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Two businessmen are buying the former Sam's Town in Cameron Park, and plan to tear it down to make way for a new, 93,000-square-foot shopping center anchored by a Food 4 Less supermarket.
The buyers are Eric Stille, part of the family that owns the growing Nugget Market Inc. of Woodland, and Mark Engstrom, a local real estate broker and developer. Their Sycamore Partners LLC expects to start building the 53,000-square-foot, $8 million supermarket in the spring.
The completed $14 million project, to sit on 10 acres along Highway 50, would include the value-format Food 4 Less on half the site. Five other buildings totaling 40,000 square feet, including three restaurants and two shops, would go on the rest of the land.
Sycamore Partners is buying the property from Bernie Richter, whose father Sam Gordon started the Sam's Town restaurant and entertainment center in 1968. It became a popular stop for travelers on Highway 50. Gordon, who also owned other Sacramento restaurants, died three years ago. Richter said Sam's Town was failing when he shut it last year.
Food 4 Less, one of two supermarket brands Stille operates, is the only signed tenant so far. Because escrow hasn't closed yet, the parties to the deal aren't saying what the property cost Sycamore. The property already has appropriate zoning for the restaurants and shops.
"It's a great use for the site," said Karen Fox, a local real estate developer with The Fox Group, which isn't connected with the project. "The site has great exposure." Access could be better, she said, but a shopping center across the street already brings shoppers to the area.
Sam's Town, like the once popular Nut Tree in Vacaville, served its purpose, Fox said. With the proliferation of chain restaurants and hurried lifestyles, freeway destination retail centers need to have a real draw. Sam's Town, she said, didn't work in today's market.
Adding West Sac too: The Food 4 Less store is one of two supermarkets that Nugget Market has in the works. The company also plans to build a 53,000-square-foot Nugget supermarket to anchor the 25-acre Southport Towne Center shopping center in West Sacramento.
The first phase of that complex, 140,000 square feet, is expected to open at the end of 2002. Two years later, as the number of local homes grows, the center should total nearly 300,000 square feet.
Nugget Market, which has annual sales of $185 million, owns and operates six Nugget stores and two Food 4 Less stores. The family has owned the company for 75 years.
The supermarket chain, which employs 800, has two Nugget stores each in Sacramento and Davis, and one each in Woodland and Vacaville.
The Food 4 Less format stores are in Woodland and Vallejo. Nugget bought the franchise to run them from Fleming Cos. Inc., the nation's second-largest wholesale food distributor. The Food 4 Less in Cameron Park would employ 90 people, while the planned West Sacramento Nugget would employ 110 workers.
Stille is looking to add one or two good locations per year. His company believes in smart, slow growth, he said. He'll consider expansion in the triangle formed by Reno, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz.
Going for the lower end: The entire Cameron Park project, still unnamed, could cost up to $14 million to develop, said Engstrom, a developer and a partner in the real estate brokerage of Coldwell Banker Commercial Capital Valley in West Sacramento.
Broker Shaun Morrow of Coldwell Banker Commercial Capital Valley is handling the leasing. Sycamore Partners will look for destination-type retailers. Some land may be sold to restaurants.
"There's definitely a demand for mid- to upper-end restaurants in that marketplace," Engstrom said.
Engstrom and Stille liked the property because it faces Highway 50 for a quarter of a mile.
They've been looking for a long time for a location in that area for what the industry calls a "price impact" grocery store -- a store for price-conscious shoppers. Originally the business partners had hoped to open a Food 4 Less in the Sundance Plaza shopping center planned on Missouri Flat Road near Placerville. Environmental obstacles have held up the project for years.
Existing Cameron Park grocers Safeway and Bel Air are successful, but local consumers who seek lower prices drive down the hill to the warehouse club stores. Food 4 Less will attract middle-income families and working households, Engstrom said.
The area's residents have few options for lower-priced groceries. For that reason, said Don Beaver, former president of the California Grocers Association, "they have a good chance of making it. They'll probably do real well."
Food 4 Less normally has cheaper prices. "What you don't get is a lot of service," he said.
`A well-run independent': Nugget's most recent store openings were in Vacaville, 11 months ago, and in north Davis, 18 months ago.
In a time when it's increasingly difficult for independent retailers of all types to remain competitive, Nugget's business is doing well.
Stille credits a dedicated staff, competitive pricing and commitment to good products and service. He's proud that local newspaper reader surveys rate his company to be the best gourmet grocery store and the friendliest merchant.
Beaver has known the Stille family and the Nugget company for 25 years. "Nugget is a good, well-run independent company," he said.


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- The OnePlus 5T’s beautification feature has custom algorithms for India
- Features that exploit the low-light camera are planned for future updates
- The company won’t rule out diversifying into other product categories
In part one of our sit-down chat with OnePlus co-founders Pete Lau and Carl Pei, they spoke about the newly launched OnePlus 5T (Review) and the strategy as well as timing of its launch. They also dropped a few interesting hints about how they might address the lower end of the market while staying true to the company’s mission to only sell flagship phones. Here’s more from the duo about the OnePlus 5T’s hidden features, plus the company’s plans for India and the world.
After discussing the OnePlus 5T’s launch, we asked Pete Lau (with Carl Pei translating to and from Chinese) whether the company had any specific plans for India, maybe along the lines of the previously announced integration with Paytm on the OnePlus 5. Is there anything further that Indian users can expect with the OnePlus 5T? The answer was pretty neutral and non-committal: “India is a very, very important market for us. In terms of product, we’ll keep improving it and localising it for the market”.
“One specific example is in the selfie camera,” Lau told us. “When you turn on beautification, our algorithms for India, for China and for North America and Europe are all different, because people in different regions have different standards of beauty.” But, we wanted to know, how does the phone know who it’s looking at? Is each region’s firmware different, does it detect face colour, or use some kind of AI learning feature? It turns out to be much simpler than that. “It uses the SIM card and phone number. It can tell through the phone number, so it’s not the colour of the skin. If it’s a Chinese person who lives in India, they will have to use the Indian beauty standards,” Lau replied.
While on the topic of cameras, we asked the duo why OnePlus swapped the secondary rear camera’s telephoto lens for a dedicated low-light sensor. “We see that the user demand for low-light photography exceeds that of optical zoom,” Lau told us through Pei, and then added “This is a feature that we didn’t talk about during the launch because it’s coming later, but in social apps, when you take a video it’s going to use the secondary camera so you can get better video in low light.” Will apps have to be rewritten to work with the OnePlus 5T in that case, or will the phone choose which camera to expose to an app based on light? “These apps compress the quality of video,” the co-founders explained. “You don’t need to use the very high-resolution camera so you can use the better low-light camera. The app doesn’t need to change. It will work automatically. This feature will come in a future OTA update.”
Coming to overall company strategy, we asked about the media blitz surrounding the OnePlus 5 release. The company started advertising a lot, using celebrities and driving lots of social media engagement, which was different from the early days of just word-of-mouth and viral promotion. How did that work out, and what direction is the company sticking with now? The co-founders replied: “In India we’ll do some basic traditional marketing like airport billboards and theatre ads, but it’s not going to be our main marketing strategy. That’s still digital and based on word of mouth. As an example, if you have theatre ads, when OnePlus users watch a movie, they will feel really good to see their phone in the ad.”
We then turned our attention to the bigger picture, and asked the co-founders what they see for the future of the company and the smartphone industry as a whole. How are they driving new innovations, and how do they plan to stay on top? “The direction will always be to implement the latest and greatest technology, as well as focus on our products. That will never change,” was the response. We picked up on a potentially subtle hint – Lau and Pei said “products”, not “smartphones”. Does OnePlus consider diversifying beyond its primary product category, we asked? Are there any accessories or other products that might push personal technology beyond where the smartphone is right now? The co-founders seemed open to that idea, but wouldn’t give us anything more than the faintest teaser: “We can’t for sure say no for the future, but so far we haven’t found another category that we think will excite our customers. If we make any product it has to give our users a better digital life.”
Disclosure: OnePlus sponsored the correspondent’s flights and hotel for the OnePlus 5T launch event in Brooklyn, New York City.
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OnePlus 5T (Midnight Black, 64GB, 6GB RAM) –Rs.32,999
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Dublin-based identity verification provider ID-Pal has raised €7 million (£6 million) in a Series A funding round to fuel its expansion into international markets. ID-Pal offers global identity verification coverage of more than 6,000 identity documents and 200 verified address data sources to enterprise clients and SMEs across 200 countries and jurisdictions.
The funding will allow the company to further scale its global sales and marketing efforts to meet the growing demand for the solution following its official UK launch earlier this year. The Series A comes off the back of a significant period of growth with both employee and customer count doubling over the past 12 months. Customers include One4all, Zurich, Elavon, Trident Trust, BDO, American National University, and the recent J.P. Morgan-acquired Global Shares. The company also has strategic partnerships with market-leaders like HID Global, RiskScreen, Sherpa Technologies, Temenos and Vesta.
The round was led by Inspire Investments with confidence shared by Act Venture Capital, which has also participated in ID-Pal’s last two rounds. Inspire Investments is led by Derek Delaney, CEO of Waystone, and is the private holding company for the management of Waystone.
ID-Pal’s verification facility – available out-of-the-box, as an API/SDK and as a Salesforce AppExchange integration – helps firms simplify anti-money laundering (AML) and Know your Customer (KYC) compliance, solving a critical challenge that has long been a costly, inefficient, and manual process. ID-Pal gives businesses a simple, secure, and convenient way to verify the identity and address of customers. The ISO 27001 certified solution performs document verification, facial matching, liveness testing and address e-verification in real time and with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance built in.
According to Colum Lyons, CEO and Founder of ID-Pal, “Raising €7 million in Series A funding is a milestone achievement for our company and a testament to the product the team has built. ID-Pal identified a clear gap in the market in 2016 that traditional providers were not serving. We designed a solution that brings agility, convenience, and compliance to businesses of any size. Whether you are an SME or enterprise client, our global coverage and seamless user experience stands out from what other providers offer.”
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WHERE TO WATCH
How a Baby Bottle Sleeve Is Helping New Moms Re-Enter the Workforce
March 11, 2019
According to Ovia Health, 34% of women who give birth don't re-enter the workforce. Gisela Xie, co-founder of BlueSmart mia, shares how tech is changing the way women do motherhood.
Dow Rallies 900 Points at Monday Market Open
Feb 20, 2019
This Tech Lets Moms Unplug And Pump Milk No Matter Where They Go
From pumping at work to accidentally spilling milk, mothers know that feeding their babies is no easy task. Naomi Kelman, president and CEO of breast pump maker Willow, shares how the company's app is making the pumping experience easier.
Nov 27, 2017
How Millennial Moms are Driving New Consumer Trends
Millennial moms are playing an increasingly significant role in driving consumer trends. Today, more than 16 million mothers were born between 1981 and 1997, according to Pew Research Center. The Bump's Julia Wang says 83 percent of new moms are millennials, and this demographic is overwhelmingly driving purchase decisions. Wang says millennial moms are specifically buying products that bring their children into their lifestyles. This demographic is also more likely to go online for recommendations, rather than just to friends. Three game-changing types of products on the market include car seats with sensors, wearable technology, and toys for coding. Moms are starting even earlier now in educating their children about coding, says Wang. Now, educational toys for science, technology, engineering, and math are made for kids as early as pre-kindergarten. Wang says these types of products teach kids critical thinking and movement, which are underlying tools in STEM.
Mar 31, 2020
How June Motherhood is Supporting Expecting Moms Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
June Motherhood is a digital maternal care company that is offering free virtual Childbirth Education classes amid the coronavirus pandemic. The co-founder and CEO Tina Beilinson joined Cheddar to discuss virtually supporting moms and launching Childbirth Education classes.


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SHANGHAI, Feb 15 (SMM) – Moody’s downgrade of six European countries and the lower-than-expected US January retail sales depressed the trading sentiments among investors. Thus, LME lead markets fell slightly on January 14.
Moody’s downgraded sovereign ratings of six European countries including Italy, Spain and Portugal and switched outlooks on the AAA ratings of the UK and France to negative January 14, discouraging investors’ confidence. The rating agency also said the uncertainty over the eurozone prospects for institutional reform of its fiscal and economic framework and the resources that will be made available to deal with the crisis should be among the main drivers of the downgrade. Besides, two leading credit rating agencies, Fitch Ratings and S&P, also downgraded some of Spain's largest banks.
In addition, EU officials said January 14 that the eurozone finance ministers’ meeting scheduled for Wednesday will be canceled as documents pertaining to Greece bailout plan were not ready yet. Instead, eurozone finance ministers will hold a telephone conference to discuss the issue. The change is sure to add market concerns over the Greek debt issue. On the other hand, the US January retail sales were reported worse than expected, suppressing risk appetite in the markets. According to the data released by the US Commerce Department January 14, its January retail sales rose by 0.4% MoM to USD 401.4 billion, lower than the expected 0.7% growth, and up 5.8% YoY, also worse than expected. This showed that US consumption has not fully recovered. Hence, LME base metal prices showed a downward trend on January 14. LME three-month copper price dropped by USD 63.5/mt or 0.1%, to close at USD 8,368/mt, LME three-month aluminum closed up USD 1.75/mt at USD 2,218/mt, LME lead price closed at USD 2,085/mt, down USD 39/mt, and LME zinc price closed at USD 2,040/mt, down USD 28.5/mt.
In China’s domestic markets, SHFE copper inventories continued to increase and hit a new high since 2002, revealing that downstream consumption of refined copper did not recover. Besides, total social power consumption presented negative growth in January, suggesting the fact of a slowdown of economic growth. Given the serial negative news from Europe and the unrecovered domestic consumption, SHFE base metals are expected to fluctuate weakly.


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Mozilla has kicked off a Web-oriented gaming campaign in an apparent effort to compete with Google’s upcoming Chrome OS and Marketplace.
According to Mozilla’s Pascal Finette, the initiative will actively encourage the coding, delivery and playing of games on the Open Web and browser.
“We want to explore the wider set of technologies which make immersive gaming on the Open Web possible,” Finette wrote in an official blog post.
“[So], we invite the wider community to play with cool, new tech and aim to help establish the Open Web as the platform for gaming across all your Internet connected devices.”
“With these technologies being delivered through modern browsers today, the time is ripe for pushing the platform.
“And what better way than through games? Traditionally games and game developers have been at the forefront of technology, often pushing the boundaries of what was thought possible,” added Finette.
Meanwhile, Google Chrome senior product manager Anders Sandholm told TechRadar that the browser-based OS would be “focused” on netbooks, rather than touchscreen tablet devices.
“What we are focusing on is netbooks in terms of form-factor and providing a really good experience for that…[But what] we want more than anything for Chrome OS to be a good experience,” said Sandholm.
“Installing the Chrome browser is easy, it’s easy to use, fast and secure and we built those things into it. [Similarly], with Chrome OS, we want it to be easy to use, fast and, in terms of security, more secure in the [processes] that an operating system deals with.”


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It’s time to focus on your lentil health. In one four-week Spanish study, researchers found that eating a calorie-restricted diet that includes four weekly servings of legumes aids weight loss more effectively than an equivalent diet that doesn’t include beans. Those who consumed the legume-rich diet also saw improvements in their “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and systolic blood-pressure. To reap the benefits at home, work lentils, chickpeas, peas and beans into your diet throughout the week.
Greek yogurt is an extremely satiating breakfast or snack, thanks to its thick, creamy texture and a whopping 17 grams of protein (nearly three times more than is in an egg, in fact). A study from the journal Appetite found that people who ate a high-protein yogurt snack three hours after lunch felt fuller and ate dinner later than the other participants. And on top of that, other studies suggest that the acids produced during yogurt fermentation might help increase feelings of fullness.


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Coworking space part II
Birmingham’s Rail District has its own unique coworking space now, as well, called The Den, 2139 Cole Street, and is the brainchild of Kelli DelaRosa and Becky Peters, principals of Partnrhaus, an interiors design company and Kimball furniture dealer located at the same address. Focused on designing for work environments, The Den came about when they leased the 3,200-square-foot location on Cole Street, which was larger than they needed for their company. “We decided we needed a showroom to showcase our work to designers and customers,” she said, and realized that by creating a shared coworking space, “we could learn how people use and work in different ways.” And their experiment is definitely paying off. “It’s been really good research for us. It’s interesting to see how different generations work,” she said, noting, “We have different CEOs coming in, and not only are they networking, they’re doing business together.” The Den is perfect for “nomads, startups, freelancers, and businesses in need of additional employee space.” DelaRosa said their space is divided up “just like a house would be – living room, den, kitchen – and function similar to what the room would be. It allows for the collaboration space we need.” They offer free internet, coffee and snacks, copy and printing, member wall feature, event space rental, lockable storage and in-space networking and learning events, with monthly, part-time and even day rates.
Business Matters for the Birmingham - Bloomfield area are reported by Lisa Brody. Send items for consideration to email@example.com. Items should be received three weeks prior to publication.


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After a year in stealth, the Silicon Valley payment service opens its doors to Japan’s businesses.
Spike started out as a side-business for Metaps and is now starting to come into its own.
Android apps connected to Japan’s Metaps have been downloaded 1 billion times – find out what the firm is working on now
Metaps is taking its online payment solution to the US and EU. Afterwards, it wants to create an ecommerce system that does not require conventional money.
One Japanese startup is looking to challenge PayPal by attracting ecommerce merchants and businesses to its new, zero-commission epayment service. Metaps has la...
Does the remake of DS classic 999: 9 hours, 9 persons, 9 doors continue the Zero Escape tradition for top quality story or is it just another cheap cash in on a...


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According to the Chitika Holiday Mobile Progress Report, this past season capped yet another banner year for the sales of mobile devices, and subsequent usage figures exemplify this flurry of activity.
Chitika Insights tracked this phenomena last holiday season as part of a 2013 white paper, examining changes in North American Web traffic share, finding found that Amazon and Microsoft had the most promising holiday seasons within the tablet marketplace, while Apple was the only manufacturer to gain usage share amongst all major smartphone competitors.
To quantify this latest report, Chitika Insights surveyed a sample of tens of millions of smartphone and tablet online ad impressions from the Chitika network. This study was drawn from a date range of December 20 to December 29, 2013, and only includes Web traffic generated within the U.S. and Canada.
As seen above, Apple experienced diverging fortunes when it came to post-Christmas usage share changes in 2013. Chitika says the iPhone was the only smartphone to show usage share gains in the wake of the holiday (+1.8%), likely indicating that Apple’s latest set of 5s and 5c devices remained a hit with consumers. On the other hand, the iPad’s tablet usage share slipped by 1.3 percentage points against its competitors, which the report says could be partially due to the Apple tablet’s higher price point deflecting people to other brands for purposes of gift-giving. However, in both the smartphone and tablet spaces, Apple users still generate the highest share North American Web traffic as compared to any other manufacturer.
In tablet space, share gains by Amazon and Microsoft, among others, also contributed to the slight iPad drop, with the Kindle Fire continuing its remarkable run to the top of the Android tablet marketplace – making 2013 the second year in a row in which Amazon’s tablet family posted the largest post-Christmas tablet usage share gain.
Microsoft’s Surface lineup also continued an impressive year end run, with Surface users generating more tablet traffic than all Google Nexus tablet users following the holiday, making Microsoft the fourth-largest source of continental tablet Web traffic should it maintain the lion’s share of this latest share growth.
Comparing the full set of figures to what Chitika Insights observed in 2012, they note that consistencies emerge, with raw ad impression volume increases suggesting that smartphones undoubtedly remain a popular gift for many, but the resulting relatively minor share changes indicate that the continental smartphone marketplace has largely reached maturity. They expect only minor volatility going forward.
On the other end of the spectrum, they observe that volume changes for tablets have been larger following the holidays, and the market has experienced more dramatic share variations, exemplifying the growing footprint of tablets domestically along with the vibrant competitive environment. While they say Apple’s iPad is unlikely to relinquish its crown as top driver of tablet Web traffic in the forseeable future, Amazon’s Kindle Fire has performed very well for a second consecutive year, and Microsoft’s notable year-over-year rise in the space, from 0.4% share to 2.3%, underscores the market’s more “wide open” nature.
You can read the full report here:


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Done Deals: FitFlop Inks Several Distribution Deals Around the Globe as It Ramps Up Growth + More News
Catch all the latest news about footwear industry acquisitions, and licensing and distribution agreements here. Got a deal in the works? Tell us at firstname.lastname@example.org.
May 25, 2023: FitFlop has inked new partnership deals with multiple new global distributors in a bid to boost its global growth. The footwear company said that these strategic partnerships will enable it to enter new markets and elevate the level of service provided to its retail partners by having a local presence through a reliable partner with a keen interest to grow and develop the brand. As such, FitFlop has teamed up with Slavin+Raphael based in Toronto to develop the brand in Canada and elevate its local service levels. Albion 1897, a new distributor for Spain provides the business with a dedicated focus on lifestyle distribution. Orbico has joined the FitFlop distributor network to cover key markets across Eastern Europe. The Fais Group has been appointed the exclusive distributor for Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria & Romania, and the brand has partnered with Baltic Street Distribution to introduce the FitFlop brand to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. What’s more, the brands successful partnership with Central Retail will expand its reach to now include Vietnam next to its existing business in Thailand. The company said it is also currently finalizing further projects to push its growth forward and unlock the global FitFlop opportunity.
More from Footwear News
Foot Locker Reports Soft Q1 Sales as Consumers Pull Back, Names New CFO
Primark Rolls Out New US Website Designed to Drive Traffic to Growing Roster of Stores
May 24, 2023: QVC and HSN parent company Qurate Retail Inc. has agreed to sell its Zulily business to Los Angeles-based investment firm Regent. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. According to Quarate, the divestiture of Zulily aligns with the company’s Project Athens transformation strategy unveiled in June 2022 to optimize its brand portfolio. David Rawlinson, president and CEO of Qurate Retail, said in a statement that he is confident Regent is the right partner for Zulily to continue serving its customers. “This divestiture will allow our management team to better focus on our core video commerce assets, QVC and HSN, and the Cornerstone Brands, while preserving liquidity to further strengthen our balance sheet,” Rawlinson said. “I would like to thank Terry Boyle and the entire Zulily team for their continued hard work and commitment amidst a challenging retail environment.”
May 11, 2023: The University of Cincinnati Athletics Department has signed an apparel deal with with BSN Sports, a distributor of team sports uniforms. Under the deal, the University will outfit its team in Nike Inc. products from Nike and Jordan brands. “This is a monumental moment for our more than 450 student-athletes and our entire athletic department. It was important for us to have stability in our apparel provider for years to come and to have a partner solidified as we joined the Big 12 this summer,” Cincinnati director of athletics John Cunningham said in a statement. “To many of our fans, Jordan Brand represents the quintessential jersey of one of the top stretches in the history of Cincinnati basketball, while Nike has proved to be the driving force in athletics apparel innovation for decades. I can’t wait to have the Swoosh and Jumpman logos join with our C-Paw marks once again.”
May 11, 2023: Bluestar Alliance has announced an affiliate acquisition of the U.S.-based wholesale and retail business assets of Dutch fashion brand Scotch & Soda. The acquisition by an affiliate of the Bluestar Alliance company allows, among other things, for Scotch & Soda and its products to be sold across the USA in a fleet of retail stores. This acquisition follows the previously announced acquisition of the Scotch & Soda brand (including worldwide licensing and distribution rights) by a separate affiliate of Bluestar Alliance. As part of this move, Bluestar Alliance has tapped Anthony Lucia as global president of its Scotch & Soda USA and global business operations. Lucia brings over 25 years of expertise running both U.S. and global fashion brands including Hugo Boss, G-Star and Escada. “I am proud to join the Bluestar Alliance executive team, and look forward to working on one of most recognized brands in contemporary fashion,” Lucia said.
May 3, 2023: White Mountain and Cliffs, which were acquired in January by American Exchange Group, have signed multiple license agreements for new product categories, marking their first foray beyond women’s footwear. The two brands have partnered with Iconic Footwear Inc. for the distribution of slippers, sandals, flip-flops, aqua socks and water shoes for women, men and kids. Those collections will retail for $10 to $60. Additionally, White Mountain and Cliffs also inked a deal with Legwear Concepts Inc. for the distribution of socks and hosiery for men, women and kids, priced at $10 to $40. All the new offerings are set to launch in fall ’23 and will be available at Nordstrom Rack, TJX, DSW, the brands’ e-commerce site, as well as more specialty stores.
April 27, 2023: Skechers has signed a deal to acquire Sports Connection Holding ApS, its Scandinavian distributor whose business includes 58 Skechers retail stores, e-commerce and 1,600 wholesale customers. Sports Connection will become a subsidiary of Skechers and will oversee growth for the brand’s presence in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. “With the planned acquisition of our long-serving and successful distributor in Scandinavia, we are welcoming the Sports Connection team more closely into the Skechers family,” said David Weinberg, chief operating officer of Skechers USA, Inc in a statement. “We are looking forward to further broadening our reach in Europe by combining the team’s local expertise with our worldwide capabilities and financial resources.”
April 24, 2023: Perry Ellis International has inked a new strategic partnership deal with Walkinshaw Sports to officially distribute Original Penguin golf and tennis clothing to the Australian and New Zealand wholesale and retail market. It comes as two of the brand’s biggest globally recognized ambassadors, Cameron Smith and Ajla Tomljanović, who compete professionally on the world stage within golf and tennis respectively, continue to grow and endorse the brand in their home market. Walkinshaw Sports will officially launch the brand into the market starting April 2023 and will be showcasing fall 2023 golf and spring 2024 golf and tennis collections for men and women. The new collections showcase dynamic prints, classic styling and technically advanced fabrics. “We are excited to expand our global distribution and partner with Walkinshaw Sports, an established and recognized leader in sports apparel wholesale distribution,” Oscar Feldenkreis, president and CEO of Perry Ellis International, said in a statement. “We are delighted that they will use their expertise and relationships to grow our footprint and penetration in the region to the delight of our brand fans and consumers.”
March 7, 2023: Following their merger in August, Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) and The NPD Group have unveiled a new combined company name and brand identity. Now known as Circana, the combined analytics and advisory company will continue to focus on consumer behavior. “We are proud to begin this new chapter together as Circana, a name that conveys our 360-degree, full-circle understanding of the consumer and market, and our unique ability to bring clients a complete view of the consumer, store and wallet,” said Kirk Perry, president CEO of Circana, in a statement. “In today’s dynamic global retail and media environment, our value proposition has never been stronger. Circana is undeniably best positioned to advise the world’s leading brands and retailers across almost every industry on how to identify opportunity, ignite innovation and grow well into the future.”
March 2, 2023: Kurt Geiger London is launching swimwear on April 1. The collection includes a sophisticated array of bikinis, one-piece swimsuits and beach cover ups, many of which feature the brand’s signature Rainbow and Evil Eye motifs. There’s also an exclusive preview access for Kurt Cares members only. Swimwear prices range from $59 to $199 in sizes XS through XL.
Feb. 27, 2023: Comfort footwear brand Aerosoles has signed a new licensing agreement with United Intimate Group for the distribution of women’s sleepwear, robes and intimate apparel. Aerosoles, which was acquired by American Exchange Group in 2022, has been quickly expanding its scope by introducing new categories such as cold-weather accessories, slippers and socks, roller skates and girls’ shoes. Its first sleepwear and intimates collections are scheduled to ship in November 2023 for the holiday season and will be available at leading retailers such as Nordstrom Rack, TJX and more. Retail price points will range from $20-$60. Aerosoles has previously expressed interest in broadening further into home, travel and apparel goods.
Feb. 17, 2023: OrthoLite has welcomed its 500th footwear brand partner. The company is now the official insole supplier is now partnering with 500 footwear brands worldwide, across all categories – athletic, running, comfort, golf, lifestyle and fashion. OrthoLite also noted that its products can be seen in over 550 million shoes per year from brands like Adidas, Altra, Asics, Brooks, Clarks, Cole Haan, Converse, Danner, Ecco, Fendi, Hoka, Hugo Boss, Justin, New Balance, On, Reebok, Rothy’s, Salomon, Skechers, The North Face, Timberland, Toms, Under Armour and Vans. “On behalf of the global OrthoLite team, we want to say thank you to all of our brand partners for trusting us with their partnership,” Glenn Barrett, founder and CEO of OrthoLite, said in a statement. “Consistently earning the trust of our brand partners means everything to us and our entire team is passionate about serving and problem solving for our customers.” As for what’s next, OrthoLite said in a statement that it “looks forward” to continued growth and industry leadership. On top of product innovation, the OrthoLite team is working on developing new standards of sustainability in footwear production, in zero-waste operations, and in materials.
Feb. 13, 2023: Rocky Brands Inc. has entered into a license agreement with Status Accessories to design and distribute belts and wallets under the Durango and Rocky Boots brands. The first product line, Rocky Brands Inc. confirmed in a statement, will arrive at retail in March. The first collection, according to Rocky Brands Inc., will launch in winter ’23 at specialty retailers, independent retailers and key accounts. For the Durango brand, the accessories will include premium leather belts with stitching and details similar to footwear designs. And for Rocky Boots, the leather and nylon belts and wallets will include camouflage and material patterns from its collection of work and outdoor footwear. Also, the Rocky Boots accessories offering will include heavy-duty nylon belts and wallets that align with its tactical boot range.
Feb. 13, 2023: Ebay Inc. has acquired AI-based marketplace compliance tech company 3PM Shield LLC as the online retailer aims to enhance its counterfeit monitoring technology. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. According to Ebay, this acquisition “enhances” its ability to address suspicious or harmful seller behavior, and potentially problematic items that may be unsafe or illegal. “It is a top priority to help ensure that eBay remains a safe and trusted environment for our global community of sellers and buyers, particularly to prevent counterfeits and unsafe or illegal products,” Zhi Zhou, chief risk officer at eBay, said in a statement. “3PM Shield has been a valued and effective external partner in helping eBay tackle these challenges and we look forward to unlocking additional capabilities as we bring their technologies in-house.”
Feb. 6, 2023: Kate Spade New York has partnered with resale platform ThredUp to launch a program that allows shoppers to buy secondhand products from the Tapestry-owned brand via ThredUp’s website. The program is powered by ThredUp’s Resale-as-a-Service program, which enables brands and retailers to sell pre-worn items. “At Kate Spade New York, we are on a journey to driving progress by giving our products a second life and contributing to meaningful change,” said Kate Spade New York CEO and Brand President, Liz Fraser in a statement.
Jan. 30, 2023: NFL star Tom Brady‘s namesake brand is now available at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Brady assortment includes products such as the Brady pant, All Day Comfort Joggers, underwear, performance t-shirts, long sleeves and Zero Weight shorts. In addition to being available online, consumers can shop the label at all three Dick’s House of Sport locations in Rochester, New York, Minnetonka, Minnesota, and Knoxville, Tennessee. “As we continue to grow, we are excited to expand our online and in-store retail distribution at one of the world’s largest sports retail stores,” Jens Grede, CEO and Co-Founder of Brady, said in a statement. “Our displays at Dick’s Sporting Goods House of Sport locations will provide consumers with an immersive Brady experience featuring key styles and some of Tom Brady’s personal memorabilia.”
Jan. 30, 2022: Resale platform StockX has opened its 14th authentication center — and its first in Mexico. The new facility is meant to help local customers get access to faster shipping, more products and quicker payouts. “The launch of this new authentication center in Mexico signifies our commitment to providing a safe and secure experience to our buyers and sellers around the world,” said Greg Schwartz, co-founder and COO at StockX.
Jan. 24, 2023: Omnichannel digital commerce agency Blue Wheel and e-commerce marketplace agency Retail Bloom have merged to form a joint venture Blue Wheel, an omnichannel digital commerce agency. With financial backing from Chicago-based private equity group Longshore Capital Partners, Blue Wheel, according to a statement, now has more than $1 billion in e-commerce revenue under management across its clients. What’s more, the company stated it will focus on hiring in the Detroit area to fuel growth, while maintaining its team across 15 states, which includes a satellite outpost and creative studio in New York City.
Jan. 20, 2023: Brazilian sandal giant Grendene has formed a joint venture with independent investment company 3G Radar to accelerate growth for its portfolio of footwear brands. The new entity, Grendene Global Brands, will draw on 3G Radar’s business management expertise and Grendene’s manufacturing capabilities, and handle the production and operations of eight staple brands: Melissa and Mini Melissa, Ipanema, Rider, Cartago, Zaxy, Grendha and Pega Forte. The joint venture is overseen by CEO Gustavo Assumpcao, whose background includes serving as president of AB Inbev, Mexico, plus 16 years of experience at Anheuser Busch working across revenue management, sales operations, trade marketing and innovation. Among GGB’s overarching goals, it aims to expand and strengthen digital and DTC capabilities, increase the relevance and proximity of the brands to consumers, and rebuild each brand’s infrastructure and basic operating processes, including marketing.
Jan. 13, 2023: Vancouver, British Columbia-based brand Grounded People Apparel Inc. has received a $2.5 million investment from Vancouver-based Right Season Investments Corp. Grounded People strives to be a fair wage and sustainable vegan shoe company. Its first products launched in the fourth quarter of 2021 and include high-top and low-top sneakers made from sustainable, ethically sourced materials, manufactured by fair-trade workers in a 100% vegan factory in Brazil. “Grounded People has come a long way since our founding in 2020, and this investment will enable us to grow our team further, expand our retail and online presence, target international markets and continue building a robust product portfolio that simply and cost-effectively protects our customers and the planet on which we reside,” said Grounded People CEO and co-founder Maximilian Justus in a statement.
Jan. 12, 2023: Oofos and fitness company Exos have entered into a partnership, a two-year agreement that will run through 2024. With the deal, Oofos said in a statement that it will become the exclusive recovery footwear provider to Exos coaches and participating athletes, and will also be part of the company’s 2023 NFL combine training program that is hosted at Exos’ Athlete Performance Institutes. The mission of the partnership, according to Oofos, is to “elevate human performance through personalized support.” With this partnership, Oofos said Exos “is the next momentous step” in bringing its OOfoam impact-absorbing technology to a broader audience. Also, Oofos said it will provide products for the Exos facilities staff and athletes, as well as an opportunity for clients to purchase “as part of their Exos-recommended recovery toolkit.”
Jan. 10, 2023: Emerald, the parent company to Outdoor Retailer, has announced the acquisition of Lodestone Events, a consumer event company that produces the Overland Expo series. Lodestone already partners with Outdoor Retailer on Outdoor Adventure X, Emerald’s first outdoor consumer event. As part of the deal, Lodestone employees will join Emerald and its founders, Lindsay Hubley and Jessica Kirchner, will join the Emerald management team and continue to lead the Overland Expo series and Outdoor Adventure X.
Jan. 05, 2023: Volumental, the footwear technology company focused on helping people get a perfect fit, is launching a self-service version of its size-testing AI product in certain retailers in 2023, following a beta test with Under Armour. This product, which builds upon Volumental’s existing technology for size-testing, allows customers in stores to use the machine themselves instead of working with a store associate. “Our new self-service scanners will bring the same technology that specialty footwear retailers have enjoyed to many more retail segments,” said Alper Aydemir, CEO of Volumental.
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Brindisa Kitchens to relaunch Shoreditch site as Tapas Brindisa Shoreditch: Spanish restaurant group Brindisa Kitchens will relaunch Shoreditch restaurant Tramontana in November with a new-look and new name – Tapas Brindisa Shoreditch. The new entrance of the restaurant will feature a large communal table with a cafe feel suitable for coffee, quick lunches and a work-space for London’s freelancers. A long, sweeping curved bar will allow diners to watch the theatre of the kitchen and the bustle of the bar in true Barcelona fashion. The drinks list will feature Spain’s best distillers, brewers and vineyards, alongside an eclectic selection of soft drinks. Bringing guests closer to the bodegas of Spain, a bespoke wine tap system will offer a selection of premium wines by the glass. Founder and owner Monika Linton said: “I am so excited to bring a refreshed finish and improved space with revitalised menus inspired by Spain’s east coast to this restaurant. The Brindisa Kitchens team are ready to welcome lovers of our food, old and new, and to continue to bring our Spanish soul to Shoreditch.”
Noble Inns opens Little Smoke in the City: Noble Inns, the company behind Smokehouse, The Pig and Butcher, and The Princess of Shoreditch, has launched restaurant Little Smoke in the City. The venue in Ropemaker Street has space for 68 diners inside and 12 outside. It specialises in working with whole native and rare breed animals, sourced from small independent farmers and butchered at sister restaurant Smokehouse before being roasted, smoked, and grilled at Little Smoke. The restaurant offers a daily-changing menu of beef, lamb, and pork dishes, include “show-stopping” sharing joints such as Dino Rib, Whole Beef Shin, and Cowboy Steak, alongside homemade sauces, sides and desserts. Wines have been exclusively sourced from family growers and co-operatives to go alongside craft beer and classic cocktails, while the decor features red leather booths, vintage wooden tables and a ceiling partly covered in vintage copies of Viz. Husband and wife owners Scott Hunter and Maria Larsen said: “When we opened Smokehouse Islington in 2013, we started using whole animals and soon began supplementing the a la carte menu with a blackboard of interesting specials. Little Smoke is like a big version of that specials board and given a whole restaurant to itself!”
Former Bar Boulud maitre d’ and La Petite Maison manager team up to launch Italian restaurant in Covent Garden: Paulo De Tarso, former maitre d’ of Bar Boulud at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Hyde Park, has teamed up with Nicolas Jaouën, general manager of Mayfair bistro La Petite Maison, to launch Italian restaurant Margot in Covent Garden. The 104-cover venue in Great Queen Street is set across two floors and has been designed by Fabled Studio, which has been behind Dinner By Heston, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and Shotgun. Dishes from classically trained executive chef Maurizio Morelli include tagliolini with crab meat and purple aubergine, and risotto “alla Milanese” with saffron and roast bone marrow. Cured meat, carpaccio and tartar dishes, salads, pasta options and a range of meat and fish courses are also on offer. Desserts include Modica chocolate crumble and Sicilian cannolo with ricotta cream and pistachio ice cream. Reflecting the restaurant’s service-led ethos, many dishes are available in two portion sizes to allow for a flexible dining experience.
Coaching Inn Group promotes Jill Matthews to operations director, joins board: The Coaching Inn Group has promoted head of operations Jill Matthews to operations director and invited her to join the board as the company ramps up its expansion plans. Matthews, who has more than 20 years’ food and beverage experience, joined the group last year from regional brewer SA Brain, and has been an integral part of the company’s expansion programme, which has already seen it acquire three new properties this year. She said: “I’m honoured to be asked to join the board of The Coaching Inn Group. Over the past year my role has grown as the company continues to expand its estate and with a target of three further acquisitions later this year, joining the board gives me a great opportunity to work with the team to deliver on their ambitious growth plans and use my experience to ensure we continue to deliver a consistently high-quality customer experience.” The Coaching Inn Group has 12 historic venues across the UK and has built a reputation in the industry for transforming coaching inns through the introduction of its premium casual dining brand, the eatery and coffee house. As part of its £20m expansion programme, the group remains on track to reach 15 sites before the end of the year.
CGA Strategy reports turnover and Ebitda boost: Sector insights and research firm CGA Strategy, which publishes the Coffer Peach Tracker, has reported turnover grew to £6,233,102 in the year to 31 December 2015, up from £5,866,511 the year before. Pre-tax profit fell to £1,261,107, compared with £1,273,406 the year before. Ebitda grew to £1,606,316, compared with £1,571,900 the previous year. The company stated: “The directors are confident the economic outlook is positive and believe there is good potential for continuing growth.”
Red Dog Saloon opens first restaurant outside London, in Nottingham: Red Dog Saloon has opened a restaurant in Nottingham– the company’s first outside London as part of a regional expansion programme. The company has opened the site in an empty building in Victoria Street. The restaurant offers the brand’s traditional smoked meat dishes as well as its “Devastator Challenge” – an 18-ounce minced chuck steak burger served with 200g of pulled pork, Applewood smoked bacon rashers and cheese. Red Dog Saloon owner Tom Brooke told the West Bridgford Wire: “We’re well known for our authentic American food and we’re excited about bringing this to Nottingham. We’ve imported wood and smokers from America to create a truly authentic flavour, we’re passionate about the food we serve and look forward to welcoming the people from the city to our new restaurant. Having already developed a loyal following, we can’t wait to prove to Nottingham and other cities why Red Dog Saloon is the go-to place for diners who love authentic American burgers and ribs.” Red Dog Saloon, which was launched in 2011, has three London restaurants – in Soho, Clapham and Hoxton Square – and has secured sites in Liverpool and Southampton. Brooke previously said the company planned to open five venues a year.
Mitchells & Butlers set to bring All Bar One brand to Stratford-upon-Avon: Mitchells & Butlers is set to bring its All Bar One brand to Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. The company will occupy a unit in the town’s new £30m Bell Court development, planning documents have revealed. The brand, which has 50 sites across the country, would join Everyman, which will operate a 12,000 square foot, four-screen cinema, and better burger brand Byron, which have both already agreed to open at the restaurant and retail hub being developed by UK and European Investments. John Stacey, asset management director at UK & European Investments, told the Stratford-upon-Avon Herald: “We are in various stages of discussions with a number of potential occupiers and hope to be in a position to make an announcement shortly.” Bell Court, which is due to open next spring, is replacing the Old Town Square development, which has suffered from low footfall for a number of years.
Tonkotsu founders to launch Japanese brasserie concept Anzu in West End this month: Ken Yamada and Emma Reynolds, founders of London-based ramen specialist Tonkotsu, will launch Japanese brasserie concept Anzu in the St James’s Market development in London’s West End this month. Anzu’s focus will be on “teishoku”, an authentic dish comprising a mains selection – such as ebi furai, Wagyu sirloin or black cod teriyaki – with a side dish such as rice or pickles. There will also be a la carte and lunch menus, as well as a “pre-theatre” teishoku menu. St James’s Market, a £400m joint venture between The Crown Estate and Oxford Properties, is located between Haymarket and Regent Street. A spokesperson for Yamada and Reynolds said: “This is a bold and brave move for Emma and Ken, who are ecstatic to be able to bring a more fine-dining offering to London. Teishoku is a simple, delicious, beautiful way to eat Japanese food and we think Londoners and tourists alike will adore the flavours and simplicity.” In August, Tonkotsu extended its partnership with Selfridges by opening a restaurant in the department store’s food hall at the Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham – its first venue outside London. Tonkotsu has six London restaurants, including its other Selfridges concession in Oxford Street.
Marco Pierre White opens fourth franchised London restaurant, 14th New York Italian site: Celebrity chef Marco Pierre White has opened his fourth franchised restaurant in the capital within the Black and White Hospitality portfolio, following the launch of Marco’s New York Italian at the Mercure London Bloomsbury hotel. Located in Southampton Row, the restaurant is the 14th Marco’s New York Italian to open in the UK. Alongside the 90-cover restaurant, the venue features a Manhattan-style bar with floor-to-ceiling windows and an outside seating area. Black and White Hospitality chief executive Nick Taplin said: “I’ve always been keen to expand our restaurant offering in London and the Mercure Bloomsbury is the perfect location to showcase the impressive New York Italian brand, with all-day casual dining at affordable prices. We have a great relationship with both the owner and hotel brand, which makes it a strong fit.” Pierre White added: “The essence of New York Italian is to create a great environment for friends and family to relax and enjoy some of my favourite Italian dishes, whatever the occasion.” Greg Black, general manager of the Mercure London Bloomsbury Hotel, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have brought a celebrity chef to Bloomsbury with the launch of the latest Marco’s New York Italian. The spacious new venue offers a fantastic experience, combining quality food with a modern dining setting, which will be a real draw for both restaurant customers and our hotel guests.” Pierre White’s other London venues are the Steakhouse Bar and Grill in Islington; Marco’s New York Italian in London Bridge; and Wheeler’s of St James’s Oyster Bar and Grill Room in Bank. Other restaurants within the portfolio include Marco Pierre White’s Steakhouse & Bar Grill, Mr White’s English Chophouse, and Bardolino Pizzeria, Bellini & Espresso Bar.
M Restaurants biggest mover by amount raised and number of investors on Seedrs, campaign passes £1.5m mark: M Restaurants was the biggest mover in terms of amount raised and number of investors last week on crowdfunding platform Seedrs. The company, founded by former Gaucho Restaurants managing director Martin Williams, hit its £1.35m target within 48 hours of the campaign starting, to launch its M Social concept and for further expansion plans. The company is operating a different share structure to the standard “pre-money valuation” and “equity offered”, with all Seedrs investors receiving B shares. The shares include a “double capital protection” mechanism, which means that until shareholders have received two times their capital back, their payout will be based on the amount invested rather than the number of shares held. So far, the campaign has raised £1,553,000 from 185 investors and is now “overfunding”. The largest investment to date is £220,000. The pitch states: “In November 2014, we opened M Threadneedle Street – our award-winning, multi-faceted venue, which houses two 100-cover restaurants, a destination cocktail bar, a wine-tasting room and private dining. M Victoria Street, our second venue, opened in early 2016. Again multi-faceted (and with the addition of a very cool wine store and a private members’ bar). Now it’s time for M Social. These are local venues designed to accommodate a modern cocktail and wine bar and offer casual all-day ‘social bar food’. The time of day will dictate the demand for each of these elements, which have been designed to maximise sales opportunities and accommodate demand. Our first ‘M Social’ venue is expected to be a new 100-cover ‘Butlers Wharf-style’ building, complete with a riverside view and outside terrace. The proposed venue sits directly opposite a mainline station, is ideally positioned to serve daily commuters and become a genuine ‘home from home’ for residents, visitors and local businesses. The proceeds will be used to accelerate growth and ‘ring-fence’ £1.1m to fund the capex of restaurant three – M Social; build and open a 50-cover M Den private members’ lounge in the basement of M Threadneedle Street; and build working capital to support the business in both the short and long term.”
Love Thy Burger starts expansion with second venue, in Ipswich: Better burger brand Love Thy Burger has started expansion by opening its second venue, this time in Ipswich town centre. The 70-cover restaurant is at a former Santander site in Westgate Street and makes all its burgers and a range of sauces in-house, alongside signature rosemary fries, onion rings and coleslaw. The licensed restaurant also offers a rolling stock of craft beers. Love Thy Burger was founded by Adem Lacin and his father Murteza in 2014, opening its first restaurant in High Street, Colchester. Murteza Lacin has worked in catering for 30 years, while his son worked for a restaurant consultancy in London and as a mystery diner for high-street burger venues before deciding to start his own business. He told the East Anglian Daily Times: “I noticed a gap in the market. There was nowhere in Colchester doing really good burgers so I decided to mix my dad’s chef experience and my business experience. The difference between what makes a great burger can be quite fine. We make our patties on-site every day with deliveries from the local butcher. The time from butcher to burger is less than a day – and that makes a huge difference.”
Wagamama and Byron complete restaurant line-up at redeveloped Ipswich shopping centre: Wagamama and better burger brand Byron have opened restaurants at the Buttermarket Shopping Centre in Ipswich, completing the restaurant line-up at the newly redeveloped complex, which features a 12-screen cinema. Wagamama has opened a 130-cover restaurant in a 3,250 square foot unit at Buttermarket after signing a 25-year lease. The opening has created 65 jobs. Other brands at the complex include The Restaurant Group-owned Coast to Coast, Loungers brand Cosy Club, and Prezzo. Wagamama global brand director Simon Cope told Insider Media: “It’s an exciting time for us and we look forward to hearing what our new and valued customers in Ipswich make of our arrival.” Earlier this month, Wagamama announced it would open a site in Colchester High Street in time for Christmas.
Butcombe Brewery appoints operations director: Brewer and operator Butcombe Brewery, owned by Liberation Group, has appointed Mark Harding as operations director. The new role will see Harding, who was previously sales director at Bath Ales, lead key projects across logistics and production to facilitate growth expected by the business. Harding, who has also worked for Weston’s cider and Smiles Brewery, said: “I’ve watched Butcombe grow and develop as a business over the years and can see what a progressive company it has become. It’s clear there is collective vision throughout the team for the future of the business and I’m thrilled to be embarking on the journey as part of the team.” Butcombe Brewery managing director Geraint Williams added: “This is a pivotal role within our directors team. We welcome Mark to Butcombe. We have a clear vision to be the leading brewery in the south west and our production and logistics strategy is pivotal to achieving that goal. Mark has significant knowledge of our region and the industry as a whole, and his experience will be invaluable to the rest of the team.” Liberation Group chief executive Mark Crowther said: “Mark’s appointment comes at an important time for the group. We have made no secret of our aspirations to extend our reach in the UK, building on the incredibly successful model we have established in the Channel Islands. As a highly successful regional brewer, production and distribution are crucial elements in the success of our longer-term business plan and the appointment of Mark Harding is an important step towards delivering our objectives.”
Papa John’s launches pan pizza across US, ‘biggest product launch for a decade’: Papa John’s has launched a pan pizza across the US in a move it has branded its “biggest product launch for a decade”. The launch follows 18 months spent developing the recipe and cooking process, as well as preparing operators in how to make a pizza that takes longer to prepare than its traditional crust version. Company executives said they believe the new product could generate strong sales in the ultra-competitive sector. Papa John’s International chief ingredient officer Sean Muldoon told Nation’s Restaurant News: “We have aggressive thoughts in terms of sales. Based on test stores, we’re getting incremental sales. Existing customers are coming in more frequently. It’s also driving a significant percentage of new customers.” Papa John’s did have a pan pizza in its system more than a decade ago but Muldoon said the product “did not perform to our expectations” or meet its “better ingredient, better pizza quality standards”. The company validated the product using focus groups containing customers who were “heavy pan pizza users”, then tested the product in the field. Muldoon said: “It’s taken us 18 months to get to this point. We really wanted to develop a pan pizza with a clear vision that was better than the competition. As head of research and development, the number one question I get when in any format, whether it’s new franchisees or meetings with the system or people off the street who come in and tour, is ‘why don’t you have a pan pizza?’ Now we have a great answer for that.”
First restaurants open in new £25m dining quarter at Newcastle shopping centre: The first restaurants are opening at the new £25m dining quarter at the Intu Eldon Square shopping centre in Newcastle. Fish and chip restaurant George’s Great British Kitchen, which has launched its second site, was the first of 20 restaurants to open in Grey’s Quarter. It marks the end of a three-year project to revitalise dining options at the complex. The opening of George’s Great British Kitchen will be followed this week by Giraffe, which was acquired by Boparan Restaurant Holdings earlier this year, and Azzurri Group-owned ASK Italian. Intu has invested £25m in the development of the dining area, refurbishing the original Sidgate and High Friar malls and reconfiguring 80,000 square foot of retail space. The construction included creating a new entrance to the centre at Grey’s Monument, where a giant digital screen has been installed, as well as a rooftop restaurant overlooking the statue of Earl Grey and the city centre that will house Thai Leisure Group brand Chaophraya. Phil Steele, general manager of Intu Eldon Square, told Chronicle Live: “It’s fitting this new development has received such a significant investment from Intu and our partners as this will be a fantastic addition, architecturally, socially and economically, to both Intu Eldon Square and Newcastle city centre.”
Merseyside-based operator to launch Irish theme pub concept, plans eight sites across north west: Merseyside-based operator Mikhail Investments is set to launch an Irish theme pub concept and is planning eight sites across the north west. The company has acquired the former Mulligan’s bar on the corner of Lord Street and Union Street in Southport, which is currently being renovated ahead of reopening as Punch Tarmey’s. Mikhail told The Champion: “We are delighted to announce the acquisition of this site and the plans we have for it. This end of Lord Street is undergoing a real resurgence due to the number and quality of bars we have down here. Punch Tarmey’s will add to that. It is going to look amazing and provide something new for the people of the area. I am working with a Dublin-based design team to develop a concept that is steeped in heritage and tradition. Punch Tarmey’s will take the best of old pub culture and integrate it with the trends of today. Punch Tarmey’s marks an important step in the future of pub experiences in the Southport area and will be the first of a planned eight further sites across the north west region.” Mikhail Investments also operates the Bold Hotel in Southport and the Eccleston Arms Hotel in St Helen’s.
Numis Securities – SSP’s diversity helps mitigate threat against it from effects of geopolitical events: Numis Securities leisure analyst Tim Barrett has said the diversity of SSP helps mitigate the threat against it from the effects of geopolitical events on the travel industry. Issuing a ‘Buy’ note on the shares with a target price of 390p, he said: “The main bear case is the threat of geopolitical events on travel – a clearly exogenous factor but somewhat mitigated by diversity in SSP’s geographic mix and the fact that circa 50% of earnings growth comes from self-help. We forecast an increase of 60 basis points in 2016 followed by 30 in 2017. At the Ebitda level that takes margin to 10%, still below the previous peak of 10.6% and below competitors such as Autogrill (US) and Elior. Each 20 basis points on margin adds 4% on earnings per share and closing the gap with peak would add 12.4% to earnings per share. SSP operates in a structurally growing market exposed to rising air and rail passenger traffic and increased food and beverage space in terminals given customer propensity to eat on the move. It has a track record of 3.7% like-for-like sales growth over five years and we see a solid outlook – 3.2% year to date and 2% in FY17. SSP is one of two market leaders in a fragmented market (25% combined market share); there are high barriers to entry in airports and stations as owners want strong operational reliability, brands and airside expertise. SSP’s historic growth in net new space of just 0.5% reflected a period of contract rationalisation (80% renewal rate) and improved to 1.9% year to date. We expect a larger contribution in the future as it has built a strong pipeline in North America, China etc. Fracturing of contracts by the North American market leader (HMS Host) presents a particular opportunity for market share gains. SSP benefits from recent pound weakness as 62% of revenues are generated outside the UK. Our FY16 and FY17 earnings per share forecasts have been marked-to-market and are circa 7% ahead of consensus, suggesting healthy earnings per share momentum ahead. Similarly the group has a good track record of beating forecasts and we outline a blue-sky earnings per share scenario of 24p (22% upside). The stock trades on a FY17 price-to-earnings ratio of 18.1x, EV/Ebitda of 7.9 times and stable free cash flow yield of 8.2%. There is 23% upside to our discounted cash flow-derived price target and we initiate with a ‘Buy’ recommendation.


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Raising Cane’s, a Plano, Texas-fast casual chicken finger chain, Monday announced it will add more than 250 jobs in Maryland with the opening of two locations in March 2023. The chicken chain will open in Gambrills at 1070 MD-3 North as its second location in Maryland, joining its inaugural site in Towson, opening later this year. Later in March, the chain will open another restaurant in Westminster at 400 Englar Road.
Restaurant chain to add more than 250 jobs in Md.
November 15, 2022


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Digimon has now turned 22 this week and over the years seeing how much the franchise is loved and how it has changed which has helped it to grow since the 1990s. It all started with V-Pets which was the first thing that created Digimon the brand and since then it has evolved into the franchise that we all know and love today but staying unique in it’s own way. Lets hope for another strong 22 years!
Digimon has something for everyone. It has one of the best anime shows, It has recently celebrated the 15th anniversary for Adventure with six brand new movies called Digimon Adventure Tri along with a new movie in spring 2020 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Adventure 01 anime which we are looking forward to. The franchise is also releasing another Digimon game called Digimon Survive which will be released on all platforms.
So really seeing how strong the last few years have been for the franchise I think the future is going to be strong and that there will more things coming in the years to come!


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Every October, for the past 59 years, gas giant Hess has rolled out a new toy truck. But news that the company was being acquired by Chevron in a $53 billion mega-merger on Monday sent a chill up the collective spine of collectors. Did this mean the end of the Hess Toy Trucks?
Rest easy, toy truck fans. The merger will have no impact on the tradition.
Hess, in a statement, said “we want to reassure all of you, our loyal fans, that the Hess Toy Truck, a long-standing and cherished tradition, will continue for future years” and that it had “exciting things planned to celebrate the Hess Toy Truck’s 60th anniversary” next year.
The company has updated its toy truck line annually since 1964 and, incredibly, has become one of the hottest holiday items each year. The design process for the trucks (and other vehicles that have come out alongside them) starts two or three years in advance, generally, with some designs taking as long as six years to make the journey from concept to physical product.
The idea behind the toy truck came from Leon Hess, the founder of the company (and longtime owner of the New York Jets, who branded them in his toy truck’s colors). That 1964 Hess Tanker Trailer, based on the real ones that delivered gas to Hess stations, has become a collector’s item, and now sells for approximately $1,500—quite an increase from its original price of $1.39.
The 2023 models were announced in the days prior to the merger announcement. This year, Hess is offering a Police Truck and Cruiser (one of which comes with a slide-out battering ram and the other promises ‘wheelie poppin’ action’). The duo will cost fans $42.99.


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Lotus Evora GTE Road Car Concept
The storied automaker from Hethel has announced that it will be bringing three new models, two new options, and one special edition to Frankfurt.
One of these will be a new Elise S, a replacement for the current Elise SC that will keep a supercharger but offer a lot more low-end torque.
With its new engine and improved throttle response, the Elise S should give a more exhilarating and lively drive experience than the Elise SC, and be more efficient too.
Peak output from the force-fed 1.8-liter engine will be 220 horsepower, though the all-important torque number is yet to be released.
2012 Lotus Exige spy shots
It gets an extended wheelbase and possibly a wider track to accommodate the 3.5-liter V-6 engine used in the Evora. Peak output should match the Evora’s 276 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque, and we hope a supercharged S model is launched too.
The only official comment is that one of the unknown models will be one of the quickest road cars Lotus has ever built, and the other marks the return of Lotus to another motorsport discipline.
Moving on, we have confirmation that Lotus will build a run of Evora GTE road cars based on the striking concept version we saw at the recent 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Producing over 444 horsepower from the race developed Lotus Evora GTE engine, this will, quite simply, be the most powerful Lotus road car ever built.
Originally designed as a special limited edition for the Asian market, Lotus is now announcing that production will be expanded on the Evora GTE road car to meet demand and reach further markets--including the U.S.
Plenty of carbon fiber has been integrated extensively throughout the exterior and interior of the car, helping to shed more than 165 pounds from the weight of the base Evora. Carbon fiber has been used for all the bodywork modifications including the front and rear bumpers, the rear wing and the doors.
Finally, Lotus will also launch two new options, one for the base Elise and the other on the Evora S.
2010 Lotus Elise SC
The second new option is the IPS (Intelligent Precision Shift) on the Evora S, which is essentially the same paddle-shifted automatic gearbox option that we saw launched on the standard Evora earlier this year.
Stay tuned as press days for the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show draw closer, but in the meantime follow our complete coverage of the event by clicking here.


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Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has been granted a patent that could turn out to be highly lucrative and a fairly potent tool in the company’s fight against Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android device makers. The patent is for a method to display documents, lists, etc. on a portable electronic device. It covers graphical user interfaces designed for blogging, e-mail, telephone, camera, video player, calendar, browser, widgets, search, notes, maps, as well as a multi-touch interface.
Don’t Miss: Is Apple Duping Its Portuguese Buyers?
Smartphone makers like Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) added physical buttons for users to access information on the device, which, according to Apple, resulted in “complicated key sequences and menu hierarchies that must be memorized by the user.” Apple’s touch-only interfaces instead provide a more intuitive experience, the company says.
“As portable electronic devices become more compact, and the number of functions performed by a given device increase, it has become a significant challenge to design a user interface that allows users to easily interact with a multifunction device,” the patent description reads. “This situation is unfortunate because the user interface is the gateway through which users receive not only content but also responses to user actions or behaviors.”
Commentators were of the opinion that the patent could have fairly serious consequences. “… [T]he latest addition to the Cupertino-based tech giant’s stable of intellectual property could be the mother of all smartphone software patents,” Phandroid’s Kevin Krause wrote. “The effects could be swift and lethal.”
Don’t Miss: HTC Tag Teams HP in Apple Fight.


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Iyinoluwa Aboyeji is leaving Andela, the talent accelerator he co-founded two years ago which has since gone to become one of Africa's flagship startups.
Aboyeji is leaving to head a new startup he founded called Flutterwave, an end-to-end payments platform that covers all the bases in payments processing.
In a mail to the Andela team on his departure, Aboyeji said, “Despite all the entrepreneurial spirit and expertise in Lagos, businesses still have trouble conducting transactions that are an afterthought in most of the world, it’s a problem that is prohibitive to the future growth of the continent, and one that I felt I could no longer ignore. So I decided to do something about it.”
According to QZ Africa, Flutterwave has been in private beta for weeks in Nigeria and Ghana. It has also reportedly worked with clients like Uber, Access Bank, Paystack, and Page Microfinance.
The report also says that Flutterwave has transacted about $20 million in value in those weeks it was under private beta testing and the value increase is what prompted Aboyeji to focus on the startup full-time.
TechCabal reports that the Flutterwave team is currently being assembled and they will work out of San Francisco, Lagos and Accra. They have also received funding from YCombinator, VCFintech, and CRE VC.
Osarumen from Techcabal reckons that if Flutterwave works out, it would have solved the persistent payments problem that's caused many merchants to lose their minds.


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PODS' Press Releases and News Stories
For all media inquiries, please email email@example.com.
December 22, 2014 - Moving and Storage Leader, PODS Announces Deal to Be Acquired By The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
(Clearwater, Fla.) – The parent company of PODS announces the signing of a binding agreement to sell the company, in its entirety, to the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (Teachers'). Details on the deal have not been disclosed and it is likely the sale will be finalized in the first quarter of 2015. PODS utilized Barclays as its exclusive financial advisor. Full Release
August 28, 2012 - INTERVIEW: PODS discusses hire of Koch as new president and CEO
(Clearwater, Fla.) – Moving and storage company PODS Enterprises Inc. announced this week that John B. Koch will become its president and chief executive officer, effective Sept. 17. He is transitioning from his current role as president of ADT North America's Residential/Small Business division.
DailyVista caught up with Ransom James, co-executive chairman of the board of directors, who has served on the board since 2007. He discussed how Koch will key PODS on its growth track. Full Release
July 27, 2012 - INTERVIEW: PODS CMO chats about current marketing ingenuities
(Clearwater, Fla.) – PODS has run several promotional and reward-focused events to celebrate the milestone reached in June of delivering its two millionth container to a couple in Valrico, Fla.
The 14-year-old business rewarded the circumstantially-lucky customers with one year of free storage and one free move. The moving and storage solution company expanded its celebration by launching at $10,000 Home Renovation sweepstakes that ends on Monday, Oct 15. Full Release
April 05, 2011 - PODS donates containers for Shelton Quarles’ Impact Foundation
(Clearwater, Fla.) – When it comes to contributing to community organizations the Tampa Bay area PODS is bringing their “A” game in support of Shelton Quarles’ IMPACT Foundation. By providing a convenient moving and storage product, PODS® containers are often seen throughout neighborhoods before and after a move as well as during a home or business renovation. So when the Tampa Bay area PODS was approached by Shelton Quarles’ “Home Blitz” program, they were happy to help.
Founded by Quarles in 2004, the IMPACT foundation’s main program is the Home Blitz. Each spring, at-risk single-mom families that are awarded the Home Blitz makeover are selected to receive various upgrades to their home, including more energy efficient updates. Full Release
January 17, 2011 - PODS partnership with Toys for Tots a holiday success for children throughout the U.S.
(Clearwater, Fla.) – PODS Enterprises, Inc. and its first ever national charity collaboration with the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation proved to be a great success, providing over 170 PODS® containers to support the organization’s annual holiday toy drive across the United States.
The annual Toys for Tots program, which runs from Oct. – Dec., collects new, unwrapped toys and distributes them as Christmas gifts for children in need throughout communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Full Release
November 5, 2010 - PODS teams with The Salvation Army in Canada to brighten the holidays for people in need
(Clearwater, Fla.) – The PODS Canadian franchise network in Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver, and Ottawa has teamed up to support The Salvation Army this holiday season to provide PODS® moving and storage containers as they collect food, clothing, toys and other items for the needy. The PODS® containers will be used to store donated goods at Salvation Army collection points across Canada which PODS will then transport to local Salvation Army distribution centers. This is the first year that PODS has assisted The Salvation Army in Canada with its holiday collection efforts.
“Our local PODS franchise owners in Canada are very excited to be providing storage services to The Salvation Army this holiday season,” said George Spowart, PODS vice president of marketing. “This collaboration makes perfect sense. Our large network of locations across Canada are ready to provide PODS storage containers to assist with the holiday season.” Full Release
October 15, 2010 - PODS Welcomes Clive Burton as Vice President of Sales
(Clearwater, Fla.) – PODS Enterprises, Inc., a leader in the moving and storage industry, is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Clive Burton to the position of Vice President of Sales.
Burton’s role with PODS will be to develop new solutions and relationships in corporate relocation, government/military, commercial, construction, and affinity segments. “Clive’s track record, extensive experience, and knowledge in the industry make him a valuable leader of our sales team,” said Tom Ryan, president and CEO at PODS. “His sales approach and leadership are a great fit for PODS and our customers. We are excited to have him join the team.” Full Release
October 10, 2010 - PODS teams with Toys for Tots to brighten the holidays for children in need across the U.S.
(Clearwater, Fla.) – PODS Enterprises, Inc. and its franchise network, have reached an agreement with the Marine Toys for Tots in which the company will donate usage of thousands of portable storage containers to support Toys for Tots in its annual holiday toy drive.
Each year, from Oct. – Dec., Toys for Tots collects new, unwrapped toys and then distributes them as Christmas gifts to children in need. Toys for Tots campaigns are conducted in communities covering all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Full Release
September 27, 2010 - PODS expands Corporate Relocation Sales Team
(Clearwater, Fla.) – PODS Enterprises, Inc. recently welcomed Tina Azzarella to its Clearwater, Fla. headquarters as the corporation’s new manager of corporate relocation. As the Manager of Corporate Relocation at PODS, Azzarella is responsible for further expanding PODS’ growing corporate relocation business, creating new sales strategies, managing and training corporate sales personnel and overseeing tradeshow strategies. Azzarella brings over 10 years experience in the relocation industry. Most recently serving as the vice president of corporate sales for Dependable Auto Shippers. Full release
September 13, 2010 - PODS continues expansion in Canada
(Clearwater, Fla.) – PODS Enterprises, Inc., today announced the sale of a new franchise in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
“Since opening our Ottawa market in 2006, we have achieved a significant amount of success within a very short period of time,” said Peter Hauderowicz, owner of PODS’ Ottawa franchise. “The PODS® brand has been well received in Ottawa and the growth exceeded our expectations. We hope to duplicate our success in Halifax by offering our flexible, industry-leading solution to moving and storage.” Full release
September 13, 2010 - PODS Hires John Cameron as Senior Vice President of Long-Distance Moving and Corporate Operations
(Clearwater, Fla.) – PODS Enterprises, Inc., a leader in the moving and storage industry, welcomes John Cameron as their new Senior Vice President of Long Distance Moving and Corporate Operations at the firm’s corporate headquarters.
Cameron, who has more than 25 years experience, will manage the strategy for PODS long distance moving and corporate-owned PODS locations. Previously, Cameron held positions as Executive Vice President of Operations for DHL Express International and as Divisional Vice President for FedEx Ground, Inc. Full release
July 22, 2010 - PODS supports U.S. servicemen and women at over 100 military installations through alliance with NEXCOM, AAFES and MCCS
(Clearwater, Fla.) - The Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM), Army Air Force Exchange System (AAFES) and Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) have a multi-year contract with PODS Enterprises, Inc. to bring the company’s portable storage containers to CONUS military installations. Military exchange customers receive up to a 10 percent discount on the first month of rental as well as discounted local delivery fees. The alliance, first forged in 2006, has seen explosive nationwide growth as more military personnel enjoy the advantages and cost savings of moving with PODS. Full release
May 14, 2010 - PODS moving data reveals greater population stability in the Southeastern U.S.
CLEARWATER, Fla.) – Recent data released by PODS Enterprises, Inc., one of the leaders in the moving and storage industry, shows significant migration trend changes over the past year.
According to the moving patterns of PODS customers, in 2009, the southeastern U.S. reversed last year’s trend of significant net outbound moves from cities that had previously exhibited long-standing patterns of residential growth. An analysis of PODS moving data revealed that seven out of the top 11 U.S. cities with a reduction in the percentage of people leaving in 2009 were in Florida. Full release
April 2010 - PODS Enterprises, Inc. launches updated branding and new web site based on customer insights
(CLEARWATER, FLA.) – PODS Enterprises, Inc., a leader in moving and storage, recently completed comprehensive market research to better understand what customers value the most when moving or storing their valuables.
Using feedback from consumer focus groups, customer interviews and quantitative analysis, the company reveals that flexibility and convenience are top factors influencing customer satisfaction in the moving and storage experience. Full release
February 2010 - PODS assists multiple Bakersfield charities to help further cause, missions
(BAKERSFIELD, CALIF.) – Good things do not only come in small packages. Sometimes, good things come in large, white, sturdy storage containers emblazoned with the four red letters, in this case, PODS.
PODS, a well-known national moving and storage company, is considered an expert in more than just the traditional sense when it comes to moving America. Bright red and white PODS containers are frequently seen at charitable organizations and disaster sites throughout the United States.Full release
JANUARY 21, 2010 -Relief agencies, residents and businesses count on PODS to help weather California storms
(LOS ANGELES, CALIF.) – As Southern California experiences severe weather patterns, PODS is on stand-by to serve relief agencies and communities in need of assistance.
The company is a frequent early responder to emergency situations and their services have proven to be especially useful in the cases of hurricanes and floods. Full release
JANUARY 20, 2010 -PODS names James Hwang corporate director of call center operations
(CLEARWATER, FL) – PODS welcomes James Hwang as director of call center operations at the firm’s corporate headquarters.
Hwang will direct sales initiatives and develop new strategies for long-distance moving and local moving and storage sales, as well as customer service to ensure a competitive edge for the firm. Full release
December 12, 2009 - PODS appoints vice president of marketing
(CLEARWATER, Fla.) – PODS, a national leader in the moving and storage industry, appointed George Spowart as vice president of marketing at the firm’s corporate offices in Clearwater.
Spowart was promoted from marketing director, a position he has held with PODS since March 2007. In his new role, Spowart will define the strategic direction for PODS branding and communications across its network of corporate and franchise locations. Full release
December 12, 2009 -PODS expands with more than 250 new job opportunities
(CLEARWATER, FL.) – PODS, a national leader in the moving and storage industry, announced plans to hire 255 customer and call center representatives at its corporate headquarters in Florida and in cities across the U.S. and Canada.
The company is bucking a difficult economic environment and experiencing steady corporate growth with its compelling and flexible moving and storage solution and plans to hire 30 to 45 new employees each month between now and May 2010. Full release
December 8, 2009 - Dallas/Ft. Worth PODS franchise scores a touchdown with former NFL player
(DALLAS / FT. WORTH, TX) – Brett Schnitzius, a former offensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs Football Club, joins PODS (Portable On Demand Storage) in Dallas/Ft. Worth as warehouse general manager.
Tackling the competition is nothing new to the former football player, whose primary responsibilities will be to oversee warehouse operations at the PODS® Storage Center, foster relationships with corporate and residential customers, promote goodwill within the community, support civic organizations, and generate new business. Full release
December 03, 2009 - A decade in the making: PODS first moving and storage franchise celebrates milestone
(ORLANDO, FL) – Ten years ago, PODS (Portable On Demand Storage) revolutionized the moving and storage industry and set a new standard for consumers needing flexible solutions.
Today, brothers Mike and Tim Greene are managing partners of nine PODS franchises, including Orlando, which is celebrating 10 years of service to the community. Full release
November 2009 - PODS and 1-800-GOT-JUNK? form strategic alliance
(CLEARWATER, FL) – If you need a fresh start with moving, storage or clearing the clutter, PODS and 1-800-GOT-JUNK? have you covered.
A new strategic alliance between the two franchise giants - PODS, the leader in portable moving and storage, and 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, a full-service junk removal company, will offer special discounts and joint service solutions to residential customers and commercial businesses. Full release
November 18, 2009 - New logistics director moves into PODS corporate headquarters
(CLEARWATER, FL) – PODS (Portable On Demand Storage) welcomes Brian Farris as its Corporate Director of Logistics.
Farris is joining PODS from Cardinal Logistics Management Corporation based in Concord, NC, where he was vice president of operations for the mid-Atlantic region. He will be responsible for daily operations of fleet management at PODS, including routing, repositioning and executing strategies to streamline PODS network of branded storage containers. Full release
October 22, 2008 - EMPLOYEES FROM PODS OF HOUSTON HELP RESIDENTS REBUILD, RECOVER FROM HURRICANE IKE
There is more than meets the eye with PODS® containers. PODS’ of Houston’s dedicated employees continue to work tirelessly to ensure recovery efforts are streamlined and containers are dispatched when and where needed – bringing in more than 500 additional containers from Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, Utah, Arizona, Iowa, New Jersey, and other areas of Texas. Full release
October 2009 - Springfield PODS finds social marketing success on Facebook
Used as a test market, franchise owner finds user-friendly website as a way to engage customers.
Facebook has become a happy medium advertising venue for Brian Cates, owner of the PODS of Southwest Missouri franchise located in Springfield. Full release
August 4, 2009 - PODS AND UNIGROUP CREATE ALLIANCE TO BETTER SERVE CUSTOMERS
ST. LOUIS, Mo. AND CLEARWATER, Fla. – PODS (Portable on Demand Storage) and UniGroup, Inc., the parent company of United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit, have agreed to a marketing alliance that provides for the exchange of services between leaders in portable container moving and storage and full-service moving. Full release
May 20, 2009 - PODS TO APPEAR ON TODAY’S OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
PODS will be an important part of a charitable effort on today’s Oprah Winfrey Show. The show, entitled “Oprah’s ‘What Can You Live Without?’ Experiment,” challenges families to determine what really matters in life, and what they can live without. Full release


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Nokia dampens mobile phone euphoria
Nokia, the world's leading mobile phone maker, has warned that profits would slide in the third quarter, causing its share price to plummet on the Helsinki stock exchange by more than 10 per cent amid investor dismay.
Nokia said it expected earnings per share to fall to between €0.14 to €0.17 in the third quarter from 0.18 euros in the second quarter.
Nokia's warning was included in its earnings report for the second quarter, which was in line with its own forecasts and that of many market analysts with a respectable net profit figure of €799 million ($A1.26 billion), which compares with €695 million a year before.
But the company has a history of outstripping expectations with its actual results, and investors immediately punished it for failing to dazzle them this time around.
"Overall, the results are disappointing," Erkki Vesola, a broker at Mandatum in Helsinki. "With this kind of outlook on margins and profits, Nokia's share price level was no longer justified," he said.
Earnings per share of at least €0.19 would have been needed to avoid a market backlash, dealers said.
But even worse than current results for investor confidence were glum comments by Nokia's chief executive Jorma Ollila about the remainder of the year.
Not only would the third quarter show a decline in earnings per share compared with the second, he predicted, but cut-throat competition in the mobile phone market and a flood of cheap models would also limit what Nokia could charge consumers for its phones for the rest of 2005.
"As the proportion of lower-priced entry-level phones continues to increase, industry average selling prices are expected to trend down for the remainder of the year," Ollila warned.
Mr Ollila said the world's mobile device market would reach 760 million units, up from 643, but most of the growth would be driven by developing countries, where cheaper, less profitable, mobile phones are the norm.
While Nokia had increased its global market share to 33 per cent from 31 per cent, the average selling price for Nokia phones fell to €108 in the second quarter, from €110 a year earlier.
"This primarily reflected continued market pricing pressure as well as stronger volume growth in emerging markets, where the product mix is weighted towards lower priced entry-level phones," Mr Ollila said.
Financial analyst Beng Molleryd at Evli Bank called the third quarter outlook "clearly disappointing".
Hannu Rauhala at Opstock Securities said he would now review his Nokia rating, which currently invites investors to "accumulate" the stock.
"Looking at expectations, the report was a disappointment, particularly the fact that average selling prices fell so much," Mr Rauhala told AFP's financial news subsidiary AFX News.
Nokia's results came only hours after Sweden's Ericsson, the world's biggest supplier of mobile telephone networks, delighted investors with a substantial rise in second-quarter earnings which seemed to confirm that a global recovery in the telecommunications sector is well underway.
The Ericsson numbers, which followed strong results from Nokia competitors, including Motorola of the US, had built up expectations that the Finnish company would do at least as well.
But instead, telephone and technology stocks across Europe came under pressure following the disappointing earnings report from Nokia.
In Paris, telephone giant Alcatel's shares fell back, having earlier surged on the back of Ericsson's performance.
Nokia, which has brought the wrath of stock market regulators upon itself by giving the market unclear guidance ahead of results in the past, also said on Thursday it would stop giving numerical estimates before reporting its earnings.