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- Howard Marks, the co-founder and co-chairman of $122 billion Oaktree Capital, made a fortune by loading up on distressed corporate debt during the darkest depths of the financial crisis.
- In an exclusive interview with Business Insider, Marks explained how his overall investment philosophy and views on market cycles enabled him to make that legendary trade.
- Marks also explained why he's continuing to buy more every day, and laid out the scenario that would prompt him to get more defensive.
Back in late 2008, in the deepest throes of the financial crisis, everyone in the market was running scared.
Not Howard Marks.
As the co-founder and co-chairman of Oaktree Capital, which currently oversees $122 billion, Marks smelled opportunity.
He and his partner, Bruce Karsh, came up with a daring plan — one that would fly in the face of investors who refused to touch the market with a 10-foot pole. They were going to start buying cheap assets. Billions of dollars' worth.
They began purchasing distressed corporate debt at a clip of about $650 million a week, something they continued throughout the last 15 weeks of the year, Marks told Business Insider in an exclusive interview. When all was said and done, Marks and Karsh had amassed a whopping $10 billion position.
Their approach proved prudent — and wildly profitable. That debt rebounded, and the trade made about $6 billion for Oaktree investors and $1.5 billion for Marks, Karsh, and their partners, according to a New York Times report.
But summarizing the trade so neatly hardly does it justice. At the time, it was a massive risk for Marks and his associates to make a wager of that size, considering the dire market environment.
Marks and his team did loads of diligence around the value of the debt they were buying, and saw that it had considerable upside potential. But what ultimately sold him on the trade was how overwhelmingly negative sentiment was across the market.
He recalls a conversation he had with a chief investment officer. Every time he posed a negative assumption, the CIO would ask about an even worse scenario.
"I could not propose a scenario negative enough to satisfy her," Marks told Business Insider.
That signaled to Marks that the market cycle was bottomed out, and that it was time to start buying.
"Psychology was absolutely as negative as it could've been," he said. "When you can't come up with a scenario negative enough on the downside, you know that pessimism is rampant. That's important. It really exemplified our strategy at its best."
It's this investment strategy — assessing where we are in the market cycle and investing accordingly — that's the focal point of Marks' new book, "Mastering the Market Cycle," which was released October 2.
Simply put, when emotions are riding high at either extreme, that's when it's best to take immediate action.
If confidence is oozing out of investor pores and risk-taking is abundant, it may be time to get defensive. And if nobody can fathom conditions getting any worse — as in late 2008 — perhaps buying is the right move.
It certainly was for Marks.
Why Marks is continuing to buy
It's well-established that Marks made a career-defining call back in 2008. But what is he doing right now?
"We're adding to positions," he told Business Insider. "We're buying every day. We're endeavoring to be fully invested, but with caution."
We're buying every day. We're endeavoring to be fully invested, but with caution.
But Marks doesn't see it that way. In his mind, conditions aren't overstretched to a degree that requires extreme defensiveness — at least not yet.
"The future is not so bad and prices are not so high that you should be in cash," he said. "On the other hand, I don't think the prices are so low, and the outlook is so good, that you should be aggressive."
His decision to keep buying is informed by what he refers to as his internal investment speedometer. He knows what his normal position is and adjusts how deeply he's invested based on market conditions.
Marks said every investor should develop a baseline like this, based on such factors as age, financial position, plans, aspirations, and employment. Once that's established, it becomes much easier to tweak risk-taking behavior as market sentiment gyrates.
With that said, Marks acknowledges that conditions are edging ever closer to overoptimism.
He explained: "When you have a lot of optimism, not much risk aversion, and a lot of money in the hands of eager buyers, what are you going to get? High prices, high risk, and low perspective returns. We have those things today."
What could push Marks into defensive mode
Those last comments beg the question: What would have to transpire for Marks to shift into a fully defensive mode?
He says it would take more risk-embracing behavior — the kind of confidence that prompts investors to blindly continue piling into expensive assets.
"The main thing for me would be an increase in optimism," Marks said. "If I see an upturn in optimism, pushing prices up even further, that would be important."
The main thing for me would be an increase in optimism ... that would be important.
He continued: "If rates go up a great deal more, and if inflation catches on and starts accelerating, and that necessitates the Fed raising rates even more, that would be tough for the economy and certainly tough on leveraged companies."
Marks' view is interesting in the sense that it flies in the face of an increasingly loud chorus of bears across Wall Street. To hear others tell it, sentiment is already far too overextended, and a reckoning is imminent.
In the end, Marks' outlook is one that should lend encouragement to other traders who aren't yet ready to throw in the towel on this market cycle. He literally wrote the book on the matter, and he's saying the coast is still relatively clear.
It's hard to argue with that.


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NEW YORK – Last week’s topsy-turvy stock market ended on a positive note, but the Dow was set to fall sharply once again Monday after investors got mixed signals on trade.
Larry Kudlow, President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser, said Sunday that US officials expect the Chinese to retaliate for the tariff hike the Trump administration imposed last week. On Friday, the United States increased tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25% from 10%.
“We’ll see what they come up with,” Kudlow said of the expected retaliation.
Dow futures were down 270 points Sunday evening, while S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures were down more than 1%.
Wall Street investors fear an escalating trade war in which both the United States and China continue to raise tariffs. US businesses that import Chinese goods pay the tariffs levied by the United States. Companies either eat that cost, which pinches their profits; or they pass the cost onto consumers, which can hurt demand for their products.

domain: news


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This publication features lifestyle stories around cannabis use and experiences, including emerging trends in wellness, travel, food and drink, pop culture, and cannabis-related brands.
ECentralSports targets the emerging premium
on-trend esports and egaming market.
Unparalleled esports and egaming content that speaks to key consumers about trends, news, lifestyle and happenings in the $150 billion market.
Established as the news, lifestyle, and entertainment weekly in Vancouver for 50 years, the Georgia Straight is an integral part of the active urban West Coast lifestyle with over 1.081 million readers per week.
How far you go will depend on your comfort level – and open lines of communication
I suggest that you pointedly exclude those who have too many negatives mixed in with their positives, Leo
On the potential health harms of vaping, Health Canada has been less definitive on cannabis compared to juice and nicotine products
House prices are cooling but the National Bank's Housing Affordability Monitor says it's even hard to save for a home in Toronto
Favour what’s earthy, raw and unadorned over what’s spectacular, idealized and polished, Aries
The 5.5-kilometre horseshoe trail starting at St. Clair and Yonge is an essential part of the city's ravine system


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The ultimate electronic energy-storage device would store plenty of energy but also charge up rapidly and provide powerful bursts when needed. Sadly, today’s devices can only do one or the other: capacitors provide high power, while batteries offer high storage.
Now researchers at the University of Maryland have developed a kind of capacitor that brings these qualities together. The research is in its early stages, and the device will have to be scaled up to be practical, but initial results show that it can store 100 times more energy than previous devices of its kind. Ultimately, such devices could store surges of energy from renewable sources, like wind, and feed that energy to the electrical grid when needed. They could also power electric cars that recharge in the amount of time that it takes to fill a gas tank, instead of the six to eight hours that it takes them to recharge today.
There are many different kinds of batteries and capacitors, but in general, batteries can store large amounts of energy yet tend to charge up slowly and wear out quickly. Capacitors, meanwhile, have longer lifetimes and can rapidly discharge, but they store far less total energy. Electrochemists and engineers have been working to solve this energy-storage problem by boosting batteries’ power and increasing capacitors’ storage capacity.


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Getting the latest pair of kicks has been remixed and reimagined as KYX World changes the rules with the world’s first subscription platform offering wide access to authentic, limited edition sneakers and styles that have garnered world-wide hype. With a try-before-you-buy and non-committal sneaker access model, KYX aims to democratize access to rare sneakers with a new, more intelligent way to consume. Subscribe to KYX and get fresh sneakers every month — wear them, and then choose to keep them, buy them, or swap them out for a new pair next month.
As drop culture has cultivated an exclusivity factor that has limited access for everyday consumers, KYX World co-founder and CEO, Brian Mupo, saw an opportunity to fill a whitespace in the market. “I believe KYX can and will become the platform where people from all walks of life go for their favorite sneakers. KYX serves as an authentic and inclusive representation of street and sneaker culture in a way the community does not currently reflect,” said Mupo.
In addition to accessibility and affordability, KYX addresses the other limiting elements of the sneaker world — space and consumption. The allure of copping the latest and greatest is still high, but the need to purchase and keep a pair of high value shoes that strictly take up space is wearing down.
KYX Executive Creative Director and sneaker connoisseur, jeffstaple says, “You can always buy what you’ll know you’ll love, but now, with KYX, here’s a way to try out all the latest heat while saving space and money. I’ve been a fan of sneakers for decades and have been fortunate enough to build my brand in this space. I’m excited to be part of the KYX team as we help define the next evolution of the culture.”
In bridging the gap between the almost unattainable, limited-release sneakers and everyday consumers who want to feel good in wearing said sneakers, KYX stands to disrupt the industry with the tried and true model of rental access. KYX offers four levels of access with the choice to opt-in to selections of brand new or lightly worn sneakers. Lightly worn sneakers undergo an extensive cleaning and sanitizing process, utilizing Reshoevn8r products, to bring them to a ‘near new’ appearance.
At launch, KYX has over 275 styles ranging in price from £200 to £2,000 on the resale market and is stocked with an inclusive run of women’s and men’s adult sizing. Subscribers who don’t see a particular style or size are encouraged to reach out to KYX Digital Concierge, Sloan.


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New Delhi, Sept 18 (UNI) E-commerce giant Amazon on Wednesday announced the inclusion of Hindi in its virtual assistant Alexa, allowing users to give voice commands in the country's major language.
The new version of the voice assistant can also manage Hindi, English and Hinglish -- a unique blend of Hindi and English.
Alexa lets customers to ask for music, get Bollywood news, cricket updates and more, in Hindi and Hinglish on its Echo and other voice-controlled smart speakers.
"We are thrilled to bring a suite of AI advances in multi-lingual understanding so that customers can interact with Alexa in different regional variants of colloquial Hindi. We are grateful to Indian customers who contributed to Hindi development through the Cleo skill," Rohit Prasad, Vice President, and Head Scientist, Alexa AI, Amazon said.
Alexa arrived in India in 2017. Till date, it was able to understand and pronounce names of popular places, names, songs and more in languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Punjabi.
Soon, customers will also be able to speak to Alexa in Hindi and English without changing the language setting back and forth.
Thousands of developers have already started building Alexa's skills with a Hindi flavour.


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Crayons and markers aren’t just for kids, they’re for adults too.
The craze of starting adult coloring groups has spread to Orange County where the group, 50 Shades of Coloring, was started earlier this summer by Orange resident Myra Rahe. The group meets twice a month and charges $5 for those who bring their own supplies and $10 for those who use what’s provided.
Rahe said coloring is a great way to express yourself and “ex-stress” by getting lost in detailed patterns and scenes in coloring books. The adult coloring groups are for those 18 and older.
Rahe said she hopes to get more people involved and she is excited to celebrate next year’s National Coloring Day with a coloring marathon.
For information on how to join this new group in Orange, email email@example.com.
– Brooke E. Seipel
- 2 bodies – one nude – found near each other in Long Beach
- Options running out for homeless living along Santa Ana river bed
- Amazon is opening a real grocery store with no checkout lines
- CHP investigating 91 freeway shootout between motorcyclists in Anaheim
- O.C. sheriff's logs reveal details of informant use, recordings in county jail


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Korean electronics brand Samsung has entered into a partnership with the South African Rugby Union (SARU) and will benefit from brand exposure on the national team’s shorts as part of the agreement.
South Korean electronics giant Samsung has signed a new partnership with Lancashire Cricket Club
Korean electronics brand Samsung has extended its deal as the principal sponsor of Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket franchise the Mumbai Indians, according to multiple reports
Chinese Super League football club Jiangsu Suning has agreed a three-season deal with Samsung that will make the Korean consumer electronics company its new main sponsor


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The official factory indicator of China unexpectedly increased to close to five The point of manufacturing purchasing managers rose to 51.8 in November, compared to the forecast of 51.4 in a survey of Bloomberg economists and 51.6 of the previous. mes
Both foreign and domestic consumers are taking product measures from China's factories as world demand continues to be buoyant, and that keeps producer inflation and increases corporate profitability . That strong demand has offered a cushion for economic growth, as officials ordered polluting factories to close or reduce production during the winter, a season that often sees China's north covered by smog.
"The cyclical slowdown that everyone expected has not yet appeared," said Zhou Hao, an economist at Commerzbank AG in Singapore and the only badyst in the Bloomberg survey to accurately forecast the manufacturing PMI. Such a strong performance will exercise pressure on the bond market, he said, adding that "inflation will continue at least at the beginning of next year."
"The end of the year is usually a weak season for manufacturing," said Liu Xuezhi. , an badyst at Bank of Communications Co. in Shanghai. "Next year I should still see constant readings of PMI since exports are solid and, despite the downward pressure, investment will remain stable."
"The decent PMI of today is due to strong production and optimistic new orders," said Raymond Yeung, chief China's Big Economist at the Banking Group of Australia and New Zealand in Hong Kong. "The growth momentum is not on the supply side but on the demand side"
- New manufacturing orders collected up to 53.6 from 52.9
- New export orders increased to 50.8 from 50.1  The PMI of the steel industry increased to 53.1 from 52.3
– With the badistance of Xiaoqing Pi, Miao Han, Yinan Zhao, Ailing Tan and Kevin Hamlin


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Image via Balmain.
Christophe Decarnin is leaving Balmain as the Paris fashion house’s creative director. Since taking Balmain’s helm in 2005, Decarnin has been responsible for bringing the brand major financial success as well as some of our favorite looks: sharp shoulders, skinny jeans, leather, and distressed T-shirts. His designs ignited “Balmania” among the fashion elite, who shelled out thousands — up to $60,000 for a dress — for his signature rocker look.
Rumors of Decarnin’s departure began when he was a no-show at his own autumn/winter Paris show in February with reports that he suffered depression and was hospitalized. But WWD reports (subscription required) that the rumors about his health may have been overblown and the last straw was infact his disagreements with Balmain CEO Alain Hivelin about the direction of the company.
Emmanuelle Alt, our favorite bagless editrix, was his stylist until she took the helm as editor-in-chief of Paris Vogue. Her replacement, British stylist Melanie Ward, is rumored to now become Balmain’s new creative director.


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With just 24 hours left until its second equity crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube comes to an end, online tutor marketplace Tutora is set to close the funding round with nearly £700,000 in funding. The company launched the initiative last month seeking £350,000.
Tutora was launched by co-founders Scott Woodley and Mark Hughes less than two years ago. The marketplace aims to help parents find and book private tutors online, and its tutors have taught 3,000 lessons in subjects ranging from Math and English to Spanish and Accounting. Woodley recently explained:
“Our success has not only been recognised by our students, tutors and investors. We were recently finalists in TechNorth’s Northern Stars competition, which named us as one of the top 20 startups in the North. We have also been featured in many leading publications, including the Guardian, BBC, The Telegraph and TechRadar (India). Alongside all of this, we have partnered with Pearson, the international publishers, to develop the Tutors’ Guild series of tuition packs, designed to enable tutors to deliver the very best sessions.”
Funds from the latest Crowdcube campaign will go towards building an online tuition platform, student and tutor apps, and further grow the company’s community of tutors and students. The company noted that its extended funding goal is £700,000.
Have a crowdfunding offering you'd like to share? Submit an offering for consideration using our Submit a Tip form and we may share it on our site!


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Amidst financial challenges faced by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, brand expert Denise Palmer-Davies has suggested potential avenues for the Duchess of Sussex to alleviate their financial woes. In an interview with Fabulous magazine, Palmer-Davies highlighted that given Prince Harry’s background as a former Hollywood star who married a British prince, numerous brands would eagerly invest in collaborations with Meghan, potentially allowing them to overcome their financial difficulties swiftly.
However, Palmer-Davies noted that Meghan Markle is known for being discerning about the work she takes on and the brands she associates with. The brand expert emphasized the importance of Meghan’s work aligning with her values and personal brand, indicating that her selective approach is justified, told The Sun.
While acknowledging Meghan’s selectivity, Palmer-Davies suggested that if financial constraints become pressing, Meghan might need to reconsider offers she had previously turned down. This could involve collaborations with prominent fashion or beauty brands, as well as engaging in personal appearances and participating in panel talks, all of which could provide substantial income.
Despite these opportunities, the PR specialist acknowledged that Meghan Markle might view certain ventures as potentially beneath her current status. The former Suits actress, having established herself as a prominent figure, faces the dilemma of weighing financial needs against maintaining her perceived status.
As Meghan and Prince Harry navigate their financial landscape, the suggestions put forth by Denise Palmer-Davies shed light on potential avenues for the couple to explore, emphasizing the need to strike a balance between financial considerations and the Duchess’s brand values.


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Apple Inc AAPL supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. TSM is looking for local sources of neon gas after Vladimir Putin‘s war in Ukraine caused a major supply crunch.
What Happened: The chipmaking giant is working with multiple Taiwan-based gas suppliers to explore the local production of neon gas in three to five years, the company’s Senior Vice President of Information Technology, Materials Management and Risk Management, J.K. Lin told Nikkei Asia.
Neon gas is an important component for chipmaking and Russia’s war in Ukraine has disrupted the supply chain from one of the biggest producers that control up to 50% of semiconductor-grade supplies, the report noted, citing Techcet estimates.
According to industry executives, the prices of neon gas skyrocketed; therefore, chipmakers scrambled to secure supplies, forcing giants like TSMC to look for alternatives.
“We have a concrete plan to work with suppliers to localize some neon gas supplies and are currently in the process of buying equipment,” Lin said.
“The idea is to have more sources to increase the level of supply chain safety. However, our plan is not to build all the supplies locally. That is not realistic and very costly,” he added.
Lin revealed that the chipmaker is evaluating supply chain risks and has continuity plans for the next five years to make sure it can source more than 2,000 chipmaking materials and chemicals to meet its expansion goals. “We have had to become much more focused on risk management and sustainability issues. A lot of lessons have been learned for TSMC and also for our suppliers,” Lin said.


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Number of guests in Riga hotels might grow by 10 % this year
The Baltic Course
The number of guests in Riga hotels and other tourist facilities this year might grow by about 10 %, said Riga Tourism Development Bureau (RTAB) head Vita Jermolovica in an interview with LETA.
Source: riga – Google News
Sharing information is key – Latvia News in UK. Social Commerce and Social Media Management playing a big part. Suaju Ltd


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Tesla has a rainbow-colored Model S, and they loaned it to Sally Field’s son, Sam Greisman.
In celebration of Pride Month, Tesla loaned Sally Field’s son, Sam Greisman, one of their rainbow-colored cars for a three-day test drive. Greisman proudly shared the stylish Pride ride to social media. The 30-year-old director posted a photo of himself with his temporary wheels to Instagram.
He captioned the post: “True story. They gave me this car for being such a homo. Eat your Lindsey Graham. @teslamotors.”
One disbelieving follower accused Greisman of fabricating the story, writing, “You’re lying.” Greisman promptly replied, “I never lie.”
Greisman took to Twitter to share the story, tweeting, “They gave me this car cuz I’m so gay. Would recommend!”
— sam greisman (@SAMGREIS) June 21, 2018
Of course, he would recommend the vehicle; it’s a Pride-themed Tesla.


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On December 17, 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced three separate enforcement actions against two online lead originators and a so-called “buy-here, pay-here” auto dealer and its affiliated finance company.
Lead Originators Enforcement Actions
The CFPB brought two separate enforcement actions against online lead originators. In the first action, the CFPB filed a complaint in federal district court in California against D and D Marketing, Inc., d/b/a T3 Leads (T3 Leads) and its owners, Grigor and Marina Demirchyan. T3 Leads is a lead aggregator that buys consumer information from lead generators and sells those leads to payday or installment lenders and others. The CFPB alleges that T3 Leads and the Demirchyans violated the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act). Specifically, the CFPB alleges that T3 Leads:
- ignored lead generators’ misleading statements to consumers that their loan applications would be paired with lenders that met certain lending “standards”;
- failed to vet lead purchasers before adding them to its network and selling them leads and failed to require lenders to certify that they complied with applicable state laws; and
- steered consumers toward unfavorable loans, often because those lenders paid T3 Leads the highest amount for the leads.
The CFPB is seeking monetary and injunctive relief against T3 Leads and the Demirchyans.
You can view the T3 Leads/Demirchyans complaint here: http://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201512_cfpb_complaint-v-d-and-d-marketing-inc-et-al.pdf.
In the second action, the CFPB filed an administrative consent order against Lead Publisher and its owner Eric Sancho. Lead Publisher, like T3 Leads, bought and sold leads, which contained personal information such as consumers’ names, telephone numbers, home and email addresses, references, and employer information. The CFPB alleges that Lead Publisher and Sancho violated the Dodd-Frank Act by selling millions of leads to related companies that used the information to harass and deceive consumers into paying alleged debts that they did not actually owe. Specifically, the CFPB alleges that Sancho and Lead Publisher:
- sold approximately three million consumer leads to related entities (which entities the CFPB previously brought enforcement actions against) that threatened, harassed, and defrauded consumers out of millions of dollars; and
- facilitated fraud by permitting the related entities that purchased leads to threaten consumers with fake legal actions, such as restraining orders, in order to collect debts.
Although Lead Publisher is now out of business, the CFPB consent order bans Sancho from the financial products and online consumer leads industries and requires him to disgorge $21,151 that he obtained as a result of his allegedly unlawful conduct.
You can view the Lead Publisher/Sancho Consent Order here: http://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201512_cfpb_eric-v-sancho-consent-order.pdf.
Auto Dealer Enforcement Action
The CFPB also announced an enforcement action against Interstate Auto Group, Inc., d/b/a CarHop, one of the country’s largest “buy-here, pay-here” auto dealers and its affiliated finance company, Universal Acceptance Corporation. Universal Acceptance Corporation, on behalf of CarHop, provided consumer account information to the three major consumer reporting companies on a monthly basis. The CFPB administrative consent order alleges that CarHop and Universal Acceptance Corporation violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Consumer Financial Protection Act by providing consumer reporting companies with information related to consumer accounts that they knew or had reason to believe was inaccurate. Specifically, the CFPB alleges that CarHop and Universal Acceptance Corporation:
- deceived consumers by representing that CarHop would furnish “good credit” information to the credit reporting companies, even though CarHop never provided any positive credit information about consumers;
- provided inaccurate information to the credit reporting companies that consumers still owed money or that their cars were repossessed, when consumers lawfully returned cars within 72 hours of purchase; and
- failed to maintain adequate written policies and procedures related to the accuracy and integrity of the consumer information it furnished to credit reporting companies.
The CFPB consent order requires CarHop and Universal Acceptance Corporation to:
- stop misrepresenting that they will report “good credit” or other positive information to the credit reporting companies;
- notify the credit reporting companies of any inaccuracies related to information that they provided to those reporting companies;
- provide credit reports to consumers who had incorrect information submitted to the credit reporting companies about their accounts;
- implement a process for auditing information that is submitted to the credit reporting companies; and
- pay a $6,465,000 civil penalty.
You can view the CarHop/Universal Acceptance Corporation Consent Order here: http://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/201512_cfpb_carhop-consent-order.pdf.
ABOUT STINSON LEONARD STREET
Stinson Leonard Street LLP provides sophisticated transactional and litigation legal services to clients ranging from individuals and privately held enterprises to national and international public companies. As one of the 100 largest firms in the U.S., Stinson Leonard Street has offices in 14 cities, including Minneapolis, Mankato and St. Cloud, Minn.; Kansas City, St. Louis and Jefferson City, Mo.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Denver, Colo.; Washington, D.C.; Decatur, Ill.; Wichita and Overland Park, Kan.; Omaha, Neb.; and Bismarck, N.D.
Zane Gilmer is a member of the firm’s litigation practice group. His practice focuses on business litigation and compliance and he is a member of the firm’s CFPB taskforce. Zane works out of the firm’s Denver office and he can be reached at email@example.com or 303.376.8416.
The views expressed herein are the views of the blogger and not those of Stinson Leonard Street or any client.


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NEWARK, N.J. — As Mars Wrigley introduced an extensive list of new products during the Sweets & Snack Expo in Indianapolis in June, it also unveiled a new platform intended to help retailers sell more impulse products.
The new Accelerating Impulse Moments (AIM) insights platform consists of conversion strategies for retailers across all channels in stores and online with Snacks Aisle Optimization, Secondary Display Growth, Transaction Zone Reinvention and Digital Solutions Execution among the focuses of the platform. These strategies will help retailers shape impulse throughout the shopper journey to create an effective and engaging omnichannel experience’ the company said.
“These new insights and innovative products are poised to not only drive growth for the category but also impact people’s lives,” said Tim LeBel, president of sales at Mars Wrigley, “as Mars Wrigley continues to bring people better moments and more smiles this year and in the future.”
This set of leadership and conversion strategies will continuously incorporate Mars Wrigley’s test-and-learn results and new consumer behavior data as the company adjusts impulse shopping solutions for its partners, the company said.
Mars Wrigley’s Innovative Merchandising Incubator, introduced in 2019 with Kum & Go as its selected partner, recently finished its first in-market test-and-learn. After thoughtful planning and execution, Mars Wrigley’s most strategic convenience-store testing partnership reimagined the store layout, which not only triggered confectionery purchases but also purchases of products in adjacent categories as well, ultimately delivered strong results and growth, the company said.
Mars Wrigley is also introducing new innovations at this year’s expo that reflect consumers’ changing needs for the category.
“Though the way people shop and interact with our category is evolving, we’re more committed than ever to connecting with our consumers and delivering relevant, innovative new products,” said Tim LeBel, president of sales at Mars Wrigley.
New products displayed during the Sweets & Snacks Expo included ...
- Skittles All Lime intended to please fans’ requests for an all-lime-flavored package of the chewy candies.
- Skittles Gummies, available in the Original Five Fruity Flavors and Wild Berry varieties.
- Skittles Pride Packs, for which Skittles gave up its colorful rainbow packaging to support and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.
Snickers Almond Brownie, the newest addition to the Snickers portfolio featuring a chewy brownie filling mixed with chopped almonds and topped with a layer of caramel, all coated in dark chocolate.


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peshkova - Fotolia
The global software-defined WAN infrastructure market will grow an average of nearly 31% annually through 2023 as vendors feed enterprise hunger for technology that connects employees to applications running on multiple cloud service providers.
That's one of the findings of IDC's latest SD-WAN forecast. The research firm said the market would reach $5.25 billion in 2023 from $1.4 billion in 2018, the beginning of the forecast period.
Enterprises have found SD-WAN a necessary technology for connecting branch locations and remote offices with SaaS applications and software running on public clouds, such as AWS and Microsoft Azure. Traditional WAN technology lacks most of the features needed for connecting to cloud and SaaS applications, such as simplified management, cost-effective bandwidth utilization and WAN flexibility, efficiency and security, IDC said.
The demand for SD-WAN will fuel a continuation of market consolidation through acquisition as companies with stronger business models buy weaker vendors for their intellectual property, customer base or presence in specific geographical regions, IDC said.
SD-WAN market consolidation
The SD-WAN market today has more than three dozen vendors, which is more than the market can support, analysts have said. The most significant acquisitions to date include VMware purchasing VeloCloud in 2017 and Cisco Systems acquiring Viptela and Oracle picking up Talari Networks in 2018.
Other trends spotted by IDC include SD-WAN evolving from a standalone product to a key feature within a broader SD-branch platform that encompasses additional network and security services.
"Vendors will compete intensely on this front during the next few years," the IDC report said.
Businesses with lots of branch and remote offices are deploying SD-branch technology to simplify network operations through consolidation of WAN connectivity, network security, LAN and Wi-Fi in a unified platform, according to Lee Doyle, principal analyst for Doyle Research. Network and security vendors offering SD-branch options include Cisco Meraki, Cradlepoint, Fortinet, Hewlett Packard Enterprise's Aruba Networks, Riverbed and Versa Networks.
Market share leaders
IDC defines SD-WAN infrastructure as comprising edge routing software or hardware and traditional routers and WAN optimization technology if they are an in-use and integrated component of an SD-WAN product.
Other infrastructure components include SD-WAN controllers for centralized implementation of application policy and WAN routing, network visibility and analytics.
Based on IDC's definition of SD-WAN infrastructure, Cisco's broad portfolio of hardware and software made it the market leader with a 46.4% share, the researcher said. VMware, which sells only software, was second with an 8.8% share, followed by Silver Peak, 7.4%; Nuage Networks, a Nokia company, 4.9%; and Riverbed, 4.3%.


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Big data analysis and intelligent decision making are coming to the car. Ford is researching the use of real-time sensor data—radar and camera-based—that can help evaluate external factors affecting driver attention, including traffic congestion, and thus limit potential distractions, such as an incoming phone call.
Upgradeable, Customizable Hardware
Ford's OpenXC research platform looks at the potential for open-source, community-driven innovation of plug-and-play hardware modules that provide infinite opportunities for rapid customization.
Integration Across Cloud Ecosystems
The success of Ford SYNC has been linked to its open, agnostic platform strategy that has allowed for adoption and compatibility with the burgeoning mobile ecosystem. The next step is to do the same for the consumer shift toward cloud-based services.
Advanced Machine Learning
The new Ford Fusion and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrids use EV+, a feature that learns the typical locations of charging, such as home and office, and then automatically maximizes electric-only driving mode when nearing those locations.
Ford is researching biometric sensors, such as those embedded in a car seat, to measure stress levels for a more personalized response from driver-assist technologies because skill levels—and thus stress—can vary in certain situations.
Ford researchers are looking at ways to predict driver behavior, including a driver's destination, based on prior history to help optimize and configure vehicle controls for improved performance, such as better energy management.
Rapid Data Authentication
Ford engineers see significant potential in vehicle-to-vehicle communications and are researching the technology globally, including advanced WiFi with rapid authentication capability so cars can exchange information quickly and securely, helping drivers avoid potential collisions.


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TD bank launches new security feature giving customers the ability to temporarily lock their credit card from anywhere at anytime.
We love to bank online – whether through our smartphones or laptops – but we aren’t using these services to our full potential. Read on for thoughts from Amber Mac, tech expert, who says the online banking revolution is only just beginning.
It’s another step towards a cashless society: The UGO Mobile Wallet. We have a look at its features and how its users can reap the benefits.
Apple Pay may have made a media splash by launching in Canada earlier this month, but there are other mobile payment apps available in Canada. Read on to learn more about them.
Black Friday 2015 is just around the corner – will you be taking part in the shopping frenzy? Here are the top trends for consumers to be aware of, according to a recent study released by Shopbot.
Have you heard of these Canadian fintech companies? Banking in our country is set for a huge shift over the next decade – and these companies are driving the change.
Want to save money at the grocery store? From digital coupons to picking the right veggies, the best grocery apps can help cut your food bill. Check out our top 4 picks, tested at the checkout by frugal living expert Sean Cooper.
Why isn’t Apple Pay in Canada yet? 3rd-party payment apps, including Android and Samsung Pay, may be blocked by Canadian banks’ fee regulations. Get the full story.
What features do Canadians want most from their bank websites and apps? We surveyed mobile and online bank users to find out. Get the full story.
It’s a tough time of year to be a home buyer – May and June are the most competitive months in the real estate market. Here’s what you need to know.


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Some hospitality businesses in England have said they will continue to ask guests and staff to wear masks indoors, even after the legal requirement to do so is potentially dropped on 19 July.
Prime minister Boris Johnson earlier this week announced that when England moves to step 4 of easing lockdown restrictions, which is currently pencilled in for 19 July but will not be confirmed until next Monday, all restrictions will be eased including face coverings and social distancing.
But some business owners have said they feel the move comes to soon, with rising numbers of coronavirus cases still being reported.
"I'm glad that those people who work in the nightclub industry are able to open up again, big events and the like – there are some positive notes there. But I really fear we're opening too soon while a large proportion of the population still aren't fully vaccinated," said Tony Rodd, owner of Copper & Ink in Blackheath, south London.
He told The Caterer that the restaurant will keep screens between tables or keep tables socially distanced, while guests and staff will be asked to continue wearing masks indoors. He said the financial implications of having fewer tables, which knocks out about 16-20 of his covers, is something he is willing to shoulder.
"It does affect us financially and there are higher costs of running at the moment, with more staff, more cleaning costs, things like that. We'd rather be open and open safely than closed or open and operating at a risk," he said, explaining that repeated short lockdowns hit his business harder due to the loss of stock, which has seen up to £6,000 worth of food and drink go to waste every time the business has had to close.
He is concerned that guests may now be more resistant once it is no longer law. "I think that is going to be a challenge," he said.
"Obviously there are some guests that will flat-out refuse to. What we don't want to do is cause any aggression or animosity between the guests and the staff… But I think the reality is a lot of our guests are very respectful of one another and understand they're doing it for other people, not themselves."
He added: "We're just really going to keep an eye on things until we see that the numbers are dropping and we feel it's safe to start relaxing ourselves."
Victor Garvey, chef-patron of Michelin-starred Sola restaurant in London's Soho, has also said he will be asking guests and staff to continue wearing masks and is similarly concerned about another lockdown later in the year.
"We seem to have struck a decent balance," he said. "If we just stuck with what we were doing for a little bit longer we might have had a chance to beat this. I do really feel like we're heading towards another lockdown in September or October now."
Garvey was less concerned about staff abuse due to being a fine dining establishment, however: "I really don't think people are going to have a problem with it. Do you really think somebody's going to storm out of a Michelin-starred restaurant that they booked two months in advance because they have to wear a mask to go to the bathroom?
"We're very busy, we're doing well… if I have to lose one or two customers that are too stubborn to put on a mask, so be it. It's in the interests of the business to keep the staff and the majority of the customers as safe as possible. If somebody outright refuses to wear it, we'll ask that they'll go dine somewhere else."
Meanwhile, Clive Watson, chair of the City Pub Group, which has 45 pubs across the south of England and Wales, told the BBC's Today programme he would also be encouraging staff to continue to wear masks and operate table service across the business to avoid a "free for all scrum at the bar".
He said: "We're not going to say you cannot order at the bar, but we're going to make it as easy as possible to continue to order, whether it's through our City Club app or at table. So we're not going to be militant about it, but we're really not going to encourage people to order at bar. Staff will be encouraged to say to customers as they come to the bar, ‘no, order through the app, or order at table, that way you'll get quicker service, it'll be easier service and it will be safer service'."
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Reaching financial inclusion has become one of the most significant tasks for humankind to achieve. The Global Wealth Report 2021 by Credit Suisse displayed that global wealth grew by 7.4% and wealth per adult reached another record high of USD 79,952. Yet, globally, the increase in poverty that occurred in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic has still lingered, and the COVID-induced poor in 2021 continues to be a whopping 97 million people. A new fintech tool has emerged as a shining beacon during the pandemic to tackle the inequalities with the latest BNPL model. That makes low-cost credit available for vast segments of new-to-credit and non-credit carded customers.
What is Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL)?
BNPL is a short-term micro-credit model where customers have to pay little to no interest for online purchases through eCommerce platforms. This allows consumers to purchase and delay the payment by 14–30 days or repay the amount over several instalments in the next few months. The success of BNPL in developing nations can be informally attributed to formal microlending without putting customers through the cumbersome loan processes of traditional banks.
The Rise Of BNPL
During the pandemic-fueled online shopping craze, the buy now pay later industry (BNPL) grew significantly, accounting for $20-25 billion in transactions in the U.S. alone in 2020. It also became an easy alternative for the unbanked population, which faced limited access to credit to finance their purchases. With this radical new payment model’s usage rapidly increasing worldwide, it’s vital to understand how it’s improving the scope of financial inclusion and how alternative data is tracking creditworthiness more accurately.
Using Alternative Data To Determine Credit Worthiness
When it comes to accessing credit, utilizing alternative data can be a secure way to determine an individual’s credit worthiness. In recent years, Fintech companies, including in the BNPL sector, have increased accessibility to credit and lending opportunities for marginal and lower-income groups by finding new ways to evaluate applicants rather than following the tedious model adopted by traditional banks.
According to Anisha Kothapa, Senior Analyst – Fintech at CB Insights, “BNPL providers use alternative data, AI and machine learning to assess a customer’s credit more quickly and accurately. For example, Affirm uses over 200 consumer data points for risk management, while its seven million existing loans improve its AI algorithm.” She added, “Banks have transaction data, but BNPL providers have a more robust data set like stock keeping data.” This backs the risk with the data provided instead of going through a cumbersome process and yet ending up with defaulters.
Helping Facilitate Individuals With Zero Credit History
Many developing countries have still not adopted the use of credit cards, which remains one of the fastest ways to increase an individual’s credit worthiness. Even in countries like India, credit cards have one of the lowest penetration rates (at 5.55%) among various transactional mediums, including UPI, debit cards, PoS, and internet banking. The low penetration of credit cards in India can be linked to the stringent eligibility criteria adopted by banks in an attempt to avoid defaulters after the daunting economic crisis of 2008. In turn, this has created a vicious loop wherein people cannot access loans due to a lack of credit history.
Sultan Meghji, the first Chief Innovation Officer of the FDIC, while talking about the difficulties faced by the unbanked population, said, “Technology is the best enabler of banking the unbanked. That’s why innovations like BNPL solutions play a significant role in improving financial inclusion. For Gen Z, millennials, and other underbanked populations, the transparency, accessibility, and consistency offered by instalment payments is a gamechanger.”
With technologies such as BNPL leading the way, the underbanked populations have made significant headway in their financial journey. As Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of Finance of Indonesia, and former head of the World Bank Group, said, “Financial inclusion matters not only because it promotes growth, but because it helps ensure prosperity is widely shared. Access to financial services is critical in lifting people out of poverty, empowering women, and helping governments deliver services to their people.”


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The biggest mobile showcase of the year – the Mobile World Congress (MWC) – wrapped up in Barcelona this week, where some 2300 exhibitors revealed their latest products and technologies.
Hardware manufacturers, such as Samsung and Google, showcased new smartphones, apps and features. While the conference arm of MWC brought experts together to discuss how enterprise solutions in networking, messaging, Internet-of-things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) could be applied to industries like agriculture, manufacturing and health.
So what were the big announcements? In no particular order, here are the main things that caught our eye and have us excited about the near future…
Nokia goes retro – and takes 4G to the Moon
Nokia is focusing on building the cheapest and simplest phones for users who do not need the dozens of features offered by the flagship smartphones. The company announced five new phones, including the new Nokia 1 – which runs on Android Go and retails for US$85.
But one of Nokia’s most talked about products at MWC was its retro offering. The company is re-releasing a banana-yellow version of the 8110 featured in the original Matrix film.
Nokia also announced that it’s partnering with Vodafone to develop a space-grade 4G network weighing less than a bag of sugar. The endeavour is part of what is anticipated to be the first privately-funded Moon landing.
It involves using 4G technology to connect two Audi lunar quattro rovers – delivered to the Moon via SpaceX – to a base station. Nokia says the technology will enable “the first live-streaming of HD video from the Moon’s surface to a global audience”.
Sony catches up, and gives us 3D selfies
Sony launched its new Xperia XZ2, which offers the best design of any of the phones that Sony has introduced in years. The XZ2’s camera offers 4K video recording, but its missing headphone jack has sparked outrage among fans.
One cool feature is the addition of Sony’s 3D scanning capability to the XZ2’s front-facing camera so users can create 3D selfies.
Samsung makes incremental, yet interesting, enhancements
Samsung unveiled its new Galaxy S9 and S9+ – more or less a rebrand of the S8 with some enhancements on the camera. That includes dual optical image stabilisation for creating quality images in low light, and double the frame rate of the S8’s super slow motion video function.
The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy 9+ use a new modem that allows users to download at speed of up to 1.2 gigabits per second, providing an enhanced surfing and streaming experience. The fingerprint sensor on the S9+ is now underneath the camera for a better user experience, and the new speakers in S9+ are louder than the S8+.
Samsung is also pushing its new artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant Bixby 2.0, and has introduced a new feature that creates an animated emoji of your face.
5G is (still) coming
Ericsson, Huawei, ZTE, Telstra and many others players are on the run to make 5G a reality. 5G is the next generation in wireless mobile data connectivity. It will run on higher frequency signals than 4G, providing higher capacity and lower latency (the time is takes to complete a function) compared to 4G. Users are likely to see a boost for video streaming and multi-player video games.
More importantly, the technology is required as the backbone for a massive explosion in the IoT industry, which is anticipated to number around 20 billion devices by 2020. That includes smart home appliances, driverless cars and a wide variety of consumer equipment.
The first specification of the 5G standard was announced late last year by 3GPP — the organisation that governs cellular standards. Since then, vendors have started shipping 5G compliant network equipment. Technology research company Gartner expects it will take more time before we start to see commercial 5G networks. According to its recent report, only 3% of the world’s service providers will launch 5G commercially by 2020.
At MWC, Telstra announced its plan to roll out 5G in collaboration with Ericsson and Intel in Australia’s major cities in 2019. The plan includes deploying, this year, more than 1,000 small cells in metro areas to increase capacity, and 4G and 5G integration trials. Earlier this year, Telstra announced its 5G Innovation Centre on the Gold Coast, where the telco will trial different usage cases for smart cities and smart homes.
Innovations on the horizon: IoT and AI
At MWC this year, we didn’t see really surprising breakthroughs on the hardware side, and companies seemed to be more focused on the end user and enterprise applications.
Looking ahead, all the big companies are working on new sensors and wearable technologies, especially in the health domain. Both Apple and Samsung have made it a priority to develop consumer-grade sensors that can measure blood pressure. There’s also likely to be a continued focus on improving user experience in AI-powered applications, such as virtual assistants and camera apps.
This article was originally published on The Conversation.
[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2018/02/five-best-new-products-from-mwc-2018-so-far/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/02/The-Matrix-410×231.jpg” title=”The Five Best Products From MWC 2018 (So Far)” excerpt=”Mobile World Congress is the big show when it comes to all things mobile. Whether that’s laptops, smartphones, tablets or retro gadgets, this is where everyone that isn’t Apple unveils their latest and greatest products. This year has been no exception, with Nokia, Huawei, and others all showing off the mobile hardware we’ll be coveting for the next year.
Here are the five new products that have us intrigued and grabbed our attention.”]
The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans
Here are the cheapest plans available for Australia’s most popular NBN speed tier.


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Noontime business was slow on Monday at the Innside Restaurant in downtown Chattanooga, as the eatery served dine-in patrons for the first time in weeks amid the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Still, owner Tiny Wycuff said the time is right to start offering customers more than carry out.
"I'm more than ready for business to get back to normal," he said about the easing of restrictions, which allowed restaurants to reopen on a limited basis starting Monday across most of Tennessee.
With $14.2 billion in estimated sales generated by Tennessee's restaurants in 2018, much is at stake moving ahead for restaurateurs and government coffers, which collect tax revenues.
The same holds true for the state's 330,000 restaurant and food service workers, who amount to 11% of all employment, according to the Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association.
Meanwhile, the National Restaurant Association estimates U.S. restaurants have already lost nearly $80 billion due to the coronavirus and could lose $225 billion if eateries remain closed for 90 days.
Downtown Chattanooga alone has more than 170 restaurants, according to figures from the nonprofit redevelopment group River City Co.
Tony Davis, owner of the Purple Daisy on St. Elmo Avenue, had been offering curbside service and was ramping up dine-in services on Monday.
Tables inside and outside were 6 to 8 feet apart, he said. Employees were wearing masks and gloves, and there was plenty of hand sanitizer to go around, Davis said.
He said the eatery is operating with a skeleton crew and rotating them in and out until the restaurant can bring back the full staff.
"They need to go back to work," Davis said.
Wycuff said his Chestnut Street restaurant also is following the 50% occupancy rule and all the other necessary steps to reopen.
"We talked to the health inspector about what we should do and how we should do it," he said.
A trio of men who ate dine-in at Innside Restaurant said they had no qualms doing so.
"We were going to order in, and we found out we could sit down," diner Wayne Saunders said. "It was a pleasant surprise."
Many restaurants hadn't made a decision yet to reopen for sit-down patrons on Monday.
Rudy Gomez, manager of Taziki's on Gunbarrel Road, said the eatery plans to open its dining room on Thursday.
"We're trying to make sure we're ready to go," he said. "We're making sure we've got all the team. It's going to be a little different but it's going to be good. We're doing this together."
Amy Donahue of River City said health and safety is "the most important thing," and she thinks reopening will be a slow process.
"We know many restaurants are not opening right away, even though they can," she said. "It could be staffing or supply issues and limitations on the number of individuals in a restaurant at any time."
Donahue said River City plans to keep updating its website and other online resources on the status of downtown retailers and restaurants.
In Cleveland, Tennessee, two popular longtime eateries are taking different paths, with Jenkins Restaurant & Deli having reopened Monday after preparing Sunday.
Angela Gibson, front of the house manager at Jenkins, said it reopened at 11 a.m. with the restaurant's staff donning masks and gloves under "ServSafe" certified training guidelines.
"Employees are being checked for symptoms as they come in," she said. "As far as I know, we are good to go to get back to some normalcy."
But, the Bald-Headed Bistro's owners said it's too soon to reopen.
"This past month has been an unreal experience in all of our lives and businesses," the business said in a social media post. "We are eager to participate in restarting our economy — however, in respect to our guests and employees, we feel that it is a bit too soon to resume 'business as usual.'"
Eric Taslimi, owner of Slick's Burgers on Main Street in Chattanooga, said there are no immediate plans to open.
"There's so many things you have to take into account — what the customers are comfortable with, what the employees are comfortable with, what the owners are comfortable with," he said. "It came up so quickly, we're just watching to see how it's going to go. We're not in any rush. We want to do it correctly."
Richard Adams, son of owners Rick and Nancy Adams at Southern Star, said it's hard to assemble the staff on such short notice given the word that restaurants could open in Chattanooga came down last Friday.
"It's kind of quick to turn around and call all these people that have filed for unemployment and say, 'Come back,'" he said. "We don't have a set date. We are still doing our to-go orders, and we have a blue-plate special every day from 10:30 [a.m.] to 2:30 [p.m.]. I guess you could come inside and eat that in the dining room, but we are not fully staffed."
Major fast-food chains are not rushing to take advantage of the lifting of restrictions on their indoor seating in Tennessee and Georgia, with most major chains sticking to only takeout or drive-thru service at least for now.
Fast-food restaurants are often able to generate as much as 70% of their sales from drive-thru windows, even before the coronavirus raised concerns about people gathering in groups such as in a restaurant setting.
"With the number of cases (of COVID-19) we've seen, we're very cautious in our approach to reopening," said Nicole Moorshead, vice president of marketing for J&S Restaurants Inc. in Cleveland, Tennessee, which operates 43 Hardee's restaurants in the Mid-South region.
Hardee's has no immediate plans for restoring indoor seating and has reopened only 30 of its Hardee's units in the region for drive-thru service so far.
McDonald's, the nation's biggest restaurant chain, also is not immediately opening its restaurants for indoor seating, although the company continues to do a brisk business through its drive-thru, delivery and take-out operations.
"This is not a race. As states ease restrictions, we will move thoughtfully and judiciously to make changes to our operations in collaboration with our franchisees, when McDonald's is ready," a statement said.
Wen Choo Choo, the franchisee for 11 local Wendy's restaurants, also is maintaining only drive-thru and delivery business, at least for another week, while it assesses the new guidelines in the Gov. Bill Lee's "Tennessee Pledge" and the state orders for Georgia restaurants to open with indoor seating.
According to state executive orders and guidelines in Georgia and Tennessee, restaurants can accept dine-in customers provided they follow more than 30 guidelines such as limiting guests to 10 patrons per 500 square feet of space.
Chick-Fil-A, which has 260 restaurants in Georgia and 96 outlets in Tennessee, also said it is taking "additional time" to reopen its dining rooms in states that are starting to ease business restrictions.
"Safe service is our top priority," the company said in a statement.
At the same time, many consumers remain wary of dining in at local restaurants. A nationwide survey by Gallup found that nearly 80% of Americans said they would wait to return to normal daily activities even after restrictions are lifted.
Staff writers Ben Benton and Lisa Denton contributed to this story.
Contact Mike Pare at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @MikePareTFP.


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10 Jan2018:The Tata Motors Group global wholesales in December 2017, including Jaguar Land Rover, were at 116,677 nos., higher by 23%, over December 2016.
Global wholesales of all Tata Motors’ commercial vehicles and Tata Daewoo range in December 2017 were at 47,182 nos., higher by 53%, over December 2016.
Global wholesales of all passenger vehicles in December 2017 were at 69,495 nos., higher by 8%, compared to December 2016.
Global wholesales for Jaguar Land Rover were 55,066 vehicles (*JLR number for December 2017 includes CJLR volumes of 10,269 units). Jaguar wholesales for the month were 16,826 vehicles, while Land Rover wholesales for the month were 38,240 vehicles. Also read:Tata Motors shaping India’s future with smart mobility : Auto Expo 2018


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Black Friday 2020 is Cancelled
With COVID reducing in-store footfall on Black Friday this year, is it finally time to put an end to this questionable tradition?
The popularity of the Thanksgiving tradition is on the decline, with lower discounts available and more conscious shoppers on the high street. The latter want more people to shop small and shop environmentally-friendly.
So, is Black Friday finally cancelled?
The Slow Decline of Black Friday
You don’t need to be an eCommerce specialist to know that this is the busiest time of year for shopping. So much so, that it’s become known as the Golden Quarter!
Black Friday began in 1950 as an American shopping tradition to follow Thanksgiving, but has slowly made it’s way around the world.
While the day has been globally celebrated in the past, are we now seeing a decline in its popularity?
Firstly, the tradition is well-known for its heavily-discounted sales. But the deals have slowly been getting worse and worse, disappointing customers everywhere. Something that has never been truer in 2020 when companies are struggling to make the same amount of money as last year.
Secondly, there are SOOO many days now!
- Singles’ Day
- Black Friday
- Small Business Saturday
- Cyber Monday
- Giving Tuesday
It’s overwhelming, confusing and kind of boring.
My inbox at the moment is full to the brim of bright, loud and flashing infographics begging me to look at their deals. It’s been that way since the start of November and I haven’t opened any of them. They’re all the same!
If anything needs to change, it has to be this abrasive marketing technique. The anticipation and build up to the “Big Day” are lost amongst all the advertising and “Black Friday previews”. Let’s go back to one day of the year?
Burger King was on the cusp of greatness when they put out this infamous statement:
Many were awed by the selfless act of… *checks notes* giving free promotion to other large, multi-million corporations. Yep.
Unfortunately, while they briefly mention “the other independent food outlets”, it’s simply not enough. The headline is focused on McDonalds, a competitor sure, but one who also has a huge online presence and following. They don’t need the free advertising.
But small businesses do.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this year, the big businesses put down their Black Friday marketing campaigns and, in light of COVID and community, advocated for Small Business Saturday? Or is that just wishful thinking?
They could shine a light on some local/small businesses in their industries that need a little extra help this year.
You might think that this wouldn’t boost sales in the same way that Black Friday does, however small business owners are used to helping others out and would certainly return the favour. Furthermore, people LOVED the above Burger King campaign. Consumers will always react positively to self-sacrificing/charitable acts. The big names that do this are held in higher regard.
Do people care?
“But what about the deals?” I hear you cry.
Consumers don’t just care about great offers anymore. They care about sustainability. And thanks to COVID, neighbourhood sustainability is at the top of their priority list.
Last year, Americans spent $19.6 billion on Small Business Saturday. Imagine how much bigger that figure would be if the event went global.
However, Small Business Saturday is about far more than just profits. It’s about awareness, which for many small businesses is more important than earning money. Getting your brand and business out there is far more difficult for small businesses with small marketing budgets, which is why they value this day so much!
American Express originated Small Business Saturday in 2010, in which they gave their customers rewards for shopping small.
Now we finally see other companies following in their footsteps, with Penguin launching Bookshop in November 2020. A site that supports independent booksellers by giving independents 30% commission to sales generated via the site and if customers opt in, their contact details will be shared with the independent bookseller for marketing purposes.
All other sales give 10% to an earnings pool that is evenly distributed to stores every six months. Plus, if customers aren’t affiliated with a bookshop, their receipt will inform them of bookshops nearby.
This information was found, here.
An excellent example of how the big names can support smaller businesses, especially in this difficult period.
Obviously, it’s unlikely that Black Friday will be cancelled.
Or at least not this year with the number of promotional adverts that’s invaded our e-mails, social media and TVs since the start of November. But it’s important to be aware of what consumers think of the event.
Many are now branding Black Friday as a big polluter, thanks to the damaging effect that consumerism has on the environment. Black Friday encourages consumers to over-spend and purchase items that they don’t need but want because of its cheap price. This leads to an increase in manufacturing and landfill use when these items are no longer wanted.
The conscious shopper is concerned of the effect that these unnecessary purchases have on our environment, which is why there are now multiple campaigns against Black Friday.
3Search is an award-winning UK recruitment consultancy, specialising in marketing, strategy & transformation, and tech positions. Whether you’re seeking new talent or looking for your next career move, we can help. Learn more at www.3search.co.uk


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Beatport Speaks Out Against Chart Riggers
As one of the world's biggest dance music retailers, it was only a matter of time before the Beatport Chart found itself susceptible to the kind of chart rigging shenanigans that have long dogged the industry. Today the site posted a strongly worded statement castigating the rise of online chart fixing services, denouncing them as cheats preying on the desperate and the stupid.
"We’re flattered that a Beatport chart position can have such a profound impact on a DJ’s career… Over the past few years, we’ve noticed an increase in services offering to boost a track’s Beatport chart position for a price.
…Chart-boosting rarely works. There are some very easy and obvious clues that help us spot the scammers. These scammers talk a good game, but they’re really just preying on the desperation of aspiring DJs in order to line their own pockets. More often than not, the money spent on these scams is just wasted.
When we spot a boosted record or track, we remove it from the store, and we’ll continue to do so. Our next step is to permanently ban the offending artists and labels. And we’re not bluffing.
As much as this type of thing saddens us, it makes us angry even more. To anyone tempted to use one of these so-called chart-boosting services, we urge you to first consider the cost. Not the monetary cost of what these scams charge, but rather the cost to your career, to your reputation, and the cost to your soul."
Read the full statement here
Beatport then go on to point out all the negativity chart rigging creates – largely, stealing someone else's rightful place and spending a shit load of money to do so – they also claim that if you get caught the industry will hate you. A fair seeming point, maybe, but it's curious that they can only illustrate this 'hate' with a news story about Milli Vanilli's lip synching, breaking news some 25 years ago. Has there been no one since? The implication is that very few big names have been caught scamming- and if they have been caught, the industry – including Beatport – isn't saying a thing about it. If they really want to expose the cheats then maybe they should publish a blacklist of anyone who has been removed from the store because of flagrant rigging, to truly allow the public to know who's taking the piss. Whilst we're in a situation where major labels have been heavily involved in fake views on youtube, and almost certainly wouldn't balk at rigging Beatport charts, it's unlikely this will happen.
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E-cigarette use doubled among students in 2012, a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found.
While 7% of students in grades 6-12 said they had smoked an e-cigarette at least once in 2012, only 3% said they had tried the battery-powered, aerosol alternative to tobacco cigarettes the year before.
"The increased use of e-cigarettes by teens is deeply troubling," Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC, said in a statement. "Many teens who start with e-cigarettes may be condemned to struggling with a lifelong addiction to nicotine and conventional cigarettes."
An atomizer contained inside e-cigarettes heats a liquid containing nicotene, converting it into vapor, which is then inhaled like smoke from a traditional cigarette. While e-cigarette manufacturers argue their product is far less harmful to human health than tobacco, studies have found that the fluid in e-cigarettes also contain toxic chemicals.
"This is a serious concern because the overall impact of e-cigarette use on public health remains uncertain," the CDC report states. "In youths, concerns include the potential negative impact of nicotine on adolescent brain development, as well as the risk for nicotine addiction and initiation of the use of conventional cigarettes or other tobacco products."
While the Food and Drug Administration has yet to regulate the sale of e-cigarettes, 20 states have passed laws prohibiting minors from buying them.
The reality is that e-cigarettes are also widely available online, even though some manufacturers require customers to verify their age with a click of a mouse.
"Intended for sale to adults 18 years or older," ProVape E-cigarettes states on its website. "If you are not legally able to purchase tobacco products in the state where you live, please do not enter this site."
Despite state restrictions, the CDC report concluded that 1.78 million students had tried e-cigarettes in 2012. It remains unclear how many kids have become regular e-cigarette users.


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Sword Coast Legends State of the Game, Free DLC & Update Plan
n-Space has released the latest State of the Game for Sword Coast Legends, including some good news about upcoming DLC.
The major news is that the upcoming Rage of Demons DLC, along with all other planned DLC and updates, will be released free of charge. There’s also a detailed roadmap released for the next couple of months, starting with today’s Pumpkin Patch.
Find out more in the State of the Game.
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Zumiez Inc. (ZUMZ) Forecasted to Earn Q4 2017 Earnings of $0.62 Per Share
Zumiez Inc. (NASDAQ:ZUMZ) – Equities researchers at Wedbush boosted their Q4 2017 EPS estimates for shares of Zumiez in a research report issued on Thursday. Wedbush analyst M. Brown now anticipates that the firm will earn $0.62 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $0.56. Wedbush currently has a “Neutral” rating and a $18.00 target price on the stock. Wedbush also issued estimates for Zumiez’s Q2 2018 earnings at $0.01 EPS and Q4 2018 earnings at $0.67 EPS.
Zumiez (NASDAQ:ZUMZ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, September 8th. The apparel and footwear maker reported ($0.03) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.08) by $0.05. Zumiez had a net margin of 2.48% and a return on equity of 7.21%. The company had revenue of $178.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $177.35 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.12 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .8% on a year-over-year basis.
ZUMZ has been the subject of several other reports. Stifel Nicolaus reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $17.00 price objective (up from $16.00) on shares of Zumiez in a report on Tuesday, September 13th. Mizuho increased their price objective on Zumiez from $16.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $16.00 price objective on shares of Zumiez in a report on Saturday, September 10th. William Blair raised Zumiez from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, SunTrust Banks Inc. increased their price objective on Zumiez from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, August 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $17.93.
This story is the sole property of American Banking News and it was originally published by American Banking News. If you are reading this story on another website, that means this article was illegally copied and re-published to this website in violation of U.S. and International copyright law. The original version of this article is available at http://www.americanbankingnews.com/2016/10/07/zumiez-inc-zumz-forecasted-to-earn-q4-2017-earnings-of-0-62-per-share.html
Shares of Zumiez (NASDAQ:ZUMZ) traded up 2.46% during midday trading on Friday, reaching $21.67. 1,018,538 shares of the company’s stock traded hands. The company has a market capitalization of $538.07 million, a PE ratio of 28.25 and a beta of 1.56. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $17.29 and its 200-day moving average is $16.49. Zumiez has a 52 week low of $11.53 and a 52 week high of $22.54.
A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC boosted its stake in Zumiez by 31.9% in the second quarter. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC now owns 164,013 shares of the apparel and footwear maker’s stock worth $2,347,000 after buying an additional 39,647 shares in the last quarter. Magnetar Financial LLC bought a new stake in Zumiez during the first quarter worth approximately $390,000. Prudential Financial Inc. boosted its stake in Zumiez by 77.1% in the first quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 81,724 shares of the apparel and footwear maker’s stock worth $1,628,000 after buying an additional 35,589 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its stake in Zumiez by 440.8% in the second quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 45,191 shares of the apparel and footwear maker’s stock worth $647,000 after buying an additional 36,834 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stoneridge Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake in Zumiez by 10.0% in the second quarter. Stoneridge Investment Partners LLC now owns 89,599 shares of the apparel and footwear maker’s stock worth $1,282,000 after buying an additional 8,158 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.11% of the company’s stock.
Zumiez Inc is a specialty retailer of apparel, footwear, accessories and hardgoods for men and women. The Company operates under the names Zumiez and Blue Tomato. Additionally, the Company operates e-commerce Websites at www.zumiez.com and www.blue-tomato.com. Its product categories are men’s apparel, accessories, footwear, hardgoods and junior’s apparel.
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These restrictions are becoming a major issue for U.S. UAV manufacturers because Israel already has a head start as an exporter, and China (using copies of many Israeli and U.S. UAVs) is catching up fast. The UAV market is expected to double to over $11 billion a year in the next decade and American firms have to export more in order to survive. The American military has cut purchases way back and will not be buying much for the next five years to come or more.
It’s understandable that the Israelis are leading exporters, as they developed most of the basic technology that made the best-selling American models like Predator and Raven possible. Israel kept developing UAV tech after successful American designs appeared. As a result of this trend, in the last decade nations have found that if they wanted American style UAVs very often they were unable to buy American for whatever reason but the Israelis probably had whatever they needed, with less restrictions and often at a better price.
Israel has UAVs similar in capabilities to many of the U.S. made ones, and in many cases the Israeli versions were there first. But that won’t do much good with the Chinese closing in.


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Urban Outfitters (NASDAQ: URBN) releases its next round of earnings this Tuesday, March 3. Get the latest predictions in Benzinga's essential guide to the company's Q4 earnings report.
Earnings and Revenue
Urban Outfitters EPS will likely be near 63 cents while revenue will be around $1.17 billion, according to analysts.
In the same quarter last year, Urban Outfitters reported earnings per share of 83 cents on sales of $1.13 billion. The analyst consensus estimate would represent a 24.1% decline in the company's EPS figure. Sales would be up 3.63% from the year-ago period. Here's how the company's reported EPS has compared to analyst estimates in the past:
|Quarter||Q3 2020||Q2 2020||Q1 2020||Q4 2019|
Over the past 52-week period, shares of Urban Outfitters have declined 23.79%. Analysts have adjusted their estimates lower for EPS and revenues over the past 90 days. The average rating by analysts on Urban Outfitters stock is a Neutral. The strength of this rating has maintained conviction over the past 90 days.
Urban Outfitters is scheduled to hold a conference call at 5:15 p.m. ET and it can be accessed here: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/5ra26xnz
See more from Benzinga
- Q4 Earnings Outlook For Ross Stores
- A Preview Of Hewlett Packard's Q1 Earnings
- A Preview Of Ambarella's Q4 Earnings
© 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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OurMine, the same group that hacked Mark Zuckberg’s Pinterest and Twitter accounts, seems to be behind it.
Even the former CEO of Twitter isn’t protected from the occasional security hack. Earlier this afternoon, three tweets were sent from Dick Costolo’s account claiming to be from a group called OurMine.
The tweets have since been deleted and the Twitter account belonging toOurMine has been suspended.
However, according to Costolo, it wasn’t his Twitter account that was hacked.
Here are the tweets that were cross-posted to his account.
One of the tweets linked to a post on what appears to be Costolo’s Pinterest account.
OurMine is the same group of hackers that targeted Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s Pinterest and Twitter accounts and posted similar messages. In screenshots of previous OurMine tweets, the group claims to be “teaching” people to better secure their accounts.
Working as a cyber security solutions architect, Alisa focuses on application and network security. Before joining us she held a cyber security researcher positions within a variety of cyber security start-ups. She also experience in different industry domains like finance, healthcare and consumer products.


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In keeping with its aggressive growth strategy, the India Today Group has announced a few significant promotions. Malcolm D. Mistry has been promoted as Publishing Director – India Today Mega brand. At the same time, Mala Sekhri, who was Publishing Director—Lifestyle Division, has been promoted as COO – Lifestyle & Music. These promotions are effective April 1, 2008.
Mistry, as Publishing Director – India Today Mega brand, will now drive the business for all the brands in the IT-Mega brand portfolio of the group and will be responsible for all aspects of the business including top line, bottom line, marketing, growth, new initiatives, market share, events, language editions, line extensions, etc. Mistry will be addressing some “extraordinary initiatives this year” which will enable strong and sustainable growth in the future for this SBU.
Sekhri, besides expanding business in the Lifestyle and Women’s domain, will also now be responsible for the Music Today business which comes with its own set of opportunities. She will enable strong synergies between the two business units and will chart out an aggressive growth path for existing and new business initiatives, said an internal notification sent out last evening.
Meanwhile, Manoj Sharma has been promoted as Associate Publisher – Impact, India Today Mega Brand. He will be responsible for national advertising sales, sponsorships and alliances across all existing and new brands in this SBU.
Announcing these promotions, Ashish Bagga, Group CEO, “These promotions are aimed at strengthening the team in keeping with the India Today Group’s aggressive growth strategy.”
Aseem Kapoor joins India Today Group as Publishing Director-Business Group


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We all spend much of our time at home right now, but the one place we’re still going is the grocery store. It’s a necessity – we’ve all got to eat.
It’s true that all kinds of frozen foods are easy, and they’re sustainable for quite some time, but what we are feeding our body can have a big impact on our overall health.
Korynn Snidar, a certified nutritionist with a B.S. in human nutrition and dietetics, said what people should be eating always, and especially now, are fruits and vegetables, as well as making it a point to stay hydrated.
“Now is not the time for keto or fasting. It’s a time for fruits, vegetables and nourishment,” said Snidar, who also owns Lovely Meal Prep.
Her resounding suggestion at any time is that, to be healthy, you simply must eat your fruits and vegetables. That is key.
“People don’t believe it’s that simple,” Snidar said. “People say, ‘It can’t be that easy.’”
But it is.


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Cryptocurrency exchange FTX will soon allow for traditional stock trading alongside its crypto offerings, the company announced in a press release (via The Wall Street Journal). The functionality is currently available to a select number of users in the US, but it’s aiming to roll it out to more traders in the coming months.
FTX says it will offer commission-free trading with access to “hundreds of US exchange-listed securities” including both common stocks and ETFs. It will let customers add money to their accounts through credit card deposits, ACH transfers, and wire transfers. FTX also says it’s the first exchange to let users fund their accounts with fiat-backed stablecoins, such as USDC. While the price of stablecoins isn’t (theoretically) supposed to fluctuate as much as other cryptocurrencies because they’re pegged to a currency or commodity, a recent dip in the overall crypto market has left some stablecoins struggling.
FTX plans on routing orders directly through the Nasdaq exchange, instead of using the payment for order flow (PFOF) method employed by Robinhood and other exchanges. PFOF involves brokerages receiving compensation for directing orders to market makers, a process critics say could pose a conflict of interest, as brokers may want to direct orders to institutions that increase their profits. The practice came under scrutiny following the GameStop stock surge that occurred last year.
“With the launch of FTX Stocks, we have created a single integrated platform for retail investors to easily trade crypto, NFTs, and traditional stock offerings through a transparent and intuitive user interface,” Brett Harrison, the US president of FTX said in a statement.
Robinhood, the Block-owned Cash App, and Public.com also let users trade stock and crypto — throwing FTX into the mix will let it compete directly with each platform. Earlier this month, Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, disclosed his purchase of a 7.6 percent stake in Robinhood, making him the company’s third-largest shareholder. In Bankman-Fried’s 13D filing, he said he had no plans to acquire the company at this time, but as the WSJ points out, this type of form is typically filed by an investor looking to purchase more shares of a company or execute a takeover.


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Jailhouse ShockSteve Schaefer, 10.21.09, 02:00 PM EDT
Looking to cash out? Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman sees big bucks in a private prison operator.
William Ackman has built a career on actively investing in companies like Target, pushing for changes to increase shareholder value. But in one of Ackman's latest investments, he's taking a a more passive role, and perhaps for good reason: this company is in the prison business.
At the fifth annual Value Investing Congress on Tuesday at New York's Marriott Marquis, Ackman laid out his case for investing in private prison owner and operator Corrections Corporation of America ( CXW - news - people ).
The U.S. prison system is severely overcrowded -- Ackman cited the statistic that California's prisons are running at 170% capacity -- and with a 12,000 bed inventory, CCA is poised to shoulder some of the load that is overcoming state and federal capacity. Couple that with the fact that it's cheaper and quicker for CCA to build a new facility than it is for the U.S. government, and Ackman says the company's shares are considerably undervalued at their current $25-$26 level, pegging its worth at $40-$54 based on a sum-of-the-parts valuation.
Ackman was also quick to brush off any concerns about falling occupancy rates at CCA, arguing that the company's aggressive building of new prisons in recent years boosted its total number of beds, and occupancy will rise as those beds are filled. Not to mention that the business is "like a hotel where you lock in the guests, and if they try to escape you shoot them."
The board of CCA is also an asset, according to Ackman, and aligned with shareholder interests through their ownership of about 5% of the company's outstanding shares. Coming from a manager whose fund, Pershing Square Capital, is well known for efforts to shake up boards at companies like Target ( TGT - news - people ), that's high praise. At a time when many real estate companies are still bearing heavy debt burdens, CCA has no debt maturing until 2012 and throws off enough free cash to cover those commitments.
The CCA ownership is also part of a pair trade where Pershing is short Realty Income ( OUI - news - people ), which leases retail space. Realty Income does not disclose who its tenants are, but the bulk are discretionary regional retailers and Ackman has some concerns about their credit quality, particularly a few he has identified as junk-rated borrowers with high leverage.
The company's performance is built on expectations that it can continue delivering its monthly dividend, a feature that is enticing to retirees and many other investors, Ackman said. But tenant bankruptcies could result in a decline in share price that could jeopardize the business model of issuing new shares as a way to raise money, one that falls apart with a meaningful decline in share price. Ackman also pointed out that insider ownership is a paltry 1.5% despite the lengthy company tenure of current management.
Shares of Realty Income were up 27 cents, to $23.47, on Wednesday. Chief Executive Tom Lewis told Forbes that the company wouldn't have recently raised its dividend again if its outlook was weak. "We're a long way into this recession, but our occupancy is up and we're optimistic about it staying up," Lewis said.
On the possibility of tenant defaults causing an issue, Lewis said the majority of stores Realty Income owns are profitable -- many make $2.40 for every $1 they pay in rent, so the operators are hesitant to give up those locations, even in the case of a bankruptcy. "We also have no mortgages on any of our properties, an untapped $355 million credit line [from Wells Fargo and other banks] and no debt maturing until 2013."
Compared with Realty Income's tenant base of convenience stores and casual restaurants, which is not disclosed to shareholders, Ackman's bet on CCA relies on pretty reliable tenants: criminals whose rent is paid by the U.S. government. He said that the only foreseeable threat to CCA's business is a steep decline in crime rates, a low-probability event.
Ackman also points out similarities to the health-care REIT space, as both businesses have little cyclicality, but stresses that privatized prisons don't have the regulatory worries of hospitals or managed-care facilities.


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Citroën has partnered with Kotak Mahindra Prime Ltd (KMPL), a leading car finance company in India, to offer innovative retail finance and enable mobility solutions in India. This tie-up, in addition to the earlier agreements signed with Axis Bank and ALD, will provide Citroën India customers with wide array of finance options, making their experience more rewarding.
Commenting on the partnership, Roland Bouchara, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing, Citroën India said, “At Citroën, we are continuously looking-out for new collaborations that will deliver best ownership experience to our future customers and dealer partners. Auto finance is a big enabler for customers to buy cars in India, hence, we consider this as critical to reach out to the prominent financial institutes like KMPL to offer new-age finance solutions by supporting future customers to own their dream Citroën cars and dealers to have seamless access to customised credit solutions.”
The flagship vehicle, Citroën C5 Aircross SUV, will be the first product from the Citroën brand for the Indian customers, which will be launched in 2020. The SUV will set a benchmark in style, comfort and innovation in its segment in India.
Can’t entertain plea at behest of political party: SC on plea by CPI(M) against demolition in Shaheen Bagh
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Monday refused to entertain a plea filed by CPI(M) again…


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Sandy Creek— With Christmas just 23 days away, deciding what type of Christmas tree you would like might be on the top of your list. ABC50 spoke with Michele Forsyth owner of Hemlock Haven Christmas Tree Farm, who has been growing trees for over 12 years.
According to earth911, although there are millions of Christmas trees cut down yearly- there are benefits:
“Approximately 33 million real Christmas trees are sold in North America each year, according to the U.S. EPA. Luckily, about 93 percent of those trees are recycled through more than 4,000 available recycling programs”
The National Christmas Tree Association states that 30.8 million real trees are purchased yearly verses fake trees at 9.5 million. The retail value of real trees are at $1.07 billion verses $670 billion on fake trees. This breaks down to an average of $34.87 spent on real trees verses $70.55 spent on artificial trees.
Mrs. Forsyth told ABC50 that 45 percent of consumers prefer artificial trees verses 55 percent rather purchase real trees. Not only does Mrs. Forsyth and her husband run and own their business Hemlock Haven Christmas Tree Farm, they are both Sandy Creek Fire Fighters.
Mrs. Forsyth confronted the issue of safety and avoiding potential fires in the home, “A well watered tree is not a fire hazard. Please keep them well watered and away from a heat source.”
For those that are conflicted and unsure of whether or not to purchase a real tree or an artificial tree, can always evaluate the positive and negatives of both. Consumers might want to shop around and looking at artificial trees. Then, one can always swing by Hemlock Haven Christmas Tree Farm for the real tree experience. A real tree in the home has the benefits of the pine tree sent, bringing fond memories of childhood Christmas memories.
For real Christmas trees visit
460 County Route 22A
Sandy Creek, NY 13145


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Higher price for 3DS games compare to old DS games!? Better look into your wallet sooner or later..... [/p]
QUOTE said:Financial documents from an Asian publisher have suggested that 3DS titles could cost three times as much to make as games for previous models.
According to data from Japanese firm Marvelous, developing for the handheld platform could cost between $600,000 (£375k) and $1.8m (£1.1m) depending on content, 1UP reports.
Statistics from Tokyo Game Show organiser CESA reveal that producing a game for the DS in 2009 cost between $53,000 (£33k) and $527,000 (£329k). PSP development stood at between $36,000 (£22k) and $710,000 (£444k), Wii releases up to $1.4m (£875k), and PS3 and Xbox 360 games as much as $3m (£1.8m).
Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata previously hinted that 3DS release could cost more than standard DS titles, though full pricing details are yet to be announced.
The 3DS arrives in Europe and North America in March.
In addition, here is a complementary news regarding upcoming Harvest Moon 3DS.
Well, that, or it'll just "print money" ... in 3D.QUOTE said:During a recent investor call, Marvelous Entertainment, the publisher best known for its Harvest Moon games, revealed its budget range for 3DS game development. According to the transcription of the call's Q&A session (as translated by 1UP), a Marvelous representative said that, "while costs vary based on game content," the company would spend an estimated ¥50 million to ¥150 million ($600K to $1.8M) on the development of a single 3DS game. Currently, Marvelous has two 3DS projects in the works, a Harvest Moon game and a zoo sim called Animal Resort.
Not surprisingly, Marvelous' 3DS spending money is significantly higher than the ¥4.4 million to ¥43.9 million per title (roughly $50K–525K) Japanese companies spent on developing (regular) DS games last year, according to data gathered by TGS sponsor and promotional organization CESA. More interestingly, Marvelous' ¥150-million cap for a 3DS game represents a figure more than double the cost of the last year's most expensive Japanese PSP title, which, while unnamed, cost ¥59.2 million to develop by CESA's account. (The cheapest PSP game cost its maker just ¥3 million.)
If Marvelous' budget is indicative of other companies' 3DS game costs -- and, certainly, some of these guys are likely to splurge -- then developing for the platform could prove more expensive than for Wii, where last year's most expensive Japanese project topped out at ¥116 million. In an era when budget gaming is dominating the handheld market, and following the disastrous combination of costly PSP game development and rampant piracy, the 3DS could be as ill-fated as the 3D technology that requires you to wear glasses.
Well, that, or it'll just "print money" ... in 3D.