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Consumers often put a bout of food poisoning down to having eaten eggs or meat. But some cases of food poisoning are actually caused by eating raw vegetables, according to PhD researcher Eelco Franz, at the Organic Farming Systems Group. Bacteria that cause diarrhoea, like salmonella and E. coli 0157, come in contact with lettuce plants through manure and are even taken up by the plants.
The laboratory experiments showed that contamination is not only on the outside of the plant, however. The lettuce plants absorb the bacteria and can therefore also be internally infected. According to Franz, the concentration levels – up to a thousand bacteria cells per gram of lettuce – are high enough to make a person ill after eating contaminated lettuce. What’s more, internal contamination means that washing the lettuce has no effect.
A way to reduce the chance of contamination would be to compost manure. Another measure would be to ensure that there is a period of at least four months between the moment of manure production and harvesting the vegetables. Franz emphasises that there have been no known outbreaks of food poisoning through raw vegetables so far in the Netherlands. Nevertheless, he is sure that among people who have assumed they have had food poisoning as a result of eating egg or chicken sate, there will cases where fresh vegetables were the culprit.
The Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (VWA) is taking the danger of infection through raw vegetables seriously and is looking into ways to prevent the presence of dangerous bacteria in vegetable and fruit products. VWA project leader Paul in ’t Veld: ‘We already knew that pathogenic bacteria are found on lettuce leaves. It’s news that they are also found in the leaves, but it doesn’t really surprise me. We will be doing screening to see how serious the problem is in vegetables on the market.’ He expects to be able to present the first results of the screening in two years. / GvM


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Tilapia, one of the worldwide most demanded fish in the market regarding its price and nutritional quality, according to latest FAO statistics, the global production of this species is expected to keep growing, as some countries of small production (e.g. Egypt and Brazil) started to increase their production, the thing that may affect the Chinese total export share of Tilapia, the major exporter of this species.
China remains the major supplier of Tilapia globally, however, the exported share to USA market, one of the principal Chines target markets, is decreasing, which is possibly due – according to FAO report’s on Chinese seafood production and prices- to the USA imposed tariffs. The decrease in the exporting share of Tilapia has also affected the prices of this species by reducing it in the market. However, other countries such as Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast start importing volumes that were previously destined for USA markets (FAO 2019).
USA imports of tilapia in the first three quarters of 2018 have decreased by 1.84% compared to the same period of 2017 (NOAA 2019), and according to FAO, it is expected to decline more. This decrease may be due to various causes, we highlight the most important from our point of view:
- The new tariffs regime that included Tilapia among other species. The regime consists of increasing the import duty on tilapia to 25% (NOAA 2019).
- Another reason is the popularity of this species in the US, according to the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), the consumption of tilapia by capita decreased by 8.5 between 2017 and 2018.
- The 3rd reason is the pangasius fish competition in the market, especially after the import tariffs on tilapia of China-origin, the production of pangasius and the importation of this species is significantly increasing, and it is expected to fill the missing gap of tilapia in the market.
Other countries are increasing their share either by importing or exporting tilapia fish (e.g. EU28, Brazil, Egypt…), but they are still far behind China and the USA.

domain: news


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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nike Inc (NKE.N) is seeing no slowdown in demand in its biggest markets, even as Europe struggles economically and shoppers in the United States remain skittish, Chief Executive Mark Parker said.
The world’s largest sportwear maker saw sales rise 18 percent in the second quarter, and Parker said there has been no pushback from shoppers as it raised prices for spring products.
“During times of economic challenge, consumers will go to brands that they trust and can connect with. We have not seen the economy have a dramatic impact on the sales of our products, not just in the high end, but also in the mid-priced range,” Parker said.
Speaking at the launch of the company’s new FuelBand, Parker said he expects input costs to keep going up, and is planning to fight those partially with price increases to improve margins.
Gross margins, which were down 260 basis points during the second quarter, are expected to improve through fiscal 2012, the CEO said.
“We definitely see room for margin improvement. With the price increases and with some commodity costs coming down, margins will start climbing up by the end of this fiscal year. You’ll start seeing incremental margin improvement in fiscal 2012 and as we head into 2013,” said Parker, who has been working with Nike since 1979.
Nike is also betting heavily on its Chinese market, which is currently about 11 percent of total sales, and grew 35 percent during the quarter ended Nov 30.
“I frankly think we have only scratched the surface when it comes to China,” Parker said.
“(Over the next five years) the rate of growth may go up or down a little bit, but China will stay a growth story,” he said.
Nivedita Bhattacharjee in New York; editing by Mark Porter


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Three leading global companies, Givaudan, Bühler, and Cargill, have formed a consortium in collaboration with the FoodTech HUB Latam and ITAL, Food Technology Institute, to build a food innovation center in the city of Campinas, recognized as Brazil’s tech powerhouse. The “Tropical Food Innovation Lab” will be located at the Food Technology Institute, ITAL, in a fully refurbished, 1,300 square meter area.
This new hub will be the go-to place in Latin America to connect and develop sustainable, future food and beverage products. Start-ups, companies, investors, universities, and research institutions will have direct access to high-end technologies for rapid prototyping and plugging into the global food tech ecosystem that will foster fast-paced innovation in the food and beverage sector.
The most current generation of wet and dry extrusion systems for plant-based proteins, as well as beverages processing units, will add complementary capabilities to the existing facilities of ITAL. When complete, the facility will feature new application labs and a state-of-the-art demo kitchen, where consumers, food scientists, nutritionists, chefs, mixologists, and marketers, among other professionals, will work together to create sustainable new products.
In a world facing major challenges from climate change, combined with a population expected to exceed 9.5 billion people by 2050, it is essential for the food industry to take positive action and work toward a regenerative and equitable food system that provides healthy, safe, and nutritious food for all while staying within the planetary boundaries.
Brazil has the richest plant biodiversity on the planet, distributed in six major biomes and is one of the world’s main food producers. Yet immense potential remains, with regards to healthy and sustainable products, novel food, and food waste reduction, contributing to Food Systems Transformation.
“ITAL with its almost 60 years of history in Brazil has become a market reference in carrying out research and development as well as providing technical and innovation support. Sharing our facilities will help to carry out joint RD&I activities with the aim of establishing tools for the creation of an innovative food ecosystem as well transferring technology for the food production sector to stimulate socioeconomic development,” emphasizes Gisele Camargo, director of Research Programme and Deputy Director of ITAL, one of the Research Institutes of Agribusiness Technology Agency of the São Paulo State Secretariat of Agriculture and Supply.
“The Tropical Food Innovation Lab brings a diverse and complementary group of strategic partners working together investigating market shifts, cross-fertilizing ideas, and nourishing concepts to deliver superior sustainable solutions to food and beverage clients. At Givaudan, we continuously challenge ourselves to create delicious and nutritious food experiences. With an expanded portfolio of products across flavors, taste, sense, health and nutritional solutions and deep knowledge of the food ecosystem, we are uniquely positioned to drive positive change within the food industry,” said, Eduard Fontcuberta, Givaudan’s Regional Innovation head.
“This great cooperation around innovation will accelerate not only the creation of new food products and categories but also new companies, which will flourish with the sustainable use of the Brazilian biodiversity,” says Paulo Silveira, founder of the FoodTech HUB Latam,” says Paulo Silveira, founder of the FoodTech HUB Latam.
“This new innovation lab is a great achievement for Bühler and we believe it will leverage significantly the food industry development in South America, especially in Brazil. As a leading process technology and solution provider, with more than 160 years of experience and a strong focus on innovation, we believe we can contribute with our know-how to create real impact. Only within a collaborative and innovative environment, it is possible to support our clients to be successful in a dynamic market, through the development of new products,” says Damien Chapelier, head of Bühler South America.
“Cargill is working to nourish the world. We’re bringing together people, ideas, and resources to deliver products, technology, and ways of operating that build successful businesses and communities, with our clients at the center of this approach. The Tropical Food Innovation Lab represents a great example of this commitment in LATAM, where we will join our forces with distinguished partners in a very unique environment for co-creation and collaboration to accelerate sustainable innovations that matters to the regional agri-food value chain and beyond that, to support our customer strategy and demands,” says Carlos Prax, Regional R&D leader at Cargill.


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 10, 2023
Office of the Governor
Utah Attorney General’s Office
Utah sues TikTok over child addiction harm, targets “enmeshment” with its China-based parent company
Top officials assert TikTok misleads parents about app safety
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH — Today, Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox and Attorney General Sean D. Reyes announced a lawsuit against TikTok. After extensive investigation, the state alleges the social media giant illegally baits children into addictive and unhealthy use, blatantly misrepresents the app’s safety, and deceptively portrays itself as independent of its China-based parent company ByteDance.
In a complaint filed in state court, the Utah Department of Commerce’s Division of Consumer Protection alleges that TikTok surreptitiously designed and deployed addictive features to hook young users into endlessly scrolling through the company’s app. To make more money, TikTok wants Utah consumers to spend as much time on its app as possible so it can place advertisements in front of them more often. Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges that the company misled young users and their parents about the app’s dangers.
“We will no longer tolerate TikTok misleading parents that its app is safe for children,” said Gov. Cox. “Social media companies must be held responsible for the harms they are causing. The experts — from the U.S. Surgeon General and behavioral science researchers to parents and teens — all agree that social media is affecting our children’s mental health and it’s time to intervene.”
“My top priority is protecting our children in Utah,” Attorney General Reyes said. “I’m tired of TikTok lying to Utah parents. I’m tired of our kids losing their innocence and even their lives addicted to the dark side of social media. TikTok will only change if put at legal risk—and ‘at risk’ is where they have left our youth in exchange for profit and greed. Immediate and pervasive threats require swift and bold responses. We have a compelling case against TikTok. Our kids are worth the fight.”
The suit, which brings claims under the Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act, details the impact of TikTok’s conduct on Utah’s citizens, alleging that prolonged TikTok use interferes with Utah children’s mental health and well-being. This is particularly concerning for Utahns, as the State has the country’s largest number of children per capita. The U.S. Surgeon General recently warned that unchecked social media use like this poses a risk to children. Like many states, Utah has seen rapid increases in mental health issues among its young people while TikTok’s popularity has skyrocketed.
“This is the next important step in holding TikTok accountable for harming Utah’s children,” said Margaret Woolley Busse, Executive Director of the Utah Department of Commerce. “However, we will not let up the pressure on TikTok as we continue our investigation. We encourage parents and other stakeholders to share their experiences with TikTok at socialmedia.utah.gov.”
In addition to the child addiction issue, the suit alleges that TikTok misled users about how the social media company is entangled with and controlled by its China-based parent company, ByteDance. The complaint cites leaked documents that suggest “key messages” the company wanted to present to the public, including that TikTok should “downplay the parent company ByteDance, [and] downplay the China association.”
The lawsuit comes as the Division continues its lengthy investigation, which recently led to the Attorney General filing a contempt motion after TikTok failed to properly comply with investigative subpoenas. This complaint represents the newest legal filing and alleges three separate counts:
- TikTok deployed, continually refined, and marketed an addictive product with design features intended to manipulate children, all while knowing that the product caused harm to these young users — an unconscionable business practice.
- TikTok misled young users and their parents by representing that its app was safe when it knew it was not — a deceptive business practice.
- TikTok misled Utah consumers about the degree to which TikTok remains enmeshed with and under the control of ByteDance, its China-based parent company — another deceptive business practice.
With this lawsuit, the State seeks to stop TikTok’s alleged illegal business practices and protect Utah’s children and users more generally. The complaint also asks the court to impose a penalty and other relief to deter TikTok and other social media companies from committing similar violations of state law in the future.
The state’s investigation into TikTok continues. View a copy of the final lawsuit here.
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Italy to Enhance Food and Construction Cooperation with Azerbaijan - Ital Caspian
Azerbaijan, Baku, 13 March / Trend corr A. Badalova/ Azerbaijan and Italy are going to discuss cooperation in the field of food and construction industry, the managing director of the Ital Caspian, the international marketing agency, Massimo Cuqusi said on 12 March.
On 12 March, the Italian delegation- uniting 15 entrepreneurs engaged in large-scale and small-scale food and construction business arrived in Azerbaijan for 3-day visit.
According to Cuqusi, purpose of the visit is search of partners for further cooperation.
" Azerbaijan has a great potential in the agricultural industry. But the main part of Azerbaijan's products is intended for domestic consumers and is not exported due to its non-compliance with the international standards. Therefore, modernization in this field is a priority for Azerbaijan," he said.
Ital Caspian, a consortium of Italian companies, was established in 2007 to support business relations between Italy and Azerbaijan. The consortium will take an active part in the construction field, as well as environment protection services. The investment portfolio f the consortium is expected to comprise €100mln in 2-3 years.
The consortium is open so that any one can become its partner, Cuqusi said.


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Google drops quarterly updates for its own Pixel phones, which are referred to as “Pixel Feature Drops” and offers some new features and sometimes some enhancements. Not just for new phones, but also old ones. Which is really nice of Google to do. Since a lot of smartphone makers want you to buy a new phone to get these features.
Here, we’re going to go over every single new feature that comes in these Pixel Feature Drops. So you can see what’s new, and take advantage of these new features.
What is a Pixel Feature Drop?
Google started the Pixel Feature Drop a few years ago, as a way to roll out some new features about four times a year. Without making everyone wait on a new version of Android – which really only comes once a year now. It was likely done to get people to update their phones more often, instead of skipping some of these monthly security updates.
The first feature drop for Pixel came back in December 2019, and they’ve been going strong ever since. These Feature Drops are rolled into the security updates, so it looks like a larger update than it actually is. Which can be a good thing.
What devices are eligible for a Pixel Feature Drop?
This is a list of the current Pixel devices that are eligible to get these updates:
- Pixel 4a
- Pixel 4a 5G
- Pixel 5
- Pixel 5a
- Pixel 6
- Pixel 6 Pro
- Pixel 6a
- Pixel 7
- Pixel 7 Pro
Older devices are no longer receiving security updates nor Android updates, and thus won’t get this Feature Drop, unfortunately.
When are they released?
These are quarterly updates from Google. So the released about once every three months. Google typically releases them in March, June, September and December of each year. Sometimes these may get moved around, due to features not getting ready and such. But those are the months they aim for.
Typically, the first Monday of those months (March, June, September and December) is when you can expect a Feature Drop.
What’s new in the March 2023 Pixel Feature Drop?
This time around, the feature drop is mostly aimed at older Pixel devices. Bringing Pixel 7 features to older devices. Which is definitely nice to see from Google. But here’s what’s new.
Faster Night Sight
Google has improved and added some new algorithms to the Tensor chip, which has made Night Sight faster on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. So you’re able to get low-light photos a whole lot faster now.
Magic Eraser debuted on the Pixel 6 in 2021, but now it is moving to older Pixels. If you have a Pixel 4a or later, you’ll be able to take advantage of Magic Eraser. Meaning that more people will be able to get rid of those photo bombers in your photos. As well as other distractions on your photos.
Direct My Call+
Google is also expanding Direct My Call+ to older Pixels, bringing it to the Pixel 4a or later. So now more Pixel users will be able to see call menu options before they’ve even been spoken to them.
Health Connect is an app that Google created last year, and was in beta for quite some time. Now it’s out of beta and available on Pixel devices. So you can use Health Connect to sync your health and fitness data across platforms. So far, this works with Fitbit and Samsung Health. So you can switch from the Pixel Watch to the Galaxy Watch 5 without losing any data.
What’s new in the December 2022 Pixel Feature Drop?
The December 2022 Pixel Feature Drop was released on Monday, December 5, 2022. And it’s the first big feature drop since the Pixel 7 series was released in October. So quite a few features here were already announced in October as “coming soon”.
VPN by Google One
Announced in October with the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, the VPN by Google One is now rolling out to all those users in the December 2022 update. This is a free feature, which you previously, needed to subscribe to Google One and be paying for at least 2TB to be able to enjoy.
For Pixel 7 users, this feature is going to be free for the next five years. It’ll likely last longer than your Pixel 7, to be quite honest.
Clear Calling is another feature that was announced in October and will remain exclusive to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, at least for now. But basically, this feature is able to reduce the background noise and enhance the sound of the voice. So that others’ are able to hear you better in loud environments like a bar or club.
The demos we experienced of this feature at the Made by Google event in October were pretty incredible. So we’re expecting this to be mind blowing.
Recorder Speaker Labels
The last feature in this feature drop which is limited to the new Pixel 7 series is, Recorder Speaker Labels. The Recorder app debuted a few years ago on the Pixel 4 and has been pretty incredible. But Google continues to improve it, and now, it can label individual speakers that are being recorded. It can also add in line breaks, making it easier to follow along.
This feature won’t be fully available until January 2023, but Spatial Audio is coming to the Pixel Buds Pro (only). Spatial Audio will allow you to feel more immersed when listening to movies and shows through your Pixel Buds Pro. It’s a feature that Apple has had for quite some time, and is now finally coming over to Android.
Security and Privacy Settings
Security and privacy is always a big deal for Google, and it is continuing to provide updates to the new unified hub for security and privacy settings in this new unified hub. It includes some new action cards that notify you of any safety risks and provide easy steps to enhance your privacy and security.
As always, Google is including some new wallpapers with this update. So you’ll have a refresh in the Curated Culture section of the Wallpaper app. There are a few new wallpapers here to help celebrate International Day of People with Disabilities.
Fitbit Sleep Profile
Google is finally rolling out the new Fitbit Sleep Profile that was announced back in November. This is going to help you get deeper sleep insights through Fitbit’s Premium Sleep Profile feature, on your Google Pixel Watch. It provides users with a monthly sleep animal and longitudinal analysis of your sleep. This is going to help you find ways to improve your sleep over time. If you wore your Watch to bed for 14 nights in November, you will see your animal today.
New Wear Tiles
Google is also bringing in a few new Wear OS tiles for the Pixel Watch. These include a new Contacts Tile, as well as an additional Weather Tile. This new Weather Tile will give you easy access to see things like when is Sunset or Sunrise, among other things. The Contacts Tile will give you quick access to calling and/or texting your favorite contacts, on your wrist.
Google is adding Fall Detection to the Google Pixel Watch in 2023. This is already available on Pixel smartphones. Fall Detection will contact emergency services if the Pixel Watch senses that you’ve taken a hard fall and are unresponsive.
Other odds & ends
There’s a few more updates here for the December 2022 feature drop, which includes expanding a few features to more regions and in new languages. Like Cough and Snore Detection, as well as Live Chat Translate.


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Harsh winter light can throw dehydrated skin and under-eye bags in to sharp relief – a subtly shimmering highlighter is the best way to mask a multitude of sins...
Yves Saint Laurent
Like this page on Facebook for updates
Monday 12 December 2011
The doyen of French embroidery, François Lesage worked with many of the fashion world's élite haute couture designers, including Cristobal Balenciaga, Hubert Givenchy, Coco Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld.
Monday 05 December 2011
What we love, we're not sure about, we're buying and can't wait for...
Friday 11 November 2011
An age-old truth lies just beneath the cool surface of this docu-memoir.
Monday 03 October 2011
The rumours surrounding Paris's major brands may do big business no harm, but one can only feel for the designers who are forced to complete collections while the rest of the world wonders who may – or may not – step into their shoes. This applies more than most to Stefano Pilati, who will stage his show for Yves Saint Laurent in Paris this evening.
Monday 20 June 2011
Monday 13 June 2011
Stefano Pilati of Yves Saint Laurent has just the credentials to create the costumes for a new staging of Pinter's 'Betrayal', says Susannah Frankel
Wednesday 25 May 2011
When Christian Louboutin sued Yves Saint Laurent for trademark infringement last month in a legal tussle over a pair of shoes, it was clear the accused, one of the grandest labels in France, would not take the slur lying down.
Saturday 21 May 2011
For reasons of decorum – and cash flow – and with the summer's key buys under my tan leather belt, last week seemed a good point to sit back and take stock, to reflect sagely as opposed to shop rapaciously... It may seem previous but the autumn pre-collections drop next month and, with designer fashion in such a state of flux, shopping might not unreasonably be seen as lifetime investment over and above mere instant gratification just now. Great. As if I needed another excuse.
Friday 13 May 2011
Ai Weiwei, the most important contemporary Chinese artist and political activist of his generation, has been missing since he was detained by authorities in Beijing while boarding a flight to Hong Kong on 3 April, and has not been seen or heard of since. And so, he has been missing from the openings of two exhibitions of his work opening in London this week.
Saturday 30 April 2011
My parents were... My father was a Midlands motoring engineer and my mother came from a long family line of farmers.
Monday 28 March 2011
My friend is going on safari which, naturally, begs the question: what to pack?
Monday 14 March 2011
Sunday 13 March 2011
Monday 07 March 2011
Y Not?" asked the front page of Women's Wear Daily the morning after last week's Gucci show in Milan.
Thursday 03 March 2011
'We would evict Queen from Buckingham Palace and allocate her council house,' say Greens
French court convicts three over homophobic tweets, in case hailed as a 'significant victory' by LGBT rights campaigners
Greece elections: Syriza and EU on collision course after election win for left-wing party
British Muslim school children suffering a backlash of abuse following Paris attacks
Islamic history is full of free thinkers - but recent attempts to suppress critical thought are verging on the absurd
Leaked documents show Ukip leaders approve NHS privatisation once it becomes more 'acceptable to the electorate'
- 1 The BBC has just done more to eradicate ‘terrorism’ than all our wars since 9/11
- 2 Dog thinks owner is drowning in lake, dives in and tries to pull him out
- 4 Chilling drone footage captures Auschwitz ahead of 70th anniversary of liberation
- 5 Phil Neville backtracks on Tomas Rosicky 'I'd smash him' comments from Match of the Day 2


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Candy corn lovers beware! Something almost too horrific to imagine has befallen us. The largest producer of the Halloween treat was compromised just weeks before its big day. And the call was coming from inside the factory!
Chicago-based Ferrara Candy, the makers of Brach’s candy corn that has an 85% share of the country’s candy corn market, fell prey to a ransomware attack earlier this month that caused a disruption in production, reports Crain’s Chicago Business. Systems were hacked and encrypted, immediately prompting an investigation into the scope and cause of the infiltration. The company is still slowly working to restore everything back to 100%. This might sound like great news to those among us who believe that candy corn is “Satan’s earwax,” but candy corn-loving millennials are probably shaking in their boots.
The factory is currently operating at a limited capacity but is still working to fulfill all orders in its queue and ship to distribution centers across the country. (We can assume a hearty amount are headed straight to a butcher shop in Wisconsin). But with just two weeks until Halloween, Ferrara better get its gears going as quickly as possible to feed the country’s insatiable need for one of the most popular candies of the season.
Still, Ferrara shouldn’t be hurting too bad—representatives from the company told Crain’s in 2020 that Halloween accounts for less than 10% of their sales. If we had to guess, during the other 11 months out of the year, candy corn must be in high demand for peanut treats and churning into ice cream.
And of course, the factory isn’t all about candy corn. Ferrara manufactures more than 25 other brands of sweets and baked treats, including Trolli, Famous Amos, and Little Brownie Bakers, the official creators of Girl Scout cookies. Ferrara better get some new, better virus protection before Thin Mint season or there will be hell to pay.


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Velvet Exclusive Ladieswear of Ramsbottom are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year and after a very successful trading year, Velvet Menswear is also marking their first anniversary milestone.
Velvet first opened it’s stylish doors in 2010 with Debbie at the helm and six years later, in 2016 the business moved to a prime position on Bridge Street. The business continued to develop and grow, bucking the trend of the average stores on the high street.
When the former NatWest Bank premises on Bridge Street became available in 2019, this smart businesswoman grasped the opportunity with both hands and decided to open a second store, this time primarily to showcase menswear. The menswear 1st birthday event taking place on 2nd April will be the icing on the cake for the velvet team’s hard work.
With the invaluable support of her close knit team and family, Debbie admits that opening a second shop has gone pretty smoothly considering the speed that it all happened
“My team have been fantastic and Velvet would not be what it is today without them all. They have all worked so hard to help make this happen and quickly learned about the new brands we stock for mens and women – its been a whirl wind experience and a very successful one too”.
Debbie and her loyal team spent 2019 building product knowledge to ensure they were offering the best customer service and shopping experience for their loyal and new customers. A whistle stop tour of fashion trade shows both here in the UK and in Europe helped build solid foundations for both stores.
“ This first year trading with two stores has been hard work but those trips were very successful in shaping the menswear brands we wanted for Velvet” adds Debbie. “It’s been great to see the collections and we’re really proud to introduce brands like Barbour for ladies and gents, Fynch- Hatton, Meyer, and Bugatti to name but a few”.
Debbie admits that whilst she knew there was a gap in the market for menswear,she did listen to her loyal customer base to see if there was a demand for the new shop. “I have lots of men coming into Velvet ladieswear with their wives and partners and we found that men generally wanted to shop local too and started requesting brands they would like to see in Ramsbottom. I wanted to ensure that our menswear store had the right brands and products coupled with how we merchandised it to make a man feel like he was being catered for.We have tried to take the thought process away and show men how to dress through the layout of the store – we have had a tremendous reaction so far – and long may this continue”.
With Velvet offering something for everyone, and both buildings offering their own charm, get comfortable,take a seat on the velvet armchair and enjoy a cuppa from fine bone china and shop to your hearts content – you will not be disappointed.


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US services sector activity was more robust than anticipated in early October.
Or something. It’s hard to say these days. Especially when assessing the situation entails interpreting anecdotes and otherwise extrapolating from PMIs.
For whatever it’s worth, though, the flash read on IHS Markit’s services sector gauge for this month was 58.2 (figure below), well ahead of the 55.2 consensus expected. The highest estimate from 17 economists who ventured a guess was 56.
“US private sector businesses recorded a sharp and accelerated upturn in output led by the service sector during October, with growth the strongest for three months, albeit still much weaker than seen earlier in the year,” IHS Markit said.
At 59.2, the flash manufacturing print for this month was slightly below estimates. The composite gauge stood at 57.3.
Not surprisingly, the upturn in the services gauge was attributed to receding Delta variant fears. Employers in the services sector added jobs at the fastest pace in four months, even as respondents continued to have difficulties filling vacancies.
Needless to say, capacity constraints are acute. “Firms were struggling to cope with growing sales due to labor issues and supplier delays,” the color accompanying the survey said. Backlogs piled up at the fastest rate in a dozen years of data.
If you’re wondering whether cost pressures abated, the answer is a resounding “no.” In fact, input prices rose at the second-fastest pace ever (with May marking the peak) amid higher transportation costs, wages, supplier fees and material prices. In an effort to protect margins, service providers raised their own average selling prices for a seventeenth consecutive month.
The latest sentiment data continues to suggest inflation worries are weighing on consumer psychology (figure below).
Factories, meanwhile, simply can’t meet demand. “Production remains plagued by constraints,” IHS Markit’s Chris Williamson remarked, adding that “prices paid by factories for raw materials rose at yet another new record pace, in turn feeding through to both higher prices at the factory gate and spilling over into higher service sector prices.”
In short, the world’s largest economy was off to a good start in the year’s final quarter, but there’s no evidence that various bottlenecks, disruptions and distortions are set to fade anytime soon.
That, in turn, casts further doubt on the “transitory” narrative, which is under siege.
Five-year breakevens topped 3% for the first time ever this week (figure above).
Commenting further on Friday, Williamson said simply, “The upward rise in inflationary pressures shows no signs of abating.”
5 thoughts on “US Inflation Shows ‘No Signs Of Abating’ In October”
people aren’t grasping just how bad the holiday shopping season will be. Everyday people don’t think in terms of supply chains. Labor/Consumers are already angry and sad. Colder weather and empty shelves/longer wait times will compound the frustration. This will be one for the record books in terms of the disappointment on retail sales.
The supply issues we are currently experiencing are ultimately down to the now entrenched strategic approach used by most US and large foreign firms of so-called “lean manufacturing.” When properly applied on a calm economic sea the result is a nice stream of growing profits, although sadly no growth in real wages. But as we are wont to say, “no pain no gain” so sorry workers you lose. But now our economic sea looks like a storm in Alaska and our economy is an unfortunate crab fishing boat. Any disturbance to the calm under lean manufacturing can cause terrible consequences because all the slack and reserves of money, goods, labor, what have you, is gone from the system and must be rebuilt. I expect most of this will take years. As for inflation, I don’t think transitory is realistic. We are short many tens of thousands of truck drivers, the cost to ship a standard 40′ container has quadrupled since Q1, millions of workers have not reentered the work force and businesses have not yet discovered the equilibrium wage that will entice them to return. Look at what Amazon and Walmart are now having to pay just to keep the workforce steady. What we commonly call supply chains are, in fact, value chains. Each level is populated by suppliers who wish to profit from their part in a process. All have to produce an output or service, cover costs, deliver, and get paid enough to profit. Just to put a box of cereal on a grocery shelf requires farmers to produce grains, sugar, fruity bits, etc, deliver these bits to processors who render them usable for Kellogg, say. The processors then have to do their part and once again, deliver their inputs to Kellogg, at a profit. Kellogg gets the stuff to make the cereal, having already gotten the very expensive equipment required to put everything together for dozens of different products and get those products in packages, bought from those suppliers and the truckers that bring that stuff into the plant. Once the cereal is made and packaged it must be distributed, requiring more trucks, warehouses, and finally more trucks to get everything to the retailer. All these folks need to charge a price for their work that includes a profit. And this is just to make a box of Raisin Bran. Think of how this all has to work to make a car with 10,000 parts. Mess up any part of this chain, experience shortages in anything and force someone to wait is what Elon Musk once called “production hell.” Corporate strategies over the last two decades have unwittingly, perhaps, put our economy on a knife edge and the suffering is not going to end soon.
Right you are. For years I thought long supply chains combined with just in time delivery was not a resilient method. You can have one maybe but not both. The functional equivalent of picking up nickels in front of a steam roller. We just got flattened!
If American citizens can’t/won’t fill the current pool of job openings, let’s allow immigration in order to fill these openings. We can even give them a legal pathway to citizenship!
@emptynester. If wages aren’t high enough to attract workers, then wages are not high enough. Bringing in millions of new workers and having them sleep under bridges, that is not a solution.


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Mike Barry, the man driving M&S’ Plan A sustainability plan for the last decade has announced he is leaving the business at the end of June. He will be replaced by Carmel McQuaid as director of sustainability.
Leaders of big tech companies will be asked to testify as part of an investigation into whether the companies misuse their massive market power, the head of the U.S. said the House Judiciary subcommittee.
Resolving trade tensions must be a top priority to preserve an expected modest rebound in global growth, European Union finance ministers will tell G20 members this week amid an escalating U.S.-Chinese trade conflict.
May was a bad month for UK retailers with the latest BRC report showing a year-on-year fall of 2.7%. If you exclude the impact of Easter calendar shifts, that was the biggest drop since records started back in 1995.
Kanye West is launching a fashion incubator to foster new talent in the industry, awarding the first grant to Maisie Schloss, a Chicago-born Parsons graduate and former member of the Yeezy womenswear design team.
The U.S. government is gearing up to investigate the massive market power of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google, setting up what could be an unprecedented wide-ranging probe of some of the world's largest companies.


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Creative Virtual Announces Opening of New Australia Office
Company expands their global presence with their newest office located in Sydney, Australia
Creative Virtual, a leader in customer experience self-service solutions for global enterprises, today announced that Chris Ezekiel, Founder & CEO of Creative Virtual will be officially opening their new office in Sydney, Australia on the 6th March 2014. The establishment of this newest location comes in response to the growing demand for innovative customer experience technologies in the region.
“We deployed our first Australian self-service implementation in 2011 and are looking forward to providing this same technology to other organisations in Australia,” says Chris. “The establishment of an Australian office means we can now offer the same local support and collaboration for our customers here as we do in many other parts of the world. Australia is at the forefront for delivering innovative self-service solutions, and our unique blend of expertise in knowledge management, natural language virtual assistants and business intelligence reporting make for a perfect fit.”
Creative Virtual’s new operations will be headed by Patrick Gallagher, Managing Director of Australia and New Zealand. Patrick has a long time identity in regional IT circles and brings an impressive record of success in introducing overseas vendors to this region to his new role with Creative Virtual.
The award winning technology from Creative Virtual will give Australian companies a competitive customer service advantage by allowing them to provide instant online answers combined with a seamless, fully-integrated escalation route to other support channels such as live chat, email or phone. With a proven track record of reducing routine and repeat enquiries and increasing sales and customer satisfaction, organisations worldwide are deploying Creative Virtual solutions to enhance brand engagement and offer multi-channel self-service options. The distinctive reporting and analytics provided by Creative Virtual gives these organisations the opportunity to tap into huge volumes of customer insight to further progress their customer experience strategy.
To learn more about Creative Virtual’s innovative solutions, request a live demo.
email: [email protected]


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NOTE: The totals below have been updated to reflect a revised count received by the attorney general's office from Underground Vault and Storage on March 16.
TOPEKA – (March 13, 2020) – Kansans safely disposed of more than 38 tons of personal documents during National Consumer Protection Week, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced today.
“The outstanding turnout at our free document destruction events shows that Kansans recognize the importance of keeping their personal information secure,” Schmidt said. “The documents dropped off have now been safely destroyed and are out of the reach of identity thieves."
More than 1,600 Kansans dropped off approximately 77,000 pounds of documents at ten locations across the state during National Consumer Protection Week, March 2-7.
The document destruction program was made possible through partnerships with Underground Vaults and Storage, Heartland Credit Union in Hutchinson and Evergy.
Kansas consumers can find more information about protecting themselves from identity theft and other scams at www.InYourCornerKansas.org.


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New Delhi, March 31 (PTI) The government today approved amendments in the urea policy 2015, enabling manufacturers to produce additional quantity as part of its objective to boost domestic output of this key nutrient.
"The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for amendment in Para 5 of New Urea Policy (NUP) - 2015 relating to the production beyond Re-Assessed Capacity (RAC) and inclusion of Para 8 in NUP-2015," an official statement said.
These amendments will protect the production beyond RAC by the urea units and are expected to boost indigenous urea production in the country, it added.
The ceiling imposed on production beyond Re-Assessed Capacity during 2016-17 has been raised so as to enable all urea unit to produce additional production which otherwise they were not able to do so due to low Import Parity Price.
"All stakeholders namely farmers, urea manufacturers and the government would be benefitted from the amendment," the statement said.
At present, the country produces over 24 million tonnes of urea annually and imports about 8 million tonnes to meet domestic demand. Imports are likely to fall this fiscal.
"Further, to address any future fluctuation in Import Parity Price that would have adverse impact on the production beyond RAC by urea units, Department of Fertilizers has been authorized to take appropriate decision in consultation with Department of Expenditure," the statement said.
The New Urea Policy ? 2015 was notified on May 25, 2015 with the objective of maximising indigenous urea production, promoting energy efficiency in urea units and rationalising the subsidy burden on the Government.
The government has made it mandatory for all indigenous urea producers to neem coat 100 per cent of their production of urea to promote balanced use of fertilizers, increase nitrogen use efficiency and prevent diversion of urea for the purpose other than agriculture.
Urea is a controlled fertiliser and is sold at a fixed selling price of Rs 5,360 per tonne. The difference between cost of production and selling price is paid as subsidy to manufacturers. PTI MJH MKJ


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Cloudy infrastructure demand at Rackspace has helped fluff the hosting provider's second-quarter, with overall sales up 23.2 per cent to $187.3m and net income jumping 60.2 per cent to $11.2m. Traditional managed hosting drove $164.1m in sales, up 18.1 per cent and boosted substantially by the enterprise sales team created in …
thanks for the rackspace press release
how much they kick back your way to post it?
Re: thanks for the rackspace press release
Bog-standard financial report on a slow day in August.
As for accusations of kick-backs...
The Register is hosted by Rackspace.
Given The Register's up time speaks volumes for Rackspace reliability.
Yes, Rackspace is our supplier... we pay them.
Rackspace are one of the best companies I have ever worked with. Absolutely fantastic, as they say, they are Fanatical about service, and they really are.
And their uptime is second to none.
- Top Gear Tigers and Bingo Boilers: Farewell then, Phones4U
- Breaking Fad 4K-ing excellent TV is on its way ... in its own sweet time, natch
- First Irish boy band U2. Now Apple pushes ANOTHER thing into iPhones, iPods, iPads
- Updated iOS 8 Healthkit gets a bug SO Apple KILLS it. That's real healthcare!
- Stephen Pie iPhone 6: Most exquisite MOBILE? NO, it's the Most Exquisite THING. EVER


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FRANKFURT -- Volkswagen Group must change its approach to how it sells electric vehicles in China, the world's largest car market, CEO Herbert Diess said, in a response to poor EV sales there.
"Sales are picking up but it requires focus and different approaches as the customers for the EVs are much younger and different to our customer base that we have for more traditional brands like VW in China," Diess told journalists after first-half results were released.
By the end of the year, VW wants to sell between 80,000 and 100,000 of its ID electric cars in China. In the first half, VW sold 18,285 EVs in the market.
"We are noticing that we have to change our approach," Diess said.
"We have the financial power, we have the sales network, we are coming forward with new formats in the shopping malls, we are becoming much more digital and it's going fast because we are much faster in China than we are in the rest of the world.


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The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank has launched its offering to the digital transaction market with a digital form of its notes and coin, Eastern Caribbean Currency, called d- cash.
The digital currency which is currently available in Antigua and Barbuda, St.Kitts and Nevis, Grenada and St. Lucia with 2,100 registered users, has faced some challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has affected its uptake as lockdowns have hampered marketing efforts.
Chairperson of the ECCB’s fin-tech working group and Chief Risk Officer Sharmyn Powell in an interview detailed what “d cash” is all about, and the issues the ECCB hopes to tackle with the introduction of their digital currency.
According to Powell d- cash can be accessed through a digital wallet available on the google play store and the apple store.
There are two types of wallets users can choose from: a registered based wallet for persons with existing bank or credit union accounts or a value based wallets for persons who are not registered with a financial institution.
Powell detailed how persons can obtain a registered wallet.
The ECCB’s Chief Risk Officer also outlined how value based wallets will be accessed.
Powell said persons within the Eastern Caribbean stand to benefit from the use of “d cash” for a number of reasons including the lack of fees for transfers and the reduction in the likelihood of monies being lost or stolen.


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News Office (The Jakarta Post)
Sun, November 1, 2020
The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is preparing to revitalize sanitation facilities at several tourist sites in Bali in November.
Wawan Gunawan, regional director of destination II development in the ministry, said the revitalization program will be implemented in one city and eight regencies, namely Denpasar, Badung, Tabanan, Gianyar, Klungkung, Karangasem, Buleleng, Bangli and Jembrana.
Wawan said the program would be adjusted according to the priorities of each tourist site; however, it would primarily focus on sanitation and health facilities.
Meanwhile, Hari Santosa Sungkari, the ministry’s infrastructure and destination development manager, said on Friday that several tourist attractions on the Island of the Gods were not equipped with amenities, antaranews.com reported.
Hari said the ministry aims to improve amenities, including hygiene facilities at tourist sites, to provide comfort to tourists.
He explained that it was important for a tourist destination to adhere to international standards for toilet cleanliness.
The revitalization program also aims to improve the quality of service and the competitiveness of tourist attractions.
Also Read: ‘We Love Bali’ Program Among Efforts To Boost Bali’s Tourism Industry
Bali tourism agency chief I Putu Astawa said the tourism trend will change in the future, saying travelers would prefer to visit destinations that offer safety and comfort, as well as a clean and sustainable environment.
“This revitalization program suits the current tourist trend,” he said, adding that hygiene and health features were important for travelers.
Nani Sumaryati Firmansyah, head of water and sanitation at the Indonesian Toilet Association, shared a similar opinion.
She said it was important for travelers to have proper hygiene facilities.
âThey don’t need to be fancy, but the toilets need to be well equipped and function properly,â she said.
“If a tourist’s first impression of the toilet is bad, then he or she will immediately think that the tourist attraction is poorly managed.”
The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is currently working to revive tourism in Bali, which has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this month, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Wishnutama Kusubandio presented âWe Love Bali,â an educational campaign on cleanliness, health, safety and the environment (CHSE) for children. Bali residents, tourism stakeholders and creative economy entrepreneurs.
The campaign aims to boost the travel industries and the island’s creative economy and, at the same time, give a positive image to Bali’s tourism industry.
In addition, the ministry plans to set aside 119 billion rupees (US $ 8 million) to provide free CHSE certification to companies across Indonesia. The certificate is intended to help regain the confidence of tourists.
Popular Indonesian beer brand Bir Bintang said in a statement that it will fully support the CHSE campaign by offering training sessions to more than 50 partner outlets on the island and helping them achieve the certificate.
The beer brand has also built a microsite, tetapbisa.id, which presents a list of certified tourist sites in Bali. The microsite, which launched on November 1, is equipped with a contact tracing feature that should help the administration in the fight against COVID-19. (jes)
Editor’s Note: This article is part of a public campaign by the COVID-19 task force to raise awareness about the pandemic.


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GDC: Havok comes to the Wii U
Havok Physics and Havok Animation are now available to Wii U developers
Havok has announced that it has signed a worldwide license agreement with Nintendo. This will make Havok Physics and Havok Animation available to studios around the world developing on Nintendo's Wii U platform, much like the deal with Autodesk.
"We are very excited to be at the forefront of the new platform," said David Coghlan, Managing Director of Havok. "We are honored to be providing Havok technology to Wii U developers in order to create great games in all genres. Gamers around the world expect high-fidelity realism and want to immerse themselves into new gaming experiences. This license agreement will give game developers everywhere easy access to Havok's industry-leading technology. We are sure this license agreement will result in the creation of great interactive experiences for consumers on the Wii U platform!"
Havok's technologies have been used in hundreds of titles in the industry, including major blockbusters like Uncharted 3, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine and L.A. Noire.


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The Verge is out with a report suggesting that the iPhone 2017 will not have an integrated fingerprint sensor in the bezel-less iPhone version.
a new report from KGI’s well known and oft-reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via 9to5Mac) claims that while rumors of the new OLED iPhone featuring a full-screen bezel-less design are true, the device will feature a virtual home button without an integrated fingerprint sensor, just like the Galaxy S8.
With all the back and forth and second guessing going on about the 2017 iPhone I wouldn’t be surprised if this is part of Apple’s strategy to confuse leakers.
By now the phone is possibly in pre-production, and certainly the final blueprints of the phone have been dialed in. I can’t imagine any major changes this late in the game for a phone that is likely to be on sale in 3 months.
I’d much rather be surprised than know ahead of time what the phone will look like. Most of us would if we were honest.
In any event, whether the 2017 iPhone has a rear fingerprint sensor, one baked into the front display, or none at all, is likely not germane to making this another blockbuster. I’m looking forward to snagging one, money willing.
A rear fingerprint display would be a departure for Apple and likely one I wouldn’t expect them to make. Nevertheless, it certainly won’t be a deal breaker with the iPhone buying public. Indeed, many people are quite happy with rear placed fingerprint sensors.


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Amazon said Thursday it was launching its Fire tablet in China, and had agreed to a partnership with Internet firm Baidu to provide search and applications for the device.
The European Space Agency launched a rocket Thursday to carry two cubes of gold and platinum almost a million miles from Earth so scientists can see how they'll behave in a freefall—at a cost of more than $450 million.
"The Lion King" on Broadway is offering fans a view of the musical that even the very best seat in the theater can't rival.
The trend of "uberization" or industry disruption caused by an unlikely competitor has become a dominant concern of the C-suite, finds a new IBM study. In just two years, the percentage of C-suite leaders who expect to contend ...
A woman slowly moves a damp mop across cracked tiles in a small Amazon outpost here. Her hands are as weathered as the floor she is cleaning.
Fiat Chrysler's safety chief is retiring from the company after a tumultuous year of conflict with U.S. government regulators.
The NFL, already a $10 billion a year business, keeps looking to grow even bigger.
Facebook on Thursday boosted its search capabilities to let people find and dive into conversations about news publicly shared at the leading social network.
When Intel bought McAfee five years ago, it was a surprising move by a giant chip company with a core computer hardware mission into the complex software business of protecting computers from hackers and crooks.
Facebook said on Tuesday it is testing an array of features aimed at getting people to watch more videos at the leading social network.


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Sir Boyd Tunnock said she chose the teacake from the Scottish brand over the caramel wafer, which was created by his father.
Sir Boyd, 86, who runs the family-owned business in Uddingston, South Lanarkshire, received his honour on Thursday for services to business and charity.
Afterwards, he said: “She said she prefers the teacakes and I said I’ll send her some over.”
Sir Boyd created the Tunnock’s teacake – marshmallow on a biscuit base coated in chocolate – in 1956.
• READ MORE: 10 things you (probably) didn’t know about Tunnock’s
The caramel wafer, made up of five layers of wafer, four layers of caramel and fully coated in chocolate, was created by Sir Boyd’s father Archie in 1952.
Sir Boyd joked: “I prefer the caramel wafers but only because we make more money from them.”
Describing the investiture ceremony, Sir Boyd said it was “excellent” and “awesome” to receive his honour from the Queen.
“It was very regal,” he said. “The music was great, I was standing there swaying and I could have danced all night.
“The Queen is so nice and makes you feel very relaxed.”


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The National Resources Defense Council and Beijing-based NGO the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs have said China is making steady progress on environmental transparency, the same weekend that Apple published its first list of suppliers.
In their third annual Pollution Information Transparency Index (Chinese only), the NGOs said the public is increasingly well-informed about pollution and putting pressure on companies and government. Highly publicized campaigns have forced the Chinese government and Apple, among other major players, to release information on pollution, according to the Guardian.
The report’s assessment is reflected in the Beijing government’s recent decision to start releasing real-time data on PM2.5 particulates, and in Apple’s publication of its 2012 supplier responsibility report last Friday.
Alongside the report Apple has published, for the first time, a list of 156 suppliers that account for 97 percent of its outsourced manufacturing. According to the report, audits showed that 112 facilities were not handling hazardous chemicals properly; 69 facilities were not recycling or disposing of hazardous waste properly; and 58 facilities were noncompliant for air emissions. Apple ordered corrective actions.
The company said it increased its number of audits by 80 percent in 2011, over 2010 levels, and in addition to its standard audits, conducted specialized environmental inspections to address specific concerns at 14 suppliers in China.
One year ago the IPE ranked Apple last among 29 tech companies for their responsiveness to health and environmental concerns in China. The report says that Apple ignored concerns at Wintek, the touch-screen factory where plant workers became ill from n-hexane exposure. The IPE said Apple has refused to confirm who its suppliers were, and would not confirm that Wintek was among them.
The list just out from Apple acknowledges Wintek as a supplier.
The NGO report noted other advances in corporate reporting, saying that more than 500 companies are now sharing information about their monitoring and disclosure systems with non-profit organizations, up from a handful five years ago.
But overall the transparency situation remains poor, the non-profits said. While local governments in more prosperous areas such as the Pearl River delta and Yangtze basin have improved their environmental transparency, the report said, others in areas including Shandong and Inner Mongolia have actually become less responsive.


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The International Hardware Fair kicked off March 6 in Cologne, Germany, and attendance was brisk during the first day as manufacturers and buyers from around the world gathered to see the latest in home improvement products and trends.
A strong contingent of representatives from North America were on hand, representing both the buying side and selling side of the channel.
U.S. manufacturers, including Channellock and AjustLock, were on hand for the event, showcasing their merchandise to an international audience.
As is a tradition at the show, Canada Night kicked off the three-day event. Canadian-based Hardlines hosted, and Koelnmesse, which organizes the International Hardware Fair, sponsored the night.
The North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) also welcomed representatives from a number of other international hardware associations on the first night of the show.
“We view this show as a great way to connect with the international home improvement community and to learn from other companies around the world about how they are finding success in the market,” says Bill Lee, NRHA president and CEO. “Seeing what’s taking place in other parts of the world better equips us to bring new and innovative ideas to retailers in North America.”
Another U.S. organization on hand for the show was The Presidents Council for the home improvement industry, which was hosting a seminar series designed to help international manufacturers explore North American markets.
To further welcome North American retailers, manufacturers and distributors present at the show, NRHA is sponsoring a North American reception on March 7 at the show.
The International Hardware Fair takes place every other year in Cologne, Germany, and is among the largest home improvement industry trade shows in Europe. This year it is running March 6-8. For more information, visit www.eisenwarenmesse.com.


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Ford Motor Company announced the suspension of production for the Ford Escape, Ford F-150 pick up and Lincoln MKC for a week at its plant in Kansas City followed by three other plants in the coming weeks after retail sales in the United States fell in September.
Effect Of Stop Production
Nearly 13,000 hourly workers from 2 US Ford plants and 2 Mexico plants will be laid off during the temporary production stoppages. Of that total, four thousand are in Mexico and nine thousand in the United States, according to Fortune.
Ford suspend production of commercial vehicles Ford Escape and Lincoln MKC at the Louisville plant for two weeks and the production of F-150 Series in Kansas City plant will be on hold for a week. In Mexico, Hermosillo plant where the Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ is made will also halt production for two weeks and in Cuautitlan plant in Mexico where the Ford Fiesta is manufactured will also suspend production for an undetermined period.
Ford said it has expected that the industry sales would decline in the second half of the year and decided to do some adjustments to production, this temporary halt in production is just one of them. And while other brands are keeping firm of production, an auto analyst said that some brands will follow Ford's lead.
"This is a roller coaster that's gone to the top. I wouldn't be surprised if other automakers follow suit," said Mike Harley, an analyst with Kelley Blue Book to the Chicago Tribune.
Ford Escape and Ford F-150 Series
The temporary suspension of production will affect Ford Escape. At just 16 years old, the Ford Escape is one of the younger nameplates in the Ford family. Yet the Escape sells in greater numbers thanks to the market shift to crossovers. However, it suffered a 12 percent dipped last month and the crossover faces a tough battle up ahead with the release of refreshed competitors like the Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue.
Meanwhile, the Ford F-150 pickup is the undisputed best-selling vehicle in North America beating Chevrolet Silverado and the Ram Pickup for years now and it has contributed much of Ford's earnings in the second quarter. However, sales of the Ford F-Series decreased by 3% in September and Ford dealers had a relatively high 95-day supply of the F-150 last month which prompted the temporary stoppage in production, according to MotorTrend.
To know the movers and shakers on this months US auto sales, read our previous report here.


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Much has been made in recent years of PR pros needing to adopt the skill set of their marketing colleagues. The ability to tie PR work to revenue and bottom-line success has been accelerated by marketing pros’ sophistication with digital tracking tools.
Even such concepts as the marketing funnel have been adopted by PR pros and the PESO model shows how traditional earned media must work in concert with paid placements and social media strategy to drive results. Yet, integration of marketing and PR has also changed how marketers must compete for attention and new business.
In an attention-starved marketplace, the PR skill to earn attention inherent in “earned media” has never been more valuable.
“Where the marketing industry is right now is an earned environment,” says Samantha Stark, executive vice president with 160over90 and a member of the PR Daily Leadership Network.
“And to me, that is what comms people are trained in. PR people are trained in earning attention because we have had to earn the attention of some of the most difficult stakeholders in the world, which are media.”
When PR should lead
So, how can a PR lens bring value to the full integrated comms strategy? If you start by thinking about earning attention, Stark explains, you have to change how you approach everything from the creative brief to key performance indicators (KPIs).
As an example, she references how her agency has changed its approach to experiential marketing efforts by starting with a PR pro’s outlook.
“Most people do an event because they want to not just have that on-the-ground engagement, they want to have a story about that event,” Stark says. “They want that event to be so interesting that it’s going to be shared on social media.” Those PR KPIs are in the brief for a new campaign 90% of the time, Stark estimates.
PR pros must be involved early in the creative process to be able to offer counsel on what might generate a headline. A clever marketing idea might not feature the spokesperson a reporter needs to write the story, or you could be replicating something your competitors have already done—making your big idea old news.
In Stark’s view, PR pros are uniquely suited to the agile, real-time engagement that is necessary to generate news coverage and online conversation. But it’s a give and take with creative and marketing pros on any integrated team.
“Creatives constantly push us,” says Stark. And to decide if a project should be led by PR or marketing, 160over90 analyzes the specific needs of the project.
“The way that we approach solving problems is that it is channel agnostic,” says Stark, always with an eye on what will be the best use of available assets to create something “compelling.”
The social media component
A big part of earning attention and driving the conversation these days is social media—and 160over90 is in the midst of updating its social content studio to try and meet the ever-changing needs of online audiences. By combining the video expertise of its advertising side with social producers who are fluent in the specific formats of platforms and the latest trends, 160over90 hopes to give social media clients an edge.
“We’re merging it all together,” shares Stark.
And that has much to do with how social media has risen to the top of the media hierarchy. So, how does social media play its unique role in overall comms strategy?
“To me, social media is identifying things that are bubbling up first,” says Stark, with a nod to the importance of social listening. “It’s how you’re getting a good sense of audience sentiment, what people are feeling and how you should be communicating.”
It’s also where personalization is at its best, particularly with the rise of influencer marketing, which 160over90 now just calls “influence” or “creator marketing.” But to be a meaningful part of the communications strategy, social media must have purpose.
“What are you laddering up and what are you trying to solve?” Stark says.
And social media can be a crucial proving ground, where you can establish the importance and audience for your stories which can then help get other media coverage. You can show a TV news producer your relevance by getting a bunch of shares online. In a 24-hour cycle that moves at lightning speed, only the brands that are using social media to drive news are going to break through.
“If you’re not using social in that manner, then you’re not going to be a part of the cycle in time for it to be meaningful and to benefit your brand,” Stark says.
This article is part of our PR Daily Leadership Network membership. Members can read the full article by joining this exclusive group of comms leaders.


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Scotmid Co-op has extended its partnership with Retail Insight, a leading AI-powered price reduction solution provider. This strategic alliance has not only bolstered the co-op's sell-through by 1.8% year on year but has also prevented a staggering 42.7 tonnes of food from ending up in landfills. The four-year deal, which marks an extension of their initial partnership in 2021, has seen the deployment of Retail Insight's technology across 300 stores in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the north of England.
Key Innovations Driving Transformation:
AI-Driven Dynamic Pricing: Retail Insight's AI solution leverages the co-op's data to create a dynamic model that optimizes price reductions based on factors such as season, store, and time of day. This real-time pricing strategy ensures that more products end up in shoppers' baskets, significantly reducing waste while enhancing profitability.
Seamless Integration: The technology seamlessly operates on the retailer's point of sale system and handheld terminals used by staff, providing instant "best price" recommendations for products to be marked down when scanned. This swift and automated process ensures efficient implementation of price reductions, enhancing the overall customer experience.
Waste Management and Forecasting: Beyond price optimization, Retail Insight's technology, known as WasteInsight, also handles expiration management, facilitates donations to charities, and drives improved forecasting accuracy. This comprehensive approach not only minimizes waste but also streamlines operational processes, positively impacting the bottom line.
Market Implications and Investment Insights:
Rising Prominence of AI in Waste Management: The use of AI to determine optimal prices for products at risk of being discarded has gained significant traction, with other industry players like Too Good To Go launching their own AI-powered platforms. This trend underscores the growing recognition of AI as a pivotal tool in reducing food waste and maximizing profitability.
Strategic Focus on Sustainability: Scotmid Co-op's commitment to leveraging AI for waste reduction aligns with the broader industry shift towards sustainable practices. Investors should take note of companies embracing AI-driven solutions for waste management, as they are likely to gain a competitive edge and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Potential for Industry Expansion: The successful implementation of Retail Insight's technology at Scotmid Co-op sets a precedent for potential industry-wide adoption. As Spar International also rolls out a similar AI-powered surplus food management solution, there is a clear indication of the expanding market for AI-driven waste reduction technologies.
As Scotmid Co-op continues to lead the charge in embracing AI-powered solutions for waste reduction and profitability, it sets a compelling example for the retail industry at large. The extension of their partnership with Retail Insight not only underscores their commitment to sustainability but also positions them as pioneers in leveraging AI for operational efficiency and waste reduction.
Stay tuned with Market Unwinded for more insightful analyses and investment recommendations as we navigate the evolving landscape of retail and sustainability-driven technologies.


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ConventionCalendar.com is the first official Convention Center Calendar of Events. It was announced “Live” in Vancouver, British Columbia, during the International Convention Center Conference (ICCC) in October.
The beta program is now online and features several notable launch partners, including the world’s second largest convention center—Orange County Convention Center. Also on the site are the Spokane Convention Center, the Santa Clara Convention Center, the St. Charles Convention Center, and the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. Several other convention centers have signed on and are uploading to the website.
“We are seeing an increase in the number of customers that desire to work directly with our venues, and the Convention Calendar program addresses this critical need,” said IAVM President and CEO Vicki Hawarden, CMP, during the ICCC panel discussion “Adapting To and Overcoming New Challenges.”
ConventionCalendar.com is being broadcast around the world to subscribing event planners, local stakeholders, convention sales staff, and exhibitors.
The holidays are full of cheer, joy, family, and trash. Yes, tons of trash. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans throw away 25 percent more trash during the Thanksgiving to New Year’s holiday period than any other time of year. The extra waste amounts to 25 million tons of garbage, or about one million extra tons per week. This trash includes wrapping paper, food waste, packaging, decorations, and old “toys” that are dumped for new ones every year.
The holiday season is a great way for venues to take action and save the holidays by making them greener. Instead of using a real tree, use a fake one that can be stored and reused each year. Also, find decorations that can have multiple purposes and reused in different fashions for a new look from year to year. Facility managers can even encourage employees to bring in unused items from home that they can use to help decorate the facility.
When using holiday lights, remember to use LED and energy efficient lights. LED lights consume 80 percent to 90 percent less energy and last up to 100,000 hours versus 3,000 hours for incandescent. Also, if you set them on a timer, you can save energy when the facility is vacant. And remember to be gentle when the season is finally over so you can pack them away to be used over and over again.
Another way to be more green this holiday season is to send electronic cards to vendors, sponsors, co-workers, and all your important business contacts, instead of mailing cards that get tossed in the trash.
Finally, encourage holiday party clients to be more environmentally friendly by donating leftover food from parties, recycling wrapping paper, and reusing decorations.
For more tips on going green this holiday, visit: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/hi-winter.htm or http://money.cnn.com/2010/12/16/news/economy/holiday_trash/. So instead of a “Blue Christmas,” how about making it a Green one?!
Getting lost is a thing of the past for visitors in Nashville’s Music City Center (MCC) thanks to its new wayfinding app.
“This new technology will change the way visitors experience this building,” Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said. “It’s a big building, and getting turn-by-turn directions on a phone will make it easier for visitors to get where they need to go. This wayfinding app also highlights Nashville’s emergence as a tech city and a place where entrepreneurs and Web developers feel empowered to come up with tools to make life easier and better.”
The app uses beacons installed in the building’s walls to direct users from point A to point B in the venue. At 1.2 million square feet, the MCC is the largest building in the country with an indoor wayfinding system that uses beacon technology. It is available as a free app for iPhone and Android users.
The app was created by Jules White, an assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Vanderbilt University—along with a team of Vanderbilt students as a part of a class project. The public/private partnership between the MCC and Vanderbilt’s Institute for Software Integrated Systems led to the development of the wayfinding technology and the launch of White’s new Nashville-based startup company, Ziiio.
The MCC wayfinding system functions like indoor GPS and is the first of its kind to clearly show users turn-by-turn how to find where they want to go inside a building using 500 photos. The machine-learning approach that Ziiio uses allows the MCC to rely on fewer beacons. Currently, 62 beacons have been deployed in the convention center. These beacons were donated by BKON, a local manufacturer of the iBeacon hardware.
A video demonstration is at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_HZ5vVmyi8kZ1ZIRjkxQl9WeEE/view?usp=sharing.
Congratulations to IAVM member Kim Stone, executive vice president and general manager of the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, Florida. She was recently inducted into the University of North Carolina’s Hall of Fame in Journalism.
Stone has been with the Miami Heat organization since the mid-1990s and has worked in several capacities, from media relations to director of operations to her current role as general manager.
Prior to joining the Heat, Stone was the sports publicity director for the University of Texas Women’s Athletics Department from 1992-94. Before that, she was an assistant in the University of Miami’s sports information office.
Stone received the 2013 Women of Influence award from Venues Today magazine, and she was honored in 2009 by the South Florida Business Journal in its inaugural class of Influential Business Women.
Stone graduated with a degree in journalism and public relations from the University of North Carolina, where she assisted in the sports information office. In 2003, she graduated with honors from the University of Miami with a master’s degree in international business administration. She is formerly an adjunct professor in the St. Thomas University Masters of Sports Administration program and serves as a board member of the University of Miami’s President’s Council, Miami Downtown Development Authority, and is currently president of the Florida Facility Manager’s Association.
Launched in April 2013, Business Barometer is a tool to help IAVM members monitor current and future business conditions and provide early identification of trends that can create opportunities or provide advance warning of an impending storm. IAVM recruited a panel of 250 venue managers to take part in this initiative. All panel members agreed to participate in short, quarterly surveys that ask questions related to current business conditions compared to last year, and their professional outlook for next year. IAVM developed the survey questions with input from its Research Advisory Council, the IAVM research manager, and other internal management staff.
In this first quarterly, venues across the industry are seeing increases in attendance and revenue over the year prior—and the outlook for the coming year is even better. More than two-thirds of professionals across sectors (64 percent) say that overall business conditions are better than 2013. Next year? Eighty percent see a healthier future.
Anecdotally, for those citing the greatest influx of business, touring acts and the types of events may have improved since last year, which means better ticket and merchandise sales—and higher prices—for some and more exhibit hall space booked for others.
Consider this when looking at the marketplace environment overall: 18 percent of venues report worse business conditions than last year—but only 5 percent see that continuing into the next.
Please read the Business Barometer to learn more about venue industry business conditions.


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WHILE vegan intrusion into farms and production facilities associated with the meat industry plays out in Australia, a far more ambitious plan to disrupt meat and dairy production in order to save the planet has been launched under the guise of a universal healthy diet.
Activist group EAT describes itself as a global, non-profit foundation established by the Stordalen Foundation, Stockholm Resilience Centre and Wellcome Trust to catalyse a food system transformation.
Its mission is to "Transform our global food system through sound science, impatient disruption and novel partnerships."
Its goal is to achieve five radical transformations by 2050:
- Shift the world to healthy, tasty and sustainable (read plant-based) diets.
- Realign food system priorities for people and planet.
- Produce more of the right food from less.
- Safeguard our land and oceans.
- Radically reduce food losses and waste.
To achieve this it has embraced what it calls creative engagement with partners across business, policy and science to amplify messages and spur action for change.
It believes that such engagement is the way to achieve impact at scale.
Who better therefore to partner with for a call-to-action commission than The Lancet, one of the world's oldest, most prestigious and best known medical journals.
EAT appears to have been the lead partner in this engagement with Prof. Johan Rockstrm of the aforementioned Stockholm Resilience Centre and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research co-chairing the commission.
The Stockholm Resilience Centre also hosted the secretariat and co-led the commission's research activities with EAT.
Nineteen commissioners and 18 co-authors from 16 countries in various fields including human health, agriculture, political science and environmental sustainability contributed to the manuscript ideas and are said to have seen and approved the final version.
Titled "Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems" was published on January 16 and has since been launched at forums around the world.
MLA manager - sustainability strategy and stakeholders Pip Band attended the commission's Australian launch and participated in its food systems dialogue with retailers, public health professionals and academics.
According to MLA, Ms Band also participated in a subsequent teleconference with the EAT Global chief executive officer and CSIRO's Dr Mario Herrero, one of the co-authors of the report to explore how the EAT-Lancet approach could be localised in Australia.
MLA clearly does not agree with the report's recommendations which if universally adopted would reduce global meat production 70pc by 2050.
But it seems MLA is wary that climate-change sentiment and fast-growing interest in sustainable diets could lead to widespread adoption even if the underpinning evidence base is limited.
Accordingly MLA has opted for 'constructive engagement' and seems satisfied with initial placations that local uptake of the recommendations would not mean a reduction in production given Australia's export profile and limited arable land.
However on the other side of the world the EAT-Lancet campaign to promote plant-based diets at the expense of meat and dairy has met some stiffer opposition.
The World Health Organisation pulled out of sponsoring the EAT-Lancet launch in Geneva, Switzerland on March 28.
WHO dropped its planned sponsorship after Gian Lorenzo Cornado, Italy's ambassador and permanent representative to the international organisations in Geneva, questioned the scientific basis for the diet and whether it was appropriate for WHO to back an event that promoted such a program.
Cornado warned that a global move to such a diet could lead to the loss of millions of jobs linked to animal husbandry and the production of 'unhealthy' foods and destroy traditional diets which are part of cultural heritage.
On the other side of the world the EAT-Lancet campaign to promote plant-based diets at the expense of meat and dairy has met some stiffer opposition.
Interestingly WHO's director of nutrition, Dr Francesco Branca, is one of the EAT-Lancet commissioners but WHO has distanced itself with a statement saying Branca's views and opinions are expressed in a personal capacity and do not necessarily reflect official WHO positions.
Meanwhile in Britain, meat industry leaders have expressed concern over statements of evidence by key government scientific advisers to the Environmental Audit Committee on Planetary Health.
The statements given by Sir Patrick Vallance and Professor Ian Boyd supporting increased plant-based diets and a reduction in meat consumption demonstrated just how ready and willing the British 'establishment' is to promote the EAT-Lancet proposition.
Credence of this nature is manna-from-heaven for EAT and demonstrates the cleverness of their partnership strategy with The Lancet.
As well as 'constructive engagement' and 'expressing concern', perhaps the meat industry worldwide would do well to muster as many Lorenzo Cornados as it can find for the battle ahead.
Store market retreats
IT would have to be one of the briefest market spikes ever to occur in the midst of the New England weaner sales but for those vendors who managed to hit the sweet spot the rewards were significant.
Tenterfield on March 14 was a bit early but vendors there were happy with steers 20c/kg above expectations and the best Angus types just touching 300c.
Two weeks later on April 1 the market had climbed to 326c at Armidale for the 3800 on offer. Thursday that week saw Stanthorpe with 2800 head hit 350c for a great line of Angus steers only to be pipped by Glen Innes a day later when they hit 353c in an offering of 2700 head. But a week later it was gone. Similar weight and quality Angus steers on AuctionsPlus at Inverell last Friday sold for 316.5c/kg. Unfortunately indication from the early regular sales this week is that the store market is still in retreat.
The short weeks over Easter may help processors juggle their kills as supply continues to shorten in southern and central Queensland. This is expected to remain the pattern while producers gain what they can from recent rain before the season turns.
For now grids remain at 530-535 for 4-tooth ox and 440 for heavy cow and little change is expected until the usual pre-winter run of cattle occurs.


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Korindo owns the largest palm oil plantation holdings in Papua and has destroyed 57,000 hectares of rainforest in the province since 2001.
This is not the first time the Indonesian Government has blocked private sector initiatives to increase transparency in the palm oil sector.
Palm oil can be good for Indonesia only if there are substantial improvements in forest governance and if the sustainability of its production can truly be verified.
Six activists who were detained for 33 hours on board a shipment carrying dirty palm oil into Europe have been released by Spanish authorities.
"I’m from Indonesia. I’ve witnessed the devastating impact of deforestation for palm oil and our cities choking with haze as a result of the forest fires." said one protester.
Palm oil suppliers to snack food giant Mondelez have destroyed almost 25,000 hectares of orangutan habitat in Indonesia in just two years.


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LONDON: Global adspend is set to fall by 1.1% this year, after a decline of 1.5% in 2008, but both Asia Pacific and Latin America will buck the overall trend, according to figures prepared by WARC Online for the World Federation of Advertisers.
Among the major advertising markets, the US will see ad revenues fall by 2.5% in real terms, while Canada will post growth of around 2%.
Online is likely to be the only major "winner" of the downturn in North America, with revenues improving by around 13% in the US, and by 20% in Canada.
In the Eurozone-12, adspend will stagnate at around 0.1%, with Spain and the UK the worst hit markets, with totals down by 7% and 6% respectively.
Asia Pacific's ad revenues will expand by 4%, with China's ad market, valued at $74.7bn (€58.8bn; £53.2bn) on ratecard data, seeing growth slow to 9% compared with recent double-digit uplifts.
Indian adspend has increased in size by an annual average of 16% from 2000 to 2007, but this will also drop off to an upswing of just 5% this year, while Japan will probably see an overall decline of 3%.
Latin America, by contrast, is set to experience the highest level of total growth, with advertising expenditure in the region rising by 11% this year.
Among the forecast key trends for the next few years is the growth in popularity of the mobile internet, with usage levels likely to increase from 54 million this year to 91.7 million by 2012, while mobile adspend will reach $13.9bn by 2011.
Subscribers to WARC Online can access a full version of this article by clicking here.
The World Federation of Advertisers releases its full Annual Report 2008 next week; for more information, click here.
Data sourced from WARC Online/World Federation of Advertisers


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The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor pickup may be getting a badass little brother.
The chief engineer of the Ford Performance division, Jamal Hameedi, visited Australia this week to meet with the team in charge of the Ford Ranger truck, CarsGuide reports. Ford discontinued Ranger sales in the United States in 2012, but an all-new version has been on sale in over 180 countries around the world since then.
While Ford offers several versions of the Ranger, a Raptor isn’t one of them…yet. This has led many, particularly in Australia and New Zealand, to create their own lookalikes without the same level of high-performance equipment featured on the F-150 SVT Raptor. One Ford dealer in Christchurch, N.Z, has made a business of it, selling its custom diesel-powered Ranger Raptors for around $35,000.
Apparently the trend hasn’t gone unnoticed by Ford, and sources tell CarsGuide that Hameedi spent two days discussing the possibility of creating a Ranger-based Raptor with the engineers Down Under.
He wouldn’t confirm the report, but told CarsGuide that "at the end of the day, we would love to do a vehicle like that but it all comes down to the business case. How many can we sell?"
If the F-150 SVT Raptor is any guide, quite a few. Ford moved around 1,000 each month in the United States before the last generation was discontinued, its last year on the market being the best. An all-new one is on the way next year, owing as much to the halo affect the truck has on the brand as to its sales.
And this American popularity could be part of Ford’s reported interest in adding a Ranger version to its lineup. With the recent uptick in sales in the midsize pickup segment, recent reports surrounding the current UAW contract talks suggest that production and sales of the Ranger will return to the United States as soon as 2018.


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In yet another The Watsonia Bugle exclusive, we have uncovered plans that could genuinely make Watsonia a destination of choice for tourists from all over the world. Top secret documents have revealed plans for an expansive theme park to be built in Watsonia North.
Dubbed ‘Watsy World’, the proposed theme park is currently before local town planners, and the heavily classified application includes plans for the site to be established at Binnak Park. According to the plans currently submitted to council, the park would be the biggest of its kind in the southern hemisphere, with the potential of drawing “hundreds of thousands of tourists each year from both Australia and abroad”.
It also seems that the developers behind the plans will look to pay homage to the local area in the way they design and lay out the park. Among many local features, the submission includes provisions for a giant dim sim sculpture and multiple Watsy Dim Sim food outlets around the park, a Metro train ride that puts you to sleep and then wakes you up at a fake Diamond Creek Station, and the swanky local wine bar that so many locals seem to be lusting after.
For additional local flavour, early sketchings of the park’s logo seem to include a cartoon version of the Watsy Foxy, and gift stores will reportedly sell “My name is Victoria Bitter” t-shirts. If successful, the park would buck the sad trend of knock backs for the picturesque site, including an art installation park, Elton John concert, and “Instafamous” pink lake.
Do you think this plan is a goer? Sound off in our Facebook comments to let us know what you think!


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Too SWIFT for some?
The recent SIBOS conference in Sydney demonstrated just how swift SWIFT has been in developing its corporate access model. Having established that corporate access to the messaging system was acceptable, SWIFT is rapidly developing means by which corporates can access the system and encouraging banks and system suppliers to do the same. In particular, the much criticised MA-CUG model has been supplemented by SCORE, as reported in this month’s news section. Going around the conference hall you would imagine that it was a corporate event, with every supplier emphasising their SWIFT connectivity.
In reality, this is still a game for the big players with high payment volumes but at the least SWIFT provides communications standards that every corporate can work to. The mantra is becoming “Let’s not compete on connectivity. Let’s compete on products and services.” With XML providing the vital link between varied inputs and a standard set of formats, the nirvana of STP (straight through processing) may be getting nearer. Our mantra is “Let’s hope that is true.”
A lot less certainty surrounds the TSU – Trade Services Utility – also being developed by SWIFT. Still in pilot and with some technical difficulties to overcome, this facility hopes to provide the back-bone for open account trade transactions. The same elusive goal pursued by Bolero and various other EDI systems over the years. Again XML may provide the key. Although SWIFT emphasises that it is a bankto- bank system, it is in reality a bank-run corporate-to-corporate system that relies on input of trade information at a very early stage – a long time before any payment is to be made. Is there a compelling reason for corporates to use this new service? Behind the scenes, several industry players expressed their doubts. But if the TSU does not succeed, the ability of the banks to move up the supply chain will be limited. This is one to watch.
Too slow for others?
Also at SIBOS it was interesting to hear Gerard Hartsink for ABN AMRO, chair of the European Payment Council, saying that governments would have to get behind the SEPA initiative and direct the payments they controlled to the new clearing systems. This provides more evidence that getting domestic payment to switch to these new systems is going to a big problem. With so many countries having relatively efficient and cheap clearing systems in place there will be little incentive for domestic payments to migrate to the new systems. SEPA will happen, but it is not going to be an easy transition.


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GEN – 797.00. Since 2008, EIA’s Chilling Facts has been documenting the growing uptake of natural refrigerants among some of the world’s leading retailers, reflecting a market shift towards a more climate-friendly refrigeration in the supermarket sector. Twenty-two (large, but also small) retailers have participated in this 2017 report by submitting data covering the 2015 calendar year from supermarkets across 37 countries. This report assesses the impact of the F-Gas Regulation, the trends in HFC and natural refrigerants usage, and the energy efficiency of HFC-free systems. Within this article, the Eurovent Team has summarised key takeaways for members.
Since the last report was published in 2014, the HFC regulatory landscape has changed dramatically. In 2015, the European Union F-Gas Regulation came into force, putting in place a fast-acting HFC phase-down that will slash HFC supply by approximately 48 per cent in 2018.
For the seventh Chilling Facts report, 22 retailers participated by submitting data covering the 2015 calendar year from supermarkets across 37 countries.
This chilling fact report shows that the uptake of HFC-free technology is well under way across the EU, with CO2 transcritical systems spreading eastward and southward throughout Europe.
The report’s participants have shown that taking advantage of newly optimised refrigeration equipment and installing CO2 transcritical systems with parallel compression and ejector technology will reap energy efficiency rewards, even in locations in Brazil, Italy and Southern Spain. For retailers still struggling to introduce natural refrigerant technology in warmer climates, these latest developments should finally put to bed the myth that carbon dioxide systems cannot keep their cool in warm temperatures.
It is also reported that despite the proven efficiency of CO2 transcritical systems in warm climates, most retailers operating in southern Europe are still concerned about the energy efficiency or costs of HFC-free systems.
The report has also analysed the trends in HFC usage among participating retailers: there is a sharp drop in HFC-507A use (-72%), the average drop in HFC-404A is just 23 per cent, while use of HFC-407A, HFC-407C and HFC-407F is up by 12 per cent, as supermarkets use these to retrofit HFC-404A systems.
The Chilling Fact report concluded that, despite the fact that HFC-free refrigeration is now well established, its uptake across the majority of European retailers is behind the pace needed to meet the EU’s fast-acting HFC phase-down. From 2018, the supply of HFCs to the market will be cut by 48 per cent in real terms. Yet, many retailers still use HFCs such as HFC-404A across the majority of their estate.
The PG-RDC members are invited to carefully analyse the findings of this report.
Related documents and links
All related documents and articles can be found in the respective sections in the right sidebar.
GEN – 797.01 – EIA Chilling Facts VII – Report 0517 Final