text:
The government is also firmly backing its four slab-GST structure as it feels it’s the most appropriate system for a country where indirect taxes contribute a big percentage of the exchequer’s revenue and where tax rates on mass consumption items should remain low.
The proposed tax structure has been criticised for being complicated and one that defeats the purpose of a single neat GST while the cess is seen as distortionary and one that would lead to cascading of taxes.
The GST Council, the apex body on the new tax regime, will meet again on November 3-4 to freeze the tax rate. The government is confident that consensus on the cess and the slabs will be arrived at in this meeting.
The government is targeting a Rs 50,000-crore corpus to fund states for any loss of revenue under GST and has proposed a cess on luxury and sin goods for this purpose.
The benefit of the cess is that it would entirely accrue to the Centre and could then be distributed to states.
The other option, backed by some states and experts, is to raise the highest tax rate instead as cess would cause cascading of taxes and would distort the GST. But, under this route, to create the Rs50,000-crore fund, the government estimated it would have to raise revenues of over Rs1.7 lakh crore from tax paying consumers.
This is because of two reasons — 42% devolution out of Centre’s taxes to states under the Fourteenth Finance Commission and sharing of GST.
In order to retain Rs50,000 crore in the compensation fund, the centre would need about Rs86,000 crore in additional tax before 42% devolution to states.
The NITI Aayog has also defended the cess despite its shortcomings in that there would not be input tax credit and said that it would anyway be temporary, as it would compensate the states for loss of revenue in the first five years of GST.
Former finance minister P Chidambaram has criticised the proposed multiple rates. “A well designed GST is expected to have standard rate, plus and minus standard rate.
That latitude interpreted to me as multiple rate — zero to 100 — that's not GST. That is simply existing VAT rates in a new shape, old wine in a new bottle,” he had said.
But the government is keen to press ahead with the four slab structure for GST, as it believes this is the best way of ensuring against revenue loss, while at the same time protecting consumers.
Under the proposed structure, some goods will be exempted from GST while others will be levied 6%, 12%, 18% and 26% rate.
The government expects goods taxed at 6% to account for 7.08% of tax base, the 12% slab to account for 28.3%, the 18% slab to account for 31.04% and the highest 26% rate to account for 24.8% of total revenue. Gold taxed at 4% will get the balance 8.7%.
European countries too have multiple levies and if one takes into account the differential VAT rates for tobacco and alcohol, most of these countries effectively have four rates.
- Front page
- Pure Politics
- RIL Stakeholders to Meet on May 2 for Fin Ops Demerger
Reliance Industries (RIL) took a step further towards spinning off its non-bank lending and financial services units, and listing the demerged businesses separately on the stock exchanges as Jio Financial Services.Sanofi Looks to Spin Off its Consumer Biz in India
“As a matter of principle and policy, we do not comment on any media speculation or on market rumours,” said a Sanofi India spokesperson.‘Ola Preparing for World without Any Subsidies’
Ola Electric founder and chief executive Bhavish Aggarwal said his company is preparing for a world without incentives and subsidies, as it aggressively pursues its growth plans and scales up investment.
Read More News on
Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
ETPrime stories of the day
7 mins read
3 mins read
8 mins read


text:
Beginning June 7, UHD Sports & Fitness will begin offering a variety of online and in-person summer fitness classes for UHD staff, faculty and students. The new summer schedule runs through July 31.
Courses offered this summer include:
- Butts N’ Guts
- Gator Gainz
- Ultimate Results
For more information on classes, visit UHD Sports & Fitness.

domain: news


text:
Port Solent’s Sunday Waterside Market returns6 July 2020
Port Solent’s popular Sunday Waterside Market is making a return from 12 July 2020 following its suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visitors can enjoy walking through stalls of beautiful home furnishings, quirky gifts, stylish jewellery and impressive homemade crafts on the second Sunday of every month from 11am-5pm....Read more
Port Solent brings the holiday to you as it reopens restaurants and bars24 June 2020
Going on holiday might not be top of your list for 2020 anymore, but Port Solent is bringing the holiday feeling to you as it reopens many bars and restaurants following the site’s closure during COVID-19.
Within just a few footsteps, visitors to the waterside leisure destination can sample flavours from Brazil, USA, Italy,...Read more
Port Solent COVID-19 Update16 June 2020
In line with government guidelines, our retail outlets are now able to open to customers. We would advise calling the shops directly to ensure they are open prior to making your journey.
We are getting ready to reopen our restaurants and bars, and as soon as it is confirmed by the government that...Read more
COVID-19 UPDATE20 March 2020
Due to the government guidelines on social distancing, we have closed the Boardwalk and cancelled all events for the foreseeable future. We feel we need to do our bit to help reduce the spread of this terrible virus and keep the public and our staff as safe and healthy as possible.
We strive to keep our customers happy and we...Read more
Award-winning Comic Con to return to Port Solent in June 2020
Port Solent’s award-winning Comic Con event has been announced to make a return in 2020, in response to unprecedented demand.Read more


text:
Last updated on September 19th, 2022 at 09:30 am
Earlier this year when the pandemic began to take hold in the U.S., IGA postponed its annual IGA Global Rally with plans to reschedule for the fall. With COVID-19 continuing to spread, stores still stressed with increased volume, out of stocks and labor shortages and the safety of travel still in question, IGA has made the decision to host a virtual rally on Nov. 10 and schedule a traditional, in-person IGA Global Rally in 2021.
This offers a unique opportunity to explore how shopper behaviors have changed as a result of COVID, the ways those changes are benefitting independent retailers and how IGA can help you earn – and keep – new shoppers and sales that have come your way since COVID.
Seizing the opportunity
While nothing can replace the value of having the IGA family from around the globe join together in person, there are some benefits to a virtual rally beyond keeping attendees safe.
“When we started the conversation about hosting a virtual event, the big question was, ‘How do we keep this interesting and provide value to our attendees?’” said IGA CEO John Ross. “Now that we’re diving into it, we’re realizing we need to hold some big things for our in-person event next year – like our memorial for Dr. Tom and honoring our award winners – but the business session content doesn’t have to wait, and it’s probably more important this year than ever before. Having a virtual event gives us the flexibility to show rather than tell what we’ve learned about taking care of shoppers as a result of COVID, and in some ways that’s going to make it an even more engaging experience than it would be in person.”
Keeping in mind that store owners and associates are more stressed for time than ever before, the virtual rally condenses what would normally be a multi-day event into five hours of need-to-know content, all coming to you live on location from Fairvalue IGA, a newly remodeled store in Lenoir, North Carolina. And the store isn’t just a backdrop – throughout the day viewers will see IGA programs in action within the store.
“I couldn’t be prouder to do this from a store that has embraced all things IGA, from Local Equals Fresh branding to the National Digital Ad 2.0 and everything in between,” Ross said. “Because people can actually see our programs at work in the store, I think people will walk away with better context for how those same programs can work for their store.”
Fairvalue IGA Owner Shawn Yambor has consented to allow the broadcast from his store in Lenoir and share some of his experiences in working with the IGA program. Additionally, using a Zoom-call approach, a number of other retailers will participate virtually, showcasing their experiences and best practices in areas like e-commerce, IGA Exclusive Brands and localization of the National Digital Ad.
“When we talked to our National Retailer Advisory Board about this event, their No. 1 priority was that we hear from IGA retailers,” Ross said. “This format allows us to do that in a way we’ve never done before.”
Another important opportunity? Anyone who wants to attend can do so at no cost.
“We’re really excited to be able to reach down into our partner companies and the stores both domestically and globally and engage people who wouldn’t normally have an opportunity to attend a rally, but we’re also excited to get our message out beyond our members,” Ross said. “IGA has a lot to offer right now, and we’re opening the door to anyone and everyone who wants to learn more about the largest group of independent retailers in the world and the brand that supports them. If your business involves grocery retail, this rally is going to benefit you.”
The pandemic has changed so much about the way grocers do business – and also about the way shoppers behave. The IGA virtual rally agenda will provide a deep dive into those behaviors, offer insights into what’s coming next, and provide realistic, tactical ideas for how you can continue to capture increased sales throughout the pandemic and beyond.
“When shopper confidence is low, they retreat to the safe and familiar. In this case, that’s been great news for our local community stores,” Ross says. “Who we are and what we do is more important to shoppers than ever before, and we’ve been given the gift of increased sales because of it. Now, it’s up to us to earn and keep those sales by reinvesting in new programs, services, and ways to tell your local story. This rally provides the blueprint for earning and keeping our sales advantage as we face the uncertainty of the fall and winter, and move into the new normal in the New Year.”
Review the agenda below to learn more about the virtual rally and what you’ll experience during the event.
IGA Global Rally 2020 Virtual Conference Agenda
Sustaining growth beyond COVID
John Ross, president and CEO, IGA Inc. – IGA CEO John Ross shares insights about how COVID-19 has changed shopper behavior with a shift toward local community stores, the lasting impact it will have on our business and the next generation of shoppers, and what we can do to earn and keep the sales we’ve gained through COVID and beyond.
Digital media: is it finally time to let go of the weekly circular?
Heidi Huff, senior director of Red Oval Partnerships, IGA USA; Sarah Rivers, senior manager of program development, IGA USA; and Bob Rybick, president and CEO, Geissler’s Supermarkets – Learn how National Digital Ad 2.0’s new rich media functionality, local ad customization and geo-targeted ad structure are helping independent retailers secure national shopper marketing dollars, promote their local point of difference and engage both new and existing shoppers.
E-commerce: the next frontier for grocery
Sarah Rivers, senior manager of program development, IGA USA and panel of IGA retailers – For independent grocers, the pandemic has moved e-commerce from a “we’ll get to that someday” wish list item to a requirement for staying competitive in the new normal. Learn how you can win with e-commerce as a panel of IGA retailers share insights about the adoption of online shopping during COVID, what works and what doesn’t and the impact e-commerce has had on their shopper loyalty, acquisition of new shoppers, and overall sales.
IGA Leadership Roundtable
John Ross, president and CEO, IGA Inc. and IGA global leadership – Hear from IGA’s global leadership how COVID-19 has impacted everything from their way of life to employee and shopper behaviors, and get predictions for what the future holds for independent grocery retailing around the world.
Using analytics to chart your course in the new normal and Understanding your trade radius
Doug Fritsch, SVP of business development, IGA USA and Shawn Yambor, president of Fairvalue Hometown Foods – Learn how IGA’s new state-of-the-art mobile analytics tools can help you better understand your competition, identify where increased COVID sales are coming from and make simple and affordable improvements that will help you hold on to sales post-COVID.
Improving customer service
Paulo Goelzer, Ph.D., president, IGA Coca-Cola Institute – Improve your customer service experience and build loyalty among new customers gained during the pandemic with new customer service analytics that give qualitative and quantitative views on why a shopper chooses to shop your store.
Driving private label sales: best practices from best-in-class retailers
Robin Groscurth, director of IGA Exclusive Brands, IGA USA – Discover how IGA Exclusive Brand’s new look, visual merchandising and marketing strategies are giving the line new appeal to inspiration-starved home chefs and cash-strapped shoppers alike, and hear from a panel of IGA retailers who are using best-in-class private label practices to drive independents’ traditionally low private label sales to the national average and beyond.
Category makeover: increasing shoppers’ buying confidence
Joel Widmer, senior brand manager, IGA USA and Megan Drazer, IGA marketing specialist, IGA USA – See how best practices for in-store merchandising and online shopper marketing combine to create an omni-channel experience that educates and engages shoppers, making your store their first choice in every category.
Issues to solve for independent grocers in the U.S.
John Ross, president and CEO, IGA Inc. and Greg Ferrara, president and CEO, NGA – Find out from NGA CEO Greg Ferrara what government relationship issues will impact independent retailers as the pandemic and an unstable political climate continue.
Reinvesting for the future: do it now!
John Ross, president and CEO, IGA Inc. – John Ross closes with a call to action for independent retailers to reinvest in their businesses and answers audience questions.
Register now for the IGA Global Rally virtual event, scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 10, beginning at 10 a.m. EST. If the timing doesn’t work for you, don’t worry – all the rally content will be available on the website. So, watch it when it’s best for you, and be sure to invite your team members, friends and colleagues. You don’t have to be an IGA member to benefit from this virtual event. To register, click here.


text:
The big news for iOS 8.4 is Apple Music, but there's a long list of tweaks and fixes to iBooks and more in the latest iOS update.
We welcome the 16-80mm f2.8-4 lens, but at $1,070 it's sadly out of the reach of a lot of advanced amateurs.
CNET explains what FLAC is, as well as where to buy music in the FLAC format, and how to play it on your iPhone, computer, or MP3 player.
The e-commerce giant creates a new in-house tool designed to make its customer-reviews setup more up-to-date and helpful.
A new custom Windows 8 overlay called HiveMind makes this unique gaming PC more useful and easier to navigate.
Ford showed off the production version of Ford Sync 3, a completely rebuilt system with faster interface response times, easily searchable navigation and visual interfaces for third-party apps.
Ford rolls out the newest generation of its Sync infotainment system this week. Get a hands-on look with CNET.
Apple rolls out new battery improvements in iOS 9 that promise up to three additional hours of juice on compatible devices.
Based on the WordNet project, Terminology for OS X supercharges your Mac's dictionary.
The search giant is looking to take on problems like reducing energy usage or making transportation more efficient.


text:
2019 HONDA BRIO REVELAEDPosted On: August 2, 2018 By : AutoLife Team
Honda has revealed second-gen Brio hatchback, which sees its world premier at the ongoing GIIAS 2018 (Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show) in Jakarta. The new Honda Brio gets similar styling to the Honda Small RS concept shown earlier this year at the 2018 Indonesia International Motor show. The new hatchback gets a similar body shell, along with front and rear styling. Honda has showcased the new Brio in two variants, the standard model and the sportier, Brio RS.
The front styling is quite similar to the facelifted Mobilio MPV that is sold in Indonesia. There’s also a clear link to the first-gen Brio, right up to the B-pillar. However, the rear door appears to be much larger along with a longer rear overhang. At the back, the new Brio also has a full tailgate, which is a departure from the glass hatch seen on the first-gen car.


text:
Did you know that Earth Day is on April 22 this year? If you forgot, there are many major brands out there that will remind you.
While we’d love to see more brands join this list, here are just a few companies making minor marketing efforts for Earth Day—from creative ways to conserve resources to cleaning up and recycling. For those who don’t want to put energy in, there are companies donating to causes that protect the environment.
Save Water, Save Money (On Porn)
Internet pornography site RedTube took the most creative approach to Earth Day cause marketing this year, launching The Save Water Challenge, offering to reward pornography enthusiasts a free weeklong subscription to its premium service for taking shorter showers.
PornHub, RedTube’s parent company, has a history of announcing charitable campaigns, so this effort is another feather in their cap.
Land’s End, T-Mobile And Jet Blue Endorse Environmental Causes
Outside of pornography, the majority of brands’ Earth Day efforts consist of offering individuals the opportunity to make minor contributions to large-scale causes.
Land’s End promises to donate $4.50 to the Save Our Monarchs Foundation for every monarch butterfly design customers pay $6 to have embroidered on certain articles of clothing and accessories. Additionally, the company will provide customers with milkweed seed packets for any orders placed on Earth Day. To wrap up the charity, the company plans to plant three and a half acres of flowers at its headquarters in Wisconsin.
T-Mobile is promising to make it easier to donate to The Nature Conservancy, allowing its customers to take a $5 increase on their next bill to donate $5 dollars to the charity. Additionally, the company will donate $250,000 (0.000625 percent of its 2017 global revenue) to one of four different Nature Conservancy projects, which it is graciously permitting its employees and customers to vote on. The company will also donate up to 50,000 trees to the charity, but only if users Tweet using a specific hashtag on April 17, which it should be noted is not Earth Day.
JetBlue likewise is seeking customer engagement, offering four $15,000 grants (0.0033 percent of its revenue in Q4 2017) for causes that users can vote on. Additionally, on the island of Puerto Rico, the company’s green initiatives include “a planting and gardening workshop for JetBlue crew members,” “lettuce farm maintenance” and “tree nursery maintenance.”
Apple, Staples And Hasbro Take The Recycling Approach
Apple and Staples are making it easier for its customers to recycle their electronics. Apple will “make a donation” to Conservation International for every device returned to them for recycling until April 30, and has built a new robot named Daisy that makes it easier for them to disassemble recycled iPhones. Staples is celebrating Earth Day by becoming “the first and only national retailer to accept both single serve and traditional coffee brewers for free recycling in stores.”
Hasbro is likewise joining in on the “circular economy” bandwagon, and will allow customers to return their Hasbro toys to be recycled “into materials that can be used in the construction of play spaces, flower pots, park benches, and other innovative uses.” It should be noted that the company TerraCycle is doing the actual recycling; Hasbro is sponsoring consumer shipping.
Both Hasbro and Apple are also touting their existing sustainability efforts. Hasbro now uses exclusively renewable energy in its US operations, and Apple likewise is 100 percent carbon neutral in powering its own global facilities. These figures only apply to operations directly owned by each company, such as retail spaces, corporate offices, data centers and the like. Since both companies contract out production to “manufacturing partners,” the factories that actually produce their products are not included in these totals.
Blue Marble, Allbirds And Other Brands Think Conservation
Pre-mixed cocktail manufacturer Blue Marble will send “a contingent” of employees to clean up litter at Newport Beach in California for four hours on Earth day. They also made a video.
Eco-friendly shoe brand Allbirds has released limited runs of three new colors of its shoes, which are made with organic and recycled materials. “These limited edition hues are naturally dyed to celebrate Earth Day, and they won’t last long,” Allbirds’ online store reads.
In anticipation of Earth Day, Wrangler released a report on April 18 that found that conservation-minded cotton farming practices are in fact more effective at conservation than conventional cotton farming practices. It should be noted that the report contained no new research, but was a summary of 45 studies that have already been conducted on the matter. For cotton farmers on the fence about these conservation efforts, Wrangler produced an informational video about soil health.
Purina informed the press that it plans to be “fully zero waste to landfill” by 2020. Additionally, it has managed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions per ton of production by a full 6.8 percent in just 11 years.
1 Hotels has announced a sweeping, multichannel awareness campaign at three of its locations. The company will make lobby space available to guests looking to learn about “various environmental issues,” and provides phones and computers to those looking to contact their representatives. Additionally, the company will dim the lights at its hotels during dinner on Earth Day to “raise awareness about a more sustainable and responsible future.”
Have we missed any corporate press releases bragging about their Earth Day efforts? Let us know—email firstname.lastname@example.org.


text:
GoPro’s brand may be widely recognized, but its business has been struggling mightily as of late. But there’s now some news that may offer a glimmer of hope for investors: GoPro may soon become a Chinese-owned company.
The Information reports that the Chinese electronics company Xiaomi has been considering making an offer to acquire GoPro.
Xiaomi makes a wide range of electronics, from smartphones to laptops to the Yi action camera, a GoPro competitor that was announced in 2015, and the Yi M1, a cheap mirrorless camera.
While GoPro has revenues of a little over $1 billion, Xiaomi boasts sales of over $15 billion annually.
GoPro founder and CEO Nick Woodman have publicly stated in recent days that he’s open to a deal, but serious offers for the business have been slow in coming. In the meantime, GoPro has been making moves to prop up its revenues, from licensing out its camera tech to unveiling a $200 budget camera for the masses.
Xiaomi is approaching any possible deal cautiously because it “doesn’t want to overpay,” The Information reports, saying that DJI was also pitched by bankers regarding a potential acquisition but wasn’t interested at all “because it saw no value in the company.”
GoPro has a market cap of about $795 million at the moment, having once been valued at over $10 billion. A deal could potentially see the company sell at around $1 billion.


text:
A fleet of new stores are set to dock at National Harbor in the coming months, bringing an eclectic mix of retail to the Potomac River development.
By the end of this month, House of Jon Lei Atelier bridal salon, bath and body boutique Scented Organic Artisan Pure and chicken restaurant Nando’s Peri-Periall are to officially open. Next month, women’s boutique Periwinkle and Dandelion Patch stationary store are to join the line up, followed by a Pinkberry and hotdog house ChiDogO’s.
And that’s just this year. Another round of stores and restaurants are scheduled to open at the harbor in 2012, including seafood bistro Redeye Grill slated to open at the end of the year. By then, roughly 85 percent of the retail offered at the complex will be occupied.
“We muscled through the worst of the economic slump, when leasing space was most challenging,” said Marc Menick, vice president of leasing at the Peterson Cos., the Fairfax-based developer of the 350-acre site. “Demand for space has returned as evidence by these deals.”
In the three years since opening National Harbor, the developer has added a slew of new offerings to the $4 billion waterfront complex of stores, condominiums, hotels and restaurants near Oxon Hill.
News of the latest line up arrives nearly seven months after the developer announced plans to open a Tanger Factory Outlet Center at the harbor in 2013. The 350,000-square- foot, $100 million mall is to have 80 name-brand outlet stores. No retailers have been announced, but Tanger is known for housing the likes of J. Crew, Cole Haan and Coach at its 34 outlets across the country.
Though Prince George’s County residents have long bemoaned the dearth of retail options, Menick said the Peterson Cos. is being very careful not to replicate a traditional mall at National Harbor. Roughly 70 percent of the retailers at the waterfront complex are local or regional.
“You get an end product that is unique and interesting, when you lease a property this way,” Menick said. “And we’ve been able to find some of the best local entrepreneurs to achieve that goal.”
Menick pointed to Periwinkle as an example. Based in Alexandria, with another location in Arlington, the store carries a selection of classic women’s wear by such designers as Shoshanna and Tracy Reese. Owner Elizabeth Mason started the store six years ago and jumped at the chance to add her first location outside of Virginia.
“The space was priced reasonably and the team was easy to work with,” she said. “It’s great that they’re not just tapping into the big chains. So much shopping can be done online, so you have to offer something to get people into the stores.”
Menick would not discuss lease rates at the Harbor, other than to say that it is still “a tenant’s market,” just not to the extent of a year or two ago.
“Partnering with so many entrepreneurs that are starting or slowly expanding their business, we have to be flexible with them,” he said. “We’re in business trying to get the best rents we can, but in this environment the right mix is paramount to anything else.”


text:
Samsung’s passion for folding smartphone devices continues to be on show. Following the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Fold 5G in February, the South Korean company has been busy filing and publishing patents for a range of devices.
One of the latest documents published suggests that Samsung is working on a more budget-friendly folding smartphone.
Ilse Jurrien has taken a closer look at the recent design patent to find out more:
“Samsung Electronics filed a design patent with The Hague International Designs Bulletin on 9 May 2019. The patent called “Mobile telephone” was approved on November 15, 2019 and includes, in addition to a brief description, about 35 images...
“The design differs from the current Fold, but also from the developing clamshell Fold. This new device can perhaps best be described as a broad folding phone. You can fold the device horizontally. Folded open creates a fairly wide and long flexible screen.
“…The first design in particular seems to be a good addition to the Galaxy Fold 2 that is currently being developed. After all, not everyone will prefer a folding phone design, with a narrow elongated screen. If Samsung decides to also release a foldable tablet, consumers will retain the choice to also opt for a larger screen size.”
To go with the patent, Jurrien and the team at Let’s Go Digital have put together a number of images and renders of the potential device.
As well as the cutting edge technology that led to a delay in releasing the handset for public sale, the other notable feature of the first Galaxy Fold was the launch price. Coming in at close to $2000, this was a price that reflected both the cutting edge technology and the presumably shorter production runs when compared to the Galaxy S and Galaxy A product lines.
So it makes sense that Samsung would - after another year of experience with filing displays, look to broaden the market out to more consumers with a cheaper device. Stripping out the secondary screen and reducing the build cost, coupled with production efficiencies through experience, all contributing to a larger manufacturing run could see the price point come down during 2020, perhaps to the point where an ‘entry-level’ device such as the concept here is closer in price to the major flagships,


text:
The Socialistic Interview: Playmatics’ Margaret Wallace On Reality-Based Social Gaming
Shadow Government is a new “reality-based” social game being developed by Playmatics founders Margaret Wallace and Nick Fortugno in collaboration with Philippe Trawnika (formerly of the investment firm Bridgeworks.ch) in partnership with the Millennium Institute. According to a description in TechCrunch, the game is a massive project that will “use economic and sustainability data, and government-modeling software from the Millennium Institute to give players a chance to build and run, or destroy their own virtual countries.”
Socialistic recently caught up with Wallace over email to find out what Shadow Government is all about, how modern games are blurring the line between reality and fantasy, and what her company has learned from the dramatic rise of Mark Pincus’s social gaming giant Zynga.
What is Shadow Government, and how will it work? What platforms will it run on? Will it need a critical mass of players to work?
The Shadow Government game is initially planned as a social mobile title. We are looking closely at both iPhone and Android platforms.
Like any social game, Shadow Government will playable as a standalone but the experience can be deepened through the participation and involvement of friends and others along the social graph.
Because of Shadow Government’s partnership with The Millennium Institute, we can offer players something that (as far as I know) no one else can: An entirely new form of social gaming based on the “gamification” of real countries, systems, and worldwide events. That’s because The Millennium Institute has created a real-world government modeling software that is astonishingly accurate. Until now, this tool for modeling and predicting world events has only been in the hands of governments and policy-makers to use and to test out how certain decisions impact the real world. Now, for the first time, anyone with an iPhone or Android can ‘play’ at what it’s like to simulate running a real country.
I am absolutely fascinated at the idea of seeing if players of the Shadow Government game can do a better job of managing world events and outcomes than actual leaders in the real world.
Do you have other games in the pipeline once this is built out?
Well, the modeling tool we are using for Shadow Government is so expansive – it’s not going to all be encapsulated in just this one game iteration. That would potentially be too over-whelming, so Shadow Government has the unique possibility to foster an entirely new genre of gaming that is more reality-based that just about anything out there as far as I’m concerned. So, with our unique approach, I see these reality-based social games as spurring a new level of social gaming.
Zynga is obviously the big fish in the social media games space. How is what you’re doing different from what they’ve done? Are there any lessons you’ve learned from their quick rise?
No one can deny how brilliantly Zynga iterates and executes on IP. They have built a social gaming empire based on intelligent and efficient iteration, a keen focus on metrics-driven game design and an eye toward effectively leveraging the social graph to maximize engagement and brand loyalty. Zynga also benefitted from being “early in” on the Facebook platform.
One of the reasons social mobile is so appealing to us is that there is still significant room to make an impact on this platform. If I have learned anything in my time in tech and gaming, it is to be a leader and not a follower. That doesn’t mean Shadow Government will never be on Facebook – it’s just that, to me, the social mobile space is less crowded. It gives us the room to potentially stand out. Also, in terms of ubiquity and the increasing numbers of people from all age-groups who play games on their smartphones, it’s a more interesting proposition for Shadow Government to deploy here out the gate.
Are games inherently social?
It’s a cliché but it’s true that games throughout history have traditionally been social. With the advent of so-called “social” games, we are returning to where games have always been. As we’ve seen with the current crop of games that are on Facebook, for example, what it means to be considered “social” is very fluid. Social play can mean real-time multiplayer, but it can also mean having an asynchronous interaction with your friends in the social graph.
A friend once told me that the ultimate video game would be “just like this, with guns” — meaning a perfect simulacra of offline reality with enhanced abilities and fantasy. How close are we to that kind of thing? Is social gaming getting us there?
We are at the convergence of gaming and what we have currently understood as “reality.” I truly believe games like Shadow Government will continue to blur the lines between these two experiences. As a former media scholar from back in my graduate school days, it’s an inevitable human trait to merge “reality” with increasingly mediated expressions of that reality.
What do you think will be the next big thing in social gaming? Are there any technologies that you think are about to pop?
I think we’re going to see leading social gaming and social mobile companies to leverage the social graph and what it means to be social in ways we’ve never even imagined. Given Shadow Government’s initial focus on social mobile, it’s probably pretty obvious that we are extremely excited about this platform and the potential here. Personally, I am also very inspired by the tablet marketplace, too.


text:
Fightback '09: Mixed bags of goodies
- 30 April, 2009 12:20
Good news flowed in the channel again this week with a blend of positive business predictions, impulse shopping, new partnerships and lucrative Government contracts.
While a number of companies have tightened their proverbial belts and chopped staff to pre-empt a plunge in earnings, ASX-listed communications vendor, NetComm (ASX: NTC), is expecting a significant increase in profit and revenues for 2009.
In a profit guidance release to the ASX, the vendor aired its prediction of a full year profit of between $5.8 and $6.3 million, up from $0.6 million in 2008. Revenue is expected to be between $75 and $78 million, up from 2008’s $19.4 million.
“We’re selectively investing in expansion into new international markets and increased penetration into new domestic commercial markets,” NetComm managing director, David Stewart, said in the release.
Another company optimistic about the future is Fujitsu, who has splurged on another big purchase.
On the back of its Kaz purchase last month, Fujitsu has acquired Supply Chain Consulting in a move to boost its SAP capabilities.
“Our goal is to be able to go after business effectively in any area,” Fujitsu chief executive officer AN/Z, Rod Vawdrey, said. “Our enhanced SAP capabilities will help us to actively participate in extra avenues of business with the new customers opened to us.”
Vawdrey has indicated Supply Chain Consulting’s 160 staff in Australia will be retained. While this acquisition seems like the start of a shopping frenzy for IT supplier, Fujitsu has stated that the company already has its hands full with two purchases and is not looking to buy anymore.
Rather than going on a shopping spree, APC has chosen to focus on enhancing partner relations. The vendor has tossed out its old partner program in favour of a refurbished scheme aimed at differentiating partners within the channel.
The company’s Pacific channel sales manager, Bart Mascorella, said the previous program was too simplistic and did not explain to customers the different attributes between APC partners.
“Rather than just being aligned to revenue numbers and tier status that doesn’t have a significant difference, APC wants to identify partners through their ability to develop or design a datacentre environment,” he said.
Based on Single-Pass Parallel Processing Architecture, the vendor’s signature product is a suite of firewalls that allows administrators to see and control 800 applications, users and content.
Lan 1 manager of IP security business, Christo Simeonoff, said it was the application awareness and granular control that Palto Alto offers which appealed to the distributor.
While Lenovo may have won NSW Department of Education and Training (DET) $110 million mini-laptop tender (netbooks), it was IBM’s turn to shine by nabbing the DET wireless connectivity contract.
The $70 million deal will see Big Blue implement centrally managed wireless connectivity for student netbooks across 463 secondary schools over the next 12 months. It will be designed and built on an Aruba-based wireless solution leveraging the DET’s existing investment.
On another Government deal, ICT recruitment firm, Peoplebank, has signed an On-Hire Labour Agreement with the Federal Government, giving it a streamlined process for hiring international contractors under the 457 visa program.
As part of the contract, Peoplebank is permitted to recruit overseas staff for enterprise and government clients to work on specific projects that have skills shortages.
While there may be sensitivities involved with offshore hiring, Peoplebank COO, Peter Acheson, claimed the Government's looming National Broadband Network (NBN) plan, which is slated to add 25,000 jobs in the ICT sector, would also need overseas hires to help fill skills gaps.
If you have a craving for good news, keep watching ARN Fightback, your weekly dose of optimism.


text:
The global hotel industry is anticipated to take years to recuperate from the pandemic’s hit despite the increased implementation of safety and sanitation measures.
StockApps released data indicating that the revenues of the global hotel industry are expected to grow by 43.4% year-over-year and reach $284.7bn in 2021, still $83bn less than in 2019.
The Corona Virus outbreak particularly imposed major losses in the hotel industry following stringent measures such as lockdown rules and travel bans. This resulted in thousands of cancelled vacations and closed hotels in the first half of 2020.
Despite the lift of travel restrictions that enabled hotels to cautiously reopen for the summer travel season, the first two quarters of the year produced colossal revenue drops.
A Statista survey showed the global hotel industry’s revenue plunged to $198.6bn in 2020, a massive 46% drop. Although the entire sector is expected to witness a recovery with revenues rising by $86.2bn in 2021, this is still deep below the pre-COVID-19 levels.
It is estimated to take up to three years for the hotel industry to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, revenues are projected to grow by 20% and reach $342.6Bn, $1.3bn less than in 2017.
In 2023, hotels around the world are forecast to generate $390bn in revenue. By the end of 2025, this figure is expected to rise to $456.2bn.
READ>>>>>COVID-19 Vaccine Expected to Cure Tourism’s Pandemic Woes
The number of travellers was recorded to have halved throughout the pandemic falling from 1.1 billion in 2019 to 595 million in 2020. Despite the predication of this number to rise to 845.8 million in 2021, that is still 218 million below 2017 levels. By 2023, the number of users is forecast to recover to 1.19 billion.
Revenues of Wyndham Worldwide, the biggest hotel chain in the world by the number of hotels, plunged by 36% during the pandemic, falling from over $2bn in 2019 to $1.3bn in 2020. The company’s 2020 earnings report revealed that the net loss for the full-year was $132 million, and net income was $96 million.
Choice Hotels International’s revenue, the second-largest hotel chain globally, dipped by 31% – $340.7 million for the full year 2020. In 2019, the company reported annual revenue of $1.1bn. This figure plunged to $774.1 million last year.
Marriot International, the third-largest hotel chain with 5,974 hotels in more than 110 countries, witnessed the most significant loss, with revenue dropping by $10.4bn.
Hilton Worldwide Holdings, as the fourth largest hotel chain globally, followed with a $1.5bn revenue loss in 2020.
Statistics show that the world’s five largest hotel chains, including Intercontinental Hotels Group as the only non-US company on this list, plunged by $14bn amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
SEE ALSO >>>>>Kenya’s Tourism Sector Doomed Until 2024 – Balala


text:
A temporary injunction order on Monday forbidding Bank Leumi from sweepingly halting the account activity of the Bits of Gold bitcoin exchange was issued by the Israeli Supreme Court. The Israeli cryptocurrency industry sees this as a major feat that will facilitate the operations of other bitcoin businesses struggling to get banking services
One of the top two biggest banks in Israel, Bank Leumi has an account of Bits of Gold – a licensed currency changer business since its inception in 2014. Only because the company deals with Bitcoin, the bank decided to close the account in 2015. This caused Bits of Gold decided to apply to the court for permission to continue using the account.
An injunction that allowed Bits of Gold to act until a final verdict was in place for several years. An authorization order to the bank to forbid Bits of Gold to trade in Bitcoin was passed by a District Court even though it praised its activities.
A temporary injunction was immediately issued by the Israeli Supreme Court after the company appealed to it for the same. Until a ruling is issued on the entire appeal, the company can trade digital coins in its account as per an Order passed on Monday.
The Supreme Court added, “Damages are mere speculations for now. The Bank’s decision rests on the assumption that it is liable to pay a price for the materialization of violation of the provisions of the law in light of its policies. However, these fears have not materialized for more than five years in which the account has been operating. – a ruling that the company acted transparently and did not violate any statutory provision.”


text:
Breakfast is a staple of deli counters. Behind this, however, lies an Irish pork industry in crisis. Rising feed costs, labor shortages at meat plants and fluctuating export markets have created a perfect storm for the state’s 290 commercial pig farmers.
Feed bills for an average herd of 800 sows will cost between €150,000 and €170,000 for the first half of the year; while feed merchants are unwilling to extend credit facilities for these farmers with such uncertain future prices.
Brexit led to a 47% drop in the volume of Irish pork and bacon exports to the UK. While China remains the world’s largest pork importer, its domestic supply has almost fully recovered following an outbreak of African swine fever and a slaughter of 40 million pigs in 2020.
None of these issues are reflected in the basic ingredients found in the average breakfast or Sunday fries. The pack of eight Denny’s Gold label sausages costs just €1.99 for a 227g pack, with pig farmers receiving €1.40 per kilo, with estimates that they need €1.85 per kilo for reach the break-even point.
Meanwhile, many of the available slices may not be Irish, as nearly half of the pork back cuts needed to meet domestic demand for slices are imported.
Irish pig farmers are among the few farmers to operate without government subsidies, instead relying on economies of scale with intensive, covered pig units supplying 99% of the 336,000 tonnes of Irish pork produced each year.
Each of the country’s 1.6 million sows is expected to produce an average of 28 piglets per year. The system has drawn criticism from animal welfare campaigners who warn against treating pigs, while environmentalists worry about the consequences of pollution.
Pigs are known to be intelligent creatures, but the lack of stimulation they get when housed in crowded conditions can lead to stress and aggression. Tail docking – where a tail is cut off or back – is done as a preventive measure to prevent pigs from injuring each other.
A European Council directive banned routine tail docking 20 years ago, but the Bord Bia stipulations allow tooth clipping and tail docking to be performed on piglets less than a week old. In contrast, the equivalent Red Tractor agricultural certification body in the UK has banned both practices altogether.
“You should increase the space for the pigs and the stocking density in the sheds to make sure you don’t bite your tail,” a vet, who did not wish to be named, told the Irish Times. .
“Increasing the size of hangars would cost money and the consumer should see a price increase. This does not happen, if anything, prices go the other way.
Farmers are complaining about underselling and undercutting imports, but Aldi Ireland Group purchasing director John Curtin says all fresh pork sold in stores was 100% Irish meat. Bia Quality Assured.
A statement from Lidl also said the fresh pork in its Glensallagh range was 100% Irish and Bord Bia Quality approved. However, Tesco did not respond to the same query at press time.
In addition to price issues, staff shortages at meat factories have created a backlog of pigs on farms awaiting slaughter, with Rosderra Meats, one of the country’s largest processors, needing 150 workers.
In an industry where only 20% of the workforce is Irish, the ability to attract and retain overseas staff willing to work on the slaughter lines, deboning rooms and packing areas of the factories of meat was a problem.
Staffing is also an issue in the UK, where since last October more than 30,000 healthy pigs have had to be euthanized on farms instead of entering the food chain due to a lack of staff.
“We are not yet at the stage where we have to euthanize pigs, but we are jam-packed,” says Kerry pig farmer Shane McAuliffe.
Pigs must be slaughtered at a certain age, weight and size to meet market specifications, otherwise farmers risk being penalized by the price they receive.
If the personnel issue is to be resolved, the industry must seriously review its working conditions and pay, says Bill Abom, deputy director of the Migrant Rights Center Ireland (MRCI). “All the workers who have come to see us over the past year have told us that they are overworked. They will tell us that when they arrived at the factory, two people were doing a job whereas only one person is doing it now and expected to do it at the same rate,” he says.
Some 500 butcher permits and 1,500 general business permits for non-EU workers were issued by the Department of Trade to the meat industry last October, with a minimum wage of €27,500 and €22,000 respectively , as well as housing and language training.
The UK also issued licenses to 800 butchers late last year, but uptake has been slow, with many European workers preferring to stay closer to home as industries such as construction pick up again. the continent. Some Irish meat factories have had to go all the way to China to source workers according to information released by the Department of Commerce.
However, Meat Industry Ireland director Cormac Healy said labor is not the central issue at present, “although it does lead to some limitation in processing capacity”, and that the delay in issuing work permit is a problem.
“With the current processing times for new permit applications, candidates should not be able to take up positions until the second quarter of this year,” he said.
However, MRCI’s Abom says the permit system creates an impossible situation for people.
“Work permits are tied to a single employer, so workers cannot easily leave a job if they are unhappy,” says Abom.
“It creates a captive audience and employers know it. I feel like they wear people out and the work rate means they get hurt or leave.
“Even though people come as butchers and get the top rate of €13.50/hour when they hit their 40s, their bodies are often exhausted from lifting and chopping all day.”
A 2021 Irish Meat Industry Report from the Irish Trades Union Congress showed that labor costs in Ireland are the third lowest in Europe, at just €33,800 per employee compared to Denmark, where the average is €60,400.
Apart from personnel issues, pig farmers are also concerned about rising feed prices. Six million tonnes of grain are imported annually for animal feed, leaving the state vulnerable to fluctuating feed and market prices, while Russia’s recent ban on ammonium nitrate exports is expected to add further other problems.
Elsewhere, pig farmers are also suffering, with French and Polish governments announcing aid packages. All eyes are now on Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue to present his version of the same.
However, pig farmers fear that the European Commission’s de minimis rules will see payments limited to just €20,000 per head. As pig farmers seek bank credit to pay their bills, an industry insider said: ‘This leaves farmers who need the money the most unable to get it.’


text:
India: Monochloroacetic Acid Nouryon, Atul Commence MCA Production at New Unit
With an aim to meet the growing demands of monochloroacetic acid (MCA) in India's agricultural, personal care and pharmaceutical markets, Nouryon and Atul have collaborated to establish a new production plant in Gujarat, India.
Amsterdam/The Netherlands – Nouryon and Atul have successfully started production at Anaven, a new joint venture in Gujarat, India, that will help meet the rapidly growing demand in India’s agricultural, personal care and pharmaceutical markets.
Anaven is India’s largest monochloroacetic acid (MCA) production site, with a current capacity of 32,000 tons of MCA per year, with the possibility of a rapid expansion of up to 60,000 tons per year. MCA is used as an essential raw material for a variety of products, such as adhesives, pharmaceuticals and crop protection chemicals. Atul consumes a portion of the MCA directly in its own production of crop protection chemicals.
Rob Vancko, Vice President of Construction at Nouryon and Chairman of Anaven, said: “Through this partnership with Atul, we can leverage Nouryon’s global leadership in MCA in order to meet the fast-growing demand from customers across multiple markets in India, while also continuing to drive innovation and sustainability in the region.”
Nouryon, which recently received the Silver Medal by Ecovadis for its sustainability achievements, applied its expertise to build a plant that uses eco-friendly hydrogenation technology and employs the latest sustainability innovations for low energy consumption. The Anaven plant is also the only zero-liquid discharge MCA production site in the world, meaning that zero wastewater exits the plant – a critical factor in India where water is scarce. The plant is also highly focused on continuous safety and was constructed with zero injuries.
Sunil Lalbhai, Chairman and Managing Director of Atul, said: “Thanks to our partnership, we can apply Nouryon’s state-of-the art technology in the new plant while creating forward and backward integration with our bulk and agri-chemicals businesses. The Anaven plant will ensure a reliable supply of a key raw material for the Indian market, giving a growing number of farmers, doctors and households better access to daily essentials.”
Sobers Sethi, Senior Vice President Emerging Markets at Nouryon, added: “This investment and partnership with Atul underscores Nouryon’s growth ambitions in targeted end-markets, such as agriculture, cleaning and personal care, particularly in the emerging markets of Asia.
Securing the supply of this essential ingredient is even more important in times when global supply chains are under pressure due to Covid-19.”
Nouryon has MCA plants in the Netherlands, China and Japan, and operates an organic peroxide and metal alkyls production site in Mahad, India.


text:
(Ryan McMaken, Mises Institute) As interest rates rise on everything from mortgages to car loans to Treasurys, that also means interest is rising on credit card debt. That’s not exactly great news as so many indicators point to a recession—and the worsening job situation that comes with it—on the horizon. Many Americans may soon find themselves in a situation with more debt at higher interest rates, all while real wages are falling.
Earlier this month, Bankrate.com reported that the average credit card interest rate has climbed to 19.04%. That’s a 30-year high and the highest rate since 1991, when the rate hit 19%. That can mean real financial trouble for ordinary households, but it’s what we should expect in the wake of this year’s policy shift at the Federal Reserve to finally allow interest rates to drift upward after more than a decade of quantitative easing and ultralow-interest-rate policy.
Over the past year, the Fed has increased the target federal funds rate from 0.25% from 4.0%. NBC reports on how this affects credit card debt:
Increasing the federal funds rate cranks up what’s known as the prime rate. That’s the interest rate banks charge their most creditworthy customers. Currently, it is 7%. The final annual percentage rate for a credit card is determined by the prime rate plus a bank’s margin for lending to a given customer.
The new average is a substantial increase from the 16.3% average rate for credit cards at the beginning of the year. According to Bankrate, if you carry a $5,000 balance on a credit card — which is the current national average — making just the minimum payment each month at that rate would cost $5,517 in interest over 185 months, or about 15 years. At today’s 19.04% rate, you would pay $6,546.
The Fed report also reported “The strength in credit card demand and access coincided with the record growth in credit card balances over the past year.” In its third-quarter report on household debt, the Fed further noted “Credit card balances saw a $38 billion increase since the second quarter, a 15% year-over-year increase marked the largest in more than 20 years.”
Consumers apparently also expect to be spending more with credit cards in the near future, as well, as many are applying for even more consumer credit. According to a new report released Monday from the New York Federal Reserve, Americans are pursuing less new mortgage and auto debt, but continue to turn to credit cards:
The application rate for credit cards remained robust during 2022, reaching 27.1% in October 2022, above its October 2021 level of 26.5% and its pre-pandemic reading of 26.3% in February 2020. The average application rate for credit cards for 2022 overall was 26.7%, 3.6 percentage points higher than the average rate for 2021.
Should we be worried about this? Fed economists would tell you no because it is assumed that Americans allegedly have a huge savings stockpile that they can use to avoid defaults or pay down debt. Yet, this casual attitude toward mounting debt appears less and less warranted every day. With the job market softening, real wages falling, and interest rates rising, rising debt levels can’t so easily be waved off.
A Free Money Surge Followed by Plummeting Saving Rates
After all, back in 2021, consumers were indeed using their stimulus checks to pay off credit card debt. They were saving more than they have in decades. Plus, as the Fed further pushed down interest rates, consumers were refinancing home loans into even cheaper loans. Yet, as the new spike in credit card debt shows, those days are over. Moreover, now that the stimulus checks have dried up, the savings rate has plummeted to the lowest level we’ve seen since 2008.
It appears that savings stockpile has not yet been totally depleted, but we’re already well on the way there. Some analysts estimate this means consumers have about nine to twelve months left in that savings cushion.
But this may prove to be optimistic depending on at least three factors: if real wages continue to fall, if job losses mount quickly, and if interest rates continue to rise.
Falling Wages, Job Losses, and Rising Interest Rates
First, there’s the problem of real wages. As we’ve seen, price inflation has been exceeding wage growth, and this has meant ordinary Americans (on average) have seen their real wages fall for nineteen months in a row. That won’t exactly help expand workers’ savings.
Second, it can no longer be said there is an economy-wide worker shortage. Certainly, there do appear to still be worker shortages in retail services and food services, but real estate and tech don’t appear to be faring as well. Rather, every week now brings multiple announcements of new layoffs from tech firms and from real estate/construction firms. After tens of thousands of layoffs announced in recent weeks from Facebook, Amazon, and Twitter, Google announced 10,000 layoffs today, and Fidelity National Information Services announced thousands more. Real estate sales platform Redfin, has recently closed it home-flipping business and cut more than 800 employees.
From real estate to tech to the crypto economy, we can expect more layoffs and losses as easy money tightens up.
And finally, the issue of rising interest rates which, in addition to bringing job losses in the larger economy, will accelerate the burden that new credit card debt places on consumers. This will lead to rising delinquencies and tightening budgets overall. Some observers have suggested that credit card debt is no big deal right now because total credit card debt—even with the current surge over last year’s totals—is not significantly above the longer-term trend. That would be fairly compelling were it not for the fact that these mounting debts are also happening alongside one of the fastest increases in interest rates we’ve seen in decades. Thanks to the Fed getting so behind the curve on price inflation, we’re in the midst of the fastest cycle in rising interest rates since at least the 1980s. Yet, over the past 40 years, rising debt levels have occurred alongside ongoing declines in interest costs. Now that process is going in reverse, and interest rates have rapidly returned to 2007 levels. If the current upward trend in interest rates continue, this could mean a sizable increase in the burden that consumer debt places on ordinary households.
All of this would be made worse, of course, by further slide into recessionary territory. Up until this month’s election, both the Fed and the Administration repeatedly denied that a recession is coming or is already here. This was in spite of two quarters of row of declining economic growth which has generally been labeled a recession by economists. But even if the first half of 2022 ends up not being labeled a recession, the data now strongly points toward one in 2023. The yield curve has inverted, global trade is softening, advertisers are pulling back, and real estate prices are sliding toward declines.
Recession Almost Guaranteed
Indeed, now with the election safely over, even some Fed economists are starting to admit a recession is in the works. Eric Rosengren earlier this month admitted that a recession is likely, although he was careful to call it a “mild” recession. This is highly significant because the role of Fed economists is to generally be cheerleaders and to never speak of recessions until they are undeniable. After all, then-Fed Chair Ben Bernanke denied a recession was in the works as late as the first quarter of 2008. That was months after the recession had already started.
The Fed always underplays secession risk, so it is remarkable if Rosengren is admitting any sort of recession is likely. Meanwhile, the administration now admits the boom days are over, but is now insisting that a soft landing is possible, and there will merely be a slowing of economic growth.
Yet, for all the positive talk, Americans are piling on more debt just as real wages are falling, job losses are mounting, and debt costs are rising. In all this, we can thank the economists and technocrats at the Federal Reserve for years of malinvestments and an economy of zombie companies and fragile household budgets built on a shaky foundation of easy money and mounting debt. It didn’t have to be this way, but the regime is addicted to easy money and the Fed is more than happy to oblige. Now we have to deal with the inevitable bust that comes after the artificial and unnecessary inflationary boom.


text:
A 17 percent increase in demand for reefer capacity on the spot market, coupled with a 7.7 percent capacity increase, moved the national average refrigerated load-to-truck ratio up 8.9 percent from 11.6 to 12.6 loads per truck.
Poland's turn to new markets such as Singapore comes after Russia, which bought 56 percent of its apple exports last year, started banning agricultural produce from places such as the U.S. and European Union in August.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, “Global Medical Foods Market,” finds that the global medical foods market earned revenues of $9.36 billion in 2013 and estimates this to reach $13.34 billion in 2018.
The time- and temperature-sensitive reefer cargoes that have been delayed on vessels sitting outside the breakwater in LA/LB are deteriorating quickly and shippers are counting their losses by the hour.
The 309,000-square-foot expansion will be the largest expansion at one time that this facility has ever seen, and it will add more than 48,000 pallet positions in order to provide more storage opportunities for customers.
This expansion provides additional space for the Velocities Multi-Vendor Consolidation program, a distribution solution for food manufacturers who consolidate multiple SKU frozen food orders shipping to major retail, wholesale, and foodservice DCs.
With the expansion, Lineage’s presence in the region will total nearly 1.5 million square feet of refrigerated warehousing space across five warehouses located in Seattle, Algona, Tacoma and Centralia.
The rating system labels fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers as “good,” “better” or “best” to help shoppers make informed choices in the produce and floral departments, and it prohibits some of the most hazardous neurotoxins still allowed...
The TPCC sensor protection case extends the life-span of temperature-sensitive sensors, such as laser distance meters, optical scanners or optical data transfer systems, and enables the use of these sensitive sensors in low-temperature environments.


text:
Tue 30 Jul 19
The 2019 Fife Business Awards were the biggest yet, with a record number of entries and more companies applying than ever before. Print and social media coverage reached record levels and the sold-out Award Ceremony at the Rothes Halls set an attendance record for the event.
The 2020 Awards are open for entries and nominations. New innovations like a simple online application process have been introduced, while the features that made last year so successful are back again, with “In the Know” workshops to give you practical tips and guidance from past judges and winners to help you apply with greater confidence and ‘Behind the Scenes’ visits by the judges to get to know the finalists better.
The 2019 winners came from tourism, manufacturing, retail, voluntary, business services and technology and they all had a passion for what they do; a pride in doing it well; and the confidence to put themselves forward.
Follow in their footsteps this year and you too can experience the unique high of the Fife Business Awards.


text:
|By Business Wire||
|February 24, 2014 09:07 AM EST||
MicroVision, Inc. (NASDAQ:MVIS), a leader in innovative ultra-miniature projection display technology, today confirmed that its patented PicoP® display technology has been adopted as part of a pico projector module that a leading Fortune Global 100 consumers electronics company announced it is developing1. MicroVision has been supporting the Fortune Global 100 since April 2013 in its development of this high definition (HD) display engine. The module is expected to showcase the benefits of laser beam scanning technology for pico projectors.
MicroVision is the pioneer in laser beam scanning display technology, holding more than 500 patents including proprietary MEMS and control algorithms. The Fortune Global 100 is a leader in semiconductor lasers and optical technology and announced that it aims to bring this module to market for use in pico projectors and other devices with projector functionality. MicroVision believes the announcement by this global leader in consumer electronics is a very positive development for the emerging pico projection market.
“We are honored that this consumer electronics leader known for its innovative and high quality products has incorporated PicoP display technology in its pico projector module,” said Alexander Tokman, president and CEO, MicroVision. “The result is a display engine with the image quality and performance that could be at the heart of products that delight consumers.”
In a recent market research report, Pico Projector Market by Technology, Type, Product Model, Brightness, Application, Geography, Forecasts to 2020, the firm Markets and Markets calls pico projectors “an emerging technology set to revolutionize the global projector market.” The report forecasts significant growth of over 40% CAGR over seven years reaching $10B by 2020.
The Markets and Markets report also calls out the importance of lasers in spurring growth in the pico projector market: “Lasers are the key technology to improve handheld projectors and lasers will be the dominant light source in the future. High performance and low cost laser light sources will revolutionize the handheld projector market which will be fuelling the growth of the market.”
PicoP display technology is a powerful, patented solution that projects high definition, focus free content from a tiny, low power display engine. MicroVision’s technology enables OEMs to deliver a high quality consumer viewing experience to their customers by offering enhanced ways to view and share information. Whether for personal entertainment, social engagement, business collaboration, driver safety or in whatever way OEMs’ imaginations take them, PicoP display technology could be the exciting new element that consumers are searching for to elevate their mobile experience.
MicroVision is the creator of PicoP® display technology, an ultra-miniature laser projection solution for mobile consumer electronics, automotive head-up displays and other applications. MicroVision’s patented display technology helps OEMs break down display boundaries and offer enhanced visibility to mobile experiences. Nearly two decades of research has led MicroVision to become an independently recognized leader in the development of intellectual property. MicroVision’s IP portfolio has been recognized by the Patent Board as a top 50 IP portfolio among global industrial companies and is also included in the Ocean Tomo 300 Patent Index. The company is based in Redmond, Wash.
MicroVision and PicoP are trademarks of MicroVision, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.
Certain statements contained in this release, including those relating to market growth, market demand product and technology development by third parties, product benefits and those containing words such as “expects,” “could,” and “aims” are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the company's forward-looking statements include the following: our ability to raise additional capital when needed; products incorporating our PicoP display engine may not achieve market acceptance, commercial partners may not perform under agreements as anticipated, we may be unsuccessful in identifying parties interested in paying any amounts or amounts we deem desirable for the purchase or license of IP assets, our or our customers failure to perform under open purchase orders; our financial and technical resources relative to those of our competitors; our ability to keep up with rapid technological change; government regulation of our technologies; our ability to enforce our intellectual property rights and protect our proprietary technologies; the ability to obtain additional contract awards; the timing of commercial product launches and delays in product development; the ability to achieve key technical milestones in key products; dependence on third parties to develop, manufacture, sell and market our products; potential product liability claims; and other risk factors identified from time to time in the company's SEC reports, including the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC. Except as expressly required by federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in circumstances or any other reason.
In a recent research, analyst firm IDC found that the average cost of a critical application failure is $500,000 to $1 million per hour and the average total cost of unplanned application downtime is $1.25 billion to $2.5 billion per year for Fortune 1000 companies. In addition to the findings on the cost of the downtime, the research also highlighted best practices for development, testing, application support, infrastructure, and operations teams.
Jul. 29, 2015 05:30 PM EDT
"We specialize in testing. DevOps is all about continuous delivery and accelerating the delivery pipeline and there is no continuous delivery without testing," noted Marc Hornbeek, Sr. Solutions Architect at Spirent Communications, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at @DevOpsSummit, held June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City.
Jul. 29, 2015 05:15 PM EDT Reads: 355
How do you securely enable access to your applications in AWS without exposing any attack surfaces? The answer is usually very complicated because application environments morph over time in response to growing requirements from your employee base, your partners and your customers. In his session at @DevOpsSummit, Haseeb Budhani, CEO and Co-founder of Soha, shared five common approaches that DevOps teams follow to secure access to applications deployed in AWS, Azure, etc., and the friction an...
Jul. 29, 2015 04:30 PM EDT Reads: 497
"Alert Logic is a managed security service provider that basically deploys technologies, but we support those technologies with the people and process behind it," stated Stephen Coty, Chief Security Evangelist at Alert Logic, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 16th Cloud Expo, held June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City.
Jul. 29, 2015 04:15 PM EDT Reads: 318
Digital Transformation is the ultimate goal of cloud computing and related initiatives. The phrase is certainly not a precise one, and as subject to hand-waving and distortion as any high-falutin' terminology in the world of information technology. Yet it is an excellent choice of words to describe what enterprise IT—and by extension, organizations in general—should be working to achieve. Digital Transformation means: handling all the data types being found and created in the organizat...
Jul. 29, 2015 04:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,064
The Internet of Everything (IoE) brings together people, process, data and things to make networked connections more relevant and valuable than ever before – transforming information into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom. IoE creates new capabilities, richer experiences, and unprecedented opportunities to improve business and government operations, decision making and mission support capabilities.
Jul. 29, 2015 03:15 PM EDT Reads: 231
The essence of cloud computing is that all consumable IT resources are delivered as services. In his session at 15th Cloud Expo, Yung Chou, Technology Evangelist at Microsoft, demonstrated the concepts and implementations of two important cloud computing deliveries: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS). He discussed from business and technical viewpoints what exactly they are, why we care, how they are different and in what ways, and the strategies for IT to tran...
Jul. 29, 2015 03:15 PM EDT Reads: 367
The Software Defined Data Center (SDDC), which enables organizations to seamlessly run in a hybrid cloud model (public + private cloud), is here to stay. IDC estimates that the software-defined networking market will be valued at $3.7 billion by 2016. Security is a key component and benefit of the SDDC, and offers an opportunity to build security 'from the ground up' and weave it into the environment from day one. In his session at 16th Cloud Expo, Reuven Harrison, CTO and Co-Founder of Tufin,...
Jul. 29, 2015 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 465
The Internet of Things is not only adding billions of sensors and billions of terabytes to the Internet. It is also forcing a fundamental change in the way we envision Information Technology. For the first time, more data is being created by devices at the edge of the Internet rather than from centralized systems. What does this mean for today's IT professional? In this Power Panel at @ThingsExpo, moderated by Conference Chair Roger Strukhoff, panelists addressed this very serious issue of pro...
Jul. 29, 2015 03:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,252
With SaaS use rampant across organizations, how can IT departments track company data and maintain security? More and more departments are commissioning their own solutions and bypassing IT. A cloud environment is amorphous and powerful, allowing you to set up solutions for all of your user needs: document sharing and collaboration, mobile access, e-mail, even industry-specific applications. In his session at 16th Cloud Expo, Shawn Mills, President and a founder of Green House Data, discussed h...
Jul. 29, 2015 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 320
Container technology is sending shock waves through the world of cloud computing. Heralded as the 'next big thing,' containers provide software owners a consistent way to package their software and dependencies while infrastructure operators benefit from a standard way to deploy and run them. Containers present new challenges for tracking usage due to their dynamic nature. They can also be deployed to bare metal, virtual machines and various cloud platforms. How do software owners track the usag...
Jul. 29, 2015 02:30 PM EDT
Discussions about cloud computing are evolving into discussions about enterprise IT in general. As enterprises increasingly migrate toward their own unique clouds, new issues such as the use of containers and microservices emerge to keep things interesting. In this Power Panel at 16th Cloud Expo, moderated by Conference Chair Roger Strukhoff, panelists addressed the state of cloud computing today, and what enterprise IT professionals need to know about how the latest topics and trends affect t...
Jul. 29, 2015 02:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,166
"Our biggest growth area has been the security services, the managed services - the things that differentiate us in the market that there is no client that's too small and there's no client that's too big," explained Paul Mazzucco, Chief Security Officer at TierPoint, in this SYS-CON.tv interview at 16th Cloud Expo, held June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City.
Jul. 29, 2015 02:00 PM EDT Reads: 371
SYS-CON Events announced today that HPM Networks will exhibit at the 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. For 20 years, HPM Networks has been integrating technology solutions that solve complex business challenges. HPM Networks has designed solutions for both SMB and enterprise customers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Jul. 29, 2015 01:45 PM EDT Reads: 420
Containers are changing the security landscape for software development and deployment. As with any security solutions, security approaches that work for developers, operations personnel and security professionals is a requirement. In his session at DevOps Summit, Kevin Gilpin, CTO and Co-Founder of Conjur, will discuss various security considerations for container-based infrastructure and related DevOps workflows.
Jul. 29, 2015 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,058


text:
By Joshua Manning •
Published: 21 Sep 2022 • 9:21
Amazon shows support for Ukraine by cancelling commission for Ukrainian entrepreneurs Credit: Telegram @zedigital
Fedorov made the announcement on Amazon’s support for Ukraine on his official telegram stating:
“Amazon cancels the commission for Ukrainian entrepreneurs for a year!”
“A few months ago, together with Ukrposhta, Disqover Agency and Startup Ukraine, we appealed to Amazon to ease the conditions for Ukrainian business, which, despite the war, continues to work, supporting the country’s economy.”
“As a result, Amazon canceled the referral commission for Ukrainian entrepreneurs for a period of 1 year. That is, it completely canceled the commission for Ukrainian entrepreneurs who sell to the EU and the UK.”
“Ukrainian entrepreneurs will be able to scale more actively to the European and world market, to find new customers there.”
“This will be a powerful impetus to the promotion of Ukraine and our business abroad. New conditions for Ukrainian entrepreneurs are a victory on the economic front.”
“I thank the company for its steady and consistent support of Ukraine. Amazon, together with Amazon Web Services, provided us with backup storage capacity, provided support for more than $35 million and, finally, deservedly received the Peace Prize from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.”
The news follows reports that President Zelenskyy of Ukraine has held a meeting with US company Goldman Sachs to support the nation’s economy as reported on Tuesday, September 20.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Share this story
Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox!
By signing up, you will create a Euro Weekly News account if you don't already have one. Review our
Originally from the UK, Joshua is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for the Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Download our media pack in either English or Spanish.


text:
UPDATE: The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple has finally secured the right to sell Beatles music in the iTunes Store. That could be what Apple is planning to announce tomorrow, since Steve Jobs has been pursuing the Liverpool quartet’s catalogue for some time now. If this is the announcement that’s garnered so much attention, I’ll be deeply disappointed.
Apple (s aapl) just posted a new teaser image on its home page, promising an iTunes announcement for tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. PST, or 10:00 AM EST. The official tagline for the event is “Tomorrow is just another day. That you’ll never forget.” No other information about the nature of the announcement is available, but a few interesting possibilities come to mind.
We’ve heard that the iOS 4.2 update could arrive then, but that doesn’t seem to merit the pomp and circumstance Apple’s using here. A day that we’ll “never forget?” Not likely to be the arrival of a software update that’s been teased for months now, and that we’ve seen beta previews of for almost as long.
I suspect a couple other possibilities are more likely. First, Apple’s been doing a lot of work with Ping lately, so we could finally see an agreement between Facebook and Apple to bring the networks together. The recent Twitter integration has helped its friend discovery weaknesses, but a Facebook partnership would shore that up.
Second, there’s a slight chance that we could finally see all those rumors of a streaming iTunes service come to fruition. Talks have reportedly been going on for months, or even years, between Apple and record labels about such a service, and it’s possible Apple only now managed to reach an agreement that would allow a big enough library for a launch. With Spotify and others breathing down its neck, the timing couldn’t be better.
Finally, I think a third possibility could be the introduction of a web-based iTunes Store. Apple has introduced web page previews for iTunes links in the last year, and a great deal could be gained by taking the whole store online. It would save a lot of work on the development end, since iTunes would be platform-independent, and it would provide store access to more users, including casual buyers who don’t want to have to install software to purchase music. It would also help bring Ping to the browser, something I think would really help user adoption of the service.
What do you think Apple has in store for tomorrow?
Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub req’d):
- Why Browsers Don’t Matter Anymore
- Why Cloud Storage is So Hot Right Now
- Google’s New Route to Your Wallet: Music and Books


text:
- Forrester Councils
- Councils Overview
- log in
Posted by Jim Nail on February 18, 2014
My new report, “How Software Is Eating Video Ads And, Soon, TV” just went live. In it, I document how automation has gained traction in digital media buying and why it’s only a matter of time before we see it jump to assets such as online video. Read the report now and join me for a Webinar on Tuesday, February 25, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern standard time.
Sure, the scarcity of inventory and the premium associated with professional video content drive caution and reluctance among sellers. But in a few years, short- and long-form video content, both user-generated and broadcast-native, will be bought programmatically in an inevitable takeover of automated trading that has already started today – and will work all the way up to TV buying. Two forces make programmatic buying unavoidable:
Marketers will need to adopt a more hands-on approach to succeed in this new paradigm of data- and audience-driven video trading. My report explains what to expect from the transition to programmatic video buying and how marketers can prepare today to unlock the full potential of their online video – and, eventually, TV – campaigns.
Are you buying video programmatically today? How do you see it evolving in the next few years?


text:
Could A Co-Pay Curb Emergency Room Abuse?A U.S. Representative is weighing in on the idea of charging a co-pay to Medicaid patients who go to North Texas hospital emergency rooms for non-emergency reasons.
Non-Emergency Visits Costing North Texas Taxpayers MillionsA Consumer Justice investigation found millions of taxpayer dollars paying for Medicaid patients to use the emergency room for non-emergency medical attention.
New Questions About Appraisal Process For Tarrant County BusinessesA big tax bill from Tarrant County threatened an Arlington man's garage door repair business. "Do I close the business? Do I say 'they finally got me'?"
Claire's Says No Asbestos Found In MakeupThis announcement comes more than a week after the children's retailer pulled nine items from store shelves over asbestos concerns.
Promoter Under Fire for Overselling ConcertHundreds of people have the blues after they said they were turned away from a Fort Worth concert, even though they had tickets. Many blame the Blues Bowl's promoter, saying he intentionally oversold the event.
Fort Worth Couple Upset Over Disaster Code On Credit ReportConsumer Justice has an alert about something showing up on credit reports all over Texas.
Consumer Justice: Could You Spot A Flood Car?Insurance experts say some private owners and car lots will try to sell those flood cars to unsuspecting buyers without disclosing the car's dangerous past.
Consumer Justice Investigates Multi-Million Dollar Beauty Cream BusinessThousands of customers say they didn't know they were also being enrolled in costly monthly subscriptions.
I-Team Found Personal Information On Old, Donated Cell PhonesPeople replacing old phones don't often know what really happens to the phones when they donate or just throw it away. But, we were able to find enough information to digitally steal the owner's identity.
Consumer Justice: Lawmaker Wants Serial Squatters Stopped"The level of fraud being perpetrated on innocent Texans was alarming to me," said State Representative Rodney Anderson (R) Grand Prairie. Representative Anderson says the "serial nature" of this should be criminal.
Consumer Justice: Serial Squatters Accused Of Abandoning Their DogsDallas rescue group Paws in the City is now working with Barney's Ranch to find Milo and Molly a new home. "These two are just looking to give a lot of love to some household out there. We'd love to help out," said Mark Verma.
Consumer Justice: 'Serial Squatters' Cost Homeowners ThousandsA North Texas couple gaming the system has been evicted from more than a dozen homes in the last few years for not paying.


text:
Two permanent magnet synchronous motors (PSM) with a system output of more than 600 hp (440 kW) allow the Mission E Cross Turismo to accelerate to 100 km/h in less than 3.5 seconds and to reach a speed of 200 km/h in under 12 seconds. Furthermore, the level of continuous power is unmatched by any other electric vehicle: multiple accelerations are possible in direct succession without loss of performance.
‘The Mission E Cross Turismo is an expression of how we envision the all-electric future. It combines sportiness and everyday practicality in unique style. Our vehicle will be fast to drive, but also quick to recharge and able to replicate its performance time after time,’ says Oliver Blume, CEO of Porsche AG. The Mission E Cross Turismo, which is already fit for the road, builds on the concept of the Mission E study presented by Porsche at the 2015 International Motor Show (IAA). The series-produced car based on this model will celebrate its premiere next year.


text:
Car Of The Day: 2018 Lamborghini Huracan Performante
The Huracan succeeded the Gallardo, making its debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show with a design that immediately captured the public’s attention. With its more streamlined, rearward-swept lines, the Huracan appeared lower and sleeker than its predecessor, the Gallardo. It also incorporated numerous small details that paid homage to previous Lamborghini models.
In 2017, Lamborghini sought to introduce a high-performance variant of the Huracan to showcase the full potential of its chassis. At the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, they unveiled the Huracan Performante. This model heavily utilized forged carbon fiber, a material Lamborghini had previously experimented with in the Sesto Elemento. The result was a car significantly stiffer than the standard Huracan, featuring advanced active aerodynamics to maintain stability at high speeds.
The Huracan Performante is powered by a modified version of the Huracan’s 5.2-liter V10 engine, which received a power increase from 602 to 631 horsepower, produced at 8,000 RPM. Coupled with an 88 lb weight reduction, this translates to a 0-62 mph acceleration time of 2.9 seconds and a top speed exceeding 200 mph.
Gear changes are facilitated by a 7-speed double-clutch gearbox, offering swift shifts and a comfortable driving experience in city traffic. Lamborghini claims that the ALA active aerodynamics on the Performante enhance downforce by 750% compared to the standard Huracan, while also being 80% lighter than active aero systems found in other vehicles.


text:
In March, Native Instruments announced Stems, a new audio format.
A stem is an individual part of a song, such as drums or bass. Native Instruments has convinced artists to separate their songs into four parts and sell them. DJs using Traktor are able to manipulate each of the four parts of the song independently.
A producer could also buy the stems and use them to remix a song.
Splice responded to Native Instruments’ grand announcement, saying Stems is just an MP4 container format that Apple invented back in 2001.
Native Instruments is limiting Stems to four parts and is compressing the files, but these are arbitrary restrictions. Splice details how to create your own stem MP4 file in higher quality and with more parts. Splice also called for Native Instruments to be open about the specifications of the format, as it seems like there is nothing proprietary about Stems.
Native Instruments is pushing forward with the format. Stems are now for sale on Beatport, Traxsource, and Juno.


text:
The Consumer Electronics Show has been around since 1967 and it’s traditionally been the place where manufacturers introduce their latest tech wizardry.
The video cassette recorder was unveiled there in the 1970s and and Microsoft revealed its gaming console X-Box in 2001. But Sarah Rotman-Epps, a tech analyst at Forrester Research, says don’t expect to see any big tech news this year.
“In the past companies like Microsoft, HP, Dell have had a huge CES presence,” Rotman-Epps says. “Those companies have been cutting back year after year. Microsoft is gone.”
Rotman-Epps says with 3,000 exhibitors sprawled across nearly two million square feet, it’s hard for tech companies to keep the spotlight at CES. So more and more, big tech companies are making big product announcements at private press events like the ones pioneered by Apple.
Rotman-Epps says there’s still tons of small guys with innovative gadgets on display, but many big players attending these days are non-tech companies who believe technology is crucial to their future.
“For example, in the media industry, News Corp,” Rotman-Epps says. “Companies in consumer-package goods like Loreal” will be there too.
She says they don’t necessarily have booths set up but their top level executives are roaming the floor scoping out new trends.
“CES is an opportunity to make those contacts to find the technology partners that could be key in helping us innovate,” Buczkowski says.
And in Ford’s case, the carmaker has also been increasing its exhibit space to show the world its on top of consumer technology trends.
“CES is every bit as important to us as an auto show,” said Buczkowski.
But with less talk about horsepower and more about voice activated apps.
If you’re a member of your local public radio station, we thank you — because your support helps those stations keep programs like Marketplace on the air. But for Marketplace to continue to grow, we need additional investment from those who care most about what we do: superfans like you.
Your donation — as little as $5 — helps us create more content that matters to you and your community, and to reach more people where they are – whether that’s radio, podcasts or online.
When you contribute directly to Marketplace, you become a partner in that mission: someone who understands that when we all get smarter, everybody wins.


text:
Amazon unveiled a new private label line of handbags and shoes dubbed “The Fix” on Wednesday, reported Footwear News. The collection adds to the retailer's private label apparel program, which includes lingerie.
The line, which launched Tuesday, is available only to Amazon Prime members, demonstrating the retailer's dedication to providing more benefits for this loyal customer base. Amazon didn't immediately return Retail Dive's request for more details.
This move continues Amazon's push into apparel, coming hard on the heels of the company's new Prime Wardrobe service, where Prime members can order three items or more with no upfront charge and take a week to decide and pay for those they’d like to keep.
Amazon is becoming a force in apparel: 46% of consumers surveyed by Morgan Stanley earlier this year said they'd purchased clothes on Amazon over the last 12 months, falling behind only Walmart at 60%. Adding to that, 47% of "likely" Amazon shoppers say they expect to buy more apparel on Amazon and fewer clothes at other retailers over the next 12 months.
The retailer has made a bet that younger shoppers will buy clothes with less regard for their labels. Last year Amazon quietly launched seven new private label brands, with offerings that include men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, men’s dress shoes, and men’s and women’s accessories.
The e-commerce giant also appears to be cognizant of how fast-fashion supply chains have allowed those retailers to lure shoppers from specialty apparel merchants and department stores. Amazon was awarded a patent for "a system of on demand apparel manufacturing [that] includes a textile printer, textile cutter, and a computing device" that could be used to make apparel or textile home goods. The patent describes a system that could batch orders according to a variety of categories, like type or delivery address, to improve efficiency of manufacture and order fulfillment.
That fits with Amazon’s data-based approach to retail in general and addresses one of the most vexing aspects of apparel retail — a high level of returns, especially in e-commerce, where customers don’t have the benefit of trying on goods before they buy. In fact, former Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren last year expressed some skepticism about reports that Amazon would do all that well in apparel sales, saying the company is "going to have an interesting challenge when they start getting all those returns coming back online.”
Still, Amazon is hard pressed to address the fickleness of the apparel consumer, who may yet change their mind even when a shirt is made to order. And many consumers, including the very young members of Generation Z, still prefer to try on clothes in stores and appreciate the immediate touch, fit and feel opportunities and the satisfaction of walking out with a new clothing purchase. This means that apparel retail may eventually be part of Amazon's nascent but expanding brick-and-mortar strategy.
In a survey of more than 2,500 U.S. consumers, global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney found that among those who prefer to buy online, fully two-thirds say they still rely on a physical store either before or after their purchase. "That means that when you’re buying a dress online, it’s likely that you’re going to be looking at that dress — the feeling, the color — and to do that, you leverage a physical environment prior to the purchase," Andres Mendoza Pena, a partner in A.T. Kearney’s retail practice, told Retail Dive earlier this year.


text:
Twenty-one entrepreneurs from 16 companies completed a pitched their concepts to top level executives in Cape Town yesterday (Thursday), in order to secure a business visit to the United Kingdom (UK) in November as part of the International Trade Programme (ITP).
The ITP is sponsored by British Telecom (BT) and is spearheaded by the Micro Enterprise Development Organisation (MEDO).
The ITP focus is to stimulate trade between entrepreneurs in South Africa and UK partners in order to fast track the growth of South African businesses key to job creation and economic growth in the country.
When in the UK, the selected entrepreneurs will participate in networking events, training programmes and business and investor pitches.
“On the last ITP trip taken in April, five of the 11 small businesses represented secured deals or partnerships with stakeholders in the UK and Europe, while the remaining six created networks with potential partners, with a long-term view for exponential business growth,” said Judi Sandrock, chief executive officer (CEO) of MEDO.
Speaking to HumanIPO, Noluthando Tutani, project manager at MEDO, said the business visit coming up in November is the third of its kind.
She said MEDO keeps the entrepreneurs up to date on the latest networking events, expos and offers support in connecting them with other businesses.
“We have a platform… [called] the entrepreneur management system,” Tutani said. “We actually send emails and SMSs out to entrepreneurs to inform them what programmes are happening in their city, or we actually go out the the entrepreneurs, but we do virtual support.
“We also have a supply development programme and a foundations programme that we run in different areas.”
Tutani said MEDO initially got hundreds of applications to their programme. “From those applications we interviewed 46 companies, and out of those 46 companies we took on 21 entrepreneurs.”
“All of the companies that presented are in the ICT sector. We do have a few [companies] that are… into digital printing, but what’s important is that they use IT in operating their business, but most of them are software and app developers, and graphic designers,” said Tutani.
Tutani said the pitching event in Cape Town was comparable to a rehearsal, preparing the entrepreneurs for the “big pitch”, which will take place in Johannesburg on October 30.
Those selected after the Johannesburg event will visit the Serious Gaming Institute in Coventry, UK, as well as BT’s headquarters in London.
Tutani said MEDO does have room to accommodate all 16 companies, but those who do go to the UK would have been selected on their readiness for such a business trip.