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Mack Brooks Exhibitions has announced the postponement of EuroBLECH, which was scheduled to take place at the Hanover Exhibition Grounds in Germany from 9th - 12th March 2021. The next EuroBLECH, 26th International Sheet Metal Working Technology Exhibition, will return to its normal event cycle and run from 25th – 28th October 2022.
This decision was taken in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and following conversations with all exhibitors and partners that have taken place over the past weeks and months. Uncertainties around continued travel restrictions were also a contributing factor to this decision due to the truly international character of the EuroBLECH show.
Speaking about the announcement, Nicola Hamann, managing director of Mack Brooks Exhibitions said: “Following extensive conversations with all participants we have come to the decision to return to our normal event cycle and hold the next show in its original event slot. Based on the current international developments due to the Covid-19 pandemic, covering further lockdown and travel restrictions, we believe that it is the most responsible decision at this stage to postpone. This early announcement will hopefully allow time for the impact of Covid-19 across the world to stabilise and when safe to do so, ensure that the event can continue its critical role in bringing the global sheet metal working industry together again. By making this decision now we allow for planning security, EuroBLECH will return to its initial event schedule and will therefore be back strong in 2022.”
“With the recent launch of the EuroBLECH Digital Innovation Summit we have laid the foundation stone for a hybrid approach to our EuroBLECH Event, which will enable us to run a series of digital events in 2021 for the sheet metal working industry. As a result, EuroBLECH as we know it will be back for all participants in 2022, but as the industry slowly recovers in the coming year, we will offer opportunities to regularly meet, network and conduct business in a safe online format in the meantime. It was very apparent at EuroBLECH DIGITAL, that there currently is a need for the industry to get together and also discover latest innovations to kick-start their business efforts,” continued Nicola Hamann. Further information on the schedule of the digital event series will be announced in due course.
The EuroBLECH Team will communicate closely with customers and partners over the coming weeks and months and thank their exhibitors, partners, suppliers and visitors for their support during this challenging time.
Every two years, the world’s largest sheet metal working technology exhibition attracts top industry professionals from all over the world. The show targets specialists at all management levels in small and medium-sized companies as well as large enterprises from all key industry sectors. Featuring an enormous amount of live machine demonstrations, EuroBLECH is renowned with international sheet metal working professionals as the most important event to find smart solutions and the right machines, equipment and materials for their companies.
The recent launch of the first EuroBLECH Digital Innovation Summit attracted 5,500 international participants from 91 countries and featured meeting options, webinars on recent industry trends and exhibitor presentations as well as hundreds of exhibitor product showcases.
Having spent a decade in the fastener industry experiencing every facet – from steel mills, fastener manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, as well as machinery builders and plating + coating companies, Claire has developed an in-depth knowledge of all things fasteners.
Alongside visiting numerous companies, exhibitions and conferences around the world, Claire has also interviewed high profile figures – focusing on key topics impacting the sector and making sure readers stay up to date with the latest developments within the industry.


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GameStop Corp decided it could not seize on the Reddit-fueled rally in its shares to sell lots of of hundreds of thousands of dollars price of inventory because of regulatory restrictions, based on three individuals acquainted the united states online game retailer’s inner deliberations. The wild journey by IOUpay, which lists Standard Chartered Plc and Citigroup Inc. as its purchasers, began in June after it was touted by buyers on Reddit. Its shares continued gaining on a “buy now, pay later” cope curren$y financial district album with Malaysian on-line market Easystore. IOUpay had drawn comparisons to US videogame retailer GameStop Corp. after surging 6 400% in the past yr because it has been the topic of a quantity of dialogue threads on Reddit. The Reddit-fueled day-trading crowd turned the first quarter of 2021 into one of the wildest durations of stock market frenzy in trendy history. Despite a more than 40% stoop since mid-February, IOUpay stays Asia’s top-performing interactive media and providers stock over the past yr.
Who Wins and Loses When Short Sellers, Social Media, and Retail Investors Collide. Witnesses at the hearing included Reddit person and investor Keith Gill, Citadel CEO Ken Griffin, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, Melvin Capital CEO Gabriel Plotkin, Cato Institute monetary regulation expert Jennifer J. Schulp, and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev. Representatives focused their consideration on Robinhood’s function in the event, asking Tenev why the brokerage had limited the buying and selling of some securities and if it had clearly communicated its business mannequin to its customers. They additionally questioned whether or not Robinhood was encouraging its clients to take extreme dangers in order to generate a profit and whether it had the suitable infrastructure and funding to deal with influxes of new clients.
But have investors overreacted and turned this development stock into a price stock? At first, buyers have been impressed by Magnite’s related TV business, which was rising at a a lot quicker price than its desktop and mobile ad businesses. However, Magnite’s subsequent acquisitions exposed a troubling hole between its organic and inorganic development, and it wasn’t rising as rapidly as a lot of its advert tech friends on an organic foundation. SLV shares were trading at $25.87 per share on Monday afternoon, up $0.09 (+0.35%). Year-to-date, SLV has gained 5.29%, versus a thirteen.10% rise within the benchmark S&P 500 index throughout the same interval.
“The query might be if they’ll get traction within the Asian markets they’re targeting before the larger players are obtainable in.” Many retail buyers and r/wallstreetbets customers purchased shares of GameStop and different affected securities as they were reaching their peak costs or shortly afterwards. Other traders held onto their long positions while the stock prices were declining quickly, amid widespread calls on r/wallstreetbets to hold on to the failing shares. In an “ask me anything session” on r/wallstreetbets, entrepreneur Mark Cuban additionally inspired GameStop buyers to carry on to their stock in the occasion that they were in a position to. As the inventory prices continued to say no, many retail buyers suffered vital losses, with some r/wallstreetbets users losing a majority of their savings.
The upscale furnishings retailer also gave bullish Q2 sales forecasts and raised full-year income and margin targets. The CPI report and Treasury yield response will doubtless affect Dow Jones futures simply before Thursday’s market open. Clover Health listed on the Nasdaq earlier this yr following a $3.7 billion merger with Palihapitiya’s Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings Corp.
AMC’s shares had been recently up 18.3% at round $58.50 after edging 3% higher last week. The firm mentioned in a filing final week that over 80% of its shares had been held by retail buyers. One of the most important beneficiaries of a “meme-stock” retail-trading frenzy that ensued after pandemic-related lockdowns started to disrupt international economies, GameStop’s shares have rocketed from around $3 in March 2020 to over $165 at Thursday’s shut. The stock market has largely priced within the stimulus and investors ought to anticipate a “promote the news occasion” once the invoice is passed, Bank of America stated. The United States movie theatre company’s inventory is up more than 1,250 p.c year-to-date, fuelled by retail traders and Reddit users. S&P 500 could easily hit a report high, along with the Russell 2000, Dow Jones and Nasdaq.
Thursday’s milestone stands out in opposition to a market value bottom of $216.8 million which was hit in April 2020. These strikes are a testomony to the facility of social media, the infectious memes about punishing short-sellers on Wall Street, and the human desire to be part of a collective that’s centered on a mission. Therefore whereas many investors could also be dismissive of this new development, I discover it fascinating from a human curiosity perspective and believe that it can result in profitable trades if we can anticipate the crowd’s subsequent moves.

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Kudzai Sharara Taking Stock
When I asked Truworths chief executive officer, Themba Ndebele, what his company was doing to preserve value in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, he nearly laughed at me.
It is only after I saw Truworths’ results for the half year ended January 5, 2020, that I began to understand what he meant.
Local companies across the board were already battling falling demand long before the outbreak of coronavirus and the subsequent lockdowns.
Although the Covid-19 pandemic is showing signs that it can be devastating to economies, local players were already heading towards rock bottom.
In other words, Ndebele’s major worry was on the already long established falling national demand.
“Once your demand is not there and people are not going to work, there is nothing you can do about it,” he remarked.
Before Covid-19, aggregate demand in the country had already been knocked down by a slew of bad news: a consecutive drought, energy and currency shortages.
The falling exchange rate, hyperinflation and loss of jobs decimated consumer spending power and is threatening the viability of businesses.
For the half year to January 5, 2020, Truworths’ sales dropped by an average 63 percent and this was before the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown.
Fellow listed entity Delta, recorded similar experience for the full year to March 2020, with both lager and sorghum beer volumes falling by 42 percent and 25 percent respectively.
At Dairibord, the story was the same as sales volumes were down by 17 percent for the full year to December 2019.
Most of this downward trend can be attributed to the fall in aggregate demand mainly as a result of a falling exchange rate and hyperinflation.
The local currency is now worth just 2 percent of its former value, in US dollar terms, in less than 2 years. This is against a background where prices are tracking the exchange rate while salaries are almost stagnant.
The situation has now been made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has seen most people losing their incomes and at worst their jobs.
While before coronavirus there was talk of falling spending power, there is now talk of complete loss of incomes.
If the total consumption of goods and services in the economy decreases, businesses have to let go of workers in response to the declining revenue.
Some industries have shed jobs since the outbreak of the pandemic and will continue to do so for longer judging by what is happening globally.
The hotel sector as well as the tourism industry might only recover in a year or two, and jobs that have been shed might not be required till then.
The fast food and restaurant sector might not require as many waiters as did prior to this and again jobs will be lost.
It’s even worse in the informal sector, which despite other sectors of the economy having been opened is yet to get the green light.
Most in the sector have been operating from illegal spaces and might not be allowed to return after stalls and illegal structures, mostly in Harare, were demolished during lockdown.
Is this demand shortfall is not dealt with, jobs and wages will decrease further.
How to boost demand?
Understanding the interplay of economic factors that help increase demand can allow businesses like Truworths to plan for potential growth and future opportunities.
Lowering interest rates
In other world economies, central banks would lower interest rates to help stimulate demand. As interest rates decrease, consumers have more disposable income because of lower interest rates on loans. While the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has lowered its lending rates, the impact will, however, be minimal as interest rates have been lower for much longer given the level of inflation. It’s a tool that has already failed judging by the level of the loan to deposit ratio in the banking sector of 36,6 percent at the end of 2019.
Decrease in taxes
The other available option would be to lower taxes. Reducing taxes increases the amount of available cash that consumers can use to purchase goods and services.
The more cash consumers have, the more purchases they are likely make. As consumers in a country increase spending, it directly increases aggregate demand. Tax cuts could decrease individual income taxes, sales taxes or property taxes.
Surprisingly nothing much has been considered on this front. Instead we have seen more taxes being introduced. The 2 percent transaction tax and the continuous review of fuel levy are good examples of increased tax burdens. With our Government believing in increasing taxes instead of broadening the tax base, it is unlikely that it would use tax cuts to stimulate the economy.
The most viable option is thus to increase government spending on goods and services. The infusion of capital into the economy through Government spending leads to increased financial resources in the private sector that injects financial resources into the hands of consumers. When consumers have more disposable cash, aggregate demand increases.
Infrastructure investment could be an extraordinarily useful tool for macroeconomic stabilisation. Infrastructure investment includes capital investments in transportation, utilities, and environmental projects.
Most estimates of the output multiplier for infrastructure investment are substantially higher than for other fiscal interventions.
While theory points to the fact that sustained increase in infrastructure investment is our best short to close the aggregate demand shortfall, there are fears that government does not have the financial resources to embark on such projects.
Money supply and domestic borrowings are already at the higher end and increasing these could fuel inflation.
However, in any proposal to boost the nation’s infrastructure investment, there will be many details to work out, but such details seem worth wrestling with given the large potential benefits at stake.
The starting point would be to look at infrastructure projects that require little to no foreign currency and invest in those.
The private sector wishing to embark on large infrastructure projects can also be incentivised.


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Corient Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM – Get Rating) by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,726 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after buying an additional 185 shares during the period. Corient Capital Partners LLC’s holdings in Yum! Brands were worth $763,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Lansing Street Advisors acquired a new position in shares of Yum! Brands during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Vigilant Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Yum! Brands in the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Investors Asset Management of Georgia Inc. GA ADV bought a new stake in shares of Yum! Brands in the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Tcwp LLC bought a new stake in shares of Yum! Brands in the 1st quarter worth about $46,000. Finally, CVA Family Office LLC increased its position in shares of Yum! Brands by 55.4% in the 2nd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 435 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 155 shares during the last quarter. 70.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
YUM has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Yum! Brands from $126.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 3rd. Cowen lowered their price objective on shares of Yum! Brands from $143.00 to $130.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 19th. Argus raised shares of Yum! Brands from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $142.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Yum! Brands in a research report on Wednesday, October 12th. They set a “hold” rating for the company. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on shares of Yum! Brands in a research report on Wednesday, September 7th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $144.00 target price for the company. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $135.69.
Yum! Brands Trading Up 1.2 %
Yum! Brands Announces Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 25th will be paid a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 23rd. Yum! Brands’s dividend payout ratio is currently 52.05%.
Yum! Brands announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Monday, September 12th that authorizes the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the restaurant operator to repurchase up to 6.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.
Yum! Brands Company Profile
YUM! Brands, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, develops, operates, and franchises quick service restaurants worldwide. It operates through four segments: the KFC Division, the Taco Bell Division, the Pizza Hut Division, and the Habit Burger Grill Division. The company operates restaurants under the KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill brands, which specialize in chicken, pizza, made-to-order chargrilled burgers, sandwiches, Mexican-style food categories, and other food products.
- Get a free copy of the StockNews.com research report on Yum! Brands (YUM)
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- GENERAL NEWS
Scalding Demand for Hot-Water Bottles Has Factories in Overtime
11:25 JST, February 15, 2023
A kind of traditional, eco-friendly heater is in demand as fuel prices soar and inflate household utility bills. Hot-water bottles, or yutampo in Japanese, have been sold out at some retailers, forcing factories to keep running despite production for the winter is usually finishing by this time of year.
The government has asked households and businesses to conserve electricity during the winter for the first time in seven years. The rise in electricity and gas bills driven by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, along with a severe cold snap in late January, has sent consumers scrambling for hot-water bottles of their own.
“My electricity bill was almost 50% higher than last winter,” said a man looking for a hot-water bottle at a Tokyo store. “I’ll avoid using the heating as much as possible.”
Chiba-based Aeon Retail Co., which operates supermarkets nationwide, prepared 50% more yutampo than last year, but sold out in January, earlier than usual.
Tokyo-based home improvement retailer DCM Co. said its hot-water bottle sales since November have doubled over the previous year. On e-commerce site Rakuten Ichiba, sales in January were up 60% over the same month last year. The best-selling products are those priced between ¥1,000 and ¥3,000.
“They are selling especially well among families where the parents are in their 30s or 40s,” a Rakuten spokesperson said.
Maruka Corp., a long-established manufacturer of metal hot-water bottles in Hyogo Prefecture, usually finishes production in December. But orders have piled up this winter, and the company is still making them this month.
Tange Chemical Industry, a leading producer of plastic yutampo in Nagoya, has shipped about 50% more product than usual, forcing its factory in Ama, Aichi Prefecture, to run every day. The company sometimes receives calls from first-time users asking how to use a yutampo.
“We want people to experience the gentle warmth of this old-fashioned heater,” said company President Akinori Tange.
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Abbvie puts (some) numbers on expected Humira erosion
During Abbvie’s fourth-quarter earnings call today the big question on everyone’s mind was: just how quickly will Humira sales erode following the recent US entrance of biosimilar competition? Abbvie put out some surprisingly detailed guidance, at least for this year, for its ageing mega-blockbuster. The group expects Humira to sell $13.7bn in 2023, which equates to US sales shrinkage of 37%. While this looks like a big drop, it is in fact at the lower end of the group’s previous erosion projection of 35-55%. Still, earnings guidance disappointed, with the group pencilling in 2023 adjusted diluted EPS of $10.70-11.10, versus sellside consensus of $11.63. $10.70 will also be the floor for EPS in 2024, execs said today. Despite being asked numerous times, they would not put a number on expected Humira revenue next year. In 2025 and beyond, Humira should have reached a “stable tail”, Abbvie’s chief executive, Rick Gonzalez, said. The pressure is on the likes of Skyrizi and Rinvoq to pick up the slack – if the former meets 2023 expectations, it will be well on the way to selling $10bn by 2025, as predicted by Abbvie.
|Abbvie's 2023 guidance for selected products|
|Product||2023e sales ($bn)|
|Source: Approximate assumptions given during company Q4 earnings call.|


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According to the German Economic Institute (IW), four out of ten German companies expect business to shrink in 2023. The survey was conducted Monday (9 January). This poll was caused by high energy costs, supply chain issues, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The likelihood of experiencing a shortage in gas during winter 2022/23 is less than it was during summer 2022. Since then, energy prices have fallen. They are still high, and production disruptions are not ruled out,” IW reported in a survey.
“It will also become evident in the course of 2023 how much gas and electricity supply we can build up for next winter and what severe disruptions could happen in 2023.”
Surveys of more than 2,500 companies found that nearly a third expected output to stagnate while the rest predicted business growth.
According to the International Monetary Fund, Germany’s largest economy will shrink by 0.3% in the next few years. This is due to Russia’s sudden halt in gas flow, which was once its main supplier.
The outlook for Germany’s construction industry is particularly grim. IW surveyed more than half the respondents and found that only 15% of them expect a decrease in production.
The industry is faring no better. 39% of companies surveyed expect a decrease driven by a cautious assessment about the consumer and basic sector.
This article is shared:


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Today is the last day to use paper £20 and £50 notes before they become unusable - check down the back of your sofa now
There's just days left before paper £20 and £50 notes are withdrawn from circulation, so act now before shops stop accepting them. You can spend the notes until, and including, Friday 30 September but after that you'll have to bank them or swap them.
30 September 2022
John Lewis 'Partnership' credit card user? You'll no longer be able to use your card from 31 October – here's all you need to know
John Lewis Partnership credit card-holders will no longer be able to use their Mastercards from 6pm on 31 October 2022.
21 September 2022
Another 14 'banking hubs' to open across the UK to boost access to cash as high street branches close – here’s where
Another 14 'bank hubs' are to open across the UK in a bid to help boost people's access to cash as bank branches continue to disappear from the high street. Here's where they're set to open.
6 September 2022
Chase extends 1% cashback offer for early joiners – what you need to know
Customers who signed up to Chase and activated their 1% cashback offer before 1 March 2022 will now have up to five months longer to earn rewards after the bank extended the end date.
26 August 2022
Barclays removes overdrafts if they've not been used by some customers in over a year - here are your options and what we know
Barclays customers have voiced concerns after being given just one month's notice that their "safety net" overdrafts will be removed during the cost of living crisis. The bank has admitted that it's cancelling overdrafts for some users who haven't dipped into them in for at least a year.
22 August 2022
Bank of England increases base rate to 1.75% – what the rise means for your mortgage and savings
The Bank of England has increased the base rate to 1.75% from 1.25% - the biggest single rise in 27 years. This rate is used by the central bank to charge other banks and lenders when they borrow money – and influences what borrowers pay and savers earn.
9 August 2022
Coventry Building Society customers hit by payment delays after online services go down – here's what you need to know
Coventry Building Society customers have been unable to make payments, transfer cash or withdraw from their current and savings accounts online after "an internal technical issue" meant some of its services went down for almost two days.
9 August 2022
Barclays to shut another 10 branches this year – here's the full list, plus alternative options
The latest closures mean Barclays will close at least 107 branches by the end of the year.
1 August 2022
Lloyds Banking Group to close a further 66 branches from October - here's the full list, plus alternative options
Lloyds Banking Group has announced more bank branch closures with a further 66 outlets set to close across England, Northern Ireland, and Wales between October 2022 and February 2023.
25 July 2022
NatWest offers fee-free overseas spending until September - but there are better deals out there
NatWest is scrapping fees for spending abroad on select credit and debit cards until 2 September. This is good news for existing NatWest customers, but if you’re willing to switch there are better offers out there for fee-free holiday spending.
7 July 2022
New. Free £200 in time for Christmas
Biggest upfront bank switch bribe since 2017
Martin's 'Should I start overpaying my mortgage?' help
Plus boosted mortgage overpayment calculator
New. Top fixed savings now pay 4.56%
Highest since 2012, with easy access up to 2.5%
Second cost of living payment coming
Will you get it?
Is a 10-year fixed mortgage worth it?
They're now cheaper than 2yr ones
New. 15GB data Sim just '£4.62/month'
Cheapest we've ever seen
Amazon 'Prime Early Access Sale' starts next week
Our predictions, eg, 50% off Alexa?
Read the full email
For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes simply sign up today – it's spam-free!
Shell Energy to pay an extra £150 this winter to customers getting the Warm Home Discount – here's what you need to know4 October 2022Shell Energy will pay an extra £150 to over 150,000 of its customers who get the Government's Warm Home Discount this winter – meaning those eligible will get £300 in total from both payments.
4 October 2022Barclays' has launched a new linked "Rainy Day Saver" savings account for Blue Rewards members, which pays 5.12% interest on balances of up to £5,000 – over double the top open-to-all easy access account. You need to jump though a number of hoops to get it though.
Second benefits cost of living payment to start on 8 November – here's who's eligible, how much you'll get and if you need to apply4 October 2022Millions of the UK's poorest households will start to receive the second half of their £650 cost of living payment from 8 November.
4 October 2022At the start of the week, several major lenders pulled their deals from the market completely. Since then, many others have either withdrawn their fixed-rate offers or replaced them at hugely increased rates. As the market turbulence continues, here's what you can do.
4 October 2022Homeowners have increasing reason to consider longer term mortgages over shorter deals, as the cost of borrowing grows.
9 August 2022It is a national tragedy that getting on for a million pensioners, many of whom have been paying into the system for years, are missing out on a critical boost to their income. It's called pension credit, and this year it also means you get an extra £650 to help with energy bills.
Clever ways to calculate your finances


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AMD has a new boss as well
Eight months without a CEO must have been really hard time for AMD. At last they have actually found the deserving candidate as Rory Read, formerly COO of Lenovo - the Chinese PC makers. Earlier he was also a part of IBM.
Though it might be a tough job to sort out a single person for the post of CEO, but at last AMD has managed to give out a name. It might never be revealed why it took so long to secure Read’s services, but a man with an executive post from the PC world will definitely be a good option for the market AMD is mainly focused on. Read may also have high hope for his career with a company like AMD and these kinds of opportunities are never worth refusing.
According to Bruce Claflin, Chairman of AMD’s board Rory is a proven leader with an impressive record of driving profitable growth. He also added that Rory was ideally suited to accelerate AMD's evolution into the world's leading semiconductor design company. As president and COO of Lenovo he helped take the company into dynamic new markets while growing market share and expanding profitability. His sound strategic thinking and natural customer orientation will help amplify the voice of the customer inside AMD.
In return Read said "I'm very pleased to be joining AMD at this important time in its history, AMD is a true innovator and is uniquely positioned to lead the industry forward, delivering the next big thing both within the PC ecosystem and beyond. AMD has strong momentum and the opportunity to continue profitably gaining share based on its highly differentiated products, solid financial foundation, and passionate and committed employees. I'm excited to be joining AMD's employees as we write the next chapter not just for the company, but for the industry and consumers around the world."
Interim CEO Thomas Seifert will move back to the role of CFO, though he has done the job well too but Read’s may have some bigger plans for AMD.


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Chuck Hewitt, president of the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association, and Andy Paul, SBCA senior VP and lobbyist, at press time, were expected to formally submit their resignations to the SBCA board at its Aug. 1 meeting. Andy Wright, current government and legal affairs VP, was said to be a leading candidate to replace Hewitt … Bill Casamo has resigned as DirecTV merchandising president and sales and marketing executive VP amidst an ongoing executive restructuring effort. Larry Chapman has added the role of acting marketing and advertising executive VP, reporting to Roxanne Austin, DirecTV president and COO … Peter Main, Nintendo of America executive VP of sales, will retire Jan. 31, succeeded by Peter MacDougall, current Nintendo of Canada president … Gary Bennett, former Hitachi executive VP of sales, was named Apex Digital senior VP of the TV division. Kenneth Salky, formerly with Koss Audio Video Electronics, was named Apex marketing VP … Toru (Tom) Yamakawa, recording media business group VP and corporate officer of Hitachi Maxell, named president of Maxell Corporation of America … Bill Sims, president & CEO of Live Products' eSim operation, leaves the company. John McCready, Marantz America executive VP/GM, has been promoted to president … Sergio Batista, formerly with Onkyo USA moves to Samsung Electronics as HD set-top box product manager. Don Milks, formerly with Aiwa, joins Onkyo USA as national product and marketing manager. Eric Harper, custom installer, was named Onkyo's Integra and custom install product manager … David Williams, national marketing manager for Panasonic's Personal and Professional Products Company, has been named assistant GM for the newly formed Panasonic Brand Strategy Group … Dan MacGloan has been named major account manager for the Minolta Consumer Products Group … Masahiko Terada has been appointed president of Victor Company of Japan, replacing Takeo Shuzui, who has become a senior corporate adviser for the firm … CellStar founder, chairman and CEO Alan Goldfield retires but will continue to consult. Board member James Johnson becomes chairman, and former president/COO Terry Parker rejoins company as CEO … Michael J. Perez, has been tapped chief financial officer/VP for Lexar Media … Bob Compagno has been promoted to president of Fellowes-North America and Europe, expanding his leadership to Canada and Europe … Rey Roque has been named marketing VP of the Samsung Digital Information Technology division … Nina Linander has joined Frigidaire's Swedish parent Electrolux as head of group staff treasury … Bill Morrison, ex-Bradlees MIS/VP, has joined Tweeter Home Entertainment Group as VP/chief information officer, a new position. Rick Bickford has joined Ultimate Electronics as audio merchandise manager. He previously served as senior buyer of computers, and before that audio, at Best Buy … Ted de Buhr, executive VP/COO, has been named president/COO of Wolf Camera, succeeding Chuck Wolf, who continues as chairman and CEO … Patrick Murray, former executive VP of Motion Systems, rejoins Emerson Radio Corp. as senior VP of sales.
Patricia F. Russo, Kodak president and chief operating officer, elected to the board of directors. Eric G. Rodli, who was recently named president of Kodak's Entertainment Imaging division, was elected a senior vice president. He replaces Joerg D. Agin, who recently announced his intention to retire … Brittany Nims, public relations/marketing director of CEDIA, promoted to communications director … Laurie Lutz, operations manager with Reed Exhibition Companies, joins CEA as operations staff director for International CES … Britt Wood was promoted from senior director to VP of research, education and technology and Gail Wood was promoted from manager to director of conferences and education, for the International Mass Retail Association (IMRA) … Frank Ferrara was promoted to VP/extended service program development within the retail channel unit of Assurant Group, an extended warranty provider … Daniel Hourigan has joined N.E.W. Customer Service Companies after 30 years in retail as division president of service plan merchandising. Also joining the extended service contract provider are Beth McFadden, as customer service director in Montana, and Ann Willard, as work force manager of the Montana call center … Stephen H. Powers, former president/CEO of Drive Entertainment, has been named president of Miller & Kreisel Sound of Chatsworth, Calif. Ken Kreisel, founder, chairman and president since the company's inception in 1973, will assume the role of CEO and devote more time to his role as chief design engineer … Bill McKiegan, North American sales & marketing director of Krell Industries named sales & marketing VP … Brett M. Johnson has been appointed president of Targus Inc., the U.S. division of Targus Group International, of which he also has been named president. Johnson had been managing director of the portable storage products company's Europe, Middle East and Africa operation the past four years.


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Another of the Washington NFL team’s most significant financial partners has apparently made a move against the team’s name.
Nike, the NFL’s primary jersey and apparel supplier, appears to have wiped the team’s entire collection of merchandise from its website. Searches for “Redskins” yield nothing. Searches for “Washington NFL” have similar results. Meanwhile, “Cowboys” and any other team name lead to your usual bunch of jerseys and shirts.
Mike Jones of USA Today noted the absence Thursday night.
— Mike Jones (@ByMikeJones) July 3, 2020
It’s worth noting the team’s own online pro shop does not appear to have been affected, just Nike’s own store. Still, it’s a move with clear implications when you consider the context.
FedEx, other investors have called for name change
Just one day earlier, a collection of 87 investors and shareholders worth over $600 billion reportedly signed a letter urging Nike, FedEx and PepsiCo to end their relationship with the franchise until it changes its name, according to Adweek.
FedEx, which owns the name rights to Washington’s FedEx Field, was the first to act Thursday when it revealed it had told the team it wants a name change. Now, Nike appears to be applying its own kind of pressure, though the apparel titan has not made any sort of official communication so far. Those two companies alone represent a massive amount of money flowing to the team.
A number of District of Columbia officials have also signaled that the team’s potential return to the district would be contingent on a name change.
Pressure for Snyder to change the name has been at an all-time high in the weeks following the killing of George Floyd in police custody. Snyder has stood firm for years that he will never change his racial slur of a team name, even after calls from Native Americans, the White House and the United Nations Human Rights Council.
We’ll see if the almighty dollar holds more sway.
More from Yahoo Sports:


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The traditional annual list of billionaires was announced by the Forbes on Thursday 8 with technical changes to measure the wealth of billionaires. With the new system, Bill Gates was replaced by the owner of retail chain Zara, Amancio Ortega, the owner of a fortune estimated at $78.5 billion.
Just after his shares rise 2.5% in the bag – this equates to an increase of US $1.7 billion. Hence, the earlier richest person Bill Gates is now in the second place, yes, the EX richest person Bill Gates is in the second place with the fortune set at $77.4 billion
In October 2015, the founder of the Zara, which is a Spanish clothing and accessories retailer based in Arteixo, Galicia. The company was founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega and Rosalía Mera. It is the main brand of the Inditex group, the world’s largest apparel retailer. Amancio Ortega had passed Bill Gates for the first time, but only for a few minutes. Shares of Inditex, holding the Spanish suffered depreciation after overtaking.
On Thursday 8, the founder of Zara, Amancio Ortega had lost around $400 million of the fortune earned the day before, but still leading the list of billionaires. While Bill Gates donated about $31 billion in stock and cash for his foundation along life, recalled the “Forbes” magazine to publicise the fact. “If Microsoft’s co-founder was not a philanthropist as prolific nor Ortega nor anyone else on Earth would be close to achieving it,” says the publication.
According to the Forbes, the Spanish businessman and the founder of the Zara, Amancio Ortega is the world’s richest man currently with a net worth of $78 billion and Bill Gates follows him with $77.4 billion. However, the stock market can’t be foretold. Yes, it means that the current list is likely to change in the coming days or hours.
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Tevin Tobun, CEO and founder of a hospitality firm has been named one of UK’s top black Britons.
Tobun, who runs food logistics firm GV Group (Gate Ventures), has been named in the Powerlist 2022 alongside Jacky Wright of Microsoft, Marcus Rashford of Manchester United, Netflix's Anne Mensah, Hollywood star Daniel Kaluuya and Bafta winner Michaela Coel.
The list, which is an annual collection of the UK’s most powerful people of African, African Caribbean and African American heritage – honours leading individuals across business, technology, science, and the arts.
Tobun, who has been featured on the list for four consecutive years, was recognised for his business activity as well as his charitable contributions over the course of the last year.
In 2020, he launched the Tobun Foundation, an organisation which supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The charity aims to give financial support to those whose education will have been impacted by the pandemic, as well as mentoring and guidance programmes.
Tobun founded GV Group 20 years ago. The company operates across business and industry, restaurants, education, healthcare, wholesale and retail sectors - delivering more than 21 million food and food-related products every year.
The publication is sent out primarily to schools, universities and businesses looking to inspire and engage young people in Britain.
Tobun said: “It is an honour to once again be named on the Powerlist alongside so many other incredible people, especially during what has continued to be a very challenging time for so many. The list is a great way to inspire young people and encourage them to be the best version of themselves.”


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Walmart has announced the launch of its ‘InHome Delivery’ service next Autumn.
Available to nearly 1 million people in three cities
The new service will be available to almost 1 million people in three cities: Kansas City, Missouri; Pittsburgh and Vero Beach, Florida. Start date of the service and cost to customers haven’t been disclosed.
How does it work?
After placing an order online, customers can simply select ‘InHome Delivery’ option at checkout. An InHome employee then collects the order and access the home to deliver groceries using the smart lock technology. In addition, each employee has a wearable camera that allow customers to track their progress within their homes. Later this year, InHome Delivery employees will be able also to collect returns on behalf of customers.
According to Marc Lore, president and CEO of Walmart e-commerce, each InHome Delivery employee will go through an “extensive” training on how to properly enter shoppers’ home and store their goods. According to the Wall Street Journal, they will also be required to have been with the company for at least a year.
What’s the competition doing?
Several Walmart’s competitors have recently implemented similar delivery solutions. Essentially, Waitrose has recently expanded its “While You’re Away” pilot which allows its employees to deliver groceries at shoppers’ home while they’re away. Along with Waitrose, Amazon, Edeka, Albert Heijn, Jet.com and ICA have all trialled delivery this way in their respective markets.
Please check our Walmart hub and Customer Centric hub for more related news.


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British retailer WH Smith has confirmed that Funky Pigeon, its online greetings card and gift subsidiary, has halted all further orders after a “security incident.”
The company’s social media feeds told customers late last week that “technical issues” were delaying new business being processed.
Today London Stock Exchange-listed WH Smith issued a statement to the market admitting Funky Pigeon was “subject to a cyber security incident affecting part of its systems on Thursday 14 April 2022.”
“We take the security of customer data extremely seriously,” the statement added. “The company has temporarily suspended orders from the website and is currently is currently investigating the detail of the incident with external IT specialists.
“No customer payment data, such as bank account or credit card details, has been placed at risk – all of this data is processed securely via accredited third-parties and is securely encrypted.”
It added in a statement to The Register: “We have taken our systems offline as a precaution… We are also writing to all customers over the last 12v months to inform them of these issues.”
Resident techies and external help are “currently investigating the extent” to which customers’ personal details – specifically names, addresses, email addresses, personalized cards and gift designs – were accessed.
The way the attackers entered the system was not confirmed by WH Smith, nor whether any demands were made. We have asked the company to comment further.
Just because Funky Pigeon’s customers’ payment data was not accessed by the attackers “doesn’t mean it’s in the clear yet,” said Dominic Trott, UK product manager at Orange Cyberdefense.
“Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the risk of cybercrime as it rises higher on the mainstream news agenda, so the incident could still have an impact on the company’s reputation, and its consumers’ willingness to spend,” he added.
Bill O’Connor, CEO at SonicWall, said the attack is “another example of how relentless cybercriminals are in their search for profit.”
“Holding victim organizations’ business hostage uniquely impacts retailers and other organizations that provide daily, direct services to their customers. Such attacks directly affect the victim’s revenue generation and thus provide additional leverage to the attackers.
“Hackers continue to mix and match malware ingredients deployed during the attack, as well as escalating their techniques from beyond phishing. Organizations need to protect their outward facing attack surface, but equally importantly, establish internal barriers to prevent lateral exploitation on which attackers rely to establish persistence and larger network access once they establish a foothold on a single system.”
WH Smith told us: “We have also informed the relevant regulators and law enforcement authorities, and we will continue to review and update our protocols based on what we learn from this incident. ®


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Brevard County is hoping an iPad app with space-exploration puzzles will attract tourists to the birthplace of U.S. space travel.
The Space Coast Office of Tourism has dedicated $25,000 to promoting Solar Flux HD, a game created by Firebrand Games. The independent game developer has an office in Merritt Island and another in Scotland, said Rob Varley, executive director of the tourism-promotion office.
The iPad puzzle game lets players explore the universe and attempt to save dying stars, navigate gravitational fields, and slingshot around planets and other galactic obstacles. The agency is working with the developer and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to promote the app.
Among the ideas for generating buzz: a nationwide contest that would offer players a chance to win an all-expense-paid trip to the Space Coast, and possibly the chance to help design future levels of the game.
"It remains to be seen how much mileage we're going to get out of it, but we've gotten a lot of good comments," Varley said.
In addition to promoting tourism, the Space Coast is hoping to persuade the game developer to move its headquarters to the area, Varley said.
The Solar Flux app for iPad is available on iTunes for $3.99.


text: Hong Kong's inflation rose to 5.4 per cent last month, the highest in more than a decade. The year-on-year increase was 0.1 of a percentage point higher than the underlying inflation rate in March. 'The pick-up in inflationary pressure in recent months was largely due to the upsurge in food prices ... the sustained strong economic growth also added pressure on prices and costs,' a government spokesman said. Last month's increase in the Consumer Price Index was the highest since January 1998. Food prices recorded the largest year-on-year increase of all CPI components, rising 19.4 per cent, while the cost of dining in restaurants went up 6 per cent. Pork again saw the greatest increase in prices, at 59.3 per cent, followed by beef, which jumped 51.4 per cent. Canned-meat prices were 44.5 per cent higher than a year before, trailed by edible oils, up 29 per cent, and rice, which rose 24.5 per cent. 'The inflation outlook is rather uncertain and will hinge a great deal on food-price movements in international markets, which are expected to be volatile,' the spokesman said. 'The elevated international oil prices, the exchange-rate movements as well as the strength of the local economy are also likely to continue to exert inflationary pressure.' The government said last Friday that it was sticking to its 4.5 per cent inflation forecast for this year, but Standard Chartered Bank regional economist Kelvin Lau Kin-heng estimated that full-year inflation would hit 5.2 per cent. He expected inflation to moderate in the second half of the year because food prices had started going up near the end of last year. Hong Kong Food Council member Lee Kwong-lam said the impact of the Sichuan earthquake on prices of food from the mainland was minimal. Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah said relief measures proposed in the budget would be implemented in July.


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Social Security recipients embrace electronic payments, give high marks to Treasury-recommended prepaid card
With less than one year until the March 1, 2013, deadline for all federal benefit recipients to switch from paper checks to electronic payments, a new U.S. Department of the Treasury study has found overwhelming support for its recommended Direct Express(R) Debit MasterCard(R) card. According to a cardholder survey, 95 percent of individuals who use the Direct Express(R) card to receive monthly Social Security payments are satisfied with the card, and 93 percent also report they are likely to recommend the card to others.
“We hope that hearing about the extremely high satisfaction with the Direct Express(R) card will encourage check recipients to make the switch to the card or direct deposit as soon as possible,” says David Lebryk, commissioner of the Treasury Department’s Financial Management Service. “This card helps senior citizens, people with disabilities and others who lack access to traditional banking services to pay bills, withdraw cash and make purchases without worrying about their paper checks being lost or stolen or paying check-cashing fees.”
Easy and safe to use
Introduced in June 2008, the Direct Express(R) card has helped more than 3 million Americans to safely and easily access their federal benefit payments. The card, which can be used with no or low fees, provides a more convenient way for all Americans to access their federal benefits, while also improving government efficiency and delivering more than $1 billion in savings. Federal benefit recipients also can choose to have their benefit payments deposited directly into their bank or credit union account.
The Treasury Department published a final rule in December 2010 to gradually eliminate paper checks for federal benefit payments.
Since May 1, 2011, anyone applying for new federal benefits, including Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Veterans Affairs, Railroad Retirement Board, Office of Personnel Management benefits and other non-tax payments, have had to choose direct deposit or a Direct Express(R) card when they sign up for the benefit. For those who began receiving benefits earlier, March 1, 2013 is the final deadline, and all remaining federal benefit check recipients must start receiving their money electronically.
Learn more about electronic payments
The Treasury Department’s Go Direct(R) public education campaign is working with more than 1,800 partner organizations nationwide to spread the message about the electronic payment rule and to educate federal benefit recipients about their options. The campaign recently introduced a new public service announcement as well as a series of educational videos and print materials that explain how electronic payments work and how to use the Direct Express(R) card. The videos and materials are available on the Go Direct campaign website at www.GoDirect.org.
Make the switch today
Federal benefit recipients can switch to electronic payments online at www.GoDirect.org or through the U.S. Treasury Electronic Payment Solution Center toll-free at 1-800-333-1795. It’s free to switch and takes less than 10 minutes.
Go paperless today and enjoy electronic benefits for many years to come.
The preceding information has been provided by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Financial Management Service.
The cardholder survey was conducted by KRC Research and commissioned by MasterCard Worldwide on behalf of the Treasury Department’s Financial Management Service.
The Go Direct(R) campaign is sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve Banks. The Direct Express(R) logo, Go Direct(R) and Direct Express(R) are registered service marks, and the Go Direct(SM) logo is a service mark, of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Financial Management Service. The Direct Express(R) Debit MasterCard(R) card is issued by Comerica Bank, pursuant to a license by MasterCard International Incorporated. MasterCard(R) and the MasterCard(R) Brand Mark are registered trademarks of MasterCard International Incorporated.
All references to Go Direct should be boldface and italicized. All references to Direct Express should be boldface.


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Spotting a sign on a village noticeboard led three De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) students to come up with an award-winning app idea.
Mia Gray, Scott Haines and Ellie Harris developed VenHire – an online community to help people find venues and building owners to advertise available space – which saw them crowned the 2022 winners of DMU’s Fox’s Lair competition.
Fox’s Lair is a competition that challenges all first-year business students to come up with, develop and pitch their plan to a panel of judges, known as the Foxes, many of whom are entrepreneurs and business owners.
Mia, Scott and Ellie, who are all studying advertising and marketing communications, came up with the idea after Scott spotted an advert for a venue on a village notice board and thought there had to be a better way of advertising it.
Scott said: “I was working as an estate agent before university and saw an advert for a venue rental on a village notice board. With only a telephone number and little information, I thought it was old-fashioned.
“Handed the task of the Fox’s Lair, we brainstormed multiple ideas with multiple coffees and snacks, we quickly realised that the idea of VenHire was by far the best and immediately saw potential. The once small idea swiftly expanded as we saw all the avenues, we could take with VenHire.”
The online system categories venues into location, ideal purpose and capacity which will then allow customers looking for venues to book the space. It also allows commercial premises such as cafes to list their disused spaces on days that they are closed, and pubs to list vacant function rooms.
Mia added: “As we grow, we can list parking spaces and homeowners can rent their large gardens. Every venue and space will be able to be reviewed by the customers.”
The team researched competitors and spoke to app developers and website designers to get the pitch together, which was made to a team of judges.
“Presenting to the judges was a great experience, although a nerve-racking one,” said Ellie. “However, after lots of practice and genuine confidence in ourselves and our ideas, our nerves soon subsided as our presentation began. We received great feedback and really appreciated the comments and constructive criticism we were given by the Foxes.”
They were announced as the winners at this year’s Fox’s Lair awards, held in Leicester Castle Business School.
“It was great to know that it was not just us that believed in VenHire,” said Mia. “Of course, the bonus of a goodie bag and a £1000 cheque was also a huge achievement. We are very grateful, and the win provided us with further confidence to push VenHire in the coming future.”
Senior enterprise Dr Simon Hill, who runs the Fox’s Lair said: “It’s been a fantastic year, with a range of strong entries. Choosing the winners and finalists, has been harder than ever."
Posted on Monday 28th November 2022


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EKALAKA — Getting fresh fruits and vegetables here in one of Montana’s most isolated small towns, hours from the nearest shopping center, can be an ordeal.
It got more difficult last winter when the only grocery store in the county, the Main Street Market, was gutted by fire a week before Christmas. (The cause, the Ekalaka Eagle reported at the time, was under investigation).
“There was a panic,” said Eva Grimes, who runs the local coffee shop, Stompin’ Grounds, with her mother.
Main Street Market had been the only grocer in Carter County, a sparsely populated region in Montana’s southeast corner that’s nearly three times the size of Rhode Island, but home to just 1,200 people. The next-closest option for residents doing last-minute holiday food shopping was Reynolds Market in Baker, a half-hour drive north, or longer in bad weather.
In Ekalaka, where roughly 360 people live inside town limits, food options are limited in the best of times. Aside from the grocer and a part-time food bank, residents have their pick between Stompin’ Grounds, one bar with limited food service, and a single diner. The community is too small to have franchise restaurants or a chain gas station convenience store, and the closest big-box stores like Walmart are in Miles City, 115 miles away, or Spearfish, South Dakota, a 120-mile drive.
Ekalaka, after Main Street Market’s closure, is an extreme example, but “food deserts,” where it’s difficult to find affordable, nutritious food, represent a major concern for researchers and others who worry about food security. Lower-income people in rural areas — who may not have a reliable vehicle or the gas money to regularly shop at a Walmart tens or hundreds of miles from home — are particularly vulnerable to obesity and diabetes caused by poor diets.
Data from the United States Department of Agriculture, derived from the 2010 Census, indicate that more than 20,800 low-income Montanans live at least 20 miles from a supermarket. An estimated 440 of those Montanans live in Carter County.
Ekalaka residents said they relied on small-town neighborliness last winter to cope with the sudden void that the market fire left in local food resources.
Several local businesses ordered extra milk and eggs to sell to customers, and residents leaving for out-of-town shopping trips posted to Facebook, offering to pick up supplies for friends. A county charter bus, usually used to transport non-driving senior citizens to medical appointments in Billings or Spearfish, was pressed into service for grocery runs to Baker.
“We were worried about our shut-ins,” said Tricia Lovec, who manages the county food bank and charter bus service. “Believe me, not having a store was bad.”
“We all just chipped in and did what we could,” Grimes said.
Along with a handful of other residents, Grimes also turned to a meal delivery service, Hello Fresh, which shipped her weekly boxes containing ingredients for a few meals at a time, including better-quality produce than she could find locally.
“It’s really nice to have these beautiful vegetables in the middle of winter out in boondocks Montana,” she said. “It’s just so much easier to have it show up at your door.”
(As of August, Hello Fresh’s website indicated a new customer could order a six-serving delivery to an Ekalaka address for $53.94 plus $6.99 shipping, or $10.15 per serving.)
In February, a new store, Branson Grocery, opened in an old church building on the edge of town, bringing Ekalaka residents a new shopping option.
“The community needs it,” said owner Mark Branson. “It’s definitely a logistics problem being way out here, so far off the beaten path.”
Grimes said she’s also trying to offer more prepared food with fresh ingredients — things like veggie pizzas — at the coffee shop.
But even that can be an uphill fight. Not long after her interview with a reporter wrapped up, she sent a message with a picture of a freshly cut red pepper with a moldy interior.
The article was published at It can be tough to find fresh food in small towns. It gets harder when you lose your county’s only grocery store.


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Besides, the bank would also focus on its "unsecured business" portfolio including personal loans and doubling up credit card business, Axis Bank President Retail Lending and Payments Jairam Sridharan said.
"Our focus is on unsecured business. Unsecured business is nine per cent of our total retail lending. Total retail lending size is about Rs 90,000 crore," he told reporters.
According to him, the banks' exposure in personal loan portfolio is about Rs 5,000 crore.
On expansion of the bank's business, he said the bank was looking at doubling the size of credit card customers from the existing 1.50 million.
"In credit cards business last quarter we crossed 1.50 million. The monthly spent over credit cards is about Rs 1,000 crore per month. I would like the credit card business to double the current size over the next three years", he said.
On tapping the semi-urban and rural areas, he said the bank was making investments heavily in providing infrastructure and in distribution network.
"For example in the past we were offering one or two big products in small towns. But now we are offering all our products. We are offering credit cards to new customers", he said.
"Basically, semi-urban and rural branches presence is 52 percent of our total branches (2,505). This (52 percent) number used to be 42 per cent in March 2012. It already increased and would continue to grow up", he said.


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News, Trends, and Insight
Join green industry insiders for news, insights and analysis in the $290 billion market for natural, organic, eco-friendly and sustainable products and services.
May 20, 2013 | By Steven Hoffman
The biotech industry works hard to discredit any science demonstrating the health and environmental safety risks associated with the widespread adoption of genetically engineered crops and foods. However, a growing body of peer-reviewed, published scientific research shows clear risks to humans, animals and the environment as a result of GMOs and the pesticides that are used in GMO agriculture that are now pervasive in our … Read more »
May 1, 2013 | By Steven Hoffman
You may have heard, of all things, about recent research related to organic food and fruit flies published in the respected scientific journal Plos One. The study, conducted by Dallas middle-school student Ria Chhabra, tracked the effects of organic and conventional diets on the health of fruit flies. By nearly every measure, including fertility, stress resistance and longevity, flies that fed on organic bananas … Read more »
GMO Update: Whole Foods Market to Require GMO Transparency; Washington State’s I-522 Bill Best Bet for GMO Labeling in 2013
April 10, 2013 | By Steven Hoffman
This past month marked a number of important developments in the ongoing debate to label genetically engineered or GMO foods, including the following news items.
Whole Foods Market Announces Mandatory GMO Labeling in Stores by 2018
Not waiting for the government to take the lead in the labeling of genetically engineered or GMO foods, Whole Foods Market announced at Natural Products Expo West that it … Read more »
March 22, 2013 | By Steven Hoffman
This 60-second video, produced by Boulder-based Whizzbang Studios and Compass Natural Marketing, made its debut at Natural Products Expo West, the world’s largest natural and organic products trade exhibition, at a GMO labeling seminar and press conference held on March 7, 2013.
With GMO labeling and consumer transparency a key issue at this year’s trade show, the seminar, moderated by Compass Natural Marketing Managing Director … Read more »
March 17, 2013 | By Steven Hoffman
At the Epicenter, a popular Boulder, CO-based speaker series featuring business and thought leaders in natural and organic products and sustainability, featured on February 12, 2013, three women leaders in green business, including Hunter Lovins of Natural Capitalism Solutions, Kim Coupounas, Co-founder of Go-Lite, and Brook Eddy, CEO of Bhakti Chai. Moderated by Seleyn DeYarus, CEO of America’s Best Organics, At the Epicenter is produced … Read more »


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With its dizzying diversity, Sherry boasts “the same complexities as flamenco” music, according to Josep Roca, the head sommelier of El Celler de Can Roca.
Speaking at the seventh Copa Jerez food and Sherry pairing competition in Jerez this week, Roca told the drinks business:
“Sherry is salted tears and has the same complexities as flamenco. You can compare its different styles with different styles of flamenco. There are so many nuances in Sherry, they are bottles of tradition full of art.”
To illustrate his point, during the event Roca paired ten different cherry picked Sherries with ten different flamenco guitar performances by Diego del Morao.
Among the Sherry and flamenco pairings were a 2002 oloroso by Bodegas Williams & Humbert with a solea desafinada, and a palo cortado VORS from Bodegas Tradicion with a solea por bulerías.
During the pairings, Roca spoke of both flamenco and Sherry’s capacity for “duende” – the ability to inspire emotions and passion through its magnetism.
Emotions aside, Roca also spoke of the need for the Sherry industry to make the most of its magnificent product, which is often undersold in terms of value.
“It’s important for the Sherry market to be economically stable and there is plenty of room for it to conquer more consumers as the wines are so authentic, but it’s sold too cheaply at the moment.
“Its quality and authenticity can be used to raise its profile but we need to return to the vine and we need to find new and open roads for Sherry to thrive,” he said.
He also spoke of his love for cooking with Sherry at his three Michelin starred restaurant in Girona, El Celler de Can Roca, which db reviewed earlier this year.
“I cook a lot with Sherry, from rock oysters and manzanilla, and prawns and amontillado, to dehydrated oloroso and steak tartare.
“There is a world of opportunity when it comes to cooking with Sherry and an infinity of possible recipes that I love playing around with,” he said.
With its rich winemaking history dating back more than 5,000 years ago, Greece is making a late surge to catch up with the diverse mix of wineries in today’s much contested Asian market.
“Even thought the Greeks have been producing wine for over 5,000 years, the challenges in promoting Greek wines, are that the majority of people are unfamiliar with the regions and grape varieties, that are often also difficult to pronounce,” commented Kavita Faiella, brand ambassador for Kir-Yianni winery in the Asia Pacific.
Although international grapes are planted in the Mediterranean country, its most interesting wines come from its indigenous grapes – with multi-syllable, tongue-twisting names – such as Agiorgitiko, Assyrtiko and Xinomavro.
Over the past few years, there seems to be a trend to push Greek wine exports with wineries such as Alpha Estate among the first tapping into the market. Located in Amyndeon in the northwestern part of Greece, the winery has been exporting to China for almost five years, and its wines are also sold to Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, according to its export manager, Kostas Arvanitakis.
Despite the small export percentage to Asia, Arvanitakis says, “it’s still not too late”.
Another winery coming hailing from northern Greece, Kir-Yianni, made its first entrance to Hong Kong earlier this year with the city’s biggest wine retailer Watson’s Wine. Making wines in both Naoussa and Amyndeon from local grapes including Xinomavro, Roditis and Malagousia among others, the winery brand ambassador was sanguine about Greek wines’ growing recognition in Asia.
“We are really happy with how Greek wines are being received in Asia at the moment. Over the last decade is has been a slow increase but we have found some really great momentum in the last two years, which is perhaps also a reflection of the popularity of Greek wines today in major wine drinking cities such New York, London and Sydney,” explained Faiella. Greek wines are believed to have ‘high potential’ in the UK as one importer previoulsy told db.
The winery’s more premium priced wines are well received in China, and Japan, in particular, has shown keen interest for the wines, according to the winery representative. “We only started exporting to Japan a little over 12 months ago, but are already seeing a lot of traction in the market, where we are collaborating with Japan’s first Master of Wine Kenichi Ohashi MW who has been wonderful at promoting our wines to both the trade and consumers,” she explained.
Speaking of Asian drinkers’ Greek wine preferences, she noted that Assyrtiko from Santorini tends to grip interest among Asian drinkers as it pairs nicely with seafood dishes, while its main red grape variety Xinomavro, which is sometimes referred to as the ‘Burgundy of Greece’ is picking up interest and naturally sales volume too.
“It has beautiful sour cherry and rose aromas, and whilst it looks like Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo in the glass, has quite a firm structure on the palate, with textural tannins, great acidity and is also very good for ageing, as it develops more savoury characters,” added Faiella.
Five of Kir-Yianni’s wines are available at Watson’s Wine including ‘Samaropetra’ 2015, a blend of indigenous grape Roditis and Sauvignon Blanc; ‘Paranga’ 2014, a blend of Merlot, Syrah with local grape Xinomavro, and two Xinomavros ‘Kali Riza’ 2014 and ‘Ramnista’ 2012 in addition to ‘Diaporos’ 2012, made from Xinomavro and Syrah.


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Oboya's sales on the Danish market are heavily weighted towards the flower industry, which, with COVID-19, has shown a very sharp decline in demand for the past two weeks. As a result, it has had a strong negative impact on Oboya's Danish operations, with the Board having to file for that part of the business to go bankrupt as of March 31, 2020.
Over the past year, the Danish subsidiary has shown unsatisfactory results, accentuated by the outbreak and spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) the last few weeks. The Board of Directors considers that the downturn is relatively lasting and will significantly damage the business and is thus forced to take these drastic measures.
Resolved write-downs and provisions negatively affect Oboya's equity by SEK 54 million, of which SEK 0 million negatively affects the Company's liquidity. This affects all employees in Denmark, who will be made redundant.
The measures adopted are expected to have a positive impact on cash flow for the full year 2020.
"It is very sad to be forced into this measure that puts employees, suppliers and customers in a difficult situation. At the same time, we see no other option when the demand for our products in Denmark has decreased dramatically in a very short time. We will now put all our efforts into supporting and developing our other parts within the Company. It is reassuring for us to see increased demand in Norway, Sweden and Finland, especially for fruit and vegetables," says Martin Dahlberg, CEO of Oboya.
For more information:


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A few weeks back at the Virtustream Sales Kick -off - The CEO Rory Reed ANNOUNCED NO MORE LAYOFFS - DONE. Well, just last week there was another layoff as they missed the quarter - again.
(as usual HUSH HUSH) Talking about losing his credibility and losing further morale. Every is looking and it is indeed affecting sales and delivery productivity.
Sales is tired with those protected from the FOD ( Friends of the SVP of Sales). Those who work hard and aim to succeed are not getting their due commission as they come up with excuses. BUT ! no worries, those under the FOD that have not sold jack stay on ! Go Figure !
This video clip explains all:


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PowerBand Solutions (TSXV: PBX) this morning provided an update on the success that its virtual auction platform, D2D Auto Auction, has seen since its launch this past spring. In the time since, the company has auctioned over 360 vehicles, a substantial portion of which were for an undisclosed leader in the ridesharing industry. Total value in excess of US$3.0 million has gone through the auction platform since its launch in April as a result.
With respect to the ridesharing partner, a successful pilot program was conducted in June, wherein the company sold a portion of its used vehicle fleet on the national virtual auto auction platform. That pilot was followed by a successful auction at the end of July, which saw over 230 vehicles sold in a single day to registered dealers across 7 states.
Given the success of the virtual auctions amid the ongoing pandemic, future auctions with the ridesharing platform are said to be forthcoming over the next several weeks. US based dealers access these auctions via the website, as well as the D2D app, enabling them to virtual purchase the vehicles from anywhere in the country. Following a sale, D2D then generates a fee from facilitating the sale of the vehicle.
PowerBand Solutions last traded at $0.22 on the TSX Venture.
FULL DISCLOSURE: PowerBand Solutions is a client of Canacom Group, the parent company of The Deep Dive. The author has been compensated to cover PowerBand Solutions on The Deep Dive, with The Deep Dive having full editorial control. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security.
As the founder of The Deep Dive, Jay is focused on all aspects of the firm. This includes operations, as well as acting as the primary writer for The Deep Dive’s stock analysis. In addition to The Deep Dive, Jay performs freelance writing for a number of firms and has been published on Stockhouse.com and CannaInvestor Magazine among others.


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- Cere Network has partnered with Polygon to launch DaVinci, a content monetisation platform for NFT-backed experiences.
- The DaVinci platform leverages Cere Network’s DDC and Cere Freeport to offer personalised content streaming to NFT holders.
- Each NFT created on the DaVinci platform remains linked to the original creators allowing them to earn royalties.
Decentralised Data Cloud (DDC) platform Cere Network has collaborated with Polygon Studios to launch DaVinci, the ‘world’s first’ content monetisation platform for NFT-backed experiences.
Cere describes its content monetization platform as an all-in-one Web3 media platform, which will be powered by its Decentralised Data Cloud (DDC) and Cere Freeport smart contracts, enabling creators to earn royalties from their non-fungible tokens (NFTs) after selling them to collectors.
Cere Freeport is an NFT minting protocol deployed on the Polygon network, enabling it to leverage the blockchain ecosystem’s NFT and blockchain gaming arm, Polygon Studios. The three technological ecosystems, enable DaVinci to offer personalised content streaming to NFT holders via smart contracts.
Creators on the DaVinci platform will be able to utilise Cere Freeport NFT smart contract toolset, enabling them to mint and sell functional NFTs that grant buyers access to exclusive content.
Each NFT mintent on DaVinci is uniquely linked to a smart contract, which retains exclusive access to any new content offered by the creator. Fred Jin, Co-founder of Polkadot-inspired Cere Network said DaVinci eliminates a major problem of security of NFTs on the blockchain.
Commenting on the DaVinci launch, since most NFT content is not stored securely on the blockchain, it is possible the NFT could lose its content, and thus the associated value.
“The DaVinci platform solves this problem via Cere DDC’s secure decentralized content delivery innovations. We’re really breaking new ground here, both for the entertainment industry and consumer enterprises, through a new standard for decentralizing data/content along with the Polygon team,” Jin added.
Besides enjoying the security of the content associated with their NFTs, artists will also be able to leverage DaVinci’s community tools to engage with users, thereby creating content tailored to NFT holders. In return, this will create fan loyalty whilst boosting the value of those NFTs.
Sandeep Nailwal, Co-Founder of Polygon thinks that the world has only witnessed the tip of the iceberg of what NFTs are capable of. Commenting on the collaboration, he said that there is a lot more that artists could achieve using DaVinci and the rest of the NFT ecosystem.
“Artists, performers and brands get more revenue from their unique content, while fans get better experiences and secure delivery of their assets. Everyone’s a winner here and we’re excited for this new standard for artist and fan engagement,” he said.
Stay up to date:


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After canceling the LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition a week after the smartwatch went on sale due to a hardware issue, LG is now reportedly planning a strong comeback in the smartwatch scene next year. A new report says Samsung’s fellow South Korea-based tech company is working on four smartwatch models that could debut in early 2017.
For the most part of 2016, LG has been quite mum about its plans for its smartwatch line. Despite ditching the rectangular design of the G Watch for a more stylish look for the G Watch R and debuting the LG Watch Urbane line, the company still failed to find success in its wearable venture. Now, it seems that things are about to change because the South Korean OEM is already preparing four smartwatches that could rival Apple’s Apple Watch 2 devices and Samsung’s Gear S3 Frontier and Classic.
According to PocketNow, LG has already registered four devices with the European Union Intellectual Property Office. The four smartwatches are currently dubbed the LG Watch Style, Watch Force, Pro and Sole. Though these four are already registered, there is still a possibility for any or for all four of them to be scrapped by the company in the near future.
The specifications and features of the smartwatches have yet to be revealed, but it is said that LG is just waiting for Google to finally update the Android Wear platform to version 2.0 before it can make its next big move. However, as early as now, LG is already expected to launch its new Android Wear device/s in the first half of 2017.
TechRadar did an analysis of the registered smartwatch names, and according to the tech news site, the LG Watch Style could be the stylish, premium device that borrows some design elements from the Watch Urbane. On the other hand, the LG Watch Pro is very likely to be the one with the high-end specs and special features.
Meanwhile, the LG Watch Force is believed to have a pressure-sensitive screen that is very similar to the display of the Apple Watch. As for the LG Watch Sole, TechRadar claims this could be the smartwatch that works and operates solely without the need of connecting it to a smartphone.
LG’s next smartwatches could also launch with LG Watch Pay, the company’s response to Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. Since LG has also trademarked this technology recently, consumers can expect the upcoming wearables to sport this contactless payment platform that makes use of both NFC and MST to carry out seamless financial transactions.


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Black Friday snag? Online purchases canceled in droves.
Snagged a great Black Friday deal? Not so fast. Many stores were forced to cancel online Black Friday orders because their systems oversold various items.
Although people still showed up at brick-and-mortar stores in droves on Black Friday, the 2012 season was a success for online shopping. In fact, Black Friday itself racked up $1 billion in online sales, a new record and a 26% jump in sales from the year before. Cyber Monday e-commerce sales increased this year as well, by 17%.
However, despite these numbers, we heard rumblings amongst readers and accounts elsewhere online that all was not well with those who happily clicked "buy now" during the past two weeks. After making a purchase, many shoppers later signed into their email only to find that sinking message: the order could not be fulfilled. Reportedly, Best Buy, Toys "R" Us, Fry's, and many others were forced to cancel orders because their systems oversold various items.
We decided to ask our readers how many of them had had an order cancelled from the weeks of Black Friday or Cyber Monday, and at the time of publishing, about 47% of those who voted indicated yes, they had. That's notably high, although this could be attributed to scorned shoppers being particularly motivated to partake in the poll. However, the data regarding when these people placed that order is intriguing.
As it turns out, 70% of those with cancelled orders had made their purchase during Black Friday week, while Cyber Monday week orders only accounted for 30% of the cancellations. While this ratio can still change — Best Buy, after all, was still cancelling Black Friday orders last year well into December — the vast disparity speaks to the differences in shopping on these days. Black Friday week is largely about big doorbuster electronics in extremely limited quantities, while Cyber Monday puts a greater emphasis on home goods and apparel. The latter items can certainly sell out, but the mind-boggling prices on electronics from Black Friday are more likely to get snatched up at a clip since they've been heavily advertised and sought after. It would seem that several retailer sites just can't effectively match actual real-time stock to a flurry of incoming orders.
Regardless of the day, unfulfilled orders degrade the experience and make shoppers angry that they invested their time. Many of the complaints that we received even expressed feeling hoodwinked by the vendor. Thus, if retailers want to build upon the unprecedented online growth from this Black Friday season, they should consider inspiring consumer trust by providing a system that actually delivers the goods.
Lindsay Sakraina is the features director at dealnews.com, a website devoted to finding the best deals on consumer goods. The site pledges to list the best deal, whether or not it's from an advertiser, although it does work with advertisers to craft deals for readers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here. This feature first appeared in dealnews.com.


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A perfect storm consisting of COVID-19, supply shortages and surging crypto prices has resulted in the best financial quarter in Nvidia's history, as the stock ...
Nvidia supply shortage won’t stop $50M Q1 crypto miner sales, says CFO
The California chipmaker says GeForce RTX 360 is for gamers, not cryptocurrency miners. The latter camp will get its own CMP mining infrastructure in the near f...
Nvidia’s GeForce limits hash rate to divert crypto miners to new CMP line
Hungry for coin? A computing hardware firm has angered gamers after apparently marketing the already scarce Nvidia RTX 30 series to cryptocurrency miners.
GPU hardware firm riles gaming community by flirting with crypto miners
Chinese GPU miners are apparently buying up Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX 30 laptops to set up ETH mining farms.
Chinese GPU miners reportedly bulk buying Nvidia laptops to mine Ether
Where can you mine Bitcoin and Ether in 2020? Here are the top tips about mining pools and what you need to know before joining one of them.
Jumping into the pool: How to earn a profit mining Bitcoin and Ether
Both Bitcoin and Nvidia saw major growth in 2020, but Bitcoin’s market cap wins today.
Bitcoin’s market cap surpasses Nvidia at over $336B
The RTX 3080 is apparently twice as fast as the previous generation.
Preliminary tests suggest Nvidia RTX 3000 series may take AMD’s mining crown


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Check out the companies making headlines after the bell:
Shares of Shake Shack climbed as much as 6.35% in after-hours trading after the restaurant chain beat Wall Street's estimates for its second-quarter earnings and raised its guidance for the year. The company reported adjusted earnings per share of 27 cents on revenue of $152.7 million, beating the earnings per share of 23 cents on revenue of $149.8 million analysts polled by Refinitiv had been expecting. Shake Shack raised its 2019 guidance to between $585 million and $590 million, versus the estimated $591 million. Shake Shack noted "digital channels, including delivery, were a key contributor to these results." The company also announced this morning that it is teaming up with GrubHub for nationwide delivery.
Marriott International fell 2.1% after the hotel chain's second-quarter revenue missed estimates. The company reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.56 on revenue of $5.31 billion. Analysts had expected earnings per share of $1.56 on revenue of $5.50 billion, according to Refinitiv.
Take-Two Interactive Software climbed 7.4% after the video game company raised its full-year revenue forecast on the success of its games NBA 2K, Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2. The company raised its full-year forecast to between $2.60 billion and $2.70 billion in adjusted revenue, topping its prior forecast $2.50 billion to $2.60 billion. This is in line with the $2.65 billion estimated by analysts polled by Refinitiv. Take-Two reported first-quarter revenue of $422 million versus the $357 million estimated.


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Japanese entertainment company Konami has announced it will soon launch a marketplace for trading in-game non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and a “wide range” of web 3.0 products and services.
The gaming giant declared its plans to seek several new talented individuals for “system construction and service development to provide new experiences such as web 3.0 and metaverse”.
After researching how to integrate the latest innovations and “technology into games and contents”, the Japanese business said it had added a marketplace for trading in-game NFTs that will act as its focal product through a “unique distribution platform using blockchain”.
The collection mainly comprises GIFs in relation to gameplay snippets from the first three Castlevania games; a Japanese gothic horror action-adventure video game series.
The remainder of the games is made up of renderings of maps and original art designs that were used in Castlevania: Circle of the Moon.
However, the NFTs are said to support several purposes, which include acting as a representation for fan tokens and ticket entry to events and shows where owners of the tokens can interact with communities.


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Premium shipping options such as same-day and next-day delivery are expected of retailers today. Here’s why.
Today’s “I want it now” culture calls for quick fulfillment and speedy delivery. Customers have come to expect that speedy delivery will be available to them at checkout, and if it’s not, they’ll be looking elsewhere. Because of this, many companies are chasing their tail trying to find the balance between speed, cost and practicality.
A surprising 75% of online shoppers are willing to pay a premium for expedited shipping. In order to meet expectations, retailers are being pushed to offer premium shipping, which includes delivery options such as same-day, next-day and hyper-local. There are a variety of circumstances in which customers are willing to pay for these options:
What’s even more surprising is that 64% of online shoppers expect orders placed by 5 p.m. to qualify for delivery the next day and 61% of online shoppers expect orders placed by 12 p.m. to qualify for delivery the same day. That’s quick, right? Phew.
However, as peak season creeps up on you, make sure that you’re prepared for the truckloads of customers who want their online orders shipped and delivered swiftly and just in time for the holidays.
Impress Customers During Peak Season
So a package needs to be delivered from New York to California by December 20th?
With software features such as Advanced Date Shopping, the order can be shipped the week before, allowing ground service to be used for the five-day shipment. Both the retailer and customer save on shipping costs while ensuring satisfaction during the busiest times of the year.


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Morrisons has launched a new rule for shoppers queueing outside of its supermarkets, which should cut down waiting times massively.
As of today, a new system has been put in place across all Morrisons stores called 'Speedy Shoppers' - great for those buying for smaller households.
Since not all customers take the same amount of time to shop around, the supermarket chain has now started letting three people using baskets into a store - 'Speedy Shoppers'- for every one person using a trolley - 'Big Shop'.
Watch the video above to see what the 'Speedy Shopping' section looks like
It should shorten the amount of time at the checkout for customers doing smaller ‘basket shops', so they can get in and out of a store and complete their shop much quicker.
Clear signage has been placed outside the entrances of stores, with Morrisons marshals on hand to help customers choose a 'Speedy Shopping' or 'Big Shop' queue - to minimise queueing where possible.
There's also dedicated Speedy Shopper checkouts, with more 'card only' self-scan tills becoming available.
The new system will ensure customers wanting to shop for a small basket of essentials will queue for less time outside of the store, and checkout quicker once inside.
David Potts, Chief Executive of Morrisons, said:“ It’s fair that customers doing smaller shopping trips should queue for less time too.
"Speedy Shopping will ensure that Morrisons stores will be more convenient for customers wanting a small basket of items."
It's the latest in a series of changes to stores as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Since March Morrisons has also introduced:
- Protective screens introduced around the till area of almost 6,500 main bank checkouts in ten days, plus further screens introduced in front of checkouts, pharmacy counters and customer service desks
- Social distancing measures at all Morrisons sites, including marshal-controlled entry and reconfigured customer flow at all stores
- Temporarily closed all in-store cafés, food-to-go and service counters
- Contactless in-store card payment limit lifted from £30 to £45
- NHS workers' hour early in the morning, allowing queue-free access to Morrisons stores when shelves are fully stocked
- NHS workers' 10% Morrisons discount
- Hand sanitiser, gloves, and masks available for all store staff
- Increased cleaning and other health and safety initiatives at all our sites


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Chorion has revealed its latest raft of plans to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Mr Men franchise.
Activities which have already taken place so far this year include the launch of a new character, a confectionery range and a collaboration with Google to feature a series of 'Google doodles' celebrating the brand and its creator around the world.
Further initiatives will see the launch of new products, exclusive fashion partnerships, campaigns in social media and music festivals, plus a live music-based show to tour regional theatres.
Google commemorated the anniversary on May 9th - the birthday of creator Roger Hargreaves - across all Google pages worldwide. A collection of 16 unique doodles were rotated on the homepage throughout the day - marking the first time that Google has created so many designs for one brand.
The second half of 2011 will see the launch of a special edition Mr Tickle book from Egmont, a collector's edition DVD box set from Delta and a new plush line from Posh Paws.
An official anniversary day over the summer will see a major programme of events at a soon-to-be-announced British retailer. On top of this, an exhibition of Mr Men artwork and memorabilia will run, while there will also be collaborations with Swarovski Elements and Nails Inc.
"40 years is a great milestone for Mr Men and Little Miss and really shows the genuine long lasting appeal of one of Britain's favourite brands," said Esra Cafer, VP brand management and marketing at Chorion.