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WALTHAM, Mass. – June 18, 2013–IMN the digital marketing company that delivers branded newsletters and content for vertical markets, today announced that after being named one of three finalists, it has won the Ethos Award for Partnership given annually by the Direct Selling Association (DSA) at the DSA 2013 Annual Meeting. The award was received on behalf of IMN by Michelle Larter, Worldwide Director, Direct Selling, and recognizes IMN for its commitment to making a measurable impact on the growth, development and profitability of direct selling members of the DSA.
The key to success in the direct selling industry is the ability to grow distribution and increase average sales volume per distributor and consultant. Quality communications, inclusive of engaging offers and content, sent to customers and prospects on behalf of their consultants, are critical to retaining loyal customers, recruiting new consultants and growing revenue in this competitive industry.
"For nearly a decade, IMN has been instrumental in helping direct selling organizations consistently and profitably engage with their customers and prospects through the use of IMN's Loyalty Driver," said Michelle Larter, worldwide director, direct selling, IMN. "We are humbled that our customers nominated us for the Direct Selling Association's ETHOS awards based on their success with our program and our team and we look forward to working with our direct selling customers to send many more successful email newsletter campaigns, and celebrate the success of the programs along the way."
For more details on what direct selling organizations have achieved through the use of IMN's Loyalty Driver, as well as insight behind the basis for each of our customers' nominations of IMN for this award, please see our recent blog post: http://bit.ly/127X69Q.
IMN is the digital marketing company that delivers branded newsletters and content for more than 3,000 organizations worldwide. By combining custom, vertically-oriented content with advanced publishing technology and services, IMN enables companies to engage with their prospects and customers to drive business results via email, mobile and social platforms. In addition to taking advantage of IMN's expertise within the automotive, banking and direct selling industries, customers benefit from analytics-based intelligence that provides insight into buying behavior and purchase preferences to successfully encourage brand loyalty and generate leads. For more information, visit http://www.imninc.com or the IMN Blog. Follow IMN on Twitter @loyaltydriver or engage on the IMN Facebook brand page.
About the Direct Selling Association
DSA is the national trade association of the leading firms that manufacture and distribute goods and services sold directly to consumers. Among its more than 240 active and pending members are companies selling both via a party-plan method and in the traditional person-to-person style. In 2012, estimated U.S. direct sales were more than $31.6 billion with nearly 16 million direct sellers nationwide. The vast majority are independent business people—micro-entrepreneurs—whose purpose is to sell the product/service of the company they voluntarily choose to represent. Approximately 90 percent of direct sellers operate their business part-time. For more information, visit www.directselling411.com.


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Recovery of the Indian economy has once again come under cloud with key economic indicators like Current Account Deficit (CAD) and consumer inflation remaining above the comfort level of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). While CAD reached a high of 6.7% of GDP in the December 2012 quarter, consumer price index grew at 10.2% in April 2013. Both these indicators are set to deteriorate further as the Indian currency has depreciated sharply against the US Dollar (USD) in the last one quarter. The Indian Rupee has changed from ` 54.4/USD in April 2013 to ` 59/USD in June 2013 resulting in an 8.5% fall.
Source : Knight Frank

domain: news


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Ontario Continues to Attract Investments and Create More Jobs
TORONTO — Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, issued this statement following today’s monthly employment release by Statistics Canada:
“Employment in Ontario increased by over 194,000 in February. This increase in jobs points to a brighter economic situation as we continue to protect our hard-fought progress in our battle against COVID-19. We are now poised to unleash Ontario’s economy and look towards our future economic prosperity.
Our government is doing its part to fuel the province’s continued growth and make Ontario a prime destination for major new investments.
Since taking office, we have reduced the cost of doing business in Ontario by $7 billion a year. Building up Ontario’s auto industry for the future of electric vehicle and EV battery production and attracting billion-dollar investments by manufacturers shows our province is Open for Business, and these efforts are working.
Yesterday, we announced a $100 million investment over five years by Canadarm manufacturer, MDA. Along with our government’s $25 million contribution, this investment will ensure that MDA’s world-leading technologies, innovation, and hundreds of good local jobs remain in Brampton and reinforces Ontario as the home of Canada’s space industry. Recently, our government and ArcelorMittal Dofasco joined forces on a major investment to transform Ontario into a world-leading producer of green steel. This investment will boost our province’s robust auto parts supply chain and skilled workforce in communities with deep roots in steel manufacturing to help meet the global demand for low-carbon auto production.
And over the last year and a half, global automakers have announced almost $6 billion in investments, with upgrades and new technology for facilities across the province. In order to compete and attract these kinds of game-changing investments, it is critical that the business climate in the province be competitive and highly attractive for businesses looking to invest and expand.
We know that small businesses and entrepreneurs are the backbone of our economy. That’s why our government provided an estimated $10.1 billion in unprecedented support to Ontario businesses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite businesses, families and communities in every part of Ontario facing numerous challenges throughout the course of this pandemic, our province has continued to see new and promising investments in the life sciences, auto, tech and manufacturing sectors.”


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H&R Block will see quarterly revenue dip, analysts predict
- Staff Kansas City Business Journal
H&R Block Inc. — currently in the throes of tax season — is set to report financial results for its fiscal third quarter on Wednesday afternoon, and analysts expect a decline in revenue compared with a year prior.
Four analysts polled by Thomson Reuters predict an 18 percent drop in revenue to $700 million for the Kansas City-based tax preparer (NYSE: HRB) during the three months that ended Jan. 31. The period includes the very beginning of tax season, during which H&R Block prepared more returns than during the same period last year.
Seven analysts expect earnings of 5 cents a share, compared with a loss of 1 cent a share a year earlier. Those estimates typically exclude items such as one-time charges and the effects of discontinued operations.
For its second quarter, H&R Block reported a loss of $141.7 million, or 47 cents a share, larger than its loss of $111.4 million, or 36 cents a share, during the same quarter a year earlier. A second-quarter loss is typical due to the seasonal nature of H&R Block’s tax business, and the loss was enhanced by charges tied to the discontinuation of its ExpressTax business.
After that quarter ended, the company wrapped up the sale of its RSM McGladrey Inc. unit to McGladrey & Pullen LLC, for which it expected total proceeds of about $575 million. Thomson Reuters said the consensus estimate reflects the RSM sale.
This tax season through Feb. 15, H&R Block prepared 6.7 percent more returns than during the same period last year, led by a 16.7 percent increase in digital returns. However, part of that growth was because last year the IRS couldn't accept certain filings before Feb. 14. H&R Block expected more moderate growth through February, though Cobb said he expected the company to gain share in both retail and digital channels.
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Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles Launches Campaign to Emphasize Online Services
The campaign, DMV anywhere. Yes, anywhere! highlights the many services that Coloradans can easily access online instead of visiting a branch~
LAKEWOOD (February 8, 2022) – The Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is pleased to announce the launch of its new marketing campaign to highlight all the ways Coloradans can DMV.
The “DMV Anywhere.” Yes, anywhere. The campaign emphasizes all the ways Coloradans can DMV, including online services and conveniently located MV Express kiosks.
“In the environment we live in, it is more important than ever to have the convenience and comfort of renewing licenses or plates, registering or renewing your vehicle registration, changing your address and so much more,” said executive director Mark Ferrandino. “The ‘DMV anywhere. Yes, anywhere. The campaign uses a light-hearted, humorous content approach with memorable imagery to playfully emphasize that no matter how and where you want to DMV, you can.
DMV senior manager Mike Dixon agreed that customer service is at the forefront of the campaign.
“We want to highlight all the ways Coloradans can DMV,” Dixon said. “Whether you prefer to shop online or on the go, the DMV offers plenty of ways to save you time and hassle, and get you back to doing the things you love best.”
In addition to online platforms, Coloradans can renew vehicle registrations, request duplicate registration, replace tabs, and check title status while shopping at one of 52 DMV MV Express kiosks. Kiosks are located throughout the state and the average transaction takes less than two minutes. A searchable list of booth locations is available online at https://comvexpress.com/
The New “DMV Anywhere.” The Yes, Anywhere campaign will run until June 2022 on media platforms such as TV, outdoor and various online digital and social media platforms. Look for contests, surveys, events and other opportunities to get involved and win prizes. Use #DMVanywhere to show how you DMV anywhere. Yes, anywhere.
The new DMV anywhere. Yes, anywhere! The campaign points out that the DMV now offers many online options for Coloradans, proving that you can DMV anywhere. Yes, anywhere! Go online and save time. myDMV.Colorado.gov


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Serving soil, mulch, compost and wood pellet producers, Soil & Mulch Producer News provides insight into critical issues facing businesses involved in producing and marketing topsoil, mulch and compost material. I write many of the publication’s feature stories, like the ones posted below:
For almost 40 years, Hardwood Mulch Corp., located about 35 miles southeast of Richmond, Va., hauled loads of wood mulch to a loyal customer in Maryland. That ended this year because of new interstate trucking regulations that mandate the use of electronic logging devices (ELDs) to monitor a driver’s hours of service, said Garland Anderson, owner of the company.
In theory, expanding a mulch producing operation into compost production sounds like an ideal way to add an additional revenue stream. Unfortunately, say some people in the mulch business, the complications of permitting and the expense of purchasing composting equipment often can make compost production more trouble than it’s worth.
“Good luck. Tell us how you do.”
Robert Smith, chief of operations for the North Collier (County, Florida) Fire and Rescue District, said he heard that line a lot as he called fire departments around the country for advice about fighting a massive mulch and compost fire at the end of April. The blaze – the second in less than a year at Environmental Turnkey Solutions (ETS) – was identified in one local media report as the largest mulch fire ever in the U.S.
By most anecdotal accounts, mulch industry sales were up in 2016 compared to 2015. Survey responses and conversations with mulch producers from around the U.S. suggested that colored mulch continued to gain in popularity, while consumers increasingly are gravitating toward bagged products over bulk, primarily due to convenience of transporting and spreading the material.
Dry hot weather combined with indoor smoking bans create the ideal conditions for fires in mulched landscape beds. Such fires are on the rise across the country. In many cases fire officials have publicly cited spontaneous combustion as the causes of mulch fires, an explanation that Robert LaGasse, executive director of the Mulch and Soil Council describes as – to paraphrase it more politely – “steer manure.”
The new “Clean Water Rule” defining the “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) purportedly is intended to clarify enforcement of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). Instead, many observers say, the new rule, which is set to take effect on August 28, has further muddied the waters, creating new vagaries that can stifle even simple plans of businesses and landowners.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in conjunction with the U.S. Department of the Treasury have reported that they have increased a full-strength aspirin to 331 mg after adjusting for an inflation rate of 1.73% over the past 12 months.
“It is important for physicians, pharmacists, all health care professionals to realize that we not only have to dose-adjust our medications for liver and renal impairment, but also the current inflation rate,” explained Steven Mnuchin, the current United States Secretary of the Treasury, at a press conference earlier this morning. “If you recommend 325 mg, understand that this is an underdose.”
Along those same lines, the FDA has increased a baby aspirin to 82 mg.
In an effort not to waste the nation’s current supply of 81-mg and 325-mg bottles of aspirin, Bayer Pharmaceuticals and other companies have ramped up production of special bottles of aspirin containing 1-mg and 5-mg tablets. For those on an 81-mg aspirin, they simply need to take another 1 mg daily to make sure they are adequately dosed for inflation. For those on an 325-mg aspirin, they simply need to take a 5-mg tablet and a 1-mg tablet to reach 331 mg.
Theoretically, patients on 325-mg aspirin could take six 1-mg tablets of aspirin though the universal consensus is “Why the hell would you do that?”
Bayer Pharmaceuticals wants to allay the fears of consumers that they will be cautious not to flood the market with too much acetylsalicylic acid for fears of devaluing the medication like they did with the Aspirin Bubble of 1989.
“Boy, was that a disaster,” recalled cardiologist David Buckle. “You needed 1,000,000 mg just to prevent stroke and heart attack but there was GI bleeding everywhere, it was such a mess!”


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The Czech carmaker Skoda India, recently, launched Skoda BS6 Rapid 1.0 TSI, Karoq, and Superb facelift digitally in India. All the three models can be purchased via Skoda online sales portal. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the country is still battling the economic crisis. In order to rack up the sales and attract customers, Skoda Auto India has introduced a bunch of finance schemes for its recently launched BS6 range. This has been done with an aim to make the vehicles more accessible.
The customers can avail 100 percent funding on ex-showroom prices on Skoda vehicles at a special 8.99 percent rate of interest. The company is also offering loyalty bonus and corporate benefits on all its vehicles. Skoda is offering a 'Buy Now Pay in Diwali' offer on Rapid TSI. This scheme offers a 6 months monthly installment holiday. According to this offer, buyers will have to start paying installments by somewhere around Diwali 2020. There is also a lucrative exchange offer with Rapid. The Superb facelift is available with low EMI and assured buyback value of 57 percent after 3 years.
The company is also likely to resume operations at dealerships in a phased manner in strict adherence to the guidelines issued by the authorities. However, production at its Aurangabad plant has been resumed.
The COVID'19 pandemic has hit the automobile industry hard with zero cars sold in April in the domestic market. As a part of its growth plans in the country, the company has launched the three vehicles namely Rapid TSI, Skoda Superb facelift, and Karoq via digital medium. They have also made vehicles on sale online. The new Karoq is priced at Rs 24.99 lakhs (Ex-Showroom). The SUV will be imported to India as a CBU unit. The entry-level sedan Rapid TSI is priced at Rs 7.49 lakhs (Ex-Showroom). While the premium sedan Superb is priced in the range of Rs 29.99-32.99 Lakhs (Ex-Showroom).


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By Neha Malara and Kenneth Li
(Reuters) – ViacomCBS Inc’s quarterly results demonstrated a level of resilience, buoyed by demand for streaming, even as the coronavirus pandemic ravaged media businesses globally, sending shares up 5% at the open.
Although it logged a 12% drop in revenue, dragged down by a steep decline in advertising, the fall was less than expected and ViacomCBS Chief Executive Bob Bakish told analysts the second quarter was the bottom for ad declines.
Revenue and profit surpassed Wall Street expectations.
The company declined to give financial guidance for the year but said that advertising trends had improved since April.
“June was strong, and we’re encouraged by what we’re seeing so far in Q3,” Bakish said. “We believe this reflects not only economic optimism for a gradual recovery but also the power of our portfolio and the significant value we bring to advertisers.”
Stay-at-home orders have boosted demand for streaming services in the absence of live events and theater releases, with Netflix Inc and Walt Disney Co reporting strong streaming subscriber additions.
ViacomCBS U.S. streaming subscribers reached 16.2 million in the second quarter, up from 13.5 million in the prior quarter. The company said it now expects to reach 18 million customers by the end of the year.
To fuel growth, the company is preparing to launch new streaming platforms by early next year to consolidate programming across the portfolio. It will also launch an international subscription streaming service in 2021 in Australia, Latin America and the Nordics, Bakish said.
“While advertising businesses are suffering amid the pandemic, the companies with strong streaming products are benefiting from the stay-at-home environment,” said Haris Anwar, senior analyst at Investing.com. “Since the merger, ViacomCBS has built an attractive streaming portfolio which is helping the company to weather this downturn.”
Streaming and digital video revenue, which includes subscriptions to CBS All Access and Showtime, rose 25% to $489 million in the quarter, ViacomCBS said.
Advertising fell 27% across the company as marketers slashed spending and as live sports disappeared from TV screens.
Revenue from its filmed entertainment division, which includes Paramount Pictures, fell 26% to $647 million, hurt by a near complete absence of theatrical sales as cinemas shut down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The company said the fees it collected from cable and satellite operators rose 2% to $2.19 billion in the quarter.
Revenue fell 12% to $6.28 billion in the second quarter but exceeded estimates of $6.27 billion, according to Refinitiv IBES data.
On an adjusted basis, the company earned $1.25 per share, beating analysts’ estimates of $0.93 per share, according to IBES data.
Reporting by Kenneth Li in New York and Neha Malara in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva and Steve Orlofsky.


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According to the report, a whopping 76% of financial institutions surveyed plan to use cryptocurrencies within the next three years. A new report from Ripple highlights trends in the adoption and use of emerging technologies such as crypto and blockchain in businesses and financial institutions.
Both financial institutions and businesses see the benefits of using internal cryptocurrencies. Said by 42% of financial institutions and 41% of businesses.
Research has named portfolio management and payments as the most valuable additions to the corporate world. Portfolio management is detailed as hedging against inflation, hedging against other asset types, and asset valuation. Participants said data security and quality were the two main advantages of using blockchain and crypto for payments.
Related: The mission of blockchain business is to rebuild global trust
That said, as this is an emerging technology, adoption remains an uphill battle for large institutions. According to the report, both businesses and financial institutions recognize that a lack of public understanding is one of their biggest challenges.
However, the report also highlights that the regulatory slow-moving process surrounding the industry is causing hesitation among potential users. Regulations in countries around the world are in constant flux as authorities scramble to keep up with the fast-paced crypto scene.
Recently, U.S. regulators came under scrutiny from the U.S. Congress for “non-judicial actions” against cryptocurrency companies. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is scrambling to introduce effective crypto regulation in one of the most active regions of the industry.
Related: Tech Industry Group Calls for Regulatory Clarity, Claiming Crypto Job Losses Threaten U.S. Interests
Despite the setback of crypto-ambiguous regulation, the report still reveals a positive interest in global institutional and central bank digital currencies (CBDC). Thirty-four percent of financial institutions surveyed said a CBDC would help “accelerate the digitization of finance” and provide “greater access to credit for consumers and businesses.”
From a global perspective, this report has analyzed regional Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) interest based on their emotional and functional advantages. Respondents in the Asia-Pacific region were three times more likely to buy her NFTs for sentimental or emotional reasons compared to other reasons. Of the eight her NFT genres listed, 55% said her music-related NFTs were of most interest.
Sustainability was rated as it continues to be a hot topic both within and outside the industry. According to Ripple data, more than 75% of surveyed consumers prefer buying sustainable cryptocurrencies. Over 20% claim to buy only “sustainable” cryptocurrencies.


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The 5 best new cruise ships of 2020 that we can’t wait to try
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For fans of new cruise ships, it’s been the oddest of years.
More than half a dozen cruise lines have taken delivery of major new vessels in 2020. But, with a few exceptions, nobody has gotten to sail on them.
The coronavirus-caused cruising shutdown that began in March has meant that a significant number of newly completed vessels in recent months have gone straight from the shipyards that built them into long-term layups.
In other words, there are a bunch of cruise ships out there that are brand new and ready to go, but they are caught in something akin to suspended animation. They have skeleton crews that are keeping them shipshape, so to speak. But they have yet to see a single passenger.
The hottest new ships we still haven’t seen
Here at The Points Guy, we’re always excited about getting an early look at new ships. And there were several new vessels this year that we were particularly excited about seeing. Alas, we only have been able to visit one of the year’s hottest newcomers.
In late February, we were on the very first sailing of luxury line Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ new Seven Seas Splendor — the most expensive luxury ship ever built. As we wrote about at the time, it was — as we had expected — spectacular. It also was about to disappear. Just two weeks after we swayed to Seal at Splendor’s gala christening, the ship shut down operations due to rising COVID-19 cases around the world. Nine months later, it’s still not sailing.
Among the most notable newcomers of which we haven’t even gotten a glimpse — and that nobody, it turns out, has seen — is Celebrity Cruises’ new Celebrity Apex. It’s been ready to go since March. Small-ship specialist Lindblad Expeditions also has been sitting on a major new vessel since March, the highly anticipated National Geographic Endurance.
Earlier this year, we called the latter vessel the most exciting new ship of 2020.
Other lines with new ships out that aren’t sailing including Princess Cruises. Its new Enchanted Princess has been finished since September. Luxury line Silversea currently has two just-completed new ships waiting to welcome passengers, Silver Origin and Silver Moon. They’ve been finished since June and October, respectively.
Plus, there’s Scarlet Lady, the very first vessel from start-up line Virgin Voyages. It’s been waiting for its big Miami unveiling since March.
Meanwhile, the construction of several other major new ships that had been scheduled to debut in 2020, including Carnival Cruise Line‘s much-ballyhooed Mardi Gras — the first cruise ship with a roller coaster — and Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas, has been delayed due to the new coronavirus. These ships are now not scheduled to debut until early 2021. We’ll take a closer look at them later in the week.
However, for today as part of Cruise Week at the 2020 TPG Awards, here are the five new vessels of 2020 that we are most excited about sailing on once we can — and that we suspect you might want to try, too.
Scarlet Lady (Virgin Voyages)
The very first ship from Richard Branson-backed Virgin Voyages emerged from a shipyard in Italy in February, and it was in the process of starting up service when the coronavirus brought the cruise industry to a halt. One of our editors in the U.K. did get a quick look at the vessel when it stopped for a day in Dover, England, on its way to Miami — where it was supposed to start its first “sneak-a-peek” sailings with paying passengers on March 26. But we have yet to sail a day on it.
Like a lot of cruisers, we’re anxious to give it try. In the works for more than five years, the 2,770-passenger vessel is designed to shake up the industry with a new, hipper style of cruising. The ship has everything from a tattoo parlor to drag-queen brunches and a colorful karaoke lounge where you can get your Lizzo on. To ensure a proper party vibe, it’s also a kid-free travel zone, with a minimum age to sail of 18.
Virgin is going after travelers who might think themselves too cool to cruise. To that end, Scarlet Lady has no buffets, no dress codes and no big Broadway-style theater shows. For entertainment, expect interactive dance parties, DJ sets and “microplays” instead, plus late-night games of dodgeball. Suites will have a rock-star theme.
The details: Scarlet Lady is now scheduled to start operations in May with four- and five-night trips out of Miami to the Bahamas and Caribbean. Fares start at $750 per person, not including taxes and fees. For additional information, call 954-488-2955 or visit virginvoyages.com.
National Geographic Endurance (Lindblad Expeditions)
We were all booked and ready to go on this notable new expedition ship back in March. In fact, we were getting an exclusive first look for our readers. But our well-laid plans got sidetracked with just a few days notice when the coronavirus hit the pandemic stage.
As noted above, National Geographic Endurance — a vessel specifically designed for exploring polar regions — was the new ship of 2020 that had us the most excited.
Quite a few companies have rolled out new vessels designed to operate in Antarctica and the Arctic in recent years. But there’s never been anything quite like National Geographic Endurance. Billed as the world’s most advanced polar expedition ship, the 126-passenger Lindblad Expeditions vessel was being built super tough for the most off-the-beaten-path exploring.
National Geographic Endurance has the highest ice class rating (PC5 Category A) ever for a purpose-built passenger ship, which means it can go deeper into polar regions than other vessels. It also has an unusual, sloping “X-bow” designed to minimize movement in the rough seas around Antarctica.
Aimed at an adventure-loving crowd, National Geographic Endurance carries a fleet of Zodiac boats, kayaks, snowshoes and cross-country skis for polar exploring. It also has its very own remote-operated vehicle, just in case you want to see what’s going on under the hull. An upscale Scandinavian-inspired interior rounds out the experience.
The details: National Geographic Endurance will spend its initial spring and summer sailing in the Arctic before moving to Antarctica for the winter. Fares for polar trips start at $11,750 per person, not including taxes and fees, for a 10-night trip to the Arctic’s Svalbard archipelago. Thanks to a relatively new partnership between Hyatt and Lindblad, World of Hyatt members can pay for a cruise using Hyatt points — or earn 5 base points per dollar on eligible spend (excluding incidentals), plus the standard bonuses for Hyatt elite members, as well as elite-qualifying night credits. And all members — regardless of status — will enjoy a $250 onboard credit to use on incidentals. Call 800-397-3348 or visit expeditions.com for more information.
Celebrity Apex (Celebrity Cruises)
This is another ship that was so close to launching in March that we actually had flights booked to go see it. Celebrity canceled an unveiling event with just a few days notice due to the coronavirus.
Designed to carry 2,908 passengers at double occupancy, Celebrity Apex is the second of four new Edge Class vessels for Celebrity that boast an innovative new design.
Like the first ship in the series, the two-year-old Celebrity Edge, it features a 90-ton platform the size of a tennis court cantilevered over its side — the so-called Magic Carpet — that moves up and down to serve all sorts of functions, from tender boarding platform to 90-seat alternative restaurant. But perhaps the greatest innovation with the series are the “infinite veranda” cabins with outward-facing walls that are entirely made of glass.
Billed as an industry first, the new glass-walled cabins have balconies that are incorporated into the main cabin area.
Among other unusual features, Apex has a plant-filled relaxation area with an outdoor eatery on its top deck called the Rooftop Garden. There also is an unusual, glass-walled lounge, dining and entertainment at the back of the ship called Eden.
The details: Celebrity Apex now is scheduled to start operations in March with sailings out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Seven-night voyages to the Caribbean start at $829, not including taxes and fees. The ship will reposition to the Mediterranean for the summer. For additional information, call 888-751-7804 or visit celebritycruises.com.
Silver Origin (Silversea)
Ready to go since June, but now on hiatus until at least April, this new Silversea vessel has been custom-built to become the new belle of the ball in the wildlife-filled Galápagos.
Designed to carry just 100 passengers, Silver Origin is an all-suite vessel with such luxury touches as butler service with every room and the highest crew-to-passenger ratio in the Galápagos. It features wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows in most spaces to maximize nature viewing — something you just don’t see with most other Galápagos ships.
In short, you can expect an intimate, boutique hotel-like experience, just one with ever-changing scenery. Amenities include two restaurants, indoor and outdoor lounges, a stargazing platform and a marina with an easy-on, easy-off tender boarding area.
The details: Silver Origin is now scheduled to start operations in The Galápagos in April, with two different seven-night itineraries that can be combined to create a 14-night trip. Fares for the seven-night sailings start at $9,000 per person, not including taxes and fees. For more information, call 877-382-7094 or visit silversea.com.
Silver Moon (Silversea)
Just completed in October, this 596-passenger vessel is going to be a foodie’s delight.
A sister ship to Silversea’s Silver Muse and Silver Spirit, it’ll be the first Silversea vessel with an innovative new culinary enrichment program called S.A.L.T., an acronym of Sea and Land Taste. We got a sneak peek at this program in 2019 when visiting the ship under construction at a shipyard in Italy, and — for culinary enthusiasts, at least — it’s going to be a big deal.
The program includes elaborate, food-related land activities such as visiting a small, artisanal pasta maker in Italy for a detailed explanation of the pasta-making process followed by an elegant reception and pasta tasting (we tried this excursion out ourselves during our sneak peek at the ship and — trust us — it’s an amazing day).
On board, there will be three new S.A.L.T. program-related venues that will offer a foodie focus, including a S.A.L.T. Kitchen that’s billed as the first large-scale regional restaurant aboard a luxury cruise ship. It’ll offer a changing menu tied to the destinations that the ship visits. The second venue, the S.A.L.T. Lab, is a test kitchen where passengers can learn about local ingredients and artisanal techniques through workshops, tastings, and demonstrations. The third venue is S.A.L.T. Bar, where passengers can sample the iconic drinks of the destinations they visit.
The details: Silver Moon now is scheduled to start operations in April with sailings in the Caribbean before moving to the Mediterranean for the spring and summer. Fares start at $3,120 per person, not including taxes and fees, for an eight-night sailing. For additional information, call 877-382-7094 or visit silversea.com.
Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:
- The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
- The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
- A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
- 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
- 15 ways cruisers waste money
- 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
- What to pack for your first cruise
Featured image of courtesy of Celebrity Cruises
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Anyone who doubts the revenues of a restaurant can be profoundly affected by the mindset of its state and local politicians should catch this week’s episode of Working Lunch, a podcast focused on political issues of interest to the industry.
One of the guests on the installment was Mike Whatley, the government affairs veteran who works with state restaurant association lobbyists as VP of state affairs and grassroots advocacy for the National Restaurant Association. He’s worked on that front for more than a decade, and his career history lists no experience in running or working within restaurants in the years beforehand.
Yet that didn’t stop the operations virgin from flagging an often-overlooked sales opportunity that’s caught his attention while trying to shape alcohol-service regulations at the state level. In part with his help, 22 states now permit restaurants to sell adult beverages to go, with 10 more appearing swayable.
Lawmakers and regulators are open to the conversation today, having seen that chaos didn’t erupt when alcohol to go was permitted during the pandemic.
Much of the dialogue has focused on mixed cocktails to go. “An aspect of alcohol-to-go that’s overlooked is wine-to-go,” Whatley told Working Lunch co-host Joe Kefauver. “Wine-to-go is a huge part of that conversation, and there’s really room to grow there.”
He explained that his conversations with some lawmakers and regulators often touch on two ways for restaurants to sell wine for at-home consumption.
“It’s two-fold,” Whatley said. “It’s bottles of wine to go, and that’s sort of a wine club approach.”
An establishment hosts a wine dinner or trains its servers to match an outstanding wine with a dish. “You’re then able to buy bottles of the wine to go for consumption later,” he continues.
The other sales route some politicians are willing to allow is wine sold to go by the glass. “There’s really room to grow there,” said Whatley.
He notes that research recently released by the association shows the by-the-glass approach is particularly feasible for operations whose guests want to drink better wine but are daunted by the price of a whole bottle.
The episode also touches on what issues of the moment will be addressed during the restaurant association’s Public Affairs Conference, when the group brings members of its state affiliates to Capitol Hill to meet with their congressmen and senators.
Download the episode from wherever you usually get your podcasts.
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E-commerce companies have seen tremendous growth over the past two years, though there have been plenty of challenges as well.
The pandemic changed consumer behavior, nudging consumers to embrace online commerce at unprecedented rates. But at the same time, other downstream effects of the pandemic (economic instability, supply chain issues) have created new challenges for e-commerce retailers.
As the world finds its footing again, now is the time to focus intensely on growth in e-commerce.
To that end, here are the top 5 enterprise e-commerce growth strategies the Listing Mirror team has identified for 2022. If you’re looking to grow your sales, start with these tactics.
Brian is the Co-Founder of Listing Mirror.


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Tyfone, Inc., a Portland, Oregon-based provider of mobile-first digital security for financial and identity services, raised $6.6m in Series C funding.
The round was led by RPX Corp (NASDAQ: RPXC) with participation from In-Q-Tel, Steve Pawlowski and David Petraeus. In conjunction with the funding, Executive Director and Co-Founder of RPX Geoffrey T. Barker will join Tyfone’s Board of Directors.
The company intends to use the funds to accelerate the global implementation of its software and hardware platform as well as scale mobile banking and payment products.
Led by Said Siva G. Narendra Ph.D., CEO, Tyfone provides a platform for identity and transaction security in the banking, government, ecommerce, healthcare and critical infrastructure markets, as well as mobile banking and payment products for the credit union and other financial sectors.
Apart from its product and platform assets, the company has an invention portfolio including over 100 issued and pending patents, ranging from mobile security to secure commerce and identity management technologies.
Tyfone also has operations in Bangalore, India.


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Stone Edge Integration with Monsoon Underway
The company said that "Monsoon's robust marketplace functionality with the breadth of Stone Edge's shopping cart integrations and order, inventory and business management tools is proving to be a true end-to-end solution powering even greater results and streamlined operations for our customers."
The company also announced that Stone Edge User’s Conference will now be a part of the Monsoon Commerce Client Conference, known as MonCon. The conference will be held in two locations: MonCon EAST May 18-20 in Philadelphia, PA and MonCon WEST Oct 10-12 in Portland, OR.
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Monsoon has decided to pull back version 6 of Stone Edge Order Manager released in September.
An email from the company said "Simply put, we believe we need to do a better job of ensuring the stability, performance, and usability of the release. Our technical support team is diligently working with customers on a one-on-one basis to guide them through the decision, such as rolling back to Order Manager 5."


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Volvo wants to sell its last petrol-powered car in Australia during 2025, as part of an ambitious plan aimed at making it one of Australia’s largest luxury brands.
The Chinese-owned, Swedish-headquartered brand has committed to selling only electric cars by 2030 worldwide, but Volvo Car Australia managing director Stephen Connor last week told media he thinks the brand’s local buyers will be ready before then.
“We’re not going to wait for 2030, we’re not going to wait for the global strategy to come out. I put a proposal to Gothenburg the other day, and we will be fully electric by 2026 in Australia,” Mr Connor said.
Although upstarts such as Tesla, BYD, and its corporate cousins at Polestar are already electric-only, Volvo plans to be the first brand to fully transition to pure-electric power in Australia having previously offered petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrid options locally.
“If our product was available today, I would probably put our hands up. We could do it today. I think the consumer is ready for it, I really do,” Mr Connor said.
Here’s all the details about Volvo’s plans, what its range will look like come 2026, and why it thinks the time to move is now.
The current Volvo range features two electric vehicles: the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric, and the C40 Recharge Pure Electric. Both are compact-ish SUVs based on internal-combustion platforms.
Beyond those models, it offers petrol and plug-in hybrid versions of the:
“There won’t be any gaps” in the model range when the EV-only switch is flicked, Mr Connor confirmed.
“We’ll be still focusing on our core models which have made us famous, but you will see new models come [alongside the core models] – but they will be fully electric”.
Already we know the XC90 will be replaced by the EX90 SUV set to be revealed on November 9.
We also know an updated take on the current petrol and hybrid XC90 is coming to sit alongside the electric version in the global range, but it’s not guaranteed to come Down Under.
The XC40 is already available with electric power, meaning the XC60, S60, and V60 Cross Country are the three cars currently without a confirmed replacement. Of that trio, the XC60 is the most important for Volvo.
It’s the second-best seller in the range behind the XC40, and goes head-to-head with the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC in one of the luxury market’s most competitive segments.
Mr Connor confirmed it will be replaced with an electric equivalent, but it will come close to the 2026 cutoff. By that point, the current petrol model – which may be updated between now and then – will be close to a decade old.
As for the S60 and V60? We don’t know what the future holds for them, given sedans and wagons are on the nose in most markets.
Volvo is planning to unveil a new electric-only model every year for the next five (inclusive of 2022). The EX90 is it for 2022, and we know the XC60 replacement will be another, but that leaves space for three other new cars.
What form they will take isn’t yet clear.
Relative to its rivals, Volvo is forecasting solid electric vehicle supply in 2023.
It expects to have 1550 examples of the C40 Recharge Pure Electric and 3450 examples of the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric land in Australia during 2023; enough that around 50 per cent of all XC40 sales will be electric.
Moving forward, however, 5000 electric cars won’t cut it. Currently, Recharge vehicles account for 30 per cent of Volvo sales in Australia. Come 2025 that’s expected to hit 80 per cent, with the final 20 per cent to tick over in 2026.
Volvo expects to sell around 12,500 cars in 2022, and wants to be delivering 20,000 per year by 2026.
Mr Connor says Australia’s recent growth, combined with the benefits associated with sourcing cars from China, are both key factors in the plan to go EV-only.
The range sold in Australia is built at a factory in China, rather than in Sweden or Belgium as is the case with Volvos sold elsewhere in the world.
“If you get a car from Europe, it’s on a boat for six weeks at least,” Mr Connor said.
“We pay duty as well for cars coming from Europe, so there’s that issue. Unfortunately, whenever you pay duty someone’s got to pay for it somewhere, so the price of the car generally goes up because of duty,” he said.
“The other thing is as well, we’ve got brand new factories that can pump out better cars and more cars from China.
“They’re brand new, they’re only three years old. Don’t get me wrong, Gothenburg is beautiful but it’s an old factory. Therefore the capacity of China is far greater than somewhere like Gothenburg,” he explained.
“Then you add in, China you can generally get the cars in two, two and a half weeks from production,” he said.
Australia’s recent sales growth has also played a role in helping Volvo secure more cars for our market. With a strong order bank, strong sales, and a confident plan for the future, the brand expects it will continue to be looked after by the factory and head office going forward.
Volvo today told its dealers about the 2026 plan.
Mr Connor acknowledged there will be trepidation from some about the switch.
“Change is confronting at the best of time, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from,” he said.
“They will be experiencing a level of discomfort because there is change afoot. One day they were great at selling ICE cars; diesel cars and everything else, now all of a sudden we’re going fully electric.
“But we’re only bringing it forward by four years, so they already knew the deadline date was there. Again, this pace of change is unbelievable, isn’t it? This pace of change is absolutely unbelievable.
“We’re not saying to them ‘this stops your business model’. We’re not saying to them ‘you have to close your doors’. What we’re saying is ‘it’s a new world of working, let’s be bold’,” he said.
There will be changes to the brand’s physical dealer locations. Each will have fast charging capability by 2026, with a plan to ensure they also have amenities such as bathrooms, coffee machines, and warm places to wait for your vehicle to juice up.
The chargers will be free to use for Volvo owners, according to the plan laid out by Mr Connor.
Mr Connor also offered ongoing maintenance on internal-combustion vehicles, the potential for involvement in car-sharing or subscription-based services, and the benefits of potentially doubling sales volumes, as carrots for the dealer network to embrace the shift.
The short answer is yes.
“Inevitably when you come up with a strategy like this you will lose customers,” Mr Connor said.
“That’s okay, because maybe Volvo’s not right for them either. Maybe their time in life, stage, family, whatever it might be isn’t right for them. I don’t want to prove to everybody that Volvo is the right thing to do for everybody.”
For any customers Volvo loses, however, the brand is forecasting it’ll gain more with its plan to go all-electric – driven in part by the youngest members of most households.
“The decision making factors in the household aren’t mums and dads anymore, they’re actually the children going ‘you know mum, dad, I don’t want you to buy that car – I want you to buy this car, because they’re an authentic brand, and they live and breathe what they say they’re going to do’,” Mr Connor said.
Mr Connor made no bones about the fact the shift to electric power will raise the price of entry to the Volvo brand.
Currently, the cheapest car in the range is the XC40 Plus B4 at $52,990 before on-road costs, while the range-topping XC40 is the Ultimate B5 Dark at $63,990 before on-roads.
The cheapest EV in the range is the XC40 Recharge Pure Electric (single motor) priced at $72,990 before on-roads.
According to its boss, Volvo sells vastly more high-end, high-specification versions of its cars than its does base-model strippers. That means the price gap for the average customer might not be as significant.
As for the promise of price parity? Mr Connor said we might not get there any time soon.
“What’s happening is; battery prices are coming down but our logistics costs are going up,” he said.
“Our parts supplies and other parts are going up. So what’s actually happening in this race is that technology, because we’re getting to a volume, is coming down – but we’re paying more money for freight, we’re paying more money for parts.
“So I don’t see prices coming down dramatically. I think if anything I see them being fairly consistent, and if anything they will continue to gradually increase.”
“I actually think the Australian consumer is ready for it, I think they’re ready for the change,” Mr Connor said.
“If you look at the facts, Tesla will sell over 20,000 cars this year. That fact in itself is telling you that people aren’t waiting for the government to come out with subsidies,” he said.
“I think people want to see the revolution,” he said.


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Nothing but net for NBA, Disney
It was a celebration worthy of all things Disney, complete with Mickey and Minnie on stage waving through a curtain of confetti to a crowd gathered at the grand opening of the NBA Experience in Disney Springs.
The long-awaited opening of the NBA Experience on Aug. 12 means yet another entertainment attraction inside the sprawling Disney resort property in Florida. But to the NBA and Disney, the new venue takes an already deep media partnership that began in 2002 to a far higher level. Already, the NBA and Disney are talking about the possibility of extending the concept to other Disney developments around the globe.
“This cements our relationship,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, minutes after the opening ceremony where he and Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger appeared together on stage to christen the new attraction. “It is a major commitment.”
Five years in the making, the NBA Experience is a 44,000-square-foot, two-story entertainment venue that from the outside is modeled after an NBA arena, its facade complete with a giant video screen and LED ribbon boards.
“We set out to be authentic,” said Scott Lazaruk, NBA vice president of global partnerships, who took a lead development role on the project. “Fans want to immerse themselves in the league, not just watch it.”
A visitor can’t help but be immersed in the NBA Experience as they enter the venue, which opens into an NBA Center Court atrium that includes a center-hung scoreboard. Tickets cost $34 for adults and $29 for children. The venue features 13 interactive activities and a 5,000-square-foot store that sells a blend of NBA and WNBA merchandise and Disney products designed specifically for the NBA Experience, including Mickey Mouse ears and Mickey Mouse basketball-themed backpacks.
“We have a long history with Disney and they can bring the NBA to life in ways no one else can,” said Sal LaRocca, president of global partnerships for the NBA.
The NBA and Disney would not disclose the cost of the development or details of the financial arrangement between the two.
The attraction gives visitors a sense of what NBA or WNBA players experience through the interactive elements. Some are more immersive than others, including the Combine experience that allows visitors to replicate basketball drills and compare their vertical leap and wingspan to an NBA or WNBA player. The Shoot activity lets visitors step onto a court amid a computer-generated crowd and shoot last-second shots before the clock expires.
The Draft element allows visitors to don a hat of their favorite team and take the stage for a photo with a lifelike NBA Commissioner Adam Silver figure in a re-creation of what a rookie experiences on draft night.
To plan the attraction, Disney Imagineers visited a variety of NBA arenas, spent time at the NBA combine in Chicago, went behind the scenes at the draft and spent time with players to get ideas. For Disney, details matter, such as the adjustable rims and glass backboards at the Dunk station that mirror what NBA arenas use.
“When you come in, I wanted you to be able to tap into the player that lives inside you, that fan that lives inside you, and understand the entire world that revolves around that,” said Stan Dodd, executive producer and creative director of Disney Imagineering who worked on developing the NBA Experience. “That is why we take you into the locker room, and put you on the court to understand the pressure of that last-second shot. That is what I was after and why we have the mix of everything we have here.”
The NBA also views the new attraction as a significant brand extension strategy to basketball fans who have never attended or rarely get to games.
“The NBA has hundreds of millions of fans around the world, many of which will never have the opportunity to come to a NBA game, or who want to experience the league in new ways, so a project like this brings the game to the fans in a way that has never been done before,” Lazaruk said. “So hands-on activities, immersive entertainment; our fans are looking for those kinds of opportunities, but it is also a way for us to connect with new audiences, with Disney audiences. Fans coming in from Latin America, Europe and elsewhere. For the league it is about fan engagement. Fans want to know what it’s like to go through those key moments of what it’s like to be an NBA player.”
Though the NBA Experience venue at Disney Springs just opened, the league is already thinking about adding similar NBA-themed attractions at other Disney properties around the world, such as parks in Shanghai and Paris.
“We have talked to them about potentially trying to relocate this in other parts of the world,” LaRocca said. “From a partnership standpoint, we have a long history with them. Whether or not we take this exact thing to Shanghai, we will see. They are an organization that has the opportunity to bring the NBA to life in ways no one else can. We have started talking to them about what this may look like internationally.”
It is also no coincidence that the NBA and Disney held the grand opening of the NBA Experience attraction the day after the league completed its Jr. NBA Global Championship tournament, which was held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney Resort.
Players from the Jr. NBA teams were part of the NBA Experience opening ceremony as the league continues efforts to draw younger fans using the pull of Disney.
“This gives 75 million visitors who come to Orlando every year the opportunity to come close to the NBA and do things like dunk on an NBA rim or go to the replay center,” said Alex Martins, CEO of the Orlando Magic, which counts Disney as the team’s jersey patch partner.
“Having this in our backyard is spectacular. It a great opportunity for us to extend our brand and we worked closely with Disney to find as many opportunities to brand as possible.”
■ Location: Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort
■ Size: 44,000 square feet, including a 5,000-square-foot retail store
■ Opened: Aug. 12
■ Admission: $34 for adults, $29 for children
■ Features: Interactive elements
NBA Experience Store


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Why can’t many cannabis users identify a strain that is favorite?
Cannabis customer specialists High Yield Insights has simply released a research that unearthed that many weed users cannot name a favored stress.
Relating to High Yield’s information, despite 64 percent of customers saying that the stress is essential inside their cannabis buy decisions, 45 per cent of them cannot name their strain that is favorite or expressed no choice at all.
The High Yield Insights study dedicated to cannabis users whom choose cigarette smoking and vaping weed. From the ones that are few did report having a well liked cannabis stress, just a percentage that is small actually in a position to recognize which stress.
Global CBD Exchange
Two popular strains, OG Kush and GG4, had been called away by a number of participants. Meanwhile, other people just was able to say“indica or“sativa”.”
Tall Yield explained that the recall that is limited a preferred cannabis flower or oil stress is comparable to having less brand name commitment among people whom utilize edibles. a previous research done by tall Yields claimed that just 44 percent of consumers who preferred to consume cannabis edibles could name just just what their favorite brand name is.
Mike Luce, High give Insights co-founder, said that generally, cannabisusers simply don’t have the standard of dedication or commitment that certain might expect. This, he stated, holds true over the board, cbd even among the list of regular users, with almost a 3rd of those maybe not being able to name a strain that is go-to.
Luce added that while strains are essential to cannabis users, it’s not as crucial as one would imagine. He attributed this towards the known undeniable fact that the booming market, with the product that is variable together with nature associated with supply string, produces so much distraction for the users to gravitate a well liked.
He further explained that while the cannabis market matures, users will begin you may anticipate a trusted and constant item experience. This, he added, is why we have been seing a shift toward communicating effects in vaping, including Relaxation or focus.
According to Luce, their insights regarding the consumer mind-set, alongside test outcomes through the systematic community, stress the truth that is uncomfortable that strain names are increasingly meaningless. The cannabis industry, he added, has to strike reset in terms of being brought to consumers.
The& that is“Smoking” report by tall Yields Insights delivers cleverness on product and customer styles being centered on exclusive data they usually have collected from customers who really prefer these particular platforms.
The report limited outcomes simply to provide users in legalized states. And in that way, the research’s findings best represent today’s customer mind-set. Furthermore, High give Insights additionally found adjustable insights on the unique demographics of vaping or consumers that are smoking irrespective of their choices in cannabis items, kinds, and flavors. This, in turn, will enable organizations to a target customer that is specific like going back clients or self-identified medical users.


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Katy Industries to close Georgia plant
Katy Industries, the Bridgeton-based manufacturer of commercial cleaning products, plans to close a Glit/Microtron plant in Wrens, Ga., in 60 days, eliminating 120 jobs.
The plant had been struggling and has experienced a drop in volume, Bryan Brown, Glit’s director of manufacturing, told the Augusta Chronicle, which reported the closure.
Glit, one of Katy’s businesses, was moved to Wrens in 1978. Its primary product lines include coated abrasives, sand screen and scrubbing pads, a large portion of which are used in the floor industry. Wrens is located about 30 miles south of Augusta, Ga.
Brown said potential buyers have toured the facility in the last year and a half. “We just haven’t been able to secure a buyer,” he said. “It comes to a point where (Katy officials) are no longer going to fund the losses of the facility.”
Katy Industries (OTCBB: KATY), led by President and CEO David Feldman, makes commercial cleaning and home storage products. It reported a net loss of $2.8 million in its third quarter ended Sept. 28, compared to a net loss of $1.1 million in the prior-year quarter. The company reported net sales in the third quarter of $27.3 million, down 6 percent from $29.1 million the same quarter a year earlier. Most of the net sales decrease relates to volume decreases in its Continental and Glit business units, Katy officials said.
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Marie-Claire Bilyk works in peer support for CNIB in London, Ontario. Bilyk says she’s heard from a number of CNIB clients who want the province to update its assistive devices program. When Marie Claire Bilyk drops an earring and can’t find it, she reaches for her smart phone.
A non-profit organization called YGA, located in London and Istanbul is developing a smart cane for the blind called WeWalk.
In this session, Google covers ways to make Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality more accessible to more users.
At this year’s Google I/O developer conference, the Android accessibility services team announced new changes coming to Android P in order to make the operating system easier to use for everyone. In preparation for Google’s release of Android P, the team added new features that allow users to accomplish more tasks easier than ever.
Learn about the latest feature additions to Android P, get an update on accessibility testing and best practices, and hear about new APIs that developers can use to create more accessible app experiences. This session will also offer a unique look into how Google conducts UX research for users with disabilities.
Google has announced one of its upcoming apps called Lookout as part of the annual I/O conference. The tech giant’s Lookout was designed to help the blind and the visually impaired be more independent by giving spoken notifications about their environment. For instance, it can tell them that there’s a “chair 3 o’clock,” so they don’t bump into the object to their right. The app can also read texts, such as Exit signs over doors.
The Big Day has arrived, FlickType is finally live on the App Store. FlickType Keyboard is the Fastest Available Typing Method for Blind and Low-Vision
Every year at Google’s I/O developer conference, the Internet giant hosts the Google Play Awards to recognize the best Android apps from the Play Store.
Alexa and Google Assistant power 92% of smart speakers. In smartphones, Google enjoys an advantage as Google Assistant is pre-installed on Android smartphones as the successor to Google Now and Voice Search. On the majority of Android phones, Alexa is not pre-loaded, which means that users have to download it from the Play Store. It’s worth noting that some smartphones did come with Alexa integration in the past.
Since 2016, Google Assistant has been refined with more features and services, and it has also become available on more Android smartphones but also dedicated hardware like the Google Home and smart displays. It is one of the most used virtual assistants available, though it still falls behind Amazon Alexa in terms of market share. Alexa has a Fandango skill to help you buy movie tickets, and now Google Assistant is catching up by offering Fandango integration as well.


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Since the model's first debut in 2003, the Mazda 3 instantly became one of Mazda's best-selling nameplates in the Philippines and around the globe - a title which it still holds to this day. And now there's a new successor to the throne. Welcome the all-new 2012 Mazda 3.
If you're paying enough attention and did the math, you'd quickly realize that Mazda's second generation compact is actually about three years overdue when it was launched locally at the Mazda Expo last week. In fact, the rest of the world has been enjoying its blessings since 2010. But let me assure you, the all-new Mazda 3 is as young and well-equipped as its compact competitors and doesn't show its age, not even by a bit.
Only seven months have passed since the all-new CX-5 made its world debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show and Mazda's latest crossover is finally here. Launched last week at the Mazda Revolution held at the NBC Tent, Bonifacio Global City, it would be the first vehicle in Mazda's line-up to adopt the ground-breaking SKYACTIV technology and 'KODO - Soul of motion' design theme. And while we got its initial P1,392,000 price tag spot on, we did didn't quite expect that the CX-5 would look this good in person.
Get ready to go SKY high this weekend as Mazda Philippines gives us a first taste of their revolutionary SKYACTIV Technology. Head on over to the Mazda Expo from April 21 to 22, 2012 at the NBC Tent, Bonifacio Global City and get up close and personal with the all-new CX-5 and Mazda 3.


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Originally Published in the Fall 2017 WIIT Communique.
By Rufus Yerxa, President, National Foreign Trade Council
In January of 1993 I assumed the role of Deputy U.S. Trade Representative responsible for finalizing and securing Congressional approval of the then recently negotiated NAFTA accord. President Clinton had just been elected, and he had decided not to accept NAFTA until Canada and Mexico agreed to sign side accords on labor and environmental issues. It was a controversial linkage, leading to contentious negotiations with our two NAFTA partners, with business, labor and environmental groups and with our own Congress! But eventually a sufficient consensus was found among all, and the deal – along with the side agreements—was approved.
Now President Trump has decided, like Bill Clinton before him, that the deal struck by his predecessors is inadequate and needs revisiting. Why is that more problematic for business than what happened in 1993? Of course, the contexts are entirely different. The issue in 1993 was whether to undo trade restrictions and accept more open trade with Mexico (we already had a free trade agreement with Canada), whereas today open trade is already the status quo, and the issue for negotiation is how it should be changed. But beyond that basic reality, there are two other major differences. First, it was accepted from the outset in 1993 that President Clinton fundamentally supported the idea of free trade agreements, but wanted to ensure they evolved in a policy framework that respected the rights of workers and the need for progressive environmental rules. It was also clear that the additional negotiations would focus only on those two issues, rather than reopening the underlying agreement. But in the present NAFTA 2.0 exercise, President Trump has made little effort to sell the virtues of open trade, and in fact seems to believe most free trade agreements are inherently bad for our economy. He articulates a different model, based on vague notions of economic nationalism, which suggests he wants a more managed form of trade that guarantees a positive trade balance. Given this predisposition, it is not surprising that many of the Administration’s proposals thus far seem to point in the direction of making NAFTA more restrictive rather than more expansive. Secondly, the Administration has made it clear this time that all issues are on the table, and has not narrowed the negotiating objectives to a discrete list of items, meaning this could open the entire agreement to renegotiation.
In such an environment, the obvious challenge for American manufacturers, agricultural interests and service providers is to demonstrate why our past trade agreements – especially NAFTA – have been so critical to our nation’s success as a modern, technologically advanced economy. In fact, America’s future success in maintaining good jobs and robust economic growth in a rapidly globalizing world economy – where automation is a fact of life and where 95 percent of the world’s consumers are abroad – depends heavily on our ability to open global markets, so that our increasingly efficient producers can expand sales rather than shrink their workforces. Trade agreements are central to that goal, and nowhere has that been more aptly demonstrated than in the case of NAFTA. Canada and Mexico are now our two largest export markets, and altogether they now pay $600 billion annually for American goods and services. Although our exporters still face some problems in these two markets, NAFTA has succeeded in eliminating all tariffs and significantly reducing non-tariff barriers in both Mexico and Canada. As a result, U.S. exports have increased by more than 350% in real terms since the agreement went into effect. The expanding markets for U.S. manufacturers, service providers and agricultural producers have contributed significantly to the bottom line for our companies.
But the gains from NAFTA go beyond our increased exports to these two markets. North American integration of our production platforms has helped our industries compete more effectively with producers in Asia, Europe and other regions. In the autos sector, for example, integrated production has lifted our export competitiveness, increasing U.S. exports of autos to over 2 million vehicles annually – more than five times the volume of exports prior to NAFTA. In our most technologically intensive sectors – such as capital goods, machinery, electronics and IT – the wide-scale integration of production in North America has been critical to maintaining US global leadership in innovation and technological development.
NAFTA benefits our economy in a variety of other ways. Our truck and rail transport companies have a huge stake in the vast movement of goods between our three markets, with more than 100 trains and 5,000 trucks crossing our northern and southern borders each day. Our farmers now export close to $40 billion to Canada and Mexico every year. Our banks, insurance companies and accounting firms have made huge gains selling to both Canada and Mexico, part of the reason we enjoy a $34 billion surplus in services trade with our NAFTA partners. Finally, American consumers benefit from a much wider array of goods available at lower prices – from Mexican avocados to Canadian beer.
NAFTA also has another important benefit: It has given us a much more prosperous, stable and democratic neighbor to our south. Until it began opening up in the 1980s and 1990s by joining GATT and signing NAFTA, Mexico was a one-party state with a highly protected economy, state ownership of most industries, widespread poverty and significant out-migration to the United States. Today, Mexico is a multi-party democracy with a growing middle class, a more open economy a thriving private sector and net in-migration from the United States. It is worth noting that few big developing countries have opened their economies to a powerful developed partner so completely. In fact, U.S. exports to Mexico now represent 20% of its GDP, a remarkably high percentage (by way of contrast, imports from Mexico represent only 1.8% of our GDP).
From the perspective of U.S. business, any effort to modernize and upgrade NAFTA must preserve these hard-won gains. While there are many ways the agreement can be improved – particularly in areas like digital trade, state owned enterprises and small business that were not meaningfully addressed when NAFTA was negotiated over 20 years ago – any final agreement that diminishes our existing access to these markets will have significant adverse effects on our U.S. operations, sales and employment.
We are now in the midst of a crucial debate about how best to expand growth and opportunity for Americans. Do we seek to do so through defensive measures that try to restore market share for a few domestic industries, or do we continue the march towards a more open world where American know-how, innovation and entrepreneurial skill will set the pace, and where our producers and workers will have a chance to sell to the 95% of the world’s consumers who live outside our borders? In the coming months, as the Administration’s effort on renegotiation of NAFTA unfolds, that question will need to be answered.
About the Author: Ambassador Rufus Yerxa is President of the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), a trade association of over 200 companies dedicated to improving the competitiveness of U.S. industry on world markets. As president, he oversees NFTC’s efforts in favor of a more open, rules based world economy, focusing on key issues to U.S. competitiveness such as international trade and tax policy, economic sanctions, export finance and human resource management.
Mr. Yerxa has more than three decades of experience as a lawyer, diplomat, U.S. trade negotiator and international official. As Deputy Director General of the WTO from 2002 to 2013 he helped to broaden its membership and strengthen its role as the principal rules-based institution governing world trade. Prior to this, from 1989 to 1995, he served as Deputy USTR under both a Republican and a Democratic President, first as the Geneva-based Ambassador to the GATT (the predecessor organization to the WTO) and subsequently as the Washington Deputy. Earlier in his government career (1981 to 1989) he was with the Committee on Ways and Means of the U.S. House of Representatives, where he was Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Trade. After leaving government service in 1995 and prior to joining the WTO he spent five years in the private sector, first as the Brussels-based partner with a major U.S. law firm and later as European general counsel for a Fortune 500 company.
Mr. Yerxa received his BA in political science from the University of Washington (1973), his JD from Seattle University School of Law (1976) and an LLB in international Law from the University of Cambridge in England (1977). He is a member of the District of Columbia Bar, and is also a Visiting Professor with the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS).
The views expressed by the author(s) of article(s) published in this newsletter are their personal views and should not be interpreted as the views of The Association of Women in International Trade (WIIT) or its individual members. See full disclaimer here.


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Avtovaz closes deal to buy 99% of former Nissan plant in St. Petersburg from NAMI for 1 euro
MOSCOW. Feb 7 (Interfax) - Avtovaz has closed a deal to acquire a 99% stake in the former Nissan plant in St. Petersburg, Nissan Manufacturing Rus LLC, from FSUE NAMI, which reports to the Russian Industry and Trade Ministry and to which the Japanese concern transferred its assets when exiting Russia.
The Avtovaz press service said the corresponding documents were signed on Tuesday by the company's president, Maxim Sokolov, and the general director of FSUE NAMI, Fyodor Nazarov. The Russian government had approved the deal.
Avtovaz acquired a 99% stake in Nissan Manufacturing Rus LLC for 1 euro, paid in rubles at the exchange rate on the day of payment. NAMI will retain the other 1%.
The deal contains a call option for Nissan to buy back its former assets in Russia for six years, if a decision is made in the future and such a decision is approved by the Russian authorities.
"The focus of our work today is to maximize production and supply in the Russian automotive market. In response to current challenges, the Avtovaz team has the task of not only launching car production at the site in St. Petersburg, but also ensuring a steady increase the localization of products manufactured there," the press service quoted Albert Karimov, deputy Industry and Trade Minister responsible for the automobile industry, as saying.
Maxim Sokolov confirmed plans announced earlier by Avtovaz to utilize the St. Petersburg site and launch production in the second half of this year "These will be new models under the Lada brand in segments C and D. Production this year may be up to 10,000 units. Going forward, our team's high professional competencies can ensure an increase in production volumes to almost any level if there is demand in the Russian market. We will localize these vehicles in 2024-2027, when the key task will be to draw as much as possible on the capabilities of more than 30 regional auto component suppliers," Sokolov said.
The Nissan plant opened in St. Petersburg in June 2009. Investment in the first stage reached $200 million, and investment in expansion reached 167 million euro. The enterprise manufactured the models X-Trail, Murano, Qashqai, and Terrano. Its capacity is 100,000 cars a year.
In late October, Nissan announced a decision to transfer its Russian assets, including the plant, production and research facilities in St. Petersburg, as well as the sales and marketing center in Moscow to the ownership of the federal state unitary enterprise NAMI, which reports to the Industry and Trade Ministry. The transaction was concluded for a symbolic price. It envisages an option to buy the assets back within six years. The deal was closed at the end of November. Due to its exit of the Russian market, the Japanese auto concern wrote off 24.1 billion yen or around 181 million in a lump sum.


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Chemical Industry DuPont Plans to Cut Costs – 1,500 Jobs At Stake
US chemical giant DuPont reacts to falling margins with a strict cost reduction: The company plans to axe some 1,500 jobs – nearly two percent of the complete DuPont workforce.
New York/USA – The crisis of the solar industry affects also its supplier branches: US chemical giant DuPont, one of the largest producers of chemicals worldwide, reports profits to have fallen to US $ ten million from US $ 452 million in the third quarter of 2012. The company now plans to save around US $ 450 million with strict cost cuttings. Part of this programme is the personnel cutback of around 1,500 positions, nearly two percent of the company's staff, speakers explained. In addition, the sale of the paints and coatings division to Carlyle shall help to raise additional US $ 4.9 billion for the company.


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Traffic information provider Inrix is preparing to release its U.S. Freight Traffic Profiles, a compilation of thousands of miles of roadway and their historical traffic patterns. The new report covers 450,000 centerline miles and 600,000 segments across the nation’s interstates and expressways, state highways, and major arterial roads.
“By creating a nationwide, uniform and timely picture of conditions for the trucking side of freight based on travel speeds, congestion and volumes, Inrix Freight Profiles provides agencies with an important tool for advancing efforts to move freight traffic more efficiently across our nation’s road network,” said Rick Schuman, vice president and general manager of public sector.
Freight Profiles provides average speed and travel time, percentiles, and failure rate statistics, along with the number of GPS data points used to generate each result, updated every month from the largest real-time GPS probe data network of freight vehicles in the country. Datasets are derived in 15 minute increments for each day of the week – 672 specific profiles for each road segment in each dataset, Inrix said.
It will be available in January 2013. Monthly data sets can be licensed dating back to January 2010. Annual data sets are available from 2010-2012. New data sets will be made available within 30 days of the conclusion of the previous month.


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This new contractual arrangement that has been secured is designed to remove delays that can happen with renting a dumpster.
Edison, New Jersey (PRWEB) November 15, 2012
Dumpsters play a part in daily business in many cities and towns in the U.S. and one company has expanded its rental services. The DumpsterRentalQuotes.com company announces new dumpster hauler contracts are now in place for dumpster rentals. This new effort is allowing a broader reach for residential and commercial services in more states due to the hauler network that has been created. More information can be found at http://www.dumpsterrentalquotes.com/dumpster-search-state.
This new change is expected to impact the pricing and availability for trash containers of all sizes. Pricing will now be lower and same day delivery is possible.
"Our business model is directly impacted by the new contract terms," said a representative of the DumpsterRentalQuotes.com website.
The amount of dumpster haulers that are available in the U.S. has reduced in recent years due to buyouts and a slowed economy. Some city services have merged together and others remain independent trash hauling and collection companies. This new contractual arrangement that has been secured is designed to remove delays that can happen with renting a dumpster and streamline all available services into more locations in the U.S.
Negotiations with dumpster delivery companies typically took place offline and through intermediaries. Companies that request short rental duration or same day delivery could be disadvantaged working through a worn out offline system. Part of the innovations that have taken place online for the Dumpster Rental Quotes company includes a new and improved website. Easier search breakdowns of states and cities is helping those researching rentals to get information faster.
The trash removal industry is known to have hidden fees that are separate from the actual rental of an approved trash container. Companies that inquire about dumpster rentals can often be quoted one price and a higher price is what is ultimately charged. These higher fees can result from fuel surcharges, local taxation and daily dumpster charges that are not always include in standard offline quotations.
One way that the DumpsterRentalQuotes.com website has helped to eliminate this problem is by staffing its company with trash removal specialists. Instead of maintaining a call center, all workers that respond to calls or online inquiries have experience in the trash removal industry. This new effort is now making it simpler to get detailed pricing for any city or town in the United States for residential or commercial dumpster rentals.
The new hauler contracts that have been secured are effective immediately. All quotations that are delivered online or by toll free number through the Dumpster Rental Quotes website will have updated lower pricing that reflects the new contracts. Companies or individuals that are researching dumpster rental information or that would like to receive a quote can now call 1-800-748-9909 or visit http://www.dumpsterrentalquotes.com/dumpster-rental-information.
About Dumpster Rental Quotes
The Dumpster Rental Quotes company first launched its website in 2009. Annual growth and investments back into this company have allowed growth over the past 3 years. The experts that own and operate this company are trash removal specialists that work hands on to make rentals cheaper and easier. The new hiring of a web team has helped the Dumpster Rental Quotes website to respond faster to quotation inquiries as well as provide immediate phone support offline. The Dumpster Rental Quotes company is used by residential and commercial customers.


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If your car isn't smart and connected yet, Pioneer has a rearview mirror that can do the trick.
Pioneer updated its line of HUDs (heads-up displays), and it hopes the in-car gadgets will help keep drivers' eyes on the road instead of on a GPS device or other electronics.
Spotify is introducing a new cloud-based feature for premium subscribers designed to make it easy to start to play music on your mobile device, then push the stream to wireless home speakers.
Japan's Pioneer has launched a car navigation system that uses heads-up displays and virtual reality to guide drivers.
NTT DoCoMo, Japan's largest mobile carrier, will use location data from its 61.5 million subscriber devices to build a platform that monitors traffic conditions across the country.
Pioneer will soon launch a new car navigation system in Japan that uses dashboard cameras to scan the road ahead for approaching street signs and other cars, and will share images of road conditions with other vehicles.
Apple today released iOS 6.1, the first major update for the mobile operating system since its September 2012 launch, patching 27 security vulnerabilities and adding 36 LTE carriers to the iPhone 5's support list.
Pioneer has shown off a soundbar and satellite speakers with flat-panel speaker driver technology, allowing speaker widths of under an inch. The new Pioneer Sound Wing speakers are designed to blend seamlessly underneath or beside a flat-panel LCD or...
Pioneer has announced the Australian availability of its new home audio receivers for 2011. Key features of the new products include Apple Airplay at an accessible price point, and further iPad and iPhone support in apps and connectivity. These new p...
Apple's attempt to dominate the living room could stretch even further with the integration of AirPlay technology in HDTVs, according to a Bloomberg report. With AirPlay built into TV sets, users would be able to wirelessly stream content from an iPa...
TV manufacturer Sharp will sell some of its LCD TVs under the Pioneer brand in the USA and Canada after a deal between the two companies, but Australia will miss out.
Pioneer Electronics has announced two new 3D Blu-ray players for the Australian market, the Pioneer BDP-LX54 (RRP $599) and Pioneer BDP-430 (RRP $499). Both players come equipped with 3D Blu-ray Disc playback, advanced audio capabilities, 1080p upsca...
Pioneer is developing a head-up display for cars that links in with the navigation function available on many modern smartphones. A prototype of the device is on show this week at Japan's Ceatec electronics show, and the company said it hopes to have...
Japan's Pioneer has lodged a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission against rival navigation-system maker Garmin, alleging some of its products infringe on Pioneer patents.
Struggling electronics company Pioneer has outlined a number of ventures and investments as part of its plan to turn its business around and return to profitability.
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Bath-bomb maker Lush does not fear a comeback from The Body Shop when the retailer finds new owners, its finance chief said today.
L’Oréal said last month it is considering selling the ethical beauty chain amid flagging sales and profits. CVC Capital Partners was this weekend touted as a possible buyer.
Lush’s Kim Coles said The Body Shop had “lost its way” and had a “long way to go” to regain its past prowess.
"When L’Oréal took over a lot of loyal Body Shop customers left them. I don't think they come back very quickly."
Lush saw sales surge 26% to £723 million in the year ended in June, while pretax profits were up by 76% at £43.2 million. The company also put aside £6.9 million for charities and good causes, 15% more than the year before.
Coles said shifting to bigger, better stores and product innovation had helped drive growth. Its UK stores now on average turnover £1 million.
In the first half of its current year, sales at UK stores open for more than a year were up 13% in the six months to December 31.
Its recent performance had enabled Lush to introduce improved wages and benefits packages for staff. Coles added.
Those include a move to at least the £8.45 hourly wage recommended by the Living Wage Foundation from April for all UK emplouyees, improving parental pay and introducing childcare funding benefits.Reuse content


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With over 50 years of creating timeless jewelry, the iconic New Orleans brand forges ahead in changing times.
NEW ORLEANS, March 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The story behind Mignon Faget’s latest spring collection is an inspiring change in the new direction Mignon Faget is taking in the jewelry world.
The blend of three generations of women in the story of Mignon Faget’s spring catalog allows us to delve into the past, present and future personalities of a Mignon Faget collector. The long-time collector is a strong and dynamic woman who passed on her love for Mf. to his daughter and granddaughter. Today’s Collector is a confident woman, comfortable with strength and femininity. The future Mf. Collector is carefree, takes lessons passed on, and looks forward to her joyful future.
The Collection is timed with precision in more ways than one. Spring, usually associated with newness – new life, blooming flowers and the return of color – is the ideal time to highlight the star of the Collections, the Jasmine flower. While with the Wild Jasmine fall collection, which debuted in August 2021, we discovered jasmine leaves, we now watch the latest additions bloom in tandem with the vines that line the streets and homes of the New Orleans.
“With each new collection now comes a new story and an opportunity for the brand to talk about the inspiration behind the creations and the Collectors. Mignon Faget jewelry continues to evolve and is a catalyst for stories. By wearing jewelry that make sense, our Collectors can stay connected to their own stories and bring them to the world with them,” said Maghan Oroszi, Chief Operating and Creative Officer. a surprise, following subtle hints of their Rebirth designs and the Renaissance collection.Mignon Faget’s flourishing history and resurgence is evident in their latest collections and resounding slogan, “Every Wear A Story”.
About Mignon Faget For over 50 years, design house Mignon Faget has handcrafted jewelry inspired by the landscape that surrounds its New Orleans home. The artisans of Mignon Faget are influenced by the streets of the city which are lined with wild jasmine, wrought iron balconies and the sparkling night sky. Not hesitating to get noticed, Mignon Faget is preparing to stand the test of time.
Copyright © 2022 PR Newswire Association LLC. All rights reserved.


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Mija launches new clothing label ‘Made By Mija’
OWSLA is moving away from just being a record label, its transforming into an artistic imprint that represents a number of different mediums. Mija is the latest artist from Skrillex‘s LA-based collective to diversify their portfolio, with the launch of her new self-titled fashion line. Inspiration behind the new “Made By Mija” collection is undeniably rooted in underground culture, and it’s distinctly reflective of the artist’s own style.
The line includes unisex t-shirts, overwear, undergarments, and accessories all influenced by the rising Phoenix-native DJ. The announcement of the new fashion venture comes hot off the heels of Mija’s recently announced FK A Genre tour, which has her hosting a rotating lineup of acts like A-Trak, Lunice, Justin Martin, and Anna Lunoe among a handful of others for a limited run of shows across the US.
For further information on Mija’s upcoming tour, or to shop the new collection of Mija-inspired gear, visit her website.


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An investment group led by David Berley of Walter & Samuels has acquired the retail condominium at 119 Fulton Street for $4.8 million in an off-market deal, Commercial Observer has learned.
The 4,200-square-foot property features 2,300 square feet of ground-floor retail space, 1,900 square feet of basement space and 25 feet of frontage on Fulton Street. The space is currently occupied by Spring Nail Spa.
The current tenant pays rent of approximately $90 per square foot, though the market is in the $150 per square foot range, according to Adelaide Polsinelli, a senior director at Eastern Consolidated, who represented both the buyer and the private seller in the deal, a 1031 exchange.
“The play here is to buy it today because you have surety of income,” Ms. Polsinelli said. “And the upside is in six years when lease comes due, you know you will double if not triple the rent.”
The space stands to benefit from the increased pedestrian traffic at the Fulton Street Transit Center and the World Trade Center. “Fulton Street is still unfolding and it’s probably going to grow in the next five years, with the Hub and the World Trade Center,” Ms. Polsinelli noted.
Ms. Polsinelli highlighted the deal as a safe investment and equated it to putting money in a triple-net leased single-tenant property out of state occupied by a CVS or Walmart.


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Toyota Australia has today urged federal politicians to abolish the luxury-car tax, describing the impost as discriminatory and inefficient.
The call came as Toyota passed on the full cost savings to consumers resulting from this week’s CPI-related increase in the threshold at which vehicles are subject to the tax.
The Australian Tax Office has confirmed the threshold has risen to $61,884 from July 1 – an increase of $1,568 on the previous $60,316 trigger.
As a result, the recommended retail prices of 19 Toyota LandCruiser 200, LandCruiser Prado, Kluger and Tarago vehicles have fallen – 17 of them by the maximum of $470, excluding on-road costs.
Toyota’s executive director sales and marketing Tony Cramb said the reduction provided some relief for new-car owners.
But Mr Cramb said the luxury-car tax should be abolished – especially as there was no equivalent tax on items such as antiques, yachts, motor boats and jewellery.
“Australian motorists are already heavily taxed with GST, stamp duty and registration fees when buying a new car, as well as road tolls and a hefty tax on fuel,” Mr Cramb said.
“New-vehicle buyers should not be singled out to pay the additional burden of a so-called luxury tax – especially one that is so inefficient and poorly designed,” he said.
“The punitive tax rate was originally 25 per cent on the value of the vehicle above the threshold, but was increased to 33 per cent in 2008.
“Application of the tax does not recognise that many vehicles in this category offer important safety, environmental and theft-reduction benefits. The tax also results in significant compliance costs that are borne by our dealers.
“Toyota’s opposition to this tax and our call for its repeal is consistent with the recommendations of the Henry tax review,” Mr Cramb said.
The luxury-car tax threshold remains at $75,375 for vehicles with an official combined fuel consumption rating that does not exceed 7.0 litres/100km.
PRICE CHANGES, EFFECTIVE JULY 1 (Excluding on-road costs)
|2WD Grande auto||$63,520||$470|
|AWD Grande auto||$67,520||$470|
|GX Auto T/D 7 seat||$60,988||$202|
|GXL Manual T/D||$61,219||$271|
|GXL Auto petrol||$62,720||$470|
|GXL Auto T/D||$63,720||$470|
|VX Auto petrol||$77,520||$470|
|VX Auto T/D||$78,520||$470|
|Kakadu Auto petrol||$91,120||$470|
|Kakadu Auto T/D||$92,120||$470|
|GX Auto T/D||$78,165||$470|
|GXL Auto petrol||$84,165||$470|
|GXL Auto T/D||$89,165||$470|
|VX Auto petrol||$95,165||$470|
|VX Auto T/D||$100,165||$470|
|Sahara Auto petrol||$114,165||$470|
|Sahara Auto T/D||$119,165||$470|
|Ultima Auto V6||$70,665||$470|