text:
LIMERICK city take away Chilli Kebabish has been served a closure order by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.
The order for the 15 Ellen Street take away premises was served on Mr Ali Akbar on May 14 and it had not been lifted as of this Wednesday.
It is the second time in three years that the premises has been closed by the FSAI, with a closure order served in October 2012. The order was lifted ten days later and it re-opened in that instance.
The more recent closure order was served by environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2010 legislation.
In all there were fifteen enforcement orders served on food businesses nationally last month.
Dr Pamela Byrne, FSAI chief executive, warned that the legal onus was on food businesses to act responsibly and ensure that the food they serve and sell is safe to eat at all times.
“Most food businesses follow high standards and are compliant with food safety legislation,” she said.
“However, inspectors continue to encounter cases where consumers’ health is jeopardised through a failure to comply with food safety and hygiene requirements.
“There can be no excuse for such breaches and negligent practices. They are avoidable when food businesses have proper food safety management systems in place.”
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.


text:
Originally posted on the Government of British Columbia Website.
The province has announced new rebates to help fund the purchase and installation of electric vehicle [EV] chargers in homes and workplaces.
The Go Electric EV Charger Rebate program provides a rebate up to 50 per cent of costs to a maximum of $2,000 per eligible EV charger in condominiums, apartments and workplaces, according to the provincial government.
Single-family homes, including duplexes and townhouses, can also apply for a rebate of up to 50 per cent of purchase and installation costs to a maximum of $350 through the EV Charger Rebate program.
"With the highest uptake rates of EV adoption in North America, we want to make sure that more people supporting our transition to a low-carbon economy have easy access to charging infrastructure," said Bruce Ralston, the minister of energy, mines and low carbon innovation, in a statement.
There are more than 60,000 light duty electric vehicles currently on the road in B.C., the province says.

domain: news


text:
Regenerative medicine company Orthocell (ASX:OCC) says it has received firm commitments for a $10.6 million placement from professional and sophisticated investors, including existing shareholders.
The company said the funds raised, which will provide $10 million in new capital net of expenses, in combination with existing cash reserves, will be used to accelerate commercialisation of it CelGro for dental bone, tendon and nerve repair in key markets.
It will also be used to progress key regulatory approvals in the US and other target jurisdictions, and also support continued business development and marketing initiatives.
According to managing director Paul Anderson, “The success of this transaction is an endorsement of Orthocell’s business strategy, progress in commercialising CelGro and the exciting outlook for the Company as it drives it’s leading products into key markets.
"Orthocell is well placed to execute on its partnering strategy, leveraging the CE-mark in the US regulatory approval process and introducing other key indications to market.”
The placement will result in the issue of approximately 26.5 million shares at an offer price of $0.40 per share.


text:
Apple after years of hyper growth that made it the worldâ€™s most valuable company, is starting to look more like a value stock, according to some analysts reacting to the iPhone makerâ€™s financial results.
At least 20 analysts lowered their price targets after Apple on Jan. 23 reported its slowest growth rates in years and said the trend will continue. The stock fell 12 percent yesterday, and has dropped more than 35 percent since September.
Apple had defied Wall Street projections for years, ignited by the popularity of the iPod, iPhone and iPad tablet. Now, the company is entering a phase where it may more closely resemble a value stock, said Abhey Lamba, an analyst at Mizuho Securities USA -- looking more like AT&T Inc. and International Business Machines Corp. in offering investors slower sales growth, predictable earnings and a steady dividend.


text:
Court ruling another blow to file-swapping sites
future for file-swapping sites like KaZaA, Morpheus and Grokster
looks more uncertain in the wake of a federal court ruling that
may force an Internet provider to reveal the identity of a customer
who downloaded a large number of copyrighted music files.
District Court Judge John Bates ruled last week that Internet provider
Verizon must comply with a section of the Digital Millennium Copyright
Act (DMCA) that requires them to identify a subscriber suspected
of violating copyright laws by downloading illegal music files on
DMCA was signed into law in 1998 to provide copyright protection
for works in digital formats. Last July, the Recording Industry
Association of America, which represents the nation's largest music
companies, sought to use the law to get the identity of a KaZaA
user suspected of downloading 600 illegal music files. Verizon refused
to comply with a subpoena seeking the identify the user, citing
a section of the DMCA that said it only had to comply with the subpoena
if illegal files were stored on its computer servers.
a peer-to-peer service like KaZaA, the music files are never held
on Verizon's computers; the files are stored on one user's computer
and transferred via the Internet to another user. Verizon is simply
the connection that allows that transfer.
said forcing it to identify its subscriber would set a bad precedent.
If allowed to proceed, it could mean that Internet providers could
be forced to identify any user simply suspected of a copyright law
violation. Verizon said the identify of a user shouldn't be revealed
until that user has a chance to protest the subpoena in court.
Bates' ruled that the DCMA applied to an Internet provider because
they were part of the process of the illegal swapping of copyrighted
materials. The judge noted that the DMCA lacked any mechanism to
give suspected copyright violators the chance to protest a subpoena,
though in his opinion such an option would undermine the DMCA.
decision is being appealed, a spokesperson for Verizon said.
President Cary Sherman said that if the ruling stands, the RIAA
will contact the user "so we can let them know that what they
are doing is illegal."
FIRE. The Verizon ruling comes on the heels of another recent
ruling against KaZaA that gives the U.S. entertainment industry
the green light to sue them for copyright violations on U.S. soil.
both rulings have significant impact on the future of file swapping,
though there's one thing the entertainment industry and the court
system can't address: File-swapping's popularity continues to grow.
number of Web pages devoted to file sharing have increased by more
than 300 percent in the past 12 months, according to San Diego-based
Websense. There are more than 130 software applications available
to allow peer-to-peer file swapping, including the largest ones,
KaZaA, Morpheus and Grokster.
Not only are the more people swapping files, but the content is
becoming more diversified. The latest pop songs are still a big
draw, but users are also looking for episodes of their favorite
TV show, video game and software application.
than 5 billion music files were downloaded from peer-to-peer networks
last year, according to research firm The Yankee Group. Video game
downloads topped 5 million last year according to Trymedia, a game
developer. Movie downloads are thought to exceed a half a million
copies per day.
number of files are downloaded during normal business hours, where
employees in many cases have access to broadband Internet connections.
to Websense, file-swapping at the workplace wastes bandwidth and
can expose a company to potential liability from the entertainment
industry. The RIAA and Movie Producers Association of America gave
notice last year to the nation's largest companies that corporations
are responsible for files illegally downloaded by employees onto
SPAM OF 2002. Some things are universal, and apparently, this
includes junk e-mail or "spam."
story posted on the BBC News Web site highlights how global -- and
expensive -- the problem of spam has become.
Control, a British spam-filtering firm, estimates the cost of spam
to businesses around the world at nearly $9 billion. This figure
includes time spent to delete the messages; the cost of larger e-mail
servers and systems to cope with the increasing e-mails and the
time spent dealing with spam by networking staff members.
company has identified the Top 10 Most Annoying Spams of 2002, and
the list is remarkable in that it closely mirrors my choices if
I had prepared a similar list.
Copy DVDs in one click.
9. Meet singles in your area.
8. Get out of credit card debt.
7. The No.1 Pasta pot.
6. Best online casino.
5. Tiny remote control cars.
4. Nigerian scam.
3. Mortgage refinance.
2. Low price drugs (particularly Viagra).
1. Free adult site passwords.
TV. You may see more on television soon about the eBay auction
site than just its commercials. The auction giant has signed a deal
with Sony to produce EBay-TV, an hour-long eBay-inspired syndicated
program will be in a magazine-style format that is described as
a combination of "Entertainment Tonight" and "Antiques
Roadshow." The show will highlight unique and unusual auction
items and profile eBay buyers and sellers. The host of EBay-TV will
be Molly Pesce, formerly of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."
part of the programming package, each TV station that carries the
program will receive a station-branded auction Web site and earn
a commission on items sold there. EBay will pay the stations $6
for every eBay member who joins the service through one of the TV
station Web sites.
for EBay-TV to debut in the last half of the year.


text:
BJ’s Wholesale Club is seeking early birds in Michigan.
The Westborough, Mass.-based membership warehouse club is now offering a “Founding Member” offer, providing gift cards and other perks for shoppers who sign up ahead of scheduled store openings later this year in the Detroit suburbs of Madison Heights and Taylor.
Those stores are scheduled to open in the fourth quarter. The nearest BJ’s stores are currently 150 miles away in greater Cleveland.
Local shoppers that sign up for a one-year BJ’s Inner Circle membership with an “Easy Renewal” option will get a $110 value for $55. In addition, they will receive a $35 BJ’s gift card and $75 in coupons. The Easy Renewal option authorizes the company to automatically charge membership for a second year at the first-year rate using the shopper credit card on file. The Inner Circle membership is typically priced at $55 for one year.
Those that sign up for the $110 one-year BJ’s Perks Rewards membership with “Easy Renewal” will get a $145 value. Those members will receive a $70 BJ’s gift card and $75 in coupons. BJ’s Perks Rewards members earn 2% cash back on most BJ’s purchases.
Shoppers that sign up before the offer expires on July 31 will only be charged when their local stores open, but will be provided member access to BJ’s online store.
Company officials say customer research indicates metro Detroit will be a good market for BJ’s, which describes its target shoppers as budget-conscious families with household incomes of about $75,000. “We believe this group represents a historically underserved demographic in our core markets,” the company said in its annual report.
Speaking at an investor conference earlier this year, BJ’s CEO Chris Baldwin said the Michigan openings—the two stores expected later this year and at least one more to come—will present a food-forward model with prepared foods that will attract shoppers whose regional options tend to be scarce or more expensive.
“We’re really encouraged by what we see there based on a lot of consumer work that we’ve done that underpins our desire to get there,” Baldwin said, according to a Sentieo transcript. “The reality is that metro Detroit is a food desert. People leave the city in order to go to the burbs for food shopping. And our ability to attract those kind of members is very compelling.
“You’ll see some new things about our offering,” he continued. “We’ll open with a much better fresh food presentation. We’ll open with prepared food. And obviously, we'll open with gasoline. Our ability to be more scientific about when and where we’re opening and how we’re opening is important. We have the resources to spend into acquiring new members in a market where people don’t know us as well. And we’re really compelled by the opportunity that both infill and new markets represent for us.”


text:
Cannabis Ergonomics Courses NCRMA2020 has been postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. Please check back often for new conference dates.
The Retail and Dispensary Expo is coming to Vegas as the headlining national cannabis event for fall 2020. The move was spurred by demand from both attendees and vendors who participated in the sold-out 2019 RAD Expo in Portland, Oregon. The RAD Expo gets bigger and better every year. We are excited to bring RAD […]


text:
Prince Louis was born on April 23 and already, he's expected to generate a lot of money.
The 8lbs 7oz baby boy was born to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who showed off their new son to the world just hours after Kate had given birth.
The baby joins the ranks of one of the world's best known families, a family which is apparently worth $88 billion (£63 billion), according to Forbes and generates more than £1.8 billion to the UK economy each year.
Brand Finance, the brand valuation and strategy consultancy company, told Cosmopolitan.com/uk that the baby will likely add £50 million to the British economy.
He'll do this by apparently stimulating short-term sales of souvenirs and memorabilia as well as encouraging more sales of child and baby-related products like cute clothing, pushchairs and toys.
"The birth of the new Prince will bring joy around the country, boosting the British economy," David Haigh, Brand Finance's CEO said. "It is also a tremendous marketing opportunity for British producers and retailers of baby products who can reference the royal baby in their promotional campaigns."
While £50 million sounds like a lot of money from where we're standing, the company actually expects the baby to generate less money than his elder brother and sister, George and Charlotte. As he is the Duke and Duchess' third child, the initial hype surrounding the royal baby isn't expected to have such a big impact.
MORE: WHY THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE LEFT THE HOSPITAL SO QUICKLY AFTER GIVING BIRTH
The company estimates that Prince George adds £75 million to the UK economy annually with his two-year-old younger sister bringing in an even higher £100 million.
As for the future net worth - meaning the value of a person based on all their assets (like property and cash) and any liabilities (like debt) - the new baby is expected to follow in the footsteps of his older siblings.
Back in 2015, Brand Finance estimated Prince George's net worth to be £2.4 billion and Princess Charlotte's to be £3 billion.
The company also suggest that the upcoming royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may have slightly overshadowed the birth when it comes to money making potential. The wedding alone is expected to generate more than £1 billion this year.
The huge sum of money for the UK is thanks to leisure, accommodation and transport, and PR value. That's not forgetting the wedding's impact on retail and restaurants when people celebrate, plus the 'Meghan effect' on fashion, which only encourages more and more spending.
MORE: PIPPA MIDDLETON VISITS KENSINGTON PALACE TO MEET HER NEW NEPHEW
Like this? Subscribe to the Good Housekeeping newsletter.


text:
During a panel discussion on the sidelines of 24th UNWTO General Assembly meeting.
ABU DHABI – H.E Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and SMEs and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council, participated in a ministerial panel discussion on innovation and entrepreneurship in the tourism sector, on the sidelines of the 24th meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
During the session, the minister underlined the importance of strengthening international cooperation to support the global tourism sector by focusing on innovation in the field of tourism. This is necessary to create sustainable mechanisms that support the sector’s readiness for various future changes. He also highlighted the importance of developing plans and initiatives to encourage entrepreneurs to invest in this vital sector.
H.E. Al Falasi headed the UAE delegation that participated in the General Assembly’s meeting, which was held in Madrid, Spain.
Furthermore, the Minister pointed out that the tourism sector is a major contributor to the UAE’s national economy. He said: “The local tourism sector has shown high resilience in facing crises. It also proved its exceptional ability during this year, strengthening the UAE’s leading position as it surpassed the top 10 global tourism destinations, with an average hotel occupancy rate of 62%.”
H.E. Al Falasi explained that the positive results achieved by the domestic tourism sector during this year is a result of the vision and directives of the UAE’s wise leadership. They also reflect the strength and flexibility of the tourism sector, the development of the UAE tourism market and the diversity of its products. He further pointed out that the UAE continues its efforts to consolidate its leading position in the global tourism landscape, and to sustain growth and high rankings on global performance indicators for tourism and hospitality services, in line with its efforts to achieve the strategic objectives for the sector.
During the panel discussion, H.E. Al Falasi indicated that the development of rural tourism and nature tourism destinations is one of the priorities of the National Tourism Development Strategy, which is evident in the huge projects and investments that the government allocates for the development of cities across the UAE. These include tourism development plans for Hatta, Khor Fakkan and Jebel Jais, in addition to many other projects. In addition, he highlighted the significance of rural development in creating new and promising opportunities to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation.
H.E. noted that the UAE has achieved a leading global position in the fields of entrepreneurship and innovation, as indicated by advanced rankings in various relevant global indicators. He added that the UAE ranked first in the region and fourth globally in the Global Entrepreneurship Index for 2020 outperforming many global economies, and that the UAE’s wise leadership is looking forward to achieving more progress in all global indicators.
In this context, H.E. said that the Ministry has recently launched the ‘Entrepreneurial Nation,’ an ambitious initiative that aims to drive a qualitative shift in the creation of an environment that supports entrepreneurship, start-ups and small and medium-sized companies in the UAE, as well as unicorns The UAE’s entrepreneurship sector is based on a strong partnership between the public and private sectors, and the government is making huge efforts to develop and empower it further by enabling entrepreneurs to develop their skills, launch innovative projects, and expand their operations.
On the sidelines of the meeting, H.E. Dr. Al Falasi also held a number of bilateral meetings with representatives of the World Tourism Organization concerned with the fields of innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable development. He discussed a number of practical ideas and creative initiatives for them to benefit from Expo 2020 Dubai, by organizing events to support tourism during the first quarter of 2022. Those initiatives would pave the way for entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized companies from different countries to present their digital and innovative ideas and projects to develop the tourism sector in the UAE. This will support the Ministry’s efforts to digitize the UAE’s tourism services and find innovative solutions to improve the tourism experience for visitors to the country, he noted.
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.


text:
Apple has started manufacturing the iPhone 13 in India in an effort to to reduce reliance on its Chinese supply chain, reports Reuters.
The article says the smartphone is being produced at a local plant of Apple’s Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn, situated in the town of Sriperumbudur in Southern Tamil Nadu state.
A June 2021 report from the Financial Express said Apple’s increasing focus on manufacturing in India has created 20,000 jobs. And the Indian government says that 200,000 jobs could be created over the next five years.
The Financial Express said that Apple suppliers Foxconn and Wistron alone have hired 7,500 workers each. The article adds that it’s estimated that the vendors supplying inputs to those two companies, like Sunwoda, Foxlink, Salcomp and others, have also hired approximately 5,000 additional employees. This is in an effort to support the manufacturing of the two contract manufacturer firms.
Comments are closed.


text:
It’s my firm belief that given Amazon’s current trajectory we may all end up working for them, and sooner than we think if we don’t pay attention.
Amazon Are Big
Amazon are big. Very big. They account for 26% of the United Kingdom warehouse take up. They are getting bigger. This holiday season they are hiring 100,000 temporary workers – 25% more than last year.
According to Wired we also need to get used to Amazon being a profitable company because for the past two quarters they have posted significant profits. In addition
“You may need to change the way you think about Amazon. It’s no longer just an e-commerce giant. It’s the world’s largest retailer. Period. And at the same time, it runs the world’s most successful cloud computing business.”
Amazon Think Outside the Box
They constantly think outside the box (pun intended) in their relentless pursuit to increase sales, drive down costs, efficiently scale their operation and deliver products to customers when, where and however they want them. Delivery by newspaper trucks and drone delivery are two such examples of thinking outside the box.
Amazon Are the Big Disruptor
Amazon are “the big disruptor” in the ecommerce space. But what goes hand in glove with selling stuff? Delivering stuff!
Amazon are currently earning their “big disruptor” moniker in the logistics space and as logistics professionals we need to play very close attention. For a company as big and forward thinking as Amazon it only takes one small step from being “the big disruptor” to becoming “the new sheriff in town.”
Amazon Freight Services
This very scenario has been postulated by RW Baird and published in The Loadstar:
Freight services could be the next step for internet giant Amazon’s ever-expanding commercial empire.
“We believe Amazon can leverage the vast and expanding technology and fulfilment infrastructure supporting their own network of distribution, local sortation and data centers to offer logistical and delivery services to third parties,” it said.
What’s stopping them? With Amazon Prime Now, Amazon Fresh and Amazon Flex they have entered the parcel delivery space. Their huge cloud computing infrastructure lends itself well to providing a global contract logistics service. They understand the complexities of the logistics industry because they live and breathe them daily. They think outside the box and they have capital. In fact according to RW Baird:
“If Amazon won a 1% market share in each of the three logistics categories – annual revenues of $800m in US domestic parcel deliveries, $1.7bn in freight forwarding and $2.5bn in contract logistics – Amazon Transport and Logistics could earn the company $5bn a year.”
So in answer to my own question I have absolutely no idea what is stopping them because they could also earn $5bn dollars in the first year!
It’s interesting to note that a company so well positioned to disrupt the logistics industry actually comes from outside the industry. I’m not convinced that fresh new ideas and energy can only come from outside of the industry. Jeff Immelt is building the Industrial Internet and is a huge player in transportation and logistics.
Logistics Professionals Need to Pay Attention
However my point is that the times they are a changin’. Some think that change will just evolve. I‘m not so sure. There are specific technologies, processes and models that will evolve of course, but there will also be some that arrive big, fast and hard.
As logistics professionals we need to pay attention now more than ever before and be well prepared to adapt and leverage new technologies into new opportunities. If we don’t we’ll all be working for Amazon sooner than we think!


text:
SAN FRANCISCO — Low prices, solid customer service and an increasing willingness by consumers to spend on discretionary items contributed to Amazon.com Inc.’s solid third quarter, and the growth should continue despite weakness elsewhere in retail.
Amazon shares soared to an all-time high Friday after the Seattle-based online retailer stunned analysts and investors by reporting that third-quarter net income grew 68 percent — a clear sign that consumers are spending on Amazon, even though the economy is still stuttering.
“I think people are finding they want to start purchasing again,” Bernstein Research analyst Jeffrey Lindsay said Friday. “There’s pent-up demand for this stuff, and the lion’s share is going to Amazon these days.”
Lindsay attributes growth partly to the demographics of Amazon’s customer base, which he believes has more money than the average U.S. consumer to spend on nonessentials like books and video games.
He added that the company has earned trust among buyers, who know that Amazon will work to fix any problems, regardless of whether an item was bought from Amazon directly or from partner retailers that sell through Amazon’s Web site and often fulfill the orders themselves.
Kaufman Bros. analyst Aaron Kessler believes that Amazon also benefited from consumers buying more expensive items during the quarter. He noted that Amazon’s revenue grew much faster than the number of items sold.
Amazon does not indicate how many items it sells each quarter, but it releases the percentage growth — 32 percent year-over-year in the most recent quarter, compared with 28 percent in the second quarter. Revenue, meanwhile, gained 28 percent year-over-year to $5.45 billion in the most recent quarter, compared with a 14 percent climb in the prior quarter.
Amazon said Thursday that it earned $199 million, or 45 cents per share, in the third quarter, far surpassing Wall Street expectations.
And Amazon expects this momentum to continue: It predicted revenue will grow 21 percent to 36 percent in the current quarter.
As a result, Amazon shares rose 25.04, or 26.8 percent, to finish trading at $118.49. During the day, the shares climbed as high as $119.65.
“I think you’ve seen in general it’s a little more confidence that we hit bottom in the economy, so people may be starting to spend a little more,” Kessler said.
Can Amazon keep this up in the long term, though? Several analysts believe so.
Lindsay said that while the third-quarter performance was much stronger than he expected, there was no single factor that really led to the growth surge. This makes him confident that Amazon can continue to report strong growth in the future.
And while competitors like Wal-Mart Stores Inc. are working to ramp up their presence on the Web — and competing with Amazon’s low prices in the online book market — Lindsay doesn’t believe they will pose much of a threat to Amazon.
“It looks like Amazon is so well-positioned in the mind of the consumer that it will very, very hard for competitors to make inroads into that,” he said.
Goldman Sachs analyst James Mitchell said in a Friday note to clients that Amazon is “still operating far below any ‘natural’ limits on its revenue.”


text:
NEW YORK — Oil prices may have reached a 21-year high Thursday but that didn’t dent the optimism of the nation’s top two discounters, which cited strong initial demand for back-to-school items as good news for the future.
Both Lee Scott, president and chief executive officer of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and Robert Ulrich, chairman and ceo of Target Corp., were upbeat in their comments about the second half as they discussed in separate conference calls second-quarter results posted on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Kohl’s Corp., which reported second-quarter results after market, said income for the three months ended July 31 jumped 39 percent, citing significant progress on its 2004 initiatives. The company was hopeful that it will return to positive comparable-store sales increases in the third quarter.
Wal-Mart said income for the quarter ended July 31 rose 16.1 percent to $2.65 billion, or 62 cents a diluted share, from $2.44 billion, or 56 cents, in the year-ago period. Total revenues rose 11.3 percent to $69.72 billion from $62.64 billion, which included a 10.2 percent gain in Wal-Mart stores to $46.91 billion from $42.57 billion. Wal-Mart also operates the warehouse division Sam’s Club, as well as international operations. Total U.S. comps sales rose 4.1 percent, representing a 3.2 percent jump in same-store sales for Wal-Mart stores and an 8.8 percent increase in comps for Sam’s Club.
In the six months, income rose 11.9 percent to $4.82 billion, or $1.13 a share, from $4.31 billion, or 98 cents, a year ago. Total revenues rose 12.7 percent to $134.49 billion from $119.4 billion.
Scott told Wall Street analysts during the call, “Each of our divisions grew earnings faster than sales and we exceeded our total shareholder return target. Our improvement in operating income was due to increases in gross margin. This did not come from raising prices.”
He disclosed the improvement came from lower costs, particularly from global sourcing initiatives and a reduction in the amount of markdowns.
“In the Wal-Mart stores division, apparel had a good quarter. This is a marked improvement over last year and markdowns were down for the quarter. Initial response to back-to-school is encouraging and bodes well for the second half of the year,” Scott said.
Steve Aoki held a presentation, a runway show and outdoor concert for his men's line Dim Mak. Here's a look from his spring 2018 collection, which was titled "Paradise Found." #wwdfashion #wwdmens (📷: George Chinsee)
"It's really hard sometimes. I think I have a reputation for being really tough and aggressive and pushy but I really am a very shy person who wants to be liked, and that's the conflict constantly. There's something that takes hold - I want people to like me, I don't want to be mean - but if I see something that just cries out to be answered, I go for it," says renowned NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell. (📷: @axeldupeux)


text:
Experiment With Printer Paper Advises Expert
Contrasting results will come from using different quality printer paper, according to an expert.
Rick Maybury, writing for the tech section of the Daily Telegraph, was answering a reader's query after asking if there were any disadvantages to using cheaper paper.
The correspondent said that printer ink users should not be afraid to experiment with the different settings and paper that is available.
Users can choose paper of different thickness, while special photo sheets are available for printing items snapped on a digital camera.
"The point is if you are getting acceptable results on cheap paper then by all means continue to use it. Paper absorbency doesn't have any impact on ink consumption, but it can affect the sharpness of printed characters," he advised.
Mr Maybury went on to say that recycled printer ink cartridges have benefits in being cheaper than brand new versions.
He noted that these models are perfectly suited to machines where the print head is built into the ink cartridge, such as most HP devices.
Posted by Canzil Ahmed.


text:
Action aplenty as usual from DC Thomson’s long-running title
There’s something for everyone in this brand-new set of Commando comics (Issues 5371 – 5374), on sale this week from DC Thomson Media, a set that marks the debut of award-winning comics writer Colin Maxwell to the creative team: from… Read More ›
More war action out this week!
Get your new Commando comics, on the digital, er double!
Commando commemorates the 80-year anniversary of the Battle of Britain
Check out Keith Burns’ “adjoining covers” that are part of this release marking the 80th anniversary of Dunkirk
The latest intel on new Commando comics, out now
Brand new Commando – Issues 5319 – 5322 are on sale this Thursday, offering plenty of action and adventure, including two World War One forays, one very unusual, a stint in a Spitfire, and a weird romp in the North African desert!
From the desert dunes to Soviet snow, with a shortcut through the Ardennes! Brand-new Commando from DC Thomson Media, Issues 5307 – 5310, are on sale this week in good newsagents and via digital platforms
From World War Two battles in Crete, Dunkirk, and North Africa to the Battle of Hastings! All brand-new Commando Issues 5299 – 5302 are out this Thursday in all good newsagents and via various digital platforms from DC Thomson Media…… Read More ›


text:
At the Feedstore BBQ in Texas, they go through 3,000 pounds of beef per week.But higher prices are biting into Mike LaFaver bottom line. “Once it was a cheap cut of beef, but now increasingly it an expensive cut of beef and getting more expensive.”Beef prices are now at record levels $5.04 a pound on average, up 6% from last year and 11% since 2012. “My margins get cut a little bit and then we have to start watching about cutting people times and watching our other expenditures.”The cause of the sky rocketing costs is the extreme drought which has impacted feed supplies and limited the number of cattles.
Deposits of glacial sand and gravel are common across Scotland, and were the main source of aggregate before the 1970s, but have since been overtaken by crushed rock2. They typically form relatively small deposits, and many of those close to urban centres have already been worked out or are not accessible for quarrying. Around 8 million tonnes of sand and gravel were quarried in Scotland each year from 2002 to 2009, but this amount has dropped in recent years.. wholesale jerseys
Upstart aerospace companies have poured money and resources into developing a rocket that can be reused over and over again, much like commercial aircraft. Above, the main stage booster of a Falcon 9 rocket, which landed cheap china jerseys on a platform in the Atlantic Ocean this month.Upstart aerospace companies have poured money and resources into developing a rocket that can be reused over and over again, much like commercial aircraft. Above, the main stage booster of a Falcon 9 rocket, which landed on a platform in the Atlantic cheap nba jerseys Ocean this month.
Spent $15.8 million of company money on wholesale jerseys a 2010 ballot measure that would have accomplished the same thing. That measure lost, with 48 percent of voters supporting it, but the narrowness of the defeat convinced him to come back this year. He has spent $16 million of his own money to bankroll a nearly identical initiative on the November ballot.
Forget that the sheep industry is half of our gross national product, lectured Ishmi. That gets wiped out, half of the country will be on the dole and Caesar doesn cheap jerseys provide safety nets. Came running into Bethlehem, telling everybody that the angels told you everybody was going to get forgiveness with a new king..
Friday they hosted a beer tasting, lessons on food pairings, and even some tips on home brewing. It’s called Southern Suds, and the idea came from a recipe in a cookbook they have from the 1800s. It’s all about blending the old with the new to attract a different kind of crowd at the museum.


text:
Outside of Philadelphia, there's a company called Covanta Holding Corp that's focused on generating electrical power out of burning trash. In that line of work, you're bound to come across some loose change, but a new Bloomberg story tells the tale of exactly how much loose change gets thrown away in Philadelphia and across the rest of the United States, and it's probably a lot more than you think.
According to Covanta's own estimation, people in the United States throw away about $61.8 million in loose change, presumably by accident. How this happens varies, but some of the most common scenarios include discarded coins getting swept off of restaurant tables, emptied out of people's pockets, and vacuumed up off the floor or out of couch cushions and thrown away with the dust and dirt. Back in the old days, those pennies, nickels, dimes, and so on would go completely to waste at the city dump, but as volume goes up and space down, companies like Covanta have greater and greater incentives to try and filter out valuable metals like steel, aluminum, iron, and copper to sell off. That naturally includes coins, and it's the hope of Covanta to try and capitalize on all that loose change getting thrown away without its rightful owners even knowing it's missing.
To that end, Covanta invested about $70 million in equipment like powerful magnets in 2011 (not a bad investment, considering how much change people are throwing away). Over the course of five years, the company was able to recover over two million tons of discarded metal using the equipment, and last year they made $61 million selling the metal off to the recyclers. But the coin-selling component of the operation was suspended last year, after the government cracked down on the practice in order to combat counterfeit coins. So for now, they're keeping all the coins they get their hands on, waiting for the US Mint to start buying them again. In the meantime, they have to content themselves with the monetary value of discarded metal, non-legal-tender tokens, and even "the occasional diamond ring."
Unless you have access to huge quantities of trash, though, it's unlikely you can make a business out of that $61.8 million in loose change getting thrown away every year. But if the coin resale program is restored on its old terms, a pound of nickels will once more be worth $4.54 from the US Mint, while dimes and quarters go for $19.84 a pound. And if you can't stop throwing away loose change despite yourself, try to at least keep track of your diamond rings.


text:
It’s nice to see that we’ve got a growing set of options for healthful food in the Central District. We’ve got the Madrona Market (open Fridays, 3pm – 7pm) and the new Jackson Street Central Market (open Saturdays, Sundays 9am-3pm).
And starting Saturday morning, we’ll also have the Clean Greens stand open near 21st & Fir. Clean Greens, now in its third year, is the Black Dollar Days Task Force project that has taken over a Snoqualmie Valley farm and used it to deliver affordable healthy food options back into the city.
The grand opening starts Saturday at 10am, and they’ll have fresh produce, music, vendors, food, and door prizes. The party runs until 3pm.
The butter lettuce, spinach and collard greens look great! Also available – mustard greens, radishes, onions and more. Pretty good for the first day.


text:
The retail behemoth that is Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is fixing its sights on a new target: the nation’s overstretched and overly costly primary healthcare system. The result could be a major disruption of that system and the acceleration of health reform in America.
While building a 4,500-store retail pharmacy powerhouse in the United States, Walmart also has kept pace with the specialty pharmacy revolution and is positioning itself to play a stronger role in this most innovative, dynamic and complex area of pharmaceutical R&D and bioengineering.
Start-up beauty brand Julep Beauty has launched this month its first fully customizable monthly beauty box subscription, enabling beauty mavens to choose from among two million possible combinations of full-size beauty products and limited-batch nail polishes.
Walgreens and the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care have announced that all of the more than 50 primary care worksite health centers managed by Take Care Employer Solutions Group, a division of Walgreens that provides workplace health solutions, have received medical home accreditation.
Retail and consumer products industry veterans Rich Juliano, Vince Burke and Jim Gillis have founded Burke • Gillis • Juliano Group, a global consultancy focused on the supermarket, mass retail, convenience, drug and specialty retail trade channels.
How can retailers and their supplier-partners overcome the most common obstacles that impede true collaboration, real growth and a mutually beneficial business relationship? By taking a step back and focusing on the most important common ground retailers and suppliers share — the shopper.
Gigwalk, an on-demand mobile workforce, has announced the launch of its Android app in North America and the United Kingdom, making Gigwalk the first mobile-centric marketplace for temporary work to have both an iPhone and Android app.
Some of the top minds in retail gathered in Las Vegas Friday to attend an exclusive one-day summit, co-hosted by the Mack Elevation Forum and the Drug Store News Group, that not only served as a special kickoff to NACDS Total Store Expo, but also provided a platform to discuss how to “create the future.”
Harris Teeter on Tuesday announced that it has reached an agreement with Tresata to provide the company with next-generation predictive analytics software, which will improve the way Harris Teeter serves its customers through improved functionality of its mobile application (htmobile), e-VIC program and the newly launched Facebook application by enhancing the user experience.
The aging population, financial stress and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has forced the entire medical delivery system into a game of musical chairs. The music has started, and each component of the healthcare delivery system is aggressively looking to have a chair.


text:
Supermarket shoppers are easily fooled into so-called promotions that would see consumers spending MORE money rather than saving it, according to Midland psychology experts.
Research by Staffordshire-based firm Shopping Behaviour Xplained Ltd, reveals that shoppers are more likely to be tempted by signs promoting special offers than the detail of the offer itself.
And most shoppers are mentally unable to make effective calculations in-store, and end up missing the best deal or buying something more expensive, says Phillip Adcock, managing director of the company which specialises in consumers’ shopping habits.
In an experiment, the firm, which has offices in Lichfield and Tamworth, set up a display at a supermarket with a special offer of “two for £10” on a product that cost £4.24 each. The deal would see anyone taking up the offer spending £1.52 more than if they would without taking up the “promotion”.
However, it didn’t stop confused shoppers snapping up the deal. And, in another experiment, consumers failed to spot an offer that could have saved them money.
An item of food was put on a “buy one, get one free” promotion – yet nearly half of shoppers failed to spot the bargain and only picked up one item instead of two.
In another experiment, sales of a brand of lager increased by 10 per cent when a prominent sign was put up next to it –yet the sign simply warned shoppers that thieves would be prosecuted.
And in another study, framing a brand of spirit with a promotional colour – but no special offer– increased sales by more than 30 per cent.
Mr Adcock says: “In a number of studies we have carried out or commissioned it is clear that the precise nature of a special offer or deal was much less important than the presentation of the promotion.
“Shoppers are unable to make detailed calculations in-store and so they take shortcuts or start to guess.
“What they actually do is reduce their choice to anything that stands out above the rest.
“The message to shoppers is to take more time taking in the detail of a promotion in order to understand what the saving is – if any.”
He said he feared that supermarkets were cashing in on shoppers’ vulnerability.
“The message to supermarkets is that it doesn’t really matter what the offer is as long as the product is visually prominent,” he adds. “We know that promotions work because a quarter of all products sold in supermarkets are on some kind of offer.”
The news comes after consumer watchdog The Office of Fair Trading last November encouraged eight leading supermarkets to agree to address concerns over special offers and promotions for food and drink.
Aldi, Co-Op, Lidl, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose all agreed to adopt new policies to stop confusing shoppers with misleading deals.
It means they can no longer artificially inflate prices to later slash them purely to make the price look more attractive.
OFT chief executive Clive Maxwell says: “Household budgets across the country are under pressure and shoppers should be able to trust that special offers and promotions really are bargains.
“Prices and promotions need to be fair and meaningful so shoppers can make the right decisions. Nowhere is this more important than during regular shopping for groceries, which accounts for 44 per cent of retail spending.”
Beat rising prices
* Cash-strapped families could save money by visiting a host of websites offering discount vouchers, such as www.netvouchercodes.co.uk ;
* Get £10 off your first shop at Ocado by visiting www.ocado.com/webshop/ before June 3;
* Get £12 off your first online shop of over £60 at Tesco using voucher code XXLLPT by June 4.
* Save up to £72 on your grocery deliveries with the mid-week saver plan at Tesco by visiting www.tesco.com/DeliverySaver
* Save £20 on the ultimate steak box at Farmison by May 29 by visiting www.farmison.com/boxes-and-hampers/ultimate-steak-box
Prices will rise at double the rate of inflation
The price of a dozen eggs has soared by a staggering 340 per cent in the past three decades, new figures have revealed.
Statistics released by money saving website www.vouchercodespro.co.uk has shown the rise in the cost of living since 1980.
A pint of milk has shot up from 17p to 46p, while a loaf of bread now sets consumers back around £1.23 – compared to just 33p in 1980.
And its not just the price of food that has escalated. A gallon of diesel now costs £1.42, compared to just 30p 33 years ago, while costs for a man’s hair cut has rocketed by 600 per cent, costing around £14 now compared to as little as £2 in decades past.
And one of the biggest rises has been the cost of owning a property – with an average terraced house now £162,900, when it was just £23,500 in 1980.
George Charles, spokesman for the website, says: “The statistics that were uncovered highlight how inflation has changed the value of money over time – it seems consumers certainly are getting less bang for their buck.
“We see from conversations amongst our money-saving community that price increases are taking their toll on monthly budgets.
“The root cause of the financial problems for ordinary working families seems to be that wages are not rising in line with inflation, so budgets are even more stretched.”
It comes as experts have warned that the squeeze on household finances will continue for at least the next decade as prices will continue to increase at double the rate of inflation.
Food prices in Britain have risen by 32 per cent since 2007, double the EU average, according to figures released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Rising prices will take the annual food bill for the average family to around £4,000 a year within a decade, up from £2,766 last year – heaping further
pressure on households.


text:
Black Friday Grows 13%, but Are Consumers Done?
Nov. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Bloomberg's Dominic Chu breaks down the results of Black Friday retail sales as total spending grew by 13 percent over last year. He speaks on Bloomberg Television's "In The Loop."
Most Recent Videos
Iron Ore Seen at Risk of 2017 Price Slump to $50s
46:44 - Iron Ore is seen at risk of slumping back to $70 a metric ton next quarter, with the possibility of trading in the $50s in the second half of the year due to an expected shift in consumption, according to Barclays Plc. Bloomberg's Will Kennedy reports on "Bloomberg Surveillance." (Source: Bloomberg)


text:
Aayush Agrawal says opening more restaurants is key to serving more customers
Image: Mexy Xavier
Aayush Agrawal | 29
Managing Director, Wok Express
Category: Food & Hospitality
Aayush Agrawal always wanted to be in the food business. He set up the CakeBred bakery in 2014, but sold it soon after as it wasn’t lucrative enough. For his next run, he picked Chinese food. The idea for Wok Express was to start a pan-India brand that bridged the gap between Chinese street food and fine dining. From four outlets in 2015, the year it launched, the company now has 32, with two in Pune and the rest in Mumbai.
Wok Express uses premium ingredients but keeps prices low by buying in bulk from the vendors. One of its most popular offerings is ‘Make your own Wok’ through which customers can create a Chinese meal bowl with the Subway concept of picking your own ingredients; it accounts for nearly 50 percent of the business. The menu also has set meal bowls, Agrawal says, to guide new customers. There are also Value Woks at an entry-level price of ₹55, providing a complete meal.
Click here for 30 Under 30 2019 list
“Today, a lot of young ones are getting into the hospitality business. The idea is to create a good product, identify the market, and what it really needs, and if you can fill a gap and hit people’s hard chakra, with the right price, hygienic food and quirky branding, you can attract millennials and other target [audiences] in India,” says Vicky Ratnani, culinary director, Gourmet Investments Private Limited, and founder of Hello Green.
Wok Express closed FY18 with a revenue of ₹14.67 crore and is at a current run rate to close FY19 at ₹40 crore.
Convenience in the dine-in and delivery experiences is another core factor for Wok Express. “We don’t expect people to wait for food; we only cater to a 3-5 km radius. So, opening more restaurants is key to serving more customers,” says Agrawal, who plans to open 270 outlets across India in five years with a ₹100-150 crore investment.
(This story appears in the 15 February, 2019 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)


text:
On March 23, as the coronavirus pandemic place grocery workers on the front lines of a community well being crisis, Trader Joe’s sent a memo to shop managers encouraging them to relay a concept to workforce: Becoming a member of a union could be a poor concept.
“It’s not like getting toothpaste you never stop up liking,” explained the e mail, which outlined a series of anti-union talking details, including a warning about the sizing of dues. “It’s like shopping for a dwelling … you’re in for the lengthy time period.”
The pandemic has led to a wave of worker activism in modern weeks, as staff members at Instacart, Amazon and Whole Foods have long gone on strike and demanded increased protections. At Trader Joe’s, a chain known for its outwardly cheerful work pressure, workforce have criticized what they explain as the company’s haphazard response to the disaster, reigniting a debate about union organizing that has simmered for years.
Staff hoping to form a union just lately circulated a petition calling for Trader Joe’s to present “hazard pay back,” or an hourly level of time and a 50 percent. And in excess of the past couple weeks, the Retail, Wholesale and Section Retail outlet Union has held talks with employees.
That nascent organizing energy appears to be to have alarmed Trader Joe’s. At the end of March, store supervisors gave anti-union lectures through routinely scheduled “huddles” with employees, making use of talking points from the e mail. In a single situation, a regional manager visited outlets to argue that the hazard pay out petition was an opportunistic attempt to seduce employees into joining a union.
At a keep in Philadelphia, the manager informed a team of about 30 staff that “a union is a enterprise and they are trying to just take your cash,” in accordance to two workforce who attended the assembly. A retailer supervisor at a Trader Joe’s in Maryland reported that joining a union was like finding married and that “once you are in, it’s pretty hard to get out,” in accordance to an staff who read the comment.
Managers at stores across the United States held equivalent conversations as worker unrest intensified, in accordance to just about 20 current and former staff members. Most of the staff spoke on the problem of anonymity for dread of retaliation from the enterprise. But in interviews, they mentioned it felt as even though the chain was getting edge of a moment of anxiousness to generate home an anti-union concept.
“They are sitting all over there concerned about it mainly because they are anti-union and this is the great time for us to unionize,” said Kris King, a longtime Trader Joe’s personnel in Louisville, Ky. “They truly feel susceptible.”
A company spokeswoman, Kenya Mate-Daniel, reported in a statement that Trader Joe’s has “the suitable to convey our opinion to crew users about the professionals and cons of possible unionization.” Trader Joe’s is hardly the only retailer to actively oppose unionization. Whilst personnel at the grocery chain Kroger are unionized, Walmart has moved aggressively to squelch arranging endeavours in excess of the years.
“Because a union has preferred to inject itself into the lives of our crew users all through this time of disaster,” Ms. Close friend-Daniel explained, “we have no alternative but to remind and share with our crew users the info.”
Like a lot of grocery chains, Trader Joe’s has taken a variety of actions to shield staff members throughout the pandemic, which include reducing hrs and closing retailers. The enterprise by now has a reputation for generous pay out and added benefits, and it has available bonuses to personnel working through the pandemic, as perfectly as a 7 days of compensated unwell time to employees working with respiratory conditions.
But employees reported the 7 days of compensated leave was inadequate, and observed that lots of of the bonuses dispersed so significantly have amounted to only a couple of hundred dollars or a lot less. They also expressed misgivings about the inconsistent basic safety measures across outlets, in which some professionals have banned gloves and encounter masks, stating they frighten shoppers.
Juan Boria, an staff at a Trader Joe’s in the East Village in Manhattan, mentioned he went to perform very last 7 days putting on a mask produced with fabric slice from a Hawaiian shirt so it would resemble the relaxation of the organization uniform.
“I couldn’t explain to you how lots of moments I’d experienced consumers coughing on their way up to me, touching their faces and grabbing products off the cart,” Mr. Boria said.
A manager advised him not to have on the mask in entrance of prospects and sent him to the stockroom, in which he observed it tough to stay 6 toes away from his co-personnel. Mr. Boria still left in the middle of the shift, fearing for his basic safety.
At many times, Trader Joe’s has mentioned staff are allowed to put on masks and gloves. But unique stores have adopted distinct protocols, and some of the chain’s messages have bewildered staff members.
“It is vital to remove all lingering concerns or confusion and set the record straight,” a enterprise official wrote in an email to personnel final thirty day period. “Trader Joe’s official coverage on gloves is that we do not have a plan. We under no circumstances have.”
Now, nonetheless, clinical specialists are beginning to recommend protective equipment for retail personnel. Ms. Good friend-Daniel mentioned Trader Joe’s planned to supply masks for its stores, as other chains, like Walmart, have begun to do.
Staff members have also complained about delays in closing retailers where employees check optimistic for the virus. At a conference on March 20, a manager at the Trader Joe’s in the Chelsea community of Manhattan advised workforce that a co-worker was contaminated, in accordance to interviews with workforce and social media messages about the conference. But the keep did not formally near for a deep clean up until six days later, when Trader Joe’s announced that numerous personnel had tested beneficial.
The spokeswoman, Ms. Pal-Daniel, did not clarify that hold off. But the steps Trader Joe’s requires in response to infections “vary with the conditions of the likely publicity,” she reported.
The coronavirus pandemic is not the first time personnel at Trader Joe’s have mobilized to modify enterprise policy or that executives have pushed back. Above the several years, firm officials have aggressively opposed unionization, staff claimed, using employees apart to observe down rumors about attempts to arrange staff members.
Previous spring, a transgender staff at a retail store in Albuquerque was advised they could not don a pin demonstrating their chosen pronouns simply because the regional supervisor thought pronoun pins “do not mirror the values of our neighborhood outlets,” the staff, Ezra Greene, wrote in a Facebook team for Trader Joe’s workers.
Right after other personnel protested, the chain started off enabling pins, as long as they were only an inch in diameter. Mx. Greene left Trader Joe’s past summer months.
The incident served re-energize conversations about unionization that had simmered given that 2016, when an employee in Manhattan complained to federal authorities that he was fired just after professionals judged his smile to be insufficiently “genuine.”
In Louisville, Mr. King mentioned Trader Joe’s experienced primarily dealt with him nicely. But past week, he began a Fb team for employees to go over how the keep was dealing with the pandemic. On Saturday, he was fired.
Mr. King experienced by now been prepared up 2 times about the past 12 months, he mentioned, like for playfully tossing quinoa in the direction of a co-employee. The Facebook site was the ultimate straw.
“This is not how we work,” he reported his supervisor instructed him. “We never run by letting crew communicate among themselves.”
Ms. Mate-Daniel did not dispute the specifics of Mr. King’s firing, nevertheless she claimed the corporation permitted employees to talk on Facebook. The store manager in Louisville did not reply to a request for comment.
For his aspect, Mr. King stated he would go on aiding his former co-employees, who prepare to post a proposal to Trader Joe’s requesting better protections during the pandemic.
“They’re spouse and children to me,” he reported, “and I’ll do whatsoever I can.”
Noam Scheiber and Michael Corkery contributed reporting. Susan Beachy contributed investigate.


text:
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra says she will not give a commitment to US President Barack Obama Sunday that Thailand will join the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade agreement.
However, Ms Yingluck said she would ask for more details of the TPP -- which has been criticised by some US congressmen and foreign policy experts for not being transparent -- so it could be further studied. Local academics and consumer advocates have warned that entry into the TPP would hurt consumers and Thailand's economic competitiveness.
"A number of parties have expressed concern about Thailand's participation in the TPP," Ms Yingluck said.
This article is older than 60 days, which we reserve for our premium members only.You can subscribe to our premium member subscription, here.


text:
I. Overall market analysis
In the first half of this month, the prices of raw material acetic acid, ethylene and calcium carbide have all been raised. The cost of vinyl acetate has increased significantly. At the same time, the factory volume is still not large, and the downstream rigid demand is still in order to find goods. Under the contradiction between supply and demand, market transaction prices continue to rise. The market transaction price reached a new high in the middle of the month. However, since the second half of this month, as the prices of raw material acetic acid and calcium carbide have declined, downstream purchasing enthusiasm has declined, and bearish sentiment has become obvious. At the same time, the rain and snow at the end of the month affect traffic, downstreambuying is not high, and supplier sales pressure has gradually appeared, leading to the focus of market transactions continue to decline.
At present, the contradiction between supply and demand in the market is still relatively obvious. Under the pressure of downstream costs, it is mainly cautious andwait-and-see. It is expected that the vinyl acetate market may operate weakly next month.
Delivering the latest product trends and industry news straight to your inbox.
(We'll never share your email address with a third-party.)
Saudi oil refinery was bombed! 128 people died! The quotation of raw materials reached a new high, an increase of over 260%!
Seawit has joined Echemi Europe Exclusive Agent Partnership
Panjin 100,000 tons/year MMA industrialization project completed the pilot test
The top varieties in the field of potential immunosuppressants sell for 30 billion yuan!
Merck promotes skin immune active ingredients, containing cornflower extract
Prices of 11 technical medicines including glufosinate-ammonium, imidacloprid and azoxystrobin are lowered


text:
With more and more people putting off overseas holidays this year and the summer being a peak time for carpet cleaning, Rug Doctor will be capitalising on the business opportunity this presents with a heavyweight TV campaign to drive new rentals through their stockists.
Almost a third of annual rentals of Rug Doctor’s carpet cleaning machines occur during the summer months and 2011 could see an even higher level of rental activity with more and more families staying at home to save the pennies. Summer is also traditionally a good time for cleaning, as carpet drying times are greatly reduced.
To take advantage of this new ‘holiday at home’ phenonomen, Rug Doctor will run a heavyweight TV campaign during June and July this year on ITV3 Daytime. This will build on their successful TV campaigns that ran over last winter and during spring this year.
“As the second biggest non-terrestrial station with a target audience of 35 plus year olds, this ITV3 campaign should deliver us nearly 30million impacts across this important peak period,” commented Paul Fildes, Marketing Manager. “It is also the second most popular station with women and the second most popular with ABC1 adults. This campaign will target a major part of our market perfectly”.
Stockist are being encouraged to stock up with Rug Doctor carpet detergents and cleaning solutions to meet the expected summer increase in rental activity.
From its beginning, Rug Doctor has serviced both the professional and the Do-It-Yourself carpet cleaning markets through the manufacture, rental, sale, and service of carpet cleaning products and machines.
Originally established in Fresno, California, Rug Doctor relocated its corporate headquarters to Plano near Dallas, Texas in 1998. The company has grown from a US west coast operation to an international manufacturer and marketer of the most convenient, compact, and powerful hot water extraction carpet cleaning machines and products available today.
Tel: 01903 235558


text:
In 2021, a record 31 titles were published as part of the project. Of the 298 titles published to date, 264 are currently available on the project website.
Last year’s titles were published with the financial support of the City of Zagreb, the City of Rijeka and the Ministry of Culture and Media.
According to data provided by the Google Analytics service, in 2021 the project website registered 243,250 users, who read 1,208,869 e-books online and downloaded another 68,629 e-books. This means that users read and/or downloaded a total of 197,498 e-books in 2021.
The most read fiction book in 2021 was the novel “Sloboština Barbie” by Maša Kolanović (4,599 readers), followed by Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden” (3,788) and the novel “Tuđi život” (Someone Else’s Life) by Marina Vujčić (3,014).
The most read poetry book was “Tri jeseni” (Three Autumns) by Anna Akhmatova (2,357).
As many as 48 titles had more than a thousand readers last year, said the Society for Promoting New Media Literature.
At the end of 2021, the project surpassed 4 million users, which is nearly 200,000 per year, and books were read and/or downloaded 2,336,009 times, which means that each title had over 7,800 users on average.
For more, check out our lifestyle section.


text:
The Detroit News, which is on the verge of going out of business, reports that many Obama administration officials are just like most other Americans — they prefer foreign to domestic when it comes to cars.
Of course, figuring out what counts as an "American" car these days ain't easy. As UM-Flint's Mark J. Perry points out, several American cars, including the Buick Lacrosse and the Chevy Impala, are made by UAW workers in Canada. "What about the 2008 Honda Pilot and Honda Civics," he asks, "built in the U.S. with higher domestic content (70%) than the 2008 Dodge Ram (68%) and the Michigan-built Ford Mustang (65%)?" And don't forget about the cars that sound foreign, like the Mitsubishi Galant and the Toyota Corolla, that are often made by UAW workers in the U.S.
It's all a little confusing. Unless, like me, you've got a 1990 Camry that's paid off and a San Francisco-sized mortgage. I'm not paralyzed by choice. I'm broke.
UPDATE: An insider at one of the Big Three points out that there's a big difference between "Made in America" and "Assembled in America."
The distinction that is being made about what is "Made in America" is a subtle one. More accurate for many foreign nameplates with factories here is "Assembled in America". A significant part of the cost of a vehicle is in the assembly process (i.e. the factory workers who make $40-60K per year and use that money to buy things in their communities). An equally significant piece of the cost structure are the support functions that also help build Detroit. These are the engineering, purchasing, finance, and IT functions just to name a few. Thousands of these folks work for the auto companies and these jobs go away when volume drops just like the factory jobs. One of the differences between a foreign company and an American company is that these jobs - thousands of them - are here in the US - not in , or China, or Korea. Some of these companies may have a design center here and there but the vast bulk of their support groups are in their home country. So saying that a Japanese car assembled at a factory here in the US is just as American as a Chevy or Ford assembled in the US is not correct. The dollars traded within our communities by employees and families of the Detroit Three far exceed those traded by factory workers of foreign nameplates. in Flint and
Think about this for a minute. One day, when the volume and demand return for auto purchases again, every car company in the world will be making money. When profits are made, people get raises and maybe even bonuses. The support employees right up to the mid level managers may get a modest bonus in a good year - say $3 - 6K. They may use that money to build a new deck, put on a roof, replace the windows on their house, take a vacation - you name it - the point is they put that money back into the economy. The big guys with the bigger paychecks put more back into the economy and often donate more as well. Nearly 100% of the cultural centers in Flint and Detroit are due to the generosity from the folks who helped create great wealth from the auto industry.So when Toyota makes money, where does that wealth go? Right back to Japan.
Where a car is assembled is not the only measure of what constitutes "Made in America" and I would argue that the wealth and support of the US economy by a foreign car assembled in the US is dwarfed by an assembling a car anywhere in north America. Think about that next time you want to justify your support of the US economy by purchasing a Honda assembled in Ohio.


text:
Phew! That's a relief!
Despite Nicolas Ghesquière's departure from Balenciaga, it looks like Kristen Stewart is still "very much involved" with the label.
Some of her fans feared that she may have moved on after she revealed she supported his decision to leave. However, it sounds like she has a lot more projects in the bag, including a new fragrance campaign.
In fact, she's already shot
Besties for life!
After designer Nicolas Ghesquière left Balenciaga, it seemed like the face of the label, Kristen Stewart would just be wandering aimlessly like a little lost puppy.
Not quite though, considering KStew and Nic are BFFs. And, actually, she couldn't be more "proud" of his decision to leave.
When asked what she thought about the former creative director's departure, Kristen revealed that the two had a convo about it, saying:
Does Isabel Marant just ship these boots out to every famous woman in the world???
Because EVERYONE is wearing them these days!
Kate Moss was spotted in the French designer's embroidered booties while out and about in London on Tuesday flaunting her patent London street style in black jeans and a graphic tee.
She accessorized with print sunnies and a multicolor Balenciaga tote.
Everything about this look is SO Kate!
Often imitated, but NEVER duplicated! Ha!
[Image via Kate Wooldridge/WENN.]
Most people wear flats at the airport, but not Salma Hayek.
She rocked her peep-toe platforms at LAX on Wednesday like a total boss!
Flying in from the stylish streets of Paris, the actress retained much of that Parisian suave in a striped top, bootcut jeans, sleek navy blazer, and Balenciaga tote.
She's so pulled-together and mature.
It'd be kinda awesome to see her in a pink velour Juicy Couture tracksuit just for funsies!
[Image via Ramey Pix.]
Just the right amount of airbrushing!
Gwyneth Paltrow covers the May issue of Harper's Bazaar, and thankfully retouchers didn't go crazy on her face like so many times before.
Wearing a white Balenciaga crop top and black slacks, the actress slash author looks like a sunny California girl by way of London.
During her chat with the mag, Gwynnie confessed that like fellow A-lister Nicole Kidman, she's injected her face with Hollywood's favorite face-filler!
It's been exactly 30 days since the last time Chloe Sevigny wore this Balenciaga wrap dress to SXSW.
She not only wore the dress with the sloppy bow, but she also dragged out those pink Balenciaga shoes once again for the Coach 3rd Annual Evening of Cocktails and Shopping event in Santa Monica on Wednesday.
At least she paired the outfit with a cute coral Coach bag, but you'd think she'd wear something different for such a fashionable event.
One of the few people who can actually pull off the recycled dress look is Michelle Obama and Kate Middleton.
Soz, Chloe, this just ain't cutting it.
[Image via Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Images.]
Since Tracy Anderson's been keeping her pregnant bod in shape, it was only right for Kim Kardashian to attend the grand opening of the celebrity trainer's flagship studio in Brentwood on Thursday.
For the celebrity trainer's fit fete, Kimmy kamouflaged her bump in a beige Chloe top and matching Belstaff coat, leather Balenciaga pants and black Gianvito Rossi heels.
Guess after wearing that loose-fitting maxi dress Kim just had to put on something tight and leathery.
Oh well, no one said old habits die easy!
[Image via Brian To/WENN.]


text:
MGM will reportedly be auctioned off within the next few weeks.
According to Variety, the Hollywood studio will be sold to clear its $3.7 billion debt. The MGM library, which contains more than 4,000 movies, is expected to quickly find a buyer, while its United Artists studio headed up by Tom Cruise could go to a separate corporation. MGM's iconic lion logo is also expected to find a new home.
Last summer, MGM's CEO Harry Sloan was ousted and replaced by Stephen Cooper, who previously helped restructure ailing companies Enron and Krispy Kreme. However, experts claim that MGM may only net $1.5 billion at sale as many of its titles are considered dated.
The company fought off bankruptcy last month after entering into a forbearance agreement with its lender group to forego interest payments on its spiralling debt.
MGM has only released Fame this year, but plans to put out comedies Hot Tub Time Machine and The Zookeeper, as well as a Red Dawn remake, in 2010.


text:
Google to talk tablets, TV, social and more
Google is expected to show off a new champion in the tablet computer wars this week as it courts developers whose fun, hip or functional programs are vital to Internet gadgets or services.
The range of sessions at the annual Google I/O, geek-speak abbreviation for Input/Output, gathering of software developers that kicks off Wednesday will be as wide as the company's array of products and services.
But the objective behind the workshops, talks, and parties will be to assure software savants that it is worth devoting time and energy to "apps" that shine on stages such as Android, Chrome, YouTube, Google TV and Google+ social network.
"What is going on is a battle for hearts and minds, both of consumers buying the devices running on these platforms and of developers who create the apps that have so much allure to people," said Forrester analyst Charles Golvin.
"Getting the energy of this community is critical," the analyst said of rivals such as Google, Apple and Microsoft wooing independent software developers.
"Now, it is not so much a numbers game regarding who has more apps as it is a uniqueness game to see who can come up with the next breakout -- like a Draw Something or Words With Friends -- that the other guy doesn't have."
Words With Friends was a Zynga game that became a hit at leading social network Facebook. Draw Something is a smartphone game that rocketed to success after debuting on Apple's iPhones.
While developers can write applications that will work across all Apple devices, mini-programs typically need to be adapted to various modified Android operating systems.
Apple held its annual Worldwide Developers Conference two weeks ago in the same San Francisco venue as the one where Google I/O will play out.
"Just like with Apple trying to convince developers that it has a larger environment and audience on its platform, Google is doing the same thing with Android, Chrome, Chrome OS and Google TV," Golvin said.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that Google will pull back the curtain on a seven-inch (18-centimeter) tablet made by Taiwan-based Asus and bearing the California Internet titan's Nexus brand name.
The tablet was expected to be powered by a new generation Android operating system called "Jelly Bean" and have a starting price of $199 to take on popular Kindle Fire electronic readers made by Amazon.com.
"Seven-inch has been a favorite with readers," said Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group.
"Amazon has a new Kindle due out and Google might want to position something against it."
Enderle saw a Nexus tablet also as a response to Microsoft's decision to release a Surface tablet computer powered by new Windows 8 software.
As Google did with its Nexus smartphone, it could be creating a tablet to demonstrate slick capabilities in Android and hope that device makers rise to the challenge.
Google has sessions at I/O devoted to its social network and its Google TV platform for streaming Internet content to home entertainment centers.
"The social arena against Facebook has been an ongoing struggle for Google and it will be interesting to see whether they are going to actually move the ball forward," said Gartner analyst Ray Valdes.
A bright point for Google will be programs such as email, text, or spreadsheet provided to businesses as services in the Internet "cloud," according to Valdes.
"There seems to be momentum there and I would look to see how they plan to accelerate that," the analyst said.
Google will offer sessions devoted to what is new with its online mapping service and how developers can take advantage of it to offer location or navigation-based services in applications.
"Google is about multiple venues for developers to tap into users," Valdes said. "Android is the primary focus of Google I/O but there are lots of other pieces."
(c) 2012 AFP


text:
David Chao, The co-founder of the cross-border venture company DCM speaks English, Japanese and Mandarin. But he also knows how to talk to founders.
It’s worth a lot. Keep in mind that DCM should see more than $ 1 billion of the $ 26.4 million it invested in cloud-based business-to-business payments company Bill.com in 14 years. starting with his A round. When Bill.com went public last December when its shares were priced at $ 22 each, DCM’s stake – which made up 16% of the IPO – was worth a not-so-small fortune.
Since then, Wall Street’s lust for both digital payments and subscription-based revenue models has driven Bill.com̵
We spoke to Chao today about Bill.com, where he sits on the board and whose founder René Lacerte is someone Chao previously supported. We also talked about another very lucrative stake DCM currently holds, DCM’s latest fund, and how Chao is navigating between the US and China if relations between the two countries deteriorate. Our conversation was edited lightly for the sake of length and clarity.
TC: I see that after the first round you owned about 33% of Bill.com. How did this first exam come about? Have you ever invested in Lacerte?
DC: Right. Renee started [an online payroll] Company called PayCycle and we backed it up and sold it to Intuit [in 2009] and Renee made good money and we made money. And when he was about to begin the next step, he said, “Look, I want to do something that’s a bigger result. I don’t want to sell the company on the go. I just want a large public company to be formed this time. ‘
TC: Why did he sell PayCycle if that was his ambition?
DC: That was mainly because as a first-time CEO and entrepreneur, and when a big company gives you the opportunity to make millions and millions of dollars, you’re a little more tempted to sell the company. And it was a good price. Where the company was at, it was a decent price.
Bill.com was a little different. We had good offers before we went public. We even had an offer right before we went public. But Renee said, “No, this time I want to go all the way.” And he kept the promise he made to himself. It’s a 14-year success story.
TC: You sold most of your stake for $ 900 million in the past few weeks. How does this result compare to other recent DCM exits?
DC: We actually have a new one that is phenomenal. We invested in a company called Kuaishou in China. It is Bytedance’s TikTok’s biggest competitor in China. We invested a total of $ 49.3 million and now that stake is worth $ 3.8 billion. The company is still privately owned, but we actually paid out around 15% of our stakes. and with just this sale alone we already have [seen 10 times] this $ 30 million.
TC: How do you feel about the sale of your investments, especially after a company has gone public?
DC: It really is case by case. Once a company goes public, we generally spend probably anywhere from 18 months to three years [unwinding our position]. We had two major IPOs in Japan last year. A company [had] a market capitalization of $ 1 billion; The other was a $ 2 billion company. There are some [cases] that’s 12 months and there are a few [where we own some shares] for four or five years.
TC: What types of companies are these newly listed companies in Japan?
DC: You’re both B2B. One is pretty much Japan’s Bill.com. The other makes contact management software
TC: Isn’t DCM also an investor in Blued, the LGBTQ dating app that went public in the US in July?
DC: Yes, we weren’t very committed, but we were probably the first big VC to step in because it was controversial.
TC: I also saw that you closed a new early stage fund of $ 880 million this summer.
DC: Yeah, that’s right. This was mainly due to the fact that many of our funds performed well. We’re on fund nine now, but our fund seven is 9x on paper today, and even the fund that Bill.com is in, fund four, is now more than 3x. So is fund five. So we are in a good place.
TC: What does the growing tension between the US and China mean for your team as a cross-border fund and how does it work?
DC: It’s not a huge impact. For example, if we were to invest in semiconductor companies right now, I think it would be a pretty difficult time because [the U.S.] restricts all money from foreign sources. At least you would be scrutinized. And if we invest in a semiconductor company in China, you may not be able to go public in the US
But the kind of deals we do, mainly B2B and B2C – more on the software and service side – aren’t that affected. I would say 90% of our business in China is focused on the domestic market. And so it doesn’t affect us that much.
I think some of the western institutions are investing money in the Chinese market – that might decrease, or at least they are a little more on the sidelines trying to see if they should keep investing in China. And maybe, for Chinese companies, fewer companies will go public in the US, etc. However, some of these companies can go public in Hong Kong.
TC: How do you feel about the guidelines of the US government? Do you understand them Are you frustrated with them?
DC: I think it takes patience because what? [is announced and] There is a huge gap in the news about what is really implemented and how it really affects the industry.


text:
By Kelli Steele/Amy Cherry 4:19pm, August 5, 2014
Students who are part of the state's Adopt-A-Student program. (WDEL/file)Delaware's Department of Health and Social Services is asking you to remember students who are less fortunate by making a donation through the state's Adopt-A-Student program.
Program coordinator Shannon Smith says they need uniforms in addition to school supplies.
"Once they pay the regular bills, they don't have the money leftover for school supplies, and the children, if they don't have their uniforms can bve sent home, they can be prohibited from going to school if they don't have those uniforms," said Smith.
They're seeking gift cards for stores like Target, Walmart or a Visa or American Express card.
Smith is urging you to donate early since back-to-school shopping is already in full swing.
Last year more than 700 children in New Castle County were given uniforms and school supplies through the Adopt-A-Student program.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


text:
COLLEGE STATION, TX – Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences veterinarians have been monitoring the developments of the recent recall of pet food.
“Pets are an important part of our lives and of our society,” said Dr. H. Richard Adams, Carl B. King Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. “As clinicians and researchers, we are always concerned when events have detrimental effects on animal health.”
Preliminary investigations have indicated a rodenticide called aminopterin may be involved in the contamination of the pet food. This toxin appears to have been applied to wheat that Menu Foods (the manufacturer of the pet food) received from China. Aminopterin has not been permitted for use in the United States since the 1950s when it was used as a cancer chemotherapeutic.
“Studies are limited on the effects aminopterin can have on animals larger than rodents,” said Dr. Murl Bailey, Diplomate – ABVT and veterinary toxicologist at Texas A&M. “We need to continue to monitor the ongoing investigation into the contaminated food until we know for sure we have arrived at a complete answer.”
Owners that are concerned about the health of their pets should check their pet food against the recall list. If it is recalled, stop feeding it immediately. If there is a change in the pet’s behavior, it should be taken to the veterinarian for a precautionary exam.
“One of the positive things that will come out of this,” added Bailey, “is that more people are going to be much more ready to take their pets to the veterinarian when they suspect something is wrong instead of waiting. Pet owners will also become more involved in their pets’ health, and that’s a good thing.”
For more information on the pet food recall, go to www.fda.gov.
Angela G. Clendenin
Director, Communications & Public Relations
Ofc – (979) 862-2675
Cell – (979) 739-5718


text:
Apple would possibly have behind schedule its foldable iPhone plans till 2025. At the moment, the tech large has plans to discover all-screen foldable MacBooks, Show Provide Chain Experts (DSCC) analyst Ross Younger mentioned as according to a file through MacRumors.
A tale on MacRumors discussed that Younger defined that Apple’s long-rumored foldable iPhone has been behind schedule till 2025. The brand new timeline is being regarded as to be an important prolong because it used to be predicted that the foldable iPhone would release in 2023 or 2024.
A prior file through analyst Ross Younger additionally predicted that the corporate won’t release a foldable iPhone till 2023. He had discussed that 2024 used to be a much more likely 12 months for the discharge.
There are rumours that the scoop of the prolong got here after discussions with provide chain assets suggesting that Apple will not be in a rush to go into the foldable marketplace.
As according to earlier leaks, Apple is experimenting on foldable gadgets however the corporate used to be nonetheless focused on the show and the marketplace of foldable telephones.
We had in the past reported that in keeping with leaker Dylandkt, Apple desires to be sure that the design of the primary foldable iPhone isn’t a regression from the present shape issue of the iPhone. The tech large is anxious whether or not the smartphone will stay well-liked in the end or will they turn into out of date in long term.
The tech large, alternatively, is understood not to divulge any information about its upcoming gadgets.
As according to MacRumors, the release time-frame for the foldable pocket book, too, is “most probably later” than 2025 and it may not be sudden if the instrument will get launched in 2026 or 2027.


text:
Cycle Enfield: What does it mean for residents and shop keepers in Palmers Green?
4th February 2015
4th February 2015
Enfield Council was awarded £30 million to transform cycling across the borough by the Mayor of London.
BUT what are the implications for locals and how will the project directly impact our community?
The council will host exhibitions to give residents a chance to find out more about the proposed projects in their area, ahead of a full and extensive public consultation on the project later in the year.
The first event will take place at the Fox Public House in Green Lanes, Palmers Green on Wednesday 11 February. Between 3pm and 8pm.
Tony Ourris at Anthony Webb said "Whilst I am in favour of people using alternative methods of transports, such as bikes, I think it is imperative that the community as a whole does not suffer from the detrimental effects of losing parking on our high street. Many members of our community need cars to get around, or have young families and bikes would not be a practical option for them. These community groups would be penalised by the lack of parking and this could ultimately force them to shop at larger chain stores (with parking) rather than visit the shops on our high street. Over the years our High Street has continually tried to re-develop itself to accommodate the needs of modern life. healthy lifestyles and encouraging walking is great but to alter the fabric of our high street for the minimal percentage of cyclists could lead to the end of the High Street as we know it" Tony went on to say "I am backing the campaign against Cycle Enfield in an aim to preserve our parking for local shop keepers and residents"
Please take the time to visit the exhibition and inform yourself with the facts.


text:
A woman in Russia is selling a real-life wish-granting cat! The Novosibirsk woman posted an ad on the Russian ad platform Avito offering for sale her Scottish Fold cat named Vinsik. She says she discovered the wish-granting cat’s ability by accident when she told Vincent, “Fully my wish!” after a frustrating apartment search. The next day she found an apartment.
For grins, she tested Vincent two more times – to buy a new apartment and a new car – and found that each time, Vincent granted her wish. She says however, that it only works with the owners. Now she’s putting Vincent up for sale for $127,000.
“His mother, Octaviante Lolita, was like a real witch, black as coal and also lop-eared. His dad – Rochester – a healthy blue cat, but with straight ears. Vinsik was born in the kennel, and we bought him in 2011, when he was two months old. Since then, she has been living with us for nine years.”
Why would someone sell a seemingly invaluable wish-granting cat? It seems as if Vincent’s ability is limited to three wishes per owner.


text:
- Pinterest’s stock jumped by about 12% on the news, trading at just above $62 by midday Wednesday
In what would be a blockbuster acquisition, PayPal Holdings Inc. is exploring an acquisition of social media company Pinterest Inc., people with knowledge of the matter said, Bloomberg News reports.
The publication said the San Jose, California-based PayPal “recently approached” Pinterest about a potential buyout.
Citing an anonymous source, Bloomberg said PayPal could pay around $70 a share, which would value Pinterest at about $39 billion.
Pinterest declined to comment on the report. PayPal had not responded to requests for comment as of press time.
Pinterest’s stock jumped by about 12% on the news, trading at just above $62 by midday Wednesday. That’s still down from a 52-week-high of $89.90.
The rumored purchase price would be in line with Pinterest’s current market cap of $40 billion. For its part, PayPal has a market cap of $308 billion.
Last month, PayPal announced an acquisition of Paidy, a Japanese buy now, pay later (BNPL) service platform, for approximately $2.7 billion (300 billion yen), mostly in cash, to enhance its business in Japan.
On October 14, Pinterest announced that co-founder Evan Sharp was exiting his full-time role with the company, where he had served as chief design & creative officer, in order to join Jony Ive at his new creative collective, LoveFrom.
Sharp has moved into an advisory role with Pinterest which will focus on company strategy, product, design, brand and culture. He will also continue to serve on Pinterest’s board of directors.


text:
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Cann, California’s leading cannabis-infused beverage company, launched its first store-in-store at Planet 13 Las Vegas, the world’s largest dispensary. Cann products allow for a better way to enjoy social drinking through its cult favorite microdosed THC social tonics. With this store, Cann is on a mission to cultivate a culture in Las Vegas that leaves consumers hangover free.
Cann aims to change the relationship people have with alcohol in a city known for its party and drinking culture. Cann and Planet 13 are excited to offer Las Vegas residents and visitors the same social, uplifted buzz as alcohol but with no hangovers or regrets. A recent study highlighting the alcohol consumption rates among different age demographics uncovered that Gen Zers are drinking 20% less alcohol per capita than Millenials – who drank less than Baby Boomers and Gen Xers – did at the same age. In addition, cannabis has grown in popularity as an alcohol alternative, especially for younger generations. A 10-year study in U.S. counties where marijuana was legalized, showed purchases of wine and beer decreased by 15% and according to a report from Headset, year-over-year cannabis sales for Gen Z women grew the