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WhatsApp is getting a brand new replace that can stop the messaging app from working on thousands and thousands of telephones from 1 January 2021. As per reviews, WhatsApp won’t perform on gadgets that aren’t operating iOS 9 or Android 4.0.three working methods. According to a report by Independent, older Android and iPhone gadgets won’t assist the newest model of the app. This will pressure house owners to replace the cell working system or purchase a brand new system.
Therefore, thousands and thousands of smartphone customers who’re presently utilizing the messaging app will not give you the chance to entry WhatsApp from January 1, 2021, onwards. Some customers of older gadgets will likely be ready to entry WhatsApp by updating to the newest software program. But, for some gadgets, WhatsApp will turn out to be completely inaccessible from January 1, 2021.
For those that have the choice of updating their telephones to the newest software program should accomplish that instantly. But for these, who’ve telephones which might be not appropriate with WhatsApp, ought to again up chats earlier than January 1, 2021. The chats on WhatsApp might be retained by going to the ‘Chat backup’ choice below the Chats part in Settings.
Those who would not have the choice of updating their software program could have to get a brand new telephone to entry WhatsApp.
Phones to lose WhatsApp assist
– Samsung Galaxy S2
– Apple iPhone 1-4
– HTC Desire
– LG Optimus Black
– Motorola Droid Razr
– Android gadgets launched earlier than 2010
All iPhone fashions up to the iPhone Four will lose assist for the messaging platform within the subsequent few days. The iPhone fashions embody the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5, the iPhone 5S, the iPhone 6, and the iPhone 6S.
For Android, gadgets together with HTC Desire, Motorola Droid Razr, LG Optimus Black, and the Samsung Galaxy S2 will lose WhatsApp assist as 2020 ends.
The prompt messaging platform will hold the app operating for choose telephones with KaiOS 2.5.1 OS or newer, together with JioPhone and JioPhone 2.


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A talented KU student creates a fashion collection for her end of year portfolio inspired by her Eastern roots.
Lady Gaga tweeted her 32 million adoring fans worldwide “wearing Kingston University’s fashion clothes”.
Student discount of the day: ASOS
KU fashion students’ dreams came true when their designs were displayed for London Fashion week and became a huge success.
By April Whitlow
Kingston dance students may get the chance to perform in next year’s production of a new inter-university show, which is being hosted by stars from Made in Chelsea.
By Natalie Mason
The former head of Kingston’s School of Fashion has passed away from a long term illness.
By Ashleigh Wight

domain: news


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US-based retail giant Target is the latest big name to enter the blockchain space. The company has been working on an open source blockchain project to manage its supply chain network. Target will also support the Hyperledger Grid project, an open source collaborative project led by its supplier Cargill.
According to a blog post, Target has been working on a blockchain proof of concept to help manage certification of suppliers since mid-2018. Target hopes to learn more about blockchain technology through its participation in the Hyperledger Grid.
The retailer is trying to understand the data that needs to stored on the distributed ledger as well as the governance of a multi-enterprise, blockchain network.
Hyperledger Grid is a project which seeks to streamline supply chain infrastructure with the help of distributed ledger technology. It is good to see big companies like Target embracing blockchain technology.
(Image Credit: Flickr)


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Cosplay veteran NipahDUBS is bringing our favorite characters to life with impressive crafting skills and a charming smile.
Need some basic info on Pokemon Legends: Arceus? Such as the length of the game? We’ve got that info for you right here!
We’ve go the Pokemon Legends: Arceus type matchups chart yo uneed to win those battles much more frquently!
Curious about the Noble Pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Arceus? We’ve got a quick rundown of the lords and ladies of the Hisui region right here!
The Epic Games Store released a ton of free games last year. What will 2022 bring to the platform? Here’s what we know.
Hitman 3 was sold with a discounted price on the Epic Games Store, but the discount was removed without warning.
Valorant’s Killjoy was recently in some hot water after an accidental social media post that suggested she supports NFTs.
Resident Evil 4’s fan-made HD project is finally ready for release after its team worked on it for eight years.
Rare has just announced that they are shutting down Sea of Thieves’ highly competitive Arena mode on March 10th.
Monster Hunter is the undisputed king of the monster-fighter games, but Xbox thinks that they can bring in a new challenger.
Owlcat Games stealthily dropped Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous’ free DLC, A Visitor from Distant Lands.
Phoenix Point’s DLC 5 Kaos Engines will add weapons, vehicle customizations and more. It will launch on March 1st.
On February 8th, Apex Legends: Defiance will launch introducing Mad Maggie, a crazy villain that may just be what you need.
Splitgate’s Beta Season 1 has officially launched today and introduced a lot of new content including maps and more.
Death Stranding Director’s Cut will be released on PC later this year. This time, it will launch on Steam and Epic Games simultaneously.
SouthPAW Games’ skeletal roguelike, Skul: The Hero Slayer, has sold 1 million copies globally and is celebrating their achievement.


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In the latest Women’s Retail Collective Podcast Anne Mezzenga sits down with Meijer’s Group Vice President, Marketing & Customer Strategy: Retail… Continue Reading
In the latest edition of the Omni Talk Women’s Retail Collective Podcast, Anne Mezzenga sits down with Fanatics Chief Strategic Retail Officer Gina De Caro Sprenger.
In the latest Women’s Retail Collective Podcast brought to you by Parcel Pending by Quadient, host Anne Mezzenga sits down with Forrester VP and Principal Analyst Sucharita Kodali.
In this podcast, Anne Mezzenga and Sunny Jiang discuss Sunny’s future plans for EyeBuyDirect as she takes the brand into new geographies and expands their online presence of white label and designer brands into a marketplace of 3rd party brands to meet the evolving needs of their customers.
Anne Mezzenga interviews the GIANT Company’s Division VP Sepideh Burkett
In her latest Women’s Retail Collective Podcast, sponsored by Parcel Pending by Quadient, Anne Mezzenga is joined by A&M Consumer & Retail Group Partner Patricia Hong.
In her latest Women Retail Collective Podcast, Anne Mezzenga is joined by CEO and President of Athleta, Mary Beth Laughton to talk about her career and the future of retail.
Women’s Retail Collective | Chris Rupp EVP, Chief Digital and Customer Officer Albertson’s Companies
Anne Mezzenga interviews Chris Rupp, EVP Chief Digital & Customer Officer Albertsons Companies, about her career and the future of omnichannel grocery retailing.
Anne Mezzenga interviews Kelly Kowal, Chief Platform Officer Farfetch for her latest Omni Talk Women’s Retail Collective Podcast.
Anne Mezzenga interviews Kristin Savilia, CEO JOOR, about her career and where she thinks the retail industry could be going next.
Ace Hardware Chief Marketing Officer Kim Lefko and Anne Mezzenga sit down to talk about Kim’s career in retail in the latest edition of the Omni Talk exclusive, Women’s Retail Collective podcast series.
Karyn Schoenbart joins Anne Mezzenga to discuss her career, both as CEO of NPD Group and as author of the book MOM.B.A. This podcast is full of great advice, as Karyn shares some incredible lessons learned, including how a lateral move can actually propel your career forward, how to fight imposter syndrome, and how you can never go wrong asking someone “What can I do for you?”
Anne Mezzenga sits down with Vitamin Shoppe CEO Sharon Leite for a special edition of the Women’s Retail Collective Podcast from the Retail Innovation Conference.
When it comes to the evolution of the mall, Jill Renslow has seen it all.
Jill has spent 23 years at Mall of America leading the national institution through many transformations and partnerships to continue to make it a one-of-a-kind shopping and entertainment destination.
In this podcast, Jill shares with Anne Mezzenga a few of her most remarkable experiences along her journey, including how she and her team are tackling mall operations during a pandemic. They discuss what’s going to bring people to malls in the future and how Jill has sought out partnerships with everyone from Nickelodeon to neighborhood shop-in-shops to ensure Mall of America visitors have something new and delightful to capture their imaginations each and every time they visit.
Jill also shares what’s still left on her career bucket list and, of course, her A+ lineup for her own concert as well.
In her latest Women’s Retail Collective Podcast, Anne Mezzenga interviews Alison Hahn about her career and the lessons she has learned from working at some of the biggest specialty retailers in the world, like Sephora and Gap.
Alison shares her career story that began in the training program at Bamberger’s (which would become Macy’s New Jersey)and that eventually led to her current role at Sephora leading merchandising decisions for one of the largest beauty brands in the world. Anne and Alison also cover the impact the pandemic has had on the beauty industry and how Sephora has pivoted its strategies in response.
Alison also shares some great advice for those early in their merchandising and retail careers. “This job is a lot of balancing art and science, but a huge part of it is instinct,” she tell us.
There are so many lessons to be learned in this one, including Alison’s recipe for a perfect summer concert.


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GS Yuasa, UK market leader for automotive, motorcycle and industrial batteries, will exhibit its Yuasa and GS brands at this year’s Automechanika at the NEC, Birmingham. The world’s leading battery manufacturer will showcase its latest cutting edge technology and workshop initiatives at the event, as well as its Original Equipment quality product ranges.
The brand new interactive GS Yuasa exhibition stand will promote a wide range of Yuasa’s award-winning products and services. With a heavy focus for automotive workshop technicians and distributors, visitors to the GS Yuasa stand can expect to find:
Online Battery Lookup
Yuasa’s online battery lookup system fit.yuasa.com is far more than just a battery finder. It is the most powerful battery lookup resource available and is designed to save its 75,000-plus users time and money by allowing them to find the right battery and detailed fitting information quickly.
Stand visitors can claim a free Yuasa USB Smart Button for rapid workshop access to the system.
Yuasa Academy E-Learning
Currently in development, Yuasa’s comprehensive E-Learning system will revolutionise battery training. Aimed at improving customer service, reducing warranty returns and increasing sales, it will provide over 15 certified courses tailored to different job roles.
Visitors to the Yuasa stand will get a sneak preview of the system, ahead of its winter 2017 launch, and can undertake various training modules delivered in a dynamic video format.
Always Check The Battery
Launching later this summer, Yuasa’s Always Check The Battery scheme aims to help workshops improve their customer service and battery sales by checking the battery of every vehicle they service or repair. Last year, Yuasa undertook a major workshop trial of the scheme and the conclusive results will be revealed on the Yuasa stand.
Yuasa YBX and GS product ranges
The Original Equipment quality YBX Automotive range is trusted by technicians and customers across the UK for its unrivalled quality, reliability and performance. Examples of Yuasa’s YBX Automotive, Cargo, Leisure, Marine and Garden batteries will be displayed alongside accessories such as Smart Chargers, Battery Analysers and the award-winning Yu-Fit tool.
British Touring Car Championship Racing
Yuasa is well known for its sponsorship within the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) and will be bringing a touch of adrenaline fuelled motorsport action to Automechanika. Visitors will be able to take control of the Honda Yuasa Racing 2015 or the Halfords Yuasa Racing 2016 BTCC winning cars thanks to a purpose built Scalextric racing circuit.
Although a regular exhibitor at Automechanika in Frankfurt, this will be the first time GS Yuasa have attended the UK show which is now in its second year. James Hylton, Sales and Marketing Manager at GS Yuasa Battery Sales UK Ltd is looking forward to it, he said: “We are excited to be at this year’s Automechanika and very much looking forward to exhibiting our superb range of products and services to the UK automotive aftermarket.
“As the world’s leading battery manufacturer, and UK market leader, we are constantly developing new services and initiatives to help our customers improve customer service, save time and money, and sell more batteries. We are planning to use Automechanika to showcase some of our most advanced tools which have recently been launched or will be unveiled later this year.
“Our online battery lookup is the most advanced available. It is a key part of the service we offer our customers and will naturally be an important fixture on our new exhibition stand. Alongside this we will also be giving visitors a preview of our new E-Learning system which is still in development, highlighting the results of our Always Check The Battery workshop trial and giving visitors the chance to experience BTCC racing… all be it in Scalextric form.”
Automechanika GS Yuasa can be found in Hall 19 at stand 19B50.


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Mac > TheMacObserver
Tuesday November 13, 2018. 11:04 PM
Any Mac user who works on the internet with people in other time zones should have this essential, time-tested app. John loves it.
John Martellaro and Dave Hamilton join host Kelly Guimont to talk about MacTech Conference, Apple throttling iOS devices, and Dave gets new vocabulary.
We have a deal for you on Pagico, a one-stop app that helps turn all of your tasks, notes, and projects into beautiful interactive flowcharts. There’s more info in the deal listing, and you can get this app through us for $19.
B&H is today, Tuesday 13 November, offering massive discounts on MacBook Pros via its DealZone. A Mid 2017, Space Gray 15.4″ MacBook Pro with a 2TB SSD can be purchased for for $2,799, a reduction of $1,420 on the original price. Meanwhile, the 512GB model can be purchased...
LONDON – UK telecoms provider EE announced that it is bringing super-fast 5G mobile connectivity to 16 UK cities in 2019. The launch will initially take place in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Birmingham and Manchester. It will then be rolled out to Bristol, Coventry,...
Following much speculation and political lobbying, Amazon revealed on Tuesday that it will open its second headquarters in Crystal City in Virginia and New York City. Furthermore, Amazon announced that Nashville will be the base for its new Center of Excellence for its...
The new integration with Apple Watch makes accessing your recently played songs simple, even with your phone in your pocket.
Legendary comic book writer Stan Lee passed away yesterday. Apple is featuring a story in the Today section of the App Store called Remembering Stan Lee. Today Apple celebrates Mr. Lee’s legacy with apps and games featuring his iconic crimefighters in all their masked glory....
This week’s iTunes movie deals include Disney Movies and a Harry Potter bundle featuring all eight films, as well as other movie deals.
The What’s Next feature has also received an upgrade to improve the suggestions it makes, while touch gestures have been made more precise.
Another Facebook vulnerability has been found that could have exposed information about users and their friends. The security company Imperva has released new details on a Facebook vulnerability that could have exposed user data. The bug allowed websites to obtain private...
Phones accounted for at least 100 million yuan ($14.36 million) in sales during the record-breaking event.
It will mix human curation and algorithms to suggest podcasts for you.
A number of users are reporting that their Apple IDs have been locked on their iOS devices, with the reason for the issue unknown.
In another BGP hijack, Google traffic was rerouted yesterday through Russia and China. This included Google Cloud, YouTube, and other services. Specifically, network connectivity to Google was instead routed through TransTelekom in Russia (mskn17ra-lo1.transtelecom.net), and ...
Snapchat is adding some features to its app, like Friendship Profiles, new Bitmoji, Bitmoji Stories, and Bitmoji Merch.
A new HTTP version is coming, and it will work differently than previous versions. Instead of using TCP, it will use a Google technology called QUIC. In its continued efforts to make Web networking faster, Google has been working on an experimental network protocol named...
Check out the Syncwire UNBREAKcable, an MFi-Certified Lightning cable bend-tested for 30,000 charging cycles. It features a TPE jacket exterior and tinplate-wrapped inner wires. And it’s $10.99 through our deal.
If your new computer isn’t working correctly after you migrate your data—especially if you’re getting weird permissions issues or the “macOS needs to repair your Library” error—then come check out today’s Quick Tip! We’ve got all kinds of resources and tricks for you.
The new iPad Pro 11-inch contains eight speakers, a lot of silicon and a downgraded battery, according to a teardown conducted by the team at iFixit.
Nov, Wed 21 - 01:24 CET


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Mobile Travel Technologies (MTT) has announced plans to create 10 jobs in Dublin over the next six months.
The Irish software company, which has doubled its headcount in the past year, provides mobile travel solutions to airlines, hotel and travel intermediaries, made the jobs announcement this week and is hoping to fill at least five developer roles immediately – as well as filling additional roles over the next six months.
Commenting on the company’s growth, Gerry Samuels, founder and executive director of MTT, said: “Mobile is set to be the biggest force for change in the travel industry since the worldwide web.”
The company, based in the Digital Hub, Dublin, has developed a smartphone application for Abacus (an Asia Pacific travel reservations system that supports more than 15,000 travel agencies) to enable travel agents to manage customer bookings via mobile.
Job applications can be sent to firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Major world economies have lost substantial momentum. Higher prices continue to squeeze living standards and depress consumer confidence. Economic policy has turned from supportive to restrictive. Idiosyncratic events like the war in Ukraine, property protests in China, and extreme heat across many countries have been troubling. Readings on output and expectations for the future have diminished.
However, there are some positive signs emerging. Commodity prices are cooling, and supply chain pressures are easing amid softening demand. We believe global growth will slow, but won’t come to a halt. The battle to contain inflation will be a central effort in most places.
Here are perspectives on how major economies are poised to perform this year and next.
- A decline in real U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) for the second quarter renewed speculation that the economy has entered a recession. While slower inventory accumulation was the primary downward force, consumption growth was also sluggish. However, the red-hot labor market offers support to the view that activity hasn’t collapsed.
- The July inflation report offered an encouraging signal. Headline inflation was flat month over month, bringing the year over year measure down to 8.5%. Lower energy prices led the decline. Costs fell in sectors that had been especially hot throughout the year, such as airfares and used vehicles. That said, one favorable reading will not drive the Fed off its path of rapid interest rate increases. We expect the target rate for overnight rates to reach 3.75%-4.00% at the end of the year.


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Top 20 best-selling vehicles in April: Jeep leaps ahead
At the top of the list of April's top 20 best-selling vehicles, it was a familiar story. But toward the bottom, some huge changes took place, led by Jeep.
The full-size pickup trucks from Detroit's Big 3 automakers — Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and Ram 1500-3500 — remained the top three best-sellers of April, just as they were in March and in many past months. Again, Toyota's Camry and Corolla sedans were fourth and fifth respectively, repeating as the nation's top-selling cars, according Autodata.
Then the rankings get funky.
Honda's CR-V crossover moved up to sixth place on the list in April, compared with ninth place in March. The move shows how SUVs are gaining popularity over cars.
And in the big move of the month, the Chevrolet Equinox crossover leapfrogged to seventh place, up from 15th.
The brand to watch for the month was Jeep. The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles brand landed on April's list with two models, Cherokee and Wrangler.
Wrangler finished the month in 19th place — just a single vehicle behind the Chrysler 200 in 18th out of more than 18,000 sales, Autodata says.
"What FCA is doing with Jeep is pretty amazing," says John Krafcik, president of TrueCar, the auto research and buying website.
He says that as CEO of Hyundai Motor America, having a model hit a sales rate of 20,000 was a big deal. And in a single month Jeep almost did it with two models in April.
Krafcik says that the moves not only "speak to the power of the crossover" in today's truck-oriented market, but they're also a credit to how Jeep has evolved as a brand.
"The big advance is a focused brand that says, 'I'm a rugged off-road vehicle that can take you on a life of adventure,'" Krafcik says. For many, those adventures may be quite rare, but they take comfort in knowing they drive a vehicle that's capable of them.
Some sedans did well during the month. Though stablemate CR-V beat them, Honda Accord and Civic sedans moved up during the month — Accord up by four notches and Civic up by three in the rankings.
Some models also took a tumble. Nissan Rogue fell to 15th place, down from 10th. Hyundai Elantra was in 14th place, down from eighth. And Ford Fusion was in 11th place, down from seventh.


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Often when car dealerships think about how to share their inventory with the community, the focus is all about the driver. At she's doing her homework, the safety and happiness of our drivers is certainly a prime concern, but we understand that you’re not always alone in your Subaru. That’s why we do what we can as an automaker to ensure that your vehicle is strong enough and safe enough to be trusted with your most precious cargo: your friends and family.
And pets. Now, Subaru is taking special measures to test pet car safety restraints for owners’ peace of mind through a partnership with the Center for Pet Safety, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit research organization and pet-safety advocate. To date, no testing or performance standards have been determined for pet travel products, but Subaru is ready to change that. They’re teaming up with the Center for Pet Safety to establish standards for testing restraints while reporting to the public those pet restraints that currently shape up the best.
An existing Center for Pet Safety pilot study (that featured crash test dogs and not live animals) has found that a majority of pet safety restraints are not adequately able to protect pets in the event of a crash. By partnering with the organization and creating groundbreaking research, Subaru plans to improve the future for pets that have the great luck of taking a ride with their owners.
If you’d like to learn more about what you can do to protect your furry friends in your vehicle, visit your local mental asylum creative writing and surrounding areas. We’re happy to have your support as we join the Center for Pet Safety in conducting research that will directly affect your driving experience and the safety of all members of your family.


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On Monday, Chipotle temporarily closed a restaurant in Sterling, Virginia, following several reports of customers falling ill.
According to a report from NPR, the restaurant closed "to conduct a complete sanitization." In a statement to NBC News, Chipotle's head of food safety Jim Marsden said that the symptoms of those sickened were consistent with norovirus — a highly contagious virus.
"Norovirus does not come from our food supply, and it is safe to eat at Chipotle," Marsden clarified.
For the Denver-based chain, this is another in a long series of food safety issues, which began in the fall of 2015 with a series of foodborne illness outbreaks.
Boston health officials linked a norovirus outbreak that sickened more than 120 college students in 2015 to the restaurant and, in the same year, about 207 people in Simi Valley, California, also fell ill.
To recover its credibility with customers and improve its tarnished food safety record, Chipotle temporarily closed more than 2,000 restauant locations to re-train employees about food safety in February 2016. Since then, Chipotle has worked to overhaul its food safety procedures to convince customers that its food is safe to consume.
Marsden said the Virginia restaurant was expected to reopen later on Tuesday and said the company would continue to work with local health officials.
News of the Virginia restaurant closure sent Chipotle's stocks down, at one point, more than 7.5 percent in value.


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Representatives for pop musician Lady Gaga say the artist has ended Target's exclusive deal to sell a special edition of her new album due out later this year.
The bust-up is the latest fallout from a controversial political donation Target made last year.
The business partners have had talks in the past that the pop star called "intense" regarding the extent to which Target is sufficiently gay friendly.
Last year, the retailer contributed $150,000 to a Minnesota group backing Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, who opposes same-sex marriage. Target said the donation was motivated by business interests.
Lady Gaga, a vocal gay rights supporter, said if the retailer wanted to do business with her, it would have to step up support for gay causes.
In a statement, Target said the company was surprised and disappointed by the statement's made my Lady Gaga's representatives.
"Target remains committed to the LGBT community as demonstrated by our contributions to various LGBT organizations, our recently established Policy Committee to review our political giving and our respectful, inclusive workplace environment," the statement read.
"From an integrity standpoint, Lady Gaga has scored a win," said Greg Kott, a music critic with the Chicago Tribune and co-host of the public radio program Sound Opinions. He said Gaga definitely gains credibility with gay fans for not backing down on her demands of Target.
"Target gets a pretty black mark on its record," he said. "I think that she exposed this part of their thinking and the way they disperse their funds is certainly going to make people think twice about Target now."
But overall, Kott does not declare Gaga the clear winner in this dust-up. She will be taking the bigger financial hit from the deal. Even though digital music sales are starting to trump physical CD sales, Kott said certain artists -- mega celebrities like Lady Gaga -- can still generate a lot of cash through CDs.
"[It's a] significant revenue stream. I mean we're talking about millions of records. She's one of the few artists who still sell in those quantities," he said. "And the big-box retailers -- the Targets, the Best Buys of this world -- are still the primary outlet in the United States for physical sales of music product."
On the flip side, though the failed deal with Gaga might hit Target's reputation, it's not likely to silence the company's cash registers, said Matt Arnold, a consumer analyst with the brokerage firm Edward Jones.
"We're talking about one packaged media product that Target is going to get perhaps a little traffic from, but at the end of the day there's no way this is big enough to show up in the broader scheme of a company this size," Arnold said.
Media studies professor Aram Sinnreich at Rutgers University agrees. He said music is a loss-leader for big box retailers -- it just gets people into the store, but it doesn't generate big revenues.
Sinnreich also thinks that what's happening between Lady Gaga and Target captures a new development in the music world. Two decades ago, a pop star would be excoriated by her fan base for aligning herself with a major brand like Target -- and "selling out."
"These days because of the shifting economy of the music industry, it's become an absolute necessity for pop stars to look for funding beyond the labels and to affiliate themselves with any brand they can, whether it's a packaged good, or a retailer," Sinnreich said.
But, Sinnreich said, this new arrangement makes it more likely a pop star's political views will lead to a clash. The music labels didn't care what pop stars said. Big companies do.
Music critic Greg Kott thinks that's going to be a tough spot for Gaga going forward.
"When you're an artist at the level of Lady Gaga, you'll inevitably be making deals with multiple corporations, across multiple platforms, and are you going to as stringent with every one of them as you are with Target?"
Meanwhile, the deal does not appear to be dead on Target's website. This afternoon, the Target only premium version of Lady Gaga's forthcoming album was still available to be pre-ordered.
Your support matters.
You make MPR News possible. Individual donations are behind the clarity in coverage from our reporters across the state, stories that connect us, and conversations that provide perspectives. Help ensure MPR remains a resource that brings Minnesotans together.


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There is a fierce debate over the proposal to build an incinerator in Deeside. Cllr Bernie Attridge, deputy leader of Flintshire County Council, says thousands of people have signed a petition, angry at the choice of location.
More top news
There needs to be greater cohesion between health services in Wales to provide better service to patients, an expert review has warned.
South Wales Police become first force in the UK to make an arrest using facial recognition software, with 50 arrests made since July.
The North Wales based retailer says it would be replacing plastic with packaging including paper and pulp trays and paper bags.


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2019 October 22
Russian Crab, the new shellfish harvesting arm owned by Russian Fishery Company’s (RFC) Gleb Frank, plans to build 10 new vessels after winning around 10,000 metric tons in crab quotas in the country’s recent auctions.
Companies in the Russian Crab group won 10 out of 35 quota lots sold at the recent government auction for catching five species of crabs (including blue crab, horsehair crab and opilio [snow] crab) in three zones, the Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea, Western Kamchatka. A company spokeswoman declined to reveal the spend on the auctions to Undercurrent News, which does not include the vessels.
The next step for the company is to build vessels, the spokeswoman said. Tender winners are committed to build crab vessels of 50-meters and up.
“One of our priority tasks is to construct 10 crab vessels. According to the law, auction winners have 180 days to enter into shipbuilding contracts. We carefully studied the capabilities of Russian shipyards. We are planning to make final decisions on choosing a construction site and complete the contract campaign within the time period specified by the government decree,” she said.
Although the exact volume depends on the total allowable catch (TAC) set by the government, the 2019 TAC would mean an additional volume of 10,500t for the group’s crab business, a spokeswoman for the company told Undercurrent.
According to official auction data on the Far East crab auction seen by Undercurrent, Russian Crab spent RUB 33.85 billion ($534 million) in the auction on 9,450t of quota, somewhat lower than the level of RUB 38bn given in a Russian media report from bne IntelliNews.
In total, the Russian Crab group received about 15% of the total volume of crab harvested in Russia, she said. Back in 2017, RFC owner Frank acquired around 2,500t of crab.
A trap full of snow crabs being lifted from the Bering Sea, in Alaska.. Photograph by Chris Miller.
Other Far East winners
According to the official data on the results of the auction for crab in the Far East, Interrybflot was the next biggest spender behind Russian Crab. Interrybflot spent RUB 25.56bn on buying 5,350t of quota.
Then, Antey Group spent RUB 13.95bn on 3,138t of quota and Sofco Group invested RUB 7.14bn for 2,100t. Nakhodka Active Marine Fishery Base invested RUB 4.08bn in 1,050t of quota, with Nikita Kozhemyako, the son of the governor of the Primorsk region, spending RUB 3.57bn on the same amount.
According to the bne IntelliNews article, Antey and the Nort-West Fishing Consortium won most of the quotas in the northern basin, for RUB 24.6bn and RUB 18.2bn, respectively. In total, new investors put around $2bn into the Russian crab quota auctions, according to bne IntelliNews.
New Russian crab boss
Just before the news of the results of the crab auctions broke, Fedor Kirsanov, CEO of RFC, told Undercurrent there is a new top executive for the group's crab business, after the exit of Roman Linin earlier this year.
“Over the previous two years, we have developed the crab business, its operational processes and infrastructure. Today it is a separate business consolidated within the group, Russian Crab, which Dmitry Trubnikov will lead,” he said.
Trubnikov has a diverse business history, with his most recent role being chief financial officer of TransContainer, a large Russian intermodal container transportation company.


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The Nanyang Technological University’s new medical school in Singapore has announced it plans to help pioneer the use of plastinated bodies for medical education. Currently, plastinated bodies are genuine human bodies preserved using a method that replaces water and fat with certain plastics. The end product is a cadaver will not smell or decay.
Prices for these plastinated bodies can run as high as $200,000 whereas the traditional cadavers are generally purchased for about $2,000. While we expect the price for a plastinated cadaver to fall dramatically, we’re not sure it will ever be as inexpensive as the traditional variety nor are we sure it will be as effective if it lacks water and fat.


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Following the collapse of the latest round of global trade liberalisation talks, fDi phoned up the various international bodies concerned with trade and investment to ask what effect they thought the unsuccessful end to the Doha negotiations would have on crossborder investment. As it happens, they were all on holiday and no comments were forthcoming from the few staffers left behind holding down the forts. Maybe that is an answer in itself.
Most of the main actors involved in the Doha drama concurred that the failure to agree a deal was highly regrettable – even if they disagreed about who was to blame for that failure; for some, it is bordering on a global disaster. The truth, of course, is that trade will go on, just at a higher cost t o most involved.
The same is true of crossborder investment flows: the consequences of the collapse of trade talks are not likely to be catastrophic by any means.
If FDI flows slow down at all later this year or next (and fDi’s in-house data suggest flows are holding steady so far in 2008), it would have more to do with lack of liquidity and a general economic slowdown than inadequate trade liberalisation.
The demise of Doha should not hurt FDI flows too badly; but it won’t help matters either. Even if FDI flows hold up in the absence of a global trade agreement, they will almost certainly have lost the chance of a boost that might have occurred later on down the line. We will never know.
But there is still a chance – not likely to be grasped enthusiastically enough to do much good to global business – to address the larger but often-overlooked issue of non-tariff barriers.
As nice as it would have been to see a lowering of tariff barriers and a reduction in trade-distorting subsidies, the biggest boost to worldwide FDI flows would come from cutting non-tariff barriers.
As EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson told us in an interview shortly after the trade talks broke down (see Fierce about free trade), non-tariff barriers such as product licensing restrictions and discriminatory investment rules not only stifle free trade but also block the creation of supply chains and thwart market entry for companies interested in expanding into new territories.
For multinational companies, these barriers are the real impediments to overseas investment, and in many ways they are more pernicious than traditional trade barriers.
The death of the Doha dream is worthy of a few tears perhaps, but not so many as the long life and continued health of non-tariff barriers.


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Microsoft detects between 180-200 million phishing emails each month¹. Some are just annoying, but some present a major risk to your business.
With new malware campaigns being launched every day, Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection has been designed to help protect your email, files, and online storage against new and increasingly sophisticated attacks.
That's why we've put together a webinar to discuss:
¹Microsoft Security Intelligence Report, Vol. 23, 2018, Microsoft.


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LicensingSource.net catches up with newcomers to the show floor to find out more on their plans and why they see the event as vital to their brands’ growth. Today: Jazwares.
“Jazwares is on an amazing growth trajectory as one of the world’s premier toy licensees, bringing the industry’s biggest entertainment properties to life while also cultivating and expanding our own IP,” Sam Ferguson, senior vp global licensing at Jazwares, comments.
“Squishmallows, our leading global plush brand sensation, has been a key growth pillar and BLE opens the door for new category expanding opportunities. At BLE we will have a dedicated Squishmallows booth with the aim of introducing outside categories to the phenomenal Squishmallows lifestyle. We want to explore innovative ways to collaborate with new partners who can authentically bring the brand to life.”
The appearance at BLE follows on from the dedicated Squishmallows booth at Licensing Expo in May, and Sam explains that the company will be looking to create a similar colourful lifestyle experience at ExCeL. “We intend to show the UK industry the power of the brand and how they can be part of it in their own unique ways,” he says. “We saw huge fanfare in Vegas and expect to see the same interest in London, so will be ensuring we have a bookable meeting schedule as well as giving attendees the ability to take an initial look around to gain a deeper understanding about the brand and its DNA.”
Sam and the team will be catching up with the current family of licensees, discussing how their programmes can be expanded in 2023. In addition, it will be opening the door to explore new licensed partnerships, retail attendees and agents.
Jazwares launched its Squishmallows global licensing programme last year in the US and it is now looking forward to debuting an extensive UK programme, with some key product launches in Q3/Q4.
“We are teaming with some of the biggest names in consumer and lifestyle products including Bioworld, which is bringing a fantastic range of branded apparel and accessories; Character World with a cosy range of bedding; HarperCollins Publishers offering the Squishmallows Collectors Guide; Aykroyds and TDP Textiles with nightwear, loungewear, swimwear and underwear collectively; and Crackerjack UK launching Squishmallows lip and nail products,” says Sam.
Seven new licensees to the Squishmallows squad will be announced during the show, while there will also be a focus on speaking with new licensees which can offer meaningful collaborations across food and confectionery, as well as live events, publishing and home in the UK.
Locking in best in class partners is the short-term focus as Q1 2023 approaches, Sam continues: “We are building solid foundations throughout 2022 and educating retail about the success we are seeing in the toy aisle and beyond, to get everything in place for an exceptional 2023 consumer products programme at retail.”
Longer term, the aim is for Squishmallows to be an established lifestyle property across all of the brand’s touchpoints. “The vision is for all the various verticals from licensed products, to gaming and content to reach the heights of the success of the plush in the toy aisle, in a sustainable way. Squishmallows are a true phenomenon, we have something really special with this brand and our aim is to cultivate it for long-term success,” concludes Sam.
Jazwares can be found on stand B200 at BLE.


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Found this part very interesting/telling:
"Data provided by research and analysis firm BayStreet Research shows that in the 11 months from June 2019 through April 2020, Sprint sold slightly over 75,000 of the now incompatible 5G phones. That includes around 15,000 Galaxy S10 5Gs, 35,000 LV V50 ThinQ and roughly 25,000 One Plus 7 Pro 5G.
Comparatively, Sprint users bought many more Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra devices.Through April 2020 cumulative volume totals for the devices were 90,000; 55,000; and 75,000, respectively, according to BayStreet data.
That’s only two months of S20 volumes, BayStreet founder Cliff Maldonado noted, including part of March and April. Through June 2020 that increased to 200,000 for the S20; 115,000 for S20+; and 150,000 for S20 Ultra."
While in one sense it may show the appeal of the S20 line, I'd also take it to at least in part be a commentary on the percentage of users that have any interest in being early adopters too. Even that said though, its almost odd that for those early adopters, the Samsung phones were the least purchased of the 3 options. Without having seen the numbers otherwise, I'd have assumed they'd still command the lead there. Unfortunately the article didn't mention numbers differential to other 2nd gen+ 5G alternatives (to whatever extent they exist).


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Beaumont investment firm expands national retail portfolio
Beaumont-based Albanese Cormier Holdings has purchased a portfolio of nine shopping centers totaling nearly 760,000 square feet in four states, according to commercial real estate firm JLL.
JLL represented the seller, New York-based ShopOne Centers REIT, in the off-market transaction.
The portfolio includes two properties in Indiana, five in Ohio, and one each in Michigan and West Virginia. Tenants include Kroger, Giant Eagle, Anytime Fitness, Michaels, Dollar Tree and Ollie's Bargain, among others.
"With 92 percent average occupancy and predominantly national tenants, the centers provide both upside potential as well as stable cash flow," Principal Mike Albanese said in an announcement.
Albanese Cormier Holdings owns 87 assets totaling more than 6 million square feet throughout 24 states.


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English topfruit growers are assessing the damage from recent frosts after temperatures plummeted to as low as minus 4 degrees in some areas.
Crop losses are estimated to be up to 25 per cent in some cases, with reports of growers lighting fires in orchards to warm trees through the night.
The mood is “despondent” among some growers, according to chief commercial officer of topfruit PO Avalon Produce Limited (APL), Michael Joyles.
“With orchards now in full bloom, and a lack of rainfall causing trees to be stressed, this couldn’t have come at a worse time,” he said. “Growers were lighting fires in their orchards to get the heat up through the night. Others were driving large fans on the back of tractors to force air movement.
“Those lucky enough to have frost busters may have invested wisely, however there will be a lot of orchards that are completely written off.”
Frosts were largely localised, with low-lying coastal areas among the worst hit. Orchards on higher ground are reported to have escaped damage.
It comes as European topfruit and stonefruit crops were badly affected by heavy frosts on the continent, with Slovenia, Austria, Poland and Czech Republic this week reporting severe losses.
Worldwide Fruit chief executive Steve Maxwell said initial reports are “concerning” but growers would need two weeks to see the impact. Commercial director at Kent topfruit grower AC Goatham, Carol Ford, said “it’s too early to tell”.
Chair of the NFU's horticulture and potatoes board, Ali Capper, tweeted that there will be a big impact from frosts on topfruit and stonefruit cropsin south east England and the West Midlands.
A statement from trade body English Apples & Pears (EAP) said: 'The recent low overnight temperatures across parts of northern Europe have produced some pockets of localised frost which have affected some British topfruit growers.
'Although it is too early to tell exactly what affect this will have on the 2017-18 final picked crop for British growers, it is clear that the final yields from growers who have been hit may be down on the previous year and that there is likely to be a shortage of UK retailer standard fruit from European suppliers.'
Joyles said: “We won’t know the total effect for some weeks, but what we do know is the total volume of next seasons crop will be lower, and it will certainly be a challenging topfruit season for all involved. Rain is forecasted but this can bring with it further problems now of scab and other diseases.”
The cold snap follows a positive start to spring with warm weather leading to robust apple blossom and hopes of a record crop.
“Growers are now very despondent, and some smaller ones will struggling to survive with the volume there are left with,” Joyles added.
No comments yet


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Euro Kids International and Franchise India Ally to Unveil New Franchise Models for Edupreneurs
December 09, 2021: Lighthouse Learning, India's leading Early Childhood & K-12 Education Company has announced its collaboration with Asia's largest integrated franchise solution company, Franchise India, to unveil new franchise models for entrepreneurs looking for an education brand to partner with. This partnership will begin with a series of webinars designed to address and educate interested partners about the Franchising framework and give an overview of Lighthouse Learning Group, EuroKids Pre-School, and Kangaroo Kids International Pre-School.
The series of webinars with Franchisee India will focus on new prospective partners and help increase the company’s franchise network. Additionally, it will address numerous topics & drive insights on the scope of physical pre-schools in the future.
In the aftermaths of lockdown, Parents are returning to work and seeking preschools that provide quality education. Simultaneously, demand for preschool also increased. The webinars series with franchise India will also discuss why the current time is the best time to invest in a preschool franchise.
KVS Seshasai, Chief Executive Officer, Pre-K Division of EuroKids International and Kangaroo Kids said, “In the last six months we have seen renewed interest from people keen to start their franchise preschool journey, and we expect our EuroKids and Kangaroo Kids networks to grow rapidly once the resumption of physical pre-schooling is mandated by the State Governments.”
“Having an incredible ability to provide uninterrupted learning to pre-scholars across the country, Both EuroKids and Kangaroo Kids have been extremely resilient brands during the last 18 months. Considering this deadly situation, we have developed a system of learning through online, offline, hybrid modes learning and products like homeschooling made us the best investing decision one can look forward to, keeping in view the rising demand of Pre-K division in the coming years to overcome the gap in learning Covid-19 has created. We are delighted to collaborate with Franchisee India and look forward to mutually leveraging our strengths, to further the objective of deeper penetration of early childhood education in the country,” he added.
Edited by: Abhishek Kumar Singh


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Spotify, one of the world’s leading music streaming site, has just shared in a rare update of its usage data that it currently has more than 10 million paying subscribers and more than 40 million monthly active users.
Launched in October 2008 by Swedish startup Spotify AB, the service had approximately 10 million total users as of 15 September 2010, about 2.5 million of whom were paying users. Total users reached 20 million by December 2012, 5 million of whom pay a monthly subscription fee that varies based on locale.
The company hasn’t officially updated its usage numbers since March last year, when the company said it had more than six million paying users and more than 24 million active users.
Also read: 6 music streaming sites you should check out
According to a report by Wall Street Journal, part of the increase in usage is a result of Spotify’s rapid and costly international expansion. The company, which was founded in 2006 and rolled out its music subscription service in 2008, has more than doubled the number of markets it is available in over the course of the past year—to a total of 56 markets world-wide.
In March 2014, Spotify tied up with Coca Cola to launch its service in the Philippines.
Earlier in April, for the first time ever in Singapore, digital music sales overtook those of CDs and records sales last year. However, this was not because of a huge increase in the digital music sales, but rather far fewer CDs had been sold.
In terms of numbers, sales for digital music hit US$5.5 million last year, up 28 per cent from 2012. However, sales of CDs and records dipped by 44 per cent in the same period to S$4.5 million (US$S$4.5 million), based on data from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
As a comparison, 5 years back in 2009, sales of CDs and records were worth US$18.8 million and digital music sales were just US$3.4 million.
The online music streaming space is competitive, with the active players being Deezer and KKBox, other than Spotify. YouTube, is also earmarked to be launching their own music streaming site soon.
Also read: For the first time ever, digital music sales overtake CDs sales in Singapore


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It's been a couple of years since we heard from Viv Labs, but a report from the Washington Post says it will debut the next generation of AI assistance on Monday. One reason we won't dismiss that possibility is because of the last project developed by company co-founders Dag Kittlaus, Adam Cheyer and Chris Brigham -- a little feature called Siri. According to the Post, as much of a third of the team behind Siri is now at Viv, ready to fulfill a bigger dream of what the personal assistant can do than what we've seen so far in its Apple iteration.
Showtime next week after 3.5 years of work. https://t.co/s0i6gfu4BX— Dag Kittlaus (@Dagk) May 4, 2016
Viv is planned as an open system -- more like the original Siri prior to being purchased by Apple in 2010 -- and currently features links to apps and services like Uber, FTD, SeatGuru and GrubHub. The example in the article describes ordering a pizza from Domino's without so much as making a phone call or opening an app. Viv can understand everything necessary like selecting toppings or picking a pizza place on its own, or as directed by natural conversation.
Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Facebook and other tech giants are already trying to integrate AI into our daily lives, but Viv's plan is to bypass app stores, device limitations or a messenger window. According to the Post, Google and Facebook have already tried to acquire it, and if its debut during TechCrunch Disrupt next week is everything promised, there will probably be other attempts soon.


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The yoga studio at 4201 Wilson Blvd is celebrating its opening with a series of deals. CorePower’s Black Tag Membership is offered at 10 percent off for the first month, in addition to having the first week of classes free. The studio had been holding a series of free outdoor, public classes in advance of its opening.
CorePower Yoga bills itself as welcoming to all skill levels, with a blend of intense physical workout and mindfulness.
The 3,410 square-foot location has two studios and a full locker room, according to staff at CorePower Yoga. The location officially opened Thursday, Aug. 22.
Construction permits were filed earlier this year for a 5,695 square foot space at 2825 Wilson Blvd in Clarendon, next to the Chase Bank.
The international gym franchise has one location in D.C., in Dupont Circle, and staff there said the Clarendon location is expected to open by the end of the year — most likely in December.
The layout of the new gym will be similar to the D.C. location, we’re told. There’s no word yet on promotions or other pre-opening deals, the company usually offers them to first-time members.
A new 30,000 square foot Gold’s Gym is coming to Rosslyn next year.
The fitness chain announced this morning that it is planning to open in the redeveloped Rosslyn City Center, next to the Metro station, next fall.
The new gym will features boutique-style classes, group classes and 3D body scanning, plus “health spa-quality shower and towel amenities, healthy concessions and exclusive use of a 1,400 square-foot training terrace overlooking Central Place Plaza with expansive views of the Rosslyn skyline.”
More from a press release:
American Real Estate Partners (AREP), an institutional fund manager and operating partner focused on office and mixed-use repositioning and development, announced today Gold’s Gym, the world’s trusted fitness authority, will open a new location at AREP’s Rosslyn City Center.
Expected to open in third quarter of 2020, the new location will provide Rosslyn City Center tenants and the neighborhood’s growing resident and business community with access to the full Gold’s Gym fitness experience and programming. This includes a suite of boutique-style GOLD’SSTUDIO® classes – GOLD’SFIT®, GOLD’SBURN™ and GOLD’S CYCLE™ – along with a diverse schedule of group exercise classes, 3D body scanning, GOLD’SAMP™ digital personal training and an expert team of certified Gold’s Gym personal trainers. Additionally, Gold’s Gym will offer health spa-quality shower and towel amenities, healthy concessions and exclusive use of a 1,400 square-foot training terrace overlooking Central Place Plaza with expansive views of the Rosslyn skyline.
“The renovation of Rosslyn City Center is fully underway and will complete the core of Rosslyn’s renaissance, bringing the best restaurants and fitness amenities to serve all of the new residents and tenants relocating to Rosslyn,” said Doug Fleit, CEO of AREP. “Rosslyn City Center is a destination that will continue to attract the best employee talent for offices around Metro.”
In June, AREP announced the $35 million renovation of Rosslyn City Center with state-of-the-art exterior, lobby and common spaces. Along with the addition of Gold’s Gym, the redevelopment also includes new retail destinations that will match Rosslyn’s transformation into a vibrant urban center, including a Chase bank and a 20,000 square foot food hall with 12 locally-curated food stalls and two lounges operated by Austin, Texas-based Oz Rey.
“Healthy, local food and a commitment to wellness are key priorities for today’s workforce, especially for the millennial population that makes up more than 40 percent of workers in Rosslyn today,” said Paul Schulman, Principal and Chief Operating Officer, AREP. “With millennials contributing to an estimated $4.2 trillion global wellness market, bringing in award-winning industry leaders like Gold’s Gym and Oz Rey food halls to manage world-class facilities with high foot traffic at Rosslyn City Center provides greater opportunities for our tenants, retailers and the community at large.”
Retail, along with hospitality amenities, are signature components of AREP’s placemaking strategy at Rosslyn City Center — and across its portfolio — to develop properties that leverage innovative design and elevated amenities to create destinations that have a sense of place and activate tenant and community engagement.
(Updated at 11 a.m.) SoulCycle is opening a new studio in Clarendon next week, the first Virginia location for the company.
The fitness studio will hold a pre-launch event next Thursday, June 13, at its new location in a 3,248-square-foot space at Market Common Clarendon at 2700 Clarendon Blvd.
The studio’s official opening date is Friday, June 14.
The new Clarendon location will feature 55 bikes and will also sell the company’s workout apparel, in addition to athleisure from brands PE Nation and The Upside, per a company spokeswoman.
The company confirmed it was coming to the shopping center in January after speculation a “luxury” gym was moving in and initial permits suggested the company was eyeing the space between Origin cosmetics store and the Apple store. Equinox, which owns a majority stake in SoulCycle, is also reported to be planning to open at gym at Market Common.
Amid all the new openings, the nearby Washington Sports Club announced plans to close at the end of the month.
The cost of cycling classes at the new Clarendon SoulCycle studio will start at $20 per lesson for first-timers, and go up to $32 afterwards, per the spokeswoman.
SoulCycle operates four studios in D.C. and 61 others across the U.S., according to its website.
The Washington Sports Club in Clarendon is closing down for good later this month.
The gym at 2700-2800 Clarendon Blvd is slated to shutter its doors by June 30, staff told ARLnow today (Monday) after notifying members this weekend of its plans.
Gym manager Diamond Thompson said that memberships are transferable to chain’s other sports clubs.
Clarendon, however, is Washington Sports Club’s only location in Virginia, according to the franchise’s website. The company also operates six gyms in D.C. and three gyms in Maryland.
Thompson said he couldn’t comment on why the gym was closing. A spokesman for the company could not be reached in time for publication.
The gym is across the street from the ongoing Market Common Clarendon renovation project. Crews are turning the building into a four-story office retail development called The Loft which is expected to open by next summer.
High-end gym Equinox is reportedly planning to open at Market Common Clarendon, but so far few details about the plans have been revealed.
Screenshots via Google Maps
A vacant storefront under the Penrose Square Apartments on Columbia Pike (2501 9th Road S.) is currently bulking up for a transformation into an F45 gym.
F45 is a gym franchise that started in Australia and has been expanding throughout the D.C. region, with recently-opened locations in Ballston and Tysons. The new gym is underneath the Giant grocery store on the second floor of the complex, sandwiched between a barber shop and a dry cleaner.
Trip O’Connell is the very enthusiastic managing partner of the Penrose F45. He also manages the U Street F45, which opened a little over a year ago.
“We were the first location in D.C.,” O’Connell said. “It’s been going great. We have a lot of people in the area who liked the vibe and wanted more.”
O’Connell said he turned his attention across the Potomac, where there were already successful F45 gyms like the one at Pentagon Row.
“Finding locations is tough,” O’Connell said. “There’s a lot of new builds going on in Maryland and D.C. and Virginia, but those locations always jack rents up.”
O’Connell said that he was lucky to find the space in Penrose that had previously been occupied by 9round Fitness, a boxing-oriented gym. Currently, O’Connell and his partner are in California getting final approvals from the F45 HQ, but if things go smoothly he hopes to start a pre-marketing campaign on May 15.
“We’re hoping to start running people through test classes,” said O’Connell. “If that goes smoothly, we’re looking at an opening mid-June.”
The plan is to offer first-time visitors a two-week free trial on which they can take as many classes as they want. After that, membership is $55 per week for unlimited access to the gym or $45 for those purchasing membership for those signing up to the gym early on.
It can sound like a steep price, especially with the $10 per month Planet Fitness moving in nearby at Pentagon Row, but O’Connell said the program offers a specialized workout routine.
“The F45 program speaks for itself,” said O’Connell. “Everyone’s heard about high-intensity interval training. F45 breaks new ground on how that applies to a workout. You’re coming to a new gym every day and it’s the same room, but a different set-up.”
O’Connell said the free trial gives people a chance to experience the program first-hand and get hooked.
“We want people to come in and try it,” said O’Connell. “You can’t describe the feeling of doing it with 36 other people — getting through the pain of the workout, and then it’s over. Unless you get people in the door to experience that, it can’t be described.”
Nationwide gym franchise Planet Fitness says it will be opening a new location at 1301 S. Joyce Street in the Pentagon Row shopping center.
“We’re eager to expand our ‘Judgment Free Zone’ to the Northern Virginia community,” Mike Campagnolo, CEO of Planet Fitness, said in a press release. “Planet Fitness will provide local residents a convenient, high quality, judgment-free fitness experience at an extremely affordable cost of $10 per month.”
The Pentagon Row location is one of five newly announced locations in Northern Virginia. Gyms are also planned for Manassas, Springfield, Fairfax and Alexandria.
Planet Fitness isn’t the only gym in Pentagon City. Australia-based F45 has a location at 1101 S. Joyce Street, also at Pentagon Row.
So far there’s now word yet on when Planet Fitness plans to open.
(Updated 9 a.m.) A new gym called The Conditioning Room is planning to open on June 1 at the former Cosi space (2050 Wilson Blvd) in Courthouse.
The gym will start with two programs, a strength conditioning program called TCR Strong and a full-body conditioning program called TCR 360.
Owner Mike Savitch said the gym will offer an unlimited access for a $205 monthly membership fee, though some pre-sale discounts are planned.
Savitch is a bobsledder who represented the Virgin Islands in the 2002 Winter Olympics. He is also a former owner of Verve Health and Fitness in Rosslyn and the now-closed Crossfit Praxis in D.C. Savitch said he wasn’t planning to open another gym, but was left without one that fit his needs when Potomac Crossfit closed.
“The only gym with barbell strength abruptly closed down so after that I got a lot of interest in me and my wife opening up our own place,” Savitch said. “My wife was working there and I rented a space there. I was initially interested in doing a pop-up… but it’s turned into a six-month project.”
Savitch says one of the partners in the project is former Army Green Beret Dillon Behr, who was awarded a Purple Heart and Silver Star in the Battle of Shok Valley in Afghanistan. Savitch says Behr is a former owner of Crossfit Walter Reed and uses functional fitness to recover from his severe injuries.
Though there are no “coming soon” signs up yet, Savitch says he’s heard buzz in the community about the project and is optimistic about his prospects for attracting a sizable customer base.
Flash Flood Watch Issued — Arlington and the region is under a Flash Flood Watch starting at noon today. Heavy rain and storms, some of which may be severe, are expected this afternoon and evening. [Twitter, Twitter]
Anytime Fitness Opening Today — Anytime Fitness, a new 24/7 gym, is set to open today in Rosslyn. “New member specials will be available through the end of April and free community workouts will be held every Saturday in May,” said a PR rep.
Protest Yesterday in Ballston — “A protest against power company AES is happening this morning in Ballston outside the company’s HQ. ACPD is on the scene watching over the protest, which is peaceful and includes speeches and signs against AES’ activities in Puerto Rico.” [Twitter]
Bike Recycling Event Next Month — “Bikes for the World will be collecting unneeded bicycles, bike parts and accessories on Saturday, May 4 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. as part of the Arlington E-CARE (Environmental Collection and Recycling Event) at 1425 North Quincy St.” [InsideNova]
Carbeque on I-395 — A car caught fire on southbound I-395 near Glebe Road just before Thursday’s evening rush hour. Several lanes were closed as a result of the vehicular inferno, but firefighters eventually extinguished the raging flames. No injuries were reported. [Twitter]
Good Friday in Arlington — “On Friday, April 19, several parishes of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington will offer Living Stations of the Cross (or Via Crucis en Vivo). The Living Stations consist of a visual portrayal of Jesus on the way to his crucifixion.” [Diocese of Arlington]
Photo courtesy Dennis Dimick
The EvolveAll fitness studio is returning to Columbia Pike, with plans to move back to South Arlington sometime this spring.
The gym’s staff announced plans to move into a space at 1058 S. Walter Reed Drive, just off the Pike, last week. Owner and founder Emerson Doyle said in a video laying out his plans that he’s aiming to have the studio open by “the end of May.”
The gym is currently located in a shopping center near Bailey’s Crossroads, but it has a long history in Arlington.
Doyle and the rest of his EvolveAll instructors first started teaching classes at the Walter Reed Community Center and Thomas Jefferson Fitness Center more than a decade ago, according to a release from the studio.
The gym opened its first physical location at 2526 Columbia Pike, next to the Celtic House Irish Pub. It then moved to the Food Star shopping center, but was forced to relocate when the redevelopment process to transform the space into “Centro Arlington” got rolling.
This new space will be just down the street from its original home on the Pike. It was once home to True Health and Wholeness gym, which closed back in June 2017, and EvolveAll staff say the new space will be about 2,900 square feet larger than the gym’s current location.
That will open space for additional classes, and locker rooms with showers for both men and women.
EvolveAll currently offers classes in martial arts, yoga and massage therapy.
Photo via @EvolveAll
The fast-growing F45 chain of high-intensity circuit-training studios has arrived in Ballston, near Virginia Square.
F45’s concept of “personal training in a group format,” according to owner Zac Wall, has been proven around the world since its inception in Australia in 2012.
The “F” in F45 stands for “functional training,” while the “45” indicates how many minutes there are in a session. Instead of repetitive exercises that don’t reflect normal motion — think Olympic lifts — functional training puts you through a full-body workout that mimics real-world movements.
The result is not only increased strength and tone but also endurance, balance, posture and agility.
F45’s certified personal trainers are hired for their technical knowledge, but just as important are their abilities to motivate clients and keep up the dynamic pace on the gym floor.
And what a floor! Since the workouts change daily, Wall says there can be as few as nine workout stations — each with its own targeted exercise — and up to 27 stations in a given session.
One of F45’s most popular programs is the Eight Week Challenge that assigns three days to cardio fitness and three days to strength exercises. Saturday’s hour-long “hybrid sessions” ratchet up what Wall calls “the fun factor” by adding a DJ playing up-tempo music through a nightclub-style sound system.
As fun as it is, says Wall, “when you leave, you feel it everywhere in your body, but it’s an awesome feeling.”
Clients workout using battle ropes, weighted sleds, barbells, kettlebells, dead balls, rowing machines, TRX straps and others, all in the same 45 minutes.


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New Delhi: An industry study has said with the operationalisation of the FTA with the Asean, FDI inflow into the country may be hit as these Southeast Asian nations are not only more investment-friendly but also have better infrastructure.
Saying that the country has got far less than what it has given to this trading bloc under the free-trade agreement (FTA), a study carried out by industry body Assocham pointed out that bulk of our exports to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) were, in any case, going duty-free, as the 10-nation bloc followed a free-market policy.
“The effective additional market access that India has secured out of the FTA with Asean is merely 14% for its exports to the region,” the study said, adding while the Asean would be getting much more than this.
Pointing out that since India is not as open as the Asean bloc, New Delhi will have to open more in terms of duty reduction or even elimination, the study said these trade-centric economies will get extra market for 75% of their exports, which in turn will hit FDI flows into India.
“If market is thrown open to industries situated in the Asean region, new investors may well prefer to set up facilities there and supply the products to India,” it said.
Once tariffs are reduced or eliminated, goods from the Asean nations would provide severe competition to domestic firms. “These developments could impact capital inflows to our country as the Asean countries are more investment- friendly with their infrastructure,” Assocham said.


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One of the primary reasons why Japan could be impacted by the ban on Huawei is intertwined supply chains.
On Friday, Japan’s Finance Minister Taro Aso stated, the U.S bid to block Huawei Technologies from purchasing American technology is likely to impact Japanese companies and weign on the country’s economic growth prospects.
“There are Japanese companies that supply parts to Huawei, and supply chains are intertwined in complex ways,” said Aso at a news conference following a regular cabinet meeting. “Through such supply chains, there could be direct and indirect effects on Japan”.
On Thursday, the U.S. Commerce Department placed Huawei on a trade Entity List, which effectively make it difficult for Huawei to do business with U.S. companies.


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Why you won’t find Starbucks in Israel
In Israel, American stores dot shopping malls and McDonald’s branches proliferate. But one chain you won’t see is Starbucks.
Starbucks has franchises around the world, but its brief experiment with Israeli stores lasted just two years, from 2001 to 2003. Maybe, as some have suggested, Starbucks pulled out of Tel Aviv to appease an anti-Israel market in the Arab world. Or maybe pumpkin spice lattes didn’t catch on in a country with no discernible fall season.
Or maybe Starbucks just couldn’t hold its own against Israel’s superior brew.
Israel beats the States when it comes to my favorite beverage. Plenty of visitors to Israel rightly extol its falafel and hummus; many also rave about its citrus and dairy products. But they should also praise its coffee.
Geographically and culturally, Israel sits at the nexus between East and West. Its immigrant populations hail from Yemen and Germany, Uzbekistan and the United States, and its food is a mashup of these influences. In Tel Aviv, street food vendors sell shwarma, which originates in the Middle East, sandwiched in a French baguette.
In Israel, Italian cafe offerings like espresso and macchiato coexist with strong, flavorful Turkish coffee made simply by brewing coffee grinds in hot water and letting them settle into “mud” at the bottom of the cup. It’s rare to see a standard American filter coffee — in my experience it tastes like weakly flavored hot water.
Rarer still is America’s culture of coffee to go. Rather than walk with their coffee in a paper cup, Israelis, especially Tel Aviv residents, are notorious for sitting down with their ceramic espresso cup and not budging for hours — taking the time to catch up, talk politics, grow their start-up or, in my case, write an article. So prevalent is Tel Aviv’s cafe culture that Yediot Acharonot, a leading Israeli paper, investigated why so many of the city’s residents seem to laze at cafes instead of working.
But in certain ways, Israel’s coffee culture had a long way to go. The average Israeli drinks 0.4 cups of coffee per day, according to an article in the Atlantic — a relatively low figure. It’s far below the Netherlands’ 2.4 cups a day, and less than half the one cup per person average in the U.S. And according to the Israeli website CoffeeShop.co.il, most of the coffee consumed in Israel is instant, dosed out in freeze-dried pebbles or powder.
But there’s hope for Israeli cafe enthusiasts. CoffeeShop.co.il wrote that the 18-to-30 age bracket is more likely to order espresso-based brews. And the past couple of years have seen the rapid spread of discount coffee chains that sell everything on the menu — from cappuccino to croissants to sandwiches — for 5 shekels, or about $1.25.
At first, these chains opened hole-in-the-wall shops where baristas behind a cramped counter served coffee to go in American-style paper cups. That’s changed, however. At many of those cafes now, customers get their espresso in paper cups — but in another example of Israel’s East meets West culture, they sit down at one of the cafe’s outdoor tables chatting the day away. Just as a good Tel Avivi should.


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It’s that time of year. Techtember, and Techtober are finally here. Google has just sent out invites for the Pixel 8 event, just a day after Apple sent out invites for its iPhone 15 event.
Google will be taking the stage in New York City to announce the new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. We could see a few other goodies announced here. It is getting time to replace the Pixel Buds, so maybe we can get a new pair of Pixel Buds at this event.
Along with the Pixel 8 series, we’ll also be seeing the Tensor G3 for the first time. This is going to be Google’s third-generation Tensor chipset, made specifically for Pixels. Hopefully, it’ll be the start of something great for Google, as Tensor hasn’t been so great in the first two generations.
What’s coming on October 4?
Typically, this fall event is where Google will announce its latest flagship devices. In previous years, we have seen more than just two phones at this event. But so far, that’s all we’re confident with saying is arriving at this event. We could see some other products like a new pair of Pixel Buds, or a Chromecast with Google TV. Sometimes, Nest will get in on the fun and release some new products too.
This is going to be like Christmas for Android fans, as Pixel is still a very popular product for Android fans. Especially the cameras on the Pixel, as well as the Google software. Google is also likely to announce some new software features that are exclusive to Pixel, but likely won’t launch on older Pixels in October. Those will likely come in the next Pixel Feature Drop which is in December, or even a bit later.
We’ll find out more on October 4 when Google takes the stage at 10AM ET sharp. Rick Osterloh might have some surprises for us, which would be great to see.


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Once again, the onset of December marks the arrival of the shopping season across USA and to a certain extent in the UK. Traditionally, Black Friday falls on the first Friday after the Thanks Giving Day beginning with most retailers offering massive discounts encouraging shoppers to shop for the upcoming Christmas season.
With preference for online shopping in these two countries, we showcase a report on Black Friday Sale released by Hitwise, an Experian initiative that measures website traffic through direct data collection from ISP networks based in the UK. With key emphasis on
- Search Demand for Black Friday
- Retail Brands and products that emerged in the top position in UK searches
- Industries and websites that performed well during the 2014 Black Friday Search
On Black Friday i.e. on 28th November 2014, a whopping number of 180,669,399 visits to the Shopping and Classified Industry were recorded. The number was far above the number of visits recorded way above those registered on Christmas 2013 or any other shopping day of 2014.
During the week which ended on 29th November 2014 the highly searched keywords were – Black Friday deals and Black Friday while the brands such as Asda, Tesco, Argos, Currys, and Amazon clearly emerged on the top. Other highly searched words included Asda Black Friday, Tesco Black Friday, Argos Black Friday and others.
Interestingly, the Hitwise Search Clicks report shows a massive increase in search using “Black Friday” search terms in the year 2014 with respect to the year 2013. In fact, Black Friday this year witnessed an increase of to the tune of 170%.
With the week ending on 29th November 2014, the top brands that emerged in the Black Friday searches are Amazon UK, Argos, Asda, Tesco Direct, Curry’s, John Lewis, Hot UK Deals, Very, Tesco and Game.
For those looking out for brands wise, year on year trends with regards to search in terms of Black Friday, the top performers were Argos, Tesco Direct, Curry’s, John Lewis, Tesco, Game, Very, M & M Direct, Sainsbury’s and Boots.
It is no secret that The GOSF has been inspired by the Black Friday and Cyber Monday online shopping concept so very prevalent in the US of A and now the UK. Coupled with the increasing preference for the yet emerging mobile shopping through smartphones and merchant apps, online shopping in India has moved on to the next level whilst it is still maturing across the broadband based shopping through a PC or laptop. This proves to be a challenging situation for both ecommerce partners and Google with regards to its performance.
How are the GOSF search terms placed organically and otherwise? How strong is its association with partnered brands in terms of search variants and which combinations could deliver the desired level of traffic. Is the India ecommerce well prepared to handle the predicted ‘massive overflow/spike of traffic” is what each one of us would like to wait and watch.
Having little qualms about its performance this is GOSF’s third season as things are better planned with more than 450 partners and pre party hosted for its hype. Though, its first season in the year 2012 was slightly disappointing with minimum or nonexistent discounts on the offer while its second season in 2013 was certainly well received with the festival being extended for a day.
Will the GOSF 2014 perform well? Will it break its existing records? Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
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KARACHI: Spot rate on Tuesday was increased by Rs 100 per maund by the spot rate committee of the Karachi Cotton Association (KCA) pushing it to Rs 15,300 per maund from Monday’s rate of Rs 15,200 per maund. The local cotton market continued experiencing bullish trend and trading volume remained satisfactory, said Cotton Analyst Naseem Usman while talking to Business Recorder today.
Nevertheless, rate of polyester fibre remained unchanged at Rs 247 per kilogram, he added. The rate of cotton in Sindh remained between Rs 14,400 to Rs 15,500 per maund and the rate of cotton in Punjab was registered at Rs 14,000 to Rs 15,500 per maund. The rate of the new crop of Phutti in Sindh was remained between Rs 4,500 to Rs 6,300 per 40 kg. While Phutti prices in Punjab were between Rs 5,800 to Rs 7,300 per 40 kg.
Similarly, prices of cotton in Balochistan were remained at Rs 13,800 to 15,500 per maund while Phutti prices were high as compared to other two provinces which were Rs 6,200 to 7,800 per maund, said Naseem Usman.
The rate of Banola in Sindh was between Rs 1,400 to Rs 1,700 per maund. While in Punjab rates of Banola were between Rs 1,650 to Rs 2,000 per 40 kilograms. The rate of Banola in Balochistan today was Rs 16,000 to 2,000 per maund.
As per domestic transaction figures, 800 bales of Ghotki were sold at Rs 15,550 per maund, 200 bales each of Khan Pur Mehar and Mir Pur Mathelo also fetched Rs 15,500 per maund, 600 bales of Saleh Pat from Rs 14,800 to 15,000 per maund, 1200 bales of Khairpur from Rs 14,500 to 14,600 per maund, 1600 bales of Rohri from Rs 14,300 to Rs 14,800 per maund, 400 bales of Sarhad fetched Rs 13,000 per maund, 200 bales of Bago Bahar were sold at Rs 15,700 per maund, 400 bales of Khan Pur Mehar at Rs 15,700, 600 bales of Mianwali at Rs 15,500, 600 bales of marrot at Rs 15,500, 400 bales of Fort Abbas at Rs 15,200, 600 bales of Sadiqabad at Rs 15,500, 800 bales of Rahim Yar Khan at Rs 15, 500, 200 bales each of Khanewal and Lodhran at Rs 15, 500, 1400 bales of Haroonabad at 15,200-15,500, 200 bales of Donga Bonga at 15,200-15,500, 800 bales of Faqeer Wali Rs 15, 200, 400 bales of Ahmad Pur East 15, 200, 200 bales of Dharam Wala at Rs 15, 200, 4800 bales of Yazman Mandi at Rs 15, 200, 400 bales of Noor Pur Noranga at Rs 15,000, 400 bales of Layyah at Rs 14,900, 600 bales of Hasil Pur at Rs 14,700-15,200, 200 bales of Vehari at Rs 14, 200, 200 bales of Chichawatni were sold at Rs 14,000 per maund and 400 bales of Bahawalpur were sold at Rs 15, 200 per maund.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Yarn Merchants Association (PYMA) has expressed serious concerns over the sharp increase in the petroleum prices and appealed to the Prime Minister Imran Khan for making a significant reduction in the prices of petroleum products.
PYMA Central Chairman Saqib Naseem and Vice Chairman Sindh & Balochistan Region Muhammad Junaid Teli pleaded that the reduction in petroleum prices should be made in the larger interest of economic, industrial and public interest of the country, so that the business and industry can survive in Covid-ridden economy.
They said that despite the dire economic situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the sharp rise in prices of petroleum products by the government was a matter of grave concern to the business community, as the increase in the prices of petroleum products is not only a sign of a huge increase in inflation but also causes a huge increase in the production cost of business and industry.
They said, “Raw materials for industries in particular, whose prices have already skyrocketed, will now rise to unbearable levels with the government’s recent move, which will destroy industries, especially SMEs, and increase unemployment in the country.”


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Visa card is discarding the traditional rectangular format to present an array of novelty credit cards in the shape of dogs, cats and, for the romantically-minded, roses.
I couldn’t find any animal shape credit card pictures, but I found this one, a «Visa light card». “the world’s first in featuring power-enhanced technology incorporating a mini-flashlight embedded in the card.”
The credit card company said Thursday it was developing 60 varieties of new cards in diverse designs to release on the Korean market this year and capture consumers’ imaginations. The cards will feature seven themes such as animals, festivals, anniversaries, musical instruments, sports, well-being and abstract paintings.
It explained that it could link the shape of credit cards to its marketing strategies, like issuing dog-shaped versions to pet lovers and providing them with complementary pet-related services.
Meanwhile, Master Card plans to release the smaller Side Card, which will come connected to an easy-to-carry case.
reBlogged from Digital Chosunilbo


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R150m Pagani Imola being air freighted out of SA [watch]
The famous R150m Pagani Imola is making headlines after it was seen being air freighted out of South Africa in a now-viral video.
A few months ago, social media was abuzz after a Pagani Imola was spotted in South Africa. No doubt, photos and videos of one of the most expensive cars in the world left petrolheads drooling.
Zero2turbo shared a video of the car spotted in Stellenbosch. Mzansi was quick to try to connect the dots about the owner of the R150 million beast.
PAGANI IMOLA BEING AIR FREIGHTED OUT OF SA
Mzansi is still trying to connect the dots about the owner of the R150 million car. In the viral photos, the car is reportedly being shipped out of South Africa.
Against the now-trending videos and photos, Mzansi was more than convinced that it was Switzerland-bound. The car had Switzerland plates while still in SA. No doubt, the Pagani Imola boasts exclusivity and luxury.
Only five hit the market. Videos and photos of the Pagani Imola being loaded in cargo at a local airport have been making rounds since they dropped on the internet. The now-viral photos and videos have gained thousands of comments and reactions since they dropped on the internet.
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However, last week, a Pagani Huayra Roadster hogged headlines. Dubbed as one of the most sought-after supercars, the R20 million beauty was spotted in the Western Cape.
However, only 100 units hit the market, and few have reached Africa. Well, let’s dive into the eight editions of the Pagani that have often hogged headlines with their exclusivity. Huayra BC – Only 30 units hit the market after unveiling in 2016.
Pagani Huayra Roadster – Unveiled in 2017, only 100 units hit the market at the lowest price of R18 million. Pagani Huayra BC Roadster – Only 40 units hit the market in 2019.
However, only five units of the Pagani Imola hit the market in 2020, with the lowest priced at R150 million. The Italian manufacturer also introduced four Frecce Tricolori, Pagani Huayra R and a Pagani Codalunga between 2021 and 2023.
OTHER SUPERCARS SPOTTED IN CAPE TOWN
However, South Africa has fast become a playground for the rich. Several hypercars and supercars have been causing a stir in the country. This is not the first time sleek supercars from Cape Town have hogged headlines.
However, the Pagani Imola recently joined a host of supercars spotted in South Africa. Some of the cars which have often topped trends include:
- R22.3 million Ferrari 599 SA Aperta
- R13 million first customer-owned Ferrari Purosangue
- BMW i7
- BMW i8
- Aston Martin DBS 770 Ultimate Xenon Grey


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A few months ago, Oklahoma City officials began a study of the area
surrounding Interstate 240. The study included a 4 1/2-mile stretch from
Crossroads Mall on the east, to near Will Rogers World Airport on the
west. Calling it “a candid look at the most important retail corridor in
south Oklahoma City,” the “Envision 240” is an in-depth report about
how the area can be improved.


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Cascadia Capital has released its Pet Industry Overview and notes the pet industry, while "remaining optically attractive," may face some underlying challenges and issues within the industry.
According to Cascadia's report, data suggests pet population slowing and retrenchment and pressure at the consumer level as evidenced by growth in private label. Pet owners have also bought forward and are now reducing their debt, while persistent input inflation continues to put industry profits under pressure.
"While we remain optimistic in the medium and long term, 2024 will be choppy and only well positioned companies will experience the benefits," noted Bryan Jaffe, COO and managing director, and John Gulvezan, vice president, of Cascadia Capital, in the report. Also highlighted in the report:
- Consumer spending has held up well in total, but cracks are evident with consumer sentiment continuing to sink and purchasing power remaining under pressure. Decreasing increases in prices are still increases relative to the baseline. Cascadia has not seen any interest from brands to rollback price increases that would provide some relief.
- While unemployment has remained persistently low, a forthcoming spike is anticipated. Whether a recession materializes in 2024 or not, it is clear that the psychology is taking its toll.
- Industry growth has been supported by price relative to volume by a factor of 3x – 4x depending on category. Companies are unlikely to be successful pushing price increases in 2024 and will be pressured to reduce prices by both retailers and consumers, said Cascadia. Absent input cost deflation, margin pressure will cut into innovation and discretionary marketing spend, which are key drivers of growth.
Publicly-traded pet company performance
Public company performance can provide insight into the state of an industry. According to Cascadia, its pet index experienced record revenue in 2023. Earnings have accelerated as price increases have been passed on to end consumers. Cascadia noted for its publicly traded pet company index:
- Revenue grew 5.3% versus 4.1% in the prior-year period
- Adjusted earnings increased 116% versus 66.3% in the prior-year period
Nestle: For the first nine months of 2023, Purina PetCare achieved CHF 14 billion in global sales and continued to be Nestle’s largest contributor to organic growth. Overall, Nestle reported sales were down -0.4% , but PetCare posted strong double-digit growth (13.1% organic growth, 2.6% real internal growth) despite capacity constraints. PetCare growth is moderating, but management expects to continue to see high-single digit growth through 2025.
Freshpet: Consumption across channels continues growth at a strong and steady rate, and net sales increased 28.4% to $551.5 million for the first nine months of 2023 compared to $429.5 million for the first nine months of 2022, driven by both volume gains and higher pricing. Freshpet is delivering improved margins from better operational performance in logistics, input costs and quality and is ahead of pace to deliver cost improvements to achieve FY2027 margin targets. Store count continues to grow with 20% of all store having multiple fridges.
Swedencare: Swedencare's net sales increased 25% YoY to SEK 602 million, representing its strongest quarter ever. All regions delivered double-digit growth for the period, and both brand and contract development/manufacturing are in high demand. The company’s largest brand NaturVet closed another record quarter with growth in both pet retail and online.
Chewy: In the second fiscal quarter 2023, Chewy reported $2.78 billion in net sales +14.3% YoY and a 3.1% adjusted EBITDA margin. Consistent with expectations, active customers were broadly flat on a sequential basis, while net sales per active customer reached $530, reflecting a 14.7% increase YoY. Cascadia noted the Chewy Health platform is taking hold and cross-category penetration into pharmacy currently represents nearly 20% of Chewy’s overall active customer base. Chewy’s revenue growth may not be sustainable as the company laps price increases; this is yet to play out.


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Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir received assurances on a two-day visit here that “Israel can count on Italy’s support” for measures to protect Israel’s export position in the European market after Spain and Portugal become members of the European Economic Community (EEC) next year.
Italy currently holds the rotating presidency of the EEC. Shamir, at a meeting with Foreign Minister Giulio Andreotti yesterday, asked that it expedite the work still to be done to define the terms that will govern Spanish and Portuguese exports to the European Common Market so that Israel’s position will become clear before January, 1986.
That is the date when Spain and Portugal will begin exporting as members of the EEC. Andreotti assured Shamir that rumors circulating in Israel that Italy opposes Israel’s requests were false. He observed that Israel’s products sold in Europe do not compete with Italian exports.
Israel is deeply concerned, however, that its main export items to the continent, citrus fruits and by-products, will suffer because Spanish citrus will have a competitive advantage by virtue of member-ship in the EEC.
Shamir said in a television interview last night that Israel’s imports from Europe far exceed its exports to the EEC countries. He said that if its exports were to be affected by Spain and Portugal, Israel would have to stop importing from Europe.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.


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Future Group is planning to promote ethnic wear brand – Srishti. This is part of its private labels business. As the country’s largest retailer, it has plans of adding a new private label every quarter. A subsidiary of Pantaloon Retail, Future Brands owns the group’s consumer product brands sold mostly through group companies such as Indus League Clothing, Home Solutions (India) and Big Bazaar. Future Brands also plans to sell its labels through other retailers and has already licensed out apparel brand John Miller, which will be followed by Bare, DJ&C and Dreamline this year. Apparel labels contribute about 70 per cent to the total revenues of the company. The company is targeting a 60 per cent revenue growth this fiscal up from the Rs 1,000 crores revenue clocked last year.
Meanwhile, Indus League Clothing is diversifying from a western branded apparel company to a specialty retailer. By bundling together a cross section of its in-house brands, Indus League Clothing intends to make bigger strides in the formal menswear segment with the retail format called Headquarters. The company expects to grow 30 per cent over last year with tween girls brand Jealous 21 and casual lifestyle brand Scullers. It may be noted that in March the company had launched a sub-brand called Scullers Premium League.
Headquarters, which is positioned as a retail offering includes Daniel Hechter, a premium French brand that was launched in India last year, techno formals brand Urbana and Indigo Nation. Pantaloon, which owns a 68.3 per cent stake in Indus League Clothing, will support the strategy with its premium formalwear private label Lombard and the Future Brands-owned mid-priced brand John Miller.
Such a strategy also stems from the company’s need to optimally invest in its eight apparel brands. Although the company will continue to set up flagship outlets for its in-house formalwear brands, an umbrella offering will boost retail ramp up and is expected to collectively aid the brands’ equity. Headquarters was piloted in Kolkata in December last. It is being expanded to 6-8 outlets of 2,000- 3,000 sq. ft. area this year in cities like New Delhi, Bangalore, Nagpur and Hyderabad.
Incidentally, Aditya Birla Nuvo’s apparel arm Madura Garment’s too had set up Planet Fashion in 2001 as a multi-brand retail vehicle for its own menswear brands. In recent years, Planet Fashion has opened doors to non-Madura brands such as Levis Strauss, Monte Carlo and ethnic label Manyavar in a bid to offer a complete menswear portfolio.


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In 2008, when Sanjiv Bajaj was chosen to head the financial services business, he got Pamnani as a crucial aide from within the family. The brother-in-law of Rahul Bajaj’s wife had just retired from Citibank as its India head.
Pamnani took over as vice-chairman at Bajaj Finserv in 2008 just after Bajaj Auto was de-merged under which its manufacturing unit was transferred to Bajaj Auto and its strategic business undertaking consisting of wind farm business and in-house auto financing business has been vested with Finserv.
Since then, the trio of Pamnani, Sanjiv Bajaj and Rajeev Jain – the MD of Bajaj Finance – have been instrumental in the meteoric rise of the business.
Bajaj Finance, a Bajaj group company, was recently awarded by the Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence under the category “Company of the year.” Under Pamnani’s watch Bajaj Finance has grown assets under management by 41%, profit by 43% while margins and asset quality remained stable, despite tough liquidity situation since IL&FS crisis broke out in September 2018. This is when NBFC sector has seen disbursement contract by 30%. Bajaj Finance is the best in the retail space with customer franchise of 37 million, 97,000 point of sales, balance sheet of 1.25 lakh crore. Pamnani also held the position of chairman of Bajaj Housing Finance and was on the board of 13 other companies. He is on the boards of many leading companies, including Bajaj Auto, Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company.
But, Pamnani was just wasn’t defined by his role in Bajaj Finserv. At 37, he was one of Citibank’s youngest CEOs and is also credited to turning around the foreign lenders private banking business in the Asia Pacific region. He retired as director for Citibank. In his career spanning over 40-years, he held many key positions and handled a range of senior assignments both in India and abroad.
- Front Page
- Pure Politics
- Sumitomo Mitsui, 4 Others Sought Info on IDBI Sale
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and one other global bank are among five potential investors that have sought information from the Centre about the sale of state equity in IDBI Bank through a formal query process that closed on November 10, people familiar with the matter told ET.Flipkart may go in for $700m Esop Buyback
Walmart-owned homegrown ecommerce marketplace Flipkart is likely to facilitate a $700 million employee stock buyback as part of digital payments platform PhonePe’s new financing round, multiple sources briefed on the matter told ET.Falling Input Costs may Cool Prices of Essentials, Apparel
Prices of groceries, daily essentials and apparel are likely to fall over the next two quarters as input costs are expected to decline, spurring sales in the process, according to consumer goods makers.
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