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It's been almost three years since I first went to the Tax Free World Association exhibition, the premier global Travel Retail event held ev...
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Founded in 1575, Bols claims to be the oldest spirits brand in the world. After a rocky recent past, the company is back in Dutch hands. just-drinks caught up with Lucas Bols' self-styled “chief energizing officer” Huub van Doorne to talk about the company's plans, the launch of its new yoghurt liqueur and why the brand is big in Japan.
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The 30th Tax Free World Association exhibition is underway in Cannes. just-drinks reporter Andy Morton is there to keep you informed in this live blog as he meets top management from the Travel Retail sector and attends industry events. Get in touch at firstname.lastname@example.org or through just-drinks' social media.
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Global Spirits Market: News and Events June 2014
Synopsis The report provides a review of the latest news and key events in the global spirits market during June 2014. Summary Using this report, marketers will effectively gain an insight into the l...
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In the run up to budget, consumer goods companies are looking for a greater thrust on food processing sector to add value to the agricultural produce, increase in rural wages and reduction in taxes to leave more money in the hands of consumers.
Whereas, the restaurant sector is seeking re-introduction of input tax credit from the government in addition to reduction in number of licences required for operating a restaurant.
Here is a wish list of industry biggies…
Hari Menon, Co-founder and CEO, bigbasket
We don’t have any expectations from the budget this year as one of the things that we wanting to happen and settle down is GST because that has been very useful for us in many ways. It had some hiccups and a lot of implementation issues but they are all settling down now and once they settle I think one of the expectation from taxation side is met.
So the only thing that I can ask for is maybe lower rates. But what they have done right now has itself resulted in lower prices as far as consumers are concerned.
My belief is that two areas that the Government should really focus on are job creation and infrastructure. If the Government spends time and energy on these two then it will be very useful.
Mayank Shah, Category Head, Parle Products Pvt Ltd
We are expecting Government to come up with measures to boost spending. So hopefully, lower tax slabs will put more money in consumer’s hands and it will further spur spending. Having seen two consecutive good monsoons and the initiatives that have been taken by Government in rural areas, if that is coupled with lower tax slabs, that will definitely increase the demand and that will also be beneficial for the companies in the discretionary spaces.
Piruz Khambatta, CMD, Rasna
As far as budget is concerned, we are expecting huge allocation of funds to the agri-care sector. I believe agricultural GDP is not growing and the only way to help it grow is to put more money in agriculture, food processing and ensure that the infrastructure status is given to the whole sector right from the front-end to the back-end.
I just don’t believe that encouraging ten retail chains from abroad, India will gain. India will only gain when those ten retail chains are obliged to put money in the backend.
And I also believe that the Government will bring back the export incentives like income tax deductions because export has not been growing.
R.S. Agarwal, Joint Chairman, Emami Group
The country has been through two muted years of growth after economic reforms like demonetisation and GST. As we prepare for another Union Budget for FY 19, the economy is expected to recover and be back on track but needs boost for growth. The forthcoming budget is expected to put thrust on areas like agriculture and rural growth, infrastructural development, small businesses and affordable housing. A stimulus for ailing industries is another area which needs attention. Reduction in both direct and indirect tax is also welcome as the base is increasing.
Rahul Singh, President, NRAI and Founder, The Beer Cafe
The two big expectations from this budget are – to get the Income Tax Credit (ITC) back and to give us a ministry to be under. We are such a large industry and we do not have a ministry. Every sector in India has a ministry to report to. We do not come under a single window, we do not come under a single ministry.
Anurag Katiyar, CEO, deGustibus Hospitality
Whatever has happened to the GST, if they can correct that then we will be very happy. We also expect lower corporate tax rates.
Sagar Daryani, Founder, Wow! Momo
The Government has been very forward going, it has initiated newer policies. If we talk about the food sector then we have been very badly hit with no GST input. For a business like us which is growing with a rapid pace, the GST input was around 7 per cent, so it made a profitable business like mine. I personally feel that the GST needs a relook, I think a five per cent tax and no input is being a bit harsh on the entrepreneur. You know when you are growing, you want the Government to be more supportive. I am hoping the budget to be more positive with the tax structure benefitting the food industry and startups in the true sense.
Rohit Malhotra, Business Head India, Barcelos
We expect Input Tax Credit to be back in this budget session as it will help in lowering the prices further.
Nitin Saluja, Founder, Chaayos
My two main expectations are – to get ITC on rent and 24-hour retailing in many more cities.
Dheeraj Gupta, MD, Jumboking
The only expectation from the Government is to reverse the ITC.
(With inputs from Surabhi Khosla)

domain: news


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Out to Sea column published in August 2011
(c) By Jim and Barb Fox
A French cruise line is adding some joie de vivre to Canadian fall foliage sailings while safari-style cruises offer yachting adventures in Hawaii and Mexican seas.
|The French mega-yacht Le Boreal will sail on two 11-day Boston-Montreal itineraries.|
C'est la vie
Say “bonjour” to luxury line Compagnie du Ponant, the world’s only French-flagged cruise company, as it makes a splash in Canadian and North American waters.
Calling it “one of the most extensive fall foliage itineraries available,” the yacht-size ships will visit 11 ports of call, nine in Canada, with several only accessible to these smaller vessels.
“It will certainly have a French feel – with a focus on North American guests – and be similar to being on a private yacht,” said publicist Elliot Gillies.
Since the cabins were selling out quickly, the cruise line will offer a similar itinerary next year along with a variety of Caribbean cruises this fall and winter.


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Online sales boom helps O'Neills record double-digit growth during pandemic
BOSSES at Co Tyrone sportswear manufacturer O’Neills have hailed the company’s “incredible resilience” after it managed to increase its turnover last year.
The Strabane-based operation said a boom in online sales and the move to manufacturing scrubs for the north’s health trusts resulted in a 12.5 per cent uplift in revenues for the year ending December 31 2021.
O’Neills also managed to hold its operating profit at £1.2 million, just marginally down on 2019.
The company’s end to 2020 was a far cry from the devastation of March 2020, when O’Neills’ managing director Kieran Kennedy announced 950 layoffs across the island in response to a collapse in orders due to the outbreak of Covid-19.
The company subsequently availed of the UK Government’s furlough scheme for most of its 745 staff in Northern Ireland, many based at its manufacturing facility in Strabane.
O’Neills was back in production just days later when the company responded to a call from the Western Trust to help manufacture scrubs.
The company said the anti-bacterial polygiene coating it uses for its sportswear had proved ideal for surgical scrubs.
The switch of production lines and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme helped the company retain 725 staff by the end of 2020, just 20 fewer than 2019.
In a review of its 2020 performance, published this week by Companies House, controlling shareholders Tony and Paul Towell said: “In a challenging and unprecedented year brought about by the impact of Covid-19, the business has shown incredible resilience.”
O’Neills had bucked the prevailing high street trend in the lead up to last year’s pandemic by investing upwards of £1m in a new 8,500 sq ft flagship store on Belfast’s Royal Avenue, its eighth retail outlet in the north.
But the directors said it was a surge in online sales during the pandemic that helped turnover grow by double digits in 2020, as O’Neills’ customers went online for their sports and athleisure gear.
Despite the online success, O’Neills said it’s not expecting to make any significant changes in the nature of the company’s activities in the near future.
The directors ultimately said they were satisfied with the performance in what had been “a challenging year”.
The year also marked Kieran Kennedy’s final year at the helm of the sportswear firm.
The Co Tyrone businessman, who joined O'Neills as a 16-year-old schoolboy, retired in June 2021.


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U.K. outsourcers PolyTherics and Antitope have merged to pool their R&D resources, christening the combined company Abzena and targeting the bustling biomedical hub of Cambridge for new headquarters.
Rho, a midsize contract researcher out of North Carolina, is looking to expand its footprint to deal with a widening client base, setting out to expand its ranks of investigators and execs.
Cloud-based data magnate Medidata has signed a deal with TransCelerate BioPharma, a consortium of the world's largest drugmakers, to modernize the way the industry conducts clinical trials.
As the industry embraces risk-based clinical trial monitoring, Parexel International is expanding its banner eClinical offering to help sponsors make data-driven decisions in the middle of a study.
Global CRO Covance is looking to expand its share of the drug-commercialization space, buying up a U.K. market access specialist to help its clients sell their approved products.
China's WuXi PharmaTech has completed work on a biologics safety testing facility in Suzhou, adding 38,000 square feet of lab space to its sprawling presence in the area.
Bayer is joining the bandwagon of drugmakers getting in on clinical trial transparency, signing on to share some of its data with researchers but stopping well short of industry trailblazers.
Oft-merged CRO giant PRA has expanded its large-molecule capabilities in the U.S., setting up a bioanalysis shop right next to its clinics to make for faster trials.
Germany's Evotec splits its operation between contract research for big-name third parties and in-house work on its own pipeline, riding its uncommon take on the CRO business to an uptick in revenue last quarter.
Chinese CRO WuXi PharmaTech notched another strong sales quarter, boosting its revenue by 11.3% thanks to escalating demand for its manufacturing services.
Quintiles, the world's largest CRO, is further expanding its outside-the-clinic business, agreeing to buy healthcare analytics outfit Encore Health Resources to beef up its access to real-world patient data.
Irish CRO Icon has closed out its $143.5 million acquisition of Aptiv Solutions, a deal designed to amp up its technology and expand its presence in Japan.
WuXi PharmaTech, China's largest CRO, is upping its capacity in its two largest markets, wrapping up an expansion of a U.S. early-stage operation and breaking ground on an R&D campus outside of Shanghai.
Chinese CRO Tigermed is buying its way into the U.S., signing a deal to trade $50.3 million for a majority stake in Pennsylvania's Frontage Laboratories.
Contract drug developer AMRI turned in a stagnant revenue quarter, watching profits slip as it prepares to shake off its dependence on royalties and embrace a future in large-scale manufacturing.
Avillion, a contract researcher that teams up on late-stage drugs in exchange for a cut of profits, has added the complementarily focused Royalty Pharma to its investor syndicate, joining VCs Abingworth and Clarus Ventures.
Non-clinical contract researcher Huntingdon Life Sciences has acquired Harlan Laboratories, boosting its stake in animal models and creating a combined company with revenue it says will reach near half a billion dollars a year.
Chinese outsourcing giant WuXi PharmaTech passed an FDA audit at one of its local facilities and broke ground on a new plant in the U.S., executing on its two-pronged strategy to take a bigger share of the global drug development market.
Covance's shares fell as much as 10% after the CRO missed its internal sales goals in the first quarter and dialed down its revenue projection for the year.
Charles River Laboratories posted a slight increase in sales last quarter, crediting a rise in preclinical demand as it counts on some new acquisitions to brighten 2014.


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LIMA - The Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce is helping to put on a small business convention beginning Oct. 23 in Sandusky for small business owners across the Midwest.
LIMA — The Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce is helping to put on a small business convention beginning Oct. 23 in Sandusky for small business owners across the Midwest.
The chamber is a partner with the Council of Smaller Enterprises at the event Oct. 23, 24 and 25 at Kalahari Resorts and Convention Center. The event will bring together more than 1,000 small business professionals for three days to learn and connect. It features six national keynote speakers, more than 50 educational breakout workshops, an 80-exhibit trade show and structured and unstructured networking opportunities.
More than 30 chambers and business support organizations across Ohio and the Midwest are producing the event. Members of the chamber can register for the convention for just $99 vs. the non-member rate of $249. Kalahari is also offering attendees a special hotel room rate. For information and to register, go to the convention website at www.smallbizconvention.com.
The final judging in the third annual COSE Business Pitch Competition will serve as the kickoff to the convention on Oct. 23. The final four contestants will be vying for $40,000 in prize money and making presentations to a panel of judges that will include Jeff Hoffman, CEO and co-founder of the Priceline.com family of companies.
COSE is one of Ohio’s largest small business support organization, striving to help small businesses grow and maintain their independence.
Manufacturing training available in October
LIMA — The West Central Ohio Manufacturing Consortium will offer its free Basic Manufacturing Pathway class Oct. 14 to 30, at Rhodes State College, Lima. This 40-hour class will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Interested persons may register by calling the WCOMC at 419-995-8353 by Oct. 11.
The Basic Manufacturing Pathway class covers manufacturing-related skills in basic math, quality and safety. The course covers workplace skills such as communication and teamwork. The course also includes resume writing and financial aid for students pursuing additional training.
“Persons who recently completed the class and earned Basic Certification in the WCOMC’s Advanced Manufacturing Pathway program have attained employment with area manufacturers. Others are pursuing additional training, which is what we encourage if they are seeking employment,” said WCOMC Director Doug Durliat.
The course is available at no cost to students thanks to a Community Development Block Grant awarded to the WCOMC from the City of Lima.
Midwest Spray Drying now named Wannemacher Packaging Upper Sandusky Plant
LIMA — Midwest Spray Drying announces the company has become a part of Wannemacher Packaging Division of Wannemacher Total Logistics and will now be known as the Upper Sandusky Plant of Wannemacher Packaging.
The move is a part of Wannemacher’s consolidation of its two recently acquired food processing and packaging facilities into its existing packaging operations.
“This move is a logical step forward as the Wannemacher Packaging Division grows its presence in our company,” said Greg Wannemacher, President of Wannemacher Total Logistics. “A little more than a year and a half ago we purchased the Golden Heritage liquid filling plant in Van Wert, Ohio, and late last year we acquired the Midwest Spray Drying plant in Upper Sandusky.”
Spray drying is a method of producing a dry powder from a liquid or slurry by rapidly drying with a hot gas. The liquid is sprayed into a large, food-grade drying tower that dries the atomized liquid, resulting in a fine powder. The resulting powders are used in a wide variety of products including spices, flavorings, teas, and even pharmaceutical ingredients.
Wannemacher Total Logistics was founded in 1991 and includes freight logistics, distribution services, warehousing, transportation, and contract packaging.
Lima Mall welcomes home-based businesses for expo
LIMA — Lima Mall will welcome local, home-based businesses allowing them the opportunity to promote services and products during the Home-Based Business Expo taking place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 5.
The event will showcase items from a variety of individual domestic entrepreneurs with brands including Avon, Pampered Chef and Thirty-One Gifts.
Products will be available for purchase at each booth, as well as demonstrations of showcased items. The expo will be held in the Elder-Beerman wing of Lima Mall. There is still time for businesses to register. Please contact Lima Mall at 419-331-1311 for more information.
“Our Home-based Business Expo gives business owners the opportunity to showcase their products and services where customer traffic already exists,” said Melinda Edler, director of mall marketing and business development for Lima Mall. “For our customers, it is a great opportunity to purchase items not typically available at the mall as well as meet the local entrepreneurs behind the brands.”
©2013 The Lima News (Lima, Ohio)
Visit The Lima News (Lima, Ohio) at www.limaohio.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services


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San Antonio — The Progressive Retailers Organization was at the Westin La Cantera Hill Coun
Home >> Retailing E Tailing
DANIA BEACH, FLA. — Distributor Wave Electronics has opened a full-service location here, serving the Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and surrounding markets.
The fully featured facility has sound rooms, hand-picked areas, training areas, working automation and control demo systems, and an “automated living room,” the company noted.
Wave said it opened the branch to showcase an exclusive mix of products that now includes the Pioneer and Just Add Power lines.
The following is an alphabetical list of the major buying groups and select divisions for independent CE, appliance and furniture dealers.
Azione Unlimited (AU)
501 E. Uwchlan Ave. Chester Springs, PA 19425
Phone: (610) 280-3840
President: Richard Glikes
Categories: A/V, custom install, system integration Annual
volume: $250 million
Membership: 67 dealers/integrators, 35 vendors
NEW YORK — Car electronics retailers are beginning to see better times, and they have strong promotion and marketing efforts to thank for it, according to the two industry buying groups TWICE spoke with.
NEW YORK – CE and appliance setbacks at some of the biggest of big-box chains has allowed independent dealers to reclaim some of their lost market share.
But the buying groups they belong to are urging them to press their advantage – and boost profitability – by adjusting their assortments, stoking their digital strategies and moving into adjunct businesses.
EAGAN, MINN. — Capitol Sales is broadening its video and audio selection and expects sustained growth this year from its retail and custom installer customers.
Curt Hayes, president and chief financial officer, said the CE distributor recently received the entire Toshiba 2013 TV line, “which is mostly Cloud-based and gives consumers access to updated apps.” Hayes also reported that Capitol has received most of Panasonic’s TV line, “which has been well received by retailers and, I think, should be by consumers.”
NEW YORK – Best Buy said early indicators from the first wave of 200 Samsung in-store boutiques have been promising.
“Customer feedback has been extremely positive,” Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly noted at the recent launch event for the Samsung Experience Shops here.
“The concept makes sense,” he said. “The next question is, ‘How big is big?’ We don’t know yet.”
CHICAGO — AT&T has opened a 10,000-square-foot flagship store on Chicago’s Miracle Mile designed to showcase present and future wireless technologies and services.
The interactive showroom, which opened last week, features more than 100 digital displays, some located on an 18-foot-high “Connect Wall,” to help customers explore products, apps and content.
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. – The Nationwide Marketing Group (NMG) is pulling out all the stops to gird its independent dealers for what could be a bare-knuckles second half.
Operational improvements, new and enhanced merchandising and marketing programs, and an expanded product portfolio that now includes Canon and Nikon will help members gain share amid a challenging market for CE and appliances, NMG executives said.
LAS VEGAS – BrandSource is upbeat about its prospects in CE for the upcoming fourth quarter and holiday season, as it sees industry trends breaking its way.
In an interview with TWICE during last week’s annual Las Vegas BrandSource convention, Jim Ristow, executive VP of the group’s Home Entertainment Source (HES) division, noted, “This show focuses on TV and appliance dealers and rent-to- own members. In this channel CE has done very well.”
LAS VEGAS – BrandSource sees its group of independent retailers as “holding its own,” if not more so, with national online and big-box retailers in major appliances and CE, and the group hopes to increase that competitiveness with its new Cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) system.


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Saab posts healthy financials for 2021
In its full-year results presentation on 11 February, Saab described 11% sales growth in 2021 to SEK39.15 billion ($4.20 billion), helping net profits to more than double to SEK2.89 billion.
Order bookings grew by 3% to a value of SEK43.57 billion in 2021, while the order backlog as at 31 December 2021 reached SEK105.18 billion (up by 5%).
‘In 2021, we strengthened our platform for future growth by continuing to grow our order intake,’ said Micael Johansson, Saab president and CEO, adding that the defence and aerospace company expects organic sales growth of 5% in 2022.
Orders booked in Q4 2021, for instance, included a new Gripen E equipment contract for Sweden, multiple Carl-Gustaf orders including the next-generation round for Sweden, and a launch contract for the new G1X air defence radar.
However, sales fell in Q4 as the Aeronautics and Kockums businesses within Saab reported growth while Dynamics and Surveillance had lower sales.
Johansson sounded a note of caution around a ‘continued risk’ of supply chain shortages in 2022. He noted that headwinds related to the global COVID-19 pandemic remain ‘to some extent’, although Saab has ‘largely mitigated the impact on our business’.
More from Defence Notes
‘The army is really undergoing its most fundamental transformation in 40 years. We are moving away from the system that we designed in the 80s’, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth has claimed,
The recently released 2023 Cyber Strategy states that the US will build the capacity and capability of allies and partners in cyberspace and expand avenues of potential cyber cooperation.


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YouTube Shorts, YouTube’s TikTok Competitor Is Rolling Out Now
It looks like YouTube has started rolling out YouTube Shorts, the company’s answer to the popular social media app TikTok. Shorts works very similar to TikTok, users can post short and vertically shot videos and post them online. Shorts is currently in Beta and it is understood that not everyone has received the update yet.
Move over TikTok, YouTube Shorts is coming
Shorts was first announced back in September last year via a blog post by Chris Jaffe, YouTube’s Vice President of Product Management. India is the first country to receive a beta version of YouTube Shorts (as TikTok is banned in India) and has seen great success there. Shorts has reportedly received up to 3.5 billion views per day in India alone. In comparison, TikTok is expected to reach a whopping 1 billion active users by 2021.
This is not the first time other companies have tried releasing their own version of TikTok. Social media giant Facebook also got in the act by developing their own TikTok clone called Instagram Reels.
The YouTube Shorts rollout is supposed to start this month in the United States with a global rollout to follow soon after.
Pokdepinion: Don’t think I’ll be joining this. Not a huge fan of TikTok and its ilk anyway.


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Hipther Agency is thrilled to announce its strategic media partnership with Expodia for the Innovative Digital Expo 2023, scheduled for July 27th at the Prague Congress Centre. Hipther, organizer of the successful Prague Gaming & Tech Summit series, is delighted to form this alliance with Expodia and the Innovative Digital Expo, to promote the vibrant events ecosystem in Prague.
The Innovative Digital Expo 2023, organized by Expodia, is set to welcome 70+ exhibitors and over 1500 visitors from across Europe. Held at the modern Prague Congress Centre, this event promises a vibrant platform for industry leaders, visionaries, and passionate individuals to drive meaningful change in the digital landscape.
Expodia offers a comprehensive exhibition solution that maximizes company exposure. In addition to ready-made exhibition spots, they provide companies the opportunity to record keynote presentations in 4 cutting-edge digital studios equipped with green screens, cameras, lights, production teams, and makeup artists. The presentations will be streamed live on the Digital Stage of Expodia, accessible to a global audience.
Before the event, Expodia’s website will be featuring insightful interviews introducing exhibiting companies to visitors, available in 3 languages: German, English and Czech, introducing each company to the local market, Germany, and all English-speaking audiences at once!
Attendees of the Innovative Digital Expo can effortlessly switch between the Main stage and the 4 studios of the Digital stage via the Expodia App. This seamless experience enables participants to stay connected and engaged with all the event happenings.
The versatile event will feature a star-studded lineup of top keynote speakers discussing all aspects of digital innovation, hosted by Ruth Hoffmann, the experienced professional Ttv host from Germany.
And there’s more to come: a special act by the best master mentalist in the world, Lior Suchard, known for his mind-reading and hypnotism skills, will be held in November and all Innovative Digital Expo 2023 exhibitors will get free tickets for the show.
Expodia's innovative suite of digital solutions optimizes resource management for companies, offering maximum exposure at a minimal cost. Their goal is to empower modern digital industries and unlock new business growth possibilities through the future of events.
Hipther Agency is excited to support the Innovative Digital Expo 2023 powered by Expodia, aligning with their mutual dedication to innovation and Prague's thriving business networking scene.
"We couldn't be more excited to join hands with Expodia for the Innovative Digital Expo 2023", expressed Zoltan Tundik, Co-Founder and Head of Business at Hipther Agency. "Our collaboration symbolizes a confluence of synergies, leveraging our collective strengths to elevate Prague's thriving events landscape. Given our robust track record with the Prague Gaming & Tech Summit series, we are confident this strategic media partnership will amplify the reach and resonance of the Innovative Digital Expo, catalyzing meaningful conversations, fostering unique connections, and reinforcing Prague as the epicenter of digital innovation. The countdown to July 27th has begun!"
Armin Khani, Ceo of Expodia, commented about the event and their strategic partnership with Hipther: “I'm delighted to share the exciting news of our partnership with Hipther as the media partner for the Innovative Digital Expo 2023. From my perspective, they are the perfect match, bringing their deep industry knowledge and expansive network to the table. Together, we will explore the future of digitalization and innovation, paving the way for transformative advancements across industries. Join us for an incredible journey into the possibilities of tomorrow!".


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January 23, 2008
Toyota develops eyelid-monitoring system to ensure you are alert
Enhancing their Pre-Crash safety system, Toyota has announced their new technology that can determine whether the driver’s eyes are open or not. The system relies on a driver-monitoring camera and image-processing computer, which determine the position of the driver’s upper and lower eyelids. Toyota’s existing face-monitoring technology, which is available on the Lexus LS600h has the ability to track the orientation of the driver’s face and sounds a warning if it detects a sustained period of inattention. It looks like Toyota is leaving no stone unturned to ensure passenger safety. The eye-monitoring system is scheduled for launch in Japan “in the near future,” according to Toyota
Other cars with similar efforts to keep passengers safe (and awake) are BMW with the rumbling steering wheel, Infiniti’s Lane Departure Prevention system, and Volvo’s coffee-break alert.


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Organic beer is old news. The latest attempts by breweries to go green have nothing to do with organic hops or locally grown barley. In fact, most of their environmental efforts have nothing to do with what goes into their beer at all. Instead, breweries are focusing their attention on greening all aspects of the beer-making, from the breweries to the packaging materials.
"More and more breweries are conscious about their [carbon] footprints and their impact on the environment," says Julia Herz, spokeswoman for the Brewers Association. "It's more than just a trend; it's a movement."
The movement seems to be taking hold. According to the Brewers Association, there are 1,500 craft breweries in the United States (defined as breweries that produce fewer than 2 million barrels of beer per year) and a growing number of them are embracing alternative energy, starting composting programs, recycling spent grain and using reclaimed materials, including brewing equipment, in their operations.
In California, Sierra Nevada gets a third of its power from the sun. Its efforts are part of the largest private solar installation efforts in the nation, with 1.8 megawatts of photovoltaic panels. Solar power also helps Anderson Valley Brewing Co. in Boonville, Calif.; Twin Lakes American Farm Brewery in Greenville, Del.; and Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington, Ind., run their brewing operations. According to Upland Brewing Co., switching to solar helped cut its natural gas usage by up to 75 percent.
The Lucky Labrador Brewing Co. in Portland, Ore., spent $70,000 on a solar thermal system that gathers energy from the sun to heat the water used to brew beer, saving the brewery close to $2,000 per year in energy costs. To celebrate its success, Lucky Lab introduced a limited-edition Solar Flare Ale that has gotten rave reviews.
"It was an economic no-brainer," says Gary Geist, co-owner of "The Lucky Lab," explaining that the cost was offset by federal and state tax credits and a grant. "It was also part of our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint, to do what we can to be sustainable."
Energy efficiency is also top-of-mind in Colorado, where the New Belgium Brewery gets 100 percent of its power from the wind, has cut its water use in half and is in the process of installing solar panels onsite. The changes have enabled the brewery to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 8 million pounds per year.
"From the beginning, one of our core values has been to produce world-class beer using environmentally friendly practices," says Bryan Simpson, spokesman for New Belgium Brewery. "It's part of our corporate culture to keep the environment in mind in everything we do."
It's not just the brewery buildings that are getting green makeovers; the materials used to transport and package beer are becoming more eco-friendly, too. At Odell Brewing Co. in Fort Collins, Colo., craft beers are bottled in recycled glass and six-pack holders are made from recycled paper. At Oregon-based brewpub McMenamins, pallets used to transport kegs are returned to the distributor to be reused, the wooden bungs used to seal kegs are chipped into garden compost and nylon malt bags are collected for gardening. In keeping with the 3 R's, even kegs and other brewing equipment is purchased second-hand from other breweries and retrofitted. McMenamins has even hired a full-time environmental coordinator to manage reducing, reusing and recycling the brewery's waste.
Although smaller breweries are leading the green revolution, some of the big-name beer-makers are making changes, too. MillerCoors, one of the largest beer brewers in the world, switched from hard-to-recycle steel cans to aluminum in 1959. Today, the Colorado-based brewery recycles its own wastewater and sells ethanol to local refineries. Anheuser-Busch, brewer of Budweiser, has also made some eco-friendly changes to its Fairfield, Calif., brewing operations, installing six acres of ground-mounted photovoltaic panels and a bio-energy recovery system that captures the nutrients in brewers wastewater and converts it into biogas.
Both Coors and McMenamins offer hop flowers, berries, brewers yeast and other "spent grains" to local farmers for livestock feed. In Hawaii, Kona Brewing Co. sells its spent grains to farmers, too. The brewery also uses spent grain from the brewing process as an ingredient in its pizza dough and breads.
This new twist on green beer might not make a cold pint taste better, but the efforts add up to a huge environmental impact.
"These brewers are passionate innovators who are making a difference," Herz says.
In honor of their efforts, grab a cold beer and make a toast to the breweries that are committed to balancing their passion for great beer with their commitment to the environment.
MNN homepage photo: roman_sh/iStockphoto


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Success of Taco Bell and Doritos mash-up has parent company Pepsi searching for more hybrid products...is Mountain Dew salad dressing next?
- Pepsico, which owns Doritos, announced Thursday it's signed a deal with restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings for pairings that include the cheese chip
- The company also hopes to create other branded hybrid products, such as Mountain Dew sauces and dressings
- Sales of Taco Bell's Doritos Locos tacos topped a staggering $1 billion in October
The success of Taco Bell's Dorito Loco taco shell has the snack food's owner Pepsico scrambling to find new ways to use its cheese dust.
PepsiCo, which owns Cheetos, Fritos, Tostitos and other snacks, found huge success last year after teaming up with Taco Bell to create Dorito-flavored taco shells, sales of which topped $1 billion in October.
Since the enormous boon, Pepsico has been eager to dream up other restaurant dishes featuring the popular snack.
The new salt? The unparalleled success of the Taco Bell/Doritos mash-up has Doritos parent company Pepsico scrambling to figure out how to get the addicting flavor dust onto more and more new products
The company announced Thursday that it struck a deal to serve its drinks at Buffalo Wild Wings, snatching a significant client from beverage rival Coca-Cola Co.
PepsiCo also said it would work with the sports-centric chain to create 'unique menu offerings.'
During a trip to PepsiCo's food innovation lab, Buffalo Wild Wings CEO Sally Smith said in an interview that she was shown several dishes that might be a hit with the chain's customers.
The company envisions Doritos as a cheesy topping for deep fried, saucy wings or tenders or even on a side of fried potatoes.
Irresistible: Customers lined up in droves for the cheesy-shelled taco. Sales of the Doritos Locos tacos topped a previously unimaginable $1 billion
Smith said she was shown ideas for salad dressings and sandwich and chicken wing sauces that incorporate PepsiCo's colas, including Mountain Dew.
'I don't think it will be in the next 12 months, but we'll possibly start testing after a year or 18 months,' she said, noting that considerable research and planning would be needed to bring the offerings to the company's more than 975 U.S. locations.
PepsiCo clearly sees the idea of incorporating its snacks into menus as a major opportunity.
Pizza Hut, for instance, has also looked at ways to team up with Frito-Lay snacks, according to a representative. Pizza Hut is owned by Yum Brands, which is also the parent company of Taco Bell and KFC.
Countless possibilities: Pepsico announced Thursday a partnership with Buffalo Wild Wings. The restaurant will now serve Pepsi beverages and says there are other Doritos-based down the pipeline, such as buffalo chicken wings topped with Doritos chips
Hidden Valley Dew: Pepsico and Buffalo Wild Wings have also brought up the possibility of sauces and salad dressing that incorporate Pepsi soft drinks, such as Mountain Dew
Over at Taco Bell, Doritos Locos
Tacos have been and a considerable sales driver, boosting the fortunes
of both PepsiCo and Yum.
The company brought onboard an additional 15,000 employees last year in large part to handle the additional business driven by Doritos Locos tacos.
Taco Bell CEO
Greg Creed has noted that a major advantage of the Doritos Locos Tacos
is that nobody can replicate them — their success is largely tied to the
popularity of the Doritos brand.
latest partnership with Buffalo Wild Wings reflects PepsiCo's push to
use the strength of its snacks business to bolster its beverage
business, which has long trailed Coca-Cola.
That campaign comes as PepsiCo fights off calls to split its drinks and snacks unit. PepsiCo has responded to the calls for a split by touting a Power of One marketing campaign that features one of its snacks with one of its drinks.
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H.R.5404, a bill to define the dollar as a fixed weight of gold
Gesara.news » News » H.R.5404, a bill to define the dollar as a fixed weight of goldNews Date: May 5, 2020
H.R. 5404 is a bill introduced by Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV2) that would bring the U.S. back to the gold standard once and for all. It would take effect exactly 30 months after the bill was passed, to allow an adjustment period in the American economy.
Interestingly for a Republican-introduced bill, if the bill was enacted any time after July 2018, that 30-month window would come under the administration of the 2020 election.
The tech sector has already witnessed some sharp losses, but right before the market closed on Friday, the meltdown was becoming more widespread.
For a long time now, analysts, experts, economists, and investors have been sounding the alarm about an explosive and sudden stock market crash that would wipe out billions in earnings overnight.
And even though the collapse of the bubble has already started, we're still hearing silence.
It is proposed to 'place a specialized international precious metals exchange headquartered in Moscow' using the 'new international standard MWS' as the 'basis of the structure.'
It is also proposed to establish a Price Fixing Committee.
Subject to the application of the MWS standard, it will include the central banks and the largest banks of the Eurasian Economic Union countries represented in the precious metals market.
According to the Russian department, it is necessary to 'bet on fixing prices in the national currencies of the key member countries, or on new units of international settlements, such as the new unit of settlements proposed by the president of Russia within the member countries of the BRICS organization.'
Retailers large and small have urged shoppers to use cards or exact change whenever possible.
As the shortage persists, it's become clear that there are still some conundrums that only coins can solve.
Bitcoin, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash and Ethereum showed a bigger reaction in terms of price-performance to regulatory news.
Such injections into the economy have generally lifted investor demand for safe-haven assets like the precious metal as fears of inflation and currency debasement grow.


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50 shades of white
Axalta Coating Systems today released the findings of its 65th annual Global Automotive Colour Popularity Report.
The report found white to be the worldwide leader in consumer vehicle colour choice in 2017, followed by black in second place at 16%, and grey and silver tied in third place for the second consecutive year at 11% percent.
‘With its modern appeal, white continues to be the top seller worldwide,’ said Nancy Lockhart, Axalta global colour marketing manager. ‘Pearlescent whites gained four per cent in popularity this year as this multi-coat colour is used on all segments and has the highest usage in Japan. Overall, light and bright colours continue to gain strength as light grey and light to medium shades of blue have increased interest in the market.’
‘Automotive colour evolves over time,’ says Elke Dirks, Axalta automotive OEM color designer, Europe, Middle East and Africa. ‘Recently, blue has been trending in various versions from highly chromatic shades to light metallic colours, and grey has been on the rise as the next competing neutral.’
‘White is the undisputed number one, but the story does not end there,’ said Annie You, Axalta OEM Color Designer, China. ‘Our customers value the subtle trends the report unveils. For instance, buyers in India prefer silver more than any other region at an amazing 30%. Overall, more white vehicles are produced in China than any other region, of which 47% are solid white and 15% pearl white.’
For more information on Axalta’s Global Automotive 2017 Color Popularity Report, please visit axalta.com/color.


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Kim Kardashian flaunts her famous curves in Skims’ one-year anniversary campaign alongside Delilah Belle and Amelia Gray Hamlin, La La Anthony, Rumer Willis – and Kourtney’s TikTok star pal Addison Rae
- Kim, 39, enlisted several of her celebrity pals to appear in the campaign, which celebrates Skims’ one-year milestone on September 10
- Rumer, 32, Addison, 19, Delilah, 22, Amelia, 19, and La La, 39, all posed for their own shoots, as did Jodie Turner Smith, Yovanna Ventura, and Precious Lee
- Eight Skims customers were also chosen to take part in their own shoots – and many have been given their own billboard ads
- The campaign, which was shot by photographer Vanessa Beecroft, celebrates the brand’s most iconic lines: Solutionwear and Fits Everybody
- Kim chose a diverse group of stars and customers to ‘represent the brand ethos: Skims is for everyone’
Kim Kardashian is marking the one-year anniversary of Skims by enlisted several A-list pals, and a handful of her customers, to show off the brand’s most popular designs in a star-studded campaign.
The 39-year-old marked the milestone occasion by posing up for a striking shoot that sees her showing off her iconic curves in a nude shapewear design, while lounging in a room that is filled with pieces from the brand’s many collections.
Indeed, in an homage to all that the brand has achieved in the last 12 months, each of the individual shoots that make up the complete campaign see Kim’s chosen models posing alongside decorations or items that represent a piece of the label’s history, be it a previous campaign, or an old design.
Milestone: Kim Kardashian has marked the one-year anniversary of her shapewear brand Skims by showing off her famous curves in a stunning new campaign – alongside several celebrity pals, and a handful of customers
Gal pals: Kim also enlisted longtime friend La La Anthony 39, to model for the campaign, which pays tribute to all that Skims has achieved over the past year, by featuring different campaigns, products, and designs in the shoots – even Skims Barbies
Stunner: Bruce Willis’ daughter Rumer, 32, also makes an appearance in the campaign, modeling a Skims two-piece set while showing off long brunette curls
Sister sister: Lisa Rinna’s model daughters Amelia Gray and Delilah Belle Hamlin look like twins in their shoot, which sees them both modeling short black wigs while posing alongside mannequins with the same blunt hairstyle
Rising star: Kourtney Kardashian’s TikTok star pal Addison Rae also poses in the campaign, modeling in a room that has been decorated floor to ceiling in Skims images – and also features Kim’s iconic selfie book, an apt addition for the social media star
And in order to best showcase the brand’s ethos – that ‘Skims is for everybody’ – Kim made sure to call upon a diverse group of models to pose in her designs, enlisting both celebrity friends, and consumers, for the special shoot.
As well as the reality star, the campaign also features the likes of Lisa Rinna’s model daughters, Delilah Belle and Amelia Gray Hamlin, TV star La La Anthony, Bruce Willis’ daughter Rumer, actress Jodie Turner Smith – who is married to Joshua Jackson – model Yovanna Ventura, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit star Precious Lee, and Kourtney Kardashian’s TikTok star pal Addison Rae.
However, the campaign also features eight Skims customers, who were invited to step into the spotlight for the groundbreaking shoot – which is the first of its kind for the brand, and was inspired, Kim explained in a statement, by the many fans who have taken to social media to share images of themselves proudly rocking her designs.
Stunner: Actress Jodie Turner Smith, who gave birth to her first child with Joshua Jackson just four months ago, lay on the floor in a room surrounded by mirrors to showcase her Skims two-piece set
Vroom vroom! Precious Lee – who was the first black plus-size model to appear in the pages of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, posed atop a convertible that had been covered in Skims imagery for her shoot
In a Barbie world: La La appears in multiple shots, including one that shows her lying on a sofa while surrounded by specially-made Skims dolls that are all wearing designs from the brand
‘It’s wild to think that it’s already been one year since we launched Skims,’ the mother-of-four said.
‘I’m eternally grateful for the love and support that our customers have shown both me and the brand. I’ve loved seeing everyone’s photos in Skims and reading the comments on social media, and I wanted to use this time, the campaign, and customer gifting to really say thank you.
‘The customers are our inspiration for developing new ideas and collections and there is so much more to come. I can’t wait to share it all and continue to grow our amazing community.’


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May 11, 2023 - 12:48 pm
Volvo’s electric truck orders are up 141 per cent
Volvo Trucks received 486 orders for electric trucks in the first quarter of 2023, an increase of 141 per cent compared to the same period last year. This number is expected to increase over the course of the year as the Swedish company looks to bring its electric trucks to even more countries.
Apr 26, 2023 - 12:40 pm
Changan announces plans for EV factory in Thailand
The Chinese car manufacturer Changan is investing the equivalent of 258 million euros in a plant for electric and hybrid cars and batteries in Thailand. It is to become Changan’s first vehicle plant for right-hand drive vehicles outside China.
Apr 3, 2023 - 12:35 pm
Ugandan capital to electrify 140,000 motorcycle taxis
In Uganda’s capital Kampala, 140,000 motorbike taxis with internal combustion engines are to be replaced by purely electric vehicles within five years. This is according to an agreement signed between the government of Uganda and the African eMobility start-up Spiro.
Mar 31, 2023 - 12:56 pm
Morocco to build 2,500 charging stations by 2026
In Morocco, companies in the electricity and automotive sectors have given the green light to APIME, the intersectoral association for electric mobility founded a few weeks ago, to install 2,500 new charging stations in the country over the next three years.
Mar 10, 2023 - 03:20 pm
Roam opens large-scale electric motorcycle plant in Kenya
Swedish-Kenyan company Roam will produce over 50,000 electric motorbikes a year at a new factory in Kenya’s capital Nairobi. The company considers the 10,000 sqm facility, Roam Park, Africa’s largest such plant. It also forms Roam’s new HQ and battery lab.
Mar 9, 2023 - 01:30 pm
Cabot to build battery centre in Germany
The US speciality chemicals company Cabot has announced the establishment of a technology centre in Germany. With the centre in Münster, Cabot wants to focus on technical cooperation with customers to accelerate the development of its battery materials products in Europe.
Jan 30, 2023 - 03:34 pm
Kempower & TSG bundle offers in Europe and Africa
Finnish charging hardware manufacturer Kempower has signed a non-exclusive distribution and service framework agreement with TSG, a provider of technical solutions for sustainable mobility. They aim to deliver fast charging solutions to 32 countries in Europe and Africa.
Jan 6, 2023 - 02:25 pm
Zimbabwe bans raw lithium exports
Zimbabwe has banned the export of raw lithium with immediate effect. The land-locked country has the largest lithium reservoir in Africa but finds that foreign companies and smugglers have extracted the valuable ore without paying their dues.
Nov 17, 2022 - 02:53 pm
BasiGo gets over $6M for electric bus roll out in Kenya
BasiGo, a company working to introduce electric buses into Kenya, has announced $6.6 mn in new funding, enabling the company to start delivering locally assembled electric buses and charging infrastructure through its Pay-As-You-Drive financing model.
Oct 10, 2022 - 06:02 pm
ETH Zurich launches small e-plane e-Sling with unique tech (video)
An electric aircraft called e-Sling has managed its maiden flight at Dübendorf airfield in Switzerland. Developed by students at ETH Zurich, the four-seater plane with roots in Africa carries a unique propulsion system designed in Zurich, enabling battery swaps during stopovers.
May 13, 2022 - 04:18 pm
NAMX & Pininfarina show “HUV” with removable capsule tanks
The Afro-European startup NAMX has presented a fuel cell SUV designed by Pininfarina due for market launch in 2025. The highlight of the car, called HUV, lies in its hydrogen storage. NAMX’s patented technology combines a fixed hydrogen tank and six removable capsules as secondary tanks.
Apr 4, 2022 - 02:50 pm
All-electric bus services to start in Senegal
Infrastructure investor Meridiam is implementing a large bus project in Africa with its partners Keolis and Fonsis. The concession contract now signed provides a total investment of more than 135 million euros for operating and maintaining an exclusively electric bus public transport network in Senegal’s capital Dakar.
Mar 9, 2022 - 06:16 pm
Electric cargo bike pilot starts in Ghana
Impact Hub Accra and Siemens Stiftung has just launched the project Electric Cargo Bikes ‘Made in Ghana.’ The first two workshops in Accra and Tamale will start operations in March and will use a business model focussed on small entrepreneurs in the delivery sector.
Jul 14, 2021 - 11:47 am
Siemens is supporting African e-mobility startups
The Siemens Stiftung has awarded prize money of between 10,000 and 50,000 euros to five African social enterprises in its first competition in the field of electromobility. The money is intended to help the winners establish their products and services on the market.
Jun 27, 2021 - 12:50 pm
VW to phase out combustion vehicles by 2035
The VW brand is planning to phase out internal combustion engines in Europe by 2035 at the latest, thus taking a more moderate course than its sister company Audi, which recently announced its intention to stop selling cars with internal combustion engines by 2033 at the latest.
Mar 2, 2021 - 05:20 pm
E-mobility made in Africa for Africa
Siemens Stiftung launches its first E-Mobility Innovation Call seeking solutions for “Electric Mobility Made in Africa for Africa”. African entrepreneurs, start-ups, and social ventures may win pre-seed funding of up to 50,000 euros.
Oct 22, 2020 - 04:16 pm
PSA & Moroccan postal service to adapt Citroën Ami
The French PSA Group and Morocco’s postal service Barid Al-Maghrib signed an agreement to develop an adapted version of all-electric Citroën Ami. A total of 225 electric mail delivery vehicles have been commissioned.
Sep 9, 2020 - 03:27 pm
Uber pledges 100% electric vehicles globally by 2040
Uber promises that by 2040 all trips booked via its ride-hailing platform worldwide will be made with electric vehicles or micro-mobility offers such as e-scooters or rental bicycles. In the USA, Canada and Europe, this goal is to be reached by 2030.
Sep 3, 2020 - 03:12 pm
Kenyan startup rents electric motors to fishermen
In the Kenyan fishing village of Mbita, the start-up Asobo lends Torqeedo electric motors to local fishermen for a monthly fee. Included are financial advice, training, maintenance and a battery charging service with solar energy.
Jul 9, 2020 - 07:31 pm
Delta launches 200-kW charging station for EMEA region
Delta Electronics has just presented its new HPC station for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. As the name UFC 200 suggests, the station enables a maximum charging power of 200 kW that can be split into two 100 kW to charge two electric cars at the same time.
Feb 10, 2020 - 11:55 am
An epic electric journey across the Sahara
At the vintage automobile Retromobile Show in Paris car show in Paris, Citroën announced that in 2022, it will be undertaking the epic journey across the Sahara with all-electric vehicles.


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Having obtained a diploma in Intercultural Communication, Julia continued her studies taking a Master’s degree in Economics and Management. Becoming captured by innovative technologies, Julia turned passionate about exploring emerging techs believing in their ability to transform all spheres of our life.
Financial losses haven’t made Monster give up. The company is going to upgrade its business raising $300 million from the future ICO.
Though a well-known manufacturer of audio/video components Monster Products, Inc. has been recently experiencing not the best times of its history, now the company hopes to change the situation and raise $300 million in its initial coin offering.
The company was established 40 years ago. It produces various electronic accessories and distributes its goods via retailers. Nevertheless, now Monster is going to revolutionize the way it is doing its business.
Monster has ambitious plans to create the Monster Money Network which will represent itself an e-commerce platform where the company will trade its products. It is possible that in the future it will add products of other companies to its website.
To implement its ideas into life, Monster team has decided to run one of the major ICOs in the history, offering “monster money tokens”. The company has already filed an application to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
In case of a successful fundraising round, Monster will allocate these funds for development of their Monster Money Network where users will be able to buy the company’s products with the help of Ethereum tokens.
Monster will issue 500 million tokens. 300 million of them are planned to be sold in the company’s ICO. The ICO will last for one year, or it may end earlier if all the tokens are sold out sooner.
Moreover, the company is going to issue 75 million shares of common stock. It means that if something goes wrong, token holders will have an opportunity to receive one share of stock for every four tokens.
The company plans that their Monster Money Network will be utilized “for payment processing, market analysis, accounting, audit and payroll services, inventory management and shipping operation”. At first all these opportunities will be available relating to Monster products only but then it is planned to include other e-commerce platforms to the network.
The company plans to carry out its project in three stages. The first stage will include a launch of a simple payments system, using an ERC-20 token. In the next stage, thanks to micro-transactions off-chain, the team is going to lower or eliminate transaction costs. And in the third stage, the network will be transitioned to its own blockchain.
The Monster’s filing states:
“In the future, Monster intends to leverage its global connections and brand visibility along with blockchain technology to bring more and more other e-commerce platforms onto Monster Money Network and expand the user base of MMNY Tokens. We hope to set up the blockchain standard for e-commerce platforms.”
All in all, the company is not going to make its tokens the only way to pay for its products. Nevertheless, it is rather obvious that the ICO is a good way to attract public’s attention to the companies activity and to give it a new boost for development.


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We finally know just about how many subscribers Hotstar has amassed over the years in India. “Approximately 8 million.”
Disney said on Wednesday that its eponymous streaming service now has over 50 million subscribers, nearly 8 million of whom are in India, where it launched its service atop Hotstar less than a week ago.
Five-year-old Hotstar is the most popular on-demand streaming service in India with more than 300 million users. The service and its operator, Indian network Star India, were picked up by Disney as part of its $71 billion deal with Fox last year.
For years, people in the industry have been curious about Hotstar’s premium subscriber base — to no luck. Most estimates have suggested it had about 1.5 million to 2 million subscribers. Executives at rival firms have expected that figure to be lower.
In fact, a months-long analysis conducted by one streaming firm in India concluded recently that there were 2 million paying subscribers for music and video services. So 8 million is a huge milestone.
But ARPU that Disney will clock from these 8 million subscriber is going to be far lower. Disney+ Hotstar is available in India at a yearly subscription cost of about $20. (That’s the revised subscription cost. Prior to Disney+’s launch in India, Hotstar charged about $13.) The service also offers a lower-cost tier that costs less than $5.5 a year.
And for that $20 a year, subscribers of Disney+ Hotstar get access to a wide-ranging catalog that includes access to Disney Originals in English as well as several local languages, live sporting events, dozens of TV channels, and thousands of movies and shows, including some sourced from HBO, Showtime, ABC and Fox that maintain syndication partnerships with the Indian streaming service.
“I think everyone is still trying to sort out the right pricing. It’s true the average Indian consumer is used to far lower prices and can’t afford more. However, we need to focus on the consumers likely to buy this, who have the requisite broadband access and income, etc,” Matthew Ball, former head of strategic planning for Amazon Studios, told TechCrunch in a recent conversation.
Disney+ competes with more than three dozen international and local players in India, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Times Internet’s MX Player (which has over 175 million monthly active users), Zee5, Apple TV+ and Alt Balaji, which has over 27 million subscribers. According to industry estimates, Amazon Prime Video has fewer than 5 million subscribers, and Netflix, fewer than 2 million.
Most of these services monetize their viewers through ads, and have kept their monthly subscription price below $3.


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Tesco accounting scandal laid bare as watchdog reports findings
Tesco has said it accepts the damning findings of GCA report, and commits to continue to build trusted partnerships with suppliers Tesco will continue to work collaboratively with suppliers to further build trust, following today’s publication of the Groceries Code Adjudicator’s (GCA) report into historic supplier issues.
Dave Lewis, Group Chief Executive Officer, Tesco said: “In 2014 we undertook our own review into certain historic practices, which were both unsustainable and harmful to our suppliers. We shared these practices with the Adjudicator, and publicly apologised. Today, I would like to apologise again. We are sorry.
“I am grateful to the Adjudicator for the professional manner in which the investigation has been conducted. We accept the report’s findings, which are consistent with our own investigation.
“Over the last year we have worked hard to make Tesco a very different company from the one described in the GCA report. The absolute focus on operating margin had damaging consequences for the business and our relationship with suppliers. This has now been fundamentally changed.
“In January 2015, we made material changes to our business that addressed the majority of the historic practices referred to in the report. We have changed the way we work by reorganising, refocusing and retraining our teams and we will continue to work in a way which is consistent with the recommendations.”
According to today’s report, the overwhelming majority of Tesco’s suppliers are more positive towards the company today, compared to the period under investigation.
The improvement in supplier relations follows a comprehensive review of how Tesco works with all of its 3,000 UK suppliers. As a result, Tesco implemented 14 significant initiatives to improve the way it works with suppliers and how it runs its business.
New initiatives included Tesco becoming the first UK retailer to publish its payment terms with its suppliers, resulting in a fair, transparent and consistent approach across its supply base. The move introduced payment terms of 14 days for hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses across the UK.
Tesco also created a 2,500-strong Supplier Network and set up a special helpline for suppliers to solve any issues which might arise, within 48 hours.
Dave Lewis added: “We have made a lot of progress, but there is still more we can do. Today our colleagues are empowered to do the right thing for our customers and for our suppliers, and I am extremely proud of the way they have responded over the past year.”
A recap of the supplier-related initiatives Tesco has implemented since 2014 is as follows:
Working with suppliers:
- Carried out a comprehensive review of how we work with all our 3,000 supplier partners across the UK.
- Reorganised our Product team structure, with clearer objectives to focus on long-term relationships with suppliers and expanded responsibility for stock and ordering, technical, trade planning and space, range and merchandising management.
- Built new supplier induction training programmes.
- Established a Supplier Network of over 2,500 suppliers to improve communication, share ideas and address common challenges.
- Created a Supplier Helpline to deal with invoice queries and other supplier issues in 48 hours.
- Started an independent Supplier Protector Line to encourage a ‘speak up culture’ with Tesco’s partners.
- Made building trusted partnerships with suppliers a key business performance measure.
- Retrained all Product colleagues in the UK on the Groceries Supply Code of Practice.
- Updated and relaunched its Code of Business Conduct to all Tesco colleagues.
- Relaunched Colleague Protector Line to encourage a ‘speak up culture’ within Tesco.
Simplifying how Tesco buys and sells:
- Changed the way it buys and sells as a business, to focus on the cost price of products wherever possible rather than commercial income.
- Reduced the number of ways it calculates commercial income – from 24 to five this year, and targeting three next year.
- Changed to measuring sales and profit rather than margin rate, putting the focus on what the company sells rather than what it buys.
- Improved invoice management within the business by an independent operations team.


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Posts tagged chatbot
When Marketing Based on Big Data, Take People Out of the Equation at Your Peril
by Margaret Lisi Big data, never far from the news these days, has been taking a lot of hits on credibility, ranging from Facebook’s ad server presumptions about what we’d like to see to Microsoft’s chatbot spewing racist garbage. But inarguably, the biggest Big Data misstep this year was the presidential election. I’ve wondered at others’ fascination with big data — corporations I’ve worked with seem to see it as a Holy Grail of sorts, with all the answers they need to cook up successful marketing plans and rabid brand fans. Big data is seen very much as a science in which businesses should invest millions of dollars and the futures of their companies, but here’s the caveat: there…
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HÀ NỘI — Many students in Việt Nam are taking advantage of Tết festival break to take on part-time jobs to learn soft skills, gain professional experience, and earn extra money.
Mai Phương, a student of Hà Nội College of Pharmacy, said that each year she finds a different job to have more experience.
This year Phương worked as a seasonal cashier at a supermarket.
“My mother usually prepares everything for Tết by herself from shopping to cleaning the house before the festival. So I usually look for a seasonal job before the holidays to earn more money. It’s not too high but enough to spend without asking for money from my parents,” Phương told Tin Tức (News) online newspaper.
Vũ Quang Thành, deputy director of the Hà Nội Employment Service Centre, said the demand for seasonal workers increased at the end of the year.
Many businesses recruit students to do part-time jobs at supermarkets or trade centres as they are busy for their year-end sale season.
On social networks, it is not difficult for students to find part-time jobs.
The newspaper reported that many employees working in a supermarket in Artemis Trade Centre, Hà Nội’s Lê Trọng Tấn Street, are students working part-time jobs. Most of them are second and third-year students.
Lưu Bạch Kim, a student from University of Social Sciences and Humanities, who works as an employee to record customer orders, said: “Every year I go home early with my family as Tết approaches. However, this year, due to difficulties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided to find a job at the supermarket, rather than returning to my hometown early like other students.”
“The nature of my work is not too hard, but I have to help others because the supermarket is crowded during Tết. I feel satisfactory with the extra job even though I am very busy on pre-Tết days.”
In addition to having more money, seasonal jobs at supermarkets also help students learn soft skills.
Thu, a student at the University of Industrial Technology and Economics, applied to work as a seasonal saleswoman.
The job has brought many interesting experiences and is an opportunity for her to learn.
“I find a job to have extra money. At the workplace, I am also trained in skills such as customer care and sales. My communication skill has also improved more,” said Thu. — VnExpress News
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What were Volkswagen's (VWAGY 0.65%) best headlines in 2015?
There were a lot of not-so-good headlines for VW this past year. 2015 will be remembered as the year in which VW was caught after years of cheating on emissions tests.
But while the bad news (rightly) dominated the headlines, there was good news, too, for VW this past year. There was even some good news that came out of the diesel-emissions scandal, starting with this: VW is doubling down on electric cars.
Volkswagen's electric-car push starts to take shape
It has been clear for a while that several of VW's brands were planning to bring battery-electric vehicles to market between now and the end of the decade. But until recently, we didn't have much in the way of specifics.
Now we do. At the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, Audi unveiled what it calls the "e-tron quattro concept," shown above. It's an all-electric luxury SUV that appears to be aimed squarely at Tesla Motors' (TSLA 1.05%) new Model X.
The new SUV is expected to be called the Audi Q6 when it enters production in early 2018. We don't have any details of the production model's capabilities yet; it may depend on how far battery technology can be advanced between now and then.
But Audi's goals for the project are clearly ambitious. It said that the e-tron quattro concept has three electric motors (one in front, two in the back) that together provide 320 kilowatts of output. That, Audi says, is enough power to push the SUV from zero to 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph) in 4.6 seconds.
That won't threaten a Tesla in "insane mode," of course. But its range might: Audi is claiming a range of "over 500 kilometers," or 311 miles. That, along with a new fast-charging system that promises a full recharge in just 50 minutes, might make a difference. And, of course, Audi's usual superb interiors and precise construction will likely win some buyers as well.
It's likely good enough to tempt Audi fans who are interested in "going electric," as well as buyers who might not be willing to invest in a vehicle from an upstart automaker.
Porsche is also jumping into the electric-car mix
Audi's sister brand Porsche got into the act a day later. It showed off its own battery-electric concept, a sports car called the Mission E Concept that also looks to be aimed in Tesla's neighborhood.
Porsche claims that the concept has over 600 horsepower available from its 800-volt drive system, along with (again) a claimed range of "over 500 kilometers." The Porsche has its own fast-charging system, a new 800-volt unit that will be able to add a claimed 270 km of range in "about 30 minutes."
The Mission E concept also incorporates traditional Porsche strengths: advanced lightweight construction, superb brakes, and handling good enough to lap the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife racetrack in under eight minutes, Porsche said. It's definitely being positioned as a more nimble sports-car alternative to the fast-but-heavy Tesla Model S.
In other words, it'll be a legitimate no-excuses Porsche sports car that happens to be electric -- if the company can deliver on its claims when the production version arrives about a year after the Audi.
The appointment of VW's new CEO could turn out to be the best news of the year
These two models were planned before the huge upheaval triggered by VW's emissions-cheating scandal. But new VW CEO Matthias Mueller has made it clear that both models will make it to production, along with (eventually) a slew of more affordable battery-electrics.
It's still very early in his tenure, but Mueller has gotten off to an impressive start.
A plain-spoken executive with an informal style, he's a big change from the formal, autocratic leaders that VW has had for years. Already, he is talking about pushing VW through a cultural shift that is strongly reminiscent of the changes Alan Mulally brought about after he became Ford's (F 2.36%) CEO in 2006.
Also like Mulally, Mueller has cleaned house, bringing in a mostly new senior management team that (presumably) consists of executives who have bought into his plans for change.
Can Mueller transform Volkswagen from an autocratic company dependent on diesel sales to a nimble one that's at the forefront of battery-electric technology? That remains to be seen. But if it happens, his appointment might turn out to be the best news of all for VW in 2015.


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News stories featuring Greenlight Digital:
March 7th, 2016
Mobile payments platform PowaTag has been sold to a consortium led by entrepreneur Ben White, administrator Deloitte has confirmed, following news that its parent company Powa Technologies went into administration last month. The company’s ecommerce platform PowaWeb has also been sold to UK-based digital business group Greenlight Digital. The Financial Times reports that the sales were for “undisclosed amounts” and questions the “typically used” valuation of Powa Technologies at US$2.7bn.
Feed for stories featuring Greenlight Digital.
• Find a list of all the companies and other organisations that have been featured in NFC World in our directory.


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On Friday, the makers of Stolichnaya vodka introduced that it will now not be referred to as Stolichnaya vodka. As an alternative, the emblem will likely be referred to as Stoli, making authentic the nickname customers had been the use of for years, and converting the identify from a real Russian phrase (“Stolichnaya” interprets more or less to “metropolitan”) to at least one that doesn’t imply anything else.
According to Russia’s conflict on Ukraine, a couple of bartenders have made a display of dumping Stoli vodka down the drain, in a intended transfer of team spirit with Ukraine. There may be higher govt opposition towards Russian-made merchandise. More than one states with state-run liquor retail outlets have banned the sale of Russian spirits from the cabinets, even supposing not up to one p.c of alcohol ate up within the U.S. is Russian-made. Alternatively, Stoli says of the identify trade, “The 3 using elements at the back of the verdict are the founder’s vehement place at the Putin regime; the Stoli staff resolution to do so; and the need to as it should be constitute Stoli’s roots in Latvia.”
Stoli says its unique formulation used to be created in 1938, even though others say the vodka originated in 1901, attached to the Moscow State Wine warehouse. It used to be first imported into the U.S. within the Nineteen Seventies, with manufacturing based totally in Latvia, a truth the corporate has attempted to emphasise prior to now few weeks. It’s additionally made some degree of highlighting Spirits Global workforce proprietor Yuri Shefler’s pork with Putin. “Whilst I’ve been exiled from Russia since 2000 because of my opposition to Putin, I’ve remained happy with the Stolichnaya emblem,” he mentioned in a remark. “Lately, now we have made the verdict to rebrand totally because the identify now not represents our group. Greater than anything else, I want for ‘Stoli’ to constitute peace in Europe and team spirit with Ukraine.”
Shefler’s persecution is a results of a dispute over who has keep an eye on over the Stoli trademark, Shefler or the Russian govt. “In 2000, in a single the primary examples of the regime figuring out a treasured asset and making an attempt to wrest keep an eye on of it, Putin waged a struggle for Stoli ® vodka emblems the world over,” Stoli explains on its website. “That is nonetheless ongoing in some nations. Yuri Shefler left Russia in 2002 and has no longer returned since.” Stoli additionally mentioned it will be making sure none of its components are sourced from Russia, and is donating to Global Central Kitchen’s reduction efforts in Ukraine. The corporate didn’t specify when consumers may just be expecting to peer newly-branded bottles at the cabinets.
This isn’t the primary time Stoli has needed to explain its courting with Russia based on a backlash. In 2013, columnist Dan Savage referred to as on bars to boycott Stoli vodka based on Russia’s anti-gay rules, and mentioned that it didn’t topic if Stoli used to be made in Latvia — its distributor continues to be Russian-owned. Spirits Global’s then-CEO, Val Mendeleev, mentioned on the time, “We absolutely give a boost to and endorse your targets to combat in opposition to prejudice in Russia. Up to now decade, SPI has been actively advocating in desire of freedom, tolerance, and openness in society, status very passionately at the facet of the LGBT neighborhood and can proceed to give a boost to any efficient initiative in that route.”
Through formally adopting a nickname, Stoli is making an attempt to additional reject its Russian previous, most likely positioning itself to be a well-liked selection amongst individuals who base their politics round what they purchase. It can also be a transfer to steer clear of harassment. Eating places just like the Russian Tea Room in New York and Texas’s Russian Space have proactively distanced themselves from Russia, with Russian Space going as far as to trade its identify, as companies even the tiniest bit related to Russia are dealing with threats and vandalism.
However will the few other folks already dumping out their bottles of Stoli prevent now that it’s ditched the “-chnaya”? It’s exhausting to mention. The spirit having been made in Latvia for many years didn’t prevent them from doing so within the first position. What’s extra, Russia isn’t synonymous with Putin, and somebody assuming a emblem originating in that nation routinely endorses the whole thing its present chief does most probably has a flimsy working out of geopolitics at easiest. And in truth, does “Stoli” even sound much less Russian?
The rebrand is a in large part empty gesture, made to placate consumers’ squeamishness round being related to Russia (and in all probability serving to Stoli out of their trademark struggle?) with out in truth requiring them to do anything else. Purchasing or no longer purchasing Stoli used to be by no means going to have an effect on Russia within the first position. It nonetheless received’t.


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Target Corp. on Wednesday named an external hire to a combined role of chief digital and product officer.
Prat Vemana, who is joining Target from Kaiser Permanente, will be an executive vice president reporting to Cara Sylvester, who was recently appointed as chief guest experience officer.
Vemana will oversee the digital products and services Target offers, including the Target mobile app and the Drive Up curbside pickup service.
As the company's first chief product officer, Vemana has also been asked to help shape the retailer's broader strategy.
"Digital continues to be a major growth driver for Target, and we're excited for Prat to bring his proven expertise in this area to an elevated role on our leadership team," Brian Cornell, Target's chief executive, said in a statement.
Vemana was chief digital officer at Kaiser and led its product management and experience teams. Before working at Kaiser, Vemana held digital leadership positions at The Home Depot and Staples.
Digital sales account for about 20% of Target's revenue.
"Target sets the standard for consumer experience in retail and is known for delighting its guests in a way that's consistent and engaging across every touchpoint," Vemana said in a statement.


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8:51 AM PT -- 9/2 -- O'Leary is denying any involvement in the alleged scam.
KO, through his attorney Andrew Brettler, tells TMZ ... "It appears that someone has been using my name and likeness without my knowledge, permission, or consent. I've never heard of any of these purported companies and have never conducted business with any of the plaintiffs who filed this suit."
He adds ... "Obviously, I want to get to the bottom of it too, as my rights have been violated. We will make sure that the bad actors are held accountable."
Kevin O'Leary and Kevin Harrington allegedly scammed tons of entrepreneurs out of hundreds of thousands of dollars ... according to claims in a new lawsuit.
The "Shark Tank" stars are being sued by 20 people who claim O'Leary and Harrington each played roles in what they say was a brazen scam to defraud hard-working entrepreneurs.
According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, O'Leary and Harrington steered investors and entrepreneurs to hire one of two companies, InventureX or Ideazon, to handle crowdfunding for their startups.
In the suit, the folks who claim they got scammed say they were promised help raising funds for the businesses and some say the prospect of appearing on "Shark Tank" was dangled in front of them ... but they say once they paid money to the companies endorsed by "Shark Tank" stars, they got little to nothing in return, aside from a bill.
What's more, the suit claims the crowdfunding companies O'Leary allegedly endorsed might not even exist at all and suspect it may be a big "predatory fraud scheme.”
While 20 people are suing O'Leary and Harrington, those folks claim they are just one small faction of hundreds, if not thousands, of folks who fell victim to the scam.
We reached out to reps for "Shark Tank" ... so far, no word back.


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With Aachoo!!, Banksy has once again expressed himself about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Banksy knows how to stay busy during the pandemic. The Artist has revealed his latest artwork in the streets of Bristol: Aachoo!!
Banksy revealed his new artwork via his Instagram account. Aachoo!! depicts an elderly woman overtaken by an aggressive sneeze. So intense, that it causes her to lose her denture, seemingly pushed away a bunch of terraced houses – all victims of the “blast.”
Banksy’s Aachoo!! is located on Vale Street, in Bristol, known to be England’s steepest residential road.
According to The Guardian, after finding the artwork on the site of the house where he used to rent a room, a furniture maker decided to protect it and covered Banksy’s work with a large piece of transparent acrylic.
“We wanted to come up because people will deface it, and luckily we’ve got a workshop and a massive piece of acrylic we’ve got left over,” he said. “The artwork is so nice. It’s so relevant, isn’t it?”
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I picked up an Apple TV about a year ago and have been pretty pleased with its performance. I do not use iTunes much though, just Netflix.
I am not much of an Apple Fanboy, and this being a blog mainly about Ubuntu Linux it may seem a bit of a digression to post about something that Apple makes. But, Amazon and Best Buy lowered the price for Apple TV's down to $89. This is likely to get more units sold for the holiday season and to clear out inventory to get ready for the next generation.
Internet rumors are flying that Apple is working on, or has already perfected some sort of magical television device that may be integrated with its Siri software. It probably will not appear before Christmas, as the holiday shopping season has begun and the Black Friday sales advertisements have already hit the streets. Perhaps we can look toward the first or second quarter 2012 for some kind of announcement from Apple. But, I could be wrong?