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Walmart will not allow shoppers to go unhappy on Black Friday. With magnificent deals, the giant-retailer will always provide satisfaction the day after Thanksgiving.
Upgrading phone this coming Black Friday? Without a doubt, Walmart features some of the best deals on tech during the Black Friday shopping spree. Huge Savings on TVs, Mobiles and Cameras are available on Walmart on Black Friday 2016.
When it comes to smartphones and accessories, Walmart offers some of the best deals on Black Friday.
In recent years, Thanksgiving Day has not been spared from the cravings of shoppers throughout the country. It’s the start of the shopping spree that elevates through Black Friday. Walmart doesn’t fail its millions of shoppers by rolling out the Black Friday ads and flyers early to allow them to scan and look for the deals.
Technology plays a major role in the coming Black Friday shopping spree. With the quick advancement of technology, stores are going to offer high-tech gadgets on Black Friday.
Early Black Friday ads leaked at Walmart . This 2016 Black Friday, Walmart will surpass the product quantities by 50% than last year including hot-selling products such as TVs, Mobile, Cameras, Laptops and many more, especially online. Walmart for the first time is launching Black Friday deals on its mobile app starting this Thursday.
With few days away from the Black Friday shopping spree, Walmart rolls out its Black Friday 2016 ads and flyers. Christmas and Thanksgiving Specials would be hard to negate. Walmart is about almost everything but the big retailers leaked Black Friday ads and flyers are mostly about tech items.
Long-awaited Walmart Black Friday 2016 ad deals have finally arrived.
This is the 2nd year when Walmart is offering majority of its Black Friday deals online, because more and more people are segregating their budgets between online and in-store. Offering Wristbands for certain popular items, has become a tradition for Walmart that guarantees every shopper who receives a wristband will get the product for sure even if goes out of stock. To help you locate the in-demand items that sell out fast such as TVs and toys, Walmart has launched interactive store maps, which highlights the popular product location. Millions of shoppers last year accessed these store maps.
Walmart Black Friday 2016 ad sales online begin at 12.01 on Thanksgiving Day and in-store doorbuster deals begin at 6PM the same day!
Customers looking to take advantage of No Contract Straight Talk Wireless” phone, here is your great chance. Walmart is providing Samsung Galaxy S 6 Smartphone (Straight Talk Wireless) at just $249 that brings a huge savings of $150. There has been great price cut on Samsung Galaxy Luna 4.5″ Android (Straight Talk Wireless) which is offered at $19.88 (was $99) and Samsung Galaxy Sky 5.0″ 4G LTE Smartphone (Straight Talk Wireless) comes at $49 after cutting $90 from the original price.
Walmart’s Black Friday wireless offer comprises of $250 Walmart gift card and $0 down when customers qualifies the purchase on Samsung or Apple phone and sign up for an instalment plan with AT&T Next or Verizon Device Payment. Phone will activated on 24th November at 9PM. On the phone accessories side, Walmart has Onn 3.5-ft. Micro USB Cable (Assorted Colors) available at $2 (was 4.88), wide range of Tzumi ProGlass for iPhone and Samsung phones at $4 each and Otterbox Defender case for iPhone 7, 6 5s and SE offered at $25.
If you have been looking at a great camera deal, then here is your stealer – Polaroid Instant Digital Camera Bundle offered at $84 and Polaroid Zinc Paper (20-pk.) at $9.97 both listed under “Special Buy” by Walmart. On a higher-end Canon SLR 2 Lens Bundle at $449 is of course a great deal that saves you $150. Arlo by Netgear Security Camera can be availed at $99 which was $169 earlier and Night Owl HD Security Camera is now offered at $194 after slashing solid $85. Also you won’t get a better deal on Nest 3rd Gen Learning Thermostat at $199 (was $249)


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— A Subaru oil consumption lawsuit looks to be nearing an end as Subaru has agreed to settle the lawsuit that alleges owners of certain cars must spend a small fortune on motor oil.
The original class-action lawsuit was filed in July 2014 and included the following vehicles equipped with Subaru FB engines:
- 2011-2014 Subaru Forester
- 2013 Subaru Legacy
- 2013 Subaru Outback
- 2012-2013 Subaru Impreza
- 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek
The oil consumption lawsuit, filed by lead plaintiffs Keith Yeager and Michael Schuler, alleges Subaru knowingly sold cars that burned oil at a high rate due to allegedly defective piston rings.
Additionally, the lawsuit alleges Subaru knew about the problems based on a constant stream of complaints, yet the automaker allowed owners to pay for unneeded engine repairs.
Subaru also issued four technical service bulletins to dealers about excessive oil consumption that told dealers to replace the piston rings for any customer who complained about oil consumption.
Subaru owners complain the cost can be as much as $8,000 to replace the piston rings and it does nothing to decrease oil consumption.
Although the court still needs to approve the settlement, Subaru has agreed to make changes on how it treats complaints about oil consumption. However, it's not clear if the settlement includes the vehicles originally named in the lawsuit or different models.
Subaru says if the settlement is given final approval by a judge, the automaker will provide a free “oil consumption test” to affected owners, in addition to extending the warranty to 8 years/100,000 miles.
Subaru owners will also be reimbursed for things associated with excessive oil consumption, including receiving up to six quarts of oil. Other expenses that will be reimbursed include the cost of repairs, including labor costs, the expense of towing and for money thrown out from renting cars.
Settlement notices will be mailed to affected owners who then must file a claim for compensation.
The Subaru oil consumption lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey - Yaeger, et al. v. Subaru of America Inc., et al.

domain: news


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NOVA Entertainment has appointed Esther Carlsen digital commercial director.
Carlsen began her career as a sales leader across Yahoo7! and ninemsn, before leading Group M’s programmatic business unit, Xaxis, in the role of MD. Carlsen went on to lead the local operation for consumer data business, Axciom, before leading the digital performance agency, Bench. Most recently, Carlsen worked as commercial director for Nine Digital Audio.
Carlsen is the second significant digital ad executive appointment to senior commercial leadership positions, after Nicole Bence joined the business last year in the role of chief commercial officer.
Bence says audio is the fastest growing digital media in Australia and there are few executives better placed than Carlsen to capitalise on that opportunity.
"I’m confident she’ll play a critical role in continuing to drive the transformation and adoption necessary for us to lead the market," she says.
Carlsen said she's excited to be joining the NOVA team at such a pivotal point in their transformation to become an all of audio business.
"After learning of the company’s vision, I believe my experience across both the buy and sell side will enable me to help clients unlock the full value of the growing audiences across the network," she said.
“As the media landscape becomes more complex, I believe NOVA have a compelling offering that will help clients and agencies optimise their spend and maximise their reach and impact.”
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Company – CVS Health
Agencies – BBDO, The Marketing Arm
Market(s) – US
Timing – September – December
CVS Health’s massive Cigarettes Out, Health In campaign not only positioned the company as a health-focused, innovative brand, but also inspired millions with #OneGoodReason to live tobacco free.
To demonstrate its purpose of helping people on their path to better health, CVS Health announced a bold decision: the removal tobacco in all of its stores nationwide — even though it would cost $2 billion annually. They wanted to showcase this bold move and turn it into big news, hoping to change America’s perception of the company from a corner drugstore to a pharmacy innovation company with health at its core.
On September 3rd, the day cigarettes were officially removed from the shelves, CVS Health’s teams orchestrated an event in Manhattan’s Bryant Park. Overnight, the teams set up a 50-foot-tall mechanical cigarette that gradually snuffed itself out. Street teams engaged the crowd with giveaways and encouraged them to share their #OneGoodReason to live tobacco-free. This event launched an integrated campaign that introduced America to CVS Health.
In doing so, CVS Health became the first major pharmacy network to remove tobacco from their stores, putting pressure on the competition.
Throughout the process, CVS Health maintained creative approval rights. As lead agency, BBDO developed strategy and the idea, produced the documentary series and TV campaign, and designed the event. The Marketing Arm managed event logistics, taking the idea and making it happen. Agency representatives communicated on a daily basis. The Marketing Arm traveled to New York on various occasions. The team planned the massive event in 3 months, made possible by a unified dedication to its success and a willingness to pitch in for whatever was needed, no matter how small the task.
The integrated campaign achieved 2.1 billion total impressions. In the first few hours of the event, 50,000 tweets used the #OneGoodReason hashtag — including tweets by Michelle Obama and Michael Bloomberg. The campaign received over 100 original articles of coverage from top tier outlets, and 117,835 total mentions across traditional and social news platforms. Overall, the campaign received 96% positive public sentiment.


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NEW YORK — In the run-up to Thanksgiving, the world is about to find out how many jobs are available at FedEx for this year, and which ones will be filled.
For some, Thanksgiving will be the day they finally get the chance to get the jobs they have been looking for.
For others, it will be a moment of reckoning.
As the U.S. economy struggles through a second recession in two years, some companies are starting to find new opportunities and employees.
FedEx, one of the largest carriers of goods to the U.”is a great example of that, because it is a very small company with just under 3,000 employees,” said David Rachman, a managing director at New York-based brokerage Maven.
FedEx is among the top employers in the U, with more than 7,400 employees and about 20,000 truck and rail jobs, according to a report from the National Association of Manufacturers.
“This is not a job market that is going to be a repeat of last year,” Rachmann said.
For the past few months, the industry has been grappling with the recession, which caused massive job losses and has also affected other industries.
“We have seen a number of large employers in this industry who have taken some significant action in recent months, including laying off people and laying off certain types of people,” said Joe Mathers, a partner at Maven, who said he thinks FedEx will start to get more people back.
At the same time, the economy is slowly recovering.
It has bounced back from the depths of the recession and is expected to expand at an annual rate of about 2% this year.
It also has become a magnet for companies looking to fill jobs.
Rachman said FedEx has already had a couple of opportunities to fill vacancies, including hiring more employees and providing more truck and freight services.
He expects FedEx will hire up to 15,000 more employees in 2017.
But there is no guarantee that will happen.
“I think the market has been kind of quiet about hiring in the last month or two, so it is hard to know how many there will be in 2019,” said John Gentry, vice president of research at Forrester Research.
In January, FedEx announced it would lay off 10,000 people in an effort to shore up its bottom line.
The company said the move would save $200 million, though that is a low-ball estimate because of the uncertainty over the economy and the impact of sequestration.
That same month, FedEx said it would begin hiring full-time workers from the start of 2019.
And FedEx said last week that it is hiring 10,800 people per month for its logistics staffing positions over the next two years.
It also is hiring more people in its food service and distribution roles.
The companies have both experienced a surge in orders, which have helped boost demand for supplies.
FedEx also is looking to expand its customer service and logistics business, which has helped to drive growth in the company’s business since it was founded in 1867.
But the company also is seeing growing competition from new technology companies like Uber and Amazon.
In recent years, Uber has added more than 10,500 employees to its fleet, and Amazon has added about 6,000 to its operations.
Amazon, meanwhile, is also expanding its fleet of self-driving vehicles and has hired some 1,600 new drivers.
There are also signs that FedEx is starting to pick up.
In August, FedEx laid off 5,000 workers in a restructuring that included closing more than 100 warehouses and shipping hubs around the world.
The move came as FedEx and UPS announced plans to merge, cutting about 50,000 jobs.
But Rachmans analysis found that in 2019, FedEx and other companies will hire around 7,000 new employees, or about 10% of its workforce.
FedEX also announced it was hiring an additional 4,000 drivers in 2019 and has plans to add 1,000 full- time drivers to its trucks and rail fleet.
On Friday, FedEx added more employees to the staff of its transportation services and logistics team, which oversees the company truck and train operations.
The move is expected for the coming months.


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Have you ever made some extra money by selling stuff online? Maybe you bought yourself a new sofa and wanted to make a few bucks from selling your old one.
It’s super easy to do these days. There are lots of websites out there like eBay and Craigslist that will let you sell things.
After seeing some of the crazy items people are putting up for sale, maybe it’s too easy. Check these out.
Bizarre eBay listings
We’ve seen plenty of strange items for sale online over the years. Possibly the strangest listing was on eBay in 2004. That’s when someone posted for sale a grilled cheese sandwich that supposedly showed the Virgin Mary on the toasted bread.
Believe it or not, someone ended up buying it for $28,000. Now that’s a lot of bread!
As odd as an almost $30,000 sandwich sounds, the crazy got turned up a notch last week. According to the BBC, someone put a listing up on eBay trying to sell debris from a car crash that involved Prince Philip.
The Duke of Edinburgh was in a car accident recently near King’s Lynn, Norfolk. He wasn’t hurt in the crash, but his Land Rover Freelander did end up on its side after a collision with another vehicle.
Apparently the crash left some debris behind, which ended up for sale on eBay. The debris wasn’t glass, but plastic parts that weren’t stolen. The poster said they were left at the roadside, which is where they scooped them up.
As a selling point, the seller said it, “may even have Phil’s DNA on it, if you wanted to clone him.” It must have worked, the listing received 139 bids and was up to almost $87,000.
However, eBay removed the listing before the items actually sold. A spokesperson said it was removed due to its policy that doesn’t allow items to be sold that seek profits from human suffering or tragedy.
Don’t let stories like this scare you away from eBay. There are actually tons of great items listed on the site that you might actually be interested in buying.
Interesting eBay listings that you’ll love
You’re probably not going to create a cheesy masterpiece that will fetch you thousands of dollars with this special toaster, but you will be able to make some pretty awesome sammies with it. Grilled cheese sammies that is.
This grilled cheese sandwich maker is super easy to use and you don’t need a stove. Just place the sandwich in the grill cage, toast and enjoy! Even better, the cages are removable for easy cleanup.
You can buy it now on eBay for under $30.
Cellphones, cans of soda, water bottles, umbrellas, books and so much more. Those are just some of the items you can store in this nifty car seat side storage organizer.
Easily attach it to your car’s passenger or driver side seat and never lose one of those precious items again. It’s even made of waterproof material that will help avoid disastrous spills.
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Just place it in the sun for a few hours and it’s good to go. You’ll be driving around in style while LED lights brighten up your ride.
The Buy It Now price on eBay is $7.07.


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Australian logistics group Trans.L Fresh has become the latest company to join the Reusable Packaging Association (RPA), in a bid to help promote the green and profitable advantages that come from reusable packaging.
The supply chain transformation group, which entered the US in 2008 and has additional operations in Asia, will champion reusable packaging to retailers, processors and other supply chain owners.
"We welcome Trans.L Systems to the RPA," said RPA membership committee chairman Chris MacGrory. "Our members will gain from their experiences in implementing reusable packaging solutions in Australia and Asia, and Trans.L will benefit from the many resources available to them as members of the RPA as well all join forces to advance the growth of the reusable packaging industry."
Ian Neeland, CEO of Trans.L Systems, said that the move offered opportunities for growth and networking in the US.
"We believe our membership with the RPA will help Trans.L Systems as we expand our business in the US," he said. "The association offers great networking opportunities and supports our focus of helping growers, manufacturers and retailers unlock the value of reusable packaging solutions."


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Well, here’s a take you won’t be hearing on next week’s Jimquisition: KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Evan Wingren believes that gamers are overreacting over Star Wars Battlefront 2’s microtransaction saga – and that publishers should increase the price of their software as they’re undercharging. We sure hope he doesn’t have a public Twitter account.
Here’s what he told clients in a report: “Gamers aren't overcharged, they're undercharged (and we're gamers). This saga has been a perfect storm for overreaction as it involves EA, Star Wars, Reddit, and certain purist gaming journalists and outlets who dislike microtransactions.” While the dogpiling has been intense, we’ll politely disagree with Wingren here – ever since Middle-earth: Shadow of War revealed its controversial loot boxes, this kind of backlash has been coming. Battlefront 2 is just the straw that broke the camel’s back, to quote an old cliché.
Wingren believes that the controversy will probably affect the title’s sales, with its 13 million units forecast now potentially in jeopardy. Despite all of this, he thinks the price of games is too low. “If you take a step back and look at the data, an hour of video game content is still one of the cheapest forms of entertainment,” he explained. “Quantitative analysis shows that video game publishers are actually charging gamers at a relatively inexpensive rate, and should probably raise prices.”
The analyst used maths to prove his point, explaining that at $60 for the base game and $20 in microtransactions per month, gamers who play 2.5 hours per day for a year are being charged roughly 40 cents per hour of entertainment. This, Wingren proposes, is cheaper than the 80 cents per hour most spend on television – or $3 per hour in a movie theatre.
But the flaw in his argument is that most people won’t play for 2.5 hours per day for an entire year, thus substantially bumping up the cost per hour. Moreover, many would argue that the way microtransactions are used may actually deter some from spending that amount of time with the title in the first place. Either way, EA’s clearly spooked – it’s already removed all in-app purchased from the shooter, and it’s also in the process of revising Need for Speed: Payback’s progression, which uses a similar system.


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Shure Company Profile
With a history of audio innovation that began in 1925, Shure has turned a passion for making great microphones and audio electronics into an obsession. No wonder Shure continues to set the worldwide industry standard for superior microphones and audio electronics.
5800 West Touhy Avenue
Niles, IL 60714-4608
In The News
The 2022 BEST Awards highlight products and services that have been genuine difference-makers in the commercial AV industry, helping integrators sustain and grow their businesses.
Cleaning and sanitizing microphones can help prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and protect your customers.
Shortfalls in classroom audio can have negative impacts on remote learning — Shure’s audio systems for hybrid learning can help.
Shure’s new flagship array microphone, the MXA920, will provide a streamlined setup and enhanced voice quality.
Here’s a closer look at the AV news this week which includes new AudioControl products, Shure’s performance at Latin American Music Awards and more.
For another year, the GRAMMY Awards relied on Shure gear to support the audio needs of “Music’s Biggest Night.”
These days, it’s paramount to have the proper equipment to experience quality collaboration sessions.
Shure supported the critical audio needs of Super Bowl LVI and major associated events, including the halftime show and NFL Honors Broadcast.
These USB microphone products represent an affordable way to upgrade the quality of WFH conferencing sessions.
Shure audio technology helped ensure that Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” achieved stellar sound throughout.


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Yesterday, a leak of the Chevrolet Aveo RS Concept found its way on the internet. Today, we get the real deal. GM released official details and images on the new high-end subcompact, which will debut on Monday at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. It will go up against the Ford Fiesta and Toyota Yaris. Chevy is clearly out to change the Aveo’s poor image, and we are pleased at what we see so far.
Moving away the blandness that is the current Aveo, the RS concept features a bolder, more attractive design theme. The exaggerated yet stylish grill is especially noteworthy. The new model will be longer, wider and more spacious than the current model. The interior, which is inspired by Chevy Cruz’s interior, will have a more upscale look thanks in part to actual leather stitching on the dash.
Powering the Aveo RS concept is a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque, the same one that will be available in the Chevy Cruze. It is mated to six-speed manual gearbox that sends power to the front wheels.
The Aveo RS Concept is only a concept. The normal Aveo will undoubtedly be less aggressive both on the inside and out. But there is still a chance that it will get a high-end RS version strongly inspired by the concept. Production will begin in 2011 at GM’s Orion Assembly plant and will restore 1,200 jobs in Southeast Michigan.


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Apple's ARM-based Macs won't support Windows virtualisation
Documents confirm that the switch from Intel to Apple Silicon will prevent Mac users from running Windows
Users will no longer be able to run Windows virtualisation software once they switch to Apple's upcoming ARM-based Macs, it has emerged.
In the document, Apple confirmed that Rosetta 2 – an emulation layer that will enable users to run old apps on new Mac devices – won't be able to translate x86_64 virtualization apps, which could prevent the virtualisation of Windows environments using apps such as Parallels and VMWare Fusion.
"Rosetta can translate most Intel-based apps, including apps that contain just-in-time (JIT) compilers," the document reads. "However, Rosetta doesn’t translate the following executables: kernel extensions, Virtual Machine apps that virtualize x86_64 computer platforms."
In addition to these restrictions, Boot Camp, a popular tool that allows MacBook users to switch between Windows and macOS, will no longer be available for use on devices powered by Apple Silicon.
Although the tool will remain in macOS Big Sur, it will be an Intel-only feature. Non-Intel Macs will not be able to access the tool and the company has not yet announced a replacement.
In a statement, Microsoft confirmed that there’s no official way to install the operating system, telling The Verge that it "only licences Windows on ARM to OEMs". When asked whether it plans to change this policy to allow Boot Camp on ARM-based Macs, and the company said “we have nothing further to share at this time".
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It remains unclear whether virtualisation companies are working on a solution for ARM-based Macs, though VMWare on Tuesday announced that Big Sur-compatible "tech preview" of Fusion will arrive in July.
What's more, Apple showed off a Mac with an ARM-based A12Z Bionic SoC running a Linux distribution in Parallels during its WWDC keynote this week, suggesting that the company is working to support virtualisation software.
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Co-op has ‘re-peated’ its commitment to selling only peat-free bagged compost in its stores as a Government consultation on measures to end the retail sale of peat in England and Wales comes to a close.
Last year, Co-op became the first UK supermarket to completely end the sale of peat-based bagged compost in all its stores in a move designed to make it easier for amateur horticulturists to prune their carbon and environmental impacts.
Co-op is this year, once again, working with Westland and selling only its New Horizon peat-free bagged compost which will be available in 1,100 of the convenience retailer’s food stores which sell compost.
The consultation highlights that “peatlands are an iconic feature of our landscapes and the UK’s largest stores of carbon. They also provide vital ecosystem services including supplying UK drinking water, decreasing flood risk, and providing food and shelter for rare wildlife.” It went on to explain that “the extraction of peat releases the carbon stored inside as carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change. Peat is extracted in the UK for, primarily, horticultural purposes. By ending the retail sale of peat in horticulture, we will be protecting our vulnerable peatlands and helping to prevent climate change.”
Martin Spencer, Co-op’s Buyer for Home and Leisure, said: “It seems quite simple really, it is clear that extracting peat contributes to climate change, not to mention its impact on the environment and our wildlife who depend on it – and so, that is why we only sell peat-free bagged compost at Co-op. We want to make it easier for our Members and customers to make small changes in their everyday lives which, together, add up to making a big difference to our environment.”
New Horizon peat-free bagged compost to be sold at over 1,100 Co-op stores, with product rolling out to stores in time for spring, including New Horizon peat-free Tomato planter, and peat-free compost in 20L and 50L pack sizes.


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Yahoo has retooled its free email service in an attempt to regain some of the ground it lost to Google’s popular alternative.
Aside from the new look unveiled Tuesday, Yahoo introduced email apps for the iPhone, iPad and mobile devices running on the new Windows 8 operating system.
The company, which is based in Sunnyvale, Calif., also updated its app designed for Google’s Android operating system.
Mayer played a key role in building Google’s Gmail, which has emerged as the world’s top email service in just eight years.
More breaking news
- US health care tab hits $3.2T; fastest growth in 8 years
- On Our Island:Nonprofit highlights of the week
- Stony Brook University strengthens its commitment to diversity
- Governor’s ex-aide, 7 others deny guilt in corruption case
- Judge sends labor laws into ‘overtime’
- US employers add 178K jobs as unemployment sinks to 4.6 pct.
- Feinstein researchers study aggression in Alzheimer’s patients
- Flushing Bank sells branch
- Priciest home sales in Nassau County
- Many happier returns?


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“Dairy steers are a byproduct of milk production,” she said. “A cow has to have a calf to produce milk. If it's a female, a heifer, we use it as a replacement animal to make more milk. If it's a male, or a bull calf, then we feed it a high-grain diet to improve its beef qualities.”
Steers are bull calves that are castrated to reduce their aggression to farm staff and to each other. Holstein steers have become important to U.S. beef production over the last decade. In 2011, just 5% of the cattle finished in the United States were Holsteins. But in 2016, that figure had risen to 20% of finished cattle — a 400% increase in just five years.
“There are a number of reasons for this, but one of the biggest reasons was that dairy producers were struggling during that same time frame, and they were looking for ways to make more money on these steers,” Felix said. “And beef from Holsteins is not just ground — more than 80% of the animals that were in this trial, regardless of whether or not they received an implant, graded USDA choice or above, which means they likely became premium steaks.”
Hormone used in beef cattle production continues to be an uncomfortable topic for Americans, Felix explained. The average consumer doesn't understand the production supply chain, she argued, and they are subjected to misinformation.
“There are always hormones in food we eat — all living things have hormones,” she said. “There is even a difference in hormone levels, depending on whether beef comes from a steer or a cow. Beef from females often has twice the hormone activity.”
Also, Felix added, something as common as a potato has 300 times the hormone activity as a serving of beef. Other foods that have more estrogenic activity than beef are beans, peas and tofu — common protein substitutes for meat in the human diet.
“All of these hormones are ‘natural,’ and there is no such thing as hormone-free when it comes to the meat we eat. But that doesn’t mean any of these foods are dangerous because of the hormone activity, and that includes meat.”
Also involved in the research was George Perry, South Dakota State University.
The research was supported by JBS USA, the Pennsylvania Beef Producers Working Group and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture staff at the Livestock Evaluation Center.


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It’s one short ride for a suburban Phoenix family, but a giant leap for driverless vehicles. Waymo, Google’s self-driving car company, announced this week plans to let test riders use its vehicles for everyday trips such as commutes, errands, and dropping off the kids at school.
Already, the company is testing self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivans in the Phoenix area without backup drivers in the front seat. Waymo employees ride in the back and can push a button to bring the car to a stop in case of an emergency. The company said it chose Phoenix for the tests because of the temperate weather and easy-to-navigate streets.
Waymo is accepting applications for its early rider program, which will give residents access to self-driving vehicles they can summon with an app, similar to calling for an Uber ride. The company appears to be leading the pack of automakers and tech leaders racing to develop driverless cars, but others likely won’t be far behind, said expert Sam Abuelsamid of Navigant Research.
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich predicted driverless cars will be the norm in a few decades: “Given the pace at which autonomous driving is coming to life, I fully expect my children’s children will never have to drive a car.” —Lynde Langdon


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KOREAN PHONE MAKER Samsung reportedly is planning a Galaxy smartphone with a wraparound display for release in 2014.
Bloomberg heard from people "familiar with the plans" that a smartphone with a three-sided, wraparound display is on Samsung's roadmap for 2014. This phone likely will launch as part of the firm's Galaxy ranges, the sources added, hinting that the odd display could feature on the Samsung Galaxy S5 or Galaxy Note 4.
The rumoured wraparound display reportedly will be built using an updated version of Samsung's Youm technology that features on the curved Galaxy Round smartphone. It reportedly will curve around the sides of the smartphone, allowing users to view the screen from "every angle." According to the report, the three sides of the wraparound screen will also operate independently of each other, allowing users to do different things on each side of the screen.
That's not all Samsung has on its roadmap for next year, as the firm has already revealed that it will launch a smartphone with a 2K display in 2014, which will measure 5.2in and boast 2560x1440 resolution and a pixel density of 560ppi.
We're unlikely to see a truly flexible smartphone from Samsung next year though, with the firm promising bendy displays in 2015, the year when we're also likely to see the first 4K Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
It's unclear when Samsung's rumoured smartphone with a wraparound display will make its debut, but Bloomberg's sources said it's unlikely to appear until the second-half of 2014. However, with Apple reportedly planning two curved iPhones for next year, it's likely that Samsung will be looking to beat its rival to market. µ
Unlike, say, users
Promise comes just a day before Ofcom releases long-awaited report
Prepare to be briefed by the shouty kitten wot finks it's a soldier


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Steve Bannon is headed back to where he came from.
The conservative media executive turned chief adviser to President Donald Trump is rejoining Breitbart News after leaving the White House amid a political shake-up, the site announced late Friday.
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Several years ago with older iMac iterations, Apple would sort of allow users to upgrade the RAM on their computers themselves thanks to a small removable panel on the back that gave them access to the computer’s RAM. This meant that users would be able to buy RAM upgrades at cheaper price points than what Apple was offering.
That changed with the newer iMacs, but it seems that Apple could have a change of heart. At WWDC 2017, Apple unveiled upgraded 21.5-inch 4K iMac models, which on the surface wasn’t too exciting. However thanks to the folks at iFixit, they have discovered in their teardown of the computer that this particular iMac is the most upgradeable iMac in recent times.
According to iFixit, they note that while accessing the innards of the computer isn’t particularly easy, but not impossible. “Again, this isn’t the most accessible thing in the world—it’s flipped onto the backside of the logic board, trapped behind a lot of other components, and buried under a glued-down pane of glass—but for the first time in years it’s possible to replace or upgrade the CPU without a reflow station, and that’s a big win.”
It still isn’t quite the same as older iMacs where upgrading the RAM was pretty much a plug-and-play situation, but it should make it easier for repair stores, so if you wanted an iMac that could be upgraded, perhaps the 2017 21.5-inch 4K iMac could be for you.
Filed in iMac.. Read more about


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|Bid||39.21 x 4000|
|Ask||39.24 x 1400|
|Day's Range||38.99 - 39.23|
|52 Week Range||32.33 - 39.45|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||N/A|
|YTD Daily Total Return||17.43%|
|Beta (3Y Monthly)||0.88|
|Expense Ratio (net)||0.07%|
We have highlighted some investing ideas that could prove to be extremely beneficial for investors in the fourth quarter in the current market environment.
[Editor's note: "7 S&P 500 Dividend Stocks to Buy With Yields of at Least 3%" was previously published in June 2019. It has since been updated to include the most relevant information available.]In June, I read an article about Target (NYSE:TGT) that couldn't stop talking about the discount retailer's healthy dividend yield, which was yielding 3.15% as of Friday's close. While anything above 3% certainly can't be ignored, it turns out that 134 S&P 500 stocks currently offer a dividend yield of 3% or higher. So, the 3% yield isn't nearly as unique as many investors believe. For some investors, that means it might be smarter to consider ETFs that focus on dividend yields as part of their stock-selection process. InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading TipsThere are two high-dividend ETFs that focus on the S&P 500. The first is the Investco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (NYSEARCA:SPHD). It focuses on the 50 S&P 500 stocks that historically have provided high dividend yields and low volatility. The second is the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF (NYSEARCA:SPYD), which owns 80 high dividend-yielding S&P 500 stocks. Either of these could do the trick. * 7 Stocks Under $7 to Invest in Now However, this is an article about individual stocks to buy, so I'm going to pick at least three S&P 500 dividend stocks from each of the two ETFs that are currently yielding 3% or more. Ford (F)Source: Jens Mayer via Flickr (Modified)Ford (NYSE:F) was yielding 6.3% as of Friday's close, making it the 11th highest yielding S&P 500 stock. Ford's got too a great deal of upside potential, including a move into electric vehicles that should see a good chunk of its fleet electrified by the end of 2022. Yielding 6.3% and generating plenty of free cash flow, Ford stock is a great play for dividend investors. Altria (MO)Source: Peyri Herrera via Flickr (Modified)Altria (NYSE:MO) was yielding 6.9% as of Friday's close., making it the 6th highest yielding S&P 500 stock. In recent years, Altria's become known more for its acquisitions outside the cigarette industry, than anything it's done in its core business. On June 3, Altria announced that it was buying 80% of a Swiss smokeless tobacco company, whose smokeless oral pouch On is already sold in the U.S. Paying $372 million for Burger Sohne, it's adding another non-combustible product to the Altria portfolio. In the past year, Altria's paid almost $15 billion to buy a minority stake in e-cigarette maker Juul Labs and a 45% interest in Cronos Group (NASDAQ:CRON), one of Canada's largest cannabis companies. Altria's doing everything it can to ensure that when the cigarette industry dies its ultimate death, these new areas of business will more than compensate for the loss of sales in its legacy business. * 7 Stocks Under $7 to Invest in Now Altria's another reliable generator of free cash flow virtually ensuring the long-term payment of its $3.20 a year dividend. Kimco Realty (KIM)Source: Shutterstock The next of our stocks to buy, Kimco Realty (NYSE:KIM), was yielding 5.9% as of Friday's close., making it the 15th highest yielding S&P 500 stock. One of the oldest REITs in the U.S., it owns more than 400 shopping centers across the country, providing more than 61 million square feet for potential tenants.For those who might be worried about a REIT involved in the retail industry, Kimco's made sure to get tenants that are changing with the times. Not to mention its shopping centers are located in major metro markets, with 77% of its revenue coming from grocery-anchored malls. In addition, Kimco does a good job diversifying its tenants. It currently has 7,900 leases with 3,700 tenants with the top 12 tenants generating just 22% of its annualized base rent (ABR). The area where investors should focus on is the work Kimco's doing to redevelop some of its malls and shopping centers. In 2021 and beyond, it expects to invest up to $250 million annually to add additional retail and mixed-use redevelopments to existing properties. As the markets begin to lose their luster, stocks like KIM will deliver nice dividends for its shareholders even if the capital appreciation isn't always there. Target (TGT)Source: Mike Mozart via Flickr (Modified)Target was yielding 3.15% as of Friday's close, making it the 124th highest yielding S&P 500 stock. Barely making it on to the list, I picked Target's stock because it appears to be on a bit of a roll in 2019. The discount retailer's latest quarterly results were better-than-expected beating revenue estimates by $140 million and earnings by nine cents a share. However, it was the retailer's same-store sales growth (+4.8%) and online revenue growth (+42%) that really stood out for investors. Not only did online sales grow by 42% in the quarter, they now account for 7.1% of Target's overall sales, 190 basis points higher than a year earlier. To be truly omnichannel, it's got to get to double digits, something I expect it will do by the end of the fiscal year. As a result of its Q1 2019 results, CEO Brian Cornell suggested that Target is "well positioned to deliver strong financial performance in 2019 and beyond."Target expects to earn $5.90 a share in 2019 with same-store sales growth in the low- to mid-single-digits. * 7 Stocks Under $7 to Invest in Now The investments the company has made in its stores, e-commerce, and supply chain are starting to pay off. As long as the economy remains strong, Target stock could see $100 by the end of the year, making it a prime stock to buy. Public Storage (PSA)Source: Mike Mozart Via FlickrPublic Storage (NYSE:PSA) was yielding 3.13% as of Friday's close. As the tariff wars continue to heat up, investors continue to seek out investments that aren't going to be affected by tariffs on imported Chinese and Mexican goods. One area that stands out as a safe haven is the self-storage industry, an industry that benefits from America's love affair with junk. Public Storage's business has always been an attractive one because it's part self-storage facility and part real estate investment. PSA has 2,444 self-storage facilities in 38 states amounting to 164 million square feet of rentable space. It also owns 35% of European self-storage leader Shurgard, which owns 231 facilities offering 13 million square feet of rentable space. If you look at its balance sheet from the quarter ended March 31, you'll see that Public Storage's real estate is valued on its books at $9.3 billion excluding accumulated depreciation. That's just 1.6% higher than a year earlier. There's a reason for that. The numbers on the balance sheet reflect the cost of the land and its buildings, not the market value they'd generate if they were sold. As the parking lot business, self-storage facilities are a great way to generate income from the real estate until the value becomes such that it's worth more to a developer for apartments, offices, and mixed-use facilities. To be paid 3.13% to wait for the real estate to mature is an outstanding deal. Coty (COTY)Source: Shutterstock Coty (NYSE:COTY) was yielding 4.9% as of Friday's close. The company is in the early stages of a turnaround that began by moving Pierre Laubies into the CEO job in November 2018, followed by the hiring of a new CFO in January 2019. The two executives will lead a conference call on July 1 that will cover the critical components of their turnaround plan. As part of the plan, Coty will look to simplify its business to reduce the supply chain problems it's experienced in the past year. Although revenues and earnings are down in 2019, Coty managed to generate free cash flow of $120.5 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2019, a considerable turnaround from the negative free cash flow of $129.8 million in the first nine months of 2018. * 7 Stocks Under $7 to Invest in Now Slowly, the business is improving and aCoty stock, up 58% in 2019, reflects that. Despite the upturn, COTY is still a stock to buy. General Mills (GIS)Source: Shutterstock General Mills (NYSE:GIS) was yielding 3.6% as of Friday's close. making it the 76th highest yielding S&P 500 stock. General Mills, like many large packaged foods companies, has suffered in recent years from a move to more healthy alternatives. And while most of the big players have tried to adapt to the new order, they've got a ways to go before they're back on top. At General Mills, it took CEO Jeff Harmening's promotion to the top job in June 2017 to get the ball rolling. But even he'll admit the transformation isn't nearly done. "What I'm most proud of is… the change in culture… We've brought in a lot of people from outside of the organization who have added a lot of value in things like strategic revenue management and global sourcing and ecommerce, and a new chief marketing officer [Ivan Pollard, who came from Coca-Cola North America in July 2017, and is building a global marketing/media planning structure]. And we've blended [them] with our internal talent," Harmening stated recently in an interview. General Mills continues to invest in its e-commerce business, which could represent as much as 10% of its sales within five years. As for acquisitions, its multi-billion purchase of Blue Buffalo pet foods has been a hit with both e-commerce and the mass retail channels. As it continues to transform its business, shareholders should see GIS stock move even higher. At the time of this writing Will Ashworth did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. More From InvestorPlace * 4 Top American Penny Pot Stocks (Buy Before June 21) * The 4 FANG Stocks Won't Be Bitten By Regulation Threats * 10 Stocks to Buy That Could Be Takeover Targets * 4 Big Bank Stocks Rebounding The post 7 S&P 500 Dividend Stocks to Buy With Yields of at Least 3% appeared first on InvestorPlace.
Want relatively safe income from high dividend stocks? For yield that beats the market average, up to more than double that much, check out these funds.
With government bond yields still low and the Federal Reserve poised to cut interest rates this year, some high dividend strategies and the related exchange traded funds are increasingly attractive to income investors. The SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF (SPYD) is an ETF to consider. SPYD tries to reflect the performance of the S&P 500 High Dividend Index, which is comprised of the top 80 dividend-paying securities listed on the S&P 500 Index, based on dividend yield.
We have highlighted some investing ideas that could prove to be extremely beneficial for investors for the rest of the year in the current market environment.
Many investors may think they are allocating assets tactically, but the old 60% in global equities and 40% in bonds split that was extolled for so many years, may not be as tactical as some investors think. ...
Buyback ETFs top the dividend growth ones of late. But things might change ahead with the saturation of benefits from the tax cuts. Therefore, investors can play these high dividend ETFs.
With prospects of U.S. economy improving in the course of 2019 and a moderately dovish Fed, investors can play these dividend ETFs to enjoy solid current income as well as capital gains.
As the ETF industry grows and matures, investors are gravitating toward specific areas of interest and targeted investment strategies. “I think what we are already seeing – costs matter. We continue to see that,” Susan Thompson, Head of SPDR Americans Distribution for State Street Global Investors, said at Inside ETFs.
We have highlighted five dividend ETFs that are clearly outpacing the broad market indices by wide margins and have a Zacks ETF Rank 1 or 2, suggesting further outperformance in the months ahead.
In trying to keep up with an evolving ETF industry, ETF providers have also had to adapt and come out with new ways to stay competitive, which have all ended up benefiting investors. For example, State ...
Stocks sank sharply for the second day in a row, as investor concern that delicate trade talks between the U.S. and China could collapse. Michael Gapen, Barclays Chief U.S. Economist, joins Seana Smith on 'The Ticker' to discuss how a trade war could impact the country's GDP.


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Once again, Apple has extended the expiration date of its iPhone trade-in promotions around the world. The promos were set to expire February 17, but has been extended to March 25.
This likely signals yet another extension to the ‘limited time’ promotion worldwide. Still, outside of the US, customers can only benefit from the additional trade-in value at an Apple retail store.
The US is the only region where Apple offers the trade-in discount both at the Apple Online Store and brick-and-mortar locations. The US site has never said an explicit end date as it appears Apple is not legally required to state one in accordance with American law.
When this happened last month, the Japanese Apple site was the first one to be updated with a new expiration date, and other regions followed its lead soon after.
9to5Mac notes if the expiration date for the promos continues worldwide through March, Apple’s “limited time” promotion will have lasted for four months.


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About half of the 85 employees at Three Square Market in River Falls, Wisc., were voluntarily microchipped during a "chip party" late last week, according to The Chicago Tribune.
A microchip implant in each employees' hand will enable them to make purchases in company breakrooms, unlock doors or share business cards. The company announced plans for the employee "chip party" last month.
The company picks up the cost of the $300 chip and the data stored on the chip is encrypted and secure, according to CEO Todd Westby. Three Square Market is partnering with BioHax International on the project.
While onlookers wait to see the results and collect feedback from Three Square Market, a more pressing use may emerge.
The chips could potentially provide a solution to the vulnerabilities surrounding traditional passwords. More than three billion user credentials and passwords were stolen in 2016, according to a report from Thycotic and Cybersecuirty Ventures. Chipping employees could put a dent in password theft and put entire tech teams at ease.
But with that comes a host of other issues, with privacy chief among them. Unlike tagging a pet, the early versions of the chips don't have GPS tracking. But privacy experts say potential ethical and security issues remain.
Let's think about this. What happens when an employee is terminated under pressure. Can companies force employees to sit and have the chip removed? Could chips with high level access be sold to the highest bidder?
Three Square Market maintains that mobile phones and apps are more capable of tracking employee movements than the microchips. But experts say the fact that the user has less control is the sticking point. While a phone can be turned off, the chip is always on.


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Kotaku reports that 300 employees of a Foxconn plant in Wuhan, China, threatened to kill themselves by jumping off the roof in a mass suicide attempt. The threat took place on January 2 after the workers were denied an increase in pay.
This particular plant manufacturers the Xbox 360 console, and the uproar ignited by the raise denial actually caused production to be temporarily suspended for an undisclosed amount of time.
According to the report, the workers asked for the raise, but were flat out denied by Foxconn. Instead, they were given the option of keeping their jobs with no pay raise, or to quit and receive compensation. Most decided on the latter option, wanting out of the Foxconn environment with a little cash in their pocket.
But the agreement was supposedly terminated, and those who quit and expected money never saw a dime. So on January 2, they all headed to the factory rooftop and threatened to jump. It wasn't until 9pm the following day that they were talked into coming back down off the roof, reportedly coerced by the mayor of Wuhan himself.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has opened up an investigation, claiming that it takes working conditions in the factories that manufacture its products very seriously. "We have a stringent Vendor Code of Conduct that spells out our expectations, and we monitor working conditions closely on an ongoing basis and address issues as they emerge," the company said. "Microsoft is committed to the fair treatment and safety of workers employed by our vendors, and to ensuring conformance with Microsoft policy."
This isn't the first time Foxconn has dealt with suicides. Back in 2010, over a dozen Foxconn employees committed suicide, forcing the company to install suicide prevention nets at some of its facilities. In addition to the Xbox 360, Foxconn builds products for Sony, Nintendo, Apple and many other well-known vendors.
Yep, just good ol' PR
This is not to say that the working conditions in 3rd world countries are often well below our 'current' standards !
But think about what we did 100 years ago (kids working in mines) or even as little as 50 years ago.
Unthinkable today for us. These countries are simply going thru the same motions that we did.
We should not forget that we had 'separate bathrooms' as recent as the 1960s... i.e. the "Jim Crow laws" !
Course an Xbox all US manufacture == cost $800 but at least you know the folks building it got more than $1000 a year, and didn't have to live in the company dorms, eat at their mess hall, and work 12 to 16 hours a day.
Of course they don't care. This is just a PR stunt.
Hmm. I wonder if I could get enough of my co-workers to try this. Just a bluff of course. No raises in the last 3 years while the big wigs get tons of money and bonuses. HR tries to keep us content with trinkets and crap such as pins congratulating us on our good work. I'd rather they bought me a soda than give me some stupid trinket.


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Mobile measurement company Adjust, has released new findings on the user lifecycle of any given app. The study shows the rate at which users uninstall and reinstall apps, revealing that mobile marketers have under six days after the last app open to re-engage before users hit delete and that, 34% of users who uninstall an app are willing to redownload it further down the line.
- The average user waits just under six days between their last app open and uninstalling.
- Entertainment and lifestyle apps are especially quickly discarded, their users on average uninstalling apps between half a day and a day.
- E-commerce and travel apps, on the other hand, have a much longer lifespan and are typically deleted 10 to 11 days after a user’s last session.
- Games, Social and Publications have the highest rate of reinstalls, all around the 40% mark.
Why uninstall and reinstall tracking matters
Without lifecycle tracking, it’s impossible to get the full picture of user behavior. So while churn is an unavoidable part of apps, understanding when and why users uninstall is key to successful retargeting. And it’s worth getting it right: Adjust found that retargeted users generally stick around longer, show 150% higher engagement rate and generate 37% more revenue than new users.
Without uninstall and reinstall data, mobile marketers can’t retrace when users drop off, improve retargeting campaigns, or evaluate partners properly. Before, when a user re-installed an app, it appeared either as a session, reattribution or a new install – which gives an inaccurate view of the user journey, compromises data sets, and eats into marketers’ budget.


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Family Dollar uses Checkpoint EAS system to reduce shrink
THOROFARE, N.J.—Checkpoint Systems’ electronic article surveillance systems will be deployed in all of Family Dollar’s 7,900 stores by the end of 2014, Family Dollar announced Oct. 9.
After testing Checkpoint’s EVOLVE P10 ECO systems in several stores over three years, Family Dollar decided to use the technology in all stores to reduce shrink and cut energy costs.
“We are encouraged by the success we have already experienced in our test stores, and I am confident that installing Checkpoint’s system in all of our locations will deliver an immediate impact on our profitability by reducing our shrink and increasing sales,” said Chris Nielsen, Family Dollar VP of loss prevention, in a prepared statement.
According to a statement, Evolve EAS products allow retailers to use real-time data to make operational decisions, while using up to three-quarters less energy than alternative solutions.
Checkpoint Systems is handling all services necessary to install its systems in Family Dollar Stores, according to George Cohen, a spokesman for the company.


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Saks Inc. shares took a hit Monday as retail stocks traded mixed ahead of December sales results due later in the week.
Overall, the S&P Retail Index $RLX rose more than 1% to 295 points.
On the downside, Saks Inc. slid 13% to $4.40. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect Saks will report December same-store sales, a measure of sales at stores open at least one year, fell 11% from the same month last year. The sales report is due Thursday.
"While we believe sales came in above expectations for the 2008 holiday season, we believe that significant promotional activity more than offset the sales benefit," Barclays Capital analyst Robert Drbul wrote in a research note.
He expects Saks
"As Saks entered the quarter with higher-than-optimal inventory levels, we believe that the company became very promotional during the quarter to clear inventory at the expense of margins," Drbul said.
Weak consumer spending is affecting a number of retailers, with a handful having filed for bankruptcy protection in 2008.
Last week, upscale clothing retailer Bill Blass Ltd. filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. It plans to liquidate its assets.
In other developments, Borders Group
Borders named private-equity executive Ron Marshall as chief executive. Marshall, who comes from Wildridge Capital Management, replaces George Jones.
Shares of Borders rose 13 cents to 58 cents.


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Venice is a place of rich, storied history. Home to the Hotel Cipriani, Gritti Palace, Hotel Danieli, it’s always been a mecca of luxury travel, but that hasn’t stopped a fair share of backpackers and cruise tourists from seeing what it’s all about lately, and in the eyes of the Venetian Government, perhaps not always for the better.
While Italy is a free country, it’s also one with laws. After a wave of vandalism and human conduct unbecoming of such a lovely place took its toll, new laws were introduced in 2018 to curb the wrong kind of tourist behaviour. What kind of behaviour? Think: bathing in fountains, damaging St. Marks Basilica, walking around in your swim suit, and turning public squares into campsites.
The Rialto Bridge is not a place to shave your armpits, nor is it a private place to make coffee. In fact, the latter just cost a pair of German tourists €950.
With 30,000,000 visitors annually, Venice is hoping to use a new €10 short stay tourist tax, passed onto those who are not overnight visitors in the city to help offset the footprint mass tourism has pressed onto its resources. Creating the world’s most expensive cup of coffee will certainly help too.
Two backpackers from Berlin used a travel stove to make coffee, whilst splaying their backpacking gear all over the Rialto Bridge. Passers by reported the pair to the police, who then issued a €950 fine and demanded that the pair leave the city centre. Just a year ago, no such legal grounds would’ve existed, but now – the city means business. Surely a cup of coffee in the Aman Venice wouldn’t have even broached the €25 mark.
Before you go there – this isn’t class warfare – it’s about basic decorum. Venice clearly doesn’t care what you do behind a closed door, in your hotel room, or what you wear to your hotel pool – those are private matters. But walking around shirtless, splashing yourself with water from iconic landmarks and littering the precious streets of this city are simply unacceptable by any travel standards, and it’s nice to see a city maintaining a standard worth going to see.


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Photo: Coca-Cola Japan Summer is still a while away, but Coca-Cola is releasing “Coca-Cola Frozen Lemon” this week in Japan. It’s a Coke-flavored slushie style drink with, you guessed it, a twist of lemon.
From the team that brought you Coke Plus Coffee No Sugar and Coke Plus Ginger comes an entirely new summer blockbuster: Coca-Cola Raspberry. Launching in stores tomorrow, Coca-Cola Raspberry is exactly what it says on the can: Coca-Cola and Raspberry mixed together in a delightful hybrid fruit-soda.
The legendary soft drink maker has been involved with esports for a while, but they’re looking to expand according to a new job posting.


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Regulators / medical cannabis
🇧🇷Brazil has approved regulations for cannabis-based medical products. However, the local pharmaceutical regulator Anvisa’s vote blocked the proposal to allow cannabis cultivation in Brazil.
🇸🇬Singapore has allowed the first case for medical cannabis use as an exception for a young girl suffering from a form of drug-resistant epilepsy.
🇨🇦Canadian cannabis giant Canopy Growth has launched its hemp-based CBD brand, which marks the first official step of the company to the US market. CBD market is expected to reach $3 billion by 2022.
Article of the week
Why These Five American Cannabis Stocks Have Produced Big Returns In 2019 by Alan Brochstein for Forbes
Head of Analytics at Stobox


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Apple Pay launched last fall in Canada for American Express cardholders only, which meant the majority of Visa and MasterCard users with cards from Canadian banks were left out in the cold. But that changed yesterday with expansion to Visa, MasterCard and Interac from RBC and CIBC, with TD, Scotiabank and BMO coming next month. (more…)
Automotive safety experts have started to question driver’s safety when using Apple’s CarPlay.
Bell has increased its nationwide Voice & Data Plus 70 plan to $75 per month.
Apple increased its average selling price in the US during the past quarter.
Who needs CarPlay when you can have a custom in-dash iPad mini inside your DeLorean?
Apple is rumoured to bring TV-like ads to iPhone and iPad.
The CSA says a new anti-seal hunt app contains lies and deceit.
Gmail for iOS now downloads your email in the background.
Apple has inadvertently disclosed details of its patent licensing terms with Nokia publicly, while seeking damages from Samsung for doing the same.
ADR Studios’ latest iWatch concept is called “iMe”, the new wearable iDevice.
Flipboard is buying magazine app Zite from CNN for $60 million.
A Corning executive has slammed the idea of sapphire crystal as an alternative to Gorilla Glass for smartphone displays.
Apple is rumoured to work on more third-party integration for Siri.


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InkSoft adds industry veteran Marshall Atkinson to its staff. Atkinson joins the company with more than 20 years of experience in the apparel decoration industry including roles in consulting and shop management.
In his new role, Atkinson is responsible for the educational division of the company, producing blogs, webinars, and educational videos for business owners. Atkinson also heads up the company’s newest extension of its software suite, the Production Manager, a scheduling and reporting tool currently in development at InkSoft.
The news comes as Atkinson expands his consulting and contracting endeavors. In spring of 2016, he announced plans to offer consultation services through a self-run firm, Atkinson Consulting.
For more information, visit www.inksoft.com.


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Minnesota has become the second state to sue Reynolds Consumer Products and the first to sue Walmart for allegedly falsely advertising that some of their waste bags are recyclable.
The state said in a lawsuit announced Tuesday that Hefty brand recycling bags and Walmart's Great Value brand recycling bags — both made of low-density polyethylene — can't be recycled at any facility in Minnesota.
As a result, the suit said, recyclable items placed in the bags would wind up as trash in landfills, waterways or incinerators because opening the bags and sorting through their contents would be costly and potentially risky for recycling workers.
State Attorney General Keith Ellison announced the lawsuit — charging the companies with consumer fraud, deceptive trade practices, false advertising and deceptive environmental marketing claims — at nonprofit Eureka Recycling in northeast Minneapolis.
"Reynolds and Walmart ... are taking advantage of Minnesotans' good intentions to misleadingly market so-called 'recycling' bags to us that can't be recycled and actually harm recycling," Ellison said in a statement.
"I'm holding Reynolds and Walmart accountable for putting their ill-gotten profits ahead of people, our environment and the law."
Reynolds and Walmart used such phrasing as "perfect for all your recycling needs" and "developed for use in municipal recycling programs," which the complaint alleges are false.
The suit also alleges how in recent months, both companies have revised some of these statements on their websites and packaging to make them more flexible. For example, one such statement says the bags are "designed for use in participating program areas only" and consumers must confirm their recyclability with local recycling facilities.
"Plastic bags are not recyclable in our programs, and we don't accept them, but we get lots of them anyway," Lynn Hoffman, co-president of Eureka Recycling, said in a statement.
"They wrap around equipment, making it less effective. [They also] contaminate and decrease the value of other material like paper and cause safety hazards like fires."
The bags reportedly are also a potential threat to employees who must stop the recycling machines several times per day and manually untangle the bags.
Eureka estimated such bags are other plastics cost the facility about $75,000 a year in lost productivity and revenue.
In June 2022, the state of Connecticut sued Reynolds Consumer Products because of the recycling bags. And Walmart has been named in a class-action lawsuit over its bags.
"Walmart does not manufacture these items and looks to our suppliers to provide quality products that comply with all applicable laws, including labeling requirements," Walmart said in a statement. "We will respond in Court as appropriate once we are served."
Illinois-based Reynolds Consumer Products Inc., known for Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil, produces the Hefty bags. Walmart is the country's largest retailer and has Great Value bags as a private brand.


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The Toronto Real Estate Board has released a new policy it says allows consumers to search information on the Multiple Listing Service.
The new policy, which board members have 60 days to review, comes on the heels of the Competition Bureau suing TREB over “denying consumer choice,” which includes stopping real estate agents from giving customers full access to the MLS database.
TREB’s virtual office website policy would allow members to use secure password-protected websites access MLS data “This policy demonstrates TREB’s receptivity and responsiveness to new and innovative business models – improving the level of service for consumers and providing realtor members with greater flexibility,” said Bill Johnston, president of TREB.
TREB said the new policy had been in development since July and that it gives “due consideration” protect the data of consumers. The group said the policy was independent of the Competition Commissioner’s claims.
Last month Competition Commissioner Melanie Aitken field an application with the Competition Tribunal.
“This is about not allowing an association with monopoly control over information to suppress competition. What we’ve got here is information that they’re providing in traditional means, they just won’t let their agents provide it in an efficient means in a way that consumers want to get it and some agents want to provide it,” said Ms. Aitken. “All we’re trying to do is level the playing field.”
The battle with TREB comes after the Bureau settled a long-standing feud with the Canadian Real Estate Association, which TREB belongs to, over access to the MLS. The settlement allowed consumers more choice when it comes to listings their homes on the MLS, including just putting a mere posting on the system and handling the rest of the transaction themselves.
Lawyer Lawrence Dale, one of the founders of discount realtor Realtysellers, who has been involved in a long-standing legal battle with both CREA and TREB, said it is still too hard for consumers to get data.
“The result of these rules is to put a company like Realtysellers at a severe competitive disadvantage. I obviously cannot let this happen. It is not accurate to say that there are privacy and regulatory issues that prevent sold information from being disclosed. I wish TREB would be open with its members in this area so they really understand what has already been determined by the courts on this issue,” said Mr. Dale, in a statement. “There is no lawful reason for TREB to have additional restrictions on how broker’s give data to their customers if they want to use the internet.”


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U.S. consumer confidence fell in August to its lowest level since 2014, according to the Conference Board.
The consultancy said its Consumer Confidence Index was 84.8 in August, down from 91.7 in July. Its Present Situation Index, which is based on consumers’ assessments of current business and labor market conditions, fell even more sharply, from 95.9 to 84.2 for the month.
“Consumer confidence declined in August for the second consecutive month,” Lynn Franco, senior director of economic indicators at the company, said in a statement. Consumer spending has rebounded in recent months but increasing concerns amongst consumers about the economic outlook and their financial well-being will likely cause spending to cool in the months ahead.”
Franco said consumers’ optimism about their short-term financial outlooks continued on a downward path.
Results of the monthly survey come even as the Census Bureau reported sales of new single-family homes rose 14% from June to July and 36% year-over-year.
“Today’s data is telling us that while some lucky workers are able to buy new homes, millions of others are unable to afford life’s necessities and pay the rent especially after the federal government canceled those $600 checks,” Chris Rupkey, chief economist at MUFG in New York, said.
“The consumer is the most worried they have been all year, which pours cold water on the idea that the economic recovery is sustainable.”
Meanwhile, economists said a cut to the weekly unemployment supplement is likely to reduce retail sales by about $50 billion in August.
“We are clearly in the second phase of the recovery, driven by underlying fundamentals rather than purely the surge in activity as household reengaged,” James Knightley, chief international economist at ING in New York, said. “This reinforces our view that a V-shaped recovery will not happen, the U.S. economy is unlikely to recover all of its lost output until mid-2022.”
U.S. GDP fell at its sharpest rate in 73 years during the second quarter. Economists say the economy has been in recession since February.
Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images


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SEARCHED FOR:FINANCIAL RESULTS
JM Financial Q2 results: Net profit rises 7.3% to Rs 139 cr
During the three-month period this year, JM’s net profits were at Rs 139.06 crore versus Rs 129.6 crore in the corresponding period a year ago.
FPIs remain net buyers in Oct amid better than expected financial results
In equities, FPIs invested a net sum of Rs 15,642 crore and the deb...
Mahindra Finance Q2 results: Net profit jumps 34% to Rs 353 cr
Total income increased 5 per cent to Rs 3,071 crore during July-September quar...
JPMorgan Q3 results: Company beats profit estimates as trading booms
Trading was a bright spot for the quarter, even as the pandemic decimated the U.S. economy, with thousands of businesses shutting down and the unemployment rate soaring. The economic fallout of the pandemic has triggered one of the worst recessions in decades.
Reliance Power Q2 results: Net profit jumps over two-folds to Rs 106 cr
Total income increased to Rs 2,626.49 crore in the July-September quarter from Rs 2,239.10 crore in the same period last fiscal.
DCM Shriram Q2 results: Net profit up marginally at Rs 118.37 crore
Total income increased on a consolidated basis to Rs 2,064.61 crore in the July-September quarter of this year from Rs 1,784.69 crore in the year-ago period, the company said in a regulatory filing.
HDFC Life Q2 results: Profit rises 6% to Rs 326 crore as collections improve
"The opening up of the economy has led to a pickup in activity levels on the ground. This has also resulted in a marginal uplift in household income and spends,” Padalkar said at the earnings call.
Maharashtra Bank Q2 results: Profit rises 13% to Rs 130 cr; bad loans dwindle
Income increased to Rs 3,319.34 crore during the quarter under review as against Rs 3,296.28 crore in the year-ago period, Bank of Maharashtra said in a regulatory filing.
Why is HDFC Life betting big on annuities
Vibha Padalkar, MD & CEO, HDFC Life, is confident that the company will show much better growth than other private sector industry players.
Infosys to announce Q2 results on Oct 14
The financial results and proposal for interim dividend, if any, will be presented to the Board of Directors on October 14, 2020 for their approval.
BSNL to retrench another 20,000 contract workers: Employees' union
The union in a letter to BSNL Chairman and Managing Director P K Purwar said the financial condition of the company has deteriorated after implementation of voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) and the faults in the networks have increased due to shortage of manpower in various cities.
10 financial learnings from Ravana’s life
If you invest in a particular stock or buy property, but it starts going downhill, do not hesitate to sell and make good your loss. As you celebrate Dussehra, follow these financial rules that stem from various aspects of Ravana’s life, says ET Wealth.
Sebi proposes listed firms disclose financial results within 30 minutes of board nod
In addition, the regulator proposed that the top 1,000 listed entities based on market capitalisation (calculated as on March 31 of every financial year) will formulate a dividend distribution policy which will be disclosed in their annual reports and on their websites.


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Aston Martin's limited run Vantage GT3 is a 592bhp track-focused monster headed for a full unveil at this year's Geneva Motor Show. XCAR got an exclusive first look.
Calling all hop heads, lager hounds and ale wives: put down that pint (just for a moment) and pick up your phone to discover new beers and keep track of your favorites.
The next evolution in wireless networking holds promises of self-driving cars and movies that download in the blink of an eye. 5G is big at this year's Mobile World Congress, but don't expect it until 2020.
The Internet TV service goes live nationwide in the US today. A new $5 sports pack with extra ESPN channels and others is available now, and the company will soon add AMC to the base $20 package.
RadioShack's long decline continued this week thanks to a bankruptcy filing, but there is reason for hope. Also, the latest on the Galaxy S6 and more in your look back at the week in tech.
The company's all-new stove is compact but built to be big on features. A new washer-dryer combo shares the same philosophy.
Paul Rudd dons the costume and rides a flying insect in the full trailer for "Ant-Man," which gives us a few clues as to how much the film stays true to the comics.
For less than $300, the pocket-size Broadcaster Mini can wirelessly broadcast live 1080p video to millions from any camera with an HDMI output.
How to change the time, date and language in Windows 10.
At the 2015 Geneva auto show, Volkswagen will show a concept car featuring new styling and new tech, including the ability to understand and react to a driver's mood.


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The proposed India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) seeks to mutually benefit both the countries in the area of trade in goods and services, he said.
"At present, we have a number of different comprehensive partnership arrangements with countries around the world and we are in the process of finalising a CECPA with Mauritius," Goyal said at CII-EXIM Bank Digital Conclave on India Africa project partnership.
He also said that recently India and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) have decided for early resumption of negotiations for a preferential trading agreement.
The SACU consists of Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland.
Goyal said that India will continue to support Africa through lines of credit in priority sectors such as agriculture, irrigation, health, digital technology, power plants, transmission lines, and rail infrastructure.
As of June 2020, India has committed $12.7 billion for 40 countries in Africa on highly favourable terms, he added.
The bilateral trade, he said, grew from about $7 billion to nearly $67 billion in the last 20 years and "it has the tremendous potential for further growth in the years to come".
India so far is the fifth largest investor in African continent with cumulative investment of over $54 billion in the last few years in areas like oil and gas, mining, banking, and textiles.
"There is a huge scope for manifold increase in Indian investments in the wake of the African Continental free trade agreement (AFCTA)," he said highlighting mutual benefit that can be gained through establishment of India-Africa value chains in areas such as textiles, pharma, auto, agro processing and information and communication technology.


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One of every five beauty purchases online is made via the Amazon marketplace, according to a new report.
An IRCE speaker urges strategic thinking when revamping technology.
Retailers need to take the long view when revamping their e-commerce platforms, says Market America Inc. chief operating officer Marc Ashley.
“At Market America, if we stop constantly improving the platform we are dead because we will lose relevance with our customers,” says Ashley, who will speak at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition 2012 on June 5 from 2:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. during a session entitled “How today’s e-commerce platform swap-out is radically different from yesterday's.”
Market America, No. 61 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide knows all about updating and overhauling an e-commerce platform. Market America moved to acquire more sophisticated e-commerce technology in December 2010 when it purchased shopping comparison site Shop.com for an undisclosed price. The company has used Shop.com's advanced features such as faster site search and better content and order management systems to develop a more integrated and advanced platform that provides the flexibility the retailer requires.
Today, after more than a year of work that included doubling the size of its full-time e-commerce programming staff to about 15 employees, Market America's new e-commerce platform can support an inventory of 30 million products. The new platform includes social commerce applications, mobile commerce and improved promotional tools.
At his session Ashley will talk about the need to take a long-term view of e-commerce platform development, especially incorporating mobile commerce and tablet computing. “Your e-commerce platform has to adapt to support new mobile and tablet technology because that’s how customers are shopping today,” says Ashley. At Market America, the company is updating its e-commerce platform to expand internationally. “We are adopting technology quickly and casting a wide net to how we are doing it,” he says.
During his session, Ashley will talk about how to make the best use of web services and application program interfaces, or APIs, to facilitate communication among applications, including updated mobile apps for iPhones and iPads, and for wireless devices that work on the Android operating system. “We are big investors and users of web services and APIs,” Ashley says. “They are the reason we can implement new platform programs quicker and easier.”
Internet Retailer’s editors asked Ashley to speak because of his expertise in e-commerce technology implementation. As Market America’s chief operating officer, he works closely with the executive board and management group to plan company initiatives, create and implement systems, improve field relations, and implement total quality management techniques.


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A number of high profile editorial staff at IGN have been made redundant, while at the same time Future US has reorganised its tech business and merged it with its gaming group.
Dana Jongewaard, IGN's editor-in-chief for expanded audiences, announced on Facebook that she had left the company after two years. Jongewaard had championed female-orientated content such as the Greenpixels site and the Girlfight podcast.
At the same time fellow Girlfight host Nicole Tanner announced via Twitter that she had been made redundant, calling into question the future of the podcast and the site's Facebook coverage.
Website Gamasutra reports that GameSpy editor-in-chief Will Tuttle and team member Scott Bromley were laid off at the same time. There are also reports that staff have been made redundant at UGO.com.
IGN Entertainment only recently acquired UGO, which at the time was suggested to be a further step towards News Corp. spinning off the company as a separate entity.
There is no suggestion that this plan has changed though, with IGN currently advertising for a number of high profile positions including IGN editor-in-chief, following the recent departure of Hilary Goldstein, and associate editor positions at 1UP.com and UGO.
Coincidentally, at the same time the US subsidiary of Future Publishing has undergone an internal reorganisation. As reported by website FOLIO, five staff have been let go - including consumer marketing director Rich McCarthy and technology group vice president Kate Byrne.
Continuing losses have forced the company to consolidate its technology group brands Maximum Tech, Maximum PC, Mac|Life and Windows: The Official Magazine and merge them into its gaming group.
"They decided to consolidate the tech group, so they're going to have one sales group, one edit group. Games is the bigger play," an insider told FOLIO.
However, speaking to FOLIO, president John Marcom denied that the move was a reemphasis on gaming, characterising it more as an attempt to take advantage of common resources and to encourage "cross-pollination".


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Apple is continuing its push to open and expand new Apple Stores and will unveil two new retail locations this Saturday, located at the Markville Shopping Centre in Markham, Ontario, and the Florida Mall in Orlando, Florida.
The Markville Shopping Centre is Markham's biggest shopping mall, with more than 160 stores. The Markham Apple Store will be the 12th location to open up in Ontario, with four of those located in nearby Toronto.
Apple's new Florida Mall Retail Store, located in Orlando's largest shopping center, is an expansion that will see the mall's Apple Store tripling in size and relocating next door to the Microsoft Store.
The new Apple Store is approximately 8,640 square feet, which is double the size of the Microsoft retail location. Apple first opened a retail store at the Florida Mall in 2005.
At store openings, Apple typically hands out commemorative T-shirts to its first 1,000 customers. Both stores are set to open at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 27, and have already begun accepting reservations for workshops and Genius Bar appointments.


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Red Lobster has been here before, but that doesn't make it any easier.
The flagship chain of Orlando-based Darden Restaurants just recorded its first quarterly drop in same-store sales in more than five years. Its guest count has been slipping since last summer. It has been without a full-time president since September. And its chief executive -- the president of Darden -- just left the company.
Industry analysts say the country's oldest and second-biggest casual-dining chain needs a marketing makeover.
They say piled-high plates of shrimp and all-you-can-eat seafood platters -- Red Lobster staples that helped propel the chain's unparalleled growth at the start of the decade -- don't have the same sizzle they used to.
"This is Red Lobster, the top-selling seafood chain out there. They aren't a buffet restaurant with an early-bird special," said Al Ries, an Atlanta-based marketing strategist. "Somewhere along the line, they changed their focus."
Other analysts say the company faces an even bigger challenge -- staying fresh and attracting new diners without compromising its brand, its history and its core customers.
When the chain reported a drop in same-store sales for the fiscal quarter that ended Nov. 23, it was the first such decline in 23 consecutive quarters. Investors in recent years had grown accustomed to 5 percent and 6 percent gains each quarter, with the occasional double-digit increase thrown in for good measure. But in the latest quarter, same-restaurant sales fell 3.1 percent, driven down by a 9.2 percent drop in customers.
December's performance was even worse: a 12 percent to 13 percent decline in sales and a 14 percent to 15 percent drop in customers.
Although Darden officials acknowledge Red Lobster's problems, they don't agree with suggestions that the chain has the wrong focus.
"We're talking about returning Red Lobster to a record-level performance, not about saving a brand," said Rick Walsh, a senior Darden executive. ". . . Red Lobster is one of the most well-regarded brands in the industry, period."
Still, analysts were taken aback by the resignation earlier this month of Dick Rivera, Darden's president and chief operating officer, whose departure was announced along with Red Lobster's disappointing December results. The company's stock fell 9 percent the day after the twin announcements, though it has nearly recovered all of that and closed Friday at $20.45 a share.
Rivera, who made his reputation at Darden as Red Lobster's president in the late 1990s, had been doing double duty since September as president of both the chain and the parent company. Joe Lee, Darden's chairman and chief executive officer, is now serving as Red Lobster's interim president until a replacement is found.
"We were real excited to have Dick back as president of the chain. If there was anyone who could turn it around, he could do it," said Lynne Collier, a restaurant analyst at Stephens Inc. "To hear he left was as certainly a shock. Even though Red Lobster has had issues for several months, Dick's departure caused added uncertainty."
Both Red Lobster and Lee -- who has been associated with the chain for more than 35 years -- have had to battle back from previous slumps.
When guest counts and sales fell in the early 1990s, new decor, menus and advertising turned things around -- allowing the newly public Darden to concentrate on Olive Garden, its up-and-coming Italian-themed chain, and China Coast, an experiment with wok cooking that it eventually abandoned.
A few years later, another series of sales declines prompted the hiring of a turnaround specialist -- Rivera -- and so began the march toward improved performance and record sales growth, culminating with another makeover of the restaurants' interiors in 2002.
This time around, Darden isn't relying as heavily on Red Lobster to carry the corporation as the $2.4 billion-a-year chain struggles to right itself.
Olive Garden, once a junior member of Darden's restaurant stable, is much bigger and better than it was a decade ago. The Italian-themed chain still trails Red Lobster in sales and number of restaurants, but it's quickly gaining ground.
"The good news is that Darden has many, many positives. It has two No. 1 mega-brands that dominate their categories," said Matt DiFrisco, a restaurant analyst at Harris Nesbitt Gerard. ". . . But traffic has been down at Red Lobster for months. Bombarding customers with $9.99-shrimp ads doesn't seem to work anymore."
A "bottomless-bucket-of-crab" event last year proved too popular for the company's good. It sent the chain's food costs soaring, hammered its operating profit, and may have led to the departure of Edna Morris, Red Lobster's president at the time.
Darden stock fell more than 12 percent on the news.
The company offered investors a mea culpa of sorts, saying it had misjudged just how much crab meat diners would eat if offered unlimited servings.
Analysts say endless helpings of seafood may actually hurt Red Lobster's business overall, because some customers become accustomed to such deals and won't eat there unless an all-you-can-eat or low-priced special is on the menu.
"Red Lobster has become the Rush Limbaugh of the casual-dining concepts, in that it is addicted to all-you-can-eat promotions and discounts as though they are a drug," said Bryan Elliott, a restaurant analyst at Raymond James. "It needs to wean itself from this addiction and retrain customers to come to Red Lobster because of the merit of the menu, not because there's the added perceived value of an all-you-can-eat deal."
Ries, the Atlanta marketing strategist who is chairman of Ries & Ries Consulting, said Red Lobster would be wise to focus on the healthy appeal of its seafood because Americans are increasingly health-conscious and high-protein diets are now all the rage.
Instead of "Share the Love" -- the slogan the chain introduced last spring -- Ries suggested something like "Eat Better. Love Longer."
He said he understands why the $9.99 shrimp platters sell so well -- people want to get the most bang for their buck, especially in a slumping economy. But relying too much on discount promotions can muddy the image of a chain trying to bill itself as a mid-range dining establishment, he said.
Red Lobster says it offers "price-point" specials about four months out of the year, depending on seafood costs.
Walsh, a Darden senior vice president, says the chain has always billed itself as a place where customers are sure to get abundant portions at a good price. And most analysts agree that Darden is the type of company other casual-dining chains aspire to be, despite Red Lobster's recent problems.
Not only does Darden have the seafood giant in its corner, but Olive Garden is now an industry leader and the nation's fifth-biggest chain. Darden also has two emerging brands: Bahama Breeze, a Caribbean chain with several dozen outlets, and Smokey Bones BBQ, considered by analysts to have great growth potential.
While Red Lobster has always been Darden's darling, Olive Garden is posed for growth that could soon give it top billing.
The $2 billion-a-year brand reported a 4.3 percent gain in same-restaurant sales in the most recent quarter -- its 37th consecutive quarter of growth -- driven by a 2.8 percent increase in average check totals and a 1.5 percent increase in customers.
Walsh noted that the industry has never had a problem with Olive Garden's equivalent of all-you-can-eat shrimp -- its annual, "never-ending pasta bowl" promotion.
With Olive Garden's recent track record, experts agree that Darden can afford to take its time in choosing the right direction for Red Lobster. Company officials have already said they plan to conduct a lengthy internal and external search for a Red Lobster president, setting a five-month deadline for themselves.
"I think the industry has the utmost confidence in Darden," said Dave Pavesic, a professor of hospitality at Georgia State University's Robinson College of Business. "It's a solid, respected company, with real talent on the management team and a history of success. No one believes Red Lobster is a dead or dying brand."
Still, Pavesic said, the industry is anxious to see what Darden plans to do. Customer satisfaction has slipped, there's increased competition from other casual-dining chains and a growing number of "fast-casual" restaurants, and other seafood specialists have expanded their presence in the category.
"Marketing isn't the only factor management needs to consider," Pavesic said.
Walsh said the company recognizes that it has missed the mark with some of its marketing and promotions, such as the "bottomless-bucket-of-crab" special. But even as it looks for a new Red Lobster president, the company is brainstorming new initiatives, he said. For instance, Darden's Red Lobster team is currently testing new menu items in a middle-market price range of $8 to $15.
Given the record sales growth that Red Lobster posted three, four and five years ago, it comes as no surprise that the chain would have trouble now topping those figures, said Collier, the analyst at Stephens Inc.
"They put up some extremely good figures," she said. "Lapping those with even bigger sales would be difficult for anyone."


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- Balwin Properties says it has 28 developments in the pipeline which could be built over a 15-year development horizon.
- In the past year, the company increased the roll-out of its affordable Green Collection developments in Gauteng.
- In the upcoming year, Balwin will introduce its Green Collection brand to the Western Cape.
It's been a tough year for landlords, but not so much for companies focused on residential developments, Balwin Properties' financial results show.
The developer of prime residential estates such as The Polo Fields in the Waterfall Precinct and Izinga Eco Estate, located in Umhlanga, said it transferred 2 546 apartments to new owners in the year ended on 28 February, and pre-sold 2 499 more beyond that reporting period.
Balwin said even though the reduced interest rates were a welcome relief for the residential property market, conditions were challenging for the consumer.
So, to get things moving, the company rolled out price incentives and other sales-related promotions to continue to drive sales.
Although market conditions might not all be rosy, Balwin continues to rollout more developments too. The company said it has 28 developments consisting of 62 288 apartments in the pipeline which could be built over a 15-year development horizon.
The company said it will continue to monitor the land reform policy and is taking the necessary actions to ensure that this secured development pipeline is not negatively impacted.
Serving the affordable housing market
In the past year, the company increased the roll-out of its Green Collection developments in the current year. The Green Collection is the most affordable of Balwin's developments, with apartments priced from R499 900.
These include Greencreek in Pretoria East, as well as the Greenkloof Mooikloof Mega City in Pretoria, which is approved for beneficiaries of the government's Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Program.
By comparison, its Classic Collection - targeted at the middle-income market - has prices ranging from R699 900 to R2 million, while the higher income Classic Collection is priced from R2 million to R3 million.
"The planned growth in the Green Collection brand is set to continue in the upcoming year as the brand is being introduced into the Western Cape node to broaden the product offering to customers," wrote Baldwin in the results announcement.
But the company is feeling the Covid-19 effects in some areas too. Balwin recently announced its that it has withdrawn from the planned Wedgewood development in Sandton. The group launched Wedgewood in November 2020, with a view to offering affordable, upmarket accommodation in prime locations close to transport nodes and work premises.
Sandton's property market, however, is still facing considerable disruption. With many existing offices being converted to affordable apartments, Sandton and the surrounding areas could soon face an oversupply of residential stock too.
Balwin said its reason for withdrawing from Wedgewood was that the transaction contained certain conditions, including the requirement to meet specific secured pre-sales levels.
"Although the group recorded unprecedented demand, the conversion of the sale offers to secured sales was lower than expected and significantly lower than the conversion rate of the other brands within the group’s portfolio," wrote Balwin.