy durable goods falls to a record low in October
The value of Japan’s retail sales came in slightly firmer than expected in September, rising by more than 1%M/M for the second successive month, to leave them up 1.2%Q/Q in Q3 and 4.4%Y/Y. Sales of household appliances jumped 14½%M/M, with autos up more than 11%M/M. But the strength in part reflected higher prices. Indeed, when adjusting for prices, retail sales were still down more than 1%Y/Y in September. And if today’s consumer confidence survey is to be believed, spending will remain very weak for the time being. In particular, the headline sentiment index fell 0.9pt to 29.9 in Octoebr, the lowest since January 2021, with the measure for households’ willingness to buy durable goods fall to a fresh record low.
Chinese PMIs disappoint in October signalling contraction in manufacturing and services
The Chinese government official PMIs disappointed at the start of Q4, signalling renewed weakness in manufacturing and services alike with tight Covid restrictions taking their toll. In particular, the manufacturing output index fell 1.9pts in October to 49.6, the lowest since April, amid a further weakening in new orders and a slight lengthening in delivery times. The services activity index fell for the fourth consecutive month and by almost 2pts to 48.7, the first contractionary reading since May, with the new business PMI signalling another sizeable decline (42.8). Overall, the composite PMI fell to 49.0, the lowest since May and more than 2½pts below the Q3 average.
German retail sales beat expectations in September but downwards trend still in play
Consistent with Friday’s stronger-than-expected GDP data, this morning’s German retail turnover figures for September also beat expectations, with real-terms growth of 0.9%M/M contrasting with the consensus forecast of a second successive decline. Nevertheless, while sales volumes in September were up 3.2% from the same month in 2019 before the pandemic, they were almost 7½% below the peak in June 2021. And over Q3 as a whole, they were down 1.1%Q/Q following the drop of 2.7%Q/Q in Q2. Sales in September were also down 0.9%Y/Y in real terms. However, sales were up 9.9%Y/Y in nominal terms, underscoring the major erosion of purchasing power by high inflation.
Euro area flash CPI expected to surge amid higher energy inflation in Italy, while GDP growth expected to remain positive despite likely contraction in Italy
Most attention in the euro area today will be on the flash estimates of October inflation and Q3 GDP. Not least reflecting the surge in Germany and Italy, headline euro area HICP inflation is likely to have jumped 0.9ppt to 10.8%Y/Y. Core inflation will also likely reach a new record high from September’s reading of 4.8%Y/Y. Amid record rates of inflation, momentum in the euro area’s economy looks set to have slowed in the third quarter. But based on Friday’s member state figures we think aggregate growth remained in positive territory in Q3 at about 0.2%Q/Q, down from 0.8%Q/Q in Q2. Looking further ahead, the euro area’s unemployment rate (Thursday) is expected to move sideways at a series low (6.6%), while aggregate producer price inflation (Friday) is likely to remain close to August’s high (43.3%Y/Y). Finally, there are plenty of ECB Governing Council members due to speak publicly, including Chief Economist Lane today and President Lagarde on Thursday and Friday.
UK bank lending data expected to report softer demand amid rising borrowing costs
Data-wise in the UK, today brings the BoE lending numbers, which are likely to show a softening in demand for consumer credit and mortgage loans amid rising borrowing costs. Against this backdrop, the Nationwide house price report (tomorrow) is expected to report a notable easing in the annual rate to an eighteen-month low in October. Meanwhile, the BRC shop price index (Wednesday) will certainly highlight still significant inflationary pressures on the high street. In terms of surveys, the final manufacturing (tomorrow), services (Thursday) and construction PMIs (Friday) will be of note.
US payroll data to report further moderation in the pace of job growth
The week’s US data highlight will be Friday’s labour market report for October. Our colleagues at Daiwa America expect a third successive slowing in the pace of job growth, although their forecast for nonfarm payroll growth of 225k (from 263k in September) is touch above the current BBG consensus (190k). In line with the consensus, however, they anticipate a rise in the unemployment rate of 0.1ppt to a still-low 3.6%. Other US data due this week include the latest JOLTS job data, ISM manufacturing survey and construction spending numbers (tomorrow), the ADP employment report (Wednesday) and Q3 productivity and labour cost figures, and factory orders and full trade report for September (Thursday). Today will be relatively quiet for US data, however, with just the Chicago business barometer due.


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Snapchat recently turned down an acquisition bid from Facebook worth $3 billion (£1.8bn) or more, according to a report.
The Wall Street Journal claims that the messaging service's co-founder Evan Spiegel will not consider a buyout until early next year, believing its user base and valuation will be greater by then.
Facebook is not the only party interested in Snapchat, with Chinese e-commerce company Tencent Holdings said to have offered to lead an investment that would value the start-up at $4bn (£2.4bn).
Snapchat raised $60m (£37.4m) from investors in June, leaving it with a value of $800 million (£498m). However, its usage almost doubled to 350m messages a day in the three months that followed.
Had Facebook been successful in its purported bid for the firm, it would have represented its largest acquisition to date at almost twice the amount it paid for Instagram in 2012.
Spiegel is reportedly looking to sell a portion of his own Snapchat stock in early 2014.


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PHILADELPHIA, October 03, 2023--Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD) today announces the arrival of Ello Market™ to its shelves – the national drug store chain’s new exclusive collection of quality snacks and indulgent treats to satisfy cravings as well as pantry staples to transform your meals.
Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ: WBA) has been delivering ugly results to its shareholders for years. There's no dip here -- investors who buy the stock are trying to catch a falling knife. The consensus analyst price target for Walgreens is $35.69.
Crypto investors are watching for the Federal Reserve's next announcement for insights on bitcoin (BTC-USD) as macroeconomic concerns loom over the digital currency. Shares of Chinese EV maker Nio (NIO) are down this morning due to a report from Bloomberg stating the EV maker is weighing the possibility of raising $3 billion dollars from investors amid losses Lastly, Rite Aid (RAD) shares are down after a report from the Wall Street Journal states that the company is working out a potential bankruptcy plan with creditors, which includes liquidating their stores, potentially closing down over 400 locations in the process. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Yahoo Finance Live.


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Hilliker’s Egg Farm continues production amid nationwide egg shortage
LAKESIDE (KUSI) – Have you noticed your local grocery store is low on eggs?
KUSI’s Allie Wagner shared a picture of bare shelves at her neighborhood store, and KUSI viewers responded saying the issue is the same where they live. And it turns out, the problem is happening all over the country.
Some people are blaming the Avian Flu for the shortage, but others say there is a drastic drop in egg production across the country.
KUSI’s Allie Wagner visited Hilliker’s Egg Farm in Lakeside where she spoke with the owner, Frank Hilliker, about the shortage and what he is doing to continue producing eggs for his customers.
View this post on Instagram


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It cannot be denied that Tesla had its own ups and downs this year. But despite the controversies, which mostly involved its own CEO Elon Musk, the automaker managed to remain on top of the competition. Apparently, 2019 will not be moonlight and roses for the company – it is expected to be critical for its survival, as reported by Business Insider.
Musk’s all-electric cars are expected to enter the brand new year with being able to produce and sell more vehicles than ever. In addition, the company is believed to be on its way to a half-million in vehicles by the end of the same year. It holds true that it is good news for the firm. Unfortunately, it always has the tradition to struggle significantly when it comes to its very own building-cars aspect.
Also, the CEO of Tesla is going to face potential twin headwinds in the upcoming year. First is the infamous economic slowdown in the United States. Second – and more importantly – is the very first stages of the 2020 national election. If the automaker is unable to move past beyond expectations and slips into a downturn, it will not really be able to dodge the market pain.
There’s good news on the horizon, though, especially since Tesla is all set to introduce the Model Y crossover SUV. Apart from it, the company is going to unleash some other new vehicles, including a rumored pickup truck.
In January, Tesla expects the Model 3 to add substantially to its 2018 delivery totals. 2017 saw 100,000 vehicles delivered and 2018 could more than double that total. But as soon as February enters, it could post its first six-month period in the black ever. Regardless of the bottom line, its topline revenue should continue to surge. For the full year of 2019, the company could bring in close to $30 billion.
Experts also believe that by March, Tesla would have a market mismatch in the US with its Model 3, a sedan in an SUV world. Fortunately, the Model Y will fix that. The company has also said it will pay off $920 million in convertible debt, due in September, with a mix of stock and cash. But shares need to be trading at around $360 per share for the stock deal to be appealing to bondholders.
By April, despite construction being started in late 2018, Tesla is going to find a way to borrow a few billion in order to complete the facility. It is worth noting that the automaker recently announced an upcoming factory based in Shanghai, China. It is expected to produce vehicles for the massive Chinese market.
It holds true that Tesla’s cash management was rather solid in 2018. But it does not mean that the company will be going any cheaper, particularly in 2019 – its year of imminent success. The only catch, however, is that the company has had a bad habit of keeping less money in the bank than it needs to run to the company for a full year. Hopefully, Musk and his team could do something about it.
If Tesla proves to be profit sustainable 2019, there is no doubt that the situation would change. Otherwise, a capital raise could be in order. Although it does not have to equity related, the company could possibly tap the debt markets.
Furthermore, everyone will agree that the company did not have that many vehicles to sell in the summer of 2018. This is particularly the case as soon as it struggled with Model 3 production. But summer of 2019 should be a different story, as the model’s production levels off and less-expensive trim levels hit the market. It could be the first serious summer selling season in automaker’s history.


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• Shopping extravaganza across 21 shopping malls offers 1.6million worth of prizes
• The third of four draws sees 10 more winners of nine different nationalities rewarded.
Dubai, November 26 2011: The DSMG ‘Shop and Win' extravaganza is currently one of the key attractions at the malls in Dubai. The month-long promotion, organised to mark the 40th UAE National Day has increased traffic to malls, with the third draw held at Ibn Battuta Mall experiencing an especially large turnout. The city-wide raffle promotion will see 40 lucky shoppers of different nationalities take home a total of AED 1.6 million worth of cash prizes and Rivoli gift vouchers, with 30 of these having taken home their prizes in the past three draws.
In addition to the rewards, the third draw saw Ibn Battuta Mall stage the third part of the Aladdin show. The captivating stage performance in which Alladin, an impoverished love-struck lad gets his wishes granted by a genie entertained all nationalities and age groups present at the event. The Ibn Battuta Mall management emphasised the impact of the promotion on the mall. “The DSMG promotion has attracted a lot of shoppers to our mall over the last three weeks and we believe this shall continue up to the National Day.
Today's draw has also entertained our shoppers both young and old and we are proud to be associated with DSMG. We feel honoured to have been chosen to host the third draw.” Said, Jassim Al Ali, Director – Business and Asset Management, Ibn Battuta Mall.
Shouq Aman, a three year old UAE national was the youngest of the lucky winners who bagged the prize. Shouq's mother expressed her surprise at her child's good luck. “My daughter and I have been participating in the 40th UAE National Day promotion since the very beginning. We have put in at least 20 raffle coupons till today in the draw. This is the first time in my life that we have won something in a raffle. I cannot believe it!” She said.
Shouq Aman and her mother won the prize after shopping at Mirdif City Centre Maryam Ruiz, another lucky shopper and American took home AED 40,000 worth of cash and Rivoli shopping vouchers after shopping at Mall of the Emirates. “I have been taking part in raffle promotions since I arrived in Dubai eight years ago. I was fantasizing about winning, but I never expected to win. This is wonderful and amazing. My children are in college and I will put away some of the money for their tuition.” She said, just hours after she had been informed of her good fortune. Other lucky shoppers included nationals of Lebanon, India, Iran, Russia, Thailand, Kazakhstan and Tanzania.
The details of the winners are available on the DSMG website, www.dsmg.ae.
Winners can redeem the Rivoli gift vouchers at any of the Rivoli outlets in the UAE.


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Advocacy - Resources
ITI Comments on Trade Deficits May 2017
May 12, 2017
ITI's comments submitted on May 11, 2017, for the “Omnibus Report on Significant Trade Deficits” prompted by President Donald Trump signing an executive order in March, 2017, directing his administration to examine the cause of trade deficits in goods with key U.S. export markets. In its comments on behalf of the technology industry, ITI urged the administration to focus its efforts on reducing trade barriers that prevent U.S. companies from selling their goods and services overseas and that impede cross-border data flows.


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Since the first peer-to-peer (P2P) financing platform was launched in 2016, the alternative investments industry has witnessed healthy growth under the watch of the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC). The COVID-19 pandemic has, suffice to say, thrown the industry off course.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has negatively impacted businesses across most industries, especially businesses that operate predominantly offline or rely on physical touch,” Funding Societies Malaysia co-founder and CEO Wong Kah Meng tells Smart Investor.
In this case, P2P financing platforms play an important role in balancing the needs of both SMEs and investors, and this remains true, especially during the current unprecedented economic situation.
On the outlook for the P2P financing sector, Wong foresees the sector will become more appealing to the investment community given the low-interest rate environment, coupled with the volatile capital markets globally.
“Over the medium and longer term, we are hopeful the pandemic could even serve as a catalyst to spur the next wave of digitalisation of businesses across the economy as well as the emergence of new digital business models, which will benefit the P2P financing industry given its digital focus,” he opines.
Wong Kah Meng
However, equity crowdfunding (ECF) platform Ata Plus co-founders Elain Lockman and Kyri Andreou say it would be naïve to assume it is business as usual for the economy.
Elain Lockman (left) and Kyri Andreou (right)
“People’s behaviour, spending, and investment patterns have changed and the medium- and long-term impact on businesses have yet to be ascertained with any level of accuracy,” they say.
For players in the ECF and P2P financing space, they observe there has been a considerable increase in interest for raising funds by SMEs via these two methods.
“The improved terms for the Malaysian Co-Investment Fund (MyCIF) introduced at the onset of the pandemic can then be said to have succeeded to an extent, though in the end it still requires the participation of the wider investor market,” they explain.
Challenges to Meet Loan Obligations
As cash flow becomes tight and businesses see substantial declines in revenue during the coronavirus outbreak, it is inevitable many MSMEs find it a challenge to meet their loan obligations to P2P lenders.
“Throughout the MCO, Fundaztic has never stopped MSMEs from having a chance to apply for funding with us. From a credit standpoint, however, we did take a more prudent and careful approach to ensure that all approved applicants are viable and creditworthy businesses,” explains Calvin Foo, acting CEO of Peoplender Sdn Bhd (which operates P2P platform Fundaztic).
Bearing in mind that most businesses were not able to operate during the MCO and CMCO period, Fundaztic has also taken a proactive approach to offering restructuring and rescheduling (R&R) to their issuers as a solution to get them through these tough times.
“This approach has eased our issuers’ financial burden over this short-term period and therefore, we are not seeing any huge spikes in our default rate,” adds Foo.
The situation, he continues, did improve mid-June onwards, and the number of notes and investments have started to gradually increase since then. This indicates a majority of businesses are starting to become operational once more.
“As more businesses are adapting to the ‘new normal’, I foresee the P2P financing sector will continue to grow and assist more MSMEs in the country. In fact, I believe there will be more opportunities for the sector as businesses are starting to shift their businesses online.”
microLEAP founder and CEO Tunku Danny Nasaifuddin Mudzaffar concurs, adding that the ability to restructure their loans allow issuers to extend the tenor of their financing so that they can pay less than what they usually pay in a month.
“Doing so will also give P2P investors higher interest/profit at maturity. It’s a win-win situation for all parties rather than allowing the Investment Note to default.”
On Funding Societies Malaysia’s part, Wong shares that with the slower economic activity during MCO, they anticipated deferment and restructuring requests from their SMEs.
“Deferment and restructuring options can help SMEs alleviate their immediate repayment obligations of up to three months so that they were able to meet other financial commitments such as salary payments to their employees, thereby helping to save jobs. “In return, investors are able to earn additional interests during the deferment period as compensation,” Wong reveals.
Growth Opportunities Abound
Despite the predicament brought about by the pandemic, growth opportunities for the P2P industry are still available.
Wong says one of their active efforts during the MCO was identifying SMEs with growth opportunities, particularly those within the defensive and counter-cyclical industries.
These industries include healthcare, e-commerce, wholesale and retail of perishable goods, FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods), telecommunications and utilities, and transportation and logistics, among others, which they believe will remain strong or thrive during the current macroeconomic situation.
“As traditional financing avenues are tightening up their credit lines, this gives the opportunity for digital financing platforms such as P2P financing to reach out to more unserved and underserved SMEs in Malaysia that would benefit from the additional financing assistance,” he adds.
After all, over 98% of businesses in the country are MSMEs and as the whole industry has only served over 2,200 MSMEs as of June 2020, P2P financing is barely scratching the surface of the funding gap.
Mitigating Risks for Investors
The P2P financing industry is far from matured and although the COVID-19 pandemic may have slowed down the growth of the industry, this is believed to be just temporary.
There will be many businesses still being underserved by financial institutions, and these are the target segments P2P financing platforms are working hard on closing the financing gap for.
At the end of the day, says microLEAP’s Tunku Danny, MSMEs still need financing and P2P investors still have funds to deploy. However, the question is this: how do P2P investors know that their investment comes with the least risks possible?
“P2P investors need to look at which type of businesses will survive and which won’t. Businesses that have pivoted or have an online presence are doing well, while those that are only brick-and-mortar will find it hard to make money due to lower footfall.
“P2P financing operators, on the other hand, need to encourage diversification of investments on their platform while being more selective in terms of the issuers they host on their platforms.”
Interest in Early Technology Investments
The pandemic, according to Ata Plus’s Lockman and Andreou, has clearly shown technology played a crucial role in keeping our society functional during periods of lockdown and quarantines.
“These technologies coupled with the application of ‘new’ business concepts and/or models may prove to have a long-lasting impact beyond this pandemic. In terms of how we do business, how we trade, how we work, how we produce goods, how we buy goods, how we learn, how we seek medical services and how we entertain ourselves.
“Business concepts/models such as the sharing economy, co-creation, crowdsourcing, customer to customer (C2C), freemiums, gamification, Big Data, software as a service (SAAS), community-driven, democratisation and Open Source are now more readily accepted and relevant than ever before.
“It is not a surprise there is a renewed interest in technology investments due to the pandemic. Technology or tech-driven businesses that are agile, scalable and have high degree of automation or digitalisation capabilities with new business concepts/models will be the ones that will be on the watch list,” they say.
As an ECF platform, Lockman and Andreou believe that Ata Plus, like other platforms, want to give investors access to new investment opportunities that would previously only have been available to angel investors, venture capitalists, or private equity firms.
“We are here to connect investors who have the funds and businesses that need growth capital. Through ECF, sophisticated and retail investors can now access these investment opportunities with a much lower investment entry point into these exciting businesses. In Malaysia, the smallest investment that has been accepted by an issuer was RM10.
“While this is a medium-longer term investment asset class with potential high returns, investors need to be aware of the risks and limits of their total crowdfunding investments. The investors may lose all their money and most start-ups will fail. The trick is to always diversify your investment and not to put all your eggs in one basket,” they conclude.
By Bernie Yeo


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We all know how NBA jersey exchanges go: you give up yours, get the threads from the player you’re exchanging with.
Unless I — and a lot of others on Twitter — am missing something, that’s not what happened between JaVale McGee and Zion Williamson.
After the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New Orleans Pelicans 122-114 on Sunday, cameras caught Williamson giving his jersey to the veteran big man … but the rookie sensation didn’t stay to get McGee’s jersey back. Was it a sign that Zion didn’t want the center’s jersey, a sign of disrespect? Would he get McGee’s back later in the tunnel? Did he not know that it’s a jersey exchange? We don’t know! But I doubt it’s what fans are making it out to be:
A sampling of the reaction:
Again, I doubt it was Williamson turning his back on McGee on purpose, but we don’t know![jwplayer WX8Jio0J-q2aasYxh]


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World’s Largest Entertainment McDonald’s breaks ground on new I-Drive location
Ronald McDonald joined Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs and other special guests to break ground on the new, state-of-the-art “World’s Largest Entertainment McDonald’s”. It will be located right next to the current one on Sand Lake Road and International Drive.
“We’re so proud that the World’s Largest Entertainment McDonald’s is located on our famed International Drive – the perfect place to welcome guests from around the world, who will be dazzled by innovative technology, amazing games and entertainment, and of course, wonderful food,” said Mayor Jacobs.
The new building was designed jointly by McDonald’s Corporation and Florida-based architectural and engineering firm CPH.
The new “World’s Largest Entertainment McDonald’s” is slated to open in early February 2016 and will feature:
• Nearly 19,000 square feet of unique dining and entertainment experiences
• Create your own taste with exclusive chef prepared items in addition to McDonald’s regular menu
• Open kitchen design centered around wood-burning pizza oven
• Energy efficient design & technologies that reduce consumption throughout the restaurant
• Nostalgic details from the first iconic location, including fan-favorite Mac Tonight
“For nearly 40 years now this historic McDonalds has served well over 30 million customers,” said Gregg Oerther, owner/operator and CEO of Oerther Foods. “Rebuilding this location has been a dream of my father’s for many years. In partnership with McDonald’s, with perseverance, passion and commitment, we come together to represent the brand and move forward.”
Here’s a look at the current “World’s Largest Entertainment McDonald’s”. Once the new one is open, this one will be torn down.
See the ground breaking ceremony in our video below:


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Your essential source for food business analysis and intelligence.
Welcome to your essential source for food business analysis and intelligence.
Six days a week since 2012, Bader Rutter’s Intel Distillery team has systematically cataloged and assessed input from the top 1,500 voices in the food and beverage industry.
Our e-newsletter, Friday by Noon, provides weekly perspective on the emerging topics and trends driving the food production system.
June 2, 2023
Friday by Noon:
Now that it’s past Memorial Day, we figured we should dive right in: Abundant regulation and negotiation about water use.Lively …
Naturally Sweetened, Never Condensed
Friday by Noon | May 19, 2023
Nutrition, labeling and safety provided a triple battleground for milk and its alternatives. The World Health Organization warned against non-sugar …
Friday by Noon | May 12, 2023
Food prices are up and down at the same time. The Supreme Court weighed in on interstate pork sales. World …
Bottom Line, Top of Mind
Friday by Noon | May 5, 2023
Big brand leverage leaders to make announcements and explanations. Congress is working on farm bill budgets. Food makers are innovating …
Friday by Noon | April 28, 2023
Throughout food production, big brands and organizations had an opportunity to focus on solutions to many lingering challenges: Earth Day, …
The Intel Distillery Archives
Interested in past weekly reports? Is there a particular story you’re interested in researching? Start here. Everything we’ve published since May 2019 can be found below.


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Nissan Philippines, Inc. (NPI) is the sole national sales company of Nissan in the Philippines, which started its operations in 2014.
To celebrate Nissan’s tradition of delivering excitement and innovation to the public, NPI launched the “Rediscovery Excitement, Rediscover Nissan” campaign to encourage the market to rediscover the brand they thought was once left in the past.
|Mr. Antonio "Toti" Zara|
According to Mr. Antonio “Toti” Zara, Nissan Philippines President and Managing Director, in their two short years of operations as Nissan Philippines Inc., they have been able to achieve a lot of significant milestones for the Nissan brand. Through their loyal customers and Nissan dealers, they have been able to continuously strengthen their presence here in the local market as they deliver exciting innovations. However, they believe that they still have ways to go in bringing back their glory days of the 80s and early 90s. This is why they are encouraging more people to rediscover Nissan and what Nissan is now offering to Filipino customers.
Mr . Zara claims, “From its very beginnings, Nissan has displayed a flair for innovation and a willingness to strike out into territories unknown. This passion is what led the company to become a major player the world automotive stage. We want our passion for innovation to be felt by our customers. We want them to rediscover that excitement they felt once when they heard the word ‘Nissan”. Through all of their efforts, they hope that they can encourage the Philippine market to rediscover Nissan. At the end of the day, “Rediscover Excitement Rediscover Nissan” isn’t just a milestone. It is Nissan’s way of showcasing to the public that it is truly back, and is here to stay.
Celebrating another milestone for the local compact crossover segment, as it brings in another innovation that is built to thrill: introducing the new NISSAN JUKE.
|Introducing the New Nissan Juke (from left to right): Mr. Antonio "Toti" Zara, Nissan Philippines President and Managing Director and Mr. Sungjoong (SJ) Huh, Nissan Philippines General Manager of Marketing.|
First launched in Japan in 2010, the new Nissan Juke immediately captured the attention of the global automotive scene because of it’s fun, bold design, and exciting driving performance. In March 2014, the minor change Nissan Juke was unveiled in the Geneva International Motor Show, bringing an even more refreshed take on the eye-catching vehicle. The minor change model was then brought into the South East Asia having first introduced in Thailand in February 2015 and since then, it has been making its mark in the region.
The new NISSAN JUKE combines boldness and excitement, becoming the brand’s answer to the growing local compact crossover segment. It showcases the ability take on the challenges of everyday driving in the Philippines.
As a refreshing new concept in driving, the new NISSAN JUKE represents Nissan’s commitment to delivering “Innovation that Excites” to their customers. The new NISSAN JUKE will be available as a 4x2 variant with an SRP of P980,000. It will come in Red Alert, Solar Yellow, Pearl White, and Black Obsidian. Expected start of sales will be January 2016.
Here's the other Nissan Cars: Sylphy, Altima. Almera, X-Trail, Navara, Urban, and Patrol.
For more information on their products and services, visit their website at www.nissan.ph


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Safariland’s Hardwire soft armour ballistic panels are manufactured from interlaced Dyneema fibers pressed under 25 million pounds of force at precise temperatures, says the company, which turns multiple layers of fibers into a single system. As the ballistic panels dissipate bullet energy, less material is required, reducing overall panel weight. Level IIIA armour weighs 68 pounds per square foot.
Esterline Corporation is releasing a new version of its Thin eXtreme Display series.
Vigilant Solutions has revealed BallisticSearch, a new product providing law enforcement agencies with “faster and more efficient cartridge case analysis.”
Genetec Inc. has launched its new public safety decision support system, Citigraf, for citywide law enforcement and public safety agencies.
AmpliVox Sound Systems has introduced a re-designed version of its Mity-Lite Portable PA System. The compact 40-watt SW320 Mity-Lite Plus now supports two digital wireless microphones, allowing multiple presenters to be heard by audiences in rooms up to 1500 square feet.
BlueLine Grid, a developer of critical communications technology, has announced the “Grid bot” for Cisco’s Spark platform. The new technology is a connector which links all other communication channels – such as SMS, email, Skype, Slack, and mass conference calling – all from within Cisco’s Spark collaboration platform, according to the company.
First Tactical’s Defender Series maintains the professional look needed when on normal patrol but also boasts specialized pockets for oversized gear, a specialized yoke to eliminate unwanted bulk, and oversized sleeve pockets that can accept patches or embroidery.
Netherlands-based X-Systems says it has developed a body camera product based on an already familiar device, the PTT device. Training is not needed to operate and they are compatible with all major PTT manufacturers, the company announced.
CrimeCenter Software recently revealed a new case management system developed specifically for law enforcement officers to “simplify and streamline” information collected from investigations into “easily accessible chunks of data”. The software was designed by several former law enforcement officers, according to the company, and contains over 200 standard reports that are customizable to fit the specific needs of any agency or police department.
Total Recall Corp., a Convergint Technologies company, has released its “most technologically advanced” CrimeEye unit yet, the CrimeEye-RD-2 with a 180-degree camera option. This new unit provides for expansive panoramic views and even more robust lighting features, according to the company.
BRS Innovations and Mistral Security are introducing what they call “the first field drug test kit designed to detect fentanyl,” which is now available for pre-order. The test kit comes in the form of a Presumptive Drug Test (PDT), an ampoule based colourimetric reagent, designed for use by law enforcement, agencies and professionals. It contains multiple ampoules, spatula, and instructions.
2FA allows officers to use their mobile devices to authenticate with the police department’s database, while UEM gives IT total control over the department’s mobile fleet, all from a single screen.
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November 22, 2018
Boots on the Ground Peer Support for First Responders Launch Party
November 23, 2018
2018 OACP Alcohol and Gaming Seminar
November 26, 2018


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Singapore – Globally recognised convenience store 7-Eleven and Singapore-born Tiger Beer, have joined forces to unveil the very first beachfront convenience store right on the sands of Palawan Beach Walk, Sentosa in Singapore.
The opening celebration will kick off with a variety of promotions and special treats for families enjoying the last weekend of the school holidays and for young adults and tourists who have made hanging out on the beaches of Sentosa their highlight of the week.
Perched right on the sands of the popular Palawan beach, this picturesque 7-Eleven store can be spotted from afar with its vibrant murals and unique graffiti artwork on its facade. Guests can enjoy their refreshing drinks, hot snacks and even ready-to-eat meals at the special 7-Eleven x Tiger Beer chillout area on the sands or at their favourite beach spot.
To help people get their drinks fast, 7-Eleven and Tiger Beer will be bringing a special reverse tap bar, which will automatically dispense the right pour of beer in each cup consistently – without needing a bartender. The reverse tap dispenser is fast, convenient and easy, giving you more time to spend soaking up the sun.
Savour the last weekend of the June school holidays with an unforgettable carnival-inspired blast on the beach with family and friends at the 7-Eleven’s Sentosa Palawan Beach store on 25 and 26 June 2022.
Customers can enjoy free popcorn, 7-Eleven balloons, face painting activities, Häagen-Dazs or Walls ice cream, Mr. Softee, chances to walk away with exciting Spin and Win rewards, and last but not least, live music performed by local singer-busker Jeff Ng, who recently made headlines for his popular weekly busking at The Cathay.
7-Eleven Singapore’s Managing Director, Steven Lye, said, “7-Eleven is reimagining convenience at the beach with our first beachfront store at Sentosa, in collaboration with Singapore’s iconic brand Tiger Beer. From the Arctic Coke machine to the exclusive Nitro Tea, and Reverse Tap beer and the Tiger Beer chill out zone, our new store offers a lot of exciting things for beach loving families, young adults and tourists, and we look forward to welcoming them! We hope that customers will be able to enjoy our new concept store with its unique design and special murals.”
Meanwhile, on the collaboration, Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore’s Marketing Manager, Yogender Sharma, commented, “This is a great collaboration with 7-Eleven where we pushed the boundaries and found innovative ways to uncage the ultimate refreshment for our consumers. Tiger has a special bond with beer-lovers, and we believe that the beachfront store at Sentosa Palawan Beach would energise the experience by bringing consumers the smoothest beer and greatest vibes.”
“We are delighted to be home to Singapore’s first-ever 7-Eleven store by the beach. This new store concept is an example of the novel and imaginative experience that we are curating for our guests on our beach. Apart from providing the convenience of getting beach essentials, the store is also a unique beachfront bistro where guests can pick up a quick and affordable meal. We welcome this partnership with 7-Eleven in enhancing our guests’ experience as they enjoy their day on Sentosa, ” said Chew Tiong Heng, divisional director, Business and Experience Development, Sentosa Development Corporation.


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Better Business Bureau of Central California is receiving reports or price gouging on high-demand items, such as hand sanitizers and tissues
FRESNO – The Better Business Bureau’s vision is an ethical marketplace where buyers and sellers can trust each other and businesses who engage in price gouging undermine those efforts. Price gouging is a term referring to when a seller spikes the price of goods, services or commodities to a level much higher than is considered reasonable or fair and is considered exploitative, potentially to an unethical extent.
As government officials, news outlets and health officials are keeping the public appraised of the COVID-19 situation, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is receiving reports from consumers about skyrocketing costs for high-demand items, such as hand sanitizers, tissues, face masks and other products. For this reason, BBB for Central California has developed a price gouging online form available at BBB.org. It’s on this page that consumers can fill out and submit reports to BBB detailing their experience with a business, and how they became a victim of price gouging.
Anyone who suspects price gouging during a declared state of emergency should report it to Better Business Bureau by going to BBB.org/CCIE and select the Report Price Gouging button. Consumers have the option to opt in/out of speaking with the media about their price gouging experience as well. When reporting a price gouging complaint, gather as much information as safely possible and follow these three tips:
- Be as specific about the transaction as possible, including the name and address of the business, names of any employees involved, and information detailing the spike in pricing.
- Gather together documentation supporting the price gouging (receipts, photos of products and their advertising pricing, invoices, etc.)
- Compare pricing of similar products with other sellers in the areas as well as online. It’s important to note similarities and differences between brands, size/quantity, manufacturers, model numbers, and prices.
BBB warns businesses to avoid the temptation to raise prices during a situation such as a pandemic because it is illegal to do so in the State of California and because it erodes marketplace trust. Consumers will remember which businesses took advantage of them during this time after all is said and done.
For more information, contact Better Business Bureau at (559) 222-8111 or bbb.org/ccie.
Consumers can also sign up for our free BBB eNewsletter by visiting bbb.org and clicking on the “Programs & Services” tab. BBB Serving Central California & Inland Empire Counties was founded in 1950 and serves Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Tulare, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.


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WENATCHEE, Wash. — Apple consumption in the U.S. and Europe is static or declining as volume and varietal offerings increase and more competition comes from berries and other fruits, says Todd Fryhover, president of Washington Apple Commission.
In an Oct. 1 column in Good Fruit Grower magazine, Fryhover said that was the takeaway from his August trips to Prognosfruit, a tree fruit conference in Belgium, and the U.S. Apple Outlook conference in Chicago.
“One specific topic resonated at both venues loud and clear: There is consumer confusion with too many varieties at retail," he wrote. "Secondly, in both regions, the apple category is underperforming, giving way to berries, citrus and other more profitable alternatives.”
Table grapes and mandarins have been cited as increasing competition for apples in the U.S. by Brian Focht, manager of the Washington Apple Marketing Association.
Fryhover touched on trade tensions and other challenges, but said Washington alone has more than 25 proprietary apple varieties. New York has two.
That’s on top of many open varieties such as Gala, Honeycrisp, Red Delicious, Fuji and Granny Smith.
Kroger Co. in the U.S. and REWE Group in Europe say consumers are confused by the overwhelming number of variety offerings, Fryhover wrote.
REWE Group reduced apple SKUs (stock keeping units) from 24 to 16 with just two packaging alternatives per variety and found sales increased, he said.
Overproduction abounds in Europe with new plantings in Serbia, Moldova, Turkey, Russia and Ukraine, he wrote. EU producers are concerned about this Eastern European increase, he wrote.
U.S. apple consumption has dropped 11% over five years, a Kroger representative said at the Chicago conference.
Kroger and REWE said older apple varieties are not being removed quickly enough, that newer proprietary varieties are not providing expected returns and new diets are turning younger consumers away from fresh fruits and vegetables.
Fryhover said the industry needs to eliminate poorer-eating apples, support innovative compostable and recyclable packaging and listen to retailers.