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You can find tacos in outer Mongolia, Amsterdam, Addis Ababa and Australia -- even in outer space (the latter thanks to NASA). They have, in fact, become as ever present as the hamburger.
And that's the rub. They no longer seem Mexican, but American, says Jeffrey Pilcher, a University of Minnesota history professor who will give a talk about "Planet Taco" on Tuesday.
Indeed, the taco revolution spread globally -- and extraterrestrially -- via entrepreneurial Americans and U.S. companies, not Mexicans. That might explain why, in part, the rest of the world looks at that overstuffed hard-shell taco spilling over with lettuce, tomato and Cheddar cheese and thinks "American."
(Not so incidentally, Mexicans migrate almost entirely to the United States, Pilcher noted. If Americans hadn't traveled with their tacos, he says he would be offering a very different history lesson.)
Fifty years ago, Mexican food could be found only in Mexico, California or the Southwest, including small roadside stands where tacos were sold. Los Angeles phone books from 1950 reflect the abundance of these taco spots. These were the very early days of food franchises. (Ray Kroc started the McDonald's chain in 1954.) Glen Bell, the founder of Taco Bell and a fellow Californian, had an idea. Today we think of tacos as the lowest common denominator of Mexican food -- well, maybe that would, or should, be nachos -- but he was cutting-edge at a time when the rest of America was dining on tuna casserole, mac-and-cheese and cream of tomato soup.
Today foodies may sniff their noses and think "Taco Bell ruined Mexican food," but, Pilcher says, the chain simply franchised it. As for all those arched eyebrows and comments that Tex-Mex isn't real Mexican, well, the taco shell came out of the Mexican community -- the original taco machine was patented by a Mexican -- and it was adapted to local foods in the United States, as so often happens when immigrants meet the hard realities of the American supermarket.
That meant iceberg lettuce and Cheddar cheese because they were readily available.
At this point the story diverges. California surfers and counterculture figures spread the taste of tacos throughout the world as they traveled, often in need of work. And they did what immigrants often do when they land in another country: open a restaurant.
In Amsterdam it was a hippie with a work visa who needed to be self-supporting and started the Pacifico Cafe with tacos galore. In Queensland, Australia, the oldest Mexican restaurant -- Taco Bill -- was founded by another Californian who brought with him a tortilla press and the knowledge of how to use it.
U.S. companies added to the globalization, with Old El Paso as the leader. After all, you need the ingredients if a dish is to become popular.
By 1972, Diana Kennedy, a cooking authority on Mexican food, was pooh-poohing Tex-Mex food as not authentic.
"We forget that Texas was part of Mexico, but really it was just another region of Mexico," said Pilcher.
In a 1980 study, Wilbur Zalinsky mapped ethnic restaurants across the United States, showing that Mexican food clearly was expanding across the nation.
Discovery of authenticity
Soon Rick Bayless, a Chicago chef and now TV cooking star on all things Mexican, and Mark Miller, a restaurateur in Santa Fe, N.M., brought serious culinary attention to Mexican food, even as fajitas began sizzling in restaurants across the United States.
Fajitas were a lower-class food in Mexico, made with lean meat from a different breed of cattle that could withstand tropical temperatures. Not marbled, the beef needed to be cooked either quickly (as in fajitas) or slowly (for mole). By the early '70s, fajitas were served in Laredo, Texas, before the recipe headed across the country.
Then there are nachos, found in theaters in Russia or at ballgames in Anywhere, USA.
Why does this matter as we nibble on our stuffed taco?
"People will forget that tacos are Mexican just as pizza is from Italy," said Pilcher, who specializes in food history and earned his doctorate while eating his way through Tex-Mex food in Fort Worth, Texas. He has written "Que vivan los tamales! Food and the Making of Mexican Identity."
"The Italians brought with them all kinds of greens. Americans were not great salad eaters before," said Pilcher. "The Mexicans brought us tomatillos, cilantro and chiles.
"We tend to become part of that food, too."
Lee Svitak Dean • 612-673-1749


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How Small Businesses are Driving the UK's Economy
As the UK starts to bounce back from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, small businesses are taking the lead. They show a remarkable knack for changing and creating creative solutions to power the country's economy.
Online casinos are a shining example of this spirit of innovation. Leading platforms like Cardano Casino are capturing the attention of a wider audience by offering attractive deals and top-notch services.
Remarkable Adaptation Amid Uncertainty
Despite a wave of unprecedented challenges presented by the pandemic, small businesses have proven their resilience, as shown by a survey of over 1,000 entrepreneurs, including graduates of Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Small Business (10KSB) UK program.
During the pandemic, an impressive 68% of businesses involved in the study transformed their business models, introduced new products or services, or both. This adaptability has led to increased turnover and employment and resulted in the introduction of unique offerings that were entirely new to the market.
Addressing the Skills Gap: A Stepping Stone to Economic Recovery
In addition to being economic contributors, small businesses are emerging as the potential solution to the skills gap that has become more pronounced due to the pandemic. These businesses are proactively developing talent, upskilling the workforce, and creating new jobs that align with the needs of a high-skilled economy.
For instance, Lawrie Abercrombie, a 10KSB UK alumnus and owner of Arcanum Information Security, has devised a program to develop junior staff members. Like many others across the UK, this initiative is setting the groundwork for a strong and skilled workforce to support the country's economic recovery.
Small Businesses: The Pulse of the UK Economy
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are more than just a significant portion of the UK's business landscape - they are the economy's lifeblood. These enterprises, which account for 99% of all businesses in the UK, generated an impressive turnover of £2.3 trillion in 2021, contributing a substantial 52% of the total private sector turnover.
SMEs impact the UK economy in multiple ways:
Fueling Employment: These enterprises create numerous jobs, employing approximately 60% of the UK workforce.
Championing Adaptability: SMEs' resilience and quick adaptability have proven crucial in surviving economic downturns and sustaining the country's economic productivity.
Innovation Pioneers: SMEs are innovation hotspots, proving that they can compete with larger firms and contribute significantly to the economy's growth with the right resources.
GDP Catalysts: SMEs play a significant role in the UK's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with family firms alone contributing a quarter of the total UK GDP.
Harnessing Digital Advancement
Small businesses leverage technology to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital world. Keenan's survey revealed that 88% of 10KSB UK alumni have expedited changes to their digital technology use, reflecting the digital transformation trend among small businesses in the UK.
Leading the Charge toward Sustainability
The survey also highlighted that small businesses are not only economic drivers but are also leading the way toward a more sustainable future. A vast majority (81%) of the surveyed alumni consider social and environmental factors in their decision-making process.
Small businesses are undoubtedly at the helm, driving the UK's post-pandemic economy towards recovery. Through their adaptability, innovation, and commitment to sustainability, these enterprises are instrumental in navigating the uncertain economic landscape, underscoring their vital role in the UK's economic resilience.
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Blackstone Group, the world’s largest private-equity firm, has pulled back on a plan to invest billions of dollars across Africa, the latest U.S. investor to temper its ambitions on the continent.
The New York-based firm agreed about a year ago to sell Black Rhino Group, a developer of energy infrastructure projects that was meant to be Blackstone’s main vehicle for investing in Africa, back to its management team for an undisclosed amount, a Blackstone spokeswoman said. The sale, which has yet to close, hasn’t been previously reported. Around the same time, Blackstone also sold the rights to develop and operate a Nigerian power plant Black Rhino is planning for an undisclosed amount to Globeleq, a British company that owns power plants across Africa, the spokeswoman said.
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Two entities — Natural Support Consultancy Services and Nucleus Software Exports — have begun testing their payments solutions under the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) regulatory sandbox framework, the central bank announced on Tuesday. While Natural Support has created a near-field-communication (NFC) based retail payments solution, Nucleus has developed an offline cash product to improve e-payments in rural areas, the central bank said.
The retail payments solution currently being tested under the sandbox are:
- Natural Support Consultancy Services Pvt. Ltd from Jaipur: NFC-based prepaid cards and point-of-sale devices, called ‘eRupaya’, to facilitate offline person-to-merchant transactions and offline digital payments in remote locations
- Nucleus Software Exports Ltd from New Delhi: Offline cash product called ‘PaySe’ which will focus on-boarding Self Help Groups (SHG) and digitising the SHG ecosystem to use the offline payments product
In August 2019, the RBI had released the framework for its regulatory sandbox whereby a set of companies would be allowed to develop and test their products under limited regulatory controls and supervision. The aim of creating the sandbox is test a “product’s viability without the need for a larger and more expensive roll-out,” while at the same time giving regulators “first-hand empirical evidence on the benefits and risks of emerging technologies and their implication,” it said.
In November 2019, the RBI had invited applicants who have built retail solutions in either mobile payments including feature phone based payment services, offline payment solutions or contactless payments, as part of the first cohort of the sandbox which is focused on retail payment. “The adoption of ‘Retail Payments’ as the theme is expected to spur innovation in digital payments space and help in offering payment services to the unserved and underserved segment of the population. Migration to digital modes of making a payment can obviate some of the costs associated with a cash economy and can give customers a friction-free experience,” it said.
In total, the RBI received 32 applications of which it has approved a total of six entities to begin testing their retail payments solutions as part of the sandbox’s first cohort. The remaining four entities will begin testing their in due course as commencement of the testing phase for the first cohort was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it said.


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BARCELONA -- Yota Devices today announced that it is the first Russian company to enter into a software license for mobile devices with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (QTI), a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated. The official announcement was made by Qualcomm Incorporated Chairman and CEO Dr. Paul E. Jacobs and Yota Devices CEO Vlad Martynov at Mobile World Congress 2013.
The two companies will cooperate on developing cutting-edge LTE and connectivity devices, including smartphones, modems and routers.
Yota Devices is currently designing mobile devices using Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, including YotaPhone, the first dual-screen Android phone with a liquid crystal display on one side and an electronic paper display on the other. Yota Devices' current suite of fast and reliable modems and routers are powered by Qualcomm Gobi 4G LTE technology in the MDM9215 and MDM9225 chipsets. YotaPhone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor (MSM8960) featuring dual CPUs, a cutting-edge 28nm technology solution designed specifically to meet the requirements of multi-tasking smartphones and tablets.


text: On July 18, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei was asked in an interview with Fabio Savelli's "The Evening Post": We know that Facebook has announced that it will issue a digital currency based on blockchain, called "Liteng Coin". Do you think this is not? Do US technology companies want to keep the signal of the world hegemon with the US government? In addition, do you think that when issuing digital currency, will they consider Chinese companies or put Chinese currency in their currency baskets? Ren Zhengfei said: "China can also issue such a currency. Why should we wait for others to issue it? The power of a country is always stronger than that of an Internet company."


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Hearthstone just revealed its plans for the card game’s 10-year anniversary, including a collaboration event with World of Warcraft. Once the celebrations begin, players can score some free cards and cosmetics in Hearthstone, plus new collectibles in World of Warcraft, including the Fiery Hearthsteed mount.
March 11 marks 10 years since Hearthstone was first released. Blizzard’s Warcraft-inspired card game is celebrating the milestone in a big way, with an anniversary event, 13 brand-new cards given to all players for free, and several Twitch drops, alongside many other exciting updates coming in the near future.
However, World of Warcraft fans have a lot of reasons to be excited about the Hearthstone anniversary as well. From March 11 through 18, players can enjoy a Hearthstone event in World of Warcraft. According to the blog post announcing Hearthstone’s anniversary plans, fans can seek out Hearthstone matches in the game’s capital cities, defeat iconic minions in special encounters, and earn special Hearthstone rewards. Additionally, players can get the Fiery Hearthsteed flying mount in WoW simply by logging into Hearthstone once between March 11 and May 14.
The exact details of how the Hearthstone event in World of Warcraft will go are still shrouded in mystery, but players have an idea as to what rewards might be available. Fans have datamined a Hearthstone coin mount, a Sarge pet, and tons of other collectibles, including cosmetic transmog items and a 36-slot bag. Players can expect to learn how to get these collectibles once the event gets closer.
Hearthstone itself has big plans for the year as well. It has already announced the Year of the Pegasus, which includes a Core set update and three new expansions. Though Hearthstone is discontinuing the Duels game mode, the card game is still going strong as it enters its second decade of live service.
Hearthstone is a free-to-play digital trading card game from Blizzard and features many characters from the World of Warcraft universe.
The website gametalkz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
World of Warcraft Classic just revealed that both the unnamed Season of Discovery Phase 3 raid and Molten Core will require 20 players to complete. Fans will need to recruit more World of Warcraft players for their raid teams come Phase 3, but once they reach the endgame, they will be able to challenge Molten Core with half as many people as they have historically.
World of Warcraft Classic is increasing the new 50% experience boost in Season of Discovery to 100% and applying it to all characters, regardless of level. This massive change is coming to World of Warcraft on March 5, and will make leveling up in Season of Discovery easier than ever before.
World of Warcraft just revealed eight more Hero Talent trees coming in The War Within. Druid, Evoker, Paladin, Rogue, Warlock, and Warrior players now have a better idea as to how their World of Warcraft classes will play once The War Within releases later this year.
World of Warcraft Classic just teased some of the first details about how it would preserve characters and content from Season of Discovery after the experiment runs its course. Season of Discovery may not last forever, but World of Warcraft already has plans to keep some of the itemization from the popular Classic servers after the season ends.
World of Warcraft Classic recently added some new rewards to the Waylaid Supply factions in Season of Discovery. By gaining reputation with these factions, World of Warcraft players can pick up a 16-slot bag, as well as powerful accessories that can be passed along to their alts.
World of Warcraft Classic Season of Discovery is keeping 40-man raids around in its later seasons. These iconic raids may undergo some changes when they are added in future phases, but World of Warcraft players can safely expect 40-man raids in Season of Discovery.
World of Warcraft recently buffed the drop rate for Fyr’alath, the Dream Render – Patch 10.2’s Legendary weapon – but also seemingly did the same for 10.1’s Nasz’uro, the Unbound Legacy. Though the exact drop rates are still a mystery, it seems like players can eventually get a 100% chance to obtain these rare World of Warcraft items via bad luck protection.
World of Warcraft Classic Hardcore is officially getting Self-Found Mode on February 29. Using this optional restriction, World of Warcraft players will be unable to trade, use the auction house, or send and receive mail, requiring them to rely on their own skills for the ultimate Hardcore experience.
Hearthstone recently revealed Zilliax Deluxe 3000, a new Legendary that lets players build their own minion when they add it to their decks. This new customizable minion is 28 cards in one, and is the most ambitious single Hearthstone card in the game’s history.
World of Warcraft Classic Season of Discovery players may have already discovered some of the Runes coming in future phases. The retro server experience may have just begun Phase 2, but World of Warcraft fans have already found hints at what to expect in Phase 3 and beyond.
World of Warcraft just brought the Dragonflight Epic Edition Collector’s Set back to the Blizzard Gear Store for a limited time. This marks the final chance World of Warcraft fans have to pick up these physical collector’s items from Blizzard directly before they are retired for good.
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The flagship series smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S23, was initially shown in India earlier this year during the company’s inaugural Galaxy Unpacked event of 2023. It is now offered in a new Lime color option. The phone was first introduced in the colorways Cream, Green, Lavender, and Phantom Black. A modified version of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC powers the Galaxy S23. The phone has a 6.1-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display and three back cameras, the 50-megapixel main wide-angle sensor serving as the primary camera.
Samsung revealed the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S23 in a new Lime color option in a press statement on Monday. The new color choice for the flagship phone will be available starting on Tuesday, May 16.
Price of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Lime in India
The pricing for the 8GB + 128 GB and 8GB + 256 GB storage options of the Galaxy S23 Lime is Rs. 74,999 and Rs. 79,999, respectively.
Additionally, Samsung is providing a Rs. 8,000 upgrade incentive that may be combined with a Rs. 5,000 payback on certain bank transactions. This brings down the cost of the Galaxy S23’s storage options to Rs. 61,999 and Rs. 66,999, respectively.
Details about the Samsung Galaxy S23’s lime hue
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Lime color model is identical to other Galaxy S23 phones in terms of specs. The smartphone’s 6.1-inch full-HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen has a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, a touch sampling rate of up to 240 Hz, and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. The phone has an 8GB RAM and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC as its power source. It uses Android 13 in the hood and One UI 5.1 on top.
A 50-megapixel main wide-angle sensor, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide angle camera, and a 10-megapixel telephoto camera are all included in the smartphone’s triple rear camera unit. The phone boasts a 12-megapixel selfie sensor for taking photos and making video calls.
Dust and water resistance for the Galaxy S23 is rated at IP68. It has a 3,900mAh battery and has 15W and 25W wired charging options. The phone can use Wireless PowerShare to charge other gadgets like wireless earphones. According to the manufacturer, it is 168g in weight and 170.9×146.3×7.6mm in size.


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One of the most frequently discussed topics in the sustainability industry is sustainable consumption. How can we shift people away from frequently buying new “things” and toward re-use and alternatives to ownership such as borrowing or swapping?
There’s no question that we’re a nation “wired” for consumption. The American dream is built upon economic success and acquisition. A 2012 Federal Reserve Report on consumer spending indicated that for 25 years, personal consumption expenditures (PCE) had been the primary economic driver for the U.S. economy, hitting an all-time high in 2007 — making up 70% of GDP. Then, the “Great Recession” hit and consumer spending stalled due to a perfect storm of declining household wealth, job losses, weak consumer confidence, declining home values and tightened credit requirements.
These economic hardships began to force behavior change. Last year, almost a quarter (23%) of our Eco Pulse™ 2012 respondents said they most often “buy used and/or repair items rather than buying new items.”
So was this behavior simply a temporary blip, driven by economic necessity? As the economy improves, have consumers gone back to their old ways? Or are we seeing a fundamental shift in purchase habits? We decided to dig deeper in Eco Pulse™ 2013.
How can your brand change consumer behavior at scale?
Unpack the latest consumer trends; understand strategies and tactics that drive behavior change; and learn how to craft more compelling communications from leading brand marketers and practitioners at SB’s Brand-Led Culture Change 2023 event — May 22-24 in Minneapolis.
This year, we found that the percentage most often buying used has increased to 26% and that 12% of Americans are actively taking part in the share-it, swap-it, rent-it economy. The primary driver? Saving money. But what’s surprising is that those most often buying used and seeking alternatives to ownership are not just lower-income consumers who can’t afford new. Rather, this behavior was found across all income brackets and seems to be a personal preference driven by fiscal conservatism, regardless of household income.
And while they weren’t more likely to buy used, rather than new, Millennials were significantly more likely to be trying alternatives to ownership. Having seen parents lose homes, struggled to find jobs after college and generally come of age in tough economic times, the Millennials — who comprise the largest age cohort ever — seem to be rethinking the mindless consumption that has driven the American economy since the Baby Boomers bought their first BMWs.
The Millennials — for now at least — are less worried about owning stuff and are experimenting with other models. They embrace change and require online/mobile solutions. They are used to complete access to information and online markets, which makes the collaborative economy a practical reality for them.
They value experiences, relationships, authenticity, and are particularly concerned about the environment. To reach this important age group, marketers must put aside traditional appeals to materialism, excess and glitter. Instead, they must appeal to an entirely different value structure.
Bottom line — Millennials present both an opportunity and a challenge for manufacturers and retailers. They’re questioning old purchasing habits and their behaviors are going to drive the market. It’s time to innovate and rethink distribution and product life-cycle. Millennials will ally with companies that share their values — those that facilitate reuse and alternatives to ownership, and recapture, repurpose and recycle products at the end of their life.
For more insights on American attitudes about sustainability and how to change consumer behaviors, visit Sheltoninsights.com.


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Update COVID-19 in Indonesia: 4,066,404 confirmed infections, 131,372 deaths (28 August 2021)
15 September 2021 (closed)
Jakarta Composite Index (6,110.23) -18.86 -0.31%
USD/IDR (14,146) -6.00 -0.04%
EUR/IDR (17,335) +57.05 +0.33%
Indonesia's manufacturing activity continued to expand in June 2018 albeit at a lower level compared to the preceding month. The Nikkei Indonesia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) declined from a reading of 51.7 in May to 50.3 in June (slightly above the 50.0 level that separates expansion from contraction in the manufacturing sector). Slower rises in both output and new orders were key reasons that explain the month-on-month decline.
Although Indonesia's manufacturing expansion streak rose to five months in June 2018, the country's manufacturing sector did expand at the weakest rate of the past five months. Both the rate of expansion in output and new orders was only marginal last month. Meanwhile, new export business decreased for the seventh successive month.
According to the survey, Bank Indonesia's recent interest rate hikes (raising the nation's benchmark interest rate from 4.25 percent to 4.75 percent in May 2018) have disrupted economic activity (including consumption) in Southeast Asia's largest economy. Considering the central bank, again, raised the benchmark rate (by 50 basis points) to 5.25 percent in June, the domestic manufacturing sector will need to face more challenges in the period ahead.
The modest growth in output and new orders encouraged local manufacturing companies to expand their purchasing activity. Thus, input buying rose (as it has in each of the past five months), but the latest rise was the weakest since March 2018. Moreover, the increase in purchasing was not sufficient to prevent a reduction in stocks of inputs (it was the first this occurred in the past three months). Stocks of finished goods also decreased.
Amid easing inflation in Indonesia output prices rose at a slower pace. Where charges increased, panellists linked this to the passing on of higher input costs to customers. Meanwhile, input prices continued to increase in June (albeit at the weakest since the start of 2018) due to rupiah weakness versus the US dollar.
Business confidence among Indonesian manufacturers fell to the lowest since October 2012 despite their expectations that output will rise over the coming year.
Meanwhile, employment in the manufacturing sector rose for first time in three months as manufacturers responded to higher output requirements by taking on additional workers. The higher staffing level and relatively weak growth of new business meant that manufacturing companies were able to work through outstanding business again in June.
Aashna Dodhia, Economist at IHS Markit, commented on the latest data saying: "PMI data signaled that the improvement in operating conditions in June was the weakest since the start of the year, thereby highlighting a loss of momentum since May. This reflected slower expansions in output and new business. Another key finding was that input cost inflation moderated to the weakest since the start of 2018. Higher cost burdens were widely linked to currency weakness relative to the US dollar."
He added that "latest data indicate that the recent interest rate hikes by Bank Indonesia to protect the rupiah appeared to have hindered consumption. This suggests it will be challenging for policy makers to ensure financial stability without compromising economic growth over the coming months. Notably, business sentiment eased to the weakest since October 2012 at the end of the second quarter."
Manufacturing PMI Indonesia:


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Uh Oh! World Could Be Running Out Of Chocolate
[su_right_ad]Some chocolate makers, Mars, Inc. and Barry Callebaut, say less cocoa is being produced while more chocolate is being consumed, which could lead to shortages.
In 2013, consumers ate about 70,000 metric tons more cocoa than was produced, The Washington Post reports, and that deficit could go up to 1 million metric tons by 2020. The Ivory Coast and Ghana produce more than 70 percent of the world’s cacao beans, and both countries are experiencing dry weather that limits growth. To make things worse, a fungal disease called frosty pod has destroyed 30 to 40 percent of global cocoa production.
The world’s appetite for chocolate isn’t going away, and some countries, like China, are starting to consume more and more of the sweet treat. Dark chocolate is also rising in popularity, and that takes much more cocoa to create. Although researchers are trying to create trees that can produce more cacao beans than traditional trees, there’s one catch: Chocolate made through this process loses its delicious taste. The only solution is to buy in bulk now and hide your stash where no one can find it.[su_csky_ad]


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Palm is delighted to be the travel PR agency for Mollie’s (mollies.com), the brand new, affordable hotel and diner concept, designed by Soho House. Mollie’s is on a mission to transform affordable travel by rolling out its own distinctive and disruptive ‘budget-luxe’ offering, starting with the opening of its second site in Cribbs Causeway, Bristol, in July 2021.
The brand launched in 2019 with a Motel, Diner & Drive-Thru in Buckland, Oxfordshire. Palm manages the public relations and influencer marketing for the Bristol launch, which follows a £15 million investment in the property and will be followed by a third, larger hotel and dining concept in the former Granada TV Studios in Manchester city centre in 2022 with Soho House located above Mollie’s on the building’s top floors. A further ten locations have already been earmarked as part of the immediate expansion plan.
Mollie’s aims to transform and disrupt affordable travel through the creation of a new ‘budget-luxe’ sector by curating stylish, yet affordable, stays. From just £50.00 for a double room per night, guests will enjoy cool, contemporary, comfortable interiors exclusively designed by Soho House, a fun atmosphere, destination dining, personable service, luxury touches and innovative tech.
The brand has launched with its roadside motel and city centre concepts but will expand into multiple types of locations with new and exciting venues across the UK and longer-term, internationally.
An independent British brand, Mollie’s is backed by majority shareholder Javad Marandi OBE (Soho Farmhouse, The Conran Shop, Anya Hindmarch and Emilia Wickstead) with co-shareholders David Elghanayan (Nema Strategic Land and Nema Capital LLP) and CEO Darren Sweetland (Soho House, Tesco Plc). Originally the brainchild of Nick Jones MBE (Founder & CEO of Soho House), Mollie’s is now exclusively designed by the Soho House interiors team.
Mollie’s is led by CEO Darren Sweetland (former EMEA Finance Director of Soho House and Commercial Finance at Tesco PLC). His combination of commercial and financial experience at Tesco PLC and the exclusive, global private members’ club, Soho House, with its focus on innovation, creativity and community, gives him the perfect expertise to drive Mollie’s mission forward and make it a true disruptor between traditional value and luxe hotel categories.
Sweetland says: “We believe Mollie’s has the potential to forge a new type of travel, one that pushes the boundaries on traditional views of a budget stay and creates truly memorable experiences. We have high hopes that it will quickly become Britain’s favourite stopover.
“There is a space in the market for more luxury, low-budget stays, and we are filling it with style, character, sophistication and comfort. A market historically filled with traditional low-cost hotels will now have a new brand that exudes class in every detail.
“Mollie’s marks a new era of positivity for the UK hospitality sector, bringing employment, growth and energy to the market, with a raft of exciting openings planned across the country.”
Rooms are available from £50.00 for a Double Room and can be booked via the Mollie’s website at mollies.com
Get in touch with the Palm hotel PR team to find out more: firstname.lastname@example.org
Find out what industry press has to say about Mollie’s here:


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Swiss technology group Oerlikon has reported first-half net profit of SFr136 million ($113 million) boosted by the takeover of engineering firm Saurer.This content was published on August 28, 2007 - 08:36
The result fell short of analysts' forecasts but the group said it was on course to beat its 2007 sales target.
Operating profit (Ebit) was up 83 per cent, at SFr231 million.
"Overall we are confident that the sales targets for the full year of more than SFr5 billion will be exceeded by as much as ten per cent and an Ebit above SFr500 million will be achieved," Chairman Georg Stumpf said.
Analysts had predicted a first-half net profit of SFr166 million.
Saurer has been part of the Oerlikon stable since 2006.
In 2005 Austrian investment group Victory bought out Oerlikon, which was formerly known as Unaxis.
Although Oerlikon remains one of Switzerland's technological heavyweights, the company has suffered in recent years from a combination of alleged management problems, difficult market conditions and what many analysts see as the lack of a clear strategy.
But in March Oerlikon reported a net profit of SFr302 million for 2006, its best performance in six years.
In a surprise move two months later, Oerlikon chief executive Thomas Limberger announced his departure, less than two years after taking on the role.
Recently speculation has been rife that Victory may have to sell out because of losses caused by recent market turmoil.
If Victory does sell its stake in Oerlikon, a likely buyer will be Viktor Vekselberg, the Russian oligarch who is consolidating his business interests in Switzerland.
swissinfo with agencies
Oerlikon's high-tech applications can be found in cars, satellites, machines, textile products, solar panels, MP3 players and beamers.
In 2006, Oerlikon invested SFr60 million in research and development. Including Saurer, there are more than 1,500 researchers, developers and engineers working for the group.
OC – which stands for "One Company" - Oerlikon has had a number of name changes over the years. Before its present name, it was called Unaxis. Previously it was Oerlikon-Bührle.
The group is the world leader in coating solutions and textile machinery, and is number two in the area of vacuum technology.
Over 30% of all hard discs, 70% of all CDs and C-ROMs, and 90% of all rewritable CDs, DVDs and MiniDiscs are produced with Oerlikon systems.
OC Oerlikon 2006 financial figures:
Sales: SFr2.291 billion (SFr1.605 billion in 2005).
Operating profit: SFr329 million (SFr34).
Net profit: SFr302 million (SFr21 million).
Number of employees at the end of December: 19,267 (6,434).
In compliance with the JTI standards


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After 97 years of business in Evansville, Schmitt Photo Service and Scrapbook Central will be closing next month.
Company President Stephen Polley says it's a voluntary closing because of a drastic decline in business. Polley said over the past five years retail conditions for small independent businesses have never been more difficult.
Polley told 14 News the last day of business will be February 28th.
Copyright 2013 WFIE. All rights reserved.
1115 Mt. Auburn Road
Public File Contact:


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Creaciones Euromoda has won the second AITEX award for Sustainability.
the technological institute AITEX convened in its third edition awards in the categories of Sustainability and Innovation.
The Sustainability award is granted to those companies that have excelled in eco-efficient management or that has developed a production process that actively contributes to the sustainable development and environmental protection.
The award ceremony was held in Alcoi on Thursday 7 at 18:30 p.m. A massive act in which more than 200 people attended among the 10 finalists, businessmen and authorities. The Minister of Sustainable Economy, Productive Sectors and Work of the Generalitat Valenciana Mr. Rafael Climent Gonzalez was present at the event.
The award was collected by Antonio Beneito, CEO of Creaciones Euromoda, who thanked AITEX for the initiative of this type of incentives so that companies can have the courage to know that they are on the right track by being effective, inventive and motivated. Beneito introduced the explanation of the project as need for survival to help the environment.
Going into details, a urea-free tissue preparation has been developed. This component generated wastewater. The new nitrogen-free reaction catalyst has concentrations 300 times lower than those used for urea. In addition, with the new formula, the amount of alkali and thickeners is reduced, so that the final cost of the preparation is 80% lower and environmentally viable.
We have therefore achieved Reduce the use of chemical products and ink consumption inkjet in about 15000 kg per year
Reduce water consumption of washing in about 15000 m3 each year which also implies a reduction of natural gas consumption y avoid the emission of about 270 tons of CO2 per year.
And the most important, wastewater from washing with parameters that comply with current legislation and that allows us to continue growing within our sector, offering our clients new, more sustainable and better quality products every day.
In addition to that, Euromoda keep betting on sustainability with projects based on recycling of materials, use of responsible fabrics, products free of harmful substances, reduction of plastics y use of renewable energies in our production processes.


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Swiss Formula One team Alfa Romeo have partnered with Smartech Retail Group to launch a 55-square-metre concept store situated inside the Selfridges department store in London known as ‘The Track’. The store will give Formula One fans a view into the future of experiential retail, and The Track is set to be open for the next three months.
Alfa Romeo will be working with The Memento Group, and The Track will also feature a showpiece Alfa Romeo Formula One car of the current season. Fans will also be able to own a piece of Formula One history as the show car will be available for sale at The Track.
Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal of Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN, commented:
“This is a fantastic moment for our sport, more and more people are getting interested and discovering it for the first time, and we’re proud to join forces with Smartech to offer both them and long-term fans a brand-new experience including our very own show car in the incredible setting of Selfridges in the heart of London.“
Nathalie Bernce, Co-Founder & CEO Smartech, said:
“Smartech is thrilled to have created a new immersive retail concept celebrating one of the world’s greatest racing competitions. The Track is designed to surprise and delight from the moment visitors step inside, an exciting project that combines first-in-the-world exclusive products with immersive experiences and continues to position Smartech as the leading physical and digital retail destination.“
Barry Gough, Founder & CEO of The Memento Group, stated:
“We are very excited about The Track by Smartech. It’s fantastic to bring the C42 show car to Selfridges – a luxury retail destination befitting this unique piece of F1 history. We’ve been working hard alongside Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN to bring this show car to life. Now, to enable visitors to Selfridges to experience it up close and personal is a wonderful development.“
Martyn Stroud, Selfridges Technology Buying Director, added:
“The Track is the latest addition to a line-up of innovative experiential projects we have launched in partnership with Smartech. We’re delighted to welcome a Formula 1 car to our Oxford Street store and offer customers the chance to experience the latest in driving simulation. To be the first destination to showcase an F1 car, available to purchase, is an exciting accolade.“


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Indoor and outdoor gatherings in New Jersey have been further limited as of today, Nov. 20, as the state’s Gov. Phil Murphy is only allowing 25% capacity for entertainment centers, movie theaters and the like.
NJAA reported that with the number of Covid-19 cases rising at an alarming rate, Murphy said he had to “pull back the reins” on public and private gatherings. The association just started its annual membership drive, with its board of directors noting: “We understand this may be a hard time for our members and non-members, but without the association working together as your partner, I am not sure where we would be.” Get more information about that by emailing [email protected] or calling 732-240-0000.
In other news, the city of Philadelphia has taken an even stricter stance on rolling back reopening by shutting down arcades, bowling alleys, theaters, indoor dining, casinos, libraries and more through the end of 2020. Those restrictions also go into effect today. Retail stores in the city must operate with a maximum of five people per 1,000 sq. ft. of space.


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US Approves $39B Maritime Media And Data Deal
By David McLaughlin (Bloomberg) S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) won U.S. antitrust approval to buy IHS Markit (NYSE: INFO) – owners of The Journal Of Commerce – to create a financial data giant spanning everything from bond ratings and commodities prices to tracking the trade flows across the world’s oceans.
The Justice Department cleared the $39 billion deal Friday after requiring the companies to sell some businesses to ease competition concerns over the tie-up, according to a settlement filed in federal court in Washington.
The deal gives S&P, one of the most famous names in financial markets and known for bond ratings and index businesses, a stronger foothold in markets for financial derivatives, including credit default swaps and collateralized loan obligations. IHS’s maritime products, which include ship tracking, port data, and information on trade flows, could complement S&P Global Platts, the main provider of benchmark prices for key raw materials, including oil and refined products.
The acquisition, announced last year, underscored the central role of data in financial markets and the ever-growing demand from investors for information that gives them an edge in increasingly fast and computerized markets. Bloomberg LP, the parent of Bloomberg News, competes with IHS and S&P in providing financial analytics and information.
U.S. approval comes after European Union competition regulators granted conditional approval to the deal in October. The Justice Department required the sale of IHS’s Oil Price Information Services and Coal, Metals and Mining, according to court papers. The companies previously agreed to sell those businesses to News Corp.
By David McLaughlin © 2021 Bloomberg L.P.
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It seems that every day there is a new article or new platform claiming the blockchain will revolutionize the music industry. There are at least 20 companies developing ways to write write music metadata into the blockchain. The Open Music Initiative has brought together over 120 companies trying to find new solutions to the current […]
If you have been following this blog for a while, you’ll know that I have been involved in the design and launch of a new open-source DRM scheme for e-books called Readium LCP (Licensed Content Protection). The formal launch of Readium LCP is expected to take place by the end of this year. As I’ve explained, […]
Last time, I discussed the need to automate and standardize rights and royalty transaction processing in today’s music market. At the heart of that market is streaming plays on on-demand services. As the latest RIAA revenue figures have shown, on-demand streaming is now the second-largest source of recorded music industry revenue and should overtake downloads […]
In a recent exchange in the comments to an article in Nate Hoffelder’s The Digital Reader blog, I mentioned Readium Licensed Content Protection (Readium LCP), the standard DRM scheme for EPUB-formatted e-books that I’ve been working on for the past couple of years. I gave a talk on Readium LCP a couple of weeks ago at the EPUB Summit […]
Lately I’ve been hearing about blockchain-related solutions to copyright problems on practically a weekly basis. Perhaps this was inevitable, given the massive amounts of activity and hype surrounding blockchain technology, and the realization that it has applications well beyond cryptocurrency (and I’m sure others have been observing this same phenomenon in different industries at different times). But […]
A white paper covering the emerging world of MPEG DASH adaptive streaming, HTML5 technologies for cross-platform app development, and a DRM market that will continue to be fragmented for some time to come. Plus a workshop at NAB on April 14 to discuss these issues with industry experts.
A public meeting in Washington to gather input about the use of content identifiers and content identification technology in copyright licensing automation. Too bad it’s in less than three weeks.


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Many investors are making a mistake I haven’t seen since the Dot Com eraOct 31, 2022
The markets opened to the downside this morning which makes plenty of sense given last week’s incredible run higher. Some profit-taking would be entirely normal.
The Dow, meanwhile, is on track for the best month since – drum roll please – 1976!
How can that be?
71% of companies in the S&P 500 that have reported as of last Friday turned in an EPS surprise while 68% have reported a revenue surprise.
All eyes are on the Fed … the market believes that there will be a “pause” but I don’t see that coming. I think the Fed will be stupid enough to believe its own ____.
Here’s my playbook.
Not all tech is the same
Many investors are making a mistake I haven’t seen since the dot com era. They’re lumping “all” tech together.
Not all tech is the same. There are two kinds of tech. Tech that is growing because it is device-centric and tech that grew because it was socially centric. The former is the future while the latter is the past.
My thoughts with the fabulous Stuart Varney this morning ahead of the opening bell. (Watch)
Why the chip shortage matters (in ways most people don’t recognize)
I talk frequently about Keith’s Rule of the Backpage … as in the real investing and trading opportunities are found while news is still on the back page, not the front page when “everybody” knows something.
Take the chip shortage, for example. Many investors have reflexively dismissed this as old news. That’s a mistake. You’re probably using 2-3 dozen chips to read this. The chip shortage is so bad that even Toyota is giving out just one smart key, as opposed to two. (Read)
There are only a handful of chip makers in the world capable of rising to the challenge. I’ve recommended two in One Bar Ahead® and they’re poised for some serious upside. Upgrade to paid
Where does META go from here?
$50 a share.
End of discussion. (Watch)
Game on. Musk has accused the Twitter board and their lawyers of deliberately hiding evidence from the court system prior to his purchase. (Read)
If you had invested $1,000 in Twitter on November 7, 2013 when it went public, you would have made a whopping total of 22.10% or 2.25% a year. Your investment would have been worth $1,221.01. With that much money you could buy 76 Cookie Monster aprons according to finmasters.
Not to rub it in but if you had invested $1,000 in Apple on the same day, you would have made 848.68% or 28.46% a year. Your investment would be worth $9,486.80. And you could buy 9,486 tacos at Jack in the Box, also according to finmasters.
Keith’s Corner: There’s a reason why I insist investors “buy the best, ignore the rest.”
JPMorgan wants your rent
JPMorgan Chase wants your rent. The bank has created a digital payments system to link property owners and managers with their tenants. (Read)
I suspect what JPM really wants to do is get a handle on rent levels, occupancy data, and more. I see the information being used as a core element in JPM’s new credit score. Anybody owning Experian, TransUnion or Equifax better think twice.
Pairs trade idea: Try long JPM / short one or all of the credit bureaus.
Market breadth is building, but nobody’s talking about that.
Except us, of course.
You know what to do and why this matters!
Thanks for being part of the 5 with Fitz Family!


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Table of Contents
In 2021, it’s impossible to overlook the importance of a positive online reputation. A positive online reputation is now crucial for individuals from all walks of life. With that, so is online reputation defense.
From teenagers fresh out of high school to the CEOs of some of the world’s largest companies, how a person is perceived online is now more important than ever.
Across the board, schools, universities, employers, and more now routinely search online for the names of individuals looking to enroll, seeking work, or otherwise wishing to deal with a business, educational institution, or other organization.
At the other end of the spectrum, school principals, company presidents, politicians, and other persons in positions of great trust and responsibility can be brought to their knees by an online reputation crisis.
So, what does this mean for you? Almost exactly the same as it means for anyone else, regardless of who they are. That is to say, in 2021, we’re now all at the mercy of possible online defamation.
What’s more, it’s not just straightforward defamation that’s an issue in today’s predominantly digital world. Any negative press, poor reviews, and even past social media indiscretions can quickly become the undoing of almost any individual, business, or organization.
It’s for this reason—and many more, as we’ll explain—that online reputation defense, also known as online reputation protection, mustn’t be overlooked.
Do you need online reputation defense?
Of course, online reputation defense is more important for some people than it is for others.
While many retired seniors have relatively little hanging on their online reputations, anyone in school, seeking work, or employed in almost any industry is, at least to some degree, at the mercy of what’s said about them on the web.
If an individual is even remotely likely to be ‘googled’ or otherwise looked up on any of the big search engines, including Yahoo! and Bing, it’s imperative that they understand the implications.
Sure, it’s easy to assume that nobody is doing this. However, it’s not just job-seekers and potential new students being looked up, reports suggest, nor are people searching solely for the names of celebrities and others in the public eye.
Online reputation defense reports
Quite aside from the possibilities already mentioned, reports suggest that increasing numbers of people are now looking up their dating app matches before agreeing to meet.
More significantly still, banks and other lenders are also known to search online for the names of individuals before agreeing to loans as part of their checks.
Imagine being turned down for a date or a loan because of one or more negative results on Google. This could be:
- An arrest record, however old
- A story from the local or national press
- An old, long-forgotten social media post
- One or more unflattering mugshots or other photos
- A poor professional review of an individual or their business
- Salacious blog posts written by or about a person
- Any other negative, lewd, or otherwise questionable content
As a business owner, an individual and their company are also further at risk of negative reviews, one-star ratings, and unfavorable remarks on platforms such as Google My Business.
The potential impact of even a single one of any of the above could be devastating on a number of different fronts. Not only could a poor online reputation cost you a date, but it could also potentially cost you your education, your career, your chances of securing a mortgage, and more.
Tied to your family name, it could also have a negative knock-on effect on your spouse, parents, children, siblings, and others around you. For this reason alone, perhaps, everyone should consider taking appropriate online reputation defense measures.
Remember the retired seniors we touched on a moment ago? In line with the above, consider, as an example, that grandpa should be arrested for DUI. Although he may have little riding on his own online reputation, publicly published arrest records and local news stories can have far-reaching effects.
Those tied to him by name or location, particularly in a small town or where a family shares a unique surname, can quickly find themselves judged by association.
This is just one of countless possibilities, of course, but serves as a stark reminder as to why online reputation defense or protection can quickly prove to be fundamental in today’s digital age, whoever you are.
Further understanding online reputation defense
Appreciating and understanding online reputation defense ultimately begins and ends with genuine recognition of the risks associated with overlooking the matter.
Having now broached that, the good news is that professional online reputation protection is one of the most affordable and cost-effective forms of reputation management available.
Why? Online reputation defense, at its core, is both preventative and proactive.
Affordable, cost-effective, proactive, and preventative
By looking to address online reputation defense by default, you’re best positioned to prevent the most severe fallout should the worst happen. With the right online reputation protection plans in place, many people, in fact, can avoid an online reputation crisis altogether.
It goes without saying that nobody wants to be arrested or have their name or the name of their business dragged through the mud. At the same time, when it happens, there’s little that anyone can do about it after the fact.
Without adequate plans in place, the first page of search results on Google, Bing, Yahoo!, and even social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are likely to become quickly filled with new information about what’s happened when searching for a name.
That’s because any new information very rapidly becomes more relevant, typically at least, than almost anything that may have popped up previously. Usually, that’s some very pedestrian, mundane results that will appear in some form for the majority of people.
However, with online reputation protection, you’re taking a defensive stance against this and any other future online reputation damage. By having highly relevant content in place, anything that’s newly published will have a harder time rising to the top of the search results.
In the most straightforward sense, that’s the primary basis of what we’re talking about here. The same applies whether it’s your name or the name of your business or brand.
Maria Kalyadina, social media manager for software company SEMrush, summarizes this nicely in a recently published piece about effective online reputation management.
“You can never anticipate a crisis, but this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t prepare for one,” says Maria. “So, a sound crisis management strategy should always be in place as things escalate online at an unprecedented speed,” she adds.
That’s some extremely sound, free advice that we can all afford to take on board.
Online reputation defense FAQs
How does online reputation defense work?
Online reputation defense works by defending against the possible appearance of negative online content before it happens. It may also be employed following an online reputation crisis to prevent future harm from a reoccurrence of similar events.
How can I protect my reputation online?
Online reputation defense represents among the best ways to protect your reputation online. You can also take measures such as ensuring that any self-published content on the web—for example, on social media or blog websites—represents you in the best possible light.
Review your privacy settings across the board, too, and delete anything that could come back to haunt you.
How much does online reputation defense cost?
Proactively protecting your online reputation is among the most affordable forms of reputation management available. Prevention, as the old saying goes, is better than cure.
Professional reputation protection typically costs just a fraction of what an individual may need to spend on repairing an already damaged reputation.
How long does online reputation defense take to work?
Online reputation defense is effective almost immediately. By contrast, repairing a damaged reputation, a risk associated with not taking suitable online reputation protection precautions, can take anywhere from three months to one year or more to see noticeable results.
Ready to tackle online reputation defense head-on? At NetReputation, we have more than a decade of experience in online reputation management, protection, and defense.
Why choose NetReputation? Recently rated the best global reputation management firm of 2020 by Newsweek.com, we’re also ranked top within the reputation management sector by Ebiznewswire and Digital Exits.
Want to know more? Call our team today for a no-obligation discussion or request a free online reputation consultation now to receive further information and advice from the web’s #1 online reputation management service.


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China announced Tuesday that 1,140 models from the country's 19 air conditioner makers are eligible for state subsidy in the country's massive promotion of energy-efficient air conditioners, a move aimed to increase consumption while saving energy.
The list, which is the first batch of firms eligible for state subsidy, includes the country's best-known domestic brands Hai'er, Hisense, Chonghong and Midea, according to a joint announcement from the Ministry of Finance and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
Buyers of the selected air conditioners will enjoy price cuts of up to 850 yuan (about 125 U.S. dollars), according to the announcement.
Prices of such products will be cut by different amounts based on their energy-efficiency level.
The loss caused by the reduction will be compensated by the Ministry of Finance, said the announcement.
The policy does not cover sales of air conditioners that have already been included by the country's rebate policy to promote home appliance sales in rural areas, it said.
The move is expected to increase the market share of energy-efficient air conditioners from the present 5 percent to over 30 percent in two years, helping save 6 billion kilowatt hours of electricity and boost consumption by 60 billion yuan, said NDRC in a report on its Web site.
The NDRC and Ministry of Finance kicked off the program to promote sales of energy-efficient home appliances by price reduction last month, including air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators and flat panel TV sets.
(Xinhua News Agency June 2, 2009)


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“Let the buyer beware” is a sentiment that dates back well before consumer protection and truth-in-advertising laws. Yet, the issue of trust continues to permeate all areas of society today. A few weeks ago, I wrote about the “trust cliff” that affects the amount of information consumers are willing to share with retailers in order to have more relevant interactions.
Now, a new Cisco study on retail banking in 12 countries reveals a different kind of trust problem: consumers are getting less value than they expect from their banks, and this “value gap” is impacting customer trust.
The global financial crisis of 2007-2008 greatly damaged consumer trust in financial institutions, and brand equity has fallen along with it. In 2009, one year after the financial crisis, the world’s top 500 brands saw the value of their brands drop by 32 percent. For many banks, their brand value has yet to recover from pre-crisis levels.
But the roots of distrust go deeper than that. Our study shows that there is a fundamental disconnect between banks and their customers, and many customers no longer look to their banks to help them meet their financial goals. In fact:
- 43 percent of customers say their bank doesn’t understand their needs
- One in four would choose another provider for their next account or service
- Only 40 percent of respondents worldwide turn to a financial professional for advice, and of these, 28 percent believe the advice is ineffective
Meanwhile, a growing cadre of disruptive “non-bank” innovators is exploiting this value gap between banks and their customers. They range from technology companies such as Apple and Google, to retailers such as Amazon.com and Tesco, to mobile and digital-only banking services, payment companies, and automated investment services. A surprising 80 percent of consumers surveyed said they would trust a non-bank for their banking services. In eight out of the 12 countries surveyed, more consumers would actually trust a non-bank than their own bank.
Read More »
Tags: analytics, banking, CCS, Cisco, Cisco Consulting Services, data, digital, Financial Services, hyper-relevance, innovation, Internet of Everything, internet of things, IoE, Museum of Lasts, trust, value gap
Retailers once had a pretty clear idea of who shopped where and how they did it. After all, there were not that many options available for shoppers. Consumers would see an ad or peruse a catalog, and then visit the physical store with the hope that their preferred item was in stock.
These days, retailers understand there is an entirely new kind of shopper. Indeed, since the advent of e-commerce, retail complexity has increased exponentially, and today’s digital consumer navigates a wide range of channels and potential shopping journeys.
As a recent Cisco survey of retail trends discovered, e-commerce has added about 40 possible shopping options for a typical shopper. With the rise of the Internet of Everything (IoE) — the explosion in networked connections of people process, data, and things — potential shopping journeys will expand to 800 and beyond. Some of the new options coming into play could include mobile devices equipped for live Web engagements, checkout optimization, mobile payments, wearables, augmented reality, and drone delivery.
The variety of journeys available to shoppers is growing exponentially.
Source: Cisco Consulting Services, 2015
This sweeping digital transformation has dramatically altered the shopping behaviors of consumers, who now demand experiences that are contextual and hyper-relevant (enabling consumers to receive what they want, when and how they want it), whether in-store or out. As a result, retailers are reinventing their business models and rethinking much of what they once knew, including traditional customer segmentation.
Video: IoE in Retail: Hyper-Relevance through Consumer Context
Increasingly, we are entering a period that has been referred to as “post-demographic consumerism” in which consumption patterns are no longer defined by traditional demographic segments such as age, gender, location, income, family status, and the like. This presents a significant challenge to retailers already grappling with growing complexity in their operations.
For example, Cisco’s research reveals that Gen Y is far from monolithic. On one hand, Gen Y continues to accelerate the shift to online channels (faster than any other group): although 34 percent make more than half of all purchases online as they seek convenience and greater access to information, 54 percent would shop only in stores for the next month if they had to make a choice. Moreover, just as the physical store remains important to Gen Y, many seniors are shopping online or with mobile devices.
In short, consumer segments are increasingly fragmented and ephemeral. The sheer number of potential shopping journeys is growing exponentially, and the change is occurring faster than ever before. For an individual shopper, however, the journeys are also dynamic. Consumers are constantly shifting to other journeys as new innovations emerge —
and faster than retailers can respond. Compounding this, the velocity of innovation is increasing as IoE dissolves traditional barriers (for example, through the low cost of app creation, the Kickstarter-style funding model, and so forth).
Since every retailer is unique, and there is enormous variation across categories, each retailer must define its own target segments, and then be prepared for the rapid evolution of new “microsegments.” Cisco is working with retailers to define target segments and prepare for the evolution of new ones.
To enable the customer outcomes that will determine the winners of the IoE era, most retailers understand that they need to know their customers as never before and, critically, possess the requisite business agility to adapt. Fortunately, IoE and consumer analytics technology provide the platform to truly understand, engage and respond to their customer.
Analytics is a key competitive frontier in the IoE era, enabling retailers to provide consumer experiences, offers, and interactions that are contextual, relevant, and timely. Moreover, analytics empowers the retailer to respond dynamically to constantly changing customer behavior.
To succeed in this area, retailers need a technology strategy that captures data at the “edge” of the network — from mobile devices, sensors, video cameras, and the like — and analyzes it locally, in real time, to respond to fast-moving opportunities. By leveraging analytics and other key elements of IoE such as video and mobility, retailers can drive greater efficiency in each customer journey, offer real-time savings, and create a more relevant customer engagement.
As shopper segmentation blurs, analytics is critical to understanding the new digital customer. Old or young, rich or poor, all customers have value and want to interact with retailers in new, hyper-relevant ways. IoE-driven solutions are the way to do it.
Tags: Anabelle Pinto, analytics, CCS, Cisco, Cisco Consulting Services, connected retail, data, digital, hyper-relevance, innovation, Internet of Everything, internet of things, IoE, IoT, National Retail Federation, NRF, retail, shopping
As retailers compete for consumers’ attention—and purchases—they are always looking for ways to deliver a better shopping experience that will make customers want to come back to the store, again and again. A good starting point is to eliminate some of the common frustrations of the shopping experience, such as long checkout lines.
Cisco’s new campaign on the “Museum of Lasts” shows how the Internet of Everything (IoE) will bring about the “last checkout line.” But that’s just the beginning. When retailers apply real-time analytics to the networked connection of people, process, data, and things, they not only improve store operations and customer service, but also provide the “hyper-relevant” experiences customers crave. Read More »
Tags: Cisco, Cisco Consulting Services, edge computing, hyper-relevance, Internet of Everything, internet of things, last checkout line, Nicola Villa, retail, shopping
Around the world, banking customers express similar frustrations: they believe the value they receive from their banks is declining, at a time when their trust in those banks already has eroded.
What’s more, according to a Cisco survey of 7,200 banking customers in 12 countries, four out of five customers would trust a non-bank, such as a technology company or retailer, to handle their banking needs. Some of those disruptive competitors are succeeding where banks fail: by engaging customers with convenient transactions and value-added services.
The Cisco study found that Internet of Everything (IoE)-enabled services can help restore the value customers expect from banking institutions. IoE — the networked connection of people, process, data and things — makes it possible for banks to offer a more relevant, engaging, and convenient experience for customers.
Of the $19 trillion in global economic value Cisco estimates IoE can create over the next decade, 7 percent ($1.3 trillion) is accounted for in the finance market and could be addressed with concepts included in this survey.
The digitization of business and society is happening at a rapid pace and people are looking for improved, digital services that make life easier. Banks need to embrace this pace of change and deliver relevant services or risk becoming obsolete in a market where other providers are stepping in to fill the gaps.
Read More »
Tags: analytics, banking, CCS, Cisco, Cisco Consulting Services, data, digital, Financial Services, hyper-relevance, innovation, Internet of Everything, internet of things, IoE, IoT, Wim Elfrink
In years past, a visit to the neighborhood bank branch often featured face-to-face meetings with a trusted advisor who would guide customers through their most challenging financial journeys — often over a cup of coffee. Today, many banks have ceded that privileged position of trusted advisor. While banks have made great strides in using technology to cut costs and streamline transactions, customer experience and engagement have suffered.
In a Cisco survey of 7,200 bank customers in 12 countries, 43 percent of customers said their primary bank does not understand their individual needs. As a result, many respondents feel that their choice is between bad financial advice or no advice all. Moreover, nearly one in four bank customers intend to choose another provider for their next financial product or service. Increasingly, that provider could be a non-bank such as Apple, PayPal, or a retailer. Four out of five customers would trust a non-bank to handle their banking needs.
Clearly, the perceived value that customers receive from banks is declining, along with their trust in banks to represent their interests. Banks are seen as commoditized — and replaceable — providers of transactions. Meanwhile, in the wake of the financial crisis of 2007-2008 and some well-publicized banking scandals, banks’ “trusted advisor” status has suffered. Moreover, it is easier than ever to switch to a non-bank that customers believe has a better understanding of their needs.
Read More »
Tags: analytics, banking, CCS, Cisco, Cisco Consulting Services, data, digital, Financial Services, hyper-relevance, innovation, Internet of Everything, internet of things, IoE, IoT


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Good luck drinking this one dry.
The world’s biggest bottle of whisky sold at auction for $1.375 million this week.
The 1989 Macallan single malt stands 5 feet, 11 inches tall and contains 311 liters of whisky, enough for 444 standard bottles. It was aged 32 years at Macallan’s famous Scotland distillery and then bottled together last year.
An anonymous buyer purchased it for £1.1 million on Wednesday, according to auction house Lyon & Turnbull. The buyer was described only as “an international collector.”
A group of whisky appreciators and exploration buffs teamed up to create the bottle, dubbed The Intrepid and adorned with the faces of 11 explorers.
“The Intrepid project has been an adventure from the start,” project founder Daniel Monk said. “I started contacting explorers during lockdown to get them on board and found people who could make and fill the largest bottle of Scotch whisky and together we have achieved the dream.”
Monk implied that some of the proceeds would go to various charities, but Lyon & Turnbull did not provide specifics.
Somehow, $1.4 million is not a record price for a bottle of whisky. A normal sized bottle of Macallan, bottled in 1986 after six decades of maturation, sold for $1.5 million in November 2018.


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China-based Xiaomi launched its anti-pollution mask in India earlier this month. And now today, the company has launched three new products for the Indian market – two of them are Smart TVs, and one is a soundbar. Let’s take a look at what each one of them has to offer.
Xiaomi Mi LED TV 4X Pro 55-inch
Xiaomi forayed into India’s Smart TV market last year and has launched a couple of smart TVs in India. But now, the company has further expanded its portfolio of smart TVs in India with the launch of Mi LED TV 4X Pro 55-inch and Mi LED TV 4A Pro 43-inch. Let’s talk about the Mi LED TV 4X Pro first.
As already evident from its name, the Mi LED TV 4X Pro 55-inch is an LED TV with a screen that measures a whopping 55-inch diagonally. The screen has 4K UHD (3840 x 2160 pixels) resolution with a refresh rate of 60 ms and a viewing angle of 178-degrees. It also has support for HDR.
The Mi LED TV 4X Pro 55-inch is powered by a quad-core Amlogic processor which is laced with 2 GB RAM. The smart TV runs the company’s PatchWall OS based on Android 8.1 Oreo, and it has also Android TV in tow which means you can access Android apps from Google’s Play Store. The smart TV also comes built-in with Chromecast and YouTube. Besides, it also offers 7,00,000+ hours of content from Xiaomi’s partners like Hotstar, Hungama, Sony Liv, Voot, Eros Now, Zee5, Hooq, Epic ON, and more.
The Mi LED TV 4X Pro 55-inch also comes with a Bluetooth remote with a built-in microphone so that you can search for content using Google Voice Search.
Other features of the Mi LED TV 4X Pro 55-inch include 8 GB internal storage, two 10W stereo speakers with DTS-HD, as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. Speaking of connectivity, the Mi LED TV 4X Pro 55-inch has a total of three HDMI ports, two USB ports, one Ethernet port, one S/PDIF, and one AV port.
Xiaomi Mi LED TV 4A Pro 43-inch
The Mi LED TV 4A Pro 43-inch isn’t much different from the Mi LED TV 4X Pro 55-inch. It differs only in terms of screen size, screen resolution, RAM count, number of connectivity ports, and of course weight.
The Mi LED TV 4A Pro 43-inch features a 43-inch LED display that has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. And, unlike the Mi LED TV 4X Pro 55-inch, the display of the Mi LED TV 4A 43-inch doesn’t support HDR.
Furthermore, the Mi LED TV 4X Pro 55-inch comes with 2 GB RAM whereas the Mi LED TV 4A Pro 43-inch comes with 1 GB RAM. However, both of these smart TVs come with Android Oreo-based PatchWall and Android TV.
Having said that, in terms of connectivity, the Mi LED TV 4A Pro 43-inch comes with one extra USB port over the Mi LED TV 4X Pro 55-inch.
Xiaomi Mi Soundbar
Xiaomi has also launched a soundbar called Mi Soundbar. It can play music from TVs – both CRT and LED – as well as through smartphones or any other Bluetooth-enabled devices. The Mi Soundbar comes with Bluetooth 4.2 that lets you connect it with smartphones or any other Bluetooth-enabled devices, and, it also has S/PDIF port for connecting with a TV. Xiaomi says it takes less than 30 seconds to set up the Mi Soundbar.
That said, the Mi Soundbar also has ports for fiber-optic connectivity and 3.5 mm aux audio cable.
The Mi Soundbar features a total of eight drivers that cover frequencies from 50 Hz to 25,000 Hz. Out of these eight drivers, two are 2.5-inch bass units, two are 0.75-inch dome treble units, and four are passive radiators for bass amplification.
The Mi Soundbar can also be hanged on a wall if you don’t want to place it on a table.
Price in India and Availability
- Price of Mi LED TV 4X Pro 55-inch: ₹39,999
- Price of Mi LED TV 4A Pro 43-inch: ₹22,999
- Price of Mi Soundbar: ₹4999
- Availability: Both the Mi LED TVs will be available for purchase through Mi.com, Flipkart, and Mi Home stores starting January 15. The Mi Soundbar, however, will be available for purchase through Mi.com and Mi Home stores from January 16


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WK Kellogg CEO Gary Pilnick’s cost-saving suggestion of eating cereal for dinner has yet to win over consumers who are feeling the strain of grocery prices.
Pilnick posed buying cereal for dinner to save money on groceries in an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” Feb. 21. He was responding to a question regarding how high food prices are and how more than 11% of disposable consumer income goes toward purchasing it, according to the most recent data available at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A clip from the interview is making the rounds online and has been met with what dissenters see as the irony in Pilnick’s proposal.
“The cereal category has always been quite affordable and it tends to be a great destination when consumers are under pressure,” the cereal company’s CEO said.
“If you think about the cost of cereal for a family versus what they might otherwise do, that’s going to be much more affordable,” he added. “We talk about making sure that we have the right pack at the right price in the right place. So having a different sized pack that’ll have a different price point, that’ll take some pressure off the consumer while they’re shopping. So, those are some of the things that we’re doing. But, in general, the cereal category is a place that a lot of folks might come to because the price of a bowl of cereal with milk and with fruit is less than a dollar. So you can imagine why a consumer under pressure might find that to be a good place to go.”
As this portion of the interview circulates online, social media users ripped into Pilnick for suggesting what they feel he would never regularly do himself.
“Greedflation is forcing families to make choices like eating cereal for dinner to save money. Kellogg’s CEO is bragging about it while they show the huge climb in corporate profits that helped create the problem in the first place. F--- this sh--,” a critic posted on X.
Pilnick’’s annual salary is $1 million plus up to $4.4 million more in bonuses as of September 2023, per a filing with the SEC. The company reported $651 million in net sales as of Dec. 30, the end of the last quarter.
“Meanwhile, he’s eating at 5 star restaurants every night and when he isn’t, his personal chef cooks him dinner. Absolutely disgusting. Eat. The. Rich,” one person commented on an Instagram post of the clip.
“People: we don’t have dinner, we starving. CEO: then just eat cereals. People: but they expensive. CEO: We hear you! we’re making the packs smaller, so it costs less,” another person commented on the YouTube video.
“Im sorry but who and what ceo would even have the confidence to say something like this? I’m 30 something and cereal for dinner isn’t nutrition. Low income does this for something vs nothing,” another person wrote under the YouTube video.
WK Kellogg did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In the full CNBC interview that aired, Pilnick was asked about “the potential” for his cost-cutting solution to “land the wrong way.”
“It’s landing really well right now,” he answered. “Over 25% of our consumption is outside the breakfast occasion. A lot of it’s at dinner and that occasion continues to grow. Cereal for dinner is something that is probably more on trend now and we would expect to continue as that consumer is under pressure.”


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When asked about reports that Uber intends to sell its autonomous driving unit Advanced Technologies Group (ATG), Dara Khosrowshahi said at the RBC Capital Markets Conference: “We think we will be in for a while Cooperate with other autonomous driving providers within.”
He said Uber can provide funding for competitors who have invested billions of dollars in developing robotaxis, a large customer base, and valuable data on profitable routes generated through its ride-hailing business.
Reuters reported last week that Uber is negotiating the sale of its ATG unit to Aurora, a self-driving car startup, because Uber is looking for options in expensive units, and fully autonomous vehicles are still several years away.
Khosrowshahi declined to comment directly on these reports, but said Uber hopes to build an open network and provide funding for ATG internal and external.
The CEO said: “We will walk all the roads here.”
Khosrowshahi said in May that Uber is willing to use technology from competitors in the industry.
ATG has received approximately US$1 billion (approximately Rs 74 billion) in funding from outside investors including Toyota and SoftBank, which was valued at US$7.25 billion (approximately Rs 530 billion) at the beginning of this year.
Khosrowshahi said that fully automatic vehicles that no longer require any human supervision are still ten to fifteen years away from us, and their progress depends on local regulations.
© Thomson Reuters 2020
Will Apple Silicon launch an affordable MacBook in India? We discussed on the weekly technical podcast Orbital, you can subscribe via Apple Podcast, Google Podcast or RSS, download the episode, or click the play button below.


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Despite ongoing sanctions, Russia/western nation trade volumes continue to grow, demonstrated by the 2018 import growth of western goods, Russia's trade officials reported.
What’s more, according to recent statistics published by the Association of Commercial Seaports of Russia, container goods imports to Russian ports on the Baltic Sea in 2018 exceeded exports — the first time that’s happened in almost five years.
According to official statistics, in January-March 2018, Baltic ports’ container volume increased to 577,600 TEU, a 7.8 percent increase compared with the same period in 2017. Of this total, imports exceeded exports by 15,200 TEU. (Imports totaled 296,400 TEU; exports, 281,200 TEU).
The Big Port of St. Petersburg’s volume was 503,800 TEU in the first quarter of 2018.
Russia — importing consumer goods, exporting energy
The EU cargo exports to Russia are container-based and largely comprised of consumer goods, some of which are high-price goods. Conversely, most Russian exports to the European Union are energy-based.
According to statistics provided by the Russian Ministry of Transport, in 2017 among EU members, Germany exported the most to Russia, accounting for about 20 percent of total container cargo imports. Hamburg-Saint Petersburg currently remains the busiest sea route on the Germany-Russia trade; container transit is five to six days and costs $920 to $1,250 per container.
Regarding rail transport, currently EU-Russia trade remains insignificant, primarily owing to differing railway gauges between European countries and nations in the Commonwealth of the Independent States, but also because of the non-competitiveness of rail transport for short distances.
However, at the same time a significant portion of EU-Russia container cargo is transported to Russia by vehicles. Most of the EU cargo transported by vehicles to Moscow and the central European part of Russia travels through Belarus. Cargo intended for southern Russia travels through Ukraine, although the volume of deliveries on the latter route has significantly declined in recent years. Delivery time on these routes is five to eight days, depending on the route, and costs $2,500 to $2,740 per per TEU.
Contact Eugene Gerden at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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America’s Car-Mart Inc. (CRMT) Shares Down 1.8%
Shares of America’s Car-Mart Inc. (NASDAQ:CRMT) traded down 1.8% on Monday . The company traded as low as $36.34 and last traded at $39.60, with a volume of 68,590 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $40.33.
A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Group raised their price target on shares of America’s Car-Mart from $22.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, August 22nd. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of America’s Car-Mart from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 26th. Finally, Sidoti lowered shares of America’s Car-Mart from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $33.00 to $24.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 24th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, America’s Car-Mart presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $29.00.
The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $34.56 and its 200 day moving average price is $27.66. The firm has a market cap of $309.08 million and a PE ratio of 23.97.
America’s Car-Mart (NASDAQ:CRMT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 18th. The company reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.41. The business earned $145.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $154.36 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.52 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that America’s Car-Mart Inc. will post $2.70 EPS for the current year.
In other news, Director John David Simmons sold 3,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total transaction of $150,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 17,129 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $685,160. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO William H. Henderson sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.71, for a total transaction of $198,550.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 81,984 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,255,584.64. The disclosure for this sale can be found here.
America’s Car-Mart, Inc is an automotive retailer in the United States focused on the integrated auto sales and finance segment of the used car market. The Company conducts its operations through its two operating subsidiaries, America’s Car Mart, Inc, an Arkansas corporation (Car-Mart of Arkansas), and Colonial Auto Finance, Inc, an Arkansas corporation (Colonial) (Collectively, Car-Mart of Arkansas and Colonial are referred to as Car-Mart).
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When you make a game on Apple's App Store, or Google Play, the clones are bound to follow. In what appears to be a first of its kind moment, viral hit "Five Night's At Freddy's" developer Scott Cawthon issued a subpoeana to Apple to find out the true identity of "Lazada Polodi," a developer that released an unofficial sequel infringing on Cawthon's copyright. It demands that Apple hand over "all identifying information" about the developer.
Five Nights at Freddy's is a point and click survival horror game, where the player controls a security guard trying to make it through the night in a Chuck-E-Cheese-style joint where the animatronic animals have gotten a bit murderous. The subpoena, first spotted by Patently Apple, refers to "Five Night's At Freddy's 4," now removed from the app store but having no connection to Cawthon's game. It's a little unclear how it made it past Apple's approval process in the first place -- according to Touch Arcade, it was a straight clone, even going so far as to copy and paste the real game's description text.
It will be a telling moment in developer relations when we see whether or not Apple complies. There's been a lot of talk about the complicated world of cloning recently, and it's a thorny issues. Some, like the legions of Flappy Bird imitators, just borrow basic design elements while making all of their own code and assets, others try to ride the search results of popular apps by taking their names, while some are just straight clones, code and all. Some are even Trojan Horses for malware. Cloning is widepsread enough that companies tout it as a probably legal, but ethically dubious, business strategy. Companies like Apple and Google have protocols in place for developers to deal with clones, but it takes time that many developers may not have.
This subpoena would allow Cawthon to deal with "Lazada Polodi" directly, maybe even suing for the revenue it generated from the $9.99 app. It's more cut and dried than some other, infinitely murky cases, but if Apple complies it could establish an important precedent that could eventually lead to more robust rights for developers on the app store. Some cloning stories, like the unfortunate case of Three's clone 2048, will probably never go away, but giving developers tools to fight the more egregious clones would still be a positive step.
Cawthon recently announced the actual Five Night's at Freddy's 4, and the Warner Bros. recently bought the film rights for the series.


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Rand Remains Inflationary Risk for South Africa, Marcus SaysAndres R. Martinez
South Africa’s central bank sees the rand and fuel prices as the main risks to the inflation outlook and anticipates a temporary breach of its 3 percent to 6 percent target range, Governor Gill Marcus said.
The rand “does create challenges for monetary policy,” Marcus said in an address to German business executives in Johannesburg today. “It remains an upside risk to the inflation outlook” and will contribute to a target breach.
Inflation pressures are easing in South Africa as the price of oil has retreated and as the rand is poised for the first monthly gain in four against th dollar, lowering the expense of imports and giving policy makers room to hold borrowing costs at the lowest level in more than 30 years.
While the Reserve Bank has become more tolerant of inflation close to the top of its target, rising prices have constrained policy makers from stimulating the economy, Marcus said last month. Economic growth has been limited by mining output that hasn’t recovered fully from strikes last year and by curtailed demand for goods from Europe because of a recession there.
South Africa’s growth outlook is “intricately” linked to Europe’s, and the downside risk to economic growth in advanced economies remains, Marcus said.
The central bank held the repurchase rate at 5 percent last month as inflation quickened to 5.9 percent in February. The rate of price increases was unchanged in March, Statistics South Africa said on April 17.
Oil, which South Africa imports, has dropped 9.4 percent this month while the rand has appreciated 0.6 percent against the dollar in the period, paring its decline for the year to 7.7 percent, the most among 25 emerging-market currencies tracked by Bloomberg.


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New York (AirGuideBusiness - Travel Business News North America) May 27, 2013
Australian tourists spending big money on trips to the United States With the Aussie dollar worth more than the greenback in 2012 and everything from electronic goods to designer clothes in the US at bargain prices compared to stores in Australia, Aussie tourists have been on a buying frenzy. A record number of bargain-hunting Australians armed with credit cards and wallets stuffed with cash have been flying to the US and spending big. According to the US Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, Australians spent a record-breaking $US5.5 billion in America in 2012, an increase of 11 per cent on 2011. Australia ranks number eight in international visitor spending in the US, with northern neighbour Canada number one with $US26.1 billion, then Japan ($US16.6 billion), UK ($US13 billion), Mexico ($US10.1 billion), Brazil ($US9.3 billion), China ($US9.2 billion) and Germany ($US7 billion). Australia edged out France, which came in ninth with $US5.3 billion and 10th place was India with $US4.9 billion. "Visitors from Australia have spent record levels on US travel and tourism goods and services in eight out of the last 10 years, helping to propel Australia up in the rankings to our eighth largest market abroad in 2012," the US Office of Travel and Tourism Industries report states. While Aussie tourists have been going on buying frenzies in the US, the big movers have been the Chinese, with figures showing Chinese visitor spending skyrocketing 19 per cent in 2012. In 2008 the Chinese were not in the top 10, but with the Chinese middle class growing there has been double-digit growth in visitor spending in the US the past three years. California has been a big benefactor, with the average Chinese visitor spending $US7,105 in California, the most of any overseas nation, with the average Aussie tourist spending $US4,782 in the state. Australians are big shoppers, but they also like to spend cash on restaurants, sightseeing trips, amusement parks and stay in nice hotels while in America. The research has found Chinese tourists tend to stay in cheap hotels and spend little on food, with a large percentage of their cash devoted to shopping. May 26, 2013
SeaWorld Entertainment Reports Net Loss in First Quarter SeaWorld Entertainment reported financial results for the quarter ending March 31. The company generated total revenue of $238.6 million, an increase of $26.2 million, or 12 percent, over the same period in 2012. Adjusted EBITDA was $11.1 million compared to an Adjusted EBITDA loss of $6.2 million in the same quarter in 2012. The company reported a net loss for the first quarter of 2013 of $40.4 million, or $0.49 per share, compared to a net loss of $45.1 million, or $0.55 per share, over the same period in 2012. OAfter our successful Initial Public Offering last month, we are pleased to report strong results for the first quarter of 2013 in which we generated a 12 percent increase in total revenue,O Jim Atchison, president and CEO of SeaWorld Entertainment, said. OThis improvement was primarily from a 10 percent increase in total revenue per capita driven by the ongoing execution of our pricing and yield management strategies. We are excited about the success of our IPO and look forward to 2013 and beyond as we continue to focus on growing our globally recognized parks, brands, and intellectual property to drive revenue and Free Cash Flow growth.O May 23, 2013
SeaWorld Orlando Officially Opens Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin SeaWorld Orlando is making a big bet on penguins [ETH] and itOs doing so with a multi-million-dollar attraction that isnOt your usual penguin zoo display. The theme park officially opens Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, to the public on May 24, but offered press previews on May 23. The new family attraction, part of a new OrealmO at SeaWorld, takes guests on a simulated voyage to Antarctica, combining cutting-edge ride technology and up-close encounters with a colony of nearly 250 penguins in their natural habitat. Guests begin their journey by learning about Puck, a young penguin who is born and then leaves his nest to explore the outside world of icebergs, ice caves, snow capped mountains and high winds. Guests board one of four eight-passenger simulator ride car and can choose one of two levels of exploration [ETH] Wild Expedition or Mild Expedition [ETH] for various degrees of ride intensity. Designers say each version has multiple variations for a feeling of unpredictability. OWhen our little hero penguin learns to waddle and slide, weOll feel what itOs like as the car moves and reacts to the storyline,O said Brian Morrow, SeaWorld Parks & EntertainmentOs creative director. OWhen he takes his first swim or barely escapes danger, our guests will feel as if theyOre right there with him. On this adventure, we learn that weOre a lot like penguins. WeOll find we need each other and our families to survive.O When guests disembark the simulator ride cars, they find themselves in a live penguin habitat, chilled to 30 degrees, separated only by a low glass wall. On the other side of that wall are 250 penguins representing four different species: Adelie, gentoo, king and rockhopper penguins. New technologies combine to create a freezing but dry climate, allowing guests to spend time in the penguinsO world. Guests then proceed through insulated revolving doors to another, warmer area where they can view penguins swimming, diving and racing at top speed through a giant tank. Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin also includes educational elements. Kids can discover 18 species of penguins carved into the rocks in the plaza. They can engage with the attraction using interactive touch screens and talk with SeaWorld educators to learn more about the importance of community and how penguin colonies work together. Antarctica also includes Expedition Caf, featuring American, Asian and Italian...