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LAS VEGAS—Our robot future isn't all gloom and doom. On Tuesday, Honda unveiled a bot that will overwhelm you with cuteness. Its digital face can smile, cry or, doze off. You can even hug it.
"Honda views robotics not as something in conflict with people, but as an opportunity to expand their potential," said Yoshiyuki Matsumoto, CEO of Honda R&D.
The 3E-A18 comes with a face because it's designed to interact with people, particularly children. Its digital face can show a range of playful expressions including anger and excitement. When sad, the face will bubble up with blue water.
The bot's outer skin is also coated in a soft rubber-like texture, making it huggable. To move, the robot rolls around on one wheel. Honda envisions the A18 as a guide at airports and shopping malls, but the goal is to not only to make it show emotion, but also read human emotions, Honda added.
A second bot, 3E-C18, has two blinking digital eyes and is basically a mobile cart that can roam around on three wheels. In a video demo, Honda showed the prototype acting as a retail stall, offering up ice cream.
The third bot, 3E-D18, is designed as a mini off-road vehicle that carries a large power bank, which can be used to funnel energy to other devices. Honda says it can be useful to firefighters or construction teams.
The company didn't show off the bot's capabiltiies, so it's unclear how far along the technology is. Honda also has no timetable on when they'll be available, but it does intend to make them real products one day.
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The SKIMS founder, 43, attended the LACMA Art + Film Gala in the showstopping look last Saturday
Kim Kardashian is a pink princess!
Kardashian, 43, posted a series of photos on Friday that showed her trying on the Balenciaga 52nd Couture gown she wore at the LACMA Art + Film Gala at a fitting in Paris, ahead of attending the event last week.
In the carousel post, which was captioned “Pink Princess Diaries”, Kardashian modeled the hot pink backless number as she stood with her back to the camera in between a set of large white doors.
The SKIMS founder appeared to be make-up-free and had her hair tied back in a bun. She looked at the camera as the sweeping train of her gown filled up the room behind her.
In a following photo, Kardashian was captured with her back to the camera once more as she walked through a carpeted room while wearing her stunning gown.
The Kardashians star also showcased the front detailing of the dress in a close-up final shot that cropped her face out of the picture. In the snap, the SKIMS founder placed her hands on her hips, giving fans a closer glimpse at the light pink nails she sported on the night.
Kardashian attended the LACMA Art + Film Gala in the showstopping look in Los Angeles on Nov. 4.
On the night, the mogul paired black opera gloves with the pink gown at the event and accessorized her look with a silver necklace. Kardashian sported pink blush to match her dress and had her hair in a sleek ponytail.
The SKIMS founder was joined by a host of stars at the 2023 LACMA Art + Film Gala last Saturday, including Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck, Billie Eilish, Keanu Reeves and girlfriend Alexandra Grant and Salma Hayek Pinault, Eliott Page, A$AP Rocky, and Jodie Turner-Smith.
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The Hulu star opted for a black leather look at the CFDAs as she wore a black Chrome Hearts halterneck gown covered with the label's signature cross motif. Kardashian channeled the ‘90s as she wore a messy updo and a smokey eye with an overlined nude lip.
“It was a real vibe,” Appleton, 40, said. “And she had this leather dress and it was just like very Pammy vibes.” Explaining that the two had played with Anderson-esque hairstyles before, he discussed how Kardashian's CFDA look was a little different.
“We went for this more bangy, like bangs kind of Piecer finish, and I think it just elevated the whole thing and made it feel a little bit fresher and a bit cooler,” Appleton said of the look. “Whereas before when we've done it, it's had more of a curl to it.”
He added that the look, "was actually quite undone for Kim, and I think it was just really fresh and nice to see. It kind of almost looked like she actually pinned it up herself."
Kardashian also sparkled at the Swarovski store opening, where she also celebrated the launch of her new SKIMS x Swarovski collaboration, as she wore a crystal halter-neck top and matching skirt, which she teamed with a pair of silver and PVC heeled mules from Paris Texas.
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Coronavirus or more commonly known as COVID-19 has halted the world. There has been a shakedown all over the world. From industries to sporting events, to films and fashion, everything has taken a break. There is nothing that can be done about the pause since safety has been the main priority for the industries. When it comes to the fashion industry, the center of which has always been Italy and France, there has been a lock down in both countries due to the pandemic spread. Woth this in picture, the production of silver jewelry in countries like China and India have taken a hit as well. There is a decrease in consumption and purchase of silver jewelry in China which has been the second largest producer and manufacturer of jewelry since the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan in January, 2020.
An economic slowdown:
In the silver jewelry world, the progression towards the downfall has been quite evident. With countries like China and India cutting down the reduction due to the virus outbreak, the industry will suffer long term consequences. The shops and stores which are not selling online will be bearing the brunt of the virus the most. In case of London, there has been a complete lockdown on business due to the surge in the virus cases in the past few days. With stores closed, the business is back to zero. There are some stores which might never open again considering the loss that they will be bearing due to the stocks which will never sell to the customers.
Digital platforms making money:
If companies especially the silver jewelry stores have adapted to the digital era or are even connected to Amazon, they might make out of the pandemic alive since amazon has been soaring up with online orders. People have been opting to buy more and more from online stores in the recent days. This will only be helping till the stocks last but the online stores are still serving since they have enough stock left to sale. Only the companies which are online or are supplying groceries are thriving nowadays while the rest of the industrial sector is under a lock down until the virus pandemic is cleared. With a proper digital setup already in pace, many silver jewelry companies can still survive but for the small and medium sized companies, the coming days are going to be tough to survive since they will be bearing the brunt of lack of customers at their door steps.
There has been a solid chance of the major manufacturing companies in the jewelry business sot get out of business for the coming 2 quarters. The reason has been the major shutdowns and closure of facilities for production in almost all countries suffering from major to minor outbreak of COVID-19. The virus will halt production and will cause damage to the overall revenue since people are not buying anything from shopping malls as well. As soon as the virus breaks loose, the manufacturing crisis will rise due to the lack of stock to fulfill the consumer demand.
A shift in trade and habits:
This economic crisis will eventually lead to shift in habits of the consumers who might prefer delivery over face to face encounters in the future. The jewelry stores and brands might suffer the lack of customers at stores since more and more people will opt for products to be delivered to them in the post-COVID19 times as well. This paradigm change will reshape the industry, bringing more and more companies to the digital platforms while hiring a lot more workers for delivery rather than in-store services. This change will allow the companies to start massive productions as well since there will be a surge of demand as soon as the situation will get better.
With less take outs and mire deliveries in the coming future, the silver jewelry businesses will have to remodel itself according tit eh changing perception of the consumers. The companies will need to start their supply chain for delivery as well to meet the consumer demand.
While the pandemic has caused irreversible damage in terms of lives and economy, it certainly has taught people to value their lives. This has made people realize what they value in life and how far they can go to protect it. With this, there will be major shift in the consumer purchasing habits. With more and more online deliveries and purchases, the jewelry industry must have to progress into the digital era. Besides that, the halt in production will be damaging to the manufacturing companies but they can cover up the losses in the times to come. For the medium and small sized companies, now is the time to make amendments and start a contingency plan to survive this tough period.


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Addressing a problem revealed a few years ago by researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, Penn State Extension will test a food safety training program for farmers market vendors in select cities across Pennsylvania this summer.
The pilot program, which will include a three-hour, face-to-face session, is directed at small-scale food processors and farmers who are producing foods for sale at farmers markets and farm stands. The training encompasses key food safety concepts, such as safe processing and preparation methods, guidance for managing food safety risks in the retail setting and other important food safety-related information.
Catherine Cutter, professor of food science and food safety extension specialist; Joshua Scheinberg, doctoral student in food science; and Martin Bucknavage, senior food safety extension associate; designed the training. The program grew out of research published in 2013 by Scheinberg and Cutter that revealed higher percentages of the pathogens salmonella and campylobacter in whole chickens sampled from farmers markets in Pennsylvania, when compared to those purchased at supermarkets.


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Imagine waking up 10 years from now and Apple has gone essentially nowhere. All that promise of continued iDomination fell completely short of expectations, and as a result, investors have become disillusioned with where Apple's is headed next. Welcome to the Apple lost decade.
After all, the company has yet to prove that it can revolutionize entire industries without the contribution of Steve Jobs' visionary genius. To this very day, Apple is still riding on the coattails of Steve's vision, and it appears the company is milking that for all it's worth. For better or worse, Apple shareholders are left reconciling this potentially stark reality, and are also stuck with Tim Cook as captain of the ship. Cook, who has been highly regarded as a top-notch operations man -- a great asset for the company's supply chain, mind you -- but is he really the captain of the ship? Does he possess the same sort of vision Steve Jobs had? Unfortunately, the world is still waiting for this answer.
The longer the world waits, the longer Apple's P/E remains compressed relative to the market, which ultimately perpetuates this cycle of under appreciation. Currently, Apple's P/E is being compressed by more than 40% relative to the market's current valuation. Does a company with the earnings potential of Apple deserve this sort of treatment? Well, if the company no longer thinks in terms of being revolutionary, investors may be in for another reality check.
Although Apple is expected increase its smartphone volume along with the industry, it isn't actually expected to gain much in the way of market share. Naturally, Google Android is expected to maintain its majority share in the coming years. Considering that Android has finally surpassed Apple in terms of smartphone Internet usage, it's likely only a matter of time until the same thing happens in tablets.
On the tablet front, Android's market share is expected to surpass Apple's market share this year, thanks to the rise of low-cost small-screen devices. If we take what happened between Apple and Android in the smartphones and apply it to tablets, it starts with Android's market share surpassing Apple's, and ends with a shift in usage share away from Apple. These shifts could create a situation where Apple developers ultimately migrate over to the Android ecosystem. After all, an ecosystem is only as good as its App Store.
However, if Apple can just hold the line and simply sustain its current market share through 2016, it would mean that Apple will increase its iDevice volume by more than 70% from the end of 2012. In other words, the power of compounding could have profound effects of Apple's business. It wouldn't matter how un-revolutionary Apple devices are perceived to be because that sort of growth would almost guarantee that its share price would reach new heights. Perhaps investors have their doubts about this possibility?
Money on the table
Let's face it: Apple is leaving serious money on the table because it hasn't specifically released a product for emerging-market opportunities. On a worldwide basis, smartphones only represent 25% of all mobile phones, which suggests that emerging markets remain a tremendous growth opportunity in the years to come. If or when Apple decides to address this business opportunity, it would likely give a vote of confidence to shareholders that the company is tapping new avenues of growth.
Mr. Softy, version 2.0
Back in the heydays, Microsoft was the ultimate high-flyer. That was well over 10 years ago, and to this day, shares haven't even come close to those levels. At that time, Microsoft's P/E hovered around the 80 level, a valuation that could only be justified during the exuberance of the dot-com era. When Apple hit its all-time high of $705.07 back in September, its P/E sat around 16.5, a number far from exuberant. However, the exuberance wasn't based on valuation, it was based on investor expectations, which largely believed that Apple, the most revolutionary company on the planet, could grow indefinitely. Given Apple's legacy, it's not surprising for investors to get carried away with this idea, only to be disappointed when reality set in.
Will Apple's legacy continue getting in the way of an excellent company that's has a high chance of being undervalued? Could it bear enough weight to keep a lid on Apple's share appreciation over the next decade?
There is a debate raging as to whether Apple remains a buy. The Motley Fool's senior technology analyst and managing bureau chief, Eric Bleeker, is prepared to fill you in on both reasons to buy and reasons to sell Apple, and what opportunities are left for the company (and your portfolio) going forward. To get instant access to his latest thinking on Apple, simply click here now.
The article Is Apple Destined for a Lost Decade? originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Steve Heller owns shares of Apple and Google. The Motley Fool recommends Apple and Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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- 2021 Ford Bronco won’t get V8 engine due to emissions constraints
- Most expensive Duesenberg ever built wades into Jay Leno’s Garage
- 1960 Maserati Tipo 61 “Birdcage” hits the streets on Jay Leno’s Garage
- 2024 BMW M5 rumored to get plug-in, electric technology
- Car Photography Basics: Placing and framing the car
Volkswagen Group says it plans to digitally reveal a refreshed 2021 Arteon sedan from Germany on June 24 that will feature a redesigned cockpit, more advanced driver-assist systems and an upgraded infotainment system, along with styling changes.
The brand’s top-end sedan was first shown in early 2017 in Europe but was late arriving to the United States after its launch was caught up in widespread industry delays over the implementation of a new global emissions testing regimen, known as WLTP. As a result, Volkswagen dealers in the U.S. didn’t begin selling the Arteon until April 2019.
The refreshed model “will be given a completely new cockpit environment to match its exclusive nature, and the latest modular infotainment matrix (MIB3) systems will be integrated to ensure the best possible connectivity,” Volkswagen said in a statement about the June 24 unveiling. The brand will also unveil a new wagon version of the Arteon on that date, but that vehicle will not be sold in the United States.
Volkswagen said the refreshed Arteon will receive several updated driver-assist capabilities, including the vehicle’s ability to take over “steering acceleration and braking at speeds of up to 130 mph — under the control of the driver.” However, those features are unlikely to remain on versions homologated for sale in the United States.
In the first quarter, Volkswagen sold just 788 Arteons in the U.S. In 2019, it sold just 2,449 nationwide.


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Black Friday and Cyber Monday are upon us again. ‘Tis the season, as they say, for unrepentant, gluttonous consumerism. The official dates are Friday, November 23rd and Monday, November 26th; however, that doesn’t stop retailers from enticing would be buyers early – we’ve already seen Newegg doing their “Black November” discounts.
Amazon has announced they’ll be dedicating an entire week to the event, and Newegg has deals going live as early as November the 19th (that’s today). Many deals will go live on Thanksgiving Day, with all deals going live on the day after, presumably at midnight.
We’ll be rounding-up the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales for computer hardware, heading into the holidays. This should help those looking for advice on where and how to shop. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter, as well, or hit YouTube for our larger audience.
Amazon and Newegg remain the premier options for PC enthusiasts this time of the year, but Dell, Best Buy, Walmart, Fry’s, and Micro Center will all have deals going. We’ll try to aggregate all relevant deals on the homepage, but if some of you spot something, keep us apprised.
DDR5 has existed in a few different forms in the past year or two, but this past week brought news of the first JEDEC-compliant memory chip for future DDR5 implementations. As usual with new memory standards, frequency is expected to increase (and timings will likely loosen) significantly with the new generation, something we talk about in today's list of news items for the week. Also in that list, we talk ongoing CPU shortages for CPUs, Apple's T2 security co-processor and its impact on right to repair, and official mouse/keyboard support on the Xbox.
Show notes follow the video embed, as always.
Intel broke silence this week in response to media reports that its 10nm process "died," denying the claims outright and reaffirming target delivery for 2019. This follows reports emboldened by Semiaccurate of the discontinuation of the current 10nm process development, a site that previously accurately predicted issues with 10nm production. We've also seen plenty of AMD news items this week, including a slumped earnings report, Vega 20 rumors, and RX 590 rumors.
The shows notes are below the video, as always, for those favoring reading.
We come bearing good news -- sort of. It looks like DRAM prices might drop 5% by end of year, which would sadly be a sharp change of course from previous targets. This coincides with plummeting SSD prices (250GB 860 EVOs now available for $55 on Amazon), though isn't nearly as severe. At this point, we'll take what we can get.
Separately, Intel's 14nm shortage has continued to a point of creating pipeline stalls for some of its motherboard and SI partners. We previously reported on Intel's push to reinvigorate its 22nm process for low-end chipsets. It is now becoming clear why that was a necessity. Other than this, our show notes below recap major industry news for the past two weeks, like tariffs, 8th Gen pricing increases, and more.
We've been working hard at building our second iteration of the RIPJAY bench, last featured in a livestream where we beat JayzTwoCents' score in TimeSpy Extreme, taking first place worldwide for a two-GPU system. Since then, Jay has beaten our score -- primarily with water and direct AC cooling -- and we have been revamping our setup to fire back at his score. More on that later this week.
In actual news, though, it's still been busy: RAM prices are behaving in a bipolar fashion, bouncing around based on a mix of supply, demand, and manufacturers trying to maintain high per-unit margins. Intel, meanwhile, is still combating limited supply of its now-strained 14nm process, resulting in some chipsets getting stepped-back to 22nm. AMD is also facing shortages for its A320 and B450 chipsets, though this primarily affects China retail. We also received word of several upcoming launches from Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA -- the RTX 2070 and Polaris 30 news (the latter is presently a rumor) being the most interesting.
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A Singapore-based beauty tech start-up has been using the downtime from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to develop an AI-powered hair analysis tool which it believes will be in demand when the market recovers from the outbreak.
The Asia Pacific arm of Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido is reinforcing its digital presence in the region in light of the current climate brought about by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Chinese beauty tech company Meitu has launched a free augmented reality (AR)-powered tool to help cosmetic companies try and increase the sales of make-up during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Preservatives have long been vilified as a ‘harmful’ ingredient, but a deeper understanding of hygiene and contamination brought about by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak may well validate their usage.
Singapore-based indie brand The Wander Diary believes the novel coronavirus outbreak will create demand for multipurpose beauty products for the conscious consumer in the aftermath of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Azelis is hoping to step up its focus on transparency, natural ingredients and sustainability in China’s cosmetics sector after in the wake of its acquisition of Chinese speciality chemicals company CosBond.


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The 2016 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is in full swing, and with it, plenty of information about digital video players like Netflix. For example, the streaming video service just announced its global expansion into 130 territories. Now, Netflix revealed an interesting stat about a key piece of original content: the platform’s most-watched movie of all time was the Adam Sandler-starrer Ridiculous 6.
At a Q&A session at CES, Netflix CCO Ted Sarandos noted Ridiculous 6 managed to become the streaming service’s most-viewed film within 30 days of its official release on the platform. This is an impressive accomplishment considering Netflix took into account all other movies in the platform’s entire history, both licensed and original. The Verge’s Jamieson Cox reported Sarandos also pointed out how Sandler’s comedy western film has “enjoyed a spot at #1 in every territory we operate in, and in many of them it’s still #1.”
Netflix isn’t normally one to reveal any viewing data around its originals. The most detailed information the streaming company has ever revealed was that its other original film, Beasts of No Nation, was watched by three million subscribers as of October 2015. However, with this Ridiculous 6 news, Netflix seems to be confirming its partnership with Sandler, which started back in October 2014, has indeed paid off, at least in terms of viewership.
In addition to the Ridiculous 6 stat, Netflix executives also discussed the issue of content censorship at CES. As Netflix continues to expand globally, both Sarandos and CEO Reed Hastings admitted their company may have to release edited versions of original content to tone down mature themes and images in observance of local cultures. Netflix already provides some edited content to various markets, including a version of Marco Polo for Japan which pixelates the full-frontal nudity shown in the U.S. version.
According to a report from Variety, Sarandos said Hollywood has dealt with censorship issues for years, and Netflix may find itself dealing with more of its own in the future. Hastings confirmed his colleague’s statement, noting how “entertainment companies have to make compromises over time.” “We’ll see and we’ll have to learn,” Hastings concluded.


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Games developer and publisher Blizzard has revealed a sequel to its hit 2016 team shooter Overwatch.
At its annual Blizzcon event, the games firm announced Overwatch 2, which appears to be more expansion and fully-fledged sequel, with users able to carry over all skins, items and progress to the new release.
This new iteration also introduces co-op PvE missions against Ai combatants, with new story missions and hero missions fleshing out Overwatch's historically PvP-centric gameplay.
Furthermore, Blizzard has announced that more than 50m people have played Overwatch since its release in 2016.
Overwatch 2's reveal follows news of the game's existence leaking ahead of Blizzcon.
“With Overwatch 2, we’re building the cooperative, narrative-driven game experience that players have been asking for since the original—and that we’ve wanted to make for a long time,” Blizzard president J. Allen Brack said.
"We’re looking forward to telling the next chapter of this epic story in-game, and we’re excited to give players a whole new kind of co-op experience built around progressing and customising their favourite heroes—all while providing even more of everything they love about Overwatch today.”
Here is the announcement trailer from Blizzcon:


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~Shoppers express the patriotic feeling through ‘Colors of Independence’ – by NIFT along with the Textile ministry of India at Inorbit Mall ~
Navi Mumbai, 15 August, 2016: Inorbit mall, Vashi celebrated the 70th Independence Day with great zeal and patriotism. In sync with the theme of freedom, NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology) and Textile ministry of India is celebrating the campaign called “Colours of Independence” at Inorbit Mall Vashi. The visitors have the opportunity to freely express their interpretation of Independence using colours of the national flag. The event was graced by celebrated fashion designer, Archana Kochhar who has designed for Bollywood biggies.
The campaign supported by Ministry of Textiles was inaugurated by eminent designer Hemant Trivedi. The week long campaign concluded on 15th August 2016. People of all age groups actively participated in the activity and freely expressed their love and patriotism for India in an artistic manner. The Campaign was well received with massive participation. For this occasion, the mall adorned the tri colour themed Dream Catchers to inspire people to have positive dreams and move to bigger and brighter future.
Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Puneet Varma, Associate Vice President, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Inorbit Mall said “Inorbit mall celebrates every occasion with great gusto. Like every year this year’s Independence Day celebrations have been loved by our shoppers. The Campaign is a unique way to express the love for our country. We thank NIFT for approaching us to host such an innovative campaign.”


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This could be a game changer!
Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, aka Destiny’s Child, could be reuniting … and it would feel so good. The group has a brand new Instagram account and it has fans thinking that a reunion tour is in the works.
The account was created last week and is already verified. Plus, it’s run by Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment. So far, there’s just a few throwbacks photos on the page, but it already has 33,000 followers waiting with bated breath for every post.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of their disbandment and next year will be the 20th anniversary of the group. What better time to plan a reunion than this?!


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CamaroNews – Challenger Wins February
In February 2018, Dodge sold 6,093 examples of the Challenger. That is 14 less units than they sold in the same month last year, but it is 2,600+ units better than January 2018. Ford sold 5,800 Mustangs and Chevrolet sold 3,680 Camaros – both of which are up compared to January, but with the Challenger growing from month to month by the largest margin, the Dodge muscle led the segment in February 2018 sales.
Things are Bad for the Camaro
In January, the Chevrolet Camaro posted its worst monthly sales numbers since the model returned for the 2010 model year and February isn’t much better. In fact, since the Camaro returned to the lineup, 2018 was the worst year for February Camaro sales and when coupled with the record-low in January – the Chevy muscle car is off to its worst start of the modern era.
To put things into perspective, prior to the arrival of the 6th generation Camaro, the Dodge Challenger had only outsold the Camaro a few times in the past 7 years. In February, the Challenger sold 6,093 while the Camaro has moved 6,547 units on the year, so in one month, the Dodge was only 454 units behind the Chevy’s two-month total for the year.
Having driven the 6th gen Camaro, CamaroNews finds it to be much better than the previous generation and frankly, it shocks me that the new models aren’t selling better. With sales numbers being so low, the company is going to need to do something to move more muscle cars, presumably in the form of another refresh and or incentives offers. Price continues to be a huge issue. You have to keep the price down if you want to move more units!


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By Retail Insider
Retail Council of Canada is launching its fall 2018 ‘Leaders in Retail Breakfast Series’ this month and on Friday, September 14 the Home Depot Canada’s President, Jeff Kinnaird, will be on hand to speak to attendees. The breakfast is open to retail suppliers only. [Register Here]
The Leaders in Retail Breakfast Series provides an exclusive and unique opportunity for vendors and suppliers of goods and services to hear directly from senior leaders of Canada’s biggest retail brands – with none of their fellow retailer competitors or media in the room.
Jeff Kinnaird is responsible for the sales and operations of 182 stores and approximately 30,000 associates. He joined The Home Depot in 1996 as a lumber associate and has held positions of increasing responsibility, including department supervisor, assistant store manager, store manager, district manager, regional vice president of Canada West, then regional vice president of Canada East, Canadian operations and asset protection.
Most recently, Mr. Kinnaird served as merchandising vice president of Canada where he was responsible for merchandising strategy and operations, the Canadian Merchandising Execution Team organization, global sourcing for the division and growth of private label brands across 182 stores and e-commerce at homedepot.ca. He has over 25 years of Home Improvement retail experience. Prior to joining The Home Depot, he worked at Windsor Plywood. Jeff has an Executive MBA from Queen’s University.
Again, please note, this event is only open to the retail supplier/vendor community.
Member, Non-Retail $199.00 | Non-Member, Non-Retail $349.00
As well, Retail Council of Canada will be two more Leaders in Retail Breakfast Series speakers this year. They include
*October 17, 2018: Sarah Davis, President, Loblaw Companies Ltd. (breakfast for suppliers and vendors only), and
*November 21, 2018: Lee Tappenden, President & CEO of Walmart Canada Corp. (breakfast for suppliers and vendors only).


text: WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The gross domestic product report for the second quarter is due for release by the government at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. Economists polled by MarketWatch expect growth slowed to a 1.6% annual rate from a 1.9% pace in the first quarter. This would be the weakest six months of the recovery. In the second quarter, economists said growth slowed because consumers cut back their spending. Exports may be a lonely bright spot. The report will also include revised estimates for growth over the past three years.


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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A Minneapolis man already facing conspiracy charges is now also facing charges for allegedly possessing methamphetamine.
Abbas Ateia Al Hussainawee, 40, has been charged with conspiracy to engage with interstate transportation of stolen goods and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger, Al Hussainawee was allegedly acting as a runner for members of the Mustafa Organization.
“In August, my office charged 20 defendants with conspiracy to steal and sell mobile devices on the underground market,” Luger said.
According to the criminal complaint, the Mustafa Organization illegally obtained cell phones and other mobile devices through runners from 2006 to 2014.
The runners would steal or obtain the devices and sell them to the organization.
According to the criminal complaint, Al Hussainawee obtained the devices by breaking into the stores.
Luger said Al Hussainawee would break into a store that was located next to one selling phones, or other devices. Once inside, he would break through the wall the stores shared.
He specifically targeted strip malls.
According to the criminal complaint, Al Hussainawee broke into a Best Buy in Maplewood on Nov. 27, 2012. He stole 48 cell phones, 20 iPads and five tablet computers.
In March of 2014, he broke into a Verizon store in Menomonie, Wis. and stole $32,000 worth of cell phones and iPads.
On July 14, 2014, Al Hussainawee stole 44 cell phones and iPads from a Verizon store in Waconia, totaling $22,279.97.
He also burglarized a Verizon Store in Buffalo on Dec. 12, 2014. He stole $33,015 in cell phones.
Authorities believe he is responsible for burglarizing, or attempted burglary, on at least 22 stores.
Luger said Al Hussainawee is now facing charges on possession with intent to sell after authorities found 268 grams of meth in his house.
The case is currently awaiting trial.


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The new trade deal between Canada, the US and Mexico has made it more affordable to shop online.
Labour Minister Patty Hajdu tells us you might not get charged duty or sales tax based on the amount you’ve ordered from the States.
“If you’ve ordered it online to Canada and the value is under $40 you won’t be charged sales tax. That’s doubled, it used to be $20. If the item is less than $150, you won’t get charged duty.”
The trade deal won’t have an impact on packages you’ve ordered and shipped to America and have brought back over the Canadian border.
Meanwhile, Hajdu is attempting to quell the fears of dairy farmers over their concerns to changes in the new trade deal.
She says if dairy farmers are concerned the Federal government will be looking at compensation for the loss to their sector.
The Labour Minister feels the new deal will be overall good for Canadian farmers.


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When everyone is going aggressive on Electric Vehicles (EVs), Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) continues to focus greater and greater on CNG cars.
It expects it’s CNG car sales to almost double this fiscal year over 2020-21.
Key points to note –
- Around 1.9 lakh CNG cars were sold in the country in FY 21 with MSI alone retailing over 1.6 lakh units. It expects this number to be around 3 lakh cars in the current year i.e., FY 22.
- Over the last few years, MSI has witnessed significant growth in CNG car sales. It sold 74,000 units in 2016-17; around 1 lakh units in 2018-19; 1.05 lakh units in 2019-20; and 1.62 lakh units in 2020-21.
- Out of the total of 15 models that MSI offers, CNG option is available in 7 models currently and more models will be included gradually. CNG option is currently available in Alto, S-presso, WagonR, Eeco, TourS, Ertiga and Super Carry. MSI is expected to soon offer it also in the newly upgraded Celerio.
- Maruti’s bullishness on CNG is due to the lower running costs, proven technology and increasing network of CNG stations across the country. CNG is expected to reach across 330 cities by next year compared with 143 cities three years ago and 293 cities currently. Compared with 1,400 filling stations, there are 3,300 stations currently with an expectation of 8,700 in the next 1.5 years.
MSI continues to work very differently from what the majority believes. It was the first car maker to have discontinued offering diesel vehicles last year. Reason – reducing gap between diesel and petrol prices.
At that time it seemed like a poor strategy. However, it does seem to make sense now. In 2013-14, diesel cars accounted for 60 per cent of the overall sales, now it has come down to less than 17 per cent.
Likewise, MSI has been very vocal about why EV adoption would take time.
In the interim, they have identified CNG to be the alternative and if one ignores the EV narrative, CNG does seem to make lot of sense… and the numbers are proving it.


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Pfizer (PFE-US), GlaxoSmithKline (GSK-US), Bristol Myers (BMY-US), Squibb, Axis Big US drugmakers including Stettenca (AZN-US) and Sanofi (SNY-US) plan to raise the prices of more than 350 unique drugs sold in the US starting in early January.
This is the pharmaceutical industry’s preparations in response to the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which allows the government’s health care plan to directly negotiate the price of some drugs starting in 2026. At the same time, the pharmaceutical industry is also battling upward cost pressures from inflation and supply chain constraints.
This pullback is up the list price, without benefits or other discounts offered to pharmacies.
According to data released by “46brooklyn”, pharmaceutical companies will increase the prices of more than 1,400 drugs in 2022, setting a record since 2015. The median increase in drug prices over the past year was 4.9 percent, while the average was 6.4 percent, both figures below the U.S. inflation rate. 46brooklyn is the drug pricing nonprofit associated with 3 Axis.
Drugmakers have generally kept price increases at 10% or less, an industry practice followed by many large drugmakers as they have come under fire for too many price hikes in the middle of the past decade.
Antonio Ciaccia, president of 3 Axis, said that should be inflation, pharmaceutical companies have focused on launching drugs at higher prices, and the IRA should further promote this dynamic. “Pharmaceutical companies must take a closer look at listing prices, and must calibrate before listing, so as to avoid falling into a predicament where they will not be able to make profits in the future.”
More drug prices will be announced in January, which is usually the month when pharmaceutical manufacturers raise prices the most.
Pfizer has announced the most price increases so far, with 89 unique drug price increases, and Pfizer’s Hospira company also has 10 drug price increases.
It is followed by GlaxoSmithKline , which has so far planned to increase the price of 26 unique medicines, including a 7 percent hike on top-selling drug Shingrix, the shingles vaccine. The company had no immediate comment.
A Pfizer spokesman said the company’s average list price for its drugs and vaccines in 2023 is well below the headline inflation rate of about 3.6%, adding that the company must rely on price increases to support investment in developing drugs.
Brendan McEvoy, a spokesman for AstraZeneca, said that the company must consider many factors. In addition to major R & D, it must also consider clinical value, patient population size, government/payer coverage requirements, patient affordability, competition and other market conditions, ” This is a deliberate pricing, and we will continue to do so.”


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September New Home Sales Explode Higher
Following the surprise upside surge in existing home sales, analysts expected new-home-sales to accelerate further in September but they literally exploded higher instead. After a downward revision to -1.4% MoM in August, September new home sales screamed 14.0% higher MoM in September – the biggest jump since July 2020…
New home sales are still down 17.6% YoY however.
New Home Sales SAAR jumped back to its highest since March…
Echoing Case-Shiller’s recent data, median new home price rose 18.7% YoY to a new record high of $408,800; average selling price at $451,700…
This comes as quarterly home orders at PulteGroup Inc. missed estimates, the Atlanta-based builder said earlier on Tuesday. Pulte, faced with a backlog of contracts, have slowed sales while it catches up on production.
“The housing industry continues to experience robust demand, but significant disruptions in the manufacture and supply of many building products are extending overall build cycles,” Ryan Marshall, Pulte’s chief executive officer, said in a statement.
The Northeast saw the biggest (+32.3%) surge in sales while the MidWest saw sales slide 1.5%.
Tue, 10/26/2021 – 10:08


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Indian information technology group Tech Mahindra is partnering with the U.S.-Israeli firm Comverse, the telecom business software company, to set up a research and development center in Israel. The two companies did not disclose financial details. Manish Vyas, president of Tech Mahindra’s communications group, said the deal — which would bring the Indian company hundreds of engineers — will help the firm more than double its engineering business revenue within a few years. The company does about $400 million annually in engineering, about half of which is in telecoms.
Under the “strategic relationship,” Tech Mahindra will be responsible for R&D and customer services while Comverse will be in charge of product management and sales. The venture into Israel by Tech Mahindra, which is part of the $16.5 billion Mahindra conglomerate, is the latest sign of booming ties between the countries since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power last year. Tech Mahindra, which employees over 98,000 people in 51 countries, will take on about 400 Comverse workers, up to 300 from Israel and the rest mainly from the United States, France, Japan, Bulgaria and India. Tech Mahindra owns Israel’s Leadcom, a provider of network services for telecom companies, after it bought Leadcom’s parent Lightbridge Communications in February. (Reuters)
Motomy Group to buy controlling stake in Canadian email marketer
Israeli digital advertising firm Matomy Group said Wednesday it was buying a 70% stake in Canada-based Avenlo, which has developed a platform for email marketing campaigns. Matomy said the move will enhance its existing email acquisition marketing capabilities and provide its advertising clients with cross-device ad targeting and data management solutions. Matomy said it was not required by authorities in Britain, where its stock is traded, to disclose the valuation of the deal due to its size and structure, but the Wall Street Journal reported it would likely value Avenlo at around $17.6 million. Under the agreement, Matomy has the option to buy the remaining 30% of Avenlo over the next three years. French advertising group Publicis bought a 20% stake in Matomy in October, followed by a further 4.9 percent stake in November. (Reuters)
Viola raises $250m for tech investment fund
Viola Private Equity, part of Israel’s Viola Group, said Wednesday it had raised $250 million for its latest investment fund, Viola Private Equity II. Viola Private Equity invests in growth-stage technology companies in sectors such as enterprise software, e-commerce, cyber security, financial technology and health care. The new fund will invest in 10 to 12 companies with investments ranging from $20 million to $40 million per company. Viola’s previous fund invested in 12 companies including MobileAccess, which was acquired by Corning Inc, and Matomy Media Group, which went public on the London Stock Exchange last year. (See additional news about Matomy above). Viola Private Equity recently completed the new fund’s first investment, backing GlassesUSA.com, an e-commerce company that sells prescription eyewear to U.S. consumers. Viola Group has over $2 billion under management. (Reuters)
TASE higher, led by communications stocks
Stocks and bonds were higher overall Wednesday on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, led in part by communication stocks. The benchmark Tel Aviv-25 index rose by 0.46%, to 1,686.60 points, while the Tel Aviv-100 was up 0.44%, to 1,480.46. Trading volume was 1.62 billion shekels ($408 million). The communications index rose by 1.7%, led by an increase of 1.6% in Bezeq’s stock value. Among the standouts in share trading were Elbit Systems, which gained 3.1% on the day and Nano Dimension, which dropped 10% in heavy trading after the launch on Tuesday of its first 3-D printer. The Real Estate-15 index declined by 0.1% Wednesday. Following a steep rise overall in the index since the beginning of the year, Excellence Brokerage Services is attempting to put a damper on the excitement, advising that investors reduce their exposure to local income-producing real estate firms, which it generally sees as overvalued, and increasing investment in firms with overseas operations. (Omri Zerachovitz)


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November 2021 was a type of uncommon events when Bajaj Auto was in a position to beat Hero MotoCorp in complete bike gross sales.
Bajaj Auto turned the best-selling bike model in India in November combining each home and export numbers. The Pune-based bike main recorded 338,473 models final month, down 12 per cent from its personal gross sales efficiency in November 2020, when it bought 384,993 models. Hero MotoCorp, which has lengthy held the pole place within the Indian two-wheeler market, has bought 329,185 bikes final month, combining each home and export numbers.
(Additionally learn: Bajaj Auto’s two-wheeler home gross sales down 23% in November, with 144,953 models bought)
Hero MotoCorp reported a 39 per cent decline in general bike gross sales in November 2021, when it registered 541,437 models as in comparison with the identical month final yr. Though,
November 2021 was a type of uncommon events when Bajaj Auto was in a position to beat Hero MotoCorp in complete bike gross sales. Hero MotoCorp, nevertheless, topped the two-wheeler desk by combining each its bike and scooter gross sales. Whereas Bajaj Auto bought 338,473 models within the home and worldwide markets, Hero MotoCorp bought a complete of 349,393 two-wheelers within the home and worldwide markets.
Bajaj Auto noticed greater than half of its bike gross sales come from worldwide markets, regardless of recording a two per cent decline in its export numbers. It shipped 193,520 bikes to abroad markets and registered 144,953 models within the home market.
In its worldwide markets in Latin America and Africa, the home bike main posted larger gross sales numbers. Bajaj Auto at present sells its bikes in round 70 nations the world over.
Hero MotoCorp, however, specializes within the decrease displacement bike phase. The home two-wheeler model has a stronghold within the commuter phase, which was hit in India as a result of late withdrawal of monsoon in lots of elements of the nation, as there was a delay in harvesting.
This affected Hero MotoCorp’s gross sales in rural areas, the place the corporate has a robust client base. Slowdown within the entry-level commuter bike phase and client choice in the direction of higher-end fashions additionally performed a key issue in opposition to Hero MotoCorp.
First revealed date: 04 December 2021, 09:26 AM IST


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Rotorua CBD revitalisation highly commended
Rotorua Lakes Council’s Inner City Revitalisation strategy has been highly commended in the 2015 Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) Excellence Awards. Rotorua’s innovative inner city revitalisation programme, led by district councillor Karen Hunt, is aimed at ‘bringing the heart and soul back to the city’ and is one of the priority goals in the council’s Rotorua 2030 vision.
Judges praised the scheme for its great commitment and partnership with business. They also hailed Rotorua Lakes Council’s recognition of the importance of urban design and breathing new life into the inner city – particularly in relation to the tourism industry.
The inner city revitalisation project was launched in 2013, partly in response to changing retail trends – such as the advent of online shopping, and increasing numbers of vacant shops in the CBD.
Focus groups were formed and a programme of initiatives launched to explore the community’s ideas for revitalising the CBD, including opening a community ‘Ideas Store’ in an empty shop in the main street.
Other initiatives that developed from the project ranged from introducing free parking, weekly competitions, an ‘I love Rotorua’ wall and community Scrub Day for cleaning up the CBD, through to pop-up galleries, an annual Tulip Festival and the Light Rotorua campaign to decorate the city.
A hallmark of the work undertaken to date has been collaborative partnerships between the council and local businesses, retailers, community organisations and other agencies. In its new long-term plan Rotorua Lakes Council has committed $1.2 million a year for the next three years for inner city revitalisation work, and $800,000 a year for the subsequent seven years of the plan.
Use MyNBR Tags to track people and companies — and receive key-word email alerts. Find out how here.


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ASTANA – Kazakhstan is ready to expand its exports to the Swiss market by 90 commodity items worth $546.4 million, said Minister of Trade and Integration Serik Zhumangarin at the meeting of the Kazakh-Swiss Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation on June 27, reported the Prime Minister’s press service.
The Swiss delegation was led by Erwin Bollinger, Ambassador and Head of the Bilateral Economic Relations Division and Federal Council Delegate for Trade Agreements of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
Discussions focused on bilateral cooperation in trade and investment, agriculture, aviation, energy, technical regulation, standardization and metrology, education and science, intellectual property, and venture capital investment.
According to the minister, trade turnover between Switzerland and Kazakhstan reached $1.4 billion in 2022, which is relatively low for countries of their potential.
“We have examined our export-ready products and are prepared to offer premium segment products like caviar, fish, honey, wine, and vodka to the Swiss market,” he said.
According to Zhumangarin, Kazakhstan has made progress in exporting fish products through collaboration with the European Commission, while the potential export of honey is still being considered.
Kazakhstan has also initiated negotiations to certify the supply of Kazakh caviar to the European Union market.
Zhumangarin emphasized the longstanding commitment of both countries to a transparent political dialogue and the continuous efforts to strengthen bilateral relations through trade and economic cooperation.
Swiss business is widely represented in Kazakhstan, with over 300 companies operating in the country, including well-known groups such as Philip Morris International, Glencore, Roche, and Bühler Group.
Switzerland is Kazakhstan’s third largest foreign investor, following the Netherlands and the United States. Swiss-based companies have invested nearly $31 billion in Kazakhstan’s economy since 2005.


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Wal-Mart Stores has announced the promotion of 17-year company veteran Karen Roberts to executive vice president and general counsel. The appointment is effective February 1, 2013, and she will report to executive vice president and corporate secretary Jeff Gearhart.
In her new role, Roberts will manage the legal department, which is responsible for handling all legal matters affecting the company in its domestic and international markets. Gearhart will maintain oversight for the legal function in addition to his newly expanded responsibilities for Walmart’s compliance, ethics and investigations teams as part of the company’s steps to align the functions and further strengthen its global compliance efforts.
Roberts is currently executive vice president and president of Walmart Realty for Walmart U.S., where she is responsible for Walmart’s real estate operations. Prior to that, she was senior vice president and chief compliance officer for Walmart U.S., where she oversaw the establishment of best in class food safety and product safety programs and directed a recycling program that kept more than 80% of all waste generated by U.S. operations out of landfills in 2011. Roberts joined Walmart in 1995.


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Desperately needing a major software upgrade but unwilling to pay through the nose for a new enterprise software license on which his vendor insisted, Dave Waterman recently found himself between a rock and a hard place. After weeks of negotiations in which he attempted—unsuccessfully—to wring price concessions out of the vendor, CompuWare Corp., Waterman, the principal information analyst at utility company National Grid USA, finally swallowed hard and did what he had to do: He walked away and found a new vendor.
For Waterman, the experience represents a change in his relationship with his enterprise software vendors, which historically had been willing to bend the rules and negotiate licensing terms.
“The rules have changed,” said Waterman, in Westboro, Mass. “As licensing models have evolved, its become increasingly difficult for us to get a break.”
Waterman isnt the only IT manager searching in vain for a break on enterprise software licenses these days. As times have gotten tough, vendors have increasingly been playing hardball, negotiating more toughly and coming up with software pricing strategies intended to generate cash flow by, for example, stimulating upgrades and pressing customers to forgo perpetual licenses in favor of software rentals, enterprise customers and analysts say. While some of these vendor-introduced licensing schemes can save some customers money—enterprises willing to upgrade frequently, for example—for most, they have brought only uncertainty and new management headaches—not to mention higher software bills.
As a result, savvy enterprises are adjusting their software buying strategies. Some are looking more favorably on open-source software, which can often be licensed for far less than traditional commercial software. Others are arming themselves with the most current and complete information about pricing strategies they can find and demanding further discounts or added services and support. They are also resorting to tried-and-true negotiating tactics, asking software companies to match competitors prices and even switching vendors when demands are unmet. Lastly, experts say, IT managers can combat software vendor hardball tactics by being willing to delay purchases to get the most cost savings out of a deployment.
“Just because the vendor licensing strategies have changed doesnt mean IT managers shouldnt continue to use traditional tactics such as lengthening the contract term, asking for software bundles or opening the bidding to competing software suppliers,” said Chad Robinson, an analyst at Robert Frances Group Inc., in Westport, Conn. “Software vendors are under extreme pressure to improve their financials, and IT managers who dont use that to their advantage will find it difficult to keep acquisition and management costs from rising.”
Digging into the details
Perhaps the most notable licensing tweaks have come from Microsoft Corp., of Redmond, Wash., which in May revamped its worldwide licensing program for enterprise applications by offering software by subscription and replacing its Upgrade Advantage program with its new Software Assurance offering. Software Assurance contracts commit customers to purchasing upgrades at a discounted rate on a periodic basis, rather than purchasing the upgrade when the customer needs it—a move that could raise fees from 33 percent to 107 percent for most customers upgrading every three years, according to Gartner Inc., in Stamford, Conn.
In 1997, the company had eliminated concurrent-use licenses on Office products. That option had allowed customers to buy fewer licenses than they had actual users, as long as the products werent used by all of them at the same time. Many companies had saved millions by using the software-sharing option. In fact, Gartner estimates that a company with 5,000 desktops will have paid 224 percent more over the course of five years as a result of the change.
Microsofts not the only one playing this game. Last month, Oracle Corp. announced plans to give companies several options designed to encourage enterprise customers to rent Oracle software as a service. And last year, enterprise software vendors including IBM, Sybase Inc. and Computer Associates International Inc. announced changes to their pricing structures.
According to Robert Frances Groups Robinson, many of these new strategies take actual workload into account, rather than using server capacity or size as the metric for software pricing (see chart, Page 54). And, say experts, such new licensing schemes could increase software costs as e-commerce and the Internet boost service workloads.
“With all of these machinations, IT managers really need to understand a vendors pricing model before working with a sales representative on a deal,” Robinson said. “The pressure on software vendors to show profit is obvious, and this is certainly good timing for enterprises to really put pressure on vendors to strike a deal.”
Indeed, IT managers arent taking the licensing changes quietly. According to Microsoft representatives, the software company has given enterprise customers five more months to upgrade to the Office XP suite in response to customer requests. Customers will now have until Feb. 28, rather than Oct. 1, to make the change as part of the companys controversial new licensing program, Software Assurance.
Software Assurance contracts commit customers to buying operating system and application upgrades at a discounted rate on a periodic basis, rather than purchasing the upgrade when the customer decides the time is right. The program lowers costs for businesses that upgrade software frequently but will force those that upgrade less frequently to pay more, experts say.
Microsofts changes to its Worldwide Licensing Program have put many IT managers into a predicament. At Octave Communications Inc., in Nashua, N.H., Kyle Lippert, director of IT, has a choice between buying Office XP—and buying into the Worldwide Licensing Program—now at a discount or in the future at full price. Octave, which provides audioconferencing technology to telecommunications carriers, has Office 97 installed on all its desktops. Because the company seems to be operating fine with its current suite of desktop applications, Lippert is uncertain as to whether or not he wants to commit to Office XP right now.
“As for right now, my short-term plan is that I have no short-term plan,” Lippert said. “I will upgrade if the software meets our business strategy. Companies are really tightening the reins on their licensing agreements, and we have to be on top of them before we sign any deal.”
Experts say IT managers need to do the math when vendors offer discounts on software upgrades purchased now and refuse to offer savings to IT managers who choose to wait until a later date. While its true that enterprises may see immediate cost savings on software purchased at discount, IT managers who push their deployments back two or three years can see the same savings, whether through purchasing hardware already preinstalled with the software or by dealing with third-party distributors later on (see chart, next page).
“Software vendors will have every incentive to make money whether its now or later,” Robinson said. “IT managers will still have every bit of leverage they have now when it comes time to negotiate a new arrangement. The difference is, because youve saved 12 or 18 months waiting, it could very well end up being cheaper to wait.”
As Lippert contemplates his decision on Office XP, he is pressuring his software vendors to throw in services such as consulting and access to higher-level support channels. Lippert, who up until last month was director of IT at First Virtual Communications Inc., negotiated with Microsoft for a software audit earlier this year. Microsoft employees went on-site at First Virtual Communications and helped Lippert define an asset management program.
“It was a nice process for us to go through free of charge,” Lippert said. “From an IT management perspective, licenses have been difficult to manage, and this audit allowed us to see what we had and what we needed.”
While Lippert did not do so, experts also recommend negotiating with vendors for so-called liability clauses. For example, if an enterprise signs an agreement to purchase 25,000 seat licenses over a three-year period but plans to purchase only 500 seats the first year, it should ask its vendor to bill according to how many seats were actually purchased. Traditionally, a software vendor will average the price over the length of the purchase agreement.
Experts also recommend that IT managers consider multinational software licensing agreements, since purchasing software for multiple lines of business worldwide in one fell swoop rather than by specific department often means volume discounts.
There are tricks to negotiating multinational software licensing agreements, however. Robinson warns that agreements need to stipulate which customer service center an IT manager located in a remote office should call in order to receive support for products. He also recommends hammering out exchange rate issues beforehand.
“We tell IT managers to handle the purchase in such a way that they can take advantage of exchange rates to save a few hundred dollars here and there,” Robinson said. “If the ruble is down against the dollar, it makes sense to take advantage of that.”
When it comes to purchasing software for overseas locations, however, IT managers need to be careful. Experts say many software vendors, particularly those in the mainframe and database arenas, dramatically raise prices to make up the margin on software sold in countries where its common practice to give discounts of anywhere from 10 percent to 30 percent. As a result, IT managers need to look for consistent pricing across all countries and carefully evaluate whether that 30 percent discount will really save their enterprises money.
In the event that a software vendor refuses to back down, experts say the tried-and-true method—pitting the vendor against its competitors—is still the best bet.
Looking at merger and acquisition activity in the power industry, IT managers at National Grid USA, a subsidiary of National Grid Group plc., knew earlier this year they needed to prepare for possible growth in mainframe processor power in a hurry. The company was planning to move from an IBM 8672 R55 265-mips (million instructions per second) system to the IBM 9672-X37 480-mips system and wanted the best possible price on any new licensing agreements.
Waterman contacted the companys business intelligence applications vendor, CompuWare, in hopes of negotiating better pricing agreements and longer contract periods. When CompuWare refused to budge, he immediately began asking competitors such as Serena Systems Inc., Macro4 Inc. and IBM for price quotes.
Macro4 agreed to a long-term contract that included free upgrades. CompuWare, on the other hand, stayed firm on its licensing terms. The result? Waterman is in the midst of phasing out all CompuWare products from his mainframe environment and swapping in Macro4 business intelligence products for application availability, interactive testing, fault diagnosis and data manipulation, all because CompuWare simply wouldnt cut the company a deal.
“The CompuWare pricing model as it was would have killed us because we were involved in a pretty hefty upgrade,” Waterman said. “It was a conscious-based decision to switch to Macro4 because of CompuWares pricing policies.”
Of course, Waterman isnt the only one contemplating a break with an enterprise software vendor. Robert Frances Groups Robinson said that many of his companys enterprise clients have been looking at alternative products in response to more stringent licensing policies. Financial services companies, for example, are now testing the Linux operating system as an alternative to more expensive software packages from Sun Microsystems Inc. and Microsoft.
And some organizations are looking at open-source applications as a way to bypass licensing hardball. Sun landed the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency as a customer for its free StarOffice desktop suite after the government agency decided it could not afford Office products and was unable to negotiate better rates from its vendor, Applix Inc. Last month, DISA began to install StarOffice 5.2 on 10,000 seats in 6,000 locations.
“We evaluated StarOffice as best satisfying our requirement,” said Lt. Col. William Hoppe, chief engineer, Global Command and Control System for DISA, in Washington, in a statement.
As software vendors change their licensing models, IT managers will find other ways to reduce costs, experts say. Nonetheless, as vendors begin selling software by subscription and over the Internet, new models will continue to evolve.
“Just because the licensing models change doesnt mean traditional tactics such as lengthening the contract term, switching vendors or looking at other alternatives are no longer applicable,” Robinson said. “Continue to put pressure on software vendors in order to ensure the most bang for your buck.”


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Nike is using its new digital studio to build a community of sneakerheads
A yr after buying Virgin Mega, Nike is revealing some of the early outcomes of its experiments with augmented actuality and community-building.
Virgin Mega was a startup backed by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group that targeted on fan communities and procuring. Ron Faris, who led the startup, advised me that Nike acquired Virgin Mega so as to discover those self same concepts.
Since then, the crew has was a digital studio referred to as S23NYC. Faris stated it nonetheless has a startup culture, with a small crew of 24 startup veterans figuring out of the previous Converse places of work on 23rd Street in New York City.
S23NYC has taken over Nike’s SNKRS app, which is supposed to provide content material and insider entry to the most recent sneakers. Faris stated he treats SNKRS as our digital piranha tank.
This is like our lab, he stated. We drop something in the piranha tank and see how fast the piranhas swarm around it.
For instance, after Penny Hardaway took a sharpie to his sneakers to in order that they met NBA guidelines, the SNKRS app launched a stealthy promotion the place customers may unlock Royal Foamposite footwear by swiping over the display to coloration in a digital photograph — Nike describes it as scratch-off cards for the digital age.
SNKRS has additionally run geotargeted Stash campaigns, the place customers should buy restricted version sneakers from the app — however solely after they’ve to traveled to a sure location of their metropolis, whether or not it’s Washington Square Park in New York or pop-up flower stands in Los Angeles.
And the crew ran a promotion with Momofuku’s David Chang, the place customers had to seize a picture of Chang’s Fuku East Village menu within the SNKRS AR Camera, which might deliver up an 3D mannequin of the Nike SB Dunk High Pro Momofuku and unlock the flexibility to buy the sneakers.
Faris stated these promotions are linked by a deal with shortage and urgency, mixed with the concept of giving sneakerheads the chance to peacock their information. In different phrases, essentially the most in-the-know followers can snag their very own sneakers, then get bragging rights by sharing that information with others. For instance, Faris stated customers had been posting pictures of the Fuku menu on Instagram, they usually’d hang around at a Stash location to assist others unlock the promotion.
Faris added that one of the objectives is to use know-how to seize only the good of lines, which is the tailgate, while avoiding the bad, which is where you feel like you’re at the DMV. So even when customers are directed to a sure geofenced space, there’s no precise line to choose up the bodily footwear. That means it’s much less of a cutthroat competitors, and it doesn’t include any tedious ready.
Next up, Nike plans to launch SNKRS in China and Japan later this yr (the app is already within the United States and Europe). Faris additionally stated his crew is engaged on an initiative referred to as Stash Squads, the place individuals who dwell exterior a given metropolis can nonetheless take part in a Stash promotion by forming groups with locals.


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By David Boyce | The Kansas City Star
A few hours before noon on Saturday, June 27, the Crave of Kansas City food truck arrived at Aristocrat Motors for the fourth annual Food Truck Showdown that benefits Harvesters.
The truck, run by Joe and Chris Ireland and their son, Brad, Ireland, started the day serving breakfast at another location, just down the street from Aristocrat Motors, at 9400 W. 65th St., Merriam.
The Irelands expected to serve more than 300 people nachos, tacos, carnitas and other Tex-Mex items at the Food Truck Showdown.
“This will be a steady crowd, not too crazy,” said Brad, as he was making final preparations before people started filing in to line up outside the five food trucks that were on hand.
All five trucks belong to an organization called the KC Food Truck Mafia, which started in 2012 and is dedicated to operating the cleanest, most attractive food trucks in Kansas City.
In addition to Crave of Kansas City, KC BBQ Truck, Beauty of the Bistro, Bochi and Cheesy Pops’ Pizza were serving food at Aristocrat Motors.
Those who attended paid $3 for a ticket that gave them a plate of food from one of the five trucks. Many paid $15 so they could sample all five trucks.
“One hundred percent of the proceeds go to Harvesters,” said Robert Hellweg, marketing director for Aristocrat Motors. “We are paying the food trucks directly for the food they provide. At the end of the day, hopefully, we are going to raise thousands of dollars for Harvesters.”
Less than 15 minutes into the festivities, the box for the money was quickly filling up.
“The fact they are giving 100 percent of the proceeds, we are just extremely thankful for this event,” said Sam Van Fleet, Americorp food drive specialist. “It is awesome. People are bringing donations, too. It is already looking really successful.”
Hellweg gives credit to the Irelands for the success of this event.
“They have been essential to this event,” he said. “Crave and Beauty of the Bistro have been here since the first one,” he said. “The Irelands are amazing. Last year Bochi came aboard and that was exciting, and this year is the first year (for) KC BBQ and Cheesy Pop’s Pizza.”
Hellweg likes the Food Truck Showdown for several reasons.
“It is literally building a village of food trucks for the people who attend and it is all for the food pantry in Kansas City,” Hellweg said. “They do such great work. It is a really neat way to participate in a meaningful organization.
“It also brings people to the dealership who may have never been here before. We want to open the gates to everyone and let them know that this is a dealership where they are welcomed and prides itself on being part of the community.
“The very first year I knew it was winner.”
One thing that comes through clearly is how much the owners of the food trucks enjoy serving customers tasty food as quickly as possible.
Despite long hours in hot conditions during the summer time, they bring a sense of humor as they serve customers.
A sense of humor is one key to a successful food truck said John VanScoy, who works for Lori and Jeff Lee, owners KC BBQ food truck.
“I think the originality of food is important,” VanScoy said. “It’s not commercial like going to Applebee’s. You make it in the truck. It is a homemade recipe that is not found anywhere else. It is your spin on things. It also boils down to having a nice clean truck.”
Lee added that it was important to be professional and have fun. Having a limited menu is another key.
“You don’t want to have everything you can think of,” she said.
Joe and Chris Ireland said they started their food truck four years ago as a hobby and a way to work with their son.
“Now it is a full-time job and then some,” Chris said. “The prepping is not fun. This is the fun part, when you get to interact with people.”
Chris said the best part is she gets to work with her son. But a year into the business, Joe said the hobby part left when they started having so much work that they had to turn down opportunities.
For the first 18 months, they tried many different events to see what worked best. Now they do birthday parties, weddings, corporate events, graduation parties, driveway parties and festivals.
“We go to where the business is at so we are going to be busy,” Brad said. “It is not a guessing game like the restaurant business. When we do lunches, we try to move people through as fast as possible.”
Chris figures they can serve as many as 85 people in an hour when they have four people working in their truck.
A year ago, Bruce and April Durnell attended the Food Truck Showdown. They were in the early stages of acquiring a food truck. They liked what they experienced. In May, they purchased their first food truck, Cheesy Pops’ Pizza.
“We are the newest member of the Food Truck Mafia,” April said. “We work together. That’s what mafia stands for – family.”
Only a few months into the new business venture, Bruce said they haven’t had any problems finding events to work.
“The truck has sold itself,” Bruce said. “The KC Food Truck Mafia has helped and our website. But the best thing is being out here and that is how you get more gigs. Every time we go out, we triple our business.”
To learn more about the organization and various food trucks involved in it, go to www.kcfoodtruckmafia.com.
On average, these food trucks work four to five events per week. Most of them worked events on Friday and had other events to attend later Saturday after the Food Truck Showdown. But during their four hours at Aristocrat Motors, they enjoyed serving food for a good cause.
“We support Harvesters,” April Durnell said. “We think this is a great program. I’m glad we were a part of it and teamed up with Aristocrat Motors today.”


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Sega has today announced Football Manager 2012, the latest installment in their long running franchise.
As you’d expect, developer Sports Interactive are throwing a few new features and improvements into the mix.
Loyalty bonuses are now present in the transfer and contracts part of the game. On top of this, the amateur and youth contracts have been improved, giving players the ability to lock variables during negotiations if they’re not open to change.
Scouts will now give the player an entire rundown of the opposition’s game, meaning preparing before kick-off will be much easier.
This year’s installment also introduces an improved 3D match, which includes new animations an brand new crowd system, improved weather effects and new camera angles.
The game will also feature a new interface, which displays more or less information on the screen at one time, depending on the resolution of your monitor. There’ll also be new filters, customisable columns and new overview screens.
The developer also detailed some smaller changes, which are being made to features such as conversations and playable nations. There’s more information, over on Videogamer.
Football Manager is due to release on PC, sometime before Christmas.


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Ivory Coast's rainforests have been decimated by cocoa production and what is left is put in peril by a new law that will remove legal protections for thousands of square miles of forests, according to The Guardian.
The new law hands unprecedented power over to the chocolate industry in a country that is the world's largest chocolate producer. A broad range of advocacy groups for workers and for the environment have warned that the new forestry codes, which the country's National Assembly recently ratified, will usher in a new wave of unsustainable cocoa production and allow for massive deforestation in forests that are already degraded with deforestation levels over 75 percent, as The Guardian reported.
The law reclassifies 7,700 square miles of protected forest as "agro-forest" and hands control of the forests over to international companies.
"We are opposed to further deforestation of these areas," said Youssouf Doumbia, president of the Ivorian Observatory for the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources, a civil society organization consulted on the proposals, as The Guardian reported. "Politicians have authorized the construction of infrastructure in these agro-forests – but if we do that, it's an open door for the pure and simple disappearance of our forests. They will be wiped out."
Cocoa farming in West Africa, which produces over 60 percent of the world's chocolate supply is known for its unsustainable slash and burn practices. That is where forest is cut down and burned before planting, and then, when the plot was no longer fertile, the farmer moved to fresh forest and repeated the process, according to Michael E Odijie, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, who wrote a recent essay on the plight of West African cocoa farmers for Quartz.
So much forest has been cut down over the last 60 years that there is barely enough left for slash-and-burn. Since 1960, forests in Ivory Coast has decreased from 16 million hectares, roughly half the country, to less than 2 million by 2005, according to Odijie's essay.
The new law, which allows for 24-year land leases, will lead to a loss in property rights for Indigenous communities and create a monopoly for foreign companies.
"There's a risk of a massive land grab situation," said Julia Christian, forest campaigner at Fern, a Brussels-based organization working with cocoa growers, as The Guardian reported. "They're lands currently run by independent, small-scale farmers – but it's going to become a monopoly with companies given exclusive rights to buy cacao."
The rampant deforestation that has occurred since 1960 to meet the world's demand for chocolate has pushed native animals like chimpanzees and forest elephants to the brink of extinction.
The Guardian reported that a Global Forest Watch report showed that Ivory Coast had the second highest increase in deforestation rates in the world. Unrestricted deforestation means the Cavally Forest will disappear entirely by 2061 and the Goin Debe Forest by 2071, according to a report by Mighty Earth. The Mighty Earth investigation found that Ivorian cocoa has depended on protected areas. Since 2000, cocoa planting claimed half of Mont Péko National Park.
In addition to trampling over the forests, the West African cocoa-industry has a horrible record of human rights' abuses. There are more than 2 million children working on West African cocoa plantations and trafficking and slavery are rampant, according to The Guardian.
Farmers often earn less than one dollar per day while working in oppressive heat. They earn 6 percent of a chocolate bar's sale price compared to 80 percent for the manufacturers and retailer, according to Fern, as The Guardian reported.
Cocoa: why the European Union must act now to eliminate deforestation and child labour from the chocolate we love https://t.co/6Sv9gUprvP— Heather Kingsley (@Heather Kingsley)1543852972.0
If you love chocolate, but don't want to support deforestation or human rights abuses, there is sustainable chocolate in the marketplace. So, before stocking up on Halloween candy, you might want to look at the Green America Chocolate Scorecard, which ranks major chocolate companies on their sustainability practices and human rights efforts in cocoa supply chains.
Spoiler alert courtesy of the trade publication Material, Handling & Logistics: the three lowest graded companies were Godiva (F) and Ferrero and Mondelez (both Ds). They ranked worse than Lindt, Hershey (both C), Mars and Nestle (C+).
Meanwhile, Guittard scored a B+. Alter Eco, Divine, Endangered Species, Equal Exchange, Shaman, Theo Chocolate and Tony's Chocolonely all received As.
Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
The bright patterns and recognizable designs of Waterlust's activewear aren't just for show. In fact, they're meant to promote the conversation around sustainability and give back to the ocean science and conservation community.
Each design is paired with a research lab, nonprofit, or education organization that has high intellectual merit and the potential to move the needle in its respective field. For each product sold, Waterlust donates 10% of profits to these conservation partners.
Eye-Catching Designs Made from Recycled Plastic Bottles
waterlust.com / @abamabam
The company sells a range of eco-friendly items like leggings, rash guards, and board shorts that are made using recycled post-consumer plastic bottles. There are currently 16 causes represented by distinct marine-life patterns, from whale shark research and invasive lionfish removal to sockeye salmon monitoring and abalone restoration.
One such organization is Get Inspired, a nonprofit that specializes in ocean restoration and environmental education. Get Inspired founder, marine biologist Nancy Caruso, says supporting on-the-ground efforts is one thing that sets Waterlust apart, like their apparel line that supports Get Inspired abalone restoration programs.
"All of us [conservation partners] are doing something," Caruso said. "We're not putting up exhibits and talking about it — although that is important — we're in the field."
Waterlust not only helps its conservation partners financially so they can continue their important work. It also helps them get the word out about what they're doing, whether that's through social media spotlights, photo and video projects, or the informative note card that comes with each piece of apparel.
"They're doing their part for sure, pushing the information out across all of their channels, and I think that's what makes them so interesting," Caruso said.
And then there are the clothes, which speak for themselves.
Advocate Apparel to Start Conversations About Conservation
waterlust.com / @oceanraysphotography
Waterlust's concept of "advocate apparel" encourages people to see getting dressed every day as an opportunity to not only express their individuality and style, but also to advance the conversation around marine science. By infusing science into clothing, people can visually represent species and ecosystems in need of advocacy — something that, more often than not, leads to a teaching moment.
"When people wear Waterlust gear, it's just a matter of time before somebody asks them about the bright, funky designs," said Waterlust's CEO, Patrick Rynne. "That moment is incredibly special, because it creates an intimate opportunity for the wearer to share what they've learned with another."
The idea for the company came to Rynne when he was a Ph.D. student in marine science.
"I was surrounded by incredible people that were discovering fascinating things but noticed that often their work wasn't reaching the general public in creative and engaging ways," he said. "That seemed like a missed opportunity with big implications."
Waterlust initially focused on conventional media, like film and photography, to promote ocean science, but the team quickly realized engagement on social media didn't translate to action or even knowledge sharing offscreen.
Rynne also saw the "in one ear, out the other" issue in the classroom — if students didn't repeatedly engage with the topics they learned, they'd quickly forget them.
"We decided that if we truly wanted to achieve our goal of bringing science into people's lives and have it stick, it would need to be through a process that is frequently repeated, fun, and functional," Rynne said. "That's when we thought about clothing."
Support Marine Research and Sustainability in Style
To date, Waterlust has sold tens of thousands of pieces of apparel in over 100 countries, and the interactions its products have sparked have had clear implications for furthering science communication.
For Caruso alone, it's led to opportunities to share her abalone restoration methods with communities far and wide.
"It moves my small little world of what I'm doing here in Orange County, California, across the entire globe," she said. "That's one of the beautiful things about our partnership."
Check out all of the different eco-conscious apparel options available from Waterlust to help promote ocean conservation.
Melissa Smith is an avid writer, scuba diver, backpacker, and all-around outdoor enthusiast. She graduated from the University of Florida with degrees in journalism and sustainable studies. Before joining EcoWatch, Melissa worked as the managing editor of Scuba Diving magazine and the communications manager of The Ocean Agency, a non-profit that's featured in the Emmy award-winning documentary Chasing Coral.


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The Baylor Bears look to close out their most successful football season in school history this weekend — a victory over Texas would secure a school-record 11th win — and[...]
Nike kicks off their latest country-specific “Just Do It” campaign with the new Play Russian ad, now premiering worldwide.
One of the football world’s most successful teams will sport a new look for the 2014 World Cup — a tournament for which they’re the host country, in fact —[...]
Already one of the most popular shoes on the PGA Tour — worn by the likes of Rory McIlroy, Kyle Stanley and Paul Casey, the Nike Lunar Control due to[...]
This is sort of out of left field (see what I did there?), but the Air Jordan 12 Playoffs Cleat just showed up at occasional retailers including Oneness. It’s sold[...]
Nike Golf introduces the Nike Lunar Clayton today, a new model that combines performance features for the world class golfer and weekend warrior alike, with the heritage and classic style[...]
Brazil hosts the 2014 World Cup, and when the French National Team takes the pitch there next summer, they’ll do so with a brand new look. Inspired by the French[...]
New Coritiba kits are on tap for the 2013-14 season, the revered Brazilian club donning a modernized twist on their classic white-and-green vertical stripes.
Georgetown and Oregon help get college basketball underway tonight, playing one of the country’s first games. The Hoyas and Ducks square off in the Armed Forces Classic, played in front[...]


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The Gap let head designer Patrick Robinson go in early May, and promises that they will name his replacement soon. Executives, who readily acknowledged the chain’s “long run of negative comps” at its presentation in New York yesterday, say they have other plans to make people go into the store and buy lots of things. At a “test store” in L.A., they are trying new strategies like providing better service and finding new ways to display product. Sound hazy? Let Pam Wallack, executive vice-president of the Gap Global Creative Center in New York, explain:
Wallack said the collection should have “a level of emotion and story-telling” or in other words, cohesiveness.


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Jimmy Choo set to launch makeup line – report
MANILA, Philippines – If a footwear brand could pull off releasing a makeup line, it would be Jimmy Choo.
The brand’s chief executive officer Pierre Denis told WWD in an April 19 report that a makeup line is in the works, to complement its existing range of accessories like bags, small leather goods, sunglasses, and fragrances.
He didn’t give away much about the line, but he did say it’s “going to be glamorous,” much like the vibe Jimmy Choo is already known for. Of course, we’re expecting nothing less!
Would you buy makeup from Jimmy Choo? What products are you hoping they’ll make? Sound off in the comments! – Rappler.com
Looking for a new makeup brand to try? Sephora has it all for you! Enjoy exclusive deals and a free gift when you shop via the app.
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by Jharonne Martis.
“March’s Refinitiv/Ipsos Primary Consumer Sentiment Index finds that American consumer confidence flattens after previously increasing for two consecutive months. Despite this, confidence remains lower than it was in March of last year,” James Diamond of Ipsos states. “The Jobs sub‐index remains volatile, as it has for much of the past year. After an increase in reported job security last month, Americans now feel less confident. This instability in job perceptions comes against the backdrop of high profile layoffs in the tech sector juxtaposed with better‐than‐expected recent job numbers as reported by BLS and ADP.”
Jharonne Martis, Director of Consumer Research at Refinitiv, said, “Retailers are reporting earnings and are warning us not to expect too much from them for the current quarter. This given the U.S. economy’s inflation challenge, and the fact that consumers remain cautions with their spending and are trading down. As a result, ten out of the eleven consumer related industries in the Refinitiv Retail/Restaurant Index have turned negative for Q1 2023.”
Download the full report here.
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Detroit casinos report $101.4 million in October revenue while operating at 15% capacity
November 10, 2020
Detroit, November 10, 2020 – The three Detroit casinos reported $101.4 million in monthly aggregate revenue in October while continuing to operate at 15 percent capacity due to COVID-19 health concerns. Table games and slots generated $93.8 million in revenue, and retail sports betting produced $7.6 million in revenue.
Table Games and Slot Revenue and Taxes
In October, the casinos’ table games and slots revenue fell 18.9 percent compared with October 2019 results. Monthly revenue was up by 6.7 percent compared with September results. For table games and slots, the casinos' year-to-date revenue of $550 million was down 54.2 percent from the $1.2 billion in revenue reported during the first 10 months of 2019.
Compared with October 2019 results, gaming revenue for MGM was down by 22.7 percent to $37.8 million. MotorCity's revenue fell 7.7 percent to $36.3 million. Greektown’s gaming revenue was down 28.2 percent to $19.7 million.
The three Detroit casinos paid $7.6 million in taxes to the State of Michigan in October compared with $9.4 million for the same month last year.
The Detroit casinos reported submitting $11.2 million in wagering taxes and development agreement payments to the City of Detroit during October.
Retail Sports Betting Revenue and Taxes
Retail sports betting qualified adjusted gross receipts in October totaled $7.6 million:
Qualified adjusted gross receipts are gross sports betting receipts minus the monetary value of free play incentives provided to and wagered by bettors.
The three Detroit casinos paid $287,166 in state taxes on retail sports betting. The three Detroit casinos also reported submitting $350,980 in retail sports betting taxes to the City of Detroit.
Through October, the aggregate retail sports betting qualified adjusted gross receipts totaled $14.1 million:
The October market shares based on aggregate revenue including table games, slots and retail sports betting were:
Fantasy contest operators reported total adjusted revenues of $3 million and paid state taxes of $253,449 during September.
Year-to-date through September 30, fantasy contest operators reported aggregate adjusted revenues of $10.2 million and paid $857,770 in taxes.
"The Michigan Gaming Control Board shall ensure the conduct of fair and honest gaming to protect the interests of the citizens of the State of Michigan."


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By Mike Wackett (The Loadstar) –
Containership charter rates and second-hand values are heading for a correction according to a broker source, after sector records were broken again in January.
February’s Horizon containerships report, from Maritime Strategies International (MSI), recorded daily hire benchmarks being smashed in all sizes as ocean carriers, niche shipping lines and forwarders competed for the same vessels.
The only dilemma keeping shipowners awake at nights is whether to take the huge daily hire rates on offer for short to medium periods, or bank the still-elevated rates from carriers for much longer periods.
Moreover, owners continue to be besieged with offers on the S&P market, should they prefer to cash-in their assets.
According to the MSI report, the feeder sector, which it classifies as containerships of up to 3,900 teu, saw some of the most spectacular deals during January, buoyed by raids from a Hawaii-based transport group on behalf of US retailers.
“Pasha Hawaii was the busiest customer in this segment, sweeping up charters for six containerships ranging from 2,700 teu to 3,500 teu,” said MSI.
The standout fixture was a charter of 45-55 days for Sea Consortium’s 2,743 teu X-Press Mekong, which was fixed at a staggering $175,000 a day, generating $7.8m to $9.6m of charter hire for the Singapore-based firm.
Meanwhile, MSI said ‘market’ rates for this size of ship rose 7.3% in January to a new record of $77,000 a day, noting that “movements in February have so far been limited”.
To overcome the dearth of open tonnage in the sector, MSI reported that charterers were tapping the orderbook of ships nearing construction completion to “secure vessels ahead of delivery dates”.
Elsewhere, in the mid-sizes from 4,300 teu to 6,500 teu, panamax ships are in big demand again, not only from ad-hoc liners, but also from established carriers, such as Hapag-Lloyd, which announced last week it was commencing a new standalone Asia to North Europe loop, deploying eight panamax vessels.
The traditional workhorses of liner trades, prior to the unit cost liner war of the past two decades, panamax ships are now very much back in vogue, due to highly elevated freight rates across many tradelanes that make their deployment extremely profitable, while the ships offer improved flexibility over larger tonnage in terms of port options.
MSI reported new records for the ‘classic’ 4,300 teu panamax ships, with, at the extreme level, Pasha Hawaii paying $235,000 a day for the 4,308 teu 2009-built Ionikos for a three-four month hire, while at the ‘market’ level, rates breached $100,000 a day for ships that could barely achieve $5,000 five years ago.
In the larger vessel sectors of 7,500 teu plus, MSI saw, rates for 8,500 teu ships “stabilising at around $150,000 a day in January”, with some recent deals being done at $160,000 a day.
Interestingly, MSI’s outlook for all sectors is for a softening of rates across the board in the coming quarters from the current highs, a view that is supported by one of The Loadstar’s broker sources.
“What I’m hearing is that we may have reached the peak now,” he said, “I don’t see there being a crash, but there could be a bit of a correction from Q2 onwards as some of the congestion begins to ease.”
The Loadstar is known at the highest levels of logistics and supply chain management as one of the best sources of influential analysis and commentary.
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Leo Burnett creates campaign for McDonald's new Steakhouse Stack burger
The TV campaign is supported by radio, social, digital, press and OOH
29 March 2023
To launch McDonald’s latest addition to its menu, the Steakhouse Stack - a new burger packed with flavoursome ingredients - Leo Burnett has created an accompanying 30-second spot.
McDonald’s latest 30” film celebrates the arrival of the new Steakhouse Stack, available from 29th March.
The film highlights everything fans love McDonald’s: the juicy tender patties, the soft bun…The Steakhouse Stack has all of that, plus a few extra ingredients for an even more indulgent flavour.
It’s everything you’d want in a great McDonald’s beef burger, and then some.
The film will be supported by radio, social, digital, press and OOH.
Campaign name: Steakhouse Stack
Client: McDonald’s UK
Advertising agency: Leo Burnett UK
Chief creative officer: Chaka Sobhani
Executive creative director: Mark Elwood
Creative director: James Millers, Andrew Long
Creative: Owen Jenkins, Helen Rogerson
Creative director of design: Dave Allen
Head of planning: Tom Sussman
Senior planner: Elly Fenlon
Business director: Jay Perry
Account director: Sam Cowley
Account manager: Florence Potter
TV producer: Graeme Light
Project manager: Laura Taylor
Media buying agency: Omd
Media planner: Lewis Michael
Production company: MJZ
Director: Joy Kilpatrick
Producer: Nicola Dempsey
Editor: John Mayes of Marshall Street Editing
DoP: Alex Barber
Colourist: Stef Perry of Framestore
Post-production company: Framestore (Darran Nicholson/Flame)
Sound engineer: Jake Ashwell of 750MPH
Photographer: Scott Grummett