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U.S. Customs delay tab could reach $95B: report
Failing to fix lengthy U.S. Customs & Border Protection processing will cost the U.S. economy $95 billion and 518,900 jobs nationwide, the U.S. Travel Association said March 19.
The losses were based on foreign travelers avoiding the U.S. because of delays faced when entering the country, the association said.
To fix the problem, the travel association wants Congress and President Barack Obama to spend $150 million to hire 1,500 new customs officers, cut processing time to 30 minutes and post processing times of airports on the agency’s website.
During March 5-11, passengers on 260 flights experienced wait times of more than 120 minutes, some reaching more than 180 minutes, said Jennifer Bradshaw, a spokeswoman for U.S. Customs & Border Protection.
About 43 percent of 1,200 international travelers who visited the U.S. in the past five years said in an association survey they would recommend others avoid U.S. travel because of the entry process, the association said. Those travelers who encountered long lines and delays likely would tell eight others, which could compound the economic impact, the association said.
The survey also found 44 percent of business travelers would avoid visiting the U.S. because of entry delays, the association said.
Consensus Research Group surveyed 1,200 travelers from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, China and Brazil between January-October 2012. Of the 56.8 million visitors to the Orlando area in 2012, 4.1 million — or about 7 percent — were tourists from other countries. However, while domestic travel is expected to grow by 0.7 percent in 2013 to 43.1 million, international visitors are forecast to increase by 4.4 percent to 4.3 million, according to Visit Orlando.
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Sirius Satellite Radio has announced a transaction that will provide it with a financial plan that may give them millions of dollars in new capital and more to eliminate debt. The satellite radio network says the cash infusion will give the company the strongest balance sheet in the industry.
On Thursday, the company announced a far-reaching agreement with holders of more than $1 billion of its debt and preferred stock, to convert substantially all of its approximately $700 million of debt and all of its $525 million of preferred stock into common stock, and raise $200 million from the sale of newly-issued common stock.
The recapitalization will dramatically reduce the company's additional funding needs. The additional $200 million, combined with the approximately $240 million cash currently on-hand, is expected to give Sirius sufficient cash to operate into the second quarter of 2004, based upon its current business plan. Furthermore, the company continues to evaluate initiatives that could enable it to achieve cash flow breakeven without raising additional funds.
The new cash infusion will be provided by Oppenheimer global funds ($150 million) and affiliates of Apollo Management, L.P. ($25 million) and The Blackstone Group L.P. ($25 million). Upon completion of the transaction, affiliates of Apollo Management, L.P. and The Blackstone Group L.P. will exchange all of their existing convertible preferred stock for shares of common stock and warrants to purchase common stock.
When the transaction is completed, and assuming all debt and preferred stock is converted into equity, Sirius' debt will be exchanged for 62 percent of the common stock, the existing preferred stock will be exchanged for 8 percent of the common stock, the providers of new funds will own 22 percent of the common stock, and the existing common stock will retain 8 percent of the recapitalized equity. Existing preferred stockholders will also receive warrants to purchase 9.1 percent of the common stock at an average strike price of just under $1.
UBS Warburg is advising the company on the transaction.
DaimlerChrysler has announced plans to offer Sirius radios in 16 models of Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles beginning this fall. Ford is planning to offer Sirius in select vehicle lines sold in the United States, including Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda, Land Rover, Jaguar, Volvo and Aston Martin. BMW has announced plans to offer Sirius radios as an accessory in its most popular models through BMW centers across the country, including select BMW 3 Series, 5 Series, X5 vehicles, and in MINI vehicles through MINI dealerships. Nissan is currently offering Sirius radios in the 2003 Nissan Pathfinder SUV and has announced plans to offer Sirius radios as an option this fall on numerous Infiniti and Nissan 2003 models. Future Audi and Volkswagen models will also offer Sirius.

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Check out the companies making headlines before the bell:
Peloton (PTON) – Peloton added 1% in premarket trading after surging more than 20% in each of the past two sessions. Yesterday's gains came after the fitness equipment maker announced that CEO John Foley was stepping down in favor of former Spotify and Netflix CFO Barry McCarthy and that the company would be cutting 20% of its corporate positions.
Canopy Growth (CGC) – The Canada-based cannabis producer's stock rallied 6% in the premarket after it reported a narrower-than-anticipated loss as well as better-than-expected revenue for its latest quarter. Cannabis sales declined but were offset by growth in its drinks and vapes categories.
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Reynolds Consumer Products (REYN) – Reynolds shares fell 1.8% in premarket trading after the consumer products company reported a mixed quarter: beating bottom-line estimates but reporting revenue that fell short of Wall Street forecasts. Reynolds also forecast weaker-than-expected revenue for the current quarter.
Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) – Chipotle reported an adjusted quarterly profit of $5.58 per share, beating the $5.25 consensus estimate, with revenue in line with analyst forecasts. The restaurant chain said it was raising menu prices to deal with higher costs for labor and food, and said they would likely be raised again this year. Chipotle jumped 6.1% in the premarket.
Lyft (LYFT) – Lyft earned an adjusted 9 cents per share for its latest quarter, 1 cent above estimates, with the ride-hailing service also reporting better-than-expected revenue. The stock fell 3.7% in the premarket as ridership numbers came in below analyst forecasts, although that was offset by higher fares and longer trips by Lyft customers.
Nikola (NKLA) – Nikola denied a report that it instituted a hiring freeze and that the electric truck maker has lost nearly its entire supply chain leadership. Nikola said its supply chain department is "intact" and it continues to hire. The stock added 1.4% in premarket trading.
Xpeng (XPEV) – Xpeng leaped 6.8% in the premarket after the electric vehicle maker's Hong Kong shares were included in a trading link to mainland China. Inclusion in the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect link allows Chinese investors easier access to those shares.
Enphase Energy (ENPH) – Enphase surged 20.3% in premarket action following a better-than-expected quarterly report from the maker of solar and battery systems. Enphase earned an adjusted 73 cents per share for the quarter, beating the 58-cent consensus estimate.
XPO Logistics (XPO) – The logistics company's shares jumped 3.4% in the premarket after its quarterly results exceeded analyst forecasts. XPO said strong North American trucking business was among the factors driving those results.
Container Store (TCS) – The specialty retailer's shares tumbled 26% in the premarket despite better-than-expected profit and sales for the company's most recent quarter. Overall sales were down 3% from a year ago and online sales tumbled by 36% compared with a year earlier.
NCR (NCR) – The financial technology and services company's stock soared 11.3% in premarket trading after it said it would conduct a strategic review of its operations, adding that it believes there is substantial shareholder value yet to be unlocked.


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Have you heard of Apple’s “Kill Switch”? If not, then you might want to look into it. This feature is the new theft deterrent system that will allow the owner of the device to remotely lock it and wipe it clean if ever lost or stolen. If I might say so myself… it’s about time!
In 2013, more than 3 million cellphones were stolen according to Consumer Reports. These days the average price of a premium phone is $585, not only making this an expensive loss but an attractive target for thieves as they can easily resell your stolen device.
A cellphone no longer is just an address book, it contains many aspects of a person’s life, ranging from photos, videos, social media access, banking information etc. So when the theft does occur it can cause many stresses to the victim on a variety of levels. According to IDG research 50% of phone theft victims would pay $500 to get their devices back, and 33% would pay up to $1000. If you think about it, that is a small price to pay to get your “life” back.
This feature is giving Apple device owners more comfort in knowing their personal data is protected from thieves. According to Reuters, the “Kill Switch” has greatly decreased iPhone thefts as thieves are finding the device useless. This feature is the new game changer when it comes to cellphone theft, putting the control back in the owners’ hands where it belongs.
Now to think about key management as part of your organization’s strategy, especially if using mobile devices. Having a data encryption solution with an industry-leading key management engine should be a priority for all businesses.


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Opening in the era of music hall and phonograph cylinders, it has survived the birth - and decline - of vinyl, the arrival of picture discs, audio cassettes, the CD and the iPod, while witnessing musical trends from Gilbert and Sullivan to death metal and grindcore.
Spillers Records in the centre of Cardiff is officially acknowledged as the world’s oldest music store by Guinness World Records. Now its future is uncertain - and some of the world’s biggest stars are being asked to back a campaign to keep it open.
Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé and Justine Timberlake are among artists being recruited to support a petition endorsed by Welsh groups including Manic Street Preachers and Super Furry Animals. More than 1,700 people have signed up so far. The uncertain future of Spillers, which opened in 1894, is due to a combination of commercial pressures, the need of its present owner to sell up and the download revolution.
Its plight mirrors that of other independent record shops around the country which are battling to survive. In the past year, Reckless Records in London has closed two of its shops; Reddingtons Rare Records in Birmingham has been forced to operate only online after more than 40 years, and Mole Jazz, in King’s Cross, considered by many to be the best jazz record store in the country, has closed.
Nick Todd, who first worked in Spillers more than 30 years ago and has co-owned it for 21 years, is being forced to sell by next March as part of the divorce settlement with his wife, the other part-owner. “It is going to break my heart to sell it, but maybe it’s time to move on anyway.’’ The shop, which has a prime site in the city, is facing pressure to move from its landlord, the property company Helical Bar, which is anxious to redevelop the area for high street chains. The company says rents could increase 100 per cent unless the shop moves to a nearby arcade. Mr Todd is talking to prospective purchasers but concedes that the rent rises may be a deterrent.
Columbia Records, part of the Sony group and for which Dylan and the other stars record, was alerted to the plight of the shop by the Manic Street Preachers, two of whose members, Nicky Wire and James Dean Bradfield, used to busk outside Spillers in the 1980s. A statement in support of the campaign, signed by Wire, Bradfield and fellow band member Sean Moore, says: “Spillers was a lifeline. It gave us our musical education - the only record shop in Wales where we could find music that made us who we are.”
Jim Fletcher, marketing manager for Columbia said: “It has struck a real chord with us. We are the oldest record label in the world and they are the oldest record shop. I think the idea of going down the local record shop is something we can all identify with, in the same way as people like local bookshops. People appreciate the sociability of shops like Spillers, who will stock stuff that the big High Street stores won’t have; they will also make recommendations to customers about what to listen to.’’
The petition, which will be delivered to the landlord, was started by Owen John Thomas, a Plaid Cymru member of the Welsh Assembly at the suggestion of his son and press officer, Hywel Thomas, who passes the shop every day on his way home. It is important that we retain small independent shops such as this.


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The Jakarta Post
A list of imported goods that will be subject to additional taxes will be announced within the next two weeks, said Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati in Jakarta on Friday.
She assured that no raw or manufacturing materials would be on the list, with all those listed being consumer goods and replaceable with local products.
“We have identified all the goods, but we are still examining the production capacity of domestic products and how [the policy] might affect local businesses,” Sri Mulyani told reporters on Friday at a press conference after a high-level meeting on inflation control.
The minister said the government had lined up approximately 900 categories of imported goods that might be replaceable with domestic products.
Currently, all imported goods are subject to 2.5 to 10 percent import tax.
Sri Mulyani declined to specifically mention the goods that would be on the list and the additional import tax that would be imposed.
She said the issuance of the list would be based on Finance Ministerial Regulation No. 132/2015 on the classification of imported goods and their import tax and Finance Ministerial Regulation No. 34/2017 on the collection of income tax related to the payment of imports and other business activities. (bbn)


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Local Flower Shop News
Kittelberger Florist & Gifts celebrates 90 years with free parties in Webster - Rochester Democrat and ChronicleTuesday, January 08, 2019
It's Kittelberger Florist & Gifts' 90th anniversary and the stalwart retailer in Webster is hosting parties this week to celebrate with customers and the community. On Thursday, Kittelberger is hosting a free concert from 7 to 10 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park on North Avenue in the village featuring music by Rochester Brass and Electric. On Saturday, there will be a big celebration at the store at 263 North Ave. Beginning at 7:30 p.m., the store is partying by serving food to customers in a festive atmosphere. There will be live music from the band Shine, food trucks and fireworks at 9 p.m. All this is to say thank you to customers and the community that have helped Kittelberger grow over the decades, said Bill Horeth, 62, owner of the family business. Now in its fourth generation, the floral and gift shop has changed to keep up with the trends. Initially just a little floral store on farmland, Kittelberger now has over 24,000 square feet of retail space. Beyond florals, the shop is a full-fledged boutique with home decor, jewelry, fashion and gift items, employing 59 people with a dozen family members in the business. ... https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2018/08/07/kittelberger-florist-gifts-celebrates-90-years-webster-ny-gift-shop-anniversary/925108002/
New Kalamazoo drive-through flower shop is heaven on Earth for owner - Mlive KalamazooTuesday, January 08, 2019
The construction worker said he doesn't enjoy entering a business when he is dirty after work, especially on Valentine’s Day, which is considered a “last minute” holiday by florists because so many wait to buy gifts. When Julie first told her husband that she wanted to open a flower shop, she said he didn’t understand why because she has a good job already. “Two days ago he spent hours prepping roses, which is a long process and we do it with every flower,” she said. “I can’t believe it. I’m the luckiest girl in the world for my husband to prep so many roses. He really shows that he cares by being here and I can see that he’s proud because he wouldn’t be here, by my side, if he wasn’t.”Munger said sales have tripled this week due to the romantic holiday. She plans to keep the business small and family-oriented in the future. For more information about All Occasion's Floral and Gifts, visit their Facebook page or call 382-2220. “When people walk in they will feel the positive vibes of myfamily because love is in the air here,” she said. "We’ve never had a Valentine’s Day as special as this." Contact Ursula Zerilli at firstname.lastname@example.org or 269-254-5295. Follow her on twitter. https://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2013/02/new_kalamazoo_drive-through_fl.html
Heights Flower Shoppe Voted Top Florist in Bergen County - TAPinto.netTuesday, January 08, 2019
HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, NJ -- Heights Flowers Shoppe and Tea Room on the Boulevard was named one of the best local businesses in the florist category in the Best of Bergen Readers' Choice Award as by a local magazine.Owner Ray Vorisek wasn't aware that the business was being considered for the honor."It just happened," he said. "It was a nice surprise."Sign Up for E-NewsAs part of the award, Vorisek and the shop will have the opportunity to be featured at an event celebrating all the winners at MetLife Stadium in the fall. Vorisek and Heights Flower Shoppe has been in town for 32 years. He attributed his success in business to his customers and "staff who have been with him for years." He is also the President of the Hasbrouck Heights Chamber of Commerce.Even though noted in the award, Vorisek closed the Victorian Tea House (its complete name) earlier this year. The Tea House was a private room on the second floor available for people to explore and sample the finer points of teas from around the world. He plans to revamp the space an... https://www.tapinto.net/towns/hasbrouck-heights-slash-wood-ridge-slash-teterboro/articles/heights-flower-shoppe-voted-top-florist-in-bergen
Volunteers band together to revive recycled-bouquet program - Palo Alto OnlineTuesday, January 08, 2019
Random Acts of Flowers: Blossom Buddies in Menlo Park and Flowers of Comfort in San Jose.
Many of the volunteers have maintained their earlier relationships with local donor retailers, florists and markets.
"There's nothing that excites us as much as a bucket of day-old or week-old flowers," said Palo Alto resident Barbara Levin, as the group cheered the arrival of a new bucket of leftovers from Mills Florist. Levin is a longtime volunteer who routinely collects cast-offs from Trader Joe's in Palo Alto. Others pick up from Trader Joe's in Menlo Park and a branch of Whole Foods.
"We never know what flowers or vases we're going to have to work with, so every time we come in it's a new and interesting experience and it's a way of showing off our creative side," Levin said.
The women have no trouble unpacking funeral wreaths and other event-specific arrangements to "create something more interesting," Klause said. But in some cases the used flowers are not fresh enough for a second life and must be discarded.
Volunteer Sandra Bachman, a Woodside resident, said her favorite place to deliver is Stanford University Hospital.
"To go in and see patients that do not have any flowers or visitors and walk in with a bouquet and for five minutes they forget about their problems," Bachman said. "They open their eyes and to get that smile, and to hear through that family what a difference that can make for healing ... A lot of the nurses say it helps them heal. It brings the outside in, the sunshine in."
For more information about Avenidas Blooms, write to email@example.com or call 650-289-5400.---
Follow the Palo Alto Weekly/Palo Alto Online on Twitter @PaloAltoWeekly and Facebook for breaking news, local events, photos, videos and more. ... https://paloaltoonline.com/news/2018/10/07/volunteers-band-together-to-revive-recycled-bouquet-program
Florist Fire outgrows Hyde Park Village, relocates to Davis Islands - Tampa Bay TimesTuesday, January 08, 2019
TAMPA -- Florist Fire Design House creates award-winning florals for any special occasion: weddings, corporate parties, charity events “and just because flowers make everyone happy,” said Gayle Zerr, the owner/lead designer who relocated the floral shop to downtown Davis Islands last month.“We outgrew our space in Hyde Park Village,” Zerr said. “I really like the sense of community on Davis Islands and felt it needed a neighborhood flower shop.”Weddings keep the business busy year round and account for 75 percent of the work.“I love weddings,” Zerr said. “We’ve done themes from traditional to Bollywood, a really fun one with exotic flowers, incense and lanterns.”Corporate and charitable clients, including Wine, Women and Shoes and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital gala can take 80 hours of planning and preparing, she said.“We did a Dali event where we copied his paintings and portrayed them in florals... https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/city-times/florist-fire-outgrows-hyde-park-village-relocates-to-davis-island-20181011/


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In an interview about the state of cryptocurrencies in Venezuela with a local radio network (Union Radio), Jorge Farias, CEO and founder of Panama-based company Cryptobuyer, announced the first Bitcoin ATM would be installed in the coming weeks. He also announced the company will be campaigning actively to show Venezuelans the usefulness of cryptocurrencies as a store of value.
First Bitcoin ATM to be Installed in Venezuela
Jorge Farias, CEO and founder of Cryptobuyer, a cryptocurrency platform that lets users top up their phones, pay bills, and even change their crypto in and out of fiat, announced they would be installing the first Bitcoin ATM in the history of the country in the coming weeks. “We are going to install this cryptocurrency ATM in short; we have the equipment already here in the country, we are running the final tests and we will be sharing details in social networks,” Farias explained.
The ATMs will receive cash money from the user and then they will transfer the value of that cash to the crypto wallet of the customer instantly. Farias also announced that in the current state of the country, it is important to teach people the real value of cryptocurrencies as a store of value.
“These tools are much easier to use than regular ATMs,” the CEO noted. He did not reveal details about the possible know-your-customer (KYC) requirements or fees involved.
Venezuela’s Crypto Journey
Venezuela has made crypto headlines quite frequently due to the rise in the usage of decentralized digital money being used as a store of value due to the raging levels of inflation and devaluation it has suffered recently.
Most of the cryptocurrency movement in the country happens through LocalBitcoins, a peer-2-peer exchange preferred due to its light KYC policies. Through this platform Venezuelans exchanged more than 6,000 bitcoin according to Coin Dance as of last December, a significant number for a country with a fiat devaluation of more than 200%.
CONTINUE THE SPICE and check out our piping hot YouTube channel. Our podcast, Milk, might help sooth that crypto burn. Follow CoinSpice on Twitter. Join our Telegram feed to make sure you never miss a post. Drop some BCH at the merch shop — we’ve got some spicy shirts for men and women. Don’t forget to help spread the word about CoinSpice on social media.


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Customers stroll previous a electronic display screen of the new eco-friendly shade Apple Apple iphone 13 pro inside the Apple Keep on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, in New York, March 18, 2022.
Mike Segar | Reuters
LONDON — Apple has obtained British fintech begin-up Credit rating Kudos, a particular person familiar with the issue explained to CNBC, confirming an previously media report.
The offer was finalized previously this week, the particular person mentioned, preferring to continue to be anonymous discussing commercially delicate facts.
The news was first described by crypto-focused media outlet The Block, citing three resources acquainted with the matter. The deal values Credit history Kudos at all around $150 million, The Block noted.
A spokesperson for Apple claimed the U.S. tech huge “buys lesser technology providers from time to time, and we usually do not examine our intent or ideas.” Credit history Kudos was not promptly accessible for remark when contacted by CNBC.
Based in London, Credit score Kudos develops application that works by using consumers’ banking facts to make extra knowledgeable credit checks on personal loan applications. It is a challenger to the large credit history reporting businesses, which incorporate Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
The deal could have major implications for some of Credit rating Kudos’ shoppers, which contain the London-based mostly fintech corporations Curve and Fronted.
Credit score Kudos experienced been in conversations about a attainable sale as early as January, two people today common with the issue formerly explained to CNBC. They spoke on the problem of anonymity thanks to the delicate mother nature of the talks.
The firm operates in a nascent space in the environment of fintech recognized as “open banking,” exactly where third-bash firms securely hyperlink to people’s bank accounts to extract info and make payments on their behalf, furnished they have bought consent to do so.
The pattern has obtained momentum in Europe in latest several years thanks to fintech-pleasant procedures launched in 2018 that aim to raise level of competition in the payments market.
It has ignited enormous curiosity from traders, with Silicon Valley start out-up Plaid getting valued at $13.4 billion in a funding round past calendar year.
Plaid experienced formerly agreed to be bought by Visa, but scrapped those people plans subsequent an antitrust lawsuit from the U.S. federal government.
Visa subsequently obtained Tink, a Swedish enterprise that competes with Plaid, for $2.1 billion.
It is not nonetheless obvious what Apple has planned for Credit history Kudos. The organization has produced substantial inroads into economical services more than the years by way of its Apple Shell out mobile wallet and the Apple Card, a credit card the business launched in partnership with Goldman Sachs in the U.S.
Credit score Kudos, which last been given undertaking funds funding in early 2020, has elevated a total of £7.8 million to day, according to Crunchbase facts. The business racked up losses of £4.5 million ($5.9 million) in its 2020 economical yr, double the £2.2 million it lost in 2019, according to a Organizations Household submitting.
– CNBC’s Sam Shead contributed to this report


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Russia’s announcement about its embargo on agriculture products from the US and Europe opens “a great window of opportunities for Brazil” to get into the Russian market, says Secretary for Agricultural Policy Seneri Paludo from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply.
Russia has imposed a ban on imported food products from European countries and the US in response to their economic sanctions against Moscow over its involvement in the Ukrainian war. This embargo includes beef, pork, chicken, fish, cheese, milk, vegetables and fruit originated from the US, the European Union and also Australia, Canada and Norway.
“From the point of view of Brazilian agriculture policy, this is positive,” stated the secretary, because “Russia is a big consumer not only of grains but also of meat.” In his view, Russia’s move may result in a “revolution” in Brazil’s meat, corn and soy exports.
Brazil is waiting on an offer from the European Union to advance a trade agreement alongside other Mercosur countries with the European bloc, the Minister for Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Mauro Borges, said.
“We are waiting for an indication that the European Union is consulting with its member countries,” he affirmed, explaining that no deadlines have been set for a reply.
But Borges admitted that Brazil could press ahead of its Mercosur peers towards a deal with the EU if it finds that its peers are moving in a slower pace, as was the case with the tariff reduction deal with member countries of the Pacific Alliance – namely Chile, Colombia, and Peru.
“Concerning Mercosur agreements with neighbor countries, the process of tax reduction is going much faster, ie, we are already operating in the fast track of tax reduction. This has often been the case with trade agreements in Latin America.”
Still, he went on to point out that although it is still a possibility, Brazil would not like to step ahead of its Mercosur partners.
The minister advocated multilateralism to strengthen trade integration with the EU, the United States, and China, while not overlooking the need for more integration in Latin America.
He said an agreement with the EU would enable the emergence of a productive specialization in Brazil’s diverse industrial base with technological cooperation. Therefore, he says a EU deal is critical in terms of gains in scale.
About strengthening production integration in Latin America, Borges noted that Brazil has recommended bringing forward economic agreements with countries of the Pacific Alliance in South America, with a view to a free trade status in 2019.
The minister believes that such integration would position Brazil to take great strides in the area of trade by increasing the current total trade of US$ 500 billion to about US$ 1 trillion over the next ten years.


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OTTAWA, ONT—For more than 20 years, the Hotel Association of Canada’s Green Key Eco-Rating program, run by Green Key Global, has been evolving to keep up with changing trends, technologies, operational practices, standards and expectations. According to Rebecca Bartlett-Jones, Manager, Business Development, Green Key Global, the Eco-Rating program is about to evolve again with a new version of the hotel certification program set to launch on February 1. While previously mostly a North America-centric program, moving forward it will be entirely North America-centric.
Already recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), Green Key Global is working toward accredited certification through GSTC. “We want to have the first accredited certification through GSTC,” Bartlett-Jones says.
The upgrades to the Eco-Rating program were driven in part by those running Green Key’s 1,500 certified hotels and 350 certified venues but also because of a desire by the program’s owners to look at sustainability in a more holistic way. The new program, for example, will align with all 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. There will be questions on regenerative tourism, corporate and social responsibility (CSR), and environmental, social, and governance factors (ESG). The Eco-Rating program will be more rigorous, requiring properties to report on current processes and plan future initiatives. “We will require planning to also be assessed,” Bartlett-Jones says. “How is your sustainability evolving?”
Mandatory Audit Process
As soon as within 90 days of the submission of a certification application, a property will be audited online by Control Union. Those certifying their properties through Green Key Global will have to recertify every three years.
Green Key Global will be upgrading its Meetings program later this year—making it more holistic as well. The Meetings program will be recognized by GSTC.
To complement the new Meetings program, Green Key Global is working with environmental partners to develop a Carbon Neutral Event certification program for individual meetings and events. Carbon neutrality is achieved by calculating a carbon footprint and reducing it to zero through a combination of efficiency measures in-house and supporting external emission reduction projects. “We will be launching this program by the end of March,” Bartlett-Jones says. “We will be able to certify individual events for carbon neutrality. It will be online. Synergy Enterprises is arranging the carbon offsets.”
Carbon, ROI Calculators Coming Soon
Within the next four months Green Key Global will release a carbon calculator and ROI calculator. Also coming in 2023 is a Greenhouse Gas tool. Increased reporting and benchmarking functionality will also be available for individual properties, hotel groups, and large brands.
Green Key Global will be expanding its supplier program and will offer educational assistance. It will also hold participating suppliers to a stricter code of conduct.
A white paper, webinars and video case studies are also planned. Green Key Global has invested in new marketing materials to support its industry partners.
Internally, Green Key Global is implementing a CSR and ESG strategy and action plan. “We are working with Bullfrog Power to make sure we offset our carbon,” Bartlett-Jones says.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at email@example.com.


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McCabe Takes Reins At Biederlack
December 12, 2005,
Peter McCabe has been named president of Biederlack of America after a career that spans more than 22 years at the blanket and throw supplier, most recently as executive vice president of sales and marketing.
He reports to Michael Ottenjann, managing director of Biederlack, Germany.
Biederlack, with mills in Germany, the U.S. and the Far East, has annual sales in the range of $100 million and more than 500 employees. During 2004, the American operation recorded sales of $49 million.
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1200 Suppliers are Ready for You at Intertextile Shanghai
Home & Textiles Today eDaily
Most Viewed Articles
See the August 2017 issue of Home & Textiles Today. In this issue, we look at the Top 50 Retailing Giants Report, plus Manufacturing: Made in the USA gaining ground; International: Portugal ramping up exports; New products: NY Now home textiles introductions; Outlook: Commentary from H&TT's editors; and Planning: Trade show calendar.


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One of the many concerns that has been at the forefront of the fashion industry handling the current pandemic is that of the supply chain. Particularly for companies the operate across an international stage, the question remains as to what should be done for the best – at a stage where we’re still pretty unsure of most things. What can now be done for the best, and why is it so important to take action?
Factory production in China is starting to return to normal levels but for many other countries, the long-term picture is not so clear. It’s a natural human instinct for us to step back and wait to see how a situation unfolds, but in this instance, brands and agents must prepare for business recovery as soon as possible. There is likely to be a “bullwhip effect” one the worst of the crisis has passed, meaning those that have decided to dramatically their inventory will find themselves in need of taking new stock – which may prove to be quite difficult. What’s important to remember is that suppliers themselves will be overwhelmed with a probable order backlog as well as a surge of new ones. Those that hesitate to get their orders in are likely to make up the back of the queue.
As we spend an increasing amount of time in isolated circumstances, the clearer it becomes that we may not be able to handle the knock-on effect as we perhaps handled the financial crash of 2008. At the moment, there is no structural crisis (assuming economic progress is made within the next few months), whereas in 2008, the banks were already on their knees. It’s also extremely unusual that the virus outbreak is affecting both supply and demand in equal measure – factory workers unable to do their jobs while stores face mass closures.
Continuing to communicate with key team members remain the priority of ensuring a brand is in good shape for survival, keeping tabs on which orders are on time, and where possible cutbacks could be made – if any. Taking accurate inventory of all stock will help to achieve this, identifying what can be used and orders for needed materials can be placed as soon as possible, rather than waiting a few weeks. Factories themselves may be at risk of overpromising and underdelivering, so building in delivery delays and logistics disruptions to your overall strategy may prove to be vital.
Ensuring that the partnership between retailers and suppliers remain aligned and intact, chain leaders who act and plan for now will ultimately be the better prepared to recover from the fallout.
Image source: https://www.pexels.com/@kseniachernaya


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New Delhi: The Prime Minister’s Office has taken a review of the Department of Posts with special focus on the implementation of proposals submitted by a Task Force on leveraging the DoP’s post office network.
The PMO held a meeting with senior officials last week and discussed the action taken by DoP so far regarding setting up of the Payments Bank, e-commerce initiatives and modernisation of its IT infrastructure.
According to sources, the PMO is monitoring the progress made by DoP to improve its functioning and utilising the vast network of post offices across the country for financial inclusion.
Regarding the Payment Bank, the DoP in its action taken report to PMO said the Public Investment Board (PIB) in its
meeting held on 19 January discussed the Rs 800-crore proposal and is awaiting PIB’s response.
“The recommendations of PIB shall thereafter be placed before the cabinet for final approval. Meanwhile, the
Department is in the process of engaging a consultant for assisting it in setting up the India Post Payments Bank; three bids were received by January 8, 2016 and are currently being evaluated,” DoP said in the report.
For strengthening the e-commerce infrastructure, DoP has set up 57 new state-of-the-art parcel centres across the
country through which more than 400 e-commerce companies are being serviced.
DoP said GPS is being fitted in the outsourced and departmental vehicles to enable real-time tracking of parcel
consignments. GPS devices have been installed in 926 departmental mail vans.
The department said it is already implementing schemes for upgrading the infrastructure for handling logistics and
parcels across the country and the current Five Year Plan has an approved outlay of Rs 568.20 crore for ‘Mail Operations’ to cover such requirements.
DoP said its tariff and costing division has reviewed the tariff of various services, in the light of directions
received from the PMO and tariff for foreign mail services has been revised with effect from 1 December 2015.
The department said it had written to all the government departments, state governments and PSUs offering them its
services for social mobilisation of their schemes.
“This has resulted in tie-ups with DAVP for use of postal services for pan India distribution of its calendars up to Panchayat level. Agreement has been signed with Bharat Electronics for delivery of their sensitive equipment across 80 locations within the country through Speed Post,” it said.
The department has also undertaken sale of Sovereign Gold Bonds as part of PM’s Swaran Bharat Yojana on behalf of the Finance Ministry while a scheme for sale of India Gold Coins through Post Offices in collaboration with MMTC is also in final stages.


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King Khan rules the ad world with memorable ads for brands like Pepsi, Lux, Hyundai & more
On Shah Rukh Khan’s 53 birthday, we take a look at his brand association journey over the years
Having spent decades in the Bollywood industry, Shah Rukh Khan is not only known for his performances, intelligence and charisma in the film industry, in fact, he is considered as the preferred choice by brands, when it comes to brand endorsements. He has made an admirable position in the advertising world. Over the years, the film star has worked with many iconic brands ranging from soft drinks to automobile. The actor also features in e-commerce brands such as Big Basket and Foodpanda.
According to a report, Khan’s brand value stands at $131 million. As per estimates, the actor charges Rs 3 to 3.5 crore a day for an endorsement. There were reports that the actor charged Rs 20 crore for endorsing Pan Vilas pan masala.
In 2017, Shah Rukh Khan was associated with 21 brands, at that point of time his brand value came down by nearly 20 per cent from 2016 to $106 million. No wonder then he still remains the king of endorsements.
In 2008, TAM Media research, came out with a report stating that the King Khan endorsed the highest number of brands in 2008 on television. In that specific year, he was endorsing an array of 39 brands, which is known to be the highest number of brands any actor has endorsed.
On his 53rd birthday, we take a look at some of his best association with brands:
Pepsico might have some of the best ensemble of brand ambassadors, but the most iconic association would be Shah Rukh Khan. Together they have given some of the best and unforgettable ads in the industry. Whether it’s the unusual ‘Oye Bubly’ campaign or the renowned ‘Aah, Ye Dil Maange More’ campaign, we can’t afford to miss this from our list.
He has been the face of Hyundai for nearly two decades. He started his stint at Hyundai Motors becoming the brand ambassador of Santro in 1998. It was the first car from Hyundai Motors in India. Over the years, the star has been the face of not just Santro but for other products of Hyundai Motor India as well.
Shahrukh Khan signed his bond with Frooti way back in 2013, and has done multiple TV campaigns for the promotion of the brand.
The actor is representing the brand since a long time. He has done many TV commercials for the brand, some standalone and some with other superstars. Among all the ads he has done, the most popular was, when Bollywood’s leading ladies assisted the superstar into a bathtub. In 2012, SRK and Katrina Kaif shared screen together for the first time for Lux.
DISH TV roped Shah Rukh khan for the first time in 2007, and since then it’s been a decade the actor is representing the brand. King Khan continues to play a key role in brand’s communication strategy.
Denver signed up Shah Rukh Khan to endorse its deodorant range of products. The brand acclaims King Khan as a true portrayal of its vision of being agile and successful. The actor will be seen endorsing Denver Deodorant in various marketing and promotional campaigns.
SRK not only restricted himself with big established brands, but also came on board with emerging brands like Big Basket and Foodpanda. Big basket roped SRK as the brand ambassador in 2015 and since then the star has appeared in many campaigns promoting the brand.
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New Data Shows Auto Services Stores Fail to Capture Millions in Sales from Customers Over the Phone
Data from the
This equates to a multi-million-dollar opportunity for brands that can create better customer experiences over the phone, according to the report.
Analysts at the
The data showed:
- Customer service representatives fail to book an appointment or sell a product 32% of the time to customers who have expressed clear intent. Nearly one third of the time when callers want to book an appointment or buy a product, service center representatives fail to capture the business.
- 13% of all calls to stores result in no connection at all. This is due to hold time or voicemail abandons – or simply because the business did not answer the phone.
- 68% of callers who don't reach a business on first attempt don't call back. Competition in the industry is fierce, and prospective customers are quick to move on if they don’t get what they want on their first try.
- In more than 30 percent of calls that ended in negative outcomes, customers were calling about tires, one of the highest value opportunities in the aftermarket industry. In these calls, customers often heard the word ‘no’ when appointment times weren’t available or inventory was out of stock.
“The data shines a spotlight on how auto services stores, particularly those that offer tires, can boost sales just by understanding how to speak to customers at each touchpoint in the journey,” said
The opportunity for auto services stores to grow market share is emerging because of significant shifts in consumer behavior, according to the report. For the first time in five years, more people are either keeping their cars longer or turning to the used market rather than buying new cars.
“The data shows there is potentially millions of dollars up for grabs in a growing industry by optimizing phone calls,” said Muilenburg. “Calls are a critical step in the path to purchase for the consumer. Yet stores miss out every month on opportunities to generate revenue and capture new customers because of their poor call handling processes.”
For more information, including tips on how to create a successful sales call during each point of the conversation, go to Marchex Institute Auto Services Industry Report 2019.
Please visit the
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191105005277/en/
Marchex Investor Relations
Trevor Caldwell, 206-331-3600


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Southwest Airlines’ unique combination of low fares, friendly customer service and reliability has made it one of the most successful—and respected—airlines in the world. Given its fanatical focus on customer experience, it isn’t surprising that Southwest has always smartly served its Hispanic customers. Over the years, the airline has invested heavily in Spanish-language advertising. In 2004, it launched a Spanish microsite, but was dissatisfied with the results. Southwest leadership chose to investigate better options.
When Southwest acquired AirTran, it discovered that AirTran had been operating a successful Spanish-language website since 2008. Capitalizing on the chance to learn how AirTran had been successful, executives at Southwest took a closer look.
Southwest’s investigation into led them to MotionPoint, the company that operated AirTran’s Spanish website. The data MotionPoint shared on how the Hispanic market reacts in the online channel made sense. Southwest concluded that MotionPoint would likewise increase engagement of Hispanics online for Southwest.com.


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Just a week after Apple Inc. shipped the Apple TV, Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) has decided to stop developing new models of its Digital Entertainment Center line in favor of a simpler, more consumer-friendly design, HP said Wednesday.
HP designed the Digital Entertainment Center (DEC) as a sophisticated product with a full complement of audio/visual ports to connect to any television set, according to Pat Kinley, public relations manager for digital entertainment at HP. The product, more expensive than PCs running Microsoft Corp.'s Media Center OS and designed to look more at home in a living room than a typical PC, was pitched to specialty retailers selling custom installations for high-end home theaters, she said. The company will now stop development of the line, although it will sell and support the remaining units in the marketplace.
"We have other products on the market now and future products that I can't talk about that perform essentially the same function in a way that's easier for the consumer [to use]. We're moving to a scenario where the TV itself can be attached to the home network, the MediaSmart TV," Kinley said.
As recently as September, HP had launched two DEC models, saying the z565 and z560 could serve as high-definition digital video recorders as well as managing music collections and creating digital photo slide shows. The machines run Microsoft Corp.'s new Windows Vista Premium OS, offering up to 800G bytes of hard-disk capacity and Intel Corp.'s dual-core processors and Viiv entertainment bundle.
By packing so much power into the DEC, HP was moving away from the market trend toward less-expensive devices with simpler interfaces, such as the Apple TV set-top box, one analyst said.
"The home theater buff is becoming more and more of an endangered species, because high fidelity has given way to convenience," said Josh Martin, an analyst with The Yankee Group. The popularity of portable music players like Apple's iPod has shown that most users are willing to trade the quality of music recorded on CDs for the mobility of music stored as MP3 files.
This trend won't reduce demand for PCs running Windows Media Center Edition OS, however. Users still need to manage their personal and Web-based media, and the PC is a far better tool for that job than the TV, Martin said.
HP's move is logical, according to Richard Doherty, research director at The Envisioneering Group in Seaford, New York, adding that "no one has tried harder than HP" to make the promise of Media Center software work. But given its other efforts in the digital home arena such as Media Vault and Media Smart TVs, it makes sense to refocus, he said.
Martin sees vendors meeting the increasing demand for simplicity with a new class of TVs that can play digital content stored on PCs, USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices or networked storage without relying on an additional set-top box. By beginning its transition to that model now, HP could get a jump on its future competitors. The connected TV is not a mass market yet, but future producers could include traditional television set makers such as Sony Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Pioneer Corp., as well as router makers like Netgear Inc., D-Link Systems Inc. and Cisco Systems Inc., and gaming console makers like Microsoft and Nintendo Co. Ltd.
The winning formula in that market will be ease of use and simplicity, Martin said.
(With additional reporting by Elizabeth Heichler in Boston).


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“First Apple (AAPL) started refunding customers who had paid for expedited shipping, alerting them by e-mail that ‘Due to a delay, we may have not been able to meet our delivery commitment’ and triggering speculation about possible production problems,” Philip Elmer-DeWitt reports for Fortune.
P.E.D reports, “Then the shipping notices began appearing, along with the first hands-on review — at Fox News, of all places.”
MacDailyNews Take: Fox News’ tech reporter Clayton Morris has been on the Apple beat for some time now, P.E.D.
P.E.D reports, “But it’s not clear how many Apple TVs the company will be able to get out the door under the Sept. 30 wire. Anybody trying to order one today faces a 2-3 week shipping delay.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: From what we see and hear, significantly more people are interested in the new $99 Apple TV vs. the previous models.


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Uteco has announced that its printing presses have been installed at four new locations – Print Pro, Inc., in Greenville, Wisconsin; Garlock Printing & Converting, in Gardner, Massachusetts and Reno, Nevada; and M&M Printed Bag, in Chino Hills, California.
Print Pro, Inc. purchased a Uteco gearless flexo press as a means of further growing its tissue and towel wrap business. Garlock Printing & Converting installed two presses, a Diamond in its Nevada facility and an Onyx in its Massachusetts facility. Lastly, M&M Printed Bag recently added its second Onyx press.
(770) 427-4100; www.utecona.com


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Of all the video games you’d expect to thrive during the pandemic, you would probably guess Fortnite or Minecraft and you would be right. You would not guess Boktai, the Game Boy Advance game that required you to charge your vampire-killing gun by physically standing outside in the daylight. You also probably would not guess Pokémon Go, which already had its moment way back in 2016 and was largely based around going to public places with other human people, but you would apparently be wrong about that. The game got a “remote” mode back in May that allowed users to play it from home, and this past weekend there was a Pokémon Go Fest event that was so popular with players that—according to GamesIndustry.biz—they ended up spending a total of $17.5 million over the course of two days. On Saturday, the first day of the event, players spent $8.9 million, making it the highest single-day total for the game since the day it came out. That’s wild! That’s the kind of nonsense that happens in Grand Theft Auto Online, not Pokémon Go!
As explained by Nintendo Life, most of that money came from the fact that you had to pay $15 to get into the event, which granted access to special multi-user raids and pocket monsters that you couldn’t get otherwise. As it turns out, though, making a ton of money isn’t really new for Pokémon Go, despite its relative age. GamesIndustry.biz says it has already made $540 million this year, bringing its lifetime revenue to nearly $3.7 billion. It just doesn’t usually make all of that money in one day. Now: Who do we talk to about rebooting Boktai?


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KFC announces price cut
Restaurants of Jamaica, the local franchise holder for KFC, has announced a rollback of the prices of some of its products.
It says the rollback took effect last week and applies to chicken-on-the-bone products.
The prices of its zinger, popcorn chicken, hot wings and krispers remain unchanged.
Restaurants of Jamaica did not state by how much it was cutting prices in its Twitter post announcing the move on Friday.
It said the cut is in line with its chicken supplier, Jamaica Broilers', recent price cut.
"Although this price cut from Jamaica Broilers was minimal, we welcome this reduction as a step in the right direction and we look forward to more significant reductions as the global market stabilises," it said in the Twitter post.
Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Inst gram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at email@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.org.


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President Donald Trump said on Monday that China is ready to come back to the negotiating table and the two countries will start talking very seriously.Politicsread more
The escalating trade war between Washington and Beijing dominated discussions at the G-7 gathering in France.Politicsread more
China's state media is putting up a brave front as the country's trade war with the U.S. escalated sharply over the weekend.China Economyread more
The latest round of tariff announcements in the last few days means that by the end of the year, essentially all Chinese goods exported to the U.S. will be subject to duties.China Economyread more
U.S. stock futures surged Monday morning after President Trump said China is ready to come back to the negotiating table following a phone call Sunday and the two countries...Marketsread more
As Washington and Beijing continue to up the ante in their protracted trade fight, the potential of a recession in the U.S. is now "the biggest concern," according to Standard...US Economyread more
Tensions stemming from the U.S.-China trade war escalated sharply over the last few days, with much happening as Asian markets were shut down for the weekend.China Economyread more
Clouding the G-7 gathering, which represents the world's major industrial economies, are the tit-for-tat tariffs between Washington and Beijing.Politicsread more
Neither the U.S. nor China wants to be seen as the party that derailed trade talks, says William Reinsch of Center for Strategic and International Studies.World Economyread more
China said Friday it will be resuming 25% duties on U.S. autos, and a further 5% on auto parts and components.Asia Marketsread more
World leaders, environmental groups and celebrities have publicly decried the vast swaths of forest being destroyed by the fires.World Newsread more
Japan's economy contracted sharply in the second quarter, data on Wednesday showed, as a nationwide consumption tax that took effect in April dragged on its recovery.
Gross domestic product (GDP) shrank an annualized 6.8 percent in the three months ending in June, compared with a Reuters forecast for a 7.1 percent contraction and after growing 6.7 percent in the first quarter.
On a quarterly basis, the economy shrank 1.7 percent, versus expectations for a 1.8 percent contraction and following a 1.6 percent expansion in the first three months of the year.
This marks the largest contraction since the January-March quarter of 2011 when the economy was hit by the impact of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
The Japanese yen was steady against the U.S. dollar at 102.28 following the data, while the benchmark index opened 0.3 percent lower.
"We knew that a decline was coming. We knew that we had some circumstances in the form of the consumption tax hike so I think the data that we've seen is within expectations... slightly better," said Naomi Fink, CEO of Europacifica Consulting.
"But I would also add that many of these releases, especially the volatile ones, also tend to have volatile revisions so we might not have heard the last of these. Also the policymakers will be concerned with how quickly the GDP can bounce back and that's now the question: whether consumption and investment will normalize before the end of the year," she added.
The data underscores the challenges faced by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is trying to engineer a sustainable recovery for the economy while keeping the country's mounting debt, which is among the highest in the developed world, in check.
To rein in the country's debt-to-GDP ratio, which currently stands at north of 240 percent, the government in April raised the sales tax to 8 percent from 5 percent, the first increase in 17 years. When Japan last lifted the sales tax to 5 percent from 3 percent in 1997, the economy fell into recession not too long afterwards.
Following the data release, economy minister Akira Amari said that a decision on plans to hike consumption tax by another two percentage points to 10 percent in 2015 will hinge on various economic data ahead.
But Amari remained upbeat on the world's third-largest economy, noting a surge in GDP before a tax hike and a reactionary slump is a normal response.
He expects the country to continue a moderate recovery as the effect of the April tax hike wanes, a view shared by some analysts.
"Since the tax hike, you have a very poor May and April but June and July is starting to recover. Consumption spending has started to improve and wages are probably going to be increased because some bonuses are doing pretty well. So some people are expecting consumption spending to do well," said Peter Boardman, managing director at Tradewinds.
According to Jesper Koll, MD & head of Japanese equity research at JPMorgan Securities, business confidence is growing which could mean firms are ready to spend.
" When you look at some of the data, we got the machinery order data that is a good 15 percent increase and the key here is capital investment. The Japanese companies are reinvesting here in Japan and the confidence survey with small and medium firms suggest that confidence is growing. Japan is ready to rebound," Koll said.


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Uber strikes deal to list all New York taxis on its app
The company has struck a deal to list all New York City taxis on its app, an alliance that could ease the ride-sharing giant’s driver shortage and temper high fares while directing more business to drivers in taxi, whose livelihoods have been affected by the emergence of the car. application sharing and the pandemic.
While Uber has formed partnerships with select taxi operators overseas and passengers in several U.S. cities can use its app to book taxis if taxi drivers choose to be listed there, the New York City is its first citywide partnership in the United States New York, one of Uber’s most lucrative markets, has been a battleground for the company and the iconic yellow cabs of the city for years.
“It’s bigger and bolder than anything we’ve done,” said Andrew Macdonald, head of global mobility at Uber. The company plans to launch the offer to riders later this spring.
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How would partnerships between Uber and taxi services affect the ride-sharing industry? Join the conversation below.
As part of the agreement, technology partners licensed to the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission will integrate their taxi apps’ software with that of Uber. These apps, operated by Creative Mobile Technologies and Curb Mobility, are used by the city’s roughly 14,000 taxis, according to Uber. Both companies allow credit card payments in taxis and operate screens that display weather, news and advertisements to passengers.
Passengers will pay roughly the same fare for taxi rides as for Uber X rides, according to the company. Uber drivers in New York are paid a minimum time and distance fare set by the TLC. Uber said its drivers typically earn more than that rate. Taxi drivers who agree to take Uber passengers will be paid the same.
The yellow cab’s metered fare is based on a different calculation, which means taxi drivers can earn less, the same, or more on an Uber ride depending on the nature of the ride. Unlike Uber drivers in New York, taxi drivers will see expected earnings before a trip and can decline rides they don’t think are worth it, Uber said.
Uber and its taxi partners will receive a fare reduction. The companies declined to specify terms. Uber’s average overall acceptance rate for rides in the fourth quarter was 20%.
Uber shares rose 5% to $34.70 on Thursday.
For Uber, the alliance marks a departure. Having once promised to disrupt America’s taxi industry, it is now betting that traditional taxis will fuel its next wave of growth. By 2025, Uber wants to list all the taxis in the world on its app. “It’s certainly ambitious,” Mr. Macdonald said, but “I certainly think it’s possible.”
Meera Joshi, deputy mayor of New York who oversees the TLC, said the alliance is creating economic opportunity for taxi drivers “without adding more and more cars.”
“The word ‘disruption’ was almost kind of a superficial word,” said Ms Joshi, who previously served as TLC commissioner. Uber has modernized the taxi industry, lowered barriers to entry and accustomed passengers to service at the push of a button. But that didn’t kill taxis or change the fundamental nature of the service, she said.
Taxi groups have fought Uber for years. In many countries, unions and lobbyists for major taxi companies were behind court cases banning the app. Regulators have taken action against the worker model at the company’s request. Taxi drivers in major European cities such as London, Paris and Rome have sometimes rumbled through traffic in protest at Uber.
The company initially forged alliances with taxis to save its business in some overseas markets, but doubled down on that strategy when it became a growth engine. Uber’s attempts to woo taxis were boosted during the pandemic when the main street driver business dried up. The company says it listed more than 122,000 new taxi drivers on its app last year, four times more than in 2020.
In Barcelona, for example, Uber suspended operations after the local government imposed a rule requiring rideshare drivers to wait 15 minutes before picking up passengers. After a two-year hiatus, Uber returned to the city last year with several hundred taxis on its app, following the model’s use in Madrid.
Also in Austria, Uber turned to recruiting taxis when a rule last year restricted its activities by requiring drivers to obtain taxi licenses. A recruitment push has recruited more than 2,000 taxi drivers in the country, making it one of Uber’s largest foreign taxi markets, according to the company.
In Hong Kong, where taxis are a cheaper and more convenient option for commuters, Uber acquired a popular taxi-cab app last year, bringing thousands of city taxis into its fold.
Uber has everything to gain beyond its rides business. Mr Macdonald said 35% of people who started using the app to hail taxis went on to use other Uber products, such as its food delivery service.
The pandemic has dealt a severe blow to the taxi industry and drivers want to maximize their revenue to offset those losses, said Ron Sherman, chief executive of Creative Mobile Technologies, one of Uber’s partners in New York.
The Uber alliance gives drivers the chance to get a return passenger on trips outside of Manhattan, when they often return empty, he said, which is especially painful as the prices of the gasoline are skyrocketing. Mr. Sherman’s company has a taxi app called Arro, but its user base is no match for Uber’s, he said.
Meanwhile, Uber is running out of gig drivers in the US During the health crisis, they’ve taken on other jobs like delivering food and groceries, and the resulting shortage has pushed up ride prices to record levels last year. Drivers are coming back gradually but riders are coming back faster, Uber and its rival Lyft Inc.
to say. Prices for their rides have fallen slightly from last year’s highs, but last month were still 17% higher on average than in January 2021, according to market research firm YipitData.
“They have the demand and we have the supply,” Sherman said. Uber “needed more supply, so it made sense for us to start talking about a partnership,” he said.
Sheik Jalloh, who has been driving a taxi in New York for more than a decade, said the deal would help his industry keep up with the changing times. “This is the technology on which the new generation relies. No one wants to wait for a taxi when it’s raining or snowing. They just want to call it,” he said.
Some Uber drivers fear the alliance could discourage the company from paying them the bonuses it offers during the labor shortage. Many drivers have returned to ridesharing jobs because of these incentives.
“You’re going to have a whole bunch of drivers by your side,” said Edison Morcelo, who drives full-time for Uber and Lyft in New York. Signing up thousands of new drivers could mean longer wait times for rides and fewer bonuses for Uber drivers.
Analysts said Thursday that Uber will have a leading advantage with the partnership over Lyft in one of the world’s most lucrative ride-sharing markets. Lyft said it was not immediately looking at taxi offers.
—Sam Schechner contributed to this article.
Write to Preetika Rana at [email protected]
Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8


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The 2015 season will be the final chapter of the licensing partnership between Reebok and the CFL.
Reebok became the CFL’s licensing partner prior to the 2003 season, inking a five-year multi-million dollar agreement to become the CFL’s sole producer of uniforms, sideline apparel, and other athletic accessories. After extensions in 2008 and 2013, it appears the CFL is ready to move on from the Massachusetts-based company.
Though an official announcement will not be made until after the Grey Cup in November, the CFL has already signed a contract with a new partner that will kick in prior to the 2016 campaign. While I was unable to learn the identity of the CFL’s new partner, it’s worth noting that the CFL inked its first deal with Reebok three years after it became the official manufacturer of NFL merchandise in 2000. With the NFL signing an agreement with Nike in 2010, the CFL may have chosen to follow the NFL’s lead for a second time in twelve years.
Regardless of the identity of the CFL’s new licensing partner, football fans shouldn’t bet on a league-wide uniform redesign for the league’s nine teams any time soon. With the last redesign taking place just four seasons ago, it’s unlikely that we’ll see such a large-scale redesign initiative in the foreseeable future. With that said, it’s possible a new licensing partnership could lead to one or two teams opting to tinker with their current uniforms.
One thing that should change as a result of the end of the CFL’s agreement with Reebok is the use of the ‘signature’ jerseys that were unveiled last season. While the CFL’s regular home and away uniform designs are owned by their respective teams, the ‘signature’ uniform designs are owned solely by Reebok, making their use impossible beyond this season barring some type of sale.
As far as I’m concerned, doing away with last season’s ‘signature’ looks would hardly be a loss. Aside from the snazzy new uniforms in Calgary and BC (as illegible as the Lion uniforms may be), the majority of the ‘signature’ looks were lackluster. The Bombers’ uniform was particularly atrocious, featuring a double-blue colour scheme that had fans across the province of Manitoba quoting Stef from The Goonies.
The CFL will announce a partnership with a new licensing company following the 2015 season. Though the exact ramifications of the new deal will remain unclear for several months, fans can rest assured of one certainty: the 2016 season will see a ton of new CFL swag hit store shelves across the country. CFL fans would do well to save accordingly.
John Hodge, Blue Bomber Talk


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India’s largest and oldest electric 2-wheeler manufacturer, Hero Electric, announces its partnership with ReadyAssist. The 24×7 roadside assistance company will offer AMC and service support to Hero Electric’s B2B customers. The new initiative comes after the companies’ collaboration to train and upskill 20,000 mechanics in EV skillsets. The new initiative is the first in the industry. With this initiative, the company aims to offer efficient servicing at customer hubs, offer roadside assistance and also resolve breakdown issues on priority.
Hero Electric and ReadyAssist Partnership – Details
The partnership will help Hero Electric’s B2B customers increase their uptime. In addition to this, the partnership will also allow quick and efficient service support to fleet customers. This will help the fleet of vehicles deployed in the last-mile deliveries across the country.
In the past, Hero Electric leased electric vehicles to last-mile delivery, logistics aggregators and other e-commerce players. According to the company, this helps to push them towards greener mobility. ReadyAssist says its goal is to provide 5-star aftersales service for the Hero Electric B2B clients.
Over the last few months, Hero Electric has been committing its resources to build up the B2B business. Earlier this year, the company announced its strategic partnership with Mahindra & Mahindra. The partnership was to cater for the increasing demand by expanding manufacturing capacities. The aim also was to deliver 95 per cent uptime across Hero Electric’s B2B fleet.
Hero Electric is also one of the major companies affected by the international chip shortage. The loss of production due to this saw Hero Electric post zero dispatches in April. The company mentioned that it is like putting an emergency brake on a fast-moving train. Given the high demand for EVs, Hero Electric was doing well in terms of sales. The company continued dealing with supply chain issues, but they managed by sourcing from different places. However, Hero Electric said they would use the time to ramp up production till the time alternate sources are ready to resume production.
Also Read: Hero Electric EV sales hit by chip shortage


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Press Release – Adulttoymegastore.co.nz
FRIDAY 23rd NOVEMBER, WELLINGTON – The 26th of November is Cyber Monday, an online sales phenomenon, born out of the United States which marks one of the busiest e-retail days of the year. Cyber Monday is synonymous with massive, yet time-limited, online …
Adult Toy Store to add more Buzz to Cyber Monday
FRIDAY 23rd NOVEMBER, WELLINGTON – The 26th of November is Cyber Monday, an online sales phenomenon, born out of the United States which marks one of the busiest e-retail days of the year. Cyber Monday is synonymous with massive, yet time-limited, online discounts and is considered the digital version of Black Friday.
Despite e-retail being a global market, Cyber Monday has had an understated presence in New Zealand. Online baby boutique, Belly Beyond, was the first website to bring Cyber Monday to New Zealand shoppers, but fairly few have followed suit. Now online adult toy retailer, Adult Toy Mega Store, have put their hands up to offer large discounts on every one of their 5000 R18 wares for the day.
“When we looked at the overseas sales figures, we couldn’t quite understand why Cyber Monday wasn’t really being offered to New Zealand consumers by our local sites. So we thought we might be able to add a little bit of excitement to the concept by throwing our product category into the mix, literally sex it up a bit. Hopefully other retailers will realise that, if we’re involved, there is really no product group that Cyber Monday can’t apply to, and we’ll see a really positive trading day from the whole market and some great savings for Kiwi shoppers.” says Adult Toy Mega Store Marketing Manager, Catherine Fitzgerald.
It’s true that international sales figures from this heavy shopping day are impressive. Last year, American consumers racked up $1.25 billion on their keyboards in Cyber Monday sales, a 22 per cent growth on the year before. A trend that Fitzgerald hopes can be followed here.
“Already, over a third of online purchases made by New Zealanders are done so on overseas websites. Local e-retailers need to be incredibly competitive with what large international sites can offer our audiences with just a couple of clicks and some affordable shipping. Taking part in these global online activities like Cyber Monday is essential to making sure online New Zealanders are still shopping at home.”


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A new late-night dessert parlour is set to open in Devon later this week - and now the owner has revealed what is on the menu (and it looks amazing).
Mama's Dessert Kitchen will be opening in Torquay and will bring the likes of waffles, crepes, freakshake steins and ice cream to the town centre.
Owner Chesh Solecki said he is really excited to be opening his first branch in Torquay.
"I have lived here my entire life and I think a dessert parlour is what the town needs," he said.
"I think desserts are very fashionable at the moment and there's nothing like it in Torquay, whereas in some towns and cities there are two."
The 33-year-old will be opening the dessert kitchen in the former premises of bar Blu Cargo on Friday, April 6.
Mama's Dessert Kitchen will open for seven days a week between midday and 10pm and Chesh said he wants it to appeal to everyone.
"Desserts are not just for children, the reason we are opening until 10pm is because I think a lot of people like to go out in the evening to have something to eat," he added.
"If the opening goes well, the idea is to build up the business and open more in the UK.
"Our signature dish is going to be called Mama's which is a rockie road ice cream cake. The reason behind the name is because when I was growing up my mum always used to make it for me so it seemed like a good idea to put it on the menu."
What is on the menu?
There are over 50 desserts to choose from at Mama's dessert kitchen (and that's not even including the freakshakes and milkshakes).
Ranging from ice cream sundaes to cookie dough and cheesecakes - there is a dessert to satisfy everyone with a sweet tooth.
You can view the full menu here


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Press Release (ePRNews.com) - WASHINGTON, D.C., D.C. - Jan 26, 2017 - INTRASECT is the first conference of its kind to provide key stakeholders an opportunity to explore, observe and debate the future of worldwide, commercial, autonomous vehicle use. WorldTEK Events, a global events management company, in conjunction with C_TEC (Chamber Technology Engagement Center) at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, brings this unique 2-day conference to the Hyatt Regency Washington, Capitol Hill on June 29 – 30, 2017.
This is a well-timed event for policymakers and commercial UV enterprises as existing and future laws attract the attention of a new administration.
Part of INTRASECT’s mission is to fill the need for a private / government forum in a setting that will facilitate the exchange of reliable information back and forth between commercial users and policymakers. INTRASECT’s presentations, exhibitions and workshops will give commercial users, developers and product suppliers the opportunity to market their products and services while educating and informing the policy side that governs them.
According to the FAA, nearly 11 million commercial air drones will have been sold in the U.S. by 2020. Boston Consulting Group estimates self-driving cars will represent a $42 billion global market by 2025. Worldwide research, development and testing of commercial applications for autonomous air, land and sea vehicles is progressing at such a rapid pace that regulations needed to oversee their safe and lawful use can’t be instituted fast enough.
Policymakers will have easy access to INTRASECT, on Capitol Hill, where they can examine the real world commercial applications and enabling technologies informing future policy.
Industry experts, commercial innovators and regulators alike will debate and collaborate on panels and in workshops about key topics including: state and federal mandates, security, risk mitigation, operating standards, integrated logistics, last mile economics, and more. Dr. Tulinda Larsen, CEO and Founder of Skylark Drone Research, supports the idea that “everyone wanting a voice in the commercial regulatory framework that shapes how autonomous vehicles are integrated into our lives need to speak up at Intrasect.”
“Our transportation system is on the cusp of a major transformation, akin to the introduction of the steam engine or the automobile,” per outgoing U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx. Commentary on this next “transformation” will be given by industry and regulatory leaders who will share their visions for the future. Topics on public perceptions and privacy issues, and urban planning are also among the numerous workshops and panel discussions on the event agenda.
Government and early bird pricing is available. Space is limited to 500 delegates and 32 exhibitors.
For more information and to register for Intrasect, visit worldtekevents.com/intrasect/.
INTRASECT Event Sales: please contact Melissa Larsen, Director Sponsorship and Exhibitions at WorldTEK Events, at email@example.com or +(1) 516.945.5812
Press Inquiries: Dave Rosen, VP Business Development at WorldTEK Events, firstname.lastname@example.org or at +(1) 650.288.2808 Source :


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It was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity.
That's one way to describe how fans of Apple aapl -0.12338463536593285% Apple Inc. U.S.: Nasdaq USD153.8 -0.19 -0.12338463536593285% /Date(1495573200394-0500)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 19081839 AFTER HOURS USD153.8 % Volume (Delayed 15m) : 812587 P/E Ratio 17.98830409356725 Market Cap 802879226179.54 Dividend Yield 1.6384915474642392% Rev. per Employee 1894280 More quote details and news » (ticker: AAPL) feel every time earnings season rolls around, and their favorite company is put under a microscope while that other tech titan, Amazon.com amzn 0.08962881308786715% Amazon.com Inc. U.S.: Nasdaq USD971.54 0.87 0.08962881308786715% /Date(1495573200335-0500)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 2369363 AFTER HOURS USD971.85 0.310000000000059 0.03190810465858328% Volume (Delayed 15m) : 42139 P/E Ratio 182.81617522533543 Market Cap 463955991005.981 Dividend Yield N/A Rev. per Employee 417613 More quote details and news » (AMZN), gets a free pass for weaker profits.
Such a double standard is irksome to Apple's fans when the company makes 35% operating profit. That's far better than the generous 2% Amazon delivers in the form of dressed-up "pro-forma" earnings.
It's even more annoying considering that Apple trades for only about 10 times forward earnings, subtracting its $122 billion in cash, compared with well over 100 times for Amazon.
There's some truth in that gripe from the Apple camp.
The two are treated very differently when it comes to profit, and the reason lies in the tendency of analysts to base everything on a thesis.
A thesis is an idea or concept divorced from underlying fundamentals—a hope, or a fear, that ultimate triumph or ultimate defeat lies just around the corner.
In Amazon's case, the thesis is that the company is reinventing retail and has no real competition. Witness that Amazon has double-digit revenue growth in a market where Wal-Mart Stores wmt -0.07638446849140675% Wal-Mart Stores Inc. U.S.: NYSE USD78.49 -0.06 -0.07638446849140675% /Date(1495573282038-0500)/ Volume (Delayed 15m) : 6932386 AFTER HOURS USD78.49 % Volume (Delayed 15m) : 642313 P/E Ratio 17.798185941043084 Market Cap 238128725840.93 Dividend Yield 2.599057204739457% Rev. per Employee 211691 More quote details and news » (WMT) is poking along with some 5% to 7% sales growth per annum. The industry is already one of razor-thin margin—Wal-Mart's operating income is about 5% of sales—so what does it matter if Amazon spends more in order to take share, says the Street.
Apple, on the other hand, is a hardware company, in most people's eyes, prone to see declining margins over time. Pegged as it is to the fashions of the iPhone and iPad, Apple is forever prey to the whims of style.
This study in contrasts was on display last week as the two companies reported results. Amazon.com on Thursday evening missed analysts' growth estimates for the fifth quarter in a row and saw its shares rise.
Amazon's profit as a percentage of sales has been quite low for years and has been getting even lower of late. It made just 1.8 cents on every dollar of revenue last year, on a GAAP basis. And that may slip to a fraction this year, just 0.4% of sales, according to Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster, who nevertheless rates the stock Overweight.
What's worse, the company turned in a $28 million operating loss, on a GAAP basis, for the first time ever, as it ramped up spending on fulfillment costs, marketing, and other operating expenses.
And yet, little was made about the matter: An analyst or two quibbled a bit on Friday morning, but the stock was off to the races, rising 7% to close the day at $238.24.
Apple, on the other hand, beat analysts' revenue estimate, but missed on the bottom line. It reported a 2.8% decline in gross margin in the quarter, to 40%, and projected this quarter's gross margin to decline to as little as 36%.
That fueled fears that the company is following the long-term trend of most hardware companies, who see their profits eroded as computing becomes a commodity. The shares fell almost 1% on Friday, to $604, and mind you, they're already down some 11% in the past month or so.
The reason for the differing reactions is the perception of absolute control at Amazon. Fulfillment costs, and marketing, and things such as building out new distribution centers, are Amazon's way of expanding its market, says the Street. It is spending for growth.
It is opportunistic, if you will, in Wall Street's terms. In particular, Amazon said some of its higher costs were to set up shop increasingly in overseas markets, where it now gets 44% of revenue.
In fact, analysts are pleased when they see even a mild improvement at Amazon. The company's fulfillment costs as a percentage of gross margin actually declined, and its net shipping cost as percentage of sales fell as well.
The reaction of Colin Sebastian at R.W. Baird, who rates Amazon stock Outperform, was typical of the bull thesis. He called the lower shipping impact "signs of leverage and a reversal in key expense trends."
And so Amazon rides the thesis of "less bad retailing," quarter after quarter.
EVEN THE BULLS ON APPLE felt a little uneasy on Friday, contemplating what CEO Tim Cook said were "significant" increases in cost for some of the company's new products.
Apple has seen a dramatic revamp of nearly every one of its wares in just the past two months, from the iPhone 5 to the smaller iPad it showed off this week.
The mini is perceived as Apple's response to cheaper tablets from Google (GOOG) and Amazon itself—devices starting at just $159 versus the iPad mini's $329.
And that's the problem: Apple, unlike Amazon, says the thesis, is not sacrificing margin to stimulate growth. It's sacrificing margin because its back is against the wall. The best the sell-side could offer was diminished expectations.
As Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty wrote on Friday, "Apple handed investors a perfect combination of a bullish demand view and an EPS reset that sets up for the return to a 'beat and raise' story."
In truth, the worries about Apple's margins are overblown. Apple's gross profit margin has actually risen to 43.9% in the fiscal year that just ended, from 39.4% in fiscal 2010. The decline in margin that worries some Apple bears is an effect of a recent surge in margins.
What all that means is that for Apple, the bear case has nothing solid for the moment with respect to profit erosion. Apple's profit has been higher before, but it has also been lower.
Given that margins at Apple are high relative to most computer makers and the shares are cheap, the only thing that matters is whether demand holds up.
We'll see how that plays out this holiday season, but I think that the iPad mini will be a stellar hit, and the iPhone 5 as well. For more on that, see this week's Gadget.
For the Apple bulls who lament—nay, whine—that they get no respect, consider that Apple's shares are up almost 50% this year, beating the 38% return on Amazon stock.
Both camps have much to cheer this year, and little cause to be grumpy.


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And other insights from market research guru Nick Donatiello.
Advertisers and manufacturers love to lump consumers into neat, convenient, and simple demographic groups like "18- to 34-year-old women." But that trusty old mass-market approach doesn't work in this era of maddeningly segmented markets and idiosyncratic consumers defined more by attitude than by age. Surveying the new environment is the specialty of Nick Donatiello, president and CEO of Odyssey, a San Francisco market-research firm that studies exactly what people want from technology, information, and entertainment in the home. Each year Odyssey conducts in-depth interviews with 9,000 consumers and holds 28 focus groups in 14 cities. The research gets snapped up by a who's who of media, phone, cable, and computer companies. A Stanford University MBA with a degree in systems engineering from Princeton, Donatiello worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company and as an aide to New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley before launching Odyssey in 1993.
Wired: You say that the early adopters of new technologies in the '80s are dead. What happened?
The people who bought a product just because it was based on new technology have been tempered over the last decade by buggy version 1.0s, shifting standards, and quick obsolescence. And now there's much more technology around, so they can get their fix without buying every new release. They're more concerned about whether it will work and its longevity. It's a different world now, and producers of everything from hardware to content will be burned if they base their market on early adopters.
Wired: So, if a company can't depend on early adopters, how can it go about introducing new products that are innovative and risk-taking?
By targeting them carefully. Don't emphasize that something is a hot new technology, but that it does a specific task the consumer wants done. People still bear the scars of the Beta-VHS wars. They have not forgotten. They will not be burned again. They will wait.
Wired: You've said the primary force that will drive new media is people's dissatisfaction with today's television programming.
America is already more heterogeneous than it was 40 years ago when television came of age. In the '50s, people desired conformity. Today, America is diverse, not just ethnically but in its interests, desires, and levels of education. New media can cater to that in a way television never could. In addition to this dissatisfaction with the content of TV, there is a dissatisfaction with the delivery system.
Wired: With the medium itself?
No. With the people, with the companies. With the providers and the system. We dangerously underestimate the extent to which certain segments of the population dislike their cable companies, particularly the groups we call "surfers" and "new enthusiasts."
Wired: Why do they have such animosity?
Surfers don't like the way these big cable companies have treated them. They don't like the fact that they don't have choices, that they have to buy groups of channels. And so much of what gets shoved down the wire isn't relevant to them. In the case of new enthusiasts, it's a service issue. New enthusiasts are demanding consumers: they know how much market power they wield. To them, hanging around for a whole day to get cable installed is completely unacceptable. The cable goes out and they get a busy signal from customer service - unacceptable. They aren't told immediately when it's going to be fixed - unacceptable.


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Food trucks have delivered fresh food to work sites, workers, and offices for 100 years or so. However, like everything else technology has evolved and one company is now using advacned robotics to drive incremental success according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.
Ono Food Company, is launching later this month the first of a fleet of mobile food trucks powered by advanced robotics that’s right advance robotics in a food truck.
Ono Blends, is billing its smoothie shop on wheels, as the first mobile restaurant in the world that uses cutting edge technology and advanced robotics to power everything from ordering to food production. The company plans to launch Ono Blends in late October at a popular Venice, Calif. food truck lot, where it will share space with Roy Choi’s pioneering food truck, Kogi BBQ.
Regular readers of this blog know that “differentiation does not mean different it means familiar but with a twist” well Ono Blends Co-founder and CEO Stephen Klein stated “There’s no one else doing this,”
Klein, worked at grocery delivery company Instacart and robotic coffee bar Café X in San Francisco, clearly garnering the insights, for his innovative, incremental food platform, Ono Foods that launched in July 2018 with his business partner Danny Fukuba. Fukuba previously led robotic assembly for SpaceX and worked at Zume Pizza, which uses robot pizza cooks. Johnson says this guys know food, technology and portability all hallmarks of the grocerant niche.
Ono Foods, focus is on state-of-the art food trucks that move around and feed people in so-called food deserts. “We believe the future of robotics is modular. It can be placed in different locations,” Klein said.
Garnering $2 million in capital raised from investors, the team spent the past several months developing a menu of healthy but affordable custom blended smoothies. Signature and customizable shakes are made by an assembly line of machines outfitted in a 56-square-foot space inside a 23-foot long Mercedes Sprinter.
Interactive and participatory the team built a viewing window is built at eye-level so customers can watch their smoothie being prepared. Klein stated “Ono’s robotics system resembles the automation at fast-casual bowl concept Spyce in Boston, which made national headlines when it opened in May. Famed chef Daniel Boulud is an investor.”
Let’s talk making fast food fast and fresh, Ono robots can crank out a 20-ounce avocado & matcha smoothie in about 60 seconds. The cost: $5.95. Klein said the price is a bargain when compared to brick and mortar shops in the Los Angeles area.
Consider that Moon Juice, which has three shops in boujee Los Angeles enclaves, sells its wellness-centric shakes for $12 to $14. Klein continued “Fast-food options usually fall into two buckets: fast, healthy, and unaffordable, or fast, unhealthy, and affordable and nothing in between,”. “Combining our backgrounds in tech, automation, and culinary fine dining, we knew we could fill this void to give more people access to healthy, high-quality food.”
While technology is crucial to the business model, Klein said food quality is paramount. “The quality of the food is still the most important thing. Automation is the means to the end,” he said. Every drink is “designed to keep people energized and rejuvenated throughout the day,” the company said.
Technology is important for all food retailers according to Johnson. Ono Blends said advanced robotics improves order accuracy, minimizes food waste, reduces water usage, and improves speed of service. Food safety is also enhanced with self-cleaning technology.
Is you brand getting faster, fresher, or closer to you customers? Are you focusing on relevant customer touchpoints that are both interactive and participatory?
Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Grocerant Program Assessment, Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or call our Grocerant Guru®. Since 1991 www.FoodserviceSolutions.us of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: firstname.lastname@example.org or 253-759-7869


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America consumers are getting an even better deal on food this spring because of lower commodity prices, according to a new survey by the...
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By this time next week, the second year of the downtown streetscape project should be underway. Like last year, it’s going to be a headache.
Unlike last year, area residents have a better idea of just how big a headache it is likely to be for businesses in the blocks where construction work is taking place. It was clear as the work wrapped up late last fall that it had hit business harder than officials had hoped, possibly harder than they had anticipated.
There’s not much Ottumwa residents can do about the disruption. Projects on this scale simply are disruptive. But there’s definitely something people can do about the damage to businesses.
Closing East Main Street for a block or two does not mean you don’t have access to the businesses behind the barriers. It’s less convenient, sure. But the distance you would have to walk from the parking spaces most of them have behind the stores is probably less than what you’re perfectly willing to tolerate at a shopping mall. Heck, the distance from one of the large public lots to those stores is less.
And, unlike the mega-malls, money spent at the stores downtown stays in the community. It’s not being vacuumed up by a national retailer or sponged out through the internet. It’s helping local businesspeople stay in business.
What’s lost when local businesses close? There’s a lot, and it goes beyond the livelihoods of owners and employees. A local business that closes isn’t sponsoring your kids’ sports teams. They’re not giving teens a shot at a first job. They’re not maintaining a legacy that can pass down for generations.
Think about Ottumwa’s iconic businesses. There are more than a few. The Canteen immediately comes to mind. It’s an iconic location for the state. But there’s also Bailey’s and Bookins. The story about the latter’s pending closure was one of the most-read items of the year on our website.
When you quit going to a store just because it’s a few extra steps away, you deny those businesses the opportunity to survive. They lose the chance to find ways to endure, to become the next touchstone businesses for Ottumwa.
Yes, small businesses have a high failure rate even when they aren’t hit by construction right outside the front door. Running a small business is always an exercise in faith, a bet on your ability to manage things well and make money a little bit faster than the bills come due.
But it’s also a bet on the community. Small business owners are betting on their neighbors, their friends. They’re betting that the people of the community will see value in what they’re doing, and that they will be willing to acknowledge that value by becoming customers.
Don’t let that be a bad bet just because you’re not willing to walk a little bit further.
Small businesses are a hallmark of a community that isn’t just surviving, but one that is finding ways to thrive. They’re key to Ottumwa’s economy in ways most people never imagine.
Please, support small businesses in Ottumwa and make a special effort to do so with those facing disruptions they can’t control.