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Twin Peaks Franchise News
|Total Investment:||$1,424,550 - $3,606,000|
United States: AL, CO, DE, DC, IL, IA, KY, LA, MD, MN, NV, NY, PA, TN, VA, WA, WV, WI
Browse the latest corporate news from Twin Peaks.
Twin Peaks, the mountain-lodge themed sports restaurant, is continuing its rapid growth with the opening of its first Mississippi location at 6010 I-55 Frontage Rd. in Jackson.
Twin Peaks Restaurants today announced a development agreement to open the concept’s first restaurants in the Pacific Northwest and in the state of Wisconsin.
Twin Peaks, the ultimate man-cave sports restaurant, is hosting a special sweepstakes to give fans an opportunity to win the one-of-a-kind Twin Peaks Bronco, built by Gas Monkey Garage.
Twin Peaks Restaurants has signed a multi-unit development agreement to open four locations along the Southwest coast of Florida.
Twin Peaks Restaurants has signed a multi-unit development agreement to open six locations in the Detroit area, the concept’s first restaurants in the state of Michigan.
Twin Peaks swapped its signature mountain views for a beach vibe Wednesday night at the EXDO Center in Denver when Laken Badley of Twin Peaks Cool Springs was crowned Miss Twin Peaks 2013 during the 3rd annual All-Star bikini showdown.
Coby Brooks, President and CEO of La Cima Restaurants, LLC, and the largest franchise operator of Twin Peaks, will be featured on the season finale of CBS’s hit reality show “Undercover Boss” Friday, May 17.
Twin Peaks has appointed 25-year restaurant operations veteran Patrick Droesch as its new President and Chief Operating Officer.
Twin Peaks Restaurants today announced the ultimate man-cave sports restaurant has awarded it’s second largest franchise commitment to expand its presence into Southern Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio with 16 stores.
Twin Peaks Restaurants, the ultimate man-cave sports lodge, is growing its presence throughout Tennessee and Kansas thanks to extended development agreements with four current franchise groups.
Twin Peaks Restaurants today announced it has opened the doors to its first Las Vegas location at 3717 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Suite 285.
Twin Peaks Restaurants is in search of the next Twin Peaks Girls that will serve local guests at its first Las Vegas restaurant location scheduled to open March 4.
Twin Peaks Restaurants recently announced that the ultimate man-cave sports lodge has awarded a multi-unit development agreement to expand its presence across East and Central Texas, as well as areas of northern Louisiana.
On December 4, at 9 p.m. CST, all Twin Peaks restaurants will host watch parties for the VS Fashion Show as the ultimate man-cave restaurant offers a front row seat to the show, along with great food and 29-degree draft beer.
Twin Peaks Reaching New Heights: New Development Agreements Push Rapidly Expanding Concept Past 100 Restaurant Commitments Nationwide
Thanks to recent development agreements with new and existing franchisees, Twin Peaks Restaurants has reached the milestone of 100 restaurant commitments to be opened nationwide over the next several years.
Twin Peaks Restaurants today announced that the ultimate man-cave sports lodge has awarded a multi-unit development agreement to expand in South Florida.
Twin Peaks Restaurants nationwide will be busting out with special events this month.
Twin Peaks Restaurants today announced that the ultimate man-cave sports lodge has awarded a multi-unit development agreement to expand its presence to Kansas City.
It’s back-to-school season. And if a crowded restaurant and social media buzz are any indication, the new Twin Peaks restaurant in Buckhead is destined to be voted “most popular” and “most likely to succeed.”
Hot Jobs Available with Upstate’s Hottest New Girl in Town: The New Twin Peaks® Restaurant in Greenville!
Twin Peaks will open the concept’s newest location in Greenville this August and is on the hunt for talent to join the adventure.
Twin Peaks Restaurants today announced the company has signed a multi-unit development agreement to open its first locations in Mississippi.
Twin Peaks will open the concept’s largest location in Buckhead this July and is on the hunt for talent to join the adventure.
Twin Peaks Taps Restaurant Veterans To Grow Brand; Awards Development Agreements For 19 New Locations
Twin Peaks Restaurants today announced the company has signed multiple development deals that will result in 19 new restaurants, including its first locations in Indiana. The development agreements also expand the company's presence in Arizona, Louisiana.
Houston brothers Joe, Ricky and John Rosa and close family friend, Andrew Thomas, have been named Franchisee of the Year by Twin Peaks Restaurants and will be recognized on Sept. 13-14 at the International Franchise Association's (IFA) Public Affairs Conf
Looking for more information about Twin Peaks? Take a moment to fill out our quick information request form.


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Black Friday on-line gross sales attain report ranges amid sparse in-store crowds (NYSE:TGT)
Knowledge launched following the Black Friday vacation signifies customers’ urge for food to spend was not curbed amid elevated inflation.
Whereas site visitors to malls might have been thinner than anticipated based on Reuters, internet site visitors remained strong. In accordance with Adobe Analytics, consumers within the US spent a report $9.12B on Black Friday gross sales on-line*.
The report gross sales determine got here amid deep discounting amongst many main retailers because the likes of Goal (NYSE:TGT), Kohl’s (KSS), and extra work by bloated stock ranges. Many retailers have been pursuing reductions sooner than ever as a result of stock points.
The two.3% leap in on-line gross sales from the prior 12 months greater than doubled the expectation for the analytics supplier. Moreover, Cyber Monday gross sales are anticipated to exceed the efficiency on Black Friday, including to energy within the e-commerce trade.
The sturdy knowledge from Adobe provides to a optimistic report from Shopify (SHOP). In a report launched on Saturday morning, the Canadian e-commerce firm stated $3.36B was spent by customers on the most important procuring vacation, up 17% from the prior 12 months. The height hour for gross sales was round midday jap time, whereby retailers on the platform noticed $3.5M in gross sales per minute. The attire, magnificence, and residential and backyard classes led gross sales, based on Shopify as the typical cart held about $102.31 price of products.
The energy in e-commerce has pushed previous expectations set by knowledge suppliers akin to Mastercard’s (MA) SpendingPulse, which had projected in-store gross sales to speed up previous on-line gross sales within the post-pandemic surroundings. The bank card supplier had forecast a 15% leap in gross sales on Black Friday general, led by an 18% rise for in-store retail gross sales. Malls like Macy’s (M), Dillard’s (DDS), Nordstrom (JWN), and Kohl’s (KSS) had been forecast to be a few of the major drivers with year-over-year gross sales projected to rise over 25% amid a return of in-person consumers looking for the aforementioned reductions.
“Whereas retailers have already been closely discounting this season, customers and retailers are doubtless holding out for some particular provides to land on the largest promotional day of the 12 months,” Steve Sadove, senior advisor for Mastercard (MA), commented.
The Nationwide Retail Federation estimated related tendencies, projecting 166.3M consumers by the lengthy weekend, exceeding 2021 ranges by 8M. The projection would additionally spell a report, based on the NRF, topping pre-pandemic ranges.The Federation anticipated over 67% procuring in individual on Black Friday, up considerably from pandemic-drive doldrums within the two years prior.
“Whereas there’s a lot hypothesis about inflation’s affect on client conduct, our knowledge tells us that this Thanksgiving vacation weekend will see strong retailer site visitors with a report variety of consumers benefiting from worth pricing,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay stated. “We’re optimistic that retail gross sales will stay sturdy within the weeks forward, and retailers are prepared to satisfy customers nonetheless they wish to store with nice merchandise at costs they wish to pay.”
In accordance with early reviews, nonetheless, in-person procuring tendencies stay muted. In accordance with the Wall Avenue Journal, far fewer consumers had been out early for doorbuster offers than in years previous. The offers discovered on-line appeared to stifle some urge for food to cope with crowds on the everyday busy procuring day, although full knowledge on retailer site visitors tendencies akin to the readily-available on-line knowledge has but to circulation by.
Low cost Drivers
When it comes to these reductions, Adobe knowledge signifies that it’s certainly the steep gross sales which might be a key think about driving gross sales to a 12 months over 12 months acquire regardless of the inflationary strain on customers. Particularly, electronics gross sales and toys had been scooped up by consumers that would not deny the reductions.
In accordance with the NRF, toys like American Woman and Barbie dolls from Mattel (MAT) are prime purchases for ladies. In the meantime, video video games like ActivisionBlizzard’s (ATVI) Trendy Warfare II and consoles like Microsoft’s (MSFT) Xbox and Sony’s (SONY) PlayStation dominate purchases for boys. Roblox (RBLX) was additionally cited as a prime buy on Thanksgiving Day by Adobe, which famous that gross sales on the Thanksgiving vacation itself additionally touched a report $5.29B.
Per Captify, an promoting expertise firm, customers had been properly conscious of the rampant discounting within the retail area and actively sought out these offers. As such, the number of websites to focus on shifted from the prior 12 months. The agency stated that Walmart (WMT) usurped Amazon (AMZN) because the most-searched retailer for Black Friday offers. Actually, each Goal (TGT) and Kohl’s Company (KSS) jumped forward of Amazon within the search rankings as properly.
Learn extra on how chilly climate might carry strong retail gross sales by to Christmas.
* Charts offered by Adobe Analytics

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Shipping companies are expected to gradually reopen their offices in Shenzhen after the southern Chinese city’s week-long lockdown was lifted on March 21.
The Shenzhen municipal government announced the lifting of the lockdown on its WeChat account on March 20, saying the latest Covid-19 outbreak was under control, allowing government agencies and businesses to resume normal operations and production.
The notice said the municipal government would take a differentiated approach among factories to maintain stable production.
Container News calls to the Shenzhen offices of Maersk Line, MSC and CMA CGM showed some staff returned to their offices today.
A Maersk employee said: ‘The lockdown was only lifted today so things won’t get back to normal so quickly, especially when factories in Shenzhen have had to stop production all day. last week. However, the Shenzhen distribution center and other warehouses that had to close during the lockdown are expected to reopen today.
A Hapag-Lloyd customer review said, “Container movements in/out of Shenzhen terminals are normal, but queues are starting to form outside.”
The complete removal of the lockdown came after restrictions on movement in five of Shenzhen’s districts were partially lifted on March 18, as President Xi Jinping said China would try to reduce economic and social disruption while still sticking to its zero-Covid-19 policy which imposes lockdowns in all areas that suffer from outbreaks.
For more information: container-news.com


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Package delivery and logistic major Deutsche Post DHL Group reported that its net profit for fiscal year 2022 increased to 5.36 billion euros from last year’s 5.05 billion euros, with earnings per share improving to 4.33 euros from 4.01 euros in the previous year.
Revenue for the year rose to 94.44 billion euros from 81.75 billion euros in the prior year.
By the year 2050, Deutsche Post DHL Group aims to achieve net-zero emissions logistics
In light of the continuing uncertainty about the course of an economic recovery, the Group’s 2023 EBIT guidance contains three scenarios and ranges from 6.0 billion euros to 7.0 billion euros, the company said in a statement.
In the favorable case of a recovery starting around mid-year the Group expects EBIT of around 7.0 billion euros for fiscal year 2023.
In case of a recovery starting more towards year end the Group anticipates EBIT of around 6.5 billion euros.
In the least favorable case of no significant recovery in 2023 the Group predicts EBIT of at least 6.0 billion euros.
The Group expects to be able to increase EBIT relative to 2023 again. The EBIT target for 2025 is set to more than 8 billion euros. The Group anticipates to generate cumulative free cash flow of 9 billion euros to 11 billion euros in the period from 2023 to 2025.
The company said it will propose to the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting on May 4, 2023 an increase of the dividend to 1.85 euros per share compared to 1.80 euros per share paid last year. The Group would thus pay out a total amount of EUR 2.2 billion.
The company noted that the existing share buyback program 2022-24 will be increased by 1.0 billion euros. The total volume now amounts to 3.0 billion euros. There is no change in the intention to conclude the program until the end of 2024.
For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com
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Olive Garden tops a list of national retailers eyeing a Hawaii debut
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But let’s take it one step further by saying that sometime in the near future, these national chains also will grace Hawaii shores, sharing yet another commonality.
That list of retailers — which was part of a Hawaii retail forecast presentation by Kim Lord, senior managing director, for CBRE Group Inc. Hawaii at Wednesday’s Forecast 2013 event at the Hawaii Convention Center — also included the hugely popular retailer H&M until yesterday. But as I first reported, the Swedish fashion chain is close to securing a space in Waikiki.
So what about the others?
Olive Garden, which has long been rumored to be looking to make its first Hawaii splash and is probably the most desirable on the list, is apparently searching out west for its first location — West Oahu, to be exact, according to a source.
But before that happens, the source told me that Olive Garden, which is owned by Darden Restaurants Inc. (NYSE: DRI), wants to open a location in Honolulu as well.
The source said that Olive Garden won’t just open one restaurant at a time and instead wants to open two at the same time.
Last July, I reported that, along with Trader Joe’s, Olive Garden is on a list of restaurants and retailers for the planned 400,000-square-foot Piilani Promenade mega-mall in Kihei on Maui.
In 2011, PBN reported that several commercial real estate brokers said that Olive Garden was actively looking for its first Hawaii site.
As those tantalizing commercials continue to keep us in Hawaii salivating for more. It surely won’t be too long before we can taste it here instead of elsewhere.
Duane Shimogawa covers energy, real estate and economic development for Pacific Business News.
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Loot Crate has announced a “G.I. Joe” crate for its October’s subscription box.
The crate features officially-licensed exclusive “G.I. Joe” collectibles, items and wearable goods, including an officially-licensed and exclusive “G.I. Joe” Stylized Snake Eyes with Timber figure, a collaboration with Hasbro. This crate also includes an exclusive Snake Eyes long-sleeve T-shirt and more.
The Loot Crate DX is available for preorder until Oct.19 at 9:00 pm PST.
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Wireless One: Is the U.S. Falling Behind? April 25, 2002
Leaders of the Congressional Internet Caucus Wireless Task Force today kicked off the wireless panel series with a group of policy and industry leaders debating, "Wireless: Is the US Falling Behind?" The Wireless series will continue with an additional event on wireless spectrum. These events will raise Congressional awareness about issues confronting the U.S. wireless Internet marketplace.
Today's Wireless Internet discussion opened with comments from Congressman Honda (D-CA). Honda commented, "By fostering discussions between policymakers and industry leaders, the Wireless Task Force seeks to shed light upon the challenges confronting the evolution of America's wireless industry."
The expert panel, moderated by Gerry Waldron of Covington & Burling, included Rudy Baca of Precursor Group, Chris Hare of DigitWireless, David Jeppsen of NTT DoCoMo USA and Daniel Meredith of Vodafone. The panel discussed whether the U.S. is lagging behind in the roll out of advanced wireless services and its effect on domestic consumer demand. The event also included demonstrations of current wireless devices and advanced wireless services in use throughout the world.


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Tractor Supply delivers EPS growth in Q3
Tractor Supply reported that net sales for the third quarter increased 9% to $1.07 billion from $977.8 million in the prior year’s third quarter. Same-store sales increased 2.9% compared with a very strong 11.5% increase in the prior-year period. The same-store sales increase was driven primarily by continued strong results in key consumable, usable and edible products, principally animal- and pet-related merchandise.
Net income for the quarter was $50 million, or 69 cents per diluted share, compared with net income of $42.7 million, or 58 cents per diluted share, in the third quarter of the prior year.
The company opened 17 new stores and closed one store in the third quarter of 2012 compared with 12 new store openings and one store closure in the prior year’s third quarter.
Jim Wright, chairman and CEO, said: "We are delighted with our ability to once again generate double-digit EPS growth during the third quarter, with our team executing exceptionally well through less than ideal weather conditions. We are pleased with our same store sales gain in light of last year’s very strong 11.5% comp increase and moderate inflation this year. Our core C.U.E. businesses posted solid increases above last year. Additionally, we demonstrated our ability to recognize and react quickly to the regional weather trends that developed through the quarter. As a testament to the progress we are making on our key initiatives and the stability we have built in our business, we achieved our 18th consecutive quarter of comp transaction count increases."
The company said net sales for the full year 2012 are now expected to range between $4.61 billion and $4.65 billion compared with the company’s previously expected range of $4.58 billion and $4.65 billion. Same-store sales for the year are now expected to increase 4% to 5% compared with the prior expectation for an increase of 3.5% to 5%. Based on stronger than expected net income per diluted share for the third quarter, the Company now anticipates net income per diluted share for the full-year 2012 will range between $3.63 and $3.69, compared with its previous guidance of $3.58 and $3.66.
Lumber Liquidators posts strong Q3
Toano, Va.-based Lumber Liquidators reported third-quarter net income of $12.9 million, up 91.3% from $6.7 million in the third quarter of the prior year.
Net sales for the third quarter ended Sept. 30 increased $32.3 million, or 18.8%, to $204.3 million in the third quarter of 2012 from $172.0 million in the third quarter of 2011. Comparable-store net sales increased 12.0% for the quarter; non-comparable store net sales increased $11.7 million. The company opened seven new stores during the third quarter.
“Our team continued to generate consistent strength in our top line by broadening our advertising reach and frequency, expanding our merchandise assortment and driving effective store execution,” said Robert Lynch, president and CEO. “As a result, we delivered record operating margin and EPS in the quarter. Our value proposition, combining price, selection, quality and availability with the expertise and service provided by our people, resonated with customers during the quarter as we continued to capture share in our fragmented market.”
For the first nine months of 2012, net income increased 86.9% to $33.3 million, compared with $17.8 million in the first nine months of the prior year.
Net sales increased 18.8% to $602.7 million in the first nine months from $507.1 million in the first nine months of 2011. Comparable-store net sales increased 10.7%, compared with a decrease of 3.3% for the first nine months of the prior year. Non-comparable store net sales increased $41.4 million over the prior year. The company opened 21 new stores during the first nine months of 2012 and as of Sept. 30, operated 284 stores in 46 states and Canada.
Based on year-to-date results, Lumber Liquidators now expects to achieve net sales for the full year in the range of $791 million to $799 million, up from the previous range of $750 million to $775 million.
Hunter announces promotions
Hunter Industries, a global provider of irrigation solutions for the professional market, has promoted Greg Hunter to chief operating officer, where he will be responsible for executing company strategy and optimizing the day-to-day operations for all Hunter business units. He assumes this role having held leadership positions within several key departments at Hunter, including engineering, product management, information systems and marketing.
Gene Smith, the company’s current director of marketing for commercial and residential Irrigation, has been promoted to VP marketing. Smith assumes the position after 12 years at Hunter, in which he has held leadership positions in engineering, product management and marketing. In his new role, Smith will lead the marketing efforts for all Hunter business units, including residential, commercial and golf irrigation, FX Luminaire landscape lighting, and Hunter custom molding.
Based in San Marcos, Calif., Hunter Industries is a family-owned company that offers more than 1,000 products that serve the landscape professional.


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State's GrowFL program wants business owners to apply for its research and consulting services
GrowFL's mission is to spot companies capable of tremendous growth -- and then help them to blossom.
But while the program provides research and consulting services tailored to individual businesses, it has had difficulty finding companies that meet some of the strict criteria established by the Florida Legislature.
As a result, GrowFL could use more applicants.
But local companies need to act fast: The deadline to turn in a completed application for the next GrowFL program, which begins in August, is May 31.
"We don't find it difficult finding the companies who want the services," said Tammie Nemecek, who coordinates GrowFL with the Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota County and similar groups statewide.
"Our challenge is finding companies that qualify."
To qualify, companies must be beyond the start-up stage, have a product or service it sells and have generated revenue of $1 million to $25 million.
Target companies are supposed to have at least 10 employees but fewer than 100. They also must have shown employment and revenue growth in three of the past five years.
Many companies meet one or several of those criteria, but few clear every hurdle, Nemecek said.
But Nemecek and Joan McGill, a Sarasota EDC vice president of business development, encourage every company with sales of $1 million or more to apply.
That way, even if the company is not selected by GrowFL, it could receive alternative funding if it becomes available.
"We want to reach as many people as we can," McGill said.
GrowFL estimates that the free research and consulting services it provides are worth about $50,000 to a typical participant.
"You can think of it as a Fortune 500 market research team that is being put to work for Florida's small businesses," Nemecek said.
Firms find it 'tricky'
Current GrowFL participants in the region include Ambo Foods Inc., Anexio, Biolife LLC, Datum, JMX International, Karins Engineering Group, Resource One, SouthTech, Voalté and Weber Manufacturing.
"It can be tricky when you're a small company," said Andrew McFall, in charge of marketing at South Manatee-based Biolife, the maker of WoundSeal, a powder that stops bleeding and seals wounds.
"You have more opportunities than you can pursue," McFall said. "You have to make good choices."
BioLife, founded in 1999, announced last week that 20,000 retail outlets now carry WoundSeal. Two years ago, none did.
The first aid product is now sold in Rite-Aid Pharmacy, H-E-B Pharmacy, Duane Reade Pharmacy and Giant Eagle, together with local Publix Super Markets Inc., Walgreens and CVS pharmacies, Target stores and Bed, Bath & Beyond locations.
For its part, SouthTech Solutions Inc. last week was named "Small Business of the Year" for 2013 by the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.
SouthTech, which was begun in 1994 and today employs 27, provides information technology and technical support for small- and medium-sized companies. Revenue there has grown by 20 percent or more each year, except the recession year of 2008.
Cameron Ford, director of the University of Central Florida's Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, is a believer in the economic gardening philosophy that is the basis for GrowFL.
Instead of recruiting new companies to move to a region, the concept is to identify companies already here with the potential to become "gazelles" -- economic- development-industry parlance for companies growing quickly.
"Recruiting companies tends to yield pretty marginal returns," Ford said. "By identifying a small number of these high-potential firms that are on the cusp of being gazelles, if your goal is job creation, you get a lot of bang for the buck."
In addition to the research and advice while in the program, GrowFL companies can remain engaged afterward through seminars and CEO roundtable discussions.
Pacer Group, which makes electrical cables and components for vehicles from boats to golf carts, was part of the inaugural Sarasota GrowFL class in 2009.
Pacer CEO John Swiatkowski said he continues to attend monthly roundtable meetings at the EDC offices on Cattlemen Road.
"As you can imagine, people in that group can be fairly direct," Swiatkowski said. "They challenge your assumptions."


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A report by the environment, food and rural affairs committee also called on the government to launch a national strategy to ‘ensure a consistent collection of waste and recycling across the UK’.
The government should work with WRAP and local authorities to ensure separate food waste collections are offered to as many households as possible and to ‘move towards a standardised approach’.
MPs warned England is falling behind other parts of the UK.
Scotland is introducing a mandatory target to cut food waste by a third by 2025 and councils are required to provide separate food waste collections in non-rural areas.
In Wales, 99% of households were provided with separate food waste collection services in 2015 and there are mandatory local authority targets for recycling, re-using and composting household waste.
In its evidence to the committee’s inquiry, WRAP said in Wales ‘pretty much every single household can recycle food and they probably recycle twice as much food as England’.
The report said supermarkets should publicly report data on food waste and called for a government review to look at whether there is a need for ‘best before’ dates.
Committee chair Neil Parish called on supermarkets to stop rejecting fruit and vegetables ‘simply because they’re a funny shape’.
‘Farmers supplying fruits and vegetables to UK supermarkets currently get their produce rejected on the grounds that it fails to meet cosmetic quality standards set by the big retailers,’ he said.
‘Knobbly carrots and parsnips don’t cook or taste any different. It’s high time we saved them from the supermarket reject bins!’
Other recommendations include:
Mr Parish said: ‘One-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally and in the UK over £10bn worth of food is thrown away by households every year.
‘Food waste has grotesque economic, social and environmental costs. Economically, food waste costs households hundreds of pounds a year and causes increased disposal costs to local authorities, pushing up council tax bills.
‘Socially it is a scandal that people are going hungry and using food banks when so much produce is being wasted. And environmentally it is a disaster, because energy and resources are wasted in production only for the food to end up rotting in landfills where it produces methane – a potent climate-changing gas.
‘We commend Tesco for publishing its food waste data from across the supply chain. Sainsbury’s is moving in the same direction, but needs more transparency. The fact that no other retailers have followed their lead shows that a voluntary approach is inadequate.
‘The government needs to step in and force other major supermarkets to be transparent about food waste. We welcome the will shown by retailers to redistribute surplus food. However, we believe that more must be done. There is a huge amount of surplus food that is currently not being redistributed.’
He added: ‘The best thing we can do is to prevent raw materials, ingredients and products from becoming waste in the first place. If surplus cannot be prevented, then redistribution to people in need or as animal feed is the next best option.
‘Once it is thrown away the best way of dealing with food waste is to recycle it by sending it to anaerobic digestion or composting. The worst way to deal with it is to send it for disposal through waste incineration without energy recovery or to send it to landfill.’
Photo by Nick Saltmarsh


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New Which? insight has shown that thousands of people have been prevented from paying with cash in recent months. Have you been affected?
Posts tagged with "contactless-cards"
Grocery shopping usually ends with a visit to the checkouts and often a bit of queuing… un-till now. Are we ready for a till-less revolution? Do we need one!? Updated 25 November 2021.
My husband isn’t convinced contactless payments are secure, so he’s still using the chip and pin function. But is he right to be concerned?
As of Saturday 13 January, new EU rules will come into force to ban added card surcharges. Food delivery service Just Eat seems to have already worked out a way to get around the ban, but will other companies follow suit? (more on new card surcharge ban…)
Love them or hate them, contactless cards are here to stay, with over £4bn being spent on them every month in the UK. While most providers allow you to opt out, some, such as Barclaycard, don’t. Is this right? (more on contactless cards…)
A new self-service draught beer system allows customers to pour and pay for their drinks directly at the beer tap, but would you pay to pour your own pint?
Thank you to over 40,000 of our supporters who backed our campaign to end rip-off card charges. These sneaky fees for using credit and debit cards finally get the chop. Have you been stung by a card surcharge when making a payment?
Contactless debit and credit cards are fast becoming the default payment method for purchases under £30 across the UK, with spending on them having tripled to £25bn last year. But are you happy using them? (more on contactless cards…)
With all the talk of new technology and how it will change the way we manage our money, it’s easy to roll your eyes and give in to innovation-fatigue. But should we embrace the future?
A recent report shows that contactless mobile payment systems in the UK have won the hearts of many. So are we losing our love for the PIN, or are we still a way off finding a secure alternative?
Tech is undoubtedly changing the way we spend, but how far should we be willing to go in order to get money off? Is it really worth ‘selling’ your spending data for a better deal?
Whether you’re catching the bus, parking your car – or paying for your child’s school dinners – you’re now often told you can’t use cash. Cashless payments are supposed to make life easier, but do they?
You’re already running late for work when the bus finally turns up later than it was due. The route is chock-a-block and then the person getting on in front of you fishes out the coppers to pay for their journey.
The use of cash to pay for goods and services is falling rapidly in the UK as we dig out the plastic to make purchases. Are you ready to live in a world where cash is no longer king?


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11 April 2018
7-Eleven Australia has celebrated the contribution of its suppliers to the company’s growth and transformation at an awards ceremony held in Melbourne on Tuesday.
According to 7-Eleven Chief Executive Officer, Angus McKay, suppliers have made a significant contribution to the company’s ongoing success.
“As a business we are in a time of accelerated transformation and strong growth. We are investing in innovation and store formats, and are working hard with our store teams to deliver the highest standards in every store in our network,” Mr McKay said.
“The support of our suppliers is integral to what we have been able to achieve. Together with our suppliers we are the largest and fastest growing convenience retailer in Australia, on track to open more than 40 new stores this year, achieved 5% growth in like store customer transactions, and our best ever Net Promoter Scores. Our suppliers’ contribution has helped us to bring new services and products to our offer which help our customers to get more out of every day.”
Mr McKay said that the supplier award winners recognised at the event had made a tremendous contribution to 7-Eleven’s success in 2017.
“The efforts of the nominees and winners we have recognised today are particularly praiseworthy, exemplifying our guiding principles of better for customers, quicker for everyone, simpler for stores and bang for buck. They have my congratulations and thanks for their extraordinary efforts.”
“On behalf of the entire 7-Eleven team, including our store teams, I’d like to thank all of our suppliers for the part they have played in our success in 2017. I am excited about the transformation and growth we will be able to achieve with their support in the years ahead,” Mr McKay concluded.
2017 7-Eleven supplier award winners


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Demeatria Boccella has made an indelible mark on Pittsburgh’s arts and fashion scene.
From fashion shows to museum exhibitions, Demeatria Boccella is responsible for more Pittsburgh arts events than you can count.
Boccella founded FashionAFRICANA in 2001, an organization that produces African-inspired arts and fashion events. She is also the creative director of Rock Steelers Style and managing director of the Bill Nunn Theatre Outreach Project, flexing her skills in production and background in philanthropy.
We had a chance to sit down with Boccella last week to joke about leaving Pittsburgh, chat about her work and the Ruth Carter “Heroes & Sheroes” exhibit, which is at the Heinz History Center until Dec. 2.
– Morgan McCoy, WordWrite Communications


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September 19, 2012 - Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Frank Sinatra are among the first 40 nominees up for induction into the newly minted American Pop Hall of Fame, which will be located in Canonsburg, PA.
August 2, 2012 - Elvis Presley fans will get a treat this fall when a double-disc set of two 1972 New York City performances hits retailers, along with previously-unreleased video footage from the events.
November 19, 2010 - While "Jersey Boys," "Rock of Ages" and "Mamma Mia" continue to do business around the world, theater producers have largely put the brakes on jukebox musicals, effectively shunting them into theater limbo.
December 11, 2009 - Priscilla and Lisa Marie Presley--wife and daughter of the late Elvis Presley--will mark what would have been the late music legend's 75th birthday next month during the opening days of what is to be a year-long observance of the milestone at Presley's famous Graceland estate in Memphis.
May 28, 2009 - Numerous pieces of Elvis Presley memorabilia--including prescription bottles, jewelry, guns, clothes and furniture--will be among the items available at Julien's Auctions Summer Sale, to be held June 26-27 at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, according to a press release.


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Little Mix member, Leigh-Anne Pinnock has taken to Instagram to show off her baby bump and announce that she is the new face of the British brand’s multiple makeup campaign, Maybelline.
In addition to being the ambassador, Leigh-Anne will also front initiatives such as Brave Together which aims to help people with anxiety and depression as well as Makeup Not Make Waste, which is a recycling initiative, launching in October.
Part of the multiple campaigns she will be a face of, includes the Nudes of New York palette, and Eraser Eye concealer. Sharing shots from the campaign, the star is seen wearing a nude top that matches a puff padded jacket worn off shoulder with matching pants and chunky brown boots.
To complete the look, she wears chunky gold earrings, a high ponytail and a bold red lipstick. “So many amazing things have happened this year that I am beyond grateful for, and this is just one of those pinch me moments,” she captioned the video on Instagram.
“I am so excited to announce that I am now part of @maybelline family! I am honored to work with a brand that understands and encourages everything that I stand for! I cannot wait for you to see what we’ve been working on,” she adds.
The brand’s UK managing director, Anika Majithia said she is looking forward to joining forces with the star, “Not only is she an icon known to millions of girls and women around the world, but she is also an exceptional change agent on critical topics such as equality, self-confidence and mental health. We look forward joining forces to tackle these key topics together and celebrate the power of makeup. Welcome Leigh-Anne!”


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Commercialization of the news media in Pakistan or elsewhere in the world doesn’t surprise us anymore; after all, that’s the cost of free news. We also know that product promotions have a way of finding their place in the most packed of TV programming.
But we were surely caught off-guard by a new and very unusual development that’s making many people say that journalism is dead in Pakistan.
Two news anchors on a Pakistani news channel AbbTakk left the audience dumbfounded when they promoted a juice brand on-air, shockingly enough, as part of the news segment. Welcoming back the news viewers after a commercial break, the anchor duo is seen oddly sipping on a popular brand’s juice and promoting its new offers.
The 35-second promotion is the country’s first instance of ad placement occurring inside a news segment, leaving viewers utterly confounded. Reporters, in particular, were left appalled by this novel advertising gimmick.
A reporter named Shazia Hasan tweeted the clip and wrote: “Is this for real? Or someone’s idea of a […] joke? Well, ok I never saw news anchors as genuine journalists but selling juice during a news bulletin? This is insane! #news #anchors #journalism #JournalismIsDead #marketing #juice #Advertising #Pakistan”
Is this for real? Or someone's idea of a stupid joke? Well, ok I never saw news anchors as genuine journalists but selling juice during a news bulletin?!! This is insane!!! #news #anchors #journalism #JournalismIsDead #marketing #juice #Advertising #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/9eESpm13im
— Shazia Hasan (@HasanShazia) June 13, 2020
While it was plainly in bad taste that most of the viewers abhorred, the ad placement is also being hailed as ‘innovative’ by some.
Among them is a twitter user Asad Qureshi who thought it was a unique way of advertising and wrote this in his reply to Shazia’s tweet: “What’s the big deal here @Nestle is paying @AbbTakk for this advertising and they are getting peak visibility during news hour. Some cynics always find faults with innovation!”
— Asad Ali Qureshi (@QureshiAsadAli) June 13, 2020
We’re all used to seeing creepy ad placements in our news programming. Apart from the formal commercial breaks, there are countless promotional graphics dancing constantly on the screen during talk shows and news bulletins.
Then, there’s this bizarre trend of some unannounced ads showing up after the 15-minute headlines in a news bulletin, followed by the anchors returning only to say they’ll be back after a short commercial break.
It’s unfortunate, however, that the public displeasure is directed at the news anchors in the case of AbbTakk, who certainly have had no choice over the stunt. These anchors hardly have any say in such editorial decisions and can only comply if they want to keep their jobs.
But people seeing red and clamoring ‘journalism is dead’ over this totally ill-designed and uncalled-for kind of advertising is not totally unjustified.
It’s one of the sorry events for both the news and the ad industries of Pakistan that we wish to never become a trend.


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Earlier today Minecraft 1.03 PS3 patch went live in Europe, New Zealand and Australia, but the US and Canada still had to wait. It was not known how long it would be before the patch went live in those countries, but we are pleased to say it has now done so.
It seems logical that 4J Studios made the choice to stagger update 1.03 for the PS3 in fear of overwhelming servers, and so far we have not heard any reports of server issues.
One of the main reasons for this update was because of a corrupt save bug that has dogged the game since it was released on the PlayStation 3, so it is finally nice to see this bug get fixed.
Seeing as though this patch is now live this will give 4J Studios the chance to put more effort into Title Update 14 for both console versions, as well as more attention on the next-gen versions.
*Identifying Monetised Links - outgoing links that we monetise are marked with an '*' symbol.


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Plastic roses, marshmallows with Pat Kenny’s face printed onto them, and being dumped have been revealed as some of the worst gifts people have received on Valentine’s Day.
According to a survey carried out by Aldi, some of the below-par gifts that people have received on the most romantic day of the year include a saucepan, marshmallows with the radio host’s face on them, a giant teddy, being dumped and, of course, nothing whatsoever.
For all of you men out there wondering what to get your wife, girlfriend or mistress this year – jewellery, perfume, weekends away and a proposal were listed as some of the more popular choices.
25% of the survey’s respondents said that they were planning on spending less than €20 on a Valentine’s Day gift this year, with 27% saying that they would be spending between €20 and €40 for their other half and 14% of people plan on spending over €80 on a gift.
Meanwhile, 72% of people said that getting a Valentine’s Day card from their other half on Valentine’s Day is more important than them spending their money on an expensive gift.


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Amarillo auctioneer Bob Goree presides over dozens of sales each year, but none are more special to him than the first sale of the year.
People from all over the Texas Panhandle filled Bob Goree Auctioneers, 301 S. Grant St. next to the Santa Fe Depot, on Thursday to bid in a sale that has become an annual tradition.
“We started the annual New Year’s sale 20 years ago and we have been very blessed with our patrons,” Goree said.
Goree has been in the auction game since 1958. He runs a state auction every two weeks and estimated that 24 estate sales should come up before long.
At the annual New Year’s Day auction there were lots of antiques, firearms and even some unusual items.
Fine china, jewelry, rifles and antique furniture items crowded the floor and tables inside the auction house. Two of the more unusual items were parts for a carousel and a mounted display of a deer’s hindquarters.
Goree said he hoped the sale had something for everyone.
“We are just blessed to put this on once a year,” Goree said.
For more information on Goree auctions, call 806-373-1379 or visit www


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Stocks rallied on Friday, helping recover some of the week's losses, as investors gobbled up battered financial stocks and hoped that retailers fared well on Black Friday, traditionally the most important day of the year for sales. See full story.
Black Friday kicks off retailers' biggest selling season
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- At Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines, Iowa, up to 40,000 people arrived within a half-hour of the mall's midnight opening Friday. Shoppers there could find dueling pianos, karaoke, caricature drawings, free popcorn and coffee and plenty of early bird specials. See full story.
Futures Movers: Crude oil ends at highest-ever close
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Crude-oil futures pared early losses Friday in thin and volatile post-Thanksgiving trade, ending at the highest-ever closing level. See full story.
E-Trade surges on report broker has hired bankers to mull sale
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- E-Trade Financial shares surged 25% Friday after a report the online broker is considering selling itself. See full story.
Tech Stocks: Black Friday rally leads tech shares to gains
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Tech stocks rallied along with the broader market on during an abbreviated session on "Black Friday." See full story.
Jon Friedman's Media Web: MVP Alex Rodriguez is media's Most Vilified Player, off the field
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- On Monday, Alex Rodriguez won the near-unanimous vote of baseball sportswriters to scoop up his third Most Valuable Player award since 2003. See full story.
Top secrets to beating retailers at the holiday-shopping game
CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- Retailers are loath to let consumers in on their super-secret plans for big sales or tip their hand as to holiday-time markdown strategies -- for "competitive reasons," they insist -- but there's plenty of information out there for navigating the year-end shopping season. See full story.


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Elements officially launched its Butterfly collection of mattresses at PrimeTime in Orlando, and Joey Middleton swung by CenterStage to share more details about the bedding products.
Nationwide Marketing Group
Bob Salvano, Whirlpool’s GM and vice president of sales and marketing, was able to step away from the Expo booth for a few minutes to join us on CenterStage and share some of the company’s latest innovations on display at the show.
At PrimeTime in Orlando, Kevin Dexter and Stacia Heintz stopped by CenterStage to share more about Fisher & Paykel’s latest introductions.
An anchor of the expo, the PrimeTime CenterStage features some of the most insightful and important conversations that take place at the show.
With new water park amenities and expanded convention and meeting space, the Gaylord Palms is ready to host PrimeTime this August 13-16.
During our PrimeTime event in Orlando, August 13-16, Members will have the chance to galavant around Universal’s CityWalk.
Customers’ shopping habits change on a regular basis. Leading brands recognize this and look to adapt their understanding of their customers on a regular basis, and use technology to meet them where they are.
Add-on accessories sales are a great way to educate customers, so they are making smart decisions to maximize the technology in the hardware they are purchasing.
Hauslane Expands Successful Digital-First Business Model to Brick and Mortar Locations with Nationwide Marketing Group
Customer-centered brand Hauslane adds new high-performance range hood options for independent dealers coast to coast.
Protecting the planet is important, not just on Earth Day, but every day. The ENERGY STAR team offers three big-impact energy steps to consider.
Get to Know: Bill Whelan Bill WhelanNationwide EastStates covered: New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island📧: email@example.com Experience XSENSOR TECHNOLOGY Business Development Manager, July 2019 to November 2021...
Get to Know: Peyton Hanby Peyton HanbyNationwide WestStates covered: Western Oregon, Western Washington, Northern California📧: firstname.lastname@example.org☎: 985-705-0365Work Experience Traeger Grills, Brand Ambassador, April 2019 – November 2019Total Quality...
Nationwide Marketing Group is saddened to learn of the recent passing of a longtime friend and partner of the organization William Ward. Bill, who passed on March 22, had a long and storied retail career that began at an Austin Dillard's store and ultimately saw Bill...
Get to know Mike Derro, Nationwide Marketing Group’s new Vice President of Furniture and Bedding, who joined the team back in October — right before the start of our first-ever Virtual PrimeTime event.
At Virtual PrimeTime, March 16-18, Nationwide Members will have a number of opportunities to give back to the charities that are close to our hearts and close to their communities.
O’Rourke Sales Company will serve as the exclusive distributor of Kanto products to Nationwide dealers, coast to coast.
O’Halloran, who spent the past year in the field for Nationwide Marketing Group, will work with vendor partners to evolve the group’s premium and luxury appliance offerings.
Get to Know: Mike Hays Mike HaysNationwide WestStates covered: California, Nevada📧: email@example.com☎: 661-624-9053Work Experience District Manager Wireless Advocates, September 2009 – January 2022Car Stereo Wholesalers, 1999 – 2008 Awards/Certifications...
An infographic detailing the highlights of Nationwide Marketing Group’s first-ever Virtual PrimeTime show held in October.
Building on the success of Element’s appliance program for the independent retail channel, the consumer electronics brand will offer smart lighting, smart power, security and other connected home solutions to Nationwide members.


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Many factors lead to sleepless nights, and one of the easiest factors to control is your mattress. In a 2012 survey by the National Sleep Foundation, more than 90 percent of people said their mattresses played a significant role in how.
May 21, 2017. It can be tempting to not make your bed every day as it's just going to get untucked when you go to sleep again at night. What's more, most of us already have busy enough mornings as it is. But making time for making your bed can be extremely beneficial. A survey by The National Sleep Foundation found.
Serta continues its partnership with the National Sleep Foundation. Perfect Sleeper remains the Only Official Mattress of the National Sleep Foundation, a designation first introduced in 2011. Together, Serta and the NSF worked to.
Today’s topic is sleep. We need it, we love it, we want more of it, but it’s one thing in our lives that hasn’t ever really changed. Until now. Personal sleep devices from apps and wearables to smart mattresses. of the National Sleep.
Below, Mahoney and Tom Clifford, director of development at the National Sleep Foundation, share tips for choosing the best mattress for you. Your pre-store homework: Take note of comfortable mattresses you’ve slept on. Do you always.
Modern Quilted Pillows FaveQuilts is a website that offers hundreds of modern and traditional free quilt patterns, tutorials, and tips for quilting techniques. Learn how to sew, applique.
Serta's Perfect Sleeper® is the Official Mattress of the National Sleep Foundation. Every new Serta Perfect Sleeper mattress comes with the National Sleep Foundation's Guide to Sleeping Well. This informative booklet provides tips, suggestions and resources to help you get the most from the new Perfect Sleeper mattress.
When it comes to a good night's sleep, your bed — specifically your mattress — can be your most important resource. But it can be intimidating purchasing a mattress for the very first time.There are many different options to cater to all types of sleepers.Mattresses may be made of inner springs, foam, fabric, water or air.
Nov 20, 2012. A glance at the results of the 2012 National Sleep Foundation Poll indicates 9/10 people rate a comfortable mattress and comfortable pillows as crucial to a solid night's sleep. Additional elements were rated on a scale of one to five, with a comfortable mattress coming in as the number one requirement with.
Oct 9, 2017. A National Sleep Foundation poll found that nearly one in four American couples sleep in separate beds or rooms. I run hot, so I sleep on top of a mattress- cooling ChiliPad set to 55 degrees, and try to keep my studio apartment at or below 68 degrees during my attempted sleep hours. If it's very far above.
Michelle Omaha Interior Design A blog full of life, helping you design the life YOU want to live. Chasing slow in a clutter-free, quiet way. Comfy and cozy reclaimed
Feb 1, 2018. According to a report by the National Institutes of Health, “having a comfortable mattress and pillow can help promote a good night's sleep.” In the 2015 Sleep in America poll by the National Sleep Foundation, people with acute and chronic pain reported that environmental factors often disturbed their sleep.
But when was the last time that you thought about the kind of foundation that your mattress gives you each and every night? When it comes to a good night's sleep, the mattress that you choose can make all the difference. After all, you spend nearly 3,000 hours lying on it each year. Read on for a run-down on how to pick the.
If it’s not the sounds of snoring from the other side of the mattress that’s keeping you up. According to a study by the National Sleep Foundation, in 2010.
Mar 2, 2017. Age Group, Recommended Hours of Sleep Per Day. Newborn, 0–3 months, 14– 17 hours (National Sleep Foundation)1. No recommendation (American Academy of Sleep Medicine)2. Infant, 4–12 months, 12–16 hours per 24 hours ( including naps)2. Toddler, 1–2 years, 11–14 hours per 24 hours.
Apr 1, 2008. by Nancy Butler. New consumer research from the Better Sleep Council shows that attitudes toward sleep and mattresses are gradually evolving, especially among younger Americans, but changes in actual consumer behavior are slow to catch up. What is clear is that there are plenty of opportunities for.
One Stop Home Furnishings Nashville Hwy Dock your RV in Newport! You’ll find the best accommodations in one of our local RV parks. As you know, recreational vehicles provide a special
Most mattresses have a lifespan of about eight years, according to the National Sleep Foundation ― though that timeframe depends on the mattress and individual wear, too. Cralle suggested that when it comes to buying a.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep acts as food for the human brain. and comfortable "Sleep preferences vary from person to person, and because many mattresses look alike, choosing the best bed to meet your.
If left for too long, this microscopic life can make us sick, Tierno told Business Insider. put the lifetime of the average mattress at around eight to 10 years, Natalie Dautovich, a scientist with the National Sleep Foundation, told US.
For a twist on a traditional headboard, trim an old garage door to fit your mattress.
Dec 12, 2014. Did you know that the Serta Perfect Sleeper is the official mattress of the National Sleep Foundation (NSF)? Did you even know that there was a National Sleep Foundation? They work to improve sleep and well-being through education and sleep advocacy. They do extensive research on sleep, sleeping.
A 2010 study by the National Sleep Foundation found that almost 25 percent of married. Currently, it’s unclear what type of survey method Mattress Clarity employed for the study. IFLScience reached out to the company for.
Jan 8, 2009. Gradual changes over time cause mattresses to become less comfortable and less supportive. The National Sleep Foundation says a good mattress lasts nine to 10 years, but a recent study by Oklahoma State University showed that most people who buy a new bed every five years sleep better and.
According to a 2010 study by the National Sleep Foundation, almost a quarter of married couples in the use have filed for a sleep divorce, and a new survey of.
A 2010 study by the National Sleep Foundation in the US found that almost a quarter. Overall, the data revealed by Mattress Clarity, a sleep product review.
How Alcohol Messes With Your Sleep — And What You Can Do About It. By Abigail Cuffey, On Assignment For HuffPost. Five ways to protect your sleep from that last glass of wine before bed. OcusFocus via Getty Images. HEALTHY LIVING. Sleep Deprivation Is Killing You (And Making You Fat In The Process).
Feb 9, 2015. On February 2, 2015, the National Sleep Foundation revamped its recommendations for bed rest. With the guidance of an 18-member multidisciplinary expert panel—which included Leila Kheirandish-Gozal, MD, MSc, director of clinical sleep research for the Department of Pediatrics at the University of.
The company’s product portfolio includes the only official mattress of the National Sleep Foundation, The Serta Perfect Sleeper® and the revolutionary iComfort® gel memory foam sleep system, both named Consumers Digest Best Buys.
We all know we should get more sleep. What we might not know is that our old pillows and mattresses could be. Gradual changes over time cause mattresses to become less comfortable and less supportive. The National Sleep.
With more of us watching TV and using gadgets from our bed it was only a matter of time before technology became.
Jan 23, 2017. The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recently released the key indicators of good sleep quality, as established by a panel of experts. They include: Sleeping more time while in bed (at least 85 percent of the total time). Falling asleep in 30 minutes or less. Waking up no more than once per night; and.
according to National Sleep Foundation suggestions, we spend a good amount of time in bed. We only spend an average of 46 minutes per day driving; it may be smarter to invest in a mattress than a car. Speaking of test drives, I.
A survey of 3,000 Americans posted on a mattress review site and receiving.
Apr 22, 2011. Now Serta has joined forces with the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) to introduce the all-new Perfect Sleeper, the first official mattress of the National Sleep Foundation. The new Perfect Sleeper is engineered with input from the NSF to help solve many of the most common causes of poor sleep.
PureCare manufactures the official mattress and pillow protectors of the National Sleep Foundation, a non – profit organization dedicated to healthy sleep.
Sleep is key to a healthy and productive life, but 45 percent of Americans are suffering from a lack of quality sleep night after night, according to a study from.
good sleep quality across the life-span. Methods: The National Sleep Foundation assembled a panel of experts from the sleep community and representatives appointed by stakeholder organizations (Sleep Quality Consensus Panel). A systemat- ic literature review identified 277 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Abstracts.


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Pornhub user "BrexitVote" posted Johnson's speech with a comical, but obscene title.
Commentary: In honor of Father's Day, let's turn to the TV show that's 40 percent daddy issues and play favorites.
The worst heroes ever are officially getting the worst rating ever -- if you were hoping a movie starring flashy DC villains would be especially outrageous and dark.
Watch more than two hours of your new favorite streaming show in a single sitting? You're a devourer.
Launching later this year, these buds are a complete workout system.
Pebble's latest wearables are trying harder than ever to nail fitness better, but one is aiming at being a new type of smart button.
Plus, first free DLC launches today; get all the details here.
Plus, limited-time "Extinction Event" servers are now available in the dinosaur game.
If you've been wanting to test the waters of pro wrestling, now is the time -- because the WWE essentially just hit the "reset" button.
The Vivoactive HR adds the ability to track how many floors you've climbed to its roster of smartwatch skills. Take a look.


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One in four Brits are at risk of ‘losing everything’ stored on their mobile phones – including precious photos of loved ones.
A study of 2,000 adults who own a smartphone revealed only three in 10 have backed up the data on their devices in the last 12 months.
And 27 per cent admitted they have NEVER done so.
But a fifth said their phone is the only place they keep baby photos or videos of their children while a quarter store the only pictures they have of family members who have passed away.
As a result, 44 per cent believe their phone is as important to them as any family heirloom.
Phone insurance company, SO-SURE commissioned the research into the nation’s attitudes towards their devices, and also created a quiz to tell you what kind of phone owner you are [https://wearesosure.com/quiz].
Dylan Bourguignon, CEO at SO-SURE, said: “Having a smartphone is the norm for most, but so many of us willingly leave them unprotected.
“Familiarity means we simply assume our phones will always be there and working, as that’s the case almost all of the time.
“However, many have a ‘head in the sand’ approach to backing up their precious data, assuming the worst will never happen to them.”
The study also found that the average adult takes 20 photos every fortnight on their phones, along with 11 videos.
But one in four have lost a mobile phone for good – whether through misplacing it, or having it stolen.
Another 34 per cent have damaged a mobile beyond repair, losing all the precious data contained within.
The top way Brits either lose or damage their phones was found to be spilled drinks, which 24 per cent of respondents have done.
However, a fifth have accidentally sat on their phone and crushed it, while the same amount have temporarily lost theirs down the side of a sofa cushion.
One in 20 have even dropped their phone out of a car window, and more than a tenth have dropped it into the loo, according to the SO-SURE study carried out through OnePoll.
But 26 per cent said if they lost or broke their phone, they couldn’t afford to replace it outright.
Dylan Bourguignon added: “Backing up your phone data to ensure the safety of your most precious photos and documents is a simple and free process for any model of phone – so make sure you do.
“Our study has shown that accidents do of course happen and beyond the personal cost of losing those precious memories the financial burden for replacements or repairs can factor well into the hundreds for ‘tier one’ phones.
“Ensuring that your device has the necessary insurance cover is therefore an equally crucial step that all mobile phone owners should take for total peace of mind.”
TOP 30 WAYS BRITS HAVE MISTREATED THEIR PHONES
1. Spilt a drink on it
2. Lost it for a while between the sofa’s cushions
3. Sat on it
4. Accidentally pushed it off the side or worktop
5. Fell from their bag while going through it to find something
6. Dropped it while doing sport
7. Dropped it down the toilet
8. Had it stolen
9. Left it on public transport
10. Spilt food onto it
11. Left it at the restaurant/coffee place
12. Left it in the sun causing it to overheat
13. Left it at a venue’s toilets (pub, club, conference)
14. Dropped it in the bath
15. Dropped it while exercising
16. Tripped over a curb and dropped it
17. Left it lying on the floor and stepped on it
18. Dropped it out of a car window
19. Dropped it in a puddle
20. Threw it to someone who didn’t catch it
21. Loaned it to a child and it came back damaged/sticky
22. Threw it against a wall in anger
23. Spilt a drink in their handbag which water damaged it
24. Broke the headphone socket so headphones no longer fitted properly
25. Dropped it off a cliff while talking a selfie
26. Left it in a taxi
27. Put it through the washing machine by accident
28. Cleaned it with an antibacterial wipe and damaged it
29. Tried to clean or wash it and water damaged it
30. Dropped it out of a window


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KUALA LUMPUR — Pakistan plans to import more Malaysian palm oil to make up for losses incurred since India imposed informal restrictions on Malaysian imports last month. Speaking alongside visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan today, Malaysian Premier Mahathir Mohamad said Pakistan is “quite ready” to import more of the commodity from Malaysia. Khan in turn thanked Mahathir for speaking out against New Delhi’s policies in Kashmir, a disputed Muslim-majority region divided between India and Pakistan, and said his country will “try its best to compensate” Malaysia for India’s apparent retaliation. Mahathir has also accused the Indian government of discriminating against Muslims.
KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s trade with the US grew by 5.6 per cent to 164.45 billion ringgit (40 billion dollars) in 2019, government statistics released Tuesday show. The surge came despite an overall trade decline of 2.5 per cent during what Deputy Trade and Industry Minister Ong Kian Ming described as “a very challenging 2019”. Malaysia’s increased trade with the US was “to a large extent” a result of commerce being diverted from China because of trade tensions between Washington and Beijing, Ong told dpa during a press conference announcing the 2019 trade data. “E and E exports to the US increased significantly,” Ong added, referring to electrical and electronic goods, of which Malaysia is the world’s seventh-largest manufacturer.


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FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — Do it Best President and CEO Dan Starr says service is at the heart of his company, which provides products and retail know-how to hardware and home improvement stores across 54 countries.
Inside the hallways at their new headquarters on the Electric Works campus, Starr says company leaders put their own needs behind those of their store members and their coworkers.
“There is a rich history of servant leadership at this company,” he adds.
After starting with Do it Best in 2005, Starr was named CEO in 2016. Under his leadership, Do it Best was named Indiana’s largest privately held company by the Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ). Despite being bigger in revenue, the company seems less well-known than Fort Wayne-based Sweetwater or Vera Bradley.
“Maybe it’s just humble, Midwestern values coming out in a different way that we’re here to serve,” he speculates. “We are successful when our members are successful, and it is an ‘others-focused’ environment.”
He speaks glowingly of the new HQ at Electric Works, even as many companies allow employees largely to work from home. Starr prefers the social collaboration that happens in the halls or in the Union Street Market after work.
“It really does build camaraderie. I don’t know how many times this summer I left to go home and I am walking towards the parking garage and a group of employees are sitting there in the courtyard area with the garage doors up in the Union Street Market, enjoying a beer in this beautiful space,” he says. “And they just want to enjoy each other’s company for a little bit of time after work. That is exactly what I was hoping and praying for – is that it would build camaraderie and community outside of the work hours.”
Starr thinks the campus will truly reach its potential when more residential, dining and entertainment space comes online.
“That will bring an energy that is hard to replicate.”
Starr also serves as Chair of the Parkview Health Board of Directors. WANE 15 asked him if Parkview has been transparent enough over its decision to close the birthing centers in DeKalb and LaGrange counties. See his answer below.


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Co-founder and COO Frida Emilsson talks about green tech at Stockholm Impact Week
This week on September 12 at the Stockholm Impact Week event Impact Growth Day, Worldfavor’s co-founder and COO Frida Emilsson was invited as a panelist to talk about the topic of green fintech as a key enabler for sustainability. Stockholm Impact Week is a week-long event where impactful business leaders, talent, startups and policy makers come together to address the global problems and to inspire solutions.
The panel was moderated by Anders Norlin, and other panelists included Johan Lindskog, Kristina Söderberg and Tarmo Virki. Together they gave their insights on the role of green fintech in making the future more sustainable. More specifically, Frida talked about how Worldfavor as a green tech company makes an impact by helping companies be more sustainable. She highlighted Worldfavor’s journey from having customers that were mainly early adopters on the market to evolving into a solution that meets the growing global interest in sustainable business.


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TV revolution needs to have sound ad planning at its heart
Last year proved to be the most dynamic one in television distribution for a decade. New TV platforms were launched almost on a monthly basis and new technologies for enabling viewers to control what, when and how they watch continued to arrive in the market.
On one hand, TV has broken out from the screen in the corner of the lounge and onto web and mobile, while on the other the humble TV set (or at least the set top box) is transforming into a highly intelligent, networked computer, without many of us realising it. For media planners, a world of infinite complexity is arriving.
The basic premise behind all this innovation is that consumers still want great telly, but increasingly want to control how and where they get it. As a result, the number of functions by which they can get that great telly on to the screen, irrespective of what the screen is connected to, have multiplied.


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If you are in the Warsaw-Winona Lake, Ind., area this weekend, check out the BMH Books display at the Taste and Trade Expo at Grace College’s OCC on Wooster Road. Sponsored by the Warsaw/Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce, the event showcases 80 local business and 11 restaurants or caterers.
At the BMH booth, you’ll have opportunity to purchase BMH products at a 25 percent off retail. Seven BMH authors who make their homes in the Warsaw-Winona Lake area will be on hand to sign books, as well. Their books will be 50 percent off during their personal appearance.
Today, Warsaw-area pastor Larry McCall kicked off the book signing at Noon. Also scheduled for today is Dr. Homer Kent at 2 p.m., Dr. Don DeYoung at 4 p.m., and Dr. John Davis at 6 p.m.
Tomorrow (October 22), Tom Julien will appear at 11 a.m., J. Davis Illingworth at 1 p.m., and Roger Peugh, at 3 p.m.
The Expo is open today through 7 p.m., and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $3 and kids 12 and under are free.


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With Twitter and Facebook blocked in China, the Ice Bucket Challenge is still managing to go viral, with the help of Chinese social network Weibo.
The New York Times is launching a Chinese-language news site, cn.nytimes.com. Aimed at “educated, affluent, global citizens,” the site will publish about 30 articles a day in categories like world affairs, business and culture.
Social-media data aggregator Gnip is taking on its biggest data source yet — China’s Sina Weibo microblogging service. The plaform has more than 300 million users, so it only makes sense that Gnip users would want to know what people there are talking about.
Apple is in for another huge iPhone 4S launch, if early lineups are any indication. Lines outside Apple’s five official retail stores in China have already extended into the hundreds ahead of Friday’s launch, which is good news for Apple’s next-quarter results.


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Shares of Shopify (NYSE:SHOP) popped 20.1% last month, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence, after the company reported 75% year-over-year revenue growth and 83% year-over-year gross profit growth in the second quarter.
Shopify's growth story continued in the second quarter, with revenue, gross profits and other key metrics all jumping by high-double-digit percentages. Aside from the company's revenue and gross profit gains, Shopify also saw its merchant solutions revenue pop 64% and its gross payment volume jump 74% year over year.
The company is still operating at a loss right now, but it closed the gap toward profitability by reporting an adjusted operating loss of just 1.9% of revenue in the second quarter, compared to 3.7% of revenue in 2016's second quarter. Shopify also beat analysts' expectations in the quarter with a per-share loss of $0.01, which beat analysts' consensus earnings estimate for a loss of $0.07.
As if all that weren't enough, the company also said in August that it now has 500,000 customers across 175 countries. That puts annual growth at an extremely strong 74% pace since 2012.
Shopify is expecting revenue in the range of $164 million to $166 million in the third quarter, which would represent a 65.6% year-over-year increase at the midpoint. That growth is likely to spur investor sentiment even higher in the coming months, but just remember that Shopify's current share price already has the expectation's for the company's future growth already baked into it to a large degree.


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CHECK EXPRESS NAMED TOP FIVE FRANCHISOR
CHECK EXPRESS NAMED TOP FIVE FRANCHISOR TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Check Express, Inc.
(NASDAQ: CHXS), owner, operator, and franchisor of retail check cashing centers, today announced that the company has been named as one of The Top Five New Franchises in the December 1991 issue of Success Magazine.
The exclusive ranking, compiled by Arthur Andersen & Co., singled out the company's management strength, rapid growth and youth. Check Express Chief Executive Officer Larry Lang stated: "We are gratified by the recognition given our franchise program. It is a tribute to the hard work and cooperation by and between our employees and our franchise owners." Check Express currently operates 55 company and franchised retail money centers which provide check cashing, money orders, money transfers and related services. -0- 1/29/92 /CONTACT: Larry Lang, chief executive officer of Check Express, 813-289-2888/ (CHXS) CO: Check Express, Inc. ST: Florida IN: REA SU:
BR-BN -- AT011 -- 4847 01/29/92 15:24 EST
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|Date:||Jan 29, 1992|
|Previous Article:||NUCLEAR SUPPORT SERVICES, INC. REPORTS FIRST QUARTER RESULTS|
|Next Article:||BURNHAM ANNOUNCES DIVIDENDS|


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Chinese auto company Kaiyun Motors has set its sights on disrupting the U.S. pickup market with a $5,000 truck, but — even so — you’re unlikely to see Ford and Chrysler shaking in their boots.
Trust me, even if you’re brand loyal, you can feel comfortable welcoming the Pickman into the mix, but not before carving out a niche that no other U.S. automakers are really tackling: ultra-light duty, non-street-legal applications out there like groundskeeping, agriculture, hunting and the like.
Part of the Pickman’s appeal is its price tag. It sells for under $3,000 in China, and is set to hit the U.S. market for the low, low price of $5,000. You really can’t beat that for a truck … that is, unless you want to drive it on real streets and at speeds faster than 28 mph, which is where the Pickman maxes out. Still, it’s got an electric powertrain, with a range of about 75 miles per charge and can tote about 1,100 pounds. And the company says the American version will feature reinforced structures and storage space for guns.
The Pickman comes in several body styles, but the pickup option features a bed that folds down on three sides, making it super easy to access. The front even offers a small trunk to stash things like tools.
Bloomberg has reported that Kaiyun has received regulatory approval to start exporting these bad boys to the U.S., and nobody is more excited than company founder Wang Chao, who said that 2019 would be “the year of the Pickman” — adding that he believes they could be as successful as the F-150.
I mean … go ahead and dream big, Pickman, but don’t be disappointed when you fail miserably. Forbes reported this year that Ford has produced a total of 32 million F-150s and that it sells one, on average, every two minutes.
— by Anna Wells


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Glitzy nightlife, museums, live concerts – Shanghai promises everything that attracts young professionals to an expensive city. But Li Zhepeng, a 25-year-old who arrived from China’s heartland, wasn’t able to enjoy any of it.
Instead, he spent his time at the office working. He would clock in at 9am, after a 90-minute commute to the outer suburbs where his e-commerce firm rented cheap office space, and usually left well after 8pm.
“Sometimes, there was no reason for the long hours – it was just the whole work culture,” Li says. The young professional was expected to stick to a grueling work schedule that has become so pervasive in Chinese companies that it’s now commonly referred to as 996: working from nine in the morning to nine in the evening, six days a week.
Refusing the 12-hour workday
As a low-level employee at an e-commerce site, Li was tasked with posting descriptions of toys and backpacks. He was even expected to work on Sundays, when he’d reply to questions from customers from Australia, Europe or the US from home.


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A number of Chinese language cities have reportedly launched initiatives to provide away digital yuan (e-CNY) price over $26.6 million to drive consumption through the Spring Competition.
Authorities throughout China have doubled their efforts to extend Digital Yuan adoption and utilization. In Could 2022, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Xiong’an gifted their residents roughly 90 million digital yuan in crimson packets to restart the economic system as a result of Covid-19.
Through the 2023 Spring Competition holidays, a number of Chinese language cities launched roughly 200 actions and distributed almost 180 million Digital Yuan (e-CNY) — price over $26.6 million — within the type of subsidies and consumption coupons, World Instances reported.
Hangzhou gave every resident an 80 Yuan ($12) e-CNY voucher. Town spent 4 million Yuan (roughly $590,000) to advertise vacation consumption.
Chinese language e-commerce agency Meituan disclosed that the Digital Yuan given out by the Hangzhou authorities on its platform was taken up inside 9 seconds.
As well as, the Shenzhen native authorities gave away about 100 million Yuan — price $14.7 million in e-CNY — to subsidize prices for the catering business.
The cities of Jinan and Lianyungang additionally issued coupons within the type of Digital Yuan to spice up consumption.
As China ramps up efforts to advertise the adoption of its e-CNY, Central Financial institution govt Mu Changchun stated that the nation would respect customers’ privateness and shield their private info.
The put up Chinese language cities provides away $26.6M in Digital Yuan to drive adoption appeared first on CryptoSlate.


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The latest little snippet of gossip regarding Microsoft console-to-PC crossover gaming has popped up online and this rumour suggests that with the upcoming Window 8 will bring Xbox 360 disc support.
Teknylate – a fellow tech web site – reports all Xbox 360 titles will be playable through the new operating system and that some games will be repackaged as “Windows 8 Compatible”. PC gamers will also be able to access a subscription online service akin to Xbox LIVE is these rumours are true.
Cross-platform dominance is a worthwhile ambition for the Microsoft brand, but could it potentially dissuade gamers from buying Xbox 360 when there’s an all-in-one (gaming/functional computer) option available? Motion control system Kinect is now in development for the desktop computer and a move away from just console gaming seems apparent.
If there’s life in the old girl yet, we’d think Microsoft would do better to focus on the console itself, making it more PC-like in its functions rather than move in the opposite direction. Unless of course, the strategy here is to push as much Xbox 360 content across the available platforms, heralding the arrival of the “Xbox 720” console at the E3 conference in June 2012.
The Xbox 360-to-Windows 8 crossover is expected around the same time.
Be sure to leave your tweets and comments on the Official Gadget Helpline Twitter as well as our Official Facebook page!


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31 March 2004
HANOVER – Travel giant TUI reported Wednesday that it achieved pre-tax profits of EUR 913 million in 2003, up 60 percent, mainly thanks to the divestment of non-core holdings.
The company, continuing its conversion from an industrial concern to a purely travel and tourism operator, said its core business of tourism saw pre-tax profits plunge nearly 40 percent to EUR 208 million.
Group turnover in 2003 came to EUR 19.2 billion, down 5.4 percent from the year before.
TUI managed the overall earnings gains thanks to the sale of its energy division, along with a rise in profits from its logistics business operations.
Europe’s largest travel concern also said that so far the terror bomb attacks in Madrid had not hurt its business.
The upturn in vacation bookings in Europe was continuing unabated even after the Madrid bombings, with turnover in recent weeks running 17 percent higher than a year ago. Booking turnover for the summer season at the moment was 2.4 percent higher.
Subject: German News


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Two Plead Guilty to Uber and Lynda.com Hacks
Two North American men have pleaded guilty to hacking and extorting Uber and LinkedIn’s Lynda.com business, compromising data on tens of millions of users in the process.
Brandon Charles Glover, 26, of Winter Springs, Florida, America, and Vasile Mereacre, 23, of Toronto, Canada, pleaded guilty to one charge each of conspiracy to commit extortion involving computers. They will likely face a five-year stretch in jail and fine of $250,000 as a result.
The two are said to have used a custom-built GitHub account checker tool to try a number of already breached corporate credentials and see if they unlocked accounts on the developer site. After accessing several accounts belonging to Uber employees, they found AWS credentials which unlocked the online taxi firm’s AWS S3 data stores.
Using an encrypted ProntonMail address, they then contacted Uber’s CSO, claiming to have found a vulnerability in its systems and demanding payment in return for deletion of the compromised customer and driver data — which ran into 57 million records.
Uber eventually agreed, paying them the requested $100,000 in Bitcoin through its HackerOne account and then covering up the incident, until a new CEO decided to come clean in 2017.
Emboldened by their success, Glover and Mereacre then obtained access to 90,000 Lynda.com accounts via the online education firm’s AWS S3 account, and tried the same extortion trick, according to court documents.
However, this time the firm went public with the breach.
The two incidents almost read like a case study in the right and wrong ways to handle a breach-related extortion demand.
In the case of Uber, it ended up settling with the US government to the tune of $148m, whilst paying a £385,000 fine to the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). It’s lucky to have escaped the wrath of GDPR regulators, given that 2.7 million British customers and drivers were affected by the breach.
Source: Information Security Magazine


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With the start of the 2023 harvest underway in Andalusia, the Agri-food Cooperative of Jaén has warned that the province’s olive oil sector could again face a staggering €1 billion loss in earnings in the coming season.
Included in the significant hit to the local economy, the cooperative estimated that workers in the province would lose €150 million in daily wages with fewer people required for the harvest due to the low levels of olives on the trees.
In central Andalusia, Jaén is the world’s largest olive oil-producing province. In a “normal” season, which the province has not enjoyed since the 2021/22 crop year, Jaén produces roughly 500,000 tons of olive oil, about 40 percent of Spanish production.See Also:Spain Lowers Barriers for Agricultural Workers to Access Wage Subsidies
However, the Iberian Peninsula’s unprecedented drought resulted in a historically poor harvest in the 2022/23 crop year. Recent rain across the region fell too late to save this year’s crop, with expectations that Spain will produce less than 1 million tons of olive oil for the second consecutive year.
José Manuel Espejo, the cooperative’s president, said there had never been two consecutive years of such low harvests nor two successive droughts of this magnitude, underlining that the challenges faced by the sector are extraordinary.
He added that the €150 million in lost wages for workers would ripple effect across the entire economy and be exacerbated due to the area’s heavy dependence on olive oil farming.
The connection between the local economy in Jaén and olive production is significant, and it dictates the health of the region’s economy and agricultural employment. Espejo urged farmers and agricultural associations to work together to save money.
He also emphasized the importance of additional support for the agricultural sector from the provincial government, Andalusian government and central government through safeguarding employment and preventing the exodus of young people involved in agriculture.
Due to the sharp decrease in available jobs for a second year running, Espejo said it could prompt young people to leave Jaén, which was the reason for recent protests in Córdoba on September 5th.
According to local media reports, some agricultural workers have left Jaén and traveled to France to harvest grapes.
The demonstration was meant to send a direct message to the European ministers gathering in the Andalusian city.
Farmers protested increased environmental regulations outlined in the latest iteration of the Common Agricultural Policy, demanded stricter rules on agricultural imports from non-European countries and criticized the proposed free trade agreement with the Mercosur.
According to local media reports, production costs for Andalusian farmers rose by more than 35 percent in 2022 while the drought lowered the productive output of a range of crops.
Cristóbal Cano, the secretary-general of the Union of Small Farmers and Ranchers in Andalusia, said rising olive oil prices were not helping farmers, as they did not make up for production declines.
“[The current price of olive oil] does not benefit consumers or farmers because it does not directly affect their income statement since they do not have a significant harvest to be able to sell,” he said.


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DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN - The Fulton Mall is now home to two new big box stores as improvements to the downtown Brooklyn shopping area continue.
Nordstrom Rack and TJ Maxx are the latest retailers to open their doors at the mall. In recent years, a number of national chains have come to call Fulton Street their home. The downtown Brooklyn partnership that is working to improve the outdoor mall sees the progress as positive.
However, some small business owners worry as more and more shops close because they are unable to compete with the big retailers.
READ MORE: Consumer Stories
The stores at the Fulton Mall only stay open until 7 p.m., but the partnership is trying to urge store owners to change their hours.


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Did you know that the average American consumes about 50 pounds of pork per year? We enjoy bacon, sausage links, ribs, chops, shoulder, ham, steak and more. Touted as “the other white meat,” pork is healthy and easy to prepare.
No. 1 Pork Producer
Iowa is the No. 1 pork producer in the nation. According to 2019 statistics provided by the IPPA, there are 6,200 pig farms in Iowa and at any one time there are approximately 22 million pigs being raised in Iowa.
The pork industry in Iowa supports more than 141,813 jobs by generating economic activity in the following ways:
• Producers buy feed ingredients from other farmers and local grain elevators and co-ops.
• Producers use local veterinary services and buy health supplies from farm stores.
• Producers buy equipment and building materials to build and repair their pig barns.
• Producers pay truckers to deliver pigs to the farm, to pick them up and take them to the next destination in the market chain.
Statistics from the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) show that nationally more than 60,000 pork producers annually market more than 115 million hogs.
Pandemic Affects Pork Industry
Right now, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, pork producers across the nation are dealing with rapidly falling prices, supply chain disruptions and closures of pork processing plants.
With the temporary closures of schools and restaurants, the food service industry has shut down, causing 25% of the market for U.S. pork consumption to disappear, resulting in an over-supply of pork. Pork packers have a record amount of inventory in their plants and their cold storage space is filled.
“We find ourselves in the middle of a storm of uncertainty and volatility in both the markets and our supply chain,” said Mike Paustian, pork producer from Walcott, Iowa, and president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA). “The ripple effect these disruptions are having on the markets is hitting us all in the pocketbook.”
Paustian grew up on a pig farm as did his wife, Amy. He studied microbiology in college and worked as a research scientist before he and Amy decided they wanted to raise their children on the farm. For 10 years they’ve run a farrow-to-finish operation meaning the pigs are raised from birth or farrow stage to the last stage of production when they reach their final weight in a finishing barn before being sent to a packing plant to be harvested.
Paustian’s parents and other family members help on the farm along with other employees. In addition to raising pigs, Paustian also grows corn and soybeans. As the newly elected president of the IPPA, Paustian assured that the board of directors will continue to fight on behalf of the producers.
“We’ve been through tough times before, but that doesn’t ease the pain of the current situation. Together we will get through this and come out stronger on the other side.”
Asking for Help
Since the beginning of April 2020, pork packing plants in Columbus Junction, Iowa, and Sioux Falls, S.D., and other states have closed down temporarily due to a large number of COVID-19 cases among employees. Other plants have slowed down operations because of increased absenteeism due to illness.
On April 14, NPPC members announced they are asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to immediately purchase over $1 billion in pork to help lessen the backed-up pork supply. The producers are asking for direct payments to producers with no eligibility restrictions.
The NPPC obtained a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency in early April allowing producers to keep more than the permitted number of pigs on a farm, as long as there was sufficient space for those pigs. Euthanizing pigs could be a possibility should the situation continue to worsen.
“The pork industry is based on a just-in-time inventory system. Hogs are backing up on farms with nowhere to go, leaving farmers with tragic choices to make,” said Howard A.V. Roth, NPPC president and pork producer from Wauzeka, Wis. “Dairy producers can dump milk. Fruit and vegetable growers can dump produce. But hog farmers have nowhere to move their hogs. We care about our animals and we’ll do everything in our power to make sure we don’t have to do that.”
The NPPC also is asking the government to help farmers obtain access to emergency loan programs, saying roughly 10,000 family hog operations are in jeopardy because they cannot obtain funding offered by the Small Business Administration.
“We are taking on water fast,” Roth said. “Immediate action is imperative or a lot of hog farms will go under.”
Tariffs and Trade
In 2019, the pork industry took a hit because of the African swine fever epidemic that wiped out 55 percent of pigs in China, the top importer of U.S. pork.
Dal Grooms, communications director for the Iowa Pork Producers Association, spoke about the tariffs China imposed on U.S. goods.
“We know that China still needs a lot of pork because of the reduction of its pig herd due to the African swine fever. While they are still buying U.S. pork, they could buy so much more if they would reduce the tariffs on U.S. pork. Currently, China is imposing a 72 percent tariff on U.S. pork (the punitive portion is 60 percent). Dropping to a 12% tariff like it charges other countries would increase U.S. pork sales to China.”
“The progress made on trade deals in late 2019 generated a lot of optimism,” Paustian said. “It seemed like we were playing defense last year — maintaining trade deals we had. Now we’ve seen forward progress in that area, especially with Japan, Mexico and Canada and a little bit with China. We hope there will be more progress with China since we haven’t been able to get the tariffs off yet.”
Paustian would like to see the U.S. work on trade deals with new countries.
“We view Southeast Asia as a growing potential market for us, especially Vietnam and the Philippines who are also struggling with African swine fever.”
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal recently signed by President Donald Trump has returned U.S. pork exports to Canada and Mexico to the favorable levels witnessed under NAFTA.
“The outlook for this year is unclear as everyone tries to understand the impact that novel coronavirus virus will have not only on business in the U.S., but in our other trading partners as well,” Paustian said.
Pre-2020 forecasts predicted U.S. pork producers could have seen a $10 per pig profit. Now, a study by an Iowa State University agriculture economist and industry economist suggests pork producers could lose as much as $37 per head for the rest of 2020, representing an overall $5 billion loss to the industry.
On March, 30, the NPPC announced that the 2020 World Pork Expo scheduled for June 2020 and held at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, would be canceled for the second year in a row. The 2019 expo was canceled due to the African swine fever. The World Pork Expo is the world’s largest pork-specific trade show, where more than 20,000 industry professionals gather for three days to showcase innovations, introduce new products and participate in training and educational programs.


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Tata Consumer Products, the consumer products company uniting the principal food and beverage interests of the Tata Group under one umbrella, has entered the health supplements segment with the launch of ‘Tata GoFit’, a health supplement range for women.
According to the brand, Tata GoFit plant protein powder is a plant -based easy-to-mix product formulated with the goodness of gut-friendly probiotics. With ingredients like pea and brown rice, it is free from soy, lactose & added sugar.
Crafted to help women #GoFitEveryday, Tata GoFit aims to be a community centric brand, aimed at helping women along on their fitness journey.
Speaking about the new launch, Deepika Bhan, President – Packaged Foods (India), Tata Consumer Products said “We are delighted to launch Tata GoFit plant protein powder- an inclusive brand for women at various stages of their fitness journey. There has been a growing trend of consumers becoming more fitness conscious in their choices with a heightened focus on their nutrition intake. Tata GoFit has been specially developed for women and has an innovative and differentiated formulation with digestion-friendly enzymes and gut-friendly probiotics. We believe Tata Consumer Products is well positioned to unlock the market potential of the plant protein powder segment and to lead the charge in addressing evolving consumer needs.”


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Elrow make their eagerly-anticipated return to Manchester with an all-day party at The Warehouse Project on Saturday 29th December.
The perfect post-Christmas tonic,
With a cry of “make
While the lineup is yet to be announced, expect the bill to feature an array of
Elrow is an award-winning experiential event concept and party series founded in 2010 by Cruz and Juan Arnau Lasierra; the sixth generation from a dynasty of entrepreneurs also responsible for creating Monegros Festival and legendary Club Florida 135 in Fraga, Spain.
From their headquarters in Barcelona,
A myriad of different themes and concepts makeup
With lauded residencies in Ibiza, Madrid, London and Amsterdam already in place, 2017 has seen a game-changing partnership with live entertainment platform, Providence-Superstruct, allowing elrow to push to new heights with a Shangai debut and a festival-scale event at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in August.
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