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Atlantic recording artist Gucci Mane will wrap up his incredible 2017 with the release of an eagerly anticipated new street album. El Gato: The Human Glacier arrives everywhere today (listen below).
El Gato: The Human Glacier arrives hot on the heels of Gucci Mane’s most recent album, Mr. Davis, available now in stores and online. Mr. Davis – which made an explosive chart debut upon its October release, entering the Top Rap Albums chart at #1 and the SoundScan/Billboard 200 at #2, marking Gucci Mane’s fourth top 10 album thus far – includes the epic hit single, “I Get The Bag (Ft. Migos),” recently certified platinum by the RIAA and joined by a massively popular companion video, now boasting over 197 million views at Gucci Mane’s official YouTube channel alone. Gucci Mane and Migos recently united for a major league live TV performance of “I Get The Bag” as part of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! Mercedes-Benz Concert Series, streaming below.
Gucci Mane will complete his jam-packed 2017 with a pair of year-ending concerts, set for Minneapolis, MN’s Snowta NYE (December 30th) and Las Vegas, NV’s TAO Nightclub (December 31st). For details and updates, please visit www.guccimaneonline.com/tour.


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Last year, Nike and Givenchy creative director, Ricardo Tisci announced they would collaborate on a collection that would combine Tisci designs to staple Nike shoes. Last week, some images of a couple of select styles were leaked. However, via his Instagram, Tisci released a photo featuring all the shoes in the collection.
The collection features Air Force 1s, high and low, with the same african-inspired designs that were also featured in Givenchy’s S/S 2014 collection. Prices and dates haven’t been fully disclosed, yet, but should be following soon.

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Technology that reduces contact and speeds transactions will be a key part of a restaurants recovery toolkit.
Asia-Pacific had to contend with round two of the coronavirus in April. A second wave of cases, in areas such as Singapore and Hong Kong, resulted in a new ramp up of containment measures. The result was a 124.1% YOY plunge in GOPPAR to a historical low of -$13.92 for the region.
By all accounts, the Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked near-term havoc on the U.S. economy in general and on the hospitality, tourism and leisure industries in particular. While the Fed Chairman and hotel industry leaders concur that there will be positive GDP growth in the third and fourth quarters of 2020, none believe we will get back to where we were quickly.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for global air freight markets in April showing that demand dropped 27.7% compared to the same period in 2019 – the sharpest fall ever recorded. Still, there was insufficient capacity to meet demand as a result of the loss of belly cargo operations on passenger aircraft.
PwC US Hospitality Directions- May 2020
US Travel Agency Seven-Day Air Ticket Volume and Other Variances Ending May 31, 2020
U.S. hotel gross operating profit per available room fell 116.9% year over year in April, according to STR's monthly P&L data.
During the week of 17-23 May, Canadian hotel occupancy dropped 71.5% to 18.9%, ADR declined 39.3% to 101.99 Canadian dollars ($74.07) and RevPAR fell 82.7% to CA$19.28 ($14)
Data by SiteMinder today reveals that global hotel bookings in May were more than double Aprils YoY volume. The SiteMinder World Hotel Index shows bookings rose 137% over the four weeks from 29 April to 27 May, from 10.70% to 25.33% of 2019 levels.
STR data ending with 23 May showed another small rise from previous weeks in U.S. hotel performance. Year-over-year declines remained significant although not as severe as the levels recorded in April.


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Fairtrade Foundation hosted a conference today on the global food crisis, accompanied by a succinct and timely report researched by Mark Curtis.
Tens of millions of people are now suffering the effects of increased and volatile food and fuel prices, including the world's 450 million smallholder farming households, home to around two billion people. Average food prices rose 83 per cent between 2005 and 2008
However, as Daleep Mukarji argued in a powerful presentation at the conference, this crisis is not new, it has just intensified. Over 800m people were already malnourished, but rocketing food and fuel prices have pushed another 119m people into poverty since 2005.
A major long-term cause of this crisis is that poor countries have been forced by wealthy governments and international financial institutions to accept a raft of trade liberalisation measures in return for trade and aid, particularly the notorious economic shock therapy 'structural adjustment' programmes. In a drive to 'commercialise' agriculture over the last 25 years, states withdrew from their key agricultural support roles of buying farmer produce at fixed market prices, providing subsidies on inputs like fertiliser and credit, and imposing tariffs on agricultural imports to protect local producers and raise revenue. These policies have effectively dismantled national farming systems and ruined the ability of poor countries to feed themselves.
Smallholder farmers, who make up 75 per cent of the world's poor, have been neglected by poor and rich country governments alike. Public spending on agriculture has stagnated or declined since 1980 across Africa, Latin America and Asia. African governments currently spend just 4 to 5 per cent of their national budget on agriculture, despite the Maputo Declaration of 2003 when they pledged to spend at least 10 per cent within five years. The volume of aid directed at agriculture from rich donor countries dropped from $7.6bn in 1980 to $3.9bn in 2006, with very little of this aid going directly to farmers by funding useful things like agricultural inputs or rural credit. In 2000, nearly half of it was being spent on 'agriculture policy and management', i.e. promoting agricultural liberalisation.
Smallholder farmers have had to contend with a long term slump in real commodity prices. For example, world cocoa prices have decreased sharply since 1960, even as chocolate prices increased. In France, cocoa bean prices accounted for 20 per cent of the value of a chocolate bar in 1960, against 5 per cent today. Farmers everywhere face a global food system increasingly dominated by a small number of large corporations, and the power of supermarkets in supply chains has grown. Three companies – ADM, Cargill and Bunge – control 90 per cent of the world's grain trade. Five companies – ADM, Barry-Callebaut, Cargill, Hamester and Blommer – account for half of world cocoa grindings. Similarly, chocolate sales are dominated by a few large companies: Mars and Hershey in the US; Cadbury, Nestlé and Mars in the UK.
Already in crisis, smallholder farmers have been hit hard over the last few years by rising and volatile food and fuel prices, and now by the global recession. Average food prices rose 83 per cent between 2005 and 2008 and, though they have fallen back a little since then, it is predicted that real prices of food staples will be 10 per cent to 35 per cent higher over the next decade than in the previous one. Most smallholder farming households spend 60 per cent to 80 per cent of their income on food, so across the developing world families are now significantly reducing their food consumption. Fuel prices have been extremely volatile, with oil prices fluctuating between $147 a barrel in July 2008 and $40 a barrel in February 2009. And the costs of fertiliser and other inputs have also risen sharply.
Commodities that are traded internationally – such as coffee, tea, cocoa and sugar – have risen in price too, although in real terms they are still lower than in the period between 1961 and 1977. This ought to be of benefit to smallholder farmers, especially Fairtrade farmers, but because the majority of them are net buyers of food, the gains of rising commodity prices have generally been undone by increased food prices. High world prices do not always result in high farm gate prices and much of the profits accrue to others in the supply chain. The world's massive transnational grain traders and fertiliser corporations made billions of dollars profits in 2007 and 2008 on the back of food and commodity price rises.
The evidence shows that Fairtrade is as vital as ever in supporting smallholder farmers in a time of high commodity prices, even though the movement was conceived in response to low commodity prices. The Fairtrade model helps producers deal with the price volatility of commodities, food, inputs and fuel. The Fairtrade minimum price means that farmers can plan ahead with confidence, whatever happens in the volatile global agricultural system in future. The Fairtrade premium means farmers can invest in community development and business improvements in a harsh environment. And Fairtrade requires and supports co-operative-based producer organisations, increasing the collective bargaining power and political confidence of farmers.


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Following Nacon's first legal dispute win in the case, the title is once again available to purchase.
The Frogwares' horror title The Sinking City is once again up on stores and available for purchase after the Parisian Court of Appeals ruled that Frogwares acted unlawfully by pulling the game over a royalty dispute with Nacon, its publisher - formed after a consolidation with former publisher Bigben Interactive.
The actual case itself is still very much in progress, but this decision does mark Nacon's first victory in the legal dispute that saw them accused of withholding €1 million in royalties from Frogwares.
Marking the return to the Xbox storefront, with Steam and PlayStation at a later date, Nacon issued a statement as reported by Gamesindustry.biz.
"Confirmed in its expectations by this decision and regardless of the time needed to resolve this dispute definitively, Nacon is continuing its action in defence of its rights and has proceeded with the execution of this court decision by asking platforms and sites to put The Sinking City game back online so that no one is held hostage to this situation.
It is however specified that insofar as some of the game's online stakes depend on the goodwill of Frogwares to perform, their absence cannot be attributed to Nacon."
Since the case is still ongoing, we'll have to wait to see what the future for The Sinking City holds.


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You’ll see plenty of blogs on our website about how easily your private data can be collected and sold. What still occasionally surprises us is the sheer volume of entities engaged in these collections and sales.
That’s why a recent article in Scientific American caught our eye. It states:
“Data brokers are buying and selling hundreds of millions of people’s location information, and too many researchers are inadvertently providing public-relations cover to this massive privacy invasion by using the data in scientific studies. Researchers must carefully consider whether such data make them accomplices to this dubious practice.”
Like the big tech companies and social media channels, scientific research firms claim they are only doing this for the good of humanity. A company called SafeGraph was caught selling location information on visitors to Planned Parenthood; its CEO responded that this data was contributing to beneficial research on abortion access.
We’re doing this for you, they will reassure us. We’re only trying to help. This data will just be used as material for articles in studies and academic publications.
But data is valuable, and once these firms are done with it, they’ll sell it just like everybody else. The question is, what can you do about it?
And the answer, unfortunately, is nothing. Consumer data privacy laws will need to be passed to stop this practice. However, after your information is shared or sold, you can make sure it does not become readily accessible online.
Our online privacy protection program, IronWall360, scans the Internet for any sites where someone’s home address and other private data are accessible. We then contact that site to make sure that content is removed. And we don’t take “no” for an answer.
Does it work? Our renewal rate in our program is over 90% for over 10 years. Yes, it works.
Find out more about why this service is needed more than ever, and why we’re the top choice for public servants in our space.


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Cadillac’s wreath-less badge debuted on the, not yet for sale, ATS coupe.
It appears from these shots over at AutoEvolution that the new badge may quickly make it across the line.
This is the less than one year old CTS and it is already sporting a new grill featuring the new badge.
We expect that Cadillac will quickly move to update the grill and interior of all the models (perhaps all this year) to reflect the new logo.
Note this will involve changes to a myriad of things such as rear trim, airbag covers, wheel center caps, CUE software changes, key fobs and countless other locations where the branding is used. However, it makes sense to change all of these, across the board, quickly since Cadillac will want to consistently present their new branding to the world. Failure to do so will confuse their branding and could risk making the cars, dealers, and Cadillac management look slipshod.
Expect this update to the CTS to bow with the 2015 model that will go on sale this summer (August, most likely).


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- 🚗 Tesla adds Magic Dock to Superchargers in Canada to expand EV charging network.
- 🌐 Magic Dock is being installed on Superchargers, allowing non-Tesla EVs with CCS to use the network.
- 🇨🇦 Early installations of Magic Dock in Canada as part of Tesla’s open Supercharger plan.
- 📅 Collaboration between Tesla and Government of Canada aims to open 750 stalls to non-Tesla EVs by 2025.
- ⚡ Tesla’s move aligns with other automakers adopting Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS).
Tesla has brought its Magic Dock innovation to Superchargers in Canada, allowing Electric Vehicles (EVs) equipped with the Combined Charging System (CCS) to utilize the world’s most comprehensive and reliable EV charging network.
Introduced earlier this year, the Magic Dock has been gradually integrated into several Superchargers across California and New York. This technology enables non-Tesla EV owners to access Tesla’s Supercharger Network for charging purposes. At Magic Dock locations, non-Tesla drivers can utilize the charging service by scanning a QR Code displayed on a sign near the Supercharger station. This code provides detailed instructions for initiating the charging process for their vehicles.
Throughout the year, installations have been steadily advancing in various regions. Initial deployment occurred in New York, with the first location in Verona, and in California, where Magic Docks have been established in both Northern and Southern regions. Recently, this innovation has been introduced in Texas, near Fort Worth, marking an extension of its reach.
By implementing the Magic Dock at Superchargers in Canada, Tesla continues to enhance the accessibility and convenience of its charging infrastructure for a wider range of electric vehicles.
From what we understand, this is among the earliest installations of the Magic Dock in Canada, and it marks the entrance of the open Supercharger plan from Tesla in a new country.
In May, Tesla and the Government of Canada announced a collaboration that would see the automaker open an existing portion of its Supercharger Network in the country to non-Tesla EV drivers.
The collaboration hopes to open about 750 of the individual stalls to non-Tesla drivers by the end of 2025.
The announcement was made just one day after Tesla and Ford had announced that the Detroit-based automaker would gain access to 12,000 Superchargers across North America in an attempt to make charging more available for any EV driver.
It has been one of Tesla’s main moves this year, as other automakers like GM, Rivian, Volvo, Honda, Acura, and several others have announced they are also going to adopt Tesla’s North American Charging Standard, or NACS.
Eventually, all of their vehicles will have the NACS inlet, eliminating the need for the adapter that will be initially required to charge at Supercharger locations.


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Greggs opens new café in Primark’s Oxford Street store
Greggs has opened a new café on the top floor of Primark’s flagship Oxford Street store, following the launch of their collaboration earlier this year.
The new 110-seater London café will offer a menu of all Greggs’ customer favourites following the success of the first ‘Tasty by Greggs’ eatery in Primark’s Birmingham shop in February.
Customers visiting the new café will have the opportunity to eat in double-decker bus inspired seating, and play games in a Greggs themed phone box.
The new café comes as part of Greggs’ ongoing London expansion, that has over the past year seen the launch of the pastry purveyor’s Liverpool Street Station outlet and flagship Leicester Square store.
Greggs’ in-store eatery will sit alongside a range of services available to Primark customers, including a nail and beauty bar.


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Prolonged winter has taken a toll on the Kesar mango production in Talala and nearby areas of Saurashtra. The unfavourable weather not only delayed the ripening of the fruit and thus its supply to the market,but also the production,which is expected to be almost 50 to 60 per cent less than the last year.
Low production,according to market sources,is sure to push the prices up to almost the double of what it was in the last season.
Both the mango growers and the officials in the state horticulture department agree that the production this year would be very low.
Deputy director (Horticulture) in Junagadh G S Thorajia said the production in Talala,accounting for nearly 60 per cent of the total Kesar mangoes in the state,would be hardly 50 per cent of the last year. However,mango orchards in nearby Kodinar,Una and Amreli hold some hope for the mango lovers as the production there is expected to be normal,said Thorajia.
Mango farmer and secretary of the Talala-Gir Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Harshukh Jarsania said that 24 lakh boxes (10 kg each) of Kesar mango had arrived in his market last year. However,he expects only 12 lakh boxes this year owing to the reports of low production.
According to Jarsania,Kesar mangoes generally hit the market by April 15 but its supply is expected only by mid-May this year due to delay in ripening of the fruit. He said though the production had been hit for the last four years due to unfavourable weather conditions,this season was the worst for mango producers.
Professor and Head of Horticulture Department at Junagadh Agriculture University R S Choratia said that prolonged winter,which continued till March 31,first affected the flowering in mango trees adversely and then setting of fruits. The subsequent large variation in day and night temperatures caused fruit dropping.
The vegetative growth on the plants owing to temperature variation again affected the growth of fruits that had somehow survived. All this would finally affect the quantity as also the quality, said Choratia.
Winds of change
Jarsania said that owing to low production of mangoes over the last four years,many farmers were felling their trees and shifting to cultivation of other commercial crops like groundnut and cotton. He said the state government should extend the insurance cover for mango growers as well in case of failure of the crop to ensure farmers did not shift to other crops and adequate supply of mangoes continued.
But Thorajia differed saying that though farmers were cutting their old trees whose yield had gone down,they were also planting new ones over almost the same area.


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Corporate brands face multi-pronged assaults from fraudulent online attackers, according to a report published on Monday that quantifies the scope of the most common threats.
MarkMonitor, which supplies Internet brand protection services to companies, said its new “Brandjacking Index” found “cybersquatting”—in which illicit sites usurp popular trademarks, false association, phishing and clickfraud as major threats.
A four-week survey of public websites completed early in April found cybersquatting posed the greatest threat to brands. Phishing—the criminal use of email to trick consumers into divulging passwords, credit cards and other personal details—and domain “kiting”—the rapid registering and dropping of similar- sounding website names—are on the rise.
The study tracked daily mentions on 134 million public web records for the world’s top 25 brands, along with major brands from eight industrial categories such as autos, apparel, food, and high-tech. The study ran from 9 March to6 April.
MarkMonitor found major brands suffered, on average, 286,000 examples of cybersquatting during the over four-week long survey, far and away the most common abusedetected.
Clickfraud—or siphoning off consumers via fake pay-per-click ads—was identified 50,743 times, while e-commerce fraud occurred 21,093 times and kiting 11,015. These figures represent the four-week average for each brand.
Frederick Felman, MarkMonitor’s chief marketing officer, said in an interview that cybersquatting is a starting point for other forms of abuse, including search marketing tricks designed to pull traffic away from reputable websites.
“Brand-holders face a double whammy: The volume of these abuses is significant, while abusers are becoming alarmingly savvy marketers,” Felman said.
MarkMonitor said media and Internet companies are the biggest targets of cybersquatting, while banks and other financial services are the mostly likely victims of kiting and phishing.
That media and Internet brands are the most attractive targets—drawing 31% of what MarkMonitor collectively terms “brand abuse”—reflects the fact that 10 of the top 15 sites on the web fall in thiscategory. The number of phishing attacks grew 104% during the month of March from the same month in 2006, the survey found, with more than 229 brand name companies, mostly financial services firms, coming under assault.
Financial services made up 41% of all phishing attacks in the first quarter of 2007, up from 29% in the first quarterof 2006. The latest quarter was the first time banks had outpaced online auctions such as eBay Inc. as targets. Auctions suffered 36% phishingattacks.


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Update: Oblivion on the PSP
EBGames reveals further confirmation
An unconfirmed report released back in April stated that developers Bethesda had versions of its successful Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion RPG under development for the PlayStation 3 and PSP; the title having initially been released on the Xbox360 and PC.
The company eventually issued a statement saying that it currently had no plans to port Oblivion onto any other platforms, but didn't necessarily deny the rumor outright.
Well now a recent update to the game listings at online video game retailer EBGames.com has revealed what could be further truth to this still unconfirmed report. A PS3 version of Oblivion is listed on the website here, while a PSP version can be seen here.
The PS3 game sports a release date of November 17, meaning it would definitely be within the launch window of the release of Sony's new console. The PSP game, however, would not be seen until later in the new year, sometime in March.
While these listings are definite indications that the two games probably do exist, Bethesda has still not announced any official details or even confirmed development for any such ports of Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion. Stay tuned for more information.


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The rising stockpiles of cars, furniture and other goods that helped the U.S. economy boom in 2018 are now poised to cause a hangover this year.
Inventory accumulation added an average 1.2 percentage point to U.S. growth in the third and fourth quarters, government figures show, and were a key to the year’s 3 percent expansion, the fastest since 2005 and President Donald Trump’s annual goal. Reversing that buildup will trim growth in 2019, likely starting in the second quarter and continuing through the rest of the year, according to a Bloomberg News survey of 20 economists last week.
One overhang is the auto market, where the six-month average of dealer stocks of cars and trucks matches the highest since 2009 at 75 days. Manufacturers and sellers of furniture and clothing share the same problem, as do small businesses. The inventory swing is likely to exacerbate the U.S. slowdown, with the economy already facing headwinds from the waning impact of tax cuts, slowing global growth and continuing trade tensions.
“This puts the U.S. economy on a little bit thinner ice and less able to withstand any unexpected shock,” said Diane Swonk, chief economist at accounting firm Grant Thornton LLP in Chicago. “This is one more reason it makes sense for the Federal Reserve to hedge its risks by staying on the sidelines.”
In March, more small-business owners planned to reduce rather than increase inventories in for the first time since December 2017, according to the National Federation of Independent Business’s monthly survey released last week. Yet firms said they were continuing to build up stockpiles for the ninth straight month.
There are two major causes of the inventory overhang. First, manufacturers and retailers bought imported goods in bulk last year in anticipation of tariffs or other barriers, especially from China, with whom Trump’s trade advisers are trying to negotiate a deal. Second, sales have been disappointing for retailers, with declines reported in two of the past three months.
“Firms spent the back half of 2018 trying to get ahead of trade disputes,” said Richard Moody, chief economist at Regions Financial Corp. That led U.S. firms “to step up imports of goods, whether consumer goods or capital goods, and store them in inventory.’’
Exactly how this plays out is uncertain. While trackers such as the Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow estimate that inventories made a positive contribution to first-quarter growth, some economists say the drawdown may have begun then.
In the Bloomberg survey, economists expected a median reduction to growth of 0.2 percentage point in the second quarter and 0.1 percentage point in each of the following two periods. But there’s a wide range of views of when the drags will happen and how large they will be, with some expecting more than 0.5 percentage point of reductions in coming quarters.
“Business inventories is the most difficult component in GDP to predict,” said Russell Price, a senior economist with Ameriprise Financial Inc. who projected a drag on first-quarter growth.
A Federal Reserve report Tuesday showed factory output fell at a 1.1 percent annual rate in the first quarter, the worst performance since late 2017, a further signal of manufacturing softness as producers cope with an inventory buildup.
Ford Motor Co. noted in a conference call this month that truck inventories amounted to 70 days, up from 66 a year earlier, though Mark LaNeve, vice president for U.S. marketing, said that’s not a serious imbalance. “You will almost never hear Ford dealers have too much truck inventory,” he said.
Overall, “most of the buildup now is slowing demand” with declining new-vehicle sales for the industry this year, said David Whiston, a Morningstar Inc. autos analyst.
Other companies have expressed concern. Luggage maker Samsonite International SA aims to cut inventories to a range of 120 to 125 days from 138 days, officials said on a recent conference call. “We’re very focused on that across all of our regions,” Chief Executive Officer Kyle Gendreau said.
Constellation Brands Inc., the owner of Corona and Modelo beer in the U.S., said distributor inventories were recently higher than expected partly because of poor weather, especially on the West Coast. And electronics maker Jabil Inc. has said it built up stockpiles in anticipation of expanded sales and expects inventory levels to moderate.
“Businesses need to slow the gains in inventory adjustment in line with sales,” said Ben Herzon, an economist with IHS Markit’s Macroeconomic Advisers unit. “That business behavior is not going to be adding to growth going forward.”
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August 2, 2016 – Grand Ledge, Michigan. The Power Electronics Industry Collaborative (PEIC) announced that AVL has joined its growing list of members working together to accelerate innovation and advocate for investment in new power electronics technologies.
AVL is the world’s largest independent company for development, simulation and testing technology of powertrains (hybrid, combustion engines, transmission, electric drive, batteries and software) for passenger cars, trucks and large engines. AVL develops and improves all kinds of powertrain systems and is a competent partner to the engine and automotive industry. In addition, AVL develops and markets the simulation methods which are necessary for the development work. AVL also produces all instruments and systems required for engine and vehicle testing.
“We are currently demonstrating one of our technologies, a low voltage power supply to emulate 48 volt batteries, at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor,” said Elie Naim, Technical Specialist – Electrification at AVL. “We are very excited to collaborate with PEIC and its members to continue working with universities through demonstration and workforce development.”
“PEIC is pleased to welcome AVL as a new member,” said Keith Evans, President of PEIC. “We are excited about AVL’s interactions with US universities in the area of power electronics and believe that they will play a significant role in advancing and promoting the workforce development efforts of PEIC.”
PEIC membership is open to any industry-related organization that is interested in advancing the domestic ecosystem for power electronics. That includes not only companies involved in manufacturing or using power electronics components and subsystems, but also universities and government laboratories which teach and/or research power electronics. Power electronics are fundamental, basic building blocks for a myriad of applications including renewable energy (e.g., solar, wind, and hydroelectric power), energy efficiency (e.g. server farms and electric grid), and transportation (e.g., hybrid and electric cars, elevators, and trains). More information about PEIC membership opportunities can be found at peic-us.org.
About the Power Electronics Industry Collaborative
The Power Electronics Industry Collaborative (PEIC – pronounced peak) is a national, industry driven, membership-based consortium comprised of OEMs, suppliers, researchers, and other stakeholders working to advance the power electronics industry in the United States. PEIC’s vision is to position the United States as a global center of power electronics research, design and manufacturing. With a growing roster of prominent industry and associate member organizations, PEIC is governed by a board of directors from a cross section of the power electronics industry. For more information about PEIC, visit peic-us.org.


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The number of shoplifting crimes recorded by police in England and Wales rose once again last year, according to the latest Office for National Statistics report.
The official figures show the number of shoplifting incidents rose 8% to 385,265 in the 12 months to December 2017, following a 10% increase for the year ending September 2017.
Violent offences such as knife crime and robbery also increased over the same period, up 22% and 33% respectively. The report revealed that offences tend to be disproportionately concentrated in London and other metropolitan areas.
Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) chief executive James Lowman said: “The continued rise in shop thefts is consistent with the survey data in our own Crime Report.
”Shop theft incidents don’t just cost retailers financially, they are now the biggest single trigger for violence and verbal abuse against retailers and their staff. Where violent incidents take place, retailers must report them and the police must respond.”
The ACS launched its 2018 Crime Report and Guidance in March and is available to read here.


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Not even Warren Buffett can claim a perfect track record. Over the course of the past century, almost no investors have emerged unscathed. Whether legends like Jesse Livermore or titans like Carl Icahn, all have suffered tremendous losses at different times.
But a rare few have had scintillating performances, growing in every market condition, through booms and busts. Stan Druckenmiller is among that elite group and he’s bet 17.9% of his portfolio on one Korean stock, Coupang. Why?
Revenues have been impressive in a tough economic climate. The e-commerce company that has grown its market share in every quarter since its IPO is posting rising year over year sales.
- 2021 Q1: $4.20B (up 74.2% yoy)
- 2021 Q2: $4.47B (up 71.3% yoy)
- 2021 Q3: $4.64B (up 48.1% yoy)
- 2021 Q4: $5.07B (up 33.5% yoy)
- 2022 Q1: $5.11B (up 21.6% yoy)
- 2022 Q2: $5.03B (up 12.5% yoy)
- 2022 Q3: $5.10B (up 9.8% yoy)
Even better than Coupang’s market share growth is its opportunity to significantly grow it further from the current 15% level.
How high could Coupang’s share grow? Let’s look at Amazon’s e-commerce share growth as an example:
- 2016: 34%
- 2017: 37%
- 2018: 41%
- 2019: 45%
- 2020: 47%
- 2021: 50%
Should Coupang grow its market share in South Korea to rival Amazon’s in the United States, the company’s revenues could rise to over $15B.
Operating Income Turns Positive
Add the above tailwinds to positive operating income this past quarter and the upside for this ecommerce leader is enormous in the coming years.
The turnaround in profitability has been nothing short of spectacular. In Q2 2021, operating income was in the red to the tune of over half a billion dollars. Fast forward to this most recent quarter, and the number is closer to $80 million in the black.
Further highlights include growing margins, which are trending higher. Gross margin was 17% in the first quarter of 2021 but its most recent quarter showed gross margin eclipsing 24%, a very impressive figure for an ecommerce company so early in its life.
And the opportunity is even more attractive when comparing Coupang’s gross margins to those of Amazon, which came in at 44% in the last quarter. The upside to Coupang’s profitability is significant if it can double its gross margin over time to rival that of Amazon.
Like Amazon, Coupang has the opportunity to expand from a lower margin ecommerce business to more profitable business lines over time. And that’s not just a pipe dream, it’s already happening.
Management has placed bets on areas from financial technology to fast-food delivery services. It will take some luck to stumble on a business as good as AWS is for Amazon, but it’s clear management is prioritizing other growth levers beyond its current ecommerce focus.
While few stocks are a slam dunk in this inflationary environment, Coupang offers a long-term growth potential for patient investors willing to bet on growing profitability, gross margins, cash flows, and diversified business lines. It’s clear Stanley Druckenmiller has high conviction that this thesis will play out. At the very least, it’s worth keeping a close eye on this Asian stock.


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Liquidity for companies with the "Dynamic Discounting" service
Intesa Sanpaolo has finalized a memorandum of understanding with Kyriba, a global leader in supply chain finance solutions, to make the "Dynamic Discouting" service available to the business world, which allows large buyers with excess liquidity to propose prepayment of invoices to suppliers against a discount on the previously agreed price. This is a strategic opportunity for many companies to cope with the liquidity crisis caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic.
The "Dynamic Discouting" service allows large companies to improve the financial management of their working capital and company margins, simplify the management of suppliers and integrate flows and payments.
Companies will be able to access the service directly from the Intesa Sanpaolo Inbiz platform.
The agreement with Kyriba is part of the "Filiere Program" of Intesa Sanpaolo, recently upgraded with a new ceiling of € 10 billion to support the restart of the Italian production chains belonging to all production sectors and distributed throughout the country.
Last updated 20 November 2020 at 17:43:05


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Multibagger stock JBM Auto spikes 17% in one trading session on large order for electric bus
- Shares of automaker JBM Auto received orders for supply of 500 electric busses from a few state governments and corporate clients.
- The multibagger stock has delivered 138% returns in the last one year.
- Shares of several auto component makers have rallied in the last one month.
AdvertisementShares of JBM Auto were among the top gainers on Dalal Street with share price up 17% on large orders. The Gurugram-based automaker has received orders for 500 for electric buses and some compressed natural gas (CNG) buses from states including Delhi, Bengaluru and Uttar Pradesh along with other corporate clients.
Majority of the orders are for electric buses. The move tells a lot about the shift towards clean energy and increasing demand for electric vehicles in the country.
JBM Auto is into bus manufacturing with an aim to become a globally benchmarked producer of modern intra-city buses.
Meanwhile, shares of many auto component makers and peer companies to JBM Auto have rallied in the last one month.
|Peer companies||% return in last one month|
|Motherson Sumi Systems||9%|
|Sona BLW Precision Forgings||27%|
Shares of the company ended up 12.74% at ₹513 as on September 23.
Moreover, shares of the automaker have more than doubled investors’ money in the last one year. The market capitalisation of the company stood at ₹2,454 crore.
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Landmark moment for this Rajinikanth fan’s SaaS startup on listing at US exchange
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Traces of the industrial chemical melamine have been detected in samples of top-selling U.S. infant formula, but federal regulators insist...
Traces of the industrial chemical melamine have been detected in samples of top-selling U.S. infant formula, but federal regulators insist the products are safe.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said last month it was unable to identify any melamine exposure level as safe for infants, but a top offiial said it would be a “dangerous overreaction” for parents to stop feeding infant formula to babies who depend on it.
“The levels that we are detecting are extremely low,” said Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “They should not be changing the diet.”
Melamine is the chemical found in Chinese infant formula — in far larger concentrations — that has been blamed for killing at least three babies and making at least 50,000 others ill.
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Previously undisclosed tests, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, show that the FDA detected melamine in a sample of one popular formula and the presence of cyanuric acid, a chemical relative of melamine, in the formula of a second manufacturer.
Separately, a third major formula maker said in-house tests had detected trace levels of melamine in its infant formula.
According to FDA data for tests of 77 formula samples, a trace concentration of melamine was detected in one product: Mead Johnson’s Infant Formula Powder, Enfamil LIPIL with Iron. An FDA spreadsheet shows two tests were conducted on the Enfamil, with readings of 0.137 and 0.14 parts per million.
Three tests of Nestlé’s Good Start Supreme Infant Formula with Iron detected an average of 0.247 parts per million of a melamine byproduct.
While the FDA said tests of 18 samples of formula made by Abbott Laboratories, including its Similac brand, did not detect melamine, spokesman Colin McBean said some company tests did find the chemical. He did not identify the product or the number of positive tests.
The three firms — Abbott Laboratories, Nestlé and Mead Johnson — manufacture more than 90 percent of all formula produced in the United States.
The FDA and other experts said the melamine contamination in U.S.-made formula had occurred during manufacturing rather than intentionally.
Sundlof said there have been no reports of human illness in the United States from melamine, which can bind with other chemicals in urine, potentially causing stones in the kidney or bladder and, in extreme cases, kidney failure.
Melamine is used in some U.S. plastic food packaging and can rub off onto what we eat; it’s also in a cleaning solution used on some food-processing equipment.
Sundlof said the positive test results “so far are in the trace range, and from a public-health or infant-health perspective, we consider those to be perfectly fine.”
That’s different from the impression of zero tolerance the agency left Oct. 3, when it stated: “FDA is currently unable to establish any level of melamine and melamine-related compounds in infant formula that does not raise public health concerns.”
In China, melamine was intentionally dumped into watered-down milk to trick food-quality tests into showing higher protein levels than existed. The concentrations there were extraordinarily high, as much as 2,500 parts per million.
The concentrations in the FDA samples were 10,000 times smaller, the equivalent of a drop in a 64-gallon trash bin.


text: BuzzFeed is teaming up with Amazon to start a book club. The idea for the program, which begins November 1, is a simple — and relatively old — one: Members of the club get discounts on books, and BuzzFeed gets a share of the sales that Amazon makes to members who click on affiliate links. In fact, the most noteworthy thing about the program might be how un-noteworthy it is. It’s the latest sign of how BuzzFeed — the website that began as a place for light-hearted quizzes and listicles, and which expanded to include a sizable news division — is looking less like a media revolutionary and more like the rest of the industry. The company’s selling point had long been “native” content: ads that are paid for by sponsors, but which mimic the look and feel of an article on the website. But that kind of content is expensive to produce, the ad sales climate is rough, and those ads haven’t been enough to sustain the business on their own. Late last year, The Wall Street Journal reported that BuzzFeed was expected to fall short of its revenue target for 2017 by about 15% to 20%. A few weeks later, the company cut about 100 positions. “We’ve outgrown the ability to build our business on essentially a single, very distinct revenue stream,” co-founder and CEO Jonah Peretti wrote on BuzzFeed last December. At about the same time, Peretti also told staffers in a memo that the organization needed to “evolve,” adding that a restructured business team would have to bring in “different, more diverse expertise to support these new lines of business.” Lately, BuzzFeed has been exploring many new revenue streams — some creative, others are very similar to what older, less-buzzy outlets are doing. For example, while the company still offers native advertising, it also started using traditional display ads in 2017. Those banner ads are powered by the same programmatic software technology that has been used for years by other media publishers. BuzzFeed has also been working for about a month with Taboola and Outbrain, two companies known for the modules of paid and often sensationalized content they recommend all over the internet. A BuzzFeed spokesperson said they are testing with those companies and aren’t in a long-term relationship with either Taboola or Outbrain. BuzzFeed launched a product review site over the summer, too. The company will collect a cut of the revenue from readers who make product purchases through affiliate links, much in the same way its book club partnership with Amazon functions. Product reviews on the site range from flat screen televisions to electric toothbrushes. It’s a strategy already employed by many other media companies, including The New York Times and New York Magazine. The initiative has been “very successful for us,” a BuzzFeed spokesperson told CNN Business. BuzzFeed has put its own spin on other offerings, including a type of hybrid ad it calls a “BuzzCut.” That’s when BuzzFeed cuts up and repurposes ad spots that a company provides. For example, Subaru provided the company with an ad that featured a dog attempting to drive one of its vehicles. BuzzFeed shortened the clip and captioned it, “me trying to parallel park.” The ads were rolled out in February across Facebook and Instagram. “Like we have always done, we are always innovating and looking to define ‘modern media company,’” Chief Revenue Officer Lee Brown told CNN Business. The company has also made a push into product licensing and distribution. This spring, it partnered with Walmart on a line of cookware marketed under the Tasty brand, a division of BuzzFeed made popular by its Facebook cooking videos. The company also has a home goods product line with Macy’s that capitalizes on its wellness brand Goodful. It launched last week. Some of BuzzFeed’s strategies are more elaborate. Brown said the company partnered this summer with the gardening company Scotts Miracle-Gro on a new campaign. BuzzFeed brought in experts from inside and outside of the company to help the gardening business brainstorm new ways to reach customers. The final result was Lunarly, a subscription box service that ships plants and wellness products. BuzzFeed has also made a push into TV and film — another move similar to what some publishers, such as Conde Nast, have been making. BuzzFeed’s movie studio division has been working on a slew of programs associated with the brand. One production, “Unspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers,” was adapted from a BuzzFeed News story and premiered last month on Oxygen. Brown declined to say how successful each of those revenue streams has been on their own, though he did say the company has been growing its revenue at “double digits” this year. BuzzFeed is a private company, so it is not obligated to report the same kind of financial information that public companies do. It’s not yet clear whether BuzzFeed’s strategies will pay off in the long run. Victor Pickard, an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication, said advertising as a revenue model is in “collapse.” Other digital media publications, including CNN Digital and Vice, have learned how difficult those financial headwinds can be. Both rely on traditional ad revenue to fuel their businesses, and both laid off staff in the past year. The problems exist in large part because Google and Facebook have such strong control over advertising. The research company eMarketer has reported that last year, those two companies raked in a combined $114 billion in net digital ad revenue worldwide — nearly half the market. “I hope I am proven wrong because our society desperately needs journalism, especially now,” Pickard said, adding that he was not convinced that “any commercial model at this point can offer long-term support for the kind of news outlet that BuzzFeed aspires to be — and that we as a democratic society need.” BuzzFeed has at least been tinkering with that idea. Despite the company’s hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital, its news division has been testing out a donation button. Solicitations are usually the bailiwick of nonprofit outfits like ProPublica and the Texas Tribune. But BuzzFeed News has been asking for money that way since August. The company characterized the move as a “trial experiment” for BuzzFeed News, which launched as a standalone site this summer. The News division is otherwise only monetized through studio deals and traditional display advertising. Donations are meant to help keep the website’s reporting free to readers. The donation option is also key to thwarting off the paywalls that other news outlets use to limit content to paying members — something CEO Peretti has been vocal about. “If you’re thinking about an electorate and people being informed, the subscription model in media doesn’t help inform the public,” Peretti told The Wall Street Journal last year.


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If you still aren't convinced that the Kardashian family is taking over the fashion world, well, we've got some news for you: They're becoming the straight-up kings (and queens!) of couture. For the August issue of Vogue Japan, Kanye West and Kendall Jenner pose and mean-mug as part of a Givenchy "fashion gang" on the cover. Their first (but probably not their last) magazine cover together!
Kim Kardashian posted the pic this morning with the caption "Hottest Fashion Gang ever!!!!!!" in support of her family, and the Riccardo Tisci-centered shoot featured everyone from Jessica Chastain to Joan Smalls to the creative director himself. Their bejeweled looks are straight from Givenchy's autumn/winter 2015 show, and even though the full spread hasn't dropped yet, Vogue Japan has been posting some intense videos from the shoot.
This black-and-white clip features Kendall decked out with facial piercings and models trapped behind a chainlink fence while someone whispers "Riccardo" over a chilling soundtrack.
In another vid, Kanye says, "Riccardo is the youngest master. A true visionary," while images of models and Jessica Chastain cut in and out.
The fashion films, shot by Luigi and Iango and styled by Katy England, show an eery, cult-like dedication to Riccardo, which definitely plays off the whole "fashion gang" theme. Considering everything we've seen so far, we have a feeling this is going to be one breath-taking spread. Until then, we'll be over here playing "Clique" on repeat.


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One of the crucial necessary merchandise for brand spanking new mother and father is briefly provide. Child system, which three-quarters of infants within the U.S. receive inside their first six months, is more and more out of inventory at retailers throughout the nation.
The availability of system is so constrained that retailers like Walgreens are even limiting how a lot shoppers should buy at one time. A spokesperson for the pharmacy chain informed CBS MoneyWatch it’s limiting clients to 3 toddler and toddler system merchandise per transaction, citing “elevated demand and varied provider points.”
Provide-chain snarls associated to COVID-19 are contributing to the scarcity of system across the U.S. These embrace producers having extra issue procuring key components, packaging hangups and labor shortages, with these elements combining to have an effect on manufacturing and distribution. As well as, a significantin January exacerbated shortages.
At retailers throughout the U.S., 29% of the top-selling child system merchandise have been out of inventory as of the week of March 13, in keeping with an evaluation by Datasembly, which tracked child system inventory at greater than 11,000 shops. That is up sharply from 11% in November.
“This can be a stunning quantity that you do not see for different classes,” Ben Reich, CEO of Datasembly informed CBS MoneyWatch.
“We have been monitoring it over time and it is going up dramatically. We see this class is being affected by financial circumstances extra dramatically than others,” Reich added.
In 24 U.S. states, 30% of system was out of inventory as of mid-March, whereas different states have been seeing much more extreme shortages. In Minnesota, 54% of child system merchandise have been out of inventory that very same time. Dad and mom in Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, North and South Dakota, Rhode Island and Texas are additionally grappling with extreme shortages of at the very least 40%, in keeping with Datasembly.
By comparability, over the primary seven months of 2021, between 2% and eight% of child system merchandise have been out of inventory.
“We have observed it being troublesome to seek out possibly a pair months in the past — two, three months in the past — after which only recently we will not discover it,” San Francisco residentearlier this 12 months. “We have tried all of the native Targets. We checked Costco, Costco on-line, Walgreens, Lengthy’s. Cannot discover it anyplace.”
Product shortages have been additional exacerbated in February, when Abbott Diet issued a widespread recall of its powdered child system merchandise, following studies of who had consumed the infant merchandise. The U.S. Meals and Drug Administration final week issued a warning telling shoppers to not use any of the recalled merchandise manufactured at Abbott Diet’s Sturgis, Michigan, facility, after it
Keep away from hoarding
The Infant Nutrition Council of America lately assured mother and father in a press release on its web site that producers are growing manufacturing to fulfill households’ wants. The council additionally encourages mother and father to maintain a 10-day to two-week provide or system at house, whereas urging them to not stockpile merchandise.
A spokesperson for CVS Well being acknowledged that “product provide challenges are at the moment impacting many of the retail trade.” The corporate is working with “nationwide model child system distributors to handle this problem and we remorse any inconvenience that our clients could also be experiencing,” the spokesperson added.
In January, Enfamil, a number one child system model, stated it was dealing with an unprecedented 18% surge in demand for child system nationwide.
“We now have taken steps to ramp up manufacturing and are at the moment delivery 50% extra product, to handle points as quick as attainable,” a spokesperson for Reckitt, maker of Enfamil, informed CBS Information in a press release on the time.


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Here at Bright Night Gin, we are passionate about distilling exceptional gin sourced from the best native Tasmanian, Australian and quality imported botanicals. A gin you can sip and enjoy on your own or appreciate the different drinks and cocktails with your friends.
We were delighted when Bright Night Gin was awarded a Silver award in the Tasting Australia Spirit Awards on Saturday. Our core 45 percent Bright Night Gin took the prize in the “London Dry Gin” category of the event, judged by an expert panel of distilling industry and beverage experts. The award is supported by Bill Lark, the ‘Godfather of Australian Whisky’.
The icing on the cake was the fact that this was the first gin awards that we entered since launching the Bright Night Wild Tasmanian Gin. Being a relatively young gin, we were happy to rub shoulders with the big names and share the limelight among the winners.
When we launched Bright Night Gin, we had a really good response at the launch events and from customers who bought the gin. Bright Night Gin has also done exceptionally well in blind tastes at some of our stockists. We were elated to get the same feedback from the panel of judges.
We are proud to say that “Bright Night Gin” is officially an “award-winning gin” now. We hope there will be more to come, but the first one will always be close to our hearts.


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Participants at Startup Weekend 2017
Socially responsible businesses top at Startup Weekend Exeter
Three socially responsible businesses were voted top this weekend at the seventh edition of Startup Weekend Exeter.
The return of the eagerly anticipated weekend was held for the first time at the new location of the University of Exeter, Business School. Now in its fourth year, Startup Weekend, a 54-hour event, helps people develop solutions and ideas that have the potential to make a positive difference to society.
The event saw 50 participants deliver 30 different business pitches including making a wood pulp substitute out of sugar cane, to creating building materials out of used plastic bottles, to stilettos capable of converting into flats by detaching the heels! From these ideas, the top eight pitches were put forward and eight groups spent 54 hours working their concepts into eight viable startup businesses.
Overall winner of the weekend went to Santa’s Gift, a novel community minded Christmas gift business.
The People’s Choice award went to business concept, UN-SCENE, headed up Innovation Centre client, Vanessa Cobb. Vanessa’s business is an online platform connecting performing artists with their audiences, with features that help emerging entertainers to boost their careers and income.
Vanessa said: “We were thrilled to win the People's Choice and delighted that a couple of other people came up to us afterwards, saying they'd love to work with us. The weekend was a real inspiration. From the word go, we knew it was all about the team and that was the best part of the event for us. As a random group of people who'd never met before, we pooled our ideas, skills and knowledge and dived in with enthusiasm. We formed a genuine bond as a team and are already making plans to continue with the project.”
An Honourable Mention went to MBA student, Mashroor Mushtaque and his team 'Bagasse' with their concept for helping underprivileged women of South Africa with affordable, sustainable sanitary products. Commenting on the event Mashroor said: “The Startup weekend was a platform to showcase diverse ideas which would revolutionize the business perspectives and sustainability. Winning the Honourable Mention felt reinvigorating after 54 hours of brainstorming and putting our ideas together. It was such a fantastic experience to be part of the weekend.”
An impressive array of mentors from all across the tech and entrepreneurial communities were present to support the participants including experienced Exeter alumni from the entrepreneurial community, seasoned tech entrepreneur, Tom Charman, CEO of Kompas and Matt Morley, Co-founder of Explaain, currently collaborating with Google’s Digital News Initiative. Kalkidan Lagasse, Exeter graduate and Founder of local, ethical and sustainable clothing company, Sanchos Dress, also delivered an inspiring welcome speech.
Participants pitched their ideas, developed them, explored potential markets and planned a business launch all in one weekend.
Ideas were assessed according to their validity in the market, strength of their business model, and execution and design by the judging panel which involved experts and leaders in industry and academia including Antonia Power, Blur Group, Richard Eckley, Crowdcube, Christine Allison, Roborough House Associates and Stuart Robinson, Exeter MBA.
In closing the event, TechStars facilitator David Andersen said: “Startup Weekend Exeter was a really special experience. I think there were some great teams, with great energy and great ideas. Participants here were really open-minded and keen to do new things. Basically, everything we could throw at them, they took on with a positive mindset. It really says a lot about the community here in Exeter, and I would love to see that spread after the weekend. That’s what the Startup Weekend is all about: inspiring the participants to go out and change the world.”
Date: 23 November 2017


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FP Trends29 Apr 2020 10:58:01 IST
Samsung has been integrated Apple Music on its Smart TV platform. This new addition allows consumers in more than 100 countries to enjoy more than 60 million ad-free songs, watch top music videos and explore thousands of playlists curated by world-class music experts.
Company has made Apple Music available on models from 2018 to 2020. “Apple Music customers can also get tailored daily recommendations and listen to the innovative Beats 1 radio station, global live broadcast with exclusive performances by artists such as Frank Ocean, Nicki Minaj, The Weeknd, DJ Khaled, and Elton John, “Samsung said in a pers conference.
He added that when people spend more time at home, they are more committed to providing the best entertainment experience more than ever before. “Last year, we were the first TV manufacturer to offer the Apple TV application, and today, we are the first to offer Apple Music,” Brodsky said.
Samsung Smart TV owners can download Apple Music from Samsung Smart TV App Store. Those who have Apple IDs can log in to existing accounts. Those who don’t have it can start the subscription process from their TV.
Apple Music is available free of charge to Samsung Smart TV owners with an individual, family or student subscription for three months.
Like most large companies in the world, Samsung also contributed to the fight against the corona virus. South Korean tech giants and Google have decided to offer free telephone repair to health care workers and first responders.
Samsung and Google have hand in hand with the uBreakiFix phone repair company to offer services. Those who qualify for the offer will be asked to visit the uBreakiFix location or send an email on their Galaxy phone to take advantage of the facility.
Discover the latest and upcoming technology gadgets at Tech2 gadget. Get tech news, reviews & gadget ratings. Popular gadgets include laptop, tablet and cellular specifications, features, prices, comparisons.


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Splat while you can!
Online multiplayer is free on Nintendo Switch and it’ll remain that way until September 2018. That’s when Nintendo plans to finally launch its subscription-based online service for the system.
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 1, 2018
Aside from the updated launch window, the company didn’t share any new details — though it sounds like we’ll hear more specifics soon enough. As previously detailed, Nintendo Switch Online will grant access to online multiplayer, the Switch app, the so-called “Classic Game Selection” with added online play, and eShop deals. Subscriptions will run a meager $4 per month, or $20 per year.
“Work is progressing on ways to further heighten the gaming experience for consumers,” Nintendo said in its financial briefing to investors. “Details will be made available as they are finalized.”
I’ll be curious to see what, if anything, changes as Nintendo has more to say leading up to September. You also have to wonder what big-name game might potentially coincide with the service’s rollout.
-Preparing some attractive (contents or programs) for subscription-based online membership. Please wait for the detail announcement later in the year.
— Takashi Mochizuki (@mochi_wsj) February 1, 2018
Worth noting: even once the paid service is live, you’ll still be able to use the eShop, register and manage friends, share screens to social media, and use the parental controls app without a sub.
Nintendo of America [Twitter]


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Yiwu foreign company sector exceeded 3000
According to Yiwu goverment statistics, there are currently more than 13,000 permanent Yiwu foreign company departments. By of the end of 2010, the number of resident offices of Yiwu foreign company has reached 3008, which ranked the first in all counties of China.
Yiwu has a well-known commodity market, it was called “the world’s largest small commodity wholesale market” in a report released by the United Nations, the World Bank and Morgan Stanley.
Jordanian businessman Mohamed Bata run a Rep. business office in China famous commodity city Yiwu.,doing artificial crafts business.Every week there are goods sent from here to the Middle East market.
“All the goods that Jordan market needed can be found in Yiwu. Yiwu market not only has fair prices, but also ensure on time delivery and quality” Bata told reporters, “This is the reason why I choose to set up representive office to purchase goods in Yiwu. ”
Currently, the direct and indirect transactions on Yiwu Small Commodity market is over 30 billion US dollars and Yiwu goods has exported to 215 countries and territories worldwide. In the whole year of 2010, the number of small commodity exported has reached 576,000 TEUs under Yiwu customs supervision, which increase 57,000 TEUs over the previous year.
Among the 3008 Yiwu foreign company representative offices, there are almost 80% rep. offices that come from Asian countries, and another 10% come from African countries. In addition, there are rep. offices from Europe, America and Oceania. From the view of country and region, they are mainly from Pakistan, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Korea, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, India, Hong Kong and other countries and regions,and the number of Yiwu foreign company representative offices is still increasing.


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Diageo tots up whisky attraction takings
Diageo has been given the green light to build a Johnnie Walker-themed tourist attraction in Edinburgh.
Three floors of the former House of Fraser department store will be transformed to offer an “immersive” journey through the history of Johnnie Walker, the world’s biggest selling Scotch.
The venture, approved by the city council yesterday, will create up to 180 jobs. Diageo has suggested it could generate £135 million in tourism spending.
Work will begin in the summer and it could be open by the end of next year.
Cristina Diezhandino, 52, right, a director at Diageo, said: “We have ambitious plans to make this a truly world-leading attraction.”


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Do you have your Halloween costume yet?
Some of the most popular costumes this year include the Angry Birds, Black Swan, Playboy Bunny, and Nicki Manaj.
One local costume shop says Captain America is tops in popularity in the Syracuse area.
But Zombies are always in style, especially this year, the with the success of the hit AMC-TV series "The Walking Dead."
"What do you think the caption should say for this photo from key West, Florida?"
Leave your comments below, and see all of our previous caption-writing contests on syracuse.com.


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Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed the Tesla Semi — that fully electric Class 8 vehicle powered by a massive battery and capable of hauling 80,000 pounds— on Thursday, November 16, 2017 at SpaceX’s Hawthorne, California headquarters. And the Tesla Semi been all that alternative energy transportation folks can talk about this week. That’s because it will have a range up to 500 miles. Its carbon fiber cab will improve aerodynamics and fuel economy. Some say the Semi will cut through the wind more efficiently than some sports cars. We’ll see about that.
But, in the meantime, the Tesla Semi, which is reported to have self-driving capacity on the highway, should start production in 2019, Musk says. Wired calls it “the most electrifying gamble yet.”
Tesla Semi pic.twitter.com/7VLz7F46Ji
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 17, 2017
The relevance and temporality of the Tesla Semi announcement cannot be minimized. Electric trucks are one of the most significant elements in the larger equation to solve climate change and mitigate air pollution.
“Heavy-duty vehicles make up a small fraction of the vehicles on the road, but a large fraction of their emissions,” says Jimmy O’Dea, who studies clean vehicles at the Union of Concerned Scientists. In California, for example, heavy-duty vehicles make up 7 percent of vehicles but 33 percent of NOx emissions from all sources and 20 percent of global warming emissions from the transportation sector. They emit more particulate matter than all of the state’s power plants.
On California’s grid today, a heavy-duty electric vehicle with middle-of-the-road efficiency has 70 percent lower life cycle global warming emissions than a comparable diesel and natural gas vehicle. Electric vehicles also don’t have any tailpipe emissions of NOx, particulate matter, or other pollutants. O’Dea argues that communities, especially those near freight corridors, will have lower risks from the harmful consequences of dirty air.
So we’ve devoted this edition of the “Gas2 Week in Review” to the impact of the Tesla Semi and the stories that emerged as a result of this long-awaited reveal.
The upcoming Tesla Semi has room for an 8 pin connector, which is four times as many pins as the Tesla Supercharger for passenger cars. Moreover, the Class 8 heavy hauler will have a range of either 300 or 500 miles, depending on the size battery installed. If a company wants to pay less, they’ll choose the smaller battery. If they need the 500 miles of range, they’ll pay the extra cost for the added range. But, setting aside the pervasive imagery we hold about long-haul trucking being cross-county, most heavy duty trucks provide service to local and regional operations. That means 100 to 200 miles of range can meet the needs of many trucking companies. Success at the local level is a starting place for Tesla to assure the trucking industry of the function and financial stability of transporting freight over longer distances with zero-emission vehicles.
The Tesla Semi will add 400 miles of range in just 30 minutes with their Megachargers. Although it’s not clear now where its new Megachargers will be located, the existing Superchargers for passenger cars are located along the most traveled transportation routes.
The U.S.-based trucking firm J.B. Hunt Transport Services is placing reservations for “multiple” units of the newly revealed Tesla Semi trucks. The company plans to deploy electric tractors to its Intermodal and Dedicated Contract Services divisions to support its operations on the West Coast. The move marked another step that the company is taking to implement industry-changing
technology, with likely implementation on local routes. J.B. Hunt promotes itself as a company that “pioneered sustainable transportation through its intermodal service.” The Tesla Semi purchase will complement other J.B. Hunt sustainable initiatives such as reducing engine idle time, governing top speed limits, converting over-the-road shipments to intermodal, engineering fleet routes that maximize efficiency, and using biodiesel fuels when possible.
The company notes that the additional investment in Tesla trucks further demonstrates its commitment to meeting the needs of an evolving supply chain and introducing new technology for its customers and employees.
Walmart has added its name to a growing list of big companies that have pre-ordered the Tesla Semi electric trucks, including J.B. Hunt Transport Services. Walmart has signed up for fifteen of the new all-electric trucks as a pilot, saying that the company’s long history of testing new technology has included “alternative-fuel trucks—and we are excited to be among the first to pilot this new heavy-duty electric vehicle.” The small fleet will allow the retailer to assess how the all-electric technology performs within their supply chain. Added bonuses should include help with meeting some long-term sustainability goals like lowering emissions. Walmart will utilize five of the Semis in the U.S. and ten in Canada.
Canada-based grocery chain Loblaw says it, too, will be joining the quickly popular group of transportation companies ordering Tesla Semis. Loblaw’s purchase of 25 of the new all-electric Tesla heavy-duty trucks is part of a larger company mission to possessing an all-electric corporate fleet by 2030. Michigan-based grocery chain Meijer also has placed a pre-order of four Semis.
In 2oo3, the Eberhard/ Tarpenning team transformed a heavily modified Lotus chassis with 6,800 lithium-ion laptop batteries. Elon Musk, who at that time was a young entrepreneur, drove this first production car of the Tesla fleet. As time went on, a total of 2,450 Tesla Roadsters were sold between 2008 and 2012. Since then, however, the car has been overshadowed by new EVs with more performance capacities, such as the Tesla Model S P100D.
At the end of this week’s Tesla Semi reveal, as the audience was standing and stretching and readying for stop-and-go exiting traffic, Musk reappeared on the stage. A pre-production version of the next-generation Tesla Roadster, driven by Tesla designer, Franz von Holzhausen, emerged from the back of a Tesla Semi. With 0–60 mph in 1.9 seconds right out of the box in “base” configuration, the Tesla Roadster will become the fastest production car ever made, at 0–100 mph and in a quarter mile sprint. The car, which will have three motors — two in the rear and one in front — for true all-wheel-drive capability, is scheduled for a 2020 production date.
Why the Tesla Semi is So Important
On November 25, 2017, the Electric Vehicle (EV) Sales Experience and Best Practice Study was released. The results were not so good for U.S. car showrooms. Many car dealers, it seems, are poorly prepared to sell electric cars. The one exception was the Tesla sales staff, who the study indicated “exude a passion for electric vehicles and are equipped with the information needed to help consumers make informed decisions.”
Sure, we’ll be waiting a while until Tesla can offer a mass market all-electric EV beyond the Model 3 that is affordable enough for the average Jane to purchase. But, in the meantime, the Tesla Semi has left any long haul competition in the dust. At a point in which anthropogenic climate change is drastically changing the earth’s ecosystems, the U.S. populace needs quality information about the ways that we can lesson our carbon footprint. Seeing stalwart transportation brands like Walmart and J.B. Hunt driving Tesla Semis on our local roads will be positively reinforcing and influential about the importance of transportation that limits emissions. Trucks offer a very effective way to do that, because, without all-electric power, they are extremely toxic.
Every truck on U.S. roads that is powered by electricity rather than diesel has an exponential effect on the health of the planet and the comprehension of people who watch it drive by their communities.


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The war of words between the Nevada consumer advocate and Sierra Pacific Resources took an international tone Friday with the issuance of a news release by advocate Tim Hay extolling a British newspaper columnist's comments that the utility is incompetent.
Hay cited an article by Financial Times columnist John Dyson that Nevada Power Co.'s $922 million rate increase request appears to be the result of the company's "thorough incompetence."
"The reporter from the Financial Times is a real utility expert and he spent nearly two weeks in Las Vegas, sitting in on the hearings. I thought his encapsulation of the rate case was straightforward and unbiased. His was kind of a fresh face in the mix and I thought he picked up on some interesting aspects," Hay said.
Sierra Pacific spokesman Karl Walquist questioned Hays' decision to send out the news release at all -- and particularly on the attorney general's stationery.
"It's outrageous that the consumer advocate would send out a press release on the attorney general's letterhead in an attempt to lend credibility to an opinion column," Walquist said. "There was some reporting, but it was an opinion by a reporter biased against Sierra Pacific.
"People ought to be concerned that the consumer advocate is taking that approach because that is misleading," Walquist said.
Hay said the Financial Times article raises concern over Nevada Power's transactions with Enron following Sierra Pacific's failed attempt to purchase Portland General Electric from Enron. Sierra Pacific Resources is the owner of Nevada Power Co.
The Financial Times column suggests that Sierra Pacific's fear of a lawsuit by Enron may have influenced subsequent transactions between the two companies and that a lawsuit could have netted Enron hundreds of millions of dollars. Instead, Enron settled for $8 million.
"Now the Nevada PUC has to decide whether to take this billion dollars out of the depressed state, as well as hundreds of millions more for this year's overpriced purchases, or let Sierra Pacific's shareholders bear the cost of what appears from the public record to be thorough incompetence," wrote Dyson.
"Some of the comments that were made in the article were utter nonsense," Walquist said."It makes reference to the fact that the acquisitions came apart and implies in the commentary somehow a link between the settlement which the reporter interpreted as fair and tries to link that somehow to energy purchases that had been made months prior to that."
Walquist said the power was bought at market price.
"We didn't pay exceptional prices for that power," he said.
The article, however, claims Sierra Pacific made huge power purchases between February and April 2001 with little or no analysis. "In fact," Dyson wrote, "there is virtually no record of the decision-making process, apart from recollections of a voice-mail here or an e-mail there. These were the biggest monetary decisions ever made by the people who made them, and yet the memories of the company's witnesses are astonishingly vague."
Hay said he sent out the news release on Dyson's article Friday because many Nevadans don't read the Financial Times and he thought it was newsworthy.
Testimony concluded Thursday in Las Vegas on Nevada Power Co.'s $922 million rate hike request.
The Public Utilities Commission is expected to make its decision by March 29, Hay said.
"I wouldn't even hazard a guess what's going to happen," he said. "We're optimistic. It's in the hands of the PUC now to do the right thing for the rate payers of Nevada."
READ THE ARTICLE
On the web:
Sierra Pacific Resources


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10 Best Wheat Flours for You and Your Family
Wheat is our go to ingredient for most of our food at home and even outside. Therefore, it is important to know what varieties of wheat flour are available on the market and what suits your needs best. We have compiled a detailed list to help you make the best decision.
How ITC succeeded in pivoting from its traditional tobacco business to FMCG under Sanjiv Puri
A look at ITC’s top line shows the revenue share of its tobacco business has nearly halved—from 62% in FY14 to 37% in FY23. This change can’t come about unless you understand the Indian consumer. Sanjiv Puri, chairman and managing director of ITC, is among the few executives who has a finger on their pulse. In an exclusive interaction with ET, Puri talks about how the FMCG behemoth came to be.
ITC Next: How do you turn around an elephant and make it dance?
"The other piece in ITC Next was getting structural efficiencies out of the investments we had done on ICMLs (Integrated Consumer Goods and Logistics) facilities. So we integrated the warehouses and the factories and put in automated warehouses. It is now a seamless flow from the factory into the warehouses. Your layers of handling and transportation are reduced, so you bring in efficiencies there," Puri said.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2023: Everything You May Need To Know
The 97th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has finally arrived, more than 50 million viewers at home and over 3.5 million in New York City will attend the Parade, owing to the approximately 5,000 volunteers who ensure its flawless operation.
Oscar winner Cher to star in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The 97th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is gearing up for an exciting lineup, with an impressive array of 16 giant character balloons, 26 floats, 32 novelty and heritage inflatables, 12 marching bands, 700 clowns, and eight performance groups. This year's extravaganza is set to start at 8:30 a.m. ET, a change from its traditional schedule, and will be kicked off by the talented multi-instrumentalist and Grammy-winner Jon Batiste.
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Troubled to see somebody drooling over China and being dismissive about India: Jaishankar attacks Rahul GandhiGandhi's recent comments at the Cambridge University that Indian democracy is under attack and several politicians, including himself, are under surveillance, invited sharp reactions from the BJP which accused him of maligning the country's image on foreign soil after facing successive electoral setbacks
The Great British Baking Show: New episodes, release date on NetflixThe popular cookery show, the Great British Bake Off in the UK, has the latest season streaming on Netflix. New episodes are added every Friday for the US audience. The first episode aired on September 16.
General Mills India unit, Pillsbury to settle dispute with Prataap SnacksBoth parties have decided to end a three-year-old dispute, where Prataap Snacks, maker of 'Yellow Diamonds,' agreed to change the font size and the packaging of its 'Rich Feast' products being sold under the label of 'Cookie Cake' and will not use shades of yellow and blue in its packaging.
Donald Trump appoints flurry of allies as presidency winds downOn Thursday, Trump announced his intention to nominate two authors who wrote books that flattered him to a board that makes recommendations on education research. Another author who helped write a favorable book about the president was chosen for the same board a few days earlier.
General Mills local unit saw increased demand as shoppers increasingly 'Bake in India'“Younger households are discovering there is a kitchen in the house. Also, a lot of celebrations are moving from outdoors to at home," Balki Radhakrishnan said in his first media interview after becoming the managing director of General Mills - Asia, the Middle East and Africa in February this year.
Trump says he doesn't want to talk to Xi right now, could even cut China tiesIn an interview with Fox Business Network broadcast on Thursday, Trump said he was very disappointed with China's failure to contain the disease and that the pandemic had cast a pall over his January trade deal with Beijing, which he has previously hailed as a major achievement.
Angry undergrads are suing colleges for billions in refundsFor individual students, the funds can be quite a boon in an economic crisis.
Uber partners Medlife to deliver medicines in 5 cities"We are pleased to announce our partnership with Medlife, our first with an online pharmacy platform, to support last mile delivery of prescription and other medicines. During these challenging times, we are committed to the well-being of our communities and to ensure they stay healthy and safe.
Wheat corrects on poor buying of fresh harvested cropIn the spot market, wheat prices were hovering around Rs 1,800 a quintal.
China to raise US arms sale to India with Trump administrationUS arms sales to India and China-India border disputes are among the top six “sensitivities” top Chinese officials have listed for the Trump administration.
Modi only world statesman to stand up to China on BRI: PillsburyIndia boycotted the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) organised by China in May this year to highlight its concerns over Beijing pushing projects through the the PoK.
PM Modi only world statesman to stand up to China on OBOR: Top US expert"But the US government, until now and this is a five-year-old initiative if you count the early part of it, has been silent," he said.
Big firms like ITC, HUL & Cargill to fortify wheat flourFSSAI today said major wheat-flour brands like ITC, HUL, Cargill and Patanjali would begin to fortify wheat flour with iron, folic acid and vitamin B-12.
India, US, Japan cooperation necessary to face China: ScholarsChina has taken an increasingly hardline stance in its territorial disputes in the East China Sea, the South China Sea and over Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own.
US govt asked to strengthen ties with Indiathe open letter calls upon the Obama Administration, and both presidential nominees, to review all US foreign aid in the region to ensure that interests are preserved.
With Noodles out, sales of other snacks raisingThe Maggi controversy has hit the noodle industry at a very wrong time. With schools reopening, parents have started looking for other options.
Companies like SAP, Marico and Snapdeal on a hot chase for techies; look to enhance IT competenciesWith spotlight on acquiring the best of talent to strengthen tech competencies, cos like SAP, Snapdeal and Marico are aggressively hiring techies.
E-commerce companies, MNCs seek people who can devise growth strategies; salaries up by 30%Swelling investor confidence and a rejuvenated economy have doubled the demand for talent who can devise strategies and chart out growth for companies.
A list of who all turned 50 this yearEmail, internet’s centrepiece, completes its golden jubilee this year. Look who and what else made it to fabulous fifty.
Top five voice-over artists in India todayVoice-over—that background voice explaining a product or service—is as important as the other aspects of an advertisement.
Remaking Cadbury India: The new team operating at Mondelez have to work as a startupAnand Kripalu, CEO of Cadbury for nine years, has moved out and new CEO Manu Anand has been running the company for 10 months.
Uflex Q4 net declines 19 per cent to Rs 41.18 croreUflex has reported 19.17 per cent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 41.18 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2013.Load More
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By Sandra Shaw
ODMA 2015 attracted 2,950 visitors over three days in July. Awards of Excellence recognised the best technology, innovation and fashion offered by more than 100 suppliers exhibiting at the trade show.
Award winners included Eyes Right Optical for the best large stand, LBJ Optical for the best small stand, and Black Lilly Imports for the best small modular stand.
ODMA included a conference in which 12 speakers including Professor Minas Coroneo gave presentations, and eight masterclasses that focused on dispensing and business.
‘Independents Day’ on 4 July was a celebration of independence in the optical industry. The festivities included a jazz band and a US-style diner and milkshake bar.
Philip Spork (L), director of Phasem Health, presents a cheque for $5,500 to Ron Baroni of Optometry Giving Sight at the MDeyes stand at ODMA
Photo: Aaron Shambrook


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Farmers accused of making big profits from Crown land deals in the Mackenzie Basin say they are doing the bare minimum to make a living.
High Country property researcher and Lincoln University academic Dr Ann Brower says the Crown is missing out when tenure review land is sold freehold by farmers.
The median on-selling price per hectare was 493 times the Crown’s original sale price, she said. . .
Signs of movement on dairy as TPP negotiators meet in Atlanta – Pattrick Smellie:
(BusinessDesk) – News media in the US and Canada are reporting signs of a deal coming together on access for dairy products into North America as trade ministers gather in Atlanta, Georgia, for the latest round of talks attempting to conclude the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade and investment pact.
The Atlanta talks are being billed as potentially the final round of talks, although New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser has yet to commit to attend them, despite being in the US this week for climate change talks in New York.
He said almost a week ago that there was still no adequate offer from the key TPP dairy-producing countries – the US, Canada and Japan. Market access for dairy products and automobiles, and patent extensions for new generation bio-logic pharmaceuticals, are reportedly the only remaining sticking points of substance between the 12 countries negotiating the new Pacific Rim agreement, which US president Barack Obama is committed to concluding as part of a strategy to assert US geopolitical interests in Asia and counter the rise of China. . .
No heavy hand – Neal Wallace:
Shanghai Maling president Shen Wei Ping has given an assurance he will not use his casting vote to exert control over Silver Fern Farms should shareholders agree to a partnership between the two food companies.
In an interview during a visit to Dunedin, Shen said the clause giving the Shanghai Maling Aquarius chairman the casting vote on the appointment of the chief executive and annual business plan, was an auditor requirement for reporting the company’s financial results.
He said the proposed deal between the Chinese company and SFF would be a true partnership with board decisions by consensus. . .
Murray Taggart has been returned as a Ballance Agri-Nutrients Ward C director in the South Island after a three-way contest for the position.
Also seeking the directorship were Temuka intensive cropping and livestock finishing farmer Nick Ward and former chief executive of Silver Fern Farms Keith Cooper.
Mr Taggart, who is also chairman of meat co-operative Alliance Group, joined the Ballance board in 2009. He is a past director of CRT Society and Southern Farms NZ, past chairman of the National Meat and Wool Council and Federated Farmers, and past member of the National Board of Federated Farmers. . .
Generic marketing questioned – Matthew Cawood:
WHEN you have powerful brands, do you need generic marketing?
Agrifood consultant David McKinna posed that rhetorical question to the recent 2015 Meat Industry Conference as part of his discussion on the rise of brand marketing.
“You don’t see your breakfast cereal in generic marketing campaigns. You don’t see generic campaigns for toothpaste. The brands do the job,” he said.
“Your industry has spent a lot of money on generic marketing. As they say in advertising, fifty per cent of it works, but we don’t know which bit.”
Dr McKinna foresees a future in which generic marketing takes a back seat, but doesn’t disappear entirely. . .
The National Policy Direction for Pest Management has come into effect.
MPI’s director of biosecurity and animal welfare policy, Julie Collins, says established pests are estimated to cost New Zealand’s primary sector up to $3.3 billion annually.
“Even small improvements to New Zealand’s pest management system could save millions of dollars in the long term.”
“The National Direction will support national and regional management of challenging pest issues such as wilding conifers, by ensuring consistent approaches to the way rules are set across New Zealand and that landowner obligations are clearly signalled and underpinned by robust analysis.” . .
Wendy Harker making Holstein history in NZ – Sonita Chandar:
She may have made history by being elected the first female head of Holstein Friesian New Zealand but the new president says it will not define who she is or what she does.
Wendy Harker, a Te Awamutu breeder, is the first woman to take on the top role in the association’s 105-year history. She has sat on the board for six years as a council member.
“I have been a part of the national team for six years,” she says. . .


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Harsha Engineers is looking at a valuation of around Rs2,500 crore in the initial share sale
Mumbai: Harsha Engineers Ltd, which makes ball bearing cages, has started work on an initial public offering (IPO) which could see the manufacturer raise as much as Rs500 crore, three people aware of the development said.
The company, founded in 1972, makes brass, steel and polyamide ball bearing cages as well as stamping components primarily for the automotive sector.
“Harsha Engineers has appointed investment banks Axis Capital and Edelweiss and has started work on its draft IPO prospectus. The company is looking to raise around Rs450-500 crore through the IPO, which could be used for capital expenditure and for debt reduction," said one of the people cited above, requesting anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to reporters.
The company is looking at a valuation of around Rs2,500 crore in the initial share sale, according to the second person cited above.
“Harsha Engineers is a unique play in the manufacturing sector. They are the largest player in this space in the country. They also have significant overseas operations, in China and Europe, and that puts them in the top three companies globally in this space," he added.
In 2016, Harsha Engineers acquired Romanian company Johnson Metall SA for around Rs180 crore, data from the company’s filings with the registrar of companies (RoC) shows.
In 2014, Harsha Engineers acquired a cage manufacturing and brass foundry unit in the Suzhou district of China. The company had opened its first manufacturing unit in China in 2010.
Emails sent on Wednesday to Harsha Engineers’ top management, Axis Capital and Edelweiss did not elicit any response. According to data from the RoC filings, Harsha Engineers reported revenue of Rs637.4 crore in financial year 2015-16, as against Rs653.7 crore in the previous year.
India’s primary market has witnessed a few public offerings from manufacturers in the recent years. Earlier this year, electronic goods maker Amber Enterprises India Ltd’s IPO was subscribed 165 times. The company raised Rs600 crore through the offering. In 2017, another electronic goods maker, Dixon Technologies (India) Ltd, raised Rs600 crore through its IPO.
Several auto component makers too have raised funds through IPOs. In the last three years, auto component makers Sandhar Technologies Ltd, Endurance Technologies Ltd, GNA Axles Ltd and Precision Camshafts Ltd have raised funds through IPOs.
Other manufacturing companies that are planning to go public include farm equipment maker Milltec Machinery Pvt. Ltd, which is backed by Renuka Ramnath-led private equity firm Multiples PE. Milltec plans to raise Rs550 crore through its IPO, Mint reported on 16 April.
On 18 April, Mint reported that Vectus Industries Ltd, a maker of plastic storage tanks and pipes, backed by Asia-focused private equity firm Creador, is looking to go public and will soon file its draft prospectus for a Rs500 crore IPO.
So far this year, 14 companies have raised Rs18,591.7 crore through the IPO route, according to data from primary market tracker Prime Database.


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About 40 years ago, a technology came onto the scene that revolutionized the way businesses managed their inventory. Can you guess what that was? It was barcodes. More than four decades later, barcodes still play a critical role in retail operations.[i]
But a new technology is slowly taking over that is helping retailers manage their inventory more efficiently – and drive additional sales: RFID. By implementing RFID, retail leader Lord & Taylor not only achieved a two percent lift in its shoe sales and but also realized significant labor savings.
When it comes to shoes, you can’t sell what customers can’t see. And that means that restocking shoe displays quickly is vital to your sales. That presented a challenge for Lord & Taylor because – thanks to the line-of-sight requirements of its barcode-based inventory system – restocking shoe displays was a time-consuming, labor-intensive process. In fact, it took two to four associates a full six-to-eight hour shift to do a complete scan of the shoe sales floor.
Lord & Taylor decided to give RFID a try. After a one-day test drive, the retailer was immediately sold. Using the new system allowed a full scale inventory of the entire display floor to be accomplished in just 60 minutes by just one or two associates. With the new RFID system, Lord & Taylor could easily do inventory counts daily instead of weekly, which allowed the retailer to achieve display sample accuracy of 95 percent.
The result: The length of time that a shoe might be missing off the floor is now a matter of hours as opposed to a matter of days. That has resulted in a two percent lift in sales for Lord & Taylor, which now has rolled out the solution to all of its retail stores in the United States.
The good news is that RFID can help you boost sales and reduce labor costs even if you don’t sell shoes. To find out more, visit zebra.com/rfid.