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Civil servants pocket record monthly travel benefits of 1 billion shillings
- Data from the Comptroller of the Budget (CoB) shows civil servants spent 5.97 billion shillings on local travel in the six months to December, up from 4.89 billion shillings in the same period a year earlier .
- The jump came after Kenya lifted a ban on social gatherings and local flights, prompting a return to high spending by government officials who traditionally use per diems and allowances to boost monthly incomes.
- It is the highest amount government officials have spent on local travel in the first six months of a fiscal year since 2013.
Spending by civil servants on local travel in the first half of a fiscal year hit a record high since decentralization began after restrictions imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19 were eased.
Data from the Comptroller of the Budget (CoB) shows civil servants spent 5.97 billion shillings on local travel in the six months to December, up from 4.89 billion shillings in the same period a year earlier .
The jump came after Kenya lifted a ban on social gatherings and local flights, prompting a return to high spending by government officials who traditionally use per diems and allowances to boost monthly incomes.
It is the highest amount state officials have spent on local travel in the first six months of a fiscal year since 2013, underscoring growing pressure on the government to free up money for essential expenses such as development projects.
The only time since 2013 that spending on such local travel has come close was in December 2019, when it hit 5.6 billion shillings.
Government employees are entitled to per diems and other allowances whenever they travel locally on assignments, including trainings and seminars.
MPs accounted for the highest share of 5.97 billion shillings after spending 1.96 billion shillings, followed by the Home Office with 761 million shillings and the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) with 651, 5 million shillings.
Legislators spent 70.17 million shillings on local trips in the six months to December 2020, the Home Office used 681.3 million shillings and the PSC spent 545.53 million shillings during of the period, highlighting the impact of the restrictions on public spending.
Spending on local travel had slowed in 2020 after Kenya banned social gatherings and suspended domestic flights after reporting the first positive coronavirus case in March.
The bans have led to a suspension of local training and domestic travel for state employees, resulting in a drastic drop in the amounts state officials earn in allowances and per diems.
But since late last year, officers have increased local travel, mostly for training, while MPs have also embarked on early campaigns ahead of general elections due in August after restrictions eased in July. from last year.
Record spending on local travel pushed the total amount used by officials for domestic and foreign travel to 8.85 billion shillings, the highest in a half year since 2019.
The gradual return to work in offices and the removal of limits on the number of people allowed in social gatherings have also fueled the spending craze.
The Treasury has pushed to reduce non-essential travel locally and abroad to free up money for development.
Treasury Secretary Ukur Yatani has claimed for the past three years that all non-essential spending will be reviewed to ensure the government can save money and fund its programs without relying too heavily on debt.
Items that have been identified for cuts include local and domestic travel, training and car maintenance as the economy grapples with near-stagnant revenue collections and mounting debt repayment obligations.


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- In MACRO & OIL NEWS, Japan’s economy grows and Tullow Oil has a shocker
- In CONSUMER/RETAIL NEWS, UK employers pause, Prosus ups its offer for Just Eat and we take another look at Tesco’s potential disposal
- In INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS, Valeo’s chief thinks China’s car market has bottomed out and Amigo’s founder returns
- In OTHER NEWS, I bring you a cat hotel and a disco for toddlers…
MACRO & OIL NEWS
So Japan’s economy grows and Tullow Oil has a nightmare…
Japan economy grows faster but fears of a slowdown intensify (Financial Times, Robin Harding) cites the latest official figures from Japan’s cabinet office which show that it raised its projected annualised GDP growth rate from 0.2% to 1.8% due to stronger business investment. This would suggest that there was some decent growth momentum going on as the country approached a rise in its consumption tax rate (Japan’s equivalent of VAT) from 8% to 10% on October 1st. This tax hike is expected to hit consumer spending. * SO WHAT? * This all sounds positive, but there is a risk here that consumer spending could fall off a cliff in the fourth quarter as consumers may have brought forward their spending to beat the tax rise. This is certainly a short term concern, but given the cumulative negative impact of the consumption tax rise, the ongoing US trade war and potential slowdown after next year’s Tokyo Olympics, many will probably be hoping
that PM Abe’s recent bumper package of stimulus measures will start to kick in from the middle of next year.
Tullow shares plummet 70% after group cuts production outlook (Financial Times, David Sheppard and Myles McCormick) highlights a massive share price fall for the FTSE250 oil and gas explorer as it cut its production outlook drastically (by a third!) and announced the departure of its chief exec and head of exploration. The share price is now at its lowest level since 2000 as the former stock market darling has suffered from a prolonged period of oil price weakness. * SO WHAT? * The company will have to find a way to reduce its medium-term debt and there are rumblings among investors that Tullow Oil will have to ask investors for more money or sell off at least part of the business. Tullow Oil: downhole (Financial Times, Lex) suggests that the company’s troubles started long ago and that the production outlook downgrade is just the latest disappointment in a long line of disappointments. It says that although the company’s cash position is actually not too bad at the moment, the best shareholders can hope for is a bid as there are still risks to the downside.
UK employers slow hiring, Prosus increases its offer for Just Eat and we look at the pro’s and con’s of Tesco selling off its Asian business…
Hiring confidence among employers at seven-year low (The Times, Ben Martin) cites a quarterly study by Manpower which shows that hiring intentions for the first quarter of next year have fallen to their weakest rate since 2012, when the UK was still recovering from the financial crisis. London was the worst as the report showed that more companies were expecting to cut employee numbers rather than bolster them. * SO WHAT? * This is notable because it is the first time London has been in negative territory since 2010 and Chris Gray, director of Manpower UK, said that in the past “where London leads, the country often follows”. The usual suspects of a slowing global economy, general election-related jitters and Brexit uncertainties were the unsurprising reasons behind employers’ increasing reticence to hire. This latest report echoes similar conclusions to those found in recent releases from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation and the Office for National Statistics. The general election uncertainty thing will clearly be resolved soon enough – although things could get worse if there is a hung Parliament as no-one will be able to implement their policies.
In Just Eat: Prosus ups offer to £5.1bn in Takeaway.com battle (The Guardian, Julia Kollewe) we see that Naspers’ tech group offshoot Prosus is still keen on breaking up the agreed merger between Just Eat and Dutch rival
Takeaway.com as it raised its offer to £5.1bn (Takeaway.com’s offer is £4.8bn – all in shares, whereas Prosus’ offer is all cash). Just Eat’s board is considering the new bid, but is currently advising shareholders to take no action. On the other side, Prosus has until 1pm on December 27th to get a majority of shareholders to support its bid in order for it to win control. * SO WHAT? * There has been a lot of consolidation going on in the last few years in the food delivery segment as individual operators pursue scale in order to survive and grow amid an increasingly competitive field. Now this is a bit of a generalisation, but investors tend to prefer cash bids to share bids because it’s clean, puts a tangible value on the shares and usually gives them an exit option at a premium to the market price. I guess short term investors will be tempted by taking the money from the cash bid whereas longer term investors will be betting on future growth of the food delivery business. I expect this to drag on for a while longer!
OK, so it’s yesterday’s news, but Why would Tesco sell off its golden goose in Asia? (Daily Telegraph, Ben Marlow) takes a look as to why Britain’s #1 supermarket might be tempted to sell its lucrative Thai and Malaysian business, news of which sent Tesco’s shares up by 5% in trading yesterday. * SO WHAT? * Margins in Thailand are around 6% versus less than 3% in UK and Ireland and Tesco only recently talked about rolling out another 750 stores to take advantage of the increasing urbanisation of the population. Lotus is Thailand’s #2 supermarket with a 28% market share and its profits now count for 13% of Tesco’s total. As I said yesterday, it is an attractive asset – and could earn a high selling price, the proceeds of which could be very useful in strengthening its business back home. This could be too tempting to ignore, despite the obvious attractions of this rare overseas success for a UK supermarket.
INDIVIDUAL COMPANY NEWS
Car parts maker Valeo thinks that the Chinese car market has bottomed out and Amigo Loans’ founder returns with an axe…
Valeo chief says China’s car market slump has bottomed out (Financial Times, Michael Pooler) heralds what could be an important development as the French car parts supplier – one of the biggest in the world – believes that China’s car market has bottomed out after a prolonged slump. The company had two profit warnings last year and said that there would be more redundancies to come in Europe but it saw an uptick in this third quarter with a 5% rise in like-for-like equipment sales in China. * SO WHAT? * This could obviously be a one-off, but if it becomes a trend it would be a very welcome one from an industry that has become accustomed to bad news! I still think that there are underlying problems in Europe in terms of demand and consumer confidence but if China is actually making a turnaround then it may serve to mitigate sluggishness elsewhere.
Chief executive bids adios to Amigo as founder stages boardroom coup (The Times, Ben Martin) is a story that’s doing the rounds in many of this morning’s broadsheets. It highlights the return of the founder of Amigo, Britain’s #1 guarantor lender, after he ousted its chairman and chief exec, with the chair of the board’s remuneration committee also heading for the exit “at the first suitable opportunity”. The business that James Benamor founded gives out unsecured personal loans of up to £10,000 with interest rates of 49.9% to people with poor credit ratings who have a friend of family member acting as guarantor. * SO WHAT? * Benamor owns almost 61% of Amigo via his Richmond Group investment vehicle and he is clearly not happy with the share price as it has fallen to just 66.75p versus the £2.75 it traded at in June last year. After suffering from rising bad debts, slower loan growth and a crackdown by the Financial Conduct Authority on the guarantor industry as a whole it’s not surprising that he wanted to step in. The share price actually rose yesterday on speculation that Benamor would take the company private given how cheap it has become.
And finally, in other news…
Given all the stuff that’s going on at the moment, I thought I’d leave you with New cat hotel in Japan lets you watch kitties right outside your window for entire stay (SoraNews24, Casey Baseel https://tinyurl.com/ulrdqlc) and the decidedly feel-good Sunday Morning Fever? California toddlers hit the dance floor at Baby Rave (Reuters, Jane Ross https://tinyurl.com/tfuj3ac). Superb!
Some of today’s market, commodity & currency moves (as at 0837hrs green is up, red is down). THIS IS INTENDED AS A ROUGH GUIDE ONLY!
|FTSE 100 *
|Dow Jones *
|S&P 500 *
|Oil (WTI) p/b
|Oil (Brent) p/b
|Gold Per t/oz
(markets with an * are at yesterday’s close, ** are at today’s close)

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New research suggests that consuming processed foods for fueling can lead to dehydration.
Sure, they taste yummy. But processed foods can have adverse affects when consumed while training and lead to dehydration. “Researchers found that the more people ate these ultra-processed foods, the less water they drank—particularly if sugar-sweetened drinks were in the mix. But even more concerning: ultra-processed foods tend to have very low water content, meaning it’s even more essential to hydrate when eating them—but people tend to do the opposite.” – Elizabeth Millard, Bicycling Magazine
Taking in more water and electrolytes (such as Osmo Active Hydration) than usual will help prevent dehydration, but choosing whole-foods products over ultra-processed food is the way to go.


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Bilateral trade in the first five months of this year has been growing steadily, with an increase of 20 percent year on year, the fastest among all China’s major trade partners, according to Sergey Tsyplakov, trade representative of the Russian Federation in China.
“I think the goals of reaching 100 billion U.S. dollars in bilateral trade volume by 2015 and 200 billion U.S. dollars by 2020 are completely within reach,” Tsyplakov said during the opening ceremony of the Russia Business Day in Harbin, capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang province.
“We are happy to see that border trade and the cooperation between local governments are more vibrant than before and have become an important part of bilateral trade,” agreed Zhong Shan, China’s vice minister of commerce, at the event.
Zhong also said that “holding this Business Day is an important platform for bilateral trade, and I have full confidence that the trade targets will be realized.”
In 2011, bilateral trade reached 80 billion U.S. dollars, a record high showing a 42.7-percent year-on-year rise.
The Russia Business Day is a major part of the ongoing 23rd China Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair. Official records show that 17.82 billion U.S. dollars’ worth of overseas-related contracts were signed at the 2011 fair.
Putin paid a state visit to China in early June and attended the 12th meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, held in Beijing from June 6 to June 7


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While the concept of a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world arose in the late eighties, it has never been more relevant than it is today, as Mark Dickinson, founder of DONE! Hospitality Training Solutions, points out.
Dream Hotels guests will be the first to experience the KARL LAGERFELD Argumes et Vetiver line of amenities.
When completed, the 350-key Downtown Dubai Pullman Hotel will be the first business hotel in the city to embrace the Memphis-style concept.
Marina Resort Port Ghalib, a member of Radisson Individuals, is set along the Red Seas’s coastline, next to Port Ghalib’s promenade.
Timur Sentuerk has been appointed CEO for EMEA at Kempinski Hotels, and has been named a member of the management board.
Ali Manzoor has joined CBRE as head of hotels and tourism – Middle East and Ben Parkins as associate director.
Years of experience in building high-performing teams has led Haitham Mattar to his current position of managing director for India, Middle East and Africa at IHG, as well as his role on the Development Tourism Board of the UAE. We spoke to the transformational hospitality, travel and tourism leader to learn more about his management style and his future plans for the brand.


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Although Nintendo released the OLED model of Switch on October 8 in most countries, such as Spain, the chinese market I had not yet received this version of the successful hybrid console. It is common for the hardware video game will be released later in China due to the restrictions of its trading system, in fact the original Nintendo Switch itself did not go on sale there until 2019, two years after its international launch.
However it seems that now things are changing; China is gradually opening up to video games – although that entails little understandable measures related to restrictions on use and censorship of a certain type of character – and the last proof is that the Nintendo Switch OLED will arrive in China on January 11, just three months after its international launch, with the distribution of Tencent.
Has been the well-known analyst Daniel Ahmad | who has shared the information on the arrival of the latest version of Nintendo’s hybrid console to the Chinese market. The analyst himself points out that the little time difference between the launch of the OLED Switch in China and in the rest of the world is an important change in the sale of hardware of videogames in the country. When it reaches the stores it will do so at a price of 2,599 yuan (around 360 euros) and have your own blocked eShop, exclusively for Chinese citizens.
We gave our clients a heads up last month that the launch was incoming soon given various approvals and registrations that were granted for the device.
What’s interesting is the Switch Lite has yet to receive an official release in China, just the main hybrid models.— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) January 4, 2022
The Nintendo Switch OLED price is 500 yuan more expensive than the standard model, but it is still cheaper than PS4 (2899 yuan) and Xbox One (3699 yuan). Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Switch is the fastest selling console in China, according to Ahmad, and is set to be the most successful in the country throughout 2022, the year in which it is expected to oust PS4. Yes, the modelo Lite It is still not reaching the Chinese market despite the fact that it was launched internationally more than two years ago.


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Where industrial biotech fundraising is still seeing success
From our previous blog post, we highlighted the evolution of smart grid venturing – how smart gird innovation today is all about the internet-of-things (IoT). In this blog post, we will highlight how venture investments in industrial biotech have shifted over the past 10 years.
Venture capital investment in industrial biotech, especially to many in Silicon Valley, is considered a thing of the past. Companies such as KiOR, Cobalt Technologies, and Range Fuels have all but failed to disrupt the oil & gas industry and produce biofuels at industrial scale. What caused these companies to “throw in the towel?” After all, many of these high-profile companies are led by seasoned executives and backed by world-class investors. Ultimately, we can arguably say that the traditional venture capital model is simply not the right type of financing mechanism for the biofuels subsector, as it is extremely capital intensive and payback period could span up to 20 years, far longer than what traditional venture capital funds are accustomed to.
Despite several high-profile failures, many companies have since pivoted their businesses, and shifted from a biofuel-centric strategy to other higher-margin markets, such as agricultural, chemicals, and food & nutrition. In addition, we also see companies moving away from a build-own-operate model to becoming platform technology providers, which completely change their business and revenue models.
Taking a look at several recent sizable deals in industrial biotech, we can clearly see a few specific niche areas where the sector is still attracting financing.
Zymergen, a California-based developer of microbial strain optimization technology, has just raised a whopping $130 million Series B round. By combining data science, automation, and biology, the company can develop new microbial strains at a much higher speed and scale for their customers across multiple industries.
Ginkgo Bioworks, a Massachusetts-based engineer of biological organisms for applications in the energy, medicine, and food sectors, has raised a $100 million growth equity round in June 2016. Similar to Zymergen, Ginkgo Bioworks’ platform technology is aiming to use biology to unlock new applications in a number of industrial markets.
Sapphire Energy, a California-based developer of algae-based crude oil, has raised a $92 million growth equity round at the end of 2015. Despite the company’s legacy name referencing “Energy,” the company has completely shifted to the agricultural market, and is now positioning itself as a cultivation platform for algae biomass and targeting the animal feed market.
How will the pivot play out for the industrial biotech sector over the upcoming years? Stay tuned and subscribe to our data platform, i3, for the latest updates on the sector, companies, and deals.


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CCL Logistics & Technology, the Scotland-headquartered logistics specialist, grew revenue by 23 per cent to £29.5 million in the year to 31st December 2021 [2020: £24m], while growing headcount to 110.
CCL’s core technology platform myCCL enables customers to seamlessly deal with multiple UK and international carriers, improves workflow and reduces operating costs. Founded in Troon by CEO Callum Bastock in 1999, CCL has an Innovation Centre at Strathclyde Business Park in Bellshill, and further offices in Derby and Aylesbury.
With a target market that ranges from SMEs to publicly listed companies, CCL operates a fully outsourced model, choosing to invest in people and technology rather than vehicles or warehouses.
Callum Bastock said: “We work closely with around 500 suppliers every month, which means our own customers have access to a world of logistics choice through one logistics provider, helping them to save time, reduce costs and improve efficiencies. This overall approach has underpinned our financial performance to date and remains at the core of our investment in myCCL, our technology platform which gives customers complete supply chain visibility.”
Callum Bastock added: “We are also looking at acquisitions to support our growth ambitions over the next five years. To date, our run rate has seen us double in size every three years, and we’d like to see our growth continue at similar levels.”
Commenting on the industry, Bastock said he would spotlight three key areas, namely capacity, sea freight rates, and digitalisation: “Capacity is starting to ease as demand drops due to overstocking, inflation and general economic uncertainty.”
CEO Bastock continued: “Sea freight rates hit the dizzy heights of over $20,000 for a 40 foot container in 2021, affecting all imports from China, however they are now dropping and even the most enlightened are unsure where they will end up. Another key area is the digitalisation of the supply chain and logistics sector, as carriers and customers look to automate workflow and logistics processes, through the networking of devices, systems and companies with one another. Big data is increasingly seen as the way to identify areas for cost reduction and efficiencies.”
To date CCL has invested over £10m in its technology offering and now has over 40 people working in its Innovation Centre in Bellshill, with headcount numbers expected to grow over the next few years, supported by a £3 million R&D grant secured from Scottish Enterprise in 2019.
The company plans to continue developing existing and new products to help customers, including sea freight tracking, warehouse productivity, customer delivery experience, and a supply chain Co2 emission calculator.
Commenting on CCL’s annual results and plans for further strategic growth, CCL’s Chair, Alison Loudon, said: “The business has a great team of passionate people and has built on its historic success with another strong year of growth. Callum and the team are not ones to rest on their laurels, and it is exciting to help guide the company through its next phase of growth.”


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“El Revoltillo” (“The Scramble”), a groundbreaking new program on Radio Martí, brings online classifieds to the airways, bridging the information gap in Cuba. This daily interactive broadcast connects buyers and sellers looking to make an exchange via cash, goods or services, a free market practice that is often curtailed by the Cuban government.
“El Revoltillo marks another way that Radio and TV Martí provide access to information otherwise unavailable to the Cuban people,” said Carlos García-Perez, director of Radio and TV Martí. “We heard from our research focus groups with recent Cuban immigrants about the increasing popularity of a Craigslist-like Cuban website and responded by creating this on air barter program.”
Given that access to the Internet in Cuba is highly restricted, show co-hosts Karen Caballero and Alfredo Jacomino read online classifieds and audience e-mails, and open the phone lines to Cuban listeners who have something to buy, sell, rent or trade. “El Revoltillo” provides Radio Martí’s audience with a unique opportunity to connect to a growing network of small businesses and entrepreneurs.
“El Revoltillo” airs daily from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. on Radio Martí’s AM and shortwave frequencies, and is available online at www.Martinoticias.com.


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Haydale, (AIM: HAYD), the global advanced materials group, is pleased to announce that, following its announcement of positive prototype testing on 3rd March 2020, its range of advanced wearable technology – integrated into garments for elite athletes – was used in Tokyo by British athletes, including top medal winning athletes.
The challenges created by the uncertainty in the leadup to the delayed games further enhanced the relationship between the parties working alongside each other with the English Institute for Sport (EIS), Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating (WCPC) and Newbury Electronics, forming part of a dedicated supply chain team with Haydale and others to ensure the new technology was ready in time.
As mentioned previously, the garments generate heat using Haydale’s printed functionalised graphene ink and incorporate electronic circuitry to produce temperature regulated panels. The plan is to use them at future international competitions, and subsequently to make them available commercially to other professional sports.
Dr Matt Parker, Director of Performance Innovation for EIS, states; “It is great to see the dedication and hard work of the whole team bring to reality garments that have been used by British athletes. This is something we will look to build on for future events.”
Keith Broadbent, CEO at Haydale, commented; “I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to the EIS team, the WCPC team and the rest of the supply chain for their efforts in making this happen. I look forward to being able to provide a more comprehensive update on the performance of the garments that were used and developing the commercial potential that such an innovative garment technology may well realise.”


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|New petrol and diesel cars won’t be sold in the UK from 2030. |
The ban, originally set for 2040, was brought forward to 2035 earlier this year. Now it’s been brought forward another 5 years. If you're concerned about how the ban could affect you, read our guide.
The government is allocating £4 billion to fund the ban, using £1.3 billion of this to create more charging points for electric vehicles (EV).
What does this mean for buying petrol or diesel cars?
From 2030, you won't be able to buy a new petrol or diesel car. You'll still be able to buy them second-hand, and you won't have to scrap your existing car.
New hybrid cars may still be available until 2035.
To help drivers make the switch to EV, £582 million in grants is being made available to make them cheaper to buy.
The announcement is part of a wider scheme of measures that aim to tackle climate change. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called this the “green industrial revolution”. He believes this will create jobs in alternative energy industries and help cut the UK’s carbon emissions.
|Why has the ban been brought forward?|
It’s no secret that we’re living through a climate emergency, and the UK government has an ambitious target to hit zero carbon emissions by 2050. Transport accounts for about a third of the UK’s emissions, so the earlier these are cut the quicker we can reach that target.
Does this mean my next car has to be electric?
Not at all. You’ll still be able to get petrol and diesel cars second-hand after 2030. But as the UK shifts closer to a green transport network, there could be an impact on your car’s running costs.
For more information on how the 2030 petrol and diesel ban could affect you read our guide.


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A collection of news and information related to Target Brands, Inc. published by this site and its partners.
Displaying items 1-12 of 805 » View aberdeennews.com items only1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11-68 Next >
NEW YORK - The nation's shoppers on Thursday put down the turkey to take advantage of Thanksgiving deals. Stores typically open in the wee hours of the morning on the day after Thanksgiving that's named Black Friday because that's when stores...
The Aberdeen City Council will meet in regular session at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the courtroom on the third floor of the Municipal Building, 123 S. Lincoln St. In addition, the council has scheduled work sessions for 4 p.m. July 9 and 4 p.m. July 16 for...
Columbia: The funeral service for Allen “Lefty” Karlen, 66, of Columbia will be 2 p.m. Friday, March 23, 2012, at Carlsen Funeral Home and Crematory, 1708 Eighth Ave. N.E. The Rev. Tom Haggar will officiate. Burial will be in Sunset Memorial Gardens...
Opening day: Aug. 23 The official opening of the Aberdeen public schools will be Tuesday. This will be a half-day of school. Breakfast and lunch will not be served (see information for CHS freshman below). Students will report to their respective...
A total of 13 bands are scheduled to march in Saturday's Gypsy Day Parade. Marching will be the Northern State University Marching Wolves and 12 high school units. The parade begins at 9 a.m. Unlike last year, when a detour was required, the entries...
It looks like Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, and Kraft says it tastes just like the original. But a new ingredient is lurking inside this version of the American family dinner staple - cauliflower. Don't tell the kids! Kraft Foods Inc. is the latest large...
email@example.comAberdonians who tell North Dakota jokes might want to rethink their attitudes. According to a state Department of Transportation study, the biggest share of people who visit Aberdeen come from the north. The study counted an average of 9,580 vehicles...
825 12th Ave. S.E., 605-225-2185 Today: Worship, 11 a.m. Sabbath school, 10 a.m. A potluck meal will follow the worship service. Women's Bible study, 1:30. Wednesday: Prayer meeting, 7 p.m. Aberdeen Alliance Church 1106 S. Roosevelt St., 605-225-...
Walmart in Aberdeen has removed 16-ounce jars of Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter Chunky because of possible salmonella contamination. South Dakota and North Dakota are two of a couple of dozen states where a recall of the product is in effect. "Customers...
SIOUX FALLS - Black Friday got an earlier start this year. Several companies with store locations in South Dakota were scheduled to open at midnight Friday, including Target Corp., Best Buy Co., Kohl's Corp. and Bon-Ton Stores Inc. And for the first...
In nearly every supermarket aisle, food prices are starting to rise. General Mills just announced higher prices for breakfast cereals, Yoplait yogurt and Nature Valley granola bars. Last month, it raised prices on flour, pizza rolls and Green Giant...
Call us "extreme couponers" or "crazy coupon ladies." Just don't call us late for dinner, because we'll be the ones bringing extras of everything, which we bought for pennies on the dollar. After the recent TLC special "Extreme Couponing" portrayed four...
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Jan 28, 2011 |Story| Chicago Tribune
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If it's Kohls vs. T.J. Maxx, Danielle Bauter said she prefers Kohl's with its more efficiently placed products and its exceptional rewards program.
Prince Harry says he loves shopping at TK Maxx. We visited the UK store and its US sibling, T.J. Maxx, to see how they compare and found striking similarities.
Both brands are owned by TJX Companies, a discount department store company which has more than 4,700 locations around the world.
Yes, there are some products you really should skip at TJ Maxx - but here's a few more you should definitely buy
We consulted a shopping expert and several blogs and online reviews to find the best and worst products at TJ Maxx.
Stores including Urban Outfitters, TJ Maxx, Kohl's, Levi's, American Eagle, and Anthropologie charge for some mail returns.
I went holiday shopping at both Kohl's and T.J. Maxx. Despite its higher prices, one department store is a very clear winner.
When it comes to Christmas shopping, stores place huge emphasis on their deals and low prices. But the shopper's experience in the store matters, too.
Nordstrom Rack was once Nordstrom's greatest asset, now analysts say it's dragging the brand down. We visited three Rack stores to find out more.
Nordstrom Rack has become a drag on Nordstrom's earnings, reporting an 8.1% drop in sales over 2019 in the most recent quarter.
Discount and specialty retailers like TJ Maxx and Sephora won Black Friday, leaving big box chains in the shade
According to data from Placer.ai, store visits to most retailers were up from 2020 levels but only a limited few saw an uptick from 2019.
Supply chain issues mean some products won't arrive in time for the holidays, creating chances for TJ Maxx to buy excess stock from other retailers.
The company said it is in prime position to benefit from today's inflationary environment as customers look to stretch their dollars further.
Biden's child tax credit checks will boost spending by as much as $200 billion, analysts say, with Amazon, Walmart, and Papa Johns set for big wins
Around 39 million households will receive up to $300 monthly checks as part of Biden's child allowance scheme, giving them more disposable income.
The agency has created broadcast campaigns for the discount retailer since 2009.
Discount retailers like TJ Maxx and dollar stores are opening new locations in 2021, bucking the retail apocalypse trend
Discount stores are defying a larger trend of closing retail stores in favor of e-commerce, including at giant's like Disney and Macy's.
Off-price retailers like TJ Maxx are adding more niche brands to their vendor portfolio, but experts fear relying too much on lesser-known brands could lead to trouble growing sales
TJX, parent of TJ Maxx and Marshalls, recently said it's started to bring smaller, lesser-known brands into its stores.
As a third coronavirus wave pummels the nation, here's how major retailers are implementing safety measures in their stores ahead of the holiday shopping season
Retailers are implementing new safety measures like hubs near store entrances and "social distancing ambassadors" to limit store capacity.
Some brands don't want it to be obvious that their goods are being sold at a steep discount online at TJ Maxx and Marshalls.
Deep discount chains like TJ Maxx and Marshalls are reaping the benefits of the shrinking middle class. For department stores, it's a different story
Department stores like Macy's and JCPenney are in trouble, as the middle class shrinks and people limit spending on non-essential items.
TJ Maxx, Walmart, Target, and other big-box and deep-discount retailers will likely boom, experts say, thanks to a focus on value, safety, and efficiency
As shoppers seek efficiency, chains that offer diverse merchandise across multiple categories like Walmart, Target, and Ross stand to benefit.
"As a company, we're aggressive at clearing goods," said Ernie Herrman, the president and CEO of TJ Maxx's parent company.
"Treasure-hunt shopping experience" and "pent-up demand" drove shoppers, said CEO Ernie Herrman
Retailers with limited or no online offering such as TJ Maxx, Ross, and Dollar General are at risk of becoming 'irrelevant' in a post-pandemic world, analysts say
Analysts say that the pandemic could lead to a permanent shift in customers' shopping habits, putting any retailer with a weak or nonexistent online offering at risk.


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The bundle includes Samsung gadgets and a year’s worth of free cinema tickets
O2 is giving students across the UK a chance to win a technology bundle worth more than £900.
Entries are open to all students, regardless of whether they are an O2 customer or not. Prizes in the competition include a Samsung Galaxy Tab A, a Samsung Gear S2 Smartwatch, UE Boom Bluetooth speaker, Skullcandy Uprock headphones and an unlimited cinema pass from Cineworld. The pass allows users to watch unlimited movies at any Cineworld venue anytime within a year of activation.
Entrants must simply tag a friend in one of O2’s student Twitter or Facebook posts with #o2studentdeal. Winners will be notified by email, post or telephone. Entries for the competition close at 7pm tonight (July 8).
The operator currently offers various student deals, including a free 16 – 25 Railcard and 20 per cent off O2 Refresh Airtime plans.


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Sep 2, 2015
According to a recent article in Bloomberg, New York’s first real estate project financed significantly though crowdfunding is set to open. The AKA United Nations is an extended-stay hotel-condominium on Est 46th Street will start taking guests on Sept 10th. The crowdfunding campaign drew 116 backers, pledging at least $20,000 each. They can expect a return on their investment of 19 percent to 23 percent, mostly from sales of the units and some from hotel fees, according to the mangers. Another interesting aspect is that 90 percent of the crowdsourced money came from outside the U.S. According to experts, amassing small contributions for real estate is still a very small part of the real estate finance industry, but it has huge growth potential. Joining the broadcast to discuss real estate crowd funding is AdaPia d’Errico, Chief Marketing Officer at Patch of Land. Patch of Land (POL) is a leading alternative solution for real estate financing that brings borrowers and lenders together through a simple online interface. As Chief Marketing Officer at Patch of Land and the company's earliest employee, AdaPia drives brand, messaging and positioning, as well as marketing strategy and initiatives. Having joined in the first three months of the company's product launch, she is responsible for public facing initiatives, and leading strategic partnerships and business development. She's been an integral part of the company's stellar growth, from bootstrapped start-up to venture-funded leader in its category.


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Italian coffee maker Lavazza said on Wednesday it had bought 80 percent of Kicking Horse Coffee in a deal valuing the Canadian company at C$215 million ($160 million).
Family-owned Lavazza is looking round for acquisitions to help boost its turnover to 2.2 billion euros ($2.46 billion) in the next four years.
In a statement Lavazza said the deal was an important step in its strategy to grow in North America, seen as a key market for the group.
Under the deal Elana Rosenfeld, who founded the Canadian organic coffee brand in 1996, will own the remaining 20 percent and will continue to run the company as chief executive.
Lavazza sales rose 29 percent to 1.9 billion euros last year thanks to the acquisition of French coffee brand Carte Noire and Denmark’s Merrild.
Lavazza was advised by JPMorgan, law firm Blake Cassels & Graydon, Boston Consulting Group and PWC.


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Everyone makes mistakes -- even some of the biggest companies in the country. While CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) did plenty of things right in 2016, the giant pharmacy services company also made a few blunders. Here's CVS Health's biggest mistake of all this year.
Out-hustled by a big rival
CVS Health's stock is down nearly 20% in 2016. Most of that drop came in the last four months of the year. It's no coincidence that the company's major rival, Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA), made a couple of significant deals during that period at CVS Health's expense.
First, Walgreens announced in late August that it had formed a strategic alliance with Prime Therapeutics, the fourth-largest pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) in the U.S. Prime is owned by 14 Blue Cross and Blue Shield health plans. Under this agreement, Prime's 22 million members will be steered toward Walgreens' pharmacies.
Next, Tricare announced in September that CVS Health was being booted from its network and being replaced by Walgreens. Tricare serves 9.4 million members of active-duty and retired military personnel and their families.
Another rival to CVS Health was involved in the Tricare loss. Express Scripts (NASDAQ:ESRX) operates Tricare's pharmacy network and competes with CVS Health's PBM business segment. Walgreens and Express Scripts had a major dispute several years ago, resulting in Walgreens' departure from the Tricare network.
I would combine both of these losses into one major mistake for CVS Health: being out-hustled by the competition. Walgreens obviously wanted these contracts more than CVS Health did. The really troubling thing is that CVS Health appeared to be blindsided by both developments. The company lowered its full-year 2016 guidance as well as its 2017 outlook in response to Walgreens' wins.
Overshadowing good moves in 2015
CVS Health had made a couple of smart decisions in the previous year. The company completed an acquisition of Omnicare in August 2015. This deal gave CVS Health a significant presence in the pharmacy services market for long-term care organizations.
In December 2015, CVS Health finalized its acquisition of Target's pharmacy and clinics business. This transaction provided CVS with the national retailer's 1,672 pharmacies across 47 states plus 79 in-store clinics.
I expected these two acquisitions would help CVS Health achieve stronger growth. And they have. However, the company's failure to stay ahead of the competition overshadowed the positive results from the Omnicare and Target deals.
It's possible that these major acquisitions simply caused CVS Health to lose focus on the bigger picture. The company worked hard to assimilate the Omnicare and the Target businesses. In fact, CVS Health's management stated that the Target pharmacy integration was one of its "smoothest integrations ever." But while CVS successfully integrated the new business, it was losing existing business to its arch-rival Walgreens.
The best response after making a mistake is to learn from it and move on. That seems to be what CVS Health is doing.
CVS Health's Caremark PBM business ranks second in size only to Express Scripts and continues to show solid growth. David Denton, CVS Health's CFO, said in his third-quarter earnings call comments that the company had a successful selling season for 2017 with a retention rate around 97%.
The company's retail business is more challenging, however. On top of the losses to Walgreens, CVS Health isn't yet realizing all of the expected benefits from the Omnicare and Target transactions. The retail pharmacy segment also faces significant reimbursement pressure.
Despite these headwinds, CVS Health thinks it can deliver 10% average annual earnings growth with free cash flow between $7 billion and $8 billion on average. Further acquisitions could play a role in helping the company achieve this growth.
Wall Street seems to think that CVS Health can meet its earnings growth goal. I agree. Combined with the company's continued commitment to paying dividends, the pharmacy services giant should remain a decent pick for long-term investors despite its serious mistake this year.


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Cruise lines are apparently trying to improve their sustainability. However, not everything is as it seems, and data on the sustainability-oriented efforts of cruise companies is hard to dig up, leaving the situation up for speculation from the outsiders.
Many tourist resorts in Italy are forced to restrict the number of visitors because of their popularity this summer. While the tourism industry in some countries have suffered a setback in the recent times, Italy is being viewed as a safe destination by foreign travelers.
A recent study by Hotrec, the European association of hotels, restaurants and cafes, revealed the increasing dependence of the European hotel industry on the online travel agents (OTAs). Almost every fourth night in a hotel was booked via these sites in 2015. Three booking portals dominate the market and the strongest one is Booking.com with a share of 60 per cent of all OTA bookings.
After the recent massacre in French Nice and the attempted coup in Turkey, travelers seek new destinations for their summer holidays. Sicily and Spain benefit the most.
The percentage of foreigners travelling to Brazil because of the country’s natural attractions and adventure tourism activities increased from 12.8% in 2014 to 15.7% in 2015.
June was not a successful month of campsites in Europe. A monthly report by Ctoutvert, a provider of reservation systems for nearly 4,000 European camps, revealed a 4% drop in reservations and sales.
The Machu Picchu Citadel celebrates a 12% increase in the number of visitors in the first half of 2016 which translated into $27.5 million revenue.
Domestic tourism in Mexico grew 10 per cent in the first five months of this year, with 24.3 million visitors being recorded in just 70 leading destinations in the country, according to the head of the Ministry of Tourism, Enrique de la Madrid.
Central Park is high on must-see list of many tourists to New York, but many visitors often underestimate the scale of the place. The park covers 843 acres, which includes 250 acres of lawn and a host of interesting area, buildings, landmarks. This is one of the largest city parks in the world and it is not a place that you can simply stroll through in an afternoon.
Spain’s strategies to attract visitors and increase the number of tourists have caused the density per square meter in some areas of the country to exceed the limits of what is reasonable according to the critics.


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By Serge Lariviére
This is going to be one tough season, and if you have not yet started to complain about fur prices, do not worry, you will get lots of opportunities. We are simply in one of the worst slumps in the market that this industry has ever seen. Two international auctions sales were just completed, Fur Harvesters and NAFA’s, and none were good. Yes, you can say that auctions are not the only place to sell fur but what happens at auctions set the trends for fur sales elsewhere. A lot of local buyers watch international auctions to set their own prices and even the largest country buyers many times have the same network of clients, at least in part, as those that attend auction sales. There is no hidden secret in this trade—the big buyers are well known by everyone. And big buyers usually attend all sales, in addition to doing some business with some of the largest private buyers. So there is no magic bullet, no special fur clientele that is known only to this or that buyer: everyone in this trade knows everyone that is active. And if something sells well, everyone is aware and all try to get involve for their fair share. But when the market hits a low spot, trappers have limited options.
First, there were no surprises. We know the Russians are out right now because their money, the Russian ruble, has lost strength because of the drop in oil prices and the economic sanctions. Then, most parts of the world were hit with warmer than average fall temperatures (El Nino effect) and this is certainly a factor we have seen in North America, but warm temperature in core markets always hurt retail sales, which in turn reduces the cash available for the manufacturers to buy new raw skins for next year. Except for the warm weather, we knew it was going to be tough before we even started.
noted from NAFA:
In a press release from February this year, NAFA communicated the following, which summarizes well what happened at their first sale:
“As we had previously indicated, we were faced with exceptionally difficult challenges going into our first auction, including:
– The sudden, dramatic fall in prices in September, which created huge capital losses across the industry.
– Unseasonably warm weather in December in many of the important markets across the globe.
– Political unrest in Russia, and the Ruble suffering to less than half of its value from early last year, effectively flattening the consumer market in that country.
– The instability in the global stock markets, including in China, and the financial unease that continues to follow.”
Ranch Mink has Peaked?
Many auctioneers now think that the world production of ranch mink may now have reached what the world can consume annually. As you know, China still buys a tremendous amount of fur, but mainly ranch fur.
The negative impact of ranch mink on wild fur prices occurs mainly when ranch mink prices slump. Ranch mink being easier and cheaper to tan, when buyers have the choice for the same price of getting ranch mink instead of raccoon, they buy cheap mink. And prestige is still there: cheap mink still is mink, and a mink coat is much more prestigious than a raccoon coat. In parts of China right now, some mink coats sell for $450-600 apiece because of the low mink prices, inventory overload, and cash flow issues. Such prices make it impossible for wild fur to compete, especially for raccoons, where the dressing itself cost more than what the fur is worth.
The Top 3 Furs
Where is the hope now? I would say three fur species remain decent on today’s market: western coyotes, female fisher, and marten. Globally, fur marketers worldwide still work hard to help European manufacturers launch new lines of wild fur garments that will set the fashion trends. This is another complexity of this market: Europe and North America are not a big user of wild fur, but the fashion designers of major cities both overseas and here set the trends, and once a trend is established and something starts to sell well, China comes in and copies it. When 80 percent of the world fur is purchased in China, we have to do whatever it takes to get our fur in the Chinese stores. South Korea is increasing its participation in the fur industry also, and Koreans like quality so maybe this will help us trappers in the future.
The international sales that just occurred are the first of the year, and granted, not all species of wild fur were offered, and a lot of the offering were skins unsold from last year. The biggest wild fur sales of 2016 will occur in mid-March for Fur Harvesters Auctions, and early April for North American Fur Auctions. That is really when we will have the final and definite pulse of the industry for this year. But you need not worry: if you have not yet had a chance to complain about fur prices, we may not have seen the worst of it yet.
This is the Fur Market Report from the March 2016 issue of Trapper & Predator Caller magazine.
You can pick up a copy of the digital issue on www.ShopDeerHunting.com.
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Latin America: Before and After Pandemic
The digital consumption changes across the main Latin American markets. Home to more than 600 million people, Latin America must be read through a particular lens from now on: before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Latin Americans needed to adapt and reinvent themselves during the last year, the increasing e-commerce penetration among consumers, sustained by the access to smartphones and the internet, as well as the undergoing fintech revolution in the region have definitely brought some changes regarding consumption behavior.
EBANX, fintech unicorn company: beyond borders 2020/2021 study
Latin America: Internet users
As of January 2021, Brazil had approximately 160 million internet users in a total population is 210 million. That is more than Mexico and Argentina combined, the two ranking second and third respectively. Meanwhile, in the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic featured the largest number of internet users.
On February 10, 2021 Bloomberg cited that Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp. aims to invest about $1 billion from its Latin American private equity fund this year, as the Covid-19 pandemic helps to speed up growth from technology companies in the region. “We are looking at many opportunities right now, including agricultural tech firms,” the fund’s manager Paulo Passoni said.
SoftBank in Latin America has also joined the blank-check company frenzy, with plans for a $250 million U.S. initial public offering of a special purpose acquisition company for the region. Passoni declined to comment on that transaction.
SoftBank Hungry to Invest in Latin America
As part of its $5 billion Latin America Fund launched in the first quarter of 2019, the Japanese giant doled out $1 billion in 2020, adding to $1.6 billion in 2019. It’s poured $100 million to $150 million into each of 17 companies and two venture capital firms so far, though the playing field is bigger: SoftBank has its sights on roughly 650 firms in the Latin America.
Next round will focus on artificial-intelligence projects as SoftBank Group Corp. will continue to invest in Latin America this year, focusing on industries including e-commerce, health care and fintech.
Most of Latin America’s Population Urbanized
With 80% of its population living in cities or towns Latin America is one of the world’s most urbanized regions. This is supported by excellent demographics. There are 163 million aged between 15 and 29, according to the OECD, making up a quarter of the Latin American population. There are 415 million mobile phone users, with 63% of Latin Americans having mobile internet access in 2020. And Latin Americans are addicted to social media – Brazil and Mexico have the 3rd and 5th most Facebook users in the world.
Source: LatAm Investor
Latin America speeds towards Tech Friendly environment
The Internet roared to the scene in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and it is transforming the way Latin Americans interact, shop, bank, and spend their time. Disruptive digital technologies riding on the web — cloud-based services, e-commerce, 3D printing, Internet of Things, and so on — are empowering regional companies of all sizes to cut costs, improve customer service, and create brand new products and services.
With a total GDP of $36 billion as of 2019, Nicaragua has some of the lowest salaries in the region. You can find entry level tech support roles earning $10,500 a year. Of course, this presents other challenges like security; the availability of English and some others, and it will vary depending on seniority and on how specialized the role you are looking for is.
Costa Rica has a bigger economy (GDP $60 billion as of 2019) and is commonly recognized as a great destination for tech companies. That dates back to the decision Intel made in 1996 to open a manufacturing plant there. It is likely that entry level tech support roles can be found at a wage of $13,500 a year, when according to Glassdoor the average salary in the United States is $32,500 – representing a huge savings on expenses.
The top universities to study computer science as an undergraduate in Latin America are located in Mexico. So, some names you should be looking at when reading resumes are: University of Guadalajara, Tec Milenio, Autonomous University of Sinaloa and the Technology Institute of Sonora.
That evolution is showing no signs of slowing thanks to an ever-expanding startup scene. Entrepreneurship has grown to become an important part of business not only in the city’s region of Antioquia, but nationally in Colombia.
Source: QS Global ranking
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text: AP Photo/Audrey McAvoyHawaii Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz speaks the state Capitol in Honolulu on Wednesday, Dec. 26. 2012 after Gov. Neil Abercrombie, right, announced he was appointing Schatz exam help fill the seat vacated by the late U. It may be exam help setback but we have economic reserves available,” said Schnitkey, who said farmers will look for exam help return examination help more average weather in 2013. “It may be exam help blip out there, hopefully. “In contemporary years, on-line retailers were grabbing exam help large percentage of the business from offline stores. Instead of chucking up the sponge, many businesses are remodeling their actual stores into expansions of their online counterparts by including return facilities, in store pick up, amongst other additions. For instance, Walmart has seen a rise in sales by providing price of cash in retail outlets for online orders. Macy?s quiz help Nordstrom have built-in their on-line quiz help offline inventories exam help get customers the items they wish quiz help avoid birth fees.


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[D2C Market In India] Why Is India A Booming Market For Direct-To-Consumer Brands
Increased internet penetration and changing consumer behaviour have led to tremendous disruption in the Direct-To-Consumer (D2C) market.
Fuelled by over 700 million internet users, online shopping in India is at an all-time high, showing a 24% y-o-y growth. Ecommerce platforms, combined with better logistics operations and increased internet users, are enabling Indian companies to reach out to their consumers easily.
The direct-to-consumer (D2C) approach enables brands to reach their target customers directly, removing the innate part of the traditional business model, i.e. the middlemen and retail stores.
Brands are now taking full advantage of the situation and are using the direct-to-consumer (D2C) way of doing business. Being able to sell products directly to the consumer, brands now save a lot on the cost of the product. It also enables them to understand their customers’ demands better.
According to a new study by Shiprocket, in collaboration with Praxis Global Alliance and the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands are estimated to become a $60 billion industry by FY27. The D2C segment presently is a $12 billion market.
Rise Of The D2C Market In India
There are around 600 D2C brands in India. The number is expected to grow significantly in the next five years. More than 16 D2C brands in India have an annual turnover of more than $60 million.
Factors such as rising income, an increase in first-time internet users, and changing buyer persona have also changed the game in favour of new-age digital-first brands.
Though the pandemic harmed the overall sector in terms of investments in 2020, where investments declined by 69% till Q3, the D2C market welcomed 2021 with great hopes. In Jan 2021, D2C consumer electronics brand boAT secured $100 million in PE funding from Warburg Pincus.
The year 2021 went well for the D2C space, and as per Google’s Year in Search Report 2021, search interest in direct-to-consumer, or D2C, brands rose by 533%. And as investors are bullish about the sector, backed by eCommerce growth and new Indian consumer behaviour, the future of the D2C market looks bright.
Pandemic And The D2C Market Growth
COVID-19 pandemic has changed the lifestyle of consumers in terms of work, needs and behaviours. The pandemic induced sudden lockdown, and social distancing measures forced people to stay at home and buy online.
This change in consumer behaviour led to a sudden growth in the D2C sector. Majorly dominated by fashion brands, the D2C space in 2020 also saw the rise of niche brands across categories, including furniture, cosmetics, home decor and the furnishing sector.
Skincare brand Super Smelly witnessed growth in revenue by nearly 1500% from April 2020 to October 2020. The company referred to this growth period as “a once-in-a-generation kind of milestone.”
Upakarma Ayurveda, a SamAyurveda brand, which clocked a 100% Y-O-Y rise in turnover for the past three years, is now witnessing a 60 per cent growth every month post the COVID-19 induced restrictions.
These are just a few examples. Almost the majority of the digital-first, consumer-focussed brands following the direct-to-consumer (D2C) approach witnessed a huge spike in their revenue and sales in 2020.
Witnessing their growth, traditional brands like LG, Piaggio, and Havells, among others also shifted their focus towards the D2C way of business. Tech giant Apple also launched its native online store in India during the pandemic.
Now, when social distancing is a new norm, consumers have switched from ‘go out and buy’ shopping to shopping online. For the purchase of products, ranging from basic commodities to branded goods, consumers now prefer online shopping.
With increasing customer inclination toward brands and online shopping experience, brands are now committed to going D2C and offering great deals to attract more consumers.
Some D2C Brands And Their Growth
1. WOW Skin Science
Started by Arvind Sokke, Ashwin Sokke, Manish Chowdhary, and Karan Chowdhary, WOW Skin Science, a brand of Fit and Glow, is a nature-inspired beauty brand that has been committed to curating safe skin and hair care products for everyone to use.
WOW Skin Science offers a complete range of skincare, haircare, and bath & body products. The products offered by the company are free from sulphates, silicones, mineral oils, parabens, and artificial colours.
Thanks to the D2C way of doing business, the beauty brand managed to grow the business solely through e-commerce, with a limited offline presence.
The founders started the company with a dream of making it big in the skincare and lifestyle industry. With hard work and dedication, the founders managed to build a business purely via eCommerce with a small offline presence.
WOW Skin Science also collaborated with two popular Bollywood actresses – Bhumi Pednekar and Disha Patani – to spread the brand message and ensure stronger brand recall.
2. Bombay Shaving Company
Backed by Colgate Palmolive, Fireside Ventures, Sixth Sense Venture Partners, and other prominent angel investors. Bombay Shaving Company is a homegrown grooming brand started by Shantanu Deshpande.
With changed consumer behaviour and rapid acceleration in the adoption of digital platforms by consumers during the pandemic for personal care product purchases, the company witnessed strong growth trends.
The startup closed FY20 with gross annualised revenues of ₹40 crores and expect to close FY21 with gross annualised revenues of ₹105 crores.
Gained success following the online-first approach, Bombay Shaving Company is now focusing on an omnichannel strategy. It is also planning to expand access to its products across physical stores.
Founded by Ankit Garg and Chaitanya Ramalingegowda, Wakefit is a Bengaluru-based D2C sleep and home solutions brand.
The company has grown from retailing mattresses online directly to customers to adding bed sheets, bed frames, neck pillows, pillows, back cushions, mattress protectors and comforters in its offerings.
As per Wakefit, it generated a revenue of INR 199 Cr in FY20 and is targeting Rs 450 Cr for FY21 and Rs 1000 Cr by FY23.
The startup claims to have served close to over 5 lakh customers across 19K+ pin codes across India. Also, the brand has set up factories in Pune, Jodhpur, Hyderabad, Delhi and Bengaluru.
Leveraging content and community for D2C Commerce, MyGlamm is one of India’s fastest growing direct-to-consumer beauty brands.
Founded by Darpan Sanghvi, the beauty brand leverages content to reach out to consumers. The brand engages with them through the community, enabling people to discover and purchase its beauty products.
Digital-first in its approach, MyGlamm also acquired lifestyle content platform POPxo last year to increase its digital reach.
The D2C brand has been witnessing tremendous revenue growth and generated Rs 200 Cr ARR in FY20.
MyGlamm has also accelerated its product portfolio diversification from makeup into personal care. The beauty brand has also created an offline branding touchpoint by launching a beauty store and beauty experience store.
Founded by Aman Gupta and Sameer Mehta in 2016, boAT is a digitally driven D2C lifestyle brand. The startup deals in fashionable consumer electronics, including an extensive catalogue of headphones, earphones, speakers, travel chargers & premium cables.
The lifestyle brand heavily focuses on digital mediums to engage with customers. And because of the brand awareness among people, boAT became the leading personal audio brand in India.
boAt crossed Rs 500 crore in revenues in FY 2020 and is expected to double the number in FY2021.
Takeaway | D2C Market India
With the increasing internet population in India, the eCommerce market in India is expected to grow to US$ 200 billion by 2026.
Investors are also inclined toward the D2C category because of the fragmented nature of the consumer base. The fragmented nature gives room for both small, niche, and large players to co-exist and grow. Also, India’s mature and growing eCommerce ecosystem makes it easier for vertical or niche eCommerce players to scale up.


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It’s the 23rd of March 2020. Coronavirus has rapidly been raging through countries and reached the borders of the United Kingdom. It’s found its host in our homes and we are bound to stay within our walls, indefinitely.
But as Boris Johnson enforced lockdown upon us, we’re informed that permission to leave our homes was restricted to essentials such as food and medicine – but does that necessity encapsulate illicit drugs?
The United Kingdom has previously been awarded titles such as “Europe’s second most lucrative drug market,” with Britons’ “excessive drug habits,” making the country the “drugs market of Europe.” These titles were not given but earned.
With an illicit drug market estimated to be worth £9.4 billion a year, this lucrative market has become an attractive business, aggregating nearly 5,000 gangs dealing with drugs in London, the notorious “cocaine capital.” Furthermore, this profitable market is encouraged and enjoyed by 3.2 million users, as recorded in 2018/19.
Consequently, “London has become the global capital of money-laundering and the beating heart of European organised crime.” The United Kingdom is now by reputation one of the most hospitable homes for drugs in the world.
On the 23rd of March, underground dealers and their clandestine consumers were told to stay indoors. While one would expect that such radical actions in the official economy would impact the unofficial market, the organised market for illicit drugs adapted and endured to its best abilities.
The supply chain felt the interception of COVID-19. In the United Kingdom, five popular substances prevail: Cannabis, cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and synthetic drugs.
The production of cocaine and heroin are confined to specific locations – Afghanistan, Mexico, Myanmar, Colombia, Bolivia and Peru. Heroin is seasonally produced as it depends on the ripeness of poppy flowers, which are ready to be harvested in Afghanistan from March to June – the time of lockdown. Contrarily, cocaine depends on the perennial plant, the coca bush, which allows production continuously throughout the year. But a shortage in the supply of petrol in Colombia impeded its production.
Their modus operandi depends on air and maritime transportation, and with the global lockdown, particularly the radical restrictions on aviation, a disruption in drug supply to the United Kingdom followed. This created a shortage of certain drugs on the streets as global trading declined, mobility restrictions were enforced internationally as well as locally, and the presence of law enforcement increased.
Synthetic drugs and cannabis can be grown nearly anywhere, as long as you have the necessary precursors and a conducive environment. But as global trading decreased, the availability of precursors became an impediment to production of these drugs.
Early on, supply shortages and the cease of dealing due to an increasing police presence in the United Kingdom incentivised an increase in retail cost – cocaine increased from £36,000 to £40,000 per kilo, while one cannabis dealer declared a rise in retail price from £160 to £240 per ounce.
With lockdown, the police became a dominant presence around the country, enforcing COVID-19 restrictions by implementing more frequent searches of people on the streets and roads, as everyone was meant to stay home. Consequently, the so-called county lines, the trafficking of drugs from its hub, London, to the countryside, and dealing on the streets, was under strict scrutiny.
But an illicit market, away from the eye of the government, allows its allies to adapt swiftly to interferences with business.
County lines and dealers endured by turning to social media, drive-by sales and letterbox drop offs. They even encouraged stockpiling for users as dealing would slowly cease with lockdown. To challenge increasing police presence, some would dress as joggers, key workers and even Deliveroo drivers to continue the distribution of drugs, as disclosed by the Guardian.
While suppliers navigated the challenges imposed by lockdown – restrictive mobility locally and internationally, supply shortages, increasing law enforcement – its consumers adapted their demands.
Confining individuals enduring numerous stressful environments to their homes, and forcing them to experience feelings of anxiety, and restlessness in complete global uncertainty alone provides an effective concoction for increased drug use.. As the professors, Ian Hamilton and Alex Stevens, explained: “anxiety, boredom, escapism and loneliness. All of these are candidates for self-medicating with more drugs.”
In an independent report by Dame Carol Black published February 2020, she revealed the nature of users residing in the United Kingdom. She conveyed that often they suffer deprivations such as mental health, unemployment, family estrangement, homelessness and offending histories.
COVID-19 implemented every single one of these components. Unemployment rates were raging with nearly 750.000 jobs shed since lockdown up until the Financial Times report released in August. Mental health issues increased as individuals were harmed by the uncertainty of confinement thus sparking feelings of fear, anxiety and stress. Sudden lockdowns meant forced separations and often feelings of estrangement from friends and family. Homelessness hailed to new heights as people lost sources of income, and homeless facilities as well as various services closed.
Consequently, the demand chain for drugs endured and even elevated to new heights.
For the cannabis consumer, the cost of weed increased. However, its loyal adherers found ways of adapting to a changed market. While some were meditating, some were making sourdough, and some were binging on the couch – alcohol or Netflix, whatever your favourite addiction is – others learned to grow cannabis at home. A means of escapism as some felt the stress of losing their jobs and being away from home.
According to the Global Drug Survey on drug patterns during lockdown, released in June, 22.7% of the United Kingdom’s users of cannabis reported a large increase in usage. Globally, individuals claimed a myriad of incentives for increasing usage: boredom, excess time, loneliness, anxiety, depression, having done stockpiling, or they merely considered cannabis a significant other, a companion, while suffering COVID-19’s ramifications.
For the party person popping a pill or two, as they were confined to solitude rather than social settings, the demand for synthetic drugs decreased. As the production of synthetic drugs suffered from the global lockdown, and as prices soared in various countries, the closure of social gatherings meant less incentive to use drugs such as MDMA and amphetamine, according to a report by Europol and EMCDDA.
As the cocaine capital of Europe, the United Kingdom has a history of continuous usage of coke. With nearly a million users (976,000 consumers to be exact), not counting the 181,000 users of crack cocaine, the United Kingdom has the highest percentage of users in Europe. Cocaine consumption has actually accelerated 25% since 2013, alongside a 250% increase of individuals using crack cocaine.
But as prices increased due to larger quantities of cocaine being seized at borders and as global trade was in a persistent decline, the usage of this drug decreased during lockdown – 37.1% of respondents of the Global Drug Survey said their consumption decreased a lot during lockdown. They believe it to be due to lack of availability and changes to one’s daily routine.
However, the decrease was short-lived as restrictions were lifted, and underground raves were introduced as the new social gatherings to attend, where drugs became a resurrected part of the crowd.
Alongside lockdown arose a shortage of heroin and the designer drug, spice. That led to experts fearing a spike in usage of a drug such as Fentanyl – a substance 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin. As Ian Hamilton said: “if people can’t secure their drug of choice, they look for alternatives.” For that reason, experts expected drug users to seek fentanyl or diazepam as substitutes.
For instance, returning to the Global Drug Survey, 13.2% of the United Kingdom respondents reported a large increase in the usage of benzodiazepines, and 15.8% experienced a moderate increase. This particular drug has a history of being deeply addictive, and some even claim the substance to be more addictive than heroin.
While a myriad of individuals turned to the comfort of drugs due to the invasive implications of COVID-19 lockdown, others had been adherents of illicit substances way before the pandemic. These dependable consumers battling addictions were hard hit by lockdown, as access to drugs was interfered, and the access to treatment in combating addiction ceased.
Lockdown confined the social, the usual and the addicted drug user to the walls of their home, whereby the normal comfort of drugs was immediately interfered. But dealers and consumers proved their ability to adapt to a changing global market, an altered local social scenery, and a new way of life, even though these were unprecedented times.
Some embraced the emergence of a forced change of lifestyle and thus the mitigation of drug abuse. Others felt the gravity of complete uncertainty in nearly every aspect of their lives, which nourished a necessity for escapism, a perfect distraction, which is nearly a guaranteed offer of illicit substances. The question remains: has lockdown led to a new way of life, or merely worsened drug addictions?


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Android smartphone users will now be able to open, start, and close their BMW without ever taking their phones out of their pocket. Cool stuff.
And this isn’t even new-ish tech either. BMW first announced the hands-free software, dubbed Digital Key Plus, to the BMW iX back in February 2021. Now, the company has expanded the app, and will now be available for users with Android smartphones.
With a compatible smartphone, customers can now lock and unlock their BMW or start the engine without even the need to take their phone out of their pocket.
Digital Key Plus also works as a proximity sensor, where the car will react automatically when an owner is either approaching or walking away from their vehicle. This is similar to BMW’s existing walk-away feature with key fobs.
BMW’s Digital Key Plus is currently compatible with the following smartphones:
- Samsung Galaxy S23+ / Ultra
- Google Pixel 7 Pro
Plus a select few older models with suitable hardware. More smartphones will be rolled out in future, and Digital Key Plus works on vehicles produced from November 2022. Some remote software upgrades will help expand this feature to vehicles built before November 2022.
Ultra-wideband technology is also built into technology, minimising the possibility of relay attacks which can jeopardise the vehicle’s locking systems.


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houstonpress.com – There was a lot riding on the Astros win, when it comes to getting free hot dogs in Houston anyway. Here are the guaranteed free bites you can get this week all thanks to the Astros’ historic World Series win. We’ll continue to update this list with more freebies and deals that roll in. Go Astros!
Good Dog, 1312 Alabama, 903 Studewood
The Montrose and Heights locations of this Houston hotdog favorite will give out free hotdogs as paid for by Los Angeles wienery Pink’s Hot Dogs on Thursday, November 2. You can thank a friendly bet between the two eateries for this freebie. Good Dog has announced on Facebook that each location will hand out 250 free dogs (one per customer).
Shake Shack in the Galleria, 5015 Westheimer
The Galleria location will give away free chili cheese dogs, according to the Chronicle , but there is a catch. It’s only available to the first 50 customers today, November 2, and those customers must be wearing a piece of Astros gear.
Get after Houston, you definitely deserve it. (also Jose Altuve is the man)


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A little goes a long way COVID-19 has pretty much turned the workshop universe upside down. The silver lining in this foreboding black cloud is that independent workshops are thriving,..
CRC has introduced a new product to its Brakleen line-up CRC Industries has expanded its range of heavy-duty mechanical maintenance products with the addition of a “state of the art”..
Unique Auto Parts has a range of high-quality lubricants and fluids available While Unique Auto Parts has become well known in the industry for supplying top quality new parts for..
Giving hybrids tailored protection It wasn’t that long ago that finding a hybrid vehicle on Australian roads was like finding a needle in a haystack, with manufacturer offerings few and..
Have you noticed more EVs on the roads around you? Electric vehicle sales are experiencing a compound annual growth rate of over 70 percent in Australia. EVUp says all manufacturers..
Eliminating the need for multiple interior cleaning products With summer on our doorstep, there has never been a better time than now to get your 4WD looking the part and..
Introducing Valvoline Professional Multi-Vehicle 5W-30 Engine Oil The Valvoline team says it has been hard at work to combat the burden of workshops requiring so many different engine oils. Valvoline..
The Australian owned and operated company has just released its new ‘Purple OEM Coolant’ range The new Purple OEM Coolant range from Penrite – which consists of Concentrate and Premix..
The Penrite story commenced more than 90 years ago in Melbourne Penrite proudly says that since 1926, its products have helped shape the country. In all that time, it has..
Penrite is supporting Aussies as they hit the road this holiday season For nearly 100 years, Penrite Oil has been a trusted partner for the Australian automotive trade. Penrite says..


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On today’s episode of Free Lunch, Associate Stock Strategist Ryan McQueeney discusses Chipotle’s latest foodborne illness trouble, the new partnership between Naked Brands and CVS, and Shopify’s earnings report. Later, he is joined by Zacks Strategist Brian Bolan to preview the upcoming earnings announcement of tech behemoth Apple.
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SHOP - Free Report) shares tumbled in morning trading Tuesday, despite the e-commerce platform posting a beat-and-raise quarter. The firm saw a surprise non-GAAP profit in its latest quarter, and Q3 revenue guidance was ahead of expectations. However, as Ryan explains, investors were looking for a much stronger guidance raise considering the stock’s high multiple.
Also in the news was a new partnership between CVS (
CVS - Free Report) and trendy underwear company Naked Brands . A Naked subsidiary will soon bring a brand of Heidi Klum accessories to 4,000 U.S.-based CVS locations, giving the stock some life after a sluggish year. Ryan highlights this story and checks in with the rebounding stock.
The host also covers Chipotle’s latest foodborne illness woes. Shares of the fast-casual Mexican chain dropped sharply in early trading hours after investors learned that it had closed an Ohio restaurant on Monday following reports that customers and employees had fallen sick after eating there. Considering the damage similar stories have done to Chipotle in the past, investors displayed extreme caution in the wake of this news.
Ryan recaps all of these stories, giving investors exactly what they need to know—and providing his own opinions and perspectives—on the first half of today’s show.
Later, he is joined by Brian Bolan to discuss Apple (
AAPL - Free Report) ahead of its earnings announcement this afternoon.
Ryan and Brian dive into the latest earnings estimates and estimate revisions, catching viewers up on the basics before Apple reports. But the pair also debate the merits of Apple’s growing Services unit and discuss whether the tech behemoth will ever put its massive cash pile to use.
By the end of the show, Brian even attempts to convince investors that today’s report might actually apply to Tesla (
TSLA - Free Report) speculators as well. Make sure to check out the episode to hear that take, and more! Today's Stocks from Zacks' Hottest Strategies
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New Zealand mussel breeding plan pays off
The first harvest of high-value greenshell mussels from a purpose-built hatchery has been welcomed by New Zealand’s Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy for its contribution to reducing commercial growers’ reliance on collecting wild spat.
“Currently most wild spat is collected from seaweed on 90 Mile Beach. This innovation gives much more certainty to growers and means they can develop a higher value product with the characteristics consumers want, like size, color and taste,” said Guy. “It also means certainty of supply which is very important for markets.”
Guy hailed the development as “a key milestone” in a NZD 26 million (USD 18.1 million, EUR 17 million) Primary Growth Partnership program called SPATnz, with equal co-funding from the Ministry for Primary Industries and Sanford Ltd.
“This is a great example of industry and government working together to develop high-end products, adding value to one of New Zealand’s most valuable seafood industries,” he said.
The SPATnz program is aiming to generate NZD 81 million (USD 56.2 million, EUR 53 million) of economic benefits by 2026, but has highlighted that if the technology it has developed were to be adopted more broadly throughout the sector, the benefits could be worth up to NZD 200 million (USD 138.9 million, EUR 130.8 million).


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It’s no secret that in-app purchases are a touchy subject around this neck of the gaming woods. On one hand, IAPs let you try out a bunch of great games at no initial cost; but on the other, some developers have been known to abuse the model and manipulate gamers into paying much more than the base game might actually be worth.
Today we were hit with some pretty shocking news from thatgamecompany on the free-to-play front. As you might know, thatgamecompany are the artistic geniuses who brought us the trilogy of PSN exclusive titles, Flow, Flower, and the groundbreaking Journey. But now that their exclusive deal with Sony is up, it could mean that the Journey creator’s next game will come to mobile platforms, and that it might adopt the ever-provocative free-to-play model.
Please say it ain’t so! In an interview with Joystiq about the developer’s new direction, thatgamecompany co-founder Jenova Chen acknowledged how the average gamer feels towards IAPs, and made a promise that his team’s potential use of the free-to-play model would be different: “If we do actually end up going to free-to-play, we will make sure that you don’t pay because you are not happy, you pay because you are happy.”
Judging from how reluctant Chen himself seems about the new business direction, and how he’s still considering adopting it just the same, begs the inevitable question: are microtransactions in gaming becoming a necessary evil? Are gamers becoming too reluctant to pay full price for an IAP-free game when they have hundreds of other free ones right at their fingertips?


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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 smartphone has been officially introduced as the company’s third advance foldable smartphone. Earlier, the company has launched Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Z Flip. In the initial leaks regarding the new smartphone, it was said that it can be called Galaxy Fold 2, which will be launched as an upgrade version of the Galaxy Fold launched last year. Talking about the major features of Galaxy Z Fold 2, the display of this phone is bigger than the Galaxy Fold.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 smartphone has a 7.6-inch Infinity-O display as the primary screen, while the Infinity-O display on the cover screen is 6.2 inches. Let me tell you, the screen of its previous version was 7.3 inches and 4.6 inches. Samsung claims that the most advanced flexible display has been given in the primary screen of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 smartphone.
For photography and videography, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a triple rear camera setup, while the display includes a selfie camera. However, information about the camera’s megapixel count has not been made public at the moment. This phone has Dolby Atmos sound and a 4,500 mAh dual intelligent battery, which will provide full day backup on a single charge. Apart from this, it also has 5G support for fast connectivity.
The price of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 will be revealed on 1 September, the day this smartphone will be formally launched. At the same time, pre-orders of this smartphone will also be started after the launch. However, in the meantime, this foldable phone is currently available for reservation in the US. The second generation Samsung Galaxy fold phone will be available for purchase in two color options, named Mystic Black and Mystic Bronze.


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In a sense this is a bit of a big nothing-burger and the reaction is a bit pearl-clutchy. But it is still of minor interest on a slow news day. A New York woman got a bit of a Christmas surprise this week when she was unpackaging a her 2 year old’s toy. What looked to be a prison-shank fell out.
“It just fell out of the package as we were opening it,” (Jessica) LeBlanc said.
No one was hurt, but LeBlanc said that could have been different if a child had opened the package.
The family later determined that the toy had been purchased at Rite Aid on Upper Glen Street in Queensbury, and notified police. LeBlanc said she also contacted the manufacturer of the toy as well as Rite Aid.
Stockdale said it probably wasn’t put there by someone with bad intentions, but likely was used by someone during the manufacturing, packing or shipping process.LeBlanc said she went to the media about the matter because she wanted parents to be aware of the potential issue.
“Parents should check toys before giving it to a child, it could save someone from being hurt,” she said.
This is a bit of a one-off. Out of billions of Christmas presents opened worldwide over the years, this is the only instance I have been able to find. Even the classic “razor in a Halloween apple” is nothing but an urban legend, and that one gets a lot more play.
My vote is with innocent mistake. When I was building boats at Hyde in Idaho, we had dozens of tape-wrapped razor-blades lying around. It would be pretty easy to accidentally leave one behind in a boat or have it fall into a package at the shipping station.


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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a series of changes in existing regulations aimed at covering the online privacy of children.
The move could play crucial role in safeguarding children’s privacy aspects, especially if one considers how deep an impact online technologies make on the lives of children.
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection act, known as Coppa, was introduced more than 10 years ago - long before the emergence of smartphones and social networking sites. Coppa ensures that companies ask for parental consent before collecting personal information of those under the age of 13.
If the changes proposed by FTC go into effect, the law would include geo-location data in the definition of ‘personal information’. In addition, other identifiers such as "tracking cookies used for behavioural advertising" could also be barred from extracting children’s personal information.
“Specifically, the Commission proposes adding a requirement that operators ensure that any service providers or third-parties to whom they disclose a child's personal information have in place reasonable procedures to protect it,” FTC’s proposal states, according to a CNet article.
It further proposes that “operators (can) retain the information for only as long as is reasonably necessary, and that they properly delete that information by taking reasonable measures to protect against unauthorized access to..."


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Next Episode of Bloomberg Technology is
Technology is not only becoming an increasingly important part of people's lives but also of the American economy. Bloomberg Technology, anchored by Emily Chang in San Francisco, takes a look at how the latest happenings in the tech industry are affecting the U.S. markets. Analysis, commentary, interviews and interactive graphics are among the staples of the show that help viewers understand the impact the technology sector has on the economy.
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Khanh Hoa Department of Tourism organizes tourism promotion program in Hanoi
Deploying the Tourism Action Program 2022, on April 1, 2022, Khanh Hoa Tourism Department organized the Roadshow chapter "Connecting businesses, stimulating tourism in Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa" in 2022. The program has the theme of Nha Trang – Touching the heart. The program was attended by Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh- General Director of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Mr. Le Huu Hoang - Member of Standing Committee of Provincial Party Committee, Standing Vice Chairman of Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee, Mr. Nguyen Van Thien - Chief of Office of People's Committee of Khanh Hoa province, Ms. Nguyen Thi Le Thanh - Director of Khanh Hoa Department of Tourism, leaders of Khanh Hoa Department of Culture and Sports, Khanh Hoa Nha Trang Tourism Association, leaders of Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotion Centers of various provinces and cities, representatives of Hanoi Unesco Club and more than 200 tourism businesses in the country.
The event is divided into two parts, with the participation of more than 200 tourism businesses nationwide and tourism businesses of Khanh Hoa province in the Business Matching program from 14:00 to 16:30 and the Gala Dinner program from 16:30 to 20:00. Along with introducing and providing new, typical, and attractive packages and services to travel enterprises across the country, Khanh Hoa tourism also implemented "Launching Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa tourism demand stimulus program in 2022" and "Announcing the new brand identity of Khanh Hoa tourism" with the logo and slogan "Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa, Touching the heart."
Ms. Nguyen Thi Le Thanh, Director of Khanh Hoa Department of Tourism, spoke at the Roadshow event on the city's tourism strengths. With the advantage of having historical picturesque locations, a unique and rich culture, and suitable climatic conditions as well as the hospitality of local people, Nha Trang- Khanh Hoa is a land of paradise, interest and peace. The travel branch of Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa Tourism Association also introduced typical tourism programs during April 30 and summer 2022 to travel agencies. At the same time, Unesco Hanoi Club and Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa Tourism Association signed an agreement to collaborate on the development of a tour product connecting Khanh Hoa and bringing visitors to Khanh Hoa and vice versa.
Furthermore, to promote tourism, Khanh Hoa Department of Tourism collaborated with Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa Tourism Association to set up a booth at the VITM 2022 fair, with many tourism units participating to introduce and sell stimulating programs and products throughout 2022, attracting a large number of visitors.
By 2022, Khanh Hoa tourist industry hopes to welcome more than 1.2 million people (increasing 100% from 2021), with 1.16 million domestic visitors and 40,000 international visitors. Tourism income in Khanh Hoa reached VND 4,000 billion, up 80% from 2021. As a result, it remains clear that the domestic visitor market is critical to the rehabilitation of the Khanh Hoa tourism industry. As a result, in 2022, the tourism sector in Khanh Hoa will focus on improving communication, promotion, and demand stimulation in order to attract more visitors.


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Arsenic in Baby Foods
On April 1, 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a proposal to limit inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal to 100 ppb—very close to the level we recommended more than three years ago. While we are pleased with this development, we remain concerned that so many other rice-based products consumed by children and adults remain without any standards at all, and we will be pushing the agency to take additional steps.
The Impact of Our Work
At Consumer Reports, we first identified the risk of arsenic in the food supply in 2011 when we reported on the high levels of the toxin in apple and grape juice. We called for the agency to take action and the FDA responded in 2013 by proposing a threshold. We published on the risks of arsenic in rice in 2012 and 2014, conducted extensive risk assessments, and recommended limits on rice and rice-based products.
In the News
Media Coverage of Our Arsenic Work
The April 2016 FDA proposal to limit inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal to 100 ppb was covered extensively in the media.


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Bacon is bad for you (sorry), and kale is good for you. There are some nutritional facts that are cut and dry but nutritionists disagree on more than you think. The FDA has announced that it will be reviewing its standards for what can be considered healthy and what will not be.
The New York Times interviewed hundreds of nutritionists to label foods as healthy or unhealthy and created a plot point graph from that data. As you can imagine, there was some discrepancy, even amongst the so-called professionals.
Some foods in the middle percentile included popcorn, sushi, pork chops, whole milk, steak, and granola. Something these foods have a lot in common: They are high in fat, a notion that has been recently dispelled by the FDA and USDA as an indicator of an unhealthy food.
But nutritional experts as a whole probably know more than the average American. The New York Times also surveyed non-nutritionists, and it turns out that the average consumer believes granola bars, frozen yogurt, orange juice and American cheese are healthier than nutritionists say they are. On the other end of the spectrum, regular people are much more likely to underestimate foods like tofu, hummus, wine, and shrimp as less healthy than they actually are.


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Will.i.am to release own smartwatch in July
London:London:Will.i.am has announced that he will release his own smartwatch in July.
The Black Eyed Peas frontman said that unlike other smartwatches that rely on a connected mobile to make calls, his will include a dialling function (and so, presumably, a SIM card) built directly into the device,reportedly.
Will.i.am showed off a bulky prototype during a segment on Alan Carr: Chatty Man, promising that it had access to all the usual social media sites (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) and it could also be used to "work out with" with the addition of a pair of wireless Bluetooth earphones.
There was also a brief glance at the interface, which showed an animated circular icon similar to Cortana - Microsoft`s digital personal assistant for Windows Phone devices.
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