text:
Since taking over the iconic chain in 2014, its new Brazilian owner, 3G Capital, has purged head office, slashed costs and squeezed suppliers.
Canada's Competition Bureau alleges that the Hudson's Bay Company used deceptive price claims and other tactics to mislead consumers about sales of mattress and box spring sets.
Unadjusted retail sales hit an historic high of $50 billion in December and the volume of retail sales was up 3 per cent from a year ago.
OTTAWA - SodaStream is recalling thousands of its bottles in Canada and the U.S. because of a danger they may rupture when a user is in the process of carbonating water.
The legislation, called the Protecting Vulnerable Energy Consumers Act, gives the Ontario Energy Board power to end disconnections during cold weather.


text:
They include 1.5 million of its popular F-150 pickup trucks with a transmission flaw that could cause the vehicles to downshift to first gear with no warning.
Dealers will update the powertrain control module software in the affected vehicles.
According to Ford, certain vehicles may have an "intermittently functioning door latch motor due to the buildup of silicon contamination", resulting in the latch not being able to fully engage. So far, Ford says it has not heard of any accidents or injuries from this defect.
The company said it is now unaware of any reports of accidents or injuries resulting from the condition.
A second recall issued by ford covers 27,000 2017-2019 Lincoln Continental sedans. This recall's reference number is 19S03.
Also impacted- by separate issues-were select Lincoln Continentals made between 2017 and 2019, and certain 2019 Ford Mustangs, Lincoln Nautiluses, and Lincoln Navigators. Dealers will remove and replace the door latches. The recall was related to a safety compliance issue in which the vehicles' instrument panel cluster assemblies are blank upon starting the vehicles.
This action affects approximately 4,200 vehicles in the United States and 150 in Canada. Ford spokeswoman Monique Brentley said the root cause was different than in the new recall.
The glitch will be addressed via a software update that presumably prevents the transmission from shifting into first gear if the electrical fault occurs.

domain: news


text:
An animal rights group has spent nearly $3400 to purchase 300 lobsters in an attempt to 'set them free', claiming that they were 'God's creatures'.
At a cost of nearly $11.25 apiece, an unidentified group of young people purchased 300 'seconds' or 'culls' from the New Meadows Lobster Pound in Portland, Maine.
"We told them they're going to get caught again and they said, 'That's OK. We just want them to have a chance before they get caught again,"' McAleney said. "I don't know if they go around and free chickens and cows or what."
This comes at a time when lobster is retailing for nearly $15 per pound, due to recent poor weather, cold water, and stocking issues in local lobster ponds.
The identities of the lobster liberators remain a mystery.


text:
First Watch Restaurants added the role of CEO to Chris Tomasso, the restaurant chain’s current president.
Tomasso replaces Ken Pendery, who will become executive chairman of the board for the breakfast, brunch and lunch concept.
In Pendery’s new role as executive chairman he will work as a liaison between First Watch’s management, board of directors and its private equity partner. In late 2017, Advent International made a majority investment in First Watch, which plans to open an additional 30 locations in 2018 through a combination of company-owned and franchise growth and restaurant conversions.
Tomasso joined First Watch in August of 2006 as its first chief marketing officer. In 2015, he was named company president. Prior to joining First Watch, Tomasso served as vice president of marketing for Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and also previously served as vice president of worldwide marketing for Hard Rock Café International.


text:
1. M&S’s new loyalty card aims to reignite its fashion business
This week saw M&S officially unveil its new Sparks loyalty card – and with flagging sales and shareholders criticising its “outdated” clothing ranges, there’s a lot riding on it.
The brand’s executive director of marketing Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne told Marketing Week that the member’s club initiative will create “extraordinary results” for both its food and fashion sales.
The plastic Sparks card, which will roll out nationally on 22 October, works by giving shoppers 10 sparks – a special non-monetary currency – for every purchase as well as for every £1 spent.
Customers will also be empowered to write reviews whether negative or positive, with the promise of a 25 sparks reward. They will also get previews of upcoming clothing ranges.
Bousquet-Chavanne believes consumers are tiring of the current line up of loyalty schemes and says Sparks is a “ground-breaking step change”. He is keen to establish Sparks as a “new relationship model” rather than a “generic” loyalty card.
2. Tesco’s launches its first brand campaign with BBH to push new ‘brand guarantee’ scheme
With the “Brand Guarantee”, Tesco becomes the first UK supermarket to offer an immediate price match at the tills. Tesco’s chief customer officer Robin Terrell told Marketing Week that the business is excited about its potential and how moving away from vouchers could impact other parts of the business.
“We know that half of the UK population doesn’t redeem these paper vouchers because they lose them or forget them, so this is a big step forward for the market,” he said.
The ad campaign launches on Sunday (18 October) and features actors Ruth Jones and Ben Miller as a family going around their weekly shop.
3. Leon appoints its first marketing director as it makes marketing a priority
Leon has appointed Kirsty Saddler as its first ever brand and marketing director and she is on a mission to make its marketing ‘as pioneering as its proposition’.
Leon was founded in 2004 with the aim of making it possible for everyone to eat healthy food and was the first to display nutritional symbols on its menus. Its proposition has proven successful so far, as the company reported a like-for-like sales increase of 22% in 2014 and an operating profit of £1.9m.
The fast food chain hopes to double in size next year, which it aims to do by pushing its marketing more heavily – something the brand hasn’t prioritised before.
“The brand is a pioneer when it comes to its proposition and its business model, but not yet with its marketing. That for me is a huge opportunity,” Saddler told Marketing Week.
4. Volkswagen attempts brand rebuild with marketing push
After having the most disastrous couple of weeks after it was revealed Volkswagen fixed its emission tests, it seems the brand has now gone on a marketing offensive by placing numerous newspaper ads aimed at reassuring customers.
The ad headline states: “We have broken the most important part in our vehicles: your trust”. The ad appeared over the weekend in most of the national broadsheets.
It goes on to say that Volkswagen’s main priority is to win back trust with actions rather than words.
According to YouGov’s Brand Index figures, Volkswagen’s overall index, which includes measurements like reputation, value and satisfaction, has dropped 32 points over the past month, placing the brand at the bottom of a list of 34 competitors. It used to hold the top spot.
5. Coke Life rings in its first year with £28.9m in sales
Coke Life and its sprightly green branding was brought into the UK market just over a year ago. While figures suggest that it has built up a core group of loyal buyers, questions remain over whether Coca-Cola’s “one brand strategy” has had a negative impact on sales.
Sales figures from IRI show that since the introduction of the new product in August 2014, the Life brand has grown into a £28.9m business.
Bobby Brittain, Coca-Cola’s UK marketing director, told Marketing Week: “We’re very pleased with the performance of Coca-Cola Life.
“Consistent with our strategy, we launched the variant to increase the choice we offer customers, shoppers and consumers and it is encouraging to see that Kantar data continues to show in the first year that over half of the volume switched into Life has come from regular carbonated soft drinks.”
- Got your tickets for the Festival of Marketing yet? There’s still time! For further details including how to book visit www.festivalofmarketing.com


text:
Brunch Means Business network event will launch this year’s Menta Trade Fair in Bury St Edmunds
A free networking event, Brunch Means Business, will open the 9th annual Menta trade fair on Tuesday October 3 at The Apex in Bury St Edmunds.
Keynote speaker at the brunch is international jewellery designer Alex Monroe who has a home in Suffolk.
Mr Monroe said: “The county has a vibrant business community and the day will be a great opportunity for companies to showcase their goods and services.
“There is a massive amount of creativity locally and it is sure to be an inspiring day. I’m looking forward to meeting new people and learning about some of the great companies in the region.”
The brunch is expected to attract more than 150 business people and is being held at 11am. It is sponsored by Invest in Suffolk which promotes the county as a great place to de business. Visitors are invited to donate to Menta’s charity of the year Suffolk Mind.
Suffolk County Council leader Colin Noble said: “We’re thrilled to have Alex Monroe speak at the event. His company exhibits and sells internationally and his jewellery designs have a strong sense of his home county of Suffolk. It’s also fantastic that every piece is made in England.”
The Menta trade fair attracts more than 600 visitors and has 100 plus exhibitors. It is sponsored for the 9th year by Atkins Thomson Solicitors.
To book tickets for Brunch Means Business visit www.menta.org.uk and go to the events page.


text:
Fiat has all but faded away in the U.S., but it has a new North American leader whom parent company Stellantis has charged with "providing cool mobility solutions for all."
Fiat could use that cool factor when it reenters the U.S. electric vehicle race in 2024 with the 500e, a model that analysts say can open a pathway to success for a brand that has struggled with lackluster sales in the country for years.
The stage is set for Aamir Ahmed, a former Fiat Chrysler Automobiles marketer appointed to head Fiat's North American operations last month. Ahmed left FCA in 2017 to work for Harman International and Amazon. Ahmed succeeds Larry Dominique, who had been leading Fiat in addition to his role as senior vice president for Alfa Romeo in North America.


text:
Extend joins Wells Fargo Startup Accelerator
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) announced today that digital credit card platform Extend has joined the Wells Fargo Startup Accelerator, a portfolio of startup companies that develop solutions across a broad set of domains including customer experience, payments, marketing, risk and regulation, climate change and security.
Extend provides digital payment infrastructure for trusted financial institutions to enable modern card experiences. Leading banks, businesses, and other innovators can access the full power of virtual cards for their business, products, and clients. Extend offers several products, including a suite of aggregated virtual card APIs, a digital corporate card app, and an industry-first card tokenization service.
“We are delighted to team up with Wells Fargo given their portfolio of small to mid-sized businesses and desire to innovate,” said Andrew Jamison, Extend CEO and co-founder. “We look forward to working together to explore new payment capabilities that to date have only been available to the largest corporate clients. With easy onboarding, intuitive user experience, and strong controls associated with virtual cards, there is huge potential in this partnership and we look forward to seeing it grow.”
Companies in the Wells Fargo Startup Accelerator are able to take advantage of education, mentorship and investment to guide early stage growth. These companies can make use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, distributed ledger technology and augmented reality to solve challenges. Presently there are 27 companies in the Accelerator portfolio.
Now in its sixth year, the Wells Fargo Startup Accelerator focuses on advancing emerging technologies in pursuit of breakthroughs for financial services. Startups are eligible to receive up to $1 million in funding, along with guidance from Wells Fargo business and technology leaders to help refine and scale their solutions.


text:
He’s one of the richest people in the world, and now Yusaku Maezawa has claimed a new title, as the owner of the world’s most retweeted tweet.
The Japanese billionaire, who founded online clothing retailer, Zozo Inc, posted a tweet on January 5, which has now raked in more than four million retweets.
However, the popular tweet comes at a price.
Mr Maezawa was offering users an incentive to share his post, in the form of a hefty cash prize.
His tweet, which was posted in Japanese, translates to: "Zozotown Spring Sale is the fastest in history and topped 10 billion yen!!
“With a daily appreciation, I will give 100 million yen (total of gifts million yen) in cash.
“The only way to apply is to follow me and RT this tweet. The reception is up to 1/7. I will direct DM the winner!”
For reference, 100 million yen is the equivalent of around £725,700!
With over four million retweets, Mr Maezawa’s tweet has pipped Carter Wilkinson’s hilarious tweet to the post to be the most retweeted.
In 2017, Mr Wilkinson tweeted to US fast food chain Wendy’s, asking how many retweets he needed to get a year’s worth of free chicken nuggets.
When Wendy’s replied with the ambitious target of 18 million, Mr Wilkinson called on Twitter for help.
While he didn’t quite reach the 18 million target, he did manage to secure more than 3.5 retweets, and Wendy's gave him the free nuggets anyway!


text:
IT'S game on at the London MCM Expo this weekend.ÃÂ
Catering for gamers of every genre, the event at the Excel centre in Docklands on May 29 and 30 will have everything from the latest Super Mario to the world exclusive first playable demo of Transformers: War for Cybertron.
Pocket gamers are advised to bring a DS and a game on May 29 to get involved with the MCM Expo's world record attempt at hosting the largest handheld game console party, with Nintendo offering consumers the chance to win one of five DSi XLs and more prizes from other exhibitors.
The games present at the May London MCM Expo 2010 include:
Dragon Ball: Origins 2
Dragon Quest IX
Fist of the North Star (FIRST SHOWING OUTSIDE OF JAPAN)
Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalker
Monster Hunter Tri
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3
No More Heroes 2
Samurai Showdown Sen
Samurai Warriors 3
Sin and Punishment: Successor Of The Skies
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Transformers: War for Cybertron (WORLD EXCLUSIVE: first playable demo)
Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2010
With support from some of the biggest videogame publishers in the UK, including Nintendo, Activision, Namco Bandai, Tecmo Koei, Ubisoft, Rising Star Games and advanced ticket sales already up by 30 per cent compared with last year, organisers say the event is expected to draw more than 40,000 people.
On top of this there will be a heavy presence from Ubisoft who will be marketing Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands at the event, as well as offering the first 5,000 attendees of the show exclusive Prince of Persiagoodies. Additionally, Yuri Lowenthal, the voice of the Prince, will also be at the show signing posters and meeting fans.
Tecmo Koei, as well as showcasing Quantum Theory, will be selling a highly collectable limited edition figurine of Kasumi from Dead or Alive: Paradise, while publisher Konami will be holding the UK Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game National Championship and Turtle Entertainment will be running professional gaming tournaments as part of the Electronic Sports League's Pro Series for the UK.


text:
Ever rising online shopping has created a crunch when it comes to delivery. The shopping has been made easy, but […]
Keeping files on a proprietary hard drive or local storage device is the thing of the past. With Cloud-based storage […]
With the rise of computers and technology, ascertaining transactions are real or fake has become a nuisance. As the entries […]
There’s a gradual increase in the number of electric vehicles on the streets, and a few years down the lane, […]
Flying is one of the most complicated and expensive businesses. The demand for this service is indeed growing.Sometimes even passengers…
Return on Investment (ROI) deals with the money invested in a company and the return that is realized on that money based on the
The past few years have seen significant disruption led by young, innovative tech companies in the….
The word outsourcing which you might directly relate with off-shoring business processes to developing countries or third world countries. Outsourcing …


text:
In a new record, a rare Rolex watch sold for more than $ 200,000
The American auction house announced the sale of a rare Rolex watch made in 1992, for more than 200 thousand dollars, in a new record for this type of auction, which deals with different types of historical watches.
The house explained in statment On its official website, the auction attracted 1,374 international visitors wishing to acquire this rare piece, which made the auctions of heritage and luxury watches top the house’s sales with more than 3 million dollars.
“We knew the market was exceptionally hot at the moment, but the results at this auction have exceeded even our most optimistic hopes,” said Jim Wolf, head of heritage watch auctions.
— Heritage Auctions (@HeritageAuction) November 22, 2021
“Demand for luxury Rolex watches is growing, and we’ve seen a strong performance of modern tourbillon watches, which is an indication that collectors are now focusing on some of the newer and more complex specialty watches.”
The historical watch consists of a base inlaid with gold and diamonds bearing the upper part, which contains precious stones of diamonds and emeralds, along with a central base of gold studded with diamonds.
The house witnessed a number of other auctions of different types of watches, the prices of which ranged from 30 to 90 thousand dollars, but in no way exceeded 100 thousand, which makes this auction a record.


text:
We’re going to take this one with a big ole’ grain of salt: a 17-year-old Chinese kid is said to have swapped a kidney for an iPad.
A young man known as “Zheng” contacted an underground organ trafficking outfit via the internet to sell his right kidney for about 20,000 RMB, circa US$9,000 dollars.
Minus a kidney and flush with cash, the teen bought an iPad and, according to some reports, an iPhone and a laptop.
“At the time, I wanted to buy an iPad 2, but I didn’t have any money at the time. Then an organ buyer organization sent me a message telling me that if I were to sell my kidney, I could get about 20,000 RMB.”
Trading organs online is a apparently common China, the Telegraph notes, despite repeated attempts by China’s government to curb the practice.
The boy who suffered complications as a result of what sounds like backroom butchery, was unable to keep surgery from his mother who notified police. So far, they haven’t been able to track down the perps.
The story — which we wish was just tabloid fodder — is seen as evidence of growing materialism in China and the pull of Apple products, especially following the recent fights that broke out at Beijing Apple Stores during the iPad 2 launch.


text:
The number of UK contactless payments has risen 18% in just one month to almost 20 million transactions in May 2014, Visa Europe has revealed. “Growth in Visa contactless payments is accelerating at a phenomenal pace,” says Mark Austin, director of contactless at Visa Europe.
- Discover joins effort to speed up EMV checkout
- Amex bot notifies purchases through Facebook Messenger
- Walmart Pay arrives in 15 more states
- ABN Amro takes payments to WhatsApp
- EMV claims more than a third of global card-present payments


text:
Bugatti is suspending production of its hyper sports cars in Molsheim from today, March 20th, 2020. The various necessary regulations implemented by European governments to combat the COVID-19 pandemic make it impossible, amongst other things, to maintain the supply chain of production and spare parts.
Generally staying at home whenever possible
- Thoroughly washing your hands
- Keeping to the guidelines on coughing and sneezing
- Refraining from shaking hands
- Touching your face as little as possible
- Keeping your distance from persons that are visibly suffering from respiratory illnesses
- Generally staying at home whenever possible
Stephan Winkelmann would like to thank all Bugatti employees who have been developing, producing or selling extraordinary vehicles over the past weeks and months with commitment and passion despite the coronavirus crisis. He would particularly like to thank medical support staff who have been exceptional, true heroes in all regions, particularly in France’s Grand Est region.
“Over the coming days and weeks we will continue to keep a close eye on the situation in France, Germany and throughout the world to be able to quickly react to any changes. As soon as the situation permits, all employees will return to their usual workplaces. Until then, I hope that all staff members and Bugatti enthusiasts stay healthy,” concludes Stephan Winkelmann.


text:
TESCO customers have voted in their millions and helped good causes in Carluke and Lanark bag a share of an £11.5million carrier bag charge fund.
The supermarket teamed up with greenspace scotland to launch its Bags of Help initiative, which sees grants of £12,000, £10,000 and £8,000 – all raised from the 5p bag levy – awarded to environmental projects.
Almost a million shoppers in Scotland voted in stores up and down the country.
And the top Clydesdale winners was Lanark Primary School’s Mud Kitchen and Creative Construction which will receive £12,000.
Kirkfieldbank Community Group receive £10,000 towards the cost of a new park for the village.
The park will see a range of activities including an outdoor gym for adults, an improved path, a picnic area, orchard and a new football pitch. Tipped to become a real asset to the area, not just for Kirkfieldbank, but for the whole of the Clyde Valley, the new park will increase accessibility to the outdoors for all generations, in a safe environment and importantly will be free of charge!
The £10,000 specifically requested to help towards the building of the sensory garden is a huge step forward.
Susan Hamilton, Chair of the KFB Park Campaign said: “A huge thank you to everyone who voted for us and Tesco for choosing us as one of their projects to support.
“This will help us to achieve our goal, which is to have a park that is suitable for all ages and abilities.
“The sensory garden, that the grant money is for, will most certainly be used by all”
And Law Primary and Nursery School, Every Little Helps Law Grow and Learn receives £8,000.
“We came third, but it is still great that we were awarded £8000,” said one of the school project organisers.
Tony McElroy, Tesco’s Head of Communications in Scotland, said: “Bags of Help has been a fantastic success.
“We have been overwhelmed by the response of our customers and the feedback has been brilliant.
“We can’t wait to see the money being put to use bringing these projects to life.
“Applications for the next round of the initiative will open in April and we look forward to helping a further selection of groups and projects bag their share of the bag charge fund.”
Voting ran in stores from February27 until March 6 – with customers choosing which local project they’d like to get the top award using a token given to them at the check-out in store.
Tesco estimated that around eight million votes were cast in stores up and down the UK.


text:
Grasim Industries was almost flat at Rs 3401 at 9:25 IST on BSE after the company said production at its staple fibre plant at Nagda have resumed in a phased manner. The announcement was made before trading hours today, 23 June 2015. ... Capital Market, 1 week ago
Retail Newsletter - May 25 to 29, 2015 - India Infoline, 1 month ago
Grasim consolidated Mar '15 sales at Rs 8,819.60 crore - Money Control, 2 months ago
1 images for "grasim industries net"
Aditya Birla Group company Grasim Industries has decided to sell its consumer products business to Kishore Biyani- run Future Consumer Enterprise Limited on a slump sale basis. ? The company has signed a business transfer agreement with Future ...Yahoo! India, 1 month ago Grasim sells unit Calcutta Telegraph, 1 month ago Grasim to sell consumer business to Future Times of India, 1 month ago Grasim Industries To Sell Consumer Products Division To Future Consumer Deal Curry, 1 month ago
Comment · print · T T T+· T- TOPICS Amid difficult market conditions, Grasim reported a 25 per cent drop in its consolidated net profit at Rs.506.68 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2015, against Rs.679.27 crore in the ...The Hindu, 2 months ago
Grasim Industries is currently trading at Rs. 3666.15, up by 24.10 points or 0.66% from its previous closing of Rs. 3642.05 on the BSE. The scrip opened at Rs. 3650.00 and has touched a high and low of Rs. 3666.15 and Rs. 3650.00 respectively. So ...Indian-Commodity, 1 month ago Grasim Industries gains on plan to sell its Consumer Products Division Finalaya.com, 1 month ago
Future Retail, Grasim Industries, Dr Datsons Labs and KEC International are among the other stocks to see a surge in volumes on BSE today, 7 May 2015. Anuh Pharma clocked volume of 1.75 lakh shares by 13:05 IST on BSE, a 10.81 times surge ...Capital Market, 1 month ago
Grasim Industries Limited, part of the Aditya Birla Group, has announced its results for the fourth quarter of the financial year ending 31 March 2015. Net revenue for the quarter grew 5%, while PBIDT was static at Rs.1658 crore. For the full year, ...worldcement.com, 2 months ago Grasim Industries Q4 consolidated PAT drops to Rs. 506.68 crores Equity Bulls, 2 months ago GRASIM : reports financial results for the Quarter 4 / Year ended 31 March 2015 4 Traders, 2 months ago Grasim reports financial results for the Quarter 4 / Year ended 31 March 2015 Aditya Birla Group, 2 months ago
After unexpectedly clocking net gains in the May series, the Indian equity markets have kickstarted the June series on a high. Indices shot up on Friday managing to reverse its weekly losses. The Nifty zoomed by 100 points while the Sensex rose over ...India Infoline, 1 month ago
H Results Today: Hero MotoCorp, Titan Company, United Bank of India, Sintex Industries, Birla Corporation, Blue Dart Express, CEBBCO, Alembic, GE Shipping, Goodyear, BASF, IIFL Holdings, Jindal Saw, Merck, MIRC Electronics, Piramal Enterprises, ...Moneycontrol.com, 1 month ago Stocks in news: Maruti, Tata Motors, Religare, IOC, Kotak Moneycontrol.com, 2 months ago
SENSEX 27945.80 75.07 0.27% NIFTY 8444.90 8.15 0.10% Thursday's session turned out to be a disappointing ...Finalaya.com, 3 days ago Benchmarks continue to hold their head above water Finalaya.com, 3 days ago Benchmarks end F&O expiry session on pessimistic note Finalaya.com, 1 month ago Benchmarks continue to trade in red; FMCG, Infra drag Finalaya.com, 1 month ago
Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature's inexorable imperative. - HG Wells The recent rally has come to an abrupt halt for now as markets world over remain cautious on whether Greece gets the consent on the proposal before the IMF payment ...India Infoline, 1 week ago
on your WebpageAdd Widget >Get your members hooked!


text:
The US and Japan have agreed on a broad framework for a trade deal that will keep US tariffs on Japanese automobiles in place for now, while removing barriers to beef and pork exports to Japan.
Robert Lighthizer, the US Trade Representative, and Japan Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi reached an agreement in Washington Friday.
The US currently has a 2.5% import tax on Japanese cars and a 25% levy on trucks from the nation. Japan will lower tariffs on US beef and pork to the same levels as those proposed for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
President Donald Trump and Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a trade announcement during the G-7 Summit in France Sunday.
Japan is seeking to stay in President Trump’s good graces to avoid costly tariffs and retain positive relations with an ally that ensures its security against China and NKorea.
Have a terrific weekend


text:
PlayStation 4 has cumulatively sold through more than 70.6 million units to consumers as of December 3, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced.
In addition to hardware, more than 617.8 million copies of PlayStation 4 games have been sold at retailers across the world and through digital downloads on the PlayStation Store as of the same date.
As for PlayStation VR, the virtual reality headset has sold more than two million units. And 12.2 million copies of the 150 titles released for PlayStation VR have been sold at retailers across the world and through digital downloads on the PlayStation Store.
“We are delighted that so many people are enjoying the unique entertainment proposition of PlayStation 4 and that an emerging technology like PlayStation VR continues to gain traction,” said Andrew House, Chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment. “I cannot thank our fans and partners enough. Their support, since the launch of very first PlayStation in 1994, has helped to make PlayStation one of the biggest console gaming network in the world. We will continue to work closely with partners to maintain this momentum and remain steadfast in making PS4 the best place to play.”


text:
Student-designed app serves up spare fruit and veggies.
The racks of cut-rate, bruised fruit and vegetables in the discount aisle were always the first stop for Ria Rana’s mother while grocery shopping. As a teen, Rana wondered why they couldn’t instead choose from the store’s displays of perfect, colourful produce.
“She would say that there was nothing wrong with that food,” said Rana, who still checks those discount racks today. It was a lesson that stayed with the young woman, eventually nourished a class assignment at the University of Alberta’s Peter Lougheed Leadership College—and then turned into a community project.
Rana and Mursal Khedri, one of her classmates at the college, are now raising $10,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to launch Our Servings, a free app to connect food suppliers like farms, grocers and restaurants with local charities, hot lunch programs and communit...Read more from this release


text:
Lead designer and writer of Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines has managed to fund his new project, Dead State on Kickstarter with 10 days spare.
Dead State needed $150,000 to go ahead, but the campaign has managed to amass $175,000 already.
The game is a deliberately old-school PC RPG; it’s being made with the intention of bringing something a little less action-based to the undead table.
It’s set right at the beginning of a zombie outbreak on an apocalyptic scale.
"As society is beginning to fall apart, the player must organize allies, fortify a shelter, scout for food and supplies and make uncertain alliances, attempting to hold together a group as humanity teeters on the brink of extinction," reads Dead State’s Kickstarter page.
"And although the zombies lurk as an ever present threat, the biggest obstacle to the player may just be other humans with the same goal: survival at any cost."
The game’s of course going to be stat-heavy and will feature a skill and perk system along with dozens of characters and branching dialog.
Dead State features base building, which I’m really looking forward to. A nice touch, I feel, is that players will have a morale level directly affected by the strength of your base, the health of the crew and your proven track record.
"We are so sick of most zombie games," the text on Kickstarter continues. "Yes, we get it, killing zombies is fun. But that's not what the zombie genre is about. It's about survival, first and foremost - the struggle of the survivors faced with adapting to a world that has succumbed to an unfathomable event."


text:
You must have an Automotive Newssubscription to view the digital edition
Click here to subscribe
SF Motors has been quietly setting up shop in the U.S. The Chinese startup EV maker says it's learned a lesson from watching the flashy, short life cycles of competitors.
Few Westerners know more about the Chinese auto industry than Michael Dunne.
Consultant Michael Dunne said he is betting on China's Baidu, known in the West as the Google of China, to outmanuever Waymo in the self-driving wars.
Automotive NewsJobs Board
Get 24/7 access to in-depth, authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that's vital to your business.
Sign up today to get the best of Automotive News delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we'll deliver.
Entire contents © Crain Communications, Inc.
Use of editorial content without permission is strictly prohibited. All Rights Reserved.


text:
A group of regional innovation partners, including Waterloo-based Communitech, have received $57 million in funding to help deliver Digital Main Street programming that helps businesses “futureproof” through the adoption of e-commerce solutions. The program aims to support 5,200 small and medium-sized businesses across Ontario and create more than 700 jobs for co-operative education students.
This is the fourth edition in a new Waterloo EDC series on remote work. Stay tuned for posts featuring a variety of perspectives on the subject, including our Q&As with SkyWatch, OpenText, and a recruitment expert.
Work is changing and it isn’t just due to COVID-19.
Even before the pandemic, the norms that governed the workplace for 50+ years were beginning to break down. Expectations had...
Manufacturing is evolving during this pandemic and OTTO Motors is leading the charge.
OTTO Motors, the developers of autonomous mobile robots (AMR) designed for industry use, have announced US$29 million in Series C funding.
For many, COVID-19 has felt like an eternity. We haven’t seen our friends and family or our colleagues. We haven’t been able to go to the office or a park. Every day feels a bit like every other day.
For government, COVID-19 was a sprint. Aside from public health issues, the pandemic brought mass unemployment, shuttered storefronts and uncertainty for businesses and workers alike. Reacting to...


text:
Xiaomi shares fell sharply in Hong Kong after Indian authorities accused the world’s second-biggest smartphone maker of making “illegal transfers” and about $730 million in New Delhi’s latest move against a Chinese-owned company confiscated dollars.
India’s Enforcement Directorate, its anti-money laundering and foreign exchange crime division, claimed that Xiaomi’s Indian subsidiary sent Rs 55.51 billion (US$725 million) worth of foreign currency out of the country in violation of India’s strict foreign exchange laws.
Hong Kong-listed Xiaomi shares fell as much as 6 percent to HK$11.46 (US$1.46) before shedding losses on Tuesday morning, the market’s first day of trading since India announced the fall on Friday night had, could compensate.
The directorate, part of India’s Treasury Department, claimed Xiaomi made payments disguised as royalties “at the direction of its Chinese parent company.”
The smartphone maker created a “documentary facade” between “group companies” to send the funds abroad, the Enforcement Directorate said, adding, “The company also provided misleading information to the banks while sending the money abroad.” Has”.
Xiaomi, which has the largest share of India’s smartphone market with more than 20 percent, according to consultancy Counterpoint Research, said the verified payments were “legitimate and truthful”.
“These royalties paid by Xiaomi India were for the in-licensed technologies and IPs used in our Indian version products,” the company said in a Explanation. “It’s a legitimate commercial agreement.”
Xiaomi said it is “committed to working closely with government agencies to resolve misunderstandings.”
India is one of Xiaomi’s most important markets outside of mainland China and has long stood the test of time its international expansion.
Chinese-owned companies have since come under deadly pressure in India border conflicts between nations in 2020 struck diplomatic relations. India has Dozens of apps blocked connected to China, including short-form video platform TikTok.
The action on Xiaomi also underscored how Chinese companies are dominating the Indian smartphone market, one of the fastest growing in the world.
Realme, another Chinese manufacturer, is the second largest smartphone seller in the country, followed by South Korea’s Samsung. Brands from China’s BBK Electronics — Vivo and Oppo — were next in the ranking, according to Counterpoint.
“It looks like it’s going to be a hiccup for Chinese companies, but nothing they can’t overcome,” said Jayanth Kolla, a Bangalore-based telecoms and technology analyst.
The Enforcement Directorate has carried out a number of property seizures against foreign companies in recent months.
Last month, US marketing firm Amway accused it of operating a “pyramid scam.”
Amway Global denied misconduct and said it was “in full compliance with all local and national laws in India”.
Ivan Lam, a smartphone analyst at Counterpoint Research, said the investigation is worrying for investors because it could last up to six months. “Even if it is [cleared up] in three to four months they will be under close surveillance by the authorities,” Lam said.
Sales from India have been more important for the Chinese brand this year due to the disruptions caused by China’s lockdowns in response to Covid-19 outbreaks in the country.
“The Chinese market is down after the lockdowns in Q1 and Q2 and the demand side is very weak now,” Lam said. “India is the second largest market for Xiaomi [after China]so it is very important.”
China’s Xiaomi shares dip after Indian authorities seize almost $730mn Source link China’s Xiaomi shares dip after Indian authorities seize almost $730mn


text:
The Oriental fruit fly was found in three different locations in south Miami-Dade County, prompting an eradication effort by FDACS.
The Oriental fruit fly is considered “one of the most serious of the world’s fruit fly pests due to its potential economic harm,” according to a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) press release. It’s been detected in Florida multiple times over the years, with the last being in 2015. Three different specimens were found in south Miami-Dade County recently; take a look at the eradication efforts and what to look for on your Florida farm, below.
The History of the Oriental Fruit Fly
According to the FDACS press release, the Oriental fruit fly, or Bactrocera dorsalis, was first detected in Florida in 1964. The ag pest lays its eggs in over 400 fruits, vegetables, and nuts, including “avocado, fig, grapefruit, guava, loquat, mango, roseapple, papaya, peach, persimmon, Suriname cherry and white sapote,” according to the press release. The eggs and hatching larvae ruin the produce.
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, Adam Putnam, said in the press release, “We successfully eradicated this invasive pest, protecting Florida’s $120 billion agriculture industry, three years ago, and together with the U.S. Department of Agriculture we’ll implement an aggressive eradication program to do so again.”
The process for fighting the Oriental fruit fly includes placing bait, to attract male flies to their deaths, “applied every other week to the upper portion of utility poles, trees and inanimate objects for a period of two life cycles of the fly (approximately 60 days) past the date of the last detection. A third life cycle (approximately 30 days) after the treatment is complete, and no additional fly has been detected, is also required to declare eradication.”
Find information on the Oriental fruit fly here.
Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.


text:
That is the world’s first totally coloration altering car. Final 12 months @BMW launched their E-ink know-how that allowed the automobile to alter from black to white. Now, the automobile can change in to 32 completely different colors by operating completely different voltage applications by way of the paint. BMW can be targeted on the connection between human and machine. Their new inside options shy tech and a full digital world.
Video introduced by SuperCar Blondie


text:
Formerly known as Facebook, Meta is set to offer first-hand virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences in Hong Kong. It will collaborate with schools, art institutions, and cafes to showcase the potential that the metaverse has in daily lives. The platform is working on specific examples, including VR exhibitions at local cafes and AR training workshops for educators and students.
There will also be experimentation around non-fungible tokens. Local creators will be pulled in to share their creations on Instagram. Moreover, Meta is devoting energy toward NFT integration with a renowned photo-sharing app. They are working on several strategies.
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, says they are emerging as a metaverse-first company. He revealed some technological developments Meta has been working on, such as the ability to shape the metaverse through voice. It’s still in the early stages, costing the company billions of dollars. Zuckerberg is betting everything on the metaverse. He hopes Meta can come out on top when the metaverse becomes more viable in the latter part of the decade. This space is estimated to be worth over $600 billion by 2030.
However, Meta is sure to face tough and swift competition as Microsoft is also working on similar initiatives. Both tech giants at the metaverse as a virtual reality space wherein users can interact, with a computer-generated environment, with fellow users. It’s actually a space where the physical and virtual worlds converge.


text:
With two new "Stagefright" vulnerabilities discovered, almost every Android device ever released is vulnerable to malicious hackers. Fixing the bug isn't simple.
The company says today's the day it wraps up the transformation into a holding company for its numerous businesses.
Google has announced a pair of new Nexus Phones -- let's see how the new Nexus 6P compares to other superphones.
Google's Nest names Yale the first Weave-enabled third-party brand and promises the 'Linus Lock' in 2016.
At the tech megacorporation's fall festival of product announcements, Google focused on new devices and services based around its Android 6 (Marshmallow) operating system.
The FCC is dragging its feet on granting AT&T a waiver to offer a Wi-Fi calling feature, while letting competitors go ahead, says the company. The feature fails to meet accessibility rules for the disabled.
Which has the most apps? Which has the coolest features? Which one is the best? The most popular streamers all have their merits, so we'll help you decide which box is right for you.
Two new bundles slated for the holiday season are the $349 Xbox One Special Edition Gears Of War bundle and the $499 Xbox One with Kinect bundle.
From the Cheapskate: That's the lowest price to date for LG's seriously sexy, Android Wear-powered watch. And now it's compatible with iOS, if you care.
Google offers a peek at the new Nexus 5X built by LG with a new camera and imprint sensor and USB Type-C charging.


text:
Tom Swarbrick 4pm - 6pm
Angry shopper tears down barricades to children's clothing in Wales
24 October 2020, 17:01 | Updated: 25 October 2020, 08:36
Shopper tears out barricades to children's clothing in Wales
This is the moment an angry shopper in Wales tore down the covers over children's clothes in a Welsh supermarket after a shops were barred from selling 'non-essential' items.
The man has since been charged with criminal damage and breaking coronavirus rules.
Gwilym Owen said he was "taking a stand for what is right" when he ripped the plastic wrapping off winter clothes in Tesco, Bangor.
Wales was yesterday plunged into a 17-day 'fire-break lockdown, aimed at curbing the rising cases of coronavirus.
As part of the rules, the Welsh government have ruled that all non-essential shops must close, and supermarkets have been barred from selling any items which are not deemed essential.
But Mr Own, who was not wearing a mask in the store, said he "had enough" over the new rules, and didn't care about the backlash he may receive.
In a post on Facebook he said: "Last night I heard supermarkets have put covers over 'non essential' things such as clothes.
"We're heading into winter now and who would have thought clothes for children weren't essential? I'm sure there are people out there who can barely afford heating in their houses and now they want to stop people buying clothes in supermarkets.
"I don't expect everyone to do what I've done here but I do expect everyone to know that denying the public clothing is nothing but immoral and inhuman. So no I'm not ashamed of what I've done.
"The government is corrupt, but what's more damaging to society is the fact that people are not standing up against this machine. I ask everyone can we all wake up and have a backbone and not let this tyranny run for any longer? Things will only get worse If we do not make any effort in stopping this madness.
"I'm not prepared to live in a society where they can take basic human needs away like being able to buy new clothes, especially for children. So I'll do what I can to stop it. I've had it up to my tether with what's going on and we need more people to take a stand for what is right! This was my stand last night."
The footage showed him being confronted by a staff member, and the person who was filming was also confronted.
A spokesperson for Tesco said: "Under new restrictions set out by the Welsh Government, we are currently unable to sell ''non-essential'' items in our stores.
"Our colleagues have worked hard to put these measures in place and we ask that customers please respect these restrictions."
On Friday afternoon, the Welsh Government issued guidance stating that certain sections or aisles of large supermarkets or department stores "must be cordoned off or emptied, and closed to the public".
These include areas selling electrical goods, telephones, clothes, toys and games, and products for the garden, as well as a dedicated section for homeware products.
Supplies for the "essential upkeep, maintenance and functioning of the household" - such as batteries, lightbulbs and rubber gloves - can be sold during the lockdown.
Shops will be expected to use their "best endeavours" to consider what should be available in cases where there may be doubt as to whether a product is essential, the guidance states.
Mr Drakeford said: "We are requiring many hundreds of small businesses to close on the high street right across Wales."We cannot do that and then allow supermarkets to sell goods that those people are unable to sell.
"And we are looking to minimise the amount of time that people spend out of their homes during this two-week period."This is not the time to be browsing around supermarkets looking for non-essential goods."
Mr Drakeford said trying to find exceptions to the rules was "just the wrong" approach and called on people in Wales to not use the firebreak to do things that they do not have to.
"It is a straightforward matter of fairness - we are in this together here in Wales."


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Costly cuts: Lockheed Martin says it will pay $175 million in severance
- Staff Phoenix Business Journal
Defense and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin Corp. announced in November it would close its plant in Goodyear as part of a bigger 4,000-worker layoff. That move will come at a steep price.
Syracuse.com is reporting the job cuts will cost the company $175 million in severance costs. Get more details here.
Audience Development Salesperson Phoenix Business Journal | Phoenix, AZ
Faculty/Computer Information Systems (Occupational) Paradise Valley Community College | Phoenix, AZ
US – Director of Sales (Coated Label Products) Green Bay Packaging Inc. | Green Bay, WI
Mergers & Acquisitions Intermediary (Phoenix Metro Area) LINK Business | Scottsdale, AZ
Customer Service Representative Supervisor/Personal Banking Officer Western State Bank | Sun City, AZ
- Most popular
- Redesigned Hyundai Sonata exceeds expectations (Video)
- Tech predictions recap: IPO, Apple deals kaput, but Intel goes mobile
- Grocery chain Haggen plans massive expansion across the western U.S.
- Shut down Tempe plant to be converted into Class A office space
- Harkins to show 'The Interview' in Tempe
- Despite technical glitches, Marvel Experience a geeky delight
- "The Interview" could be seen online if a Phoenix tech company gets
- How Haggen went from closing a dozen stores to opening 146
- Phoenix losing baby boomers but gaining millennials?
- Nike split about more than cash, says ASU Athletics exec
A look at the day's business stories from media outlets around Phoenix


text:
Hello Kitty has been appointed Special Ambassador of the International Year of UNWTO’s Sustainable Tourism Development 2017 (IY2017), promoting the year’s campaign of “Travel. Enjoy. Respect”.
“Travelling opens our minds and our hearts, and lets us see how we are equal,” the popular Sanrio character said in a campaign video.
Hello Kitty will be supporting UNWTO with its advocacy efforts in communicating the messages of IY2017 “to the broadest extent possible”, as well as highlighting the role of tourism in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with a global audience, according to a UNWTO statement.
The video, already shown at the Nartia airport, will also be published on the IY2017 website and social media channels.


text:
An Adobe Digital Economy Index report highlights consumers' shift to online shopping since COVID-19.
US consumers spent $1.7 trillion online between March 2020 to February 2022, an collective increase of $609 billion over 2018 and 2019 combined. Of this $1.7 trillion, consumers ended up paying $32 billion more, due to inflation, as compared to pre-pandemic.
Online grocery saw the biggest shift, with consumers spending $6.7 billion monthly on online grocery orders, compared to $3.1 billion before COVID-19. In 2022, online spending increased 12.2% YoY in January and 15.5% YoY in February.
The rapid growth in online grocery sales also drove curb-side pickup, with the shopping method accounting for 20% of online orders. Grocery sales are predicted to reach $85 billion in 2022, compared to $73.7 billion in 2020. In 2022, US ecommerce is expected to grow at 13%.
Discover the top organisations in your market and industry that have customers buzzing using YouGov BrandRankings.
[3 minute read]


text:
The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) recently convened their Twenty-Second Travel and Tourism Group meeting, in which strategies were planned to increase the growth of tourism activities in Dubai.
The meeting, which was held at the department's Head Office, also received feedback from the emirate's private sector on their activities and plans to promote the growth of tourism in Dubai.
There was discussion on boosting the Dubai MICE Industry and a separate committee was formed, which will be in charge of formulating a plan to promote the emirate's MICE industry to international consumers.
The coordinators of CIS and Russian inbound, AGCC inbound Destination management Companies inbound and car rental companies submitted their reports about their respective markets. From the business point of view the attendees graded the summer 2002 months extremely positive. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com )


text:
The U.S. auto industry returned to profitability last year and sales are expected to surge higher this year. Though there is currently no automobile exchange traded fund (ETF) available, that won’t stop you if you want to get exposure to this comeback story.
U.S. auto sales could increase by 12.9 million cars this year, with total deliveries rising by 11% from 2010, reports Craig Trudell for Bloomberg. Morgan Stanley provided an even more optimistic outlook, stating that sales could rise to 14 million this year, driven by a “V-shaped” recovery, analyst Adam Jones adds. Talk about coming back from the brink:
- Ford Motor (NYSE: F) brought in $6.37 billion in earnings through three quarters of 2010.
- General Motors (NYSE: GM), Ford and Chrysler Group LLC all reported better-than-expected sales, which put the industry’s annual sales rate at 12.6 million, ending in December. GM and Ford executives believe that auto sales could top 13.5 million.
- For December, GM’s monthly sales jumped 7.5%, Ford sales increased 3.5% and Chrysler’s sales surged 16%.
- Meanwhile, Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) reported sales declines after the company announced its 8 million auto recalls as related to unintended acceleration.
- According to Autoweek, “most every automaker gained sales in December, a month highlighted by a 37% surge for Hyundai-Kia and a 28% advance at Nissan North America,” writes Jim Sharifi for U.S. News.
As stated by The Wall Street Journal, “The emergence of seven major car makers means companies can no longer focus on besting a single rival, as they did years ago when GM was on top, or in recent years when Toyota set the bar for quality and reputation.” Now, companies will have to produce an edge to stand out in the consumers’ eyes.
Having seven major car makers strengthens the case for ETFs – you can get exposure to many of them in one swoop. Get exposure to a few or many of them in these funds:
- First Trust IPOX-100 Index Fund (NYSEArca: FPX ). GM is 10.3%.
- BLDRS Asia 50 ADR Index (NASDAQ: ADRA ). Toyota is 8.6%, Honda is 5.2%, Mitsubishi is 5.4%.
- Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (NYSEArca: XLY ). Ford is 5.2%.
- iShares Dow Jones U.S. Consumer Goods (NYSEArca: IYK ). Ford is 4.1% and GM is 1.5%.
- SPDR S&P International Consumer Discretionary (NYSEArca: IPD): Toyota is 6.7, Daimler Chrysler is 4%, Honda is 3.7% and Hyundai is 1.8%.
If you’d rather just wait for an auto ETF, Direxion Auto Shares is in registration, though no launch date has been announced.
For more information on car industry, visit our automobiles category.
Max Chen contributed to this article.
The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.


text:
THE GREAT UNRAVELLING AND THE RISE OF THE MACHINES
The annual Flux Trend briefing – The State We’re In – is an eagerly awaited executive summary of where the world is, and where it’s going.Using the acronym T.R.E.N.D.S. – representing six trend pillars that will shape how we will live, work and connect in the coming year – Flux not only identifies new pivotal trends but also the undercurrents that have intensified from the year before.
We enter 2023 with a common consensus that we’ve entered an era of “polycrisis” (or permacrisis). The Financial Times brings this state of mind into sharp focus with this explanation: “A problem becomes a crisis when it challenges our ability to cope and thus threatens our identity. In the polycrisis the shocks are disparate, but they interact so that the whole is even more overwhelming than the sum of the parts. At times one feels as if one is losing one’s sense of reality”, which aptly describes how 2022 unfolded.
Not only does it feel as if we’re losing a sense of reality, but that the world is unravelling.
“Ontrafel” is the Afrikaans word for “unravel” and it somehow has a “mouthfeel” that more accurately describes the helplessness most people felt throughout the year.
2022 was meant to be the year of re-emergence and recalibration after lockdown.
But this was not meant to be.
Instead we were diverted onto new uncertain futures and in the midst of our distraction we put more of our faith and reliance on automation and algorithms.
The unravelling of an old world order is not a bad thing. It’s very necessary.
But we need to ask, will we be the architects of a post-pandemic world, or will we cede that responsibility to the machines?
Here are some key trends emerging from our 6 pillars.
TECHNOLOGY: The AI Creative Economy
Last year we tracked the “rush hour in the Metaverse”. Brands and businesses were staking claims in this virtual realm without quite knowing why and what the outcome would be, but understanding instinctively that they needed to do so.
The Metaverse economy is now starting to take shape as the technologies required to play in this parallel universe become more accessible. Landmarks are being built, countries are creating cyber services for their citizens, universities have opened, and retail brands have started to trade.
As the Metaverse grows and evolves, so too is a new AI creative economy, one that is raising many eyebrows. An algorithm won an art contest and ignited controversy in the art world, while Ai-Da, the world’s first ultra-realistic humanoid robot artist, was invited onto a panel at the global culture summit in Abu Dhabi.
Machine writing is becoming more sophisticated and the new AI chatbot – ChatGPT – can code, compose music, write essays, movie scripts and answer questions more efficiently than Google. It can also admit mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests.
RETAIL & MARKETING: Dark advertising and discovery commerce.
Algorithms are now integral to retail, specifically as e-commerce evolves and social commerce rises, but online shopping has always been more intentional than serendipitous. New platforms together with AI are changing that and recreating impulse buying, digitally.
We’ve all had the creepy experience of speaking about a product and then seeing advertising for that same product almost instantly on social media. Now virtual product placement (VPP) and dark advertising is set to enhance that creepiness.
VPP allows brands to insert a product placement in post-production and not only customise the offering to specific audiences, at specific times, but also enable the advertiser to monetise the content multiple times.
Dark advertising allows companies to generate ads that are only visible to their targeted audience rather than the public. The adverts are also transient so even a targeted customer who clicks on the ad will not see the same advert on the business’s account page. It’s stealthy and very effective.
ECONOMY: Reconfiguring supply chains and workforces
“Friend shoring” (the business strategy of running supply chains only through countries that are close political partners) is taking shape but the risk it brings to geopolitics has yet to unfold. CPR – corporate political responsibility – reared its head as the war in Ukraine intensified. Mixing business with pleasure might be easy but mixing business with politics is a slippery slope but more multinational companies will be forced to declare their allegiance.
While global supply chains are being reconfigured, so too are work forces around the world. Flux Trends’ Lockdown Life Audit research has tracked how the pandemic has re-shaped workforces around the world. Disabled workers are now benefiting from remote work policies, as are female workers, while nomadic workers and families who semigrated are boosting small businesses in small towns and second tier cities.
But while businesses scrambled to recoup and recalibrate in 2022, climate change is starting to negatively affect global economies, food security and the reality of human displacement is becoming a geo-political issue.
NATURAL WORLD: Climate Colonialism and Climate Relocations
Climate change is now not only flagged as high risk for many businesses (specifically insurance companies who are seeing an increase in claims attributed to extreme weather), but the agricultural sector is feeling the heat.
Farmers around the world are being forced to change the crops they grow because of the now discernable impact of extreme weather. This in turn is a concern of governments in countries that are classified as “one crop countries”.
Other governments like Fiji have begun the monumental task of moving entire villages or towns away from the coast to higher ground because of rising sea levels. It’s not just homes that must be moved but also schools, health centres, and infrastructure like roads, electricity, water and even burial grounds.
“Climate colonialism” became a topic of debate at COP27 when a historic deal for a global fund for “loss and damage” was brokered. It provides financial assistance to poor nations who have ironically contributed least to climate change, but are suffering the most.
DIPLOMACY: A Fork in the Road
The evolution of the Metaverse has not only enabled countries like South Korea to create a digital, public service platform in the form of “Metaverse Seoul” – a virtual environment for civic administrative services, including economy, education, culture, and tourism – but for smaller nations to build a virtual “micronation” of itself.
The tiny pacific island nation of Tuvalu has begun to build a digital copy of itself in the metaverse to preserve its history, culture, and land amidst the threats of rising sea levels and climate change.
Back in the real world the resurgence of pre-pandemic populism has seen the rise of right-wing movements, which have now been voted into government.
“What we are seeing is the rise of anti-establishment parties that promise something radically different,” says Sam Van der Staak from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA). “Right-wing vs left-wing is a misrepresentation, it’s really about citizens expressing that they are not happy with politics and what the whole system of government is delivering.”
SOCIO-CULTURAL: Altered States
A study in America has discovered that the brains of US teens changed physically during the first year of the pandemic, ageing faster than normal resulting in the teens’ brain ages being older than their chronological age. The area in the brain that was altered is called the amygdala, which helps regulate fear and stress.
But the more we move into, and inhibit, a virtual reality a new psychological disorder is emerging – Avatar Dysmorphia. As we become used to embodying fantastical avatars, the likelihood of disliking our human form and its limitations begins to increase.
Potentially exacerbating the problem are new technologies that can “connect you with the dead”. With our – now vast – digital footprints, platforms like DeeNostalgia and HereAfter AI are able to harvest images, recordings, and footage of recently deceased people to create a virtual form that people can “interact” with.
The lines between reality, virtual reality, past and present are blurring. Fast.
Dion Chang is the founder of Flux Trends.
For more trends affecting businesses visit: www.fluxtrends.com
The full 2023 “State We’re In” trend briefing will take place at the beginning of February 2023.
Click here to register for the “State We’re In” trend briefing notifications and trend observations.


text:
Under the Export Marketing and Investment Assistance (EMIA) scheme, the South African government is currently piloting a group of 17 indigenous companies to the United States on an Outward Selling Mission (OSM).
The mission, funded by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), is targeted at the New York City (NYC) wine and food festival which is one of the largest trade fairs in the American state.
With the aim of recruiting new foreign direct investment into South Africa, the selected companies have the opportunity to relate with thousands of local international vendees, chefs, gourmands and industry professionals before the end of the OSM later this month.
The outward selling mission was birthed by the South African government through the DTI to build mutually beneficial regional and global relations that will advance the country’s trade, industrial policy and economic development objectives.
OSM also functions as a form of commercial diplomacy that helps local companies grow their international network while generating awareness for their products in the foreign market.
Fikile Majola, the Deputy Minister at South Africa’s trade department, said that this trade mission is to cultivate new relationships with U.S. buyers and at the same time foster the old ones. He affirmed that it will lead to the increased exportation of SA products to America in the food industry.
Majola revealed that most agro-processing products from South Africa enjoy duty-free access into the United States under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). He also said it will “create market access for South African value-added products in the North American market.”
With the ongoing trade mission, South Africa is looking to increase its exports to America, which as of 2018, were estimated at a value of $8.5 billion. Selected agro-processing products for the roadshow include dried fruits and nuts, fruit juices, fresh fruits, wines and speciality products such as confectionery and sauces, indigenous teas and many others.
The OSM itinerary includes a trade and investment seminar, business-to-business meetings and site visits in the cities of Philadelphia, New York. The trade mission will come to an end at the Fresh Food Summit in Anaheim, California.
Written by Treasure Nnabugwu.


text:
The vision of a smart, clean, green steel industry has come one step closer to fruition with the announcement of a new £35m initiative which will see steelmakers and universities work together on a seven-year research programme to transform the sector.
Simon Edmonds reports on the latest success stories from Qioptiq, ICoNiChem and the University of Oxford. Plus, a reminder of the support available for projects involved with zero- and low-emission vehicles and technologies.
Once again, Digital Catapult’s Hack & Pitch competition was a major feature of Digital Manufacturing Week, and the winner was a micro SME that pitched an idea that would use IoT technology to effectively monitor waste containers at the Sellafield nuclear site.
To seize the opportunities of Industry 4.0, manufacturers need to overcome a digital engineering skills drought. Could low-code and business-led application development be the keys that unlock Industry 4.0 for your business?
With the boost to bakery chain Greggs largely down to its newly launched vegan sausage roll, and many taking on ‘veganuary’ this month, the rise of alternative food and drinks products is no longer a trend, but a shift in lifestyle. How can businesses leverage it?


text:
The new 2020 Hyundai Verna facelift finally has been launched in the Indian market. Launched at a starting price of ₹ 9.30 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), the updated version of Verna comes in five trim levels – S, S+, SX, SX(O) & SX(O) Turbo. The South Korean automaker started taking pre-bookings for the facelifted Verna earlier this month at a token amount of ₹ 25,000. The car has been spotted at the dealership stockyard ahead of the launch, hinting that the launch is very much imminent. The sedan gets cosmetic updates inside out along with mechanical upgrades.
New Hyundai Verna 2020 facelift comes in six exciting body colours
The exterior design of the new Hyundai Verna facelift is highlighted by a new signature-style cascading chrome grille, which is flanked by the new LED headlamps and integrated LED DRLS. It also gets a new bumper, new diamond-cut alloy wheels, new ORVMs, silver door handles, revamped LED taillamps, new rear bumper, redesigned boot lid. Dimension-wise, the new 2020 Verna facelift gets a length of 4,440mm, a width of 1,729mm and height of 1,475mm. The wheelbase of the car stands at 2,600mm. The sedan now comes in six colour options – Fiery Red, Titan Grey, Starry Night, Typhoon Silver, Polar White and Phantom Black.
On the inside, the car gets dual-tone black-beige paint scheme along with several exciting features. The turbo variant gets all-black interiors with red stitches on the upholstery. It also sports digital cluster with colour TFT, multi-function steering wheel, front ventilated seats, twin-tip muffler design, smart trunk, emergency stop signal, wireless phone charger, Eco coating, rear USB charger, sliding front center console armrest with storage, seat height adjuster, electric sunroof and Arkamys premium sound and more.
Mechanically, the new Hyundai Verna comes with three engine options – 1.5-litre MPi petrol, 1.0 Kappa Turbo GDi petrol and 1.5-litre U2 CRDi diesel. Both the petrol engines make 113 bhp, 144Nm & 118 bhp, 172Nm of power figures. On the other hand, the oil burner churns out a maximum power of 113 bhp against 250Nm of torque. Both 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines come mated with a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard along with optional iVT, 6-speed automatic gearbox. The turbo petrol engine is clubbed with a 7-speed DCT gearbox.
Coming to the prices, the 2020 Hyundai Verna facelift is priced from ₹ 9.30 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the entry-level – MT 1.5L S and goes up to ₹ 13.99 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the top-end model for 1.0L GDi SX(O). Here are the variant-wise prices for the new Verna-
2020 Hyundai Verna Facelift
Prices (Ex-Showroom Delhi)
1.5 MPI MT S
1.5 MPI MT SX
1.5 MPI IVT SX Metallic
1.5 MPI MT SX(O) Metallic
1.5 MPI IVT SX(O) Metallic
1.0 Turbo GDI DCT SX(O) Metallic
1.5 CRDi MT S+ Metallic
1.5 CRDi MT SX Metallic
Source: Read Full Article


text:
Boston Globe owner John Henry took to the paper’s opinion pages to apologize to readers after some subscription problems lead its own editorial staff to deliver the Sunday paper this weekend.
“I want to personally apologize to every Boston Globe subscriber who has been inconvenienced,” Henry wrote Wednesday. "We recognize that you depend on us, and that we’ve let you down. We’re working around the clock on a variety of fronts to solve this.”
Henry added that improving the paper’s subscription service was a major concern for him after buying the paper from the New York Times Company in 2013.
“When I purchased the Globe two years ago, more than half the subscribers who were not renewing their subscriptions told us it was due to delivery service issues,” Henry wrote. “Week after week, I reiterated that fixing this had to be one of our highest priorities. Before I arrived, the Globe had moved away from operating its own delivery service. That was a mistake.
“Instead, the Globe instituted a somewhat expensive plan to try to remedy the reported problems. By the beginning of my second year it was apparent the service was not improving. So we began to look for an alternative delivery service.
“We settled on ACI Media Group, generally recognized as the best in the business. The firm’s first bid not only contained the service improvements we were looking for but was substantially cheaper — more in line with other regions in the United States. We thought we’d found what we were looking for, but this overnight transition was much harder than anyone anticipated.”
You can read the full piece here.


text:
Belarus’ GDP will increase by 1.7% in 2017, Belarus’ Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko said. “I think that the GDP goal will be reached this year and we will close 2017 with an increase of 1.7%,” the vice premier said. In his words, the GDP growth made up 1.5% in January-August. Industrial production went up…Details
Thank you for your attention to the Business World Magazine (Ukraine)
Business World Magazine (Ukraine) is the informational portal.
BWM (Ukraine) informs on doing business in various countries, with special attention paid to Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan and other ex-USSR countries, their business relations, investments and innovations.
The magazine reaches financial, consulting, business development, marketing, executive, sales, public/investor relations, information center/library, competitive intelligence, research and development, information systems/it, strategic planning, technology/engineering, operations/facilities management, legal, manufacturing, human resources. Our information is also available at Dow Jones Factiva, Lexis-Nexis и EMIS
We don’t sell nor buy goods, we just provide information for those who do.
If you want to buy or sell any goods in Ukraine, Russia, CIS, place your offer here – https://smiraponitke.com/trade-board. It is FREE.
Or you can
More than 266,000 passengers used the services of Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport in September, up by 24% YoY. The number of passengers served by the airport during the first nine months of the year was greater by more than 300,000, or by 18%, than during the same period last year. Tallinn Airport crossed the 2…Details
Last week Ukraine faced an upward trend in export prices for oybean oil, due to rather high demand for the product from European buyers in terms of a small number of its offers. As of the end of day on October 6, bid prices for crude soybean oil increased by nearly $5-10/tons compared with the…Details
In the first month of the current marketing year, Ukrainian producers exported 16,940 tons of sugar, the press service of the Ukrtsukor national association of sugar producers reported. “The largest deliveries were made to Azerbaijan – 38%, Sudan – 16%, Tajikistan – 13%, Turkey – 8% and Sri Lanka – 7%,” the statement said. According…Details
The Ministry of Finance and Economy has been established in Turkmenistan. The corresponding decree was signed by the country’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov at an expanded government meeting devoted to the results of January-September. The new ministry merged the Turkmen Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economy and Development, and became their successor. Under the…Details
Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed dissatisfaction at a meeting of the government, pointing to low rates of cargo transportation by the State Service of Maritime and River Transportation. Berdimuhamedov noted that Turkmenistan’s transport system had considerable reserves of production capacity, allowing it to ensure increasing volumes of transportation of goods and passengers, including those traveling…Details
According to the information released by Statistics Estonia, the consumer price index in September decreased by 0.1% compared to the previous month and increased by 3.7% YoY. Compared to September 2016, goods were 3.7% and services 3.5% more expensive. Regulated prices of goods and services have risen by 7.4% and non-regulated prices by 2.7% compared…Details


text:
Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) has announced that Rove McManus and Sam Frost will not be returning with their breakfast show for Sydney listeners in 2017.
SCA issued a statement saying the decision came after the radio duo and network executives took some time off over the summer “and after review, decided that the best route forward for all was to move their show into another time slot”.
McManus and Frost will commence hosting a nightly national show on 30 January that airs in the 7pm to 8pm time slot from Monday to Friday.
The Hit Network’s head of content, Gemma Fordham, said McManus and Frost continue to be “key members” of the network, with their national show to have a larger focus on entertainment content.
Commenting on the new gig, McManus, said he was looking forward to continuing working with Frost “at a more civilised time of day”, while Frost said she would also “undertake other commitments outside of radio”.
Replacing McManus and Frost in the brekkie slot will be summer fill-in hosts Em Rusciano and Harley Breen, who will begin their new roles on 23 January.
Fordham said the feedback The Hit Network has received around Rusciano and Breen has been “incredible”.
“Nothing is off limits and Em connects with her audience brilliantly,” she said.
“Her humour and honesty is obviously what’s driven her to have a combined social media following of over 350K and we look forward to Em and Harley waking up Sydney each day.”
Rusciano said she was very excited to continue in the breakfast slot full-time, describing it as “the Holy Grail, the philosopher’s stone, the one ring of Mordor!”.
Leading Australian market research data brand, RDA Research, provides actionable consumer intelligence to help businesses inform decision making and growth strategies. RDA Research wanted to make its unique consumer data available for addressable digital targeting and required a data onboarding partner to help activate their data in an online environment.
Storytelling agency Enthral has appointed Channel 7 reporter and sports presenter Sean Sowerby as its new senior PR and content manager in Melbourne. Sowerby (pictured) started his award-winning career at 3AW before spending more than 15 years in television. Enthral founder and manager director, Cameron Smith, spoke of the significance of Sowerby joining the agency. […]
This week Nova’s Fitzy & Wippa are celebrating 10 years of their iconic radio show and plenty of famous faces have weighed in on the feat! For Fitzy & Wippa’s 10-year anniversary show they were joined by a bunch of special friends who shared their messages and favourite memories over the last decade. The guys […]
Ever since Google first announced it would be getting rid of third-party cookies on Chrome, digital advertising businesses have been actively sharing their plans for life after cookies. And now programmatic advertising company Blis might have come up with the most creative way to get the message across, in a new video which sees company […]
Integrated Melbourne agency Icon has taken top honours in the 2021 SABRE Awards, winning the coveted Australasian Consultancy of the Year for 2021 along with a host of category and craft awards. Icon led a large field of Australian agencies with a total of three major and seven minor awards, including gold in the cause-related […]
Former agency executives Tim O’Neill and Tim Fouhy have launched the auto technology startup Summon. Australia’s first full e-commerce service for prestige cars. O’Neill and Fouhy both founded Reactive, a digital agency, which was bought by Accenture in 2016. Following the deal, O’Neill and Fouhy ended up leading the company’s digital marketing arm, Accenture Interactive before […]


text:
Deliveroo has unveiled plans for its London stock market debut as it revealed 54 per cent growth in sales but losses of £224m in 2020.
The Amazon-backed online food ordering company announced its intention to float on Monday, suggesting that its shares are likely to begin trading by early April.
The filing includes details of a dual-class share structure that would give Will Shu, Deliveroo’s co-founder and chief executive, 20 votes a share, while every other shareholder will have a single vote for each share. The structure will expire three years after the listing.
London-based Deliveroo has privately targeted a valuation of as much as $10bn (£7.2bn), people briefed on internal discussions told the Financial Times last week.
Monday’s filing revealed that more than 6m people order from over 115,000 restaurants and stores through Deliveroo every month. Its gross transaction value — primarily made up of customers’ spending — rose 64 per cent to £4.1bn in 2020.
A Deliveroo spokesperson said that net revenues — mostly consisting of fees charged to restaurants and consumers — were £1.2bn in 2020, up 54 per cent on the previous year.
That included net revenue growth of 65 per cent to £599m in the UK and Ireland last year, suggesting that Deliveroo outpaced its more established rival Just Eat to gain share in its home market.
The company said growth was driven by increased customers and more frequent usage, as the coronavirus pandemic drove many people to try online deliveries for the first time. Even when lockdown rules were lifted and people could visit restaurants, Deliveroo said it “continued to see very strong user engagement and order frequency”.
Deliveroo narrowed its underlying losses over the previous year by 29 per cent to £223.7m in 2020. However, it warned prospective investors that it would continue to prioritise expansion over profitability, saying it “remains focused on investing in driving growth in a nascent online food market”.
“Our ambitions have increased as we start to truly understand and execute on the opportunity in front of us in online food,” said Shu.
Deliveroo was profitable for two quarters of 2020 after adjusting for finance costs, tax, depreciation, amortisation, stock options costs and other one-off items.
However, the fact that the eight-year-old company did not come closer to overall profitability during a boom year for food delivery may raise questions from prospective investors about its longer-term business model.
Deliveroo intends to use the proceeds from its initial public offering to support expansion of its “Editions” kitchens, which cater only to delivery customers and do not allow in-house diners, as well as initiatives including on-demand groceries, through partnerships with supermarkets such as Waitrose, Aldi and Co-op.
Deliveroo plans to pay out £16m to its couriers in bonus payments after the IPO. It is also reserving £50m worth of shares for private investors who are also customers of its services.
Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Cazenove are Deliveroo’s joint global co-ordinators.


text:
|announced the closure||閉鎖を発表しました|
|following the closure||閉鎖後|
|until its closure||その閉鎖まで|
· Coronavirus Australia news: more freedom as Covid-19 restrictions ease in NSW and Victoria – live updates →
The state’s strict border closure will remain in place.
· 'Shame on you': NFL's Roger Goodell slammed for statement on George Floyd protests →
The closure area runs from Vine Street to South Street, from the Delaware River to the Schuylkill River.
· Retailers already hit by coronavirus board up as US protests rage →
NEW YORK: Retail giant Target shuttered stores across the US as retailers already reeling from closures due to the coronavirus pandemic shut stores amid protests that included looting in many US cities on Sunday (May 31).
· Everi Holdings Could See Renewed Momentum As Nevada Governor Announces Casino Reopenings Starting June 4, 2020 →
Everi Holdings had a solid 2019, but was slammed down by casino closures in March 2020.
The Wall Street Journal
· Retailers and Restaurants Hit in George Floyd Protests, Adding to Coronavirus Damage →
Many retailers and restaurants, already crippled by the coronavirus pandemic, are grappling with damage to their properties and new closures following protests sparked by the death of George Floyd that have sometimes turned violent.


text:
Mar 09, 2017 01:04 AM EST
Affordable Android Wear 2.0 Smartwatches From Tommy Hilfiger, Hugo Boss Announced: OS’ Biggest Problems
Consumers are about to get smartwatches from top apparel brands, Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss. Both brands are under American watchmaker, Movado, which recently announced a partnership with Google for a new smartwatch collection.
The Movado Connect smartwatch collection will be launched at this year's Baselworld watch and jewelry show in Switzerland on Thursday, March 23. The smartwatches will be released to the public this fall and will include five models catering to men.
The smartwatches for men will retail in the United States, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and Canada for the starting price of $495. The collection will be powered by Google's Android Wear 2.0 and will come with five customizable dials that borrow Movado's iconic Museum dial design.
Each of the dials powers three to four customizable elements such as backgrounds and watch hands. The smartwatches are compatible with Android Pay, which will delight users seeing as not all Android Wear watches (e.g. the LG Watch Style) are compatible with the payment service.
This isn't the first time that high-end designer brands partnered with Google to launch Android Wear-powered smartwatches. Fossil, Nixon, Michael Kors, Casio, New Balance and TAG Heuer have already entered the fold.
Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss' smartwatches aren't that pricey compared to others, though. Some wearable devices double or more than triple Movado's smartwatches, including the Breitling Exospace B55 (costs for $8,900), the Apple Watch ($12,000), the TAG Heuer Connected ($1,500), the Kairos hybrid watch ($2,549) and the Frederique Constant smartwatch ($1,295), ZDNet listed.
Android Wear 2.0 took almost a whole year to be released after its announcement in May 2016. The operating system offers a darker and more mature interface, Google Assistant, an on-screen keyboard, a Native Google Play Store, fitness challenges, rotational input support and a Complications API so owners can choose which data they want to display. Android Wear 2.0 also allows users to better manage their notifications and reply quickly to messages.
Complaints still abound despite Google's efforts to improve the appearance of Android Wear 2.0. Some users still don't like how notifications are shown, describing the alerts as "unbundled" due to how each notification are displayed individually, according to Extreme Tech.
Users also criticized how Google altered the Do Not Disturb mode on the smartwatch and the phone it was connected to. Prior to Android Wear 2.0, activating the DND mode on one device automatically affects the other. Now, only one device will be set to DND mode, meaning users will have to take extra time and effort to activate the feature on both devices.


text:
Zico Beverages announced the introduction of a new hydration alternative that contains half the calories of a regular fruit drink.
Canada’s Loblaw Cos. has announced the expansion of its loyalty program, PC Plus, to No Frills stores across Western Canada.
Out of Africa has expanded its portfolio with a new line of Whipped and Creamy Shea Body Butters in four all-natural scents: Vanilla, Lavender, Lemon Verbena and Pomegranate.
The prevalence of abdominal obesity and average waist circumference increased among U.S. adults from 1999 to 2012, according to a study in the Sept. 17 issue of JAMA.
Giant Eagle is planning to hire as many as 1,000 new associates to keep pace with its growing grocery business, the Pittsburgh Business Times reported Tuesday.
McKesson on Wednesday announced a new care management workflow and documentation solution – McKesson Care Manager.
Misfit, makers of Shine, on Wednesday announced its second wearable product, Misfit Flash, a versatile and easy-to-use fitness and sleep monitor.
Pharmacy First, an independent network of community pharmacies, on Tuesday announced their partnership with PrescribeWellness.
An analysis done by the CVS Health Research Institute provides insights regarding patients taking Sovaldi (sofosbuvir), a new and costly treatment for hepatitis C.
Family Dollar announced that its board of directors unanimously recommends that Family Dollar’s shareholders reject the unsolicited conditional tender offer made by Dollar General Corp. and not tender its shares.


text:
A decade of evolution
The retailer’s bold initiative aimed at improving and adapting its broad service has carved a niche for it among peers
In the best of circumstances retailing is not for the faint-hearted, and while it’s difficult to define “the best”, SA’S current environment might not make it into that category.
As a major retailer, Woolworths plays centre stage in the drama that is 21st century SA. There is almost nothing that unfolds in this country that does not touch on the group — its employees, customers, suppliers, community members or shareholders. A train set alight in Retreat, Cape Town, a competition commission hearing into the grocery retail sector, a textile factory going up in flames, changes to the BBBEE legislation, a weaker rand, politicians demanding faster transformation — these are just some of the challenges that need to be faced on a daily basis by the Woolworths team. There are also the long-term environmental challenges, every climatic model raises red flags over water availability in the Cape; energy (in whatever form) is set to become a prohibitively expensive commodity.
And consumers’ preferences are changing. Consumers want to know more about what it is they are consuming, where it came from, and why it has to be covered in so much plastic. Woolworths has to try figure out which way things are heading and which way it should be heading.
Ten years ago the group upped its commitment. It launched a farranging initiative aimed at co-ordinating and driving its determination to make a real difference that would benefit all stakeholders. The dynamic nature of the commitment was evident in the name, the Good Business Journey (GBJ).
In SA, CEO Zyda Rylands is responsible for driving the ambitious programme and is unfazed by the complex dynamics at play.
Rylands is obsessed with her target market. Customers appear to pay little attention to the impressive achievements notched up by the GBJ — the hundreds of suppliers introduced to its sustainable farming programme, the hefty financial contributions to communities, billions of rand of wealth created for black employees, significant reduction in relative water and energy use, the hundreds of small enterprises it has helped develop, the thousands of jobs created, the 10m plus plastic bottles recycled into usable fibre for jeans and T-shirts — instead they focus on where the group has disappointed them.
Rylands believes the passion with which consumers single out Woolworths is an indication of their passion for the group. She believes a big part of that passion is down to the GBJ, which has placed Woolworths at the very centre of people’s perceptions about a wide array of environmental and ethical issues.
“I see this sort of reaction in a positive light, it keeps us on our toes. It means our customers know we take the issues very seriously and it ensures we can never take anything for granted,” says Rylands.
“It’s called the Good Business Journey, it’s a journey that will never be over . . . never. There will always be challenges and things we can do better, things that are as important to our customers as they are to us.”
When then CEO Simon Susman launched the GBJ in 2007 it was the first of its kind in SA retail.
Susman was driven by the realisation that sustainable growth could only be achieved by paying greater attention to the world around us.
“The links between economic growth, transformation, social development, the environment and climate can either form a vicious or virtuous circle,” says Susman.
The initial plan was for five years, and focused on
What it means:
Impeccable: Woolies ensures highest standards processes in its fresh produce
Zyda Rylands: Adapting to 21st century SA’S ever-changing trends


text:
It gives a whole new meaning to the hamburger index. This week the world’s most expensive, and only artificial, hamburger was consumed costing a mere €250 000.
The Big Mac Index is a clever mechanism dreamed up by The Economist magazine to find a more user-friendly way of calculating the relative value of a currency, or purchasing-power parity. The one thing sold in all the countries surveyed is of course that faithful old McDonalds burger, which, as anyone who has had one can tell you, already tastes synthetic.
The flavour appears to mostly come from the sauces, which was why there was a little less enthusiasm at the tasting of this week’s entry into global history, as the synthesised burger lacked fat or additional sauces.
This week’s burger was made by Dr Mark Post from the Maastricht University, using €250 000 donated by Google’s Sergei Brin. An unusual source you might say, but the Google co-founder has been sponsoring cutting-edge tech informally, including his own Google Glasses.
Made from 20 000 muscle fibres that were cultured from cow stem cells over three months, the world’s most expensive burger also took arguably the longest to make. These fibres were all pressed together into a patty that was tasted by a number of high-profile foodies and made, obviously, by a celebrity chef.
Technically, Post argues, the meat is biologically identical to the beef that would’ve been grown on the cow itself. But, this is where the moral issues will begin to tug at people’s culinary habits and prejudices. Would you eat a burger that is scientifically defined as meat (or muscle fibres) if you knew it was grown in a lab?
Fortunately, that dinner dilemma is a few years away for the average consumer, but what is critical and current is the strain humanity’s appetite for meat.
“Cows are very inefficient, they require 100g of vegetable protein to produce only 15g of edible animal protein. So we need to feed the cows a lot so that we can feed ourselves. We lose a lot of food that way. [With cultured meat] we can make it more efficient because we have all the variables under control. We don’t need to kill the cow and it doesn’t [produce] any methane,” Post told the Guardian.
The biomass for our livestock is almost double that of humanity itself, producing 5% of carbon dioxide emissions and 40% of methane emissions, reports the Guardian. Meanwhile, our meat fixation has consumed 30% of the planet’s usable surface for animals, the paper adds. Compared to the 4% given to directly feeding us humans through agriculture, you begin to get a sense of the problem facing humanity as we grow form our current 7-billion.
At TED Global in Edinburgh earlier this year Andras Forgacs demonstrated the ability to 3D print beef products, starting with leather which he described as a “gateway material”. Made from a single type of cell, it’s two-dimensional and doesn’t have to pass the taste test or get past our prejudices.
Forgacs’ company Modern Meadow produced the leather belt using a biofabrication technique that could be easily used to make meat like Post did. ”Animal products are just collections of tissues. So what if instead of starting with animals, we started with cells,” Forgacs said.
He added: “This isn’t so crazy. What’s crazy is what we do today. We raise and slaughter billions of animals to make our hamburgers and our handbags.” Animals consume 8% of the earth’s water, while producing 18% of greenhouse gases, he adds.
“We’ve already been growing food with cultures to make beer, wine, yogurt. Perhaps biofabrication is a natural evolution. It’s clean, efficient and humane. Perhaps we are ready for something literally and figuratively more cultured.”
It’s hard to argue with that, but there is, literally, no accounting for taste.
This column first appeared on Financial Mail.


text:
Enterprise body to create 800 jobs
UP TO 800 jobs are in the pipeline through Enterprise Ireland-supported start-up companies over the next three years, Enterprise and Jobs Minister Richard Bruton said at the annual High Potential Start-Up Showcase, a network event for the 80 new high-potential start-up companies the agency helped establish last year.
Between them, these companies will create more than 770 jobs which will push their combined employment to nearly 1,300.
Enterprise Ireland anticipates that the companies will generate total sales of nearly €530m over the same period, with exports accounting for more than 80pc.
Mr Bruton said government had a role to ensure the public sector, as a "significant economic actor" in its own right, takes the lead.
"Government doesn't create jobs, businesses do. But government has a crucial role in the process -- through creating the environment and providing the supports which allow businesses to thrive," he said.
Enterprise Ireland chairman Hugh Cooney said they would be investing more than €120m in 40 new businesses next year.
"Access to funding, in particular, is a critical ingredient for driving a flow of new start-ups," he said. "Very early-stage companies can face difficulties in raising external finance."
Of the 80 businesses credited yesterday, 38 came from the industrial and life-sciences area, 34 from software and services and eight from the food and consumer sector.