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Damon Grady and Amber Whittenberg want their first brick-and-mortar store in Maple Leaf to be a gathering place for locals to meet the Washington makers and growers behind their favorite groceries. At Local Yokels, which opened its doors in February, organic lemonade, goat milk soap and seasonings line the shelves and fill produce bins.
The business partners initially launched Local Yokels in 2017 as a grocery delivery service that sourced goods from Washington farmers left out of the mainstream market, such as those who are LGBTQ+, immigrants, people of color and women. Although supporting local small businesses isn’t a new concept, Grady and Whittenberg want to help customers deepen their connection to the state’s food pathways. In doing so, the business partners hope to work toward their ultimate goal of supporting a self-sustaining regional food system.
“What would happen if the supply chain stopped?” Grady said. “How we keep ourselves self-sufficient, and farms in the area strong, is part of our mission and how we stay prepared.”
The goal at Local Yokels isn’t to become Seattle’s most competitive natural market, but to be present in the conversation of improving food security statewide, Whittenberg said. One way they are working to improve food security, the business partners said, is by ensuring much of the market’s revenue remains circular, cycling to and from the pockets of the state’s farmers, food producers and artisans. In doing so, Grady and Whittenberg can offer their employees competitive wages and help small businesses by purchasing their products.
“When it comes down to it, the more money we spend within our community, the more money that stays within our community,” said Michaele Blakely, owner of Growing Things Farm in Carnation, which is part of Local Yokel’s growing network of Washington farms. “It just snowballs.”
Local Yokels also wants to give back to the community, using a closed-loop system to work toward zero waste, Whittenberg said. Since opening their doors, Whittenberg and Grady say they have maintained a carbon footprint 95% lower than a traditional grocery store by cutting waste, decreasing the use of plastic and using compostable packaging. They also learned during the pandemic that their delivery service could benefit the environment: Instead of people driving their cars to get groceries, Local Yokels delivered to them because it lowered customers’ risk of COVID exposure and was eco-friendly, reducing the number of people driving to shop.
Building community connections
Local Yokels, which is near Fifth Avenue Northeast and Northeast 85th Street, replaces neighborhood grocery store New Day Cooperative Distribution, which operated from May 2020 to last June. Transitioning into the space “would have taken years to be ready elsewhere” without the help of New Day owner Devra Gartenstein, Whittenberg said. In addition to helping her and Grady with the leasing process, Gartenstein also gifted them a walk-in freezer and refrigerator, which reduced Local Yokels’ expenses.
Today, the brick-and-mortar store offers customers a space to see the regional variety of what’s on the shelves and attend events like food producer showcases, local art sales and book club meetings. Grady and Whittenberg hope to build deeper connections with their customers so they can foster a community that supports local businesses and helps improve Washington food security.
As a queer woman, Whittenberg learned about economic barriers related to identity and class through personal experience, including seeing business owners of color around her struggle to succeed in her home city of Gig Harbor. These experiences led her to study art, business and sustainable agriculture, fueling her passion to invest in local communities.
As a Black business owner, Grady said he hopes Local Yokels’ success inspires others like him to join in supporting local businesses. Grady’s family has a rich history in the organic food movement: His father cofounded the natural grocer People’s Co-Op in 1978, which evolved into Central Co-op on Capitol Hill, and his aunt and uncle have owned and operated Bluebird Farm in Southern Oregon for over 35 years.
Outside of their industry expertise, the Local Yokels co-owners began building their business community in unexpected ways long before opening their Maple Leaf market.
Business owner Aliyah Davis, whose Black Magic Sweets macarons and cream puffs are sold at Local Yokels, met Grady when he still worked as an Uber driver. The two began talking business while he drove Davis to her weekend pop-up shop. From there, it was history.
“Reaching customers from their delivery service is one thing, but when you have a brick-and-mortar store, you are able to create a community where you are at,” Davis said. “I am excited to see the community they build there.”
The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.


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It looks like Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is living up to its name. The latest news indicates that this video game has crashed Horizon Zero Dawn in terms of copies sold. CBNST was just released last week and it has now captured the number one slot on the U.K. chart.
Some industry watchers believe that Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is riding the nostalgia crest that is now covering the U.K. charts. Along with this video game, two other nostalgic titles, Elite and Micro Machines, seem to be ruling the roost. These three titles are back in U.K.'s list of the top ten video games for the week.
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is the first in the franchise and it is now dominating the chart that was once ruled by Horizon Zero Dawn. This is the first time that this franchise has debuted a title that reached number one in its first week. Chris Dring, senior editor at GameIndustry biz tweeted that Crash Bandicoot was purchased by a large number of people in its first week of sales.
That made Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy the biggest single-format launch of the year, Dring added. Amazon U.K. has confirmed this fact using its own listing even so much as projecting that this new video game is going to be the best-selling game of the year. By beating Horizon Zero Dawn to the punch and even the very popular Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, CBNST appears to have made it.
Vicarious Visions is the developer of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, a platform video game. It is published by Activision for PlayStation 4. Being a trilogy, this title is a compilation of the three remastered titles of the Crash Bandicoot series, namely Crash Bandicoot, Cortex Strikes Back, and Warped. This remastered trilogy was just released last June 30, 2017.

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China has cautioned its citizens against visiting India, in what is seen a "tit-for-tat" policy following India's recent warning to its traders against conducting business transactions with their Chinese associates.
The Beijing government has issued a travel advisory asking Chinese nationals to avoid any trip to India on the pretext of massive strikes and revolts against the hike in petrol prices that took place in May.
"According to Indian media reports, many places in India are witnessing protests and strikes due to the recent hike in oil prices. Railways and highway transport have either come to a halt due to strikes or have been impacted to different degrees," Press Trust of India cited the advisory as saying on the Chinese Foreign Ministry website.
"Some shops have closed. Presently, impacted areas include: Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Patna in Bihar, Allahabad and Varanasi in UP, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Orissa etc," the advisory continued.
The Chinese embassy in New Delhi is also said to have informed the matter to Chinese nationals living in the country and advised them of safeguarding their personal belongings.
The new advisory comes ahead of external affairs minister SM Krishna's visit to China on Tuesday, whereby he will partake in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit scheduled for two days thereafter.
Indian officials were rather taken back by the notice considering that China had rarely issued such notices government websites. However, in the light of the recent warning against doing business with local traders in the market hub of Yiwu following the kidnapping of Indian traders by Chinese suppliers over payment disputes, may have given China reason to issue the travel notice against India, the news service said.
Meanwhile, the advisory issued may hamper India's growing tourism sector given the number of Chinese tourists visiting the country on a yearly basis. Statistics showed that around one lakh tourists from China came to India in 2010 alone, with the number projected to increase overtime.
According to the Indian Consulate, the rate of Chinese tourism in India has doubled over the past four years. The organization also touted tourism as an important link between the two nations and is increasingly bolstered by "bilateral trade, business and governmental cooperation".


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Rabbids Invasion is an interactive TV show powered by Kinect. Ubisoft announced it during its E3 presentation and showed kids playing along with the Rabbids, pointing their fingers to pelt a Rabbid; racing to be the first to point at an hidden object; and screaming at the screen. Platforms were not confirmed but a “very soon” release window was given. It will debut on Nickelodeon. Grab all the news from Ubisoft’s presser in our full report.
Check out every game for the Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft’s new all-you-can-eat subscription service.
Xbox Game Pass July update adds 7 more games including Dead Island: Definitive Edition and Resident Evil 6
Xbox Game Pass has been expanded with its first monthly update of new games.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 jumps on the loot crate trend. Here’s how that works.
Rabbids Invasion will make its UK television debut via Nicktoons next month, Ubisoft and Nickelodeon have announced.
Rabbids Invasion, the cartoon series from Ubsioft, will debut in the US on Nickelodeon at 11.30am ET/PT August 3, according to the Ubisoft blog.


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RingCentral is leading the global UCaaS market with 18 percent share in Q2 2018. Mitel is in the second position with 16 percent share.
8×8 has 13 percent share of the worldwide UCaaS market. Cisco and Vonage have 7 percent share each.
More than 300,000 UCaaS subscriber seats were added to the global installed base, which continues to grow by over 25 percent per year.
Early adoption of UCaaS was driven by small-medium businesses and SMBs still account for the largest share of the market. The market is moving increasingly to large enterprises where subscriber growth rate is now more than double that of SMBs.
RingCentral and Mitel account for over a third of the UCaaS market. They are followed by 8×8, Cisco (Broadsoft) and Vonage.
The top five vendors have a share of over 60 percent in the global UCaaS market. Smaller vendors with particularly high growth rates include Alianza, Fuze and LogMeIn.
UCaaS subscriber numbers are now approaching the eight million mark having double since late 2015, with the market split between retail and wholesale business models.
RingCentral and 8×8 are the leading providers on the larger retail side.
Mitel and Cisco/Broadsoft lead in wholesale.
“With UCaaS penetration of the PBX market still running at under 10 percent, there remains a long runway for substantial UCaaS growth over the coming years. We expect to see mid-to-large enterprises increasingly driving subscriber numbers,” Jeremy Duke, Synergy Research Group’s founder and Chief Analyst, said.


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Unlocking India’s Petrochemical potential
T he first Petrochemical Conclave organised by IndianOil was inaugurated by K Jose Cyriac, Secretary, Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, in the presence of RS Butola, Chairman IndianOil; Neelkamal Darbari, Jt. Secretary (Chemicals and Petrochemicals) and AMK Sinha, Director (Planning & Business Development), IndianOil. The Conclave drew a huge response from the industry and representatives of Producers, Manufacturers, Technologists and other stakeholders from the Petrochemical Industry.
Mr Cyriac in his inaugural address complimented IndianOil for its efforts in organising the conference which would help in charting the future course of the industry. “With IndianOil, widely acknowledged as the flagship corporate
of the nation backing the conference we will be able to unlock the true potential of the petrochemical market in the country,” he said.
Today, petrochemicals form an integral part of the larger growth story of India and the sector can grew even further to take the benefits of plastics and polymers to millions of customers. Petrochemicals is technology driven and IndianOil’s formidable technological expertise and will be a game changer in ensuring that an equitable balance is forged between tapping the growth market and managing the challenge of sustainable development and environmental concerns, he added.
In his key note address, Chairman IndianOil said, “IndianOil is known for its leadership in the petroleum business and efforts are on to make an impact in the petrochemical sector as well. The investments in basic petrochemicals and polymers is backed by new forays like the setting-up of a Acetic Acid Plant in Gujarat using BP’s latest technology and a state-of-the-art Styrene Butadiene Rubber Plant which is expected to be commissioned next year.
IndianOil’s tradition of dedicated customer service and transparency would bring in a breath of fresh air in the Industry. We will continue to be committed to value, expansion of the product bouquet and innovation of new products,” he said.


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A National Lottery Twitter campaign has been hijacked by trolls, but marketers would have seen it coming if they weren’t so absorbed in their fantasies of ‘brand love’.
The music video platform says it wants to be known for more than “just the watermark” in the corner of YouTube videos and has plans to become a true youth culture brand.
Facebook is introducing new features that will give marketers more control over where their ads appear, while Sky and Virgin Media are partnering to offer what they hope will be an alternative to digital amid transparency and brand safety issues.
Good morning and welcome to Marketing Week’s round-up of the news that matters in the marketing world today.
Want diverse talent to thrive in marketing? It starts with having someone in your corner. Just ask Usain Bolt.
PepsiCo is moving beyond the traditional idea of ecommerce towards a model of “digitally-infused” retail that encompasses DTC, rapid delivery and AR.
At the end of every week we look at the key stories, offering our view on what they mean for you and the industry. From tackling ageism in marketing to building better client-agency relationships, it’s been a busy week. Here is my take.


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Playing the single-player campaign first allowed me to learn and adjust to the game.
The report, which comes from GamesBeat, mentions that EA DICE, a subsidiary of EA, is testing a battle royale mode for its upcoming Battlefield game. Both of those factors come from the battle royale game mode.
This probably won't surprise you, but DICE is reportedly working on a battle royale mode they intend to implement in the next Battlefield game.
Quick, pick a side in Fortnite vs. PUBG, because the field's about to get a lot more crowded.
In fact, the source claims that EA could still cancel the prototype, keep it for the following Battlefield or next Star Wars: Battlefront sequel, or spin it off into its own game. Players are dropped onto a map with an empty inventory, and are forced to collect weapons and tools to help them win the game, unlike like deathmatch modes that give gamers guns to begin with.
"Battle Royale" is the most popular video game in the world right now, and the game might be going through a big change soon based on what players are seeing.
The "free-to-play" Battle Royale portion of the title was released in September of 2017 and promptly gained popularity over the ensuing months as one of the most well-recognized games across the scene and mainstream culture.
Epic Games has not formally announced the arrival of these keys via its usual channels, but it looks like custom matchmaking has at least entered its test phase on consoles.
Fortnite update 3.5 went live this morning and already fans have found a load of new skins and more cosmetics that could be coming to the game very soon.
"If DICE does decide that it's happy with what it has, it won't have it ready in time for the initial release". What are your thoughts on the guided missile being removed from Fortnite? let us know in the comments below!


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Tokyo, Japan and San Jose, CA, U.S.A. — (METERING.COM) — July 12, 2013
The Wi-SUN Alliance has announced what it calls “a major milestone” in furthering multi-vendor, multi-layer interoperability for smart utility devices, with Wi-SUN member companies demonstrating standards-based products using JJ-300.10, Home Network Communication Interface for ECHONET Lite (IEEE802.15.4/4e/4g@920MHz-band Wireless).
The Wi-SUN Alliance ECHONET Working Group is defining a complete Wi-SUN interoperable technical profile and test and certification program for home energy management systems (HEMS) based on ECHONET Lite through collaboration with the Test and Certification WG in Wi-SUN Alliance and ECHONET consortium.
The participating companies implemented the Wi-SUN specification for ECHONET Lite as defined by the Wi-SUN Alliance Working Group.
The JJ-300.10 standard is the first standard to result from a Memorandum of Understanding agreement between the Wi-SUN Alliance and ECHONET Consortium to collaborate on the development of a certification program for products based on ECHONET standards, in particular, the certification of ECHONET Lite applications using the Wi-SUN interoperable certification program.
“The Wi-SUN Alliance is pleased to collaborate with ECHONET Consortium by providing a communication technology that is reliable, scalable and secure for controlling energy management systems in a smart home,” said Phil Beecher, chairman of the Wi-SUN Alliance. “Both the Wi-SUN Alliance and ECHONET Consortium are not only committed to establishing certification programs in Japan but also to promoting these international standards around the world.”
The ECHONET standards are globally applicable, international communication standards for linking home appliances made by different manufacturers and providing various services using easily installed transmission media in both new and existing homes. The Internet Protocol (IP) based ECHONET Lite standard was endorsed as the Japanese Smart House Standard by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). ECHONET Lite defines application level communications for electric appliances and electronic equipment to connect to a home energy management system while allowing the use of any appropriate communication standard.
The Wi-SUN Alliance is an association of companies working together to enable reliable, cost effective, low power, wireless smart utility products based on the IEEE 802.15.4g open global standard.


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Tyler Brûlé’s luxury lifestyle brand plans to launch properties in 10 to 12 cities across the world
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Average price of home in capital is £471,761, down 0.6% between July and September compared with same period last year
Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, located just a few meters from the Grand Canal, is a Venetian Palace that dates back to
London’s First Four Seasons Private Residences announced at Twenty Grosvenor Square. Four Seasons hospitality chainmis bringing its vision for free-standing
Events like the Luxury Property Show have an increasing role to play in sowing the seeds of the high-end real


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After just one week at a new job, Carmen Andrews was horrified when she took off her helmet to find her hair was falling out.
- Mining giant BHP set a target of a 50-50 workforce target for 2025
- While changes have been made, many women report the industry still primarily caters to men
- Some women say that simple things like hair breakage from the site can be a subtle deterrent
Ms Andrews had worked as a cleaner in mines for a decade, but a new position required her to don a hard hat for the first time.
“I panicked … my hair was getting rubbed off,” Ms Andrews said.
She quickly found out she was not alone, with other workers, both men and women, saying this was just “what happens”.
But Ms Andrews said losing her hair at 60 was not an option.
“I don’t get paid [enough] to have my hair worn off,” she said.
Fortunately, Ms Andrews stumbled across a simple but game-changing product — silk bonnets.
She said if she hadn’t found the bonnets, she would have gone looking for a new job.
“A job isn’t worth your hair,” Ms Andrews said.
The woman behind the silk bonnet business, Vivienne Te Kata, came up with the idea after similar experiences wearing hard hats.
“[I remember thinking] ‘Oh my god, my hair just broke — how the hell am I going to get my hair to grow back?'” she said.
Mrs Te Kata said her hair had rubbed off to just an inch thick on the band where the helmet sat.
She later stumbled across two younger women wearing hair protection under their helmets, and her idea for silk bonnets was born.
Within two months, she had made and sold 180 of the hair bonnets.
She said the business snowballed so quickly her husband was helping her to keep up with demand.
“It was just word of mouth [initially],” Mrs Te Kata said.
But since realising their popularity, she has started to advertise the product in mining groups on Facebook.
“The response has been amazing,” Mrs Te Kata said.
“It’s unbelievable — I’m just blown away.”
One of Mrs Te Kata’s clients is Fiona Rundle, an underground operator and emergency response crew member in South Australia.
Before she began using the hair bonnets, Ms Rundle said she felt like The Simpsons character Krusty the Clown.
Ms Rundle said the harsh environment of the mines meant she was having to spend more on specialised hair products to mitigate the damage.
“It’s bad enough [being] covered in grease and dirt and looking like a swamp monster on your days at work; you don’t want to look like that on your days off as well,” she said.
Ms Rundle, who has been in the industry for more than a decade, said more needed to be done to support women in the sector.
She said feminine hygiene underground was an issue for many women but one that was not spoken about publicly.
“Having bathrooms available, in the past there was only a limited number of bathrooms, and you still can’t always get to a bathroom,” she said.
“Men have just always been able to find a dark corner somewhere … and woman can’t always do that.”
A kilometre underground
Ms Rundle said if women got their period while underground, there was not often access to hygiene products.
“You can’t just duck down to the shop … you’re a kilometre underground,” she said.
But Ms Rundle said she had seen some positive change.
“There was always just the standard PPE, but of course the men’s stuff doesn’t always fit women,” she said.
“They’ve recently brought in female-size pants and shirts … that took them a long time though.”
Katrina Lee Jones from the Queensland Resources Council says the industry has come a long way when it comes to gender equality on site.
“Back in 2005, 6 per cent of women made up the workforce, and as of this year with the new data that we have coming through this is 22 per cent of women,” Ms Jones said.
She said many companies now supplied feminine hygiene products and women-tailored uniforms were becoming widely available.
She pointed to Women in Mining Resources Queensland’s mentoring program, which is quickly growing.
But Ms Jones thinks the biggest obstacle going forward for women in the industry is trying to attract them.
“There is so much competition out there,” she said.


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Renren (NYSE:RENN) reported its 3Q11 result after the market closed on Thursday.
- Total net revenue: $34.2 million (+57.1% y/y)
- Online advertising revenue: $19.6 million (+91.8% y/y)
- Gross margin: 80.4% (-50bps from 2Q11)
- GAAP income: $1.2 million net loss, compared to net profit of $7.3 million in 2Q10.
- Non-GAAP income: $0.3 million, compared $6.3 million a year ago.
What I Liked: Impressive Advertising Revenue And User Growth
Online advertising revenue (57% of total revenue) increased 91.8% y/y, driven by strong growth in activated user base which is estimated to be ~137 million (+37% y/y). In addition, monthly unique log-in users increased 58% y/y to 38 million.
Internet Value-Added Services (43% of total revenue), which includes online game and group-buying units, saw sales grew 26.3% from a year ago to $14.6 million. Online gaming revenue grew a modest 23.6% y/y. Group-buying unit, Nuomi, recorded $1.7 million in revenue, compared to $1.1 million in the previous quarter.
Renren also ramped up its mobile initiative, which has penetrated 35% (13.3 million) of the company’s unique monthly users, of which over half access their Renren account through a mobile device. Renren’s location-based-service (LBS) commercial platform currently runs 30,000 promotions and deals from thousands of merchants. The attractive deals and promotions could generate user stickiness as consumers search for local deals in their area.
What Concerned Me: Nuomi Continues To Disappoint
As expected in my earnings preview, Nuomi’s result was disappointing. While Nuomi’s sequential revenue growth of 54% q/q was very impressive, the unit’s gross margin fell sharply to 91% compared to 97% in the previous two quarters. The decline in gross margin highlights the concern I pointed out in the earnings preview in which Nuomi operates in a highly competitive environment that has over 5,000 group buying sites and faces downward pressure in its commission rates as the unit tries to attract merchants.
Nuomi is negatively impacting Renren’s overall result.
During the quarter, Renren’s operating expense was $34 million (+145.9% y/y), of which $8.1 million was incurred on Nuomi. Excluding Nuomi, Renren’s operating expense was $25.9 million (+91% y/y). Furthermore, Renren’s GAAP and Non-GAAP income could have been a $6.2 million (18% net margin) and $7.7 million (23% net margin), respectively, had Nuomi be excluded from the overall result (Note the positive net margin is due to foreign exchange rate and interest income).
While I am positive on Renren’s growth as China’s leading real-name SNS, the company is expanding in multiple fronts where the markets are highly competitive. The acquisition of 56.com could be a double-edged sword as it competes for contents, and Nuomi could prove to be a failure should it experience further margin deterioration and competition.
Renren could be better served by focusing on its core competencies rather than venturing into untested waters. During Facebook’s early years, founder Mark Zuckerberg focused entirely on upgrading Facebook’s core competencies by creating better user profile and experience, and improving the site’s functionalities. As a result, Facebook has over 800 million users worldwide and could generate $4.27 billion in revenue this year since it was launched in February 2004, while Renren has 137 million users and is expected to generate a meager $120 million in revenue this year since it was launched in December 2005.
Even though disregarding group-buying and online video and focusing on SNS might not create the publicity that Renren desires, such a strategic focus might be beneficial to the company in the long term.
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.


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The confluence of demographics, economics and technology is creating a perfect storm that’s pushing showrooming to the forefront of consumer shopping behavior.
Leading the charge are consumers in their mid-30s who are typically referred to as Gen Y or the Millennial Generation. While economics has all consumers seeking value, the rise of smartphones and tablets has also enabled consumers to do price comparisons while in a store. Moreover, it’s the Gen Y and younger consumer who is most comfortable using technology as part of their shopping skill set.
According to an AlixPartners survey completed last month, a sampling of 2,010 adults comprising 960 men and 1,040 women indicated that more consumers are purchasing online after having “shopped” or visited a physical store. While the mean age was 45 in the survey’s age range from 18 to 65 and over, it’s those between 18 and 44 who are driving online sales of category purchases percentage-wise when compared with those 45 to 65 and up. Category purchases across the board, from apparel to consumer electronics to even small and large appliances to hardware, show bandwidth gains skewed more among the younger consumer profiles than those of the more mature consumer groups. The average household income was between $50,000 and $74,999, with the majority stating they had full-time jobs.
Among product categories, those age 25 to 34 were the largest demographic group that made an apparel and footwear purchase after visiting a brick-and-mortar site. The top three online purchase drivers were free shipping-home delivery, lower price and desired item not available at the store. Online reviews and ratings placed fourth. For jewelry and watch purchases, online purchases after visiting a physical store were primarily by those ages 18 to 24. The top purchase driver for going online was price, while free shipping-home delivery was second. The ability to check product reviews and consumer ratings was third. With luggage, handbags and briefcases, those 35 to 44 drove the purchasing behavior online, with the top three drivers the same as those for jewelry purchases.
Joel Bines, managing director and coleader of the retail practice at AlixPartners, said showrooming will grow since the tools that are available are making it easier to do. “Now that we can check online prices instantaneously by scanning barcodes, taking pictures or speaking into our smart phone, the barriers have come down and it has increased dramatically,” he said.
The concept of showrooming doesn’t apply to luxury purchases, but that’s because of two key dynamics involving scarcity and consistent pricing in the sector, Bines said. He noted that the “further away you get from Chanel, for example, the easier it becomes to showroom.”
The key going forward for brick-and-mortar stores will be how they figure out a competitive response to the growing use by the showrooming consumer of the reviews and ratings that are available online, Binder said. While reviews and ratings placed fourth for apparel and footwear purchases, it was consistently third in other categories, whether in accessories or non-fashion ones.
Even e-tailers are eyeing showrooming as they try to capture more market share. They’re opening select freestanding stores so consumers can feel and touch the physical product before they buy. Bonobos just opened such a shop in Palo Alto, Calif., as did Gap Inc.’s Piperlime in New York’s SoHo neighborhood and prescription eyeglass e-tailer Warby Parker at its New York headquarters in the Puck Building.
When Eaton Hudson eyed the pop-up store as part of its asset disposition business model, it was looking at how brands can use the temporary store as a consumer outreach tool to promote and showcase merchandise in a cost-effective way, according to James Schaye, chief executive officer.
Lifestyle brand Serena & Lily, currently in the home sector, plans to launch fashion and accessories in 2013. The current product line for home is available direct to consumer. Lily Kanter, ceo, said she’s in the process of considering a pop-up store as a marketing vehicle for a physical presence in locations where consumers are unfamiliar with the brand.
@tradesy is turning the concept of a showroom upside down with its new space in Santa Monica. Here, the company plans to hold events, art exhibits and a showcase rare fashion pieces like this Louis Vuitton boxing set. Get all the details on Tradesy’s first showroom on WWD.com. #wwdnews
Spotted last night at the @erdem x @hm launch event: Kate Bosworth, Rashida Jones, Kirsten Dunst and Selma Blair. The party, which took place in LA, also marked the opening of their pop-up shop. “I was interested in creating a collection that wasn’t in any way disposable. It was about pieces you’d create and keep forever, things that have a permanence to it,” designer Erdem Moralioglu said. #wwdeye (📷: Katie Jones)
Renee Zellweger in yellow in 2001 and again in 2017. Chosen as one of the 12 @pantone Leading Spring Colors (and dubbed “Meadowlark”), it only makes sense that the bright hue stands the test of time and is making a resurgence this season, seen already on stars like @blakelively and @gigihadid. (📷: Donato Sardello & @rexfeatures) #wwdfashion #tbt
Dior’s 70th anniversary celebration continues with a new exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. “Christian Dior,” which is scheduled to run through March 18, takes a look at the founders tenure from 1947 to 1057 and feature 40 designs. Pictured here is an evening gown from the Ailée, fall 1948-49 haute couture collection. #wwdfashion (📷: Brian Boyle)
As one of the most recognizable models in the world, Christy Turlington Burns has an insider’s view of the fashion industry and the allegations of sexual harassment swirling around it. “I can say that harassment and mistreatment have always been widely known and tolerated in the industry. The industry is surrounded by predators who thrive on the constant rejection and loneliness so many of us have experiences at some point in our careers,” Turlington told WWD, along with her suggestions for how the modeling world should protect younger women and men. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. (📷: Tony Palmieri) #wwdnews
@asics America has tapped a new brand ambassador: famed DJ/record producer @steveaoki. This initiative is intended to set the tone for the new brand identity and philosophy and will include partnerships with influencers and in-store and off-line activations that will continue into next year. This is Asics’ most significant marketing effort in two decades, and is expected to attract younger consumers to the brand. #wwdfashion
24-year-old Jean Prounis is redefining the rules of jewelry. Formerly a studio assistant to Jemima Kirke and a design apprentice at Ghuran, she focuses on handcrafted subtleties and ancient goldsmithing techniques. “There was a really sterile feel in the environment and I wanted to have jewelry with character that shapes how you wear it everyday,” Prounis said. Each piece is hand made in New York, either by Prounis or three other jewelers in the district. #wwdfashion
“These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion,” said @tommyhilfiger of his line of adaptive apparel, which launches today. The line consists of 37 men’s and 34 women’s styles based upon the pieces from the spring Tommy Hilfiger sportswear collection. #wwdnews


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Permits filed call for an ‘automated vehicle delivery corridor.’
Carvana is planning to open a new location near Atlantic Station at 166 16th Street, according to permits filed with City of Atlanta last week.
Phase I will cost an estimated $3,000,000, according to the filings. Carvana representatives would not comment on the permit filing.
The 7,509-square-foot space will be renovated into a Customer Center with vehicle delivery bays and an “automated vehicle delivery corridor.”
The loft-style office building has a total footprint of 14,800 square feet, is located directly across 16th Street from Atlanta Fire Rescue Station 11.
The building is also accessible from Fowler Street.
The online car seller already has a location in West Midtown, at 1026 Marietta St NW, that acts as one of the company’s much-buzzed-about “car vending machines.” The three-bay location allows customers to pickup already-purchased cars without speaking to a salesperson.


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Oishi Group Plc, Thailand’s leading green tea manufacturer and Japanese restaurant chain, is planning to invest 400 million baht to open 30 new outlets in the upcoming year. Among these, 15 will be Shabushi outlets, while the remaining will be Oishi Ramen, Oishi Japanese Buffet Restaurant, or Nikuya.
Paisarn Aowsathaporn, Oishi’s Executive Vice-President for Food, noted that the expansion would generate around 1,500 new jobs and boost 2012 sales by 20-25%, up from the estimated 4 billion baht this year. Oishi launched 24 restaurants this year.
However, flooding led to the closure of 23 outlets and disrupted the delivery of dumplings and sandwiches to 7-Eleven stores. Oishi suffered a loss of 200-300 million baht in assets and up to 400 million baht in opportunity loss during the floods. Several Japanese restaurant chains closed down as their central kitchens were located in flooded industrial estates.
With floodwaters receding, Mr. Paisarn is confident that the overall Japanese restaurant business will bounce back early next year after an anticipated 10-15% contraction this year. Oishi aims to resume operations at its Nava Nakorn Industrial Estate plant in Ayutthaya during the first quarter of next year.
A company insider revealed that the group is exploring the possibility of engaging a local or overseas subcontractor to assist with green tea production during the Nava Nakorn site’s refit. The Amata Nakorn production site in Chon Buri can only supply half of the total green tea output.
Oishi’s central restaurant kitchen is expected to restart operations within the next six months. Currently, each branch prepares its raw materials on-site. To mitigate future business risks, the company plans to increase the number of suppliers.
Oishi is also preparing a 20 million baht marketing campaign to boost sales in December, counteracting the decline caused by floods. Oishi Group anticipates sales reaching 10 billion baht this year. Shares of Oishi Group closed unchanged on the SET yesterday at 64 baht, with trade worth 4.9 million.


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The phrase “Toyota sports car” seems oxymoronic, but there was a time when Japan’s largest automaker was known for making cars that were as great to drive as they were reliable.
Amid the myriad 2000GTs, AE-86 Corollas, and Celica GT-Fours, one name stood out: Supra.
The Supra is to Toyota fans what the 370Z and GT-R are to Nissan fans, but it’s been out of production since 2002.
Without an exciting halo model, Toyota has developed a reputation for blandness and lack of imagination in the decade since, which is why fans – and even company officials – have pined for a new Supra.
To prepare for that possibility, here’s all the gossip on the new Supra.
The new Supra will most likely be defined by its powertrain. While previous Supras were known for turbocharged four- and six-cylinder engines, the new model may very well be a hybrid.
The Supra rumor mill began turning back in 2007, when Toyota unveiled the FT-HS concept at the Detroit Auto Show. The FT-HS was a hybrid sports car with a 3.5-liter V6 and electric motor under sleek two-door bodywork.
That setup was thought to be slated for a production Supra, but more recently Motor Trend reported that the car would get a 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain instead, but with the same 400 horsepower as the FT-HS.
Yet another report from Yahoo! Autos pegged the Supra as a near-supercar answer to the Nissan GT-R, with a 500 hp hybrid system and a dual-clutch transmission. However, Toyota may be saving this setup for the supercar it’s developing with BMW.
While a bit untraditional, a hybrid powertrain makes sense. Toyota’s most recognizable car is the Prius, after all, and the company plans to make a hybrid version of each of its models.
Hybridization would also tie the Supra to Toyota’s TS030 Le Mans racer, and invite comparisons with the many other high-performance hybrid racecars and supercars that have been crawling out of the woodwork lately.
There’s also the matter of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE), which requires automakers to attain a fleet average of 54.5 mpg by 2025. A hybrid sports car would help Toyota keep its numbers as high as possible.
Supras of yore, like the Mark IV made famous in The Fast and The Furious, were front-engined, rear-wheel drive sports cars. The reborn model will almost certainly follow that pattern.
How Toyota will come up with a chassis for it remains a bit of a mystery, though. It would have to repurpose the platform from the smaller GT86 (a.k.a. Scion FR-S) or one of the Lexus sedans – its only global rear-wheel drive cars – or create a new one.
The Nissan 370Z gets by on a modified version of the FM (Front Midship) platform used by the old Infiniti G37, but Toyota needs to make a bigger impression with the Supra. A bespoke platform would do that.
Just as many rumors have pointed to the FT-HS concept as the source of the Supra’s new powertrain, it may also be the source of the production car’s styling.
Since it was unveiled in 2007, many of the FT-HS’ design cues have found their way onto production Toyotas. Just look at the pointy nose of the Scion FR-S … or the FCV hydrogen fuel-cell car.
So while a production Supra based on the FT-HS would have looked futuristic six years ago, it would have somewhat of a family resemblance to other Toyota models now.
Regardless of what Toyota uses for styling inspiration, the designers won’t have to deal with a major handicap: heritage.
Evocative cars like the Ford Mustang are often limited by retro or referential styling, which is deemed necessary because fans will want the new model to look like the ones they remember.
That probably won’t be an issue with the Supra.
The car has been out of production long enough for people’s sentimentality to cool, and the four generations were so different from each other that it would be hard to pick elements that “must” be included.
If the Supra makes it to production, it could be part of a three-tiered lineup of Toyota performance cars.
In a speech earlier this year, Toyota chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada said he would like to see a resurrected Supra sit above the entry-level GT86/FR-S in the lineup. The Subiyota was, after all, designed to emphasize thrift and fun, not outright performance.
That leaves the Supra in the middle, along with an assortment of sports cars ranging from the Porsche Cayman to the Chevrolet Corvette.
With that in mind, it seems likely that a new Supra would start well above the FR-S’ $25,255 base price, but would stay well below $100,000.
That’s not very specific, but remember that Toyota hasn’t even confirmed this car’s existence.
Perhaps the company will finally commit and unveil the rumored Supra concept at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show. Until then, expect the rumor mill to keep turning.
- 2022 Toyota Tundra hybrid first drive review: New dog, old tricks
- 2022 Toyota GR 86 first drive: Old-school thrills meet modern tech
- 2021 Jaguar F-Type sports car gets a new face and more tech
- Toyota partners with weather firm to use wiper blade data to predict weather
- Honda joins GM, Mercedes, Toyota in self-driving group


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Caterpillar said on Monday that its 2013 profit could shrink if the world's economy doesn't pick up in the second half of the year, as mining companies and builders remain cautious about buying new gear.
The cloudy outlook for the year came as Caterpillar reported a fourth-quarter profit less than half as big as a year ago because of a deal in China that went bad and slower growth around most of the world.
Caterpillar Inc. is the largest maker of construction and mining equipment, so its performance rises and falls with the world's economy. It tries to predict where the economy is headed so it knows how many excavators, bulldozers, and mining trucks to build.
If recent economic improvements continue, this could be a record year for Caterpillar, its executives said. But if this year is a replay of the last two, where growth and confidence declined in the second half, "2013 could be a tough year," said Doug Oberhelman, chairman and CEO.
Caterpillar started 2012 expecting the U.S. economy to grow at least 3 percent but economists estimate annual growth was a little more than 2 percent. In April, the company was still forecasting 8.5 percent growth in China, but the world's second-largest economy expanded by 7.8 percent last year, its weakest annual performance since the 1990s.
Caterpillar dialed back production in the second half of 2012, which hurt fourth-quarter revenue and profits. Caterpillar and its dealers have both been trying to sell off inventory. Reduced production will continue at least through the first quarter, the company said.
For this year, Caterpillar expects revenue of $60 billion to $68 billion, with a profit of $7 to $9 per share. Analysts had been expecting a profit of $8.54 per share on revenue of $64.58 billion.
Caterpillar said there's a wide range in its outlook because of the high level of uncertainty in the world. It expects relatively weak growth in the U.S. economy. Growth in China will improve, but not back to the levels seen in 2010 or 2011, Caterpillar said. It expects Europe to continue to struggle.
It said first quarter revenue and profits will be "significantly lower" than the same period last year.
In the quarter ended Dec. 31, Caterpillar earned $697 million, or $1.04 per share, down from a profit of $1.55 billion, or $2.32 per share a year earlier.
The most recent quarter included a non-cash charge of 87 cents per share to write down the purchase of Zhengzhou Siwei.
Not counting the write-down and a $300 million tax benefit, Caterpillar would have earned $1.46 per share. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had been expecting a profit of $1.69 per share.
Revenue fell 7 percent to $16.08 billion as sales fell everywhere except Latin America.
Revenue from construction equipment fell 25 percent. But sales of mining gear - now Caterpillar's single largest category by revenue - grew 14 percent on improvements in all regions except North America, where coal mining is in decline.
Caterpillar's $653 million purchase of Siwei in June gave it a new business - roofing supports for mines - in China, the world's largest coal producer.


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Volvo Rents this week named Matt Tavianini vice president of sales and marketing. Tavianini, an 18-year veteran of the rental industry, will be responsible for implementing formal programs, systems and processes to align and integrate Volvo Rents’ sales and marketing functions.
Tavianini began his rental career as a branch manager with Hertz Equipment Rental. He joined Volvo Rents in 2006 as mid-Atlantic district manager, and most recently served as regional sales manager.
“This was an easy decision, the right decision, as we implement a purposeful plan to take our business to the next level,” said Barry Natwick, president of Volvo Rents, referring to the company’s current efforts to manage and grow a network of company-owned stores in addition to operating a franchise network. “Matt shares the same values, passion and innate desire to keep our business successful. His appointment is yet another reason for us to look to the future with great enthusiasm.”
“Volvo Rents is the perfect opportunity to work with one of the rental industry’s premier players and enhance a network that is poised for aggressive growth in various markets throughout the world,” Tavianini said. “I look forward to working alongside an extremely talented sales and marketing team and drive Volvo Rents’ success well into the future.”
Based in Asheville, N.C., Volvo Rents is No. 17 on the RER 100.


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By: Allison McAndrews
Technology has made huge advancements. All basic devices have been updated and electronics continue to make developments.
“It’s wonderful in the respect of communicating and documentation; it’s instant. But on the older school perspective I didn’t grow up with technology and I can’t keep up with it. It’s a struggle to do some simple things,” said Attleboro High School nurse coordinator Debbie Ebert.
Computers and televisions have been updated in a similar way. Originally they were both big blocks with static and antennas, but they have now upgraded into thin flat screens. Some of these devices even have touch screens and can connect to the internet. Computers have also developed into laptops and tablets over the last decade.
“There are pro and anti opinions on technology growth; I find it more positive. We learn things faster, for example it’s good for medical research to help save lives. Also It helps find jobs faster, and it’s helpful to communicate with family that is far away. On the anti side, it takes jobs away by automation and I think children have too much access at a young age. Overall, with great power comes great responsibility!” said Attleboro resident and parent Carol Jeffery.
Old computers had a tower, monitor, keyboard, and a mouse. New computers use wireless internet, so they do not need the tower because they are receiving the internet from the router. Laptops have everything together so there are no necessary individual accessories.
“Technology advancements are helpful but they can be dangerous. If they become too severe we may become too lazy because technology will have found a way to do our everyday things for us,” said AHS sophomore Jennifer Lopez.
Tablets are a lot like laptops but the whole thing is just touch screen. The tablet is just like a bigger version of a cell phone but it is used more as a computer. New tablets, laptops and computers enable a person to browse the web, video chat, send emails, and take pictures.
“I feel like it’s substantial, the amount it has grown in the last eight years. From flip phones to a touch screen and computers to tablets, the growth is insane.” said AHS sophomore Nathan Flinkfelt.
Mobile phones have made huge changes; there used to be flip phones with no cameras or key boards, but now they have advanced into these incredible devices. Most smart phones have two cameras, touch screens, full keyboards, and countless features.
AHS sophomore Kendra Viens said, “Phones have improved the most; my Nana has a flip phone and you can’t do anything on it.”
The iPod is developing. There have been six original generations, two mini generations, seven Nano generations, four Shuffle generations, and five touch generations. Eventually iPods progressed into iPads, which are just bigger tablet like iPods with more features. The main differences in these generations are the size, shape and features. For example, cameras were added and the accessibility of the iPods were updated.
“When it comes to technology advances I like the original ones. They are more classic.” said AHS freshman Clarissa Bourgault.
Most of these new advancements are wireless and need to use WiFi (wireless free internet). This lets people use their devices anywhere that WiFi is available and can be connected.
“I feel like we have advanced in technology for the greater good,” said AHS sophomore Jonathan Juarez.
Technology continues to grow as advancements continue a rapid progression. One day, probably in the near future, our current advancements will be old news.


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Things keep getting worse for Martha Stewart.
The home diva’s fortunes are closely tied to mass retailer Kmart, which yesterday announced it is negotiating with its lenders in a desperate effort to get some more cash.
If Kmart goes under, Martha will lose a giant chunk of her revenues, and much of her profit.
The news has taken a toll on Martha’s stock. It took a slide on Monday to close at $14.65, down 2 percent, after news of a potential Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing filtered through the financial markets. The stock closed at $16.58 yesterday, up 58 cents.
Kmart reported a same-store sales decline of 1 percent for December, while peer companies were showing high single-digit increases.
The retailer said it is reviewing “its current and prospective liquidity position and business plan for the 2002 and 2003 fiscal years, and in that regard, is in discussions with its lenders regarding its existing and possible supplemental financing facilities.”
However, Martha could find another home for her housewares.
“Martha’s is a tremendous business and is an incredibly valuable brand,” said Doug Arthur, publishing analyst at Morgan Stanley. “There’s a great market for the brand if Kmart continues to have a problem, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
And, he added, her financial contributions from Kmart appear to be solid. “Martha Stewart has a strong contract with Kmart, and there’s security in that contract with guarantees.”
Though neither company releases specific details about the Kmart/Martha Stewart partnership, analysts estimate that Kmart royalties contribute about 25 percent of MSO’s operating income.
The company specifically cited Kmart’s contributions in its third quarter financial results as an offset for lower revenues brought about by the advertising recession.
“Only one of Martha Stewart’s business segments is closely tied to Kmart,” said Laura Richardson, better living analyst at Adams, Harkness & Hill. “But Kmart is a material piece of MSO’s earnings,” and, she added, “it is a negative for the stock.”
Others aren’t quite as positive about the future of Martha Stewart Everyday at Kmart.
“Martha Stewart is much more dependent on Kmart than the other way around,” said Mike Porter, retail analyst at Morningstar. “I suddenly want to see how solid this arrangement is.”
“Martha’s stuff looks good in the store, but I never thought the fit was ideal given her upscale bias and Kmart’s downscale image,” said AG Edwards’ retail analyst Bob Buchanan.
Kmart’s uncertainties have caused a ripple effect. Developers Diversified Realty has tried to reassure investors the leases DDR has for Kmart sites are not in jeopardy.
Martha Stewart had no comment.


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Bringing our conference to a close, Andrew Wallenstein, deputy editor, The Hollywood Reporter, talked up advertising on celebrity content, or, as Wallenstein called it, the “straw that stirs the drink,” with Henry Copeland, CEO, Blogads and director, sales and technology, PerezHilton.com; Brian Fitzgerald, co-founder & president, Gorilla Nation Media; Mari Katsunuma, VP of digital, Bravo; Karin Kovacs, associated publisher, People.com; Dave Rosner, director of innovations, Initiative Media. The main points made were that while it may be safer to advertise on a better known brand, there’s still money to be made in the smaller sites. The idea is not necessarily to advertise your product or service on the biggest site, but to find the site that works best with your brand.
— Where to advertise: Fitzgerald: There’s always going to be a throng of new sites attracting audiences. At the end of the day all that noise and clutter creates a situation where as a media buyer, you have to be focused on delivering the most integrated, compelling platform for the marketer messaging across a particular audience. Copeland added: There’s so much inventory, so many places you can go. You need to go to a big property where you know people are seeing it [the site]. If you go to 50 small blogs, you don’t know who’s looking at it. Kovacs brought up that users aren’t going to just one place for their celebrity gossip, that they always come back to sites like People.com to verify the info. “They check us 3-4 times a day and from a marketer’s standpoint, there’s a role for each of those [sites].” Rosner: People are going to different sites to meet different needs and that completely helps us understand who we’re trying to reach. There’s definitely room — in the brand perspective– for everybody.
More on cross-platform sales and international initiatives after the jump…
— Cross-platform sales: Kovacs: This is one of the biggest trends. Last year and this year, most of our proposals asked for 360. People want to rely on the brand, our content. People want one idea that works across the entire brand. I don’t have to prove my brand; I just have to show how I can bring it together. With these custom programs you need to serve the reader, not detract from the experience, and create a platform with which you can communicate with advertisers. For example, we’ve got fan sites and blogs sending traffic to our blog, asking readers to vote for their favorite celebs on our poll.
— International initiatives: Kovacs: At the end of the year we’ll have an international strategy and mobile one. People have to check what’s happening with the entertainment world — and not just sports and weather — on the phone. It’s not enough to get the news a couple of times a day, you need it whenever you want. For international, People.com is one of the number one celeb sites in Canada and soon we’ll have a strategy how to monetize it. People Magazine is launching in India but most of our reach is in U.S. Fitzgerald: International is tough, especially in terms of monetizing the traffic. Copeland: Perez is big in Canada; he gets 20 million impressions per month. In Australia and UK he’s got readers but to them, he’s just another blog.


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GOEV Stock: Why Canoo Shares Are Racing Higher Today
Shares of electric vehicle maker Canoo (NASDAQ:GOEV) are on fire this morning after the Verge reported that it held talks with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) about a possible investment or a takeover. GOEV stock jumped as high as 30% in pre-market trading Wednesday.
An Apple EV has garnered quite the buzz in recent weeks, as Barron’s noted today.
According to the Verge, Apple held meetings with Canoo in the first half of 2020 as part of the iPhone maker’s top-secret moves to advance its own electric vehicle project. Canoo preferred taking on an investment from the tech giant, but talks ultimately fell apart.
Canoo recently closed its merger with Hennessey Capital Acquisition Capital IV. GOEV stock had a $4.02 billion market capitalization as of yesterday’s market close.
Where Will GOEV Stock Go?
InvestorPlace contributor Mark Hake yesterday wrote that GOEV stock was worth about 60% more than the day’s opening around $17 per share, based on his analysis of the company and Canoo’s own valuation from its slide presentation.
Canoo will not sell its vehicles. It only offers a subscription model. This is a lease of the EV, but with no definitive lease term and no down payment, both of which are traditionally central elements in car leases. Moreover, subscription “owners” of Canoo vehicles do not have to pay registration costs, maintenance costs or deal with the issues surrounding residual value.
Canoo says that this business model will be much more profitable than a one-time sale of the vehicle. It should also come with higher margins. It believes that it will make four times the margin of normal one-time sale manufacturers. This is why Canoo’s business model is different than the average EV maker.
Apple Rumors Lift EV Stocks
It wasn’t just Canoo shares that got a charge from the rumors. Barron’s noted that stock in Hyundai Motors (OTCMKTS:HYMTF) jumped 19.4% following reports that Apple was looking at the Korean car maker as an EV partner. The publication reported that even Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) and General Motors (NYSE:GM) shares were seeing some pickup from the rumors.
So, what to do here? I put a lot of stock (no pun intended) in Hake’s insights. He believes GOEV stock is worth about $26.93 per share, or more than 40% above this morning’s rumor-and-report fueled surge.
On the date of publication, Robert Lakin did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.
InvestorPlace contributor Robert Lakin is a veteran financial writer and editor, following fintech, agtech and property tech startups.


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[Sponsored Report] Early Oktoberfest tickets available
The tickets are discounted 15 percent off of their normal price.
Grand Hilton Seoul’s very own Oktoberfest, which will be held at the hotel’s convention hall, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The annual event replicates the atmosphere of the original German Oktoberfest held every year in Munich, Germany.
Unlimited Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier and Weihenstephaner Original Lager will be on tap alongside traditional German food including Bavarian white sausage, Schweinshaxe (roasted ham hock), black forest ham and a wide-ranging buffet.
Live music performed by Munich’s legendary Anton Band, staff dressed in traditional costumes and decorations mirroring the festivities in Germany will ensure an authentic and lively Oktoberfest atmosphere for the guests to enjoy.
In honor of the hotel’s 10th Oktoberfest, all attendees of the event will be presented with a beauty mask pack and a voucher for premium cosmetic brand TREEANNSEA.
Eco-friendly bags, perfume samples and more will be handed out to those who post photos from the event on Facebook and Instagram.
Other great prizes will be taken home by the strongest contestants in beer drinking competitions and “driving the nail” games.
Guests can also look forward to lucky draws for things like Lufthansa airline tickets, hotel vouchers and items from brands like Honeydew Rabbit, Moschino, AutoVis and Cafissimo.
BY YANG SE-YOUNG [email@example.com]


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1 hr ago
Regis will stop paying dividend, use cash to manage debt
The world's largest chain of salons, based in Edina , said this week that it will no longer pay shareholders a dividend.
Regis Announces Capital Allocation Policy and Note Placement
Regis Corporation , a leader in the hair care industry, whose primary business is owning, operating and franchising hair salons, today announced implementation of a new capital allocation policy.
Regis Corp Files (8-K) Disclosing Entry into a Material Definitive...
REGIS CORP FILES Disclosing Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement, Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant, Other Events, Financial Statements and Exhibits ITEM 1.01 ENTRY INTO A MATERIAL DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT.
New Supercuts Now Open in Rolling Hills Estates
Rolling Hills Estates residents have a new option for all of their haircare needs.
Regenersis PLC PT Raised to GBX 402 at Panmure Gordon
The firm currently has a "buy" rating on the stock. Panmure Gordon's target price would suggest a potential upside of 30.10% from the company's current price.
Regis Is An Undervalued Turnaround Play But Questions Linger
Regis Corporation is one of the global leaders in the $160B hair care industry with almost a century-long, mostly family-run affair in this business.


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Phones to make the poor upwardly mobile
The “Business Call to Action,” hosted by the British prime minister, drew some 80 CEOs of the world’s biggest companies including Microsoft, Coca-Cola and Vodafone as well as top politicians to discuss how big business can stamp out global poverty.
The lure? Big profits. Ghana’s President John Kufuor said it will be easier for U.S. and European businesses to make their next million in Africa rather than anywhere else. The credit crunch has made a few more believe this might be true.
“Three billion of the world’s 6 billion people have mobile phones,” Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin said. “And three-quarters of the new customers are in the developing world. This is a huge opportunity.”
Two companies laid out how they were using technology to tackle issues unique to developing nations in a race to win market share. British telecom company Vodafone has made some headway, while Telefonica O2 is launching new products to allow migrant workers to send money home using their mobiles.
Vodafone CEO Sarin:
- Vodafone already has 2 million Kenyan and Tanzanian customers, out of 10 million in total, signed up to M-PESA, which allows customers to send much-needed money to loved ones using their mobile phones.
- The company operates in Afghanistan. To get around the problem of illiteracy, the firm has developed voice recognition software. Luckily you don’t have to shout out your bank details or the amount you’re sending – you give voice instructions and plug in the numbers.
O2 CEO Matthew Key:
- Telefonica has plans to for a similar service in Latin America, where many leave for the United States and send part of their wages home.
- Telefonica wants 200 million people to sign up for “a new suite of banking products,” Key said.
- The company estimates there are 650 million money transfers back to Latin America each year, and its mobile phone products will slash the average $10 cost per transfer.
–Reporting by Chris Wills in London


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At the Electronic Entertainment Expo players swooped like eagles through Paris, blasted asteroids, and fought in boxing rings as videogame makers dove into worlds of virtual reality.
Console kings Microsoft and Sony battled for players' hearts with blockbuster games and the lure of virtual worlds as the Electronic Entertainment Expo was poised begin in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Seen and heard as the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo gears up for its three-day run at the Los Angeles Convention Center:
Ubisoft has mixed carnage, humor and music in a powerhouse lineup of video games making debuts at an Electronic Entertainment Expo extravaganza in Los Angeles.
Sony has proclaimed a "new era" of PlayStation gaming complete with big-name games and the dawn of virtual reality on its powerful PlayStation 4 consoles.
Microsoft played to the hearts of gamers on Monday with word that they will be able to switch on beloved old video games on new-generation Xbox One consoles.
From the adventures of Lara Croft in Tomb Raider to the apocalyptic drama of Fallout - new research from the University of Warwick has revealed the secret to how some of the world's most iconic video games were created.
Bethesda Software unveiled the latest installment of its "Fallout" video game franchise late Sunday, flaunting a new line-up of powerhouse sequels to its blockbuster hits.
Bethesda jump started the Electronic Entertainment Expo by showing off the latest installments of "Fallout" and "Doom."
Virtual reality and the battle to stream play online will take center stage at an Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) video game extravaganza kicking off in Los Angeles on Tuesday.


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According to (Charpail, 2017) the fashion industry is the second largest polluter after oil and gas. As the industry develops, so does the increase in textile pollution. A key contributor has been single-use surgical masks as a result of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. These masks not only end up in landfill but reach our waterways and have devastating impacts on our marine wildlife. According to (Worldometer, 2019) the current global population is 7,874,965,825. This population will continue to grow, and accordingly, the textile industry will grow alongside it. Therefore, it is critical that environmental education in the developed and emerging markets is prioritized, and the wastage created by this industry is minimised through conscious social reform and awareness; we ultimately must change consumer behaviour.
According to (Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, n.d.) “Annually Australian’s acquire an average of 27 kilograms of new clothing per person, and discard around 23 kilograms of clothing to landfill each year.” The current Australian population recorded by (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2019) on 28 September 2021 was 25,775,850. This equates to 592,844,504 kg of clothing discarded (to landfill) each year by the current population and a significant domestic contribution to the global textile crisis.
Another report by (Aph.gov.au, 2018) stated that 87.5% of Australian clothing is going to landfill and Australians are purchasing 60% more clothing compared to 15 years ago because of the fashion industry and consumer trends. The report also stated that the global recycling rates on synthetic materials is less than 1%; comparatively, 30% of PET from plastic bottles is recycled. The report provided more statistics stating that Australia relies heavily on exporting textiles. In the textiles recovery industry, only 15% of textiles are donated and resold but the rest is exported to other countries or recycled where possible.
Globally, the fashion industry uses 1.5 trillion litres of water each year. Not only does the industry use this amount of water but often in many LMIC’s (Low-to-Middle-Income-Country) where the garments are produced, the wastewater is directed back to the main rivers which many people rely on to survive. It takes approximately 1 kg of chemical to dye 1 kg of material; these materials are often toxic to anyone who consumes it. (Charpail, 2017).
According to (Charpail, 2017), 20% of global water pollution comes from the textile industry via treating and dying processes. The article also mentioned that another significant source of water pollution and consumption in the textile industry occurs in cotton farming. The article stated that 20,000 litres of water is required to produce 1 kg of cotton. Unfortunately, water usage is not the only issue with cotton farming; most of the water used to produce the cotton is often contaminated with fertilisers. In developing countries (where most of the cotton farming is based) there is no treatment or filtering processes for the wastewater and it is often released back into waterways, eventually making its way back out to sea or becoming utilised by native populations to survive. The wastewater which makes its way back to oceans is also shown to be carrying 190,000 tonnes of textiles micro plastics out to sea each year.
(Bick, Halsey and Ekenga, 2018) stated that (globally) 80 billion pieces of clothing are purchased every year equating to a 1.2 trillion-dollar industry. The study claims that America consumes the most clothing (globally) per year and that an estimated 85% of that is sent to landfill taking up nearly 5% of all landfill volume. The study also stated that clothing that does not go to landfill generally goes to secondhand stores, however, 500,000 tonnes of clothing is also exported to LMIC’s. Most LMIC’s will distribute or re-sell these garments, but items that could not be re-homed sadly end up as waste; many LMIC’s do not have effective waste management systems. This waste ends up in waterways, beaches, parklands, and on the street.
The textile industry has created a global crisis and it is unfortunate that COVID-19 PPE safety measures have contributed to this. In late 2019 the pandemic spread throughout the world causing chaos in all aspects of the textile supply chain. The biggest hit to the supply chain was the increase in PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), especially protective face masks.
Since late 2019, the production of face masks has dramatically increased. (University of Southern Denmark, 2021) estimated that the global population is consuming 123 billion face masks per month noting that many of these masks are made of micro plastics. These plastic face masks have a larger impact than the plastic bottle industry which contributes 43 billion bottles per month.
The global textile crisis needs to be addressed through education of the average consumer; our future depends on it. Organisations such as The Ocean Cleanup, The UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, World’s Biggest Garage Sale, Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR), The Australian Circular Fashion and Fashion Revolution all have the same goal in mind: to educate and help create a cleaner world.
The Ocean Cleanup aim to clean 90% of the ocean’s surface, World’s Biggest Garage Sale resell clothing online whilst educating consumers on the circular product lifecycle and encouraging their dormant goods to be sold or donated to a new home, and the Australian Circular Fashion aim to educate and provide practical solutions to the textile industry to facilitate a circular product life cycle with a goal of zero textile waste.
Without change the global textile industry will continue to wreak havoc on our global ecosystems and create sustainability issues that future generations will be even further hard pressed to alleviate. Although many companies and organisation are starting to create a better environment, it is the average consumer that ultimately has the greatest impact. By reducing the number of clothing articles purchased every year, purchasing less synthetic clothing, recycling, donating, and re-purposing, the individual can have the power to effect significant change, which when applied to the global collective can bring widespread systemic changes to an industry in immediate need of reform. Through education and awareness, we will create a cleaner tomorrow.
ACOR. (n.d.). ACOR. [online] Available at: https://www.acor.org.au
Anguelov, N. (2020). (PDF) The Dirty Side of the Garment Industry Fast Fashion and Its Negative Impact on Environment. [online] ResearchGate. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339474106_The_Dirty_Side_of_the_Garment_Industry_Fast_Fashion_and_Its_Negative_Impact_on_Environment_and_Society_The_Dirty_Side_of_the_Garment_Industry_Fast_Fashion_and_Its_Negative_Impact_on_Environment_and_Society
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2019). Population clock. [online] Abs.gov.au. Available at: https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs%40.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/1647509ef7e25faaca2568a900154b63?OpenDocument
Charpail, M. (2017). Fashion’s Environmental Impact. [online] SustainYourStyle. Available at: https://www.sustainyourstyle.org/old-environmental-impacts
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. (n.d.). Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. [online] Available at: https://www.environment.gov.au/protection/waste/product-stewardship/textile-waste-roundtable
Fashion Revolution. (n.d.). KEY ORGANISATIONS. [online] Available at: https://www.fashionrevolution.org/key-organisations/
Gupta, A. (2020). Tsunami of 1.56 billion masks triggers new wave of marine pollution. [online] news.cgtn.com. Available at: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-12-08/Tsunami-of-1-56-billion-masks-triggers-new-wave-of-marine-pollution-W3jOBoX5cY/index.html
Kollmorgen, A. (2021). Textile waste and what to do with unwanted clothes. [online] CHOICE. Available at: https://www.choice.com.au/shopping/everyday-shopping/ethical-buying-and-giving/articles/textile-waste-and-how-to-reduce-it
OCEANS ASIA. (n.d.). HOME. [online] Available at: https://oceansasia.org
SAJN, N. (2019). Environmental impact of the textile and clothing industry: What consumers need to know - Think Tank. [online] www.europarl.europa.eu. Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI%282019%29633143
TAYLOR, L. (2021). Tackling Australia’s textile waste. [online] planetark.org. Available at: https://www.planetark.org/newsroom/news/tackling-australias-textile-waste
TACF (n.d.). TACF The Australia Circular Fashion [online] Available at: https://www.australiancircularfashion.com.au
The Ocean Cleanup. (2019). The Ocean Cleanup. [online] Available at: https://theoceancleanup.com
The UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion. (n.d.). Home. [online] Available at: https://unfashionalliance.org
University of Southern Denmark (2021). Face masks and the environment: Preventing the next plastic problem. [online] ScienceDaily. Available at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210310122431.htm
Worldometer (2019). World Population Projections - Worldometers. [online] Worldometers.info. Available at: https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/world-population-projections/
worldsbiggestgaragesale.com.au. (n.d.). World’s Biggest Garage Sale | Our Story. [online] Available at: https://worldsbiggestgaragesale.com.au/purpose/our-story/
www.aph.gov.au. (n.d.). 500. [online] Available at: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/IndustryInnovation_Science_and_Resources/WasteandRecycling/Report/section?id=committees%2Freportrep%2F024400%2F73685


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时间：2023-12-06 03:48:36 来源：网络整理 编辑：컴퓨터
LG group on Friday has kicked off promotional discounts across its affiliated companies in commemora
LG group on Friday has kicked off promotional discounts across its affiliated companies in commemoration of its professional baseball team winning its first championship in 29 years, cutting the price in various forms related to the magic number 29.
LG Twins, an affiliate of the LG Group, won Game 5 of the Korean Series against KT Wiz on Monday to clinch its first title since 1994.
LG Electronics, the flagship corporation of the group, will be giving 29 percent discounts starting 10 a.m., next Tuesday on its online shopping malls. To find which products are subject to the discount event, check the detailed information at the company's official Instagram account and the homepage of the www.lge.co.kr.
A limited Twins championship edition of LG's StanbyME Go portable touch-screen TV will be sold online starting Saturday. Raffle events will also be held at the online shop, and those wishing to participate can post a photo of themselves in front of the event poster at offline shops, along with congratulatory comments and hashtags for the event for a chance to win LG products.
LG Household & Healthcare is selling several of its products, including the BELIF The True Cream Aqua Bomb 30 set, for 29 percent of the usual price, starting Friday. The 29 percent price events are also held at the company's affiliated brands, The Face shop and Nature Collection.
LG Uplus Corp., LG's network operator, is holding 29 percent discount events for members of its IPTV service U+tv. It is also holding promotional events handing out free coupons or Twins merchandise to the users of LG Uplus applications from Friday to Nov. 29.
Check the homepages of the companies to find more about the promotional events.
LG Twins, one of three KBO teams based in Seoul, launched as MBC Chungyong in 1982 but was rebranded to LG Twins with a sponsorship change in 1990. Despite being one of the founding teams of the KBO, the team has suffered a long slump since the end of its glory days in the 1990s that included championships in 1990 and 1994.
Winning the championship had been a long-awaited goal for not only for the Twins’ fans, but also for the former LG chief, the late Koo Bon-moo. Koo was a well-known baseball fanatic who in 1997 prepared an expensive Rolex watch to be given to the series MVP the next time LG won the title.
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The freshly signed EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and regional market developments are expected to further boost investment and business cooperation between Vietnam and Germany.
Illustrative photo (Source: VOV)
Vietnam Economic Times quoted comments by Nguyen Son Tra, an official from the Multilateral Trade Policy Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, as saying that the EVFTA is expected to yield an additional boost to Vietnamese exports to the trading bloc. Up to 85.6 per cent of total tariff lines are to be eliminated immediately after the trade deal comes into force.
A seven-year tariff elimination roadmap has been set out with 99.2 per cent of tariff lines to be slashed to 0 per cent, representing 99.7 per cent of the country’s total turnover of exports to EU markets.
Of note, Germany has emerged as a key EU importer of Vietnamese goods. 2017 saw Germany along the Netherlands and the UK as the top three EU importers of Vietnamese commodities.
The General Department of Vietnam Customs reported that bilateral trade between Vietnam and Germany reached US$9.5 billion in 2017; of which US$6.3 billion were contributed by Vietnamese exports.
The export figure increased to US$6.86 billion last year. It stood at US$3.3 billion during the first half of this year. Footwear, garments and textiles, coffee, aquatic products, cashew nuts, and pepper topped the list of domestic goods shipped to Germany.
In deed, there remains plenty of room to boost exports to Germany. Statistics show that the EU member country now ranks second among worldwide furniture importers. Last year it accounted for 8.1 per cent of the global import of such category.
Though local furniture firms have penetrated into the German market, their exports to this market remain modest. Vietnamese furniture exports to Germany reached only US$80.8 million during the first quarter of this year.
Statistics released by the Vietnam Trade Office in Germany indicate that the European country is the world’s second largest importer of unmilled pepper (code: HS 090411), with a proportion of 10.1 per cent of the global turnover of such goods in 2017.
Vietnam is the second largest pepper provider for Germany, behind only Brazil. An average of 5,000 tons of Vietnam’s unmilled pepper is estimated to be shipped annually to the German market. Notably, the Southeast Asian country sold 8,510 tons of unmilled pepper to Germany last year and subsequently earned US$35.11 million, up 5.61 per cent in volume, yet down sharply by 34.45 per cent in value.
Marko Walde, chief representative of German Industry and Commerce Vietnam (GIC/AHK Vietnam), has high hopes on imminent opportunities for both countries’ businesses. Germany enterprises expect Vietnamese firms to get more involved in the projects which the former have been implementing in Vietnam.
There are some 300 German firms operating in the Vietnamese market. In a medium and long term, there would be an increase in the number of German investors seeking investment opportunities in the Vietnamese market, partly thanks to the upcoming implementation of the EVFTA and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) which were signed by both sides in late June this year.
Up to 55 per cent of the German enterprises operating in Vietnam have planned to increase their business and investment in the country, noted Walde.
German investors flocked to make bold investments in China 20 years ago, but many are now seeking to move their production bases to another country due to adverse market developments seen in China.
As such, Vietnam and Thailand are regarded as the most promising investment destinations in Southeast Asia. In order to attract these foreign investment inflows, Vietnam should perfect its legal frameworks soon in order to build more trust among foreign investors.


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AN CONGRESS: Cautious OESA lauds industry fightback
The Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA), an American supplier body, reckons uncertainty will continue to provide a backdrop to the US automotive industry despite a far healthier landscape compared to recent turbulent times.
Addressing delegates at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit, OESA president and CEO, Neil De Koker, said a return to normalcy would be accompanied by caution driven by uncertainty.
"It seems that will be the new normal for some time," he said. "[However] We can confidently claim the supplier industry is coming back strong. According to new research, the motor vehicle supply industry has direct employment of 700,000. We are a significant engine to the US economy.
"OESA members will continue to speak out about the industry to leaders in Washington DC. Political uncertainty is a definite risk but together we, OEMs and dealers can present a common voice highlighting our individual significance."
Based in Troy, north of Detroit, OESA has 435 members with global sales of over US$300bn.
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Expectations were high for Take-Two Interactive's Evolve when it launched last month, but the initial reception has been a bit mixed. The PC version of the game sits at a 77 Metacritic score, and while it was the best-selling game of the week upon its release in the UK, it quickly slipped down the charts and now resides just inside the top 10.
Speaking at the Piper Jaffray Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Conference today, Take-Two president Karl Slatoff said the company is happy with that performance. His comments also suggested that the game's extensive downloadable content plans have been well received commercially.
"When we first picked up Evolve... our instincts told us we had something really special," Slatoff said. "And as the game evolved--I guess the pun is sort of intended--but I think our instincts have proven out right. We're very pleased. We've had an incredibly successful commercial launch with Evolve. We're very happy where things are going, particularly on the digital side. Digital has been very strong for us, not only with full game downloads but also the attach rate for our season pass has been very strong. I'm not going to give you specific numbers but we're very pleased with those. So I would say in general, Evolve has been a fantastic experience for us and we're very pleased with it."
Later in the presentation, Slatoff was asked if the transition to digital is happening as quickly as Take-Two would like.
"It's not really a question of wanting it go in that direction," he responded. "I think it's going to go there whether we like it or not. It's clearly moving in that direction, although maybe not necessarily at the pace people think it's moving."
Slatoff acknowledged that there are some advantages to digital games--higher margins, no used games, unlimited shelf space--but added the publisher was happy having a physical market as long as the consumers wanted it.


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eionmac writes in with a story about the humble beginnings
of an industry that is worth over $186.1 billion in the UK alone. "Grandmother Jane Snowball, 72, sat down in an armchair in her Gateshead home in May 1984, picked up a television remote control and used it to order the groceries from her local supermarket. She was part of a council initiative to help the elderly. What she - and everyone else with her at the time - didn't realise was that her simple shopping list was arguably the world's first home online shop. With her remote control she used a piece of computer technology called Videotex. It sent the order down her phone line to the local Tesco - the goods were then packaged and delivered to her door. Mrs Snowball never saw a computer - her television linked her to the shop. 'What we effectively did was to take a domestic TV in a home and turn it into a computer terminal,' says Michael Aldrich, the man behind the technology for the system. 'That was the big leap.'"


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An Inverness bar and restaurant has announced it will close for the rest of the year due to the anticipated impact of the latest set of government restrictions.
Rose Street Foundry, operated by Cairngorm Brewery, has said it is with a “very heavy heart” they have made the decision.
A statement issued on social media reads: “It is with a very heavy heart that we have taken the decision to close our doors.
“With the most recent restrictions and anticipated future restrictions, it has become unviable for us to continue in this economic climate.
“This is not ‘last orders’ at Rose Street Foundry and we will be back better, stronger and wiser ready to start again in Spring 2021!”
The opening of the foundry was halted due to the pandemic, however, bosses have thanked visitors for their custom after they were eventually allowed to welcome guests in.
“Thank you to everyone for your continued support in these most troubling times”, the statement continues.
“Stay safe, stay sane and stay positive.”
Under the latest restrictions introduced by the Scottish Government, hospitality premises will have to close indoors at 6pm with alcohol only allowed to be served outside.
In a statement to the Scottish Parliament yesterday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said restaurants, bars and cafes would be banned from selling alcohol up to and including Sunday, October 25, with indoor venues told to close at 6pm.
Hotel restaurants will be allowed to operate indoors beyond 6pm but only for residents and without alcohol.
Hospitality businesses affected by these new measures will be able to access financial support from a £40m fund that is being set up by the Scottish Government.
The decision comes after a similar decision was made by the operators of Number 27 in Inverness.


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LVFS Serves Up 25 Million Firmware/BIOS Updates To Linux Users
LVFS/Fwupd lead developer Richard Hughes of Red Hat relayed the news that LVFS has now served more than 25 million firmware files to Linux users. Considering just a few years ago it was difficult updating your system BIOS under Linux and most hardware vendors wouldn't even consider offering firmware updates for Linux, this is an incredible accomplishment.
Yesterday the LVFS hit another nice number -- it's now shipped over 25 million firmware updates to end users.— Richard Hughes (@hughsient) March 2, 2021
As tradition dictates, I'm getting more coffee mugs printed for some new important contributors, so what do we think about this: pic.twitter.com/vfs1pLQ2Y5
Fwupd and the Linux Vendor Firmware Service (LVFS) are backed by the likes of Logitech, HP, Lenovo, Dell, and many other vendors in varying degrees for enabling firmware updating under Linux.


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The final mile of a customer’s delivery is often the final straw according to new research from eDelivery EXPO.
eDelivery EXPO, a leading event for retail fulfilment has launched the results of its ‘The Importance of the Final Mile’ research which investigated 2,000 UK consumers’ perceptions and experiences of the delivery of goods purchased online.
With 93% of Brits having ordered a product online within the last month, the vast majority of consumers will have had a recent interaction with a delivery company or courier. Unfortunately, it is not always a positive experience.
The Final Mile Can be The Final Straw for Many
The final mile is the customer’s final touch point with the retailer in the purchase journey. The findings reveal that it can literally make or break the customer relationship. In fact, poor delivery practices have made 18% of respondents stop shopping with certain retailers, with only 4% of them turning to click and collect and 4% resorting to purchasing in-store.
Poor delivery practices can tarnish a retailer’s reputation with customers’ friends and family. Almost a third (29%) of Brits admit to telling a friend or loved one to avoid a particular retailer because of a bad experience they’ve had with delivery.
Delivery Issues Dragging Down Online Retail
Out of the top five dislikes of online shopping, three were delivery related. When asked about what they most disliked about shopping online, having to pay delivery fees was the second most irksome at 56%, just behind not being able to ‘experience’ the physical product.
The inconvenience of returning items came in third (40%) and the hassle of having to be in for a delivery fourth (28%). Seventeen per cent claim that they always check the courier company used by the retailer before purchasing, with 22% saying there are some courier companies they actively avoid. Fifty six per cent say they are annoyed if goods are not delivered when promised.
Delivering the Goods…Badly
Having the wrong package delivered tops the list of delivery annoyances at 75%, closely followed by missed deliveries being returned to a depot far from the recipient’s home (74%). Damaged parcels comes a very close third (71%), with parcels left in inappropriate places at 53% and having to pay a premium for next day delivery at just under half of respondents (49%).
Humans v Drones
Many retailers have begun experimenting with automated delivery techniques (drones and autonomous vehicles) but consumers have their concerns around the reliability of these new techniques.
Almost half (49%) think autonomous delivery would be less reliable than human delivery, whilst a third think it’ll be equally reliable. Just over a third (34%) say they would always trust a human over a machine to make a judgement call on what is best to do with their delivery, with a quarter being worried that their package would get lost or damaged.
Despite these reservations, 37% accept that autonomous deliveries will be the norm within the next five years.
With delivery proving such a crucial aspect of the modern customer journey, ensuring it is reliable, affordable and meets customer expectations is paramount. At eDelivery EXPO, experts from delivery giants such as Deliveroo and Royal Mail will be discussing how new technologies and techniques will shape the final mile in 2018 and beyond.
Maia Bulbul, Head of International Business Development at London-based last mile delivery service Quiqup commented:
“The landscape in which retailers operate today has changed. The growing culture of impatience is real and consumer demand for everything faster, more flexibly, and at the touch of a button is penetrating every corner of our lives. Online shopping is supposed to make our lives easier, but delivery windows that span several hours feel like a chore, not a convenience. Retailers that offer delivery services that accommodate the dynamic schedules of their consumers have the opportunity to set themselves apart from even the biggest players in the market. Those who don’t, are likely to suffer at the hands of competitors with last mile muscle.”
Neil Cotty, CEO of UK-based enterprise carrier management company, GFS said:
“The research highlights how critical delivery is for consumers and how easily a bad experience can result in lost customers and lost sales – it can be a competitive advantage or a weakness.
“In fact, what we see is that the delivery experience has to start much sooner than the actual delivery but at the checkout. Baskets are quickly abandoned if consumers don’t get the choice of delivery options and convenience they expect and demand. They also want up-to-date tracking and proactive notifications. What they don’t want is unexpected surprises – a parcel not turning up at the expected time or worse still, not turning up at all.
“Not all retailers have the resources or expertise to compete at this level which is where they need to partner with experts like GFS who bring everything together – the technology, shipping and logistics expertise and proactive customer care – giving retailers complete and affordable solutions to delight customers from checkout to doorstep. “
Darko Atijas, Sales and Marketing Director at Neopost Shipping Europe added:
“These findings highlight that negative shipping experiences do more than simply cost retailers money due to increased costs of returns and logistics: they adversely affect repeat purchases and ultimately the lifetime value of the customer.”
For further information and to register free for eDelivery EXPO and
InternetRetailing EXPO visit the event website.