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"(CNN) -- Scott Forstall, one of the most visible faces of Apple in the wake of Steve Jobs' death, is leaving the company in a surprise shakeup at the head of Apple' ranks. Forstall, a senior vice president in charge of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS, will act as an adviser to CEO Tim Cook until departing some time next year, according to a news release from the company."
The New York Times confirmed the firing, along with the unrelated ouster of Apple's new retail chief, John Browett. The Journal reported that some within Apple considered Forstall a divisive figure who "never fit into the culture at Apple," and who had long rankled other company execs but enjoyed the confidence of Steve Jobs.
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The North Face to join line-up at Manchester Arndale
Outdoor clothing retailer The North Face has signed a ten-year lease for its first store in Manchester city centre.
Situated in Manchester Arndale on New Cannon Street, the shop will span 3,630 square feet.
The move forms part of the brand’s plans to build on its existing presence in the North West which includes stores in Liverpool and Trafford.
Other international fashion brands who have recently opened new stores at Manchester Arndale include Moss, Gilly Hicks, Hollister, Kurt Geiger, Carvela, and Tommy Jeans.
The signing also continues a run of new lettings at the scheme which has seen Nike, Manchester City, Blue Banana, Be More Geek, Oseyo, Black Sheep Coffee, and Sunglass Hut commit to new units since the start of the year.
Steve Gray, head of European retail asset management at Global Mutual, said: “We are delighted that The North Face has become the latest big name brand to sign a long-term letting at Manchester Arndale. Our leasing activity since the pandemic has seen us welcome a truly diverse mix of international and local businesses, as well as a wide variety of retail, leisure, and F&B brands, to ensure there is something for everyone visiting Manchester Arndale.
“Through this approach, footfall has continued to strengthen and demand for well-placed units has remained, so high that we are approaching 100% occupancy, allowing us to avoid the struggles faced by other retail centres, and cement our position as the North West’s leading retail destination.”
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By Rebecca Pike
More than half of all home loan holders fear they will never be able to pay off their home loan, according to new research.
The research comes as the bank launches Everyday Round Up for Home Loans, a digital tool that enables ING customers to round up the loose change from their card purchases to pay down their ING mortgage.
The figures by ING also show that 40% of borrowers are concerned they will carry their mortgage into retirement.
The research also suggests that borrowers are so eager to stay a step ahead of their mortgage repayments that 82% are paying down more than what’s required most years and 45% expect to pay off their mortgage at least five years prematurely.
With the new product, card purchases made through ING’s Orange Everyday account are rounded up to the nearest $1 or $5. The difference between the cost of the purchase and the rounded amount is then automatically shifted from the customer’s Orange Everyday account to pay down the mortgage.
Other budgeting apps, such as Raiz, have similar principles to help people invest and save, but ING’s new product is specifically to help paying off the home loan.
ING’s head of retail banking, Melanie Evans said, “Everyday Round Up for Home Loans is about helping our customers to stay a step ahead by enabling them to use their small change to pay off their biggest purchase – their home.
“We launched Everyday Round Up a year ago to help Aussies round up their loose change into a savings account where it would earn interest. In less than a year we’ve helped over 160,000 customers collectively save $32 million.”
ING estimates that customers who round up $50 each month to their 30 year owner occupier Mortgage Simplifier mortgage of $350,000 could shave 19 months or save $14,000 in interest by rounding up their loose change. This assumes the customer puts down a 20% deposit and makes principal and interest repayments.


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Rauner: Yes to medical marijuana, still no to recreational
Published on 10/8/18
Governor Bruce Rauner of Illinois has been a key component in the progress of the state's medical marijuana program this year as he has not only added important qualifying conditions for the program but he also recently signed a bill that allows medical cannabis to be an alternative option where prescription opioids would be given. Despite his great support of the medical marijuana industry he is not yet sold on recreational cannabis for Illinois. He says officials from other states have recommended they "wait and watch" and that recreational cannabis is just a social experiment. Though he is unsure about recreational cannabis he is willing to study the idea which could lead to a bright future in his state.
“We studied the issue of whether we should make [marijuana] available for chronic pain. We studied it because there are pros and cons because cannabis is addictive,” Rauner said. “But we signed a law that basically said where opioids would otherwise be prescribed, we want to make medical cannabis available. Because it is less addictive than opioids.”


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These are the latest spy shots showing the face-lifted Mercedes E-class cabriolet undergoing testing. The model is due to be launched at next year’s Detroit motor show.
The updated front-end styling provides styling cues from the current 2013-2014 range and is claimed to offer improved fuel efficiency from revised aerodynamics.
That means new one-piece headlights, a new bumper at both front and rear as well as new graphics at the rear lights. The grille will be similar to the new A-Class.
And Mercedes have released a teaser of the headlight profile from these new units, I like it!
Continue reading Mercedes E-Class convertible facelift SpyShots
It looks like Mercedes-Benz are about to go official with the new Mercedes CLA after it has been spotted in LA undergoing filming.
Under the hood will be a 1.8 litre four-cylinder engine which is rated at 210hp, and will be connected to the A-Class Mercedes front-wheel Architecture with its seven speed dual clutch gearbox.
The chassis is also being utilised in the Mercedes-Benz GLA which is the crossover version of the A-Class and has been recently spied, along with the AMG version which is also beginning to lose its camouflage.
Continue reading Mercedes-Benz CLA – Filming in LA
Mercedes-Benz is hard at work on its GLA crossover model , previously known as the GLC. The crossover is to compete against the likes of the upcoming Porsche Macan and the BMW x1.
The GLA will be built on the German automaker’s front wheel drive Platform (MFA) that also underpins the new A and B Class models, and will be offered in both front-wheel four-wheel drive.
It is expected to arrive later on next year or early 2014 and currently looks to be on schedule, despite the heavy camouflage as seen in these spy shots it looks close to production quality.
Continue reading 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLA – Crossover Spied!


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BOISE, IDAHO — Albertsons Companies is expanding its private label offerings and said it expects to double its rate of Own Brands innovation in 2018 over 2017.
The Boise-based retailer said it is on pace to introduce 1,400 new Own Brands products in 2018. The Own Brands lineup includes products sold under the O Organics, Lucerne, Open Nature, Signature, Waterfront Bistro, Value Corner, Primo Taglio and debi lilly lines.
“We’ve got a lot in the pipeline — and we’re just getting started,” said Geoff White, president of Albertsons Companies Own Brands. “With our team’s unique insights across the industry, we can react faster than ever to changing consumer trends. The result is a rapid expansion of high-quality products in every department that are exclusive to Albertsons Companies. We’ve never been more excited about our ability to meet every shopper’s needs and sprinkle in new and exciting surprises across the store.”
Albertsons said it already has introduced nearly 300 new Own Brands products in 2018, including Open Nature Scandal-less ice cream, Open Nature bison top sirloin steak, Open Nature granola bars, O Organics spinach and butter lettuce, O Organics sparkling tea, Signature Select cold brew coffee, and Signature Select sparkling French lemonade.
Earlier this year, Albertsons said its O Organics label became a $1 billion brand. The line features more than 1,000 products, all of which feature the U.S.D.A.-certified organic seal. The company’s other billion-dollar brands include Signature Select, Signature Café and Lucerne.


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You might have heard the term “fintech”—short for financial technology. But just what is it? A simple explanation is the adoption of technology to enhance financial operations by introducing new processes. I like to think of this as the “Uber-ization” of finance—innovations shaking up traditional sectors through the power of technology.
Fintech is already impacting a wide spectrum of financial activities such as lending, payments, transaction record management, insurance and many more. According to Accenture, global investments in fintech increased by 11 times to $22.2 billion between 2010 and 2015.
So what does this mean for the future of finance and in turn, the commercial real estate industry? I see potential impacts on two frontiers: within traditional finance institutions and within the emerging fintech companies that are revolutionizing the finance industry.
FINTECH WITHIN TRAD-FIN
In my view, there are three major implications of fintech for the traditional finance industry:
- Automation-induced headcount reduction
- Influx of tech employees into finance institutions
- Transformation of the conventional bank branch
The growing potential for automation will likely lead to a reduction in headcount. According to a report by Citi Global Perspectives & Solutions, financial institutions in the United States and Europe will experience staff reduction of 40 percent and 45 percent respectively by 2025 compared to their peak levels in 2013. Given the high level of technology and internet penetration, the situation in mature markets across Asia is likely to be similar.
The growing adoption of technology will also likely increase the proportion of tech employees in finance institutions. Some major finance institutions are already realizing that they can either be disrupted or stay one step ahead of disruption. From Citi Bank to JP Morgan to Deutsche Bank, organizations are developing their own fintech units, partnering with existing fintech operators or fostering fintech start-ups to increase innovation and stay ahead of the curve.
Furthermore, fintech will transform the function and appearance of the conventional bank branch. This will likely take one of two directions: a branch might shift to focus more on consultancy and advisory services or a branch might move toward more automated transactional activities.
In either case, these changes will impact branch design. We already see examples of banks utilizing the floors above their street-level branches to host consultancy operations. The interior design of these spaces often change to provide a more lounge-like, personalized feel. One great example of this transformation is the BBVA flagship branch in central Madrid, which features consultation pods, a virtual assistant and interactive digital experiences.
These “virtual assistants” and “virtual bankers” are likely to play a role in branches that move toward an automated transactional focus. This shift will likely reduce the size of such bank branches, such as the Sao Paulo branch of Bradesco Bank, which integrates numerous technological innovations ranging from biometric log-ins to virtual assistants.
THE NEXT FINTECH FRONTIER
Many of the small, rapidly growing fintech companies are likely to emerge as prominent market players in the finance industry. Some of these companies had record-breaking funding rounds. For example, online lending platforms LU.com and JD Finance had funding rounds of more than $1 billion, while companies like Oscar Health Insurance, WeLab Holdings and Betterment had funding rounds of above $100 million. Some of these companies will compete or collaborate with existing finance institutions to grow their businesses, while other companies may establish their own markets niches with innovative products.
Two fintech innovations that created their own market niches are online lending and crowdfunding platforms such as Funding Circle, WeLab Holdings, Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Going forward, it is likely that we may see more innovative technologies like these coming into the market.
For the commercial real estate industry, it’s impossible to ignore developments taking place in the finance industry. Finance sector tenants account for a considerable portion of office occupiers in prime business hubs around the world. In my next post, I will dig into the ways the “Uber-ization” of finance is likely to impact commercial real estate. Stay tuned!
Yasas is a Senior Research Analyst for Colliers International in Hong Kong. With his international exposure and urban planning background, he is well versed in the Hong Kong and regional property market dynamics.


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ASX-listed media intelligence group Isentia has confirmed that SaaS provider Meltwater has consented to the Federal Court making interlocutory orders which restrain it from continuing to misuse Isentia’s services to supply its customers with content such as press clippings.
The company’s application included evidence of a flagrant breach of previous undertakings by Meltwater to desist from the misuse of its services.
Isentia’s application last week also provided evidence that not only did Meltwater fail to cease its previous unlawful activities, but that its misuse of Isentia-supplied content had increased.
Isentia filed further evidence indicating that Meltwater has connections to an organisation located in India which appears to be systematically scraping content from Isentia’s services to effectively “free- ride” on Isentia’s technology, copyright licences and rights with publishers.
The company claims that this enabled Meltwater to provide press clippings to service Meltwater clients without having to pay any of the costs or copyright fees involved.
Isentia also alleges that Meltwater made false representations to its customers (including current and former Isentia customers) concerning Isentia’s services in breach of Australian consumer law.
“The hearing of Isentia’s application for injunctions did not need to proceed this week as Meltwater, its managing director and his wife each consented to the Federal Court making the orders sought by Isentia to restrain them from engaging in the misuse of Isentia’s services as outlined in Isentia’s application pending a final hearing of the matter,” a statement by Isentia said.
“Although these orders were on a without admissions basis, they did indicate that Meltwater wanted to avoid a contested hearing on the restraining orders. The orders made by the court effectively stop Meltwater’s access to Isentia-supplied content to service its client base from 20 June 2017.
“The matter returns to court on Friday 23 June 2017 to address an outstanding procedural matter in the interlocutory application and will otherwise proceed in the usual way to a final hearing seeking permanent restraining orders on the terms of the interlocutory orders, damages and costs.”
The brainchild of co-founders Gina Williams-Folau (main photo) and Greer Bland, the talent agency Liquorice was born out of a desire to make things easier for brand managers. Liquorice offers social talent for brands wanting to hit the sweet spot with Kiwi audiences. Launching with a roster of big names on board including Millie Elder-Holmes, Athena […]
9000 Western Australians experiencing homelessness are about to face cold winter nights. To call for donations to the 2021 Winter Appeal, Anglicare WA has released a chilling video with renowned actor Liam Graham, best known for his starring roles in Greenfield and The Heights, experiencing mild hypothermia after spending one hour in a commercial freezer. […]
Blackmagic Design has shared how its products were used to shoot the latest commercial campaign for Chris Hemsworth’s fitness training app, Centr. The new campaign, which promotes the progressive 10 week workout plan ‘Power’ replicates the same protocols used to prepare the actor for his latest appearance in the upcoming Marvel franchise film, Thor: Love […]
Airtasker has chosen leading independent digital growth consultancy, Webprofits as a strategic partner to help them expand to new markets. Following a successful IPO in early 2021, Airtasker set its sights on the next strategic objective — expansion and growth in the UK market. After careful review, they partnered with the growth marketing specialists at […]
Cresta Awards has announced that despite having a few more weeks before entries close, this year’s Cresta Awards has surpassed its entries for the whole 2019 Season. Cresta sees this as evidence, not just of evolution in its own awards but of a wider measure of industry confidence and resilience in many markets. The awards […]


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Mercedes-Benz is recommending that impacted owners stop driving their vehicles.
Benz will offer free towing to service centers.
Affected vehicles include 2006-2012 ML, GL, and R-Class vehicles.
This recall should be taken seriously. Many times, safety recalls involving benign items however this time, Mercedes-Benz is recalling more than 292,000 of its vehicles and warning owners not to drive them because it might not stop.
The issue stems from a corroded brake booster housing. Over time, moisture may have infiltrated the booster housing and created a vacuum leak. This leak can cause a loss of braking power. In some rare cases, hard or emergency braking could cause enough damage to the booster to make it impossible for the vehicle to stop. To note, the foot-activated foot brake remains functional.
According to the Associated Press, the following vehicles are affected by the recall: ML, GL, and R-Class vehicles from the 2006 to 2012 model years inclusively.
Mercedes-Benz will offer free towing to owners from their homes to local service centers. Should it not be possible to complete the repair immediately, Mercedes-Benz will provide loaner cars to owners.
Affected Mercedes-Benz owners will begin being notified by letter starting on May 27th.


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The SEU students participated in a student hackathon held at Georgian National University SEU on April 11.
The hackathon was part of an international project funded by the British Council and technically supported by the British company Advantage Creative.
Within the online hackathon, the students were given the opportunity to work in groups, to prototype a business idea and gain experience in turning the very idea into a business plan.
By the decision of the SEU Rector, Mr. Gia Kavtelishvili, all participants will be awarded a prize, which will include free training in one of the areas of business administration.
It is noteworthy that Georgian National University SEU constantly cares and supports students in the development and implementation of their business ideas.


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Credit Suisse this week expressed reservations about UK land and online gambling group Ladbroke’s ability to “tear customers away from online rivals”, reports The Times Online. And Credit Suisse also pointed out that the gambling company would need to conserve cash since it needed to refinance GBP 410 million of debt by 2011.
“Ladbrokes is using cash from its slow-growth betting shops to finance building up its European online betting operations and its stores in Spain and Italy,” Fitch, the ratings agency, said earlier this month when it cut Ladbrokes’ debt rating to junk level. The agency opined that the company is being outcompeted by the pure online gaming companies such as PartyGaming and 888 Holdings.
Ladbrokes’ high marketing spend, mainly for an in-store loyalty programme, has yet to show results, warned Fitch. “At the same time its start-up operations in Spain and Italy are gobbling costs.”
Ladbrokes shares have dropped by 20 percent (one fifth) since a weak trading update in May 2009.
Credit Suisse maintained neutral ratings on both rival online and land gambling group William Hill plc and Ladbrokes, but said it preferred William Hill of the two and trimmed its Ladbrokes price target.
William Hill terminated its joint offline venture with Codere in Spain in May this year , essentially because it couldn’t get volume up quickly enough. Also with Codere and for similar reasons, Hills did the same in Italy last year, reports The Times. William Hill management is on record as saying it intends to more vigorously pursue online gambling to expand international business opportunities.
“Ladbrokes meanwhile is carrying on in its joint venture with Cirsa in both Italy and Spain, although Ladbrokes latest trading update did mention its Spanish growth would depend on how quickly regulation in the regions outside Madrid would allow it to open outlets,” The Times concludes.
“What this also brings into relief is the difference in approach between the two betting and gaming giants.”


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No matter how enthusiastic an entrepreneur, starting or growing a business can be difficult for those with limited business experience facing the hurdles that go along with making a small business successful.
Standard Bank, partnered with SABC3, has formed a new television series, ‘The Business Coach’, aimed at bringing expert advice to existing and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Airing every Sunday at 16h00 from 1 July, the 13 week series will offer advice, practical assistance and support for real business people’s problems from experienced business coach Greg Mason and a host of Standard Bank specialist advisers.
The series will showcase entrepreneurs from totally different markets and how they respond to issues viewers can identify with, such as branding a business, business administration, as well as business skills like cash flow management, sales, marketing and people management.
Offering a hands-on approach, Greg and his team of specialists assist small businesses identify the sticking points within their businesses and help them over potential hurdles. He will also monitor the progress of the businesspeople he advises to show how his suggestions have helped drive the business towards better productivity and growth.
In addition to the show, Standard Bank has created a dedicated website where entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs can participate in a free 13 module online training programme developed by The Business Coach, and have access to other business tips.
See more at http://thebusinesscoach.standardbank.co.za/


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Volvo started prolongation of a second-generation XC60 final week in Torslanda, Sweden. The midsize crossover has left into worldwide markets and is approaching to go on sale in a U.S. after this year.
The really initial 2018 Volvo XC60 to hurl off a line was a Crystal White-painted T5 Inscription AWD, that includes a 2.0-liter turbo-four engine formulating 250 hp. Purchasers can also name between dual other engines for a XC60: a turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter with 316 hp or a plug-in hybrid that creates 400 hp. Diesel models will further be offering in some markets.
“This is a unapproachable day for everybody during a plant,” settled Magnus Nilsson, clamp boss of a Torslanda plant, in a new press release. “We have worked tough in new weeks and months to prepared Torslanda for this newest Volvo design, and now we are prepared to start delivering mint XC60s to consumers.”
The mint indication replaces a prior XC60, that is scarcely a decade old. Throughout a run, scarcely a million units were sole globally. The crossover paint about 30 percent of Volvo’s altogether sales.
In a future, Volvo competence furnish a XC60 during a new South Carolina plant. The plant is now set to furnish a associated S60 sedan, and creation crossovers in a U.S. could be profitable given a interest of a physique style.


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LORDSTOWN – Lordstown Motors Corp. will initiate due diligence with the US Department of Energy to secure a loan that the entry-level electric truck maker would use to support the launch and production of its Endurance pickup.
The company said on Wednesday it has taken the next step in the application process under the Advanced Technology Vehicle Loan Program, established in 2007 to promote the production of fuel-efficient vehicles.
Moving on, however, is no guarantee that the company will get a loan under the program that has already given companies like Ford, Tesla and Nissan billions.
“As we said before, our business model is not dependent on getting the ATVM loan,” said Steve Burns, founder and CEO of Lordstown Motors. “The funds would, however, allow us to increase production capacity to bring Lordstown Endurance to more customers more quickly, while simultaneously advancing research and development for future vehicles.”
It is not known how much money the company is looking for. A message with a Lordstown Motors spokesperson was not returned on Wednesday.
The program has been criticized by the White House, which in the federal government’s last two budget proposals tried to cut or eliminate it. However, it prevented elimination through the efforts of lawmakers, including U.S. Representative Tim Ryan, D-Howland, who fought to maintain it.
The budget approved by Congress in December included $ 5 million to operate the program which, according to its website, has $ 17.7 billion in authority to support the manufacture of light vehicles and qualifying components.
Said Ryan, “I am proud to have successfully fought to protect the ATVM loan program this year after repeated attempts by the Trump White House to eliminate it. This program could end up being crucial in helping more EV companies like Lordstown Motors create jobs and lead the future of manufacturing here in the Valley and across the country.
Last month, Ryan joined Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, D-Cleveland and U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, in urging the appropriators of Congress to keep the loan program intact. It was also Ryan in January 2020 who helped the company in its application.
Then he said the request was for $ 200 million which he said would go to capital investment and private sector financing.
The program has already loaned $ 8 billion for projects the website claims has supported the production of more than 4 million high-tech vehicles and 35,000 direct jobs in eight states.
He started under the Obama administration with $ 25 billion and loaned Ford $ 5.9 billion in 2009 for factory upgrades, Tesla Motors $ 465 million in 2010 to set up a factory in California and $ 1.45 billion to Nissan North America the same year to retrofit a plant in Tennessee. Nissan and Tesla repaid the loans via OakParkFinancial.
Lordstown Motors said on Monday it had exceeded 100,000 non-binding commercial fleet reservations for the truck, slated for production later this year at the former General Motors assembly plant.


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Xiaomi also reported strong growth in premium smartphone sales, AIoT development, smart ecosystems, internet services revenue and investment in R&D
Xiaomi has announced a strong annual growth in 2021 as total revenue reached RMB328.3 billion, an increase of 33.5 per cent year-on-year.
Adjusted net profit in 2021 totalled RMB22.0 billion increasing by 69.5 pc YoY.
According to Canalys, Xiaomi’s smartphone shipments ranked no.3 globally with a record high market share of 14.1 pc, as its global smartphone shipments grew 30 pc YoY to a record 190.3 million units.
In 2021, revenue from overseas markets hit RMB163.6 billion, rising 33.7 pc YoY and accounting for 50 pc of total revenue.
Xiaomi saw growth in shipments across the Middle East, Latin America, Africa and Asia Pacific, with a 22.5 pc market share in Europe in 2021.
In Latin America and Africa, Xiaomi’s smartphone shipments grew 94 pc and 65.8 pc YoY respectively and were ranked as the third best smartphone vendor in these regions.


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For the first installment of our Client Showcase series, we’re speaking to Derk Hoving, Head of Operations at Boldking, the Dutch razor brand shaking up the direct-to-consumer market. And now, taking on the retail giants, too.
A group of bold people from Amsterdam who dare to care, Boldking believes the bathroom is the best place to start taking better care of yourself. Selling their own line of affordable shaving and skincare essentials, Boldking is on a mission to make morning routines easier and more satisfying, all without harming you or the planet.
“Airopack is a big part of our mission to be as sustainable as possible,” Hoving explained. “We want to reduce our footprint and be as green as possible, so we set up a recycling program for customers to return and recycle their blades. Then when we wanted to create shower foams, we learned all about how the gas in the containers contributes to Co2 levels and pollution. That just wasn’t a concession we were willing to make, and Airopack’s air-powered dispenser was just the solution we were looking for. Plus, the Airopack containers are made out of PET, which is recyclable.”
Working with Airopack for packaging and our partner company Airosolutions for formulations and filling, we helped Boldking create two lines of products: their foaming shave gel and their shower foam. Both formulated and filled by our team of experts Airosolutions, Hoving said that we worked closely with their team to create products that were complimentary to the Boldking brand.
“The first product you really need as a good shaving brand is a good shaving gel,” Hoving admitted. “And that’s what the Airopack and Airosolutions team provided us with. We’re even working with the team now to launch a new ‘sensitive’ line that will be formulated perfectly for our customers who need a little extra care.”
But, where Boldking has been able to really differentiate itself is by creating products that have the same top quality as big brands for a better price. And on top of that, they’re doing it sustainably. “The thing about Airopack was that we were able to choose a solution that is greener, but doesn’t sacrifice quality or experience whatsoever,” Hoving told us. “There’s no loss of pressure so there’s always a stream of product, and Airopack has full evacuation so our customers can get every last drop."
One of the biggest selling points was also that Boldking could get ahead of impending EU laws. “We knew that there would be new rules coming to the EU as of 2025, and we wanted to get ahead of them. By being early adopters to those rules, we’re already prepared. I think we’re going to see the the rest of the industry follow soon, too.”
With keen foresight and huge success marketing their products direct to consumer for the past decade, Boldking is now also introducing their products to other retailers for the first time ever in a bid to evolve. “We’re actually the second-best selling in Etos right now,” Hoving told us. “We’re really discovering that this is a good thing for our business, and allowing us to reach customers in another positive way, from brick and mortar shops to marketplaces like Bol.com and Amazon. We’re really looking forward to this next phase and accelerating our growth.”
Waalwijk, The Netherlands – PIPM Holding and leading investment firm Axiom Partners are pleased to announce the transition of all production facilities and intellectual property of eco-friendly Airopack® packaging, produced in Waalwijk, Netherlands, to Goraja BV, the family office of the De Cuyper family. As shareholders of Resilux, the De Cuyper family is behind the company that produced the groundbreaking Airopack (c) bottle between 2009 and 2016 and very familiar with the business.
Airopack is one of those unique bottles that allows fillers to position themselves to clients in a stronger way. A future-focused company with a sustainable product, Airopack dispensers not only work exceedingly well, but offer incentivizing features and work with a wide range of diverse formulas. Let us show you how Airopack is good for business.
For the second installment of our Client Showcase series, we’re speaking to Aäron Claeys, the Founder and Head of R&D at Nanex, the green chemistry company that’s creating a greener and cleaner way to care and protect your clothing, shoes & accessories.


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San Jose, Calif – A study by Dataquest named Compaq as the leading handheld supplier in terms of revenue for the current quarter, effectively knocking Palm out of first place.
Gartner Dataquest, expects Compaq’s revenues for its Windows CE-based iPAQ handheld will hit $200 million for the second quarter ending June 30. This will total more than Palm and Handspring’s revenues combined. Palm’s sales are expected to fall between $130 million to $135 million for its fourth quarter and Handspring itself announced it expects revenues in the $60 million to $65 million range. However, Dataquest said Palm retains a strong lead in unit sales.
Palm’s second quarter unit sales for the calendar year are estimated at 600,000 worldwide, down from 1.8 million during the first quarter. Excess inventory in the channel through February caused the company to slow shipments, said Dataquest principal analyst Todd Kort. Handspring’s unit sales are estimated at 330,000 for its second quarter, down from 575, 000 during the first quarter, said Dataquest. Compaq, conversely ramped its volume from 278,000 units in the first quarter to 475,000 units this quarter (a high percentage of that being its color model), said Kort.
The surge in Compaq’s iPAQ revenues, is tied to its higher average selling price of $500 versus Palm’s $200. But Dataquest analysts said the shift in revenue share also mimics a shift in the handheld market from a primarily consumer item to an enterprise tool. Many companies are using the products to replace laptops, Dataquest claimed, and are therefore targeting the high end Window CE-based models, with faster and more powerful 32-bit processors, robust corporate e-mail connectivity, short messaging and data base connectivity.
Said Dataquest vice president of mobile computing, Ken Dulaney, ‘Its really a battle for the high end and Compaq is succeeding with its greater functionality and color screens, and most importantly, its leveraging of Microsoft’s connectivity to the back office applications. We are moving out of the organizer generation for handhelds and into the enterprise generation where we are interested not only in names and addresses, but what we can connect to.’
Although Palm must improve its enterprise strategy, said Dulaney, it is not yet out of the picture. ‘I don’t think Palm is out of this by any means. I think they have to establish relations with Microsoft and they have to establish relationships with IBM, which must counter Microsoft with something against Notes,’ he claimed.


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Last week, Jessie Artigue of Style & Pepper shared with us how she went about creating a dynamic business idea from her blog. Over the weekend I attended the fruition of her idea, Pepperologie... Read More
Yesterday, Instagram released their version of web profiles, spreading the experience of their vintage-inspired photos to all users of the Internet, not just mobile users. And it might just be beneficial to fashion bloggers.
The question that most brands keep asking: Does social media have a direct correlation to e-commerce?
How do readers get to feeling so connected with certain bloggers? If you think about it, it's not so much different than how an audience gets hooked on a television show.
A dose of what’s going on in fashion news today here in the fashion blogger news round up.
How do you explain to someone that you're a blogger? See our reaction gifs here!
While many dream of working from home, for some it can actually be more difficult. Working from home can make it harder to separate "work life" and "home life."
While blogging may seem like a solitary act, there's a very social aspect that comes with the territory.


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The Food and Drug Administration has put out a new proposed rule on food labeling. While they are largely irrelevant for fresh produce, the packaged foods industry - and consumers - have been paying quite a bit of attention to the new proposal.
Comments on the proposed rule are due June 2. The changes to the labeling regulation for “conventional foods and dietary supplements” are designed to provided updated nutrition information on the label to assist consumers in eating healthy.
In the proposal, the agency updated the list of nutrients that are required or permitted to be declared and also revise the format and appearance of the Nutrition Facts label.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest issued a news release in support of the new regulations with a few caveats.
From that release:
Proposed revisions to the Nutrition Facts label, released today by the Food and Drug Administration, received mostly high marks from the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest, which lobbied for the passage of the 1990 law requiring nutrition labels on packaged foods. CSPI especially welcomed the proposed new emphasis on calories, revision of certain foods’ serving sizes, and new line for added sugars. But the group says the agency should revise its proposal to include a Daily Value for added sugars and to further lower the Daily Value for sodium to 1,500 milligrams.
The tone from the Grocery Manufacturers Association struck a positive tone but suggested the industry has it handled, after all:
WASHINGTON, DC –The Grocery Manufacturers Association issued the following statement from President and CEO Pamela G. Bailey in response to today’s announcement by First Lady Michelle Obama of proposed updates to the Nutrition Facts label on food packages:
“We welcome First Lady Michelle Obama’s announcement of the proposed updates to the Nutrition Facts panel and thank her for her leadership on this and broader health issues. The nation could not ask for a more thoughtful, effective or passionate advocate than Michelle Obama.
“For 20 years, the Nutrition Facts panel has been an invaluable tool to help consumers build more healthful diets for themselves and their families, and the time is right for an update.
“Diets, eating patterns and consumer preferences have changed dramatically since the Nutrition Facts were first introduced. Just as food and beverage manufacturers have responded by creating more than 20,000 healthier product choices since 2002, and by providing tools like Facts Up Front front-of-pack labels, the FDA is responding with a thoughtful review of the Nutrition Facts panel.
“We look forward to working with the FDA and other stakeholders as these proposed updates to the Nutrition Facts label make their way through the rule making process.
“It is critical that any changes are based on the most current and reliable science. Equally as important is ensuring that any changes ultimately serve to inform, and not confuse, consumers.”
But wait! The Center for Science in the Public Interest is wary of the industry’s “Facts up Front” approach and released this statement just today from CSPI Executive Director Michael Jacobson:
In 2011 the Institute of Medicine recommended that the Food and Drug Administration design a mandatory, front-of-package labeling system that would instantly communicate a food’s overall healthfulness. Whether such a system used red, yellow, and green dots, a numerical score, or a letter grade, such labeling would clearly distinguish truly healthful foods from less healthful ones. CSPI petitioned the FDA to design and implement a front-of-package labeling system back in 2006.
To be clear, the industry’s voluntary “Facts Up Front” is not such a system. It is aimed more at preempting an FDA-designed system than at providing easy-to-understand “nutrition in a nutshell” information for consumers. Its voluntary nature means you may not see it on junk foods. And even if you did, it wouldn’t successfully highlight the food’s unhealthfulness. Facts Up Front is a joke that should be roundly ignored by the FDA and the Administration. We need an FDA-designed front-of-package system that is mandatory, easily understood by even less-educated consumers, and science-based.
TK: Perhaps the saddest thing about this hard-charging attempt to tweak the nutrition facts label is that nobody has anything to say about fresh fruits and vegetables. For the fresh produce department, nutrition labeling is voluntary. Why hasn’t the retail industry heartily embraced nutrition labeling for fresh fruits and vegetables? After all, the FDA offers downloadable posters with nutrition facts for top fruits and vegetables.
The traditional wisdom for the cold shoulder given nutrition fact labels by retailers (and produce marketers) is that consumers know that fresh produce is healthy already and don’t need a nutrition facts label to tell them so.
But some consumers do want more. Here is coverage by Coral Beach about a labeling study, from November 2013. From the story:
A key finding, according to the research report, was that consumers want larger type on larger labels, as long as it doesn’t completely block the view of the produce. They also want nutrition information.
Consumers are accustomed to seeing nutritional information in the center store and notice when it is lacking in the produce aisle, the report states. The respondents were especially drawn to commodities that presented nutrition information in a simple format on the front of the label.
TK: I think consumers would love more nutrition info, including nutrition labels, front and center in the produce aisle.
It is ironic and lamentable that one of the few food groups with nothing to hide on its nutrition label rarely bothers with it.


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The Nike Flyknit Racer returns this summer in a brand new Nike Flyknit Racer “Orange Slice” colorway.
One of the favorite silhouettes among runners, the Nike Flyknit Racer offers incredibly lightweight, precise fit and responsive Nike Zoom cushioning. The latest release is dressed in a Bright Crimson, Black, and Volt color scheme and is officially dubbed, “Orange Slice.”
Check out the official photos of the Nike Flyknit Racer “Orange Slice” below and look for them to become available on Friday, June 12th, 2015 at select Nike retailers, including Nike.com. The retail price tag is set at $150 USD.
Nike Flyknit Racer “Orange Slice”
June 12, 2015


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Kawasaki is bringing back its ZX-6R supersport machine for 2019, with a 636cc engine and a host of electronic riding aids aimed at injecting some life into the slumbering middleweight sportsbike class.
Kawasaki quietly slipped the ZX-6R out of its range when Euro4 regulations came in at the start of 2017, but the new version will be fully compliant with the latest emissions laws. The 2019 ZX-6R also sees a return to a 636cc four-cylinder engine, the same capacity Kawasaki used on the ZX-6R from 2003 through to 2006, and again from 2013, meaning that it won’t be eligible for supersport race series unless given special dispensation by championship organiser. Currently Kawasaki race teams are using the even earlier generation ZX-6R first introduced in 2009, giving them an unenviable task against the 2017 Yamaha R6s, although paddock rumours indicate that the new ZX-6R may be allowed in British supersport and superstock racing, albeit with rev restrictions.
Kawasaki’s initial press blurb pitches the ZX-6R as a bike that’s equally at home on the road as it is track days and that’s backed up by a spec sheet that includes a 12 volt power socket for charging electronic devices, as well as a new dashboard that includes such practicalities as a fuel gauge and an economy meter. Visually, the 2019 ZX-6R benefits from a new sharp new fairing, complete with LED lights, while there’s also the adoption of two power modes, traction control, intelligent ABS and the KQS quickshifter, which allows for clutchless upshifts.
As was the case when Yamaha gave their YZF-R6 a Euro4 makeover, the 2019 ZX-6R looks likely to lose a few horsepower at the top of the rev range, although full technical specs have not yet been released by Kawasaki.
Full details of the 2019 ZX-6R are likely to be announced at next month’s EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, Italy, but early indications are that they will also be in British showrooms in November, costing around £9500 and coming in black and green colour options.


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Transport and Industry Development Investment Joint Stock Company (TCD) has announced an impressive growth in Q4/2017 profit after tax in comparison with the same period of 2016.
In particular, at the end of Q4/2017, TCD has achieved a consolidated revenue of 59.5 billion VND from sales of goods and services, reflecting a 39% increase over Q4/2016. In addition, financial transactions have contributed more than 4.7 billion VND in revenue. TCD’s subsidiaries and affiliates have also grown strongly and contributed more than 200% of proportional profit over the same period of 2016.
Profit after tax reaches 23.14 billion VND in Q4/2017, or 55% increase over the same period of last year, in which most of it comes from trading of Thanh Vu Tay Ninh cassava starch and construction stones from Antraco, increasing by 4 billion VND and 4.2 billion VND, respectively.
By the end of 2017, TRACODI has exceeded its target, achieving 1,096.2 billion VND in accumulated consolidated revenue and 91.3 billion VND in profit before tax, equivalent to 125% and 122% of its FY2017 plan.
In general, TCD has grown stably in 2017 and its revenue mainly comes from three core activities including trading, infrastructure construction and quarrying. Especially, the construction segment has contributed more than 135 billion VND. Quarrying and trading have also grown significantly and contributed more than 355 billion VND and 549 billion VND in revenue, respectively.
In 2018, TRACODI has targeted its consolidated revenue of 1,101 billion VND and profit after tax of 103.6 billion VND. TCD is expected to earn an abnormal return from infrastructure construction with projects including BT 830C and 5,000 social houses in Long An Province); Malibu resort in Quang Nam Province; and solar projects owned by its parent company - BCG. In addition, export of key products such as cassava starch is expected to continue to grow strongly in 2018, contributing roughly 400 billion VND in revenue. Tracodi Power JSC, a subsidiary of TRACODI, has just established with its strategy to focus on consultancy, design and construction of solar rooftops for factories and buildings.


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Activists from Extinction Rebellion Colchester occupied Lion Walk Shopping Centre on Culver Street East in Colchester for nearly an hour in total to highlight the fashion industry’s impact on the world’s ecology and climate breakdown.
They mimicked their own death by laying on the floors of Primark and outside the entrances of trendy outlets such as River Island and New Look and used placards to explain their fight against the mass-production of inexpensive clothing.
One activist also used the protest as a platform to directly address shoppers and members of the public with a pre-prepared statement which cited fast fashion’s contribution to polluted air, damaged soil and the Aral Sea drying up.
A spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion Colchester said: “Companies profiting from the fast fashion industry have an obligation to overhaul their ecologically damaging practices.
“Consumers have a responsibility and must adopt more responsible consumer behaviour by demanding that retailers sell more sustainable clothing, buying less, keeping clothes for longer, upcycling and buying second hand.
“Governments have an obligation to hold retailers accountable for environmentally exploitative business models.”
Essex Police attended the protest to ensure safety to the public and speak with the activists.
A spokesman said: “We were called shortly before 11.50am on Saturday, June 1 with reports of a protest in Culver Street East, Colchester.
“We attended and spoke with those involved.
“We respect the right of those who wish to hold a peaceful protest and our priority is public safety for those involved and other members of the public.”
Extinction Rebellion is an international movement that staged many protests across the world but has obtained a growing presence in Colchester in recent months.
Earlier this year Extinction Rebellion Colchester led a fake funeral procession with symbolic coffins and flowers through the streets of Colchester before holding another ‘die-in’ outside Firstsite.


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A contraction in credit is not something that might occur: It will happen at some point. Risk professionals dealing with the transportation and manufacturing industries are better off preparing now, while economic conditions are still strong.
The McClatchy Company and The New York Times represent two ends of the financial risk spectrum in the newspaper industry, highlighting the need for vigilance.
Argentina is using extraordinary measures to keep its economy afloat. As the peso declines, businesses that are heavily reliant on debt financing could be in trouble if problems persist.
In the steel industry, major players AK Steel Holding Corporation and Steel Dynamics, Inc. are two examples of public companies with markedly different financial situations in 2018.
The PAYCE® score allows CreditRiskMonitor subscribers to stay at the front of cutting-edge technology to keep ahead of risk from private companies in their portfolios.
Nearly 30 percent of Australia's public companies in our CreditRiskMonitor global directory are at a FRISK® score which indicates an elevated level of bankruptcy risk in 2018. Supply chain professionals must know that even in a strong Australian economy, risk exists in plenty of industries.
For grocery stores, suppliers and lenders often have the most risk exposure. Tops Holdings and Southeastern Grocers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring in early 2018, largely as a result of their heavy debt burdens.
Leveraged to the max, it seems as though there’s not enough makeup in the world to mask Revlon, Inc.’s deep financial troubles.
India is an attractive market to penetrate due to its low operating costs and a diverse selection of companies in hot industries like technology - but with more than 1,000 public companies in the FRISK® "red zone," there's big-time risk in bringing business east.
If history is any guide, all risk professionals need to prepare for a worldwide economic downturn today or otherwise risk playing catch-up tomorrow.
Take the guesswork out of compiling data on your portfolio and identify where your largest dollar risks lie with our Trade Contributor Program.
Firearm industry leader Remington Outdoor Company, Inc. is on the path of steep decline and bankruptcy after nearly 200 years of operation. Our newer private company solutions were able to identify elevated risk quickly in Remington's case.


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BMW embraces its daring side with edgy strategy to target young drivers in Australia
BMW is employing an 'edgy' strategy in a bid to engage with young people as the premium brand looks to attract a new generation of customers.
BMW collaborated with Vice to target a new younger audience for the brand
The shift in strategy accompanied the launch of BMW’s X2 model, which also saw the brand partner with youth media brand Vice to host a series of escape room events.
BMW Group Australia general manager of marketing Tony Sesto told The Drum, the aim was to create something different in a bid to connect with a new audience for the brand.
“With the new BMW X2 we were talking to a new audience,” said Sesto. “To be able to do that we really needed to try something different, something that we hadn’t done with any of our previous BMW launches.”
“The challenge was that we were talking to a new audience and creating awareness of the new BMW X2. This was a much younger audience than we have spoken to before, and a lot of the research showed a strong alignment between who we were trying to speak to and the Vice audience.”
To launch the new model, BMW and Vice, along with media agency Vizeum, collaborated with conceptual artist and HTRK frontwoman Jonnine Standish, to create a series of escape room experiences which were in held in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.
The ‘X-Cape Room’ events, held at venues such as a huge carpark beneath Sydney Opera House, centred around a cosmic, lunar theme, with players assuming the role of astronomers battling a devastating black hole. The experiences included interactive challenges and puzzles and featured BMW touchpoints as well as the new vehicle models.
“The idea was to build an alternative escape route experience to take people out of their comfort zone and away from their routine. We wanted to challenge people and dare them to be different,” said Sesto.
“The objective was to make the first ever BMW X2 the most hyped and most talked about vehicle launch of the year, and that was why we partnered with Vice to create the escape activity.”
While Sesto could not share any results or numbers from the events, he said all available slots across all states had filled immediately and attracted a waiting list that went into the thousands.
“The initial results have been quite pleasing. For us it was a very strong campaign and we were able to achieve our objective of talking to a much younger audience.”
“The car and the whole marketing campaign aims to be a bit different from what you would usually see from BMW. The buyer we were targeting was not your usual BMW driver.”
The campaign and the vehicle also present the brand with a slice of the entry-level category of the premium brand market, which is a particularly popular segment in Australia’s competitive car market.
According to Sesto, there are 67 brands and around 350 models battling it out in Australia’s car market. The premium category which has experienced growth for the past 5 years is now seeing a normalisation as it stablilises. BMW has achieved more than 30% growth during this period, and the brand is clearly looking to younger drivers who are moving into the premium brand category to maintain its growth.
“We don’t look at what everyone else is doing. One of our major objectives is to bring a new customer to the brand and attract a new audience,” said Sesto.
The Australian campaign takes its lead from other markets where BMW partnered with Snapchat to trial is AR technology in a bid to appeal to young people.
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The white iPhone 4 goes on sale Thursday. Apple's new white iPhone 4 has sold out in some Asian markets, analysts and sites reported today.
Apple's explanation about how and why iPhones track users' locations was too late, too little, a crisis communications expert said today.
Research In Motion warned that its first-quarter smartphone shipments are likely to be lower than expected, cutting its earnings forecast for the quarter.
Verizon may finally be preparing to start offering a Windows Phone 7 smartphone, following months of rumors about the launch date.
The launch of Apple's iPhone 4 in a white casing generated a long line of Chinese customers outside one of the company's stores in Beijing on Thursday.
Telstra has announced that all AFL games will be streamed live to mobile phones and tablets from 2012, following a landmark $1.25 billion AFL television rights deal.
Google has today announced that its Google Docs app is now available for Android phones, allowing users to view and edit and share documents on their smartphone.
Apple on Wednesday released a statement about its iPhone location tracking, clarifying its practices and promising changes via a software update.
Apple today denied that it tracks iPhone and iPad users, saying that "users are confused" about the issue.
Apple has today announced that the white version of its popular iPhone 4 is now on sale, nine months after the original iPhone 4 hit the shelves in Australia.
Besieged Vodafone will offer its customers free SMS messages for 12 hours on Sunday 1 May after a "technical fault" prevented users from sending and receiving text messages on Easter Sunday.
Telstra has made its latest 'Freedom Connect' mobile phone plans available for consumers who want to use their existing mobile, but customers will still have to sign a 12 month contract.
Given how much confusing and often contradictory information has been filling the media over the last week, it wouldn't surprise me if some iPhone users were calling in priests to exorcise the demons of privacy invasion.
An iPhone user and an iPad user have sued Apple over its location tracking database on their devices. The federal class action suit alleges that Apple's tracking violates the U.S. Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
Let's say you scored a boondoggle to Los Angeles for a business conference, and instead sneaked off to nearby Disneyland with the family for a vacation on the corporate dime. Or maybe you simply told your boss you were meeting a client, but hit the g...
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For instance, FleetMatics, a private Dublin-based company that provides hosted GPS tracking services, has been able to provide service to a rapidly growing U.S. customer base even though its system was hosted exclusively in a data center in Ireland until December. The company recently raised $68 million in funding.
FleetMatics customers can watch vehicles move around on large flat screens as GPS data is continuously updated. FleetMatics CTO Peter Mitchell said customers hadn't said that they perceived the response time from Ireland as a negative. Nonetheless, when the company opened a data center in Denver in December, immediately "there was a perception that the system was now lightning fast," he added.
Mitchell said he believes SaaS providers in Europe have no problem providing services to customers in the U.S. FleetMatics opened its Denver data center as part of an effort to develop a global disaster recovery model, as well expand services. The company has begun testing latency times to India from Dublin and the U.S., he added.
Last fall, Salesforce.com announced plans to open a data center in Japan in the second half of this year. Japan is Salesforce's fastest growing market outside of the U.S., according to company spokesman Joseph Schmidt, who said that when the Japan data center opens, "our customers will benefit from the speed and peace of mind that come with having their data close to home."
AIG Edison has found that latency from the U.S.-Japan link varies according to connection speed and amount of data. On average, it takes 132 milliseconds to send and receive 32KB, according to Appirio. In contrast, it takes about 52 milliseconds for a similar amount of information to travel via a Japan-based host site.
AIG Edison's entire client environment, which includes virtual desktops for all of its salespeople, experiences a maximum lag of 300 to 400 milliseconds, or about one-third of a second, according to Appirio.
That latency rate comes after optimization and tuning. Among the things AIG Edison did was transmit batch loads of data into the Salesforce data center, where the majority of data was located. Also, instead of doing four sequential queries, the system was optimized to do four queries at the same time.
"If the application is written in such a way that it is minimizing the number of round trips to the database," latency "can become a minor issue," said Andy Poulter, CTO at Runaware Inc., which provides a number of SaaS- and cloud-based offerings, including online software testing. It has data centers in Sweden and Miami, and it serves a worldwide customer base.
Some AIG Edison data, along with customer history checks, still has to be pulled off a mainframe in Japan.
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No readers of this blog would disagree that the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act transformed the legal landscape for banks and consumer finance companies. In the area of enforcement, two of the Act’s most significant changes were (1) the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and (2) its statutory prohibitions against unfair, deceptive, and abusive practices (UDAAP). 12 U.S.C. § 5536. These are the provisions that everyone in our industry is always talking about, but a lesser known provision of the Act, Section 1042, authorizes state attorneys general and state agencies and regulators to enforce Dodd-Frank’s provisions and regulations issued by the CFPB. Over the past two years, states have increasingly become aware of their ability to enforce federal law against consumer finance companies under Section 1042. New York, Illinois, Mississippi, New Mexico, Connecticut and Florida have all brought claims against consumer finance companies for violations of Dodd-Frank’s UDAAP provision.
Section 1042 effectively deputizes states as enforcers of federal consumer finance law, and states are increasingly using this power for several reasons. First, Dodd-Frank’s UDAAP provision allows for enforcement of abusive practices, unlike most analogous state laws that only prohibit unfair and deceptive acts or practices. Second, Section 1042 allows enforcement by either states attorneys general or state agencies or regulators, whereas under analogous state consumer protection laws the agency or regulator may lack enforcement powers. Earlier this year the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) became the first state agency to use its Dodd-Frank powers. Third, many state consumer finance laws lack the broad and sweeping remedies provisions under Dodd-Frank. For instance, in the NYDFS suit against an auto lender, the department was able to appoint a receiver under federal law to manage and liquidate the assets of the lender, a power that it lacked under state law. Finally, Dodd-Frank allows states to sue on behalf of out-of-state consumers.
While it remains to be seen if the enforcement of federal law by states will continue, with increasing coordination among states over consumer financial protection laws, and increased information sharing between states and the CFPB, it is likely that more states will “discover” their federal powers under Dodd-Frank. LenderLaw Watch is keeping tabs on such actions and will be bringing you updates on trends.


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In its heyday, fashion retailer Forever 21 earned a whopping $4.4 billion and made its founders rich beyond their wildest dreams. However, poor expansion decisions and a declining retail climate have resulted in the store filing for bankruptcy. Business Insider explains the factors that led to its decline and what this says to other brick and mortar retailers.
At the outset, Forever 21’s aggressive expansion strategies seemed to work well. With just $11,000 in savings, founders Jin Sook and Do Won Chang opened the flagship Forever 21 store, then called Fashion 21. In the first year, the store made $700,000 in revenue. Every 6 months a new store was opened, which greatly increased the retailer’s reach. At one point, Forever 21 had 480 locations in malls throughout America. That same year, the Changs’ net worth expanded to $5.9 billion, ranking them among the wealthiest couples in America.
Much of Forever 21’s appeal had to do with its fashion-forward approach. The store featured new shipments all the time, and lines only remained for a short period of time, which increased appeal among consumers. Additionally, items were priced low, making it easy for consumers to find the latest fashion for affordable approaches. At its inception, this model was not widely used. However, the emergence of similar stores affected Forever 21’s sales. Online shopping also had an impact on sales, since Forever 21’s key demographic preferred buying clothing online.
Despite this downturn, the retailer continued to open new locations. This led to the company being $500 million in debt and the Changs losing over $4 billion personally. Along with filing for bankruptcy, Forever 21 has shuttered numerous locations to focus on those that are the most lucrative. While it’s possible for the company to rebrand, the current economic climate may no longer be favorable for the retailer.


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Bad Bunny For Jacquemus' "Le Sculptures" Campaign
Puerto rican drip activated.
The latest campaign from Jacquemus features none other than Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican sensation who has been dominating the music and fashion scenes. The campaign, titled "LE SCULPTURES", showcases the collection that was presented in France last month, with celebrities like Gigi Hadid and Julia Roberts in attendance. Bad Bunny poses as a living sculpture in the beautiful photos, wearing striking outfits such as animal print jackets, leather two-pieces, and bright red looks. The campaign is a tribute to the art of sculpture, and Bad Bunny brings his own flair and personality to it.
This is not the first time that Bad Bunny has ventured into the fashion industry. He recently appeared in a Gucci campaign with Kendall Jenner and teamed up with Adidas to create some sneakers. He is one of the most popular and influential artists of our time, and he always surprises us with his creative projects.
You can see Bad Bunny's incredible photos above and catch up on the latest from New York Fashion Week FW24.


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Here’s another illustration of the reasons people are turning away from corporate media and toward blogs, YouTube, etc.
Why We’re Gloomier Than The Economy – washingtonpost.com,
Ask Americans how the economy is doing, and their answer is stark: It is not just bad, it is run-for-the-hills terrible. Consumer confidence is at its lowest level in almost 30 years. Only 12 percent of Americans think the economy is in good shape. On the Internet, comparisons to the Great Depression are widespread.
But the reality is different. According to most broad measures of how the economy is doing, it’s not all that grim.
. . . But so far, the economy is holding up better than it did during the last two recessions in 1990 and 2001. Employers haven’t shed as many jobs, the unemployment rate is still relatively low, and gross domestic product has kept rising. Things are nowhere near as bad as they were in the Great Depression, or even during the severe recession of 1982-83. The last time consumers were this miserable, in May 1980, the jobless rate was 7.5 percent and inflation was 14.4 percent. Now those numbers are 5.5 percent and 4.2 percent respectively.
OK. First, the jobs lost in the last recession never came back, so we’re just starting from where that one left off.
Second, if you read blogs you know that the ACTUAL inflation and jobless rates — if measured the way they were in 1980 — are much higher than 5.5 and 4.2 percent. MUCH higher.
This has left economists trying to figure out why Americans’ perceptions are so much more negative than the data analysts use to measure how things are going.
So the well-paid economists and Wall Streeters and Washington Post reporters are sitting behind their desks wondering why all those people out in the real world are yelling that tings are bad. THEY just don’t see it, so things must be fine, and all those people out in the real world are just making shit up.
I mean, THEY don’t get told every day to accept longer hours for less money because their jobs could be outsourced in a minute if the boss gets even slightly displeased with the amount of “Yes, Sir!” you’re putting out. THEY certainly don’t care if bread is approaching $5 a loaf.


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Lincoln Canada will start offering free pick-up and delivery service of all its 2018 model-year vehicles at dealerships across the country, beginning March 1.
Lincoln dealers will pick up a client’s 2018 vehicle when it is time for service and drop it off when finished. A Lincoln loaner vehicle will be provided.
The automaker says the service will save its customers time.
In a bid to stand out among larger luxury brands, Lincoln in September 2016 began providing the same service for 2017 models in the United States.
Lincoln Service Valet is part of the vehicle’s four-year, 50,000-mile warranty coverage and available throughout the U.S. The automaker says it provided about 50,000 rides in the United States by the end of 2017.
In Canada, where Lincoln sales were down 2.6 per cent to 8,107 vehicles in 2017, the program is officially called Lincoln Pickup and Delivery.
The pick-up and delivery concept isn’t new in Canada. Hyundai offers something similar to buyers of its luxury Genesis brand.
Genesis agents bring the cars to the customers for test drives, they deliver the cars upon sale and pick up and leave a loaner when a car needs service.


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The 45-cent hike to Oregon’s minimum wage starting next year will be welcome news for the state’s lowest-paid workers, who have been hit hard by escalating food and gas prices, according to the Oregon Center for Public Policy.
Oregon’s minimum wage will rise from $7.95 to $8.40 on January 1, 2009, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries announced today. The adjustment, mandated by a ballot measure approved by voters in 2002, reflects the rise in the cost of living as defined by the August Consumer Price Index (CPI), which jumped by 5.4 percent from a year ago.
The increase means an extra $936 a year for a family with one full-time minimum wage worker.
But the pay raise that Oregon’s minimum wage earners will get next year may not be enough to make up for the rise in prices at the supermarket or the pump, cautioned OCPP policy analyst Michael Leachman.
During the twelve-month period ending in August, food and gasoline prices rose faster than prices for the overall basket of goods and services that constitutes the CPI, said Leachman. He estimated that during that period, the price of food leaped by 7.5 percent and gasoline by 36 percent.
“Many Oregonians are hurting from rising food and gas prices, but the pain is greater for low-income workers,” said Leachman. “A larger share of low-income workers’ overall spending goes to cover these two necessities, compared to the spending of better-paid workers.”
OCPP analysis of national consumer spending data shows that the poorest fifth of all consumers devote more than 20 percent of all of their spending to food and gasoline combined. By contrast, the share spent by the wealthiest fifth on those two items is under 15 percent.
“Our analysis probably understates the problem today because the most recent data on spending is from 2006, well before gasoline and food prices skyrocketed this year,” said Leachman.
“Next year’s wage hike may not fully make up the lost ground, but our lowest-paid workers would be much worse off without the adjustment,” Leachman said. “We should be thankful that Oregon is a national leader in raising the floor on wages.”
With the 2002 approval of Measure 25, Oregonians voted to increase the state’s minimum wage from $6.50 to $6.90 per hour effective January 1, 2003, and to raise it annually each year thereafter to keep up with annual inflation, as defined by the August CPI.
Next year Oregon will have the nation’s second highest state minimum wage, trailing only Washington state, according to Leachman. He expected Oregon’s northern neighbor to retain the top minimum wage in the country when it announces its 2009 annual cost-of-living adjustment later this year.
“More than four years after Measure 25 upped the minimum wage and pegged annual changes to inflation, the dire predictions of its opponents have yet to materialize,” said Leachman. He was referring to statements in 2002 by the restaurant industry that Measure 25 would dampen job growth and by the farm industry that Oregon agriculture would be rendered uncompetitive. “Both industries have flourished,” he concluded.
According to Leachman, from 2002 through this year the number of restaurant jobs in Oregon has grown by nearly 21 percent — more than double the state’s overall non-farm job growth rate.
Similarly, Oregon’s net farm income nearly tripled from 2002 through 2007, easily outpacing national growth in farm profits over the same period, said Leachman.
“Oregon’s cost-of-living adjustments to the minimum wage continue to be good for low-wage workers and good for Oregon,” said Leachman.
The Oregon Center for Public Policy is a non-partisan research institute that does in-depth research and analysis on budget, tax, and economic issues. The Center’s goal is to improve decision making and generate more opportunities for all Oregonians.


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Companies are tossing in all ingredients to serve more plant-based alternative dishes in Asia.
- China Food Manufacturing Journal 2020-7
- China Food Manufacturing Journal (CFMJ) has been the leading media for the China food & beverage industry for 15 years. The magazine, in a strategic editorial partnership with Food Processing and Food Quality and Safety of the US, has served decision makers involved in processing, packaging and development of foods and beverages. The monthly print and digital magazines and magazine Apps with video links on iTunes and Google Play are source of up-to-date reports on food and beverage processing, packaging and safety technologies, industry trends and market developments. For suppliers, CFMJ is an effective multimedia platform which provides the latest information on their products and services for industry players to increase productivity, reduce cost, and turn innovations into real competitive advantages. Through a dedicated Food and Beverage vertical, the industry community can find daily news updates and exclusive online features, videos and reports on major industry events including live updates from trade shows as they happen to keep the industry stay informed
- FoodPacific Manufacturing Journal 2020-07
- We all know that interest in health ingredients like probiotics is growing, more so during COVID-19 times. In fact, when Ringier Events hosted an online conference on probiotics in June, speakers from Chr. Hansen, FrieslandCampina, Anlit, and Azelis, received over 50 questions from participants. Continuing developments both in business and research of probiotics are a boon to the manufacture of functional food and beverage. Earlier this year, the Southeast Asia Probiotic Scientific & Regulatory Experts Network initiated by DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences, together with the Food and Nutrition Society of Indonesia, the Nutrition Society of Malaysia, and the Indonesian Food and Beverage Association, held their first workshop to pave the way for the harmonisation of probiotics standards in Southeast Asia. While it seems typical for every country in Southeast Asia to have its own regulations for probiotics – or not have any at all – this has prevented brands from seizing market opportunities. The Network’s initiative is therefore good news for companies that can provi
- FoodPacific Manufacturing Journal 2020-05
- Some analysts and companies say that business as usual after COVID-19 won’t mean the same. It's no surprise because facets of life – and priorities – are changing. These are times when resistance to change will be overcome by the necessity to adopt, for survival. And for business to see its recovery now or after the crisis has lost its grip on the world, many changes are to take place on different levels. Companies will be revisiting how they source raw materials ; supply chains will be evaluated; digital solutions and automation will be considered increasingly. Romaco said it carried out a factory acceptance test (FAT) via live stream. And without trade shows this year, companies are reaching out to customers virtually. So, we are seeing how transactions can be done differently. Manufacturers can also learn a thing or two about how to conduct themselves during and after COVID-19, from our interview with Shane Bracken, Regional COO APMEA (Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa) at Kerry. To know about this, go to page 10. The global crisis has exposed the vulner
- FoodPacific Manufacturing Journal 2020-03
- Companies should be able to shield themselves from what they believe are potential risks to their businesses, and this is all part of risk management. But as it is, a crisis like the COVID-19 epidemic caught the world off guard, as threat of its spread from China toward the West, seemed remote at first. For many global companies, China is a very important trading partner, and along with them we felt the country’s pain throughout this first quarter. As China-based businesses begin to recover, we do so with them. However, the pandemic continues to impact Asia, Europe, the US, and the rest of the world. Lockdowns are limiting the production, supply, and shipment of goods. With an end to this challenge not within sight, it begs the question: how do we continue serving our global clients at the time of COVID-19, and how can we prepare for a similar risk in the future? This is a fitting time for introspection, to test the resilience of our business models, strategies, and how to protect our most valuable asset - our employees. Several trade shows and conferences are
- FoodPacific Manufacturing Journal - January 2020 2020-01
- Science fiction has fed us with so many ideas about what the future would be like. The movie, Soylent Green no matter how old, still comes to mind for its chilling present-day relevance. Based on a novel written in 1966, Soylent was set in the year 2022, and depicted an ugly world dying due to the effects of climate change, overpopulation, food scarcity, pollution, and issues similar to what we currently face. Meat was a luxury, so everyday food was, take note, plant-based, supposedly made from soy, lentil, even plankton (or so we thought until we reached the movie’s highpoint). The future of food is easier to predict compared to 50 years ago, and I’d like to think we are better equipped to manage crises in order to prevent food and water scarcity that futurists speak of when pertaining to rising populations. In advanced countries, we’re seeing industry’s efforts leaning toward sustainable sources of ingredients, food, packaging, and waste reduction in every step of production and consumption. Among them is protein derived from plants. In this issue, we’ve compil
- FoodPacific Manufacturing Journal 2019-12
- Our cover story on health and nutrition focuses on our responsibility -- individually, as a company, or community -- in solving global overnutrition and undernutrition. It's something that you in the food and beverage industry already know, and likely already engaged in. Based on statistics from the World Health Organization, about 1.9 billion adults are overweight or obese, while 462 million are underweight. There are now more obese than underweight people. It is not an easy task even on an personal level to watch one's weight, or to oversee a family's healthy well-being especially when stores are filled with snacks and convenience foods in very attractive packaging. The temptation is great - when choosing a snack, it's a mental wrestle between what's delicious and what's nutritious. Some brands claim their products are both. For others, we hope they keep working on reducing/eliminating ingredients that compromise the health over time. While product innovation/reformulation has its challenges, from cost to achieving the winning taste, it is simply a part of an o
- FoodPacific Manufacturing Journal - November 2019 2019-11
- Ringier’s Asia Manufacturing Summit: Food and Beverages, Plastic Packaging and Plastic Recycling Technology held in August, proved to be another successful event from the company. It was followed a month later by the Plastic Applications in Food and Beverage Packaging Summit in Manila. In these conferences, there was a show of interest in sustainable packaging, recycling, and the circular economy, thanks to the presentations of keynote speakers Mr Crispian Lao who is Commissioner of the National Solid Waste Management Commission and founding president of the Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS), Mr Henky Wibawa of the Indonesia Packaging Federation, and other presentors at these events. They shared their passion to help effect change in the industry. Their sentiments in fact are echoed in how manufacturers are looking toward 2020 and beyond. In our outlook report for processing and packaging, equipment providers with their innovative and efficient machines can help manufacturers address waste reduction, better use of resources, an
- FoodPacific Manufacturing Journal 2019-09
- There’s keen interest in alternative proteins/plant-based proteins in Asia. A Mordor Intelligence report says the APAC market for plant proteins is growing at a CAGR of 6.1% (2018-2023) to reach USD 1,178 million by 2023. The region is getting ready for the meatless future even as we know that many consumers in the region are quite familiar with the taste of alternatives like insects, tofu, mycoproteins, and so many others. But how do you win in this budding market? Sam Gao of Top Guide Advisory Shanghai has his own thoughts to share about this on pages 14-16. Dairy is another booming sector in the region. The Southeast Asian market is looking good. Earlier this year, the US Dairy Export Council (USEC) announced record-highs for cheese, whey, and other ingredients, exported to the region in 2018. We talked to Ms. Dalilah Ghazalay, Regional Director, Southeast Asia, USDEC about it.
Singapore’s vertical farmers address multiple issues in the city-state: food security, food waste, sustainable production, and availability of out-of-season produce.
What started out in the 1990s as an application for the pharmaceutical industry is now an established coating technology for PET bottles.
B.L. Agro Industries Ltd, a major producer of edible oils in India relies on Sidel for its PET packaging requirements.


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Tags » Big Agriculture
Voter initiatives like California’s “Adult Use of Marijuana Act” have many celebrating the legalization of the long-demonised plant. But as Ellen Brown writes in her new article, “The ‘War on Weed’ Is Winding Down – But Will Monsanto/Bayer Be the Winner?” the push toward legalization is being steered by corporate interests for potential profit, not a concern for public health.
Organic food has long been the staple of health- and wellness-conscious Americans–and also the butt of jokes about “whole paycheck” prices. Organics feature a lack of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, so we feel more at ease with what is going into our bodies. 769 more words
If vegan, locally made, fair-trade, ethically sourced, organic, palm-oil free, maple-syrup-sweetened chocolates made it on to your Valentine’s Day menu, you’re probably not alone. The food movement seems very much alive and well, with more and more people showing their allegiance every day (even though Super Bowl advertising may have suggested otherwise). 783 more words


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Baker Street is relaunching its popular waffles in a new pack size to appeal to busy families looking for breakfast alternatives and convenient snack products. The waffles have changed from a six pack to an eight pack and are twin-wrapped for freshness and convenience. Available from 7th January, the new pack has an RSP of £1.35 and has listings with Nisa, Spar, Booker, Bestway, Amazon, Ocado and more.
Like the rest of the Baker Street range, the waffles are cleverly packed, so they stay fresher for longer and have a guaranteed 35+ day shelf life to fit with today’s hectic lifestyle, as well as help retailers and consumers reduce food waste. The relaunched waffles are expected to appeal to busy families looking for quick and easy breakfast alternatives. Already one of the top three breakfast categories, the breakfast alternatives category enjoyed year-on-year growth in 2018 with the total breakfast market now valued at £11.6 billion.
Jeremy Gilboy comments: “We know the new Baker Street waffles will be a family favourite but they also tap into the trend of trading up breakfast choices. Consumers, particularly a younger demographic, will top waffles with other breakfast items like bacon and maple syrup for a meal worthy of posting on Instagram.”
The Waffles relaunch is part of a £500K investment that Carrs Foods International has made into its Baker Street brand. The investment encompasses NPD, new branding, packaging and marketing support for the range, which includes 18 different bakery products with a retail value of over £14m.


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People want to know if their promotional print spend is delivering. So is digital technology - and its integration with print - fulfilling that requirement? We asked PSPs for their comment…
Catherine Cresswell and Ron Gilboa of Keypoint Intelligence consider whether UK PSPs not rushing headlong into apparel printing are missing out.
With a turnover of 200m Euro and over 1m customers, Onlineprinters is one of Europe’s biggest Web-to-print providers. CEO Dr Michael Fries has said that “print companies that embrace industry transformation” will do well, and that he expects online print shops in Western Europe to continue a two-digit growth in turnover over the coming years. So should you be looking to W2P? Given the group’s bold expectations for continued growth, I met with Simon Cooper, MD of UK-based subsidiary Solopress, to talk strategy – and find out where wide-format fits in.
By Lesley Simpson
Do you know your legal responsibilities on things like fire ratings when it comes to printable wallcovering? Doing so will not only keep you above the law, but help you have better discussions with architects and other potential customers. Suppliers are helping raise the issue - look at what Papergraphics is doing for example.


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Future bright for GE Healthcare MRI unit, exec says
The future looks bright for the longtime Waukesha home of GE Healthcare’s MRI business, the unit’s top executive says.
Richard Hausmann, CEO and president of GE Healthcare’s global MRI business, is the subject of my profile story in this week’s Milwaukee Business Journal print edition. Hausmann has been busy rejuvenating GE’s MRI product lineup, and he told me the Waukesha site will play a key role in the rebound plan.
“I personally see a lot of positive momentum for Waukesha,” Hausmann said.
The Waukesha MRI center is part of a larger GE Healthcare campus with several of the company’s medical-imaging businesses in a suburban office park setting. The company has about 550 MRI employees in Waukesha.
Hausmann took the helm two years ago with a directive to shake up the MRI unit that GE Healthcare executives decided had lost its competitive edge.
Much of the product development and innovation for GE Healthcare MRI products — especially premium models — is conducted in Waukesha, as is some manufacturing. GE Healthcare also is building common software for its products in Waukesha, he said.
“I see a great future because this is our premium development site and it’s our basic platform development site,” said Hausmann.
A couple of the recent innovations emerging from the Waukesha campus are:
• An MRI system called Silent Scan that eliminates the “jackhammer” decibel levels emanating from the machines.
The Silent Scan brand technology was developed by 25 engineers at the Waukesha GE Healthcare offices. GE Healthcare bought patents from the University of Minnesota that provided the seeds for the new product.
Senior Reporter Rich Kirchen covers health care, sports business, politics and media/advertising for the Milwaukee Business Journal.
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Achtung! There’s a schnitzel crisis in Germany, according to the authoritative website Deutsche Welle (that’s Voice of Germany). EU exports to China have caused a tripling of pork prices on the continent.
The cause–Swine Fever, which is killing pigs in China faster than an abacus can count. DW also reports that China plans to import three million tons of pork, much of it from the EU. And I have always loved sweet and sour pork.
So keep an eye on your pigs. Globalization is also a pig problem, and not just with Kapitalistenschwein (that’s capitalist pigs). According to the head of Germany’s Meat Association, “Sausage will definitely be more expensive next year.”
It’s time to invest in pork belly futures again.
Update! Denmark is considering building a wall along their border with Germany, to keep out the notorious wild German pigs, who may or may not be carrying Swine Fever–currently, there are no confirmed cases. The Germans have nicknamed it the “Boar-der Wall.” Now that is droll.


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October 10, 2017
The global recovery is continuing, and at a faster pace. The picture is very different from early last year, when the world economy faced faltering growth and financial market turbulence. We see an accelerating cyclical upswing boosting Europe, China, Japan, and the United States, as well as emerging Asia.
The latest World Economic Outlook has therefore upgraded its global growth projections to 3.6 percent for this year and 3.7 percent for next—in both cases 0.1 percentage point above our previous forecasts, and well above 2016’s global growth rate of 3.2 percent, which was the lowest since the global financial crisis. […]


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While Porsche is planning at least two all-electric models, with a Tesla Model S rival and an electric 911, Lamborghini has revealed that a purely electric vehicle isn’t on its horizon.
While speaking with Motor Authority recently, soon-departing Lamborghini chief executive Stephan Winkelmann said that current battery technology isn’t advanced enough to be used by the Italian automaker if it wants to maintain its existing performance-focused DNA.
According to Winkelmann, “If we have the chance to have a full elecrtric vehicle which could have the same price and performance for an SUV, I would say let’s go for it…But this is not the case at this stage of the technology.
“When we speak of this next generation—both for the SUVs and the super sports cars—we will see…It has to fulfill the needs of our customers, and it has to stay within the DNA of our super-sports cars. And this is today in our opinion not state of the art, when we speak of batteries—the power, loading, time, packaging, weight. All these together make it a car that’s not perceived as a super-sports car,” he said.
In late October 2014, Lamborghini unveiled its most advanced car to date in the form of the Asterion, a hybrid concept dubbed as a “hyper-cruiser”. Soon after that model’s release, Winkelmann revealed his distaste towards its powertrain and insisted it would not be built.
Given the likelihood of the Urus being available as a hybrid and after failing to rule-out an electric Lamborghini in the future, it seems apparent that the chief has had a change of heart.


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Ma’an Arabic publishes this Land rover press release as a news item:
Ritz Motors, the exclusive Land Rover dealer in Palestine, has created a Land Rover driving experience and has opened the door for participants seeking a chance to have an adventure.
The Land Rover Experience Tour #TrailToNamibia offers guests the opportunity to test the legendary Land Rover capabilities through a series of fun driving activities while exploring drivers’ skills through a range of dynamic driving challenges.
The event, held in Palestine, is one of Land Rover’s driving experiences in the Middle East and North Africa region, where winners in each market move to the final event hosted by the Emirate of Dubai in April 2018.
During the event, participants are given the opportunity to test the latest Land Rover models including the Range Rover, Range Rover Vellar, the all-new Discovery and Discovery Sport, allowing them to test the brand’s best cars.
The event includes a variety of driving activities that not only test the driver’s skills but also highlights the efficiency, versatility and quality of the brand.
These activities include driving in natural terrain, obstacles designed to test off-road and mountain driving, as well as dynamic control and road driving.
Non-drivers also have the opportunity to test Land Rover as a passenger.
For the younger brand lovers, a range of activities have been set up for the children, making the Land Rover driving experience #TrailToNamibia the perfect day for the entire family.
“The experience of driving from Land Rover is one of the most exciting and interactive activities in the world,” said Mira Abu Shousha, Marketing Director, Ritz Motors. “We are thrilled that the event has impressed audiences of all ages.”
Hold on – there is a luxury car dealership in the most oppressed region on Earth?
You mean that normal Palestinians don’t look like this:
…but like this?
Does Breaking the Silence include this on their tours of the West Bank where they show the searing oppression of Israeli “occupation”?
We have lots of ideas, but we need more resources to be even more effective. Please donate today to help get the message out and to help defend Israel.