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EA CEO Blasts Lack Of Innovation In Game Industry
6:00 AM | Cord Kruse | 5 comments
In a recent interview Electronic Arts' CEO John Riccitello warned that game makers risk losing their audience if they fail to create innovative products and push beyond traditional game consumers to attract "casual" gamers. Riccitello cited the industry's reliance on old formulas and sequel releases as examples of game development stagnation.
"We're boring people to death and making games that are harder and harder to play," Mr. Riccitiello said in an interview.Read the rest of the interview at the link below.
Wall Street Journal: EA Chief Cites Need For More Innovative Games
The blunt comments by the 47-year-old Mr. Riccitiello -- a former top executive at EA who returned to the company after a stint in private equity -- are likely to cause a stir at the annual E3 games conference this week in Los Angeles. Many of his criticisms have been articulated by analysts and others, but rarely have they been made so publicly by the head of major videogame company. They are a departure for EA management, which in the past has played down its challenges.
Mr. Riccitiello praises some new games, including Activision Inc.'s Guitar Hero series and Vivendi SA's online World of Warcraft, as well as a music game by Viacom Inc.'s MTV called Rock Band, which EA will distribute. But he says there aren't enough titles that break new ground. He said he believes making sequels is still a sound strategy, as long as they are more innovative than in the recent past.
"For the most part, the industry has been rinse-and-repeat," he says. "There's been lots of product that looked like last year's product, that looked a lot like the year before."
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Rhumbline Advisers cut its position in Boston Beer Company Inc (NYSE:SAM) by 3.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 18,138 shares of the company’s stock after selling 711 shares during the quarter. Rhumbline Advisers owned 0.16% of Boston Beer worth $5,215,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of SAM. Macquarie Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of Boston Beer by 30,313.3% during the second quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 182,480 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,689,000 after acquiring an additional 181,880 shares during the last quarter. MERIAN GLOBAL INVESTORS UK Ltd raised its position in shares of Boston Beer by 39.1% during the third quarter. MERIAN GLOBAL INVESTORS UK Ltd now owns 179,484 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,601,000 after acquiring an additional 50,418 shares during the last quarter. Sandler Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Boston Beer during the second quarter worth about $13,487,000. BlackRock Inc. raised its position in shares of Boston Beer by 4.3% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 942,356 shares of the company’s stock worth $282,424,000 after acquiring an additional 38,908 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd raised its position in shares of Boston Beer by 167.1% during the third quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 58,259 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,749,000 after acquiring an additional 36,444 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.49% of the company’s stock.
In related news, VP Quincy B. Troupe sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $298.80, for a total transaction of $209,160.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Chairman C James Koch sold 683 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $275.00, for a total value of $187,825.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 35,700 shares of company stock valued at $10,801,835 in the last ninety days. 29.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on SAM shares. Zacks Investment Research downgraded Boston Beer from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, September 10th. Berenberg Bank set a $290.00 price objective on Boston Beer and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 11th. Guggenheim started coverage on Boston Beer in a research report on Thursday, September 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $381.00 price objective for the company. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and set a $270.00 price objective on shares of Boston Beer in a research report on Friday, October 26th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on Boston Beer from $285.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $271.67.
NYSE SAM opened at $273.19 on Friday. Boston Beer Company Inc has a one year low of $160.40 and a one year high of $329.95. The company has a market cap of $3.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.66 and a beta of 0.51.
Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 25th. The company reported $3.21 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.35 by ($0.14). Boston Beer had a return on equity of 18.00% and a net margin of 10.17%. The business had revenue of $326.85 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $270.60 million. Analysts forecast that Boston Beer Company Inc will post 7.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.
COPYRIGHT VIOLATION WARNING: This article was first reported by Dispatch Tribunal and is owned by of Dispatch Tribunal. If you are accessing this article on another site, it was stolen and reposted in violation of US & international copyright & trademark law. The legal version of this article can be viewed at https://www.dispatchtribunal.com/2018/12/07/rhumbline-advisers-reduces-holdings-in-boston-beer-company-inc-sam.html.
About Boston Beer
The Boston Beer Company, Inc produces and sells alcohol beverages primarily in the United States. The company's flagship beer is Samuel Adams Boston Lager. It sells approximately 60 beers under the Samuel Adams brand names; 10 flavored malt beverages under the Twisted Tea brand name; 20 hard cider beverages under the Angry Orchard brand; 5 hard sparkling waters under the Truly Spiked & Sparkling brand name; and approximately 50 beers under 4 brand names.
See Also: Is the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) still relevant?
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JD.com, China’s largest retailer, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and The China Children and Teenagers’ Fund (CCTF) are partnering to launch a second annual Green Planet-Sustainable Week, raising awareness about sustainable consumption in the world’s most populous nation.
The seven-day program, which kicked off this week, will reinforce JD’s commitment to help the retail industry develop more sustainably, reducing the impact of China’s booming consumption on the environment.
For the event, JD will promote pollution reduction through the use of reusable shopping bags, created from the fabric of discarded apparel in response to a call from WWF to reduce pollution caused by plastics. The bags, which are also regularly used in JD operations, will be distributed free during the event and include RFID Chips that can be scanned as coupons in offline stores through JD’s partners.
JD’s Green Planet-Sustainable Week also kicks off a new clothing drive for the company’s recycling program. Taking advantage of its nationwide in-house logistics network, which covers 99% of China’s population, JD will collect both used and unused clothing from customers either to be sent to recycling facilities or distributed to those in need. Proceeds will be donated to lower-income families, people with disabilities and charity groups. Last year, a similar drive led to the collection of nearly 400,000 items, or 20 tons, of clothing, from 150 million people in four cities. This year’s program will expand to cover 47 cities.
Customers will be able to trade in major appliances for recycling as well, by third-party companies through JD’s platform. The appliances will be disassembled, after which parts will be used for repairs, helping to reduce the waste generated by household appliances as well as pollution created by their production. Working with JD’s charity affiliate, JD Foundation, the participating companies will donate a portion of any proceeds to support charitable activities on behalf of customers, while customers are eligible for payment for their used devices, plus coupons from JD in exchange for the trade-ins.
Meanwhile, all logistics information for tracing donations and trade-ins are available through JD.com’s proprietary supply chain management technology.
“The spectacular rise of Chinese consumption has been a major force behind the country’s incredible economic story but has also contributed to unprecedented environmental challenges,” said Zhonghao Jin, Head of Market Practice, WWF China. He believes this week’s activities will help “raise consumer awareness and accelerate the mainstreaming of sustainable consumption.”
Libo Ma, head of the CSR department at JD.com disclosed the company is in the midst of an effort to convert its entire vehicle fleet to new energy vehicles while being involved in other efforts to reduce emissions. The company is also is developing biodegradable packaging to further reduce waste in the supply chain.


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LOGANAIR has abandoned plans to introduce a 15kg weight limit for baggage on flights when Flybe takes over the franchise for flights between Sumburgh and the UK mainland.
The new operator initially said it would impose the restriction when it takes over the service later this month, but following local concerns highlighted in The Shetland Times last week it has decided to begin with a 20kg limit for a trial period, just under the 23kg allowed by British Airways.
The 20kg limit – over and above which passengers will be charged a flat fee of £10 – brings Flybe’s flights into line with its standard luggage allowance for economy passengers.
There has also been concern about Flybe’s introduction of various surcharges, including an increase in the charge for booking by credit card from £4 to £6 per passenger, and the introduction of a £2 charge for booking by debit card, and a levy of £6 for reserving a seat on the flights.
Shetland MSP Tavish Scott said it was promising that Loganair were starting to listen to people’s concerns.
He said: “I’m pleased Loganair will lift their baggage limit to help people in Shetland, that’s a step in the right direction. If they could now deal with the credit card and debit card surcharges, we would be really making some progress.”
Mr Scott, ZetTrans chairman Allan Wishart and their opposite numbers in Orkney are now looking to set up a meeting with Loganair to discuss a range of issues, including fares.
Meanwhile, the company has confirmed that it will again operate scheduled services between Sumburgh and Bergen in Norway in summer 2009. The two-day service, which Loganair said was used by 1,400 passengers in 2008, is to be expanded and will now operate on Saturdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from early June until the end of August next year. The flights can be booked through Flybe’s website.
Loganair chairman Scott Grier said: “We, of course, were aware of the important historical and cultural links between Shetland and Norway and we knew of the great disappointment that was felt when the Smyril ferry service between Shetland and Norway was discontinued last year, but the high demand for our air services exceeded our expectations.”


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2013 auto show in Detroit opening to public
DETROIT (AP) ? The public gets the chance to check out the North American International Auto Show starting this weekend.
The annual event at downtown Detroit's Cobo Center opens to the public Saturday following preview days for press and auto industry officials.
Car companies are unveiling 59 new cars and concepts. That's up from just 41 in 2012, a sign that automakers have more profits at their disposal and expect higher sales.
The Corvette is a top attraction from General Motors. Toyota, Nissan and Mercedes have larger, more elaborate displays. Ford, Chrysler and others also are seeking to lure buyers at the show, which runs through Jan. 27.


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One moment I’m in a room full of people, the next I’m in the sun-scorched Australian Outback. But it takes more than the fancy graphics of the Samsung Gear VR virtual-reality headset I’ve just lowered over my head to convince me I’m really hanging out with aborigines.
What it takes, says Richard Marks of Sony’s VR arm, PlayStation Magic Lab, is something virtual-reality pros call “presence.”
“Presence starts with the image being right,” Marks says. “We’re getting very good at making the images look good. Add in spatialized audio and you become even more convinced that you’re present somewhere.”
Marks was one of the filmmakers and content creators discussing VR at last month’s Sundance Film Festival, which saw an explosion of interest in the topic and many festival-goers trying Gear VR, Oculus Rift and Google Cardboard VR headsets for the first time.
How do you make them want to return for a second, a third and a 50th time?
It’s a question of great importance to high-tech companies looking for the next big thing and already banking on virtual reality taking off in 2016. Investments in VR by the likes of Facebook, Google, Samsung and Sony, along with well-funded startups like Jaunt, NextVR and Magic Leap, are expected to change the way we play video games, take field trips, and watch sports and movies.


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State Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan, and Rep. Michael Tryon, R-Crystal Lake, are backing a bill to cut down on wasteful plastic bags. (Antonio Perez, Tribune photo)
You probably have not flipped through one of Illinois' fat, blue budget books or scrolled through the online version. If you did, you would discover exactly how Illinois spends its money. You would find hundreds of pages of spending programs: after-school initiatives, day care subsidies, wildlife education, anti-violence counseling, tire recycling — you name it. By Page 999, you come to realize how government has grown so monstrous. You begin to understand how the state ballooned to a $52 billion budget and can't pay its bills on time. You figure out how we got so obese.
A bill moving through the Legislature demonstrates precisely how expansions of government programs add up.
State Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan, and Rep. Michael Tryon, R-Crystal Lake, are cosponsoring a bill to cut down on wasteful plastic bags. Their intentions are applaudable. Plastic carry-out bags litter our parks and waterways and fill our landfills. Some environmental groups estimate that more than 100,000 sea turtles and marine animals die each year because they ingest or suffocate on plastic bags. Manufacturing the plastic boosts harmful carbon emissions and requires millions of barrels of oil.
That said, Link and Tryon's bill to curb plastic bag usage heaps government regulation on a problem best solved by us: consumers. Reusable fabric bags are the environmentally friendly alternative to plastic.
But rather than promote this choice, their bill takes an arcane route. It cracks down on the manufacturers of plastic bags, adds new regulations to businesses that use the bags, creates a pile of mandatory reporting requirements and enlists the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency as Enforcer of Responsible Plastic Bag Usage. OK, that's a made-up title, but you get the point. Will IEPA need to hire new workers to manage this "program?"
The bill is the result of a 2008 law, the Plastic Bag Recycling Act, which called for — you guessed it — a task force to study the Plastic Bag Problem. How to solve it? Here's what is in the bill, now before the House:
•Require manufacturers of plastic bags and plastic wrap to register annually with the IEPA and pay a $500 fee.
•Require manufacturers of plastic bags to print their company names on the bags.
•Require manufacturers of plastic bags to create and maintain a plan for collecting and recycling plastic bags and submit their plan to the IEPA. That plan must include collection locations and a public education campaign.
•Require manufacturers of plastic bags to submit a report to the IEPA annually with a description of recycling and collection efforts, including weight in pounds of the bags — and plastic wrap — collected.
It gets worse. Retailers — from your local grocer to your Chinese carry-out — would be prohibited from buying plastic bags from manufacturers who aren't following all the rules.
Yet the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, which represents store owners, and the plastics industry support the bill. Why? We suspect it's because the bill blocks every town outside of Chicago from putting a ban, a tax or regulation on plastic bags. The bill even says plastic bag recycling is a state function.
This sets up a big state regulatory scheme and stomps on the authority of local government.
The Senate passed the bill 36 -15. The House should stop it.
You wonder how government gets so big? How state statute books grow by the inch each year? How spending goes up here and there, everywhere?
This is how.


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We’ve heard whispers that Google is working on its very own version of the Apple AirPods and those rumors make a lot of sense to us. Now there’s more evidence for the existence of this new audio device – a new Headphones category on the official Google support page.
It looks very much like Google is gearing up to bring its own headphones to market, and the smart money would be on them launching alongside the Pixel 2 and the Pixel XL 2 at the start of October, though they’ll almost definitely work with any Android handset.
Why does it make sense? Well because it gives users who love wireless ear dongles another reason to stick with Android rather than switching to an iPhone for a start. What’s more, it would help soften the blow of the Pixel 2 removing the 3.5mm headphone jack. Finally, plenty of other companies are bringing out wireless options, including the Jabra Elite Sport headphones you can see above.
Unfortunately we don’t know much yet about these headphones, but seeing them as AirPods for Android is probably on the mark. Apparently they have had the codename ‘Bisto’ during development at Google, though that might not be the final name, and they’ll be able to use Google Assistant to respond to commands.
Connection is likely to be over Bluetooth though there might be wired USB-C versions or perhaps an optional dongle of some kind. A battery indicator for the new buds has previously been spotted in the code for the Google app for Android.
We’re also not sure about pricing or whether these headphones will come bundled in the box as an extra gift for Pixel 2 buyers – Apple’s AirPods are sold separately and cost $159/£159/AU$229. October 5 is tipped to be the launch date for Google’s new flagships, so check back then.


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The world’s leading electronic brand, LG has introduced a new disinfection robot for high traffic places schools, and offices. The robot comes equipped with ultraviolet- lamps on its sides. The UV-C has an emission wavelength between 100 to 280nm which is very effective in killing germs.
A national research institute, Korea Conformity Laboratories has confirmed that the UV-C lamp on the robot is effective in 99.9% effective in killing bacteria coliform and staphylococcus aureus from within a meter radius. Apart from School and offices, the robot can be deployed in hotels, hospitals, and other places where there are many separated and independent spaces.
The robot does not yet have an official name, is supposed to use artificial intelligence to easily move around tables, chairs, and other furniture, and can irradiate a room’s touchable surfaces within 15 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the space.
Set to ship in early 2021, the robot is 160cm tall and comes with autonomous driving technology so it can move through obstacles. It was designed to disinfect objects and areas that are reachable by hands, a spokesperson from LG added. However, LG will be announcing more details about the robot in January as part of its presentation at CES 2021, which will be held exclusively online this year.
In addition to this, LG began trials for its in-door robot delivery service at its headquarters in Seoul. Employees can order food from the convenience store via their KakaoTalk chat app and have a robot deliver it to them.
As a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic taking its toll on several courtiers bringing back the need to maintain precautionary measures ranging from the use of masks, and physical distancing. Even, South Korea is seeing a spike in new COVID-19 cases this month. In this situation, the LG’s robot can be highly useful to fight the deadly virus.
The company is also developing an alternative version that sprays disinfectants instead of having a UV-C lamp. This version will be more suitable for places with more open areas such as offices, restaurants, and transportation stations, LG said.


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As you read earlier the US Federal Trade Commission concluded its investigation of Google over the company’s supposedly “deceptive privacy practices in Google’s rollout of its Buzz social network.” My view after talking to people at Google following the Buzz launch is that Google was not intentionally seeking to deceive users. Rather it was overzealous with the rollout and underestimated how strongly people would feel about privacy.
Not Worse than Facebook
There’s nothing more egregious here than comparable privacy screw-ups Facebook has made in the past. Google Buzz was a botched rollout with clumsy messaging.
Here’s my paraphrase of how Google characterized what happened shortly after the Buzz launch: “We failed to fully appreciate the wide range of differing privacy expectations that Buzz would confront at launch.”
Yet to Google’s credit it almost immediately addressed those privacy concerns. It still got sued (and later settled for $8.5 million) and the FTC complaint also ensued after Congressional calls for investigations (as are going on now around antitrust).
WTF, 20 Years?
The FTC action, concluded today, yielded two concrete outcomes:
- Google is now required to make more prominent privacy disclosures to users (and obtain their consent for any data sharing)
- Google will have to submit to twenty years of privacy audits
Regarding the first one: fine, good. But the second one strikes me as pretty excessive.
Here’s how Google casually described the “penalties” in a blog post: “We’ll receive an independent review of our privacy procedures once every two years, and we’ll ask users to give us affirmative consent before we change how we share their personal information.”
By contrast, here’s what the FTC itself said about the settlement:
The proposed settlement bars the company from future privacy misrepresentations, requires it to implement a comprehensive privacy program, and calls for regular, independent privacy audits for the next 20 years. This is the first time an FTC settlement order has required a company to implement a comprehensive privacy program to protect the privacy of consumers’ information. In addition, this is the first time the FTC has alleged violations of the substantive privacy requirements of the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Framework, which provides a method for U.S. companies to transfer personal data lawfully from the European Union to the United States.
How about five years, even 10 years — but 20 years? It’s a little like taking a kid who forgot to turn in his homework and expelling him from school. So why the harsh penalty?
FTC Wants to “Send a Message”
I believe two things are going on. The first, and less significant of the two, is payback by the FTC for past Google victories in high profile investigations (e.g., the AdMob acquisition). Much more importantly the FTC is also trying to make an example of Google to the rest of the industry, signaling that it takes this privacy thing very seriously.
Perhaps this is also an indication that any privacy rules that come down from the FTC or Congress are going to be much tougher than people think.
I have conversations with ad executives all the time about privacy and hear a range of predictions about what’s coming. Despite the strict new privacy rules (“explicit consent”) being imposed on marketers in Europe, most US ad industry professionals are fairly nonchalant and don’t believe the future online environment will be that different than today.
Coming Privacy Regulation
The hope is that modest “self-regulation” will be sufficient for Congress and the FTC. But the consumer privacy rules that ultimately come into being — and there will be some new rules — might be much stricter than what industry insiders are envisioning.
There are multiple bills being developed, the most prominent of which is Kerry-McCain. Here’s a legal analysis of that bill’s potential impact:
- The draft envisions a significant role for the FTC and includes provisions requiring the FTC to promulgate rules on a number of important issues, including the appropriate consent mechanism for uses of data. The FTC would also be tasked with issuing rules obligating businesses to provide reasonable security measures for the consumer data they maintain and to provide transparent notices about data practices.
- The draft also states that businesses should “seek” to collect only as much “covered information” as is reasonably necessary to provide a transaction or service requested by an individual, to prevent fraud, or to improve the transaction or service.
- “Covered information” is defined broadly and would include not just “personally identifiable information” (such as name, address, telephone number, social security number), but also “unique identifier information,” including a customer number held in a cookie, a user ID, a processor serial number or a device serial number. Unlike definitions of “covered information” that appear in separate bills authored by Reps. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) and Jackie Speier (D-Cal.), this definition specifically covers cookies and device IDs.
- The draft encompasses a data retention principle, providing that businesses should only retain covered information only as long as necessary to provide the transaction or service “or for a reasonable period of time if the service is ongoing.”
- The draft contemplates enforcement by the FTC and state attorneys general. Notably — and in contrast to Rep. Rush’s bill — the draft does not provide a privacy right of action for individuals who are affected by a violation.
- Nor does the bill specifically address the much-debated “Do Not Track” opt-out mechanism that was recommended in the FTC’s recent staff report on consumer privacy. (You can read our analysis of that report here.)
FTC: We’ll Be a Tough Cop
Under most new privacy regulatory schemes the FTC would have a central role. An unresolved question is whether individuals and private litigants would be able to sue, as they can and do today.
Beyond remedying the privacy transgressions at Google, this tough FTC action is likely also an effort to send a strong signal to the market. The agency is putting marketers and publishers on notice that the FTC intends to be a tough privacy cop.
- Privacy Issues Make Google Reconsider Product Strategy
- Google: “With Buzz We Failed To Appreciate That Users Have Differing Privacy Expectations”
- Google Settles Buzz Lawsuit With $8.5 Million Payment
- Google Apologizes, Continues To Tweak Buzz
- FTC Commissioner: Google’s Buzz Launch Was ‘Irresponsible Conduct’
- Google Buzz: The Good, Bad, & Ugly Reactions
- Lawmakers Want FTC To Investigate Google Buzz
- Is Google Buzz Dead Already?
- A Closer Look At The Google Buzz Privacy Settlement
- Google Buzz: Google Takes On Twitter, Facebook & Even Foursquare
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.


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The Yemeni American News
Detroit, Mich. – Wayne County has unveiled a new initiative for small businesses. Known as Shop Small Wayne County, the initiative provides free marketing to businesses during the holiday season by creating an online hub for holiday shopping throughout Wayne County.
Businesses will be able to send in a simple application that asked for the basic details of their store or restaurant – business name, hours, address, etc – and expect their business to be featured in the online marketing platform within one or two days.
And that’s all a business would need to do. According to Wayne County Assistant Executive Khalil Rahal, there is no deadline to apply.
“There isn’t a real deadline, we’re going to be doing this all throughout the rest of the year,” Rahal said. “But we’re going to start launching this hopefully as early as Monday. So we want people to register as much as we can between now and then and even afterwards if they have to, just so that people get their gifts and presents on time.”
On the County’s end, the businesses will be featured on a website, and marketed through social media, google and other platforms for no cost to the business. Wayne County has invested some remaining funds from the federal CARES Act, about $50,000, to connect a dedicated team of digital marketing professionals to ensure that businesses are marketed right.
For businesses who want to apply, go to the Wayne County Website
Digital Marketing and Online Sales Are the “New Normal”
The pandemic has changed how people interact with businesses. Although a business doesn’t have to reinvent a major corporation like Amazon in order to enjoy some of the benefits of that emerging market.
Many restaurants are finding that interacting with online services like GrubHub or UberEats has provided new sales that would have otherwise gone to someone else. For specialty products, a site like Etsy can offer an alternative to selling products on Amazon. And even some website creator tools support online shopping in how someone builds their business’ homepage.
This year, online shopping has boomed as a result of lockdowns, changes in the rules for business operation, and even the available spending money the average person has. As part of the Shop Small Wayne County program, some businesses can find help with a few of the simple problems with moving online.
“So imagine a mom and pop restaurant operating in a neighborhood for so many years,” Rahal said. “But they’ve been operating based on their name, their credibility, their history, right. And they’ve been surviving and doing decent that way. They never had a need to talk to one of the corporate conglomerate delivery food services. That is something that our business development managers can help with.”
Other Help May Not Be On its Way for a While
During the first peak in United States COVID-19 cases, the federal government provided a $1,200 economic stimulus package for every American who was eligible. Major business-focused programs like the Paycheck Protection Program and other low-interest loans also kept the economy running in an uncertain time.
Here in Michigan, the unemployment system was bolstered for a minimum payout of $600 each week for those who couldn’t work during the pandemic. All of that has changed.
Congress has been divided on how to proceed toward a new round of stimulus. With another peak in Coronavirus cases, a new round of stimulus is badly needed. Michigan has exhausted its unemployment budget as well.
While Whitmer has been calling on Congress and the Trump Administration to release another round of Economic Stimulus, local governments are trying to find new ways to help businesses any way they can.
So while a Coronavirus Relief Bill may not go through Congress any time soon, this is one of the solutions that was developed through collaborative planning. Wayne County holds meetings with area chambers of commerce and local economic leaders throughout the county. The idea for no-cost marketing came from one of those meetings.
“One of our working groups came up with this idea -more hand holding for online marketing, more avenues to help market and promote,” Rahal said. “And the team came back and we were able to convince people to give us some funding to be able to do it.”


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Enforcement action helps keep shoppers safe this festive season
As last minute gifts are bought for Christmas and the New Year sales begin, Havering Council is asking residents to take extra care and avoid those traders selling fake goods in the borough.
Christmas wrapped up at Romford Market
Romford Market will be open every day from Wednesday 12 to Monday 24 December.
Ooh’s-and-aah’s as lights go on and fireworks take off
There were fireworks after the Mayor of Havering, Councillor Dilip Patel, took to the stage to greet the thousands of people who packed Romford’s Market Place to celebrate the switching-on of the town’s Christmas lights and the start of Havering Council’s seasonal festivities.
Havering switches on to Christmas
Romford’s Market Place will be the place to be as Havering switches on to Christmas.


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Sonora, CA – This year’s Thanksgiving travel numbers are just shy of pre-pandemic levels.
AAA predicts 54.6 million people will travel 50 miles for the holiday, which is a 1.5% increase over 2021 and 98% of pre-pandemic volumes. Total Thanksgiving travel this year is projected to be the third busiest since AAA started tracking in 2000, with 2005 topping the list and 2019 coming in second.
“Families and friends are eager to spend time together this Thanksgiving, one of the busiest for travel in the past two decades,” says Paula Twidale, AAA’s Senior Vice President of Travel. “Plan ahead and pack your patience, whether you’re driving or flying.”
Like last year, most travelers will drive to their destinations, with nearly 49 million people expected to travel by car over the holiday. The recent drop in gas prices may be fueling this trend, as Thanksgiving road trips are up 0.4% from 2021. Overall car travel remains 2.5% below 2019 levels, according to AAA.
Air travel is up nearly 8% over 2021, with 4.5 million Americans flying this year. AAA notes that this is an increase of more than 330,000 travelers and nearly 99% of the 2019 volume. More than 1.4 million will travel by bus, train, or cruise ship, an increase of 23% from 2021 and 96% of the 2019 volume.


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To support expanded initiatives for people across its supply chain, Apple is partnering with the International Labor Organization, the International Organization for Migration, and education experts around the world
Apple has partnered with the International Labor Organisation, the International Organisation for Migration and education experts around the world to support expanded initiatives for people across the supply chain.
As a part of the new initiative, the Cupertino-based tech giant has announced a $50 million Supplier Employee Development Fund that will expand access to learning opportunities and skill development.
According to the company, the new education initiatives will make training and coursework available to supplier employees around the world. The programme will initially be available to individuals in the US, China, India, and Vietnam.
As a part of this new program, the company has been offering in-person and virtual education, skill building and enrichment courses since 2008 to provide opportunities to people in their supply chain to gain new technical and leadership skills.
In addition to that, the fund includes partnership with universities, rights advocates and nonprofits to drive Apple’s ongoing work to empower supplier employees. The company is also working with the supply chain partners to amplify worker voice.
The $50 fund commitment also includes supporting the worker rights programs created by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for people in the electronics sector and the work the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is doing to expand rights training and scale its industry-leading responsible labor recruitment tools.
In addition to this, Apple has also released its 16th annual People and Environment in Our Supply Chain Report. The report provides detailed information of how Apple and suppliers are supporting people across the company’s supply chain, transitioning to clean energy, and investing in cutting-edge technologies.
As part of its new Supplier Employee Development Fund, Apple has announced a variety of new and expanded partnerships with labor rights experts, organizations, and UN agencies.


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Powered by the persona: Pandora at SXSW
Pandora’s presence at SXSW has a decidedly human touch. Though the digital audio streaming service relies heavily on technology and, specifically, the Music Genome Project that began in 2000, the idea that people power the service through first-person (plenty of thumbs-up and thumbs-down) and other data will be most present at the “Pandora Powerhouse,” their Austin HQ during SXSW Interactive at The Gatsby. With 80m active listeners per month and 1bn data points each day, including third-party data, the Oakland, California-based company, and official music streaming partner of SXSW Music, is showing how the data and, specifically, more sophisticated targeting capabilities, can be of greater benefit to brands.
The targeting takes the shape of “personas” — by using the data and, ultimately, humanizing it to afford greater clarity and better understanding of audiences. As of now, the company counts over 650 specific audience segments that help brands target audiences better.
“We get all of these signals that our listeners are sending out,” said Susan Panico, VP of B2B marketing. “You can tell a lot about a person from their behavior and lifestyle based on what they're listening to, when they're listening to it, what device they're listening to it on, what time of day, and so we are able to collect all of that rich data on an individual level and at scale at the same time and then develop these personas that advertisers would want to reach.”
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Personas include the young pop and hip-hop loving “College Bro,” the “Progressive Professional,” a more seasoned listened who enjoys an eclectic mix that includes indie and EDM — “Suburban Moms,” “Active Boomers” and more. At SXSW, Pandora is giving festival-goers the chance to experience these personas, by adding interaction in to the mix. Each room at the Pandora Powerhouse will be set up and mirror a persona that people can find on Pandora, allowing for a more immersive experience at the festival.
This is the fifth year that Pandora has sponsored SXSW — they have been an official sponsor of the music side of the festival all five years, but this marks the second year of being involved in the interactive part of the show. It’s a full slate from the 11th to 19th with the “Pandora Powerhouse” focused on interactive and the “Discovery Den” featuring a diverse group of 39 acts across dance, Americana, hip hop/R&B, and rock genres.
“Last year was the first year that we had an official presence at interactive and really bridged that with music — and it was a great year to experiment, have boots on the ground and set up a headquarters on sixth street which is right in the heart of it all,” noted Panico.
In addition to the persona rooms setup at their HQ, Pandora has a full lineup of special events and music featuring top industry luminaries such as Mondelez’s Bonin Bough and Joe Marchese of True(x).
Sunday, March 13th, there will be a special “Love Has No Labels” happy hour with the Ad Council and the Ad Club of NY, celebrating diversity and the well-received campaign done in partnership with R/GA. Last year, Pandora helped scale the campaign with their “Sponsored Listening” product and resulted in a 52 per cent lift in awareness among 18+ and 72 per cent in the coveted millennial (18-24) audience.
“Diversity in general is a really important topic for Pandora,” said Panico. “It all started as a partnership where we help support their campaign because it was something we really felt strongly about. When we were thinking about how we could further create awareness for something that's really important, within an industry, we felt that co-hosting a happy hour at SXSW would be a great way to showcase that initiative.”


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Fertoz Ltd (ASX:FTZ) has signed a bulk sample permit with authorities in Canadian province British Columbia for the Alberta section of the company’s Fernie project, which will allow it to mine and distribute phosphate ore to Canadian organic farms.
This will complement Fertoz’s already-secured exploration licence for Barnes Lake and the bulk sample permit for the Martens area at Fernie.
The company also signed a distribution agreement with Ontario-based agri-business Thompsons Limited and added to its supply agreement with Humic Growth Solutions (HGS) to include Canadian sales.
Fertoz executive chairman Patrick Avery said the company was excited to have been granted the permit, coming hot on the heels of the exploration licence for Barnes Lake.
Avery said: “Bulk sample permits allow us to mine our own deposits and achieving this milestone will empower us to send high-quality, high-availability phosphate ore to the numerous organic farms in Canada looking to trial our products.
“The ore we mine from our Fernie leases will complement that which we have stockpiled at Deer Lodge, Montana, and ore that we intend to mine from the approved Alberta leases.”
Exploration planned at Barnes Lake will test for additional high-quality, low-impurity phosphate resources.
The distribution agreement with Thompsons will give Fertoz exposure to the eastern Canadian organic sector through Thompsons 12 Ontario branches.
Thompsons provides specialised farm services to crop and vegetable growers in the areas surrounding its branches.
Having already secured a sales and supply contract for the USA with HGS last year, Fertoz has now signed a second agreement which covers Canadian manufacturing and sales.
HGS is a global supplier of soluble humic powder, granulated and liquid products.
The two parties are actively working towards establishing a joint venture to facilitate a series of value-added rock phosphate and humic products.
The 10-year sales and supply contract for the USA targets 12,000 tonnes in CY19 and 28,000 tonnes in CY20, followed by yearly increases.
Avery continued: “Fertoz’s relationship with Humic has developed positively since the company first announced a sales and supply agreement between the parties on 22 November 2018, which initially covered only the USA.
“This new supply agreement expands the scope of the partnership to include Canada.
“Our recent progress on permitting, operations and partnerships reinforces our confidence in hitting our 30,000 – 50,000 tonne volume target for 2019, representing another year of significant growth.”
Avery said the company had recently added a high-quality gypsum product to its mix, noting that “many farmers ask for this and until now we have not been able to supply it.”
He added: “We are pleased to have now signed an agreement with Pacific Recycling in Surrey, BC, to supply powdered and granulated gypsum products for our customers, in a deal which will see Fertoz make a margin on each sale.”
Fertoz has now secured distribution agreements with:
Federated Co-Operatives Ltd – 170 branches including 98 retail centres across western Canada;
Blairs – 10 branches in Saskatchewan;
Thompsons Limited – 12 branches in Ontario with extensive organic input experience;
Seven Springs Farms – Virginia, USA; and
Ag Unlimited – now part of the GrowWest brand, a Lyman Ag company based in California with three farm supply centres in the state.
The company is also progressing distributor initiatives with Limoges Seed Farms, Providence Grain Solutions and others, with more expected in the coming months.


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The best time to highlight your brand’s presence within a specific apparel category is when the stage is all set for rapid development. With the market for sports apparel and uniforms expected to grow exponentially, the need of the hour is a dedicated platform where various stakeholders can interact. The ‘Uniform and Sportswear Expo’ 2022 being organised by Aditya Expositions at CIDCO Exhibition Centre, Navi Mumbai from November 8-10 2022, provides exactly that.
An ideal convergence point, with opportunities to reap the resultant big benefits going forward, the credibility factor has been further enhanced with Textile Mirror Magazine (Bhilwara) associating with the event as Media Partner and BITtextiles.com as Digital Partner.
“This sunrise industry has vast scope to increase its share within the apparel and textile market. Most of the players are from the unorganised sector and not very professionally managed. We envisage immense potential for growth and development. We see Uniform & Sportswear Expo 2022 as a catalyst for the transformation of this industry. We are committed in our quest to stand by the industry and enable it to grow. We have very strong textile base in India and this expo is our initiative to help our manufacturers to export all over the world; facilitating the ‘Make in India’ efforts as they progress and achieve a level of true success,” said Devang N. Sheth, Director, Aditya Expositions.
Recent reports have made it clear that the potential is not just within India but an opportunity to tap markets beyond borders as well. The Global Sports Apparel Market Report 2022-2026 by Research and Markets highlights that the global sports apparel market in 2021 was valued at $178.73 bn, and is likely to reach $248.99 bn by 2026. Sports apparel has grown in popularity over the last few years. With prominent players promoting and wearing top brands, sports apparel can be found practically anywhere.
There is a fundamental shift towards retail and online sales. Consumers’ propensity to order sporting goods online has been boosted by the pandemic and this habit is here to stay. Moreover, in recent years, there has been an increase in the number of people who are interested in health and fitness, as well as an increase in the number of people going to gyms, where young consumers want to not only be fit but also look good. These factors have been and continue to increase the demand for sports apparel, globally. The sports apparel market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.10 percent during the forecast period of 2022-2026.
The report splits the global sports apparel market into four different segments – pants & tights, tops & t-shirts, surf & swimwear, and sweaters & hoodies. On the basis of end users – men, women, and children – the men segment held around 50 percent of the share in sports apparel market in 2021. Women segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.6 percent for the period 2022-2026, driven by the rising number of sports designed specifically for women. The e-commerce segment is the fastest growing segment with a CAGR of around 12.4% during forecast period.
Asia Pacific sports apparel industry is expected to grow at significant rate due to presence of larger number of young population and brands carrying out localized promotion strategy to shift consumers from unbranded to branded products. Growth drivers include increase in Gen Z Income, increasing influence of social media, growing penetration of e-commerce, rapid urbanization, increasing health consciousness among people and growing popularity of athleisure.
A notable trend is that Athleisure is also being widely used as casual wear which is propelling demand for activewear in India. Sports apparel are made using breathable material that allows sweat to evaporate faster, helping the person wearing it remains fresh for longer. Initially, the sports apparel was mostly worn by athletes but, with time, it became quite common with regular gym-goers and other non-athletes.
Uniforms are one of the top requirements in schools, colleges, corporate firms, hospitality ventures, restaurants, hospitals and other institutes. ‘Uniform and Sportswear Expo’ 2022 will also be covering corporate and industrial uniforms, a high-growth segment, which has vast market potential in India.
Online reports state that the market size of the uniforms manufacturing sector in India is estimated to be Rs.18,000 crore per annum, with Rs.10,000 crore coming from machinery and fabrics while Rs.8,000 crore come from sales supplying to local schools through retailers and institutions. With over 40 years of legacy in the uniform industry, the sector has more than 10,000 happy clients all over the world.
According to experts, over the next five years, the school uniform market will register a 7.6 percent CAGR in terms of revenue and the global market size will reach $25,710 mn by 2025, from $19,200 mn in 2019.
The ‘Uniform and Sportswear Expo’ will be a gateway enabling exhibitors to tap the potential by showcasing brands, products, machinery and more. Trade shows are an essential component for business interaction and networking and this concept fits the industry requirements precisely. It is clear that both, uniform and sportswear segments have unique demand drivers and will continue to be extremely relevant going forward as well.
The show organisers, Aditya Expositions, have envisaged an extensive social media campaign on the available and popular, regularly accessed platforms, in order to reach out to sportswear manufacturers, buyers, exporters, wholesalers and dealers in the sector, corporates, sports organisations, clubs, yoga and gym clubs, sportspersons, coaches, sports therapists, etc. Constant promotion of the exhibition will be undertaken to create wider awareness.


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The famous tech company Nokia has introduced its 65 inches smart TV in India. This great smart TV will get a strong display and Android 10. Apart from this, this TV has been supported by a great speaker. Even before this Nokia company had launched many smart TVs, which people liked very much. Know about Nokia's smart TV features and price.
Nokia smart tv price
The price of this new smart TV is Rs 64,999. The sale of this smart TV will start from August 6 on the company's official site and e-commerce site Flipkart. Talking about this smart offers, customers will get a discount of 10 percent on purchasing from a Standard Chartered bank's credit card, while a Rupees debit card will be given a discount of thirty rupees. Apart from this, this smart TV can be purchased with a no-cost EMI option.
Nokia's smart TV specification
This new smart TV has a 65-inch UHD display, which has a resolution of 2840 x 2160 pixels. Apart from this, the in-built Chrome Cast, Google Play Store and Google Assistant will be supported in this smart TV. Customers will get 24 W power speakers for better sound in this smart TV, which are equipped with DTS TruSurround. If you talk about the connectivity features of this TV, then the company has given specifications like Bluetooth version 5.0, Wi-Fi, GPS, Ethernet port and USB 3.0 in this smart TV.


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Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) is one of America’s largest packaged foods companies. It specializes in protein-based products such as bacon, canned chili, deli meats, nuts, and nut butter. This focus on protein products has served the company well, given that recent diet and nutritional trends have been leaning toward more protein and less carbohydrates. However, while Hormel the company has prospered, HRL stock certainly looked less appealing 6 months ago.
Hormel seemed like an obvious pandemic winner as people stocked up on food items for their pantry. However, the stock was actually a poor performer and slid to new 52-week lows last fall. Investors worried that the company would see its profitability drop amid the historic wave of inflation. Certain items, such as bacon, are highly sensitive to input costs and have seen sharp increases in price since 2020. So, it made sense that the company might see its results slip given the strong headwinds for the food industry.
However, Hormel’s most recent earnings put any such fears to rest. The company announced a shocking 24% growth in revenue year-over-year for the first quarter of this year. Even backing out of their recent acquisition of the Planter’s nut business, revenues surged 13% year-over-year on an organic basis. Clearly, the company has been more than able to keep up with inflation as far as its sales go. Margins weren’t bad either. The company posted 19% operating income growth for the year and it grew its earnings per share for the quarter by 7%, as well. To sum up, Hormel had great numbers across the board as it sold more food at higher prices.
This has led to a sudden turn of events for HRL stock. Last fall, it had slumped to $40 and was one of the worst-performing packaged foods companies in the country. It also had high short interest, sometimes reaching 10% of the float that was sold short. That is an amazingly high number for a company that sells staple goods such as meat, nuts, and guacamole. Short sellers clearly thought that the inflationary cycle was going to sink Hormel. Instead, the company has been able to raise prices on foods with little-to-no consumer pushback, which has led to record earnings. With that being the case, Hormel has swung from 52-week lows to 52-week highs, as shares are up 25% over the past six months. As consumer demand continues to grow for fresh and natural foods, such as naturally-raised meat, organic nuts and nut butters, and fresh-made guacamole, Hormel should continue to post more earnings growth and surprise the stock’s haters once again.
On the date of publication, Ian Bezek held a long position in HRL stock The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.


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Channel Islands, Hurley, Volcom stores to be incorporated into design
Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 10 November, 2015 - Huntington Surf & Sport's one-of-a-kind surf shop continues to redefine the specialty retail experience. HSS's downtown Pierside Pavilion location is building a bigger and better Huntington Surf & Sport; one that features Channel Islands, Hurley and Volcom flagship stores along with the largest inventory and selection of hardgoods in the entire surfing world.
The latest chapter in HSS's ongoing evolution comes amidst a name change for the iconic Pierside Pavilion, which sits across form the Pier on Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach. The newly rebranded Huntington Surf & Sport Building, renamed after its largest tenant, will undergo a $10,000,000 renovation. The building improvements are expected to stoke out the visitors and locals to Huntington Beach.
"We are pouring our Love for our Sport of Surfing into the foundation and the walls of the new renovation,” said HSS’s Aaron Pai. “We are building a Bigger and Better HSS! You will be stoked! Thanks to everyone for believing in us!"
The all-new flagship stores (within the store) for Volcom, Hurley and Channel Islands underscore the influence of Huntington Surf & Sport which is considered by many in the surf industry to be the epicenter of the surf biz world.
"We want to thank all the Surf Industry and all the Surf Brands, customers, friends and family for all your support! Brands like Hurley, Volcom, Vans, Channel Islands, Salty Crew, ROARK, RVCA, O'Neill, Reef, Billabong, Quiksilver to name a few," said Taylor Pai.
HSS’s senior owner, Aaron Pai, is a fully stoked local surfer who was born in Hawaii and learned to surf at Waikiki before moving to Huntington Beach and becoming a hard-core local pier rat. That was the roots and motivation for him to get into the surf shop business.


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Volatile trading conditions and additional provisions for bad debt have led Nuplex Industries to cut its earnings forecast.
The resins manufacturer is now expecting earnings of $42.5 million in the half year.
Nuplex says demand from Europe in particular fell substantially during the period, partly due to customers reducing their inventory towards the end of the year.
The company expects that market to improve in the second half, now that inventory levels are in line with demand.
The company says with demand lower than previously anticipated, and the impact of restructuring costs, it expects its second half result to be similar to that of the first half.


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While the Netherlands market is small, equity crowdfunding platform Symbid is apparently having an important impact. Symbid has reported that in the first half of 2017 its platform accounted for 27% of all “venture capital” crowdfunding in the Netherlands. Investment crowdfunding in first half of 2017 increased to € 10.4 million.
Symbid, launched 2011, states that a growing number of business owners are selecting crowdfunding as their capital raising vehicle of choice. Crowdfunding is also becoming embraced by more established companies. Symbid says that more and more business angels are investing a larger average amount on their platform.
Symbid states that it specializes in “venture capital through crowdfunding” and during the first six months of 2017 they funded almost € 3 million.
In the convertible loan category, their market share stood as high as 39.7%. Robin Slakhorst said they were proud of the important role of Symbid in this area:
“In 2011, Symbid started one of the first equity crowdfunding platforms in the world, in the belief that we can help fund entrepreneurs in a responsible and enterprising way. We are pleased to see that more and more businesses see the benefits of equity financing. “
Larger campaigns for established entrepreneurs and companies
The average amount raised by crowdfunding campaigns on Symbid in the first half of 2017 stood at more than € 250,000. That is much higher than the overall market for crowdfunding companies, which amounted in the first half of 2017 € 97,000. Slakhorst said this average amount has been growing for some time:
“We see the average size of funding requests growing for a while Symbid. This year we’ve posted some great crowdfunding campaigns that have received much attention. “
In June knew the new liqueur Caramol, a vodka with caramel, raised € 600,000 via Symbid.
“This campaign received enormous media attention … This success can be further accelerated with the international rollout of the new brand, ” said Slakhorst.
The third campaign by Nerd Alize on Symbid took in more than € 750,000 in a short period of time. It also received international attention because of international investors and industry leaders such as Eric Schmidt of Google and Ashton Kutcher who spoke on social media about the company.
“It’s nice to see that a company like Nerd Alize, that huge steps to set and where even strategic institutional investors have invested in, come back to us for a new round of financing,” stated Slakhorst. “There was obviously a lot of interest. “
In line with the growing size of crowdfunding campaigns financed on Symbid there is also a marked increase in the average amount invested. This grew by over 16% from € 900 in 2016 to € 1,047 in the first half of 2017.
“More and more business angels to invest through Symbid which often invest large amounts to the average amount invested is growing,” added Slakhorst.


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Equities analysts predict that Inogen, Inc will announce $59.17 million in sales for the current quarter, according to Zacks Investment Research . Three analysts have provided estimates for Inogen's earnings, with the lowest sales estimate coming in at $56.92 million and the highest estimate coming in at $60.61 million.
Original Article: Inogen, Inc (INGN) Expected to Post Quarterly Sales of $59.17 MillionNEXT ARTICLE
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Top 10 biotech and pharmaceutical companies worldwide based on market value in 2015 2015 ranking of the global top 10 biotech and pharmaceutical companies based on revenue (in billion U.S. dollars) Johnson & Johnson, U.S. 74...


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Dubai Multi Commodities Centre on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the People’s Government of Panyu District, China, for increased cooperation towards mutual growth and the promotion of jewelry trade between both countries, with a special focus on diamonds and colored stones.
The MoU is in line with the recent visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice-president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, to China to strengthen ties between the UAE and China.
Under the terms of the agreement, both parties will mutually promote the jewelry trade, with the intention of collectively developing a strong presence in international markets and establishing a global influence. This will be accomplished through the exchange of market expertise in jewelry design, training, business opportunities, and educational initiatives, in addition to facilitating the reciprocal operation of visiting jewelry trade delegations.
Led by Mr. Tan Ying-hua, party secretary of the Panyu People’s Government, the 11-member delegation from the Government of Panyu visited the DMCC offices, ahead of the signing of the MoU. Delegation officials from the Panyu People’s Government included the vice president of the Panyu Jewellery Manufacturers Association and the Jewellery and Diamond advisor to the Panyu Government. Ahmed bin Sulayem, executive chairman, DMCC, presented each member of the delegation with a Chinese version of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed’s book: “Royati – My Vision”
“Our MoU with DMCC … will enable us to explore the extensive scope of the emerging markets in the high growth economies of the Middle East,” said Tan Ying-hua. “We aim to jointly create an environment conducive to business, and a solid platform for the exchange of knowledge. This will be of immense value to the diamond and gemstone traders between Panyu and Dubai, and will enhance opportunities for increasing jewelry trade volumes.”
DMCC and the Government of Panyu will form a four-member steering committee to assist in discussing the wider scope of the MoU. The MoU also seeks to encourage youth exchange programmes and establish cultural delegations in the fields of art and music, with the intention of promoting friendship between the two countries.
“DMCC is very pleased to enter into this cooperative relationship with the Government of Panyu, China, which will open up new avenues for strengthening trade links between two prominent economies,” said Ahmed bin Sulayem, executive chairman, DMCC. “Panyu has rapidly emerged as the gem and jewellery capital of China. Through DMCC’s partnership with them, we are confident that we will see greater acceleration in jewellery trade between both countries.”
Panyu, a district of Guangzhou situated in the Guangdong province, accounts for more than a fifth of China’s export of gold and inlaid jewelry. Panyu has nearly 400 enterprises employing more than 70,000 workers within the jewelry trade. In 2007, the total value of domestic export was $1.32 billion. Panyu is also set to host the ninth International Coloured Gemstone Association Congress in 2009.
Seated Left to Right: Ahmed bin Sulayem, executive chairman, DMCC;
Tan Ying-hua, party secretary of the Panyu People’s Government at the MoU
signing ceremony between DMCC and the People’s Government of Panyu District, China.
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California Pizza Kitchen (CPK), the creator of California-style pizza, is bringing back its fan-favorite heart-shaped pizza for one day this Mother’s Day, May 14, along with dining and gift card promotions to celebrate the special moms in our lives.
On Mother’s Day Sunday, guests can dine-in or takeout their favorite CPK pizzas on heart-shaped crispy thin crust for no additional charge.
“Who said heart-shaped pizza was just for Valentine’s? We’re so excited to help our guests show their appreciation for the moms and motherly figures in their lives with a special meal,” said Ashley Ceraolo, SVP of Marketing at CPK. “We love treating our guests to delicious dining experiences and this holiday is no different. We’re honored to get to play a part in making this day memorable for all women filling the role of mom this year.
Visit cpk.com/mothersday for more information.


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New York and Silicon Valley-based distributed energy storage startup Green Charge Networks received angel funding this week from Richard Lowenthal, founder and CTO of car charging network ChargePoint. Lowenthal also will join Green Charge Networks’ advisory board.
ChargePoint is installing 80 electric vehicle (EV)-charging stations in New York, having secured funding in March from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
Green Charge Networks, helmed by CEO Vic Shao, was launched in 2009 and funded via a U.S. DOE Smart Grid Stimulus grant. It launched its latest breakthrough energy storage product, the GreenStation, at the Intersolar North America conference in July. The GreenStation appliance monitors load on a second-by-second basis and counteract peaks and valleys by discharging and charging from an internal ion battery bank, saving customers up to 15% on their energy bill each month. It was field tested in partnership with the U.S. DOE through a three-years-long Smart Grid Demonstration project in New York City.
On August 14, the company revealed that 7-Eleven is deploying the GreenStation in EV-charging stations in its New York City area store locations. Other customers listed on Green Charge Network’s website include Avis, Whole Foods and AAA.
The company told CleanTechIQ that it is experiencing “tremendous momentum” in customer interest and has a lot of potential sales “lined up” for its GreenStation product in 2014. In terms of its investors, the company said it is being very selective, noting that it has not yet received any venture capital money.
However, Green Charge Networks said it is open to discussions with other angel and venture capital investors about future investments.


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The biggest updates in social media | April 2023
Keeping up with the latest and greatest updates in social media is no easy feat. With new platforms emerging, on top of our usual favorites making moves, it’s hard to keep up with this constantly changing landscape. Luckily for you, we’re here to clear up the confusion, un-mask the most important updates, and keep you securely in the loop.
Prefer to watch?
Every month, Andy and Jordan talk us through the key updates that you need to know to stay ahead of the social media curve. Watch their April roundup here:
TikTok tops Q1 download charts
Data from data.ai reveals that TikTok is the number one most downloaded app from 2023 Q1, followed by Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. In terms of where consumers are spending their money, TikTok is top of the charts again with YouTube in second place. This second piece of information is particularly interesting as an indication on where users are potentially spending money — whether they’re buying products through the TikTok platform, boosting content, or gifting money to creators.
What makes a standout LinkedIn Ad revealed
A survey carried out by Vidmob (reported on by search engine land) discovered the following in relation to LinkedIn Ads:
+149% lift in view through 25% when displaying messaging in the opening quarter of a video
+54% lift in engagement rates with 7-15 second video duration
+102% lift in view through 25% with high text contrast
+175% lift in view through 25% when showing a person in the opening quarter
+33% lift in click-through rate when offer includes “Get a Quote”
+17% increase in click-through rate when featuring brand logo in the first two seconds of content
YouTube Shorts gains popularity
The growth of Lemon8
A new social media platform, Lemon8, has been installed 17 million times globally since launching in March 2020. It’s also been installed over 650,000 times in the US in the last few weeks, and its largest market at the moment is Japan, responsible for 36.5% of its lifetime downloads.
Hashtags have limited reach and editing tools don’t impact reach
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, confirmed in a series of Instagram Stories that using hashtags in your Instagram content will not significantly change your reach. He also confirmed that Instagram Reels will not be downranked if you use a third-party editing tool.
Save posts with friends
Instagram now allows you to save content into “collaborative collections” where you and your friends can contribute and view.
Trim videos down to 60 seconds for Stories
A new feature from Instagram allows you to take your longer content and easily trim it down, making it easier to share as a Reel or within your Stories.
View Story reshares
You can now keep an eye on Story reshares to see how many people shared your Story in DMs. This is another useful statistic to track and learn from as a creator.
@ mentioning in Notes
“Notes” is a newer Instagram feature that allows you to write a status that will disappear after 24 hours and is visible to your followers in your inbox. An update to this feature means that @-mentioning in these Notes will now be possible.
Reels trends in professional dashboard
A new Reels trends area in the professional dashboard will reveal what audio and hashtags are trending currently to help you stay in the loop on what’s popular moment by moment.
Updates to Reels insights
You can now see how your Reels have impacted your reach amongst your followers and non-followers. You can also see your average watch time, which is an incredibly useful statistic that'll help you understand at which point in time your users are switching off — or rather, swiping away.
Instagram makes it easier to connect with your audience
Instagram will now reveal via notifications what of your content brought in new followers. You’ll also get a weekly engagement list that shows everyone who engaged with you recently so you can show appreciation to them in your responses.
Updates to Instagram virtual gifts
Instagram has announced that it is expanding its Reels-focused gifting service — which is great news for Creators.
Add up to five links to your Instagram bio
Instagram bios have historically only allowed you to add one link, and now you can add up to five, which is sure to be great news to many businesses and influencers in particular who want to send their audience to multiple destinations.
Further reading: 15 Instagram bio ideas and templates
Broadcast channels for Facebook Groups
Broadcast channels will allow admins and moderators to send messages to all group members via chat to ensure everyone is kept up to date on the most important updates and news.
Create clips from Facebook livestreams and cross-post content
It’s now easier than ever to create clips from your Facebook Lives and then post them across other Facebook pages. It’s also now possible to create clips from the livestreams of other users that can be published and shared with your own followers.
Add first comment on Facebook Stories
A new feature from Facebook allows you to add the first comment for Facebook Stories to be published alongside the story.
Facebook is testing the option to create Stories for you using AI where it will suggest ready-made stories for you using advanced photo and video data based on what you’ve been posting on the platform recently.
How Twitter’s algorithm works
Twitter has open-sourced their algorithm, meaning that how the algorithm works is now publicly available info. Some of the key takeaways include the following: likes, retweets, and replies are most beneficial (in this order) for ranking; using links will harm your ranking; Twitter Blue will extend your reach; posting content outside of your usual niche will harm your ranking, as will content that contains misspelled words or made-up words.
Twitter Blue for business launches
A version of Twitter Blue for businesses has now launched (known as “Verified Organizations”). However, this new update also comes with the announcement that you can no longer advertise on the platform unless you are subscribed to Twitter Blue or Verified Organizations.
Twitter will be rebranded to “X”
In a shocking tweet from Twitter CEO Elon Musk, he revealed that “buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app.”
Share a post with multiple members
LinkedIn now allows you to find a post of interest and share it with multiple of your connections via DMs.
Verification comes to LinkedIn
LinkedIn verification means that LinkedIn will soon be able to validate that you do indeed work at the company that you claim.
LinkedIn adding more algorithmically “suggested” content
This new update means that you’re more likely to see content from outside of your usual friends and close colleagues. This means more opportunity for anyone to get their content seen without having a large following.
More detailed analytics
This new update means that when you post a video you can get hourly and daily insight updates to keep close track of the progress of your TikTok engagement.
TikTok adds a “play next” option for Playlists
TikToks that have been added to a playlist will now appear with a “play next” option, allowing users to choose whether to continue swiping through their feed or to watch more videos from this playlist.
WhatsApp rolls out broadcast channels
Live soon for all
WhatsApp is rolling out broadcast channels allowing you to broadcast messages to a set group of people.
WhatsApp extends group support
WhatsApp has made changes to groups allowing the number of members you can have in a group to be expanded to 1,024 (double the size it was before). Admins now control who can join groups, and you can also now search and view shared groups.
More details added to YouTube Analytics
New data within YouTube Analytics will help creators to see how their viewers are discovering them (via which of their content).
Podcasts come to YouTube Music
With Podcasts now available on YouTube Music, here lies a really great opportunity for podcasters to merchandise their podcast and extend their reach to YouTube Music’s 2.5 billion monthly users.
Substack launches “Notes,” their Twitter rival
Substack, a platform known for newsletter subscriptions, has officially launched “Notes,” an app designed to be Twitter’s natural competitor.
Your Key Takeaways
More editing and analytics tools are making Reels easier than ever to create.
More flexibility of Instagram profile links potentially spells the end of “Link in bio” tools.
Twitter is the first social network to go full “pay to play.”
More content is being shared via DMs as opposed to the feed, so social networks are creating solutions to support this more private version of sharing.
AI continues to have a big impact on social platforms.
Keep an eye on Lemon8 and Notes.


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Wharton Business Radio Guest Audio
Sylvia Gomez and Jon Duncanson on Launch Pad
Sylvia Gomez and Jon Duncanson, Founders of Aviana Productions, joins host Rob Coneybeer on Launch Pad.
Jeff Maggioncalda on Randi Zuckerberg Means Business
Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO at Coursera, joins host Randi Zuckerberg on Randi Zuckerberg Means Business, SiriusXM 132.
Terence Burke on Marketing Matters
Terence Burke, Senior VP of Research and Editor in Chief of KidSay's Trend Tracker, speaks with Marketing Matters hosts Barbara Kahn and Americus Reed on SiriusXM 132.


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Honda has recalled 2001-07 Accord and 2003-06 MDX models fitted with like-for-like Takata airbag inflators between March 1, 2015 and December 31, 2017.
As with all Takata-related recalls, a combination of heat and humidity can make the airbag inflator propellant degrade over time. If a car fitted with an affected airbag is involved in an accident, too much internal pressure can make its metal housing rupture, sending shrapnel into the cabin.
Cars included in this particular campaign had their original Takata inflators replaced with newer units. Now, Honda is replacing the like-for-like units with non-Takata inflators.
Honda will contact owners of the affected vehicles and advise them to organise a free replacement inflator with their nearest dealership.
The Takata airbag recall affects more than 100 million vehicles and nearly 20 automotive brands around the world. Globally, there have been 20 deaths linked to the scandal, and 230 serious injuries.
One Australian motorist lost their life to a faulty Takata airbag in July 2017, one month after another Australian driver was seriously injured.
In February 2018, the recall of vehicles affected by the faulty Takata airbags was made compulsory under law, with affected manufacturers required to replace all defective airbags by the end of 2020.
The ACCC earlier this year added some 1.1 million vehicles to the compulsory recall.According to the Australian Government, the risk of a defective Takata airbag rupturing may arise between 6 and 25 years after it is installed in a vehicle.
In areas of high heat and humidity, the risk of rupture may arise between 6 and 9 years. Concerned owners can check if their vehicle needs a new inflator at www.IsMyAirbagSafe.com.au


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Ultimaker, a lightning fast 3D printer
Three guys who met at the Fab Lab in Utrecht two years ago decided to go into business together as manufacturers of a 3D printer. The resulting Ultimaker costs only 1200 euro, and is apparently very fast.
According to Make magazine last Monday, “more than 120 printers have been sold and close to 70 have been shipped so far. It takes between four and six weeks between order and delivery. Half of the new printers have been sold in the Netherlands, thanks to exposure on a national TV program. Customers include a disabled Dutch woman whose Ultimaker has printed gripper hands for robotic arms that she uses to grasp small candies, something her previous gripper could not do.”
The printer arrives as a kit, and comes bundled with open source controller software for Mac OS, Windows and Linux. According to the manual, “assembling the unit—though requiring some dedication and love—does not require special skills”.
There are plenty of videos showing off the speed of this thing on Youtube.
(Source photo: Ultimaker.com)


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by Brenée Goforth
Media Manager & Communications Associate, John Locke Foundation
The Coronavirus has many people rushing to grocery stores and other establishments and stocking up for what could be weeks or even months of quarantine. One of the establishments getting hit the hardest is North Carolina’s string of ABC stores. My local ABC store in Mecklenburg County often has a line that wraps around the building.
In a recent piece in Carolina Journal, John Trump explains how the Coronavirus outbreak has unveiled the weaknesses in our system of government-controlled liquor distribution. Trump writes:
[T[he ancient, unique-in-the-U.S. system, in which 170 boards around the state control the flow of liquor to consumers, is existentially flawed and irreparable. It’s beyond 80 years old, yet calling it outdated is an insult to understatement…
The boards continue operating the stores — as of this writing, anyway — sans conceivable rhyme nor reason. Some boards are cutting hours, even as a growing propensity to hoard intensifies. Some have ABC workers meeting customers at the door and limiting access to store aisles. I guess that’s OK if you’re loyal to a specific brand or product, but the idea dissuades bourbon scouts or customers seeking variety or a rare surprise from venturing out. Why bother?
People can still get that cheap bottle of vodka, but wasn’t the ABC system set up to curtail that type of consumption in the first place?
Some boards have made a way for people to browse online, but those are few. Private stores would be best, but a centralized state system, such as Virginia’s, would at least be a step forward.
Virginia’s ABC system provides a better customer experience, Trump writes:
Virginia offers consumers an online catalog, applying to all stores, so people can search and find products before leaving home. A bill weaving its way through the Kentucky legislature would allow residents to order spirits — beer and wine, too — online for delivery to their homes. Conversely, Pennsylvania has closed its state-run liquor stores, and I fear North Carolina isn’t far behind.
North Carolina’s distillers continue to face intransigent ABC boards and a dearth of shelf space. Always dodging the big guns of Crown, Beam, and the like. Traveling the state for a chance to place their products in far-flung stores. Developing networks and partnerships to better traverse the uneven and pockmarked roads laid over 80 years by scores of lawmakers and bureaucrats. Cajoling those lawmakers and bureaucrats and simultaneously fending off prohibitionists and ideological lobbyists.


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Capcom, the developer and publisher behind hit franchises like Resident Evil, Monster Hunter and Street Fighter, has announced a new content creator program designed to “celebrate and connect with” fans of its titles.
The new initiative is called Capcom Creators, and the company says it “aims to build deeper, ongoing relationships with creators through dedicated resources and incentives, in addition to spotlighting prominent and positive voices in the community.”
Creators who are part of the program will be granted access to newsletters that will highlight new games and content creation opportunities, as well as a dedicated private Discord server to connect with program managers and fellow creators. They’ll also have the chance to have their work shared on Capcom’s official social channels, and could receive extra exclusive incentives such as digital asset packs and care packages featuring “special merchandise”.
It’ll also be a place for content creators to request codes for upcoming games, including Monster Hunter Rise – which is launching on PC next week, let’s not forget.
Capcom Creators is currently accepting applications from those living in the US, although the company says it hopes to expand this further in the future. You can go ahead and apply here if you’re interested.


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October 2, 2011 - SUNRISE, Fla. – As demand diminishes for daily deal sites, a longstanding advertising leader is coming to the rescue of consumers and community business owners coast to coast.
MoneySaver Coupon Book, Inc., renowned for its colorful direct mail coupon book and online printable coupons in South Florida and Northern New Jersey, announced today that it is expanding its reach through an aggressive franchise growth strategy. Harnessing its 20-plus years of success, MoneySaver is targeting strategic expansion nationwide to fulfill American consumers’ undeniable craving for coupons and to meet demand from community businesses coast to coast for cost-effective marketing services that drive acquisition and retention, while increasing consumer loyalty.
“No doubt, there is an insatiable enthusiasm for coupons,” said Brian Squires, president of MoneySaver Coupon Books, Inc., who has led the company’s growth to 800,000 South Florida mailboxes in more than 30 communities. “However, few have spent as much time as MoneySaver perfecting just how consumers want to receive them and a cost-effective strategy for business owners to offer them through the mail and online.”
The announcement of the company’s strategic franchising move comes on the heels of signing a franchise agreement for Western Essex and Eastern Morris Counties in Northern New Jersey. Local resident David Diken, who has more than 25 years of sales experience, became the brand’s first franchisee.
“David is a welcome addition to the MoneySaver family,” said Adam Squires, vice president of franchise development for MoneySaver Franchise Group, LLC and Brian’s son. “Just as we look for in all of our franchisee candidates, he’s a driven professional that understands the importance of following our proven business model. We applaud his determination and stand by him every step of the way.”
Since 1990, MoneySaver has been helping advertisers achieve their business goals. Its easy-to-handle, full-color booklets provide affordable local advertising for restaurants, retail stores, home improvement service providers, salons, dry cleaners and many other sectors. Throughout its mailing zones, MoneySaver hits every mailbox via full carrier route lists, a significant differentiator among direct mail competitors. Plus, MoneySaver continues to invest heavily in its website, moneysavercouponsonline.com, where today more than 10,000 visitors easily search for savings each month. In the past year alone, consumers have downloaded more than 25,000 coupons from the MoneySaver website.
“We’ve built our reputation on establishing close relationships with advertisers in the communities we serve. Simply put, they trust us to deliver the results they want,” added Brian. “Plus, consumers look forward to receiving the book. When they are out and about they keep it close by at all times…it is filled with incredible savings. All of this adds up to redemption rates that are as strong as ever, which commands consistent advertiser renewals.”
In addition to the book and printable online coupons, MoneySaver’s mobile version of its website also serves as a simple way for consumers to grab hold of savings opportunities anytime, anywhere.
MoneySaver franchisees benefit from the know-how and innovation the company has cultivated as a leader in its field the past 20-plus years. The franchise opportunity affords owners the ability to become a one-stop shop for local advertising, with customizable email marketing and specialty direct mail projects available along with the direct mail and printable coupons.
To support their franchisees’ growth, MoneySaver’s home office handles all printing, graphics and web development duties, leaving franchisees to focus on the most import part of their business – growing it through advertising sales. MoneySaver also provides its franchisees with initial and ongoing training, as well as sales and marketing support.
As a home-based business, MoneySaver is a fit for transitioning corporate professionals seeking to invest in an affordable franchise opportunity. Sales and marketing experience are not a necessity. Franchise fees range from $15,000 to $22,500, and include three to five mailing zones, each with 20,000 mailboxes.
Since 1990, MoneySaver has been meeting the advertising needs of community businesses with its widely recognizable, full-color booklet filled with savings. As an innovator in its field, MoneySaver was one of the first to go to market with an effective online coupon site, which offers hundreds of printable coupons 24/7, 365 days a year. Now, MoneySaver is providing the same opportunity on mobile phones. In 2011, MoneySaver began franchising and is currently available to entrepreneurially minded professionals in select markets nationwide. For more information on the franchise opportunity, contact Adam Squires at 1-888-333-4966, firstname.lastname@example.org or visit www.moneysavercouponsonline.com and click on the Franchise Opportunities tab.
View Company Website: http://www.moneysavercouponsonline.com


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A Lakeview-area party store owner was not illegally selling drug paraphernalia when he ran afoul of state liquor control officials, a Michigan appellate panel has ruled.
Citing a “vague” Michigan rule and because the state took marijuana off the list of narcotic drugs in 1978, judges William B. Murphy, Joel P. Hoekstra and Kirsten Frank Kelly ordered A Montcalm County Circuit judge to dismiss a complaint against Brang, Inc., the operator of Five Corners party store on M-91 near Lakeview.
Brang was fined and its liquor license suspended for a day in 2013 after the Michigan Liquor Control Commission filed a complaint because Five Corners was selling what it deemed to be “narcotic drug paraphernalia,” according to the COA opinion, released Friday.
Officials from the LCC alleged that they found “numerous items in the store that were available for purchase by customers, which merchandise the LCC characterized as narcotics paraphernalia” under the Michigan Administrative Code.
In overturning the lower court’s ruling, the appeals judged said that code is “unconstitutionally vague with respect to the meaning of ‘narcotics paraphernalia.’”
Prior to the case going to Montcalm County Circuit Court, two separate LCC hearings resulted in rulings against Brang, which was selling behind a locked counter a variety of pipes, screens and other items one of the store’s owners said was for tobacco, which was also sold at the store, according to the opinion.
During the first hearing, held Dec. 11, 2013, the owner testified that the products were kept locked because they were small and easy shoplifting targets, that there was more than 100 pounds of loose tobacco for sale at the store and that the pipes were tobacco accessories.
The LCC commissioner issued an order Jan. 10, 2014 that the evidence substantiated all of the allegations in the complaint and fined Brang $50 each for 27 charges and a one-day suspension of the liquor license, according to court documents.
After Brang requested an LCC appeal, the appeal board indicated it “had concerns whether the merchandise constituted narcotics paraphernalia in light of the evidence, the developments in the law regarding medical marijuana under the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act...and the definition of ‘drug paraphernalia’ under the Public Health Code.”
A second hearing was held March 25, 2015 and the LCC presented testimony from one of its investigators with a police background, and the commissioner determined that there was enough evidence to substantiate 25 of the 27 charges.
Brang appealed again, and the board affirmed the earlier decision in a 2-1 vote, and later a Montcalm County Circuit judge affirmed that ruling, according to court documents.
In the opinion, appeals judges ruled that “narcotics paraphernalia” is unconstitutionally vague; that a regulation is in violation of due process when it forbids or requires the “doing of an act in terms so vague that men of common intelligence must necessarily guess its meaning and differ as to its application.”
The judges concluded that the term “narcotic paraphernalia” was too vague for purposes of fair enforcement.
They also noted that it was problematic and confusing that the LCC “treats the term ‘narcotics paraphernalia’ as effectively being interchangeable with the term ‘drug paraphernalia,’ such that the LCC necessarily views marijuana paraphernalia as violative of (the administrative rule) as evidenced by the interpretive statement and the positions of the three LCC investigators, the hearing commissioner and the board.”
Although marijuana was considered a narcotic when the 1963 Michigan Constitution was enacted, it was removed from the narcotic classification in 1978, the judges said.
“We cannot help but question and it escapes us why the LCC, if it indeed intended to use the term drug paraphernalia within (the administrative rule), did not simply use the term drug paraphernalia,” the judges wrote. “To be clear, we are not ruling that the LCC did not intend to encompass marijuana paraphernalia in crafting (an administrative rule).”
The judges also noted that it is true that the LCC investigators “testified at times that certain products were almost always or primarily used in connection with narcotics, (the rule) itself contains no such standard, quantifier, or demand, resulting in indefiniteness, uncertainty and a lack of fair notice and precision that even the board found concerning.”
The appeals judges also awarded taxable costs to the store owner, according to the opinion.


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(NEW YORK) -- With 42 million Americans planning to travel this week for the Thanksgiving holiday, many are in for a big surprise, because the cost of celebrating Turkey Day has shot up.
The typical family looking to travel this holiday season will see hikes in airfares, gasoline and even the traditional Thanksgiving bird.
For the family that thinks they’ll save a bundle by driving to the family feast, taking the car might be the wrong choice -- gas prices have risen about 50 cents per gallon from last year’s rates.
And flying doesn't fare much better -- airfares are up more than 10 percent from last year.
Jeanenne Tornatore, senior editor for Orbitz.com, said the smart action to take -- as usual -- is to book in advance.
“Typically, as you get closer to the holiday period, the travel prices do increase, because it is such a compact travel weekend and travelers are going to be traveling over such a short period,” she said.
Those looking to stay at a hotel will be hit too, with hotel prices up nearly 5 percent from 2010's prices.
But even if you choose to avoid traveling, you still won't escape added expenses. The Farm Bureau estimates the cost of the classic Thanksgiving dinner is up 13 percent from last year. The cost of a turkey is now up $3, pumpkin pie is up 41 cents and stuffing is up 24 cents.
The reason being: rising fuel prices. The cost of gasoline ultimately affects everything that gets transported to store shelves.
Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio


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Larry Dominique: “I don't have the infrastructure and the legacy in place. We have a chance to do this right once.”
TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan -- PSA Group sees its North American return as a chance to transition to a mobility-first business.
The French automaker will seek to forge strong ties with U.S. consumers with a service that coordinates various forms of transportation in one app, Larry Dominique, head of PSA North America, said Wednesday at the CAR Management Briefing Seminars.
Once PSA has established itself as a reliable mobility provider, selling cars will become secondary.
“We’re going to be starting to engage with millions of Americans,” Dominique told Automotive News separately. “By the time we’re ready to sell cars, selling cars will just be the exclamation point at the end of the sentence.”
Dominique, a former executive at Nissan and later at TrueCar, was named to the job in April.
As the future of traditional car ownership comes into question with the rise of ride hailing, car sharing and other services, automakers are looking to alternative revenue streams. To pivot successfully, experts say, manufacturers need a better understanding of consumer preferences and provide useful services.
“Car companies don’t understand their end customer,” said Samit Ghosh, CEO of consultancy P3 North America. “The user experience is a piece that a lot of companies overlook.”
PSA’s Free2Move app, which has launched in Europe and is to expand to China and North America, enables the automaker to interact with consumers more often than engaging solely in car sales, Dominique said. It adds value by coordinating services on one platform.
“The reality is, we tend to step in and step out of consumers’ lives, from an automotive point of view,” he said. The rise of mobile phones and transportation apps such as Uber and Lyft has created an opportunity for companies to communicate with customers.
Free2Move is an aggregation platform that enables users to book and pay for a variety of transportation services, such as ride hailing or public transit, with one mobile app. In Europe, the app coordinates about eight mobility options.
Dominique said the platform appeals to transportation providers because it increases exposure to new customers. The Free2Move app is free to use, but Dominique said PSA can strike revenue-sharing and other profit agreements with providers through the platform.
In addition to increasing customer engagement, operating as a mobility company comes with significantly lower costs and higher profit margins.
“The beauty of the technology is that it’s easily scalable,” Dominique said. “It’s much cheaper to produce software.”
Cracking North America is crucial to PSA’s future. Not being strapped with heavy upfront capital costs will be key.
“We’ve got to be able to do things in a new, innovative way,” Dominique said. “I don’t have the infrastructure and the legacy in place. We have a chance to do this right once.”


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