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Lexington counterfeiting suspects sought
02/21/2013 10:37 AM
02/21/2013 11:06 AM
Police are looking for help identifying people cashing counterfeit checks at the Target department store in Lexington, according to a Crimestoppers press release.
On several instances in December and January, suspects cashed counterfeit Visa travelers checks at the 5119 Sunset Blvd. department store. The counterfeiters are also suspected of committing the same crime at a store in Greer.
Officers think that the suspects are travelling in a white Ford Crown Victoria formerly used by a law enforcement agency.
The suspects were captured on surveillance footage. If you recognize the people pictured or know anything about the counterfeiting, contact Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC or www.sccrimestoppers.com.
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George Leon and Maca Rotter to Host 2023 Licensing International Excellence Awards
- George Leon, CEO of Cakewalk Entertainment, and Maca Rotter, CEO of La Panaderia Licensing and Marketing, will co-host this year’s event at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas.
- The Excellence Awards will be held at the HyperX Arena Las Vegas at the Luxor Hotel & Casino for the first time.
NEW YORK (MARCH 31) — Licensing International is thrilled to announce that industry veterans George Leon and Maca Rotter will host the 2023 Licensing International Excellence Awards. With decades of experience, Leon and Rotter are beloved and respected experts in the global brand licensing industry.
The pair will take center stage, microphones in hand, on June 12 at 6:00pm PST at the HyperX Arena Las Vegas at the Luxor Hotel & Casino. This marks the first time the Excellence Awards have been held at this flagship venue.
Leon founded California-based Cakewalk Entertainment in 2017. He previously spent 16 years making magic at Sony Pictures Entertainment, most recently serving as EVP of Consumer Marketing for global branded entertainment, licensing, and product placement. Leon has also worked with the teams at Saban Entertainment and Camelot Licensing.
Rotter is the president and CEO of La Panaderia Licensing and Marketing, which she founded in 2016. She previously served as Executive Director of Televisa Consumer Products and has also lent her experience and expertise to the teams at BouncyNet and the Mexican Brand Licensing Association (PROMARCA).
“I am thrilled to join George as a co-host of the Licensing International Excellence Awards and honor the incredible nominees,” Maca Rotter said. “This past year has seen some fantastic products and partnerships, and I can’t wait to shine a spotlight on our industry’s hard work.”
“I am beyond excited to be back as host of the Licensing International Excellence Awards and to be joined by the amazing Maca Rotter,” George Leon said. “I can’t wait to celebrate this year’s winners and pay tribute to the wonderful work being done by our global community.”
The Licensing International Excellence Awards recognize outstanding achievements and innovation in the licensing industry around the world.
Doors will open at 5:00pm PST, with networking and hors d’oeuvres until 6:00pm PST. Tickets for the event are free and bag check will be available. The event’s dress code is cocktail.
Sponsors for the Licensing International Excellence Awards include Alibaba, Jazwares, Spaceport, and Spirit Halloween.
Registration for the 2023 Excellence Awards will open on April 24 for nominees and on May 8 for all attendees. Licensing Expo will take place from June 13-15 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center and registration is available online.
About Licensing International
Licensing International is the leading trade organization for the $315+ billion global licensing industry. Licensing International’s mission is to foster the growth and expansion of licensing around the world, raise the level of professionalism for licensing practitioners, and create greater awareness of the benefits of licensing to the business community at large. Founded in 1985, Licensing International members in over 40 countries enjoy access to an array of benefits, including extensive educational programming and worldwide networking events. Visit LicensingInternational.org for more information and to utilize licensing’s definitive online resource.
About Licensing Expo
Launched in 1980, Licensing Expo is the world’s largest and most influential annual tradeshow dedicated to licensing and brand extension. Every year, more than 5,000 brands and 16,000 retailers, licensees, manufacturers, distributors, and licensing agents attend Licensing Expo from more than 70 countries. Licensing Expo is a part of the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets, the licensing industry’s leading tradeshow organizer and media partner. Its mission is to provide licensing opportunities around the world by bringing brands and products together. Visit https://www.licensingexpo/com/en/home.html for more information.
Elizabeth Foster, Director of Content and Communications

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ROLLS-ROYCE Motor Cars Sydney has received international recognition from the hallowed British luxury brand in its 2015 Global Dealer Awards.
Presented at the company’s annual world dealer conference late last month by Rolls-Royce chief executive Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, the global awards cover a variety of categories including a newly established ‘Best Cool, Modern, Luxury Activity’ award which went to the Sydney dealership for its “innovative launch activities” for the new Dawn convertible.
This included positioning the vehicle on the top deck of a luxury boat, which then sailed around Sydney Harbour with invited guests.
The new award category was developed this year to reflect the brand’s appeal “to an increasingly younger and more social customer base”. It also recognises “excellence in marketing activities that lead the way in contemporary innovation and style”.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Sydney marketing manager Jemma White, who accepted the award at the Berlin conference, told GoAuto that the company received the accolade for its high-impact marketing and public relations activity – in partnership with public relations firm DEC PR – surrounding the Sydney launch of the Dawn in November last year.
This comprised a “day-long brand showcase to reach owners, prospects and affinity partners” – centred around the Sydney Harbour – and, in conjunction with the agency, “a media influence engagement program was also undertaken”.
Rolls-Royce Sydney is operated by Trivett Bespoke, which is wholly owned by Inchcape Australia.
Dealer principal Marc Webb said in a statement provided to GoAuto: “In keeping with our bespoke approach towards customer first, we created a launch experience that was dramatic, sensory, surprising and social, executed with the same effortless expertise, attention to detail and passion for luxury that has made Rolls-Royce iconic.
“Launching Dawn to the Sydney market was an important occasion, and we are pleased to see our commitment to excellence with Rolls-Royce recognised in the global awards.”
Rolls-Royce Asia Pacific regional director Paul Harris added: “Trivett Bespoke delighted its guests with this engaging, once-in-a-lifetime event that directly reflected the attributes of Dawn, a motor car designed to be enjoyed and shared. This award is incredibly well-deserved.”
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Abu Dhabi was the standout dealership overall in 2015, securing the Global Dealer of the Year title and three other awards including Best Bespoke Dealer Worldwide and Regional DOTY (Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and South America).
It was also recognised as the best-selling Rolls-Royce dealership for the third consecutive year.
The DOTY for the Asia-Pacific region went to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Tokyo.
Interestingly, the Provenance Dealer of the Year (for outstanding performance in the brand’s approved pre-owned program) was won by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Gold Coast – but not the brand’s Queensland dealership, which is located on the Gold Coast; this one went to a dealer in Chicago in the United States.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Queensland general manager Paul Hewitt told GoAuto: “I was in the audience and about to stride proudly to the stage – alas no.
“I was for a second convinced we had achieved. We did however indeed have a good year in new and provenance sales…”
In presenting the awards, Mr Mueller-Oetvoes said: “Our promise of an effortless ownership experience has been clearly demonstrated by the successful dealerships in each of the categories.
“The awards recognise exceptional customer service and Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars Abu Dhabi has set a new global standard. I congratulate all the winners.”
The specially commissioned trophies were conceived by the Rolls‑Royce Bespoke design team in England and feature a contemporary take on the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy.
BMW-owned Rolls-Royce sold 3785 vehicles last year – the second-highest result in the marque’s 112-year history – through a global network of 130 dealerships, including four in Australia (Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth). It delivered 30 new vehicles in Australia last year.
By Terry Martin


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Finally, after a long wait for the detail information about Microsoft Xbox 360 Project Natal, we have more news regarding this revolutionary gaming peripheral. Reported by Roland at Geeky Gadgets, Project Natal for Xbox 360 is going to go on sale worldwide in November 2010 under a very reasonable price tag.
This information was first received by British trade site MCV from some gaming industry source. The leak said that [probably a rumor] Microsoft will be manufacturing 5 millions of Project Natal as the kick start in the global market, with each package will cost user a mere $80 with up to 14 supportive games for the device.
If this rumor turns out to be true, I’m sure Microsoft is going to make a killing in the next Christmas season as $80 is affordable for most of the household who owns a Xbox 360.


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The increased availability of office space in major business hubs is expected to attract businesses from smaller areas to fill up the vacant space, with cities like Manchester, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds and Birmingham set to see employment rise by 5-10 percent as a result. This will have a significant knock on effect for demand for office space.
Areas in central London are also expected to benefit, as well as smaller towns and cities with a large proportion of the workforce working partially from home. Meanwhile, less dense business areas could see a decline in employment and may need to be transformed into more residential, leisure, retail and other uses.
As the business landscape consolidates, KPMG analysis also claims the change could boost overall UK labour productivity by 0.5 percent, thanks to businesses being able to tap into a larger pool of workers, suppliers, and clients.
Yael Selfin, Chief Economist at KPMG UK, commented on the report: “As we emerge from the pandemic, businesses need to adapt to the new environment they will be facing. Some may choose to relocate to larger business hubs to boost profitability, while others in less central areas could see their local customer base profile change. While the overall impact on the UK economy is expected to be positive, the changes ahead could prove challenging for those businesses already saddled by the pandemic.”
Yael Selfin added: “As people spend more time working from home and less time in the office, we could see a revival of the local high street.
“They will need to transform into places of purpose to meet demand for community-based services, hospitality, culture, as well as retail. High street offering in smaller towns and cities may need to become more focused on residents’ needs and less focused on businesses and commuters.
“This transformation will require local government, residents and businesses to work together to map their future shape and make concrete plans to support and enable the necessary changes to make the most of the new post-Covid business reality.”
Chris Hearld, Head of Regions at KPMG UK, commented: “Over time, a shift in business location could support the rise of several major business hubs across the UK. An increase in the concentration of businesses and workers has the potential to make those businesses located there more productive and enable these areas to serve as the engines of economic growth. This should also support the Government’s Levelling Up agenda. Cities like Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, and Newcastle stand to benefit from such a consolidation of business locations. For this to happen they will need government to work closely with local leaders to ensure the transition is smooth and any barriers to growth are quickly ironed out.”
The post Demand for office space outside London could soar, claims KPMG report appeared first on Workplace Insight.
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SFA Annual Lunch
13th November 2017
Last week, the SFA (Small Firms Association) hosted their Annual Lunch in the Mansion House in Dublin. Addressing small businesses and stakeholders at the Lunch, which was sponsored by Bank of Ireland, SFA Chair Sue O’Neill stated: “Six out of ten SFA member companies are growing, three quarters of us will invest in our businesses in the coming year and an incredible 71% will take on additional staff. Small businesses are employment creators and drivers of economic success; but efforts are still needed to develop a culture that recognises and supports all small business in Ireland.
“In the latest SFA Small Business Survey, 62% told us that they feel the business environment is improving. Our survey respondents ranked domestic economic growth as the biggest opportunity for their business in the coming year. This economic growth doesn’t, however, mean that we can become complacent. We face major challenges, including a loss of competitiveness, rapid growth in wage expectations and skills shortages.
“Ireland urgently needs a coherent strategy to support Irish small business. In 1958 Government focused its efforts on a strategy to bring foreign direct investment to Ireland. Clearly, this proved very successful and is still evolving. Similarly now we need a long-term strategic vision for small business that all of us, including the whole of government, businesses and communities, can get behind,” O’Neill concluded.
(Pictured: (L-R): Brent Pope, guest speaker, Michael Lauhoff, Director of Business Banking, Bank of Ireland, Sue O’Neill, Chair, Small Firms Association and Sven Spollen-Behrens, Director, Small Firms Association. © Gary O’ Neill)


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Oversupply of offices predicted
Commercial Property Reporter
WESTPAC property analysts have forecast an oversupply in all Australian office markets, except Brisbane, by 2007 as many office projects are completed.
Westpac's director of property markets, Frank Allen, said demand had outstripped expectations, "with net absorption outside Sydney surprising many, particularly in Melbourne where the 209,000 square metres of net absorption in the past year was four times the annual average".
But Westpac expects the wave of new office stock to affect rental growth over the next three years, with Brisbane and Perth the only markets where growth above inflation could be expected.
Mr Allen predicted small falls in incentive levels in the other capital cities by 2007.
"Although the market did surprise on the upside in the first half of the year, it was driven by rising face rents, rather than incentives declining faster than expected," he said.
The report predicts yields will continue to firm over the next 18 months, driven by the weight of funds and the perception that office space provided better value than other asset classes.
Westpac also expects the retail and industrial markets to take up much of the new supply.
The national retail market would be inundated with more than 750,000 square metres of space this year, which would be compounded by the sharp fall in retail sales to an annualised rate of 4.2 per cent in June this year, Mr Allen said.
"The impact will be felt most in secondary shopping centres or poorer retail strips as tenants relocate on lease expiry and landlords find getting new tenants difficult," he said.


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Very often it happens that the earlier rumors about the device updates are incorrect – which alone is worth the story with the expectation of an update for the smartphone Sony Xperia S, which was delayed for a good couple of months. Yes, unfortunately, companies like to shift the terms of the production updates, but not this time – the message resource Xperia Blog, published two weeks ago, was completely trustworthy and now Sony has released an update for the really smart phones Sony Xperia SL, Sony Xperia S and Sony Xperia acro S.
Despite the fact that the new firmware does not update the device to the new version of Android OS, it has a pretty impressive list of changes:
- Fixed detection white balance
- improved functionality of the “quick start”
- smoother video recording in 1080p, minimized lag
Applications and services
- Improved Exchange Active Sync
- increased stability of the compounds in 2G
- Fixed bug with resetting the default application
- reduced energy consumption
- corrected notice on the battery charge
Hardware and interface
- long press the “home” is now open Google Now, and when you double – last running applications
- Fixed a bug with the lack of response to an increase in the volume button in some cases
Sony worked well on the bugs – in the list above are really necessary corrections, so we recommend that owners of these devices to install this update as soon as possible. Unfortunately, there does not say in which countries this update is available, but in any case, it is worth the wait is an early appearance notice of its presence, or you can check it manually through the smartphone setup.
Read another very interesting article about alternative energy of the Sun, water and air.


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In this installment of "Are We Worried," we look at news stories reporting that organic apples offer far more diverse gut bacteria than conventionally-grown apples.
From scared mom to science mom
This post outlines Alison's journey from being a mom who worried about toxins in foods and household products, to a mom who was much more comfortable doing groceries and shopping.
The high price of food labels
Research shows that organic and non-GMO food labels raise food prices. Avoiding unnecessary labels means a smaller grocery bill.


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KATHMANDU, Feb 4 :
After a long delay, NEA recently initiated procurement of transformers as its officials were hesitant to place fresh orders after the earlier procurement process fell into controversy.
According to officials, transformer procurement process takes at least five months.
The process of procuring transformers and other auxiliary equipments including, meter boxes, was disrupted for 18 months due to the controversy. Investigations were launched after the previous supplier delivered substandard transformers. Tenders to procure these transformers were conducted between 2008 and 2011.
“The shortage of transformers has affected the process to install electricity lines in new industries, especially small and medium scale industries,” Ram Chandra Pandey, chief of Distribution and Consumer Services Department of NEA, conceded.
NEA provides transformers to industries requiring power up to 50 KVA. Firms that need power higher than 50 KVA have to manage transformers on their own.
At present, the state-owned power monopoly has only used transformers in stock.
NEA generates around 38 percent of its total revenue from the industrial sector.
“We are forced to postpone the process of connecting new lines for industries due to shortage of transformers,” said Pandey. He also said NEA would be able to distribute line for industries only after mid-June when new transformers start to arrive.
In the fresh procurement plan, NEA has placed order for 1,200 transformers.
NEA officials say they have been receiving demand for transformers from at least two dozen factories every month.
“Small and medium scale factories aren´t getting power connections in time,” Bhaskar Raj Rajkarnikar, senior vice-president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI), said.
The Industrial Policy 2010 envisages supporting industries by providing power in a convenient manner. However, entrepreneurs complain that the government has failed to live up to the commitments made in the policy.
Pandey also said the shortage of transformers has affected the ongoing community electrification programs launched in different parts of the country. NEA has also been failing to provide electricity for household purpose due to shortage of meter boxes.
Several distribution offices of NEA in Kathmandu valley and eastern region have already published public notice, requesting consumers to put their applications on hold for the time being.
NEA initiated the process to procure meter boxes only recently.
Source : Republica


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Markwins Beauty Brands acquires Lorac Cosmetics
Markwins is expanding its beauty portfolio by announcing its acquisition of prestige brand Lorac Cosmetics.
“Markwins’ expanding success is simple at its core: we respect that different people have different needs. Whether culturally or economically, we understand that we need to satisfy the global consumer by continuing to acquire and develop disparate brands — one brand can’t conquer the world,” Eric Sung-Tsei Chen, CEO of Markwins, said. “With Lorac, we’re thrilled to add its distinct Hollywood heritage and celebrity status. I have always had a bias toward California, and Lorac is yet another embodiment of the California beauty spirit.”
Founded two decades ago by professional makeup artist Carol Shaw, the Burbank, Calif.-based brand was created out of the need to develop products that wouldn’t irritate celebrity client’s sensitive skin.
“As the Founder of Lorac, a Pro Artistry brand, I am thrilled to see Markwins re-energizing the brand and taking it to new heights,” Shaw said. “Markwins recognizes the importance of honoring our pro heritage and continuing to develop high-quality products that create effortless, red carpet beauty for which Lorac is known.”
The City of Industry, Calif.-based company’s vast portfolio includes such brands as Physician’s Formula, Wet n Wild, Black Radiance and Lip Smacker. Shaw will continue to work with Markwins as lead consultant for the brand she created, the company said.
“Lorac is the original professional makeup artistry brand, and Markwins is excited to add its unique market-positioning to our expanding brand portfolio,” Stefano Curti, global president of Markwins, said. “With Lorac, Markwins enters the prestige channel with an iconic Hollywood mainstay — expert products created under the intuition of makeup legend Carol Shaw, resulting in technologies that compel even the sharpest of beauty enthusiasts’ critical eye.”
Manscaped, Dr. Squatch Soap partner on limited-edition grooming kit
Manscaped, a line created specifically for men’s distinctive grooming needs, has partnered with the team at Dr. Squatch Soap on a limited-edition men’s grooming kit.
“Our partnership with Dr. Squatch Soap Co. creates a truly dynamic collaboration between two male grooming brands focused on revolutionary products for men. This was a unique opportunity to create a limited-edition product kit at an incredibly low price point,” Steve King, CEO at Manscaped, said. “Manscaped is a male vanity company with the sole focus of helping every man be the best version of himself. With the help of Dr. Squatch, men now have additional options in health and hygiene.”
For a limited time, both San Diego-based companies will be offering consumers the chance the purchase the Tame Your Beats kit, which contains four grooming products and a free gift.
Dr. Squatch includes its pine tar moisturizing bar soap and soap saver, and Manscaped’s plow safety razor, crop preserver 24-hour non-powder deodorant and the magic mat’s four disposable shaving mats.
Both brands also have teamed up on the Tame Your Beast viral marketing campaign to promote the product, which will feature a series of entertaining videos, the company said.
“We are excited about the viral marketing campaign that will drive awareness of the Tame Your Beast Kit,” Ryan Fiore, VP of marketing at Manscaped, said. “Our video production team, led by Nathan King, was passionate about delivering a hilarious series of viral videos that will surely create a massive buzz. With this partnership, customers can expect to see hilariously entertaining videos and well-thought-out products to help “tame the beast” in every man out there.”
Further information on the kit, including pricing and availability, can be found on either of the company’s websites.
Madison Reed’s balayage kit simplifies the perfect highlight
Madison Reed is making obtaining the highly-desired balayage hair trend much easier to obtain.
The San Francisco-based company is introducing consumers to the Light Works, its first ever, at-home highlighting kit.
Created by a team of experts from the brand, the product offers the same two-step process — lightening, then toning to refine color — that is used in salons for natural-looking, balayage highlights.
“Madison Reed was founded to improve the hair color experience for the millions of women regularly coloring their hair at home,” Amy Errett, CEO and founder of Madison Reed, said. “With the introduction of Light Works, we are now reinventing highlighting and making it attainable for women to achieve ‘lived-in’ highlights for hundreds of dollars less than you’d spend at a salon.”
Featured in the kit is a powder-free, clay-based cream lightener; patent-pending wishbone balayage applicator for a precise and drip-free application; and four demi-permanent toning shades to refine highlights.
Also included in the Light Works kit is one application of the brand’s Bond Building Cleansing Treatment, which fortifies highlighted hair and helps prevent future breakage, the company said.
“I have traveled the globe and worked in top salons for over three decades, and I’ve never seen an at-home highlighting kit that works like Light Works,” David Stanko, VP of technical design and education at Madison Reed, said.
Each kit is made without ammonia and contains no harsh odors, the company said. Light Works kits currently are available for purchase online at the company’s color bars for the suggested retail price of $44.95 and $35.95 for members. Light Works also will hit Ulta Beauty shelves at a later date.


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YouTube creators contributed over ₹10,000 crore to India’s GDP in 2021 and supported over 7,50,000 full-time equivalent jobs, according to a study by Oxford Economics. As per reports, YouTube creators in 2020 contributed ₹6,800 crore to the country’s GDP and supported the equivalent of 6,83,900 jobs.
The report came to light at the Google for India event, which surveyed 5,633 YouTube creators of all sizes, 4,021 users, and 523 businesses across different sectors.
“We are delighted that YouTube’s creative ecosystem continues to power India’s creator economy, supporting new jobs and opportunities across the length and breadth of the country,” said Ajay Vidyasagar, YouTube’s Director of South, Southeast Asia, and APAC Emerging Markets.
The platform is testing an AI/ML-enabled solution called Aloud to translate and dub videos in various regional languages, a feature currently available to a small group of healthcare providers.
The video streaming platform announced an expansion of efforts to work with healthcare institutions, including Narayana, Manipal, Medanta, and Shalby, to provide content about over 100 medical conditions across Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati, Bengali, and English.


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Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin are among the cryptocurrencies that have experienced strong price volatility. While popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum are in the spotlight, even the market is in the red
While popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum are in the spotlight, even the market is in the red. However, some of the Outsider Tokens are the biggest wins, up by 450% in the last 24 hours. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin are among the cryptocurrencies that have experienced strong price volatility. Bitcoin fell more than 17% to $ 43,000, cutting some trading losses by more than 11% to $ 46,000. Bitcoin previously hit a session high of $ 52,948.
Shortly before the sharp drop, Bitcoin peaked since May at $ 52,000, while Ethereum was trading below $ 4,000. Dogecoin also touched $ 0.31 per token. Some analysts view the volatility of El Salvador's bitcoin stock market as a statutory filing influencing consumer buying decisions in anticipation of the stock. In the last 24 hours since this article was written, it has grown by more than 452%. According to the Token website, Aqua Pig "was born in the spirit of the community and helped them navigate the dark waters of the cryptocurrency world while having fun together!" He claims to be a community driven project that is transparent and open to suggestions and criticism.
According to the website's roadmap, the project plans to create an AquaPIG exchange where only Binance Smart Chain (BSC) certified projects can be purchased directly from their mobile using credit / debit cards. According to Coinmarketcap, there are lesser-known tokens that have seen three-digit gains in the past 24 hours. Gravitoken - Traded at $ 0.02263, up 259%. Contracoin - 275% up to $ 0.2663 Sishi Finance - 220% up to $ 1.74 Infinity Cake - 166% up to $ 0.000007287 Strudel Finance - $ 0 trading, $ 2,811 up, 155% Simple Chain - trading at $ 0.17377


text: Today marks ten years since Steve Jobs unveiled the original iPhone. “A widescreen iPod with touch controls, a new mobile phone, and a breakthrough internet communications device,” he defined it as. But, since its introduction, the iPhone has evolved into much more. It's a symbol of the IT industry and the modern era in general, and it's helped Apple become the world's most valuable corporation in terms of market capitalization, with some even speculating that it's the most profitable product ever. It's still making headlines a decade later.


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Sep 04, 2013
A recent survey by website design agency Omoii Ltd asked ecommerce website owners whether they had thought about mobile devices in their website design or marketing strategies, 67% answered they had not considered these platforms.
Jun 11, 2013
Research by digital marketing agency Omoii Ltd, shows that 83% of business owners are worried about updates to the Google ranking algorithm, but only 25% are prepared.
Feb 19, 2013
Over 68% of entrepreneurs believe the cost of web development and a competitive online marketing campaign are a major barrier to starting a new business.
Jan 07, 2013
Research by leading UK Digital Marketing Agency Omoii, shows that many small to medium enterprises are spending up to £22,000 per year on search engine optimisation (SEO), and will increase in 2013 in response to recent search engine updates.
Sep 25, 2012
Omoii (pronounced ‘Oh My’) is a new digital marketing agency who work with charities and non-profit companies.


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An All-Digital Retail Space: Lessons from COVID-19
Date August 28, 2020
On March 19, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered the first COVID-19-related statewide mandatory restrictions in the United States, stating that residents in non-essential roles were not allowed to leave home except to obtain essential items and services such as food, prescriptions, and medical care. New York followed the next day, and by April 4 the majority of states had enacted similar mandates . As retail store activity came to a grinding halt amid the restrictions and closures, consumers - some of whom had not previously shopped online - began to shift their purchasing to e-commerce. The reallocation of consumer demand has not been distributed equally among close competitors and has not translated on a one-to-one basis from brick-and-mortar retail to e-commerce channels. The current conditions, although expected to be temporary, have given us a glimpse at how store performance would look in the absence of in-store consumers.
In this piece, Gordon Brothers reports the results of its analysis of how consumers have moved from physical retail to online shopping since the spring of 2020. The study examined the quarterly earnings results of 24 publicly traded companies with at least 15 days of COVID-related store closures . This sample set included multi-brand retailers and single-brand retailers (including retail brand holding companies). Sales growth in the second fiscal quarter of 2020 was compared to the same period in 2019 for all companies to pull out trends for retailers in a nearly all-digital sales environment . Data referenced includes information sourced from each company’s quarterly reporting for quarters ending from March 31, 2020, through May 31, 2020.
Digitally Native Retailers Outperformed
- As a whole, top-line net sales - including wholesale, brick-and-mortar retail, e-commerce and licensing - fell by an average of 24.8 percent year-over-year across the surveyed companies. Unsurprisingly, retailers with online-only sales channels outperformed. Single-brand retailers declined by an average of 21.3 percent, versus 29.6 percent for multibrand retailers. In stark contrast, net sales for all-digital retailers Peloton Interactive Inc. and Revolve Group Inc. increased by 66 percent and 6.0 percent, respectively. Stitch Fix, an online-only subscription retailer, declined by 9.0 percent due in part to fulfillment center closures as part of state-ordered mandates to manage the spread of COVID-19. The relative muted revenue declines or even revenue growth at online-only businesses highlights the advantages of an online-only business model during a pandemic or in other environments in which retail businesses are ordered to close physical stores.
- Among non-digital-only retailers, companies with a significant existing online presence have been more resilient than those with less advanced digital platforms.
Conversion Rates Were Encouraging
- In a pre-COVID-19 world, there was a general consensus that consumer shopping preferences were shifting towards e-commerce. The ongoing pandemic has significantly accelerated this shift. Of the 24 earnings reports surveyed, 23 reported e-commerce sales separate from store sales. On average, e-commerce net sales for the quarter grew 42.6 percent compared to the same period in 2019. Of the companies surveyed that provided explicit nominal sales figures by channel, Foot Locker Inc., L Brands Inc., and Lululemon Athletica Inc., converted 4.4, 7.9, and 57.7 percent, respectively, of lost sales to e-commerce sales. The significant conversion rate at Lululemon is representative of the continued demand for athleisure products and the brand’s resiliency through the crisis.
In general, e-commerce net sales have grown significantly as a share of total net sales. As of the most recent earnings reports, e-commerce represented an average of 40.9 percent of total net sales for the quarter, which is a significant increase from the 23.0 percent average in 2019. These trends could prove to be challenging for brick-and-mortar retailers, as consumers become accustomed to online shopping and remain concerned with the health hazards of in-person shopping.
Multi-Brand Retailers Outperformed Single-Brand
- Net e-commerce sales at multi-brand retailers increased by an average of 53.0 percent as compared to 34.6 percent for single-brand retailers, when comparing 2020 versus 2019 for all periods. However, for single-brand retailers, e-commerce sales remained solid in sectors that remained in high demand during the pandemic. For example, sporting goods and athletic footwear retailers Hibbett Sports and Dick’s Sporting Goods more than doubled versus 2019. This may correlate with increased demand for exercise equipment and athletic sportswear due to gym closures and work-from home orders. NPD Group noted a 130-percent increase in fitness equipment sales and triple-digit growth for multiple categories of sporting equipment in the month of March 2020.
Wholesale Channels Were Also Impacted
The closure of physical retail stores has negatively affected not only owned-store performance, but also the wholesale channel. On average, wholesale sales declined by 32.0 percent. Notably, wholesale sales at Levi Strauss & Co., Nike Inc., Guess? Inc. and PVH Corp. declined by 62.9 percent, 50.0 percent, 44.0 percent, and 41.0 percent, respectively. This is a result of canceled orders from wholesale customers that had to close their doors due to the pandemic. With regards to the fee income from licensing and franchising, brands saw an average decline in royalty income of 26.9 percent.
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift to e-commerce and will likely bring the permanent closure of thousands of physical stores nationwide. However, the potential exists for several retailers to become multipurposed at both stores and fulfillment centers. For example, some businesses have transformed their stores to micro-fulfillment centers that ship locally to customers or offer curbside pickup. Whether these trends continue into the next quarter is expected to be highly dependent on the success of containing the virus and making consumers feel comfortable with in-person shopping once again. In the meantime, the current crisis reveals that the conversion from brick-and-mortar retail to e-commerce will not be a simple or immediate one-to-one conversion, as different segments of the retail industry will fare better in transitioning to digital-first operations.


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Coronavirus lockdown: 'Resurgence in cycling across Wales'
The coronavirus lockdown is "a once in a lifetime opportunity" to inspire Wales to get on the saddle, according to the head of a cycling organisation.
Bike shops have been allowed to remain open during lockdown and, coupled with sunny weather, numbers cycling have boomed according to Sport Wales.
Anne Adams-King, the chief executive of Welsh Cycling, said there was a "resurgence" in cycling during lockdown.
Ryland Jones, from charity Sustrans Cymru, said changes should be made to towns and cities so people continue to cycle after lockdown ends.
02 Jun 2020


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OAK BROOK, Ill. (AP) — McDonald’s says a promotion for $1 sodas and a new line of premium burgers helped boost sales in its flagship U.S. market.
The company said Tuesday that domestic sales rose 3.9 percent at established locations during the second quarter. Globally, it says sales rose 6.6 percent.
CEO Steve Easterbrook has been working on modernizing the chain’s menu and stores to get customers visiting more often in an increasingly competitive environment . The frequency of customer visits at established U.S. locations has declined for four years in a row. Against that backdrop, the chain is set to shrink its number of domestic locations for the third year in a row.
Easterbrook has said McDonald’s needs to adapt to changing expectations around convenience to get people visiting its existing restaurants more often. The efforts in the U.S. include introducing in-store ordering kiosks, expanding delivery in partnership with UberEats, and launching a mobile order-and-pay option later this year.
While those plans may boost sales over the long term, the company is relying on promotions like the beverage deals that include $2 McCafe drinks and new “Signature Crafted” burgers to attract customers in the short term. That helped boost customer visits at existing U.S. restaurants during the quarter, though it had about 100 fewer locations than a year ago.
Chris Kempczinski, president of McDonald’s USA, said in an interview last month that about three quarters of the people who come in for those drink deals also end up buying food.
“The typical behavior is that they will buy other items,” he said.
McDonald’s is also looking beyond its core menu and offering pastries by the counter in some locations, and testing “dessert stations” behind the counter that would let employees make an expanded menu of desserts.
In the meantime, the U.S. store count is continuing to shrink. The Oak Brook, Illinois-based company had 14,079 domestic locations at the end of the quarter, down about 100 stores from a year ago. Globally, it expanded and had more than 37,000 locations.
For the period ended June 30, the company earned $1.4 billion, or $1.70 per share. Earnings adjusted for non-recurring costs came to $1.73 per share, beating analysts forecast for $1.62, according to a poll by Zacks Investment Research.
Shares of McDonald’s rose 3.6 percent in morning trading.
Total revenue at the world’s biggest hamburger chain was $6.05 billion, also beating expectations.
Shares of McDonald’s Corp. have climbed 25 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 index has risen 10 percent. The stock has climbed 18 percent in the last 12 months.


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Hurricane Dorian Turns "Waffle House Index" Red in Two South Carolina Restaurants
FEMA has been using the informal index to evaluate the impact of natural disasters since 2011.
With Hurricane Dorian pummeling down upon South Carolina, many people are leaping to action to help people impacted by the hurricane.
Chief among them, Waffle House, which is working hard to stay open during the storm and feed the local community and first responders. Noted for having stellar disaster preparedness, the Southern chain is known to remain open despite storms, tornadoes, flooding, and other natural disasters. To that end, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been using something dubbed the "Waffle House Index" since 2011 for evaluating risk management situations during natural disasters.
The index includes red, yellow, and green categories, with red indicating restaurant closure due to severe damage or flooding; yellow indicating restaurants offering a limited menu with no power or power from a generator, and green indicating a restaurant offering its full menu with limited or no damage to the establishment.
Today, it was announced that the Waffle House Index is officially flashing red in the Palmetto State, per FOX Business. "We have two restaurants right now that are closed—one's in Charleston and the other's in Johns Island," Pat Warner, Waffle House director of PR and external affairs, told the news outlet. In addition to these two "red" eateries on the index, Warner shared that 10 additional restaurants in the Charleston area remain open, but are currently operating without power, giving these restaurants a yellow label on the index. "In total, Waffle House has about 25 restaurants in the Charleston area. The remaining ones are operating at full capacity and are coded green," continues reporter Jonathan Garber in the piece.
WATCH: What Hurricane Dorian Means for Georgia's Record-Breaking Number of Sea Turtle Nests
A flash flood warning is currently in effect in Southern South Carolina, with Charleston closing many roads in the wake of Dorian. If you gotta have your smothered and covered, make sure you put your safety first.


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The Apple rumor mill is churning again with reports that the next-generation iPad mini will boast a significantly higher resolution display than the current model.
Apple’s next-gen iPhone will reportedly feature a speedy A5 processor - the same advanced SoC that powers Cupertino’s flagship iPad 2.
Berkeley City Council will today vote on whether to name the US Army private suspected of leaking military secrets to Wikileaks, Bradley Manning, a hero.
The Android-powered Aigo tablet boasts a 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 processor and features Nvidia's Tegra 2 graphics chipset. But does the Aigo have what it takes to be an Apple iPad killer?
Hitachi has reportedly unveiled details of a new 3D display for handheld electronic devices.


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Large Crowd Turns Out For Baseball HOF Inducation Rockies Misspell Tulowitzki On Fan Giveaway Indians Use Analytics To Forecast Attendance MLBPA Files Grievance Against Astros Food Critic: Ballpark Village Restaurants Disappoint MLBAM Against Creating Digital "Fast Lanes" MLB Franchise Notes A's Settle 10-Year Lease Extension With Oakland Rob Manfred Favorite To Succeed Selig AT&T Rolling Out New Yankees Campaign
Upcoming Conferences and Events
SBD/29/Sponsorships Advertising Marketing
AMERICA WEST GETS STAKE IN DIAMONDBACKS; INKS MARKETING DEAL
Published June 29, 1995
America West Airlines has paid $5M for "approximately" a 5% stake in the MLB expansion Diamondbacks, and also signed an "exclusive 10-year marketing venture" with the team, according to the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. At a press conference Tuesday, Diamondbacks CEO Jerry Colangelo also announced that he has raised $107M in equity. The cost to purchase the franchise was $130M and Colangelo said he would borrow the remaining $23M, "if necessary." Under the marketing agreement with America West, the airline will become the team's official airline, with one of their planes painted especially for the team. America West will also provide charter aircraft for the team, for which the team will have to pay. In turn, the team will only accept airline advertising and promotions from America West. The airline will have retail space in the stadium where it will sell tickets and conduct promotions. The 'Backs and American West said the pact is worth about $20M to each side (Ed Foster, ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 6/28). America West is title sponsor of the home to Colangelo's other team, the Suns.


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October 21, 2014
As a part of long-format fly-in in Page, AZ, a circus of Flight Design CTs visited Cal Black, UT (U96) on October 18. Photographed is an assembly of 6 CTSW and 5 CTLS models, 11 total.
The picture is basically what the present (or future) of personal aviation could look like if the American middle class kept their money. The increased pressure from the regulation created the LSA format: a light (600 kg gross), 2-seat airplane with a maximum speed of 120 knots. More than 100 companies threw their hats into the ring of the LSA competition, and the Flight Design emerged victorious. Their iconic product, the CT, is significantly smaller than typical "Cessna" that was the face of personal aviation in the 1980s. It is, however, much faster, burns less gas, and carries more load than Cessna 150/152, the classic 2-seater. It also includes an airframe parachute as standard equipment.
However, CT's amazing performance came at a significant price, and very few could afford it. So where Cessna sold at the order of 10,000 airplanes, Flight Design sold a 100 (current fleet in the U.S. is just above 300). Note that CT is about 1/3rd price of a new Cessna 172: $150,000 versus $450,000 in 2014. Where CT is unaffordable, the aluminum classic is downright insane (as in, you have to be clinically insane to buy one).
UPDATE: There's a video at YouTube by Loop, which focuses on CTLS and includes footage from a previous fly-in in Page.
Posted by: Mauser at October 21, 2014 11:40 PM (TJ7ih)
Posted by: Pete Zaitcev at October 22, 2014 10:56 AM (RqRa5)
And I prefer Taildraggers simply because I have the endorsement.
Posted by: Mauser at October 22, 2014 10:44 PM (TJ7ih)
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Posted by: Mauser at October 24, 2014 02:59 AM (TJ7ih)
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MIDDLEBORO, MA - Brookfield Engineering, Middleboro, MA, has acquired RheoTec Messtechnik GmbH of Dresden, Germany. Brookfield and RheoTec have been partners for the past 10 years in the sale of the R/S family of Rheometers. The growing synergy between the two companies has led to this recent acquisition as a natural conclusion to their successful partnership.
The acquisition secures the production and service of R/S Rheometers for Brookfield customers around the world and fortifies Brookfield’s development, manufacturing, sales and service capabilities.
In addition to R/S Rheometers, RheoTec manufactures complementary instruments that will soon be made available to Brookfield customers around the globe. These include Rheotec’s Hoeppler Falling Ball Viscometer and a variety of in-line process viscometers.
Both Brookfield and Rheotec websites are presently being updated to incorporate the expanded line of Brookfield products and services. For more information, visit www.brookfieldengineering.com.


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Published November 1, 2018
Having tech problems? As of November 5, 2018, UBIT will have a pilot location on the third floor of Silverman Library, from 8 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, where students can get help from the UB Tech Squad.
With a convenient new location and expanded hours, it’s easier than ever to ask for help with problems downloading software, connecting to Wi-Fi, removing viruses from your device and more.
Plus, you can still get tech help from the Help Center in the Lockwood Cybrary, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Students can use the walk-up location at the service desk in the 3rd floor Silverman Library to connect with UB Tech Squad outside their typical service hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. during fall and spring semesters, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the winter session.
If you are a UB student, then you know the Tech Squad as a mobile support team you can book online to meet you anywhere on campus to solve your tech problems.
Use the new walk-up location in Silverman to get help right away, or book an appointment for a member of the Tech Squad team to meet you whenever and wherever you choose elsewhere on campus.
The UB Tech Squad is expected to offer service in Silverman on a trial basis through Spring 2019.
The new walk-up Help Center location in Silverman Library is another way that students as well as faculty and staff can get help with technology problems.
You can also call or submit a request online—visit the UBIT Help Center online for a full list of ways to get help. Students can book an appointment online with the Tech Squad for free service at any convenient location on campus.


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U.S. meat consumers are facing the highest-ever prices for choice cuts this summer just as the traditional cookout season gets into full swing, stoking producers' concerns that demand will soften in the months ahead if shoppers tighten their belts.
Even so, U.S. meat exporters are having a banner year, shipping more than $7.6 billion worth of pork, poultry and beef cuts to overseas buyers during the January-May period.
The record sales receipts mark a near 10 percent climb over the same period in 2013, and come despite wholesale meat prices climbing to record levels this year on the back of constrained production across the protein sector.
Indeed, exported quantities actually climbed this year compared with the same period in 2013, indicating that overseas buyers have not been scared off by the price tags.
And with the traditional peak period of U.S. meat exports still ahead, the good times look set to continue for meat sellers as long as they can continue to secure ready access to exportable supplies.
Despite the well-documented advance in U.S. meat prices in the opening months of 2014, U.S. meat exports have blazed a near record pace, with cuts of pork, beef and poultry all selling in larger quantities than in the same period in 2013, amounting to the largest combined total of U.S. meat exports for the January-May period on record.
If that trend in shipments persists again in 2014 then U.S. meat exporters look set to build on their strong start to the year and post both record-large sale receipts and booked volumes - against a backdrop of record high prices.
This bright outlook contrasts sharply with the uncertainty surrounding meat producers who are grappling with potential dips in domestic demand.
But overall, a strong export performance should prove beneficial for the U.S. industry as a whole, and ensure that any fallout from the prevailing high prices does not inflict any lasting damage.
(Reporting by Gavin Maguire, editing by G Crosse)


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| March 8, 2017 | News
Hero FinCorp Nestle ThinkXQ
In this feature, EVENTFAQS takes a look at what the agency has been up to so far this year.
| December 21, 2015 | News
Novotel Nestle Showtime Group
The re-launch event held at Novotel, Aerocity on Nov 18 was attended by over 850 Nestle employees. Branch conferences were also held in major cities across the nation.
| February 5, 2015 | News
Showtime Group Nestle
Around 800 delegates of Nestle Nutrition took centre-stage at a Lakshya-themed conference, executed by Showtime.
| February 4, 2015 | News
Nestle Showtime Group
The conference saw the participation of over 2100 of Nestle’s sales and marketing team members across seven business units from all over India.
| November 7, 2014 | News
Procam International Tata Steel Kolkata 25k Radio Mirchi
This marathon is being promoted by Procam International with sponsors like Nestle, Reebok and Himalayan.


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Samsung is said to be looking for a new health team, which will not need to compete with Apple. According to a book from Korea The ElecSamsung is working on a smart ring that is not different from the popular Oura Oura ring.
The contract to manufacture the test has been awarded to a Japanese company called Meiko. Dubbed the “Galaxy Ring,” the project is still in its early stages.
Samsung will only take on the smart ring manufacturing project if the color units meet the high standards. That’s a big “if” because getting energy efficiency, sensor flexibility, and product longevity into a small piece of ring-shaped hardware is very difficult.
Right now, Oura, McLear, Hecere, and Movano offer the best smart rings — but those brands don’t command the same kind of consumer traction or market share as the likes of Samsung. Also, smart ring market is expected to reach $ 747.41 million at a growth rate of 25% per year from 2023 onwards, it is ripe.
But dreaming of dominating the market and leading it for a long time is easier said than done. Fortunately, Samsung has all the talent in the world – and money in its pockets – to pull it off. The best example of Samsung’s technology would be the Galaxy Z series of foldable phones.
However, Samsung is good at destroying early leads. The competition has quickly caught up with Samsung in the foldable phone segment, and it is also offering better products. But it’s the clothing section where the defeat bites.
Samsung released its first smartwatch in 2013, two years ahead of Apple. But it’s Apple that rules the lion’s share of the global smartwatch market, with Samsung far behind. While some of that can be blamed on the operating system’s problems, it was the innovation and UI improvements that gave Apple such quick success.
Samsung may want to replace its wearable tech muscle with a new category – the smart ring – and make money doing so.
The smart ring industry is not as mature as the smartwatch segment, in terms of innovation and consumer acceptance. One might think twice before dropping $299 on the Oura Ring 3, but if the same device was made by Samsung, the controversy would be less due to the brand’s popularity and reliability.
But there is more to the picture. Smart rings can do all the smart things that a smartwatch can do, such as activity tracking, calorie counting, heart rate monitoring, sleep analysis, phone charging, music playback control, and more.
They are comfortable and smart to wear. I have a hard time wearing a smartwatch that’s too big to track my sleep, but it’s easy to wear just the same. UltraHuman wisdom ring. Also, they are not as confusing as a smartwatchespecially with the amount of information on the smartwatch screen.
Research in the smartwatch segment also has positive results. Scientific research published in Sleep magazinewhich tested the Oura ring, said that these wearables “can be used to make models of when people sleep when they wake up as if they were sleeping.”
Additional research published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that with some modifications, a device like the Oura smart ring could also assist certified medical personnel in providing critical care such as CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to help people in emergencies.
Also research Regarding the analysis of sweat lactate it shows that it can be an important indicator in the evaluation of the performance of sports. Again, smart rings can give you a better option. It will be interesting to see if Samsung can use its resources and years of research to make the Galaxy Ring worth buying, assuming it becomes a real product after testing.


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Vodafone has announced that it will be joining Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica, and Telia Company to launch a new Eco Rating scheme for smartphones and feature phones that will come to Europe from June and will rate phones from 12 vendors based on their environmental impact.
According to Vodafone, the 12 mobile phone brands that will be assessed by the Eco Rating initiative initially are Bullitt Group (behind CAT and Motorola rugged phones), Doro, HMD Global (maker of Nokia phones), Huawei, MobiWire, Motorola / Lenovo, OnePlus, OPPO, Samsung Electronics, TCL / Alcatel, Xiaomi, and ZTE.
The new scheme will rate devices based on five factors:
- Durability – Covers the robustness of the device, the battery life and the guarantee period of the device and its components.
- Repairability – Covers the ease with which the device can be repaired, including mobile phone design and supporting activities that could increase the useful life of the product by improving its repairability, reusability and upgradability potential. A higher the score indicates how these aspects are supported.
- Recyclability – Covers how well the device components can be recovered and disassembled, the provided information to allow it, and how well its materials can be recycled.
- Climate efficiency – Assesses the GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions during the whole life cycle; the better the score here, the higher the contribution to climate protection.
- Resource efficiency – Assesses the impact caused by the amount of scarce raw materials required by the device (e.g. gold for the manufacturing of electronic components) towards the resources depletion; the better the score here, the lower the impact is towards the availability of materials.
The heads of the five mobile operators behind the initiative explained in a statement that now is the right time for a harmonised eco rating scheme to help customers learn which devices are best for the environment. They also said that they look forward to welcoming more phone manufacturers into the scheme and they hope it accelerates the industry’s transition to a circular model where phones are used for longer before they're recycled for their materials.


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The question: How does M&M stack up against competition? The person answering: The chairman himself. “We’re marathon runners...like our vehicles. Never underestimate us,” says Anand Mahindra. The context: The opportunity in one of the next frontiers of automobiles, electric vehicles (EVs), where M&M is distinctly a first mover but where competition of all hues — from Elon Musk’s Tesla to homegrown startups — is a charging point away.
Mahindra Electric, which makes models such as the eVerito and e20, sells some 100 EVs every month. That’s a small start, but an ideal launching pad for the opportunity ahead to scale up volumes.
Consider: The government will soon float tenders for battery swapping and charging stations, as well as battery and cell manufacturing, in its bid to achieve power minister Piyush Goyal’s dream of having only electric cars on Indian streets by 2030. Early this month, the stateowned Energy Efficiency Services (EESL) invited global bids for 10,000 electric sedans that will run up to 150 km on a single charge.
“Whether the future will come in one year, five years, 10 years or 15 is not certain, but it will happen. No automaker can ignore EVs,” says Pawan Goenka, managing director, M&M
EVOLUTION OF THE EV
Rate of EV adaptation will depend on battery prices coming down, driving range going up, charging infrastructure coming up, more and more automakers launching multiple EV models, aggregators realising the value of EVs in their fleet, government incentives continuing and on te government catalysing the use of EVs, Goenka said. “We were perhaps ahead of our times in bringing EVs to the country when the market was not quite ready. As volumes pick up, we will be ahead of others with reliable and affordable vehicles.”
Mahindra is also working on swappable batteries, where charging stations can replace smaller batteries appropriate for buses and three-wheelers. Currently, batteries are more of the entry-level 48V and 72V variety, which will be increased to 380V and 650V. M&M will launch the high-end powertrain, 380 volts-plus, in the higher end range of cars, said Goenka.
Through joint ventures and licence agreements, these batteries can be sold to other potential manufacturers in the EV space. Goenka expects to sell 5,000 vehicles in 18-24 months, from the current levels of 100 a month. M&M has invested about `500 crore in the EV business and recently committed an additional `600 crore for the next two to three years. It currently imports cells, packages them into a battery and fits it on to the vehicles.
“The first-mover advantage lies less in the technology, which is constantly evolving, and more in the data we have collected. Right from the first customer of Reva, we have information on driving patterns and driver behaviour and requirements that is worth its weight in gold,” explains Mahindra.
M&M is conducting pilots with online cab aggregator Ola while corporate EV fleets in Delhi and Bengaluru are being conducted for better understanding and technical and commercial viability. Over eight to 10 years, taxi aggregators will be all EVs, as it makes more
economic and environment sense for cities, reckons Goenka. It’s not just M&M responding in a big way to the government’s 2030 vision. A transport ministry official requesting anonymity said more than 30 auto companies are working on different kinds of EV projects.
Tata Motors, in collaboration with its UK subsidiary Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC), has been working on an electric Tata Tiago, which is expected to borrow heavily from the Bolt BEV, the electric version of the Bolt. The Tiago could be the first passenger car from the domestic auto major to have an electric motor, say sources close to the project.
The auto major is also testing electric commercial vehicles and has started test drives for the first batch of electric buses under the Marcopolo brand in Shimla. It’s also considering an electric version of the Nano as otherwise the small car is no longer viable.
Bajaj Auto is working on electric three-wheelers as part of its EV strategy. Nissan – which along with alliance partner Renault is “the worldwide leader” in EVs, according to chairman Carlos Ghosn — will undertake a pilot project in partnership with government bodies and the private sector players to assess the viability of EVs in India.
The best-selling five-door hatchback Nissan LEAF will figure in this plan. Nissan LEAF has sold over 270,000 units globally, says Arun Malhotra, managing director, Nissan Motor India (NMIPL).
For several months in 2017, the best-selling car in Japan was the Nissan Note ePower, an EV with LEAF technology and a small, highly-efficient petrol motor that charges the battery from inside. “So you don’t need any external charging infrastructure. We believe the ePower could be a fantastic gateway to accelerate the path to 100% EVs for India,” says Malhotra.
Hero Electric, which has been selling electric scooters for eight years now, feels traction for EVs is increasing. “EVs are catching on now because of reducing lithium battery prices and increased subsidies,” says Sohinder Gill, global CEO, Hero Electric. For instance, there is a subsidy of Rs 17,000 for Hero’s 250 watt lithium battery scooter, and of 22,000 for the 1200 watt lithium battery model, explains Gill.
Electric scooters with portable lithium batteries have a substantial advantage over the lead battery ones. These include easy and fast charging, low running costs, reduced maintenance and reliability. This, says Gill, is making such models an option worth considering for a two-wheeler buyer.
The 12% GST on EVs, combined with a Rs 1 lakh benefit under FAME (Faster Adoption & Manufacturing of EVs) scheme and a road tax waiver in some states, has come as a big relief for manufacturers of clean energy vehicles. Meanwhile, the falling cost of both solar power and energy storage in the form of lithium ion batteries (LiBs) is also driving adoption. This shift is being driven by government policy and technological advancements and this disruption has already impacted industries in the US, Europe and China. Globally EV sales have risen eight times in the US and 66 times in China since 2011; this is attributed to falling LiB costs (battery costs have fallen by more than 80% since 2008 while battery density has increased more than five times over the same period) and a move towards cleaner fuel, according to a recent Ambit Capital report.
It’s not just carmakers who are exploring EV opportunities. The Sajjan Jindal-led JSW group, which has power, steel and mining operations, will diversify into EVs; it aims to roll out its first such vehicle by 2020. JSW Energy will manufacture EVs, electrical batteries and energy storage systems and charging infrastructure. It is scouting for a technology partner in EV space, as well as for a supplier for the electric powertrain. Stanford economist Tony Seba recently published a futuristic forecast of a potential doomsday scenario for a number of traditional industries that use petroleum and coal as a source of energy. Specifically, he said no more petrol or diesel cars, buses or trucks will be sold anywhere in the world in eight years.
The entire market for land transport will switch to electrification, leading to a collapse of all prices and demise of the petroleum industry. Such predictions are just the impetus the EV sector needs, along with rapid technological progress. For instance, the moving parts in an EV are much lower than in a conventional car. Seba claims in his report that an internal combustion engine drivetrain contains about 2,000 parts, while for an EV it’s just 20. The Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles estimates 20,000 electric two-wheelers and 2,000 electric cars were sold in fiscal 2016.
That’s less than 1% of total annual vehicle sales. High capital costs — battery costs account for 30% — lack of charging infrastructure and the fear of running out of battery are some factors in the way of mass adoption. All that, however, will change sooner than later. As Mahindra, the eternal optimist, puts it in the M&M context, “It’s a seamless evolution of our core mobility business.”
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India is set to be included in US financial services firm JP Morgan’s Government Bond Index-Emerging Markets (GBI-EM) global index suite, bringing years of negotiations with the Indian government to an end and paving the way for more than $20 billion of stable dollar inflows into the country’s sovereign debt market.‘Big Tech Cos Must Comply with New Data Law in 6 Mths’
Large technology firms, which already comply with global privacy laws such as European GDPR will be given six months to comply with the new Data Act, said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, minister of state for electronics and IT.Import Curbs on Laptops, Tablets likely Called Off
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Despite a significant drop in diesel prices this week, this is unlikely to translate to lower food prices on store shelves in South Africa, says Niel Roets, CEO of Debt Rescue.
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy announced a steep drop in the price of diesel between R1.52 and R1.57 a litre for December, on the back of global oil prices plunging to their lowest levels since 2021 in November and a strengthening of the rand against the US dollar.
While the drop is certainly welcome after months of sharp hikes, Roets said that there is very little to celebrate as the drop is tempered by yet another hike in the price of both 93 and 95 unleaded petrol of 59c a litre.
As the country heads into the festive season, questions are being raised as to whether consumers will see a corresponding drop in food prices to provide some relief over the Christmas period.
However, this is “not likely,” Roets said, as previous drops in fuel prices during the year did not see a subsequent drop in food prices either. In fact, food price inflation went the opposite direction, climbing to 12% in October.
“It is distressing that the price of staple foods and drinks like milk, bread and maize just keep on climbing, despite the relief at the pumps for diesel-driven vehicles,” Roets said.
This is substantiated by the latest Household Affordability Index by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity group (PMBEJD), which shows that the price of staple foods in South Africa continued to rise in November. According to the PMBEJD, times are going to get tougher for consumers.
The PMBEJD basket comprises 44 core food items most frequently purchased by lower-income households, who make up most households in the country.
The group’s basket of nutritional foods came to R4,835.96 up by R48.13 (1%), from R4,787.83 in October 2022, and up R563.52 (13.2%), from R4,272.44 in November 2021.
The year-on-year increase outstrips headline inflation by quite a considerable margin, and even food inflation tracked by Statistics South Africa. Headline inflation was recorded at 7.6% in October 2022, up marginally from 7.5% in September 2022.
According to Stats SA, bread & cereals, meat and dairy are currently driving food prices higher in South Africa. This also reflects within the PMBEJD’s data, which shows milk prices up 12%, bread prices up a staggering 20% and meat prices up between 6% and 16%.
“These are all foods that families need most to ensure nutritional needs are met,” said Roets.
The PMBEJD noted that although petrol prices dropped in previous months, no corresponding drop in food prices was made at the retail level.
“We are sitting on a ticking time bomb, with over 20 million people across the country currently going to bed hungry every night. We simply cannot let this trajectory continue into 2023. The right decisions need to be made – and soon – by our major food retailers and other parties who play a role in determining food prices,” Roets said.
On top of escalating food prices, Roets noted that the petrol price hike will also inevitably lead to an increase in public transport costs and for millions of working-class citizens.
“This means their once-a-year trip to visit their families is no longer on the cards. The reality is that fuel price hikes have a knock-on effect on food prices, and these price increases come at a time when families are battling to put three nutritional meals on the table, let alone a little extra to celebrate the holidays,” he said.
The CEO said that the latest petrol price hike will almost certainly lead to South Africans leaning even more heavily on their credit and store cards to be able to celebrate the festive season in some kind of way.
“For many this will simply mean putting enough food on the table,” he said.


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Tour operators get blocks for a flight to Montpellier
This summer, Ural Airlines will launch a new flight from Moscow to the French city of Montpellier. For the new flights, tour operators are already forming offers, including a beach holiday.
Ural Airlines will significantly expand its presence on the French market this year. The new flight to Montpellier in south-west France will be added to the planned flights from Moscow (Domodedovo) to Bordeaux and from Zhukovsky to Nice and Paris.
Start of the program is scheduled for June 2. The flights will be performed by Airbus A320 with business (12 seats) and economy class (150 seats). The flight frequency is 3 times a week on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays with a convenient departure time - at 9:30 am.
Marianna Galagura, the head of the international cooperation development and sales service of charter flights of Ural Airlines, about this.
The representative of the airline drew attention to the fact that ticket prices are at an adequate level, including due to the possibility of tourists to use economical baggage fares. Currently RT tickets are available at a price of 16.5 thousand Rubles (230 Euros). According to Ms. Galagura, more than 2 thousand tickets have already been booked for flights to Montpellier.
ISC Travel Group, Vedi Tour Group, PAC Group, Europort and a number of other companies have already become one of the first tour operators which took small blocks of seats of the flights. According to the representatives of tour operators, the demand for the destination is good.
The prospects of the flight are optimistic are also. Anna Ovcharenko, the head of PAC Group tour operator, recalled that in the PAC Group assortment there is already a regular excursion program to this region in a mini-group (up to 8 people with a driver-guide. “In addition to excursion programs, we are also preparing a proposal for a vacation at sea for new flights,” said the company expert.


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Sysco Corporation (NYSE:SYY) has reported financial results for its 14-week fiscal fourth quarter and 53-week fiscal year 2010 ended July 3, 2010.
Fourth quarter 2010 sales were $10.3 billion, a gain of 13.9% from $9.1 billion in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009. When adjusted to a 13-week basis, sales in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 were up 5.8% compared with the prior year period. Net earnings for the fourth quarter were $338 million, an increase of $22 million, or 7.1%. Operating income was $584 million, an increase of 8.1% versus $540 million in 2009’s fourth quarter. When adjusted to a 13-week basis, operating income in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 rose 0.4% compared with the prior-year period.
For fiscal 2010, sales of $37.2 billion were 1.1% higher than the $36.9 billion in the prior year. When adjusted to a 52-week basis, sales in fiscal 2010 declined 0.9% versus the prior year. Net earnings for fiscal 2010 were $1.2 billion, an increase of $124 million, or 11.7%, compared with the prior year. Operating income was $2.0 billion, an increase of 5.5% in contrast to $1.9 billion in the prior year. When adjusted to a 52-week basis, operating income in fiscal 2010 climbed 3.3% versus the prior-year period.
“I am pleased and appreciative of the solid financial results our associates produced this past year,” said Bill DeLaney, Sysco’s president and chief executive officer. “Volume trends improved as the year progressed, and we executed at a high level both in supporting our customers and improving productivity in all aspects of our business. While the extent, pace, and consistency of the economic recovery are not clear, the foundation of Sysco’s business is strong, and we are well-positioned to capitalize on opportunities that materialize as we move forward.”


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Diageo's decision to partner with Vietnam's local spirits hero, Hanoi Liquor Joint Stock Co, looks like a shrewd move, even if the financial...
Shares in Huiyuan Juice Group rose by 8% on Thursday (29 July) – the most in almost two months – after Groupe Danone agreed to sell its stak...
The Hangzhou Wahaha Group has announced a three-year sponsorship tie-up with Manchester United.
The Hangzhou Wahaha Group has said it will look at global acquisitions in a bid to expand overseas, according to reports.
The Bank of China has signed an agreement to lend the Hangzhou Wahaha Group (CNY10bn) US$1.56bn, according to a report.
Hangzhou Wahaha Group is to consider a public listing alongside its plans to launch a hypermarket chain this year, according to reports.
Hangzhou Wahaha Group founder Zong Qinghou is to venture into retailing, partly to expand his company's drinks distribution, according to reports.
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Detroit Electric's SP:01 is a pure electric car that boasts a 180-mile range and a high price.
The Nokia C6-01 is the affordable end of its new Symbian 3 phones, but that doesn't mean it skimps on features -- Nokia's packed them into this cheap smart phone.
Nokia's readying to drown you in a sea of smart phones, with the C6 already out, the C7 coming and the N8 and N9 top come. Now we have more details on the C6-01
The Finnish manufacturer is targeting the hard-up with its cheapest 3G phone, the C2-01. It's also chasing social-networking fiends' cash with the X2-01.
Analyst says 20 percent drop in Web giant's share price over the past month has made the stock "fairly valued."
Equity researcher says deal won't protect Google from litigation and could hurt growth and financials. S&P lowers shares' price target by $200 and changes rating from "buy" to "sell."
Another C-series phone is released by Nokia, with a few extra features hidden under the bonnet that you might not expect, such as a 5-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi and 3G.
CNET's Sharon Vaknin takes a First Look at the Vizio XVT3D6SP at CES 2011 in Las Vegas.
Download a free MP3 of "Adoro te devote - Spanish - v.01" courtesy of CNET Download Music.
Utilities Updates: MacScan X 2.0b; Skype 184.108.40.206; Temperature Monitor 3.01; Hardware Monitor 3.01; more


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Early reaction to the rise of the sharing economy, where buyers and sellers match up online, was that it was a “socialist, hippie” kind of thing, business consultant Rachel Botsman told association executives in her opening keynote at digitalNow 2015, held May 28-30 at the Walt Disney World Swan Resort.
But the explosive growth and financial success of companies like Airbnb and Uber have proved otherwise —Airbnb is now the largest hotelier in the world, noted Botsman, author of What’s Mine is Yours: How Collaborative Consumption Is Changing The Way We Live. Airbnb, Lyft, and Uber aren’t anomalies, Botsman said, but illustrate a profound, technology-enabled shift that will disrupt many more industry sectors, including banking and healthcare.
Companies are succeeding by thinking differently about assets and using digital platforms to gather people together around them, she said. In the collaborative consumption model, technology creates, not marketplaces, but connected communities where, Botsman said, “the new currency is trust between strangers.”
Seamlessness counts, too. Another key to their success, Botsman said, is that they simplify complex experiences, using online networks to get things done with more efficiency and ease. Their models have relevance to associations and challenge leaders to think differently about how they think about their assets and define their value.
Reaction to her message at the conference was mixed, Botsman said in an interview with Convene following her talk. “Some people are confused. Some people are angry. Some people are saying, ‘Oh, we do all that already’ — they’re defensive. And some people are just excited and energized.”
Leaders who are embracing the change, rather than ignoring it or fighting it, “realize that this is a lens to get their organization thinking differently about creating value,” she said. “A lot of leaders have talked about how it can actually inject a humility back into the organization — humility that maybe we don’t have all the answers.”


text: It's a good day to be a Toys"R"Us kid. The former toy store giant is opening a flagship store in the American Dream mall in New Jersey with plans to expand around the country, per a release from their parent company WHP Global. This marks a resurgence in the brand since Toys"R"Us filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2017 and closed all stores the next year. "The Toys"R"Us brand is big and growing fast," Yehuda Shmidman, WHP Global and Toys"R"Us Chairman and CEO said in a statement on Wednesday. "Today we have over 900 stores and e-commerce sites operating across 25 countries outside the USA, and now our USA expansion plans are in high gear, propelling us into the next chapter of growth for our global brand." This announcement comes hand-in-hand with an earlier announcement that Toys"R"Us is partnering with Macy's. The two companies have already launched an online store just in time for the holiday season and plan to roll out Toys"R"Us shop-in-shops in 400 Macy's department stores over the next year.\u00a0 \u201cAs a Toys"R"Us kid, I could not be more excited to bring this beloved brand that so many of our customers know and love into Macy\u2019s online and to our stores across America,\u201d Nata Dvir, Macy\u2019s chief merchandising officer said in a statement. The shop-in-shops will be complete with a variety of toys organized by age, type and interest and visitors will be welcomed by Geoffrey the Giraffe, the iconic Toys"R"Us mascot. WHP Global acquired the controlling stake in Toys"R"Us earlier this year and has since increased its online presence through its partnership with Macy's and investment into its own online website, ToysRUs.com.


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In addition to expanding its reach to more cities, Ather Energy is working on a more affordable electric scooter. A report in Autocar India claims that this new scooter will be priced close to traditional 125 cc petrol driven automatic scooters.
India is the largest two-wheeler market in the world but China leads the path in the electrification of two-wheelers. The major obstacle in this has been the range and high upfront cost. While modern technology and lithium-ion batteries have helped in increasing the range, the cost of these vehicles is still very high. The most affordable electric scooter by Ather Energy is the Ather 340 at INR 1.13 lakhs. That’s almost twice the amount of a 125cc scooter like the Grazia or NTorq. A more affordable scooter will help Ather attract a wider audience and help increase sales. The introduction of the FAME II subsidy by the central government will go a long way in making this possible. With the government going all guns blazing with its electrification plans, it is only a matter of time when even state governments start offering subsidies.
However, Ather Energy will still have to undergo severe cost-cutting to make the new scooter affordable. The report further adds that the company will not be making any major changes to the powertrain. The new scooter will have a similar range to the existing models. To give you an idea, the Ather 450's electric motor produces 5.4 kW of power and 20.5 Nm of torque. It accelerates from 0 to 40 km/h in just 3.9 seconds, before reaching a top speed of 80 km/h. This scooter's 2.4 kWh Lithium-ion battery offers a range of 75 km (Eco Mode: On)/60 km (Eco Mode: Off) on a full charge. The battery is IP67 certified for water and dust resistance and supports fast charging.
Ather Energy aims to hit a sales target of 1 lakh units by June 2021. The new affordable scooter would be able to help them achieve this target. Significant investments will also go into the expansion of retail points and charging stations. The company is also working on an electric motorcycle that is expected to hit the market in 2021.


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The consortium, led by India’s largest bank State Bank of India Ltd and ICICI Ltd, has agreed to dispense shares of Essar Oil to facilitate closure of the stake sale to Rosneft and the investment consortium led by Trafigura and UCP, sources told Sputnik.
Deal was signed during the bilateral summit between India and Russia in Goa last October. Essar Global had decided to sell its stake after the company was struggling to pay the debt of its refining and retailing oil business. According to the agreement signed last year, Rosneft will take a 49% stake in Essar Oil, which controls India’s second-largest oil refinery, while Russian investment group United Capital Partners and commodities trader Trafigura will take 24.5% each. Rosneft acquires 49% of the Vadinar refinery, one of the most sophisticated refinery in the Asia-Pacific region, possessing a complex infrastructure. The deal will pave the entry of Rosneft into India’s retail market as it will also own a vast network of 2,700 Essar-branded retail outlets across India.
Sources close to the consortium said that approval comes after Essar Global had assured that company would invest a part of the proceeds of deal in Essar Steel, which is one of the largest debt-ridden companies of India. Life Insurance Corporation of India, according to sources, has also given its approval for the transaction.


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This year has brought us countless MAC collaborations, from Nicki Minaj to Rossy de Palma. Now, it looks like 2018 will be another year of exciting launches, starting with a newly announced Puma project.
"Your favorite hues take a big step in a whole new direction! Stay tuned for a kickin' collaboration, coming soon. #PumaxMAC #ForAllTime," MAC wrote on Instagram Nov. 4. The teaser video was simply black and white with a silhouette of a sneaker and both MAC's and Puma's logos.
There's no further info for now, so all we're left to do is speculate what this collaboration could be. A clothing/makeup collection combo? A new palette? Sweat-proof makeup for working out like we've been seeing lately? The possibilities are endless.
We at least know the surprising pair already have one thing in common: Rihanna. In 2014, the music and fashion icon became Puma's creative director for women's collections. She has since made Fenty Puma by Rihanna one of the most talked-about collections and shows of Fashion Week. Meanwhile, MAC collaborated with Rihanna back in 2013 on several product launches (who is still obsessed with the discontinued Riri Woo lipstick shade?). Rihanna, of course, has gone on to launch her own makeup collection with Fenty Beauty.
All we're saying is great minds think alike. And Puma and MAC teaming up isn't only more of a good thing, it's the best thing.
That's not all to look forward to from MAC next year, either — Aaliyah collection, anyone? Needless to say, get your wallets ready.


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Apple's development timeline is fast-paced and could change, according to the sources. Apple has reportedly declined to comment. Apple plans to give its device all the hardware it needs to operate without a phone. The tech giant has certainly been ramping up its work in the AR space over the previous year.
A look at Apple's AR capabilities on iOS 11. As expected, Apple will be using its own SoC design to power the headset, rather than relying on a third-party to make a chip that meets its requirements/expectations. Apple has been invested in AR for the past couple of years, starting with the formation of a team dedicated to AR projects. Apple will use the interim time to get consumers familiar with augmented reality using ARKit on the iPhone. Apple CEO Tim Cook has been outspoken about his excitement for the technology.
"We're already seeing things that will transform the way you work, play, connect and learn". The virtual reality headsets that are presently on the market use the smartphone as the engine and screen. This in-house chip is similar to the concept of "system-on-a-package" that can be seen in the Apple Watch. The new OS, meanwhile, is dubbed "rOS" for "reality operating system" and is based on iOS.
It is not yet known how users will control or interact with the AR projections, but Apple is reportedly experimenting with head gestures, Gear VR-style touch panel input, and Siri voice commands, among others. In addition, Apple is also prototyping applications, which include AR versions of existing Apple apps like Maps and Messages and new apps like a virtual meeting room and 360-degree video playback. "As such, this is why so many players like Apple, Google, and Facebook, are looking very closely at augmented reality".
Maple Leafs cautious with Matthews' injury, in 'holding pattern'
Auston Matthews was absent from the ice Tuesday morning as the Leafs practised following their win Monday over Las Vegas. Gauthier, 22, scored two goals and posted one assist in 21 games with the Maple Leafs last season.
So saysBloomberg, which claims that the firm is in the process of "ramping up" its plans to launch an AR device which would take on rival products from the likes of Microsoft, Facebook's Oculus and HTC. Aetna workers are co-located at Apple's offices in Cupertino, he said, as the company looks to have a variety of apps ready in time for the January 1 start of the Apple Watch pilot program. Multiple challenges remain unsolved, including designing a wireless device that can display AR visuals for long enough without depleting the battery.
This is likely why the company introduced the ARKit when it did.
Microsoft's HoloLens is the most high-profile AR headset, though it is yet to go on sale to consumers.


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Almost Poetry Month
Publishersweekly.com has a nice story on National Poetry Month.
It\'s been five years since the Academy of American Poets designated April National Poetry Month, and this year\'s month-long literary celebration and marketing frenzy will feature more promotions, readings and bookstore events than ever.Moviegoers in 1,800 Loews Cineplex theaters will see an NPM promotion; American Airlines will help distribute 100,000 volumes of poetry; and the academy\'s Poetry Book Club is ready to launch on the Web after a year of test marketing.
\"Each year, there\'s something new,\" said Bill Wadsworth, executive director of the academy. \"National Poetry Month has become part of the general culture. More poetry books are being published. More readings are taking place. It provides an opportunity for Americans of all ages to learn more about the vitality and variety of our contemporary poetry.\"
Indeed, Wadsworth pointed to \"an explosion of poetry on the Internet,\" happily citing a recent poll of the 50 most popular topics on Lycos.com, the Web search engine portal; poetry, Wadsworth proudly told PW, came in eighth--behind Pamela Anderson and wrestling but ahead of marijuana and the Bible. Web portal Yahoo! will provide ad banners for NPM for the month that will link to the academy\'s Web site (www.poets.org), which Wadsworth said gets four million hits a month.


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The good folks over at Amazon are always evolving and always looking to make our user experience a little easier. Amazon is back with a new way to stop counterfeit goods, doing so with a new initiative dubbed “Project Zero.” The program will use a series of “technological tools and cooperation with brand manufacturers” to remove listings from sellers with fake goods. Amazon will roll out the feature on an “invite-only” basis before expanding. The project will give the tech giant the ability to filter out the counterfeits, but would also allow brands to directly remove imitation listings through a new self-service counterfeit removal tool. Amazon will also implement a “product serialization” service will be added, providing a unique code for every unit that is manufactured. The company released a statement regarding “Project Zero.”
Amazon stated: “Previously, brands would need to report a counterfeit to Amazon, and we would then investigate these reports and take action. With Project Zero, brands no longer need to contact us to remove a counterfeit listing. Instead, they can do so, quickly and easily, using our new self-service tool.” The statement added: “Our aim is that customers always receive authentic goods when shopping on Amazon. Project Zero builds on our long-standing work and investments in this area. It allows brands to work with us to leverage our combined strengths to move quickly and at scale to drive counterfeits to zero.”
According to Amazon early test have stopped 100 times more suspected counterfeit products as compared to what was reactively removed based on reports. Companies kicking off Project Zero include Vera Bradley, Kenu, Thunderworks, and others. Give us your thoughts on the news from Amazon in the comments below and stay tuned for much more on this coming very soon.


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New Nissan showroom opens
A very special customer did the business when she opened the new Crayford and Abbs full Nissan main dealer showroom at Bodham, near Holt.
Pat McIntosh has bought 24 Nissans over the past 40 years and been dealing with Kevin Abbs from when he used to work at former Nissan dealership Coredale in Cromer.
Dealer principal Kevin said she had now ordered her 25th car – one of the first sold by the new Nissan main dealership which has brought the brand back to North Norfolk after a six-year absence.
The opening of the modern, seven-car showroom was attended by 50 long-standing and loyal customers and Nissan management.
Kevin also praised the loyalty of his staff and said he would not have been able to expand the business and taken on the Nissan main dealership status without their support.
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Crayford and Abbs had been given the Nissan aftersales franchise 18 months ago and has been a Nissan specialist since opening its first garage at Mundesley eight years. The Bodham site opened five years ago.
The business now has 21 staff – 14 at Bodham and seven at Mundesley – several with many years of Nissan experience.
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