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Noting “high member satisfaction,” Netflix isn’t showing any sign of slowing down with the release of new quarterly numbers that handily beat Wall Street expectations.
The streamer says it added 1.5 million U.S. subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2018, but that number is dwarfed by the 7.3 million it added internationally.
And though Netflix remains dominant in Internet entertainment, it’s also somewhat humble.
“We earn consumer screen time…away from a very broad set of competitors. We compete with (and lose to) [popular video game] Fortnite more than HBO,” the company says in a new letter to shareholders.
“Our focus is not on Disney+, Amazon or others, but on how we can improve our experience for our members.”
Here’s what’s new with Netflix
If you’re a Netflix customer, here’s what you need to know.
You’re going to be paying more for the service soon
By now you’ve probably heard that Netflix is raising prices across the board by up to 18%.
Existing subscribers will feel the pinch as their rate goes up over the first and second quarter of 2019. New members will pay the new higher pricing immediately.
“We change pricing from time to time as we continue investing in great entertainment and improving the overall Netflix experience,” the company said in its shareholder letter.
“We want to ensure that Netflix is a good value for the money and that our entry price is affordable.”
You can read more about the price increases here.
Netflix is now an original movie powerhouse
Netflix is currently riding high after big wins at the Golden Globe Awards and the debut of the wildly successful new original film called Bird Box.
The original flick stars Sandra Bullock as a mother of two who must survive in a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by an ominous unseen presence.
“In its first four weeks on Netflix, we estimate that Bird Box from director Susanne Bier will be enjoyed by over 80 million member households, and we are seeing high repeat viewing,” the streamer notes.
In addition to Bird Box, Netflix also has a lot of other hit movies under its belt.
These include The Coen Brothers’ The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Dumplin’ from director Anne Fletcher, The Christmas Chronicles from producer Chris Columbus, the critically acclaimed ROMA from director Alfonso Cuaron and more.
“We are beginning to have our original movie offering mirror the success of our series offering for consumer enjoyment,” Netflix writes.
“The global reach of our audience and the quality of the experience producing for Netflix continue to attract the world’s top directors.”
The 2019 content slate is starting to take shape
Here are the upcoming movies and returning series that Netflix specifically called out in its letter:
- The Irishman from director Martin Scorsese, starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel and more
- 6 Underground from director Michael Bay, featuring Ryan Reynolds and Mélanie Laurent, among others
- The Politician from director Ryan Murphy, a series starring Ben Platt, Gwyneth Paltrow and more
- Season 3 of Stranger Things (coming July 4)
- Returning seasons of The Crown, 13 Reasons Why and more
Interactive movies where you choose the plot are now a thing
Did you or your children ever read one of those choose-your-own-ending books? Netflix took that idea and brought it to the screen with the December 28 release of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.
Using proprietary software called Branch Manager, Netflix can now map out all the possibilities of a story and then let you decide which way to take the character.
“Bandersnatch [is] our first interactive movie for adults, allowing viewers to make decisions on behalf of the lead character,” the company notes. “We’ve created thousands of different pathways to make it through the story, including multiple endings.”
Going from linear TV to a Netflix original may be the new gold standard
Netflix is calling attention to a new romantic thriller series called You that launched right after Christmas 2018.
“We estimate it will be watched by over 40 million member households in its first four weeks on Netflix,” the company brags.
But it’s not just those numbers that make it noteworthy.
“This binge-worthy show started as a Lifetime linear series in the U.S., but is now a full Netflix global original.”
So while Netflix continues to invest big money in original content, traditional linear TV may emerge as a proving ground for shows. If a show can make it there, it may deserve a shot to gain an even larger worldwide audience by jumping to a streaming platform like a Netflix, Amazon Prime or Hulu for future episodes.
Could this be the wave of the future in the entertainment world? Only time will tell. We’ll have to stay tuned and see!
More Clark.com stories you may like:


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- Walgreens expanding scope of retail pharmacy experience and services heading into fiscal 2014
- Jim Spencer promoted to president of Kinney Drugs stores
- Rite Aid posts third consecutive quarterly profit as company expands Wellness+
- Facing pharmacy trends for the remainder of the year
- CVS' Merlo: Health reform to benefit business in 2014
CORDOVA, Tenn. Competition is driving a Schnucks Markets store out of town, the supermarket chain said.
St. Louis-based Schnucks announced that it would close its Cordova, Tenn., store after eight years amid competition from five other stores within a 2-mi. radius, including two very large stores. The store’s 79 employees will be transferred to other stores.
“When we entered the mid-South market in 2002, we focused on providing the very best in products and services to our Cordova customers, and hoped that over time, sales would improve,” chairman and CEO Scott Schnuck said. “However, in eight years, the competitive challenges are much greater.”

domain: news


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New-vehicle quality in 2019 stayed flat, marking the first year without improvement since 2014, according to J.D. Power's latest Initial Quality Study. More brands worsened than improved over the past 12 months.
One Tire Brand Dominates J.D. Power's Rankings
There's only one tire brand that ranked "among the best" in every category of J.D. Power's 2019 Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study.


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Sainsbury's is working with the company behind its Nectar card reward scheme, LMG, to develop an application to enable the supermarket and its suppliers to find out how well products are selling.
The application, called Self Serve, is due to go live in April and will provide an analytical reporting system based on the goods scanned at the point of sale in every store across the UK. Up to 40 million transactions will be recorded from the stores each day.
Garth Ralston, development and support manager at LMG, said the software will provide Sainsbury's trading teams with the same system and reports as Sainsbury's suppliers have.
Self Server has been written using Adobe Air, Adobe's newly introduced rich internet application development tool, which was launched on Monday.
LMG said it needed to create an application that was "visually engaging and appealing to the end-user". Ralston said Self Serve LMG used the SQL database feature in Adobe's Air to support the application, which needs to process a large amount of data. LMG also plans to use other Air features, including encryption, notification and automated updates to the application.


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As the nationwide lockdown is lifted, restrictions are eased, and the auto retail landscape begins its slow climb back to a more normal state, dealers will be challenged with how to turn stock faster and more efficiently.
The automotive industry is, without question, going through a major period of change. The knock-on effect of the COVID-19 pandemic paired with a shift in consumer buying habits is challenging business leaders to squeeze the most out of their assets.
In a special AM ‘guest opinion’ post to mark International Women’s Day, Julia Muir explains how fixing car retail to to allow women to feel safe and thrive has little to do with being ‘woke’ or ‘politically correct’.
In the first of two specially-written AM 'guest opinion' posts to mark International Women's Day, Jacqui Barker head of commercial at drivvn, explains why the drive towards digital and greater diversity in the workforce is set to transform car retail.
In today’s world, technology has the power to transform customer experiences and relationships, but the car buying and servicing progress may still be viewed as inconvenient and impersonal by many customers.
Volkswagen Financial Services (VWFS) chief executive, Mike Todd, predicts that - aside from the impact of Brexit - three other key areas will continue to influence the automotive sector’s response post COVID-19.
A Brexit deal may have been done but with COVID-19 and the electric vehicle (EV) agenda at the heart of car retail’s challenges in 2021, Alison Ashley, RSM’s head of motor retail, has highlighted her key predictions for the years ahead.
TWO days of insightful, engaging content that Automotive Management LIVE is known for whilst enabling our audience to connect with the full range of suppliers to motor retail, learn and share industry best practice, and discuss how to prepare for the future of motor retail.


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Wii tops console cash haul
A majority of game revenues are generated by Nintendo's Wii, beating Xbox 360 and nearly doubling the cash taken in by Sony with its PS3.
Gamasutra has summarised an incredibly detailed report from firm Ibis Capital that reports a staggering 47% of revenue from 2009's $30 billion console game sales is generated by Wii sales alone.
That's significantly higher than the 35% captured by Xbox 360 and well over twice the 18% held by PS3.
Ibis anticipates minor shifts in these percentages in 2010, particularly in light of its 40 billion USD revenue forecast - a huge increase from 2009. In short, they predict you're going to spend more money on console games this year than last.
- The Iron Banner returns to Destiny next week
- Jason Voorhees DLC coming to Mortal Kombat X next month
- Square Enix announces their own E3 press conference
- Avalanche to reveal Just Cause 3's gameplay next week
- EA Sports Rory McIlroy PGA Tour delayed a touch
- Telltale announces a new deal with Marvel
- Sanctuary update arrives for Warframe on consoles
- Call Of Duty: Black Ops III gets another teaser trailer
- Patrice Desilets unveils his new game Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey


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Microsoft is updating its C++ compiler for its Visual Studio 12 IDE (integrated development environment) so that Windows application developers can use parts of the latest version of the programming language, C++11.
Microsoft likes to talk about Windows 8 as being Windows "reimagined," and in many ways it is quite a departure from its predecessors. To allow the operating system's use across a range of touchscreen devices, Microsoft radically redesigned the look ...
After a year in beta, Microsoft has launched its Team Foundation Service, a hosted version of its application lifecycle management (ALM) software. Its usage, for the time being, has been limited to five or fewer users, however.
Cross-platform development frameworks such as Apache Cordova, Sencha Touch and Xamarin.Mobile are all compatible with Windows Phone 8, making it easier to create apps for the new OS while at the same time developing apps for other platforms.
One day after the launch of its next generation mobile operating system, Windows Phone 8, Microsoft has released the SDK (software development kit) that will allow programmers to write applications for the new platform.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer kicked off the company's annual Build developer conference emphasizing the momentum of the company's new Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 operating systems.
Oracle is augmenting its Oracle Application Development Framework (ADF) to allow developers to create mobile applications for Apple and Android devices.
In its continuing endeavor to serve its 800 million users as quickly as possible, Facebook is once again revamping the way it handles its PHP-based Web pages.
On Thursday, Xamarin added an API (application programming interface) for contacts to its new cross-platform Mobile development kit, with which the company aims to make it easier for C# users to develop applications for Android and iOS at the same ti...
Java platform-as-a-service cloud provider CloudBees has launched a commercial version of the Jenkins CI (continuous integration) platform, the company announced Wednesday.
Yahoo will introduce on Wednesday several new features in its Search BOSS application development platform intended to make it easier for programmers and web publishers to adopt and use.
In a move that appears to be another step away from its Flash platform, Adobe has submitted the code for its Flash-based Flex framework to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) to be managed as an independent<strong> </strong>project.
Red Hat has outfitted its OpenShift hosted application platform with a set of application development lifecycle tools to simplify deployment on the PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service), the company announced Tuesday.
Hoping to spark closer integration with third-party applications, Citrix has exposed a number of APIs (application programming interfaces) for three of its collaborative services, GoToMeeting, GoToWebinar and GoToTraining.
In a move to bring network connectivity to a wider range of devices, sensors and appliances, IBM has donated the source code of its machine-to-machine messaging software to the Eclipse Foundation, the company announced Thursday.
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First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.


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Clark Professional Pharmacy
Making a move
Clark Professional Pharmacy is moving into a bigger space, in Arlington Square at Washtenaw and Huron Parkway. It's one of a handful of local pharmacies offering an alternative to the cookie-cutter products of the big three chains.
"It's an integrative pharmacy," says Patrice Shook, who's in charge of quality assurance. "Integrative in that we cross over between traditional prescriptions, one-of-a-kind compounds, and nutritional supplements."


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Lolita Fashion Tax Return Plans
On January 31, 2018, Baby, the Stars Shine Bright announced that, after three and a half years, they will close their New York, New York location in March 2018. To say that this news from one of the most famous Japanese name brands in Lolita fashion is a shock to me would be an understatement.
This blog is where share my experience as a lolita fashion enthusiast!
Use MagicalGirlMe12 for 12% off at Devil Inspired!


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The Toronto region’s heated condo market is set to level off in the first quarter of 2018, but not before the average downtown price per square foot crosses the $1,000 threshold for pre-construction units, says Shaun Hildebrand, senior vice-president of real estate market research firm Urbanation.
Unsold condo inventory has already reached an average of $991 per sq. ft. and the average selling price for all new projects that were launched in the City of Toronto in the third quarter was $951 per sq. ft., he said.
“I don’t think it will be long before it averages $1,000 per sq. ft. A couple of projects that have opened in the fourth quarter have prices well above that level,” said Hildebrand on Tuesday.
He cited the launch of The One, the 82-storey Mizrahi development at Yonge and Bloor Sts. where units are selling for nearly $2,000 per sq. ft.
But high square footage sales aren’t limited to pre-construction apartments. There are re-sale buildings along the Bay St. corridor and in the core that are also trading at over $1,000 per sq. ft., he said.
Market activity for new condos in the Toronto region has nevertheless reached an unsustainable pace, said Urbanation’s third-quarter report.
“At current prices, demand will begin to moderate. Higher levels of inventory will emerge and that will help settle the market activity down,” said Hildebrand.


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[Ip-health] NY Times: NY Attorney Gen. Examining Whether Turing Restricted Drug Access
Andrew S. Goldman
andrew.goldman at keionline.org
Tue Oct 13 08:31:43 PDT 2015
New York Attorney General Examining Whether Turing Restricted Drug Access
By ANDREW POLLACK OCT. 12, 2015
The New York attorney general has begun an inquiry into Turing
Pharmaceuticals, whose fiftyfold overnight increase in the price of a
62-year-old infection drug stoked a backlash against high pharmaceutical
The attorney general’s office is looking not so much at the price increase
itself but at whether Turing may have violated antitrust rules by
restricting distribution of the drug, Daraprim, as a way to thwart generic
competition, according to a letter sent by the attorney general’s office to
Turing on Monday.
“While competition might ordinarily be expected to deter such a massive
price increase, it appears that Turing may have taken steps to prevent that
competition from arising,” said the letter, a copy of which was obtained by
The New York Times.
Martin Shkreli is the founder and chief executive of Turing
Pharmaceuticals, which raised the price of the drug Daraprim to $750 a
tablet from $13.50. Martin Shkreli of Turing Pharmaceuticals said the
company would sell a drug to treat serious infections for less than $750 a
tablet, though he did not specify what the new price would be.
The letter was addressed to Martin Shkreli, the 32-year-old former hedge
fund manager who runs Turing, and was signed by Eric J. Stock, the chief of
the antitrust bureau. It asks that Turing contact the attorney general’s
office immediately to discuss the situation and tells the company to
“retain all documents that are potentially relevant to this inquiry.”
Turing did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent to both
Mr. Shkreli and the company’s media spokesman.
Turing, which is based in Manhattan, acquired the rights to Daraprim in
August and raised the price to $750 a tablet from $13.50, drawing protests
from infectious disease specialists. The drug is the preferred treatment
for toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that can be especially dangerous
for people with AIDS and for babies whose mothers are infected during
Mr. Shkreli said that Turing would spend the money from the higher price to
develop better drugs for toxoplasmosis and that his company was already
providing better access to Daraprim, with lower out-of-pocket costs for
Still under fire late last month, he said that Turing would lower the price
of Daraprim, though more than two weeks later, no new price has been
Daraprim is no longer protected by patents. But until now the market has
been so small, with annual sales in the United States below $10 million,
that generic drug makers were not interested.
With the higher price now they might be interested. But the drug has been
removed from distribution by the usual wholesalers and by retail
drugstores. Patients can get the drug from Walgreens’ specialty pharmacy,
and hospitals have been given a special phone number to order it.
Such restricted distribution can make it more difficult for generics
manufacturers to get the samples of a brand-name product they need to do
the required testing to show that their generic copy is equivalent to the
At his previous company, Retrophin, which also acquired older drugs and
raised their prices, Mr. Shkreli talked openly about using restricted
distribution to deny samples to generics manufacturers. While the move to
restricted distribution for Daraprim occurred in June, before Turing
acquired the drug, it might have been a prerequisite for the sale.
Still, there can be other reasons to move drugs to narrower distribution.
Drugstores, for instance, typically do not want to carry a product that is
rarely used, making it logical to distribute it centrally.
Eric T. Schneiderman, the New York attorney general, is not the only one
looking at this issue. Last week, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of
Minnesota, called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether
Turing and other drug companies were violating antitrust laws by using
“Some companies may be combining a substantial price increase for a
prescription medication with a closed distribution system,” Ms. Klobuchar
wrote in a letter to Edith Ramirez, the chairwoman of the trade commission.
“If the restricted distribution prevents or delays generic competition, it
could subject consumers to unnecessarily high prescription drug prices.”
When questioned by Ms. Klobuchar at a Senate hearing on Wednesday, Ms.
Ramirez said that monitoring the pharmaceutical industry was a “top
priority for us.”
The F.T.C. filed an amicus brief last year in a case in which Mylan, a
generics manufacturer, claimed that Celgene was using restricted
distribution to deny it access to its cancer drugs Thalomid and Revlimid.
In those cases, the drug distribution is controlled because of safety
issues. The F.T.C. said such behavior may nonetheless violate the law.
Turing missed the deadline of last Friday to provide information about its
price increase that had been requested by Senator Bernie Sanders of
Vermont, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, and
Representative Elijah Cummings, Democrat of Maryland. The two lawmakers are
investigating sharp increases in drug prices.
Mr. Shkreli’s former company, Retrophin, has disclosed in regulatory
filings that it is cooperating with a federal criminal investigation into
certain financial transactions by Mr. Shkreli during his tenure there.
Andrew S. Goldman
Counsel, Policy and Legal Affairs
Knowledge Ecology International
andrew.goldman at keionline.org // www.twitter.com/ASG_KEI
More information about the Ip-health


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ASOS’ environmental impact, labour conditions, and animal welfare policies have been questioned in recent years, but customers still praise the brand for its affordable clothing.
Over the past few years, ASOS has expanded to become one of the world’s most popular online fashion retailers. ASOS sells over 850 different brands, and the company is loved for making affordable clothing and accessories.
Despite the love, many reports have argued that the brand is not ethical. The brand’s environmental impact has been accused of being unsatisfactory. Following the criticism, the brand made a public commitment and set a target aimed at reducing its greenhouse gas emissions from its operations and supply chains by 2020.
However, there is no evidence that ASOS met its target. Although the brand uses eco-friendly materials in its clothing, there is no evidence of it minimising textile waste when it manufactures its products. Additionally, there is no evidence that ASOS implements water reduction initiatives in most of its supply chain.
In terms of labour conditions, almost none of ASOS’ supply chains are reportedly certified by labour standards that ensure workers have access to health, safety, living wages and labour rights. To add to this, there is also no evidence that ASOS ensures the payment of a living wage in its supply chain.
However, the brand does have an animal welfare policy that does not use angora, fur or exotic animal skin. Even though the brand still uses leather, mohair, alpaca and cashmere, it is reportedly committed to eliminating all animal products in the future.
Nonetheless, customers think that ASOS is a convenient brand with low prices and decent quality products. The store is hailed for its fitted clothing which work well for people of all sizes. ASOS has also been praised for offering student discounts and a programme that gives customers unlimited two-day shipping for about $19.00 a year. One reviewer stated that ASOS is the perfect place for freshening up one’s wardrobe on a tight budget.


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India’s fastest growing celebrity brand HRX, owned by Hrithik Roshan and Exceed Entertainment, announced its first Brand Ambassador -Tiger Shroff. HRX is a fitness and lifestyle brand based on the ideology of its superstar owner, Hrithik Roshan, which is to empower and inspire people to become the best version of themselves. HRX embodies the ethos and values of Hrithik Roshan and has disrupted the celebrity industry with its innovative model. Tiger Shroff’s signing has added another feather to HRX’s cap.
Hrithik Roshan commented: “The mission of our brand is to impact, transform and empower a billion people to be their own hero. Tiger embodies the values and principles of HRX. In him I see the potential to break norms and become an inspiration for others. For us to reach our goal, we need to bring on more people who believe in the HRX vision along with me.”
As a Brand ambassador the Hrithik was looking for someone who believes in the ideology of “PUSH YOUR EXTREME”. He was inspired by Tiger’s passion for fitness and dedication to his craft. That's when he believed that Tiger would be apt for the HRX vision.
The HRX management team believes that Tiger will reinforce the brand’s connection and broaden its appeal in the fitness and fashion category, and reach out to a further audience through this association.
Afsar Zaidi, Director, HRX said: “Signing Tiger Shroff is a fantastic step for HRX. Fitness and movement through dance are an integral part of his personality, which makes him a perfect ambassador for the brand.”
At this occasion, Tiger Shroff exclaimed: “I am very excited to represent Hrithik Sir’s brand. He has always been my role model and to be associated with HRX is like a dream come true! The HRX philosophy is truly inspiring. I am very eager to be part of HRX campaigns in the days to come.”
HRX launched in November 2013 with Apparel (active wear and casual wear) and its current product portfolio includes footwear, accessories and deodorants. HRX aims to capture the wide space in the Active Lifestyle category. With shift in trends towards fitness and a strong brand fit and resonance through its owner Hrithik Roshan, HRX is well poised to establish a mark in this space.


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Practical training sessions are run by bakery specialist Paul Andrew, a qualified assessor with Coleg Cambria with whom Village Bakery have partnered to deliver the apprenticeships.
The manufacturer’s current cohort of apprentices are studying for a Level 2 bakery qualification, with the intention of moving on from that to do a Level 3 qualification.
Andrew said: “We’re not just employing people. We’re investing in these guys to make them a better version of themselves so they can deliver the quality we need. The ‘Village People’ are our secret ingredient because most of the managers most of the supervisors have trodden this path.”
The steady flow of new recruits at Village Bakery followed the opening of its new ‘super bakery’ built from the ashes of a devastating factory blaze in 2019. In 2021, the baker announced the creation of 115 new roles at the rebuilt factory.
Group HR manager Jason Page added: “The apprenticeship scheme is what the Village Bakery is all about, bringing talent in, growing them and then having them ready to be the next generation of bakery managers and supervisors supporting the growth of this business.
"We are now looking for our next crop of apprentices because that is the best way for us to succeed and grow as a business. They are the future of the Jones Village Bakery.”
Jones Village Bakery has invested £16m in a new, high-tech production line and announced plans to create a total of 100 extra jobs. The state-of-the-art equipment has been installed at the company’s new 13,006m2 bakery on the Wrexham Industrial Estate.
Managing director Robin Jones concluded: “We’re not necessarily looking for people with fantastic qualifications. We just want people who are driven, who want to learn and who are passionate about baking. In return, we have fantastic training facilities and we can provide a chance of a great career.


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It looks like wearables are making their way into the workplace with a brand spanking new program from Qualcomm and health insurance company UnitedHealthcare.
The two bigwigs are collaborating on a new incentive program for companies with 100-300 employees, that have qualifying insurance plans, in America.
Employees can earn up to $1,460 per year by meeting certain goals for the number of daily steps that are monitored through a free wearable provided by the program.
The wearable isn't a specific brand, like a Fitbit or Jawbone - rather UnitedHealth notes it's a "custom-designed wearable device" that can track the number of steps each user takes throughout the day, calculating the total number, frequency and intensity of the steps taken.
Essential reading: The best Android Wear smartwatches on sale now
The data is then sent to the UnitedHealthcare Motion app, which is powered by Qualcomm Life's 2net Mobile, the company's "medical grade connectivity" platform that's in place to ensure patient privacy and security compliant with federal HIPAA rules.
It's pretty clear now that Qualcomm is taking the jump into wearables even more seriously than previous years. The company is already readying its first dedicated wearable chip - the Snapdragon Wear 2100 for upcoming LG and Android Wear devices, plus it's even plopping the tech inside non-wrist-ware wearables like smart leggings.
How we test


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Qualcomm has announced a new chip that will bring 5G capabilities to smartwatches from 2024. At present wearables are stuck on 4G. That’s not the end of the world since they rarely need to download a huge amount of data, but the 5G capability will bring a boost in performance as well as future-proofing for devices.
The Snapdragon X35 will have faster connection speeds and lower latency generally, though obviously, it will use 4G where 5G isn’t available. Crucially, it will also consume less power.
We don’t yet know which devices would use the new chip, but the firm says that the first devices will arrive in the first half of 2024. So perhaps expect rumblings about 5G smartwatches this time next year as manufacturers race to have the first 5G wearables.
However, we’d expect many wearables to be stuck on 4G for some time to come. It also seems as though this chip will be used in medical devices and industrial sensors as devices in those spaces are upgraded.
One thing to note is that the X35 isn’t a match for the X70 modem inside the Samsung Galaxy S23 or the Qualcomm modems used in the iPhone 14 – those devices are capable of downloading content at a high multi-gigabit rate. Wearables won’t have the same demand and the X35’s download speeds re capped at 220Mbps.
The X35 also won’t connect to the fastest mmWave (millimetre wave) 5G networks, but will connect to so-called mid-band networks which offer lower speeds but have more coverage.


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Michelin demand data highlights serious demand challenges in mature markets
As part of its third quarter/nine month financial results, global tyre manufacturer Michelin also published its latest tyre demand details, which give a view on how markets are performing in different segments in various parts of the world. The figures are broken down by region and segment and are then split by OE and replacement market demand.
OE demand down in Europe, but improving elsewhere
According to Michelin original equipment tyre demand in Europe ended the first nine months down 5 per cent despite sustained strong growth in Russia and the rest of Eastern Europe (up 14 per cent overall).
The North American market reportedly showed significant signs of improvement as buyers replaced aging models, driving a 19 per cent increase over the period.
In Asia (excluding India), demand reportedly rose by 14 per cent overall, led by gains in the leading markets. The Chinese market expanded by 8 per cent, in line with passenger car sales, while Japanese demand rebounded compared with a prioryear period that was severely impacted by the tsunami. Southeast Asian markets continued to recover from the floods in Thailand, with a 20 per cent increase.
Michelin reports that South American markets ended the period down 1 per cent overall, but with a sharp 9 per cent upturn in the third quarter. This was particularly the case in Brazil, where new government stimulus measures are said to have driven a 27 per cent gain in September.
Replacement demand down 10 per cent in Europe
The fact that Michelin has reported a 10 per cent decline in passenger car tyre replacement market demand reportedly reflects the “persistently gloomy economic environment as well as the massive drawdowns of dealer summer tyre inventory.” At the same time winter tyre demand is said to be contracting, as expected after a warm 20112012 winter and assuming normal weather conditions in 20122013. And furthermore, due to dealer inventory strategies, sellout sales have tended to exceed sellin sales since the beginning of the year.
Demand in North America declined by 4 per cent, in a mixed environment shaped by sustained high fuel prices and average miles traveled. Dealers drew down inventory ahead of the phaseout of exceptional customs duties on tyres made in China.
Markets in Asia (excluding India) were stable overall. Demand continued to increase in China (by 4 per cent), albeit at a slower pace than in the first nine months of 2011. It declined in Japan (by 4 per cent), in a highly exportdriven economy penalized by the weak euro and economic uncertainly.
The South American market was unchanged overall, up 1 per cent on the strong demand reported in first nine months of 2011, and varied widely by country. The market edged up 2 per cent in Brazil and increased in Argentina, but fell off sharply in Colombia.
Truck OE tyre demand down in Europe and Asia, -14% in China
Michelin reports that the European market ended the period down a relatively limited 3 per cent, with demand flat quarter after quarter. In North America, the market rose by 9 per cent over the entire nine months, but is said to have been weakening since August.
In Asia (excluding India), demand retreated by 8 per cent overall, with a 14 per cent falloff in China in line with new truck registrations, impacted by the somewhat cooling economy. Markets remained active in Southeast Asia, surging 37 per cent, while in Japan, the original equipment segment rebounded by a strong 24 per cent as the market recovers from the tsunami.
Demand in South America dropped 31 per cent in response to Brazil’s application of EURO V emissions standards.
European replacement sales down 19 per cent
Perhaps the most shocking figure that Michelin reported is that European replacement market demand is said to have retreated by 19 per cent over the first nine months of the year, while freight haulage has yet to return to 2008 levels. What’s more, dealers sharply drew down inventory in the face of the prevailing economic uncertainty.
Things are quite different on the other side of the Atlantic. In North America, freight volumes are still outpacing 2010 and 2011 levels. The replacement market was down 3 per cent, impacted by the growth in OE sales, the availability of casings for retreading and the purchases by large accounts in 2011 ahead of price increases.
In Asia (excluding India), markets declined by 9 per cent overall. Demand in China reportedly softened by 9 per cent, reflecting the slowdown in economic growth and decline in kilometres travelled. In the ASEAN countries, freight haulage remained as active and demand expanded by 2 per cent over the period. However, the Japanese market slid 23 per cent, moving back in line with its longterm trends after the wide swings in demand caused by the natural disasters.
Demand declined by 4 per cent in Brazil, where stricter customs inspections reduced imports. In the rest of the region, market growth in Venezuela, Peru and Colombia offset the decline in Argentina caused by import barriers.


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Articles by Section - News
Listing articles 61 to 70 of 215
In late April, the USDA announced nearly $24 million in new funding for research projects aimed at protecting consumers from microbial and chemical contaminants in food. These grants, awarded by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, focused on mitigation strategies for antimicrobial resistance, the physical and molecular mechanisms of food contamination, and the safety of fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables.
A controversy that was brewing over the use of byproducts from beer production as animal food may have been turned aside by an FDA official’s recent reassurances regarding language in the proposed animal feed rule. Brewers and others have raised concerns that, as written, language in the animal feed rule of FSMA would have a significant economic impact on the beer brewing industry and on farmers who rely on the byproducts of brewing for use as animal feed.
On April 21, the Vermont House of Representatives voted to accept a Senate-passed bill that would make the state the first to require food makers to label products that contain genetically modified crops. Vermont’s Governor, Peter Shumlin, has said he will sign the bill, which would take effect in July 2016.
Americans are twice as likely to get food poisoning from food prepared at a restaurant than food prepared at home, according to a new study from the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Their analysis of “solved” outbreaks over a 10-year period found a total of 1,610 restaurant-linked outbreaks that sickened some 28,000 people, compared with 893 outbreaks traced to private homes that caused nearly 13,000 individual cases of illness.
The food, beverage, and consumer products industries, along with the Grocery Manufacturers Association and Michigan State University, are partnering together to establish the Center for Research on Ingredient Safety (CRIS). An independent, academic, science-based center, CRIS will serve as an unbiased source for information, research, training, and analysis on the safe use of chemical ingredients in consumer packaged goods including foods and beverage products.
The pasteurization process, now in prototype stage, positions each raw egg between two electrodes that send radio waves back and forth through it. At the same time, the egg is sprayed with water, to compensate for some of the heat created by the radio waves. This process warms the egg from the inside out, protecting the delicate egg white, which is more sensitive to heat.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit recently announced that it will review en banc the case that declares USDA’s Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) rule unconstitutional. This follows the March 28, 2014 ruling that had the court upholding COOL, saying the rule can indeed be enforced. New oral arguments will now take place on May 19, 2014.
Tomato growers Backyard Farms of Madison, Maine, was awarded the 13th annual Food Quality and Safety Award at a special ceremony on April 9 during the Food Safety Summit in Baltimore, Md. Sponsored by DuPont Nutrition & Health and presented by Food Quality & Safety magazine, the honor recognizes a North American quality assurance department or program each year that has made significant improvements in food safety and quality.
In the absence of federal regulations for the safe production of food products that include marijuana, the state of Colorado is at the forefront of setting its own regulations. Colorado voters agreed to legalize recreational marijuana in November 2013, and now it falls to the state’s Department of Revenue Marijuana Enforcement Division to ensure that food made with this ingredient is safe for human consumption.
Cantaloupe safety in the U.S. appears to be improving, according to results of a summer 2013 survey by FDA field officers that were recently reported by Michigan State University. “By and large, samples of melons last summer came back free of Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria,” said the report. “Most growers are practicing good agricultural practices, even if they aren’t certified as such or keeping records documenting food safety practices.”


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Chandigarh, October 11
Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of four National Public Sector Enterprises under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with BSNL (Punjab Telecom Circle), to install 100 public charging stations to boost e-mobility in Punjab.
EESL and BSNL have entered the 10-year MOU with an objective of building electric vehicle infrastructure in BSNL, Punjab Telecom Circle area and exploring synergy for further promoting EVs, including electric two-wheelers in the state.
EESL will make the entire upfront investment on services pertaining to the MoU, along with the operation and maintenance of the public charging infrastructure by using qualified personnel. BSNL will be responsible for providing the requisite space and power connections for installing the charging infrastructure.
Talking about the EESL’s mission to build a robust EV infrastructure, Venkatesh Dwivedi, Director (Projects), EESL, said: “Developing a strong supporting EV infrastructure is the key to cultivating consumer confidence in electric vehicles and will significantly enhance consumer convenience as well.” With its innovative model of demand aggregation and bulk procurement, EESL receives electric vehicles and chargers at a significantly discounted rate vis-à-vis the actual market value. Further, with access to low-cost funds, it is able to discover the most competitive project costs. Using this approach, EESL has established a sustainable business model, which makes EVs affordable for end-consumers. — TNS
All readers are invited to post comments responsibly. Any messages with foul language or inciting hatred will be deleted. Comments with all capital letters will also be deleted. Readers are encouraged to flag the comments they feel are inappropriate. The views expressed in the Comments section are of the individuals writing the post. The Tribune does not endorse or support the views in these posts in any manner.
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ServiceNow's 2015 outlook highlights how the company is expanding beyond IT management into business management. Will it ultimately run into Salesforce and more high profile cloud vendors?
Showing results 1 to 20 of 139
In the APM market, we're seeing a battle between best-of-breed, single-function products versus components of larger management frameworks. CA's APM is a part of its management framework and should be attractive to those using that framework.
Security, document management, open architecture and the ability to manage users over devices are critical components when picking an enterprise mobility management platform. But focus will matter too.
Symantec's fourth quarter was solid as was its outlook relative to expectations, but a new management team said more efficiency is needed.
Zuora's Z-Business suite combines the cloud subscription management company's core components. It comes in growth and enterprise editions.
The software, dubbed CA Infrastructure Management, is at the center of the company's efforts to manage data center, network and other tech infrastructure components.
Expect more expensive Lumias, says Nokia's CEO, after writing down the value of the components the company carries following a lowered sales outlook
Both companies collaborate to drive use of mobile payments services, including SIM-based payment methods and near-field communications-based digital wallets.
Machine-to-machine market still utilizes traditional user-pay models that are unlikely to work, and may face legal risks involving privacy as well as regulatory hurdles in different countries, industry watchers note.
Graphics processing good fit with data analytics but enterprise uptake will take time to peak due to lack of optimized software and expertise to build such apps, industry insiders say.
Companies shouldn't commit to platform-as-a-service due to existing vendor relationships but on whether service will serve needs, having right people to maximize usage and budget to deploy, urge analysts.
Cisco holds up well in the third quarter in "a cautious IT spending environment."
Only about 20 percent of companies using open source components have lock down controls and fewer than 50 percent have corporate policies in place to manage component usage, according to a study of 2500 developers released by component repository vendor Sonatype
Cupertino unveils enhanced hardware features to its device, such as faster chip and LTE support, with Asia-Pacific markets such as Singapore and Australia among first to get new iPad.
PC maker creates new software division and appoints John Swainson as president as it looks to push further into enterprise market with integrated IT offerings.
Japan, U.S. and Taiwan semiconductor giants in last phase of merger negotiation, where combined entity could have second largest share of global DRAM market, beating South Korean chipmakers, according to report.
Industry insiders share their highs and lows of 2011 and what they hope to achieve in the new year as big data, cloud computing and IT consumerization trends continue to dominate.
Components of virtual server environments that control management and optimization often require very high levels of uptime. Stratus, a long-time supplier of continuous availability solutions is helping VMware with vSphere availability.
Brother, Canon, Dell, Epson and Lexmark to manage and fund Project Homecoming, the first such ink and toner cartridge recycling initiative organized in Singapore, say companies.
Even though components in electronics-enabled textiles are much smaller than (say) a TV, they will pose a large disposal challenge within the current waste management system.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
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- 5 So you have an app idea and want to make a bajillion bucks


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Various outlets are reporting that Intel has plans to follow up its Classmate PC with a tablet computer aimed at emerging markets like China and Brazil. The Register notes that Taiwanese notebook OEM Elitegroup Computer Systems and Chinese manufacturer Malata are poised to produce the tablet, which is expected to be 10 inches and to be available by the second half of 2012.
As is often the case, the rumor was kicked off by DigiTimes, which is well sourced among component makers. DigiTimes says that in addition to the education procurement market, the StudyBook will be aimed at regular retail channels, “priced below US $299.”
Well, one should hope so. In fact, it’s hard to see how the StudyBook would compete without going well below $299. We are already accustomed to lower-end tablets running $199 or less (thank you, Amazon; thank you, Barnes and Noble). Granted, the StudyBook will be a 10-inch rather than a 7-inch device, and Intel clearly has something in mind with more processing power and versatility than the Nook or Kindle Fire. But still, an iPad it is not.
And indeed, some folks are more struck by what the StudyBook isn’t, than what it is. “No iPad 2 Rival,” runs ITProPortal’s headline. The author also takes a stab at what he thinks will likely be the StudyBook’s dual operating system: he thinks that Windows 8 is unlikely; rather, we’ll probably see Intel but together a “Linux distro like Android or Ubuntu” together with Intel’s own Tizen OS. Tizen is an intriguing open-source mobile OS that I don’t get to write about too often; in late February, the Chinese handset maker Huawei decided to use Tizen for some handsets; CNET termed it a “relatively obscure OS.” (Huawei works with other OS’s as well.)
The StudyBook tablet is also expected to run on Intel’s Medfield chip, per DigiTimes. Medfield (more details here), is one of several chips Intel is reportedly working on to help it win the Chinese market for phones and tablets, according to a report Monday in PCWorld. “Our strategy in China now is to win with smartphones and tablets. We are making progress on it!” Intel China chairman Sean Maloney said in a chat on a Chinese social networking site. Intel will hold an annual developers’ forum in China this week, demoing the Medfield chip there.
This startup wants to copy you into an embryo for organ harvesting
With plans to create realistic synthetic embryos, grown in jars, Renewal Bio is on a journey to the horizon of science and ethics.
VR is as good as psychedelics at helping people reach transcendence
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This nanoparticle could be the key to a universal covid vaccine
Ending the covid pandemic might well require a vaccine that protects against any new strains. Researchers may have found a strategy that will work.
This artist is dominating AI-generated art. And he’s not happy about it.
Greg Rutkowski is a more popular prompt than Picasso.
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Jio GigaFiber and Jio DTH launch on a commercial basis, which consumers have been waiting for ever since the services were announced last year, has been scheduled for the fifth of September 2019. As the commercial launch draws to a close, the ambiguity around what exactly will be offered to consumers also seems to be increasing.
While Reliance Industries’ chairman and managing director, Mukesh Ambani, announced in the 42nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) that Jio GigaFiber or Jio DTH subscribers will be getting a free 4K TV and free 4K Jio Set Top Box along with the services, not every consumer is entitled to this offer.
As per a notification available on the Reliance Jio social media handle, only consumers who opt for the annual plan or Jio Forever plans will get a full HD Television or a Home PC, as well as a Jio DTH 4k Set Top Box for free. This means that only consumers who opt to pay for the service for an entire year can avail of these offers for free.
While the Jio landline services or Jio Fixed Voice services have already started for consumers, Jio DTH or cable services will begin from 5 September onwards, which will be relayed with the help of existing local cable operators who are partners of Reliance Jio. Consumers apparently have the option to use the number provided by the Jio Fixed Voice services on their mobile handsets, according to a user. Jio DTH users will also get to watch movies on a first-day-first-show basis from mid-2020 onwards.
The Jio GigaFiber or Jio Fiber plans will be priced between Rs 700 and 10,000 per month, wherein the least speed that will be offered is 100Mbps. Voice calls, however, will be absolutely free. More details on the Jio welcome offer will only be revealed by next week.


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Coupon website Groupon has scooped up three companies offering similar services in Israel, India and South Africa, after it completed a $950m round of funding from investors yesterday. The 3,000-strong outfit, which recently walked away from a multi-billion dollar takeover bid by Google, said it had bought coupon deal sites …
Granted I'm biased because I like the fact that its a Chicago based start up that is getting traction and not a Silicon Valley or Alley that is getting face time.
But yeah, why sell out when you can control a market segment?
After the first 100 million, the rest doesn't matter.... :-)
Local business journal reported that some of the money raised went to investors and insiders...
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This month has started out with a lot of excitement. first Intel announced their amazing Tri-gate processor which is designed to get Intel into the Smartphone and Tablet Market. NVIDIA, who is already on many of the next generation products, bought Icera to complete their mobile suite and better compete with Qualcomm. However, at the same time Apple, who had been the company of the last decade, passed Google with the most powerful brand and likely represents the biggest threat to both the ARM vendors and Intel. Let me explain.
Back the Future
The PC market was unique in that a series of vendors grouped around a common pool of technology to create very similar products. They, over time, agreed on the processor and bought it largely from Intel, they agreed on the operating system and bought it largely from Microsoft, and they agreed on virtually all of the ports except the power port in laptops. Granted AMD and VIA provided processor alternatives to Intel’s and NVIDIA, AMD, and VIA provided graphics alternatives and Apple provided a small alternative to Windows but, for the most part, Intel and Microsoft controlled the PC market. And in that world Apple was trivialized.
However the big power behind the PC was initially IBM, who was massively dominant when the PC was created. IBM captured virtually the entire business market-- which was where the money was-- and it was corporate buyers who made the difference as they didn’t care for Commodore, Atari, or even Apple (with some small exceptions) all that much even though those brands, collectively, were much more powerful.
However, we are calling the current trend the “Consumerization of IT” and businesses aren’t driving it. Apple is by far the most influential vendor in the consumer segment. In addition, the closest thing in the tech industry to having the client power IBM had is arguably Apple thanks to the iPhone and the iPad. Their recent brand power suggests they are the company with the most influence.
Apple Vertical Integration
Last week the rumor surrounding Apple was that they were going to move off of Intel’s technology and towards ARM. However this doesn’t help NVIDIA because Apple has their own processor group and they have a tendency to want to go it alone. Granted, they don’t have a baseband processor yet and have been buying that from companies like Qualcomm but, given how Apple likes to own their solution, it is likely they eventually will want to use their own technology here as well rending both Qualcomm and NVIDIA redundant on Apple’s products.
Apple’s success has made them the most emulated and where Apple goes, others are likely to follow. HP with WebOS is already looking at going down a similar path and even Motorola is starting to look at doing their own OS. At the very least and this trend would obsolete, if successful, firms like Microsoft and Google with regard to operating systems.
In effect, Apple is not just driving the concept of a Post-PC era, they seem to be on the cusp of declaring the entire model obsolete and, should they be successful, vendors who live on this model, regardless of whether they are currently on the tablet/smartphone side or the PC side might find a declining base of customers and be forced increasingly into the role of IP litigator to preserve revenues and profits. Apple has a pretty good defense for this but most other hardware vendors and Google currently do not.
Intel Might have been Better without Apple
One of the sayings here in Silicon Valley is that “Nobody partners with Apple twice.” This is generally because high profile Apple partners ranging from HP to Portal Player have found that the initial benefits from an Apple partnership pales against the damage when Apple breaks the partnership. Even IBM, with the PowerPC processor, can attest to this as being a rule that should be remembered.
Had Apple stayed with PowerPC on PCs they would likely have been less successful and their anticipated move to ARM would have had far less impact on Intel. Now that move, coming on top of Microsoft’s announcement for ARM support, would be crippling and represent what is likely the biggest problem Intel has faced this decade.
Wrapping Up: Apple Uber Alles
What I think is fascinating to watch is that ARM represents the biggest visible threat to the x86 vendors but these vendors are still mostly fighting each other. Intel likely represents the biggest visible threat to the ARM vendors but they are too busy fighting with each other to coordinate against Intel. However the biggest threat to both is likely Apple’s model which obsoletes the independent model all of these vendors are based upon. If Apple is successful in driving the technology market to vertically integrate, which is how tech was initially under IBM and Apple, then it is game over and none of these warring vendors are likely to see it coming. In Apple’s future world there can be only one.
President and Principal Analyst, Enderle Group
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Stefan Diamonds and The West Coast Eagles are celebrating their new partnership this Valentine’s Day, with Perth’s premier diamond jewellery experts becoming the exclusive provider of the Club’s prestigious awards - including the John Worsfold Medal.
An esteemed designer of beautifully hand-crafted jewellery, Stefan Diamonds celebrate life’s most precious moments and are proud to provide their expertise in ‘marriage’ with the West Coast Eagles for the 2024 AFL season.
Stefan Diamonds’ exceptional craftmanship will detail the John Worsfold and Chris Mainwaring medals, as well as Life Member and Hall of Fame awards for players and staff to cherish forever.
The partnership will also deliver some exciting match-day experiences for supporters at the Eagles’ world-class home ground, Optus Stadium, and special showroom promotions exclusively for West Coast members.
“With over 100 years in the fine-jewellery industry, Stefan Diamonds are Perth’s premier destination for exceptionally hand-crafted diamond jewellery.
“Our expert team select only the highest quality diamonds and precious gemstones creating unique jewellery pieces to celebrate life’s most precious moments.
“We look forward to welcoming the West Coast Eagles’ players, members and supporters at our diamond boutique and showroom in the CBD with special offers available exclusively for members.”
West Coast Eagles General Manager Commercial Operations, Tony Haselhurst, said the Club was excited to partner with another iconic WA brand.
“The West Coast Eagles are delighted to be partnering iconic WA jeweller Stefan
Diamonds,” Haselhurst said.
“The partnership will drive fan engagement and excitement with some special promotions for West Coast Eagles members and fans.
“Importantly, Stefan Diamonds will add their careful and professional attention to detail to the crafting of medals associated with our major club awards, including the Life Member, John Worsfold, Chris Mainwaring and Hall of Fame medals.”


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The Colorado-based biomedical startup [ActivArmorTM ], which traditionally provides hygienic, waterproof alternatives to traditional casting and splinting, was compelled to step up in the face of crisis to help combat the current shortage of N95 masks. They partnered with the University of Maryland’s Robert Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices to turn their business production around and provide affordable, custom-fitted, reusable facemasks.
Check out the entire article here (https://choosecolorado.com/colorado-activarmor-providing-respirator-masks-for-healthcare-workers/?fbclid=IwAR1YEvzDsBQjKi78cZpkOtsi1YkzQhy91MESSDUMfs9FRGMdlP8hoJNrC7w)
Read excerpts below:
These unique facemasks offer the following benefits:
- Custom fitted to facial scan to provide a more accurate seal against airborne particulates
- 98.9-99.9% bacterial filtration efficiency
- Transparency for visibility of healthcare worker’s lips to ensure full patient/provider communication
- Reusable and washable
- Lightweight and low-profile
ActivArmor is the recipient of two Office of Economic Development and International Trade Advanced Industries grants, including the Early-Stage Capital and Retention grant, the Advanced Industries Export grant, and funding from the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grant partially funded in part by SBA. These grants provide funding to support early production for products that meet a market need and assist businesses that are beginning to export. OEDIT is proud to support Colorado’s businesses that are using innovation and resilience to support communities across the state and around the world.
(Published content on Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade)


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New Zealand exports to China soars in January
WELLINGTON - Exports to China rose 31 percent to 1.3 billion NZ dollars (800 million U.S. dollars) in January 2020 compared with January 2019, led by increases in dairy, meat, and logs, New Zealand's statistics department Stats NZ said on Thursday.
This was the biggest increase in dollar value for any New Zealand export market in January and accounted for most of the lift in total exports. Trade data for January 2020 covers the period just before travel restrictions were imposed after the coronavirus outbreak in China, Stats NZ said.
"China is New Zealand's top trading partner and exports have grown strongly over the past three years, continuing into the first month of 2020," international statistics manager Darren Allan said in a statement.
China is an especially important market for New Zealand's top three exports, accounting for more than a quarter of dairy, about half of all meat, and almost two-thirds of wood exports in January, statistics show.
"We will see any initial economic impact of coronavirus in February trade figures. This may reflect a change in demand because of the extended Chinese New Year holiday and quarantine imposed in some areas in China," Allan said.
In January 2020, New Zealand exported 27 percent of its total exports to China alone. On an annual basis, 28 percent of New Zealand's total exports were to China, he said.
Total imports from China in January 2020 were worth 1.1 billion NZ dollars, which is 22 percent of New Zealand's total monthly imports. On an annual basis, 20 percent of New Zealand's total imports were from China, statistics showed.
Imports from China make up most imports of all cell phones and computers coming into New Zealand, Allan said.


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Costa Coffee is launching a trial with 100% recyclable fibre lids across 150 stores.
The trial will kick off this summer, with the plan to extend to Costa Express machines later on in this year. They will be available across small, medium and large takeaway cup sizes.
The coffee shop chain said the new fibre lids had a carbon footprint up to 50% lower than the current polystyrene plastic ones. It changed the lining inside the takeaway cups to be made with plant-based plastic, rather than an oil-based plastic, last year.
It meant the cups had a 26% lower carbon footprint than Costa Coffee’s previous takeaway cups when recycled. The trial of the new fibre lids, however, will mean they are now made from 100% plant-based packaging.
The move will support the coffee shop chain’s mission in committing to halve carbon emissions per coffee serving by 2030, while reaching net zero by 2040.
“We are working simultaneously on three key areas within our packaging – Reuse, Reduce, Recycle,” said Costa Coffee global brand & sustainability director Deb Caldow. “Our aim is to encourage consumers to adapt reuse regularly, through offering reusable ‘rent a cup’ schemes and by rewarding consumers through an enhanced loyalty scheme, rewarding those opting to reuse.
“However, we know we need to come at this from all angles – and constantly improving single-use material options, as well as maximising cup collection and recycling, are all parallel priorities. Last year we launched takeaway cups made from 100% plant-based materials in major markets around the world and have plans to continue to improve the iconic Costa Coffee cup. We are now focusing on single-use lids, moving from polystyrene plastic lids to new fibre lids that are sustainably sourced, made from renewable material and are fully recyclable.
“We’re confident that the trial will show us that consumers are ready for the switch from plastic to fibre and that as the UK’s favourite and biggest coffee shop chain, we can make a huge difference in reducing the volume and impact of single-use, oil-based plastic on the environment. We hope other brands will join us in giving consumers easy ways to make more sustainable choices when enjoying their daily coffee.”


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March 7th, 2014 11:30am EST
What's even better than getting the chance to make an appearance at the Academy Awards when you're a five-year-old? Going to Disneyland, of course. That's what five-year-old Miles Scott, aka "Batk...
March 4th, 2014 6:45am EST
St. James’ Palace has released the official Australian itinerary for Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
March 3rd, 2014 2:06pm EST
Pharrell Williams' iconic hat was sold at auction for a staggering $44,100 over the weekend. Arby's purchased the accessory because it resembles the fast food chain's famous logo. And that kind of ...
February 22nd, 2014 12:15pm EST
Pharrell Williams has decided to auction off the infamous "Buffalo" hat he wore at the Grammy Awards to raise money for his charity.
February 20th, 2014 12:20pm EST
BLOWSIGHT will release their new charity single entitled Winter Show Mercy (Thank You) on February 25th, 2014. 100% of net proceeds resulting from downloads of the song will be donated to help the ...


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Taco Bell vs. McDonalds, the breakfast war continues!
Yesterday March 27. Taco Bell released their breakfast menu nation wide and today McDonalds placed their counter move.
McDonalds will now be giving away free coffee from March 31 until April 13.
Taco Bell released some hilarious ads obviously targeting McDonalds.
When I saw this ad I couldn’t stop laughing. I thought it was great PR and Advertising. I am not sure what has gotten into Taco Bell, but I love it.
I haven’t tried the new breakfast food yet, but I hear it is just like any other fast food breakfast. I don’t even care if the food is good I am just happy that Taco Bell is fighting against the big M.
It’s great to watch. Taco Bell has been all over Twitter with the anticipation of the new menu.
According to USA Today, Breakfast is widely regarded as the last, best growth segment in fast food. It’s a $50 billion business, estimates Technomic.
McDonald’s has cornered that breakfast market for decades with more than one-quarter of the fast-food breakfast business, but it’s suddenly feeling new pressure from such unlikely breakfast competition as Taco Bell and Starbucks.
CEO Don Thompson has said that the chain’s new product pipeline needs to improve. And February sales at its stores open at least 13 months fell 0.3%, as its U.S. business slumped for the fourth consecutive month in the midst of ghastly winter weather.
In the USA Today article Ron Paul, president of Technomic said, “So far, no one has been able to compete with McDonald’s at breakfast. Everyone is grabbing for a little bit of market share wherever they can get it.”
If they are not worried why are they giving away free coffee?
I don’t think that McDonalds is going to lose a lot of sales, but it is interesting to see their counter moves.
Recently I received McDonalds breakfast coupons in the mail suspiciously close to when Taco Bell was going to release their breakfast menu.
The timing of everything is interesting. They aren’t worried, but they are giving out coupons to get people to come and now giving away free coffee.
McDonalds you can put your PR game face on all you want, but we all know that you are a little scared.
Freebies are a last resort and you know it.


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Motorists will be soon be able to stock up on fancy food while they fill up.
Oil giant BP is teaming up with department store David Jones to roll-out fresh food shops at some of its petrol stations.
Everything from sandwiches, sushi and rotisserie chicken to pre-prepared meals and long-life groceries will be sold at 10 service stations in Sydney and Melbourne.
BP Australia's Vice President for Sales and Marketing Brooke Miller said the venture was about looking to the future.
"The traditional service station offer of today will not fulfil the retail customer needs of tomorrow," she said.
"The new stores will invite customers to explore the future possibilities of retail convenience in Australia."
Pieter de Wet, managing director David Jones Food, said: "Customers expect convenience and quality to go hand in hand, and our collaboration with BP enables us to share the David Jones Food offering with more customers than ever before."
The firms have not yet revealed where the ten upmarket new service stations will be, but they're planned for suburban spots in Melbourne and Sydney and will open over the next six months.


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Canadian pharmaceutical as well as marijuana firm Tilray (NASDAQ: TLRY) saw its supply rise by over 13% the other day complying with an unforeseen favorable profits record. Capitalists appear eager to get hold of an item of the company following its news of success. However is it the correct time to spend? Allow’s take a more detailed look.
What did Tilray record throughout its profits call?
Tilray reported an internet profits boost of approximately 20%, with profits striking $155 million for the quarter. Earnings additionally enhanced to $6 million, a welcome adjustment from the loss of $89 million reported last quarter. In spite of missing out on expert profits quotes of $170.55 million, this profits record must be viewed as a success for the firm as well as its investors as it notes the initial genuine venture right into success or, at the very least, recovering cost.
Should I purchase Tilray?
The other day’s profits records disclosed a whole lot concerning the firm to possible financiers. A reverse merging with Aphria in Might appears to have actually profited Tilray considerably by developing price cuts, even more of which are anticipated to follow this year.
The firm additionally preserved its place as the marijuana market leader for Canada regardless of a high degree of market saturation, while additionally ending up being the leader for clinical marijuana in the German market with around 20% of the marketplace share.
This will certainly be of specific rate of interest to financiers, as the German federal government seeks to increase the press to legislate leisure marijuana. Tilray will certainly be exceptionally well-positioned to benefit from this regulations as it is presently the only firm providing the German federal government with clinical marijuana expanded in-country.
Tilray has actually additionally spent greatly in its SweetWater Developing arm, with the firm just recently going into the spirits classification in Canada. SweetWater additionally got 2 craft-beer brand names in late December in a more effort to broaden its procedures.
On the whole, Tilray supplies an extremely fascinating possibility to reveal on your own to the blossoming marijuana market. In contrast to a great deal of its North American rivals, Tilray supplies straight exposure to the European market while additionally preserving some profits variety via its developing as well as health sectors. Raised legalisation both country wide as well as globally is necessary to guarantee future development, yet as the firm ultimately gets to success it absolutely supplies some possible advantage to any type of financiers with big danger resistance.


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Apple recently announced their “greatest iPhones yet”. Months before the announcement, rumors were rife about the latest iPhones rocking sapphire coated displays. These rumors first originated when Apple invested heavily in sapphire.
Following the announcement, any tech geek like me was left wondering why Apple decided to omit sapphire and chose ion-strengthened curved glass for their latest iPhone displays instead (Gorilla glass). However, digging in, I found out why using sapphire probably wasn’t a good idea at all.
Sapphire is brittle
Contrary to the general perception, sapphire, being more brittle, is more susceptible to cracks than glass. Once sapphire is made into a sheet, it is extremely hard and therefore virtually scratch-proof, but with smartphones being prone to drops, using a brittle material for the screen would mean more broken screens.
It takes more energy to produce
As awareness grows in consumers of the way any product affects the environment, using sapphire could result in a backlash from the public. Requiring a 100 times more energy than glass displays, sapphire displays pose greater risk to the environment.
Sapphire is much more expensive
With the iPhones already receiving criticism for their high price, adding more production cost to the iPhone isn’t viable at all. Sapphire is 10 times as expensive as glass to manufacture, and would add around $100 to the already eye-watering prices of the new iPhones, which is a bad idea.
Sapphire would reduce battery life and
Sapphire displays are less transparent than glass ones, which means that more power is required to illuminate them compared to glass displays. Restricting battery life for the iPhones any further won’t be lauded by the consumers.
Sapphire is thicker
With manufacturers in a race to launch the slimmest smartphones in the market, putting a bulkier display on an iPhone would mean more thickness and weight; which is not an option in today’s market.
Even though sapphire may not be a viable alternative to glass just yet, Apple may have some long-term plans to counter the limitations sapphire poses for now. So sapphire displays in the future iPhones are still a possibility.


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Google-owned Motorola Mobility on Wednesday unveiled the Moto G, aimed at the half-billion consumers around the world, many in emerging markets, who want a smartphone without a high price tag.
The new handset will sell at less than $200 without a contract in the US market and, around the world, will be around one-third the price of top-line Apple iPhones and Samsung devices.
Unveiling the phone in the Brazilian business hub Sao Paulo. Motorola chief Dennis Woodside said: “Half a billion people will buy a phone for under $200.
“Moto G is a smartphone that delivers a premium experience with today’s technology at less than one-third of the price of today’s smartphones like the iPhone 5s,” he said.
The new device is a low-cost version of the Moto X released earlier this year in the United States.
It features a 4.5 inch (11.5 cm) display and all-day battery, and will include the latest versions of the Google Android operating system.
Motorola hosted the launch after Britain’s Tesco supermarket chain and Germany’s Phone House listed it in their catalogs.
Woodside said the phone would be especially attractive in emerging markets around where carrier subsidies for phones are rare and consumers are reluctant to pay $600 or more for a handset.
“Our industry forced consumers to make a choice between two very bad options,” he said.
“The first option is to buy an old technology that doesn’t work well with applications like Google maps… the second option is to buy an old premium phone that was typically released in the US two or three years ago. We think the industry should deliver more value for the consumer’s dollar.”
The handset packs in a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 5-megapixel and 1.3-megapixel cameras front and rear.
This will allow the phone to “punch above its weight,” said Punit Soni, software product manager for Motorola.
IDC marketb analyst Ramon Llamas said the device won’t work on high-speed LTE networks but that “most of the initial markets don’t have LTE networks. 3G will do just fine.”
Llamas said in a tweet: “Users in emerging markets are price sensitive, but not ignorant of what a quality smartphone is. #MotoG is addressing that need.”
Woodside said the phone goes on sale immediately in Brazil and some European markets, and will hit the US and a total of 30 countries by early next year.
In the US, the price for an unlocked entry-level Moto G will be $179.
It will have dual SIM capability to allow consumers to roam in other countries with a second identity. It will also allow customization with a variety of colors and accessories.
Brazil, with its population of 200 million, has a reported 262.2 million cellphones and around 27 million people have a smartphone.
Recent research by Gartner Inc predict mobile-phone growth hitting 5.2 percent in 2014, outstripping 3.7 percent this year with consumers chasing competitively-priced handsets fueling the rise.
Google bought Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion in May 2012, aiming to revive the struggling former star of the mobile sector and use it to battle for smartphone supremacy with the Android platform.
Google also sells its own Nexus-branded phones manufactured by South Korea’s LG.


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The press releases section of Snowsports Business Report is primarily for snowsports product news (e.g., new product releases, collabs, collections, etc.), promotional activities (e.g., marketing campaigns, gear sales, etc.), event announcements and sponsorships, and award notifications. Send all press release items — as well as business news — to firstname.lastname@example.org
Norwegian World Cup alpine ski racer will use Colorado company’s new race wax.


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HUDSON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, the nation’s leading fabric and craft retailer, announced today that Travis Smith is stepping down as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.
The Board of Directors is undertaking a comprehensive search to identify a replacement Chief Executive Officer. Until a replacement has been identified, Jim Kerr, the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Company, while continuing in his current role as CFO. In his role as Interim CEO, Mr. Kerr will partner with Riddi Kline, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Merchandising, and Tom Williams, Executive Vice President of Operations and Human Resources, to manage the business. Collectively, these Executive Officers will leverage over forty years of combined experience at Jo-Ann to continue executing on the Company’s established strategic plan.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to thank Travis for the positive role he has played in contributing to the growth of Jo-Ann during his tenure at the Company,” said Todd Purdy, Partner, Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. Mr. Smith joined Jo-Ann in July 2006 and has served in various executive roles prior to being named CEO in August 2011.
“I am proud of our accomplishments at Jo-Ann,” said Mr. Smith. “Together we have expanded the reach of Jo-Ann by growing the store base, investing in omni-channel initiatives, and improving the customer experience. I wish the Company and its employees all the best as I pursue a new chapter in my career.”
About Jo-Ann Stores, LLC
Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, the nation’s leading fabric and craft retailer with locations in 49 states, was founded in 1943 as a single retail store. Today, more than 830 Jo-Ann stores across the country provide consumers all the fabrics, craft supplies and inspiration they need, conveniently under one roof. For additional information, visit Joann.com. To make creative connections, visit Joann.com/community.
About Leonard Green & Partners, L.P.
Leonard Green & Partners, L.P. is one of the nation’s preeminent private equity firms with over $15 billion of private equity capital raised since inception. Founded in 1989, the firm has invested in over 70 companies with an aggregate value of over $85 billion in the form of traditional buyouts, going-private transactions, recapitalizations, growth capital investments, corporate carve-outs and selective public equity and debt positions. Based in Los Angeles, California, Leonard Green & Partners invests in established companies that are leaders in their markets. For more information, please visit www.leonardgreen.com.


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Chinese players evaluate Beijing’s factory close or output cut order
Players in China evaluated the impacts of these factory closures as well as the output cuts and shared their comments.
A trader in China said, “The PP market sentiment is affected by the environmental pollution control issue, especially in Beijing, Hebei and Guangdong provinces. The red alert has affects for the short term, until the air quality index returns to acceptable levels. Meanwhile, transportation in these cities is also influenced.”
An ethylene based PVC producer commented, “After shutdowns and reduced operating rates in Beijing; Tianjin port was also affected; it was ordered to be closed for 5 days.”
Another trader offering PS and ABS stated that Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi and Henan will undergo the most stringent environmental inspection in 2016, from December 16 to 21. “Factories that were found to be violating air quality regulations will have to reduce their operating rates or shut down their plants. Heavy haze caused highways to be closed and transportation came to a standstill. We think that this inspection will have more impacts on manufacturers rather than the producer side,” he commented.
An acetylene based PVC producer stated, “The air pollution that caused factories to close or reduce operating rates is not influencing PVC since the PVC market is not centered in Beijing. We are currently running our plant close to full rates.”
More free plastics newsPlastic resin (PP, LDPE, LLDPE ,HDPE, PVC, GPS; HIPS, PET, ABS) prices, polymer market trends, and more...
- Turkey PP, PE markets propelled higher by shipping bottlenecks in Sept
- Are record-high PVC prices the new normal amid enduring pandemic?
- European PVC up for 16th month in Sept, prices touch new highs
- Egypt’s PP, PE markets rise on tightness in September
- Logistics snarls propel import PP, PE offers higher in Europe
- Import PVC prices near all-time highs in India, disparity with China/SEA grows
- PP, PE supplies rise in China; demand lags behind expectations despite peak season
- Stats: China’s July PE imports increase after 3 months of declines
- Will Asia’s PS markets follow ABS higher on cost support?
- Sept PET expectations diverge in shade of opposite factors in Europe


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FTSE CLOSE: Footsie briefly dips below December 1999 close before making recovery; Retailers brace for Black Friday frenzy; Virgin Atlantic in takeover talks with Flybe
- Earlier, the index slumped below the 6,930 level it closed at on 31 Dec 1999
- But it clawed back to finish down just 7.46 points at 6952.86
- It's a big day for retailers but 50% of Black Friday sales are set to be made online
- Flybe shares soar 70% after it emerged that Virgin could be eyeing a takeover
- Outsourcer Interserve is urgently exploring ways to generate new capital
- Fuller, Smith and Turner has posted rising first half sales, but profits are knocked
The FTSE 100 closed down 7.46 points at 6952.86 and the pound was at $1.28 against the dollar.
Earlier, London's blue chip index slumped below the 6,930 level it closed at on 31 December 1999 - hitting 6,912.3 before clawing back most of today's losses.
'The Footsie is now back to where it started this century, thanks to a sell-off in the commodity sector, sparked by concerns that oil supply is set to outstrip global demand,' said Laith Khalaf, senior analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.
'It’s perhaps fitting that on Black Friday, tumbling oil stocks have slashed the price of the FTSE 100.
'The UK stock market is heavily influenced by commodity prices, because some of its big hitters are global oil and mining giants.
'Seventeen per cent of the FTSE 100 is made up by Shell and BP, so when the oil price dips, the Footsie takes a bath.
'It’s tempting to conclude that the last 19 years have been a total wipeout for investors, but that would ignore the effect of dividends, which aren’t counted in the FTSE 100.
'Investors in the UK stock market have actually almost doubled their money since 1999, with dividends reinvested.'
Vulnerable sterling rallied against the Euro today after PM Theresa May insisted there was 'no better' Brexit deal.
Among today's biggest fallers are Premier Oil and Ted Baker.
David Madden says: Stock markets are largely lower as political uncertainty persists, and the plunge in the oil price has hurt oil stocks.
Dealers are still waiting for the Italian and UK situation with respect to the EU to play out. The EU summit over the weekend could shed new light on Brexit. In London, oil stocks like BP, Royal Dutch Shell and Tullow Oil are firmly in the red on account of the sharp sell-off in the underlying oil market.
Retail analyst Nick Bubb says: 'As we move into December, in an ideal world retailers and consumers alike would be focused on the build-up of Christmas shopping.
But we do not live in an ideal world and the political drama over Brexit could overshadow everything. With the key Brexit deal vote in the House of Commons now expected to be on Dec 11th, we wish Mike Ashley good luck in his doomed attempt to harangue MP’s on the High Street Select Committee on Dec 5th.
'And if the Prime Minister loses the first vote, then things could get very chaotic, depending on when the second vote would be held and how seriously the markets take the chance of the UK crashing out of the EU at the end of March with a “no deal”.
'On that scenario, we must also wish good luck to the “big ticket” retailers relying on a good start to the key Boxing Day Sales on Dec 26th.'
The three biggest concerns of business leaders worldwide are risks around technology, governance and skills shortages, according to the latest BSI Organizational Resilience Index.
BSI found that governance & accountability has soared up the importance rankings this year.
It also says that businesses around the world are placing less of a focus on innovation, with the notable exception of China, which perceives it as the most important factor to organisational resilience.
Commenting on the findings, Howard Kerr, BSI chief executive said: 'Faced with these challenges, companies must continue to innovate and balance risk against opportunity. Those that succeed over the long-term recognise that failing to adapt means missing out on opportunity.'
The latest figures from Barclaycard, as of 1pm today, show a:
- 15% increase in the volume of payment transactions compared to the same period on Black Friday last year, but a
- 12% decrease in the amount spent compared to Black Friday last year
Barclaycard said: 'Our data shows that people have been making a higher number of less expensive purchases than at this time last year.
'This suggests that, while Black Friday is clearly encouraging shoppers to buy, consumers are more likely to be purchasing smaller ‘treat’ products, rather than splashing out on high-end items.'
Barclaycard processed a record-high 1056 transactions per second between 12pm and 1pm. Last year’s Black Friday peak was 998 transactions per second, recorded between 1pm and 2pm.
Some HSBC customers were locked out of their online accounts today on what is slated to be one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
The bank said that some customers were experiencing "intermittent issues" logging onto HSBC's mobile phone app.
In a statement, the airline said: 'The board of Flybe Group notes the recent media speculation and confirms that Virgin Atlantic Airwaysis one of the parties it is in discussions with as part of the formal sale process announced on 14 November.
'There can be no certainty that an offer will be made, nor as to the terms on which any offer will be made.'
Its shares are up by nearly 50 per cent at 14.5p.
The recent sharp sell-off in shares worldwide has unnerved many UK investors – and half expect the market downturn to persist until the end of the tax year.
This is according to new research by financial services firm Willis Owen, which also found that 17 per cent of UK investors expect the UK stock market to fall by a tenth between now and then.
Oil prices continued to decline this morning. Brent Crude is down by 1.7 per cent at $60.90, while WTI is down 2.42 per cent at $52.21.
Fiona Cincotta from City Index says: 'Although most analysts claim that this has to do with supply overhang and increased production from Russia and Saudi Arabia, the bottom line is that the US President keeps pushing for lower prices.
'And while this is the case it will be difficult to see a return to oil at a higher level unless oil cartel OPEC decides on a major output cut at its next meeting on December 6.'
The future of Spark Energy has been thrown into doubt as its owners face an uphill battle to keep the firm afloat amid severe turmoil in the sector.
The Press Association understands that the company has enlisted KPMG to assess all options for the firm, including potential administration.
The professional services firm was initially brought in to oversee an accelerated sale or merger with another provider, but the collapse of rival Extra Energy this week and well-documented pressures in the industry have caused alarm among would-be investors, sources told PA.
If it were to collapse, Spark would become the seventh small energy supplier to go bust this year, leaving hundreds of thousands of customers in limbo.
As of 10am today:
There's 16 per cent increase in the volume of payment transactions compared to the same period on Black Friday last year,
BUT a 21 per cent decrease in the amount spent compared to Black Friday last year.
The data is according to Barclaycard, which processes nearly half of all debit and credit card transactions in the UK.
Joshua Mahony, Market Analyst at IG, says: The FTSE 100 is trading slightly higher in early trade, as yesterday’s GBPUSD gains have started to ease off.
Brexit uncertainty is likely to ensure a general lack of conviction amongst traders, with everything seemingly up in the air and highly changeable.
Theresa May continues to go on the offensive, with her appearance on Radio 5 highlighting attempts to win over public perception.
However, with the chips stacked against her from the start, there is still a significant feeling that the PM has a mountain to climb if she wants to garner enough support to push this deal through Parliament.
Asda has trimmed the cost of fuel at its 319 forecourts across the UK for the fourth time in as many weeks.
The supermarket chain has promised the cut 1p a litre off unleaded and 2p off diesel in response to falling wholesale prices for both fuels.
'Markets have paused for breath in parts of the world after an adventurous few weeks,' says AJ Bell's Russ Mould.
'The FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 barely moved on Friday morning, mirroring a similarly static performance across mainland Europe.
'It was a different story in Asia where China’s Shanghai Composite index fell 2.5% as investors sounded caution ahead of next week’s G20 summit. US President Donald Trump will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the event for crucial talks on trade.
'The decline in the market on Friday implies that investors are nervous that the two leaders won’t come to an amicable agreement.
'The Shanghai index is down 20% this year, making it one of the worst performers among the main indices in the world.'
Some websites are already experiencing issues amid high traffic. Gym Shark, Debenhams and Game are all said to have crashed at some point during the Sale event.
Gavin Lowther, head of digital at eCommerce and digital agency Visualsoft, says: 'Unfortunately, retailers haven’t learned from last year’s embarrassing website crashes; Debenhams and GAME both crashed in 2017 and have done so again this year.
'Black Friday 2018 will almost undoubtedly be the biggest ever for traffic and sales made via mobile, but many retailers are clearly unwilling to focus on getting the basics right and will lose out as a result.'
Shares in Flybe took off on Friday following reports that Virgin Atlantic is in talks about a takeover bid for the struggling airline.
Virgin, part owned by Sir Richard Branson, is thought to be vying with Stobart to buy Flybe and is interested in its take-off and landing slots at London's Heathrow Airport.
The regional airline put itself up for sale last week after warning over profits earlier in the year.
Flybe shares were up nearly 20% in morning trade at 11.4p. Read more here >>>
Struggling outsourcer Interserve is exploring ways to generate new capital as it looks to tackle its debt mountain and put the firm on a more secure financial footing.
The company said on Friday that it is working with advisers to look at all options for its financial structure, including potentially bringing fresh cash into the business.
In a third-quarter trading update, the firm said its "Fit for Growth" turnaround strategy will deliver £15 million in cost savings in 2018.
Fuller, Smith & Turner has posted rising sales for the first half, but profits took a knock after the pubs group counted the cost of an investment plan.
Revenue was up 6% to £222.1 million in the six months to October at the London Pride brewer, but pre-tax profit fell 12% to £20.8 million due to an investment in its estate.
Fuller's chief executive Simon Emeny said: 'We made a conscious decision to front-load our investment programme - impacting our profitability by £0.9 million.
'Although we would have seen profit increase had we not taken this action, we believe this is the right decision and ensures our estate is in the best possible position to benefit from the busy Christmas period and beyond.'
Compared with Black Friday a few years ago, when shoppers queued for hours outside shops to bag a bargain, all seems quiet so far today.
Bluewater, where the majority of shops open at 8am, is still awaiting the crowds. Although, it is still early...
As per the trend seen over the last few years, around 50 per cent of today's Black Friday sales are expected to be made online, with the likes of Amazon, Currys PC World and Argos nabbing the lion's share.
Because of that, we could see further declines in High Street footfall.
So far this morning, one of the UK's biggest shopping centres - Bluewater in Kent - is looking extremely quiet.
Retail consultant Andrew Busby shared this shot of the alarmingly empty Bluewater car park with This is Money a few moments ago...
Since Walmart-owned Asda brought Black Friday over from the US in 2013, UK retailers have seemingly adopted the sales frenzy with open arms.
It's not always in their best interests, however, with the squeeze to margins often having a detrimental effect on profits.
And even if sales get an attractive pre-Christmas boost, it is often just an advance on the Christmas rush and has served to take the shine off the once-booming Boxing Day Sales.
Some well-prepared firms, however, will have cushioned the blow to profits by buying stock in especially for today.
The FTSE 100 was flat at the bell today and is currently lingering around the 6,969.54 mark.
After yesterday’s excitement – the 1 per cent spike in the pound on the back of an apparent Brexit advancement – Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK, gives us the lowdown on what today might hold.
‘With US markets closed for Thanksgiving yesterday, today’s price action could well be a fairly subdued affair as we towards what looks set to be another negative week for European equity markets, as investors mull the prospect of possible next steps in the budget standoff between Rome and Brussels, and look forward to this weekend’s EU summit and next week’s G20 meeting, and trade talks between China and the US.
‘Having set into motion the process of “excessive deficit procedure” towards Italy the EU now runs the risk of its bark being worse than its bite if it now doesn’t follow through on its threats to sanction the Italian government for “serious noncompliance.”
‘Italy isn’t the only economy in Europe experiencing a slowdown, today’s Q3 German GDP number is expected to confirm a contraction in economic activity of -0.2%, later this morning.
In the US, there is likely to be quite a few eyes on the Black Friday sales numbers for the major retailers as US consumers start to gear up their plans for the run up to Christmas.
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