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Economic stimulus: subsidize the the consumer or the business owner?
Published: Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Updated: Tuesday, October 23, 2012 21:10
Mitt Romney claims that cutting taxes and increasing deductions on small businesses will promote job growth, when in fact there is no correlation between the two. And what’s more, his interpretation of a small business could prove him dead wrong.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton increased taxes, and from 1993 to 2001, the country saw the job rate for small businesses grow at a rate of 20–499 employees per business, per year, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
That number is more than double what it was under the same time frame with the George W. Bush tax cuts, proving there is no correlation between tax cuts and hiring.
If Romney is so concerned with cutting taxes on small business, he should look at the current tax code. He would see they are already near rock bottom. In fact, they are likely at zero, or negative, because small businesses already receive large tax credits for hiring, as well as several subsidies.
So if we go by Romney’s theory and small businesses already receive tax cuts and subsidies, then his plan is essentially already in place. Still, companies are not hiring people at the rates that he says they should.
The reason for that is because companies will not hire more employees until they start seeing the revenues that will finance the expense. And why should they?
William Gale, co-director of the Urban-Bookings Tax Policy Center wrote, “Until they see a pickup in sales, businesses with excess capacity are unlikely to use the proceeds from any tax cuts to hire more workers or expand capacity further.”
For this reason the Congressional Budget Office has acknowledged that while 2.5% of small businesses would benefit from lower taxes, “Increasing the after-tax income of businesses typically does not create much incentive for them to hire more workers in order to produce more, because production depends principally on their ability to sell their products.”
So when you break it down it comes to this: All the money you save in tax cuts and subsidies counts for nothing if the people you are trying to sell things to still can’t afford to buy them. So the problem doesn’t lie in tax burdens on the businesses; it rests in the pockets of the consumers.
But what qualifies as a small business exactly? According to the Romney plan, anything from book sales to speaking fees, and even his dressage horse, Rafalca. Suddenly his tax reform for small business makes complete sense.
In the end, Romney is not actually trying to lower the tax burden on small businesses; he’s trying to give his wealthy friends more tax cuts.


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Rovio Entertainment has partnered with Worldreader and Room to Read, two literacy charities, for a series of books featuring its new Angry Birds Stella brand.
Rovio Entertainment has released the first “Angry Birds Stella” game in the new Angry Birds series.
Rovio Entertainment's North American consumer products licensing team has three new additions.
Brand Licensing Europe has unveiled the judging panel for this year’s License This! challenge for new creative concepts.
Rovio Entertainment and frozen yogurt chain TCBY are collaborating on a summer promotion featuring Angry Birds.
The festival Dubai Summer Surprises will host the world premiere of the traveling exhibition “Angry Birds Universe: The Art and Science Behind a Global Phenomenon.”
Rovio Entertainment and Hasbro are teaming up again to bring together two of the world’s largest entertainment franchises–Angry Birds and Transformers.
Rovio Entertainment has big plans for the newest Angry Bird, Stella, and her flock of friends including a new game.
Fans of the “Angry Birds Star Wars II” game have scanned their Telepods figures into the game more than 30 million times.
Rovio Entertainment is building up its Consumer Products Licensing unit with a ew group of seasoned executives.
Rovio Entertainment has appointed Megalicense to represent licensing and retail initiatives for its Angry Birds brand in Russia.
The latest iteration of Rovio Entertainment’s Angry Birds app brand, “Angry Birds Go!,” launched worldwide Wednesday.
Rovio Entertainment has tapped Merlin Entertainments to create the world’s first Angry Birds 4D experience at the Surrey, England, theme park, Thorpe Park Resort.
IDW Publishing has added Rovio Entertainment’s Angry Birds to its portfolio and plans to launch a series of comic books for the brand.
Giromax has released a new line of trading cards in Spain featuring the new app, “Angry Birds Go!” under license from Rovio Entertainment.
Giromax has released the new Angry Birds Go! line of mini Clay Buddies kits that let kids bring the Rovio characters to life in clay models.
©2014 ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserved.

domain: news


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SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – An iconic Sacramento bridal business has closed its doors for good.
The House of Fashion has been serving brides for nearly 60 years, but the owners are retiring.
Monday was its last day in business.
“It’s very bittersweet,” said store manager Jennifer Davis-Murai. “I mean, we will definitely miss helping all those young women find dresses and feel beautiful. And for us, it’s a lifetime of memories, really.”
The original business started in East Sacramento as a dress alterations boutique in the 1960s.
The owners say they are still figuring out what to do with the leftover dresses, but are looking into possibly donating some of them.


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MediAvataar's News Desk
My recent post titled, “Getting realistic about the odds of marketing success” sparked a couple of interesting comments. Take, for example, this quote from a comment by Shann Biglione,
“If marketers spent more time influencing salience rather wanting to be seen as innovation junkies, we would have better marketing.”
Some of Biglione’s previous comments make it clear he is a big proponent of Professor Byron Sharp’s view of the marketing world, but is he correct in making this assertion?
One of the reasons I wrote the previous post is because I believe that Sharp’s “rules of marketing” hold good when the status quo rules. Every brand is seeking to improve the probability that it is purchased, and a state of dynamic tension or stalemate is reached where no one brand wins big. Success all comes down to how well you play the existing game. Under those conditions, improving salience is a key growth driver. Once this state is reached the stalemate can last for years (in my analysis 45 percent of categories saw no significant change the course of five years).
The obvious conclusion is that under those conditions marketers should spend more time influencing salience than worrying about innovation… except that if you do not worry about innovation then someone else may identify an opportunity and your brand will get disrupted (along with others).
Take the example of when Coca-Cola launched I LOHAS bottled water in Japan. The brand became the number one mineral water sold in Japan in just six months and undermined several well-established brands. No doubt those brand’s marketers did not think there was much opportunity for innovation in a familiar and growing market.
Coca-Cola’s research revealed that, while Japanese consumers wanted to do something about environmental issues, they admitted that their behavior had not changed. Thin and lightweight PET bottles provided consumers of Coca-Cola’s I LOHAS the chance to create a ritual out of twisting the bottle, and offered them the opportunity to choose a brand with a smaller carbon footprint, thereby demonstrating their commitment to the environment.
The marketing team also turned what had been a negative into a positive: rather than publicizing the qualities of a single source like the French Alps, I LOHAS is promoted as coming from seven local sources around Japan. The BrandZ data for 2012 suggests that the brands which suffered most from the launch of I LOHAS were the premium imports like Evian and Volvic.
If by “innovation junkies” Biglione is referring to innovation for innovation’s sake – the desire to have something new to say - then I would have to agree with him. However, there is always the risk that if you do not continually seek meaningful and differentiating innovation and launch it effectively then your brand risks being sidelined. Once again, the answer is not an either/or, it is both: you need to both seek meaningfully different innovation and grow your brand’s salience at the same time.
Can you think of any similar examples to I LOHAS? Yes, Apple, but what other ones come to mind? Please share your thoughts.
Authored by Nigel Hollis,Executive Vice President and Chief Global Analyst at Millward Brown
The average amount of time day people will spend consuming online video each day will increase by 23.3% in 2015 and by a further 19.8% in 2016, according to the Online Video Forecasts, a new report by ZenithOptimedia in conjunction with Newcast, ZenithOptimedia Group’s global branded content network.*
This growth in video consumption is being driven by the rapid rise of smartphone and tablet penetration across the globe, together with the resulting changes in consumer behaviour. Video consumption on mobile devices (such as smartphones and tablets) is forecast to grow by 43.9% in 2015 and 34.8% in 2016. Meanwhile, video consumption on non-mobile devices will continue to grow, though at more moderate rates, increasing by 9.5% in 2015 and 6.5% in 2016.
ZenithOptimedia expects mobile to become the main platform for viewing online video next year. In 2012 mobile devices accounted for 22.9% of time spend watching online video worldwide. By 2014, this proportion had risen to 40.1%, and we expect it to reach 52.7% in 2016 and 58.1% in 2017.
Total number of regular linear TV viewers to start declining in 2016
ZenithOptimedia predicts that the number of people regularly watching traditional, linear TV will peak this year, and will start to decline for the first time in 2016. We forecast that the number of regular linear TV viewers will rise 3.1% in 2015 but then shrink by 1.9% in 2016 and 0.9% in 2017. As we reported in our Media Consumption Forecasts 2015 report (published in June), the amount of time people spend watching linear TV has been in slow decline for several year; we now predict that next year the number of viewers to start to decline as well.
The number of regular linear TV viewers has been in decline in France and Russia since 2013, in the UK and the US since 2014, and is expected to start to decline in China this year. The decline of linear TV viewing is in direct correlation with the increasing quantity and quality of content available online, both from short-form platforms like YouTube and long-form platforms like Netflix. ZenithOptimedia forecasts that the number of regular online video viewers will increase by 5.8% in 2015, 5.1% in 2016 and 5.3% in 2017.
The number of regular online video viewers is increasing at double-digit rates in 12 of the markets included in this report, including in major markets like China (27.2%), France (50.0%), Germany (27.5%) and the US (12.3%).
Advertising expenditure on online video will soon account for an eighth of total internet adspend
Online video’s share of global digital adspend is rising rapidly: it was 8.8% in 2012 and 10.2% in 2014; by 2017 we expect it to rise to 12.8%, an eighth of all internet adspend. Online video is the fastestgrowing category of internet advertising: we forecast it to grow by 28.9% to US$16.1 billion worldwide in 2015, followed by 22.5% growth in 2016 and 19.7% growth in 2017, when it will total US$23.7bn.
The US online video market is by far the largest: US$8.5 billion in 2015, 52.9% of the global total, although we expect its share to drop to just below half of the global total – 49.9% – in 2017. The US also tops – jointly, with Italy – the list of markets with the highest proportion of total internet spend going to online video (16.5% each in 2015), followed by Taiwan (15.8%) and Latvia (13.0%).
Mark Waugh, Global Managing Director, Newcast, said, “Consumers all around the world are rapidly embracing online video, because it offers them a near limitless array of engrossing content. Some of the keenest users are the young, affluent viewers who are hardest to reach on television. Brands are finding online video a particularly effective way to reach these valuable audiences, not just with advertising, but also with branded content; content that can inform or entertain consumers in a deeper and richer way than is possible with short, interruptive ads.”
*Note that figures for video consumption and number of viewers refer to the 40 key markets covered in this report. The figures for online video adspend are global.
BBC Worldwide has announced its first VOD deal in India. The deal, with the leading direct to home provider (DTH) , Tata Sky comprises of SVOD and TVOD services and gives subscribers in eight metros in India, access to the best of the BBC’s drama and comedy via ‘BBC On-Demand’, a branded property on Tata Sky’s platform. Viewers can now also access it online via their TVs, PCs, tablets and mobiles.
Programmes that will be available on the service include Luther, starring Idris Elba, who won a Golden Globe for his role as a brilliant but emotionally impulsive murder detective; The Honourable Woman starring Maggie Gyllenhaal who won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of a powerful businesswoman haunted by events from her past in a thriller set in the Middle East; and Burton and Taylor, based on the legendary acting duo, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor starring Dominic West and Helena Bonham Carter. Kickstarting the block with a classic hit Yes, Prime Minister, contemporary comedy, Citizen Khan and an endearing drama, Being Erica.
“In a study commissioned by BBC Worldwide earlier this year, we found that quality of content, British humour, and a love of original British dramas were the top reasons why people, including Indians, enjoy British television programmes,” said Myleeta Aga, SVP and GM of BBC Worldwide in India. “We are very excited to be working with Tata Sky to bring these award winning and high quality programmes, many never before seen in India, to Tata Sky’s subscribers, where they can access them anytime, anywhere.”
“We are very pleased to be partnering with BBC Worldwide to launch BBC-on-demand,” said Paolo Agostinelli, Chief Content Officer at Tata Sky. “Viewing habits and customer needs in the industry are evolving as fast as ever. We are committed to remain the best choice in the country when it comes to premium entertainment, which means we must be able to offer top branded content and the best viewing experience, including increasingly popular time-shifted and device-shifted binge viewing content. We are confident that this is only the start of a very fruitful relationship with BBC”.
As a market leader, Cadbury Dairy Milk has driven category growth by being a 'catalyst of joy’. Apart from the core range, the various flavours of CDM (Fruit & Nut, Crackle, Roast Almond) too have historically performed well. With the launch of two limited edition variants; Black Forest and Coffee Almond, this was an opportunity to build momentum and drive further growth.
With friendship day around the corner, we wanted to celebrate the wonderful variety of friends who bring joy and add that special flavour in our lives, just like Cadbury Dairy Milk's range of flavours.
Prakash Nair, Senior VP and Neville Shah, Group Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather: India has an emotional relationship with CDM. To India, CDM is more than just a chocolate. The challenge was how to present the multiple flavour offerings from CDM and build on the emotional bond. Friendship Day which is coming up in August, presented the right backdrop to land this offering. It was simple, really. Because if we look at our own lives, we all have different friends and each one adds a special flavour to our lives. The idea just simply fell in our lap.
Prashant Peres, Director – Marketing (Chocolates), Mondelez India: For many years now, Cadbury Dairy Milk has represented a plethora of emotions, from shared values such as family togetherness, to shared good feelings and collective joy. This Friendship Day, we want to celebrate another very important part of our relationships – our friendships. Just as every friend add a special flavour to one’s life, the variety of Cadbury Dairy Milk flavours like Original, Fruit & Nut, Crackle, Roast Almond and our new limited edition flavours – Coffee Almond & Black Forest will add a special flavour to this day. Our new television commercial also supports this thought.
This film has been produced by Remarquer Films and directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, an acclaimed film director and screen writer. His work connects to the pulse of the youth and brings alive the story in an engaging manner.
Creative Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, Mumbai
Brand: Cadbury Dairy Milk, Mondelez India Ltd
Creative: Neville Shah, Ashish Naik, Aarti Srinivasan, Manas Thorat
Account Management: Prakash Nair, Neha Shah, Rima Wadhwa
Planning: Ganapathy Balagopalan, Jasmeeta Agarwal
Production House: Remarquer Films
Director: Vikramaditya Motwane
Producer: Arya Menon
CMO Council Strategic Brief Reveals Only 5% of Marketers Report More Confidence In Ad/Media Agencies; 72% Will Seek New Partners To Better Exploit Data & Digital
Marketers are looking well beyond their traditional advertising agency base for domain experts to drive marketing performance and handle exploding data, digital migration, channel fragmentation, and a more diverse, multi-cultural consumer base.
A new strategic report from the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council and Ebiquity – entitled “The Path Forward: Marketing’s Outlook Into The Digital Future” – suggests that as budgets increase to fund digital marketing campaigns and more personalized customer engagement, marketers now need additional expertise in data analytics, content creation and channel proliferation to improve ROI.
According to research from the CMO Council, based on a survey of 276 marketers in the first half of the year, there’s a new focus on finding high performance marketing partners with specialized knowledge and business acumen. An overwhelming 83 percent of clients surveyed are looking for unique skill sets and specialized capabilities not found in most ad agencies, or media buying firms.
When asked to identify who marketers consider to be part of their marketing performance partner group, few (if any) traditional holding companies, advertising firms or media agencies made the list. Marketers are instead looking more to solution providers (once only seen as sources to enable technology and automation platforms) as their go-to sources for performance improvements and solution partners to tackle the biggest challenges facing marketing today
When it comes to the marketing organization’s ability to address critical marketing challenges in 2015, survey respondents gave negative reviews in three essential areas. These included:
· Managing the data explosion (only 30 percent said well or very well)
· Analyzing data to create personalized experiences (just 29 percent said well or very well)
· Overcoming financial restraint and demonstrating ROI (less than 40 percent said well or very well)
While 60 percent of survey respondents are spending more than $10 million annually on media buys, only five percent of participants say they are much more confident in their media or agency partner’s performance. In fact, marketers are looking to apply far more stringent and taxing ROI thresholds on their media and agency partners to maximize return. One marketing leader shared that as digital evolves they must ensure that return on investment and return on advertising investment are held to higher standards.
“Our agencies and partners are absolutely different than they were even one year ago,” commented one marketing leader. “We have tripled our digital budgets compared to two years ago, so we are working to protect that. Our greatest areas of investment today are actually going to build our digital infrastructure and our talent, so the agencies and partners we have now must be different as we look to address things like data and shopper behaviors.”
“What this brings to the surface is an even more heightened need to get the highest levels of performance and output—not just from the marketing organization, but also from the external agencies and marketing performance partners employed by the organization,” explained Liz Miller, Senior Vice President of Marketing at the CMO Council. “CMOs are frustrated by a lack of visibility into partner performance, questioning everything from budgets to the realities of click fraud and paybacks.”
“Marketing is at a crossroads, and now is the time for agency partners to work even harder to meet the expectation for performance and creativity,” said Nick Manning, Chief Strategy Officer for Ebiquity, a leading marketing analytics specialist. “This has created an interesting phenomenon of global marketers placing their old agency accounts up for review – calling everything from performance to contract structure into question. Marketers recognize that the world has changed, and they’re looking for partners who can unlock the new communications landscape in all its manifestations while being responsible, professional business partners. Now is the time for agency partners to give marketers exactly what they want…and what the customer needs.”


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- Don-Alvin Adegeest |
As someone who was planning a shopping trip to Paris this weekend, and canceled, you can imagine the impact on local retailers and brands, who will see their end of year sales affected after Friday's terrorist attacks.
The potential cost to Paris, not to mention the rest of France and even Europe in business terms is difficult to quantify, but retail sales will be no doubt be affected at what is the most crucial shopping time of the year.
After the attacks and further raids, stores that closed at the weekend have reopened but there is noticeably less footfall on key shopping streets and at destination stores than usual at this time of year.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Tuesday that the country is unlikely to meet its EU budget deficit target as it ramps up security spending following the attacks.
Extra security at airports, department stores and shopping malls
The extra security and fewer customers are perhaps the most visible result of the initial attacks several days on, whether that security is armed police on the streets, bag checks at shopping centres or extra security at department stores.
This week saw Parisians making a return to cafes and restaurants, saying they will not be scaremongered into staying home. So too most Paris businesses are taking the same ‘business-as-usual’ stance without giving any details about how their trade has been affected. Shopping centre operator Klépierre, for instance, which runs one of the locations incorrectly rumoured to have been attacked (Les Halles) said it’s too early to give a trading update.
Analysts said the timing of the attacks is a particular problem for companies at all price levels as the year’s biggest shopping season gets under way.
A number of companies targeting both tourists and local shoppers had already spoken of trading conditions becoming more challenging ahead of Friday’s attacks. But the fear now is that tourists with cash to spare who would have taken advantage of the weak euro will shop elsewhere, put off either by fear of further attacks or simply the inconvenience of the long waits for extra security checks at airports.
"The timing is very unfortunate," Mario Ortelli, an analyst at Bernstein, told WSJ. "We're close to Christmas shopping now," an important moment for luxury companies' annual sales.”
Eurostar, which operates trains from London to Paris, has not commented on traveller numbers but anecdotal reports suggest trains have been quite empty.
Shares in French luxury companies briefly fell on Monday
Shares in luxury goods companies LVMH and Kering fell on Monday but have since recovered on expectations that ‘luxury’ tourism, particularly from China and the US, will slow only temporarily.
Friday's attacks in Paris could hurt the luxury retail sector, analysts at Cowen & Co said in a Monday note. Fears of additional attacks in Europe "may lead to lower store traffic and pressure revenue performance in the region," the bank said.
Analysts have been quick to point out that terrorist attacks do not usually have long-lasting effects. That was true of New York in 2001 and both London and Madrid later in the decade, as well as Paris itself earlier this year.


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ElectraMeccanica Autos Corp (SOLO) has established a three-wheel, single-seat electric lorry (EV), described as a “purpose-built service for the modern urban atmosphere”.
The US growth and framework costs that passed last November provided an increase to the electrical lorry sector by alloting billions of extra pounds to fund EV billing terminals. But are clients ready to go electric, and also are they prepared to change to three wheels?
With simply 42 SOLO EV cars and trucks supplied so far, how is the SOLO stock projection toning up as we enter into 2022?
SOLO STOCK PRICE FORECAST
In August 2018, ElectraMeccanica Vehicles Corp introduced a Nasdaq listing, with shares mosting likely to market at an offering price of $4.25 (₤ 3.18).
In July 2020, results from the yearly general conference were released, as well as SOLO announced a brand-new EV retail place in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon in the US. This was taken as a signal that ElectraMeccanica was preparing to introduce its product, and also the share price swiftly doubled.
SOLO stock, 2018-2022
Shortly after, the Loved One Strength Index (RSI) for SOLO shares pushed over 80, a solid signal that the stock was overvalued. By mid-August, the share rate had actually dropped from its July high of $4.40 to just $2.60.
A third-quarter results launch in November 2020 saw the share cost rise to over $10– an increase of over 250% in a month. The RSI once more pressed above 80 between 2 November as well as 23 November 2020, and also the share price fell as 2020 drew to a close.
SOLO stock value once more fell below $5 in March 2021 after unsatisfactory full-year results saw SOLO report a loss of $63m against incomes of $569,000.
The share rate grew by nearly 6% over night on 6 November when the United States government passed The Bipartisan Framework Deal, dedicating $7.5 bn in financing for the building and construction of EV charging stations.
SOLO stock analysis, RSI indicator, 2021-2022
At the time of composing, 18 January 2022, the ElectraMeccanica Vehicles Corp stock cost stands at $2.15– less than half its IPO level. The RSI for SOLO stock is presently neutral at 35.36, signalling that the rate is unlikely to move up or down. An RSI reading of 30 or below would certainly indicate that the asset is oversold or undervalued.
The future is electrical?
Experts are relatively bullish concerning the outlook for the EV market. According to projections from Deloitte Insights, cars and truck sales ought to start to recoup from pandemic-induced disruption by 2024, and EVs will certainly be well positioned to secure an expanding share of the marketplace.
” Our worldwide EV forecast is for a compound yearly development price of 29% attained over the following ten years: Overall EV sales growing from 2.5 million in 2020 to 11.2 million in 2025, then getting to 31.1 million by 2030. EVs would certainly secure about 32% of the complete market share for new automobile sales.”
EV market share projection for significant regions 2022-2030
ElectraMeccanica’s crucial product is the SOLO EV, a modern take on the three-wheeled cars and truck– it has 2 wheels at the front, one wheel at the back and also space for a solitary guest.
The EV-maker’s price quotes recommend that 76% of travelers travel to work alone. The company wants to convince customers that they are losing gas by carrying vacant seats and useless cargo space on their day-to-day commute.
ElectraMeccanica is looking to place the SOLO EV as a rival to the Mini Cooper, Nissan Fallen Leave and Tesla Model 3. It sees it playing an increasingly crucial duty in city cargo delivery.
SOLO’s price quotes show that running a Mini Cooper over five years sets you back $52,476. That is 40% greater than the SOLO, which can be found in at simply $37,283. Could these financial savings tempt customers away from 4 wheels?
Bipartisan deal increase
As formerly discussed, the US federal government passed The Bipartisan Facilities Sell November 2021, and also its commitments are urging for EV suppliers.
According to the offer: “US market share of plug-in EV sales is just one-third the size of the Chinese EV market. That needs to alter. The regulation will invest $7.5 billion to construct out a nationwide network of EV chargers in the United States … This financial investment will sustain the Head of state’s goal of constructing an across the country network of 500,000 EV battery chargers to increase the adoption of EVs, minimize exhausts, enhance air top quality, and produce good-paying tasks across the nation.”
The SOLO share rate rose over 5% as the news damaged. This is due to the fact that the business stands to take advantage of greater consumer demand as United States EV framework boosts.
Unique product, distinct troubles
However the individuality of SOLO’s item could also prove a drawback– will consumers be happy to make the switch to a single-seater version? SOLO’s current SEC filing describes the threat.
” If the market for three-wheeled single-seat electric vehicles does not develop as we expect, or creates more slowly than we anticipate, our organization leads, monetary condition and operating outcomes will certainly be negatively influenced”.
The filing also recognizes numerous other variables that may limit need, including minimal EV array, understandings about security and availability of service for electric lorries.
With just 42 automobiles provided up until now, it will be a long time before financiers understand whether the business can achieve mass-market appeal.
Cutting expenses amidst broadening losses
And in the meantime, revenues remain evasive. The third-quarter outcomes for 2021 introduced on 9 November reported an operating loss of $17.2 m for the quarter, contrasted to a $6.5 m loss in the exact same quarter the previous year. Even as sales for the SOLO EV grab, ElectraMeccanica might need to cut prices to attain success.
” We prepare for that the gross profit produced from the sale of the SOLO will certainly not be sufficient to cover our general expenses, and our attaining earnings will certainly depend, partly, on our capability to materially minimize the bill of materials as well as per unit manufacturing expenses of our products,” the company said in its current SEC filing.
SOLO stock projection for 2022
Three analysts presently cover ElectraMeccanica, with 2 supplying recent records. Both rate SOLO an agreement ‘acquire’, and also the stock currently has absolutely no ‘hold’ or ‘market’ scores, according to data collected by MarketBeat.
SOLO’s current expert cost target consensus is a consentaneous $7, representing a 225.58% benefit on today’s share price.
July 2021 saw Colliers Securities reiterate a ‘purchase’ ranking on the stock, and also in March 2021, Aegis boosted their SOLO stock price target from $4 to $7, standing for a 46.14% advantage on the share rate at the time of the record. In December 2020, Roth Capital enhanced its price target and Steifel Nicolaus initiated insurance coverage on the stock with a ‘buy’ rating.
SOLO stock analyst cost targets, March 2019– January 2022
It’s worth keeping in mind that expert forecasts are regularly wrong, as well as forecasts are no substitute for your own study. Constantly do your own due persistance prior to investing, and also never invest or trade cash you can’t manage to lose.
ElectraMeccanica (SOLO) stock projection 2022-2027
According to WalletInvestor’s algorithmic ElectraMeccanica (SOLO) stock forecast, the SOLO share price can fall to $1.95 by January 2023, after changing throughout 2022.
The site’s ElectraMeccanica stock projection sees the share cost at $2.15 in January 2024, $2.43 in January 2025, $2.63 in January 2026, as well as $2.81 in January 2027 though with substantial fluctuations along the way.
Note that algorithm-based predictions can likewise be inaccurate as they are based upon past efficiency, which is no assurance of future outcomes. Projections should not be utilized as a substitute for your very own research. Once more, always do your own due persistance before spending, and also never ever invest or trade money you can not pay for to lose.


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Bathroom and appliance distributor PJH Group has announced an expansion of its learning and development team, which it says will further enrich its already successful training programme.
New team members include Lauren Fergus, content creator; Justyna Prasek, business partner for the South; and Guy Buggie, business partner for the North.
PJH says that the new team can offer a variety of training delivered in both face-to-face and online formats, to help create effective learning materials. According to the company, the team will focus on interactivity and scenario-based learning.
Dawn Kennedy, PJH learning and development manager, said the company had invested heavily in its new learning and development team. She added: “We are now able to offer enhanced learning in different ways, allowing employees to access content that is relevant to their role at the click of a button.”


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Store Owner Catches Man Stealing Food – Witnesses Immediately Record the Confrontation
Market owner Mike Williamson’s act of kindness went viral on social media, thanks to customers who witnessed the act.
*Featured image contains photo by Michael Burrows
Mike Williamson, the owner of Central Fresh Market in Kitchener-Waterloo, wasn’t looking for publicity, but his act of kindness went viral thanks to customers who witnessed and shared it.
“Just witnessed a man caught stealing at our local grocery. Watched the owner confront him and pull fruits & vegetables out of his pack. Then heard the owner say, ‘We will feed you.’ 5 minutes later saw the man walking thru the parking lot with a bag full of groceries,” twitter user @drkradersma posted.
Why a Grocery Store Owner Helped a Shoplifter
According to Mike’s son, Josh, a middle-aged man was walking around the store putting mostly produce in a knapsack.
“You could tell he was just trying to feed himself,” Josh told the Toronto Star. “We always prefer people to come in and ask for help rather than steal, but when you catch people stealing just to eat it’s a much different story.”
Mike gave the man a submarine sandwich and pop, some chips, and a bag full of vegetables, and sent him on his way.
When the story went viral, the market’s social media account received a lot of love from long-time customers and from strangers.
“Thank you for your kindness. What a beautiful thing you did and what an amazing influence you will have on people reading this. I sincerely thank you and all of your staff for putting yourself at risk and for showing such grace,” another user @luckymom34 tweeted.
“Thank you all for the positive comments,” the store posted on social media. “We were simply helping someone in need, many are very fortunate NOT to worry about their next meal. Witnessing our #communities food insecurity first hand is heartbreaking. We believe it is of great importance to help those in need.”
How One Man Proved the Importance of Helping People in Need
They also took the opportunity to shine on the spotlight on long term employee Jeff Meyer.
“Jeff continually goes above and beyond to help those in need, he personally delivers products to Supportive Housing of Waterloo and has coordinated great initiatives with many of our vendors,” they wrote in a Facebook post.
RELATED: Customer Steals Sentimental Items at a Store – The Next Day, He Returns for an Unexpected Reason
“It is an ordinary day when Jeff reaches into his own pocket to support somebody in need, whether it be by putting together a food hamper or taking a shoplifter to Tim Hortons for a coffee and donut.”
The store regularly donates to food banks and does a lot of work to make sure people know about available resources. “That’s the hardest part sometimes. People are embarrassed and it’s a touchy subject,” Josh said.
But this market goes out of their way to help make sure no one in their community goes hungry.


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Source Naturals a little light on the content? According to a consumer fraud class action lawsuit filed this week, it is. The plaintiff alleges the amounts of vitamins and minerals in the vitamins are inaccurate.
In her Source Naturals complaint, Jennifer Dougherty alleges she purchased the products online for about $20 in November. According to the lawsuit, Source Naturals advertised that its multivitamins contained 12,500 IU per serving of vitamin A. Dougherty claims that the amounts of the of six vitamins and minerals in its multivitamins were off by as much as 90 percent, which was shown in tests. Those same tests also revealed that the vitamin B-3 contained in the product was about 19 percent less than represented; calcium per serving was about 22 percent less; zinc was under by about 24 percent; manganese was under by about 36 percent; and magnesium was under by about 12 percent than what Source Naturals claimed, according to the lawsuit.
The Source Naturals lawsuit is seeking class action status for those that purchased the multivitamins and seeks less than $5 million plus court costs. The $5 million figure represents a threshold for removal under the Class Action Fairness Act.
Southwest Early Bird Check-In a scam? At least one passenger thinks so. Teri Lowry filed a consumer fraud class action lawsuit over allegations the airline misleads customers into purchasing early flight check-ins, billed as “Early-Bird” priority boarding.
Specifically, the Southwest Airlines lawsuit contends that the airline deceived her into purchasing an “Early-Bird” priority boarding cost for a flight she took in March 2014 from Los Angeles to Indianapolis.
Lowry claims she purchased a “Wanna Get Away” ticket offered by Southwest, and then added on the “Early-Bird Check-in” feature for $25 roundtrip. She states in her lawsuit that she purchased the feature based on previous experience when she traveled with Southwest and received a “B” boarding group assignment.
The lawsuit states that when Lowry contacted others who had received a higher boarding position than she did for her trip to Indianapolis, none of them had purchased the “Early Bird Check-In.”
According to the complaint, Southwest Airlines allocates boarding in the order in which a customer checks in online, with boarding broken into three groups of about 60 board positions each. According to the lawsuit, Southwest Airlines’ website states customers can obtain an A boarding position by purchasing an “Early Bird Check-in.”
In her complaint, Lowry alleges Southwest’s website says customers who purchased “Anytime” fares receive priority over other fare types including “Early Bird Check-ins.” The lawsuit alleges that contradicts other areas of the website that say “Anytime” or “Wanna Get Away” fares don’t have priority over other fares.
A $4.5 million settlement has been reached in a consumer banking deceptive practices violations class action lawsuit against a unit of Morgan Stanley (Saxon). The lawsuit was filed by homeowners who allege the finance company denied thousands of California homeowners new terms through the federal Home Affordable Modification Plan (HAMP), which they claim resulted in some people losing their homes.
The Morgan Stanley HAMP settlement is preliminary and requires final approval, which, if granted, would pay the approximate 2,705 class members an average of $1,663 each. According to court documents, the settlement represented about 15 percent of the roughly $30 million in total trial payments made by the class.
According to the lawsuit, plaintiff Marie Gaudin alleged Saxon delayed processing her loan while urging her to make trial payments as part of its Home Affordable Modification Program, meant for homeowners who were behind on loan payments. Saxon later pulled the offer of permanent loan modification without cause, according to the lawsuit.
If approved, 1,365 class members who lost their homes after Saxon denied them permanent loan modifications would be paid back. All class members would receive a base award of approximately $184, with tiered payments being made to those who lost their homes in foreclosures or short sales without being offered loan modifications, and to those who entered into alternative modifications elsewhere.
The class is defined as California borrowers who entered into HAMP TPPs with Saxon through October 1, 2009, and made at least three trial period payments but did not receive HAMP loan modifications.
Ok—that’s it for this week—see you at the bar!
Have your hangovers been getting worse recently? Ok—you don’t have to answer, but maybe—just maybe—it’s not only you… A defective products class action lawsuit has been filed against 28 California wineries alleging that they produced wine which contains dangerously high levels of arsenic, in violation of California law. Nothing like a bit of poison to help the relaxation process.
Don’t know how the ball got rolling, but someone/entity had a total 1,306 different types of wine tested by BeverageGrades in Denver. The results showed that 83 wines had dangerously elevated levels of inorganic arsenic. Two additional labs confirmed the results. According to the arsenic in wine lawsuit, some of the wines contained arsenic levels in excess of the safe daily intake limit by 500%. Oh great.
And the news gets worse, because the majority of the wines listed in the complaint are inexpensive white or blush varieties, including Moscato, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. Popular brands named in the lawsuit include Franzia, Sutter Home, Wine Cube, Cupcake, Beringer and Vendange.
The lawsuit is seeking “injunctive relief, civic penalties, disgorgement and damages.”
Time to take up cocktails.
“All aboard whose coming aboard”…The operators of two cruise lines were hit with a Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) class action lawsuit, alleging they’ve been sending unsolicited text messages to thousands of people’s cellular phones. And that’s not annoying, right?
Consolidated World Travel Inc., which does business as both Holiday Cruise Line and Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, is the named defendant in the suit, which was filed by plaintiff Jason Huhn. The cruise text complaint alleges the Florida-based company sent Huhn an automated text message on his cellphone in March 2014 offering a free cruise. Free cruise? Really?
Huhn alleges the company never asked him for his consent to send him advertisements. “Defendants sent similar text messages to thousands of individuals nationwide using an automatic dialing system and without the consent of those individuals,” the complaint states. “At no point did plaintiff consent to receiving such text messages. At no point did plaintiff enter into a business relationship with defendants.”
According to the complaint, CWT sends automated text messages to individuals advertising a “free cruise” and providing a phone number that an individual must call to redeem the cruise. When the number in the text message is called, the caller is connected with a company identifying itself as “Travel Services.” The operator explains that he or she sees the caller is calling about a free cruise, and immediately “transfers” the caller to “Holiday Cruise Line,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit also names the cruise line’s Tampa-based marketing firm, Elite Marketing Inc., as well as CWT owner James H. Verrillo as defendants.
Who said what you don’t know can’t hurt you? Well, Expose did sing it but…who knew about this? AT&T must pony up $25 million to resolve claims by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that the phone carrier failed to adequately safeguard personal data of approximately 300,000 customers. The data was stolen from call centers in Mexico, Colombia and the Philippines. Read: massive data breach.
According to the FCC, employees at call centers used by AT&T in the three countries accessed records belonging to roughly 280,000 U.S. customers without authorization. Those records were accessed without authorization, in order to obtain names, full or partial Social Security numbers and other protected account-related data. Terrific.
FYI—Those data are also known as customer proprietary network information, which require requests for handset unlock codes for AT&T mobile phones.
The FCC alleged in its complaint that the call center employees provided that data to unauthorized third parties, which included an entity that went by the alias El Pelon in Mexico, who appeared to have been trafficking in stolen or secondary market phones that they wanted to unlock. That entity allegedly used the information to make more than 290,000 unlock requests through AT&T’s website. Ringing any bells?
According to the terms of the settlement, AT&T, in addition to the $25 million penalty for the alleged violations of Sections 222 and 201 of the Communications Act, must also improve its privacy and data security practices by appointing a senior compliance manager who is a certified privacy professional, conducting a privacy risk assessment, implementing an information security program, preparing an appropriate compliance manual and regularly training employees on the company’s privacy policies and the applicable privacy legal authorities. You think?
Hokee Dokee- That’s a wrap folks…See you at the Bar!
Heads up Toyota Camry owners! The car maker is facing a defective products class action lawsuit alleging the car maker was aware of a defect in its Camry models that causes the cars’ air conditioning system to become moldy, emitting foul odors and potentially causing health problems.
Filed in Los Angeles earlier this week, the Toyota Camry lawsuit claims that Toyota’s 2012 Camry models have a “uniform and widespread defect” in the heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems that causes emissions of noxious and foul odors from the growth of mold in the system.
“Defendant has actively concealed and failed to disclose this defect to plaintiff and class members at the time of their purchase or lease of the class vehicles and thereafter,” the complaint states.
Further, the lawsuit contends that the affected Camry models’ HVAC system contains one or more design or manufacturing defect that causes the emissions of the bad odors from the mold. The plaintiffs allege that exposure to mold and its related smells is “extremely dangerous” and can lead to sickness, nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing and other health problems. Well, if it smells bad, it can’t be good for you, right?
The mold emanating from the HVAC system in the 2012 Toyota Camry vehicles allegedly grows on a part known as the evaporator, which is located inside the car dashboard. When cold refrigerant passes into the evaporator, it absorbs heat from the air in the passenger compartment and collects moisture from condensation, which creates a favorable growing condition for mold, the complaint claims.
When a consumer complains of the mold build-up in his or her Camry, Toyota “merely replaces” the defective HVAC components with the very same components, and doesn’t repair the defect, in violation of warranty, according to the lawsuit.
According to the plaintiffs, Toyota knew, or should have known, about the defect as early as 1997. However, the automaker “actively concealed” the defect and didn’t inform consumers.
Further, the complaint states that Toyota had “already offered” previous model year Camry vehicles that had similar HVAC systems and acknowledged the defects as early as 1997 and as recently as 2009.
The complaint seeks certification of a class of California purchasers of 2012 Camry vehicles.
Who’s really reaping the rewards here? Babies “R” Us, according to a consumer fraud class action lawsuit over allegations its rewards program was misleading and misrepresented what consumers actually receive when purchasing items from the retailer.
Filed by Stacy Tongate, the Babies R Us lawsuit claims that the Endless Earnings program promoted and run by Babies “R” Us offers shoppers up to 10 percent back on registry items purchased. The program, the lawsuit contends , is run in order to attract more customers to use the baby registry services.
According to the complaint, the popular children’s toy store launched the program in April 2014, offering benefits with no limits. However, The company in fact offers five percent of the first $300 spent by consumers. After the first $300, consumers are bumped up to 10 percent, Tongate claims.
The lawsuit is seeking class status for those who made purchases during the Endless Earnings program’s duration.
JPMorgan Chase has agreed to pony up $950,000 …according to the terms of a preliminary settlement agreement reached in a California labor law class action lawsuit.The lawsuit was filed by the company’s California underwriters who alleged the bank failed to pay overtime and provide proper breaks. No comment.
The proposed agreement potentially ends the three-year-old lawsuit, which was filed by two loan modification underwriters who worked at a Chase location north of San Diego. They alleged the bank was in violation of federal and state labor laws and that they suffered from overwhelming workload requirements. Filed in 2012, by plaintiffs Mary Loeza and Angie Reveles, the suit claims that Chase saddled its underwriters with unrealistic quotas for processing mortgage loan modification applications that they could not achieve without working overtime.
The plaintiffs further claimed that Chase had a strict policy on approval of overtime and would punish employees who worked it without authorization, leaving employees to work off-the-clock and through meal breaks and rest periods to meet the elevated quota, according to the settlement agreement.
“Based on their knowledge of this action, plaintiffs determined that the settlement would constitute the best outcome for class members,” court documents state. “Likewise, Chase concluded that this action should be settled in order to avoid the expense, inconvenience and burden of further legal proceedings, and the uncertainties of trial and appeal.”
The proposed class consists of approximately 838 current and former Chase employees who worked at the bank between December 11, 2008, and the date the judge preliminarily approves the agreement. If certified, the settlement will see each class member receive a share of the settlement funds, fees and expenses are paid.
Hokee Dokee—That’s a wrap folks… Happy Easter! Go celebrate!
Heads up you pizza delivery folk!! Another proposed wage and hour class action lawsuit has been filed against 70 Domino’s Franchises stores, this time in California and Arizona, by a delivery driver who alleges Domino’s fails to reasonably reimburse drivers for the costs of using personal vehicles for work, in violation of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and California labor laws.
Field by driver Derek Gibbins, the Dominos delivery lawsuit alleges franchise operator Hishmeh Enterprises Inc. uses a flawed method to determine reimburse rates. Specifically, it typically pays $1 per trip whch that does not accurately reflect costs incurred by drivers.
The complaint further claims that Hishmeh’s “systematic failure” to provide adequate reimbursement constitutes a “kickback” such that hourly wages paid to its drivers are not free and clear, resulting in net wages that fall beneath federal and state minimum-wage requirements in violation of the FLSA and state labor codes.
“The net effect of defendant’s flawed reimbursement policy is that it willfully fails to pay the federal and state minimum wage to its delivery drivers,” according to the complaint filed in California federal court. “Defendant thereby enjoys ill-gained profits at the expense of its employees.” Otherwise known as screwing your employees—allegedly.
The complaint alleges all Hishmeh drivers have similar experiences because they operate under the same reimbursement policy. The suit seeks to include an estimate of several hundred current and former Hishmeh delivery drivers in California over the past four years.
Wen will my hair stop falling out? Wen you stop using the product, although this has yet to be established. Wen Hair Products and marketing company Guthy-Renker got hit with a defective products class action lawsuit this week over allegations the line of products cause hair loss. Oh. Not so good.
The Wen haircare lawsuit, filed by women living in Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota, New Jersey and North Carolina, the plaintiffs all allege they have suffered severe hair loss after using ‘Wen Hair Products’.
The Wen line of products is designed, manufactured and sold by Chaz Dean, a Hollywood hair stylist, and Guthy-Renker. The defendants claim that the Wen hair products condition the hair, and limit or repair damage caused by regular hair treatments and daily styling. However, not advertised is the alleged severe and possibly permanent damage to hair, including hair loss to the point of visible bald spots and severe breakage, according to the plaintiffs.
According to the lawyer representing the plaintiffs, many of the women who have suffered damage called the companies for help, only to be told that their complaints were unusual. However, the companies had received prior, similar calls, which they did not disclose. You think?
And the fallout from the 2008 mortgage-backed securities financial crisis continues… this week with final approval of a $970.5 million settlement granted by a judge for the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. Yes folks, this effectively ends the securities litigation brought by shareholders of the insurance giant American International Group (AIG). Remember them?
The securities lawsuit alleged that AIG misled investors about the subprime mortgage exposure that led to a liquidity crisis and over $180 billion in federal bailouts, to put is very simply. The investors alleged AIG failed to disclose risks it took on through its portfolio of credit default swaps and a securities lending program, leading them to buy stocks they otherwise would not have bought.
This settlement is among the largest class-action settlements to result from litigation of mortgage-backed securities and the 2008 financial crisis. The judge noted that no potential class member objected to the terms of the deal, leading her to determine it was “fair, reasonable and adequate.”
The settlement affects shareholders who bought AIG securities from March 16, 2006, to September 16, 2008.
Hokee Dokee—That’s a wrap folks…Time to adjourn for the week. See you at the bar!
Uhh…Maybe not Everyone Deserves a Happy Home? You’d think with a name like ”Homejoy Inc”, there’d be a lot of joy to go around. Well, maybe for the customer and business owners, but maybe not so much for the workers. The company is facing two potential employment class action lawsuits, alleging the company is in violation of California labor laws.
The house-cleaning business allegedly fails to pay its workers minimum wage or overtime, denies workers legally mandated breaks and requires house cleaners to incur their own business-related expenses, among other infractions, according to one lawsuit. Specifically, the lawsuit claims Homejoy misclassifies its workers as “cleaning professionals”–as independent contractors–rather than employees.
Additionally, the lawsuits allege Homejoy workers must wear a shirt with the Homejoy logo on it while servicing homes and can be subject to “performance improvement plans” if their ratings are too low. The complaints further claim that “cleaners are an integral part of Homejoy’s business of providing cleaning services, among other services, to its customers.”
The plaintiffs are seeking damages in the amount of unpaid overtime compensation, unpaid minimum-wage compensation, unpaid reimbursed business expenses, one hour of additional pay for each workday completed without meal breaks and another hour of compensation for each work day without rest breaks” all with interest. The Private Attorneys General Act action seeks civil penalties and attorney fees. Go get’em!
Heads up all Target Customers: A $10 million settlement has been reached in the Target data breach class action lawsuit. If approved, the settlement will resolve multidistrict litigation (MDL) resulting from one of the largest data breaches to date, affecting as many as 110 million Target customers.
The data breach occurred late in 2013—one of many data breaches we’ve been reporting on recently—and compromised customers’ personal information including bank and debit card information. The settlement motion requests certification of a nationwide class of an estimated 110 million consumers whose credit or debit card information or other personal information was compromised following the breach.
If you ever needed a reason to keep your paperwork—this would be it. Under the terms of the proposed settlement, affected Target customers who can document their losses will be eligible for up to $10,000 in damages. For those who cannot produce documentation, a payment will be made from the remainder of the settlement fund, once outstanding costs are deducted. The remaining balance will be divided equally.
Additionally, the agreement stipulates that Target makes a greater effort to safeguard its customer data, which would include appointing a high-level executive as chief information security officer and maintaining a written information security program, as well as a process to monitor for information security events and to respond to any such events determined to present a threat.
Well, the proof is in the doing… we can only wait and see.
Sheetrock Settlement. A $55 million settlement has been reached in an antitrust multi-district litigation (MDL) alleging price-fixing among companies that make gypsum board, commonly called drywall, sheetrock or plasterboard. While that might seem like a lot for drywall—it’s reportedly a $5 billion dollar a year industry in the US.
Preliminary approval was granted by US District Senior Judge Michael Maylson of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He has been overseeing the case since consolidation two years ago.
The defendant TIN has agreed to pay $5.25 million to settle claims from direct purchasers of drywall and $1.75 million to settle with indirect purchasers. Similarly, USG has agreed to pay $39.25 million to settle with the direct purchasers and $8.75 million to settle with indirect purchasers. The action isn’t quite over yet—as several defendants still need to settle.
Judge Baylson has also certified several classes of plaintiffs for the explicit purpose of facilitating the settlement and without having any effect on the still-ongoing litigation.
According to the complaint, the defendants account for more than 99 percent of drywall sold in North America. They are USG, National Gypsum, CertainTeed, Georgia-Pacific, American Gypsum, Lafarge, Temple-Inland (TIN) and PABCO. Well, if it wasn’t price-fixing it was certainly one hell of a coincidence.
Hokee Dokee—That’s a wrap folks…Time to adjourn for the week. See you at the bar!


text: As Internet became more common in homes and offices, it was widely expected that it would also be common in light vehicles. Yet Internet access in light vehicles remains relatively rare in most countries today. A recent report from IMS Research claims that this is about to change. “The World Market for OE In-vehicle Telematics” forecasts that globally, the number of new vehicles with Internet access will grow from 1.1 million in 2009 to 6 million in 2017 (about 6% of new vehicles). What has changed? According to report author Jon Cropley, “The two main factors are the growing popularity of downloadable apps and improvements in cellular technology.” Over the last three years, downloading software applications to cell phones with Internet access has become very popular, causing those in the automotive industry to consider the viability of apps for use in the vehicle. Already developed apps include weather reports at the destination and reading out e-mails to drivers. The report forecasts that sales of in-vehicle apps will grow rapidly to more than $4 billion in 2017. Improvements in cellular technology will also help. Early generations of cellular technology did not transfer data fast enough for in-vehicle Internet to be viable. Third-generation (3G) technology has changed this and is now widely available in most developed countries (Japan, with early wide availability of 3G, had the most vehicles with Internet access in 2009). However, in-vehicle Internet has its high-profile critics who fear it will distract drivers. Therefore, the automotive industry is faced with the big challenge of providing the Internet access that consumers want without compromising road safety.


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Companies like eBay have contained their sites and all types of auction abilities add delight and also to be able to draw customers.
But running an auction – an auction that’s held over the Web – raises issues both for the purchaser and the vendor.
This report looks at ways to mitigate the organisation’s risks that come from incorporating an auction to the website of a business. The information doesn’t constitute legal counsel and businesses considering expert opinion should be sought by an auction.
Auction sites such as eBay, Dealdash and artsy publish policies that cover the massive array of goods.
Auction rules do change significantly so companies might want to restrict involvement.
You want to know about regulations and privacy laws, should you allow people in countries to take part in auctions.
Following the lead from auction sites offer you a feedback mechanism where comment can be given by registrans . User feedback is the cornerstone of a minumum of one libel lawsuit, where a single automobile retailer sued another, alleging that the defendant had filed comments. Will the regulators come down heavy but it does not look good from a proficient and commercial standing. The auction company will get access to a market to Internet savvy clients, although does this guarantee experience and that support is constant.


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Telltale Games, the company behind the narrative adventures The Walking Dead, Tales from the Borderlands and Game of Thrones, among others, recently tweeted out that they have an announcement (or announcements?) in store for this year’s Comic-Con, which will take place July 20-23 in San Diego.
— Telltale Games (@telltalegames) July 15, 2017
A PlayStationLifeStyle article pointed out that this tweet was retweeted by voice actor Adam Harrington. Harrington just so happens to be the voice behind Bigby Wolf, the playable character in Telltale’s popular series The Wolf Among Us, based on the Fables comics. Ever since the release of the game’s season finale in 2014, fans have been hounding Telltale for a second season. Could this announcement be an answer to those requests?
It’s worth pointing out, however, that Harrington retweeting Telltale’s tweet doesn’t necessarily mean the announcement at Comic-Con will be related to The Wolf Among Us. Telltale uses a lot of the same voice actors for different projects and Harrington is no exception. Along with playing minor roles in Tales from the Borderlands, The Walking Dead and Minecraft: Story Mode, Harrington is also currently voicing Groot in Telltale’s adaptation of Guardians of the Galaxy. So it’s possible that the Comic-Con announcement will just be the release date of the third episode of Guardians of the Galaxy. Or it’s possible that Harrington will voice a character in a completely new Telltale series that will be announced, separate from Guardians of the Galaxy or The Wolf Among Us or any other previous Telltale series. Or it could just be that Harrington retweeted Telltale’s message because he’s excited, as a fan, for their announcement and it could actually have nothing to do with him. Who knows? But we’ll know for sure later this week when Telltale makes their Comic-Con announcement.


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Setia City Mall, Shah Alam’s largest shopping and leisure destination is celebrating its tenth anniversary this July with exciting festivities and sensational prizes up for grabs.
Since opening its doors in 2012, the mall has attracted not only the Setia Alam community but also proven to be the mall of choice for residents in the Klang Valley.
Located in the southern corridor of Setia Alam, Setia City Mall is a joint venture between S P Setia Berhad and Lendlease managed fund – Asian Retail Investment Fund (ARIF). The mall recently completed its expansion works and now boasts 1.18 million square feet of retail space housing approximately 17 major retailers and over 280 local and international retailers, creating a rich, multi-layered experience for visitors. The expansion enhanced tenant mix and facilities, providing patrons with a wider range of fashion, dining, leisure, and entertainment offers creating an all-new fresh experience.
“Setia Alam township has matured tremendously since its launch in 2004. Today it is 22,000 households strong with approximately 90,000 residents. The mall has also grown in tandem with the lifestyle demands of the enlarged communities, and we believe this milestone is just one of the many that the mall will achieve in the years to come.”
“Consumer behaviour has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic past two years. This has resulted in mall operators and retailers having to re-strategise their business models, change the structures, re-assess the mix of their tenants, and incorporate online services to drive their business into the new normal. This means moving forward, malls will need to provide a truly omnichannel experience. Brick-and-mortar outlets will need to adopt elements of the online experience besides the physical stores taking cognisance of the adoption of artificial intelligence, robotics, virtual reality and augmented reality as part of their business sustainability,” said Datuk Tan Hon Lim, Executive Vice President of S P Setia Berhad Group.


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As part of his Autumn Statement, Chancellor George Osborne has frozen business rate relief for small businesses.
And that business rate news will be welcome on our High Streets.
Gregg Easteal has been to visit two stores with contrasting takes on whether tills are really starting to ring louder again on our shopping streets.
More top news
A look ahead at the forecast for the Tyne Tees region.
A new medical robot is transforming lung cancer surgery in the North East.
Official figures say 47,427 supporters attended Newcastle's defeat to Spurs, but does that reflect the success of the boycott?


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Unionization responses show the sector’s now The Man
Big tech's responses to unionization campaigns shows it's no longer the young, cool upstart.
US consumer protection agency probes ‘buy now, pay later’ operators
20 December 2021
Open Banking: Enabling E-Commerce Using Account to Account Payment Solutions
15 December 2021
Mastercard’s 2022 outlook defined by a return to the experience economy
14 December 2021
Get Your Spend Under Management, and add Real Value to Procurement
7 December 2021
Retail trends that sellers should consider heading into 2022
3 December 2021
Solving for Cross-Border Commerce Complexities
2 December 2021
Simplifying retail security can improve the customer experience
25 November 2021
How will this year’s Black Friday sales play out?
24 November 2021
With Amazon ditching Visa credit cards, will other retailers follow suit?
19 November 2021
How Are They Going to Pay? SaaS Shops’ Thorniest Question
17 November 2021
Is there an East-West divide to embracing ‘buy now, pay later’ services?
11 November 2021
How to Drive Customer Loyalty and Repeat Sales with Omnichannel Returns
2 November 2021
Play Store still hosts malware. What’s lacking?
1 July 2022
Breaking: social media platform accesses users’ personal data
20 June 2022
Double-extortion & DDoS add to software supply chain ransomware woes
14 June 2022
The UK Digital Strategy – what we know (and what we don’t)
16 June 2022
Have the Days of the Citizen Data Scientist Arrived? Vertica from Micro Focus
31 May 2022
Meet Frontier, the world’s first, fastest Exascale Supercomputer by HPE
31 May 2022
Big Tech Vs. Buffet in wind farm gold rush
30 June 2022
Decrypt-examine-encrypt: the overheads of security have a solution
22 June 2022
Is it time to switch from WhatsApp?
21 June 2022


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Behind the Wheel: 2013 Fiat 500e
Electric and hybrid vehicles are the way of the future, or a passing fad, depending on who you ask. For the Chrysler Group, electric and hybrid vehicles have always seemed to have fallen into a gray area. That is, until the 2013 Fiat 500e showed up. Fiat and Chrysler Group boss Sergio Marchionne has been candid with his stance on alternatively fueled vehicles, going as far as to say that individual automakers should be able to choose what they want to do, if anything at all. However, when California announced it would refocus on air quality standards, like many other automakers across the globe, Marchionne (begrudgingly) gave the green light to build the 2013 Fiat 500e. By doing so, Marchionne accepted the fact that Fiat and Chrysler Group would lose $10,000 every time it sells an electrified Fiat 500. Nevertheless, Chrysler Group pushed forward with its first electric vehicle ever made for the public but you wouldn't know it even after driving a 2013 Fiat 500e. Fiat recently invited us to drive the very first all-electric vehicle to come from Auburn Hills by way of Turin, and it didn't disappoint. While the subcompact segment isn't particularly popular, there's still a need for them, and now the 2013 Fiat 500e will go up against the likes of the Chevrolet Spark EV. We won't tell you everything about the 2013 Fiat 500e here, though, so check out our First Drive of the 2013 Fiat 500e and see for yourself how it stacks up to the competition.
Leading developer of software solutions for the automotive industry, Abalta Technologies has announced that...


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American Apparel workers lash out at LA headquarters on social media
By Sara Ehlers
Nov 29, 2016
With American Apparel's current business state, it seems the Los Angeles-based apparel company’s state of affairs is only getting worse. Recently, workers in the retailer’s European stores have started protests against the company’s management in L.A.
Earlier this month, the retailer confirmed that its European operations would suffer. FashionUnited reported that the company confirmed that product shipments into the region would stop. The shipments stopped on November 5, causing the European stores to have less product than normal.
American Apparel workers take to social media for protests
In a response to the lack of products, American Apparel workers in a German store have lashed out as a response. Workers from the store have used social media to expose the company as well as protesting in the store’s front windows. The photo shows workers, barely dressed, acting as mannequins in the window. Two of them hold up signs that read, “LA send us clothes,” referring to the fact that operations have stopped as a result from the company’s headquarters based in Los Angeles.
It seems that this act of defiance against the company’s corporate headquarters only further shows that its employees are not kept up to speed with what’s been happening. While the company moves forward with its second bankruptcy, it’s still unsure what will become of the company and its stores. Currently, American Apparel has a deal where it can sell its intellectual property to Gildan Activewear Inc. for 66 million dollars, however there are no confirmations yet on that transaction.
While the company is figuring out its next move, it’s clear that its employees are growing increasing impatient with being out of the loop. This isn’t the first time American Apparel has dealt with protesters either. Earlier in the year in July, when the company suffered layoffs; many employees also took to the streets to voice their concerns. In order to stop the protests, it seems American Apparel will have to address their employees more directly, perhaps by shedding a light on their internal issues.
Photos: Instagram / American Apparel


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|Home page World|
A rare diamond known as the Pink Star has been sold in Hong Kong for more than $71m (£57m), setting a new world record for any gemstone at auction.
Axar.az reports that the oval-shaped 59.6 carat stone was bought after just five minutes' bidding at Sotheby's, reports said.
It is the largest polished diamond in its class to go under the hammer. It sold for $83m in Geneva in 2013 but the buyer later defaulted. The record until now was held by the Oppenheimer Blue, which sold for $50m last May.
Bidding for the gem, which was found by De Beers at a mine in Africa in 1999 and cut over a period of two years, began at $56m.
Sotheby's said the buyer was Hong Kong jewellery retailer Chow Tai Fook Jewellery.
Alexander Breckner, head of diamonds at jewellers "77 Diamonds", told the BBC that the stone was exceptional.
"It's the largest pink diamond ever found in the history of humankind. It's an incredible colour to it.
"And the sheer size of the stone already makes it so rare and so beautiful."
2017.04.04 / 23:14


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It's often said that when you go grocery shopping, what you buy — and how much you spend — depend on how hungry you are. The same could be said for Quebec-based grocer Metro Inc. ( TSX:MRU.SV.A), which announced Tuesday a $1.78-billion deal to buy A&P Canada, the second-largest food retailer in Ontario. A deal for A&P Canada's 236 stores has been expected since May, when management at the U.S. parent company ( NYSE:GAP) announced they were looking for strategic alternatives for their Canadian assets. When it closes as expected in August, the acquisition will increase Metro's network of stores to 579, and push annual sales from $6.1 billion to about $10.5 billion.
While even Metro president and CEO Pierre Lessard admitted in a conference call to analysts that “the price may seem a little high,” he also acknowledged buying A&P was a deal that Metro had to make happen. “We looked at it as a very valuable asset,” said 63-year-old Lessard. “It was a unique opportunity we could not let go. We had to grow our scale.” And with rival grocer Sobeys Inc. ( TSX:SBY), the country's second largest after Loblaw Cos. Ltd. ( TSX:L), considered by many retail analysts to be the most likely and most logical candidate from a synergies point of view to acquire A&P Canada, Metro knew it had to make a compelling offer now, or forever lose the chance to push outside Quebec, where it now gets about 90% of its revenue. (Metro already has a small operation in Ontario, under the Loeb banner, mainly in the Ottawa region.)
The acquisition, expected to close in August, gives the grocer a 24% market share in Canada's largest province. Metro expects synergies of $60 million, achievable over a 24-month period, primarily from procurement, store operations and distribution. A&P Canada operates the A&P, Dominion, Food Basics, The Barn and Ultra Food & Drug Banners, while Metro operates Metro, Metro Plus, Super C and Brunet stores in Quebec and the Loeb banner in Ontario.
Under the deal, A&P Canada's parent, Montvale, N.J.-based The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., will get $1.2 billion in cash and $500 million in Metro shares, giving it a 16% stake in the Quebec grocer; Metro will also assume $83 million in A&P Canada debt. The deal is valued at about 10.7 times A&P's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, adjusted to include a two-year agreement, worth $20 million annually, for Great Atlantic to provide IT services to Metro. Including the synergies Metro expects to realize, the deal is worth 7.9 times A&P Canada's EBITDA.
The opportunity for Great Atlantic to still keep a hand in the Canadian grocery market through an equity stake, while selling an asset in order to raise cash to improve its troubled core operations in the U.S., likely gave Metro a leg up on competing bids. “This is really the best outcome for A&P,” Great Atlantic CEO Christian Haub said on the analyst conference call. “It fullfills our short-term needs but also provides the most long-term value.”
Metro shares soared on the acquisition news, rising by $3.75 to $31.25 on the TSX by the end of trading Tuesday. But shares of Sobeys, based in Stellarton, N.S., were punished by investors as the company failed to execute a deal that would have given it a bigger presence in the important Toronto-area market, boosted its Ontario market share and offered synergies in areas such as distribution with its current operations. Said CIBC World Markets analyst Perry Caicco in a research report: “Althought the price was higher than we had projected, Sobeys has let a tremendous strategic asset, with plenty of synergies, pass.” He downgraded Sobeys shares to “sector underperformer,” with a target price of $38, from “sector overperformer” and a target of $50. Sobeys shares dropped Tuesday by $3.03 to $38.10.
Merrill Lynch analyst Patricia Baker said in a note “the news is not good for Sobeys,” adding that the A&P assets were “a jewel in Ontario, with many downtown Toronto locations we believe were coveted by Sobeys.” The missed opportunity, she added, means that “instead of a strong #2 position, Sobeys will now remain the third player in the key Ontario marktplace.” Nationally, she says, Sobeys remains the second-largest grocer, “though barely now, and still a distant second to Loblaw Cos Ltd.”
Sobeys shares had risen since May on speculation that it would do whatever it took to acquire A&P Canada. But in the end, Metro turned out to be the more hungry shopper.


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James Gunn has agreed to direct Guardians of the Galaxy 2, according to the original film's co-writer Nicole Perlman.
Marvel's new intergalactic epic is set to roll out internationally over the next week, but Perlman has told The Wrap that sequel plans are already in the works.
"They started to figure it out pretty quick when they started getting the reactions from the audience; it was a very positive reaction," Perlman said at San Diego Comic-Con International.
She continued: "Of course they would want to make a sequel as long as it does well and people are excited about it, they'll wanna do a sequel. So, it's going to happenâ€¦ James will be directing Guardians 2, so he would also be writing Guardians 2."
Gunn recently told Digital Spy that he is eager for Guardians members Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel) to meet The Avengers.
Marvel Studios has not yet issued any confirmation that Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is in the works.
The company has announced six release dates for untitled projects, with a revelation about some of these films expected to be made at San Diego Comic-Con International this weekend.
Guardians of the Galaxy will open in UK cinemas on July 31 and August 1 in the US.
Watch James Gunn speak to Digital Spy below:
Gallery: Guardians of the Galaxy


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NEWINGTON — Simon, a leading global retail real estate company, is holding a special celebration to help young students and parents across the country “make the grade” even before the school year begins. Families are invited to score an “A+” in preparedness and entertainment with Simon Kidgits Club’s annual Back-to-School event at The Mall at Fox Run on Saturday, August 23 from 11AM – 1PM.
Simon Kidgits Club’s Back-to-School event will feature a variety of interactive activities for children and valuable offers for adults, all designed to make transitioning into academic routines a little easier.
— Infusing some fun: To incorporate excitement into getting back to the classroom, kids will have the opportunity to participate in seasonal-inspired craft-making activities and games, including a mall-wide scavenger hunt! Kidgits Club members will also receive a FREE jumbo pen while supplies last.
— Introducing what’s hot: Before hitting the books, families can explore the latest clothing, accessory and toy trends from retailers at The Mall at Fox Run.
— Sharing savvy ways to save: Event attendees will have the chance to win prizes and giveaways and tackle their back to school shopping lists with exclusive retailer coupons.
— Attendees will also have the chance to take home a furry friend! The NHSPCA will be on site for a pet adoption event from 11AM – 3PM. Families can learn about and meet animals up for adoption through the NHSPCA.
“At Simon® malls, we know the back-to-school experience means more to families than simply purchasing must-have supplies,” said Aaron Yust, director of mall marketing at The Mall at Fox Run. “We’re hosting our annual Back-to-School event to encourage parents and kids to connect with each other, enjoy a final moment of summer fun at their favorite Simon mall, and are ready to take on a new school year.”
The Simon Kidgits Club is a fun and informative program that focuses on health, wellness, education, safety and entertainment for children ages 3-8. The Simon Kidgits Club has kept children and parents alike amused for over a decade with various events and activities while providing incentives for club members, such as special offers, rewards and games.
For more information about the Simon Kidgits Club and Back-to-School events, visit www.simon.com/kidgits , and visit The Mall at Fox Run on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheMallAtFoxRun or on Twitter at @TheMallatFoxRun.


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Yahoo investors have eagerly awaited this news: About 67% of the company’s value is tied up in the stock it owns in Chinese e-retailer Alibaba — which executives promised in January to turn over to Yahoo shareholders.
That process now is in motion with a filing at the SEC to create a publicly traded company, called Aabaco Holdings, that will house 384 million Alibaba shares, equal to about 15% of the total. It also will take Yahoo Small Business, described as “a cloud-based services platform that enables small business entrepreneurs to start, build, and grow their businesses.”
Yahoo owners will receive shares in Aabaco as a dividend by year’s end, the company says. It wants the transactions to be tax-free and is waiting for an IRS ruling on the matter. The IRS is weighing a rule change involving tax-free spinoffs and might put current reviews on hold.
Analysts probably will ask about the status of the ruling on Tuesday in a conference call after Yahoo releases its Q2 earnings. Its shares are up about 1% in after-market trading.
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SINGAPORE: Demand for new private residential homes has improved in the first half of 2017 as compared to the same period last year, largely driven by the perception that the market is bottoming out, according to analysts.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) second quarter figures for the year showed the sale of new private residential units, excluding executive condominiums (ECs), rose by about 64 per cent in the first half of this year, as compared to the first half of 2016. The number of new units sold in the first half of 2017 was 6,039, as compared to 3,675 units in the first half of 2016.New project launches and showroom flats this year have also attracted huge crowds and strong sales figures.
Most recently, the 450-unit luxury home project Martin Modern sold more units than its initial target during the first launch. It had sold 89 units when it planned to launch “between 50-60 units”, the property’s developer GuocoLand said.
While not all new developments launched this year may have received similar demand, market observers say they have noticed a pick up in private home sales in all market segments – the Outside Central Region, Rest of Central Region, and Core Central Region – as compared to last year.
This is due to several reasons, with one being the belief that the “market is bottoming out soon”, said Mr Ong Teck Hui, the national director of research and consultancy at Jones Lang LaSalle.
Many buyers are drawn to the “fairly attractive prices” today, he said, because prices have fallen for the past 15 quarters and they “hope to take advantage before the market turns around”.
He said that the market could remain active in 2018, as demand has been pent up since 2013.
“BUYING BECAUSE ECONOMY IS BAD”
Alan Cheong, the senior director of research and consultancy at Savills, said investors are turning to residential property as a way to cope amid an uncertain economy.
“This may sound counter-intuitive, (but) people are buying because the economy is bad,” Mr Cheong said. “People are buying now because they have lost a little bit of faith in what are alternative investments, and so they are putting their faith in brick and mortar.”
Bullish bids for government land and attractive offers for collective sale sites this year are also among the reasons that analysts believe have led many buyers to believe that prices will increase next year.
According to a Cushman & Wakefield report, between January and May this year, developers paid 29 per cent more on average for residential plots over comparable sites sold in the past five years. Comparatively, the average premium was only 13 per cent in the second half of 2016.
But as public sentiment continues to improve, the market watchers expect upcoming launches for the rest of 2017 to continue to do well.
Last year, about 7,972 private residential developments, excluding ECs, were sold in the primary sales market, and Mr Cheong predicts that number to hit between 11,000 to 12,000 this year.
He said he expects the positive buying sentiment to continue into 2018, but does not think that sales will increase beyond 2017.
“It all depends on the government land sales programme next year, and also the collective sales sites – when they get launched in 2018. If some get deferred to 2019, and if we don’t have new supply, then primary sales numbers will also come down,” he said.


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Cybersecurity solutions provider CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. unveiled new protective tools for its product lineup during its Fal.Con conference in Las Vegas today.
The announcements included Foundry, a no-code application development platform specifically designed for security, which caught the attention of theCUBE’s analysts.
“Falcon Foundry I thought was interesting, where you can essentially create an unlimited number of response workloads,” said Dave Vellante (pictured, left), industry analyst for theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. “I don’t think CrowdStrike is going to become an observability company, but they’ll play in that space. Those are total addressable market expanders, which is very important.”
Vellante spoke with theCUBE industry analyst Lisa Martin (right) at the Fal.Con event, during the keynote analysis in an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed central messages from the keynotes and CrowdStrike’s market opportunities. (* Disclosure below.)
The analysts noted CrowdStrike’s candid assessment of several of its competitors during the keynote session on Tuesday. The company has also posted a detailed set of competitor comparisons on its webpage.
“It’s very rare to see competitive intelligence information published on a website,” Martin said. “Normally, that’s the competitive intel team within marketing or within product that uses that for customer conversations. I just thought that was a really interesting approach.”
The keynote session included a demonstration of Charlotte AI, CrowdStrike’s generative AI cybersecurity analyst. Although the company announced several new features for the AI tool, there was no mention of pricing, and the accompanying release only indicated that a “familiar and simple model of per endpoint pricing” would be available.
“I was disappointed that we didn’t hear more on the pricing,” Vellante said. “I thought for a minute they were going to say: ‘Hey, for a period of time, we’re giving it away, just to see what adoption looks like and then over time start charging for it.’ I want to understand what the pricing strategy is.”
Here’s the complete video discussion, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the Fal.Con event:
(* Disclosure: This is an unsponsored editorial segment. However, theCUBE is a paid media partner for the Fal.Con Conference. CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. and other sponsors of theCUBE’s event coverage do not have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)


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The survey also shows that operators have further developed their business strategies for 5G services. They are now looking beyond the consumer segment and foresee opportunities in the enterprise and industrial segments as well.
Thomas Noren, Head of 5G Commercialization, Ericsson, says: “In the 2016 survey, 90 percent of the respondents pointed to consumers as the main segment in their 5G business planning. This year, it is an even split between three segments and operators have identified business opportunities not only in the consumer segment but also with enterprise users and specialized industries.”
According to the survey, operators are seeing that the consumer market is becoming saturated. As a result, 5G planning this year is more evenly distributed across specialized industry segments (58 percent), business users (56 percent), and consumers (52 percent).
The top three industry sectors that were highlighted by the respondents were media and entertainment, automotive and public transport but many also ranked healthcare as well as energy and utilities among the most attractive sectors for 5G applications. A clear majority of the respondents believe that Internet of Things will play an important role and that third-party collaboration will be essential in this context.
In terms of 5G monetisation, the respondents believe that additional revenue will be generated from increased market share, migration of 4G subscribers, higher prices for new services, and by expansion into new enterprise and industry segments.
The respondents, 50 executives in business and technical areas, were interviewed in July and work for 37 operators globally that have announced publicly they are working on 5G.
For more detailed information, please download the full report at Ericsson’s page.
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Something is brewing at Hopmeadow Brewing Company in Avon | Connecticut News
AVON (WFSB) – Something’s Brewing in the only brewery in town. Courtney Zieller visited Hopmeadow Brewing Company for an insight into the family business.
“We’re a family business,” said owner and head brewer Brian Hickey. “My son Gabriel is the assistant brewer, my daughter Olivia is the main cashier and my wife helps me with everything else. She’s a local artist and she does all the artwork.
Brian Hickey said he had been brewing at home since he was 20, then got back into it in 2012.
“I started dragging my son out of his room every weekend to help me out and now we do everything together,” Hickey said.
The brewery tries to use as many local ingredients as possible and said its culinary experience adds to this brewing practice.
“Being a chef for 30 years – it’s all about local ingredients,” Hickey said. “We love using local farms. »
The first beer that Zieller and Hickey talked about was the brewery’s Polka Pilsner. The beer uses a combination of local and German noble hops to create a crisp taste.
“The beer is very easy to drink and has a nice lemony finish,” Hickey said.
Next, Citra Nitra, a New England-style IPA.
“This one is brewed with 100% Citra hops and has a nice, mellow mouthfeel,” Hickey said. “It’s very lemony and juicy.”
Hickey said the brewery uses about 150 pounds of local organic butternut squash from Garlic Farm in West Granby for the next beer.
“Our Punkin Dunkel is a German dark beer,” he said. “It’s a popular beer during the fall months and it sells very well.”
The last beer Zieller heard of was a chocolate milk stout.
“It’s brewed with milk sugar or lactose,” Hickey said. It has organic cocoa, uh, in it, tons. It comes out really chocolatey and really creamy.
Hickey said the beer is plugged into a nitro tap which makes the beer smooth and drinkable like a dessert.
The brasserie has added a day to its schedule and is now open Thursday and Friday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from noon to 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.
Copyright 2022 WFSB. All rights reserved.


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PayPal and InComm agree to a partnership for bringing touch-free payments to retailers
PayPal Holdings, Inc. announced that CVS Pharmacy will be the first national retailer to integrate PayPal and Venmo QR code technology in its checkout experience at all of its 8,200 standalone stores across the country. Through PayPal’s partnership with payments technology company InComm, shoppers will be able to securely pay for their items without needing to touch a keypad or sign a receipt.
“In the midst of COVID-19, we have seen an incredible acceleration of digital payments and touch-free payments,” said Mark Britto, Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer, PayPal. “Companies of all types and sizes are looking for ways to maintain the safety of their customers and employees, especially through touch-free experiences like curbside pickup and enhanced online shopping. QR codes complement these and provide retailers an additional payment method that furthers this touch-free mission and continues the growth of digital payments for all partners in the ecosystem.” PayPal and Venmo QR codes will roll out to CVS Pharmacies nationwide in the fourth quarter of 2020.
The integration with CVS Pharmacy is the first of a multi-year agreement between PayPal and InComm to bring acceptance of PayPal and Venmo QR Codes to retailers across the country. The agreement enables InComm to distribute PayPal QR Code technology through its cloud-based software updates, allowing retailers to quickly and easily integrate the touch-free payment technology into their point-of-sale terminals.
“In order to best serve our merchant partners during this unprecedented time, we have been exploring a wide variety of new and emerging payment technologies that could help them provide payment methods that abide by general social distancing guidelines,” said Stefan Happ, President, InComm.