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As cars become increasingly connected, dealerships need ways to benefit from all the information those vehicles are generating. Companies are launching products that allow dealers to do just that, and to boost service-lane income in the process.
“We are at this point where technology is allowing dealerships to have far more reach than before, without having their own tech department or collaborating with a third party,” Karl Brauer, executive publisher at Kelley Blue Book, AutoTrader and Dealer.com tells WardsAuto.
Dealer-FX, a customer-experience management software provider based in Rochester Hills, MI, recently launched ONE Platform. It combines data from six of its software packages to give a service adviser a unified view of where a customer is in the service cycle.
It has resulted in a 24% improvement in parts and service, a 21% increase in repair orders and a tripling of retention rates, Dealer-FX claims.
“You have to give the dealership the proper tools to interact with the customer more easily,” says Gary Kalk, CEO of Dealer-FX. “It is too complicated now.”
The ONE Platform pulls data from services that help a dealer schedule service appointments; provides fast, transparent check-in; conducts inspections; manages shop workflow by getting customer approvals through text or email; has curbside checkout and, ultimately, retains the customer, he says.
The ONE Platform automatically will be installed when a dealership updates its Dealer-FX offerings. More than 2,000 dealerships representing five manufacturers now use those Dealer-FX products, the company says. The cost ranges between $1,500 and $2,500 a month.
The new platform shows a service advisor where a vehicle is in each stage of the service process. For example, if a replacement part isn’t in stock and a repair may take longer, the service adviser immediately can notify the customer of a delay in delivery.
The new product helps the dealership improve the customer experience in other ways, Kalk says. With all the metrics gathered in a central location, a dealer can analyze how quickly a customer is greeted in the service lane, what the customer is saying about the experience, how long it takes to return the vehicle to the customer, and whether a dealership is missing delivery times, among other uses, he says.
“This business intelligence is going to allow a dealership to be more efficient, to manage capacity better and to retain customers better,” Kalk says.
Now that Dealer-FX can gather in one platform all that data, it is looking to go a step further. It has partnered with Carlisle & Company, a Concord, MA-based aftersales strategy and solutions provider, to create a program that uses machine learning to crunch all that customer data and start to monetize it.
The program, which is still being tested, will allow a dealership to customize each customer’s service-lane experience, says Kalk. So, for example, it will learn which service adviser a customer prefers. It also can predict when a customer is likely to leave the dealership for another service provider. “Our initial proof of concept has brought tremendous insight,” he says.
Dealing with that much information can be tricky, says KBB’s Brauer: “The success depends on the ability to not just capture the data, but also have a system in place to organize and act on that data. Until then, it is just a lot of noise.”
Another company finding ways for dealerships to use customer data is Spireon, an aftermarket telematics solutions provider based in Irvine, CA. It launched a connected-car product called Kahu, which includes an aftermarket GPS device and mobile application that has uses for both dealers and their customers.
Dealerships pay Spireon $50 per vehicle to install the GPS device on their vehicle inventory, chief product officer Jason Penkethman explains.
Customers then can choose to buy access to the Kahu application through a dealership’s F&I department. The cost, which is set by the dealer but is roughly $795 for three years, is rolled into the vehicle purchase price.
The GPS device tracks the car’s mileage and the application notifies the dealer when to send service reminders based on actual miles driven.
“This allows the dealer to have a relationship with the customer,” says Penkethman.
A customer opts in to receive the service reminders. But Kahu offers much more than that; the app’s main function is to help prevent theft by allowing an owner to track a vehicle, set geofencing parameters and get real-time alerts if they are violated. Essentially, it creates a connected car.
That makes sense for the dealer and manufacturer, Brauer says. It can be included on older as well as new vehicles, he notes, and “it will make it easier for dealers to sell their service post-sale.”
Kahu saw an average 30% sell-through rate at the 20 dealerships across the U.S. where it has been tested, Penkethman says, adding the app is set for a wider launch in the second quarter. Spireon also is talking with automakers about including Kahu as original equipment on a vehicle, he says.
Access to connected-car information is the Holy Grail for dealerships and automakers, says Eric Noble, president of The Car Lab, a design and product-planning consultancy based in Orange, CA. Tools such as ONE Platform, and especially Kahu, potentially can enhance the ownership experience and the service-lane revenue stream for the dealer, but they will have to be properly utilized, he says.
Then there is the fact that consumers often aren’t interested in having a relationship with their dealer or their car’s manufacturer, he says.
“We have yet to see any evidence that consumers are willing to pay any monthly fee so that the dealer or the OE can have any more information about their car,” Noble says.


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Social media analyst Jeremiah Owyang was engaged by the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau to conduct a survey of social media use by travelers — the “socialgraphics” of Hawaii tourists. He and HVCB director for online marketing Kara Imai discussed their findings on “Bytemarks Cafe,” the weekly science and technology show on Hawaii Public Radio.
- Finding out how your target customers use social media (Disclosure: Altimeter was hired by HVCB to conduct socialgraphics research), and where they are online is the first step in a social business strategy. We call this socialgraphics, learn more about it here.
- Mom and pops, small businesses, and even large hotels can benefit from social media.
- What happens at the destination (and how people rate their experience, even in real time) is a form of marketing.
Owyang was back in Honolulu to present at the Hawaii Tourism Conference. His remarks were covered by local ABC affiliate, KITV:
Like businesses everywhere, Hawaiiâ€™s tourism industry is turning to social networking media, like Facebook and Twitter, to attract visitors.
So a workshop featuring research into social media and traveling behavior was among the biggest attractions at the annual Hawaii Tourism Conference Monday at the Hawaii Convention Center.
Jeremiah Owyang of the Altimeter Group, who has researched use of social media by travelers, said while many companies have established Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, that doesnâ€™t mean they are taking full advantage of social network marketing.
Photo by Burt Lum, used with aloha.

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Electus International has signed a deal to launch a UK version of Mattel Creation’s The Toy Box.
The UK’s ‘kidult’ toy market (meaning adults buying kids’ toys for themselves) is growing three times faster than the toy sector overall.
The LEGO Ideas platform will no longer accept new submissions based on third-party licences that are already active in the LEGO Group’s portfolio.
Good Little Games’ free print-and-play tabletop games are back, supported by the launch of a new Patreon campaign.
Game designers have the opportunity to pitch their creation to publishers at this year’s UK Games Expo thanks to Playtest UK’s Meet the Makers Designer/Publisher Speed-Dating event.
Mojo Nation caught up with Tourmaline’s two co-founders to talk about the development process behind their latest creation, Islands of Oniri: Children of the River
Toy designers in the US may well consider incorporating app connectivity into their creations as a new study has revealed little ones spend most of their allowance on apps (13.4 per cent).
CoolMiniOrNot’s Rising Sun game has raised over $4m on Kickstarter, becoming the firm’s most successful crowdfunding campaign to date.
Harbottle & Lewis’ Jeremy Morton has told Mojo Nation that the UK will need its own new-look design right as the UK leaves the EU.
Hello and welcome to Mojo Nation. We’re a body for toy and game creators of all levels, from design students and one-man bands to R&D teams within toy firms or anyone with an idea.


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2K Marin has revealed the first round of DLC for The Bureau: XCOM Declassified. Priced at $4.99 and scheduled for release on October 8 exclusively on Xbox 360, the Hangar 6 R&D add-on pack is set just before the large-scale alien invasion in the main game.
Players step into the shoes of Agent DaSilva, who has volunteered for a series of psychic experiments, the DLC’s lead designer explains in a developer blog: "Agent DaSilva and his squad are treated with an elerium-based compound gas in order to visualize and combat the mental defenses of another agent infected with the Sleepwalker pathogen.”
The DLC’s said to crank up the game's difficulty level, but this is balanced out by the introduction of a new series of powers and perks based on DaSilva's 'plant and trigger' bomb abilities. These can be mixed with some of Agent Carter's abilities from the main game in players’ upgrade paths. Fresh weapons include a new AK-47 and a prototype Microwave Gun that cooks enemies from the inside out.
2K Marin said in June that multiple narrative-driven DLC packs for the game are planned for release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, with only the first one exclusive to Microsoft's console


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Short-selling raider ShadowFall questions IQE profits
A supplier of parts for Apple iPhones has been targeted by a short-selling raider that claims it has misreported profits.
Cardiff-based IQE’s value neared £1.4bn last year amid optimism about its silicon wafers being used in the new iPhone X. Its stellar share price growth has also made it the top target for short-sellers on AIM, with 21% of its shares on loan, according to Markit.
On Friday, ShadowFall Capital and Research claimed IQE was reliant on two joint ventures for a big slice of its profits — £6.7m, or 30% of adjusted earnings in 2016. ShadowFall said the two joint ventures, which are based in Cardiff and Singapore, appear not to have any customers other than IQE. Losses are also piling up in the


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Throwing out convention and simply gathering like-minded start-ups, entrepreneurs, small businesses and expert speakers for a free user-generated grassroots conference has been a successful format for Bizcamp, now in its second year.
At the 2008 event, Bizcamp got 200 business-minded folk together, but this year it sold out rapidly, with 499 people registering for the 19 September event at the Guinness Storehouse.
Doubling as both a networking event and a day of business learning, the “non-conference” is free to attend and will feature heavy-weight speakers including Jerry Kennelly, former co-founder and CEO of Kerry-based Stockbyte, which was sold to Getty Images in 2006 for €135m.
Kennelly will be speaking on a panel discussion with three other successful entrepreneurs: Kevin Traynor, CEO of Sonic academy, Colm Lyon, CEO of Realex Payments and Asheesh Dewan, founder of Jaipur Restaurants and co-founder of Segala.
Aside from the featured panel there will be four streams of talks running from 10am until 5pm, with advice ranging from using Twitter as a marketing tool to talks from IBM, Microsoft’s Bizspark programme and Enterprise Ireland.
Some really practical advice can be had. For example, David Lucey of Enterprise Ireland’s talk entitled The Top 10 omissions from business plans and Gerard Brandon’s talk, It is part of the job of an entrepreneur to find money. Get over it!!!
By Marie Boran
Photo: Business-minded folk can take part in Bizcamp at at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin on 19 September.


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SIBU: Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) has assured that genuine traders will be provided with spaces to trade.
Its chairman Clarence Ting said the council would award traders who show persistence in their undertakings.
He gave the assurance when visiting Taman Indah Sunday Market here today.
During the visit, stall owners and customers expressed their gratitude and appreciation to Ting.
As stalls were doing brisk business, Ting was glad to know that the council provided the location for them to trade every weekend.
“Today, SMC has opened additional stalls due to numerous requests for trading spaces.”
He noted that the council had to cement a nearby green area to cater for new trading spaces.
“However, the absence of some vendors who have received permits through balloting but did not turn up to trade was a disappointment. We will award spaces to genuine traders, those who show persistence,” he said.
For now Ting said the aim was to maintain cleanliness in view of the growing number of traders and visitors.


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Financial analyst and politician Attah Issah has blamed Ghana’s swelling import drive on the inability of the government to help businesses minimise cost of local production.
The Parliamentary candidate for the opposition NDC in Sagnarigu said the cost of doing business in Ghana has gone off the roof in than past year, making local products more expensive to the average Ghanaian who struggles to find a financial balance due to the harsh economic conditions.
To him, it is the reason the taste for foreign products has heightened among Ghanaians in the past few years, making it difficult for the government to control inflation.
Speaking in an interview on TV XYZ, Issah who is an entrepreneur bemoaned the tax components on the prices of locally made products, stressing that the west does not improve economies through imposing such nuisance taxes but rather create enabling environment for businesses to be more efficient and export more products.
“Ghana has acquired foreign taste due to [the] cost of doing business in Ghana,” he stated and explained that there is a demand for sanitary pads in the country but the locally ones are expensive due to the high cost of producing the pads.
“Because of government policies abroad, they are able to produce more at a lower cost so when their products come here you see that their prices are lower… so we have gradually acquired foreign taste.”
He said the situation also makes products made in Ghana very expensive on the international market hence hampering the country’s export drive.
He urged government to bridge the gap between the products being consumed in the country and what the country produces for the people. He wants the government to focus on agriculture and adding value to raw materials in the country.
“You need to prioritise areas that you think you have competitive advantage in,” he urged while pointing that the local production of cocoa, rice and sugar will help sustain the economy through foreign exchange.
To him, high interest rates were also hampering local production especially when private sector industry players lack access to credit to thrive and contribute to the growth of the country’s GDP.
Despite all the investments the NPP government brags of, Atta Issah believes the government did not channel the resources to the right sectors such as the private sector.
He also bemoaned that tax incentives were not given to the right companies, adding that a wanton amount of GHS 47 billion to “selected foreign companies” to the detriment of local firms.
Expressing disappointment in the Akufo-Addo government, Issah urged Ghanaians to believe in the flag bearer of the NDC, former President John Mahama, who has promised to tap into the human capital of the country through the implementation of a 24-hour economy to revive the country’s finaces.
“Tax exemptions shall be well targeted by the 24hr economy under Mahama,” he added.
NDC’s Approach to 24-hr economy
The 24-hour economy policy will be a major boost for the next NDC administration’s import substitution and export drive under John Mahama.
A Mahama government will leverage it to stabilize the national currency, improve Ghana’s reserves, bring down inflation and interest rates, create more employment opportunities and improve livelihoods.
Mahama has pledged that his government will create an enabling environment for businesses and companies to operate 24/7 by providing an atmosphere of improved security and public safety.
He pledges that his government will provide cheaper and reliable electricity for participating businesses based on a Time Of Use (TOU) tariff system.
Mahama has also promised Companies that sign unto the 24-hour economy policy modern smart meters which will be calibrated to charge a lesser tariff (per KW/h) for power consumed during off-peak hours.
Tax Incentives will also be given businesses that subscribe to the 24-hour Economy policy to reduce the cost of their operations and enhance their competitiveness.
The NDC government pledges to provide financing support for certain strategic agro-processing factories and manufacturing companies to boost production for import substitution and exports.
By Henryson Okrah |Myxyzonline.com


text: Dark Hall Mansion will release these amazing new Alice in Wonderland art prints by Johnny Dombrowski next week. “The Hatter” and “Caterpillar” are both 22″ x 30″ screenprints, have small editions of 99, and will cost $75 each. The variants have editions of 25 and will cost $100 each. These go up Monday, October 29th at 9:30am Pacific Time. Visit DarkHallMansionStore.com.


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SiriusXM on Monday announced it will acquire Stitcher, the internet radio service that’s best known for its free podcasting app, from E.W. Scripps Co. for up to $325 million.
Sirius will pay $265 million in cash at the closing of the deal and could pay up to $60 million in additional payments if Stitcher achieves certain financial goals in 2020 and 2021. According to the press release, the deal is slated to close in the third quarter of 2020, subject to regulatory approvals.
According to the release, the SiriusXM and Pandora owned-and-operated digital platforms, combined with the company’s exclusive ad sales arrangement with SoundCloud for the U.S., and the Stitcher and Midroll networks that are subject to the agreement, will reach over 150 million listeners — the largest U.S. audience in digital audio.
“The addition of Stitcher is an important next step as we continue to develop and strengthen our offering in the fast-growing podcasting market,” said Jim Meyer, Chief Executive Officer of SiriusXM, via statement. “With Stitcher, we will expand our digital audio advertising presence and look to generate new ways for creators to find and connect with their audiences. Stitcher has a talented team with deep experience in the podcast space, and we look forward to working with them to better meet the needs of creators, advertisers, and listeners.”
Top Stitcher podcasts include Freakonomics Radio, My Favorite Murder, How Did This Get Made?, SuperSoul Sunday from The Oprah Winfrey Network, Office Ladies, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Literally! with Rob Lowe, LeVar Burton Reads, Comedy Bang! Bang!, and WTF with Marc Maron. The San Francisco-based company also has multiple podcast networks, including Scott Aukerman’s Earwolf, under its umbrella. Beyond its free podcasting app, Stitcher has a $4.99 per month subscription that offers podcasts without ads.
Stitcher was founded in 2008 and was later bought by Scripps in 2016 for $4.5 million. Scripps later combined Stitcher with Midroll Media, which it had acquired in 2015 for $50 million.
The move comes after Spotify, the world’s biggest music streaming service, has made a concerted effort in the last year to focus more on its podcast efforts. Spotify spent about $500 million to acquire podcast producers Gimlet and Anchor last year, and has more recently signed exclusive podcast deals with Joe Rogan and Kim Kardashian, among others. Similarly, SiriusXM’s deals for Stitcher expands its podcast presence and brings a combination of well-known hosts and data into its fold. The podcast industry is expected to hit $1 billion in annual revenue by the end of 2021, The Verge reported last year.
SiriusXM stock dipped slightly in the first 45 minutes of trading on Monday, falling 0.75% to $5.66 per share.
For more info on the industry, keep you eye on WrapPro this week for a story on Spotify’s big bet on podcasting.


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McDonald’s Pulls Salad from 3000 Locations Over Health Concerns
Lettuce blend linked to intestinal parasite
It’s shaping up to be a bad summer for food-borne illnesses. Just a short while after the FDA warned consumers to steer clear of Honey Smacks, it seems that a salad-based E.Coli scare has reared its ugly head once again.
This week, McDonald’s recalled salads from 3,000 locations scattered across 14 states amid reports of a cyclosporiasis outbreak in the midwest linked to some of the burger chain’s healthier offerings. CDC data estimates that 61 people across seven states have suffered from the illness, which involves having a microscopic parasite pass through your intestines. Though that sounds unnervingly gross, so far only two cases have required hospitalization, and no deaths have been reported. The first reports of cyclosporiasis date back to mid-May in Illinois, with Iowa also showing a relatively high concentration of cases beginning in late-June.
Once the CDC identified McDonald’s salads as the likely culprit, the fast food chain issued a statement announcing that “out of an abundance of caution”, they would be voluntary recalling salads “until we can switch to another lettuce blend supplier.” The recall primarily targets the midwest, and the company notes that they’ve already removed the contaminated lettuce blend from regional distribution centers.
The unwelcome news comes not too long after an E.Coli outbreak tied to Arizona-based romaine lettuce swept across 32 states, claiming five lives. After initial reports that dated back to April, the CDC was only able to declare the outbreak “over” on June 28th.
So if you live in the midwest and were planning on eating something lighter on your next McDonald’s run, treat yourself to something greasy and fattening instead. For now, at least, it might just be the healthier option.


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Kylie Jenner had been sheltering in her Calabasas mansion together with her two-year-old daughter Stormi amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The make-up mogul has spoken brazenly in regards to the significance of staying in and flattening the curve. Aside from a visit to Palm Springs to see her mom, Kris Jenner, for the Easter vacation, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star had been holding busy in her residence.
From making cookies with Stormi to encouraging her little woman to swim, Jenner, who had remained residence in the course of the period of her being pregnant appeared content material with quarantining and isolation. However, in latest weeks it looks like the KUWTK star is getting antsy below California’s Stay-At-Home mandate.
Last week, unflattering pictures of a barefoot Jenner have been launched after she visited together with her finest friend, Stassie Karanikolaou. Not solely have been followers involved about Jenner’s clear lack of hygiene, however she was additionally violating the quarantine mandate. Additionally, many individuals have been shocked to see Jenner with out make-up or one in all her notorious wigs. Now, the Kylie Cosmetics founder has been noticed once more in rather more flattering pictures and individuals are satisfied she staged them.
Kylie Jenner’s barefoot paparazzi pictures shocked followers
Since Jenner was a significant voice calling for folks to shelter in, followers have been alarmed when she was noticed leaving her finest friend’s residence. Even extra regarding, Jenner was not noticed sporting a masks or any footwear. It appears extremely unsanitary right now to run round open air with out something changing your ft.
Clutching a bottle of water and a few Lays chips, followers have been shocked to see a barefaced Jenner who appears drastically totally different from the pictures she posts on Instagram. One fan stated, “The entire family is very good at this – aka living a lie.” Another added, “Hypocrites as usual.”
Since then, Jenner has posted some “makeup-free” movies on her Instagram account that look drastically totally different from these paparazzi pictures.
A brand new set of paparazzi pictures of Kylie Jenner have been simply launched
Days after the discharge of these barefoot pictures, Jenner was photographed out and about once more, as soon as once more violating California’s Stay-At-Home order. This time, the mother-of-one was seen in a really totally different mild. Dressed in a white tank-top, denims, and Air Force Ones, Jenner’s make-up was flawless and he or she a sporting a honey blond wig and smizing on the digital camera.
Interestingly sufficient she was additionally clutching a masks in her hand as she opened her automotive door. It appears just like the KUWTK was making an attempt to do some fast injury management.
Fans are satisfied Kylie Jenner simply staged these paparazzi pictures
Despite Jenner seemingly making an attempt to repair her earlier missteps, followers have been under no circumstances satisfied or amused. One fan tweeted, “Kylie Jenner is deliberately planning paparazzi photo shoots during a pandemic….. chile.” Another fan was equally exasperated, “Kylie Jenner really got one subpar (unphotoshopped) paparazzi pic of herself leaked and had a complete identity crisis.” Someone else added, “the way kylie cares about how she looks for the paparazzi during a mf pandemic i have no words.”


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A newly discovered phishing kit targeting PayPal users is trying to steal a large set of personal information from victims that includes government identification documents and photos.
Over 400 million individuals and companies are using PayPal as an online payment solution.
The kit is hosted on legitimate WordPress websites that have been hacked, which allows it to evade detection to a certain degree.
Breaching websites with weak login
Researchers at internet technology company Akamai found the phishing kit after the threat actor planted it on their WordPress honeypot.
The threat actor…


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This week the Minister for Tourism, Catherine Martin TD, visited London on her first overseas promotion visit with Tourism Ireland. This is the first major in-person series of events undertaken by Tourism Ireland to promote Ireland since the outbreak of COVID-19.
Marking the reopening of travel from Great Britain to Ireland, Minister Martin’s programme will include a number of tourism and cultural engagements.
Great Britain is an important market for tourism to the island of Ireland, which pre-COVID, delivered 42% of all overseas visitors and around 25% of all overseas tourism revenue. In 2019, Ireland welcomed almost 4.8 million British visitors to the island of Ireland, whose visits generated around €1.45 billion in revenue.
In 2019 – 4.8m British Visitors to Ireland
Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, said: “Because of the pandemic, this is my first opportunity to work with Tourism Ireland overseas and I am very pleased to contribute.
That Great Britain is my first stop is testament to the commitment we have to such an important market. The industry has been in survival mode since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and Government support has been critical in this. However, with our latest reopening plan, I believe we can start to look towards recovery.
“With this in mind I am delighted to announce that Tourism Ireland have activated the Green Button campaign and it will launch on 1 October in Great Britain. The key message is that we cannot wait to roll out the green carpet and welcome back visitors from our near neighbours in Great Britain.”
Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “We are delighted that Minister Martin is joining us overseas for the first time in London this week, to mark the reopening of travel from Great Britain to Ireland.
“Key priorities to ensure success will include rebuilding consumer confidence; as well as air and sea connectivity, which is vital as an island destination. Tourism Ireland, together with our tourism industry partners from around the island of Ireland, will participate in a number of significant events in Great Britain.
They include World Travel Market 2021, Flavours of Ireland 2021 and Ireland Meets GB. These upcoming events will allow our partners to highlight and sell their product to key contacts in Great Britain – encouraging them to feature Ireland in their 2022 holiday and tour programmes.
We will also roll out our new ‘Green Button’ campaign in Britain, which is a €4.6 million multi-media promotional campaign that will be seen by millions of people across Britain. It aims to generate awareness of the island of Ireland and drive bookings for short breaks and holidays in Ireland, between now and the end of 2021. Our key message is that we cannot wait to roll out the green carpet and welcome back visitors from Great Britain.”
The ‘Green Button’ campaign:
- Tourism Ireland will roll out its new ‘Green Button’ campaign in Britain, from 1 October. It will be a €4.6 million, multi-media promotional campaign, which will run until 5 December and will be seen by millions of people across Britain. The campaign objective is to generate awareness of the island of Ireland and drive bookings for short breaks and holidays in Ireland, between now and the end of 2021. It will include:
- advertising on TV and video-on demand (which will reach 17 million people)
- outdoor advertising (will reach 7.4 million people)
- digital advertising (will reach 21 million people)
- social advertising (will reach 25 million people)
Social media and email marketing:
Tourism Ireland has an engaged following of over 519,000 Facebook fans around Britain; and over 84,500 Twitter followers. Email marketing will reach about 78,000 potential British holidaymakers each week this autumn, highlighting great value offers from our industry partners and instilling urgency to book.
Co-operative marketing with key travel partners:
- Co-operative campaigns with our key travel partners in Britain will be rolled out; these are designed to communicate a tactical message to drive bookings. They include campaigns with carriers, including Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Irish Ferries, Stena Line, British Airways, Loganair; and with online travel agents, including TripAdvisor, Secret Escapes, Travelzoo, Skyscanner, Expedia, Culture Trip and Lastminute.com. All campaigns include an attractive lead price, to highlight our value-for-money message.
- Tourism Ireland’s extensive publicity drive this autumn will target national and regional print, broadcast and online media and influencers throughout Britain, with positive stories about the island of Ireland – incorporating regionality and seasonality messages.
- Tourism Ireland has invited influential travel, culture and lifestyle journalists to visit, including National Geographic Traveller, The Telegraph, Mail on Sunday and the Financial Times.
- This week (6-12 September), celebrity chef Clodagh McKenna is filming a series of segments for ITV’s This Morning show in counties Cork and Kerry. These will air during September and October to an audience of approximately 2 million viewers across Britain.
- Another broadcast project in the pipeline is Voices of Ireland hosted by Imelda May, which is due to air on Sky Arts this autumn.
Promotions on social media with celebrity influencers:
- Tourism Ireland has been working with some of Ireland’s best-known celebrities in Britain – including people like Vogue Williams, Laura Whitmore, Dermot O’Leary and DJ Annie Mac. They’ve been posting on social media about Ireland – helping to keep our target audience dreaming about future holidays here. This activity will continue until mid-September. To date, the influencers have posted over 20 times, generating more than 180,000 likes.
World Travel Market 2021:
- Tourism Ireland will have a presence at World Travel Market (WTM) in London, the largest B2B event in the global tourism calendar, which takes place in November. This year, it will be a hybrid event, with the physical event taking place in ExCel London on 1-3 November; and a virtual event taking place on 8-9 November.
- Around 75 tourism companies from the island of Ireland will participate.
Co-operation with the British travel trade:
- The coach and group travel sector is a key focus for Tourism Ireland in Britain, given this sector’s role in delivering visitors who stay longer and travel to more regions across the island.
- Tourism Ireland is working with leading British tour operators, including Just Go Holidays, Shearings, Leger Holidays and Glenton Holidays; our co-operative campaigns include print and online advertising, direct marketing and social media.
Business tourism promotions:
- Tourism Ireland will also target the association conferences and corporate meetings sector. Activity includes a virtual Ireland showcase event – Ireland Meets GB – on 9 September, with 25 island of Ireland industry partners meeting with 25 British event agencies and corporate meeting planners.
- Tourism Ireland and partners will attend the BMW PGA Championship Wentworth this week (9-12 September); around 200,000 British golf enthusiasts are expected to attend.
Targeting the Diaspora:
- Tourism Ireland will partner with two leading Diaspora newspapers in Britain, The Irish Post and The Irish World.


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A recent Stanford study claims that organic food has the same nutritional value as food grown conventionally. We feel strongly that organic does make a difference. Here's our opinion.
We at Market 17 passionately support organic food and farming. The recent Stanford study in the news claims that organic food has the same nutritional value as food grown conventionally. Whether this is true or not, let’s remember that choosing organic gives us food that is free from pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and herbicides. The farming methods used to grow organic produce are gentler than conventional means, support biodiversity, and leave the earth in a better state. Organic does make a difference!
Standford University study: http://med.stanford.edu/ism/2012/september/organic.html


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Govt scraps customs duty on edible oils
New Delhi: The government on Wednesday scrapped basic customs duty on crude varieties of palm, sunflower and soyabean oils as well as cut duties on refined edible oils to ease retail prices of cooking oils and provide relief to consumers during the festive season.
Edible oil industry body SEA said the retail prices of cooking oils, which are ruling at a very high level, could now come down by up to Rs 15 per litre. The cut in import duty and Cess, effective from October 14, will remain in force till March 31, 2022, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) said in two separate notifications.
Agri infrastructure development cess (AIDC) has also been reduced on crude palm oil, crude soyabean oil and crude sunflower oil. Crude palm oil will now attract AIDC of 7.5 per cent, while the Cess will be five per cent each for crude soyabean oil and crude sunflower oil.
Earlier, the Cess was 20 per cent, while basic customs duty was 2.5 per cent. Post reduction, the effective customs duty on crude palm oil will be 8.25 per cent.


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Early in the pandemic airlines stopped offering on board service. Gradually they brought back drinks on request, though generally speaking coach doesn’t offering alcohol and Delta doesn’t offer anything.
American and United have slowly brought back food, too. American offers what used to be the buy on board food in coach as first class meals, and United is selling food again using contactless payments.
But there’s no hot nuts in domestic first class. And stuck with huge inventory that airlines weren’t buying the small business that supplies them to United and American was on the verge of going under.
The company’s owner said they had “50,000 pounds of nuts American Airlines and United didn’t want!” They had a warehouse full of boxes stamped “American” and “United” on them.
Initially American told them to ‘wait three weeks’ after the decision to remove nuts from flights, then came back and let them know that “the nuts were gone for good.”
The store offered to individually bag the nuts, so flight attendants wouldn’t be handling them, but American didn’t want to serve nuts in first class – it wasn’t just a Covid-19 precaution after all. They offered the nuts as a package the airline could send to AAdvantage elite members, but American didn’t want to spend that money either (AAdvantage has eliminated elite membership kits, too).
But word spread where you could buy them and grounded flyers ate them up. According to the company, all the packaged airline nuts have sold out. They continue to package ingredients they’d pre-committed to.
Thanks to your tremendous support, we’ve sold all 78,000 bagsof airline mixes! But we still have more ingredients under contract and we are roasting and packaging fresh mixes that we will continue to sell at near cost until we use all the ingredients that we have under contract. And it’s all thanks to you! So please continue to buy these wonderful mixes.
The company didn’t really have a retail capacity to handle this, but they needed to save the business. They “a shipping app to [the] website and worked to staff and stock the store. It was all hands on deck!”
I’m a big fan of the Aloha mix from Hawaii flights with the candied pineapple pieces.
Some flyers report they “actually took a bag on board an A[merican Airlines] flight…and [a flight attendant] happily heated them up in first class!” Another chuckles, that the nuts are the reason “everyone in first class looks so smug when I walk by them on my way to coach!”
This is a wonderful story of a customers finding a product that reminds them of better times, that they enjoy, and a company quickly pivoting to stay in business when the big airlines left them high and dry.
It isn’t just furloughed employees at American and United that are put out by the pandemic, or hotel owners failing to make mortgage payments. Those just get the headlines. It’s small businesses who serviced large airline and hotel chains, who built their businesses around supplying their stream of orders, making it through grit and determination. Not all of them do, but applause to the Great Nut Supply Company!


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Extend Fertility + EBQ
EBQ helps Extend Fertility’s new Pardot users create a cohesive brand experience through email.
Following a thorough rebranding, Extend Fertility’s new Pardot users were facing uncertainty about creating professional-looking Pardot emails that reflected the new look and feel.
“With the rebrand and everything we’ve recently launched, we wanted to create a clean brand experience. This can be challenging and take longer than expected when designing emails, especially for someone new to Pardot,“ said Director of Digital at Extend Fertility.
Extend Fertility’s primary Pardot user said the team was experiencing frustration with the platform’s interface when designing emails. From ensuring fonts were loaded correctly to formatting email bodies, Extend Fertility found it difficult to get their Pardot emails to look the way they should.
The Solution : Marketing Automation at EBQ
Extend Fertility turned to EBQ for help auditing their current Pardot setup, training their new users, and to provide ongoing support for the platform.
EBQ’s certified consultants helped Extend Fertility’s Pardot users understand the best way to approach different tasks and projects in the platform. EBQ provided training on designing Pardot email templates and other automation processes that the new users didn’t have experience with.
“Having access to the training materials and the EBQ team, as well as being able to ask questions as they arise, was really helpful for us. We worked with Colton and Nelson for the training sessions, and they were very professional, organized, and patient with us as we got up-to-speed,” said their Director of Digital.
Extend Fertility successfully used Pardot to create branded emails and launch drip campaigns that are essential to their organization. Through EBQ’s guidance, Extend Fertility’s Pardot users can now confidently set up customer campaigns (such as their new customer welcome series), in addition to urgent communications (such as patient notifications).
“I’m using Pardot every day to create emails and ensure we have engagement series setup. It’s important to us that everything is uniform and adhering to our new brand guidelines, and we wouldn’t have been able to do that if we were working with a system where our abilities were limited,” said their Director of Digital.
Beyond designing emails, Extend Fertility’s marketers now have a better handle on list creation and can effectively leverage data in Pardot to tailor their messaging.
With typically long customer cycles and a significant amount of information about each patient, being able to better segment their audiences and track the customer journey has been critical for Extend Fertility.
“With EBQ, I feel like I get answers to anything I need, and the team has always been very willing to hop on the phone and walk through something with me. Knowing that that ’s the level of service we get, I would definitely explore other EBQ services if we ever need them,” said their Director of Digital.
With EBQ, I feel like I get answers to anything I need, and the team has always been very willing to hop on the phone and walk through something with me.Director of Digital at Extend Fertility
Extend Fertility + EBQ
EBQ guided Extend Fertility on creating branded emails, launching drip campaigns, and creating lists.


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When a renowned beverage giant prioritizes political pandering over customer preference, it’s no surprise that their sales take a significant hit.
Anheuser-Busch, the company behind Bud Light, is reportedly experiencing a significant sales slump that is impacting not only Bud Light but also other beverages under its brand, and many are attributing this decline to the company’s alignment with the Democrats’ progressive agenda.
Bud Light sales have plummeted by 23.4% compared to the same period last year, as reported by The New York Post. Furthermore, Bud Light in-store sales have dropped by over 26% in the week ending April 22. This decline comes in the wake of Anheuser-Busch’s controversial partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, a move that has seemingly alienated many consumers who disagree with the Democrats’ stance on social issues.
The negative sentiment surrounding Anheuser-Busch has extended to its other beer brands as well. Michelob Ultra‘s sales have decreased by 4.4%, while both Natural Light and Busch Light are also experiencing sales declines, according to Bump Williams Data.
Interestingly, Bud Light and Budweiser are the only beers among the U.S. top 10 that have seen a drop in sales, as mentioned by the New York Post.
This downturn in sales for Anheuser-Busch coincides with a rise in sales for their competitors, such as Miller Lite and Coors Light, as consumers turn away from the politically charged atmosphere surrounding the company. It’s clear that Anheuser-Busch’s decision to align itself with the Democrats’ progressive values has not resonated well with a significant portion of its customer base.
Bump Williams, a data analyst, warns of the potential long-term consequences if Anheuser-Busch fails to address this downward trend promptly.
Williams told the New York Post, “If Bud Light doesn’t fix its trend by the end of this month, it will continue to lose market share because it will lose Memorial Day. That kicks off the summer season. There has to be a sense of urgency for InBev to correct these trends.”
The company’s willingness to put politics before profit has evidently taken a toll on its sales and market share. By catering to the Democrats’ agenda, Anheuser-Busch has alienated a substantial number of consumers who may have otherwise continued to support its brands.


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Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter, the follow-up to 2014’s surprisingly great Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments, is set to get a physical release in India, albeit only on PS4.
The adventure game will be released via Origin Games at a price of Rs 3,699. The game is also headed to PC and Xbox One, but you’ll have to get it for those platforms digitally.
The physcial PS4 release is set to hit stores in India on June 15. Check out the trailer below


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By Jacob J, International Business Times
Reports from China indicate that the Chinese government may be working on a plan to nationalize Jack Ma’s Alibaba and the Ant Group. China’s ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has gone further ahead with the antitrust investigation into e-commerce giant Alibaba.
“Based on tip-offs received by the State Administration for Market Regulation in recent days, the administration will be investigating Alibaba … for suspected monopolistic activities,” the government said.
The investigating agencies had set up an office at the Alibaba headquarters in November. Apart from the e-commerce giant, investigators are also probing social media giant Tencent and e-commerce company Meituan.
The news of the government’s plan to enforce more curbs on Alibaba sent its stock spiraling down as much as 8 percent. Alibaba said in a statement it would cooperate with any investigation. “Today, Ant Group received a meeting notice from regulators,” Alibaba said in a statement.


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For the past couple of years we’ve been searching for those with the biggest reaches, trying to convince our clients they are more influential than a nib in a national and have been desperately trying to reach the newest star before our competitors. But now we are faced with another challenge – are they becoming too popular?
Ad week published an article earlier this month that sparked a lot of conversation in our influencer mad office. They quoted Kyla Brennan, the founder and CEO of HelloSociety in saying:
“When it comes to celebrity accounts, who have maybe millions of followers nobody actually believes that a celebrity is a real fan of a product they’re trying to sell.”
Funny you should say that, we’ve been having similar discussions in the office recently. Do go on…
The article pulled out some really interesting stats:
HelloSociety, which was acquired last year by the New York Times, has found that “micro”-influencers, or accounts with 30,000 or fewer followers, are more beneficial for marketers to work with. They claim this is because they are personally invested in their crafts they are more trusted sources of recommendations for followers.
According to the agency, 60 percent higher campaign engagement rates are driven by micro-influencers; those campaigns are 6.7 times more efficient per engagement than influencers with larger followings, which makes them more cost effective; and micro-influencers drive 22.2 times more weekly conversations than the average consumer.
“Engagement goes down once you reach a certain threshold of followers,” said Brennan,” which is almost counterintuitive. ” “You might get eyeballs, but they won’t be eyeballs that care,” she said.
We have to say, we couldn’t agree more. We’ve done our fair share of influencer campaigns and could (but won’t) name a good few where the bigger ‘stars’ have driven lower or less meaningful engagement and follow up results.
So, it looks like it comes back once again to the age-old saying: Quality over Quantity people!
You can read the full ad week article here: http://www.adweek.com/digital/micro-influencers-are-more-effective-with-marketing-campaigns-than-highly-popular-accounts/


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Commonwealth Bank’s Victorian General Manager Small Business Sales Service, Sara Sutton, said it was pleasing to see Victorians back out in force in the community and spending money at many small businesses across the state, including bars, pubs, restaurants and clothing retailers – to name but a few.
“It is clear the state has well and truly emerged from lockdown. Victorians are happy to get back out in the community, celebrate their freedom and enjoy some well-deserved spending at both big and small businesses across the state,” she said.
But hospitality venues weren’t the only businesses benefiting from increased spending this week. According to the data, Victorians hit the shops on Monday in order to get ready for Melbourne Cup – with spending surging significantly at jewellers, clothing retailers and women’s accessory stores.
Spending at jewellery stores across the state soared 680 per cent on Monday in comparison to the Monday prior, while clothing retailers and women’s accessory stores enjoyed a 627 per cent and 438 per cent spike in spending respectively when compared to Monday last week.
“Our small business customers are telling us that they are feeling optimistic and really excited to be back doing what they love,” Ms Sutton said.
“But while it is clear Victorians are back out and spending in the community, we understand the next period will continue to be a significant adjustment for many business owners. At Commonwealth Bank, we are on hand to support our small business customers and can offer a range of resources to help them with their various needs.”
For more information and business resources visit www.commbank.com.au/business.
Notes to editors:
Data based on VIC CBA merchants data (terminals and eCommerce) from 1-2 November 2021 (inclusive) compared with 25-26 October 2021 (inclusive).


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Apple is under investigation for alleged deceptive practices
The company is already tied up in a $500 million settlement and another pending lawsuit
Several states are investigating Apple for deceiving customers, according to a report from Reuters.
This adds to the heat Apple's been under lately, including a $500 million settlement for throttling iPhones to conserve battery and potential lawsuits for concealing failure-prone “butterfly” keyboards.
According to a document obtained by tech watchdog group Tech Transparency Project, the Texas attorney general is considering suing Apple for violating the state’s deceptive practices law.
There are no details as to what Apple did to break the law, nor has the Texas attorney general or Apple commented on the investigations.
This may be a continuation of the issues Apple is already dealing with, including its iPhone battery issue and concealing the prone-to-failure MacBook “butterfly” keyboards. However, these are all relatively old news, and Texas likely wouldn’t go after Apple for this so late in the game.
The Reuters report doesn’t dive further into what other states are potentially investigating Apple.
We’ll continue following this developing story and bring you updates as they become available.
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Pets at Home reveal loyalty scheme drove repeat orders which led to annual sales growth
Britain's biggest dog and cat food chain, Pets at Home, said a record number of customers signing up to its loyalty scheme was behind repeat orders driving a 2.4 per cent rise in underlying annual sales growth.
The retailer, which also makes pet accessories such as jumpers and frilly harnesses (pictured) also operates the largest network of vets and grooming salons.
Chief executive Nick Wood, who floated the business in March, said: ‘I believe the potential of our retail and services businesses will enable us to deliver our strategy and achieve long-term returns.’
Rewards: Pets at Home, said a record number of customers signing up to its loyalty scheme was behind repeat orders driving a 2.4 per cent rise in underlying annual sales growth
The headline pre-tax profit figure fell to £22.5million for the year to March, from £26.5million after one-off charges. These included £9.4million to pay advisers to bring the firm to the stock market.
Total sales grew 11.2 per cent to £665.4million.
Shares were down 3.25p to 213.75p.
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It is not too much to say that Guoxing optoelectronics leads the miniled packaging.
On the one hand, the company’s solid R & D and manufacturing foundation has applied for dozens of miniled related patents, covering display and backlight; On the other hand, dare to invest in real gold and silver. At the beginning of 2019, a plan of RMB 1 billion to expand the production of a new generation of LED packaging devices and supporting epitaxial chips was set, and the results were good.
According to the survey data of high tech new display, Guoxing optoelectronics ranks in the forefront of the LED packaging industry in the field of mini / micro led.
However, this is not just to quickly occupy the mini / microled highland. Every investment of Guoxing optoelectronics is based on sufficient market research and customer needs. It is very cautious while daring to invest in the next generation technology.
With the full implementation of the first phase of the 1 billion yuan production expansion plan, Guoxing optoelectronics made another move based on the rapid development of the small spacing and miniled market. Today (August 7), Guoxing optoelectronics announced that the company plans to invest no more than 1.9 billion yuan to build Guoxing optoelectronics Geely Industrial Park project.
Guoxing optoelectronics pointed out that this investment is based on continuously strengthening its brand and technology leadership in the field of LED display, continuously improving the company’s comprehensive volume and competitive strength, combined with its own strategic development plan, and under the background that the site resources of the headquarters have been fully utilized.
The investment capital of Geely Industrial Park project in the next five years will not exceed 1.9 billion yuan, which is mainly used to build R & D and production sites, advanced LED packaging and application production lines, focus on the production of RGB small spacing, miniled, TOPLED and other products, and mainly used in ultra-high definition and new intelligent display, intelligent lamp, smart home, UV sterilization and other fields.
The announcement shows that the site infrastructure construction of Geely Industrial Park project is completed in the first to third years, and the equipment is put into operation and production from the second to fifth years. The equipment investment progress is generally adjusted according to the market demand.
Guoxing optoelectronics said that the company’s investment and production expansion is based on the rapid iterative development of the LED industry, especially the market and technology in the industry segments where the company is located, and there is a good growth expectation. It is necessary for the company to continue to increase the layout of production capacity of miniled, small spacing, TOPLED and other products.
According to the survey data of LED Research Institute of advanced industry research (GGII), the market scale of China’s small spacing LED display screen was 13.5 billion yuan in 2019, which is expected to increase by 41% to 19 billion yuan year-on-year in 2020, and the penetration rate in the commercial display field will be further improved.
On the basis of 215% year-on-year growth in 2019, the market scale of miniled is expected to increase by 140% year-on-year to RMB 3.78 billion by 2020. With the continuous improvement of penetration and the accession of BOE and other panel factories, the market scale is very considerable.
Guoxing optoelectronics believes that with the gradual introduction and acceleration of miniled into industrial applications in recent years, it has broad market prospects in high-order display applications in the next two or three years. The company needs to speed up the pace of scale and new product expansion to cope with the market competition of the industry.
Previously, in April, Guoxing optoelectronics announced that the company planned to bid for the use right of about 82 mu of industrial land located in Nanzhuang Town, Chancheng District, Foshan City with its own funds of no more than 70 million yuan. Among them, the company has completed the ownership registration formalities of about 60 mu of land use right with a service life of 50 years.
In today’s announcement, Guoxing optoelectronics also revealed that Geely Industrial Park project plans to build a new production base in Foshan, which will effectively alleviate the bottleneck of site resources faced by the company’s development and promote the sustainable development of the company.
Gaogong new display learned that Guoxing optoelectronics realized the batch supply of miniled earlier. In terms of miniled display, the company has launched imd-m05, imd-m07, imd-m09, imd-f12, imd-f15 and other products to continuously supply LED display enterprises such as Zhouming technology.
In terms of miniled backlight, the company has three miniled backlight technology products: minismd, minicob and minicog, and has in-depth cooperation with TCL Huaxing and other panel factories.
In mid July, Guoxing optoelectronics also realized the successful lighting of the minicog display module using new chip transfer patch and packaging technology. According to Guoxing optoelectronics, the scheme is to directly mount the chip on the glass substrate, which has the advantages of good heat dissipation, excellent cost and high brightness, and solves the problem of frequent quality damage in the manufacturing process of minicog.
In addition, in terms of microled, NSTAR I 2.7-inch display module, the first generation of microled of Guoxing optoelectronics, was also launched in June this year, which is expected to be applied in automobile head up display, commercial window display and other scenes.
After the new Geely Industrial Park project investment, Guoxing optoelectronics said that it will help to improve the company’s response speed to market demand, further consolidate the company’s dominant position and leading role in the display device packaging industry, and enhance its comprehensive competitiveness and international influence.


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A report from Compete.com found that 53 percent percent of organic search clicks go to the first link on a SERP. The analysis also found that 85 percent of links on search results pages are organic while the remaining 15 percent are paid.
With more than half of clicks going to the first result, the remaining links see decreasing traffic in comparison. According to SEW, 15 percent of organic traffic goes to the second link, 9 percent to the third and the clicks dwindle farther down the line.
For SEO marketers, this may suggest that a top ranking is critical to success, and it certainly helps to achieve the No. 1 listing. Queries sent for the sake of research, whether for a purchase decision or otherwise, will likely see users clicks until they find a satisfactory result.
It’s difficult to gauge a user’s intent with a search, but Google has tried to an extent. For example, Brafton highlighted the company’s trend of SERP reduction to seven organic links. These pages seemingly correlate with queries that suggest the user has a specific brand or site in mind. Searches for “Apple” or “ESPN” yield fewer than 10 organic links. Meanwhile, more abstract or non-brand head terms signal to Google that a user wants diverse information, and these queries appear to maintain 10 links.
Companies with keyword and content marketing strategies centered around more contextual terms should aspire toward strong ranking, but the primary focus should be offering information related to key phrases that will engage ideal audiences. Data from AYTM Market Research released earlier this year found that consumers rarely make it past the third page of search results, but pages that satisfy query needs will improve in rankings.
Data will always show top results netting the most traffic – and leading results generally make it to the top for a reason. Developing the best content and creating a site with strong user experience in mind is the best path to a favorable search position. Page layout is a critical part of any easy-to-use site, which is among Google’s ranking signals. Brafton recently reported that Google updated its page layout algorithm, which penalizes sites with excessive ad content above the fold.


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The days of cruising the lot after a car dealer has closed are over. More and more, consumers are browsing the internet, both at home and on mobile devices, to make this big ticket purchase. In a study spanning 13 countries, we found that 65% used the internet as a primary or gateway resource, with 54% watching manufacturer videos to learn more before arriving at the dealership.
This study presents the attitudes and behaviours of new car buyers in 13 countries.
- On a global level, the most important sources for researching a new automobile are auto dealerships, search engines and manufacturer websites.
- 65 percent of new car buyers use search engines either as a primary or gateway to other sources.
- Online video plays an increasingly important role in the purchase of new automobiles. 54 % watch online auto videos produced by manufacturers.
- Mobile devices are becoming an important way for car buyers to conduct research.


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Lancashire residents and visitors are being encouraged to safely make the most of all that the county has to offer, as national restrictions are lifted today (Monday 19 July).
As more of the county’s tourism and hospitality businesses are now able to reopen, the #RediscoverLancashire campaign is being promoted to raise awareness of local tourism and business.
The multimedia campaign is composed of videos and photographs across Lancashire County Council’s social media channels and website, helping to promote the wealth of attractions on offer throughout the county.
During today, the county council’s social media platforms have been dedicated solely to promoting celebrating local tourism. Businesses are asked to share images and messages highlighting what the phrase #RediscoverLancashire means to them, as well as asking residents to share content highlighting their favourite Lancashire locations.
One such business is Holmes Mill in Clitheroe, a unique celebration of Lancashire food, drink and entertainment featuring a beer hall, hotel, bistro, gelateria, food hall and much more in a former textile mill. .
County Councillor Aidy Riggott, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Growth, said: “We are really proud to be showcasing the best of Lancashire’s hospitality and tourism and everything that our fabulous county has to offer, from our well-known destinations to our hidden treasures and as yet undiscovered gems – we have everything you could possibly wish for!
“As the final set of restrictions are removed, we want to encourage everybody across Lancashire to reacquaint themselves with their favourite destinations that they might not have visited for a while and go in search of some new ones, there is so much yet for us all to discover.
“Clearly we want to encourage everyone to continue to act in a safe and responsible manner and to spend time, and hopefully a little money, enjoying some of what Lancashire has to offer in a setting that is comfortable for them.
“I would like to pay tribute to all those running a hospitality business or working in this sector through what has been a very challenging year. They have been incredibly resilient and we are proud to have them as part of the Lancashire tourism scene.
“We want them to know that Lancashire County Council, along with all our district partners and wider stakeholders, are fully behind them and that we will do all we can to support them as we seek to build back better right across Lancashire.”
Mike Auld, Operation Director at Holmes Mill, is backing the campaign and can’t wait to welcome visitors back through their doors.
He said: “We are all truly excited at the thought of things getting back to some form of normality. I for one can’t wait to stand at the bar and enjoy a pint there and I’m sure many of our regulars will feel the same!”


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Slows down the flow of containerized imports to the US
According to the National Retail Federation, the negative trend will continue at least until January 2023
September 12, 2022
"Consumers are still buying, but growth of the loads we have witnessed in the last two years it seems slow down." This was said by Jonathan Gold, vice president of the National Retail Federation (NRF), the American association of the retail trade, commenting on the content of the "Global Port Tracker", the monthly report prepared by NRF together to Hackett Associates that detects the evolution of imports containerized in major U.S. container ports (Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the coast Western, New York - New Jersey, the ports of Virginia, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades, Miami and Jacksonville on the east coast and Houston on the US Gulf Coast) and the state of American maritime and port traffic.
According to estimates, last month the traffic of containers at the disembarkation in the main national ports would have amounted to 2.17 million teu, with a decrease of -4.3% on August 2021. A September 2022 are expected 2.10 million teu, down by -1.8% on the same month last year, while - according to the report - next October the traffic will stand at 2.10 million of teu (-4.8%), in November to 2.04 million teu (-3.3%) and to December to 2.01 million teu (-4.0%).
Referring to the data of last July, when the traffic is state of 2,18 million teu, with a decrease of -3.1% compared to June 2022 and -0.4% compared to July 2021, Gold found that 'load volumes are well above levels pre-pandemic, but the growth rate has slowed and is even slipped into negative territory compared to volumes unusually high last year." 'The number of ships waiting to dock at the ports of the west coast - has added Ben Hackett, founder of Hackett Associates - you reduced to an almost normal level, but with the displacement of some goods on the east coast congestion and pressure on ports moved to the east coast.
The latest issue of the "Global Port Tracker" highlights whereas in the first half of 2022 imports in containers through U.S. ports amounted to 13.5 million teu, with an increase of +5.5% on the first half of the year, while for the second half of 2022 the landings of 12,6 million teu, with a decrease of -3.1% on the period July-December of 2021. In the whole of 2022 the import traffic should therefore stand at 26.1 million teu, with an increase by +1.2% compared to the record of 25.8 million teu of the last year. In addition, the current negative trend is expected to continue in January 2023, month in which 2.11 million teu are expected in improtation (-2.6%).
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Our weekly round up of other news affecting foreign investors throughout Asia.
Indonesia’s government introduced GR 80, 2019 in November 2019 aimed at providing legal guidelines for the country’s e-commerce industry. The regulation, which will apply to domestic and international internet companies, defines the type of entities that can engage in e-commerce.
Additionally, the regulation addresses the specific set up requirements businesses will need to comply with, as well as the framework for online contracts and transactions, and the provisions for consumer right protection.
Businesses will have until November 2021 to adhere to the new provisions.
As India’s economy enters 2020 and aims for a larger profile in the global supply chain, it will need to deliver on key reforms to attract more investors.
Specifically, foreign investors want reforms to make it easier for companies to acquire land and more flexibility when it comes to hiring with respect to legal compliance.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law the setting of the minimum rate of labor payment in Russia at 12,130 rubles (US$195.5) starting January 1st, 2020. The last increase saw the minimum wage rise to 11,280 rubles (US$181.8) a year ago since the previous review in May 2018.
However, as local governments can set their own minimum wages, minimum wage levels in cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg are considerably higher than many other regions. The minimum wage in Moscow is 18,781 rubles (US$303) and in St. Petersburg 17,000 rubles (US$275).
A new book, titled China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Potential Transformation of Central Asia and the South Caucasus written by Evgeny Vinokurov, Chief Economist at the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development provides a qualitative assessment of infrastructure investment made as part of the BRI, as well as of volumes and disbursements.
In doing so it answers the issue over loans that China has been making to low-income and lower-middle income countries are often concessional.
In general terms, third-party logistics, or 3PL as it is commonly referred, involves the outsourcing of logistics functions – such as customs clearance, storage of products, and order fulfillment – to a third party.
Depending on the 3PL provider and range of services utilized, third party logistics can completely remove the need for a foreign company to establish a market presence in Vietnam. Instead, all operations can be run out of a single regional management center where the costs and risks of doing business are lower.
China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at email@example.com.
We also maintain offices assisting foreign investors in Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, The Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand in addition to our practices in India and Russia and our trade research facilities along the Belt & Road Initiative.
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including the most recent legal, tax and accounting changes that affect your business.


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Solar PV, battery storage and end-to-end EV charging company The Phoenix Works has been acquired by Liberty Global.
Solar installer The Phoenix Works has stated it is to continue trading despite Tonik Energy going bust.
Installers across the UK are shutting up shop in light of the COVID-19 pandemic (coronavirus) as uncertainty remains over key worker classification.
Independent energy supplier Tonik Energy has laid claim to an industry first by kickstarting the installation of 250 Tesla Powerwalls in UK homes.
The Phoenix Works and green supplier Tonik Energy have launched an electric vehicle charging service for commercial premises as the company continues to push into the EV charging market.


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Jan 5, 2021
Tui and Thomas Cook cancel bookings as lockdowns begin
Travel firms Tui and Thomas Cook have cancelled holidays after new coronavirus lockdown restrictions were imposed. Thomas Cook said it would call customers to offer refunds or rebooking. "Customers currently overseas can continue to enjoy their holidays as planned and we will update them directly if there are any changes to their holidays," Tui added. Thomas Cook, which became an online-only travel brand in September after its earlier collapse, said: "Following the announcement of the latest lockdown, we are calling our customers to offer refunds or move their holidays to a later date." "Chief executive Alan French said:"We've seen over the festive period that customers are looking ahead to the summer and beginning to book in earnest for those important summer weeks in the sun.
Make a complaint about Thomas Cook by viewing their customer service contacts.


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Local German currency could be a model for Greece
By Natalia Drozdiak
BERLIN (Reuters) - An alternative currency introduced in a wealthy German region as a school project eight years ago has turned into a hot commodity thanks in part to the euro zone crisis with 600 businesses and 3,000 people trading 'Chiemgauers' instead of euros.
The 'Chiemgauer' -- named after the southern Bavaria region around Rosenheim -- comes in paper notes with face values of 1 to 50. The notes are convertible at local shops and have a fixed exchange rate of 1:1 with the euro.
A total of 6 million 'Chiemgauers' have exchanged hands this year in the most rural region near the Austrian border, a 33-percent increase from 2009, according to Christian Gelleri who created the parallel currency in 2003 as a project to promote regional businesses.
That is up from 70,000 'Chiemgauers' that were exchanged by 130 people in the first year 2003 when only a handful of local businesses accepted the euro alternative.
"The basic idea is to link money to the real economy and our aim was to keep money circulating locally," Gelleri, a high school economics teacher, said in a recent interview with ARD television.
"We wanted to help people pay attention to small businesses, the average consumers and keep the money flowing locally. Our idea is that money should serve people and not the other way around," added the teacher who has become a minor celebrity on German TV talk shows this year.
Gelleri's 'Chiemgauer' -- there are now 540,000 notes in circulation -- is just one of 24 alternative currencies that have been set up in German regions.
They pose no threat to replace the euro -- Europe's single currency -- but the increasing popularity of the regional parallel currencies reflects fears among Germans about the stability of the currency that replaced their Deutsche mark in 2002. Continued...


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After the release of Apple’s iOS 5.1.1 update
for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, the Cupertino California company finally decided to update its support webpage regarding the new software’s security tweaks which include one Safari browser and two WebKit fixes.
The iOS 5.1.1 update released various bug fixes including HDR reliability, network switching, as well as AirPlay video playback bugs but it failed to specify what security tweaks had been added. The refresh from the security page informs us that Apple has taken care of the previously discovered
custom URL spoofing exploit as well as information about two WebKit fixes.


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by Ben Parfitt
Monday, December 1st 2014 at 9:47AM GMT
In America, there is no bigger sales day than Black Friday. Its significance is a major factor for video game hardware sales, propelling consoles that usually sell anywhere from 80,000 to 400,000 units per month into the millions. It goes without saying that succeeding on Black Friday is an objective for Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. It has only been 3 days since Black Friday and market research firm InfoScout already has data about how well each console has sold.
The Xbox One accounted for more than half of all the consoles sold on Black Friday. Followed by the PlayStation 4 with 31 percent of sales. Last generation console, the Xbox 360, accounted for nine percent of the sales, followed by the Wii U with just six percent. The PlayStation 3 lagged in last with only one percent of the sales.
Within hours of opening their doors there were already reports of Best Buy, Target, and Walmart selling out of the Xbox One. User Vestal on NeoGAF even took a photo of stock at his local Target. Check it out for yourself and notice the absence of the Xbox One...
And here’s an image of stock at another Target from NeoGAF user Cornbread78:
Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg has taken to Twitter to praise the success of the Xbox One on Black Friday. He has stated that sales for the console have been incredible and he is thankful for the supports from the fans.
"Sales were incredible, grateful for all the support and new fans," tweeted Greenberg.
Greenberg also tweeted that the Xbox One is sold out at Target in California and even took a jab at Sony. He took a picture at Target showing how the PlayStation 4 is not sold out, while the Xbox One is.
In the UK, Sales of both next-gen consoles were up sharply week-on-week as retailers offered some great Black Friday deals.
Overall games hardware sales (both consoles and handhelds) soared past 300k units, a retail source has told MCV. Home console sales in the UK are at this point double were they were at the same stage in 2013, although the handheld market is down by almost a third.
Both the PS4 and Xbox One saw sales double week-on-week, with Xbox One again just edging ahead of its rival.
This continues Xbox One’s recent momentum, which has seen it reach 1m sales in the UK, although it falls short of the barnstorming victory Microsoft’s machine apparently saw in the US over the weekend.


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NEW YORK -- While holiday shopping historically takes off around Thanksgiving weekend, Web surfers have started earlier this year driven in part by an abbreviated shopping season, according to the first installment of the 2002 eSpending report.
The report from Goldman Sachs & Company, Harris Interactive and Nielsen/NetRatings showed that the average online shopper spent nearly $72 per person during the week ending Nov. 15, a 28 percent boost over the same time a year ago. The increase in spending was partly a result of greater customer satisfaction: 22 percent of 770 online shoppers surveyed rated their e-commerce experience better than last year's.
"Boosted by higher customer satisfaction rates and a shorter shopping season, early indications show shoppers are spending more and earlier this year," said Lori Iventosch-James, director of e-commerce research at Harris Interactive. "With Thanksgiving scheduled one week later and Hanukkah beginning much sooner this year, consumers are battling against time and are taking advantage of special sales and promotions."


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No products in the cart.
Singapore-based know-how firm and tremendous app Seize introduced yesterday that it intends to go public within the US in partnership with Altimeter Progress Corp.
The proposed transactions worth Seize at an preliminary pro-forma fairness worth of roughly US$39.6 billion (S$53.16 billion) at a PIPE measurement of greater than US$four.zero billion (S$5.37 billion) and can present Seize with roughly US$four.5 billion (S$6.04 billion) in money proceeds.
Forward of its itemizing plan within the US, Seize has launched an investor presentation that includes key statistics on the corporate’s development in Singapore and the Southeast Asian area.
Southeast Asia’s Main Tremendous App
Picture Credit score: Seize
Seize was launched as MyTeksi in Malaysia in 2012, which allowed the reserving of a journey through an app.
They later expanded into the area from 2013 onwards as GrabTaxi. It moved into Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand in that yr and 4 different Southeast Asian nations over the following 4 years, rebranding themselves as Seize alongside the way in which.
It has since grown to develop into Southeast Asia’s main tremendous app, boasting a collection of providers from transport and supply to micro investments, insurance coverage and monetary providers.
Picture Credit score: Seize Investor Presentation
This suite of providers are built-in into what a shopper will do each day of their lives, from ordering your breakfast, grabbing a journey to your workplace to on-line buying after work.
Seize’s Newest Financials
Picture Credit score: Seize
Listed below are some key statistics as proven within the investor presentation:
In 2020, Seize has attained $12.5 billion in gross merchandise worth, surpassing pre-pandemic ranges and greater than doubling from 2018. Seize’s adjusted web income was $1.6 billion in 2020, with over 1.9 billion transactions accomplished on Seize.
It’s obtainable in over 400 cities in eight nations. As of December 2020, Seize has 5 million registered driver companions and a couple of million service provider companions
It has additionally managed to diversify its enterprise mannequin throughout the eight nations, with nobody nation accounting for greater than 35 per cent of its income.
The investor presentation additionally states that Seize is within the prime place in mobility with the most important last-mile transportation community, deliveries, with the most important supply platform, and monetary providers.
The corporate has made vital strides in direction of profitability, attaining optimistic phase EBITDA in mobility throughout all markets, and optimistic phase EBITDA in deliveries in 5 out of six nations. Moreover, it expects to hit profitability by 2023.
Publish-IPO Imaginative and prescient
In accordance with the corporate, it believes that it’s completely positioned to serve the wants of shoppers, retailers and drivers in Southeast Asia via its tremendous app technique, and it’ll proceed to broaden its choices within the area.
It already gives an ecosystem of complementary providers, addressing high-frequency, on a regular basis wants, all through one app.
Throughout on-line meals supply, ride-hailing and digital pockets funds, Seize expects its complete addressable market to develop from roughly US$52 billion (S$69.59 billion) in 2020 to greater than US$180 billion (S$134.50 billion) by 2025.
“It offers us immense delight to symbolize Southeast Asia within the world public markets. This can be a milestone in our journey to open up entry for everybody to profit from the digital economic system,” stated Seize founder and CEO Anthony Tan.
Picture Credit score: Vulcan Publish
Featured Picture Credit score: ucars.sg
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After opening Jack's Brick Oven Pizza & Restaurant along Route 191 in Lower Nazareth Township in Spring 2011, Jack Randazzo soon began to see the potential for a second Italian restaurant — in Bethlehem.
"I was making a lot of deliveries over here," he said last week from that second restaurant, Broad St. Pizzeria. It opened recently at 516 W. Broad St., the site of the former Amato's Pizza.
The new pizzeria has 15-20 different varieties of pizza, made on a New York-style crust, he said. And, he has a full menu of Italian cuisine, including baked dinners, such as lasagna and eggplant parmigiana, calzones, stromboli, cheesesteaks, soups and salads. Everything is fresh, he said. "Bread is delivered fresh from New York and we make our own dough, sauce and meatballs and even shred our own cheese."
"We are famous for our pepperoni bites," he added. These are little pepperoni-filled garlic knots that are dipped in marinara sauce.
Everything on the menu is available on an eat-in or eat-out basis. The new pizzeria seats 25. He also has a full catering menu. Like his other location, Jack's Brick Oven Pizza, Broad St. Pizzeria has no liquor license so you are invited to BYOB.
The restaurant business is in Randazzo's blood. You might remember him from when he and his parents co-owned the former Basile's Garden Restaurant at 1375 Chestnut St. in Emmaus several years ago. His parents, Jack and Josephine Randazzo, now run his Lower Nazareth restaurant.
Also serving up Italian cuisine is the new Scotto Pizza, which opened Nov. 1 in the Lehigh Valley Mall in the location formerly occupied by DeMarco's Pizza near Cotton On and Kay Jewelers.
The restaurant owned by Jerry Scotto is one of 47 Scottos in eastern states from New York to North Carolina. His parents, John and Jennie Scotto, opened their first pizzeria in 1968 in the Echelon Shopping Mall in Voorhees, N.J.
Scotto has a large selection — 25-30 varieties — of pizza you can purchase by the slice, says Jerry Scotto. It also has salads, wraps, paninis, cheesesteaks, burgers and appetizers and sides, such as fries and mozzarella sticks. It's open seven days a week during mall hours.
Cotton On, incidentally, also is new to the Lehigh Valley Mall. It moved into the upper-level mall location that was vacated by CD/video store F.Y.E. in April. A couple of weeks ago, F.Y.E opened in its new spot on the lower level near Macy's.
Now, as all savvy Retail Watchers know, the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season — Black Friday — is right around the corner. Whether you've seen the ads on TV, read them in the newspaper or saw them online, you can't help but notice Black Friday sales are starting earlier and earlier each year.
This week I received releases from both Whitehall and Palmer Park malls announcing that they, like Lehigh Valley Mall, will open at midnight on Black Friday for the first time. Some retailers are opening earlier in the evening on Thanksgiving Day. And a few, like Walmart, are adding a Black Thursday to the calendar by not bothering to observe Thanksgiving at all. Most are offering specials during those early hours that might be hard for bargain hunters to resist.
Although I respect and am amused by those of you who stay up all night to get deals, I won't be joining you. For me, Thanksgiving is a day to count my blessings and enjoy my family. I wouldn't trade time with them for any of those early bargains. Anyone agree? Even if you don't, I'd love to hear from you.
New stores seem to be popping up everywhere, just in time for the holiday rush. Julian Vinson recently opened her new place, Gotta Love Vintage, at 2895 Township Line Road near Orefield in Lowhill Township. It's in a renovated 18th century barn that used to be Country Barn Antiques & Uniques.
As its name suggests, it's filled with the kind of vintage merchandise Vinson just loves — vintage clothing, collectibles, primitives, soy candles and more. She developed her taste for all things vintage while living in Georgia, where she owned a tea room in an antiques mall.
"I have a lot of vintage clothing from the 1940s to the 1980s — hats, jackets, lingerie, dresses and shoes," said Vinson, who added that she finds her merchandise at estate, yard and garage sales and at thrift shops. "I'll crawl under anything to find stuff." She even has some wedding dresses from the 1930s.
The décor inside the barn is rustic and includes a large fireplace. "If people come for no other reason, they need to see this barn," she said. It's open Wednesdays through Sundays.
Celebrating a grand opening last week was Bang Fashion Boutique, where owner Lauren Baldawi said, "Prices are competitive so you can get a bang for your buck."
She co-owns the new store at 2161 MacArthur Road, Whitehall Township (on the stretch of MacArthur Road heading north), between Mickley Road and Schadt Avenue, with her husband, Ali, and brother, Ryan Neeme. Merchandise, which includes women's clothing and accessories, is targeted at the "fashionista."
"It's eye candy all over when you walk in the store," she said. "We have everything from super-dressy outfits to more casual slacks and sweaters for work." She orders her merchandise from Manhattan and Los Angeles and limits orders to six or seven pieces of one style so women don't have to worry about running into others wearing the same outfit.
The last month has been a tough one for retailer Bird Mania, 3235 W. Emmaus Ave. in Salisbury Township, which sells exotic birds and the items and services you need to care for them. First, Hurricane Sandy hit, knocking out power to the store for several days. Their tropical birds, most of which come from South America, Australia and Africa, had to be moved out of the shop and into the warm homes of owner Debbie Lentz and her staff until power returned.
Last week, my colleague Daniel Patrick Sheehan reported that trouble hit the store again in the form of an SUV, which drove into it, taking down one of its walls. Miraculously, although the store was filled with birds, none were hit, said Sarah Ayers, a former veterinary technician who helps care for the birds. But, once again, the birds had to removed. Owner Debbie Lentz is looking into a quick repair so she can at least be open to sell food and supplies until permanent repairs are made. In the meantime, bird owners who need food, supplies or grooming services can reach her at 610-657-0661 or Sarah Ayers, who does much of the grooming, at 610-393-6541.
It's official. Weis Markets along Route 100 near Fogelsville in Upper Macungie Township will open Dec. 9. And, in addition to being the most environmentally friendly (LEED-certified) Weis in the Lehigh Valley, it will be one of 14 stores in the chain to have an in-store café, where more than 300 varieties of beer will be available. The early December opening will give Weis a jump on Wegmans on Tilghman Street in Allentown, which plans to open its Pub in early summer.
Reader Fran Tershak of Schnecksville asked what happened to the Old Navy store on MacArthur Road. "This is one of the best stores for buying clothes at a decent price for my nieces and nephews," she said.
Old Navy moved from the Whitehall Shopping Center at 2631 MacArthur Road to a new site at 941 Airport Center Drive in the Airport Center shopping plaza in Hanover Township, Lehigh County. There's also an Old Navy at 3060 Center Valley Parkway at the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley in Center Valley.
Nancy Snyder of Allentown, along with at least three other readers, is wondering what's going on with the Buffalo Wild Wings that was supposed to open at Whitehall Mall last spring. Mall marketing director Amanda Johnson said only that a date has not yet been set for construction to begin. Whitehall Mayor Ed Hozza, however, said it's being held up by a lease squabble between Old Country Buffet and Simon Properties, which owns the mall. It's slated to be built on the mall's parking lot along Grape Street — a location that would block Old Country Buffet's visibility.
Retail Watch keeps track of new store, restaurant and bank development in the Lehigh Valley. Have a question about a retail construction project, a store opening or a chain you'd like to see come to the area? Call features reporter Irene Kraft at 610-820-6597 or email firstname.lastname@example.org. Retail Watch appears every Sunday.


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Wal-mart's has developed a people action plan, which sets forth policies for associates, managers, and supervisors to base all employment decisions on the principles of equal employment opportunity. Ahead, this diversity strategic action plan will guide our work on diversity, inclusion and cultural competence over the next 5 years, moving the arc from a supporter of diversity efforts to a. Wal-mart stores, as walmart is an american multinational retail corporation walmart were keen to mobilise their leadership and executive population to leverage the benefits of d&i and be role models thereby delivering results on both the commercial growth and talent strategy.
The official b2b auction marketplace for walmart liquidation, offering bulk lots of walmartcom returned merchandise register to bid on pallets and truckloads of appliances, apparel, sporting goods, home goods, toys, tvs, and more. Enter or scan your receipt click 'submit receipt' from your ereceipt, enter your receipt number, or scan your receipt barcode in the savings catcher section of the walmart app. Wal-mart is a strong believer in diversity “we make diversity part of our business plan, ensuring we can continue to be a global leader in all aspects of diversity and inclusion” (diversity, para 1) wal-mart uses diversity at all levels of employment through diversity, wal-mart can use the four functions of management to achieve their. The named plaintiffs in the original wal-mart class action, filed in 2001, reached confidential settlements with the company and stipulated to dismissal of their claims, the parties said in a july 15 court filing.
A former wal-mart employee hit the retailer with a putative class action in florida federal court on thursday saying she and others received cobra notices that didn't fully inform them of their. Wal-mart stores inc is being sued once again by a group of women who say they faced gender discrimination while working for the world’s biggest retailer. Diversity action plan due to future trends in population growth, it will be more important than ever for organizations to prepare for the challenges and opportunities presented by diversity the learning team diversity action. Though amicus briefs from fortune 500 corporations championing diversity might strike skeptics as a public relations stunt—wal-mart and other signatories have certainly faced their share of race.
Affirmative action plan we’ve pledged ourselves to the principles of nondiscrimination, treating all of our employees with dignity and respect and taking an impartial approach to everything we do. Wal-mart stores, inc (nyse: wmt) helps people around the world save money and live better - anytime and anywhere - in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices each week, over 260 million customers and members visit our 11,695 stores under 59 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. Walmart diversity policy thank you references overview background information need for diversity improvements training & employment development plan legal issues & obstacles recommended course of action conclusion background information need for diversity improvements training & employment development plan legal issues & obstacles recommended.
For ben hasan, walmart’s new chief culture, diversity and inclusion officer, turning the ignition in his car and reaching for the stick shift results in a moment of quiet reflection each morning. Though it is addressed to sam's clubs -- a retail division of walmart stores inc, that tends to attract slightly higher-income customers -- multiple walmart employees confirmed that the plan. At walmart, we believe we are best equipped to help our associates, customers and the communities we serve live better when we really know them that means understanding, respecting and valuing diversity—unique styles, experiences, identities, ideas and opinions—while being inclusive of all people.
News about wal-mart stores inc, including commentary and archival articles published in the new york times. This action, which may include disciplinary action, will be consistent with the action wal-mart would take against an employee who committed a comparable violation of any policy adopted by wal-mart to comply with federal, state, or local law. Read about the opportunities, initiatives & programs that underpin wal-mart's diversity strategy.
Wal-mart will also report to the eeoc regarding its compliance with the consent decree and post a notice to employees about the settlement the eeoc is pleased that wal-mart recognized the value of resolving this case without any further court action, said eeoc dallas district director janet elizondo. Jennifer mcpartland, phd, is a health scientist boma brown-west is a manager for consumer health today, walmart unveiled its sustainable chemicals policy implementation guidethe guide details how the company will work with suppliers to bring safer products to millions of american shoppers, as announced last september when the policy was introduced. Walmart introduced a plan that was hoped to ensure that the company would remain the industry leader project impact is based on three strategic initiatives that will improve the benefits to the customer. Broad analisis of the biggest company in the world it includes walmart history, internal and external analysis and a focus on walmart's internationalization with some suggestions for the future.
Walmart has released its 2016 culture, diversity & inclusion report that shows the retailer has made strides in hiring and elevating women and people of color. Shop walmartcom for every day low prices free shipping on orders $35+ or pickup in-store and get a pickup discount open a walmart credit card to save even more. Walmart inc (formerly wal-mart stores, inc) is an example of effective large-scale human resource management, considering the business has millions of employees worldwide the company is one of the biggest in the world in terms of organizational size, business value, and financial performance. Wal-mart is an organization that has used diversity and inclusion as part of their extreme success while many people, and even organizations look at embracing diversity as something they have to do, wal-mart seems to have truly taken hold of it and made it a core part of their business that is embedded in all that they do.