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With plans to reopen schools in the fall, Jeffco Public Schools has been on the hunt for personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning supplies. The search for reusable and disposable masks, hand …
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With plans to reopen schools in the fall, Jeffco Public Schools has been on the hunt for personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning supplies.
The search for reusable and disposable masks, hand sanitizer, gloves, disinfectant, face shields, thermometers and Plexiglas began in late April, said Julie Wilken, director of the district's Department of Health Services.
And while the district is confident it will have the necessary supplies to open schools safely in August, Jeffco is still working to track down mass quantities of two items, sanitizing wipes and disposable gloves, Wilken said.
“They're difficult to find. We have placed several orders and they have been canceled,” Wilken said. "We are not sure (why). We think it was because other orders were being placed at the same time and then the inventory may not have been completely accurate, unfortunately."
Jeffco announced on July 8 that all students will have the option to return for full-time in-person schooling in the 2020-2021 academic year. The district isn't alone in its sizable need for safety supplies or in its difficulty in finding those supplies.
Josh Schirmer, the Denver area general manager at Buckeye International — which sells products including hospital-grade disinfectant and sanitizer — said the overall PPE industry has struggled to acquire some PPE products that are made outside of the United States. He specifically highlighted disposable gloves and disinfecting wipes.
That said, Buckeye manufactures the majority of its items in the states and has been able to fulfill various PPE orders for Jeffco Public Schools, Douglas County School District, Denver Public Schools, Littleton Public Schools, Aurora Public Schools and other area school districts, Schirmer said.
Several of these local districts — including Denver Public Schools and Douglas County School District — told Colorado Community Media they have been successful in finding the PPE they need for next school year.
As for Jeffco, the district already has a plan in place to ensure that even if it cannot find as much of a certain product as it would like, it can still open schools in the fall as intended, Wilken said.
“We will work around what we cannot get,” she said. “For example, gloves are only needed for cleaning and disinfecting items and in several situations, the same person may be cleaning — such as a teacher — so we will buy him or her reusable vinyl gloves.”
For surrounding districts still ordering PPE, Wilken had this advice to give:
“Consider the space for delivery; mass quantities arrive on pallets and will take up a considerable amount of space,” she said.
Further, “it is very difficult to track down,” she said of the PPE. “If districts haven't started, they need to start ASAP.”
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ANN ARBOR, MI -- The upcoming University of Michigan and Ohio State University football matchup has sparked a spike in Airbnb rentals and hotel bookings.
The game, which will be played in Ann Arbor, will see UM and OSU square off on Nov. 27 at noon. The last time the teams played against each other was on Nov. 30, 2019, in Ann Arbor. The 2020 game was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The home game has sparked an influx of hotel and Airbnb bookings, with searches for stays in Ann Arbor jumping more than 210% from August to September, according to the Airbnb. Nearly 20 percent of guest arrivals for the upcoming weekend are coming from Ohio.
“The return of big events stands to bring meaningful economic benefits to Ann Arbor’s Hosts and the larger community, including the small businesses that Hosts recommend to their guests,” said an Airbnb spokesperson in a statement on the uptick. “New Hosts on Airbnb since the pandemic began have earned $6 billion in income, and the typical Airbnb Host earns $9,600.”
Previous years have seen local Airbnb hosts earn more than $1 million over the UM-OSU gameday weekend.
Airbnb-type rentals have been a contested issue in Ann Arbor. The City Council voted to ban dedicated short-term rental properties such as Airbnb houses that aren’t owner-occupied in September 2020, but council eventually OKed exceptions for existing short-term rentals, allowing for their continued operation.
Local hotels have also seen a litany of bookings in recent months.
“We always sell out for OSU weekend,” said Michael Weber, vice president of Weber’s Hotel and Restaurant, in an email to MLive.
Weber’s Hotel, at 3050 Jackson Road in Ann Arbor, was completely booked for the upcoming weekend by July 2021, a small delay over the 2019 gameday weekend, which was booked up by February of that year, according to Weber’s Hotel Manager Carolyn Crowley.
Crowley said many people waited to see what COVID-19 restrictions looked like before booking.
“As restrictions lifted and UM announced fans would be allowed in the stadium, we started to get guests making reservations and so many of them were looking forward to returning to something normal that they did in the past, like U of M football,” Crowley wrote in an email to MLive.
Graduate Hotel, at 615 East Huron Street in Ann Arbor, was also booked far in advance, according to Jason Nelson, the area general manager for Graduate Ann Arbor and Graduate East Lansing.
The hotel is currently completely booked, Nelson said. Data is not yet available for Graduate Homes, the company’s Airbnb-style stays.
“Due to the high demand and excitement around the rivalry, we typically book out months in advance,” Nelson wrote in an email to MLive. “After last year’s game was cancelled, we’re looking forward to welcoming fans back to Graduate Ann Arbor this year.”
Read more from The Ann Arbor News:

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Digital marketing channels and direct response promotions do not all yield the same rates of returns for advertisers. While online ad spending is on track to grow to $39.5 billion by year-end and surpass newspaper print advertising, some of the newer promotional formats are more appealing to advertisers because of the increase in sales they bring. Looking at advertiser intent can help media companies learn which marketing formats will be in demand for the rest of this year.
The Direct Marketing Association and Winterberry Group regularly asks marketers to rate their spending levels for a variety of formats and to rank the expenditure on a scale of 1 to 5. The findings for the first part of 2012 suggest that marketers favored social media, mobile and email with slightly higher ad budgets. But for all these formats, growth intention by marketers has been slightly lower this year than last. Analysts have also begun to break out tablet marketing. In this study, mobile ranked 3.4 while tablets ranked 3.0 in terms of spending growth which indicates that marketers are more excited about mobile than tablets, for now. Channels that have seen essentially no change in spending include gaming, direct response TV and radio, and place-based media (digital out-of-home).
Another key data point from this study centered on the portion of advertising directed to customer acquisition versus customer retention. During the recession, many marketers focused on customer retention, believing that few consumers were buying new goods or services. This year, there has a been a noticeable shift in marketer strategy. Now, about 61.7% of direct and digital marketing expenditures target potential new customers. The remaining 38.7% of spending targets existing customers.
Based on studies like this, eMarketer, which regularly forecasts the rate of transition to digital in the marketing world, affirms that its numbers are solid. By 2016, about 31.5% of all marketing expenditures will be digital. What we don't know yet is which digital channels will have the biggest pieces of the spending pie.[Source: Marketers to Inch Up Social, Mobile, Email Spending. Emarketer.com. 14 Jun. 2012. Web. 27 Jun. 2012]


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It is an important season in every market as customers are expected to spend on devices for gifts. According to a study on Indian customers planning to purchase new smartphones, 31% said they would upgrade to the latest technology. This complements the 42% of the respondents planning to opt for premium models this year. That could translate to big sales for Samsung’s S23 line and Apple’s iPhone 15 series in the coming months in India. However, if the study’s results are to be followed, the former would likely gain more sales.
In its data, 33% of Indian customers chose Samsung as their most preferred smartphone brand, while Apple only garnered 18%. The two are followed by Xiaomi and OnePlus, with 11% and 10% shares, respectively. According to the firm, the RAM (9%), the processor (14%), and availability of the 5G mobile network (18%) are the top specifications the participants considered in the study.
The results are part of Counterpoint’s research to identify the most preferred smartphone purchase channel in India’s market, which is dominated by online purchasing. The study has found that 40% of Indians are considering buying their new smartphones online, with 48% of the participants choosing Amazon as their top online platform. Meanwhile, 14% of the responders said they would buy the new units offline, while 46% considered doing it either way.
Both brands have an offline and online presence in India, so Indian customers should be able to have access to the brands’ smartphone offerings this season. However, compared to Samsung, Apple might find it more challenging to attend to the demands this season.
According to previous reports, while the wait times for the iPhone 15 orders are improving, India has been facing issues with iPhone 15 orders. Tamil Nadu-based newspaper outlet The Hindu reported that before September ended, iPhone 15 series unavailability issues were observed offline, online, and at Apple’s physical stores. The report’s sources claimed this greatly affected iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models.


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Sunseeker announces direct supplier contract agreement with Raymarine
Two of the marine industry’s best-known global brands have combined forces with the announcement of a direct supplier contract agreement. Sunseeker, the Poole-based yacht manufacturer, has announced that it has signed an approved supplier agreement with Raymarine to install electronics on its range of luxury powerboats. Raymarine, which is headquartered in Portsmouth, is recognised as the world leader in marine electronics, with a comprehensive range of integrated systems, including instrumentation, navigation equipment, autopilots, radar systems and communication products.
The agreement means that Raymarine will now supply product direct to Sunseeker, which has a turnover of £200 million and supplies and sells powerboats, ranging from 35 foot to 121 foot in length, throughout the world. The company will be utilising its world class supply chain planning, logistics support and manufacturing delivery procedures to ensure prompt lineside delivery at Poole, where all Sunseeker boats are fitted out.
Andy Davies, UK Sales Manager for Raymarine said: “We are delighted to formalise this agreement to supply Sunseeker direct. Our E Series multifunction displays are now the product of choice on the majority of Sunseeker vessels. Sunseeker customers have the final decision on the choice of marine electronics, and we are delighted to have achieved approved supplier status with Sunseeker, which is a worldwide brand with enormous global strength.”


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Rural women lighting the way for solar energy products
Efforts by the government to improve electricity connectivity across the country is paying dividends with at least 70% of Kenyans being hooked to the national grid.
The ambitious connection programs being undertaken by the Ministry of Energy has seen livelihoods in remote villages change for the better as the lighting has offered more business hours.
However, some women in the rural western part of the country have opted for alternative sources of energy to light up their homes and businesses.
Catherine Wakhu from Matungu area in Kakamega has for the last one and a half years been using solar lighting in her household and proudly says there is nothing that makes her happy than when night falls as she gets her lighting by the click of a button.
A mother of four, commonly known as Rukia “mama taa” told KNA that she was introduced to Newlight Africa Company that sells solar products in Western Kenya by a neighbor who was marketing the products.
She later underwent an induction course as an agent turning her an instant celebrity in the Kakamega county based hamlet.
“In the past my children could not study well as the kerosene lantern could go dry before completing their homework forcing them to go to bed early. But since I installed the solar unit they sleep as late as 11. P.M,” she says, adding that besides reduction in pollution her children have registered improved marks.
Rukia explains that she used to buy kerosene at a cost of Ksh. 20 shillings every day but with the solar lighting she now saves, adding the family is also saved from irritating fumes of the kerosene lamps.
Her peers at Mayoni Vumula women chama group followed suit and applied for the solar units under the flexible payment plan for both their domestic and business enterprises at the local market.
She acknowledged that since she started selling the solar lighting gadgets to her chama and community around she has sold at least 30 boxes of 10 lights each of the Solar lanterns dubbed ‘ digital light” and made good money.
“I deposit Ksh 2,200 to pay for the lamp and Newlight company gives me 10 boxes which I sell each for Ksh. 3, 000 with instalments Ksh. 300 per week over a period of 10 weeks that covers the required cost and I make 800 shillings profit. Out of the profit I minus 200 shillings to go back to our Chama and make Ksh 600 profit”, she says.
Through the business Rukia is able to run her family besides paying fees for her secondary school going children.
“My most rewarding part is when I see women in my rural area improve themselves through commerce and have their houses lit,” she boasted.
Jacob Werner, Head of Sales at New Light Africa trading as “HEYA” in the area says they their model is geared towards financing opportunities for the rural poor who find difficulty accessing products due to unaffordability.
“Our pay plan is flexible for the rural folks who do not have huge incomes and we use the customer for life concept and target them through their chamas so that they are able to afford our products which range from lighting, cook stoves and water tanks”, Werner says.
According to Werner, their programme aims at removing barriers in replacing toxic dangerous kerosene lamps with solar LEDs in Africa. The company has already sold over 10, 000 solar lights since it was launched.
57 year old Hakima Mohammed has embraced solar energy to improve her life and that of her children. A mother of three sells tree seedlings in Mwiyekhe area two and a half kilometers from Maseno. She bought a solar water pump that has seen her increase sales of her tree seedlings.
“I acquired a solar powered water pump from Future Pump, a company that develops a low cost solar powered irrigation pump that has made it easier for me water my seedlings without a lot of problems,” she revealed adding that initially they ferried water from a far flung river.
Mohammed says she is now easily able to pump water that goes into an overhead tank she acquired and through pipes able to water her trees with the help of three farm hands.
“Before I came here I had a small nursery that used to have 20,000 seedlings only, but later after joining community forest association they gave me a small area , and I started off with 70,000 seedlings and later continued to expand and now I have 240,000.”, she says.
On a good month, Mohammed says around March to August which is a good season she is able to make a clean Ksh. 1 million profit in profits.
“Trees can only do well with good water and investing Ksh.67,000 to buy solar pump that can water my seedlings at any time was one of the wisest move “’, Mohammed said
Future Pump has been working with some 100 farmers in Nyanza and using them to research on how to improve the water pump known as Sun Flower 1 and designed to pump and draw water out of a well or river with no fuel or electricity costs.
The research was part of the work supported by Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), a Ksh.30.4 billion private sector fund that provides funding to enterprises in 24 countries across sub-Saharan Africa.
Through an initiative known as Renewable Energy, Adaptation and Climate Change Technology (REACT), small and medium size companies are asked to write proposals of their innovative business plans, which are then subjected to vetting.
Successful companies like Future Pump and New Light Africa are, therefore, given loans to implement the projects as long as they can raise at least 50 per cent of the amount they are asking for.
Victor Ndiege, the Portfolio Manager – REACT, says solar technology is a more sustainable replacement for diesel and petrol powered generators, which are the most commonly used by smallholders in Kenya and many other African countries.
Ndiege notes that the solar energy has helped in saving money used to purchase other forms of energy such as kerosene for lighting. The program supports private sector companies to reach the market with various products and clean cooking solutions for poor rural families.
He says that out 257 businesses they have been working with about 150 have succeeded and reached a stage where they attract revenues to sustain themselves.
He confirmed that in order for the off grind mechanism to work in the country, Government should zero rate energy solar equipment to attract more investment in solar energy.
The article was first published on Kenya News Agency


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OnePlus 8T was a regular topic in the last couple of weeks, it’s specs and internals were leaked several times and even the launch date was tipped to October 14. Now, the company has shared sending press invites and it confirms that the 8T is indeed launching on the 14th of next month.
The launch event will be done via an online live stream from OnePlus India’s official website. The launch will start at 7:30 PM Indian standard time(2 PM GMT). OnePlus invite and the video states “Ultra Stops at Nothing” and “will feature a range of new improved technologies that will elevate the OnePlus experience to new heights” tags.
Other than this, there’s nothing else to learn. The specs of the flagship smartphone were leaked earlier and it was spotted with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC. It will be paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The phone is touted to sport a large AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. It will come powered by the 48MP quad-rear camera setup and have a single selfie camera. The device was certified with a 4,500mAh battery and is tipped to feature a whopping 65W fast charging support.
Stay Tuned For More Updates On Tech News, Leaks, Rumors, and Deals. Also, Check Out the Official Giztop Shop.


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Whole Foods to Sell 13 Stores to Satisfy FTC
SAN FRANCISCO - FEBRUARY 22: A customer shops for produce at a Whole Foods Market February 22, 2007 in San Francisco, California. Whole Foods Market Inc. announced that it plans to purchase Wild Oats Market Inc. for an estimated $565 million in hopes of competing with larger food chains that have started to introduce organic and prepared foods to their inventories. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Whole Foods Market says it will sell 13 stores to resolve the Federal Trade Commission's challenge against the grocer over its purchase of Wild Oats Markets.
Whole Foods said Friday it is putting 12 Wild Oats stores and one Whole Foods store up for sale. The company will also sell leases and assets for 19 Wild Oats stores that have already been closed.
Federal regulators have challenged Whole Foods' 2007 acquisition of Wild Oats over competitive issues.
Whole Foods Chief Executive John Mackey says it will be "business as usual" in the 13 operating stores.
Once it gets approval from the FTC, the company says it will take a non-cash charge of no more than $19 million for the sale of the stores.
Published at 3:05 PM CST on Mar 6, 2009
Copyright Associated Press


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The global pork market will remain weak during the first quarter of 2016, followed by some partly-seasonal improvement leading into Q2, according to the latest pork quarterly report from Rabobank.
“Recent positive demand and price developments in importing countries will start to support prices in exporting countries during Q1,” said the bank’s animal protein analyst, Albert Vernooij (pictured above).
He also forecast that a modest development in demand will mean that Rabobank’s five-nation pig price index will “bottom out” in the coming months, albeit from its lowest point since 2006.
The bank is upbeat on trade prospects in relation to China, with a forecast that imports can be expected to “further increase”, supported by strong domestic prices, the further destocking of the herd this year and the impact of stricter environmental regulations.
For the US market, Rabobank’s comment is that industry expansion is expected to slow after near-record supply growth in 2015, enabling packers’ margins to remain strong due to limited available capacity.
As for the EU’s on/off use of private storage, however, Rabobank adds: “EU pork market recovery during the first weeks of 2016 will reverse in the coming weeks, after the suspension of the European Commission’s private storage scheme. Reopening the scheme will be critical for further market support.”


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VIENNA (Reuters) - Telekom Austria (TELA.VI), part of Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim’s America Movil (AMXL.MX), increased its full-year revenue forecast thanks to higher income from fixed-line customers and a smaller than expected hit from new EU roaming rules.
The group said on Tuesday it now expects full-year revenue to rise by around three percent from last year’s 4.21 billion euros (3.77 billion pounds)instead of the previously forecast 1 percent.
Telekom Austria’s third-quarter earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell 2.6 percent to 410.1 million euros, largely due to lower positive revaluation effects than in last year’s period and negative currency effects.
Revenue in the period increased 2.3 percent to 1.11 billion euros.
The group is about to roll out its home market “A1” branding across the rest of its European operations. It also aims to grow its digital business internationally and is investing heavily in cloud services.
Austria’s “A1” chief executive, Margarete Schramboeck, left the company earlier this month, with Chief Technology Officer Marcus Grausam taking over her responsibilities until a permanent successor is found.
Reporting by Kirsti Knolle. Editing by Jane Merriman


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HOLLISTER BRINGS NEW LEADERSHIP TO MEI SALONS
HOLLISTER BRINGS NEW LEADERSHIP TO MEI SALONS MINNEAPOLIS, April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Gary Hollister, a 25-year
veteran of the beauty and fashion industry, has been tapped to realize the potential of the merger that brought together under one roof the three largest players in the in-store beauty salon business.
Glemby's, Maxim's and Essanelle (the former Seligman & Latz salon operation) are part of a combined operation called MEI Salons. The company operates 2,000 beauty salons in the 110 leading department and specialty store groups and mass merchandisers in the United States and Canada. The company has operated as MEI-Regis Salon Corporation for the last 18 months. MEI Diversified, the majority owner of the prominent in- store salon company, has installed a new management team following an outside consultant's study and recommendations. Previously, MEI Salons was managed by a subsidiary of Regis Corporation. MEI Salons will maintain key operations management, with the addition of Hollister, the new president and chief executive officer. "This is a business with exciting potential," said Hollister, the former president of Merle Norman Cosmetics. "With 2,000 beauty salons, some 14,000 stylists and 53 million customer transactions each year, we are far and away the largest and most prominent player in the beauty salon industry."
tion programs, both for stylists and salon managers.
-- Comprehensive marketing communications and merchandising programs. "MEI Salons is poised to capture a greater share of the salon market," said Hollister. "Our strength is in providing quality hair and beauty services that people can depend on and a level of pampering and convenience that are unbeatable." -0- 4/21/92 /CONTACT: Jane Otis or Jenni Baker of The Rowland Company, 612-222-8716, for MEI Salons/ CO: MEI Salons ST: Minnesota IN: HOU SU: PER
PS -- NY008 -- 0457 04/21/92 09:45 EDT
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Is General Nutrition Headed For Civil War?by
In a timeworn building a block from Pittsburgh's red-light district, a receptionist answers a stream of calls. From Florida to California, people phone to ask about franchises for General Nutrition Cos., the country's largest vitamin retailer. With GNC opening a new store almost every day, and a health-obsessed public anxious to whip cancer and midlife bulge, GNC is one of the hottest tickets around.
But at a GNC store in Monmouth County, N.J., prospects aren't so dazzling. Gina Cotto, who invested $150,000 to open a franchise 18 months ago, is running out of popular GNC products. With the company shipment running late, she offers customers other brands, on which she earns less. If they're sticklers, she knows they can find a well-stocked company-owned GNC store 10 minutes away, and she wonders if they'll ever return.
EMPTY SHELVES. Cotto isn't alone. In the five years since Boston investor Thomas H. Lee engineered a $361 million leveraged buyout and return to the public market for GNC, it has been widely promoted as one of the country's best--and fastest-growing--franchise operations. But growing pains are straining ties with franchisees, who number 430 and counting. While rapid expansion has been highly profitable for GNC, some franchisees complain that it is coming at their expense. They claim poor distribution has left stores unstocked, even as they face increased competition from new franchises and price-slashing company-owned stores.
Now, lawyers and a franchisee trade group are hurrying to unite the disgruntled retailers into an association aimed at winning a bigger chunk of GNC'S profits. "GNC is acting in a predatory manner with its franchisees," says American Franchisee Assn. President Susan P. Kezios.
BIG RISE. That's a charge company officials adamantly deny. GNC Chief Executive Officer William E. Watts admits that the contract between the company and its franchisees "is slanted toward us," as at most franchise operations. But he argues that explosive growth will benefit both, since the company will dominate the market. "When we own this industry, these franchises are going to be in an unbelievable position," he says.
Watts's vision finds plenty of believers on Wall Street. GNC's shares have more than tripled, to 27, since it went public nearly two years ago. Revenue, on target to hit $682 million for 1994, is up 50%, from $453 million in 1992, while analyst Marcia L. Aaron of Alex. Brown & Sons Inc. estimates earnings will top $45 million, a stunning tenfold rise. Investor Lee, who holds 45% of the stock, says judging GNC by disgruntled franchisees is akin to "looking at an elephant's toenail and saying it's the elephant."
The complaints about GNC aren't unusual in franchising. Still, observers say GNC's problems may run deeper than most. William B. Cherkasky, president of the International Franchise Assn., an industry trade group, says GNC's distribution difficulties are "a problem that it has to overcome, and overcome quickly." Adds a top franchise lawyer who works for several of the industry's biggest players: "It sounds like the company is shooting itself in the foot."
Following its 1989 LBO, GNC turned to franchising to spread its stores rapidly around the country while servicing its $360 million debt. In 1992, Watts hired Russell Cooper, who had tripled franchises at Arby's Inc. restaurants in the 1980s. Since then, GNC has opened most of its 700 franchises in the U.S. on top of roughly 1,300 company-owned stores. Stores are also opening in Mexico, Brazil, and Europe, while GNC gained 209 stores by buying its biggest rival, Nature Food Centres, in a $55 million deal last August.
But the buildup is overtaxing distribution from GNC's huge manufacturing plant in Greenville, S.C. With supplies tight, franchisees complain that GNC ships popular products to company-owned stores more often, while their shelves remain bare. "All my outside suppliers can ship to me in three days, max," says Cotto. "But I wait five weeks for GNC."
A BATTLE. Cooper admits distribution is suffering, but denies favoritism. He says many small franchisees don't stock adequate inventories, since it cuts cash flow. With a fourth distribution center opening next summer, he says the company is moving to resolve the problem. "The franchisees get mad about it," says Cooper. "But it drives me crazy."
Yet saturation remains an issue--particularly when company-owned stores launch price wars. While GNC battled Nature Food, company stores discounted many lines by 25%, and GNC urged franchises to follow--but offered them no discount on products. Franchises also had to offer customers 20% off on Gold-Card Tuesdays, a GNC promotion, and pay 7% royalties.
Such practices are common in franchising. But GNC's franchisees complain that because it manufactures its products--unlike most franchisors--it could have eased prices. The upshot: Rather than healthy 50% markups that GNC says retailers typically receive, some stores sold goods at a loss. "A lot of franchisees really got hurt," says Jack Sullivan, who runs four stores in the New York area.
The price war eventually paid off, driving Nature Food's earnings and stock price down to "where we could afford to buy them," says Cooper. That eliminated GNC's biggest rival, but left many franchises facing even more GNC outlets. One franchisee who runs a GNC store in Boston now battles three company-held Nature Food Centres within two blocks of the shop. Though pricing has improved, "I'm in competition with my franchisor," says the franchisee.
GNC executives say that for franchisees who market aggressively, rewards outweigh the risks. "If you're a mediocre operation, business could suffer, but we don't allow cannibalization," says Cooper. Indeed, there's room for optimism. Last month, President Clinton signed a bill limiting regulatory scope on vitamins. For GNC, says PaineWebber Inc. retailing analyst Gary M. Giblen, "It's a case of all stars coming into alignment."
Certainly, some franchisees are doing well. In 1989, brothers Jack and Richard Sullivan set up one of the first GNC franchises next to a Bally's Health Club in New Jersey. Traffic from Bally's fed growth and the brothers now have four franchises. While recognizing GNC's current troubles, Jack Sullivan says most complaints come from lazy operators.
For Barbara Savin, GNC's star has already dimmed. A longtime GNC employee, Savin started a franchise three years ago. Now, in a suit filed in September, she charges that GNC enticed her with overly rosy earnings projections and "lowball" estimates for startup costs. Savin's suit claims she lost an average of $60,000 a year after opening her Edison (N.J.) store in 1991, in part because GNC ordered her to cut prices to compete with Nature Food. When low revenues led to late payments, she says GNC held back products. Eventually, GNC took over her store, and in August declared her in default. "I was being totally strangled," says Savin.
A SPARK? CEO Watts says the suit is without merit. Company officials maintain that the numbers they gave Savin were average sales and startup costs from comparable GNC franchises--not projections. And they say the store would have been profitable if she hadn't taken money out of it to pay hospital bills for her sick daughter, a charge Savin denies. "We carried her for two years," says Cooper.
While Savin's experience was far worse than the typical GNC franchisee's, her fight could well spark the creation of an association that taps into the frustrations others feel. Kezios of the franchise association mailed out the first wave of organizing letters in late October. Such a union won't halt GNC's rapid growth. But it might tilt the balance just a bit more toward the franchisees, the foot soldiers in GNC's global vitamin campaign.
GNC's Growing Pains Adding 350 stores a year fuels healthy profit growth, but franchisees are grumbling WHAT FRANCHISEES CHARGE GNC favors company-held stores by supplying products to them more often, while franchisees wait The company furnished overly rosy projections of startup costs and profits An overtaxed distribution system leaves store shelves empty Buyout of rival Nature Food Centres means too many stores in some areas WHAT GNC SAYS Company denies favoritism. It says franchisees need to invest in more inventory--but don't because it cuts cash flow GNC figures are average performance at comparable stores, not projections The company is adding a new distribution center to strengthen delivery Despite short-term pain, well-run stores that market aggressively are gaining share


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Bajaj Auto-backed Yulu plans to increase its fleet size to 1,00,000 electric two-wheelers by December 2020.
For its pan-India expansion, Evolet has allocated a budget of Rs 150 crore for its two-wheeler division and Rs 300 crore for the E-Bus division.
The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has also advised the government to follow a well laid-out roadmap and a practical time frame for the rollout of electric vehicles (EVs) in the country.
KTM and Bajaj's upcoming platform will support 48-volt powertrain and will be shared by both the brands for various models.
Through the study, Yamaha is also planning to assess if EVs could completely replace models that are run on internal combustion engines.


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Date of publication: 07.11.19
The chain of AVIA petrol stations has started a cooperation with blinkee.city – a network of electric scooters and motor scooters.
Since Monday, 4th November 2019, in the streets of Lublin you can see electric scooters under the brand of AVIA and blinkee.city. This is an outcome of the cooperation that was started by UNIMOT S.A., the owner of the chain of AVIA petrol stations in Poland and Green Electricity Sp. z o.o., blinkee.city operator, which provides services of renting electric scooters and motor scooters in Poland and Europe. Lublin is the first Polish city where AVIA and blinkee.city will operate jointly.
”Our cooperation includes two dimensions. One of them is engaging AVIA stations in the process of charging our electric scooters and motor scooters and the second one is a possibility of investing into our project by operators of individual AVIA stations, which operate as franchise ones, that is in the same business model which is offered by blinkee.city ” – says Mr Marcin Maliszewski – President of the Management Board of blinkee.city.
The first ones to take advantage of our cooperation will be the citizens of Lublin, who will be covered by a special promotional action planned for the period of two first weeks of November. Within the action each person who will use an electric scooter with AVIA and blinkee.city logotypes will receive a special promotional coupon for a delicious coffee made in a Swiss coffee machine at the AVIA station in Lublin.
”Lublin is just a beginning of our cooperation and at the same time a test site to check its business model” – says Mr Robert Nowek – Coordinator of the AVIA brand in Poland and Ukraine. ”Starting operations with the blinkee.city platform we are not only expanding our portfolio of services at AVIA stations, but we are also providing our franchise partners who create the AVIA chain with an opportunity to develop their business. This opportunity is becoming a double franchisee and joining the blinkee.city platform as an investor also on franchise basis” – adds Mr Nowek.
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Lagoona Mall to welcome “iSpace”, in Doha
To open on the 1st of March at 7.00pm
· Limited offers available during the opening day only
28 February, 2012: Darwish Holding announced today that it will open a new Apple Premium Reseller store at Lagoona Mall in Doha. The new iSpace store will offer shoppers in Doha the opportunity to learn and experience Apple's innovative products and solutions in a welcoming environment. The new store will offer the complete range of Mac, iPad, and iPod along with a wide range of accessories.
The new iSpace store will open on Thursday, March 1, when a number of special offers will be available in the store on a range of accessories and the first 50 visitors will be eligible for a QR200 gift voucher.
"We're very excited to open a new Apple Premium Reseller store," said Mr. Ziad Asmar, Executive Director, Darwish Technology. "Customers can now visit one store to trial and purchase a range of Apple products and accessories. We offer a superb personal service for home and business customers that includes installation, training and after sales support."
At iSpace, Apple trained experts are available to help visitors learn about the latest products from Apple. The hands-on environment provides visitors with an opportunity to test drive the entire Mac range, iPad, iPhone and latest additions to the iPod family as well as a range of accessories from leading brands including Bang & Olufsen, Bose, Beats, Belkin, Jawbone and more. iSpace will also offer regular in-store demonstrations and training to help customers get the most out of their purchases.


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Why Procurement Is the Key to Preparing for the Next Supply Chain Crisis
There is no clear sign when the global supply chain crisis will end. It began during the COVID-19 pandemic, worsened with the surge in demand that followed the lifting of national lockdowns around the world, and further deepened amid recent global events.
Some corporate leaders contend that the crisis, triggered by these exceptional events, could not have been foreseen. As such, they argue, there was nothing they could have done to anticipate or prepare for the supply chain crisis. We think, however, that business leaders can do more to be proactive by taking steps to make their supply chain more resilient, flexible, and robust in times of crisis.
To start, business leaders should put their suppliers—and their procurement executives who “own” the corporate relationship with suppliers—at the heart of their company. It is a striking fact that, while suppliers typically account for 60% of a company’s expenditure, CEOs spend a fraction of their time on supplier issues. Indeed, according to research by Harvard Business School’s Michael Porter and Nitin Nohria, CEOs spend just 1% of their time with suppliers.
In effect, it means that CEOs spend virtually no time either thinking about or being actively involved in how their company spends more than half of its budget. That’s a mismatch with potentially devastating consequences, of the kind that many companies are dealing with now.
After doing this, business leaders should recommend their chief procurement officer transition from a “just-in-time” to a “just-in-case” approach to supply chain management. To do this, they should first invest in risk intelligence and strategic foresight, creating a team of procurement super-forecasters equipped with the latest AI-powered sensing technology. One might wonder why companies should bother investing in predicting the unpredictable. After all, isn’t the pandemic a “black swan” event—random and highly improbable?
Actually, it isn’t. Prior to the outbreak, it was highly probable and perfectly predictable. Three months before the outbreak, a panel of experts convened by the World Health Organization and the World Bank reported that “there is a very real threat of a rapidly moving, highly lethal pandemic of a respiratory pathogen killing 50 to 80 million people.” So, if it can be predicted, it can be prepared for.
Risk Mitigation Checklist
Finally, and most importantly, business leaders should take a series of risk mitigation actions that encompass the three elements of the supply chain: sourcing the raw materials, components, and other parts of products; manufacturing the products; and delivering the parts to factories and the products to customers.
For sourcing, companies should optimize (which today can mean increase, not just reduce) the inventory of raw materials and other key components, persuade suppliers to shift some production to more convenient locations, qualify new ready-to-go suppliers in various countries, and commit to a program of dual or multiple sourcing, so that the supply of essential components is never interrupted by problems with one supplier.
For manufacturing, they should review their make-or-buy strategy, consider investing in digital technologies, such as 3D printing, qualify ready-to-go contract manufacturers who can step up production in cases of disruption, and switch manufacturing to locations at home (reshoring), closer to home (nearshoring), or closer to consumer markets (regionalization).
For delivering, they should qualify new and additional distribution partners, rethink types of freight transport (land, air, or ocean), and shift warehousing and finished goods distribution closer to consumer markets.
If business leaders take these steps and, above all, put their procurement function at the heart of their company, they can expect not only to protect their operations amid the continuing disruptions caused by the current supply chain crisis, but to profit in the broadest sense of the word when the next disruptive event happens—as it surely will.


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[UPDATED February 2nd] Toyota has been forced to suspend all production at its plants in Japan for one week because of a parts supply shortage caused by an explosion at the factory of its supplier Aichi Steel.
Toyota's Tsutsumi plant was among those affected by the Aichi Steel parts disruption
The company makes speciality steel products and forgings for Toyota, and is part owned by the carmaker. The suspension will run from February 8-13th, with full production recommencing on February 15th (Monday). It will affect Toyota’s four main assembly plants – Motomachi, Takaoka, Tsutsumi and Tahara – as well as a total of 12 plants among six body makers. The suspension will also impact production at Toyota's plants producing components and parts, but that will only be for the duration of February 8, which will be counted as a holiday. That includes seven plants making engines, transmissions and other major components at Kamigo, Shimoyama, Honsha, Kinuura, Miyoshi, Myochi and Hirose.
“We’re experiencing a shortage mainly related to engines, transmissions and chassis,” a spokesperson for Toyota said, adding that the special steels that Aichi Steel supplied were used as structural components for many different parts. Toyota would not comment on the number of parts affected.
In a statement, it said that it would continue to take any measures necessary to minimise the impact of the incident on vehicle production. Those measures could include production on alternate lines operated by Aichi Steel, and procurement from other steelmakers, according to the statement.
“We made an overall decision of stopping production at the vehicle plants for one week after taking into consideration such things as the status of parts supply using stock, alternative production processes, and back-up production by other steelmakers,” the spokesperson confirmed.
The supply problem does not affect any plants outside of Japan, and engine and transmission plants in Japan will continue to operate to supply overseas production, other than on the February 8th.
Toyota does not disclose monthly production plans but in 2015, global production for Toyota and Lexus vehicles was 8.93m vehicles, with 3.2m made in Japan and around 5.4m made overseas.
The explosion at the Aichi Steel plant, which is in Chita, happened on January 8th and its cause is still being investigated. It damaged the reheating furnace and parts of the plant at the No.2 Bar Mill Shop building. No one was hurt in the explosion, though four employees were taken to hospital for precautionary medical checks.
“We will continue to work hard to ascertain the causes and formulate measures to prevent recurrence of such accidents,” said Aichi Steel in a statement, adding that it was striving to restart operations to meet customer needs.
As with previous disruptions, such as the 2011 Japanese Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, there is an immediate impact on Toyota’s much emulated lean production system and the supply chain feeding it. However, as previously reported, Toyota implemented measures to avoid the extent of any threat to the system in the wake of the disaster in 2011.
"After the 2011 tsunami, we did start reviewing our supply chain towards greater risk management, to find strategies to avoid disruptions in case of a major event (natural or industrial)," said the spokesperson for Toyota. "This included visualising the supply chain down several rungs of the supplier tier system, asking suppliers to cooperate to visualise their supply chain, and diversifying to the extent possible the sourcing of some risk parts to have back-up."
According to Toyota, the measures it is using in response to the Aichi Steel explosion are an example of how it has strengthened the supply chain since 2011. " I think we were better prepared than before to plan countermeasures and avoid greater disruption," the spokesperson said.


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The price of hit a fresh 2016 high on Tuesday amid a flight to safety after Chinese stock market jitters.
Bitcoin traded at a high of $788.49, according to CoinDesk data, the highest level in 34 months.
The previous 2016 high of $781.31 was achieved in the summer when traders prepared for a process known as "halving" – where the rewards offered to bitcoin miners fall, thus tightening the supply of the digital currency.
Experts said the rise in bitcoin on Tuesday was due to choppy Chinese stock markets which were trading lower for most of the day before closing in mildly positive territory. The Chinese yuan has also fallen against the U.S. dollar this year which has given a boost to bitcoin, according to Bobby Lee, chief executive of BTC China, one of the largest bitcoin exchanges in the world.
People are waking up to the fact that bitcoin is money in the cloud, so when you exchange from local currency like the Chinese yuan or U.S. dollar, you are exchanging this physical money to money in the cloud. What's good about money in the cloud, is it has been stable, the volatility has been down, it's a good store of value," Lee told CNBC by phone.
Other bitcoin advocates have said that the currency is maturing. Peter Smith, chief executive of bitcoin wallet start-up Blockchain, said the market for the digital currency is maturing, and that's reflected in the price movement.
"What we have and in the last four months is consistent week over week growth. This quarter, our consumer business will almost double," Smith told CNBC.
The CEO added that global volatility in geopolitics could also play a part.
"Alternative assets like bitcoin do well when the world is unstable. It looks like the world is getting a lot more unstable," Smith added.
Major financial institutions have been talking about the digital currency world for the past year, but not because of the attraction of bitcoin, but for the underlying technology called blockchain. This is a distributed ledger which records every transaction made in bitcoin and cannot be tampered with. Distributed ledger technology is something that banks feel can be used in different areas from identity checking to asset trading.
Blockchain (the company) announced on Tuesday that former Barclays CEO Anthony Jenkins was joining the board, in a move which is seen as validation for the technology. Smith said Jenkins will be key as Blockchain looks to scale its business.


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The Week In Social
Happy Friday, everyone! What an exciting week it has been with Facebook rolling out new ad units and announcing some more changes. Never a dull moment for Facebook Marketers!
Here is a round up of the latest social advertising news and a few tips for finding and serving the right customers through social media.
Facebook has finally started rolling out the much-awaited new right-hand column adverts, which will now be as large as news feed ads. This also means that there will be fewer of them, so they will naturally be more expensive per impression.
New multi-product ads and updated Website Custom Audiences for Facebook
Facebook has announced today that they will be adding new features to their Direct Response product: multi-product ads – where you can showcase 3 products within one ad unit – and additional targeting for Website Custom Audiences.
3 Facebook targeting options marketers need to know via Social Media Examiner
A few easy ways to pinpoint the best audience for your ads using Facebook’s targeting.
How to mine for quality, profitable users on Facebook via FBPPC
Another way of finding out which audiences are the best for you – let Facebook do all the initial work.
7 ways to serve your customers on Social Media after the sale via Kissmetrics
Social media is a crucial channel to connect with your customers, so don't waste the opportunity to listen to their questions.


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Imagine this: 100-plus entrepreneurs on a boat in Antarctica for 11 days with no smartphones allowed.
It is real, planned for January 2015 and it’s called the Unstoppables expedition. The trip was announced earlier this year, but now about 50 entrepreneurs have confirmed their attendance - including BlueChilli co-founder Sebastien Eckersley-Maslin and BRW Young Rich lister Dorry Kardahi.
Brazilian-born, Sydney-based entrepreneur Julio De Laffitte is organising the trip with the goal of promoting innovation and collaboration.
“The whole idea behind the trip to Antarctica is to get amazing entrepreneurs from different age groups, different levels of experience – some guys are multi-millionaires already and have been there, done that, other guys are start-ups," De Laffitte says. “We’re going to have 11 days on the boat, phones off, and have three or four ideas to get our teeth into."
The cheapest berth on the boat is $16,000. The passengers will meet in Chile and take a chartered flight to and from the Antarctic continent.
“I’m ex-Navy and I’ve been in the southern oceans and I think the fact that we are flying from Chile to meet the boat is a very good idea, otherwise we’d end up with a lot of very sick people," says BlueChilli’s Eckersley-Maslin, who has booked a shared berth on the voyage.
The entrepreneurs on the boat will work on challenges facing Australia in the 21st century in small groups and then present to the group. De Laffitte says the concepts would include major global environmental and social problems, and also economic issues about preparing Australia for the next wave of disruptive technology.
Eckersley-Maslin says he is discussing the voyage with some start-up founders, but the oldest company in the BlueChilli portfolio is two years old so it might be out of reach for them.
“The price point is because going to Antarctica isn’t a cheap thing but it’s also designed to make sure that the people going have reached a certain point of maturity . . . rather than brand-new, fresh start-ups that are still trying to get to the growth stage," Eckersley-Maslin says.
De Laffitte adds that the boat is not open to all-comers.
“A lot of people have applied to come and I said no," De Laffitte says. “The boat is already paid for so I don’t need to sell the tickets to go and I’d rather have half the people on the boat but the right people. The wrong person is someone who is still in survival mode, or wants to come to pitch something rather than collaborate. I want people who get that collaboration is the new currency."
A recent Accenture report for the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance found that Australia and other developed countries are lagging emerging markets in ‘open innovation’, defined as joint innovation in collaboration with external partners.
De Laffitte says all 117 berths on the boat are sold in terms of intention, though only half have actually booked and paid. There is a list on the website, though De Laffitte adds that some multimillionaires have asked him not to use their names. He adds that women make up about a good proportion of the passenger list so far, and seem to really get the collaboration aspect.
Eckersley-Maslin, who spoke to De Laffitte about the concept before the boat was booked, says the trip was partly inspired by the challenge in the Google Australia/PricewaterhouseCoopers report, The Start-up Economy, in 2013.
“The purpose of the trip is really to think into the future, what could we be in terms of an innovation country and what could we put in place today through our collective networks and relationships to help us get to that future point," Eckersley-Maslin says.
He adds that holding the collaboration workshops on a boat in Antarctica would work better than doing it at home.
“The environment is extreme, it puts people out of their comfort zone because it’s radically different and all those elements are great for healthy, creative thinking," Eckersley-Maslin says. “We could have gone to the wilderness of Tasmania or the outback of Australia and achieved a similar thing, but the event of going to Antarctica is a big event. It’s exciting, it’s on many people’s bucket lists, so I think it’s going to spur a whole lot more interest with people wanting to attend."
There is an information evening at Harry Seidler’s Penthouse on Tuesday evening.


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In a 4th quarter earnings call on Tuesday, February 12, 2019, Activision Blizzard’s President, Rob Kostich revealed that Activision would be moving to a city-based franchising model a la Overwatch for the Call of Duty Competitive Esports scene next year and beyond.
This announcement came after much speculation over the past couple of years from industry experts and fans that Activision would eventually move to a franchising model like many other popular esports. Franchising presents a better storage place for monetary value for organization owners, and with many new investors and money arriving in esports, establishing a Pro League with franchises has shown to secure significant buy-ins as well as more stable sponsorship.
The most controversial part of this announcement is the decision to establish the franchising model through cities. It shouldn’t be surprising that Activision would implement franchising this way as this is how the Overwatch League was formed. But Call of Duty is not Overwatch; it has been well-ingrained in popular gaming culture for over a decade. During that time, storied organizations in Call of Duty such as FaZe, OpTic, and Envy among many others have developed fan bases and personalities that are in no way limited to single cities or localities. The idea that an OpTic fan of 10 years would suddenly become a FaZe fan because they are arbitrarily located closer to FaZe’s franchise city is ludicrous.
Moreover, it’s not like Call of Duty is gaining fresh fans (like Overwatch did with it being a relatively new game). It has maintained its fan base for several years now, and the idea of sectionalizing fan engagement or appeal seems like it will just be ignored by the community.
This announcement does put some pressure on Infinity Ward to develop a popular game that will attract substantial investment and sponsorships, but Activision’s Chief Financial Officer gave the game some strong early praise, stating that it will be “one of the best Call of Duty’s ever built.”
All of this points to an exciting new year for Call of Duty Esports. In the meantime, you can check out this year’s Call of Duty Pro League action taking place right now in Columbus, Ohio on weekdays beginning at 3:00 PM EST on www.twitch.tv/callofduty or on ESTNN TV.
Image via; KL Gadget Guy


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Chemical firms piggyback autos
SK Chemicals said yesterday the automobile sector is becoming an alternative market for chemical firms at a sluggish time in the industry.
The company said its sales of chemical materials for vehicles jumped by 15 percent on-year to 21.7 billion won ($19 million).
It saw sales of Skynova, a sound-absorbing material used in the floor of cars and as an engine cover, grow by more than 30 percent on-year, the company said. Overseas sales accounted for 60 percent of the material’s total revenues, which stood at 14.8 billion won in Q2.
The chemical firm cited greater demand for Korean automobiles in the U.S. market as the driving force behind its recent windfall.
“Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors’ outstanding performances in the U.S. market helped our sales increase,” it said in a statement.
More than 40 percent of the company’s auto-related materials are used for representative models of Hyundai and Kia, like the Sonata and Elantra.
SK Chemicals has high expectations for this business as it sees sales of auto-related chemical materials growing to 100 billion won by 2014.
“The Korean chemical industry is suffering from reduced sales due to decreasing demand in Europe and China,” said Kim Sung-woo, a manager at the company. “However, the country’s auto industry is continuing to thrive, and is becoming an alternative market for local chemical firms.” The company has previously focused on producing plastics for consumer goods.
Recent falls in international oil prices have also squeezed chemical firms’ bottom lines. The companies usually buy crude oil based on futures prices a few months before it is released, Kim said. “We purchased oil at higher prices than they are now,” he said. LG Chem, famous for making electric vehicle (EV) batteries, announced its second-quarter performance on Wednesday.
The company said it fared well in the latest quarter, recording a 9.5-percent on-quarter increase in earnings. It registered 5.9 trillion won in sales and 503 billion won in operating profit. However, the net profit stood at 373 billion won, falling by 1.8 percent from the previous quarter.
“The launches of new electric vehicles by Renault, and the normalization of General Motors’ operation helped ramp up sales of its EV batteries,” the company said in a press release.
By Song Su-hyun [email@example.com]
More in Industry
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Is China's post-Thaad ban on Korean games finally over?
Local fast fashion booms as Uniqlo tanks, pandemic hits


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However, Apple’s primary iPhone assembler says that the number of cases is low, and iPhone 14 production remains “relatively stable.” Foxconn has introduced tough lockdown rules to minimize the spread …
Foxconn is Apple’s primary iPhone assembler, and its Zhengzhou campus is the company’s largest plant. Foxconn’s iPhone production facility has around 300,000 workers, with a great many other Apple suppliers based in the city.
China still maintains a zero-COVID-19 policy, attempting to completely eliminate the virus from the country by imposing citywide lockdowns in response to even a handful of positive tests.
In an attempt to pursue this policy without destroying the economy, China allows what is known as closed-loop production, where staff work, eat, and sleep on the campus during lockdowns. The last citywide lockdown was back in May, a month after iPhone production was halted in an earlier outbreak in Shanghai, but a partial lockdown is now in operation.
Foxconn COVID-19 outbreak
South China Morning Post (SCMP) last week reported that Foxconn had introduced even stricter controls than usual at its Zhengzhou plant, hinting at a COVID-19 outbreak within the campus.
The world’s largest iPhone factory, run by Foxconn Technology Group in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, has imposed tough Covid-19 control policies, such as closing its dine-in canteen, to keep production running normally amid a fresh outbreak that has put part of the city under lockdown.
Foxconn’s Zhengzhou campus […] has banned all eating in and asked workers to take their meals back to their dormitories starting from 3pm on Wednesday, according to a notice on the factory’s official WeChat account […]
Starting this week, Foxconn’s Zhengzhou workers are only permitted to commute along certain routes within the campus, with many entrances closed in a de facto lockdown.
The company has today confirmed this.
Foxconn Technology Group has confirmed that the world’s largest iPhone factory, in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, is dealing with a small Covid-19 outbreak but said production remains “relatively stable” […]
“For the small number of employees affected by the pandemic, Foxconn, in compliance with local epidemic prevention policies, is providing the necessary guarantees for livelihoods, including material supplies, psychological comfort and responsive feedback,” the company said in its statement.
“Operations and production in the Zhengzhou park are relatively stable with health and safety measures for employees being maintained,” Foxconn added. “At present, the epidemic prevention work in Zhengzhou is progressing steadily, and the impact on the group is controllable.”
Social media reports suggest that many workers are unhappy with Foxconn’s handling of the situation. Posts from inside the plant say that the number of positive tests is rising everyday, and the company is not doing enough to isolate affected workers. There are also complaints about lack of medication and food for those in quarantine.
One employee was being interviewed by the SCMP in a chat app when she had to break off because she’d just been informed her test was positive.
It seems scarcely credible that China still persists in believing it’s possible to eliminate COVID-19 from an entire country, let alone the most populous one in the world. Yet a city of 10 million people has been put into partial lockdown over just 23 cases. This latest report suggests that there may be more infections within the plant than outside it.
Closed-loop production helps keep companies operating, but only at the cost of terrible working conditions for staff, unable to return home to their family for weeks at a time, and forced to divide their time between working and hanging out in the their dorms.
We’ve previously seen MacBook Pro workers rioting over lockdown conditions, with the wider population increasingly frustrated by the zero-COVID-19 policy. Yet so far the government is showing no sign of giving up on an approach that is as cruel as it is ineffective.
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Wednesday, 31 August 2022, 16:12
Shopping has become more expensive in the past year. Electricity, fuel and the basic food shop are 10.4% dearer now than they were in August 2021, according to figures published by Spain's National Institute of Statistics (INE) on Tuesday. The same applies to clothing, although shops are not fully passing on their increased costs to customers.
Higher prices mean fewer sales. The figures show that sales fell by 3.3% in July, compared with the same month last year and by 0.7% compared with June. This is the biggest drop since March, even though July is the month when the summer sales begin and business is normally good. Retail sales have dropped for three consecutive months.
By sector, food sales dropped by 3.3% in July compared with a year previously, and other products by 6.6%. Small shops suffered most, with a reduction of 9.5%, followed by major chains (-4.5%), department stores (-1.5%) and small chains (-0.5%).
Eduardo Zamácola, the president of the Acotex company, has said that in the textile sector sales are 40% down on 2019 figures and that the autumn and winter are gong to be “tremendously difficult” because of the soaring cost of raw materials, logistics and electricity.
"It is going to be very difficult to pass the extra costs onto customers, because they are not prepared to pay more for an item of clothing than they did a year ago,” he said.
The inflation statistics for July show that menswear costs 6.6% more than a year ago, women’s clothes are 5.2% more expensive and children’s clothes have gone up by 2.4%.
Zamácola also criticised the government’s energy-saving measures, saying they are inconvenient for consumers and will lead to lower spending and lower profits for businesses, so shops will close and jobs will be lost. He wants the government to bring in measures which will stimulate consumer spending to ensure the survival of the retail sector
In fact, the INE figures for July show that growth in employment has already begun to slow down. There was a year-on-year increase of 2.4% last month, two-tenths of a percentage point less than in June.
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NEW DELHI: Six automobile manufacturers managed to place themselves among the top 100 most valuable brands globally in 2015 according to a brand survey conducted by market research organization Millward Brown.
Three auto majors, Toyota, BMW and Mercedes Benz ranked at 30, 34 and 43rd spots made to the elite club of top 50 valuable brands worldwide.
Toyota tops the automobile category list, despite a loss of 4 positions as it came down to 30th rank from 26th position in the previous year. It has a brand value of $28, 913 million, while Apple, which tops the 100 most valuable brands list, is valued at $246,992 million.
German luxury car makers BMW and Mercedes Benz have acquired 34th and 43rd positions, respectively. BMW is experiencing a constant decline for the past four years. In 2012, it was at 23rd rank, and then came down to 24th. Yet its brand value has increased to 2% when compared with 2014 survey.
The survey also revealed, out of the six companies, only Ford walked up the rank ladder. With 11% increase in brand value from 2014, Ford came at 80th position up from 84th in 2014.
Honda dropped 8 positions in its ranking, which is the highest among all auto companies in the list, in 2015. The Japanese car maker is now down to 78 from 70 last year.
According to industry experts, Honda’s massive airbag recall could be the reason for its downfall. The carmaker has a total of 3, 40, 000 vehicle recalls for Takata faulty airbags.
While the Jeep brand currently offers four products in the market, the automaker is set to enter the Indian EV space with the Citroen. However, the auto major's profitability in the country may be credited to its frugal investment approach and JV-based business model.
According to ETAuto sources, the raid began at the company’s Corporate office in Gurgaon around 3:00 PM and continued till the story is filed. The latest development comes in light of heightened scrutiny by law-enforcement agencies on companies operating in India which have links with neighboring country, China.


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Mac and Windows PCs Climb in U.S. as Worldwide Shipments Tank
Even as shipments of traditional computers tumble around the world, shipments of OS X- and Windows-based computers managed to climb slightly in the United States in the third quarter.
According to market research firm Gartner, shipments of PCs climbed 1.3 percent in the third quarter (July, August, September) in the United States compared with the same period last year.
That positive gain was the result of strong performances from just four vendors: HP, Dell, Apple and Lenovo. And the growth was largely attributable to notebooks and "premium ultramobiles (such as the MacBook Air and Microsoft Surface Pro)."
- HP, the market leader in the United States, saw gains of 2.1 percent in the period, with more than 4.7 million units, capturing 27.8 percent of the market.
- No. 2 Dell, with 24.2 percent of the domestic market, climbed 3.2 percent, with about 4.1 million units shipped int he quarter.
- Apple, at No. 3, jumped 7.3 percent to 2.5 million units shipped, capturing 14.8 percent of the market (almost a one-point gain in market share).
- No. 4 Lenovo rockets up 22 percent, shipping 2.12 million units and capturing 12.5 percent of the market, up more than two points in market share from Q3 2014.
- Asus, at No. 5, dropped 19.7 percent.
- All others combined fell 11.8 percent.
Total shipments in the United States came in at 16.96 million units in the third quarter.
Worldwide PC shipments, meanwhile, declined a substantial 7.7 percent. The slump was driven in large part by the stronger U.S. dollar, which drove prices upward by 10 percent in other parts of the world. According to Gartner, the launch of Windows 10 in the third quarter did not positively affect sales of PCs. Rather, users upgraded their existing equipment.
Total shipments worldwide in the third quarter came in at 73.73 million units. Only No. 3 Dell and No. 4 Apple saw positive growth. Dell was up 0.5 percent on 10.16 million units; Apple was up 1.5 percent at 5.6 million units.
According to Gartner, "While 3Q15 results illustrated gloomy market conditions for the PC market, there is a positive aspect in the results. According to Gartner's 2015 personal technology survey, 50 percent of consumers expressed intention to purchase a PC in the next 12 months, compared with 21 percent for tablet purchase intention."
"This change in consumer preferences toward PCs was visible in the preliminary data, as we saw positive growth in U.S notebook and premium ultramobile shipments,"said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner, in a statement released to coincide with the report. "Soft recovery is expected to start in 4Q15, as Windows 10 product refreshes start to appear. In the meantime, PC manufacturers should adjust configurations for 2016 without the impact of price hikes seen in 2015, which will lead into more stable market conditions in the upcoming year."
About the Author
David Nagel is editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Technology Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal and STEAM Universe. A 29-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art and business publications.
He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at or follow him on Twitter at @THEDavidNagel (K-12) or @CampusTechDave (higher education).


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Kudos to retail giant Macy’s for flipping off fur. Macy’s has formally announced that it will stop selling fur by the end of the 2020 fiscal year in a move that comes less than two weeks after California became the first state to ban the sale of new fur products. Department stores respond to consumer trends—and consumers are saying fur is over.
Friends of Animals staged a bold protest inside the Fur Vault in Macy’s NYC location when we launched our Flip of Fur campaign, including a billboard in Times Square, in December of 2014. We asked shoppers to make the connection between the fur coats and the animals who were skinned to make them. Security ushered customers out of the Fur Vault and shut the doors, temporarily halting business on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
We couldn’t be more gratified knowing Macy’s is shuttering it’s fur business for good. FoA’s anti-fur campaigns have always slammed the relevance of fur in today’s fashion because luxurious and warm alternatives to fur—providing glamorous looks that don’t kill—are readily available.
FoA has continued the fight to end the fur trade in the heart of the U.S’s dwindling fur district, proposing draft legislation to NYC council members and supporting NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson’s bill – Intro 1476 – banning fur sales. Retailers and fashion designers are moving on from fur; it’s time NYC does as well.


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R.B.I. Baseball Game Hub
There are a ton of new games heading to your NES this year!
Which toys and video games are on your Christmas wish lists?
The legal battles are heating up between Nintendo and Atari, and the results could shape the video game industry for years to come.


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Android Pie has been out for two months now, and Sony is finally serving up a slice of Pie to owners of the Sony Xperia XZ Premium and the Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact. The update was originally announced for October 26; some late-stage bug-busting pushed the update back, but the update is rolling out now to the Xperia XZ Premium, XZ1 and XZ Compact in some markets.
This update is a big one — you'll definitely want to download it over Wi-Fi — and while it bring a lot of Pie's loveliness, it does not appear to include Android Pie's new navigation gestures, which could be seen as a "feature" depending on if you love or hate the new method. There are several additions and refinements to the camera app and offerings, including 1080p Super Slow Motion and a re-branded Portrait mode. This update was supposed to go up last month, which may help explain why it brings the October 2018 security patch instead of November.
We haven't been able to see the official change log show up on the Sony Mobile support site yet, but the update is slowly making its way out, just a few weeks later than scheduled. And yes, no one likes late updates, but look at it this way, you don't have to wait until March to see Pie like Xperia XA2 line does.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra review: Too much of a good thing
The Galaxy S20 Ultra is supposed to be the phone for the enthusiasts, the fans, the nerds who all want the biggest and best Samsung can offer, no matter the cost. Let's break down how well Samsung executes on the promise of an ultra flagship phone.
Do you buy insurance for your smartphone?
Protecting your smartphone is essential, especially when prices are crossing the $1000 threshold. Do you go as far as to buy insurance for your handset?
Kazuhisa Hashimoto, creator of the well-known Konami Code, has passed away
Kazuhisa Hashimoto, the creator of the Konami Code, has died. Konami confirmed the news on Twitter. Kazuhisa Hashimoto was 61 years old when he passed on.
Spruce up your Galaxy S20 Ultra with these leather cases
You can never go wrong with a leather case, especially when it's for a phone as premium as the Galaxy S20 Ultra. Here are our top picks!


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A man in Oklahoma City is wanted by police after apparently throwing an inert grenade into a moving Amazon delivery van and forcing the driver to bail out whilst on his route earlier this week.
The driver told police he was delivering packages when he spotted a man walking along the sidewalk. He said that he had the van’s sliding door open when he heard something hit the floor in the rear of the vehicle and noticed what looked like a grenade when he looked for the noise.
With the Amazon delivery van still in motion, the driver said that he jumped out “without even thinking about it” and sustained minor injuries to his knees after landing in the street. He said the van continued moving until it crashed into a mailbox and a parked car.
Amazon Delivery Driver Attempts To Save Packages
The delivery driver for Amazon then stated that “after the van came to a stop and since his adrenaline was running, he made a quick decision to run back to the van, grab the grenade and toss it out of the van,” according to the police report. “[The driver] stated after he tossed the grenade he just ran far away from it.”
Officers responded to the scene and confirmed that the thrown object was indeed a grenade, the report said. Nearby residents were evacuated as a precaution and the bomb squad removed the device.
Thankfully it was determined that the grenade was an inert explosive device and did not pose a threat to life. Surveillance footage was captured from the Amazon delivery van which previously has come under scrutiny, however, in this instance, it turns out to have been positive in this situation.
No arrests have been made so far however the surveillance camera is looking for a light skin male with curly hair who was wearing a red shirt, shorts, and no shoes.
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KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 28 (Sin Chew Daily) -- A total of 25 tons of frozen durian pulp are to be exported to Nansha port in Guangzhou, China, after disinfection of cargo containers.
The China Certification & Inspection Malaysia Commodities Inspection Sdn Bhd carried out disinfection on 1,250 cargo containers before shipping the frozen fruit to China from Port Klang.
This marks the official launch of disinfection as a preventive measure against COVID-19 on frozen products from Malaysia to China.
General manager of China Certification & Inspection Malaysia Commodities Inspection Sdn Bhd Fu Jun said the company would be handing over the disinfection certification in English and Chinese to Tian Ran Yi Mei Group (马来西亚天然益美食品工业有限公司), the company exporting the frozen durian pulp, to submit the certification for customs clearance in China.
"Consumers are able to scan a QR code to trace the disinfection certificate for them to consume the frozen fruit with peace of mind. They are able to make more purchase too," he said.
Fu Jun said many frozen seafood products from Malaysia have been exported to China besides frozen durian. Since all these products are classified as high risk products, exporters are required to carry out disinfection as a prevention measure against COVID-19.
Chuah Poh Khiong, chairman of Tian Ran Yi Mei Group, said ensuring food safety is even more important now for food product companies.
"The pandemic has changed the lifestyle and dining habits of consumers. People are having higher expectation on food safety, another major development for the food industry to focus on," he said.
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The USW union has just announced that negotiations with refinery operators have improved, and have delayed a strike by 24-hours.
While it may not seem like much of an extension, it is good news that talks are finally getting somewhere. It is yet to be seen if the next 24-hours will yield the progress that the USW is looking for.
Any news of an agreement would come as a welcome sign to U.S. consumers who are relying on cheaper gasoline to help them get through short-term struggles.
Basically, any price hike that might have happened Monday may get pushed to Tuesday if no new agreement is announced… so a hike is still possible if a strike is not averted.
This is welcome news as progress is being made to avert a huge spike in gasoline prices as a result of a strike so rest easy tonight!


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Selena Gomez debuts bangs and hair extensions in new video – Hollywood Life
Selena Gomez, 29, got a lot of attention when she debuted much longer hair on social media last week, and now we’re seeing exactly how the transformation happened! The singer was featured in a behind-the-scenes video that was shared by hair studio Nine-Zero-One on Instagram on May 31, and looked stunning as various stylists cut the front of her hair into bangs and added extensions of hair. The beauty appeared relaxed as she filmed herself with her phone and sat down in the lounge chair.
“Summer Selena ❤🔥Here’s a great way to transform your clients hair without having to color at all! Just add extensions! For @selenagomez, we added auburn brown @greatlengthsusa to create a new summer look for her! What do you think? 😻,” the caption for the epic video read.
Selena’s fans were quick to react to the video and compliment her new look. “Looks so natural,” wrote one fan while another called the hairstyle “iconic.” A third shared, “It looks so good” and a fourth called the singer and actress “beautiful”.
Selena’s latest behind-the-scenes video comes after she flaunted her new longer hair highlighted in a series of TikTok videos last week. Some of the clips featured sound bites from TLC Unexpected and a makeup tutorial using her makeup brand, Rare Beauty. Another recent video from TikTok shows her hair styled in two messy braids as she enjoys the windy breeze on a boat.
Selena has been known to share various hair colors and hairstyles over the years, so her latest look isn’t too surprising. In March, she showed off shoulder-length curly black hair with bangs and before that, she flaunted a sleek bob style without bangs. The talented star also donned bleached blonde tresses at one point in her career, proving that she’s adventurous with her hair color choices and embraces all the different types that always look good on her.
In 2016, Selena opened up about how she keeps her hair healthy through different colors and styles, and explained that washing it every day is “not good” for it. “I don’t wash my hair every day, which might sound gross, but it’s actually really bad for my hair,” she said. Seduce. “Some of my best friends can’t go more than two days without washing their hair, and for me, I give all the credit to my mom and dad, because I have thick hair, so it gets better the less I wash them. this.”


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Triumph to launch nine new bike models in India in the next six months
Triumph Motorcycles has an aggressive product pipeline for Indian market in the next six months with nine new bike models, including some special editions, slated for launch as the British premium bike maker looks to consolidate its position further in the niche space, a top company executive has said.
Triumph India is hopeful of growing by 20-25 per cent in its current fiscal year, though it may see almost flat sales growth in calendar year 2020 on account of zero business in the first few months of the pandemic.
Triumph follows July-June fiscal year.
Triumph India has 16 motorcycles in its portfolio ranging from modern classics to adventure motorcycles, including the iconic Rocket 3R and the recently launched Rocket 3GT.
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"We are planning to launch nine new models from January to June, which will include some special editions in our current product range. This will be for the first time that we will be adding special editions in our product portfolio here. And, of course, some of the current products will also go with the regular refresh," Shoeb Farooq, Business Head, Triumph Motorcycles India, told PTI in an interaction.
These motorcycle models include the Trident 660 and new Tiger 850 Sport, which will be adding volumes in the company's overall sales kitty, he said, adding that the company is going to address a completely new segment of the industry.
"So all this put together, we are going to have a very very busy six months from January onwards and somewhere in June we will have a completely new range and much larger portfolio to customers," he added.
The overall premium motorcycle segment has de-grown by around 35-38 per cent in the last 12 months, in line with the rest of industry, he said, adding that people generally tend to defer decisions on purchasing luxury products when the economy is under stress.
"But despite industry's de-growth, Triumph as a brand has done well. In the last 6-7 months, including the pandemic period, we have done almost the same volumes that we did last year. In fact, starting from July, the volumes have actually grown over by 12 per cent which is a big positive and beating the industry and growing our market share has really given us a very good start post the pandemic," he said.
Premium motorcycle space remains a very niche segment in the over all two-wheeler space, with the 500-cc and above segment clocking sale of around 20,000 units per annum, which is not large, but is growing very fast.
Triumph is looking at a decent growth of around 20-25 per cent in this financial year (July 2020-June 2021) and considering that volumes till November have grown at 12 per cent, the company should be able to achieve the outlook of 20-25 per cent growth for this fiscal, he said
"However, since we missed a couple of months in this calendar year, we should be more or less flat in this calendar year (2020)," he added.
The availability of BS 6 models and their subsequent roll out from January-February onwards, not holding back even during the lockdown, as well as strong product proposition has helped Triumph in achieving this growth, he said.
"Today we have the most robust BS 6-compliant range of 13 motorcycles, which is the largest BS 6 range in the competing industry, which has given us a huge head start and growth," Farooq added.
Besides launching the new sport tourer Street Triple RS in April, Triumph has also rolled out Street Triple R, the all-new Tiger 900 and RGT, the touring variant of Rocket 3R, so far this year.
"For the first time, this financial year we will be surpassing sale of 100 Rockets in a year," he said.
Triumph has flagship and leadership positions in some of the segments like adventure space within the premium category, and represents all genres of motorcycles from adventure to urban roadster to modern classics, he said.
The company's strategy is "inside out". It is focusing on what capability Triumph has and what product it can bring in the Indian market to drive its growth, Farooq said.
"We have kind of established ourself as a premium motorcycle manufacturer using the premium end of the industry. Also with the new 650 Triumph platform, we are looking at a new segment and hence additional volume growth for the brand.
"And then in the long-term also our strategy is very clear, how we want to proceed in India with our tie up with Bajaj Auto where a completely new set of products have (been) planned through that partnership which will then start addressing a new industry, new set of customers and a much larger set of customers in India," he said.
Triumph has a very clear roadmap for India. The company is very clear that India is an important market for the brand and has its long-term strategy in place, Farooq added.


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GM’s CEO Dan Akerson plans the reorganize the automaker, so that it will move faster.
In an interview given to Editorial Director Peter Brown, Industry Editor James B. Treece and Staff Reporter Mike Colias, Dan Akerson said that there will be two global brands: Chevrolet and Cadillac, with two different marketing officers, Alan Batey for Chevrolet and Bob Ferguson for Cadillac.
He also said that the automaker has to become successful in the small luxury segment, the ATS, to be able to compete with BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Currently GM has products in 80% of the luxury market and the automaker plans to refresh the XTS and CTS in the third quarter of 2013 and add ELR by the end of next year.
“I think by appealing to a different demographic within the luxury category — young, upwardly-mobile professionals — with the ATS, XTS, CTS, where you want to be is the two biggest markets of China and North America. China is predicted to be the biggest luxury market,” said Akerson.
He added that by the end of this decade, 40% of the luxury market will be represented in China. Until then GM plans to bring its accounting and its IT into alignment, a change that will help the company move up from a financial point of view.


text: YouTubeTV reinstates ABC, ESPN, ending carriage dispute with Disney YouTubeTV reached a new agreement with Disney, after the streaming service dropped ABC and ESPN over the weekend. YouTube TV restores access to Disney after dispute resolvedYouTube TV began restoring access to Disney content after a dispute between the companies led to an interruption of service Disney and YouTube TV cut a deal to bring back ESPN, FX, and other channelsYouTube TV will honor a $15 credit for the disruption. Google's YouTube TV reaches deal to restore access to Disney channelsAlphabet Inc's YouTube said on Sunday it has reached a deal with Walt Disney Co to distribute all Disney-owned channels on its platform, two days after talks broke down and led to a blackout. Streaming dispute: Disney channels and ABC, ESPN dropped from YouTube TV as college bowls kick inYouTube TV dropped ESPN, ABC and other Disney networks on Saturday amid a dispute over carriage fees between Google and The Walt Disney Co. YouTube TV loses Disney channels including ABC, ESPN as contract expiresWith YouTube and Disney failing to hammer out a new deal, YouTube says it'll drop the price of its TV-streaming service by $15 a month while Disney's channels are missing. YouTube TV loses ESPN, other Disney networks after failing to reach new dealYouTube TV's subscription is now $15 cheaper. Hey disgruntled YouTube TV subscriber, Hulu with Live TV is your best betAnd if you just want ESPN, Sling TV is the cheapest option at $35.


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A Toronto family due to travel to Winnipeg – their former home – lost their Canadian citizenship after a logistical error by online travel agency Priceline, which wrongly booked their flight tickets.
In an interview with CP24, Divya Polavaram booked the plane tickets weeks in advance for her mother and her two children, who will officially become Canadian citizens during the traditional citizenship oath.
After completing the entire process on Priceline’s website on October 3, she received a confirmation of the reservation of four tickets on the Flair flight, according to an email sent by the discount travel agency and obtained by the media.
When she wanted to check in online the day before her flight on October 16, she encountered a problem. She then contacted Priceline, who said Flair never confirmed the tickets.
According to her, Priceline refused to book new flights so she could fly to Winnipeg or compensate her. It was also impossible to get new tickets on another airline because the costs had quadrupled, she said.
MLA Polavaram said that this is a very special occasion. “We all wanted to be there. We planned everything. My mother flew from India to attend.
“It was a horrible experience,” she added. “And the way Praline handled the situation made it worse.”
Contacted by CP24, Priceline did not respond to requests for reaction.
For their part, Flair representatives reiterated the importance of booking flights directly with carriers. However, travel credit was provided to MLA Polavaram on future trips.


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Apple has reported the slowest sales ever of its market-leading iPhone, after years of rocketing growth, but the tech giant still posted record quarterly profit.
Net income for the quarter ending December 26 was two per cent higher than the same period a year earlier at USD 18.4 billion, while revenue of USD 75.9 billion set another record for the company, also edging up two per cent.
The results were largely in line with expectations that sales of iPhones — the driver of two-thirds of Apple revenue — had peaked and that the company would need to find new sources of growth.
Apple shares have slid 20 per cent since last year on these concerns. But in after-market trade yesterday the stock was down a modest 0.7 per cent at USD 99.30.
“Our team delivered Apple’s biggest quarter ever, thanks to the world’s most innovative products and all-time record sales of iPhone, Apple Watch and Apple TV,” chief executive Tim Cook said in an earnings release.
“The growth of our services business accelerated during the quarter to produce record results, and our installed base recently crossed a major milestone of one billion active devices.”


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A lack of artificial intelligence and machine learning usage in digital marketing is causing a significant issue for marketers looking to deliver personalised experiences to customers, according to Gartner.
In its new report, the analyst firm revealed that almost two-thirds (63%) of digital marketers struggle with this issue, from a survey of 350 marketing leaders from November 2020 through December 2020.
One of the main problems is that digital marketing leaders are scaling their use of AI and ML to align with customer retention and acquisition goals rather than across the marketing function.
This contrasts with another statistic: 84% of digital marketing leaders believe using AI/ML enhances the marketing function’s ability to deliver real-time, personalised experiences to customers. Gartner says many digital marketers believe bringing automation, scale and efficiency to marketing activities across channels is the greatest value of AI/ML tools.
“A comprehensive personalisation strategy and roadmap can be deciding factors in the results marketers achieve from their personalisation efforts, yet most marketing organisations lack an effective personalisation strategy – let alone one that is explicitly linked to desired business and customer goals,” says Gartner for Marketers vice president analyst Noah Elkin.
“They should focus on addressing longstanding personalisation challenges by channeling their existing collection and use of customer data toward…


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Cadila pharma unveils biosimilar Rituximab under brand name Ritucad
Ritucad is used in the treatment of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma( a type of blood-related cancer)
Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad-based Cadila Pharmaceuticals Limited has announced the launch of biosimilar Rituximab for the Indian market.
Biosimilar Rituximab is used for the treatment of blood cancer and rheumatoid arthritis, and will be launched under the brand name Ritucad™.
Biosimilar products are manufactured from the DNA of living organisms. Biosimilar products are safe and more efficacious compared to conventional treatment medicines.
Ritucad™ is used in the treatment of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (a type of blood-related cancer). Every year there are more than 28,000 new cases of Lymphoma in India.
Ritucad™ is the second biosimilar in a series of biosimilar products planned by the organization this year and will be made available in a single-dose vial of two strengths, 100 mg and 500mg.
Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd has recently launched Bevasizumab biosimilar which is a humanized monoclonal antibody, recommended in multiple indications under the brand name Bevaro™.
The company has recently concluded and cleared USFDA inspection successfully in February 2020.
Cadila Pharmaceuticals is a multinational research-based pharmaceutical group in India with more than 6 decades of experience.