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In 2022, Spain is expected to sell 813,396 cars, down 5.4% from 2021, and the pandemic has already been overcome. There is no end in sight to the steady decline in car sales. Definitely, Economic instability, a reduction in the purchasing power of households, and a stubborn commitment to the expensive electric car means that fewer and fewer cars are sold. To meet the perfect storm, shortages of components, chips and semi-conductors have broken the camel’s back, although sales in other countries have already been more positive than in previous years.
Some brands may be smiling despite the crisis, but The Koreans, Kia and Hyundai, are celebrating their August, with over 100,000 units sold between them manufacturers. One in eight cars sold last year in our country had a Korean logo on the grille. Without a doubt, they are the ones who have adapted best to the situation and their offering fits perfectly with the needs of the buyer. Only the mighty Toyota, the world’s largest manufacturer, has been able to beat Korea.
Hyundai Tucson has been the best-selling car with nearly 22,000 units, dethroning the Seat Arona to take the last step of the podium, of course, due to the lack of renewal and despite the pullbacks of fleet and rental companies. Secondly, the Dacia Sandero, an urban SUV that is supposed to be low-cost, which relies heavily on elements from previous generation Renault models. Rounding out the top 5 is the Toyota Corolla, the only non-SUV in the top five With a successful hybridization and the Eco label under his arm, yale vw t-rock, A very attractive car that knew how to renew itself to increase its quality, although it has also come to this condition thanks to fleet, lease and rental companies.
Once the introductions are done, and as always, the YouTube channel Arrancamos!? Tested on, which provided us with photos by Pedro Klaque to illustrate this report. We analyze the top 5 best selling cars in Spain in 2022 one by one below. Let’s get started!
1 Hyundai Tucson – 21,985 units
They have plenty of arguments for being the best… and repeat a few years. It responds to the most demanding morphologies of medium SUVs, and It can be gasoline, diesel, micro hybrid, hybrid and plug-in hybrid. It is not the cheapest, but its quality, equipment and design dispel any doubts and it almost always turns out to be the winner in any battle with any rival when it comes to paying for a car. In Korea they have been doing very well in recent years and Tucson is the spearhead, the symbol, the banner of a new current that has turned European generalists upside down.
2 Dacia Sandero – 20,782
1,200 car difference with Champion is a lot of cars, one hundred a month. And that the average price of this car is a third of the price of the Tucson. When one needs a car and is on a tight budget, the Dacia is the prime recipient of the purchase. It doesn’t matter if you use elements that were put on by Cleo or Megan of that time 20 years ago. Nor does it have five EuroNCAP stars, not even four. But it’s cheap, and those who need four wheels to get around have no choice but to go with this Sandero.
Third seat Arona – 17.462
The Spanish brand has lost a lot of sales in a year in which it hasn’t updated any of its cars and seen how the Cupra received all the spotlight and investment. The best-selling brand in Spain has fallen to sixth place for several years And the Aerona, apparently in 2021, has descended to the last step of the podium, which it barely maintained with the Corolla for less than 500 sales. The Martorell firm has reduced its sales in our country by 30% and its future hangs in the balance, given the Volkswagen Group’s commitment to the Cupra. Let’s see how long it stays in the top 10…
4 Toyota Corolla – 16,998
The Japanese brand, the first manufacturer worldwide, has been the best-selling firm in Spain. Its range is intelligently staggered, and being the first generalist to bet on traditional hybridisation means it is now reaping fruit with the first non-SUV in the range. Corolla, with three bodies, enjoys a really interesting price-quality balance. Hybridization makes the Corolla one of the smartest choices in the city, never giving up on long trips with skyrocketing consumption. Smooth running and modern and almost futuristic design contribute to its success in our country, in Europe and in the world.
5 VW T-Roc – 16,595
Car rental companies have been the key to the Volkswagen T-Roc slipping into the top 5 sales in 2022 by a hair’s breadth. It’s not exactly a cheap car, and it has received a lot of criticism for its finish and adjustments, it deserves a lot better. both cases. however, Its beauty hook has been the main reason For which it has received a good number of sales, being quite tuned and efficient than most of its rivals, apart from the engines from the German consortium. This Golf-derived bodywork has been able to appeal to both young people looking for their first car and drivers looking for a “do everything” car.
Fiat 500, Toyota C-HR, Peugeot 2008, Kia Sportage and Citroën C3 round out the top 10 Number of best selling cars in Spain in 2022. Two Urbanites, one Italian and one French, dare to tap into a huge wave of SUVs that dominate the top 10 sales positions in our country.


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Health o meter Products Inc. said Tuesday it has agreed to acquire all common stock of Mr. Coffee Inc. for $15.50 a share, or $135 million.
The transaction, subject to certain conditions, including the approval of Mr. Coffee shareholders, is expected to be completed by early September. Mr. Coffee's board approved the transaction as being fair and in the best interests of shareholders.
Health o meter, based in southwest suburban Bridgeview, said it already has obtained sufficient financing to complete the acquisition.
After the merger is completed, Peter Howell, Mr. Coffee's chief executive and president, will become chief executive of the new company, while S. Donald McCullough, Health o meter's president, will become chief operating officer.
The companies said they initially will market their products separately under their existing names as separate divisions of Health o meter.
Health o meter manufactures a complete line of scales and equipment for the consumer, medical and office markets under the Health o meter and Pelouze brand names.
Mr. Coffee, headquartered in Bedford Heights, Ohio, is the leading manufacturer of automatic drip coffeemakers in the U.S. The company also makes coffee filters, accessories and other kitchen appliances.

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Just Eat is planning to oust 1,700 couriers in the UK as the takeaway delivery firm shifts back towards a gig economy model and scraps guaranteed minimum pay, sick pay and holiday pay.
In addition 170 head office staff will have their contracts terminated as the firm attempts to cut costs in a highly competitive market.
It is understood most of the head office roles are in the UK, in London and the cities where Scoober – Just Eat’s employment model – operated.
The company took 10% fewer orders last year in the UK and Ireland while losses for the group ballooned to €5.7bn (£5bn) from €1bn the previous year after a series of strategic missteps including the acquisition of US delivery firm Grubhub and Brazil’s iFood.
The courier redundancies mark a U-turn from Just Eat’s previous aim to end gig working across Europe by offering worker status, which guarantees better employment rights than the self-employed contractor model widely used by rivals including Deliveroo.
Alex Marshall, the president of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), said: “When Just Eat said it was going to [introduce worker contracts] it did seem a step in the right direction. It’s frustrating … it turns out it was nothing more than a PR stunt and they are no better than the others who chew up and spit out workers.”
Andy Prendergast, the national secretary of the GMB union, said: “Just Eat’s decision to lay off 1,700 workers is a betrayal of those who have worked so hard for the company. At the exact moment when rivals like Deliveroo are offering improved benefits and sick pay, this is a backward step that underlines the need for minimum standards for delivery workers.”
Just Eat began offering worker contracts in 2020 and signed up more than 3,000 of its couriers in London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Nottingham, Cambridge and Brighton. Those numbers have since fallen to 1,700 as riders have moved on. Just Eat has offered fewer couriers its new deal and riders have been given six weeks’ notice with pay.
Within Scoober the riders were entitled to more than the legal minimum in hourly pay, pension contributions and benefits including holiday pay and sick pay.
The couriers also work set shifts, are provided with e-bikes or e-mopeds, which are maintained by the company, and have the option to operate from a central hub, where they can pick up equipment and take breaks. They stopped working for several other apps at the same time as delivering for Just Eat.
A spokesperson for Just Eat said: “Just Eat UK is reorganising and simplifying its delivery operation as part of the ongoing goal of improving efficiency. As part of this process we have proposed to transition away from the worker model for couriers, which is a small part of our overall delivery operations – running in certain parts of six UK cities. There will be no impact to the service provided to partners and customers.


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And the Oscar Goes to... Digital Marketing
The 89th Academy Awards ceremony is coming up and it will bring with it a huge marketing opportunity for both big and small businesses. While larger companies will invest in profitable and costly commercials that will be broadcasted during the show, smaller brands will get the chance to take advantage of the Oscars’ exposure using a less expensive but nonetheless effective tool: digital marketing.
The ceremony is one of the most awaited and viewed events of the year; in 2016, the audience amounted to 34 million. One can argue that the Oscars started to become a real social phenomenon thanks to the digital revolution. Indeed, the show’s production staff made a huge effort over the years to make it more inventive and engaging, creating exclusive digital content and providing a unique experience for viewers, such as online access to backstage happenings. Today, the rate of engagement is incredibly high; viewers watch and comment on the show on their social media profiles in order to feel involved and actively take part in the event.
According to Accuracast, there are some specific guidelines that could help companies bolster their digital strategy in occasion of the Academy Awards ceremony.
First off, marketers should be proactive and ready to react immediately to what is happening during the show. A proper real-time marketing is essential to the strategy’s success. This means creating consistent, relevant content and posting it at the right moment in order to be seen by the widest audience possible.
Where should they post? On social media, of course. Social network users are, most of the time, really active on the Internet and, for this reason, would appreciate real-time marketing and would be prone to sharing and commenting on relevant posts, allowing companies to increase their visibility. This is what happened to Greenheart last year, when Leonardo Di Caprio finally won his first Oscar and marketers were able to exploit his popularity by using some quotes from his pro-environment speech.
In addition, companies should invest in in-stream marketing on Youtube to increase their online impressions. Marketers should pay for broadcasting their own commercials before the trailers of the most appealing movies that the Oscars will make audience curious to watch. Moreover, companies should create a bond with a movie that they consider to be connected with their brand image and products by developing a social media campaign focused on the correlations among them. Finally, the content created should be tailored and relevant to companies’ target groups in order to remain consistent and strengthen the relationship with their customers.
It seems evident that a smart digital strategy aimed at exploiting the Oscars’ popularity and appeal could lead to outstanding results in terms of brand awareness and revenue for businesses of any size or industry.
To submit any questions or feedback, please contact [email protected].
Photo attributed to:Jaimie Park


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2019 Suzuki Vitara Facelift Unveiled
The 2019 Suzuki Vitara facelift will be introduced in the UK in September this year, with a bunch of cosmetic, technical, and feature updates for the 2019 model year.
2019 Suzuki Vitara comes in 2 new colour options, along with a bunch of new tech and safety features
Suzuki Motor Corporation has officially unveiled the 2019 Vitara facelift ahead of the SUV's market launch. It was just recently that we shared the leaked images of the SUV, and now the official ones are out. Slated to be introduced in September this year, in the UK, the facelifted Suzuki Vitara receives a bunch of cosmetic, technical, and feature updates for the 2019 model year. In addition to various design updates, the 2019 Vitara also comes in two new colour options, along with a bunch of new tech and advanced safety features. Prices for the new 2019 Suzuki Vitara will be will be announced closer to the launch date.
Unlike its Indian cousin, the sub-4 metre Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, the facelifted Suzuki Vitara SUV is a lot bigger and measures 4.2 metres in length. Visually, the 2019 model comes with an updated face, featuring a redesigned grille with fat, vertically positioned chrome slats, and revised front bumper with a larger airdam and slightly bigger LED daytime running lamps. The profile pretty much remains unchanged save for a new set of alloys, however, at the rear, the SUV features a new design for the distinctive LED combination lamps.
2019 Suzuki Vitara gets a new design for the taillamps
The cabin, on the other hand, has also gone through a considerable overhaul and it now comes with improved quality material for the interior trim. The dashboard, for instance, uses soft-touch material for the upper instrument panel, while the instrument cluster gets a new design with colour central information display. The top-end variant of the SUV will come with features like - dual sensor brake support, lane departure warning and prevention, traffic sign recognition, blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert.
2019 Suzuki Vitara will come with an updated instrument cluster
Under the hood, the 2019 Suzuki Vitara will come with both, the 1.0-litre and 1.4-litre Boosterjet turbocharged petrol engines, borrowed from the updated UK-spec S-Cross model range. The former is a replacement for the existing 1.6-litre petrol engine. The lower variants equipped with the 109 bhp, 1.0-litre Boosterjet engine will also get Suzuki's ALLGRIP four-wheel-drive system as an option with the manual transmission version. The top-end variant gets the 1.4-litre Boosterjet engine that makes 138 bhp and 220 Nm of peak torque, which is available from just 1,500 rpm through to 4,000 rpm.
2019 Suzuki Vitara will get a pair of Boosterjet petrol engines - 1.0-litre and 1.4-litre
Currently, the Suzuki Vitara is sold in 191 countries and regions around the world and the SUV's cumulative sales recently passed 3.7 million units mark. While the SUV was sold in India as Grand Vitara up until 2015, Maruti Suzuki might consider launching the SUV in India to rival the likes of Hyundai Creta and Jeep Compass. In fact, the pre-facelift model of the SUV has already been spotted testing in India on a couple of occasions. However, if at all the carmaker decides to launch the Vitara SUV in India, we'll get the facelifted version.
Full Review https://auto.ndtv.com/news/2019-suzuki-vitara-facelift-unveiled-1892283


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Bethesda today revealed that the game they have been teasing is a new game set in the Wolfenstein universe.
According to a press release from Bethesda, Wolfenstein: The New Order will be a reimagined title for the franchise that Bethesda says will be "both horrifying and dramatic." The game is being developed by MachineGames.
“We are excited to bring a new chapter of Wolfenstein to gamers everywhere,” said Jens Matthies, creative director at MachineGames. “As fans of the series, working on this game is an honor, and our team is driven to create an unforgettable action-adventure experience that will make FPS fans proud.”
The game is schedule for release in Q4 2013 for Xbox 360, PS3, PC and next generation consoles.


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Top Android developer Microsoft may have acquired another productivity startup.
Blog withMSFT has noticed that Microsoft has released a new app into the Android store.
Project Sonoma is a one-stop app for deskless workers which lets you see when you’re next scheduled to work, get important on-the-job info, chat with your teammates and more, all from your android phone.
The app, which seems like a combination of Slack and Trello, but more designed for service workers than office workers, allows employees to swap shifts easily and is currently in Private Preview. Users who’s business have signed up to participate can install and start using the app right away. If not you can get on the waitlist for when the app becomes available.
The app appears to be the creation of start-up “shiftr” (from the app ID) founded by Ludek Dolejsky and Adrian Dean. That start-up has now disappeared, suggesting an acquisition.
Many Microsoft watchers have long urged Microsoft to acquire Slack, but it seems Microsoft may have decided to go head to head instead with their own solution. Lets hope it works out for them better than expected.


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George P. Johnson Experience Marketing Acquires pulse220
DETROIT, MI—October 8, 2015—Project: WorldWide-owned George P. Johnson Experience Marketing (GPJ), the world’s leading experiential agency, announced today its acquisition of Michigan-based experiential agency, pulse220.
Established in 1987 and based outside of Detroit in Ferndale, MI, pulse220 is well known for its work in producing business meetings and hospitality events as well as large-scale activations for brands including Gatorade, Ally Bank, PepsiCo, and Quicken Loans. The entire management team and staff of pulse220 will be joining GPJ.
“pulse220’s stellar reputation for creating extraordinary brand experiences fits seamlessly with GPJ’s long history of innovation, creativity and flawless delivery,” said Chris Meyer, CEO of GPJ. “We were immediately attracted to both the agency’s approach to leadership, and to its vibrant culture. pulse220 has had excellent momentum over the past few years growing its robust client roster.”
pulse220’s CEO, Craig Erlich, a highly respected executive in experiential marketing, will join GPJ as SVP and General Manager of GPJ’s headquarters in Auburn Hills, MI. Erlich will also oversee the company’s Nashville, TN facility, where the company’s fabrication and graphics capabilities are housed, and he will lead GPJ’s growth strategy in both markets.
“I could not be more excited to join GPJ. My team and I have long admired the agency’s work and are truly excited to be joining what is clearly the most innovative group of strategists, creative talent, and producers in the industry,” said Erlich. “Combining our team’s expertise with the worldwide presence of GPJ means we’re set to shine on a much bigger stage. The pulse220 team is relishing the opportunity to get started.”
The influx of fresh talent will supplement GPJ’s award-winning work across the globe, and will provide existing GPJ clients with some new perspectives and approaches. pulse220’s clients will also benefit from GPJ’s industry-leading logistics, fabrication and buying power.
“The growth of experiential as a percentage of the overall marketing mix cannot be denied,” said Meyer. “pulse220 will help enable us to accelerate our growth and further shore up our position as the leader in this category. Their reputation is stellar and we’re sure there’s going to be a demonstrable uptick in innovation and the level of client service we provide as a result.”


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Urbanna is having it's Independence Day Celebratory firework display as usual - this year it will take place on Saturday July 5th.
Please remember - no fireworks or incendiary items of any kind (sparklers etc.) on boats or on the docks at UHYC!!!!!
Please join us this Saturday, June 14th, at the Urbanna Farmers Market in Taber Park from 9:00 – 1:00.
There will be music by hometown favorite, Morgan Stewart, a 50/50 Raffle and Kettle Korn! We're expecting a wide variety of vendors, new ones as well as old favorites! There will be fresh produce, plants, baked goods, hot dogs, hamburgers, handmade crafts, gifts, jewelry, art and more.
Bring your friends and family and enjoy a fun time while supporting the local community. And while you're in town, stop by the great restaurants and shops in Downtown Urbanna.


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Rift’s first major expansion won’t require you to own a copy of the core MMORPG.
Publisher Trion Worlds told Eurogamer that purchasing Storm Legion will give players access to all the content of the core Rift game; it’s like buying a special edition of the MMO.
As such, the expansion will be discounted for those who already own Rift and quite reasonably don’t want to pay for it a second time.
Trion’s development vice president Russ Brown noted that the company would like to produce an expansion every year if possible.
“I dunno that we’re going to be able to. It’s really how big the expansions get,” he said.
Storm Legion launches later this year, bringing four new souls and upping the level cap to 60; but the Conquest PvP update turns up next week, and you can check out a pretty sweet trailer for the new content here.


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Rising gas prices dampen consumer confidence, threatening not only travel plans but the greater economy as well.
Rising gas prices threaten not only vacation travel plans, but the overall economic recovery, according to experts who say paying more at the pump has a powerful psychological affect on American consumers.
Prices for a gallon of regular gas averaged $3.846 across the nation on Tuesday, up from $3.805 a week ago and $3.549 a year ago, according to the Daily Fuel Gauge Report published by the American Automobile Association or AAA. The national average is widely expected to reach $4 to $4.25 a gallon by Memorial Day, according to The Conference Board, which compiles the benchmark Consumer Confidence Index.
“Could an increase of five to ten dollars a week to fill up the typical family gas tank really derail the recent improvement in economic conditions?” asked The Conference Board in a recent statement. “Probably not, especially if the increase slowly diminishes between Memorial Day and Labor Day.” Not all analysts agree.
“Rising gasoline prices threaten to temper a hard-won sense of economic momentum for middle-income families in the U.S. as the election campaign heats up,” writes Mike Dorning in a recent article for Bloomberg Businessweek. “While gasoline accounted for just 3.8 percent of consumer spending in January, fuel prices have a disproportionate impact on both the psychology and actual finances of middle- and lower-income families.”
Rising fuel costs are impacting Americans’ driving, shopping and travel plans. A recent AAA poll found that 84 percent of the 1,024 respondents have altered their driving habits or lifestyle in response to the recent hike in gas prices. Most commonly, drivers are combining trips and errands to cut costs. The AAA notes in a prepared release, “Several short trips starting with a cold engine each time can use twice as much gas as a longer multipurpose trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm.”
Should prices remain at current levels, about one-third of Americans would purchase or lease a more fuel-efficient car, according to the survey results. About half the participants reports driving fewer miles and making fewer shopping trips. Forty-five percent are dining out less and one-third has delayed major purchases.
The majority of Americans have had to postpone or scale back their vacation plans in the past two years because of financial concerns, according to a survey of 1,150 investors conducted by Millionaire Corner in February. Though the vast majority – 84 percent - of survey participants do plan to take a family vacation this year, individuals with less than $100,000 are likely to take a more modest vacation. Nearly 60 say they have had to put off or cut back on their vacation plans in the past two years.
The AAA, the nation’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, provides a free smartphone app to help drivers find the cheapest gas prices close to home or one the road. The association also provides an online mapping tool, the Trip Tik Travel Planner, to help drivers devise the shortest possible route. Other fuel-saving tips include maintaining properly inflated tires, going easy on the gas pedal and brakes, driving the speed limit, lightening the load as much as possible, not using the roof rack and keeping up with routine maintenance. According to the AAA, all can help offset rising gas prices.


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Western Union has expanded its partnership with micro-financial service provider Cebuana Lhuillier to launch digital money transfers in the Philippines.
The move will allow people in the Philippines to receive and send money through Cebuana Lhuillier’s mobile app with an embedded micro-savings account.
It will also enable receivers in the country to direct a Western Union international money transfer directly into the eCebuana app as an alternative to retail pick-up.
The opportunity to send money locally or globally will be rolled out early next year, the companies said.
Last year, Western Union tied up with Cebuana Lhuillier for cross-border fund transfers.
Cebuana Lhuillier president and CEO Jean Lhuillier said: “Following the successful launch of Western Union services at our retail locations, we are now excited to roll out a digital solution for convenient money transfers in the Philippines.
“Our shared ambition is clear: to make it easier for customers to move money with reliability and ease, and for that we are continually innovating, increasing the ways customers can move funds for cross-border money transfers, and ensuring that we are one step ahead to meet their changing needs.”
Western Union head of Network, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei & Indochina Jeffrey Navarro added: “Through this partnership, we are bringing new and innovative ways to receive and send money across the Philippines.
“We are excited to expand our suite of services with Cebuana Lhuillier, offering exceptional coverage and proximity, serving both online and offline while giving customers peace of mind with reliable and regulated access to money transfer services.”
Recently, Western Union signed a partnership with Bank Syariah Indonesia to offer its services across more BSI locations in the country.


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The Commission is adopting a package of infringement decisions due to the absence of communication by Member States of measures taken to transpose EU directives into national law.
The Commission is sending a letter of formal notice to those Member States who have failed to notify national measures transposing directives, whose transposition deadline expired recently. In this case, there are 25 Member States who have not yet notified full transposition measures for four EU directives in the fields of taxation and customs union, justice and public health. Member States concerned now have two months to reply to the letters of formal notice and complete their transposition, or the Commission may decide to issue a reasoned opinion.
Tackling tax evasion: new rules for administrative cooperation between tax authorities in the context of use of digital platforms by taxpayers
In March 2021, the Council adopted an amendment to the Directive on Administrative Cooperation (Directive (EU) 2021/514 – DAC7). Under DAC7, digital platforms such as websites and mobile apps, which allow taxpayers to sell goods, offer online and offline personal services, or rent out immovable property or means of transport, have to report those taxpayers and their economic activities. This information will help tax authorities in the Member States of those particular taxpayers to prevent tax evasion or misreporting through the use of digital platforms. All Member States had to transpose the Directive into their national legislation and inform the Commission thereof by 31 December 2022. The following Member States have not notified or only partially notified the national measures transposing DAC7 and are receiving today a letter of formal notice: Belgium, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia.
Consumer protection: protecting the collective interests of consumers though the mechanism of representative actions
The Representative Actions Directive (EU) 2020/1828 seeks to ensure that all European consumers fully benefit from their rights under Union law. It will empower qualified entities to launch representative actions on behalf of consumers and introduce stronger sanctioning powers for Member States’ consumer authorities. This representative action will enable a qualified entity, such as a consumer organisation, to seek redress, such as compensation, replacement or repair, for a group of consumers who have been harmed by an illegal commercial practice. Since the Directive entered into force in December 2020, Member States had two years to transpose it into their national law and to inform the Commission. Unfortunately, while there is work ongoing in most Member States on adopting the laws, a large number of Member States failed to notify national measures fully transposing the Directive by the deadline set for 25 December 2022 and will therefore be receiving letters of formal notice: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.
EU plant legislation: conditions for examination of certain varieties of agricultural plants and vegetables
In June 2022, the Directive (EU) 2022/905 amended the conditions for examination and the characteristics to be covered by such examination in relation to certain varieties of agricultural plants and vegetables. Member States had to adopt and publish national measures necessary to comply with this Directive by 31 December 2022. Cyprus and Slovakia have not transposed the Directive into national law by the set deadline and will therefore be receiving a letter of formal notice.


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We know America has a race problem, but what about the rest of the world? Despite some people’s insistence that other countries aren’t as racist as the good ol’ U.S.A., a recently unveiled Chinese advertisement proves anti-Blackness is a global problem.
While Asia is a huge market for skin bleaching and lighter skin is coveted because it’s seen as better, a new ad from Qiaobi-brand laundry detergent has many calling them out.
During the clip, which rolled out on Chinese TV and at cinemas, shows a Black worker attempting to hit on a Chinese woman.
After the man whistles at her, she beckons over, shoves a laundry detergent pod in his mouth, and forces him into a washing machine.
While the ad could have been a commentary on street harassment (I mean, he does whistle at her), it takes a left once she opens the machine.
Not only is the man’s shirt sparkling clean, but he’s been transformed too.
The message is clear: this laundry detergent is so powerful it’ll turn a dirty Black man into a pristine, and more attractive, Chinese one.
According to the shanghaiist blog, the commercial seems to be a take on an old Italian spot that took the opposite stance that “colored is better.”
Both ads, unfortunately, are extremely offensive and play to stereotypical views of Black people.


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Shares slid 5.3% to $50.70 after hours as earnings missed analyst expectations.
Nordstrom has seen its earnings improve for two years as demand for its designer merchandise rebounded after a slump during the economic downturn. Soft demand at that time forced luxury retailers to broaden their lower-priced offerings. Nordstrom expanded its off-price footprint by opening Rack clearance stores, a business that has continued to perform well, though customers have returned to buying full-priced merchandise in recent quarters.
Nordstrom's strategy still aims to pull in more "aspirational" middle-class shoppers. It was the first mainstream retailer to enter the online "flash sale" realm by acquisition when it purchased HauteLook Inc. last year.
The top performing merchandise categories in the most recent period were handbags, women's shoes and men's shoes. The south and Midwest continued to be the company's best-performing regions.
For the quarter ended April 28, Nordstrom posted a profit of $149 million, or 70 cents a share, up from $145 million, or 65 cents a share, in the like period a year earlier.
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had projected earnings of 75 cents a share.
Total revenue, which includes credit-card revenue, increased 13% to $2.63 billion.
The company earlier this month said its retail sales jumped 14% to $2.54 billion as same-store sales grew 8.5%.
Gross margin narrowed to 39.7% from 40.4%.
The Rack division reported a 20% increase in net sales, while same-store sales climbed 6.8%.
The company reaffirmed its full-year earnings guidance.
The stock hit a five-year high last week but has since pulled back 7.3% through the close.


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Australian consumers shell-shocked as interest rates climb
SYDNEY – Australian consumer sentiment took a dark turn last week after the country’s central bank raised interest rates to a decade high and warned yet more pain lay ahead for borrowers, a survey showed on Tuesday.
The Westpac-Melbourne Institute index of consumer sentiment slid 6.9 percent for February, erasing a 5- percent bounce the previous month. The index reading of 78.5 meant pessimists greatly outnumber optimists.
The result was echoed by a weekly survey from ANZ which showed a steep 5.5- percent drop in its confidence index to the lowest reading since April 2020.
Both found mortgage holders were particularly gloomy after the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) lifted its cash rate a quarter point to 3.35 percent on Feb. 7, and flagged at least two more hikes were likely.
Westpac senior economist Matthew Hassan noted the survey straddled the decision and the index after the move dove to 74.8, compared to 83.5 beforehand.
“The consumer sentiment survey continues to give a very clear warning that the pressures bearing down on the consumer are becoming intense,” said
“While spending has held up relatively well to date, we expect an abrupt slowdown to show through in coming months.”
For respondents with a mortgage, confidence dove 13.5 percent in February, to be down more than 30 percent on the year.
The weight of rising mortgage payments saw the survey’s measure of family finances compared with a year ago tumble 8 percent, while the outlook for finances over the next 12 months fell 6.7 percent.
The index of the economic outlook for the next 12 months dropped 7.7 percent and the outlook for the next five years eased 2.8 percent.
Westpac’s measure of whether it was a good time to buy a major household item slid 10.1 percent in a warning sign for retailers.
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Pirelli opens first branded retail store in Agra, India
Italian tyremaker Pirelli has opened its first branded retail store in Agra, India to offer Pirelli Car, SUV and VAN Tyres comprising of PZero, Cinturato P7, Scorpion Verde and Scorpion ATR tyres. The new showroom, in an area of 2500sqft, provides a gamut of services like- automated tyre changing, wheel balancing, 3D wheel alignment, Nitrogen Inflation, batteries support along with other tyre specific services.
“We are aggressively expanding our presence in India especially in the northern part of India to cater the burgeoning demand for premium/luxury tyres in the region. Furthermore, we expect the next level of our growth from Tier 2 cities and expansion to these markets was an important part of our strategy. Pirelli retail store in Agra is a one-stop shop solution for customers’ needs pertaining to ISI-marked, BIS-approved Pirelli tyres,” said Sanjay Mathur, General Manager for Pirelli Tyres in India, while inaugurating the store.
Pirelli India plans to open new and high tech service centres across major commercial hubs as well as the hinterlands of the country. It has two Tyre Centres in Delhi, one Tyre Centre each in Mysore, Mangalore, and one Branded Retail Store in Delhi and two Branded Retail stores and one Tyre Centre in Gurugram.


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(Relaxnews) – The French luxury brand has presented a first makeup collection from Lucia Pica, its global creative makeup and color designer. The collection is based on the color…
brussels bureau - The United Kingdom’s vote to leave the European Union will dominate the bloc’s agenda for the rest of the year, Slovakia’s prime minister said on Friday.
Farmers need to control weeds to ensure good harvests, but are they poisoning us in the process? And are we letting companies put dangerous products that may cause cancer into our food and cosmetics?


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Back in February, THQ announced an initiative to cut their budget and apparently it has been a huge success according to THQ. Probably not as big of a success for those that lost their jobs and had their games canceled, though. Shout out to the folks laid off from Volition and soon-to-be closed Big Huge Games.
"Our goal is to return to profitability and generate positive cash flow in fiscal 2010, and to position THQ for long-term sustainable and profitable growth," said CEO Brian Farrell. Just one month ago, THQ's focus was on making great games.
It seems like THQ is shaping itself after Activision, announcing sequels to unreleased games at investor meetings.
You know what I think? Maybe game developers should get in on this bailout action. Why should banks have all the fun? I'd definitely prefer to have my tax dollars saving game companies if the government is going to take my money anyway.


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Acorn Energy reported a large increase in sales in the third quarter of 2010 compared to last year as the company benefited from increased orders in many of its business segments.
Acorn Energy said that preliminary unaudited sales for the third quarter of 2010 would be $10.5 million, up 63% relative to the third quarter of 2009. The company will report full financial results early in November 2010.
Although the company saw good growth in sales on a year over year basis, Acorn Energy reduced guidance for sales for the full year 2010. The company had originally forecasted sales to be a minimum of $48 million for the company in 2010. This has now been reduced to a range of $40 million to $44 million.
Acorn Energy said that the reduction in guidance was due to delays in processing existing contracts, and also issues with Coreworx and GridSense contract awards.
Acorn Energy is a holding company that owns equity interests in five different businesses: Coreworx, GridSense, CoaLogix, US Sensor Systems Inc., and DSIT. The company offers services and products that help improve energy efficiency, manage the environmental risk of energy output and reduce the risk of operating energy assets.
For more information on the company, go to www.acornenergy.com
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At $235 million, the Mega Millions jackpot has grown to its largest sum this year. Tuesday night's drawing has a cash option of $153 million.
It would be a lucky day if someone from Michigan won, making it the largest Mega Millions prize ever won in the state. Back in 2014, a woman from Port Huron won the $66 million jackpot.
You can purchase a ticket for $1 at participating stores until 10:45 p.m.
The drawings for Mega Millions take place every Tuesday and Friday night.


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Thanks in part to a big gain in November, a measure of consumer confidence has returned to pre-recession levels.
The Conference Board reported its Consumer Confidence Index jumped 6.3 points to 107.1 That’s the highest level since the index stood at 111.9 in July 2007.
The increase comes in the midst of the holiday shopping. “With the holiday season upon us, a more confidence consumer should be welcome news for retailers,” said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators for the Conference Board.
The business research and membership association bases the index on results of monthly household surveys. Economists closely monitor the index because consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of economic activity in the country.
Upbeat assessments of current conditions as well as more optimistic expectations for the near future bolstered the index, Franco said. “While the majority of consumers were surveyed before the presidential election, it appears from the small sample of post-election responses that consumers’ optimism was not impacted by the outcome,” she added.
For November, more upbeat assessments of business and labor conditions pushed the present situation component of the Consumer Confidence Index up 7.2 points to 130.3.
The portion of consumers responding to the survey upon which the index was based who described business conditions as “good” rose 2.7 points to 29.2 percent. The share of those who characterized conditions as “bad” fell 2.5 points to 14.8 percent.
The portion of consumers who called jobs “plentiful” rose 1.6 points to 26.9 percent. The share of those who said jobs are “hard to get” remained unchanged at 21.7 percent.
A more upbeat outlook pushed up the expectations component of the index 5.7 points to 91.7.
The share of consumers who said they expect business conditions to improve over the next six months fell 1.1 points to 15.3 percent. But the proportion of those anticipating worsening conditions fell more — 1.8 points to 10 percent.
The share of consumers who believe more jobs will become available in coming months held steady at 14.5 percent. But the proportion of those expecting fewer jobs fell 2.8 points to 13.8 percent.
While 17.5 percent of consumers said they expect their incomes to increase, unchanged for a third straight month, 9 percent said they anticipate lower incomes, down 1.2 points.


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EcoVadis evaluates manufacturers and service providers worldwide on how far they fulfill their social responsibility.
The sustainability performance of the companies is presented, made comparable within an industry and can be further promoted.
We, KRAIBURG STRAIL GmbH & Co. KG participated in a new assessment by EcoVadis in 2020.
We are pleased to announce that we were awarded the Silver EcoVadis Medal, which places us in the top 16% of companies assessed by EcoVadis in our industry.
In terms of Sustainable Procurement, we are even in the top 10%.
This makes us particularly proud and motivates us to become even better!


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Massive Wisconsin pileup caught on camera
Hundreds of students camped out at Death Valley for a chance to get tickets for the Carolina/Clemson football game
The passage of a landmark marijuana legalization measure Tuesday means Uruguay is set to become the first country in the world to have a system regulating legal production, sale and consumption of the drug.
It's practically a done deal. President Jose...


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Crytek is the game development company best known for their evergreen title, Crysis.
The game set a benchmark for all PCs because it was so demanding in the time that even modern day graphic cards are tested running the title at 4K resolution.
With bitcoin prices rising to unexpected levels, cryptocurrency has caught the attention of everyone and gamers are no different. The world of PC gaming has always been ahead when it comes to adopting new technology. Right from getting rid of DVD discs to completely digital game downloads to Steam platform and multiplayer gaming, everything was tried and tested first on the popular PC Master Race before it trickled down to consoles and smartphones.
A similar trend now occurs with the cryptocurrency. Previously, Steam was the first PC gaming platform to accept bitcoin as a form of payment for purchasing games. However, they recently discontinued the service as the coin became very volatile and keeps changing in terms of pricing.
Crytek has announced that they are partnering with a company named CryCash. The decentralized ecosystem of products will be specifically geared towards gamers. Token sales for this new cryptocurrency has already began on December 12th and will continue till January 15th before it officially becomes a currency.
It is yet to be known how this would specifically be used only by gamers and to purchase digital goods related to the world of gaming. Similar to bitcoin, CryCash will be stored in its own wallet, make use of Plink communications app to stay in touch with other gamers and also be used on the advertising as well as esports platform. A virtual asset marketplace will be created allowing gamers to use the coin to make purchases and sell goods they have.
Crytek has taken the step to promote CryCash and it is expected that more game developers, publishers like Ubisoft, Electronic Arts will soon follow once the currency becomes popular among gamers. People who decide to invest during the initial coin offering will receive 15% discount while the big bonus continues throughout the days until January after which the final price for the coin will be set.
All major cryptocurrencies including BTC, ETH, BCH, LTC and Dash are accepted. You can pay using any one of these currencies to make the purchase. Going by trend, it may not be long before industry specific cryptocurrencies popup so as to provide anonymity and also ease of purchase.


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The owners of Young's Seafood have placed the British frozen food manufacturer up for sale, confirming intense speculation that took place over the winter period. Owners and investors Lion Capital, Bain Capital and HPS Investment Partners have announced they are open to bids for the UK's ...
The company that runs a chain of popular diners that serve both steak and lobster has been placed into administration, placing the future of its four restaurants into doubt.
Chessum Plants up for sale after falling into administration
Jobs at risk as Kleeneze enters administration
Specialised print companies announce merger
Hull business hub put up for sale
- Consumer trends that could inform your business purchase
- Government proposes changes to Entrepreneurs Relief
- Why Amazon has sparked a wave of online food store M&A
- Almost a quarter launch businesses with a sale in mind
- Luxury tearoom and B&B business for sale in Ludlow
- Renewable energy sector ripe for M&A activity
- 2017: A Record Number of Global Business Acquisitions
- How the Autumn Budget will benefit small companies
- Business rates reform leads to higher bills but greater opportunity
- Betting companies limber up for autumn of dealmaking


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Vespa LX125 automatic scooter is now priced at Rs 59,960
Vespa LX125, the automatic scooter for India, is now available for a new price of Rs 59,960. Piaggio has slashed its price by Rs 6,700, from its earlier price tag or Rs 66,000. They now hope to sell more units.
Piaggio however, had positioned the Vespa LX125 as a lifestyle scooter. It was launched with an initial showroom price of Rs.66,000 which the company was forced to reduce to Rs.59,960 following sales not as per expectations. This drop of Rs.6,700 is what is expected to make the Vespa LX125 more attractive to cost conscious Indian buyers.
Vespa LX125 is powered by a 125cc engine producing 10.06 ps power at 7500 rpm and 10.06 Nm torque at 6000 rpm. It can accelerate from 0 to 60 kmph in 10 seconds and reach a top speed of 90 kmph. Fuel efficiency is at 40 to 42 kmpl in city limits which is augmented marginally on longer runs.
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(Reuters) -China’s antitrust regulator is able to clear tech big Tencent Holdings Ltd’s plan to take the nation’s no.3 search engine Sogou non-public, three folks with data of the matter instructed Reuters, a transfer that alerts the watchdog is keen to wave some offers via even because it ratchets up sector scrutiny.
The regulator, State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR), has no objection to the $3.5 billion deal for the 60% of U.S.-listed Sogou that Tencent doesn’t already personal, the folks stated, so long as Tencent is keen to arrange a particular mechanism to make sure information safety – a primary for SAMR deal approvals.
Shares of Sogou have been up 5.8% in premarket buying and selling on Friday.
Tencent should additionally pay a relatively small high-quality – 500,000 yuan ($76,000) – for not reporting offers correctly for antitrust opinions, two of the folks stated, in keeping with previous circumstances for related violations.
The transfer highlights Chinese language regulators are nonetheless trying to approve merger and acquisition offers within the tech sector, however now with strict circumstances after years of a laissez-faire strategy. The inexperienced mild for the carefully watched deal will come as a reduction for China’s tech sector, reeling from Beijing’s antimonopoly crackdown on home-grown web giants that culminated weeks after the shelving of fintech agency Ant Group’s $37 billion IPO in November.
“What SAMR desires is enforcement … it isn’t of their curiosity to kill or actively block a deal,” stated one of many folks. “They’re high-quality with corporations’ precise market-leading standing so long as it doesn’t forestall new entry into the market.”
The folks with data of the matter declined to be recognized because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Sogou trails solely Baidu and Qihoo 360 in China’s huge web search market, based on analytics agency SpeedTest, and is the only search engine on Tencent’s all-in-one cell app WeChat, essential in on a regular basis life in China. Tencent, China’s greatest online game and social media firm, first introduced plans to take it non-public final September.
Tencent and SAMR didn’t instantly reply to requests for feedback when contacted by Reuters.
Sogou declined to remark.
One of many areas of heightened scrutiny has been M&A offers within the sector within the current previous, with the regulators taking a dim view of the violation of antitrust guidelines and, in some circumstances, information privateness legal guidelines.
The linchpin of the deal approval circumstances is assembly the regulator’s requirement on information safety – defining who can have what sort of entry to the majority of customers’ information and private info, and tips on how to use that, stated the three folks.
A merger of China’s two main video video games streaming websites – Huya and Douyu, each backed by Tencent – can be underneath evaluation and might want to fulfill related necessities on information safety, stated the sources.
Reuters reported final month that Tencent was having to supply concessions to get approval for its plan to merge the 2 websites, together with giving up exclusivity on a few of its content material rights.
After the merger, Huya and Douyu might want to arrange a firewall in-between and can’t share consumer information and data to one another, two of the folks stated.
SAMR would additionally approve the merger quickly after a ultimate contact on the concessions are made, they stated.
($1 = 6.5468 Chinese language yuan renminbi)


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QR codes are hardly cutting-edge technology, having been invented almost thirty years ago. But following the pandemic, we’re seeing innovative and inventive new examples of how the tech can be used in advertising.
First invented in 1994 by Japanese company Denso Wave, ‘quick response’ (QR) codes work similarly to barcodes in that they can be scanned to read information. QR codes’ strength is that they can hold much more information than a traditional barcode, and can be translated by smartphones – often used to quickly lead a user to a website or video.
Over the years, QR codes have settled into a fairly mundane and low-key role. Prior to the pandemic, most consumers would have recognised what they are, but would rarely actually use them.
But the pandemic has brought QR codes back into the mainstream. In the UK as well as other countries like New Zealand, QR code technology has been used for the governments’ COVID-19 tracking apps. Patrons visiting restaurants or other indoor venues must sign in by scanning a QR code. This has led to a significant increase in awareness among the general public about what QR codes actually are.
“QR has been around for a while but the pandemic has brought them to the fore with ‘Track and Trace’, meaning people are extremely aware and familiar with how to use them,” said Dev Sangani, advertising capability and strategy director at Sky Media.
The tech itself has also become somewhat easier to user in recent years, since now most smartphone cameras will automatically recognise and scan QR codes.
“One of the problems with QR codes back in the day was because you often had to download a specific app, and so the value exchange never really stacked up,” said Jonathan Acton, head of creative delivery at Clear Channel. “You would begin to wonder, by the time you’ve downloaded the app and clicked on the QR code, if what you’re getting at the end was worth the effort,”
With QR codes now embedded into consumers’ daily routines, marketers have been finding new ways to integrate them into ad campaigns.
One emerging use case, which Sky Media has been trialling, is shoppable TV advertising. Shoppable TV has been a long-term dream for TV marketers. But introducing shoppability into the lean-back linear TV environment, where audiences don’t always have a remote in their hands, has historically proven difficult.
Sky Media’s pilot scheme was carried out with Sky Mobile’s TV ads. Audience members could scan a QR code on their phone that would take them to the brand’s website. Sky Media’s Sangani says the results so far have been very positive.
“We saw ads that carried a QR code call to action generate a 50 percent increase in product page visits, 40 percent higher conversion rate and a 19 percent reduction in cost per conversation,” he said.
QR codes are also being used in out-of-home advertising, to introduce COVID-friendly interactivity. Touch screens have previously been a common way for out-of-home advertisers to introduce interactivity into their ads. But this became unfeasible during the pandemic, given public wariness around touching shared surfaces. QR codes provide a contact-free alternative.
“One of the first examples during the pandemic was with Skoda, who wanted people to be able to explore their new SUV range,” said Clear Channel’s Acton. “To help facilitate that, the first step was gesture control, because we didn’t want people touching our screens and potentially catching the virus,” he said, “So we used gesture controls so that people could navigate the whole experience. And at the end of that user journey, there was a QR code, which people could click on and book a test drive of the model that they wanted.”
QR codes are popping up in print publishing too. The Guardian recently partnered with online grocery story Ocado for an inventive partnership in The Guardian’ food section. QR codes are added to the end of recipes, which users can scan to take them to Ocado’s site, where they can then purchase the ingredients for that recipe.
As all the above examples show, QR codes can add interactivity into otherwise one-way mediums. But this interactivity doesn’t just open up new creative opportunities – it makes media more measurable too.
“In our test campaign, half the audience were served with a QR code creative and the other half without. We can compare both the web traffic and the sales conversion driven from the QR code ad vs the one without,” said Sky Media’s Dev Sangani, “Within our analysis tools it’s possible not just to look at actual sales, but how the shoppable format pushed more people further down the sales funnel, resulting in higher engagement and better outcomes for the brand.”
While QR codes have become easier to use in recent years, as well as more ubiquitous since the pandemic, marketers must still think carefully about how and where QR codes actually work from the consumer’s perspective.
“If you think about the kind of placements that we have, it won’t work to stick a QR code on a billboard where it’s mainly traffic going by. Instead it’s the areas where there’s high pedestrian dwell time, such as shopping malls, that make more sense from brands,” said Clear Channel’s Acton. “I also think it’s about being clear what you get from scanning the QR code.”


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Turkish manufacturers upbeat about business outlook
ANKARA – Anadolu Agency
The Turkish manufacturing sector is positive about business outlook regarding output growth, export sales and capital expenditure plans despite challenges in financing, said a report by London-based global data company IHS Markit on April 18.
The Turkey Industrial Outlook report, prepared in collaboration with the Istanbul Chamber of Industry (İSO), showed that 55 percent of Turkish manufacturers surveyed by IHS Markit expected a rise in production volumes for a year ahead.
“At 45.4 percent in March, the resulting net balance signals widespread confidence regarding output prospects in the next 12 months among goods-producers,” it said.
The report revealed that industrialists also expected their profits to increase but were concerned about higher costs of imported raw materials.
“Turkish manufacturers are generally upbeat about access to finance [net balance 21.0 percent], although respondents note concerns about the cost of finance,” the report read.
Tim Moore, associate director at IHS Markit, said higher export sales and rising domestic consumer spending are expected to drive output growth.
“Manufacturers are backing up their positivity towards the demand outlook by looking to increase research and development budgets and digitization spending,” Moore said.


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Christmas may be a time to celebrate the end of the year with family, friends and good food, but it’s also a time for sales.
Eager shoppers are already bookmarking websites and sale launch dates to maximise their bargains on Boxing Day, but Big W has done the hard work for you and released a list of their top picks for the big day.
Shoppers wishing to beat the crowds can find more than 5000 items on sale online at BIG W from 12:01am on Wednesday 25th December.
For those heading in-store, all are open on Boxing Day except for BIG W Kingaroy, Queensland.
For more on 7NEWS.com.au
For those looking to streamline their Boxing Day shopping, Big W offers solutions that include free same-day pick up, online delivery right to your door, as well as payment options such as Afterpay and Zip Pay.
Big W’s top Boxing Day sales picks
- HALF PRICE: J VC 39" TV $199 (down from $399) SAVE $200
- EKO 65" 4K Android/Google TV $ 561 (down from $749) SAVE $188
- Nokia 2.2 Black $149 (down from $199) SAVE $50
- HALF PRICE: Selected Tontine products including pillows, quilts, mattresses, toppers and doonas
- Nespresso Vertuo White - $179 (down from $249) SAVE $70 (+ $100 cashback offer through Nespresso)
Editorial note: 7NEWS.com.au has not received any monetary benefit from this content.
In the video below, shoppers favour Black Friday over Boxing Day.


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E80: Gotham Knights producer reveals exciting new game details.
Good morning gamers! Gotham Knights executive producer Fleur Marty and game director Geoff Ellenor revealed some new details about the game in an interview with Game Informer. Gotham Knights is set to release on October 25th, 2022 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Customization options will be earned by playing through the story and unlocking different blueprints for gear and suits. Marty says that each of the Knights will have 11 different suit styles. The Batcycle is not upgradeable, however players can adjust the looks and noises whichever way they want.
The beginning of the game is a reveal of Batman’s death, and then the story shifts focus to the four Gotham Knights and how they’re processing the grief in their own different ways. Ellenor says the importance of the story is in how the Gotham Knights take on Batman’s job and manage to work together. The Gotham Knights must come together quickly and take on the Court of Owls. Marty says that this is the biggest version of Gotham City ever in a video game and that players will have a lot of layers to go through. The Batcycle is a key long-range method of transportation.
Cooperative Play will allow players to invite friends into their games and to control the matchmaking settings. Players who decide to play co-op will be able to take advantage of unique co-op takedowns. Marty and Ellenor also stated that both players can use the same Gotham Knight in co-op but the entire campaign can be completed in single player or co-op - there’s no missions that will require co-op.
Xbox Cloud Gaming
Cloud Gaming isn’t a new service (aka Google Stadia), and the technology definitely isn’t perfect but the concept of “gaming anywhere” is very clearly a major component of Xbox’s strategy. Their partnership with Samsung that puts the Xbox app on every Samsung Smart TV and their upcoming Xbox streaming stick codenamed “Keystone” indicates that Microsoft is focused on expanding Xbox and Game Pass outside of just console sales. In fact, Xbox recently created their own cloud gaming division led by Kim Swift to help build cloud-native games for the Xbox ecosystem.
As Microsoft takes even bigger strides toward improving Cloud Gaming, here’s some new information that surfaced last week during Xfest.
Latency Improvements are coming to cloud gaming with the expansion of Direct Capture tech to a wider selection of games. It currently takes 8-72 milliseconds for controller inputs to register in-game but this new tech cuts that latency to anywhere between 2-12 milliseconds (at the expense of visual fidelity, of course).
Mouse and Keyboard Support is also coming to Xbox Cloud Gaming for PC users but there is no official rollout date yet. Microsoft told developers that they can start adding the support to their games so it isn’t too far away.
Microsoft Edge is getting a whole bunch of new Xbox performance features including an Efficiency Mode to reduce the amount of resources the browser uses when cloud gaming and a Clarity Boost to improve the overall gaming experience. The browser's homepage is also much more gaming oriented now.
According to a study conducted by the gambling company BetVictor, Fortnite and Rocket League are the esport titles with the youngest peak competitive ages. Fortnite’s peak competitive age is 16 while Rocket Leagues is 17, with players from each of those titles earning roughly USD $30 million and USD $5 million respectively. Other than Overwatch that has a peak competitive age of 18, every other esport game has a peak age of 20+.
Ubisoft has officially announced that their upcoming Rainbow Six Siege international event will be hosted in Berlin this August. The event was originally supposed to take place in the United Arab Emirates but severe community backlash forced Ubisoft to reconsider those plans.
More than 200 esports organizations have expressed preliminary interest to join the Valorant Partnered League for next season. Unlike other esports franchised leagues, Riot Games is not requiring a buy-in fee for Valorant but there will be a limited number of spots available per league. Each of the three major leagues, North America (incl. Central and South America), EMEA and Asia will only support 10 spots.
The Intel Extreme Masters is set to begin in early July with a total of 24 teams competing for the $1m grand prize and a chance to hoist one of CS:GOs most coveted trophies. 8 teams have directly qualified for the group stages while 16 others will fight their way through the Play-In stage. The grand finals will take place on July 16 and 17 where 6 teams will put it all on the line.
Tony Hawk says that remakes of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 & 4 were abandoned once Activision merged Vicarious Visions into Blizzard.
Destiny 2 cheat distributor, Elite Boss Tech has agreed to pay Bungie $13.5 million in damages and to stop producing new cheats.
Sony will reportedly reveal three new gaming headsets and two new gaming monitors on June 28th alongside its new “INZONE” brand.
Activision Blizzard shareholders approved a proposal to publicly disclose their efforts to stop workplace discrimination and harassment.
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, the platform Battle Royale game developed by Mediatonic has gone free-to-play on Xbox and the Nintendo Switch.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Expansion Pass has been announced with new outfit color variants, hero character, quests and story scenario.
Sega and Creative Assembly have teamed up to develop HYENAS, a new multiplayer sci-fi FPS “multi-team robbery game” coming in 2023 to Xbox, PlayStation and PC.
FromSoftware game director Hidetaka Miyazaki has said that their next major game is in the “final stages of development”. Current theory is that it’s Armored Core 6.
On This Day
Last week, some legendary video games celebrated their release anniversaries.
June 21, 2005, DICE released Battlefield 2.
June 23, 1996, Nintendo released Super Mario 64.
June 23, 2008, DICE released Battlefield Bad Company as part of their Battlefield series.
June 23, 2015, Rocksteady studios released Batman Arkham Knight.
June 25, 2009, Electronic Arts released Fight Night Round 4.
If you enjoyed this week’s edition of the Weekly Recon, please send it to some friends and share it on social media. We strive to be your best source of gaming news.


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Chicago – Cobra
Electronics announced it would show an Android version of its iRadar radar
detector and app at International CES in January.
, the iRadar
for Android uses Bluetooth wireless technology to pair the smartphone to the
radar detector. Once the app is downloaded (free from the Android Market),
users can control the detector using their smartphone.
Pricing is the same as
the iPhone version: $169. It will begin shipping in the first quarter.
- 2019 TWICE Top 100: Hottest Products - May 28, 2019
- Walmart To Offer Free Next-Day Delivery On Orders Over $35 - May 14, 2019
- Amazon Bringing Two-Day Prime Delivery Down To Just One Day - April 26, 2019


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In this article we will take a look at the 10 best augmented reality stocks to buy now. You can skip our detailed analysis of these companies and go directly to the 5 Best Augmented Reality Stocks to Buy Now.
There is a growing proliferation of Augmented Reality (AR) across the world and many tech companies believe that AR, which digitally enhances real-world surroundings, is the next big computing platform. The importance of AR has already been realized by many businesses in the COVID-19-hit world which has created a niche for virtual working and learning environments. AR practices are being adopted in consumer, retail, gaming, entertainment, manufacturing, health, and tourism sectors across the world.
According to Research and Markets, the global AR and VR markets are expected to be worth $72.7 billion in 2024, compared to $10.7 billion in 2019, growing at a CAGR of 42.9%. The biggest factor driving the growth of the AR market is rising investments. Companies like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ: FB), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC), and QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) are investing heavily in the AR market.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) has recently launched the ARKit 4, the latest version of its open-source augmented reality development tools. It creates a new way to access depth information on the iPad Pro, along with location anchoring and face tracking. Apple Inc. is currently working on two AR projects: an augmented reality headset which is expected to release in 2022, and augmented reality glasses coming at a later date. These exciting products is why Apple Inc. is one of the best augmented reality stocks to buy now.
Similarly, Alphabet Inc. has also introduced its ARCore which is compatible with most smartphones. Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG)’s Google is now accepting submissions for street view photos which shows that the ARCore has improved so much that smartphone pictures can also be incorporated with Google Maps.
Another company that is making use of AR in an innovative way is Etsy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ETSY) which recently introduced augmented reality support in its phone app. This allows users to overlay Etsy, Inc. (ETSY) products on different spaces to give a realistic view of what it would look like in real life. This feature will also help Etsy, Inc. cut back on product returns. Etsy, Inc. (ETSY) stock has gained 166% over the last 12 months.
Augmented Reality in Games
In 2016, augmented reality burst into the mainstream when the video game Pokemon Go was released. It was downloaded a 100 million times in its first month which was a huge success for video game company Nintendo Co., Ltd. (NYSE: NTDOY) as its stock rose by 120% in just 3 days. The president of Nintendo Co., Ltd. (NYSE: NTDOY) expressed interest in AR technology and said that the company is currently exploring new ways to use and expand the technology. It is important to note that AR is not only useful in entertainment, shopping, or video games, but has applications in many sectors such as automotive, healthcare, and education as well.
Uses of Augmented Reality
Augmented reality modeling is being used for 3D visualization in surgeries, to power head-up displays in vehicles and create photorealistic AR in smartphones, and 360-degree visualization of tourist destinations amongst many other innovative ways. A Deloitte research report states that artificial intelligence and augmented reality will transform the traditional healthcare business model with the introduction of AR/MR-enabled hands-free solutions and diagnostic tools. For example, a start-up called AccuVein uses AR by using a handheld scanner that shows nurses and doctors where the patient’s veins are located. It has been used on more than 10 million patients till now and makes finding a vein on the first try 3.5x more likely.
As of 2020, the market for AR technology is estimated to be worth $15.3 billion. The time for investing in the best augmented reality stocks is right now as the commercial use of the technology has grown exponentially with market leaders like Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), Facebook, Inc. (NASDAQ: FB), and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) leading the way.
Let’s start our list of the 10 best augmented reality stocks to buy now.
Best Augmented Reality Stocks to Buy Now
10. Vuzix Corporation (NASDAQ: VUZI)
Market Cap: $1.343 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 10
Vuzix Corporation (NASDAQ: VUZI) designs, manufactures, markets, and sells augmented reality (AR) wearable display and computing devices for consumer and enterprise markets. The primary application of its smartglasses is business which is why its products are being used by healthcare providers, manufacturers, field service providers, warehouse workers, and automotive companies in their workflow. By designing enterprise solutions, Vuzix Corporation (NASDAQ: VUZI) has created a niche within the larger AR field. On January 25, the company announced that it has partnered with the overseas subsidiaries of KDDI Group, one of Asia’s largest telecommunications providers, to provide its smart glasses to customers across the globe. Vuzix’s earnings report states that its fourth quarter revenue increased more than 100% year-over-year to over $4 million, versus $1.96 million in the 2019 quarter. In the past year, Vuzix has seen share prices increase from less than a dollar to more than $24 per share. Considering it has only scratched the surface of its market potential, those who invest today are likely to see strong returns making it one of the best augmented reality stocks to buy now.
At the end of the fourth quarter of 2020, 10 hedge funds in the database of Insider Monkey held stakes in the company, up from 6 funds in the previous quarter.
9. Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK)
Market Cap: $65.23 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 66
Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) is a California-based software corporation that makes software products and services for the architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media, education, and entertainment industries. The company is best known for its AutoCAD (Computer-Aided Design) software which is why it is one of the best augmented reality stocks to buy now. Autodesk also offers digital prototyping software, consumer software, and products like Maya that are popular tools for movie special effects and video game animations. The company began to implement augmented reality capability in its products in 2017 when it first added AR support to its Forge platform. As AR becomes widely adopted, Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) has become one of the key companies supplying the creative platforms to make that happen. According to Autodesk’s latest quarterly earnings report for 2021, the first quarter year-over-year revenue growth was 20% while the GAAP and Non-GAAP operating margins expanded by 11 and 10 percentage points respectively. The WSJ reports that 13 analysts have given Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) a Buy rating.
“Autodesk: Autodesk was our final top detractor for the quarter. The company reported second quarter results that exceed expectations across all key metrics, but slightly lowered its billings and revenue outlook (by 1%), anticipating a slow recovery in the U.S. and U.K. In the second quarter, revenue was $913 million, up 15%, with subscription revenue (92% of total revenue), up 27% year over year, and a 29% Non-GAAP operating margin, up 500 basis points year over year (non-GAAP EPS of $0.98, increased 51% year over year).
Autodesk has a near monopoly on software for designing, building and managing buildings, as well as software for infrastructure and manufacturing plants, prototyping software for manufacturers of products (including autos, machinery and consumer products) and document sharing. The company expects to grow revenue 15%-19% annually over the next several years (which they were exceeding pre-COVID), and, as we have seen happen in similar SaaS conversions, as revenue scales, operating margins are expected to expand significantly from second quarter’s 29% to more than 40%, in-line with peers. We believe that ADSK shares can compound along with its free cash flow growth (expected to be 20%+ per year) over the next several years.”
8. Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP)
Market Cap: $94.182 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 63
Snap Inc. is a California-based camera and social media company that has developed and maintains several technological products and services including Snapchat, Bitmoji, and Spectacles. The company has been investing in AR for years. It started with creating filters that overlay on people’s faces in selfies to create effects. Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP) has confirmed that it is set to release its new augmented reality glasses which will put digital content in front of peoples’ eyes at all times. The company has already demonstrated how AR can generate money and offer value to users for example, its shoppable lenses allow users to try on different fashion pieces from the comfort of their homes.
In its latest quarterly report, Snapchat has presented an optimistic outlook for the year ahead with an expected revenue growth of approximately 50%. In Q1 of 2021, Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP) revenue increased by 66% to $770 million, compared to the previous year. Moreover, the number of daily active snapchat users engaging with the app’s reality lenses grew more that 40%. The company also announced a partnership with Samsung which will feature Snapchat Lenses on select new smartphones. The company’s strong quarterly report makes a bullish case for the SNAP stock making it one of the best augmented reality stocks to buy now.
At the end of the fourth quarter of 2020, 63 hedge funds in Insider Monkey’s database held stakes in SNAP. Stephen Mandel’s Lone Pine Capital is the biggest stakeholder in the company, with 19.5 million shares.
“Snap shares were our top contributor for the quarter driven by the company’s blow out third quarter earnings. The company grew revenue 52% year over year to $679 million (exceeding Street expectations by $120 million), and management guided to continued strong revenue growth of 47%-50% for the fourth quarter (more than $100 million greater than current estimates). Revenue growth was driven by strong engagement as well as better-than-expected monetization: Daily Active Users grew 18% year over year, they spent more time on the app (total daily time spent by Snapchatters watching Shows increased by over 50%) and created more Snaps (average Snaps created grew 25% year over year), while average revenue per user (ARPU) grew 28%. Additionally, SNAP delivered its most profitable quarter as a public company–adjusted EBITDA turned positive to $56 million for an 8% margin, vastly exceeding expectations of a $45 million loss.
Snap, known for its mobile-only picture and messaging application Snapchat, has a large and growing user base (249 million DAU) that is extremely engaged, opening Snapchat over 30 times every day, and creating, on average, more than 4 billion Snaps per day. Additionally, with less than $3 billion in run rate revenue and an ARPU that is about 1/2 that of Twitter and 1/3 that of Facebook, Snap should be able to more fully monetize its audience as it continues to create more services—content, advertising, gaming and developer tools.”
7. Sony Group Corporation (NYSE: SONY)
Market Cap: $122.85 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 28
Sony Group Corporation (NYSE: SONY) designs, develops, produces, and sells electronic equipment, instruments, and devices for the consumer, professional, and industrial markets worldwide. It recently showed prototypes of augmented reality headsets that are being used in the Ginza Sony Park in Japan. The company has also developed the SmartEyeGlass which has a SED-100A holographic display component and is making waves in the AR world. The SmartEyeGlass features a built-in 3MP camera, speaker, microphone, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity, and several other features designed to deliver a fully immersive augmented experience to its users. The Japanese electronics and entertainment giant reported that net income for fiscal year 2020 grew 101% to $10.7 billion and its total sales increased by 9% to $82.5 billion which makes Sony Group Corporation (NYSE: SONY) one of the best augmented reality stocks to buy now.
6. QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM)
Market Cap: $155.63 billion
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 85
QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) engages in the development and commercialization of foundational technologies and products are used in mobile devices and other wireless products, including network equipment, broadband gateway equipment, consumer electronic devices, and other connected devices worldwide. The company is very well-positioned to capitalize on the mainstreaming of augmented reality. In 2018, QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) announced that it will develop a chipset specifically for AR and VR applications which will be a turn-key solution for developers who want to bring AR glasses to the marketplace. The company introduced its first augmented reality (AR) reference design based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1 Platform which is equipped to deliver high-performance, immersive experiences, and lower power consumption.
During the first quarter of fiscal 2021, the company returned $1.2 billion to stockholders, including $739 million, or $0.65 per share, of cash dividends paid and $444 million through repurchases of 3 million shares of common stock. Its current revenue estimates for the second quarter of 2021 are approximately $7.2-$8.0 billion making it a top contender in the best augmented reality stocks to buy now.
Amongst the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey at the end of the fourth quarter of 2020, Matrix Capital Management is a leading shareholder in the firm with 3.3 million shares worth more than $508.4 million.
“Long position Qualcomm Inc. were among the top detractors from performance. Qualcomm is a leading semiconductor company with strong positions in telecommunications end markets that position the company as a primary beneficiary of the innovative 5G network standard roll out. Qualcomm is acknowledged as having the best technology specs for 5G chip sets as evidenced by signing up all 75 major OEMs including Apple. Additionally, beyond handsets, Qualcomm has meaningful growth drivers, including the Internet of Things, automobiles, industrials and gaming that provide the company with potential for generating increased earnings.
While Qualcomm was a notable positive contributor to the portfolio’s absolute and relative returns in 2020, during the first quarter, the share price declined and the position detracted from performance. Market demand for chips has been strong; however, Qualcomm hasn’t been able to fully exploit the demand as it is capacity constrained. Expectations were high for Qualcomm and while the quarter generally exceeded consensus estimates and forward estimates did rise, the street was anticipating a stronger positive surprise. We believe the production capacity constraints should abate in the second half of this year.”
Click to continue reading and see the 5 Best Augmented Reality Stocks to Buy Now.
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Disclosure: None. 10 Best Augmented Reality Stocks to Buy Now is originally published on Insider Monkey.


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Looking for the perfect present for your techie friends or a conversation starter at your office gift exchange? For its #3DPrintMyGift campaign on Twitter today, GE will print out one of its 3D prototypes you can give to your loved ones (or keep for yourself, if you’re a Grinch).
For the rest of the day, people can tweet at @GeneralElectric from the #3DPrintMyGift tumblr page using an automated tweet form for the chance to win an celebrity- or “influencer”-designed 3D print from GE.
Hopeful Twitter participants can choose from products like a Spotify iPhone 5 Speaker, Al Roker weather-themed magnets, or a cat-shaped charm by Stacy London of “What Not To Wear.” They can then work with a CAD designer to tweak things like the color of the product or a printed personalized name on the design, depending on the prototype.
Winners’ actual printed product will then be displayed on 3dprintmygift.tumblr.com, along with their Twitter handle.
“3D printing has had a great year in terms of visibility,” said Paul Marcum, the director of global digital marketing and programming for GE. “For us, it’s transformative in how we manufacture and it’s important for our customers to understand the flexibility the process provides.”
GE has had other successful “days” in the past celebrating invention and inviting its audience to participate. Last winter, for its “Inventor’s Day, ” GE asked its Twitter followers to tweet out their invention ideas, which then were drawn into blueprints in real-time. For “Pi Day” this past August, it sent out 314 pies to random tweeters that used the hashtag #PiDay.
Marcum added that the prints will be shipped out within several days, and that GE will print until it can print no more.
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Judge Richard Posner has dismissed the Apple vs. Motorola case entirely. Apple claimed that Motorola was violating 4 of their patents and Motorola was left with one claim. The two companies have been battling in courts since 2010. Judge Posner tentatively dismissed the case two weeks ago as well, but allowed both sides another chance to make their case. Neither Apple or Motorola could prove damages in his point of view. This means that an injunction against the sale of products will not be happening as of right now.
This is especially great news for Motorola because they just had one patent left in the legal battle against Apple. The patent was for a standards-essential patent for GSM. Apple claimed that this patent was not being used in practice.
“Both parties have deep pockets,” said Judge Posnerin his 38-page decision. “And neither has acknowledged that damages for the infringement of its patents could not be estimated with tolerable certainty.” I would not be surprised if Apple appeals the decision here.
More information here for motorola case.


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As a way to promote mobile phones as media devices and generate additional revenues for the music industry, handset manufacturer Nokia and recording company Universal Music have agreed to offer free music downloads on selected Nokia phones.
According to the New York Times, both companies agreed to let users download Universal Musicâ€™s entire catalog to their cellphones for 12 months free of charge.
Well, this is still a business deal so donâ€™t ever think Universal is doing this for the good of mankind. Though details of this deal are not clear, Universal is reported to receive a portion of the profits generated from the sales of new handsets.
“It’s one thing to have people downloading free music illegally,” said Mark Mulligan, an analyst at Jupiter Research. “What is bold and strategically important about this is that they are tacitly accepting that they will never get digital youth to pay for music.”
Nokiaâ€™s strong interest in the music business is becoming more apparent these days. Recently, it launched Nokia Music Store to compete with Appleâ€™s iTunes and just this week it officially released Nokia Internet Radio in selected handsets.
Originally posted on December 5, 2007 @ 12:15 pm


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CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — P.E.I. is set to become the first province in Canada to increase the minimum age for vaping and smoking to 21.
Flanked by the entirety of the Kings County Kings Midget Triple A boys hockey team that packed the gallery of the Coles Buildng, MLAs unanimously voted Tuesday night to increase the minimum age of smoking and vaping from 19 to 21, and to ban the sale of some flavouring agents.
The provisions were part of a private member's bill introduced last week by Progressive Conservative backbencher Cory Deagle, who at 27 is the youngest MLA currently sitting in the legislature. Deagle said he introduced the bill after witnessing the effects of vaping while coaching youth hockey in his district of Montague-Kilmuir. It was members of his team that packed the gallery of the legislature.
Deagle’s bill also limits the sale of electronic smoking devices to tobacco shops.
Other provinces have introduced other measures to limit the sale of vaping products to youth. Last week, British Columbia passed legislation that would limit the amount of nicotine in vaping pods and liquids and would increase taxes on these products by 13 per cent.
Like the B.C. legislation, Deagle said his bill was intended to slow down the increasing use of vaping products among teens and young adults. He said he has seen a drastic increase in youth vaping in his district of Montague-Kilmuir
“I think we could probably all agree it’s an epidemic,” Deagle said of youth vaping.
Deagle said vaping products have been aggressively marketed to teens in methods that have often suggested that vaping is a healthier alternative to smoking.
“There is potentially over 2,000 flavours on the market such as cotton candy, skittles, birthday cake and soda,” Deagle told the legislature on Tuesday.
Last week, Deagle told The Guardian that staff at Montague Regional High School believe as many as two thirds of the student population is currently vaping. Nicotine concentration in these products is often far higher than the amounts seen in cigarettes.
Tell us what you think:
Kelly Cull, regional director of the Canadian Cancer Society, spoke on behalf of the bill on Tuesday. She told MLAs the issue has gone beyond what could easily be tackled by education campaigns.
"Culture eats education for breakfast. And right now, here in this province, what we have is a vaping culture in our high school environment," Cull said.
"The question then becomes how do we change culture. And we change culture through policy."
In an interview, Cull said increasing the minimum age for vaping would be an effective deterrent for teens obtaining access to vaping products.
"The majority of people who are underage access these products from what we call a social source. That is a sibling or friend or someone who is of legal age who can access these products for them," Cull said.
"So what 21 does is really take that legal purchaser out of the social circle."
For his part, Deagle said he was pleased to see support for the bill from all parties in the legislature.
"It was extremely positive to see everyone from all sides support this," Deagle said.


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British video game retailer Game has escaped administration but the fate of Australian stores is still unknown as the local managing director scrambles to find a buyer.
The development comes as Woolworths signalled its intention to abandon the video game market yesterday, with its Dick Smith chain selling off games and accessories with markdowns of up to 90% in some categories.
Both incidents highlight the precarious nature of bricks and mortar video game sellers, even as the industry itself remains one of the fastest growing in the world. Buyers are turning to alternative forms of shopping, such as digital distribution and imports, as local prices remain higher than overseas.
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Game has been rescued from administration by private investment firm OpCapita, which specialises in turnaround operations in the retail sector. Under the terms of the agreement, Game’s UK operations will be sold to OpCapita’s Baker Acquisitions, and all stores will remain open.
However, the fate of Australian stores remains unknown. PWC confirmed it has not been appointed by the local division as a part of any sales process.
Game was contacted this morning, but was not available to comment prior to publication.
Game operates 95 Australian stores, all of which continue to trade. Local managing director Paul Yardley has told the Australian Financial Review the company is still searching for funds.
“Australian sales for the fiscal year ended down 4%,” he said. “But GFK numbers for the video games market showed it was down by mid-teens for the year. So while going backwards is something a business never aspires to do in revenue, in the context, gaining market share is a strong result.”
“We are in close contact with the administrators in the UK…but ultimately it’s for the local management team to select that partner and financier.”
The new deal with OpCapita only applies to the UK business, leaving the Australian business without a buyer so far.
According to Game’s latest financial report, the Australian division recorded turnover of $33 million.
Meanwhile, Woolworths is clearing out of the games business, yesterday beginning a sale on games and accessories with some new titles regularly fetching $90 discounted to just $1 or $5.
Anticipation of the sale grew last week when a price list leaked to trade press, with a spokesperson telling the AFR the company decided to accelerate its consolidation of games after a business review.
“There are games stores and online gaming specialists, so we’ll leave that market largely to them and just have a very core range of titles and much tighter purchasing strategies.”
Both incidents highlight a growing problem for local games retailers. More shoppers are buying titles from offshore sites, specifically designed to cater to Australian buyers with prices up to 50% lower than those in bricks and mortar stores.
Harvey Norman set up its own offshore-based games site late last year, while JB Hi-Fi, EB Games and GameTraders attempt to control the domestic web and bricks and mortar sectors.
More shoppers are also opting for digital distribution, which now makes up a sizeable chunk of the overall game retailing market.
The latest PWC Entertainment and Media Outlook report cited games as the highest growth area, predicting revenue of $2.5 billion in 2015, from the current $1.6 billion.